//------------------------------// // Chapter Four- Celestia? // Story: Gems I: The Sun Princess // by Pen Dragon //------------------------------// Chapter Four- Celestia? Watcher could only stare back at the mare who declared herself to be Princess Celestia, the Sun Goddess from legends. To him it was impossible and was unlikely. He didn’t know whether it was a joke or that this mare was completely insane because of how impossible it was. “Pfft… Hahahaha! That’s a good one!” He laughed while the white unicorn glared at him with disbelief. ‘“Is there something humorous that I missed?” She asked as Watcher’s laughter began to seize before facing her, wiping away some of the tears from his eyes. “Okay I’m going to be very blunt right now. There’s no way in hell that you're her!” He said out loud as his voice echoed around the small bedroom. Celestia only gave a scowl at the stallion as he began to trot out of the room, following after him she could call out his name. “Watcher! I am Celestia!” She said, following him down the flight of stairs. “Look, I know for a fact that you aren't her, because for one you don’t have a set of wings, secondly you're too short, no offense, and last I checked, Princess Celestia is a mythical goddess made up for little fillies and colts to dream about… and I do not believe in myths, lady.” Watcher stated as picked up a key with his magic that was hanging on the wall. “I’ll even prove it right now you crazy mare.” “Where are you going you insolent gelding?!” She demanded, but was ignored as the charcoal unicorn began to head towards an old door. Without hesitation, Watcher placed the key in the keyhole, unlocking it. “Answer me!” “We’re going to the forbidden archives and I’ll prove that you're just as crazy as that ridiculous legend!” He said, entering the room that was surrounded by ancient books. Celestia could tell that nopony had been in there for centuries judging from the shoddy condition of every book. “Don’t touch anything here, it’s bad enough that I even allowed you in here!” “What is this place exactly?” Celestia asked as she followed Watcher further into the old archives. The two continued walking for a little while in utter silence before stopping suddenly as Watcher glanced at the white unicorn. “It’s a forbidden place of ancient knowledge! I still remember when I broke in here when I was just a colt. Hard to believe that it’s still here.” Watcher said as his horn began to glow as he levitated a brown book. “This book has everything about the real Celestia!” He soon opened the book and began to turn the pages to where an old photograph of the ancient princess was and showed it to the white mare with a twitch in his eye. “You mean to tell me that this is you! Pfft… I will admit that you have the same coat color, but other than that you nothing like her! You don’t even have wings and you still claim to be the same princess who disappeared for over TWO THOUSAND YEARS!!!” The unicorn mare’s mouth fell open slightly, a timid groan came from her throat as she stuttered, “Two… two thousand years?” “That’s what it says right there, cupcake,” teased Watcher, pointing at the book again, “I hate to say it, but you don’t exactly look two thousand years old. Heck, I look older than you!” “This can’t be possible,” continued ‘Celestia’, ignoring Watcher’s insults, “I can’t have been gone for two thousand years. It’s felt like such a short time.” “How delusional can you get?” groaned the other unicorn, “Don’t you get it yet, you’re not Princess Celestia! I can understand looking up to such a big figure, I can even sort of get wanting to be like her, but there’s no way that you are actually this alicorn right here in the book.” She stopped talking for a moment, reflecting in sadness about how long she had been gone, and how far her ponies had fallen in all that time. Instead of even giving her a chance, they rejected her existence entirely and pretended she had simply vanished into thin air one day for no reason. Watcher’s statement only made her fears worse, that nopony might believe in her at all anymore. “How else can I prove to you that I am who I say I am?” asked the white unicorn softly, knowing talking above Watcher’s level wasn’t going to get her anywhere. “How the heck am I supposed to know! Just give it up already! I’ve had a long day and would appreciate a goods nights rest. You can stay for the night, but I want you out first thing in the morning!” Watcher growled as the mare began to slump, just staring at the ground as tears escaped from her eyes. “Please I need help! I promise that’s who I am and if you help me I’ll…” She tried to finish, but Watcher could only groan in response. “You’ll what? Get give me psychological damage or even better 25 years years in prison with a cellmate named buffalo fricken Bill! Seriously do you take me for a fool?!” He said, as he placed his hoof on his face and began to rub it. “Even if I were to believe everything you say is true… What do I get out of this? You have nothing?” “I… I don’t know?” Was all she could say while Watcher sighed at the pathetic sight of this delusional mare. “I’ll set up a futon for you to sleep on for the night. I think I’ve had enough of this crap for one day!” Watcher said as he began to lead the depressed unicorn out of the archive to the same room to turn in Across the City of Baltimare Two ponies began to make their way in a tall building called Dragon Corporation. The two continued to make there way towards the front desk where a receptionist had greeted them and immediately allowed them entry to the corporations labs. “Sir are you sure you want to test the glider now?” A young unicorn mare with a grey coat and blond mane asked the grey earth pony who wore a black suit and a red tie. “Don’t worry Miss Stencil! We’ve worked on this project for quite sometime now and I guarantee you that it’ll work this time.” He replied before winking at the mare, causing her to blush in response. The continued down the hallway to a locked security door. He soon pulled out an ID card and aimed it at scanner that was beside it, allowing him entry to see fellow scientists collaborating with one another as they began diagnosis on a glider with twin turbines on it, “Ah, Mr. Pen Dragon, sir we believe we may have figured out what went wrong last time. While we believed that the glider may have been carrying too much weaponry causing it to take on too much drag and crash during the initial testing, it actually appears that the power linkage between the engines and the generator came undone, shutting them off prematurely and causing the craft to crash quickly. I think we’ll need a way to make sure the cables are more secure next time, say, an armored casing… or a lot of duct tape.” Pen Dragon looked over the badly damaged fighter craft, Equestria’s early attempts at some way for earth ponies to fly armed alongside pegasus ponies was having a rocky start. Since Equestria didn’t have far developments in gunpowder based weapons thanks to the lack of ways the pegasus ponies could pull triggers, their kind having decided most of Equestria’s military history. So in the place of rapid-firing guns were a pair of magical-weave bolt cannons, constructed from specially treated power crystals that unleashed rapid fire blasts of energy when excited with electricity. “Thank you Professor Hoover… While it’ll take some time for the damages to be repaired. I believe my assistant Miss Stencil has made a few suggestions to me earlier during our little uh… Meeting~ That may be useful.” He said as his assistant approached the professor with board of names that were chosen specifically by the Order. “I have spent some time trying to find alternate power sources but couldn’t find any until, I found a crystal deposit beyond the Everfree City and I even brought a sample with me.” She said, pulling out plain ordinary crystal. To the Professor it looked like glass. “Now I know it doesn’t look like much, but trust me this one is very sturdy from the other ones we’ve used. As for the list of names, they are powerful unicorns that have recently passed beta-class or have received new assignments.” “I don’t mean to sound rude, but would you please get to the point of this already!?” Hoover said aloud even though the way he said it indicated he was still interested in there being some depth to the discussion. “Well, we might be able to perfect the design a bit better if we get one of these unicorns on our team to check our designs and magical conduits,” explained Stencil, a bit stunned by his sudden rudeness. “Oh, I see… who’s available then?” Stencil turned back to the list, “Quite a few, although I’m sure not all of them would want to participate. Any of these in particular you’d want us to ask?” Professor Hoover groaned, “No, just find me somepony. Any help is better than nothing.” “If I can make a few suggestions Professor?” Pen asked while the Professor shrugged in response. “There have been a few exceptional students who might be up to the task. There’s Stardust, Midnight Blaze, and a few others… but there’s also Watcher.” “Watcher?” asked the professor curiously, raising an eyebrow, “Why does that name sound familiar?” “Well, he’s sort of been removed from his usual line of duty thanks to some kind of incident I can’t really discuss,” admitted the researcher with a tone of embarrassment, “but he’s ironically got the best qualifications… I thought I’d put him on the list despite his shortcomings.” “Fair enough, I don’t care about mistakes made, just a willingness to learn and a heart for science,” Hoover answered, dismissing Stencil’s worries, “now how soon can you ask them for their help?” “Possibly tomorrow afternoon at the latest… Is that fine for you Pen… Mr. Pen Dragon” Stencil caught herself as Pen chuckled a bit before nodding to the mare. “That’s perfectly fine… but just send in this Watcher first before anypony else? I want to have a personal meeting with him before you call the others. Anyways thank you for letting me know of our progress on the glider Professor Hoover. After hearing the rumors of those rebel scum trading crystals for muskets from the Griffon Empire. I want our society to be able to deal with any situation that may come our way.” Pen explained as both him and Stencil began to make there way out of the lab and out to the halls. They waited patiently for Professor Hoover to leave the room and leave the building through the hallway, and once they were sure nopony was around, Pen grabbed Stencil and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. The Next Day Watcher didn’t sleep well that night, knowing that a strange mare was sleeping in his room, but in the back of his mind kept nagging at him, saying ‘What if she’s telling the truth?’ He didn’t know what to make of it. Was the unicorn sleeping like a foal across the room truly Princess Celestia? Why would a super-powerful being thousands of years old need his help, an effective dropout who couldn’t catch a break in life even when he needed it most. And furthermore, a posh, elegant princess should not be drooling in her sleep like the unicorn mare was all over her pillow. “If she really is Princess Celestia, I can really only see this going one of two ways,” he whispered to himself in the darkness, “either she’s been cursed to be a regular pony, or she’s testing me to see if I’ll help her...” Watcher figured that regardless as to which option would end up playing out, he needed to trust this stranger’s word and assist. If everything turned out to be true, maybe rescuing a multi-millennium old alicorn would be just the thing to get him back on the good side of his superiors. And if nothing was true, at the very least he helped out a pony who was very, very sick, a good deed that would prove his worth. ‘Urgh… I can’t believe I’m even considering this!’ With a sigh he hopped off his bed and headed out, being careful to not wake the stranger. It was a strange day for him as he began to make breakfast for himself and his unexpected guest from the other night. Even though he hated the thought of helping somepony who could potentially get him in locked up in prison for associating with a pony that believed to be a lost princess. He could at the very least try to convince her that she isn’t who she says she is. It was a difficult choice but he ultimately decided to help her. At least back to sanity. As he had finished cooking a side of eggs with toast, he saw the white unicorn make her way downstairs with a ruffled mane and tired eyes. Each piece of her mane hair seemed to want to go a different direction, maybe because of the funny way she slumped her head over her pillow. ‘Our graceful princess has arrived, Oh joy.’ “Did you cook us breakfast?” she asked humbly. “Well, yeah, I have to get up early to open the library up,” answered Watcher, rolling his eyes, “and you’re going to need something for the road.” The supposed Celestia’s ears sank back as she said, “Thank you so much for everything. I know this is all very hard for you to believe, but you’re truly a good stallion, Mr. Watcher. I hope you know that.” Watcher sighed and looked down at the half-burnt toast, he was really only skilled with the eggs, “I really wish I could believe that. This entire Order doesn’t think so.” His guest stuffed in a piece of the ill prepared bread before continuing, “I don’t understand their hatred for you. You take in strangers, you do a job most of the others would find boring, and you put up with so much. What could have happened that would lead to such poor treatment?” “I don’t want to talk about it.” She refused to take no for an answer and continued to stare him down. Maybe it was her stare, maybe it was her serious facial expression coupled poorly with her bad mane style, but Watcher found himself unable to resist. “A while ago, we were supposed to have a final exam, all the unicorns about to graduate were going to duel each other in a single-elimination bracket. First up was Blackstar and one of my… friends, Midnight Blaze.” The other unicorn was stuffing her face with eggs, leaving Watcher to roll his eyes and continue, “Blackstar lost fair and square, and decided to cast a dark boil flesh spell on Midnight. I thought he was going to kill him, so I sort of jumped in and helped with a spell of my own.” “Oh well it couldn’t possibly have been so bad,” said Celestia, mouth full, “what spell did you choose?” “I can’t remember, think it was the Dark Energy Blade,” he said casually. Celestia started to choke on her food for a moment, before pounding her throat with a hoof and managing to swallow the rest. “Goodness, you used an energy blade on him? You could have sliced him in half from head to hoof!” “I know, that’s what they told me. Strange the blade glowed brightly given it was supposed to be dark magic and all…” The incognito princess tilted her head in curiousity, “The blade glowed brightly? That’s unusual.” “Yeah and Midnight would have died if I hadn’t done anything,” argued Watcher, clearly upset, “yet they decided I was wrong to help and put me here. They would have expelled me, or maybe even thrown me in prison, but I bet they didn’t because Midnight would have exposed them as caring more about their stupid test than their students.” “That seems to be the likely explanation,” she said, “but hearing this, I have an offer for you.” “This had better be good.” “Is having your very name here cleared good?” she answered, a tad sarcastically. Watcher was truly convinced she was mentally ill, but what the hay, anything was better than continuing to be stuck in the allergy-inducing library he was calling home, “What do you want me to do?” “Let me stay, just a little longer, so I can keep working on what’s happened to me,” she offered, “I’ll help you out with your day to day life, and once everything has been settled, I’ll reward you handsomely.” “As tempting as that is… I don’t think that’s going to fly. Reason one is that you have nothing I want or… Anything for that matter. My second reason is that I have only one bed room and I was really uncomfortable with you being in there for one night.” Watcher said, blushing in embarrassment. “Please help me and I’ll do my part to help you?!” She was desperate and Watcher could tell that she was serious. It would be weird, lewd even to sleep in the same room with a mare, but if it meant helping her forget about being a princess and getting to know the real mare underneath than it could be worth it. “Fine, but we’re going to set up a few rules around here!” He shouted as his guest responded with a nod. “Okay I’ll… Follow your rules for now.” She replied to the stallion as he took a deep breath. “First off… Don’t go around saying that you are Princess Celestia, It makes it look like you’re a crazy pony. So is there any name we can call you by that doesn’t make you sound crazy?” He asked, hoping that she could at least come up with something decent. “Well… My sister used to call me… Tia.” She said, blushing a bit as Watcher raised a brow for some reason. “Okay… Tia it is… Anyways the next thing is that we’ll need a cover story that’ll be believable?” He said, tapping his chin with his hoof as Tia looked at him confusingly. “Why would I need a cover story?” She asked him as he faced hoof. “So if ponies ask where you're from it’ll be believable! We’ll just say you're from… Appleloosa who’s… trying to learn proper magic from me.” He said, but was beginning to think that wouldn’t be as believable now that he said that aloud. “We’ll work on your story another time, but the last thing I ask of you is to stay here in the library. That way we don’t have to worry about ponies asking too many questions if they get suspicious.” “Very well, but what about if the authorities come by?” She asked, worried about the same ponies coming to take her away. “I’ll deal with them… But for now I think I’ll just close the library for the day and help you catch up on our modern society.” He said as Tia smiled back at him. ‘She maybe messed up in the head a little, but once I show her everything and teach her about how things work around here. Than maybe she’ll start to actually remember her real life before believing that she was ancient princess.’ “... It’s foolproof!” He shouted, surprising the mare as she almost fell out of her seat. “What’s foolproof?” She asked. “Huh… Oh, uh nothing, let’s just finish eating and I’ll start showing you around the library.” He said sheepishly while Tia shook her head as she continued to eat her eggs. ‘Such a strange stallion… But his personality is very amusing.’