Candle On The Water

by M_D_Quill

Candle On The Water

Celestia stood on her balcony, staring into the starlit sky. A tear slid down her cheek as the image on the moon filled her vision.

It was the face of an alicorn. More specifically, the image of her sister whom she just recently banished.

Music flowed out from Everfree castle. Ponies danced through the halls, laughing and singing that the nightmare was gone. They were too busy in their festivities to notice that their Princess took flight up into the night sky.

Celestia soared above the clouds, and landed on the tip of a cumulus. She glanced at the moon and her tears began to flow.

If only her sister could have seen that she was not alone. That ponies were constantly looking into her night sky and telling her all their wishes and dreams. She was the Princess of mystery and dreams, everypony loved and admired her. Unfortunately, all she saw was the populace sleeping away, and believed that they ignored her beautiful night and only celebrated in her sister’s bright daylight.

When Luna became Nightmare Moon, she tried to put her sister into an eternal sleep so the sun would never rise again. Celestia was forced to take up the Elements of Harmony and use them against her own flesh and blood... and it felt as if she tore a part of herself away as she watched her sister’s enraged face change into one of terror when the Element's magic struck.

Celestia shuttered and forced her tears to stop. Even if her sister abandoned everything in pursuit of selfish desires and abused the power that they were blessed with, Celestia would never abandon her.

She took in a deep breath and started to sing softly up at the ocean of stars, toward the lone mare stranded on the Moon, “I’ll be your candle on the water... My love for you will always burn,” She stood up and looked straight at the moon, “I know you’re lost and drifting, But the clouds are lifting.”

The white alicorn glanced down at the celebrating castle, a grimace appeared on her face. She looked toward the horizon and stared at the mountain range in the distance. Moonlight flickered against the rock face, shining off and giving the impression of white and gold towers clinging to the side of the mountain. A small smile spread across her face “Don’t give up you have someplace to turn.”

She spread her wings and with a downbeat, she rose up into the sea of stars. She continued to sing, her voice slowly gaining strength, “I’ll be your candle on the water,” her horn started to glow and a stream of sparkling flames flickered behind her, “‘Till every wave is warm and bright,” She flew towards upwards towards the moon and perched on the tip of a cloud in the stratosphere. She faced the Mare on the Moon and ignited her horn. Her body began to glow in a bright golden white light.

Celestia cried out to her sister, “My soul is there beside you, let this candle guide you! Soon you will see a golden stream of light!”

She jumped and dived downward toward Equestria, leaving a beam of golden light as a trail. She burst into the Everfree woods and landed in a sprint. She ran through the woods until she burst into a large clearing. It was the same one she had to fight her sister in only the day before. She slowed down to a trot as she made her way through it.

The burnt stumps of large trees littered the field, along with the cores of dead apples. A few of the apples had a rainbow color to them, which meant they absorbed some of the power of the Elements. During her trek, she paused at different intervals to look at the recently formed craters. The image of the Nightmare bloomed in her head, and she shook herself to try and fling it away. “A cold and friendless tide has found you,” she sang out, “Don't let the stormy darkness pull you down,”

She glanced at six unusual stones that littered the field. She trotted over to one and lifted it with her magic. On it was the carved image of square emerald, one of the former Elements of Harmony. Realizing what she was holding, she quickly gathered the other five elements and held them in her grasp, “I’ll paint a ray of hope around you,” she sang with a small smile, She raised the elements up into the air, circling around the image of the moon, “Circling in the air, Lighted by a prayer,” with a flash of light, one of the elements crumbled into dust and the other five disappeared in a flash of light.

She paused for a second before continuing her path to the center of the field. In the middle was a large ring where the grass had been burnt away. She hesitated before entering the ring. Another tear escaped down her cheek, dripping down into the dirt. Once it hit, a small shine sparkled in the moonlight. Celestia bent down and scraped away the dust only to discover that she picked up... her sister’s tiara.

The white alicorn sniffed at the ornament and held it close to her chest, “I’ll be your candle on the water.” she sang, “This flame inside of me will grow,” She glanced up at the moon again and raised her hoof toward it, “Keep holding on you’ll make it, here’s my hoof so take it, look at me reaching out to show” She took in a breath, “As sure as rivers flow, I’ll never let you go.”

Her voice echoed throughout the forest. She sighed and looked back toward the castle. The sound of their celebration were loud enough to be heard even this far from the grounds. She took a step toward to go back to the castle before glancing back at the mountain. It’s bare rock surface reflected the moonlight, and almost seemed to glow. A smile formed on the Princess’ face, and she turned around.

“I’ll never let you go,” She sang softly.

The left the clearing and made her way out of the forest. She crossed fields and hills and eventually stood at the bottom of the mountain. She looked up into the sky at the lowering moon. She was not going to live on the ground if her sister had to suffer in the sky. She cleanly cut down a tree with her magic and quickly carved it into a wooden beam. With a glance, she rose the beam halfway up the mountain and slammed it into the rock face. She cut down another tree and repeated the process.

“I’ll never let you go,” she whispered.

_____
Inspired by the song Candle On The Water