Christentine

by Arn

Gathering

"Send the squad ahead, catch up and escort, I will give you funds for their libation, for such strange requests from their princess, after they carefully return this to our friends, go now!" She commanded the Guards." Your captain shall catch up!"

The guard moved with the litter, now with spirit, looking forward to the little bit of fun.

As soon as they had gone, Celestia produced a ragged parchment.Harold watched. She wrote upon it, "Pray for the pony Celestia has chosen as judge. ."she paused and lifted the pen considering then brought it down again,"Pray especially for those in the Thundering Herds..."She stopped. That was enough. Celestia produce an equally tattered envelope and folded the letter inside covering both with an acrid yet not unpleasant smell as to make their origin obscure.

Making sure she had his full attention, she hovered the letter before pulling it away from Harold's grasp making eye contact and gently dipping the envelope periodically as she spoke,

"After..your..delivery and the guard....enjoying...themselves...dress in...civilian clothes...circle back, let non one see you! ...Deposit....this..in...the...box!
Return to uniform...return to party...Tell...none!" With the letter she gave him a large purse.

With the purse safely tucked away, he looked down at the letter.

"If curious about these ponies, visit them, Sunday."she said. "You time off. Now go."

Harold bowed and left her majesty's presence. He patted the bag and felt the heft of the purse, it would be quite a party!

~

She was there.It was hard for the Pastor and his wife to believe, the Princess glowing brightly in the great hall, right out of urban legend.

Glorious Sol Invicta herself!

Equestria's Princess!

Oyarsa of Equestria!

Shepard of the Sun!

Steward of Canterlot/Capital/Unicornia City..ect.,ect.,ect!

"Tell me."Asked Celestia, unaware of all deference, mischief in her eyes. "Why is my helmet at the foot of the cross?" looking under it playfully."Where is the rest of it?" She put the helmet down careful not to disturb the immaculate sheen of the metal. The plates tied one after the other, on the back, the wire long gone, with clean colorful yarn showing its age. One segment snapped off some time ago held by the other side of warn looking like a wonderful wind chime for the swirling patina.

"Well...at the yearly meetings, of the churches,"replied the nervous pastor, "it was all agreed ours should get the helmet for our works across Equestria."

"So somewhere in Equestria...there is a church with one of my shoes at His feet, I suppose?"

"As...well as, well, one with a few bits of chain at another...Oh! We try and lift them up, encourage them so at least they may have, well, at least one panel of male...!"

"I must pay them a visit also....My lorica segmentata and lorica squamata, scattered across Equestria, huh?"a glint in eye, talking like a naughty girl child, leaving her clothes all over the house ."....and my Scythe?"

"Your majesty's scythe? ..it is safely kept secure and under guard in a vault. Brought out, symbol of peace, as the churches meet together. Changed, just a little, so it is more useful harvesting grain...Oh uh, under the weapons laws, you can inspect it if you wish.." said the pastors wife. "As a weapon, though, it is no longer usable ...engraved with verses of the bible' Sharper than a two edge sword...' and 'indeed, there is non like it' ,and such, it has lost all flexibility...and rigidity."

Celestia picked up the helmet and looked on the inside.A beautify flowing script of strange letters and foreign numbers, engraved, met her eyes.

"And as a proud Canned, you should know all about weapons...some are guards in my court, Eh?"

"Helmet of Salvation" said the pastor, his wife to red to answer at the moment.

Celestia said nothing, unreadable.

"Oyarsa!" The dancing light seemed to say.

~

"but your majesty...." protested the guard in front of a stretcher covered in her armor.

"I said send it back!" she got off the throne walking over to it. "I'm having new armor made." she glared. "I never want..."so neatly arranged on the stretcher, how it gleamed, polished and oiled, almost looking new, her image reflected, bright clean, radiant.

Speaking quietly and humbly. " Take a message from me to them." she broke her stare and turned away from the armor. "Tell them..."She walked back to the throne, looking back."place it at the foot."

" Y..yes ma'am." he said confused they turned to leave almost upturning the stretcher.

~

Stories ran through the pastors mind stories of persecution, the manx and the com the confused of the democracy, the mob, the criminal element, the crazed king...

"Ma'am...begging your pardon, have you come to collect your clothes?" Knowing service was about to start the next hour."Service is about to start in thirty..we have paid our taxes."

"Yes..."she said handing him a parchment."I will be attending service today."

Pastors wife standing beside him now turned a grey pale, her tail tail sticking out as if exploded with lightning and galloped out of the hall to the back stair, leading around to the lectern and podium, above curtained off area.

~

"Attention!"

This was the third time she had to call the guard to attention. There were things he was seeing things she could not afford for him to connect from the things he observed.

"At Ease..."

Things she could only hid with her magenta eyes.

He was married, she was getting fat and by her erratic actions...

"Attention! Yes I am getting fat. You will tell the court I have gone to the Grey Havens to inquire of the powers and to meditate. When I return, I will be as svelte as ever!

"At ease..."

Wait, didn't the Grey Lady of the Lonely Tower live there in exile? How strange. She came to court with a young foal, warmly snuggled in her bags and then there was that bawdy pegisi who came in spouting nonsense who traded her child for a large bag of gold? Didn't she set herself alight at speed a week later? Impacting at mach speed into the ground...I heard our Great Judge dug her up...

"Attention!" She cried. "I don't know what you are talking about..."she sputtered" all this nonsense in your head !Strange pony!" Celestia sniffed. "Tell the court I will return in a few days...nothing to worry about, heh , I know this God of yours will ensure the sun rises in the sky. At ease."

He smiled. His God. Without saying. How did she know?

All the same looking at her he could swear she was...

"Attention!" She roared. " Am I not your princess?"

"Yes..."

"Do you believe me when I tell you I have your best interest, of your family, of Equstria when I speak to you?!"

"...yes?"

"Will you accept what I say this once? , Will you fuse to your brain what I tell you to be truth in this one matter, and non other once?! "

"I...yes..."

"Again. I say. Tell the court." she drew in a breath. " I am going to the Grey Havens to meditate. To inquire of the greatest of powers. Be assured, it will take much energy, however, there will be...Sunshine!"

Sunshine, she thought, what a nice name!

Her thoughts were interrupted by observing slow shadow that began to darken crawling across the pony's face. These strange ponies! sometimes she thought she could beguile them and then suddenly all traction in her effort would begin to slide away! She didn't know what to do! Points were connecting!

Oh,what would he do?

She went behind him and looked to the sky and silently begged in her mind, "Oh please! I went and brought them. I shouldn't, but I did, for they are yours!

All that is happening, is my fault. Let the blame fall on me. Immortal, unconscionable, nearly unforgivable! Please! Oh please! This pony guard in my court please protect him! He cannot know!
For the rider shall come! For him too his family his town his..."

"As you wish." the pony guard said with a shrug.

Celestia was jarred back from her intense thinking. " What?"

"You are going to the Grey Havens to contact the greater power." he said blithely. "I suspect you are merely going there to vigorously exercise at a frenzy concealed in cold mist for privacy."

"At ease." said Celestia with a heavy blink.

There was a long pause. She smiled."At least keep that to yourself!" she said now with a pout. "I must go." she spread her wings.

"Wait!" he said. "This is such an important responsibility you lay on me, please, let me bless you!" Before she could say no he lay down his arms and hugged her along her shoulders kissing her back and side. " Lose some weight!" He told her side and hugged her again.

Celestia rolled her eyes. These strange ponies! "How you kept secrets. Even from yourselves! Well.Keep your secrets my guard and don't tell any!" she thought.

"My responsibility! No other soul!" he said out loud as if responding, which he couldn't have!

So cute, being so grateful.

This, one of her strange ponies, given such an important task in court. She put her wing around, the simple soul with a smile, and embraced him.

Time was fleeting, for this, she decided, there was time for a hug !

~

He had to buy time.
"Your Majesty!!!"He protested. Soon frantic sounds came from around the alter, pounding and sawing.

They stared to the front with a start.

"Time? Time! Time!!!" cried his wife behind the curtain. "You're a crafts pony, for crying out loud! Just Harden the wood.Can't you anneal it? Don't look at me like an idiot!

Recovering, the stallion swallowed and walked back up to the alter to be before her eyes thinking, he thought of the stories of persecutions from the olden world.

"We...we....can't possibly..."

More frantic ordering from in front behind him."How?!You use an accelerant! Is there is a problem? Speak up! I can't understand your mubbling...What was that?!!!

"I'm sorry, um...not being part of our faith...many of the things we say and do may offend thee!" He had to protect those who wouldn't be coming.

"Ack no! Dry resin!Dry! See ...squishy...DON"T ROLL YOUR EYES AT ME!!!"

"True, I am not a member so I will forgo communion..."pastor followed Celestia's eyes and head, trotting fast, as she turned back to the rows of pews.

"Ahhh! Who left the feathers in glue!!!"

He flushed due to exertion.

She looked at him and raised an eyebrow, painted to a Bible in the pew. " Does it not say in your book ,'if only the congregation would prophesy then the stranger among you would be convicted and come to repentance?"

"File it down file it down!!"

"Anyhoof. My law is quite specific." she pressed a scroll into his barrel.

"I know... not what its called!!Don't...I...don't lecture...I know the process! Just! Get....done! Hurrrrry!"

"Magesty.." Pastor sighed clinching the parchment as he read through it. "This law applies to high officials, inspecting theaters and restaurants...it doesn't apply to us!"

"Unicorn! Fire preventative spell!Faster!FASTER!FASTER!"

"I say it does..."Celestia said Pointing out a window.

"Just I...Yes I know your trying to keep the smells down!"[
/i]

Pastor's eyes were drawn to a large group of stallions, common attire.

"Ahhh!!!NO!NO!NOOO!Put it out! Put it out put it out!!!!!"

"I will sit at this pew here." Celesta was moving back to the front, choosing a pew to seat.

"Good. Good. Gathered all smoke? Good good Pegisi! Yes! Outside. No, outside... there.... GO...OUTSIDE...NOW!"

"You.." said the pastor mentally pulling at his last chess piece.

"...will sit right here!" cried his wife, cheerfully pleasant Maples, her mane a mess, a smile on her face, drawing back the curtain revealing a wonderful boothed alcove just the right size for the princess(big enough for two princesses!) as she went and stood proudly beside her husband.

"My...my desk....hmp!"he said quietly as she cut him off at the ribs with her knee.

"I couldn't possibly." she went in and sat down. "Oh...oh..this is nice."

"This way no one can see you." she drew the curtain with the flourish of the Great Canned Family's gusto.
" And you can still see out!" she said with a smile. "Here is a program with the hymnal, right here, in front of you."

"Hmmm. Thank you...."Celestia said.

"Dear.. All the paperwork is in your office." she said to her husband with a forced smile. "If this is how it starts." she swallowed." This is how it starts."

"I love you." he said their eyes met believing it was the end of the world, he gave her a kiss.

Celestia interrupted."Excuse me." she asked."The hymn says to sing Mezzo Piano then Crescendo to forte, but if i do I'm liable to blow off the roof!"

"Go on, my crumbles." she told her husband.

"Are all services arranged in this order?"Celestia asked.

"Of course not your Majesty!" she said a little to saccharine. "It's all part of the freedom we have being one body! Every church has a different order of there service, in its simplest form, beginning middle and end .You can'y expect them to do the same thing anymore than you can expect the Kidneys and Eyes to have the same function, would you?"

" Of course your Majesty,I' sure if you sing as quietly as you can...It will be enough!" she addressed Celestia pleasantly but was walking up to the princess hesitantly and stiffly. " We are such a small church, a little church, no need to have the roof find its way to the moon. Ha.ha..ha."

What had she said?Celestia seized the little pony in her wings held her close. The pony felt something warm ad wet begin to pool on her neck where the princess head was. She was crying?

"There. There?" said the mare, Maples, confused patting Celestia on the back.

Celestia pulled the pony away and looked her in the eyes.
"Oh...Never say you are insignificant or too small." She turned her around to look at the great hall that was the church." You are greatly loved!"
....that great and empty hall.

The Pastor's wife didn't know what to think.

Author's Note:

She was at their side in a moment."Gently!" she scolded."Don't undo all their hard work!"
She found herself staring at the captain, till he bowed down in shame.
"All their hard work..."she admonished."At the foot,understand."she repeated.

"yes ma'am" he said."At the foot."

"Harold?" she asked.

He turned back. "Yes maam."

"Did you see a box in the building?"

"There were many boxes..."

"A small wood box with slit in the lid."

"I saw one marked prayer