Eventide Falls

by errant

Chapter 3

The silence that fell following the pronouncement was a palpable weight, clamping shut jaws and forcing anything but astonishment from mind. Then, as one accord, five mares found their voices and began trying desperately to be heard above the others. The cacophony died as quickly as it began, halted by the sudden movement of Princess Celestia rising to her full stature. The aurora of her mane framed eyes gone hard with barely-constrained emotion, the flaring of her wings betraying her intense agitation. Amidst the empty vastness of her throne room, her voice carried barely past the bottom of the dais she now descended. Drawing upon a millennium of experience in patience and self-control, the regal winged unicorn faced the harbinger of this news, pushing the conflicting emotions of fear and heartache aside. Sparing a glance for her companions, her heart constricted at the sight of forlorn grief warring with fierce denial that painted every face as they looked to her, their monarch. Turning to regard her guardsman, she finally found her voice. “What is the meaning of this?” she demanded. “Twilight Sparkle was left safely at the library in Ponyville. What harm could have befallen her?”

Still cringing, the unfortunate herald recounted the rest of her message in a hurried rush, as if desperate to get it out. “There was an explosion at the library, and a fire, your Majesty. The entire place is nothing but a pile of cinders and ash. She was inside when it happened. The whole place has been searched by the Royal Guard and there’s no sign that she survived.”
As Princess Celestia drew breath to speak, she was preempted again by outcry from Twilight’s beloved friends.

“Whadya mean, an ‘explosion’?”

“I thought the library was supposed to be protected against fire, how could this have happened?”

“‘No sign that she survived’? Didn’t you find her body?”

“No, not Twilight! It can’t be; she would have used her magic to save herself!”

With gentleness she did not really feel, she spread her wings over her young subjects in a comforting gesture, and as they fell silent at the touch, she affixed her gaze on the messenger. “Order the royal processional made ready. I am going to Ponyville at once.” she ordered; then, catching the eye of Twilight’s friends, added “And you are all coming with me, of course.”

Five heads nodded in assent, and five ponies followed Princess Celestia as she strode away from her throne, and the royal guardsman rose and retreated back down the length of the audience hall.
Through the palace, the five mares accompanied Princess Celestia closely, blind to the splendor of the vaulted ceilings, gold inlay and priceless ornamentation that would normally have awed them. Silent glances were exchanged as they instinctively drew close together for comfort.

Finally they emerged from the confines of the palace proper into the royal garden, where the Princess’ chariot and escort were waiting, golden armor glinting in the sun. With no discussion Celestia seated herself, with her companions filing in behind her. At a gesture, her processional and escort rose into the air with an ease born of long practice, before angling up to a safe cruising height and heading for Ponyville, just barely visible in the distance. Leaning her head closer to that of her young companions, Celestia again mantled them with her wings, wishing she could do more to ease the terrible, gnawing fear that had taken hold of all of them.

It was the normally carefree Pinkie Pie who first looked up at Celestia, and the winged unicorn was startled to see the marks of tears in those jovial eyes as she asked in a painfully subdued voice, “Princess, it can’t be true, can it? Twilight can’t really be . . . be . . .” , her voice breaking over the word she couldn’t bring herself to voice, as if saying aloud would make it reality.
“I truly don’t know, girls,” she said, encompassing them all in her look, “and we won’t know until we have a chance to find out first hand. However, I promise you this; no matter what happens, you will all be alright.”

After this exchange, the ponies settled down to wait as patiently as they could until they could see the truth with their own eyes. Rainbow Dash gazed into the blue sky filled with pristine clouds, wishing with all her heart that she could take wing back home and glide down for a landing on the balcony of the library. She longed for the certainty of seeing her friend again.

I just want Twilight to be alright. Please. . .

This sort of introspective reverie held all of them captive during the short yet seemingly endless journey; it was Rainbow Dash’s cry of dismay that drew the mares’ attention into the distance. They all stared in silent horror, for the familiar sight of home was marred by the stark destruction that marked the former location of the library, and Twilight’s home. As they drew nearer their vision became clear enough to discern the charred, faintly smoldering wreckage that littered the ground; the enormous tree that had housed Twilight’s residence stood no more, fallen victim to a truly enormous blaze. As Celestia’s entourage came in to land nearby, they caught sight of figures in glinting gold armor wandering the area.

Once they came securely to a halt, the Princess strode without hesitation to the scene of the inferno, the other five ponies following and her escort of guards discreetly fanning out. As she drew near, a gold armored figure detached itself from the rest and moved swiftly to present himself to the Princess, dropping to a respectful bow as he did so. Celestia came to a halt, and regarded him with a cool demeanor. “I assume that you are in charge of investigating this tragedy?” she inquired. At his affirmation, she continued. “Report what you have found.”

“Your Majesty, several minutes after noon today there was a large explosion in the library here in Ponyville. This explosion was seen by many residents. Following that there was a fire that rapidly engulfed the tree within which the library was constructed. The locals attempted to extinguish the fire, but it was too dangerous and wild. The structure itself burned to the ground. The remains have been extensively searched, sifted by hoof, and we have found no trace of your student, the unicorn Twilight Sparkle. The residents have been interviewed and none said that had seen her at any time today outside the library. We fear that she perished in the blaze, and the heat destroyed any remains.”

Her expression growing ever more troubled, Celestia knew that she had to exhaust every possibility before accepting such a conclusion. “My student was perfectly capable of teleporting herself. It is possible that she did so to save her life and is now laying somewhere, too wounded or weak to call for aid. And what of Spike? Can he tell us nothing, or is he presumed dead as well?”

“Spike is indeed living, but he is comatose in Ponyville Urgent Care. And as for her teleporting herself, we foresaw that possibility. Members of the Royal Guard and local residents have scoured every inch of the town, and pegasus ponies have scouted the surrounding areas for miles, including into the Everfree Forest. No trace of her was found.”

The stark finality of it all was the last straw Celestia could bear. She turned away to face Twilight’s friends,

No, my friends as well. They are as dear to Twilight as she herself is to me.

and the anguished sorrow she saw reflected back at her mirrored her own. Not bothering to conceal the tears that now marred the side of her face, she knelt to bring herself to the others’ level as they pressed around her. For a moment they stood thus, ruler and subjects, a study in sorrow. She wanted nothing more than to stay here and give vent to her pain in company with those who understood, but she knew she had duties elsewhere. Nonetheless, it was painful for her to stand again and look down on five heartbroken mares who she wanted very much to comfort. At their looks of puzzlement, she said “Girls, I hope you can forgive me for this, but I cannot stay here. I must return to Canterlot at once. Twilight’s parents must be informed of this and they will surely have questions. As their daughter was my personal student, I cannot leave this up to another.”

It was Rarity who responded, her voice uncharacteristically hoarse from silent sobbing. “Of course we understand, Princess. Don’t we, girls?” At the subdued nods and agreements, Celestia again spoke, cursing the cruel turn of fate that had brought them here. “Thank you so much. All of you, I know this is terribly painful. Don’t lose hope; you have each other, and without a body there is still a chance we could get her back. Don’t fall into despair. Keep each other strong. I promise I’ll return as soon as I can.”

With that, Princess Celestia returned with her escort to her chariot and, in short order, was away, leaving five stricken mares to mourn and to hope.

Comments

[DreZoma]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooo

We're only 3 chapters in, damn it!

[zzzena]

no remains hmm?
i'm getting a vibe that twilight isn't really dead.......

[Mane-iac]

And what of Spike? Can he tell us nothing, or is he presumed dead as well?”

“Spike is indeed living, but he is comatose in Ponyville Urgent Care.

Don'cha think you should've included that in your initial summary, guard? Not that anyone appeared to give a shit. They got the news in Canterlot, traveled all the way to Ponyville with plenty of time for conversation, were concerned only for one of the library's two occupants, and upon learning that he was alive, not one of them was even slightly relieved. It's sickening that Spike's life is just an afterthought—a late afterthought—to every fucking character involved here.