Her family is in pieces, her home is inhospitable, the future is uncertain, Celestia needs to take lead and find a way to save Equus.
Starswirl the Bearded is no more. Luna is no more. Stygian is no more. They have all succumbed to the darkness, tainting the land in the process. Harmony is teetering, trying to find purchase after losing its Guardian. Will heroes rise to restore the balace?
She jumped over a rock. She ducked underneath a branch. She wiped away the rain away from her eyes. When did it start raining? She kept on running.
She slipped on some mud. Her knees crashed onto the hard floor below, sending jolts of pain throughout her body. She curled up and cried...NO. She wasn't a weak filly anymore! She pushed herself up and wiped away the tears. She ignored the pain and the bleeding. She kept on running.
She looked behind her once while she was running. Once was enough. The sky rippled with black lightning, darkening the already dark sky. Putrid green fog rolled over hills and trees. That was enough looking for now. She kept on running.
A lake came into view. It was a familiar sight, one she had seen many a times. She just needed to make it to the other side. And then everything will be alright, right? She'd come home, open her eyes, and realize it was all a bad dream. She would hug Swirly, play with her sister, help Granny. Right? She kept on running.
A whiff of smoke got her attention but she didn't dare deviate from her path. She didn't even dare to look around, fearing what she might see. There was a small voice in the back of her head, asking where Sunset Shimmer was. She paid no attention. She kept on running.
As she ran through some bushes, ignoring the painful whaps of the branches, that small voice reminded her that Shining Armor was with Sunset. That brought her a small amount of peace. She kept on running.
Who was she? That question ran around her head just as fast as she was running with her hooves. She didn't know when that question started to ask itself, but the question seemed appropriate. Her rhythmic thumping of her hooves lulled her senses, allowing her mind to disengage and contemplate. She kept on running.
The valley was closing in. She found herself speeding up. The closer she got, the more familiar everything looked. The more it looked like home. The more painful it was with every step. The more joy she felt with every passing second. The more tears streaked down her face.
When Celestia came to, she immediately felt pain. Pain in her chest, in her hands, in her knees and her hooves. The white unicorn mare, complete with a pink mane, groaned as she rolled over in her bed. She then proceeded to try to stand up, but the weight made her legs collapse underneath her, so she settled by easing back into the bed, hissing all the while. It took a while, but she finally found a position where nothing hurt and it was comfortable. It was only then did she contemplate the situation she was in.
She was back home. That part was quite obvious from her surroundings. The bed she was in was her own, and next to her, was a wooden bowl that she carved herself with only a bit of help from Swirly. She let out a short, ragged gasp. Starswirl... Memories trickled in. They came in slowly as Celestia tried, in vain, to stem the tide of pain. But just like water, the memories found a way and pushed their way in. It wasn't long before she was crying softly, whimpering at the sight of those horrible faces. Faces that belonged to her family.
The padded floor didn't feel so cozy anymore. She didn't feel safe nor comforted. She felt horrible. She felt just like that black goo that spread from Swirly... It didn't feel right, calling that...monster, Swirly, but Celestia didn't know what else to call him. He's always been Swirly to her. She felt lost.
Luna would know what to do.
And with that thought, a new wave of pain coursed through her body. Luna, her dear sister, Luna. Gone in an instant. Now she'll never be able to watch the stars she adored, or dance in the moonlight, or smile peacefully as the sky was awashed in color beyond equine comprehension. Celestia closed her eyes, for fear she would go blind from the tears.
And Stygian. Uncle Stygian was always nice to her, even if he didn't show it as well as the others. He was the first stallion she knew besides Swirly and that made him even more special in her eyes. Now, he was wrapped in shadows and glowing white eyes that was filled with too much hatred and loneliness that Celestia refused to believe that that was Uncle Stygian.
That gave her pause. Maybe they're all still alive! Just, currently in different states of mind. That means Celestia could fix it all! She swung her legs over and tried to get up again. She forgot about the pain and promptly collapsed onto the floor, too weak to drag herself back to the bed.
"Celestia! Yer awake!" There was some shuffling and Granny Smith's face filled her view. At the sight of her, made the world go blurry, yet again. "Oh, mah poor filly." The older mare crouched down and hugged Celestia, all the while, whispering sweet nothings into her ear.
She had no idea how long she was there, wrapped in Granny's embrace, crying her heart out. She kept on whispering "sorry," over and over again, as if her sorrows would be resolved just like that. Then a thought struck her already heavily burdened mind. "SUNSET! WHERE IS SHE?"
"Shush, mah child. She's..." The older mare tried to calm her but Celestia interrupted.
"She's out there! All alone! Her and Shining! I left them!" A fresh wave of sobs threatened to tear her apart. She was a terrible daughter, sister, and friend.
"Shhh." Granny pulled away and placed a hoof on her mouth, stopping the rampant apologies. "She's here. She's safe. Shining brought her back, just like he promised ya."
"She's...she's safe?" She asked softly, shattered hope in her eyes.
"She's safe." Granny made some comforting noises. "Why don't ya lie back down. Ya need yer rest."
"Yeah...yeah. You'll wake me up, though, right?"
"Ah promise."
***
Celestia blinked her eyes open, but she still felt tired. The pain had lessened, but only somewhat. After spending a few moments, lying down and feeling terrible, did she try to get up. This time she was prepared, and held herself up by grabbing onto the wall and got up. Her legs ached, but she was able to walk.
It was only then did she realize it was nighttime and everypony was asleep in their own beds. A quick look around confirmed what Granny said the other day. Sunset was snoring peacefully and Shining was on the other side, hugging Cadance. The two looked happy, it made Celestia smile. Then her eyes wandered to the bed where Granny Smith was supposed to be. It was empty.
Thinking she must be outside, Celestia carefully made her way out, conscious of all the sleeping ponies around her. The moment she stepped out, a cool comforting breeze washed away the slow agony she had been putting herself through. She closed her eyes for a second, letting it seep through her entire body before she took off again.
It didn't take long for Celestia to find her. She was exactly where she thought she would be. Sitting on a padded rock in the middle of her apple trees. An orchard she called it.
Celestia made her way over to her, picking the easiest path, mindful of all the roots and rocks.
"Celestia."
"Granny." She was looking up, to the crescent moon.
"Sit next to me, filly." Celestia slowly eased herself down onto the padded rock.
The two sat there for a while, just looking up to the night sky. The familiar sight felt like a hole in her heart. Her sister should be here.
"What happened over there? Shining was able to tell me the little few, but poor Sunset couldn't stop cryin'." Granny moved her head to look directly at Celestia. "Where is Starswirl."
"He's gone." Tears threatened to spill yet again, but this time Celestia pushed it back. "So is Luna and Uncle Stygian."
"Gone how?" Granny's face remained passive. "One thing ah've learned 'bout this world, is that many a thing can do the unexpected."
"They turned into shadows."
***
"By the way, why do I feel better? The blood from my knees is gone and the wound is closed. I mean, it still hurts, but not as much." Celestia asked after a quiet long silence.
"After Rainbow Dash or Lightnin' Dust, whoever, doesn't matter none, found ya collapsed outside, ah rushed over and hauled ya here mahself. Ah didn't know what tah do, ah'm a practical mare and nuthin' 'bout this was practical. Then the chalice or whatchamacallit, started glowin'. Out came this white mare with a kindly expression. With help from Fluttershy, the two patched ya up nicely."
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me, thank those two fillies."
"I will."
The two fell into silence again. The night sky seemed darker than usual or perhaps that was just Celestia's imagination.
It's been several sunrises since Celestia woke up. Today felt just a miserable as yesterday. The first thing she did when she got back from her chat with Granny was thank Nurse Redheart. The white mare smiled warmly and said it was her pleasure. It didn't help matters.
Now, she found herself in a routine she is content with. Sitting on a hill, overlooking the terrain. Looking in the direction of the shadows. Maybe a small part of her hoped and wished that they were still...them. Still the ponies she knew and loved. So she waited, day by day, hoping to catch a glimpse of them against the permanently darkened horizon. The more she thought about it, the more she compared it to a blight, a sickness. Something that should be purged from this world, from what should have been a beautiful view.
Instead of swathes of trees, adorned with leaves of all sorts of colors, a glistening lake behind the forest, and mighty mountains in the background, complete with fluffy little clouds crowning the summits. But no. Instead, a crippling depression, made from black and purple shade and void, was cast upon the distance.
It just happened to be that day, a memory hit her between the eyes. It was an old one, from many moons ago. It was almost vivid, scarily so. It was the three of them, back when they were starting to learn what a family meant. Starswirl the Bearded was sitting on a padded rock, looking down on the smiling Celestia and Luna. The unexpected fresh memory made her heart hurt.
"Harmony is the driving force behind this world. It creates and it destroys, it purifies and it corrupts."
'Purifies.'
Celestia heaved herself back to her hooves and made her way back down the hill. If harmony had that power, then wouldn't it be safe to assume that the Chalice of Life, a literal object that creates, can purify too? The thought made her giddy.
As she was walking down, she took at the state of the camp for the first time since she returned. It looked normal. It didn't feel normal, it felt empty. Celestia grimaced, she knew why it felt empty. But her eyes were telling a different story. The house was built well and has withstood the heavy snow and lightning, the orchard was still standing, no doubt from Golden Harvest and Granny Smith, speaking of which, they were in the orchard knocking on wood. Not so far by, Fluttershy was talking with some critters and had a small smile. Sunset Shimmer hadn't left Cadance's side the entire time, and neither did Shining Armor. Lightning Dust and Rainbow Dash were still doing races, but at some point, somepony had told her that they were on lookout duty. As for Muffins, she was relaxing on a padded rock with Nurse Redheart fussing over her. The gray pegasus looked pleased with what was happening.
Although, everything seemed normal. It most definitely was not normal. Nothing was normal now.
Celestia kept her head down as she skirted the camp to get to the house. She made it with no trouble, and slipped inside with none the wiser. With a quick glance around, she quickly spotted the glass cup resting on a pedestal. The object was something else. With vague memories, she knew it didn't use to look like this, all cracked, but it worked completely fine, evident with Nurse Redheart. Celestia frowned, suddenly doubting herself. Would it work for her? Could this cup really purify her family?
She shook her head, banishing those thoughts. It wasn't the time for that. She made her way to the door and poked her head out, wondering if anypony was looking in her direction. She instead face planted into green fur.
"Howdy Celestia."
"Granny, heh, hi. How is the orchard?" Celestia shuffled in a way that she hoped seemed natural while simultaneously moving the cup behind her back.
Granny's eyes narrowed and the white mare swallowed. "The orchard's fine. That Golden is a peach. Nah, ah'm more worried 'bout ya."
"I'm fine." Celestia gave another awkward chuckle. "I'm just...I'm just coping, you know? Trying to find my place in all of this..." Her heart fell slightly. That last sentence wasn't a lie.
"Sugar, yer fine. There is no need for ya to worry yer pretty little head over somethin' so simple as that." Granny scoffed before turning around and moseying off to who knows where. "Do me a favor, Celestia. Ol' Starswirl ain't returnin' anytime soon, so git yerself somethin' to eat. Yer wasting away."
"...okay." Celestia said after a while. She stood there, looking out to see where the other ponies were at. Instead of joining them, she instead trudged back up her hill and sat back in her spot, ever vigilant.
It was then did she noticed the glass cup still in her hand. She held it up to the light and then blinked in surprise when she noticed it was glowing. A process that Celestia was familiar with, by now, happened before her eyes. It's been a while since she was directly in front of the glass and it was still awe-inspiring.
"My oh my, if it isn't a little pony." A furry creature, with a mischievous grin, complete with a top hat and a red coat. "You seem a bit lost, maybe let Uncle Capper help ya out."
"...Uncle Capper? What...are you?"
"Sweet child, I am an Abyssinian. Now whatever can I do to help ease your dire situation, you simply ooze misfortune." Capper sat down and plopped his hat down next to him.
"I...I don't know what to do. The world, my family, it doesn't look the same anymore. It's been flipped on it's head." Celestia buried her head into her arms, trying to suppress the inevitable bawling.
"Hmm...what you are experiencing is what everycreature experiences at least once in their life." His mood seemed to shift to more melancholic, more mature. The sudden change had Celestia rise out of her self-embrace and looked, wide eyed, at the Abyssinian. "In moments like these, there aren't any easy solutions. You just have to put one hoof in front of the other and hope it gets better." He reached out with a furry paw and ruffled her mane. His soft smile made him seem more genuine. "Come, let us see where the wind takes us, lest you dwell upon tragedy that cannot be reverted."
Numb, Celestia nodded and took his paw. He pulled her up before marching off into a direction. Unsure, she followed him. But with every step away from the valley, the more certain she became. Her answers don't lie in that valley, where painful memories lie, where worried friends and family watch, where natural formations protect. Her answers are out there, where the wind is.
Celestia had been traveling with Capper for the past two sunrises and she felt beat. Her body ached, her eyes felt heavy, and her hooves felt sore in most inconvenient places. The two were currently traversing through a forest that had seemed to have lost all of its luster. The green leaves no longer held the vibrance of the sun, it almost felt like they were drawing energy from the darkness that was brewing behind them. She frowned, speaking of...
"Capper?"
"Yes child?" The Abyssinian swept backwards and took a bow before the white unicorn. "How may I be of assistance?"
"Why are we heading away from the darkness? Shouldn't we...I don't know, go towards it?"
"Sweet, naive, pony. The darkness is the source of your troubles, is it not?" Celestia nodded. Capper grinned and continued. "Then to gain a different perspective, you must place yourself in a different place, a different mindset, you get me?"
"I...think so."
"Good!" Capper sprung back up to his normal stature and continued walking.
"Uhm..."
"Yeeees?" He turned back with the same mischievous smile.
"Could we...rest?" Celestia felt very unsure of herself. These past two sunrises didn't do anything with her relationship with the furry creature. The atmosphere around him felt very off to Celestia, but he doesn't seem that malicious, so she trusts him. Warily.
"But of course! It isn't right to walk for hours on end. A splendid idea." Capper proclaimed before plopping down on a rock. He stretched out with a satisfied grunt. Celestia followed suit but kept an eye out in his direction.
As she rested, she took the time to analyze him. His red coat looked well worn, even had a few scratches in the fabric here and there. His top hat, however, looked relatively clean. As for Capper himself, he looked very certain of himself. He also had some sort of smile, even if the majority of them didn't feel real. His face looked rugged and his eyes seemed to hold some sort of darkness within them. But even behind all of that, Celestia sensed a goodness within the Abyssinian. Perhaps that's why she stuck with him.
"Miss."
"Yes?" Celestia looked up, suddenly very wary.
"You're wondering about me, aren't you?" Capper had this very serious expression.
"...yes."
"A little piece of advice in a tossed up world, always be wary. Always wary but never let them see what's inside. A fake but pleasant smile can act as a shield greater than actual defense. If you understand that, then you'll survive much longer." Capper paused and stared in her direction with an almost contemplative look. Then, he tilted his head and smiled. "Come on, we've rested long enough. There's this hill I want you to see."
***
Night was falling, it made the entire world feel heavy with despair. The branches on the trees seemed to hang lower, the bushes around them clung to the travelers' pelts, even the cries of the forest critters carried a hunger.
"Where shall we stop for the night?" Celestia asked, glancing all around her. She did not like how that particular creature looked at her.
"Just a bit further. We should be nearing the hill very soon."
"Okay..."
The two trudged on, unconsciously speeding up. Even Capper seemed nervous, jumping every so often at unexpected noises. Then the ground started to slope upwards. They breathed a sigh of relief when the trees started to thin out, revealing an overgrown field. Celestia gazed at the tall wheat plants that brushed against her shoulders. There were purple plants that looked like islands amongst a sea of yellow. Capper avoided them however, so Celestia thought it safe to follow his lead.
By the time they reached the hill's peak, the moon had moved a considerable distance in the sky. Capper took one last glance around before collapsing down on the grass. "Phoooo...that was an experience and a half. How're you, miss?"
"I'm alright." Celestia instinctively tried for a smile, one that she didn't put any real emotion behind.
"There ya go! Keep up those smiles and good will come out of it." Capper laughed a little before hardening his features. "One other important advice. If you do continue down the path of disingenuous smiles, remember that you are a pony, a living being like no other. It's okay to feel emotions, even if you don't want them."
Celestia looked at him for a bit, then nodded. Unsure what it all meant, but it felt genuine enough to consider.
"Right, enough of that!" Capper stood up with a big grin. "Lemme show you what I wanted you to see." He extended a hand which Celestia took gratefully. He heaved her up and together, they looked out in front of them.
The scene was mesmerizing. A glittering lake, awash with varying colors that clash smoothly, as well as the twinkling of the stars up above. It felt nostalgic, almost like the time that Starswirl brought her and Luna to a similar edge overlooking the vast world. She wiped her eyes and smiled.
"Told you it was great." Capper chuckled.
"It is, it really is."
***
"Uhmm...miss?" Celestia woke up to her arm being shook. She blinked her eyes open warily and saw a confused Capper looking down at her. "Ah, you're awake. Good. Please tell me who this pony is."
"What?" Celestia rolled to her side and looked up through hazy eyes. A white form appeared before her with a stern gaze.
"Miss Celestia. I'd appreciate it if you didn't run off without telling anypony. You mustn't make my job harder than it already is."
"I'm...what?" Celestia rubbed her eyes and blinked them open again. There definitely was a pony in front of her. She got up and looked at them closely. A white earth pony mare with brown hair. Her mane was tied up in a bun, she also had a clipboard in her arms. She was glaring at Celestia, causing her to take a step back in surprise.
"Yeaaah. I was surprised to. She just showed up out of nowhere claiming she was your aide...?" Capper chuckled weakly and glanced at Celestia.
"What?"
"Miss, your vocabulary is insufficient as well as inappropriate. Do we need to do another session regarding etiquette?"
"Uhhh...no. No we do not." Celestia looked helplessly to Capper. He just shrugged with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I am very confused. Who are you?"
"Tch. I'm Raven Inkwell, miss Celestia. Do better at remembering." Raven scoffed and turned her head to the side.
"Well, I can see that we're going to get along quite famously." Capper laughed heartedly.
