It was a peaceful morning in the small town of Ponyville. The residents of this town would continue on to their daily jobs and tasks as normally. Parents would be walking their children to school soon, and then would continue the rest of the day to earn a living and find ways to better their lives with small but important things in the lives of both their children and themselves.
Soon the Ponyville weather team; consisting of nothing but Pegasus ponies continuing to make sure any and all clouds would not be blocking the view of the glorious sun their highness has provided for today’s morning. As the time would slowly go by the hour, the sun would eventually be set down by their royal highness, only for her sister to raise the moon to let the ponies know night was upon them.
It was all a rinse and repeat cycle, with the occasional festivity or two as the seasons passed. There were times where maybe even a hideous beast made up of other beasts which lived a life of anarchy had to be stopped to maintain the common peace.
Worries still persisted that a ruthless queen with her army of love hungry servants will come back to feed on the pony population.
Even the occasional trouble the residents might cause unintentionally out of paranoia of the new had to be dealt with, tactfully at least.
There was a monster however, that couldn’t be stopped dead on its tracks. A monster that couldn’t be destroyed with armies of soldiers ready to die by their highness’s side with their last breath, or reversed with powerful unicorn magic now forbidden to all but say only the most dedicated to the princesses, and especially not with any form of politics or laws to frighten this creature back into its cave.
That monster was progress itself.
The royal princess of the sun known as Princess Celestia by her beloved residents has been worried over what be the start of a slow attrition to the wealth, power, and even safety of Equestria. Every morning that started, any and all ponies were bombarded with papers on how the Griffins continue to discover the means to surpass their own natural limitations with new inventions. At first, this was nothing new or frightening to Celestia. After all, good progress can mean the best for every being out there. There was no reason to impede what nature would see most fit for the lives of every creature out there.
That was until these inventions proved to be utterly useless to the Ponies benefit.
Ever since the unearthing of a new element yet to be named by the griffin race, it uses have been plentiful and useful. It was said to be a special element that has enough power to start up complex parts of mechanics which were normally thought to be impossible to power up.
Inventions of mechanical unicorn horns which could allow non magic users the ability to complete simple tasks. Mechanical wings which could now allow the flightless to fly for short periods of time. Advances in machinery has led to more useful medication to fight off even the most deadly of all diseases, and even a new rumor circulation on weapons that could be equipped as armor with slow firing projectiles that could make Celestia’s own army lie dead with inferior weaponry carried on their backs.
The element has only been located at near griffin territory. Pony miners have yet to find any discovery of this element on their own land. Even when the brightest inventors of Celestia have tried numerous times to find alternatives to power the new machinery without the need of the unknown element, their efforts have all been fruitless.
It was all a matter of time, before these inventions can be sold for an affordable price in the market for every griffin and pony, causing a boom to the griffin’s economy. Sooner or later, the griffin’s bitter leader will finally break the peace treaty which has sustained itself for a hundred years, to conquer territory the leader believes his race is entitled to. It was all a matter of just when it will happen. Celestia herself had neither the cold brutality to suppress her people from buying products from the Griffin market. Neither did she have the resources or power to combat what new advances the griffins have been making. The leader refused to acknowledge even a compromise between both the ponies and the griffins.
All of Celestia’s willpower to find answers was all but lost. Neither her kind, nor herself felt as if there was enough time to find the right solution. She believed the upcoming doom her kind was sealed in fate, and all her for her left to do, was to accept the fate of her ponykind and watch her land become conquered by the griffins.
“This can’t be happening. Not like this.” Celestia mutters to herself as she lay on her bedding, stuffing her face on the sheets to let them soak up her tears.
“The safety of the ponies.” Celestia croaks up once the tears have started to dry “They trusted me; I have let them down… We have no…”
“Hello! Princess Celestia, may I come in to talk with you?” A faint voice rings across Celestia’s door.
“I have let them down, let them down, let them…” Celestia repeats to herself, unaware of Twilight’s presence.
“I’ve spoken to Princess Luna about what’s happening. We can find a way to work this out. Please Princess Celestia, I don’t want to make this hard for any of us one of us! I’m worried sick about you!” Twilight cries out.
“Down… Down… Down..” Mutters Celestia, continuing to lose her grip of reality.
“Princess Celestia! I need you to come out right now for us! You don’t want me to make it hard by…”
“Move aside royal guards. Princess Twilight… I’ll handle this.” A stern voice behind Twilight interrupted. Twilight quickly spun her head to see that the voice was none other than Celestia’s sister, Princess Luna, who was focusing her gaze towards Celestia’s locked door.
“Your highness!” A guard says as he kneels down to show the proper respect to Princess Luna. “Princess Celestia has refused to open access to her chambers; we have yet to come up with a proper solution to the problem.” The guard reports
“I see...” Princess Luna responds, still focusing her gaze upon the door.
“All of you.” Princess Luna commands, with every guard positioned showing the utmost of attention “I would recommend you to cover your ears as best as you can.” Princess Luna advises, still focusing her attention on the door.
Every guard then used two of their hooves to block out the hearing as best they can, not wanting the risk to lose their possible hearing soon.
“Princess Luna!” Twilight pleaded to Luna. We should still be more tactful. Celestia isn’t doing so well, and I doubt that going full on would even…”
“Haven’t you once brought up the concept of say… “Tough love” to the quiet one who goes by the name of Fluttershy when caring for the Phoenix, Princess Twilight?” Luna responded in a somewhat slightly smug tone, giving Twilight a brief smile.
“How did you even..?”
“I found out in one of your dreams” Luna Interrupted “I too, would understand that one such as yourself would find guilt in this torture”.
“Tough love is not the same as…”
“Enough. Stand back Princess Twilight.” Luna interrupted once more, not wanting to stall the breakthrough.
“Sister!” Luna shouts sternly. “I speak in the name of all those who are beside me at this moment. We shall ask you once more in a polite manner. Open the door for us, right now.” Luna stated politely, though mildly annoyed at this point.
As they waited for what was to be a minute, Luna let her head down and sighed in disappointment.
“I’m afraid I have no choice.” Luna said as she begins to focus her attention on the door once more.
“ALLOW US TO HELP YOU RIGHT NOW!” Luna shouts in the royal voice, shaking the whole place with a strong vibration.
The proper amount of strength of the royal voice forced through the door, just enough to break off the door’s bolts and forcing them to come down without flying across the room.
“Guards… You may now finally stop covering your ears off.” Luna responded as she made way to the inside of Celestia’s chambers.
As soon as every guard let loose of guarding their ears and stopped feeling the harsh sensation for being in that state for such a long time, the dust settled away and Celestia was visible for everypony. What was once a glorifying, regal, and upstanding figure has been reduced to a sorrowful sight to see. Celestia’s mane once brimming with life, was now lifeless as the leaves at autumn. Her once bright white coat has been covered with that of filth from lack of bathing, that left a grey toning to her coat. Her face was still to be visible, but the sight could only be guaranteed as being even more pitiful.
Her chambers didn’t fare any better for the eye. Everywhere to be looked around Celestia’s chambers was a mess. What was once a clean, well lit, and comfy place has been reduced to nothing but a mess of papers and a room surrounded with darkness thanks to the dust settling at the windows. Everywhere to look was scattered papers about news and news of the griffins and what must have been blueprints of their inventions in Celestia’s hopes to find the answers herself, when all else failed. It was impossible for anypony to walk around a few steps without crunching papers, or spotting dust at every corner. The only place that remained remotely clean was Celestia bedding, and even that was a stretch for one to say.
Despite Princess Luna’s rather forced entry, and the sounds of hoofsteps leaning to Celestia’s way. She remained muttering to herself unintelligibly.
Princess Twilight rushed towards Celestia like a lost foal who just found her mother.
“Princess Celestia! Please respond to us!” Twilight pleads to the princess as her hooves push her alongside Celestia’s body
Celestia did not respond to Twilight aside from muttering even more unintelligible wording.
“How could this have ever happen to you? Don’t lose us like this!” Twilight weeps alongside Celestia’s coat, as Luna walks towards Twilight.
“I do not understand this either Twilight. My sister has been acting rather different lately but this is… Different.” Luna remarks nonchalantly
“And you did nothing to help!?” Twilight shouts towards Luna, enraged towards her inappropriate reaction to the situation.
“There was nothing I could do until now.” Luna politely but firmly responds to Twilight. “She would spend day and night working on the griffins work, refusing to respond to any of us. I seen it as her simply being over focused on her duties, until now.”
“Apologies if I my tone came across as cold to you.” Luna continues as she walks around Celestia’s chambers, eyeing the filth and the wondering the amount of work it would take somepony to clean it. “Somehow I feel this punishment is suitable for my sister due to my lack of sleep. I wouldn’t mind this actually, maybe I can reclaim power as the rightful..”
“You better not have any ideas.” Twilight snapped back angrily as she faced Luna “Remember that the Elements of Harmony can still defeat you”.
“I was simply being “sarcastic” as ponies would call it, Twilight.” Luna remarked in a jokingly manner. “I for one would wish to make sure my Tia is brought back to her old state.”
“At least show some urgency in the situation. You’re starting to irritate me”. Twilight responded as she finally got up from Celestia’s bedding, wiping away her tears and small traces of filth collected from Celestia's coat .
“In that case. I would suggest you to find some answers for this.” Luna advised to Twilight
“Guards!” Luna shouted “Return to your positions at once. I shall escort my sister back to my chambers in order to care for her. In the meantime, do not allow anyone to come in here say for Princess Twilight, her friends, and any help she wishes to bring with her. Understood?”
“Yes your royal highness!” The guards shouted as they all went out of Celestia’s chambers, avoiding making any more of a mess on the floor along the way.
After the guards left, Twilight began to ponder while walking back and forth, devising a plan.
“I should start by finding a doctor for Celestia… But I’m not sure how the Kingdom would react to this; this is way different from a disappearance. Maybe there are some books on this matter. Maybe there are no books on this matter. Maybe Equestria is doomed… Maybe we aren’t… Maybe I have no idea how to handle this whatsoever!” Twilight shrieked in fear.
“Twilight!” Luna snapped back at Twilight
“Sorry... I’m just shocked about seeing all of this. I’ll get down the finding a good doctor for us, and letting my friends know what’s happening.” Twilight said, leaving Celestia’s chambers, still chilled on the current situation.
After Twilight is out of her sight, Luna’s horn began to glow a blow aura, focusing its energy towards her sister’s body. With just the right amount of force, Luna manages to lift up Celestia’s body, and gently carries her out while making sure she’s positioned well enough to not discomfort her at her rambling state.
“Oh Tia… What could have ever happened to you be in such a condition this time?”