Over the past few months Celestia had grown rather fond of her new student. She treasured every moment she got to spend with the bright little filly, simply loving the simple pleasure and vast wonder the young prodigy had with just learning. Equally fascinated by the mechanics of telekinetics, the chemical reactions in modern baking, or the cultural story-dances of the gryphons.
Every moment was a joy, though…the mornings where Celestia managed to get away from her duties long enough to walk her student to school were among her favorites. Seeing her face light up, the sleep fall from her as they simply walked and talked about the city, the sky, the clouds, whatever was on the little filly’s mind, never failed to bring a special joy to Celestia.
This morning she had snuck out of a positively dreary meeting regarding some political lines on a map needing to be redrawn for some such reason or other, and slipped away, intending on surprising her favored student with a special treat from Donut Joes.
She had not expected to feel the kind of thrum in the air that signaled the kind of magic she’d not seen since Twilight had gained her cutiemark.
Nor had she expected to see several of her guards circling the filly’s house, with several more nursing rather nasty injuries—two looked to be unconscious.
The Princess of Equestria broke into a hasty trot as she approached the house and was intercepted by one of the guards that had been circling in the air.
“Princess! “ He landed, kneeling immediately. “Thank goodness. Lieutenant Sable Shield, at your service. “ He said formally.
“Where is your commanding officer? What is going on here?” Celestia demanded harshly, her eyes locked on the house. The air around it was crackling with stray magic, and she could see a shiny purple dome was protruding out of one wall, crumbling the building around it.
“Captain Rust is over there.” Said Sable, gesturing towards the two unconious ponies with a wing as he fell into step beside his Princess. “He was one of the first to attempt entry. I don’t know exactly what’s happening. A colt who claims to live here has been saying this was his little sisters doing, but he’s not in a good state. Whatevers happened, it has him greatly shaken up, your Majesty.”
She nodded once as they circled the house, and she spied the colt in question. “Very good.” The monarch looked at the house and her horn lit up, letting her see the magic being produce. She quickly shut the spell off, thankful for a few thousand years of practice staring into the sun. “…Lieutenant.” She said calmly. “You and your men are to stand down. Form a defensive perimeter, and keep any onlookers from approaching the house. No one other than myself or a guard is to come within ten yards of the property. Understood?” At his nod, she said, “Good. Now, take me to the colt.”
Shining Armor looked like a pony clinging by the skin of his teeth to the edge of a cliff to Celestias well honed eye. Despite his age, the boy was standing in a passable impression of a soldiers “at ease”, and hurriedly answering the questions delivered by one of her guards. To anyone else, he might seem remarkably calm, even admirably so. She could see the little tremors, the flick of an ear, hear the slight tremble of his words…the poor boy was terrified.
“Shining Armor?” Her voice was carefully pitched: A soothing, caring tone, with just a hint of authority. The look he gave her was one of sheer relief before a veneer of calmness slid back over his features—the mask starting to return. She stepped closer, letting a wing drape over his back to keep that from happening. He gave a start and began to tremble. “Shining Armor. Please tell me whats happened.” She asked him, her voice quiet and soothing as she could make it.
He opened his mouth, but nothing came forth. The trembling was getting worse, and she could see tears gathering at the corners of his eyes.
“I—I think—I think—“ He hiccupped. She schooled her face to not betray her own growing unease. Shining Armor was, to her knowledge, a colt of immense inner strength, one who’d gotten his cutiemark for protecting those he loved dearly from great danger. She could see in him the same greatness she saw in her own student—she had no doubt he would become as fine a member of her guard as she could ever wish for, if he chose that path.
To see him like this was, at best, unsettling. He was trying to bear a weight too great for him.
There was a commotion, the sounds of her guards keeping someone from approaching. She gave it no mind until she saw Shining’s eyes widen. He bolted away from her and she looked up to see him bury his face into a stallions chest.
“Dad!” Shining’s façade crumbled, and he began to shake in earnest. “I, I think s-something happened to mom! She said she felt funny and fell over, and Twi’s freaking out, and I don’t know what to do, she won’t take the shield down, and, and I can-t—“
Celestia looked into Night Lights eyes. “Look after your son.” She said quietly. “I will attend to Twilight and your Velvet.” He looked at the shield protruding partly from the house and nodded once.
Celestia returned her attention to the magical aether. She looked at the shield, and let her senses adjust to it’s sheer magnitude. It was powerful, yes, but the power was being wielded by a child. She forced aside her emotions for a moment, dispassionately noting that even Twilights magical reserves would be hard pressed to keep this up much longer without incurring serious thaumic damage.
She looked for cracks, and it wasn’t long before she found one—she disappeared in a bright flash of light, reappearing inside of the shied, and the Sparkle family home.
What she saw made her heart sink.
A mare lay on the ground. Her coat was a light shade of blueish lavender. Her eyes were open. And empty.
Curled up at her back was the shaking form of her dear student, sobbing weakly. Even so, her horn glowed bright with a white corona crackling with power.
Celestia’s arrival had not gone unnoticed however. Twilight looked up after a few seconds, and the solar goddess’s heart broke to see so many mangled emotions in her students eyes.
“Princess?” Her voice was rough and hoarse. “Princess!” She shakily got to her hooves and stumbled towards Celestia. “Princess! Please, please help. M-mommy won’t wake up.”
Celestia tried to ignore the deep pain in her chest. “Child.” She said softly. She knelt. “Child, please come here. You are going to hurt yourself. You need to take the shield down.”
Twilight shook her head. “N-no! I, s-somethings wrong with mommy! I, I have to protect her like, like Shiny!” She looked up, and the hope in her eyes was a dagger Celestia could not avoid. “You can help! You can help, you can make her better and help her wake up!”
Celestia looked at the body. It had not yet gone stiff—not yet even begin to grow truly cold. But there was nothing there but a body. One eye, she spied, was red and bulged slightly. An aneurysm, most likely. It had almost definitely been near-instant. A kind death. The only kindness today.
“Child.” She said softly. “Twilight. I am sorry, but I cannot. You’re mother…” There was no easy way. No euphemism that would make this hurt less.
“Your mother has passed away.”
Twilight stared at her slack jawed for a moment. “N-no.” She stepped back and looked at her mothers body. She reached out to touch it but jerked her hoof back. “No! No! She, she can’t be! She just, she just had a headache! She’s sick, that’s, that’s all!” She cried out.
She looked at Celestia, who met her gaze as best she could. “You can help! You have to! You can do anything, you’re the princess!” She cried out, stepping closer.
Celestia looked at Twilight Velvets still form again, and shook her head once more. “There are some things beyond even my powers, dearest one.” She said, voice thick with sorrow.
Twilight looked unbelieving for a moment. She looked at her mothers body again, and stepped back, away from Celestia. “N-no. No. Please.” She begged softly. “Please. You have to do something.”
Celestia reached out and took the young filly to her chest, holding her close.
“No! no! You have to help! You have to!” She struggled, beating her hooves against the broad white chest. “What good are you if you cant?! What good are you! I hate you! I hate you!” She cried, flailing. “I want my mommy!”
The flailing, wild blows ended after a minute or so. The grief fueled invectives, a minute later. Leaving Celestia holding a sobbing filly.
She stood, cradling her with a foreleg as she wept into her fur. A long horn touched a brightly glowing, much smaller one. The glow slowly diminished, until it was gone and the bubble surrounding them popped out of existence.
She stepped outside holding the child and looked to her family.
There would be no schooling today. Nor any meetings. Today would be a day for family. Closeness. Love.
Things all of them would need.
Author's Note
I wrote most of this story after my mother passed away. It's extremely difficult for me to read, even several years later, so I've chosen to post it here raw, with minimal editing. My apologies for any mistakes or issues I was unable to catch.
____
I reconsidered where this should go. I thought it deserved it's own submission.