The Truths We Deny
Chapter 7
“Hello, Celestia,” the figure on the throne said. “I see you've finally decided to come here.”
“Serenity? Is it... is it really you?” Celestia replied. Her eyes brimmed with tears. “Are you really here?”
“I've been here for quite some time,” the other alicorn said. Her dark eyes flashed. “Not that you would care.”
Celestia stared incredulously. “What do you mean? Of course I care. You're alive. I had feared you to be dead.”
Serenity narrowed her gaze at Celestia. Her expression was stony and cold. “I see. You don't remember.” She sighed. “You wouldn't remember. It would have been too painful for you.”
“What are you talking about?” Celestia said. “What am I supposed to remember?”
“Many things,” Serenity said, anger in her voice. “Things we must eventually air out. You will have to remember it all, Celestia. You will know what you did.”
Serenity waved a hoof. A portal opened out of nowhere in the wall. Pix started walking towards it, almost as if he were in a trance.
“What are you doing with him?” Celestia asked. “What is going on, sister? Why are you acting like this? I came in search of you.”
Serenity lifted a hoof, silencing the white alicorn. “Silence. We have some guests we have to retrieve first, and some memories that you need to regain. Only then will we speak. Pix, enter the portal and find them. Quickly!”
Pix nodded and turned towards the swirling portal. He leaped in without a thought to himself, disappearing into nothingness. Serenity grimaced.
“There. Now we wait. You have been doing much since I've been gone, Celestia,” she said. “Keeper of the Summer Lands, ruler of ponies. Tell me, how does it feel to be loved by so many?”
“I... I don't understand, sister,” Celestia said. “What is the meaning of this?”
“Oh... just some playful banter before the real fun begins,” Serenity replied wistfully. “Tell me... did it hurt to banish Luna? Did she cry? I'm surprised you remember it.”
Celestia's eyes widened. “How dare you? Banishing Luna was the worst thing I've ever had to do. I regret my decision, but there was no other way.”
“The worst thing you've ever had to do?” Serenity said with a grin. “Are you certain about that?”
“What are you talking about? What did I do to you?” Celestia said. “Tell me!”
The portal began to spark and pop, interrupting the two alicorns. Serenity grinned even wider.
“Ah ah ah,” she said. “Our guests are arriving...”
*****************************************
Twilight and the others kept moving forward, but no further memories presented themselves to them. Twilight began to feel frustrated.
“I don't understand. That can't be all there is,” she said.
“We've walked around this place like twenty times, Twilight,” Rainbow said. “No other crazy memories. So where's the Princess at?”
Twilight grimaced. “That's just it. If she's in the Summer Lands or Tartarus... we can't get to her. She could be in real danger, and we can't get there.”
“You can,” a new voice said.
Twilight's ears perked up as she turned towards where the new voice had come from. Standing in front of a swirling portal of magic was a small reddish creature. Twilight recognized it as an imp, a creature of Tartarus.
“Who are you?” Twilight said.
“Eww... what are you?” Rarity interjected.
“I think he's cute,” Fluttershy said.
“Is this really the time for that?” Rainbow replied.
“My name is Pix. I am here to take you to my master., and to the Princess of the Sun,” the imp said. His voice drawled on like he was in some form of trance. “Only the two with the power to enter may come.”
“Which two of us do ya mean?” Applejack said.
“I believe she means myself and Princess Twilight,” Discord said, glaring at the imp. “Who do you answer to, imp?”
“I answer to she who is the lord of all those who pass on,” the imp said in a monotone voice. “You will come with me.”
Twilight glanced up at Discord and nodded. She turned back to the imp. “Alright. We'll follow you. What about the rest of my friends?”
“They will be returned back where they came from after we leave,” the imp said. He turned and walked back into the portal.
“I guess... I guess we should follow,” Twilight said, turning to the others. “Don't worry, girls. I'll find the Princess.”
“Indeed. I am curious about this,” Discord said, glaring at the portal.
“Tell the Princesses that we are fine, and that will return soon with Celestia,” Twilight said.
The others nodded as a whole. Twilight turned back towards the portal and walked into it, Discord floating in the air behind her. The memory world faded into nothingness as the portal coalesced into that of a grand palace throne room.
Twilight stepped through after the imp, her eyes widening as she rested her gaze on the two other figures in the room. One was Princess Celestia, the other was a dark alicorn that sat on the throne.
“Our guests are arriving...” the dark alicorn said.
Twilight looked down at Celestia. “Princess? Is that you?”
“Twilight? What are you doing here?” Celestia said. “And... Discord? You as well?”
Discord's eyes burned at the mare on the throne. He remained silent as they smoldered into cinders. He nodded, not taking his gaze away from her.
“We're here to bring you home,” Twilight said. “We've been looking for you ever since I got your message.”
Celestia's eyes narrowed as she glanced up at the mare on the throne. “Why have you brought them here, Serenity?”
The alicorn on the throne chuckled softly. “Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship. It is good to finally meet you. I've had my eye on you for a long time.”
“Serenity? As in, Princess Serenity?” Twilight said, cocking her head in confusion. “I don't understand. I thought you were...”
“Gone?” Serenity said. “Yes... I was gone. I have been here in this castle, waiting for the right time.”
“The right time for what?” Discord snarled.
“Ah, yes. Discord. I had hoped I was correct and that you would be among your new friends,” Serenity replied. “It is ever so good to see you. Have you missed me?”
“What are you playing at, Serenity?” Celestia said angrily. “Why are they here? Why are you acting this way?”
Serenity stood from the throne, rising to her full height. Her crown glimmered in the soft light of the throne room. She waved a hoof, causing another portal to open up beside her. A dark equine figure stepped out of it.
“Tirek?” Twilight said. Her horn began to ignite with powerful magic.
Serenity lifted her other hoof, dissipating Twilight's magic immediately. She motioned to the centaur beside her.
“Tirek agreed to come, only to dispel the truth of the matter. The truth that Celestia has forgotten. She is here to be judged, to pay for the crimes she has committed,” she said, her eyes flashing again.
Tirek remained silent, his yellow eyes narrowing. He presented his arms, showing that he was still in chains.
“What crimes? This doesn't make any sense,” Twilight said. “Celestia didn't do anything to you. It was Tirek. The book said so!”
“Ahh, so ignorant of the truth you are,” Tirek said. “Even you cannot see it, can you? After everything you've witnessed, you cannot see the truth. The truth that the Princess of the Sun would so readily deny.”
“Stop it,” Celestia said angrily. “Stop this, right now. I will hear this truth, if it will appease my sister so. I came looking for her, hoping that she was alive. I will do whatever it takes to reclaim her from your clutches, Tirek.”
“My clutches? Hah! I am bound in chains,” Tirek snorted.
“Tirek,” Serenity said simply. “Enough. She will see the pain she has caused. You will all see it.”
“Get on with it then,” Discord said as he slithered up into the air. “This waiting is ever so boring.”
Serenity smiled, a dark and terrible thing. She lifted a hoof and her horn glowed. “So be it. Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship. Discord, Lord of Chaos. You shall be the judges. You will both decide on her fate. Will you be able to forgive that which is unforgivable?”
“Whatever she did, you're the one who has to forgive her,” Twilight challenged. “Princess Celestia is my mentor, and even more than that, she is my friend. I would never judge her harshly.”
“We shall see,” Serenity said. Her horn exploded, bathing the room in soft light. The assembled creatures disappeared and reappeared in a flash, surrounded by swirls of color.
Twilight watched in awe as the swirls of color began to coalesce into several ponies. She recognized them as Luna, Celestia, and Serenity. They were in the same castle as they were now, but they were clearly younger. In fact, Twilight recognized the scene. It was just after they'd sent Discordant away. It was before Serenity's ascension. Why was Serenity showing them this?
“Now then. Let us begin the transference of power,” the young Celestia proclaimed. “Are you ready, dearest sister?”
“I am,” Serenity said, stepping forward.
Celestia and Luna's horns glowed in sync, sending waves of magic into the air. A swirling column of light wrapped around Serenity, lifting her into the air. Her eyes glowed with ferocious power, and when all was said and done, two elegant wings spread forth from her sides. Twilight recognized this as well, having undergone the transformation from unicorn to alicorn. It was Serenity's ascension.
“It is done,” Celestia said. “How do you feel, sister?”
“I... I don't know what to say,” Serenity said. “I can feel the magic here. It's everywhere. I can feel it's power.”
“Yes... the power of this place will give you the magic you need to form your realm. A realm that will sit apart from Tartarus and the Summer Lands, and control access to those realms,” Celestia said. “Your realm.”
“Mine? And what place do I have in this realm?” Serenity asked.
“You are the Princess of the Final Rest. The Arbiter of Souls,” Celestia said. “She who controls the flow of life. This is your duty.”
Serenity nodded. Her horn glowed fiercely and a crown appeared on her brow. It was made of black onyx and glimmered in the light. “So be it.”
The memory dissipated into nothingness. Twilight grimaced.
“So... Celestia made you into an alicorn,” she said. “I'm not sure how to break it to you, but that's not a bad thing.”
Serenity's eyes flared. “Celestia's reasons for doing so were flawed from the very first. You saw her other memories. The ones she'd forgotten. You knew how she felt for him. It was her way of separating us. To have her for himself. You will see.”
Celestia looked up at Serenity. “Him? I... I remember him... I'm starting to...” She glanced down at her hooves silently.
“Yes, you will remember everything,” Serenity said. “By the time this is over, you will know what you did.”
Her horn blazed once more, the memory space congealing and coalescing into another set of figures. This time it was Celestia and Discordant. They were sitting at a dining table together. The latter seemed to be pleading with the former.
“Please, Princess. You must tell me, is she alright?” Discordant said.
“Serenity is fine, dear Discordant,” the younger Celestia said. “Would you like some more tea?”
“No, I'm fine thank you. I would like to see her, if that's possible,” Discordant replied.
Celestia sighed. “Discordant... you know that isn't possible. Only a being such as myself can visit the realm of the Final Rest without being... well... dead.”
“But... you could take me there, right?” Discordant said.
“No. I cannot. I'm sorry,” Celestia said. “Now my dear, would you like something else to eat?”
“No, I don't want your food!” Discordant shouted angrily. “Why won't you let me see her?! You took her from me! You were jealous of us!”
Celestia smiled softly. “If you're going to shout at me, I will be very cross with you. As you will recall, Discordant, I have been very accommodating to you, given your behavior. It was you who went behind my back with her.”
“And I've tried to make it up to you by being a good friend,” Discordant said exasperatedly. “But you have taken every possible method to ensure that Serenity and I will never be together. I... I have to go. I'm sorry for wasting your time. I will find a way to see her. Mark my words, Celestia.”
The memory faded into nothingness once more. Discord's eyes drifted down to Celestia before falling onto the ground below her.
“I remember that conversation like it was yesterday,” he said. “You tried to keep Serenity and I apart. All because you couldn't forgive me. Because you still wanted... me.”
Celestia lowered her head. Tears streamed from her face. “No... that wasn't it! I never wanted to hurt you... I l-l-l-loved you! I loved you with everything I had! Then you went and...”
“Became me,” Discord finished for her.
“How?” Twilight said. “How did you become... well, you?”
Discord's eyes rolled back up into his head. He swirled around Twilight, coming face to face with her. “You must understand of course that being here is beginning to jog most of my memories of that day, but not all of them,” he said, turning so the purple mare could see inside his ears. Tiny versions of Discord were wearing jogging suits and getting ready to run some sort of race.
“So... what do you remember?” Twilight said.
“Swirling magical chaos,” Discord replied. “A treasure far greater than any being had ever attained. It didn't even have a name. Names were... boring for it. I found references to the treasure in the Everfree Library. One of the remnants of the old world that had left us behind. I may very well be the only being alive that knows anything about it.”
“And you just... became Discord?” Twilight said, cocking her head in confusion.
“He sacrificed his life. His old life,” Serenity said, anger in her voice. “I was so angry when I'd found out what he'd done. He gave his life to try and find me, and it turned him into a monster.”
“Discord is no monster,” Twilight said. “He's a little misunderstood sometimes, but he is my friend. He did what he did because he loved you.”
“I did what I did because she made me do it,” Discord said, sneering at Celestia. “She is ultimately responsible, Twilight. No matter how she tries to spin it, it was her jealousy that caused my existence.”
Twilight frowned, trying to piece together everything in her mind. Celestia couldn't have had the intent to separate the two from the beginning, could she? She couldn't readily imagine her mentor behaving in such a manner. And yet, all the memories she'd seen, every little piece had suggested that Celestia's jealousy had led her down a darker path. A path she wasn't sure she would like when she'd seen the whole picture.
She glanced up at Serenity and grimaced. “Continue on, then. What happened next?”