The Spirit Dome was silent.
Beneath laid Equestria, dozens of small communes glittering like the stars itself. A few hours ago Luna’s night cycle had begun. Their little ponies now enjoyed the silence, sleep, safety and piece. Her eternal gifts for each and every one of them.
Above the dome was the endless void. The light of a million stars stood out against the eternal blackness that was deeper than any night. It always felt like a mirror. Like an all-encompassing canvas of darkness with countless little lights. Each of them only trying to survive in the cold of space.
Celestia banished the melancholy with a shook of her head. She tore her eyes away from image overhead and looked at her feet. She stood at the entrance of the Spirit Dome. A mere step away from its lush grassy plains and colorful fields of flowers.
Dozens of small wraithbone runes blinked into existence, orbiting her like planets a sun. She looked at a few of them. One told her about a squirrel that roamed the garden. Another that tomorrow the chef would try to surprise her with a special breakfast. She didn’t read the one that would have told her what the special breakfast was. “There are things that I neither have nor want to know.” she whispered.
A flick of her wrist scattered the delicate runes that held all possible futures in their dance and left her alone. The hum of magic, that filled the air around her, made way for sweet silence. For Celestia this special silence meant being a normal pony. It meant to not know the future. And it meant that she didn’t have to keep every emotion in check, for fear of accidently unleashing a pulse of raw power.
She brought her hand in front of her face and watched her slender fingers. A white glove stretched over her hand. It was inscribed with shimmering runes of protection and guidance. Their purpose to help controle the power she wielded.
She didn’t need those runes. Her magic was not like the psychic powers of other peoples. It was her nature. Her magic couldn’t harm her. To her and her charges it was gentle, caring and harmless.
She tucked at the fingertips of the glove and pulled it off. From under it emerged her coat. Seeming even whiter than the glove itself, almost as if she had pulled away a layer of dust. Once again she watched her fingers, while she slowly opened and closed her hand.
The other Eldar treated her and per people like aliens. The colors of their skin and hair and the fact they had coats. At best they pitied them and called them Pho’niy’ess. It was a word that served only to distinguish and to brand them as outsiders. Today they called themselves Ponies. What was once a mark of shame now distinguished them from the dying people that were the Eldar.
She took off her second glove and threw both of them on the floor.
Her left hand reached for her belt. She found the scabbard of her sword, stroked over the smooth metal until she reached her belt. She undid it with a few gentle tugs and lowered it to the ground as well.
She reached behind her neck, searching for the clasp of her regalia. As soon as her fingers touched the familiar shape she smiled. She opened the hook and let the golden insignia of her title slide down her body. She drew a deep breath and smiled.
Finally Celestia undid her robe and took of her boots. She enjoyed the small ritual of taking her princess gown off. She always did it when she came to the Spirit Dome on a free evening.
Celestia stood at the entrance of the dome, enjoying the artificial wind caressing her skin. She stood there in her undergarments, feeling Equestria's gentle touch all over her.
She made a small step forward and the grass touched her bare feet, tickling their bottom.
Her smile formed to a wide grin, she spread her arms and started running. She ran like the worst horrors of the warp chased her, though with a smile. The air was fresh and a little chilly at this time of Equestria’s day-night-cycle. Each step made her feel more alive. She shot past a big tree without slowing down. And yet she let her hand brush across the bark, just long enough to feel its texture.
Like devine bells Celestia’s laughter sounded across the grassy plain of the Spirit Dome. She slowed down and started to spin in wide circles. Her rhythm and movements were as if she was only part of a much larger dance. An observer might've been able to imagine dozens of invisible dancers twisting and twirling around her. Each moving in perfect synchronicity. Passing one another close enough to feel each other’s breath, but never actually touching.
Celestia’s dance approached a small stone pedestal. She encircled it a few times before she came to a halt, still smiling. She put her hand on the smooth stone, feeling its cold touch. Her fingertips searched for a few dents in the perfect surface and when they found them she looked up. A golden pulse of magic ran from her body through her fingers into the stone and finally flowing into Equestria itself.
She looked up and saw the golden pulse run through the windows of the Spirit Dome. The tranlucent crystal turning to a light blue. A large ball of light hung high above her and, with another pulse of magic, begann to move.
Celestia started running and laughing again. Above her the image of a sun and moon moving across an artificial sky in time lapse. They were painting an ever changing picture of sunsets and dawns all around her.
After uncounted artificial days, Celestia came to rest under an old tree. Her breath was heavy and her smile seemed like to barely fit on her face anymore. A small squirrel sat on a branch of the tree and looked at the woman who still chuckled between her breaths.
It took her a few moments to calm her breathing enough so she could speak. “Come down little one. You know I’m not here to harm you.” She addressed the squirrel above her with a smile and stretched her hand towards the branch. It held its nose into the artificial wind, sniffing for danger or ill intend. Finally it started to make its way down the treem, though with suspicion in its eyes.
After a minute or two it sat on Celestia’s hand, eyeing her with concearn and disappointment. Concearn, because she still was larger than itself and the creature’s instincts demanded it. Disappointment, because it had expected a small treat when it climbed down the tree.
Celestia couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “Fluttershy spoiled you quite a bit hasn’t she?” the squirrel looked away as if it had understood her words, Celestia chuckled again. “Don’t pretend she didn’t. I know pretty well that she comes here whenever she can to spend some time with you and the others.” she mused.
Soft steps drew closer and drew the attention of the squirrel away from Celestia. She lifted her head and whispered towards her small companion. “Quick, run before meanie pants there chases you off.”
Celestia’s comment did the trick and only seconds later the little critter was out of sight.
Luna stood next to her sister and gave her a stern look. “You know very well that I would never do anything considered mean towards an animal.” She looked into the direction the squirrel ran off to. “Especially not to the small and cuddly ones.” she finished.
A small chuckle escaped Celestia’s lips and she nodded. “Of course Luna, I just felt like having a little fun at your expense.”
Luna sat down next to her sister and leaned against the tree. “You are more than thirty thousand years old and still behave like a child whenever you can.” She gave Celestia a stern look that suddenly shifted to a gentle smile. “Don’t ever change sister dear.”
Celestia rose up to a sitting position and situated across from Luna. She looked her sister up and down before she waved a hand. “I’m not planning to do, but you could loosen up a bit, at least when we’re alone.”
"As you see I took of the boots before I entered." With a serious expression Luna pointed her feet towards Celestia. "Considering that I am actually on duty at the moment this is quite loose."
Another chuckle escaped Celestia and she shook her head, smiling. “You too never change Luna.” Her face suddenly became a more serious. “But you said you are here on duty. Is something the matter that demands both our attention?”
Luna leaned forward and looked her sister straight in the eyes. She heaved a heavy sigh. Before Celestia could react, Luna’s right hand shot forward and booped her on the nose. “I’m here to make sure that ALL my subjects have a relaxing night.” she smiled.
Celestia, startled by Luna’s sudden movement, lost her balance and fell on her back. She was determined to be angry, but she couldn’t help but find her sister’s joke funny. She burst into laughter and stretched herself out.
Luna’s face appeared above Celestia and she smiled the gentlest of smiles. “Have a good night sister. We see each other in the morning.” With those words Equestria’s princess of the night left the Spirit dome and returned to her duties.
Celestia couldn’t help but look after her. She knew Luna seemed stern and hard to those who didn’t know her. But those dear to her knew her better. She was brutally honest and sometimes even more childish than Celestia. But she also was the most loyal of friends, or sisters, one could hope for.
After a few minutes Celestia rose to her feet and slowly made her way towards the exit.
When she reached the stone pedestal she touched it once more. Her golden magic pulsed over the crystal windows of the dome. The eternal circle of artificial night and day came to an end and the void and stars returned.
She continued her way, only to stop shortly before she reached the exit. To her left stood dozens upon dozens of statues. All were made of solid crystal, though each of them had a different color than all the others. Celestia had weary smile as she walked over to them.
She walked past some of them while brushing their cheeks. Each touch sent small jolts down her spine. In the middle of the garden of crystal-statues stood one of blueish-grey color. She cautiously put her forehead against the stature's. Concearned that it could be shattered by any more than the gentlest of touches. She felt the connection to Equestria’s Infinity Circuit and smiled. “Hello old friend. How have you been?” She whispered.
She felt a small pulse run through her nervous system, the stature’s equivalent to words. “You don’t need to be concerned. Equestria is safe, the circuit should tell you that much.”
Another pulse ran through her, this time longer, but much gentler. “Yeah, I’m doing fine too. The recent millennia were good to me. I discovered Twilight Sparkle and she awoke the other Elements. They rescued my sister from the dark powers. Discord was defeated and reformed by them. A Changeling invasion was also repelled. And even Tirek's his full power couldn't stand against them. Equestria’s future shines brighter than it ever did.”
There was a pause before the stature did send the next pulse. “I know you don’t trust him, but I feel the darkness in his mind is receding more and more each day. And, before you ask, it’s not only my intuition that tells me the future brightens each day. With every deed of Twilight and her friends there are less and less runes that show me a grim fate.”
A very small, but all the warmer, psychic pulse ran through Celestia and she knew that it was his way to smile.
She stood straight again and gently caressed the statues long beard. “I’ll visit you again as soon as I can Starswirl ... I’ll see you later my old friend.”
As Celestia left the statues, she once again looked at her own hand. All her little ponies carried in them some form of magic, granting them a particularly long life. Especially if compared to other species. And the more magic an individual possessed the longer it lived.
But powerful magic tended to have its drawbacks. All seers were doomed to, slowly but surely, turn to crystal. They called it wraithbone. It was a natural magical conduit and could store tremendous amounts of magical energy. Talented individuals, like Rarity, could create everything from wraithbone. A gown to wear at a gala could be made from it the same way that starships and weapons of planet-destroying proportions could.
The strongest seers sooner or later came to the Spirit Dome when their bodies were barely still able to move. They fused with Equestria’s Infinity Circuit and became one with magic that powered the Craftworld itself. Starswirl had suffered this fate only shortly after Equestria came to be.
He claimed to be happy he could finally rest. After all, he played a vital role in Equestria’s creation. Not the least of which was that of mentor to Celestia and Luna.
Celestia flexed her fingers and looked at her perfect white skin and coat. “Starswirl, my old friend, you lived for about fourteen thousand years. One of the longest lives ever seen in our species. And yet, I am almost double you age now and still not the slightest sign of turning to crystal. Neither me nor my sister will to join you anytime soon.”
Her eyes wandered down towards Equestria. The most of it was dark and sleeping, trusting in their princesses and heroes to guide and guard them. A smile played along her lips. “Well, maybe I am in fact immortal, as some claim ne to be. Who knows? But as long as I life I will protect you all, my little ponies.”
With a little spring in her steps that wasn’t there when she arrived, Celestia left the Spirit Dome. Her sisters beautiful night would be wasted if she didn’t fill it with wonderful dreams of a bright future. A future she, her sister and many others helped create every day.
Author's Note
I hope you enjoyed this first story from Craftworld Equestria. I would like to hear what you guys think and if you like to have more of these 40k crossover short stories.
bye 
