The ceremony had been simple. Nopony knew who, or even what, it had been, but the Princesses had insisted that it be treated with the utmost care and respect.
The Nightwatch had provided security and the Dayguard had awarded it honors as a war hero. While it meant nothing to the common pony, the rank afforded it a degree of respect and care that few other things could draw from the normally stoic Royal Guard. Even days later, Princess Luna caught sight of more than one off duty Nightwatch guard electing to stand watch over the small plot that had been assigned.
She tried to smile with a touch of pride when she witnessed one such guard removing her helm as she read the tiny silver placard upon its grave which read "Once lost, whose shores remain shrouded, a home given. In peace may ye rest."
The guard had stood over the grave for some time before finally snapping a sharp salute, nodding once, and turning to go.
Luna had watched, an unusual sense of loss entering her mind. Was this how her subjects had taken to death? Was this how they treated every passing or was it only those that her fellow royalty deemed? Was so much importance only given because they had somehow brought about its end?
So lost in her thoughts was she, that she failed to notice when her sister entered and approached.
"You think that we did the right thing Luna?"
The voice, startling as it had been, seemed almost lost amongst the gentle breeze that fluttered the curtains to the balcony from which Luna had been watching.
"We think we had little choice, given all we hold dear, Sister."
The two stood in companionable silence as another guard approached the small plot, only to drop something before turning away and walking into the garden.
"I've been over the spell time and time again Luna.... There's nothing wrong with it."
"So We are to believe that that was the suffering it had endured to garner our attentions?"
Again, the two watched as a pony strolled by the plot, this time pausing and scrutinizing the plaque briefly before walking on.
"I don't know Luna. I truly don't, but the spell was not what caused..... that. Something went wrong-"
"Obviously."
"- but it wasn't the summoning."
Luna remained still for a moment before turning to face her sister. "Sister... Celestia... We- I.... I wish to know: why do they stare at the placard when they know not the being, to the Earth, given?"
Celestia studied her sister's face for a moment, a sad expression clouding her comforting nature. "Because, Luna, it is precisely because they do not know the po... being, beneath."
"I do not understand."
"No.... I wouldn't think that you would." Celestia took a slow breath as she looked out over the soft lights of Canterlot - the golds and ambers of the torchlights and candles dancing across the marbles and white washed stone of the prominent businesses alike. "Things are not as they were before your absence. Back then, everypony knew when a hero fell or a new legend was born. Everypony heard or saw, or met those ponies.... or at least knew somepony who had. Everpony was intimately connected with everypony.... they could all share in the honors of glories or the grief of loss. Everypony felt, acutely, the loss of such great ponies." Celestia turned to face her sister, her voice falling to a halfhearted whisper, "Now? Now they struggle to connect with one another even as they have more than their ancestors ever did."
Luna's features remained placid. "Ah... I see." She turned to face the small plot once more, squinting into the night. "So, they stare because they feel that they should feel connected, but know not what connects them to one whom they have no knowledge of."
Celestia brushed up against her sister, lowering her head to hug the smaller alicorn. "Yes Luna." and then with a tiny hint of playfulness, "that, and they don't have your wonderful eyesight in the dark."
"Hush you, I'm trying to connect to a hero I never knew," Luna snipped back.... though, perhaps, with a very faint hint of a smile.
-~oOo~-
Princess Twilight Sparkle lay awake in bed, eyes clenched shut as she crushed a thick tome to her chest in a desperate way. Before her, a second libram lay, stories of fairies, sprites and goodly spirits littered its yellowed pages as if friends to offer solace in her time of need.
She had been awake, now, for six days, unable to sleep... unable to find silence in even the most secluded and secure room in her castle. Her friends had all come by, worried about her unexplained disappearance, but once they had seen her state, they had all made arrangements to be available.
Rarity had canceled a business trip to Manehatten... something that would never have happened a few years back. Applejack had sent a letter to Apple Cobbler to visit and cover for her on the farm. Fluttershy had brought as many of her cutest, softest, and friendliest animal friends to keep Twilight company as she could, and had taken to sleeping outside Twilight's own bedchambers in case she needed anything. Rainbow Dash had... looked uncomfortable... in the utmost... but had made sure to stop by every hour, on the hour, without regard for anything, to make sure she wasn't alone.
Pinkie's mane had deflated the moment she had seen Twilight. She had blinked back something and quickly left to the confusion of all. Nearly an hour later, she had returned with a smallish brown package wrapped in oilcloth and had said nothing as she walked through the castle into the kitchen. A few minutes later, she returned with small bowls of steaming custard, drizzled with some type of overly sweet syrup..... 'comfort food' she had called it.
It had been the only thing Twilight had been able to keep down that week.
Right now, Twilight knew, just outside her door, less than 30 feet away, Fluttershy was softly sleeping, probably covered in a soft blanket of gently breathing bunnies, chipmunks, squirrels, and other little things, patiently waiting to offer any help she could. In three minutes, Rainbow Dash would land on the balcony, look in, and whisper soft words of encouragement... awesomely no doubt... before looking around uncomfortably and promising to be back in an hour. Twilight new she really meant in 58 minutes... but it was the thought that mattered. Applejack would be arriving in 3 hours to let Fluttershy go home and tend to her animals, at which point Pinkie would start making breakfast for everyone... and day seven would begin in -
A series of white-hot hammers fell from some unknown chamber in the castle, ringing out with tortured screams as another creature was crushed through the cosmos, lit on fire, and extruded through a hole in space far, far too small for it, only to wail as magic tore it apart while still living. She could feel it, feel the drain of her own magic leaving her, pulling and ripping little parts of the creature off, then searing the wounds closed only to peel new parts away in an endless cycle.
Her body ached from the tension, her hooves tearing tiny curls from the cover of the book she clutched desperately to her hammering chest. She hadn't any tears left to shed but her eyes burned with unfulfilled need to release something... anything.
Her body trembled as the twelfth hammer landed, the screams dying with the echo of its voice.
A muffled thump on her balcony heralded the arrival of Rainbow Dash who, after a moment, softly entered.
She wasn't supposed to come in. Rainbow Dash never came in.
A moment later, the bed shifted and the mattress sank ever so slightly. Pegassi were fairly light after all. A tentative leg slipped over her side as a wind tossed coat smelling of green fields and fresh rain pressed up against her back in a hug still chilly from flight.
"I'm sorry Twilight. I don't know what happened, but we should have been there. I should have been there." The body behind her began to shudder in small not-crying-because-awesome-ponies-don't-cry motions.
"I'm so, so sorry Twilight, whatever it was, you shouldn't have had to face it alone. This... this is all my fault," was the whispered apology the pegasus offered before rolling off the bed and tearing off into the night.
For a few moments, Twilight was still. Her breathing came in soft breezes as her hooves slid from the book clutched to her chest. Sometime before the next hammer fell, Twilight Sparkle, Princess of ... friendship... finally drifted off to sleep.
A week since the summoning, for the first time, the grandfather clock tolled the hour instead of a burning hammer.