//------------------------------// // Chapter 53 // Story: Looking Glass // by Hiver //------------------------------// It wasn’t just a sky carriage that arrived, it was a troop of twenty pegasus guards as well in full formation. Full armor and armament too. Midnight sighed softly as we drew up on Canterlot, passing above the outskirts, her hooves on the railing of the carriage. “Missed it?” I asked from next to her, my eyes squinted against the light of the sun above. The reflections and glares from the gold and windows of Canterlot didn’t exactly help either. “A little,” Midnight said and glanced at me before she frowned and turned, digging through her bag and pulling out a pair of protective glasses. She cast a spell on them, causing the lenses to darken before floating them over to me, “Put these on. I put the reverse of one of those night seeing enchantments on it.” “...Thanks,” I admitted and took it in my magic, slipping the band around my head and down over my eyes, the world instantly going darker and the glare disappeared. Midnight looked at me thoughtfully before reaching out with her magic to adjust the lenses a bit, “I should make more of these,” she said, “With the barrier up, a lot of work will be easier done in the day, even by thestrals. Also, for thestrals that have jobs that keep them awake during the day.” “Good idea,” I said and adjusted the band around my head before I frowned as we approached the tower, “Look at that,” I said looking at the tower containing Celestia’s bedroom and chambers. It was… scorched. It looked like there had been a large fire. The entire top third looked darkened, the windows were broken and parts of the metal roof had melted. There were large holes in the roof where it had collapsed inwards. Midnight looked at it, “Fire?” she asked, glancing at me. “Looks like,” I said and shifted my wings, “Good thing Sunshine is fireproof.” But the quarters of the alicorn of the sun bursting into flame… she was the undisputed mistress of fire magic. If she had been there, she could have stopped it. How did it happen? The carriage circled down to one of the courtyards where Grey Velvet were waiting for us. “Princess Midnight, Prince Page,” she said with a smile and then bowed in greeting, “Welcome back.” “Thank you, Velvet,” I said and gave her a bow back, “How are things?” She smiled, “Very well, your highness,” she said and straightened up. “Hello Velvet,” Midnight said with a smile back before she looked at me, “I think we should split up,” she said and looked to Talon, “I don’t know if anypony has told Night Light and Twilight Velvet yet.” Velvet smiled, “Actually, we have, your highness,” she said and turned, “Please come with me.” I shared a look with Midnight and Talon before we all followed the unicorn inside. She led us to one of the private rooms. The door had just opened and we walked inside before we found ourselves pulled into a group hug. I blinked in surprise before I hugged Twilight Velvet and Night Light back. “Welcome back”, Twilight Velvet said with a smile as they hugged all three of us. “Good to be back,” Midnight said quietly and squeezed them tighter. I looked past them, seeing Celestia waiting, smiling softly. Her public expression she used all the time. But her regalia looked slightly different. Her crown was similar but not identical, it had the same purple gem but the lines were slightly different. And her necklace while in the same shape, some of the engraved lines didn’t match what I remembered. It had roses now, not waves. I slowly let go of the hug and slipped down on all four before I moved around to Celestia, “Hey Sunshine,” I said, looking up at her. “Page,” she said with a small smile, “Welcome back.” I regarded her for a long moment, meeting her eyes before I looked around, “...Would you mind if we talk in a darker room? I would like to take these goggles off.” “Of course,” she said and smiled at the Sparkle family, “I believe they will be busy for a bit in any case. This way,” she said and turned to guide me to the next room. The door closed behind us and I walked up to pull my goggles off before I looked up into her eyes, “I missed you.” Celestia's large warm wings wrapped around me and she pulled me close with her forelegs as she sat down. I leaned into her warmth but we didn’t say anything else for a long time. “I’m so glad you’re safe,” Celestia said softly, my vision mostly filled by the shifting colors of her mane, her nose brushing against my ear, “I was so worried.” “I know,” I said quietly, “I’m sorry.” I shifted to look up at her, meeting her eyes, my nose almost touching hers, “I… saw there was a fire,” I then added. Celestia met my gaze, “There was an accident,” she said softly, “...About a month ago. Some of the things could be saved, but it requires rebuilding.” About a month ago. When we left. Her regalia looked different. New. Didn’t need to be Twilight level smart to figure that one out. “Celestia,” I said, putting my hoof against her chest, “I…” I started to say before I trailed off. I couldn’t find the words. “I know,” she answered, her nose touching mine for just a second, “Me too,” she said before she pulled back slightly. I nodded and shifted back as well, standing up and smiling up at her, “Well, I’m not that surprised about the fire. It was going to happen eventually.” Celestia blinked at me, “What?” “Things bursting into fire around you,” I said with a smile, “I mean, somepony can only be that hot for so long before spontaneous fires start to erupt.” Laughing, Celestia wrapped a wing around me, pulling me close once more against her sunwarm coat, her nose against my mane.. I closed my eyes, leaning against her. She smelled like a warm summer day.