Aeterna Solara - The Dawn of a New Equestria

by Etherium-Apex

To Greener Pastures

In the black void of Celestia's mind, a light grew in the distance, glimmering and growing as it made its approach. The darkness was then speckled by starlight, and the advancing light revealed itself to be a shining geodesic dome of crystal and gold, encased in an aura of blue energy. Within the dome, a vibrant city could be seen. To the left shone the sun, and to the right lay a swirling blue globe blanketed by clouds, partially obscuring the landmasses below. The gleaming city in the sky bustled with activity, its ornate marble pillars and greenery containing the idle chatter of ponies as they went about their business. Elaborately carved statues seemed to lord over every district and vicinity of the city. Red flags decorated with an image of the sun hung from every building. Far above in the city's highest towers, an immense cylindrical object could be seen, its lens pointed towards Equestria. At the helm of this tremendous telescope was His Brilliance, Magnus. He stepped from the telescope and began pacing back and forth.

"We grow ever closer by the day," Magnus said. "The power of the immortals is leaving me. Without the aid of my Lady Galaxia, this city and all its glory shall be swallowed whole by the planet! Alas, it shall too be my fate to forsake this plane and bequeath my title and fortune to my son." He paused, and approached the ledge of his perch to observe the blissfully ignorant citizens below. "This city is to be desolated, my kingdom set to scatter across the lands it once reigned..."

He removed the shoe from his hoof and studied it. Its physical form then gave way, and a more spectral form riddled with injury and decay took its place momentarily before returning to normal. "I have been here for too long."

Magnus looked back up at Equestria, and as he walked back inside, Celestia found herself rising away from the city. The sun and stars fled from her mind, and was soon overwhelmed by bright light.

---

When Celestia awoke, she found herself cleaned and comforted in a bed of white linens. The sun shone brightly through a nearby window, revealing an immaculate and well-kept room with blue-striped wallpaper and a polished linoleum floor. A table lied at her bedside carrying a lamp, a bouquet of dark pink roses, a pitcher of water, and a number of cards displaying various forms of gratitude and well-wishes. A large fabric curtain hung opened from the ceiling, its rails encircling her bed. Washroom fixtures could be seen on the other side of a door that stood ajar from one side of the room.

As Celestia's vision adjusted to the light, a familiar voice could be heard from the other side of her bed. "At last, she awakes."

Celestia turned around in her covers to see the source of the voice, but as she did she felt a strange tugging from inside her right arm. She lifted the covers to look, and saw that a clear tube had been inserted into her arm amid a patch of shaven fur. Following the tube led her eyes to a bag of clear liquid hanging from a metal rod, labeled "Sodium Chloride Injection".

"Careful now, Celestia!" Aurelius said with a smile. "You wouldn't want to pull that out before it's ready."

Celestia yawned. "Where am I?" she asked groggily. "What time is it?"

"You're safe, in Baltimare," Aurelius said. "You have been here for about a day now, sleeping peacefully. It's currently half past noon."

Celestia rested her head back on the pillow, looking up at the ceiling. "I'm so very glad to see you, Father, but I wish you had been here the day prior," she said. "It were as though the darkest corner of the realm of nightmares had plunged its sword into the heart of a quiet and innocent town. I barely left with my life."

Aurelius placed a hoof on the blankets covering his daughter. "But you did, and you left with many other lives as well," he said, and then nodded toward the gifts on the bedside table. "They are forever grateful for such heroism, as you can see."

"You should have come with me," Celestia said with a sigh. "I feel that going alone was a mistake. If we had gone together, no blood may have been spilt. Coltlumbia may not have been set to ruin, and no souls may have been cast away before their time. Although I know I did my best, and I know that the world may see me as a hero, I still feel like I've failed."

"I'm so sorry, my dear daughter... I never expected such an attack to ensue. Both Lucretia and I had only expected a phantom sighting to come of it, and saw it only as an opportunity to grant you experience as a ruler. This is troubling indeed; the Changelings have not been this bold in an age. You would be wise to instruct every settlement to double their guard and be vigilant, lest there be another attack."

"Where was Coltlumbia's guard?" Celestia asked. "Where were their arms, where were the walls that kept them safe? They were unarmed, isolated from the world."

"That is a good question, indeed," Aurelius said." I would consider it worth looking into. For the time being, however, I suggest that you rest. You've done all that you can, and the survivors of Coltlumbia are indebted to you."

Celestia felt a nagging in her mind; she had desired to ask Aurelius about her dream, about Magnus and Galaxia. She had wished to make sense of her visions, and hear what Aurelius had to say. She stayed her tongue, however, fearing that she might upset him by asking.

"Where is Mother and Luna? Do they know as well about what happened?" Celestia asked.

"They know," Aurelius said. "They're glad to hear that you're well, however their sleep cycle leaves them nocturnal and thus are unable to come and see you."

A nurse then entered the room, and smiled upon seeing Celestia. "You're awake! I'm Nurse Diamond, and I've been looking after you during your stay here. How are you feeling?"

"I feel just fine, thank you," Celestia said, returning Nurse Diamond's smile. "In body, at least. My mind, however, is fighting away the guilt of allowing a town to be destroyed by Changelings."

Nurse Diamond raised her eyebrows and paused for an awkward moment. "Oh, don't worry about that, Your Highness! You did what you could, and we can't thank you enough for that." Aurelius nudged Celestia's shoulder with a grin on his face.

"You were brought here by the guards after passing out from exhaustion," Diamond continued. "Some bruises here and there, a scrape or two, nothing serious. You just needed rest. A lot of rest." She proceeded to write some things down on a clipboard. "Alright, I just need to take your vitals one more time, and then we can get you out of here." Nurse Diamond then took Celestia's temperature, and once finished, applied a cuff to her left arm.

"I've never liked these," Celestia said. "They grip your arm way too tightly, for my liking." She looked away as Diamond pumped away with the cuff.

"You didn't seem to mind when you were asleep," Diamond said with a a chuckle. Once finished with her routine, she then put away the equipment and took some gauze and dressing after putting on a pair of gloves. "Alright, now we just need to get that IV out of you. You may want to look away if you don't like needles."

Celestia extended her arm, and Nurse Diamond peeled away the tape covering the tube. After pressing gauze over the opening, Celestia looked away and gritted her teeth. A slight piercing pain jolted up her arm, and after some clattering it subsided and Diamond secured the gauze with dressing. Celestia glanced at the IV that was once in her arm, and saw a long sharp bloody tube.

"Mother of me! It was in that deep?" Celestia said, feeling slightly lightheaded at the thought of it.

"Yep!" Nurse Diamond said. "Don't worry though, it's really soft so it won't hurt you."

"Oh, am I ever so relieved to hear that," Celestia said sarcastically, avoiding eye contact with the needle. She lifted up the covers and stepped out of bed, recoiling slightly from the cold floor.

"'Mother of me'?" Aurelius asked, holding back laughter. "Wait until your mother finds out she is an expression!"

"She would probably respond with a philosophy about how I should never take my parents' names in vain," Celestia chuckled.

"Alright, you're good to go whenever you're ready, Your Highness. Just be sure to leave that gauze on for at least a few more hours." With that, Nurse Diamond took her clipboard and left the room after disposing of the used needle.

When Celestia and Aurelius left the building, they were greeted by the usual activity and sounds of a busy city. Despite the tragedy burning across the bay, everyone seemed to be going about their business as usual.

"Do they... not know what's become of Coltlumbia, Father?" Celestia asked.

"Oh, more than likely yes," Aurelius said. "You'll find as you see more of the world that many will not flinch or give time of day to unfortunate happenings, unless it affects them directly. Regardless, you will be expected to make a statement acknowledging the event once you have one prepared."

"Oh, Father, I always had an idea that being Princess would be more than just socializing and meeting new faces, but I wish I had accepted it earlier. It feels almost... Overbearing." Celestia lowered her gaze and shook her head slightly, as if the weight of looking after ten thousand souls had suddenly been placed around her neck.

"You can do it, Celestia," Aurelius said, placing a hoof around her shoulder and giving it a gentle shake. "You've already endured the greatest hardship of ruling a nation, and you draw breath still. The survivors of Coltlumbia will take refuge in this city's walls until their homes are rebuilt, and you will have a few suns to conjure up a speech back in Canterlot."

Celestia nodded and looked up to meet her father's warm gaze.

"In the meantime, however," Aurelius continued, "I'm sure you must be famished after spending so much time in bed. How would it be if we perused the local eateries?" He smiled and winked.

Celestia then felt the pain of hunger strike her abdomen, and she nodded once more. "That sounds like a great idea."

After some time had passed, Aurelius returned to the Canterlot castle and Celestia made her way to Ponyville. She was eager to finally get a chance to visit Silver Brighthoof after their time together during her coronation, and her heart raced with excitment as she came closer to their farm. She soon spotted the apple trees and the large house that Silver had pointed out to her, and descended upon the grassy fields between.

Her landing disturbed a flock of birds that took flight in her stead, and she scanned the rustic wooden fences and serene pastures for any sign of Silver. Seeing only pigs rolling in their pen and cows grazing nearby, she made for the barn up ahead. As she made her approach she began to feel uneasy; she felt as if she was encroaching upon another person's territory, like she wasn't meant to be there. She had no idea what she would say if any of the Apples had spotted her before Silver did, but she continued on. She was the princess, after all. There wasn't any way her presence would be poorly received.

"Hey!" A stern female voice pierced the air from behind, and Celestia quickly turned to see its owner. A mare could be seen running towards her, her expression similar to that of a mother scolding her children. "Just what in tarnation do you think you're doing snooping about in our farm-" the mare stopped in her tracks once she recognized Celestia. Her wavy ginger mane crept from below her Stetson hat, and her tail waved and flowed with the wind. Her chartreuse coat was green as the grass surrounding them, and her eyes of amber.

"Well I'll be!" the mare said, her face of anger becoming jubilant. Her accent was distinctly Southern, reminding Celestia of the comforts of home and freshly baked pie. "It's Princess Celestia!" The mare did a quick curtsy. "What brings you around these parts? You here to sample our wares?"

"Well, actually I-"

"Hey, Jonah! Princess Celestia came to visit!" The mare appeared to be shouting in a random direction, but soon enough a deep-red colored stallion with a straw colored mane and green eyes could be seen running to their location. He took a second to catch his breath and then bowed briefly.

"Jonah Gold, at your service! This here is my wife Ginger Gold, and we would both like to welcome you to Sweet Apple Acres." He had a bright smile on his face, and his manner of speaking was much the same as his spouse. "I reckon you're looking to give our fixings your royal seal of approval?"

"It's lovely to meet you both," Celestia said, "but actually I've come to visit dear Silver Brighthoof. He informed me that he works for your farm. Is he here today?"

"Really?" Ginger said, her smile remaining steadfast. "What in the hay did he do to get the Princess of Equestria's attention?"

"He took her out for a delightful day in the city," Celestia said warmly. "I've been waiting quite some time to see him again. I was delayed by my duties, as you can imagine."

"Well then," Jonah said. "He's in the barn right now, taking a break from milking the cows. You're welcome of course to see him, and if you two get hungry we'll be making supper soon. Thanks again for stopping by!"

They then parted ways and returned to their original places on the farm, presumably to resume their assigned chores. Celestia walked into the barn, and her nose was greeted by the smell of livestock and hay. A somewhat unpleasant smell to her sensibilities, having grown up wealthy, but she wasn't bothered. At the far end behind several bales of hay, she came upon a familiar sight - a pale-furred stallion, humming to himself and strumming an acoustic guitar. A wide smile glowed across Celestia's face, and her insides melted. Silver looked up from his playing, and his face beamed as well when he saw her.

"Celestia!" He immediately jumped up and hugged her, and she hugged him back. "I'm so glad to see that you're okay!"

"I'm overjoyed to see you as well, Silver!" Celestia exclaimed. "I had intended to visit you earlier, but I was delayed. It sounds as though you already know why, so details need not be necessary."

"Yeah, I heard about the attack on Coltlumbia, and that you saved a bunch of people while fighting off those Changelings," Silver said. "That must've been terrifying; I could never have done what you did!"

Celestia smiled. "I hope to never do it again, but my heart tells me that I shall in the future."

"It's such a scary thought, an attack so close to home," Silver said. "Hopefully it never happens again, in spite of what your heart says."

"If such an atrocity rears again, I will do my best to protect all those in its wake," Celestia said. "So what were you playing on your guitar, if I may ask?"

"Oh, nothing, just a random little song." Silver took the guitar and strapped it onto his back. "I need to get back to my chores. You wanna come with me and keep me company?"

"Sure! What are your chores though, exactly?"

"It's apple-bucking season, so I need to go through the orchard and pick the apples from all the trees."

"That sounds rather difficult. How long does that take you?"

"Oh, it's nothing too bad! I just grab a basket, kick the tree, and the apples fall into the basket. The hard part is carrying the full basket of apples back."

"And not damaging your guitar, I imagine!" Celestia giggled, pointing at the instrument. Silver looked back at it and laughed a little.

"Oh, I don't carry this with me when I'm actually picking the apples. I just like to keep it close by."

They made their way past the chicken coops and gardens to the apple orchard. The surroundings were peaceful and idyllic; the chirping of birds filled the air, and there was a warm breeze carrying the scent of wood and grass. The sounds of the Apple farm's various livestock could be heard from a distance. The wooden fence surrounding the orchard was lined up with several empty baskets, and Silver brought one to the nearest tree. With a loud grunt and a mighty kick from his back legs, the apples fell from the tree into the basket.

"My my, aren't you a strong stallion!" Celestia said with a playful giggle. Silver's face turned pink, and he responded with a flustered smile. As he brought the full basket back to the fence where Celestia stood, he saw a faint rosy glow peering through her snow-white fur as well.

"Would you like to try, Celestia?" Silver asked.

"Oh, I couldn't," Celestia said. "I'm not as big or tough as you are! It would be like trying to fell a tree with a toothpick."

Silver laughed, and then took her hoof to guide her to another tree, placing a basket below it. "Just try it," he said.

Celestia turned to position herself, looking to Silver for guidance. His gaze was warm and reassuring, and he looked back at her with his icy blue eyes. Every time they made eye contact, Celestia felt a stirring in her heart. She braced herself and then kicked back with all her might. To her surprise, however, her legs met nothing but air. She turned around and saw that she had missed the tree, and a scarlet hue burned through the fur on her cheeks.

"Am I distracting you, Celestia?" Silver asked, grinning.

"N-no, no. Let me try again." This time she made sure she was in front of the apple tree, and once again kicked as hard as she could. The tree barely stirred, and a single apple fell into the basket.

"See? I knew you could do it!" Silver said, looking into the basket. "Your output is just a little bit smaller than mine." Silver gave her a cheeky smile.

"Is that your way of telling me I'm not fit to harvest apples?" Celestia laughed, and then used her magic to empty the tree.

"You know, if all of us could do magic we'd get things done a lot more quickly," Silver said, watching the apples float into the bucket. "As is, don't do that around the Apples. At best they'd try to hire you, and at worst they'd worry about you putting them out of business."

"Oh, don't worry, that was a one-time thing!"

They brought the full basket back, and Silver resumed bucking the trees. Celestia shadowed him back and forth, providing idle conversation about such topics as their favorite foods and the other chores on the farm. Eventually he finished, with Celestia "helping" once or twice, and they returned to the farmhouse in search of food.

Jonah Gold could be found at the front entrance, eagerly inviting the both of them inside. The inside was just as warm and welcoming as the outside; earthy tones and apple-themed artwork were the dominating aesthetic. Half-timbered beams stretched from floor to ceiling, breaking up the green wallpaper and spiraled designs on the walls. Every room was inhabited by ornate furniture and homely clutter. A delicious and savory smell from the kitchen entertained Celestia's nose.

Celestia stepped inside, and the source of the amazing smell was revealed. A large stock pot sat uncovered on the stove, with a stew of potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, and mushrooms simmering inside. Ginger Gold tended to the pot amid the hanging pans and sink filled with the day's dishes, humming idly as she piled the contents into bowls and set them on the nearby dining table. It was soon made clear that the smell had reached everyone in the house, as Silver and Jonah took seats at the table.

"Hey there, sugarcube!" Ginger said upon seeing Celestia. "Y'all got here just in time for supper." As she placed the remaining bowl at the table, a young yellow-furred filly padded into the kitchen.

"Oh, Celestia, this is our daughter, Honeycrisp! Say hi to the princess, darlin'!" The filly froze in place when she saw Celestia, and ran out of the room before the princess could say anything.

"She'll come out when she's right and ready," Ginger said. "She's as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs."

"Oh, goodness!" Celestia exclaimed, covering her mouth with a giggle as she took a seat. "That's quite a creative way of putting it."

After finishing their dinner and discussions with the Apple family, Celestia and Silver then returned outside to relax in the fields. They found peace in nature's embrace, nestled in the tall grass, the dandelions, and the warmth of the sun. Silver began playing a soft melody on his guitar, and Celestia watched the flowers sway to and fro with the wind. The music added a seductive soundtrack to their late afternoon outing.

"It's so quiet out here," Celestia said. "So comforting. Not like at home, where the sounds of the city can always be heard from afar."

"I always love to just sit outside after a hard day's work," Silver said. "It's a nice reward for my sore muscles."

"How often do you have company when you come out here?"

Silver gave a contented smile. "Never, but I'll manage."

"Oh, please, I'm sure you have no problem 'managing' my company, Silver."

Silver sighed. "Yeah... You're right." He then transitioned to playing an upbeat chord progression on his guitar, nodding his head to stay in rhythm.

"Ooh, what are you playing now?"

"Just something I came up with the other day. I think you'll like it."

Silver then began to sing along with the music from his guitar, forming a mid-tempo song:

First light's morning rise,
Fire dancing bright,
I'd give it all for you to see me

Through steep hills of snow,
Past dark woods alone,
I'd do it all for you to take me

Home, take me home,
My sweet hummingbird, take me home
Take me home, take me home,
To your blooming pasture's glow, take me home

Live a life alone,
My other half never whole,
I'd risk it all for you to hold me

To keep you warm and safe,
In my soft embrace,
I'd do it all for you to take me

Home, take me home,
My sweet little angel, take me home
Take me home, take me home,
To your fields of green and gold, take me home.

Silver's voice was powerful and flowing, and full of emotional weight. When finished, he looked to see what Celestia thought. He found her resting her head against his shoulder, eyes closed and glowing with a calm happiness. Silver placed the guitar on the ground and held her close. "I take it you like the song?"

"That was beautiful, Silver." Celestia opened her eyes and looked up into his. Silver then reached out and picked a dandelion from the grass surrounding them. He studied it for a moment, then delicately placed it in Celestia's mane behind her ear.

"I had a lot of inspiration," Silver said with a smile. Celestia closed her eyes and once again nestled into the stallion's warmth. The sound of crickets could then be heard in the nearby trees, and a heavenly glow blanketed the pair's surroundings as the sun began to lower.

Comments

[Ice Star]

The song was nice in this chapter as well. If you've made songs/art of these scenes, you could put them in an author's note box to show them off!