//------------------------------// // Greed Gets the Best of Us // Story: A Decade lost Founded Again // by Dextroscity //------------------------------//         Those eyes drew her in and before Celestia knew it she was beside the table and taking a seat. The mare sitting on the other side of the table lowered her cigar she was smoking and took another sip of the cider, once again repeating her former behavior. But this time Celestia wasn't going to let that happen again and struck a hoof out to unhood the pony, and once and for all her suspicions were confirmed. “Twilight…..” Celestia whispered. The mare in front of her was indeed Twilight, The unicorn with the lavender coat and navy blue  mane with a pink highlight running through it but they were changes to face, the most noticeable ones being the stubby horn was now a large wicked deadly sharp horn and her mane much longer and sticking out in various places, and of course the eyes that haunted her dreams for the past several nights, why did Twilight even have dragonic pupils now, that wasn't something a pony ever got excluding when her sister became corrupt but at least then its was a transformation, there was no corruption in her eyes thankfully. Everything just looked like a subtle changes, stuff that was just like normal growth. Also there was the fact that Twilight was much larger than her in her current form, at least Luna’s size, maybe even larger. Through out the whole time Celestia thought about Twilight, Twilight just stared at her with a look of indifference, not evening caring that Celestia sat right in front of her she just continued on drinking the cinder and blowing little smoke rings. This in fact shocked and agitated Celestia even more. “You haven’t seen someone in 10 years and you can’t help but take drugs and blow smoke right into their face!” “Twilight are you going to speak or not, its been 10 years!” Celestia said a little too loud because every ponies head turn in their direction but quickly returned to what they were formerly doing to avoid being rude.   “Yeah I will, I was just waiting until asked” yet again blowing another smoke ring into Celestia's face. “Sorry about the whole ‘make you search for me’ thing I was just curious if you were willing to put the effort in to find me.” Twilight solemnly said “Ponies tend to forget after a while, congrats you passed my test.” This was not the conversion Celestia expected, in fact nothing was going as Celestia expected so she spoke up to get what she wanted. “Why Twilight.” “Why what? why I left? be more clear about what you're asking” “You know what I’m asking so answer” Celestia demand, Twilights behavior puzzled her but infuriated her at the same time. “There were many reasons my dear mentor…. but to put it simple even greed gets the best of us.” “What?!” Celestia cried out, “Thats what made her leave! what was so important the Twilight abandoned all her friends, no her life! to get what she wanted.” right before Celestia was able to say something back Twilight continued, putting her cigar and cider down to say “Perhaps it would wise if we talked somewhere more private, don’t you think.” “Yes thats… that would be wise if we did….” Celestia pondered for a location for a second “I shall teleport us to the castle, It would be nice to talk face to face without my disguise on.” Her horn started to faintly lit up but not before a hoof painfully clamped down on it. “First off we do it outside, and second I’ll do it.” Twilight hissed, rage flickering in her eyes. “Ok” Celestia fearfully stammered, Twilight very rarely ever fought back, and never with violence before, just who was this new Twilight? Twilight got out of her seat and gestured for her to follow, levitating some bits over to the counter for payment on her way out. When they exited the bar Twilight’s her flared up and off to the Castle they teleported. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                   They teleported into Celestia’s private gardens, from how high up the moon was up in the sky it was easily just past midnight. The light of the moon gave a silver glow to everything along with a clean crisp look, during the teleport Twilight dispelled her disguise so now Celestia was taller than Twilight but not by much, the top of her head reached just below her jaw now. “I understand my behavior is different than what your use too but I changed, its only appropriate to tell you and answer your whys, the only thing I ask of you is to please save your questions till the end….” Twilight said with a growing grin “but just incase…. a mute spell!” Twilight’s horn flared and when Celestia attempted to speak no words came out of her mouth so Celestia just frowned at her. “Oh don’t be sad I’ll be quick about this, don’t try to dispel it either you can’t.” “Now you're aware for my lust for knowledge, you remember it?” Celestia nodded “Oh good, well it all started in the Everfree forest you wouldn’t believe the stuff that ends up in there, but anyway lets just say I tripped on a rock and hit my head the next thing I knew was a muddy old book, at least on the outside it was but on the inside it detailed of a place, a library that contained everything in it, all possible knowledge.” “Owwww” you stupid rock, wait whats this?” below Twilight was a muddy half torn book. She quickly flipped through some of the pages “A place that contains the knowledge of everything!” “So I continued you reading, it described the library being in the lands of the south but unfortunately that was it all the other pages were either torn or so damaged they couldn’t be read.” Twilight stopped for a few moments looking around, obviously thinking about what to say next “So I broke into the restricted area of the archives, the one part that I have not completely read through yet at the time. After sometime and several breakins I collected and ‘borrowed’ an ancient map of the south along with some other documents talking about this library, the whole time without you knowing I presume or you would have stopped me.” “Thats it!” Twilight shouted as she looked at the map she had found along with all her other documents “This is what I need to find it.” “So one day I set out, leaving a note to tell you not to look for me, that I would be gone a long time as you probably recall.” Celestia did remember this but regardless of what she wanted they still searched for her. “From what I collected it seemed that the library had some time enchantments on it, for anybody inside won’t feel the passage of time and time outside of the library would slow down for them but at a price. The library’s works couldn’t be seen but had to be lived, and they couldn’t be lived with a normal ponies eyes, only a dragon’s.” Twilight hesitated but continued on “So I torn them out in exchange for a set of dragon eyes, It was painful, sometimes if I close my eyes and press my eyelids together I can still feel the pain. When rivers of blood cascaded out of my empty sockets the library rewarded me and gave me a new pair of eyes.” Celestia was disgusted by what Twilight said “How could she give up her own eyes!?” “You have to understand the book I found had me caught and tied up in its influence to go to this library so tearing my eyes out was worth it to enter and be able to use this library, After that my greed got me, I planned only to stay a week in the library but soon I just wanted more and more knowledge, the things I saw were addicting, the library was intoxicating. Soon a whole decade past in the outside world but for me it was over five centuries due to that double-edged enchantment of time.” Twilights stopped talking her eyes were darkening, flickers of unnamed emotions burned in her those orbs only to burn out moments later “What I’m willing to tell you at the moment is finished, feel free to ask questions” she spoke with an empty tone. Her horn faintly flared and Celestia could once again speak. Twilight did a good job at answering her questions without making her question other things but one question remained. “Why did you return?” “I’m sure you know the answer Celestia but the answer to that is even with all the knowledge in the world you can’t fill the void of loneliness with it, only friends can.” Celestia slowly nodded her head at this, the answer was the one she thought of beforehand and told to Luna. “Just one more question Twilight did you ever find what you were looking for internally at the library?” “Maybe” Her response puzzled her but not enough to press on about it. “Twilight do you want to know what happened to your friends?” “Sure” the indifference had completely overtaken Twilight again. “Sweet Apple acres burned downed early in the season so when the Apples couldn’t pay their bills they moved, at the moment I believe their in some apple orchards in Appleloosa.” Twilight didn’t even make any reaction to this “Rainbowdash followed her dreams and didn't let your disappearance ground her for too long and she became a Wonderbolt and she is currently traveling around Equestria with her fellow Wonderbolts. Spike went with Rarity to Manehattan years ago, your disappearance caused him to go through some changes. Fluttershy started up multiple animals reserves and If i recall correctly is currently is stationed at one in Appleloosa.” Twilight just continued to stare at her if she was listening or not Celestia couldn’t tell “Twilight why ask if you don’t seem to care about what I’m saying.” “And lastly Pinkie went to Los Pegasus for the reason of ‘bigger parties to make’ or something with a party business about 8 years ago.” “Thank you Celestia I better take my leave now.” “Oh wait Twilight do you really think your friends will forgive you? you caused me quite a bit of pain but nowhere near as much as them.” Twilight didn’t even answer and just started to walk away. “Also before you leave do you need anything, perhaps some food or bits or even another cloak your’s doesn’t seem to be in the best condition.” Celestia asked but in return she got a light laugh and yet another shocking statement. “I haven't or slept eaten in over 500 years I think I can last a few days, and I think I’m covered on bits.” Twilight returned as she levitated a large bag of bits out from under her cloak and shook it a little “As for the cloak I like it like this.” Twilight’s horn once again flared and she was gone. Celestia walked away with her head done sighing. “What will become of her former friendships, can she really mend the bond?”