Luna Just Learned About The Play "A Hearth's Warming Carol"

by Singularity Dream

Chapter 4: The Third Completely Different, Mysterious, and Very Scary Spirit

Celestia grumbled briefly as she righted herself to sit upright in her bed, then her whole body shook slightly. Her trembling could only be fear, for she knew one more terrifying spirit would be visiting her before the night ended. Yes, fear, and the hoof raised to her muzzle was certainly not there to suppress giggles.

Before her fragile mental state broke down completely, the third spirit appeared in mid air...

"I can see your hooves under the sheet," Celestia commented.

The third and last spirit, silent as the grave, landed on the floor at the foot of the bed as it had planned to do all along. A shrouded leg gestured for Celestia to follow, before the figure slowly turned to walk towards the door. Celestia considered the situation for only a moment, before getting up to accompany the impossible and unknown spirit that was completely different from the first two spirits that had visited her.

Out in the hall, the guards were huddled together to the right of the door. They were holding note cards in a hoof and their lips were moving as if trying to memorize something. As Celestia emerged from her bedroom they looked away, obviously unaware of her presence as if she were merely a spectral observer of events not yet come to pass.

"It finally happened," the first guard read off his note card. "Who will the kingdom pass to now that the Princess is gone?"

The second guard had done better and only needed to glance as his notecard. "I don’t know, but surely our luck isn't so bad to get... Hold on, doesn't Equestria have a very clear line of succession?"

The first guard glanced over at the Princess while trying to shush his companion with sharp hoof motions.

"Uh, right!" The second guard returned his attention to the note card in his hoof. "Surely our luck isn't so bad as to get a successor as strict as the Princess was."

Both guards looked apologetically at Celestia. The spooky third spirit pointed out a nearby window with a shroud covered hoof.

"Are you sure, spirit?" Celestia continued to suppress the certainly-not-a-giggle terror that shook her whole body. "I think I see some of the palace cleaning staff at the end of the hallway practicing their lines for when we--"

The spirit moved to block Celestia's view of the hallway and pointed firmly at the window. Celestia rolled her eyes and spread her wings to take flight. The mysterious third spirit followed with the sides of its ethereal shroud billowing as if moved by unseen forces.

Celestia was led over the dark city. Any sounds of merriment heard over what was certainly not a muffling spell was of course only her hopeful imagination. The nameless and formless spirit brought her to an overgrown glade. It obviously was long abandoned and away from sight and memory of the citizens of nearby Canterlot.

In the middle of the clearing was a single plain grey slab of stone sticking out of the ground. The clever, unknown, and spooky third spirit pointed at the stone dramatically. If it had been a living creature with wings, the raised sides of the shroud would have been those wings flaring up dramatically before quickly snapping shut. Since this was a nameless messenger from the beyond, it must have been an unfelt gust of ethereal cosmic energies.

Celestia's curiosity got the better of her. She landed and walked over to look at that ominous stone. It was a plain gravestone with her name carved on it. The sight of it caused Celestia to lose her composure. She fell down as spasms of intense emotion overcame her.

Her howls of laughter could be heard all across the mountain. The ponies of Canterlot were cheered up and took comfort in their Princess's good humor on the cold holiday night. The stoic and mysterious spirit stomped a hoof and might have been pouting under her shroud.

"Ahem, sorry." Celestia pulled herself together. She wiped the tears from her eyes and turned to the ominous and foreboding spirit. "Is this the future that will be? Or is it merely a future that might be? Because having a plain unadorned headstone would be wonderful."

The unknown spirit just sighed and sat down on the ground and pouted. Princess Celestia sat down next to her and gave the spirit a warm hug.

Comments

[Dinode]

For the record, someone needs to make this whole story into an animation.

[Andy Soshal]

2 spoopy 4 me, bro.