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// Twilight Sparkle 
// Story: Killer of Six 
// by Opium4TmassS 
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.

Celestia reminded Twilight Sparkle of those painting of eastern goddesses she had read about in her books. Sitting on her throne made of gold and platinum. Her once glorious mane, now completely shaved off with thousands of cables and wires jacked into her head leading to various terminals attached to the walls. Letting her see all and know all that is happening in Equestria at any moment. She looked out at Twilight with neon blue pupiless eyes that saw everything that was.

At one time she raised the sun, later on she ruled Equestria, now she was Equestria's soul. Watching over the ponies, watching over her land, Twilight felt she wasn't seeing the ruler of her land any longer but its goddess now. Who became one with everything.

Above her, embedded into the wall were the six elements of harmony, placed into a circle. Throbbing, glowing, giving off a faint aura of barely contained magic

Luna stood in the far corner, near the door, away from the both of them. But close enough. Twilight noticed that's where she always seemed to be, close but far away at the same time. Always silently watching and listening. She wondered if that was such a good thing.

"And the rabbit?" asked Celestia. speaking through hidden speakers attached throughout the room.

"I let it go. Didn't seem any reason to keep it." Twilight Sparkle answered. Bandaged up and loaded with so many  pain pills she was surprised she wasn't floating on the moon.

"You do realize this artificial will breed with the native rabbits. Who knows how many of them will be from him. Given enough time Probably all of the rabbits will have some part of him in them."

Twilight Sparkle shrugged her shoulders, painfully away that that probably wasn't the best thing to do. Even with the pills she felt empty inside, like parts of her heart was torn up and shredded beyond repair. She felt numb, numb to the world, numb to Equestria, and numb to her teacher and ruler. She felt quiet on the inside.

Celestia turned her head at an angle as she looked at her officer. "I know it was hard to retire those five, but it had to be done Twilight."

"Why?" she asked, realizing that was the first time she ever asked such a question.

Celestia cocked her head to the left, continuing to stare at her. "I noticed the Nauu-Shim cleric chanting all over Ponyville." she said. Changing the subject.

"I thought it was strange. They only do the Kalash-em or the blessing of the day at sunrise and sunset, but they were doing it throughout the day. I couldn't understand why."

"Your a wonderful student Twilight, but you were never as studious as the others before you." said Celestia staring at her. "I remember when the changelings embraces  Nauu-Shim over a thousand years ago. Its funny isn't it, when I first dealt with them, they had a queen named Chrysalis who wanted to control all of Equestria, now she isn't even a footnote in history. Forgotten by all, even her own kind. Time does erase all wounds."

Twilight stood their in confusion wondering what this was all about, where she was leading too as her Princess continued on. "But you're wrong, what you have been hearing was the Valah its a chant of mourning. They do that prayer when they feel a great loss is happening. When they feel that the land is losing something beautiful."

"So what is it that they are in mourning for? What is it that they are losing?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"Isn't it obvious? You." Said Princess Celestia looking straight at her.

Twilight Sparkle Looked at Celestia in confusion. Feeling the coldness wrap around the inside of her. Knowing that she probably wasn't going to make it out alive. "Why did you want me to retire the five ponies?" she asked again.

"Stability Twilight." said Celestia. "Equestria needs something stable to keep itself going. Eight thousand years ago we thought coal burning trains were such a wonderful invention. Now we have colonies floating around in space. Equestria has grown, has changed so much. but in all of this, it needs certain things to stay the same, unmoving, and unchanging."

"That doesn't answer..."

"I have told you about the elements of harmony haven't I?"  

"Yes but…”

"What's important to them is that their is a constant about them. To who their linked too. Otherwise everything changes, and the elements don't work right. Somethings have to stay in a continuous state."

"So what changed then? And what does this have to do with the artificials?"

"One of the ponies that was linked too had changed everything. In doing so it had changed the Elements of Harmony. Threatening everything we have worked so hard for. She was a danger to Equestria."

"Who was it and what did she do?" asked Twilight. Placing her hoof into her pocket and grabbing her gun.

"It was the last one Rainbow Dash. She had gotten pregnant. About a week or so from what I have gathered."

The words shook Twilight to the core, stunning her. "But artificials can't reproduce. How is this possible."

She felt the burning blue pupils starting at her, and through her as she spoke again. "Artificials can't. Clones most certainly do."

Faster than even she thought possible, with her body the way it was Twilight Sparkle spun around, gun in her hoof. She fired at Luna behind her hitting her in the shoulder. The weapon dropped from Luna's limb as she crumpled to the floor, staring at Twilight with a blank expression. "No wait." thought Twilight. "Sympathy? Sadness?"

Turning around to face Celestia again she was mute as to what she should do. Her mind drawing a continuous blank over any ideas to get her out of this. Her heart tearing itself up over what she had done. How could she forgive herself? how could she go on?

"You're not going to shoot me Twilight Sparkle." Celestia said with a hint of electronic amusement in the speakers. "Fine! If I am going to be the villain in this, then let me tell you of my evil plan. Once upon a time in a far away land, in a time long forgotten. A certain student of a princess was sent away to learn about the friendship. And along the way she learned not just this friendship, but also used this to align with the Elements of Harmony. Something that no pony has ever done besides her up to that point. With them Equestria prospered and grew. But like everything in the world. It changed. They grew old and died."

Twilight could see real pain flash Celestia's face before disappearing as she continued. "There were others of course, but none of them could link to the elements like the first ones could. What could I as a princess do? Equestria was growing, ponies were being born, ponies were dying, everything was in a constant state of change. We could not become what we truly could be without the original ponies who started it all."

"You brought us all back?" asked a horrified Twilight Sparkle.

"Time and time and time again." said Celestia. "Generations of Twilights, Pinkies, Rarities, and so on. Its amazing isn't it? Every time we bring you back none of you are the same as before, and yet you all are. Sometimes you all become friends, sometimes just a few. Sometimes you take different paths in you journey. But at the same time you still are all the same. Rarity will always be an artist. Pinkie will always strive to make ponies happy. Rainbow Dash will always want to be the best. And you will always be my student. But all of this." She said looking around her throne. "Depends on a constant. Once it changes, everything does, and there's too much at risk for it to change. I will not risk Equestria for six ponies."

Her weapon felt like lead as her limb dropped downwards, pointing at the floor. She was surprised that she could produced more tears, thinking she had used them all up earlier. Words formed in her mouth dying before her tongue and lips could form them into sounds. She wanted to call Celestia a liar. Wanted to say all of this was rantings of an insane Alicorn, But...there's always buts in these line of thoughts.

"The first Twilight Sparkle was probably the best student I have ever had, the others could never match the first. But I have to admit you are the best hunter of them all Now that I have told you everything. I think this was the Twentieth?" Celestia mused. "Twenty-second I think, yes twenty-second  time I have told you this."

I'm just a loop?" she said quietly. "Just a pony living and dying over and over again, the six of us doing this all just to keep it all going?"

"Twilight. My Twilight." Celestia said. As she flexed her wings. "We need you and the others. The constant is what keeps Equestria..."

"No."

"...Going. But I am curious as to how you will be when we bring you back again..."

"No!"

"....Deny it as much as you want to Twilight Sparkle. You and your friends are just too important to let go."

"NO!" Twilight Screamed. The heat of her anger flowing like waves of fire out of her. So intense even Celestia took an involuntary step back. Red rage filled her eyes. A weariness to everything, what she had done and who she is. The  blackness inside of Twilight Sparkle made her raise her weapon in front of her. The smug smile on Celesta faded, replaced by a look she hasn't worn in centuries. Fear.

"Twilight..."

BOOM! went the weapon when Twilight Sparkle shot her gun. The bullet traveling upwards, above Celestia hitting one of the Elements of harmony. A small chip in the gem appeared, caused by the bullet as a purple light escaped cascading downwards towards the pony.

"Twilight! STOP!" shouted Celestia in alarm and fear. "You can't do this!"

"Go to Tartarus." she replied, Shooting off another round, missing the gem.

The purple light reached her enveloping Twilight Sparkle. She saw a lifetime of images. Thousands upon thousands of a lifetime of images: Twilight Sparkle the friend, Twilight Sparkle the teacher, the lover, the student, the mage, the protector, the element of harmony, the everything to Equestria. Twilight Sparkle the pony Thousands of Twilight's living lives, growing and changing with each new one. And at the beginning? One Twilight Sparkle, in a constant loop over and over again. The sadness inside her, welled up almost pulled her apart. The thousands becoming one. "You know what you have to do." She/They said.

Looking at Celestia, her princess, her teacher, her friend, she realized the truth, and it did set her free. "That's not true." Twilight said staring at her. With a calm she found surprising. "The truth is that you're a lonely Alicorn who wanted to keep her friends with her for as long as she. The truth is that you can't let us go. The truth is its not us that can't change its you."  Twilight raised her gun once again, taking careful aim. "Goodbye Celestia." she said quietly.

"Luna!" screamed Celestia. Her speakers filled with static from her wail. "Stop her! Do something!"

"I will." she said. Slowly limping towards Twilight. Holding her wound with her hoof. Twilight felt Luna's magic hold her still. She wasn't as good like she has been in other lives, watching Celestia's sister get closer. "I have been with you since you saved me from Nightmare Moon all time ago. Twilight.." her voice trailed off as she stood next to Twilight Sparkle staring at her for a few moments. "Goodbye Twilight Sparkle. I will miss you." she said embracing her. "And I'm sorry, sorry for everything." Luna finished starting to weep as well. Hurriedly she exited the room leaving just the two of them Twilight and Celestia.

"LLLLUUUNNNAAAA!" Celestia screamed. While Twilight found the magic releasing her. She was free to move, free to end this. Once again she took careful aim at the element.

"Please..." said Princess Celestia. Words trailing off when Twilight Sparkle shot once more.

Her round flew through the air, piercing the world with a scream at it hit the gem in the center, changing Equestria. The gem exploded in a purple haze causing a chain reaction that followed down the other elements it circled. Celestia's throne room exploded in multiple colors. As each one bathed the room. Along with Celestia screaming incoherently. Words disappearing into one long noise.

Twilight Sparkle found her body racked as waves of light and magic poured over her. Her ears were filled with the sound of her beating heart convulsing into a jumble of chaotic beats, then nothing.

"I'm so sorry." A part of her said to anyone willing to listen."I'm so sorry for everything."

"It's okay." said another voice. Realizing it was her, rather the first one. "You done well. Now its time to rest."

A rainbow of colors streamed through her colliding with her. Emptying her. Twilight Sparkle fell dead to the world of Equestria.

Princess Celestia jumbled cries, became more incoherent as the land she ruled slowly started to shut itself down. Closing off everything that made it great. She howled and cried as her world around powered down, and she was alone in the darkness.

Once upon a time in a far away land, in a time long forgotten. A certain student of a princess was sent away to learn about friendship. And she had found the best friends a pony could ever wish for...


THE END