//------------------------------//
// The Rising Of The Sun 
// Story: Starlit Knights 
// by BlackRoseRaven 
//------------------------------//

Chapter Fourteen: The Rising Of The Sun 
~BlackRoseRaven

Twilight Sparkle sat silently in Celestia’s room, cloak and vestments discarded: from the beautiful, enormous bed at one side of the room to the plush, cushioned bedding on the floor and the soft carpet underhoof, everything was wonderful. The smell of books and parchment filled the air, all neatly, concisely arranged in shelves and rolling racks beside quills and small pots of ink… and yet it all felt strange, and alien, and there was little joy in her soul.
Luna and Scrivener Blooms were… Horses of Heaven knew where. Celestia had called her a name that Twilight didn’t recognize, and for a moment, Luna had looked irritable and perplexed, opening her mouth to spit some vulgarity or sarcastic comment she had likely learned from Scrivy… and then she had twitched, and in response, Scrivener had grabbed at his own head… and then Luna had… run away. No, first she had shouted something, a question, a curse, a… something… and then she had turned and sprinted off and taken to the air, and Scrivener Blooms had given awkward chase after her, cursing the entire time, ignoring Twilight’s yells.
Celestia had taken her back to her quarters, refusing to explain anything to her… and Twilight shook her head, asking for the hundredth time in a worried, frustrated voice: “Shouldn’t we do something? Go after them? If Luna and Scrivy are separated for too long…”
“Luna will never abandon Scrivener Blooms, even now, and she requires time to think. Time to understand…” Celestia said quietly, her back turned, facing towards the corner of the room and her rainbow mane flowing slowly around her like a curtain. “It will be alright. She is merely… shocked. Her mind will take time to adjust… her soul will take time to adjust. But it was the truth… and I had to tell her. To not tell her would have been to jeopardize everything… there are bonds deeper than blood between us, and she must know what the enemy may know. In fact, to win this battle, we must know more than our enemies know… we must prepare. We must not hold back… no matter what this means.”
Celestia turned slowly around, looking silently down towards Twilight and stepping towards her… and Twilight winced a little, slowly climbing to her hooves before she stepped nervously backwards onto the bedding as Celestia took another step towards her, amethyst, calm, determined eyes locking with apprehensive violet irises. “Twilight Sparkle… you are as a daughter to me. You are more than a student, and have shown strength and resolve even before this darkness began to rise that made me look to you as a suitable heir. You were more than my apprentice… I have had many apprentices over many years, and none have ever been as valued and beloved as you. And that is why now I intend to pass my strengths on to you. Why I have selected you, and gladly, as the unicorn who will inherit my powers… and all the responsibilities and duties that come with them.”
“I… wait, Celestia, what are you talking about? A pact? I… listen, I don’t think I’m ready…” Twilight said nervously, backing up further… but Celestia only advanced calmly, cornering her against the wall, Twilight staring up at her as she looked back down silently, almost malicious in her intimidating determination. “Celestia, please, wait… I don’t understand…” 
“You will.” Celestia’s horn and eyes glowed, taking on a brilliant shimmer as she leaned down, and Twilight Sparkle winced, leaning back, unable to stop from staring into her eyes, feeling herself being drawn in by her gaze as energy crackled through the air around them-
Twilight staggered with a gasp, blinking and looking back and forth as she barely managed to keep on her hooves, shaking her head briskly… and then she winced in shock as she looked back and forth at the world around her. Everything was captured in grayscale hues, and the sounds of the world were muffled… the sounds of not Canterlot, for she was no longer standing in the castle, with Celestia looming over her, but on the bank of a river beneath a sunlit sky, a short bridge of stepping stones leading across to a field in which laid the body of an ivory winged unicorn.
Twilight blinked a few times, then hesitantly stepped forwards… and when she touched the flowing rapids of the river, the water beneath her hooves fell as still as if it had become glassy ice, the unicorn hesitantly, slowly striding across the water before she stepped onto the other bank… and then reared back with surprise as the equine groaned and slowly began to push herself up to her hooves, shaking her head with a grimace as she murmured something in a strange language that Twilight understood all the same: “Where am I…”
Celestia straightened, her body clothed in golden, heavy plate armor, her wings flapping once as she steadied herself. She shook her head, her mane not flowing and ethereal but instead tied in a multitude of hanging braids, charms hanging quietly from the ends of these as she cracked her neck… and then she grimaced as she glanced over her shoulder, flexing her body as grinning, green-skinned monsters emerged from the forest, with long, angular faces and ugly, warped features, mottled flesh tight against their heavyset bodies and flabby guts: what Twilight recognized with instinctive horror as trolls. “My memories are faded… but that does not mean I cannot distinguish friends from foe. Vanish or perish, the choice is thine.” 
One of the trolls roared at her in response, then charged forwards, greedily raising its warped claws… and Celestia only grinned callously, her eyes flashing coldly as she leaned forwards. Then there was a sharp flash… and a moment later, the troll was staggering backwards with a shriek, a long, thick-bladed sword buried through the chest of the creature, drawn in a flash from where it had been sheathed on the equine’s back. 
It glowed with golden light as it twisted savagely, then ripped backwards, and the troll collapsed on its back with another shriek as Celestia pawed at the ground, her eyes and horn glowing as two more swords slowly drew themselves from the sheaths over her back, her wings spreading as the remaining trolls hissed and readied themselves… and then all three swords violently began to spin as they levitated around Celestia’s body, the equine shouting: “Then thy choice is made, and thou shalt all die!”
She lunged forwards… and in a flash of light, the memories changed, and Twilight staggered and looked up in surprise to see Celestia striding slowly through a busy street, moving like a warship through the crowds of ponies that hurried out of her way. Twilight winced as one of these ponies ran around Celestia only to run straight towards her… but then it became transparent, passing through the violet pony like smoke before the unicorn cursed and ran forwards, catching quickly up to the equine and looking up at her… and barely able to repress a shudder and grimace at the sight of the imposing, awful warrior Celestia had once been. She had glimpsed this side of her only once, in the fight against Luna… and it brought a strange sense of fear into her heart as an awful question rose in her mind: had Celestia the Radiant not been madness, but only a regression from the Celestia she knew… to the Celestia she had once been?
Then the ivory equine made an abrupt turn down an alley, and Twilight blinked as she followed… before wincing when the huge female reared around and slammed her hooves down, shouting in Twilight’s face: “Why art thou following me, foul little slave-hoof?”
The unicorn stared in shock… and then she blinked as she heard a whimpering behind her, skittering around in a circle to see an earth pony all but groveling on the ground, wearing strange clothes over his body as he said apprehensively: “I was told to… to deliver a message to thee, to the fearsome warrior maiden… from the Scarlet Temple. Thou has admirers there…”
“So what, what do I care about Blood Seers and their silly games? They are unimportant to me. I have no name but the one given to me by thee and thine.” Celestia said distastefully, shaking her head in disgust. “Titled the Celestial Unicorn, named Aya. I asked for no name, I asked for no title, I asked for no help and intend to give no help unless it is bought or aids my own ends, now cease following me, slave-hoof, return to thy masters, and let me be on my way!”
The earth pony winced and nodded rapidly, scampering to his hooves and turning to race back out into the street….and the past-Celestia shook her head slowly even as reality around her flickered violently, flicking her head to send her braided mane back as Twilight looked slowly back and forth as a wide, circular cement floor appeared beneath their hooves, with stands all around them guarded by both ponies and larger, stranger creatures in armor, many carrying weapons. Enormous columns rose to the ceiling, supporting it high above their heads… and then Twilight glanced over her shoulder, facing the way Celestia looked as a voice said calmly: “I see thou has reconsidered our offer.”
“After some meditation, I realized that thy services may aid my endeavor after all.” Celestia replied calmly, looking towards a large, rectangular table, upon the other side of which sat a row of ponies in red robes, all of them tattooed and with terrible, crimson eyes. “I have wandered for twenty years, and nothing have I discovered to my origins. I feel exiled in this nation. I feel as if this is punishment.” She stopped, looking down, before her eyes flashed as she looked up and said in a soft, dangerous voice: “I take issue with being punished by those who think themselves better than me.”
“Then we are much the same. I shall be brief, in this case… kill the Baron that rules over the village to the north, we seek to expand our power but he stands as an obstacle to our success. We would assassinate him ourselves, but he protects himself with artifacts and specially-trained unicorn mages… but they will not hinder thee, will they, Celestial Unicorn?”
“Thou asks much. Not so much I cannot perform this task, for what I cannot incinerate with fire, keening blade will pierce and rend asunder.” Celestia paused meditatively, and Twilight shook her head in disbelief, staring with horror at the deal she was readily making with these ponies. “I shall require half my payment in advance, however. I wish not for petty baubles or magical trinkets… I have never felt the need to eat, nor sleep, and other comforts I can gather for myself. Nay, what I require is the most precious payment of all… information.”
The Blood Seers conferred among themselves… and then the middle seer nodded and gestured with a hoof, a unicorn in brown robes quickly approaching with an intricately-carved wooden bowl that he laid out in front of the head of the council. “Then approach, and share with us thy blood. It will secure us both… thou shall get the full payment up front, and we shall have enough of thine life force to ensure thou does not have any… second thoughts.”
“I am insulted.” Celestia smiled grimly all the same, striding forwards as her horn glowed, one of her swords drawing free from her back, thrusting her foreleg forwards over the table and slicing it open with the glowing blade without a flinch, spilling crimson life essence into the wooden bowl. Then she drew back, her sword quickly sheathing itself as she impatiently watched the red-robed pony dip his hoof into the blood. 
There was silence as his eyes glowed faintly… and then he looked up and smiled, saying quietly: “Thy past is hidden in a smoky veil, but thou will be pleased to know that a brother will be born unto thee in time, falling from the skies but loved-most by the earth. There are many years between then and now… and much battle and bloodshed. Be wary of betrayal.”
Celestia nodded, and then static tore through the room as Twilight winced, the figures vanishing… then the Blood Seers reappeared at the table one-by-one, as the sound of Celestia’s hooves thudding over the cement rose in Twilight’s ears, looking up to watch her striding calmly across the theatre, dried blood splattering her dented and damaged armor, but her gaze as calm and confident as ever, looking unfettered, almost uninjured. “The Baron is dead. The unicorns are dead. The keep is toppled.”
“Excellent, Celestial Unicorn, only one of thy kind… thou truly will make an admirable guardian for us.” The head of the Blood Seers smiled at her, but Celestia didn’t seem fazed by his comment, even as he held up a crystalline amulet in which a red liquid flowed and bubbled slowly. “What? No surprise? No shock? Or does thou understand that we are superior, and thou wishes to serve us… perhaps to one day, be one of us?”
“Nay, simply ‘tis not unexpected.” Celestia replied quietly, and the Blood Seer frowned… before he gagged, eyes bulging and hood flying back from his tattooed features as one of Celestia’s swords snapped out of its sheath and buried through his body, the amulet falling and shattering as her other two blades slamming into the Seers on either side of him before all three weapons twisted and lashed outwards, sending up an awful crimson splash over the table and the surrounding Seers as she continued in a calm voice: “And now, what blood is mine, what blood is thine, what blood is the blood of the dead? Permit me assist.”
Twilight Sparkle shivered and looked away… and when she looked back up, she was standing on a cliff, gazing with horror at a burning temple as Celestia strode calmly past her along a mountain path, still splattered with blood that seemed black and gray in this world of tainted memories… and she shivered a bit before frowning as Celestia halted, then gazed up at the sun, her horn glowing as she said softly: “Enough of that.” 
Slowly, she bowed her head… and in response, the sun rumbled in the sky and lowered, night falling as Celestia smiled slightly to herself… then continued on in the moonless night, beneath the darkness of the stars. Twilight turned and followed her, down a path of strangely-merged memories: they passed ruins of buildings melted into mountains, trees that had grown into one another, and soon enough dirt path became rough, windswept stone street, the buildings around them glamorous white marble, Celestia clean of blood and her armor repaired in the deep, moonless night.
Then Twilight shivered as a strange shape stole out of one of the upper windows ahead, floating strangely in the air before it dropped to the ground and landed softly as Celestia watched… and the shape turned towards them, indistinct in the darkness of the night, condensing into a bipedal thing with a circular body and long arms ending in claws, white eyes glaring out of its shapeless skull. The creature hissed as it rocked back and forth on the spot… and Celestia shook her head slowly, saying disgustedly: “Changeling or demon, it matters not. I shall send thee back to Helheim for getting in my way at this foul hour of night.”
She strode forwards as the changeling hissed again, then twisted violently, limbs splaying as it fell backwards and seemed to quickly hump up at the base to step forwards as a young Pegasus filly, looking at the approaching equine her with surprised eyes as she said quickly: “Oh miss, thou must have it wrong, thou should see it is but a surprise for-”
One of Celestia’s swords ripped down through the filly’s features, and her eyes bulged in dumb shock for a moment before Celestia ripped the blade back with a disdainful flick of her horn… and there was a scream from inside the house as a mare stared out in horror at what had happened. Celestia frowned in return, then shook her head in disgust, only turning to continue onwards as she stepped over the corpse before her hoof crunched in something and she grimaced a bit, looking down in surprise… and then stared in horror at the sight of a crude hobby-horse dummy wearing a raggedly, homemade black dress now stained with blood, forelegs little more than straw and head nothing other than two white eyes and a smile painted crudely on badly-shaped wood… a dummy that the filly had been carrying, had fallen, had given the illusion of monstrosity with the now-stained dress that covered it in the darkness of the starlit night…
She staggered away from the foal, breathing hard as ponies began to emerge into the street around her, several others screaming at what they saw as Celestia backed away, Twilight staring with horror, shivers rolling through her body… and then a raw, furious voice shouted: “Get her! Drive her out! Murderer!”
“Stay back, I shall explain…” Celestia began… and then she ducked when someone flung a bottle, the crowd’s anger rapidly building, others spilling out into the night before a chunk of rock bounced off her armored body, the enormous equine staggering backwards before she glanced over her shoulder as the crowd began to close in, her breathing picking up speed, her instincts beginning to take over as her horn started to glow, shouting: “I said stay back!”
Celestia flicked her head forwards, releasing a pulse of light and force that drove the other ponies back before she began to turn… and then she winced as a rain of debris pelted her back before two earth ponies and a Pegasus slammed into her front, trying to haul the armored titan to the ground. She snarled, straining against them, and then she flicked her head to the side and threw the Pegasus off before raising her hooves and crushing both of the others into the ground, looking back and forth as she shouted: “I will not warn thee again!”
She began to shove forwards… and from above, a pony shoved a table off a patio, sending it crashing down on top of the female and knocking her staggering, senseless, her vision going red as she snarled and rage ripped through the ivory equine, energy sparking over her body as the sheaths on her back glowed brightly before her swords ripped free and spun around her in a devastating whirlwind as ponies screamed…
Twilight closed her eyes with a whispered denial… and when she opened them, Celestia was sitting silently in the town square, the buildings around her burnt and broken, her three swords buried in the ground around a bonfire she had built out of rotten wood and rotten bodies. She stared listlessly into this, bloodied and battered, but most of the blood was not her own as the village around her lay in ruin… and she closed her eyes as she lifted a tattered, bloodstained black dress to her face, burying her features against it as a shudder ran through her body before she began to sob.
The sun rose… whether on its own or due to another, Twilight didn’t know. There were few stories about how things worked in past Equestria, and too much was just that: stories. Lies, made up to conceal truths, made up to hide the real past, built for the fantasy world Celestia had tried to convince them all was reality… and Twilight looked silently at Celestia, at what Celestia had started as… and for the first time, truly began to understand why she hid so much.
The ivory equine stood in front of the ashes of the bonfire, her swords still buried around this… and then, silently, she began to pull off her armor. Piece-by-piece, she yanked it free from her body and tossed it to the ground, until she stood, bare of even the ties that had held her braids in place, letting her dirty ivory mane fall freely over her face, shading her eyes as they roved over her body to her emblem on her haunch… and she shook her head at this, saying quietly: “I am no Celestial Unicorn. I thought this meant I was blessed by the sun, by the thing that holds the greatest of all powers in the world… I thought that was meant to be me. I thought that was the only thing I knew about myself. But how much evil have I wrought? How much have I destroyed… maybe I was abandoned here, stripped of my memories, for good reason…”
She closed her eyes, bowing her head… then she turned and silently strode towards a dusty alley, abandoning her gear as the landscape transformed into the open jaws of a dark cave that the ivory equine vanished into, whispering: “Let my sun set forever in this black crypt… let me never be touched again by the sky I fell from, I am a curse… I am an inferno, full of rage, and hatred, and scorn, and still, even now, I only think of myself…”
And as Twilight sat silently in front of the grayscale cave, gazing at the gaping maw of the deep tunnel leading down into the earth, a wind blew, carrying snow, dead leaves, flower petals past… and she felt time change, watched as ivy grew rapidly over the front of the cavern, became a curtain, which grew into a shored-up entrance, and then a door… and then Twilight glanced behind her as she heard the clank of wooden wheels, and she stepped carefully backwards, looking up with a frown to see several unicorns approaching, dressed in black robes, and with an earth pony behind them hauling a heavy wagon. 
One of the unicorns approached the door nervously and knocked twice with his hoof… and there was a sigh from the other side before Celestia opened this, looking moodily out from the entrance of her tunnels, her home beneath the earth. Something about her had changed as she stepped forwards, mane pulled back in several long braids that were twined together into one long tail pulled behind her head as she said distastefully: “This is tiresome. For two decades I have lived here in peace, finding myself, meditating and seeking memory and serenity inside myself instead of seeking outwards, which I understand now was folly. For eighteen of these years, thou and thine order has pestered me. I am no leader. I am not the Celestial Unicorn. I have no name and I care not for anypony and seek no salvation, only to understand from whence I have come. Please return once more to thy superiors and tell them that again, thy pilgrimage was met with failure.”
“Wait, wait, no! That is not why we are here!” babbled one of the unicorns, and then he turned and quickly ran back to the wagon, fumbling in the covered back of it as Celestia frowned and Twilight looked up silently, then blinked as the unicorn came back towards the ivory equine, carrying a stone tablet in a gentle telekinetic grip that Celestia stared at, enraptured immediately, her eyes following this as the unicorn hesitantly laid it in front of her.
Twilight stepped forwards, looking down at it with awe: it was engraved with nine runes surrounding an enormous tree… and at the bottom of this, was carved three figures, two winged unicorns and what looked like an enormous earth pony… and as Celestia stared, one of the unicorn monks exclaimed: “We found it, finally found in, plumbing the depths of the Basilisk Catacombs! It says that three siblings, the Celestial Unicorn, the Lunar Unicorn, and the Horse of Stone, will bring order and balance to our world… will unite scattered ponies into one mighty land… they will be born in hundred-year intervals, cast down from Heaven to serve the planet-”
“I serve no one.” Celestia said flatly, beginning to lean back… but all the same, she hesitated, looking down at the stone tablet before she grimaced, her horn glowing brightly as she lifted this up and snatched it away, stepping backwards and slamming the wooden door as she shouted from behind it. “Now leave!”
The two other monks glared at the one standing in front of the door, who winced and then sighed, slumping before he muttered: “Let’s… make camp for the night in the field and return hence tomorrow. Perhaps… she will have changed her mind.”
But, as the wagon and ponies pulled away, the scenery changed as Twilight leaned back a bit with a wince, finding herself now seated on hard rock instead of softer grass… and now Celestia stood silently on a cliff that overlooked a deep, wide ravine graced with a wide, deep river that cut through the center of the greenery, a simple cloth satchel the only thing on her, braided hair teased by a wild wind as she looked silently out over the valley… and then she ran forwards and jumped, and Twilight felt herself dragged forwards with her, unable to suppress a cry of surprise before her eyes widened as this broadened into a scream of shock despite knowing this was all illusion, memory, not real-
And as she kicked her hooves at the air, it felt as if there was ground beneath them, changing to her desires as she broke on instinct into a sprint, the thin air beneath her hooves rippling like water as she chased after Celestia with a gasp of shock, then gritted her teeth and leaned forwards, picking up speed and looking at her, shouting: “Why can’t you just tell me what you want me to see?”
Then a shadow passed over them… and Celestia looked sharply over her shoulder before she veered suddenly to the side, and Twilight winced as something shot downwards and passed through her in a blur of reds and blacks… before her eyes widened as she skidded around in a circle, realizing with shock that it was a dragon, a snarling, bestial dragon with an enormous wingspan and huge claws and teeth, roaring as smoke poured from its jaws before it leaned forwards and breathed a swathe of flame towards the female, uncaring as the red-hot blast washed back over its own features…
Celestia dodged downwards, diving steeply as Twilight fought to stay close enough to the clash she wouldn’t be forcibly dragged along by the memories, but far enough away she could still view the entire battle… and she watched as Celestia spun suddenly around as she skimmed over the river, her hooves landing on the water… and skidding over it like it was solid ground even as the liquid rippled beneath her, the female lowering her head as the dragon dove greedily… before Celestia snapped her horn upwards as it gave a sharp pulse, and water erupted upwards in a wide, half-dome wall in front of her that crackled violently as it turned to solid ice, the dragon crashing headfirst into this with a howl of pain and shock as Celestia leapt upwards and over the stunned reptile, her wings carrying her higher into the air as it flailed wildly at the water… before without looking, Celestia simply flicked her horn upwards as it gave a second golden pulse.
A blast of lightning erupted from thin air, slamming into the dragon’s back, the chunks of ice littering the river sparkling with electricity as arcs of blue and gold shot back and forth over the creature, the dragon howling and spasming in agony as Celestia spun around and then dropped her horn forwards… and a second, even larger blast of lightning ripped from the skies, crashing with an echoing bang of force into the dragon’s skull. The beast’s back arched, the dragon giving an eerie wail as it shivered violently… and then its head flopped forwards, and floated silently for a moment longer before its immense bulk slowly began to sink to the bottom of the deep river.
Celestia rose slowly back into the sky, guiding herself easily towards a wide, looming cliff, and Twilight followed quickly through the air, breathing hard, shivering a little at the ease with which Celestia had… killed. Had outmaneuvered a mighty dragon in its own territory, had immediately analyzed it and outthought it in only a few short, critical moves. And, as Twilight grimaced as she stepped back onto solid land, she had to work to repress a shudder as she realized that Celestia had likely planned the entire battle, as the ivory equine calmly strode into what had once served as the mighty beast’s aerie.
She ignored the piles of gold and gemstones, moodily wading her way through glittering heaps before her eyes finally locked on a metal chest half-buried in a pile of sapphires and rubies. Her horn glowed, sweeping the gemstones away in one mighty telekinetic shove to reveal the glittering, diamond-encrusted platinum of the heavy metal box: more than shiny enough to draw the attentions of any dragon. It was locked… but with little more than a narrowing of her eyes, there was a loud clank as the front of the chest hissed… then popped open and revealed its plush innards, and the broken tablets that rested inside.
Celestia surveyed these calmly, murmuring to herself: “So the pony was right, a dragon did attack the monk’s caravan. And these… the first clues to my past… siblings, what a ridiculous notion. I have no siblings, and have no need of siblings.” She shook her head, then flicked her horn upwards, and the broken tablets quickly rose into the air, revolving once before they snapped firmly together, golden light glowing brightly in the cracks as they were cemented back together by magic as Twilight stepped silently forwards beside the ivory winged unicorn.
The three tablets each depicted an image of a different figure, marked by images of sun, moon, and a mighty ash tree… and Celestia gave all three a cursory glance before she threw two of the tablets back into the chest, the pouch at her side opening so the sun-engraved tablet could slide into it. She turned, and Twilight felt disappointment and strange pain writhe through her body as she walked away… then hesitated, and the violet unicorn looked up, hopeful… but then Celestia only shook her head and leapt into the air, spreading her wings as the memory faded out.
For a moment, there was only gray, and Twilight lowered her head, closing her eyes and feeling a strange shudder roll through her body, hating to see this… this callous, cold past, this awful… beginning, to the teacher who had always been so benign, so loving, so wonderful… and then she looked up sharply as Celestia said softly: “Yes, but I have had seventeen hundred years to change, to grow, to evolve. And this hurts me to show you, and I am ashamed of myself… I hold myself in contempt, for what I once was. For what I almost became again… after spending so long growing. Changing, and discovering… myself. In body, I was an adult… in skill, I was superior. But in my mind… I was a child, Twilight Sparkle. The little wisdom I have now, I have spent lifetimes learning and nurturing… back then, I was an angry, bitter child, who felt outcast by the parents she had never known, and my only response… was to fight.”
Flashes of steel, splashes of blood, and Twilight gritted her teeth as these wild images and sensations flickered through the wall of gray around her as Celestia’s voice whispered pleadingly into her ear: “You need to know why I chose you. You need to see me… for who I was, and who I am. You need… no, you deserve to understand, after all these years, that… you are better than me. You are better than I ever could have been, and you, Twilight Sparkle, may become even stronger than me… and I tell you this not to scare you, or warn you against using your power for evil… but out of admiration, and respect for the knowledge that no matter what you do, no matter how strong you become… you will never fail like I did. You will never use your talents… for the terrible things I once did, before Sleipnir. Before Luna. When I hid behind the violence of passion instead of the clockwork of order…”
Then, there was silence as memory faded back in… and Celestia stood now before a city in the sky, a massive structure of white, enchanted stone supported upon enormous clouds, Pegasi, gryphons, and strange creatures that Twilight had never seen before flying back and forth around the walls like anxious birds as three armored Pegasi stood across from Celestia, dressed in armor of white and red. “We cannot… simply allow thee in, when thou will not even give us a name…”
Celestia looked silently down at them, a coronet of gold now around her head, her braided mane spilling to one side of her body. A white cloak fell back around her frame, and a satchel bag was thrown over her back, the winged unicorn leaning down as she said quietly: “I cannot give thee a name, because I have no name. I know not who I am… but my pilgrimage, my quest for my memories and myself… has taken me to the gates of thy city. Allow me to speak to the elder, I implore thee. Gaze upon me, and see me: see how destiny weighs upon my crown.”
The Pegasi apprehensively looked back and forth, then the middle guard sighed and nodded grudgingly, and they parted ways as Celestia smiled… and the memories flickered like static, Twilight wincing back before frowning curiously as the world reassembled itself, revealing Celestia standing calmly on a floor made of white cloud, in front of a beautiful, golden fountain that hovered silently a few inches above the floor of fluffy white. It was smooth, the texture alien, filled with crystalline water that spilled down from jugs held by three statues made of differently-colored crystal… statues of a unicorn, a Pegasus, and an earth pony.
They stood as equals, backs to each other’s, front legs keeping the jugs balanced against their shoulders as their contents eternally spilled into the bowl they stood in and overflowed into the basin below in streams of water that pulsed with a strange aura… and, seated against the edge of the fountain, a strange creature rested, robes flowing over its frame and enormous, feathered white wings stretching out behind its back, the beast’s face masked by a black veil as it said quietly, talons at the end of long arms laced quietly together in its lap: “You are like the sun… powerful and burning and radiant. But if you look too closely, the sun will blind you; if you stand too long beneath it, the sun will burn you; if you draw too near, the sun will kill you. The sun is beautiful and serene at a distance, a life-giver… but the closer you draw, the more we see this is illusion. It is a murderous inferno, scorning all but what feeds it, growing ever larger until one day it will be so hot and heavy it will collapse in on itself… and in death, attempt to drag the rest of the universe around it down, down, down into darkness.”
“I am not the sun, I accepted this long ago.” Celestia said coldly, glancing towards the being… and then she shook her head slowly and closed her eyes, bowing her head forwards. “Yes, I have come for my own selfish ends… I have come here to try and find the answers I seek. But hear me, Elder… if these answers to my identity will pacify me, will soothe the rage of my spirit… is it not also in service to others that I act? For in healing myself, I would heal the dangers I pose.”
“You seek the path that will do you the greatest good, Celestial Unicorn, not the path that will most benefit others.” the Elder replied quietly, and Celestia snorted before she frowned a bit when he reached back into his robes… then she shivered when he drew out a tattered, stained black dress, ancient and yet to her, still smelling faintly of smoke, of battle, shudders rolling through her mind. “We may all find salvation and redemption. We may all change who we once were… and the greatest battles we fight are not without, but within. This was not the first innocent you killed, out of misunderstanding, out of hand, out of irritation. This will not be the last… but you have done one thing worthy of respect. Not sealing yourself away from the world, running and hiding in the tunnels, in the darkness… but in choosing to put down your swords.”
“Never again shall I lift them, either, I have made this vow and it is not one I intend to break.” Celestia said quietly, shaking her head with a slow shudder. “I am not surprised that thou knows, Watcher of the World, but… I am humbled by thy knowledge all the same. And I understand that I have been rude to thee in thine own home with my demands, so… let me ask, and not order.”
She bowed forwards, asking quietly: “The Angelic Fount, in this, the Fortress of Heaven, built as close as Midgard can reach towards Asgard and the Vale of Valhalla… permit me to bathe in it, and glimpse my past. Permit me to… find the answers I seek, and understand what I must do… who I am. Angel, Watcher, Elder, whatever thou art… please.”
The being looked at her, then it stood up, kneading the dress thoughtfully between its talons, and Celestia’s eyes roved to this, trembling a little as she stared at the black, tattered cloth, before the male quietly gestured towards the fountain. “Refresh yourself and wash away your tears, Celestial Unicorn. Perhaps your heart has begun to beat.”
Celestia frowned a bit at this, then blushed as she reached up with one hoof, finding her cheeks wet before she nodded slowly and approached the fountain, looking up silently for a moment at the three statues… and then she hesitated, looking slowly towards the being and asking slowly: “Permit me… a single question, though, and I know not why I ask, why it seems important… but why do slave, unicorn, and Pegasus all stand equal upon this fountain? I see it in many places… and understand it not.”
“Because this world will change, Celestial Unicorn. Because, even though there are races both mightier and more divine… when they work together, ponies can achieve harmony, order, and unity… and this is a greater force than even the most powerful of your magic.” the Elder answered… and then he gestured again towards the fountain, bowing forwards slightly, the veil hiding his face and yet even Twilight catching the sense of a smile. “Now go. Wash away your tears.”
Celestia nodded slowly… then she sighed a little and stepped forwards, bowing her head down and reaching her hooves forwards, splashing water over her face and briefly submerging her features into the tingling liquid, closing her eyes as she felt a strange, lingering sizzle… and then she leaned back in surprise, her eyes flashing open as she straightened, ivory mane spilling down around her… before it hummed softly, beginning to glow with the radiance of the rainbow, filling with color and a life of its own as it twisted slowly backwards.
Color spilled through her long tail next, the appendage flicking backwards as it grew longer, as it became ethereal, and she gasped quietly as her eyes shimmered, becoming amethyst for a moment even in the world of blacks-and-whites… and then she gritted her teeth and shivered, whispering: “What… is this feeling…”
“The answer you have been seeking, Celestial Unicorn. No one can tell you who you were in the past… but if you stop chasing it, and embrace the future… that will be what leads you away from the creature you fear you have become.” the Elder said quietly, putting his talons behind his back as Twilight leaned forwards, listening intently as Celestia looked up in surprise. “For all your mind, do you not understand? Expecting to be able to see into the past and see yourself, and instantly be healed… it is folly. Why does the past matter so much, when you know who you want to be, when you know what you have to become? Look to the future instead. Look at what you wish to achieve, and step forwards to achieve it. Give not in to your anger and temptation… work every day towards what you desire, and leave the past where it belongs, buried beneath the sands of time.”
The being smiled in the language of its body as it brought one talon forwards, and now it held not a tattered dress, but instead a roll of parchment, saying quietly: “Take this map, and go to meet your destiny with your mind clear, with your heart humble, and willing to acknowledge the worth and wisdom of others, Celestial Unicorn. You must accept your destiny… but that does not mean your fate is written in stone. There are things that must be done, but you will choose your own method of doing them… and I only pray that your choices will be good.”
Celestia’s horn glowed as she took the map, looking silently up at the Elder as her mane flowed and hummed around her, and then she unrolled the parchment and glanced towards this, saying slowly: “Equestria… but it is an uncivilized land to the north, wilder than even here, and…”
And the Elder was gone, when Celestia looked back up, Twilight pacing forwards as she stared back and forth in surprise with the suddenness the creature had vanished… before the memories changed, flickered violently, and a moment later the unicorn found herself running to keep up as Celestia charged down a path towards a smoking crater, her multicolored, ephemeral mane and tail flowing freely behind her, satchel and coronet the only thing upon her body as she muttered: “Madness… why am I bothering, why am I drawn onwards… this land is full of darkness and insanity, I feel the butt of some cosmic joke, and now am I not only the sole Celestial Unicorn I have a rainbow flowing forever from my head and-”
Then she skidded to a halt as she passed into a field and found the source of the smoke, wincing at the sight of the enormous crater. Hesitantly, Celestia stepped forwards… then dropped herself to a ready position, gritting her teeth as what looked like a tall earth pony began to crawl free from the charred wound in the verdant green, grunting loudly and looking a little battered and bruised as he mumbled: “By Odin, what a ridiculous start to the day…”
Slowly, the male hauled himself upwards, rolling his shoulders with a wince, and Celestia couldn’t help but lean forwards slightly in surprise as he straightened, stunned by the sight of him. He was enormous, almost as tall as her – and never had she seen a pony before that was even half her height without the use of magic – but his body was bulkier and heavier, covered in thick silver plating, his hooves protected by solid boots of gleaming metal and what looked like a heavy shield resting over his back. His visible coat was chestnut… and yet his mane and tail were made of twisting ivy, wild and unkempt as the vines moved slowly of their own accord, the glitter of gemstones shifting and glimmering throughout both as he blinked his green eyes tiredly… and then they locked on Celestia, and he threw his head back and laughed loudly before striding forwards as the winged unicorn only stared in dumb surprise, before she winced backwards in what was almost horror when he simply hugged her fiercely. “Sister!”
“I… I am not thy sister, get off me!” Celestia shoved at him, forcing the male to stagger backwards as she glared at the enormous equine, but the male only grinned widely in return, looking delighted all the same as she leaned forwards and snapped: “I am a century old and have never seen thee before in my life, and while my memories are not as they once were, I know well that thou cannot be my sibling.”
“Well, I must be thy brother, for if I was not then by now I would surely be overwhelmed by the urge to try and make such a beautiful being my wife.” the male replied jovially, leaning forwards and waggling his eyebrows… and Twilight’s jaw dropped as Celestia seemed to freeze up for a moment… then slapped him hard across the face with one hoof, making the male stagger with a wince, but then laugh and shake his head with a wide grin. “Wonderful! Yes, this will be an excellent journey with thee, will it not? But pray tell, what does thou call thyself now? I fear that my own mind seems full of holes… well, fuller than usual, in any event.”
Celestia seemed to have a hard time processing what was going on as Twilight only continued to stare in amazement at these memories, as the winged unicorn gritted her teeth… then finally started: “The title I was given by these ponies was Celestia-”
“Of course, Celestia! Thou art my sister Celestia, and Celestia, I am thy brother, Sleipnir!” Sleipnir smiled warmly to her, stepping forwards and hugging her again, and the winged unicorn gave a loud curse of frustration before she shoved at him and pried him back off, glaring at him even as he laughed and began warmly: “Come, though, I am eager for adventure, and the earth speaks to me, tells me where to go, and-”
“Will thou not silence thy insipid prattling?” Celestia leaned forwards, shouting in the male’s face, and Sleipnir immediately fell back on his haunches with a wince as he tried to shrink his head back into his armor. “Celestia is not my name! I have no name, I was always called Celestial Unicorn, or Aya, by these foolish ponies who looked up to me, and I need not to be babysitting a gigantic, overly-affectionate slave-hoof while journeying through this land, does thou not understand?”
Sleipnir looked at her mildly for a few moments as Celestia breathed hard in and out, glaring at him… and then he leaned forwards and said kindly, completely ignoring most of what she had just said: “Celestial Unicorn, bah, ‘tis too difficult a thing to say. I prefer Celestia, so I shall call thee Celestia. Shall we be off, sister?”
Celestia spat a volley of particularly-colorful curses that would have made even Luna blush as she stormed past Sleipnir, but the male only smiled warmly and followed cheerfully along behind her, the memories becoming static-riddled before Twilight found herself standing in a dark, foul-looking bedroom, the sound of raucous singing feeding up through the floor as Celestia rested on a bed with a moody expression on her face, reading slowly as her horn glowed enough to light the pages… before she glanced up with a sigh as the door banged open and Sleipnir barged inside, booting it closed behind him.
His armor was discarded, leaving his body bare and revealing tattooing over one side of his breast and down one forelimb, and he sighed in relief as he strode over towards his own bed at the other side of the room, past the jumble of armor that lay on the floor before he threw himself into it and gazed up at the ceiling… and then Celestia closed her eyes, visibly steeled herself, and then shut the book as she looked across at him, Sleipnir tossing her a curious look before she said quietly: “I’m sorry.”
The male frowned, rolling onto his stomach as he looked across at her inquisitively, and Celestia said softly: “I have… owed you this apology for a long time, my companion. Sleipnir… I… treated thee badly. For a decade I used thee as a slave-hoof, for many years afterwards I barely recognized thy strength… not only in battle, but as well… in the way thou brings happiness to ponies. I have observed thee as we have travelled back and forth over this land, fighting and finding artifacts and, when we can afford it, finding small spaces of sanctuary near and far, living in peace for a time even amidst all this… darkness.
“But… I have been thinking over these last few weeks, and understand that being around thee… has helped change me. Before, I lived in solitude, thought only of myself… and ‘twas always why it drove me mad when thou would stop to ‘waste time’ playing with foals, or help some distressed being in need… be they pony or otherwise. Thou art… generous. Thou art kind and wonderful. Thinking of this… comparing thee to myself, to who I used to be… I admire thee. And I wanted to apologize for… how I have treated thee. I shall do better in the future.”
She glanced away with a bit of a blush, nodding awkwardly more to herself than anything else… and Sleipnir only smiled at her, shrugging and saying kindly: “I am not a thinker as thou art, Celestia, I only live by the day-by-day. It honors me to hear you speak so, but… I have never held thy behaviors against thee. Besides, I am sure I shall do something to earn thy wrath again sooner or later.”
“Perhaps.” Celestia smiled back, looking over at him with hesitant affection, and the two nodded to each other slowly before she straightened and said quietly: “I also wish to ask of thee a question. Whether or not thou believes…”
“The prophecies? Nonsense.” Sleipnir waved a hoof as he rolled onto his back, looking unfettered before he smiled and closed his eyes. “Nay, as always, the earth shall tell the way. Mother Nature knows herself best, and nourishes all life, benign and evil, for reasons that are at least fair if neither good nor bad. She tells me that we have a sister we have yet to meet, however… I look eagerly forwards to meeting her, but fear it may be some time yet before we do. Still, in this time… there is much to pursue. Awful monsters to battle, a land to stride across, homes to build and ancient stories to study, and who knows how many memories to recover? We are legends where we pass, Celestia… but, much like legends, the moment we are past, the moment all the ponies begin to exaggerate and transform every little detail.”
“Perhaps it is good, though. I never wish for my past to be known, Sleipnir… even now, I lash out with anger at the undeserving, despite the self I have worked steadily towards becoming.” Celestia murmured… and then she frowned a bit when Sleipnir only laughed and shook his head. “What?”
“Celestia, be not silly. If thou wert the same creature thou once were, then why would thou constantly moan and gripe about the evils that thou committed? Cease thy worrying and prattling, thou art no abomination. At least, not mostly.” Sleipnir winked at her, then he rolled over… and grunted when Celestia’s book flew across the room and bounced off his broad back, but the winged unicorn was smiling at him all the same as he rose a hoof and waved airily at her. “Sleep well, sister. Also, worry not about our gold being stolen, I have already spent it on wine and prostitutes.” 
Celestia only sighed and rolled her eyes, shaking her head and rolling over… and the memories faded out before a black stone room faded slowly into being around Twilight Sparkle, the unicorn looking back and forth and repressing a shudder at the aura of menace that filled this empty space. Runes covered the walls, and a circle of melted candles resting on holders made from skulls and bones surrounded an awful black altar inscribed with lunar symbols… and then, slowly, dead bodies faded in around the area.
Monsters and ponies both, many of the latter in awful states that made Twilight shudder: maimed and mutilated, they had obviously been dead for a long time… but from the fresh wounds, she guessed that until only recently their bodies had been animated by some awful force. And then Twilight looked up as upon the altar, another body appeared… living but silent and unmoving, the form of Luna, with light blue mane and tail in place of the starry ephemerality that would one day replace these.
Twilight heard Sleipnir and Celestia before they too faded into being in the memory, both batted and bruised, armor broken and damaged as Sleipnir grimaced and absently rubbed at a large, ugly gash in one foreleg. “Sister, I knew not thou had more than magic at thy disposal. Why did thou not show such talents in the century we have spent together?”
“Because I made a vow to never use those abilities again.” Celestia muttered, shaking her head and wincing as she flexed her body slowly, then she cursed under her breath as she dragged her rear leg behind her, gritting her teeth as her horn glowed brightly, the rear limb glowing before Sleipnir winced at a loud crack as Celestia hissed, then straightened shakily. “’Tis fine, ‘twas only… disjointed.”
“Thou art bold, sister.” Sleipnir winced a little, then strode slowly towards the altar, brushing some of the candles aside as he said quietly: “And here she is. This is our sibling, Celestia… thou will not become jealous of the newest member of our little family, will thou?”
“There will be time for jokes later, Sleipnir. Will she awaken?” Celestia stepped forwards, and she gazed silently over the female, studying Luna’s body, the armor that covered her frame… before she frowned a bit as her eyes settled on something resting beside her. Her horn glowed as she lifted the small object… and then she reared back in surprise as it clicked before the handle extended into a telescopic pole, sizzling with magic as the diamond-shaped head of the spear gleamed brightly.
Then Celestia looked down as the female stirred… and her horn glowed as she glanced sharply towards the spear, the telescopic weapon collapsing before flying quickly over to her and slipping into the satchel bag she was wearing, as Sleipnir frowned… but before he could say anything, the winged unicorn laying on the altar stirred and moaned weakly, her eyes flickering open… and looking listlessly, blankly, up at Celestia as she leaned down, a visible, strange pang passing over the ivory equine’s features. “Where… am I…”
“A temple, thou were… captured, sister.” Celestia spoke calmly, naturally, and yet even she seemed surprised at what she was saying, as she continued quietly: “We came to save thee… art thou alright?”
“I… yes, I think so… my head throbs, and my mind is scattered… who…” Luna shook her head slowly, wincing… and Celestia smiled awkwardly at her, hesitating only a moment.
“Thou art known as… Luna. I am Celestia, and our brother is Sleipnir, does thee feel the memories returning?” the ivory equine murmured gently, and Luna frowned a little before the larger winged unicorn leaned forwards, her eyes glowing slightly as she said softly: “Try not too hard. Worry not too much… we are family, and we are here to take care of thee. We… we are.”
Celestia’s mane glowed a bit brighter as she leaned back slightly, obviously surprised at herself… but when Luna smiled faintly up at her, Celestia smiled back, and the glimmer in her eyes was one of hope as Sleipnir laughed and stepped forwards, nodding firmly and adding jovially: “Now let us make our way out of this den of death and inequity, and sojourn to a happier place, where we can better make merry and celebrate the return of our sister! Come, come, there is much to be done throughout this land, is there not?”
“There is always much to do.” Celestia replied quietly, and then she glanced back towards Luna, tenderness on her features for a moment before she shook her head and smiled from one to the other… and slowly, the memories faded out, even as the ivory equine’s voice spoke from the present, not from the past, swirling around Twilight like a physical wind: “They were my family. I did not understand how or why, but they were… and we fought and suffered together and laughed together for many years. We won great victories and survived catastrophic failure, they opened my heart…
“I discovered harmony and serenity, for a little while. I reshaped myself, they helped free me from the rage and hate… but as time wore on, I became… arrogant. Luna and Sleipnir were glad to help freely, but the ponies of Equestria always wanted more and more… and our repayment? I watched ponies rip each other apart over trinkets and meaningless, imagined borders. I watched darkness surge over Equestria from within and without, the land I was told by prophecy and its own ponies I was supposed to save. I watched how they could not keep the legends straight, how we morphed in their minds like changelings, how eager they were to have vaunted leaders… how eager they were to use us as scapegoats when we failed.
“So I put a great plan into motion, and only now I realize that it was just like before… I was not working for others, only to serve my own ends. Destroying the Tyrant Wyrms and intimidating the dragons into peace with Equestria secured me in the eyes of the ponies as a peerless leader. I decided to exterminate Discord, who I held in contempt and blind hate: he was the embodiment of chaos, and he was a blight upon the land I had already begun to consider… mine. Not my home, but mine by right, on the one hoof refusing to believe the prophecies were true, on the other using them, even in my own mind, as the grounds by which I could declare that I deserved this… that I had a divine right to Equestria. 
“Discord’s defeat and imprisonment made me a hero… and even though Luna fought beside me in that battle, it was not hard for me to take most of the credit for myself… and back then, my little sister only wanted to impress me, still looked up to me… and I used that to my advantage as well. Luna and I by now had begun moving sun and moon at regular intervals, taking over for whatever forces had done it in the past, and now the ponies looked up to us like demigods. I laid the groundwork to make Equestria a united kingdom instead of a thousand scattered baronies, spreading my influence, declaring ourselves ‘Princesses’ to begin the centuries-long process of weaving order throughout this country as I destroyed ancient texts, ruins of old, and purged anything that could threaten the order of Equestria… the harmony I was building. I had decided that the ponies should live in blissful ignorance… I passed restrictions and instilled new traditions, I wove a complex network of lies… and when that last great battle of a thousand years ago erupted, when Nightmare Moon first came into being…”
Twilight looked up as Celestia strode towards her out of the cloudy, gray listlessness that surrounded her, until she was standing in front of her… and now, she looked worn, tired, and broken, her mane and tail not glowing, but ivory-white, her locks cascading around her weathered features as she leaned down as reality faded in around them, whispering quietly: “I did not give into passion. But I had become so intensely-focused on discipline, on being the opposite of what I had once been, of… instilling harmony and order… that I did not realize I had gone to the other, and worse, extreme. I sealed Luna in the moon with all the power of the sun… in order to wipe out all traces of disharmony and dissidence in my kingdom. The story spread throughout Equestria that my sister had turned evil, become a monster known as Nightmare Moon… and now I had the sympathy of the ponies of Equestria as well as their respect, their admiration… and in those days, their fear, too.
“I used that. I used that to make myself sole ruler, appear as sole benefactor. And I hurt, Twilight Sparkle, but instead of ever once allowing myself to think about what I had done… I buried my heart in clockwork and order. As the years went by, I learned the art of subtlety… I learned to hide behind a smile. I warped the teachings of the Elder, who told me my past did not matter, and used it to excuse everything I did in the past, expanded it to include the present… if it meant what I did now would ensure the best future.” She stopped, then lowered her head, closing her eyes and murmuring: “Twilight Sparkle… my special little pony… I am sorry for what I have done. Given another thousand years of life, I could never explain myself to you, my reasons for what I have done. I could never excuse myself, or ask for mercy, or have the right to beg for forgiveness. From you, from my sister, from Sleipnir. Even now, I… I unconsciously twist words and truths, and fear that even in my own mind, I have lost sight of what is self-delusion and what is true fact… the only solace I can take comes from the few friends I have now, in this broken Equestria.”
She fell silent, then coughed as she leaned away, blood dripping from her mouth as Twilight looked up in shock, stepping forwards… and then her vision went blurry, and she fell to her knees, gasping as pain rattled through her frame before Celestia smiled faintly, saying quietly: “My apologies, Twilight Sparkle. I am unfit to finish the story for now… and you require rest, too. But when Luna returns… we shall speak. I shall tell you of the last of my memories that you need to know.”
She stopped, then silently leaned down, kissing Twilight’s forehead, leaving a stain of blood like lipstick before she rose her head in the air, gritting her teeth as her horn crackled, a faint glow surrounding Twilight as the unicorn was shakily lifted into the air as she spasmed and drifted in and out of consciousness, floating slowly towards the bed… and Celestia settled her gently on it before the ivory equine slowly lowered herself to the floor, too weak to even crawl to her circular cushion as she lowered her head, her horn sparking once as her eyes slid slowly, silently shut.