//------------------------------//
// Chapter 25-The Layers of Honesty 
// Story: The Thestral With The Golden Halo 
// by DougtheLoremaster 
//------------------------------//

As Faust trotted towards the stone table to her lesson with Cozy Glow her mind flashed back to just after Hazel’s game of teaching, and before all the lessons began.

***

…”Are you sure?”
The Celestial Goddess of Life; Faust, stood before the six Guardians of Harmony. The six sat at the crystalline table each within their own thrones. Five sets of eyes turned to face her royal highness, Twilight Sparkle, who simply smiled. “Mom, you of all beings know of our pasts. We were felons, one flaw away from being eternally babysat by Hazel herself. If it hadn’t been for you or Aunt Hazel, we six would never have risen to such heights. Am I wrong, Rarity? Perhaps being the assassin, you were, was your true calling. Though frankly I prefer the magic you work in your fashion pursuits; your speed with needle threading unmatched.”
 Rarity laughed and spoke in her elegant manner. “Too true Dah-ling, not to mention my baby sister; Sweetie Belle or my own daughter. Faust knows where they would be now without my guidance. How about you Rainbow Dash? Still wanting to destroy the world?”
 The cyan blue pegasus laughed as her rainbow mane shook. “Nah, that’s not cool. Besides how many could ever claim to be a Flight Commander of the legendary Wonderbolts? Or have a daughter that could break the Rainboom record speed? Especially if Cloudsdale fell? Plus Scootaloo needs me! Can’t let my number one fan down, right?”
 Faust watched all six as a smile grew upon her face. “My children you overcame everything to get to where you are, but those records-”
 Applejack took off her stetson and looked at it thoughtfully. Her words were almost sad, though they carried a gentle comfort with them. “We got another chance, when we had no hope or care in the world. Yer Majesty with all due respect shouldn’t she know the truth as well?”
 The gentle farm pony looked around at all her friends before continuing. “None of us are proud of what we did, but without that fall we never woulda gotten to where we are. Ah’ recken ahm over-steppin’ my bounds but that filliy’s in the same boat.”
 Twilight smiled and spoke sweetly. “Mom, you know our stories, you know our pasts. Perhaps that knowledge could strengthen Cozy Glow’s heart.”
 “But-”
Twilight rose and gave her a hug. Her whisper was of a loving tone. “Mom, Starshine has a plan. Trust her, after all, she’s my daughter and your granddaughter.” 

***

 Faust found herself sitting at the stone table across from Cozy Glow. Pondering what it was her granddaughter had seen in this young one that she, herself had not. Hmmm. Her thoughts were interrupted by Cozy Glow’s soft voice asking her a single question. “Your majesty, I don’t mean to pry but why can Hazel change forms if she was an alicorn, such as you?”
The teal eyes of Faust stared into Cozy Glow’s with a blank expression on her muzzle for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, she spoke. “Neither Hazel nor I am an alicorn, my daughter. My sister’s form changes based on her emotions of the moment. As you can see-”
Faust closed her eyes and as Cozy Glow watched, the right half of the Celestial alicorn turned red. Her right wing changed from feathers to what could only be described as demonic. As the right side of her muzzle grew fangs she opened both her eyes. One of them was a soulless black while the other remained teal with warmth. The tiny pegasus sat speechless nearly swallowing her straw in shock. “I, like my sister, am both vice-”
Within seconds her form had changed to full alicorn once more. “And virtue. However, my sister is a bit more emotional than myself and so her form truly changes in a heartbeat.”
The tiny filly looked confused. “But aren’t you the Soul of Purity?”
Faust’s words came out in a broken, hurt tone. “No, well once perhaps.”
The celestial seemed to be seeing the scene before her once more. Here words were very strange, and her tone was of love and warmth.  “Back when I was much younger, I was moved to jealousy. You see I watched the beings I created get together and perform the miracle of creation, a magic I could simply cast, but it wasn’t enough. No, I wanted a chance to feel true love too! And so under the guise of a unicorn mare with light blue eyes and gray fur, plus a glorious purple and gray mane, I engaged in a whirlwind romance.-”
Cozy Glow listened in silence aside the gentle sucking of her apple juice. Faust seemed to be excited about her next thoughts. “It was AMAZING! The passion, the grace! Much to my great pleasure I soon found myself in a medical facility with a young foal, mine. Oh, she was adorable, I gave her a name I’m sure you’ve heard once or twice: Twilight Sparkle.”
The eyes of Faust sparkled with an electric shock that Cozy Glow had never witnessed in any creature. She was normally so passive but as she spoke she seemed passionately charged. “She was born with my gift of magic; I couldn’t help it! I raised her teaching her the arcane and the pure. Oh, we bonded over forbidden spells and ones of piety. Then Hazel found out and lectured me on the dangers I put the existence of that world in. And so I had to say goodbye, she told me it wasn’t fair of me to just up and leave my own biological daughter with no answers. So I didn’t. I told Twilight everything. Though I was too scared to tell her father; a stallion by the name of Night Light.”
Her fur was shifting to a lovely shade of lavender. “I never told any creature this before, even my own sister doesn’t know. I created a pony mare who matched my persona in every possible way, minus the magic, to further watch after my daughter. I told Twilight, but to this day no creature other than her knows that secret. It was dirty, it was naughty and it was exhilarating the way it made me feel-” 
Faust’s eyes closed suddenly, with a pained expression as soon as she spoke those words. Her fur shifted back to white minus the blush on her muzzle from embarrassment. She had done it. She had exposed her weakness to a mortal surely cries of outrage would follow. She could hear it all now; how dare you judge us when you have flaws of your own? But wait, there were no cries of anger or even tears. Slowly, Faust opened one eye and saw the smiling face of Cozy Glow. Her words reached the celestial’s ears: “Wow your majesty, that’s amazing!”
She didn’t understand, why was the pegasus filly so excited? “My daughter, aren’t you angry?”
Cozy Glow laughed and shook her head with a smile. “That you, the Goddess of Life, got the chance to fulfill your desire of truly having your own flesh and blood daughter? That you have a sinful side, like your own creations? Why should I be mad, when my own creator gave me her trust to show me one of her hidden secrets? No, I am not mad. I’m honored, you think so much of me to show that side of you.”
The young pegasus’s eyes sparked with a light that hadn’t been there. Faust covered her muzzle with her wing and stifled a laugh of relief. She smiled at Cozy Glow, understanding now what Twilight had seen in her. She could never be a pillar, but in her eyes as Faust looked through them, was the fluid grace of Empathy. The little pegasus grinned. “Seeing that side of you, was wonderful. You were so charged, so alive. You have emotions, fears and desires like the rest of us. I feel closer to you than I’ve ever been, your majesty.”
Pausing for a moment Cozy Glow tilted her head in confusion. “Though, what’s the story with Shining Armor then, you know; Twilight’s brother?”
Faust smiled, as she began to reply, Cozy Glow could have sworn she saw a spark of magenta in the Celestial’s right eye. A blink later though and no, it was the same opaque teal it always was. Perhaps it was my imagination, the pegasus filly thought to herself. The voice of Faust was still the same warm tone, but wait, was that a hint of sauciness reaching Cozy Glow’s ears? what was going on? “I was quite the wild romantic. One night, before my daughter was born, I...shall we say flirted my way into the Princess’s chambers, with Nightlight in tow. After a couple of glasses of chardonnay, Celestia and Nightlight…”

***

As the words of Faust came forth depicting the events of that night, Cozy Glow witnessed the heart of the Goddess; her hopes, her fears, her desires and temptations. The conversation soon branched into many aspects of life; everything from why to how. The entire time Cozy Glow watched the illusion cast upon the Celestial slowly fade and show both sides of her. Her motherly warmth had been joined by her mischievous side: a balance of the piety and sin that was Faust.

 ***

Cozy Glow gasped in shock. “You didn’t!”
Faust laughed and wrapped her right wing, no longer an appearance of feathers but truly thestral in nature, against her muzzle in an attempt to stifle the laughter. “Oh I did! Twilight never found out I- I mean Velvet, her mom, gave Trixie the bottle of Rainbow Dye!”
Her now visibly magenta eye twinkled as she spoke and Cozy Glow laughed as she sipped on her apple juice. The two had been conversing for what seemed like hours, which had soon became days turning to months. Soon those months had passed and years whizzed by. Decades, followed by centuries and millennia, still the two sat discussing everything. After what felt like an eternity, though no time at all had actually passed. Faust, in her true form of eternal balance, gave Cozy a hug and whispered softly. “I haven’t been able to let my mane down and just enjoy a chat with my children in a long time, thank you for listening.”
As she pulled away Faust looked down at her young charge. The young pegasus was staring at her almost starry-eyed. Faust spoke in a rather soft voice. “Tell me, what of me can you see?”
The tone of the young filly was mature as if she had grown into a mare as they talked. “Colors, your majesty.”
“Colors? Do tell.”
“Your mane of burgundy has become crimson and magenta, your wings show your thestral side on your right side. Your right fore and hind hooves are ablaze but your left is a pure calico encased in gold. Your left wings are angelic with the divine grace of feathery down.”
Faust grinned, her left half gleaming with a warm grin of pearly sheen. The right half was showing her fangs. “So you can see the real me now? How wonderful. Do you understand what that means?”
Cozy Glow pondered this for a moment and shook her head. “No, your majesty, I don’t.”
The Celestial looked thoughtful for a moment and spoke in a gentle, almost teasing voice. ”I promise my spell is in place; I have not removed it. Perhaps, you just need some more clarity. I suggest the history of a simple apple farmer; though known for her honesty now, things were once very different.”
Cozy Glow must have seemed confused. “But honesty is such a basic concept, even I understand honesty, your majesty.”
Giving a slight smirk, Faust shook her head. “Oh, but it has so many layers. It can seem so basic, yet be so complex. Tell me, what is honesty to you then, if you believe you have grasped it fully.”
The little pegasus filly began to explain. “Honesty is telling the truth and the events of what has happened and not hiding anything.”
Faust nodded thoughtfully, before responding. “A very textbook answer, you have there. Did Applejack herself teach you that?”
Cozy Glow shook her head. “Twilight told me that!”
Looking dismayed, Faust sighed. “My daughter, while very intelligent, tends to use Logic rather than her heart when describing things. While you are correct Cozy, there are far more subtle and intricate nuances to honesty. Things you can’t read in a book and have to experience first hand to truly grasp-”
Pausing for just a moment, Faust grinned wildly as her eyes sparked with excitement. “On second thought, why don’t we just do that instead?”
Staring in confusion, Cozy Glow asked in a slightly nervous tone. “Do what?”
Completely ignoring the question, Faust’s horn glowed. “What in Tarnation?”
Cozy Glow blinked. Before her stood the Bearer of Honesty; Applejack herself. “Um...Fau-”
Behind Applejack, Faust vanished. Applejack raised an eyebrow at Cozy Glow before lowering her head in a sigh. “Was it Faust or Hazel?””
Cozy Glow looked stunned at first before uttering. “Faust.”
Applejack scuffed the dirt with her hoof. “Dern it; I owe Twi 50 bits now. I gotta learn ta stop questioning those predictions of hers.”
Cozy Glow stared on in silence as Applejack closed her eyes, removed her hat, and muttered something that almost sounded like. “Twi, give me strength.”
Opening her eyes and brushing her hat of some random dust, Applejack breathed deeply and narrowed her eyes in a determined focus. “Alright then Sugarcube, let’s do this. Ah know why ahm here, but before we begin, Ah have somethin’ ah need ta say!”
Cozy stared into the imposing glare as Applejack stared down at her, body trembling. She’s still mad. I owe her an apology. Alright here goes, remember what Hazel said. These thoughts coursed through her mind as the tiny pegasus opened her muzzle to speak. However, the next second, Applejacks words stole her train of thought, and she just stood there in shock: ”Ah am so so sorry, Sugarcube! What Celestia did was wrong and we fought for you but-”
As Cozy watched in disbelief, tears streamed down the apple-bucker’s face as she finished her words. “We failed.”
As she spoke, the tiny pegasus had noticed the walls and floors appearing, reminiscent of stone floors, almost like the ones in the dungeons of... Canterlot. Looking around as the scene materialized around them, Cozy Glow observed Luna with a spear in her mouth glaring at Twilight who had an unnatural rage on her face. On the far side of the room stood Celestia standing next to an unconscious Cozy Glow; a halberd made of magic at the young filly’s throat. “Wh-what’s going on?”
Applejack just stared at Cozy in confusion as the young filly blurted out her words. Sighing, the farm pony began to wish she had some apple whiskey. “Listen Cozy; I’m trying to tell you something.”
Cozy Glow stood there, silently for a moment before responding. “I-Im sorry Applejack, please-”
Once more Cozy Glow looked at the scene which had seemed to progress as Applejack spoke. Wait, Cozy thought to herself. Can she not see it? “Continue.”
 Now in silence, Cozy Glow watched the scene as it played out.

***

“Stand down all of you!”
Luna angrily spat these words at Twilight and her 5 friends as they stood in the archway to the prison chambers. Behind the six lay countless unconscious soldiers, still under the sleep spell that the Princess of Friendship had cast. As they lay strewn about snoozing peacefully, the six mares had simply trotted past them to observe the morbid scene. Twilight’s anger shown in her voice “This is too far! Celestia stop this at once!”
Luna began sliding backward as Twilight’s horn glowed. The voice of the Lunar Princess sounded distressed and panicked.“Celestia, do something! I can’t hold her off forever!”
Celestia stiffened, slowly she raised her head to turn and look at Twilight. Her eyes were narrowed in her own anger. As if trying to remain calm, Celestia’s voice trembled as she addressed the mares. “None of you should be here. My faithful student, friends of Twilight, please leave.”
Stamping her hoof in defiance, Twilight responded with a simple. “No, Princess.”
The audible gasp from every mare present echoed off the stone walls.
Celestia looked stunned for a moment as Luna said. “Did she just say...no...to you?”
In complete silence, Celestia’s eyes softened and her horn began to glow. Seconds later the light from her horn blasted forth, slamming the friends of Twilight and Princess Luna against the hard stone walls knocking them unconscious, or rather most of them. The sheer strength and durability gained from manual labor each day in her orchard, prevented Applejack from blacking out from the impact, like the others. Applejack lay on the floor and silently, if painfully observed what took place between the two next. Her eyes were narrowed into slits as she remained deathly still, pretending to be unconscious. 
“How dare you, you celestial-”
The solar princess stood there and calmly spoke to her alicorn charge. “Relax, my faithful student.”
Twilight instinctively froze as she heard the pet name for her from Celestia. Seeing this, the white alicorn quickly seized this opportunity to attempt to calm her down. “ I promise your friends are still breathing, as is my naive little sister.”
Celestia wrapped Twilight in a warm embrace, gently wrapping her wings about the shoulders of Twilight and gingerly began nuzzling her as she continued. “Listen, Faust may have charged me with guiding your rehabilitation but you and I both know if you so wished, Equestria could be wiped from the map in a moment’s work. Neither I, nor my sister, have the power to stop you from doing anything. However,-”
Lifting her wings from her alicorn charge, Celestia trotted in front of her and used her hoof to force Twilight to look upon her face. The purple alicorn stared at her in shock. Tears of sadness coursed down the solar princess’s face as she continued explaining. Her voice had taken on a slight tremble.”This situation is out of my hooves, I beg of you, give me a chance to explain before you exact what you believe to be justice.”
Twilight responded simply with one word. “Explain.”
Celestia began to stammer. Her eyes were widened in fear, as if Twilight presented some monumental threat. The ears of the alicorn laying back made her distress quite visible to the young pegasus observer. As she spoke, Celestia seemed unable to make a coherent thought. “F-first off T-Twilight under-understand me when I-that is, I would n-never-”
The Princess of Friendship swiftly raised her hoof as if to strike Celestia, who froze as if in fear. Twilight instead gingerly wiped away the tears from the solar mare’s eyes. Looking directly into her mentor’s eyes, Twilight spoke in an almost tender yet firm voice. It was very clear which of the two alicorns was in control. “No more tears, no reason to be afraid, talk to me, tell me, why must you commit this act? Why is she being condemned in such a manner?”
Her tail still tucked between her hindlegs, Celestia began her explanation. Her tone resembling a filly telling her mom about taking a cookie without permission; guilty and embarrassed, Cozy Glow noticed. “As you know ours is a Monarchy of sorts. However, we as princesses don’t actually make the laws of our society.”
Twilight looked a bit confused though remained silent, waiting for Celestia to explain. Celestia scuffed her hoof. “Our jurisdiction in power would be more akin to diplomacy. We monitor the borders and foster relationships with nations and countries on said borders. We mainly prevent conflict between those of Equestria and the other nations.”
Twilight nodded, her tone displayed a slight curiosity to it. “Alright I can understand that, however, where do our laws come from if not you and Luna? And how does this affect the fate of Cozy Glow over there?”
As the purple alicorn gestured a feathery wing towards the prone, chained form of the unconscious Cozy Glow, Celestia continued. “Please bear with me, you see, there is a ruling council that many seem to forget about, the Parliament of Canterlot. They-”
Ruffling her wings slightly as she folded them, Twilight stared intently at Celestia, as if interested in learning more. And so Celestia continued. “Are consisted of two factions; the stallions of the House of Lords and the mares of the House of Commons. Together both halves form a council of ten ponies that make and issue the laws of our kingdom.”
Twilight seemed deep in thought and slowly pressed her hoof to her muzzle, until she let out a small gasp just a few moments later. “Ten ponies...would one be named Neighsay?”
Celestia’s response was followed by further explanation. “Yes, Neighsay is the head chair of the House of Lords and is very influential in the legislature passed in Equestria.”
Twilight looked down for a moment and once more raised her head saying to her. “Okay, so those ponies make the laws?”
“Yes.”
“Alright, I am following so far, now what does this have to do with her fate?”
Celestia’s eyes began to water once more. Her tone was one of pained acceptance. “She has been convicted of committing high treason, Twilight.”
Cozy Glow felt like someone punched her in the gut. While it was true Cozy Glow was executed, she had never known why. The little pegasus had always assumed it had been out of simple anger and rage. Never once had she considered that there had been a legitimate reason, after all she had been just a kid. Twilight looked down and scuffed her hoof. “So that’s it.”
“Two days ago, the private trial was held. Only the dignitaries and the bloodline of the Royal Family were allowed to attend. The council deliberated and it was declared that her actions of kidnapping a royal dignitary; chaining up Neighsay, staging a coupe; by incapacitating you and your friends and attempting to overthrow the royal family; declaring herself the Empress of Friendship, were acts of terrorism. And then it was revealed as she was a citizen of Canterlot and Ponyville. And so what would have been juvenile detention or reformation training (such as Starlight) for a non-citizen was then a death sentence for crimes against her own nation’s royal family.”
Twilight nodded as she voiced her thoughts. “Her age wouldn’t matter either, since treason has no limitation on age.”
As Celestia stood silently, and Cozy Glow still in disbelief observed the scene, Twilight asked another question. “However, that doesn’t explain why you are carrying out the sentence, Princess. Can you explain that for me?”
Celestia pawed at the ground with her hoof as she bashfully explained. “I didn’t want the innocent ponies and other residents of our kingdom to have to bear the weight of taking a child from this life-”
She was cut off by Twilight speaking once more, as the purple alicorn stared at the ground. “So you thought that you, being immortal would shoulder the weight easier than those with finite lifespans?”
“Yes, that’s-”
“Stupid. That’s a very stupid line of thought, Princess. You’ve never taken a life before have you, Celestia? My lovely mentor, you’ve taught me much over the years. The magic of Friendship, the truth of responsibility when given power. Now it is time for me to teach you something. Something you never should have had to learn.You’ve banished and exiled, shielded others on a battlefield but have never once drawn blood from another...have you?”
Celestia looked confused. “No, I’ve never-”
The purple alicorn continued to stare at the ground. Her voice was deadpan and soulless. “It’s the worst. At first you feel a rush. It’s exhilarating, adrenaline courses through your veins as you are hit by a slew of thoughts. Did I really do that? I’m invincible! And then the music dies. You notice the crimson stains on your hooves and you try to wash it off. Oh, how you try-”
Looking up into the eyes of the solar mare, Twilight continued. “But it never fades. No matter what you do, you see those stains. You took something that wasn’t yours to take. The excitement gone you begin to suffer anxiety. Can others see these stains? What do I do now? You try to move on. At night your dreams cause Luna to scream in terror and during the day you still see them, but no, they aren’t there anymore. Still they shout at you, and you go day to day; angry at yourself and searching for an answer where none will come…”
As her voice trailed off, Celestia tried to wrap her wings around Twilight in a hug. “Twilight I-”
“I will not allow this, Princess.”
“But the sentence-”
“Must be carried out, I know. I promised Mom I would never again take a life in cold blood, but this isn’t for my sake. You are still pure, Luna still innocent. To protect those I care about from carrying a sin that was never theirs to bear-”
Her words faded and the horn on her head began to glow, causing Celestia to grow alarmed. "Twilight what are you-”
Moments later in a flash of light, Cozy Glow watched as her head fell beside her chained body. It was over in a flash, though it had been done with such speed that it was only moments later that the gray stone wall behind the now deceased filly took on a crimson shade. Twilight looked down at the body and said softly. “Forgive me, Cozy Glow, may you traverse your nightmare to once more walk in the sunshine.”
As she turned away and began to trot towards Applejack and the girls, ignoring Celestia’s shocked face, Twilight whispered something else. “I’ll be waiting, Cozy Glow, for your return to my school.”

***

The scene faded away as Cozy Glow thought about what she had seen. Applejack had finished talking and stood there in the awkward silence as several minutes passed. After fiddling with her cherished stetson for a moment she tried to speak to Cozy Glow. “Sugarcube...are you alright? I know this is a lot to take in at once and-”
“It was my fault.”
Applejack looked up, a startled expression on her face as Cozy Glow continued, speaking out loud and to no one in particular. “I always thought it wasn’t. I would blame others. No, it was their fault, not mine...or so I told myself. I can’t believe I have been so delusional this entire time! It was MY actions that caused my downfall. MY actions forced the hooves of Twilight and Celestia to take my life, something they never would have done willingly. MY actions led me to Tartarus, no one elses.”
As the family-oriented farmpony observed this display, Applejack couldn’t help but feel a smidgeon of pride towards Cozy Glow. Surely, this was not the same arrogant and stuck-up would-be conqueror of Equestria, she had known all those years ago? She smiled and placed her hat back on her head and nodded. Something was different. It’s almost as if she’s grown with maturity. As AJ thought about this Cozy Glow called out suddenly. “Faust! I understand! Honesty is more than just knowing the facts. Facts mean nothing if you tell yourself they don’t matter. When you deny what is or was with justifications, Honesty fades into obscurity and you just hurt more and more as time continues on!"
“Aw Sugarcube, Ahm so proud of you. Honesty is a hard lesson ta learn fer some.”
As Applejack spoke these words, Cozy Glow observed something strange. It was still Applejack, sure enough, but she wasn’t just the farm pony of family values and honesty. No, what Cozy saw was that side of her and her other side as well; the dark-half that she kept at bay. Cozy Glow could see it all, the full picture of exactly what made Applejack; her convictions and her doubts. Her vice and virtue. Startled, Cozy Glow gasped in surprise. What’s going on? As she had these thoughts, the sounds of hoofsteps could be heard approaching steadily from behind her.