Ashes
Celestia looked around cautiously. The decayed ruins of her former home were in rough shape as a result of centuries of disuse and the actions of her sister and herself. The castle's once-proud stone walls were crumbling- where they had once offered protection and stood as a testimony to their builders, they now seemed to cry out, as if in a warning of the futility of fighting time. Moss covered the courtyard, serving to further erase any signs that the castle had once been her home, and the broken windows tugged at her heart.
Her lips pulled into a flat line as a rush of memories cascaded through her mind. Some memories she treasured, some she kept close to her heart, others nearly brought her to tears, but she held her composure, despite the torrent of centuries-old memories.
She took a deep breath, then exhaled. She calmly walked forward, crossing the mossy courtyard as she approached the arched entrance to what remained of the castle's interior. Her hooves made no sound on the damp, moss-covered stone, and the world was still and quiet- the monsters, birds, and magic of the Everfree having been silenced by Celestia's powerful presence, as they had been for centuries before when she and her sister had inhabited the castle together.
She frowned as she ascended the short flight of stairs to the main doors. As she reached the top, she turned around and looked back at the unforgiving Everfree forest. The trees, bushes, and vines hid countless dangers- not only creatures which posed threats to ponies and each other but also plants that would punish anything that disturbed their rest in the darkness. Indeed, the very air of the forest held an ominous tingle to it that gave ponies a sense of foreboding when inside the forest. The lone path which ponies would have to walk to reach the castle was dark and gloomy, despite the protective light of the afternoon sun that fought to banish the danger and feeling of dread.
Like the last time she had visited her former home, the rope bridge was out. It was only after Twilight and her friends reached the chasm did they repair it, and in the short time that had since passed, the bridge had once more failed, perhaps as a result of nature or animals, but she did not know. With the bridge out, the only way to reach the castle was by flying or teleportation. It left the castle more protected, if only from the various animals and creatures, if only because it was less accessible.
In the back of her mind, the atmosphere of her home felt so horribly wrong. The bad memories far outweighed the good, and it blighted the nostalgia she felt from returning. Twice before, she had fought the perversion of her sister on the castle's grounds, and both times tainted every other fond memory she had of their time together in the castle, casting a shadow of pain on even the happiest of memories.
Her magic had been intricately woven into the castle, along with that of her sister's and countless unicorns who time had since forgotten, and yet all of that magic was simply gone, leaving the castle grounds feeling vacant. She could feel the twisted, tainted magic from Nightmare Moon still lingering, alongside the natural twisted magic of the Everfree Forest. Yet, in the background, there was a faint, radiant warmth- the magic of the Elements of Harmony and the Tree of Harmony. It felt faint and distant, despite the cave being so close by, directly under the castle, but it was there, welcoming her return.
In contrast to how weak the ambient harmonic magic felt, the power of the Elements was unmatched by her sister or herself. Not even Discord could stand against their might when he was at his height of power. The magic from the Elements permeated the forest, having a purifying effect on it now that they had been returned to their proper places in the Tree of Harmony, however, the forest was still dangerous. It seemed like so long ago, and only for such a short time, that the Everfree Forest had been peaceful, and that period was when her sister and herself reigned from the Everfree Castle- it was only their actions, along with their guards, that had kept the forest tame. The Everfree Forest had always been filled with dangerous magic and vile creatures since before Celestia had been born, despite the purifying effect of the Elements.
She turned her back to the forest, then calmly walked on inside the ruins of her castle. The roof had been badly damaged from her battles with her sister, but it still stood despite the damage, although in the back of her mind, she questioned for how much longer the overhead stones would remain, given how bad a shape the crumbling walls were. It had taken a thousand years and two battles between alicorns to put the castle into such a state, and yet it felt like it wouldn't take nearly as long for the forest to reclaim the land once the castle crumbled, turning into a simple archeological site for future generations to find and explore.
Celestia tilted her head to the right slightly and pursed her lips, her mind wandering over the implications.
She pushed the thought aside as she calmly strode through the castle's foyer. Her hooves clacked on the cool, broken stone. As she looked around, in her mind, she could see the beauty of how the castle once stood; elegant banners and tapestries depicting her sister and herself hanging on the walls and columns, and plush carpets lining the floors where ponies trotted about. It was so different from Canterlot Castle, but yet so much the same.
She slowed, then came to a stop. She slowly turned her head and looked around. Her eyes eventually settled on the door to the throne room. After a moment's hesitation, she slowly lifted her right forehoof, then slowly approached the doorway. While the door had long since rotted and decayed, but a few rusted pieces of iron laid in the doorway, the only evidence that anything had once blocked the archway. She easily stepped over the bits of rusted metal, then walked into the throne room.
Behind the two broken, stone thrones, there had been a beautiful window depicting her sister and herself. The window was long gone, destroyed when Luna fell to Nightmare Moon. The sight brought on even more painful memories from all those centuries ago. Celestia let out a soft sigh, then slowly walked across the room. She came to a stop at the raised dais that once held the Elements of Harmony and looked it over. The stone was weathered by the time that had since past- no longer was it polished to perfection, instead, it was pitted and rough. Moss covered small sections of the dais, further displaying the time that had past since it was tended to.
She turned away from the stand, then walked towards her right. She ignored the steps to the platform that the two destroyed thrones rested on and walked to the side. Another stone archway offered entrance to a hallway that once led to her private study. She strolled through the passageway, then slowly swept her head around, letting her eyes take in the room she hadn't seen for centuries.
Shelves dotted the stone walls, still preserved because of the protection offered by the room and because of her own lingering magic. The shelves held old trinkets she had long since forgotten about. A thin layer of dust dulled the sheen of the precious metals, but they were all well-preserved. A voluminous bookshelf covered the right wall. The books were intact but covered in dust- the magic once again preserving them for the duration of the past centuries. She turned to her right, then calmly walked over to the bookshelf. Her hoofsteps were dampened by a faded, damp rug on the floor.
She surveyed the titles of the books, only for the dust to obscure the words. A few of the books she could remember from memory, either associating the position with the book, or the shape of the book. She took a deep breath, and ignoring the musty smell, lit her horn. In a gentle golden burst of magic, the dust was whisked away from the room, revealing the titles of the books and tomes, and allowing the trinkets to once again reflect the warm glow of her aura.
She meandered back to her left and approached her desk. As she looked it over, her brow creased and her lips twitched downward. A few books remained on the desk, left there by her so long ago. She could vaguely remember what each book was about and the knowledge inside of them, but she knew that they weren't the only copies of the books. However, one of the books, in particular, was important. The book stood out- rather than being a thick tome detailing obscure, misunderstood magic, or the mostly wrong then-cutting-edge theories of magic, it was a small leather-bound journal.
The leather cover of the book had been seared and branded with an image of Starswirl's cutie mark. She looked over the emblem, then lifted a forehoof and gently touched the back of the desk's chair. The old wood felt so frail beneath her hoof, like the slightlest push would turn it into a pile of splinters. Her eyes glanced away from the book and studied the chair. A moment later, a short pulse of golden light emanated from her horn. The restored wood felt strong and firm under her hoof as if it could have supported the weight of the castle above it without giving.
She levitated the chair back, then calmly sat down on her haunches in the chair. She placed a forehoof on the cover of the journal, then opened it. Starswirl's hornwriting greeted her, and a slight smile pulled at her lips, though it was dulled from a pang of regret. While the journal wasn't the one she was looking for, it was one of Starswirl's journals, and as such, it wasn't solely valuable for being a lost work of Starswirl's, but also because it had belonged to her mentor, somepony close to her who was long since gone.
The journal before her was one of Starswirl's journals that held her interest following the days, weeks, and months after she had banished Nightmare Moon since it was about the prophecy of her return. In a way, the existence of the journal itself was a miracle- Starswirl died long before Luna became Nightmare Moon, let alone before her return. Prophecies being so accurate despite being so far into the future were incredibly rare, only a few were known to exist and have been accurate. It was almost like they were woven into the very fabric of history by an unknown force.
She levitated the journal up, then teleported it away for storage. She took a deep breath, then turned her gaze over to the bookshelf. Her eyes glanced over the books, looking for any other journals she had left in the room. She stood up and walked over to the bookshelf, then pulled out a couple of the smaller books and gave them a cursory glance before teleporting them into storage alongside the first journal.
Once she finished sorting through the books in her study, she meandered over to the shelf with her trinkets. She casually looked over them, giving them only the slightest thought before she turned aside and headed back for the throne room. She paused briefly and looked around, then resumed her slow, calm pace, walking around the dais and heading for the passageway on the other side of the throne room.
The stone passageway was darker than the hallway leading to her own study, which was fitting since the rocks led to Luna's former study. She slowed as she approached the archway that opened into her study, then she stopped in the doorway. There was a fine layer of dust covering everything, like her own study, but unlike her study, the dust wasn't quite as built up since Luna had visited the room shortly after her restoration.
She took a deep breath, then walked into the room. She immediately shivered as a wave of coolness washed over her coat. The room felt cold and damp, despite being open to the outside air. There was a lingering, cold, creeping sensation in the room, and despite her knowing it was just her imagination, when combined with the very real coolness and dampness, it served to unnerve her slightly.
She pushed the thought aside and used her magic to cleanse the dust from the room. After the dust was purged, she created another small orb of magic to illuminate the darkened room. Her eyes traced along the domed ceiling, taking in the faded blacks and white specks meant to represent the stars. Their brilliance had long since faded, but she could still remember when the paint and enchantments were fresh.
She turned her gaze to the desk, then approached it. Unlike hers, the desk was smaller and there wasn't anything laying on it. She glanced to the left and looked over the lone shelf. Luna had far fewer trinkets left behind, not only because she had taken some of them with her back to Canterlot, but also because she simply had fewer than her sister. A faint sigh escaped her lips, and for a moment, her eyes looked down at the floor.
She lifted her head back up and swept her gaze to the right and surveyed the bookshelf. Once again, like her desk, it was so barren. While Celestia had many tomes and books in her study, Luna had far fewer, and most of them were ones that she really shouldn't have had. Celestia suppressed a groan and approached the bookshelf, glimpsing over the titles with disdain as she searched for any journals that had belonged to their mentor.
She teleported the lone journal to storage, then calmly left her sister's room. She paused in the passageway, then glanced back to give the room one last look, then snuffed out the orb of her magic, once again leaving the room to its preferred darkness. She turned back around and strode back to the throne room.
She took a deep breath, then headed for the castle's library.
Princess Luna frowned pensively at the sun overhead. The ever-present reminder of her sister was usually just as welcome to her as her night, but now instead, her brow was creased in thought. Her mind wondered, sorting through old memories spurred on by Celestia's dreams. A few memories brought a smile to her lips, while others only served to deepen her scowl, and yet the vast majority of the memories offered no help nor any clues to their predicament.
Starswirl had been a very accomplished wizard. During his life, he was unrivaled in his mastery of magic by any other unicorn, and until the last few years before he disappeared, even her sister and herself had been easily defeated by him in duels. He had always made it look so easy, even when their magic was far stronger than his. He simply applied his magic in ways that caught them off guard, and he always kept them on their hooves. He always seemed to have an answer for everything.
"An alicorn cloaked in light..." Luna muttered. Her lips pulled into a grimace. It was vague and yet straightforward, but the context was lacking.
She pushed the thought aside as her mind wandered back to her memory of them seeing Starswirl upon his return. Whoever the mare was who had been there with Starswirl, she was certain that they had never seen her again. When she pictured the way she stood and what she was wearing, something still felt off about her, although she also judged that the mare had no malicious intentions. The cowl hiding her body seemed to suggest she wanted to remain unknown for whatever reason, but the cloak itself bothered her. It had been so thick as it had been designed for cooler weather, and in contrast, between the time of year and where they were at, it wasn't exactly cold, so it was out of place and stuck out in her mind.
'Perhaps you came from somewhere cooler, although in that case I question why you were still wearing that cloak... could you not have acquired a different cloak?' she mused. 'Perhaps there was there something special about the cloak you wore?'
She looked out across Canterlot and mulled over her memories. Despite her attempts, she could not think of any cloaks of significance that resembled the one the mare wore. From her knowledge, there was no significance to it, yet it still ate at her mind. 'What are we missing?'
'There has never been anything to suggest anything about an alicorn war... where did you hear of such a thing, Starswirl?' she asked herself. "Was it the mare who told you?" she asked aloud. "Why would you trust her? How would she know something like that? Why would she tell you that?"
She looked down at the balcony railing, then looked down at the grassy garden below. Flowers adorned the castle's garden, along with statues and water fountains, providing a beautiful, well-kept scene before her. But, while the scene was pleasant to the eye and peaceful, it did little to offer any answers to her questions.
"Are we asking the wrong questions?" she wondered aloud.
Her eyes narrowed and she lifted her head up as frantic knocking sounded from her chamber's door. "Princess!" a stallion urgently called.
"Enter," she called back calmly. She turned and meandered away from the railing, walking back inside as the door was thrown open. Her brow pulled downward at the display, but she pushed it aside as the Royal Guard swept his head around until he settled on Princess Luna. He wasted no time in falling into a hasty, yet still respectful bow, then rising.
The stallion swallowed and shifted on his hooves. His body trembled, and Luna could hear his armor rattling. "P-Princess Luna, y-you're presence is... required. T-there's been an incident..." he stuttered.
Luna's lips pulled downward as she watched the fearful guard. "What kind of an incident?" she queried.
The stallion opened his mouth to answer but hesitated. He closed his mouth, then clenched his jaw shut. "We... don't have all of the details yet, Princess..." he replied. "B-but... there's been an attack. The coastal village of Neighton was... attacked."
Luna's expression twisted into a grimace as she thought. 'The last thing we need right now is something like this happening.' She forced the thought aside and refocused her attention on the guard. "How bad is it? Do we know who is responsible?"
The unicorn shifted his weight and then spoke in a tone so low, it barely carried to Luna's ears, "The... village was leveled, Princess. We're... just getting reports of it. Nearby villages are tending to the... survivors. Royal Guards have been dispatched as per protocol... The initial reports are coming in from pegasi who have flown from the villages, and a couple of them have said they saw what was left of Neighton, and that there wasn't much there. We gather the attack took place sometime yesterday..."
Luna squinted at him. "Why are we just now hearing of this?"
"Neighton is up north, closer to the Crystal Empire than Equestria..." the guard answered at length.
Luna grimaced, then shook her head. "I will... investigate this and make sure whoever is responsible will pay for this atrocity," she growled.
The guard nodded hastily. "O-of course, Princess," he answered.
Luna shot the guard a glare. "See to it that my sister is informed of this immediately... I will go talk with the pegasi reporting this incident. Once my sister has returned, I will go and investigate."
"Yes, Princess!" the guard acknowledged, falling into a bow, then quickly retreating from the room, closing the door as he left.
Luna growled, then turned around. She strode back out to the balcony, then spread her wings. Using her magic, she closed the door and locked it, then she took flight.
Luna watched the pegasus sitting at the end of the table away from her curiously. The young mare had a brown coat and a tan mane and tail. She wore an uneasy expression and stared down at the table, her eyes slowly jumping back and forth across its surface, studying the polished marble. She occasionally shifted her weight on her haunches and her wings bristled nervously, like all it would have taken was a bit hitting the ground for her to bolt from her spot.
After a few more seconds, she quietly stepped into the room. The mare's eyes lifted and settled on her. She swallowed, then sat up rigidly. For a moment, she seemed to panic and hastily bowed her head. "P-Princess Luna!" she acknowledged.
Luna hesitated midstep but then continued across the room. The mare gradually lifted her head back up and watched Luna approach. "I was hoping you could tell me more about what happened than the guards could," Luna said. She used her magic and pulled the other chair out, then calmly sat down in it.
The pegasus nodded hastily. "O-of course, Princess... I-I uh... I... don't know how much help I can be... I didn't see what happened or anything-"
"But you did tell the guards that you saw what was left of the village, did you not?" Luna interrupted.
The pegasus closed her mouth, then reluctantly nodded. She swallowed again, and the pupils of her eyes dilated, widening slightly.
Luna's lips pulled down as she regarded the young mare. "Perhaps you could enlighten me?" she suggested.
The mare opened her mouth, then closed it and shut her eyes, nodding quickly. "R-right, Princess," she answered. She opened her eyes and tensed up. "Um... I... well... just... there was um..." she trailed off. "There... really wasn't much left, Princess... and... it wasn't like it had just been... broken down or anything, but it was like it had been... burnt," she added. "Like... whatever happened was meant to... just... leave the whole place... dead..." she said quietly.
The mare looked away from Luna. "And... well, there weren't any plants alive from what I saw. Well, not in the village anyway, and... part of the surrounding forest had been destroyed too. The forest itself seemed... okay..." she said.
"Do you have any ideas about what could have caused this? Or who could be responsible? Did you see anything suspicious?" Luna queried.
The pegasus shifted her weight and fluffed her wings. "N-no, Princess... I'm sorry... I... I just... no..." she said quietly.
Luna waited a few seconds as her eyes glanced over the pegasus's crestfallen expression. "Art thou alright?" she asked softly.
The mare looked up from the table and watched Luna. "Yeah, it's just... what if... that had been where I lived?"
Luna's lips twisted into a grimace. She lifted her head up and tilted her head to the left. "It is... not something you should worry about," she replied calmly. "My sister and I will see to it that whatever, or whoever, is responsible will not commit such an atrocity again."
The mare nodded slowly. "But... what if... it had been?" she asked.
"It was not," Luna replied in a firm, yet gentle voice. A few seconds passed in silence. "I... am unaccustomed to... this," Luna admitted. "My sister is far better at comforting than I, but she is currently elsewhere..." she trailed off. "She should arrive soon, however..." she added.
The mare simply nodded again.
"Is there anything else you can think of that bears telling me? Or would you rather not speak of it?" Luna asked.
The mare's lips twitched downward. "It's... It's not that hard on me... I mean, not like... the ponies who were there, but... it's... I don't know..." she trailed off, her eyes darting back and forth as she searched for the right word. "It's surreal..." she finally replied.
Luna pursed her lips. "Last night... I neither sensed nor encountered any troubled dreams that seemed related to this..." she trailed off.
"I'd be surprised if any of them got any sleep last night..." she replied.
Luna nodded slowly. "My sister will likely wish to speak with you, along with the others, when she returns," she stated. The mare nodded. "I... shall leave you to it, then, if there is nothing else," she added.
A golden burst of magic signaled Celestia's arrival. Luna casually glanced back at her and looked over her pensive expression, then looked back out over Canterlot. "I was expecting your return sooner," Luna said calmly.
A few seconds passed in silence, then the sounds of Celestia's shoes clicking across the marble floor broke the silence as she approached Luna on the balcony. "It took the guards some time to locate me in the library," Celestia answered as she came to a stop beside Luna.
"I see," Luna replied.
"What do we know?" Celestia asked.
"Not a lot," Luna answered. She turned to face her elder sister and looked up at her. "I was planning to leave to investigate as soon as you had returned. I assumed you would wish to remain here to tend to the pegasi and coordinate the response. It would also be wise to inform Twilight and Cadance of this development," said Luna.
Celestia nodded in agreement. "I will send a message to Cadance as soon as I can. Reaching Twilight may be a bit more difficult, given her expedition, but I will send a pegasus to inform her."
Luna nodded. "Did you find any of Starswirl's journals?"
"Yes, I found the ones that I had taken when we moved there. Unfortunately, it's not all of his journals, but the rest are probably lost to time..." Celestia trailed off and grimaced.
"Perhaps they will yet show up, or maybe what we need will be in one of the journals you found. However, I suspect that the recent attack will be a more pressing matter than this mystery of ours," Luna confided.
"If I have time, I still plan to go through his journals," Celestia replied.
Luna took a deep breath, then turned away from her sister and looked out across Canterlot and Equestria. "If nothing else, then I shall take my leave and investigate."
"Stay safe, Lulu..." Celestia whispered.
Luna glanced back at her, her brow creased. "I... will be fine, Celestia," she replied. After a moment, she spread her wings, then took off.
Celestia watched her sister fly into the sky, then shook her head and teleported away.
A scowl of disgust crossed Luna's lips as she looked over the remains of the village. While she had no knowledge of what the village had looked like before the attack, the one thing she was certain of was that the village had been leveled. Ash covered the dirt paths that served as roads, gray and fluffy in some areas, while more black and thick in others. The smell of smoke lingered in the cool air, easily drowning out the scent of the nearby pine trees. Piles of charred wood were all that remained to designate that a building had once stood anywhere in the divide between the shore and the forest.
And yet, despite the fiery destruction of the village, it was all localized- the surrounding forest was, for the most part, untouched and undisturbed. Whatever attacked the village seemed to have focused on ensuring it- along with the inhabitants- weren't just destroyed, but erased from existence. It seemed as if it wanted no trace left behind to even serve as a memory of something having been there, but not for the sake of covering its tracks.
Luna suppressed a growl as she slowly swept her gaze around, taking in the destruction. The only signs of life amongst the ruins were the armor-clad Royal Guards, mostly pegasi with a few unicorns and earth ponies mixed in, who meticulously patrolled the ruins, searching for any clues. Their golden armor served as a sharp contrast with the gloomy evening and barren village, even with the ashes and soot starting to dull the metal's luster.
Luna closed her eyes, then took a deep breath. Her muzzle scrunched up at the scent of smoke, but she suppressed it, then opened her eyes. She lifted her right forehoof, then calmly strode forward, making her way down what seemed to be the village's main road. The few Royal Guards walking along the same path as her courteously parted to allow her passage. As she walked through the ashes, she cautiously looked around at the piles that remained of buildings. Whether the buildings had been houses or had served other purposes, she couldn't tell.
A few structures faired better than others, and more of their wood was left standing, although they looked as if they would collapse into a blackened pile of debris at the slightest touch.
"Princess," a stallion's voice called.
Luna's eyes darted towards the source of the sound. One of the Royal Guards, a captain, as shown by the insignia on his shoulder armor, approached her calmly, then bowed. She turned to face him. "Initial findings are... limited," he explained. "But we don't think that dragons were responsible for this, unlike our original thought."
"Dragons would not be responsible for this, Captain," Luna replied calmly. "We are in the West, and it is not the right time of the year for any dragons to be this far West. Besides, a dragon attack wouldn't be like this," she stated. She calmly swept her head around, surveying the damage. "It is too precise for a dragon attack," she affirmed.
The guard looked at her in confusion. "Princess?" he asked.
Luna looked back at him. "Were it a dragon, the forest likely would have been burnt, at least partially, and the debris isn't strewn about. If a dragon had attacked, there would be charred wood in the streets too, rather than just the piles were buildings were."
"Do you have any idea what could be responsible for this destruction, Princess?" he asked.
Luna remained silent, her brow furrowed in thought. "I am unsure what exactly has transpired here, Captain. That is why I am here, so that I may investigate."
"Right..." he muttered. He shifted his weight and looked around. "Should we be concerned about whatever it is coming back or attacking any nearby towns?"
"There is no reason to believe that this won't happen again, nor is there any reason to believe it will happen again. However, going by past experience, it would be wise to station at least a few Guards in the nearby towns and villages to ensure that they are not defenseless," Luna replied.
"Of course, Princess. I'll have a message sent back to Canterlot and we can have more guards deployed," he answered. He lingered for a second to see if Luna would say anything else, then hesitantly turned away from her and started off.
Luna took a breath, then tilted her head slightly. "Captain?" she asked.
The stallion paused, then turned back to look at her. "Yes, Princess?"
Luna's eyes narrowed as she squinted at the forest, and her lips pulled down into a slight scowl. "Does... anything feel... off? About... this?" she asked hesitantly.
The captain shifted his weight on his hooves. "I... don't know what you mean... Princess?"
A scowl crossed Luna's expression once more. "Something about this feels wrong," she stated. "I am unsure of exactly what, however," she acknowledged. A second passed, then she turned to look at the captain with a wry expression.
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Chekhov's Incinerated Village?
9090056
What? You know it's true, otherwise, it'd feel like a cop-out.
Still! You don't know how it plays into the story! My incinerated village lives another day!
I’m calling it, there’s a new alicorn(s) that will be introduced, and the princesses will face this new threat(s). This will cause a large war, the war to end all wars, an end war shall we say.
Confess: The ancient structure was built by humans.
This is a good story.