It was a miracle that everyone was still alive in the end. All of those who were on the Ioseph Kaleir had managed to escape the ship before it plunged into the vortex, primarily Crescent Star, the wielders of the Elements of Harmony and the rest of the royal family. Joining them were the Inferi soldiers that had managed to escape after the spell the Prophetess had placed on them was removed at her death; a number of over 140 out of the original 600 that were assigned.
The weeks following the failed Convergence were met with great challenge towards reconquest and reconstruction. Here, the Inferi, no longer in contact with their Coalition, fought under the banner of Event Horizon, King of Equestria, repelling the hordes of purposeless and lost changelings that roamed the cities and lands of Equestria. As a reward, the king granted them citizenship, amnesty and the chance to make a life for themselves. These “New Immigrants” of Equestria would become leaders and pioneers in Equestrian business and in exploration, setting the stage to a new age of history.
Crescent Star himself became the youngest Chairman of the Royal Magic Society, an honor bestowed upon him personally by the king, and took his new residence in Canterlot. The wielders of the Elements of Harmony gradually resettled back into normal life. The Galaxias held a proper ceremony for the loss of their eldest, Sirius, and laid him to rest in Stalliongrad, his home, and with his key: the testament of his strength and leadership during his life. Each of the royals eventually returned to their cities. Vulcan returned to Fillydelphia and, after a brief exchange with their beloved daughter, Jovian and Aria returned to Windsoar, their own duties calling for them. Luna, while technically having her own duties in Hoofington, had left them to her advisors, and choose to stay in Canterlot with her elder sister for another season. King Event Horizon was the last to leave, needing to return to his duties in Manehattan and in the houses of the other sovereign nations. With Convergence, a new Age of Discovery was sparked, leading a rapid expansion by aspiring explorers, inspired by the tales of such as Daring Do or Crescent Star, leading to the growth of the kingdom. Just before he boarded the train home, he pulled Twyla over.
He told her, “You are filled with magnificent potential young student. Seize the day, young one, and you might become a greater soul than I.” Without any further words, he hugged her and left.
Celestia herself was still hurt by the sacrifice of the Didact. Without it, none would have been possible, and Equestria, along with the rest of the world, would have been destroyed. Knowing that didn’t make the loss any easier for her. She delegated her duties to those below her, her trusted advisors, Lords and Ladies, and shut herself away in her room. She would only accept food and water, and would only leave to relieve herself or to walk in the garden, still secluded from others. Rumors spread about her and her health, but they would all be brushed off and dismissed by the new Camerlengo of the House Sun, previously the captain of the Ioseph Kaleir, and the first Inferi to pledge allegiance to the Equestrian crown.
This continued for about four months, until the Camerlengo came to her door with news.
“Princess, you are requested in the Great Hall.”
At first, there was no response, but the gentle moan let him know she was still in there. “Tell them I refuse.”
“I am obliged to state that this particular request is very important.” The Camerlengo frowned before he pushed open the door. The blinds to her room were drawn, letting very little light enter. Where he no wiser, he could mistake the room for Luna’s, but the tall, slender and curvy form of the princess at her desk told him otherwise.
“Tell them I still refuse, and close the door on your way out.” Even from his distance, he could smell a faint lingering of weeks old liquor. He looked door to see one of her bed sheets at his feet. Much to his butler title, he reached down, brushed it off and began to fold it.
“Milady, this is unbecoming of a lady of your status...”
“What are you, my father?”
He simply stared emotionless at her, patting the folded sheet clear of dust before clearing a nightstand of empty liquor bottles to set it down, letting the glasses clatter on the floor. “Are you drunk?”
The princess paused and sighed. “No, I’m not drunk.”
The Camerlengo quietly walked across the room to stand next to Celestia, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Milady, while I may presently be your trusted chamberlain and steward, before so, I was a soldier. I was no stranger to remorse, sorrow or pain, nor of the bottle and its effects. You have shut yourself in here to mourn, but now you’ve secluded yourself for too long; people and ponies are starting to gossip and to spread rumor about you and your health- have been for quite some time.”
“Let them!”
“I will hear no such thing! This is no longer mourning: this is childish behavior. Now clean yourself up!”
Celestia groaned as the Camerlengo pushed her up to her feet. She had not changed her clothes since Convergence, and she smelled of lingering alcohol and of filth. He half-pushed, half-carried the princess over to her shower and set her into the tub before turning the cold water on.
“I want you cleaned up and presentable for a foreign delegate in thirty minutes. I will tell our guest that you will take him in the Dining Hall afterwards for lunch.”
With that, he left, leaving Celestia in a gaze as the freezing cold water ran over her and her soaked clothes. She thought she might as well fancy the Camerlengo and his wishes. Admittedly, she was surprised that he had assimilated into his new duties so quickly, though, presently, it served more as an annoyance.
Discarding her drenched clothing and undergarments, she washed herself of the filth and grime of months of disregard. Scrubbing, shampooing, lathering, rinsing and repeating; over and over again. It took a long time for her to feel she had cleaned herself enough to be presentable. One look in the mirror at her body and she could definitely tell the difference; her hair glistened with the shine of the sun itself, her eyes gleamed with clarity and her skin was fresh and clear once again, not so much as a single imperfection on her body. Celestia strode over to her closet, filled with fresh, never worn clothes for her new human-self: a thing she had told almost immediately upon her return to Canterlot as permanent. Noting that the Camerlengo had told her “presentable for a foreign delegate,” she chose a white tunic and white dress pants. With her hair pushed back out of her face, and her key and sheath (for she never put it back on display) tied at her waist like a sword, she created a strong, military look, while still keeping the image of compassion and love that she was known for.
Had been known for, she noted.
There was a distinctive knock at her door when she finished. “Enter.”
The Camerlengo opened the door and stood respectfully by it, in view of the mirror in front of Celestia. “I have come to fetch you, milady.”
“Yes,” she said calmly, “Thank you Kaval. However, I think I will hold a more informal meeting over lunch, so I will not need your accompaniment. While I am there, can you clean up this mess?”
The Camerlengo smiled faintly, “As you wish, milady.”
Celestia bowed her head at her chamberlain, which he promptly returned and began working. The princess then made her way to the dining hall. As she walked, several of the castle staff would pause to look at her and smile. Some would call to her passing by, “Welcome back milady,” or “It’s a pleasure to see you again princess.” Celestia admitted that she may have let the sorrow take control of her life, and in doing so hurt her and those who trusted her. She supposed that this could be one of the greatest lessons in friendship: to know when to move on when a friendship ends. Move on? Celestia promised herself that she would now move on from losing the Didact, one of the greatest heroes of Equestria and one of her closest friends. Forget? Never. Celestia would never let herself forget.
The princess pushed open the doors to the great dining hall. She calmly looked around, unable to find the said “delegate” anywhere. For a moment, she wondered if this was a trick engineered by Kaval to get her out and in public: bless his heart and diligence.
Quite to her surprise, the form of a man instantly stood up from behind the table. He was clad in a green cover over a white robe, which was secured at his waist with a large, bright red sash. He was young, a pair of wire glasses resting over his closed eyes. His skin was tanned, similar to Rarity’s color.
She approached him quietly, standing at the side of the table. “Are you the delegate Kaval told me about?”
Her sudden voice seemed to startle the delegate, as his green eyes shot open quickly. He had an accent similar to Rarity’s as well. “Ah, Princess Celestia I assume. My apologies, but I much complete my business with Allah before we continue...”
Celestia looked over at him to see he was standing on an ornate and beautiful rug of red and gold. “Please... do not let me interrupt, if I may watch.”
The delegate smiled. “Of course ma’am.” He closed his eyes again and continued. As Celestia watched, she realized that he was praying. Every so often, he would drop down to his knees, then bow with his body against the rug, before standing up again and repeating the process. She wondered from where in the world such a custom would exist. His clothes and rug reminded her of Concordia on the continent to the south, or even so of the Zebric styles even further. His mannerism, however, spoke of someone from a land never before seen. The only problem: humans only lived in Equestria... until now, she supposed.
After some time, the delegate finished, opening his eyes and reaching down for his rug, rolling it up before it disappeared in a flash of magic. Celestia was genuinely surprised. “You can use magic?”
The delegate smiled. “Yes ma’am; it is a gift from Allah himself... I suppose an introduction is in order. I am Commander Marik A. Kosan, or Marik ibn Adwin al-Kosan.” He extended his hand to Celestia.
“Commander Kosan...” Celestia looked at his hand for a moment. She had never really had a delegate shake her hand (or in those times, hoof) as if an equal. However, she accepted it. Kosan gently turned her hand on top of his and bend down to kiss the air above it. “It is my pleasure to accommodate you and your party.”
“I fear that it is only I for this meeting. May we talk over lunch, ma’am?”
Celestia brightened up at his suggestion. She too, was hungry for lunch. “With pleasure Commander Kosan.”
The two of them sat down at the table, Kosan pulling out the chair for Celestia like a gentleman at the head of the table, himself sitting near her at the side. In soon time, the two of them were dining on a pre-lunch salad, idly chit chatting on events in Equestria. The man continued to surprise the princess, now with his apparent knowledge on current events in the nation. It made her wonder what he was here for. Soon, the main course for lunch came out: pork, taken from the non-sentient pigs of Crystalia and northern Equestria. While Celestia dined on the lunch, Kosan simply looked at the meat on his plate as if he was no longer hungry, refusing to even touch it.
“My apologies for not feasting with you,” he eventually said after the princess finished, “but it is taboo for a Muslim to eat the flesh of a swine.”
“Is that what you are here to represent?” Celestia asked, “A people known as the ‘Muz-leems’?”
Kosan blinked several time before he quietly chuckled. “No... oh, no princess. A Muslim is a person who submits to Allah, the Almighty God, and followed his word of Islam. That is my faith, but not my business here.” He paused and took a drink of water, careful not to touch the pork in front of him. “I am here to ask you permission of air space.”
Celestia parroted his words. “Permission of air space? What for?”
Kosan smiled. “I am here to represent the Galactic Council of Hutter’s Spiral.”
Celestia froze at the statement. The Galactic Council of Hutter’s Spiral. The Didact was Lord of Admirals and Master of Generals of their entire military force. This man came from the same universe as the Didact, and had managed to break through the divide to come to Equestria.
Kosan nodded. “We had heard of the Church of Unitology and their actions in this universe and the Council wanted to send me here. I would like to tell you first that they didn’t not escape scrutiny in our realm either...”
Celestia nodded. “Thank you.”
Kosan cracked his knuckles and smiled, “But onto the present. I am here to ask you permission to allow the GCS Constellation into your airspace to begin a possible discussion to accept you and your world into the Construct of Trantor.”
Celestia leaned back into her chair. “Care to explain to me what that means?”
“Certainly. The Construct of Trantor is a political treaty that recognizes the sovereigns and planets of the galaxy.”
“But we don’t live in your galaxy, Commander Kosan.”
“Indeed, but after the Galactic Council discovered the location of your planet, an emergency session was convened to discuss the... situation...”
Celestia remained cool. “And what situation is that?”
Kosan cleared his throat. “The Inferi Coalition and the Church of Unitology weren’t supposed to be here, that part was clear. The problem was that they raised an important point, saying they weren’t here ‘illegally’. It threw a huge wrench into the system, princess, because they’re statement was, in technicality, true; as you were not of our galaxy, the laws of the Construct of Trantor didn’t, well, apply to you.”
Celestia lowered her head and voice, indicating that wasn’t something she wanted to hear. Kosan quickly continued. “But, it exposed a huge flaw in the Construct: how do planets and species beyond the galaxy apply? How can they be protected by the law? As we speak, an amendment to the Construct is being ran through the Council, and they have formally sent the Constellation to invite you to discuss the terms of representation.”
The princess relaxed again. Representation and participation in a Galactic Council: the very Galactic Council that the Didact died to uphold. She started to smile, shortly before she began to quietly laugh.
“Is something funny princess?”
She snapped out of her stupor and looked at Kosan. “No Commander... I’m just happy I guess. You have my permission for the Constellation to be here.”
Kosan smiled in return, standing up to shake the princesses’ hand again. “Thank you ma’am, and, as a token of gratitude and hopeful friendship, the Captain has asked me to invite you, your sister and the Elements of Harmony onboard for dinner, should you let us.”
Celestia took his hand and he once again bent down to kiss the air above it. “Then we shall prepare for it. All of the Galactic Commanders will be there.”
The Princess raised an eyebrow. “All of them?”
“All eight of us.” Kosan stood up straight and saluted the princess. “Permission to be dismissed, ma’am?”
Celestia stood up and returned his salute. “Salaam,” he told her with a smile, “Go in peace, Princess Celestia.”
***************
The GCS Constellation was even larger than the ICS Abinadi Ckes, which filled the sky all those months ago. It was slick, even aerodynamic, over the bulgy shape of an Inferi warship. Its bright silver hull glistened in the sunlight ferociously. Written along its front were several words: in Inferi, Konstalar; in Skarian, Constella; in Progenitor, Cyklostatum; finally in English, Constellation; its name in the great languages of its service. Throughout the day, officers and midshipmen roamed through Canterlot, as if on a vacation or leave, collecting supplies and souvenirs.
Princess Celestia moved through the market center with Commander Kosan and with another commander, a tall, slender and blonde woman named Nicole Brennan. Long, flowing clothing seemed to be a popular trend for them. Commander Brennan wore a solid white long-sleeved coat that completely covered her from the neck to her ankles. It was fastened around her large chest with black straps that connected at the hips and ran up to the neck like a sash, keeping the coat tight to her frame. A similar strap was wrapped around her waist, giving the coat freedom to move over the legs with her incredibly fast stride.
Together, the three of them moved around, shopping at the recommended vendors and bazaars approved by the princess to pass time. Commander Kosan thought to buy a new prayer mat, while Commander Brennan took an affinity to the possibility of some jewelry. As they walked, the distinctive odors of meat and food filled the market, and reminded Celestia of the dinner they were trying to pick out.
“I am looking forward to this dinner,” Commander Brennan said. “This world seems to have many great and unique things to it. The people are nice, the town is lovely and the sun is shining. I applaud your administrative skills, Princess Celestia.”
The Princess, walking beside her, smiled and pushed her hair out of her face. “Thank you, Commander. It means a great deal to hear so positively of our nation and city from an outsider.”
Kosan looked down at his watch and cursed in Arabic. “Ladies, the dinner is in thirty minutes, so we need to leave.”
“How unfortunate,” Commander Brennan commented, “I’d love to have stayed longer.”
“Perhaps on another visit,” Celestia chimed in. “Do you two know whether the rest of the guests are already on board the Constellation?”
Commander Brennan shrugged. “I only assume so. If they are, hopefully by now they haven’t been bored to death by Blackwell and his terrible jokes.”
Kosan scoffed, “Or captivated by Commander Mellark’s show of skill.”
“Fire Princess...”
Kosan swatted at Commander Brennan’s stomach. “Show some respect; Katniss has earned her place and her command.”
Celestia only listened to them continue their conversation as they walked back to the castle. There, the Constellation was docked in an improvised fashion to allow ease of access to those who needed it. There was some distaste at the ship’s presence in the city, many residents remembering the ships from months ago and several none too happy about it. Naturally, to discourage any “genius ideas” of some of the ultra-patriotic residents of Canterlot, the Constellation was guarded and on stand-by for any trouble. It was one of the reasons why Celestia was yet to even meet the captain of the mighty vessel, as he locked himself on the bridge and even she was refused access. Personally, she hoped that he or she would join them for dinner, but Commander Brennan told her that there weren’t any promises.
The three of them strode confidently through the castle halls and up to the tower tethered to the ship. As they approached, the familiar, slender frame of Twyla appeared near one of the guards standing firm next to the extension bridge connecting the ship and the tower balcony. At sight of the princess and the two commanders, she finished her conversation with the guard and joined them.
“I thought I would wait for you three out here and help you any way I could.”
Commander Brennan chuckled. “I’m flattered, Ms. Spark, but we are aware of our own ship and how to get around on it.” She paused and pressed one of her hands against her ear. “Understood. My apologies, but I have some business on the bridge so I must leave you for the moment. I shall see you all at dinner shortly.”
The commander dipped her head before excusing herself. Twyla frowned as she left. “I don’t like her.”
Kosan laughed heartily. “She isn’t the friendliest of people, but Nicole is kindhearted and means well. We all do. Come you two, we have a dinner to attend.”
The Arab commander led them through the corridors and halls, bustling with activity, and to the officer’s dining hall. It was a larger room, dominated by a large, well-polished and beautiful wooden table. Surrounding it were a tens of matching chairs. The whole look reminded Celestia of the dining hall in Arcem Solis, the same sense of regality and luxury emanating from the room.
There, the rest of the Elements of Harmony and commanders mingled in varying conversations. Kosan smiled and pointed out each and every one to both Twyla and Celestia. As the minutes passed, everybody made their way to a seat. Celestia chose the chair next to the head, opposite of Commander Mellark, whom even all of the other commanders regarded as “ma’am.” Twyla chose a chair next to Rarity, who sat next to Commander Kosan in an apparently fascinating conversation, judging from Rarity’s smile and focus on what the commander was saying.
Shortly after, the door into the hallway opened to reveal Commander Brennan. She had an air of prideful joy to her as she walked in and stepped next to the door, standing firm. “Room, attention!”
Each of the other commanders gracefully stood up from their chairs and looked ahead. The Elements of Harmony and Princess Celestia, who weren’t military, simply followed everyone in standing up. Down the hallway, the echo of heavy boots falling filled the room, coming closer and closer with a casual pace. Eventually a boot appeared in the doorway... then a great white coat... finally a face.
Celestia and the six Elements of Harmony gasped in great delight. Celestia and Twyla, particularly, found themselves in tears.
“Didact!”
He stumbled back, carrying the weight of both Celestia and Twyla in an embrace. “Girls! Calm down... please; I don’t think I can handle a teary reunion right now...”
Twyla backed away, while Celestia embraced him alone, her head resting on his chest. “I thought you were dead...”
“It’s going to take a lot more that a stupid rock to kill me, princess.” The Didact smiled into her hair. “I’m so proud of you: all of you. You all were fantastic.”
Each of the Elements nodded with watery eyes as the commanders applauded their superior’s arrival. The Didact let go of Celestia and lead her back to the table.
“I have so many questions,” she said excited.
He chuckled. “I certainly hope so. We can talk about it over dinner; we have time.”