The stars are a constant reminder.
They are beautiful, enchanting, remarkable, screaming of glory and great artistic talent as they dance across the dark blue hues of the cloudy night. Because of the clouds, I can only see them here and there as they move across their stardust field and unveil their charming, soft glows. As they slowly unravel themselves, the scene shows me their lack of chains as many shoot across the sky above the blood stained and soaked battlefield.
They are beautiful, and even among my foes do I take time to gaze upon them. I would stare forever, burning these violet orbs as I do. I would stare and look upon them as they dance without restraint in the sky. I would...
But they will remind me of the freedom I sacrificed so long ago.
In neglect to my duties, my attacker swoops down upon me with a hefty blow, knocking the wind out of my lungs. With it's great talons and equine backside, it looms over top of me ready to deliver the final blow as it raises its talon. I am shocked, startled, caught off guard, as my mind is still numb from my psychological wondering. I try to levitate my ax with my magic but the hippogriff moves its left talon swiftly over my neck. Pinning it down as he relieves me of my concentration with a jerk of my head. As it raises its talon, I close my eyes for impact but I am saved.
A sword pierces through it's chest and it looks at me with fading eyes as it coughs up blood on top of me. The sword draws out and so does the pedestal that keeps the statue from falling over. The beast lands upon it's side, bloodied and stained, as a testament to it's wasted life. Another wasted potential among the many other bodies that lay void of breath among me and my kin.
It is of my mistake, my idiocy that I did not watch my own back and with stagger I reclaim myself back upon my four hooves and gather my stature as my solider wastes no time with me and runs back to his comrades to face our opposition:
Our own kin.
A group of ponies swarm onto me instantly as they see me now standing albeit wounded. They carry spears, arrows and swords as blood lust is seen upon their eyes but I also see an once of fear, dread, and hopelessness as they are not completely removed of the reality of whom they are up against.
But still they charge me, having in their hearts given sway to rejection and bitterness. They view me not as their beloved but instead a concubine. One to be used and put aside until their is nothing left to abuse. For long have I've bore patient, for long have I've bore their growing coldness like a rose in a tundra. For long have I bore with their foolishness. For long have I given them mercy.
But such rebellion will not be tolerated.
I bend down as I lower my head to point my horn at the oncoming circle. It ignites as sparks fly off of the tip and a flame spirals its way around my horn to meet it. My eyes become more white as my mane changes to the flames of a great fire.
I do not like war, I hate it, it kills those who are both guilty and innocent and fills the area around and in it with lawlessness. I cannot allow any more innocent to suffer like this and so they must be stopped as swiftly and quickly as possible. No matter the aggression.
The ground around me ignites into a fiery passion as it engulfs and incinerates to near ash my opponents. The feathers and mostly fur of my predators is scorched as the flames of my vengeful light pierces through their coats, to their skin, until finally, it licks at their bones.
When my eyes are clear, when the deed is done, my irises meet with velvet eyes like mine. They are filled with horror as my faithful student gazes upon the charred bodies of her once dear friends who now lie as charcoal before her and I. Her eyes question as to why I have done so harshly upon them. She seems to believed this as a barbaric act of unnecessary evil on my part.
She is innocent.
Like a flower that tries to grow among parasitic weeds, you know not of the nature of the pot to which you were planted in. She knows not the true nature to which I am readying her for.
She watches as I bitterly crush the ones she has met, worked with and hold dear to. As she flies over top of the chaos and sees the destruction, she closes her eyes and squeeze out the watery salt that have been stinging them for so long. She hates it. The violence, the bloodshed, the lawlessness.
"This is not friendship!"
She believes that I am torturing her, having forced her into this horrific scene for no other reason than to watch her loved ones die before her eyes. But it is a necessary evil for she knows not of what I am preparing her for as my successor. You know not of what it means to be a queen, a true ruler...at least not yet.
Your eyes alone tell me that.
And your eyes remind me of that silly earth pony who thought the same.
I remember, growing up in a small village, that silly, pink maned earth pony knew no riches. My family was poor and in the war torn territories in the midst of prejudice and racism, there was I. A bubbly, overly happy energetic pony who saw not beyond her surroundings. My mother would sometimes close her eyes as if in mediation in silence alone preying to this "Great King of the Heavens". I thought it was silly but I couldn't help but wonder what it must be like to have great power like that 'great king of the heavens'. To rule over something and have everyone and everything bend to ones will.
But at the same time have a heart big and kind enough to give them freedom.
I wanted to know what it was to be like the 'great king of the heavens'. I too wanted to know how it was to be a ruler. To have fancy balls, riches, power and fame and every pony bending to your will. I did like my mother and preyed to the king of the heavens and little did I realize that it was already answered.
I was destined for it.
With the defeat of Discord, I awaited my coronation as all celebrated. Just like you, I could only think of all the rights that I would have solely. The absolute power that would be bestowed upon me, the feeling of the pony folk shouting my name through the crowds, the beautiful castle that was to be mine. But once I took the crown to which I had been schooled and bred for it carried a weight I never thought would be.
There were times where I would walk among the streets at night myself and even til now, to be sure that my subjects were safe. Going to sleep so late as to not sleep on the uncertain fact that my kingdom, my precious ponies may not have been safe and even then do I still earn my grumblings and disrespect but of their free will do I protect their insults and condemnation.
I can't remember the many times I have fallen in love and bore offspring. To watch them grow and mature into young stallions and well endowed mares. I wish for them to choose that in which is right of my foals but that does not mean that they themselves must do so. I have watched before me some of them grow to become power strong leaders, headstrong ponies, and ones of renowned.
And I have watched others destroy themselves by their own choices, ignore my pleads of change and live out unhappy and unfulfilling lives.
And just like, to one who is as old as the stars in their eyes, before me their lives past like a gnat. To live for only the moment and die the next. Their lives are swift and the memories of them that are forged in other minds are just as quick but not in mine for how can I forget any one of my precious ponies? But friend, love, foe or foal, there are times where we must do what we must do in the name of protection and justice and duty.
I remember that particular feeling I had. The agonizing train of sadness and derailing emotions that overcame me when I had no choice but to banish my sister. She was all I had there alongside me in this dark world. I pleaded, begged and did all I can to make sure that under all costs she would not depart from me but alas it was not to be.
You know well the story.
She became corrupt, evil, uncontrollable of her emotions.
She decimated entire villages, endangered my subjects, and her wicked forces harassed all that I held dear. She was the closest to me, my beloved, my partner but I knew my feelings could not over rule my judgment. I had to be fair.
Nightmare moon she is remembered but to me she is still my sister. My beloved.
My dear student, no matter the harm that comes to them indirectly or directly or what they have chosen, your precious ponies will never stop being your precious ponies and in the end that is all that matters.
Those wings of yours earned by you, were not granted to you by me but instead by the same one who gave me mine. The same one who answered my prayers. With those wings come great power and with great power comes great responsibility. I did not train you to be a tyrant and to put your friendship lessons in vain and I did not put you in vain in this war. It is easy to be tyrant but it is hard to rule as one and though it is hard at times to be honest and true it is easierto rule as one.
That there are times were being ruler will be filled with laughter and smiles, of luxury and vanity, of fortune and great pleasure. But there are times were it will be filled with pain, heartache and despair while at the same time you must keep pressing on to ensure the well being of those that you still hold. Not everything can be resolved through peaceful hugs, giggles and songs.
Sometimes it takes blood and that blood may be the blood of the ones you love and have cherished the most. That is something you must understand.
You may wonder why this must happen. Why any evil must happen but you also must understand that everyone and everything has a choice and with them we breed consequences.
This war is no different.
A scream is heard in the distance and her eyes turn to see her beloved pegasus blown away by a unicorn's magical blast. He is badly wounded with his helmet knocked off. He lies on the ground bloodied and hurt with a crooked wing. She rushes over to his side in panic and is comforted with the thought of him being alive. She beckons for nurses to come and tend to him and they oblige. Scurrying on the battlefield like little mice and quickly taking him from the midst of all the chaos.
Her eyes turn to me with eyebrows furrow as she takes up her weapon. With an aching heart she knows that she has no choice as she goes on to crush her citizens oppressors. It pains her and I know it does but it must be done just like banishing my beloved sister had to be done. I watch as you give command to lead a brutal charge against the remaining few. Your bury your anxiety and tender feels and cover them up under a cloud of anger.
Cadance and Shining are also here and with everything around us they mistake that we are savages and not that their own brutality fills us with so much rage that they would have the gal to hurt those who are dear to us.
Twilight, you must understand that to be a ruler means more than gala's and nuisance paperwork. It is something that I myself had to learn. It is painful lesson I know but it is a necessary.
Twilight, you have passed your friendship lesson.
As for me, I suppose the great king of the heavens has quite a sense of humor. For who can truly say that they have walked
in God's footsteps?
