//------------------------------// // Broken // Story: Earth and Sea // by beasert //------------------------------// The sun was near its zenith, protecting Celestia from prying eyes with its rays. Though the creatures of Tartarus mostly came out when the sun was down, Celestia knew that mostly was not often enough. Giant, razor fanged reptiles glided lazily through the skies seeking prey to swarm and devour anything that caught their eye. Celestia observed as one of the monsters dived for something crawling among the bushes of a hill. As the prey squealed in terror when the monster's claws closed around it, a massive arm reached from over the hill and swatted both creatures like flies. The hill rolled over, and beady eyes set deep in a snub nosed face looked at its kill with disinterest before closing to return to sleep. Celestia unfurled her map to check her position. Reports had told her that suspicious activity had been observed near a network of caves by the river Acheron. The water that flowed through it was underground for the most part, and Celestia did not want to miss it and spend any more time than she had to in this dangerous country. She scanned the land for the glitter of water against the dull brown of the dusty realm. Just behind her, Celestia's eyes caught sight of a couple of pools. The rapid twinkling of their surfaces told her that they flowed much like the landmark she sought, and the princess cautiously drifted closer to investigate the area. As Celestia touched down, she took in her surroundings. It was fairly clear around her, and the ground was mostly dust covered stone. Celestia looked at the old map again, comparing the terrain to the chart. There seemed to be an entrance down in one of the pools, just above the surface of the water. Celestia did not like the thought of being in a small dark place with the risk of being swept off into some endless chasm, but she had waiting to long for this journey. She would not let her fears stall her today. With a graceful swoop, Celestia slipped through the crack and into the earth. Lighting her horn, Celestia slowly stepped through the narrow tunnel. The moisture on the walls glistened under her glow, showing the princess the way ahead beyond her light. The twisting path gradually widened until Celestia would not have been able to touch the walls with her wings outstretched. She strengthened her light, not wanting to miss any clue or path. She did not know how deep she was now, and trying to teleport away could be disastrous. The tapping of the mare's hooves on the stone floor echoed deep into the cavern. More than once, she thought she heard something ahead of her, only to feel relieve and disappointment all together each time she discovered that she was still alone. Celestia stopped to rest. She thought about her quest here; the haste she exercised on a mere rumour. Celestia sighed, the cool air misting her breath, and raised her voice to the darkness. “Luna?” Only the sound of her own voice called back from the depths, and Celestia hung her head. She shed a tear for her sister, losing it among the dark wet of the floor. Gathering herself, and already planning another excursion to Tartarus in the future. Celestia turned to leave the cave. “Tia?” came a soft voice from the shadows. Celestia spun on the spot, her light dancing wildly about searching for the owner of the familiar voice. A pair of orbs shone with nocturnal light far off into the cave. Celestia peered as best as she could into the dark, moving her light ahead to better see. The creature skittered away from the light, but found itself cornered against a wall. Celestia stepped forward, her radiance revealing Luna kneeling among the stalagmites. Luna tried to make herself as small as she could. Her coats was dirty and matted, and her mane and tail hung flat and thin, deprived of the starlight that normally shone from them. The princess's wings were somewhat kept with only a few out of place or missing. The thing that startled Celestia the most was the fear in her sister's eye. They were wide and constantly moving, looking for a way to escape some danger. “Luna!” said Celestia who, despite Luna's harsh appearance, was overjoyed to have found her sister. “I thought that I would never find you again!” “I wish you had not...” Luna said. “Luna...” Celestia made to approach Luna. She wanted to comfort her sister, to show her that she loved her, but Luna dashed away putting a large spire between the two of them. “Luna,” Celestia began again. “We don't blame you. Father and I...” “He is alive?” Luna interrupted. “Yes!” said Celestia, feeling that she was now making progress. “He is alright. We've been looking for you for months. We want you to come home.” Luna was silent for a while. Celestia hoped that things would be easier than she counted on for once. “How is mother?” Luna asked. Celestia took a turn at silence now. “Father took her to the old palace,” Celestia began. “She had a garden there long ago. There were till flowers there, and they spread all over the grounds behind the palace.” Celestia took a careful step forward. “You would think it so beautiful.” A quiet sob came from behind Luna's barrier. Celestia sat down, her back pressed to the stone as she kept vigil over her sister, ready to be there for her at a moments notice. In time, the noise was stifled, and Luna spoke up once more. “I cannot face father after what I have done.” “He's left for his island,” Celestia said with a heavy tone. “He stayed as long as he could, but the earth began to tremble once more. He doesn't have the touch that mother had, but he's trying.” Celestia smirked, and added, “Whenever I hear about a tremor now, I can can't help but picture him going, 'oops!'” Celestia had hoped for a giggle, or at least the mood to lighten a little, but Luna had something else in store for her sister. “Well, they all are not from father,” said Luna “What do you mean,” asked Celestia. Luna popped her head over the stalagmite, a wild, excited expression splayed across her face. “You see, I have been down here practising!” Celestia looked at her sister, startled by the manic mare before her. “I figured that since I could move the moon, which is really just like the earth but in the sky, I could figure out how to move the earth as well. Watch!” Luna jumped from behind her shelter and raised her horn. Loose stones trembled, and the cavern began to vibrate with a low rumble. Celestia ducked for cover as stalactites broke free from the ceiling and came crashing down. The quaking soon passed, and Luna turned to her sister, laughing with pride and delight at her new found power. “You see? Do you see!?” asked Luna, standing tall in her glory. “I practise all through the night between raising and setting the moon. I can begin to set things right with this. I just need time... time to practise more and get it right. I will make up for everything. I can do this.” Celestia looked from her shelter at her raving sister. Luna's chest heaved in excitement at her plans for redemption. The playfulness and awkwardness were gone from gone from the dark alicorn, replace now by wild desperation. Celestia crawled from her hiding place and approached her sister. Celestia rested her head across the dark hairs of Luna's shoulder, trying to reassure the both of them that things would be alright. Luna was still quivering from her performance, worn by the strain of foreign magic and tireless effort. Celestia eventually stepped away and looked upon the breaking mare before once more. She had one more idea to try to bring her sister home. Celestia bowed and cast another spell towards the floor. Between the sister appeared a giant book. Luna stared at the tome with curious eyes. She had never seen a book so large. Celestia spun the book so its bottom faced Luna, ready to be read. A silver and gold cloth bookmark was set between some pages near the bottom of the book, which Celestia pointed towards. “We found this underneath the palace,” Celestia said. “Father and I tried to read it, but there was just so much in there; more than we could read in a lifetime, but we did find a passage near the end that we agreed you should look at.” Luna looked upon the tome, afraid of what secrets may hold. She turned to her sister, wanting to ask what she should expect from the strange artifact, but Luna held her tongue at the sight of the sad smile in Celestia's eyes. Celestia held her sister once more, and told her, “We won't stop waiting for you.” Leaving a mote of light for Luna to read by, Celestia turned back the way she came, walking slowly at first until Luna was out of sight. Luna heard the echoes of fleeing steps reverberating off of the walls, calling out like distant, lonely voices. The dark princess sat under her light to read the gift her sister had left. She was once more in her familiar home of solitude, and there, in the comforting embrace of the earth, Luna turned to the marked page and read.