//------------------------------//
// Nº 8: LYING DREAMS 
// Story: My Only Sunshine 
// by CoffeeBean 
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"Thou hast not been to this place since our banishment, hast thou?"

Philomena squawked, nodding.

Celestia sighed, looking up from Philomena, who stood at her side, to the ancient entrance atop its grand flight of stairs of the home she once shared not with just her sister, but with a nation. Those ponies who came and went on their daily tasks were more than servants or workers; they were friends. everypony in Equestria had been her friend; much the same had it been for her sister. Smiling faces, bowing postures, and waving hooves met the two where ever they went. Now, the ponies of the place she was meant to call home looked upon her with frowns. Their stances wavered not in her presence, and their hooves rose not from the cold tile halls to wave a greeting. Here, within broken facades, crumbling buttresses, caved roofs, vine-ridden walls, mossy stone floors, and grass-sprouting cracks, was home. 

The silent winds of the Everfree carried the faded voices of chatting ponies and drawling dignitaries. As she and Philomena now began their ascension up the grand stone staircase of the castle's entrance memory after memory flooded back into her mind, so clear and vivid it felt as if she had never left. 

"To be back... how dost it feel to thee, Philomena? Sorrowful? Cheerful?" inquired Celestia as she diverted her gaze to Philomena, who hopped up each gradual step.

Philomena chirped.

"Sorrowful?"

Philomena nodded.

"We concur. We returned to find ruins. Our heart hast been left within the rubble of these walls..."

Upon completing the relatively effortless trek upwards the two stood before the door-less arched entry to the castle's main hall. Slowly, Celestia encroached past the broken arch and into the deeply echoing hall, shattered stone scattering the wide hall floor and moonlight leaking in through the various holes created by the decay of time and the destruction of a war that lasted mere minutes, yet destroyed a nation. The high walls, once adorned with many tapestries, now only stood with a few of their tattered decorations; one side stood proud with the remains of white banners depicting the sun's mark, while the other held banners of blue with the crescent moon at their center. Once a sign of two opposites in unity, these tapestries now stood for the separation and imbalance of the current. 

Further and further the two walked, making their way towards the tall platform where two proud thrones once stood. No longer did those thrones remain, and neither did the two beings that once occupied them. 

"What was the point of all our struggles and fights in the past, Philomena?"

Philomena looked up.

"We spent our life defending our kind and our sister from every evil. We had this castle built for us by those who so dearly loved our reign. Was the conclusion always meant to be this? Was there never supposed to be harmony? The things we thought to be right, hast they always been wrong?"

Philomena remained silent.

The platform was finally reached, and the duo began up one of two curved staircases that led to the higher level of the castle. Celestia looked at the void where her and her sister's thrones once were, moving to stand right where she remembered her grand seat being. She stared out across the broken hall, heaps of fine stone replacing the tables of chatting ponies that once scattered the space on occasions. 

"They built this place for us. Not for themselves, but as a gift to the two ponies who had stood for their freedom and liberty. She saw fit to rampage through this sacred building with her searing magic and explosive hatred towards us... destroying what had taken years in moments. Is she truly insane, dear friend?

Philomena nodded.

Celestia looked up from Philomena, continuing to stare into the hollowed hall.

"Does a more malicious clockwork than insanity exist?"

Philomena chirped as she shook her head.

Celestia sat down, her legs tired from carrying the quite heavy saddlebags strapped across her haunches. The cold stone was unpleasant against her rear, just as the brass and gold throne she once sat on always had been after a time of her absence, which is why she had come up with the addition of a throw pillow shortly after being gifted the throne. Sitting in the voided space, she felt a creeping emptiness. A feeling of unbelonging. A throne was far more than a simple chair, it was a podium crafted by those under a fair ruler so they may be placed high in rank and respect. Only one throne lasted in Equestria, and the one who sat upon it had not been graced with it, they had taken it with spite. More than having taken a throne, Nightmare Moon had rid of one. The concept of harmony and equity lies with two opposites working as one; how can true harmony exist if there is no opposite? No longer did two beings and two celestial bodies work with one another; one worked by itself, and cast the other to the side. 

"Are we the insane one, dear friend?" 

Philomena cocked her head.

"Is it poor of us to be graciously brought from a hellish prison to a stable life, and resort with haste to going against the steadfast ideals of this new nation? Are we right to be in this place? Should we consider it our duty to bring the sun's peaceful light unto a land which hast been blind of it for 7 centuries?"

Philomena hopped to Celestia's side, patting the ancient sun cutie mark on her flank with a wing.

"Tis our mark, and tis in our name; aye... but is it right? Is our path virtuous?"

Philomena nodded.

"If... if we do succeed, by whatever means, in returning magic to our being and in raising our sun, shall that make us the thief and the oppressor? Would we be of the same caliber as our sister by..." Celestia paused a moment. "by carrying out the one task we were destined to do?"

Philomena shook her head.

A bout of silence came over Celestia as she looked away from Philomena, her mind writhing in thought.

"If those throughout Equestria reject our sun with venom, what shall we do? Shall we simply... keep her down?"

For the first time, Celestia could see Philomena thinking. Her nod 'yes' had come after a period of what had clearly been contemplation.

"Without our sun, what purpose to we truly have? To be a companion to our sister, and nothing more?"

Philomena nodded. That simple nod struck Celestia with a sudden realization. Philomena was right; beyond being the day's ruler, or being a ruler at all, she was a sister. That was, from time's beginning to time's end, the one thing she had always been. No matter how many castles fell, no matter how many years she went without seeing another soul, no matter how many nations changed, for better or for worse, her one eternal place in the heart of another had remained. Her mind traced back to the shaky, teary words her sister had spoken mere days ago; "Please, don't ever say that you don't love me". She, at first, had taken those words with antipathy in her heart, thinking them to be weavings of a selfish mind and heart, but she saw how wrong she had been in assuming that. For her to have ever hinted that her heart had stopped caring for the one it had always cared about was not only immoral, it was a lie. Despite all of her sister's wrong-doings, lies, and betrayals, she did still love her. Their most recent encounter had proven that to her quite well. Her return of her sister's proclamation of love had not been a fabrication; while the words had been hard to come out, they were truthful. 

A question suddenly rose to her mind; why was it so difficult for her to simply say 'I love you' to her sister when she truly did mean the words? Fear of being seen as weak? Was it to uphold the strong and composed facade she had crafted? Her sister, who was more in the position to appear tough and composed, broke down far more often than she had. Why uphold such a facade? Was it to remind herself of how she had been in the past? 

"Philomena, we question our own motives and decisions..."

Philomena cocked her head.

"When one questions their own motives, what does that make one's motives?"

There was no response.

"It makes one's motives wrong. Just motives go without question, for they are just. Our sister questions her own motives, we see that quite plainly, because she dost know well in her heart what she hast done is not just... so why should we do the same?"

Once more, Philomena held herself still. Celestia spent a moment simply staring at the Phoenix, realizing something. Silence was held on her behalf not for lack of having a response, but not knowing how to respond. What incredible things could she say if she could say them? 

"One day, far into the future, we will find a spell what shall give thee a voice." 

Philomena chirped, seeming to smile to Celestia. 






The flames before Celestia danced in a wonderfully mesmerizing fashion. Their heat and light gave her comfort as she stared past the hot wisps to the embered logs beyond. Dead-fall was not a rare occurrence within the Everfree, something Celestia was quite thankful for. Traveling a meager distance from the rubbled castle led her to plenty long-fallen trees, their slightly damp and brittle carcasses being fairly easy to break into chunks by hoof. Celestia had always prided herself in her great ability to build a wonderfully burning fire, even with wet wood, and that skill still remained with her. 

With a weak spell, she stirred an opened can of soup that sat on a flat stone near the flames, a gentle steam now rising from its surface. Momentarily, Celestia brought her gaze up to the castle's derelict throne hall. She peered behind to the stairs and platform that would lead to further part of the castle; fear of seeing more of her home's state had kept her within the hall, and so did hunger. It had been quite some time since her small meal Chef Cold Cut had graciously prepared before her clandestine departure. Along with that meal, the observant Chef had taken notice of Celestia's total lack of water, and had given her a large glass jar filled with clean water for her to use. She found it quite comical that the Princess had spent to much time planning her departure and had totally overlooked the one most crucial thing; water. Celestia too found the amount of effort (that, thus far, had all paid off, as she had not been followed at all) she had devoted to hiding her disappearance comical, as she knew not if her sister would forbid her from going to her home. She had simply assumed so, but thinking on the matter led Celestia to contemplate things. Thus far, her sister had no qualms with any of her other decisions, and had not even objected to her treacherous trip into the storm with Philomena. 

Though, there was one thing Celestia could think of that would most certainly cause her sister to forbid her presence in this old castle; the Elements of Harmony. They were most certainly still within their tomb where she had left them 700 years ago and so mistakenly chosen to not use them against her sister; their powers called to her. Sitting in the hall, she could feel their incredible, divine energy reaching for her, calling upon her to be their bearers once more, calling for true harmony to reign across the land as it once did, and as it should. Perhaps they had been the cause of her dreams and hallucinations; perhaps they were not coaxing her home for her to re-live old memories or to find joy, but for her to bring their powers to bear, and so they may bring their powers to bear on her. Always had the Elements been a factor in the decisions she made, and every time they had been right. There had only been one time where she had doubted their voice, and as a result she had caused the downfall of the nation she held dear and the betrayal of every beloved soul under her and her sister's rule. 

A fading spell was cast to bring the now fully cooked can of soup away from the flames, steam now billowing from the open container and bubbles rising to the surface. Again she stirred the contents around, craning her head and gently blowing on the surface to help the brothy mixture of veggies cool. Having left behind her blanket to save on space meant she had been quite chilly, and nothing had sounded quite as appetizing as enjoying hot soup by a fire. The soup was placed to the stone before where Celestia sat to cool further as she brought her gaze vertically, peering at the moon that sat high and proud above, casting a healthy glow to the land below. How was there beauty in permanency? The night held far greater grace when the day was allowed to wane its darkness.

A distant screech from Philomena brought a gentle smile to Celestia's lips; it was mealtime for her friend, as well. She had always found enjoyment with Philomena's diet, especially when she would hunt before others. The repulsion expressed by any observer at Philomena's seemingly brutal treatment of her meals had always brought her a laugh, but more than that; a realization. A realization that seemed more true today than it had all those years back. Fear and ignorance of difference brought forth misunderstanding and enmity. When she traveled the halls of her new home, she had gotten looks a-many-a-time that reminded her all-to-well of the looks other ponies would give to Philomena when she tore at her prey with her talons and beak. When they saw her preference for warmth and light, they saw it with distaste, for it was foreign to the ways the had always known; darkness and cold. Though, there was the possibility some looked at her strangely because of her strange appearance. One is not always witness to a tall, slender Alicorn of pure white fur parading around with their blanket, lantern, and Phoenix companion. 

Celestia often found humor in her own appearance. It had been undeliberate of her to build such an image, but it was one she had grown to enjoy. Looking back down to her slightly cooled soup, Celestia brought her spoon up to gather a healthy pile of veggies along with their hot broth, first only gently sipping at the spoon to test the temperature, then fully devouring the tasty veggies. A low hum of pleasure came from her throat as she continued on with her meal, her weak magic hastily moving to bring her waiting mouth more soup. She was quite happy to be eating something and know there was a possibility it would stay down; the meal Chef Cold Cut had prepared her only moments before she retired to her quarters to 'remain in solitude' had not been thrown back up when she had woken up from her lengthy, and quite comfortable, slumber before finally leaving the castle. 

Through the quiet of the night came the distant songs and chirps of birds off far in the forest, something Celestia found a lot of joy in. Many times had she sat upon her throne in the morning, enjoying a cup of tea or a biscuit while listening to the birds in the Everfree. Celestia let her eyes shut as she continued on with her soup, the warm of the fire and the chill at her haunches reminding her of the morning's sun coming in through the many windows of the throne hall and the gold and brass throne beneath her. It was always those little moments that Celestia had found so much joy in. 

"Grand morning to thee, sister."

Celestia opened her eyes, turning to see Luna approaching with a tired slouch. With a smile, Luna brought herself up onto her blue throne beside Celestia, the bright morning rays causing a wonderful halo of light around her blue figure and causing her light blue mane to glow.

"Tired, art thee?" inquired Celestia, bringing her spoon up to her lips. 

"Aye; we depart for our chambers after this. Hast been a long night."

Celestia smiled, the tired croak in Luna's voice only making her sound cuter than she normally did.

"We wish thee a joyful slumber, dear sister."

Luna returned the smile, beginning to stand up. "And we wish thee a joyous day. Do give our greetings to Ink Scroll when thou art met with his presence, he helped up greatly last night in our documents."

"Understood. Sweet dreams!"

And with that, Luna continued off across the marble of the throne's platform towards one of two open doors that led further into the castle. Celestia looked back out over the so far empty throne hall, the white marble floors and grand architecture reflecting the morning's orange glow to coat the space with a wonderful light. The porcelain bowl of soup held in her magic was lowered to the small, finely crafted wood tray table a short distance before her throne. With the sun warming her front, and the soup sitting in her belly, she estimated that no being was warmer, or more comfortable, than she.

Stretching as she did, Celestia stood, her hooves moving from the soft pillow on her throne to the cold, cracked stone of the moonlit throne hall. Celestia blinked, her eyes being greeted by the light of her fire and the sight of the expansive, destroyed throne hall, the cold air leaking in from the destroyed ceiling and broken windows sending a little chill through her. Her breathing became rapid as she frantically looked around the room, her ears no longer being filled with chirping birds or the distant, echoing voices of her friends, advisors, adjutants, generals, and sister. In place was a hollow silence, one that seemed louder than any sound her ears had witnessed. With shaky legs, Celestia dropped to her haunches, tears now rolling down her cheeks as her breaths became unsteady. Her eyes shut hard, her head hanging low as a few quiet sobs echoed from her into the quiet place. 

Philomena's nearby chirp brought Celestia's head up with haste as she flipped around to see her friend standing idly a short distance behind her, a grouping of wild flowers held carefully in her beak. Celestia's tears ceased instantly as she stared at Philomena, who now held a genuine look of concern in her eyes. 

"D-Did thee gather us a bouquet?" Celestia asked through her shuddering breaths. 

Philomena nodded, the flowers bobbing with her head. 

Celestia laughed, reaching out with her forelegs and pulling Philomena into a tight hug, causing her to emit a tiny squeak of surprise. 

"T-Thou art simply too kind to us!"

Celestia tightened her hug for only a moment before totally releasing Philomena, who tilted her head up to offer the flowers to Celestia. With a giggle, Celestia took the bunch with a wavering spell, bringing them to her nose and inhaling deeply. She brought the flowers away, looking to Philomena with a smile. Something hit Celestia; Philomena had spent her time gathering the little bouquet not because she had seen her upset. She had done it as a simple friendly gesture, a show of affection and friendship. More tears now came to Celestia's eyes, tears she had not cried for 7 centuries. Tears of happiness. No aching came to her heart or knots to her stomach; just a pure joy that seemed to warm her entire body. It was such a strange feeling, though it was the best she had felt in a long time. 

Regaining her composure, Celestia sniffled as she continued looking at the arrangement. She was impressed Philomena had been able to gather something so wonderful in the Everfree. The grand forest was a mere shell of its former self. As she looked closer at the flowers, letting their fragrance waft to her nose, Celestia began to recognize a pattern. There seemed to be something so familiar about the flowers arrangement. She finally pinpointed it, and was quite surprised she had not spotted it before; protruding from the center of the arrangement was a large, wonderfully colored sunflower; a flower her sister had discovered and named especially for her. Celestia looked up from the flowers and their somewhat generic vase to the bright, blushing smile on Luna's face, the evening's sun casting a deep glow into the decorated throne hall beyond.

"We named it the sunflower, for only a plant of such beauty and colour shouldst bear the name of thy orb."

Celestia blinked, gasping as the bright throne hall and smile of her sister disappeared entirely, as did the beautiful sunflower she had been gifted that once sat at the center of her bouquet. She looked up from the flowers to Philomena, who still remained where she had been, her head now cocked to the side. Philomena squawked, rolling her head over to the other side as she noticed fresh tears now making their way down Celestia's cheeks.

"Heartbreak... friend. Tis all that ails us. W-Worry not..."

Philomena hopped forward, nuzzling her head into Celestia's chest. 

"T-Thou art a lucky creature, Philomena. Thou hast g-gone without heartbreak in thy life." Celestia's composure broke down, her head falling. "W-We live with it in e-every waking hour!" 

Philomena moved back, looking up at Celestia and shaking her head.

"W-What doth thee doubt from us?"

Philomena unfurled her wing, bringing it up and placing her feathers on Celestia's chest, right where her heart was.

"Thou doubt our heartbreak?"

Philomena shook her head. Celestia held a pause of silence as she thought, looking down at Philomena.

"W-We lied when we stated thy life hast gone without heartbreak... w-when we were banished..." 

Philomena nodded, coming forward again to wrap her wings around Celestia's foreleg, nuzzling the side of her head into the fur of her limb. Celestia brought up her other hoof, gently petting down Philomena's back. 

"We art here again, dear friend. Worry not... f-for we art here again."

Philomena released Celestia's leg and took a hop backwards, looking up to her teary-eyed friend. Celestia offered a weak smile, turning her gaze to the flowers held gently by her magic.

"The last arrangement we were so graciously gifted was shared with the one who did deliver it to us." Celestia chuckled. "Thou art carnivorous... and most likely have no taste for flowers."

Philomena nodded, prompting Celestia to turn around to her saddlebag and bring out her container of water with a hoof. The large, glass jar rolled along the stone before being lifted upwards and having its lid screwed off, allowing Celestia to drop the stems of the bouquet inside and angle them to where they remained only partially submerged. 

"If we could have these flowers preserved till time's end, we would."





Celestia's own hoofsteps were the only sound to echo through the barren corridor she and Philomena traveled. Her lantern, which had been packed in her saddlebag, rested in her clenched teeth as opposed to her weak magic, for carrying such a menial object for more than a short while would bring blood to her nostrils and incredible aches to her temples. Though the darkness the lantern's light did pierce, and it showed both Celestia and Philomena (who was perched in her normal place atop Celestia's back) what they had both expected to see; a stripped façade of a place that once served as a living archive of art and literature. So many wonderful works from ponies all across Equestria had once dotted the halls, only a few of them ever being commissioned. Most were simply gifts, which, to Celestia, had made them all the more beautiful. Those many ponies devoted their time and talent to creating a work not for themselves, or even for the crown; they created works for Equestria as a whole. All who walked the halls could see the pieces created by their fellow citizens, and to Celestia, that had been one of the greatest things about her home. 

Once dotted with sculptures, murals, landscapes, and scenes. Now barren of all character apart from what detail was crafted so finely into the stone of the castle itself. Through the doorway ahead Celestia could begin to see a place of the castle she both loathed and cherished; a room that had truly decided her fate. The tomb of the Elements of Harmony. There, in their chamber, sat the objects that had given her and her sister so much. The objects that now called to her, coaxing her to be their bearer. The objects that wished and willed fiercer than any living creature. Celestia stood now at the edge of their grand, square door, its features perfectly flush with the solid rock around it. She placed a hoof at the door, staring at the almost featureless stone for a time before craning her head down and placing her lantern at her hooves.

"Philomena, why should they call us here? Doth the Elements wish to be used against our sister?"

Celestia looked over her shoulder to see Philomena shrug.

"We hesitated all those years ago for we knew not what hell would be released upon our sister... we knew not if she would be cast away as we had been, or destroyed entirely. We... still know not what they wish for us to do. That night, they spoke to us almost with voices. They knew what our sister planned, and they called us to bring them against her... but now, they do not do so. They simply call to be brought into our hooves. They shine nay light on our path. They speak not with direction. Do they realize our sister is not the venomous, evil being she once was?" 

Her eyes were drawn back to the Elements' door, question after question running through her mind.

"These grand Elements know more than any being ever shall. Do they know our sister's intentions? Do they not wish to be brought against her because she does not object to the sun anymore? Not once hast she stated that she sees the way of life we love as a negative; she simply fears for her own safety and for the safety of those beneath her rule. She... is no longer disharmonious. Only within the land and the sky remains disharmony, not within the heart of our sister."

Celestia snapped her gaze back to Philomena, hope almost burning through her eyes.

"Could that be true? Can... this end by us simply bringing the sun forth?"

Philomena offered no response as she hopped from Celestia's back, flapping her way to the floor beside her. 

"The Elements call to us... but we cannot bring them forth. We hold not the key to their locks. How shalt we find our magic again? Our sister, if she is truthful in holding no ability to bring our power back, hast been of nay help. We know not how we should help ourself, or where to even begin in such an endeavor."

Philomena looked up to Celestia, not nodding or chirping, simply staring. Their gazes remained locked for a time before Philomena looked back to the Elements' tomb, prompting Celestia to pat her on the head with a hoof.

"Deep in thought, as well, aye?"

Philomena squawked in return.

"As are we. This problem hast been a most grand plague. There... seems to be nay solution. How does one retrieve magic with a complete lack of it? Fire is needed to create fire, and thus, magic is needed to create magic."

Celestia looked around the large hall as she thought.

"Such great power will be needed to bring forth the Elements... yet we have but a spark of magic within us. Nothing in this realm could break the chains around our magic but ourself, yet we have nay method of bringing magic into our being."

Celestia craned her head down, retrieving her lantern as she began back towards the room's entrance.

"We shalt find a way, in time." spoke Celestia, her words somewhat slurred by the lantern's handle.

As she continued on, the light sound of Philomena's hobbling did not accompany her, and she looked back to find Philomena still staring at the Elements' door.

"Come, dear Philomena. There is a place within these walls we wish to visit."

Philomena stood resolute, her mind totally encompassed with thought.

"Philomena!"

Finally, she looked back to Celestia, staring for a moment before taking flight and landing upon her proper place on Celestia's back. 

Celestia laughed. "Thou art quite the thoughtful creature."