Book 1 - The Behemoth came to Canterlot

by Equimorto

R£v

Celestia didn't see her at first. She was hardly looking upwards in the first place, and even if she had been it would have been quite hard for her to spot anything. Especially something so small, and still so relatively far away. Though the colour would have helped, the red and yellow stood out from the black and purple of the winds around.

Celestia did eventually see her, she had to when she flew all the way down there. Her very first reaction was surprise, but that only lasted a small moment, and almost immediately it was overtaken by joy. She picked up her pace, suddenly not caring about the darkness covering the ground she stepped over, and made her way quickly forward until the phoenix landed on her outstretched hoof. There she stopped, and quietly nuzzled the animal.

Philomena returned her affection, though she did also look with worry at the alicorn's wounds and shortened mane. Less so at the black spot on her chest, still shifting in appearance. A few moments of petting later, she took off again.

She hovered a short distance in front of Celestia, not too high as to still be visible from the ground, going in circles and waiting for something. Celestia understood what she wanted, she'd grown to know her attitudes and learnt to read her actions in ways and depths only centuries of togetherness could result in. She followed her, and Philomena began to lead.

She always kept the same distance, the same gentle pace to her flight, somehow stable even with the winds blowing around them. She always allowed Celestia to see her, and keep up with her, but always slightly back, always being led. Celestia did not mind. She was used to it when it came to the phoenix, and certainly in no mood to complain had it been anything else leading her. Anything that meant a concrete chance to run into other ponies was nothing but welcome, and on top of that Philomena had been a welcome sight by herself.

She had often questioned her own judgment in taking a phoenix as a pet. It felt pretentious, on one hoof. A phoenix was no pet for a pony, they would far outlast any normal one. If any race could pretend to be able to afford keeping one as such, it was dragons and them alone. But for her? She would outlast her subjects too. And yet that was the problem, she felt. It underscored her distance. It furthered pieces of her image she did not want to push towards.

She held no ill will to Philomena for it. Quite the contrary, she was fond of the bird. The way an owner is deeply fond of a pet, and only able to forge such a bond with a creature she would not outlast the way she'd outlast any other pet ponies would keep as such. In that, yes, she was fundamentally different. She could not pretend it was not the case, nor was she interested in doing so anymore. Without her throne to stand on top of, her relationship with the phoenix was more comedic than distancing. Yet, it was nice.

Comments

[Speckle]

Philomena!

[Saix]

Philomena!