Solem Perditum

by PropMaster

- XVII -

- XVII -

---

Celestia panted for breath, a few tears rolling down her face, as she flung the shard of glass aside, her healing spells already closing the injury. It was a superficial wound, but still painful. Celestia sat for a few moments, eyes closed, letting her spells finish as the pain subsided. It’d been a long time since she’d been truly hurt, and the freshness of the sensation was overwhelming.

Celestia exhaled slowly and peered at her back. The only thing to mark where the wound had been was a few red streaks that marred her white coat. She shook her head, clearing it of the last traces of pain, and carefully stood up. Her legs trembled slightly from the shock, and her head spun, so she sat down once more.

Lifting her head towards the upper section of the pyramid, Celestia contemplated what she’d learned. Luna had created the construct she was resting upon to contact Equis, but for whatever reason it had never worked. It was odd, considering she’d been able to activate it and use it to speak with Luna. Celestia frowned.

She needed some answers.

After resting for a few minutes more, Celestia tested her strength again. When her legs didn’t shake and her head didn’t spin, she began moving at a slow walk, making her way down the ramp on the side of the pyramid. Once she reached the base of the pyramid, she began walking around it, searching for any messages left behind for her.

As luck would have it, she stumbled on a sun glyph, with an arrow pointing toward the ground. Celestia sifted through the lunar dust at the base of the pyramid and discovered a mirror.

Luna’s face appeared in the surface of the mirror as Celestia activated the message spell. Her sister looked distraught, beaten.

“I’ve attempted to contact Equis for several months now, to no avail. Either my spell is not working, or I’m simply being ignored. It is impossible to tell. I’ve re-structured the runic components of the spell several times, trying to gain better results, but it has achieved nothing, other than depleting my energy. I believe it is time to give up, for now, and attempt something else. I do not know how long Nightmare Moon was trapped here, before I regained control over myself. I do not know how many more years of my exile remain. I can only hope that there is a way to escape my confines... but I already am beginning to feel that hope is lost.”

Luna’s face fell. “Thus, I will attempt to fill my time here with various pursuits, in order to stave off the insanity that Nightmare Moon no doubt experienced. I can only hope that the solitude will not be too much to bear. I will head towards the lighter side of the moon.”

The message faded away, and Celestia sighed, setting down the mirror in the dust. It seemed, then, that her sister had resigned herself to wait out her time there. This was a dead end, perhaps, but Celestia felt determination rise within her. At the very least, she could explore further, follow Luna’s trail to the end.

The thoughts of Luna jarred Celestia’s memory. When she’d contacted Luna, the present-day Luna on Equis, she had said to examine her surroundings, and look for... something. What could she have meant?

Celestia scrutinized the area around her, wondering what she was supposed to be looking for. Nothing immediately stuck out to her. Was it something in the ruins? Another construct, perhaps?

Sighing, Celestia stood up, and began walking in a wide circle around the pyramid. After several minutes of walking, she spotted a trail of hoofprints, leading away from the pyramid and the city, back towards the daytime side of the moon.

Celestia followed the prints away, towards a further horizon.

Comments

[Skeeter The Lurker]

Perhaps NMM interfeered with the device? Intentionally kept her from calling for help?

Then again.. Hmmm.

I'll be re reading this after the thirty days are over...

~Skeeter The Lurker

[That_one_guy]

The thought plickens.

[ocbaker]

OBEY THE PLOT!

2797217 Re reading does seem like a good idea.

[flame5768]

2783447 night mare made her forget she was her meaning she don't exist and she does so Luna does know and she is real but not rely cause she is her mind there fore she dun exist but tia resulting to not rescue her means night mare moon is alive in luna's memory so she lives but she don't really cause nightmare is not a figure just a sliver of concentrantion

[Emberspeak]

"Various pursuits," eh? I can imagine Luna playing badminton or something on the moon, knocking it high in the air then rushing to the other side of the court to knock it back to herself. It'd work too, seeing as there is minimal gravity and all.

I can also see her dabbling into extremely complicated magical practises. I wonder if she would be able to create a viable bio-dome with all the magic and time at her disposal

[FashionablyHospitable]

Hmmm... scrutinize her surroundings... not for the trail... not for the mirror... for what?

[AppleTank]

Luna creates 1000 card solitaire.

[Metal Aura]

Relevant xkcd. https://xkcd.com/505/

[The Danish Adonis]

7066383
Replying to an ancient comment, i know, but i literally stopped in the middle of last chapter to find and reread this exact strip