Days in and nights out, the Princess of the Sun always found herself yearning to connect more with her sister. Ever since she had Luna returned to her it had been a conflict of emotions whirling inside the white alicorn. While she wished things to be back to normal it was hard to just simply ignore things that had happened.
If she were to take her sister out to see sights that had been made in her absence where would they go first? If she desired to help the midnight princess learn of activities spawned while away which would be best approached? Even the idea of just having a peaceful evening seemed to nearly worry Celestia, though she knew it shouldn’t.
Her eyes gazed over the walls of her throne room. No, not just hers. Her sister’s as well. The inlaid stained glass telling of tales and adventures that seemed unbelievable decorated the room and only seemed to remind the princess of how much time had really passed.
“I’ll think of something, my sister,” Celestia whispered to herself as her violet eyes studied the craftsmanship of the windows she passed.
While it had been over a year it still weighed heavy on her heart that she hadn’t managed to fully connect as a true big sister for her sibling. They should be able to let their manes down and not talk so formally to one another when the guards aren’t present. Perhaps Luna only wished to show she could be a proper princess after the incident eons ago.
The thought made Celestia smile some as she paused and let it linger. That would be like her, would it not? Luna wanting to show she had what it takes and to make up for lost time within the royal grace. If not for them, it would fall upon the unicorns to take up the movement of the sun and moon. Neither of them wished that upon their ponies.
The flowing aurora mane moved like it were a living being all its own. Celestia stood still as the colors flowed in soft waves along her mane, almost accentuating just how still she was. As much as she would deny it, the princess did lose herself in thoughts plenty. Not that she wanted to but it was hard to not let her mind wander in hopes of mending the bond siblings were supposed to have.
It was more than likely worry for naught as Luna would assure her that their love was strong and they stood united as princesses and sisters forever. It would certainly ease Celestia’s heart a bit hearing such a thing though she would still feel the need to do something. Anything.
Loud creaks echoed into the large room and broke the princess out of her thoughts. Her head turned to source of the noise to see one of the guards checking in. Had an hour really gone by so fast? Sure, it was their duty to see to it the princesses were safe but sometimes she wished to have a little peace.
A kindly smile and a nod from her made the guard return the gesture as he ducked back into the adjoining room once more. The door eased shut with a loud clack and she was left alone once again. Luna would be getting up soon enough to start the evening with her. After that, it would fall onto the blue alicorn to work through the night as usual.
Celestia’s eyes lowered as she sighed softly. Maybe she should take over for a few nights. It would give her sister time to enjoy life outside of the castle more. She could even stay up and have them tell stories or pick out something to read to each other. The idea gave her spirits a lift as she smiled and eased the glowing orb in the sky closer to the horizon.
While it might not be much it could show she cared for her sister’s well-being still. One step at a time. Her mind ran through several other ideas as she turned and began to head towards the adjoining room. Using an effortless spell, she pulled the doors open and stepped through.
The guards looked to her out of the corners of their eyes but stood still. They could do with some rest as well, she noticed. Their stature was strong but the light bags under their eyes told another story. She was almost hoping she would catch them napping to know they were getting rest.
“Your Highness,” one of the guards uttered and attempted to salute.
“That’s not needed,” Celestia said softly and flashed a smile. “Just be sure to take care of my sister.”
“Of course!” they mentioned, nodding quickly.
Perhaps she scared them into thinking they weren’t doing their job properly with how alert they suddenly looked. She didn’t mean to add any stress, should there be. Still, she loved her sister and wanted to have her happy and protected.
Her hooves carried her tall frame along the line of carpet laid out down the room. She was feeling a tad more tired than usual though all the worry might have something to do with it. Things would be better in the morning after a good rest, she was sure. Maybe all her overthinking would be clearer after a nice sleep.
Taking her time, Celestia strode along the room and slowly made her way into a nearby hall. The dimly lit area would only get darker as she lowered the sun. A small spark of magic set the candles and lanterns alight with ease. Seeing the flow of light fill the hall was oddly comforting to her.
It was getting late and only going to get later. The time of evening was drawing closer to night yet the alicorn could hardly keep her thoughts contained enough to rest well. A stroll through the castle would be a good idea to simply tire herself out as her mind ran through all sorts of questions, ideas and much more. The stress of worrying over her sister was bound to add onto it all as well.
Celestia sighed and began her leisure walk down the hall as she gave the occasional glance into various rooms. Some doors weren’t closed while other doorways were simply open to freely move through. Archives, guests rooms, various others that she still didn’t know what to do with. Years of living in a castle and she rarely used half of it herself.
She still remembered the day Luna came back to her. How excited the midnight blue alicorn was to explore the new castle. There had been more than enough times where Celestia had begun to worry when her sister failed to appear when searching. It was all just a fun game to Luna though. Hide and seek was something she excelled at rather well and it would be a lie for Celestia to deny enjoying it with her.
While not the most proper of things to do it was something that brought them closer together during their reunion. Mending the fractured bond was something they had both needed and neither wanted to argue over silly games to be played. Still, it did feel as though there could be more to be done.
Celestia’s head lowered momentarily as she began to drag her hooves. Maybe Luna really was okay. Perhaps all the worrying wasn’t for lack of bonding but for just needing to feel as if she was still the big sister Luna looked up to. The Princess of the Moon had taken on plenty lately and it did seem to get the eldest of the two uneasy.
The flowing mane of soft colors moved with her as she shook her head. Being overprotective is what she was doing. Her sister knew how to handle things. Besides, she shouldn’t always be hovering over her sister’s shoulder but just be there when needed.
There was deep inhale before she let her breath out slowly. She was working herself up for no reason. Slowly, her hooves began to move along at a steady pace once more while she lifted her head and calmed herself. She was just overworked. That was it.
A nod of self-assurance and Celestia moved along as her eyes closed and she practiced a breathing exercise Cadance had told her. Some rest would have her thinking straight again as well as able to take care of whatever might arise in Equestria. It wasn’t as if she was a princess for nothing.
Passing by another mostly empty room seemed to almost draw her attention. The tall pony slowed her steps before continuing on and giving her head a light shake. She was definitely tired even if her mind was going all over the place.
The sound of the flames in the hall seemed almost melodic and hypnotizing. It was faint but so clear at the same time. If her hooves didn’t echo out each step onto the hard floor she could see herself walking circles until she passed out. What an odd sensation.
With the passing minutes, her horn lit up and she did her best to adjust the sun lower and lower. Though something did seem a bit off. Her attempts to bring the evening closer into the night felt as if it weren’t working at all. Again, she could only blame her tired self for thinking such a ludicrous thing.
A quick peer out one of the windows to her side showed everything as still as ever. The orange glow spreading across the land with serene noises of wildlife in the distance deemed quick assurance on things being right. It was peaceful. Celestia felt her brow knit together.
Something still felt out of place. She couldn’t put a hoof on it but there was clearly something lightly picking at the back of her mind. Another look outside and carefully studying the scene wound up with nothing out of the ordinary. Why was she letting her thoughts and odd feelings get to her out of nowhere?
It was beginning to annoy her more than make her worry. Perhaps things only appeared different in her head due to the stress. Her violet eyes stared out a moment longer before she turned away and continued her walk. Heading back to her bedchamber sounded ideal and possibly the best course of action with how she was feeling.
She was nearly ready to turn around and tread back until a light noise caught her attention. Up ahead something had fallen in another room. Either a guard got clumsy or Luna bumped into something. The thought of seeing her sister before bed picked up the alicorn’s spirits immediately. Her wings gave a light fluff before she happily trotted her way towards the source of the noise.
Somehow, it felt as if she had walked further than the small distance she made. The room ahead was her best guess at the noise and so she peered in. The white pony’s small hope of greeting her sibling were quickly quelled upon seeing not a soul in sight.
The room itself looked as if it were nothing more than a basic reading room. Smaller than most and devoid of almost any actual reading material sans the few shelves and oddly out of place book on the floor. It looked almost neatly settled and awaiting her as no other pony were near.
What had caused a book to land in the middle of the floor? The table nearest the object could have been hit but that would have had to be a strong bump into the furniture to slide a book off. The shelves were missing more than several as it were but across the room. Did a unicorn try to levitate it without knowing?
Celestia looked down the hall from one end to the other. She had seen nopony walk out of the room nor any leaving the area. It was strange but maybe just a simple one time mishap. Levitation spells could be finicky though most ponies needed to be within eyesight of the object.
A hoof stepped into the room before she froze and let her eyes scan the area again. It didn’t feel right. Something was telling the back of her mind to just turn around and leave. She couldn’t do that. A princess didn’t run from mild uncomfortable moments, did they?
Another step in and she eventually forced herself to walk all the way up to the book within the room. Her horn lit and the cover flipped open while pages fluttered by. It was a normal book with no indication of anything being wrong with it. Closing it once more and looking to the title made her smile through the uneasy feeling.
It was a tale Luna loved to read. One story she had insisted on having read to her as well. Celestia stared at the cover in reminiscence before floating it up and gently setting it upon a shelf. Maybe Luna had left it on purpose. Just a reminder of some happier times. If she wished it to be read to her once more then Celestia would be the first there to relive a pleasant moment of the past.
Even though she hadn’t seen her sister she did feel better. The room itself gave an awkward vibe but she merely brushed it aside as her thoughts were in a much better place than before. Regardless, the silent picking in her mind did not subside. Being so cautious to enter, she left the room far easier and her head held high.
Looking down the corridor with lit lanterns and candles yielded no other pony around in the quiet castle. Her legs moved and she started walking along her path once more, down the windowless hall and keeping Luna in her thoughts. Oh, how she wanted to tell her about finding the book and let them talk for hours of when they were fillies and more.
During her more elated walk, there was a faint sound that nearly lingered just long enough to be noticed. Any closer inspection would always yield the same answer of it being the almost exact mimic of each flame for the hall. How she could hear such a noise even so quietly was a thought that merely came and left.
While such flickers of flames might have somehow been picked up by alicorn ears, there was no problem with them in general and it was only barely distracting. Celestia could only look ahead with her muzzle up and a smile lightly decorating it. Luna would be so happy to know of the book being found, would she not?
It was until she had nearly progressed half of the hall before her steps slowed once more. Something else was bothering her again. That odd feeling that she couldn’t place. Did she forget something? Was there another thing in the room she didn’t quite pick up on a moment ago?
Instead of turning around to go check, her slow but steady walk continued. The more she went the more it felt that there truly was something amiss. The biggest problem was trying to pinpoint whatever it could be. The lights offered no answer as she gazed to a lantern nearby.
Upon reaching the door her hoof lightly pressed to it. While she could easily use her magic it all felt surreal to her. It was as if she weren’t someplace but all the same seemed to be. The feeling of the door moving was a bit easier on her and seemed to calm her nerves enough to step through and into the next room.
Odd. Did she enter where she left? Her poor mind must be so tired. Giving a soft laugh to ease herself, Celestia brushed aside any worries quickly. Even though she had been through the castle more than enough times she did still get a little confused when fatigue set in. At least she could just follow her way back out.
The moment she turned there was a much different noise than before. No thump of a book hitting a floor but more as if somepony had nudged some small furniture in a haste. Raising a brow, the princess headed in the direction of the slight disturbance.
She almost felt as if she were creeping up on some unsuspecting guard, though the idea did make her slightly giddy. The peer around the doorway and into the room only seemed to confuse her a little more. There was much that she expected but an empty room with no light was hardly one she thought of.
“Hello? Is somepony there?” Celestia asked while stepping fully into the doorway.
No answer.
“You aren’t in trouble. Just come out, please,” she urged, her eyes trying to focus on the darkest of areas.
There would have been more authority in her voice but she didn’t wish to make a possibly scared or lost pony feel threatened. Even so, no movement shuffled in the black corners and there were no other sounds than those she had known prior. No whimpers or panting. Not even the sound of a breath being exhaled save her own.
She was planning to speak up once more but the loud clap of the door shutting down the hall startled her. The alicorn gasped and took a few steps to the side with wide eyes before breathing a sigh of relief. A wing extended and hid her face as she ducked her head for a moment out of embarrassment.
“Just the door,” the mumbled, almost irritated with herself for being a little jumpy.
While she may be a princess she was also still just a pony. She had worries, thoughts, scares and more just as any other. Some never seemed to see that but it sometimes helped. Either way, she still was a little annoyed with how she had reacted.
A thought spawned. Her wing tucked back to her as she looked up at the door once again and then into the darkened room. Had the pony fled without her noticing? Teleportation spell maybe? There were more questions now than before.
It didn’t take her long before she turned to gallop down the hall and to the door that made her jump. Her shoulder pressed it open as she ran in and looked around though she waited not for a noise. Each room was quickly checked as she passed by. Most of them appeared dark to which she used a quick illumination spell on her horn just to be sure nopony was hiding.
The doors ahead were open completely and showed a hall curving around to end out of sight. Celestia hurried on and began to check through the curved corridor while calling out here and there. A few instances she could have sworn she heard something but it didn’t seem to resemble any voice.
It wasn’t until she neared the last few rooms of the hall that led into another that she had a thought. If Luna had left the book for her to see than perhaps she was also pulling this prank? Would one call it a prank though? She did love hide and seek as a filly.
A smile crept up on the alicorn’s muzzle as she dawned on the idea. Luna must have planned to relive a little bit of their old days. It was funny how Celestia had planned to find a way to not long ago and there her sister was just making it happen. The princess chuckled softly to herself and decided to play along.
Small hops and bounds to some rooms were made just in case her younger sister were watching from the shadows. The chance to put aside all her duties and just enjoy a moment with her sibling had her happier than she could remember last. She even hummed lightly as she approached a few rooms and poked her head inside.
The fun play had her in higher spirits than earlier. Subconsciously, she thought she may have needed it more than her sister. Minutes seemed to stretch on as she peeked under tables and checked behind several other pieces of furniture. One instance confused her greatly when she pulled aside some curtains to find no Luna. No window either.
“Luna~” Celestia called out, trying to keep the laughter out of her voice. “I’m going to find you~”
The echo of her voice was a bit strange. She couldn’t remember noise in the halls sounding out so much. With the doorway ahead being devoid of her advance, Celestia moved into the next area.
A large room with barely much decoration stood around her. It almost reminded her of her throne room but far less welcoming. The tapestries were blank and the strip of red fabric down the center was absent. No throne were at the end either.
She didn’t recall such an area ever before. The pillars and arches seemed somewhat familiar but there seemed to be little else that resembled anything she had known. No stained glass windows lined the walls to tell of the stories of old and new. It was almost as if she walked into an area she wasn’t meant to be.
Another noise rang out from all the way across the empty chamber. One of the rooms ahead must have been disturbed. She didn’t feel comfortable at all in such a place. It wasn’t like the rest of the castle and it made her wary of walking through to the other side.
“Luna?” the alicorn asked while glancing around. “I think it’s time we call it a night.”
Still, no answer came. Celestia got closer to the two entryways at the end and looked between them. No curtains or doors block their path at all but she couldn’t see inside either. The lights from the candles above barely reached past their entry.
Another noise. A shuffle as if somepony were moving around. Celestia perked up and looked to the room on her right. At last, she had finally managed to find Luna and end the fun game. While she did enjoy the start of it, she was beginning to feel as if things had dragged on for longer.
Carefully and silently, the white pony edged near the wall and as out of sight as possible from the room. Her hooves did their best to tread lightly while she smiled and inched closer and closer. She could finally tell her sister of all the thoughts she had running through her mind! There was only a moment of waiting before she decided to leap out and stand in the doorway with her horn lighting up the room.
“Gotcha!” she shouted, almost ready to brace for a pounce from her loving sibling.
Silence. The room was empty of all. No furniture, books, not even a simple blue feather to let her know a pony had been there before. The smile faltered from her face as she tried to find anything at all to look at. An absence of windows looked to be the cause of the foreboding darkness within.
“Luna?” Celestia called out cautiously. There was a waver in her voice.
If her sister had been there then she wasn’t now. In any case, it was starting to unsettle her a bit. The castle felt different around her and the fun game had turned into one of uncertainty. It wasn’t making sense to her.
No longer wanting to wait, the alicorn turned and bolted down the chamber. Her hooves clopped against the hard floor while she ran out and into the hall from whence she came. She didn’t stop. The running was fueling the unknown feeling inside her but she didn’t know what else to do. Several times she called out for her sister in hopes there would be a reply.
Down one hall and through another. The process repeated itself more than a few times. No doors blocked any exit or entrance and the flames upon candles and within lanterns flickered as if the had done so for years. Why was she panicking? What part of the castle had she seen?
Eventually she did come to slow down and take a moment to catch her breath. She was overreacting over nothing and yet her instincts told her to keep going. There was deep seeded feeling of something that urged her not to stop. Perhaps it was just getting as far away from that odd and empty room as possible.
A sudden thought emerged as she glanced around before taking a deep breath to relax. It had been a while and she probably needed to lower the sun for her sister entirely. A look to the side showed just a blank wall following all the way from one end of the hall to the other. The other side was lined with entries into rooms but not a single door could be seen.
Looking back, the alicorn noticed the doors were also missing from the corridor she had fled through. Walking forward and checking only verified the next barriers also removed. Where had they gone? Did somepony take them or was she just in an unfamiliar part of her castle?
“Where…?” she said softly, not finishing her question as she stared at the blank wall.
Not a single window was even outlined against the solid surface. When had it happened? Why didn’t she notice before? Something was clearly off about her surroundings. A small check to the archways and entries turned up no indication of a door ever having rested against them.
Luna wouldn’t pull such a trick on her. She knew that. There was something else at work but it was unknown to her. She hadn’t heard of a tale or any such occurrence of something happening to a pony before.
Instead of shouting for her sister or calling for help, Celestia tried to regain her nerves and think logically. Twilight would rationalize the odd moment in some manner and she was most certainly the brightest pupil the alicorn’s taught. There seemed to be no reason she couldn’t think things through either.
Looking into several rooms showed most of their furnishings either gone or mostly bare. Books that would have lined shelves were absent while quills or scrolls seemed to have vanished from their own places. The most Celestia seemed to turn up was a table left in one or two of the barren rooms.
Even if items are missing the rooms are still connected. Despite no windows she could still go into the next area freely. The castle was still intact as a whole, or at least it seemed to be. The one thing she couldn’t understand at all were the sounds she heard before. Somepony or something had obviously been moving around.
The idea of teleportation suddenly arose and the pony rolled her eyes. Of course. She could just teleport outside and inform others that there was an odd happening in the castle. She could kick herself for being so absent minded.
A small lift of her head and her horn lit up. The flash of light was instant and there she was. Still in the castle.
“What?” she verbally asked herself, looking around in confusion.
Another attempt. The light, the zap, then nothing. She stayed in place from where she stood. The windowless hall hardly welcomed her back as if she had never left even for a fraction of a second. A realization set in that made her stomach turn. She was trapped in her castle.
Pacing in a circle, she tried to calm herself by running through any kind of number of answers that sounded even slightly plausible. Nothing helped draw her any closer to the truth than where she sat. It was almost maddening not knowing what was going on with no way to fix it. Perhaps Twilight would have had a better time thinking it through.
It didn’t matter. The sudden noise at one of the end of the hall paused all thoughts. It wasn’t just a shuffle or a light bump. It was slightly rhythmic in nature. Two different instances of the same noise? Or was that three or four?
Hooves? No, they didn’t sound out against the floor. There was an odd notion to it all and very light sounds following immediately after. Maybe she was just hearing it differently and it was another pony. The thought did calm her some.
Just as she was about to call out there was another sound. One that she couldn’t even describe to herself but it chilled her to the core. That was no pony. If her magic wouldn’t let her leave she didn’t want to find out if it would fail to protect her.
Celestia turned in the opposite direction and ran. Her legs kicked and the echoes tones of her hooves sounded out as she traveled. The thing she had heard was not one of her own and of no other origin she knew of. Dragons, griffons or any other creature within Equestria never made a noise like that.
Down one hall and into another identical looking one. Her pace slowed as she passed the rooms and looked in them to see them all entirely empty. Not even the odd table was present anymore. It all looked so bleak and the same. It was almost hard to distinguish one wall from another. Even the lighting from the ever-burning candles and lanterns seemed to feel like it was all the same.
The thought of the thing possibly following her sped up her gallop once more. The alicorn raced through what felt like several or more of the same looking halls before she eventually had to stop. Panting and looking back to make sure she was safe, Celestia took a moment to catch her breath and press a hoof to a wall. No give. Nothing was falsely blocking the windows.
It felt as if she were trapped there for hours but she had no clear indication of time to go by. The thought of being trapped there forever almost sent her mind spiraling out of control. She had to get a grip on things and believe there was an exit at least somewhere. Wherever she was it didn’t seem like her castle anymore.
Pacing down the end of the next hallway and into an empty room had her turning circles to study every angle she could. Not even a light crack in the foundation had shown up. Her mind felt like it was unable to comprehend the situation and only insisted she was lost. The faults of her own limits were trying to surface but she didn’t want to let them. It would be terrible to let things go from bad to worse.
“There is a way out,” she assured herself and mumbled a bit incoherently. Her hooves continued moving until she saw she was just walking in circles.
Her stomach growled at her as she sat down and closed her eyes. It must have been hours she had been trapped but she wasn’t sure. It didn’t feel like it but at the same time it did. Minutes, or what could only be thought of in the timeless hold of her trap, passed as she sat silently with herself.
There would have to be an exit of some kind from a place such as this. Nothing could be sealed off entirely and so seamlessly. Could it?
Celestia shook her head, mostly trying to shake the doubts from her mind, as she stood up. All she had to do was go in one direction until she came to a stop. From there, just determine which end of the maze she was in and head out. It sounded simple enough. In renewed vigor, the princess looked ahead and nodded. She would find a way out.
•••••
The amount of rooms had been astounding. Halls, rooms, chambers and more all connected yet not. She had ran through more than she could count and they still went on as far as she could see or run. None of them held a single answer for her in the hours of searching. Had it been days? The loss of time was getting to her.
Several moments in her trek she had heard the distance noise that rattled her soul. The sound that would keep her up at nights for years should she make it out. Whatever was in the place with her seemed to be stalking her. Thankfully, she had not come face to face with it. She didn’t want to admit it but she doubted she would have the strength for such a meeting.
Those legs and hooves ached severely. So much running and standing. It was a miracle she was still able to keep going. Her stomach had not ceased its protest for lack of food either. Things were far from looking better.
Same colored walls and floors were quickly pulling at the princess’ sanity that there might be anything different. A small assurance to herself helped but only for so long. Just recently she had to remind herself who she was and quickly felt terrible for having to. Why was such a thing happening?
If the place getting to her enough that she was beginning to forget who she was then what hope would she have of leaving? There were things she still wanted to do and see. Her sister needed her.
The silent tears dropped to the floor as the anguish set in more. The fear of not seeing Luna again hurt her dearly. So many questions as to what was happening but nothing was any closer to being answered than when she first noticed the changes. Her ears lowered as she tried pushing away such unpleasant thoughts, wanting to just have everything be back to normal.
There it was again. Celestia lowered her head as she quieted herself instantly. Somber feelings were replaced with those of dread. The thing was close again.
In haste, the pony stumbled forward with her sight blurry and trying to stifle herself. The loss of focus only made her surroundings harder to navigate as she bumped into a wall and followed it along until she ducked into the first room she came across. Her foreleg rubbed at her face as she hugged the other side of the entryway and waited.
Those steps drew closer. She had never heard it as close before. That sound resonated and echoed where she just was. Her heart nearly leaped into her throat when it moved around and drew ever closer to where she hid.
She had no clear idea what was going on and could only judge actions based on the noises. As much as she wanted to cover her ears she needed to know when it would leave. If it left. The thought made her tense up more when something pressed or rubbed against the opposite side of the wall she was against.
A scream wanted to come out but she wouldn’t let it. Her head turned and she clenched her eyes shut as the noises persisted so very close by. The sounds of something that shouldn’t be. Celestia’s tears started again but not out of sadness. Fear gripped her like no other as she did what she could to stay as still as possible.
Then, just as soon as those sounds had started, they stopped. No more audible terror. The feeling of dread had lessened but not entirely. The wait for more lasted a while until the alicorn couldn’t handle it anymore and tried looking out of the room.
It was gone. She had never seen it but knew if she did that it would haunt her far more than the noises it made. At first she assumed it didn’t belong there but it had started feeling more as if she was the one that didn’t belong. Something else knew she was there. What would it do if it found her? Celestia shuddered.
Things would only get worse if she kept thinking of such outcomes. To focus on the hope of leaving and remembering things to keep the drone of the forever castle at bay from her mind would be her only peace. Though, the castle felt more like a dungeon even if it didn’t quite resemble it.
Celestia’s heart was hammering against her chest as she tried to calm down and steady herself. Somehow the thing had left. For now. She was still safe and she still had a chance to look for a way out.
Slowly, the princess began moving and heading out once more. Her mind was unable to remember if she had been in one room or not. Lights never went out but only glowed their dull orange as usual. It was the sound of flames when she was close to them that barely held her together at times.
She would make it out. She had to.
•••••
How much time had passed? If not weeks or months then what? As hungry as she had gotten it seemed her famished state merely lingered and pestered her than going further. Sleep was something of a luxury she never had time for anymore.
The Princess of the Sun wandered aimlessly through a hall and looked into another identical room. The heavy bags under her eyes made her appear so weak and frail. If she were to collapse it would have happened long ago. Something was keeping her there and keeping her from everything else.
“I…,” she spoke quietly to herself. “I am… Celestia.”
It was so strange to hear a voice, even her own. Sounds followed her everywhere but not a single voice had called to her. It almost startled her for speaking with how broken the silence become from it. Though she felt it was needed. To remind herself.
An attempt at marking areas had turned out useless since walking through one passage and back would show the mark removed. A way to track her progress would have been something to stave off the sanity breaking rooms. Her mind was as tired as she looked.
“Luna is my sister,” she mumbled as she turned to enter another room.
The alicorn was not speaking to anypony in particular. She had chosen to recite common knowledge about herself some time ago every so often. It helped her remember who she was and not be entirely lost. Something that she had begun to think wasn’t working.
Room in and room out there was never a thing to find. Lighting stayed the same everywhere and the constant fear she lived in only had her worried about every corner. That dreaded sound haunted her so much that she thought she could hear it at times where there was nothing. It almost seemed like a nasty trick to her.
It was hard to keep going. Time was as lost as she was. A few times she began thinking back to not reading or hearing of such tales before. How there had been no accounts of things happening as they were to her. Then it led to the thought of perhaps no other pony had a chance to tell said tale.
Comfort was a distant memory. Celestia knew little of it or could recall even less. The world outside, if there were still one, was as unknown as the bleak interior she was trapped in. It was impossible for her to feel level headed. The stress and fear that blanketed the alicorn never let up and only seemed to become far more intense when the thing was near.
As much as she tried to come up with a name for it there was none that fit. Nothing seemed right about it and trying to name it only made her far more uneasy. It was just better to not think about it for as long as she could. Not having it on her mind even for a second had her feeling better than most of her time spent wandering.
How it found her or followed her were things she was sure she would never know. Even though she had nearly run into it before, she had yet to see even a small glimpse of the thing. At least she could be thankful for that.
“Luna,” she repeated and let her mind drift to her sister. The sibling she kept nearly forgetting how she looked.
It seemed like her memories were becoming as empty as the labyrinth she was in. In time she might even forget simple things. Would speech be something she lost as well for not talking after a while? Perhaps only simple statements about herself would be the thing to she had to say forever. What of her pupil and the other ponies in Equestria? Would she remember them?
Did she remember them?
Celestia’s head lowered as she tried to concentrate on what her student’s name was. Just a name to let her hold onto something else as well. She could almost see her. That purple coat and a striped mane, right?
That sound. It hit her soul hard as she felt her legs weaken. All thoughts ceased and her instincts took over. It had sounded close. Her hooves took her from one room to the next as she tried outrunning the thing, though it never seemed fully chase. Weaving through entries one after the other, the princess ran and hurried faster.
Everything stopped when she finally got to another chamber. The large area was as empty as all other placed. She was familiar with it but also not. It was like the throne room yet held no life in it save her own. The rooms that would lead to the bedchambers would either lead on to more halls or an empty room beyond.
She couldn’t hear it anymore. The thing. It had stopped its search for now it seemed. Her legs gave out at the news and she collapsed to the floor, barely making it half-way across the room. There was so much the place was missing as she let her eyes take in the same scenery once again.
The thrones ahead with the crescent moon and blazing sun. Tapestries to decorate the pillars and those beautiful stained glass windows between. She missed it all so much. She missed her sister.
Celestia grunted and pulled herself back up as she wobbled forward and sat down facing the wall at the end. Her sister’s throne should be right before her. At least she could remember that much. It was hard to recall much else with the current state of her mind. Why she was stuck in some place that barely resembled one she once knew was beyond her knowledge.
Time was something she knew nothing of any longer. How long she sat and stared didn’t matter. Her eyes only lingered along the wall as if hoping to spawn the throne before her. While it was a fruitless hope she still held onto it. Then it happened.
She knew better. It was so much closer than ever. Hope was just that and nothing more. The intense fear that seized her heart and crept up her back was beyond measure. That sound was directly behind her.
It was impossible to have not been noticed where she was. Her eyes refused to close as she stared forward and felt her breathing come in ragged pants through her nose. The feeling was worse than anything she had ever felt before. It was amplified with the worst sensation of being watched as well. Running would be useless.
Silence.
Once again, the noise filled her lowered ears and shook loose the sanity she was holding onto. Every fiber of her being was rattled but she couldn’t move. It was so much closer. She could feel it behind her.
Against any better judgment and with that noise causing her mental grip to break, Celestia found her head slowly turning. Her eyes took in the view changing as she began to shake. Her wings hugged to her tightly. She could feel the tears try to well up in her eyes.
Celestia looked.