Running a country is hard.
Even before Twilight took over as ruler of Equestria, she knew it would be no easy feat, but she wished she had known just how difficult it would be. There was just so much that was expected of her, from attending ribbon ceremonies and dedications, politics and dealing with snotty nobles, even down to doing boring paperwork. It was all just so exhausting.
Now that she'd taken over, Twilight finally understood why Celestia and Luna had been so eager to step down. Back when she was still just a student, she remembered how regal the sisters looked when on the throne. They stood as symbols of Equestria, beacons of righteousness that brought hope to all. They seemed like nothing could phase them, that their job was easy, boy was she wrong?
Running a country is hard.
Recently, much of her day-to-day life had been tending to her duties as a princess, so much so that she never had time to herself. So when she finally had some free time, she decided to make the most of it and relax after so much hard work.
With the afternoon free, she isolated herself in the palace library, with nopony but the thousands of books on offer to keep her company. How she loved it here, surrounded by shelves that reached all the way to the ceiling, the scent of yellowing paper filling her nostrils. She was so content she could spend hours here and not even notice the time slip by.
She currently found herself sitting comfortably in the corner of the library, snuggled up with a book on the EUP guard. More recently, she found herself becoming more and more interested in their history. She had already scoured her way through two volumes of the recordings of the EUP and was now currently on volume three.
She was simply enraptured by everything she read, every battle and victory they claimed making her more and more invested. Right now, she was reading about how the EUP stopped an assassination attempt on the princess, valiantly holding off an attack by shadowy attackers in the night, losing many of their own in the process.
As she finished up with that bit of EUP lore, she was distracted with her book when she heard someone knocking. Looking up, she found Spike standing at the entrance to the library.
"Can I help you, Spike?" she asked, setting her book aside for the moment.
The drake shook his head. "No, I'm fine. I was just curious if you wanted anything to eat. You've been cooped up in her for a few hours."
Twilight perked up, suddenly feeling her stomach yearn for sustenance at the mention of food. "Ohh, thank you. Um, a salad would be nice," she said, a smile forming on her face at her friend's attentiveness.
Spike nods. "Okay, I'll be back in a few minutes," he said before leaving the library.
Once Spike was gone, Twilight picked up her book and opened it back up as she waited for her salad. Next, she read about how bandits had been terrorizing a small rural town at the edge of Equestria, so an EUP detachment had been sent to provide aid. She was engrossed with the story as she read how the captain of the platoon heroically laid down their life to protect a group of civilians, an action that would later result in them being memorialized in the history of the EUP.
Closing up the book, Twilight gave a smile as she finished up the third volume of the history of the EUP. Getting up from her spot, she stretched out like a cat, eliciting a satisfying pop. Letting out a relieved sigh after sitting down for so long, she went to put the book back where she got it, as well as get the fourth volume in the series.
"I'm back Twilight," Spike said as he walked into the room, carrying a bowl of salad and a glass of water in his claws.
Twilight put the book back on the shelf before she addressed Spike. "Just set it on a free table, I'll get to it in a moment," she said as she reached for the fourth volume. However, because she was distracted by Spike, she ended up grabbing the wrong book by mistake, but before she could put it back, something shocking happened.
When Twilight grabbed the book, there was the sound of a lever dropping, before the library door sealed itself as a secret stairwell opened up in the floor. Twilight and Spike stared dumbfoundedly at the passage, both of them caught off guard at what just happened.
"Wha... what just happened?" Spike wondered aloud in shock, the salad and water still in his hands.
Twilight glanced down at the book in her magical grasp. It was blank, she noticed as she searched its cover for any clues. Setting the book down, she went to investigate what it had revealed
"I'm... not sure," Twilight said as she inched up to the edge of the stairs. Tentevly, she placed one hoof on the steps, and when nothing happened, she continued to descend. She entered the passageway with caution, the light from the library fading as she pressed on.
As she moved through the tunnel, she quickly became aware of the presence of another; looking back, she found Spike tailing after her, sticking to her side. "Stay behind me," she said after a moment to the small dragon, unknowing of the dangers ahead.
Together, the pony and dragon duo made their way down the dark tunnel, the only source of light being the dragon fire Spike provided. It was chill and clammy down here, the cold seeping through to their bones as they pressed onwards.
After a time, Twilight lost track of how far they'd gone, the tunnel just seemed to go on and on. Finally, the end came in sight when Twilight spotted a glow at the far end of the passage. Seeing that they were on the home stretch, the two pressed onwards, eager to exit these dark confines and hopefully step into the warm glow of the sun.
What they saw next, stole their breath away.
They found themselves in a massive cavern beneath the palace, lit by luminescent crystals growing from the ceiling. Stepping out onto a platform, they looked out at the sight of a grand temple, sitting ominously in the shadows.
"Whoah," Spike said in wonder as he peered out over the edge. "Who do you think built it?"
Twilight could only shake her head, unsure of how to respond. "I-I have no idea."
"Come on," Spike said as he turned towards a nearby flight of stairs that led downwards. "Let's check it out."
Before Twilight could object, Spike had already started down the steps, leaving her no choice but to follow after him. She did her best to keep pace with him, sticking with her dragon companion as they descended toward the temple. After a few minutes, the stairs came to a stop as the floor evened out.
Now at the ground level of the cavern, the pair found themselves much closer to the temple. Stepping out onto a kind of road, the structure loomed in front of them imposingly. It was built out of some kind of dark stone, with a pyramid-like shape, surrounded by several towers, their purpose unknown.
Spike once again took off ahead of Twilight, wanting to check out their discovery. However, this time, she was quick to voice her concerns on the matter.
"Spike, hold on a moment, " she called after the drake, bringing him to pause as he turned back to look at her.
'Yeah, Twilight?' he asked.
"Listen, I want to know who built this place too, but we should take a step back for a moment. Before we go any farther, I think we should go back up top and get help; right now, no one knows we're down here, and if anything happens, there won't be any help coming our way."
After a moment, Spike nodded. "You're right, Twi," he said, seeing the logic in her words. "Let's head back."
Spike made to rejoin Twilight so that the pair could retrace their steps. However, as he closed the gap between them, he stepped on a stone slab, that sunk under his weight. Before either of them could react, a trap door opened up beneath Spike, causing him to scream out of fear and surprise as it swallowed him whole.
Twilight leaped forward on instinct, reaching out a hoof to try and save him, but she was too late as the trap door closed as soon as he was gone. Rushing up to where he'd been standing, she started pounding on the stone, "Spike! Spike!" she cried out his name. "Can you hear me?"
When she heard no response from the drake, she felt her heart start welling up with fear as she started imagining the worst. She looked around in a panic, desperately hoping to find someone who could help, even though she knew she was alone. Finally, her gaze fell on the massive temple in front of her, as she stared at its chiseled surface, she felt a wave of determination overcome her, knowing that if she wanted to save Spke, she would have to venture inside.
Twilight got to all four hooves, her eyes hardening with resolve. "Don't worry, Spike," she said as she looked at the structure that took him. "I'm coming for you."
With a firm resolve, Twilight continued down the path toward the foreboding temple. She took care to be mindful of where she stepped, lest she accidentally trigger another trap.
Pushing through a set of big, heavy doors, she found herself in the interior of the temple. The inside was just as foreboding as the outside, and she felt a chill run down her spine as she entered its walls.
"Spike! Can you hear me!" she called out, getting nothing in reply except her voice echoing back to her off the cold stone.
She looked around, trying to figure out what this place was. The entry room she found herself in looked to be some sort of reception area or something, with rooms behind large panes of glass where one would likely be granted admittance.
Moving through what she assumed to be the reception room, she bypassed the receptionist's desk and moved deeper into the temple.
Following the decrepit halls, she made a startling discovery when she found a corridor full of prison cells. Taking tentative steps forward, she warily inspected the cell block. An eerie chill coursed its way down her spine as she examined a pair of shackles dangling loosely behind some bars, covered in what she feared was dried blood.
All of the cells were empty, which, arguably made it even more unnerving than it would have been if they were occupied. Why were these here, why was there a temple with prison cells beneath Canterlot? Why was it abandoned? Did Celestia or Luna know about it? As much as Twilight yearned for answers to these questions, her priority still had to be to find Spike and get out of this creepy place.
Soon, she exited the prison block into an empty hall, feeling relieved as she left the cells behind.
Continuing to search for Spike, she came upon an unassuming table sitting in the hall. Sitting atop it, she found a scroll resting on its surface, collecting dust. Curious, she picked the parchment up with her magic, blowing it off before she examined it. Unfurling the scroll, she began to read the contents.
The scroll seemed to have been written by a guard, who went on to explain that the princesses had sent in a new batch of prisoners. He mentions that they were processed and sent to their cells, as well as logging in their names and information.
Twilight set the scroll down in a daze. Her mind was awash with uncertainty, trying to understand the information it just took in. Did the Princesses build this place, why would they need a secret prison beneath Canterlot? She didn't understand what was going on here, so she chose to once again focus on her current task.
Her hooves clip-cloped with every step on the cold hard stone, echoing eerily through the empty halls. She felt unnerved as she moved through the dark corridors, feeling as if somepony could jump out at her at any moment, despite knowing it was abandoned.
She called out for Spike occasionally, hoping she would receive a reply, but she never did. Ohh, she hoped he was okay, she should have told him to stay behind, then none of this would have happened.
Checking any rooms she passed, she came across a room full of suits of armor. Coming to a pause, she let curiosity overtake her as she moved closer to the armor sets. Inspecting the armor, she soon deduced them to be for the EUP, left to collect dust like everything else down here. With this discovery, she didn't need to be a genius to deduce that the EUP ran this place; if Celestia and Luna were in charge of this operation, it made perfect sense that the EUP oversaw it.
Exiting the room with the armor, she continued on her way. "Spike, can you hear me!" she called out again as she moved down the hall, but just like last time she received no reply. While she was disheartened, she didn't let this hurt her resolve and continued her search.
Exploring the temple, she found herself arriving in a wide courtyard. It was mostly empty, but as she stepped out into the open, she saw something that left her stunned. Resting on a wooden pedestal in the center of the clearing, was a large guillotine. There were multiple floors to the courtyard, comprised of cells where prisoners would be forced to watch their fellow inmates be decapitated.
Twilight's eyes went wide, her breath hitching as she stepped backward in shock. All she could do was stare at the guillotine in horror, unable to tear her eyes away. It was hard enough for her to imagine the Princesses having a secret prison, but now seeing this, she didn't know what to think of them anymore.
Its blade was covered in dried blood, stained in crimson as if a monument to all those it had slain. Sitting next to the guillotine was a straw basket, in a sense of morbid curiosity, Twilight moved in to inspect it, praying to herself that it was empty. Looking inside, she recoiled at the sight of a severed ponyhead, a look of terror frozen on its face.
Stumbling away from the basket, she retched in disgust as she fought to not toss her breakfast. That was so horrible, why would it just be left there, and not disposed of? Not eager to stick around this courtyard, Twilight nauseously made for the exit, wanting to get as far away from it as possible.
As Twilight learned more and more about this place, she started finding herself becoming increasingly desperate to find Spike and get out of there. With a hastened step, she called out his name, moving through the ominous temple."Spike! Spike Please! Can you hear me!" she cried, praying that he would answer.
"Twilight!"
Suddenly a voice cut through the dim, it was faint, but it was definitely his. After she heard him, she jumped into action, her heart beating with determination. "Spike, where are you!"
"I'm in here!" he called back.
Her hooves pounding against the ground, she made her way down the hall toward where she heard him. Following his voice down a flight of stairs, she found him trapped in a cage. He was trying to reach for a key hanging on a hook nearby, but it was proving to be too far away.
"Uh, come on..." he said as he stretched his claws for the key, only to forget about it when his eyes wandered over to her. "Twilight! Boy am I happy to see you," he said with relief on his face. "This lock is enchanted, I know because I tried to melt it with my fire, but nothing happened."
"Don't worry, I've got it." Lighting up her horn, she lifted the key with her magic and unlocked the cage. Pushing open the door, he rushed straight at Twilight with open arms, who in turn embraced him as well. She held him close, unwilling to let him go as she feared he might vanish again; She gently stroked the frill on his head, relieved to have been reunited and to know he was okay.
"I was so worried, I've been searching the temple trying to find you," Twilight said as they ended the embrace. "What happened?" she asked, looking at Spike with concern on her face.
"It happened so fast," Spike explained as he started retelling his tale. "I was so afraid, I didn't know what to think as I suddenly fell through the floor, and the door that swallowed me closed back up before I thought to use my wings. The next thing I know, I'm sliding down a dark tunnel before being dropped in that cage."
Twilight looked around at the room they were in, it seemed to be a verifiable torture chamber, with all kinds of terrifying tools and equipment. She could practically see it in her mind's eye, prisoners being tortured for one reason or another, there was even what looked to be a severed pair of pegasus wings on a table in a corner of the room - Twilight grimaced, she would have to make sure Spike didn't see that. The trap that Spike fell through was probably meant to stop escaping prisoners, delivering them here for punishment.
"I'm so sorry that happened, Spike, but, everything is going to be alright now," she said, trying to ease the drake.
It seemed to work, as a relieved smile appeared on his face. "When you're around Twilight, I know everything's going to be alright."
Twilight smiled back at Spike, touched by his kind words. She then adopted a determined expression on her face. "We should get out of here," she said after a moment.
Spike nodded in agreement. "Yeah, the less time we spend here the better."
"Get on my back," she said, crouching down to make it easier for Spike to climb on. "It'll be safer this way."
Spike rolled his eyes. "Geez, you trigger one trap, and she never lets you hear the end of it," he said jokingly as he got on.
With Spike nestled safely on her back, Twilight made her way back up the stairs. Stepping out into the hall, she tried to retrace her steps back the way she came, but this place proved to be too much of a maze for her to accurately navigate it. So she once again found herself wandering through the temple, desperately hoping to come across an exit. The shadows lingered around them persistently, however, now that Spike was with her again, they didn't weigh down as heavily on her as they did earlier.
As they searched for an exit, they found themselves stumbling across a room filled with scrolls. "Look at all this," Twilight said in awe as she gazed at the parchments, all of them collecting dust much like everything else in the temple. "They probably have all the information available about this place."
"Maybe one of them is a floor plan?" Suggested Spike from behind her head. "Maybe it could show us the way out?"
Stepping forward, Twilight pulled one of the scrolls off the shelf, a cascade of dust pouring free. Reading through them, she learned lots of things about this secret temple beneath Canterlot. Apparently, Celestia and Luna set this operation up ages ago, in order to quietly deal with their political enemies while keeping their hooves clean. And like she had suspected after finding that room of armor, it was run by the EUP, dating all the way back to when they were founded. She also learned that the whole place was abandoned when she took over.
Reading on, she was distraught to learn how prisoners were mistreated here, the EUP abused and tortured them, often for no reason other than they could. And if that wasn't bad enough, the Princesses knew this was happening, yet they did nothing about it. And while learning that about the sisters was conflicting enough, what she learned next blew that out of the water.
According to the scroll she held in her magic, the princess had the EUP capture the newly crowned Chryisslis, fearing she would be a threat in the future. From then on, she was continuously tortured and mistreated by the EUP, eventually causing a mass riot to escape.
After learning all that, Twilight was at a loss for words, hardly knowing what to think. But as she had time to process the information, discovering that her former mentor was responsible for the creation of one the greatest threats Equestria had ever faced, she felt herself start to lose all respect she ever had for her.
"Hey, I found it, Twi," said Spike from his spot on her back. Hearing his voice, she snapped out of the conflicted state she was in. Craning her neck around, she found the drake with a scroll in his claws.
"Great job, Spike!" Twilight exclaimed proudly, earning a big gleaming smile from the dragon. Taking the scroll from him with her magic, she opened it up to see a complete floor plan of the entire temple.
Examining the parchment, she took in the layout of the temple, trying to find an exit. After finding where they were on the map, she checked all the paths near them before a confident smile stretched across her muzzle. "Okay, I got it," she said with a gleam in her eye as she set the scroll down.
"So, I take it you know where to go?" Asked Spike from his spot on her back as Twilight exited the scroll room.
"Sure did," she replied as she navigated the halls, moving through the shadows as if she owed the place. Pretty soon, the pair found themselves in another cell block, this one just as creepy as the last.
"If we move through this cell block, we should find a side door that leads to the outside, from there, we follow a path that leads along the perimeter of the temple, past some kind of pit, and before long we'll find ourselves back where we started."
"Good," Spike said with relief. "I'm eager to get out of this place."
"You and me, both," Twilight replied, sharing in his mentality.
As they moved past the cells, the pair became aware of a startling fact as they gazed through the bars - they weren't empty! Unlike the last cell block Twilight passed through, some of these cells still had occupants, their bodies left to rot under Canterlot.
The two stared at the sight in horror, feeling disgusted as they saw all the bodies locked up. The bodies were all freshly dead, meaning that they were held here when this place shut down not too long ago. Twilight didn't know what was worse, that the princesses were in charge of this place, or that they left all these prisoners to die.
As she stared in shock at the bodies, she was alerted when Spike suddenly shouted her name. Turning to look at him, she saw him pointing at a nearby cell, his eyes wide as he stared at something within. Curious about what he was seeing, she followed his gaze toward the cell, and after staring for a moment, she did a double take when she spotted a supposedly dead body shift its weight, instantly understanding what Spike had seen.
Somepony was still alive down here!
Out of concern, Twilight stepped up to the bars, with the intent of checking on the pony. "Excuse me!" she called out tentatively, channeling her inner Fluttershy as she spoke softly. "Can you hear me?"
Twilight spotted his ears twitch ever so slightly, before slowly sitting up as he faced her. Now that she could see him better, she could see that he was in terrible shape, his eyes were glossy, his mane was all wiry, and he was all but skin and bones at this point. Twilight felt her heart go out for this pony, feeling great sympathy at seeing them in such a state, a state that her once mentor was responsible for.
"Can you tell me your name?" she asked the pony, unsure if she would get any response.
Upon her request, she watched as he opened his mouth to speak. At first, all that came out was a weak croak, making it clear that he hadn't spoken in a while. "Silk Heart," he managed a last.
"Can you tell me how long you've been down here, Silk Heart?" she asked him, meeting his glassy eyes.
He seemed to furrow his brow in thought, trying to answer her question. "I-I'm...not sure," he said at last. "A few weeks, maybe? I've lost track of how long I've been here," he said with uncertainty.
"Can you tell me why you're here?"
But he just shook his head. "I couldn't. I'm sorry," he replied. "I don't know what I did to get sent here, I don't think I did anything wrong. All I did was suggest to the princesses that it was time to leave the monarchy behind and adopt a democracy. I tried to get them to review my proposal, but they just seemed on edge, and then the next thing I know I'm getting ripped out of my home in the middle of the night and getting thrown in here. And then not too long after, all the guards just up and left, leaving me behind."
After telling his story, the stallion started coughing, leaning against the wall for support.
"I'm... so sorry to hear that," Twilight said, struggling to come to terms with the story he told her. Reaching through the bar, she took his hoof as she gave him a reassuring look. "I promise, everything is going to be okay."
He smiled at that. "I'd like that," he told her as he looked at the ceiling. "I'd love to be able to see my family again," he said weakly, his eyes slowly fluttering shut as his head fell to the side.
Twilight could only stare in shock, struggling to understand the fact that she was too late and had been unable to help that poor stallion.
"How could the princesses do something like this?" Spike wondered aloud from his spot on her back.
"I don't know," Twilight replied honestly.
Realizing there was nothing more they could do, Twilight mustered up all the strength she could as she tore her eyes away from the stallion. With a heavy weight on her heart, she continued on down the hall, eventually finding the exit.
Pushing the door open, they left the shadows behind as they stepped out into the larger illuminated cavern.
"Boy, am I glad to be out of there," Spike said with relief.
"Yeah, me too," Twilight replied, starting to feel at ease now that they had left the temple.
"So, is this the path we need to follow?" Spike asked his guardian, gesturing to a little dirt road where they stood.
Twilight nodded. "Yes, this is the one, it should take us back to the front of the temple," she replied with confidence.
"Well, let's get going then," the drake said, something Twilight agreed with as she started down the path. They made their way down the road, the temple sitting there quietly as they walked past.
Turning around one of the temple's corners, they became aware of a foul order permeating the air.
Spike scrunched up his nose in disgust at the bad scent. "Ughh, what is that?"
"I wish I could tell you," Twilight said in response, trying to fight the rising nausea. Doing her best to ignore the smell, she pressed onward. As she continued down the path, she soon noticed a strange divot in the ground in the distance. Getting closer, her eyes went wide with horror when she discovered what it was, her stomach churning in disgust as she realized what they were smelling.
"Spike, close your eyes!" Twilight commanded of the drake urgently.
"Why! What's wrong" he asked urgently.
"I said close them!" she repeated forcefully.
Ensuring that Spike wouldn't look, she allowed herself to again focus on the sight in front of her. Before her was a massive pit of bodies in various states of decay, discarded without any care. There were countless corpses rotting down here, and not all of them were ponies, she could even see the remains of other creatures like griffons and zebras, among many others.
Twilight was absolutely revolted at what she was seeing, fighting valiantly to hold onto her lunch. As she gazed upon the horrific sight, she felt something within her snap. In that instant, she felt all love for her former mentor and her sister vanish instantly, feeling disgusted that she ever looked up to them; seeing all this, she came to see the two princesses as the monsters they really were, and anyone who was capable of committing the acts they did, were deserving of no respect.
"What is it, Twilight? What do you see?" Spike asked behind closed eyes, a worried tone in his voice.
"Just keep your eyes closed, Spike," Twilight told him once more.
Casting one last solemn cast at the pit, she turned on down the path. As she left the gruesome scene behind, she felt a sick feeling in her stomach, but it was drowned out by the raging fury building in her chest. All these things she'd learned, all these horrible truths she'd discovered, it all threatened to crush her under their weight; she didn't know what the future had in store, but what she did know, was that Celestia and Luna would be brought to justice.
Retirement is so relaxing.
Ever since Celestia and Luna stepped down as rulers of Equestria, and passed their titles onto Twilight, their lives had been so much easier. Without all the politics and duties to worry about, the two found themselves with much more free time than they used to; now that they didn't have to rule the country, they were finally able to pursue all their interests and hobbies, unburdened by the shackles of their past duties, both official.... and unofficial.
The sisters moved into the Silver Shoals retirement home, and everypony they'd met had been so friendly and helpful to them so far. They weren't treated like royalty, or given any special treatment, but were treated just like any other pony, something they liked. Their time in the community was carefree, with the sisters spending their days in peace, either lazing about or partaking in various activities.
Retirement is so relaxing.
Luna made her way through their villa at Silver Shoals, light filtering in through the windows from the sunny day they were having. Moving through the halls, she sought out her sister, eventually finding her in the living room, where she was painting on an easel.
"Sister," she started as she entered the room, causing Celestia to look away from her project. "It's such a nice day out, I thought we could go out to the lake for a while?"
"Oh, Luna, that sounds lovely," Celestia replied with a smile as she set down her paintbrush. "I could prepare a picnic for us, and we could make a day trip out of it."
"Excellent, I'll get the supplies ready," replied Luna.
However, before either of them could get any preparations started, they were alerted to a knocking at the door.
"I'll get it," Luna said as she made for the door. "You prepare the food, I'll be just a moment."
Upon opening the door, Luna was caught by surprise when a contingent of royal guards burst through. Before she realized what was happening, they had quickly placed a magic inhibiting ring around both her and Celestia's horns.
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" Luna shouted, her nostrils flaring as she stared daggers at the guards.
"What's happening..." Twilight announced her presence, following the guards through the door. "Is that the two of you are under arrest!" she declared, throwing down the floor plan of their secret prison under Canterlot.
Celestia's eyes widened in realization when she saw the scroll. She tried to explain herself, but Twilight cut her off before she had the chance.
"How could you," she snapped, her voice laced with disgust, leveling a glare at her old mentor. "I saw everything you did in that temple, how can you possibly live with yourselves, how can you stomach all those awful things you did?"
"I know the things we did were... distastfull. But it was all for the good of Equestria," Celestia tried to explain against the guards holding her at bay, trying to get Twilight to understand, but the alicorn wouldn't have it.
"No! What you did was wrong, and nothing can justify it. Through your actions, you brought about the creation of Chrysalis, one of the greatest threats Equrestia has ever faced, so don't you dare try to say they were for the betterment of Equestria when they caused more harm than good!"
"You impudent filly, I demand you release us!" Luna screeched, narrowing her eyes at Twilight as a snarl overtook her muzzle. "We may be retired, but we are still princesses!"
Twilight didn't let Luna intimidate her, instead, she stepped closer to the ex-princess of the moon. Straightening out her posture, she stood confidently, matching Luna's glare with one of her own. "You are not above the law, you are subject to it just like everypony else!" Twilight spat, becoming muzzle-to-muzzle with Luna.
"Do you know how many innocent lives have been destroyed because of your operations, who you've hurt?" she asked Luna. "Do you?" she asked, turning her gaze onto Celestia. "I know of at least one," Twilight said solemnly when neither of the princesses responded. "He was a stallion by the name of Silk Heart. All he did was make a harmless suggestion which you took as a threat, so you went ahead and threw him in your prison. Then he was left to die when the prison was abandoned, alongside dozens of others, when all he wanted was to be with his family."
"Twilight, you must understand..." Started Celestia.
"I understand..." Twilight began slowly, before taking a breath as she steeled herself. "...That you have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."
Twilight then stepped aside, allowing the guards to escort Celestia and Luna out of their villa. She kept her back to them, unable to bring herself to meet their gazes. Luna struggled against her guard, throwing insults and obscenities at Twilight as she was dragged off. Celestia didn't resist, a depressed air about her as she let them take her away.
Suddenly, Celestia paused, casting a sorrowful look at her prized pupil. "Twilight... I'm sorry," she said before the guards ushered her forward.
It was only once they were gone that she allowed herself to speak. "I know," she said with a shuddering gasp, tears flowing from her face as she broke down.