Celestia shivered slightly as she flew through the icy air. While it wasn’t snowing, the freezing tundra was cold enough that even she, with spells specifically designed to keep her warm, was feeling the biting chill of the wind. As Celestia flew, she gazed off to the side, where the bright lights of the Crystal Empire beckoned to her. Sighing, she tore her gaze away from the bright kingdom and brought her gaze to the mountains underneath her.
“Where are you?” she muttered to herself as she searched.
Orange light flashed in the corner of her eye and she quickly turned her head. Down on a cliff of a tall mountain was a shining orange glow.
“There you are,” said Celestia, smiling lightly. She dived downwards and landed on the cliff. In front of her was a massive cave. A warm light glowed from deep inside, almost beckoning her to come inside.
Celestia walked into the cave, desperate to get away from the cold air outside. As she made her way deeper into the cave, she became warmer and warmer as though she was stepping into a hot bath.
She finally walked into a large cavern and smiled at the what was in front of her. “Well,” she called, “You’ve certainly done well for yourself.”
A massive purple dragon stared down at her, its bright green eyes locked on hers. It was resting in front of a large pile of gems. The dragon scoffed and rolled its eyes. It opened his mouth and said, “You finally decided to visit, huh?” He chuckled and said, “And by that, I mean you decided to drop in unannounced. As per usual. Would it kill you to write a letter?”
Celestia shrugged. “I sent a letter to the Royal Family. It’s not my fault you decided to move out of the Crystal Empire before I got there, Spike.”
Spike snorted, smoke coming out of his nostrils. “You’d move out too if ponies thought you were going to eat them whenever you opened your mouth to yawn.”
“Surely you told them you only ate gems?” asked Celestia.
“I did,” said Spike, a wry grin coming to his face. “That doesn’t really comfort crystal ponies, oddly enough.” He gestured around to the cavern around them. “The Royal Family found me a nice, quiet cave close by. Close enough to keep an eye on things, but far enough that those panicky ponies can go outside without fear of winding up as my dinner.”
“Speaking of which,” said Celestia, “Where did you get all those gems? There can’t be that many out here for you to find on your own.”
“The Royal Family sends me carts full of gems every once and a while,” explained Spike. His sharp claws delicately plucked an emerald from the pile of gems. “I think they feel guilty about me leaving.”
“They are still fond of you, you know,” said Celestia as Spike tossed the emerald into his mouth. “They still tell ponies about you saving the Empire from Sombra.”
Spike scoffed again as he swallowed the emerald. “Twilight and Cadance did more to stop Sombra than I did. I always thought everyone blew that whole thing out of proportion.”
Celestia smiled a bit at that, but her face soon grew somber. “So…” she said hesitantly. “How…how have you been? I haven’t really seen you since…well…”
“Since Twilight,” finished Spike. “I’ve been fine, Celestia. Ever since Shining Heart and her family invited me to stay up here, I just…well…there just wasn’t anything to go back to, you know?”
“…You had me,” said Celestia quietly. “You know you were always welcome to stay in Canterlot with us.”
Spike closed his eyes and sighed. “You were always so busy. Even when you were raising me when I was a hatchling, you were always running to this meeting or that meeting.” He opened his eyes, but refused to meet Celestia’s gaze. “I...I didn’t want to be in your way.”
“You were never in the way,” said Celestia immediately. She stared at the dragon, a forlorn look on her face. “I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like you were.”
“I’m not blaming you,” said Spike quickly, looking at her again. “I’d never blame you for that. I knew you had a kingdom to run.”
“That’s no excuse,” said Celestia. “I should have made the time for you.” She sighed and said, “I suppose I wasn’t much of a guardian for you, was I?”
“You were raising both the sun and the moon, dealing with stuffy rich ponies, and dealing with a neurotic student,” said Spike with a grin. “You did fine. Besides…” The scales on Spike’s face darkened and he looked away awkwardly. “…Whenever I think of a mother, you’re the one who comes to mind.”
Celestia blushed slightly, but she smiled warmly at Spike. “To be honest,” she said quietly, “I think you are the closest I’ll ever have to having a child of my own.”
Spike chuckled and scratched the back of his neck. “This is a little weird, huh?”
Celestia giggled and said, “I could make it weirder. Why haven’t you given me any grandfoals yet?”
Spike choked and spluttered as Celestia laughed. “I-It’s not like I haven’t tried!” he replied. “I haven’t met another dragon that’s been interested in me yet.”
“Oh?” asked Celestia, a grin on her face. “Just dragons? I seem to recall you being interested in ponies.”
“Only one pony,” corrected Spike. “And I realized she didn’t feel the same way about me as I did about her. It just took…awhile.”
“Years,” coughed Celestia.
Spike frowned at the grinning Princess. “Well…what about you? You’ve never been interested in anyone for as long as I’ve known you.”
Celestia laughed at that. “When you get to be as old as I am, everyone starts looking like children to you. Besides, anyone who would try to court me would only be interested in Princess Celestia, not Celestia the mare.”
Spike smirked and said, “Guess we’re both unlucky with love, huh?” His smirk disappeared and he said, “In all seriousness, how have you been doing?”
“Fine,” said Celestia quickly. “Ponyville’s rebuilding is on schedule and the restoration of Twilight’s castle is well underway-”
“Celestia,” said Spike, holding up a claw to stop her, “I’m not all that interested in hearing about construction projects. I want to know how you are doing. You personally.”
“I…” began Celestia. She paused for a moment before continuing, “I’m doing fine. I’ve just decided to take some time off, is all. Luna has everything under control in Canterlot, so I decided that I’d take a tour of Equestria to-”
“This is the first time I’ve seen you take some time off,” interrupted Spike, “Ever. Are you alright?”
“I’m…” began Celestia. She sighed and used her magic to take off her crown. “…I don’t know how I am.” She stared at the crown in her magical grip and muttered, “…I feel like a failure.”
“…What happened with Tirek wasn’t your fault,” said Spike.
“I should have realized that he would’ve escaped again...” muttered Celestia, more to herself than to Spike. “I should have gone down to Tartarus and-”
“And what?” asked Spike. “What reason would you have had for going to Tartarus? As far as you knew, Tirek was still locked up. No one could have predicted that-”
“I should have,” said Celestia. “If I had, Discord would still be…be…” She paused. With a sigh, she put her crown back on her head.
“…Discord made his choice,” said Spike softly. “He chose to defend Equestria in the end. He chose to fight in honor of our friends’ memories. Celestia,” At this, the princess looked up at him, “Are you going to dishonor Discord by taking away his decision? By claiming that you forced him into it by some oversight? Are you that conceited?”
“No!” said Celestia, growing angry. “But if I had planned ahead, Discord would never have had to face Tirek in the first place!”
“And how many ponies would have died in Discord’s place?!” roared Spike, his shout echoing off the walls. “Tirek wouldn’t have waited for you to come up with a plan to defeat him! He would have gathered his strength and annihilated Equestria!”
“I don’t need you to tell me what could have happened, boy!” yelled Celestia, her horn glowing with a golden flame. “Where were you when all this was happening?! You’ve been hiding away in the Crystal Empire for decades! What gives you the right to tell anyone how they should act?”
“At least I’m not moping around like a foal!” shouted Spike defensively.
“No,” growled Celestia. “You’re just hiding like a coward. Just like you’ve been doing ever since Twilight died.”
Spike glared at her, his emerald eyes blazing with fury. “Get out,” he said quietly. When Celestia didn’t move, he roared, fire shooting out of his mouth. “GET OUT!” he screamed.
Without another word, Celestia turned and stormed out of the cave, leaving the furious dragon alone.
A couple of days later, Celestia found herself standing on the balcony of the Crystal Castle, looking out at the city below. She sighed and closed her eyes, letting the breeze blow on her face.
“Ma’am?” asked a voice. “Are you alright?”
Celestia opened her eyes and turned around. Standing behind her was a unicorn with grey fur and a cropped white mane. One purple-colored eye was looking at her in concern, while the other was covered by a black eyepatch.
Celestia smiled at the mare and said, “I’m fine, Blazing Shield. I was just thinking.”
“About Spike?” asked Blazing Shield, stepping forward until she was standing by the princess. Her silver armor gleamed in the sunlight as she looked out onto the Crystal Empire. “He’s a stubborn old lizard, isn’t he? We tried telling him he could stay, but he was convinced the ponies here would run him out sooner or later.”
“Thank you for taking care of him,” said Celestia. She gazed out over the city and said, “You and your family are doing an excellent job ruling over the Crystal Empire. Princess Cadance would be proud of you all.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” said Blazing Shield, “But you should really tell the Prince that. I’m just captain of the Crystal Guard, after all.”
“And you’ve trained them all well,” said Celestia. She gave a small smile to the captain and said, “I probably shouldn’t say this, but the guards in Canterlot could learn a thing or two from your troops.” She turned her head back to the city and frowned.
Blazing Shield gazed at her. “…With all due respect, ma’am…why don’t you just go and talk with him again? You shouldn’t leave things the way they are.” She fidgeted and added quickly, “Not that I’m telling you what to do, but-”
“What good will it do?” asked Celestia, cutting off the captain. “I snapped at him for trying to comfort me and insulted him for grieving over Twilight’s death. I doubt he wants to see me again.”
“…He hadn’t seen you in years, ma’am,” said Blazing Shield. “He missed you. Before he left, he’d tell us all stories about his adventures with Princess Twilight and her friends. He mentioned you a lot, especially whenever he mentioned some party called the Grand Galloping Gala.”
Celestia chuckled at that. “I haven’t thrown one of those parties for decades. I’m a little surprised Spike would mention such a dull event. Twilight and her friends were the only reason I kept it going for as long as I did. They always had a way to liven up a party.”
“Spike always bursts out laughing whenever he talks about a…‘Smooze’, I think?” said the captain. “Was that something Princess Twilight did?”
“Oh yes,” said Celestia, giggling. “I had forgotten all about that particular Gala. I’m afraid you’d have to credit Discord for that one. I’m sure he’ll…” She paused for a moment before correcting herself, “I’m sure he would have been happy that Spike remembered that so fondly.” She sighed and muttered, “I suppose it wouldn’t be right to leave without giving him an apology, would it?”
“Would you like an escort, ma’am?” asked Blazing Shield. “I might be able to calm him down if he’s not in the mood to listen.”
Celestia smiled and said, “That might be a good idea. Spike tends to sulk when-”
The sky suddenly seemed to flicker, switching between a clear, sunny day to overcast with dark, stormy clouds. A chill blew through the air and, far below the balcony, ponies began screaming.
“What’s happening?” asked Blazing Shield. “The only way the spell around the Empire could fail is if-”
“Someone was attacking the Crystal Heart,” finished Celestia. She gazed out into the distance, trying to make out what was happening through the flickering sky. She could barely see a dark, smoky shape moving outside of the city.
“What is that?” asked Blazing Shield, having spotted it as well.
“An old enemy,” explained Celestia, having realized what was happening. “Assemble the Crystal Guard, Captain. Get the citizens off the streets and protect the Crystal Heart.”
“We’ll get it done, ma’am.” Blazing Shield said with a salute. “But who’s attacking us?”
“King Sombra,” said Celestia, keeping an eye on the smoky figure.
“Sombra?” asked the captain. “That mad king foals tell ghost stories about? I thought Spike and Princess Cadance defeated him.”
“Apparently not,” said Celestia. “We need to-”
There was a roar in the distance. A burst of green light lit the night sky in the tundra outside, causing the smoky figure to shrink back.
“Is that-?” asked Blazing Shield.
“Spike,” confirmed Celestia. She turned to the captain and said, “Captain Shield, get civilians off the streets and protect that Heart.” She spread her wings and turned back towards the battle outside of the Empire. “I’m going to help Spike.” Without another word, Celestia took off from the balcony and flew towards the edge of the city. Below her, the crystal ponies were in a panic. They ran to and fro, screaming in fear.
Trusting the Blazing Shield would have the citizens calmed down and off the streets, Celestia looked ahead, attempting to see the battle through the flickering sky. She could see the green flames shoot towards Sombra’s smoky form and headed in that direction.
The second she crossed the barrier between the Empire and the tundra, a loud, agony-filled roar reached her ears. The green flames in the distance flickered as the smoky figure seemed to grow larger. She sped towards the battle and stopped to stare at the scene in front of her.
“No…” she muttered.
Black crystals were everywhere, shooting up from the frozen earth. Several of them were shattered, their pieces glinting in the green glow of the dying flames. The black smoky figure was in front of her, growing to a massive size. In front of it, near the ground, was the body of a large, purple-scaled dragon. Its wings were torn and filled with holes, blood leaking from the torn membrane. Crystals of various sizes were impaled in the body, with the largest stabbed right through the heart.
“Spike…” whispered Celestia, looking sadly at his body. She took a deep breath and gazed at the smoky figure. “Sombra.”
The smoke fidgeted and roared loudly. Celestia thought she could make out Sombra’s face glaring from the darkness. Crystals rose out from the ground as the smoke moved towards her.
“King Sombra,” said Celestia, her horn glowing a blazing gold, “I don’t know how you returned. To be honest, I really don’t care.” She glared fiercely at the smoke. “You are attempting to invade the Crystal Empire again in order to subjugate the crystal ponies again. And you’ve killed someone close to me.” She forced herself not to look at Spike’s body, keeping her eyes locked onto Sombra. “I imprisoned you before. I thought that, during your imprisonment, you could change and become a better ruler. A better pony.” She paused for a moment. “…I was wrong. It seems as though you’ll just keep coming back again and again.”
The smoky figured screeched at her in response and started moving towards her.
Celestia didn’t react to Sombra’s movements, standing motionless as he made his way towards her. “You won’t kill me,” she said firmly. The glow in her horn increased until it was blinding. “You won’t hurt anyone ever again. For your crimes against Equestria, I sentence you to death.”
Smoky tendrils shot out from Sombra’s body, but Celestia was quicker. She shot a wave of golden light at Sombra, engulfing him completely. Sombra shrieked in agony as the smoke hissed and evaporated in the burning light. He thrashed violently, attempting to escape from the blaze, as his body was torn apart. Soon, the only thing that remained of Sombra was his horn, which quickly shattered to pieces.
The wave of light faded as the glow disappeared from Celestia’s horn. She panted and carefully dropped to the ground, breathing heavily. She looked over at Spike’s body and her breathing slowed.
“I…I’m so sorry…” she muttered. Her vision blurred and she blinked, feeling tears running down her face.
“He was brave, you know,” said a voice from behind her.
Celestia frowned and turned. “What did you say?” she asked the white-furred stallion. “What did you just say to me?”
The stallion stared at her unblinkingly. “The dragon. He fought Sombra with all he had.” He looked over at Spike’s body. “Even when he was brought down, he refused to go quietly. He fought until the very end.”
Celestia glared at the stallion. “You just stood there…and watched?!” she snarled.
The stallion looked back at her, almost uncaringly. “It is not my place to interfere. You should be proud, though. The battle was fierce.”
Celestia felt a white-hot fury building up in her. Her horn burned with golden light as she faced the stallion in front of her. “Not as fierce as this one will be,” she spat.