//------------------------------// // Revelations III // Story: Second at Best // by Wages of Sin //------------------------------// Twilight walked the halls towards her mentor's room. She of course knew the route; she had walked it dozens of times as a young filly whenever she had nightmares, hundreds of times to show Celestia a new spell she had learned, and thousands of times just to see her mentor, either for lessons or just to spend time together. This time, though, she was making this trip with something entirely different on her mind: Revenge. Revenge for all those times as a filly when she thought her mentor cared. Revenge for all the memories of her time with the solar princess now cast in the revealing lens of retrospect. Did her life ever have meaning? Had Celestia ever truly cared whether her "student" succeeded or not? Putting all the work on Twilight's shoulders and then reaping all the rewards? In retrospect, Twilight could not think of a single time Celestia had actually helped her. Nothing that the monarch had ever done had been to Twilight's benefit. At best she had only helped her student when it was to her own benefit. Even when she had almost been discorded and Celestia sent her letters back to her, what had her motive been? To save her? Or to simply repair the tool that would save Equestria? Was her entire life just a construct to shape her into Celestia's weapon? The past ten years seems like a long time to one so young, but to Celestia? Ten years would seem like nothing! A hundred years would be the mere blink of an eye to an immortal alicorn! The thoughts brought pain to her heart, was she really the princesses student, or just a weapon to keep close at hand? Was Celestia actually trying to raise Twilight to fulfill her potential, or was her potential now only to be Celestia's weapon? Everything boiled down to one question in Twilight's mind: had Celestia only raised her because she was the element of magic? Twilight needed to know and she needed to know now. ------------------------------------- Celestia was sitting on her throne when she was approached by what appeared to be a petitioner. "Princess," the petitioner gave a bow. "Stand, my little pony, and tell me what your concern is." The petitioner raised her head to look at the monarch. "Princess, far be it from me to question royalty, but I have a concern that has been raised for some time among the houses of nobility." "It has been brought to my attention that there is a unicorn currently studying under your tutelage, is that correct?" "Indeed it is. My personal student Twilight Sparkle. What is your inquiry about her?" "I desire to know why she was chosen over the many children of nobility that applied. Surely there are more well-bred candidates for your personal instruction." Celestia could feel the slightest hint of annoyance at being, once again asked this question. At least she had a good cover story that kept most nobles from coming back. "As I have told the last hundred noble families who have inquired, My personal student was not chosen to express favor, it was merely a necessary step for finding the Element of Magic. Twilight Sparkle was chosen exclusively for her magical potential." The petitioner grew stiff, but then calmed to look at her as if that was what she had expected to hear. "Yes, I realize she had a... an eventful time taking up the element of magic, but why is she still your student? She has recovered Luna and saved the kingdom on several occasions, but why keep her as your student? It appears she has realized her potential and served her usefulness, so to speak. Do you have any further reason to have her as a student?" Celestia hadn't thought about it before, there was no real reason to keep the title of 'student' anymore since Twilight now rivaled any professor in magic theory, and had proven herself the strongest unicorn since... likely ever actually. "You raise a good point, a old mare knows when she's no longer needed" she chuckled at her own self-deprecating joke, "and I see no reason to continue to call her my student." ------------------------------------- Twilight's mind shut down. This had been the wrong path to take. Asking Celestia up front was a bad idea. She was "no longer needed." She couldn't be the Princess’s student anymore. That was all she had left. That one claim to anything. Gone. -AND CELESTIA HAD THE NERVE TO LAUGH ABOUT IT!!! ... ------------------------------------- After the princess's joke the petitioner froze for a second before her face began to contort in anger. "You!" the petitioner screamed as her eyes turned white, glowing with unrivaled magic. "I- I- I trusted you!" the cry was agonized but no less powerful. The guard leapt into action as the throne room exploded.