The Only Chapter
"Fluttershy, I'm glad you've come." Celestia told the yellow Pegasus as they both had a seat at one of the Canterlot courtyards many tables. With a pressed look of concern on the pony princesses face.
"I am happy to oblige, now what was it you called me for again?" Fluttershy asked blissfully, taking a sip of her nice warm honey flavored tea the servants were kind enough to bring both of them.
"I know you have been asking questions about how you obtained your stare." Celestia said. Fluttershys senses sharpened the moment she heard those words roll off of Celestia's tongue, ears perking up. Pupils widening. Almost spitting her tea all over a certain princess.
"You... You know where it came from?" Fluttershy asked. This was a question that had been pecking at her mind the second she had learned of it because nopony else had been able to do it.
"Indeed I do. But it is not a tale for the faint of heart. If you want to know it won't be a pleasant story." Celestia assured the pegasus. Sitting her small decorative glass on the table carefully with her magic. Fluttershy pondered this question for a moment, she had indeed passed out from far less before. Or at least she thought, the only insight in this story being from Celestia.
"I'm sure." She finally decided. Knowing it would be for the best to find out where this strange ability came from.
"Well its settled then." Celestia said, the concern growing to a dangerous size. Relieving some of the pressure by sighing.
"This isn't something you have to do if you don't want to." Fluttershy told the regent of the sun as the princess stood up and walked over to a small area of the garden with a window that views out over the entire Ponyville/Everfree area. Fluttershy soon following suit. "Do you see what I see?"
"It's beautiful." Fluttershy said in awe of the landscape in front of her. The vast snow capped mountain ranges. The rivers twisting and turning forming an elegant work of art. The endless tree tops that dominated that part of Equestria. All of the pure beauty that this land holds.
"No, I used to see it like that. But know all I see are timers. Like all those ponies down in Ponyville. Some are just being set, some are about to expire. But all are timers. There are some that haven't started ticking yet and some that are ringing as we speak. Everypony dies sooner or later. Even my sister and I will die some day. But for you to understand the story, you have to see things that way." Fluttershy briefly nodded before taking another look outside the window. Trying to see what Celestia sees. Forcing her eyes to see the un seeable. But she realized it's not her eyes that need ajusting, but her train of thought. Like a switch in her head, she pulled a lever sending the train down another path. One that many ponies don't get on until the end of the line.
She looked out of the window one more time, squinting her eyes. What she saw horrified her. The trees in the Everfree were wilted. Ponyville was in taters. All the houses were collapsing in on their self and it looked like it hadn't been inhabited in over fifty years. Yellow dust blew over the lifeless town where she played and had fun. She winced back and blunk her eyes a few times before the reality set back in.
"Horrible, isn't it?" Celestia asked.
"No offense. But how do you go on like that?" Fluttershy asked, still recovering from the sight.
"It's something you get used to. In my life time all my friends have came and went. All I'm doing is embracing the truth." Celestia closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. "Now that you saw the world the way I have, I can begin."
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"Long, long ago when Luna and I were still fillies. There used to be an animal shelter with a nice Mare that always took care of the animals there. Luna and I would always sneak out to play with the animals when we had the chance too. We would spend a lot of our time there, even as we grew older. But once it was time for my sister and I to take over the kingdom, that had to stop. The mare would come to visit from time to time but she was no different from any other mare. She grew old, and with that age came the inevitable fate. Death. But I couldn't just let her die alone." A tear started to form in the princesses eye.
"You don't have to continue if you don't want to." Fluttershy assured the now crying princess Celestia by wrapping her in her hooves.
"You remind me so much of her." Celestia balled inside of Fluttershy's hooves. Snuggling in deeper for warmth. Having to bend over because of the size difference.
"I saw her pain and wanted to repay what she had done for me." She continued, still in Fluttershy's hug. "I went to stay with her for her last moments. Even with me there she was still dying alone. She had never had a family of her own. Her mother died giving birth and her father left when she was a filly. So she didn't want the same to happen to anypony or anything else. So she decided to start to take care of animals. Making the better when the got hurt of felt sad. I had to do something. Her last words whispered to me were 'You gave my life meaning. Seeing you run around and play with the animals. The world can be a cruel place, promise me that you will always see the good in everything and spread happiness.' Who was I to say no. I promised and those words had been the inspiration for the school for gifted unicorns. The old mare was dying in front of me. I acted on instinct to give her a second chance. I cast a spell that will cause her to be reborn but with no memory of her past life. She had the stare just like you do now." Celestia said, pulling away from the pegasus, wiping the tears from her cheeks. The realization set in like one of Applejacks apple-bucking kicks. "And I think you are her."
Fluttershy stood there in silence for a moment, feeling her own tears flow down her cheeks. Standing there in awe at what she just heard. "I'm, I'm so sorry."
"No, don't be." Tears started to form in Celestia's eyes again. "If it weren't for her you wouldn't be here and your friends wouldn't have their cutie marks."
"Is that also why I'm an orphan?" Fluttershy asked.
"I wouldn't call you an orphan. I'm basically your mother." Fluttershy walked slowly over to Celestia. Putting her head on her chest and pulling her into a tight hug. Celestia was all to happy to hug back. She started to cry as they both held each other in their embrace.