Celestia awoke peacefully, her dream a forgotten memory. She looked forward to see they were still flying and the sun was rising. It was beautiful to see the sun come up over the horizon. She had never seen it before. Celestia never wanted to miss another sunrise ever again. She could see the mad stallion before them. His looked haggard and worn out, as if the journey was taking more from him than just time.
“Come closer, we are almost there.” He called back over his shoulder. Ferrus and Ventia moved closer. The prophet raised his head, his horn aglow. There was a massive bang and they disappeared. Celestia reappeared in a massive cave surrounded by her family. The mad stallion was up against the wall heaving and shuddering. Celestia went to him.
“No child, I am fine for now,” he turned his gaze upon her. “This will however, be my last journey.” Celestia felt a tear well up in her eye at hearing this. She did not know how she truly felt about this crazed, ever changing pony, but she had harbored some hope that he would stay in her life, maybe to help guide her.
The prophet struggled to his feet. He turned and went deeper into the cave without saying anything. Ferrus looked at his wife. Ventia shrugged and followed him. Celestia went after her mother. They caught up to the mad stallion. He was limping his way up through the cave. Celestia stepped up beside him and looked at him.
The prophet looked down at her as he moved along and he smiled. Celestia was surprised, but she smiled back. They continued on. Soon they came into a massive chamber. The chamber was brilliantly lit from an unseen source. Celestia’s breath was taken away. The cave walls were rubbed smooth and filled with massive multi-colored stones shaped into frescoes and images of ponies and other strange beings Celestia had never seen and never will. But the main feature was the massive waterfall against the back wall. The waterfall poured into a massive lagoon. The surface of the water rippled and flowed almost as if on its own.
Celestia moved further into the chamber and stood in front of the pool, her eyes wide with wonder. This was the most amazing thing she had ever seen. She could’ve lived in this place, as long as it had a good book collection. She turned to see the prophet standing in front of one of the carvings, his horn touching the beautiful gem set into the wall magic coursing out of the stallion and pouring into the gem. As the energy flowed from his body he began to visibly shrink and almost decay before her eyes. His coat began to whither and his wings started to fall out.
Celestia was horrified to see him in such a state. She ran to him, to see if she could help him in any way. As she neared him she felt the surge of energy coming off of him and it was massive. She slammed into an invisible wall. She shook her head to clear it and put her hooves up on the force field, trying to find a way through.
Celestia didn’t know what to do as she watched the mad stallion fade away, until he spoke.
“Child, do not worry, I am not dying, I am merely communing with my master.” Celestia moved away from the invisible wall and watched as the prophet disappeared into thin air leaving nothing behind.
Celestia sank down, watching the spot where the mad stallion had stood. He was gone, Celestia did not know where and she was, again, alone to face her father’s skeptical view on the situation.
“CELESTIA!” Ferrus roared. Celestia flinched and slowly turned her head around to look at her father.
“Get over here,” he commanded. “I don’t know what you’re doing, it’s not as if any of this is even about you.” Ferrus continued to scold. “He is here for your sister, but what he wants I don’t know, but you are not going anywhere, is that understood?” he said is anger getting the best of him.
Ventia stepped forward and set a hoof on her husband’s shoulder.
“Calm down Ferrus, she just wanted to know what happened to the crazy stallion. Besides it looks like he’s gone and we need to find a way out.”
Ferrus looked around the chamber. The way they had come in had silently sealed up behind them, locking them into the room with no apparent way out.
“You’re right.” Ferrus stated grimly. “Let’s try and get out of here.” The adults began searching for another way out but gave up after an hour’s search or so. Ferrus was the first to speak, venting as usual.
“We’ve been suckered here and now there’s no way out.” Luna pulled her tail to her chest as tears began to well up in her eyes.
“Does this mean, that I’m not special, momma?” she asked, her voice high and choked from her sadness.
Ventia wrapped up her youngest daughter.
“No baby, you are special, the stallion said you were. He said he was going to make you into something even more special.” Luna wrapped herself around her mother tightly.
Celestia laid down on the cool rock and lost herself in her thoughts. She didn’t know where the prophet had gone to, but apparently he had only communicated with her about what he was doing. She thought about the strange events that had surrounded the past few years of her life, it had all changed the day that stallion had shown up and started spouting nonsense about this supposed star. Celestia wanted to believe him, but she wasn’t sure.
She settled down and soon she was asleep. Ferrus looked at his eldest daughter and felt a pang of remorse, something he didn’t know he could hold for Celestia anymore. She would never be anything special, just a social outcast who read too much and spoke too little. He had thought about forgiving her, but something wouldn’t let him do it. He would think back to that day, years ago when she had messed up the spell and killed two of his closest friends. It only fed his rage and sorrow that he still held over the easily preventable deaths that she had caused.
Ferrus laid his massive form down. He soon drifted off as well. He dreamed of fire, fire and death. It was the most terrible dream he had ever had. At the head of the fire rode his daughter, Celestia, eyes burning bright with loathing and anger. She was coming, coming for him.
The ponies slept undisturbed in the chamber of rock. Their dreams varied from nightmarish, to peaceful and reassuring.
Celestia awoke. She was still trapped in the chamber, but she was unafraid. She knew that if they were to die, they would already be dead. She pushed herself to her feet and began wandering the chamber again, inspecting the various crystal formations. She found them to be soothing and interesting. Some of the creatures that they depicted were so odd. Some were two legged and had multi-digit hooves. Others had no legs and crawled like worms.
She came to the one that the prophet had used to commune with his higher power. She put a hoof to the stone. Power vibrated throughout the living rock, moving and slithering of its own accord up and down the crystals. It was
impressive to think so much power lay in only one place, just waiting for the right pony to come along and use it.
Celestia stepped back and moved to the edge of the lagoon. She bent her head and began to sip slowly from the cool, sweet water. She had never tasted any sweeter. She raised her head and wiped her mouth and stared at the waterfall. The cascade started up very high in the rock. If she could see the opening Celestia felt that she might be able to teleport up there.
“It’s too high.” Her father said. Celestia jumped as he spoke and came up to stand beside her. “I tried already.” Ferrus continued as he looked up at the top of the waterfall. Celestia just nodded and backed away from her father.
She went back to where she had slept the night through and lay back down. She tried to sleep, but was incapable. Today was going to be a long day of doing, quite literally, nothing.
Hours passed as the family of Alicorns sat in the cave in silence. Ferrus would have used the time to further train Luna, but he was fatigued and could not bring himself to disturb the peace of such a place.
Celestia was sitting next to her mother, just happy to be part of the family again when the chamber began to shake. The walls floor shook, the walls cascaded dust and the crystals sang.
The singing was beautiful, one long and mournful note that sang inside of Celestia’s mind and weighed down her soul.
Ventia scooped up her daughter and held them close.
“Ferrus, what’s happening?” she asked her husband looking up at the distant ceiling.
“I don’t know, but get behind me.” Ferrus demanded. Ventia moved to comply, both still looking up.
From above came a glow. It was small at first, but it grew in size and intensity as it neared the family. It was the brightest thing Celestia had ever seen and it radiated power like nothing she had ever felt before as the light descended. She held up a hoof to shield her eyes from the intensity.
“What is it?” Ventia asked.
“A star.” Answered the prophet. The mad stallion floated down from the ceiling as well, his full body returned. He landed softly and loomed over the family, his form having been altered since they had last seen him. He had grown massive, towering at least a good three feet over Ferrus. Luna hid behind her mother from the prophet. Celestia ran out to him.
“You came back!” she shouted joyously.
“Yes child, I came back.” The prophet returned casually. Ferrus felt his ire rise.
“Celestia! Come back here.” He demanded. Celestia stopped in her tracks and looked at her father. Before Ferrus could speak the mad stallion cleared his throat.
“She and her sister are to judged by the star.” Ferrus stared dumbly at the prophet.
“But you picked Luna.” Ferrus said, there was a hint of desperation in his voice. The prophet shook his head.
“I picked the most likely candidate, you just brought them both, they are to be both judged, fool. The decision was set long ago anyway, it was never truly my decision, but the consequence of choice comes from how you have treated your daughters.” Ferrus was confused.
“What do you mean?” Before the prophet could answer Luna was lifted from her mother’s embrace. Celestia was also elevated and together the two were moved in front of the star. An impossibly deep voice sounded in the chamber.
“These two are both fit to lead, but the sins of the father taint the truest.” Luna was set back down. Celestia hung there, staring into the heart of the massive star. Ferrus was infuriated.
“The truest is here on the ground! Take her, she is destined for this, not Celestia, she is nothing!” he shouted at the star. The prophet moved forward his anger causing his coat to shift to black.
“You are correct!” the mad stallion shouted. “But your mistreatment of your daughters is the undoing of your race, Ferrus!” Ferrus cowed at the verbal onslaught.
“Because of your mistake, your anger, you have corrupted Luna to the point of uselessness. She will never ascend to godhood. Instead, your so called ‘failure’ will take the place of Galaxia on the throne and, once ready, join her in the stars.” Ferrus did not move.
All eyes went to Celestia as she was taken into the star. Celestia smiled as the light engulfed her. She was to become a god.