A glowing candle illuminated the dark grey hall. Twilight Sparkle let out a soft groan of fatigue, rising from the cold stone tiles to survey her surroundings. It looked like the hall of some ancient castle. Red curtains covered the tall windows and candelabras and portraits decorated the gray stone wall. It reminded her of the Castle of the Two Sisters, enough that for a moment she believed that that was where she was, but the cut of the stone beneath her hooves dissuaded her of that notion. It was as though someone had tried to recreate the building off of a drawing, unsettlingly close but subtly off the mark. Every changed detail caught her eye like a small jolt, keeping her skittish as she tried to orient herself.
“Ah, Princess Twilight Sparkle, welcome to my humble abode.”
Twilight groaned. ‘Note to self: Smack whoever wrote this lady’s dialogue.’
Twilight rubbed her sore eyes and looked up. Standing upon a raised platform on the far side of the hallway was a pony wearing a hooded cloak. Light from a stained glass window illuminated them, but shadow still fell across its face. Only their eyes were visible, but even these were obscured by some enchantment, hiding their true colors.
Twilight stared at the figure before her. “Who are you?”
“A pertinent question, which we will address in due time,” the figure replied. Whoever this pony was, they were using some sort of spell to disguise their voice, but it wasn’t quite successful; there was still something vaguely feminine in her tone, something almost familiar that Twilight couldn’t quite place.
“I’m sorry… I don’t even know what I’m doing here,” Twilight stammered, trying take in all of her surroundings. “One minute I was in Canterlot… I walked down the hallway and…”
“And now you are here with me,” the figure breathed, sounding almost seductive. It approached Twilight, steps making very little noise as they connected with the ground. “But that is unimportant. What truly matters is the gift I come bearing.”
“Gift? What gift?” Twilight asked.
“Truth… and freedom,” the figure replied, a white smile barely visible underneath her hood. “Something that you’ve always longed for. You’ve just never had the courage to admit it to yourself until now.”
Something shining materialized in the air between them. Twilight stared at it and scoffed. “You’re trying to tempt me with a crown? It’s a little late for that. If you haven’t noticed, I already have one.”
“Look again.”
Twilight took a step closer, finally noticing the single purple diamond in the center. “That’s... Celestia’s crown!” she realized. “Where did you get that?”
“That’s not important.”
“You keep saying that,” Twilight noted. “I don’t believe for a second that that’s true. Who are you? What are you hiding?”
“Do not question me!” A hiss whistled around the room, seeming to come from every corner as much as the hooded figure. The dark pony straightened. It spoke slowly, as though explaining something to a child. “I am not your enemy, Twilight Sparkle. I’m freely offering you Celestia’s crown. And if you want to leave, all you have to do is take it.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “You want me to rule Equestria?”
“No, it doesn’t have to be you,” the figure said dismissively. “You wouldn’t like that, would you? So much power. So much responsibility. So little time to spend with your friends. No, Luna would do just fine. Or Sunset Shimmer, now that she’s reformed. Even Pinkie Pie would suffice, so long as you’re not under the puppet-strings of a tyrant who has been deceiving you with her lofty sweet-nothings.”
Twilight’s eyebrow arched higher. “Yes, because you clearly don’t look like the type to do exactly that.”
The figure let out a witch-like chuckle. “I suppose it’s not the most subtle attire, now is it? But back to my offer. Instead of ruling below such a scum-sucking dictator, you could be greater. You could be free of her, and could even be a mentor under someone more worthy...”
“Why would I want to do that?”
The figure let out another chuckle. Twilight let out a breath in response. This pony’s condescension was starting to grate her nerves.
“Oh, so innocent…” The figure laughed. “Twilight, do you not realize how much of an evil and incompetent ruler Celestia is?”
Twilight’s eyes widened. That was the first time she had ever heard an accusation like that.
“I see I’ve captured your attention,” the figure noted. “It seems you have not even entertained the thought of Celestia being not so perfect as you ponies make her out to be.”
“Of course I have,” Twilight insisted. “Celestia’s not a perfect pony. She’s going to slip up from time to time. Like any average pony, she’s going to make mistakes–"
“But she isn’t the average pony!” the figure shouted. "And these aren't average mistakes she’s made!" It pounded the floor and the room quaked in response. The figure’s form began to crackle and flicker, becoming almost translucent.
Twilight flinched back and lifted a hoof. Her body tensed, ready to bolt at any second.
The figure stood back up, straightening its robe. “My apologies. This is a touchy topic for me,” it said. It cleared its throat for a second, then resumed its eloquent speech pattern.
“Let’s cut to the chase. If I can convince you that Celestia is a bad ruler, you will usurp her and place somepony more deserving on the throne. Princess Luna, preferably, but the decision is ultimately yours.”
Twilight stared at the figure. Slowly, her eyes narrowed. “Why are you doing this?” she asked.
The figure gave a small chuckle. “What do you mean? I’m trying to help you.”
“Don’t give me that,” Twilight snapped. “You’re not the first villain to try and tempt or corrupt me. Nopony asks something this big without an ulterior motive. Tell me the truth; what’s in it for you?”
“Nothing really,” the figure stated. “It’s just a matter of justice… or pride, depending on how you look at it. I simply cannot stand the idea of a ruler being so cruel to her subjects and seeing ponies throwing themselves at her hooves in ignorance.”
Twilight let out an inaudible growl. The way this pony casually slandered Princess Celestia was starting to grate her nerves. Her eyes drifted over to the crown. Twilight cocked her head, considering the figure’s deal.
Was this a risk she should be taking? She was certainly confident that Celestia was innocent. However, she’d read about these types of temptations before. Every foal knew that signing a contract with a spiritual being was a fast track to ending up in Tartarus. There was always some twist, some manipulation, some tiny overlooked detail that caused the pony to fall off a slippery slope to their ultimate doom. Twilight considered trying to flee, but she had no idea where she was, and she didn’t know how powerful this entity was…
Twilight decided her only option was to play along, at least until she found a way to escape.
“All right…” Twilight said slowly. “I’ll bite. Tell me your problems with Celestia.”
The figure nodded. The crown floated back across the room and hovered, unsupported, over the platform where the cloaked pony had first appeared. “Whenever you’re ready to accept the truth,” the figure said, “the crown will be right there.”
“Get on with it,” Twilight said, tapping her hoof.
“Very well.” The figure turned dramatically and began to pace. “Let’s start this off simply, then... the Nightmare Moon incident.”
Twilight nodded. “I remember. That was when I first met my friends and brought Princess Luna back to us, correct?”
“Yes, and I find the circumstances of that event DEEPLY troubling. She sent you, a simple unicorn at the time, and five other girls on a mission to save the world against an alicorn with unbelievable magical powers and strength, instead of an army, or even lifting a single hoof to help you herself?”
Twilight gulped. The figure appeared to be a little more prepared than she originally thought.
“In a very similar situation, Celestia sent six little ponies to deal with a dragon when she could have easily taken care of it herself. Call it laziness or overestimating your abilities, but anypony could see that the task was clearly out of your league.”
Twilight snorted.
“Oh? Touched a nerve there, did I?”
“It doesn’t matter, continue,” Twilight growled.
“Of course,” the figure sneered. “My point is, there were several points in both of those situations where you almost died! Nearly falling to your death, being crushed, or getting eaten by a manticore or dragon isn’t something to be taken lightly! A pony doesn’t forget near-death experiences like that so easily! Imagine what it would do to the psyche of a young unicorn fresh out of school!”
Twilight suppressed a shiver. “I’ve had… bad dreams about that occasionally,” she admitted.
“And for that you have my deepest sympathies,” the figure said with a small bow of its head. “But let’s continue. There were many times when she could have helped you but chose not to. Celestia didn’t help your first fight against Discord. She could have protected you from Discord’s wily ways, but instead elected to hole herself up in her castle while her subjects suffered under Discord’s madness.”
“She… I….” Twilight stammered.
“And even more grievously,” it continued, “She didn’t help you against King Sombra! A stallion powerful enough to enslave an entire empire, but somehow not worth Celestia’s time? Was she too afraid to fight him again? Was there something more important she had to do? Or did she feel that since you were able to give her precious sister back to her that she could throw all her responsibilities of protecting Equestria on your shoulders? Parasprites, Diamond Dogs, buffalo, dragons, Cerberus himself... Has Celestia ever been there for you when you needed her the most?”
Twilight backed up slightly. “T-that’s not true–”
“Maybe it isn’t…” The figure sneered. “Depends on what mood she’s in, I suppose. Remember Tirek? Instead of sending you, Luna, Cadance, or herself to handle him, she sent Discord of all creatures! DISCORD!” It took a step closer with every exclamation, forcing Twilight to back up as it roared into her face. “She trusted the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony with the safety of Equestria? Did Celestia really think Discord wouldn't betray you like he did? Because of her shoddy decision, your precious library and all the memories contained within it are gone forever!” The figure’s hide seemed to stretch upwards suddenly, before shrinking back to normal size.
Silence fell upon the room. Twilight stood there motionless, looking at the ground. Then, she slowly lifted her head to meet the figure’s gaze.
“Okay…” she said, “I understand…”
The figure smirked. Finally, it had won her. It took a step to the side and gestured back, towards the crown.
“But…” Twilight stammered. “B-before I make this decision… I have just one question…”
“Go ahead.”
“How stupid do you think I am?”
The figure’s eyes widened.
“What.”
“Do you take me for a foal?” Twilight growled. “Every single woe you just listed has a perfectly reasonable explanation. I’m not going to be fooled by such underhanded and manipulative tactics. ESPECIALLY not ones as bad as yours.”
The figure’s eyes flashed pure white. Upon returning to normal, its face grew a chilling smirk.
“You’re bluffing,” the figure sneered. “You’ve never entertained these kinds of thoughts, and there’s no way you could have figured out a defense so quickly for each of them.”
A bead of sweat dropped down Twilight’s cheek. “Well… okay, you’re right, I’m bluffing, but can I at least have a chance to defend Celestia?”
The figure didn’t reply. Its eyes looked off to the side, a hint of irritation in them.
“I would prefer not to waste time,” the figure sighed. “Then again if I forced this on you without giving you a choice in the matter., I would be no better than Celestia. Fine, you may defend her.”
“Thank you, it’s nice to know you can be civil,” Twilight complimented. “Now let’s start with Nightmare Moon. You say there was ‘something else’ she could have done without putting my friends and I in danger?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying,” the figure replied. “She could have fought the Nightmare herself instead of making you and your friends do it, or she could have called Shining Armor and had him and his guards subdue her.”
“I think you overestimate us,” Twilight said. “Do you not remember how powerful Nightmare Moon was? Remember how easily she defeated Celestia one thousand years ago?”
The figure seemed to pause at those words.
“Yes…”
“And remember during the Summer Sun Celebration how easily Nightmare Moon subdued the Royal Guard?”
“I’ve… heard the stories.”
“Well, knowing those facts of Nightmare Moon’s power… what could she have done?”
The figure sneered.
“Easy! She could have built up a large army over the years to prepare for Nightmare Moon’s return! She could have matched the Nightmare’s strength then!”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “So… you’re suggesting she should have built up an enormous army? Under the explanation that her evil, crazy, millennia-old sister was returning and she was preparing for it? That would certainly unnerve our Griffon and Dragon neighbors, wouldn’t it? They wouldn’t have thought she was preparing for an internal threat; they might have thought Equestria was preparing for war and reciprocated. Not to mention, the citizens of Equestria would certainly demonize Celestia as a power-hungry tyrant for focusing so much attention on our military. Even if the plan went off without a hitch, the entire world would learn to hate her, and we’d be stuck with an army that we didn’t have any use for.”
The arrogant, condescending smirk returned.
“Sorry Twilight, but that’s all theory,” the figure sneered. “You don’t really know that for sure. Can you name a point in our history when something like that has happened?”
“I…” Twilight started, then paused. “Well, that… that doesn’t change the fact that that’s a risk we shouldn’t be willing to take!”
“Being disliked is a risk she shouldn’t be willing to take?” The figure chuckled. “Oh Twilight, I understand you want to see the best in her, but that’s no excuse to spew groundless speculation.”
“I… “ Twilight shifted, her mind racing. “Darn, I was hoping this pony wouldn’t catch that!”
“Besides, even if that were true, don’t you realize that just makes it worse for her? Don’t you think that having an army to stop THE END OF THE WORLD was worth a little bad press?”
“You… you have a point....” Twilight said, wincing at her own words.
“Then you admit it.” The figure got in her face again, grinning triumphantly. “Celestia cares about her own image more than she cares about your life.”
“No!” Twilight shouted. “I mean you would have a point, if you were right about an army being a good idea, and you’re not. That’s because NO army could stop Nightmare Moon. Let me put this into perspective for you… did you know that I could reduce every living thing in Equestria to ash within a second if I wanted to?”
The figure’s eyes widened at that. “Y-you’re bluffing again,” it stuttered, backing off. “W-You’ve never shown you can do that.”
“Let’s see...” Twilight challenged.
Her horn flared, causing the ground to shake. Cracks appeared in the walls. The glow of magic spread to her eyes as she lifted into the air, causing ripples of pure power to manifest around her. The entire building thrummed in time with her heartbeat, tearing itself apart from the force. A vast wind roared, rattling everything – everything except the stranger’s cape, which didn’t so much as flutter. “Is it really so much of a stretch to assume I can move the sun?” Twilight said in a voice that could split oceans.
“Stop this! Stop this at once!” The figure stomped, shaking the room in a pulse that was lost within Twilight’s ethereal grip. “You’re faking this! You have never displayed this much power!”
“Maybe I am, maybe I’m not, but let me ask you a question… Why would I?”
Twilight lowered herself back to the floor. With as much effort as she’d used to destroy them, she resealed the holes in the walls, every speck of stone flying back into its proper place. Through the thin cracks she caught glimpses of the sky, but nothing else before dimness covered them both again. “Why would I want my friends to fear me?” she continued, taking advantage of the figure’s momentary shock and striding forward. “Why would I ever use that kind of power if I didn’t have to? Even I don’t know how strong I am any more. A truly strong mare is someone who doesn’t have to know.”
The figure seemed to hesitate for a second. There was no doubt in Twilight’s eyes.
“So, you’re powerful we don’t know the extent of said power. What of it then?”
“I don’t like to entertain such dark thoughts, but the fact remains that an alicorn has the potential to drop the sun or the moon on Equestria, whereas it would take an entire race of unicorns to do so otherwise.” She sighed, letting the last of the magic leave her. “And don’t forget that I still have a lot to learn. Without my friends with me, Celestia is still a lot stronger than I am. So what hope do you think an army would have against a being even more powerful than HER? Sending in an army to face Nightmare Moon would have been like sending gems to face a dragon, and she would never allow so many pointless and preventable deaths, apparently unlike you.”
The figure growled, slowly recovering its angry stance.
“No matter which way you look at it,” Twilight continued, “there is no way she could prepare for Nightmare Moon’s return, other than helping me discover and use the Elements of Harmony. She couldn’t use them because they were inert and the Element of Magic was missing.”
“But why was that?”
“I don’t know,” Twilight answered. “The Elements are a mystery to all of us. Maybe it’s because when she used them, she lost the friendship that had let her use them in the first place, or maybe the Elements were destroyed by being used on one of their own bearers, but theories don’t matter. What matters is that they were inert and neither she nor anyone else could use them. The only thing she could try to do was have new friendships reignite them.”
“But she could have told you!” the figure protested. “If she’d told you then you could have–”
“What? Told the girls ‘hey, we have to be friends in order to save the world?’” Twilight mocked. “I once loathed the idea of even having friends. Honesty, Kindness, Generosity, Loyalty, Laughter... I wouldn’t have recognized any of those virtues if I hadn’t experienced them like I did. If I were told I had to make friends in order to save the world, I would have seen them as a means to an end and they wouldn’t really be my friends.”
“Then… that would have jeopardized the whole thing...” the figure realized.
“Exactly. Celestia had to keep it a secret from me, otherwise we wouldn’t have succeeded,” Twilight confirmed. “I admit, it was a tricky gambit that placed me and all my friends in danger. Many times I’ve shuddered to think about what would have happened if it didn’t work, but it was the only option available to Celestia, so I can’t blame her for that.”
The figure growled, but then curled back into a smirk. “You say that was the only thing she could have done? What if she could do something? Like the time with the dragon? She sent six ponies to fight off a dragon that could kill them easily.”
Twilight faltered, her mind racing. “Well… I… umm…. But we didn’t die, we were-”
“That doesn’t make it right! He was about to kill you and Celestia shouldn’t have put you in that situation!!”
Twilight thought back to the event. Was the dragon trying to kill them? He certainly was angry… and he could easily do so… so why didn’t he? Were they in danger at all?
“Let me go over what happened,” Twilight requested. “When the dragon was woken up from his nap, annoyed by party activities, and almost stolen from, he was completely docile. Angry perhaps, but not violent. The dragon only attacked us once he was attacked. Anypony would likely do the same once they were bucked in the face.”
“And he was going to kill you then if not for Fluttershy’s interference.”
“I’m not so sure,” Twilight replied. “The dragon could have killed Rainbow Dash at any time using a swipe of his claw or his fire breath, but he instead chose to use his smoke breath, like he was showing off or letting off steam,” Twilight thought out loud. “Besides, the dragon admitted he was wrong for attacking us later, and that shows that dragons are capable of being reasoned with and have consciences.”
“But he was a dragon! You had no idea if he were docile or not! There was a high chance he could have killed you on sight!”
Twilight blinked. “...That’s racist.”
“Pardon?”
“Saying that all dragons are evil and violent enough by nature to kill as soon as they look at you. Sure, the common pony hasn’t gotten much exposure to dragons, but judging an entire race based off of a few individuals is a hateful logical fallacy. If dragons are, as you claim, violent enough to kill on sight, then why would Celestia send her faithful student to her imminent doom?”
“Because she’s evil, obviously!”
“Celestia is evil because dragons are evil, and dragons are evil because Celestia is evil. Circular logic, much?” Twilight snarked to herself. “Have you ever stopped to consider that maybe dragons aren’t inherently evil and she was treating the dragon like a respected member of another race?”
“If that were true, Celestia would have come herself. She could have arrived via golden chariot and poofed the dragon away!”
“Not necessarily. If Celestia dealt with the problem using magical aggression without due process, that’s no better than her being a bully and tyrant, like you insist on believing.”
The figure growled. “Well, then why didn’t Celestia try to reason with the dragon herself instead of sending you six?”
“I don’t know the real reason,” Twilight admitted. “Maybe she was busy with something else, but I would assume it was delegation. If Celestia stopped to fix every single problem in her kingdom herself, she wouldn’t have time to breathe. She’s a pony just like you or me and we need to respect that.”
“Oh, she couldn’t be bothered? It was too much effort for her to have someone else pull a chariot for her and tell a dragon ‘get out?’ How pathetic,” The figure spat. “Besides, if she could delegate, then why not send the guard?”
“Because this was supposed to be a matter of diplomacy, not force, and sending guards would have sent the wrong message.”
“And that somehow justifies sending you on a perilous journey in which you almost died?” the figure snapped.
Twilight recalled the rockslide. If Applejack hadn’t pushed her out of the way, she would have been crushed. Any one of her friends could have died there. Why didn’t Celestia do it herself if she knew the risks?
“Wait…”
“Celestia didn’t know about any of the hazards,” Twilight realized. “How could she know about local avalanche zones, or that Fluttershy was scared of dragons? She’s not omniscient. Besides, the more I think about it, my friends and I were probably the best equipped to deal with this problem. We are a team that bolsters each other’s strengths and covers each other’s weaknesses. We had the best combination of diplomacy, connections, and even survival experience if things got a little hairy. Celestia really made the smartest choice she could make concerning the dragon.”
The figure paced back and forth, staring at the floor as if it offended her. “I’m sensing a pattern here. Celestia seems to dump the responsibilities of defeating certain foes on you. Certain foes that she cannot defeat… or refuses to defeat? She may be innocent with Nightmare Moon and the dragon, but what about Discord’s first attack? Why didn’t she help you then? Surely she could have done something, like accompanied you on your quest to find the Elements.”
Twilight shook her head. “And do what? The first time, it took both Celestia and Luna along with the Elements of Harmony to take Discord down, and as of his first attack, she could not control the Elements’ power. Only I could have done something.” Twilight paused. “Well, that’s not entirely true. There was one thing she could have done… and did.”
“What do you mean?”
“Discord liked to corrupt ponies with his manipulation of the truth,” Twilight replied. “It isn’t hard to assume he would likely try some sort of ironic twist on me and my friends to satisfy his warped sense of humor. He could easily have made me forget about what made friendship special… and he did. The only way to counter such a thing would be to remind the corrupted pony of what made the thing they valued so special in the first place.”
“But how did she know you were corrupted? Was Celestia spying on you and she just didn’t help you until you’d almost failed?”
“Honestly, I don’t know,” Twilight admitted. “But if you think about it, how could she have known? Again, she’s not omniscient.”
“That much is certain…”
Twilight chose to ignore that. “The only thing that makes sense is she sent them to me as a precaution, because it was the only thing she could have done. Maybe she sent them on the off-chance that he was able to corrupt me, but again, theories don’t matter. What matters is she sent them to me because she knew how Discord worked and was concerned for me. Again, she did the only thing she could do.”
“So… you claim that she did the right things when it was the only thing she could do… Maybe so, but what about when she could do something? Like King Sombra? She knew Sombra had returned and still only sent you and your friends to face on The Mad King of Shadows!”
“...May I have time to think?” Twilight asked.
The figure sighed. “You may.”
Twilight sat down.
“Okay, I will admit… this actually stumped me for a bit,” Twilight conceded. “But when I think about it, what you said isn’t true. Celestia didn’tknow Sombra had returned. Celestia only showed me that Sombra existed because she was explaining to me everything she knew about the Crystal Empire. Sombra’s return was not something that she was technically informed of.”
“That’s the best you can come up with?” the figure mocked. “That’s a pathetically feeble justification.”
“It’s still the truth,” Twilight insisted. “She sent me, my friends, Shining Armor and Princess Cadance only to secure the empire and fill it with hope and love instead of hatred and fear. Our combined abilities as the Elements of Harmony, captain of the guard, and the Princess of Love would be sufficient to restore the Crystal Empire to its former glory. I can’t fault her thought process on this.”
“But what if Sombra did return along with the empire? Given how often villains from one thousand years ago return, it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume he would have returned with it. At the very least, Luna could have accompanied you.”
“Well…” Twilight hummed. “Okay, I admit, that would have been nice to have Luna accompany us. We don’t spend nearly enough time together.”
“Indeed. Not only that, but Princess Luna knew the risks and wanted to help, but Celestia apparently thought your TEST was worth risking an entire kingdom over! Honestly, Luna should be the one in charge, not Celestia! Why did Celestia not see the danger?”
Twilight faltered.
“Well… Because… no one WAS in any real danger?”
The figure didn’t respond. Neither moved or were moved to speak for minutes. Twilight began to fidget, wondering if the figure before her had actually heard what she said.
“Are you bluffing again?”
“No,” Twilight said. “Argh, she keeps seeing right through me! I really don’t have an answer!”
“Okay then, enlighten me,” the figure challenged. “Why was there no danger?”
“No backing down now… maybe I can get her to do my work for me...” Twilight said. “How strong is Sombra?”
“Well, we don’t know, do we?” the figure replied.
“We do! Luna and Celestia were enough to defeat Sombra the first time. If things went sour, we could have easily sent a message to them and they could easily put Sombra down for another thousand years if they so chose and I…” Twilight’s eyes widened, “I would have failed my test.”
The figure looked like it was about to protest, but stopped.
Twilight hummed. “You know, the more I think about it, Sombra was more of a nuisance than an actual threat.”
“He was not! He was going to–”
“To do what?” Twilight interrupted, feeling she was on a roll. “To turn everyone into slaves? To create more of those crystals that the Crystal Heart blasted into smoke? If he had the power to defeat Celestia and Luna or destroy the Crystal Heart, he would have done it one thousand years ago. His victory would have been unpleasant, but we all would have come out of it unharmed.”
“Okay, point taken,” the figure grumbled. “But she still could have come and helped drive off Sombra! That’s a not risk any pony should take! Better she have a student that understands the value of danger then one who risks that much!”
Twilight gulped. A sheepish grin crept on her face as she rubbed the back of her head. “Well… uhhh… heheh… That’s… kinda my fault…”
“What do you mean?”
“I… kind of misinterpreted what Celestia said.” Twilight blushed. “Celestia did send me to do a task, but I thought I had to do it all by myself as part of a test. There’s a big problem with that line of thinking. If I had to do it myself, there would be no reason to send my brother, sister-in-law, and my friends there as well.”
“And… the reason you didn’t contact Celestia once you found Sombra?” the figure asked.
“I... still considered him a part of my test… and thought I had to deal with him too... so…. In hindsight… not one of my smarter moments.”
The figure’s expression went blank. It had not expected this.
“In fact, that’s my answer to everything you’ve just said.” Twilight found her smile again. “Celestia trusts me to make good decisions. She knows how analytical I am, and she knows that I always come prepared. Every time I’ve found myself in over my head it’s because I overestimated my abilities, not her. Parasprites, Diamond Dogs, all those dangers you mentioned? Celestia didn’t lift a hoof to help me with them because I didn’t ASK her to. If she always swooped in and solved all my problems for me, then I never would have been able to rise up to her level.”
“...I see,” the figure said coldly. “So you’ve chosen to interpret her neglect as a kind of parental love. It’s almost frightening how much she’s brainwashed you.” The figure began to pace again, slowly drawing closer. “And suppose you HAD asked for help, on the occasions when she wasn’t just as powerless as you were. Do you really think she would have come for you?”
“I know it.”
“You’re wrong.” The figure’s eyes flashed wickedly. “And I can prove it.”
Twilight took a deep breath, placed her hoof to her chest, and exhaled. “No you can’t,” she argued. “Celestia has always been there for me.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure. Remember your brother? A wedding? An imposter?” The figure spat out that last word as if it offended her tongue. “The point when she completely betrayed your trust after you tried to point out a potential danger? In a state of heightened security? When all of Canterlot was nearly consumed by soul-eating monsters, all because Celestia chose to ignore the warning of her most faithful student?”
Celestia’s words drifted back to her. “You have a lot to think about.”
Twilight’s heart felt as if it had been stabbed. She struggled to maintain her composure, but it was difficult; the shock of that wound had never really gone away. “Well…” she mumbled, fidgeting on her hooves. “Celestia wasn't around to see how Cadance was behaving. To her, my accusations came from nothing.”
“CELESTIA CHOSE THAT IMPOSTER OVER YOU!” the figure screamed, losing all pretense of regality. “SHE DISCARDED YOU LIKE TRASH! DID SHE NOT TRUST THE WORD OF HER “FAITHFUL STUDENT”? OR WERE YOU JUST NOT THAT IMPORTANT TO HER?!”
“I… I…”
Twilight lowered her head to the floor, body shaking.
“I was a fool.”
The figure smiled - not cruelly or triumphantly, but the first genuine smile that had graced its face since Twilight had appeared. It stepped forward gently and sat down next to Twilight. “It’s alright, Princess,” the figure comforted her, putting its foreleg around Twilight. “I knew that this would not be easy for you. But now that the scales have fallen from your eyes, now we can–”
“No,” Twilight shrieked, pushing the figure away. “I was the fool in the wedding! Not Celestia! It was my fault!”
“What?” The figure drew back, scowl instantly returning. “How can you say that?! She should have trusted you! She should have at least considered what you said! You tried to tell her Cadance was evil and she didn't listen to you!”
“That's not the full story…” Twilight said, shame evident in her voice. “I barged into the wedding rehearsal with circumstantial evidence and slanderous accusations, and had the gall to just expect everyone to take my word for it without any solid ground to stand on.”
“Oh, now you’re being ridiculous,” the figure groaned. “It shouldn’t have mattered if no one else had seen what you saw. She still should have investigated! All of Canterlot–”
“My accusations didn’t have anything to do with the threat against Canterlot!” Twilight shouted. “No one had even guessed that changelings were involved at that point. All I knew was that I thought my brother was going to be marrying a rotten pony. To be honest, that’s one of the most normal things I’ve ever gotten that worked up about.” She rolled her eyes at herself, then sighed. “And even then, I shouldn’t have confronted her the way I did. The way I acted, there was no way anypony could have trusted me. I should have discussed it with somepony beforehand. That way I could have prevented making–”
“Discussed with whom?” the figure interrupted. “Your friends? They didn't listen! They thought you were just being possessive!”
Twilight paused. “I know that, but Chrysalis played us all for the fool… she had me and my friends manipulated up to that point. I can’t blame my friends for that. I still could have spoken with someone.”
“Like your brother? You thought he was being brainwashed! Why would you go to him?”
“Fair point,” Twilight conceded. She then looked the figure dead in the eye. “I could have gone to Celestia.”
"Why?" the figure screamed. “You couldn’t have gone to her! Because she..." The figure paused, its argument dying in its throat. “Because… because…”
“Why not?” Twilight insisted. “She’s always been there to listen to my problems and comfort me. So why should it be different here? I could have come to her with a problem as big as this before taking matters into my own hooves…”
“She could have…” The figure ground its teeth, looking around the room. “She should have… It’s her fault… She… she… Why did you do that on your own, you idiot?”
“Because... I felt that if I couldn't trust my friends... I had to do it on my own…” Twilight fell on her rump and looked down. “I was sad and... angry and wasn't thinking straight. I felt alone… But I wasn’t,” she clarified before her opponent could cut in. “She was always looking out for me. It’s not her fault if I forget that sometimes.”
“You have a way of blaming yourself for her failings.” The figure scowled. “Very well. And what about Tirek?”
“What about Tirek?” Twilight instantly brushed this off. “It’s the same conversation as before. She did everything she could to stop him, even if all that she could do was trust me. There’s nothing more to discuss.”
“Did she, though?” the figure pressed. “You and I remember those events differently. Don’t you think that all that happened might have been avoided if Celestia actually HAD trusted you, instead of... someone else?”
That first, fateful meeting echoed through Twilight’s mind again. “Discord.”
“Did she not see this plan backfiring?” the figure mocked. “Celestia trusted Discord, of all creatures, with capturing Tirek? She only had his half-hearted word that he was reformed, yet she immediately entrusted the spirit of disharmony with the safety of Equestria? Did it really surprise anyone when he betrayed you? Anypony would have been a better choice than HIM!”
Twilight’s face fell, looking as if she were about to cry.
The figure grinned. Perhaps it had finally got through to her.
“Again, that… is my fault.”
The figure’s eyes widened. Surely Twilight couldn’t find a way to cover for that as well!
“Do you remember when Discord tricked me by pretending to have the blue flu?”
“Yes.” The figure snarled, its flat teeth suddenly turning into fangs. “A cruel and deceitful trick befitting of that monster.”
“Wrong.” Twilight gritted her own teeth. “If you think about it, Discord was forced to FAKE AN ILLNESS in order for me to pay attention to him.” She looked down. “I knew better than anyone that friendship isn’t always easy, but I still let all my responsibilities fall on Fluttershy instead of teaching him myself. I failed my duties as the Element of Magic and Princess of Friendship so badly that Discord had to reach out to me instead of me reaching out to him. Thinking back, I was really cruel to him, only tolerating his presence rather than actually trying to be a friend to him… Sometimes I think my friends are more worthy of my crown than I am…”
“But how does that justify Celestia trusting Discord?”
“Celestia trusted Discord because she trusted me. She trusted me as the Bearer of the Element of Magic and the Princess of Friendship to befriend Discord sufficiently so that his allegiance to us was assured.”
"But don't you see? This would never have happened if you hadn’t trusted Celestia! Neither of you had proof you could trust Discord!"
"That's what friends do!” Twilight rebutted. “They trust each other! True friends don’t need proof for that!"
“You don’t… need proof?” the figure repeated, raising an eyebrow. “Oh, I see how it is. You have to trust her no matter how bad her decisions are, but she only has to trust you when she needs something from you. Do you not see that what you think is ‘trust’ is in actuality a very dangerous blind faith? If she were to tell you to jump off a cliff to your imminent doom, I suppose you would?”
“Yes, actually.”
“Oh my goddesses, you can’t be serious.”
“I am,” Twilight affirmed. “Celestia has always been testing me and watching out for me. Why would it be different there? Something very similar happened with Applejack when she told me to let go, and I came out better for that. Besides...” Twilight spread her newest appendages, “...wings.”
“You’re missing the point of what I’m saying! You need to take control of your own destiny!” A burst of magic violently wrenched Celestia’s crown from its place above the pedestal and dropped it into the figure’s hoof. It held it out to Twilight once again, seething. “Celestia needs to stop worming her way into every little decision you make! She doesn’t own you! You need to stop serving the role of Celestia’s personal lapdog and make your own choices and decisions! It’s the right thing to do! It’s what you SHOULD do!”
Twilight paused. “You want me to make my own decision? You want me to carve my own destiny? Very well.”
Twilight’s magic surrounded Celestia’s crown, ripping it from the figure’s hoof. A brilliant lavender beam shot from Twilight’s horn, shattering the crown into a dozen metal shards. The figure’s jaw dropped, choked sounds and gasps escaping her throat.
“W-what have you done?” The figure stammered, its knees failing.
“I chose,” Twilight stated. “I chose her instead of you. I may forget this a lot and have to relearn it constantly, but my friends are always there for me when I need them. And guess what? My oldest friend is Princess Celestia, and I will never turn on her.”
The light behind Twilight suddenly burst outward, sending a shockwave that threw the figure off its hooves. Crashing to the ground, it raised its head but was forced to shield its eyes from the light behind Twilight. Three silhouettes in the shape of two alicorns and a unicorn slowly came into view.
As the light died down, the unicorn cried out in elation:
“We found her!” Sunset Shimmer cheered.
“Princess Celestia! Princess Luna!” Twilight squealed. “Sunset Shimmer! You came for me!”
“Of course we did, Twilight,” Celestia comforted, pulling her student into an embrace. “I would never abandon you.”
Celestia’s eyes drifted to the shattered remains of her crown on the floor. A small smirk crept on her face. "Oh, I see you've blown up my missing crown."
"Sorry, Celestia,” Twilight said sheepishly. “I felt I had to make a point."
"Oh, it doesn’t matter,” Celestia giggled. “I'll just get another out of the cupboard."
“But how did you find me?” Twilight asked. “And Sunset? Why are you here?”
“Nice to see you too,” Sunset joked. “Kind of funny, really. A couple days ago I got a weird letter asking me to return to Equestria. Something about helping you usher in a new era, free from the ‘tyranny of Celestia.’ It seemed fishy, so I came back. Unfortunately for your friend here, she was so confident you'd be on her side that she didn't bother to cover her tracks. We ran a dimensional trace on her letter and it led us right to here.”
Their gazes returned to the fallen figure at the end of the room. Cautiously, it got back up to its hooves and began to back away, glowering at the group. “Now, who is the foal who dared try to steal our dear Princess Twilight Sparkle away from us?” Luna growled, her horn flaring.
“Don’t bother,” Twilight Sparkle said, cutting her off. “I already know.”
The figure hesitated. “You do?”
“Of course.” Twilight strode forward. “For somepony who claims to be so clever, you need to learn to watch what you say. You didn’t think I’d find it suspicious that you have such intimate knowledge of my adventures? The way you talk, the way you move, the way seem to know everything that goes on inside my head except for what matters most?”
The hood and coat flew off the figure’s body, revealing a grayish-purple unicorn. Her crimson eyes radiated boundless hatred and anger. Her striped mane flowed with starry magic. Her cutie was that of…
Six stars surrounding a starburst.
“You’re me,” Twilight said.
Her double lowered her head into an aggressive stance. “No,” she growled. “I am so much more than that.”
Sunset Shimmer wrinkled her nose. “More like so much less, by the looks of you,” she said.
Luna and Sunset fanned out, circling around the false Twilight from the sides. The fake eyed them warily, awkwardly shuffling to keep them in her field of view, but she kept her horn and steely glare fixed on Twilight and Celestia. Twilight watched her doppelganger with as much curiosity as anger. Now that the sunlight was falling on her her colours seemed muted, as though she was cast in a shadow that fell on her alone. Her features appeared to shift faintly across her face with each motion. Her limbs were slightly the wrong length, every angle cut from a different mould, more like a hazy memory of a pony than a flesh and blood creature.
“What... are you?” Twilight asked.
The fake curled her lip, but didn’t answer. “Speak!” Luna ordered. “Why have you stolen the form of our beloved Twilight Sparkle?”
“Stolen?” The other Twilight chuckled grimly. “That’s a laugh. Why would I want to steal anything from her?”
They stared each other down. “You’re me,” Twilight said slowly. “Doesn’t that mean–”
“Wrong again,” the other Twilight interrupted. “I am NOTHING like you, Twilight Sparkle! You allow yourself to be a slave! To let this tyrant manipulate and control you! I offered you the chance to be free, but like a FOAL you choose to cling to your pathetic little comfort zone!”
Twilight looked up at Celestia. She could see her mentor’s eyes tighten, like she were studying this new Twilight.
“I’m not sure, my faithful student,” Celestia admitted. “I’ve never seen an apparition like this. She looks like you, thinks she is you… and yet is not like you. This… false Twilight is full of a terrifying resentment…”
“And said resentment seems to be directed at you, dear sister,” Luna observed.
“I am who Twilight should be!” False Twilight exclaimed. “I exist to set things right! Everything here is wrong and it will be corrected!”
“Corrected?” Twilight repeated. “What are you talking about?”
False Twilight said nothing, instead choosing to glare at Celestia. Her expression suddenly softened before turning into a venomous sneer.
“Maybe I can finally fix all of this now that everyone is here,” False Twilight said. “Yes… now that I think about it, this is much better for us. The three best candidates for replacing the tyrant have arrived, and I get to see the great Celestia fall, right here and now!” False Twilight let out a chilling laugh. “Ironic, them coming to save you has sealed Celestia’s fate. I want to see you all worm her way out of this one…”
“What do you mean?” Celestia asked.
“Princess Celestia…” False Twilight smirked. “...Why did you ascend us to princess-hood without our permission?”
“She what?” Sunset asked, a small bit of surprise in her tone.
Celestia narrowed her eyes and stood firm.
“Really, you made us, US, of all ponies, into a Princess?” False Twilight inquired, her voice gradually getting angier. “You entrusted powerful alicorn magic in the hooves of a mentally unstable unicorn who thought the Want-It-Need-It Spell was a good idea? You gave the very same unicorn the responsibility of running a kingdom… Without asking her first? Are you really that inconsiderate and stupid? You changed us forever and you never considered how we might have felt about the whole thing! We are not the same pony as we were before our ascension! Why did you change us under this bullcrap excuse about destiny? Answer me!”
Celestia closed her eyes, keeping silent. Neither Luna nor Sunset moved to her defense; even they were struck silent, waiting for her response. Twilight concealed a shiver. Was Celestia not going to defend herself? Was no one going to say anything to help her? “Listen, you can’t–” she started.
“Twilight.” Celestia opened her eyes and turned to Twilight, her expression forlorn. “Do you hate me for my decision?”
“No, I don’t!” Twilight replied automatically. “That’s ridiculou–”
“No, Twilight, I want you to think harder about this,” Celestia admonished. Her regal form moved over to Twilight and sat down in front of her. Celestia’s somber eyes locked with Twilight’s.
“Twilight Sparkle... do you feel any resentment towards me over my decision to make you into an alicorn?”
Twilight’s gaze drifted to the floor as she considered the question. Her mind drifted back to the time when she first ascended. She recalled feelings of confusion and anxiety, wondering if she would be up to the task… but also feelings of pride. She remembered the smile she had on her face during her coronation. She remembered the proud looks of her friends and family as she walked by them. She remembered the delighted cheers of the crowds as they called out her name.
“No… I don’t resent you,” Twilight answered. “Ever since my ascension, you’ve been there every step of the way to help me adjust and comfort me when I didn’t feel up to the task. Besides, being a princess is something I’ve always wanted, ever since seeing you at my first Summer Sun Celebration. The more I think about it, my ascension was the most logical next step in my growth as a pony. I was a groomed to be a princess ever since I got my cutie mark… it was inevitable.”
“But you SHOULD feel angry!” False Twilight screamed. “You SHOULD hate her!”
Twilight’s horn flared. The other Twilight flinched back, eyes wide with fear.
“Excuse me?” Twilight snarled, voice laced with venom. “You and I may be similar, but YOU ARE NOT ME.You are not in control of my life. My feelings are my choice, not yours. Celestia made me a princess without asking me first? Forgive my pottymouth, but anypony could see I just don’t give a darn.”
The other Twilight said nothing. A deep rumbling came from the walls, slowly gaining strength. Lightning crackled outside, windows smashed inwards, and an ominous gale pierced the room. False Twilight’s form flickered, a murderous expression frozen on her face.
“You…” False Twilight growled. “You… one-dimensional… careless… naive… PUPPET! You are a tool! A plaything! You don’t deserve your crown! I actually question things! I see things as for what they really are! I deserve everyone’s admiration! I deserve Celestia and Luna’s admiration! You are all of you beneath m-!”
The quaking stopped. False Twilight was suddenly wrapped in a blue aura and lifted off ground. Without warning, she was smashed against the ground, lifted up, smashed, quickly lifted, and smashed again. The room became quiet, only False Twilight’s muffled whimpers filling the silence.
The other ponies looked at Luna in shock.
“What? I felt threatened!” Luna protested. “Besides, her antics vexed our neves. I don’t know how you were able to keep your sanity for all that time she was waxing poetic in our absence, Twilight Sparkle. I commend your patience.”
Twilight rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Always so direct…”
Celestia walked forwards, stopping at the defeated other Twilight. Upon seeing Celestia’s form above her, the other Twilight tried to crawl away, but her limbs refused to respond from the pain.
“No…” she mumbled, spitting. “S-stay away from me… I hate you...”
“But why?” Celestia asked. “I’ve only done what I thought was best for you. I’ve given you so much happiness and joy over the years. You wanted so much, and I gave them to you when you earned them. Every struggle that has come your way has made you better, and when it didn’t, I protected you in any way I could.”
“You changed things!” False Twilight screamed. “Everything was fine before my ascension! I enjoyed just being your faithful student and just having small, harmless adventures with my friends! Nothing had to change! Why did you make everything change?”
“Because you were destined for greatness,” Celestia answered, a small grin appearing on her face. “I saw the potential in you to be great and I wanted you to have that. I may have provided opportunities, but in the end, you became great of your own actions. It was certainly hard, but you came out of each struggle braver, smarter, stronger, and a more loving pony. You made me so proud. I did all of this for you because I love you.”
False Twilight’s eyes widened.
“Y-you’re lying...” she spat. “You’re evil. You’re not proud of me. You don’t love me. You NEVER lov–”
A magical slap with a golden aura silenced the False Twilight’s speech. Celestia looked behind her to find Sunset Shimmer’s horn glowing.
“Don’t you DARE say something so stupid!” Sunset Shimmer snapped. “Celestia has done NOTHING but try to protect and care for you and you’re spitting in her face like a spoiled brat. Do you have any idea how lucky you were to have her as your teacher?! Do you have any idea what you’re throwing away? The only thing that should be coming out of your mouth is ‘Please forgive me, your Momjesty!’”
Twilight blinked.
“Y-you call her that too.”
Sunset Shimmer eyes widened as she realized what she just said. Sunset looked off to the side, her coat suddenly becoming a bright shade of red.
“Uh… m-maybe.”
“Enough!” The False Twilight snarled. Through gritted teeth, she got back on her hooves and wobbled forwards. “You all cling to every filthy lie she spews at you! Are you all so blind as to not see how power-hungry she is? How can you defend and rationalize everything this tyrant and troll does and refuse to see things for how they really are?! Look at all the atrocities she’s committed using the shoddy excuse of helping me grow! She has done nothing but try to control me! She’s evil! She’s–”
False Twilight’s leg caught on the discarded cloak. She fell into a crumpled heap and bent her leg backwards. She hissed in pain, clutching and protecting her wounded leg.
Celestia’s heart broke the longer she observed this twisted mockery of her faithful student. Her tears finally fell as False Twilight rocked back and forth on the ground, wailing in anguish.
“She’s evil…” False Twilight moaned. “She doesn’t care about me… She’s a tyrant… She doesn’t love me…”
Sunset growled. “Look here, you stupid–”
“Sunset,” Luna chided. “Enough.”
“What?”
“The apparition is too locked in her paranoia and hatred to admit she was wrong, as is likely whatever created it,” Luna observed. “There’s nothing more we can do for her now.”
“She doesn’t love me…” False Twilight sobbed, unaware of anything going on around her. “She doesn’t love me… She doesn’t love me...”
“You’re right…” Sunset affirmed. “We should go.”
“To leave her wallowing in her bitterness and sadness…” Celestia sighed, blinking her tears away. “It pains me to admit, but this is probably for the best. I wish with all my heart we could do something to help her...”
“You tried, Princess Celestia.” Sunset assured. “Maybe she’ll forgive you someday, but not today.”
Celestia smiled at Sunset Shimmer and nodded, walking away from False Twilight.
“Let us go, Twilight. Your friends and your kingdom are waiting for you.”
Princess Twilight nodded, stepping away from her copy. As she followed her friends into the light, she allowed herself one last passing glance behind her. With a bittersweet smile, Twilight turned away and left.
“You, and whatever created you… I hope one day you will learn to pursue seeing the good in others.”
Author's Note
Bait and switch.
So yes, just one big letting off of steam. The type of MLP fanfiction that bothers me the most (besides clop) is "Twilight usurps/turns evil because Celestia is an idiot." Ignoring that I can just never see that happening, you can expect these kinds of fics to go on a tirade of Celestia's supposed mistakes and evil actions.
Celestia is one of my favorite characters, and it does bother me that so many people don't see her as the kind, benevolent pony she is. I just CAN'T see her as evil or incompetent. People are downright cruel to her, portraying her as the either the pony equivalent of Prince John from Robin Hood or Marvel's Loki.
It is my hope that the people reading this can see Celestia for who I believe she truly is.
