//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Little Sun // by Rated Ponystar //------------------------------// Ever since she showed her daughter the mirror, Princess Celestia had been worried. Sunset had started to  show signs of further interest in the mirror despite Celestia’s repeated warnings not to look at it further. The idea that a demon was a possible involvement in her daughter’s future was more than enough to cause panic in Celestia’s heart; she didn’t need to know what other dangers there might be in her daughter’s life. Instead, Celestia focused on an event she had been planning for weeks: her daughter’s birthday. Because of the secret nature surrounding her birth, Celestia had been forced to skip her daughter’s real birthday date each year. Instead, they celebrated on the day she took Sunset Shimmer as her student, holding a party every year that acted as a celebration for both. The entire castle from the guards to the servants were invited each year, but nopony else. Celestia had hoped that Sunset would have friends that could also join, but yet again it was another friendless year. Still, she had many years to teach Sunset friendship before her sister’s return. Right now, her primary focus was to teach her daughter magic and keep her safe from all harm. Specifically, harm from the Nightmare Cult. “Are you sure these reports are accurate?” asked Celestia, removing her gaze from the scroll and towards the pegasus scout who kneeled before her. “Yes, my Princess,” she answered. “There have been whispers within the cult about possible assassination attempts, mostly on you. We’ve known this has been one of their objectives since their founding, but they have not yet been in such serious talks like this since the attempted attempt on your life three hundred years ago.” A small growl escaped Celestia’s lips. She remembered that day very well. It had been a parade done in her honor while she had been by the box seats with some of her closest friends. All of a sudden, assassins jumped from hidden trap doors on one of the floats and dove at the box with magical blades powerful enough to even threaten her life. Many of her friends were killed that day, but she survived thanks to hundreds years of training and instinct. She sought to bring the cult to justice, but most of them managed to slip away and go underground for centuries. At least, until recently. “We shall double the guards in the castle from now on. No single patrols. Always in twos or threes. Guards are to be given Class B armaments, with permission to change to Class A if danger approaches. Most importantly, Sunset Shimmer is to be protected at all costs. Her life is more important to me then anything, even my own,” ordered Celestia. The scout’s eyes widened. “But Princess, surely you are more important?” “No, she is. Dismissed,” said Celestia, narrowing her eyes. The scout bowed and left, leaving Celestia with her two regular guards and her Captain of the Guard, Chainmail. “I’ve been going over the traces of the Nightmare Cult’s actions for the past three years,” said Chainmail as he followed Princess Celestia towards the doors leading to the great hall. “Most of them have been in contact with other known locations the Nightmare Cult has been active in such as Cloudsdale, Vanhoofer, and Ponyville. We’ve conducted raids on the last one in secret where we discovered plans for excursions to the Griffin Empire. When we interrogated two individuals we captured, they refused to tell us and attempted to escape. We had no choice but to... eliminate them.” “Where did you dispose of the bodies?” asked Celestia, silently praying for the two lost souls. It was not the first time she and her forces had to do this for the sake of Equestria, and every death she wept, even if they were an enemy. “We made it look like they fell from a bridge that was broken, their relatives on the apple farm were notified. As far as anypony knows, they died of an accident.” *** “YOU KILLED APPLEJACK’S PARENTS?!” Before Celestia knew it, a blast of magic had blown her across the room and straight into a wall. If not for the silence spell she had placed earlier, the entire palace would have been alerted. A part of Celestia knew this would happen, but Twilight deserved to hear the whole truth. She wasn’t going to lie about this or anything related to her daughter. The other part was impressed that she managed to learn the Royal Canterlot Voice so well. Twilight, eyes blazing with fury, jumped onto Princess Celestia with her horn charged up and ready to cast. “Do you have any idea what you did to that family?! Granny Smith had to work tirelessly to kick those trees at her age! It ruined her hip! Big Macintosh and Applejack blamed themselves for years for not going with their parents and maybe helping them at the ‘accident’! And Apple Bloom was only a few months old! She has no memory of her father or mother! You ruined that family!” “I know, Twilight,” answered Celestia, tears dripping down her eyes. Twilight shook her head. “I don’t understand... you’re suppose to be merciful! Kind! The peaceful ruler who has kept us out of war for nearly a thousand years! How could you do something so horrible?!” “Twilight, what makes you think that is not the first time I’ve done that?” asked Celestia. Twilight stepped back in shock as Celestia got up and sighed. “Do you really think I kept peace up for a thousand years with diplomacy alone? I’ve had ordered assassinations, approved of night raids, sent spies to every corner of our nation and beyond, and blackmailed others to keep them quiet. All of this was done in the shadows and without any record. I’ve been almost assassinated thirty-seven times in my life, half of them from my own subjects. Luna alone has been targeted eighteen times since she returned, but she only knows of six. I’ve manipulated many events in our history to keep us safe and preserve us from dangers both inside and outside of our country. Half of what you find in history books is all but twisted versions of the truth.” She looked up and stared straight into Twilight’s eyes. “You alone have been targeted five times since you came to my castle as my student. Twice since you became a princess. I’ve stopped them all by striking first and without mercy.” Falling onto her haunches, Twilight slowly turned pale. Slowly, Celestia levitated her crown that had fallen after the attack and looked at it with such hatred she wished she could melt the thing and throw it into a ditch to be forgotten forever. “Being princess... being a ruler of a nation means dirtying your hooves. It’s part of the political life, Twilight. Always has been. I have so much blood on my hooves that I know one day I’ll pay for it all. This life or the next. But if I can keep my precious ponies safe then I will never hesitate.”  “But then why make me a princess at all then?!” shouted Twilight. “If this is what the life of a princess is like then I want nothing to do with it!” “You won’t have to suffer what I have suffered because you will be better than me,” answered Celestia, shaking her head with a smile. “You... you have so much potential. So much good you can do for this world. You can lead others by example and friendship, building a legacy that will last long after you are gone. I believe the reason destiny choose you to become a princess was so you and your friends could have the authority and power to change our world. A better world where my shadowy actions will not be needed. I don’t know how or when it will happen, but this is my faith in you, my student.” “Oh, great... heh, no pressure,” whispered Twilight, chuckling as she rubbed the back of her head. She then bowed before Princess Celestia. “I... I’m sorry I attacked you...” “I deserved it, Twilight. Even if I never knew Applejack back then, I still deserved it,” answered Celestia. “W-what do I tell her though? Should I tell her?” asked Twilight, biting her lip. “That is up to you. I don’t know how she would take the fact that her parents were traitors trying to serve a cult that was dedicated to destroying me and all I held dear for Nightmare Moon and her Eternal Night. Lives have been ruined and lost because of them, and I saw justice for every pony suffered by their hooves. From what you mentioned in your letters, Applejack idolizes her parents and seeks to live up the expectations they had for her. Telling her the truth might destroy her, even worse if it got out it would destroy her family name.” Twilight sighed and nodded her head. “Maybe... maybe it is for the best she remains ignorant. I don’t want to hurt her.” “It is up to you, Twilight,” answered Celestia. “Do you wish to end our talk tonight or shall we continue?” “No, we can continue. What happened next? Did the cult strike back at you?” Celestia lowered her head to the point where her mane covered her entire face. Rage and sorrow filled up her heart at she remembered that day with almost perfectly clarity. “Yes...they hurt me where I hurt most... They targeted my daughter... and everything went downhill from there.”