Celestia had long awaited the day when she could leave this place.
It had been such a long time since she had last seen the outside. The thought of doing so seemed tempting, to step out of her room for once and to gaze out into the open sky. But that had to wait, for there was still work to be done. Her table was a mess, with stacks of parchment and maps scattered all across the table.
Celestia could scarcely remember a time when her room had been clean, when everything had been in its rightful place. A vague memory reminded her of a time when the hallways were grand. When light would shine through every stained-glass window, and every priceless works of art and magnificent decorations were on display.
But those days were long gone.
Although the floors of her palace were still clear and pristine, the tapestries adorning her walls had grown dull, their paint faded from the dust that had accumulated on their surfaces, making it difficult for Celestia to make out the images being depicted. There was little value left in this empty place, except for the furniture in front of her.
Celestia could barely lift herself up to gaze at the crumbled mess, hoof still gripping onto the quill. She had to strategize her next course of action, even if she was exhausted. Celestia's eyes drooped slightly.
Tired.
Celestia could barely keep herself awake when the click of the doorknob echoed across the room. With exhausted eyes, she turned to face the entrance. The door cracked open, revealing an ominous green glow of light as a pony stepped into the dark.
She didn't need to turn to find out who it was. Celestia already knew.
"What is it?" she asked, her voice wary.
The pony in question only paused, rolled her eyes, and then shook her head. “Celestia… How long have you been like this?” She said, seeming a little distant.
"It's been... Longer than I can remember." Celestia replied as she slumped back into her chair, a piece of parchment in her hooves, waiting to be written. "But I'm sure you know the answer yourself."
She bit her lip and shook. "It's not as bad as you might think."
"Really? How long has it been? What's it like out there?" Celestia said, but she wasn't really curious about the question.
“Canterlot stands. The shield still holds. You should step out and look.” She gestures to the window, but Celestia wasn't interested.
"No. Perhaps not. " Celestia paused. "Not when there's still a war to manage and orders to be issued."
The pony only stared at Celestia. She blinked once, nod, and left.
It had been such a long time since Celestia had last seen the outside.
The room was darker now, and older. The tapestry along the walls were beyond recognition now as dust and web slowly ate away its surface. Celestia couldn’t see the floor, as the lights from the window did not reach, but she could tell it was uncleaned from the dirt beneath her hooves. She could hardly see the ground, but she didn’t care.
A small dim candle was her only light source as Celestia grabbed hold of a sealed letter.
She was unfazed, even when the floor creaked and groaned under the weight of something beyond the door. The lights beyond glowed an angry green as the door opened.
“Your highness.” The being called out.
Celestia let out a weary sighed, “I’m busy,” she uttered and laid letter over the candle. The smell hung in the air as the parchment slowly burnt. “Has there been any news from my sister?”
“No. She has not. But the moon still stands.”
A flash of light flickered from beyond the covered window, and there was a rumble of thunder that echoed in the darkened sky.
“It seems that a storm is brewing.”
“I’m aware, I’ve already sent a letter for the pegasi to be on alert.”
“... Then perhaps you should rest in your chambers. It has been a long time since you’ve stepped through the door after all.”
Celestia ignored it.
She yelled, slamming a hoof against the table. “What do you mean?!”
The room was old and filthy. No pony had cleaned it in years.
“She offers you peace!”
“And I won’t have it!” Celestia snapped as she stared, her eyes averting away from the pony before her to gaze at the door. Strange shapes cluttered the dark corners. The door was opened.
“She’s waiting. Can’t you accept her offer?”
“I have already burnt the letter, there shall be no peace!” Celestia erupted, “All those years, does no pony know that she would stop at nothing!?”
The figure before her stared, green, emerald eyes returning Celestia’s hateful gaze.
The door slams shut.
Celestia had never seen the outside.
And she wasn’t even sure if she’d ever did.
For room was all she had ever known, pulsating and wet, cold and numb.
"Alive."
And today was supposed to be no different. At least, it should be.
But a chill wind from the window howled against Celestia as she stared at the open door. The dim hue seeping through the edges of its frame as it hung open. There were no visitors, there had been none for years.
She tried to avert her clouded eyes, but she couldn't. There was nothing beyond the ethereal glow. But there was something else...
Light.
Bright, and clear, the kind she had not seen in years that now shone from her window.
Something stirred within Celestia's mind.
It wasn't just the smell and warmth in the air that made her move, nor the blood stains that finally washed off her coat, or even the tarnished walls her mind had long wandered from. But rather the sensation she had felt long ago, of the sisterly love that once held her.
A tear dripped down Celestia's chin and she returned the embrace.
And from the dark, Celestia awoke.