For the first time in days, Bon Bon felt at peace. It was a rather strange kind of peace however. It wasn’t like her conscience was free of guilt, or all the bad stuff turned out to be just a nightmare. No, it was as though she was wrapped in her mother’s embrace. She felt loved and safe. The feeling was warm and light. It was as though someone was using a holy prayer upon her, but times that by a thousand. That didn’t even begin to describe this feeling.
Opening her eyes, she found herself lying on some white, astral surface. The same stuff that was all around her. It seemed like a dream, but it was just so much more. There was only one way to describe it. Her eyes widened as they lit up in realization.
This was the Celestial plane. The plane of light. Celestia’s domain. This was where she gathered her energy from. Where her prayers floated about and gave warmth to those who needed it. Rather, the goddess of the sun answered them and did so. Bon Bon would never claim that it was her own powers that had created miracles. That would be taking credit from Princess Celestia, which is heresy.
Immediately, she fell to her knees and started praying. She almost smashed her face into the ground with how quick she did it. ‘Why am I here?’ She asked herself constantly. Only the purest of the pure could freely roam here, or those ordained by her majesty of the sun. That or in dire cases, those connected to the pure sun goddess would be granted aid here. She hadn’t recalled anything so dire as to come here and she wouldn’t try and build herself up to meet her goddess’ standards. ‘Why am I here?’
“You are here because you need to be, my little pony.” A voice both comforting and strong came upon her ears. Bon Bon turned to see the holy sun goddess in all her true majesty. Her white fur gleamed as holy magic seemed to course around it. Celestia smiled. “Rise. You need not bow.” Her voice was lilting, always comforting but powerful.
“As you command, Your Majesty.” Bon Bon said, causing a slight frown to appear on Celestia’s face.
“No, you stand on your own accord.” Celestia said. “Now, why are you here?”
“I don’t know why, Your Majesty.” Bon Bon took a quick look around herself to check that she still was in the plane of light. It was just so baffling. She was worthy of seeing this place?
“Deep down, I think you do.” Celestia walked right up to her, her height rather intimidating. Then she laid down in front of Bon Bon and kept her gaze at eye level. “Why are you here, my little pony?”
Bon Bon tried to keep herself from shaking. For some reason, she felt a sliver of shame slither through her spine. “I just want everypony to be safe.”
“A commendable goal, but you can’t always protect everyone.” Celestia sighed.“You’re hurting. I can see that clearly, but I can also see that you’re bottling it up. This is not healthy.”
“But I have to do something!” Bon Bon shouted and then held a hoof over her mouth. ‘I just shouted at the sun goddess! I’ve sinned. NOOOOO!’
“You’re going about it in the wrong way,” Celestia moved her wing, conjuring up pictures and movies about what had happened over the last few days. “You’ve come a long way since you’re foalhood.” She smiled, glancing at a few little movies of a filly Bon Bon jumping around a church.
Bon Bon wished she still had her robes and holy crown, so she could hide her embarrassed blush.
“Your services to the kingdom are commendable,” Celestia smiled, looking over a few images and movies of her later years. In the realm of light, everyone was like an open book to the goddess. There were no secrets here. “But you are allowing your guilt to cloud your mind.”
“My goddess,” Bon Bon started. “Hikaru can’t be kept here. We aren’t kitsune. This isn’t his home and he’s in constant danger. Just look into my memories, Your Majesty. You’ll see.”
“I have seen enough,” Celestia gave her a look of disappointment, which made her want to sink into the ground. “Your actions, while done with good intentions, aren’t helping anyone. Ponyville has always been a trouble magnet. There is always some danger or monster lurking about. No one can change that.”
“But he is in danger as long as he stays with Pizzelle,” Bon Bon tried to get her goddess to see reason.’She has too. He’s going to die if she doesn’t.’ “He’s almost been eaten, poisoned, and bullied.”
“And so have many other children across Equestria,” Celestia responded. “None of them were taken from their parents.”
“But Pizzelle-”
“Is a fine and outstanding mare,” Celestia smiled. “I may not know her all that well personally other than a few meetings here and there, but I believed her to be an excellent mother figure. I still do in fact. I have faith in her.”
Bon Bon’s mouth fell open. ‘Celestia….has faith in her? No, she can’t. Hikaru...’ “He’s not safe with her. He’s not safe here. Please take him away. Please don’t let him get hurt. Please, my princess, goddess of light. Please!”
Celestia, without a second thought, pulled Bon Bon to her chest. Her wings covered the smaller mare and she nuzzled her as a mother would a child. Bon Bon didn’t realize she was crying until she realized Celestia’s fur was wet from her tears. “Shhh, it’s alright. My little pony, shhh.”
“I..I just want everyone to be safe,” Bon Bon weeped, openly nuzzling Celestia. She never would have done this before. It was inappropriate, but right now it felt natural. It was almost like she was hugging her own mother. “I don’t want the dark to take Hikaru.”
“The dark isn’t going to take anyone,” Celestia assured her with a few nuzzles. “Not anymore.”
“That’s what they said last time and look what happened,” Bon Bon growled. “They died. They just fucking died, bleeding out on the ground and I...couldn’t save them all.”
“In a war, many die.”
“But I could have saved them,” Bon Bon shouted, hiccuping during her sobs. “I could have done something, but I didn’t.”
“You did your best,” Celestia brough Bon Bon’s face over to meet hers and gave her a comforting, motherly look of compassion. Her wings wiped away the earth pony’s tears. “That’s all I ever expect any of my ponies to do. I am proud of you, Bon Bon.”
Bon Bon had never felt happier in her life. Even getting her own cutie mark paled in comparison to this moment. Princess Celestia, the goddess of the sun, was proud of her. Her! ‘I don’t know what to say. I...I...’ She started to tear up again.
“Don’t cry,” Celestia gave her a soft nuzzle at the top of her head. “You’ve made mistakes. We all have. It’s just that you need to realize the mistakes and fix them.”
“How…?” ‘I hurt Pizzelle….She’s my friend and I hurt her. How could I have been so stupid? So blind?’ Everything she had done came crashing down on her all at once and she felt sick at her stomach. Celestia’s warmth drove the sickness away.
_____________________________________________________________
Waking up in a soft bed wasn’t as comforting as it should have been. Well, not now. Hospital beds are amongst the best in the country. Equestria spares no expense in treating its citizens and soldiers. It’s just that one feels a tad melancholy after leaving the comforting and holy plane of light. Bon Bon blearily opened her eyes.
“You’re lucky we have other sun priestesses about,” Redheart chuckled standing in Bon Bon’s line of sight. “Or else you’d be having the mother of splitting headaches.”
Bon Bon didn’t drink often, but she knew well enough what hangovers felt like. If she was a little bit sober, she could cast holy magic to cleanse herself. It’s just that Bon Bon never drank alcohol in small amounts that was the problem. ‘I’m glad Lyra doesn’t let me bring any of that stuff home.’
“How are you feeling?”
“Physically or spiritually?” Bon Bon asked.
“Both.” Redheart was one of the few ponies in town that could stand up to and tolerate Bon Bon’s aggressive manner. That and nurses and priestesses were trained in similar ways, but one more practical while the other spiritual.
Bon Bon sighed. “My body is well enough, but my spirit is still troubled.”
“By guilt?” Redheart quirked an eyebrow. She sighed when the other mare winced. “I don’t hate you for what you did, neither does Lyra.” She tilted her head to where Lyra was lying. She was curled up like a dog at the end of a bed.
Bon Bon chuckled. “She always did hate sleeping alone.”
Redheart let out a good humored snort. “I just hope she doesn’t ruin the sheets.”
Bon Bon rolled her eyes and frowned. “Where’s Pizzelle?”
“She’s-”
Redheart was cut off when Pizzelle barged into the room with a large plate of cookies on her back. “Deary, you’re awake. I’m so gald. So very glad. I honestly thought Time Turner hit you a bit harder than he had to. I’m sure he could have talked you out of it.” She held up a hoof when Bon Bon opened her mouth. “You wouldn’t have hurt, Shade. I don’t believe that for a second. I’ve known you for years, Bon Bon. I’m not going to let some drunken rage come between us. Why, this reminds me of the time that Presto got drunk and almost started a war with the minotaurs. Poor dear. Unicorns just can’t handle alcohol. I mean, it was just after his second glass.” She plopped the cookies onto the sheets. “Lucky for you, I had plenty of cookies lying around.”
Bon Bon looked downcast. She knew why there were so many cookies in Pizzelle’s house. “I’m sorry.” It hurt seeing how forgiving Pizzelle was being. She almost killed someone in a stupid rage. She tried to rip her child away from her. ‘She has every right to hate me forever.’
“Apology accepted,” Pizzelle gave her a hug.
She still didn’t feel worthy of this. ‘She should hate me. Hate me!’ She hugged Pizzelle back and cried. Pizzelle’s earthern genes saved her from the priestess’ killer hug.
“Huh?” Lyra yawned and stretched as she woke up. “What time is BON BON!” Lyra cheered and joined in on the hug. She licked Bon Bon’s face furiously.
The sun priestess giggled. “Down, Lyra. Down.” Of course, she made no move to stop her friend. “I’ve learned my lesson.”
“Good,” Lyra smiled. “I was afraid I was going to have to beat it into you.” Everyone laughed. “I’m serious.”
“Pizzelle,” High Sun Priestess Bon Bon cleared her throat, sending a serious expression Pizzelle’s way. “Pizzelle, I hereby proclaim Aki Hikaru your son on all accounts.”
The baker’s lip started to quiver as she cried happy tears. “Thank you. Just….thank you.”
“What?” Hikaru’s voice piped up. The tray of cookies image suddenly eroded away to show Hikaru and only half a tray of cookies left. He burped, falling backwards on the bed.
While the other mares ‘aww’d’, Pizzelle frowned. “Hikaru, what have I said about eating sweets?”
“Not to eat a lot of it at one time,” Hikaru’s ears folded backwards. “Miss Pizzelle, do you really want to be my mommy?” Pizzelle nodded eagerly. “Do I have to call you mommy now?”
Pizzelle frowned. “You don’t have to. I don’t really care really. I just want you to be happy.”
“I do want you to be my mommy, Miss Pizzelle.” Aki Hikaru sniffled, prompting Pizzelle to swiftly but gently take him in her hooves. “But I just lost one mommy and….”
“You need time?” Pizzelle cooed, nuzzling him. “I understand. You can take your time, Hikaru. I can wait.” She chuckled as if remembering something. “This is going to make an interesting story for Sunset’s reports.”