Aubade
Sleep. Its all the fair ruler ever wanted, to settle in for the night and just let go of the world for a few peaceful moments. To embrace another side of life that was far away from the trials of the day, and the reminders of our lives. She longed to lay her head down upon the cushion of a pillow and just let her eyes flutter shut and let her dreams lay her upon the clouds of elsewhere. In its own way it was a sanctuary guarded by the laws of our thoughts and fantasies in which we praised. That's all the woman wanted and yet she deferred the notion for the umpteenth time. Again, she resisted the tempting preference for the sake of more important matters. Her subjects needed her and she would, without hesitance, put their needs before her own. And so, the princess yawned once more.
It was very taxing on the mind, the times she held court, which was often more times than she would have liked. It was especially difficult when an unreasonable and narrow minded official came in demanding the ridiculous. Although, there was a spice that trailed the absurd and bizarre, and it never ceased making its way into her court. Maybe brief, it tended to give the other bench members and jury a good laugh at the speakers expense, little to their taste. So what if they were foolish and maybe ignorant? They were no less a citizen than the next person and deserved no less right to be heard. Even though it was morally the right choice, it was never without a headache or two.
And so the court continued on much through the night and much to the chagrin of the princess's glossy eyes. Hours passed and the seconds crawled as they drew lines across the rulers face. Her eyes slowly drooped with each minute and bags had made a home under them. This job wasn't physically demanding, yet it took its toll against her features. Each line had formed under the stress of a rulers experience and decision, and she had grown many in the past few years.
As late as it was, there were still a few of her subjects waiting eagerly for the chance to be presented before their princess, each of them with an equally pressing case. She dismissed the last person and looked to the members of the night court who rummaging amongst themselves with hushed debates and papers being transferred about.The jury only made a few noted here and there and were relatively quiet when it came to break conversation. There was nothing out of the ordinary, and this would only continue with her say and end with her say.
"Please bring in the next presentee, and tell the others that this will be the last hearing tonight. "The princess's voice drew a few scratches that clashed with her normally soothing and motherly voice. It was an indication from her body, telling her it was too late to be up.
"Yes, your majesty." The guard before the door responded. He bore the military standard of gold plated armor, realistically a bronze metal, and held a spear in the event that a hearing gets out of hand. The man turned about face and opened the door behind as to allow the last person out. "Princess Celestia grants you entrance into her courtroom." A figure nodded curtly, passed by the guard and made his way across the long hall. The guard continued speaking word of disappointment to the other awaiting citizens.
The lone man that had entered wore a dull grey business suit that accommodated his dark eyes and just noticeably hair. He was a tall and proportional looking man; he looked to be in his late thirties. If anyone was close enough they would catch a strong musk of expensive aftershave. He carried in one had a suitcase, a brown color of sorts and his other in his jackets' pocket. He walked briskly, though, with a little too much confidence. He was a clean cut as a knifes edge and his demeanor strongly supported that.
This man was here to do business.
The man walked up to podium positioned in the center of the room, its purpose to act as a point of set for not only the speaker but also for the rest of the bench. He placed his suitcase upon the highly decorated pedestal and proceeded past it and up before the princess's bench. The man deftly placed his right hand over his stomach and his left on the lower portion of hi back and bowed. All eyes were on him.
"Your majesty." He rose and intertwined his hands behind him a manner of respect. "I foremost would like to thank you for taking the opportunity out of your day to entertain my concern." He smiled, undistinguished or not if genuine or out of practice. His haughty nature permeated around the courtroom and struck the noses around disgusted. The jury had seen this before. Celestia was all too familiar with what was about to happen.
"Please, the pleasure is mine. But if we could hurry this along, it is getting rather late for not only me, but the rest of the court as well." Celestia gave a warm smile, one that many a time before had won over so many crowds and, in her earlier years, won a little more than her share of liars dice. It may have been a lie for the sake of the court as they had only been working their shift since six. As for the princess however, the weight of the day wore on her face and caused her mastery of patience to wear thin, if only a little.
The middle-aged man paused while trying to read her body language, she was however, very hard to decipher due to her vast experience in dealing with the public. He cast his gaze all around the room and noticed nothing of the sort to which she described.
"Uh.." He cleared his throat and looked back up to his princess with uneasy eyes. "Yes, right, of course your majesty." The man corrected himself. He quickly turned and took position back behind the podium.
"Now, what seems to be your concern, mister?" She paused for que.
"Oh, my apologies. I forgot to introduce myself, I am Alex Saltha. Please forgive me your majesty." The man lowered his head a small amount trying to signify his transgression. His however remained unwavering.
"It is quite alright mister Saltha. Please, let us get to the matter at hand." The woman tried to hurry things along, the edge to her voice broke her normally patient tone. The court noticed this immediately, but went foolishly unnoticed by the man in grey.
"Yes, I'm sure that you are aware of the energy efficiency ratio output by the Vanhoover hydroelectric dam. I have proposed str..."
***
The businessman continued his proposition about a half an hour before finally getting on the nerves of the princess. She was usually by all means calm and collected, but in recent years her demeanor has dwindled little by little. It surprised even herself that she would even think of acting out in any way but professional in front of her subjects. But sometimes enough was enough; she needed some rest.
"...And would increase the maximum the maximum wattage output, thus we could run circuitry throughout almost every household in the nation. This would lead to a promotion in economic-" The mans rant was abruptly cut off.
"Mr. Saltha." The princess raised her voice to make sure that her interjection was clear, if not, curt. Her eyes narrowed, if only a bit and a noticeable frown formed upon her face. The court had all been struck silent at the tone of the statement. They had only ever seen their ruler like this a few times before. The few times before had been tragic.
"Y-Yes, your majesty?" The mans voice quivered, if only for a second, waivering for the first time tonight. His eyes locked with Celestia's and his attention abruptly pulled from the previous topic. For a moment he forgot how to breath.
"I thank you for wanting to help in the aid of this nation." The princess's voice switched to a more appreciative tone, confusing the businessman.
"Oh, why thank you your exc-" Once more he was stopped by the princess.
"But I must decline your proposal. If it were under different circumstances I would probably promote the idea, however this country is in ruins. The war ended only a few years ago and it has left these lands devastated. Most of the major cities, Manehattan included, are still under complete reconstruction and the budget has suffered immensely because of it. And thats just the construction costs. We simply do not have the effort to implement an upgraded system. I'm sorry mister Saltha, but we cannot advance what is broken." The princess wanted to put this and her body to rest; quickly. She did feel bad for the man, he was after all trying to help. He had obviously worked so hard on this project. Sadly, the plan just wasn't feasible.
"Please your majesty, I ask for you to reconsider!" Alex pleaded; he knew the deal would mean not only helping equestrians but it would create an enormous profit for his company as well.
"My proposition would help promote the reconstruction by at least a factor of two, surely you can't deny that!" The man grabbed onto whatever chance that was being yanked away by his princess. He had spent countless days; weeks creating the blueprints and details to his plan. He had spent too much effort and too much time on this. He wasn't going to give up so easily.
"There is too much to gamble and our country is barely holding as it is. I am sorry mister Saltha, but my decision stands." Celestia stood up abruptly, the court knowing full well that this had waited too long. "Are there any objections from the rest of the bench?" There was not a sound.
The princess waited patiently. Moments passed; the seconds were agonizing. It was final however and she needed this to be over. “The court unanimously declines the proposal of mister Alex Saltha on the subject of loan and construction grants.” Celestia spoke with practiced professionalism, a voice that cut clear across the room. She needed to be sure that she would not go unheard by anybody in the court. “Mister Saltha, you are relieved from the podium. This also concludes the final case, court is dismissed until tomorrow.” The princess briefly compiled herself, gave a sigh of relief and began to walk off the bench. Everybody began to collect their items and belongings and began making their ways to various exits. Everyone had had enough from the trying day, everybody except for mister Saltha.
The confidence-crushed man was absolutely livid. He had worked so hard to bringing this, his dream of becoming a reality. He could have helped speed up the reconstruction efforts of the country. He could have grown his company into an empire; something devoid of local restrictions. This would have drastically lowered poverty levels by increasing employment. It was he that thought about what others wanted, what others needed. But it was her preventing him from doing such. She had just thrown out his world like it was nothing and quite possibly the opportunities of countless others. It was her fault.
And he was not going to leave without the final word.
“Yes, yes please leave!” The man’s shouts had not gone unnoticed by the princess, but she paid him no heed. Celestia neither had the time nor the will to reason with him any further. “Abandon your people just as you abandoned your sister!” That was it. This time the entire room went deathly silent. Everything suddenly stopped; not a single soul moved nor dared it as the blasphemy struck everyone into paralysis. They all stared at the fuming man, never seeing anyone make such a suicidal attempt with disrespecting their ruler. Eyes and ears were wide as an oncoming storm could be felt in the tensions wake.
Celestia had stopped completely, her mind reeling in a thousand different things at once. Her memories washed over her in an instant and she felt a knot grow in the pit of her stomach. All her emotions began to swirl and morph into an abundance of rage. She felt herself slip from the control she had put herself under. Her hands clenched up into fists and immediately turned a painful white. Her face contorted into a sinister expression that radiated a hatred beyond any measurable comprehension. Every ounce of her patience quickly diminished and she felt herself beginning to lift the seal over her pent up emotions. She slowly turned to face the aggressor.
“Its no wonder she turned into that monster, you are the worst kind of self centered!” The man spat with as much venom as he could muster. A snarl drew and tugged at his lips. If she was going to ruin his day he was going to ruin hers.
Red was all that Celestia could see; a blinding white and crimson that clouded her judgement and impaired her mind to emotion. She could feel the pain course throughout her entire body which only served to fuel the fire that she was. Years of grievances and regret began to impersonate the woman, morphing her into a single nerve of raw anger. For those that have known death, this is what it looked like.
How dare he say such a thing about her sister, to insult her in the worst of ways and in front of her subjects no less. The man knew nothing of her, he had no idea of what she had to face and live with everyday.
"Get out of my courtroom." Celestia's voice dripped with such malice and venom. She was on the edge of doing something she might regret. Her hands twitched with the adrenaline that accompanies such fury. Her eyes were pinpricks that pierced the mans own stare and looked down, deep into his very being.
"Y-You are nothing mo-" He never finished.
"GET OUT!!!" Her voice thundered at the man locking him in place, petrified; sending an icy shiver down his spine. The hairs on every inch of his body jumped up and he could feel his soul being squeezed at. He was now regretting his decision of ever existing in the first place. Those eyes; those eyes spoke of death. It probably wouldn't be long till he found out why. And so, he ran for his life, turning on his heels and ramming the exit doors with incredible speed. Falling over himself, he ran terrified.
All eyes were now on the princess, watching carefully for her next move. In all the years the court had been working with her, they had not once seen her in such a state. She was visually disturbed and racked with adrenaline that shook her entire body. Her breathing came in a bit ragged and her face had shaded a crimson across her features. The anger that boiled within ber kept its place upon her facial expressions. She looked at the people around her, faces instilled with fear and shock. She had caused this.
She had let herself go. She needed to get out of here.
And with a few hasty strides she exited the courtroom through an opening behind her, heading down the large halls of the castle.
***
She was stupid to let herself go like that. To let emotion get in the way of her duties, it was shameful to say the least. She had gotten so angry; a blind lust for vengeance had clouded her mind, turning her into something that scared her. She had frightened the court half to death, a lasting impression that would take years to forget. That man however had no right to say the things he did, especially when she had shown him nothing less than respect. He understands naught what she has gone through, what she has sacrificed for the sake of the people at that.
What does he know? Nothing and that is exactly it. What he said was entirely beyond horrible, but she didn't have to lash out the way she did. Her people needed a strong and benevolent leader, not one that wouldn't put her feelings before them. It was completely unprofessional of her and would probably cost her dearly later on. And so the princess sighed once more that night, she needed some rest. She needed to take her mind off things.
Ascending the last of the stairs, Celestia moved at a steady pace throughout the last hallway. Still shaky from her previous transgression she calmed herself with each step she took. She allowed her mind to calm and prepared her conscience for a night of rest as she always does. Closer and closer she got to her room; closer and closer she came to ending her day. She could make out the bright markings of yellows, oranges and reds that suited themselves upon her door. She was almost there, after today she deserved a long rest. It was moments like these that she looked forward to.
And the woman stopped in her tracks. To her left she saw a large blue, wooden door. It was beautifully engraved with different carvings and designs of deep blues and blacks that brought the door to life. Patterns of crescents and loops danced over its features speaking gravely of relevance. Nothing ordinary was about this door, and it encaptured the princess so. Entranced the woman just stared silently, her breath drawing a little shorter. It was a powerful attraction, a gravity that embedded itself in her. The knot in her stomach came back and it became too much to bear. With every ounce of willpower and concentration she reeled herself from the trance and made a beeline to her room.
Bursting into her chambers she slammed the door behind her, leaning against it for support as she caught her breath. She grabbed her dress with one hand, greedily clutching the fabric and propping herself with the other. She closed her eyes, tilted her face towards the ceiling and shakily inhaled. That was too much for her. The pit in her stomach never subsided and her heart only begun to ache further.
Moving across the room with purpose she drew herself to a nearby cabinet. Taking out various items including a few pots, cups and bottles she began to brew herself a remedy; tea. It would serve only as ailment for sleep. Mixing and stirring she topped off her recipe with an old bottle of scotch, a variation that hasn’t been produced in many years.
Putting the cup to her lips, Celestia began to drink the brew feverously. Reveling in the contents being provided she allowed every drop of the steamy liquid to caress her throat and warm her stomach. Although bitter, its effects were well worth it. It was the fastest sleep aid that could be concocted, something the woman greatly needed.
Some time passed as Celestia got prepared for the night. Personal hygiene taking up most of the time it wasn’t long until she was out of her regalia and in her robes. She dimmed the lights and allowed the balcony doors to remain open so as to let the warm summer air flourish in the room. Pulling her body ungracefully, she slid underneath the soft covers of her bed and shifted until she was comfortable. The effects of the potion could clearly be felt as her eyes grew unreasonably heavy, and a film blurring her vision. Her head sunk into the plush pillow beneath and she allowed her body to relax further. As her eyes fluttered closed she was able to make out the dimmest of white light that radiated off the nights moon. It was faint, but it managed to make its way into her room.
She slipped away…
...Something was wrong.
Snapping back to, her breath quickened its pace due to the wakening sensation. Blood began to pump faster as the woman slowly regained her consciousness. Rubbing her eyes, she managed to obtain her bearing much to her bodies chagrin. Her stomach began to tighten as she realized why she was getting up. The princess propped wide awake as it hit her.
The woman, in one single motion, threw the covers off of her and spun her legs to the side of the bed as to sit upright. She put her feet to the floor and tucked into some slipper that were patiently waiting for her. Standing up, if a little bit too quickly, Celestia found it easy to navigate her room namely from the endless routine of waking for her duties. She paced her way over to her chamber door, opened it carefully and slipped outside.
The hallway was empty, only dimly lit by the moons luminous rays carefully touching the windows. The light gloriously reflected off a door just a ways down. It shone a brilliance that brought the softer shades to life and signified its beauty. It was the beauty of the blue door.
Celestia treaded lightly as she made her way over to the object, never once taking her eyes off of it. The knot in her stomach grew with each step and her breathing once more that night became shallow. Once in front, she raised her hand and hesitated momentarily. She drew in a sharp breath, grabbed the doorknob deftly and rotated the handle. A click confirmed her entrance. She gently pushed on the large oak door, forcing it to open slowly. Her breath caught itself mid inhale.
The room was relatively dark, as per taste of its owner. Blues and blacks, much like that found on the door, decorated the room. It was lavishly furnished with desks, fine carpets and a bed that double as a man-of-war. Trinkets and books lined the shelves and mantle, giving the area a comforting feel to it. The fireplace gave off a dull glow from the residence of burning embers.
Celestia slowly made her way over to the large and inviting four-poster bed. A lump under the sheets indicated that she had not been heard yet.
*Crack*
Something sharp had just sounded. She looked all around the room for the source. Nothing stood out; maybe it was nothing. Moving on the woman proceeded to carefully place herself upon the bed while softly stroking the unmoving figure. The lump in return began to stir and gave off what sounded like a muffled yawn. The figure roused about until a head emerged from the covers. It was a girl. Her beautiful blue hair dropped to touch her shoulders and her features were softer than princess’s. She wasn’t much older than Celestia was. The young woman rubbed her eyes drearily and let out another yawn before sitting upright.
Celestia couldn’t help but smile at the sight, all the while continuing her soothing motions on the younger woman.
“MMmmm, another rough day?” The younger girl asked; her voice delicate and a tinge of sleepiness to it. Celestia smiled once again and continued to rub the girls back.
“I’m afraid it was. Some people can be unreasonably vile.” Celestia’s voice was sweeter than it had ever been that day; it was honey rolling off her tongue. “One of them insulted you. I was so angry, I just, lost my composure.”
“We’ve been over this before sister, they do not know any better. I’m am sorry, that they continue to cause you trouble.” The eyes of the younger sister reflected genuine concern for her older sibling. She was always there for Celestia.
“It’s not your fault Luna, it never was. They know nothing of what you and I have gone through, what we’ve had to sacrifice. I just can’t help but feel like I have failed them sometimes and more importantly you.” The womans voice had grown somber and her heartstrings were being yanked.
“Sister, you have done nothing wrong, I can assure you of that.” Luna’s voice gained a bit of strength. “Just let go of this, relax, and remember I am here for you.” She smiled brightly at her sister who only matched it halfway.
*CRack*
Celestias head snapped toward the sound. A small line crawled from underneath one of the rugs. The stone chipped away slowly until it abruptly stopped. Celestia didn’t understand what she was looking at. It confusingly absorbed her attention.
“Sister?” Celestia brought her attention back to her sister who only smiled at her. The woman looked between the instance and her sister. She hadn’t noticed it. The woman convinced herself she was only seeing things.
“I lashed out at one of my subjects today; its the first time I’ve ever lost control. I fear that I am losing myself to something.” Celestia continued to pour her heart out to her sister.
“Do not fear Celly, everything is alright and all I see is the same loving sister I grew up with, even though you were a stick in the mud.” The younger princess playfully commented as she blew raspberries at her. Her eyes taking on a mischievous look.
“Hey!” Celestia playfully pushed her sister back onto the bed. “It was me doing my job as an older sibling. Besides, I remember all those sweets making you a little pudgy, you needed a diet anyway.” The older princess shot back. Both sisters laughed as they play fought, each one trying to gain the advantage over each other, tickle wars were their favorite.
Luna became trapped under her sister and proceeded to squeal madly as the woman wreaked havoc upon her sides and feet. Each were laughing senselessly and rolling about until one or the other finally gave in. Both sisters were panting, gasping for air, exhausted from their little skirmish.
Celestia looked at her sister and couldn’t help herself when she embrace her into a hug. The younger sister was taken by surprise at first, but eventually melted into the affection. They stayed this way for a few moments, neither of them saying a word until Celestia spoke back up.
“I’ve missed you sister.” Tears began to form at the edges of Celestia’s eyes and she gave a sniffle. Each orb became puffy and a sad smile formed on her lips.
“I’ve missed you too, Celly.” Luna replied.
And for the few moments that the two sisters shared together, everything seemed alright in the world. These were the rare times where Celestia could be with her only family. She cherished these moments above everything else and was thankful that she shared them with Luna. Her sister was her escape from the rest of the world and she would be damned if she ever gave it up.
*CRACK, CRACK!*
“What was that?: Celestia asked worryingly, her head rising from her sister's shoulder.
“What do you me-” And she felt it, they both did. It started off as a very faint rumble and intensified with each second. The cracks on the floor grew immensely and began to branch off to different parts of the room. Soon, things began to fall off the walls and shelves as the shaking grew worse. Both girls looked around frantically, shocked at what was happening.
"I think its an earthquake!" Celestia screamed, trying to make herself heard over the sound of rumbling and crashing debris. The stone of the castle began breaking and falling apart. The floor on the opposite side of the room began to fall out from under everything, swallowing all in its wake. Piece by piece, the castle was coming down on them.
"Come on, we have to get out of here before the castle collapses on us!" Celestia's lungs were on fire. She grabbed her sister's arm and made a beeline for the door, running as fast as her legs could carry her. The floor was dissolving at an alarming rate, quicker than the two could move. The stones that supported them now threatened to kill them.
The floor beneath Luna gave way before she could reach the exit, her body weightless for but a moment. Gravity took its effect and began to take her down. Celestia held fast and hit the ground hard as she tried to keep from dropping her sister into the dark abyss and her indefinite death. Only a single hand kept her sister from falling. She had never gripped onto something so hard in her life. Fear drilled into Celestia's mind and adrenaline coursed through her veins.
"H-Hold on Luna!" She screamed out in fear. The woman had never been so scared in her life. Her sister was hanging in the balance, she was the only one that could save her.
Her hand began to slip as it went from Luna's forearm to her hand. Celestia squeezed as tightly as she could, her hand becoming a tourniquet. Her breath came out short, in gasps as she grunted in pain. The woman was pulling inward as hard as hard as she could manage, her muscles ached from being put into overdrive. Her mind screamed at her not to let go, her whole body working as an anchor. Her eyes began to sting with tears, her face puffing up with exhaustion. She ignored the rest of the crumbling world around her.
"Luna." She worded breathlessly. This was the person she loved the most, who loved her back. They had been through thick and thin together - through cold nights and the warm days. They both watched each other grow up, achieve so much and continue their lives. They were each others shoulder when they cried and were each others shield when they fought for their lives. They built a world together from scratch and conquered the rest of the trials they faced. They were always there for each other; always.
Celestia shifted her teary eyes towards her sister's. Those wonderful eyes were filled with tears of her own and a sad smirk adorned her face. Luna knew what this meant and Celestia knew it as well. The older sister began to shake her head in defiance. "No, no..." she worded softly, her hope wavering. She had begun to fully cry now; tears clouded her vision. The knot in her stomach throbbed and her heart was pounding in her ears.
"Its alright, sister." Luna comforted with a small, heartbroken smile. The two stared at each other, never wanting to acknowledge what was inevitable.
Her hand slipped to her fingers.
"Luna!" She gasped, her heart caught in her throat.
Everything seemed to slow down as the last of Luna's fingers slid from her hands. She couldn't breath and everything stopped. Her eyes locked with her sisters, that sad smile never wavering. Those eyes were the last thing she saw as her sister fell to the darkness.
***
"Luna!" Celestia shrieked, sitting straight up in her bed, panting; crying. She was heating up and she was soaked in a cold sweat. The woman's heart raced a hundred miles an hour and her fists clenched white. Adrenaline was running through her - screaming mad. She frantically looked about the room, eyes darting back and forth.
The princess threw herself off the bed. She bolted for the door and managed to nearly knock it down before entering the hallway. Gaining her bearings once more, she located her sister's bedroom door. Wasting no time, she burst through the blue door screaming out her sisters name.
The room was still, nothing moved. There was no sign of her sister. She ran over to the large bed and threw off all the covers hoping that she was there, just sleeping. She wasn't. Dust billowed up and sprinkled around the princess. She ran a hand over the surface of the bed, there was almost a quarter inch of the pollutant accumulating on it. The princess looked all around the room and noticed that there was a fine layer of dust covering almost every surface of the room. Everything overwhelmingly came back.
The woman fell to her knees, praying that this wasn't the reality she was trapped in. She hoped that this was all just a dream, that in a minute she would wake up and everything would be fine. She prayed that this was but a nightmare she could get over in the moment of rising. Her prayers went unanswered, no relief was to bear upon her pain. She was all alone in the empty room. She just sat there for a long while as time seemed to be frozen as it was for her.
After what seemed like hours she began to pick up the mess she was off the floor. She rose with the sun as it began its ascent from the opposite side of the planet. She had willed it so. She carried herself to the balcony and opened its doors. The first rays of sun just peeking over the horizon greeted her. She stepped out, heavy as she was in heart and soul and made her way to the railing. She gazed, looking out over the land with teary eyes.
The princess raised her head to look at the slowly fading moon and she began to sing.
Click
Celestia wanted a lot of things in life and never more so in recent years. Life however was sometimes a curse; and in this world it was hers.The end.
Author's Note
I worked on this back in 2013 and didn't get around to revising it until just recently. The main reason was that I would mess it up since it had "technically" been completed due to being a class project. Now that I have found what little time the army allots me, I decided to complete this piece. In the original story Celestia's name was Caelestis dei Aubade: "Gods heavenly morning song" and Luna was Layla dei Lunae: Of God's night. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I have.
-Foregrip Butterfly
