Twilight left the empire once more to find Celestia. After an hour, she made it to her garden. Celestia was less than pleased to see her.

“Didn’t I tell you if you came back-”

“I’m aware of your idle threat, Princess of Life… However, I’m here to do some more investigating before I move on,” Twilight said as she interrupted Princess Celestia's comment. “Just go on about what you were doing. I won’t get in the way.”

Reluctantly, she allowed her to stay but made sure to watch her every move. Celestia had no idea what Twilight was thinking nor what she was planning. For all she knew, Twilight could be a double. After some time had passed, she asked, “So what is it your really looking for anyway? I don’t-”

“I thought this would be a good thing. Or would you rather me go off and tell your sister where you’ve been hiding? Or better yet, be taking more lives?” Twilight asked in a sarcastic, cruel manner.

Princess Celestia glared at her but knew she had a point. It was better she was near her than have her former student wandering around unnoticed.

“...So be it. Do what you came for,” she answered, trying to keep a stern front.

She continued to heal the forest amongst other things around her as Twilight looked at the decorated flora. As she looked at the trees, Celestia kept a close eye on her. She had no idea what Twilight was going to do.

“So why did you leave the empire? Was it because of me? Because of Luna? Or maybe because of-”

“I would rather not talk about this…” Celestia said in a huff.

Twilight chuckled nonchalantly as Celestia watered the plants. It was making sweat trickle down from Celestia.

“Keeping secrets will only make things worse. If you insist on playing hide and seek, I’ll have no choice but to go-”

“If you continue to bring him up, I will end you where you stand,” Celestia said, glowing her horn.

“And what would happen if I leaked where you’ve been hiding all this time? Or better yet, what you have been really doing?” Twilight asked with a smug grin.

“You wouldn’t…” Celestia said bitterly.

“It matters little what happens to me but I’m trying to restore the world, a world you failed to protect because of your incompetence. I bet Princess Luna would be peeved if I told her what you’ve are. My death for your capture would be a payoff i’m willing to give if it comes down to it,” Twilight said giving her a devilish grin.

Celestia glowed her horn even brighter upon hearing Twilight say that. Likewise, Twilight glowed her horn in anticipation.

“She has no bearing on the matter- and she would most certainly not approve of this,” she said with fury in her voice.

Twilight paused for a moment upon hearing that. Then she grinned once again. “So I suggest you either come with me or risk fighting an entire army of angry corrupted ponies,” she said with malice in her voice.

Celestia’s covered her mouth after hearing Twilight’s threat. This caused her horn to glow more brighter. “Are you… blackmailing me?”

Silence fell upon both of them as one just watched and one prepared. At this point, it was like moths coming for flames. They each knew who was planning in their heads.

“I wouldn’t go that far and say it is… Besides,” she stopped moving and sat down as she added, “If you were to be captured, then what excuse will I have to not be stuck at the empire or take more lives from everypony?” She looked at her former teacher an with a hint of sadness, she said, “You’re the whole reason my life has been easier...”

Princess Celestia caught the moment of sadness from her lips. At that moment, Celestia stopped glowing her horn. She moved towards Twilight, yet still being wary. At first, she was angry at Twilight for trespassing and even blackmailing. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that her student hated doing what she was doing. It felt like poison oak that wouldn’t go away.

“Your implying… that you hate your ’job’,” she said with a hint of sympathy.

Twilight caught her self pity and stopped herself. She stopped glowing her horn as well. “It’s not a job I prefer but somepony has to do it,” she said half-heartedly.

She went back to her research on more of the flora. It felt serene when they stopped fighting. It was like a picnic in some grassy plain. It just felt too captivating to ignore.

“So you really like it out here, huh?” Twilight asked.

“I do. It’s peaceful and none of the animals here are corrupt,” Celestia answered happily.

Twilight smirked at her comment. Like Celestia was telling a joke. “Peaceful you say? Clearly you hadn’t seen what goes on outside your barrier,” she said with a grin, albeit a genuine one.

“How so?” Celestia asks.

“To be quite frank...” Twilight answered coldly. “I’ve encountered quite a few Timberwolves who’ve ‘bumped’ into me… Some of which were corrupted by the monster. Then there’s the cragadile who go for the remains. The real tragic part is, some of the ponies that are lost out here often die from corruption. It can take seconds, hours, even days before they die. Needless to say, it’s a very painful way to go. If they’re not corrupted, they’re eaten alive…” she answered, filled with sorrow.

Celestia was horrified by this revelation. Not because they die from corruption, but because they elect to die alone in the forest. Let alone, get choked by the corruption.

“...That’s despicable,” she said, covering her mouth.

Twilight nodded as she looked at the flowers. She sat down to take a break from standing so long.

“It seems I have become too good at intimidation. Sorry about that. I’ve been blunt for so long, I’ve forgotten what it felt like to be nice,” she said, slightly touching the petals.

Celestia took a seat next to Twilight as she gazed at the flowers. The luminescent feeling illuminating from the petals made them feel as if the war had ended. They could be nowhere near as peaceful as they are now.

“While the world may be fill with negatives that not be erased nor eradicated along with the fact that he has been taken away from me, there are positives to any sort of calamity that may occur in this hour of need,” Celestia said, looking at Twilight.

“And what’s that?” Twilight asked.

Celestia got off the ground and helped Twilight up. They both walked towards a tree that seemed to have a swirling branch on top. Twilight was immediately captivated by the radiant beauty that it displayed.

“Hmm. I guess that’s true… This does brings back memories.” Twilight smiled as she looked at the tree. “Hey, Princess of Li- ...I mean, Princess Celestia?” she asked.

“Hmm? What’s is it?” Clestsia asked.

“I realize you’ve told me not to bring up the subject… but… am I… really a failure?”

Celestia felt uncertain on how to respond. She wasn’t particularly fond of the subject, but she felt that she did deserve an answer. Whether it be for better or worse.

“...I… ever since the day that Spike left, I could feel nothing but the anger that I held towards you when the others showed up with the elements of harmony. Whenever I look at you, I see nothing but the failure of what you once were. I am not trying to say that I feel any sort of animosity towards you, but whenever I look at you, I see nopony but the mare that failed to save my son. But looking back now, I knew that there was nothing that you could have done to save him. But if there was one wish that I could make before all of this happened, it would have been to abandon my royal duties to spend more time with him, even if it was only for one day. I may have been a good and beloved Princess of Equestria, but I was a terrible mother. He must’ve hated me when I sent him off with you without a goodbye…”

Twilight could feel the guilt that Celestia was having as tears slowly started to fall out of her eyes.

“Celestia, it wasn’t your fault. It was the anomaly’s. You could not have known that this would happen to him.” Twilight said as she placed her hoof on Celestia’s shoulder.

“Even so… whenever I fall asleep… I can hear nothing… but his cries for help… begging me to save him. I also see nothing but his eyes whenever he cries for his aid. Whenever I try to save him… this creature… that same creature… it… it…”

At that moment, Celestia finally broke down and started wailing. This feeling that she had within her ate away like locust on crops. It was so much for her to bear that she couldn’t even think of him without shedding any tears.

“It’s only a dream, princess. He may be gone, but he will never leave our hearts. The one thing that matters now is that he doesn’t die in vain. It’s what he would have wanted. But like you said, I wish I could abandon my royal duties and any friendship problem there was to spend some more time with him.”

Like a raindrop falling into the waterfall, it touched Celestia’s heart as she looked at Twilight. Knowing that what they had both done was entirely their fault, they held each other closely as they looked at the tree, now feeling more closer than ever.