//------------------------------// // The Child // Story: Who We Choose To Be // by milesprower06 //------------------------------// Twilight was just getting started in her throne room as her scribe handed her only the third scroll of the day to be revised. She had barely given it her approval and signature when the left throne room door opened, and her Captain of the Guard entered. "Your Majesty, your requested guest from Manehattan has arrived." He announced. "Thank you, Captain. Send him in." Twilight replied, as she dismissed her scribe and waved for Spike to join her as she stepped down from her throne's pedestal, walking down the center carpet as the captain returned out to the hall, and a few moments later, a navy blue pegasus stallion walked through the doors before they were closed behind him. His arctic blue mane and tail reminded her most of Sky Stinger from the Wonderbolt Academy, but this stallion's coat was considerably darker, and his facial features certainly showed their age, compared to the Wonderbolt reservist's youthful features. "Stratus, I presume? Thank you very much for coming on such short notice." Twilight greeted as she stepped up to the pegasus, who didn't seem as starstruck as those who met royalty for the first time usually were. "Princess Twilight Sparkle," the pegasus began, offering a quick half bow before continuing. "I wasn't quite sure what to think when I received your letter. Is it true? You have her here?" Stratus asked. "In a matter of speaking, yes. From the records I was able to look up, you are her father? I'm hoping you would be willing to perhaps help her." Twilight told him. The stallion didn't reply immediately, appearing to hesitate for just a moment. "With all due respect, Your Majesty, I can't agree to anything until I see her with my own eyes." Twilight eyed the pegasus stallion cautiously. He didn't seem particularly eager to be here, and there was almost a pain in the voice, like a wound that had perhaps festered instead of healed. "Very well, this way." Twilight replied, walking past him towards the doors he had just come through. Stratus followed her in step as she exited to the main hall. Since he seemed to be not too keen for conversation, the Princess and dragon kept to themselves as they went out the south exit towards the castle gardens and hedge maze. Most of the maze was open to the public, as were nearly all the statues commemorating heroes and time periods of Equestria's history. But as they got deeper into the maze, towards the center, one of the openings in the hedges was actively guarded by a pair of honor guards. The uniformed stallion and mare gave crisp salutes as the Princess and her guest passed into the clearing, which was pretty lacking in decoration compared to the rest of the maze. In the center, was a stone pedestal, with a lone school age pegasus, looking on in fear and uncertainty, suspended in midair by unknown means. "Well, here she is, with your own eyes. I should warn you, she can hear every word we say." Twilight said, allowing Status to step forward towards the statue, his expression one of shock and disbelief more than anything else as he took short, almost timid steps towards the pedestal. "It was you... Wasn't it? You did it, didn't you, you damn monster..." He said angrily. "Stratus?" Twilight asked uncertainly. "I don't know what she did to end up like this, but if you want my help with a solution, I would heartily suggest a hammer and chisel. Put her out of her own and everypony else's misery, for Celestia's sake." He stated, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. "Sir, did you even read my letter asking for your help?" Twilight asked, not quite believing the way he was responding. "Yes, and part of me refused to believe she was alive. The fleeting optimism in my heart wanted me to believe she died in that fire along with my wife and son, that it was truly an accident and that this hellspawn didn't have it in her to burn her family to ashes for a chance to slip away!" He shouted, the tears finally spilling over. "I think it'd be best if you back up and explain this to me." Twilight said as calmly as she could. Stratus glanced at the statue, then back to Twilight, and took a deep breath, wiping away the tears with a wingtip. "Yes, your highness, Cozy Glow is my daughter. We lived in Manehattan, me, my wife, and her younger brother. Her behavior was... Unsettling to say the absolute very least. Do you know what psychopathy is, Princess? It is a personality disorder, an absence of genuine empathy. A completely overwhelming urge to manipulate and control others. The doctors we took her to said there was currently no cure, and that unfortunately and frighteningly, there was very little stopping her from appearing to live a completely normal life only as a cover for a life of manipulation and crime. Every single day was a struggle with her, how she terrorized her baby brother, her mother, me..." He paused, attempting again to keep himself composed. "There was a fire in our Manehattan apartment just over two years ago, the cause of which they never got to the bottom of. The fire burned so hot that no remains were ever recovered beyond ashes; they had to raze the entire complex. I thought I had lost all three of them. Now, thanks to you, I know the truth. There's no doubt in my mind that she caused that fire to get away." Twilight honestly didn't know what to say. Stratus looked over his shoulder one last time at the frightened filly, before looking the Princess in the eyes. "I'm not sure what you think I'd be able to do to help, but unless you've got some ethically questionable mind-altering spell, I cannot in good conscience help you if you decide to release her, not even if it meant hearing the truth from her own mouth. After what she took from me... She's beyond help, beyond forgiveness, and beyond redemption. I'm sorry, Princess. I'm sorry." With that, Stratus walked past Twilight and Spike, passed the guards of his own volition, and took to the sky, leaving the Princess of Friendship standing and staring hopelessly uncertain at the final remaining frozen figure on the pedestal. "Um, Twilight?" Spike began gently. "Maybe... Maybe it'd be best to settle for two out of three this time around." He offered. The Princess of Friendship stared into the petrified eyes of the pegasus filly. "You were the void Sunset felt, weren't you?" She asked softly. "I've dedicated myself to helping misguided creatures see the light, to escape the darkness... But what if they are the darkness and there's nothing I can do to control that?" "Twilight..." Spike began, coming up to the doubtful alicorn. "It doesn't change the fact that she made her choices; to burn her family, to try to completely cut off Equestria from Aetherius, to attack Canterlot; these were choices that she made. No unknown force made her do these things; her mind, her hooves, her choice. The way Equestria traditionally treats their prisoners is nothing short of admirable, but... Once in a thousand moons, maybe there comes along somecreature with an existence so twisted and vile, that ending that existence is the most merciful option." Slowly, Twilight took a step back from the statue. Then another, and another. She turned her back to the statue, silently and sadly walking out of the center of the hedge maze with Spike. Starlight sat at the headmare's desk in the School of Friendship, finishing up some last minute paperwork before she retired for the evening. Shje had just put her signature to the last form when there was a soft knock at the door. "Come in," the unicorn replied, wondering who would be here at this hour. Classes had been over for at least four hours. The door opened, and in floated Derpy, Ponyville's mailmare. Now Starlight's curiosity was piqued. She didn't make deliveries this late in the evening unless it was rather important. Sure enough, the pegasus dug into her mailbag and came out with a sealed scroll. Starlight quickly signed for the Express Priority delivery, and Derpy was on her way as she unfurled the scroll, and read the short and succinct written message. Starlight, Your presence is requested at the changeling hive. Please come at your absolute earliest convenience. Your friend, Thorax