Cale was just a normal guy. Mid twenties, decent job, his own place. Nothing special. But one morning he vanished, only to wake up in the mystical world of Equestria. Meeting Celestia, he'll find that his life will never be the same again.
Cale was just a normal guy. Mid twenties, decent job, his own place. Nothing special. But one morning he vanished, only to wake up in the mystical world of Equestria. Meeting this world's ruler - a pony by the name Celestia - he'll find that his life will never be the same again.
A special thanks to my good friend KiltedKey for editing!
Cale had never been the type of person to shy away from his responsibilities. Oh, no. He was the very definition of responsible: He never called in sick to work; he was never one to shy away from family or friends. But today, something just didn't feel right.
Sure, his alarm went off at the same time as it did every morning - right at 6:00 A.M. - and he gingerly reached out of bed to silence his phone, much like he did many mornings. The only difference with this morning, as opposed to all the rest? Every time he closed his eyes, all he could think about was this other world.
This crazy place with talking horses, magic, and splendor. This 'other world' he had somehow created in his head had been the focus of most of his attention for the past week.
It started out simple enough: A few daydreams here and there, and maybe some doodles while he was watching TV. But last night was the first time this other world had consumed every fiber of his very being. And the strangest thing about it? He had felt, just for a moment, as if this place was real.
With a grunt, he rolled out of bed and sleepily walked to his bathroom, flipping the light switch groggily. He stifled a yawn as he did so. Today was going to be a long day.
When he looked in the mirror, he saw what he always saw in the morning. His tall, slightly tanned self in nothing but his pajama pants. His ruffled, medium length brown hair, and olive green eyes. He wasn't particularly fit - having some extra weight around his midsection - but he was far from fat. All in all, even with the shade of stubble gracing his cheeks and neck, he just looked like an average twenty-something.
That was, of course, until he noticed that he was starting to turn transparent.
At first, he thought it was just from a lack of sleep, but upon a closer inspection... yeah, sure enough, he was. He could see right through his chest to the closed shower behind him. "The hell?"
He took a step back and looked down to his hands, panic starting to register in his brain as he began to rapidly fade right in front of his own eyes. With a defeated look, he moved his eyes back up to the mirror for one last glance. Fear etched solid lines of tension across his face, his voice frozen in his throat.
Then, just like that, the apartment was empty. All that could be heard was the snooze from his phone's alarm going off once again.
Celestia blearily blinked awake, looking around her darkened chamber with a light sigh of defeat. Once again it seemed that sleep had evaded her for most of the night, and what little sleep she had gotten was plagued with nightmares. There was some... creature haunting her. It was scared and alone. It was in a place it had never been before.
She made a mental note to speak with her sister about these dreams sooner rather than later. If she continued getting as little sleep as she had been getting recently, then she was bound to start making some errors in judgement when it came to her rule. Princess she may be, she never claimed to be infallible. She had plenty of experience from all her years to help guide her, but when fatigue settled in, all of that knowledge and calm started to fail her.
Pushing herself out of her strange chain of thought, she lumbered out of her massive bed and made her way to the open balcony by her chambers. As always, Luna stood there overlooking the kingdom as Celestia stepped into the brisk, morning air.
Luna glanced at Celestia. “Sister, you are awake; did you sleep well last night?”
She arched an eyebrow, peering at Celestia once again as Celestia stood beside Luna in the waning light of the moon. Already Celestia’s magic was taking hold, and the barest hint of daybreak over the horizon made itself known. "Although on second glance... you don't look all that well," Luna said. "Is something tormenting you? A bad dream?"
With a roll of her eyes Celestia focused on the task at hoof, her elongated horn glowing with a golden aura as the sun slowly made its way into the sky. “I should have known that you would have known about that.” Sparing the smallest of glances to her sister, Celestia whispered softly, “do you know what it is that is causing these nightmares?” She tried to convey the small glimmer of hope in her voice.
Luna shook her muzzle, her dark eyes staring into the rising sun. After a moment’s thought, however, she sighed. “I am not entirely certain of your plight. I have never before seen in such a creature as what follows you in your dreams.”
Celestia sighed in return, finishing her morning ritual, the sun now set in its path for the day. She turned toward her sister once the sun was moving across the sky, giving Luna her full attention. “Luna...this troubles me. I feel as if these dreams are pointing towards something important. They feel almost...prophetic. The last time dreams caused me to lose so much sleep was when you were returning as Nightmare Moon. It was then the Elements of Harmony came to me in my dreams.” She shook her head. “While I doubt this means anything quite so dangerous... it still worries me.”
Luna shook her head once again, turning her muzzle to look into Celestia's eyes. She looked away sadly soon afterwards. “Sister... ’Tia. I... I wish I knew what to tell you. But I can't. I'm sorry.”
With an apologetic nod, Luna took wing, flying off of the balcony into the dawn sky. Celestia watched Luna go, her thoughts occupied on the reoccurring dreams from the past nights. They wouldn't go away.
“Luna…” Celestia shook her head and turned back to her bedchambers. She had a long day ahead of her, and she needed to compose herself beforehoof.
Cale took a deep breath and looked around for what felt like the hundredth time since he woke up in the strange forest he currently found himself. “Okay. So I see myself disappear in my apartment, then I come to in the middle of nowhere. Weird forest, weird noises. This has got to be a bad dream.”
He had been walking for the better part of an hour, and was reaching a point where he felt he needed to rest. The canopy of the dense forest rose high above him, and all he could see in any direction was more trees. There didn’t seem to be an end in sight. One thing he could be thankful for, if nothing else, was the fact that the ground was lushly coated with grass. His feet were spared from the bite of the rough earth and undergrowth underneath him.
Having been transported to this weird... place with nothing on but his pajama bottoms certainly wasn’t ideal, but he was coping the best he could. It could be worse.
He just wasn’t sure if this was real or not. After he had woken up in the forest he had gone through the basic procedures to see if he was dreaming: Pinching himself, trying to fly, etc. But nothing proved to bear any fruit. So he just started to walk.
Hunger was starting to get the best of him, though. He didn’t have time to eat breakfast before this happened. He hadn’t been able to do much of anything, truth be told, and he was still tired from his lack of sleep. The forest was proving to be more difficult to navigate than he’d originally thought as well.
“That’s it, I’m through.” Throwing his hands up in defeat he plopped down on his rump, leaning back against the nearest tree. “There’s got to be something here. Something to let me know where I am.” But as he looked around he was once again reminded that there wasn’t anything he could immediately recognize.
He wasn’t a botanist by any stretch of the imagination, so the fact that the plant life all seemed foreign to him didn’t really register. The biggest thing that took him aback was the weather. It was warm here. Almost to the point of being downright hot. And the humidity was rather high too. That didn't make any sense. It was the middle of winter where he lived.
“So I’m either on the other side of the globe, or I’m losing my mind. Not like either of those really make much sense,” he grumbled.
Not really knowing what else to do, he continued to sit where he was, arms crossed over his chest. With a resigned sigh he closed his eyes After a couple of minutes he started to drift off.
That’s when he heard the roar.
Celestia had just taken to the small throne she used in the conference hall when a sharp chill shot down her spine. It was so intense that her eyes shut themselves to fight off the insane fear that had gripped her. She barely heard the guard to her left as she spoke.
“...Princess? Princess is everything alright?”
With a shake of her head she opened her eyes and looked over to the clearly nervous pony. A tightly forced smile pulled across Celestia's lips. “I’m fine, Star Chaser.” Her voice held a small tremble, and it took everything she had just to compose herself. “You may show in my first appointment.”
Star Chaser nodded and trotted towards the large double doors. She had just about reached them when she heard a loud gasp. She turned around and crouched down into a defensive position out of instinct, her amber eyes scanning the hall.
But the one thing she expected to see was no longer there.
Celestia’s throne was vacant.
All Cale could do was run. Run and run and run.
His breathing was hard and shallow, his heart beating roughly against his chest. The sounds of pursuit followed close on his heels. “The hell is that thing?!” he screamed to no one but himself.
When he had opened his eyes only moments before he had found himself face-to-face with one of the biggest creatures he had ever experienced. It had the head and body of a lion, bat like wings, and a scorpion tail of all things! What else was he supposed to do but get up and flee for his life?
He had narrowly managed to jump out of the way of the beast's tail again, but his foot caught on a tree root, causing him to tumble to the ground with a grunt of pain. He barely managed to turn over in time to see the monster leap at him.
With wide eyes he watched, as if in slow motion, the end of his life drawing close. That was when the sun exploded behind him.
The intense light flung the creature away as if it were made of paper mache, and Cale could only close his eyes to the brilliance that seemed to engulf him. Finally the light seemed to die down, and the human slowly opened his eyes.
His breath exhaled all at once and, fearfully, he looked up at this new creature standing above him. It was a white horse with gold adornments, large wings, a horn, and a flowing, ethereal mane and tail of prismatic colors.
This... mystical creature was staring down at him with the same, confused expression he suddenly found himself wearing. They stared at one another for a few long moments before it did something he did not expect.
It opened it’s mouth and asked, in a very feminine yet powerful voice, “what... and who, are you?”
Celestia stared down at the strange creature at her hooves, her mind furiously working over all the information she had gathered over her lifetime. She had never seen anything like him before. All he did was just lay there, staring up at her like she had just grown a second head.
“I’ll ask you again: Who are you?” she said more firmly.
His mouth moved as if he was about to say something, but all that came out was a strangled gasp.
This was the creature she had been seeing in her dreams. He was the one that had been consuming most of her thoughts for the past week. And now that he was here before her, she was having a hard time thinking what to do.
His countenance took on a more level-headed appearance as he shook his head, scooting back away from her. “I...I’m Cale,” he whispered, sitting up into a more comfortable position. He was fairly sure at this point that she wasn’t going to hurt him. At least... not yet. He didn’t have a clear grasp of what he was staring up at, but whatever she was, she was powerful.
A shiver ran down his body, his arms crossing over his chest. It wasn’t a defensive movement, as he more or less was hunkered down in front of her. From what she could tell, he was terrified. He had every right to be, considering the close encounter with the Manticore he just had.
Celestia took a less domineering position. She wasn't going to get more out of him at the moment. Sitting back on her haunches in front of him, she gave Cale a soft smile. Though that didn’t bring about a big change, it was enough to give her hope.
“Cale,” she mused, keeping her eyes on him. “It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Pr... Celestia.” With a tilt of her head, she asked, “do you know where you are?”
He shook his head. While he still looked frightened, he wasn’t in the panicked mode he had been in just moments before. “You’re in the Everfree Forest," she continued. "And this,” she gestured with a hoof, “is Equestria. My home.”
His brow furrowed, Cale settling forward a bit more as his hands dropped to his lap. “Everfree Forest?" he asked. "Equestria?”
Cale's mind was positively racing. He’d never heard of either of those places. He opened his mouth as if to say something else, before his eyes widened in sudden understanding. “Wait! I...I’ve dreamt of this place.”
His olive orbs cast around as if he was truly seeing his surroundings for the first time. “I thought I was just dreaming... does that mean…?” He looked back up to her. “Was that magic you just used? To save me, I mean.”
A genuine smile crept along Celestia's lips. She nodded “It was.”
She was still confused by his appearance, and yet... she was beginning to have a clearer grasp of the picture. It was obvious that he was a stranger not only to the Everfree, but to Equestria itself.
“What do you mean you’ve dreamt of here?” she asked, tilting her muzzle.
He looked back up to her and furrowed his brow. This couldn’t be happening. It was impossible! This had to be a dream. There was simply no other explanation for it. Either that, or he really was losing his mind.
A smirk toyed at the corner of his lips. He could practically see himself strapped to a bed in a mental hospital, whispering about magical horses. He half believed he was crazy, himself!
Deciding to see for himself just how far this rather lucid dream was willing to take him, he ignored her question and reached up with his right hand. It was a slow gesture, but he eventually leaned forward and up enough to gently lay his open palm against her cheek. Another shiver ran through his body, but this time, not from fear.
Celestia’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, but she allowed him to do just as he planned, feeling his shiver match the one going down her own body. Her wings twitched, causing him to draw himself back defensively.
“Right," Cale said. "So I’m either having a more vivid dream than I’ve ever had before, or this is real.” He shook his head and stood up, brushing himself off as he did so. It was probably best just to go along with the ride for now. For his own sanity, if nothing else.
Celestia stood up with him. While she didn’t overtake his size by much, she was easily larger than he, standing at almost a full head higher. “I can promise you that this isn’t a dream.” She took a step forward toward him. “You never answered me: By what did you mean that you’ve dreamt of Equestria?”
She was a lot closer to him than he would have liked at the moment, but somehow her presence had a calming effect. He shook his head to wipe away the negativity of his thoughts, keeping his eyes locked onto Celestia's own.
“Just what I said," Cale stated. "I started dreaming of magic horses, and flying horses, and... regular horses about a week ago. I-” He stopped short, seeing her eyes widen and her nostrils flare. “Wait… Was it something I said? You look like you’ve seen a ghost or something.”
Celestia composed herself quickly, her famous, serene smile encompassing her features once again. “It was, actually.” She leaned down and met his eyes with her own on a more even setting. “Though you have a couple of things misconstrued. First, we’re ponies; not horses. And secondly, you weren’t dreaming. You were catching glimpses of our world.”
Luna rolled onto her other side, letting out a weak sigh. She couldn’t help but feel worried for her sister. While she was more than accustomed to Celestia’s nervous worrying, she was starting to get the feeling that this was something else entirely. The dreams alone...
Luna shivered despite the warm comforter on her, opening her eyes to look around her room. The faintly glowing star patterns painted above her bed gave her little comfort. “Dearest sister... what is it that haunts you so?”
She couldn't sit idle. She had to investigate.
Luna slid out of her bed, moving toward the door in her chambers. There was much she missed in her thousand year exile, and if there was any pony in the world that could provide her answers, it would be her. Luna took one last look around her room before exiting, her goal set in her mind.
It appeared that she would not be getting any rest this day either.
Cale blinked, never once taking his gaze away from the large... pony in front of him. “Okay, so let me get this straight: I’m in Equestria. There are talking ponies here who can fly and use magic.” At Celestia’s nod he let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “Phew... alright. That’s a lot to take in.”
Celestia nodded patiently, giving Gale more breathing room. The fact that he had been having similar dreams as she was enough to give her pause. If he was here, then there had to be a purpose of some sort. She just wasn’t sure what it was just yet.
However, she did know that telling him about her own dreams would not be a wise choice. At least... not yet.
Cale broke his eye contact with Celestia, leaning back to reach his hand up to run it through his hair. “Wait a second...”
He looked her over again, taking note of her body more thoroughly. “You’re not like the ponies I saw in my dreams. They looked a bit... smaller than you. And they had either a horn or wings. Not both. Like you.” He kept looking at her, as if he was expecting her to correct him. “Why are you different?”
Celestia thought about her reply. Was there a point in lying to him anymore? “That’s because I’m an alicorn. I’m of royal descent, and am currently one of four princesses of this land.” Seeing his eyebrows climb made her chuckle in a rather musical manner.
“For now, I believe that is enough," she chuckled. "I believe I have left my duties alone for long enough, and you look like you could use some rest. Come.”
She flared her wings and motioned for him to come closer. “Let us return to the palace. More answers will come in due time.”
He watched her, uncertainty playing across his face. Deciding that this ‘palace’ of her’s was probably - or certainly - better than the forest, he nodded his head.
It only took him a couple of steps to reach her side. As if reading his thoughts, Celestia smiled and said, “I can take us from here with my magic. It’s just a simple teleportation spell, so don’t be alarmed.”
Before he could respond, they winked out of the forest in a flash of golden light.
Luna stood before the library in Ponyville, a stern expression settled firmly on her muzzle. If she was going to find out anything about what was going on, then this was the place to be. While she wasn’t exactly fond of dealing with the Elements of Harmony, sometimes there was no other way to achieve the goals she had set in mind.
With a stirring of pride she reached a hoof up to rap lightly on the wooden door before her. She didn’t have to wait long before it was opened, a small, young dragon looking up to her with wide eyes.
“Uh... wow.” Spike's eyes blinked rapidly. He quickly bowed afterwards, regaining his senses. “Pr-Princess Luna!”
He stood up just as quickly as he had bowed, moving to the side of the door frame to let Luna inside. “We-welcome to Ponyville Library. Are you looking for Twilight?”
Luna nodded gently, watching Spike run off and nearly trip over himself to find Twilight. She followed him, closing the door behind her with a gentle thrum of magic. As quickly as Spike was gone, Twilight Sparkle stepped out from behind a rather perilous looking tower of books.
“Princess Luna!" she said, "What a pleasant surprise!” Much to Luna chagrin, Twilight was grinning from ear to ear, and looked positively delighted to see her. Twilight gave a bow, her wings spreading graciously.
Before Luna could hope to get a word in, Twilight instantly started in on her. “It’s always such a fantastic surprise to see you.” She stood up just as quickly as she had bowed, her eyes sparkling. “Are you here for a book? I can’t imagine what you would hope to find here that you don’t already know! But if you love studying as much as I do, then I have all kinds of suggestions!”
Luna shook her head. She was always taken aback by Twilight's exuberance. “I am afraid not, Twilight Sparkle. The matter for which I am visiting you is one that settles heavily on my mind.”
Twilight’s grin faded, her eyes widening in surprise. Luna could not keep herself from studying those eyes every time she saw Twilight.
Those eyes, wide and glowing in that ephemeral light. Banishing the Nightmare from her body. It was a memory she was both grateful for, and frightened of.
Pushing aside those thoughts, Luna pressed forward. “It is a matter with my sister. Over the past week she has been kept awake at night by lucid, frightening dreams. One would think I could hold them at bay and alleviate some of her discomfort. Unfortunately, I... have not succeed. That is why I am here to see you, Twilight Sparkle.”
Twilight’s brow furrowed as she brought a fore hoof up to her chin. “Princess, while I appreciate you thinking I could help, I’m not sure there’s much I can do. Like you said: Dreams are your realm. But..." She looked up at Luna, her smile quickly returning, “I would certainly be happy to give you as much help as I can!”
Twilight zipped over to her desk, back behind the tower of books. Luna followed curiously, only to find many sheafs of parchment spread over the desk, a quill levitating in Twilight's raspberry aura. A grin tugged at Luna’s lips. Twilight was ever the fastidious one.
“Right!" Twilight began, "okay. Princess: Tell me what you can while I take notes. After that, I’ll start cross-referencing what we both know with the literature I have at my disposal.”
Luna gave her first genuine smile of the morning. “Of course.”
She sat delicately next to the Twilight and began recounting all she knew about Celestia’s dreams. She was suddenly starting to feel that perhaps this wouldn’t be as bad a decisions as she originally felt...
Cale woke up with a start, his eyes darting around the large room he found himself in. “Where…? Oh... right.”
With a groan, he shook his head and sat upright. His eyes took in the room again: The large, four poster bed, the sun’s path painted across the ceiling, the varied multitude of what was surely incredibly valuable trinkets.
He hadn’t paid much attention to any of these details when he had first arrived. As it turned out, teleporting with a magical pony princess really wore one out. All he had done upon appearing in this room was passing out as soon as Celestia laid him in that massive bed with her magic.
Cale grunted as he made his way from the center of the bed, rolling off it to take his time to look around at his surroundings. “Sheesh. Guess she wasn’t kidding when she said ‘princess.’” He had to peel his eyes away from treasure after treasure to look outside.
The sun was setting, the sky turning a reddish-orange. “Oh great. I slept all day.” With a grumble he turned around and faced the door. “Wonder what else I missed?” He was just about to walk towards the door when it opened to reveal none other than Princess Celestia herself once again.
She smiled upon seeing him. “Wonderful, you’re awake. I was starting to wonder if you were going to sleep the day away. Not that I would have blamed you, of course, considering the journey you’ve had.”
He grumbled, crossing his arms. “Yeah, I slept fine and all. So, mind telling me where I am?”
Normally, Celestia wasn't a fan of someone speaking so gruffly with her; it usually would've have caused the Princess to bristle. Such insubordination simply was not usually heard of among her subjects. But she decided to let it pass by without comment. After all, he was far from home in a land he didn’t recognize, surrounded by beings he didn’t understand. A prickly attitude was only to be expected.
“Of course, my apologies," Celestia said in a bit more snide tone than she would've liked. "You’re in my bed chambers. I would have found you a room of your own, but you nearly collapsed from exhaustion the moment we finished teleporting. So I decided to let you sleep it off here. Does that bother you, Cale?”
While she had sounded delightful and showed no sign of hostility, the rebuke was still there.
Cale flinched when she spoke his name. He rubbed the back of his neck, shaking his head, “No. Thank you, Princess.”
Celestia’s smile broadened a bit. Good. He was smart enough to see what she had done there. She liked that. “Please, Celestia is enough when we’re alone.” After he nodded, she motioned around her room. “Tell me, what do you think? I hope it isn’t too much.”
Cale's eyes looked around at the room once again. He casually shrugged. “It’s a lot to take in. But...it’s nice. Beautiful, really.” He took a step towards her. “Why... why am I here? In Equestria, I mean.” He looked up to her with a hopeful glint in his eyes.
Celestia frowned. She knew he would ask this question soon. She just hadn’t expected it quite yet. With a dejected sigh, she looked away, a sad expression forming on her lips. “I wish I knew, Cale. Your reason for being here is as much as a mystery to me as it is to you.” She looked up and met his eyes, “I’m sorry.”
Cale sighed back, shaking his head. He waved away her apology. “It’s okay. I figured as much, anyway. So...what now?”
This was an question she was better prepared to answer. She smiled gently, “Considering you don’t necessarily have anywhere else to go at the moment, I have made arrangements for you to stay here at the palace. That is, of course, if that is what you wish. I hold no rein over you. Though I would very much like to get to know you. It’s not often I meet a creature that I have never seen before.”
Cale smirked and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, that’s fine. I’m a human, by the way.” He crossed his arms and arched a brow, “But before we get down to all of that, do you think I could get a bite to eat and some better clothes?”
Celestia blinked, stifling a laugh. “Of course. Follow me.” She turned and walked out the doorway, an equally amused Cale following in her hoof steps.
With a defeated groan Twilight slammed her head on her desk. Her mane was a mess, her tail frazzled, her wings disheveled, and her patience worn thin. “I can’t believe we can’t find anything!” She leaned back and threw up her fore legs. “There’s nothing in any of my books about the creature you’re talking about, or the types of dreams Celestia is having!”
Luna sighed and shook her head, “It does appear as if our path is blocked from this particular angle.” She turned her head, glancing out the window, noticing the setting sun. A hoof rose to rub her eyes as she failed to stifle a yawn.
“I am afraid that my time with you this day has come to an end," she said. "I must return to my duties.” She stood, letting her body give itself a small stretch to ease away the tension. “Until next time, Twilight Sparkle.”
Luna had turned away from Twilight, and was just about to start walking away when Twilight appeared in front of her in a purple flash of magic. “Luna... I’m sorry." Twilight bit her bottom lip. "I’ll keep trying to find something... anything. I’ll even head to Canterlot tomorrow and hit the Archives.” She reached a hoof up and gently touched Luna’s breastplate. “We’ll help her, I promise.”
Luna gave a weak smile before stepping around Twilight, walking out the door. All Twilight could see was the brief flash of teleportation as the Princess left.
Rarity had never been a pony to turn down a special invitation to Canterlot before. Especially if that special invitation was from Princess Celestia, of all ponies! Granted, the fact that it was marked ‘Urgent’ did cause the fashionista to lose a bit of her excitement. But not much.
Canterlot!
Rarity had simply been enjoying a nice evening alone, winding down the day with a nice cup of tea and the latest issue of her most favorite magazine! In all regards, she had put together a nice little evening for herself. Sweetie Belle was staying the night at Sweet Apple Acres, Rarity had just finished eating a Daisy Salad with Olive Oil (Light), and was hunkered down on her couch in the candlelight, reading.
That was when she heard the knock on the door. “Oh, bother, whoever could that be at this time of night?”
The last thing she had expected to see upon opening her door, however, was Princess Celestia’s personal carriage being pulled by two guards. One of which was holding out an envelope for her take. “Madam Rarity.” He nodded to her graciously.
Without missing a beat, though her eyes were still wide, she took the envelope in the light blue aura of her magic and gently opened it. Her eyes quickly skimmed the letter inside, then bulged more than they already had.
“Oh. My. Gosh.”
Dear Rarity,
I believe that I have need of your talents. I would greatly appreciate your immediate departure to Canterlot to assist me. Further details will provided upon your arrival. Please try to keep this as secretive as possible.
Respectfully,
Princess Celestia
Sworn to secrecy or not, Rarity still squealed with delight as she darted back inside to quickly gather up some things she thought she might need. She didn’t know how long her stay would be, so she packed for a couple nights, and she wasn’t sure what all she’d need, so she packed quite a bit of her material and sewing accessories...Celestia had said she needed her talents. What other talent did she have that royalty would need of?!
Many bags in magical tow, she made her way back out to the carriage, happily humming a little tune. She loaded up, climbed into the carriage, and sighed happily. She watched the final rays of the setting sun in awe as the pegasus guards took off and angled her towards Canterlot Palace.
Cale leaned back from the table and patted his stomach. “That. Was. Amazing.” He grinned happily and turned to look at the Princess, who was regarding him with a smile. After a moment he blinked and scratched at the back of his neck. “What?”
“You’re a curious sort, aren’t you?” As he lifted an eyebrow at her, she continued, “You did say that your species, humans, are omnivores, correct?” At his nod, “You certainly seemed to enjoy that roasted almond salad, then.”
With a chuckle he waved his hand, “Yeah, there might not have been any meat in it, but it was still really good.” He turned and looked at the gray Earth pony who had brought him his meal, giving her a smile.
Celestia stood and made her way over to the human, dismissing her staff as she did so. When she came to a stop a few feet from him, she leaned down to look over his body once again. “Perhaps now would be a good time to suggest a bath? Not that this pungent aroma you’re exuding isn’t lovely, of course.” She couldn’t help but let loose that silvery laugh once again as he blushed and nodded.
Celestia called in the same gray Earth mare that had served dinner, and told her to take Cale to the bathing quarters, and to have everyone treat him as they would a respected, foreign dignitary. When they had made their way out of the dining room, Celestia turned and made her way through the opposite door, looking around some as she did.
“Dearest sister, I had thought you had outgrown spying.”
That comment alone was enough to cause Luna to blush fiercely as she materialized in front of Celestia. “I just fear for you, sister.” She motioned towards the door Celestia had just came through, “I see you managed to find this creature of your dreams.”
Celestia nodded, “I have, yes. His name is Cale, and he’s a human. A rather interesting species, if I do say so myself. The more I learn about him and his race, the more curious I become.”
Luna noted the rather wistful sound of her sister’s voice, and tilted her head. “I saw the way you were speaking with him, sister. It was if you were a common pony conversing with another! I don’t even believe you speak with Twilight Sparkle with such abandon.”
With a tightly controlled blush, Celestia met her sister’s eyes. She was just about to say something when the sound of hoof steps caught her attention. The door behind her opened to reveal one of her personal guards. He bowed deeply, “Princess, we have returned from Ponyville with the Lady Rarity.”
Celestia smiled, “Very well, you are dismissed.” Once he had departed, she turned to her sister once again. “I’m afraid I must bid you farewell, dear sister. This night still promises much before sleep is finally granted.”
The solar diarch did lean forward to nuzzle her sister’s cheek affectionately, though. “Don’t worry about me, Lulu. I can handle myself perfectly fine, as you know.”
She pulled back with a wink before turning and heading off to meet her guest. Luna merely sighed as she watched her sister leave. “‘Tia, please be careful.” Luna turned and walked away as well, a somber expression on her muzzle as she returned to her duties.
Cale followed the mare through the palace as they headed for the bathing chambers. He had learned on the way that her name was Silver Star, and that she was very good company. Their idle conversation brought them to the bathing chambers in no time at all, and she gave him a small bow. “Enjoy your bath, sir. Is there anything else you require?”
With a roll of his eyes Cale shook his head, “Yeah, I ‘require’ you to stop treating me like royalty. Like I told you, I’m just a regular guy.” At her blush he simply chuckled. “Come on, keep me company. I wanna talk to you, anyway.”
Once again, poor Silver’s eyes widened. She had never before watched a stallion bathe before! And here this one was, odd though he is, was asking this of her! She complied, but made sure to look anywhere else as the ponies assigned to this duty prepared his bath. It only took a couple of minutes to prepare, and Cale stripped down graciously and sank into the large tub.
“Oh...oh...yeah…” He sighed loudly and Silver hazarded a glance his way. He had sunk up to his chin in the bath water, and there were enough suds to cover anything scandalous. Feeling a bit better about the situation, she moved closer to the tub and sat down on her haunches. Cale looked over to her.
“So...you said you wanted t-to speak with me?” Poor Cale couldn’t help himself. That little stammer, along with the blush she was currently sporting, was almost too much. He actually had to hold back his laugh. She noticed this, however, and puffed up defensively. “What?”
He was starting to strongly remind her of her brother back home. Goofy and playful, with a bit of a rebellious streak. When she turned her head and stuck up her nose, Cale let loose a gale of laughter, which caused him to lose his balance and sink up to his nose in the tub. That, of course, caused him to swallow some soapy water, which he immediately tried to cough up. This sent Silver to laughing, which just made him laugh again.
After a few minutes they both finally started to come down, both wiping tears from their eyes. “O-okay...now what did you want to talk to me about, you big goof?” Silver smiled warmly at Cale as he ran soapy water through his hair.
Cale merely shrugged before replying. “I wanted to ask you about Celestia. I know she’s royalty and all, but shouldn’t she be acting a little more cautious than this around me? I mean, here I am, some random guy from a species no one has ever heard of, and she’s inviting me to stay in the palace!” He threw up his arms for emphasis, accidentally splashing her as he did. “Sorry, Silver. I guess what I’m getting at is that she’s treating me like an old friend. I’ve seen a couple of the other members of royalty around here, and she doesn’t act anything like them. At least not when we’re alone, anyway.”
Silver furrowed her brow and scratched her chin with a hoof as she contemplated this. “I have noticed that she was acting differently around you. I thought it might have something to do with your own culture.” She looked at him and after he shook his head, she continued, “but I’m not sure. The only other pony I’ve seen her act like this around has been her own sister, Princess Luna. But even that is a rather rare occurrence.”
She gave him a small smile, “Sorry, Cale, but I just don’t know. Even to those of us that have worked at the palace our entire lives, Princess Celestia is an enigma. She’s a fair, wonderful ruler, but that’s all she is.”
Cale nodded and thought for a moment, “It’s okay, Silver.” He looked to her and smiled, “At least I’ve got a friend now, right? It’ll make being here a lot easier.” At her nod and smile, he ducked back under the water.
Rarity had just been led into Celestia’s private receiving quarters by the second guard, and had only been there a minute or two, when the door opened and Celestia herself walked into the room.
“Ah! Rarity, it’s wonderful that you were able to come on such short notice. I do hope I wasn’t interrupting anything important?” A gentle smile followed her question, causing Rarity to blush.
With a bow, the alabaster mare shook her head. “Oh, not at all your majesty! I was just settling in for a relaxing evening. But I am, of course, always glad to be of service to the Princesses.” She stood then, “What is it I can do for you? It’s not often I’m summoned to Canterlot without the rest of the girls.”
Celestia chuckled to herself. Always direct and to the point. That was Rarity all over. “I seem to find myself at a certain...impasse. And I’m afraid that, as of yet, secrecy is important. As such, I have a special request for you. I was hoping you might be able to put together a few outfits for a recently made acquaintance of mine. You will be well compensated, of course.”
Rarity’s mind was reeling. A special request from Celestia herself?! How could she possibly object! “I would be delighted and honored, Princess! If I might be so bold, for whom would these new outfits be for?” The thrill of creating secret clothes for one of Princess Celestia’s friends made her shiver in excitement.
Celestia grinned and slightly turned her head away, a light blush forming under her eyes. “He’s new to Equestria and was not able to bring much with him when he came. His name is Cale. You’ll meet him soon enough. He’s taking a much needed relaxing bath as we speak.”
Rarity’s eyes lit up in wonder. She’d seen that blush, and heard the lightness of Celestia’s tone. It was a look she knew all too well. She was just finding it hard to believe that the Princess of all ponies was finding herself...attracted...to someone!
It was, needless to say, a huge event. One that Rarity could hardly wrap her mind around. She wanted to say something to confirm or deny her suspicions, but she didn’t want to be to forward. So she broke eye contact and took a glancing look around the room before taking a couple steps forward. “Princess, to get a better idea on the project at hoof, I have a question or two for you.” Oh yes, sneaky Rarity.
Celestia was snapped out of her reverie by those words, and she looked over to Rarity curiously. The seamstress pressed on, pushing past the slight fear that wormed it’s way in her gut for delving into the personal life of the Princess. “First and foremost, what exactly is your relationship with him?” When Celestia’s eyes widened in surprise, Rarity waved a hoof and continued, “If he’s going to be spending most of his time at the Palace, then he’ll need attire proper for his surroundings! Eheh.”
Celestia sighed, but that blush crept a bit higher. A-ha! Of course she was right. Deciding that she had pressed far enough, she waited patiently for Celestia’s response. Which...seemed to be taking a fair bit of time in it’s coming.
Finally, her reply came. “For now, clothing befitting a dignitary or noble will do well enough.” Her blush lessening, Celestia added, “Just try not making them too flashy, alright?”
Rarity had to hide a snort of amusement behind her hoof at this, causing Celestia to chuckle. “I’ll send someone to guide you to your quarters. Everything you need for your task will be brought to you in the morning, and I’ll personally bring Cale to see you as well so that you can get all the measurements you need. For now, though, I believe it’s time for a good night’s rest.”
Celestia gave a brief nod before turning and walking out the door, leaving a still rather stunned Rarity in her wake. It was a long moment later that she heard a pony clearing his throat behind her. Without even turning around, “Yes, yes. Be a peach and handle my bags, will you? A lady simply mustn’t do all the heavy lifting after such a long trip.”
All she could think, though, was how stunning of an achievement this would be.
Cale followed Silver Star through the maze like palace, his eyes roaming over everything they passed. From he could tell of the tapestries he saw, this Princess Celestia, and her sister Princess Luna, have been this country’s monarchs for millennia upon millennia. And they had faced a number of dangers to ensure the protection of their subjects. It was a rather daunting set of facts for the human, considering how he had spoken and acted around Celestia.
With yet another internal curse Cale sped up to walk beside Silver. “I can hardly believe that everything on those tapestries is actually true. Has Celestia really been alive that long?”
Silver smirked, but kept her eyes forward. “The Princess has been alive that long and longer. Immortality is quite beneficial, don’t you think?”
Cale snorted and rolled his eyes, “Yeah I’ll say.” After a few moments of walking in silence, he turned back to look at her, adjusting the large towel around his body some as he did. “I recognize this hall. Doesn’t this take us back to Celestia’s room? I thought she said I was getting my own place here?”
The gray mare shifted her glance up to him before rolling her eyes, “So many questions.” She looked back in front of her, “She sent a message while you were finishing your bath that she wanted to see you before you, as you say, ‘hit the hay.’”
Her eyes perked up as they came to the Princess’s door, “And here we are! Knock before you go in.” She winked at him, “And stop being so nervous. I know you weren’t before. I’ll see you later, okay?” After a nod from him she turned and left.
Cale looked up at the large door and sighed. “Well, here goes nothing,” he whispered.
He reached up and knocked, “Princess? It’s me, Cale. Silver Star said you wanted to see me?”
Almost instantly he heard her musical voice call from within, “Of course. You may enter.”
After a moment’s more thought, he pushed open the door and walked in, closing it behind him. Celestia was standing on the balcony, facing out over the horizon. He walked up to her curiously, her voice breaking the silence, “It’s a beautiful night. I often spend the time right before bed just...staring out.” She looked to him when he came up beside her, “Though I’ve lived many years, my sister’s night sky still takes my breath away.”
Cale looked up and saw the full moon along with the thousands of stars and nodded. “It’s gorgeous.” He looked back to her expectantly, and he heard her sigh as she cast her eyes to the balcony ledge.
“I am afraid I do not know why you are here, Cale, or how to send you home. I’m sure you miss it greatly, as I would my own. All I do know...is that you and I are connected. Call it fate, if you will, but some force greater than I has brought you to me.”
She looked up to him, and saw him deep in thought, silently contemplating what he had just heard. She didn’t see any sadness or anger. He was just...thinking. And, once again, she was left speechless before him. This baffled her as much as anything else had this day, for she normally had no trouble piecing together the proper thing to say.
She reached a hoof out, free of it’s adornments, and touched his shoulder in a comforting manner. He looked up to her, a strange look in his eyes. “Celestia...can I stay with you tonight?”
The surprise on her face was evident, but she pushed past it quickly enough, and smiled.
Luna was perched on a cloud above the balcony of her sister's room, watching the events as they unfolded. And while her hearing wasn't great enough to hear everything, she had caught enough of the conversation for her to become increasingly worried. What was Celestia thinking? This creature, this human, was spending time with her in a more intimate manner than anyone had since she and Luna had been fillies.
With a creased brow she watched as Celestia led the scantily clad human back into her quarters for the evening. This was troubling to her on a level that she couldn't perceive. Celestia was letting her guard down and allowing the human past all of her barriers.
And what was worse, Luna knew enough of their modern society to garner the rumors that would begin flying in the waking hours.
Celestia and her lover. Late night rendezvous.
The implications were dangerous. And Luna couldn't fathom what to do. She was driven by a strong need to protect her sister, but at the same time she did not wish to interfere with her personal life. After all, what right did she have to do such?
She needed to speak with her sister about this. And soon, before Celestia let herself become too attached and began to lose her focus. While they lived in a relatively peaceful time, there was still much that needed to be done on a daily basis. And if Celestia was focusing too much time on her new...friend...then she would lose sight of her responsibilities.
Celestia was far from irresponsible. Luna had seen evidence enough of that over the course of her own lifetime. But at the same time, an event like this had never come around. Why, she had never even known her sister to take a lover before, at least during the time she had been present. But there was a rather large gap in her knowledge due to her time banished from Equestria.
For now she decided to wait until the two of them were asleep. At least from there she would be able to at least make some progress towards helping them see the errors of their ways. She just hoped that she could reason enough with her sister.
So Luna waited until almost an hour had passed before gently gliding from her cloud perch down towards the balcony. She came to rest delicately, not making a sound, and made her way from the moonlight into the darker interior of her sister’s room. She found Celestia sleeping soundly, with the human laid out beside her.
Luna’s brow furrowed as she focused her magic. For now, she would start with him. If she could somehow figure out how he had come to be in this plane, she might be able to send him home, which would solve this problem altogether.
When she had built up enough magic, she closed her eyes and let the wings of her magic guide her into Cale’s dreams.
Strangely, Cale was not surprised to find himself back in his old apartment. He found out rather quickly that this was not real, though. The swimming colors, the slightly fuzzy look. It all reminded him of a T.V. channel with bad reception. What did surprise him though, was who he found himself standing in front of.
He instantly knew who she was, as if he had known her his entire life. His mind rang with the sound of her voice and the flow of her name. “Princess Luna.”
The alicorn nodded towards him as she took a step closer, closing the distance between them too less than three hooves. “Cale. I assume you know why it is that I am visiting you in your dreams?”
More images swam through his mind. Most of them were of Celestia, while the rest conveyed feelings of doubt and confusion. There was even anger there, and jealousy. But Cale showed no signs of fear or hesitation as he nodded. “You don’t think I’m good for your sister. You’re worried that Celestia is going to lose herself too me. You don’t want her to forget about her responsibilities, too forget about her subjects. You think she’s going to...fall in love with me?”
The last question was spoke with slight hesitation. How could someone fall in love with him? How could a Princess fall in love with him? It didn’t make any sense, and the confusion was apparent in his voice. Luna delved into his mind again, flooding it with fear and a strong desire to leave Equestria. “Whom my dearest sister decides to give her heart too is of no consequence. What matters is her reputation, and how she rules over this precious land.”
Luna’s voice had taken a much higher volume, nearly reaching the level she used for the Royal Canterlot Voice, and Cale balked before her, flinching away as if he’d been struck. Her eyes began to glow as her magic seeped towards him more powerfully. She dug deeper into his mind, finding as much from him as she possibly could. What she found there was not what she was expecting, though.
She did not find malice, or anger, or even a desire for power. All she was able to find was a frightened innocence. Her magic pulled back hastily and her eyes returned to their normal color. All this human wanted was to return to his home.
She had felt the fear he felt when he had been attacked by the Manticore. She had seen the relief from her sister’s rescue. And she now knew of the respect he had for her. While he had outwardly put on a brave face, the entire time he had been in Equestria had been one of near terror.
He only had the smallest glimmer of hope that he would one day return to his family and friends. And that glimmer of hope was her sister, his impromptu protector. And he clung to her like a lifeline. She wasn’t a princess to him. She was merely a kind soul that had shown him kindness in a strange new world. Even his more basic instincts had been overridden by this inner battle of hope and fear.
She was surprised to learn that, from his own experiences, humans by nature were shy and hid their very bodies with layers of clothing. It was such a strong taboo, and so thoroughly ingrained in his being, that she could hardly believe that he had managed to forgo it just to keep his sense of protection close.
She blinked out of her revelations to see him staring at her strangely. “Pr-Princess…?”
Luna growled and shook her head. She could not be mad at this creature. There was no reason for it. He had not been brought here of his own will. He was not a threat to anypony, as of yet, and she could not see him becoming so. He was just a lost soul searching for a way to return home.
And much to her chagrin, she could relate.
With sad eyes she looked to him, “Forgive my intrusion. I have discovered much from this meeting, and I promise to do all that is within my power to help you.” She gave a small bow, showing her newly garnered respect, “and you have my word that no harm shall befall you while under my sister’s care. She’s stronger than you know.”
And with that, she faded out of his dream before he had time to respond.
Luna’s eyes crept open as she pulled back from the human’s dream. She searched his sleeping face, a new understanding blossoming in her mind. “I shall keep my word to you,” she whispered. She looked up and to her sister, knowing that this conversation would be more difficult.
With a sigh she let her magic begin to work, her eyes closing once more as she delved into the dreams of another.
Rolling hills, lush grass under hoof, and the midday sun. Celestia knew this place far too well. Her dreamscape never changed from the time she was a filly. She would often find herself escaping here in her dreams, more so than not just to contemplate things of dire importance. Or, as in this case, to speak with her sister in a manner far more private.
“Luna, my dearest sister. I should have known that you would seek me out like this.” Celestia turned and saw her sister, Luna’s eyes full of sadness. “What is it that worries you so?”
Luna, to her own credit, managed to hold her tongue from the flurry of responses she had to this question. She was no longer a filly, and so she had to measure out her words and say what was needed to be said correctly. “Your ward,” she meekly replied.
Celestia nodded and turned her eyes away, looking out over the vast expanse of her dream realm. “Yes, he worries me too.” Before Luna could respond, Celestia continued. “It is always strange, is it not? How, right when we feel ourselves at the height of our prowess and ability, a situation comes along to throw you right back to where you started? Immortality has always been a burden because of this. We’ve lived since the the beginning, Luna, and we’re still learning.”
She laughed sadly and shook her head, “It is never going to be enough, you know, all the knowledge we acquire. There will always be a pony who comes along that makes you reevaluate your entire view of the world. It was like that with Twilight. And now, it is this human. It has only been a day, but I can sense that things are starting to turn in a manner that we are not prepared for.” She looked back to her sister, a sad smile gracing her lips.
“I know what you’re thinking, what your fears are. I’ve had the same ones ever since I started dreaming of him. But even though these fears have placed a curtain of confusion over my heart and mind, I still know that nothing will ever be the same. To what level I do not know. Be it for myself, or our subjects, or both.”
Luna stepped forward and put a hoof on her sister’s shoulder, “Sister, I have seen the way you look at him. It is the same look our subjects have when around one of the same heart. I worry for you. As you have said, immortality is a burden. And for you, so is his mortality. I know that you can see this as surely as I?”
Celestia nodded, “I have. But I do not know what it is my heart is beckoning me to do. For now, all I feel is a desire to protect him. That is why so few have met him, and those that have have been ones I know I can trust completely.”
Luna tilted her head and withdrew her hoof, “Such as the Captain of your vassals, Silver Star?” At her sister’s nod, Luna continued, rubbing a huff under her chin. “I see. And who else to prepare him for his stay here other than a bearer of one of the Elements? Sister, you’re leaving nothing to chance, are you?”
“How can I afford too?” The diarch smiled and turned around to face her sister, leaning over to nuzzle her companionably on her cheek. “I have searched his mind and heart, as I am sure you have as well, and I know that he is worth protecting.”
Luna pulled back and cast her eyes to the ground. A tender breeze caused the blades of grass to wave merrily at her. “Then I shall return to my duties. I shall see you on the ‘morrow, ‘Tia.”
With Celestia’s nod, Luna once again faded from the dreamscape.
It wasn’t long before Luna found herself sailing towards Ponyville once again. There was much she needed to think about, but for some reason the only thing that came to the forefront of her mind was a certain lavender alicorn.
When that familiar tree came in view, Luna smiled and angled towards it.
Luna once again angled towards the library of Ponyville. She wasn’t sure exactly why it was she felt the need to come here, but she figured she would find out soon enough. Instead of taking the approach she used last time, she instead landed on the small balcony outside of Twilight’s bedroom. She peered through glass door curiously, and smiled at what she saw.
Twilight was laying in bed, her horn wrapped in it’s ethereal glow, reading from the light produced. Luna had always heard wonderful things from her sister about just how studious the young mare was. And this time appeared to be no exception.
Luna was still amazed that Twilight had managed to pass the test set forth by her sister to become an alicorn. A lot had changed for the mare that day, namely gaining immortality. From what she could tell, Twilight had yet to come to grips with her sudden increase in power, and the new views on life she would face.
For the most part, it appeared as if her day to day life had not changed. And that was something Luna envied greatly. Twilight had a simple existence, for the most part, and enjoyed things Luna had only ever dreamed about: Friends to laugh and play with, a job, and searching for love. The celestial sister could almost feel her heart breaking from just thinking of these things.
Her mind began to race with questions about why she had come here, and the poor mare almost turned around and flew back to Canterlot. That was before Twilight noticed her standing at the door. Luna half expected her to be angry, or at the very least caught off guard, by her sudden appearance. Instead, all Twilight did was get out bed and open the door.
“Luna…”
Without another word she turned and sauntered away, leaving the door open for the night mare. Luna, to her credit, looked away with a blush as Twilight made her way back to the bed. “I was hoping you’d come back.”
With a slightly defeated sigh Luna entered the room and closed the door behind her before moving to stand next to the bed. “Twilight Sparkle...I...I was hoping we could speak again.”
Twilight merely smirked and nodded as she sat upright and patted the spot next to her. Luna climbed into the bed and sat down as well. It was a few moments before she spoke again, “I fear that something is building in the astral. This...human’s appearance was not random. I have seen how my sister loses herself around him. And there have been...fluctuations in the aether. Mostly small things, but noticeable.”
Luna looked over to Twilight, only to find the mare looking away, appearing deep in thought. “So you think that the human being here is putting Princess Celestia at risk?” She shook her head, “What could possibly harm the Princess? She’s immortal, and the most powerful pony in existence.”
“There are things, creatures, that are more powerful than some would believe. I thought ‘Tia and I had rid ourselves of these threats long ago.” Luna shook her head as well, “But I could be mistaken. It is true that this human has the ability to make my sister happy in ways she never has been. And if him being here causes only that, then I shall be happy as well. But if I am not wrong, and something is trying to make an advantageous situation, then I fear for us all.”
Twilight reached over and put a hoof on Luna’s shoulder. “Why come here and tell me all of this? Wouldn’t Princess Celestia have been the better pony to tell?”
Luna seemed to falter on this question, looking up and meeting Twilight’s eyes. “I...don’t truly know. Something inside me...inside my heart...told me to come to you tonight. Twilight, I know that we’ve never been as close as you are to my sister...just like I know that you’ve noticed my avoidance of you since my return.” Her voice wavered, and a tear fell from her eye, “B-but I do not wish for that any longer.”
Twilight smiled softly as her hoof began to carefully stroke the other mare’s shoulder. “Princess Luna, I’m here for you. I always have been. You know that if you ever need anything that you can always ask, and I’ll do my absolute best to make it happen.” She leaned forward slowly, resting her forehead on Luna’s. “That’s a promise.”
Luna sighed wearily. "There's just so much uncertainty right now. Speaking with my sister about this frightens me. I do not know what would come of such."
Twilight pulled back and nodded. "I see." Her magic flared to life to bring the book that she had been reading before over to them. "I've been doing quite a bit of research into this. And I still have not been able to come up with anything. I've even had volumes sent to me from the Canterlot Library. Every avenue I've searched has been completely fruitless!"
With a sigh of exasperation Twilight dropped the book back on the bed and got up, pacing back an forth in front of the bed. "I don't really know where to go from here. Normally if I face a problem like this I can just talk to Princess Celestia. But based on what you've said, that would be another avenue that wouldn't reveal anything." She stopped mid-pace and looked back to the other alicorn. "Have you been able to find anything, at least?"
Luna sighed and nodded, "Yes and no. I visited Cale in his dreams and was able to find out that he just seeks a way to return to his own world. He means Celestia, or Equestria, no harm." She shook her head, "I'm afraid that I am lost as well." She looked out the window towards the night sky. "There is one path that I have yet to explore, though. It would require a trip to the astral plane. But...I have not made such a trip in over a millennium. And I fear that I would not be able to make it back, should I encounter something."
Twilight grinned and began rummaging around her room, throwing things from here and there into her saddle bags. "Then that only leaves us one option, doesn't it?" After slinging the heavily burdened bags onto her back, she turned back to her, "I'm coming with you."
That night, after Luna has visited his dreams, Cale was plagued by nightmares. Visions of horrible beasts leaping from the darkness haunted him as he ran for his very life. No matter where he went, or how fast he ran, nothing seemed to work. Every second they drew closer, ever moment he could hear them catching up.
He slipped and fell, instantly turning over on his back and looking up to what he knew was waiting for him. The beast loomed over the fragile human, it’s mouth open and drooling, it’s breath stale with death. Cale saw it’s eyes. Yellow and hungry. That was when it bore down on him. Cale was going to-
With a strangled gasp, Cale bolted into a sitting position, his hand moving to his throat. He could still almost feel those hard teeth against his flesh.
“Cale…?” The human looked over to see Celestia, peering at him with a worried expression. She moved as if to comfort him, and he shook his head.
“I’m okay, just a bad dream.” He sighed and looked away. A shiver ran down his spine. “Thanks for letting me stay here last night. I know it wasn’t my place to ask...but I do appreciate it.”
Celestia smiled and climbed out of bed, making her way to the balcony. The golden glow of her magic was already flowing in a corona from her horn. “Nonsense. I was happy to do it.” Her eyes closed and she heard him move from the bed. The barest spark of daylight appeared on the horizon as Cale moved to stand beside her. “If you want, you may tell me your dreams. Perhaps I can help.”
Cale sighed and folded his arms over the railing of the balcony, watching as the sun rose. “I barely remember one of them. All I can recall from it is a pony. She had a mane like yours, only blue and black.” He shrugged, “It was the second one that got to me. I was being chased by...by something. Right when it was about to finish me off is when I woke up.”
Celestia’s expression darkened. “I’m sorry. Nightmares are always troubling.” She focused her magic, and a moment later the sun was set in it’s path for the day.
Cale looked from her to the sun, then back. “Did you...you just rose the sun, didn’t you?”
With a chuckle Celestia nodded and turned back towards him, “It’s one of my many duties. Now come, we have quite the busy day ahead of us. And there’s somepony special that I want you to meet.”
Rarity was beside herself. She had only woken up moments before to find the sun already rising! Darn her, she had overslept again! And the Princess was bound to be here at any moment with her special guest!
With a groan Rarity busied herself as quickly as possible. She simply couldn’t meet the Princess’s guest looking like she did! Her mane all a wreck, her tail uncurled, her coat lacking it’s luster. It was a disgrace to fabulosity itself!
Luckily for her she managed to just finish when the knock on her door sounded. Blowing out a breath she didn’t know she was holding, she whimsically called out an “I’m coming!” as she trotted to the door. When she opened it, she found herself face to face with none other than Princess Celestia herself. “Oh, Princess! Good morning!”
Celestia smiled, “And good morning to you as well, Rarity. I hope that the accommodations I arranged were to your liking?” With Rarity’s nod, Celestia continued, “Wonderful! I ran into the ponies bringing up your supplies and decided that I would handle the rest of the delivery myself. May I come in?”
Rarity blinked but nodded and stepped aside, allowing the Princess entry. “B-but of course! That’s very generous of you, Princess.” Rarity was just about to ask where the Princess’s guest was as Celestia entered, but was quickly at a loss for words as Cale stepped in through the door as well.
“Ah, yes. Rarity, this is Cale, the one whom I told you about before. He’s the one you’ll be making the clothes for. I have full faith in your abilities.” Cale smiled and offered a small greeting.
All Rarity could do, on the other hoof, was stare with wide eyes and an open mouth. Cale looked from her to the Princess, who was hiding a giggle behind her hoof. “Ahh...baa...whaa?”
Cale rolled his eyes and looked up to the Princess, who merely smirked. “Rarity, dear, perhaps you would like to get started? Cale does not share the same view of clothing as we do, and he feels terribly under dressed in...what did you call them?”
“Pajama pants.”
“Right! I’ll leave you two alone, then.” Before Cale could say otherwise, Celestia turned and walked out the door, using her magic to levitate in all the supplies for Rarity on her way out.
Cale looked back at Rarity, who still had the look of utmost shock plastered across her snout. “Soo...Rarity, huh? Celestia told me that you’re some kind of fashion designer?”
Rarity blinked, finally coming back to her senses. “F...fashion designer?! Darling, I am a cut above that type.” With a charming smile, Rarity gave a little turn, her beautifully curled tail flowing behind her gracefully. “I...am a fashionista and seamstress of the highest order!”
Cale groaned and and rubbed his temples. This was going to be a long day.
Somewhere, in the deepest recesses of the astral plane, a dark mass shifted amongst the black. Great, yellow eyes opened, and a deep growl escaped from amidst it’s smoky form. “It has been done. The seeds have been sown, and Celestia begins to grow weaker. This time...Equestria will fall before me.”
A dark, enigmatic laugh bellowed forth. It’s plan was coming together. And this time, nothing would stop it.
The past two weeks had gone surprisingly well for Cale. The Princess had slowly been introducing him into the world that he now lived in. First she had introduced to him to a group of ponies she had called bearers of the ‘Elements of Harmony’. Aside from the bearer of the Element of Magic, a pony by the name of Twilight Sparkle whom was apparently away on some mission with Celestia’s sister, he had met each one in turn. And while a couple of them had taken to him more readily, they all still greeted him happily. It was a shock to learn that this group of six ponies had saved Equestria on numerous occasions. And, from some of the stories Celestia had told him, from odds that were often stacked against them.
Instead of meeting them all individually, as he would have preferred, Celestia had decided to throw a small party for all of them to meet officially. Apparently it had all been the pink one’s idea. And while he hadn’t been much of a party goer back home, this had been something he could enjoy rather easily. There were games, upbeat music, plenty of food, and the decorations (while a bit childish) were festive enough for him to keep a smile.
Out of all of the ponies he’d met that night, (aside from Rarity, with whom he already had a familiar relationship) Pinkie Pie had been the one to take to him most readily. Not only was she a ball of pure energy, she was more than happy to talk to him while most of the others would only share small snippets of conversation with him. At least that’s how it all started. As the party worked forward, they each opened up a bit more. And by the end of the party, they each had decided to call him a friend. Even Applejack, the farmer pony who seemed the most reluctant to try and get to know him, had showed her fair share of personality. The two of them had actually talked the longest, Cale finding that he could associate with her more down to earth behaviour more than the rest.
After that night Celestia had started bringing him to sit with her during her court hours, and the parts of the day where she met with her subjects. He watched, and listened, and learned more than he would have guessed. While it was true that Celestia was an immortal ruler, she was also fair and just and kind. The ponies didn’t worship her as some kind of goddess, or even fear her as some kind of tyrant. Every single pony she interacted with absolutely adored her, and treated her with the kind of respect and love one gives to their mother. Of course, they still followed most courtesies, such as bowing and addressing her by her title. But every once in awhile a pony more familiar with her would run up and they would embrace and gossip over tea.
The more Cale learned about Celestia, the more confused he became by her. After his first night in Equestria, he had not shared her bed. He had insisted on staying in the room she had prepared for him, saying that it was unorthodox for him to continue staying in the same bed as the ruler of a nation. Celestia had accepted, of course, and the subject had not been breached again. It was strange to him because she had seemed more than eager for him to be with her that night. And what bothered him more was that their time together in private was beginning to dwindle. At first he thought that she might just be busy, but that was quickly ruled out after a couple of days.
It started to seem like she was actively avoiding him outside of the time he spent watching her while she worked. Normally something like this wouldn’t have bothered him, as he was more used to being alone than he was constantly surrounded by others. It didn’t even hurt his feelings like it might have someone else. What worried him was the look on Celestia’s face when she thought no one was looking. She looked...frightened.
So he decided that after their final meal of the day, he would find out just what was upsetting her. When they were finished eating, he followed her back to her room. She didn’t say a word to him, she barely even acknowledged his existence as they walked. It was more than a little disturbing, but he figured she would tell him when they got back to her chambers.
He was right, because as soon as they stepped through the door, she sat down heavily, her head hung low. After a deep sigh, “I’m sorry, Cale. I’m sure you must be wondering about my rather drastic change in attitude over the last two weeks.”
Cale shook his head as he made his way to her bed and sat down on it. Then, remembering she wasn’t looking at him, explained a bit. “I’m not upset or anything, Celestia. You’ve just been avoiding me like the plague or something. But you haven’t really changed your attitude. If you had, I’m sure some of the ponies you see on a regular basis would have noticed and made questions about it. I can just tell when something’s wrong.”
Celestia looked up and over to him, and he simply shrugged. “You’re far more perceptive than I would have thought.”
He rolled his eyes, “Gee thanks.”
With a light chuckle she moved over to him, leaning down to nuzzle against his cheek. “There is just so much going on right now that I can’t explain. I still have no idea how you came to be in our world, though I am rather glad you’re enjoying it here. And then we have my sister and Twilight. They’ve been gone for almost two weeks now, and I haven’t heard from either of them. I fear something drastic might have happened.”
That look of fear returned to her eyes, and Cale did what anyone would do in his position. He hugged her. “I’m sure they’re fine.” After a couple moments he pulled back and smiled, “I mean, you know where they are, right? Why not go and see if you can find them?”
Celestia shook her head, “I can’t. First and foremost, I wouldn’t be able to stay gone long because of my duties to raise the sun and moon. Secondly, if something were to happen to me as well...all would be lost.” Her eyes left his and fell to the floor.
Cale leaned against the Princess. She practically radiated warmth, as if she were a small sun. And it felt wonderful. Cale felt like everything would be okay, so long as he held on to her long enough. After a few moments he pulled back and gently lifted her chin to meet his eyes. “I know I don’t really know your sister or this student of yours. But if either of them are anything like you, then I know for a fact that they’ll be okay.”
Celestia smiled and leaned against him again, relishing in his presence. Something stirred in her chest a little as she pressed against him, and she couldn’t help but to let out a small sigh of happiness.
“Twilight, run!”
Two sets of hooves pounded away at the black space of the Astral Plane, one belonging to Princess Luna, the other to Twilight Sparkle. Behind them, their pursuers were losing distance, and Luna couldn’t help but let out a small sigh of relief at this.
For the past two weeks the two of them had been traveling the Astral Plane, searching for whatever it was that had been causing the aether to fluctuate so rapidly. While they hadn’t run across anything out of the ordinary, they had still encountered numerous creatures and dangers. Like the pack of Skaals, vicious, soul tearing beasts that they are.
When they had gone far enough, and the sounds of pursuit had faded completely, Luna brought them to a stop. Both of them looked a bit out of breath, but nothing incredibly major. Twilight furrowed her brow and looked over her shoulder. “I thought Skaals were extinct! In fact, a lot of the creatures we’ve seen I thought were extinct! Rengars, Dreds, Skaals...what else is in this place?!”
Luna shook her head and placed a placating hoof on Twilight’s shoulder to keep her from starting the frantic pacing Luna knew would soon follow. “I told you, Twilight Sparkle, that most of these creatures were banished here by either my sister or myself in an effort to make Equestria safe for ponies everywhere. We did not destroy them, simply moved them to a plane that better suits them.”
Twilight nodded and looked back to the Princess, worry pulling at the corners of her eyes. “I know, I know. I just didn’t think this trip would be so...dangerous. What’s worse is that we haven’t even found anything! At first I wasn’t even sure that what you felt had been real or not, but now that I’ve been here long enough, I can feel the aether shifting uncomfortably around me as well. But I guess it shouldn’t come as too big a surprise we haven’t found anything, this plane is rather large.”
“Inconceivably so.”
The other mare groaned and cast her eyes to the ground, her wings drooping some. “Then why are we even here, Luna?”
The Princess wasn’t even given time to respond as the ground suddenly erupted around them. Thick, rough tendrils wrapped around them entirely, pulling them from the ground and up into the air. Both called out and tried to use their magic, but nothing was happening.
“Luna! It’s a magic dampen-”
Both their mouths were covered by more tentacles. Twilight’s eyes grew wide and fearful as she cast around for anything, anyone, that could help them.
“My, my, my. Look what we have here. A Princess and the bearer of the Element of Magic. Oh yes, I remember both of you very well.” A dark, billowing laugh resounded around them, and a figure stepped out from the black, confronting them.
As the figure became clear, Twilight gasped and struggled even more to wrench herself free from the swarming mass of tentacles. “Now, now. There’s no point struggling. I have plans for the two of you, after all. Just imagine the possibilities. Two immortal princesses…”
Twilight and Luna both let out strangled moans of fear as the figure approached.
Cale was sitting on the edge of the balcony to his room, leaned back against the railing and staring out into the fading sun. Today had been a day like many of the others since he found himself trapped in this strange world. he had gone with Celestia as she went about her day, watching and learning. And as he did most evenings when he found himself alone, he quickly got lost in his own mind.
He still could hardly believe that all of this had happened to him. He had just been an average guy. Mid twenties, just finished college, and many prospects for a promising future. He had his whole future laid out before him, ready to be seized and enjoyed. He did happen to have something going with his love life, something that he was always worrying about. But he had bright hopes. There had been this one girl whom he had had his eye on.
She graduated with him, and they shared the same passions. Looking back, he couldn’t help but smile a little sadly. The last few times he had seen her came to mind instantly.
Six months prior...
“Oh, please, Cale! Like you could ever hope to take me on like that.”
She smiled that same smile that got him every time, the one that hinted at something he could only hope for. They had been friends for the past two years, and every day it felt like they were growing closer and closer. Even now, laughing and looking into those brilliant blue eyes, he could hope.
“Pfft. You know for a fact that you’d never be able to beat me. I’ve won every single game of darts I’ve ever played. Hell, you’ve been there for most of ‘em!”
With a roll of her eyes she gave him a playful shrug, then combed a stray strand of blonde hair from her eyes, tucking the rebellious piece behind her ear. “Yeah, yeah. I also know that the more you drink, the worse you get. That’s why I think we should make it more interesting. How about...hmm…” She tapped her chin in thought, then grinned and nudged him with her elbow, “How about this time, who ever is farthest from the bullseye with each throw has to take a shot.”
He stopped walking and cocked a brow, smirking and regarding her curiously. “Oh, so you wanna cheat, huh? Fine, fine. It wouldn’t be a Saturday night if you weren’t trying to con me out of some cash.” He started walking again, contemplating quietly.
They shared a few minutes of companionable silence, the sun beating down on them in the warm, west coast temperature. They had just finished their classes for the day, and were walking with each other back to their respective cars. Finally deciding to ask something that he had wanted to for a long time, he cleared his throat. “Uh…”
She looked over at him with a wry grin. She could tell he was nervous. Every time he wanted to say something that he wasn’t exactly comfortable with, his cheeks would redden and his nostrils would flare. And she couldn’t help but find the look positively adorable. “Yeeeah?”
Cale rolled his eyes. Her needling was well placed, since he had acted like he wanted to say something anyway. Just like he knew that she knew he was trying to spit something out that might be a bit difficult. His eyes fell to the ground as they walked, and he took particular interest in his feet. “Well, Haley...we’ve been friends for, like, two years almost.” He sighed, not quite able to bring himself to say what he wanted. She noticed this, and nudged him with her elbow again, pulling the strap of her purse up her shoulder some.
“Fine, fine. You’re such a hassle, ya know that?” She merely grinned, and he decided to go ahead and push forward. His voice fell in pitch, and he had to steel himself as he continued. “I know we’re going out tonight...but I was wondering if you’d...well, consider this a...a date?”
Her eyes widened a bit in surprise. She had figured awhile ago that Cale liked her, but she had never really been sure. Turns out all those advances from other guys she had rejected had been worth it. She smiled and looked ahead of her. The parking lot was just across this next street. “Hmm. I dunno. Depends on what’s in it for me, I guess.”
He balked, and nearly tripped over his own two feet. He had never been particularly good with women. He had always been rather shy and introverted. Even in highschool he hadn’t had many friends. Not that he was bad looking or anything, he just always seemed to have other things on his mind. And ever since he’d met Haley, beautiful, practically super model material Haley, his whole world had been turned upside down. Especially considering she was a Computer Engineering major like him. The two had hit it off pretty quick, and had spent countless weekends hanging out and studying and going out for drinks.
Cale had never really thought she would ever be interested in him, so he had never asked. But recently he had started to feel like if they were going to continue being friends, that he might as well out himself.
Realizing he had fallen into himself again, he cleared his throat and looked up, stopping at the end of the sidewalk before the street. “Well, ya know..it could be fun. It’s not like we don’t have a million things in common or anything.”
He felt her hand slip under his arm, and his breath caught in his throat as he looked down to see her snuggle up against his side. “Duh. Cale, ya goof ball, of course I’ll consider it a date. I don’t know why you didn’t ask me sooner.”
Cale blushed ferociously, and laughed a bit. “Guess I’m kinda dense, huh?”
“Yeah, but it’s cute, so don’t worry.”
Three months prior…
There was always something scary about moving to a new city. Having to leave old friends behind, knowing you won’t see your family again until the holidays, starting a new job. While exciting, it was also intimidating.
Cale stared out the window of his apartment and sighed a bit. He had only just arrived a couple days ago, and he still had a day or so before he needed to show up for his programming job with a local advertising company, and he wasn’t exactly sure what to do with himself. Haley wasn’t going to be moving out here for at least another month, which left him kind of alone in this new place. All he could really do was just get busy unpacking and hope that he could take his mind off the fact that he felt rather lost.
He had just turned around and started digging through the duffel bag on his bed when he heard his phone ring. A smile spread across his face as he pulled the phone from his pocket and glanced at the caller I.D. “Well hey there beautiful. Yeah, I’m moved in fine, just getting all my stuff unpacked. I know, I miss you too. Okay, I’ll see you soon.”
With a sigh he hit the ‘call end’ button and slid the phone back in his pocket. It was going to be a long month before she got here. “Might as well get this done.” He turned back to his unpacking, setting the phone on his bedside table.
One month prior…
Night had fallen, and Cale’s mediocre apartment was crammed full of people. Turns out, landing a job in your field directly after graduation and moving into your own place meant that you had to have a party to celebrate. Even if it was a couple months late.
With a grin Cale smiled to his parents, “Thanks again for showing up. I know that it was a long drive.”
His father waved a hand and shook his head, “Don’t worry about it. We’re just excited to see our little boy all grown up. Speaking of growing up, where’s that girl of yours? Your mother and I have been waiting to meet her.”
Cale shrugged, “She should be back soon. She had to pick up something from the store.”
With what could only be explained as impeccable timing, Haley chose that moment to walk in. She set a couple bags down on the couch and moved her way through the throng of party goers, making her way to Cale and his parents. His mother raised her eyebrows as she approached, nudging Cale in the ribs with a finger and whispering to him, “You didn’t tell us she was so pretty!”
Cale blushed and grinned as Haley reached her arms around him for a hug. “There you are! What took ya so long?”
Haley pulled back, “Traffic. You know how it goes.”
She looked over to his parents, Cale’s father already holding out his hand. “You must be Haley. It’s great to finally meet you.”
After shaking his hand, his mother hugged her, “It is, it is!”
Haley chuckled and returned both gestures affectionately, “I know! I was excited when Cale said you guys were coming. It’s good to meet you both too.”
From there, the party went well enough. But, like all good things, it came to an end all too soon. All of Cale’s and Haley’s friends headed out, followed shortly thereafter by Cale’s parents. When everyone had finally left, Haley sighed and plopped down on the couch, where Cale soon joined her.
“I love parties, but dang are they tiring.”
Cale chuckled and nodded, “Yup. So, what did you have to run to the store for so late, anyway?”
Haley smirked and eyed him mischievously. “To get your present, of course. I know it’s a bit late, but it took awhile to get here.” She reached over and picked up the bags she had dropped earlier. “Here. Congratulations, hon. I’m so proud of you.”
Cale took the offered bags and peeked inside, his eyes gleaming as he did. “Haley…” He pulled a gold lacquered plaque out of the first bag and inspected it. It read ‘Cale, my love and inspiration. To your dreams finally being realized.’ “This is amazing.” He set the plaque down and leaned over to kiss her deeply.
She returned the gesture for a couple moments then broke away, a light giggle following. “C’mon, open the other one!”
He rolled his eyes with a wry grin before digging into the second bag. His eyes widened and he looked back to his girl again. She was grinning from ear to ear. “That’s for a little later.” She took the bag and stood, making her way back to the bedroom, “Give me ten minutes, then come on in, okay?”
Cale nodded, a blush spreading across his face. “Haley?”
She turned around, “Yeah?”
“I love you.”
She smiled, “I love you too.”
Cale pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his forehead on them, sighing some. “Haley…” Tears began to fall as his mind played over the course of their relationship. “God I miss you so much…”
He didn’t know if he’d ever make it home. He didn’t even know what everyone might think of what happened to him. All he knew was that tonight, like so many others before this, sleep would be hard to come by.
The sun rose steadily over Canterlot, casting shadows from the early morning around the buildings and the castle. The morning crowd was already making it’s rounds; ponies heading to work or about their business as usual. It looked like the start of another wonderful day for the kingdom. But it’s ruler looked on from her balcony with worried eyes.
It had been almost three weeks since Twilight and Luna had vanished into the aether, leaving the monarch alone to wonder. No word had been heard back from them as of yet, an Celestia knew that something must have gone wrong. While it was not terribly unusual for Luna to disappear to her business for long periods of time without sending word, it was highly so for Twilight. By now some kind of interim report would have normally been sent.
Granted the two of them were in another dimension. But that just made Celestia worry all the more. She didn’t know what kind of powers were stirring there, and she had no way of sensing if the two most important ponies in her life were in any kind of danger.
She had been contemplating for the last few days about what to do. This morning she had made up her mind.
“I’m going after them.”
With a decisive nod she turned from the balcony and began the necessary preparations for her journey, wondering just what it was she was going to find.
Cale stepped out of the shower and made his way back into his room. His mind wandered idly as he went about getting dressed and ready for the day. Something had been weighing on his mind since the night he had thought about Haley and the life he had left behind.
That next morning he had gone to Celestia and had told her everything that he had been feeling and thinking, deciding that he had been hiding from her for too long. The monarch had been consoling enough, but there had been a look in her eyes that had, at first, confused him.
She had looked hurt. And it wasn’t a pain, he felt, that was reserved just for himself.
Ever since that day he had made it a priority to spend as much time as he could with her, especially after the business of the day had been concluded. They would often find themselves in the garden or library, or even in her chambers from time to time, discussing different things. They would talk about the analogies of life in Equestria compared to life on Earth, or would joke and laugh about nothing in particular. Cale had been surprised to learn that there were, in fact, many other universes besides the two he knew about.
Apparently not long ago Celestia’s student Twilight Sparkle had taken a trip to a realm much like his own, with it’s own variety of humans. Celestia had explained to him that that was how she had known enough about his culture to help get him as situated as possible.
But every now and then he would catch her staring at him, or see her looking towards the ground sadly. And he had started to garner on to what was bothering her, at least where it concerned him. He was still learning the body language of this new people, and most obvious things still eluded him. But Celestia’s had been particularly hard to read until he started to pay closer attention. If she had been a woman from his own realm, he would have picked up on it much sooner.
She had feelings for him. Feelings that spanned much further than what he felt was normal for an eternal being such as herself.
At first Cale had been completely taken aback by this stunning revelation. How could what could easily be described as a goddess have feelings for a mortal like him? And not just any mortal, but an alien at that? It’s not like he had ever been particularly popular with the opposite sex back home. Even here he was hardly given a second glance, from what he could tell.
And what’s worse, he was still dueling with his feelings of losing his home and not knowing if he’d see Haley again. Going home was something he had brought up to Celestia a few times. And she had always assured him that, while she did not know how she could send him back, she had her top unicorns working on it. She had even said that she had put in a number of excruciatingly long study sessions as well, going over her many years of knowledge.
The most she had been able to tell him, though, was that some form of magic older than herself had brought him here, and that that magic is what it would probably take to send him home.
While it hadn’t been the most consoling of news, he dealt with it the best he could. What was worse was that he was starting to wonder where his own feelings laid with Celestia. At first he had seen her as nothing but a protector and a staple of Equestrian government. But now, after having spent so much personal time with her, and having learned so much about her, he didn’t know.
A strong sense of betrayal kept pulling at the back of his mind. Was he ready to give up on going home already? It had barely been three weeks, and yet his old life just felt like a memory that was going grey. He knew that he still loved Haley, and he knew he still missed his family. But there was no denying the attraction he felt towards Celestia, be it a recent occurrence or not.
Was he just attracted to her power? Or because she had saved his life? Or because of how new all of this was? What about the fact that she was not only immortal, but also of a different species?
This new feeling, taboo as it was, was definitely appealing. But his mind kept pulling him back to thinking that what he was doing was wrong. His heart was still broken from the nagging feeling that he would never make it home to see Haley again. But at the same time it surged from the new world that was opening up before him.
With a sigh Cale made his way from his room. He had to talk to her about this. He had to reveal his feelings for her, if for nothing else than to at least get them out in the open. He wasn’t doing anything for himself by stewing in his room.
As he made his way towards her chambers, he couldn’t help but wonder how she would take this news.
Celestia had just sent out word to her guard that she was about to make this journey when there was a knock on the door. Figuring that it was one of her guard come to see her off, she beckoned them entry. She was pleasantly surprised to see Cale walk in and shut the door behind him.
He looked as if he had something on his mind, but his brow furrowed as he saw the saddlebags on her hips and the normally regal disposition of the Princess downcast. “Celestia? Is everything okay?”
With a sigh the monarch turned fully to him and took a couple steps forward. “I’m afraid that it isn’t. My sister and pupil have been gone far too long, and I worry for them. So I’ve decided to go after them. If for nothing else than to slate my own worry.”
Cale nodded and sat on the edge of the bed. Well, so much for telling her what was on his mind. “I see…” He thought for a few moments, Celestia’s eyes never leaving him, before he spoke up again. “You said they went to the...aether, right? The plane between realms? Is it dangerous there?”
With a small nod, Celestia sighed. “It is.”
Cale steeled himself and then stood, moving over next to her. “Okay. Then I’m coming with you.”
Celestia balked. That had to be the very last thing that she had expected him to say. All she could do was stare at him for a moment. She was very rarely surprised anymore these days, but every now and then it happened. And the longer this human was with her, the more often it happened. Finally setting her jaw, she responded, “Cale, I am afraid I cannot allow that. There is much danger where I’m going, and I wouldn’t want to put you in harm’s way.”
The human sighed and rubbed his temples. “Yeah, I figured you’d say something like that.” He looked up to her and gave a half-hearted smile. “Look, Celestia, I know that I don’t have the magic of a unicorn, the agility of a pegasus, or the endurance of an earth pony. But I can’t let you go wandering off into this place by yourself. I probably won’t be able to do much of anything when we get there, especially when it comes to protecting you, but I can’t just let go of this. You’ve been there for me every step of the way since I first got here, and I’m not going to let you leave me now. Selfish as it sounds...I can’t do it.”
His eyes fell, “I care about you. And now you’re going someplace dangerous. Someplace that your sister, who’s your equal as far as I can tell, and your student, who’s no mouse when it comes to power, haven’t come back.” He looked back up to her. “Even if I can’t do anything, I’m going with you.”
Celestia was stunned. It wasn’t odd for him to speak to her without the proper, royal decorum. That much was understood, and she had expected as much. But what she hadn’t expected was the determination in his voice. The way he put forth so much emotion in what he said. And when he said he cared about her? She thought she could sense a little something more behind those words.
A resigned sigh followed and she leaned down to press her cheek against his. “Very well.” When she pulled up, her eyes were hard and determined. “Stay close to me at all times. The aether is not forgiving. I’ll protect you, so don’t worry about that. Most of the creatures there no better than to stand in my path.”
Cale nodded and watched in awe as she closed her eyes and the magical aura of the sun surrounded the two of them. It was only a moment later that they vanished with a small pop!
A soft groan escaped from her mouth as she slowly opened her eyes and looked around. Her head ached and she couldn’t move her body. At first she couldn’t even focus on what was around her. Then, as the memories came flooding back, her eyes snapped open and darted around quickly.
Where is she?
Where’s Luna?
“Ahh. It appears my dear enemy has decided to rouse from her slumber. Good of you to join us once again, Miss Sparkle.”
The eerily familiar, female voice pulled Twilight’s attention from the surrounding area to the left. She found that she was truly immobile, only barely being able to turn her head. Her body was kept pinned to the ground by some kind of web, and she couldn’t call forth her magic, no matter how hard she tried. “W-who are you…?” At least she still had full use of her mouth.
A high pitched, squeal of a laugh followed the question. The laughter’s owner soon stepped into her vision, and Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “Why, it’s none other than The Great and Powerful Trixie!” The blue mare in question threw up her fore legs and cackled that screeching laugh once again.
Twilight watched on in horror. That wasn’t Trixie. At least not the way that she knew her. Her powder blue coat was thinned and missing altogether in some places. She was haggard and thin, with ribs showing, and her mane was ripped and shorn like she’d encountered a wild animal. She wore neither her tell-tale cape or hat. And when she landed, Twilight could see her eyes. Once a beautiful lavender, were now stark yellow.
She looked like a monster of a pony.
“Y-you’re not...Trixie,” Twilight spoke softly. It was all she could manage. She felt as if she’d taken a massive beating, and every breath made the ache in her head intensify.
The not-Trixie rolled her eyes and shrugged, “Yes, I suppose it does make sense you’d be able to see through this suit of flesh right away. After all, one can’t hope to contain so much power if they hardly have any to begin with, hmm?” The other mare stepped forward and leaned down to almost touch noses with Twilight. Her breath burnt her nostrils. “After all, it’s nothing compared to, say, an Element of Harmony? Or a...Princess?”
Twilight’s eyes widened and she she scanned her proximity once again. “Oh, looking for your beloved moon, are you? Don’t worry, she’s close.” With a spark of magic, Luna appeared and dropped to her right. She looked just as bad as Twilight felt, and she was still unconscious.
“It’s amazing. Even after the past two years she still holds no small amount of hatred for you, Twilight. But don’t feel special, she hates almost everything. I’m surprised she hasn’t called out to me sooner. But I suppose it makes sense. She’s trying to overcome a thousand years of the hatred I instilled in her.” With an aloof, almost nostalgic tone, “She really is my favorite pet project...hmm.”
Twilight screamed and tried with all her power to break past her binds, “Don’t you touch her! I know who you are! Nightmare, I swear to Celestia-”
A loud, victorious laugh cut her off. “Celestia?! Yes, where is your precious princess, Twilight? On her way here, I suppose. Good. Oh, and she’s even bringing her new pet.” Trixie leaned down and smirked, “I wish I could take you, Twilight. But there’s no hate in your heart. You don’t even hate me, do you? No, you simply pity me.”
She raised back up and began to move towards Luna. “You see, I can only take control over those that feel the burning hate towards another. How else am I going to bring forth their power? I did it with this...Trixie, here. That’s how I was able to bring that human into this world. And ever since he came here, Celestia’s power has been weakening. She’s falling in love with him, you see. She’s never felt love like that before, and so it’s breaking down her walls, her defenses. She’ll arrive, and she’ll sacrifice herself for him. It’ll be quite lovely, I assure you.”
She placed a hoof on Luna’s shoulder and smirked, “But first...I think it’s time for me to retake my favorite body.”
Twilight merely watched on in horror as Trixie collapsed, broken, abused, and barely breathing. And then as the smoky form of the Nightmare sank down into Luna’s body.
She waited….and waited...on baited breath she waited for something, anything, to happen.
And then Luna stood. And smiled. “Oh, yes. This is wonderful.” She turned to Twilight, “I really must thank you. You being here when I kill Celestia is going to make it so much sweeter.”
A dark aura encapsulated the Moon Princess for but a moment, and then cleared.
Wandering. That’s all they seemed to be doing. Neither of them really had any specific destination in mind, Cale in particular. All he knew was that he was following Celestia without question. If she knew where they were going, she didn’t bother to say. She had a determined, almost scary look on her face as they walked. And it made the poor human restless. In his short time knowing her, he had never before seen her like this. Like she was preparing for the absolute worst, but determined to confront it anyway.
Once again he pulled back the need to talk; to speak at all. He felt as if breaking their silence might, in some way, turn Celestia’s foul mood towards himself. Of course, he could have no idea what it was that Celestia was feeling. She seemed to think that Princess Luna and Princess Twilight were in some kind of trouble. And he doubted that her stewing was leaving her any good mental images.
As they walked he couldn’t help but look around to try and take in his surroundings. They were sparse, mind you, but they were there. Most of what they walked through was just total darkness. But every few steps he would spot a small grove of trees in the distance, shaded and gray. Or he would see a small house. Every now and then he thought he caught sight of a pony running in the distance. But everything was darkened and bleak, like it barely existed.
Celestia had said that this was the plane that connected all the realms. And that being the case, it wasn’t a far throw that maybe sometimes what happened in the other realms bled through a little, showing glimpses of the life happening in the different worlds.
This thought process made him start. Was he thinking like that now? If someone had asked him a month ago if he believed that other worlds outside of his own universe existed, he probably would have laughed it off. But now, as he had come to so readily know Equestria, he supposed that the next step would be to admit that there were, in fact, even more dimensions out there.
Once again he replayed the conversation with Celestia in his head. The one they had shared when they had first arrived.
”Cale, this place is very different from both your world and my own. Things happen much differently. Time, for one, is no longer linear. What feels like a day in our world could be a minute or a year here. There are always fluctuations. Another is that Luna and I are not the only divine beings in the planes. There are many, and as such many foul beasts have been banished here to protect our worlds. This is not an inherently evil place, but over the centuries it has been stripped of what little purity it had.”
It had been a warning. One that he intended to heed very carefully. While she hadn’t elaborated on just what these beasts could be, he knew better than to try and find out. His mishap with the Manticore had been enough of an adventure for him when it came to wild animals. And, apparently, here in the aether, everything was evil. Which meant these creatures were out for blood.
So he made sure to stick close to Celestia’s side as they walked. From the first moment she had made sure to use no magic, or even to fly, saying that even the smallest spark would garner unwanted attention. He figured that was probably the best decision, anyway. Last thing he wanted to happen was to have his soul eaten or something.
They had been walking for what felt like hours in dead silence. And Cale was surprised and slightly startled when it was Celestia who first chose to break the silence. “Cale..?”
He moved closer to her and looked over, seeing that her determined demeanor had changed to sadness, almost to a look of pleading. Something akin to the likes of someone begging for forgiveness for a wrong. His brows furrowed, he nodded. “Y-yeah?”
The alicorn merely sighed. If this was going to be a conversation to have, there was no better time than the present to have it. After all, she didn’t know what would happen later in this forsaken place. Steeling herself, she spared a glance over to him and met his eyes for a moment. “I just wanted to apologize. I fear that I may not have been the perfect host for you over these past few weeks...neither have I been a good friend.”
If nothing else took him by shock, this did it. He gave a half grin and shrugged, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You’ve been awesome.” He looked ahead of them and scratched his chin in thought. “An alien appears in your world and you take him in. You clean him up, give him a place to live, and teach him the ways of your world. I’d say that’s being a pretty good host.” After another moment’s thought, and noticing she was still silent, he continued. “And the friend thing? I wouldn’t really know. You’ve been extremely kind to me. You’ve been there through everything since I arrived. You’ve even put yourself out a few times to make sure I was at least moderately happy when I didn’t think I could be. Again, I’d say that adds up fairly well to you being just what you think you haven’t been.”
Celestia smiled despite herself. This human always had a way to say just what she wanted to hear. Focusing her eyes forward once again, “Perhaps. Then if I may, I would like to apologize for something else. Something I’m sure you’ve noticed recently.” When she felt that Cale had looked back to her, she continued. “You mentioned before we left that you...care for me. I believe that I’ve come to care for you in a similar manner.”
Sensing that there was much more than this to Celestia’s apology, Cale kept silent, listening as if in rapture. “I’ve been so foolish. In my lifetime I have met so many ponies. Some find a way into my heart, but most pass as just another face, only to be lost in the passing of time. So few leave a lasting impression on me. Don’t get me wrong, I love all my subjects, and I always will. But there’s rarely a time when I’ll go out of my way for somepony. The last to have such an effect was Twilight Sparkle. When I first met her when she was but a filly, I had no idea she would turn out so promising. And now she has joined me as an Alicorn, both blessed and cursed to live countless lives.”
Celestia hung her head and sighed, “It’s rather sad, you know. To watch loved ones grow old and die, while you stay young and continue to live. It’s a pain I myself have learned to cope with. But poor Twilight has yet to live through these circumstances. I doubt she’s even given them any thought. She’s so happy, and she loves her friends so dearly. But one day in the not so distant future, they will all pass. Her heart will break, and mine in empathy for her own.” She looked up and met his gaze once again, tears forming in her suddenly eternally old eyes. “One day, you will pass as well.”
Cale started to say something, but nothing came out. His mind was totally blank. He had never once thought of her life like this. To be immortal...he had fantasized about it, sure. Who hasn’t? But he had never thought about it like that before. She stopped then, and he moved towards her subconsciously. She sat back on her haunches and reached out with her neck, beckoning him close. He obliged and wrapped his arms around her shoulders in a hug. That was when he felt her give a soft sob.
“I’ve become so chaste over the years. I’ve not felt a surge in my heart for anypony since I was but a filly. I had long ago conceded the fact that I would never feel love, outside of the love of a Princess for her people, or a sister. And then you stumbled into my life, and ever since that day my whole world view has been in shambles. I tried to deny it, to deny you. Which is why I scarcely spent time with you. And then Luna and Twilight went off on this quest of theirs and never returned, and I suddenly realized just how much I have to lose.”
She pulled back after a moment and stood. Cale just watched her with wide eyes. This was happening. She began moving forward again, and he followed dutifully, still listening.
“While it is true that Alicorns do not die from age, we can most certainly be killed. There has only been one instance of this in my existence, and that was of my parents. Back before the aether had become what it is now. There were nightmares then, and Equestria was brand new. We were attacked, and in their last breath, they banished the beast here. It was a long time ago...and even now I can still see their faces. So happy to have saved mine and Luna’s lives. Luna and I have been truly alone since that day.”
The tears had stopped, but Cale knew that she was still hurting. It took everything in him not to stop and hug her again. She continued on almost immediately after taking a ragged breath. “I know you had a life on your world. And I can only imagine the pain and longing you must be feeling for it. I wish I could return you, to make you happy again. But I am afraid I can not. And while I am saddened with this knowledge, I am also grateful. And ashamed for being so selfish. Because I…” She shook her head and gave him a wan smile, “...because I do not want you to go.”
That was it. That was what Cale had been expecting for some time now. But even when this was put into words, it still rocked him. And as he looked into her beautiful eyes, he knew that he didn’t want to leave either. That part of his heart that made him feel like he was betraying someone slowly started to give way to these new feelings. He knew he should hate himself. That he should put forth a stronger effort into finding a way home. But all he could do was softly whisper in his mind, Goodbye Haley...mom, dad.
It was an admission of both defeat and victory. In just three short weeks his life had taken on a whole new light. It was full of magic and a strange, new land. And now, as he looked Celestia in the eyes, he knew that there was a chance for a different kind of magic. One that bloomed from the heart.
He opened his mouth to reply, but was stopped short by the sound of an ear piercing scream. He immediately looked around, trying to pinpoint it’s location, Celestia doing the same. Her mouth opened and her pupils shrank, “Oh no...Twilight.” She took off at a full gallop, leaving Cale to run behind her.
She quickly lost him, though, leaving him to follow a stream of light emerging from her horn. And he followed it at full tilt, knowing she had laid it down for him. In the distance he saw flashes of light and heard yelling. He pushed himself as hard as he could, not quite knowing what he would find when he got there.
Celestia ran. She ran as fast as she could. She could still hear the echo of Twilight’s scream fading in her mind.
Something had happened.
Her most faithful student was in trouble. And she still had no idea what had become of her sister. She knew she shouldn’t have left Cale like she had, especially not after coming clean to him like she had. But she had lost herself in fear and panic, and she knew that she would never reach the two that have always mean so much to her without racing ahead at full speed.
At least she had thought enough to leave a trail of light for him to follow. That, in of itself, should be enough. So long as he stayed on that trail, he shouldn’t encounter anything until he arrived.
She stopped suddenly as she came upon the dimly lit scene. On the ground in two crumpled masses were her student and another pony whose name escaped her for the moment. And standing above their bloody bodies was none other than her sister. But she was as she had been all those years ago. No longer was she the regal, elegant companion whom she shared so much.
The Nightmare had reclaimed her.
Celestia ground her teeth and snorted a challenge. “Nightmare Moon.” She dug at the ground with a forehoof and shook her head, never taking her eyes off the one before her. “Sister...what have you done…?”
The night mare shook her head and laughed that cold, maniacal laugh. “Sister? Ha! Don’t speak to me as such. You know very well what and who I am. Your hatred filled sibling is merely a vessel. And now,” she raised her head derisively, “it’s time for your rule to come to an end.”
When Cale finally reached the area where Celestia’s light had guided him, he could hardly believe his eyes. Above him were Celestia and what looked like Luna engaged in some kind of crazy battle. And before him lay two barely breathing ponies. He had to rip his eyes away from the spectacle above as he rushed to their sides.
Both were badly injured, the powder blue one much more so, but they would survive. Hopefully. He wasn’t exactly sure, but they didn’t look like they had any fatal wounds. Cursing under his breath he tried to stir Twilight from unconsciousness.
A few shakes and some loud words proved to be enough before the lavender mare slowly opened her eyes. She quickly inhaled and then shook, overcome by a fit of coughing. “Nnngh!”
Cale stroked her cheek, “It’s okay! Celestia is here.” He tried to give a reassuring smile, but it faded just as quickly.
Twilight looked around for a moment, then her eyes met the fight going on above them. She whimpered for a moment before looking to her side and seeing Trixie. “I-is she...okay?”
Cale looked to the pony in question before looking back to Twilight, “I think so. She’s a lot worse off than you are, but I think you’ll both make it.” His brow furrowed and he sat down fully, letting Twilight rest her head in his lap. The look of pure concern on his face made Twilight worry. “What’s going on, anyway? Why is Celestia fighting Luna? Did she do this to you?”
Twilight shook her head, still unsure about her ability to speak. But she knew she needed to tell someone about what the Nightmare had said. If for nothing else, than to know that someone knew the story. “It’s the...Nightmare. It t-took over Trixie because Trixie has hate in her heart. Even a small amount is enough to allow it entrance. When Trixie was f-fully subjugated, it put together a plan to bring about P-Princess Celestia’s end.”
Another fit of coughing took her, this time ending in some blood splattering across her lips. She wasn’t sure just how much damage she had taken from being so brutally beaten by Nightmare Moon. But she knew that at least two of her ribs were cracked. Maybe a punctured lung, too? That would explain all the coughing. Her vision spun for a moment before she could think clearly again.
“S-she said that she brought you into our world for Celestia t-to fall in love with you. Said it would make her...weak. Weak enough to be defeated.” Her eyes went once again to the battle above. And, sure enough, Celestia was losing ground. Cries of pain could easily be heard.
Cale followed her gaze and groaned softly. From fear of Celestia’s life or his own, Twilight did not know. When he looked back, though, he asked the question she fully expected. “What is the Nightmare though?”
Twilight shrugged her shoulders. “B-best I can tell, an evil from the beginning of Equestria. B-born from fear. It took over Luna once...but my friends and I defeated it. We thought it had been destroyed. We were wrong.”
Any further talk was disrupted as another brilliant cry of pain echoed above them. They both quickly looked up, only to see Celestia falling from the aether to land with a loud crash not ten feet from them. Cale carefully lowered Twilight’s head back to the ground and rushed to Celestia’s side, dropping to his knees and whispering words of hope to her.
Celestia’s eyes flickered open, and she gave a soft smile as she saw him there. Before any words could be exchanged, however, Nightmare Moon towered over them both. “Ha! The human. It only figures you would rush to her side like this.” She snorted and dug into the ground with her hoof.
“You know, I really must thank you. You did your job perfectly. She was so conflicted, her heart wavering, that defeating her was a simple matter, really. Especially without those pesky Elements around.” The silver adorned mare lowered her eyes to meet Cale’s, and she smiled wickedly. “How about I send you home now? Back to the life you left behind? All you have to do is abandon this feeble excuse for a princess and it shall be done. So…what say you, human?”
Cale blanched. A way to go home…? After all this time. After everything he had come to know and love about Equestria. After coming to terms with the fact that he would never see his family or Haley ever again. He stood and took a couple steps back from Celestia, who just looked on in both understanding, and sadness.
Cale’s eyes bounced back and forth between the two princesses. The sun and the moon. It really came down to this, didn’t it? He knew what would happen if he stayed. He would die, right here with these ponies. But if he went home, he could pretend it never happened.
Yeah, right.
His jaw set, he stepped between Celestia and Nightmare Moon, holding his arms out defensively.
“Fuck. You.”
Nightmare Moon rolled with laughter, actually taking a step back to truly appreciate the scene spread out before her. “Oh! This really is too much! The human has decided to stay and protect his protector, has he? How very noble of you. I suppose you fell in love with her as well, then? It makes no difference. On more stain on my hooves means nothing.”
She lowered her horn and took a step forward, the black magic already swirling out in a corona of power. “Make sure you wait for Celestia in the afterlife, human.”
Cale closed his eyes and waited for the magic to take him. His mind raced with all sorts of ways he would die. Explode, ripped to shreds, simply evaporated.
But when that black ball of mana struck his chest, none of that happened. All he felt was a warm tingling in his chest. His eyes opened and he looked around, only to find three auras wrapped around his body. His body which...was vanishing…
Celestia stood to his right, her golden aura stretching from her horn, lines of concentration pulling at her face.
Twilight to his left, albeit on much shakier limbs, with the same strain pouring into her purple aura.
And, surprisingly, the last, dark blue, aura belong to Luna herself, who seemed to be at battle with the monster inside her.
With an enraged cry Luna fell to her knees, “Get out of me, beast! You’ll control me no more!”
Then, just like that, the black spirit of the Nightmare rocketed out from Luna, taking on a shapeless cloud above them. Without missing a beat, all three auras of magic around Cale’s body shot up and encapsulated the cloud, then shrunk to nothing.
All four of them collapsed, and the last thing Cale remembered was that warm feeling returning to his limbs as he slowly drifted off.
Celestia stood on the balcony to her chambers once again, overlooking the rising sun with as little disdain as possible. Only this time, she was not alone. Twilight and Luna stood on either side of her, comforting her in their presence.
They had returned only days before, and none of them had been able to truly understand what had happened in the aether. Somehow Cale had managed to take hold of all of their magic and redirect it back to the Nightmare. They didn’t know if it was defeated for good, but it was gone for the time being.
When they had awoken in the aether they had originally rejoiced, thinking that the matter had been resolved with them coming out mostly unscathed. Only to realize upon trying to awaken Cale that the strain upon his body had simply been too much. He wasn’t meant to channel magic at all, especially not the magic of three Alicorns at once plus the magic of the Nightmare.
In the end, he had sacrificed himself for Celestia, refusing to leave her to her fate and return home. It was ironic, really. Nightmare had never planned on the human to fall in love with the pony. So the sacrifice was made, just not the one it wanted.
Celestia shook her head and closed her eyes, tears forming and falling silently. The funeral had been the day before. And it had been a grand spectacle, even if a small and private one. Only the ponies who knew him directly were invited, and each gave their best wishes to the four that had survived.
Luna and Twilight and exchanged looks before leaning over and resting against Celestia. The diarch took what strength she could draw from her closest friend and her beloved sister, and opened her eyes to gaze at the new light breaking over the horizon.
With what resolve she could muster, she spoke softly, where just Luna and Twilight could hear.
“Thank you, both of you.”
She pulled away and made her way back into her chambers, her heart aching and her mind dull. The world did not wait on her, so she could not wait on the world. Duties had to be attended. The country needed to be ran.
But for her? She’d never be able to watch the sun rise the same again.
Time was rarely something that Celestia cared for. She had lived for far too long to worry about so minor a thing as time. The years went by just like all the others before them had done. She made friends, she had students, and she watched them die. For a long time, she had allowed her heart to turn to stone. Especially after everything that had happened with Luna all those years ago.
But something happened that had caused her to feel again. She had met someone, someone who had changed her. And now, even though it had been almost two years since his death, she still mourned for him. It wasn’t often that an immortal cried over the life of a mortal. Even the ones that she held closest to her rarely invoked the tears of pain that she now shed.
She was grateful for the company she kept, though. Those that would share this eternity with her. There were only a few, but she loved them dearly. Her sister, Luna, had been there since the very beginning. Princess Cadence had come much later, and then Twilight some time after that. It was strange, if she thought about it, how at one time she had expected to have no one to share this empty life with. But now she had many, and she was happy for that, if nothing else.
Still, their company could only do so much. Because when she was alone, especially early in the morning when she was raising the sun, a tidal wave of emotions would come crashing down around her. Some days she would cry and keep herself locked away from the world. Other days she collapsed in and around herself, showing no one the hurt and heartache she felt inside.
Not today, though. No, on this day as she raised the sun, a smile actually pulled at her lips. Because she thought, if only for a moment, that she saw his smile on the horizon. It was as if he was telling her that this was not the way she should live. She needed to be there for her friends and family, and for her kingdom. And she needed to live a full life, even if it was an eternity, for him.
A single tear rolled from her eye as she set the sun in it’s path for the day, and she smiled a real smile for the first time in almost two years. She finally understood what his sacrifice had meant. Oh, she had always known that it had been for the greater good. That if he hadn’t of done what he had, that it was likely Equestria would have been much different right now.
No, she finally understood what his death meant to her. He had never been placed before her for her to spend her life with. He had been an opportunity for real love, and she had taken advantage of that. He had showed her, in his brief time here, that she needed to be the kind and compassionate Celestia with all of her citizens as she had been with him.
The pain she had felt when he died was the wake up call that she had needed. It was a jolt to her system, waking her up to the world around her. It had just taken her all this time to fully realize that.
The facade she had used for so many generations would no longer be needed, because she knew now what she had forgotten. To be the ruler that was supposed to be, she had to feel every death, take in every pain, and feel them as deeply as she could. She had lost her empathy somewhere along the way, and while Twilight had brought a bit of it back, it had taken Cale and his death to bring it back the rest of the way.
So, as she turned away from the early morning sun, she knew that this was not just a new dawn for her kingdom, but for her as well. And she was going to be the pony that Cale had loved, and she was going to make him proud.
