Legacy

by Rinnaul

Broken Pedestals

It seemed like hours ago that she had been happily chatting with Celestia as they left the court for lunch, but Twilight knew only a fraction of that time had actually passed. It was just that so much had happened in such a short span of time—and the fact that this walk, unlike their earlier one, was totally silent beyond the sound of hooves striking the marble floor.

Twilight might have tried to speak with Celestia along the way, if not for the flood of memories and emotions filling her thoughts, nearly all focused on the last time Twilight had faced Chrysalis. The attack itself had been terrible, yes. The fact that Chrysalis had targeted her family was worse. But the worst of all…

“I can imagine how painful it must have been to hear me say those words, Twilight, particularly in front of your friends. I am truly sorry for that. You have such faith and trust in me, and I should have shown you the same.”

“No, no, I… You don’t have to apologize to me, Princess. You just did what you thought was best.”

“I’m very familiar with the folly of ignoring those close to me because I overestimate my own wisdom.”

“It’s okay, Princess. It wasn’t like that. I wasn’t being rational with my brother involved, and, after all, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.”

She had insisted to Celestia that she was fine. That Celestia had been right to doubt her. That she had accepted Celestia’s disapproval.

You have a lot to think about.

They had been the seven most terrible words she’d ever heard. Though Celestia had been wrong—it wasn’t painful to hear those words in front of her friends, necessarily. The painful part was hearing them from Celestia. All Twilight had wanted, then, was to know that all was well between them.

So she assured Celestia that she was fine, they’d hugged, and Twilight had gone back to her parents’ home for the night, where she quietly cried herself to sleep on her old bed. While she’d always had a deep-seated fear of disappointing her mentor, actually having it happen wasn’t something she could let go so easily. It kept gnawing at her, not only just as an old fear renewed, but making its way into her dreams as well.

It had faded in time, of course, and the rest of her friends’ apologies soon joining Applejack’s and Celestia’s was a help. But the nightmares of rejection lasted all the way to her journey to the Crystal Empire.

You won't continue your studies at all!

Strangely, facing Sombra’s illusion of her greatest fear made that fear so much easier to cope with in her daily life. By the time she’d gained her wings and princess status, she felt she’d finally put it behind her.

Until today.

Twilight started as the doors to Celestia’s chambers closed behind her. She’d been so occupied with her thoughts that she hadn’t even noticed their arrival.

This was it.

She swallowed, and finally looked up to Celestia, expecting to once again hear those words of disappointment and rejection, though with no apology—or interruption from Spike—to come afterward, this time. Instead, Celestia wasn’t even looking at her. The elder princess seemed occupied with her own thoughts, remaining silent as she removed her regalia and returned them to their stand by her bed in the golden shimmer of her magic.

“If you wouldn’t mind, Twilight, yours as well.”

Twilight froze at Celestia’s words. Was she going to tell Twilight she wasn’t worthy of her title? That she shouldn’t be wearing her crown? After all, she’d just launched an unprovoked attack on another head of state, even if it had, until that point, been an enemy state.

Celestia caught her expression and gave Twilight a soft smile. “I’m not angry with you, Twilight.” Her face fell slightly. “I’m just concerned. I want to dismiss with regalia, roles, and titles, and address one another on a much simpler level—as friends.” She gestured towards some cushions by a large window. “Not as ruler and subject, or mentor and student, or even as my fellow princess. Something seems very wrong with my friend, and I’m concerned for her well-being.”

Twilight felt a slight flush color her face as she took a step back. “Pri- Celestia, it’s-”

Celestia shook her head, and fixed her with a very solemn gaze. “Please, Twilight. It’s not lost on me that the last time we spoke like this was after the first time Chrysalis attacked us. Back then, you assured me everything was fine, and I let you leave it at that, despite my misgivings. I told you then that the consequences of ignoring the troubles of my loved ones was a lesson hard-learned for me. The last thing I want is for you to drift away.”

“But that’s…” Twilight hung her head again. “That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.”

Though Celestia gave her another gentle smile, Twilight couldn’t entirely read the emotion there, her thoughts ranging anywhere from “sad” to “comforting”. She glanced away, her gaze landing on the door. She could… Celestia wouldn’t force her to stay, and it wasn’t like she wanted to be involved in this whole Chrysalis business to begin with, but… If she didn’t say anything…

Twilight turned her eyes back to Celestia’s expression for a moment before sighing and hanging her head again. She began removing her own accoutrements as she followed Celestia to the window seats.

Approaching in silence, she wordlessly sat down on the cushion next to Celestia’s, looking out over the city. The two of them sat that way for a time, only interrupted by the door opening when Merry arrived with their now quite-overdue lunch. Twilight glanced her way as she came in, and saw the cook’s cross expression soften at the scene before her. She laid their food on a table nearby, and Celestia mouthed a silent ‘thank you’ to her, to which Merry gave a quick nod and left the two princesses alone once again.

Twilight, at last, took a deep breath, and let it out again. “It was the only time you rejected me,” she said, not looking up to Celestia.

Twilight waited a moment, but Celestia seemed content with allowing her to speak.

“I’d made mistakes in the past… You’d scolded me before. But it was always to teach the lesson, and you’d be smiling at me again before it was through.” Twilight sank down to lie against the cushion. “I know we spoke afterward, and I admitted you were right not to believe me. You were right not to believe me. I hardly made a good case for myself. But… Even with all we said, you’d never sounded so angry with me. You’d never sounded disgusted with me. I was sure I’d just ruined everything I had with you, my brother, and Cadance, all at once. Even my friends…”

Twilight sniffed, pausing a moment before continuing. “Of course, then she came back and attacked me, letting me know I was right, and captured me in the same place she’d caught Cadance, allowing me to expose her deception. I was sure things would be coming to a head once you stood up to face her. But then… you lost. Hearing you say that being ageless doesn’t make you invincible, being powerful doesn’t make you a goddess, being wise doesn’t make you infallible… it didn’t really prepare me to see it actually proven. I never imagined you’d actually fall to anypony. Even if Shining and Cadance did manage to win the day after that… ever since, everything has just felt so fragile.”

“Fragile?” Celestia asked, the first sound from her in some time.

Twilight didn’t look her way, but nodded. “My friends could turn on me. My family could be taken from me. You could abandon me. You could…” Twilight paused. “I couldn’t let her do it again. That’s what I was thinking. That’s all I was thinking. That she was back, and she’d come for you. She expected to see you alone, she’d have had you outnumbered. I couldn’t see her hurt you again.” Twilight curled up facing away from Celestia. “But then you took her side. You… you hurt me to help her.”

“Oh, Twilight…” Celestia stood a moment, before moving to lay beside Twilight and putting a wing around her. “I am sorry. I am truly sorry. I would never wish to cause you harm, and I know that talk of ‘lesser evils’ is seldom a comfort, but I saw no other way to stop you from taking an action you might regret.”

Twilight didn’t try to escape from under the wing, but did curl tighter. “Are you sure I’d regret killing her? She’s a monster.”

“Perhaps,” Celestia said. “But so was Discord, and I think you count him among your friends now. So was my sister, in her transformed state. I taught you there is hope for anypony, and I still believe it. I think you do, too, when you aren’t overcome by your fears.” She wrapped her wing tighter around Twilight, who relaxed slightly. “And I wouldn’t have done anything that hurt you, were there any other way.”

Twilight glanced up at her. “What do you mean?”

“Twilight, I can’t simply overpower your magic anymore. Even a counterspell would have been a contest of wills, and in the state you were in, there was no guarantee I’d have won.” Celestia gave her a soft smile. “I’m not so far beyond your strength anymore. The only way I could stop you in time was a nerve disruption spell. And even with that, you still cast your spell. All I did was ensure you missed.”

“I’m as strong as…?” Twilight stared at her.

“You truly have come such a long, long way.” Celestia’s smile was much brighter this time as she hugged Twilight with her wing. “And though you have further still to go, I promise I will do all in my power to remain with you for as much of your journey as I am able. I can’t imagine turning away from you as you feared, Twilight. And though we may disagree, it’s no longer a matter of a teacher scolding a student. We can discuss these things as equals and friends.” Celestia glanced towards the nearby table. “Over a quickly-cooling lunch, if I may be so bold as to suggest a blatant distraction.”

Twilight giggled, though a sob threatened to break through during it. She wasn’t certain she quite had a grasp on all the emotions rolling over her at the moment, but she had to admit, finally sitting down for their lunch sounded preferable to continuing to dampen Celestia’s coat with her tears, whether they were happy ones or sad.

Nodding, Twilight slipped out from under Celestia’s wing. “Thank you, Pri— Celestia.”

Celestia lead the two of them over to the table where Merry had left their lunch, where they sat across from one another and began their meal in a more comfortable silence than what had been between them since the revelation that Chrysalis was in the castle.

Finally, Celestia broke the silence. “So, Twilight, now that you’ve calmed down, and now that you are no longer in her presence, I’m curious about your thoughts on our situation.”

Twilight placed her spoon back onto the dish and sighed, turning her gaze towards the window.

“I don’t like it,” she said at last. “And… honestly, I’d rather see you banish her from Equestria than accept her claims of wanting sanctuary.”

Celestia nodded. “I expected as much, and though I won’t try to tell you that you’re wrong for your thoughts, I must ask if this is inspired by your own fears, or if you feel you see something I do not?”

“I think… I suppose my history with her has just left me less forgiving of her. But more than that, she abuses trust, she manipulates ponies, she uses others, and I have to think that these things are just part of her nature, and she will never stop doing them.”

“Her past deeds certainly do not suggest she is a being who we can readily trust. I ask, however, if that precludes our aiding her, and if she truly is incapable of change.” Celestia glanced towards her as Twilight opened her mouth to object, but Twilight took a steadying breath and simply nodded, turning back to the window. Celestia smiled faintly and continued. “I won’t ask you to be part of aiding her if you do not wish to be, Twilight. I understand how difficult such a thing would be for you, and I have no desire to force you into such a position. However, I hold to what I told the guardsponies earlier: It would be a violation of all we have stood for to reject her, should her plea be sincere. And the only right path I can see is to assume that it is.”

Twilight frowned. “Celestia… Is that wise? You could be opening yourself up to betrayal, just like with Discord.”

“I never said I wouldn’t take precautions, Twilight.” Her smile grew, slightly. “And after all, those events were proof that Discord was influenced by the trust and friendship you six showed him. The Lord Discord I knew one thousand years ago would never have given Tirek such free reign. Tirek, like anyone, would have been another plaything, and Discord would have betrayed him in turn. It was Discord learning to trust that allowed Tirek to do so much harm—and your forgiveness of and continued faith in him that brought about Tirek’s defeat. Doing what is right seldom goes hoof-in-hoof with doing what is easy, but I find the outcome usually speaks for itself.”

Twilight let her attention drift back to the window while her thoughts wandered to those events, and other challenges that had faced her in the past.

Was Celestia right?

The corner of her mouth twitched up at how ridiculous it was for her to have such a thought. Was Twilight Sparkle honestly questioning her mentor? She could just imagine her friends’ reactions. Of course, it wouldn’t be the first time — her adventures began with Twilight rejecting Celestia’s apparent lack of concern with the Nightmare Moon prophecy, after all.

But still, was it acceptable to risk so much in the attempt at bringing about harmony?

Everything she could think screamed that no, that was absurd. But it had worked out for the best in the past. And how much of her objection was rooted merely in her personal hatred of Chrysalis?

Twilight sighed and shook her head. “I’ll help, if I can. I don’t think I can bring myself to actually face her right now, but… just because she’s caused me, personally, more suffering than other things I’ve faced, it doesn’t mean she’s less deserving of the chance.”

Despite her words, Twilight ended that statement with a grimace.

Celestia let out a breath. “Thank you, Twilight. While I did not wish to force your hoof on the matter, I’m certain your help will prove most valuable. And perhaps you will overcome your own fears, as well.” She put a wing around Twilight in an encouraging hug, but sighed at the same time. “For my part, I imagine my greatest difficulty will be keeping this contained. The castle’s rumor mill can be startlingly effective.”

“Sister!” Luna’s voice called out, as the two princesses turned to face the swirl of blue magic that appeared behind them and quickly coalesced into her form. “I have heard that changelings infiltrated the palace! Are you both unharmed?”

Celesta caught Twilight’s eye and whispered “told you” before standing to face her sister, who rushed over to inspect her.

“I am fine, Luna. The matter wasn’t quite as dangerous as you may have heard.”

Celestia gave her sister’s mane a quick nuzzle and guided her over to join them, recounting the events of the day thus far. Twilight flushed slightly as she listened to Celestia downplay her outburst, though apparently neither of the older alicorns caught her expression in that moment.

Luna frowned as Celestia concluded her account. “I am surprised at how weak the changeling queen seems to have become, particularly considering that she defeated you in your last encounter, sister.”

“Yes, well.” Celestia straightened slightly and looked aside. “I did attempt a non-lethal spell, after all…”

“You would.” Luna smirked, then returned to her more somber expression. “Though it behooves us to discover what brought this change about. If it was the work of an outside threat, it could well pose a risk to our own kingdom.”

“I was actually hoping you would help with that,” Celestia said. “Somepony will need to be the primary contact with her, and it would be best for one of us to play that role. I hesitate to do it myself, because I was the one to accept her request for sanctuary. If the situation becomes public knowledge, I need to be seen as a neutral figure. Too much contact with her would raise suspicion that she is influencing me in some way.”

Luna touched her hoof to her chin, seeming to consider the argument. “You make a good point. As well, I am curious about the creatures, as I was absent during their previous attack.” She stood. “Then, if you are well, I believe I should see to our guest as soon as possible. The Western tower, I presume?”

Celestia nodded. “Yes. In the meantime, Twilight and I—”

“Actually,” Twilight interrupted, flinching slightly when both of the other princesses turned towards her. “I mean, excuse me, Celestia, but I think I want to go with Luna.”

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

Will Tirek actually appear in this story?

[Razzy]

The end is neigh! *shot*

Anyway, nice chapter. The characters seem in character and I like the heart to heart between Celestia and Twilight. Plus I always like when Celestia actually shows how benign she is.

[Rinnaul]

7625422
No, this takes place after his defeat.

[Cross Lament]

Oh goodness, it's good to see this continue! And the Wedding comes up, as it should. Bravo!

[Frankie2]

First, I have to honestly say that I forgot all about this story.
Next, I, too, find it interesting that Chrysalis seeks help now. Why didn't she do so before she decided to invade?
Finally, I have a feeling that Luna and Chrysalis somehow know each other. I think Luna not showing up or hearing about the changeling invasion until told was somehow 'arranged'.
Well, I hope we don't have to wait as long for the next chapter of this story.