Part IV: I'll Stand By You || Chapter 40: Solar Compassion
When Sunset and Princess Celestia came down the stairs almost an hour after they had gone up, it was clear from their faces that everything was all right. All the girls cheered, including the seaponies, and Principal Celestia and her sister both smiled happily. It was time to celebrate, and even though inwardly Princess Celestia, Sunset, and Twilight were all still nervous about the upcoming discussion with Adagio and her sisters, all three of them realized it was appropriate to put their anxiety aside for a time.
Food from a very nice restaurant had been ordered, and soon all of them were partaking of a celebratory meal. Sunset sat between the two Celestias and found herself completely unable to stop smiling. The dinner table, with both leaves in, barely accommodated everyone present. Conversation was bubbly and excited and happy and positive; the only thing that that was a little off was that the seaponies were clearly a bit nervous around Princess Celestia. She was seated at the opposite end of the table, however, so interaction was not strictly necessary for the time being. There were plenty of questions for the High Princess, and she was only too happy to answer them. Everyone was pleasantly surprised by how approachable and personable she was.
After dessert (an incredible butter cake courtesy of Pinkie Pie), conversation died down a bit. Now it was nearly time for Princess Celestia to meet with the seaponies. Everyone would be present for this discussion, largely because they wanted to be supportive. They all knew what Celestia was going to tell them.
Sunset broached the topic first. She tapped her spoon on her glass to get everyone’s attention. “Guys, listen up for a sec. Ok, thanks. So. Princess Celestia can’t stay for very long, unfortunately. She, frankly, has a country to rule. She needs to head back to Equestria tomorrow afternoon.”
There were various expressions of good-natured disappointment.
“I know,” Sunset continued, “but she literally has to raise and lower the sun each day, and while Princess Luna is certainly able to handle that in a pinch, this is the first time she’s ever done so, and so Princess Celestia wants to get back and make sure she’s doing ok. If it works out well, though, then she might be able to visit again, and…” Sunset looked at Princess Celestia with a playful grin, “…it might mean she can take VACATIONS!”
Princess Celestia laughed. “Ha! I haven’t had a vacation in a thousand years!”
“I know!” agreed Sunset. She turned back to the group. “Anyway, this means that we need to press on with a couple other things she wants to take care of while she’s here. So – Adagio, Aria, Sonata – she wants to talk with you guys about a few things.”
The seaponies’ looks of slight discomfort went quickly to outright anxiety.
“Don’t be afraid, girls,” Sunset said gently. “She comes in peace.” Celestia smiled encouragingly to try to lend weight to Sunset’s words. “Come on,” said Sunset, “let’s all head over to the living room.”
Soon the High Princess was installed on the easy chair across from the three seaponies, who were on the couch. Adagio, of course, was in the middle, flanked by Aria on her right and Sonata on her left. All three of them looked very nervous and unhappy. They were well aware that they were meeting with the sovereign of Equestria – a nation from which they’d been banished because they’d tried to conquer it. They didn’t know what to expect.
Celestia was silent for a moment, looking at her folded hands. Sunset and Twilight were on either side of her, sitting on chairs from the dining room. Finally, she decided to begin, adopting an open look on her face and a small smile.
“Greetings to you. I am Celestia Solaris, the Princess of the Sun, and ruler of Equestria. I don’t believe we’ve been formally introduced.”
Adagio swallowed, then took a deep breath. “My name is Adagio Dazzle, Your Highness. These are my sisters, Aria Blaze,” she motioned to her left, where Aria nodded respectfully, “and Sonata Dusk.” Sonata waved with a wan smile.
“I am pleased to meet you. So, you are related by blood?”
“No, Your Highness…we call ourselves sisters because, well, of our bond with each other. Our shared fate, if you will.”
“I see. Very well. It is my understanding that you were, until recently, Sirens, but that you no longer wish to identify yourselves as such.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Though we were angry and despairing at first, we are actually very thankful to Sunset and her friends for…destroying the magical artifacts that gave us our power as Sirens. If we were to return to Equestria, we would be simple seaponies.”
Before Celestia could comment further, Adagio continued. “We are also grateful to Sunset and her friends, and also to Princess Twilight, for that matter, for helping us to learn the value of friendship. It…would not be an exaggeration to say that we were…evil, before. Cruel and manipulative – even to each other. Thanks to them, our lives are no longer empty or dark.”
Celestia smiled more fully. “I am glad to hear it…”
Again, before Celestia could continue, Adagio could not restrain herself. “Your Highness, if I may…”
Celestia smiled again. “Of course. Please continue.”
“We…would like to apologize for our attack on your land. We were, at the time, obeying the command of our own king, but we realize that cannot be a defense from your perspective. Especially since we have recently come to understand that our king’s war against Equestria was unjust.” Adagio hung her head, and her sisters followed suit. “We are very, very sorry. And we would…understand if your will is that our exile continue, or that we face some other punishment or discipline.”
Celestia was quiet for a moment. Then: “Girls, I accept your apology. From what Princess Twilight has told me, it sounds like your king played on the difficult circumstances in which your families found themselves in order to secure your cooperation. Also, you were all three very young. Finally, it’s my understanding that the gems that gave you your powers had some corrupting influence of their own. So, I greatly mitigate any anger, or punishment, or discipline I had in mind by considering the age at which you were basically coerced, in my opinion, to accept magical artifacts that may have influenced you.”
But Adagio was even more apologetic. “Your Highness, I…we thank you for your kindness and forbearance, but we did volunteer for the mission. We…were proud to serve our king. Perhaps we were influenced by the gems, but I can honestly say, given what we have learned from the Rainbow Wave and the Rainbooms, that we had some measure of malice in our hearts that was all our own. And for that we feel only regret, and remorse.”
“I know,” said Celestia compassionately. “But I still feel you were put in a very difficult position. One in which young people should not be placed. So, please don’t be afraid, Adagio, Aria, and Sonata. I forgive you for your transgressions against Equestria and my subjects. And Princess Twilight has already forgiven you for your actions at the Battle of the Bands. In matters of the human world, I trust her judgment and have largely delegated my authority to her. So, as far as I am concerned, these matters are in the past.”
Adagio was astounded. Her two sisters were staring at her. “But…Your Highness, we…wreaked havoc on Equestria. It hasn’t been that long – how can all the damage even be repaired already? Let alone the relationships that we broke.”
Celestia didn’t respond right away. After a moment, with a somber face, she started to speak again. “Adagio, there is a reason that I have come to you personally. You see, I am afraid I have some…very bad news that I must convey to you. News that is so bad, frankly, that I felt it could only come from me, and that it was right for me to come to you.” As Celestia spoke, Pinkie came and sat on the arm of the couch next to Sonata, and Rainbow did the same next to Aria.
Adagio had become pale. Her two sisters were looking at her again apprehensively.
“Now before I say another word about the bad news, I want to echo the words of Princess Twilight, Adagio. I promise you this. And this is the sovereign of Equestria speaking. We will take care of you. Do you understand? We are going to help you, and take care of you.”
Adagio nodded, though her face was full of fear. Sonata’s hand was wrapped around her arm and Aria put a hand on her shoulder.
Celestia actually swallowed. It was her turn to take a deep breath. She looked down and realized her hands were shaking, for the second time that night. Twilight and Sunset each put a hand on her back. “This…is harder than I thought. We…have learned…to our sadness and dismay, that though you have only been in the human world a short time…from our perspective…you have been gone from Equestria for much longer.”
Adagio gasped as her hand flew to her mouth. Aria’s head slowly fell as Rainbow Dash put her arm around her shoulder. Sonata turned to Adagio almost desperately. “Dagi? What does she mean? What is she saying?” she asked, her eyes already brimming. The fear in her voice was heartbreaking; Celestia almost couldn’t bear it.
Adagio just looked at Celestia with dread. After a few moments, she simply asked, “How…how long?”
Celestia still had no idea what to do. Even she, in her wisdom and experience, had never encountered such a situation as this. She decided, since everyone was there to help the seaponies, on the truth. “It looks like….over a thousand years.”
Adagio’s eyes, if it was possible, widened further and filled with tears. “A…a thousand years?” Sunset was across the table. She wrapped her arms around Adagio tightly. “A thousand years…” she whispered to herself again. Sonata just started to sob. Aria put her head in her hands. She was clearly crying too, but much more quietly than Sonata.
“I don’t understand.” Adagio simply said, looking at Celestia with pleading eyes.
Celestia wiped away tears of her own. “We…don’t understand either. We don’t know how it happened.”
“Why…why would he do that to us? I know we were bad, but…a thousand years?” Adagio asked as she started to shake.
“Oh, Adagio. Star Swirl didn’t do this on purpose – of that I am sure. He was not cruel. I am afraid…that it is probably a mistake or an error of some kind. I am so, so sorry to have to bear this news to you,” Celestia answered. Beside her, Twilight finally lost her composure.
“All our families. All our friends. Our homes. Gone.” Adagio was just shaking her head. “What is left for us now? What is left?” She collapsed in tears. It would be hours before any of the seaponies would be calm enough to say anything else.
Eventually, the tears even of Sonata were stilled enough for Princess Celestia to speak with them again. They were no longer afraid of her; with her own arms she had embraced each of them, trying to bring them comfort along with all the others. The seaponies were seated on the couch again, across from Princess Celestia, who was sitting on the coffee table so she could hold their hands. They looked exhausted and miserable.
“Girls,” said the High Princess gently, “I can see how tired you are. I know you probably just want to go to bed now. If you like, though, we can talk a little about how we are going to try to help you. Is that ok? Do you have enough energy to hear what I want to offer?”
Adagio looked at her sisters, who each nodded to her. Almost blearily, she nodded to Celestia in her turn.
“Good. So, here are some of the things we can do. First, if you like, you can remain in the human world and live out your lives here. If you do so, you will have the help and support of Sunset and all her friends, but you will also have support from Equestria. I’ve heard from Sunset and Twilight that you have done some amazing things, like getting jobs and contributing to your own support. We are very proud of that, but I want to do more. Whatever you decide to do in terms of further education – and you will probably need some at some point – I will help to fund that. And there will be a stipend to help with food and housing as well, until you are independent and on your own feet.”
“Thank you,” rasped Adagio, “but there are other options? We don’t have to stay here?”
“No,” Princess Celestia confirmed. “You are not in exile any longer. You can come back to Equus if you want. It may not be as you left it, but it is still the world of your birth. If you long to swim in the Summer Sea again, I will help to make that happen.”
Adagio shook her head in amazement as her sisters’ eyes widened.
“Let me be more specific. There are at least two options for returning to Equus. On the one hand, you can return to the sea and try to be reunited with your kind. That will be a challenge, however, as we have lost track of the seaponies. They no longer live where they once did. If you decide on this option, though, I promise you I will do everything in my power to find them. The resources of my military and my investigative services will ensure that every body of water on our world will be searched. Wherever they are, we will find them for you.”
Adagio nodded. “And on the other hand?” she asked.
“This is perhaps the most unusual option. It is possible that we will not be able to find them, or that they are gone. In any case, if you wish, it lies within my power to permanently change your form. Upon your return to Equus, I can give you the form of an earth pony, pegasus, or unicorn. You could then live your lives in Equestria, and you will be given financial assistance to integrate, find work, and get further education. In fact, I suspect Twilight would ask you to consider settling in Ponyville. Then she could help you personally, and still be a part of your lives. She is becoming quite fond of the three of you, you see.”
Twilight tried to smile at them encouragingly.
“The choice will be yours, and you don’t even have to choose right away. You have grieving to do, I know, and I have given you much to consider.”
Adagio let out a deep breath through pursed lips. “Wow, Your Highness, that’s all…amazing. I don’t know what to say, except…thank you. It’s clear that you meant what you said about taking care of us. It would be agony to face this without knowing that you care.”
Stats
Page generated in 0.018 seconds
Total duration
905 users online
1,323,273 hits today, 2,054,621 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Really feeling sorry for the dazzilings
8771124
They're going to be just fine!
The funny thing is, I actually have and issue with the term 'seaponies'. I know it's technically just a simplified term but sea ponies are ACTUALLY hippocampi. I dont know why the term sea ponies irks me it just does.
Anyway, terms aside, I am really enjoying this story! I am kind of hoping they chose to go back to equestria and be, quite litterally, reformed. I also hope sunset diesnt chose to go back to equestria other than the occasional visit.
9014515
I feel the term is more for acceptance, to bridge peace between ponies a new moniker would be in order like changelings would be called bugponies because ponies fear what they don't understand so the moniker makes them feel closer to ponies.
The Dazzlings took that better than I thought they would. Huh.
Thus, making a bunch of fanart cannon to your story, if it were to happen.
Hopefully the three sea ponies will have a better future with the help of princess celestial