A griffon considered a pony that was not considered food. Both were predators, savage creatures who survived by any means necessary. Festus eyed the lunar pegasus in the sling, wondering just what to make of Coronach. There were stones that were more reasonable than the blind hairy brute bound in bandages.

Stones that were also a lot softer too, and a lot less durable.

Festus scratched his head, ruffling his own feathers, and then resumed his note taking and diagram sketches. Before him, bandages had been peeled back and a wound was visible, a ragged gash that had torn an opening that went down to the ribs. Festus sketched what he saw carefully, noting the anatomy, the thickness of the bones, the extra layer of fat that existed between the meat and the flesh, cataloguing every detail, just as he had done for so many other wounds that were found on Coronach.

The observant and sharp eyed griffon had already filled several notebooks in a short time, mostly working at night when the others were asleep and there was little else to do. He was a dedicated physician, not only to his patients, but to future patients, future students, and future generations. He was going to leave behind copious notes to make sure that his sworn enemy would be dealt with, even if he was no longer around to do so.

“You seem quiet tonight,” Coronach grumbled, his voice still raspy and weak, straining to come out of his battered and abused throat.

“I am worried, tomorrow night we finally move you. Another wall has fallen, this whole castle crumbles as we speak,” Festus replied, his quill scratching over rough paper. “Tell me my friend, why do you keep resisting? Why must you keep fighting? You have become the very bane of Princess Celestia’s existence. If I didn’t know better, I would say that she is becoming fixated on her visits to feed you. She seems to take a perverse pleasure in making you submit. Why must you be such a beast?”

“He who makes a beast out of himself gets rid of the pain of being a pony,” Coronach replied.

“You and your damnable philosophy!” the griffon snapped in annoyance. “I am not in the mood to engage you in moral combat this evening.”

The bandaged brute gave a weak snort and hung there in sullen silence.

“Wait, are you making Princess Celestia become a beast?” Festus asked, his beak clicking in annoyance as he spoke. “Damn you, you made me take the bait you horrible manipulative brute! Are you trying to take away her pain in some horrible twisted way?”

Coronach said nothing, but sat in silence, doing his best to radiate smugness. He succeeded too, he could hear the griffon’s growing agitation. Several beak clicks, a rustle of feathers, the clack of claws striking together, all of which brought Coronach an immense feeling of satisfaction.

“Even now, you are trying to serve some purpose for her, trying to protect her in some odd perverse way, trying to give her some task that forces her to rise to the occasion and engage herself and her relentless need for conquest. I bet you think you’re clever,” the griffon accused.

The clever pony remained silent, knowing that if he did so, the griffon would keep talking for much of the night and keep him company.

“Threnody, I need your assistance, but I am hesitant to ask you,” Celestia asked of her page.

“Anything you ask, I will do,” Threnody replied, bowing her head.

“Threnody, what if I were to ask you to do something for me that is morally reprehensible?” Celestia said, unable to look at her page as she spoke.

“Well, that would depend what it is your Majesty,” Threnody answered in neutral tones, her eyes darting around and realising that they were completely alone. The guard had left.

“Before I ask you the big question, I’d like to ask a few minor questions. Can you shadow dive? Can you become one with the shadow like most of your kind, insubstantial wisps? Can you go into dreams?” the troubled monarch asked, sounding very uncomfortable.

“I can shadow dive, and do so for several minutes at a time. I do have the gift of dream walking, but it is weak and untrained,” Threnody answered and explained. “I am also have shadow clairaudience. Anywhere the dark lies, I have ears. I am not shadow clairvoyant though, like some rare few.”

“Oh my,” Celestia gasped, in spite of herself. “That is useful.”

“It can be, it allows for survival in dark places,” Threnody admitted.

“I need you to spy for me Threnody,” Celestia said bluntly. “When we arrive at Canterhorn Fortress, there is going to be a delegation of unicorns waiting for us. They want to discuss terms of boundaries as they tear away a piece of my beloved Equestria and break away to form a new land. I need information, anything I can get to use against them and set them against one another if I can.”

“I see,” Threnody whispered in a low voice.

“I hope that you can help me, but if you are unwilling, I hope you can forgive me for placing you in this uncomfortable situation of having to refuse me,” Celestia said, now looking Threnody in the eye.

“I am morally flexible,” Threnody said in a sibilant whisper, her fangs catching her lower lip slightly as she spoke. “I like to keep my morals in the same condition as my body. Flexible. Strong. And adaptive. You have saved my sire, and no matter what you say, I am indebted to you and I will do anything you ask of me. If I am to be your eyes and ears as well as your page, well, I shall do so, and with pleasure.”

Celestia smiled, feeling a deep sense of relief.

“The Sun casts a Shadow,” Threnody said, now smiling as well.

The Solar Monarch rose into the air, riding in a chariot, Coronach held aloft in her magic. She turned, giving one final glance behind her, feeling the sting of tears in her eyes as she did so. Her foalhood home was now a ruin to be abandoned, full of ghosts and bad memories. She had said one final goodbye to Clover, and then she had collapsed the passage, a terrible dread prompting her to take extreme measures.

There were reports of the dead rising.

It was not believable in the slightest, it was just superstitious commoners left troubled by the recent events, but it had filled Celestia with terrible worry. She had sent out trustworthy guards to find out if there was any truth to the rumours though. A monarch could never be too careful.

Threnody flew alongside the chariot for now, knowing that if she became tired she would be allowed to board. Festus sat beside Celestia, eyeing Coronach, worry in his eyes. Heat Stroke flew along the other side of the chariot, his broad wings easily catching the updrafts and sending him soaring.

It was over, home was gone, the empire was in a smoking ruin, and near exile in Canterhorn fortress awaited her. Things looked grim. Things looked worse now than they ever did with Discord. Or Sombra. Equestria was gutted, no enemy had ever been this successful in destroying her beloved country.

Celestia wept as home shrank away into the black woods behind her.

Secure in his new location, Coronach hung, suspended by a sling, now hanging in a balcony door, feeling the moonlight. He had felt it during the entire flight as well. It revitalised him, gave him strength, relieved his pain. Celestia had fed him, and as was usual, he had fought and resisted her. Threnody stood on the balcony, occasionally touching him on the snoot, gently, grateful to have a peaceful moment with her sire. Celestia was in a room nearby, asleep finally, getting some rest before having to lower the moon and raise the sun.

The moonlight was warm and soothing on Coronach’s skin, soaking through the bandages, filling him with a sense of renewed vigour.

“Threnody?” he asked, his voice sounding a little stronger.

“Yes sire?” Threnody asked, turning to look at her father.

“How was your ceremony into pagehood?” Coronach asked, finding himself troubled to try and make small talk with his daughter. He did not want to talk to her, he wanted to hold her.

“Quiet. A few witnesses. A lot of ponies refused to show up. They were quite offended. The nobles that remained loyal to Celestia wanted the spot for their own offspring, and had trouble believing that the Princess would give such a coveted spot to a… “creature” like myself,” Threnody replied.

“Threnody, could you call me ‘father’ or ‘dad’ or something less formal? I know you mean to be respectful, but can’t we just be ourselves around one another?” Coronach asked, his voice a low faint whisper that most ponies would be deaf to and unable to hear.

The lunar pegasus filly studied her parent, quite shocked and stunned at his soft words. Dropping protocol could mean a flogging. She was well past the age where she could get away with using words like ‘dad’ and not be in endless trouble for it.

However, those that enforced protocol were mostly gone. There were so few of them left now. Celestia had the others like them, the young who had survived, secured away, hoping to show kindness and keep them safe.

Her sire’s request was baffling. Threnody had no idea how to respond. “I will do as you request of me father,” she said, finally getting words out.

“Don’t do it because I ask it, do it because you want to and you mean it,” Coronach requested.

“But I am, father. Do not mistake my words. Do you think I am any less stubborn than you? Do you think you could force me into something that I had no desire doing?” Threnody asked.

“I suppose not,” Coronach admitted.

“Father, do you think we can rebuild? Is there any hope for our nation? It saddens me to think that all of this is brought to ruin,” Threnody said, speaking her heart, exposing her vulnerable side in the safety of her father’s presence.

“I want to believe anything is possible,” Coronach answered in gasping wheeze, wishing he could actually see the moon.

In her bed, Celestia dreamed. Instead of earth covered in dead withered plants, things were green once again. The grass was soothing and cool against her fetlocks and upon her frogs. There was dew in the grass, and droplets clung to her legs as she walked through the tall fronds. The trees were green and full of of life. It was the dark hour just before dawn, when the birds were chirping and letting the world now that the sun was coming.

Her home was whole again, her foalhood home, perfect and new, each tower, each wall, each section back in place, golden light illuminating the windows, indicating those who were the early risers. She walked among the grounds, overjoyed, so happy to have everything back again.

She saw Luna, Luna as she once was, carefree and smiling again, before the darkness took her, Luna as she was before Discord’s torture and Sombra’s terrible assault. Luna was frolicking in the tall grass, laughing her musical laugh, carefree and trying to get her sister to play with her, her wings spread out and fluttering.

Before Celestia’s eyes, Luna began to change, warping, twisting, becoming the bitter and hate filled mare that she had become, her smile now gone, her merry eyes darkened with rage and fury, her joyful face a twisted parody of what it once was. Blackness began to creep along her skin, starting from her hooves, slowly traveling up her legs.

Coronach appeared, still whole in body, moving swiftly, his destiny mark visible in the light now streaming from Luna’s horn. The sun and the moon, each one a half that made a whole, with a starburst of silver light in the background. Coronach moved swiftly, impossibly fast, the sort of speed only his kind were capable of as they moved through shadow.

Celestia stood frozen, unable to move, unable to stop what she was seeing.

Now glowing with fierce intensity, Luna’s horn pointed straight at Celestia, right as Coronach slammed into her, bowling her over. The magical burst flew wide and missed Celestia, striking the palace instead, leaving it in ruins. As it crumbled down, the sun rose.

Terrible screams came from Coronach as he ignited, bursting into flames as the sun touched his skin,. Luna exploded into ashes, blowing away in the breeze, everything the ashes touched crumbled and died, the whole forest around them dying and turning grey. The grass died as the ashes swirled above. Everything went dead as Luna’s ashes passed near.

With a final terrible gasp, Coronach expired, leaving behind blackened bones and little else when the flames finally died down.

It began to rain bones. Pony bones. They fell from the heavens by the thousands. The sun rose on a dead lifeless world where bones rained down from the sky and nothing lived. Nothing but Celestia.

Celestia awoke screaming.

Threnody had reached her first, standing beside her bed as the guard came into her room in force, looking around, trying to find a threat. Several eyed Threnody with concern, but none with open contempt.

In her bed, Celestia did not look well, sweating heavily, panting, her pupils faint pinpricks, and she had done what many considered unthinkable, flooding her own bed with urine.

Nopony said a word.

Being female, and having good strong female sensibilities, Threnody began to herd the male members of the guard out of the room, hissing at them and baring her fangs, prodding them gently with her wings when they balked. The female members of the guard, wearing poorly fitting armor, realised what Threnody was doing and moved to assist her, hoping to recover their Monarch’s dignity. It took some time, but eventually the room was cleared.

The room itself was sparse, barely decorated, but quite large. It had been a barracks at one point, and had been repurposed to be Celestia’s quarters, with an addition for Coronach to to be close by.

“Prepare a bath for her you dimwits!” Threnody hissed, her mood soured beyond repair. She had no official capacity for command, but her martial culture gave her the ultimate air of authority.

The female pegasi moved to another room, pulling down a large heavy copper basin from a hook on the wall, and then made a call for water to be brought. Pegasi flew to Celestia’s balcony, bearing buckets, which were taken by the female pegasi and poured into the copper tub.

“Your Majesty, a bath is being prepared for you, we will need your magic to heat it,” Threnody said, gently touching Celestia with her hoof.

Celestia rolled over, opened her eyes, and looked at Threnody, wiping her cheeks with a forelock. Tears stained her face. She looked nothing at all like the regal monarch that she was, she looked like a scared foal that had seen some horror lurking in the shadows. She had the hiccups, and she made unladylike noises with each hitch of her barrel, faint belching noises as she tried to draw breath.

“I saw Coronach die,” Celestia said in between hiccups.

“Just a dream your Highness, nothing more,” Threnody soothed.

“No, it was more than a dream… the sun rose. It destroyed him and my sister, and everything the ashes touched died and withered,” Celestia sobbed, now crying again.

“Come now, let us get you out of bed and into the big copper tub for a soak. You’ll feel better. It always feels good to clean up,” Threnody said, trying to coax Celestia from her bed.

A pair of unicorn maids entered the room, groggy with sleep, armed with fresh linens and cleaning supplies.

“Stay with me, “ Celestia begged of the lunar pegasi by her bed.

“Of course your Majesty,” Threnody reassured.

“Save me from the dark,” Celestia whimpered.

Threnody felt quite unnerved seeing the large white alicorn reduced to this level. Alicorns were proud and noble creatures, beings of immense power and grace. And this one seemed more like the common pony at the moment.

It was a bothersome thought.

“I will do whatever it is required of me to ensure your comfort,” Threnody promised, her voice a soothing whisper she reserved for when she was watching foals and guarding the rookery.

Celestia rose unsteadily, her legs weak and wobbling. Several pegasi females moved to assist her, saying nothing, their faces grim with determination.

One of the maids heated the water in the tub, saving Celestia the trouble. It was half full, and the bucket brigade had ceased its activities.

Celestia carefully stepped in and sank down, the tub almost too small for her body. She sat down first, and then lowered in her barrel, leaving only her neck sticking up out of the water.

“Thank you,” she said, closing her eyes.

Threnody stood watch, keeping the terrors of the night away.

Author's Note

This story comes slowly.

Some stories, like The Chase, coming pouring out. This one has to be teased. I have sections done inside of my head, but not all sections.

This story takes a lot more effort to craft than some of my other works. I really have to try and get inside of Celestia's head and try to see the world as she might have saw it to tell a story, and that is no easy task.

Been studying a little bit about crumbled empires.