Ghost Town

by Dash The Stampede

Picking Up The Pieces

Sunset broke through the cloud canopy over Ponyville proper as Celestia mindlessly lowered the star toward the horizon. Her bleary eyes glanced over the tens of piles of colored rubber shreds that had accumulated on the floor of Town Hall. Celestia had requested the pictures sent by Twilight over the years be sent to her by Luna so she could begin the tedious task of arranging the victims' bodies in the correct piles. Seven hours of determined searching and categorizing had drained Celestia more than any government function she had ever seen, and all she could think of was her soft bed back at the palace. However, all she could hear was the possible cries of the populace as they met their fates to the spell, and it filled her head with a ringing agony.

Sleep would doubtlessly evade the Solar Princess once more.

Blinking away the spots, Celestia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had spent all day organizing and sifting through the town's remains, and nothing to assuage the families of the victims, and she realized with a gasp that Twilight's entire family was still in the dark as to her fate. Her breath caught in her throat. How could she, the land's near-omnipotent ruler, present to her subjects their families' remains in the state they were? How could she divert the guilt, the blame, the stress of dealing with loss? Her sister was holding down the fort in Canterlot, so her governmental duties had been put on hold for the time being, but that left her no support or assistance with which to handle the issue of informing Equestria of the disaster.

For the first time in hundreds of years, Princess Celestia shook in fear.

---

"Sister! Sister, have you made progress?" Luna's voice penetrated Celestia's stupor, bringing her back to reality once more.

"Ah, Luna, I was hoping to see a friendly face..." Celestia's voice wavered, betraying her stoic expression of determination.

"Celestia, I see you are not well, you have spent too much time awake, sorting through this madness...alone..." Luna trailed off. Her concern for her sister had won out over her desire for Celestia to accomplish her restoration, and the Lunar Princess had traveled by wing to Ponyville, the remnants of the sunset bleeding away into an expanse of stars.

"It's alright, Luna. Really. I'm just.." Celestia paused, before yawning and stretching out her limbs, careful not to disturb the piles of remains.

"Just what? Exhausted? Worried? Overwhelmed?" Luna nickered, staring at the mess around the duo. She stood before the piles of colored rubber, some with a half-formed cutie mark arranged before them, denoting who the scraps once were. A mint-green pile nearest Luna appeared to be the furthest along in sorting, the golden lyre cutie mark had been pieced together, along with most of the pony's mane and body. Luna could not tell what belonged to where, and inwardly sighed as to Celestia's predicament. A glance out the window revealed stray pieces of rubberized pony floating in the gentle breeze, coming to rest in bushes and foliage, finding their way into bird's nests and animal homes, and blowing threateningly close to the Everfree. Luna decided then and there that Celestia couldn't accomplish her task alone.

"-'s just a terrible thing to imagine, isn't it, Luna?" Celestia's voice broke Luna from her thought trail, bringing her to realize she missed Celestia's whole conversation.

"Er, yes, I would believe so." Luna answered, unsure of what she had agreed with.

"Is something troubling you, Luna?" Celestia turned her weary eyes to her sister, who had been pacing around the many multicolored piles, apparently deep in thought, since she had carelessly bumped into a pile or two, knocking the shreds into each other, and Celestia painstakingly separated the piles once more.

"I cannot in good conscience let you take this task on alone. I understand the debt you feel to Twilight and to Ponyville, both because of your experiments, and because of Twilight's mishap from them, but you mustn't struggle through this without at least a spare set of hooves." Luna reached outside the window, plucking a few deep-red strands from the bushes, and snaring another lavender shred on the breeze, depositing them before Celestia with a smile. "I can gather the loose pieces, whilst you sort through them and separate them into piles." Luna trailed off, noticing the torrent of tears streaming down the Solar diarch's face, and rushed to her sister's side immediately. "Tia! What's wrong?"

"It...This...It's just..." Celestia buried her head in her hooves, now crying audibly. "I don't want...want to ruin your outlook on life as well...You've been through so much, both at my hooves, and at others', and I don't want to put you through this pain...this heartache...Oh, Luna!" Celestia broke down, sniffling and sobbing into the carpet as a wing draped across her back and a warmth settled in beside her.

"Shh, Tia, calm yourself. 'Tis not a trouble to me to help see you through this trying time. I would offer myself five hundred score times more, if it meant seeing your inner conflict resolved. Tell me, sister, what troubles thee tonight? Luna rubbed her wing back and forth over Celestia's back, a technique she recalled Celestia doing for her when they were younger.

"I...I haven't given any thought as to how to break the news of this disaster to the rest of Equestria, let alone the relatives of all the victims! And what of Twilight's family? They'll blame me forever, keep me in their thoughts of rage and despair, and there's nothing I can do to keep myself free from that guilt!" More sobs wracked the alicorn's body, her wings ruffling in stress, threatening to spring open and upset the hours of hard work she had done to sort through the mess.

"They must be informed eventually...You are aware of that, and yet, you approach it as though saying there's no way to resolve i-"

"THERE ISN'T A WAY!" Celestia bellowed in rage. "All I have is this...this...spell! And I'm not even sure it'll work! And even if it does, who's to say it will bring them back? Back to their lives! Back to their bodies! They could become mindless zombies, roaming about, with no meaning in their steps! They-" Celestia suddenly found the blue hoof in her mouth hard to speak around, and abated, letting her heart rate lower steadily until she was breathing normally again.

"I believe you are thinking much too far in the worst-case scenario, sister. We haven't even tried the spell! So how can you sit there and tell me it won't work? You've come this far." Luna waved a hoof around the room, pointing to the tens of piles covering Town Hall's carpet. "And you've made such an effort to bring these ponies back to the world they were forcefully torn from, which takes great strength. I respect everything you've done so far, and would feel better if you would open your hooves to my assistance. I feel you need more than just the silence as solace, and I'm here now to provide a shoulder on which to cry, or a set of ears to listen to anything you need to say." Luna gripped Celestia's hoof in her own. "Your burden should not be shared alone...Please, let me help you, Celestia."

Celestia lowered her head, glancing to the side at her sister's determined, yet sympathetic face. 'How much she's matured over the past years...It's like she's coming into her own as an adult, and I've never been so proud...' Celestia wiped away a tear, sniffling and looking back up to her sister, eyes shining with renewed hope. "I'd be honored to have you by my side through these trying times, Luna. Thank you." Celestia took her sister in for a hug, her eyes threatening to break the dam once more, but with a spark of happiness instead of grief. "Thank you so much."

Luna hugged back, joyous at reaching through to her sister, and determined to set right a wrong that should never have occurred. With renewed vigor, Celestia stood and returned to her sorting, fervently separating piles and arranging more cutie marks in front of their respective piles. Luna rose and left the Hall, flying about town, searching for any remaining strands of rubber in the surrounding area. The two worked silently, but they were gracious for each other's presence. Luna alighted on the stairs to Town Hall just an hour later, her saddlebags full to the brim with shreds of ponies found on the outskirts of town. Emptying her bags, a large chunk of cyan rubber fell from the bottom. One of its edges held a sliver of red and yellow, with the corner of a cloud poking out. Celestia's breath caught in her throat when she spotted the large piece on the floor.

'Rainbow Dash, what happened?' Celestia could only wonder.

Grimacing, the two sisters beheld their progress, fourteen piles with completed cutie marks, three of them Element bearers, and the rest recognizable in Twilight's photographs. Celestia looked at Luna with dead eyes, her body near the shutdown point, before collapsing entirely onto the floor, a decent snore emanating from her now-open mouth. Luna smirked, her sister had outdone herself. Since adding in her efforts, their progress had increased tenfold, and now, more than half of the townsponies had been collected in some amount on the floor of Town Hall. Luna gathered up Celestia's body in her telekinesis, before blinking away, back to Canterlot. The Lunar princess laid her sister down in her bed, pulling up the covers and ensuring her comfort before removing herself from the room, and bumping right into a pair of guards in the hall.

"Sorry, Your Highness, I didn't see you there." The Pegasus guard apologized, bowing low, but Luna's smirk showed him he had no reason to worry.

"It is quite alright, Sharp Sight, I require your services in guarding my sister whilst she rests. Do not allow her to leave until she has seen me first. Are we in understanding?" Luna smiled, before turning away, to walk down the hall.

"Yes, Milady. Understood." The guard, Sharp Sight, gathered a small detail and stationed them outside Celestia's bedchambers. Luna, meanwhile, had already gone.

---

A variety of pinks and oranges painted the early morning sky as Luna took to the task of raising the Sun. Celestia had slept for more than a day, and the Lunar Princess was getting exhausted herself. Dealing with Celestia's job was hard enough, let alone her own duties as well.

Just then, the door to her bedchambers opened, followed by a restful yawn and the sound of hoof-guards on marble. Luna turned to see Celestia entering her room, eyes full of energy and mind refreshed. The older princess immediately enveloped the younger in a crushing embrace, her wings pinned to her side as Celestia let out her adoration.

"I really, really needed that rest, Luna, thank you for returning me to my room." Celestia blinked away the rest of her sleepy haze, before turning to look out the window at the rest of the slowly-awakening city of Canterlot.

"It was nothing, dear sister. I feared you would not be able to take on the task of alerting our lands to the tragedy of Ponyville in an insomniac daze. Thus, I ordered your room guarded and locked until your rest had been achieved." Luna smiled, looking to Celestia, who dragged a hoof across her face in terror.

"Augh, I'd rather sleep with Chrysalis than face the press and stress of detailing such a tragic accident." Celestia mused, earning a light whack from her sister.

"It is something that must be done, before word advances by commonpony. Otherwise, our subjects will not have reason to trust us or believe it truly was an accident. I recommend revealing it as soon as possible. I shall stay at your side if you wish, Celestia." Luna took her sister's hoof once again, squeezing it in trust and determination. Celestia dropped her hoof, staring out the window in steely determination.

"Where I'm going, Luna, I won't be able to take solace from you. No, I'm going to see them." Celestia glanced to a picture on Luna's wall of Twilight Sparkle and her parents at the latest Gala, posing with Luna. Luna's gaze followed, and she froze in shock.

"Are...are you sure?" Luna asked, fearful for Celestia's choice.

"It is something that must be done, Luna. And only I can do it." Celestia set her jaw, opening her mouth to say more, but the look on Luna's face silenced her. Her sister held trust in her ability to assuage the families of the victims, and she herself felt the necessity to be the lone informant. With a heavy heart, Celestia rose and walked out of the bedchamber, bidding Luna a good night.

"Good night to you as well, Celestia. And good luck." Luna smiled as Celestia closed the doors, her hoofsteps echoing away down the hall, before petering out to silence. Luna glanced at the clock before sitting on her bed and promptly passing out with an undignified snore.

---

Ponies were not the kind to adjust to tragedy as well as the other inhabitants of the lands, and Celestia knew this more than any other breathing entity on the entire planet. Her knowledge of millennia of incidents had done nothing to prepare her for the fear she felt as she stood before the simple mahogany doors and quietly brought a hoof up to knock. A brief silence permeated the environment, but not for long.

"Coming!" A mare's voice came from the other side of the door, followed by the clicking of locks. "What can I do for..." Twilight Velvet trailed off as she beheld the regent of the sun before her on the doorstep. "Why, P-Princess! What a pleasant surprise!" the aging mare turned back into the house before bellowing to her husband. "Night Light! We have guests! Er, Royal guests!" Velvet stammered.

"What the hay are you talki...OhholyhayitsPrincessCelestia!" Night Light emerged into the doorway, planting his face into the rug as he sheepishly bowed to Celestia. "My...apologies for the rudeness, eheheh.." Night Light rubbed the back of his head with his hoof, while Twilight Velvet was trying not to slap hers across her face.

"Good morning, my little ponies. May I come in? I have...important matters to discuss with you at once." Celestia's voice threatened to waver into the cries she was holding back.

"Of course! Honey, go make some tea!" Twilight Velvet sent her husband away for refreshments as she led the Princess to their living room couch. "Please, Princess, make yourself at home!" Velvet's large smile was unnaturally creepy, as Celestia had noticed in many of the times she had entered a subject's home. Their nervousness was ever present, but Celestia felt her fear rising more with each second.

"Here we are! Fresh Jasmine-Oolong and crackers!" Night Light strode into the room, carrying a tray with a teapot, three cups, and an assortment of crackers so small, mice would find the portions too tiny. Celestia took a cup and a few crackers with a nod and a smile. Light assembled himself on the couch next to his wife, and both turned to face the Princess, their smiles wavering with uncertainty.

"Now that we are all here, I have some news that I must inform you both of." Celestia began, before being assaulted by questions from the parents.

"Is it about Twilight?"

"What did she do this time?"

"Is everything okay?"

"How's the student-thing going?"

"Where's Twilight now?"

Celestia was overwhelmed by the questionnaire, and raised a hoof for silence, which was graciously given to her moments later. She took a deep breath, and gathered up her saddlebags, opening up a pocket, and upending the bag over the coffee table. A flurry of lavender shreds fell from the bag, along with a tattered parchment, landing on the table and floor. Twilight Velvet's breath caught in her throat as she realized the shreds were the same color as her daughter's coat. Night Light sat and blinked, as though trying to awaken from a dream.

"Is...is this..." Velvet began, choked sobs catching in her chest.

"M...my b-baby girl!" Night Light took a hold of the parchment, reading it over and over, his eyes trying to see the offending document as false, but his daughter's hornwriting was ever-present on the page. His body wracked with sobs as he held the parchment out to his wife for her to read, and her heart was breaking with each word.

Celestia's anguish broke the dam holding her back, and the tears streamed freely down the Princess's face. "I...I regret to inform you..." Celestia sobbed, staring straight at the floor. "That...that your daughter, Tw-Twilight Sparkle..." Celestia braced herself to face the truth, and she could see it in the couples' eyes that they were seeing the same ugly truth rear its head. She strengthened her resolve, and spoke without fear.

"Twilight Sparkle is dead."

Comments

[BurningLance]

oh my the feels

i truly hope the spell Celestia sorta is dreading to try works right so the popped ponies can return to the living.

[Dash The Stampede]

4770185
We'll have to wait and see! It is dark magic, though.

I'm gonna start chapter three tonight, so stay tuned in for more Ghost Town!
~Dash The Stampede