Under normal conditions, Celestia would have delighted in the cool wind blowing in her face. Flying, even in her chariot, evoked a sense of freedom and spontaneity in her, not to mention an escape from the trappings of royalty. More than anything, it reminded her of her youth, now but the most distant of memories, when she could go flying about whenever and wherever she wanted, playing in the air as if it were her own personal playground. Yet Celestia also knew how her student could be when things ‘went wrong,’ so she kindly kept a windshield spell active as they flew through the cloudy, moist sky across the Equestrian landscape.
She cast a wry smile at Twilight, who sat beside her poring over notecards with all the focus of a hawk. How badly would the pony panic if the windshield spell were to be lifted and all those notecards go flying in the chariot’s wake? Celestia could easily see it as a means to a lesson. Despite the smirk building on her lips, she let the idea go; it would have been nothing short of cruel.
Twilight was far too tense, and Celestia concluded that this simply wouldn’t do. She asked in a teasing tone, “Since when did you become my secretary?”
The question did nothing to stop Twilight's peering study. “I’m not trying to be your secretary, I just want this to go well. It’s your first public appearance since the battle. Ponies need to know that everything’s okay and you’re—” She paused when one of her notecards failed to make way for the next. It took her a few tries before she noticed Celestia’s golden aura holding one corner of it.
Twilight’s narrowed eyes met Celestia’s. Celestia only smiled, hoping her calm manner might rub off on her student.
After a moment’s pause, Twilight blinked, glanced from her notecards and back to her teacher, then blushed and put them away. “You’re right. I’ve already memorized them by this point anyway.”
Celestia set a hoof to Twilight’s shoulder. “I know this was your idea, but this isn’t a formal visit. There’s no need to treat it like one. Everything will be fine.”
Twilight tapped her hooves together, her ears folded flat against her head as she looked beyond their pegasus drivers. “I know you’d like it that way, but to the common pony your arrival is always a big deal. I don’t want to disappoint them.” She didn’t have to add the “or you”. Celestia sensed it just fine.
“Ponyville is a perfectly pleasant community,” Celestia said, turning her attention to the clouds ahead. “I’ve been there enough times to know. This trip is meant to be relaxing, so relax. Enjoy the view.”
“That I can do,” Twilight replied lightly.
Celestia only chuckled.
As if Celestia’s words had been a command, the clouds parted before the chariot and the town appeared. The houses of thatch and the cobblestone roads always struck Celestia as pleasantly quaint, which was no doubt how the citizens liked it. She had long ago deemed it picturesque, and perfect for a pleasant day away from the castle and royal responsibilities. Donating the land to the Apple Family had truly been one of her more sound decisions.
The chariot descended, aimed directly for town hall. Ponies took note of their approach, and within minutes a crowd had gathered in the central plaza. Their arrival was met by cheers as they landed within a wide circle of onlookers. The chariot eased to a stop, and Celestia leaned over to speak just loud enough to be heard over the collective cries and stomps. “You told them we were coming, didn’t you?”
Twilight flinched and flashed a sheepish smile. “Just the date, not the time. What gave it away?”
Celestia scanned the crowd, pleased to see so many happy faces. “The numbers.” She stood and spread her wings, and the ponies bowed as one while she stepped onto the immaculate street. With a little magic, she enhanced her voice to be heard over the entire square without shouting. “Please, my friends. Today is not a day for bowing. The war is over, Harmony has returned to Equestria, and our families are safe. Rise, take pleasure in this wonderful day, and greet me not as your princess. For today, I am only your neighbor, Celestia, seeking to enjoy your most delightful company.”
The ponies rose and approached, all eager to be the first to speak with her. And Celestia let them come, waving away the two pegasus guards who’d already unhitched themselves. Within seconds, she was surrounded by happy ponies speaking over one another and vying for her attention.
“Please.” She maintained her light tone and friendly smile, her spell sending the words to all, “Be still, my friends. I assure you, there is enough of me to go around.” She cast a glance over their heads to Twilight, who watched from the chariot with a beaming smile. Adjusting her spell so only she would hear, Celestia said, “Go on, Twilight. Mingle and explore. Have some fun.” Twilight blinked, her ears perking and eyes widening ever so slightly. She glanced around, clearly at a loss. Then she smiled and, with one last nod to Celestia, trotted off.
Things started normally enough. The closest ponies asked their questions about the war and Equestria’s future. Celestia was more than happy to ease their concerns. Mayor Mare tried to move her along to some scheduled tour of the town, but Celestia paid her little mind beyond a polite decline. But as the impromptu meet and greet went on, Celestia found herself growing more and more uncomfortable. While speaking to a withered blue elder stallion, she gained the distinct feeling that there was something wrong with this scenario. Her ponies were so attentive, so eager, so… loyal. They were crowding her in.
Celestia couldn’t pinpoint the source of her discomfort. They were just ponies. Her loyal subjects. Yet their beaming smiles, their fawning voices, they seemed off somehow. Like they weren’t real. The crowd grew quiet. They were staring at her because… because…
Because the mayor had asked her a question. Reining in her embarrassment at missing it, Celestia turned her attention to the grey mare. “I beg your pardon, Madame Mayor?”
The mayor’s smile was more subdued than those of the other ponies. “Forgive my intrusion, Your Highness, but if we stay here you’ll lose the entire day.”
Ah, an escape!
…from what? Celestia looked around and found nothing but friendly ponies. Shaking off her moment of uncertainty, she nodded. “Quite right. I apologize, my little ponies, but I would very much like to explore Ponyville.”
And so she moved on with her visit, feeling no small sense of relief. The citizens followed her around like lovesick puppies, eager to absorb her every word. The two pegasus guards kept their distance, despite Celestia’s encouragement for them to enjoy their time in town. She didn’t mind their faithful observation, though.
Her journey meandered. The mayor tried to get her to take a pre-planned route, but Celestia would have none of that. This was meant to be an informal visit with no agenda, and she intended to keep it that way. She explored a residential neighborhood first, chatting with locals who eagerly stepped outside to greet her. She visited the town market, taking time to enjoy all the products and produce on offer. Ponyville was especially known for its apples, a matter that greatly pleased Celestia. After all, it was the apple farmers she’d gifted this land to that had made Ponyville what it is today. She was delighted to encounter a descendant of that same family running a stall of the delectable fruits.
They had a pleasant conversation regarding the well-known history of the family, leading to a story from Celestia that nearly every pony in the market listened to with rapt attention. They all seemed to greatly enjoy her recounting of the founding of Ponyville, and the young mare swelled with pride from beginning to end. Celestia happily purchased a few apples for when she got back to the castle, which appeared to truly make the farmer’s day.
She next went to visit a local clothier, who all but fainted upon recognizing her latest guest. Once the initial excitement died down, the proprietor regretted to admit she had nothing in Celestia’s size – not a surprise, all things considered. Even so, Celestia eagerly perused the mare’s wares. There had been rumors that this boutique offered some particularly impressive designs, and she was not disappointed.
When she asked the tailor if she’d be willing to take her measurements for a future order, the poor young mare really did faint. Once the swooning was remedied and the mare had enough of herself back to hold measuring tape in her magic, she giddily took Celestia’s measurements and promised a most ‘smashing’ design in her future. As much as Celestia liked this pony, she was happy to return to her throng of followers, if only so as not to cause another fainting episode.
It was while having lunch – if cake alone could be considered lunch – at a local bakery that Celestia took notice. The crowd of ponies, now gathered outside the café and looking in… had there always been so many? She cast a curious look from her little table by the stairs, taking in their grinning, bright expressions. Some had greeted her the moment she stepped off the chariot, still shadowing her every move. They watched with a sort of fawning fascination. Some entered and ate for themselves, but she noticed nearly all of them ordered the same thing, which happened to be what she’d ordered.
Eyes. Dozens of dozens of pairs, all on her. Some approached to gush and offer praise, congratulating her on her victory or complimenting her taste in cuisine or, in some cases, waxing poetic about her beauty. Nearly every single one had something nice to say about the day and her Sun. When out of range, they spoke among themselves in whispers, giggling like school children on the playground.
As this continued for the rest of her meal, Celestia began to fidget. They were like… she couldn’t think of the term, but their incessant adulation made her want to hide beneath the tablecloth. It was one thing to be appreciated by her ponies, but this seemed something akin to obsession. Fanaticism. Her ponies didn’t all think of her in such reverential terms, did they? In all her times coming to Ponyville, had the citizens ever treated her like this?
Now that she paused to think of it, when was the last time she visited Ponyville?
And with that lone thought, the illusion shattered. Abruptly, Celestia felt less like an honored guest and more like a deified sham. They shouldn’t be looking at her that way, with such blind affection. She wanted nothing more than for them to leave her alone for a few minutes and let her breathe. And yet they kept staring and giggling and praising with wide, enamored eyes and broad, toothy grins.
Ponyquins. Dolls. Golems. The comparisons struck her with an urgent sense of wrongness. Her cake forgotten, Celestia stood with a singular focus: she needed to get away.
“Oh, leaving so soon?” her pink waitress asked, bouncing in place as she grinned.
“I… y-yes.” Celestia glanced at the ponies in the windows. So many eager gazes. Lowering her voice, she whispered to the pony, “I’d like to spend some time away for a little while. Do you happen to have a back door?”
The bouncing ceased as the waitress’s blue eyes crossed in puzzlement. “Really? But why would you…?” She copied Celestia’s glance at the faces watching them throughout the café and through the windows, and her volume rose. “Why yes, we do in fact have a bathroom! Just through the door to the kitchen. Don’t worry, Princess, the cooks won’t mind one bit.”
Celestia smiled and moved past with a quiet “thank you,” her magic summoning and slipping payment for the food into the waitress’s apron pocket along with a sizeable tip. She entered the kitchen, in which four ponies in toques made a show of not noticing her arrival. Feeling like a foal hiding from her mother’s unhappy gaze, she hurried to a back door that led into a small alleyway. To her relief, there was not a single pony present.
But she couldn’t linger here for long. Soon the crowd out front would realize she’d slipped off. For some reason, the idea of being found again sent shivers along her spine. But where would she go? Ponyville was a small place. It wasn’t like there were many places to hide.
Hide. Goddess, but she felt silly.
Silly didn’t trump anxiety. Not this time. Celestia walked through the back alleys, moving with caution lest she alert somepony of her presence. She’d always wanted to be appreciated by her ponies, but that had been too much. They hadn’t seemed like ponies, not really. Which was ridiculous—what else could they be?
She paused at a crossroads among the small buildings. She looked one way and saw an open street, the town market visible just a few buildings away. The one before her led to an unfamiliar road. On her right…
The river, and a path beyond, heading west. No buildings out there, only hills bearing the promise of some much-needed alone time. Celestia walked to the end of the alleyway and paused to examine the buildings to her left and right. She appeared to be at the edge of the town center, but how could that be? The town center wouldn’t be directly next to the open landscape.
Even so, she decided to count her blessings; the area appeared devoid of activity. With one last check to ensure she wouldn’t be seen, Celestia stepped out and spread her wings. It took only a few seconds to fly over the river, and soon she was walking down the dirt path. A shallow curve took her around a hill, and Ponyville disappeared as if it had never been.
The tension left Celestia’s wings and shoulders. She took a deep breath of the refreshing atmosphere of nature, at last certain she was safe from wide, disturbing eyes. Had her little ponies always been so… appreciative? She couldn’t remember, but she didn’t think so. When had such a change occurred? Was it natural, or was it—?
She felt as though her mind was at war with itself. The fretting thoughts were pushed away, and this confused her at first, but then she smiled and shrugged; of course the change was natural. But still disturbing. The smile dropped as she considered possible solutions. After all, she was no goddess, nor was she perfect. She’d made far too many terrible mistakes in her life to let the masses think… she wasn’t… Why was it so hard to focus? What was wrong with her?
Oh, had she reached the woods already?
Celestia came to a stop alongside her thoughts. What had she just been thinking of? She eyed the great forest spread before her and felt a chill running along her wings. She’d been here before, of course, but for some reason the dark wood seemed unusually ominous to her. The way the shadows loomed over all beneath that canopy spoke of danger and mystery. The trees stretched their limbs wide, clawing at one another in an everlasting battle for supremacy. The bushes bore thick green leaves that concealed much of the forest floor, and some primal instinct within Celestia warned that creatures foul and hungry hid beyond the shadows.
The Everfree Forest. Truly, a place as opposed to Harmony as anything could be. Something within whispered that she should not be here, and she readily agreed. Circling about, she started back for Ponyville.
Birdsong met her perked ears, bringing her to a halt. What a familiar sound. Where had she heard it before? She looked back over her shoulder, fears fading as the song continued to flow through the air. Did it come from the woods? Slowly, she turned to face the Everfree. Her eyes traced the perimeter, searching from branch to branch. The song beckoned her, playful and pleading at the same time. The faintest hint of dark feathers enticed her.
What are you? Though the whispers demanded she leave this terrible place, Celestia gradually approached the treeline. The anxiety she’d sensed moments ago faded and a smile slipped to her lips. She did not know this bird, but her heart begged her to find it. Her steps steadied as she left the path, the shadows of the forest engulfing her, and yet she felt safe. The birdsong danced in her ears.
“I’m coming,” Celestia muttered. “I know you. I swear I do. What are you?”
The bird, ever unseen, only sang louder, as if begging for her presence. Celestia wanted to oblige. She couldn’t fathom why, but it felt unbearably important that she find the source of the singing. West. She just needed to go west. Through the trees. Beyond the trees. Onwards to something… something…
The song shifted into something less rhythmic and playful. It rose in volume and speed, becoming little more than horrid shrieks. Celestia froze, wings half-opened and breath caught in her throat. The fear so thoroughly forgotten returned with a vengeance, filling her soul with a dread of… of what? No answer came to her, yet even so she shivered. Her legs fought to move, but did nothing save tremble.
The shrieking ceased, and Celestia felt a gaping hole open in her chest. She gasped, wobbling in place as the loss grew and grew in her mind. Where did this feeling come from? Tears streaked her cheeks, but why? She was a foal beneath the claw of foalhood monsters, ready to scream for her mother’s protection and her father’s soothing words.
The shadows deepened. Celestia searched frantically for something, anything in the forest. She couldn’t hear it for the pounding of her heart, couldn’t see it through the growing darkness. But she felt it, like a thick cloud of smoke creeping over her, squeezing her throat and crushing her will. It was coming. It was coming. It is coming!
It appeared.
A black shape grew out of the shadow, rising above Celestia like a specter. Its fluid, smoky form reached out to grip the trees like claws, and though it made no noise, Celestia could swear the beast howled with a force to shake the very earth beneath her hooves. From within the black came two bright yellow pupils, narrow as a cat’s, that glared down at her as a predator upon prey. Celestia looked back and felt as though ice encased her heart, her mind, her entire body.
This… this thing was beyond her comprehension. Her mind couldn’t even try to understand, for every time she sought to define it, her thoughts slipped away like water through her hooves. Her mouth opened for a scream, but all that emerged was a pathetic whine and the hissing of lost air. That voice in the back of her head shrieked at her. Flee! Escape! Run away, you fool!
The Beast lurched forward, landing on all fours, and the resulting quake brought Celestia to her knees. But the jolt of the fall kicked her body into motion, and she tore from the scene as fast as her legs could carry her. She didn’t look back. She couldn’t look back, even as the strange thing’s silent cry vibrated through her very bones. The edge of the forest was there, right there! If she could just make it out and warn Ponyville, warn what ponies she could, and then… and then…
She burst from beneath the canopy and, in a flourish of wings and feathers, rocketed into the open sky. Celestia’s throat burned and her heart pounded. For a time, all she could do was fly, fly as fast as her wings would allow. Gradually, her mind settled and speed slowed. She hovered in place, mind and memory foggy with the afterimage of her horror.
Celestia turned to the Everfree. From this height and distance, it appeared as a blanket covering the western horizon, stopping just at the edge of the small town below her. Her heart hammered her ribs as a cold shiver ran across every inch of her body as she looked upon that edge… but why? She knew something was wrong, something terrible, something that needed addressing.
But what?
She blinked and rubbed her face. Tears? When had she cried?
Forget it, a voice whispered in her mind. You are safe now. Just leave it be.
How tempting a thought. She could go back home to her loving parents, continue to teach her precious student and be loved by her ponies as…
“No.” She shook her head, gritting her teeth and fighting back the urge that had welled up inside her. She’d seen something in the forest, something terrible, even if she could not recall it. This was not the time for idleness. Whatever it had been, she knew on instinct that it was a danger to her and her ponies. It had to be dealt with… but how could she deal with it when she had no memory of what it had been?
“Your Highness?” She blinked, turning to find her two pegasus guards hovering a few yards away. “Is everything alright?”
Yes… yes, everything was alright. Just a momentary scare, that was—No! Shut up! Whatever you are, shut up!
The stallions backed off, eyes going wide, and Celestia realized her lips had curled back in a snarl. With practiced ease, she forced her face back to neutrality and spoke in her commanding tone. “Are either of you aware of the location of my student?”
The guards saluted sharply. “Yes, ma’am! She entered the town hall not fifteen minutes ago.”
Celestia cast one last look towards the forest. Perhaps it was only a trick of the light, but it seemed even darker than it had been a moment ago. The idea sent a tremor through her body, though she could not fathom why.
“Very good. Take me to Twilight Sparkle.”
The doors closed behind Celestia as she stepped into the circular entry room of Ponyville’s Town Hall, a two-story space brightly lit by tall windows and its walls tastefully decorated with bookshelves and local art displays. A balcony swathed in blue curtains stood over the opposite door, perhaps a place for public speaking.
And there, standing alone in the middle of the room, was Twilight. Body rigid, she stared up at the curtains as if transfixed. Celestia walked up behind her, looking from her student to the balcony and back. She couldn’t recall Twilight ever being so still.
She stepped around to Twilight’s side and studied her face. Her lips were just slightly parted, and her eyes seemed to bore into something beyond the curtains with a barely discernible fear. She breathed slowly, as if it took effort to do so. Celestia gazed upon the pony’s expression and felt her earlier fright rekindled in a small way.
“What is it? Twilight?”
With a gasp, Twilight looked to her. Her eyes widened in recognition before she turned back to the balcony above them. “I… I…”
Celestia reached out to touch Twilight’s shoulder. She flinched away. “Twilight?”
“I’m sorry, Princess. I just…” Twilight rubbed a shaking hoof across her face, brushing her mane back as she did. “I feel like I know this place. As though I’ve been here before, and something happened. Something important. Something… frightening.”
Frightening? But Twilight had never been to Ponyville before. What could she possibly be referring to? Celestia looked up to the balcony and froze. Did something move behind the curtains? A shadow? Her heart rate increased as she took a wary step back. These emotions, this chill in her blood like the cold grip of winter… it felt terribly familiar.
“Princess Celestia.” Twilight stepped a little closer to her, ears tucked back as she lowered her head. “I don’t feel right. Like there’s something wrong with…”
“With this place,” Celestia finished for her, lips pursed as she studied the balcony.
Twilight pressed tightly against her side. “N-no. With me.”
At a glance, Celestia noted how pale her student had become. She shivered and wrapped a wing about Twilight’s shoulder, keeping her close as they began to walk backwards to the exit. “I don’t know about you, Twilight,” she whispered, eyes darting about the room, “but something is definitely wrong. I think it best we returned to Canterlot.”
“Y-yes, Princess.”
They stepped outside without incident, where the two royal guards awaited. Celestia looked to them, fighting to maintain her calm tone. “Bring the carriage, if you please. We are going home.”
The guards saluted and flew off. Celestia brought Twilight out from beneath the shadow of Town Hall and into the sunlight. The poor thing trembled like a leaf, and Celestia decided to withhold her questions for now. It wouldn’t do to make Twilight more upset than she already was. So instead, they sat in the grass and waited, Celestia rubbing a hoof through Twilight’s mane.
“Princess?” Twilight glanced up at her. “What’s wr-wrong?”
Indeed, what? Celestia looked to the building behind them, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. It was just a building. When she turned her eyes west, there was no terrible forest. Only the town and its buildings blocking the view. Even so, she thought she saw something dark flit through an alleyway, completely unnoticed by a populace that now gathered in the street to watch her with tireless awe.
“I don’t know, Twilight.”
Forget it. It is nothing worth worrying about.
“But I intend to find out.”