A single seed

"Yes?" The princess was visibly confused by Twilight's behavior.

"Oh, I'm so glad you came just in time to rescue us from collapsing to Discord. No wait, that was the other time he escaped because you put him into your garden. No wait, it was when we faced Nightmare Moon, who could have killed us in an instant if she had wanted to."

"My faithful student, what is the meaning of this?"

"Oh no, silly me, it was when a dragon threatened to kill all life a hundred miles around Ponyville. Or was it the Parasprite infection that was just about to spread to your sorry castle and all of Equestria?"

"I..."

"Oh. I forgot. You didn't fix any of those crises. It was all at least one of us six. Tell me, Celestia, what have you done more than me to deserve the title of the ruler of Equestria? The only true deed so far that survived the test of time was sending your own sister to the moon. Why did you do that, I wonder?"

"Nightmare Moon was..."

"Undefeatable? Maybe for you, but not for six random ponies who had just met each other and who had no idea what the were even doing. What does that say about you? Tell me, please, I can't figure it out. When you're at it, tell me, why exactly didn't you say anything about, like, how the Elements work, why I should make friends..."

"Twilight, stop, please!" Fluttershy's meek voice was filled with fear, reduced to little above a whisper. Twilight ignored her.

"How Nightmare Moon would try to stop us, how Discord would try to stop us, how we could counteract that... So many questions, right? Good thing I figured everything out by myself, hm? Not like I HAD TO!"

Celestia opened her mouth, but couldn't form a response in time.

"So many thing I've learned from you, as your personal student. Such as THAT CELESTIA'S PERSONAL STUDENT MUST NOT EXPECT ANYTHING BUT ADDITIONAL WORK FROM THE PRINCESS! So many years, and NOT ONCE did you do ANYTHING for me. Aren't you supposed to give me further insight? Naaah, just sit around all day while I work my flank off trying to fulfill your assignments ON MY OWN."

Twilight wasn't even trying to restrain herself from shouting any more.

Years of piled up pain and minutes of shouting later, Twilight was coming to an end in material and control. Her horn was glowing bright. One by one, all of her friends had lost their courage in the face of her and retreated backwards.

"THEY CALL YOU TROLLESTIA, AND LOOKING BACK, THAT'S DAMN JUSTIFIED. DID YOU KNOW THEY ALSO CALL YOU MOLESTIA? WHY DIDN'T I EXPERIENCE IT, I WONDER? BAD PUBLICITY? GIVE ME ANOTHER REASON, I CAN'T FIND ANY!"

Celestia had stopped trying to speak back and now simply looked at Twilight with a dignified expression on her face and spread wings for additional volume. Even she was surprised as bursts of magic erupted from Twilight's horn and shot off in every direction. One of them glanced her left wing and seared it black where it made contact.

"AND..." Twilight opened her eyes and saw the damage she had caused. "Oh my gosh, Princess, I am so sorry! I don't know what came over me! Whatever judgement you have for me, I accept it. Just be quick." She completely lost her momentum. Twilight lowered her head almost all the way to the ground. Tears dropped into the grass.

"Twilight Sparkle, in more than a thousand years of my rule, you are the so far only pony to ever dare take arms against me..." Her voice was calm. It bore no hint of Celestia's emotions. "And survive unpunished."

"But... What? Don't you want to publicly execute me, then banish me somewhere far off in the kingdom, then transport that to the moon, then throw my body into a dungeon on the moon in the place you banished me to?"

"Unless you want me to, I shall not. You do not deserve punishment for your actions, Twilight. It is I who does. All of those long minutes, you were saying nothing but the truth, expressing justified fury about how terrible I have been. Especially at the part about when I was supposed to teach you something, I am afraid."

"But... I... I'm sorry Princess, let me heal that!"

"Healing spells? Without training? Your talent always surprises me. But no, Twilight Sparkle, this must not be restored. I shall carry this mark, as a symbolical, because much too little, punishment for the sins I have commited against Equestria... and you. I can only hope you can forgive me how much of the kingdom's defense I have passed onto your undeserving shoulders."

"Thank you, princess..."

"Feel free to keep shouting at me, in case my inability to dodge interrupted you prematurely. You have seen two instances of what repressed emotions can cause. Your little outburst... and what happened to Rainbow Dash. Do not believe I was not watching. No, I knew what was going on. What I did not do was act, and I can only hope for you to forgive me. For all of the times I remained passive where action was called for."

"What are you talking about, Princess? There is nothing we couldn't work out, if only action is taken. But still, one question remains..."

"What is on your mind, my student?"

"The same thing as before. Why? Why did you leave me for myself all my life, why did you not tell me everything to begin with, why did you not assist me in times of dire need?"

"I am afraid I have no answer. I must have thought the business of all of those decadent tea sippers more important than actually saving the kingdom or properly educating the one destined to do it, sitting down with her and talking about everything there was. In a way, I was like an earlier you. The difference being that you at least did something else productive."

Everypony was calmed. Pinkie Pie hopped between Twilight and Princess Celestia and shouted. "You know what time it is? It's time for an

EPILOGUE! Author must be too lazy to think of a proper story conjunction again."

Due to how he was trying to hide until his victory was unavoidable, Discord's influence could easily be shaken from everypony's mind once he was defeated.

Twilight was promised, by royal decree, regular study sessions with one of the princesses to tell them what she had learned in person, demonstrate and be taught deeper or related knowledge.

Pinkie Pie got away with a warning after annihilating the fourth wall, mostly because nopony aside from her actually knew what that was.

Fluttershy never said how she had gotten Rarity free from Discord, but when the latter pony hadn't been able to control herself during a come together dinner at a restaraunt and kissed Fluttershy on the cheek, Twilight could guess.

Rainbow Dash had moved in with Applejack. Her excuse that she could simply perform her weather duties, which were mostly Ponyville, easier from there was accepted, but secretly everypony already knew the truth.

On those orchards, two ponies walked back home in the sunset after a day of work.

"Nice work outta there. Ah didn't think y'all pegasi could do some serious buckin', ya know, jus' flyin' around all day an' not usin' yer legs."

"Well, yeah, I'm awesome all around." Rainbow flapped her wings to float just above the ground, then flexed her muscles in boasting. "Doesn't hurt to have those babies for the ones that stay up, either."

Applejack giggled at Rainbow's behavior. "If ya can't buck 'em all down, ye. Ah prefer relyin' on Bucky McGillycuddy and Kicks McGee."

"Honestly, don't you sometimes wish you'd be born a pegasus or unicorn instead?"

"Nah. Then ah wouldn't have been down here an' fallen in love with you as a filly. We wouldn't got all this! Simply catching a look at you speeding 'round is worth more ta me than any magic or flyin' ever could. Truth."

"Farmer and a poet. I love you anew every day. Kiss me, Applejack."