Chapter Twenty One:
Teacher and Student (Former)
Even with her throat burning, eyes watering, and nose dripping with mucus, all of Daylight's focus was on the reflected image of her Princess/Mentor/Mother in the sickly black water below her. She could practically feel her standing mere inches behind her.
It was still taking her mind a good while to adjust to the situation. Part of her wanted to believe this wasn't real, that it was just some hallucination caused by her sudden sickness. If that was the case though, this was the most vivid and realistic hallucination she'd ever had. How could this be true? How could Celestia be there right at that moment? And even more disturbing, how could she possibly have known what they had been up to the past few days? Unless... she had been watching them this whole time. But no, that was ridiculous; there was no way Celestia would ever have allowed them to get away with what they had been doing. She could've stepped in easily at any time and ended all this madness.
Why was she here now? There was no denying it at this point: this was no hallucination. The benevolent ruler of all Equestria was standing right fucking there behind her. This was a creature who could turn her into nothing more than a smoldering crater in a fraction of a second with a blast from her horn. And yet, she had done absolutely nothing so far. She just continued to stare back at Daylight's reflection with a look that seemed to show indifference. Like she was feeling nothing whatsoever. Even with the water rippling the way it was, Daylight could tell she was as still as a statue. Hay, the entire world seemed to be standing still at that moment.
All Daylight could do was sit there facing the water, occasionally spitting out more foul tasting bile. She was afraid, there was no doubt about that. But the emotion that was greater than her fear at that moment was confusion. So many questions buzzed through her head. So many things she wanted answered. It was becoming increasingly obvious that she was going to have to be the one to break the silence. Oh joy; there were so many things she wanted to say... and she had no idea where to begin. She wanted to wait for the burning in her throat to subside first, making it easier for her to talk, but that could take several minutes, and she didn't have that kind of time. She gave a few quick coughs and blinked a few times to clear her vision. The reflection of her mentor was still as clear as day. This was for real.
Slowly, Daylight turned to face her mentor. The first thing that caught her a bit off guard was the fact that the look Celestia was giving her was much more stern and full of contempt than it had appeared in the reflection. She could practically feel the heat of the sun radiating off her, which was something she noticed whenever the Princess was experiencing a particularly powerful mood. It didn't take a genius to guess what she must've been feeling right then and there.
The millions of different things Daylight wanted to say at that point all raced to the tip of her tongue. It could've been anything she said next... but it just had to be a sarcastic quip, didn't it?
"Up past your bedtime, Princess?"
Daylight's voice had been raspy and groggy, yet it still held a faint tone of snark, like she wasn't the least bit intimidated. Why should she be? She had been in Celestia's presence countless times. She was used to it by now. Though, none of those other times had been in a situation quite like this one. She realized that quickly, and immediately began to fear she had just incurred the Sun Goddess's wrath.
But Celestia made no change in her current demeanor whatsoever. Her gaze had not softened nor hardened any further, and she hadn't budged an inch. For a moment, Daylight was almost certain she was looking at a statue of her mentor. One that had spontaneously appeared right behind her for no reason at all. But the regal alicorns elegantly flowing mane assured her that this was indeed Celestia in the flesh.
Feeling a bit braver now that the Princess hadn't blown her head off yet, Daylight attempted further communication. This time, she managed to force a smile. "Nice to see you too," she said in a tone of mock cheeriness. She then added quietly, "Though I wish I didn't look as bad as I do right now."
"Oh, I've seen you in far worst states, Twilight," Celestia sais softly, eliciting a small jump from the lavender mare. "You forget, I was the one who held your mane back when you had your head half-way down the toilet on your twenty-first birthday."
The fear had now almost completely left Daylight, and the confusion increased. Instead of screaming her silly or raining burning hail from the sky, Celestia had chosen to be sentimental and bring up a rather embarrassing yet mildly humorous story from her past? What the hay was she playing at? Daylight could think of only one thing to say to that. "You know that was food poisoning, right? I wasn't drunk."
Celestia merely shrugged, then gently settled herself onto her haunches. Suddenly, she didn't seem so intimidating anymore. She regarded Daylight curiously for a moment. Daylight finally found herself able to make eye-contact, though it was only for a brief moment; Celestia had a glare that could burn through steel if she wanted to. Fortunately, in the brief second Daylight met her eyes, she hadn't resorted to it. Still, it was creepy looking into the eyes of a mare she honestly believed she was through with. This whole thing was just too surreal for words. Daylight was almost certain this was a dream.
What if the past few days have all been a dream? What if I'm going to wake up any minute now back in the library with Spike, and everything's the way it should be. I still have my home, Rainbow Dash has her job, Rarity's boutique is doing well, Fluttershy's little bunny is doing just fine, Applejack has her orchard, and Pinkie Pie's reputation at Sugarcube Corner is as strong as ever. If this is a dream, it's gonna be a hay of a thing to share with the girls when I wake up.
Still not entirely sure what to make of this, Daylight decided to attempt a little more bravery with her teacher. "So, why are you here?" She asked in a somewhat cold tone.
"I could ask the very same thing of you and your friends, Twilight," Celestia replied coolly. "Though I suppose I already know the answer to that. I think the more appropriate question is why are you here?"
Daylight gave Celestia a confused look. "What?" Was all she could thing of saying.
"Why have you chosen this path, Twilight?" Celestia clarified. "Why have you dragged your dear friends into such a dire situation and put not only their lives on the line, but quite possibly their souls?"
Now Daylight could feel the seeds of anger being planted in the pit of her stomach. So this is how she was gonna be, huh? Condescending and sentimental? This was bound to get ugly, though Daylight decided to keep her rage in check for now. She chose to answer calmly and smoothly, "That's a long story, Your Highness."
Celestia let out a long, slow exhale. She closed her eyes for a moment, breathing calmly. She looked like she was doing all she could to contain an explosive outburst. Daylight was almost internally challenging her to go ahead and do her worst. If this was a dream, this would probably be her best chance to wake up. A blast to the head would do the trick in that regard.
However, Celestia instead opened her eyes again, this time appearing much calmer. "Shall we get a coffee somewhere?" She gently offered. "Perhaps it would be best to talk in a more public location... so you feel more at ease."
Daylight stared blankly at her (former) teacher. Princess Celestia, the immortal ruler of all Equestria... wanted to get coffee with her. This situation couldn't be more bizarre if Discord himself descended from the sky and started belching chocolate milk grenades everywhere.
"Are there any places open at this time of night?" Daylight asked.
"I'm certain there must be some kind of twenty-four hour café around here," Celestia replied in an unnervingly calm tone. "We just have to look hard enough."
Daylight stared down at her hooves for a moment, closing her eyes and breathing silently through her mucas-caked nostils. She just didn't know what to make of this anymore. But if Celestia was willing to carry their conversation to a more public place to make her feel more at ease, she knew the Princess wasn't planing on turning her into a smoking crater tonight. Plus a cup of warm coffee would probably do wonders for her throat.
Daylight raised her head again and met her Princess's gaze. "As long as you stay where I can see you," she said.
For a brief moment, Daylight could've sworn she saw a hint of hurt in Celestia's eyes, though it was quickly replaced by a look understanding, as if she maybe expected Daylight to show this kind of nervousness around her... but was secretly hoping she wouldn't.
Celestia rose to her hooves and gracefully turned around. "Come, Twilight," she said over her shoulder as she trotted up the dock.
Daylight followed a few paces behind her. She took a quick glance at the warehouse door as she passed it. She wondered for a moment if it was wise to leave her friends like this. At any time one of them could come out to see if she was alright and find her missing. Most likely they would assume she abandoned them, and things would get ugly fast.
"One moment," Daylight said quickly as she trotted over to the door. She pushed it open and stuck her face in. Her friends were all sitting up and talking to each other, looks of concern etched upon their faces. "I'm fine, girls," Daylight said to them, drawing their attention. "I just want to have a few moments to myself... to think things over for a while. I'll come back in soon." She pulled her face back without even waiting for their responses.
Celestia waited for her student to return to her side before continuing onward. "We have much to discuss, Twilight Sparkle," she said in an almost matter-of-factly tone.
"Fine," Daylight muttered. "But do me one favor?"
"And what would that be?" Celestia asked.
"Call me Daylight."
They didn't have to walk for long before they found a quaint, albeit rather sub par little café at a corner not too far from the docks. Most of that was due to the fact that everypony on the street immediately recognizing the Princess and giving her a considerable margin of space, as well as going into groveling formation, much to Celestia's annoyance.
It was an awkward scene to say the least; a large white alicorn seated at a small booth in a slightly run-down cafe in downtown Manehattan, sipping on a latte across from a disgruntled looking lavender unicorn. naturally the café workers beyond thrilled to have a chance to serve royalty. They had offered to serve Celestia free of charge, but the always modest alicorn insisted on paying, to which they reluctantly accepted.
Daylight sat across from her, staring blankly into her cup of pure black coffee. She had only taken one sip, and it was enough to put her off coffee forever. No amount of cream or sugar could've saved that abomination that was filling her cup. She was half convinced it was river water she was drinking, considering it had the same hue and texture as the water she had only moments ago vomited into.
But her mind was wrapped around more important things than crappy coffee, like how the hay she was supposed to explain herself here. About ten minutes had passed and neither had said anything aside from placing their coffee orders. Daylight could feel her mentors gaze boring into her as she stared blankly into the depths of her coffee. She couldn't keep this up for long. She had to talk eventually. It was clear Celestia wasn't going to initiate the coming conversation. Only a scant few others occupied the café, and most seemed too caught up in their own conversations to pay any heed to what she and Celestia had to talk about.
Slowly, Daylight lifted her head and glared coolly at her mentor. As she took in the sight of the large white alicorn barely squeezed into the small booth, she couldn't stifle a few small giggles. Celestia noticed this and raised an eyebrow. Daylight shook her head, still letting a few chuckles slip out. "You just look so silly right now," she muttered.
Much to her surprise, Celestia seemed mildly amused at the situation as well. The small smile on her face lasted only lasted an short while though, and soon she was back to staring intently at her once faithful student. There was no real coldness in her stare, but it was still very intimidating.
Daylight quickly shook off the giggles and put on a straight face. "So what are we doing here, Princess?" She asked coolly.
Celestia levitated her cup to her mouth. "Why do you think we're here, Twi... Daylight?" She asked before taking a sip.
Daylight had to admit she was impressed with how Celestia had corrected herself and still managed to sound as perfectly composed as ever. But there was no way she was going to make this easy for her former mentor, especially if she was going to be condescending like this. "I think you know damn well why I'm here, Celestia," she said, deciding not to bother with addressing her formally anymore. "You're fully aware of what we've been doing the past few days, aren't you? You've been watching us this whole time, right? Don't play around with me like this, Celestia. I'm not a filly anymore."
"I am not implying that you are," Celestia replied in a calm voice that drove Daylight insane. "Though your actions the past few days, as well as the actions of your friends have hardly been what I would expect of fully grown, rationally thinking ponies."
Daylight glared at Celestia, her mouth contorted into an angry snarl. "You've got some nerve, Celestia. You spend the past few days watching us from the shadows as we fuck up every pony who so much as looks at us funny, you hear about everything we're planning on doing, you watch as we get closer and closer to securing the means to pull it off... and you do nothing to stop it. Now you come to me mere hours before we do the... 'thing' we're going to do -I don't even want to have to say it- and pull me into some crap coffee shop in the middle of flank-fuck Manehattan so you can tell me now that you don't approve. Well where the fuck were you a week ago when all this stupid manure was dumped on us, huh? Where the fuck were you?"
Celestia calmly sipped at her coffee again. The relaxed expression on her face was causing Daylight's eye to twitch erratically. "You've certainly developed a rather colorful vocabulary in the past few days, as have your friends," Celestia said. "Quite impressive if may say so."
"Oh will you stop?!" Daylight raised her voice a bit and pounded the table. She drew in a few glares from around the cafe, but she paid them no heed as she was too caught up in glaring daggers at Celestia. "I swear if you keep pushing me, I won't be held responsible for what I do next."
Celestia showed absolutely no sign of fear or intimidation. In fact, she didn't even seem all that bothered by the fact that her student had just threatened her. She just calmly sipped at her latte again, closed her eyes as she savored it's rich creaminess, then placed her cup down if front of her. Daylight saw that it was already empty, and she had only seen her take three or four sips.
Geez, you can really put it away, can't you. She had come dangerously close to vocalizing that sentiment.
Celestia exhaled slowly, then opened her eyes again. This time, the relaxation that filled her eyes earlier was gone now, replaced by deep seriousness, and it had caught Daylight a tad off guard. "I know you must be feeling a mix of emotions right now, my... faithful student," she eventually said.
"Oh, that's a polite way of putting it," Daylight sneered.
"So," Celestia continued as though she hadn't heard her, "I will not talk down to you or treat you like a filly. I will give you the same level of respect that I would expect you to give me." Her voice darkened a bit at the end of that statement. "First, I will start by saying that you don't have to have to explain yourself to me; I am fully aware of what you have done the past few days and why you are doing it. I have been keeping a close eye on you since the day you pulled your friends into the Everfree Forest to tell them what you wanted to do."
"Is that so?" Daylight said venomously. "So you're telling me you just sat around and watched as we went through Tartarus? You just sat around and watched as we killed and brutalized and stole? We've committed crimes, Celestia! Crimes! Stuff that would get us a one way ticket to the penitentiary or worse! Were you just... were you waiting for us to do all that first so you could bust us for it later? Is this all some kind of sick test? Please tell me this is a prank or something! Just some one of your most extravagant pranks yet! I promise I won't be angry, I just want to know that this isn't real! Please tell me this isn't real!" Daylight began sobbing towards the end of her rant.
"I'm afraid this is very real, my dear," Celestia said grimly. "I would never put you through something like this for the sake of a laugh."
Daylight stared wide-eyed at the majestic alicorn, her mouth hanging slightly agape. "Well... then I just don't know what to make of this," she said in a hushed tone.
"Nor do I," Celestia said. "How is it that my faithful student, my prized pupil, who has been nothing but a joy and wonder to watch as she developed into a talented and capable young mare, has become a ruthless criminal?"
"Ruthless criminal..." Daylight muttered under her breath. "That is something else hearing that coming from the one who allowed all this to happen in the first place."
"Allowed?" Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Whatever are you getting at, Daylight?"
"Oh stop," Daylight groaned. "Do you really want to know why I am where I am? Because have had something to do with the fact that I had no other options! Nothing, and I mean nothing was going well for us! We were on our own!"
"Is that so?" Celestia's voice raised a bit, but it was barely noticeable. "Did it not occur to you to consider asking me for aid? Perhaps I may have been willing to offer some kind of support."
"What?!" Daylight's jaw hung agape. "Do you even read the letters you send out or do you just have somepony write it for you and you barely give it a once over before sending it out? I believe that letter you sent out said that you were just gonna sit back let us pull ourselves out of this jam on our own. I don't remember the exact words and I tore it up before we left, but I'm pretty damn sure that was the gist of it."
Celestia let out quite possibly the longest, slowest sigh Daylight had ever heard. It felt like minutes had passed before Celestia finally spoke. "Daylight, I am fully aware of what I said to you in that letter. I wanted you and your friends to overcome this tragedy in any way you choose. I suggested that you be smart and make the right choices. But I don't recall any part of the letter saying I was abandoning you to fend for yourselves."
"You said this was supposed to be some kind of challenge for us to overcome," Daylight hissed. "You made it sound like you didn't care what happened, you just wanted wanted us to rely on ourselves to fix everything."
"Is that really what you got out of my letter?" The volume of Celestia's voice rose a bit. "Because if that is the case, then I'm afraid your perception skills have greatly faltered. I will not quote the letter verbatim, but from my admittedly quite impressive memory, it said that this was your chance to overcome a crisis on your own. It is true that you and your friends have never faced a crisis quite like this. It's one thing to save Equestria from chaos and destruction on many occasions, but to face a threat to your financial stability and to lose your home... that is a kind of horror that can damage a pony in ways few can imagine.
"I was desperate to know just how you would handle the situation, and I hoped my letter would give you some incentive to reach some kind of brilliant solution. But..." Celestia trailed off there, sighing sadly and shaking her head.
"Well, I reached a decision all right," Daylight said coolly. "And you want to know something crazy? I think it's going to work. We've planned everything out so perfectly, we've gathered all the necessary equipment, we've learned how to intimidate and handle weapons, I have a good idea of how to set up the C4..."
"I am aware," Celestia interrupted, raising a hoof to halt the rant. "I am aware of what you have been doing the past few days."
Daylight frowned and narrowed her eyes. "Oh, that's right, you were just sitting back and watching us the whole time."
"I guess that's one way of putting it," Celestia sighed.
"So how was it?" Daylight asked nastily.
"How was what?"
"Sitting back and doing nothing while we brutally killed several ponies over the course of a couple days."
Celestia gave no answer. But the look she gave Daylight sent the first real shiver down her spine that she had felt since Celestia first showed her face earlier. Daylight combated the urge shudder by taking another sip of her crappy coffee. She had to admit, the warmth it gave was effective in keeping her outward appearance as calm and collected as possible.
"Really, how was it though?" Daylight asked after a while. "Just sitting there and watching? You could've stopped it, you know?" Her voice began to shake with sadness and rage. "You could've done s-something. You... you didn't have to just sit there a-and allow it to happen..."
"Twilight Sparkle," Celestia began, making sure to speak quickly before Daylight could correct her on the name. "If you would merely listen for a moment, I can explain why I have allowed the preceding event to play out as the have."
"Did you have something to do with it?" Daylight asked coldly.
Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Did I have something to do with what?"
""With what's happened to us this past week." Daylight sounded like she was on the verge of exploding. "Is this all somehow your doing? Because we've had this theory that you've been testing us somehow. That you're the one responsible for everything that's happened to us. Is this true, Celestia? Is this just all some kind of test? Because if it is I think you can just mark it as a failure and send us home... preferably with some compensation bits for wasting our time. And by the way, I told you to call me Daylight."
"I came here to talk to my student, Twilight Sparkle, not her doppelganger," Celestia said firmly. "Now, you believe that you and your friends are being tested in some way? That I would go out of my to destroy everything you've worked for? And that I would do it all in the name of proving a point or seeing what you would do?" She paused for a moment, and her eyes were suddenly full of hurt. She whispered, "Why would you even assume I would do that?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it just struck me as a bit of coincidence that all six of us hit hard times in pretty much the same day," Daylight hissed. "And, seeing as you like to dump stuff on me without much warning..."
"Twilight," Celestia sighed. "I want you to listen to me very carefully."
"Oh this oughta be good."
Celestia continued undeterred. "The financial difficulties that befell you and your friends recently were not in any way planned. I did not, nor would I ever do anything to harm you girls or put you in any situation that would warrant actions such as the ones you have taken this past week." She paused for a moment, then leaned in closer to her young protegé. "But there comes a time in everypony's life where one must overcome trials that seem insurmountable. And it is entirely up to them to decide how they choose to overcome them.
"When you sent me that letter explaining what you and your friends were going through, I was saddened, truly saddened for you. After all you and your friends have done, after saving Equestria multiple time, putting your lives on the line for the sake of ours... it ravaged my heart and soul to see you all suffering so. But, as badly as I wished to come in and pull you from the metaphorical pits of Tartarus, I had this thought that you, one of the most brilliant minds in all the land, would find a way to lead your friends back stability, and I was very anxious to see what it would be..."
"Oh, I found a way all right," Daylight muttered quietly, though she was sure Celestia heard her.
The majestic alicorn stared intently at her student for a while. occasionally Daylight would meet her gaze, only to quickly shift her gaze back down to her coffee cup. It didn't take long for the silence to start grating on her. So many possible things she wanted to say came rushing to her head; further accusations against her teacher for not coming to their aid, for not stepping in to prevent them from committing the crimes they had committed, for choosing now of all times, when they were mere hours away from pulling off what may very well be remembered as Equestria's most infamous robbery, to come down and confront them...
"Do you know, Twilight, that you are not the first protegé I have taken under my wing?" Celestia asked after the long silence.
Daylight lifted her gaze to meet Celestia's. "Is that so?" She asked, unable to hide the slight tone of surprise. She didn't know why it had come to her as such a shock that Celestia had overseen the growth of other young unicorns besides her. Celestia had been around for thousands of years after all; it was only natural she had taken in others.
So why did it fill Daylight with a slight pang of sadness?
Why did I have to assume I was the only one?
"I have taken in many promising young individuals over the years," Celestia continued. "Many of them went on to achieve greatness. They became some of the greatest and most influential minds in Equestrian history. I'm certain you've read of some of them at one time or another?"
"Most likely." Daylight tried to look uninterested.
"Yes, well, they too faced moments of crisis throughout their lives, and, just like I have done with you, I sat back and allowed them to make their own decisions. Many of them made out just fine in the end. It wasn't always easy; they struggled greatly, and more than once considered breaking down and resorting to... less noble options to make things right again. But most persevered, and stayed to true to their virtues. In the end, they went on to continue living rich, fulfilling lives, and all because they were true to who they were."
"Very touching, Princess," Daylight mused, dipping the tip of her hoof in her coffee and stirring it casually. "Though I seriously doubt their situations were quite as dire as ours."
"They weren't too dissimilar at all, I'm afraid," Celestia said. "Many of them were young scholars like yourself, who poured much of the time and money into advancing the field of Magic Education. When fate reared it's ugly head and challenged them in ways they never would've expected, most rose to meet those challenges in ways befitting who they really were deep down in their heart of hearts."
Daylight sighed and shook her head. She had about a million things she wanted to say right then and there, and a majority of them were laced with profanity. She decided to hold her tongue at the risk of finally setting the powerful alicorn off. She had a feeling that Celestia was doing everything in her power to keep from lashing out violently.
"This pony you've become, Twilight," Celestia continued. "It is not who you truly are, nor is it who your friends truly are. I can see it plainly in your eyes that none of you want to be here. You're all sad, afraid, full of regret for what you've done so far. You want to go home and put this whole nightmare behind you."
Daylight (or should I just go back to being Twilight for now?) could feel a violent outburst building in the pit of her stomach. How dare she attempt to understand what they were feeling? It's not like she had any idea of what the feeling of losing it all felt like... what it did to your psyche... how it changed the way you looked at everything...
"You said most of your former students managed to pull through just fine..." Twilight queried.
At this, Celestia sighed sadly. She closed her eyes and breathed heavily, as if trying recall something painful. "There were some... some who were as dear and precious to me as you are, who found themselves unable to overcome the traumas and hardships of financial difficulty. And they turned to the very options you and your friends have recently turned to: stealing, lying, cheating..." she added in a quiet whisper, "murder..."
Twilight glared angrily at Celestia. That violent outburst was threatening to push forward again, and her will to hold it back was fading. "You're breaking my heart, Celestia, you really are," she sneered. "I assume things didn't work out for them in the end?"
"Eventually, I was forced to act," Celestia said with a sudden sternness in her tone. "I confronted them, tried to make them see reason, win them back. But sadly, they were always too far gone by that time, and I was forced to..." she trailed off there.
"Banish them to the moon?" Twilight finished snidely.
Celestia's expression darkened. She shifted her gaze from Twilight and sighed heavily. "I'm afraid that wasn't the case. In most situations I was forced to utilize the Royal Equestrian Guard to put an end to their activities... and they are not exactly inclined to merely banish..."
Twilight felt a chill run through her. For the first time since they sat down, she was unable to hide the fear in her eyes. "They... were imprisoned in the dungeons?" She asked, a bit of tension in her voice.
Celestia shook her head. "By the time we got to most of them, they were too far gone to be reasoned with."
"You... had them killed?" Twilight felt dizzy. She made a mental note of where the restrooms were in case she couldn't keep her stomach in check.
"It was not a decision I made lightly," Celestia said. "Every other possible option was exercised before resorting to such extreme measures." She paused a moment, taking in Twilight's expression, making sure she understood how serious she was being right then and there. "I have never been one to condone murder, Twilight Sparkle. I believe that talking it out is always a more suitable course of action over violence. But sadly, more often than not... I was left with no choice; they had to be put down before they could cause further harm."
"Put down," Twilight echoed. "You make it sound like they were animals."
"That is a rather chillingly accurate description of their behavior," Celestia said with a slight tone of contempt. "I can't even tell you what it felt like; seeing ponies who were like my children driven to such extreme acts of evil having to be taken out... taken out, in a way, by my own hoof. I..." She stopped there.
"Is that how you see my friends and I?" Twilight asked coolly. "As animals that need to be put down?"
No answer. Just a deep, piercing glare. One that Twilight normally would be easily intimidated by. But as it turned out, Twilight was feeling a bit of a boost of anger and bravery again.
"It must've been something else, seeing us do what we did to those punks on our first night in the city," Twilight continued, her tone growing colder with every word spoken. "You were watching when that happened, right? You just sat back and watched? You could've stepped in at any time and stopped us before we took everything too far, before we reached the point of no return. How was it, Princess?"
Once again, Celestia refused to answer, but her glare had lost none of its potency. If anything, it was stronger and more intimidating than ever.
Twilight refused to let it daunt her, and continued her rant. "You want to know something, Celestia? I really don't think I regret it anymore. Hay, I don't think I ever really regretted it. They were monsters, plain and simple. Rainbow Dash was right; this city is better off without them. I think a part of you realizes that, Celestia, and that's why you didn't stop us, am I right?"
No answer.
"Then there was the death dealing weapons merchant, and I don't think anypony's gonna be crying over him. That guy had a hoof in one of the most violent and pointless conflicts in Equestria history, and he decides to use shitty foalhood as an excuse for what he does? I'm not gonna lie: jabbing my horn into that fuckers brain was probably one of the most satisfying things I'd ever done. I'll never forget the feeling of it, that's for sure.
"Then we put that bigot piece of manure in his proper place. I don't think he'll be running his mouth anytime soon about things he doesn't agree with. We took that van off the hooves of that whiney little runt and his whore. Hay, the only thing I regret about that whole affair was letting Pinkie Pie drive. Bet you had a hard time keeping up with us, didn't ya?"
No answer. Figured as much.
"And then..." Twilight gave a shuddering sigh, but her expression remained ever strong and defiant. "There was that fucker who though he knew us so well. I don't know what his deal was, I don't know if he was just some big-mouthed city-worker or something sketchy... but fuck him. I'm glad Pinkie shut his damn mouth for us. I hope it was painful." She gave a bitter chuckle and shook her head. She was starting to feel more like she was talking to herself than to her mentor. "He thought we were scum? He should've taken a good look at this whole damn city... this whole damn kingdom even...
"Just where exactly have you been these past few years, Celestia? Have you really been paying close enough attention to the state of Equestria? Have you even the slightest idea how bad certain areas of the land have gotten?"
"Twilight..." Celestia whispered softly. "You don't know-"
"No, you don't know!" Twilight snapped loudly, drawing attention to their booth again. "The girls and I, we've seen what lies under Equestria's little mask. We know what the true nature of most ponies is. We've seen plenty of it the past few days. All this time we've been sitting around blissfully unaware of just what a total fuck-up this entire country is. We've been perfectly content to sit back until we're needed then come to rescue with the Elements whenever you called on us. And do you want to why that was?"
"Please tell," Celestia said softly.
"It was because we loved this country, and we loved our fellow ponies. We had faith in them and the goodness of their hearts and we couldn't bear to see anything happen to them. So we dealt with your crazy, nutjob of a sister and some asshole who makes it rain chocolate milk. We pat ourselves on the backs, thinking we've really made a name for ourselves in this land, that all of Equestria will be inspired by what our friendship accomplished and use as an example of how to live their own lives...
"And what do we find out over the past few days? ...That Equestria is one shitty fuckin' place to live! Over the past few days, we've dealt with nothing but inept veterinarians who put income before helping an animal in need, pyromaniacs who destroy the livelihoods of others for laughs, greedy fashion moguls who are never satisfied and treat past generosity as if it were nothing, big fat crybabies who sue small business's for the smallest of failures, an elite team of flyers who fail to recognize true talent when they see it! Do these ponies even know who we are? Are they aware of what we've done for them? Because if they do then they sure have a funny way of showing gratitude.
"And then we spend even more of our time crossing the paths of murders, rapists, war criminals, the worst of the worst. And all I can say to myself is 'How did it come to this? How could this be the case? Why is it that the land my friends and I gave so much of ourselves to protect nothing more than a cynical, crime-ridden slum?' So answer me this, Princess; just what kind of operation are you running here?! Huh?! Answer me that, because otherwise I don't think I'll be getting any sleep tonight! Just who are the real animals here? The one's who perpetrate these crimes? Or the one's who allow them to happen in the first place...?"
Ignoring the scathing glares of the fellow café patrons, Celestia answered in as calm and relaxed a tone as Twilight had ever heard. "Twilight... the perfect society does not and cannot exist. No matter how hard those who wish to do good in the world may try, no matter what laws and regulations we may set... I may set... there is nothing that can be done to combat free will..."
Oh, here it comes, Twilight thought to herself. I'm afraid I've read up on this little free will theory, Celestia. What can you possibly say that I haven't already heard?
"As the ruler of Equestria, it is my duty to oversee that my subjects live in peace and harmony. But as powerful as I may be, I cannot be everywhere at once. This is why I leave the enforcement of my laws to my royal guard and the many police forces that protect Equestria's many communities. There is only so much that can be done to uphold the law and maintain peace. We must have limits, or we become no better than those who attempt to do wrong and harm others. You and your friends have, in the past few days, removed some of what many would refer to as the 'less desireable' denizens of my kingdom. You claim that you did this city a favor in taking them out, and I do not deny that few would disagree with you."
"As well they should," Twilight stepped in. "Because if we don't act, who will? You say the police can only do so much. I say it's not enough. Not even close. I'm starting to think we needn't have bothered to plan our robbery so thoroughly; with the way they seem to be running this city, we could probably go in there guns blazing and walk straight out before they could even call it in."
"Twilight..." Celestia said in a low tone. "You do not fool me for a second. You have put on a facade that shows that you are proud of what you've done, and that you are more than content with what you are about to do. But I can see through it easily; you are afraid, and you are ashamed, as are your friends. You never wanted things to be this way. You have been hoping with all your heart that something, anything, would come along and stop you from doing this.
"Think, Twilight. Think of your friends. Your love for them is what drives you in every decision you make. You cannot bear to see any harm come to them. You know deep down that by going through with this robbery you will be putting their lives in danger. You could never live with yourself if anything happened to them, so you have been hoping deep down that something spontaneous would come up and stop you from doing the unthinkable... and now it has: I am here to persuade you to stop this madness..
"The reason I did not intervene sooner, why I allowed what happened to happen, is because I wanted you to feel it for yourself; the sickness, the revulsion, the horrifying knowledge that you had done something wrong. But instead you pushed on, continuing to put your dear friends in harms way... and I must say, my dear faithful student, I have never been more disappointed in you." Celestia's tone suddenly became vaguely harsh. "In fact, I would go so far as to say I am quite sickened."
Twilight felt the rage building inside her just about reach it's peak. One more poor choice of words by Celestia and this was going to get ugly. "How dare you imply I would carelessly put my friends in danger?" She hissed in a low, shaking voice. "I have thought of nothing but their safety and well being during this whole mission. I have taken every possible measure into making sure they all come out of this whole thing unharmed. We're prepared for anything and everything. Nothing is going to stop us now. Nothing is going to stand in our way..."
"Do you think your friends share your confidence?" Celestia asked. "From what I've seen of them, their fear and uncertainty is showing significantly more than yours. Are you even aware? Or are you so far gone now that you merely shrug their fear off as just a minor set-back? That they will toughen up when the time is-"
That was the last straw. Twilight lost it. In one swift move she swatted her coffee cup off the table, sending it shattering into the wall and drawing a few gasps and yelps from the patrons. She ignored their reactions and lunged across the table, pressing her face right up against Celestia's, her horn pressing roughly into the side of hers. The Sun Goddess didn't flinch at all, nor did she make any movement of any kind. Her expression remained staunch and unwavering as she gazed back into Twilight's rage-filled eyes.
"Don't... say... another... word... about... them..." She said in her most threatening tone. "You know nothing about these girls. You can't even begin to fathom just how brave they've been. Not just over the past few days, but for their whole lives. Those girls have seen more evil than even you can begin to imagine. They deserve every last bit of what they take from that bank tomorrow. And I hope you realize that not one of them is doing this out of greed and selfishness. They all have loved ones and ponies who look up to them, depend on them. I have a baby dragon who's been like a son to me, who I want to give a good and prosperous life to. He'll be around long after I'm gone, but I want him to feel like he had somepony to depend on for at least one stage of his long life.
"By now, I've accepted what's happened to us, and where we've ended up. It's not pretty, I admit... but that's just the way it goes sometimes. We're setting things right now, though. We're going to overcome this, and we're going to do it together... as friends... just like I'm sure you would want.
"That's why I'm here in the first place, isn't it? To learn about the magic of friendship? Well consider this as a little friendship report, most likely the last one I'll ever be sending you. Because after this is over, we're through, you and I.
"I've learned that no matter how difficult life gets, and no matter how far gone things may seem to be, a true friend will follow you anywhere, and put aside whatever personal resignations they may have about the way they may choose to go about correcting things to offer their help in any way they can. They do this because they trust you implicitly. It's what my friends have been doing for me since this whole mess began. I know they've had their doubts and fears about this whole thing, but they've put it all aside to be there for me when I needed them, and I cannot express my gratitude to them enough.
"They are more than just friends to me now. In the past few day's, they have become the closest thing to a family I've ever had."
Twilight stopped there for a moment to take in her former mentors gaze, and felt a slight sense of malicious pride at the brief glint of hurt that flashed across Celestia's eyes at the implication that she had failed to be like a second mother to her student.
"I told my friends it may still be possible for us to wield the Elements of Harmony when this is all over, and I still believe that to be true," Twilight continued. "But the more I think of it, the more I realize I honestly don't want anything to do with those things anymore. I imagine none of us do, in fact. I already know Rainbow Dash is done with protecting this land. Can't say I blame her; after what we've seen, why bother? This land doesn't deserve heroes. Her loyalty will be to us and us alone.
"Tomorrow, we're going to give this whole damn decadent, crime-ridden, slum of a city the kick in the flank it's had coming for too long now. Nothing is going to stand in our way. The line in the sand has been crossed; there's no turning back for us. There's no undoing what we've already done."
Twilight finally pulled back a bit from Celestia, her forehead sweating a bit from the prolonged contact. Celestia looked no more intimidated than she had when they first sat down. If anything, she looked more heartbroken than ever. Twilight briefly took pride in that fact, a feeling that was almost instantly replaced by a sickening regret. She shook it off, though, and pressed on with a confident tone. "If you want to stop us, this is your chance right here and now, at our most vulnerable. I'm unarmed, the girls are all probably asleep by now... this couldn't be easier for you. If you want this to be stopped before it can happen, this is your last chance. Do it now, before it's too late."
Celestia exhaled sharply. She gave a quick glance over at one of the café workers who was cleaning up the mess Twilight had made with a rather disgruntled look about him. She would personally pay for that cup, no matter what their objections may be. She turned back to her former student, and closed her eye's solemnly. "I could do that," she began. "I could have you and your friends brought to justice for what you've done the past few days... but, as hard as it may be to believe, I still hold a significant amount of respect for you and your friends, Twilight."
This time, the lavender unicorn couldn't hide her expression of befuddlement. Just moments ago she was sure she had struck a serious nerve in her mentor, challenging her to stop them by force. She was prepared to fight back, though she knew her magic was no real threat against Celestia's. But she felt she could, at the very least subdue her briefly, then make an attempt to get away, to lose her in the maze-like city. It was a long-shot, but at that moment, she felt capable of accomplishing anything.
But, as usual, the regal alicorn never ceased to surprise her. "The one thing that makes you unique from the others I have taken in as protegé's is that you bear an Element of Harmony: among the most powerful magical objects in all of Equestria. They chose you and your friends as their wielders because you all are the very embodiments of the virtues they represent. They have not been know to make mistakes, Twilight, and I have no reason to believe they would start now.
"You six girls have done more for this land than anypony ever as and likely ever will. Your bravery and heroism as humbled even myself, and I believe I speak for the vast majority of Equestrians when I say we are forever in your debt. And... it is for this reason... that I am going to make two very difficult decisions right here and now. Whether or not I will come to regret them depends entirely on you, my... student."
Twilight resisted the urge to shoot down the notion that she was still her student and settled herself into her side of the booth again. "What are they?" She asked flatly.
"First," Celestia began. "I will not bring you and your friends to justice for the crimes you have committed the past few days. Although I cannot condone murder with the exception of a few special cases, such as self defense... which could arguably be the case for your first night in the city, there is a part of me that feels it is true that Manehattan will be a safer place with certain elements of it's underground... removed from the equation, though in the end I will always opt for the more peaceful resolution. And your past heroics, in my opinion, outweigh your more recent activities."
As hard as she tried, Twilight could do little to hide the overwhelming relief on her face. She noticed the look Celestia gave her at this expression quickly, though, and immediately reverted to a look of indifference.
"Second," Celestia continued. "I will not, at this time, attempt to stop or hinder you and your friends. I will instead allow you to return to you hideout for the night and give you one final chance to think about this. Think about what you are doing, and everything you've done. Think about just what this will mean for you all in the end. Will you be able to live with yourselves? Will you be able to keep it bottled up inside yourselves forever? What would your other friends and family back in Ponyville think if they knew what you were doing? Have you truly lost faith in the goodness of Ponies?" ... a long pause... then she whispered, "Have you truly lost faith in me?"
It may have been a trick of the light, or the fact that exhaustion was finally taking its toll on her, but Twilight could've sworn she saw a tear slide down Celestia's ivory cheek. It did nothing to quell her anger at the pony she once thought of as a second mother.
"Sometimes," Celestia said quietly, her eyes closed and her head bowed. "I dream about them; my former students. The ones I lost. The ones I... failed. I'm in a vast empty courtyard, and they surround me on all sides. They stare at me, and their eyes have this unnatural darkness to them. A kind of sadness. That is what I sense emanating from them."
"What do they say to you?" Twilight asked, her tone genuinely curious rather than mocking or skeptical.
"They say nothing," Celestia answered, opening her eyes again and facing Twilight. "Why should they have to say anything? I know exactly what they want from the way they look at me: a second chance. They want me to turn back time, to save them from making the mistakes they made... and I want more than anything to oblige them, to give them that second chance they so desperately crave. But I can do nothing in the end; their deaths were the final nail in the coffin. I am capable of much, but I cannot turn back time... and I cannot bring back the dead.
"Sometimes these dreams feel so vivid and real that I often wonder if they are truly dreams. Perhaps by some unexplainable magic phenomenon I am being given a glimpse into what awaits us when we pass from this world, or at least what awaits those who do wrong; trapped forever in that vast, eternal courtyard, forced to live with the shame of their sins forever eating away at them. I fear I may be seeing a new addition very soon, or perhaps six..."
Twilight felt a strong chill run through her. She tried to convince herself Celestia was probably just trying to scare her into calling everything off...
Okay, that does not even remotely sound like something she'd do.
"So, I have now given you just about all the advice I can possibly give," Celestia said with a tone of finality. "But if it still hasn't proven to be enough, then allow me to give this one final cold hard fact..." Almost effortlessly, her tone became subtly threatening. "You are just one bad move away from becoming my greatest failure since I was unable to save my sister from the corruption of Nightmare Moon. And know this..." she leaned in close to Twilight. "I shall be keeping a watchful eye over Manehattan tomorrow, and if I find that this city has been turned into a war zone, if I see the bodies of innocent's and police lining the streets... as much as it will pain me, as much as it will truly devastate me to my very core... I will do what must be done to protect the inhabitants of this city." Her voice was so low now that Twilight could barely make it out. "I will not for once instant hesitate to take you and your friends down... permanently."
So that was that. Wise and benevolent Princess Celestia was going to be out for their blood tomorrow...
Holy motherfuckin' fuck... what the hay am I doing?
That thought had nearly been vocalized, and she was thanking her lucky stars it wasn't. Instead, Twilight Sparkle, once Princess Celestia's most cherished and prized pupil, glared directly into the eyes of the one who made her who she was, and gave a small, yet powerful smile.
"I'll be ready for you..." she whispered.
The two stared into each other for a full minute before Twilight finally let herself slide out of the booth. Celestia remained seated, following her with her eyes. Her expression was no longer sad or angry. Instead, it was almost... indifferent. Twilight chose not to dwell on it and finally turned away. She started for the exit and before pushing through the door, turned to look back at the Princess one last time.
Her mouth went slightly agape when she found the booth she previously occupied empty. A couple small bits were piled at the edge of the table, most likely payment for the shattered cup. But the one who had left them there was long gone.
Twilight sighed and swallowed hard. Already she was regretting the last thing she said to her. "Thanks for the coffee," she whispered, praying that Celestia had somehow miraculously heard that.
She then pushed through the door and began her long trek back to the warehouse, where she was sure she would not get one minute of sleep.
Twilight was relieved to see that the others were all seemingly fast asleep on Rarity's pad. She absolutely did not want to have to answer any questions about where she'd been and what she'd been doing, lest she somehow feel the urge to tell them what had just transpired.
There was no way she could dump this on them now; they were jittery enough as it was. The very idea that the warm and motherly ruler of Equestria had it in for them, was planning on actually killing them... or maybe encasing them in stone... imprison them in the deepest, darkest dungeon in Canterlot for all eternity... she could've meant anything when she said "Take you down."
It didn't matter. Whatever she meant, the knowledge of facing Celestia's wrath would be too much for the others to bear at this time. It was best they remained blissfully ignorant.
Besides, if everything went the way they wanted it to, they may very well be out of the city and on the road home without Celestia being any the wiser. And she said she would only intervene if Manehattan was a war zone. In order for that to happen, about a million different things would have to go wrong, and the odds of that were pretty nil considering how well prepared they were.
There's nothing to worry about. Together we can accomplish anything. We're unstoppable!
Twilight quietly approached the pad and gently slid herself in between Rarity and Fluttershy. She was thankful to not be settled in next to Rainbow Dash, though her snoring was carrying to where she was fairly well.
But if for some reason everything goes to Tartarus... I... I swear on the moon I will defend these girls with my life. Celestia can do what she wants to me, but I will never allow her to hurt my friends. Ever.
"Daylight?" A high-pitched, quiet voice sounded from next to her.
What the...? Oh right, Daylight; my codename. Almost forgot.
Daylight turned to see a deeply concerned looking Butterfly staring at her. "Is everything alright?" She asked meekly.
Daylight smiled warmly and gently placed a hoof on Butterfly's cheek. "Yes, Butterfly. Everything's fine," she answered. Then, as if unable to stop herself, she leaned forward and placed a long, loving kiss on her friends forehead. "Go back to sleep now," she whispered.
Butterfly still looked a bit worried, but the show of affection from her friend really set her at ease deep down. She gave a high-pitched, squeaky yawn and let her eyelids flicker closed.
Daylight felt an almost pathological urge to go around and kiss every one of her friends on the forehead as well. Though the fact that they were all asleep and unaware made that idea sound a bit creepy. Plus she had the feeling Hash would probably sock her upside the head if she found out she did that.
Instead, Daylight made herself comfortable and attempted to let sleep take her for the night.
"Everything's going to be just fine."
Well that's my longest chapter yet. Not sure how long the others will turn out, but we are edging up to the final act now. I guess I should say that this chapter was very much inspired by Al Pacino, Robert De Niro scene in the movie "Heat" which is one of the all time greatest heist movies and one of my many inspirations for writing this. I totally recommend it if your into these kinds of stories.
So thanks for reading and reviewing! Next chapter... it begins...