The morning sun crept over a misty valley. Tucked away deep within the forest was a fire. An old billy goat sat at it, warming a pot of apple sauce. He looked nervously to his left where an unconscious alicorn lay covered in one of his blankets. She was breathing, but all attempts he had made at waking her had failed miserably.
She was the most magnificent thing that he had ever seen. Even through the dirt and mat her mane shone with a wondrous array of colors. Her flawless white fur was hidden under a layer of grime but none the less held a certain shimmer. He had found her sprawled out in a puddle of mud a few hours ago. He built a small camp around her, certain that she would awaken soon. However, here he sat hours later unable to wake her.
He watched intently as she muttered and shuffled about under the blanket. He wasn't sure exactly where her dreams were holding her. All he could figure was that it wasn't a place she particularly enjoyed being.
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Celestia laid in a medical bed. She gazed out the window at the small town that basked in the Moon's glow. Within it's perimeter sat a number of primitive buildings and a small town hall. It had formed around her and Luna shortly after they defeated Discord. After seeing their impressive feat ponies had begun to take up residence around the sisters, drawn to the feeling of safety that their presence provided.
She heard the door open behind her followed closely by the patter of hooves. “I came as fast as I could Headmaster Celestia! Art thou alright?” the voice of Colin, the town's steward, asked.
Celestia held her gaze out the window. She didn't want to talk. She didn't want visitors. She wanted to be left alone. However that was a luxury that was not to be. Ponies were worried out of their minds. They were entirely unable to resist the urge to talk with her about the attempt that had just been made on her life.
“The doctors told me that thee hast not been talking to anypony,” Colin said. “I understand that their attempts to talk to thee are probably a bother at this point. Please understand that they're just concerned for thee. We are not used to this kind of behavior. It's got us all a bit worried.”
Celestia could understand their concern. However her unmatched powers of forgiveness were evading her this night. She was barely able to keep herself from falling to pieces in front of them. She had actually considered using a teleportation spell to grab Luna and flee the town. Fortunately the logical portion of her brain was still healthy enough to snuff out such thoughts. She had become a major part of their little society and they had given her and Luna so much. Colin was right. They were only a bother right now because they were so hopelessly worried.
“Some of the students have given gifts,” Colin continued. “I'll just lay them here.” The innocent smiling faces of her students flashed in her mind. She rolled over to see what they had sent her. The normally collected Colin winced when he saw the dressings that had been applied to her charred scalp and the slivers of burnt horn that peeked through them. “Oh my word Headmaster Celestia!”
She ignored his reaction, instead choosing to leaf through the pile of makeshift get well cards before her. Each was hand made, depicting everything from sad faces with “Sory thee got hert,” to blotchy images of herself covered in bandages with “Ples get beter.” On any normal night the sight of them would have had her giggling and awing. Tonight, however, their impact could only be seen through a slight upward curving of her lips. Despite what it looked though, they were having a significant impact. Each one tugged away at the tight knots in her stomach and reigned in ever so slightly her sanity.
“They care so deeply for thee Headmaster,” Colin said. “Thou art a true inspiration for our youth.”
She moved her head up towards him and forced out a smile. She laid the cards back onto the table and returned her head to the pillow.
“Would there be anything that I may do for thee dear Headmaster?”
She gave him a slow shake of the head. His ears drooped but he gave her a nod. “If anything should come up, please send me word and I will do everything I can to assist.” She laid a hoof on his shoulder and gave it a gentle shake. The gesture seemed to curb his concerns. He managed a half-hearted smile and walked out of the room, leaving Celestia to her thoughts.
She glanced down at the cards. It was as though she could feel the very warmth and joy of the foals emanating from them. For a bit their glow curbed her anxieties. However they could only hold back her nightmares for so long. She tried to keep her mind focused on the things that made her happy, but as it so often is with traumatizing experiences, her mind began to retrospect on the ordeal.
First came the emotions. The poisonous feeling of helplessness flooded through her. It sapped her strength, turning her inner mare back into a little filly, alone in a world that didn't want her. Her surroundings began to look down on her. They cast patronizing gazes on the age old mare that hid beneath her wings, too weak to protect herself much less any of them.
Next, images clouded her mind. Images of her would-be assassin towering over her, his hoof pressed against her chest, his poisoned dagger floating at his side. She saw his crimson eyes boring into her, determined to drill through the layers of respect and adoration to the part of her that he could sink that blade into. To the part that deserved it.
Her muscles pulled tighter and tighter until her entire body quaked. She felt her stomach convulse. She spun over to the opposite side of her bed where the trash can sat but she wasn't fast enough. What little contents she had left in her belly sprayed across the end table and onto the floor. She heaved again, but little more than a trickle emerged. Her weakened abdomen burned as it tried yet again to purge her innards with enough force that she fell from the bed.
She landed in a heap, one of her back legs still caught in the blankets. The voices of the Immortals chattered around her. She pressed herself up. To her horror, she found herself back in Ifringale. Before her stood its citizens. She couldn't make out the words they spat at her but she knew what they meant. Their cold tones carried with them their spite, their anger, and their disappointment. She clambered backwards, pressing herself away from them until she felt the cold wall pressing up against her back. She slid along it as they wrapped around her and soon her shoulder bumped into the corner, trapping her between it and the crowd.
She curled up and shielded herself with trembling wings. She hid her eyes between her forehooves but she could still hear their voices growing closer. “Please no!” she screamed. “I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!”
She felt one of their hooves touch her side. It nudged her, gently rocking her back and forth. The voices of the Immortals faded until they were faint enough that she could hear another. It was one that was much more soothing, much more concerned.
“Headmaster!” it called. She allowed her ears to loosen from the back of her neck. “Quiet, please. Give her space.” Hooves shuffled about her. “Headmaster, it's nurse Fairhoof. Canst thou hear me?”
Celestia pulled her head from her hooves. An elderly mare was beside her, a calm smile cast across her wrinkly face. Surrounding them were a number of ponies, some guard members, others members of the faculty. She could see the disheveled medical bed through them. Its blankets lay scattered across the floor and vomit dripped from the end table. There was even some spattered on her wing.
Her eyes swept across the crowd. Each of its members were torn between expressions of sympathy and horror. As the scene came together for her, she lost what little strength she had. Tears fell from her already burning eyes. They would never respect her after this. The confident, motherly mare she had always been to them had been stripped away. A pathetic, disgusting mess of an alicorn was all that remained.
“Oh Celestia, what has that monster done to thee?” Nurse Fairhoof asked. “Come here.” Her thin legs wrapped around Celestia. “We are here sweetheart. We love thee.”
Celestia sat in her embrace. Eventually she heard the patter of hooves as another set of forelegs wrapped around her followed closely by another. After the second, a wave of hoofsteps sounded and she found herself at the center of a massive embrace.
She tried to thank them, to tell them how much all this meant to her but all that she got out was a broken murmur. She took a deep breath and reigned in the remaining sobs that were trying work their way up her chest. “Ye art all such wonderful ponies,” she sputtered. “I could have never dreamed of a more touching gesture.”
“Thou wouldst do the same for us,” Fairhoof replied. She pressed the crowd back. “The message has been received. Ye ponies are crowding her. All ye wait outside! I wish to check up on her to ensure that she hath not suffered any injuries during her fall.” She raised her hooves and clopped them together. “Out with ye!” she bellowed. “Ye may see her after!”
They reluctantly did as they were told and herded towards the exit. After the last few clopped out of the room she shut the door. She walked to the cabinets and gathered some supplies. “They're just worried, I know, but it's alright to be annoyed with them. I do it all the time.”
Celestia let out a weak giggle. “They really are wonderful ponies. All of ye are.”
“So art thou,” Fairhoof replied as she ambled her way back to Celestia. “It is because of thee that we are even here Headmaster.” She prodded her chest with a hoof. “And thou darest not forget it!”
Celestia wrapped her clean wing around her and rested her head against her shoulder. “Thank thee Mary.”
Fairhoof set down her bucket and leaned into the hug. “Think nothing of it Celestia. Thou hast done the same for me so many times. I am delighted to be able to return the favor.” She recollected her bucket. “Now let me be, I need to get thee all fixed up.”
“Tis alright. I will just need a rag and some water.”
“Stop it,” Fairhoof scolded. “Thou hast faced a terrible trauma this night. Thou wilt relax and let me take care of thee.”
“Thou really dost not have to do that,” Celestia protested.
“Nonsense. How else shall I guilt thee into welcoming me into thy home and changing my diapers when the day comes that I shall need them?”
Celestia smiled. “That is a good point I suppose.”
Fairhoof pulled a wet cloth from her bucket. “Canst thou relax for me?”
Celestia nodded. She settled into a seated position and let Fairhoof go about her business. While she waited she occupied her mind with thoughts of the ponies and their reaction to her sorry state. Never in all of her life would she have expected something like that. Never in her life would she have received that kind of treatment. In her past life she would have been scorned and possibly even banished. Here, she found herself reached out to and cared for.
All doubt she had about her new life evaporated. These ponies were something special. She didn't care what Fate or Destiny had to say about it, she wanted to be with them. She wanted to do everything she could to make their lives wonderful. Use every blessing she had to ease their struggles. Everything before they came into her life didn't matter anymore. She was Celestia now. She had to let Kilia go. For good. “Mary.”
“Yes?” Fairhoof replied as she lifted Celestia's fore-hoof for inspection.
“May I ask a favor of thee?”
“Of course. Am I being too rough?”
“No not at all. Thou art very careful. What I need is for thee to...” She realized just in time that she hadn't given Fairhoof any of the context necessary to understand her current state of mind. “Thou seest, when we are done here, there is something I need to do. A quest I need to uptake.”
Fairhoof looked up from her leg. “Tomorrow thou meanest?”
Celestia shook her head. “No. No I need to do this tonight. As soon as thou art finished.”
“Thou dost not wish me to lie to Captain Swiftmane and her guard?” Fairhoof asked.
“No, nothing like that. They may come along if they must. I wish for thee to come.”
Fairhoof betrayed a bit of surprise. “Oh... Yes of course, that would be no bother.”
“Thank thee Mary.” Celestia nuzzled her forehead. “What I have to do... It will not be easy for me. I will need thy help.”
Fairhoof smiled. “I'll go with thee anywhere Celestia. All thou needst do is ask.” She let go of Celestia's leg and packed up her things. “Let me just put these away.”
Celestia nodded and ambled towards the door. She dug out her formal demeanor. Fairhoof closed the cupboard and took up her side. She opened the door and stepped out into the nervous crowd of ponies that locked their gazes onto her. “I am sorry for your wait my little ponies.” Some of them muttered between one another but they were silenced by a hiss from Captain Swiftmane.
“I've done some thinking,” she continued. “If ye ponies would still have me, I'd... I'd like to accept your nomination to run for Princess of Equestria.” She was met with gasps. “Ye ponies have moved me and I want to do everything I can to make your lives as wonderful as they can be. As princess, I think I will have the influence necessary to do that.”
Professor Birchwood stepped forth from the crowd. “Headmaster, this is wonderful!”
“Agreed!” Miss Holly added, triggering a flurry of approvals from the crowd.
Swiftmane rapped a hoof off the ground to silence them. “We would not dream of retracting our nomination dear Headmaster. Thou art a wondrous creature; Equestria would thrive with thee as it's princess.”
Professor Birchwood raised a hoof. “To Princess Celestia's successful campaign!” He stomped his fore-hooves off of the ground and the crowd followed his lead.
“Thank you my little ponies. Thank you so very much. Those of ye who would like to participate, I shall hold a meeting here tomorrow after school has let out. For now though, I must leave you. There is something I must do before I can move forward with this life. Sleep well all of ye. Thank you again for your support. It will not soon be forgotten.”
She worked her way through the crowd, accepting hugs and accommodations from the delighted ponies as she did. Once she made it out of the building she was approached by Swiftmane and her guard. “Dear Headmaster!” Swiftmane called.
Celestia stopped to address her. “Yes Captain?”
She trotted up to them. “I was speaking with some of the ponies inside about what happ-” She shifted. “I wish to keep thee under my protection for a while longer. Until thou art healthy again.”
Celestia sighed. “I thought as much. That is fine Captain. Know though that I intend to travel into the forest.”
“Right now?” she yelped.
“Yes Captain. This cannot wait.”
Swiftmane stared at her and, for a moment, looked as though she would protest. She didn't though. She simply returned to a professional stance. “Then we will be twice as vigilant to ensure nothing happens to thee while thou art journeying in this condition.” She addressed her troops. “Ye hear that?”
“Yes Captain!”
She turned back and bowed to Celestia. “We are at thy service Headmaster.”
“Thank ye. If there are no objections, I would like to begin our travels.” Swiftmane and her guards nodded.
Fairhoof smiled. “Yes, of course. I'll be right by thy side Headmaster.”
Celestia looked to the opening in the forest, far on the other side of town. She steeled herself and walked towards it. As it got closer she felt her insides knotting up. The tension continued to increase until she stood just before the path, held in place by her fears.
“Wilt thou be alright?” Fairhoof asked.
“I have to.” Celestia replied. She lowered her head and closed her eyes. “I have to do this.”
She heard the rattling of armor work its way past her. She opened her eyes to see Swiftmane standing just inside the path with her hoof extended. “Together then,” she said. “We shall do this together.”
Celestia took her hoof and the chains that bound her fell from her body. She cautiously took a step in and gave Swiftmane a thankful smile. “Thou hast grown up so much Hilda.”
“Tis not only I who has grown up,” she replied. Celestia tilted her head. Hilda playfully jabbed at her side. “The Celestia I remember would never have let us help her. Tis nice to finally be able to return thy kindness.”
Celestia blushed. “I suppose thou speakest true. I shall try to continue being open to thy aid in the future.”
“That is comforting to hear dear Headmaster. Thou art strong, but even thou canst not survive as an island all the time.”
Celestia nodded. “Let us be off then.” She started down the path with Fairhoof and Swiftmane at her sides. Their journey would take them a couple of hours and would quickly stray from the beaten path. However, despite only physically making the trip a hoofful of times, she knew it well. She'd run it many, many times in her nightmares. The party was relieved to see that the Everfree Forest was not interfering with their travels. It was as though it had some kind of unspoken respect for her task, standing aside to grant her passage. Thus their travels were unhampered and they eventually found themselves at a clearing that stood before the entrance to a large cavern. Celestia shuddered when she saw it. “There, tis in there.”
Swiftmane turned to her guards. “Perimeter duty! Stonejaw, there. Castia at the front. Shine, corner. Hoverspark, take the rest for recon.” The guards took their positions and inspected their respective areas.
“Clear!” Stonejaw called.
“All clear!” Castia followed.
“Silent as can be!” Shine added.
Hoverspark flew over the clearing and signaled to Swiftmane with his hoof. “Looks good up here.”
“Okay,” Swiftmane replied. “Maintain observation on the area until we return from the cavern.” She looked back to Celestia. “And we are with thee. I can take point.”
Celestia shook her head. “Thank thee Captain, but that will not be necessary. Just stay with me please.”
She nodded. “As thou wishest.”
Celestia pulled some of the dressings from her horn and forced enough magic through it to illuminate the entrance. Her mind drifted, painting phantom immortals at the edges of the light. Her brow furrowed and she forced herself in, driving through the muck of terror and uncertainty. She headed straight for her destination. Her dread acted as a detector, increasing as she grew closer. Once she reached her destination she tore the dirt from the ground, ignoring the shadows that pranced around her. Their voices resonated in her head. She dug harder, spouting dirt from the hole. The top of a burlap sack peaked out. The voices drew nearer as the world around her receded into the shadows. She continued using her magic, forcing the dirt out until most of the large bag could be seen. She wrapped it in her aura and lifted it from the hole, ignoring her horn's protests. With the bag at her side, she spun around to head for the exit. When she yanked the bag the old rotting threads gave way and it burst open, spilling onto the ground everything she had taken with her when she left Ifringale. She let out a shriek and staggered backwards. She could see the Immortals standing before her, cackling as they lumbered closer.
“Celestia!” Fairhoof called. “We're right here sweetheart!”
Celestia felt a hoof on each of her sides. She illuminated her horn to see Swiftmane and Fairhoof holding her. “Tis alright Headmaster,” Swiftmane whispered. “Thou art alright.”
Celestia's breathing slowed. “Thank you,” she stammered.
“Dost thou wishest me to have my guards carry these for thee?” Swiftmane asked.
“No,” Celestia responded. “I can do this. Just, please, stay close.”
Fairhoof positioned herself under Celestia, propping her up with her shoulder. Swiftmane moved to Celestia's other side and mirrored Fairhoof. Together they helped Celestia back onto her feet.
“Alright good,” Fairhoof said. “Now just stay with us sweetheart.”
Celestia nodded. She wrapped the assortment of trinkets in her aura and lifted them off of the ground. She heard snarls as the shadows closed in on her.
“Sweetie stay with us,” Fairhoof said. “Canst thou hear me?”
“Yes,” Celestia murmured. She dropped her focus to the ground and returned the power to her horn, illuminating the cavern. “Yes I'm still with thee.” With the two mares helping her maintain her balance she forced herself forward.
“Thou art doing well,” Fairhoof said. “One foot in front of the other, there. One step at a time. Just keep moving forward and we'll be out before thou knowest it.” Her voice kept the phantoms at bay, enabling Celestia to continue forward. Soon she could see moonlight reflecting off of the cavern floor. “We're almost there sweetheart. Just a little more. That's it. Almost.” A soft breeze blew over her mane. “Just give us a couple more steps.” She pulled herself forward until she felt her hoof touch grass. “That's it, thou hast made it!”
Celestia lifted her head. The wonderful moon reflected light upon the clearing, trapping the shadows inside the cavern. “A fire,” she muttered. “I need a fire.”
Swiftmane clopped her hooves together. “Hoverspark, new assignment!”
Hoverspark flew over to her and saluted. “Yes sir?”
“The Headmaster needs a fire,” Swiftmane stated as she pulled a chronometer from her bag. “Five minutes.”
“Yes sir!” Hoverspark shouted. He vaulted into the air, barking orders at his squad. They dived into the forest grabbing sticks, logs, large stones, kindle, and whatever tinder they could get their hooves on. After a minute or so they had separated the resources into piles. The wingless guards formed a circle at the center of the clearing and began construction. The piles dissipated one at a time until the pegasi had all landed and the construction crew had stepped back to reveal a large pyramid of wood.
Swiftmane stuffed the chronometer back into her bag. “Well done. Castia, light the fire upon Headmaster Celestia's command.”
“Yes sir!” Castia replied.
“That will not be necessary Captain,” Celestia interjected, “I'll light it myself.”
“Sweetheart thou art not well,” Fairhoof protested. “Please stop this. Let Castia handle it.” Celestia shook her head. She stepped up to the fire and pulled off the remaining dressings, revealing the entirety of her charred horn. Fairhoof whimpered as she watched her struggle to put the necessary amounts of magic through it to actually produce a bolt. Finally a blue ball of energy gathered at the tip and snapped to the tinder, setting it alight. A small flame appeared at the structure's center. The guards surrounded it, working to give it air.
The flames traveled across the structure producing the bonfire that Celestia needed. She turned back to look at the trinkets that had been spread across the ground. The mere sight of them caused her to wince. She forced herself to wrap them in her aura and swing them around until they floated above the fire. She endured the searing of her horn to examine them for one final moment before she dropped them in. She closed her eyes and let her head drift towards the moon. The snaps and small bangs that emanated from the flames were therapeutic. Her stomach eased up and the voices she had been hearing faded away. Her heart's pace slowed. Finally she was able to regain her regal composure.
“Thank you my little ponies,” she said. “This is a wonderful moment for me. On this night, I finally put my past behind me.” She motioned to the fire before them. “As these relics of my former life are returned to the earth, I can let go of the part of me that is riddled with night terrors.
“I can make room for Celestia, Keeper of the Sun, and hopefully soon to be Princess of Equestria. This night, I stop letting my life be dictated by my past and dedicate myself to you ponies, to your families, and to Equestria. May it mark the beginning of something wonderful for all of us.”
“To Princess Celestia!” Hoverspark shouted.
“To Princess Celestia!” the other guards followed.
“Long may she live!” Castia yelled.
“Long may she live!”
“And may all ponies know her name!” Strongjaw called.
“And may all ponies know her name!” They followed their call with a symphony of whinnies and raised onto their hind legs to roll their forelegs.
“Thank you,” Celestia exclaimed as a film formed around her eyes. “Never have I known such wonderful support from those around me.” She took in their reactions, still unable to believe that what she was witnessing was real. As the reality hit her the film thickened causing her vision to blur until all she could make out was the shimmer of the fire.
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Celestia awakened in a little shack. A warm fire sat before her neatly tucked into a homely little fireplace. Its chimney weaved from side to side before finally disappearing into the ceiling. The walls were composed of unfinished boards nailed together with a hint of imperfection. The fire looked to be the only thing lighting the room, leaving a squadron of shadows to dance about the walls.
Her body was suspended off of the floor by a twine cot situated with her belly facing the fire. She pulled her foreleg up and attempted to lever herself onto her feet. The instant she pushed a sharp pain rocketed up her back and stole her strength. She let out a shrill moan and collapsed.
She heard a shuffling of hooves behind her. A thin yellowish white billy goat appeared out of her peripheral. He wore a straw hat which rested on top of his curved horns covering all but the ends which pointed towards the intersection of his neck and his back. A piece of straw leaned lazily out of his gaping mouth as he stared at her with wide brown eyes. “You awake?!” he asked.
She eyed him with a bit of unease. This wasn't any creature she knew. Her immediate instinct was to throw up her defenses but, as her brain processed her predicament, she deemed such a reaction unnecessary. She had just been unconscious and she didn't recall willingly making her way to this place. It would seem that this creature had passed up a golden opportunity to do her harm. That considered, it was unlikely that doing so was on his itinerary. “Yes,” she answered. “Yes I'm awake... I think.”
A wide smile spread across his face. “Well alright! Ah thought you was never gunna wake up! Ah'd see you talkin and rollin and Ah'd think 'Aw there it is, she's a'wakin up.' But then Ah'd come over and there you'd be, still be out like a log.”
She arched a brow. “How long has it been?”
“Two days since Ah found ya.” His eyes popped open. “Oh hey! Are ya hungry? Ah'd be stervin if Ah'd slept for two days.”
She put a hoof on her belly. It did feel as though it was giving residence to a small black hole. “Yes some food would be good. Something easy on the stomach though please.”
He ruffled his beard. “Hmm...” he looked past her towards the other side of the house. “Mah friend Annie just dropped off some'a her famous Carrot and Noodle soup. Could get ya some'a that.”
“That sounds delightful. Thank you- uhh?”
“William!” he proclaimed as he shot a hoof out. “You can call me Willie though.”
She winced as she reached out to shake it. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Willie. I am Celestia, Princess of Equestria.”
“Princess!?” he yelped. He dropped to the floor and made what she guessed was his best impression of a bow. Had she seen it out of context she would have thought he was merely face-planting. “Ah'm so sorry! Please forgive me yer majersty! Ah should'a known you was royalty when Ah saw them shoes!”
She chuckled. “There is no need to apologize Willie. You've done nothing wrong. In fact, forget that I even said anything about my title.”
He looked up to her from his bow. “Are ya one'o them princesses that hates people fussin over them?”
She let out an amused huff. “Yes Willie, I suppose that I am.”
He returned to his feet with a knowing grin. “Ah gotcha! Don'cha worry yourself any Ah know all about them. Mah Momma read me stories! Now let me get ya that soup.” He trotted past and shuffled about his cabinets.
“Willie.” She called to him.
“Yes mam?”
“How did I get here?”
“Ah brought ya here after Ah found ya layin in a big ol' puddle'a mud. Looked like ya just dropped outta the sky. Ah stayed with ya for a bit after Ah found ya thinkin ya was gonna wake up soon anyway but ya kept sleepin an' Ah saw a storm commin so Ah grabbed my ol' wagon and carted ya back here.”
“I see. Where exactly is here?”
He trotted into view and pushed a small table in front of her. He dropped the soup on it and plopped down across from her on a rickety rocking chair. “Here is mah house.”
“Yes, but where is your house in relation to the rest of the world Willie?”
He scratched his head. “Uhm, we're in some mountains.”
She used her aura to take up the spoon and play with her soup. “Okay that's a start. Do you know what the mountains are called?”
He stared at her in complete confusion. “Ah only ever heard'em called mountains. Suppose ya could call'em somethin else. Don't see what the point would be though. Ain't nobody that would know what you were talkin about.”
She raised the spoon to her mouth and sipped from its contents. It was surprisingly delicious for something so simple. “How about landmarks? Do you know if there are any landmarks nearby?”
“Well yeah, o'course. There's all sorts of'em. Some from animals walkin around the forest. Some on account'a mah wagon. Some because'a the storms.” He tilted his head. “Say you sure are askin some weird questions. Did ya maybe hit yer head?”
She blew on the soup. “I hit much more than that Willie. However I assure you that there is a reason for these questions.” She stuffed a spoonful into her mouth and took a moment to regroup as she enjoyed it's blend of flavors. “Are there any towns or cities nearby?”
He crossed his left fore-leg and propped his right elbow on it, leveraging it so that he could bat at his beard. “Ah ain't sure about any cities, but there is a ripe nice town a bit north'a here. They got the biggest apple orchards you could ever dream of. Not to mention the buffalo that come through to do tradin. 'Tain't sure if you ever seen yerself a buffalo, but they are right impressive creatures. Bigger'n you even!”
She took down another gulp of the soup. That sounded like Appleloosa. If Appleloosa was north that would put her somewhere in the Appaloosan Mountains. The thought gave her a chill. She set down the bowl and stuffed her face between her knees.
“Ya still aren't feelin quite right are ya?” Willie inquired.
She sighed. “I'm... a little out of sorts, yes.”
“If ya don't mind mah askin, what exactly happened to ya?”
She reviewed the events in her head, not exactly sure herself. She recalled meeting the Spirits and successfully infiltrating the castle. Then... Luna. The recollection gave her a renewed sense of dread. “I lost a duel,” she murmured. There was no time for details. She needed to get back on her feet. “Willie.”
“Yes mam?”
She pulled her head out from her forelegs. “You've done so much for me already and I cannot thank you enough. However my sister, my country, and maybe even the world are in grave danger right now. I can do little to change that in this condition but there is a medicine that can be made with some of the plants that grow in this ar-”
“Say no more yer majersty!” He hopped up from his seat. “Ah'll have them plants here faster than a wild mustang!”
She beamed at him. “Words cannot describe my appreciation.”
He blushed. “Aw shucks yer majersty t'aint no trouble.”
“Well, trouble or not, I grant you my deepest gratitude. Do you have anything I can use to write down the details?”
“Hmm.” He batted his beard. “Oh! Ah got somethin stashed away in the back Ah think.” He disappeared to the other side of the house. There was some muffled clanking before he returned with some stained parchment, a bent quill, and a muddy looking inkwell. “Here ya go!”
She moaned under her breath when he hoofed her the pathetic tools. She had never really considered how much the castle supply room had spoiled her.
Despair creeped across Willie's face. “'Tain't gonna do is it?”
She smiled. “It will most definitely do Willie. It's just not what I'm used to, that's all. Thank you.” She laid the parchment and the inkwell on the table. She poked through the layer of gunk on top of the ink and began to scratch out some letters. When she pulled the quill back she found herself squinting to make out exactly what she had written. It would seem that reading glasses were another luxury she had taken for granted.
However, this was for Luna. She punched into the ink and wrote out her instructions. The details on the specific part of the Somret tree that he would need to collect, the exact location of the frost tipped roses, the precautions he would need to take before collecting the star speckled moss.
The star speckled moss. She looked up from her paper to the intent billy goat standing before her. “Willie, I should warn you, some of the things you're going to need to collect are going to take you to some dangerous places. One thing in particular will probably be easiest to find down in the mines.”
Willie gulped. “Th-the mines? You mean with them t-trolls and stuff?”
She gave an affirmative nod. “Yes.” She watched with some anxiety as his eyes glazed over.
“So, does that mean that Ah'm a knight?”
She felt like a rubber band that had just been released. She let out a relieved laugh. “In a way you would be very much like a knight yes, but I can do better than that. Would you like to BE a knight Willie?”
His face lit up. “Oh yes yer majersty! Ah've dreamed of bein a knight ever since Ah was a kid!”
She smiled. “Well then, if you would please grab me that walking stick —” she motioned her head to the treated stick laying along the side of the wall by his travel gear “— I shall knight you.”
His jaw dropped. “You can do that?”
She nodded. “Yes. I have the power to grant status as I see fit when the country is in a state of emergency. I'll need to explain my actions in court once the state of emergency has been lifted but, I think I've got a pretty strong case.”
His gaze dropped and he scraped at the ground with a hoof. “Aw shucks well, Ah wouldn't want to impose any. It's alright yer majersty. Ah'll be fine as just plain ol' Willie.”
She shook her head. “William, I insist. The actions you are taking for me, and for the country of Equestria more than warrant the status of Knight.” She reached out with her magic and grabbed his walking stick. “Now, if you would please kneel before me.”
“Really, 'tain't necessary yer maje-”
“Kneel William.”
“Yes mam!” He made another face-plant into the floor.
“Wil-...” As much as she wanted him to put at least one of his forelegs between his his face and the ground she couldn't persuade her more logical brain to allow it considering the current state of things. Time was not on her side. Proper kneeling posture would have to wait. She resigned to sighing and began her ceremony. “Today I, Celestia, Custodian of the Sun and Princess of Equestria, call upon those powers granted to me in a state of emergency by the Equestrian Constitution to grant you, William, denizen of the mountains and my rescuer, the status of Knight.” She did her best to lay the stick on his right shoulder but it inevitably ended up as more of a prod. “From this day forth you, William,” — she lifted the stick from his shoulder and made as much of a half circle over his head as could be made while avoiding his rump — “shall be known as Sir William, Knight of Equestria.” She prodded his left shoulder and lifted the stick from him. “Rise Sir Knight.”
He pulled his face from the ground and gazed at her with shimmering eyes. “Th-thank you so much!” he choked. “Don't worry any yer majersty Ah won't let ya down!”
“I know you won't Willie. It would comfort me greatly though to know that you won't be alone. Are there any creatures that could accompany you on your quest?”
He nodded. “Ah can see if Annie'll come along.”
“That's a start,” she replied, intentionally not sounding content. “Are there any others?”
He prodded his chin with a hoof. “Hmm, Annie's the only one Ah can think of that would be comfortable comin.”
She frowned. “Are you two comfortable going into the mines by yourselves?”
He grinned. “Well o'course we are! 'Tain't the first time we been down into them mines ya know.”
She watched him walk over to his travel gear and begin equipping himself. “Just promise me you'll be safe. If you see anything dangerous, turn around and come back. I don't want either of you hurt on my account.”
“Ah promise yer majersty. Now we might be a little while Ah figure so Ah'll set ya up some eats and what have ya to hold you off until Ah get back.”
She nodded and smiled. “Thank you Willie. I promise that I will make this all worth your while when things have settled down again.”
“Aw, Ah appreciate it yer majersty but really, just doin right is good nuff fer Annie'n me.” He shuffled about his business, placing foods, bowls, towels and other assorted supplies within reach of her cot.
She watched as he made some final preparations and bid him well when he left. She rested her head on the cot and sipped from her soup as she gazed into the hypnotizing flames.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Swiftmane walked at Celestia's side with her guards holding their flank. Fairhoof had separated from the group to make her way home. When they reached the door Celestia dug in her pack for her key. “Thank you all so much for this. Ye have aided me immensely.”
“We shall always be willing to do whatever necessary to help thee Headmaster,” Swiftmane replied. Celestia pulled the key out and inserted it into the hole. “I shall have my guards posted around thy home for the night,” Swiftmane continued.
Celestia stopped mid-turn and glanced at her. “That shall not be necessary dear Captain. The threat has passed. He hath had his opportunity to kill me and he hath chosen instead to flee.”
“I understand Headmaster, I just want to be sure that, should he rethink his decision, we shall be ready for him.”
Celestia put a wing around Swiftmane's shoulder and pulled her in. “With the utmost respect dear Hilda, we're dealing with another immortal. Posting guards around my home shall do little more than ensure that more ponies are hurt should he return.”
The Captain dug for some kind of retort but after a minute or so of searching she gave a defeated nod.
Celestia sent her a comforting smile and twisted the key the full way. “Do not fear Hilda, it shall be alright. Thou wilt see me again tomorrow.” When the door opened it revealed, as Celestia had suspected, an exhausted little dark blue filly.
She tried to use her aura to lift the filly onto her back but her aggravated horn seared at the mere presence of magic forcing out a yelp. She shut her eyes and let her head droop. She didn't even need to look. She could perfectly envision the horrified look she was getting from Swiftmane.
“Early warning!” Swifmane exclaimed. “We can provide thee with early warning!”
Celestia sighed. She had been so close. This wasn't the first time she had run into Swiftmane's obsessive tendencies. While they allowed her to exert a great deal of focus on her duties, making her a fantastic captain, it made her a nightmare to reroute when she had her mind set. Celestia could understand her point but she had been under the watchful eyes of ponies all night. She needed some time to herself.
She took Swiftmane to the side of the room and gently pounded on her resolve. It took some time, a great deal of patience, and a little bit of her signature cleverness but she was finally able to convince Swiftmane to leave her be. She exhaled when they finally disappeared down the walkway. That was one major roadblock between her and some much needed free time that was out of the way. Just one more stood before her.
The tiny blue mare bounded around her. “Sister! Sister! Sister! Guess what!? Guess what Sister! Sister! Sister-...”
Handling an energetic little filly with her patience reserves in a state of critically low.
Objective number one was to get some kind of pick-up in her system. She closed the door and started straight for the kitchen. She did her best to block out Luna for fear that any mistake she made would result in an undeserved scolding. Fortunately she succeeded in filling her belly with a bit of tea before Luna had fully caught on to the fact that she was being ignored. She gave herself a few moments to enjoy the warm liquid flowing down her throat before she turned as sincere a smile as she could to Luna. “I am sorry little sister, I was lost in my drink for a moment. What was thy request?”
Immediately after being addressed Luna's suspicious frown reversed into a delighted smile. “I want to show thee something!” she celebrated. “Come!” She tugged at a mouthful of Celestia's mane. The force shot pain through her head. A roar came shooting up her vocal chords but she reformed it into an aggravated giggle before it left her mouth. She slowly made her way out to the living room, granted aid from Luna in every form that the she could think of. When she made it through the door her attention directed to a Mages and Monsters game that sat assembled upon the table.
She froze, her vision locked onto the game board. Its design, its shape, all so similar to the one she had when she was at Ifringale. All those horrifying feelings, all the terror, all the helplessness spread throughout her body again. Luna popped up behind the board, a delighted little smile on her face.
Celestia shuddered. She tried to stop her mind, to redirect her thoughts but it was hopeless. Within moments all her demons had manifested themselves in the one thing she cared about more than anything else in the world. Luna had always been her rock, her deepest love. The one thing that had made her happy, even during her time at Ifringale. It had allowed her to refrain from making any connection between her sister and the horrible feelings that Ifringale elicited. Now with her sister sitting over that game, the realization hit her that no matter how many things she destroyed, her past would remain tied to her so long as Luna was a part of her life. The phantoms darted out from Luna. They surrounded Celestia, laughing and celebrating their victory over her feeble attempts to escape them.
She did everything in her power to hold herself together. She couldn't have an attack here. She couldn't ever let Luna know what had just happened, or that anything was wrong. She needed to get away and regroup. She put on a smile and backed away. “That's really... nice... sister. I just... I need to go.” She turned and cantered towards the stairs to the second floor. The phantoms swarmed her, ripping away at her sanity.
“One foot in front of the other.” Fairhoof's words resounded. If she could just escape Luna for long enough to regain her composure.
However Luna chased after her. “Wait, Sister! Let us play!”
“Luna I just, I cannot do that now. Just let me be,” Celestia stammered. She made her way out of the living room and started for the stairs. Luna bit at her tail and tugged. Fortunately, with her tiny stature she was unable to do much impeding that way.
She let go and dashed in front of Celestia. “Just one game Sister! Please!”
“No, Luna, I cannot!” Celestia exclaimed as she walked around Luna.
Luna jumped in front of her. “Pleeeeaaaaaaassssseeee!”
Celestia could feel tears beginning to collect in her eyelids. “Please stop this Luna.”
Luna bounded around in front of her. “Please please please please please please!”
“Lu-” Her words were cut off as Luna bounded straight into her jaw. She reeled backwards and scraped her injured horn off of the hall's low ceiling. She staggered backwards, barely avoiding falling onto her back. She felt her frustrations boil over. Why was this happening to her? What had she done to deserve this? Her jaw and horn throbbed. When she opened her eyes her surroundings were tinted red. She tried to press back her rage but it had grown far too much, too quickly. This time she couldn't transform the words as they boiled up her throat and raw verbal rage jetted from her mouth. She wasn't exactly sure what had been said, only that it had done it's damage.
The horrified little filly stumbled backwards, tripping over her own feet and falling to the floor. She struggled upright and raced back to the living room with tears streaming from her eyes. The phantoms left with her. The noise, the laughing, the threats all died away and soon the world had returned to its proper coloration. Celestia sat in place taking heaping breaths. The entire event replayed in her head, freezing on the look of pure terror her little sister had given her. She turned towards the living room and dashed after her. As she attempted to make the turn down the hallway to Luna's room her foot slipped on something and she crashed to the floor.
Her head ached. She opened her eyes to see three of the pieces from Mages and Monsters staring at her. She shrieked and pushed herself back into the living room. She looked past them to Luna's room. The phantoms pranced around the door, daring her to come closer. Her head fell to the ground and she lost herself in sobs. Part of her just wanted to run away. To go to some remote part of the world and just curl up into a ball.
She heard Luna's wails. She growled, and raised herself to her feet. She would not leave Luna like that. She trudged down the hallway, forcing herself through the anxiety. Her heart rate accelerated. She made it about halfway down before the phantoms lunged at her from the shadows. She fell against the wall and slid to the ground. Her body shivered and she found herself falling back into her memories. She could see them around her, screaming at her and throwing anything they could find. She forced her mind back onto Luna. She focused on the thought of holding her soft little sister in her forelegs. She raised herself back to her feet and pressed forward. One foot in front of the other Celestia.
Little by little she came closer. Her heart pounded her chest. She made it three quarters of the way before she felt a snap in her head. Dizziness overtook her. She swayed from side to side before she crashed into the wall once again. This time however she kept herself standing. Her body trembled but the sound of Luna's cries kept her together. She stumbled her way to the other wall, using it to steady herself as she walked closer and closer to her sister's room. She could hear the blood rushing through her head. The world around her blurred. She pressed a foot into Luna's room but before she could make it any further she collapsed to the floor. Her body trembled as she lay, no longer able to process her thoughts.
For a while she just laid at entrance trying to pull herself together. She closed her eyes and pressed her hooves against her ears. She locked her mind on her sister. She pictured her beloved little sibling smiling before her, prompting her to get up. She opened her eyes and saw the foal in her bed, now giving only a slight convulsion every now and then.
Luna was everything, her favorite pony in the world. It was worth anything to be with her. She closed her eyes and pressed the terror down, compacting it deep inside of herself until she was able to wear a strong face. She rose to her feet and stumbled over to the bed. She reached out, letting a faint “Luna” leave her lips. When her foot touched Luna, a new wave of fear consumed her. She furiously crushed it down with the rest. She was able to keep her body steady and wear a smile, but the rest of her felt horrible. Her stomach wrenched, screaming at her to let it expel its contents. Her ears rung and her head pounded, but she endured.
It was worth it. It was all worth it for Luna.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Celestia jumped awake. Her back punished her for her maneuver. She groaned, letting her head fall back to the cot. She steadied herself with a few deep breaths and scanned over the supplies. She reached out with her magic, pulling over a bowl of nuts. She picked one up and nibbled on it as the details of her dream sunk in. She shuddered at the memory of Luna sitting by that board game. That was an image she hadn't seen in quite a while. The shadows dancing by the fire reminded her of those phantoms. Those damned phantoms. Her heart rate increased.
She grasped her thoughts. She did as she had grown so accustom to. She looked for something else to latch her thoughts to. She took up a jar of water and wrapped her lips around the straw poking out of its lid. She sucked down some of it as she panned through her usual diversionary trains of thought. Cake was a definite option but given the very simplistic platter she had before her, cake would probably just make her depressed. Work was kind of intertwined with her anxiety at the current moment. Another go-to was her students, namely Twilight Sparkle. That was the perfect topic to calm her down.
She closed her eyes and let her mind fill with memories of her adorable little student. The memory of Twilight bounding around the classroom that day she had adopted her as her pupil replayed in her head. She had to admit, she had, at times, allowed herself to grow too attached to Twilight. More than was proper for her position as teacher anyway. That much had become obvious to her the day she allowed the filly to cuddle under her wing for the duration of their lesson. She had known it wasn't proper and experience had pointed out that bad things would come of it. However that adorable little face was just so hard to say no to. Experience had, to no surprise, been right though. When Twilight had dashed into Galaxy's motherly embrace the twinge of jealousy Celestia felt almost had Galaxy unceremoniously relocated to some remote part of the world. Fortunately for Galaxy, Celestia was well versed in controlling her emotions.
Oddly enough that was the same night some thief had made off with a good portion of the castle's alcohol reserves. She chuckled.
Regardless, her heart had returned to a healthy patter and she was no longer in danger of consuming the worlds oxygen supply within the hour. She put some more logs onto the fire and allowed its glow to guide her back to the dreamscape.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Celestia gazed out the window at the magnificent city that their humble little town in the Everfree Forest had grown into. She and Luna now had a wonderful castle, courtesy of Equestria and each sister had her own responsibilities over the passing of days. The country was flourishing, ponies loved her, and she had access to all the cake she could ever dream of. Things were absolutely perfect.
“I shall need to listen to thy heart thy majesty,” the brown earth pony doctor before her remarked.
“Oh, yes, of course doctor.” She removed her golden neckpiece and raised her head to allow him room to listen. He propped his ear against her bosom eliciting a giggle. “I must commend thee Doctor Fairhoof. Most of the medical personnel shiver at my mere presence. Thou art very brave to maintain such a calm demeanor. Thou hast inherited some of thy grandmother's qualities it seems.”
He pulled his ear from her and scribbled on his parchment. “Thank thee thy majesty,” he absentmindedly muttered.
“Thy grandmother was one of my closest friends. Didst thou know that?”
“Yes, she reminded us of that quite often actually.”
She chuckled. “I'm sure she did. Mary was a wonderful mare.”
He nodded. “That she was thy majesty.” He plopped his parchment onto the table and adjusted his glasses. “Understand that I mean no disrespect when I say this thy majesty, but please focus. It is of dire importance that I get an accurate read of thy condition.”
“Condition?” She waved a hoof. “Oh Marcus, thou art putting far too much importance on this. My peers have always fretted for my health. In fact I cannot remember a time that they were not sending doctors to check up on me on a regular basis.” She smiled at him. “Thou simply needst write up a report that shall reign in their fears for a few months.”
He frowned. “Dear Princess, from what I am seeing of thy health, thy peers have good reason to be concerned. I shant fabricate a report just to lull them into a false sense of security.”
She laughed. “Oh Marcus I'm not...” She looked at him. “I'm sorry, didst thou say 'good reason to be concerned'?”
He nodded. “I did thy majesty. Thy body is weary. Even in this rather calm situation thy heart strains itself. Why dear Princess, if thou were to get a simple paper cut thy blood would squirt for a mile at the rate thy heart works.”
“Oh Marcus, the stress thing again? Such an easy remedy we have at our disposal. Simply request me more herbs. Equestria will have no issue paying, I assure thee. They're absolutely determined to keep me around.”
He propped an elbow on the table and rested his head on his hoof. He shook his head at her. “Princess that is no longer a solution. Why if we keep that up, thy diet will consist of nothing but herbs. Thou wilt die of malnutrition.”
She directed her gaze out the window, no longer able to look him in the eyes. “Then I shall take up some exercises to ease my heart.”
He groaned. “Princess, thou hast mastered just about every high level relaxation technique known to ponydom. This is at a point which it can no longer be managed. Thy stress INTAKE needs to be reduced.”
She had ever so slight an urge to stun him and have him carted home. “Nonsense Marcus, my life style has been this way for years and never has it been brought into question.”
“Dear Princess, thou hast lived through major medical advancements. Thy lifestyle has never been brought into question because thy doctors have not had an understanding of how dangerous it is. Hast thou been sleeping more as we agreed on?”
She nodded. “Yes. I have been getting about six to seven hours every night.”
“Mmm,” he hummed. She heard him shuffle around in his bag. “If thou wilt just let me-” he appeared in her peripheral moving something towards her face.
She drew back and blocked his advance with a hoof. “I beg thou speakest thy intent!” She observed his hoof over which was draped a wet cloth.
“I merely need to see something,” he said, attempting to move his cloth around her hoof.
She continued to block him. “No, thou hast done enough.”
“Oh fine,” he huffed. He dropped his hoof from her face. She turned her irritated glare back towards the window. Suddenly he leapt onto her back and wrestled against her in an attempt to wipe away her makeup.
“THOU ART FOOLISH MARCUS FAIRHOOF!” she bellowed. She hurled him into her chair, but not before a good portion of her makeup had been wiped away.
He opened his eyes and inspected her face. “There!” he wheezed, as he pointed a hoof at her eye. “Look at that bag! Thou art lying!”
She looked to her mirror. He had a point. With her makeup removed her eye looked less than healthy. She gritted her teeth and paced about the room. “How dare thee treat thy princess in such a way Marcus Fairhoof. Thou wouldst be lucky not to find thyself tossed in a cell!”
He let himself lay before her, sprawled across her chair. “We are on thy side thy majesty.” He strained to pull air into his lungs in his awkward position. “Why dost thou lie to us about this?”
She grumbled and parked herself in front of the fire. “I let ye ponies know only what you need. By nature ye worry yourselves far too much.”
He slid from the chair and righted himself. He grabbed his glasses from the floor and placed them on his head as best he could given their new shape. “This is no silly concern my Princess. The stress thou art under would cause any normal pony to pop like a bubble. Is the position causing this?”
She shrugged. “I suppose it could be. The Saddle Arabia talks have been stressful,” she muttered, knowing all too well that the Saddle Arabians had very little to do with her condition.
Marcus packed his things away and tied his bag. “Well I suspect that, after this, thou wilt not have me as thy doctor.”
“Tis certainly a consideration Marcus.”
“Then I shall leave thee.” His hoofsteps moved towards the door followed by the small clink of his hoof on the handle. “Please know that I did this because I worry deeply for thy health. In thy state, serious injury or death are inevitable.” He waited for a response but Celestia had no intention of giving it to him. “Please just think about it. Something has to give my Princess; it will be thee if thou dost not make changes soon.”
Still she refused to reply, choosing instead to just glare into the flames.
“A good night to thee thy majes-” The door swung open. “Waaah!” he shouted.
“Doctor!” her sister's booming voice exclaimed. “Thou must come to see us when thou art free. Our shoulder has been caus-”
Her sister's voice was slowly drown out by the ringing in her ears as the phantoms swarmed her, scrapping and tearing away at her sanity. She spun around and retreated to her room as briskly as she could without arousing suspicion. She closed the door behind her and slumped against the wall, heaving for air. She wanted so much to smash something. To toss it across the room and just watch it shatter. However that would arouse suspicion. Thus she just gritted her teeth and did her best to direct her thoughts somewhere else.
It was all she could really do.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
When Celestia awoke her breathing was labored. She opened her eyes to find Willie holding a half carved statuette as he eyed her with a good bit of concern.
“Are ya okay yer majesty?” he asked.
She focused on her breathing, managing the pacing until it was back within acceptable levels. When she had succeeded she nodded her head. “Yes Willie, I am fine.” She took one last deep breath before giving him her full attention. “How did the search go for you and your friend?”
“Great!” he chirped. He opened his bag and laid the ingredients on the table before her. “Ain't nothin that was gonna keep Sir Willie from completin his mission!”
She chuckled and scanned across the selection, validating that each of the required ingredients had been acquired. “Looks like it's all here. Well done Sir William!”
He stood proud. “Thank ya kindly yer majersty!”
“You wouldn't happen to have a mortar and pestle would you?”
He gaped at her. “A what now?”
She chuckled. “Don't worry, I knew that was a long shot. Would you pass me over a couple of bowls and spoons then please?”
“Sure thing yer majersty!” The requested pieces were dropped onto the table in front of her.
“Thank you.” She put both memory and magic to work. She combined ingredients until she had multiple simplistic mixtures, each with specific amounts of water and magic worked in. Then little by little she combined them into ever more complex concoctions. Willie gawked at her throughout the process, ever intent on what she was doing. When she had finally finished, she was left with a bowl of glowing light blue gunk and one untouched bowl of powdered leaves from the White Odenmore tree.
“Wow,” Willie remarked. “That's quite the pudding you've got yerself there!”
Celestia laughed. “It's not pudding Sir William. In fact, I would recommend that you refrain from eating it at all costs. You would not enjoy the experience.”
“Would it hurt?”
“Very much so.” She dumped some water into the of bowl of powdered Odenmore leaves and stirred it until the powder had spread out evenly amongst the water. “This is where the fun begins.”
She took the bowl and dipped it towards her mouth. The mixture washed over her tongue leaving it with a terribly bitter taste. The gritty particles that were managing to stick to every part of her mouth weren't exactly helping either. She grimaced as she finished pouring it down her throat. Once it was empty she dropped the bowl and motioned for the water. Willie grabbed one of the jars and hoofed it to her just as she began to gag. She stuffed the straw into her mouth and used it to wash the leftover particles down her throat. Once she felt like she wouldn't expel the mixture from her stomach straight into the fire she pulled the straw from her mouth and exhaled. She rested her head onto the cot. “It will be a bit now. The Odenmore leaves need some time to take effect.”
“What do they do?”
“They have a numbing effect. Makes things like the Bone Mold a lot less painful to apply.”
He looked down to the gunk that sat glowing in the bowl. “That stuff is gonna be painful to use too huh?”
Celestia sighed. “It will be excruciating, yes, but it will be worth it. Used in concert with a number of other healing spells I've picked up over the years, it should have me up and walking within a few days.”
“Well Ah'll be.” He leaned into the Bone Mold and gave the bowl a poke with his hoof. It shook causing the mold to wiggle back and forth. “That's some pressive stuff!”
She smiled and nodded. “I was very fortunate to learn how to make it. Didn't you say that your friend Annie would make the trip with you?”
He nodded, and gave a little chuckle. “She came. Went straight home when we got back though. She was tired. Ain't as young as she used to be.”
She arched a brow. “Wait, William, the only friend you could think of to bring with you was elderly?”
“She's pretty spry for her age!”
She sighed. “Oh William, what am I to do with you?”
“Ah!? You said to take somebody with me!” he stammered. “Annies mah best frie-”
Celestia extended a hoof to him. “William, it's okay. I was just kidding you.”
His look of terror molded into a wide smile. “Ahwww yer majesty you got me!”
She tried to return his smile but her muscles had grown stiff. “William,” she said, “Could you poke me please?”
He tilted his head. “Say again yer majersty?”
“I need to see if the leaves are working. Would you please take that stick and poke my legs?”
“Uhh...” He looked at his walking stick and shrugged. He prodded each leg, then her belly.
She could barely feel it. She nodded to him. “All feels good. Now gently, very gently, poke my back please.”
He swallowed. “Are ya sure yer majersty?”
“Yes. Very much so.”
“Well... alright.” he disappeared behind her and soon she felt a few faint pains in her back. Faint would have to do. In her state, it was really the best she could ask for.
“That will do William, thank you.”
He popped around in front of her and seated himself on a cushion. “Is there anything else Ah can do?”
She collected the bone mold in her aura. “At this point William, you'll just need to brace yourself. I doubt this will be easy to watch.”
He grabbed a pillow and hugged it against his body.
She swirled the bone mold and prepared for the pain that awaited her. She took a few deep breaths and faced the glowing mass. She closed her eyes and sent a small wave of magic down her back to map out her spine's current state. The majority of the damage seemed to centered below her shoulder blades. A number of vertebrae were damaged and a few were out of place. Parts of them had broken into shards that had cut into the surrounding flesh.
She pulled away a portion of the mold, shuddering as it separated with a snap. She had been extensively trained as a young immortal to perform a number of emergency medical procedures, emergency spinal repair being one of them. Their blessed blood strengthened their bodies and made them much more resilient which opened doors to far more effective medical procedures than the mortals had available to them. Despite that, this would only be the third time she'd actually performed the procedure and all the training in the world couldn't make it any less painful.
Once she felt confident that she had zeroed in on the damaged area she moved the mold into place just above her back. With a growl, she grabbed the first vertebrae in her aura. She locked in a few last minute focus spells and moved the bone. Even with the Odenmore leaves heavy in effect the motion felt like a horde of hot needles being jammed into her spine with a hammer. She forced herself to keep it moving until it was back where it belonged. She reached out to the shards that has separated from the vertebrae and slid them back into place. Even though the shards had already dug a path, the flesh around them was inflamed and it burned as the bones passed through. Once she had the pieces back in place she made a thin needle out of the bone mold and stabbed it into her back. She pressed it through the flesh until it reached the bone. She slid it around the vertebrae until it was holding each shard in place. She sent a wave of magic through her spine that activated the mold. It fused with the bone and hardened.
She took a breather before she moved on to the next vertebrae. She wrapped it in her aura and moved it. She got half way before her pain tolerance faltered. She let out a wail and grimaced as it continued to move. She heard Willie hop out of his cushion.
“You leave me be William!” she growled.
There was a silence before she heard his rump plot back into the pillow. She took a heaving breath and continued the process.
Slowly, painfully, and vocally she reset and repaired each of the damaged bones. Despite the difficulty, her willpower held firm and eventually she sent a wave of magic down her spine activating the bone mold on the last vertebrae. She let her head fall on the pillow and returned the remainder of the mold to its bowl. She glanced up to Willie. The goat was glued to his seat. He nervously watched her body rise and fall with each breath. She smiled. “I'm not going to die William.”
He met her with wide eyes. “Is it over?”
“It's over.”
“So... Can yah walk now?”
She shook her head. “No William. I have repaired my spine's structure, which is a big...” She was forced to take a moment to replenish her breath. “It's a big step, but there is still much, much more work to do before I can walk again. For now though, rest. Just, rest.”
“Rest. Right.” She heard some shuffling. “Ah'll just, uh let ya be and, uh, keep the fire going.”
She cast a knockout spell on herself, eager to escape the throbbing pain in her back. “Thank thee Sir William. Thou art wondrous.”
“Wha?..”
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Celestia lay on the cold stone floor. The cackling of what had once been her sister rung in her ears. She begged for it all to be a nightmare. A horrible, horrible nightmare that she could just wake up from. When she had given up hope that her pleas would be answered she forced herself back onto her feet. She knew what she needed to do, but still she debated it, digging around for some other solution. Eventually her fruitless search forced her emotions to give way to logic. If there was another way, there was not enough time to find it. She gazed up at her ruined sibling. “Oh dear Sister, I am sorry, —” she turned to the Chamber of the Elements “— but you have given me no choice —” she reached out with her aura and activated the stone door, “— but to use these!”
She glared at the Elements as they rose from their chamber. She hesitated as visions of a life without her beloved sister passed through her mind. So often when her mind was decided she had been able to bar entry to any thoughts that weren't necessary to complete her task. This time she was unable. She could push them aside and clear a small path, but they stayed at its border, glaring at her as she made each step. She armed herself with the Elements and rose to challenge Luna. She'll concede. She'll concede when she sees the Elements.
The thought helped drive her forward. That's all it was really intended to do. She knew what the outcome of this battle would be. By the time Luna challenged her, determined to prove her might against the Elements Celestia could no longer see her cold, nightmarish form. All she could see was that adorable little filly staring into her eyes, terror seeping from her face.
Kilia stopped. Had it been only her facing Umarak, Moon would have never been banished. Kilia would have surrendered to her fallen sibling's will and doomed all of Equestria. Celestia however was a creature of responsibility, of justice, and of duty. Celestia had an obligation to ponykind. Thus, with tears in her eyes, Celestia cast aside Kilia and activated the Elements. Their mighty beam crashed through Luna's and slammed into the little filly, carrying her off.
As she had expected, despair, horror, and guilt flooded in, drenching her thoughts. She floated above the city, lost in her mind. With the ponies still cowering in their homes, the night was silent. To her surprise, she found it comforting. Silence was something she hadn't heard in a very, very long time.
She realized, basking her emotions, that the flood had brought something else. Something she hadn't expected.
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Celestia awoke with a gasp. Willie leapt from his seat by the fire and spun to face her. “Are ya alright yer majersty?!”
Relief... She had felt relief... What kind of monster was she to take comfort in her sister's exile?
“Yer majer-”
“I'm alright William. It was just a nightmare.”
Willie stared at her for a moment before he settled his head onto his walking stick. “Ya have a lot of those don'cha yer majersty?”
She nodded. “I do, but this one, I think it's shown me something.”
Willie tilted his head.
“I think it's shown me what I need to do when I can walk again.”
“Oh. What do ya gotta do?”
“I have to face something I've been running from for a long time.”
“Ya mean fight the one that hurt yah?”
She shook her head. “No William. The one that hurt me isn't what haunts me. He's only part of it. What haunts me is a place that I once lived and a life that I once had. I've been trying to hide from it in the hopes that it will just fade away, but it's not going to. It's never going away so I just need to come to terms with it. I need to accept the things that happened there, to accept the mistakes I've made and move forward. I need... to go back.”