CHAPTER FIFTEEN
DRAGONS FALL
Dawn was breaking. The birds were singing in the trees and the wind soughing through the branches as the orange tinged light sent scattered beams of early morning sunshine to the forest floor. There was a track here, once well trodden, but now nature was claiming it back and even the ruts from centuries of innumerable cart wheels laden with goods from around the world, were quickly fading into the encroaching greenery. It was a forlorn reminder of a time when the fortress had been a home to many…an age long gone. So few remained now, and even they were scattered like chaff in the wind. What had it all been for? For a dream? Another chance at rekindled glory for the tribe of the mountains?
Foolishness.
Madra sighed; it was time to leave. She hoisted her packs onto her back and rammed her sun hat onto her head. That stallion, Rush, had a way of making you think of things you really didn’t want to. Of course, she knew the answers to the questions he kept asking – of course she did – but he didn’t have to keep asking them all the blasted time! And what was worse, was that it kept bringing back memories -memories that only served to remind her of how much she had lost. It wasn’t his fault of course, he was only curious, and who wouldn’t be? Such an incredible people, with a home the likes of which nopony could ever have imagined existed, and it was all gone.
All gone.
Madra brushed a tear away and stared up at the sunlight filtering through the trees. She smiled; maybe it was time for another journey…maybe…
The Princess’s voice drifted over, light and feminine, “Madra?”
“Yes?” the grey mare turned to face Rush and Celestia who were watching her with a curious mix of sadness and fascination.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?”
Madra shook her head. Dear Goddess, here she was in the shadow of her shattered home, standing talking with the very creature that had slain her people like they were nothing; talking to her as if…as if she were a…friend. She nearly laughed. “I’m sure” Madra smiled sadly, “You have a journey to complete, both of you, and as for me…” she shrugged, “I’m old and tired. I just want to go home.”
“We can fly you there, Madra” Rush said, lifting a hoof, “Please, won’t you reconsider?”
The grey unicorn shook her head, “Flying is not for me, Rush.” She said, “And besides, being crammed into that cart with you might make me lose control, and what would your Princess think of me then?” She barked out a laugh and gave Celestia a bob of her head, “Take care of him, Celestia. He’s one of the good ones.”
The Princess nodded, “Farewell, Madra. Should you ever wish to visit the palace, you would be most welcome.”
“Hah!” Madra snorted, “The family would never believe me!” She gave a final toss of her mane and trotted off along the overgrown road and disappeared into the trees. She didn’t look back…she didn’t want to. The fortress had been her home so long ago, but times truly had changed. Madra sighed; Let it sleep now, sleep until the cry of the wendigo resounded once more through the mountains and spires of their long forgotten home. For her however, it was time to move on. With a neigh, she lifted her hooves and broke into a trot – Cinder was long overdue a good cuddling!
“Do you think she’ll be alright?” Celestia asked quietly.
Rush nodded, “I think so.” He took a deep breath and tried not to concentrate on the sudden ache he felt in his chest. He hadn’t known Madra long, but after everything she’d done for them, watching her walk away like that, the way the dappled sunlight played across her as she clopped along the ancient and forgotten road, made his heart go out to her. He turned back to the large double doors and shook his head, “Are there other places like this in Equestria?”
Celestia nodded, “Some. There is the castle of the Griffin King, built so high it is said to pierce the very heavens themselves. Further away across the sea there are the pyramids of the ancient Llamalian Emperors, and further north, where the winds blow and snow ever falls, are the ice temples of Yak Yakistan.” She smiled, “There are more, many, many more, but none like Equestria…our home.”
“That’s quite poetic” Rush observed quietly, “You seem more like yourself today.”
“Sunlight” Celestia smiled, “And good company.” She nodded towards the cart, “Are you ready, love?”
“Hmph!” Rush snorted, “Nothing quite like a trip in a mouldy old death trap, hundreds of feet in the air to get the blood flowing. What’s not to like about that?”
“I’m sure it’s fine” Celestia said, strapping herself in. She nodded to Rush to do the same, “It looks perfectly sturdy to me.”
“Are you going to be alright, though?” Rush asked. He pulled the stiff leather belt into position and tied one of the cargo straps around himself for good measure, “You’ve only just had that ‘thing’ taken out of you, and I don’t want you pushing yourself too hard.”
“Oh, stop worrying! You sound like me mother, nagging me.” Celestia clucked her tongue, “There’s one more place I want to visit and then we can go home.”
Rush smirked, “I’ll second that motion. To the clouds, my lady, and beyond!”
Celestia nearly fell about laughing at the ludicrous look on Rush’s face, and it took all her self control to gather herself before she could launch the two of them up and into the sky. Rush took a breath and settled himself in for the flight the best he could. As much as he’d managed to relax the last time they’d flown, and that wasn’t saying much, this time things were a little different: this time Rush was hanging on for dear life in some ancient cart that Madra had dragged out of the back of an old storeroom. The damned thing creaked and groaned alarmingly with even the slightest movement, making him do his best to stay perfectly still in case the thing decided to disintegrate in midair. She’d assured him it was safe of course, and Tia had as well, but it still didn’t exactly inspire confidence. It may have had something to do with the ‘do not use’ sign that had been hanging from it and the fact it had been stuffed in a corner behind a load of cleaning equipment and broken furniture, but no…they thought it would be alright to fly him hundreds of feet up in the air in! He closed his eyes and said a prayer to the Goddesses…
“Are you alright back there?” Celestia called.
“Wonderful!” Rush replied, “Couldn’t be better! I have to say the view is amazing!”
Celestia laughed, “I’m sure it is!” She stuck her tongue out playfully and Rush blushed despite the cold air. Oh, that mare! Still, she had that way of making his heart soar every time he saw her looking at him, and…yes…the view from here really was…amazing. Rush felt a shudder run through his body. Was it right to feel this happy? After everything they’d gone through, after everything Tia had faced during the war with losing her sister and so many of her people, it didn’t seem right in some strange way, that a love like theirs could actually exist. And yet, here they were, flying in the sunshine high above the forest on their way to the place it had all started.
The castle of the two sisters.
He’d never been there of course, but he knew of it, everypony knew of it, but it was one of those places and subjects that the collective consciousness of ponykind had placed in the mental filing cabinet under the label ‘do not discuss’. And true enough, they didn’t. Rush yawned and closed his eyes, letting his mind wander. When you thought about it, ponies were actually very similar to people in the human world, to some degree at least, and especially so when it came to matters that were painful or embarrassing. Out of respect for his new home, he hadn’t probed Grove and the others for information as much as he would have liked, and still felt guilty for asking Madra so many questions about the wendigo. He should have realised talking about them would only serve to bring up memories that could cause her distress, and there he was blabbering about it without a care in the world! Gods, he could have kicked himself! Still, as a newcomer to Equestria, he had to find out as much as he could or else he could find himself blundering into situations out of sheer ignorance, and that wouldn’t be good for anypony, especially Tia. He nodded to himself; he would need to have Tia tell him more of Equestrian history and give him a crash course on etiquette before he ended up putting his hoof in it royally. Speaking of royalty though, he was actually looking forward to seeing the castle where Tia and Luna used to live. Grove had mentioned it in passing and some of the others had too, but now that he thought about it, to most ponies it was probably just a place they were stationed during the war, but to Tia…it was home. Rush rubbed his eyes and watched Celestia’s wings sweeping through the cool air, her mane and tail flowing and swirling like a cloud of rainbow light. Gods he loved her so much…
“There!” Celestia shouted, “Can you see?”
Rush risked a peek over the side of the cart and regretted it immediately. His hooves twitched horribly and his knees trembled like jelly. How was he ever going to get used to this?! He took a breath and forced himself to look again. Mostly what he could see was forest: mile upon mile of lush green trees, broken only by a wide meandering river and a smattering of white rocks - lots of large, white…wait…no! There was something there, it was partially covered in foliage, yes, but it was definitely a structure of some kind. Rush’s eyes went wide as he began to make out more of them; there were dozens, maybe hundreds of them, most covered in trees and vines that made them hard to see from a distance of course, but the scale was simply…staggering. Sunlight glinted off countless buildings of marble and granite, and reflected off the surface of the river like countless diamonds; from up here, the view of the old capital city was nothing short of breathtaking. Rush stared in silence as the light gradually began to reveal what looked like the remains of enormous white walls: two concentric rings, running around a smashed and shattered structure that sat at the centre of it all like some stone spider. He swallowed; that had to be it…the castle of the two sisters. He’d seen a castle before, back in the human world, but it had been nothing compared to this. That one had been made of wood - beautifully crafted and painted to display the Lord’s wealth as well as to defend him and family, but this…this was something else altogether. This was a seat of power, real power, and more…it had been the home of his mare. Rush shuddered, pulling himself back down and awaited the bump of the landing.
“Hang on!”
Rush gripped the straps, “Keep away from the river this time!” he called. He could hear her chuckling even over the wind noise. Rush gritted his teeth; how anypony could actually enjoy doing something like this was beyond him, and how pegasi didn’t fly about being constantly sick with vertigo was anyponies guess!
“Comfy?” Celestia asked, peering over the edge of the cart, “You can stay here if you like, I shouldn’t be long.”
Rush blinked and opened his eyes, “Bugger that!” He unstrapped himself and gratefully jumped down onto the mercifully hard, and most definitely solid, ground. His eyes went wide,
“My…Gods…”
It was like a different world altogether. They were in the middle of a street, neatly cobbled and as straight as an arrow. Towering up around them, but not so high as to block daylight, were buildings of white stone, marble, granite, gold and silver; homes, shops, storehouses… all of them constructed with a level of care and craftsmanship, or rather, craftsponyship that made Rush’s mind reel. This was no mere castle - this was a city! An entire city the likes of which he could imagine the Gods themselves would have happily lived in. His ear twitched as a bird flew low and disappeared into the open window of one of the abandoned structures. It suddenly struck him: it was quiet…silent even. There was a sense of emptiness and of peace here, as though the city was merely sleeping, dozing the millennia away while nature simply began the process of reclaiming these once magnificent buildings, slowly covering them with a blanket of green that would, one day, allow it to just…disappear.
“It’s…beautiful” Rush breathed.
“It was more so once” Celestia said quietly, “As beautiful a place as any you could ever have imagined.” She smiled sadly, “You should have seen the festivals we had, Rush: the lights, the music and the wonderfully colourful clothes everypony wore! Ah, the dancing would go on through the night and even until the next morning.” She chuckled, “I can still remember the piles of complaints I had regarding the noise!”
“I just can’t believe it.” Rush shook his head in amazement, “Why leave such a place?”
Celestia nodded for him to follow her, “Memories” she said wistfully, “Things happened here which ponies couldn’t forget, and…” she paused, “I didn’t want to stay here, not after what happened.”
“So the whole city just upped and left, just like that?” Rush couldn’t believe it.
The Princess shook her head, “Most had left during the war already” she explained, “Ochre, the ‘Lord’ who surrendered our home to the Legion, murdered anypony who didn’t agree with him. The rest simply slipped away, gradually transforming this once joyful place of life and love into one that resembled a graveyard more than a home.” She snorted loudly, “After that, and the threat of the Legion, the city became more of an army barracks than anything else, until…” They crossed through the gateway of the inner wall. “…until, Nightmare Moon happened” Celestia finished.
Rush stopped dead in his tracks. Ahead of them, partially overgrown with vines and grasses, were the shattered and broken remains of the castle itself. Miraculously some of the stained glass windows still remained intact, glittering in the sunlight and adding an almost mystical feel to the place that made his hackles go up. Most of the walls still remained too, including doors, stairs, and even the rotting remnants of flags and pennants - now drooping forlornly in the warm air. They walked towards the main doors and passed what Rush initially took for some sort of strange architecture, until he looked closer – they were blocks of masonry. Everywhere he looked there was more and more of it, literally tonnes, scattered around as though some enormous hand had scooped up a part of the castle and sprinkled it as a baker does with flour, liberally around the grounds of the Princess’s home.
Celestia’s horn glowed and the handles of the double doors shimmered with golden light, slowly opening up to allow the two of them to enter into the darkness beyond.
The temperature change hit Rush like a bucket of ice water and he stopped dead in his tracks. Ahead of him, the dark corridor suddenly burst into light with an effortless flick of Celestia’s horn, igniting the sconces and hanging chandeliers with flickering blue flame.
“Rush?” she asked quietly, “Are you alright?”
He nodded and caught up to her quickly, feeling for his sword hilt and watching the shadows. “This was you home?” he asked, “It seems so…dark.”
Celestia sighed quietly, “It wasn’t always like this. Once, Luna and I would play through these corridors and halls for hours on end.” She smiled sadly, “But that was a long time ago. After the war, the light of the castle simply seemed to…die.”
Rush held up a hoof, “But there’s so much left here!” he said, keeping his voice low, “It’s like everypony just walked out and left it all behind!”
“Thaumaturgical radiation” the Princess said suddenly.
“What?” Rush asked in surprise, “What’s that?”
Celestia chuckled, “Starswirl would be able to explain it better than I.” She waved a hoof before her, “When the explosion destroyed much of the castle, the magic ‘infused’ a great deal of what was inside and began to cause strange and occasionally alarming instances that upset everypony here.” She shrugged, “That was when we decided it was time to leave and make a new home for us all.”
Rush looked about himself, feeling a shiver along his spine, “What sort of ‘alarming instances’ are we talking here?” he asked, “Are we in danger?”
The Princess shook her head, “I don’t believe so, Rush, but it doesn’t hurt to be on our guard. That’s why I keep a spell on this place, to stop anypony, or anything, wandering in and getting hurt.”
A teapot ran past Rush’s legs, dropping its lid with a loud clatter. Fortunately the milk jug chasing it stopped to pick it up before the two slipped through an open doorway and disappeared from sight.
“Alarming instances?” he asked.
Celestia nodded, “Alarming instances.”
Rush took a breath and forced himself to stop fidgeting with his sword hilt. With any luck they’d get out of here sooner rather than later. Gods help them if they had to spend the night here!
Halfway along the next corridor, Celestia stopped and reached up a hoof, pulling on an iron bracket on the wall. To Rush’s surprise, a section of the dark stonework suddenly began to rumble, and then slowly swung out with a loud grating sound whilst simultaneously showering him with dust. Ignoring the sneezes behind her, the Princess took a breath, her horn glowing with a warm golden light, and silently stepped into the darkened stairwell beyond. Rush closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and followed her, trying to ignore the flight of saucer moths that had just flown over their heads. Gods, you had to love this place! Along the one of the walls, a small column of blue tartan bagpipe spiders marched past, pausing to salute Celestia who bobbed her head in return. Rush’s earlier incredulity was rapidly morphing into a silent acceptance that he had, utterly and without any doubt whatsoever, gone completely mad.
They reached the bottom of the stairwell.
“Rush, step back a moment while I cast the spell.” Celestia muttered something under her breath which made the air around her ripple with energy. A moment later she nodded to herself, “It’s safe, now.”
“Safe…” Rush grumbled as he followed her through the door, “What’s next, tap-dancing centipedes? Maybe a goldfish that can make sandwiches?”
“Oh, shush” Celestia replied, “I warned you about this.”
“No you didn’t!” Rush hissed, narrowly dodging a book that had sprouted hooves and was trying to do something unmentionable to a cruet set.
The Princess clucked her tongue, “I did. Now hush while I try to find the book we need.”
Rush rolled his eyes and turned his attention to their surroundings. They were in what was clearly a library, with row upon row of archaic looking books and scrolls that sat on shelves stretching from one end of the tall room to the other. Here, the castle looked incredibly intact and it would be have been easy to imagine that the devastation outside was in another world altogether. Tia had told him about this once before, and about the magic that protected what was left of the castle. What she hadn’t warned him about was this thauma-something-or-other that had affected everything inside its walls. Still, other than the occasional flying book or snake scroll, it seemed a shame to leave such a huge amount of knowledge all the way out here, but then, what did he know about magic?
The Princess walked ahead of him, heading purposefully straight towards a large dark wooden book case. It didn’t look particularly out of place here, except for the large iron door and lock that looked as though it would take a siege engine to get through. Celestia lowered her head and Rush watched in amazement as she pushed her horn, glowing with magical energy, into an opening on the lock. There was a resounding click and the door began to glow. Somewhere, far beyond the edges of Rush’s hearing, it sounded as though the locks to another dimension were opening, along with the door itself. Alarmed, he backed away and gripped his sword hilt.
Complete unphased by Rush’s reaction, Celestia reached a hoof into the glowing bright blue light inside the now open door, and withdrew…a book. Rush gave his head a shake; it was a perfectly normal, dark blue covered book. He’d seen hundreds like it – thousands even, but if magic was involved, he knew well enough that it was highly unlikely to be the sort of bedtime reading he would be perusing. Besides, he was barely past ‘Cod Row’s Riotous Rumpus’.
Celestia closed the door and set the book down on a lectern before pulling up a chair and taking out her spectacles. Rush couldn’t help but smirk at the look of concentration on Tia’s face – and why did she need spectacles to read anyway? He’d have to tease her about that later. Unfortunately, ‘later’ was beginning to look like it might be another day altogether: the light outside the stained glass windows was quickly turning into night. Goddesses, how long had they been there? Rush got up and wandered around the library, but rather than finding anything interesting to read, ended up sitting down with a selection of cutlery who were listening to mice playing accordions - they were actually quite good too. After the encore, the mice bowed and disappeared back into the crack in the wall and Rush stood up to leave. Gods, he was so stiff! One good stretch later, he rounded the corner to find Celestia closing the book and nodding to herself.
“Anything?” he asked.
The Princess took a breath and nodded slowly, “We have to send the crystal to the herd.” She stared at the glass jar sitting on her pannier, “It’s too dangerous to leave in this world.”
“Can you do that?” Rush asked, “Maybe if you asked your mother?”
“No!” Celestia’s feathers ruffled irritably, “I don’t want her…” she paused, and sighed, taking off her spectacles, “She wouldn’t understand.”
Rush frowned, “She’s your mother, Tia, surely she’d be relieved that you’d had the darkness removed from your soul. She said as much to me herself, and-”
“-You don’t know her!” Celestia snapped, “She’s insufferable! I’d be lectured endlessly, and if you think I mollycoddled you then you obviously have no idea what she can be like when she sets her mind to it.”
“I never said you mollycoddled me!” Rush protested.
Celestia snorted, “You talk in your sleep, remember?”
“Oh.” Rush hung his head. Giving himself a shake, he took a breath and faced her, “So, what’s the plan?”
“We go back to the palace and I open a portal to the eternal herd” Celestia explained, “I’ll take the crystal to the Spring of Waters and that will be that.”
“You make it sound surprisingly easy” Rush pointed out. He motioned towards the book, “What’s the catch?”
Celestia gave an ironic laugh, “Father.”
“Your father?” Rush asked in genuine surprise, “I don’t understand…”
Celestia groaned and leaned back in her chair. She didn’t want to think about it, but what choice did she have? Father no doubt knew about what had been happening already - he always did, but if she gave the crystal to her mother, she’d go on and on and on about it for years to come. Still…was it really worth risking facing father? After the war and what happened to Luna, he’d…he’d been furious. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to will away the memories of what he’d said, and what he’d…done… She’d have to think on it.
“Tia?”
Celestia gave Rush a sad smile, “Father never forgave me for what I did to Luna.”
“Oh….” Rush cast his gaze downwards, “Were they close?”
“Yes and no.” Tia placed the book back into mysterious book case and locked it before beckoning Rush to follow her, “He’s not the most...’expressive’, of parents. I’m sure he loves us in his own way of course, as does mother, but Luna? Well, we all have our favourites.”
“Have you spoken to him since?” Rush asked.
Tia shook her head, “Not as such. Father has a way of communicating his displeasure that goes far beyond a mere spanking.” She snorted, “Far, far beyond.”
Rush’s eyes went wide, “He punished you? But Luna started the war didn’t she?”
The Princess smiled, “He didn’t see it like that.” She opened another door and Rush followed. “Father sees ponies as almost background noise to the ‘greater scheme of the universe’ as he once told me. Innocents dying in a bloody war just didn’t register with him, especially as their souls returned to the herd anyway. He simply doesn’t see mortality as you or I do.”
“It sounds like a very cold way of looking at life” Rush said shaking his head.
Celestia smiled, “Perhaps, but he’s not cruel, he’s just…’efficient’.”
Rush raised an eyebrow; he wasn’t exactly looking forward to the possibility of meeting this fellow. He’d met one of the in-laws already, but the ‘other half’ sounded like the sort of stallion who would simply stare at you over the dinner table while you sat there, smiling and nodding, hoping to the Gods the night would end and you could get away.
“It’s your choice, love” he said, “I don’t know enough about magic or your parents to be much help here, but for what it’s worth, I’ll stand by your decision.” Rush gave her an apologetic look.
“Let me sleep on it” Tia said resignedly, and gave a well timed yawn, “Fortunately, I have just the place for us.” She swept a curtain aside revealing an expansively cushioned and extremely cosy looking room, “Welcome, to my inner sanctum.”
Rush gave his mane a shake, taking in the warm and snug looking room. Around the walls, tapestries, bookshelves and paintings, were tastefully arranged, while velvet drapes hung either side of a large stained glass window depicting the images of two mares in an eternal chase. One of them, a dark coated alicorn, was holding the moon in her outstretched hooves while the other, the white alicorn, held the sun. They were Luna and Celestia, the Princesses of Equestria. Rush felt his heart skip a beat; here, in this room, were decorations bound in silver and dark blue, while others were in gold and pure white. This was their room, wasn’t it? This was where the two would escape to, to find peace away from their duties in the world outside the protective walls of this comfortable hide-away. On one of the walls hung a painting, a magnificent and regal portrait of Tia and Luna, sitting side by side and holding hooves. Rush leaned in for a closer look; Luna looked nothing like her sister, apart from the wings and horn of course, but perhaps she took after her father? Tia had no doubt inherited some of her mother’s traits, but that said, he’d noticed a lot of ponies looked completely different to their parents and, according to Grove, could even have a foal that was a totally different species! Well, one of the three groups of ponies of course. He scratched his chin in thought; he really did have to learn more about these…his…people.
“Luna…” Celestia said quietly. She walked up and sat beside Rush, “I miss her.”
“She’ll come home one day though, won’t she?” Rush asked.
Celestia smiled, “I hope so. I really do.” She leaned her head against Rush’s neck, “I’d like her to meet you.”
Rush gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, “I’d like that too.” He chuckled, “I’ve met mum, so that’s one down, two to go.”
Celestia gave Rush a playful push, “One too many!” She yawned expansively and stretched her wings, “I’m so tired! Let’s get these cushions organised and get some sleep.” She raised an eyebrow, “And no playing tonight you, I want to have an early start!”
Rush stuck out his tongue and gave her a seductive smirk, “I’ll be good, I promise.”
“Hmm! I sure you will!” Tia snuggled into the cushions and sighed, stretching her legs and spread out her wings, “Ooh! They’re so stiff…”
“Come here, love, I’ll give them a rub for you. You get yourself comfy first.” Rush looked about the room, “Is there anything to drink? I’ve got some water and travel biscuits, but that’s about it I’m afraid.”
Celestia shivered and let Rush run his hooves down her wings, massaging her joints. “There’s wine in the cupboard and water in the barrel. I put a spell on it to keep it fresh, but none for me. I…” She groaned, “Oh, Rush…that’s so good…”
Rush smiled, “I’m not being too rough, am I?”
“No” Celestia hummed, “Not at all…” She closed her eyes, “Not…at…all…”
Rush gently stroked her wings and gave her a kiss on the neck, “Good night love.” And settled himself in for the night. He took one last look at the painting above them and wondered…could things really have been different? Could Luna and Tia have mended their differences without resorting to open conflict? He would probably never know, and maybe it was for the best too – knowing that you could have done something differently and didn’t could eat away at you, and he had more than enough thoughts like that of his own to last a lifetime already. He yawned; tomorrow, they’d be home, and would he have some stories to tell Grove!
Rush woke with a muzzle pressed into his neck and a near bear hug of legs. For a brief moment he wondered how he able to breathe, but quickly settled down and simply let himself enjoy the warm soft fur of his mare against his body. He smiled and wondered about how he would have thought, not so long ago, that such a thing could ever be possible. When Tia had vanished through the portal with Thorn, his world had simply…stopped. He’d dreamed of her, night after night, as days turned to weeks, the weeks to months and the months to years until…there she was. She hadn’t changed at all, not looking a day older than when he’d last seen her, but as for himself? Gods, he’d been no spring chicken then! He looked down at his foreleg and raised an eyebrow; who would have thought that Rush, the hermit of the hills, the madman of the mountain, or any of the other cruel comments that were made when they thought he couldn’t hear, would one day be the coltfriend of the Princess of Equestria? He chuckled under his breath and groaned, nuzzling Tia’s neck and taking in her scent. He was so…tired…
“Rush?” The Princess opened an eye blearily, “Love?”
“Hmm?”
“Are you awake?”
“Mmhmm”
“I’ve made up my mind.” Celestia rested her forehead against Rush’s and smiled, “I’m going to ask mother.”
Rush smiled, “I think that’s best, love” he said, “She’s a good mare.”
Celestia shrugged, “I know. I think sometimes I forget that.” She kissed Rush on the nose, “She just wants what’s best for me.”
“Where as Dad’s the big picture guy, eh?” Rush chuckled.
The Princess nodded, “Time for a quick wash and…mmf!”
Rush’s lips pressed to hers and he ran his hooves through her flowing mane, “Have I told you how much I love you already?”
Celestia laughed, “Yes!” She pushed him away, playfully tapping his nose, “Many times.” Stretching, the Princess rose to her hooves and flexed her wings.
“How are they?” Rush asked, “You fell asleep with them open last night.”
“I know!” Celestia said in surprise, “I can’t remember the last time I did that. I must have been more tired than I thought.” She gave them a shake, “You certainly worked your magic on them; they feel as good as new.” Suddenly Celestia sprang forward and grabbed Rush making him squeak, “Gotcha!”
Rush’s mind whirled away in a muzzy fuse of early morning sleepiness and…Tia.
*************************
One of the advantages of being with the Princess of the sun was that hot water was never far away, and there was something extra special about making a cup of tea first thing in the morning and sharing it with somepony who was also extra special. Celestia yawned and sipped her tea, marvelling at the flavour that reminded her of those days in the old wooden house while winters chill swirled around the bamboo forest. She could see him watching her, his eyes so blue and full of kindness. Sometimes she felt like crying just being with him, while other times, she wanted to melt away on a wave of happiness. Of course, sometimes she wanted to strangle the life out of him, but then, she’d never wanted Rush to be a yes-pony - there were enough of those already. She gave him a smile,
“What are you thinking?”
“Me?” Rush laughed, “About this place. It feels so different to rest of the castle, and the palace even.” He shook his mane, “I don’t know why, but I feel…safe here.”
Celestia took a sip of her tea and closed her eyes, “It’s where Luna and I would come to spend time away from our nanny, and later, our duties.” She smiled sadly, “It was a place of harmony, peace, and rest where we could be ourselves and just be…sisters.”
Rush looked up, “Tia…”
“Oh, don’t mind me, I’ll see Luna again one day and we’ll put all this behind us!” She slapped her hind leg, “Right, my fine stallion, let’s be on our way.”
Rush laughed, “Yes, milady!”
Outside, packed and ready for the last leg of the journey back to Canterlot, Celestia hitched herself up to the cart whilst Rush pulled the last strap into place,
“All set!”
The Princess nodded and then, with a leap and downward sweep of her wings, they shot up into the morning sky. It wouldn’t be long now, and she could finally have that hot bath, and perhaps, maybe even a trip to the spa? She didn’t normally frequent such places, especially as she had ponies back at the palace to trim and buff hooves, clip coats and so on. But still, it would be nice to get out and mix with her people rather than suffer those incessant meetings with their dull-as-ditchwater dignitaries from who-knew-where. She gave herself a quick shake, marvelling at the fantastic work Rush had done on her wings; she felt so light! Perhaps he wasn’t meant to be a healer after all, maybe a masseur instead? Perhaps a… Was he saying something?
“TIA!”
Something massive dropped past her from out of the sparse cloud above them, tearing past her side with a horrible roaring noise and the shriek of flame. Heat rolled over her and she caught the unmistakable stink of burning hair. What…? Oh, Gods! “RUSH!” she screamed.
“I’m alright!” Rush bellowed back, “It’s that bloody dragon again!” He pointed down at the dark shape of the black dragon, “Can you out fly it?”
Celestia shook her head, “No! And not like this.” She raged at herself inwardly; the two of them had thought they’d escaped the vile beast, and with her magic still not fully recovered, she’d be at a distinct disadvantage. Still, she should have enough to turn this monster into ashes. She took a breath, focussed and gathered her power.
“Tia! Look!” Rush leaned over the edge of the cart, “There’s something strapped his back…” He stared closely at the broken and beaten shape, “Oh no…it’s Yule…”
The dragon swept round, its great wings beating lazily as it rose up in front of them. The scaled creature’s onyx eyes stared at them with nothing but complete indifference. Rush stared back; in the pass he’d been too worried about escaping with Tia to pay much attention to the thing, but now that he could see it for what it truly was, it made his blood run cold. The dragon’s scales glinted like oil on water, the colours rippling with the movement of its muscles, while its enormous teeth caught the light as it spoke,
“WE MEET AGAIN.”
The Princess kept a grip on her magic. She was all too aware of the deceitful nature of these creatures, although she didn’t recognise this one. Why was it here? And why was it targeting them? “What do you want, dragon?” she asked, “Speak quickly or lest I lose my temper and send you to the fire lands to meet your ancestors!”
The dragon let out a booming laugh, holding its chest with its scythe like claws, “I HAVE NO DOUBT YOU COULD, PRINCESS” it rumbled, “BUT I AM NOT HERE FOR YOU.” It held out a claw, “I ONLY WANT THE PONY.”
Celestia froze, “Why?”
“WHY?” The dragon shrugged, “BECAUSE SOMEONE WISHES IT SO.” It let out a wuff of smoke from its black nostrils, “YOU HAVE MADE MANY ENEMIES, PRINCESS OF EQUESTRIA.”
“You know I could destroy you, dragon” Celestia announced, “Would you throw your life away for nothing?”
The dragon laughed, “I DON’T THINK SO.” It half turned, showing the bedraggled pegasus on its back, “IF YOU KILL ME, YOU SHALL ALSO BE TAKING THE LIFE OF ONE OF YOUR OWN. DO YOU THINK YOU COULD DO THAT? EVEN TO SAVE THE LIFE OF YOUR MATE?”
Celestia gritted her teeth, “You evil…”
“Tia?” Rush caught her attention, “Listen…”
The dragon rolled its eyes, “WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER, PRINCESS? SPEAK!”
“I say…” Celestia let out a sudden burst of magic that seared past the dragon’s face, making it roar in anger and alarm. Clutching its eyes, the huge reptile thrashed about, sending out jets of fire to try and incinerate its opponent.
“Let’s move!” Celestia dove for the cover of the forest, desperately looking for a place to land. It wouldn’t be long until the dragon’s vision cleared and it was on them. They had to be quick. The Princess concentrated, focussed, and…
Rush scrabbled for purchase, “Oh shi-!” The dragon’s scales were as smooth as glass and the damned thing was throwing itself around with complete abandon. For a split second Rush felt stomach wrenchingly weightless, but then mercifully his hooves snagged one of the ropes holding the bloodied form of Yule to its back. Doing his best to hold on and free his sword, Rush gave Yule a shove,
“Yule!” he called, “YULE! Wake up, damn it!”
There was no response. Was he dead? Damn it all, this could all be for nothing! The pegasus stallion looked like he’d been torn to shreds, but - Rush looked closer - just barely, almost imperceptibly, it looked like Yule’s chest rose and fell.
He was alive.
Rush gripped his sword and began hacking at the pegasi’s bonds while trying not to cut the stricken pony beneath. The ropes were thick and so tightly wound around him they were digging into Yule’s muscles. Rush teased the tip of his sword under a knot and work at; he owed Yule his life, perhaps they both did, and the least he could do was get him away from this foul thing – one way or another. Unfortunately, the dragon was becoming aware that something was happening behind it and lifted it’s head – just in time to avoid a blast of concentrated light that made Rush flinch back in alarm. Bloody hell, that nearly hit them! Distracted, the dragon roared in fury and with a great sweep of it wings, shot forward, straight at the Princess.
Wind ripped at Rush like a sledgehammer, and he lost his grip. But his sword had done its job. In almost slow motion, Yule began to drop away from his bonds, the ropes still tangling him, but quickly slipping away; gravity was doing the rest. Rush smiled in relief as the pegasus fell towards him and he managed to grab him in his forelegs, but it was then the cold hit him. Wind roared past them; the ground, thick with trees, rocks and an impending bloody and broken death, hurtled up to meet them with terrifying certainty.
“TIA! A LITTLE HELP?”
Rush closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind, but the mental image of his body impacting with the ground was all he could focus on. Right then his stomach felt like it was doing somersaults, until there was a blinding flash of yellow light followed by a heavy thump, and the two stallions were dumped unceremoniously into the back of the cart.
“HANG ON!” Celestia bellowed.
It took all Rush’s strength to grab the straps with the sheer g-force of the Princess’s dive. Between keeping as tight a hold of Yule and the cart as he could, all Rush could do now was pray they could outrun the thing. Horribly, with the encumbrance of the cart and the two stallions, it was all too obvious the dragon would be on them in seconds.
As if answer, a searing blast of fire flared past them.
“Rush, I’m going to have to land, I can’t fight him and carry you as well” Celestia yelled, “When we touch down, get Yule and yourself into cover.”
“NO!” Rush shouted, “Let me-”
“-You can’t fight a dragon, Rush!” Celestia bellowed, “This isn’t the time for heroics!”
“Buck it! I…”
Rush’s next words never left his mouth. The cart hit the ground by the bend in the river, the impact throwing Yule clear as he slipped from Rush’s grasp. Rush himself was up and out in an instant, snatching up the surprisingly light pegasus and throwing him up onto his back as he took off running through the trees. Behind him there was a loud ‘pop’, a flash of magic, and Celestia was up and soaring into the blue sky like a golden comet. The dragon, a clawed and tooth filled ball of rage and hatred, came down to meet her.
Running through the forest, Rush was acting on adrenalin alone. The ice cold terror of dropping through the air and the helplessness he’d felt at being at the mercy of the dragon, was all combining to override his ability to think clearly. There’d been nothing like that monster in the human world! Dear Gods, if anybody had seriously believed such creatures existed, if they really had existed, they’d have been little more than livestock waiting to be eaten! Rush leaped a fallen tree and…something caught his eye, something glittering in the dappled light of the forest floor…He paused and felt back along his side. What…?
High above, Celestia dodged and weaved through the sky, sending bolts of magical energy at the dragon. Uninhibited now, the alicorn was able to focus on her enemy without worrying about her stallion. Neither of the combatants spoke, there was no need, their only desire now to throw down the enemy before them. Fire roared and Celestia threw up a shield before responding with another searing lance of sunfire. The great dragon, already wounded from its battle with Yule as well as burned and bleeding from the injuries Celestia had inflicted, was now attacking in a blind fury, oblivious to any damage she was causing it. The Princess had seen this before; when a war dragon, enraged by pain and anger, would fight on until it was finally struck a mortal blow. By the Gods, what a fool she’d been! She’d lead them right into the beast’s clutches when she should have realised, she should have known that the thing was likely to be still out here. She’d fought dragons before; she knew what they were like. What had she been thinking?! Celestia sent out another beam of energy, the bolt hitting the dragon square in the chest and burning away some of its scales. She shook her head, wiping the sweat from her brow; that should have been enough to take down any dragon, but her power was weakened, and far more than she’d feared. In her attempt to help her, Madra had inadvertently taken away a portion of her alicorn magic, leaving her as weak as a kitten.
The dragon snarled, and threw itself at her.
The Princess tried to teleport, but the spell faltered, sputtered, and died, leaving her hanging disorientated in the sky as giant claws raked down her side. She flung herself away, but was caught by the beast’s enormous wings and sent reeling by the blow. Damn it! Damn, damn, DAMN! She had to do something, she had to think of something! With a loud neigh, she pulled herself round, forcing her wings into her side, ready to arrest her descent and…
“Princess!”
She looked down to see a beaten and bloodied pony she’d thought dead, flying towards her.
“Here!”
In a flurry of legs and wings, Yule threw the long, curved object towards her. Celestia smiled, bringing the blade up and round just in time to meet the dragon’s onslaught. Now…now she could fight! Conserving her magic, Celestia poured her strength into a battle of steel and claw, hoof and fire. The dragon was tiring, but so was she. Soon, one or the other of them would falter, giving their opponent the advantage they needed to strike that final blow, and she would be damned if it would be her. A sudden blast of wind hit her as the great lizard flew past, banked, and then pulled in its wings at it reached the top of its climb. She’d seen this before…and smiled. Like a black arrow from the Gods, the dragon hurtled towards her; its momentum, speed and hatred were…unstoppable. The Princess took a breath; this was the time…
Below in the forest, Rush ran through bushes and leaped over roots, all the while trying to see through the tiny chinks in the canopy to catch a glimpse of the Princess. His heart was pounding, his blood burning in his veins; had Yule managed to reach her? Was the sword going to help? Gods, he didn’t know! He…
A resounding crash reverberated through the forest, shaking the air and the ground with its leaden impact. Around him, birds shrieked and took wing as deer bolted and leaves fell. Rush ran towards the sound.
In the cascade of leaves and broken branches, lying amongst the obliterated tree trunks of the ancient forest, the dragon’s steaming and blood soaked body lay motionless. Before it, the Goddess strode towards him, her sword glinting in the light of her magic while her rainbow mane flew out behind her like a waterfall from the heavens. Her purple eyes sparkling, she smiled,
“Hello love; fancy meeting you here!”
*************************
Rush yawned, “Goddesses above, I’m so tired!”
Celestia groaned, “I can’t believe it. We looked everywhere!”
Reaching out, Rush put his hoof on hers, “I know, love, but perhaps” he shrugged, “it was just the way it was mean to be.”
“You don’t understand!” Tia protested, “My magic’s a fraction of what it was! I don’t know whether it’ll ever be back to normal and-”
“Shhh.” Rush gave her a nuzzle, “I know you’re upset, Tia, but when I think about that dragon’s claws cutting your panniers open, I can only be thankful it wasn’t you.” He gave her a kiss, “I could have lost you. The way I look at it, losing the crystal was a price worth paying for Equestria to keep its Princess and, maybe I’m being a little selfish, but I’m glad you’re here too.” He grinned cheekily.
Celestia rolled her eyes, “You have a very simplistic way of looking at the world, you know.”
“Oh, thanks!” Rush huffed.
“You’re welcome.” Tia smirked, “Anyway, I suppose there’s one good thing that’s come out of this; I’m going to have to push ahead with my plans for the college and university now, whether the nobles like it or not.”
“Why wouldn’t they like it?” Rush asked, “It’s a wonderful idea.”
Celestia sighed, “I know, but they think that education should be reserved for the wealthy. The thought of commoners being clever than them is something they find…distasteful.”
Rush snorted, “Buck the lot of them.”
“Rush!” Celestia barked, “Language!”
“Bah!” Rush stretched out his legs, “Money doesn’t make you a better pony.”
The Princess groaned, rubbing her muzzle and closed her eyes. He was right of course, but she knew nobility, and as much as she didn’t want to admit it, she was part of it herself. For some reason though, Rush didn’t see her in the same light as the ‘overstuffed peacocks’ as he’d called them. Now, whenever she saw them strutting around the palace as if they belonged there, she couldn’t help but imagine them sitting on a garden wall making that long high pitched call and displaying their tail feathers. She clucked her tongue; Rush was a bad influence all right…
“Any thoughts about what you want to do?” she asked, “Your studies seem to be coming along well.”
Rush nodded, “I’d like to keep studying healing to be honest. Cross Cut said she’s willing to take me on and teach me all she knows of Equestrian herbology and physiology.”
“What about Apricot though?” Celestia asked, “Would you be able to work with her? She was little…’uncertain’ about you.”
Rush turned over and peered at her, “Ah, I wondered when you’d mention her.”
Celestia blinked, “I’m sorry?”
“You’re jealous.”
“What?!” The Princess lifted her head and snorted loudly, “I am not!”
“I saw the way you looked at her that time” Rush smirked, “You were virtually glowing green with envy.”
“I…” Celestia closed her eyes and groaned, “Was it that obvious?”
Rush chuckled, “Uh-huh.” He gave her a nudge, “You know, it did make me feel a little bit…’fuzzy’ inside, when I saw you like that.”
“Fuzzy?” Celestia asked. She closed her book and put it down. She had read any of the thing anyway.
“Yeah.” Rush moved closer, his eyes meeting hers, “I like a mare who knows what she wants.”
“Oh, do you now?” Celestia took off her spectacles and raised an eyebrow, “And what do I want?”
Rush grinned, his lips gently brushing those of the Princess, “Me…”