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// 33. Celestia visits the Sun Creche, and finds something unexpected... 
// Story: Short Shorts 
// by Coranth 
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With her duties as Princess done for the day, Celestia returned to her quarters wherein she doffed her regalia. Then, wreathing herself within her solar magic, she teleported to the Sun Creche; the secret orphanage where her special children were cared for. When she arrived there, however, the Solar Diarch gasped softly, for something was amiss; the great doors of the orphanage were wide open and within, she could hear voices, one of which wasn't hers! 'What is going on here?' thought she with suspicion as she moved into the foyer, past the staff quarters, and then through the great playroom to the living and sleeping area. Stopping before the doors to said area, soundlessly the Solar Princess carefully pried them open... And what she saw within caused bitter tears to well within her eyes. Within the room, Nightmare Moon rested upon the nest of pillows normally occupied by herself. Her beloved, Daniel, rested by the black mare's side - a filly curled in his lap - as around the Dark Mare of the Night children of all races rested. 'My children...' thought Celestia bitterly as she looked on. 'My children... no more...' Breath hitching within her chest, the Mare de Sol watched as Nightmare Moon read to them all from a book that lay on the floor before her:

"Abruptly, the sound ceased. Suddenly, the desolation, the solitude, became unendurable. While that voice sounded, London had still seemed alive. Now suddenly, there was a change, the passing of something - and all that remained was this gaunt quiet. I looked up and saw a third machine. It was erect and motionless, like the others. An insane resolve possessed me. I would give my life to the Martians, here and now! I marched recklessly towards the titan and saw that a multitude of black birds was circling and clustering about the hood. I began running along the road. I felt no fear, only a wild, trembling exultation, as I ran up the hill towards the motionless monster. Out of the hood hung red shreds, at which the hungry birds now pecked and tore. I scrambled up to the crest of Primrose Hill, and the Martian's camp was below me. A mighty space it was, and scattered about it, in their overturned machines, were the Martians - dead. Slain, after all man's devices had failed, by the humblest things upon the Earth. Bacteria. Minute, invisible, bacteria! Directly the invaders arrived and drank and fed, our microscopic allies attacked them. From that moment - they were doomed..." 

Unable to stop the tears from coming - as they fell from her eyes to stain her muzzle - Princess Celestia fled. Some two hours later - as Daniel looked on, bewildered - she paced back and forth before him as he sat upon the bed within their shared quarters. Then... "What... what were you thinking?" Cried she, pained. "That orphanage...! Those children...! They are mine! How... How dare you share them with her! What were you thinking...?" Shaking his head at her behavior - yet still understanding where she was coming from - Daniel opened his mouth to voice a reply. "I was thinking" stated he, softly, "that perhaps it was time to share the Sun Creche with somepony else. It shouldn't just be for you... all ponies deserve to see this orphanage, this amazing and wonderful thing that you're doing for all these children. I was thinking" continued he, "that your sister, Luna - and her darker half, Nightmare Moon, too - might reach out and form a bond with people who've never heard of what she did so long ago; ponies and others who aren't going to run in fear of her--in either form: those children. After spending a thousand years imprisoned on the moon, your sister needs all the love she can..." Suddenly, Daniel's eyes widened, his heart wrenching in his chest as he was hit with a flash of realization. "Your sister..." breathed he, softly.

Carefully, he made to move toward his beloved mare but as he did Celestia backed away from him, only to stumble and fall to her haunches. She could barely look at him, so filled with shame was she - why had she yelled at him again? - but then, as fresh tears welled up within her eyes, and a sob caught in her throat the amazing human man knelt before her, gently pushing her head up with a hand so that he might look into her eyes. "That's why you did it, isn't it," he stated, softly, cupping her cheeks with his hands. "That's why you built the orphanage. You'd just lost your sister - a mare you adored like no other because she was kin - flesh of your flesh, blood of your blood. All that love and compassion in your heart for her... but she was gone; there was no one to give it to anymore. You'd lost your family. And so... you decided to create a new one... You built the Sun Creche - the secret orphanage, until now kept all to yourself - and filled it with children. Compassion motivated you - that's true, and for that I commend you - but... each and every one of those children - from pony to dragon to zebra and beyond - are all "special needs"; they will always need some form of care; always need the love you give them; and always see you as Mother, as Family. And even though they'll eventually grow up - as all children do - more will come, and you'll always have them as your family. You won't 'lose' them... like you lost your sister, all those many years ago..." 

By the time Daniel was finished - the ancient wound opened, her shame laid bare - Celestia was broken; it was all she could do to clutch Daniel desperately as a man might clutch a lifeline. "It--It's true" she croaked, her breath hitching, "it's all true. When... when I lost Lulu, I... I died inside. I was insensate for months so strong was my grief. In the end, it was my Little Ponies who roused me from my despair. I... I did my duties as was expected of me, but inside I still wept, still bled. I was so... so lonely! I... I... I just wanted somepony to lo-ho-hove..." Great wracking sobs ripped free from her throat, then as she burst into tears and Daniel - dear, sweet Daniel - just held her close, whispering apologetically to her as she wrapped hooves, forelegs and wings about him; held her and weathered the emotional storm of a thousand years' loneliness and grief released. A short time later - as the Princess of the Sun still cried, still worked to cleanse the ages-old wound, suddenly to her horror she felt Daniel begin to pull away from her embrace. He... he was leaving her! 'No...!' thought she, desperately clinging unto him even as he gently worked himself free. 'Please, please, not you too! Don't leave me alone...!' But it was no use; a keening cry escaped her as he freed himself... but then the cry died in her throat as she felt hooves like her own wrap around her body; felt wings akin to hers enfold her shaking form; then a pony muzzle nuzzle-nuzzled her face. Opening her eyes, a softened gasp escaped her as Celestia found her sister - her sister returned to her! - embracing her form.

"I'm sorry," whimpered Luna through her own tears, "I'm so sorry for refusing to lower the moon..." and then suddenly Nightmare Moon made manifest as Luna coaxed her to surface from within, the great wings of the black alicorn's larger form enfolding her completely. "We..." the Dread Mare choked, "we art sorry, too, Beloved Sister. Thy Consort Daniel - and thine own Consort, David - prithee did they gently rebuke Us for what We did; then They showed us the way. We... we shalt always submit to thee, Beloved Sister; Our Moon shalt always be made low for the Light of thy Sun..." A watery chuckle escaping her, the Solar Princess nodded in acceptance then nuzzled into the black alicorn - Nightmare Moon was still her sister Luna, after all, just her darker half - but still, she found that she just couldn't stop crying. "Hmmm..." mused Nightmare as she kept holding Celestia close, "thy grief still troubles thee. Mayhap we might have a solution..." Before Celestia could question her - or do anything at all to stop her - suddenly the Solar Princess felt Moon cast a powerful Mass Transport spell, and then - "Mama! Mommy! Ma Celly! Mom!" - she near choked with laughter, fresh tears welling in her eyes as she felt an absolute sea of small furry, feathered, scaly, and carapaced bodies close around her, Moon and Daniel, poking, pushing, nudging, nuzzling... "My babies..." whispered she, for Moon had, indeed, brought the whole of the Sun Creche unto them, "my beautiful, beautiful babies..."