//------------------------------// // Epilogue // Story: How the Heart Burns // by thehalfelf //------------------------------// Epilogue “...think she is waking up....” “....do something, Your Majesty, we are losing her...” “Stand back...” “Everypony clear!  Now!” A sharp pain in my chest forces me to throw my eyes open and take a deep breath of air.  I feel somepony roll me over onto my side as a coughing fit starts, ending in drops of blood splatter onto a wooden floor below.  As soon as my shaky breathing normalizes, I roll onto my back to look at my saviors. The first thing I see is a bright blue sky, though there is a distortion over in the very edge of my vision.  Next, closer objects slowly come into focus: two ponies--unicorns--in white coats.  A little further beyond them, outside of the carriage I’m sitting in, sits a large, white-coated pony, with a multicolored mane flowing in the breeze. One of the coated ponies walks to the large one.  “Princess, the Regent is awake.” “Thank you,” she says before getting to her hooves and walking over to me.  It is only then that I notice the large, white horn on her head, the same color as the wings held against her sides.  “Lady Regent of the Crystal Empire.  I am pleased to make your acquaintance.” I slowly rise into a sitting position, ignoring the coated ponies’ demands that I lie down.  “W... Where am I?  And who are you?”  I quickly whip my head around, looking for the source of all of my pain.  “Where is Sombra?” “You are approximately four and a half hundred yards from the former location of the Crystal Empire, which currently houses Sombra, and those things I believe you ponies call ‘Wilds.’  To answer your second question, I am Princess Celestia of Equestria.” Remembering what Father had taught me, I incline my head as far as my headache allows.  “I am honored, Your Majesty,” I try to say, but a coughing fit interrupts my last word. If she noticed my breach in etiquette, the Princess chooses not to bring it up.  “These ponies would tell me that you have quite the story to tell, Miss Regent.” “If it pleases Your Majesty, you can call me Cadence,” I reply.  “And, I suppose I might, but I am curious what you mean by ‘former location of the Crystal Empire.’  What has happened to my city?”  The headache is slowly fading now, being replaced by memories of my last minutes awake. “How about a trade,” the white monarch proposes.  “I tell you my story, then give you an offer.  Whether you accept or refuse, you tell me yours.  Deal?”  I nod.  “Very well.  Allow me to begin.”  Instead of starting, however, she gracefully walks over to the other side of the carriage and sits down next to me. “Now then,” she begins, “it all started with this letter I got in your name, though I wonder now if it ever touched your hooves.  It was a cry for help from you, help to develop and power a spell focused in a gem you called the Crystal Heart to repel the Wilds from your city.  I sent a formula for a basic spell, and promised aid later, as I was busy. “Luckily, I was able to get away quicker, or else you would be dead now.  While we were flying to the Crystal Empire to give our promised aid, one of my guards,” whom I now notice are sitting near the harness to the carriage, staring around us in all directions, “saw what he called a ‘pink pony-shaped form lying unconscious on the ground.’” “We landed to investigate, and quickly realized who you were.  I stayed here to provide first aid, and sent my carriage to the nearest friendly city for aid,” the two white coated ponies wave at me, “and once they had arrived, I left with my guards to get some answers. “A very kind stallion who called himself King Sombra answered our calls, and spun a tale of how you wandered off, and how he was simply holding your place until you returned.  I was suspicious, but I returned here anyway.  It wasn’t until one of my guards mentioned seeing several ponies being led by chains from part of the city, and one of the doctors reported that there was a puncture wound in your shoulder, and traces of a very, very old poison in your veins that my suspicions were confirmed.” She took a deep breath.  “We returned to speak with King Sombra, where I confronted him.  He said that the ponies in chains were traitors, and that the poisoning was probably an assassination attempt.  I almost believed it, until I noticed a small notebook lying on the corner of the desk,”  She holds up my diary, the one given to me by Father, “which I discreetly took and read while you were unconscious.  I apologize for invading your privacy, but I felt it was necessary. “I was able to piece together the rudiments of what happened.  It was then that we were attacked by ponies I assumed were the ‘Wilds’ referenced several times in your journal, until I saw the Crystal Empire emblem on their breastplates.  After they were... disposed of, for lack of a better term, I decided that the threat posed by Sombra was too great to let lie.” The great white princess sighs.  “Unfortunately, due to problems back home in Equestria, there is very little I can actually do right now.  So, I used the focal point of the Crystal Heart and threw the entire city into its own pocket of space.  I can undo it whenever we are able to face Sombra.” I blink.  “You took my city... and put it into another dimension...?” The princess nods. “So... what do I do now?” I ask after a brief pause.  “I’m a Regent without a Regency...” “That is where my offer comes in.”  Princess Celestia looks over at me with a warm smile.  “Of course, I am willing to bring you to Canterlot with me, and have you labeled as nobility and put into our Council of Elders.”  She must notice my distasteful look, for she laughs.  “I thought as much.  My other offer is to bring you to Canterlot, and make you a princess, my niece, if you will, until such a time as you can return to your throne.” Both options are generous, very generous, especially considering that Princess Celestia has never met me, and has already saved my life.  “Why?” I ask, not realizing I voice my thought. “Hmm?  Oh, that’s an easy one.  I knew your father.”  My breath catches in my throat and I look over at her, astonished.  “Yes, it is true.  I even saw you as a little filly, though I am ashamed to admit I could not recall your name until now.  Your father was a great stallion, and an exceptional ruler, and I feel you can do great in Equestria, either as nobility or royalty.” The conversation falls into a lull for a moment as I contemplate the Princess’ last words.  “Can I wait to decide?” The white princess nods.  “Of course.  Either way, however, I believe you owe me a story now.  I did read your journal, but I feel your personal account will be much more revealing.”  She bestows me another of her warm smiles, and places my journal in my lap.  The doctors pile in the carriage behind us, the guards take their positions in the harness, and we take to the sky, headed south. “It all began with a what I thought was going to be a boring meeting of Council, early last year...”