//------------------------------// // Celestia's Diary #2 // Story: Malefic Bonds // by Razalon The Lizardman //------------------------------// The door to the library’s secret study opened in a veil of golden magic, and in sauntered Princess Celestia, looking quite chipper despite it being early morning. She strode over to the center dais where her diary lay in wait with a merry skip in her step, summoning a quill and inkwell and opening to the next blank page. 4/14/06 Last night was one to remember, without any doubt. Of all the birthday celebrations I have held for Solis over the years, I can say with utmost certainty that this one triumphs over them all in significance, for both political and personal reasons. Politically, Solis has made a good impression on the Wind family after finding and comforting little Emerald. She and her mother Melody are the foremost link We have to the common populace, and if their reactions to Solis’ ascension to alicornhood are indicative of how Equestria as a whole shall react, all will be well on that front. Personally, I am secretly wondering if Solis and Emerald are romantically involved. When my son returned with Melody’s daughter to the dining room, their spirits were nothing if not jovial. I had meant to ask Solis the details of what happened, but he assured me it was nothing of importance. Admittedly, I am not well-versed in the ways of romance, but as a mother, I cannot help but be curious. Melody and Emerald left for home a few minutes ago, and I may have imagined it, but I swear I saw Emerald wink back to Solis as she left. One of these days I will press Solis for more information, perhaps during his upcoming flying lessons. So many changes have occurred in such a short amount of time, and I predict many more are to come, to which I shall face them all with unwavering resolve. 4/15/06 Luna tells me she is busy figuring out a new task to undertake after her previous job of quelling night terrors has been rendered null. She gave me no specific details on what she believes her new job will entail, but she assures me it will quell her unhappiness as of late. This I am glad to hear, and I hope she works everything out sooner rather than later. 4/26/06 Today is the day I begin training Solis to use his new wings. As expected, he is far from enthusiastic about learning how to fly, which is quite ironic, considering his penchant for learning about magic. Oh well, he shall learn to overcome his fear of heights in time, this I am sure of. 5/01/06 Solis is steadily making progress using his wings. We have recruited the best flyers among the Solar and Lunar Guards to help conduct the lessons, and the extra help has done wonders for Solis, both with his training and with dispelling his fear of heights. There is still much work to do, but Solis is undoubtedly on his way to mastering flight. 5/04/06 Ever since Solis presented his tuning spell to me, I have debated whether to set aside some resources for the purpose of studying and expanding upon its use. Transformation spells such as Solis’ are a commodity, with the only other such spell in recorded history being Starswirl’s famous amniomorphic spell. Solis opened up a whole new field of magic study with his tuning spell, one centered around the reconfiguration of chemical compounds. I intend to speak with Luna about this tonight. Speaking of whom, I am very curious as to what she has planned for herself regarding her new nighttime job. I shan’t pry for information tonight, but I do hope she will share some with me soon, if only so I am no longer oblivious to her woes. 5/06/06 After much debate between Us, the decision has been made to follow through with funding a new branch of magic study, with Solis’ tuning spell acting as the basis. A decree is currently being drafted that states We are looking both for ponies with exceptional magic talent and scholars whom specialize in magic theory. Anypony who believes they are of such high a stature in one or both of these regards is welcome to answer Our call. If all goes well, the results of this new study could yield a plethora of benefits to Equestrian society and infrastructure. 5/07/06 The decree has been sent. Now we wait to see who answers. 5/14/06 Solis’ flying lessons are steadily yielding progress. Just today, my son managed to launch off one of the castle’s columns and land safely to the ground on his own. My little colt will be flying alongside Us very soon, I can feel it in my heart. 5/29/06 After much discussion amongst Us, the specifics for Miss Melody’s requested name changing law are complete. We did our best to make the law fair to everypony with as little hassle as We could manage. Although, I suspect most ponies will not take advantage of it, being happy already with their birth names. The option is still a good one, of course, and We are happy that Miss Melody suggested it to Us. 6/07/06 I just came back from Solis’ bedroom, where my son was practicing with his unicorn magic. Undeniably, he is more excited to learn this aspect of his new alicorn body than his wings, and I suppose I would be too if I was him. He appears to be making as much progress with magic as he is with flying, except he is able to accomplish it all by himself without Our help. I cannot say it surprises me, however, for if Solis can create functioning spells using only written texts describing magic theory as a basis, it makes perfect sense he can teach himself how to cast spells as well. However, he is unable to cast his own tuning spell as of now. Studying magic is one thing, but casting it is another story, especially for a beginner like my son. Given time, however, he will learn how to harness it so he may cast spells as well as any unicorn. 6/016/06 Today Everfree Castle was visited by a small number of Canterlot unicorns who have expressed interest in Our call for ‘unicorns of exceptional magic talent, study, or both’. From what I understand, only two out of the group of ten are of the scholarly persuasion, while the rest are among Canterlot’s finest magic users, and rather self-entitled ones at that. This is hardly a surprise to me, given the general attitude unicorns have carried since even before Equestria’s founding. Nevertheless, they are high level magic users, so they are a worthwhile asset to this undertaking. After a lengthy meeting between them, myself, and Solis the initial arrangements for this new study were decided upon. It will take a while, perhaps even a few years, but the unicorns have agreed to invest in this study and shall pool some resources to set up a research congregation for the express purpose of studying this new branch of magic study, which we have decided to term ‘alchemy’ due to the tuning spell’s nature of rearranging the chemical composition of any desired object. The meeting is significant for another reason; it was the first time a common citizen of Equestria aside from Miss Melody and Emerald has witnessed Solis in his alicorn body. While I had faith that Equestria’s populace would appreciate my decision to ascend Solis, there always was a niggling bit of doubt in my heart that they would think ill of me instead. These ten unicorns were very polite to Us, and even offered Solis a few congratulations for receiving such a high honor. While these ponies’ reactions do not speak for the entire population, I would like to think that if even the most selfish of Equestria’s populace are appreciative of my decision, that everypony else is too. Perhaps when Solis learns to fly or teleport and is old enough to leave the castle all by his lonesome he shall learn this himself. 7/18/06 At long last, today is the day that Solis has learned to fly adequately. Our guard did a magnificent job teaching my son all the basics of flight, and I truly believe there is not a word in existence that adequately expresses how happy I am for this. That said, my son is still reluctant to make extensive use of his newfound flying prowess. I suppose some encouragement is in order, but for now I shall leave him be so he can practice his magic. Perhaps when the alchemy studies begin in earnest will he make significant progress from working with so many exceptional magic talents. 7/30/06 Last night I played a prank on one of Luna’s patrolling guards. Using The Organ to the Outside, I played a slowed down rendition of Dusk Gale the Charmer’s most famous piece, ‘The Lurker Approacheth’. This made it sound especially ominous, and the results showed on his face this morning at breakfast. He believes the castle has been invaded by, of all things, the undead spirits of the Sirens, having returned from the grave to exact revenge by using music to lure ponies so they can drag them back to the afterlife. One of the benefits of being as long lived as Us is that certain details are never lost to time, such as the fact that Starswirl the Bearded did not kill the Sirens, but instead banished them to another plane of existence. Just now as I write this I can see where the confusion stems from. Perhaps someday We will make clear to Our little ponies such details. For now, however, my interest lies in watching Our guards chasing after non-existent ghosts. The only kind there is, in fact. 9/05/06 The Canterlot unicorns who visited Us a few months back have returned with information regarding the plans for the new alchemy branch of magic study. According to them, a suitable location has been determined for such a congregation up in Canterlot, alongside one of the mountain’s higher cliff faces. We are alright with this arrangement, but Solis was noticeably nervous upon hearing of this. I sincerely hope he learns to overcome his fear of heights before the final preparations get underway, or else communication between Us and the unicorns partaking in this study will be made all the more complicated. 9/019/06 At first I found it rather funny how Our guards were so quick to believe this ‘Vengeful Siren Ghost’ nonsense, but it has been almost two whole months since I played that prank and they still hesitate to wander this castle’s halls alone, especially so at night. We had assumed Our guards were a brave and diligent lot, but perhaps we overestimated the former. Perhaps I should come clean about my prank. After spending a few minutes thinking about it, I have decided to keep it a secret. If I wished to come clean, I should have done so straight away. As it stands, speaking of it now would only serve to dishearten the guards, and possibly even lose some of their respect for Us. I shall instead attempt to give assurance that no ghosts haunt this castle through less direct methods. How exactly, I do not yet know. 10/7/06 I remember how her desire for Emerald to have a new name is what motivated Miss Melody to petition for the name changing law. We were visited by the pair again today, and they announced their desire to enact the law. Emerald has decided to change her first name to ‘Soothing’, and all the legal work is currently being completed to make the change official. I must admit, her desired new name strikes me as an odd choice, seeing how it references nothing from the musical arts. Melody also seemed to be off-put by her daughter’s decision, but acquiesced all the same. I will admit, however, that ‘Soothing Wind’ is a lovely name. 10/8/06 Miss Melody and Emerald just left for Canterlot. The legal work will be sorted out in around a month’s time, whereupon Emerald will officially be known as Soothing. Before they left, Emerald asked to speak with Solis in private. When told my son was too busy working on practicing his magic, Emerald asked me to relay a message to him. It was: “Let your son know I am hard at work on ‘it’. He shall know what I am referring to, worry not.” Indeed, Solis said he knew exactly what Emerald was talking about when I told him, but his tone was that of indifference. Whatever is going on between them, it appears not to be anything of the romantic persuasion. Needless to say, my curiosity has been piqued. 11/10/06 The legal work for Emerald’s name change is completed, so she is now officially known as Soothing Wind. Nopony else has yet to ask for a name change, however, but We shall see if that changes moving forward. Either way, as I know I have said before, the option is good to have. 11/22/06 Today I learned something very interesting from my sister. As it turns out, Luna has been studying up on transformation magic since Solis’ birthday celebration, specifically that of self-transformation. This gave me an idea for how to assure Our guard that no ghosts haunt this castle. I have been pondering for the past two months how to go about this without revealing to anypony the existence of the Organ to the Outside. Now I have been presented with the perfect opportunity to do just that, and, much as she likes watching our guards acting like terrified little foals, Luna has agreed to help me. This will be fun. 11/24/06 There are few instances I can recall where I have used the flashback spell to capture a moment from time for my memories. Last night was one of the rare instances where I did just that. Foals have an especially strong imagination, and We were no different in that regard. Even now we still harbor some foalish imagination within our minds, which is what gave birth to all the secret passageways strewn throughout this castle. We occasionally liked to play pretend as well, and we invoked that same sense of make believe for my plan to convince Our guard that no ghosts exist in this castle. The plan went as follows: I join the night guards on patrol, Luna shows up disguised as one of the sirens in ghostly form, and I pretend to slay her with my magic, thus making the guards believe the castle is once again free of ghosts. It worked flawlessly, and nopony is any wiser about the Organ to the Outside. 12/07/06 The month of Hearth’s Warming is once again upon Equestria. This year, I have proposed We try something new. We set out to endear Us to Our subjects. It has been a little more than five years, and We have more or less accomplished that goal. And yet, I feel as if We are still somewhat distant from them, and not just in the literal sense of Everfree Castle being isolated from every other settlement. I want Our subjects to keep assured that We wish only the best for them and Equestria, which they could easily forget over time as new generations come and go. Therefore, I have proposed that We arrange a Hearth’s Warming celebration in Canterlot, to which everypony would be invited for merry fun and games. Of course, that would include Us, as well as the castle staff. Such an event would truly be an ambitious task to undertake, but I have no doubt that We can make it happen, and I expect to hear soon whether Luna and Solis agree with me. 12/08/06 Solis and Luna have both agreed to my proposal for a Canterlot Hearth’s Warming celebration. The castle staff are also particularly excited, especially since it will give them a chance to spend Hearth’s Warming with their families. Indeed, free transportation, courtesy of Our guard, shall be provided to them. A formal announcement of this celebration is currently being written, along with invitations to everypony in Equestria. I sincerely doubt every last pony will be able to make the trip, but We aim to provide the pinnacle of joy and good times for those who do manage. I have a strong feeling this upcoming Hearth’s Warming will be hard to outshine for years to come, possibly for as long as We live. Or perhaps my imagination is getting the better of me. Regardless, We aim to make this celebration one worth remembering. 12/10/06 We have just returned from Canterlot where we announced the upcoming Hearth’s Warming Celebration to everypony there. I was a little nervous that they would find Our announcement sudden and forced upon them, and while it was both in many respects, nopony appeared to be upset by it. Quite the contrary, many of them were positively elated at the coming festivities. While We were there, Solis took the opportunity to visit with Miss Melody and Soothing. According to him, Miss Melody has been feeling sick and is bedridden a lot as of late, leaving Soothing to maintain their household. I hope she feels better in time for the celebration, for it would be a shame not to have some classical music played for those in attendance. 12/11/06 The idea to invite King Sombra and the crystal ponies to the Hearth’s Warming Celebration crossed my mind today. It may not be feasible, since the Crystal Empire is a fair bit of distance to travel, especially across so much icy tundra, but I feel extending the invite to them is only the proper course of action. 12/13/06 Preparations for the Hearth’s Warming Celebration have begun in earnest. Such an undertaking as massive as this is already proving to be anything but simple, doubly so since it is on such short notice to everypony involved. Nevertheless, progress is steadily being made toward getting everything complete in time for Hearth’s Warming Eve. Our staff is currently hard at work on food and decor, while the ponies of Canterlot are transforming the marketplace into a suitable ground for the upcoming festivities. Just now as I write this, I realize that this will be Solis’ first visit to Canterlot after his ascension. While I am confident everypony up there will be accepting of this, I do have to wonder how Solis will react should anypony from his past that he has ill will toward approach him. Much as I trust him to refrain from physical violence, I suppose some supervision on Our part would be a good idea. 12/20/06 The final preparations for the celebration are underway. We have visited Canterlot a couple of times over the past week, and I must say, the marketplace looks absolutely magnificent. The ponies of Canterlot truly deserve praise for all their hard work; never before have We seen so much excitement and festivity conveyed through a few simple silk ribbons and multi-colored torches. 12/21/06 A reply has come from the Crystal Empire regarding Our invitation to King Sombra. It comes as a small surprise that he has decided to attend the festivities this week. I had thought joining a celebration for an Equestrian holiday would not be worth trekking across miles of icy tundra, but King Sombra has seen fit to do so regardless. Perhaps there is more to his character than the grump We met before. The king is due to arrive on Hearth’s Warming Eve along with a small assembly of his crystal ponies. May they have a merry Hearth’s Warming along with Us and Our subjects. 12/22/06 I am writing this entry from Miss Melody’s study in Canterlot. We traveled up here for a final check upon the marketplace, after which We decided to stop by Miss Melody and Soothing’s dwelling to ask if either would be interested in playing some Hearth Warming carols for the populace in attendance. Even as I write this, Miss Melody’s wheezes and coughs from upstairs emanate clear as crystal. Solis and Soothing are conversing about something, likely whatever Soothing referred to as ‘it’ a few months ago, across from me by the fireplace. In all honesty, I cannot recall the last time I saw a unicorn in such an ill state as Melody currently is. She says every doctor in Canterlot and Cloudsdale has come by to check on her at least once, with their collective diagnosis being that she merely has a severe case of the common flu. According to them, plenty of bed rest is all it will take to make her healthy again, but she has doubts about the viability of their claim. I will admit to not being particularly well-versed in medical expertise, but I see no reason to dispute the doctors’ claims. However, seeing Miss Melody sick so close to Hearth’s Warming has me convinced she shan’t be fit to play for everypony by then. ‘Tis a sad truth, but perhaps We can convince Soothing to play instead. Hopefully she has overcome her stage fright since Solis’ birthday. Speaking of whom, my son just asked me if he and Soothing could take a stroll around Canterlot. I told him yes, so long as he allows a few of Our guards to come along. It seems he is slightly unhappy about this. On a more positive note, everything is going great for Solis up here in Canterlot. Our whole time up here my son has been met with nothing but warm reception. Indeed, everypony seems to be genuinely excited to see Equestria’s newest co-ruler despite his masked face and very shy demeanor. I do wish he would open up a bit more with everypony, but regardless, everything stands well as they currently do, and it feels great to have indisputable assurance that my decision to grant Solis ascension was a good choice. 12/24/06 It is Hearth’s Warming Eve, and goodness gracious, never before have I seen so many ponies gathered in one place. I am writing this from high atop a cloud I borrowed from Cloudsdale’s weather ponies, and the streets below are positively flooded with ponies. They all look like little ants from up here. Joyous, chatty, inebriated ants. I can see Luna standing by a concession table, doing her best to remain awake and converse with Our subjects. I will ask her about this later. Our staff is currently reconnecting with their respective families. I imagine going for extended periods of time without seeing a loved one takes a serious toll on one’s heart, so it warms my own to see everypony re-establishing bonds with those they provide for by working for Us. Solis and Soothing have been alternating between joining in the festivities and checking up on Miss Melody. It saddens me to know she is missing out on this most joyous occasion, but at least she has company. Soothing has declined my request to perform for everypony, but not out of stage fright, it seems. Rather, according to her, she wishes to hone her skills some more before accepting anything of such a high magnitude. I respect her decision wholeheartedly, and yet, I cannot help but wonder where the nervous little filly from my son’s birthday has gone. Perhaps Solis’ time spent with her has had a greater effect on Soothing than I initially thought. And last, but certainly not least, King Sombra and the Crystal ponies are skulking around of their own accord. It has been a while since the king and I have conversed, and even then it was almost entirely over political matters. Perhaps now we can speak to each other on a more casual level, like regular acquaintances. It has been about an hour since I decided to visit with King Sombra. He is still as gruff and unamused by foalish wiles as he was during our first meeting, but I suppose anypony would be after having to recover an entire empire from the brink of anarchy. Between the two of us, I cannot help but wonder whose job as a ruler is more difficult. Anyway, he was very pleasant to talk to, although, I was a bit unnerved when he asked if he could touch my mane. I remember how he had many questions regarding Our physiology and power, and even back then I was a bit unnerved by it all. Regardless, I let him touch, and in hindsight I wish I had told him not to let his hoof get tangled, because now I am a few hairs short of a full mane. 12/25/06 The celebration has reached its end, and everypony will be leaving for home in short time. I had intended to make this Hearth’s Warming one which everypony will remember for years to come, and judging from the reactions We have observed from Our subjects thus far, it will be exactly that. I had a pleasant time myself, as did Solis and Soothing from what they have told me. Luna appears to be a bit more downtrodden than them, but her spirits are nonetheless positive. She says conversing with Our older subjects is hard when they keep groveling before her, which I can imagine to be true. Having interacted with Our subjects as much as I have, they likely feel more assured around me since they know I shan’t lash out or use the Royal Canterlot Voice out of line. If Luna could find more time to personally interact with Our subjects, I imagine she would eventually give them the same level of assurance. King Sombra has said he would like to stay in Equestria for a few more days, until just before the new year, for the purpose of ‘learning more about Equestria and its leadership’. Ever the curious one, he is. I sincerely hope he has no double standard, because We would love to learn more about the Crystal Empire and himself as well. 12/28/06 The Hearth’s Warming Celebration has done wonders for the morale of Our staff. Not that it was low before then, but they are noticeably more jovial in their day-to-day activities. Seeing their families truly has brightened their spirits. Solis appears to be unchanged after the celebration, possibly as a result of spending most of his time with the Wind family rather than connecting with Our subjects. Much as I want him to open up more, I commend him for choosing to stay by Miss Melody’s side in her time of need, especially given the strained relationship they have after that one incident years ago. Luna, however, seems to be even more depressed than she was before the celebration. No doubt this stems from the fact that Our subjects are unaccustomed to speaking casually with her, thereby making her attempts to bond with them exceedingly difficult. This could be solved fairly easily given more chances to casually converse, but then the fact that Luna is nocturnal by nature makes this exceedingly difficult. She says her secret plan to become useful again is still in the works, however, so perhaps things will work out for her in the end. King Sombra will be leaving tomorrow with his crystal ponies. Much as he spoke about learning more of Our rule over Equestria, not once did he ever come to us asking for information. Reports say he spent the past few days visiting various settlements close to and around Canterlot, doing little other than observing the various day-to-day activities of the ponies living there and getting a view of the surrounding landscapes. This all might seem typical at a glance, but his unusual behavior as of late leaves me a tad bit suspicious. I have no proper reason to suspect him of having ulterior motives, of course, but the feeling is too strong to ignore. Regardless, spirits are on the rise now, and I believe Equestria will come out stronger than ever going into the new year. 1/1/07 It has been almost six whole years since Discord’s reign ended and Ours came to power. And yet, I feel as if little to no time has passed at all. Where did it all go? 1/15/07 The Canterlot unicorns have visited again bearing more news regarding the upcoming studies into alchemy. They say the research facility’s construction is well underway, with completion estimated to be in a few months’ time. Possibly around the time of Solis’ next birthday. That would be an interesting birthday celebration for sure. 1/22/07 On Solis’ request, We have made the trip up to Canterlot once again for the sole purpose of checking up on Miss Melody to see if she has recovered from her illness. As it turns out, her condition has only grown worse in the past few weeks. Only because this is a private journal will I speak my true thoughts regarding Miss Melody. She looks like a risen corpse that has walked through a swarm of locusts. Her face is puffy and swollen almost beyond recognition, and her throat sounds so dry and hoarse that the sound she makes whenever she tries to talk is bone-chilling, and no amount of water seems to help. More sickening is how she vomits blood every other hour, having to use a bucket for such, and yet a few red stains still coat the wooden planks of her floor. Needless to say, everypony with even a shred of medical expertise has been summoned to help her over the past few weeks. The exact nature of her illness is unknown as of now, but the working theory is that she has fallen victim to some form of cancer. Hopefully more details will be brought to light sooner rather than later. Soothing has taken her mother’s sickness surprisingly well for such a young mare. She keeps herself busy around the house in her mother’s stead, runs errands to and fro the market, and has even taken to feeding Melody her meals as if she was a foal. I find her choice of protective facial wear to be quite absurd, however, that being a gryphon mask and a black cloak. The costume has an enchantment designed to ward off diseases of all kinds, and Soothing says she purchased it from one of the market vendors in town. Why they would enchant those two specific items is beyond even my capacity to understand. I sincerely hope Miss Melody feels better soon. Of all Our subjects outside of the castle staff, she is the only one which I consider a personal friend. During Our time up here, We also got to see the alchemy research facility’s construction in progress, and I have to say, the concept of modesty seems to be non-existent with these unicorns. For just a simple research facility, they have seen fit to build it as if it were a palace. I have seen the design plans, and they include spires taller than any already found here in Canterlot, archways meant to overlook the entirely of the city, and even a great bay window where the observatory will be located. Why an observatory in a magic research facility? They claim it will ‘afford knowledge indirectly to the main purpose of this undertaking’, which I read as ‘we want it because it looks fancy and we like fancy’. Regardless of its practicality, I see no harm in building it. 1/23/07 It seems my son has undergone a maturity spike since last night, or maybe even before We came up here without me noticing. We were meant to leave for the castle today after staying with Miss Melody, but Solis has requested to remain in Canterlot to help Soothing care for her mother. I will not lie; I was surprised to hear this from Solis. I had known he cared for Miss Melody when he asked that We come up here, but never did I think he would want to stay behind, especially since that would put him at risk of contracting whatever disease Melody harbors. Regardless, I have agreed to let him stay on the condition that he takes a few guards for protection. Solis says he will keep us updated on Miss melody’s condition, and I pray to the Elements that she eventually recovers, whether by chance or from a cure. 1/26/07 It has been three days since Solis chose to remain up in Canterlot, and yet, it feels so much longer than that. I miss him dearly, and even though Canterlot is only about a few hours’ distance by carriage, I feel as if we are a world apart. Summer Scape has said that these feelings are common for a parent to have when they are separated from their children. For me to incur these feelings despite not being Solis’ mother by blood is a testament to how genuine my love for him is. 1/30/07 A message from Solis has arrived. Miss Melody has yet to recover, but her condition is not getting any worse, which is good to hear. He also says that the research facility’s construction is proceeding along smoothly, which is also nice. 2/03/07 Another message from Solis has arrived. Miss Melody’s condition is stable, but she has still yet to recover. Aside from that, my son has seen fit to inform me of the secret shared between him and Soothing, or so I assume. Solis says Soothing is working on writing a song that will ‘have me clamoring for more in spite of my aversion to lyrical pieces’. I will admit to being curious as to how exactly that mare plans to quell my son’s dislike of songs, or why she even wants to, but if she can do so then I shan’t have any objection. Quite the opposite, in fact, as t’would be very nice for my son to appreciate the wonders of music. 2/05/07 Solis seems to share my sentiments regarding the observatory those unicorns desire for the research facility in that it is only there to make the building look fancy. Regardless, he claims to have an idea in mind for how to make productive use of it, but he gave no specifics. If I had to reason a guess, however, he probably intends to turn it into his second home away from the castle. At the very least, he shall have a place to live for whenever he may decide to permanently leave Us to start his own life. 2/10/07 Miss Melody is dead. I have spent a half hour standing here, holding my quill, trying to muster the courage to write that down. Even as I continue writing this entry, my tears are threatening to burst forth and ruin this journal. Solis’ latest message arrived just a few hours ago. In it, he explained that he and Soothing found her mother’s body on the floor beside her bed, stretched out almost like she was crawling towards her door. She was lying down in a puddle of blood which was dripping from her mouth, eyes bloodshot and corpse-like, and hair unkempt and matted with dried up perspiration. But according to Solis, knowing that her mother is deceased has done little to upset Soothing. She has shed many tears since morning, but nothing in the way of wailing and bawling her eyes out with uncontrollable sobs. I suppose that goes to show how strained Soothing’s relationship with her mother was, but it is nice to know she loved her enough to mourn for her passing. We must now leave to join Solis in arranging the funeral, as well as inform Canterlot’s citizenry of Miss Melody’s passing. 2/20/07 I write this entry from the cemetery up atop the Canterhorn, now named Wind Cemetery after its soon-to-be newest addition. Much has occurred over the past ten days. I only write this entry now because We have had little in the way of free time in between preparing for Melody’s funeral, contacting the Wind family’s closest relatives and informing them of her passing, and commissioning suitors to create black garbs for Us to wear here. Soothing has kept quiet over the past week, staying holed up in her room back down in Canterlot and letting nopony see her, including Solis. The pain she must have felt then, and even now as I watch her across from me, is something We could wish on nobody. Not even Discord would deserve suffering so immense. As for Us, reactions to this tragedy have been mixed. Solis has been more concerned for Soothing’s emotional health than anything else. Luna, while disheartened, is nowhere near as distraught as Soothing or myself. Indeed, I might be more heartbroken over Melody’s passing than even Soothing. She was the closest I had to a true friend in so long. What makes me even sadder than knowing I shall never see her again is having not been there by her side when she died. Had I known her illness was so serious, I would never have left Canterlot until she died, or, if miracles are to be believed, she recovered. But the past cannot be changed, and I shall not grieve over what I could have done differently. The funeral service will be conducted in a half hour’s time, to which Miss Melody will be laid to rest. May she find everlasting peace and happiness in death. 3/15/07 Quietness has reigned supreme for the last month following Miss Melody’s funeral. Soothing has her aunt and uncle looking after her, We have resumed Our daily activities in ruling Equestria, and the construction of the alchemy research facility is nearing completion. I had hoped this year would be full of cheer and splendor, but the exact opposite is all it has given so far. Losing such a wonderful friend as Melody crushed my spirits, but I shall recover. I only hope that the joy and mirth We used to cherish will return sometime soon. 4/13/07 Today is Solis’ sixteenth birthday, and once again, I have exercised every last bit of my power to put together a celebration worthy of a prince of Equestria. Not a surprise celebration, of course; I have accepted the reality that such would be a fruitless endeavor. Instead, I have given Solis a personal gift, one which I believe he will make good use of.