Twilight needed a rest. The two of them had walked all night and heard nothing but the gravel beneath their hooves stumble around with every step she and Lyra took. Since she found their new path two days ago she could not stop smiling. It bugged Twilight to no end. Not that she bragged about it; neither exchanged a word beyond "I need a break."
“So why, have you been so skeptical, Twilight?” Lyra asked, breaking their uncomfortable silence. She fumbled with her saddlebag putting her bronze timepiece away.
“Skeptical about what?”
“This whole trip. YOU said there was nothing out here and left it at that. But we found an old railroad line. If a rail line is out here, why not a castle? Why not a whole mountain range?”
“I told you about the surveyors. And they obviously missed this by mistake.” Twilight pointed down at the defunct line. “The same way you found it by mistake. And besides, Appleoosa is not the first settlement they’ve had out here, it’s only the most modern one. When Princess Celestia and Luna ruled together, it was a very different world. If there was anything out here back then, it would still be here. Villages are abandoned, but civilizations are not. And if there was a civilization out here, its extinction would be a huge event I would have read about. Or Princess Celestia would have at least mentioned. But she didn’t. I won’t believe there is anything out here until I can prove it.”
“So could there be a mountain range out here? What time is it, by the way?” Lyra guided her along.
“I don’t know, Lyra. We've gone further than the surveyor team did. And no, I don’t know what time it is. You’re carrying the watch.”
“I am carrying the watch. It is 5:54 in the morning and it looks rather dark for this hour. The sun should have risen by now, but it has not. Why do you think that is?” she asked smugly.
“I don’t know, Lyra. Maybe Celestia’s late,” Twilight whined.
“Her stallion should have worn protection then.” Twilight slapped her with her wing. “No, she’s not late, she’s actually a minute earlier today than she was yesterday according to her almanac. We can’t see the sun because something’s blocking it. Something big. Twilight, look out to the horizon. See that jagged golden band?”
Squinting, Twilight did see the sky go from dark blue to gold to black. And it was just over where the sun should be rising right now. Damn it…
“It looks like a mountain range is blocking the sunrise, Lyra,” Twilight said, her head and wings drooping in shame.
“Meaning…C’mon Twilight, you can say it. I won’t gloat too much.”
“Meaning you were right and I was wrong.”
“No, Twilight. Meaning there was more to my dream than my subconscious. Something, or somepony, someONE was feeding this to me. I am certain we have a way through the mountain, too.”
“How are we going through the mountain, Lyra?”
“We’re on a railroad, right? There’s going to be a box tunnel upahead. We can just prance right through it. One way in, one way out.”
“But, what if there’s a cave-in? OR the tunnel's blocked? Or gas? Mountain climbing is still much safer than mining!”
“Twilight Sparkle, you know little about the magic of events. If we have been lead down this path, we will be allowed to finish it. If there is another way around the mountain, we will see it, and if it’s not safe, we will know that too. There are many what-if’s in life, but if you put your faith in the right places you can relax, because your Guardian has already taken care of those.”
“And where do you put your faith, Lyra?”
“I am putting my faith in Nightmare Moon. I know where she stands. Where do you put yours?”
Neither spoke until they set up their tent an hour later and fell asleep for the day. Lyra was thinking of what discoveries awaited them, and Twilight’s mind wandered to a talk she had with Celestia shortly after Discord had been turned to stone again.
** ** **
“Princess Celestia, I don’t understand this. Why are you putting him down in the storage caves? If he gets loose again, he could do anything before we notice his escape!” Twilight exclaimed while levitating Discord's newest statue.
Celestia levitated another box away as Luna magically pulled bricks out from the wall and stacked them aside. Then, she started carving a hollow space in the cave wall five meters tall. “Twilight, I have no idea how he escaped this time, and I didn’t ask him. So we’re putting him where no one comes, and no one would think to look for him. It's not foolproof, but it will keep him in place for a while. That’s still a little shallow, Luna.”
She tried fitting the newly-petrified Discord into the niche, but he would not fit. Luna kept telekinetically pulling stone from the hole she made.
“Who would WANT to release Discord, again Princess? I mean, it’s not like he has friends or anypony can control him,” Twilight persisted.
“Somepony might think that they can, Twilight. Or someone might try to extort the Kingdom and threaten us with releasing him. Well, they can do it they can’t find him. That’s good Luna.”
Moving Discord back into the niche again, she found he did indeed fit with room to spare. Celestia and Luna moved to replace the brickwork, reseal it with new mortar, and place the piles of boxes where they stood. Luna compacted the displaced stone back into a rock, waved her horn, and transplaced it elsewhere. Twilight looked around and would not have suspected anything out of the ordinary in this particular storage cave full of decaying paper deep under the castle.
Luna spoke up, “I see you still know how to hide a body, sister. Haha.” She took her leave and walked in the hallway, leaving Celestia and Twilight alone.
Celestia called out, “Very amusing, Luna. Twilight, you and we are the only ones who know where Discord’s statue is now. I hope you can handle this: treat it like a matter of national security.”
“I will, Princess.” She bowed low.
“Stand, my little pony. The celebration will start soon, and we must be there on time. I have a speech planned about how your friendship and courage saved us from Discord.” Together, they followed Luna into the hall and walked towards the stairs.
“Princess, there’s something I’ve wondered for a long time: IF somepony else had found the Elements of Harmony, another six ponies, or even another six friends, could they have wielded them?”
“Hmm." Celestia pondered for a minute. "Twilight, have you ever doubted your ability to wield the Elements?”
“Not at all, Princess!”
“Why not? It's such a powerful magic, surely it must bring up some doubts?”
“No, Princess. You sent me to Ponyville, where I meet the five friends whom I could not have done it without. You put your faith in me, and I trust your judgment!”
Celestia looked away. “That’s just it. I knew if it could be done, you would do it, but I didn't know what WOULD happen. You were my best chance, and I might have just as easily sent you to your death. I risked your life and manipulated you. Back then and even yesterday. For that, Twilight Sparkle, I am sorry. I hope you can forgive me.” Celestia stopped and kneeled low, taking Twilight by surprise.
“Princess,” Twilight said in shock.
Celestia kept her chin on the ground. “Twilight, this has been very difficult for me to do. I need you to forgive me, even if you say ‘not today’ that—“
“I forgive you, Princess Celestia,” Twilight said softly.
Rising to full height again with her head bowed low, Twilight saw Celestia's eyes brimming with tears seconds before her mentor's hooves were crushing her.
“I needed that Twilight Sparkle,” she whispered between sniffs. “I-I’m so sorry. When the hedge maze disappeared, I knew something went terribly wrong, and I could only hope you and your friends were alive. I realized I might have overestimated you-“
“But you didn’t.”
She sighed, released Twilight and looked away. Slowly walking down the corridor they just came from she continued, “I’ve misjudged ponies and others in the past, and it has cost me dearly far too often. When I took you under my wing, you reminded me of somepony I knew when I was truly innocent, before knowing all the horrible things a ruler has to do. Before I saw all the blood on my hooves.”
“Princess, don’t talk like that.” Twilight leaped in front of Celestia trying to get her attention again.
“Please don’t interrupt me, Twilight. You need to hear this. I swore I would do the right, moral things concerning you as my student. And that’s twice that I’ve betrayed that oath. Please forgive a foolish mare for her mistakes and vices. You are stronger because of what I did, but that doesn’t make it right, nor does that mean it didn’t hurt you. I am so sorry, Twilight Sparkle.” She shook her head and bowed low enough her crown slipped off her head.
Twilight embraced her teacher and spoke softly again. “Whatever you did, it’s okay. I’m still here. And I'm sure whatever you did was done for the right reasons. Don’t be too hard on yourself.” She levitated the crown back onto her mentors head.
“Thank you for your forgiveness, but don’t trust my judgment, Twilight, simply because I said it. Discord’s tricks fooled all of you, and let this be another manifestation of it: form your own judgment. If it conflicts with others' that’s okay. But don’t blindly take what another says. Promise me that, Twilight.”
“I promise Celestia. I will form my own judgments.”