My Only Sunshine

Chapters

Nº 1: BLINDING LIGHT
Nº 2: WARM RAIN
Nº 3: LONE WANDERER
Nº 4: HATING HATRED
Nº 5: COLD CUT
Nº 6: PURPOSE
Nº 7: ACT 1
Nº 7: ACT 2
Nº 7: ACT 3
Nº 8: LYING DREAMS
Nº 9: ACT 1: TRUTHFUL NIGHTMARE
Nº 9: ACT 2: EPILOGUE
Nº 0: PROLOGUE

Nº 1: BLINDING LIGHT

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Nº 2: WARM RAIN

Iris had been wrong. The shower was nothing like the rain. She dreaded rain; in the past she had enjoyed it, but her 700 years spent sat in the seemingly constant storms that plagued her prison and chilled her to the core had made her hate the feeling. The shower was hot, relaxing, soothing, and relieving. As she stood in the large, square tiled space with the gold-plated head above dousing her fur and hair with its wonderfully warm water, she didn't at all feel like she stood in the rain. It felt as if the softest blanket had been wrapped around every inch of her, and the patter of the stream on her head, neck, and back was more like a massage than the beating of a storm. She would wager it to be the most wonderful thing she had ever felt in her life; most certainly in the past 700 years.

She turned to the side, shaking her head to fling her soaked mane from her face as she opened her eyes, the clear glass panes forming the walls of the regal shower totally opaque with steam. The spa beyond was her favorite part of the castle so far; it was dimly lit like the rest of it, true, but the lighting was not harshly dim, it was soft and inviting. The walls were not stone and cold, they were a shiny, lacquered hardwood, and the floor too was this same hardwood with soft carpets adorned with sewn-in designs of the night's sky placed in key areas. The ceiling of the relatively small room was convex, wood rafters running laterally and providing a nice way for two ornate chandeliers to be hung, and they provided a nice place for Philomena to perch herself. The top of Celestia's shower was open, the glass walls only going far enough to where one could jump and see over them, so on the rafter a fair distance above her she was able to see Philomena. The two nice mares who currently staffed the spa had given Philomena a bath, as well; her pristine feathers sat against her body perfectly and shined with the light they so properly should.

The sound of the water hitting the tiles at her hooves combined with the scene around her and the warmth of the water to make a perfectly relaxing scenario. The ache in her body had gone away, and that empty cold in her chest almost felt non-existent.

"Celestia, are you okay? You've been in there for 20 minutes now..." Called one of the spa staff, her gentle voice holding much concern.

Celestia grumbled for a moment, her mind snapping to reality, "W-What?"

"Are you okay?"

"Aye... we art fine. Relaxed. Enjoying the water."

"Alright... if you need anything, just say so."

Celestia unfurled her wings, moving herself to where the stream perfectly pierced her feathers. She let out a long moan, her head falling back at the sensation; it was pure bliss. It felt as if her wings melted, warmth spreading through each of her long feathers to the somewhat sensitive flesh beneath. That warmth was cleansing, purging her mind of all her poor thoughts and making way for better ones, melting away the poisons in her blood like an elixir of joy. The flapping of Philomena's wings drew Celestia's eyes up as she watched the Phoenix spiral down and perch herself perfectly on the hinged glass door of the shower, looking at Celestia with her head cocked to one side.

"Doth thee wish for us to retire from the bath?" Celestia inquired, her words spoken a little slower due to her relaxation.

Philomena shuffled herself along the top of the door, coming to the small seam where it met with the stationary pane of glass and placed one talon on each pane, twisting her body to gently swing open the door, steam pouring into the spa.

"We take that as an 'aye', young lady." Smiled Celestia, turning around to shut off the gold knobs mounted to the ornate tile wall of the shower to the 'off' position.

The hot water ceased its embrace of her body, the almost droning sound of the water hitting her and the tile now nothing but a periodic drip. Turning back to the door, Celestia's eyes were met with those of the purple spa pony as she approached, her hoof holding a folded pale blue towel. Before she could finish her approach, a faintly yellow aura surrounded the towel and brought it to Celestia, who shook her entire body and flapped her wings to remove the excess water clinging to her fur. Now, she brought the towel fully into the shower, holding it by two corners and holding it high to unfold without getting wet.

"I'm going to assume you had a good bath?" Asked the purple spa pony with a soft smile.

Celestia groaned, nodding her head as she slowly stepped from the shower, the fluffy towel in her magic working on its own to dry her wings and back. Every muscle in her body was in a pure state of relaxation; her legs were wobbly, her wings could barely be held from her sides to be dried, and her head hung lazily from her neck. At this point, she was having a hard time keeping her eyes open. She lowered to her haunches, closing her eyes and holding her head back as the towel dried her face and mane. After a while's work, the towel moved down her body to her rear, wrapping around her long tail to squeeze water from it. The feeling of being clean was wonderful; she hadn't had a proper bath in 700 years. At least her large group if islands had been stone and not dirt or sand, the freezing rains and winds that struck at least didn't cake her in mud.

"700 years..." droned Celestia more to herself than to the two spa ponies, now drying her belly.

"Did you say something?" called the second spa pony, a pink mare with a curly red mane and tail.

"Nay, conversing with ourself."

"Oh, well; if you need anything, simply ask."

Celestia groaned in acknowledgment, slowly standing from the carpet as her towel dried each of her legs. One by one, her limbs were dried, leaving her body pristine and somewhat damp; most of the moisture remaining in her mane and tail.

"We are done with the towel." She informed, using her waning magic to neatly fold the towel.

As the purple spa pony approached, Celestia noticed that her blue blanket was held in her hoof, "I put your blanket in the towel warmer, that way you can be toasty for a little while longer!" She chimed, holding up the blanket as Celestia's spell replaced it with the towel.

"Towel warmer? Is it some sort of small furnace?"

The purple spa pony nodded, watching as Celestia unfurled her blanket and draped it over her back, a look of ecstasy replacing her confused look. Celestia moaned as she slowly began towards the many arched windows lining the long front wall of the spa, Philomena taking off from her perch on the shower door to Celestia's warm back, her tail feathers ruffling and her legs lowering her bottom to the warmth.

"We thank thee graciously for warming our sheet... tis a wonderful feeling," Celestia spoke in a seemingly tired tone as she dropped to the carpet before one of the many low-sitting windows, her eyes wandering over the nightly valley below, as her castle home stood high on the face of a mountain.

"It's what we do."

"Doth thee mind if we stay a time longer?"

Both spa staff watched with a smile as Celestia lowered her head to the carpet, rolling to her side and letting her legs sprawl outwards as Philomena hopped from her back, hobbling with her adorable step to Celestia's front.

"Of course, you can stay." The pink spa pony spoke as she walked across the room, her hooves on the hardwood currently being the only real sound in the room. "Would you like for me to put on music?"

Celestia slowly brought her head up, looking to her as she stood before a strange device; it had a square wooden base and a large golden horn angled from its top.

"That device... it, it makes music?"

The spa pony's face lit up, "Oh! You don't know what a phonograph is! I apologize; it's hard to remember that you've been gone for so long," She turned to the 'phonograph' and turned a crank mounted to the side to prime the machine, her hoof reaching below to take a large black disc from a horizontal stack, placing it below the large golden horn and fiddling around for a moment, her actions resulting in a strange crackle to come from the machine. Moments later, notes of a grand piano began to fill the room, followed by a chorus of smoothly playing string and brass instruments, their melody soft and calming.

Celestia stared in awe as her ears were filled with the sounds of 20 ponies all working in harmony at their instruments, yet it all came from a wooden box.

"An entire band shrunk to a package we could carry on our back," Celestia's amazement calmed, turning her gaze back to the window as she focused on the sweet music, "what wonders."

She let her head come back to the carpet, Philomena hopping over and lying on her back beside Celestia's face. With a bright smile, Celestia brought up a hoof to gently pet her feathered friend, her actions slow and almost to the tempo of the song. Her heavy eyelids finally fell shut, the slow pet of her hoof ceasing as her thoughts went blank, nothing more than notes of music bouncing around in her mind. The warm hug of sleep began taking hold, and she invited it with open hooves, her body almost disappearing from her senses as the music played on, fading ever so slowly into the distance.

Celestia's limbs stretched across the carpet as she awoke from the world of sleep, her eyes coming open to find the room nearly pitch black if not for the little bit of blue light coming from the window before her, the hard patter of rain on the windows and wall filling the room with a low rumble. She looked around the spa, seeing the place was totally empty and that the candles of the chandeliers had been put out made her wonder how long she had slept. Looking to the black world beyond showed only the silhouette of the mountains beyond, the sky a pure, deep gray as rain fell in sheets. She groaned, rolling to her belly to find Philomena was not at her side.

"Philomena?" Celestia croaked, tiredly looking up to the abyss that was the high ceiling to try and spot her friend.

Moments after calling, a candle-sized flame ignited from the darkness, highlighting Philomena's body and outstretched wing. Celestia smiled, bringing her gaze back down as she heard the Phoenix's wings flapping above. She stood from the carpet, still groaning and stretching as she gained her bearings, looking around for her lantern. Her attention was drawn into the spa as Philomena's little light shined once more, this time highlighting the lantern that sat by the door of the room. Celestia chuckled as she slowly walked into the abyss of the spa, her eyes trained on Philomena's guiding fire as her magic opened the little door of the lantern, allowing Philomena to light it with the tip of her wing.

"Thou take care of us better than we do ourself..." Smiled Celestia, bringing her lantern to her side and lifting Philomena to her blanketed back.

A happy chirp was Philomena's response as she fluttered her wings to get comfortable, Celestia opening the door to the pitch black hall of the castle beyond the spa. She looked into the darkness, her lantern barely casting a glow on the wall across the way. Already she wanted to retreat back into the familiar space of the spa; beyond lied a cold maze of stone she didn't at all wish to explore, it was a place that looked more like a dungeon than a home. How could these ponies operate happily in this place? Sighing, she stepped fully from the spa, carefully closing the door as she moved to the middle of the fairly wide hallway. Looking at the spa door for a moment, she realized how odd it was for those two spa ponies to have let her sleep on the floor; she was extremely grateful they had, as it had been the best sleep she'd gotten in quite some time, but at the same time she was curious.

Celestia turned her attention back to the abyss before her, trying to remember the steps she had taken to follow Iris to the spa. With a sigh, and without being able to remember any details past simply arriving at the door, she turned right and began down the hall with her lantern leading the way, its light barely seeming to penetrate the murkiness before her. Eventually, outside light became visible through the castle's windows to her left as the hallway came to a bend, leading to more of the black corridors. The windows were facing the inside of the castle, their rain-distorted panes showing only the tall silhouette of walls and spires beyond, their black shapes barely appearing behind the deep gray clouds. She stood before one of the many windows, peering outside and listening to the rain hit the window; the rain looked a lot better when she wasn't trapped in it. She shivered a little, the cold of the hall starting to get past her blanket; she may not be soaked by the rain, but she could certainly still feel its chill.

Cold. She was horribly tired of feeling that way; cold. Maybe she should turn back and revisit the spa. She could figure out how to work the music machine, and figure out how that blanket furnace the spa pony had used on her blanket works, then she could sit and watch the world beyond without having her teeth chatter, which they currently were. She wanted to find her room more than returning to the spa, as her bed was wonderfully cozy, and with the comforter pulled over and Philomena hugged tightly no amount of chilly air could make its way to her. Now wandering the halls further, she thought just how hard it would be to find her room in the black maze she had the displeasure of calling a home; winding corridors and darkness that seemed to push back at light rather than wane for it. Such a place was certainly not a home to her.

The halls simply never ended. She had wandered aimlessly for what had felt like an entire hour, and she had still not found the hall where her little room was. The rain continued to pour, shrouding the castle in darkness as the moon's light wasn't able to force its way through the thick clouds. Other than her own hoofsteps the rain pounding against the large pane windows and occasional whistle from the wind was the only sounds she had heard. She had also taken notice of the lack of guards; how irregular for the home of Equestria's 'highness' to not have any guard posted during down hours whatsoever. It made no sense to her. So many things were abstract and foreign, it would either take her a long time to get used to things, or a long time for her to make things as they once were. As she wandered she had been practicing on making light with her magic and moving larger things; the problem was it had only made her weaker.

Her body was not allowed to pull magic from the world around her, meaning the shattered remains of her once bright and strong internal force couldn't repair themselves. She had to focus every ounce of her thought into carrying her lantern, and even holding such a minuscule item was beginning to hurt her. She loathed the feeling; it was a weakness she had never known, and she barely cared about her lack of being able to move things (or her sun) she cared more about her lack of ability to defend herself in any capacity. Her muscles felt horribly feeble, she doubted being able to withstand a hard blow without having a bone snap, and her magic could barely hold a lantern.

Vulnerability; another thing she hadn't ever felt. Since time's beginning her magic had been her one line of defense, and it had only failed her once, and it had failed her against the one pony she never thought she would have to use her magic against. As her eyes strained against the darkness, she could feel the presence of others; eyes peering at her as she carried her lantern and Phoenix through the halls. She could nearly pinpoint where the feeling came from; they seemed to be above her, but her waning magic couldn't hold her lantern high enough to cast light into the abyss that was the ceiling. Now, all she wished for was to find a single pony; anypony, even Nightmare Moon, so they might be able to show her back to her room. She no longer wished to wander the horrible halls while rain poured and thunder clapped; she wanted to go back to sleep, a place that has thus far proven to be her only mote of refuge besides the spa.

She suspected Nightmare Moon to be behind it, but so far most of her dreams had been more like the reliving of memories than actual dreams. She talked with her supervisors, commanders, secretaries, students, and friends. She walked through the bright, lively halls of her old home. She would stand on the balcony of her tower beside her telescope, star gazing at an old night sky she loved rather than hated. Maybe Nightmare Moon was creating the dreams for her, just to make her happy; if that were true, Celestia could barely bring herself to care. True, they served as constant reminders of the ponies she's lost, and the world she failed to protect, but she would rather have those memories live on within her mind than die and be confined to simple scripts in some old tome.

A sound caught Celestia's ear. She paused, holding totally still while trying to tune out the rumbling rain. A voice; female and deep. Nightmare Moon's. Celestia continued forward, her voice became clearer; she was speaking with somepony. Nightmare paused her words as a second familiar voice too began; it was Iris.

"...you need to speak with her. Letting her be alone is only going to worsen things." Iris spoke with concern, Celestia quickly opening the door of her lantern and blowing out the flame.

"What would be the point? You and I both know she's still extremely angry with me. Talking with her wouldn't be talking; it would be getting yelled at."

Celestia pinpointed their voices; they came from a room with a tall, double door.

"You're afraid of being yelled at, then? Listen to what she has to say; let her yell."

Oh, Celestia could yell...

"I already know what she has to say. I want her to come to me, not me to come to her. I've said this a few times now; she needs to spend time with herself and work out what life will be like."

"You need to do more than that, Moon. You need to show her that you care about how she feels."

"How do I do that? I've given her a nice room, she has mostly unlimited permissions around the castle, she has Philomena..."

"She doesn't have her magic."

Nightmare remained quiet for some time. Celestia listened, hearing her sigh.

"I can't do that. You know I can't."

"Why not?"

"If I do, she'll try raising the sun."

Celestia felt an unbridled rage build within her. She now saw why Nightmare Moon had brought her back; it wasn't to make her feel happy, it was to make herself feel happy.

"Maybe she won't. Maybe if you show her that the night isn't a bad thing, and you show her that you truly do care about her, then she won't try going after you."

"Her mind is set on one thing; I know for certain. She wants her old life back, and I know she'll do whatever it takes to make that reality more than just a dream..."

Celestia's thoughts blurred, her sight almost turning red. 'Dreams'. Nightmare Moon was creating her dreams not to make her happy, but to taunt her.

"...she would throw away everything I've built just to have it back."

Everything she's built. Everything she's taken and violated was much closer to the truth.

"Then give her a portion of her magic back! I see her constantly cursing at herself for being weak and not being able to do simple things; it's killing her that she doesn't have the powers she once had."

Nightmare sighed, "Iris, I can't simply 'give her a portion'. It's all or nothing."

"Then make it all! Moon, she isn't ever going to see you as somepony that really cares for her if you keep her without magic. You know that her powers are more than just an ability; it's who she is, and was."

That blinding rage died down at Iris' words. Celestia felt her heart sinking. This stranger understood more about her and cared more about her than her own blood and flesh did. Silence reigned supreme for a moment, nothing but the rain's beating filling the air.

"I want her to be happy. I see that giving her magic back would undoubtedly help... but I can't do that without her wanting my destruction. You have to understand this from my side."

"Moon, there is no side to this. There is right and wrong, and if you do the right thing, your sister won't hate you. If she is still the happy, caring pony you say she once was, she won't turn on you."

"You can't turn on somepony you were never with, Iris."

That sentence hung on the air. It echoed in Celestia's mind as silence once more took the hall. Nightmare said more with that single sentence than she had said in her entire life. Celestia pondered hard; either she felt Celestia never loved her, or she was simply reflecting her own feelings on what had happened 700 years ago. Celestia turned back in the direction she had come from, not caring to re-light her lantern. What was left of her heart had been torn from her chest. She realized just how selfish Nightmare Moon was; she cared not for making her happy, she only cared to keep her around so she herself could be happy. Ignorance truly was bliss.

Author's Note

If you've enjoyed the story so far be sure to favorite or add to your 'tracking' shelf!

Nº 3: LONE WANDERER

More wandering. More shivering from the freezing air. More being full of... hate. She was growing tired of the feeling. In fact, she was growing tired of most aspects of her life. No waking moment seemed to hold any joy, and when joy did strike it seemed to be followed with more anger. At this point, she barely cared about having her sun, her home, her friends, or her magic back; she wanted happiness. Celestia thought for a moment as she continued down an unknown hall, her lantern now held in her mouth instead of her nearly spent magic. Her sun, home, friends and magic were happiness... but more than that, Luna was her happiness. She had Luna at her side before they had a castle, friends, or a place to sleep at all. They had been right by each other through the cold, the warm, the high, and the low.

She wanted Luna. She didn't need her magic if she had her sister; her true sister. The kind, gentle-voiced filly whose light blue mane fell over her azure eyes and whose blue coat gleamed in either the sun's or the moon's light. Simply picturing her made Celestia's heart ache. There was barely a shard of Luna within the being calling itself Nightmare Moon; Celestia could hear the calm, composed, almost studious stature of her sister in the deep voice echoing from that black mare's throat. When she and Iris had been speaking, she never once lost her composure; never shouting or stumbling. That was Luna. Nothing more about her was similar in the slightest. Her wings were sharp and swept, not wide and smooth like a proper Alicorn's wings should be. Her fang-ridden maw drew the eyes not as something of beauty, but as something of disgust. Her fur was like the abyss of the night, looking as if it wished to consume light. Everything made Celestia feel dread. Somewhere in the black body calling itself her sister was her sister. Somewhere in there was the being she loved.

Celestia drew her eyes from the stone floor as she rounded a corner, the now wider and somewhat brighter corridor before her finally holding some resemblance; it was the first place one entered after coming in through the throne hall. She paused, staring at the pair of sealed double doors down the hall, in between them being a barely visible painting of the beast herself. Celestia continued, her eyes locked with those of the gently smiling, pure black mare depicted in the painting, the finer details now being visible as she had held her lantern closer. Smiling. Celestia cocked her head. Nightmare Moon was smiling. Such a detailed and large work would have taken hours to craft; yet Nightmare Moon was smiling. Celestia had never once smiled in her paintings; doing so for such a long time caused horrible pains in the jaw. Yet Nightmare Moon was smiling. It seemed like such a façade, but Celestia couldn't shake the thought that maybe Nightmare Moon was more than just an evil mare wishing for the night to go on for eternity. She thought back to the conversation she had listened in on, thinking of how Nightmare Moon sounded... normal. She didn't cackle or snarl like she had all those years ago; she reminded Celestia of herself. A gentle, wise, knowing tone was the one she heard in that deep voice, one that seemed so foreign, and now Celestia knew why.

She moved from the painting, looking into the eyes of Nightmare Moon for a moment more before moving to the rightmost door, pushing it open and walking inside the expansive, dark hall. Details of the room were somewhat easy to make out thanks to the multiple skylights in the roof above. Blue tapestries adorned with Nightmare Moon's mark, tall pillars and ornate tile floors. It was quite the space, and it seemed lively when the moon's light was able to seep in. Now, it was dead; no echoing voices or chatter from dignitaries or officials, simply the constant drone of rain.

"Why do you enter her Highness' hall?"

Celestia screamed, her lantern falling from her mouth as she flipped around with haste, Philomena squawking in surprise as she was nearly thrown from her perch upon Celestia's back. Her gaze met with the silhouette of a guard, his deep green eyes being the only thing visible of his figure.

"Do not shout at us in such a way!" Boomed Celestia as she regained herself, "Tis our castle, we shall go where ever we please!"

"The throne hall is off-limits to anypony during down time..."

"And we are not 'anypony'," Celestia grumbled, picking her lantern up with a spell and inspecting the now cracked panes of glass, "we have had quite the night already, we do not need you giving us conniptions by frightening us!"

"Apologies, your Majesty. I was ensuring you were who I thought you were."

Celestia stepped forward, holding her lantern to the guard, only portions of his face visible past the ornate purple and silver helmet upon his head, "We suppose that is respectable, thou art a guard, after all. Where art thou posted? We hath walked the halls for a near hour and not a single of thy kind hast met our gaze."

The guard raised a brow, "There are guards posted everywhere within the castle at all times, your Majesty. How have you not seen anypony?" The guard paused, his eyes widening, "Ah, you haven't looked up, have you, your Majesty?"

"We hath looked up, aye. Nothing but abyss."

The guard turned, walking out of the throne hall, "If you'll follow me, your Majesty."

Celestia complied, following him into the hall, "May I take your lantern?"

The light floated to his open mouth, his teeth securely holding the handle as his bat-like wings carried him vertically, his ascension going on for some time until he finally reached the ceiling and wall where the lantern cast light upon a second guard hung from his tail on a large, golden pole that both served as a perch and a post to hang a large, long tapestry similar to those in the throne hall.

"Hello, your Majesty." Smiled the upside down guard.

Both Celestia and Philomena stared upward, Celestia's mouth hung open, "Thou find that comfortable?"

"Of course, your Majesty. All of her Highness' royal guard are Nocturn; bat-ponies. We all come from the Hollow Shades."

Celestia's eyes lit up, "Aye! We remember that place well; it was a mere settlement in our time, how does it fare now?"

"It's the largest city in Equestria, your Majesty."

That dumbfounded look remained as Celestia brought her gaze down, shaking her head, "What wonders... we thank thee guards for thy knowledge; we still know nothing of this new Equestria."

"Of course, your Highness." Returned the upside down guard as his comrade with the damaged lantern began his descent.

"Ye who hold our lantern; might thee show us back to our quarters? We art horribly lost."

As the guard touched down he nodded, the lantern bobbing in his mouth. He turned and began down the hall in the opposite direction Celestia had approached from, the lantern only serving as a beacon for Celestia as his eyes were well tuned for darkness. In fact, the light was more a negative, as it was more blinding than it was revealing. As they walked Celestia only found herself smiling; these guards were trained just how hers had been all those years ago; firm when needed, and gentle when not. Hearing that the Hollow Shades had flourished under Nightmare Moon's rule too made her happy, in fact, seeing that Equestria was flourishing as a whole made her happy. Knowing she had done well as a leader and treated those around her with the kindness that should be presented by a leader served some reassurance.

Celestia began remembering back to that horrible night of their final conflict; she remembered telling Luna that Equestria couldn't exist under a permanent night and that all of the vegetation would die off and things would become frozen without the sun's light. Luna's screaming response had been that she would find a way to make it work and that she would make those in Equestria see how wonderful the night could be. If there was one good side to anything that had happened, it was that Luna had been right. She had created her own world, and it had flourished. Celestia did notice an oddity, however; the ponies of Equestria were very similar to the bat-ponies, or Nocturn, as they called themselves. Had the three pony tribes somehow melded into one over time and combined with the Nocturn?

"Most loyal guard; tell us, we see ponies like thyself; bat-like wings and cat-like eyes, but we see no ponies with wings and eyes like our own. Why is that?"

The guard turned his head, holding his mouth open to allow Celestia to take the lantern's handle with her magic, "Most of the castle's staff is from Hollow Shades, but anypony else you see has simply adapted to the night. What you, your Majesty, would know as a 'normal' pony still exists, feathered wings and all... well, minus the eyes. You most likely haven't seen any pony guests walking about yet."

Celestia hummed, "We see. And now that Hollow Shades is Equestria's high point, dost that mean most citizens are Nocturn?"

"No, not at all. We only make up around... oh..." the guard looked up into the abyss, "Fexir, what percent of the population do we make up again?" He called to an unseen comrade.

"Around 20 percent, I do believe." Returned an echoing, deep, almost commanding male voice.

"20 percent, your Highness."

Celestia's eyes widened a little, "and how many Nocturn live in Hollow Shades?"

"Around 750,000 Nocturn."

Celestia's jaw dropped, "750,000!?! Equestria's population under our and our sister had been a fraction of that!" she shook her head in disbelief as she and the guard continued on, "What wonders,"

Her attention was pulled to Philomena as she pecked at her back, "Aye, young lady?"

The Phoenix tapped her stomach with a wing feather.

"Hungry, aye? Guard, shalt thee show us to the gardens? Philomena craves more Blue Jay."

"Right away, your Majesty."

The rain sang clearly, unruffled by the windows and walls of the castle as Celestia stood at the fringe of the garden's arched entryway, her escorting guard standing at attention a short distance from her. Philomena's silhouette was barely visible through the darkness and sheets of rain as she circled, hunting for any creature unfortunate enough to find itself not hidden away in a burrow or nest.

"Quite the hunter, indeed," Celestia commented to herself, thinking on what Iris had said a night ago.

"Did you address me, your Majesty?" Inquired the guard, not turning his head.

"Nay, speaking with ourself."

"Understood," the guard now looked over, his gaze landing on the damaged lantern sitting beside Celestia's hoof, "Permission to speak, your Majesty?"

"Granted."

"I can find you a replacement lantern, one that's a little nicer than your current."

Celestia looked down at the mentioned object, "Tis a sad little light now... but we shall refuse. That lantern has served us well."

"Understood."

Philomena's cry broke through the beating rain as she dived, Celestia looking up with a light smile, "Aye, she hath found some poor critter."

"She's an incredible pet, your Majesty."

Celestia chuckled, "We art more her pet than she is ours."

With a second screech, Philomena's silhouette appeared against the deeply gray sky as she approached the entrance, her wings flaring at the last moment to bring her to a halt, her talons causing her to slide a little as she touched down to the tile, water dripping from her soaked feathers.

"Dost not think thou shalt stand upon us while soaked, young lady." Smiled Celestia as she craned her head down to Philomena.

The Phoenix spread her wings, flapping and shaking her entire body to fling most of the water from herself. Then, to the surprise of the guard and to the dismay of his eyes, Philomena burst into flames, her entire fully spread glory being brighter than 100 lanterns for a moment as the last of the water was evaporated from beneath her feathers. The flame died off as her wings furled back to her sides, leaving the Phoenix with wisps of steam rising from her fairly tall figure.

"Wonderful," Celestia's magic embraced Philomena, bringing her back to her perch upon Celestia's blanketed back, "We may resume finding our quarters now,"

"Understood," The guard blinked a few times, trying to re-adjust his eyes, "Do you wish for me to hold your lantern, your Majesty?"

"Nay, we think our magic shall be strong enough for the moment..."

A concerned frown took the guard's expression as he resumed guiding Celestia, "If you don't mind me asking, your Majesty, you're an Alicorn... doesn't that mean your magic is strong enough to do powerful things?"

Celestia sighed, "We art supposed to be, aye. Thy Highness hath seen fit to strip us totally of all but the most basic of our magic, shatter the light being within our body, and prevent us from drawing any of our light magic from the earth."

"And... it's bad enough to where you have a hard time holding a lantern?"

"Aye."

As the guard looked back at her, Celestia saw exactly what he felt through his gaze; sympathy, "I'm sorry, your Majesty. That... isn't right."

"We know well."

Finally, Celestia began recognizing the halls. They were in the general area of her little room, and after turning a corner to a 'C' shaped corridor she saw the sun-marked double doors of her recommissioned suite.

"Your quarters, your Majesty." Spoke the guard with a bow, letting Celestia pass him.

"We thank thee for thy guidance and thy conversing. We hath barely had words with any in this dark castle... we forgot how wonderful it can be to speak with others."

The guard smiled, "It was my pleasure, your Majesty."

Nightmare Moon's horn came to life with a wavy blue aurora of magic, a collection of documents held together by a little wire clip being lifted from her desk by the same aurora of magic.

"The bi-annual tax totals, Miss Moon." Informed Iris after dropping the papers before Nightmare.

"Ah, wonderful. I'll have them to your office by time dinner's served." Nightmare returned after inspecting the stamp at the top of the first page and placing them off to the side.

Iris simply bowed, turning to the door of Nightmare's large and extravagant office space. Nightmare watched her leave, turning her gaze back down to the stack as she began flipping through them curiously, the gentle light of a nearby candle coating the white papers with an orange glow. She hummed, reading on at the figures and percents. The nation had quite the income, and debts to neighboring nations were being paid quickly. She had been considering an expansion of the Army, and seeing that things were going quite well only boosted her confidence in the success of some expansion. Raising certain low taxes by a tiny amount would be a good way to make up for the extra costs of training and armor, and small adjustments usually went unnoticed by the newspapers.

The papers were put back down as she turned her attention back to the bills before her, a quill loaded with red ink held at the ready more like a sword than a pen to smite legislation she saw unfit. Raise tax on imports from Yakyakistan by .14 percent? She nodded gently, jotting her signature in a quick fashion and placing the paper into a wooden rack under the category 'Approved', which was marked by an engraved gold plate. No matter how hard she tried her signature was never perfectly consistent. She had doomed herself to such a fate long ago by deciding to make it elaborate, trying to fit her full title in places. Iris had taken the route any intelligent secretary would and made her signature a simple jot of her initials, barely adding flare or high curves. Though extremely simple, it was instantly recognizable; unique in its simplicity.

A quick rap on the doors drew her eyes up, "Granted," she called.

The door was pushed open to reveal a heavily armored guard, the marking on his breast plate showing he was a Corporal of the up-hours guard stationed in the guest wing. Her eyes were instantly drawn to something she hadn't expected at all; Philomena, who stood proudly on his back.

"Her Majesty's Phoenix requests that you follow her... at least that's what myself and two others could figure out, your Highness."

Nightmare stared for a moment, Philomena looking at her and chirping while giving her wings a few small flaps.

"I... well, alright," As she stood from her desk, she kept her eyes locked with Philomena's, "I assume Celestia sent you?"

Philomena nodded, spreading her wings and taking to the air from the guard's back, Nightmare leaving her heat-blued peytral and shoes at the door as she trotted to follow the Phoenix. Naturally faster in flight Philomena would land at intersections and stand in waiting as Nightmare hurried along, trying to keep a pace with her. Every night Nightmare found herself awe-struck at how intelligent this Phoenix was; Celestia had trained her very well over the years. It made some sense; Philomena was only a few hundred years younger than Celestia, such age in a creature and constant treatment as a pony and not as a simple avian had combined to make her quite the sharp little bird. Never once had Celestia simplified her words with Philomena, she addressed her as if she were addressing her adjutants or dignitaries.

After a few minutes of following Philomena, Nightmare began to suspect she was leading her to the guest wing where Celestia's room was located; she had been cooped up in there for nearly every hour of her time since her return. She too began wondering why Philomena had summoned her; why not inform a guard or Iris? She wondered why Celestia would summon her at all. There was joy at the occasion, of course; as she would get to see her sister for the first time since her return, but there was also fear and worry. Something must be wrong in order for Celestia to want to see her.

"Philomena?" Nightmare called to the Phoenix as she touched down up ahead, turning to address her after coming to a hopping stop, "Is... something wrong? I'll assume Celestia's unhappy with me, and wants to talk."

Philomena shook her head.

"So, nothing's wrong?" a little glimmer of hope lit up Nightmare's eyes, "She... does she just want to see me?"

Philomena shook her head again. Nightmare hummed, trying to think what could be the matter. After a moment, Philomena took back off, flying down the hall towards the very recognizable guest wing; Nightmare had been right in her assumptions. Like before, Philomena landed at the intersection to the 'C' shaped corridor of the guest suites, this time hobbling along on her talons down the hall instead of flying. Nightmare watched with amusement as the bright Phoenix disappeared around the wall, her combination walk and hop being a rather comical and adorable sight. As Nightmare trotted to the intersection and around the subsequent corner to see Philomena hobbling along towards Celestia's doors, her wings half-unfurled from her sides to keep her balanced. Upon reaching the door, Philomena simply stopped, politely waiting to the side as Nightmare approached.

"You're incredibly cute, do you know that?" She spoke, smiling down at the Phoenix.

Philomena chirped, fluttering her wings.

Nightmare looked to the doors with her head cocked; they weren't sealed, one sat slightly ajar from its partner. Her naked hoof pushed open the unlatched door, her head peeking in to find Celestia sitting against her large bed, her wings half unfurled and her pink unkempt mane falling over half her face.

"Celestia?"

She simply groaned in pain, looking up at Nightmare then Philomena, her cheeks damp with tears.

"What... what's wrong? Are you okay?"

Philomena hopped past Nightmare Moon, going to Celestia's side and nuzzling her head into the soft fur of her side, the action bringing no smile from Celestia.

"Nay... our stomach hath emptied itself."

"You threw up? Are you sick?"

Celestia nodded, "Every inch of our being aches. It feels as if blades puncture our stomach in every place... why dost it hurt so much?"

The pink eyes she once knew to gleam with joy now seemed flat, pure pain and fear being the only emotions visible within.

"How... how did you get sick? You've never been sick, even back when that flu went around the castle you stayed safe from it... was it something you ate?"

"Our last meal had been during our visit to the dining hall."

Nightmare's eyes widened, "Celestia, that was a full two and a half nights ago! Why aren't you eating?!"

Celestia shook her head, short, gasping groans leaving her gently parted lips.

"Have you been drinking, at least? That... that's horribly unhealthy to go for so long without food. I'll have the chefs prepare you some soup; you need nutrients."

Celestia let out an anguished exclamation, shaking her head, "Nay, nay; we dost not need food. It shant stay down... we wish to no longer heave."

"Well... I, I don't know what to do for you..."

Celestia sat silently, her hoof finally raising to pet Philomena, who still nuzzled her side.

"The spa... we want to be there. With the music and hot water."

Nightmare's magic took the blanket from the bed and draped it over Celestia, who didn't look up to meet the loving smile Nightmare's expression held, "We can go to the spa,"

Celestia slowly got to her hooves, groaning as her body panged with aches. Her legs shivered as she looked to Philomena, her horn crackling as it failed to lift the Phoenix from the floor. She shut her eyes, trying again. Philomena was brought a distance from the floor before her magic died off again, Philomena squawking as she caught herself in the air, somewhat awkwardly hovering over to Celestia's blanketed back. Her head remained aimed at Philomena's last location, her eyes too locked on that spot as she stared, blinking rapidly.

"Are... are you okay, Celestia?"

It took a moment for Celestia to finally bring her gaze up, though she did not look back to Nightmare Moon, "We want to be at the spa..."

Without further words, Nightmare turned and began towards the open doors of her sister's little room. As she exited her eyes were drawn to the shattered lantern sat by the door, its little wick not holding a flame. She paused, looking at it for quite some time before looking to Celestia, whose head hung and wings fell from her sides. She couldn't shake the resemblance from her mind. A shattered light.

Author's Note

If you've enjoyed the story so far be sure to favorite or add to your 'tracking' shelf!

Nº 4: HATING HATRED

Each tiny step was agony. She tried to make her movements shorter, lifting her hooves a shorter distance from the hardwood in an attempt to lessen the aches in each of her limbs, but it was to no avail. The only relief she found was sitting totally still. That seemed to make her limbs feel a tiny bit better, and it made the stabbing pains in her stomach fade only a little bit. Her walk from the little room she had spent most of her time in to the spa had been more painful than anything she had experienced. It seemed like it had taken a full hour to walk the distance, each step causing her to groan and whine. She had stopped twice, dropping to her haunches and sitting in the middle of the hall for minutes as she regained what little shreds of strength she could. Philomena, while being large for an avian, was lightweight, but carrying her on her back had become a chore. Though, she would never dream of dismounting Philomena; she would carry her till her legs wouldn't work.

The entire time they had walked Nightmare Moon had remained totally quiet, a sorrowful expression being almost permanent on her face. She stared at Celestia, only for a few moments had she taken her gaze to other places. Celestia occasionally returned her look, peering into Nightmare's eyes to see that her gaze was one she recognized; a look of regret. It was genuine. It wasn't a falsehood or facade put up to fool her; there was a true ache in Nightmare's heart for what she had caused. She didn't speak because her mind knew what words it came up with wouldn't ever quell the pain she had caused, and she never diverted her gaze from Celestia because she couldn't believe she was the cause of the sight before her. Maybe Luna was still alive within that body.

With Philomena now perched in the rafters of the spa and her blanket dropped beside the clear glass shower Celestia's horn sparked as she managed to swing the door open, stepping into the bright tile enclosure. She remembered times when she could move boulders and trees as if they were pebbles and twigs. Now she was amazed at her ability to open a glass door. Sighing, she dropped to her belly in the center of the shower, looking to the knobs of the shower and twisting them both to bring forth the wonderfully warm water she so needed.

She blinked, looking out across the dark ocean and several other large stone islands of her prison as the cold rain pelted her coat. Her breath caught as she stared, instantly beginning to shiver as the rain continued on, splashing the slick stone around her. She couldn't stand. She couldn't breathe. She simply stared forward, her mind failing to make sense of what her eyes saw. She was here again. She hadn't done anything wrong; why was she here again? Panic took over as she got to her hooves, her body still aching horribly as her head spun around to see the endless ocean and dark stone surrounding her. Her breaths became quicker and deeper, her eyes darting around. She was here again, and the cold rain fell as it had before. She began ranting the same word over and over, her voice starting low and gaining volume; 'why?'. She sat up on her haunches, chest heaving with hard breaths as she began a panicked sob, continuing to repeat herself until she was screaming.

She heard Nightmare Moon's voice calling to her, and she turned to see her standing right behind her. Nightmare's horn came alive, a force taking Celestia's entire body as she was pulled from the chilling, pounding rains. She blinked, her tear-blurred vision locked with the horrified look on Nightmare's face as her magic placed her to the carpet before the shower of the spa. She looked around, chest still heaving and body still shivering as she looked to the two nice fillies who staffed the spa, their expressions too showing horror and worry.

"Celestia, what's wrong!? Talk to me!" Shouted Nightmare, kneeling before Celestia and taking her shoulders.

Celestia continued staring, barely blinking as the tears of her terrified sobs disappeared in the cold water soaking the fur of her cheeks.

"Celestia!?"

"W-We were there again... thy prison... thou put us back..."

"I... I put you back? What are you talking about!?"

"Thou returned us to that place! We... we were there again!" Celestia's cries became more forceful, her head falling. "P-Please don't send us back! We shalt die before sitting in solitude! P-Please!!"

Nightmare pulled Celestia's chilly, damp body into her chest as she hugged her tight, Celestia shivering and heaving as she sobbed. Nightmare began petting down Celestia's back to try and console her, her hoof moving from her neck to her wings in a gentle motion.

"Never. I will never send you back to that horrid place, and I will never do another thing to hurt you."

"Why? Why hurt us to start? We... we doth not understand!"

Nightmare tightened her embrace, her own tears now falling, "I don't know... I don't know why I ever hurt you."

Celestia offered no words in response as she sunk into the embrace. She imagined Luna holding her. She imagined that when she opened her eyes she would see her sister. She tried to block the pain in her body from her thoughts, trying to forget about the pain and cold she felt. She wanted to no longer be cold or feel pain; she wanted life to not hurt. Every waking moment was a pain she couldn't avoid, and even in sleep, she felt that pain as it echoed through her dreams.

"Please... may we return to the bath? M-Make it warm..." Whined Celestia after a time, not moving from Nightmare's hug.

"Of course, dear Celestia,"

She felt her heart stop. That deep voice somehow sounded gentler; it sounded so much like Luna's. She opened her eyes to see her head was still buried in the black fur of Nightmare Moon's chest, her ear listening in on her big heart pound away. Luna was in there. Nightmare Moon finally released her as she stood, stepping to the door of the shower as she poked her hoof into the cascade of cold water coming from the showerhead, her magic adjusting the knobs to bring the hot water Celestia wanted.

"Do you want me to leave?" quietly asked Nightmare, looking down at the soaked, shivering Celestia, who still stared off into nothing.

"Nay..." She slowly rotated on her haunches, looking to Nightmare, "Place us back inside... our limbs pang in agony."

Nightmare's magic lifted Celestia from the carpet back into the shower, gently placing her right at the center of the toasty stream. She tilted her head down, welcoming the water to seep into her mane and tail. Once more, the warmth was wonderfully soothing, washing away her shivering as it seeped past her cold fur into her muscles. She groaned as she unfurled her wings, her feathers now too welcoming the water. Her stomach still felt as if blade after blade had been driven into it, and her legs still seemed to ache to her bones, but she felt better; so much better. As the warmth continued its embrace fear of her condition began taking her mind. Never before had she felt so terrible, and never before had she had her stomach empty itself. She couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with herself.

"I know you said you didn't want any food, but you really should eat," spoke Nightmare over the gentle serenades of the music.

Celestia brought her head from the pillow one of the spa staff had given her, looking from the world beyond to the bowl of steaming potato and carrot soup floating in Nightmare Moon's blue aurora. The bowl was placed beside her on the carpet, Celestia eyeing the soup for a moment before looking back out the low sitting spa windows, her hoof continuing to pet Philomena's soft feathers as she lay at her side.

"Maybe our stomach will not refuse soup."

Nightmare sat by Celestia's side, scooting herself to where they lay side by side. She unfurled her right wing, draping it over Celestia's back, which; as always, was covered by her blue blanket. Celestia only continued to look out across the night-time lands beyond, deep in thought.

"Do you feel any better? You haven't been groaning,"

"Stillness quells some pain."

"Would you like me to leave so you can get some sleep?"

"We wish not for sleep." Celestia's eyes turned from the window to Nightmare. "We shalt rather lie awake than live in the taunting dreams thou create."

"Taunting dreams? I... I haven't touched your thoughts since the night you returned..."

"Thou could at least not lie. We did enjoy the memories of our old home and our old friends, but we hath heard what thou think while crafting such dreams; thou dost it to taunt us, we heard thy words spoken with Iris nights ago."

Nightmare's expression went to one of worry. "How did you hear our conversation?"

"That matters less than what we heard. 'You can't turn on somepony you were never with'."

Nightmare sighed, "You didn't stay after hearing me say that, did you?"

"Nay... but we think it shant matter,"

"I explained to Iris that you wanting to take the day back was totally justified. You striking me down and restoring Equestria to how it once was wouldn't be turning or betrayal."

Celestia held her speech, looking back outside as Nightmare used her wing to pull her a little closer. "Your dreams weren't my work, sister. Your mind created those realities, not me. I know of them because I watched them, and I could feel just how much you missed what the past was like... that's why I said what I said. I don't want to taunt you, or hurt you, or make you feel sorrow." Nightmare craned her head to nuzzle Celestia's neck. "I want my big sister back."

Still, Celestia was speechless. She wanted to lash out and continue arguing, making her points and rebuttals, spitting the venom she had gathered over 700 years, but she couldn't. For the first time, she felt love; the love she remembered from Luna. More and more she doubted her own declaration that Luna has no more. Every minute it seemed less and less true. Every second it felt like Luna was at her side, simply in a new body. Celestia's mouth came open, muttering half a word before Nightmare shushed her, pulling with her wing and pushing her cheek into Celestia's neck.

"You don't have to say anything. I know you hate me. Please, for a moment; let's just sit... and be sisters."

That happiness in Celestia suddenly faded entirely as it was replaced by frustration. "Thou care not for our true feelings; much as we hath suspected. Thou hast returned us to make thyself feel happiness, not to make us happy."

Nightmare brought her head up, looking at the blankly staring Celestia. "That... that isn't true at all. I've done lots to try and make things better for you, but..."

"But thou cannot give us everything, for thou art too scared we shalt take thy throne from under thee."

"I'm not scared you'll take my throne, sister... I'm scared to lose what I worked to create."

"Thou did not create a thing!" Celestia boomed, glaring at Nightmare, "Thou art a betrayer, thief, and traitor! Thou hast stolen all but our life, and that statement may prove false within the next day!"

Nightmare remained quiet as Celestia pushed herself away, distancing herself from Nightmare. "Thou care not for how we feel or what we think! Thou art as selfish today as thee were when thou saw fit to ruin our life!"

Silence reigned supreme, Celestia glaring into the hurt eyes of Nightmare Moon.

"If I cut down the walls holding you from your magic would you raise the sun?"

"Aye."

The answer had been instant. No hesitation to think.

"Why?"

Celestia's face contorted with rage, her mouth slowly opening. "Why?! Thou ask why?! Tis what is right, that is why! Thou hath created disharmony and unbalance in the world! Did thee not pause to consider creatures who live during the day!? Hath thee not thought of far off lands that now sit under a permanent day or dawn!?"

"Every day of my life. Places adapted just how our ponies did. It took a while, yes, but now the world and Equestria thrives once more; our nation has never had so much power and wealth."

"That is not justification for thy actions! 700 years ago thou saw fit to change the entire mechanic of our nation and world out of simple jealousy!!" Celestia screamed, tears forcing their way through her shut eyes, the volume of her voice straining her throat.

"Isn't that exactly what you want to do? Equestria is used to the night now, it is the norm!

Celestia's lip quivered, her chest shuttering as her rage-flaming eyes still dug into Nightmare's.

"There is a grave difference between something being normal and something being forced. Equestria did not 'adjust', it was forced under a rule it did not want! Those who hast been under our previous rule did not accept thy night, and we art sure of it!"

"You're right; they didn't. Some of them never looked me in the eye again. Sometimes, change hurts for those who are around when it happens. Now; you stand where I stand. You want to change Equestria back, but you don't realize that Equestria doesn't want to change."

"And how art thee so sure of thy words? Hast thy subjects so kindly told thee about how they love thy night?!"

"Yes, they have. As I-"

"Do you fail to see they lie to you!?"

Nightmare paused, trying to remain calm in the face of her sister's berating.

"They don't lie to me-"

"How art thee so sure of thyself? What if thou art wrong!?"

"I am not wrong!" Boomed Nightmare, her own volume surprising her, "the world I've created is a great one, and it has surpassed every standard you and I once had! I was right to be jealous of you, because I took our world and I made it greater! You call me selfish, but you are no better than I am! You want to make the day reign again simply to get revenge on me for something that happened 700 years ago!"

Silence fell over the spa. Celestia's eyes shut as she did her best to suppress her want to burst into tears. The little shreds of hope she had gathered that Luna was still alive in that body were burnt away; before her was the same, blindly jealous mare that had cast her away 700 years ago.

"Leave. Leave us..." Her eyes shut, tears flowing as she turned away from Nightmare.

"Celestia... I didn't mean to shout at you..."

"We care not that thou hath shouted." Celestia slowly got to her hooves, her limbs shaking horribly. "We care that thou think we art similar to thyself," she stood before the still sitting Nightmare, raising one of her pained front hooves to jab it at her side, her chest heaving as she cried. "W-We care that thou care not for us in the slightest!"

"You only want to change Equestria because you miss how it used to be..."

Celestia brought her hoof into Nightmare's side with great force, a quick grunt escaping her lips, "Leave!!"

Nightmare's expression was now one of pain; not physical pain, but emotional pain. The two stared at each other as Celestia's enraged scowl turned to a look of slight horror. Realization of what she had done began setting in, the anger and hate burning in her mind melting away as she stared into Nightmare's azure eyes, a tear rolling down the black fur of her cheek.

"Celestia... what happened to us?"

Celestia dropped to her haunches, her chest heaving as she began crying, her head held low. Nightmare got to her hooves, sitting before Celestia and taking the smaller Alicorn with a loving hug, allowing Celestia to bury her head in her chest.

"W-We hath become a monster! Our mind is filled with so much hate!" blurted Celestia, her words hardly making it past her cries.

"You aren't a monster. You have every right to hate me. Celestia, I-I'm sorry..."

"W-We do not want to hate anymore!" Celestia's sobs came harder as she pushed herself away from Nightmare. "We want our sister back!"

Nightmare scooted back, her heart aching as Celestia looked away from her. Philomena, who had been standing a little away from the two, approached Celestia, nuzzling her crying friend in a feeble attempt to calm her. Celestia dropped to her belly, taking Philomena as if she were a toy and hugging her against her chest.

"L-Leave... please, leave."

Silently, Nightmare Moon got to her hooves, not looking over her shoulder as she walked to the spa's exit.

The same mental process went on just as it had done every other time Celestia had woken up. Her eyes open, her dreams fade into the back of her mind and she remembers where she is, what she is, and who she was. That constant ache in her heart returned, and her eyes fluttered open to see the moonlit interior of her room. She moved around a tiny bit to find one of the big pillows from her bed held tightly by her front hooves. She had cried herself to sleep while hugging the pillow; normally, Philomena was what she held while falling asleep, but the pillow had been made a substitute, as Philomena couldn't be squeezed. Her forelegs released the pillow, her head coming up a bit to see Philomena was currently nowhere to be seen. She knew well that Philomena would trek out on her own business when she slept, but not waking up to see the Phoenix was a little disheartening. The horrible pain in her heart seemed worse than ever before, but the pain in her legs and wings was the opposite. As she moved around her limbs did not scream at her, they simply groaned, however; her stomach was louder than ever. She didn't feel the need to vomit; she felt the need to eat.

After Nightmare Moon's forced departure Celestia had thought to eat the soup she had been given, but by time her attention had been given to it the meal had cooled to match the air's temperature and had formed a thin skin, making it totally inedible. With a groan, she got from bed, hoping that the castle beyond was not in its down time so she could find something to eat. Almost forgetting her magic was defunct, Celestia tried to take her blue blanket from her bed and drape it over herself... and succeeded. She looked back at the blanket as it embraced her figure. She took a corner of the blanket with her magic, lifting it without a hitch. Her horn didn't seem to pulse or spark, and the yellow aurora of her spells seemed quite healthy, albeit still weak. Had Nightmare Moon done something to give a fragment of her magic back? What could she have done? As she had explained to Iris; it was an all or nothing affair. Maybe she had spent long enough without using her magic to where the shattered remains of her abilities had gotten some time to heal. Certainly more likely than the latter.

With her blanket Celestia walked from her bed to the double doors of her dim room, the moon's light coming in through the window reflecting around on the white walls to give the place a hint of vibrancy. She looked down at her broken lantern, effortlessly taking the extinguished light with her magic. Another disadvantage of Philomena's absence; no one to light the wick. She looked up to the door; Philomena was almost certainly in the gardens hunting or faffing about as a bird would, and she could easily have a guard escort her along to the garden's archway so she may call forth her friend and part-time lantern lighter. With a quick spell the horribly heavy door no longer felt heavy as it opened with ease, Celestia staring at the door for a time before continuing into the hall.

Compared to how she had felt when Nightmare Moon had guided her to the spa, she currently felt almost normal. The ache in her legs and wings was the feeling one would experience after a long day of flying or running instead of the bone-deep pain that had previously plagued her. She wished she could have said the same for her stomach, however; her insides grumbled and panged with an agony worse than what a knife or spear could bring. As she moved further into the dark hall, she noticed no guards were stationed at ground level, meaning the castle was in its down time. She dreaded not being able to tell how long she spent sleeping. Her eyes were drawn up to the partial abyss of the ceiling as she searched around for one of the strangely hung Nocturn guards. With a little bit of looking she found a guard's post, his polished armor barely shining through the darkness.

"You there, guard! Might thee direct us to a meal? Hunger hast stricken us quite hard," she called, seeing his head turn to address her.

"The dinner service concluded about two hours ago..." The guard paused as he released himself from his upside-down perch, his wings catching his fall and bringing him into a vertical descent. "But, I think some of the chefs might still be in the dining hall's kitchen cleaning up and prepping for tomorrow." The armored shoes adorning his hooves clacked to the tile. "If you'll follow me, your Majesty; if the chefs are still in, they'll have no problem making you something."

"Wondrous. Please, lead the way."

He bowed, beginning down the hall with Celestia trailing a distance behind.

"Permission to speak freely, your Majesty?"

"Granted."

"Why carry a lantern if it's not lit?"

"Our Philomena is absent, and she is the one to light our lantern, as our magic hast not the power to do so."

"I did see your Phoenix leave your chambers recently, your Majesty. Normally she goes to the gardens; shall I escort you there first?"

"Is it far out of the way of the kitchen?" returned Celestia after having her stomach growl at her.

"Not by much, your Majesty. It's part of the dining hall, which is fairly close by."

Celestia looked to her damaged lantern. "Aye, thou shalt lead us to the gardens."

"Understood."

As if on queue, Philomena's screech echoed into the hall, the sound bringing Celestia's eyes up to see her friend gliding down the hall towards her.

"Ah, Philomena! What coincidence!" called Celestia with a smile, stopping to allow Philomena to gracefully land on her back.

Knowingly, Philomena held out her wing, the very tip of her feathers igniting to allow Celestia to light her lantern.

"Guard," Celestia looked away from Philomena, who was currently preening her formerly outstretched wing. "Shalt thee tell us how we should find our way to the dining hall from here? We vaguely remember the path."

"Follow this hall until you find a four-way intersection; turn left, then left again the first chance you get."

"Excellent. We thank thee for thy short-lived assistance!" chimed Celestia as she continued on, leaving the guard to return to his post.

Celestia's hoofsteps echoed into the quiet dining hall as she entered through its double doors, which now came closed with a thud as the two guards posted above had come down to open and close them. She looked around the placid room, seeing a door at the left wall of the room she hadn't noticed during her somewhat dramatic visit some time ago.

"We think that be the kitchen. Thou hast eaten before arriving to us, aye?" Celestia asked to Philomena as she approached the door.

Philomena nodded.

"And what did thee find?"

Philomena squawked, flapping her wings.

"Avian, aye? Let us guess... another Blue Jay?"

Philomena shook her head, prompting Celestia to hum thoughtfully.

"Possibly a Starling? We know not what variety of birds live within the garden."

She shook her head once more.

"Well, we shalt guess another time." Celestia looked forward at the closed kitchen door, which had a placard of brass and wood mounted upon it reading 'Kitchen Staff Only'.

"Rules shalt wait for when we art not starving..."

With a spell the door was pushed open, the lantern held in her magic flooding the cramped and well-equipped kitchen space with it's bright yellow light, overpowering the fair amount of moonlight pouring in through the windows along the right wall. A few nearby cooks drew their eyes to the bright intruder, each of their figures adorned with white, long-sleeved chef's jackets.

"Oh... uh, hello, your Majesty..." stumbled a stallion who had been stood before what appeared to be a stove, his green magic holding on to a cleaning rag.

"Apologies for our intrusion, but we art horribly hungry."

"Aye, hungry, ya say?!" Called an unknown female voice, the voice holding a strange accent with rolled R's.

Celestia peeked around at the many different large pieces of kit in the middle of the room to see a purely white mare with deep blue eyes dressed in a sleek black chef's coat trotting down the isle, "Hungry is something I can help ya with, yer Majesty!"

Celestia raised a brow at this chipper mare, her unknown accent bringing many questions, "We... would like that very much. We hath not had a proper meal in quite some time..."

"Oh, tha' won' do. Please, fallo' me, yer Majesty; I'll whip ya up somethin' nice!"

Celestia shared a glance with Philomena, who shrugged her wings.

"We assume thou art the head of this kitchen?" Inquired Celestia, taking note of her black jacket as she followed the mare further into the kitchen, the remaining staff members eyeing her and her Phoenix curiously.

"Aye, been head fer a lon' 8 years now." The head chef turned into a deeper part of the kitchen and continuing towards a door which lead to a strange, secluded dining room with a single table and single large chair; a place most certainly specially constructed for Nightmare Moon. "So, what does yer stomach crave?"

Celestia looked around this strange room for a moment before looking to the head chef, who stood beside the open door as if to invite her into the wonderfully decorated room, the two large windows behind the chair casting enough light into the room to where her lantern was barely needed.

"Anything. We hath not eaten in three night's time."

The chef's jaw fell open. "Three nights?! Lassie, tha's a travesty! I will personally prepare you something right this moment. I can' have anypony in this here castle go hungry fer tha' lon'!"

With haste to her step, the head chef exited the strange dining room, leaving the door wide open as she moved to the equipment just outside of the door. Celestia looked on for a moment as she watched her blue magic working before looking back into the room, her eyes falling to a door at the other end of the room. Curiously, she went to the door, finding that it lead to the same hall she had been in to take her to the normal dining hall.

"Strange little place..." she whispered, closing the door and turning to the large, dark wood table as she placed her lantern and Philomena upon it, sitting down at the only chair with her blanket wrapped around herself.

"Her Highness was here only las' night sayin' ya were feelin' under the weather, an' she had me make ya' some soup. Did ya' no' eat it?" inquired the head chef, pots and pans clanking as she worked.

"We did not. We had no appetite then, our stomach would have rejected the soup with haste."

"I'm sorry to hear ya' were feelin' so bad, yer Majesty. Wha' prompted ya' to not be eatin' in th' first place? Ya said yer las' meal had been three nights ago..."

Celestia sighed. "We do not know. Lack of appetite, we suppose. We hath had nay energy since our return, sleep consumes most of our time..."

"It soun's like yer depressed, yer Majesty," returned the chef with a sympathetic tone.

Celestia sighed once more, "aye..."

"Yer the only other pony I've ever hear' usin' 'aye', yer Majesty," the chef peeked into the dining room, meeting Celestia's gaze, "I quite like that."

"Was how one spoke in our time... we hath taken note of thy accent, chef; where be thee from?"

"Glascow, yer Majesty. A bit north an' a bit east. Yer not th' first to take note of my accent, I can assure ya that."

"Aye, we remember Glascow. That town existed before our castle."

"This castle, or th' Castle of the Two Sisters?"

"The latter."

The chef hummed, the sizzle of ingredients being sautéed now singing from the kitchen.

"What be thy name, chef?" Celestia inquired after a moment, anxious to keep conversing with this uniquely-worded mare.

"Name's Cold Cut. Ya can call me 'chef' as most 'round here do. Wha' would ya prefer for me to call ya? I hear' ya don' quite like 'yer Majesty'."

"Princess Celestia. That is our name; Princess Celestia."

Nº 5: COLD CUT

Cold Cut's magic placed a plate before Celestia, who sat up in anticipation at the arrival of the dish.

"Sauteed green beans with a sweet glaze, two slices o' toast covered in butt'r and fresh raspberry jam, a bowl of some nice, hot veggie soup, a kale and tomato salad drizzled in a vinaigrette dressin' with some fresh parsley, and a cup of hot cocoa, just because yer lookin' mighty cold wrapped in tha' blanket an' all," proudly explained the chef, standing back as she watched Celestia instantly dig into the meal.

Celestia had been given a spoon, but the utensil went totally unused as she picked up the bowl from the plate, bringing it to her open maw as she gulped down the hot liquid and chewed the soft, yet still wonderfully flavored and textured carrots, potatoes, beans, and other bits and bobs that made up the soup. After holding the bowl up for a fair bit of time she brought it back down, Cold Cut chuckling as she saw the bowl to be totally empty.

"Quite hungry, were ya?"

Celestia offered a nod as she took a huge bite from the first of the two peices of toast, barely chewing and swallowing the first bite before taking a second.

"I know it's not the fanciest plate aroun', but I knew ya were starvin', so I didn' mess abou' with makin' it all pretty like I normally woul'. I hope tha's not much of a problem," commented Cold Cut with a nervous shift of her hooves.

Celestia hummed past the final bite of toast in her mouth, swallowing it with a gulp. "Thou art fine." Her magic brought forth her fork, stabbing it into the green beans. "We thank thee for the meal, and the haste with which thee prepared it." The bean-loaded fork came to Celestia's waiting mouth, an audible snap being heard as she bit down on the perfectly cooked vegetables, her head rolling back as she moaned at the flavor. "Oh; these are wonderful! So sweet and snappy. Thou stated thy intention was not to spoil us, but we think thou hast!"

"I try my best, Princess Celestia!" Cold Cut beamed.

Hearing her full title spoken aloud by another was almost shocking. For the longest time, she thought she would never hear it spoken again. After finishing off the pile of green beans with much haste her fork moved to the pile of salad, the flavor and texture bringing the same response the beans had.

Celestia chuckled after having downed a forkful of salad. "Three days is quite some time to go without food, but we do forget that our 700-year banishment was one spent without a meal."

Cold Cut's mouth fell open. "700 years withou' food? But... how?"

"Banishment is not the incarceration thee would know. Nay sleep, nay hunger, nay thirst, nay magic." Celestia paused. "Nay death."

The room stayed quiet for a while as Cold Cut simply stared while Celestia resumed her meal.

"How'r ya still sane?"

"We aren't."

Cold Cut chuckled nervously. "I don' quite think yer insane, Princess Celestia, ya-"

"Does sanity cause one to sleep for hours upon hours and wake to still feel tired? Does sanity bring hate to the heart when looking upon somepony held close to the heart? Does sanity mean the only emotions ever felt are hate, sorrow, and anger? I once knew what sanity was; sanity was happiness. Sanity was being able to look our sister in the eye and not feel dread. Sanity was having a purpose in life. Sanity was not re-living old memories of our life through dreams simply to escape the walls and faces of our new life. Sanity was waking, and wishing to stay awake. If one wakes, and wishes to sleep, yet sleeps, then does not wish to wake, then what does one want?"

Cold Cut stayed totally quiet, watching as Celestia dropped her fork to the table.

"One would want death. We do not want to have such a wish... but we have had time to sit in thought, and we do feel that is the feeling our mind conveys." Her head shook. "Doth thee know what such a want is like? Doth thee know how it feels to not want existence? Tell us, Chef; if thee were to wake tomorrow and thy horn's magic was stripped and thy mind was absent of all knowledge of thy art, would thee still wish to wake?"

Cold Cut stumbled with her words. "I-I would..."

"Thou hast a family, and thou hast those who love thee, correct?"

"Aye, I do-"

"We do not. Those we would call family disappeared 700 years ago, along with our knowledge, function, and sister. We hath no purpose; our magic is blocked by the traitor who stole our country, and our sun shines not on the lands we once loved. We hath no family; our sister was the only thing we held dear, and she hast been killed; the creature ruling these walls claims to be her, it is not. We once had knowledge greater than any being beside my dear sister... now even that hast been stripped away. We know nothing of these lands, of this nation, of this castle, of its workings, or those within it. What is there to live for when existence is void of joy, love, and warmth? If thy life held no joy, thee would continue on because of thy family and friends; ponies who surround thee, who cause thee happiness, and who thou bring happiness to. We... art void of that."

Silence fell over the conversation as Cold Cut failed to think of anything to say, Celestia looking at her for a time before sighing, rubbing her face with a hoof and levitating her fork back up to collect some more salad.

"We apologize..." Celestia took the forkful of salad in her mouth. "A lot on our mind lately."

"Princess Celestia, there's no need to apologize to me. It's pretty darn clear tha' ya need somepony to listen to wha' ya have to say. I'll stand here for the next hour if ya wan' me to."

"We mean no offense to thee... but our words hold little value when heard by thy ears." Celestia sighed. "We should be telling this to the traitor."

"Aye; ya should. An', ya know, maybe it wouldn' hurt to call her by her name instead of callin' her 'traitor'."

"Her name is poison. We shalt never speak it. There art but two words we shalt never speak; one is hers."

Cold Cut refrained from asking what the other was.

"Well, even if ya don' like 'er, ya live here now... an' ya gotta start bein' happy an' start fixing yer relation with 'er. If ya don', this place'll en' up bein' the end of ya."

Celestia sat in thought for a time, her magic gently tapping her fork at her nearly cleaned plate.

"Tell us about her. How does she govern?"

"Well, I don' quite know a lo' about politics and such, but Equestria isn' at war, an' everypony's got food an' stuff, so I'd say she's not doin' too bad of a job. She's quite friendly; she likes to chat with me whenever she comes here fer breakfast or dinner. I... don' think I could make a complaint, other than wha' she's done to ya. I don' think it's right at all."

"How would thee feel if the sun were to return?"

"Oh, I'd love it. Many ponies would. When her Highness announced tha' she was gonna bring ya back there were quite a bit of celebratin', a lo' of us though' she was gonna let ya bring the sun back."

Celestia sat up, her ears perking. "So... ponies do not like the permanent night?"

"Ponies wonder wha' the day was like. I wouldn' say anypony dislikes the night, but yer return has shaken things up a little. Some say that bringin' the day back would end the nation, an' some say it wouldn' change a thin'. Me? I wan' to see the day. My father's got this old paintin' of this forest an' mountain durin' the day, an' it's one o' the mos' beautiful thin's I ever did see. All the colors an' the blue sky. I wan' to see it fer myself."

There was a little pause as Cold Cut thought, Celestia still sitting up straight, hanging on every word.

"To think o' it, I don' quite think it's right fer the day to be gone. It... doesn' make a lo' of sense. The night is beautiful, but so is the day, so wha's the point o' gettin' rid of one of them?"

Celestia's breath caught in her chest as Cold Cut looked at her; that final question was meant for her. This Chef wasn't asking a broad question, she was asking her.

"We... can't answer thee. We know not why she hast seen fit to do the things she hath done."

Cold Cut chuckled to herself. "Ya see; this is wha' I mean' when I said that yer return has shaken things up. Nopony was havin' this talk a few months back. Nopony was questionin' why things are the way they are. You bein' brough' back has put questions into everypony's minds. Ya know, Princess Celestia; in my mind, ya do still have a purpose. Sure, ya may not know a lo' about the country, or ya may not know anypony aroun' the Castle, but ya know how to do one thing, an' tha' is to bring the day back."

"That can't be done... she won't allow it. My magic may seem to be functional to the outside observer such as thyself... but it is anything but functional. I can open a door and lift a fork; that is it. We once could move mountains, create other realms of existence, create light or fire as we saw fit... we could raise the sun, but she hath broken our internal magic, and she hath blocked our horn from drawing in the world's lighter magic. She wants to keep the sun down, and she wants to keep us down. She did not bring us from our eternal prison of stone and ocean to make us happy, she did it to quell her guilt. We hath conversed with her, and she dost not wish to hear out thoughts or feelings. She wishes to keep us as a trophy."

"I truly do doubt tha', Princess Celestia. Nightmare Moon had been talkin' about "bringing back her long lost big sister" for quite some time before actually doin' it. There were quite a few aroun' the castle and in the Parliament who disagreed with her; they said she should leave ya because ya migh' bring the sun back. She doesn' know I did, but I listened to a few talks she had with Miss Iris while in this here room. She loves ya a lo' more than ya think she does. Iris insisted for quite a while to listen to the Parliament and to the Generals because they all though' ya'd be a threat, bu' she didn't listen. She was really firm in sayin' tha' ya weren' a threat, an' tha' ya didn' need to live out in the middle of nowhere fer no reason any longer."

"Thou art... sure of this? Thou did not misunderstand her?"

"Aye, I'm as sure. An', if I were to be honest with ya, I'd say tha' I don' think yer sister is gone. Ya may think tha' Nightmare Moon isn't her... but I think she is, an' I think ya know she is. If Nightmare Moon didn' truly love ya, then she woul' have left ya in... whatever place she left ya in."

Celestia held her silence as she looked away from Cold Cut, her eyes going back down to her plate as she stared for a time before taking the remaining piece of jammed toast with her magic and taking a large bite from it.

"If ya don' min' me askin, Princess Celestia... wha' was tha' place like?"

Celestia stopped chewing, looking up at Cold Cut as she swallowed. "A set of stone islands, suspended by a force ourself and our sister both failed to understand thousands of years ago when we first found this place. It exists far from life and was a place devoid of it before we were placed there. It was a land far from Equestria. The sky was a permanent twilight, our steady sun's light barely shining into the murky night. A... constant reminder of the world we failed to protect. There was no magic; not a single spark could be dragged from our horn. There was no sleep; we sat awake for those full 700 years with our own thoughts and voices. The standard pony dreads hunger and fatigue because they are commonplace, and are unavoidable... but when those features are stripped away, one realizes how much of a luxury they are. We... almost missed sleep and hunger more than we did our country. As it stands, we would have been far happier to have been given our magic, given our Philomena, and given the features of mortal life and sent to a place far from these walls. But, the traitor insists on keeping us here. She keeps us to please herself, in her own words; 'I want my big sister back'."

Celestia paused for a moment, sneering as she shook her head and looked away from Cold Cut. "Thy big sister does not want thee back."

"I don' really understan', why woul' she do somethin' so terrible to ya?"

Celestia looked back up. "Thy question has been posed in our mind since that night. Her entire motive, to us, is totally illogical," Celestia scoffed. "She art more insane than we. If that... thing, is indeed our true sister, and is not something that hast ripped apart her mind and stole her being, then we shalt strike her down just as we shalt strike down the demon we know hast gripped her mind."

"Ya'd really kill yer sister?"

Celestia blinked a few times, looking away, "N-Nay. We... we do not know why we said that. Hurting her i-is something we shant ever dream of." A quiet sniffle came from Celestia as she looked back up to Cold Cut, who saw that the Princess was just on the verge of tears. "We fail to understand why we feel so much hate. W-We hast never been a being to hate. Tis not in our nature."

"I... I don' think ya hate her, Princess. Yer jus' upset, an' tha's totally understandable."

Celestia's breathing shuttered, tears now making their way through her tightly shut eyelids, "We do hate. W-We know it as truth... we hate her. We wish not for hate! Anger, s-sorrow... hate, those things... those vile things! They brought our sister and ourself to where we are! Hate brings no good!"

"If yer so hurt by yer own feelin's, then do somethin' abou' it! Sit dow' an' have a proper talk with yer sister. Don' shout or argue; talk. She sees yer poin' of view, but she doesn' understan' it."

Celestia's teary eyes looked up at Cold Cut, their gazes locking for a moment before Celestia looked back away.

"We hast nay clue as to how we should make her understand. Speaking with her seems so futile."

"How lon' have ya been alive, again?"

Celestia blinked, a little confused. "A fair two thousand and five hundred."

"Fer somepony tha' old, yer probably pretty patient, aren't ya?"

"Aye, we were patient at one time."

"Then ya can still be patient. Take yer time talkin' with her. Speak to her one day, then go a full week without ever even seein' her again. This battle yer fightin' isn' one tha' can be won by swords or magic, it's one tha' can be won by words. If ya show her some love back, then she might start listenin', because you and I both know tha' ya haven't said anythin' kind to her since ya go' back."

"Thou art right; we hath not said anything kind. She... has been quite adamant about pronouncing her unwavering love for us."

“Aye, see? An’ has she ever raised her voice at ya?”

“Once… but it was justified. Our argument was… one with venom and anger.”

“An’ how many times have ya raise yer voice at her?”

Celestia chuckled. “Every word, nearly.”

“Aye. Trus’ me, Princess Celestia; shoutin’ and screamin’ ain’t gonna do a thing.”

With a sigh, Celestia took another bite of toast. “Thou art probably right…” she confessed past the food she chewed.

“Can’ hurt to just walk with her, can it?”

“Nay, we suppose it shant.”

There was a little pause as Celestia finished off her toast, swallowing the tasty, crunchy bread as her magic picked up her still hot cup of cocoa.

“Well, how are ya feelin’ after a nice meal?” Cold Cut inquired as she watched Celestia take a long drink from her hot, sweet beverage.

“Folds better than when we first woke… but our stomach still bothers us and our body still aches. We hath never fallen under such an illness. We suspect it to be linked with the fact our magic hast been stripped.”

“Well, tha’ soun’s like more reason fer ya to try an’ get yer magic back. If it’s causin’ ya true harm, I don’ think Nightmare Moon woul’ keep it from ya fer much longer.”

“Aye… well; we did inform her quite firmly that if she were to allow our magic to be free we would raise the sun… which she is firmly against us doing.”

“Kinda hurt yerself on tha’ one, didn’ ya?”

Celestia smiled. “Aye.”

Cold Cut remained quiet for a second as she thought, Celestia simply continuing with her drink.

“Have ya though’ of not raisin’ the sun? I mean… ya know, maybe it’d be best for ya to try an’ adapt. Don’ get me wrong, Princess Celestia; I’d love to see the day, but if it’s causin’ so many problems, maybe it’s best fer the sun to stay down.”

“We appreciate thy concern for us… but the sun will rise. In due time, she shalt shine. If it takes us another thousand years, then it shall. There is a fundamental imbalance within the magical fabric of the land, and we shalt not stand idly and make nay attempt to repair it.”

Cold Cut smiled. “Tha’s almost wha’ I wanted to hear, Princess Celestia.”

Celestia sat peacefully in the confines of her room, the damaged lantern sat beside her and the candles of the fixture above providing the room with a comforting glow. She had pulled a second blanket from her bed and a pillow to create a comfortable place for her to lay as she played with Philomena. Being a rather playful Phoenix, she enjoyed playing a game most would recognize as 'catch'. Celestia had found a cork sitting in one of the cabinets of her little kitchen and had been very right in thinking the item would make a good thing for Philomena to try and catch out of the air. Not only was it good practice for Philomena's hunting skills, but it was entertainment for Celestia; watching Philomena grab the cork mid-air to land with it and attempt to kill it with her talons and beak was quite enjoyable.

She had given herself some time to think after leaving the strange little dining room the chef had showed her to; wandering through the halls for a short time before returning to her quarters had provided ample time to think about their conversation. Walking for a bit had also shown her that the illness consuming her health wasn't improving as she thought it had been. In waking, she had felt somewhat better, and after having a meal she had felt better, but walking had worsened things. The feeling of her stomach wanting to reject its contents returned and the ache and sting throughout her body had come back. Just as before, however; sitting totally still helped somewhat to quell the pain. Luckily, her magic was currently strong enough for her to play with Philomena and not have to move a muscle.

As Philomena stood over the cork, kicking it and jabbing it with her talons, Celestia let her mind wander as she observed, a smile working its way onto her previously neutral expression. If there was one thing Nightmare Moon had done that she was genuinely happy about, it was the fact she had placed Philomena back in her hooves.

A gentle knock at the door drew Celestia's absent mind back to the world around her, "Who wishes our company?"

There was a considerable pause before whoever had knocked finally spoke, "It's me... I, uh, wanted to make sure you aren't feeling too horrible," returned Nightmare Moon through the doors.

"We feel better than yesterday."

"So... you haven't thrown up the food you got from Chef?"

Celestia paused, a scowl working its way to her expression, "How doth thee know of our meal?"

"I-I asked the guard if you had been out of your room, and they told me you had been to the dining hall."

Celestia hummed.

"Can I... come in?"

"Aye."

The doors slowly opened half way to reveal Nightmare, her expression a concerned frown. There was a bout of silence between the two as they exchanged a look, Celestia only meeting her gaze for a time before looking back to Philomena and taking the cork from her with a spell. Nightmare took a step into the room, carefully shutting the door as she watched Celestia toss the cork into the air, Philomena hopping forward to catch it with her beak.

"How often doth thee spy on us through the guard?"

"I-I wouldn't call it spying... I just want to make sure you're okay."

"We art not okay."

Nightmare Moon sighed, dropping to her haunches. "I know you aren't."

"We think our hold from magic is part of the issue."

"I've thought the same thing... but I-"

"We know, thou cannot give us our magic back."

Nightmare sighed again, looking on as Celestia laid her chin on her pillow, her wings moving beneath her blanket to get more comfortable.

"If you start feeling worse, please tell me," Nightmare informed as she stood up, Philomena chirping excitedly as Celestia took the cork with her magic, holding it in a taunting fashion before tossing it across the room.

"We shalt."

Nightmare paused before the doors, looking over her shoulder. "I love you."

"We know."

Nº 6: PURPOSE

Celestia's eyes wandered the dark hall beyond the confines of her room as she slowly and painfully made her way through the corridor, her three typical items in their usual places; her blanket draped over her back, Philomena stood atop said blanket, and her lantern shining brightly as it floated at her side. She had fallen asleep on the floor, much to the dismay of her back and neck, and woken to find herself in worse health than when the ordeal had begun. The pain burning in every part of her body was unbearable, and the invisible knives stabbing into her stomach twisted with every step, deepening their wounds. She was quite thankful for the basin in her kitchen; without the water magically flowing from the shiny, metal spigot, her stomach's constant rejection of its contents would be an even worse ordeal.

With a pained groan, Celestia paused her walking, slowly lowering to her belly to rest for a moment, her breaths heavy and quick. She wished her room was closer to the spa, making her way there had become such a horrible chore.

"Celestia?" inquired an all-to-familiar voice, Celestia not turning to address the voice and its accompanying hoofsteps.

"Aye."

"Are... you alright?"

Celestia looked over her shoulder, meeting Nightmare Moon's gaze with a scowl.

"I assume you're trying to get to the spa?"

"Aye."

"I could teleport you there... do you want me to?"

Celestia turned back around, a quiet groan accompanying her limb's movements as she struggled to her hooves.

"Nay. Thy help is more poison than elixir."

"You don't need to hurt yourself just to prove a point to me..."

Celestia scoffed, slowly continuing on her way, Nightmare following a distance behind her.

Nightmare Moon sat beside Iris, who had joined the two Princesses after coming down the same hall by coincidence. The two sat a distance from the spa's large shower, their eyes glued to Philomena, who stood atop the steamed-over glass panes as Celestia quietly conversed with her feathered friend, her words unintelligible over the hot running water. Occasionally, Philomena would flutter her wings, chirp, or squawk in response to Celestia, only making Iris and Nightmare Moon more curious as to what the two were conversing about.

"I'm glad she has someone to talk with that isn't her own mind." Nightmare Moon commented.

"She should probably spend her time talking with somepony that understands her," returned Iris, looking up to Nightmare.

"Philomena does understand her. You'd be amazed by how smart that Phoenix is."

"Miss Moon, I meant she should be talking to you."

Nightmare blinked. "I see... and you are right, but she doesn't want to talk to me. My visit to her quarters last night only proved that further."

"It doesn't matter. You two can't sit around avoiding each other. She needs to talk to you, and you need to listen."

"I did listen, but we... we simply can't see eye-to-eye on things. I doubt we ever really will."

"You could at least try to do something about how sick she is."

Nightmare lowered her voice. "The only way I could help her is by returning her magic. I'm convinced that her illness is linked with her lack of magic, but I can't help her without her trying to hurt me or hurt the nation. She has her mind set on it; she talked with Chef Cold Cut for quite some time a night ago, and that's exactly what she said. Bring back the day, and strike me down."

"Can you blame her?"

Nightmare looked to Iris. "No, I can't. I want to help her, and I want to see her happy again, but helping her means hurting me."

"One of you is going to have to make sacrifices, and it's not going to be her."

"It won't be me, either. I... I need to do what you've said; I need to show her the night isn't something that needs to be shunned away. I tried to show her that 700 years back, so I don't have much faith that it will work now... especially considering the circumstances."

"Would it hurt to try? Take her to your tower's balcony, or take her on a flight over Equestria. Show her the amazing places and sights that exist in the world."

"My tower's balcony sounds like a good idea, but I doubt she'd want to leave the castle with how she's been feeling."

"You've got magic; teleport her somewhere."

Nightmare remembered what Celestia said earlier. "I doubt she'd want me to do that, as well."

Iris sighed. "I'm out of ideas, Your Highness."

"As am I."

The two paused, the sounds of the steamy shower taking over the room. Celestia's speech with Philomena still carried on, however; her voice was a mere mumble over the water. Nightmare listened, trying to hear any single word from Celestia so she could get at least a tiny clue as to what she said. Her ears aimed perfectly forward, her horn glowing as she worked a spell to improve her sense of hearing.

"Oh, and hast thee decided on the decor for the festival?"

Philomena chirped, eliciting a hum from Celestia.

"Grand. Doth thee require assistance in the endeavor, our dear Gold Leaf? We shall assign thee additional help if that is the case."

Gold Leaf. Nightmare Moon felt a knot form in her stomach; Gold Leaf was the head of the castle's decor team and a friend to both her and Celestia all those years back.

"We understand. We shalt see to it. Oh, our dear Cloud Fall! By thy smile, we think thou bring us fair news!"

Philomena fluttered her wings as she squawked, Celestia chuckling.

"Aye, we do challenge their discipline in silly ways. The nation is peaceful; we must to something to keep our guard from slacking!"

Nightmare quit her spell, a pain now stinging in her heart.

"What are they talking about?" asked Iris.

The glass door of Celestia's shower opened, steam billowing out as Celestia slowly stepped from the running water.

"Dear Ink Scroll, shalt thee inform us of tonight's supper?"

Philomena chirped,

"Aye, such a menu tickles our ears." Celestia stopped, standing a distance from the still running shower, water dripping heavily from her soaked body. "Doth thee know what desserts might be served alongside?"

Philomena didn't respond.

"Nay? We shalt see in due time. Chef Sugar Flake always concocts the most wonderful treats; we doubt that his work would be lackluster!"

"Your Highness... wha... who is she talking to?"

"Every name she's mentioned... they're all ponies she and I used to know. I-I don't know what's wrong with her."

"Greetings, sister. Looking joyous this evening, thou art! Shalt thee join us for supper?"

Nightmare sat up, her ears perking. "C-Celestia?"

"Oh, aye; the day hath been quite kind to us." She continued walking, her steps still slow and shaky. "We would inform thee of the supper's desserts, but dear Ink Scroll hast not divulged the information to us!"

Philomena squawked, taking flight from the glass panes of the running shower and landing a distance behind Celestia as she began following by hopping along. Nightmare stood, walking in front of Celestia's path, crouching down as she looked into the blank smile on her face.

"Celestia, it's me..."

"Hast thee made arrangements for the night, sister? We know thy night often calls for thy attention."

Nightmare stopped Celestia's slow forward progress, her hooves coming up to her shoulders. "Celestia..."

"The stars above just now begin to peek past the clouds. So beautiful, this time of day is, sister."

Philomena gave a sing-song chirp, the sound causing Celestia to laugh gently.

"Aye, we do love thee. Now, shalt we continue on to supper?"

Nightmare's lips quivered and breaths shuddered as she began to cry, Celestia's gaze passing right through her. A surprised expression took over the smile on Celestia's face as she was pulled into a tight hug, a gasp escaping her lips from the sudden movement. Celestia began pushing away with her hooves, trying to free herself from the larger, weeping Nightmare as her mind crashed back to the real world, panic starting to take over.

"W-Wha... wh-where did... we-"

"Celestia!?" Nightmare exclaimed as she released her embrace.

Celestia didn't respond, stepping back as her eyes darted around the room, her front hooves shifting around nervously.

"Are you okay? What... what happened to you?"

"How do we go back?"

Nightmare paused, looking with sorrow into the now present eyes of her sister.

"What do you mean?" she inquired with a low voice.

"We were home. We were home, with our sister a-and our adjutant and Captain." There was a long break as Celestia stepped closer to Nightmare, her pained eyes like daggers. "H-How do we go back?"

Nightmare failed to bring forth a response, prompting Celestia to continue looking around, her eyes wandering to her rear as she saw the still running shower. She held up her hooves, seeing she was soaked, and standing in a puddle of water as she hadn't truly finished relaxing under the wonderful stream. She looked back up to Nightmare, who's bloodshot eyes looked back with incredible pain and guilt; so much so there was almost a weight to her gaze.

"We... we will continue our bath."

Nightmare still held her silence, looking on through her tears as Celestia turned and began back towards the open shower, Philomena standing by for a moment before taking flight and landing atop the thin glass panes of the shower walls. The door shut, Celestia still visible through the non-fogged door as she stood totally rigid beneath the stream, showing no emotion or intrigue in the warm water.

"You never once considered what total isolation for so long would to do her mind, did you?" asked Iris with an unusually angered tone.

Nightmare looked over her shoulder to see Iris stood a short distance away, her expression a scowl.

"I did... that's why I brought her back. I-I knew it would do horrible things to her... I-"

"That," Iris interrupted, aiming her hoof at the shower, "is not something that she needs to have happening to her."

"I-I know it's not..."

"Then help her! You are only hurting her by not truly working to fix her magic!"

The running of the water stopped, the door to the shower coming open to reveal an extremely angered Celestia.

"Thou hast not even made attempts to give us back something!? Hast thou sat idly while we suffer at the clutches of insanity and hatred!?"

"I-I can't give you your magic, Celestia! I-"

"We know well, coward! Fear plagues thy motives, as thou art too fearful that we shalt strike thee down!!"

"Celestia, you don't understand! I... I can't because I don't know how!"

Placidity fell over the spa, Nightmare Moon's words causing the angered scowl on Celestia's face to instantly fade. Nightmare's tears came harder as she looked away from Celestia.

"Thou art lying..."

"I... I wish I was. Celestia, I-I'm sorry."

Iris stepped closer, bringing her voice to a whisper. "You've never told me you couldn't restore her magic."

"I know I haven't. C-Celestia... if I could give you back your magic, I would. I-I know that it's hurting you, and I don't want to hurt you."

Celestia took a step forward out of the shower, her magic weakly lifting a folded towel from a little table beside the shower and beginning to dry herself off. Nightmare's tears had slowed, occasionally sniffling as she and Celestia stared at each other.

"There's not a thing in the world I wouldn't do for you, Celestia."

"Why hast thou not told us sooner? Why lie?"

"I wasn't lying... I-I didn't know if you'd be more upset with me if I told you that I couldn't help you. I never wanted to hurt you or make you feel like I hated you, I just didn't know what to say."

"Thou hast thy heart set on helping our illness, aye?"

"Yes, I do."

Celestia began walking towards Nightmare, her magic still working with the towel to dry her fur and mane.

"Let us return to our home. The reality our mind created... let us live there." Tears began rolling down Celestia's cheeks as she and Nightmare stared into each other's eyes. "Thou art the dream weaver; create us a permanent dream."

"Celestia... you can't live in a dream. I know you miss how things once were, but you need to live here, not in your mind."

"Why? We hath nay purpose in life."

"You... you do have a purpose-"

"To be thy sister?"

"Yes! And to rule beside me!"

"Then where art thy attempts to learn us of how the nation works? We hath not been invited to court, parliament, or anything of the like."

"Celestia, you've been horribly sick for the past few nights. I'm more worried with that currently."

"Sick because of thy hoof. Thy actions brought us to this state. If thou art so pained to see us like this, why put us here to begin with? Was it because of thy false claims of jealousy? Hast thou always held enmity for us? Were thy proclamations of love for us always false? The night thou spent in our tower so long ago, dropping kisses on our cheeks and lips, holding us in thy hooves as thy special somepony, was that all a simple lie to hurt us? That is why thou hast returned us; thou enjoy seeing us in pain, just as thee did the night thy hoof struck our crown from our temple, and proclaimed that the night would last forever! When we looked into thy eyes, the moment before thy horn cast us away from the lands we two had ruled, the ponies we two loved, and the home we two had built, we said that we loved thee. We find it hard for our heart to uphold that statement."

Again, there was a pause of silence as the two sisters stared at each other through teary eyes.

"Don't say that. Please, don't ever say that you don't love me."

Celestia drew her eyes away from Nightmare's, her expression turning to one of sorrow as her cries came harder.

"You don't ever have to say that you love me... but please, don't ever say that you don't."

"We... we won't." Celestia's towel, which now held most of the water her fur previously did, was dropped beside the shower as she shakily walked towards Nightmare Moon. "We know thou cannot help our magic... or thou dost not wish to... but thou could do one thing." Celestia dropped to her haunches before Nightmare, her gaze being directed at Nightmare's eyes, but seeming to pass through to something beyond. "Sister... if thou art truly there, then thou shalt let us return to the home our mind weaved. We... we want life to be something we love."

Nightmare couldn't respond, her tears coming back as her eyes darted around on Celestia's expression. She pulled herself forward, raising her front hooves to take Celestia into a hug, Celestia's own hooves raising to return the embrace. Nightmare sobbed, her head falling as emotion overwhelmed her; never before had Celestia hugged her back, or shown any emotion other than anger.

"Thou hast nay need to say nay to our request... we know the answer."

Nightmare's hug became stronger, Celestia's head being pushed into the fur of Nightmare's chest, her shaky breaths and sobbing heaves singing loudly into Celestia's ears.

"E-Every time I say no to you... it's a-another time I can't help you! T-That's all I want, sister, a-and I can't!"

Celestia's returning embrace came loose, her hooves sliding down Nightmare's large back and wings to their place between her haunches, her action only increasing the grip Nightmare had on her. Celestia wanted to push away, but the longer she sat while the much larger Nightmare Moon embraced her, the more she began to welcome the hug. Her hooves remained between her haunches, but her head turned to nuzzle the soft black fur of Nightmare's chest, the thump of her big heart overpowering the heaving breaths of her sobs. Her heartbeat was fast, fast from the emotion, concept, feeling, idea, and lie that was love.

Celestia groaned as she laid down on her stomach on the soft rug at the center of the strange little dining room Chef Cold Cut had served her in a night ago, the room currently empty and the door leading into the kitchen open, allowing the sounds of cutlery, pots, pans, and plates moving against each other to flow into the space. Her lantern was set a distance away and Philomena was dismounted, her wings flapping as Celestia's magic moved her to the floor.

"Dear Philomena, will thou fetch the Chef?"

Philomena began trotting her way towards the open kitchen door, her long tail bobbing side to side and her wings half-unfurled to serve as a means of balance. With a sigh, Celestia rolled onto her side as she rubbed her face with a hoof. Her departure from the spa had been a moment ago and had been quite some time after Nightmare Moon and Iris had decided to leave. She had given herself time to think about their conversation as well as time to think about the experience her mind had forced her into. One side of her mind thought to agree with Nightmare; she shouldn't live in a dream, and she should try to make what life she had a good one. The other was quite polar; she hadn't felt such a great joy or witnessed such wonderful scenes in 700 years, and it wanted for that false reality to be the only one, and the more and more she thought, the greater the wish to remain in a permanent dream became. Living in a lying dream was far better than a truthful nightmare.

Celestia's eyes were drawn back behind her as the door to the little dining space opened, Iris stepping in and shutting the door behind herself, performing a sound-blocking spell on the door as she turned to Celestia, who looked on with a raised brow.

"Why hast thou blocked the outside of our sound?"

"Her Highness has assigned the guard to spy on you."

Celestia scoffed. "That hardly comes as a surprise. We hath suspected that for quite some time."

"She knows of all the things you discussed with Chef Cold Cut, and she knows that you'd 'strike her down' if you had your magic, Your Majesty."

"We... said that we would not strike her down, and that we regreted ever having mentioned we would."

"That's not what the assigned guards reported, Your Majesty."

"They reported falsely. The Chef shall testify to that."

"Aye, ya call'd?" shouted Chef Cold Cut as she entered the dining room, Philomena trotting in front of her.

"Aye, we did call for thee. Dear chef, would thou be so kind as to bestow us with a meal? The stomach aches in hunger, and we think that it shalt hold up to food."

"Oh, I can cer'anly fix ya som'thin'. Wha' woul' ya like?"

"Anything."

"In a jiffy, Princess Celestia!"

With that, the cheerful Chef trotted back into the kitchen and out of sight.

"Maintain thy spell." spoke Celestia as she turned back to Iris.

"Understood, Your Majesty. May I ask why you're lying on the floor and not sitting at the table?"

"We hath been granted permission to sit where we please, aye?"

"Yes."

Celestia simply lowered her head back to the rug.

"I... think Her Highness wasn't totally truthful when she said she didn't know how to give you back your magic. She's never once mentioned to me that she couldn't, and there's not a single thing she's never told me."

"That is what thou believes; she has her secrets, we assure thee. We believe she hast not mentioned her lack of ability out of fear. She loathes the feeling of weakness as much as we do."

"I know she has her secrets... what I meant is that she lied to me. Her Highness has done nothing but say how she won't restore your magic because she's afraid you'll raise the sun; never once did she even hint that your magic isn't in her control."

"Thou art surprised the traitor lied to thee?"

"Considering it's the first time since I became her secretary 13 years ago, yes."

Celestia hummed, her front hoof coming from beneath her blanket to pat Philomena.

"Why exactly do we deserve to know we art being spied upon?"

"I didn't think it was right for her to do so. Having the guard keep a loose eye on you as they do with every other pony; maybe, but she has several officers of the Royal Guard track your every move and word."

Celestia groaned as she rolled to her belly and stood, her blanket being re-adjusted by her magic. "Thy sense of right and wrong motivates a lot. We think it odd thou art so willing to offer us information and help." She began making her way towards the windows that lined the wall to the rear of the tall, ornate dining table. "Why is that? Thou hast known us for a meager time, thy alliances art not with us, and thy eyes and being are one linked with the night."

Iris watched as Celestia paused before the window, her eyes locked with something off in the distance. "I... want to see the daytime."

"Thou art a Nocturn like our guard. Thy ancestors slept during the day, and paid it nay attention."

"And they knew what the sun looked like."

Celestia hummed, her eyes locked with the destroyed castle slouched in the distant Everfree forest. "And so shalt thee."

Author's Note

I'd like to thank my consistent readers and readers anew who have shown such glowing support for this story through their comments and like/dislike bar. I always thought it was a bit BS when people would say "your support helps", but now that this story has gotten so much great criticism, whether it be in the from of someone commenting about how they felt after reading a chapter or commenting on a spelling error they found, I really do see how it's not BS. Part of what's been motivating me so heavily to continue so rapidly with this project is simply seeing how people react to updates.

Once more; thanks to everyone who reads this, and know that your comments really do mean a lot to me. Especially the ones about spelling/grammar errors. My brain sucks at catching its own errors.

Nº 7: ACT 1

Act 1

"What we could eat was wonderful, dear Chef. The salad was of such grand flavor and texture, that sandwich graced our tongue with more flavor than any other we hath tasted, and these green beans, much like the ones prepared by thy skilled hoof a day ago, art cooked to perfection. Thy title is truly earned."

Cold Cut gave a hearty giggle, waving her hoof in dismissal. "Oh, Princess Celestia! Yer too kind!"

Celestia shook her head. "We art not. Our praise is much deserved, and very sincere."

"Oh, well, I'm just glad tha' ya liked it! It's a shame yer still not feelin' good, if ya were, I'da brough' some dessert."

Celestia smiled, "We art quite glad thee did not. We thank thee for thy concern."

"Eh, woul' ya like me to take yer plate?"

"Aye; we art done."

With that, Cold Cut lifted the plate, which still sat with quite some food left, from the carpet before Celestia and turned for the kitchen entrance. Celestia looked over to Iris, who stood almost at attention as a guard would some distance to her side by the table.

"Iris, we wish for thee to do something."

Iris' horn began glowing as she re-cast her spell to block sound from leaking into the hall. "Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Find us a saddle bag; preferably one of good size. It's style doth not matter."

Iris raised a brow. "May I ask why, Your Majesty? That's a bit of an odd request."

"For... Philomena. Something to make her travel with us a little more comfortable."

Philomena chirped, cocking her head at Celestia.

"Oh, aye; thy talons sometimes jab us."

Philomena gave a low squawk, seemingly upset. Without a departing word, Iris turned for the exit as she dropped her spell, causing Celestia to rap her hoof hard against the floor. Iris turned to see Celestia shake her head, aiming her hoof back towards the door. It took a moment’s pause for Iris to understand the signal, and she nodded as her horn re-cast the soundproofing spell, turning back and walking to her previous place by the table.

“We art not done with thee, or Chef Cold Cut.” Celestia brought her gaze to Philomena, who was currently occupied with preening herself. “Dear Philomena, bring thyself.”

In compliance, she dropped from her perch atop the table, slowing her descent with a few hard flaps and hobbling to Celestia, who brought the Phoenix close and nuzzled her.

Celestia brought her voice to a whisper. “Thy talons hath never once hurt us. T’was fabrication.”

As the little embrace broke, Philomena peeped in relief, her beak seeming to form a smile.

“Ah, well, I didn’ know if ya wouldn’ wan’ it er not, but I brough’ ya some nice, hot tea. I hope ya like it sweet, ‘cause I used honey instea’ of sugar to make it smooth!” chimed Cold Cut as she re-appeared through the kitchen entrance, her magic holding a steaming mug, a little spoon too being held in her aura as it stirred the brew.

“Oh! Of course, such a drink sounds wonderful!” Cold Cut placed the mug before Celestia, who eyed the vessel before looking back to the Chef. “We do like our treats sweet. Thank thee, dear Chef.”

“Oh, I quite like it when ya call me tha’, Princess Celestia”

“You two get along quite well.” commented Iris.

Celestia smiled. “Aye, we do indeed.”

“Wha’s not to like abou’ Princess Celestia?

Iris suddenly felt the weight of both their gazes, Celestia and the Chef seeming to look to her in anticipation of an answer.

“I-uh, well, she did call me a rodent the first night she had been back.”

Cold Cut laughed, looking down to Celestia. “Did ya really?”

“Aye. We were… very unhappy during that time.”

“Well, ya should apologize to Iris! She’s far from a rodent.”

Celestia blushed nervously, looking to Iris. “We do apologize for our previously scathing nature… we felt quite horrible after we hadst been so rude to both thyself and those around us that day, but we were never given chance to express our displeasure in our own actions.”

“That… was a very sincere apology for something so minor, Your Majesty.”

“Minor, t’was not. We set a precedence that day for how our person should be looked upon, and we did not create a good image. That said, the guards always seemed cheerful and genial towards us, despite the fact we represent a threat to their known and most likely preferred way of life.”

Iris scrunched her nose in one direction, a corner of her mouth raising as she gave a little sound of disagreement. “While you were a little rude, you did show everypony that you meant business, and that you demanded respect. Some of the guards were apprehensive about approaching you after you completely shot down Corporal High Night.”

“High Night; be that the name of the guard we snapped at in the dining hall?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“If thy presence is ever met with his, do give him our apologies.”

“Understood, Your Majesty.”

Celestia looked at Iris for a moment. “Thou may call us by our proper name as our dear Chef does, if thee doth so wish.”

“You’d like me to call you ‘Princess Celestia’?”

“Aye.”

Iris smiled. “Understood, Princess Celestia. Uh, do you want me to get that bag for you now?”

“Nay, we still need thy spell.” Celestia looked to the Chef. “Dear Chef; we would like for thee to bring us a substantial quantity of food that is fit for travel and shalt stay good for some time.”

Cold Cut raised a brow. “Odd request, Princess Celestia, but I’ll see wha’ I can dig up.”

“Lovely.”

As the Chef departed, Iris looked back to Celestia. “Princess Celestia, do you mind me asking why you need food?”

“One would perish without it.”

Iris chuckled. “I meant why you need your own supply.”

“We shalt stock our kitchen with it.”

Iris paused. "You wanted the food to be fit for travel."

Celestia looked over to Iris. "Aye, we did."

She paused again. "You've got something planned, don't you?"

"Nay, we simply wish to have our own stock of victuals. We hath a kitchen, why not use it? The bag we requested from thee shalt too be used in the carrying of our items; hence our request for them to be of easy transport."

"You said the bag was for Philomena, you never said it was for carrying food."

Celestia's eyes narrowed. "Thou art tenacious."

"Yes, I am. It's my job to question the actions of my superiors."

"We art not a ruler."

"Within my lifetime, you will be."

Celestia looked away. "We hope to be. Mind thee... we wish to not be the sole ruler. Our sister belongs at our side, and we belong at hers, but we do not know whether to think our once loving, young-minded sister still lives within the traitor."

"I agree with you when you say that she isn't normal. There's something different making her tick."

Celestia looked back, perking up. "Thou do think so? Doth thee believe something could be done to... to make her as she was in our past?"

Iris shifted on her front hooves. "I, don't quite know. I'm not really an expert in magic, and things of the sort. But... I do think the sister you once loved hasn't left as you think she has. Miss Moon fancies herself as a toughie, but she's horribly soft once you get to know her. You instantly bring out the soft side of her unlike anypony I've ever seen. I think tonight was maybe the second time I've ever seen her cry."

"I had to dig pretty deep into the pantry to fin' wha' ya were lookin' fer, but I think I got some things tha'll make ya quite happy!" called Chef Cold Cut as she re-entered the dining room, many different items floating in her magic; two stacks of multi-colored cylinders catching Celestia's eye almost instantly.

"The tubes, what be they?"

"Oh, I got two baguettes, some-"

Celestia smiled. "We know what bread is. We mean the two stacks of tubes held by thy spell."

"The cans of soup?"

Celestia raised a brow. "They... contain soup?"

"O'course; they're cans. Do... ya not know wha' a 'can' is?"

"Nay... there art many things in this world new to us."

"Well, ya use this little twisty thing here." the Chef's spell held up an unknown device and took one of the 'cans' from the stack. "And ya set it on here like this, give it a few twists until it goes all'th way aroun'." much to Celestia's surprise the shiny, clearly metallic top of the can came off with ease to reveal that a creamy potato soup was inside the vessel. "And ya got soup!"

Celestia blinked at the can, then moving her sight to the Chef. "And this can be consumed?"

"Ya gotta heat it up first, but yeah."

"Wha... we-"

"I know, it's pretty darn cool, innit?"

"Aye... 'darn cool'."

The Chef chuckled heartily, looking back to the other items she had brought. "Anywho, I got ya a good collection of different canned soups, some canned green beans, which, if ya'd like, I can show ya how to make 'em real nice, the two baguettes and some jelly and butter in case ya'd like to make some toast."

"How long would this much food last us?"

"Ya don' really eat a lo', do ya?"

"Nay... not currently."

"Well, I got ya 10 cans of soup, and 2 cans of green beans... so I'd say a good week. So, where are ya plannin' on runnin' off to?"

Celestia frowned. "We art not 'running off' to anywhere."

The Chef laughed. "Aye, an' I'm no' a chef! Come on, where do ya plan on goin'?"

Celestia sighed, her gaze going from the chef to Iris, then back. "We... plan on returning to our old home. Our dreams take us there, and we hath hallucinated of being home... something calls us there. Be it our shattered magic, damaged mind, or a simple longing of the past, we need to be there once more."

"Yer quite the rebellious spirit, ya know tha'? Fer bein' a Princess, it seems like ya don' quite enjoy following the norm."

Celestia chuckled. "Our younger years prove thy words. We were the one to set standards, yet we never followed them. We were the one to create laws, yet we often disobeyed our own decrees. We hath never been told what to do or how to do it, nor hath we ever enjoyed having others tell us how to live. Fought many battles, we hath, for our own freedom, be it against the God of Chaos Discord, the tyrant King Sombra, that spawn of Tartarus Tirek, or any other. Now, it seems we fight against our own blood and heart for freedom. Something we never conceived possible. Maybe we art a fool for thinking the relationship once shared with our sister to be impenetrable."

"Ya don' have to fight her, Princess Celestia. Like I said, ya jus' need t'be a little patient, tha's all."

"Like it or not, dear Chef, this is a fight. One that shalt not be won with magic as they have been in the past. We... hath nay idea how this fight shalt be fought or won."

"This fight will be won when you raise the sun, Princess Celestia." spoke Iris.

"We think the sun's rising shalt only be the start. We still know not how the ponies of this world feel towards the sun. They hath been ignorant of it's blinding light and heat for a full 700 years."

"From what I've heard around the castle, it's about 50/50. Some would like it know what the sun feels like, others think it would ruin the world. If... I were totally honest, Princess Celestia, I'd say I'm a little fearful of what might happen when you raise the sun. Magic works a lot differently within the earth, and I know that light magic, which is what you use and what the sun provides, isn't very active anymore. What if the sun comes up, and it causes crops to die? I-I don't really think it will, but, these are concerns lots of us have, especially as a Nocturn."

"The sun is what causes crops to flourish, not die."

"I understand that fully, but things are different now. And, once again, as a Nocturn I'm a little concerned about how... bright the sun would be. My eyes are pretty sensitive to bright lights, like your lantern... as much as I'd love to know what the day time was like, it seems like it would be really bright."

"Thou speak for thy kind when thou say so, correct?"

"Yes."

Celestia sighed. "The day was something the Nocturn lived with many years ago, why can they not live with it again? Thy kind is only 20 percent of Equestria's total population, what about the other 80 percent?"

"While we aren't by any means a majority, Nocturn hold nearly every high-ranking position in the Government and Military. Every single male Nocturn is part of the Royal Equestrian Guard in some form or fashion, and a fair percentage of females are part of the Guard as reservists. Nocturn are a ruling minority, and... I don't mean to sound disrespectful at all, Princess, but I don't think it would be smart of you to disregard how we Nocturn view things."

Celestia held her silence for a moment, her gaze remaining locked with Iris' for a time before moving away as she thought.

"If... thy kind were to truly see me as a threat to their homes and their way of life, they would not hesitate to take action, would they?"

"No, Princess. We wouldn't. That's how we Nocturn are. We're... like you in a sense. We've never let anything stand in the way of what we see as being right, and we've never let anything hold us from freedom."

"Aye; like us, thou art. Iris, be very honest; if the sun were to rise right now, would the Nocturn form against us?"

Iris looked a little surprised. "I-I, well... I don't think so. If the sun being up caused problems, certainly, but if it simply brought light and warmth... I don't think so."

"Thou do realize that the sun is only temporary, aye?"

Iris raised a brow. "What... do you mean?"

"We mean that the sun does not remain at the sky's highest point for eternity. The sun and moon work in harmony, shedding equal amounts of light and dark, warmth and chill. Thy kind shalt still have the night to live under; the day would be when thou shalt sleep, much as it were 700 years ago."

"I... fail to see your point."

"We feel those around us forget that is how the world would be. The day would not be permanent, nor would the night."

Iris remained quiet for a second. "I know... and I think I see what you're trying to say; the day coming back wouldn't have enough time to kill crops or be damaging in any way."

"Aye."

Iris sighed. "The only real way we'd all ever know what the day returning would be like is if the day returned. The point I was trying to make, Princess, was that you should make sure you're very certain bringing the sun back would be good for the nation, and in all actuality, good for yourself."

"We appreciate thy concern." Celestia chuckled lightly. "Thou hath done an exceptional job of questioning thy superiors."

Iris smiled. "Thank you, Princess."

"Can I put all this food down now? My horn's gettin' tired..." complained Chef Cold Cut, who had been standing idly by for quite some time now.

"Aye, thou shalt release thy cargo. Iris, thou too shalt depart to find us a bag."

Iris bowed. "Right away, Princess Celestia."

Chef Cold Cut watched for a moment as Iris quit her spell and exited from the little private hall. "So, would ya like fer me to show ya how to cook up these green beans?"

"Now?"

"Why not? There's a kitchen right behind me, an' I can give ya some spices an' things to use when ya cook 'em."

Celestia smiled a she got to her hooves, "Aye, we shalt take thy offer. Never apt in the culinary arts, we were."

Celestia watched with intrigue as a heavy looking pot filled about a quarter full with water clanged to the stovetop, Chef Cold Cut's magic now opening one of the pockets down her black chef's coat to retrieve something totally foreign. The strange items was clearly made of paper and filled with sticks topped by some sort of red material.

"What be held in thy magic?" inquired Celestia as she leaned closer, eyeing the booklet.

"Oh, goodness me, tha's right! Yer a little unfamiliar with things aroun' here. Well, ya got quite the kick out of the soup cans; this here's gonna blow yer mind."

With a grin the Chef's magic pulled one of the sticks free, turning the booklet over and quickly striking the red material of the stick against a brown strip on the back of the booklet. Celestia gasped as the end of the stick burst to flame, the Chef moving the now burning stick beneath the pan to bring forth even more flame. With a woosh, a purely blue flame came to life in a circle around the bottom of the pan, the entire process causing Celestia's jaw to drop as she looked on it total disbelief.

"If thou keep performing these tricks, we shalt have conniptions." commented Celestia, shaking her head.

"Pretty cool, innit?"

"Quite the opposite; flame is not cool." returned Celestia as she turned away, heading for the door that led to the private dining room. "Philomena! Come hither! We hath incredible sights for thee!"

A squawk came from the room, moments later Philomena landed before the entrance, Celestia lifting her friend from the floor to her back as she stepped back in.

"Chef, demonstrate thy trick once again."

"Oh, alrighty."

A second stick was ripped from the booklet, one of four knobs along the back of the stove was turned a bit, and the stick was struck, ignited, and brought to the circular burner; pure blue flame sprouting up just as it had before. Celestia giggled, looking back to Philomena, who's head was cocked to the side.

"Incredible, aye?"

Philomena shook her head.

"Nay? Hast... thou been witness to these things before?"

Philomena gave a little chirp as she nodded.

"We forget thy presence has been within the castle for the past 700 years... we too shalt assume the cans are not amusing to thee?"

Philomena nodded, eliciting a hum from Celestia.

"No matter; Chef, please continue."

"Alrighty, wha' yer gonna do first is get this water here to a nice boil... which'll take some time." the Chef's magic brought over the already opened can of green beans. "When it's boilin', we'll drop the beans in for just a few minutes to blanch them, tha'll keep em nice and crisp just how ya like 'em."

"How long shall we wait for the water to boil?"

The Chef looked to the already steaming water. "Not too lon', I don't think. So, eh, since yer gonna be withou' a stove like this, I'll lend ya a pot and pan... and some cutlery. Ya know how to build a fire, right?"

"Of course. We hath spent many-a-night before a roaring fire we hath constructed."

Philomena squawked, Celestia looking back to her. "Aye, and fires thou hast lit for us."

"How long have you and Philomena been together?"

Celestia sighed in thought, cocking her head. "We... goodness. Quite some time. She hath been our companion for most of our life. When ages get past two thousand years, one begins to forget dates and numbers." Celestia chuckled. "We should estimate our time together being a fair 2000 years. We art older than that number, and Philomena made our acquaintance when we were only 400."

Chef shook her head. "Wha's it like bein' tha' old?"

Celestia paused in thought. "It is... strange. Frightening. Knowing thou shalt not have a calm end, and knowing thou shalt outlast thy friends. Thou art lucky; thou shalt end of old age, surrounded by those held closest to the heart. We, and... her, our ends will be in battle. Or so we two believe. We know not if we do have finite life. Maybe this sickness ailing us is a sudden old age taking its grip."

Chef offered a hum in response as she turned her attention back to the now boiling water. "Right, now; we'll drop the green beans in." The can floated up and its contents were emptied into the water with a splash. "And, we'll add a little bit 'o salt, an' let em cook."

"We thank thee for offering thy knowledge to us. Food is something we quite dearly missed... despite it now being a burden."

"How's food a burden?"

"Our stomach hast rejected every meal we have had."

Chef's eyebrows raised a little, "Aye... I can see tha' bein' a burden."

Celestia offered a somewhat false smile. "Matters not. We hath dealt with it till this point, we shalt continue dealing with it."

"Ya shouldn' have to dread eatin' 'cause you'll throw it back up... nopony shoul' have to."

"It is something we live with. As we stated; matters not."

"I do think it matters, though, Princess Celestia. Honestly... I'm beginnin' to become a little mad at Her Highness won' just help ya through this by givin' yer magic back."

"We too were under the impression she was intentionally keeping us without power, but a moment ago she made a very verbose claim that she did not know how to return our powers."

Chef's eyes went wide with disbelief. "What? Tha' doesn' make a shred 'o sense to me, Celestia. I think she lied to ya."

"We art still quite undecided if she spoke truth or lie."

"I don' believe her. She's got control over the entire nation, but she can' figure ou' how to give you back yer magic?" Chef shook her head. "I don' believe her."

Celestia sighed. "We think her words were truthful. We think her implications that she possessed control over our magic before were lies. She is scared; tis very visible in her speech, movement, and gaze. Scared of us. Scared of how we shalt react to her advances and decisions... something we find quite odd. Why be fearful of us? We pose no more threat to her or this nation than a termite."

"Yer quite the imposing figure, I'd give ya tha'."

Chef turned around to take the boiling pot of green beans from the stove, moving to a large basin where a metal strainer sat, the pot's steaming contents quickly being dropped into the strainer.

"Now comes the fun part." her magic lifted the strainer, jossling it side to side to remain most of the remaining water. "And, just to give 'em a li'l more flavor, we'll drop these into a pan with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper."

Her magic worked quickly to follow the steps her words had laid out, the pan now being placed on the still lit burner, a dash of olive oil being swirled into the pan, the beans added, and followed with a pinch of salt and a two twists from a long, wooden device that seemed to magically produce pepper groundings.

"Wha- what was that machine? Bring it hither." inquired Celestia as she leaned closer, Chef's magic complying as the pepper grinder came back from the counter to Celestia's own spells.

"Ya jus' twist this li'l thingy up here, an' it turns a, well... twisty kind'a thing in the middle with the pepper corns, and it makes pepper dust!"

Celestia's magic repeated the steps, the wooden machine emanating a grinding, almost crunching sound as its internal mechanics worked, fine black dust falling from its end to the floor.

"Such a device is commonplace?"

"Oh, aye. There's a lo' of machines and devices now-a-days. I-I guess I've never really stopped to consider how amazing some o' this stuff really is."

"Amazing, indeed."

Chef took the pepper grinder back and turned her attention to the now sizzling beans in the pan, her magic taking the handle to shuffle them about.

"Well, anywho; jus' give these a nice li'l searin' in the pan, make sure they get nicely coated with the oil and the pepper and wha'not, and you'll have yerself some right nice green beans!"

"Seems like quite a many steps to replicate..."

Chef paused. remembering the situation Celestia would soon be in.

"You've got a point. Eh, well... for how you'll be prepin' things... I'd just blanch them, salt them, and call it good. They'll still be quite tasty. Heck, if ya absolutely had to, ya can jus' eat 'em out of the can."

Celestia's nose scrunched. "We shalt cook them. Raw, wet green beans do not sound appealing."

Chef's magic flipped the pan about some more. "No, they do not."

A knocking brought the duo's attention up to see Iris standing at the doorway, her hoof raised from knocking on the door frame and a fairly utilitarian looking saddlebag held in her teeth. Her hoof moved to take one of the bag's straps as she held it up.

"Princess; your saddlebag."

Celestia's magic freed the bag and levitated it the short distance across the kitchen past Chef. "Wonderful! We thank thee, Iris."

"Of course, Princess."

"Alrighty! I'd say these are done!" chimed in Chef as she lifted the pan up, tilting its contents onto a plate she had prepped earlier.

"Were you two in here cooking together?"

"Aye!" "Aye."

Iris looked across the smiling chef and Princess before her as she chuckled. "Well, I'm glad to see you're enjoying yourself with something, Princess Celestia."

Celestia hummed, nodding happily.

"Oi, Iris, have ya had anythin' to eat today?" inquired Chef as she dropped a fork to the plate of freshly cooked green beans, holding it up to her."

"Not since breakfast... I am getting hungry."

"Perfect opportunity, then!"

Iris smiled as she held out her hoof to receive the fairly large portion of green beans. "Princess Celestia, if you don't mind; I'll make my way to the proper dining hall."

"Thou art excused. We hath nay tasks for thee, and such a wonderful serving of beans seems to us an apt reward for thy gracious service!"

Iris chuckled as she turned around to head back through the door of the little private hall.

"I quite like her. She's nice." commented Chef as she began to clean up the few things she had used in preparing the beans.

"Aye, she is a good soul. Understands us better than our own blood, and she hath been of great help to us more than once. We do truly feel poorly for having called her a rodent."

Chef laughed as she turned on the sink to wash out the pot and pan she had used. "At least ya gave her a heart-felt apology!" the water turned off, Chef now looking at the bag still held in Celestia's magic. "Now, what do say we start gettin' ya packed?"

Nº 7: ACT 2

Act 2

Exhausted, Celestia's magic lifted her bag from her flanks and dropped it by the door along with her lantern, her heavy hooves clopping against the floor as she lumbered to her bed, Philomena knowingly hopping from down her back. She hadn't at all anticipated how hard it would be to carry such a menial load; the bag only contained the cans, bread, and various other items of importance gifted to her by Chef Cold Cut. Too, had she noticed, that carrying the bag with her magic as opposed to her flanks caused her horn considerable stress. Her magic's failing strength and functionality was beginning to frighten her, especially since it seemed to go in cycles. One day, it would feel a little stronger, and could move the doors of her room with little issue; others, her magic totally failed in the simplest of jobs.

Sighing, Celestia dropped back-first onto her bed, her blanket now sandwiched between her figure and the bed. Instantly, she felt sleepy; the soft, cushiony bed calling to her. She shuffled side to side, digging herself deeper and letting her eyes flutter closed. The flapping of Philomena's wings brought Celestia's heavy eyelids open as she observed her friend landing a short distance away, her talons sinking into the soft bed.

"Feeling tired, as well?"

Philomena nodded as she stepped over, lying down in the concave spot created in the bed by Celestia. She wiggled herself side to side to dig further into the comfy spot, Celestia giggling at the tickle caused by Philomena's soft feathers.

"Comfortable yet, young lady?"

Another nod and a happy chirp was the response.

"As are we."

Much to Celestia's dismay, there was a knock at her door, eliciting a groan of frustration from her.

"Aye?"

"Celestia, I'd like to come in and talk with you..." nervously responded Nightmare Moon, her voice bringing another groan from Celestia.

"Why? What doth thee require of us?"

"I need to explain myself."

Celestia's ears perked, her head rising from the bed. "Please, enter."

The doors opened simultaneously, Nightmare standing in the doorway for a moment as she looked at Celestia and Philomena lying comfortably together. Her previously apprehensive expression turned to a gentle smile as she stepped in further.

"You two look very comfortable."

"Aye, we were preparing for slumber. What dost thee wish to explain to us?"

"That... I haven't been doing much to try and help your magic. Things have been... well, very busy around the castle and the nation since you returned, and I haven't been in a position to devote time to you... which is horrible of me. I want you to know that my idleness hasn't been out of hatred, or out of me wanting to see you in pain, it's because I, to begin with, have no real idea on how I should help you. Iris has made some suggestions, and any free time my mind gets I try to think of someway to crush the chains I created around you... but I, I simply don't know how to yet."

Celestia stared into Nightmare's gaze for quite some time as her mind scrambled in processing Nightmare's words. She was utterly shocked and almost filled with joy. That sincerity meant that something was still good in the mind of that beast, and it meant that hope, as she thought it had been, wasn't totally lost. Though, one question still pierced through Celestia's thoughts; Nightmare had been the one to place the lock, how was it that she did not possess the key?

"We... thank thee with all our being for showing sincerity to us, but... we still understand not how thy ability to return our magic is null."

"Because, that night... my mind was not in the right place. I barely remember any of it, and I don't remember what I did to you. Things happened so fast. The magic I used to do the things I did... it wasn't normal, Celestia. It felt so different."

Celestia looked long and hard into the regretful and fearful expression Nightmare held; she was frightened of her own actions and her own powers. She was the second oldest being in Equestria, and currently the most powerful, yet she had hardly any idea of what she was capable of. So much could be read through her eyes.

"Thou art frightened of something, and tis not us."

"I'm frightened of what the future holds. I know you'll stop at nothing to bring the day back... but I," Nightmare sighed. "Celestia, I don't know what will happen if you do! You must understand this from the nation's and my perspective; the day has been gone for so long that the earth has adapted itself. There's a natural imbalance of the light magic you wield and the dark magic that now seeps through the ground. The sun was always what gave our land light, and in turn, gave it lighter magic, but it's been dormant for so long that if it all came back in a rush, it might cause problems. You're extremely smart, you can surely understand that."

"If there is imbalance, then surely returning the day would return balance, and balance is not a bad thing."

"Imbalance isn't a bad thing, either; this entire nation is proof. The darkness we all live in has been here for so long that it has not only become common but has become the standard. I, look. Celestia, all I want is for you to genuinely think about this. What if the sun coming back causes something bad to happen?"

Celestia's mouth opened, but no words came out. She shared a glance with Nightmare for a second before looking away, thinking hard on what Nightmare had said.

"What... if it does not?" she probed, raising a brow at Nightmare.

"Well, then it doesn't. I'm not the only one with concerns, I'm sure you know that. There are a lot of unknowns."

"Aye, we know well that thy Government and Military fear us, and see our motives as threatening to their way of life as Nocturn."

Nightmare looked a little surprised. "Yes... they do. Mostly my Generals and Captain think you're a threat to me, but... for the most part, I've managed to show my Parliament that you aren't bad. Despite what you might think, Celestia, the main objectors to you are those within the nation, not me."

"Aye, the Nocturn object to us, but how dost the remaining 80 percent of our population feel?"

Once again, Nightmare's expression was one of surprise. "You... know a lot more than you let on."

"Aye, apt in our research."

Nightmare cleared her throat. "Well, I don't quite know. Most of my higher-ups are all Nocturn... I don't see regular ponies very often.

Celestia's eyes narrowed. "Why is there such disparity in thy Government? These Nocturn are not oppressors... are they?"

Nightmare chuckled. "No, no. Not at all. The Military is only comprised of about 300,000 Nocturn, the other 700,000 are ponies, and while my Parliament is mostly Nocturn right now, it isn't always that way. Ten years ago it was half pony, half Nocturn. Not to mention, the other branches of Government have very equal distribution of Nocturn and pony, such as the Courts. I... assume that whoever told you what you know, or what book you read, said that the Nocturn control quite a bit. That's true, but I've made very sure to keep things balanced."

"Unlike the nature of magic?"

Nightmare sighed, looking a little defeated. "Celestia... I'm trying to help you understand this world. Do you have to keep making remarks?"

Celestia took a pause to think, her eyes temporarily diverting from Nightmare's gaze. "Nay. We... apologize for our attitude. Anger still writhes within."

"I know. I-I guess, if it helps, you can say whatever you need to. I won't censor you."

Celestia gave a skeptical look. "Why art thou being so sincere with us all the sudden?"

"All the sudden? Celestia, I've been sincere with you the moment you got back." lied Nightmare.

"That is not true."

Nightmare paused, remembering her last conversation with Celestia, and too remembering a few things she had not let on. "You're right, I haven't been totally honest."

"Fear drives thy motives, and fear causes one to fabricate. We understand well."

"Does fear not drive everything we do? Fear of death, tyranny, oppression, sorrow, and evil. You and I both have done everything based on the things we fear the most, and never once have we been wrong to fear what we did."

"Doth thee fear us as an oppressor?" inquired Celestia with a somewhat hurt look.

"Wha- no! That's not at all what I was saying, Celestia! You... you're over-interpreting my words. You and I, in the past, feared those who stood in the path of freedom and liberty, and we acted justly towards what we saw as wrong. I'm not saying that I'm afraid of you being an oppressive, overbearing ruler. You're the exact opposite; you always have been, and always will be. I've spent a lot of my time trying to rule in ways similar to you; fair and honest. You may think of me as a tyrant because of my... previous actions against you, but I would rather die than become a tyrant."

"We art happy to see thy leadership hast not fallen to the clutches of tyranny. For so long we thought Equestria would be a place of inequity. Thee truly hast nay clue as to how joyed we were to see thy rule is one of fairness. For that... we do thank thee."

"You... you're welcome, Celestia."

The two went silent, their gazes remaining locked for only a short time before, almost simultaneously, they looked away from each other. Celestia rolled her head to the side, looking out the windows of her room to the outside world, dark clouds covering portions of the sky while Nightmare diverted her gaze to the floor. A quiet came over the room as each sibling remained in their own thoughts. Celestia stretched her hind legs, groaning then yawning as she settled back into her spot in the cushiony bed, her movements barely stirring the already asleep Philomena.

"Thank you for having a genuine conversation with me."

Celestia looked back, seeing that Nightmare has not yet brought her own gaze up.

"Thou art welcome, we too thank thee for thy kindness and sincerity." Celestia brought her hoof down to gently pet Philomena's feathery belly, her action once again bringing a little wiggle from the sleeping Phoenix. "We too thank thee for keeping our friend in good health. Without her, our life here would truly have nay meaning."

"You're welcome."

Nightmare finally brought her head up, sharing a glance with Celestia before getting to her hooves.

"I'll... let you two get to sleep."

Before exiting from Celestia's room, Nightmare paused at the door, looking over her shoulder. "I'm glad you've made friends with Chef Cold Cut. She's an extremely nice and loving pony."

"Aye, she is, indeed."

There was a tiny pause as Nightmare gulped, always dreading the response that her next words would bring. "I love you."

"We..." Celestia cut herself off, dropping her head back to the bed. "...love thee, as well."

Nightmare's lip quivered, her eyes shutting as a single tear rolled down the black fur of her cheek. Her breath shuttered a tiny bit as she finally departed from the room, leaving before Celestia could see her tears. Celestia sighed deeply as she closed her eyes, her mind recapping on the previous words. She had trouble deciding if she had truly meant them, and more than that, she had trouble deciding if she was lying more to herself than her sister about how she truly felt. It seemed that with each moment her theory of Nightmare Moon being a façade faded. It might be her foreign appearance, or strange new way with words, but as time passed by, Celestia could begin to see her sister inside that body.

Her eyes came back open, her mind far too active for sleep to be possible. Sleep too had become somewhat of a burden; the old, familiar world her mind built, while pleasant in their current, left a knot in her stomach and a sense of dread once they had passed. That feeling of dread didn't stick around long, but what always seemed to stay with her was the memory of what dream she had. It lingered, and brought itself up at odd times when her mind was on other subjects. The dreams were always so similar in content. Sunny skies, bright halls of a nevermore home, faces of friends and cohorts who have long since passed to a better place, and the love and warmth of a sister who had not yet ruined the life of her elder sibling.

With sleep, came waking, and with waking, came the heaving and coughing brought on by the pains in her stomach, something she had come to hate more than any aspect of her situation. Waking too meant the aches in her body reset, becoming worse and worse with each past slumber. While lying down and holding still helped to quell her pains, she found such action to be, if nothing else, boring. She had been lying down for the last 700 years, her time would not be spent with such terribly idle action when there were things to do and ponies to talk to. At first, she had dreaded leaving her quarters and dreaded seeing the faces of those around the castle. Now, she welcomed the idea, and she now saw how silly it had been of her to do in the first place. Her life held some true joy because of proactiveness; Chef Cold Cut and the castle's wonderful spa had been two of the grandest things to meet her acquaintance since her 'return'.

Her mind wandered to the relaxing waters and soothing notes of music the two nice spa ponies would put on the phonograph. She almost wanted to abandon her bed and make the trek to the spa, but a combination of laziness and comfort kept her firmly in bed. She stirred, feeling a little chilly without her blanket draped across her. Carefully, her magic embraced Philomena's sleeping figure, lifting her away from her side as she quickly sat up, a second spell taking the blanket from beneath her body. She covered her entirety with the soft, blue sheet, holding her forelegs to her chest to and pulling her hind legs in to curl up under its warm embrace. Once she had settled back in, Philomena was gently brought back to rest in the nook at Celestia's back, remaining above the blanket so she could be free to depart when she pleased.

One final wiggle brought Celestia to a position of nearly perfect comfort, a gentle smile resting on her lips as she closed her eyes, a sudden feeling washing over her. Happiness. It came not from a comfortable place to sleep or the company of a friend. It seemed to come from the knowledge that the one being she had thought cared not for her, did in fact care.

Periodic thunderclaps broke the tranquility of the rain pattering against the windows. Ripping winds swayed distant trees as if they were mere shrubs and rattled the panes of glass, occasional whistle through the gaps being like the howl of some creature. Celestia watched as the dark clouds continued their assault, blotting out what light the moon provided and replacing it with a harsher, seemingly more consuming darkness. This storm seemed far more powerful than the last, and as a spectator, Celestia was quite content with where she sat in her room. Beautiful in observation, wretched in experience. She would much rather the dry heaving and aches plaguing her stomach to double than be trapped in such a flurry.

She had risen from bed some time ago, the norm of life being resumed as she had spent a considerable period hunched over the basin in her kitchen, heaving and coughing up her previous meal. It was a feat she was able to salvage any nutrients out of what she ate, it always seemed to come back up so quick. Celestia remembered back to the first time she had woke to such an experience, the terror of that moment having faded into routine. She had never, in her life, experienced such a thing before that night, and within a few nights she had somewhat gotten used to the feeling. Though, she still saw the permanent night as totally foreign and had still not adjusted. She thought it to be quite amusing that her body had gotten used to something as purely uncomfortable as vomiting and still failed to see the night as norm.

Much to her surprise, Philomena appeared through the heavy rain and murky darkness, landing on the window ledge without her usual grace due to the high winds. The two shared a look, Celestia cocking her head in confusion as Philomena pecked at the glass.

"Doth thee wish to enter?" Celestia spoke loudly, hoping her words made it through the glass.

Surprisingly, Philomena shook her head.

"Then, what doth thee wish?"

Philomena tapped at the glass with her talon, her head bobbing in a motion Celestia deciphered as a coaxing motion.

"Thou... wish for us to go outside?"

Philomena nodded, her squawk being muffled by the glass.

Celestia shivered at the thought.

"Young lady, thou art far from thy mind. We shalt be staying indoors... departing for our home now should prove to be a most horrible journey."

Philomena's wings spread as she fell backward from the ledge, falling into the abyss only to re-appear moments later, her hard wing-strokes carrying her through the rough winds as she traveled upwards and out of view. Philomena was a tenacious creature, and typically wouldn't give up on a goal so easily; something Celestia found to be curious. She thought for a moment, remembering her friend's flight path; she had gone vertically, presumably over the castle, and most likely towards an entrance so she may come to pester her further. Smiling to herself, Celestia struggled to her hooves and slowly made her way from the window to the doors of her chamber, where she sat back down before the two wooden gates in waiting.

As she expected, only a moment or two went by before a scratching came through the door, the sound originating at a Phoenix's height in relation to the floor. Chuckling, Celestia's fizzling magic opened the door to see a perfectly dry Philomena standing a distance from the entrance. She hopped past the open door, coming up to Celestia and taking the nappy fluff of her chest in her beak, pulling at it to coax Celestia forward.

"Wha- we hath stated our intentions, young lady! The outdoors doth not appeal to us in the slightest at this time!"

Philomena only pulled harder, her talons slipping against the smooth floor as she struggled for traction, trying her hardest to move Celestia.

"Art thou bored and wishing for companionship?"

Philomena released the tuft of fur from her beak, hoping to Celestia's side and nuzzling herself under the blue blanket and then under her large, furled wing, causing Celestia to giggle at the ticklish sensation.

"Companionship is what thou seek." Celestia laughed to herself. "Thou should have said so!"

Philomena came from under Celestia's wing, shaking her head and taking the leading edge of Celestia's wing with her beak, pulling at it as if trying to unfurl it. Realization hit Celestia, her eyes widening as she gasped.

"Thou wish for us to fly with thee?"

Philomena nodded, chirping happily.

"Wha- thou art truly far from thy head! Our body aches, our head pounds, and the conditions are far from optimal!" Celestia paused a moment, shuttering. "Forget not the conniptions frigid water brings to our mind."

Philomena tugged at her wing harder, causing Celestia to fully unfurl the large, feathered limb and pat Philomena with it.

"Worry not, young lady; in due time we shalt be in the skies together." Celestia brought her head close, holding her voice at a whisper. "Once this storm hast faded we shalt depart for our home."

Philomena shook her head, hopping from beneath Celestia's wing and back to the doorway, squawking and motioning towards herself with half-furled wings. She turned, fully spreading her wings and taking flight down the hall, the tips of her tail feathers igniting to create a trail of light down the dark, curved path. Upon coming to an intersection, she landed, her tail remaining ablaze as she stood in the darkness, looking at Celestia from the distance. With a sigh of defeat, Celestia groaned to her hooves and stepped out of the room, keeping her blue blanket draped over her back as she shut the door and began down the nearly pitch black hall towards her waiting friend.

Like a beacon, Philomena took back to the air, her gentle flame being the only thing visible through the blackness of the hall as she continued on, Celestia slowly following the flame while knowing quite well where Philomena was leading her.

"Taking us to the gardens, aye?" called Celestia, looking up into the abyss of the high ceilings, knowing the many Nocturn guards stationed above listened and watched as she walked.

Philomena's responding squawk echoed through the hall as she landed some distance ahead at another intersection.

"Thou needest not to lead us. We hath learned the path to the gardens quite well by this point."

Philomena took back to the air, flying towards Celestia and landing a short distance in front of her, her tail remaining lit as she hobbled along beside Celestia, acting as a lantern.

"Thou art an odd creature, young lady." commented Celestia, she and Philomena sharing a glance.

Philomena peeped, Celestia looking back down to her as she laughed at the adorably clumsy trot Philomena maintained.

"Thou shalt stand upon our back if thee so wish; the lack of light bothers us only in the slightest."

Philomena didn't accept the offer, continuing to trot along much to the amusement of Celestia, as she found it quite hard to draw her eyes from the Phoenix.

More minutes of slow walking, and three pauses to let Celestia's exhaustion and pain calm, finally led the two to the tall, open arch of the garden's entrance, wind and tiny droplets of water whipping in through the arch and chilling Celestia to her core. The rain was incredibly loud from where they stood, the heavy sheets pounding the stone pavers and close by trees filling the air with a rumbling cacophony. Simply observing the storm through the windows of her room had made Celestia shiver; standing on the fringe of it while being beat upon by the wind and mist was worse by ten-fold.

"W-W-What be the p-purpose of this? W-We fail t-to see how t-this s-should fall under a-any category of 'f-fun'!" chattered Celestia, looking down at Philomena as she hopped out of the archway and into the whipping rain.

Philomena turned around, squawking quite loudly and flapping her wings at Celestia.

"T-Thou know well w-what our m-mind experiences when t-the cold strikes us! W-We wish not t-to go through such a t-thing again!"

Philomena shook her head, hopping back into the arch from the rain to Celestia's front leg, standing behind it and leaning in to push against the limb in a feeble attempt to force Celestia outside.

"D-Dost thee wish for our m-mind to go t-through such horrors again?!" exclaimed Celestia, now becoming a little annoyed at her friend's tenacity.

Philomena nodded, causing Celestia to pause in surprise. The two stood with locked eyes for a time before Celestia looked back out to the rain.

"T-This is not about f-fun, is it?" she inquired with a somewhat flat tone.

Philomena squawked, nodding. She gave a few hard wing-strokes to lift from the wet floor, landing at Celestia's back and leaning down to peck at her wings, which sat furled tightly at her sides. Celestia looked back, slowly unfurling her wings to their full spread, giving a few little flaps to adjust her feathers. She looked to Philomena, who simply nodded to her.

"What is this about, Philomena?"

Philomena stepped across Celestia's back, wrapping her damp wings around Celestia's neck to hug her, the action causing Celestia's breath to catch in surprise. There was something deeper to what Philomena was trying to accomplish, deciphering what it was would be the hard part.

"Is... t-this about w-wanting the old us back?"

Philomena let go, stepping back and shaking her head. She flapped her wings, holding her posture straight and proud, puffing out her chest and holding her head high.

"T-This is about... being tough?"

Philomena nodded.

Celestia looked back out to the rain, giving her large, fully spread wings a few more small flaps.

"Thou think we art not tough?" inquired Celestia, looking back with a raised brow.

Philomena nodded.

Celestia kept her glance on Philomena for a moment, her mind finally beginning to truly piece together what Philomena was doing.

"T-Thou art making us face fear, aye?"

Philomena nodded.

Celestia chuckled. "Thou art a f-friend g-greater than anypony could a-ask for..."

She sighed, looking out to the cold sheets of rain as she hesitantly took a few short steps forward, the large, harsh drops beginning to pelt her head, back, and wings. The sensation sent shivers through her entire body, her motion totally frozen from not from cold, but fear of what was to come. But, the longer she stood, and the longer the rain fell against her, the visions did not come back. She stayed stood right where she stood and her eyes continued to see the nearly pitch black garden, dark clouds, and sheets of rain. No stones formed beneath her hooves and no ocean surrounded the place she stood. Philomena tapped at Celestia's back with her talon, causing her to look back.

"Aye, o-our mind is s-still here."

With an excited chirp, Philomena bolted into the sky from Celestia's back, doing a few rolls as she more or less disappeared into the darkness, moments later the tips of her wings igniting to show her position. Celestia gave a shivering sigh, her tired wings flapping hard to carry her figure into the tormenting sky. She began accelerating forward, gaining speed and altitude as she joined her friend. Her airborne dance was somewhat clumsy at first, her wings seeming to have forgotten how to control gusts and high winds, but after only a few moments did her senses kick in. Her body's shivering fell to the back of her mind, the cold no longer seeming to be a bother as flight began feeling more and more natural.

Soon, the castle was no longer visible, the only point of reference being the horizon and the dark blanket of clouds above, as well as Philomena's guiding flame as she gained altitude. With flight, came an incredible serenity. The feeling of temporary freedom overtook the feeling of cold and the fear of what her own mind could create. She began remembering just how blissful the skies could be, remembering the times that she, Philomena, and Luna had flown together on stormy nights and calm days. She remembered how, after long days and long nights, she and Luna would retreat to the tranquil Everfree forest not far from the castle with books and treats to build a fire and indulge in the poems and stories crafted so wonderfully by the ponies of their time. As memories ran through her mind, one very fitting poem rose to her thoughts, a poem she had recited many-a-time to Luna. Barely audible through the winds, Celestia sang.

"Oh, we hath slipped the surly bonds of earth and danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; sunward we hath climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds, wheeled and soared and swung. High in the sunlight silence. Hovering there, we chased the shouting wind along, and flung mine eager figure through footless halls of air. Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue, we hath topped the windswept heights with easy grace where never lark, nay eagle flew. And, while with silent, lifting mind we hath trod the high un-trespassed sanctity of space. Held our hoof out, we hath, to grace the face of the sky."

Nº 7: ACT 3

Act 3

The winds were calm. Rain fell not. It was a truly heavenly place; the sky above the storm. To Celestia, it was a whole nother world. Mere meters separated her from heavy sheets of rain. She sat atop the dark layer of clouds, shivering and watching Philomena circle high above in the tranquil, rainless night sky. The gentle breeze brought horrible chills, as her entire body was soaked from the rain, but she somehow failed to mind. The rains on this place were not like the rains plaguing her banishment. These rains, while cold and harsh, did not bring poor memories; quite the opposite. They reminded Celestia of how strangely pleasing the cold could be, her mind almost totally lost in remission of the far-gone times when her sister would be the one to drag her into the rain for a playful flight rather than Philomena, who seldomly ventured along when the two sisters would depart. She supposed that many things could change in the space of 700 years.

After unfurling her wings and giving a few hard flaps to help shake more water free, Celestia laid back on the clouds, keeping her wings spread against the almost bed-like formations as she gazed into the clear, peaceful night. The full moon above rendered Philomena's figure to nothing more than a silhouette and dimmed the thousands of blinking, distant stars that freckled the deep, black canvas. She thought back to Iris having told Nightmare Moon that she should "show her that the night isn't a bad thing". Never once had Celestia felt negative towards the night. In many ways, she found it more beautiful than the day; the drabness, mystery, and blue-black color palette of the night had always struck her with awe. They failed, entirely, to understand her discomfort. She, much like most of the ponies living under her and Luna's rule 700 years ago, did not detest the night, and felt no venom towards it. She held distaste for the night's permanency, not for the night itself.

Another hard shiver rocked Celestia's body as the winds picked up, her wings coming up and wrapping around her in an attempt to stay warm.

"Philomena, s-shall we return to the castle? W-We wish to not f-further our sickness with the cold," called Celestia through chattering teeth as she looked up to the circling Phoenix, who now began a descent.

Philomena called out loudly as she dove down, zooming past Celestia through the clouds like an arrow. With a playful chuckle, Celestia spread her wings and took to the skies, gaining a little bit of altitude before following her friend's example and diving through the storm. The tranquility of the above gradually turned back to the chaos below, winds picking up as she continued on through the pitch black cloud layer, not a single thing being visible as a point of reference. On and on the clouds seemed to go, the fringe of the clouds where rain fell not presenting itself. Celestia angled herself down more, thinking she had not taken a steep enough approach. Still, she dived on, and still, she saw black. No rain hit her fur, and no winds seemed to pass over her cold figure. She flared her wings, coming to a halt in the air as she looked around, her eyes still seeing pure darkness.

Celestia jumped as lightning cracked a short distance away, her eyes being drawn to the totally blinding strobe, a flash of heat striking her like a concussion wave. Instantly, her ears began ringing loudly, the high tone overpowering every outside sound, her own heartbeat now thumping in her ears like a hard drum. A second, muffled crack pierced the air, a hot blue strobe exploding right by her, its source appearing as a silhouetted figure against the black canvas of clouds. Celestia's heart skipped a beat. That figure had only appeared for a split second, but it was unmistakably a pony; one of great size with large, swept wings and a spire-like horn rising tall from their shadowy head. Celestia began diving again, her heart still pounding past the horrible ring in her ears. Her wings pounded the air with haste to increase the speed of her dive, escaping whatever she had seen being the only thought to run through her mind. A third, bright blue bold broke the air by her, eliciting a scream as she rolled hard left to avoid the searing bolt.

Suddenly, she pierced the black clouds, appearing not below, but above into the tranquil night sky. She paused, bringing herself to a steady hover as her eyes darted around in every direction, trying to spot the being that had most certainly be trailing her. Her ears continued to ring and her heart continued to pound as she frantically searched, but as the seconds slowly ticked by nothing appeared through the clouds. As her sense began returning, she realized she had lost Philomena.

She called out Philomena's name to only hear the vibrations caused by her voice, the true sound leaving her lips not making it past the horrendous ringing. She continued to cry out for her friend, scanning in each direction to try and spot either Philomena or the figure she was now unsure she had truly seen.

Then, through the clouds at a far distance to her front, appeared two of the castle's guards, their silver and blue metallic armor reflecting the moonlight quite brilliantly. Gasping, Celestia quickly dove to the clouds, hiding herself in the black cloud layer as her heart began to pound once more. That figure in the cloud layer. It had looked so much like the cursed form her sister possessed. Her mind raced; those hot bolts of energy, they were straight and pure as if they were spell-cast, and not made of electricity. Those bolts, she remembered them vividly. Not from moments ago, but from the night she had been betrayed. Their heat, crack, and color were those of that cursed beast. That thought only struck further panic into her, her breathing quickening to near hyperventilation as she decided to continue diving through the clouds. Once again, she dove, and the end of the blackness never seemed to come. True panic was beginning to set in; her mind struggling to find an answer as to why she was unable to find the end of the cloud bank.

Without much forethought, Celestia brought life to her horn, casting a yellow glow into the night, an unnatural coldness gripping at her from deep within as her horn ripped at what shards of magic remained in her broken being. What her horn's contrast revealed was not what struck her with fear, it was what her horn had not shown. There were no clouds around her, and no rain fell to pelt her coat, there was simply blackness. An abyss. No horizon, no clouds above, nor ground below. Her magic abruptly ceased, leaving her with an incredibly painful headache and a metallic flavor in her mouth, her once totally black vision turning gray with millions of flickering spots. She pulled out of her dive, coming to a hover in this abyss while she continued to frantically look in every direction. Still, nothing presented itself. She felt trapped; there was no up or down, no seeing what could be lurking behind or above, no listening for any sounds quieter than the clap of thunder, and no way to provide herself with any sort of defense.

With no more options, Celestia continued to scream out Philomena's name, her star-ridden vision still darting around in the blackness as she tried to find any speck of light to use as reference. There was still nothing. No matter how many times she screamed out, no matter how hard she tried to focus on seeing light, there was nothing. She dropped her jaw to scream for Philomena once more, but she stopped herself. She looked in the direction she assumed to be up as she futilely searched for the one hunting her. Such loud calls were far more compromising than helpful. That beast lurking in the clouds must be able to hear her screams. Celestia gasped in surprise as her hooves impacted something; wet grass. She gained a tiny bit of altitude, looking down at the black nothingness before slowly lowering herself back down, and surely enough, her hooves planted to the wet ground. Her total disorientation had left her in a gentle decent rather than the hover she had intended to maintain. She laughed in relief, dancing on her front hooves to confirm what she felt was not a product of her mind. She stepped forward, her hooves only continuing to find new ground. Satisfied, she paused, still having no idea what was before her.

A distant clap of thunder shook through her body, bringing her eyes up to see the strobe illuminate the quite distant castle perched atop its mountain face for only a split second. Things turned back to abyss, and Celestia stood with her eyes locked in the direction she had seen the castle. She was still far too frightened to attempt flight, not knowing what may lay in the murky night or what may be hiding in the clouds above. Still, she was trapped; mind racing and struggling to comprehend things fully due to the horrible distraction of her ringing ears, throbbing temples, and the seemingly excessive build-up of metallic-y liquid in her mouth. She coughed a few times, spitting out the liquid, the act bringing a horrible ache to her already pained stomach muscles. Fear gripped every possible thought her panicked mind could conjure. A fear she had only felt the night her sister had betrayed her, a fear that stiffened her muscles and caught her breathing. Fear of the end.

With much hesitation, Celestia drew magic to her horn, casting a faint, flickering glow for a short time to reveal she was standing in a clearing; there appeared to be no trees around, but such a thing was hard to tell, as her contrast only broke shallowly into the darkness. She ceased the spell, her headache becoming worse from the mere seconds of use. Each breath was hard with panic, short grunts escaping with each exhalation from both exhaustion and pain. Remembering the general direction she had seen the castle in, Celestia spread her wings and went into a pure vertical climb, wanting to gain as much altitude as possible before trying to continue forward. Her upwards acceleration lasted some time before she began her forward flight, keeping her eyes locked with the spot in the abyss she had seen the castle and keeping her wings at the ready to pull into a hard vertical climb if any obstacles presented themselves. Her speed was kept slow, and she kept her forelegs held in front of her chest to detect anything. What she would do to have her lantern.

She yelped as something somewhat gently impacted her back, causing her to flip around in the air to both throw the object free and to make an attempt at seeing what had hit her. Her eyes went wide as her gaze met with Philomena's, who's flaming wingtips provided enough light to make her full figure visible. Celestia exhaled in relief, not wasting any time by telling Philomena to lead her back to the castle. Philomena's confirming squawk was rendered inaudible through the ringing in Celestia's ears, her eyes remaining locked with the beacon-like flame of Philomena as she began guided her through the stormy night.

The rapid thump of her heart and panicked breathing began to calm, the wave of relief that had washed over her drawing her mind from searching for both Philomena and the Tartarus spawn that had been hunting her. Now, she could only focus on the many things within her own body that screamed at her. Her wings ached from being pushed to their utmost boundary, her ears screeched with a loudness that the bell of the long-gone Canterlot Town Hall could only hope to sing with, her mouth was fouled by the taste of blood, her nostrils too leaking crimson, and her temples felt the pressure of a marble slab.

The wave of calmness retreated from her thoughts, panic returning as she realized what harm may have been inflicted. More than that, she feared the fact she had caused such pain by casting a simple spell to throw forth an abysmal flicker of light. The pain throughout her body only served to increase the crushing sense of weakness and vulnerability. The shields, daggers, and blades she once could create and wield were not as if they had been stripped away, but as if they had been thrown into the far corner of the cell Celestia lived in. She could feel magic around her; in the ground, in the air, in Philomena when she hugged the soft Phoenix as if she were a toy. That inability to grasp at powers that lay mere inches away was what brought her the most enmity for her traitor sister.

Celestia jumped, yelping as lightening struck once more, the purely white strobe revealing the now much closer castle for only a split second. She never imagined she would truly be relieved by the sight of that place. She looked over her shoulder, her eyes still only seeing the abyss of the night. She couldn't shake the thought of what had happened earlier, and she couldn't shake the thought that the thing she had seen through the clouds was a creature she would not make escape from by returning to the castle. Returning to the castle would only place her in the heart of the home of the beast.

Apprehension. Indecisiveness. Celestia's mind was plagued with these creatures. She stood with Philomena, shivering in the breeze and returning rains beneath a large tree she suspected of being oak as her eyes strained through the darkness to peer at the distant entrance to the castle from the garden. While her surroundings were quite dark, things were not the murky, endless void of black they appeared as when she had been away from the castle. She could clearly make out the sky, the outline of the castle, and the silhouettes of the many different trees, shrubs, and flowers that thrived in the garden. Now standing with a far clearer mindset Celestia pondered on her hellish experience. Her mind could not decide if it had created most of what she had seen, or if it had been reality. The bolts that broke the air near her had most certainly been there, her lack of hearing was proof of that, and she had most certainly seen the two guards ascend from the clouds before her, but she remained indecisive on one thing; something that had only happened for a fraction of a second. The silhouetted figure. A figure that was most certainly her sister's.

Her eyes remained locked with the dark arch of the castle's entrance, indecisiveness still keeping her under the tree she and Philomena stood under. Suddenly, Philomena's wing impacted the side of her head, bringing Celestia's gaze back to the Phoenix, who began nodding her head towards the entrance.

"W-We know, we should leave the rain... but thou knowest not what we did see in those clouds."

Philomena cocked her head.

"Our sister's shadow. T-Those blasts of lightening were not that; they were spell-cast."

Philomena rolled her eyes, slapping Celestia with a wing once more.

Celestia scoffed angrily. "Keep thy feathers to thyself! We... we do know well what we saw!"

Philomena gave an inaudible chirp.

"Doth thee question our statement, as well as what our eyes did see?"

Philomena nodded.

Celestia held her tongue a moment, looking away from Philomena as she thought. Her eyes were brought back up as Philomena hopped from her back, flapping to the tall, wet grass and stepping behind Celestia's foreleg, beginning to lean herself into the limb as to coax Celestia forward.

"First we art led into the storm, now thou art leading us from it... thy motives are strange, dear friend," Celestia spoke as she craned her head down to look at Philomena eye-to-eye.

She simply nodded, stepping back to stand idly in waiting for Celestia to make up her mind.

"Maybe it is... fatuous of us to believe the traitor was hunting us in the night." pondered Celestia as she looked back up.

Unbeknownst to Celestia, Philomena gave a squawk in agreement as she nodded her head. She thought a moment longer, Philomena's firm disagreeance bringing some sense to her thoughts. Much to Philomena's enjoyment, Celestia slowly began her way towards the archway, Philomena hopping along side her in the grass. As they two neared the door, a quartet of castle guards descended from the ceiling, their sudden presence sending a shock through Celestia, her eyes wide with fear. Each guard gazed back with concern, their voices silent for a moment before the leftmost guard piped up, speaking futile words that failed to penetrate the ringing.

"We... we cannot hear, thunderclaps hath deafened us," Celestia informed, her words causing the four guards to look amongst themselves.

She saw them share a few words, that left-most guard now tapping at his nose with his armored hoof, then pointing it towards Celestia. She cocked her head. The guard stepped forward, gently pressing his hoof to Celestia's muzzle and pulling it back to show her quite a substantial amount of fresh blood had been imprinted on the shiny metal of his shoe. Celestia gasped, bringing her own hoof up to find the same thing.

"T-Tis nothing... we art fine; over-use of our magic hast caused this," she trembled, a little frightened at how much of the red stuff had leaked down her muzzle and chin to her chest.

That same guard leaned in, bringing his head along side Celestia's. "Shall we direct you to the castle's medical center?" he inquired, Celestia focusing quite hard to make out his muffled speech over the ringing.

"Nay, nay. We art fine. J-Just cold... where be the spa?"

"The spa is closed, Your Majesty."

Celestia nodded. "We know well, but too, do we know how to operate the hot rain, as well as the music machine," responded Celestia with volume greater than how she anticipated.

At first, her far from standard nomenclature put a puzzled look on his face, but a second of deliberation led to understanding. "Of course, Your Majesty."

And thus, he began down the hall to the left, those other three guards sharing a look with Celestia as she and Philomena trailed at a slow pace. A hoof tapped at Celestia's back, prompting her to turn around to meet one of the three remaining guards, her nicely folded blanket sitting in his out-stretched hoof. She looked back and forth from the blanket to the guard a few times, his azure, glowing eyes not striking her with fear or disgust as they once before had. Now, though his gaze, she saw genuine care. She stood as the sole threat to the throne he defended and the way of life he no doubtedly loved, yet he saw fit to treat her as he would treat any other being in his castle.

"We art far too damp to be adorned with this, and our magic hast failed entirely... couldst thou bring it along with us?" Celestia asked with a little smile.

The guard holding her blanket looked past Celestia to the guard who had been leading her as he stepped over, the two exchanging a few words as the blanket was held out for the escorting guard to take it and hold it firmly beneath his wing. He shared a quick glance with Celestia before continuing on down the hall, the other three guards bowing to her before taking flight and returning to their posts. Following the escorting guard, she took a look over her shoulder to watch his three comrades simply vanished into the darkness of the high-soaring buttresses above. She could still feel their gazes, and the gazes of the many other guards hung high above. She had preferred it when she was ignorant to their presence; now, during the castle's downtime, when she found herself in the halls, all she could feel was their eyes on her.

Celestia sighed as the hot shower washed over her, warming her entire body and soothing her muscles, as it always had. Philomena too stood under the stream, her wings unfurled a little to allow the water under every one of her feathers. The one thing annoying Celestia the most about the ringing in her ears was the fact she could no longer experience the wonderful sounds of the shower. The gentle rumble of the water hitting the tiles had always been just as soothing as the water itself. Luckily it seemed that the ringing was beginning to lose intensity, something that made her quite happy. She had frightened herself by speculating that the damage to her hearing would be permanent, but it now appeared that wouldn't be the case. Thinking back, this wasn't her first time being deafened by lightening. One of those nights, when Luna had dragged her out for a midnight flight over Equestria during a storm quite similar to this one, had ended with the two returning without their hearing. She recalled that the ringing and muffled effect on sounds had faded almost entirely by morning. Hopefully, that would be the case this time around.

Celestia's eyes were drawn to Philomena as she stepped out of the stream, quickly fluttering her wings and ruffling her feathers to somewhat dry herself.

"Enjoying thyself?"

Philomena nodded.

"As are we."

Their eyes remained locked for a short time.

"We know not if we should be angered with thee or not."

Philomena cocked her head.

"Thou know well what we mean. Dragging us into such a harsh storm... surely thou knew what effect it would have on our mind."

Philomena hopped forward, wrapping her wings around Celestia's foreleg in a firm, loving hug. Celestia's breath caught in her chest, surprise taking her expression. That shocked look quickly melted into a joyful as Celestia began kneeling down, Philomena releasing her leg to allow her descent.

"Thou had'st nay idea such things would happen to us, did thee?"

Philomena shook her head.

Celestia contemplated. "Thou wished for us to be the playful, cheerful being we once were. Thou knew we used to partake in flights with our sister..."

Philomena nodded.

Celestia outstretched her hooves, pulling Philomena into her chest in a strong hug. "For that... we thank thee."

After a short while Celestia let Philomena go, giving her a little smile before standing and stepping forward to the ornate control of the shower, her hoof turning the knob a few times to fully shut off the water. Almost simultaneously did she and Philomena shake themselves about to fling most of the water from their fur and feathers, Celestia spending a little more time on herself as she shook all four limbs individually, shimmied her flanks side to side to dry her tail, fluttered her wings, and shook her head to throw her pink mane about, sending a field of water in every direction. Philomena took to the air, landing atop the glass door as Celestia turned to exit the shower, the opening and closing of the clear pane barely phasing the Phoenix perched atop it.

With one of the few towels previously and so kindly set beside the shower by the guard who had guided her and carried her blanket now in her hooves, Celestia dropped to her haunches as she began to dry herself off, starting with her very damp mane before bothering with any other part. For every previous moment in her life she had been able to complete menial tasks, such as drying one's self with a towel, with the aid of her magic. Now, such a tiny use of her spells would only wield further blood loss from her nostrils and more stabbing pain in her head. The concept had become quite tiresome. Though, at the same time, her current total lack of any magic was somewhat her own fault. If she had not so foolishly attempted to cast light into the night, she would still be able to competently dry herself with her magic.

Having worked her way from her mane to her wings, then to her tail, Celestia now sat nearly totally dry, save for the typical residual moisture in her mane and tail. As she stood up, Philomena flapped her way down from the door, landing before Celestia and looking at her. With a smile, Celestia took a fresh towel from the little stack and threw it over Philomena, dropping back to her haunches as her front hooves worked in an intentionally rough manner to dry her friend. The towel was pulled up to reveal a dried, but incredibly disheveled Philomena, nearly every feather out of place.

Celestia laughed, beginning to right the now annoyed looking Philomena with a hoof. "Thou looketh as we do after a long slumber!"

Philomena's now somewhat audible squawk only caused Celestia to laugh further as she continued on. With a little more work, she took her hooves from Philomena and moved back, the Phoenix instantly resorting to preening and arranging her feathers on her own accord.

"Always so pristine and regal... maybe we should begin to follow thy example."

Philomena paused her work for a second to nod, though her attention had not gone back to arranging feathers, it had gone to something behind Celestia. She jumped as a hoof landed upon her shoulder, causing her to flip around to see the dauntingly tall Nightmare Moon, that typical look of concern on her face. There was a moment of no speech between the two as Celestia let her breath catch up.

"Sorry for scaring you..." Nightmare spoke in an intentionally loud voice to make it past the ringing in Celestia's ears.

Celestia let her eyes wander over Nightmare's figure for a moment; she was totally naked of her normal attire, and her eyes were not made up with her deep purple eye shadow. She appeared far more gentle than ever before; her presence hardly brought feelings of dread.

"What... dost thou wish?"

"To make sure you're alright. The guards woke me up saying you couldn't hear and were bleeding from your nose," Nightmare laughed awkwardly, "as you can imagine, I was distraught, but I can see you're in better condition than the guards made it seem... minus the hearing, I assume."

"Aye, our ears ring louder than bells, but we do still hear the slightest."

Nightmare sat down in front of Celestia, keeping her hoof on her shoulder. "Luckily, that's one thing I can help with."

A wavy blue aurora sprouted to life around Nightmare's long horn, Celestia beginning to feel an acute tingling deep in both ears. Slowly, the ringing and the muffled effect began fading, Celestia's expression being one of slight shock and wonder as Nightmare's magic gradually removed whatever damage had been done by the volley of booms that had deafened her.

Nightmare's aurora faded as she gave Celestia a gentle smile. "Well, can you hear a little better now?"

"We... can hear perfectly."

Nightmare chuckled. "That's good. I... well, we both know how annoying that is. Remember all those years back when you and I both had our hearing damaged when we flew into that storm, and once we got back to the castle we didn't hear the bell signaling the start of court? Once we finally got there, we could barely hear what half of the Parliament was discussing, so we had Ink Scroll write it all out to us."

The two sisters shared a stifled, awkward laugh. "Aye, we do remember. We... did have many adventures in times past."

"I think you still do have adventures; what prompted you to go out into such a storm tonight? With how poorly you've been feeling, I was really amazed to hear you had gone and done such a thing."

Celestia looked over her shoulder to Philomena, who had long since finished preening and now stood idly. "T'was her idea. She thinketh we needed to face the fears of cold rain since our last encounter had led to such a horrible reality in our mind. She was quite right, and we did so valiantly set out into that night with joy in our heart rather than dread. Retrospectively, our adventure was not too horrible..."

Nightmare thought a moment. "I understand you being a little deaf from the lightening... but why were you bleeding?"

"Over-use of our magic. We tried to call light to our horn, but the contrast lasted mere moments before causing our head to pound."

There was a gap of quiet as Nightmare hung on Celestia's words, guilt writhing in her mind as she stared at her older sister.

"Try... try to not use your magic so much. That's not something I should have to say, but if it causes that much harm, maybe you should... well, restrain yourself a little more."

"Aye, we know well," Celestia's mind suddenly hatched a tiny plan, "we... wish to remain in solitude within our room for some time after this. Working with our magic on small scales to attempt at repairing things. We did recently gather some foods from the Chef for our own uses."

Nightmare looked a little surprised. "Oh, well... alright."

There again was that little pause of quite as the two ran out of things to say. With a little groan, Nightmare got to her hooves, looking down at Celestia for a moment before turning to make her way to the door.

"Goodnight, sister," spoke Celestia.

Nightmare paused in the doorway, looking on in silence for but a moment. "Goodnight, Celestia. I love you."

"We love thee, too."

Nº 8: LYING DREAMS

Author's Note

Parts of this chapter make mentions of a previous story of mine called Ancient Hearts, a romance between Princess Luna and Celestia written in iambic pentameter, or 'Shakespearing' english. Just a tiny FYI if you care to read it and know what the references are from.

Nº 8: LYING DREAMS

"Thou hast not been to this place since our banishment, hast thou?"

Philomena squawked, nodding.

Celestia sighed, looking up from Philomena, who stood at her side, to the ancient entrance atop its grand flight of stairs of the home she once shared not with just her sister, but with a nation. Those ponies who came and went on their daily tasks were more than servants or workers; they were friends. everypony in Equestria had been her friend; much the same had it been for her sister. Smiling faces, bowing postures, and waving hooves met the two where ever they went. Now, the ponies of the place she was meant to call home looked upon her with frowns. Their stances wavered not in her presence, and their hooves rose not from the cold tile halls to wave a greeting. Here, within broken facades, crumbling buttresses, caved roofs, vine-ridden walls, mossy stone floors, and grass-sprouting cracks, was home.

The silent winds of the Everfree carried the faded voices of chatting ponies and drawling dignitaries. As she and Philomena now began their ascension up the grand stone staircase of the castle's entrance memory after memory flooded back into her mind, so clear and vivid it felt as if she had never left.

"To be back... how dost it feel to thee, Philomena? Sorrowful? Cheerful?" inquired Celestia as she diverted her gaze to Philomena, who hopped up each gradual step.

Philomena chirped.

"Sorrowful?"

Philomena nodded.

"We concur. We returned to find ruins. Our heart hast been left within the rubble of these walls..."

Upon completing the relatively effortless trek upwards the two stood before the door-less arched entry to the castle's main hall. Slowly, Celestia encroached past the broken arch and into the deeply echoing hall, shattered stone scattering the wide hall floor and moonlight leaking in through the various holes created by the decay of time and the destruction of a war that lasted mere minutes, yet destroyed a nation. The high walls, once adorned with many tapestries, now only stood with a few of their tattered decorations; one side stood proud with the remains of white banners depicting the sun's mark, while the other held banners of blue with the crescent moon at their center. Once a sign of two opposites in unity, these tapestries now stood for the separation and imbalance of the current.

Further and further the two walked, making their way towards the tall platform where two proud thrones once stood. No longer did those thrones remain, and neither did the two beings that once occupied them.

"What was the point of all our struggles and fights in the past, Philomena?"

Philomena looked up.

"We spent our life defending our kind and our sister from every evil. We had this castle built for us by those who so dearly loved our reign. Was the conclusion always meant to be this? Was there never supposed to be harmony? The things we thought to be right, hast they always been wrong?"

Philomena remained silent.

The platform was finally reached, and the duo began up one of two curved staircases that led to the higher level of the castle. Celestia looked at the void where her and her sister's thrones once were, moving to stand right where she remembered her grand seat being. She stared out across the broken hall, heaps of fine stone replacing the tables of chatting ponies that once scattered the space on occasions.

"They built this place for us. Not for themselves, but as a gift to the two ponies who had stood for their freedom and liberty. She saw fit to rampage through this sacred building with her searing magic and explosive hatred towards us... destroying what had taken years in moments. Is she truly insane, dear friend?

Philomena nodded.

Celestia looked up from Philomena, continuing to stare into the hollowed hall.

"Does a more malicious clockwork than insanity exist?"

Philomena chirped as she shook her head.

Celestia sat down, her legs tired from carrying the quite heavy saddlebags strapped across her haunches. The cold stone was unpleasant against her rear, just as the brass and gold throne she once sat on always had been after a time of her absence, which is why she had come up with the addition of a throw pillow shortly after being gifted the throne. Sitting in the voided space, she felt a creeping emptiness. A feeling of unbelonging. A throne was far more than a simple chair, it was a podium crafted by those under a fair ruler so they may be placed high in rank and respect. Only one throne lasted in Equestria, and the one who sat upon it had not been graced with it, they had taken it with spite. More than having taken a throne, Nightmare Moon had rid of one. The concept of harmony and equity lies with two opposites working as one; how can true harmony exist if there is no opposite? No longer did two beings and two celestial bodies work with one another; one worked by itself, and cast the other to the side.

"Are we the insane one, dear friend?"

Philomena cocked her head.

"Is it poor of us to be graciously brought from a hellish prison to a stable life, and resort with haste to going against the steadfast ideals of this new nation? Are we right to be in this place? Should we consider it our duty to bring the sun's peaceful light unto a land which hast been blind of it for 7 centuries?"

Philomena hopped to Celestia's side, patting the ancient sun cutie mark on her flank with a wing.

"Tis our mark, and tis in our name; aye... but is it right? Is our path virtuous?"

Philomena nodded.

"If... if we do succeed, by whatever means, in returning magic to our being and in raising our sun, shall that make us the thief and the oppressor? Would we be of the same caliber as our sister by..." Celestia paused a moment. "by carrying out the one task we were destined to do?"

Philomena shook her head.

A bout of silence came over Celestia as she looked away from Philomena, her mind writhing in thought.

"If those throughout Equestria reject our sun with venom, what shall we do? Shall we simply... keep her down?"

For the first time, Celestia could see Philomena thinking. Her nod 'yes' had come after a period of what had clearly been contemplation.

"Without our sun, what purpose to we truly have? To be a companion to our sister, and nothing more?"

Philomena nodded. That simple nod struck Celestia with a sudden realization. Philomena was right; beyond being the day's ruler, or being a ruler at all, she was a sister. That was, from time's beginning to time's end, the one thing she had always been. No matter how many castles fell, no matter how many years she went without seeing another soul, no matter how many nations changed, for better or for worse, her one eternal place in the heart of another had remained. Her mind traced back to the shaky, teary words her sister had spoken mere days ago; "Please, don't ever say that you don't love me". She, at first, had taken those words with antipathy in her heart, thinking them to be weavings of a selfish mind and heart, but she saw how wrong she had been in assuming that. For her to have ever hinted that her heart had stopped caring for the one it had always cared about was not only immoral, it was a lie. Despite all of her sister's wrong-doings, lies, and betrayals, she did still love her. Their most recent encounter had proven that to her quite well. Her return of her sister's proclamation of love had not been a fabrication; while the words had been hard to come out, they were truthful.

A question suddenly rose to her mind; why was it so difficult for her to simply say 'I love you' to her sister when she truly did mean the words? Fear of being seen as weak? Was it to uphold the strong and composed facade she had crafted? Her sister, who was more in the position to appear tough and composed, broke down far more often than she had. Why uphold such a facade? Was it to remind herself of how she had been in the past?

"Philomena, we question our own motives and decisions..."

Philomena cocked her head.

"When one questions their own motives, what does that make one's motives?"

There was no response.

"It makes one's motives wrong. Just motives go without question, for they are just. Our sister questions her own motives, we see that quite plainly, because she dost know well in her heart what she hast done is not just... so why should we do the same?"

Once more, Philomena held herself still. Celestia spent a moment simply staring at the Phoenix, realizing something. Silence was held on her behalf not for lack of having a response, but not knowing how to respond. What incredible things could she say if she could say them?

"One day, far into the future, we will find a spell what shall give thee a voice."

Philomena chirped, seeming to smile to Celestia.

The flames before Celestia danced in a wonderfully mesmerizing fashion. Their heat and light gave her comfort as she stared past the hot wisps to the embered logs beyond. Dead-fall was not a rare occurrence within the Everfree, something Celestia was quite thankful for. Traveling a meager distance from the rubbled castle led her to plenty long-fallen trees, their slightly damp and brittle carcasses being fairly easy to break into chunks by hoof. Celestia had always prided herself in her great ability to build a wonderfully burning fire, even with wet wood, and that skill still remained with her.

With a weak spell, she stirred an opened can of soup that sat on a flat stone near the flames, a gentle steam now rising from its surface. Momentarily, Celestia brought her gaze up to the castle's derelict throne hall. She peered behind to the stairs and platform that would lead to further part of the castle; fear of seeing more of her home's state had kept her within the hall, and so did hunger. It had been quite some time since her small meal Chef Cold Cut had graciously prepared before her clandestine departure. Along with that meal, the observant Chef had taken notice of Celestia's total lack of water, and had given her a large glass jar filled with clean water for her to use. She found it quite comical that the Princess had spent to much time planning her departure and had totally overlooked the one most crucial thing; water. Celestia too found the amount of effort (that, thus far, had all paid off, as she had not been followed at all) she had devoted to hiding her disappearance comical, as she knew not if her sister would forbid her from going to her home. She had simply assumed so, but thinking on the matter led Celestia to contemplate things. Thus far, her sister had no qualms with any of her other decisions, and had not even objected to her treacherous trip into the storm with Philomena.

Though, there was one thing Celestia could think of that would most certainly cause her sister to forbid her presence in this old castle; the Elements of Harmony. They were most certainly still within their tomb where she had left them 700 years ago and so mistakenly chosen to not use them against her sister; their powers called to her. Sitting in the hall, she could feel their incredible, divine energy reaching for her, calling upon her to be their bearers once more, calling for true harmony to reign across the land as it once did, and as it should. Perhaps they had been the cause of her dreams and hallucinations; perhaps they were not coaxing her home for her to re-live old memories or to find joy, but for her to bring their powers to bear, and so they may bring their powers to bear on her. Always had the Elements been a factor in the decisions she made, and every time they had been right. There had only been one time where she had doubted their voice, and as a result she had caused the downfall of the nation she held dear and the betrayal of every beloved soul under her and her sister's rule.

A fading spell was cast to bring the now fully cooked can of soup away from the flames, steam now billowing from the open container and bubbles rising to the surface. Again she stirred the contents around, craning her head and gently blowing on the surface to help the brothy mixture of veggies cool. Having left behind her blanket to save on space meant she had been quite chilly, and nothing had sounded quite as appetizing as enjoying hot soup by a fire. The soup was placed to the stone before where Celestia sat to cool further as she brought her gaze vertically, peering at the moon that sat high and proud above, casting a healthy glow to the land below. How was there beauty in permanency? The night held far greater grace when the day was allowed to wane its darkness.

A distant screech from Philomena brought a gentle smile to Celestia's lips; it was mealtime for her friend, as well. She had always found enjoyment with Philomena's diet, especially when she would hunt before others. The repulsion expressed by any observer at Philomena's seemingly brutal treatment of her meals had always brought her a laugh, but more than that; a realization. A realization that seemed more true today than it had all those years back. Fear and ignorance of difference brought forth misunderstanding and enmity. When she traveled the halls of her new home, she had gotten looks a-many-a-time that reminded her all-to-well of the looks other ponies would give to Philomena when she tore at her prey with her talons and beak. When they saw her preference for warmth and light, they saw it with distaste, for it was foreign to the ways the had always known; darkness and cold. Though, there was the possibility some looked at her strangely because of her strange appearance. One is not always witness to a tall, slender Alicorn of pure white fur parading around with their blanket, lantern, and Phoenix companion.

Celestia often found humor in her own appearance. It had been undeliberate of her to build such an image, but it was one she had grown to enjoy. Looking back down to her slightly cooled soup, Celestia brought her spoon up to gather a healthy pile of veggies along with their hot broth, first only gently sipping at the spoon to test the temperature, then fully devouring the tasty veggies. A low hum of pleasure came from her throat as she continued on with her meal, her weak magic hastily moving to bring her waiting mouth more soup. She was quite happy to be eating something and know there was a possibility it would stay down; the meal Chef Cold Cut had prepared her only moments before she retired to her quarters to 'remain in solitude' had not been thrown back up when she had woken up from her lengthy, and quite comfortable, slumber before finally leaving the castle.

Through the quiet of the night came the distant songs and chirps of birds off far in the forest, something Celestia found a lot of joy in. Many times had she sat upon her throne in the morning, enjoying a cup of tea or a biscuit while listening to the birds in the Everfree. Celestia let her eyes shut as she continued on with her soup, the warm of the fire and the chill at her haunches reminding her of the morning's sun coming in through the many windows of the throne hall and the gold and brass throne beneath her. It was always those little moments that Celestia had found so much joy in.

"Grand morning to thee, sister."

Celestia opened her eyes, turning to see Luna approaching with a tired slouch. With a smile, Luna brought herself up onto her blue throne beside Celestia, the bright morning rays causing a wonderful halo of light around her blue figure and causing her light blue mane to glow.

"Tired, art thee?" inquired Celestia, bringing her spoon up to her lips.

"Aye; we depart for our chambers after this. Hast been a long night."

Celestia smiled, the tired croak in Luna's voice only making her sound cuter than she normally did.

"We wish thee a joyful slumber, dear sister."

Luna returned the smile, beginning to stand up. "And we wish thee a joyous day. Do give our greetings to Ink Scroll when thou art met with his presence, he helped up greatly last night in our documents."

"Understood. Sweet dreams!"

And with that, Luna continued off across the marble of the throne's platform towards one of two open doors that led further into the castle. Celestia looked back out over the so far empty throne hall, the white marble floors and grand architecture reflecting the morning's orange glow to coat the space with a wonderful light. The porcelain bowl of soup held in her magic was lowered to the small, finely crafted wood tray table a short distance before her throne. With the sun warming her front, and the soup sitting in her belly, she estimated that no being was warmer, or more comfortable, than she.

Stretching as she did, Celestia stood, her hooves moving from the soft pillow on her throne to the cold, cracked stone of the moonlit throne hall. Celestia blinked, her eyes being greeted by the light of her fire and the sight of the expansive, destroyed throne hall, the cold air leaking in from the destroyed ceiling and broken windows sending a little chill through her. Her breathing became rapid as she frantically looked around the room, her ears no longer being filled with chirping birds or the distant, echoing voices of her friends, advisors, adjutants, generals, and sister. In place was a hollow silence, one that seemed louder than any sound her ears had witnessed. With shaky legs, Celestia dropped to her haunches, tears now rolling down her cheeks as her breaths became unsteady. Her eyes shut hard, her head hanging low as a few quiet sobs echoed from her into the quiet place.

Philomena's nearby chirp brought Celestia's head up with haste as she flipped around to see her friend standing idly a short distance behind her, a grouping of wild flowers held carefully in her beak. Celestia's tears ceased instantly as she stared at Philomena, who now held a genuine look of concern in her eyes.

"D-Did thee gather us a bouquet?" Celestia asked through her shuddering breaths.

Philomena nodded, the flowers bobbing with her head.

Celestia laughed, reaching out with her forelegs and pulling Philomena into a tight hug, causing her to emit a tiny squeak of surprise.

"T-Thou art simply too kind to us!"

Celestia tightened her hug for only a moment before totally releasing Philomena, who tilted her head up to offer the flowers to Celestia. With a giggle, Celestia took the bunch with a wavering spell, bringing them to her nose and inhaling deeply. She brought the flowers away, looking to Philomena with a smile. Something hit Celestia; Philomena had spent her time gathering the little bouquet not because she had seen her upset. She had done it as a simple friendly gesture, a show of affection and friendship. More tears now came to Celestia's eyes, tears she had not cried for 7 centuries. Tears of happiness. No aching came to her heart or knots to her stomach; just a pure joy that seemed to warm her entire body. It was such a strange feeling, though it was the best she had felt in a long time.

Regaining her composure, Celestia sniffled as she continued looking at the arrangement. She was impressed Philomena had been able to gather something so wonderful in the Everfree. The grand forest was a mere shell of its former self. As she looked closer at the flowers, letting their fragrance waft to her nose, Celestia began to recognize a pattern. There seemed to be something so familiar about the flowers arrangement. She finally pinpointed it, and was quite surprised she had not spotted it before; protruding from the center of the arrangement was a large, wonderfully colored sunflower; a flower her sister had discovered and named especially for her. Celestia looked up from the flowers and their somewhat generic vase to the bright, blushing smile on Luna's face, the evening's sun casting a deep glow into the decorated throne hall beyond.

"We named it the sunflower, for only a plant of such beauty and colour shouldst bear the name of thy orb."

Celestia blinked, gasping as the bright throne hall and smile of her sister disappeared entirely, as did the beautiful sunflower she had been gifted that once sat at the center of her bouquet. She looked up from the flowers to Philomena, who still remained where she had been, her head now cocked to the side. Philomena squawked, rolling her head over to the other side as she noticed fresh tears now making their way down Celestia's cheeks.

"Heartbreak... friend. Tis all that ails us. W-Worry not..."

Philomena hopped forward, nuzzling her head into Celestia's chest.

"T-Thou art a lucky creature, Philomena. Thou hast g-gone without heartbreak in thy life." Celestia's composure broke down, her head falling. "W-We live with it in e-every waking hour!"

Philomena moved back, looking up at Celestia and shaking her head.

"W-What doth thee doubt from us?"

Philomena unfurled her wing, bringing it up and placing her feathers on Celestia's chest, right where her heart was.

"Thou doubt our heartbreak?"

Philomena shook her head. Celestia held a pause of silence as she thought, looking down at Philomena.

"W-We lied when we stated thy life hast gone without heartbreak... w-when we were banished..."

Philomena nodded, coming forward again to wrap her wings around Celestia's foreleg, nuzzling the side of her head into the fur of her limb. Celestia brought up her other hoof, gently petting down Philomena's back.

"We art here again, dear friend. Worry not... f-for we art here again."

Philomena released Celestia's leg and took a hop backwards, looking up to her teary-eyed friend. Celestia offered a weak smile, turning her gaze to the flowers held gently by her magic.

"The last arrangement we were so graciously gifted was shared with the one who did deliver it to us." Celestia chuckled. "Thou art carnivorous... and most likely have no taste for flowers."

Philomena nodded, prompting Celestia to turn around to her saddlebag and bring out her container of water with a hoof. The large, glass jar rolled along the stone before being lifted upwards and having its lid screwed off, allowing Celestia to drop the stems of the bouquet inside and angle them to where they remained only partially submerged.

"If we could have these flowers preserved till time's end, we would."

Celestia's own hoofsteps were the only sound to echo through the barren corridor she and Philomena traveled. Her lantern, which had been packed in her saddlebag, rested in her clenched teeth as opposed to her weak magic, for carrying such a menial object for more than a short while would bring blood to her nostrils and incredible aches to her temples. Though the darkness the lantern's light did pierce, and it showed both Celestia and Philomena (who was perched in her normal place atop Celestia's back) what they had both expected to see; a stripped façade of a place that once served as a living archive of art and literature. So many wonderful works from ponies all across Equestria had once dotted the halls, only a few of them ever being commissioned. Most were simply gifts, which, to Celestia, had made them all the more beautiful. Those many ponies devoted their time and talent to creating a work not for themselves, or even for the crown; they created works for Equestria as a whole. All who walked the halls could see the pieces created by their fellow citizens, and to Celestia, that had been one of the greatest things about her home.

Once dotted with sculptures, murals, landscapes, and scenes. Now barren of all character apart from what detail was crafted so finely into the stone of the castle itself. Through the doorway ahead Celestia could begin to see a place of the castle she both loathed and cherished; a room that had truly decided her fate. The tomb of the Elements of Harmony. There, in their chamber, sat the objects that had given her and her sister so much. The objects that now called to her, coaxing her to be their bearer. The objects that wished and willed fiercer than any living creature. Celestia stood now at the edge of their grand, square door, its features perfectly flush with the solid rock around it. She placed a hoof at the door, staring at the almost featureless stone for a time before craning her head down and placing her lantern at her hooves.

"Philomena, why should they call us here? Doth the Elements wish to be used against our sister?"

Celestia looked over her shoulder to see Philomena shrug.

"We hesitated all those years ago for we knew not what hell would be released upon our sister... we knew not if she would be cast away as we had been, or destroyed entirely. We... still know not what they wish for us to do. That night, they spoke to us almost with voices. They knew what our sister planned, and they called us to bring them against her... but now, they do not do so. They simply call to be brought into our hooves. They shine nay light on our path. They speak not with direction. Do they realize our sister is not the venomous, evil being she once was?"

Her eyes were drawn back to the Elements' door, question after question running through her mind.

"These grand Elements know more than any being ever shall. Do they know our sister's intentions? Do they not wish to be brought against her because she does not object to the sun anymore? Not once hast she stated that she sees the way of life we love as a negative; she simply fears for her own safety and for the safety of those beneath her rule. She... is no longer disharmonious. Only within the land and the sky remains disharmony, not within the heart of our sister."

Celestia snapped her gaze back to Philomena, hope almost burning through her eyes.

"Could that be true? Can... this end by us simply bringing the sun forth?"

Philomena offered no response as she hopped from Celestia's back, flapping her way to the floor beside her.

"The Elements call to us... but we cannot bring them forth. We hold not the key to their locks. How shalt we find our magic again? Our sister, if she is truthful in holding no ability to bring our power back, hast been of nay help. We know not how we should help ourself, or where to even begin in such an endeavor."

Philomena looked up to Celestia, not nodding or chirping, simply staring. Their gazes remained locked for a time before Philomena looked back to the Elements' tomb, prompting Celestia to pat her on the head with a hoof.

"Deep in thought, as well, aye?"

Philomena squawked in return.

"As are we. This problem hast been a most grand plague. There... seems to be nay solution. How does one retrieve magic with a complete lack of it? Fire is needed to create fire, and thus, magic is needed to create magic."

Celestia looked around the large hall as she thought.

"Such great power will be needed to bring forth the Elements... yet we have but a spark of magic within us. Nothing in this realm could break the chains around our magic but ourself, yet we have nay method of bringing magic into our being."

Celestia craned her head down, retrieving her lantern as she began back towards the room's entrance.

"We shalt find a way, in time." spoke Celestia, her words somewhat slurred by the lantern's handle.

As she continued on, the light sound of Philomena's hobbling did not accompany her, and she looked back to find Philomena still staring at the Elements' door.

"Come, dear Philomena. There is a place within these walls we wish to visit."

Philomena stood resolute, her mind totally encompassed with thought.

"Philomena!"

Finally, she looked back to Celestia, staring for a moment before taking flight and landing upon her proper place on Celestia's back.

Celestia laughed. "Thou art quite the thoughtful creature."

Nº 9: ACT 1: TRUTHFUL NIGHTMARE

Author's Note

Although it's a cheesy thing to do, I still feel the need to do it.
I want to thank every one of you for reading; this story has been an incredible journey for me, and it has only become as popular and as loved as it is because of you all. All the comments, discussions, and fights that broke out in the comments over the chapters has made me laugh every time, and for that, I graciously thank everyone.

This is the first story I've ever actually devoted time to for FimFic readers. I usually write stories because I like writing them, but this one... this one is for all of you. My inspiration to keep writing has not come from simply wishing to complete a project, it has come from wanting to make you all happy... or well, in the case of this chapter, sad.

To entertain. We'll leave it at that.

So; here's to you. The reader.

Nº 9: ACT 1: TRUTHFUL NIGHTMARE

There, in her old, empty chamber, stood Celestia. The tower room stood as the highest point of the castle, (save for her sister's equally sized quarter tower, which stood just as tall and rested only a short distance away) and from its balcony the castle itself and the surrounding lands spread outward like a painting. For miles and miles the nightly landscape ran, the mountains of Equestria remaining right where she had left them. She could point out places where towns once were, and too she could see where old towns continued on, surviving time's test and living under the moon. Their distant lights spread their glow into the sky like candle-flames. Too did the castle from which her sister reigned stand out, despite only having minimal lighting. On its mountain face, it stood proudly and beautifully. From a distance, it was quite the structure. A monument to the success of a nation, and the passing of an era.

She couldn't help but wonder about those who had worked to build that high-up castle. Had they been forced to by an unfair ruler, or had that castle been brought forth with love? Celestia brought her gaze back to the castle she occupied, staring at the crumbling facade. There was a sliver of peace in Celestia's heart knowing those ponies who had worked to build this place had long since passed when it had met its untimely end. As she turned back to face the interior of her quarters her mind wandered to those who had worked to remove the castle's fixtures.

"What would it be like, Philomena, to stand in the bed chambers of a friend who had passed? To take down their personal effects so they may be respectfully disposed of or preserved?"

Philomena, who was perched on a simple end-table of wood, offered a chirp.

Celestia's mind painted image after image. She could see the frowns of those who had cleared away her desk, bed, and wardrobe. She could feel the aches in the hearts of those who had taken down murals, landscapes, and tapestries. Her own heart felt heavy with sorrow as her eyes wandered the space, looking from her once constantly alive fireplace, to the wall where a portrait of her sister once hung, to the domed, painted ceiling were a brass chandelier once hung with its many candles ablaze. For a moment an image of her sister's quarters flashed through her mind, the mere thought causing her to close her eyes and sigh. She dared not venture to that place. Her mind and heart struggled enough while wandering corridors and standing in once grand halls. Such a place would tear her apart.

A gentle breeze sent a shiver through Celestia, prompting her to turn to the door-less entrance to her balcony, the purely white, tattered drapes being lifted a tiny bit from the air. She stared at the drapes a moment before moving to them, her eyes following their length from the floor to their hanging rod. A gentle spell from her horn lifted the rod up and off of its hooks, dropping it to the floor with a clank as she slid each drape from each end. With a hoof she brought one drape up, looking at it a moment before taking two corners with a spell, flipping it into the air and moving it do be lowered onto her figure. From her shoulders to her flanks the drape sat, leaving a tail of length to flow from her backside to the floor. The second drape followed a similar path, its two front corners being held up and tied into a knot to loosely secure the sheet to Celestia's figure.

Philomena squawked as she flapped her wings, drawing Celestia's gaze to her.

"Improvisation, friend. Our blanket is absent, and we find ourself quite chilly."

Philomena cocked her head side to side, examining Celestia's new attire. She nodded, prompting Celestia to laugh.

"What was that? Approval?"

Philomena nodded again. Celestia looked over her shoulder to her own figure, spreading her wings from beneath the sheets.

"Quite fitting..."

Philomena's chirp drew Celestia's eyes back to see her patting her own head with the tip of a wing.

"Aye... our crown. We do wonder what became of it."

Celestia's mind snapped back to the final moment of her life in the old Equestria, Nightmare's sharp grin and glowing eyes being the only thing to fill the image. With less malice than Celestia had expected, Nightmare's magic gently brought her crown away from her temple, setting it to the stone a short distance away as opposed to dropping it or flinging it away as she had done with its wearer. It had not been crushed, or burnt away with magic, it had simply been placed aside. Had she kept it as a trophy, or left it be for another soul to find? Was it locked away in a box kept beneath Nightmare's bed, or preserved on some podium in an unknown place? With how much respect Nightmare had displayed in removing it, Celestia wouldn't be surprised it that crown had been gifted to somepony she had been close to or given its own shrine.

Celestia huffed a breath from her nostrils, looking up to Philomena. "Come, friend. Further into this place, we shall wander."

Philomena flapped from the table to Celestia's now adorned back, her talons doing a little dance as she felt the cushiony sheets.

"Better bedding than that blanket of ours, aye?"

Philomena nodded.

One of two tall doors was pushed open by Celestia's hoof as she entered the castle's grand library, which now lay barren of all literature. She stood at the entrance for a time, looking around in the moonlit room of knowledge with the same ache in her heart that plagued her with every new sight. Rotting, broken down shelves of oak were the only thing to line the three windowless walls of the room, that fourth wall's line of tall, arch-tipped windows serving as the room's only source of light instead of the four grand chandeliers that once hung from the high ceiling. Keeping her hooves quiet to allow Philomena a peaceful nap, as the Phoenix lay across her back asleep with her wings spread lazily, she stepped further inside, her eyes instantly catching something at the far side of the room. Sitting in solitude on a low shelf that had not yet collapsed from age was a single novel, and with her eyes locked solidly on the book Celestia picked up her pace in approaching it.

The book was not laid in the position one would expect; its binding did not face outwards, its front cover did. Upon reaching the novel, Celestia felt a pain in her heart she had only felt the night of her banishment. A knot formed in her stomach as her eyes wandered the finely calligraphic, golden text that proclaimed its title.

"T-The Magic of Friendship... by Princess Celestia; Sol Sovereign"

Celestia's waning magic gently lifted the ancient text from its place, tears blurring her vision as she stared at the novel. Though, to where the book had been taken from its place, Celestia's eyes returned, and through tear-blurred sight she saw something that paused every motion in her body and every thought in her mind. There sat her crown, browned with age, though still perfectly intact. With a whimpering sob Celestia took the crown, holding it to her gaze for a time before dropping her head. Cries echoed loudly through the dead library as Celestia's legs failed her, dropping her to her stomach. Philomena squawked in surprise from the sudden movement, flapping her wings as she dismounted Celestia's sheet-adorned figure. Celestia paid her no heed, her head remaining fallen as heaving cries broke the cold air. Her magic fluttered away, her novel and crown coming a short distance to the floor along with Celestia's head. Her chin rested on the once carpeted hardwood, tears streaming down her pure cheeks to the old wood like drops of rain.

With concern, Philomena hopped over and leaned herself against the side of Celestia's face, her little gesture still bringing no response. Still, Celestia's tears fell, her chest's hard heaves shaking her entire body. In that grand hall once filled with the knowledge of a nation only remained a single soul's heart, or what remained of it. Tranquility cast by ponies reading and studying was now replaced with the broken cries from Celestia. Her blood-shot eyes came open, instantly falling to her book which sat a short distance away. Her magic lifted the novel upright, her blurry vision scanning its face as she slowly pulled herself into a sitting position.

"T-They left this here... f-for us to find."

Again, her head dropped, her cries coming with more ferocity.

"They all knew one day w-we would return to this place! T-They all knew what it meant to us!"

With a gasping sob Celestia brought her head up, craning it skywards as she stared up not at the ceiling, but at something far beyond.

"W-We hear thy cries, old friends! We... we do so hear thy cries!"

She looked back to her book, clenching her teeth and shutting her eyes tight.

"So loud... do we hear thy cries..."

Back to the floor was her book placed, and her crown brought forth in its place. As her tears began slowing Celestia stared at the one shining gold crown held within her magic, the yellow aurora caused by her spell seeming to give life to the ancient piece. She let out a shuddering sigh, sniffling as she brought her crown to its proper place atop her head. As her waning magic ceased in releasing her crown, she remained totally still, her eyes scanning around randomly as she waited. She had thought that maybe, within the ancient gold and jewels comprising her crown, there would remain some shards of magic that her horn may draw from, but the longer she remained still, the more she realized that her hopes were null.

"There... there is a way, dear friend." Celestia turned to Philomena, wiping her eyes with a hoof. "There is something in these walls that will grant our horn power enough to raise the Elements. We art sure of it. The tomb of the Elements... nay single, simple unicorn could ever hope to bring it forth... what is needed is something of great magical ability."

Celestia let out an almost defeated sigh as she looked around the room, her eyes not focusing on what lay within eye-shot, but focusing on what may lay beyond.

"These walls are so barren. There remains nay great ancient artifacts. Nay tomes of spell-casting. Nay amulets what so greatly grant power... there remains null space. Only our sister could possess the ability to grant us our power back."

Philomena squawked, drawing Celestia's attention to her as she tapped her own chest with the tip of her wing. There was silence as Celestia's gaze remained locked with Philomena's, her mind working to create assumptions of what she could be conveying.

"W-What about thyself?"

Philomena hopped forward and tapped the very tip of Celestia's horn with her wing, bringing it back to tap herself once more. The confusion on Celestia's expression faded to a blank look.

"Philomena-"

Her words were cut short by a squawk, Philomena continuing to pat herself with that same wing.

"Thou art... implying-"

Another loud squawk interrupted her, this time Philomena nodding her head.

"Thou art off thy head. We... would harm thee greatly by trying to bring magic from within thy being."

Philomena shook her head, stepping forwards as she repeated herself by tapping Celestia's horn, then herself. Celestia brought her hooves out, holding Philomena firmly by her sides as she stared at the Phoenix.

"Thou art off thy head!"

Philomena's response was to shake her head and wiggle herself free from Celestia's grasp.

"Drawing thy magic to our horn is not the answer to this problem, Philomena! There are other ways! Maybe it lies not within these walls... but we art sure that another method exists!"

Again came the doubting shake of the head from Philomena. Celestia held her silence a moment as she thought deeply. Moment after moment passed without a word, prompting Philomena to step forward once more and place her wing on Celestia's horn.

"Philomena... the state we art left in, thou hast been witness to it far more than any other soul. Our being is the product of magic being drawn away from within. Thou wish not to live in this state."

Philomena's nod caused Celestia to sigh.

"We do so appreciate thy willingness to help us, but-"

The wing on Celestia's horn came down to cover her mouth. In annoyance Celestia craned her head back, scowling at her friend.

"We shalt not subject thee to such a state; living with..." Celestia cut herself off, epiphany striking her. "...out magic..." She looked at Philomena, who nodded as if knowing what Celestia was realizing. "Thou art not held by the prison that holds us. Thy being is free to pull at the long dormant magic within the earth."

Again, Philomena nodded.

"Thou dost know well how much pain this would inflict upon thee, aye? Not only the process, but the post shall cause thee agony. Ourself serves as example to that."

The response was the same.

"And, thou art not troubled by that fact?"

Philomena's head shook as she walked away from Celestia to the ancient book of Friendship that rested a distance away, her talons carefully opening the cover. Celestia looked on in curiosity as Philomena used her wing to flip through a few pages, her eyes focusing on individual words as she read. Her page-turning came to a halt, as did her scanning, as her eyes landed on something within a sentence. A talon was carefully placed on a single word in the text, and Celestia scooted herself forward to see Philomena's talon rested perfectly below the word 'Love'. Philomena looked up from the book, looking into Celestia's now teary eyes as she walked back towards her, wrapping her wings around Celestia's neck. A whimpering cry left Celestia as she brought her hooves up, pulling Philomena into her chest and lowering her head to where her chin rested atop the Phoenix's feathery head.

"W-We do love thee, too. More than thou shalt ever know."

Celestia's eyes shut as she took a deep breath, her horn coming to life with what magic still remained in her being. She worked to clear her mind of all thought as she focused on the light within Philomena's being. Encompassed by her magic was the source of Philomena's entire magic ability, a thing that could not be seen nor felt by any normal being. Celestia gasped loudly as she began to draw at her friend's magic, an electric feeling beginning to crackle though her entire body. That cold within her chest faded instantly as magic flowed back into her body, the glow from her horn becoming brighter and more stable, and the aches throughout her body disappearing entirely. Then, her horn's glow ceased without her command, prompting Celestia to gasp once more in surprise. She had been anticipating the flow of magic into her body being slower, and more gradual, but instead it seemed to have happened within an instant. She took a deep breath, hugging Philomena tightly for a moment as she let out a nervous chuckle.

"It... it worked, dear Philomena. Now, we hope it is enough for us to bring the Elements to our hooves once more."

She expected a chirp or peep in reply as she had always gotten, prompting her to release her hug. Philomena's wings fell limp from their once tight embrace around her neck, and her head rolled back on the hoof which was wrapped around her figure. Celestia blinked as she looked at the motionless Phoenix in her hooves, her once vibrant eyes now shut, and what seemed to be a smile pulling at the corners of her beak. For a time, Celestia remained completely silent and still, her eyes darting over Philomena's figure.

"Philomena..."

Truth struck. So sudden and so harsh like a hard strike of a hammer. Her heart began pounding, tears welling up in her eyes, and her breaths began to quicken. A quiet whimper escaped her lips as she moved her hooves from around Philomena's body, letting her fall to the chilly hardwood floor. Celestia pushed herself back, her whimpering cries now turning into hard sobs that rocked her entire body with heaving breaths. Her head fell to the floor, her hooves coming up to press at the sides of her temple as she let out a scream of agony. Again, and again, she screamed out, her breaths between being shaky. Only harder did her cries come, unimaginable pain striking her deep within her chest.

Almost in the same way her anguish had struck now came a realization. Within her body now was the key to bringing forth the Elements of Harmony, and the Elements held the key to cutting down the chains barring her horn from being able to dig at the deep magic within the very world around her. Her cries slowed, her breathing still fast as she stood up, looking at Philomena. A tiny spark of hope ignited a fire within Celestia. Her no longer waning magic embraced Philomena's figure, holding her close as she spread her wings, turning and bolting from the Library with haste. Her hooves no longer carried her, her wings taking over as she flew down the dark halls of her home, each bend and twist in her path being handled with precision. Faster and faster she flew, her wings carrying her quicker than her mind could bring forth directions to lead her to the grand room of the Elements. Twist after turn after climb brought her to the final hall, and through the quickly approaching archway did Celestia see the tomb of the Elements. In her eyes, it almost glowed; and as she finally came into the room, her wings pounding at the air to bring her to a halt, the Elements did so loudly call for her. It was not a call of sound that the ears could sense, it was a call that she felt within her mind and heart, a call not with words, but with force, drawing her to them.

Her hooves clacked to the stone just before the tomb as she lowered Philomena, her eyes shutting hard as she encompassed the Elements chamber with her magic. The floor shivered and the rumble of ancient rock clashing rang into the room as she pulled at the inner workings of the tomb, the square door now rising from its perfectly flush position and splitting in two, each half sliding away from each other as a torrent of dust rose from the opening. From that dust echoed the churning of gears as a podium topped by a stone sphere began to rise. Around it orbited 5 finely carved stone arms capped by a podium, and at each podium, surrounded by swirls of dust, were the Elements. Age had not tarnished their glimmer, and dust stuck not to their finely etched surfaces. The mechanical grinding came to a halt as the Elements now stood high within the room, their globe-topped podium standing taller than most homes. With haste, Celestia climbed into the vertical, her wings bringing her to a hover as she landed atop the dusty, stone globe of the pillar, her horn's glow becoming more intense as each of the five Elements became surrounded by her force.

Celestia's own horn blinded her as the Elements worked without her command, and within her she could feel an electric shiver running through her bones. A warmth she had not known in 700 years filled her chest as magic flowed not from the Elements, but from the very air around her. That dormant light came to life ever so brightly, the room being cascaded by the sun-like beams escaping the spirals of Celestia's horn. The walls at her hooves crumbled away, and the chains around her being shattered as the Elements tore at the long-in-place prison that had held her from the light surrounding her. Her eyes came open, darting around the bright room as she gasped, the incredible glow from her horn beginning to fade. The Elements, though still being held by Celestia's magic, gradually floated to orbit around her in perfect unison. In harmony. Her gaze turned down to Philomena lying far below as she leaped from the Element's podium, her wings only stopping her fall at the last moment as she impacted the floor beside Philomena. With tears in her eyes, she took the Phoenix with a spell, bringing her to her chest as she dropped to her haunches, her hooves coming up to embrace her friend. Her magic searched within Philomena, never finding the magical being she had felt only a moment ago. Within Philomena remained nothing, not a single shard to grasp at or cling to.

Her heart began pounding once more as she tried to pour the great magic now within her own body into Philomena, but nothing came of the act. No matter how clear her mind was, no matter how focused her sights were, no matter how much she tried, nothing came of her actions. She shook her head, crying as she screamed out the name of her friend. That flame of hope died entirely, her magic releasing Philomena as she continued holding the Phoenix at her chest. Echoing through her mind came words she now truly understood; the words spoken by her sister. "It's all or nothing". Over and over those words repeated, their truth being nothing more than a nightmare. A gasp of surprise left Celestia as the feel of Philomena's body in her hooves disappeared, and she reared back to see that dusts of ash now coated her hooves, a pile of the same gray dust now lying before her. Through tear-blurred sight Celestia stared at her hooves, the gray ash clinging to her fur being the only thing her eyes could lock to.

Philomena's flowers, still hanging loosely from their jar of water, seemed to shimmer in the light of the fire. The occasional pop of moisture was the only sound within the throne hall. Celestia sat totally still, her eyes fixed on the flowers and her ears focused on the fire's pop. Her body felt warm and alive once more; her legs no longer ached, her stomach no longer wished to refuse its contents, and commanding her magic no longer brought pain. Despite that, nothing had changed. Still, she couldn't find the energy to move. Her mind couldn't deviate from its single track of thought. Her heart still hurt within her chest, that pain now worse than the stabs from a thousand swords.

She wanted to stand, gather her saddlebag containing the Elements, and return to her sister's castle, leaving this place of heart ache and loss behind, but her body held no strength. She didn't wish to return with malice in her heart, she wanted to return to be with her sister once more. The Elements, sitting nearby in their unflattering saddlebag, still remained silent. They did not draw her in a direction, or paint light on what she should strike with their power. Still, as she had suspected, they did not see her sister as a threat, or as an evil needing to be removed. In her dark hour, Celestia found light in that fact. The more and more she thought, the more she came to believe that, even if the Elements did place their sights upon her sister, she would still be unable to act. There was one being that still held her in their heart and mind, and if that being was the one standing in her way of making things 'right', then she doubted that she would follow that direction. What would life be without any single companion?

Happiness comes not from having what one wants, it comes from having who one wants, and that truth became more apparent with every passing moment. If she was to strike down her sister and take the reigns of Equestria to return harmony to the land, what joy would she find in the future?

"Celestia..."

Celestia jumped as she looked up to the somewhat distant entrance to the broken down throne hall; standing there, without her armored helmet, peytral, or shoes, was her sister. Her black figure seemed almost invisible against the distant forest, her eyes, mane, and tail being her defining features. Seeming to move with caution, Nightmare Moon began walking towards Celestia; even from a distance she could see the nervous look plastered on Nightmare's expression.

"How did thee know to find us here?"

Nightmare chuckled, pausing a distance from Celestia. "It... wasn't too hard to figure out."

"We assume thou hath come to bring us back with thee."

"A night ago, I would have said yes..." Nightmare gasped in surprise, now taking a few steps closer to Celestia. "Your crown! Where... where did you find it?"

A pained look overcame Celestia's expression. "The Library. T'was with our one novel upon a shelf."

Nightmare smiled. "I-I'm glad you found it... you'll need it."

"What... doth thee mean?"

A worried sigh left Nightmare as she lowered her head. "I... came to tell you that I lied about not knowing any way to return your magic. I-I know that the Elements of Harmony could break down my barriers... but I've," Nightmare sighed. "Been scared. Scared that if I helped you get them you'd use their power against me... but now, I trust you, and I trust that you won't."

Nightmare looked on as Celestia stood up, her teeth clenched and eyes shut tight in anger. "Thou art jesting."

"I'm not lying this time. I'm sorry that I lied to you, but I came here to help you. I want to bring the Elements back into your control, a-and I trust you that you won't use them on me."

Nightmare yelped as an incredibly bright bolt of pure white magic flew past her, striking a distant pillar with an exploding crack. The boom echoed through the hall as the ancient stone began crumbling, the pillar falling to the floor with an ear-shattering crash. Nightmare's eyes darted back to Celestia, her heart pounding in her chest as she stared into the raging eyes of her sister.

"Thou art nothing but a child!!"

"C-Celestia?"

"Thou has nay clue of what thy lie hast caused! Thou know not what thy baseless, childish fears do!"

There was a bout of silence from Nightmare as she stared at Celestia with fear-widened eyes. "Y-You're right... and I'm sorry I ever lied to you, but-"

"We trusted thy word, as did Philomena! P-Philomena... she acted believing thy words held truth, believing that her life was the only true way for our magic to return!"

The fear on Nightmare's face instantly turned to horror. "Celestia... what are you talking about."

"Philomena is gone because of thy lies! She held herself to us, letting us take her life so that we could raise the Elements!"

With those words, Celestia's horn came alive to bring the Elements from her saddlebag, the gems moving to surround her in an orbit as they had earlier. Nightmare took a step back, tears welling in her eyes.

"W-Why? Celestia, if you had waited, I-I could have fixed this!"

Celestia screamed out in anger as another bolt flew vertically from her horn, shooting far into the night sky and cracking into an explosion some distance up.

"Thou shalt fix nothing!!"

"Celestia, you don't know what the Elements will do to me if you use them against me!!"

Nightmare's words were of pure fear, her tears causing her voice to crack and shiver. Celestia glared at her for a moment before beginning to walk towards her.

"And thou dost know!?"

"Yes, I do! That night... I dreamed... and I-I saw what would happen to me if you used the Elements against me! They would banish me to the moon for a thousand years!"

Celestia stopped her pacing.

"I saw, after you had gotten rid of me, how much pain you were in! How alone you were! That night, it was either you or I! C-Celestia, I didn't banish you that night because I hated you! I-I couldn't let you feel the guilt and loneliness I would come to feel. And... thinking back, maybe life would have been better for you; you were the one our subjects and friends loved..." Nightmare's voice cracked towards the end of her sentence, her chest shuddering as she began to weep. "Y-You weren't the one taking over... a-and you weren't the one trying to bring a new way of life to everypony.

"Why should we believe thy words?"

Nightmare's pained expression worsened. "Celestia, why would I lie to you now!? T-The only reason I ever lied to you is because I was scared! I came here not to lie to you further, but to help you! I-I didn't know you'd... you'd kill Philomena to get your magic back!"

Burning rage contorted Celestia's expression, the look in her eyes causing Nightmare to take a step back as she mentally prepared herself.

"We did not kill her!! Her passing is on thy hooves, not ours!! We held her in our embrace believing thy words, and she too felt thou were being truthful! Thou make thy lies and thy old actions against us out to be simple mistakes, feeding us this drivel about how thy cursed magic cast us from our home not because thy heart held hate for us, but because it held love!?"

"Sister, listen to yourself!!"

Nightmare's booming words echoed through the hall until their reverberations fell silent, leaving the two glaring at each other.

"Listen to what you're saying. Yes... I have lied to you, and y-yes, I ruined the life you spent a thousand years building for yourself, myself, and those around us... but I do not hate you. What reason would I have to hate you!? If there is anypony that deserves to be in a position of hate, it's you... and you've never once even hinted that you hate me! You've expressed regret for having said you'd like to strike me down, and you've looked me in the eye and told me that you love me! You've told me that you would never tell me that you didn't love me! If you... the one who has had your life ruined... do not truly hate me, then why would I?!"

Celestia failed to respond, the venomous expression of anger on her face slowly melting to a neutral frown.

"When I walked through the doors of your home castle, did I lie to you? I came here wanting to repair what... tiny shards of a relationship you and I still have! C-Celestia... if I had known what would happen tonight, I would have brought you here and given you the Elements the very night you and I finally made it back to Equestria. No amount of 'sorry' from me can ever repair what I've caused. That's why I didn't come here to apologize to you, I came here to help you!"

Again Celestia only offered her silence. A moment of quiet passed as Nightmare dropped her head, Celestia seeing a tear roll from her cheek and splash to the stone before her.

"I-I know my words don't hold any meaning with you. They h-haven't since I first saw you two weeks ago. I-I wanted to solve this with words... and I could see that I was failing, s-so I followed Iris' advice. I came here to solve this with action... b-but you acted before I could." A shuddering cry broke Nightmare's speech, her body visibly shaking. "Y-you acted more drastically than I ever could! You... left me with nothing else to do. I w-wanted to show you that I do love you, a-and I wanted to see that you too loved me!"

"There is still action thou shalt take, Luna."

Luna's head bolted upright, her eyes wide. Celestia took a moment, her own words shocking her for a moment.

"Luna, know this. We shalt never forgive thee for thy past. For the light thou hast shut out, for all of the innocent things thou hast doubted, for the scars and tears thou hast caused, for the strings of our heart that thou has broken... we shalt never forgive thee. That does not mean we shalt never love thee. Despite all our bones thou hast broken, thy soul is still where we hath made our home. It is the one place that we hath always been... happy."

Celestia began walking towards Luna, as she did her horn's glow ceased, the Elements of Harmony falling a short distance to the stone floor with an echoing clack.

"And, while we hath seen thee through hate-blinded sights, and felt dread and anger in thy presence... thou art still our sister, and the day our heart no longer holds thee closest is the day it shall stop beating."

Now standing right before Luna, looking up at her, Celestia's horn lit up once more, taking Luna's rear and forcing her to sit down.

"Since thou hast brought us back, we hath only asked for one thing; to return magic to our being." A pained look overtook Celestia's expression, her chest tightening. "P-Philomena... did that for us... a-and she did it with the intention of letting us bring forth the sun. She gave her life up to allow us happiness, and we are now sure happiness is on the horizon of time, but we do not see happiness without peace in our mind, and peace in our mind comes from having her final wish fulfilled."

Celestia placed her hooves on Luna's shoulders, looking into her teary, slit-pupil eyes.

"Luna. Lower the moon. Not for us, for Philomena. Please... let her passing go with purpose, and not go in vain."

Luna's fearful frown slowly turned to a gentle smile, tears coming back to her eyes.

"I-I can't let the sun raise."

Before Celestia could rebut she was pulled into a strong hug by her much larger sister, Luna letting out a hearty laugh.

"It's not morning yet!"

There, side-by-side, sat two sisters. The distant, eastern horizon was the focus of their gaze, as well as the gaze of Iris and the large group of castle staff and royal guards gathered in the throne hall of Equestria's mountain-perched castle. From within the room one could see miles in almost every direction. The two huge front doors allowed a perfect view to the west, and the many tall, arch-topped windows provided mostly unobstructed line of sight with to the north and south. The large hall hummed with quiet, almost nervous chatter. Before Celestia and Luna sat two items; a little chrome alarm clock, and a large, glass jar of water. From the wide mouth of that jar hung a gathering of wild flowers, a gathering Celestia had a hard time keeping her eyes from, despite the guilt and anguish stabbing at her heart every time her gaze met with them.

"When's the sun supposed to come up again, Your Highness?" inquired Iris somewhat quietly as she leaned forward to put herself within Luna's gaze.

"6:30."

Iris looked to the clock, its hands reading 6:28.

"And, during the day is when downtime will be?"

Celestia too leaned forward. "Aye, Iris. For thy kind, the day brings slumber. For myself and the ponies of Equestria, the day is when we rise. Though, I suspect most ponies will choose to sleep during the day, for that is when they are used to sleeping."

"Do remember, Iris, what we call downtime has been day from the start. When things changed 700 years ago day became downtime, and night became uptime."

Iris hummed, leaning back and bringing her eyes back to the outside world. Though, her eyes were brought back and to Celestia as she stood from her haunches, taking a few steps forward to where she stood right at the railing of the throne platform, the saddlebag at her side opening with a spell as she brought out the Elements of Harmony. They began a slow orbit around her figure, their rotation gaining speed with each second as the glow cast by Celestia's horn became brighter and brighter. Those below in the hall turned their gazes towards Celestia as light worked its way up the spirals of her horn, breaking from its tip with a great boom. Outwards expanded a wave of light magic, the wave passing over every being within the throne hall, the castle, and the many towns and cities lying beyond in Equestria. Thought it was invisible to them, Celestia could see the once dormant light within the environment come to life, rising up like a fine, purely white mist.

Instantly, that mist disappeared as the sun, for the first time in 700 years, peeked just over the distant, cloud-laden horizon. Its rays gave new life to the sky and the land, colors not a soul alive save for Celestia and Luna presenting themselves in the land, hues of purple, blue, and pink shining into the once purely black night sky and once gray clouds now glowed with orange and red shades. As more and more of the sun began to present itself Celestia turned, looking at Luna, who still sat at her haunches with a slack-jawed expression of awe. Celestia's gaze was drawn to Luna's eyes; they no longer held a gentle glow, and the whites of her eyes were a more pure white than their previous hue of light blue. Her iris' held their previous shade of blue, a much deeper, yet far more gentle shade than before. Her slit pupils were mere slivers, allowing little light in as the sun's rays slowly crept on to her black fur.

"Luna?"

Luna looked up, maintaining her look of awe.

"Art thou here?"

"I... never left."

Rays of morning sun cast long shadows across the items it touched within Luna's quarters. The big, circular room's western windows let in the light with open arms, an orange glow bringing new color to things that once seemed gray, blue, and white. The deeply blue walls shined as the noon's sky would, and the stars of the night sky mural adorning the dome ceiling of the room sparkled with life. The chrome chandelier hanging from the room's center shined brighter than the candles topping its arms, and the many lacquered, dark wood furnishings within the room showed off their dark hues with pride. Celestia looked away from the rather nice room into the 'bathroom', as Luna had called it, her eyes looking at the reflection of her sister in the large, full-body mirror within the rather expansive sub-room. Standing with a tired slouch, and heavy eyelids, Luna looked herself in the eye.

"They're... how they once were."

"Aye."

"Why didn't... all of me change?" Luna looked over herself, spreading her wings from her sides. "Why do I still... look evil?"

Celestia smiled. "Thou dost not look 'evil'. One looks evil when one is evil. Thou art not evil; no hate, spite, or venom resigns within thy heart or mind. All of thee did change, Luna; and quite drastically, at that. What resigns within thy mind is far different than what resigned there days ago. Appearances matter not."

Luna looked away from herself, meeting Celestia's gaze. "You're right." She paused a moment, looking past Celestia into her room at the helmet, peytral, and shoes gleaming in the sun upon their table. "I'm still going to get rid of my helmet, however."

Celestia too brought her eyes upon Luna's helmet.

"I don't need a helmet." Luna scoffed. "I'm not a warrior anymore; I have my huge army to fight for me."

"Thou were indeed quite the warrior all those years ago. Always so anxious to practice sword dueling with poor Captain Cloud Fall."

"Oh, I still duel. Captain Flicker keeps me well in practice." Luna smirked. "And by that I mean he hasn't beat me."

Luna walked past Celestia coming to one of two large wardrobes, opening the left door and taking a sleeping blind from a small hook.

"Maybe..." Luna cut herself off with a long yawn as she began towards the big, blue bed at the room's center. "Maybe I'll have that helmet re-forged into a crown. One like yours."

"Such an ordainment would be quite fitting for thy ever so regal figure."

Luna paused, looking over her shoulder with a smile. "You've always been so eloquent."

"And thou hast not been?" inquired Celestia as she trailed Luna to the bed.

"Well, today's Equestrian sounds a lot less... official. Everypony around me speaks how I do, and when I hear you speaking how we all once did, it's sometimes a little jarring."

Celestia hummed, watching as Luna placed the sleeping blind around her neck and then fell sideways onto her cushion-y bed, the many wonderfully stitched pillows hopping up from her impact. From the western windows shined a ray of sun directly onto Luna's bed, many particles of dust dancing in the beam.

"Did... thee always wish for our sun to return? Is that why thou hast brought us back... to bring the sun back?"

Luna looked hurt. "Is love not a good enough reason for me to want you back?"

Celestia drew her gaze away. "It is..."

Luna sighed. "I brought you back because I love you... more than anything. And, you are the Princess of the Sun. It's in your name. It's on your flanks. It's who you are. I wanted my sister back, and with my sister came the sun. I didn't... want it back, but I didn't want it gone, either."

"Art thou happy to have the sun back?"

Luna looked around her room, wiggling as she dug herself further into bed. "Yes. I forgot how... comfy it is."

Celestia smiled, sitting down right at the bed's fringe. "Quite comfy, indeed. We art quite excited to get back to our own quarters so we may too fall into sleep's embrace. We too art exhausted."

"Do things feel... normal? To you, with the sun back, and with... me back?"

Celestia looked outside. "Normal? Nay. Right? Aye. Things... shalt never be 'normal' once more. We never wished for 'normal'. Quickly, we realized that wanting our old life was selfish and stubborn, now we wish for what life we have now to be right. Thus far, tis right... save for one thing."

Luna sighed, her ears falling against her head. "It doesn't fix anything... but I'm sorry. For... Philomena. I-If I had known..."

"She passed on her terms. She was happy in our hooves. While... she could still be here... she is not. But, thou hast given her death meaning. For that... we thank thee."

There was pause of silence, the two sharing a misty-eyed look before, almost simultaneously, looking away. Luna let her head fall to the bed, her face turned away from Celestia to hide the tears that now came to her eyes.

"700 years... since we last put thee to bed, as a big sister should."

"I know." Luna's voice croaked in return, her cries stifled.

Celestia sat up, putting her front hooves on the bed as she leaned in to kiss Luna on the cheek.

"Know that, no matter what the past holds, or what the future may hold, we shall love thee with every ounce of our being."

Luna failed to respond, Celestia's words leaving her in a little bit of shock.

"I... love you too, Celestia."

With that, Celestia righted herself and began towards the door to Luna's private quarters. As she exited through the room's tall, single door, she closed it as softly as possible with a spell, standing idly for a moment as she listened. Time passed, and hard cries of sorrow began to sing through the door, the sounds bringing a horrible pain to Celestia's chest. The door was swung back open, Celestia walking back inside and making her way to Luna where she climbed up onto the pillow-like bed and laid down behind Luna, draping her hoof over her much larger figure.

"No sister of mine shalt cradle herself to sleep in tears, or feel the pain of sorrow in solitude."

Luna looked up, sniffling as a little smile broke through the clouds of her guilt. She brought up her own hoof, placing it over Celestia's as the two shared a smile.

"T-Thank you... Celestia. No pony could ask for a better sister."

Celestia held her words. She wanted to return the remark, proclaiming that Luna too was the best sister one could ask for. She herself knew that remark to be false, and she knew Luna too knew that remark to be false. She knew if she returned the remark as she wished too, Luna would be quite to make a rebuttal.

"Will... you stay here? Fall asleep with me as we once did?"

"We planned on it..."

Celestia scooped her other hoof under Luna's larger body, her hooves not being able to meet each other as they once were able too as she hugged her sister tightly.

"Craft us joyous dreams, Luna." Celestia spoke as she closed her eyes.

"Till time itself stops, Celestia.”

Nº 9: ACT 2: EPILOGUE

Author's Note

Alright. Here it is; the final cherry on top of the cake. It's extremely short, and it is not sweet, but I think it's a nice way to finish things off.

This story has a lot left in it, and I could certainly drag this out another 10,000 words, but some things are better left to the imagination.

Once again, thank you all for reading.

Nº 9: ACT 2: EPILOGUE

Evening sun pouring in through the wide pane windows of the castle's little private dining hall cast a deep orange glow over the small room. A warm glow that - even to Celestia - felt unnatural and foreign. Indeed, this was the way the world should be, but now, just as all else in her life felt, the daytime seemed obscure. Celestia's lips met her coffee before being set back down beside her breakfast, and for a moment, she stared at her plate, the silence of the room hardly noticeable over the noise of thoughts in her head. It had been a fair half hour since she had woken up with Luna, and the two had tiredly made their way to the little private room for a meal. Celestia had anticipated many words and conversation between she and her sister, but much like they had been in the prior week, her expectations were broken. There had been the standard, almost customary 'good evening' greeting between the two upon waking, but beyond that little else had been said. While together, in their minds, especially on such a day, they were alone in their thoughts.

When the two had fallen asleep hours ago Celestia had finally felt true happiness, but in waking the pain she had grown so accustomed to washed back into her heart like the rolling waves of the tides. There was much comfort to be felt from Luna's presence, but it was a comfort that could not outweigh her heart's torn threads. One thing she had dreamt and wished about nearly every time she had woken up with Philomena in her hooves was waking up with her friend beneath the warmth of the morning sun. Since her return, two and only two scenarios had been in her expectations. A scenario where she was - for whatever reason - cast back to the prison she was brought from, and a scenario where she would be forced to act against her sister in order to return harmony to Equestria. If she were to be given another 700 years to theorize and think upon the outcomes that could come to fruition she doubted that the current would ever be dreamt of.

A total mix of feeling. Guilt. Anger. Joy. Pain. Almost everything imaginable was held within her mind. Save for hate. Hatred was something she sat without. A mere week ago it was the only thing she could feel. A mere week ago felt as if it had been 700 years in the past. So drastically and quickly had things changed, and so quickly had they changed for the better. A mere week ago she could not have fathomed speaking her sister's true name again, or even looking her in the eye. Now, when her gaze met with her younger's, she felt happy. Her mind did not scream 'traitor', 'fiend', 'tyrant', or 'demon' when she saw Luna's purely black figure, it said 'sister', 'companion', and 'friend'. Anger, though, still did resign, but she understood well the difference between the two. Celestia expected that it always would linger despite her fervent wish for it to disappear. She wanted to let go of that anger, and she wanted to give her sister forgiveness, but something deep within told that doing so was betrayal; not of Luna, but of Philomena.

"Hallo, yer Majesties," spoke the Chef as she entered the through the kitchen door, bowing to the Princesses before continuing on to the edge of the table.

"Greetings, Chef."

"Hello, Chef."

The Chef took a few glances between Celestia and Luna. "The two of ya don' seem all tha' happy..."

Celestia and Luna looked to one another. Celestia was the first to break their gaze, her eyes turning down to the floor as she withdrew a sigh. "We... art not very joyous."

Chef's mouth came open, but her words caught in her throat as she saw Luna shaking her head at her. There was a bout of silence as Celestia met Chef's worried gaze.

"The day... it's far more beau'iful than I coul' have ever dremt."

For the first time since waking, Celestia smiled. "Thank thee... Chef."

With those final words the Chef bowed and made her way back through the kitchen door, ensuring it sealed. Again, placidity fell over the room. The small clinks of metal on porcelain sounded for a moment as Luna's fork gathered some of her breakfast.

"Luna, we art scared."

"Scared that the day will not be what the citizens of Equestria want?"

Celestia's lip quivered, her voice a mere whisper. "A-Aye..."

Luna's rather large wing unfurled from her side, falling over Celestia's shoulder. "I am, too. It's such a drastic change to happen so quickly... I don't want this be how it was when I brought on the night all those years ago."

A sniffling cry left Celestia, her head lowering. "Before... before our friend gave us her life, we asked her what should be done if Equestria rejects the sun. W-We asked that, if Equestria did reject it, should we bring the sun down and keep her down? S-She nodded... but, she gave her life to let the sun come forth. If we must keep the sun down... her passing will go in vain! We doth not wish for that!"

Luna brought up a hoof, placing it under Celestia's chin to turn her head in her direction. "Equestria has adjusted before, it can do it again. When you and I woke up and made our way to this dining hall, did we get scowled at? Did we get yelled and cursed at? Did we get called tyrants, murderers, thieves, and traitors? No, we didn't. We received smiles as warm as the morning sun. We had guards wave hello. We had ponies who would not normally speak without being spoken give their greetings. This evening, I've never seen the ponies around our castle so happy. If this place is happy, Equestria is."

The tear that had rolled down Celestia's cheek was followed by another. Her lips still quivered, and her eyes still held pain.

"We... simply fear for the peace of our friend's passing. W-We want her to have meaning."

Luna sighed. "Her death will only lose meaning if you forget about her. As long as she lives in your heart, then what happens around you won't matter. You... you can't let Philomena's wish control your life."

"T-Thou doth not know of the pain within our very soul that we feel for her loss! We... we could not live with ourself if her death went in vain!"

"I do know that pain, Celestia. I've felt it for the past 700 years."

"Thou did not lose us! Thou cast us away! We did not die from thy actions... s-she did die because of our actions! More than that, because of thy inaction!"

Luna's hoof fell away from Celestia's chin, tears now coming to her eyes.

"T-There is no beauty in permanency, Luna."

After a moment, Luna lifted her wing from Celestia's shoulder, sniffling as she stood from her seat at the table.

"Celestia, there's a place you need to visit, and a group of ponies you need to meet."

"A-And... who are these ponies?"

Just before the room's exit, Luna paused.

"Friends of a friend."

At the edge of an archway Celestia had never been before, she and Luna stood. Beyond was a garden far larger than the one nearest to Celestia's private quarters; a garden that shined with life in the sunset and spanned great distances until the tall castle walls ceased its wild advance. To the west, clouds shined with red and orange, setting the sky ablaze with color, that glow radiating down onto the trees, bushes, and flowers across this wonderful space.

"You'll know when you've found them, sister. It's... best if I leave you alone for this."

Celestia looked on curiously as Luna turned, beginning back down the hall of the castle from which the two had originated from, never turning back to give her a second look. She stood in the arch for a moment before making her way out onto the stone paved path that lead away from the castle, the songs of birds in the distance reminding her of the Everfree. The path winded along past tall oaks and stone statues until it came to a grand fountain of marble and granite, the gentle patter of its water filling the air.

She stood idle for a time before looking around, seeing there were the 3 divergent paths lead from the fountain's surrounding path. To the left, a series of structures caught her eye; there stood a small, almost house-like wooden shed, and beside it was an odd, open-sided shed of sorts. Closer and closer she came, and from the house-like building exited a group of three ponies; a single Nocturn stallion and two earth pony mares, one with a light blue coat, the other, shorter mare with a coat as purely as white as Celestia's own. She paused, stopping in her path as she looked to the shed, seeing that it provided cover for a wooden perch as well as a somewhat tarnished brass cage; one just large enough to carry a Phoenix.

"Hello, Your Majesty."

Celestia looked to the Nocturn stallion as he and the two mares began walking towards her, their gazes holding the weight of sorrow.

"T-Thou... thou art..."

"Her caretakers, yes. Her Highness... told us."

Fresh tears came to Celestia's eyes as she looked over the trio. Before her were three souls that truly understood how Philomena had been. These three understood what she felt, and they understood how deep the hole in her heart was.

The blue-furred mare wiped a tear away with her hoof. "This garden is going to be a lot more lonely without her."

"E-Equestria shall be more lonely without her."

The mare nodded, sniffling. Celestia lost all control over her emotion, hard sobs striking her as she dropped to her haunches. The three stood for a moment before coming forward together, all doing their best to embrace Celestia. Only harsher did Celestia's cries become, hard heaves of her chest breaking every breath.

"W-We miss her... we miss her more than thou shalt know!"

The trio held their silence, letting Celestia lose herself.

"There... art barely any amenities beneath this simple roof." Celestia spoke as she and the three caretakers stood before the covered perch.

It had taken quite some time for the Princess to finally dry her tears, and it had taken careful words and consolations from the three to bring her further into the garden.

"She drank from the fountain and ate from the trees and grass, your Majesty. Not a single one of us has ever actually given her food or water," informed the stallion, who stood to Celestia's right.

"Never once have we in our time with her, either."

There came a gentle chuckle from the white mare, her eyes bloodshot from tears. "She rarely even used that perch... half the time, she'd fall asleep on a pillow in front of the furnace in our quarters within the castle."

"Thy home is within these walls?"

The mare nodded.

Celestia looked to her. "The three of thee... thou art a family?"

"Yep. I'm Lilly Leaf, and this is my mother and father; Dawn Hue and Speck."

Celestia shared a glance with each of the family members before looking back to the perch.

"Knoweth, dost thou, how grand of a being she was."

"Indeed we do, your Majesty," Speck returned with a voice weighty and shaky with sorrow.

"We were groundskeepers for this part of the castle, as well as Philomena's caretakers... but, I guess we're just groundskeepers now."

"Thou were never caretakers to start. Thou were her family. Thou... art her family."

A moment of quiet passed before Celestia took a step forward, standing under the perch's roof.

"What would it be like, Philomena, to stand in the bed chambers of a friend who had passed?"

Nº 0: PROLOGUE

It was surreal. There was joy in her heart, of course, but also a chilling pain and anguish; a feeling she hadn't felt for a while. It was a total mix of emotions, she was overjoyed to finally have her big sister back, but at the same time, she had been with her for 3 days now and Celestia hadn't spoken a word. Not a mumble, groan, or hum. Total silence. She hadn't even shed tears yet; when Nightmare first found her on that oh-so far away cluster of floating islands she had cast her to, she herself had cried. That first moment of holding Celestia's smaller, warm figure in her hooves was incredible, but heart-breaking at the same time. Celestia hadn't shown any emotion; she simply stared with a blank, slightly wide-eyed, mouth slightly agape stare. It was one of total fear, and while her mouth hadn't fallen open in quite some time, that look was still held in her pink eyes. From the moment Nightmare Moon had begun to fly towards Equestria with the younger in appearance Celestia following some distance behind, to moments ago when Nightmare moon had left Celestia alone in her new, somewhat cobbled together room; she hadn't said a word. As Nightmare walked through the moonlit halls of her... and her sister's Castle, a little smile worked its way onto her tear-damp cheeks, for in her magic she carried something she knew would open Celestia up.

In a large, slightly tarnished brass carry-cage proudly stood Philomena, Celestia's ancient pet Phoenix. For all those years, she had taken great care of Philomena, despite the creature's distaste for her. A wonderful habitat with room to fly, ample food and water, and weekly care from the castle's staff. This brightly colored Phoenix looked no different than 700 years ago when Celestia had made her departure. Though, the same could not be said about Celestia; Nightmare Moon had stripped her of all but the most basic powers (taking every bit of magic from a being was a sure-fire way to kill them), and thus, her body reverted in time. She stood in-between the height of Nightmare Moon and the regular ponies, and her mane and tail held no angelic flow or semi-rainbow pattern, they were a single shade of pink, and they hung with gentle curls as any normal mare's hair would. To Nightmare, it was like seeing a ghost. Laying eyes upon her sister was more akin to gazing upon a spirit or apparition.

Taking care to soften the impact of her metallic shoes against the stone floor, Nightmare approached the suit she had selected for Celestia; it was a guest room of the Castle, but it was the nicest one available. Prior to her beginning of the venture to bring her sister home Nightmare had the room painted bright white, and had been sure to give plenty of candles and lamps for her sister's non-nocturnal eyes to observe the world around her with. The Castle's interior was only lit in places with no windows; any place with a window was left to be lit by the pure, white light of the moon.

"Philomena... I know that you have quite the distaste for me, but I hope both you and her can see through that hate and see that I truly do want you both to be happy." Nightmare spoke in a hushed tone, holding the cage closer to her face.

Philomena chirped, cocking her head at Nightmare as the black mare turned towards an ornate door the Phoenix had never seen in the castle; it was clearly a guest room, but the fancy, arched double doors had been adorned with a symbol she had not seen in many moons; the sun of Celestia's cutie mark. Nightmare's magic worked in a strange fashion of darkness as she silently opened both doors, but used a spell to create an illusion to anyone on the other end to where the doors still appeared shut. There, in the brightly lit, white room, lay Celestia's pure white figure on her blue pillow-like bed, her eyes still wide open and her mane and tail spread lazily over the cushiony bed. Both Nightmare and Philomena stared for a moment at the perfectly still Alicorn, her only sign of life being the rise and fall of her chest and her periodic blinking.

"Your Highness, the Royal Head of Seamstresses is ready to see Celestia now," Spoke an approaching mare, her words only bringing a reaction from Philomena, who turned to look at her.

"She isn't," Returned Nightmare, now turning to address her adjutant, a tall, slender pegasus mare with a deep green mane and dark gray coat named Iris.

Iris paused her approach, noting the open doors of the newly-arrived Alicorn's quarters, "Can't she hear us?"

"Not at all. Sound-proofing and illusions; to her, the doors are shut."

Iris continued, standing beside Nightmare to look with squinted eyes into the bright room, Celestia's figure only being visible because of the blue sheets of her bed.

"Does it have to be that bright in there, your Highness?"

"Of course. She... she was the day's ruler. She loves light. Her being is almost pure light. Light is in her name."

"It's going to take a long time for her to adjust to living here... you do realize that, right, your Highness?"

"Of course," Nightmare's magic unlatched the simple door of the cage, taking Philomena out and setting her on the floor, "for now, we simply let her handle things in her own way."

Philomena looked from Nightmare to Iris for a moment before giddily hopping forward through the field of magic impersonating the room's door. Celestia's eyes remained locked forward until a squawk sounded from Philomena, her head perking from her pillow as she looked at the Phoenix standing some distance from the door.

"Philomena...?"

There it was; that first word. That little voice struck Nightmare like a spear, her chest tightening and an ache forming in her heart. She watched as Celestia burst from bed, her cheery laughter echoing into the hall as she ran to Philomena and took her in her hooves, her gently pink wings spreading gleefully from her sides as she hugged the Phoenix as tightly as she could. There too were the first tears; as Celestia dug her muzzle into Philomena's feathery neck, her chest began shuddering as she sobbed. That short burst of joyous laughter was replaced with an echoing sob of anguish, Celestia's tears being absorbed into the feathers of her long-lost friend. Iris watched as Nightmare knelt down, crossing her front legs as she watched the sight before her, a tear splashing to the marble she sat upon as another wave of emotion hit her.

"Your Highness..." Iris began, drawing Nightmare's sight to her, "I know you'll hate me for asking this question... but at this point, I really have to ask it; if you love her so much, why did you hurt her?"

Nightmare's eyes remained locked with Iris' for a moment before she turned back to Celestia, who was now on her back, wings spread with Philomena standing happily on her chest, her hoof gently petting along the fairly large Phoenix's body.

Nightmare's tears now came harder, her head falling to her crossed hooves, "I... I don't know..."

Celestia's eyes opened to her moonlit yet still vibrant room as she woke, Philomena squirming gently in her hooves, as she had fallen asleep embracing her feathered friend. 700 years of total isolation. Where she had been cast to was a land totally void of life. No trees, grass, or creatures; just a cluster of floating islands of stone. For 700 years she simply existed, she did not eat, she did not converse with others, she did not sleep, she simply looked at the rocks around her, the clouds above, and the ocean below. Her wings still functioned just fine, and she was able to fly from one sizable island to the next, but something stopped her from ever going further. It was not a solid wall, nor a shield of magic; it was fear. Her wings had occasionally carried her some distance from these strange islands, but she always came right back.

And now... she lay comfortably in bed with her Philomena. For 700 years she speculated on what she would do if she did ever see her sister or her old nation again, and all of her speculations had been false. She thought she would scream in anger. She thought she would cry in joy. She thought she would try to strike her sister, or try to muster enough magic for a bolt of energy to pierce the armored peytral adorning her chest. But in reality, she had done none of that. For the past while, she had done barely anything and said nothing. Her awkward tour of the castle was one of total silence save of her sister, who nervously spoke about the Castle's details and features, and her long flight with her sister from those isolated islands to the place she already dreaded to call home had been totally silent.

As she stared at the white stone wall at the other end of the room, Celestia still didn't want to speak, or move, or even see another creature other than Philomena. If Nightmare Moon would cover the windows with blue paper to remind her of the blue skies she once ruled and lock the door, she wouldn't care. She almost preferred it at this point, but she knew she wasn't fortunate enough to have such a life. Nightmare Moon would be in at any moment to try and make things better, and she would have to walk about this dreaded Castle while all of the ponies staffing it looked at her because she was different. She could only speculate, but she assumed Nightmare had crafted some wondrous lie of how Celestia had been the aggressor, and she had been the jealous sister trying to steal the night and make her day last forever.

A grumble startled both Philomena and Celestia, an almost unfamiliar ache running in Celestia's stomach. It was hunger. She hadn't felt hungry in 700 years. Celestia raised her head from her pillow and released Philomena from her embrace as she stood, wobbling tiredly for a moment as she blinked. The flap of wings filled the silent room and Philomena gracefully hovered from the bed, perching herself happily on Celestia's back. The two shared a smile, and Celestia stepped further into the room she hadn't quite fully investigated. She knew it had a kitchen, so that was the first place she went. The cabinets were bare of any food, only some basic things for preparing food. The drawers held nothing but cutlery (Celestia couldn't help but notice the lack of knives), and the higher set of cabinets were too totally empty.

There was something she hadn't noticed before; what appeared to be a metal washbasin with a strangely shaped faucet. The faucet had no pump, which prompted Celestia to wonder if every room was somehow given its own supply of water. It did have two doorknob-like shapes sticking out from either side of it; maybe one was to pull up on one of the shapes, and that motion somehow worked as a pump. Her weak magic yanked at the leftmost shape, her action bringing a single drop from the faucet. She tried harder, pulling and pushing and pulling until the shape suddenly rotated, water gushing from the faucet at an incredible pace. She watched the stream very intently, awe taking her expression as water poured and poured from the faucet without another input. Celestia stepped back, continuing to look at the running water. How was such a thing possible?

Her magic turned the shape the other way, the stream slowly ceasing to nothing. The knob was rotated back to the on position, Celestia laughing unintentionally at the sight of water simply appearing. No matter how long she left it running, the water flowed steady and strong. She dipped her head under the stream, holding her mouth open as the drank the magically appearing water. It was as if a river had been funneled through this pipe; clean, cold, and refreshing. Having downed many gulps, Celestia turned the knob to cut off the magical water as she left the kitchen, looking to the double door of her room for a moment before finally walking to them. She debated leaving; maybe she could wait out the hunger, and it would just fade away, then she wouldn't ever have to worry about seeing Nightmare Moon ever again.

She sighed. That wasn't going to happen. With much hesitation, she raised a hoof to the doorknob, pushing down only to have her hoof fade totally through the knob. She raised a brow, trying again to only get the same result. Suddenly, the door vanished altogether, Celestia's eyes instantly meeting with Nightmare Moon, who was lying down with a pillow and a plate of food just outside her room.

"I knew you'd get hungry, so I made sure to get you something. It... it's probably cold by now, but it's better than nothing."

Celestia didn't speak, her eyes barely moving from Nightmare's as the plate floated into the air by a blue aura and was held up to her. She eyed the plate, thinking to smack it with her hoof in a show of defiance, but she decided against doing so; and she held out her hoof instead to receive her meal.

"You don't ever need to say it back, Celestia; but just know that I love you... with all of my heart."

Celestia took a step back into the room, her horn fizzling to life as her weak spells took the handles of each door and swung them inwards, holding them in a nearly shut position for a moment as she looked at Nightmare Moon, "Keep these closed."

As hard as she could, Celestia slammed the doors shut.

"Your Highness, if I may suggest something?" inquired Iris, who had been standing out of Celestia's view.

"Go ahead."

"Don't visit her in her dreams. I know very well you'd like to, because it's the one place you have total control over... but don't. Just craft her joyous dreams."

Nightmare Moon's entire body tensed at her adjutant's words, "Till time itself stops, Celestia..."

"Excuse me, your Highness?"

"One year, on Hearts and Hooves day... I, I asked Celestia to be my special somepony. That night, when we fell asleep together, she said exactly what you said... 'Craft us joyous dreams, sister'."

Iris held her silence, only being able to watch as another wave of tears came over Nightmare, her chin now resting against the hard floor instead of the little pillow she had made Iris fetch her, "Till time itself stops, Celestia... till time itself stops," Nightmare whispered as the placed her hoof on the door.

Author's Note

If you've enjoyed the story so far be sure to favorite or add to your 'tracking' shelf!