//------------------------------//
// Chapter 0: Prologue 
// Story: Test of Time: Arc 1: Awakening 
// by NoPonysLand 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 0 – Celestia
Tuesday, 9 May 0022
Celestia panted heavily, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she landed. She stopped and looked at the great magical seal, still glowing from her spell, marked out on the forest floor. The world around her was silence, silence except for her breath.
"I..."
Celestia tried to speak, but found herself too stunned to form coherent sentences. She simply stared, shook, and breathed.
She had done it.
It had seemed an impossible task, just twenty-eight years ago. Yet, here she was, and they, all of them, were...
"Art thou alright?" asked the calm voice of a stallion from behind her. Celestia turned to the speaker, a semi-sweet smile crossing her lips.
"Yes, Blueblood, I art fine."
"It is done, then." He said, more a statement than a question. "Nearly three decades, and finally, we got her."
"Thanks, in no small part, to thee." Celestia said, her eyes latching onto Blueblood's face. He looked tired, but that was to be expected; he was nearly forty-five years old now. She switched her gaze to the younger unicorn beside him. "And thee as well, Starswirl."
Starswirl blushed. "Anything for thee, Princess."
Celestia turned, motioning Blueblood and Starswirl over. "Is the pattern correct? We need to be'st sure." The two unicorns went to pattern checking. Though she knew he would deny it, without Blueblood and his incredible mastery of sealing magic, something of this nature would not have been possible. How lucky she was, to have been born in this time.
"It is strong. The seal wilt hold." Blueblood said. "Thy magic hast reinforced the spell, as I predicted. At a guess, I canst say that this seal wilt stand for... twelve thousand years. Perhaps longer."
"So, we finally got her." Starswirl commented. "That makes thee the last physical goddess on Equus."
"Unfortunately." Celestia said, closing her eyes. Yes, the power that gave her felt wonderful, but she would trade in a heartbeat to have Luna share this moment with her. It should have been their triumph. It was meant to be theirs, to share.
"Dost thee need a moment?" Blueblood asked. "This must be'st quite overwhelming for thee."
Celestia sighed, then straightened. "No, I art fine. We wilt leave shortly. I just... need to catch my breath."
Starswirl hesitated, then spoke. "Art thee sure? Thou didst just seal away thy mother."
Celestia paused. "She wast no mother to me."
Starswirl opened his mouth to say something more, but thought better of it and simply nodded. The two unicorns began to trek through the woods, towards the drop point where they would be able to teleport back to Canterlot. Celestia was alone.
Celsatia leaned in close, her muzzle nearly brushing the seal. "Goodby, Spring." she said softly. "I hope, for all our sakes, that you were wrong."
Celestia turned and left the clearing, the trees obscuring the seal of Spring after only thirty meters. Celestia walked into the clearing, where Blueblood and Starswirl were waiting. She smiled. The past was dead, and the future had a new goddess.


End Prolog