//------------------------------// // Chapter Eight // Story: Guilt and Hate // by Mindblower //------------------------------// Chapter Eight ******* The snowflakes that had begun to fall did not bode well for the travelling heroes. Dash ignited her mane and Twilight used magic to keep the cold at bay. Celestia spread warm sunlight over the group. “So what’s the big deal?” Olly asked. “We’re safe and warm. It’s not like a little blizzard’ll stop us, right?” “The problem isn’t us travelling in the cold; it’s what happens when we eventually fall asleep,” Celestia explained. “We can’t keep our spells running if we’ve dozed off.” “That means we’d better find some shelter, and fast,” Twilight motioned, looking toward the rocky mountainside kilometers above them. “There ought to be a cave somewhere up there. If not, I can make one.” “Well, wh-what are we waiting for?” Fluttershy shivered, getting closer to Dash in an effort to absorb more of the blue warrior’s warmth. Twilight nodded and led the way up the mountain with Celestia. Centime opted to walk for a bit, though he hung close to Scootaloo. The pines and grasses started to thin out with the air as the group clambered up the steepening side of the mountain. The dirt turned to clay before eventually turning to cold, hard stone. The wind picked up and tossed the group’s manes in various directions, much to a certain white unicorn’s annoyance. The small snowfall rapidly picked up, and the heat from Twilight, Celestia, and Dash was not enough to keep the cold from slowly embedding itself in the heroes’ bones. “How much longer?” Dash asked, her limbs starting to tire out. “Just a little further before sunset,” Celestia answered, wiping snow off of her muzzle. “I should have brought an extra sweater,” Fluttershy mumbled, wiping her nose. She sneezed, a faint ach-hoo. “Oh, dear. I hope I’m not catching anything.” “If you are, don’t get so close,” Dash said, taking a step away from Fluttershy. “S-Sorry,” Fluttershy apologized. “Don’t be,” Twilight said from the head of the group. “I can use magic to get rid of any minor sickness.” “Don’t go overboard, Twi,” Applejack cautioned. “Magic ain’t gonna solve all yer problems. Sometimes it’s just best ta leave some ailments be.” “Applejack’s right, Twilight,” Celestia agreed. “Magic, especially potent magic, shouldn’t be taken lightly. One messed-up incantation can turn our eyes into olives, or worse.” “I know, Celestia,” Twilight said, “but we can’t afford to have anypony on our team sick right now.” “Um... I’d very much appreciate it if my eyes weren’t turned into olives, i-if that’s alright with you,” Fluttershy said. “Nopony’s going to turn your eyes into olives, Fluttershy,” Twilight sighed. “That was just a ‘for-instance.’” “Oh. Thank you,” Fluttershy said. “How much longer until we can take a break?” Scootaloo asked from the rear of the group. Twilight looked up at a nearby cliff face. “I should be able to use magic to create temporary shelter,” she said, squinting at the rocky wall above her. “W-Well hurry, ‘cause m-my tail is freezing off!” Sweetie Belle complained. “Okay, okay,” Twilight said, motioning for the others to stand back. Hopping up the side of the mountain to her target, she summoned her magic and muttered, “Creo spelunca.” ******* The side of the cliff glowed as bright white lines carved a ten-meter cube into it, which promptly disappeared, leaving a gaping hole in the mountain. A large crack, branching off of the hole Twilight had created, wove its way down to her friends. Twilight gasped and yelled, “Look out!” A large chunk of rock broke off the side of the mountain right where Centime was standing. He tumbled down the side of the cliff. Scootaloo yelled in panic and flew after him. Rocks and boulders that had started to break off of the side of the mountain threatened to crush the little foal as he curled up tightly and covered his face in an effort to protect himself from the onslaught. Scootaloo swooped in, dodging multiple obstacles, and grabbed Centime just before a rock would have crushed his head. However, another stray piece of earth cut Scootaloo’s side. Yelping in pain, she forced herself to fly Centime out of the landslide, collapsing on the ground after depositing him to the side. Blood flowed freely from a cut on her midsection, and the stream sliding down her side grew with every frantic beat of her heart. Twilight went over to try and move Scootaloo, but the teen yelped in pain when her leg was touched. Centime tried to push Twilight aside, but he was too feeble. “You’re hurting her!” Celestia used telekinesis to lift Centime out of Twilight’s way, but he kicked and screamed in midair, desperately trying to get back to Scootaloo. “No! No! Stay back!” “Help me hold him down!” Celestia commanded, setting Centime on the ground and promptly restraining him. ******* “Mama!” Centime screamed, though he wasn’t looking at Scootaloo. He yelled that single word over and over again, even after Twilight had healed Scootaloo, who had softly fallen unconscious. Centime eventually fell into slumber, though his rest wasn’t peaceful. His tears dried on his cheeks as he slowly curled into a tight ball, unwilling to open up, even to Fluttershy. Unwilling to get up even for a moment, the only way to properly move him was with telekinesis. After Twilight set Centime down softly in the cave she had created, she asked, “How did he end up like this? He’s so upset all the time; he’s always crying.” “I know,” Sweetie Belle agreed sadly. “How could anypony ever be this sad, or this angry? He’s so young, too.” “Wish Ah knew,” Applejack said, spreading her sleeping bag along the moist floor and draping a tarp over the entrance to the cavern. It threatened to blow away, at first, but after a few minutes it was safely fastened in place. Twilight conjured some firewood and allowed Dash to light it near the back of the small cavern, providing light as well as much-needed heat. Celestia gazed at Centime and bit her lip. “Twilight?” “Yes, Celestia?” Twilight asked. “There’s a spell we could use to look through his memories,” Celestia offered. “It’s very strong, but you should be ready. If we knew what was causing Centime so much pain, we might be able to help him out of it.” Twilight looked toward her saddlebags, which contained her spellbooks. I’m not sure... I’ve seen that spell before, and some of the written side effects are nasty. “Do you think that’s really necessary, Celestia?” Celestia sighed. “If Centime keeps this up, he’ll really slow us down later. We need to know how to make him trust us.” “...Well, if you say so, Princess,” Twilight relented, pulling a tattered book out of her bags and setting it down in front of Centime. She sat down next to it, quickly flipping to a specific page and reading the incantations aloud. She focused all her remaining magical energy on Centime. “Patitur me sentire poena de Centime.” Celestia looked up. That sounded a little off... However, it was too late to stop the spell. Twilight’s eyes glowed as her mind entered Centime’s. ===================================================================== The first thing she saw was the side of a crib. Frustrated, Twilight tried to escape her infant prison, shaking the bars and calling for somepony. A bright orange earth pony walked into the room, a cheery smile on her face. Her mane was both red and yellow, in a checkerboard pattern. The earth pony silently picked Twilight up, carefully placing her on her back. “Shh,” she cooed. “Mama’s got you.” Twilight tightly clung to her neck, burying herself in her mother’s mane. Twilight abruptly found herself back in her crib, calling for her mother once more. The orange mare once again returned, but this time she was shrouded in darkness. Confused, Twilight asked, “Mama? Why do you look funny?” Twilight backed away from her mother’s newly slitted eyes before abruptly falling unconscious. She woke up in a strange place. She was in a giant golden city, with platinum skyscrapers and streets paved with silver. She felt a hoof on her shoulder, and looked up to see a light brown unicorn stallion with a hazy red mane. Twilight began to yell for help, but the stallion quickly covered her mouth. “Shh! Quickly, come with me,” the stallion commanded, hustling Twilight into a nearby building and practically dragging her into the basement. The stallion, along with several others, greeted Twilight with, “Welcome to the Resistance!” Twilight’s surroundings morphed into a dingy cell. The stallion that had dragged her off of the streets was sitting next to her, and he quickly murmured, “Never forget, Centime. Never forget what they’ve done to you and I. I don’t know if you’ll remember me after this is all over, but I’ll always remember how brave you are. You’ve been like a son to me.” Twilight nodded, wiping tears off of her cheek. “What’ll h-happen to you?” The stallion shrugged. “Dunno. It’s not going to be pleasant, though.” Twilight began to cry, but the stallion nudged her. “Hey, Centime. Chin up,” the stallion smiled weakly. “We’ll see each other again. You’re clingy like that.” Twilight silently watched as the stallion was dragged off by a dark turquoise unicorn. She poked her foreleg through the iron bar, reaching out to him. “Dad...” ===================================================================== Twilight gasped as she broke out of the spell. Trembling, she buried her head in her hooves and sobbed. Fluttershy rushed over and put her wing over Twilight. The others were soon nearby. “What did you see, Twilight?” Dash asked. Twilight tried to answer, but no words escaped. “Give her a minute,” Celestia said. It took much longer than just a minute. For the spell’s duration, Twilight shared just a few of Centime’s memories, but his thoughts and emotions during those particular memories were enough to reduce her to pieces. It took almost half an hour for her to calm down into a rational state. “What did you see, Twilight?” Celestia asked softly. “It wa-wasn’t what I s-saw,” Twilight stuttered, wiping her eyes. “It was what I f-felt. I f-felt fear, Celestia. I f-felt fear deeper and more piercing than I have ever felt before in my life.” “What’s wrong with her?” Dash asked Celestia. “She mistook the incantation. It should have been ‘Allow me to see the pain of Centime’ instead of ‘Allow me to feel the pain of Centime.’ She’ll be fine; she’s just a bit shaken.” “A-Are you sure you’re alright, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked, rocking Twilight slowly. Twilight couldn’t answer. She simply returned to her tears, the powerful emotions she had copied from Centime slowly crushing her. Fluttershy squeezed her tight, but it did little good. Celestia looked away. I feel bad for ever suspecting Centime. The poor foal’s obviously been through a lot. I’ve never seen Twilight like this before, Dash thought in amazement. No wonder Centime’s so upset all the time; he has to carry all that anger around inside him. Centime gravitated toward Scootaloo because he needed somepony to attach to, Rarity guessed. I can understand that. We all need somepony to give us a guiding hoof every now and then; somepony to lean on. About half an hour or so later, Twilight had finally cried herself to sleep. ===================================================================== ******* The rest of the group soon followed suit, minus the tears, except for Celestia, who had left to set the sun. However, Applejack was slightly suspicious of Celestia’s true motives after the sun goddess had failed to return after an hour. Not this again. Am I going to have to slap some sense into her like I did for Dash? Applejack asked herself. She got up and brushed past the tarp, squinting as she walked into a gust of wind. “What’re ya doin’ out here all by yerself, Celestia?” Applejack asked, shivering in the cold of the snowy night. She wiped some stray snowflakes out of her eyes. “Ooh! Chilly out here tonight.” Celestia’s mane glowed as she sat on the rugged hill, overlooking where Centime was almost killed. The chilly night air warmed until it was the temperature of a midsummer day. “Applejack, I have to ask you something. If Centime isn’t Deception... who is?” “Aw, Celestia, ya can’t expect me ta answer that kinda question,” Applejack replied, scratching the back of her head. “It’d mean turnin’ against one a mah friends.” “I know, I know,” Celestia sighed, “but somepony in that cave might not be your friend.” “Well, they’re mah friend until they prove they aren’t!” Applejack defended. “Ya need ta get yer head outta the clouds, Celestia. We can’t have ya bein’ all paranoid on us.” “I can’t help it!” Celestia exhaled in frustration. “If I don’t find Deception, we’re all in danger.” “But if we look fer her, we’re in danger anyway,” Applejack countered. “Ah know this’s a lose-lose situation, but there’s no use in tearin’ our group apart. Best we can do is defeat Discord an’ the others as quick as we can and then call it a day.” Celestia shook her head sadly. “Deception will find a way before then. She always has.” “Well, maybe this time’ll she won’t!” Applejack exclaimed. “Why’re ya so afraid a her? She’s just a pony like you ‘r me.” “She’s not a pony like you or me!” Celestia snapped, turning around to face Applejack. “She’s a heartless monster, and don’t you forget it!” “What’n tarnation’s gotten into you alluva sudden, Celestia?” Applejack exclaimed, jumping back in response to the sun goddess’s sudden rage. “I-I’m sorry,” Celestia said, turning back around. “What’s so bad ‘bout Deception, anyway? What makes her different?” Applejack asked. Celestia drew a shaky breath. “We had always known about Deception, my friends and I. We just never found her. She was a mystery. But just then, all of my friends, th-they just dropped dead, and Skids was there, not even trying to hide the fact that he was murdering everypony I loved. H-He meant a lot to me, more than anything in the world... but he had been Deception right from the start. “Deception made me immortal by forcing a fragment of Harmony into my heart, as well as Luna’s. All of my friends were long gone by then, and I didn’t even get to say goodbye. All of them meant the world to me; they had taught me so much in such a short time... and then they were gone, like they had never existed,” Celestia finished, wiping her eyes. “Sorry,” she mumbled. “Gee,” Applejack said, her eyes wide. “Ah... Ah’m real sorry ta hear that, Celestia. Anythin’ Ah can do?” Celestia chuckled. “I wish. I guess the best thing we can do now is get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow.” Applejack nodded. “We’re gonna climb the mountain, right?” Celestia chuckled. “What, are you crazy? Discord probably has some huge trap set for us. We’re cutting along the side of the mountain and shooting straight back into the heart of Equestria. If we go back to the countryside, we’d have the home advantage. Discord usually tends to hang out in cities.” “Can’t they just track us?” Applejack asked, scratching her head. “Anywhere’s better than a snowy mountain,” Celestia answered, kicking at the inch of delicate ice that was slowly forming on the ground. “An’ we’re gonna bring Cent along fer the ride? Ah’m a might nervous about takin’ him anywhere on a long journey. Can’t ya jus’ teleport him ta Fillydelphia?” Applejack proposed. Celestia shook her head. “It wouldn’t work. Discord could intercept him mid-teleport; he’s a master at those sorts of magic. They want him here, which is why I’m so confused about whether he’s Deception or not. Why else would they be so insistent on keeping him with us?” “Ah dunno, and Ah don’t wanna know. It’s only gonna git us in danger, thinkin’ like that. Ah’m gonna hit the hay,” Applejack stated, cantering back inside. “Don’t be long.” Celestia scanned the black surroundings once more before heading inside the cave for a chilly night of sleep. ===================================================================== ******* Scootaloo yawned, though quickly regretted it as pain shot through her belly. “Oh, dear. You’ve reopened it,” Fluttershy fretted. She had been replacing the snoozing Scootaloo’s bandages when the teen had shifted. A new, thin trail of blood was carving a path down her midsection. Scootaloo tried to get up, but Centime was tightly clinging to her mane. “Hold still,” Fluttershy prompted, carefully redoing the fabric over Scootaloo’s wound. “Scoot!” Dash yelled, bounding over. “How’re you feeling? C’mon, get up!” “Dash, um...” Fluttershy said, motioning to Scootaloo’s wound. “Oh, sorry,” Dash apologized. “But still, you’re awake!” “Scootaloo’s awake?” Sweetie Belle asked from inside her sleeping bag. She poked her head out excitedly. “Scootaloo’s awake!” “I’d get up, but my mane is full of Centime,” Scootaloo said, shifting to try and get a view of the little foal that was holding onto her as if for dear life. “D-Don’t l-leave me a-a-again, S-Scootaloo,” Centime cried, happiness flooding his system when he realized that Scootaloo was finally awake. He could barely speak, tears flowing down his face and into Scootaloo’s mane. “Hey, Centime, I’m okay, so you can quit it, alright?” Scootaloo asked, awkwardly reaching behind her head and patting Centime on the back. Centime whimpered a bit, but nodded, curling Scootaloo’s mane in his hooves and sniffling. “Looks to me like Centime doesn’t want his nanny to go away anytime soon,” Olly said to Dash. “Heh, yeah. We’re going to have to drop him off somewhere, though. This isn’t a good place for somepony in his state, right?” Dash replied. “I dunno,” Sweetie Belle said. “I don’t think it’s Centime’s fault that he’s stuck with us. Remember how Discord warps us everywhere like it’s nothing? How hard would it be to do that to a whole town?” “You’ve got a point there, Sweetie,” Olly said, rubbing his chin in thought. “Guess the best thing we can do for now is keep him as safe as possible.” Twilight was sitting nearby, dejectedly staring at the wall of the cave. Rarity walked over. “Are you alright, darling?” she asked. Twilight didn’t answer. Rarity poked her. “Twilight? Twilight!” Rarity exclaimed. Twilight blinked and shook her head. “Oh, sorry. I zoned out for a minute. What’s up?” “You’re blaming yourself for the incident, aren’t you?” Rarity asked, worry flashing across her eyes. “Oh, what gives you that idea?” Twilight asked, sarcasm dripping off her every word. She bit her lip. “Sorry, Rarity; that was mean. It’s just that... Well, I just haven’t felt like myself lately.” “Apology accepted, and that’s quite alright,” Rarity huffed. “Twilight, why do you always take the blame for everything that goes wrong? You hardly leave enough for me.” Twilight laughed slightly. “News flash: Twilight’s being hard on herself. As if you haven’t been upset over little things before.” “I’d hardly call this a little thing, but yes,” Rarity said. She paused. “Now that I think about it, before this whole adventure, our problems seem rather minor.” “Well, there were those times we almost died,” Twilight pointed out. “Remember the Young Flier’s Competition? Even the Ursa Minor was a major thing. Still, though... Now that I think about when I had to choose which friends I took with me to the Gala, or how Fluttershy and I were so worried about Philomena... It really makes you think, huh?” “Of how our lives turned from that into this? I’m thinking about it constantly,” Rarity complained, inspecting her hooves. “I had never, in all my days, expected to be slogging through the wilderness all the way on the other side of Equestria, and I’d never thought what my life would be like if I had to deal with brutes like Guilt, Hate, and Deception. I can’t even imagine life going back to the way it was before. Can you?” “Back to being carefree and clueless?” Twilight sighed. “It’s a big trade-off, but if the Elements of Discord didn’t exist, I’d jump at it. This whole journey has given me a lot of answers, but it’s not like I ever wanted to find them. I’m a murderer, Rarity. We both are. We may be heroes, but the blood we shed wasn’t our own. I-I almost killed a foal yesterday, I...” she trailed off, wiping her eyes and stifling sobs. “Twilight, you snap out of that right this instant!” Rarity said, shaking her upset friend. “Getting those ideas inside your head won’t help you one bit! Murder is in cold blood, Twilight. The Elements of Discord are the murderers! We are civilized ponies and we will not even consider being at their level. We have never fought anypony without giving them first a chance to concede defeat, and the incident yesterday was nothing more than a simple accident.” “You gotta pull yourself together, Twilight!” Pinkie added. She had heard the conversation and was rushing over to cheer Twilight up. “Turn that frown upside down, Missy! You’re a hero and you know it!” “Alright, alright!” Twilight complained, pushing them both away and wiping her eyes. “Let’s not make a mountain out of a molehill.” “You’re right; what would happen to the mole? He’d have a pretty big house,” Pinkie shrugged. “Are you sure you’re alright, Twilight? Need a hug? A ‘get-well’ balloon? Ooh, how about we get a cotton candy cloud? Please say cotton candy cloud, please say cotton candy cloud!” Pinkie whispered loudly, prancing around Twilight. “I said I’m fine!” Twilight laughed, pulling both Pinkie and Rarity into a hug. “Aw, just a hug? Can we get a cotton candy cloud, too? Pleease?” Pinkie begged. Dash motioned to the exit of the cave. “We’re leaving, so, um...” Twilight nodded. “Yeah, let’s go.” A shrill scream was heard from outside, and the group suddenly turned their heads to the mouth of the cave. ******* “Th-That was Fluttershy!” Rarity gasped. A tremor shook the cave, and cracks appeared on the ceiling. Twilight and the others hurriedly rushed outside to be greeted by none other than Guilt and Hate. Guilt, a maroon unicorn stallion with a chocolate-colored mane, glared at the group. His slitted eyes were covered by sharp black glasses, and his gaze was still as cold as a glacier. Hate was still as unkempt and dirty as ever. Her matted yellow pelt and greasy, orange and yellow mane were a crude representation of Spitfire’s grace. Her slimy grin was just as malicious as ever. They stood outside the entrance to the cave. “Whole gang’s here again? Wow,” Hate observed. “I’da scattered to the hills. That way I wouldn’t have to see my friends die all at once.” “You better watch it!” Dash yelled. “Aw, the putty tat’s bearing her claws at me. Isn’t it cute?” Hate snickered, nudging Guilt. “Well, Rainbow Dash, I’m watching you all the time. It’s like you have your own reality show.” “Huh?” Dash asked. “Simple,” Hate answered, walking closer to Rainbow Dash, who tried not to stay steadfast. “You think we’d let you go without a tight leash? You might wanna rethink that a little. You’re on the fast track to the top of this mountain, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” “Oh yeah?” Dash asked, stepping forward. Hate blew in Dash’s face, and the blue warrior’s nose wrinkled in disgust as the smell burned her sinuses. She leapt backward, coughing. “Ew!” “Define ‘Sulfur,’” Hate said, rolling her eyes. “C’mon, Dash, don’t go down that easily.” “You can’t force us to go to the top of this mountain, Hate,” Celestia growled. Hate laughed. “‘Course I can, ‘Tia. Just takes a bit of elbow grease, is all. Guilt, would you like to do the honors?” Guilt nodded, vanishing. He warped around the area, appearing for short bursts in the air before finally grabbing Sweetie Belle and warping back behind Hate, restraining the teen and muzzling her with dark energy. “Sweetie Belle!” Rarity yelled, rage filling her system. “You give her back right this instant!” “Oh, yeah, ‘cause I’d totally do that after I just took her,” Hate snickered. “‘Oh, um, sorry for just taking her two seconds ago. Here, have her back free of charge!’ Um, no, Rarity. That’s not how it works.” “Let Sweetie Belle go!” Scootaloo yelled. Rarity indignantly pawed her hoof on the ground. “Fiendish coward!” Hate laughed. “Oh am I, now? Guess that’s just an occupational hazard. Anyway, you don’t get to the top of this mountain within two days, she dies. Or something bad happens. Or both.” Celestia stepped forward, glaring at Hate. “Go on. Kill her, right now.” The others in the group turned in shock to Celestia, and Rarity cried out in indignation. Hate’s determined expression wavered. “What?” the grungy yellow pegasus asked. “You heard me,” Celestia hissed. “Look, I do what I want with my prisoners,” Hate stated. Celestia laughed harshly. “You can’t even do that. You’re still just as pathetic and weak as you were when I knew you.” ******* Hate’s aura changed as her expression turned to the utmost of anger. The cold of the blizzard began to seep through the area, sending a chill down the heroes’ spines. While Guilt simply kept glaring at the Elements and their friends, Hate’s new attitude was nothing less than petrifying. Dark energy swirled around her hooves as lightning crackled in the distant, yet rapidly approaching snowstorm. “So I’m pathetic and weak for not hurting kids, huh?” Hate asked. “Guess that makes you the strongest pony on earth, Celestia.” “That is not who I am, Hate. You’ve been living under that façade too long,” Celestia growled back. “Yeah, but is it that far off from the truth?” Hate asked resentfully. “Why am I even having this conversation with you, of all ponies? It’s always in one ear, out the other. You haven’t even bothered to teach the Elements’ history to the actual Elements, besides that twisted image that was programmed into that Obsidian copy. Y’know, you didn’t tell them what actually happened.” Obsidian... copy? Twilight asked. Does Hate mean that stallion who first tested us? Does Hate know about Verba? “Look, I may hurt a lot of ponies, ‘Tia,” Hate began, ambling over to the sun goddess, “but I never hurt kids. It doesn’t really matter, though, ‘cause you’ll want her back anyway. And even if I don’t hurt her, Envy and Arrogance have been whining at me for a new chew toy.” Celestia laughed. “Who’re you fooling, Hate? You can’t do that. You’ve never been able to harm a child, directly or otherwise.” “So you are?” Hate challenged. “N-No,” Celestia hesitated, taking a step back. “But you’re an Element of Discord. If anypony can kill, it’s you, so it’s idiotic to say that you ‘won’t hurt kids.’” Hate threw back her head and laughed, though this laugh was not a happy one. “Oh, come on, Celestia! You’re pulling the Discord card on me? Holy... Y’know what? This might actually be a good time for a history lesson.” Hate turned to the others, and her demeanor changed. Instead of the lighter attitude she once had, her gaze turned frightening and cold. “What you have seen so far of me is merely an act to make you despise me as much as possible. In fact, I am far smarter than all of you combined. As of now, we are executing a plan that will not only end with your ultimate demise and elimination, but an absolute takeover of the Equestrian government and assimilation of its citizens to the rule of Justice.” While most of the group had their mouths open in shock, Olly simply sighed, rolling his eyes. “Oh, great. That just makes my day. Mr. ‘I-can-walk-all-over-my-enemies-like-nopony’s- business actually has the brains to back it up.” Hate’s persona readjusted, reverting to its original state. “What, you thought I wouldn’t actually learn things after, what, twenty-five thousand years? Come on. It’s one thing to act dumb, Elements, it’s another to actually be dumb. I’m just like this to tee you off.” “...What are you, Hate?” Twilight asked. She paused, then continued. “You say you’ve been alive for twenty-five thousand years. Ask yourself, what have you become?” “Well, Poindexter, let me answer that question with one of my own,” Hate sneered. She pointed at Celestia. “Do you know who she is? Besides your little princess-y pile of worthless?” “You take that back!” Celestia snarled. Hate grinned. “Aight, now we’re getting somewhere. See, ponies like her don’t just get that ‘important’ position overnight. They have to do something. Anything. For us, it was hold a coup over all of Equestria and shut all injustices down. For her, it was to get rid of all of that. Ut 'iustus quis vos operor. Recte?” “Huh?” Twilight asked, shaking her head. She was feeling a powerful presence, and it was interfering with her magic and impeding her thoughts. Those words... they’re the ancient language! “Care ta repeat that last bit?” Applejack asked, scratching her head. She hadn’t felt the presence. “Et semper haerent ubi non pertineat nasum vestri. Miror quomodo vos vivus sustinuisset usque nunc.” Hate added with a sarcastic grin, staring at Celestia. “Expectare. Ego oblitus aliquid.” Rarity’s head felt fuzzy as the words started to seep into her magic and fiddle around with it. Ugh... what is he saying that’s making me so dizzy? She stumbled, falling to her knees. “O, ius. Te sunt desperantium venereum. Scitis, Skids esset beatus cum quomodo versa, actu.” Hate smirked. Celestia grew increasingly furious as Hate spoke. She was glaring at him fiercely and pawing her front hoof on the rocky floor. “Ipse fuit nunquam vivus, tu scis,” Hate continued, dropping her voice to a whisper. “Ipse fuit mortuus ab initio.” “Satis!” Celestia screamed, her rage overtaking her. “Inclusit, vos... vos ignorare spurius!” “Woah, woah, woah, Celestia, watch your tongue!” Hate threw back her head and laughed hysterically. “Jeez oh jeez, looks like you just blew your cover!” Pinkie gaped, staring and Hate and then back at Celestia. “Wh-What just happened?” Blood rushed to Celestia’s cheeks. She she stared at Hate with utter disgust. “Monster.” “Um, yeah, you’re the one that beat me to death twenty-five thousand years ago, so I wouldn’t be talking,” Hate retorted. Pointing at Dash, she added, “But, to be fair, she did, too.” “Huh? Me? Get real!” Dash said, laughing slightly. “How many screws do you have loose?” “Not as many as I’m gonna knock outta you once all this’s over,” Hate glared. She turned to the rest of the group. “You should take a good long look at who you’ve been risking your life for. You might learn something.” Hate nodded to Guilt, who had been stalwart and unmoving this entire time. The young stallion used dark energy to open a rift in space, dragging the squirming Sweetie Belle through. “See you at the top of the mountain, losers,” Hate sneered before crossing to the other side of the portal. Olly stared. “This has certainly been a series of unfortunate events so far, hasn’t it? What exactly did Hate mean when he said Dash and Celestia did the exact same thing, what was it, ‘twenty-five thousand’ years ago?” Twilight slowly recovered, and was piecing the puzzle together in her mind. Where could Dash and Celestia both have been that long ago? What do they have in common? They’re both outgoing and nice, they’re both brash, they’re both caring, they’re both... ...loyal. Twilight finally made the connection. Celestia shivered in the cold of the approaching blizzard, choking back tears. “I-... I’m sorry for not telling you, Twilight. I really am.” “I’m sorry, too, Celestia. I thought you wouldn’t hide anything from us. I thought I told you how dangerous it was to keep secrets. So tell me,” Twilight growled, getting to her hooves and glaring angrily at the sun goddess. “How am I supposed to trust you now?” ===================================================================== [Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.     This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.     Please let me know if a link doesn’t work.     Intense chapter is intense.