//------------------------------//
// Chapter 15: Loads of Regrets, Road to Redemption (Part 1) 
// Story: Bermuda Beginnings 
// by ScarFox9700 
//------------------------------//

(Just a heads up. Massive dose of Christianity incoming. If this offends you, please skip this chapter. If not, then please enjoy.) 

Meanwhile though, while these two lovers were happily asleep, all was not well. While Taylor and Redheart were sleeping soundly below her, Celestia was trying to sleep as well, but she was still haunted by her previous actions. 

"Why did I do that? All Taylor was trying to do was comfort me while I cried, and then I go and pull a stunt like that! Why? Now he will probably hate me forevermore." 

While Celestia was contemplating this though, she was also haunted by the words of several prophesies regarding Equestria's future. One of them warned that one day, Celestia's and Luna's powers, as well as the curse that would come with them, would be passed to another mare by the end of the next generation. 

"Another Alicorn, doomed to live practically forever? Poor young mare. Poor, poor, whoever she will be. And by the end of the next generation too. I pray to the Heavens that this does not come to be." 

Another stated that when Nightmare Moon did return, she would not be defeated by Celestia this time, but instead by "Six, untrained fillies, as well as an elderly being from another world. All will become the next bearers of the Elements of Harmony." 

The final prophesy though, really unnerved Celestia. This one warned that at some point down the road, another human would come to Equestria, but he wouldn't be fully human. Instead, he would be a sort of hybrid! The prophesy failed to state exactly what this hybrid would do, but it's description made it sound like a science experiment gone wrong.

Celestia shook her head. "I really don't like these at all, especially this last one, known as the 'Hybrid' Prophesy. It all sounds so awful." As the Princess of the Land, she feared for the future of her nation, as well as for the lives of her subjects. 

"These are just prophesies", she tried to reassure herself, "Those mentioned here are the last ones that you would ever suspect to be heroes, and the date on the first one is too specific." However, Celestia then remembered one remarkable aspect of God. 

"He always seems to have a knack for picking the least likely of heroes to save the day, or the most unlikely of situations to further His Glory." 

Seeking a source of comfort, Celestia had started reading the old 'Holy Book' that her mother had passed to her; both for comfort, and because she wanted to know more about God, and His role in the affairs of Earth. She wanted to ask Taylor some questions about all of this, but she didn't know where to start. 

She already knew off the bat about the Story of God, and His role in early history, but she wanted to know more, so she kept reading. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. Celestia knew that it was almost 3:00 in the morning, but she went to her door, and stuck her head out. 

"Guards?" 

"Um, Yes my Princess?" 

"Would one of you be willing to go and wake up Mr. Taylor for me?" 

"Well, sure Princess, but why?" 

Celestia seemed to be on the brink of tears. "I need him! I want him to show me the way! To tell me the real story!" 

The guards all looked at each other, incredibly confused. One of them however spoke up. 

"I'll do it Princess." That guard was Tinker. 

"You will, Captain Tinker?" 

"Yes Ma'am." 

Celestia nodded. "Go then, and please hurry!" 

Tinker nodded, and left immediately to go find Taylor. 





Taylor was sound asleep when all of a sudden, he awoke when someone, or rather somepony, shaking him.

"Huh, what?" Taylor then found himself face to face with Tinker. "Tinker? What are you doing in here? It's late. What is it? What's going on?" Taylor knew that something was up. 

"What's going on Sweetheart?" Redheart had woken up as well, and she was concerned too.

"I'm not sure Miss Redheart. One minute I was sleeping, and the next, Tinker here was shaking me awake." 

Redheart looked at Tinker. "Seriously though what do you want?" 

"Um, Her Majesty has requested Taylor's presence in the Library immediately." 

Redheart looked at the clock on Taylor's nightstand. "It's almost 3:00 in the morning. Can this wait?" She was upset that her snuggle time had been interrupted.

"I'm afraid that it can't Miss Redheart. The Princess seemed extremely upset about something, and she sent me to come get Mr. Taylor." 

Reluctantly, Taylor got up, and after brushing off his pants,  and pulling on a robe and slippers that really didn't fit him at all, he went up with Tinker to see what Celestia wanted.

"How bad is it Tinker?" Taylor asked as they walked.

It's pretty bad. From what it sounded like, she was concerned with these prophesies that she was reading, and so for comfort, she started reading some old book that her mother gave her. After reading that for a while, she said that she needed help, and told me to come get you."

Taylor was both concerned and confused at the same time. "What book was it, do you remember?" 

Tinker thought for a moment. "I think that it was one that looks like it was very important to her. It did say 'Holy Book' on it, I think." 

"Um, wow, that sounds almost like a Bible. If it was, then maybe it's like the Equestrian version of it. But if that's the case,  what was she so upset about?" 

"She said something about wanting to make it all right again, but that she didn't know how." 

By this point, the two of them had reached the door to Celestia's room, and Tinker knocked. 

"Y-yes?" Came a voice from inside. It almost sounded like Celestia was sobbing.

"Um, I've brought Mr. Taylor, just like you requested." 

"Just, j-just send h-him in." 

Tinker opened the door, and Taylor then found himself once more inside Celestia's room. She turned around when he entered, and her face was streaked with tears. 

"I came as fast as I could Princess!" Taylor was shocked when he saw her condition. "Now can you please tell me what's wrong?" ("And maybe appologize for you behavior earlier?!" Taylor thought) 

Celestia then looked at him with tears in her eyes, she asked Taylor a question that not only made him freeze up like he was dead, but it made all of the Angels of Heaven rejoice, and the Demons of Hell scream in rage and agony. 

"Mr. Taylor, how can I and my subjects be made right with God the Creator?" She sobbed.

Taylor had to hold onto a shelf, he was so shaky. He kept opening his mouth, but no sounds came out. Then, he felt a power in him that he never felt before. It wasn't coming from him, so he knew that it had to come from God. 

He answered slowly, "There's absolutely nothing that you can do on your own to be made right with God", he explained. "After the Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden, Sin and Evil came into the world, and I'm sure that you've seen all of the results of that." 

Celestia nodded, and then asked, "If I can't do anything to earn God's favor, is it out of reach because of our sin?" 

Taylor shook his head. "No. God knew that He would have to create a plan to save the world from Sin. This plan would require a sacrifice of a perfect individual; someone who never sinned. Since there has never been a perfect creature since the Fall, God knew that He would have to live among Humanity for a time, before having to suffer and die a hideous death before our punishments for our Sin could be removed." 

"Who? Who was this perfect sacrifice?" 

"God sent His Only Son, Jesus Christ, to Earth about 2,000 years ago. According to the Bible, he was born in a barn, and laid inside a manger." 

"Wait. He was born in a BARN, and laid in a MANGER?!?!?!?!" 

Taylor laughed softly. "Yes, as bizarre as this may seem, it's true." Taylor then pointed to the account in the Gospel of Matthew. "All throughout His time on Earth, Christ taught about God, as well as the Way to Salvation." 

"What's.....What's the way to Salvation?" Celestia asked, still sobbing slightly. 

"I'm getting to that. Jesus Himself said that 'I am the Way, the Truth, and the Light; No one comes to the Father except through Me.' That's the way to Salvation. All you have to do is to put your Faith and Trust in Jesus, and that's it." 

Celestia was still confused. "That's it!?!?! That sounds WAY too easy!" 

"Yep, that's all there is to it. Just put your Faith in Christ." 

"Is that the whole story though? What about the Sin, and the punishment for that?" 

Taylor nodded. "Yes, there's much more to this. I know that you're going to want to hear the full story, so I suggest that you make yourself comfortable, and hold on, this is going to be a story that will change your life forever." 

Celestia sat down on her pillows, and once Taylor was seated in front of her, he began his tale....