The Castle Canterlot

by Honey Mead

Chapter 12

The Castle Canterlot:
Chapter 12

“Even at the height of my adolescent arrogance, I never wanted to be worshipped.”

—H.R.H. Princess Celestia, recorded in the diary of Captain of the Sword Longshanks
of the Royal Guard in 570E.R., on the occasion of the tenth Summer Sun Celebration.

Shining knew that the moment he stopped moving he’d start shaking. His legs burned to gallop, to kick and buck, to do, to exert themselves on the world at large. The muscles of his neck and face, too, demanded use, tensing painfully and making his teeth grind. That he could do nothing only fueled his anger and made everything worse.

Everytime he passed a pair of guards, he slowed, leering at them in search of any excuse to lay into them, to scream and shout like a drill-instructor. He didn’t though. His responsibility, his duty was to see to the well-being of Canterlot and Equestria as a whole, and to do that he needed to be in the throne room.

Finally arriving there did not soften his mood. The hall was filled with just about every politician and hanger-on that Canterlot could produce, all divided up into small groups that an outsider could be forgiven for thinking they were holding shouting contests instead of debates. There were at least two in every committee staged in total opposition and preventing the others from making a trivial show of progress.

It was impossible for him not to listen in as he made his way to raised dais, giving him a fairly good grasp of what was going on and souring him all the more. “What in Tartarus do you think you’re doing?”

The three houses of governance were all represented by the group at the base of Solar Throne. Of them, the House of Commons was in such a stark minority that they’d been all but shoved aside by the other two. The unicorns of the House of Ladies had been able to produce nearly all of its leadership, with Madam Speaker Scribble Blackwell, bristling at Shining’s intrusion, at their head. Opposite them, the Cloud Conclave numbered fewer, but, as was their way, stood in firm support of their Commandant General Snow Blind, who reacted to Shining’s arrival with a smile.

“Ah-ha! Finally somepony else who understands the importance of real leadership experience!”

Blackwell snorted. “Oh, blow it out your tail, Blind. You’re ‘real’ experience has about as much to do with running a country as popularity. The last thing we need is some warmonger trying to—”

“Shut up!” Shining bellowed, earning another withering glare from Blackwell and an annoyed snort from Blind. “I’m putting a stop to this insanity. Right here, right now. The answer is no. This travesty is over and done.”

“Travesty? Who do you think you are, Captain Armour?” Blackwell snarled, her voice dripping venom.

“I could ask the same of you.”

“I am Madam Speaker of the House of Ladies, Scribble Blackwell. It is my sworn duty to oversee the running of the Equestrian government and facilitate such laws as necessary to ensure its continued operation. So I ask again, Captain of the Sword, Shining Armour, who do you think you are to dictate to me what I should or should not do in the pursuit of these duties?”

“I,” he began, rising up and using every inch of his height to bear down on her, “am Shining Artorias Armour, Captain of the Sword for Her Highness’ Royal Guard, sworn to uphold and prosecute Her laws and edicts, and what I see is the beginning of a coup.”

“Look outside, Captain! Have you not seen the sky? It’s nearly noon and still Selene and the stars remain! For the last six hours, Sol has failed to so much as push against the horizon! What are we to make of that? Are we to cower in our homes and hope and pray that we may yet be saved?

“Celestia is gone, Captain! She is not here! Where, how, and why matter not at all. All that matters is that we are alone! For the first time in our history, we are quite literally in the dark. And what’s worse, we’ve let ourselves be bound hoof, horn, and wing by laws written in the assumption that this would never come to pass. Well, Captain, it has come to pass!

“So, Captain Armour, don’t you dare come here shouting accusations of insanity and treason at me! You might be willing to bury your head in the heather and pray for salvation as the wolves circle, but I will not!”

Blackwell’s chest heaved as she met Shining’s glare with unflinching conviction. Her lips pulled tight over her teeth, nostrils flaring and nearly shaking from head to hoof.

“You can pretty up the words all you like, it changes nothing.”

“And you can hide behind your blind devotion all you like, and it will change nothing.”

“The Princess will return.”

“And until that time, I will do anything I must to ensure there is still an Equestria for her to return to.”

Anger, annoyance, and more than a little pride demanded Shining respond, to point out everything wrong with what they were trying to do. They were traitors, usurpers vying for the throne while the Princess was away. He should stop them. He should arrest the lot of them, lock in the dungeon and… what? Wait? Become through force of arms what they sought through paper and ink? His eyes darted to the golden throne for the briefest moment.

“You tread on treacherous ground, Speaker,” he glanced toward Blind, “Commandant. Take care that you don’t find the edge with your hooves.”

Turning sharply, he left the politicians to their plots for the moment. He did not like it. Not one bit. The mess mortals had made of the Old Queendoms was all the proof he needed that they were not meant to rule, and any pony who thought themselves capable, much less deserving, of sitting so far above their fellow ponies needed to have their heads examined.

By the time he reached the royal entrance, situated behind the throne, he was too exhausted not to flop down on his haunches. Between the full day of final preparations, celebrating with—then chasing after—Cadence, his mother, and now this, he’d gone through the wringer with almost thirty hours without sleep. He was supposed to be on his way to the Unicorn Range. He was supposed to be on vacation for the next week, hidden away from the rest of the world in a little log cabin, surrounded by snow with a crackling fire, a cup of hot cocoa, and snuggled up against Cadence until they both fell asleep… or not.

“Captain Armour?”

Shining jolted, quickly focusing on the small unicorn stallion staring at him with a face creased by permanent worry. “Yes?”

Chronicle shot furtive glances around before stepping closer and whispering, “Where is Princess Cadence?”

“I don’t know,” he said, sighing and rolling his neck.

“You know more than that.” Shining’s head snapped back to Chronicle, who continued, a tremor entering his voice, “You didn’t mention her to Blackwell at all. She’s supposed to be here. Princess Celestia told her to be here.”

“She…” Shining sighed. “She left.”

“Left?” For a moment, it looked as though Chronicle was going to explode. He didn’t. All his bluster melted away, and he sunk to his haunches, hanging his head. “Of course she did. Do you know where?”

Shining watched the old unicorn and sympathized. Blackwell was right on at least one account. None of them were prepared for this. Faith in Celestia was ubiquitous in Equestria. Everything from the core of governance to the most deluded personal philosophies to the ticking of their clocks took her presence for granted.

What happened to the faithful when their god disappeared?

— — — TCC — — —

Tianguan watched the ponies of Canterlot as they went about their day, attempting to act as though it were any other. They failed. A literal shadow hung over the city, all of Ioka really, and they responded in kind, huddling together in small, familial herds, constantly glancing up at the night sky and watching the shadows with weary eyes. Did they truly expect some monster to be lurking there, ready to pounce at the first moment of inattentiveness?

Ignorant foals.

Celestia’s coddling and ubiquitous machinations only accounted for so much. The ponies across the sea were worse. History for them barely extended past the latest imagined slight. That they observed their traditions at all was something of a miracle, and likely only due to the constant badgering by the Sisterhood. A millennia of distance did not excuse such ignorance.

When had the legends of yore become nothing more than old pony tales, relegated to bedtime stories for foals and cast aside like broken feathers?

Bah. They would see the truth for themselves soon enough, as though it was not already evident. And it fell to her sisters and her to prepare them.

From her first step out of the dark alley and into the street, she turned heads. It would have taken more effort to not do so. Her height alone placed her quite literally above even the tallest stallions, only the goddesses themselves matching and surpassing her. She also failed to allow the dour atmosphere to affect her, walking with a confidence those around her couldn’t hope to imitate.

There was nothing to fear this night or any that would follow. The path of history was set and prophecies fulfilled. There was only to await the full passage of time, and her mistress would be returned, centuries of waiting finally coming to a head.

Every step brought more eyes, more ponies stopping to stare, nudging those nearby, her presence rippling outward until it encompassed the entire street. A subtle shift of her wings enhanced the effect. The charm was not invasive, little more than a whisper in their ears urging those who saw her to pay her heed, to see where she led. It worked like a stitch, drawing more and more ponies to follow in her wake, curious to see what there was to see.

Her journey was short, leading down two more streets, ending on the steps of the Notra-Dame de la Chanson. The crowd behind her, now numbering in the hundreds, fanned out at the first step, awaiting whatever would come next.

At the first landing, Tianguan stopped. Before her, the statue of the Namegiver greeted all who would enter her temple. Offerings all but hid the wide base. While there were plenty of gems and coins, most were half finished knittings with needles left in and a rainbow of spooled thread with needles ranging in worth from simple wood to impractical gold. Wings to match her size flared from Tianguan’s sides, accompanied by gasps from the crowd behind her. She curtsied in the old style, bending knee and half shading her head beneath her great wings. Without rising, she brought a wing to her lips, kissing a single feather before taking it between her teeth plucking it. The pain and wound lasted but a moment, healing and passing with only the missing feather, a single drop of blood staining the shaft, and her memory to prove it happened at all. Reverently placing the blood-feather among the rest of the offerings, she rose and faced the multitudes.

Wings still spread wide, arcing over her head, she spoke, her voice carrying for all to hear, “Gather, mortals. Gather and heed well my words.

“For hours, you have turned your eyes to the heavens in dread. You espy Selene and the stars where you expect Sol alone, and you, in your ignorance, cower, fraught with fear and uncertainty. The powers divine churn before your very eyes and remind you of just how small and powerless you are. And so you should, for you are small and without power.

“All of your lives, the night has filled your hearts with terror. You trembled at what shadow obscures and darkness conceals. And so you shunned the night. You hid from it in your homes and your cities’ false light.

“Fear no more! Turn your eyes again to the heavens and know the truth. Look with new eyes and see what has been hidden laid bare. Gaze in awe at the wonder and magnificence spread out before you and know that prophecy has come to pass!

“A glorious upheaval is upon you! Rejoice! Rejoice! Fear this night no longer nor those that follow. A new moon has risen and she will guide you forth into a wondrous future!”

Comments

[Xanderfox]

I think Tianguan will be confused and maybe even disappointed when Celestia returns with Luna in tow, certain Nightmare Moon's return meant Celestia was gone forever. I like to think the prophecy came to pass exactly as it was meant to too, ponies just mis-attributed the meaning of the words. the prophecy said "the stars will aid in her escape", HER could mean Luna, The Stars could mean Twilight and "escape" could mean escaping from the nightmare forces. As to "And she shall bring about nighttime eternal", well that could mean Luna will now eternally be in charge of the night, bringing it about every day forever rather than an unending night.

[Misplaced Mage]

She also failed to allow the dower atmosphere to affect her, walking with a confidence those around her couldn’t hope to imitate.

I believe you meant "dour," unless they're standing around discussing medieval life insurance policies for married stallions.

[redmar]

The politicians prove themselves incapable of meaningfull decisions and will have caused themselves much trouble when Celestia returns.
Also I spotted an error it's millennium when singular. Why so few people know that I don't know.
Tianguan is not helping at all and will likely increase the panic in Canterlot.

[Leftover of Saikano]

This multiverse really needs a wiki. I wish I could help with that.

[ChakatFirepaw]

The unicorn’s of the House of Ladies....

You are not selling vegetables, there is no reason for a greengrocer's apostrophe.

[djthomp]

Man, Tianguan is going to be so disappointed. Well, probably, might depend on how efficiently she can pivot her message once Luna shows up instead of NMM.