Twilight awoke surrounded in a warm embrace. Fur and feather wrapped her on nearly all sides, a slowly rising and falling chest was pressed against her face, her snout buried in chest fluff. She took a breath, recognizing the familiar scent of her mentor, sweet and calm.

She stretched slightly and pressed harder against Celestia. Had she fallen asleep next to her again?

To her surprise, Celestia moved back, stirring from her own drowsiness, and Twilight felt a wing lift slightly off of her. "Twilight, are you awake?" Her voice was soft, familiar, like a cool river to Twilight's ears - refreshing.

Celestia was awake? What? Was - The memories of the coup returned to her in a flash and she started, almost jerking to her hooves, were it not for Celestia' firm wing keeping her on the bed. "Calm down, Twilight - it is over. Everyone is well. Cadance is currently leading efforts to organize the prisoners and see to the wounded. She was fairly insistent that I finish resting, in fact... She ordered it as Regent. It seems I am on bed rest at least for the night." Celestia seemed mildly amused by that, and Twilight could hear pride in her voice - pride for Cadance. Underlaying it, though, Twilight could tell her mentor harboured thoughts of immediate action, no matter her words and acquiescence to Cadance, a small note of frustration in her tone.

"Y-you're... You're a-awake," Twilight replied, a weight she didn't know she bore lifted from her.

"And you've grown, Twilight. And your speaking has improved," warmth filled her mentor's tone. Twilight felt Celestia's hoof run over her mane. "You and Cadance have grown so much... Normally I feel I see too much, but now I feel robbed of the chance to watch your progress, but blessed by fortune to see the results. Perhaps my absence is what allowed it?"

Twilight finally opened her eyes, almost melting against Celestia's embrace. She was surprised to see that they were in her - Luna's - room, not Celestia's. The room lacked all lights, not that it was an issue. They were among a mountain of blankets and pillows, and Celestia was curled around her.

She felt flushed by her mentor's words, but couldn't conjure any protest. Instead, she just sat in silence a while longer, enjoying her mentor's presence and warmth. Eventually, though, she had to speak, "The... coup. What happened? Why... Why did they..." Twilight shivered, the memories of the death and destruction conjured easily to her mind, her perceptions almost perfectly preserved by her memory.

Celestia sighed and ran a hoof through her mane again. Twilight could see a torn expression on her face, as if weighing the information to hand out. When she eventually spoke, though, Twilight can detect no hint of deception. "It was the result of mistakes, a collection of them that built up over months. The first made are my own. I had never considered the possibility of being replaced by Cadance for a time, and so never made proper preparations for a regency. I dismissed the Director of IS some time before I became indisposed, but had yet to name a replacement. I had believed my personal oversight for a time would see the organization be free of corruption, and see gaps in its vision filled, and I was correct - but it came apart when I was not there, and Cadance did not have the knowledge of the organization's internal workings to name a replacement. Or to even know it was needed."

Celestia frowns, her tone gaining a note of regret and annoyance - self-depreciation that Twilight was all-too-familiar with. "The Nightmare had some part in it as well, at least unintentionally. I dismissed the Director of IS because of his failure to notice many bad ponies throughout the Council of Education. Now that my mind is clear... I should have arrested him from the beginning. He used his dismissal and influence in IS to spread misinformation, and convince several ponies within the Legion and Royal Guard, including Lieutenant Ferrus, that Cadance had ill intentions, and was behind my incapacitation. It appeared he had more influence than I thought, as - according to the information we have as of yet - he produced documents implicating Cadance in several dark magic disturbances over the years."

"S-so all of this... It's his fault?"

"No, but a large portion of the blame lays in his hooves. Lieutenant Ferrus was slain by Cadance in her struggle, but Legate Emerald Cut surrendered herself and ordered her Legion to stand down when I emerged. IS agents are similarly coming out of the woodwork, including the mastermind behind the infiltration of the palace, a Senior Controller by the name of Sweetie Drops. According to both of them... They had nothing but the intention to examine my unconscious mind and body for tampering, and see if separation from Cadance would allow me to wake. I suspect that there is more foul play within both groups than either was aware of, as the former Director's desire for vengeance against me was more than slight."

Twilight shuddered at the idea of a bad pony getting ahold of the comatose Celestia, and pressed herself lightly against her chest, going over the information presented in her head.

She knew bad ponies existed. She knew good ponies existed. She was more than aware of this, and thinking back on how she learned the first made her want to curl up and shake. How could ponies doubt Cadance? The logic made sense for Twilight, but anyone that met Cadance could tell she wasn't a bad pony.

Twilight tried to approach the problem from a new angle; What if she hadn't known Cadance, and had been lied to by a bad pony? She shuddered to think of what she might have thought. She took a breath, a hard realization of the fallibility of ponies hitting her like a brick, "Celestia... C-can good ponies... Do bad things? Or are they... bad because of... the bad they do?"

Celestia was silent for a time, and Twilight could see her carefully choosing her words. Eventually, her mentor replied, "Twilight, as much as I wish it were true, the world is not split amongst the good and the evil. All too often ponies exist in between, even if we are blessed in that the majority of ponies seek only to commit good. It was not always the case, but it has become the reality - through toil and work Equestrians have become good by overcoming the darkness inherent in all creatures. Yet still, exterminating evil, selfishness, suffering, and cruelty is beyond the powers of any creature on this planet, my dearest student. All that one can do is strive to lessen it, and be good through their actions."

Twilight listened intently, enraptured in Celestia's new lesson, "I do not think that most of the ponies who led this... action thought that they were evil, nor would I call them so for their actions. What if they had been right? And Cadance was a mysterious alicorn come from beyond who had lain me low with evil intentions? No, they are good ponies who committed black deeds out of a sense of duty and rightness."

"But.." Twilight spoke up now, "They have to... to be punished still. Don't they?"

"They do. Whether or not their intentions were good, they rebelled against the crown, and they led to the deaths of many good ponies. Legate Emerald has volunteered herself for execution, to spare her officers and men the same fate. Yet still, many of her men will need to be forcibly retired and sent back to civilian life, and others imprisoned if particular evidence against them emerges. Senior Controller Sweetie Drops will be retiring from the Intelligence Service and moving to a small town to live her life far from politics, and under watch, while her underlings share similar fates, while others will no doubt be investigated further and executed when it comes forward that they acted in bad faith. Is this Justice for those who were slain, Twilight?"

Twilight hesitated, thinking the question over, mind now barraged with the moral implications of it all. "I... I don't know, C-celestia. T-they led to the... death of... ponies, right? T-they did bad things."

"They did," Celestia agreed. "It is a difficult situation, one that my niece has thrust upon herself, and I am willing to let her handle - for now. It is her choice. I do not disagree with her actions, even if I might have chosen differently in her shoes. She has forgiveness in her heart and can see the plight they faced. She also believes that to execute hundreds more would not be Justice for the dead, but a continuation of the killing. In the end, I do not know what is right," Celestia admitted. "All a pony can do, Princess or no, is try to act fairly and justly."

The thought surprised Twilight, in spite of her knowledge that Celestia was, at heart, a pony like herself. Celestia's endless years of experience was meant to give her all the answers, but every day it became clearer and clearer that Celestia had her own failings.

Twilight thought for a little, going over what the Princess had said, letting the silence hang in the room. After awhile, she asked, "A-are you... A good pony, Celestia? I think... you are. But I know... you have done h-h-hard things. Bad things. D-do you think... You're a good pony?" Twilight looked up at Celestia after the question, watching her mentor's face in the darkness, twisted into conflict and regret, her brows heavy with the weight of an intangible crown.

It took Celestia awhile to answer, and when she did her voice was soft, quiet, "No... No, I do not think I am good, little Twilight. I am necessary. Perhaps one day I shall have the luxury to be a good pony, and act with all purity, but my actions in my rulership of Equestria are not wholly selfless and do not take into account the inherent goodness of all creatures, however deep I think it may be buried." Celestia took a breath, and gave a heavy sigh, "As easy as it would be for me to blame many of my imperialistic, perhaps tyrannical, actions over the last thousand years on the Nightmare... That evil has been within me from the beginning if subdued for my choice to be as good as I may. The Nightmare simply made it too easy to be evil, and too hard to be good. I was so tired, my mind weak, and my senses failing me near the end... But it was still my choice to continue Equestria's course, and intensify it. It was my choice to leave Cloudsdale in tyranny, and my choice to ensure no power overseas could threaten Equestria ever again, no matter the cause of harm to the locals."

"You're wrong," Twilight spoke up, feeling a firm will in her chest, protest rising - a tear prickling at her eyes. "You're good. You're good, Celestia. Y-you helped me, you d-didn't have to. You s-s-smiled at a d-dumb, scared filly... You s-smiled at me at the S-s-summer Sun Celebration. Y-you changed my life. You d-didn't have to do that. You've h-helped so many E-equestrians, and d-done so much g-good for us, in s-spite of everything. I-it's like you said. Good p-ponies can still do b-bad things."

Celestia's expression had been distant, but as Twilight spoke it slowly softened into a gentle smile. When Twilight finished speaking, Celestia lowered her head and rested it on Twilight's head for a moment, then spoke, "You are too kind for your suffering, little Twilight. Too forgiving. You are stronger than I, I think, in some ways."

Twilight was shocked by the near-treason coming from Celestia. The idea of her being stronger than Celestia by any measure was impossible. She protested immediately, "N-no, I'm... I'm just a dumb f-filly. I c-c-c-can't -"

"No, Twilight," Celestia cut in, voice firm, but gentle. "You are a strong filly, with a good heart that had withstood much. The torment you endured has changed many ponies permanently. Some handle it well, and are able to move on, and work through their pain. Others..." Celestia looked away, "Others become what they hate."

Twilight stared at Celestia, mind racing, but locking in on an implication in her mentor's tone, in the distant, shadowed look in her eyes. "C-celestia?" She asked, burrowing closer to her mentor. "W-w-were you... You..."

"Yes, Twilight. When I was a young mare." Celestia said the words with an almost casual firmness, stating reality while dismissing it at the same time. Twilight saw a reflection of herself in those words. "I was not always an alicorn, Twilight, neither was my sister - as much as that may shock you,"

It did. Twilight blinked, mind clicking a few things into place, producing countless questions - mind racing back to the carved figures of Celestia in her room, the earliest of which had no wings. She forced herself to remain silent as Celestia spoke, though.

"In my tribe within the Everfree, and in many in Equestria, the status of mares and stallions were opposite as it is today... Mares were subservient, and the stallions led." That also surprised Twilight, but she dared not ask questions on it right now. "There were often little wars here and there, skirmishes between tribes... It was a brutal time, cruel under the eyes of Discord, with nature itself your enemy." Celestia's eyes peer into the darkness, but unlike her many previous episodes of recollection, she did not seem lost in it - her mind still in the present. "Our leader was a cruel stallion, and powerful. He took pleasure in lording his power, his strength. He would force his chosen mate to fight alongside him, no matter their state, he had plenty of foals, and had no caring if new ones carried to term. I suppose we should have overthrown him... Overturned the order he had built, but we felt weak, and he rarely suffered defeats."

Celestia's voice had grown harder, quieter. Twilight was surprised to hear the hatred in that tone, her mentor's voice actually quavering slightly. No... No, not surprised. Twilight knew the feeling, deep in her bones. "His mate died in battle, and he would choose his new toy. We were both young and beautiful, but he came for Luna. I drew his attention with defiance and ensured I would be chosen over her. I could not have lived with myself if I allowed her to suffer that fate. He cared not for my protests or struggles and had no qualms in passing me to his lieutenants. I thought I would die of shame and agony, yet I managed to draw the strength to survive, for my little sister was safe from harm."

Twilight moved a little from her spot, scooting further up Celestia's body to wrap her hooves around her mentor's neck, hugging her firmly as she kept speaking. "We left the tribe, but not before I killed him," her voice grew even quieter, and she took a deep breath. "I can still smell the blood, his and mine. I took a rock and crushed his skull in after he had taken an injury in battle. Luna and I fled the tribe. I could not bear it, though... No, I felt empty and used, despite my vengeance. Anger began to fill that void, Twilight. Hatred. Loathing." Celestia's voice had lost its quaver, and instead became regretful, and Twilight felt a tear land on her beck. "I nearly drove Luna away with my madness. I became a barbarian. I slew and killed and murdered during our adventures without remorse. It felt good, Twilight. It made me feel like I had power at last, that I was seizing control of my life, regaining what had been taken from me. That is where you and I differ, little one."

Celestia lowered her head now and brought a leg up to return the hug. "I gave into cruelty and madness, and mistakenly thought I had regained control of my life in those years, despite allowing my tormentor to control me from beyond the grave. You did not become cruel, or mad, or insane. No... you are a strong little filly, and show kindness to everyone you meet. You are better than I in this respect, little Twilight. Were it not for Luna, I would have become a monster."

Twilight pulled back a little, so she could meet Celestia's eyes. She saw her mentor bare before her, clear of mind, her deepest shames laid open for Twilight. Her face did not seem so regal, but it was still statuesque, cast from regret and pride. For once, Twilight felt that there was truly no mask at all between her and Celestia. Here, in the dark and privacy of Luna's room, completely alone and isolated. Twilight thought she might be looking at the very depths of Celestia at last, all layers of Princesshood set aside.

She focused. She would not stutter here. She would be clear. She took a breath, and spoke, "Celestia... I almost... became a monster... too. Your smile at... the Summer Sun Celebration. It showed me what bravery was. I had... my brother. My parents. And... And it was hard," Twilight had to force herself to breathe evenly, her mind straying to those dark closets at school, the corners of the library, the bile rising in her throat at the nearly perfectly preserved memories of the sensations. "I - I couldn't fight back. I wanted to. I wanted to hit... A-and to cast... A-and to... to do something." She had to fight the shame at admitting anything, at even daring to speak the words - to admit what happened was real at all. Celestia's gaze was full of sympathy, waiting while Twilight tried to gather herself for more words.

"B-but there was you, Celestia," She managed after awhile. "I- I saw you at... At the Celebration. Y-you were s-s-so brave, j-just standing there. You b-became more than your impulses, C-celestia. You s-said that choices m-make the p-pony. You chose to s-stop, even if Luna h-helped you."

Celestia's smile was soft, encouraging, genuine. She leaned in and drew Twilight back into a hug, "I suppose we will both have to admit we are better ponies than we wish to think, won't we? Or the other party won't be satisfied."

Twilight nodded against Celestia's chest. Her mentor spoke, "Then, very well... I admit I am a better pony than I think I am, Twilight. Now, your turn."

Twilight realized she had been trapped. She held her tongue for a little bit, but eventually managed to regain control of her ability to speak. "I a-admit... I'm a better... pony than I t-think I am."

The two sat in silence for a long time after that.

Twilight dozed off once or twice, waking up in a more comfortable position, Celestia still with her, the reassuring warmth of her body everpresent.

She took the time to consider everything that had been said, the new weight of knowledge weighing on her - both of Celestia's early history, and of the reality of life.

Eventually, Twilight thought to ask a question that had bothered her earlier, breaking the near-total silence of the room. "H-how long was I o-out? A-after... calling you?"

"Twenty hours or so," Celestia spoke after a moment, seeming to rouse slightly herself. "Your parents came to the castle as soon as the battle ended, but I determined that allowing you to rest would be the best course of action. They insisted on remaining in the castle, and I gave them a room two floors down. Originally they were here, waiting for you to awaken, but even concerned parents must succumb to sleep and a need for rest. I told them I would watch over you, as my other duties seem to have been usurped by Cadance for the day," there was once more that note of pride on her tone at the mention of Cadance taking charge. "I believe your father is applying his knowledge of medical magic to helping the wounded at the moment, where he can."

Twilight felt warm, knowing her parents were waiting, that they had rushed to see if she was alright. "I... I want to see them soon, but... Before you rested, Celestia. You said... You said we would... have to t-talk. What a-about?"

"Yes," Celestia relaxed further onto the bed, "I had... You may ask your question again, Twilight, and I shall answer it." Twilight could hear anticipation in Celestia's tone, and her eyes closed, as if in preparation for an accusation.

"I..." Twilight hesitated. Did she want to ask? Yes. Should she? Twilight's curiosity eventually overcame her, "I... W-well... You have a s-spell to... Preserve Luna's s-s-smell on your bed. T-the way you s-speak of her... A-and I found... A secret room in my r-room, Luna's room." Celestia's head perks a little at that, but she remains quiet, "A-and I found, um... A mug, and s-some drawings."

"Yes, I saw them under your pillow when making our little nest. I put them in the drawer for you."

Twilight's cheeks grew hot and her mind blanked, she curled up quickly. "I - uh - I was just... I - uh... Curious... Studying."

Celestia seemed mildly amused, a smile in her voice to Twilight's embarrassment, "Yes, I am certain your examination was close. Do not be embarrassed, little Twilight. It is too early yet for me to speak to you in-depth on such matters, but there is no shame in what you feel. I will not judge you, especially not on yearnings of the heart, or body. You are a young mare, and it is only natural you be curious."

Despite Celestia's words, Twilight couldn't bring herself to raise her head and meet her mentor's eyes. Celestia continued after a moment, though, "And to answer your unasked question, Twilight. Yes, I am... Was Luna's lover, and she was mine. It began during our adventures after we had become alicorns. We had spent centuries walking the lonely places of the planet together and seen countless wonders and horrors in our quest. We each had many lovers and friends and companions, but none of them was able to hold back the passage of time. They grew old, would retire from adventuring, go back home or settle elsewhere. Or they would perish, whether to age or battle or disease. It... Grew. Very slowly. We were all the other had. It is certainly not conventional, and I consider it one of our most private affairs, Twilight. I would hope that, even if you find it abhorrent, that you may honour my desire for privacy on the matter."

Twilight nodded slightly against Celestia's chest, "I-it's... I... Well... It's y-your choice, Celestia. It's... It's weird, though..."

Celestia chuckled slightly, "Yes, I suppose it is 'weird'. You are too generous, Twilight."

In the silence after, Twilight was not sure what to think on her suspicions being confirmed. She had thought on what she knew for some time, but to hear it so plainly made Twilight reconsider her thoughts, forced her to re-examine the reality. Celestia, however, seemed ready to move forward and spoke, "I had other things I had wished to discuss with you as well, Twilight. I admit I withheld information that I knew you could not hope to know to ask after, in spite of our promise." As she spoke, the humour slowly left Celestia' voice, giving way to apology. "It has to do with my sister, and when she is... returning."

Twilight nodded slowly once again, pulling her face away from Celestia's chest. "R-returning? I - I assumed she... Wasn't banished... permanently. But w-when is it?"

"Nine years from now, little Twilight. Nine years. You will be a mare by then, twenty-two."

Nine years? Twilight couldn't imagine it. Celestia's voice held anticipation, worry, and expectation - a weight in her tone. Twilight looked up at her mentor, and could see the yearning in her eyes. A small shiver passed down Celestia's body, and she closed her eyes. "Nine years. I pray they pass more swiftly than the last nine-hundred-and-ninety-one. Even if she never forgives me for my failures, for allowing her to fall when she held me up, for failing to protect her... To see her even once, and know she is well, would make my thousand years a small price to pay."

Twilight felt sympathy for her mentor. Her heart ached at Shining's absence, his deployment taking him far from her with only letters to pass between them. She missed her parents often, and they lived a few minutes away from the castle. A thousand years? She could hardly imagine it. Even nine years seemed like an age to her. Still, her mind pointed out fact to her, and she swallowed. "Celestia... Y-you said she was... Corrupted. Will.. Will she still be..."

Celestia's eyes opened again, and she nodded, her jaw setting slightly. "Yes, Twilight. Yes... Yes I expect she will be not herself. The Nightmare's grip over her mind was too strong, it usurped her physical body from her control. It will be in control, and my sister's mind will be weak, vulnerable. I do not know her state, other than her will wanders the dream world, watching..."

Twilight tried to imagine the... Nightmare. Pictured an evil, twisted Luna in her mind's eye. She thought of Celestia, standing like a pillar of fire, consumed by flame. "Will she... Won't she try to... fight you?"

Celestia nodded, looking up to the ceiling now, eyes tracing over the runes carved into the ceiling. "She will, yes. Originally... After the Nightmare had dulled my own mind, I intended to surrender, Twilight. I thought that it might help Luna regain control, that with Cadance's help, she could regain control herself. But I see now... I see what the Nightmare truly desires. My sister is powerful and well-beloved. Her fall nearly broke me, and the thousand years after... Without the intervention of Cadance and yourself I may have fought my sister. I would have been forced to hurt her... Truly hurt her," Celestia's eyes close again, as if picturing the scene in her mind, "I would have broken. Whether before or after her return, or in our meeting. The Nightmare would have lept upon me, used its seeds planted a thousand years before, and seized my mind and body, and control of the Sun. It would have become impossibly powerful, Twilight. Now that my mind is clear I see its plan, I see its insidious intent... It would not have needed Luna any longer, and I have built an Empire for it to sit alone atop the world from..."

Twilight blanked a moment... The realization striking her. The records... Celestia had originally been demilitarizing Equestria after the fall of Luna. Dismantling overseas expeditions, bringing Cloudsdale into the modern era. It was the beginnings of a thousand years of peace. She remembered the records noting Celestia's change of course... The oddness of it, for one who had turned to peace when possible in previous records. That new age of war had been dubbed the Sovereign Era, ending the Resplendent Era. "I r-remember reading about a c-change... At the end of the R-r-resplendent Era..."

Celestia nodded, eyes growing a little distant, "Yes... That is when I began to feel the exhaustion. I had attempted to sleep a few times, but by that time I had given up the attempts. In addition, the Griffons were beginning to unify once again. Each time in history they had come together into an Empire, they had attempted to invade Equestria. It was easy to say history would repeat, that my policies and ideals would not work. I convinced myself diplomacy would be impossible, that even if I made peace with one Emperor, the next would abandon reason, and lead his armies against Equestria. I intervened before they had the chance."

Twilight thought it made sense herself. The Griffons had invaded Equestria five times before Luna's banishment, and each time the Warmistress had turned them back after hard campaigns. After the sixth, when Manehattan had been sacked by the invaders, Princess Luna had crossed the sea with a hundred thousand ponies and razed the Imperial Capital of Griffonheim - and a score of other cities in her path - to the ground, leaving the once near continent-spanning Empire crippled beyond repair, letting the nation fall into chaos and warlords picking at the scraps. It had never been unified again. Largely thanks to consistent interference by the Legion putting a halt to local warlords gaining too much traction and subduing coastal cities into tributaries.

It was said Luna had rewritten road signs and placed new monoliths declaring the Imperial Highway as the 'Road of Reckoning.' In later years, according to the books anyway, the Griffons had scratched and defaced each with new names; The Boneway, Slaughterer's Path, Emperor's Folly, and countless more.

"B-but," she began, nervous now with her contrary view, "T-the griffons... You c-couldn't know. They invaded f-five times. They could have a-again, r-right? Without Luna here."

"Perhaps," Celestia inclined her head slightly, "But I will also never know if peace was possible, saving many lives. Even if it was not, I took it beyond the griffons. Zebrica..." Celestia grows more troubled now, sighing, "I grew paranoid of that continent. Greedy as well, perhaps. I knew it held great wealth, and convinced myself that if an Empire were to rise there, it could become even more terrible than the Griffons. Catalan... The archipelago, I told myself that they were great shipbuilders, that they constantly raided their own mainland. What if they decided to cross the sea and try their luck in Equestrian waters? The deaths would have been my fault because I did not intervene soon enough. I have inflicted suffering around the world, Twilight. I became a barbarian again, buried under new clothes, titles, and powers."

Twilight hugged her mentor again, "M-maybe you went... Too far, but... But you p-protected us. E-equestria hasn't b-been invaded in over a t-thousand years."

Celestia sighed slightly, and wrapped a foreleg around Twilight, "Luna would say the same thing, even if she would have gone about these actions differently. She was always willing to do whatever it took to protect Equestria, no matter the cost to herself, physical or moral. It is harder for me, with my mind clear, to reconcile necessary intervention and needless destruction. I am reminded too harshly of decisions made by passion and anger in early days."

"Y-you're still a better p-pony than you think," Twilight said, unsure of exactly how to make Celestia feel better, but knowing she was being too harsh on herself.

"I suppose I must be if you still believe in me, little Twilight."

There was a time of silence again, but Twilight was wide awake, and it only stretched a minute or so. She broke the quiet, "C-celestia, you were talking about when Luna w-would return."

"I was," Twilight felt Celestia's shoulders tense slightly, and her wing fluttered a moment. "I was considering how to explain something to you. I apologize." Celestia took a breath and stated, voice low, "I deceived you, Twilight."

Twilight listened, moving away from Celestia slightly at her words, confused.

She met Celestia's gaze once again, those pink eyes intense. "I banished my sister with a set of artefacts called the Elements of Harmony. They are six jewels of immense power constructed or found by the ponies that lived before Discord, a mystery that my sister and I spent many, many years studying. It took us nearly three centuries of searching the world to locate these gems and use them to defeat Discord, and usher in a new era of harmony. I believe you have the capacity to wield one of these gems, Twilight. I believe it an act of Harmony that you were born, and came to me against all hardships. Your cutie mark is in the exact shape of this gem, your north star."

Of all things tonight, this took Twilight most off guard. Her? "I- You're w-wrong... I d-don't have a great d-destiny, C-c-celestia. I'm just... Just T-twilight. And... and truly f-fortunate to be your s-student." A thought struck Twilight, and she felt dread well up in her chest, a new crippling fear overtaking her, "I-is that why you t-took me as your student?" She felt tears prick at her eyes, "I-i'm sorry, C-celestia, you w-wasted y-your -"

Celestia pulled her into the hug this time, "No, little Twilight, no. I took you as my student before I began to suspect any of this. I would have taken you as my student if your special talent had turned out to be turning ponies into potted plants, and your cutie mark a pair of shears. I do not regret my choice and have not wasted my time. You have a destiny, Twilight Sparkle... One I am almost certain of, but I ask you not to question me further on it. To know... it might interfere, and that would be a tragedy beyond words, my student. I would not forgive myself if I robbed the world of it, or yourself."

"B-b-but -" Celestia spoke up, again firmly - she pulled Twilight away slightly, bringing their gazes to meet. Twilight stared into loving pink eyes, full of intensity and surity, "I did not make a mistake, Twilight Sparkle. Of all things in these last thousand years, I am most certain of my choice in you as my student. I swore not to lie to you, do not doubt my word now, of all times."

Twilight managed a nod, the intensity of Celestia's belief striking her. Maybe... Maybe Celestia was right? Maybe Twilight was more than she thought.

Maybe...

Author's Note

I originally intended this chapter to have four parts, but they would make this nearly 12,000 words long if my predictions are right. I'll be splitting this up for ease of reading, and so I can post this sooner.

I know it's a shitload of dialogue, but I hope all of you enjoy it. It's been a bit since we had any Celestia interaction, so it's coming back with a vengeance, with a few revelations.

Gonna post this to give you guys another glimpse at where everything is. Been working on it a little since I started up again. Center = Equestria, who control the entire continent. East = Griffonia, South = Zebrica, and West = Catalan.

As usual, I'm a little unsure about the chapter. I feel like it's too much in one scene and too much confusing dialogue, but I've come to expect the self-doubt.

Hope all of you enjoy the chapter, and I promise you'll get more stuff to do with the direct aftermath of the coup next chapter, and a few more things.