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.”
found these
Twilight slowly turned pale as she thought it threw. [through]
They targeted by daughter [my]
...This is the second fic I've read that made the Apple Family part of a cult dedicated to bringing back and supporting Nightmare Moon (in the first, they succeed by sacrificing Twilight)
5442069 there is a reason she failed :)
5442080
What story was that0.o
Who's ever read a fic where Applejack's father teaches Applejack to praise Celestia as a goddess?
From that point on, its all center aligned.
5442209
Fixed
5442253 I'm guessing you forgot the closing tag after the section break?
Welp...didn't see that one coming.
Also, noticed a missing space here:
And an incorrect word here:
HOW DARE CELESTIA DO THAT TO MY FAVORITE PONY'S PARENTS!!!!
Hmmm, I'm not sure if Twilight would react that way, she seems more like she'd be prone to have a "slapped in the face" reaction to hearing this kind of news from Celestia, the sudden indignant reaction sounds more like Rainbow's schtick
I don't know how to feel about this story now.
Geez Celly...Why don't you just stick a giant bullseye on your daughter's rear and paint the words "PRIORITY TARGET" on her forehead.
Well then... shit got even more real than from before. I love the way you warp the storylines so intricately, Ponystar, you are indeed a magnificent storyteller that definitely knows how to shock us all and pull at our heartstrings. I eagerly await the next installment to see what other fascinating and suspenseful details you add next!
Damn.
She was targeted thirsty-seven times. That's what I read.
Did they go after her with water? Milk? Juice?
I blame ugugg.
CELESTIA KILLED APPLEJACK'S PARENTS!!! Didn't expect that at all.
I can't wait to see what's next. All the pieces are moving into place. Keep up the good work.
From the comments, I am once again reminded that your editor sucks.
media.giphy.com/media/AZECdEHAnhDtS/giphy.gif
5443874 This is not a typo. She wanted a drink that fucking badly.
Element of Honesty, she has no right but to know, and accept the truth.
5443874
Perhaps the magical blades used in the assassination attempts were infused with a rare kind of beverage that was dangerous to Celestia.
As such, Celly banned most kinds of beverages in Equestria, and the ones not are strictly regulated.
Stupid cliffhanger!
5448682 LE GASP!
there is only one drink lethal to Celestia! And that is...
Diet coke!
gifs.gifbin.com/032013/1363201523_surprised_squirrel.gif
Applejack parent's were what? Ok, unexpected... Uf, poor AJ...
5500125
I think we have different definitions for "understandable". Unless I were mutilated, imprisoned or so on, why would I fear immortality?
(if anyone says "oh, but you're gonna have to see your loved ones die!" I'd like to rebut this: "THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS EVEN WHEN YOU'RE NOT IMMORTAL". Unless you can apply the same critique to both immortality and life extension, anyone's objections are not valid).
5500355
Well eventually one can become desensitized to the deaths they have to deal with, which means they will eventually become unattached to others, therefore this perspective would be meaningless after some hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of years. This would kinda suck (imo) since the interaction with others, forming bonds of different types, would eventually have no point.
It all really depends on the definition of immortality, and why somebody would want to benefit from it.
Praying? To whom?
5448240
She doesn't have any rights and there are risks associated with telling her, but it's both rather generous and a terrible burden to inform Twilight and leave the decision to her to make.
Also, they were likely Nightmare Cultists, so it's not as though they were entirely innocent or some such.
5500382
I think it's possible to not be desensitized to the deaths themselves, but to have become comfortable with ordering assassinations in the service of a better world. For better or worse, those kinds of situations are sometimes the best option and when I say best I don't necessarily mean right. If having someone killed will keep them from killing someone else and not doing so will result in the other person's certain death then you have a dilemma. If you kill the first person (or have them killed) then you and those who killed/murdered them have that person's blood on your hands/hooves, but if you do not then you have the second person's blood on your hands/hooves because you could have prevented them from being killed/murdered. Neither action or even inaction leaves you blameless. The desirable course is to find a way to change the other person so they no longer want to kill the person or to catch them either in the act or attempting it so that you have clear proof of their guilt and can execute judgment knowing that you are in the right and that you allowed them to make that final decision on their own.
P.S.
It would be interesting to know what the cultists were really after. Perhaps they simply thought Celestia a tyrant and were hoping to replace her with Luna and thought all the NMM stuff was made up? I mean, Celestia did do quite a bit of alteration of history. Enough that perhaps no one might realize the true atrocities of NMM and question Celestia's motives. Without the real truth they could be secure in their false truths.
5528771 The great Faust! th01.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2013/007/9/f/stained_glass__fausticorn__recolor__by_akili_amethyst-d5qt2kf.png
Also, if I was Twilight, I would rather tell AJ the truth than keep her in the dark. Or until it's the right time to tell her...