Stone and Secrets

The clattering of her hooves along the floors of the castle corridors echoed across the walls as Twilight ran toward Celestia's chambers.

As she ran by the library, Spike attempted to halt her for a moment, but only partially succeeded.

"Twilight, where did you go? I was-"

"No time to talk! I have to get to Celestia!"

"I... what in Equestria..."

Spike looked at her with a confused expression as she continued running down the hall and away from him.

Several more heads turned as she ran by, but none of them stopped her. There was only one thing on her mind right now, and that was finding some answers.

What she was doing on the night I came here...

Everything Discord said...

All the confusing answers from Luna...

Everything the diary spoke about...

I... I know what it must mean, but...

But how can it?

She finally came upon Celestia's chambers. Guards were stationed on either side of the door.

"Who goes there?"

"Twilight Sparkle. Come on now, Artemis, Clegmane, you guys know me. Will you let me through?"

The guards exchanged confused looks. "Of course, miss Sparkle. But what is the rush?"

Twilight looked away for a moment. "I can't tell you."

Artemis shrugged, and they cleared the way. Twilight went through the door as slowly and deliberately as she could, trying to hide her anxiety.

Once inside, she looked around frantically in an attempt to find Celestia.

"My Faithful Student, what is wrong? Has something gone amiss?"

The serene but mildly concerned look on Celestia's face was the final straw for Twilight.

But the same unmovable, ever-logical part of her that told her what Celestia had done now reminded her of who Celestia was. The melting pot of emotions inside Twilight's mind simmered down somewhat, but it would not by any means subside completely.

"Yes. Something is very wrong." She turned her gaze aside for a moment, took a deep inhale, and looked Celestia directly in her eyes, which was a challenge at this point. "Who killed Shining Smiles?"

Celestia froze in place for a long moment. Only her lips and voice made any shift toward a movement, and that was expressionless and flat. "Oh.

Oh stars above..."

Celestia and Twilight locked their gazes on one another. Both student and teacher alike held fear and disbelief in their eyes, but Twilight's carried an undercurrent of hurt and anger.

In all their years as student and pupil, Celestia had been a grand, immovable figure. She had always been perched high above a stone, impervious to any waves that raged below her. This time, it was as if Twilight sat upon a judges' seat with a cowardly prisoner standing far below her.

They looked into one another's eyes for a long moment, neither wishing to believe what they were seeing, until a delayed kneejerk reaction of pain, rage, and fear came from Twilight. "It.. it really was you, wasn't it?"

There was very little anger in her voice; instead, it held shock and hurt, which only made it more painful to Celestia's ears.

Celestia slowly pulled back. She shook her head.  "Twilight, please... I- I didn't-"

"Why did you do it? Why? How could you betray one of your own subjects like that? How could you betray him? You were his best friend!"

Celestia's lip began to quiver, her eyes about ready to give out. She was beyond speaking properly. "I... no, no... please... I didn't... it wasn't me... I-"

"You did! Stop trying to hide it! I found your diary, Celestia! And Discord and Luna told me the rest. Why did you kill him?"

Celestia was beginning to visibly shrink, cowering away from Twilight's onslaught of accusations.

The great Princess Celestia, the most stable and pure element in Twilight's life, the immovable rock she tied herself to... all of her illusions came tumbling down around her.

She stopped for a moment to glare at Celestia, with tears in her own eyes.

"And what would happen if I started studying some kind of magic you thought I shouldn't too? What then?"

The final stage of her speaking came on to a note of disapproving pity, finally slowing down to a normal pace. "You loved him, and then, just because he was dabbling in... Chaos... magic... oh dear."

Twilight trailed off as she realized what she had done.

A flood of emotions came to Celestia, washing away her composure as a tidal wave would an anthill. "I didn't do it... I wanted to save him! I tried to help him... I tried everything I could..."

An expression of unsurpassed anguish appeared across her face, visible only for a moment as she burst into tears, threw herself upon the ground, and cried out. A moment later she gritted her teeth and covered her face with her magnificently adorned hooves.

"Why, why, why..." was all that she choked out between sobs.

The sound of her snout banging against the ground was barely audible.

Twilight immediately regretted everything she had just said. She had never seen Celestia so anguished, let alone on such short notice. Not knowing what else to do, she could only stand it watch.

Now I know what she looked like after banishing Luna...

This must have been one of the most painful things in her life. And here I went, callously accusing her about it...

After regaining some of her strength, Celestia slowly stood. Her legs were shaky. Her breaths were unsteady, and she still sobbed sometimes as she spoke. Her eyes were puffy, her expression pained.

"Where... where did you hear that name?"

An explanation was owed, and so Twilight gave one in full. What she saw on the first night of her visit, what she had been told by Discord and Luna, what she had read in the diary...

As she went on, Celestia alternated between looking directly at Twilight and letting her head fall back into a lowered position. Tears frequently fell from her eyes.

When Twilight finished explaining the whole story, Celestia stopped to take a few steadying breaths, before looking at her student for a long, silent moment. She had most of her composure back, but her eyes still looked pained, and she continued to shed tears. Once again, she looked away, and choked out a few more sobs.

Twilight wondered how long it would take her to be able to speak again, but she chastised herself for such a selfish thought.

There was finally a knock at the door, which opened itself a few seconds later. Luna burst into the room, Spike following closely behind her.

"What is going on here? Why is-"

Luna's expression turned from agitation to outright fury as she saw Celestia's condition. The Royal Canterlot Voice was a reflex for her at this point.

"TWILIGHT SPARKLE! EXPLAIN THYSELF! HOW IS IT THAT YOU DARE TO BRING SUCH GRIEF UPON THE THRONE OF EQUESTRIA?"

"I- I can explain, I-"

"NO, YOU CANNOT. HAVE I NOT ALREADY TOLD YOU TO LOOK NOT EVERYWHERE YOUR PRYING EYES LEAD YOU?"

Oh... she did say that, didn't she.

"COUNT YOURSELF LUCKY YOUR ASSISTANT CAME TO ME BEFORE YOU WENT ANY FURTHER THAN YOU ALREADY HAVE."

Twilight remained quiet, and hung her head low.

Luna took in a calming breath.

"We shall wait upon my sister as to what exactly is to be done with you."

All present waited patiently through the long pause before Celestia responded.

She took a deep breath, turned to look at her sister, and spoke with a surprisingly calm voice, as if administering counsel to a soldier who had a dispute with his commanding officer.  "Lulu, I appreciate your aid, but I this trespass can be forgiven. We all make mistakes; no creature in Equestria is perfect, not even you or I. I am sure you know that lesson as well as I do. And you also that Twilight has not had the many centuries you and I have had to accrue wisdom. You cannot hold her to our standards."

Celestia let out another long sigh. "I think it's time we stopped hiding the truth."

Luna looked deep into her sister's eyes, closed her own, and finally gave a single, very deliberate nod.  "Very well, sister. I will do as you wish, and help to recount the truth of our past."

Celestia nodded back.

"Twilight, you may want to make yourself comfortable. This will take some time."