Phase 4
When Celestia awoke, she shot her eyes open and gasped for air. "Luna!!" She flailed a bit, whipping her head around to try to see where she was. For a moment, her vision was hazy, leaving her utterly disoriented and in a cold sweat.
Her chest heaved as she panted. Her mind was in a panic, dreading what she feared she would find around her. She clenched her eyes shut, desperately trying to clear the blurriness she was experiencing upon waking up. She hoped. She prayed. She desperately pleaded that she would find herself in the same hallway, Luna at her side.
Opening her eyes finally, she found herself staring upwards at a broad display of plain white. A painfully familiar ceiling. It felt like her heart had imploded in her chest. "No…" She turned her head to the left to find a featureless white wall. "No, no, no…" As she turned, she was aware of a nearly transparent barrier surrounding her on top and on the sides.
"No, no, no, no, no!!!" Her voice raised to a frantic squeal. All of the collectedness and dignity of being a Princess vanished as she failed around and clutched at nothing, utterly panicking. Her breath came in short, sharp gasps, leaving her deprived of air.
"NO!!!"
As she moved her head around frantically, she noticed more hauntingly familiar things. She saw a red cushion beneath her, and she also saw that she was no longer wearing her golden accessories. She noticed light filtering in from behind her, and something to the right that resembled a doorway.
Celestia began to cry. "Please…No…"
Trembling, she reached back her hooves to begin banging on the casing when something caught her eye. Below, at about the point of her midsection, there was something attached to the transparent barrier. It appeared to be a square shape made of metal. In the center there was a large red button, and surrounding this were embossed letters saying "Push here, Tia".
She paused, staring at it for a moment. In her mind's frantic state, it took her a few moments to process what she saw, but after a minute she reached over to it with her hoof and pressed on the button.
Immediately, there was a hissing sound and the outer casing began to lift up. Celestia wasn't patient enough to let it slide open on its own. She forcibly pushed at it with her hooves, struggling desperately to free herself and get standing on the ground. Her efforts ended with her collapsed, groaning on the floor, having tumbled off of the platform.
"Ow…"
She lay there in pain for a moment before shifting to move into a sitting position. Like before, her joints ached and felt stiff, and her magic felt sluggish. The feeling of déjà vu was hitting her more and more, bringing with it a sense of dread and despair.
Please don't let it…Please don't… She sat shivering on the floor, staring down. Maybe…maybe it didn't…Maybe I…It could be tomorrow… A few tears fell to the floor. Just please…Not again…
She sat, silently panicking, for a few minutes, as if afraid to move. Then, her attention was drawn to the room's entryway, where a light had illuminated. She gazed at the door; it was even more of a simplistic grey rectangle than it had been last time. It appeared smooth and seamless, like a patch on the otherwise white wall. The only other item of note was a small interface next to the door. It was flat and reflective, but appeared to contain many buttons and a screen. Above the screen was where the green light was currently illuminating from.
A moment later, there was a beep, making Celestia jump. The grey doorway split apart across a diagonal line, bisecting through its middle. The two halves slid upwards and downwards into the wall smoothly and with nothing more than a minute swish sound. The doorway beyond was revealed.
Two unicorns entered. Celestia briefly marvelled at what they were wearing. They both seemed to be wearing a slim, tight-fitting silver jumpsuit that covered everything except their head and tail. It had no collars, making it look as if the ponies simply had a second colour of fur. The only marking on the outfit was a simple insignia of her sister's cutie mark adorning their chests. Interestingly enough, Celestia could still see the ponies' cutie marks. She wasn't sure if the outfits simply had a depiction included on them, or if the area around their flanks was see-through.
Both ponies had some sort of device on their forehooves. It was cylindrical and looked like it was made of metal, and it had a screen as well as a few large buttons of varying colours. On the ponies' necks, at the point where the jumpsuit ended, was a similar-looking device. It had a round light that was not currently illuminated, and it curved up the side of their head and around one of their ears.
In contrast to what she had seen before, these ponies were actually armed. They both carried with them what looked like a small bayonet.
This information only barely registered with the dishevelled princess. She gazed at the two imploringly as they rushed into the room.
"Ah, Your Highness!" one of them spoke in a professional, yet slightly excited tone, "Wow! What a surprise!"
The two of them began to bow, but Celestia held up her hoof and exclaimed, "Wait!" She stared at them, a haunted look in her face, with tears streaming down. Her mane was a mess and she was trembling. Her normally perfect appearance was utterly ruined, but she didn't care at all.
"What year is it?!"
The two stallions shared a glance, and then lowered their heads sombrely. Celestia's heart hammered in her chest as she anxiously awaited their response.
"Your Highness," one of them spoke quietly, "it is the year 3233."
Smack. Pain.
"Princess! Are you all right?"
Celestia was vaguely aware that she was laying on her side with her head resting on the floor. She stared ahead blankly, her mouth hanging open. Somepony was trying to help her up, but she neither noticed nor cared.
Seven hundred years. The number kept repeating in her head, almost pounding at her. Seven hundred years! It mercilessly assaulted her, leaving her crying and shivering on the ground.
I've been gone for seven hundred years!!
"Your Highness! Are you okay?" one of the unicorns was saying to her as he helped her into a sitting position. She felt dizzy and short of breath.
She tried in vain to calm herself down. All she could do was take deep breaths. A million thoughts were running through her mind, easily giving her a headache. She felt like she couldn't even handle what the stallion had told her. She couldn't process it. She hiccuped as she cried.
"Your Highness?"
"I…" Celestia breathed, holding a hoof to her chest, "I…" She took more deep breaths, trying to slow her frantic heart. She looked to the unicorns, who were both gazing at her with genuine care in their eyes. She could see that they were very worried about her wellbeing.
So she held up her hoof to them and barely managed to say, "I'm not injured," before she rose her head to the heavens and cried out in anguish.
The two unicorns lowered their heads and waited respectfully in silence. Celestia cried her heart out, filling the room with her painful wails. Her head hurt as so many terrible thoughts flooded it. Everything she had just gone through when she had been gone for 500 years was going to happen again…only worse this time.
She couldn't bear to think about it. It caused her so much grief to think of the populace of Equestria or her dear sister, and to think of the heartache she'd caused them. It was all simply too much.
She cried for a long while, her tears seeming endless. Celestia had never cried this much in her entire life; it was shockingly new and all too painful. It was too much. She wanted the pain to end.
Please… she silently pleaded, Just…tell me it's not so…
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, her tears subsided and she managed to calm herself down. She sat staring blankly at the ground, breathing slowly and evenly, shivering slightly. She wanted to cry some more, but had at long last run out of tears.
"Your highness?"
Celestia gazed up at the unicorn who had spoken through red, puffy eyes. She found she could say nothing in response; she merely stared.
"We understand how difficult this is for you," he said respectfully, "We've been instructed to provide you with anything you might need. Food? Water? We can have a doctor come here immediately if you require any medical attention."
The room was silent for a few moments as Celestia simply gazed at him. She felt as if she was unable to function any longer, as if this painful revelation had completely destroyed her. She felt as if she wasn't sure she could push through this time.
"Luna…" she whispered.
"What's that?"
"I need…Luna…"
The unicorn nodded. "Sure. Understood." He then turned to his partner and nodded again.
The other unicorn reached up his hoof, bringing the device on his forehoof into his field of vision. He leaned forward and, to Celestia's mild surprise, used his muzzle to tap the screen. It immediately flared to life, casting a faint glow on the unicorn's face. He then twisted his hoof slightly and used his muzzle to push a blue button on the side.
Upon doing this, the green light on the device on the side of his head illuminated. He replaced his hoof on the ground and stared straight ahead. "All staff," he spoke clearly, "Important! Code TA-1! I repeat, code TA-1. Requesting Her Highness' location right away."
Celestia gazed at him curiously. He was not saying anything now, simply staring straight ahead. The green light on the side of his head remained illuminated, but the stallion himself was doing nothing. "What…" she muttered, still finding it difficult to speak.
"Ah, it's a communication device," the other stallion said to her, "It uses magic to transfer his message to anyone else with one of those. Then, he'll hear their messages in his ear."
Celestia continued to gaze at him, understanding a little bit now. The unicorn must be receiving messages, or at least waiting for them. Even this relatively simple technology made her head feel a little dizzy. It was all a stubborn reminder that she was far in the future.
"Okay. Got it," he said finally. With another press of the blue button, the light dimmed and he returned his eyes to Celestia. "The Princess is sleeping right now. However, our instructions are to bring you to her room in this case. So, whenever you're ready, we can depart."
"There's no rush," the other unicorn said in a gentle tone.
Celestia nodded as she processed this information. "O-okay…" she murmured as she slowly began to get to her hooves. The stallion hovered near her, intending to catch her if she fell. Luckily, this wasn't needed.
Standing, she shut her eyes and sighed heavily, trying to stop herself from trembling. Her head hurt, her eyes hurt from crying, and her heart hurt. Everything hurt. For a moment she simply stood there, trying to endure the rush of thoughts in her mind and to work up the strength to move forward.
Eventually, she began to walk towards the door slowly. "Take me there…" she stated.
The two unicorns were immediately at her side. "'Course, Your Highness. Just follow us."
"Thank you…Thank you both…"
"It's no prob, Your Highness."
She turned to him and said, "Pardon?"
"No prob."
Celestia stared at him.
"No problem," the stallion on her other side clarified.
"Oh…" Celestia muttered, "Oh, right. Of course."
The trio walked slowly, the unicorns matching Celestia's pace, as they made their way through a few grey hallways and similar, sliding doors. Celestia could see clear signs of security in the path they followed. The doors were heavy-set, and often they had to stop to let one of the unicorns punch something into a terminal or do something unusual that Celestia didn't understand to get the door to open.
Soon, however, they entered a door and found themselves in a much different-looking hallway. It was more brightly coloured and was furnished and decorated. Though it was vastly different than anything she'd seen in the castle of her time, she could see the faintly recognizable themes that had been in place ever since Canterlot Castle had first been built. She saw mixes of warm and dark colours, mostly yellows and blues, and could pick out depictions of the sun and the moon.
This hallway was also populated. Many ponies in similar outfits to the two stallions accompanying her were walking the halls. They all stopped in shock once she had exited the doors, falling quickly into respectful bows. Their outfits deviated somewhat from the stallions'; some of them had different devices, and some were unarmed. The only consistent characteristic was that each outfit was predominantly silver.
However, Celestia barely paid attention to any of this. As soon as the door had opened and she'd seen what lay beyond in the hallway, she felt herself invigorated with a jolt of energy. She bolted forward with much greater speed than she'd managed moments ago, no longer feeling weary or weak. The two surprised unicorns dashed to keep up with her as she ran towards the enormous window.
The massive window took up one entire side of the hallway, and stretched from end to end, about 60 meters in length. Celestia's eyes sparkled as she rushed up to it, planting her forehooves against it and gazing out at what lay beyond it.
The castle had clearly been redesigned in the time she'd been gone. From her position at the large window, she could see parts of the castle stretching out before her on both sides, like two arms reaching out. Between these, and directly below this window, was a large public square filled with ponies, and beyond this was the city of Canterlot.
This window gave Celestia a full view of the entire city, and she marvelled at what she saw. The city had grown as much as it could from its precarious position at the top of a mountain. Most of the buildings she saw were made of metal instead of stone and wood, but they still somehow gave off a natural look that was not too dissimilar from her own Canterlot. Beyond them, however, Celestia saw more rooftops that seemed to be located over the edge of the cliff. She stared at them, confused, before her eyes were drawn further.
Whoever had designed this castle had put a lot of thought into the location of this window. For beyond the city of Canterlot, she was treated with an impressive view of Equestria beyond. She could see big cities in the distance, filling the horizon with more skyscrapers than they'd had in her time. She saw more smaller cities where there had been none before, and she saw more roads and train tracks snaking across the land, as well as an unusual raised concrete track of some sort.
Recognizing Manehatten and Phillydelphia in the distance, Celestia quickly discerned which direction she was looking in, and quickly scanned the plains of Equestria. She found Ponyville rather quickly, and the sight made her gasp in wonder.
The city had grown immensely, stretching out almost three times as far as it had before. She could see tons of new houses that spread out around the central district, which was now full of a multitude of large buildings. Nothing reached the level of 'skyscraper', but it was clear that the small town had developed into a city while she'd been gone.
Squinting and looking closely, she was barely able to make out something in the center of the town, hidden behind these buildings. It was tiny and brown, but it was unmistakable. The tree housing the Golden Oaks Library had seen better days, but it was still standing.
"These windows have a habit of impressing guests," one of the unicorns said, making her jump slightly as she had not heard him approach. She turned and looked at him, her jaw still hanging open slightly. "Check out Equestria, Your Highness. It's always been there waitin' for you."
"Wow…" Celestia breathed, returning her gaze to the window. She realized that the last time she had been awake, 700 years ago, she had never taken a chance to look outside of the castle with the exception of a brief glance at the Castle Gardens. This view of Equestria that clearly showed the passage of time, yet was still very familiar, brought her an immense feeling of comfort.
"It's amazing…" she said quietly as she simply took in the view of Equestria as a whole. The window only offered her a view of one cardinal direction, but she could tell it had been chosen so as to show off as much of Equestria as possible. Despite how hopeless and miserable she had felt not moments ago, the view made her smile.
As she gazed, she couldn't help but think that something didn't look quite right. She wasn't even sure if "not right" was the correct term to use. Something about what she saw was setting off a tiny reaction in her mind, but she couldn't pinpoint what it was.
"Centuries later, and Canterlot Castle still stands," the stallion remarked.
Celestia's view returned to that of Canterlot itself. "How are there buildings there…?" she muttered, not so much asking the stallion as voicing the question out loud.
"Oh, over the edge?" the unicorn responded, "They're attached to the side of the mountain." He chuckled and said, "If you look at them from the side, it looks like a chimney. It comes out the side of the mountain and goes up. You havta go underground to get inside."
"The Princess loves to come here and just sit and watch," the other stallion said, "We thought about buildin' a throne for her here, but none of the designers could come up with somethin' that would fit in this hallway and still look as amazin' as they thought a throne for the Princess should look like." He chuckled.
The stallion's remark had reminded Celestia of what she had been doing before getting distracted. She willed herself to leave the beautiful window behind and continue walking the halls towards Luna's room. Though, her eyes remained drawn towards the amazing view until it could no longer be seen.
The three walked through a few more wonderfully decorated hallways on their way through the castle. Celestia began to notice signs of technology skilfully blended in with the stunning architecture. She saw what seemed to be security cameras hidden behind the artistic pillars and structures. Most of the doors had similar terminals to the ones she'd seen before, but they were installed in such a way that they flowed smoothly from metal technology to attractive framework. Lights and displays were similarly worked into the design seamlessly.
As they walked, Celestia slowly became aware of a dim, continuous humming sound. It was at that point she truly noticed just how prevalent technology was. Every room had at least three electronic devices in it, and that was not including the devices ponies wore on their bodies. It was so much different than in 2010, when computers were just barely starting to be developed.
She also noticed that the ceilings were lined with light-emitting objects similar to the one she had previously seen in Luna's room. They were much brighter and put out a more constant light. Celestia was about to ask her escorts what they were when they rounded one final corner and came to a distinctive door.
While certainly not as garish and expressive as Luna's bedchamber door had been in 2010, it still bore the personality of her sister. It was blue, matching her coat, and was bordered in a pattern that was similar to the black parts of her cutie mark. There was a nameplate on the door that appeared to be made out of silver. Written on it was, Her Royal Highness of Equestria: Princess Luna.
"We'll be right out here if you need us," one of the stallions said after they had unlocked the door. They both retreated to behind the door they had just previously entered. Celestia faced the door to her sister's room, all of her negative emotions returning to her in a torrent. She gulped and steeled herself, raising a hoof and pushing the door open, as she'd been told it was okay to do.
She entered the room slowly and quietly, first letting her eyes roam around the interior. It was not terribly different than it had been when she'd seen it last. It was still stylishly simple and functional, with desks and tables around, white and blue walls, and a large painting of Luna on one wall. The ceiling was lined with the same light-emitting objects, though they were turned off, but the large mirror was gone, replaced with another sliding grey door. What was missing, however, were the stacks and piles of paperwork. Instead, the desks had a few small electronic devices of some sort, and there were two terminals with keyboards and large screens. Celestia quickly came to the realization that paper must be outdated. She shivered slightly.
The bed still had the same distinctive blue covers on it, but it appeared shorter, and the frame also seemed to be made of metal as opposed to wood. It also had a canopy resting atop it; similar to their beds from 2010, but dissimilar to the previous one she'd seen. On this bed, snuggled beneath many covers, was a large pony with an ethereal blue mane flowing out. The covers rose and fell as her sister slept soundly, almost completely hidden from view.
Celestia carefully trotted over and sat down beside her sister. She gazed at her face, half-hidden beneath blankets and buried in the pillow. Luna looked mostly the same as she had 700 years ago. There seemed to be a few more sparkling points in her mane, but it was barely noticeable, especially as she was asleep.
What Celestia clearly noticed, however, were the blemishes and marks on Luna's face. There were dark rings under her eyes, and minute lines around her mouth and cheeks. It gave her an appearance that bordered between wise and worn.
A few tears fell to the floor as Celestia stared, frowning. She tried to make herself gently wake Luna up, but her sister looked so tired. It seemed like she'd had a rough day and needed this rest more than anything.
She sighed, her ears drooping. She shook her head. No, she told herself, I have to wake her up now… She sighed again, a heavy feeling in her stomach. There's no telling…how much time I have…
Celestia carefully lifted off some of the covers and gave Luna a gentle nudge. "Luna?" She rocked her gently, trying to rouse her. "Luna, wake up…"
Luna groaned and clenched her eyes tight, as if trying to hold onto the sleep that was slipping away from her. "Mnnnn…" She inched her eyes open slightly, and then yawned. She blinked her eyes blearily, appearing quite exhausted as she tried to wake herself up.
"Luna?" Celestia said gently, leaning down closer, "It…It's me…"
Luna rustled beneath the covers and brought a bare hoof up to rub her eyes. She lifted her head slowly and gazed up through half-lidded eyes. "…Tia…?"
Celestia gave her a sad smile and nodded.
Luna said nothing more. She merely hoisted herself up into a sitting position and leaned forward to give her sister a tight hug. Celestia hugged back, holding her sister close and weeping softly. They remained like this for quite a few minutes. No words were spoken; the two simply embraced each other in poignant silence.
Celestia couldn't stop herself from shedding tears. Though it truly felt like she'd only been gone a single night, she knew the truth and it truly saddened her. She knew what had happened, and she knew the pain it had caused. Her mind was troubled and she had a lot of questions that could not be answered, but for now all that mattered was that she was here, holding her sister tightly.
After a while, the two moved back and gazed at each other.
"Luna…" Celestia started, "I…"
"It was longer this time," Luna stated simply.
Celestia opened her mouth to respond, but found she had nothing to say. Instead, she simply nodded.
Luna gave an empty sigh and looked down. "None of this makes sense, Tia…"
"I…This is just…This is awful."
Luna put on a small smile and looked up at Tia. "I'm really happy to see you again, Tia. Believe me, I am. I'm just…really tired."
Celestia gazed at her younger sister. She looked truly worn out. Her mane was a mess, and it sparkled dimly. Her eyes seemed bloodshot and she couldn't seem to open them fully. She slumped forward and appeared somewhat frail and weak.
Before Celestia could ask about her appearance, Luna continued. "The same thing happened, right Tia? You just woke up inside your co- inside that room?"
Celestia nodded.
Luna shook her head in frustration. "Something is happening to you…but nopony can figure it out. Technology and science keep moving ahead, and whenever something new becomes available to us, I focus it on you. I try to use new advancements to find a way to wake you…To cure you…but nothing."
"Luna, I…I don't know what to say. I don't know how to deal with this…"
"Once 500 years had passed, I expected to see you wake up again. I waited and waited…but you never stirred. I…" Luna had to stop, suddenly overcome with tears.
"Luna…"
"I was so heartbroken, Tia…I mean…It took you 500 years last time, so I figured it would take 500 years this time. It made sense…but this thing doesn't make sense, does it? It…"
"Luna, please…" Celestia hugged her sister with her wing, feeling her shivering beneath the feathered appendage. "I'm here…"
"For how long?"
A heavy silence filled the room. Celestia stared ahead, moving her lips and trying to find something to say. Nothing escaped from her throat. Luna's question carried with it the overwhelming fear that had been consuming her ever since she'd awoken in this era. Was this going to keep happening? Was she going to be out for longer each time?
"I…"
She felt Luna nuzzling her, but her touch felt cold. Celestia felt like she couldn't move, a heavy, painful feeling in her heart. Things were happening so fast and everything was out of her control. In just a couple short days, she found herself in the fourth millennium with no explanation, and no way to fix things or take control.
"Luna…I…"
Luna shushed her. Celestia looked down at her, perplexed, but Luna just looked up with a sad smile. She found herself gazing into her younger sister's eyes. She could see the raw pain and sorrow behind them, even ignoring the tears falling from them. But she could also see a small spark of something else. Was it hope? Perhaps just a desire to cherish the moment. Celestia closed her eyes and nuzzled against her sister's head softly, simply remaining silently in her presence, holding her warmly with her wing.
The two ponies remained like this for nearly a half hour. There were the occasional sniffles and hiccups of quiet crying, but for the most part the room was completely silent.
Finally, the two broke apart from their embrace and sat facing one another.
"I missed you, Tia," Luna said with a smile.
"I'm-"
"Don't," Luna interrupted, "Don't…say you're sorry. Please. It's not your fault, Tia."
Celestia was silent.
"It's just really wonderful to see you again."
"It's…good to see you too, Luna," Celestia stumbled over her words. It felt insincere to say that, as she had seen Luna just recently. Though she knew the truth of how long she'd been gone, it didn't feel like she'd been gone. It gave her confusing, mixed feelings.
"How are you?" Celestia asked.
Luna let out a breathy groan. "I've…been better," she said almost nonchalantly.
Celestia glanced out the window, looking at the late afternoon sun. "Why are you asleep so early…?"
"I was just exhausted, Tia. I needed some rest…" Luna closed her eyes and rubbed them with her hoof again.
"Long day?"
"Umm…" Luna muttered, "Yeah…A few long days actually…"
Celestia tilted her head. "Luna, are you all right?"
For a split second, Celestia saw a shift in Luna's facial expression. For a brief moment, she could see terrible things in her sister's eyes, but a second later she was giving her a tired smile. "Yeah…" Luna said, "I'm fine, Tia."
Celestia paused. She gazed intently at her sister.
"Technology's moving forward. It makes my life easier, but at the same time it can make my life a whole lot harder. Remember when our chariot broke and we couldn't do anything until it was fixed? Well, imagine that, but happening almost once a week." She chuckled dryly. "Technology is a double-edged sword, Tia…"
"Luna?"
The blue alicorn faced her sister. "Yeah?"
"700 years ago, you were telling me about Twilight Sparkle and I asked you not to lie to me…and you didn't." Celestia paused, frowning. "So why are you lying to me now?"
There was silence between the two for a moment as Luna tried her best to appear as if she didn't understand the question. Her façade didn't fool Celestia in the least. She started to quiver, her frown growing larger and larger. Then, suddenly, she burst out crying and flung herself into Celestia's embrace.
"Oh, Tia!" she wailed, "I'm sorry!!"
"Luna…!"
"I'm sorry Tia! I'm doing my best! I'm trying my hardest, but I'm just so useless!!"
"Luna, what are you talking about…?"
"It's so hard, Tia! It's just so hard…I haven't gotten a good night's sleep in years! Sometimes I'm awake for almost 100 hours! It just comes and comes and it never stops! No matter how hard…No matter what I do…No…G'yahhh!!!"
Luna heaved as Celestia held her and tried to console her. Her anguished cries filled the room. They were cries of defeat, cries of surrender. Celestia stared ahead, a cold, powerful fear overtaking her.
"Luna?" she said quietly, "Tell me. Please."
Luna sniffled and cried for a few more minutes before she calmed down enough to speak clearly. "I…I'm trying, Tia, but it's not going well. We…we've fallen so far behind in the world. Did you see the view from the window?"
"I did…"
"Didn't it look weird to you?"
Celestia's train of thought derailed. "'Weird'? How do you mean?"
"If that window had been looking out at any other nation, you would see a lot more buildings, a lot more sophistication and advancement. You'd see small establishments that hover in the air. You'd see thin little rails that light up at night as they carry the static tram between cities. You…you probably wouldn't be looking out of just a window either. Probably one of those fancy things with the touch-interface on it."
Luna's words were confusing Celestia immensely, but she could understand the main point that Luna was trying to get across.
"We don't have any of that yet, Tia. And…we didn't make any of these screens or doors you saw around the castle. No, other nations invented those."
"So…" Celestia said, "what you're saying is…"
"Technology's moving too slow, Tia." Another poignant pause. "We don't have the budget or the resources or…anything to…do anything. We're scrounging off the scraps all the other nations leave behind."
Luna gave another empty sigh. "Equestria is not the proud nation you once knew, Tia," she said as she moved back to stare at Celestia with her tear-filled eyes. "I've failed, Tia. I've failed you, and I've failed everypony."
"Luna, don't say that," Celestia said consolingly, "You haven't failed anypony."
"Yes I have!" Luna shouted, "I try and I try, day after day, year after year! Something comes up! They look to me for answers! I try to give them answers, but it always ends up wrong! Every single time!"
Luna had gotten up out of bed and was now pacing about the room. "The world is moving by at such a frantic pace! Oh, all the happy little creatures everywhere else, they're all so happy! Meanwhile, Equestria is just struggling to keep up! All the little ponies, they stare at me…They look at me with these heartbroken, hopeless faces, and I just don't know what to do!"
"Luna…"
"The banks are in debt! The royals and the government and pretty much anypony important in Canterlot, they're all fighting. They're all ripping apart this great nation without even realizing what they're doing! Everypony makes a big damn mess out of everything, and then what do they do? They ask me to fix it! Well, I shouldn't have to, but I try anyway, because I love this country. Yeah! Of course I do!"
"Luna, please…"
"But no!!" Luna exclaimed, flailing her hooves around as she paced, "No, Equestria just goes further and further down the hole to Tartarus! The other nations laugh at us! We're so far behind! It's been 1200 years since you left Tia, and we've barely taken a step forward! What do we have? Automated doors?! Ooooh!
"And hey, maybe the reason our nation is floundering so much is because everypony is leaving!! Yeah, that's right! Every year, the number of pony emigrants increases a little bit. More and more ponies are packing up and fleeing this mess. In places like Zebrica, Cervinidas and The Griffon Kingdoms, it is now unusual if you walk down the street and don't see any ponies. That's the screwed up world we live in now!!
"But still I try! I work every day and, whenever I have a chance, I read books, I study, I talk to others in the government. I try to get better. But you know what, Tia? I'm never going to be as good as you. Never! It's not going to happen. Leadership is in your blood! It's what you were born to do. If you told everypony in this nation to march off to a volcano and hurl themselves in, they would all do it with huge smiles on their faces.
"I dunno how much longer we're gonna last without you, but I'm gonna keep trying and keep failing!" Luna raised her hooves into the air and began to screech at the top of her lungs. "What else am I gonna do?! Huh?! What else is there?! WHAT?!!"
"LUNA!!"
Luna gasped as she felt Celestia's hooves fall on her shoulders. She refocused her vision and found herself staring at her sister's tear-stricken face. There were two splats as tears fell that she hadn't even known she was shedding. Celestia gazed at her and spoke softly in a quivering voice.
"You're scaring me."
The two sat still as statues for a few tense moments. Seconds and minutes ticked by as both ponies let their tears fall as they stared at one another.
Finally, Luna's emotional dam broke and she collapsed forward into an embrace with Celestia, crying remorsefully. "I'm…I'm sorry, Tia…I- I didn't mean to scare you, I just…"
Celestia said nothing, merely holding her sister tight and gently rocking her.
"I just…I-I just…I don't know what to do sometimes…" Luna bemoaned, "Say what you want, but the truth is that I'm fighting a battle and I'm losing, Tia. I tried my best…but it's not quite there. It's not enough. Not without you."
"Luna, don't worry…"
Luna let out a particularly loud wail, clutching tightly to her sister. She shivered and pitched in Celestia's embrace as her overwhelming emotions made it difficult to breathe.
"I…" she muttered, "I can't do this anymore, Tia."
Celestia froze. "Wh-what?"
"I give up."
She hoisted Luna up so that they were looking into each other's eyes. "What do you mean, Luna?"
Luna's eyes seemed unfocused. They looked blank and dead. "I can't do it, Tia…I can't take it anymore."
"Luna, no! Don't talk like that!"
"It just hurts too much, Tia…"
"Luna! Don't give up! You can't give up!"
Luna shook her head lethargically, appearing like a heavy ragdoll in Celestia's grip. "You…You don't know what it's like. You haven't been here…for all these long, long years. Sleepless nights, long days. The pain, the sorrow, the failure. The faaaailure…"
"Luna."
"I've endured this failure for…way too long."
"Luna!"
"I give up."
"Luna, come on!"
She sniffled. "I'm sorry, Tia."
"There's nothing to be sorry for!"
"Hold me close, Tia. This'll be…the last time."
Celestia's eyes shot open and her heart froze.
"Sorry I won't be here next time you wake up."
Celestia gripped Luna's shoulders tightly and gave her a fairly rough shake. "Luna, snap out of it! Don't say those things!! You…You don't really mean that, Luna. You've just had a rough day."
"I…"
"No, Luna! I won't let you give up! Even if, perish the thought, everything goes to Tartarus and the world burns…I'll still be happy as long as I can see you. If you're still here, then I'll still be able to smile, no matter what happens."
"Tia…"
Celestia stared at Luna with a fiery ferocity. "You can't give up on these ponies, Luna! Even if everything's not perfect, the mere fact that you're trying your best is helping them out substantially! You can't quit! You can't give up! Equestria needs you!" She paused. "…I need you."
"But Tia," Luna responded weakly, "I need you."
Celestia opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. She sat there uselessly for a few moments before she simply gave Luna another hug. She held her little sister consolingly, rubbing her back and nuzzling her. Luna wept softly on her shoulder as she did.
"I'm sorry, Luna. I truly am. If I had to give up everything I had, my wings, my horn, my sight, my title…I would give it all up if it meant I could stay here with you."
"Tiaaa…" Luna cried, sounding almost like a young foal, "I neeed yoouu…"
"Ohh, Luna…" Celestia's heart was aching painfully. Seeing her sister like this was one of the most horrible things she'd ever experienced.
"I…I can't…"
"You can, Luna."
"I can't go on."
Celestia stared, wide-eyed and panting.
"I can't go on living like this. I-"
Smack!
Luna squeaked in surprise, bringing a hoof up to her cheek. She stared up at Celestia in shock as the elder sister returned her hoof to the ground. She stared at Luna fiercely, a passionate fire dancing in her eyes, a huge frown on her face.
"Luna…" she breathed, "Never…Never, ever…say that…ever…again…"
Luna couldn't respond.
"I never want to hear you say that ever again, Luna. Never say those words. Don't you dare…"
"I…Tia…"
Celestia pulled Luna into yet another hug. "I can't bear to hear them, Luna. I…I just can't. I love you too much for that."
Luna moaned softly in her sister's embrace, nuzzling herself into Celestia's arms like a baby animal snuggling into its mother's warm fur.
"Please, Luna…Please…"
After another moment of heavy, emotional silence, Luna muttered a few words. "I'm…just so tired Tia…"
"I know, Luna…" Celestia replied in a motherly tone. She paused, however, and then continued, "Well, I suppose that's a lie. I don't know exactly what you're going through…but I can definitely imagine it, Luna. I understand what you're feeling, and I truly feel for you, Luna. Your pain is my pain. When I see you crying, it makes me cry. When you're hurting, I hurt twice as much."
Luna didn't reply or move. She felt limp and heavy in Celestia's grasp.
"You're exhausted, Luna," she said soothingly, "I woke you up. You need to get some sleep."
"Okay, Tia…" Luna mumbled.
Celestia lit up her horn with her golden, magical aura, and wrapped Luna in the ethereal glow. She levitated her sister gently through the air and guided her back to her bed, and then placed the covers over her.
"Goodnight Luna," Celestia said as she made her way to the bedside and lay down upon the cold, hard floor. "I'll be right here when you wake up."
But Luna didn't respond. She was already snoring softly.
***
Celestia rested at Luna's side on the floor through the evening, and then slept through the night. One of the guards that had escorted her earlier came to deliver her some dinner, but aside from that the two were not disturbed.
She awoke the next morning ten minutes before sunrise, thanks again to her internal alarm clock. As she was stretching, yawning and generally waking up, the room was suddenly filled with a jarring, cacophonous ringing. Celestia splayed her ears back in shock, darting her head around the room to identify the source. She found it within seconds and quickly silenced it with her magic. The culprit appeared to be an actual alarm clock, though it looked like a smooth grey cube of some sort.
Celestia quietly stepped over to Luna and checked on her. She mumbled softly, but remained asleep. Celestia gave a sigh of relief, knowing that Luna needed this rest more than anything
So, she let her sister continue to sleep while she raised the sun herself. As she reached out to it with her magic, she was almost floored by what she felt from it. The sun was getting sicker, and it almost didn't move to her whims at all. It nearly made her dry heave, but she shook it off. She couldn't think about that now.
A short while later, Luna began to stir. Celestia was at her side, gently guiding her awake with a warm smile.
"Mnnnn," Luna groaned, rubbing her eyes, "Tia…?"
"Good morning, Luna" Celestia said sweetly, "Have a good sleep?"
Luna cracked open her eyes and gazed up. Then, she did something that lifted Celestia's heart and helped chase away her negative thoughts; she smiled.
"G'morning, Tia!" she said, sounding leagues more positive than she had last night. "Didja raise the sun…?"
Celestia nodded and said, "I did, Luna. I let you sleep in."
Luna stretched out her neck and hooves, moaning in bliss. "Ahhh, I really needed that…" she said as she began to get out of bed, "Thanks sis!"
"Don't mention it, Luna. It was my pleasure."
Celestia quickly found herself in a warm hug.
"Thanks, Tia. Thanks…for everything."
"You're welcome, Luna. I'm…I'm here for you…"
Thus, the two ponies' day began. Celestia, still slightly shaken from the previous night, spent most of it following Luna around, either confused or amazed.
The day started off in quite an interesting way with breakfast. After asking Celestia what she wanted, Luna stepped over to one of the many devices that all looked basically the same in her eyes. She gasped and stared, however, when Luna input something into the interface and, with a small, artificial-looking flash, a sandwich and packet of hay appeared out of nowhere. Though sceptical, she had tried it anyway at Luna's urging. It tasted just as good as any other food.
A "Replication Device" Luna had called it.
This was followed by getting dressed. Celestia was surprised to see Luna putting on a silver jumpsuit, similar to everypony else. Hers, however, was much flashier, had more emblems depicting the moon or her cutie mark, and didn't seem as tight-fitting.
"You don't wear the armour any more?" Celestia had asked.
"Oh, no. That died out centuries ago."
"So, what's the purpose of this?"
"I don't even know any more, Tia," Luna had replied with a laugh, "It's fashion. It just happens."
Celestia had briefly wondered, with a little concern, if Luna had a jumpsuit for in store for her, but Luna had surprised her by once again bringing out her golden accessories. Still the same ones, kept safe for centuries.
Then, the day began move forward. Luna accessed the terminal on her desk, letting Celestia glance over her shoulder with wonder-filled eyes. Colourful images and multitudes of text flashed across the screen too fast for her to comprehend, but Luna didn't seem to have any problem. Her horn was lit up, surrounding the interface with a magical glow as she pushed buttons and input commands like an expert.
"Okay…" Luna had said, "So this is today's…"
"Today's schedule?" Celestia had picked up, "That doesn't look like very much! Seems like an easy day."
There was a noticeable pause, and Celestia had caught a very slight jolt of movement from her sister, before Luna had said, "This is page one of five, Tia…"
"Oh…"
Luna had walked out the door with a smile on her face, beckoning for Celestia to follow and be at her side for the entire day. Celestia, however, couldn't help but be concerned. Try as she might, she couldn't get rid of the frown she was wearing as she followed Luna around.
There had been a meeting with the Ministry of Science and Technology, allowing Celestia to see more of the castle and to interact with ponies working in the government. She had gotten to see more examples of advanced technology and had been introduced to the ways and trends of this far-off, future year.
However, Celestia couldn't help but be focused on Luna. She found herself gazing at her sister and thinking about her. She had been with her sister long enough to see the small, subtle hints that gave away what was really going on inside her head, despite the positive attitude she showed. Celestia often caught her frowning, or staring off at nothing. Sometimes Luna needed to have somepony repeat something to her, as if she weren't paying attention.
This was coupled with plenty of smiles and enthusiasm, however. She had spent most of the day with a grin on her face as they attended a few meetings with ministers and cabinet members. As noon drew closer, the two headed back to her room to have some lunch and let Luna work on some paperwork, though there was no paper involved.
All of the ponies they had met that day were certainly amazed to see Celestia. They all stopped in their tracks, unashamedly gasping in disbelief, and bowing reverently to her. It did make her smile to see that ponies still remembered and respected her, and it warmed her heart to know that she was making this day very special for them. It was a little odd to think of herself as a 'rare, once-in-a-lifetime event' but it somehow made her giggle.
Presently, Celestia sat before one of the smaller terminals in Luna's room. The young Princess had brought up some visual entertainment on it for her to enjoy while she worked on the larger terminal. Celestia wasn't paying attention, however. She could only gaze concernedly at her sister.
When she woke up… she thought to herself, she seemed so much better. She was smiling and upbeat…Maybe she just needed a good sleep? Celestia shuffled her position, watching as Luna leaned on her hoof and stared unmoving at the terminal's screen. Is she really going to be okay…?
Celestia had to force herself to think realistically. Though the two of them hoped dearly that nothing more would happen and she would be able to remain awake, they realized that there was a good chance it would happen again. Neither knew when it would strike, and how long Celestia had to stay awake. That was why they hadn't put together any grandiose ceremony to welcome her back this time.
"Tia?"
Celestia perked up her head, realizing she had been staring blankly ahead. "Huh? What?"
"Are you okay?" Luna asked, looking at her with concern.
Am I okay? Am I okay?! I've been worried sick about you! You were going to give up last night! You wanted to end it all!! I've never seen that from you, Luna! I'm terrified! I need to know if you're okay! I need to know if you're going to be able to get through this!!
"I'm fine, Luna…"
"Are you sure? You've been looking kind of…" Luna paused, "…off today."
Celestia sighed. "It's just…" she started, trying to form her words.
"It's what?"
"I've just…never seen you as upset as you were last night. It really scared me."
Luna frowned. "Don't worry, Tia…I'm fine."
"You sure?"
There was a half-second pause. To any other pony who didn't know Luna as well, they would have seen nothing out of the ordinary and would have accepted Luna's testaments as fact. However, Celestia knew Luna. She could pick out the subtle twitches or shifts in her eyes that told her something was wrong. "…I'm fine."
Celestia frowned.
"Really, Tia. I'm sorry if I scared you last night. I didn't mean to. I was just really, really upset, but…I'm fine now."
She sighed. "Just remember that I'm here for you, Luna…and you can talk to me about anything."
Luna shifted slightly. It was then that Celestia realized what she'd just said. I'm here for you. Her heart sank.
The day continued. Though Luna tried to impress Celestia by showing off all the amazing things the future had to hold, or by telling her of all the amazing things the world had done in her absence, she couldn't help but feel distracted throughout. She constantly found herself gazing at Luna, her mind running amok as she wondered if her sister were truly all right.
She was scared. She was more afraid than she'd ever been in her entire life. Just last night, her sister had been on the brink of hopelessness and was contemplating suicide. Throughout her whole life, even when she had been at her worst, Luna had never threatened to kill herself. It shook Celestia to the core; she couldn't stop fearing for the safety and wellbeing of her sister.
Luna had repeatedly said that she was feeling better, and was even smiling and seemed more upbeat, but would she truly be okay? Would her happiness last, or would she fall down as deep as she had before? Perhaps deeper? Would Luna be okay if and when Celestia fell asleep again? Would that push her over the edge?
The anxiety Celestia was feeling was overwhelming, and she didn't know how to handle it. All she could do was stare worriedly at Luna as her little sister trudged through her long, difficult day. Celestia pitched in wherever she could, but being chronologically displaced was putting her at quite a disadvantage.
The day flowed into the evening, and Luna was still running about meeting with ponies and trying to sort things out. A pony had come to her talking about unusual weather phenomena, asking for more funding. She met with a group that were discussing the negative impacts of some sort of technological advance that Celestia simply could not follow. There were some court proceedings Luna had to preside over, and they seemed to take longer than they used to back in Celestia's time.
Night came, Luna set the sun, and she was still hard at work. She sat hunched at her terminal, constantly yawning and groaning. Celestia had been looking over her shoulder as she worked, but what she saw on the screen made her head spin. It appeared like alien technology to her, so she resigned herself to sitting near the bed.
She'd been keeping quiet, so as not to disturb her sister's work. While Luna was no doubt thankful for the ability to work in peace, the silence had the unfortunate effect of letting Celestia's thoughts run more freely. She spent the entire time reliving what they had gone through last night. She could not get the horrifying image of Luna, completely alone and distraught, giving up and ending everything.
Her heart ached as she thought about not being there once again. She spent a lot of time wishing and praying that she would not fall asleep again. A feeling of helplessness was constricting her.
Celestia tried and failed to remember a time before when she had been this anxious. She didn't know what to do, what to say, what to think, what to feel. This was all so fantastical and unbelievable, and it was so difficult and painful.
Neither of them knew what to expect next, but if Celestia's 'condition' continued to behave as it had before, then she would not be around when the morning came. She shuddered to think what would happen when she was gone again. She tried to think of something to say or do that would make everything okay, even if she had to disappear again.
Disappear.
She paused as she realized she had used that particular word in her thoughts. She wasn't sure why, but it made her shiver as if a cold breeze had slipped through the room.
"Ughh…"
Celestia glanced in the direction of the noise, and saw Luna holding a hoof to her forehead. Her energy was clearly depleted, as could be seen by her mane hanging heavy and lifeless around her shoulders and body. It almost looked like a black cloak clinging ominously to her body.
"Luna?"
Her exhausted sister slowly turned to face her. "Hmm?"
"Please…Get some sleep."
Luna sighed. "I can't, Tia. I-"
"It's 3:30AM."
The blue alicorn blinked, turning her gaze up to the digital display on the wall that showed the time. "Oh whoa…"
"Come on, Luna," Celestia said, standing up and moving to the bedside, "You need some sleep."
Luna was about to argue, but she was cut off by her own loud yawn. "Mmmmnnn…" she groaned.
"Come," Celestia said simply, pulling back the covers with a tug of her magic.
Luna wordlessly complied and trotted over to the bed, climbing into it and getting beneath the blankets. Celestia pulled them up to cover her, tucking her in with a smile on her face.
"Ughh," Luna moaned, eyes closed as she lay on her pillow, "There's not enough hours in a day, Tia…"
"Shhh," Tia soothed, "Don't worry so much, Luna. If you overwork yourself, then you won't be able to do anypony any good."
Luna gave an empty sigh, frowning and gazing up at the roof.
Celestia sat in silence for a few moments at her bedside, patient and unmoving. Finally, Luna spoke.
"Tia…?" she said quietly, "I'm…not fine."
Celestia said nothing, letting her sister speak.
"I just felt so bad about getting so upset when you were here. This is supposed to be a special time for us. Because of…whatever this damn thing is that's happening to you, we hardly get to see each other. It's a rare opportunity that we spend time together, and I wasted it by being all depressed."
Celestia nuzzled her. "It's okay, Luna. I understand what you're going through."
"I wanted to be happy today…for your sake. But it was a lot harder than I thought it'd be…"
"I just want to make sure you're okay, Luna," Celestia frowned. "I want to make sure you're safe."
Luna sighed again. "I…I want to say I'm okay, but…" Her lip quivered slightly, but she held back any tears. "I just don't know any more…"
There was a long pause with neither mare saying anything. Then, Celestia used her horn to shut off the lighting in the room, as well as the terminals. She'd seen Luna do it before, so it wasn't a challenge. The bedroom became bathed in darkness, with only the silvery light of the moon flowing in from the windows.
Celestia began to hum. Just as Luna had for her more than 700 years ago, she now began to hum a certain, familiar lullaby. She watched as Luna turned to her, surprise on her face.
"That's the…"
Celestia merely continued to hum, flowing through the melody smoothly and serenely. As she did, she saw Luna shift her head on the pillow so she was staring straight up at the roof. She clutched the blankets with her hooves, drawing them up so that the edge rested just below her chin. She lay there silently, but Celestia could see so much in her eyes. She saw wonder and nostalgia, but she also saw unease and uncertainty. Her mouth continued to hang in a small frown.
Now, as she saw her sister laying before her like this, she was reminded of a certain little blue foal. A tiny, young alicorn, laying in bed just like this, afraid or unable to go to sleep. The way she frowned, the way she clutched at the blankets with her little hooves, it was just the same.
Tia?
Yes, Luna?
I'm…scared…
Why, there art nothing to be afraid of. Thou art quite safe with me.
B-but…
Images from a time long passed, from a time when she had been just a young, innocent thing with no duties or responsibilities; they all came back to her clearer than ever before. Once again, she found herself singing to her little sister to help her get some sleep.
It all became so much more familiar.
"Hush little sister,
Lay down to sleep.
You're safe with me now,
There's no need to weep."
She watched as Luna's eyes sparkled in the moonlight. She could see a faint recognition in her growing more and more familiar as she sung.
Celestia smiled warmly and sung the words again. They were the only ones that she could remember, but they still meant something special to the both of them, and it brought a warm feeling to her heart.
Luna's eyes grew heavy as Celestia sung and hummed. It wasn't very long before they were closed and Luna was resting peacefully beneath the covers.
Celestia leaned in and gently kissed her on the forehead.
"I love you, Luna…" she whispered.