//------------------------------//
// Aurinko Ch.14 
// Story: A Time Before 
// by Blue Turtle 
//------------------------------//

	Wind Song stood in disbelief. Lily looked down at the ground. Their friend was probably a pile of ash. Nebula stood stoic, watching the fire as it violently lashed around. Spark Shower had passed out, He laid slumped over on the floor. Levier couldn't bare to sit there any longer. She had to trudge a long with her duties. It had rained all day, But the fire just seemed to ignore the cool air and continued to hiss and roar.
"This is so wrong... Why? Why would.. Why would she do this knowing she'd die!" Lily yelled at the flames.
"Celestia can't be dead! I won't let her be! She still has so much to do!" Wind Song cried out over the raging fire. Nebula stood silently but it was all to easy to tell she was in pain.
"It feels like someone's put stones in my chest.." Nebula said before looking downward.
"That's what happens when your heart breaks." Lily said glancing to the dark blue unicorn. Wind Song looked at the fire, tears streamed down her face; Wind Song was possibly one of the happiest ponies Lily had known. To see her cry was like being thrown at the stone wall outside Canterlot. Wind Song blinked for a moment. The pink pegasus flew up higher and higher.
"Wind Song what are you doing?!" Lily shouted as the mare flew up. Wind Song climbed higher and higher into the air until she was above the clouds. But just barely.
"This is gonna have to work..." Wind Song said calmly. She began to fly down, gaining speed as she rocketed towards the earth. She closed her wings and became to go faster ten she could with them unfurled. Dropping like a rock, the air around her began to compress until a loud explosion of colors came forth. The explosion was made up of purple, light blue and pink. It was like a large ring of color that spread out across Equestria. She flew straight into the fire, The amount of wind following behind her put it out. Somehow Wind Song stood in the ashed of the fire.
"There. It's out. Now we can bury her." Wind Song choked out. In the remnants of a fire there was the half burnt body of an alicorn.
"It's a shame you know. To think that this incinerated pile of bones is our friend..." Nebula faintly said to Lily. Lily nodded and looked at the bones, What was left of any muscle of tissue clung onto the bones. Something was odd about the bones however. Her collarbone seemed to be made out of some sort of other martial, as well as her lower spine and upper hips. Wind Song walks over and poked the collar bone.
"That's weird. It's not soft like the rest of the bones..." Wind Song said, Almost confused.
"You know I just realized how little we know about alicorns.. How do they even work? Nebulis and Galaxia lived for millions of years..." Nebula said, her inner scientist showing.
"It's said Galaxia got completely decapitated once... how'd she even live?!" Lily questioned.
"This makes no sense.. Are alicorns... immortal?" Wind Song said, Her grief stricken face focused on the bones.
"No. I wouldn't say immortal... We know they can die.. but they seem to live forever..." Nebula.
"This doesn't make any sense... How does that work? Are they immortal or invulnerable? Wouldn't that be a problem if they were to become evil like Nebulis? And what's with these markings?!" Lily said with a mixture of confusion and fear. The markings on the bone were quite odd. They seemed to be made up of magic text. But that didn't make much sense.

~Pax est a sole, sed unis. Si fractus est signifer Solis. Si hoc mundo fieri sub illa arderent.~

"What does that even mean?" Nebula said before reading more of the writing.

~Luna fuerit furatur. Sol frangitur. Currunt.~

~Per mortem corde confractus. Doleo~

~Tam malum dolor non est, opus est. Suus peius.~

~Cur est tam calidus omnia? Quomodo autem posset aliquid ita malum et inferiora ego resuscitabo?~

~Donec sicut lux abiit. Non video, nisi ignem. At si vultus mei Levier.~

~Pauper flos. Est ad vis sed liberatus.~

~Mortis et vitae. Lux et tenebrae. Amor et desperatio. Veritas et mendacium. Dolorem et sanitatem.~

"Wait... what does it mean? The Sun's broken? I mean I know Celestia's tied to the Sun but..." Wind Song began to say. Just as she said that the markings began to glow. Sunny yellow magic enveloped the ponies and the figure of a pony began to form. First muscles and tissue formed. Wind Song took a few steps back.
"I take it they truly are invulnerable then." A guard gasped as skin started forming. Lily felt her stomach turn as the smell came forth. It smelled like something had been burnt alive and then left to rot.
"No. Not invulnerable. They regenerate." Nebula calmly said.  It was as if they were watching someone being put back together. The pony's face formed, First tissue began to grow and a tongue formed. Then it's cheeks and nose. The muscle was like little strings coming together. The skin had yet to form, so when it yawned it made one guard throw up. Wind Song put her mouth to hold back anything that felt like coming up.
"This is how an alicorn can live for so long. They regenerate. I have to say... it's disgusting to watch." Lily said in between heavy breaths.
"Does that mean.. she's alive?" Spark Shower said. His terrified face showed the collective thoughts of every pony in the room.
"I'm not sure... " Nebula said softly. Magic seemed to lash around the room. It was electricity but not. The pony slumped over, a few traces of magic still moving up it forming more skin. Nebula blinked and stepped closer. The alicorn took a deep breath.
"Well... She's alive..." Nebula said, looking back to the guards. The guards carefully carried the sleeping alicorn out. Spark Shower got up.
"Does that mean alicorns are basically immortal? They seem to live forever and they can regenerate, Celestia was completely incinerated and she was still able to comeback..." Spark Shower said, looking over at the scorch mark.
"I wouldn't say that. There is most likely a limit to their regenerative powers or some catch. There has to be something in exchange for their healing abilities." Nebula said.
"Maybe immortality is the catch; Think about it if Celestia and Luna are basically immortal then that means anypony who's mortal and friends with them will die. They'll outlive everypony." Spark Shower said then covered his mouth realizing what he said. It was like being hit with a battering ram.
"I-I didn't realize what I was saying..." Spark Shower's voice trailing off.
"No. You're right. They will outlive us." Lilly said uncomfortably.
"We can't worry about that right now. What will we tell Celestia when she wakes up? That she regenerated from the dead because Nebula recited some words on her bones?" Lilly said turning to the scorch mark. There was an odd silence until Nebula spoke.
"We need to be loyal to her. That's what friends do. She sacrificed her own flank for Levier so there's no reason we should be afraid of her. She's our friend and that's that." Nebula said calmly if not slightly cold. Wind Song, Lilly and Spark Shower all nodded.
"Now let's just be there for her when she waked up." Wind Song said confidently. They sprinted off the infirmary, avoiding any eyes contact with guards or servants. The four darted into the room and looked at Celestia. She was still asleep thankfully. Wind Song walked over to a bench and sat.
"Now we wait..." Lily said quietly. Just as she said that Celestia's eyes opened up. She sat up.
"Lily? You're here?" Celestia said before looking around.
"I'm right here Tia." Lily said before taking a closer look at her friend's face. She stood stared.
"Gosh dang it can someone turn on a light! It's pitch black in here!" Celestia said angrily.
"W-What do you mean? Celestia let me look at your eyes." Nebula said shakily. Nebula pushed her friend's mane out of the way to reveal Two pitch black eyes.
"Your eyes..." Nebula softly said.
"What about my eyes?" Celestia choked out.
"They're pitch black." Nebula tried to say with a straight face. But she couldn't keep her lip from quivering.
"That doesn't... Does that mean..." Celestia choked out. Nebula nodded but knew Celestia couldn't see her do so. She faintly said yes.
"I guess that's the exchange. You died and had to give up something." Spark Shower said softly. Silence filled the room for what felt like a lifetime. Lily and Wind Song explained what happened and why Celestia was back in the first place. Celestia just stared at the blanket.
"What now? I'm useless." Celestia muttered. Wind Song looked at her in rage.
"You're not useless! I won't let you be! Just because your eyes are gone!" Her voice trailed off.
"That's not why I'm useless! I managed to lose Luna, and almost have Levier die!" Celestia said angrily. Wind Song looked down. She knew Celestia was right.
"There has to be someway. Levier has to know something; It could be temporary too. There has to be a way we can restore your eyes sight. Then you can fight Discord again." Spark Shower said, optimistic as ever. Celestia took a minute to think.
"We'll give it a shot. This time I won't lose. Or die in the process." Celestia said with a faint smile.
"There's the Celestia I know. Ready to do anything to help ponies." Wind Song smiled.
"Now. Can you guys help me find a place to stretch. I hurt almost everywhere." Celestia said half joking. Lily helped the alicorn off the bed and made sure she didn't knock anything over (Though a poor cup of water did get knocked over) Celestia was slowly walked back to her room.
"I told you she wouldn't give up." Nebula said to a guard who doubted her earlier.
"I suppose you were right." The guard said softly.
"Like Wind Song said Celestia will do anything to protect her ponies." Nebula said before smiling.

Celestia looked outside. She felt  the warm breeze flow into the room. She fell asleep shortly after somepony checked on her. She felt herself drift off into some odd place. It was an unsettling odd but odd none the less. It was a huge and far reaching flat area, The ground was more dark grey then the pitch black expanse above her. Long Magic tendrils reached upwards into the inky black sky. Celestia looked around.

"What is this place...?" Celestia said looking around. She walked for a while trying to find something while avoiding the large magic tendrils. They dotted the landscape (If you could even call it that)

Celestiaaaa

"Who's there?" Celestia said turning around. A pure white Pony stood behind her. It was as tall as her parents, yet it lacked any features. Just a mouth and two glowing white eyes.
"W-Who are you? And why do you know my name?" Celestia asked, taking a step back.
"I am the embodiment of you wants, Things you desire. In a way I am you." The pony said.
"What does that even mean?" Celestia asked, taking another step back.
"Do not fear child. I am here to help." The pony said calmly.
"Help with what?" Celestia asked again, this time though standing up firm and tall.
"Help with Discord my child. But for that you need power. Power that only I can give." The pony said.
"Levier said the only true way to get power was through training. And even then there is a limit to your power." Celestia said growing annoyed.
"Yes but that's what she wants you to think. Don't you understand? If you were to unlock all that power at once she woundn't be able to control you anymore!" The creature scoffed. Celestia's eyes grew wide.
"She however does care about you. But what I speak is the Truth." The pony said. Celestia breathed a sigh of releif.
"But... I can't... I just can't except. What would Levier and my friends think?" Celestia asked before looking down.
"They'd think you betrayed them of course. They'd have thought you were greedy and took it up just for yourself. One's loyalty can only go so far." The pony said, only to dishearten Celestia more.
"But Celestia you need to put their safety first; Discord as we speak is destroying Equestria. Can't you see? They need you to have this power and they don't even realize it!" The pony said in a shocked tone. The pony opening a hole in the ground where a pool of water began to show parts of Equestria being destroyed by Discord. Celestia gasped
"Wouldn't I just be poisoning myself with revenge?" Celestia said quietly.
"Discord deserves it child, Don't you see? He took Luna, He almost killed Levier, And he killed her mother!" The pony said. Celestia gritted her teeth.
"He's also the one who cursed Nebulis to slowly go insane! If it weren't for this creature then your Mother and Father would still be here and you and Luna would be happy!" The pony said. Celestia glared down at the puddle.
"Think about it Celestia, Right now he's destroying the innocent ponies of this land, If no pony will stop him who's to say he won't destroy everything." The pony said thoughtfully.
"I accept your offer." Celestia said through her teeth.
"A wise choice my child." The pony said. It smiled at Celestia. Celestia smirked.
"Discord won't know what hit him." Celestia said. The pony laughed.
"Indeed!" It laughed. Celestia slowly became grayer and grayer.
"Now... This power; What will happen when I use it? I now there's no backing out but.. I might as well know what will happen." Celestia asked.
"You will embody the Sun. This is after all where you're getting your power from after all. The Sun's excess energy will be yours my child." The pony said. Celestia's eyes lit up and she grinned.
"You are truly helpful Aurinko. I am grateful for your help." Celestia said with a tired smile.
"Now Now my child. There is no need for thanks. I should be thanking you. This is probably one of the few times I will be able to help someone." Aurinko said with a smile.
"Though it is time to wake up. I implanted the power in an old helmet. Down in the catacombs there is a secret hallway marked with the symbol of harmony. Press on the wall and walk in. You will see a set of gold armor hanging next to a set of Blue armor. Put on the Gold armor and the power will transfer to you." Aurinko said softly.
"Got it. I know you said not to thank you but.. Really Thanks. I will finally get my sister back." Celesta said with an insane grin. Aurinko smiled and rubbed the young alicorn's head.