Twilight refused to speak until we were back below ground, free of the swirling and chilling winds. We slowly climbed our way down a winding tunnel, Celestia’s white fur becoming increasingly spotted with dirt and mud, rocks painfully digging into my hands. Lanterns filled with green flames cast an eerie glow over the tunnel as we descended further into the Earth, and as I looked further down, I could see the tinge of fear in ‘Tia’s eyes. For some reason, I could feel a force on myself that made me feel heavier than usual, like something was weighing me down.
Eventually, we made our way to an uneven and rocky passageway, also lit by lanterns of green fire. I couldn’t help but notice that along the walls were randomly embedded gemstones of various shapes and sizes, discolored by the green light. ‘Tia, visibly shaken by the climb and the darkness, reached out and grabbed my hand with her hoof, and I gave it a gentle squeeze as we looked down the cavern.
“So... You guys just embed gems into the sides of your caverns, or what?” I asked Twilight, who was already making her way down the tunnel, apparently very eager to stay away from the entrance.
“Oh, no, Equestria has a denser core than Earth does, increasing the gravitational pull on objects and exerting greater pressure, increasing the chance of gemstones being created. It’s also why we, despite clear sentience, evolved as quadrupeds and why we’re shorter than horses from Earth.”
“How do you know so much about Earth?” I was confused as to how she could be so familiar with things about my world, and yet I could know almost nothing about hers.
“Astral projection. Once I learned how to do it, I did it all the time. Earth was the most curious to me. Almost identical to Equestria in terms of climate and sentient beings. But no magic, and much more... hatred... I didn’t understand it. I wanted to know as much as I could, especially what could inspire such hatred.. My research was halted when Princess Luna began to change... Since then my time has been devoted to leading the Soldats du Soleil and tracking down our rightful princess...”
“‘Soldats du Soleil’? I know from ‘Cirque du Soleil’ that ‘du Soleil’ is ‘of the Sun’...
“It is indeed French, for Soliders of the Sun. But, my people know the country where French is spoken as Prance. And our true Princess is your companion, Celestia.” Twilight said, turning her head back and giving ‘Tia a nod. Tia, not used to being the princess in the limelight, tried her best to nod back but nearly tripped over her own hooves.
“Vanessa says this cavern is beautiful. She didn’t speak much while we were climbing down for obvious reasons.” Tia said to me, looking over at me in the dim light.
“It is, in a way. For other’s, it’s simply a reminder of where we are forced to be. All of Equestria was beautiful, before Nightmare Moon...” Twilight lamented, rounding a corner towards a brighter light. “Before she blotted it out with her moon, and her night...”
“What about the snow?” I queried, suddenly making out the voices of other people- or ponies, rather- down a bend in the shaft, a bright light throwing shadows over the curve of the cavern.
“I can explain that once we’ve entered the antechamber. The snow only started recently, and I’ve yet to explain why to the other Soldats, since I only discovered the reason myself just the night previous. Certainly, though, they will be overjoyed to see our true princess returned successfully.” At this, Twilight flashed Celestia a half smile. The kind of smile that says you’ve been frowning for so long, your muscles don’t even remember how to pull themselves in the opposite direction.
We rounded the corner, and Twilight twisted around, holding out her hoof. “Please, wait here. I want your entrance to be... well, nothing is grand around here, but as ceremonial as possible. Old habits are hard to break.” She said, giving us a sheepish grin with that same pained undertone. She passed through a curtain, a grandois, purple length of fabric with lilac tinges at the edges. It seemed out of place, a half-hearted attempt at grandeur in this miserable cave. What pony would try something like that even in this atmosphere?
A flash of light illuminated the alcove Celestia and I remained in when Twilight stepped through, immediately extinguishing as she stepped into the antechamber.
“Soldats du Soleil!! I come today to inform you...”
Twilight was easy to tune out as I turned to my small compatriot, my only friend in this snowy waste.
“What do you think of all this?”
She let out a sign and nuzzled against my leg. “It’s just all so much to take in so fast. For over 15 years the only life I knew was that of a... well... Not even something I can define. I just knew I was someone you knew you cared for more than anything. It breaks bonds of family and everything. I’m closer to you than almost anyone, even my sister. And now these ponies want me to be their ruler... When I don’t even know how to really take care of myself. Even within the castle I was waited on hoof and hoof... And now I must lead, an army of angry, bitter ponyfolk as my subjects.”
“Do you think you can do it?” I asked her, running a stray hand through her mane affectionately, noticing it was still damp from the melted snow endlessly falling up above.
“I don’t know... I know that I need you by my side the whole time.” she said, her voice breaking like she was about to cry, her hooves squeezing my leg with a desperate intensity. I reached down and picked her up; still so small, after so long. She buried her muzzle in that same spot on my neck, the same retreat she’d gone to no matter how old she got.
“I will always, always be here. That much I can say.” I assured her, squeezing her little equine body against my own. And what I had told her certainly wasn’t a lie. At the point we had reached, I would take a bullet for her with no question. All we’d been through, I certainly hadn’t expected it to lead up to this; but since it had, I couldn’t falter. Not only for her sake, but for mine.
"...And so I’d like to introduce; your future princess, your leader, and above all, your new friend, Princess Celestia!"
Twilight’s voice rang through the cavern, obviously a signal to myself and Tia that it was time for us to come out. Tia, giving me a trepidatious look, lifted the curtain and walked through, peeking over her shoulder and waiting for me to step through. I could already hear the murmurs of the crowd, questioning my appearance. I heard one mumble “... walks like a Diamond Dog...”, my mind immediately flashing to a certain David Bowie album.
So much for paying no attention to that man behind the curtain... I thought to myself as I stepped through, into the waiting glances of the crowd.
The room was massive, a crevice serving as a sort of theater style seating location, with the raised portion ahead acting as a podium. Huge lanterns of green fire decorated every shadowy nook and cranny, the entire cavern bathed in an eerie, but still somewhat comforting, light. In the center, already at the podium, was Celestia, along with a few white males, in shining gold armor, spears and shields at their sides.
The murmurs grew louder, some even showing signs of aggression. However, they stopped as soon as Tia cleared her throat.
“Mares, Gentlecolts, your attention please.” She started, commanding the attention of everyone, myself included. “This creature, though foreign to you, means absolutely no harm, and has been the one to act as my caretaker for the last 17 years. I love him as the brother I never had, and even more so than that. Treating him with absolutely any level of unfairness, disrespect, or intolerance would be even more unforgivable and egregious than treating me with such hostility.
“That being made perfectly clear, it is wonderful to be gazing upon your faces again, even if it must be under these circumstances. David, which is what you shall call the man standing to the side, may be one of the most important things in the world to me, but please believe I never forgot about my fellow ponies, and I plan to lead you as well as I possibly can towards a victory not only over Princess Luna, but all other evils that will threaten my Kingdom during the time in which I rule it.”
Tia was met with an uproarious ovation, an immense stomping of hooves filling up the cavern with noise, some ponies going so far as to balance themselves on their hind hooves to clap their front hooves together in thunderous applause. Celestia, on the verge of being overwhelmed, simply gave the audience a skittish bow, a tired smile glued on her face. Eventually, she held up her hooves, the applause slowly dying down.
“Everypony, thank you so much for your approval, but to the best of my knowledge, your commander Twilight Sparkle has discovered a reason for the torrential snow that plagues your countryside. Please put your hooves together for her now, not myself. Your Princess is weary, and needs to rest now.”
Celestia left the center of the room, walking back towards me, while Twilight took her place at the center of the room.
“Thank you very much, princess. As she has said, I now know the reason as to why the snows have been happening. Ever since Princess Luna, there has been much discontent. Ponies are afraid, cold and hungry. They have learned to feel something not felt for a while by most in our fair country... Hatred.
“As some of you may remember from the Hearth’s Warming Play, such a feeling inspires the introduction of the very real idea of a heart’s coldness, Windigos. And such beings have entered our world, in great numbers, causing these immense amounts of snow. But I believe that if we unite as ponies, and show love for our Princess Celestia, instead of negativity towards Nightmare Moon, we can banish these spirits, and take Equestria back! In sole nos confídimus!”
The audience quickly roared back “In sole nos confídimus!”, obviously some kind
of motto for the Soldats de Soleil.
Twilight, trotting over to us with a confident look, beamed a smile at Celestia.
“Princess, I’ve no doubt you and David must be beyond exhausted from the things you’ve accomplished and witnessed today. Please follow me so you can see your chambers.”
It was only after Twilight told me I must feel exhausted that I realized that I really was tired, my muscles suddenly feeling like they were weighing down my whole being. I looked ahead just enough to follow Tia and Twilight as we rounded a corner and then another before arriving in a well-lit room, even bigger than my whole apartment, with Twilight’s words melding together incoherently.
Tia climbed onto her bed, and I gave her a hug, her little hooves squeezing me a bit too hard, probably from nervousness. I kissed the top of her head and walked over to my small, but nevertheless nice bed, noticing it was longer, specifically for a creature like me.
David should be very happy here...
My head hit the surprisingly soft pillow, my eyes fluttering.
… can see someone’s tired...
And at last, sleep washed over me,.
...night Princess Celestia.