//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Reuniting // Story: Hurting // by SevenLies1Truth //------------------------------// Chapter 4: Reuniting 10 years later "Celestia, stand tall! Don't slouch!" Her mother shouted at her as Celestia sat on the sofa. Just because today she was having her third portrait done, her mother thought it was some sort of important event. She just didn't see how it was important. Her little 10 year old sister Luna, giggled in the background, she found everything funny. Celestia couldn't help smile, she really did love her sister and would do anything for her. Celestia figured that she must have been sitting on the sofa for about an hour already and her legs were beginning to fall asleep. The painter kept glancing at her with a frown on his face, every time she moved. Well she couldn't help if she was uncomfortable, who would in this compromising position? About another half an hour later and the painter had finished sketching the basic form. Celestia got up and stretched her legs, tomorrow the painter would want her again. The painting had been thrown into her already busy schedule and she hardly got any time with her little sister, all she really wanted to was play with her! "Celestia, quickly! We need to start preparations for your 18th birthday ball!" Her mother, stated clapping her hooves together and walking out the door as elegantly as possible. Celestia gave a sigh, her 18th birthday was tomorrow. She was dreading it, she knew that many lords and duchess were coming. Her mother was going to try and pick a suitor for her, she didn't want to get married! However the princess could never go against her mother's wishes. She followed after her mother, her head hung low. She just didn't see the appeal in a ball. They were always so boring! Celestia had never been one to complain, instead she just went through with it, well she might as well! "Oh Celestia, you're going to love it! There will be be pretty flowers, beautiful music playing and of course many royal colts for you to dance with. Hence I might even say that you might find yourself a good husband in time!" "Mother, I'm too young to get married yet." Celestia responded, giving her mother a sideways look. "Oh don't be ridiculous! I got married when I saw sixteen to your father, we met at a ball as well you know an-" Celestia cut her mother off. "I know Mother, I know you don't need to remind me. You must have told that tale at least 53 times." Her mother gave a small smile and started to walk very quickly to one of the kitchens. "Mother where are you going?" Celestia asked, a little surprised. " To get your dress for the occasion! Go to the throne room please Celestia!" Her mother responded disappearing into the kitchen. Celestia was a little bit confused, why was her dress in the kitchen? It was a bit of a strange place to put it. Especially with all the food about, it might get ruined and then her mother would throw a strop! Heading to the throne room, Celestia stared at the portraits that hung on the wall of her ancestors. They all looked down at her with a disapproval scowl. Why had all her ancestors looked like they were miserable? Celestia hoped to find out that reason one day. Yes she understood the emotion of disappointment and resent but to be constantly moody, she just didn't see how ponies could be like that! Reaching into the throne room, Celestia stared at her mother's throne. She had a sneaky idea. She really wanted to sit on the throne, she knew that she shouldn't really sit on it but she was going to be queen one day so she might as well. There was a knock at the main door and Celestia quickly leapt off the seat and went to go and open the door. There stood Runny Fields. She had become one of Celestia's most trusted ponies and a friendship had formed over the years even though Runny Fields was older than her. Celestia had become slightly taller than the average pony but she still wasn't a fully grown alicorn. When she gained her full powers, she would reach her full height. Celestia know had her cutie mark it had come when she had been playing at night one day and decided that she was going to have a go at raising the sun and she had manged to do it! Her mother had discovered about it the next minute and was beaming but still looked a little bit angry that Celestia had raised the sun without her mother's permission. "What is it Fields?" Celestia asked. Long ago had Celestia decided to call her Fields. "Celestia, my princess. I did not expect to find you here. It's that a guest has arrived on the doorstep, I was wondering if you wanted me to invite him in?" Fields finished. Celestia never understood why her best friend always addressed her privately in public, when they were alone, Fields was very informal. Celestia was actually quite surprised that they had a visitor. Could it be that one of the guests had got the date wrong and turned up a day early? If that was the case, She would notify her mother but first she wanted to see who this visitor was. "Yes but bring him to the throne room please Fields." "Yes your majesty." Fields bowed and disappeared. A few minutes passed and she returned and Celestia's could hear the guests hooves behind her. Celestia couldn't wait to find out who this guest was! "May I announce King Daze?" Fields stated, allowing someone to walk through who Celestia hadn't seen in 10 long years. Celestia's eyes widened as she looked at her old friend. He looked so different now. He was taller and looked like he had shaped out. He was about 4 inches taller than her but she also noticed that he had horns now and his eyes were a bright red, his black pupils had gone just to be replaced by more red. The curse, Celestia remembered, It had already began to effect him. "Fields, will you give us some time alone?" Celestia asked still surprised by the fact that he was even here! "Oh and please tell my mother that I'm talking to some one and don't want to be disturbed?" Fields nodded and headed out the door. "It's been a very long time Celestia, hasn't it?" Celestia narrowed her eyes as she took King Daze in. 10 long years she had to wait to meet him again and now she didn't really know what to say. She had to chose her words carefully. "10 years, you've changed a lot..." Celestia stated looking around the room, why did it feel so awkward talking to him? Perhaps it was the fact that he had broke his promise! "So have you. You're all grown up now not the little filly that I remember." Daze walked forward, he had missed her so much but all the conversations he had planned over the years, they didn't want to come out. He had so much to say, so much to tell her but why couldn't he? "Daze. You broke your promise. I asked you to visit every year and waited for you to come, it was only a couple of years later that I figured that you were never going to show! I cried at night because of you, I missed you so much. My best friend and you abandoned me like that! Why Daze? Why? Was I not important to you? Was I just some filly that you met in your colthood who you just forgot about? I never thought you would show up again, why now? Why now when we've both grown up and not a filly and colt anymore?" Daze was shocked, he had never expected a response from Celestia like this. "Celestia, I'm sorry. I wanted to come but I couldn't, I couldn't just abandon my country, I know I broke my promise but I was scared of you seeing how I was changing, that's another reason why I didn't come. Look at me Celestia! I'm a freak, the curse has already begun, it's changing me all over and there's nothing I can do about it!" Celestia was silent and walked over to Daze. He looked down at her with tears in his eyes. "I shouldn't be so selfish Daze I know but I really did miss you. I couldn't imagine a world without you Daze." Celestia whispered reaching Daze into a hug. Daze blushed but was actually a little surprised, a world without him? Daze had thought long ago that the world didn't need a colt like him, he wasn't a perfect King he was just some stupid colt that was changing into a monster. "You're not being selfish Celestia. It was my fault really." Celestia pulled away from the hug and sat on the floor. "Why do you call me Celestia now, what ever happened to Tia?, In fact when you became King...I was just referred to Celestia." "I don't know, I love calling you by your full name. It's beautiful." Celestia blushed. How long had she wanted to talk to Daze like this? She didn't know. "Why are you here Daze?" "Because I know that it's your 18th birthday tomorrow and I just came...I do have a gift that you'll get tomorrow." Celestia knew that he was avoiding her question, why had he come back now? She believed that part of the reason he had come back was for her birthday but he also keeping a secret from her and she intended to find out what it was. "Well how long are you here for?" "I think about 2 or 3 weeks." "Oh okay. Daze your curse...there must be a cure to it." Daze flinched, why was she bringing this up? It was a sore subject for him and he didn't really want to talk about it. "Celestia I searched and searched but there just isn't." He stated, pawing his hoof at the ground with his head hung low. "Stop lying Daze, you've never lied to me before! There must be! There must be a cure!" Celestia cried. Daze just shook his head, why wouldn't she understood that there was no way to save him? "Celestia please be quiet!" He shouted. Celestia looked shocked, why had Daze shouted. "Why would I lie to you! There isn't!" Daze shouted yet again. Celestia looked angry and then turned away but not before whispering: "Daze you may have lost hope in finding a cure but I haven't and if it kills me you're going to be you again." She walked out the door and into the throne room. Daze let a single tear fall to the ground, why couldn't Celestia just see the truth? There was no turning back for him now.