//------------------------------//
// The Imperfect Truth 
// Story: Perfection 
// by LeapingEquine 
//------------------------------//

The study became silent as Celestia stopped talking. 
"What did you think of the legend, Twilight?"
Twilight grimaced. "Do you want the truth,  Princess, or..."
"The truth,"stated Celestia, quite firmly.
"At best, this is a bedtime story for little fillies, if a horrific one. 
"At worst...it makes absolutely no sense! It's full of absolutely impossible things, it certainly doesn't seem to have any credible sources, and it looks like the ending was never determined!
"I'm sorry, Princess Celestia, but I have absolutely no idea how this connects to a potentially dangerous unidentified spell. " 
"You've criticized the legend for its unreality. Does that mean you think the events in it happened differently? "
"H...happened?!" Twilight sputtered. "Princess Celestia, none of these things could have happened! With all due respect, they don't have an iota of historical accuracy! The whole story sounds like the ravings of a mad pony!"
"Oh, yes?" Celestia's voice suddenly became colder. "Then I must be a mad pony, Twilight Sparkle."
"Princess Celestia, what..."
"I've sometime wondered myself, though."
"Princess Celestia, what in Equestria are you talking about?"
"Eyewitnesses."
Twilight drew in a few shallow breaths. She needed air...
She felt a panic attack, building up inside her. Her mouth was dry, and she was totally confused.
If her life was a book; this would be the part where she'd be completely dumbfounded at the general out-of-character feeling. 
Something was very, very wrong here.
Celestia watched Twilight start hyperventilating. Her faithful student had also been so neurotic...
But now was the wrong time to care. She had to brace herself. 
The truth would have to come to light.
"Princess Celestia..." choked out Twilight.
The sun was a symbol of truth, after all, shining light on everything. A beautiful light.
A perfect light.
Celestia rushed over to Twilight and thumped her on the back.
"Twilight! Breathe!"
Twilight gave a couple of weak rasps, and wheezily began to breathe again.
Covered in spit, a wave of worry suddenly washed over Celestia. What if Twilight hadn't been all right? What if she had continued choking?
It would have been all her fault if Twilight died.
Deep breath. In, out. Strong, solid. The truth still had to come out.
"Twilight, where do you think I got that legend from?" she whispered.
Her voice was calm, gentle. 
Twilight must be kept calm. There was no telling what she'd do if she panicked.
"I thought it was some flea market "historical story" the Archives managed to pick up..."
Twilight coughed once more, and shakily got up on her hooves.
"The legend is nothing but the truth."
Celestia said it calmly, plainly, as if she was stating a simple fact.
Twilight was silent. She had just spent, what, five minutes trying to contradict and it had done absolutely nothing.
She might as well listen. It was Princess Celestia, after all.
"The legend tells of two sisters finding a place for ponies to live in." Celestia continued.
"But you and Princess Luna weren't born yet! The three tribes didn't even exist!" Twilight interjected. 
"What makes you think I wasn't alive then?"
"There's no mention of you in any historical document, and anyway, the three pony tribes discovered Equestria."
"I'm not saying Luna and I discovered Equestria, Twilight. We only found the place the three pony tribes originally lived in." 
"But if you and Princess Luna were alive then, why were the three tribes at each other's throats? You taught me about friendship. Why not them?"
"I said we were alive, Twilight. Alive does not necessarily mean conscious.
"The blast of magic in the legend drove away the darkness, but it nearly destroyed both Luna and myself.
"We were blasted deep, deep underground, barely breathing.
"It took nearly a thousand years in our coma-like state for us to recover.
"Rather amazingly, the ponies formed their own civilization without us. The effects of the blast even meant they forgot us and their origin, although not entirely. 
"The banner of Equestria does have us on it.
"We went out into the world, and from there, you can find plenty of historical documents to confirm our existence. 
"Especially in Starswirl's notes."
"But...what about the "darkness"?"
"The blast was the "shield" you found. It trapped the darkness inside Equestria and the world around it, while simultaneously weakening its power."
"Why is there evil in Equestria, then? Things like Tirek, Discord, Chrysalis and Sombra?"
"The darkness was severely weakened, but it did gain strength from the inherent evil in ponies.
"All of the incredible amount of disasters that befall Equestria are a result of it, although I don't think they have any connection to the Motherland anymore, or are even aware of its existence. "
"...'inherently evil'? How can that be true? And what's 'the Motherland'?
"The Motherland is the place where the beings in the legend ran. You've been to it yourself, when you became a princess.
"And sadly, ponies are inherently evil. Only the beings were perfect, and ponies have almost no resemblance to them. 
"Unfortunately, it's the same with other sentient creatures in this corner of the universe.
"Though they existed previously, the darkness touched them too. Even creatures like griffins and dragons are inherently evil.
"As I've just said, only the beings were perfect. " 
"B...beings? Perfect?! Princess Celestia, if what you're saying is true, then the first ponies-"
"They were nothing like ponies."
"Fine! The first equines were genocidal monsters, who destroyed everything in their path that was different from them, and ended up causing untold agony for all of Equestria and beyond!"
"They were perfect, Twilight. How could they have been, "genocidal monsters", as you put it?"
"Who told you they were perfect?"
"Twilight, you would think they were perfect too, if you'd just seen them. They were beautiful."
"Beautiful doesn't mean perfect. If I've learned anything, it's that it doesn't matter what a pony looks like. All the things that count are on the inside.
"Don't you remember all those friendship reports?"
"I do, Twilight. But I also remember all the obstacles you had to overcome.
"Friendship might be a road to perfection, but it's a very long one."
"Friendship is the core of Equestria! The Elements of Harmony-"
"No longer exist. And no pony truly understands where they came from, or how they worked.
"Not Starswirl, not Luna, not even me."
"Friendship matters" Twilight whispered. "It matters more than any pony knows. You controlled the Elements once, with Luna. Haven't you told her about any of this?"
"She was far too young to remember."
"Fine. You've told no pony this highly-biased legend, no pony but me.
"Why me?"
"Because, Twilight, you are almost perfect. With all your flaws, you are Princess of Friendship.
"If friendship is perfection, you're closer to perfection than any pony I've ever known."
"What makes you think I won't go and tell every pony? I'm sure Equestria deserves to hear their secret history."
"At my expense?"
Twilight hesitated, bit her lip. Finally, her brow cleared. She was calm; official, almost. A true princess.
"Princess Celestia; you've always told me to do the right thing."
Celestia inclined her head in a solemn nod.
"You've learned your lessons very well, Princess Twilight Sparkle.
"But I cannot let you speak. I had to tell some pony, for the sake of my peace of mind, but I cannot let you tell others.
"My faithful student, I will be kind to you. I will do what I did to Luna.
"I will erase your memory. For your own good, and that of Equestria's. 
"And for mine."
Twilight, though shocked, quickly gathered herself together.
Her horn flared lavender, and she prepared to defend herself against Celestia; her life-long mentor, whom she had only a little more than an hour ago thought perfect.
But Celestia struck first.
Her horn blazed a brilliant gold; the color of the sun; of truth; of divine justice; of perfection.
The burst of magic was blinding; it filled the study, Twilight gave a cry, of shock-
And it was all over.
The light was gone, and Twilight only had a confused look on her face, as if she had forgotten what she was going to say.
Celestia decided she'd spur Twilight's memory.
"And as you were saying, the "shield" is only some magical protection spells cast over Equestria..."
"Really...oh, yes! I remember. 
"I'm sorry I got so worried over nothing. It's natural that you and Princess Luna should have defenses up in case something happens.
"In fact, I should have guessed it was you and Luna from the start! The energies carried by the caster's magical planes suggested multiple casters who-"
Celestia, with a smile, permitted herself to interrupt. 
"Twilight, as much as I love discussing magical science and theology with you, I'm afraid I have documents to attend to."
Twilight blushed apologetically.
"Sorry, Princess Celestia. I take the right door in the corridor to get to the throne room, don't I?"
"Better safe than sorry, Twilight. And yes, it is the right door. If you're having trouble, summon a guard.
I'm sure your brother would love to help you. And Flash Sentry has taken to asking about you..."



When Twilight finally left the study; the oak doors thudding behind her; Celestia became quiet; solemn.
The dusk had long turned to night. Stars glowed dimly through the stained glass window, and the typical palace chandelier was the chamber's only source of light. 
Twilight was right, in a way. Friendship was magic.
It was perfection.
Now that Twilight was Princess of Friendship, perhaps she would spread friendship throughout Equestria, and beyond.
If it was going to happen, though, it would take many years.
If it would ever happen.
But Celestia could wait. She was good at waiting.
What she was not good at was hoping.
She looked through the window; wondering the same thing she had wondered for countless years.
Did my sacrifice really mean anything to you? she mused.
Did they remember her, honor her as a hero, and tell her name to all their foals?
Or had it all been lost to oblivion, to the joy of running?
Celestia wondered.
They were out there, somewhere. 
Running gracefully in a starry world.
Bright, beautiful.
Perfection.