Fallen Queendom

by Zeroraid

9

The trio waited a day before moving on. The mares more or less did it to give Gentle the time he needed to adjust to his new limbs; and given the small, bemused smiles and snickers they were letting out they enjoyed the sight of him tripping over his own hooves like a foal.

His response was to stick his tongue out at them. Still when the new dawn came the trio headed out. Leaving the castle to step into Canterlot City.

For Sunset, she had this look of resigned nostalgia on her face. Looking at the city she had grown up in as a filly only to find it reduced to “this”. Ruins. Streets she had once walked down, shops she had once visited, they were all ruins. Broken and haphazardly bandaged together like a toilet paper mummy costume. She sighed, taking a minute to adjust her cloak and hide face under her hood.

“Sunset.” Pale Arts looked at her, her attention turning away from fresh ruins as she caught a glimpse of her grief before her hood covered her eyes.

“I’m alright.” She told the older mare.

“No you're not.” Was her response. “It hurts to see your city like this.” Pale Arts muttered. “To see the city you grew up in, reduced to such a state.” Gentle took a minute to rest his hoof on Sunset’s back, seeming to agree.

“How would you know?” Sunset muttered, looking at the elder mare and seemed to frown.

“I too lost the city I grew up in. The city I ruled, where I sought to raise my child.” Sunset’s frown disappeared as it became one of surprise and regret.

“I’m sorry.” She muttered. “I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s quite fine.” Pale admitted. “It was a long time ago, and though the wound has left a scar, it has faded in time.” She stated with a sigh. “That is what scars do. They will fade but they will never go away.” She shook her head. “But enough about that.” She turned back to Sunset. “This city is in shambles, but there is still life in it.” She stated. “Is there anyone you wish to check in on before we depart?”

Sunset went silent, seeming to think for a while as her counterparts stared at her. Eventually she shook her head. She didn’t have anyone in Canterlot City, there was no one here that she loved, no one here that she could check up on to see if they were alright after whatever happened here. “The only family I had… is long dead.” Sunset whispered as Pale Arts gave her an apologetic look and nodded.

“I see.” She muttered. “Shall we visit the cemetery then?” Pale Arts asked. “So you may have a moment with them?” Sunset actually looked grateful at the words; though was a bit surprised that the elder mare was willing to take a moment to let her have that. “We’re in no rush.” Was all Pale Arts said as if that would explain everything.

And it did; they weren’t in a rush to get somewhere. They didn’t even have a real destination to be honest. So wherever they wanted to go, they would reach it when they did.

“Thank you.”

---

???

“Ah~” The Queen sighed in relief as she settled down in a lake, taking a moment to let the water dance around her as she started to hum. “It feels so good to have a bath after so long. She muttered as she began to wash herself. “I can just feel the dirt and grime washing away.” She mused as she dipped into the water for a moment and seemed to take in her surroundings.

Nothing but nature surrounded her. Trees and shrubs, grass and birds. Nature was as beautiful as she remembered it. “But still, there is something wrong about it.” The Queen grumbled as she started washing her mane.

There was something wrong with the world, and looking at the clear sky she saw exactly what it was.

Control.

The world was controlled. Clouds and rain came when they were told to, and everything, from the plants to the fruit they bore, and the changing of the season was all set on a schedule. Nothing was spontaneous, nothing was left to chance. Nothing was as it should be.

“The arrogance of equus is thinking nature must be in their control... and not the other way around."

Said a great stallion once knew, and it was something she agreed with them on.

The illusion of control as he called it.

It was something the Tribes developed after they learned that they could move the clouds and even rearrange the stars. They began to change the world to suit their desires, but nature isn’t meant to bend to the wills of mortal beings.

Nature isn’t some toy to be played with and abused. You may cut its trees down and build cities across its soil, but in the end it will crush everything one has built; homes, cities, lives…

And it can do so without mercy or a second thought.

“And Celestia dear, with what you’ve done.” The Queen began as she closed her eyes and took the time to finish her wash. “I’m going to tear your illusion down.” The forest grew still and the wildlife started to scurry away, fearful of what had suddenly overtaken the area. The Queen took a breath as she calmed herself and stepped out of the water letting the water fall from her coat before it suddenly disappeared. “And I will not do so alone.” The figure muttered as she saw one of those who now served her walk up to her. “Mercenary.”

“Enjoy your bath?” The merc asked as she stepped up to the entity.

“Yes actually.” The Allmother admitted as she braided her mane. “I miss bathing, I haven’t done so in quite a while.”

“I bet.” The mare admitted as she smiled. “So~ are you really; You know her?”

The Queen took a minute to raise an eyebrow, humor on her face as she did so. “Who exactly do you think I am?”

“You know… her.” The mare tapped a hoof on the ground.

“You mean the spirit of the world itself, true mother of all who reside upon her soil? You ask if I am Gaea?” The Allmother giggled slightly.

“Yeah.”

“I am.” The Allmother - Gaea confessed. “And I am not.”

“What does that mean?”

“I am Gaea, but I am… ‘here’ as you put it.” She tapped a hoof on the soi. “What you see, what you speak with is my Avatar. A manifestation I created so that I may interact with my children.”

“Really?” The mare asked curiously. “So~ is that how it works? You spirits make avatars to walk amongst us?”

“It is.” Gaea stated with a nod.

“So~ if you're an avatar… if your ‘body’ is destroyed~” The mare leaned to the side looking the entity over. “What happens to you; like, you, you?”

“Nothing.” Gaea shrugged. “My true self is here.” She tapped the soil again. “And I can make a new Avatar body anyday.” She confessed.

“What about your mind?” The mercenary asked as Gaea seemed to smirk.

“My mind still exists of course, it simply returns to my true body if my Avatar is destroyed.” Her smirk twisted into a frown. “But… if I am sealed… away.” She seemed to narrow her eyes. “My mind will be sealed in the Avatar I reside in.”

“That’s how Celestia defeated you last time.” It wasn’t a question and Gaea simply nodded her head, having no shame in admitting her loss. “She can’t permanently kill you but she can seal your consciousness away.”

“Yes.” Gaea muttered. “It is how she created this world.” She took a breath as she looked at the sky. “She sealed my kin away, and everything was thrown off balance…” She shook her head. “Earth and sky, sun and moon, they are not meant to be controlled by mortals.”

“Why not?”

“Would you drink poison?” She asked with such indifference that it seemed like a normal question. “Drinking it is possible, but it kills you from within.” She looked at the mare. “That is what it means to take a Spirit’s power, it is possible, but in the end it will kill you.”

“Oh…” The merc muttered as she seemed to think. “That makes sense actually, I remember old stories about how five unicorns were pretty much offered to raise the sun and moon a day. They all lost their magic and of course their lives… well all except for Starswirl for some reason…” The mare muttered. “But what about Celestia, she’s been raising both sun and moon for centuries now. How can she…”

“A good question.” Gaea muttered. “And one I can not answer.” She shook her head. “Not at the moment anyway.” The two fell silent as the entity seemed to think, before the mercenary attention turned to Gaea.

“Hey, I got one more question.”

“Ask away.” The entity stated.

“Why are you so willing to answer my questions?”

“How do you expect to learn otherwise?”

---

Canterlot Cemetery

“So yeah, I was a bit of a bitch in the otherworld.” The Sunset stated as she stared at the tombstone and released a weak chuckle. “But… then the world ended, and I saw I just ended up pushing everyone away from me.” She muttered. “So I wound up alone, and it was by my own hands… hooves. Ugh it's gonna be hard getting used to pony-centered words again sis.” The mare released a humored smile as she stared at her hooves. “I’m gonna miss hands.” She muttered. “But I still miss you more.”

Looking on Pale Arts and Gentle simply stayed silent, staying back so Sunset could have her moment with someone she had lost.

Gentle looked at Pale and gave her this grateful smile.

“You don’t need to thank me for this.” The mare stated. “I simply do as I believe to be right.”

“Still.” Gentle croaked out. “Thank you.” The stallion got a hoof to rest on his head as Pale patted it.

“Save your words for one who deserves them.” Gentle just tilted his head curiously as Pale seemed to drift away for a moment. “I know I don’t.” Gentle returned the head pat as best he could, though given the height difference he could only pat the mare’s limb as she gave him a sad smile.

Sunset walked back to them, oddly relieved by the fact she could speak with her lost family even if it was for a moment. She looked at the pair and took a breath.

“So, where are we going?” Pale Arts simply pulled a map out of her bag.

“Where do you want to go?”

Comments

[CrimsonS4ge]

An interesting premise. I like the pacing so far. Interested to see where it goes from here.