Talking Sense With a Princess
"Come on, Belle." Rainbow motioned with her windblown mane. "Have a seat."
Bellesmith took a deep breath. Eyes darting left and right, she trotted forward until she was within the penumbra of the moon's glow. As she sat down, her gaze fell on Pilate.
The zebra's ears twitched slightly to her shuffling limbs, but otherwise he gave no indication of having noticed her approach. His head remained bowed towards the top deck, his folded limbs curled tightly under a thick blanket.
"I just got finished telling Princess Celestia about the ponies we've picked up recently," Rainbow Dash said. "Not just Prowse and Elma, but Zaid as well."
"You are surrounded by very intriguing characters," the regal voice said, drifting through the enchanted air. "Not to mention very novel and talented."
"Yes," Belle said, nodding slightly. "We are... a varied bunch."
"And no doubt very cooperative, in spite of those differences."
Belle said nothing. She kneaded the ends of her hooves against the deck below.
"Belle wouldn't be able to tell you much about Prowse and Elma, Your Highness," Rainbow said, staring the mare's way. "Seeing as she hasn't taken the opportunity to talk with them yet."
Belle glanced up and squinted at her.
"All good things come in time," Princess Celestia's voice said. "At least such is my experience."
"Time carries with it many other things," Pilate suddenly droned.
Belle's ears folded upon hearing that.
Rainbow Dash fidgeted in midair, darting her head left and right between her two friends. She eventually cleared her voice and said, "Celestia and Luna happen to know a few things about the creatures we saw over in Seclorum's encampment. Isn't that right, Celestia?"
"Most certainly," Princess Celestia said. "As my sister already conveyed to Rainbow Dash, there's a race of equine beings from ancient Equestrian history that are commonly referred to as 'changelings.' Ever since the old Matriarchs Tchern and Chrysalis corrupted their brood with malevolent energy, these shape-shifting beings fled to the furthest stretches of the physical world, undoubtedly making a home on the dark side where the Sun and Moon fail to reach."
"It must have been difficult maintaining the Sun and Moon for so many years, Your Highness," Belle suddenly said. "I can't imagine the sort of strain that must have put on you."
There was a brief bit of silence, followed by Celestia's voice: "Indeed. But it was a labor I endured for a thousand years, as it was required of me in my sister's absence."
Belle gulped, staring at the deck. "It must be even harder to keep a chaos rift held shut... while also performing a long distance communication spell..."
Rainbow jerked a glance at Belle.
Belle bit her lip before eventually muttering. "Nopony would bl-blame you if you would rather rest and focus on your harmonic task at hoof."
Celestia calmly replied, "There are worse rifts in this world than that which plagues Ponyville, my little pony. As for rest, my soul cannot be at ease while I know that Rainbow and her friends suffer so much anguish."
"We... are n-not suffering, Your Highness," Pilate said. The zebra gulped and murmured, "It is a long and exhausting trip over the Frozen Sea, and it's taxed us greatly—"
"Oh please, Pilate," Belle sighed. "You're never 'suffering,' especially when you are."
Pilate's muzzle stretched tight as he grunted, "It's difficult to tell. I've had nopony around to compare myself too, beloved."
"Darling, if all you needed was somepony to talk to—"
"Don't pretend like it would make a difference!" the zebra snapped. "Most especially not in front of the Princess of Equestria!"
"Pilate—"
"Even when I'm in the same room with you, it's like you're miles away, Belle!"
"So help me if I'm not the strong mare that I was weeks ago, Pilate!" she snapped back. "I can't be expected to carry you every hour of every day! You're a grown stallion. Surely you're dealing with enough frustration of your own!"
"Mmnnngh..." Pilate rested his chin on his forelimbs. "...I just don't bury them in Kera everyday."
"Excuse me?!" Belle snarled. She blinked, then looked down to realize that she had stood up in a burst of anger. Grunting, she collapsed back on the top deck.
Rainbow bit her lip, then flinched when Celestia's voice broke the silence.
"Rainbow has... also told me of a most unfortunate turn of circumstances as of late."
The ponies atop the Noble Jury clenched their eyes shut at that—including Pilate.
"Such senselessly violent events are terribly tragic. But the greatest tragedy is the poison that is left over, that which leeches otherwise innocent ponies of their strength and vigor to live harmonically."
"Heh... 'innocent ponies...'" Rainbow Dash muttered. She tilted her head up. "Princess Celestia, it was my job to look out for the safety of the Noble Jury. By extension, that includes Kera and the ponies who care for her. What happened in Lerris..." She sighed heavily. "I could have prevented. I should have... h-had the foresight..."
"To do what, Rainbow?" Belle gazed sadly at her. "To have foreseen the future? To have killed Shell before he ever got to that village?"
"I had plenty of opportunities—"
"Not like I did." Belle gulped, her ears drooping. "I had him in my grasp, Rainbow. I... I-I know I should have told you sooner, but I didn't. I..." She grimaced. "I was too cowardly. In my heart, I knew that what I did to Shell was wrong. Not because he had any reason to be respected as a living being, but because I used him to destructive means... wh-when I could have used him for self-destructive."
"It was the most reasonable solution at the time, Belle," Pilate spoke up. "You wanted to get back to the Jury. And if you hadn't controlled Shell the way you did, who knows how many more ponies would have died in at—"
"At Seclorum's?!" Belle exclaimed, eyes hard-set. "A place that was already a blood bath?! Where ponies went to die and they knew it?!"
"There was so much at stake, Belle," Pilate said. "The world as we know it and don't know it. The path of Austraeoh and Nevlamas' reign of chaos—"
"Pilate..."
"If you hadn't forced Shell to intervene, there's no telling if Rainbow Dash or the rest of the Jury would still be alive—"
"None of that matters to me! Don't you get it?!" Belle stammered, sniffling. "In the end, it bit all of us in the flank! And it cost us Kera! All because of my selfish stupidity—"
"Dammit, Belle!" Pilate slapped his hooves against the top deck. "Will you drop it about Kera?! Everything doesn't revolve around Kera!!" He frowned. "What happened to her is terrible! Absolutely terrible! But you need to stop counting all of the mistakes that you've made and start to weigh in all of the good, courageous things that you've—"
"Because it's so easy for a blind zebra with a focus on the 'big picture' to justify the consequences of—"
"And you need to stop blaming me for Lerris!" Pilate practically hissed. "I made a judgment call. It was a bad call—I admit that. But I did not slay those ponies, Belle. I did not traumatize our surrogate daughter. And I sure as the Spark shimmers on..."
"Pilate, please—"
"...mm not the one burning this relationship to the ground!" he hollered.
Belle flinched away from him, shivering.
Pilate panted and panted, his tense facial muscles loosening gradually.
"It's neither of your guys' fault..."
Belle looked up. Pilate tilted his head skyward.
Rainbow Dash hugged herself in midair, her eyes wet. "I... I should have stayed in Lerris. I should have stuck with you guys all the way through to the end. I dunno if I could have stopped Shell but..." She sniffled and sighed. "At least it would have been something. Even if we all died that night." She looked away, her eyelashes beading with moisture. "Anything would be b-better than this..."
The other two ponies hung their heads.
At last, Celestia spoke.
"I have not felt this sad since I lost my apprentice."
Rainbow inhaled sharply. She stared up at the wavering moonlight. "Your H-Highness...?"
"This monster that you speak of—this Shell—needs to die. And he needs to die tonight."
Rainbow's brow furrowed. "But... but Princess Celestia..." She wiped her cheek dry with a forelimb and murmured. "I already told you. Back in Lerris. I—"
"Until you three stop blaming yourselves, he will continue to haunt you. He will continue to tear apart that which is magnificent. In the last three months since I first heard from my sister that Rainbow Dash had found herself some new companions, my heart has been filled with joy. For the first time, I could solace myself with the thought that the last of the Elements of Harmony had found a reason to be loyal yet again... and to be joyful. This is a blessed thing... or at least it was. It burdens my heart to witness how frayed everything has become. Even from miles away, I can feel the fibrous ends unraveling, and I'm telling each and every one of you that you must sort out these demons before they burn your love and trust into inert dust."
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I'm glad Belle and Pilate exploded at each other. Any more pressure and their heads would have blown off instead.
Once again, best princess doing what she does best: diplomacy.
Plus, Pilate finally calling Belle out on her, shall we say, imprudent behavior as of late.
CELESTIA HATH SPOKEN.
Finally someone with reason. Stop letting the echoes of the past haunt you. What you have to work with now is the strands of the present, and the visions of the future.
fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/350/2/4/praise_the_sun_by_fribox-d5o6a99.png
Celestia giving the speech that everyone needed to hear. I really hope she and Luna can help them finally mend this wound.
Celestia is serving the same role as Zaid. Such different characters...
Anyway, There's obviously a reason that Celestia is doing the talking this time instead of Luna, I guess we'll just have to wait to see why.
I'm all for protecting your kin and whatnot but this was ridiculously fucking low of Belle to say, especially in front of RD, who let Belle live long enough to see Kera in the first place. Perhaps it's just the heat of the moment talk, but at the moment, Belle is irking me.
Hopefully Sunny D can pull Belle's head out of Kera's ass for a little bit.
This is exactly what I've been saying. Shell is still not dead as long as they let what he's done weigh down on them like that.
Preach it, Celly.
Have yet to see Pilate act in such a way. I was interesting.
4110457
Agreed. Seeing Mr. Stoic fraying at the ends is very cool, if not sad.
Is he talking about the decision to stay there in the first place? Or is he hinting at something we don't know yet?
Go for a run, ):(. Knock 'em out!
People live on in memories. It's time to release those memories.
If anyone was gonna be able to set 'em straight, it had to be Celestia.
4110505 Maybe he's talking about proposing to go there on the first place?
Well, to any other onlooker that situation would've been incredibly awkward. Not so much for the one who knows what she's looking at. How very sad indeed.
I'm waiting for Kera to snap out of it, and give them both -mostly belle- a good smack in the face for being such idiots to each other.
4110398
Nonononononononono
Pleeeeeeease do not relate Zaid to Celestia!
love, trust, dust
three very important words in this story, and may have a bit of symbolism wrapped in them. Trust is a synonym for honesty (or loyalty) in my opinion.
OH COME ON! Why can't that dude just DIE ALREADY!
Yay Celestia! Than again I was hoping Zaid would be the one to help...
4110505 I think he's referring to nearly getting himself stabbed in the throat just to save Belle and Kera.
4110400 Because her head sure as shit ain't up her own.
The Noble Jury seems to be repairing itself from the damage from Shell, but Kera's still not looking good. Something will have to be done about her, especially once Belle gets some sense talked into her.
Celestia, I see you trying to usurp Luna's title of best princess. I highly encourage you to keep trying. It'll never happen, but keep trying.
Celestia has the experience and wisdom to know exactly whats going on, and when she said inert dust, its because she didnt want to burden them with the knowledge that the toxicity of Shell is plutonium style.
The dust of the remains of their freindship isnt inert, Shells legacy corrupts and irradiates it, making it infest and infect any that hear of it, even by proxie, like a source of plague zombies, until chaos rules supreme once more.
Zaid needs to go and sit quietly with Kera for a while. Hopefully the insanity of that occurance, Zaid being quiet, will help Kera start on the long torturous journey back from the slaughterpit.
YES, YES! A THOUSAND TIMES YES!
Glad to see them working out their issues. And finally, maybe, Pilate may be trying to grow a dimension.
...I imagine that'll hit Rainbow quite close to home. Hopefully Belle remembers too.
Shell, character wise, didn't deserve to have any sort of legacy. Thank you, Celestia.
See? This is the kind of thing that makes Celestia such a great character. Hopefully now we'll see some progress.
... and somehow Shell still isn't dead!
Woah. Heavy chapter man.
It's both somber and interesting watching all three of these unique minds deal with their individual traumas this way. Out of the three, though, I'd have to say Belle is taking it the worst; sure, Rainbow was a bit loopy there for a bit as well, but she had the wherewithal to isolate herself-- even if that wasn't the best call in the end. But Belle has been making an even greater victim out of anyone who comes too close (Zaid, Pilate, Kera, etc.) and I think it's about time some sense was knocked into her. Not that I blame her or anything. I can't even begin to imagine how all of this would feel if I were in her (horse)shoes.
i got nothin
4110505
I thought he was referring to suggesting they visit Lerris in the first place, but it would actually be fantastic if there was some hidden dynamic going on between Belle and Pilate that we don't know about yet. It would explain their behavior recently.
-SPirit
IIIIIt's Dashie's evaluation time!
Hoo, baby. Celestia knows how to bring it. I agree with Pilate - Belle is dwelling on Kera. She needs to accept the situation and move on, although it may not be easy. These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
Oh.. god.. feels
Also, Celestia basically told Belle and Pilate to get their shit together
for a long time ive wondered when pilate would finally snap like this. i have never seen him raise his voice like thia. About time too. and perfect time to do it.
im glad celestia was here (sort of) to see this. shes got the wisdom to show these ponies the path back to light. but will they walk it?
)
(btw anyone get my subtle referance? i leave you to decypher
4112350 NO! ESTA MUERTO! HE IS DEAD!
At long last, the elephant in the room has been addressed. Holy almighty Celestia Christ, I've been waiting for this stupid shit to be spoken of.
5796787 Agreed. but like I said a while agoDash was the only one holding everything together, and She herself was falling apart. It wasn't until Zaid of all people finally smacked some sense into her that she even noticed what was happening around her to the ones she cared about because of her indifference.
Go Celestia.
"The power of the sun compels you!"
"But it's nightti--"
"THE POWER OF THE SUN COMPELS YOU!!"
fug
He's right. It's a team effort.
You know how the magic of this story is "at any time rainbow dash could be alone for 50 chapters and that would be believable and enjoyable"? I now feel the same way about this marriage counseling. The range of this story is amazing. Every risk IC has taken has paid off.
Pilate has been reaching out, again and again; it's Bellesmith who has drawn back.
Still, I hope I never have to be in any of their places.
I'd prefer a dull and mediocre life compared to the peaks and troughs that they've all been through.
Though I suspect that the peaks are exponential, I can't help but shy from the trough.
Is she talking about Twilight?
Celestia is best pony.
Also this:
Ohhh boy, that was intense. Great chapter. I got chills.
I've always loved Celestia. Your writing style fits well with her.
Sometimes you forget that the benvolent ruler of the sun can be intense as the sun too.
When Celestia says something needs to die, you need to kill it with fire before it kills you with fire.
Sometimes the light of the sun is a soothing warmth that nourishes the lives of those beneath it.
Sometimes it is a scorching ray of heat that carbonizes everything in its wake.
I may be reiterating what's already been said, but I love that this Celestia embodies both of those traits.
Nice try Belle. You ain't gettin' outta talking to Celestia that easily.
Fucking preach it Celestia.
It's sad to see them scream at each other, but it just shows how both of them are feeling.
Shell is dead, but the memory still live on. Time to kill that memory with SUN THERAPY!!!