Christentine

by Arn

The Church

"Therefore, laws are for the law breaker, for the lawless! For, what fear is there for the truly innocent of the law. But who of us is truly innocent??

Who hasn't coveted or mislead or worse."He looked over the congregation to make his point."Our best hoof forward, our best acts, however, flavored with that arrogance, or vain glory or selfishness, in particular to our breed, traits we can trace come from our ancestors, Adam and Eve.

Or worse, willful stubbornness and defiance that takes away from every good deed!

How good it is that we have an intercessor! How good is His Mercy that we are blessed with speech, still children of Eve, still among the living, and are not brought down, down to brute beasts!

We have an intercessor who only asks we believe and follow. That out of our faith, good deeds rise to the surface showing we are Imago Dei, made in His image, by every gift of the Spirit evident by our faith, hope and love. Greatest being Love."

The congregation murmured an Amen!

"What great love he must have, for us to be allowed to know him and hear Him when he calls us here and latter to Himself. Let us take a moment for silent reflection: thanksgiving and petition and praise.."

After the pastor had stitched up his sermon on government and law and justice and their natural place in God's world he finished with a traditional story.

"We here, all here, know the stories of the strange ponies. Who can't help smile at the antidotes of Namis Waat of Rasom and Brutus, Calcium Carbine, Romain and others....but I will tell a scene from Smudgie Pie.

God never allows temptation for a believer more than they can handle.

Smudgie Pie pony complained, complained about being made a pony as if not expecting any to hear, complaining to the air: he was disowned, weeping, he was somehow made lower now a creature outside the wants of God.

What he didn't expect God to answer.

Answer He did!

Maybe God laughed at him.

"Your alive! A being made, with a mind and speech, you are wanted and everyone I have made. I indeed indeed want!

I never makes anything starting out bad, though it may be destined to destruction, it doesn't have to be that way.

To find the way.
Everyone has a choice!
Choice is part of the plan
Part of being alive!
Being alive is so good!
The way:
believe in the Son, trust and submit, have faith with love,
in Him."

Again our pony grumbled about government:

that he was subject to these ponies.

Again our pony was admonished to pray for peace and good things for his leaders, examples: prosperity and good life, health and whatever good thing.

The pony was upset and asked why the utmost highest was siding with his kidnapper.

He was rebuked.

'Does it not say'render under Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's'? Whatever it is, treasure, honor, respect. Always render unto God what is God's!'

He might have said,

"So you are being ruled by a giant horse? Leaders are my servants! I have appointed them! Appointed them over you.

'His servants lightning, his messengers flame,' pray for them. Finding good things from God and salvation!

Whether you be ruled be a horse, a lizard or a giant ape, pray that the peace of God, their wise rule in wisdom and good thing crest Cesar's brow!"

~

Long ago, in that very building abet much smaller.

Celestia enters quietly the outer offices. No pony has seen her, she is ready, waiting for the moment.

She is tiered! So tiered of these strange ponies in her world!

True the plays and inventions (and cities!) were fun. "Fun" in the first two years building, they were brought to Eqestria racing in all, things busy with reckless abandon, she laughed to watch them scurry, building, making, doing! As gear raced inside a machine.

The next year...the next year brought a fulfillment of unbelievable rumors! Monsters! Not bound by the laws against chaos: what they did in her world! The governors against the gears inside the machine of Equestria were smoking, had burned themselves out only an increasingly loud squealing could be heard; the gears, racing out of control, threatening to burn up all lubricant, seize and explode out all the clockwork and springs and gears of all Equestria with them!

If not for the sun, the burning hot sun the fire, that equalizer of all things...how she had tried not to let it get to this point.

Appointing a judge, but even with her training,teaching from the finest legal minds of Equestria. He? Still was making the mess worse, thick and unobservant. Jug head! Might as well have taken a giant sledge and threshed Equestria with it, leaving deep groves, the grain was spilling down, beyond into the darkness below, out of sight!

He even caused the yaks to break off diplomatic ties.

Worse he had taken liberties and not even known...."into the darkness below, out of sight!" even beyond of his own kind.

How could he not even know?!

Celestia furrowed her brow flushing red just thinking about it...."five at least...maybe more crossing the wild lands...two I know of.."she said and ground her teeth."And one for certain!"She snorted."No remembrance..that thick and clueless?"

Getting ready, her weapon drawn, she would burst through the door, splintering paneling along frame and header! Any stood up to her she would take them down! Any fled, she quietly charged her horn, she would turn to stone.

The uttered prayer only strengthened her resolve, her anger to action, pounce, more palpable.

The gall!

After what these strange ponies had done in her land, she was in her rights! What sky God could ever forgive such things?

Now they pray for their leaders what a vapid prayer what a ....but at the heartbeat before the destinies' action, was another prayer, a bright voice...a child's voice!

The request shocked her, how close to home, to her heart, it was! The answer stunned her, and prayer said by the whole congregation, shamed her.

Quiet.

Pastor spoke"...yes...for her peace, and any relative. God knows, to be immortal and be alone, without council? Yes indeed! We will take a moment to reflect on our actions, pray for our leader and any sister she may have...any children under her wing...any..."

Sickened, the madness left her. In an instant she knew she was doing wrong! Doing evil!

Shaken, her ears burning,she dropped her weapons with a clatter, in the reflected metal of the sythe blade, she saw briefly, saw, the monster on her back bent over whispering in her ear.

Turning and bucking, sending it flying? Didn't know. Sobbing, tearing armor and barding, wouldn't come off! Many small grasping hands surrounded her, over hair, skin and shell, like running through tall grass, or the sting of the ocean salt water spray,running, clips come open of themselves!

Fleeing the way she came. She thought she heard a snarl and strange ethereal voices.

Jumped out the door leaping to the sky. The sky giving way to her corporlius looking mass, she took flight in a roar of her wings.

The cool,cool sky for her.Bearing her hot, hot tears!

A gentle cloud shadowed the form of the exhausted Princess's at moon rise. Making the clouds around her glow white.These clouds in their storm pens, await the next showering, rising and lowing, kept fresh through gentle up and down drafts. Cool and refreshing, bottled up with lightening warm when they needed to be. It was quite relaxing and not a Pegisus in sight, especially at night. Celestia sighed with contemplation, her fever and tears lessening. She had come here often inspire by watching shepards and once being called the Shepherdess of the Sun.

The longer she stayed there, the more the ethereal voices she remember, as ringing bells, became spoken words of..something!

"How dare you!"snarl.

"Non of that! Back to the judge with you!"

"A tithe! A tithe! from the ruler of Equestria!!"

"Gift! A gift a mighty gift from the Oyarsa of Equestria!"

As she left the door. "All gifts are subject to the rules authority pending...."

"Fool!"the snarl"My prey I take of the strangers, many, already fallen!But her?Bid my time! When she's ripe. Pluck like a swollen peach! Yesssss...I'll draw her down just like that pegisus..to the lake of..."

"That's enough."said a mighty voice."She feels bad enough already."

"So this is what is was like for my judge as he fell among the reeds, huh?" Celestia mused in wonder as a little dove snuggled up to her muzzle and cooed. These small ones, birds came to comfort her....even under the moon's light.Medium birds, an owl gently landed on her back. Larger birds,wild geese, gracefully, gently covered her stomach with their wings.

Vision!
Oh Jewel of white stone!
Clothed in cloud white.
Clasps in darkness, of dark filigree.
Center inside.
White stone glow by lune so bright
Swirl in darkness and in light!
Beautiful!

What a lovely jewel though Celestia.

"I will give a white stone and on that stone their new name shall be written."The verse came to Celestia's mind..Where had she had heard it? From a strange pony..yes.

Sparrow brought her from her thoughts, sadly sung in question,"Yes, I know what happened to him among the reeds." Again sparrow sang. "No...I don't blame the chipmunk or an other anmale that tried to comfort him...he should not allowed himself so vulnerable, sleep so compromised, but that pegisi!"She sadly said,"Taking advantage...sin upon sin...finally paid, now unwept, unsung, unremembered..."Her eyes flashed."Oh! That rider will join her soon!" Her face was made hard by firelight's glow.

She was startled by the light, her fever returning, "Please! Creator of all things. Save me from him!"... now it reflected fear on her face. Relenting she closed her eyes and blinked.Her face softened.

It was Philomena.

The hour was late and Philomena had come to get her for the sunrise.

Celestia, gentle rose, then dismissed her flock.

She caught the wind in her wings, glanced back, snapping ahead to look away,fear teared her eyes. On a white cloud she thought she saw a dark twisted form sitting on it, a captured throne; large hob goblin eyes watched. She forcibly calmed herself to fly over horizon."Gods and strange ponies my forgive..."she swallowed."But that rider? Never!" Eye closed to stifled a sob.

"Oh Luna...what have I done...what am I to do?"

The moon said nothing.

The unicorn instigator was very surprised when she came to court that morning at the voice that left her ears ringing from the blast.

"WHO HAVE YOU LOST?"Celestia roared at the unicorn."WHAT HARDSHIP HAVE YOU FACED HERE IN THE CAPITAL,FAR FROM THE MARAUDING OF THE THUNDERING HERDS IN MY CITY. PAMPERED AND GETTING FAT LIKE A PRIZE PIGLET?! WHAT HARDSHIP HAVE YOU ENDURED, TROMPLED UNDERHOOF BY THESE STRANGE PONIES?"The unicorn in her court was brought to heel!

She who had caused the trouble, that mare, was ordered bound hoof and hoof, in court, before Princess and aristocracy, but her humiliation was not done! Bound by Celestia herself and plopped on her back.

"Why are you doing this?!" the unicorn screamed in unthinking rage.

Celestia looked her over. Over her belly, over her back."You have no reason to behave this way!"

No bruises i.e. No rider.

The mares mouth opened wide and her cry became even shriller. "These ponies are an abomination!! Their children are monsters..."

"Silence!"Celestia roared, the court halls seemed empty after."There are few punishment to dol out to a manipulative creature as yourself..."

"Two..."said the mare volunteering before understanding slamming her jaw shut and clamping her lips.

Celestia spoke in a deep voice."Two..

A digit between one and three."She stared daggers at the mare.

"One:

The garden."

At this the mare's eyes grew as large as saucers and her breath began quickening as if attempting to cycle or store enough oxygen to keep as a reserve for her new station.

Celestia as if for emphasis turned walked back and sat on her throne. She began preening, as if paying her now no mind. Twisting her own wing and feathers in a way, to a point, it looked as if the wing would break, to the discomfort of courtiers and guards watching.

She turned and continued staring at the mare, her magenta eyes burrowing into the mares.

Next, speaking at the same time, with her hoof, doing a typical tap test, slowly, along her horn, 'click,click,click,click." testing for softness and soundness listing for rot or cavities invisible cracks and abscesses. 'click,click,click,click,click...'

It was unusual. After all, the sovereign of Equestria had regular check ups, insisted, because she was always in the best of health...but...she had not seen the royal physician for almost a year.....so...

"One:

'click,click,click,click,click,click,click.....'

The court and the exceeding silence of court was becoming uncomfortable. The slow clicking, a tapping on the brain, knock, knock, as well as unseemly for the princess, brazen and exceedingly bratty.

" ...or the wasteland," The clicks echoing through the chamber in the silence, her eyes unblinking." where they are exiled." The mare's face twisted and her eyelids tightly shut. She brought all her legs together, her tail wrapping round as looking away.

'click,click,click,click.....'

At every click the mare would curl up more, wince and flinch.

"Two:"

Celestia stopped the clicking sighed,looking away. There was an immediate release of tension at court, the empathetic sovereign of Equestria every pony knew and loved.

" Guards."quietly, coming to attention. "Before I finish the count, her, outside the city , its gates, never enter again."
Still Equestria's finally authority! A harsh ruling but livable.

Humiliated, but resigned and relieved, she also was carried out of Celestia's presence, dismissive!

Celestia sat there alone with the guards, contemplating her rash confusing actions as of late. One guard approached.

"Your Majesty may I speak with you? In private?"

Her response?

Turned his side to her, lifted the armor, turned to the other side and looking making him extremely uncomfortable.

"Leave us."she said to guards and citizens, officials and aristocracy, "and let me have council with this strange pony in our guard. He who can empathize with mares!" she smirked,placing armor back on his sides, he flushed and bowed.

"This strange pony with the mark of the moon on his flank above his nebs!"