Lost Muse

by David Silver

50 - Praise the Moon

Color and Day were both dressed well. Sassy had helped them both appear far more professional than either felt. Color nodded towards the castle they were approaching, weaving around other ponies that were moving in the other direction. "Almost there."

"It keeps getting bigger." Day's eyes were on the castle, taking it in as they approached. "How do ponies not get lost in there?"

"Practice." He shrugged softly. "I plan to ask directions. Is that alright with you?"

"Sure." Day smiled in his lazy way. "Oh, there are the guards."

"Ignore them." He walked right past the ones guarding the separation point of the castle ground and the street. The ponies at the door he stopped for. "Luna said to tell you to bring me directly to her."

The guard raised a brow. "Name?"

"Color Splash." He gestured at himself. "He's with me." He waved back to Day.

Day tipped his head. "Hey, nice to meetcha."

The guard drew out a clipboard with a wing and reviewed it a moment. "Ah, one moment." He vanished inside the castle.

Day sat next to Color. "Shouldn't he be leading us in?"

Color shrugged at that. "I trust them to know their job." Not like he had any real idea how to be a guard.

The guard returned with a soft nod. "The princess requests your presence. This way." He then began to lead them into the castle. They navigated several broad hallways, and a few narrow ones, before reaching gilded double doors with two more guards. The first saluted the other two, then the door was opened by the two there. The first gestured past them. "She waits."

Color smiled, moving to walk past the other guards. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Lun--" His words died in his mouth. That was not Luna. Celestia was seated at the table, not at the far end, but in the center, facing across to a painting.

It was the painting he had just done, hung up there in the sitting room. She was facing what she had commanded go away and never come back.

Color approached on shaking legs, his ears pinned back.

"Hey, your piece." Day ambled right over and looked up at it without any hesitation, missing the tension in the room. "It looks even better in this room. The light's great..."

Color sat across from Celestia. He didn't dare smile, or do much of anything. He just sat down and dreaded when she would speak.

She watched him and Day quietly a moment. Day, oblivious to issues, clip-clopped his hooves. "That's two you got in the castle. You must be proud." He finally turned to see Color sitting there looking so very awkward. There was also Celestia, but he didn't lose his smile on seeing the sun princess.

"Nice to meet you." Day approached with a happy expression. "I'm Day Dreamer."

"Charmed." She smiled gently and extended a hoof, gesturing to a seat next to Color's. "Please, be seated. I trust you are a friend?"

"Best." He plopped down on the indicated cushion. "Do you have a best friend?"

Celestia paused at that, considering. "What a simple... yet deceptive question... In the manner you speak, likely not. I do have some dear and close associates, however." Her eyes focused on Color. "Then there are those I know, but do not have that level of confidence with..."

"I'm sorry!" he squeaked, shrinking in his chair. "I didn't know he'd bring it right here."

"And yet... he did..." Her eyes moved to the painting, watching it quietly. "Right in the summer... Imagine my surprise when I first saw it. He made sure to be assigned to the post, so he could see my expression... I imagine he was expecting delight." She waved at the door and it slapped shut under her magic. "I smiled for him, of course."

Day twitched one ear towards Color, the other at Celestia. "So... you don't like it? Why? It's--"

"--Yes, I've been informed." Celestia let out her breath softly. "He came and extolled its virtues... He went on and on about how well you captured every part of the picture... Every part... Except that little part." She pointed directly for the theoretical star of the picture. "He is dizzy with joy at having everything in his life so well captured... I'm not even sure he noticed he was in it beyond the barest of recognitions."

Color dared the littlest of smiles. "He really was happy to see it."

Celestia raised a hoof to her face. "Delighted... He wanted his favorite mare aside his wife to have it, to hold. 'For when I'm gone,' he loudly declared. 'It's like a little slice of history!' he went on... Ignorant of the rough glass he was shoving through me... He was so happy, so delighted..." She set her hooves down on the table flatly. "He couldn't stop smiling... You have failed, good artist, to please me... but you brought such a smile to his face..."

Day began to put the pieces together, his jovial expression dulling. "Oh... Do... you want us to take it?"

"No! No..." Celestia looked up at the painting. "If it is moved, he will notice. I can't move it without hurting him, and I would never dare. He deserves so much better than that. He has made a fool of me, in the end." She smiled wryly, gesturing at it. "It's a lovely portrait, full of good memories, but I refuse to accept them. After all these years, he has finally turned on me. With teeth sharpened with age, he tore me in half and left my dying form on the beach of kindness, the waters of joy lapping at my torn flesh."

"Deep."

Color cleared his throat softly. "I... didn't mean to cause so much trouble, Your Highness."

"I am aware." She leaned forward a little. "I did ask him. 'Why don't you take it home? Your wife would be tickled pink by it,' I suggested. Do you know what he said?"

Color didn't want to ask... "What... did he say?"

"She'll be dead soon. She'll be dead, and I will be too. You should keep it in this pretty castle, so the history can be remembered. I'd be honored knowing some small piece of me never got tired of watching over you. Please smile on all of us, and know we're so happy to be here." She raised a hoof, trembling lightly. "He said it with such a bright expression. He hadn't been that happy in so long..."

Color sagged, his head so very heavy. "I will accept whatever punishment you have in mind. I promise to not object. I deserve whatever comes to your mind."

Celestia reached across the table, a wing gently brushing Color's closed eyes. "Look at me." When he looked up at her, she smiled gently. "It hurt... but it was needed. I am sorry I was ever so weak, to run away from what was clear. Now, you've listened to a princess vent her petty little heart. My little pony, what has brought you here? I did not call you."

Color looked shocked, the whiplash of it too much. Words entirely failed him.

Day wasn't nearly as stunned. "We're here to see your sister."

"Luna? Whatever for?" She arched a brow curiously. "Does it involve our artistic friend?" she glanced to Color and back to Day. "I wonder if he will force growth in her in some similar fashion... I would delight in it, thought I hope it comes without the same... sharp edge. She is my little sister, I would never wish to see her ever truly hurt. Paint gently, little painter. Make her smile for me, if you can."

Color nodded with a trembling head. "O-of course, Your Highness. It shouldn't be too... traumatic... Um, we're doing an action piece of her, looking ready for battle."

"How delightful!" Celestia clapped her forehooves together. "Yes, that should please her immensely. She does fancy herself as quite the warrior mare. We have no fitting war for her to attempt to make that fantasy live, but perhaps a paintbrush could make it so..."

Color rubbed behind his head. "I'll certainly try. Um, Celestia?"

"Yes?"

"Are you alright? I mean... Really... are you?"

"No." She gently brushed a few large feathers under his chin. "But my hurts are mine own issue. That ache will fade over time, with good company. Make my sister smile and you will be doing me a favor. Now, I have a country to rule." she rose from her seat. "And you have a sister to see. Travel safe, painter, dreamer. I feel we will meet again, given time."

"Oh!" Day hopped to his hooves. "Before you go! Please please please can I visit the gardens?! I want to see the flowers and plants... Please? I'll be super extra careful."

Celestia's expression softened at Day's overwhelming cheer. "How can I deny such a heartfelt request? Do not pick any flowers, nor tread them, and I have no objection." She strode around the table, going for the exit that swung open with a glow of her magic. "Allow them to visit the garden after they've seen Princess Luna. They may stay as long as they please; provided they are well-behaved."

Day began to prance in place, his dreams coming true. "We are so even."

"Hm?"

Day tilted his head at Color. "Well, I did you like tons of favors, but this evens it out, I figure. Thanks!" He bonked his foreheead right against Color's almost impaling himself on his friend's horn. "Thank you!"

Color rocked back, his vision swimming a moment from the impact. "You're... welcome... Guess that fortune teller had a good idea in making sure you were here."

"Oh yeah. If he was here, I'd thank him too, but I bet he's already gone off to wherever carnivals go when they go... Huh, where is that?"

Color smiled awkwardly. "Can you imagine that, a special town just for carnies? That'd be something." He gently bumped into Day from the side. "Come on, we've kept Luna waiting long enough."

"Yeah," eagerly agreed Day, prancing from the room with unusual energy. "Let's get that painting planned so we can get to the garden." He burst into fresh giggles, overwhelmed with the thought of the Canterlot Castle Gardens and what wonders awaited him and his hooves.

"You're really looking forward to this..." He looked to one of the guards just outside the door. "Which way to Princess Luna?"

"I'll show you." He started into movement, leading the way without hesitation. "She does not like having ponies wandering her wing without accompaniment."

"Fair enough." Color figured he likely wouldn't want to come out of his room to see some strange pony wandering the halls of his little house. That would be off putting at best. "She should be expecting us."

"This way." The guard soon had them in a hallway with more purples and blues, a soft darker shade than many of the others. The windows were painted to evoke thoughts of the night with the light only coming in through little pricks that imitated stars or the great moon rendered in loving detail.

It was not too dark to see by far, but it made the clear impression one was entering, at best, a twilight realm of the evening.

Standing before a double door at the end of the hallway was one last guard, with leathery wings and tufted ears, the bat-like pony nodded to the day guard. "For the princess?"

"Affirmative." The guard gestured forward. "Go on." He walked away back towards his original post.

Color tilted his head at the intimidating slice of a soldier. "Um, hello."

Day stepped forward, eyeing the guard with a placid smile. "Is it the armor?"

The night guard tilted his head faintly. "Hm?"

"The armor, it makes you look like that? That's cool... Can I try it?"

The guard shook his head. "That would be against several regulations, I'm afraid. This way."

Author's Note:

Do you feel for Celestia, or was she being foalish about the entire thing?

Comments

[Emtu]

Oh, Day.

[Gyro Pony]

Poor Celestia.
I understand her. She was not being foalish.

Throughout the conversation between Color and Celestia, I kept thinking of this picture:
https://www.deviantart.com/johnjoseco/art/After-the-Banishment-252046316

From this song:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=6bGv6bGvEOE

Twist the knife further, eh ?

[Dashie04]

I mean, I get some memories might hurt, but forgetting about them still means they happened.

...I was going somewhere with this. What I’m trying to say is that you should face bad memories too.

[David Silver]

9393431
That is what she decided in the end.

[howard035]

Poor Celestia. Hopefully she'll remember the guard 's happiness at a busy life more than anything else.