The Gift of Life Chapter 11
Nine months later…
Leaves crunched under the hoofsteps of two alicorns as they made their way along the trails that snaked along the outside of Everfree’s walls. Some hoofsteps would be louder than others as they stepped onto a large maple leaf or a bunching of leaves on one part of the trail. One alicorn stood tall and proud as his dark blue coat soaked in the rays of the sun and kept him warm against the chill autumn air. The other alicorn was smaller than him and had a pale white coat that didn’t help soak in the sun’s warmth as her father’s did. To help her keep warm, she wore a scarf around her neck and hugged her wings tight against her body, walking close to her father’s side so that she could soak in some of his warmth.
The trail that both alicorns walked along ran past a pond that was dark and murky but was teaming with life from the sounds of the croaking frogs that could be heard and from the pair of turtles that swam from one end of the pond to the other. King Sol stopped his walk along the path and directed Celestia through a smaller trail that had been made to get closer to the pond.
Celestia looked up towards the bottom of the tree canopy and she could see the rays of sunlight poking through the shifting yellow and orange leaves as a gentle breeze began to pick up. She could hear the soft sound of the rustling leaves and she took in a large breath of the air around her, enjoying the sting of the cold air. She turned to look up at her father when they had stopped at the edge of the murky pond.
“Celestia, have you ever asked yourself why we are here? Why there is a race known as the Alicorns?” Sol asked, staring off across the lake.
She turned her head and stared off in the same direction as her father, hoping to catch a glimpse of what her father could possibly be looking at. She squinted her eyes and tilted her head a little. She finally gave up and ponded her father’s question. Why were there Alicorns?
“There has to be somepony who controls the celestial bodies, right?” she asked.
“Does there really have to be? Why does there need to be a single force controlling the rise and the fall of something so precious to us ponies as the sun or the moon? Why can there not be a multitude of forces at work continuously rising and setting all of the celestial bodies in the sky without end?”
“Well… I…”
King Sol sat down on a patch of grass next to the pond. Celestia sat down next to him and he extended one wing out over her, shielding her from the cold air. She laid her head down onto the grass and he began to speak again.
“You see, for the millennia that your mother and I have been around equines of all races have relied upon us to give rise to both the sun and the moon every day of their lives. The look to us with unquestioning trust that every day we will have brought up their sun and that every night we will have brought of their moon. Never have I once been challenged as the protector of the cosmos if I am fit to keep my job.
“What if one day your mother or I am unable to keep our jobs? What happens then? Well, that is where you and Luna come in. You two fillies each carry a special bond that not only can you raise and lower your respective celestial bodies but you can also raise and lower the other’s celestial body as well. Together you two would continue to rule over this land as the deities who give the equines of the world their light and their night.
“However, wouldn’t you have expected for there to be some sort of opposition to our absolute rule? Two of the most powerful ponies in the entire world control the very existence of life here in Equestria, as well as life everywhere else around the world. With that much power corruption would seem as if it should be running rampant through our political systems.
“That isn’t the case, though. Ponies see both your mother and I as some of the most benevolent rulers that has graced the soil of this land and have not called into question that one day everything they know could all change. One day our immortal selves may not be here to give them the same ruling hoof as they have known for centuries. Instead they would have to look to both you and your sister.
“Do they think that is truly fair? Are they okay with accepting the way this political and religious system has been set up or will they wish for change when both you and Luna come to take the throne from us? You’d think they would like to have some form of democratic election so that they may put in charge a pony they know that can lead them to the future that they want.
“But no, you are a goddess, Celestia. You are the being that gives these ponies the sun and the warmth that they so desire every day. Without you how would they even begin to survive? Do you know what that kind of loyalty that is? Truly?
“It is fear. The ponies of Equestria fear us alicorns. We may get some fantastic reviews and called the greatest leaders that will have ever been given to the mortal ponies of this world but deep down inside, past all of the smiles and revelry, is that twist of fear that is lying in their heart. ‘What would happen if the mortal ponies were to elect one of us alicorns out of office?’ they wonder.”
He paused and sighed, finally taking his gaze away from directly ahead of him to look at his daughter.
“I want to show you something.”
Her father raised himself to his full height, taking is wing away from her body and allowing the cold air to wash over his daughter. Celestia gave a shiver but she slowly rose to her hooves as well, looking up at her father as he spread his massive wings that were easily three times as long as she was. He leapt into the air and flapped his wings, propelling himself higher into the air. She soon followed, spreading her much smaller wings and taking to the sky.
They both flew above the tree canopy and were washed over by the blinding sun. Celestia blinked for a moment and looked up, seeing that her father had climbed even higher and was head straight for a lone cloud that hung in the sky. She quickly followed him, gently landing on the cloud next to her father. He still had his wings outstretched as he looked over at the castle that they called their home.
“Do you see Everfree Castle over there?” he asked.
“Yes, I see it.”
“That is your home, Celestia. And it shall be your home for however long it remains standing. It is also the seat of power and politics in Equestria. It is there that we conduct the business of managing an entire nation and coordinating a waning economy. Ponies arrive daily either bringing news from our furthest provinces, bearing diplomatic news from our neighbors, or coming with questions or concerns about how we might run this nation better. It is also where we host meetings, conventions, parties, and charities all for the appeasement of our citizens and politicians.
“One day the responsibility of managing all of that as well as sitting atop that throne will be all yours. It will be up to you to make the final decisions for the ponies of Equestria and it will be up to you to understand what it is that they want most. Day after day you will listen to the problems of your subjects and sign the many treaties, bills, initiatives, and grants that will be presented to you on your desk when you think you have retired for the day.”
He paused and then slowly turned in the other direction, extending his wing forward as if he was presenting all of the lands that could be seen up until the distant mountains.
“All of this will be yours one day. Even beyond those mountains lies more of our lands up until the border with the Night Guard Nation.”
He turned back towards Everfree but used his wing to gesture to beyond the walls.
“All of the lands to the south towards the Eternal Sea, to the north to Draken’s Ridge Mountains, and then to the west to the Neighing River that separates the Eternal Valley from Equestria will be yours. Ponies occupy every part of it and it will be up to you to know what is best for them.”
Sol looked down at his daughter and searched her face for something.
“There is one more thing that you must know. However, the only way to understand what I am about to show is you have to experience it yourself. Come.”
He hopped from the cloud and spread his wings, gliding back down to the pond where they had originally been a few minutes before. Celestia quickly followed after him and landed on a soft patch of grass next to her father. She saw that instead of resuming lying down in the grass he had walked up to a tree with a squirrel in it.
“When you rule over this nation you are not only ruling over the equine citizens and guests that inhabit it. You are also ruling over the land itself. Every animal, every tree, every rock, can be affected by a decision you make back in the throne room of the castle. Taking into consideration all mannerisms of life is crucial in being a successful ruler over this magnificent kingdom and to do so, you are going to need to hear what life itself sounds like.”
“How can you hear life? Isn’t life just the concept that is used to explain the fact that we exist right here, right now?” Celestia asked, walking up next to her father to look up at the squirrel.
“Life is more than just a concept, Celestia. Life is an actual, tangible thing that can be reached when brought into the deepest levels of meditation, or Samadhi. You can feel life around you pulse and echo as if it was your own heart beating inside your chest.”
Sol turned from the tree and started to walk back to the path that ran along the walls of Everfree. Celestia quickly followed after him, walking at a brisk pace next to him to keep up with his longer strides. He had his wings loosely hanging against his sides.
“Daddy, where are we going?” she asked, looking around her as the sights of the forest flew by them.
“There is a place I want to show you, Celestia. A place where the air is always calm and the grass is always green. Where animals choose to frolic through without worry of being hunted by the hunters of this forest. Where the energy is strong and sweet.” her father replied.
They walked on for a few more minutes until once again her father directed her through a much smaller trail that wound in between trees, bushes, and large boulders. As they rounded the last corner, they came upon a small meadow of tall grass and brilliant flowers. A few birds flew away at the approach of the two alicorns and a couple of butterflies danced around the warm sunlight that filled the open space.
King Sol slowly walked to the middle of the clearing and sighed, looking up at the sky. His wings sagged along the sides of his body and his mane gently flowed from a sudden, gentle gust of wind. Celestia slowly walked up next to her father and looked up at him.
“Close your eyes, Celestia.”
She closed them.
“Now take a deep breath.”
She took a deep breath.
“Let it out.”
She slowly exhaled.
“Take another deep breath but hold it this time. Relax your muscles and allow your wings to droop against your sides. Yes, like that.”
Celestia slowly began to relax all of her muscles enough so that she was still standing, if only barely. She allowed her wings to droop along the sides of her body like her father had been doing. She started to feel a little light headed.
“Now as you slowly exhale again I want you to slowly set yourself down in the grass.”
She slowly exhaled, allowing herself to be lowered onto the grass with a slowness that she had never felt before. When her stomach finally rested comfortable on top of the soft blades she could feel the strain her muscles had to exert to keep herself standing escape from her body, leaving her feeling like a pile of gelatin.
“Feel the grass as it brushes up against your stomach. It is like your bed back home at the castle, soft and warm and inviting. It calls for you to lie upon its blades and share the warmth of your body with the meager amount of warmth it is able to offer in return. Take its warmth eagerly.”
Celestia could feel the individual blades that brushed up against her stomach. She could feel as they leant her their energy, feeling her body with the warmth she had been lacking from when her and her father had first started this walk through the forest.
“Feel the air as it moves and shifts around you. You can feel the slightest motion, the smallest breeze, as it is continuously flowing around us, cycling through the atmosphere between differences in pressures. The air is heated by the rays of the sun but becomes cooled when the breezes from the heavier, cooler air rush in to fill the lower pressures around us.”
She felt as a gentle breeze picked up around her, rustling her pink mane to flow gently with the wind currents. The rays of the sun warmed her coat and her feathers, filling Celestia with even more of a sense of comfort from her surroundings. She took in a deep breath to feel the rush of cool air that burned her nostrils and filled her lungs. She exhaled gently.
“Now detach yourself from your senses. Close your sense of sight, removing the ability for you to see the world. Plug your sense of smell, removing your ability to inhale all of the world’s purities. Silence your sense of hearing, removing the ability for you to listen to the world change around you. Cover your sense of taste, removing your ability to taste the freshness of the air that swirls around you. And lastly, remove your sense of touch, detaching yourself from the world.”
~~~
Celestia slowly felt her body melt away until all she could feel was the essence of her being. There was no taste, no smell, no sound, no sight, and no touch. All that was left was her perception and her essence, the essence of the sun. Everything fell away and she was left in an empty mesa, a void. Yet, she felt at peace and calm among the nothingness. There were no troubles around her, no future expectations, no politics, no education.
Then suddenly a memory flashed into existence from the deep confines of her mind. She was sitting atop a cloud looking over Everfree. The sun was shining and the city was glimmering beautifully in the sunlight that reflected off of the walls of the castle. Birds flew through the air and the city was bustling with activity like any normal day. All of Celestia’s senses returned to her so she could experience the full force Everfree City in its prime hour.
Then, like before, the skies over to the west of Everfree darkened and turned a deep and menacing red as if fires were raging all throughout the nation of the Eternal Valley. Black clouds filled the skies around Everfree and the city started to crumble. Celestia predicted this would happen but she couldn’t hold back the terrified scream that escaped her lips. She shouted at the city to stop its destruction.
She then heard the laughter. The deep, sadistic laughter that had haunted her thoughts for months to come after her vision those years ago. She could feel her entire body go cold as the laughter slowly died away. Two mismatched red eyes appeared directly in front of her.
“I see you, Celestia. And I know you can see me.” the being said. A smile appeared below the eyes, a single sharp tooth sticking out from the mouth.
“W-who are you?” Celestia asked.
“Who am I? The question is who are you? What are you?” the being asked in return, chuckling once again.
“What are you doing in my mind?”
“Oh, wait, you think we are in the confines of your mind right now? You are sadly mistaken, my little pony. Look around you,” Celestia noticed that she was suddenly floating above the meadow where her and her father had done to meditate. She saw that her father was over Celestia with a look of worry on his face from seeing his daughter’s horn lit in the midst of her meditation. “we are floating in the limbo between the world you live in now and the world… Well, I actually don’t know if there is a world after that one.”
“How are you speaking to me right now?”
“Why, because of the orb you touched of course. What, did you think Alicorns were the only beings that could harness the powers of the Celestial bodies?”
“What…”
“I’ll give you one hint and one hint only: At the end of magic’s lord, will there be a clash of sword upon sword. Each strike paints the picture red, until the king and queen have nothing more to be said.”
The last thing Celestia heard as the space around her faded away were the malevolent chuckles echoing in her head.
~~~
“Celestia. Celestia! Wake up!”
Celestia’s eyes shot open and she immediately shot off a burst of energy directly in front of her, hitting and completely destroying a tree. Timber flew all around the area of the blast and animals all around the area scattered at the sound of the explosion. Celestia’s eyes were wide and she was panting as she looked up at her father who was equally surprised.
“Celestia, are you alright?” her father asked, giving her a genuine look of worry.
“I-I think I am okay.”
“What happened?”
Celestia looked over at her father with tears in her eyes. She had made the decision that she would tell her parents at a later date about vision when she had first encountered the orb. Now that she has had another met with the being from the vision a second time years later it only seemed logical that she should tell her father right here, right now, about both visions she had witnessed. They are too real and too ominous to be left in the dark for much longer. If she didn’t tell her father now there is no telling what may happen in the near or distant future.
“Daddy, I…” Celestia started.
“King Sol!”
Both alicorns turned to see that General Reaper had appeared with two pegasi guards with him. He flew down to the clearing and stood at attention before the king. He gave a salute which was returned by the king himself.
“Yes, what is it, General Reaper?” Sol asked.
“Germaney has threatened to secede again and this time it is serious. They are barring all exports out from their province to the rest of the nation and are refusing the admittance to any politician or military leader into their lands. We require your assistance in assessing the situation and coming up with the proper measures.”
Sol sighed. “Alright, I’ll be over in the hall right away. Action must now be taken if we want for Germaney and its precious minerals to remain ours.” he then turned and looked down at his daughter. “I am sorry, Celestia, but I must go. Will you tell me of this at a later time?”
“Yes, Daddy, of course.” Celestia said, a little downtrodden that her father has to leave.
King Sol gave one last look at his daughter and then took to the air, closely followed by General Reaper and the two pegasi guards. Celestia watched as they flew back to the castle and then sat down on her haunches. Everfree Castle was shimmering beautifully in the sunlight.
~~~
And another short chapter for you guys. However, make sure you read this carefully as it is just jam packed full of important details and such! Character building, foreshadowing, the like. I apologize that the last two chapters have not been quite as long as my previous ones but there is only so much I can write before I start having to drag the chapter on. The next chapter should be much longer than this one!
Get ready for Chapter 12: Welcome to Everfree