The Sun and the Stars: A Twilestia Prompt Collab

by Fuzzyfurvert

450. Ashes by Silver Scrolls

by Silver Scrolls

***

This was it, everything was gone. Her kingdom turned to ash, her subjects scattered to the four corners of the earth. Everything had come down around her and now she was alone, only the slowly dying embers of her kingdom remained. Celestia closed her eyes and remembered. Remembered her life, the days that had long since passed and been forgotten by most.

The young purple filly excitedly jumping around her, the joy of finding her cutie mark overwhelming her. Such innocence, such purity. Where had she gone wrong in raising the young foal. When was the last time she had smiled or laughed. Had it been eons, maybe only centuries. It wasn't supposed to have happened like this,

She wasn’t supposed to be immortal, just an alicorn with a longer life. Celestia opened her eyes and stared out over the horizon. An orange glow permeated the night sky around her at the edge of the horizon. The last vestiges of the kingdom drifting into the night sky. Had she made Twilight into the warrior who had fallen so low. Was it her fault that Equestria now burned and her subjects fled in fear.

Her mind drifted back to the reports of Twilight's battle with Tirek. Entire landscapes changed forever, mountains lost and homes turned into lakes. She hadn’t thought much of it before, Tirek was a powerful foe and collateral was expected. Where had she gone wrong with Twilight.

She turned her gaze to the east, to Ponyville. Not much was left of the old village, it had gone downhill after the bearers of harmony had passed on. It was the first place Twilight had razed. The Everfree forest had taken it shortly after. A light on the horizon caught her eye.

Nightmare Moon was hard at work somewhere out there under that light. When Twilight had brought her back should have been the first sign. Maybe it was but Twilight had convinced her she had it under control, and she truly did. Why hadn’t Celestia seen what Twilight was becoming back then. She never should have let her study Sombra’s magic.

A thump beside her alerted her to the arrival of another pony. Slowly she turned to look and her breath hitched. Twilight smiled at her, a predatory smile that chilled her to the bone. “It’s truly beautiful isn’t it my dear Celestia. Such a gorgeous orange hue painting the horizon where your sun has set for the final time.”

Celestia hung her head. “Why Twilight? Why?”

Twilight pondered for moment. “A good final question I suppose. I guess you have been trying to figure out where you went wrong. Well I can tell you with certainty it wasn't your fault, completely. You made me a princess after all, you do need to take blame for that. As for the real question, because there are somethings you can never give me as long as the nation stands.”

“You think all of this will make me open my heart to you?” Celestia stared at her former student in a mixture of terror and confusion.

Twilight snickered and shook her head. “Or course not, it’s just an obstacle towards freeing you up a bit. We can’t really lock the monarch of the most powerful, sorry formerly most powerful, nation in the world can we.” Twilight turned to look at Celestia, the glint of a mare lost in her own insanity visible in her eyes. “So we just take away the nation and nopony is around to complain that their monarch is missing.”

Celestia’s eyes teared up and she moved towards Twilight. “Oh Twilight, where did it all go wrong? When did your mind become so corrupted? How long have you wanted more from me and I ignored it?”

Twilight's face snapped to angry and she grabbed Celestia by her peytral and yanked her close. “No, you don’t get to be the damsel in distress. It’s to late to play that card.” Twilight growled at Celestia and flung her away. “I stood by you after you made me a princess, I stood by you when immortality was thrust upon me. I even gave you the benefit of the doubt when Applejack passed away but no more. You never once reached out to help me no matter how hard I cried, always sending your sister, trying to deflect my affections. That ends now.”

Twilight turned away from Celestia and rose up on her back hooves, her front hooves opened wide as though embracing the horizon. Slowly her horn began to glow brighter and brighter, a menacing laugh crescendoing with it. Finally the glow stopped growing and Twilight’s eyes flicked back to Celestia. “It ends.”

Before Twilight could release her spell Celestia dove forward and tackled her. Together they fell over the railing and off the cliff. The ruins of Canterlot lay below them like spires reaching up for them. Celestia locked eyes with Twilight. “You’re right, it ends now.” Her horn lit up with a golden glow and enveloped them both. Time slowed and Twilight watched wide eyed as Celestia pulled her close and kissed her tenderly.

The kiss was fleeting but inside, Twilight’s world exploded. All the hate, the anger, the rage, it all faded away. She felt the warmth of Celestia’s magic fill her. The warmth of her kindness, of her love, of her boundless forgiveness flooded through the her and purged everything. Twilight’s eyes flickered close for a brief moment and tears streamed down her face. “Why, why now? You could have stopped this at any time.”

Celestia cupped Twilight's cheek gingerly. “Because you had closed yourself off. I could never have reached your heart before this night.”

Twilight wrapped Celestia in her wings and cried. “How can you forgive me after everything I have done? Your sister, your kingdom, your soldiers and the their families.”

“Because you need to be forgiven.” Celestia smiled and stroked the purple alicorns mane. “You will never be able to forgive yourself, so I will forgive you first so maybe, someday, you can forgive yourself.”

Twilight gripped Celestia tighter and began to channel her magic. “This is the end for us but I can leave something behind.” A purple orb pulled free from her horn and shot out to the east. “I will free your sister from my spell and give her a final message. It is my goodbye to her and to you.”

Celestia brow furrowed and she wrapped her wings around Twilight. “No, we will go together.”

“No, this world needs you.” Calmness filled Twilight’s features. “I on the other hand, I have done unforgivable things.” Her eyes drifted closed. “This world doesn’t need a monster like me in it. Tirek, Discord, Nightmare Moon, Chrysalis, the world has enough monsters threatening it, it doesn’t need another one.” Twilight pushed her forehead against Celestia’s. “The world needs you, needs your sister but not me. My time is over, my evil must end. It must be ended.”

A smile worked its way over Twilight's lips and she darted forward. For a moment Celestia stiffened and then relaxed as she returned the kiss. As quick as it had begun though it ended and she was shoved away. Twilight drifted further and further from her, time slowing the closer she got the jagged ruins of the ancient city. Before she turned away she saw Twilight mouth three words, three of the most powerful words that had ever been spoken. Three words that could have prevented the war before it had even begun.

Comments

[Fuzzyfurvert]

6431324
i137.photobucket.com/albums/q237/FuzzyFurvert/Image%20Macros/36223__safe_applejack_animated_image-macro_artist-773her-1_zps4857381e.gif

[TheGloriousG]

"How about tacos?"

That had to be the words she said.