//------------------------------//
// Six 
// Story: Forgiven, Forgotten 
// by Astraia Cantata 
//------------------------------//

	"It has been many years since I last explained our reasoning to a pony; this is the first time that I wasn't alone with one."
Celestia led the pair out of the hallway, onto the top of grand marble staircase that led down to the Royal Gardens, specifically the outside of the labyrinth, where the statues were kept. Her long, translucent, flowing tail swept down the steps as if it were made of silk, and it might as well have been. The colors, the sparkling and the movement went pale, and her mane began to droop as she approached one statue in particular. 
Dike remembered this one. It was a horrendous chimera, a conglomeration of creatures that should never see the light of day. It was an affront to all that the Royal Sisters stood for; the antithesis of Harmony; hay, it even said "DISCORD" right on the pedestal. Even in the old palace, she had often wondered what foul humor had possessed her mother and aunt that they decorated with ... it. 	
And it wasn't just its appearance, though it should have been enough. There was an aura of discomfort just being too near to it. Celestia's drooping mane and tail were only confirming what Dike had always thought to be true: the statue was evil. 
At once she shook herself of the thought. How juvenile of her, to think that an inanimate object had the power to see right and wrong, and to choose wrong. Statues do not have minds, hearts, souls or feelings.
So why was it she heard a heartbeat on the wind?
"This, my little ponies, is Discord."
Dike rolled her eyes, even as Brilliance shushed her. "I deduced from the name on the base." But Celestia continued, as if she hadn't even heard her speak.
"He hasn't always been a statue. He, at one point, held absolute power over all of ponykind. It took both of us and the power of the elements to defeat him. Only then did we begin to rule over the mortal ponies. Now you tell me, Dike, what were his crimes, and the sentence. I believe your mother did teach you this."
So, this was the monster-dictator. She could hardly believe such a strange looking creature was as powerful as the princesses claimed. Still, the unease she felt in his, no, its presence was slowly convincing her otherwise. 
"He was a tyrant. He took away the free will of his subjects, and thrust them into chaos. No one knew what to expect, because he never did the same punishment twice. Or if he did, it was for two completely different and unrelated matters. A day could last months, or only a few minutes. Ponies starved to death, the earth would fall right out from underneath them, some would spontaneously combust, and, when he felt like it, he could make slaves of them by touching them. They would either be under his complete control, or they would act the exact opposite of their nature. Sometimes, in this state they would be taken advantage of. Just for fun, he would turn them back, for just a little while, to see what they had become, just so he could see them cry, just because he had the power to. He was sadistic, ruthless. A monster. And you both turned him to stone"
"He held in his hands the power to feed those that were hungry to free those he enslaved, and would not."
"That is what made him more of a monster."
"Now, say you had the power to punish him. He wouldn't be stone, would he?"
"He would be a pile of ash. Or worse."
"You would make him feel pain, like the pain he put ponies through. What if you had the power to punish your mother?"
"That would be simple. She pushed away all that was dear to her, killed or tried to kill those that cared about her, and plunged the world into the longest night..."
"So what better punishment than to force her from all she cared about, make sure she never sees most of the those she failed to kill, whom she loved dearly, and plunge her into the longest night? It is, of course, always night on the Moon. Should I really give her more punishment than that?"
"No, you gave her what she wanted!"
"Sometimes, what we want is the worst thing for us. What she truly wanted was to be loved, and appreciated, forgetting that those feelings cannot be forced. In my account, I separate Luna and Nightmare Moon, because, while Luna pushed away those that truly cared, she would have never hurt them.
"'Nightmare' is what happened after we tried to save the Crystal Empire. King Sombra, somehow, was able to take an essence form when we shattered his body. Or at least, parts of him were. Tell me, Brilliance, you went to the military academy, what comes out when a grenade or any other bomb explodes?"
"Shrapnel, your highness. It's more dangerous than the explosion itself." He swallowed hard. 
"Thank you. When his body shattered into crystal, a piece of him lodged in Luna. I put up a shield over myself, before I thought to protect my sister. It turned to dark essence when she saw me try to save myself before her, and took hold in her heart.
"Dike, you mother may have been more distant when she left  me, but when she returned it was more than just distance between you, correct?"
She said nothing. She didn't have to; they both knewe what happened the night she arrived at the castle. Luna only sneered at the child so happy to see her, and went to her room.
"Nice try, kid. If I don't get it why should you?"
"Dike, this is as much punishment for me as it is for her. I understand that she was wrong, but this was completely avoidable, and all my fault. I failed your mother when she needed me most. I wish I could tell my subjects that, but half would not believe me, and the others would not care, or they would try to bring about an anarchy. Which, in turn, would release Discord, and all the ponies that wanted me out of power would get what they want, and suffer for it."
"But..."
"You say you would want to punish her further. Would that make you feel better?"
"Well, yes, actually..."
"Doesn't that make you as much of a sadist as Discord here?"
"What? No!"
"You have the power to forgive her, to feed her hunger for love. And yet, now knowing all of the facts about her change, you want to see her suffer beyond her lot, because you also have the power to not forgive her, and to leave her starved for the love she so needs from you. Does that not make you a monster as well?"
Dike was shocked and silent, breathing heavily, eyes wide and jaw hanging. "That's... no... cannot be. Justice..."
Celestia shook her head, and looked her niece in the eyes, not with anger, not with accusation, and definitely not with malice, but kindness, pity, mercy.
"Justice, Dike? Or revenge?"	
The shocked expression did not leave her face. "I...I... I am leaving! I don't have to stand here and listen to you li...li... say what ever it is you are saying about me!"
Celestia's face fell, but she made no move to stop her. "Very well. The Guards will escort you home."
"Actually, if it pleases your highness, I will."
Brilliance, still trembling and pale from all the knowledge so pleasantly bestowed upon him, stepped forward, with his chest up, and head high, even though Dike looked at him with cutting eyes. At first, the princess was going to disallow it, but, really, what was the harm? He might even help her.
"Alright. Please, make sure she gets home safely."
"I will. I will not let either of you down."
He pretended not to hear her mumble "You already have."