//------------------------------// // Goodbyes // Story: Twilit Blood Pact // by Ink Stroke //------------------------------// Chapter 2 Goodbyes "Sister, please speak with us." Luna had spent most of her day trying to get her solar sister to utter at least a single word, but no matter how hard she tried, Celestia remained still with a forlorn look on her tear soaked face. The meeting with the Griffon Nation bore no fruits, they still refused to allow Equestria to travel through its land to reach the continent of Zebrica, so the sisters made an early arrival at the Canterlot Castle. Their dull moods soon turned into ones of shock and dread after the sobbing Elements Of Harmony informed them on why there were only five of their group present. Celestia herself tore through the heavens in flight towards the cave mountain that had been described by those who could choke back their cries enough to utter out the location. The gruesome sight within the partially collapsed cave broke the sun god's heart and caused her eyes to unleash a torrent of tears; she could see the lethargically growing pool of scarlet blood that streamed out from under a pile of rubble. She tore her heavenly gaze away from the cavern's scene, unleashed her sorrowful dread by using her magic as an outlet, blasting solar rays that lit up the night sky all the way to the capitol she had just flown from. After she calmed her fury at the universe's cruel hand, she walked back inside the cave and, with extreme amounts of reluctance, lifted the stones that had crushed her beloved faithful student, breaking down again once she saw what she had been reduced to. Luna had never seen her sister act the way she had. She marveled at the incredible connection she and Twilight must have had since Celestia wasn't exactly easy to break out of the mask of composure she wore around her subjects. Said mask was now being worn again, albeit poorly considering that her eyes gave away all of her secluded emotions, as if her face being matted in tears wasn't enough of a dead giveaway. Dead, that word could carry so many different kind of weights. Celestia had seen many of her subjects fade away with the sands of time, many friends that were lost to the ages, but never had Luna seen the reaction from her sister that she had seen a few days ago. It wasn't of a teacher losing her student, or a friend losing another friend, it was the absolute misery of a mother being torn away from her foal, and it was put on display on the sun goddess' features and the way that her mood was affecting the quality of the day. A chilling wind descended from the grey, overcast skies overhead, slithering its way through the benches and ponies clad in black. The Element Bearers sat together at the head of the lined up benches, no laughter being shared between them, no good memories being made, no battle with a god threatening Equestria. The spark was gone, dead. The only soul out of those who attended the grim ceremony who could match the grief that the solar princess was going through would be the one belonging to Twilight's closest companion. Spike choked out sobs as he rested in Rarity's forelegs with a flat-maned Pinkie attempting to comfort him to no avail, his throat worn raw from his shouts of denial, and his vision blurred with the warm tears that refused to stop their salty cascade. A casket lay ahead of all of those gathered, the sight reminding the half of Ponyville that attended the ceremony why they were there. A couple, a pink alicorn and a white unicorn with a blue mane, walked up to the open casket, peering in to find the mare that had played a great role in both of their lives, the savior of their marriage, and the filly that they had grown up alongside with. Celestia had outright refused cremating the remains of her beloved student. For days on end she concentrated almost obsessively on bending the rules of magic itself to allow her to revive the cells in Twilight's skin for short bursts, piecing her back together until she looked as if nothing had ever happened to her, as if she were only slumbering and would awaken to bring happiness back into their lives. None of that happened. Shining Armor and Cadance walked away from the casket reluctantly after praying for their lost sister, hoping that she would find her way to the heavens and join her late parents. "We...we can speak later, Luna, right now we have to do this, for Twilight." Celestia finally spoke to her patiently awaiting sister, her voice lacking any of the warm tone it usually held as she dropped her mask for the moment, attaching it again quickly as she stood from her seat and began to trot towards the small podium behind the casket. Luna had much to praise her late friend for, but felt that Celestia would need the speech to reach her closure. 'But, there is also the alternative we can use, this doesn't have to be the end...no, we'd have to ask Tia before even thinking about using that.' Luna shook her head turned her attention towards the wooden podium which her sister was currently at, lighting her horn slightly, beckoning all those present to direct their attention towards her. No script was needed for what she was about to say, for her words weren't thought out, they weren't planned out meticulously, they were the voice of her heart. So, through the silent tears that wouldn't be stopped by her composed facade, she retold the story of her faithful student, cherishing the memories she had built together with her, praising her acts as a savior to Equestria not as assignments, but as shows of character. Although she spoke of times that would never come again, a sense of finality began to settle in to those attending the scene. The sheer sorrow wasn't driven away, but they now had hope that their beloved friend would be able to gain the peaceful rest she deserved. "...and so, today we pray that her soul will find eternal happiness with the astral herd in her afterlife. Let us have a moment of silence." No one moved a muscle after Celestia spoke, not a sound was heard in the clearing they were in as they all bowed their heads to commence the ceremony's end. The sun goddess moved the podium out of its place, its job already finished, and Luna arose from her seat, trotting through the deafening silence to stand next to her sister. The celestial sisters shared a quick conversation through their eye contact, agreeing on taking the casket away. Twilight's resting spot was levitated by its edges by the princesses' magical auroras, being floated away from the crowd's eyes and into the crypt that would house it for the rest of its existence. The godly sisters put down the open casket on its designated spot within the concrete building, both of them staying inside just looking at their lost friend, one of them running through her memories while the other devised a way to explain her newest plan. "Tia, may we speak with you now?" Luna kept her voice low, a sign of respect to the lifeless mare in the room. "Yes Lulu, what is it?" Celestia kept her eyes on her student, afraid that if she turned around she would lose her from her sight forever. "What is it that you feel about all of this?" the lunar princess thought it would be best to ease her true question in after conversing with her sister for a while, and she honestly wanted to know the extent of her sister's thoughts, though she already had an idea. "It's my fault, everything...I sent her there without thinking of the consequences." Celestia's puffy eyes began to blur again as guilt mixed in with the sorrow she tried to tame. "Don't say that, Tia." Luna wrapped a wing around her sister as she tried to quell her negative thoughts, "how were you supposed to know that he would be there?" "I couldn't have, Luna, but I still sent her without so much as a clue as to what I could be getting her into." the sun goddess sighed out a stuttering breath before she spoke again, "I should have been more careful, I should have seen the signs he could've given off. I just wish I could go back and talk to her one final time so I could tell her how much I despise myself for what I did to her." "Celly, she wouldn't want you to blame yourself over this, she wouldn't want her beloved mentor to tear herself to pieces over an accident." "You're probably right Lulu, but...I'll miss her. I'd give anything to have her back." Luna spotted her chance in her sister's words, but it was still an idea that even she was a bit skeptical about. "What if she could come back?" "What do you mean, Luna?" Celestia raised a confused eyebrow at her sister, not exactly following what she meant. The lunar goddess replied to her sister's question by lighting up her horn as she summoned her innate alicorn magic, weaving together a spell that she had long since used. The aurora on her horn began to dribble down in a silvery cascade, forming a cloud of the magical substance. Luna continued the spell by crafting the material into a small flower, whose petals were a velvety midnight-blue until they reached the tips, where the color transitioned into a soft lavender color. Celestia's eyes widened slightly after the flower was completed, a small frown on her face as she remembered what exactly it meant. "Luna, I don't think that would be a good idea. As much as I want her back, I don't think I would want to use a Nightingale Lily on her. Besides, the probability of it working is close to none, and you know how spontaneous the side effects can be." "But isn't it worth a shot, sister, don't you agree with us when we say that it is?" "She fully deserves another chance, but I don't think I want to risk desecrating her sanctity by using that. If there was any other way I would take it, but no...not like this." "Celestia, we know full well that you long to be reunited with her again, we know that you understand the new threat that has arisen in Equestria, and we know that you understand the weakness our nation now finds itself in due to the Elements Of Harmony missing one of their own. We won't activate the Nightingale Lily's effects in a power burst like we have done in the past, instead we will leave it with her to bring her back within a year." "I...I don't know what to say, Luna. You're right about the way we can stretch out the application, but would she want to come back to the problems of everyday life?" Celestia knew that she was just trying to stop herself at that point, her arguments becoming weak and transparent. "Let us answer your question with a question. Were you to somehow have perished, would you want to return to the eternal suffering of agelessness just to be able to live alongside her for as long as you could?" "Yes Luna, I would." the solar goddess didn't doubt her answer in the slightest, she would never regret any action she took to be able to be at her faithful student's side, to watch over her as the mother she could be to no one else, even if that meant that she would have to pass up the only offer Death would ever give her. "Then let's give her that chance, even if it is small, let's give her the hope for a new day." Luna levitated the flower between herself and her sister in preparation for what would come next. Celestia was stopped by a rebellious bit of reluctant hesitation, but she snapped herself out of it long enough to be able to watch her sister begin the ritual. Luna lifted her right fore hoof in front of herself, materializing a small dagger a moment later. The night alicorn floated the dagger to her outstretched leg, dragging it across her flesh to leave a small cut from which blood began to dribble from. She then let the dagger fade out of existence as she began to levitate a little bit of the blood from her wound, forming a small sphere of it in front of herself, and she nodded towards her sister to signal her to begin. Celestia mimicked her younger sibling after staring at the dagger she had created for a while, looking at herself in its reflection before turning towards the open casket again, the sight giving her the final "Okay" to do what she planned. The sisters closed their wounds with some of their magic, leaving no trace behind, and they joined their blood spheres together shortly afterward. The alicorn blood was then deposited on the flower's blooming center, causing the lavender tips to shine as they wrapped themselves back up into a bud. With the Nightingale Lily's power restored, Celestia and Luna trotted closer to where their late unicorn friend lay silently, depositing their divine creation into the hooves of the resting mare. "The deed is done, dear sister, now we must allow her to rest, and the lily to put its ability to use." Luna spoke calmer now that her mind wasn't debating on the best way to convince her sister to help her complete the ritual that they had just finished. "That it is Lulu, that it is." Celestia moved even closer to the casket, leaning her head down and pecking a motherly kiss on Twilight's forehead. "Goodbye, Twilight, but don't worry, I'll be back soon." "Now, Tia, we believe it is time for us to return to the reception, ponies will start to wonder what it is we are doing in here." With a silent nod, the solar goddess left the casket's side, closing it behind her as she began to walk out of the building and back out into the eyes of those present at the funeral. Nopony asked them about what happened inside, they simply conversed quietly among each other, trading condolences until the sun began to set beyond the darkened horizon. None of Twilight's closer friends wanted to leave yet, so they stuck together in the nighttime's soft glow, but, like all things in life including life itself, the funeral came to an end. Cadance and Shining Armor got into a royal carriage that would take them back to their home in Canterlot, and the remaining Element Bearers soon returned to their respective houses in Ponyville after having agreed that Spike would be able to live with Fluttershy. And so, the building in which Twilight was to sleep in eternally was left in solitude. Nopony dared to so much as touch the monument since they all knew who it was dedicated to. It was left unfazed throughout the day, and that day turned into weeks, and those weeks in turn morphed into months that finally stacked up to the number twelve. It was time for a visit. ________________________________________________________________________ Celestia was bawling her eyes out again. She thought that her emotions had cooled down over the past year, yet she couldn't have been farther from the truth. In fact, it would seem as if all the time she put on her act of serene composure had allowed the sorrow inside of her to fester, to build up in size and agonizing pressure. Her state was only worsened when her visit to the burial crypt bore no fruit, there wasn't a lavender mare awaiting her return, not alive at least. No, Twilight remained in her neverending rest, the beautiful flower still placed in her hooves. Her body hadn't changed at all since the last time they saw her, the same soft smile still adorned her intimate features, most likely due to the preservation spells that were placed on her by the alicorns. "We're sorry Celly, it just didn't work like we planned, you were right." Luna lowered her head a little, feeling guilty at bringing her sister back to visit the place that brought so many horrible memories back to her, but she felt even worse for having given hope to her beloved sister, only so that it could be crushed again. "N-no, it's okay, Lulu. You tried your best with the lily, but I guess Twilight's body just didn't accept it." "It is not okay, sister, we've just put a lot of more stress on you than we should have. You've got enough to fill your plate with the arising conflict in the northern border." "Luna, please, you just bash yourself too hardly. You gave me hope, and I thank you for it even if that hope didn't succeed in the end. Maybe it really is time to let her go, as much as I wish it wasn't." Celestia looked back to the year-old coffin, shuddering as her emotions threatened to get the better of her again. She could stop all of them but one, the one ponies were supposed to be most careful with during their lifetime. "Now it's time for me to hunt him down for good this time, he will pay for what he has done to Equestria, to my only daughter!" "Calm yourself Celestia, we do not wish for you to succumb to your own rage lest you fall victim to recklessness like we have in the past." the sun alicorn closed her eyes and snorted a few times, slowly clearing her mind from the blinding haze that had begun to form as she spoke. "Thank you, Luna, it's just that I can't control how I feel about him at times. He deserves every furious fantasy I can design to be enacted upon him." "Yes, but not today. For now we must say our final goodbyes to our friend." Luna and Celestia walked over to the open casket, each giving off their versions of the ultimate farewell, although the day alicorn's was very similar to the last one she gave since her feelings hadn't changed. Luna on the other hoof sat on her haunches and began to babble on to the deceased about all the adventures they had together, most of them involving the night goddess trying to fit into society more normally. But, much like the event that had been conducted a year ago,their time with Lady Sparkle expired, and the duties of royalty beckoned them to return to the castle. The goddesses left behind the Nightingale Lily as a parting gift before they closed the casket and exited the silent building. Nopony came close to that place ever again, except Celestia on her yearly visits, but she never actually entered the crypt again. As time passed, ponies began to accept the loss of their favorite egghead, and the sorrow began to die down for most of them. Still, it was a touchy subject that no one ever really seemed to want to talk about. Many risings of the sun passed by, equally matched by the moon's, and the ponies of Equestria who only knew Twilight as a mare who served her country forgot about her, name and all. Nopony recognized the building that held the fallen Element of Magic, nopony recognized the building that held the one sight that could break one of their princess' mask of composure, nopony recognized the building from which a blinding light begun to emanate from. ________________________________________________________________________ "Wake up, Twilight Sparkle." "Wha? Who are you? Where am I?! All I remember was a cave and then...oh no, oh no!" "Calm down Twilight, you're not dead. You've simply been...sleeping for quite some time." "Uhm...alright. I-I'll take your word on this, but who are you?" "Someone you're going to have to collaborate with if you want to get us both home." "Okay, point noted, but I was kinda referring to your name. You obviously know mine, so may I ask what yours is?" "You, Twilight, can call me Potential. We'll be spending quite a bit of time together from this point on so you might want to memorize that." "Potential? What an odd name, but it's nice. Why are you named like that?" "That's a really good question that I'll love to discuss later, Twilight. Now...WAKE UP! ________________________________________________________________________ A set of amethyst eyes snapped open to find darkness all around the unicorn mare they belonged to as she gasped in the first breath of her life.