"Do you think...it's because of the Canterlot murders?"
"Er...possibly, yes."
Spike frowned. He didn't like it when Twilight talked that way...but he was also much too big now for his old bed. Only his foot could fit in the tiny thing, and he didn't like that.
"Or the Fillydelphia ones?"
"Mmhmm."
"Or..."
"Maybe a little of all of them, Spike." Spike's princess sighed as she spoke. It made him uncomfortable, but he held his tongue.
Twilight paid him no mind. She was content on finishing her apology letters to the families of those who had been broken once again, thanks to the catastrophies of yesterday.
I can personally assure you that I am trying to do everything that I can. The criminals have been assigned to a trial, and I will be attending. As a juror, I will vote him guilty, she wrote. And though I cannot ask that you remain allegiant to the Celestial Alliance, I ask that you keep an unbiased point of view on the situation.
Though Twilight struggled to write every word, she had memorized the letter the nth time she wrote it. Her mind still struggled to picture evidence as to why her beloved land had become...utterly destroyed.
As she dotted her i's on the last letter, she looked up at Spike. "I just have no faith in Faust anymore. She created this land, and then left it, to do as it would. Now look at it."
Spike opened his mouth to oppose, but Twilight went on, "And for the record, she does have quite a history in creating enough kingdoms, just enough, for wars upon wars to break out, day after day. She makes a new world, and leaves it. There are so many wastelands now...that I cannot explain why I ever thought Equestria would be different."
"We have alliances."
Twilight faced her dragon son. "Who?"
"The other dragons. Some griffons...like us. Enough to fight for us."
Twilight snorted, and began organizing her ink bottle and quills. "This isn't some petty war. Like the ones we saw in Starlight Glimmer's visions of the future." Twilight pictured her student in her mind. The image was clear. A tyrant turned good. For the Princesses, that was how every problem was solved, except for King Sombra, of course. "Hmm...you know, for a couple decades now I have imagined that last vision as how Equestria will be when we are all dead."
"You think...by letting us run our own course, we'll run ourselves into the ground?"
"That's...one way to put it." Twilight began walking out of her study. Spike followed. "Why do you care so much?"
"Because Celestia is one of my closest friends, and has known me since before I was born. She is Faust's daughter."
"Technically. She was born an Earth pony."
Spike walked in front of Twilight, cutting her off. "So? You were born a Unicorn."
"With magic."
"That proves my point even more."
Twilight couldn't help but laugh. "So now you're saying Unicorns are heavenly?" She walked under him. "Honestly, Spike..."
Twilight reached the stairs to her bedroom. Spike climbed up the side of the stairs, holding on with his claws.
"Spike!" Twilight cried, "You'll ruin the crystal."
"And what about Luna?" Spike said, forcing Twilight to answer.
"Also born an Earth pony."
"You're saying Gods cannot be made?"
"Of course not! Well, unless they are born pure. From other Gods. Luna and Celestia were gifts from Faust, not children of Faust."
Spike lifted himself up to her. "We're all children of Faust. Even me."
Twilight looked her son up and down. "More or less."
Frustrated, Spike growled. He leapt off the stairs and walked back to the library. Twilight looked at the pictures of her old friends on the wall of the staircase.
"I am no God," she whispered. "I am just like any other pony."
Twilight rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Her Canterlot Castle private suite stood before her. Twilight used her magic to pinch herself. "Wake up," she mumbled.
The door opened. Raven, Celestia's assistant, walked in. The Changeling spy was not found to be a Changeling until three decades ago, and was not proven guilty. She even became an assistant to the Princess. That was considered one of the Alliance's many mistakes.
"You're up."
"What am I doing here?"
"They want to talk to you." Raven didn't say who, but Twilight had a pretty good idea of who "they" were.
"I know what this is about, and I'll be leaving once I am fully awake."
Raven raised an eyebrow.
"Can't you just transform into me and do it yourself? I'll pay you."
"Since when does a Princess bribe simple Unicorns, such as myself, into doing unspeakable acts?" Raven asked, teasing. "As if I would know a transformation spell. The servants will be bringing eggs, bacon, and pancakes in ten minutes. I suggest you brush your mane, Miss Sparkle." The door shut.
Twilight groaned, and poofed her mane into shape. Ten minutes passed and breakfast came. Twilight ate while the servants patiently waited for her to finish. "Say, how much is Celestia paying you girls? A cow? A sheep?"
No answer.
They took her plate, and Raven returned. "I'll be escorting you."
"I think I know where my old mentor's study is, thank you."
Raven shook her head. "I do believe that you misunderstood. I said Celestia and Luna. Your son has complained, I'm afraid. The two half-bloods are pretty angry about what you gossiped about them, Miss Sparkle."
"Why do you insist on calling me that?"
Raven pursed her lips. "Because if you're just a pony like me, why should I treat you otherwise?"
Twilight swallowed. Raven went on, "You're going to the throne room."
"You've got some explaining to do."
Twilight said nothing.
"Confess," Luna pressed.
"To what?"
"To ruining my campaign," the night Princess continued. "I have an election coming up, and if you're off telling ponies that I am not a God, it destroy half of my threats."
"So...you agree? You don't think you're a God?"
"There will be no election." Celestia spoke before Luna could.
"Over half of the citizens of Canterlot swear allegiance to me, Tia."
"Yes, because you have threatened multiple times to kill all of their family if they do not." Celestia turned to her former student.
"Why?"
"Why what?" Twilight asked, innocently.
"Why do you, all of the sudden, not believe in Faust?"
"It's quite simple. Faust has left this country to destroy itself."
"Twilight Sparkle, may I just say that that is the most idiotic thing I have ever heard?" Luna asked.
Celestia nodded. "Though I would not have said it so...abruptly, I will rephrase. 'Twilight, what you have implied is that you do not believe in your rulers.'"
"Thus, implying treason."
"No, Luna."
"That's not what I am saying at all, Celestia." Twilight's voice did not falter. She didn't want to give anything away too soon.
"Oh, of course not. You aren't saying that, oh, perhaps this country has not one, but four Princesses. Ones that...could not possibly...have been made Princesses for a reason. You couldn't be saying that, perhaps, we have control of our own ponies." Luna snickered.
"Well, I don't believe Flurry counts. She is one hundred and twenty seven. For an alicorn, that's about...fourteen. Or less. And yes, you are correct. I don't believe that you were put here for any good reason."
"Care to elaborate?"
"Of course." Twilight stood. "According to what you have said, and might I add, you constantly say that you never lie, that you were born Earth ponies."
"That's correct," the sisters said together.
"Mmhmm. And, your sister Crystal Seas, now known merely as Queen Chrysalis, mother of your nieces Mi Amore Cadenza and the more famous, Raven; grandmother of Flurry Heart, convinced Queen Faust to turn you three into Princesses."
The sisters nodded.
"If I do recall legends from other civilizations, or...better yet, from the time of the brother and sister inbred parentals Queen Galaxia and King Cosmos, that Gods are pure. In that sense, they are born from other Gods. You two..." Twilight paused to laugh a little. "Are not even half-bloods!"
"And?"
"You know Raven mocks you. You know ponies all around mock you. They only respect you out of fear. Not just Luna."
The sisters were silent.
Twilight turned to leave. "I do believe I have made my point."
"Is this because of Cadence?"
The question shot into Twilight's heart like a bullet. "What do you mean?"
Celestia walked up to the purple alicorn. "Because she was killed by the mobs. The terrorists. The...groups who just...want to kill."
Luna stood next to her sister. "You said that we were being destroyed from within. There are wars all around us, but you seem to not care."
Twilight let out nervous laughter. "You think that I would let my opinions---"
"You're opinions are why we are having this conversation." Celestia did not yell, even though Twilight could tell she wanted to. That was the thing about Celestia, the way she said some things just made you stop and rethink your whole life.
Twilight turned around. "What do you want me to do? Accept? Put on a show so the little ponies can be happy? I don't care if they are. I just want peace. Faust has destroyed peace. Every ounce of it."
The sisters made eye contact. Luna looked at Twilight, surprised. "You think we asked for this?"
"No."
"You think we truly...like Faust, or something?" Luna frowned. "We didn't ask to be made alicorns."
"But you agreed with Chrysalis. You let her go and ask Faust."
"Twilight, you don't understand." Celestia's voice shook. "Things were never this bad. The Hearth's Warming Eve stuff? All exaggerated. More than you think. Things...we never thought..." Celestia began to cry.
Twilight bit her lip. I never meant to...
Celestia paused. "I don't know if this will get better. Honestly, I don't. But this is not about you anymore. Ponies out there have lost all respect for us."
"And they don't care about Flurry," Luna added.
"It is up to you now. You must keep a smile on your face. Keep writing your letters. Keep making the good decisions because if anypony can do it, then it's you."
"I...I think I understand."
"Good." Celestia took a deep breath. "Now, return home. Tell Spike what happened. And start writing some letters."
