//------------------------------// // Second Encounter: Goddess of Light // Story: Immortal Saviors // by Ravvij //------------------------------// I heard it again while traveling the rifts of reality, that tell tale rap rap rapping of my newest friend. At a mere thought I was taken to her castle and stood before her window over looking the palace, Canterlot, and some of Equestria. In the window waited Celestia, the alicorn princess whom I called my friend. Her features looked worn today, more so than usual. At her beckoning I revealed myself and she smiled so very brightly. "Hello again, my friend." I said and gave a gracious bow. "Hello, to you too, Sparrow." she smiled. "How are you this day?" "Not so good as I'd like." "Maybe you'd care to enlighten me? Or, perhaps you'd like to see how ponies would treat you if you were elderly?" I joked. "I think I'd just like some company." "As you wish." and with that I floated down into her chambers and stood before her. She walked up to me and gave my cheek a nuzzle. Like a little spark, her touch felt.. cold. Almost distant. Like the life in her had dwindled. I reached out with both hands and caught her muzzle. I looked into her eyes, searching for what? I didn't know. "Sparrow?" "Yes?" "Is something wrong?" "That's what I'm trying to see." She pulled away from me and looked at the floor. There was sadness there, that much I knew, but something else troubled her. "Why do you fear telling me, Celestia?" "I do not fear telling you. Only..." she looked back up at me, "I fear hearing myself say say the words I want to tell. I fear what you will think of me afterwards." "Why?" I stepped close to her and reached out again, this time, running my fingers through her mane. "I don't know." She was ashamed of something! "I don't wish you to be disappointed in me." she whispered. "My dearest friend, I do not think, in all of time, could you disappoint me" I said. She leaned into me and I embraced her. That same cold shock hitting me once more. "Celestia? Are you ill?" "Yes. That too. I haven't slept for two days." "Why? If you are sick you need to sleep." She did not answer. Instead she leaned into the hand that stroked her mane. I decided to stop pressing for answers and instead told her about the places I'd gone and the things I'd seen. The gemstone planets, ethereal giants on a world made entirely of gas, and the forests of a red planet with silver grass and purple trees with gold leaves. While she listened I felt her body relax. "If you wish, I could take you there to see those places." "I would love that, but, no. It sounds like a long journey and I'm needed here." her words sounded poisoned. "The journey, no. How long you spend there could be significantly more. We'd be there in the blink of an eye." She thought about it for a second, then, "No. If I leave I may never come back. I don't trust myself to come back after seeing such places." I tilted my head over and kissed her between the eyes, "You are wiser than you realize, my friend." She gave a little blush and stepped back again, but this time, she stayed within arm's reach. I looked her over once, nothing seemed to be changing in her. I was at a loss. I didn't know what to do to help her. "I feel so helpless right now. I don't know how I can help you " "Have you forgotten?" she teased, "A wise and long lived person like yourself has forgotten a simple thing such as this?" "You jest, but that does not help." "I just need a friend. Someone to be with for a while." "Ah. Then you just use me and throw me away? You're too cruel, Princess." I laughed. "If that is your wish, dear Sparrow." she threw my niceties back at me playfully. Oh, she is fun! "Tell me princess. You have a kingdom filled with ponies who would readily come to your side. Why call me just for company? I'm flattered, I am. But, I do not understand." "I hope you never have to." "Oh?" "I do, indeed, have a kingdom filled with ponies who would do anything I asked of them...." she gazed out the window, "I like to think of my subjects as my family and friends. However, they do not see me that way and thus I must treat them less than they are. I could have as many friends as anypony in history, but would they truly be my friends? Would they honor my friendship beyond the mere fact that I am their ruler? No. I have yet to see such friendships for a very long time." "And hiding among them as a fellow pony? With you power I'm sure you could" "But that would not be a true friendship. I would be hiding who I am from anypony I befriend. I would hate myself for lieing to them." She looked back at me, her eyes now filled with shame. "I have... hurt somepony. Unjustly." I must have looked quite shocked because she gave me a sigh that told me I was. "I lashed out against a pony who had decided to drone on about why they should have special privileges beyond their station here in Canterlot. She kept pressing the issue and refusing to drop the subject even after I demanded it of her. I would not have bothered with her beyond that of a fly buzzing around my ear, but she slipped. She wanted special privileges for all the 'elite' of her house to be second only to me." she gave a heavy sign and continued, "I would not have caught her meaning had I not been so board listening to her every word. I -- I snapped. I raised my voice for an instant and then demoted her entire house to live near the dessert to the south, I banished them from Canterlot." "And, this is a problem?" "Yes. My decision was rash and unwarranted for such a tiny matter. She wouldn't take 'no' for an answer, however blunt it was. I just got so fed up with hearing these privileged ponies wanting more and more but not willing to work for what they want. Would you believe that over half of them expect me to just give them everything they desire because they believe they're entitled to it?" "I would. I'm reminded of a saying from my home. 'Pearls before swine'." She stared at me blankly. "It's a metaphor. It can have several meanings but all are similar. Don't give a gift to someone who will not appreciate it. Or, the most beautiful gift could be right at a person's feet and they would never realize its real value." to drive my point, I brushed my hand along her cheek. Now she turned very red. "You jest." "Not this time." "You shouldn't say such things, Sparrow." "Why not?" "Because you could unintentionally stir feelings in somepony and hurt them just by being someone they could never have." "True. I am sorry for being a romantic. I'll not be sweet to you from now on." She she nudged me playfully with her hoof, "Don't be like that either. It doesn't make it any better." "I can't be nice, I can't be funny... You should get yourself a statue. They're more receptive to these things." I raised an eyebrow at her and smiled. "I have dozens of those. They are the perfect friends." "Now who's being cruel?" "You. Of course." she gave a false huff. "I should be like a statue then?" "Yes. Then I could like you only as much as it suits me." "You wound me, my friend." I gave a false put. She smiled at me and knocked me over. I looked back up at her and tapped my finger to her foreleg. Her legs glowed and shrunk to less than half their height. She gasped and then turned her horn on me. The gold glow surrounded me and I was suddenly very aware of a long mustache and beard sprouting from around my lips. I tapped her horn and it shrunk. Down under her mane it went and she gave a little, "Eep!" before turning it on me again and suddenly I was a fluffy ball of fur and hair. "No cake for you!" I said, and rolled her over. "No cake?" she looked up at me. "No cake." She batted her eyes, tears filled them and I just couldn't help myself. I snapped my fingers and a large cake appeared beside her. Her crocodile tears disappeared and she stuck her tongue out at me. "You're such a softy." Now it was my turn to huff falsely. The whole thing looked absolutely ridiculous. We thought so, at least. The two of us broke out into hearty laughter and the things we had cast on each other faded the longer we laughed. The cake, however, didn't fade and that afternoon I saw a side of Celestia I doubted many ponies saw. A gluttonous, cute side of her that just seemed so wrong and so right all at the same time. I would have to surprise he some day. Maybe that would help alleviate more of her depression.