Windows of the Soul

The thick cloak of nightfall blanketed over the world. A heavy downpour of divine emotion stung Twilight's skin through her fur. In one hoof, she held a sheath crafted from the highest quality bamboo. In the other, she gripped her weapon of choice - the sword that would be the underworld's undoing. Through the oppressive blackness, her eyes guided her with a gentle blue light.

"Now."

She shot forward. At first glance, it appeared as though her intention was to strike the tree before her. However, the very moment before the blade's impact, she threw it into the air before sliding sideways.

"Still not fast enough."

She picked up her sword and began the process again.

Celestia stared out the window of her office. Ever since the scandal surrounding her broke out to the general public, she had been lost in thought. Up until then, she had been certain about most aspects of her life, but now, she felt she didn't understand anything at all.

"Celestia..."

"Twilight...?"

The political figurehead turned around. She and her former companion stood face to face.

"You know why I'm here...You can't weasel your way out. I saw the records. It was your writing."

"..."

"I want to know why."

"What would be the purpose? What's done is done."

"Closure."

"Much as I hate to disappoint you, there was no real reason. I thought it was normal, and that's all there is to it."

"How could you possibly think molesting and killing children was normal?"

"I never killed them. That was the clients' doing. I had no say in what transpired from that point on."

"That doesn't justify anything."

"You want to know why? Because the sins of the father infect and decay the virtue of the daughter."

"Maybe speak more clearly."

Celestia turned away.

"...I was used in ways you can't even begin to imagine. From the time I was five years old, I was little more than a dumping ground for the depraved desires of my father and his associates."

"You mean...?"

"Molestation, rape - everything you could ever fathom and more occurred between the houses of my neighborhood. Nobody outside of their circle knew what was going on. The only people who knew were the offenders and their victims. Children like you and I experienced tortures that defied description."

"If you knew it was wrong, why did you continue the cycle?"

"Because by the time I knew, I had already developed the same cravings as my predecessors. There were no therapists to help me recover and perhaps live a decent life. I had to deal with it on my own."

"So you thought the best course of action was to gain power and influence to perpetuate further torment?"

"The only art I had ever mastered was deception. There was nothing else to be done."

"Are you sure about that?"

"And what would you have done differently?"

"I dunno, maybe not led the world to the edge of war and extinction for starters."

"You don't have any idea."

"What is it about? Terrorism? Because there are plenty of terrorists here. They're everywhere, scattered around the globe. You might know them more commonly by their street name: sadists - people who kill and destroy without any rhyme or reason except for what they believe to be the truth, and it seems to me despair, rage, and vengeance are the truths which dictate your actions."

"And what makes you any different from me?"

"I have the presence of mind to know who my enemies are and how to handle them without putting everyone else in danger."

"Your actions don't seem to have any foundation in reality from where I'm standing. Why don't you explain to me why Flash Sentry left the guard eight months ago?"

"Because he saw through your surface motives, and he knows who our real enemies are."

"Enlighten me. Who are these so-called enemies?"

"Ourselves and the evil creatures in the world beyond ours."

"You're babbling nonsense!"

"This coming from the pedophile ready to conscript high school graduates to die for nothing. I know about the weapons race going on across the ocean, and I know there are many unstable people in positions of authority. The question is, how unstable are they?"

"So everyone is supposed to bow to your demands?"

"I have a better chance of getting us through the remainder of this century than any of you."

"You accuse me of arrogance, yet make such bold claims."

"At least I'd leave alternatives to torture and death open."

"I've grown weary of this. Leave my sight at once."

"Fine by me. It's clear you have no intention of following my advice, but don't be surprised when demon dogs are mauling your flesh for sustenance because you refused to heed my warning."

"Begone."

With a scowl, Twilight disappeared, leaving Celestia to boil in her own hateful thoughts...