by Foals Errand
***
Celestia slowly tip hoofed into the library. Sitting there surrounded by what appeared to be a fort of books. Oh Twilight, somethings never change. The purple pony princess was laying on her belly a large tome open before her on the floor. A slight crunching, as she munched a cheese filled cracker. Celestia creeped over as quiet as a sun beam. Normally her Twilight would have already noticed her entrance. What exactly is it that you are reading?
“Twilight?”
Twilight jolted knocking over her book fort getting buried in the process. “...ow, haven’t experienced that since the last time Rainbow Dash crashed into my…” Her ears fell against her head as she shook the books off her back. She sighed and dug out the large book she had been reading, before she blinked. “Oh Tia!” Her eyes widened and she quickly sat on the book. “How’s it going? Sun doing well? Great!”
Celestia blinked, it had been at least a few weeks since Twilight had reacted like that. I thought that our going steady would at least relax her in private if not public. “Twilight? Is something wrong?”
“Wrong? No, what could be wrong? Nothing is wrong, everything is perfect!” Twilight laughed her eye twitching.
Celestia rolled her eyes, and lifted Twilight off the large book with a tilt of her head. She bent down and read the title her eyes darkening. Of course, it had to be this book. The golden script on the cover spelling out the two word title. Sol Invictus.
“How much of this have you read Twilight?”
“Read? Oh that little thing?” Another slightly manic bout of laughter.
Celestia gently set her marefriend back on the floor, and lifted the book into the air, calmly flipping through the pages. How she hated and despised the mare that was featured in that book. she set it down on the table and wrapped a wing around Twilight. She frowned as she felt her dear Twilight flinch at her touch.
“Twilight, there is a reason that book was in the restricted section.”
Another flinch.
“It’s true then? T-the wars, the deaths, the torture, t-the… flames?” Twilight looked up expecting the calming face of her marefriend. Instead Celestia just looked old, her ears were plastered to her head, her mane lay limply, no longer flowing.
“You are asking me if everything written in this book is true then Twilight?”
Twilight wanted to say no. The look Celestia wore, it just wasn’t right, but, she nodded. “Yes.”
“Sol Invictus, The Unconquered Sun, The Cosmocrat. Yes Twilight, everything in this book is true.” She looked down into the widened purple eyes of her lover. “Everything”
Twilight shivered as the image of griffons burning to death as a familiar, yet, completely foreign figure laughed in her head. The painting of her Tia in that armor with the diamond dog tooth necklace had been enough to give her nightmares. She swallowed hard, “why?”
Celestia stared at her hooves. “I could make many excuses, it was a different time, Equestria needed me to be a steel hoof, they came to many to fast. But the truth?” Her eyes glinted in the light of Twilight’s candle. “The truth my dearest Twilight is that I loved it. I relished their screams as they burned. I-I was a bad pony then.”
Twilight nuzzled Celestia’s neck, encouraging her to continue.
“It was not long after Luna wa-was sent away, I just wasn’t able to find reasoning to care for anypony. So for years I fought, I battled, I killed until I was the ultimate ruler Sol Invictus. Then atop my throne every being bowing to my might… I took a hard look at myself and I was ashamed. So very ashamed.” She stood up and paced. “It took centuries but I began to correct all my wrongs. Eventually, I took my throne here in Canterlot. I was Princess Celestia, many times I was requested to take the crown as queen. I never will Twilight never.”
Twilight glanced up at the book as Celestia stared out the window, it seemed to be the only copy just a quick ember spell, it’d be gone they could forget all this. She cast the spell and gaped as the book was unexpected. “Bu-but why?”
“I can never allow that book to be destroyed Twilight, I can never allow myself to forget, to become her again.”
Twilight wiggled under her wing. “You aren’t her…”
Together they stared out the window nightmares of the past forgotten, as dreams of the future pushed them away.