For three nights, Celestia's bedroom tower had been closed off to the world—windows covered, balcony doors closed, locked, and barricaded—but it was not enough to contain the cries of anguish and despair from within.
Canterlot castle was empty, save for a few guards in the know. "The Princess is ill," was the official explanation, "and wishes to have a little quiet and rest so she can recover." Promises, reassurances, and other lies had eventually cleared the castle of the curious and concerned. Those who knew the truth were ordered to wait, and keep quiet.
There was one pony who had courage enough to defy her orders. From inside her darkened bedroom, Celestia could hear the faint sound of beating wings. She could also hear two other pairs of wings fly from her own balcony to intercept the first.
One of the two guards spoke. "My apologies, Lady Seraphim. I'm afraid that Her Majesty wishes to remain alone for the time being."
"I understand that as well as you," replied the mare in an even tone, "but I intend to see her anyway."
"I'm afraid you cannot enter, the Princess herself issued the orders!"
"I don’t acknowledge her authority to order me to do anything."
"Need I remind you that you are a guest in Her Kingdom?!" the guard said, more flustered than before. "You are here because Her Majesty has given you Her permission!"
"I’m here," the mare corrected, "because no pony can stop me from being here."
"Let her pass," Celestia commanded from within her tower.
"Certainly, Your Majesty," the guard replied. Turning his attention back to the mare he said "I must insist that you disarm yourself immediately and hand over your weapons."
"I have yet to meet an Equestrian who can disarm a Watcher of The Unconquered, but I’m always looking for an exception... "
"Let her pass, Firewall!" Celestia commanded more forcibly. The guard stammered an apology and resumed his post along with his companion.
Seraphim made no attempt to knock when she landed on the balcony, but quickly spun around and landed a kick powerful enough to be the envy of any Apple family member on the bedroom doors. They flew open, splinters of wood mixed with the broken glass and furniture that was already covering the floor. Moonlight flooded every corner of the formerly pitch black room. The fireplace was stone cold.
Celestia lay on her bed, facing the back wall. She could hear from Seraphim's purposely noisy hoof steps and from the clink of knife holsters concealed under her dress that she was approaching. Celestia made no attempt to turn around and greet the silver blue pegasus mare. She didn't want to look into those eyes.
"Tell me, ‘Watcher of The Unconquered’," asked Celestia. "Are you an angel of mercy, or an angel of death?"
"I am neither," replied Seraphim. "I’m a friend that must speak the truth."
"I wish you were both," said Celestia bitterly. "I am so very tired. I don't feel like I have anything more I can live for. I don't feel like I have anything left to give."
"There are many ponies who need you, Celestia. Cadence and Blueblood still need you."
"Are you sure?" She rolled onto her back to face the moonlight that blanketed her room in a soft blue glow. She usually loved the moonlight, it was a chance for her to be close to her sister. Tonight, however, it was only a reminder of her failures. She reached her hooves towards the moon, like she wanted to embrace it. "Will they slip from my grasp as well? I couldn’t stop Luna from being taken away from me. I couldn’t... “ she left her sentence unfinished. Celestia rolled into an upright position, and away from the moonlight. “How is your husband?"
"He will wake up in a few days. You know him, he collects scars like some ponies collect horseshoes. But I’m afraid that the scars he has now will only be a source of shame for him. His devotion to you is beyond question, and it is well within his character to take your secret to the grave. Though for your sake, I hope he does not."
Celestia's voice became cold. "I will order him to be silent when he wakes up, the same way I ordered his subordinates in the Royal Guard."
Seraphim's voice was soft and pleading. "Please my friend, do not carry this burden alone. You must tell your subjects the truth."
"I will say nothing."
"The ponies who will help you will be unprepared, and he will take advantage of this."
"I will say nothing," Celestia repeated. She slowly arose to her full height, towering over the the much smaller Seraphim, and turned to confront her face to face even as she spoke. "I will tell you what I will do. Tomorrow I will go back to my duties as Crown Princess of Equestria. I will tell everypony that I am feeling much better now, and I will do so with a smile on my face. I know what my subjects need, and their needs come before my own.”
Seraphim was quiet, but her face bore no trace of fear. She met Celestia’s challenging gaze with her own penetrating stare.
“That is my final word on the subject,” announced Celestia, turning away to punctuate that finality. “So, if you have nothing more to say, I ask that you leave me in peace.”
Celestia knew that the conversation was not over. Ponies of The Unconquered could be maddeningly persistent and direct, and Seraphim was no exception. Celestia was well aware of the distrust that The Unconquered bore towards monarchs and dictators. She accepted the fact that as much as Seraphim loved her as a friend, she would never bow to her. In truth, it was refreshing to be able to talk to another pony as a equal, but tonight she knew that Seraphim was going to be a royal pain in the flank.
Seraphim wondered if Celestia was reading her mind, and she hoped she would. Then she would see the terrifying fragments of possibility that even then were flooding her mind. It was the lonely burden of The Sight that she and her family bore, a blessing and a curse all at the same time. She would be the first to agree that Celestia was an excellent leader, and that she loved her subjects dearly. Unfortunately, Seraphim knew that the decisions Celestia was then making, while done in love, would in time render her powerless to stop the forces that would threaten the very existence of Equestria. There was only one chance left. Celestia was about to get very angry at her, but Seraphim had little patience for sensitive Equestrian egos when the lives of ponies and the fate of civilizations were at stake. Something had to be done to prepare the one pony left who could save them.
Seraphim paused a few seconds before she spoke. "Do you know that the Sparkle family is expecting another foal?"
"Normally, I would be delighted, but I hope you understand why right now I am less than enthusiastic."
"I think you should pay attention to this one. Shining Armor will be getting the baby sister that he always wanted. I tell you this because this young filly will be your light in the coming darkness, and only she can bring back your Solus."
Celestia whirled around to face her. In an instant, her remarkable emotional control was overcome by a fiery rage. "Do not say that word! Never say that word again!"
"So it’s just a word now?” replied Seraphim in an even tone. “You will still hear it. Do what you want. Refuse to speak it. Forbid its use by pain of death. Strike it from the collective consciousness of your kingdom. But I promise you, you will hear it every day of your life."
“Enough! I refuse to listen to your taunting any longer! I can’t believe my own foolishness, allowing into my confidence a trained assassin who's job is to kill me if I get out of line!"
"A Watcher is whatever the cause of freedom requires them to be."
“So that’s it then! Are you using my sorrow to undermine my authority and drive me out of my own kingdom?!”
“No Celestia, I’m trying to help you.”
“Then let me deal with my problems in my own way. I felt much the same way when I lost Luna, but I put aside those emotions and moved on. I can do the same now. I doubt you have any idea how many secrets I have accumulated over my lifetime.”
"Is that a challenge? Try a few of them on me, I will wager that I can direct you to the correct shelf and volume in your section of the Library of Truth."
“Does that library of yours also tell you something I do not already know about being the ruler of my kingdom?!
"It would be unwise to assume that the daughter of Silverblade the Uniter has nothing to say about leadership."
"You are the merest fraction of my age, what would you know about... "
Seraphim's voice exploded with anger, "Do you think that you have a monopoly on immortality?! In me is the knowledge and legacy of generations of my people! I have passed on that legacy to the ponies who have come after me, and I have lived every day of my life in a way that would honor the whole of The Unconquered! Every moment is a blessing and a privilege, and I have lived a thousand lifetimes because I know how to truly live!" Then her voice softened as she continued, "And because I know how little time I have left."
Celestia knew what she was really trying to tell her. Seraphim’s message was a reminder of what Celestia already knew: that immortality was a monotonous burden unless she focused beyond herself and found lasting happiness in helping others. Her anger cooled as she listened, but it was the conclusion that surprised her, "I'm sorry, I didn't... how long do you have to live?"
"Two months. It is the same illness that took my twin sister, but her children are strong and they have The Sight. It matters more that my family's curse will end with me."
"There must be a way to heal you, I have powerful magic spells I can use... Is there anything I can do?"
"I would have asked if I there was, but it makes me happy that you offered. I must confess to you that I have always felt a bit jealous of my husband's devotion to you as his sovereign ruler. I hope you will grant me one last request: that you will give him leave to stay with me until I pass. I have a few more lifetimes of memories that I would like to create with him."
"Of course. I will give you all the time that you need."
Celestia embraced her friend and wept. She clung tightly to her, as if that act alone would be enough to hold her back from fate. She longed to bring back all of the many ponies who had taught her, inspired her, helped her to live on, but now only existed in her memories.
"After all this time, saying goodbye has never become any easier."
"It probably never will," Seraphim replied, tears of sorrow streaming down her own face, "Because you know how to love. Farewell, my friend. I am honored that I can live on in the memories of a pony such as you."
Seraphim turned and made a running dive off of Celestia's balcony. Her wings spread wide and reflected the moonlight as she flew away towards Ponyville. Celestia watched from her balcony as she disappeared in the distance. The deep wounds in her own heart had far from healed, but she at last had hope.
* * * *
Seraphim looked more beautiful than ever when Celestia saw her again. She was adorned with her favorite flowers, and surrounded by her husband, the Apple family and all of her close friends in Ponyville—and Celestia was delivering her eulogy.
Celestia looked for a long time in the casket at Seraphim during the viewing. Even in death she looked so alive and vibrant, as if she was about to wake up and greet her with a smile.
When you looked into the future with those eyes, Celestia wanted to ask, What did you see of me?
In her mind, she thought she heard Seraphim's answer. You know how foolish it would be for me to tell you. Speak too much about the future and you can be certain that it will not come to pass as it should, I know how manipulative you can be, Celestia. Sometimes you have to let events fall into place by themselves.
She placed a flower inside the casket. "Thank you, my friend. I will never forget you."
After the funeral, she dismissed her entourage. "I have another visit that I need to make before I return to the castle."
She flew straight to Canterlot hospital. The Sparkle family was surprised and delighted that the Princess herself had come to see them in the maternity wing, most of all little Shining Armor, who was excited to show off his newborn baby sister.
"It was a difficult birth," the father explained, "There were complications, and we almost lost her, but she is a real fighter and pulled through just fine."
Celestia watched the tiny foal, asleep in her hospital crib next to her mother's bed, with a hint of deja vu. In the same day she had seen two ponies in boxes, both with so much fighting spirit, at opposite ends of their mortal journey.
"Have you thought of a name for her yet," asked Celestia.
"We had thought of several names," replied the mother, "But none of them seemed to fit her for some reason—so we named her 'Twilight', after me."
The Princess became thoughtful for a moment. "Twilight—A light in the coming darkness."
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I do not understand."
"It's nothing, it's a beautiful name. Thank you for letting me see her, I am looking forward to watching her as she grows up."
Celestia never spoke of Seraphim's prophesy again. She carried on with her duties as usual, and waited for the coming storm.