Strange Days: Amelioration

The warm light of a midday sun lit the throne room in a comforting glow, complementing the silence that hung over the room nicely. Guards and visitors alike had been dismissed and the day court brought to an early close, and a very short list had been given for those allowed back in until Celestia said otherwise. Those that had not outright voiced their objections had left in hushed whispers, undoubtedly gossiping about the possible reasons behind the abrupt and unexplained end. Celestia had no doubts that she would likely need to run damage control by the day’s end, but for the time being she had the peace and quiet she desired.

Slouching over until she was laid out on the dais, Celestia levitated her crown aside and rubbed the spot between her ears, letting out a sigh that echoed in the cavernous room as she attempted to relax. It wasn’t quite noon yet, and she was already in need of a drink with a little more kick than coffee. A small headache had set in during the last hour or so, progressively growing worse thanks to a meeting with a particularly frustrating group of nobles and the city council, who were doing their best to keep the city running despite what seemed like constant attempts to undermine their efforts at every turn.

She couldn't believe that they had scheduled an audience just to argue over the rights to access a public park. Well, no, she could. These were the kind of nobles with old money and a prestigious name, and believe it entitles them to whatever they desire. They would schedule an audience just to complain that the sun was too bright and demand she fixed it. So the real question was how such a petty issue had made it past the system of secretarial delegates, whose jobs were to filter out and deal with such things.

Shaking her head to clear the nonsense, Celestia took a long, slow breath and pushed the matter aside. She could find out who was being bribed later. With a little magic to soothe the drums playing in her skull, Celestia sighed again as the pain began to ebb away and leave her in peace… until she became distinctly aware of that she was being watched.

Pushing herself back up into a sitting position, Celestia replaced her crown with exaggerated care, taking the time to look the room over for signs of an intruder. This wasn’t the first time she had experienced the feeling. Over the past two weeks it had become an increasingly common occurrence, sometimes even following her through the castle. Yet each time she had tried to locate the source the feeling would vanish. She had nearly dismissed it as her own worries playing tricks on her mind, until she had overheard a conversation amongst the staff about similar sensations throughout the castle.

As always, there were no visual signs of an intruder, but this had come to be something she expected, and even used to ensure it wasn’t simply a guard or somepony else watching from around a corner. Faking a dainty yawn, Celestia closed her eyes and focused. After confirming it was not a figment of her imagination, she had begun testing, using different spells in attempt to locate her unseen visitor. Unfortunately it had only revealed a fact even more disturbing than knowing she was being watched: whoever it was spying on her, it was unusually familiar with her magic. As long as she only cast common spells, ones that did not serve to locate the source, it would remain. But the moment she tried anything that could conceivably locate it, it would somehow flee, leaving behind nothing more than an eerie feeling and a memory. This time, however, she had a plan. An old and obscure trick that might just be vague enough to reveal her intruder’s location without alerting it.

Masking the glow of her horn with a simple illusion—a trick she knew did little to prevent her attempts from being discovered, but would still buy her a little time—Celestia cast a second spell on herself, feeling a faint tingle that let her know it had taken effect. Slowly opening her eyes, she took note of the numerous glowing auras in a desaturated world, and was pleased to see her magic detection spell was working properly. So far all of her spells had been probe-like in function. They reached out and touched all around her, and she suspected that that had been the cause of her previous failures. This spell was different, and was nothing if not discrete.

The room itself was alight with magic thanks to the many pyres that lined the sides and kept the room lit at night, but aside from their glow, the only other auras she found laid beyond the walls and doors. Outside the main entrance she could see five distinct auras, all clearly identifiable as guards thanks to the enchantments of their armor. By their position, two of them were the normal guards positioned outside the doors, pegasi, judging by the way their magic gathered at their sides. The remaining three were unicorns, two of them the ponies who opened the massive doors, and the last was likely her Captain of the Guard, who had been very vocal in his opposition of the guards being dismissed as well. The Captain was pacing back and forth before the door, an object held in front of him in his magic, and his distress visible in the way his magic swirled like a contained storm. Celestia frowned for a moment as she considered this. When he left the room he had been frustrated with her, but not to this extent. She would have to look into that later.

Other auras came and went from her field of detection, all ponies going about their business throughout the castle, but aside from the Captain, none of them were lingering long enough nor using enough magic to be the source. As she began to lose heart in her attempt, Celestia moved towards the window nearest her, ready to resign herself to another failure and simply scare off the intruder for some privacy. Then she saw it; on the edge of her peripheral vision, something moved just a bit too far. Catching herself from snapping her head towards it, Celestia continued on her path, positioning herself next to the window to appear as if she were looking out it, while keeping an angle where she could discretely but clearly view her intruder.

On the far side of the room, near the entrance doors, an unusually dim aura was cleverly hidden behind one of the pyres. Although it had shifted itself to position the pyre between itself and Celestia once more, Celestia could still make it out, sitting a little too far to one side of the object that concealed it. Although she was loath to admit it, she had to credit the ingenuity of her intruder. Despite the flame being extinguished at the moment, the enchantment that kept the fires lit at night had done well to hide the intruder’s aura. Whoever, or perhaps whatever it was, it was smart.

Seemingly unaware that its cover had been blown, Celestia took the opportunity to try and study the entity. Its ethereal form suggested a ghost at first, but a distinct lack of presence made her doubt the possibility. All of her encounters suggested a keen intellect, but no ghost of such cognizance had such a vague, fleeting form. An astral projection of some form was the likely case here.

Absentmindedly reaching out with her magic, Celestia made contact with the entity for a brief moment before she recoiled in shock. It had lasted only a second before the intruder fled, but the feedback was like a tidal wave crashing down upon her. Her senses had been flooded with a fierce, overwhelming determination, fueled by an emotional maelstrom of immense sorrow and what she could only describe as an unsettling, collected rage.

Recovering from the initial shock she received, Celestia searched the place where the intruder had been, but found nothing by an eerily familiar distortion that brought a chilling thought to mind. It can’t be… it’s too soon. Could she have—

Noticing a surge in magic near the doors, Celestia glanced up and found that another pony was standing outside. With only two ponies currently allowed in on casual business, and only one of them in Canterlot at the moment, Celestia returned to the dais, putting on neutral smile as she took her seat.

As the doors opened and the pony stepped inside, Celestia’s smile quickly became an honest one, happy to find it was indeed her student, and not a messenger bearing bad news. “Trixie, my faithful student, so wonderful to see you this morning!” Glancing at the windows, Celestia grinned playfully and added, “What is left of it, at least.”

Seeing no further use for it, Celestia made to cancel the detection spell as Trixie began to cross the room, only to catch something that made her pause. Trixie’s aura had shuddered as she neared the pyre, and the mare herself hesitated before making a subtle but decidedly evasive change to her path. How curious….

Reaching the base of the dais, Trixie curtsied and returned the smile. “It’s good to see you too, Princess.”

“Is there something bothering you, Trixie?”

Catching the young mare off guard, Celestia watched as Trixie’s composure faulted momentarily before it was cleverly masked as confusion. “I’m sorry? I don’t understand.”

“You seemed troubled when you entered.” Celestia nodded towards the entrance with a gentle smile. “Was I mistaken?”

“Oh! Oh no, it was nothing—”

“Trixie.” It was neither encouragement or a command, but the authoritative tone and firm look Celestia had fixed Trixie with made the small mare squirm uncomfortably. She didn’t like resorting to the “authority card” with Trixie, but sometimes it was the only way to quickly deal with her student’s pride.

Celestia only had to wait a moment before Trixie’s resolve crumbled, and with a defeated sigh the mare gave in. “Right. I had a really strange dream last night, and when I was walking up here, something brought back the creepy feeling I had when waking up from that dream.”

“A strange dream, you say?” Moving to one side, Celestia patted the spot next to her as she gave Trixie a telling look. “What kind of dream was it? If I may ask.”

Taking the indicated spot, Trixie stared at her hooves in silence, seemingly lost in thought before she finally spoke. “I can only describe it as weird. A pony around my size had appeared before me, wearing a cloak with the hood drawn over its head. It kept asking if I knew a name, or the pony it belonged to. It seemed… disappointed, upset even that I did not.”

“They say our dreams occasionally try to tell us something. Perhaps this one was trying to remind you of somepony you’ve forgotten.” Celestia tried to give her a supportive smile. She had tried in the past to learn and understand them, but dreams and their meaning had never been her domain.

Trixie seemed to consider her words for a moment. “I guess so,” she started slowly. But there was something off about the pony. I could feel its presence in the dream; a powerful, magical presence. It reminds me of when I’m with you.”

A pony with a powerful presence; one like my own. Could it be? No, no. It could very well just be someone of significant meaning from her past. Age alters perception; perhaps this “powerful presence” is simply returning memory from a foal’s perspective. “You haven’t told me the name that this mysterious pony was asking you about. What was it?”

“I can’t remember; at least, not clearly. I want to say a part of it sounded like knight or bright, or something to that effect.”

Celestia shifted anxiously as the voice in the back of her mind once again suggested an unpleasant answer. It wasn’t so much the thought of her having returned that disturbed her; the time was upon them. But the idea that she had already returned, and was sneaking about contacting ponies in their dreams was highly unsettling. “How about the pony that was asking you? You said this pony was cloaked, do you remember any other details? The voice, perhaps?” She knew she was grasping at straws, but she needed a more definitive answer to her fears.

“That I remember. It had a creepy, hollow echo and was very distorted. I couldn’t tell if it was a mare or a stallion because of it.” Trixie shivered visibly, likely from the memory of the voice, so Celestia offered a warm smile in hopes of countering it.

“How curious. Do you remember anything else about the dream?”

Trixie shifted her weight around, settling down more as her expression grew more distant. “We were standing on clouds, far up in the night sky. I could see the lights of Canterlot below, as small as the stars above. The moon was full and large—very large: I felt as if I could have reached out and touched it.” Trixie stopped as her brows furrowed, then her eyes suddenly lit up. “I remember! At one point the pony had looked away, and I could see the end of its muzzle from under the hood. Its figure was blurry, but I distinctly remember it being dark in color, even in the moonlight.”

Celestia’s smile had quickly faded away as she listened to Trixie describe more of her dream. “Night… Trixie, did this pony say anything else to you? Anything at all?” For a moment her voice slipped, rising into a serious, almost demanding tone before she caught herself. Seeing Trixie flinch away a little, Celestia cringed mentally.

“N-no, Princess Celestia. It just kept asking if I knew the name, or if I was sure I didn’t. I guess after it realized I really didn’t know anything it decided to leave. Once it was gone the dream grew hazy, and I woke up suddenly.” As Celestia mulled over Trixie’s words, the small mare looked away and added softly, “The pony also kissed me before it left.”

Celestia just nodded. It all fit. Dreamwalking, astral projection and the “shadow” magic. But why would—then it clicked. “wait… what? The pony kissed you?”

“Y-yes,” Trixie answered cautiously.

Closing her eyes and taking a few long, deep breaths, Celestia tried to make heads or tails of the information. The magic, the description, the timing, it all fit. But not the kiss. A part of her prayed to the stars that it was all some poorly timed coincidence, and Trixie’s dream was nothing to worry about. But the logical side of her mind refused to believe it. But why kiss Trixie? Was she trying to actually seduce the mare? Or was it all some kind of mind game?

“Princess Celestia?” As her eyes snapped open to the interruption of her thoughts, Celestia found Trixie watching her apprehensively, even leaning away some. “Princess, is everything alright? Are you upset with me?”

Celestia’s thoughts and concerns began to calm as it started to register just how she probably appeared to Trixie. From her student’s point of view, it probably looked like she was preparing to cast divine judgement on her. “My apologies, Trixie, I am not angry with you at all. I have just been… distracted as of late. I am unsure of the meaning of your dream, but I suspect it may be trying to remind you of someone special from your past. Even I have recently been reminded of a pony dear to me from long ago.” Although Trixie relaxed a little, Celestia could still see the unease in her student’s body language. Continuing the subject was likely a bad idea. “Either way, should you experience any more dreams like this one, please tell me about them, understood?”

Trixie nodded slowly. “Yes, Princess.”

“Good. Now. Is there something you needed to talk to me about? You seemed to be on a mission when you first arrived.”

The change in Trixie’s demeanor was almost instant, and the young mare smiled brightly as she said, “Actually, there is something. You remember Ivy, my new friend, right?”

Thinking back, it took a minute before the name clicked. “Ah, yes. Isn’t she the young mare that wanted you to tutor her in magic? I have not had the pleasure of meeting her personally yet, I’m afraid. What of her?”

Trixie smiled sheepishly, giving Celestia a look that the Princess knew all too well. “Well, she wants to come with me when I go help with the Summer Sun Celebration in a few days. I told her I’d have to ask you first, though…”

“Of course she can go. I’m glad to see you are making new friends,” Celestia said with a gentle laugh. “Now, I do apologize for cutting our visit short, but there are some things I must attend to. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“Mmm, no, that’s all.”

“Alright. Have a wonderful day, and I shall see you later.”

Celestia maintained her smile as she watched Trixie get up and leave, but as the mare reached the door, she paused and turned around. “Princess?”

“Yes, Trixie?”

“Was that pony your friend?”

It took a second for Celestia to realize what Trixie had meant, but when she did a soft, sad smile spread across her lips. “Yes, you could say that. She and I were nearly inseparable.”

“Had you forgotten about her?”

Shaking her head slowly, Celestia’s tone grew more somber. “No. She may have faded from history, but I think of her every day. I will never forget her.”

“Ah.” Trixie stood silent, her gaze unfocused before she smiled, curtsied once more, and pulled the door open with her magic. Watching and waiting as the door closed, Celestia sighed as it shut and a grave-like silence fell upon the room. Letting her thoughts wander back to their conversation, she considered the details once more. With the oddity of the kiss aside, all of the signs were there: dreamwalking, a strong theme of the moon and stars, a presence like her own, it even explained the intruder and its uncanny familiarity with her magic. But it was still too soon; there were still nearly three days before the Summer Sun Celebration. Reluctantly, Celestia made her decision. Even if the timing was off, she needed to take precautions and move up her plans.

A golden glow shone from her horn, and in a brilliant flash two books appeared next to her, held aloft by her magic. The first one was an old storybook, its cover adorned with a golden unicorn figure, while the second was predictions and Prophecies. Both taken from her personal collection, the two were often disregarded for their historical value. Turning her focus to the first book, the aura around it glowed brighter for a second, then she allowed it to drop to the floor and fall open. Lifting it back into the air, Celestia repeated the process a few more times before nodding.

Satisfied that it would open to the correct page whenever dropped, another surge of magic sent the book on its way, deposited on Trixie’s bed, where it would lay opened to the correct page and catch the mare’s attention when she found it. The second book required no such preparations, and and burst of magic later it laid atop Spike’s comic collection, where the young dragon would surely find it.

Taking a slow, calming breath, Celestia reached out with her magic and pinged the guards. As the doors opened once more, Captain Shining Armor and two unicorns guards stepped in. Approaching the dais swiftly, Shining Armor came to a stop with a rigid salute. “Your Majesty.”

Remembering what she had seen earlier, Celestia recognized the haunted, downtrodden look in Shining’s eyes. “Are you okay, Shining Armor? You appear troubled.”

Shining seemed to hesitate at first, but finally sighed, exhaustion taking his features. “Yes, Princess. I am fine, but I got a message concerning my sister earlier.”

“Twilight Sparkle, yes? Has she awoken yet?”

Shining Armor gritted his teeth, staring hard at the polished marble. “No, Your Majesty; she’s still comatose." His voice took on a bitter tone, "The doctors say her mind has been more active lately, and we had hoped it meant she would wake up soon, but it seems that her dreams are simply more active than before.”

Celestia's heart ached for the young stallion. The bond he held with his sister was deep, and she knew his pain all too well. “I see. If there is anything I can do, please let me know," she spoke softly. Clearing her throat, she continued in a more business like tone, "But for now, I have something I need you to do. Are you up to the task?”

Reaffirming his stance, Shining saluted again. “Yes, Your Majesty!” Looking as if he was considering something, Shining smiled softly as he added, “And thank you, for the offer, and everything you’ve done for my family.”

Smiling, Celestia nodded then continued. “Now, this will sound unusual, but I want you to conduct interviews with the castle staff and royal guard. Find out if any of them have experienced any strange dreams lately, especially ones were an unknown entity has appeared or contacted them. It’ll most likely have taken the form of a cloaked pony, but take notes on anything strange nonetheless.”

Shining’s jaw dropped just a fraction before he regain his composure. “The entire staff, Your Majesty?”

“I understand that the scale of this task is may be daunting, but it is imperative that you complete this quickly. Start with the royal guard—the night guard, specifically. Recruit as many as you feel are needed to assist you, and report back to me with your findings as soon as possible. If you have no more questions, then please begin immediately.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Giving one final salute, Shining turned on the spot and left quickly, his gait of a pony in a hurry while trying to remain dignified and not run.

Finding herself alone once more, Celestia’s gaze drifted across the room, coming to a rest on one of the tapestries hanging from the ceiling. This one, like many others, depicted her guiding the sun and the moon across the sky, but her focus was solely on the moon. I’ve missed you, Sister…