The Deadly Silence

by BiniBean

Chapter Four: The Nightmare

Celestia stood in a room all to herself in Ponyville city hall, complete with a large window, allowing her to see the looming symbol of Nightmare Moon right above her. She turned to the mirror closest to her, she practiced smiles, something she had to do quite often as she had a public image to uphold after all. The public can't know how truly broken she was.

She fluttered her wings in irritation as her anxiety grew, the silence in the room wasn't helping. She needed a distraction, she needed to focus on one task at a time. She looked towards a nearby clock next, it was almost sunrise. So very close. She started pacing again, unsure of the next few hours of her life. Either Twilight would be able to save her sister or...or...

Celestia didn't want to think of any other conclusion. It wasn't helping anything.

Her ears perked in alarm at the sound of soft knocking coming from the entrance of the room.

"Come in." She called out. The door opened with the help of her guard's uniform magic as Mayor Mare trotted in, looking just as nervous as Celestia was but for very different reasons. She bowed to the Alicorn as the door shut before she cleared her throat.

"Princess Celestia, it is a pleasure to have you here." Mayor Mare said, a familiar greeting to the one she got earlier when she first arrived in town but Celestia didn't comment. She nodded.

"It is a pleasure to be here, Mayor. I hope the celebrations weren't too last minute to prepare for. I apologize for not giving you more of notice before hoof, the choice was quite last minute as Nobels can't decide on anything as you know."

"Haha, yes," The Mayor agreed with a sympathetic smile. "No, the preparations went quite well! Especially with your student to help organize everything."

"How is Twilight doing?" Celestia inquired. Hoping for some good news relating to her, hopefully, new friendships. The bad signs began immediately when the Mayor stopped being able to look her in the eye and shifted on her hooves uncomfortably at the topic.

"Well, Princess...She..." The Mayor seemed to be trying to find a way to sugarcoat the words she was going to say, causing her to trail off.

"You can speak to me bluntly, you know. We are both leaders, you don't need to walk on the thin ground around me." Celestia assured her. "What's wrong with Twilight?"

Mayor Mare started to pace back and forth to hold her own irritation.

"Princess Celestia, I am sure you are a wonderful teacher. The fact you run a school for the most gifted unicorns in the land proves that you are, also the experience of having been alive for generations has made you a wonderful pony to teach others. So I am sure what I am about to say is no surprise as it is sort of obvious. Twilight Sparkle, is not welcoming to the idea of making friends. She seems to be actively avoiding it." The Mayor admitted with her ears falling flat. "What I don't understand is how a pony that is your personal student doesn't understand how important friendship is, especially since it is one of your core messages to running this country. Friendship and unity are what created this nation and Twilight seems to despise it."

Celestia was worried this was the case, she knew she couldn't change Twilight's whole outlook on life within a matter of hours, which is why she had been mentally kicking herself for not sending Twilight away sooner. Her whole plan might be falling apart before her eyes simply because Celestia couldn't let go.

"When you came to me five months ago and asked about those five ponies in this town, I thought you were interested in what made five ponies with such different interests and personalities connect for the sake of teaching that to others, and I will say what I said then, to you again, you can't simply teach somepony that in one classroom sitting, they have to go out and experience it themselves through life." The Mayor turned, finally looking her in the eyes but with suspicion and slight anger. "You sent your student to meet each and every one of them, you made them be the main sources she had to talk to. They all want to be her friend, which I am sure you are happy to hear. Why? I don't know, she is the most anti-social pony I have met in quite a long time. She has, of course, rejected them."

Celestia's ears fell back at the news. The Mayor took another step closer to the elder Alicorn, fired up with adrenaline as the questions she had over the whole situation were finally able to be asked.

"Princess, I know when somepony is being set up. As you said, we are both leaders. As leaders, we are very accustomed to having to do such a thing to get things done. You are up to something. This isn't just a matter of your student needing to make friends, which she certainly does to help her attitude, but it's also a plan. A plan that I don't know of. I know this due to, of course, Twilight herself even being here. But also your behaviour. Ever since you got in here, you have been in this room, pacing. You are worried about something bigger than your student."

Celestia gulped.

"What is going on?"

Celestia didn't know how to respond, she should tell the truth of the matter? Would it help anypony if she even did? She looked towards the clock, three minutes to sunrise. It was too late for the Mayor to do anything anyway. Not enough time for her to even explain such a situation.

"Three minutes to sunrise, Mayor. Don't you think now would be a good time to make an announcement?"

The Mayor looked to the clock, she gritted her teeth, unsatisfied but nodded in the knowledge they had a duty to uphold. Celestia gave her a sad smile as the room became unsettling silence between them grew and the world outside. Luna. Nightmare Moon. She was coming. Celestia knew in her soul she was coming home.

The Mayor walked towards the door and began to open it before she paused and gave a glance back to Celestia.

"We will discuss this after sunrise, your highness?"

"Of course." Celestia nodded. The Mayor nodded back, partially satisfied, at least a little, and shut the door behind her as Celestia stood alone. Celestia didn't move as two minutes quickly passed. As the light in the room dimmed and died within a few seconds.

She could hear the faint sound of the Mayor's voice as the world stopped, the lights of the stars flashed and a unicorn symbol on the moon disappeared.

"In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise, and celebrate this, the longest day of the year! And now, it is my great honour to introduce to you the ruler of our land, the very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day, the good, the wise, the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria..."

Celestia slightly smiled as felt herself falling to the ground as an attack came from all directions. Soon she could see and feel nothing but darkness consume her soul with a familiar cackle of Nightmare Moon she had heard only in her nightmare for the past ten generations.

-The End-

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

AN: First story I have been able to write in 8 to 9 months, whoo!

What caused the delay?

[BiniBean]

11402570
I got a D in college English and it killed my writing ability when I started questioning my writing skills. It was a quite bad time.