Author's Note
This was't the one shot I was planning, but came from absolutely nowhere and I felt compelled to write. I will probably write a prequel to this, make it a proper story, but for now this is all I have for this.
Be warned this is more of a discussion piece, between Celestia and her student. Details as to what happened will be made into a story at a much later date, unless anyone is interested in making that story.
Her once student.
Amidst the summer months, a little violet filly and a white illustrious alicorn were walking down the hall of memories. Stain glass windows showcasing significant events from the formation of Equestria, from when the three pony tribes had unified in their efforts to fight back the windigos, to the most recent event, the accession of princess Mi Amore Cadenza. As the two trotted along the hall, Celestia pointing out several windows, giving context to their importance, and Twilight hanging off her every word.
“Princess Celestia…Who’s this?” a little lavender coated filly asked her teacher.
“Why, Twilight, this is one of Equestria’s most brilliant minds of his time. In fact, If it wasn’t for him and his efforts Equestria would be a much different place. One that would not be as peaceful as the equestria we live in today.” Replied the solar princess with a soft smile.
“That’s neat! Sounds like you knew him well!”
“Indeed…” Celestia hesitated for a moment, “He was my first student I took when I banished my sis— When Nightmare Moon was banished. I took him on when he was just a little older then you are now. He had exceeded all my expectations of him. And, though we had our disagreements… I still am proud to have called him my student.”
“What was his name?” Twilight inquired with childlike innocence and puppy dog eyes.
Celestia didn’t answer immediately, her mind calling forth the last time she had met her student when he was still alive.
Thirty years after Nightmare Moon’s banishment…
Up deep within the frozen north lay a fortress made of dark blood red crystals, defended by autonomous golems by what was arguably one the most powerful unicorns of the age. This army of artificial beings was to march into the south of Equestria and into the very lands his once mentor ruled. All with the intent to over throw and set forth his own tyrannical reign of Equestria. Standing atop a balcony, his mismatched gold and dark red eyes scan over his forces as his enemy, a single pony, march slowly and steadily toward his dark and frozen empire. The cold harsh winds felt like icy fingers tracing in a loving and cruel fashion up and down his golden coat. Yet, he barely registered the frigid and bitter gales. His attention solely focused on the single white mare slowly making her way toward the army of golems. I did not expect her to show up alone…It seems she took my threats seriously. I suppose my creations will do little to stall her…Perhaps I should make some tea for my guest, like old times. Turning on his hooves, the stallion sent out a magical pulse to his creations, ordering them to attack, before quitting the field, know full well they would do little to slow his enemy.
* * * * * * *
Celestia had fought hard, her golden battle armor she had hoped was an unnecessary precaution, turned out not to be. Her rapier Dawn Guard drawn and set a blaze with righteous flames, had done much in decimating the golems that were sent to fight. They were dispatched with relative ease, but either by the skill of their creator, or by dumb luck, they had managed to make glancing blows to the solar princess. Her armor, pristine before the skirmish, now had several scrapes, dents and chinks. Celestia’s exposed legs had cuts and bruises, small trickles of blood could be seen trailing down into the snowy landscape surrounding her. Like before with Sombra, like with her own sister, Celestia had let her student down, and watched him fall to corruption and evil. Once again, Celestia had created another sin to bare. With a trail of broken clay, formed from pony like golems, left behind her, she entered the fortress, with enough concussive magic to blow the doors off the hinges. She silently stalked forward, coming to terms with what she would have to do.
* * * * * * *
Quiet clattering of fine porcelain filled his library as he set up for tea. On A solid oak table lay pearl white saucers and teacups, gold leaf patterns of pegasi, earth ponies, and unicorns showcasing unity, were the decorations on the tea cups, giving his tea cups a regal sense of beauty. The table, grown from one of his early lessons, he had kept since his crusade begun, regardless on how inconvenient it was, as it had held significant sentimental value for the stallion. The fine china, one of the last gifts his mentor had given to him before he left everything he cared for behind.
Taking his eyes off the table He started for the chairs, knowing full well there was to be a discussion before what ever fate was to befall him. Taking a slow methodical trot around the moderately sized room he hunted for the missing furniture. Bookcases filled so thoroughly with their purpose lined the walls, floor to ceiling, and leaving no gaps to determine what material the walls were made of. Mostly brought from his own personal collection, some from expeditions from his younger years as a foal after he had ended his tutelage. As he neared the chairs He reflected on what he had done and why. His golden aura enveloped the seats and floated off toward the table. With only one more task left before his guest was to arrive, The golden stallion paused, hoping to gain the familiar relaxation his bounded parchment sanctuary provided him. If only it could…In stead he moved on to the fire pit centered in the fortress’ library. The pit was a stone bowl under a stone chimney and was built and decorated purely for utility, not fashion. Placing several logs in the pit, he cast another spell, one to set the wood ablaze, hoping to warm the room to a comfortable level before his former teacher was to arrive. The slamming open of the library door had signaled his last discussion with his once mentor had begun.
* * * * * * *
“Greetings princess. I must admit I did not expect you to actually listen to my terms of coming here alone. I must say It is a pleasure to see you again Celestia. Even if you are here to seek my down fall.” The golden stallion greeted with a sigh.
“I merely mean to protect my ponies. If you can not be reasoned with, to stop your foolish crusade to rule over Equestria, then I do suppose I am here to see your down fall, Dual Purpose.” Celestia spat, clearly angered with Dual’s actions.
“Foolish crusade?” Dual Purpose questioned, “If you thought that invading Equestria was my goal, then I would agree with you, princess.”
Celestia was about to give her retort before Dual’s words were truly understood, but then she paused. The solar princess couldn’t help but give a bemused look at her student, before her eyes narrowed as she began to scrutinize him. At first, Celestia saw a confidently arrogant golden coat stallion with dark, almost pitch black, mane cut and trimmed in a similar fashion to Sombra. His golden eye holding the stallion’s thirst for knowledge, his blood red eye drowning in a lust for power at any cost. Yet, as Celestia looked on, she began to se a tired old soul, who was firmly adhering to a sense of honorable purpose. But what purpose his actions were for, eluded Celestia.
“Explain.” Demanded Celestia.
“I would certainly love to do so princess. Would you mind, however, If we were to do so over a cup of tea, like old times?”
Dual’s voice sounded pleading, as if it was his last request on Equus. Celestia remained silent but gave an affirmative nod.
“Please then take a seat, mares and princesses first.” Dual gave a smirk, reminding the aged alicorn of the rambunctious colt she had taught some years ago. “Now It’s been some time since I had made this blend, so it may not be as good as you remembered.”
Using his magic, Dual had poured tea in the cup closest to her, before doing the same to the cup nearest him. Celestia sat, unamused.
“What are you planning? Why all of this? You were once such a kind and caring colt. Why have you decided that greed and power were the right ideals to follow, instead of friendship and harmony.” came the princess’ sorrow tinged words, “You…You were my hope for my little ponies…Where…Where did you go wrong…”
“It does appear that way now doesn’t it.” Relented Dual, “And let me start off with a confession. Through my little play for the throne, It was never my intention to kill.” Dual sighed, “I thought I had made my golems incapable of such actions…but I was proven wrong so many times over…Princess, Have you ever thought about what my destiny mark meant?”
“I have never given much thought to what it meant.” Celestia tilted her head in confusion, wondering just what point Dual was trying to make.
“An eclipsed starburst. A starburst for my affinity for magic. Brightly colored to show my love for the light, friendship and all things considered good. Yet for all these positives the starburst is eclipsed. Darkness to hide the bright light, possibly of your teachings and to cast a shadow on the world itself.”
Celestia was about to speak, but Dual raised his hoof, asking her to be patient with his explanation.
“That is a possible conclusion one would be able to come up with, if they were to study my mark at present. As for myself? I had taken a long hard look at my mark and my future, before I started down this path teacher. And I came to understand what fate had shackled me with, and made me a slave to. One unfortunate discovery, changed my outlook of what was to come. One I stumbled a crossed quite by accident, that our fallen princess had followers. Followers that were determined to have their revenge against you princess. They had made their plans. Had drafted their warriors, and were prepared for war. At first, I had tried to reason with this growing cult of Nightmare Moon, yet my words fell upon deaf ears, and they had captured me.
“They had tortured me, burned my coat, broke my legs, pulled my teeth one at a time, split my hooves with hammer and nail. Cause an almost unbearable amount of pain upon my body. Yet, It had not broken me, nor my resolve to keep Equestria from civil war. In the dark chambers were they kept me I gained my purpose, and true understanding of my destiny mark and future. The eclipse is not a shadow to blot out the light, but the means to make the light brighter and more beautiful. So, my destiny was to play the villain for the greater good. Become the enemy needed to once again unify all of ponykind. And so I did.
“You know the rest, I had managed to brutally damage the cult. To which, no, I don’t regret those monster’s deaths. And seemingly turned on everything you had taught me. All to protect the Equestria I love. To make certain that it would never fall to civil war during my lifetime and hopefully for quite some years after I’m gone. I invaded and enslaved the northern cities in much the same fashion as my family’s shame had done. Only to play the part, and relinquish my occupancy once word had reached you, and your guard had arrived. After making them earn it of course.” Dual gave a slight chuckle, “Every action I had taken was done so ponies would hate me as much as possible. I made abominations of clay, bone, blood, and flesh, to do my deeds. Never actually intending to go through with my plans, building up my forces only to fall at your hands at some climatic battle, princess. History will remember me as a villain, and rightfully so. I ask not for forgiveness princess, but understanding.”
Celestia couldn’t reply to the information Dual had dropped on her. What he revealed changed everything she had heard, witnessed, and ordered happened. Dual Purpose was a stallion of excellent cunning, as a young colt, when they played he often reached either a stalemate or narrow victory over the sun princess in their games of chess. She shuddered when she realized that had Dual actually intended to invade, a long war of attrition would have been the result ending in her victory at too high of cost, or her defeat at much the same, losing everything regardless of the result. Dual had never ventured beyond galloping gorge or nieghagra falls before her guard had beaten him back. With his, synthetic ponies, needing no sleep, food, or water, had a vast advantage over her guard and were he to press this, the equestrian guard would have taken heavy losses. Even the small army of golems Celestia had fought to enter Dual’s fortress in the north seemed weak, even for Dual. Though his actions were deplorable at best and damnable at worse, Dual’s plan to reunify the ponies in the wake of Nightmare Moon’s actions and her cult’s plans for rebellion worked. All her little ponies had banded together to stop the dreaded Golem King.
“Dual,” Celestia’s fiery rage at his actions cooling quickly, being replace by regrets and dejection, “Surely there was a better way to handle this.”
“That might be true, however, it will forever remain a mystery locked forever behind a door of conjecture. I did only what I thought necessary to ensure the future.”
“…I can not let what has happened go unanswered, but I can not find it within my self to…”
“There is only two things you can do. Keep me alive, or end my life. If you are to leave me alive, I will never stop trying to be the villain, never stop from forcing you into that second action. There is too much at stake. Everything I have done, and all those ponies lives I have taken, to end in vain, just to say I give up. So you must put a stop to it, to me, for good.”
Tears started to form and fall down Celestia’s muzzle.
“Dual Purpose, For your crimes against Equestria, and your intention to further your transgressions without any form of remorse, I must sentence you to…to…”
“I understand, and accept.”
“May the matriarch have mercy on your soul. Have you any last words.”
“It has been an honor to be your student, princess.”
“The honor has been mine. Goodbye, my faithful student.”
The last sound made in the library, was the swing from Celestia’s sword, Dawn Guard.
“His name was Dual Purpose, Twilight, and he made a great sacrifice against a cult cruel ponies so long ago, and not a day goes by that I do not remember why he had made that sacrifice.”