Learning To Laugh Again
A Cupcake Chronicles Side Story Series
by milesprower06
Part 4
Rainbow realized that she had not yet had a relaxing time in Canterlot. She had only been here twice: once for the Grand Galloping Gala, which had been nothing like she imagined, and then again four months ago for the stop on their nationwide tour. It was one of their quicker stops with minimal downtime, so she and Applejack didn't have any time to see the attractions, which to be honest, even on a Wonderbolt stunt flier's salary, much of it was too pricey. Now that she was answering a summons from Princess Celestia, she was fairly confident that the third time wasn't going to be the charm.
Still, she was hoping that sometime during this time off, she and AJ could take the train up here and go to one of the nicer restaurants. They had been together for a year now, and they had spent plenty of time together, but being Wonderbolt performers, they had to constantly schedule around their tour. They didn't have any special time together for their birthdays or anniversary because of the performances and meet and greet sessions. Now here she was on the first day of vacation, getting summoned to the castle.
As she flew closer to the single mountaintop breaking through the cloud cover, Rainbow descended through the cool January air towards Canterlot, paying mind to land before entering the restricted airspace around the city. She landed just on the far side of the drawbridge, quickly trotting across into the city. She headed directly for the castle, but also kept an eye out for restaurants she thought she and AJ would like.
Celestia's letter was true to her word. The guards barely glanced at her before letting her through the front gates into the Grand Hall. It had been some time since her first and only visit here, so she had to ask for directions to the throne room. Upon arriving, the unicorn guards used their magic to open the gigantic doors and allowed Rainbow to enter. She walked down the red carpet of the elongated hall to the throne, where Princess Celestia was busy with a parchment with an assistant standing by. Once she saw Rainbow approaching, she rolled up the scroll, levitated it to her assistant, and dismissed her and the two guards at the throne. The pegasus approached the steps and gave a bow.
“Good day, Rainbow Dash. Thank you for coming so soon. How have you been?” Celestia asked.
“Very well Your Highness, thank you. I'm looking forward to spending some time relaxing.”
“Seems like a good idea right now, in fact. Have you ever been to the castle courtyard?”
Rainbow shook her head.
“I think once during a class field trip. I don't really remember it.”
“Then maybe it's time for a refresher course,” Celestia said, smiling.
She walked down from the throne, beckoning Rainbow to follow. It was a short walk out to the courtyard, which was decorated with all manner of flora, flags, and statues.
“So what did you want to discuss with me? Seems kind of...lighthearted to talk about it on a relaxing walk through a garden.” Rainbow commented. Celestia gave a light chuckle at the Pegasus.
“That's what I've always liked about you, Rainbow. You're never afraid to speak your mind. No, the task I have for you is really quite important, but I don't believe it would have the same weight if I just told you in correspondence, or brought you up here and just told you to go do it. No, it will be much more meaningful if presented in the proper way.”
The pair of ponies turned the south corner of the hedge maze. Here, there were fewer statues, but they were of a slightly higher quality than the decorative ones dotted everywhere else throughout the courtyard. A pair of guards stood at each entrance of this portion of the maze.
“What's special about this place? Those are the first guards I've seen in here.” Rainbow inquired as they passed and entered the guarded area.
“Don't jump to conclusions so quickly, Rainbow Dash. This place is not being guarded, it is being respected. This is the Avenue of Fallen Heroes. Each statue here commemorates a pony who gave their life in a time of extraordinary crisis.”
Rainbow panned around the Avenue. She counted a total of fourteen statues.
“Only fourteen? What about the founders of Equestria? That part of history class I do remember.”
“Yes, the first settlers of this area, the likes of Clover the Clever, Smart Cookie, and Private Pansy...ponies who convinced their leaders to set their hate aside. But they lived long and full lives after their situations passed. I created this garden nearly 1,000 years ago to honor those greatest heroes who did not live to see the fruits of their efforts...and this was the very first one.”
Rainbow looked up at the statue that Celestia had stopped in front of. It was a Pegasus stallion, clad in armor. He looked boldly to the horizon, with a hint of concern on his face that the sculptor had captured perfectly. Rainbow's gaze descended to the plaque on the base of the statue.
ORION
“My...ancestor?” Rainbow asked, bewildered. Her dad had never said anything about a statue in the castle courtyard. Celestia nodded, pointing to the rest of the plaque.
Rainbow read the inscription below the name aloud.
“He walked proudly into the darkness so that others could see the light.”
“I presided over his funeral service. It seemed like the most appropriate eulogy.”
“My dad just gave me the family heirloom; one of his insignia bands.”
“The very same band I presented to his wife, who then passed it down to their firstborn son when he was of age. He was born into Nightmare Moon's eternal night. Because of Orion's actions, his son, and all of Equestria, saw daylight again.”
“Dad said you might be able to tell me what happened? You know, at the battle?”
Celestia nodded solemnly.
“It was roughly six days time since Luna had usurped the throne and kept the moon high in the sky. In that time, I had traveled throughout Equestria, doing my best to keep order and keep tensions as low as I could, while gathering up all the forces I could to take back the castle. When I returned, I had amassed a force five times greater than Luna's standing forces. I knew how defensible the castle was; I was ready to raze the entire area with bombing runs if that's what it took to get the sun back into the sky.”
Celestia looked up into the eyes of the statue.
“But in the last hour before the attack, Orion had left the castle to seek me out. He desired a solution where the fewest lives would be lost. The Night Watch had no more to do with Luna's coup than anypony else, so I took his request to heart. Orion did his best to disorient as many of his troops as he could, keeping them from the fighting. Unfortunately, I was forced to use a single bombing run in the final push.”
Rainbow continued studying the statue, putting a single hoof up onto the base.
“How did he die?”
“By Nightmare Moon herself. In keeping his troops at bay with flash and smoke powder, he had gained the attention of his bloodthirsty second-in-command, who was still loyal to Nightmare Moon. After dealing with her, Nightmare had begun to personally participate in the conflict. He took a lance of magical energy through his neck and left wing. In his uncontrollable descent, he crashed through the bridge connecting the forest to the castle.”
Rainbow turned and looked up at Celestia, eyes wide.
“You mean...”
Celestia nodded.
“The same bridge you reconnected so that your friends could cross and enter the castle. He was hit just moments before I confronted Nightmare Moon in the throne room. Miraculously, the impact did not kill him. He must have lived long enough to see the moon begin to move again, because when they found his body, there was a clear smile on his face. ”
Celestia took a few steps forward, standing next to Rainbow before continuing.
“Luna and I were given our power because of our willingness to accept the burden of ruling an entire nation after overthrowing Discord. In our uprising, we had discovered the Elements of Harmony. Back then they were just stone spheres. Even now, I don't know where they came from. Then, some time later, a unicorn king by the name of Sombra enslaved his entire kingdom, forcing them to harvest the mysterious magical crystals of the arctic north. When news of this reached us in Canterlot, we again had to take a stand, as the Elements were the only magic stronger than the dark magic Sombra was tapping into from the crystals. After all this time, I am not sure how the Elements work. What I do know is they take a lot of energy. When Luna and I stood against Discord and Sombra, we used three each, and each time it was exhausting.”
Rainbow knew this to be true. After coming to in the castle after stripping away Luna's dark magic, she definitely felt a bit winded. She recovered quickly, but there was no denying the momentary drain the Element of Loyalty had on her body.
“But when I was forced to use all six Elements against Nightmare Moon, it nearly killed me. I couldn't move for hours, and I had to lay there in the throne room just to gather enough energy to raise the sun the next morning.”
Rainbow had a guess as to why she was being told this.
'I want you to keep my necklace Rainbow. Keep it until you find somepony else who laughs their troubles away.'
“The Element of Laughter has been entrusted to you for a time, and I would prefer if that time is kept as brief as possible. If Equestria is attacked in a manner in which the Elements are required as a means of defense, I do not want to put you at any more risk than is absolutely necessary. So the task I have for you is this; find a pony that you deem worthy to wield the Element of Laughter. You are an excellent judge of character, Rainbow Dash, and I believe the Element will trust whatever decision you make, if it is pure of heart.”
With that, the Princess lowered her head, and knighted the pegasus with her horn.
“I'm supposed to find another pony...just like that?”
“I certainly don't expect it to be 'just like that', but I do want you to keep an eye out. It won't be entirely on you, either. The Elements have power beyond our understanding. I'm sure they'll help you in this search in ways you won't even notice. So don't let it distract you from your time off. They'll let you know when the time has come.”
Rainbow looked up again at the statue of her ancestor, the Night Watch Captain who sacrificed everything so the sun would rise. She now understood her dad's pride in their family's military legacy.
“I don't wish to keep you any longer than necessary. Is there anything else?” Celestia asked.
Rainbow pondered for a moment, and nodded.
“Yeah, actually there is.”