*Clickity clack Clickity clack swoosh*
*Clickity clack Clickity clack swoosh*
*Clickity clack Clickity clack swoosh swoosh*
The lonesome sound of the Friendship Express, broken only by the sound of the wings of the Pegasi clearing the track, was the sole point of Celestia's focus. It made her think about this moment, and the events that had transpired to make her subject to such a, in her opinion, lowly punishment. She had run away so many times before when it mattered, casting aside her troubles to burden others to deal with them; when, in the grand scheme of things, it was her that was the burden to those advisers and nobles. That she now saw, and her using her powers when she shouldn't have was the final straw that broke the cartmule's back.
She had accomplished so much through her long life that more of the tiny details, like establishing the first Equestrian aqueduct system to help the potato and wheat farmers on the other side of Mount Canter, was forgotten to time when compared to her legendary status as a Commander during the Griffonian Wars.
Yet, despite being good at so much, her true power had never been necessary.
She was the strongest of the Equestrian tribes, the pinnacle that helped maintain peace and Harmony for over 1000 years, but her charisma and ability to keep everypony happy was like paint over a hidden layer of rust. Even recently, she had given the task of keeping Equestria safe to Twilight and her friends, leaving her with little more to do than sit in on tiresome meetings and making public appearances. This had lured her deeper into the false sense that everything was perfect in her vision of the world.
However, Harmony destroyed that vision when Chrysalis resurfaced, ripping open deep scars and making Celestia strive to bring stability back to her ideal world; a world that shattered like glass when she called upon her sun to send that drone to a fiery demise. At that moment, the rusted interior of her image crumbled to ash just like her victim, revealing to everypony just how flawed she actually was.
Now, here she was, listening to every turn of the gears that meant another turn further from her room, her place of refuge when she needed to unwind and clear her troubling thoughts away. Yet, now, she could only watch as the rolling emerald-green flowers and hills that made up the border zone with the Frozen North slowly turned brown and snow started to dominate the landscape.
In a way, Celestia could relate to the change in scenery. Up until that fateful dinner, she had been like the hills, full of warmth with no blemish to her bond with her sister. After the dinner, however, her overprotectiveness and ambition to ensure Luna stayed on the right path started to corrode the bond and weaken it; while simultaneously, her heart began to grow cold at Chrysalis and wanted the changeling to be out her life completely like the lifelessness of the Frozen North.
>"Are you ok?"< The voice, accompanied by a chirp, snapped Celestia out of her thoughts as she turned her attention to the hivemind, where another drone was speaking to her. ">You seem awfully troubled about something, want to talk about it?<"
>"I am troubled about many things,<" Celestia said, the bite in her tone being noticed by Chrysalis, who simply turned to the former alicorn and shook her head. ">Sorry, but I have been under a lot of stress recently, and so much happening in a short period of time requires me to sort through the events, to come to grips with everything.<"
">Starting to feel guilty about how you treated our queen?<" Celestia could tell the question was sincere, but her silence at not correcting 'our' told the drone all she needed to know. ">So you are then, and that is a good thing. Since you can now feel emotions, I'm sure you can feel how rich the love our queen has for your sister is.<"
Celestia didn't want to admit it, but she could actually see a fine pink mist swirling from Chrysalis as she draped a wing around Luna, the Alicorn being fast asleep after being up longer than normal. A small part of her mind still rebelled, screaming and swearing that the queen was up to no good, that everything up to this point had been an elaborate ruse.
">I can taste it,<" Celestia said, letting out a small sigh as she glanced down to her chest, which was faintly colored with a larger version of her cutie mark and served as a reminder of just who she was. ">It tastes like a rich, moist chocolate cake with made-from-scratch buttermilk frosting between every layer. Filling, sweet, and satisfying.>"
">Which means it is genuine,<" The drone said, letting out a satisfied chirp at Celestia's answer. ">Now, how about you switch focus to your sister, what do you feel from her?<"
It took Celestia a few minutes to pick out Luna's emotions out of the sea around her, but like a master chef picking out the freshest ingredients at the market she was able to isolate Luna's emotions from the rest.
">Uncertainty for starters,<" Celestia said, pausing briefly to sift through Luna's emotional cocktail. "Lets see… sadness, distrust, hurt, and also a hint of longing.<"
">Why do you think that is?<" The drone asked, giving the tone of a teacher instructing a filly. ">All those tie in together.<"
">It is because of me, isn't it?<" Celestia's tone was reduced to a whimper, her body sliding down in her seat to the point she nearly fell out of it. ">I was just trying to be a good sister!<"
"It is ironic, isn't it?" Chrysalis said out loud, cutting into the hivemind conversation. "Look at what being a 'good sister' caused. She was driven into madness, and missed out a millennia!! It meant 1000 years away from you, never knowing her daughter, and making me turn down a path of crime that I never wanted to do. Now, for Lulu's sake, I am more than willing to let bygones be bygones, but the question is are you willing to give me a chance?"
"I-I don't know, my Queen," Celestia said, once again looking out to the snow-covered landscape. "I don't think I am ready to move on just yet… I'm sorry."
Celestia heard Chrysalis rise out her seat and move towards her, but she refused to look at her temporary queen. The snow outside had become a raging blizzard, matching the raging emotions that swam inside her own head. Rage, regret, denial, and guilt swirled to the surface and faded away in the twisting confines of her skull until Chrysalis put a wing around her.
"Look around Tia," Chrysalis said, rubbing Celestia's back. "All of us in this train car are connected to one another. From my sisters, to Amore, and even the Bearers, we all are just a part of the long and storied history of Equestria. Is it all cupcakes and rainbows? No, because there is no such thing as perfection.
Everyone has their flaws, and I had to rely on mine to keep my hive alive. I do hope by the end of your punishment you are a better pony than you were when we set back out for the Empire."
"i'm sorry to interrupt, but we're here," Cadance said, the raging storm outside the window being reduced to nothing as the train entered the border of the Crystal Empire; the midday sun beaming down on the majestic home of the Crystal Ponies, and sending out a cascade of vibrant colors in all directions. Even with numerous trips to the Empire throughout the course of her life, Celestia felt as if she was visiting it for the first time as the Crystal Heart filled her to the brim with the pulsating waves of love that it emitted as it steadily continued its beating.
"Tasty, isn't it?" Chrysalis said, noting the change in Celestia's expression. "The love the Heart puts out is a nice appetizer, doing little more than warming up the taste buds in preparation for the main course. In your case, however, the love from the Heart is the only love you will be receiving during the course of your sentence."
"Only kind?" Celestia's full question was interrupted by gigglechirps when the train lurched to a stop, causing Luna to make a honking noise as she jolted from her slumber. "What other kinds are there?"
"Multiple," Chrysalis said, motioning for Celestia to get out her seat and follow the others outside. "Of course, there is romantic love. Then there is love for one's craft or trade, like Pinkie Pie deliciously uses. Then there is love for an object, love for family, greed is love of wealth, money, or power, and there is even love of oneself; and even then the flavor varies from pony to pony based on their life experiences. Yet, all those pale in comparison to the sweetest love of all, a mother's love. Whatever I receive as payment for my services I normally spread out over the hivemind, but as stated in your punishment, your portion will go to Glacial."
Celestia followed along in silence as the group exited the train, noting that the Crystal Ponies were treating Chrysalis with the same level of regard and respect as they gave Cadance and Shining Armor. That feeling turned into intense scorn as Celestia trotted past, making her want to go hide somewhere as they approached the Crystal Spire. Even the confines that housed the Royal Family of the Crystal Empire offered Celestia no reprieve, for guards and maids that had answered her every aid and need on prior visits acted like she wasn't in their presence. Celestia, on her part, at least tried to strike up a conversation, but the guard simply ignored her and proceeded to fill in Cadance and Shining Armor on the happenings of the Empire in their absence as the group was escorted to the royal dining hall.
"It is my duty as Host to provide nourishment to you all after such a long journey," Cadance said, making a smile tug at the corner of Chrysalis' lips. Celestia knew the ancient pact between Host and Guest, having used it herself whenever the need had arised for a diplomatic meeting or hosting an extended political summit in Canterlot; so she picked up on the implied tone that her niece had used even without the sacred Oath being verbally given. "So please, my cherished Guests, take a seat and join me at the table as we share in the merriment of a long overdue reunion."
Celestia felt that Cadance's wording had been deliberate, which was something that got on her nerves as she silently took her seat. As Cadance's Guest, it meant she had to hold herself to a high regard, thus rendering her manner of recourse to a bare minimum to prevent the figurative kettle she was in from becoming any hotter. On the flip side, being deemed a Guest meant that she was spared from all vengeance by the staff and Crystal Ponies, a compromise she was more than willing to take considering the circumstances. As she watched everyone order a different dish for the feast, she started to have a bizarre sensation build up in her. All the courses, including Luna's personal favorite of blueberry pancakes, sounded delicious but none seemed to feel appetizing to her as the maid continued her rounds. This made her sit in silence as a part of her mind wondered what was wrong with her, and just how much of {i}her{/i} was actually left after the transformation.
"Hello there Celestia," The maid, Ruby Fallow, said as he made Celestia jump, the Chaos goddess not realizing it was her turn to place a recommendation. "Would you like me to suggest your usual?"
"Actually, no, I don't want my usual," Celestia could feel the shock that matched the expression on everypony's face, but every part of her mind was screaming that something was terribly wrong. She had earned a reputation of ordering the same thing for every meal, on every visit, and the kitchen staff had grown accustomed to already having a red velvet cake with crushed crumble topping already prepared upon her arrival.. Yet, not even her favorite snack seemed to tingle her tastebuds, something she solely blamed on the form she was now imprisoned in. "I'll have whatever My Queen suggests, if that will be no issue, that is."
"Love pudding, made medium-thin, and a strawberry love-infused smoothie, " Chrysalis knew that Celestia was having issues with her new dietary needs, and even with their past she knew how to be the better mare. "And, if she is up for it afterwards, give her a slice of her favorite dessert as a treat."
Ruby took the order and best a hasty retreat, feeling the safety of the kitchen better than at the mercy of the building tension in the dining hall.
"So, Nebula," Luna said, trying to jumpstart a conversation, everyone clearly feeling the same uneasiness Chrysalis and Celestia were being bathed in. "How have you been the last few centuries?"
"Well enough I suppose," Nebula said, letting out a sigh every ruler knew was one of a lifetime of hardships. "Once I left mother's hive and set out on my own, I had to make myself scarce for multiple reasons. Not only because of mother having to get exodused but also because of my connection to you made me a very high-profile political target."
"Political target?" Cadance said, voicing her confusion at the explanation. "You are lineage to the Olivine Throne, so why couldn't you just come out and take Luna's place?"
"That will be because of Celestia's sanctions," Nebula's words were plasma, each syllable burning Celestia's world more and more as she stared at her hooves. "Any changeling caught was to be sent straight to the dungeon without a trial, and mother was public-enemy-number-one. The strategy was foolproof, with mom and me in hiding, and no other kin to speak of, Celestia assumed solo rule and nopony was none the wiser about why there was no heir."
"What about marital records?" Twilight said, addressing the elephant in the explanation. "Surely there must have been something-"
"There were no official records," Chrysalis said, bearing the piercing look Twilight was giving her. "Picture yourself, a mare from an esteemed family, marrying a peasant who couldn't even own a claim of their own. Surely in these times it would be welcomed, but back then it wouldn't go well at all; thus, it was agreed that while the marriage would be officially recognized behind closed doors, there would be no formal writing In order prevent backlash on Luna. If you want any more information, feel free to ask those that rode with me to Baltimare because I honestly don't feel like repeating that story."
"I will fill you in later Twilight," Starlight said, effectively shutting down the conversation as she looked at her redeemer. "It isn't something that should be discussed at the dinner table. In fact, personally, it is only something that could be talked over while sitting in front of a full liquor bar!"
"Seriously…" Twilight was not amused, she knew the reference well from the fact how much Sunset and Human Pinkie loved watching a certain streamer, and could only facehoof as Pinkie giggled. "You seriously went there…"
"Twilight, I was bent on destroying as many lives as possible and had a cat named Spleenery before it died and you eventually made me see the err of my ways." The way Starlight spoke was like a villain detailing their backstory to their captor, something that Twilight had far too many experiences in for her own personal liking. "So, when Sunset showed me the streamer, I could relate to his method of torturing whatever unfortunate souls he made in his simulations."
"Be that as it may," Chrysalis said, smiling to herself as Luna rested on her shoulder. "I don't want any discussion right now, all I want to hear is about the meal only so I can get back in rhythm with my duties."
And as the staff brought out the meal, the band that had been orchestrating a soft musical number the entire time in the background, continued to play.