Twilight and her friends had finally made it into Canterlot, and met with Celestia and Solaire in the east-wing meeting room. It was the largest of the set, and was for more 'royal' occasions. However, this matter was very important to Celestia. Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Starlight, Spike and Twilight, all sat opposite of Celestia and Solaire.

The group looked at Solaire oddly, not knowing why he was there or who he even was. Solaire simply stared at them, his helmet concealing his face. His eyes studied each and every pony in front of him, noting their features in his head. It was something he had gotten used to doing in his own world.

"I got the letter that Spike had sent me. I assume the sudden visitation is because of recent events, and that there is another problem." Celestia said, looking at Twilight. Twilight stared at the wooden table in front of her, her eyes not really moving, her mane and tail a mess. She did not look good.

"She's been like this for awhile now." Starlight said, looking up to the Princess in front of her. Starlights eyes were searching hers, trying to see if there was any hope or advice that she could possibly give them. Celestia nodded, hardly any expression on her face. She seemed calm.

"The concept of taking another's life is.. hard to deal with. It is quite a hard topic to talk about, but one that needs to be discussed. That's why we are in this meeting room. This isn't a friendship visit, but a therapy visit. You'll all be required to stay here while we help Twilight get back on to her feet. Your rooms are already booked." Celestia said.

"Can we throw her a party?! A royal party- maybe she'll like that- maybe it'll be differe-" Pinkie was going to continue her nervous rant before Celestia shushed her, raising her hoof to the pink pony.

"No parties. I assume that didn't work to begin with anyways."

"Yeah.." Pinkie said, her mane almost deflating like a balloon. The rest of the ponies had stayed silent.

Suddenly, the strange creature in front of them spoke up.

"What exactly happened?" The group looked at him with questioning eyes, before Rarity spoke up quietly.

"W-Well.. We were sent to the border to do some.. negotiations. It seemed like everything was going to work out perfect, but.. We were attacked. The others and I had flee'd away while the guards that came with us defended us, but.. Twilight wasn't anywhere to be seen with us."

Applejack then spoke. "'Ah ran as quickly as 'ah could to get 'er but.. She came flyin' out of the area. 'Ah assumed she was okay, so we ran behind 'er. None of us knew what really went down 'til the guards 'nformed us.."

Solaire nodded. It wasn't exactly the description he wanted, as he wanted something more in-depth. It was all he was going to get though, and he was fine with the short summary of the events. He looked to his right, up to Celestia.

"I might have an idea." He told Celestia, before standing and leaning into her ear to tell her something.

A couple of seconds later, Celestia pondered Solaire's idea, before nodding her head.

"As this isn't a situation that can be solved with simple help, by friends or therapists, i'll be allowing Solaire to try and help." Celestia said, pointing a hoof at Solaire to indicate who he was.

"If we can't help her what makes you think somepony else can?" Rainbow asked, a bit of a confused expression on her face, and one with slight anger as well. What made this.. random creature any better than the six of them? They tried all they could.

"Sometimes you need to talk to somepony else to get another perspective on things. She knows you all, and she understands how you all think and work. She's dealt with the same perspectives of you all, and don't get me wrong, you all are very insightful."

Celestia then put her hoof on Solaire's right shoulder.

"However, his perspective might provide some new insight that Twilight hadn't thought of before. Besides, I believe Solaire might understand how to help Twilight more than any of us here." Celestia looked at Solaire, who was looking back at her. Her eyes were filled with slight worry, hoping that she wasn't putting faith into someone that didn't deserve it. Solaire simply nodded back, and she could see his eyes from his helmet for just a second.

"I-I don't think it'll do an-" Rainbow spoke up again before Celestia shut her down quickly.

"We don't know until we try. With that being said, I want all of you to go to your respective rooms. Guards are already waiting outside to escort you all. Twilight will stay with me and Solaire in here." Celestia said, waving her hoof off to them. They looked back with slight confusion, not really understanding the reasoning. They had never seen Celestia act so strange before.

One by one, each pony had left the room. The big wooden door that each had gone through had shut with a loud bang.

"Twilight. Twilight, i'm here." Celestia said, putting a hoof across the table to bump her student's horn softly. Twilight looked up at her, and at first gave a dazed look. Then, as if she was brought back to life, she began to cry loudly, her eyes widening.

Celestia got up from her side of the table and made her way to Twilight's side, sitting next to her and letting Twilight lean her head against her. Tears stained Celestia's white fur. She draped a wing over Twilight's body, her eyes looking down at her student sympathetically.

Minutes passed by, with no one saying a single thing. Solaire had watched the purple princess cry and sniffle until she seemed to run out of tears. When she was finished crying, she looked up Celestia, expecting her to say something. Celestia simply nodded towards Solaire, to which Twilight looked at Solaire with confusion.

The entire time her friends were having a conversation, she was blocking out all sound and all of her surroundings until just a few minutes earlier. This.. creature stared back at her, it's armor metal with white cloth on the front of it, a blazing sun with a strange face on it. It's helmet had a visor on it, along with a large feather that stuck from the back of the helmet.

"Twilight.. This is Solaire, a.. new friend of mine, and hopefully a new friend to you as well. He's been here for just a few days, and may be able to help you. I want you to tell him everything." Twilight stared at him as Celestia told her this. Twilight sniffled once more, before rubbing her nose with a hoof.

"I-I-" Twilight was going to speak before Solaire stood from his seat, extending his hand over to her.

"I am Solaire, a friend of Celestia. You are Twilight, correct? What a beautiful name!" Solaire's sudden joyful attitude startled Twilight, her posture receding back into the chair slowly, before she extended a hoof. His hand grabbed it, and shook it before he took his seat.

"I've been informed of your situation from your friends and Celestia herself and I must say.. It is a tough thing to deal with. But it is not impossible. I think the best way to start solving this is for you to tell me what.. is troubling you the most about the incident."

Twilight sat in thought, trying to piece her thoughts into a cohesive statement. They had been floating around for the past few days, so trying to arrange them into something was more difficult than she had aniticipated.

"T-The.. I-I.."

She paused.

"W-What makes my life more.. important than theirs..? I took theirs.. their life from them.. in an instant and- and I still stand here.. I-I-I tell myself to do things for peace and-and friendship but, but how was this for peace..? Or friendship..? How was this at all good.. I-it wasn't and I am the cause for that.. I-I've read in books that guards and.. other ponies have dealt with this, and it makes me t-think that maybe i'm weak..? W-Why does any of this b-bother me so much if they're fine with it..? H-How can I.. The princess of friendship.. lead the youth of the world, th-the future of our world, when i'm so weak. I-I'm so weak that I resorted to k-killing somepony. How can I-" Solaire lifted his hand up, causing Twilight to stop.

He stared at her for a few moments, before giving a loud sigh.

"The fact that you are troubled by this already shows you are a good person. So, incase that was at all a thought in your head, afraid of being a terrible person, you aren't. And yes, no good came out of the situation. When someone kills another, no good comes out of it most of the time, because someone's life was lost. It does happen in an instant, as life and death usually is that way. All it takes is a second, or even less, to stop someone from ever taking a breath again. None of that was your fault, as you did what anyone else would have done. You protected yourself. That doesn't make you evil, that doesn't make you weak." Solaire suddenly stood, pulling his sword out slowly, and placing it onto the table.

"This sword has smited many foes and friends. I understand what it feels like to take a life from someone. I understand the confusion, the pain, the sadness and the anger, but you can not let any of those emotions lead you to the conclusion that you are a terrible person! The warriors of this world that you speak of can deal with those situations because they've been trained from day one. Either that, or they've gotten used to killing, it being another part of life. I'm that person. I've gotten used to it. I've killed my friends who have turned against me, I've killed my enemies who didn't even want to fight me. I've done it all- and I still understand that there was a reason for what I did."

Solaire then took a seat, leaving the sword on the table. Twilight was listening intently, before she spoke up out of anger.

"You are used to it, you are fine with taking a life but I am not! What kind of pony am I if I simply accept this and move on? That'll make me a terrible pony, a pony who doesn't care about life!"

"That is good! You should not be fine with taking a life! But if you do not accept that it already happened, you're letting yourself go. You'd be taking another life away from this world when it already lost a couple."

"Yeah, well maybe I should let myself go! I sure would deserve it wouldn't I?" Twilight barked back. Celestia had thought about stepping in, but realized it would only cause further trouble. Instead she let the two continue.

"If you give up, you are telling yourself you aren't worth it. Are you worth it, Twilight? Are you?! Are you willing to let everything you did end up at this point? To let all the good things you did be completely erased when you decide that you aren't worth living?"

"No! I am not worth it- I was never worth what I gained! Gaining wings, becoming a princess, getting my wonderful friends, none of it! I don't know why the world chose me, but it chose wrong!" Twilight was now fighting back tears, thinking back to meeting her friends for the first time, to getting her wings and being called a princess, to getting her own castle and eventually getting a school.

"Fine, i'll just hurry things up then!" Solaire yelled, grabbing his sword and thrusting it towards Twilight.

Silence ensued.

Solaire then began to laugh, as his sword was covered in a purple glowing aura, Twilight looking at the tip of the blade that was inches away from her with fear.

"If you truly were to give up, you wouldn't have stopped me. You would've accepted your death and closed your eyes." Solaire said, pulling his sword back after the purple aura disappeared.

Twilight was going to speak up, but was left in silence.

"I have had friends that I have known for a long time give up on themselves. No matter what I did, I couldn't stop them from giving up. In the end, each and every one of them turned on me, mindless husks of who they once were. I killed each and every one of them with as swift of a death as I could give. I don't think you want your friends to experience that pain of not only losing a friend, but also being the one to put them down." Solaire took a seat, staring back at her.

"Do you know what your name means, Twilight?" He suddenly asked after a couple moments of silence.

Twilight looked at him, a little confused.

"It's the moment where the sun is barely below the horizon, and that soft loving glow shines across the sky. Possibly the most beautiful time to look at the sun is during the Twilight." Solaire gave a small chuckle.

"You've got a beautiful soul inside you, Twilight. Keep it, and push on. Don't let this stop you. Don't fall into the abyss, and don't you dare go hollow."

Twilight stared at the man, a sniffle coming from her quietly. She then closed her eyes, a couple of tears flowing from them.

"I-I can see why he's your friend.." Twilight muttered to Celestia, who smiled and laughed. She nodded, and pulled Twilight's head into her chest, a humming coming from her.

"Solaire is quite the motivational speaker, isn't he.." Celestia said, looking to Solaire who had his hands out with a shrug.

"I simply speak the truth."

Celestia nodded, looking down to her Student.

"Are you okay now, Twilight?"

Twilight thought of the situation, the talk, and pondered it for a little before shaking her head.

"N-No.. But.. I feel a lot better.."

"That's all it takes is a step at a time. That's how I have dealt with things my entire life. A simple step of the boot at a time." Solaire gave a hearty laugh, one that was infectious towards Celestia and Twilight. It certainly had lightened the mood.

"Twilight, your friend are waiting in their rooms. I would say you should go speak to them, but the choice is up to you. You should move at your own pace." Celestia patted Twilight on the back softly, as Twilight then smiled up to her.

"I think it's about time I actually talk with them. They.. are probably worried." She said, standing up and heading for the door, before looking over to Celestia and Solaire.

"Thank you.."

Solaire simply nodded, and waved goodbye to her. She nodded back, and walked out of the room.

A large sigh came from Celestia as she slumped over the table.

"If you charged for therapy lessons, you'd be the richest in all of equestria.." She said with a chuckle.

"I could.. but that would ruin the point of helping your friends, now wouldn't it?" Solaire said, grasping one of her hooves with his hand. His hand was warm, and rough on the soft fur. The rough skin of a warrior.

"I thought things would have gone worse.. It usually would take hours to convince her of something- especially something so serious as that. Yet you did it in a matter of, what, a couple minutes?"

Solaire smirked, taking off his helmet with his left hand, keeping the other still on her hoof. He set the helmet on the table and slumped over the table, facing her.

"All i'm happy about is that I helped someone else, and my story effected someone else in a good way. That made it all worth going through in my opinion."

Celestia was staring into his eyes. The both of them sat there, slumped over the table and staring at eachother. The room was completely filled in silence, and the both of them didn't move an inch. Solaire had moved his left hand to grab her other hoof, slightly moving them from side to side, a smile on his face.

"That smile.." Celestia thought, her own smile becoming larger by thinking about it.

After a few more moments, Celestia then cleared her throat, pulling her hooves from his hands and shaking her head, looking back up to him with a smirk.

"So- shall we continue our little conversation on the balcony?" She said, a little flirt in her voice.

Solaire nodded, giving a little chuckle.

"You're a tease, aren't you?" He said, grabbing his helmet and holding it to his side, before suddenly yelling-

"Last one to the balcony has to answer something embarrassing!" Solaire bolted to the door, before Celestia followed behind him playfully, trying to get to the balcony first.

Author's Note

Hope you guys liked this one.

It was a little strange to write, and I might end up re-writing some bits of it. However if you like the story, be sure to comment below! Any criticism will be reviewed too!

Thank you for reading my story.