Chapters The sound of giggling echoed within the room, as a small grey filly swatted her small hooves at the mystical flowing mane in front of her. Tiny wings fluttering in joy and eyes wide with excitement, the filly continued her pattern of play, as she ran each hoof on the smooth silky mane that reminded her of a rainbow.
However, staring at the filly with a disapproving look on her light blue eyes, her mother, a pale yellow unicorn with a striped dark and light orange mane, looked on and watched, as she did not like what she saw. Frowning at the seemingly distracting actions her daughter was doing and not wanting to be a further bother, she called out to the young filly and reprimanded her in a gentle voice.
“Silver Wing…“ She said, staring at the pegasus in hopes of getting her attention. “...I think we’ve bothered the Princess enough already, so please stop playing with her mane and get down from there.”
Immediately, a hint of regret hit the filly, as she turned a sad face towards her mother, before looking at the Princess with an apologetic look. “Sorry…”
“Oh, it’s no bother at all, little one.” Princess Celestia said, addressing the deflated pegasus. Then, turning her attention towards her secretary, she gave a warm smile towards the mare and said: “Hearing the sounds of giggling is quite relaxing and it actually aids in calming my mind from the headaches I get from reading these reports. If anything, your little filly is helping rather than bothering, Sunflower.”
“Still though…” Sunflower said, beckoning her daughter to come to her. “…she’s making your mane all messy. And we can’t have you’re mane looking tangled at the ceremony later. What would the media think? It would be a disaster!”
“You make it sound as if the faith of Equestria is decided on whether or not I attend the ceremony with a messy mane. In fact, I might just not fix my mane, just to see what happens.” The immediate shocked reaction from the mare brought a chuckle from Celestia, who shook her head in amusement as she looked at her secretary’s worried look.
Having her fun, Celestia used her magic to untangle her messy hair, making sure that it was prim and proper as usual. Satisfied that it was fixed, she gave Sunflower a smile to reassure her that there was nothing to worry about.
“See? All fixed. Honestly, Sunflower, I think you sometimes forget that I can fix such small problems with my magic.”
Giving a sheepish smile, Sunflower quickly apologized before giving a sigh.
“I’m sorry Princess, it’s just that…” She said. “…things have been a lot stressful lately. With work pilling up and my personal problems intervening, it’s been quite hard to keep my head straight.”
“And that’s why I offered you a month off.” Celestia reminded. “You shouldn’t be working under such stressful conditions. You’ve been through a lot lately, and with a little filly to raise on your own, it’s a tough job, even for a tough mare like you.”
“I know, Princess, I know…” Sunflower said, gently stroking her daughter’s mane, as the filly stood beside her. “…but the entire system would fall apart without me looking after it. As much as I need a break, I know that my job is more important. No rest for the weary, as they say.”
“How about little Silver Wing over there?” Celestia inquired. “Don’t you think you two should be spending time together, instead of having her watch you work all day?”
“But we are spending time together.” Sunflower said in defense, as she pulled her little filly into a hug. “See?”
“Sunflower, the office is no place for a mother to bond with her daughter. A filly of her age should be at home, spending time with her mother. Although I enjoy having her here, I can clearly see that she gets bored fast. Who can blame her, the only entertaining thing here is my mane.”
Frowning, Sunflower looked at Celestia and nodded. She knew that the Princess was right and it hurt admitting it. Although she didn’t remember much of her fillyhood, she could recall fragmented moments of her very young self, spending time with her mother and playing all day, living the life of a careless and carefree five year old.
She had wished that she could give her daughter the same life, the same happy life, but she knew that she couldn’t. With nopony else to support them, she knew that she had to work hard to keep them stable. And with Silver nearing the age in where she’ll start going to school, working hard would have to be the norm if she wanted the best for her little filly.
“Listen, Sunflower-“ Celestia’s voiced cut through Sunflower’s thought, making her look up and meet the Princess’s gaze. “-you’ve done enough lately and no matter what you say, I think that I can handle things on my own for at least a couple of month. So as a friend, I tell you to please accept my offer that you should have break. I’ll give you a month long paid vacation, so that you can distress and spend more time with your daughter. Both of you need it. So please, please, accept my offer.”
“I don’t know, Princess…” Sunflower said, her voice trailing.
Frowning, Celestia gave her secretary a cold stare and said:
“It’s either that or you’re fired.” Celestia said in a somewhat firm tone. Although she didn’t really mean what she said, she was very much serious on wanting Sunflower to accept the offer. And knowing her secretary over the years, having worked with her for years, she knew that such a threat would encourage her in making the choice she wanted.
Immediately, Sunflower’s ears perked up as she heard what was said, as her eyes went wide in panic. Although she knew that the Princess might not be serious on what she said, at least she hoped, she can also tell that she was already testing the Princesses’ patience.
“You know what…” Sunflower began. “…I think a vacation sounds nice. Yeah, very nice. Don’t you think, Silver?” She asked, looking towards her filly who gave her a beaming smile and an enthusiastic nod of the head.
“I knew you’ll see things my way.” Celestia said, giving her a mischievous smile. “Now, you’ll start your vacation tomorrow… So I better not see you tomorrow, here at the office and stressing yourself off, understood?”
“Yes, Princess, understood. No stress, just relaxation.” Sunflower said firmly.
“Good.” Celestia said with a victorious smile. “Now, when do we leave for this afternoon’s ceremony?”
Hearing this seemed to have brought a new wave of stress to Sunflower, as she immediately gave a panicked look towards the nearby clock.
“Great Faust, we’re supposed to leave in five minutes! Princess, we should be by your chariot this very moment!” Turning towards a nearby table to pick up a pile of notes, she immediately rushed towards the door to open it for Celestia. “We got to move quick you’re highness or else we’ll be late.”
“And what of your daughter?” Celestia asked, as she stood up from behind her desk. “Are we bringing her too?”
“Um, well, I was hoping that you’d allow her to stay in your office while we attend the ceremony.” Sunflower said. “I know you said that it’s no place for a young filly, but it’s certainly better than over there at the ceremony. We’ll only be gone for a while and I’m sure she’ll behave and won’t damage anything. Isn’t that right, sweetie.”
“Mhmm.” Silver Wing said, giving a heavy nod as she looked up towards her mother.
“Well, alright.” Celestia said, joining Sunflower by the door. “She is a behaved filly, so I guess we can leave her here for a while. And if she ever needs anything, I’ll be sure to tell the castle staff to serve her and treat her as if she were Royalty herself.”
“Thank you, Princess. You are too, gracious.” Sunflower said, smiling as Celestia went pass her.
Turning her head towards her daughter, she waved a hoof goodbye as she gave the filly a small smile. “Now you be a good little filly while mommy is gone. I’ll be back soon, it won’t be long.”
“Well, you look lovely today, Miss Sunflower.” Golden Shield said, as she glanced towards the stressed-out mare.
Having given the Princess a salute as she entered the main hall, Captain Golden Shield of the Royal Guard now trotted beside the Princess’s personal secretary, as they escorted the Royal Alicorn towards her waiting chariot at the castle’s main gate.
White furred, blue manned, tall, and well built, Golden Shield looked no different from any other Guard in Royal service. What sets him apart however was his intrusive and teasing personality, which many in the Royal staff, Sunflower including, sometimes found annoying.
“Not now, Golden Shield, I am not in the mood for this. Go bother somepony else.” Sunflower said, in an irritated voice, as her eyes stayed on the clipboard she was levitating in front of her.
“Aw, why so sour?” He asked, although having known her as long as Celestia did, he knew that being stressed was just part of her personality. “Afraid that we might get behind schedule? Because I can assure you, my pegasus drivers can pull those chariots so fast that Princess Celestia would be at the event in the blink of the eye.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear that your transport team is well trained-“ Sunflower began. “-but being behind schedule isn’t what’s worrying me right now.”
Giving her a stern look, Golden Shield let out a low chuckle, disbelieving what he heard. “You, not worrying about the schedule? Let’s be honest, there wasn’t a time where you never worried about the Princess’s schedule.”
Shaking her head and feeling a bit embarrassed by his remark, Sunflower had to resist the urge of giving him a tender slap.
“Fine.” She finally admitted. “The schedule is bothering me a bit, since we’re cutting it a bit close, but that is not what’s bothering me the most.”
Turning her head away from him, she gazed at her surroundings and allowed her eyes to look around, as her mind busied itself with something else. Noticing this and realizing that she seemed more worried than she usually was, she gave him a concerned look and was about to ask her what really was bothering her, when she suddenly turned her head back to him and spoke before he could.
“How’s security?” Sunflower asked, in her usual stressed tone. “I assume you have the place covered with your Guards?”
“Yes.” Golden Shield said with a nod. “Two of my best companies are assigned for this ceremony. One is at the place right now, while the other is waiting to escort the Princess to her destination.”
“Good. Any sign of suspicious activity?” She inquired.
“None.” He told her. “At least none so far.” Then, before she could ask another question, she beat her by asking a question of his own. “Is this about the Lunar League? Are you worried about that?”
Staring at him before sighing, she nodded her head sadly in confirmation.
“I’m more than just worried…” She said, in a low tone so that the Princess wouldn’t here. “…I’m terrified. Ever since I read that report about the League planning an assassination on the Princess, combined with the one about them enchanting weapons so that it could kill alicorns, I’ve been worrying nonstop for her safety. Of course, I tried to convince her to cancel all public events she is supposed to attend until the members of the league have been arrested, but you no her, she said no. I don’t like this at all, Golden Shield. I fear that something bad might happen during one of these public events.”
“Oh, so you think me and my Guards can’t handle the League if they ever show up?” Golden Shield told her.
Giving him a frown, she shook her head in frustration. “This is no time for jokes. This is a serious issue, and every time the Princess leaves the castle, I fear for her. The League may be quite o far, but I think they’re just waiting for the right moment to strike…and that moment can be now or the next event, we can never truly no, and because of that I can never stop worrying.”
“Listen, Sunflower, I know it’s your job to worry about the Princess, but I can assure you that it’s my job too.” Golden Shield told her. “And because of that, I personally made sure that security for her is the best. So try and put your worries aside, nothing bad is going to happen. And if there will be, which I’m not saying there will, but if there will be, then the Guard is there to handle things.”
Still a bit apprehensive and worried, Sunflower nonetheless gave a small nod.
“Alright, I guess you’re right…”
Two hours later, as the ceremony was about to close, Sunflower felt that Golden Shield was indeed truly right. Watching in the sidelines as Princess Celestia finished her speech, which Sunflower herself helped write, she gave out a big smile of satisfaction as ponies cheered and applauded, obviously enjoying the words stated to them by their Princess, as she formally opened the new park, which had been funded by Celestia herself.
Turning to her clipboard as the last formalities were done in order to end the ceremony, Sunflower smiled in satisfaction, seeing that everything in her checklist was done perfectly and accomplished without any major mishap. Although arriving a bit late to the ceremony because of the swarming crowds that had to be shuffled out of their path, everything else went perfectly.
“And all we have to do now is get back to the castle.” Sunflower said to herself, letting out a gentle sigh as she released all the earlier stress.
Letting her mind wander, she began thinking on what Silver Wing was doing, left alone in the Princess’s office. Hopefully, she didn’t cause any trouble or damaged any of the Princess’s possessions, but knowing her daughter, she would have done nothing of sorts when left alone.
Thinking of the vacation the Princess has kindly given her, she began planning all the things she could do in order to spend more time with her daughter. Allowing her gaze to move towards the large new park that the Princess had just formally opened, she couldn’t help but beam in a smile, knowing that this would be the perfectly place to spend time with her. Silver Wing always loved playing in open places, and this new park would do just the trick.
Silver Wing was always an energetic filly, always flying around and trying to attract other pony’s attention. In a way, Sunflower felt that was because of the lack of attention was giving her daughter, and all the flying and poking around was just her way of wanting to be noticed. With her being busy almost all of the time, she could never really place her full attention on the young filly, and any notice she gave her was usually only for a few moments.
Because of that, she felt bad that she never had time to spend with her daughter in the past. But at least now she can change that. Thanks to the vacation, she was able to reassure herself that any lost time can now be repaid.
Hearing hooves trotting up the stage, Sunflower allowed her mind to move away from her thoughts, as she turned her head to see Golden Armor heading up towards her.
“Ah, Golden Shield, here to escort us back to the chariots?” Sunflower said as he approached. “Well, I think you’ll have to wait a bit, the Princess is just finishing up some formalities, but don’t worry, she’ll be ready in a couple of minutes alri-“
Sunflower stopped what she was saying when she noticed Golden Shield passed by her, without a word or even a turn of the head. Instead of greeting her or breaking into the usual casual conversations he did, he just went by her as if they didn’t know each other, as he continued moving forward.
Seeing this and finding it odd, she hurriedly moved in front of him and placed a firm hoof on his chest in order to stop him.
“What are you doing?” She said. “You’re not supposed to get on the stage. Listen, if you’ve got something important to tell the Princess, then I think you can just tell it to me right now and I’ll be sure to inform her about it later.”
Gazing at him and waiting for a response, Sunflower noticed something off about Golden Shield. Glancing towards his eyes and studying it quickly, she noticed an odd green like aura shining on it, replacing the usual cool blue hue that was usually there. Looking at him with a baffled expression, she was about to ask him if he was alright when a stinging pain erupted on her chest, making her shriek in horrible agony.
Unable to comprehend the pain, as well as unable to bear it, Sunflower was unable to stop herself from collapsing on the stage, as her sense flooded her with pain and confusion. Laying there on the ground, everything around her seemed to move in a blur, as the pain she felt made in impossible the understand anything.
Trying to turn her head and look around, she tried to see what was going on, but all she saw were moving colorful blurs and bright flashes of light. Time for her seemed to pass faster than it should have, because the next thing she knew was that Princess Celestia was looking down at her with a concerned look on her face, as a pony she didn’t recognized fumbled above her, applying some pressure on her wound, making her shriek out in pain.
Tearing up and unable to fight back the stringing sensation, she felt everything around her fade, only to return back to clarity whenever she felt the pain of her wound. But each time the world around her faded, everything became blurrier and blurrier, till it was starting to become harder to see the clear world before her.
Was this her time? Was she going to die?
The mere thought made her tear up more, as she let out another cry, this time from emotion rather than pain. She wasn’t ready to go, she didn’t want to go. But what can she do? She could already feel it, she knew it was going to happen. She was helpless to stop it and knowing that made her feel even more devastated.
Silver Wing…
What will happen to her daughter now?
She will be left motherless, with nopony to take care of her. The thought of living her daughter an orphan broke her heart, as she let out another long cry, the cry of a devastate mother.
She never did get to spend more time with her and she never will now. At that point, she only hoped that Silver Wing would understand and forgive her. But she worried that she never might. For she herself could not forgive herself for such a thing.
She should have spent more time with her…
Crying and regretting the lack of time she spent with her daughter, she began mumbling her little fillies name, hoping that she would be able to hear her cries.
“Silver Wing…”
Her voice began to fade, as she started speaking in a voice that lowered into a murmur.
“Silver Wing…”
It was now becoming difficult to breath for her, as she felt she was choking. Crying out her last breath, she managed to say one more word before everything around her faded away.
“Silver…”
Celestia walked through the hallway, her face expressionless; hiding the whirlwind of emotions that she felt inside her. Decades upon decades of political and diplomatic trade had thought her to keep a neutral expression no matter what she felt, and right now, she was glad she had mastered it. There was just too much pain inside her right now, pain that she wanted to keep away from the others. She was a Princess, the ruler of a nation, they mustn’t see her broken.
Left unharmed after the attack, Celestia was still nonetheless hurt by it. Celestia had rushed towards Sunflower once Golden Shield was subdued, but all she could do was stand there and watch, as she looked down on the mare.
She just stood there as she died, watched as her beloved and loyal friends and secretary drew her last breaths. The sight of her on the stage, lying there in pain, the sight of her crying and panicking, the sight of her crying for her daughter, they were all still fresh in her mind.
The poor sight, the terrible cry, the fresh memory just hurt so much.
She was helpless to do anything, unable to help her friend. Despite all her power and might, even she could not stop death. It was beyond her control, yet she wish it wasn’t.
She felt so helpless and she hated the feeling.
Sunflower had been her personal secretary, had been her confidant, and her friend, for so long. The mare had dedicated her life to her service and had done such a good job too. Sunflower deserved a lot of things for her duty. And yet, all she got was an early death.
Celestia had seen friends die before; she had seen such things many times before. But never had she ever witnessed the death of a friend through such a gruesome way.
To lose her, to such a tragic event, it hurt too much. Even now, it felt so unreal, as if it didn’t happen. But her mind and her heart knew that it was. It was as if a part of her just disappeared, stolen and taken away.
Remembering that terrible moment made her feel torn, but it also reminded her of a duty she must do. An important task that she must fulfill for her friend.
There was no promise made, but for her friendship she will do it. She must do it.
Mind lost in deep thought, she unconsciously made her way through the castle, her steps keeping a steady pace, as she gazed forward and kept quiet. In these empty halls of marble, only the sound of hooves echoed, as the world around her seemed dark and void.
Trotting beside her and taking no notice of the Princess’ silence, Lieutenant Silver Arrow spoke in a clear calm voice, giving off his report to the alicorn.
“I have all the Guards securing every entrance to the castle, the entire place is in a complete lockdown. Every floor, every open balcony and every door has a detachment of Guards standing ready. We’ve also had Magical Warfare Division casts mind control blocks on my Guards, so that there won’t be any more ponies falling under mind spells. I can assure you, Princess, whomever attacked us may have gotten lucky earlier, but they sure won’t now. As for Captain Golden Shield…well…he is currently unconscious after being seized and is now detained and locked up in his quarters.” Pausing, Silver Arrow gave the Princess a sad mournful look, breaking his stern expression. “Princess, I don’t know what got to him, but once he wakes up I promise you that I will do what I can to find out.”
Snapping from her thought for a moment and turning her head to look at the officer before her, she gave him a slow nod.
“Yes, very good, Lieutenant, you have done your duty well. Thank you.” She said, surprised to hear that her voiced seemed lonelier than it should have been. Looking at Silver Arrow, she could see and feel the sincerity with in him. Just like her, and many others, he too was shocked and devastated by today’s events.
It was sudden and out of nowhere and it seemed to bring their lives to standstill. She personally felt lost, and she could tell that many others were just as lost as her.
But they had a job and duty to do and during this moment she knew that she had a task to fulfill, a pledge she had promised. To think about it made her a drop in her heart and she had to use all her willpower in order to suppress a tear from sliding down her face.
Quickly turning her attention forward once more, she decided speak no more, not wanting her escort to catch on to her sadness.
Making their way through the castle and going up the Royal tower, Celestia and Silver Arrow soon found themselves in front of the Princess’ Royal quarter, where two Guards stood still as silent sentinels. Saluting the Princess as they approached, Celestia gave them both a gentle nod. With the castle in full alert, she knew that she’ll have a permanent guard by her door until it was lifted.
Turning towards Silver Arrow, she quietly dismissed the officer so that he can go back to his duties of managing the security of the Royal castle.
“I’ll update you as soon as possible regarding any other happenings, Princess.” He told her. “Rest assured, your Majesty, the Royal Guard will protect you tonight.”
“Thank you.” Celestia simply said, too tired to speak any further and too drained to say anything else. Giving a small nod, one that showed the weight she was feeling within, she looked away from the officer and turned towards her door.
What waited her beyond this thin piece of wood?
She knew she shouldn’t be scared, she knew that she needed to be strong for this. But how can anypony ever be ready for something like this?
The fear within her raged like a great fire, as her heart pumped harder and harder. It made the few seconds of her standing in front of her door feel like an eternity. But she knew she had to open it, she couldn’t stay in this moment forever.
The image was still fresh in her mind and the sadness still present in her heart. To look down and stare at the fading soul, to nuzzle the cold lifeless form before her, and to whisper to an unhearing ear.
I’ll watch over her for you. I’ll treat her as if she was my own.
It was still with her. It will forever be with her. She didn’t know if she’ll be able to forget.
Now it was time to do what she said. Despite her hesitation, despite her uncertainty on what was about to happen, she knew that she must do it. She could not pause time, she must go forward.
Slowly opening the door with her magic, Celestia stuck her head in and took a peek inside to see a small gray filly bundled up and sleeping on her bed. Grasping a pillow between her hooves, the little filly gently slept, unaware of the happenings of the world. There truly was nothing more relaxing than the quiet sleeping form of a filly and Celestia felt heartbroken knowing that she’ll have to disturb her.
Quietly entering, slowly closing the door behind her and making sure to lightly move across the room, Celestia soon reached the bed and smoothly plot herself on it. Laying down next to the filly, she looked down at the innocent form and gave a sad weak smile. She could still remember the filly’s mother call out her name.
Silver Wing…
To remember it now seemed haunting, and she couldn’t help but feel a chill run down her spin thinking about it now.
But she quickly brushed it aside as she stared at the small form before her. She needed to be strong for this filly, she mustn’t let her feel that she was broken. She had let the sadness reign long enough, now she needed to be strong to bring comfort.
Placing a hoof on her regalia, she paused for a moment before deciding to take it off.
She was not a Princess here, not now. This was something personal, something that didn’t need her title of Princess.
Lifting her regalia with her magic, she gently placed them on a nearby table as she moved forward and scooted closer towards the filly. For a moment the filly’s ear twitched from the movement around her, but it soon relaxed as the small form returned to its gentle slumber.
She was quite a beautiful site, Celestia thought as she watched the filly. She was sure that Sunflower was more than proud of her. From all she could remember of the little filly, from all her encounters in the office, Silver Wing was one cute bundle of joy, a smart one too. She was just like her mother, albeit a younger more playful version.
Placing a gentle hood on the filly’s back, she slowly began to stroke her soft coat as she slept, feeling the raising and falling of her breathing as she ran her hoof on her. She surely didn’t look like her mother though. Aside from the eyes, she looked nothing like her.
For a moment, Celestia couldn’t help but think of the filly’s father and how he had the nerve to just leave her and her mother behind. Despite Sunflower being a strong mare who always worked hard, she still had her limits. No matter how good she was, she couldn’t raise a filly alone.
Celestia knew that all too well, as she remembered days where Sunflower would bring Silver Wing to work. Days where the little filly would run around the Princess’ office and do whatever she can to entertain herself, as Celestia and Sunflower watched over her and worked. Days where Celestia would offer to have Silver Wing rest in her room, so that the filly could get some rest and be picked up by her mother at the end of the day.
Days that seemed familiar to this, except instead of having her mother waking her up, it would be Celestia.
Gently stroking Silver Wing’s back, Celestia soon noticed that the filly beneath her was shifting now. Moving beneath the alicorn’s hoof, the little filly slowly began to wake up, us her ears twitched, while a hoof moved to rub her face. Then, gaining enough consciousness to feel the hoof on her back, the filly’s eyes shot open as her head looked up expecting to see a familiar face.
What she saw was indeed a familiar face, but it wasn’t exactly what she was expecting.
“Princess Celestia?” Silver Wing said, confused, as she looked up.
Not knowing what to say, Celestia just smiled and gave a small nod. She felt scared and nervous, more nervous than she had been in her life. What was she to say? What was she to do? The fear inside of her was building up, as the scene unfolded before her.
“Where’s mommy?” The filly said, her voice innocent and clueless.
It was like a knife to Celestia’s heart to hear her say that. How was one to tell a young filly like her that her mother was gone forever?
She didn’t feel her lips pen to answer, and yet words soon came out of her mouth as she looked down at the innocent filly before her.
“She had to go.” She said, and immediately winced when she heard it. That was the worst and most stupid thing she or anypony could say in a situation like this and she felt so much regret in having said it. With all the sadness and whirlwind of emotion in her, she felt like she was breaking down inside as she tried to tell the young pegasus the faith of her mother.
“Go?” Silver Wing said, eyes looking at her with curiosity and a hint of panic? “Go where? Did mommy leave me behind?”
Already the weight was becoming too much for Celestia’s heart to handle and the innocence in her words were making it hurt more and more. There were no more walls now, all the emotion was overflowing and as every drop of it spread through her, a small stream of tears ran down her cheeks.
Biting her lip before sighing, Celestia knew that she mustn’t completely break down. This was such a simple task, yet it was too hard for her.
Moving her head down to be level with the grey coated filly, Celestia tried to smile but felt it falter many times in those long minutes inside that room.
“Silver Wing, little one…” She said, gaining the courage to go through this without pausing any longer. “…do you know what angels are?”
“Yes!” The filly replied, her young mind having been distracted by a seemingly unrelated topic. “Mommy says that they are these beautiful ponies who live up in the sky, higher than any pegasus can go, and watch over all the ponies below and keep them safe.”
“Very good, little one, that’s a good sharp mind you have there.” Celestia said with a sad smile. “Well, the reason I’m saying this now to you is to tell you…to tell you that your mother is an angel...”
“She is?” Silver Wing said, eyes wide.
“Yes, little one, she is, and the most beautiful one out of them all.”
“Wow!” The filly said in awe. “My mommy is an angel!”
“She is…she is…” Celestia said with a wavering voice, more teal constantly streaming down the white fur of her cheeks. “But sadly, all angels must return home, high above the clouds, and your mother…your mother was called today and she had to go back to her home high above the sky.”
Now all the excitement in the filly’s face was gone, as it was drained out and replaced by something else, sadness.
“Mommy had to go back home?” She said, her voice emitting the pain she felt from what she heard. “She left without me… So, mommy did leave me behind?”
“What? Oh, no, no, no.” Celestia said, as she began to wipe the forming tears from the filly’s eyes. “She didn’t leave you behind; she is still here with you and always will be, even when you don’t see her.”
“She is?” Silver Wing asked, teary eyes looking up at a heartbroken Celestia.
“Yes, little one, she is.” Celestia said with a smile. “And she’s right here.”
With a gentle movement, she placed the tip of her hoof right on the filly’s chest.
“She will be right there in your heart, and she will always be there no matter what. Whether it’s during the happy moments or the sad moments, she will be there with you.”
Looking down and placing her own hoof on her chest, Silver Wing paused for a moment before looking up again.
“But…” The filly said, her eyes now wet with tears as she started to cry. “…will…will I get to see her again?”
At that moment Celestia was lost for words. Before her was a shattered filly, one who could not comprehend what was happening, and one who was worried sick to have her mother with her. But she wasn’t there, and she never will be again. But how can she understand that?
Starting out as a gentle trickle, Celestia could feel more tears roll down her eyes as the simple question brought thousands of stabs to her heart. She didn’t know the answer, and she didn’t know how to reply.
Looking back at Silver Wing, Celestia could see the affect her uncertainty had brought on the filly.
Crying hard now and shaking from the rush of emotion, Silver Wing was left curled up, lost and confused at the news she received. Inside, Celestia cursed herself for not handling things better, but new that there was nothing that can be done now, what has happened has happened and all this filly needed was some love and comfort.
Without hesitation, Celestia quickly wrapped her hooves around the crying filly and pulled her close towards her, holding her tight and letting her face bury on her chest. As she held her, she also let her own tears roll down as they both let out the sadness of their lost.
Trying to soothe Silver Wing with gently coos, as she sniffled and cried her own tears, Celestia kept up the long hug on the young bundle of fur and feathers. Nuzzling her and trying to calm herself down to help the filly, Celestia knew that it was a difficult time for her.
Now or never, Celestia knew that Silver Wing needed her mother, but she was not here, not anymore.
Sunflower, for you and your daughter, I will step up to be her mother.
Celestia didn’t remember falling asleep. Waking up at dawn, she looked up at the nearby clock on her bedside table and saw that it was nearly six o’clock in the morning. Giving out a yawn, and feeling her body complain and ask for more sleep, she did her best to fight the urge and get up off bed.
But as she began to slide herself to the side to try and get up, she noticed two peculiar things.
First, her body felt much more exhausted than it should have, as if sleep hadn’t rested anything at all. She felt drained and tired inside.
Second, there was a little filly snuggled up in her side, tucked in underneath her wing.
Turning her attention to the filly, the events of the previous day suddenly blasted itself into her mind, and all of a sudden her weariness felt greater. Golden Shield, Sunflower, Silver Wing… All at once, the terrible and painful memory hit her, and both mind and soul felt its hard impact.
Shaking her head, and trying her best to not think about it, she found it impossible to stop. She remembered Sunflower’s dying body, as the last ounces of life slipped away from her, she remembered returning to the castle, and having to conduct the unpleasant task of informing the young Silver Wing of her mother’s passing, she remembered trying to comfort the filly, and how she found it impossible to leave the filly’s side, forcing her to set the sun and raise the moon right on her bed. She remembered all of it now, and most of all she remembered the pain.
For a moment, Celestia just stared at the wall, the hurt still stinging in her heart. A tear ran down from her eyes, and she did her best to control it, or else have it become a complete collapse of emotion that would disturb the filly from her sleep.
Taking a deep breath before sighing, Celestia knew that she had to be strong. It wasn’t just her hurting after all.
Turning her gaze towards Silver Wing, she alicorn pressed herself closer towards the young pegasus, before giving her a comforting nuzzle.
“I’ll keep you safe, little one.” Celestia whispered, both to Silver Wing and to herself.
But Celestia knew that such a pledge was easier said than done. The whole situation she now placed herself in was something that she had never thought would happen to her ever, and yet here it was.
Nuzzling the filly and keeping her close, Celestia knew that she was essentially now her caretaker. There was no other family Silver Wing can go to, Sunflower had cut herself off to her supposedly distant and toxic relatives, and her father had made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with the filly.
Because of this, and because of her own personal pledge, Celestia knew that Silver Wing was now her responsibility.
Of course, that was more of a statement than anything actually official at the moment. All the necessary paperwork still needed to be filled out, but she was confident the Sunflower could get it done by…
Sunflower…
She felt stupid at how she managed think of adpoting Silver Wing, and yet momentarily forget the very pony she was doing this for. Sunflower was gone now, and she had to remember that. Remember her.
Sighing, she looked at the wall with a distracted mind, and realized that filing papers to adopt Silver Wing would have to be at the end of her to do list.
She still had a lot to do, both for the filly and Equestria. There was still a matter of addressing the whole nation about the attack, the tedious job of calming the nobles, the delicate task of recovering the economy after a shocking assasination attempt on its monarch, the crucial task of starting an investigation against the plotters of the attack, and finally the heartbreaking task of organizing Sunflower’s funeral.
All of that had to come first before beginning the process of adoption.
With a sigh, she shook her head before taking a long calming breath. She had been through many hardships before, and although they never get easier, she knew that she must plow on and continue.
Feeling ready enough to face the day, she used her magic and began concentrating at the tel celestial object in the sky. With grace and power, she lowered the moon and lifted the sun on what she believed would be a very long day.
Waking up, Silver Wing felt the comfort of a soft and warm bed engulf her senses. Everything was so soft and nice, all she wanted to just snuggle up and continue on sleeping.
Curling herself and pressing up against the usual warmth of her mommy beside her, Silver Wing couldn’t help but form a small smile on her face as she felt her mommy’s wing gently wrap her like a blanket and bring her even more warmth.
That was when her eyes shot open, as she burst up from her lying position. Mommy didn’t have wings, only a horn. So who was beside her?
Frantically looking around, she turned her attention towards the body beside her, only to be engulfed with the sight of white. Backing away cautiously, she studied the body beside her and soon recognized a familiar stream of a multicolored mane.
“Princess Celestia?” She asked.
Giving her a warm smile, Princess acelestia looked down at Silver Wing.
“Good morning, little one, I trust that you had a nice sleep?” She asked.
“Erm, yea…” Silver Wing replied, as her eyes darted around the room, wondering where her mommy was.
Seeing this, a frown formed on the Princess’ face. “Is there something wrong, Silver Wing?” She asked. Although her voice remained warm and kind, there seemed to be something off about it, something different from how she spoke earlier. She seemed scared?
This confused Silver Wing. She quickly wondered why the Princess would be scared. She was the most powerful pony she ever knew, and she never imagined anything could scare her.
But as she looked up at the Princess and gazed into her eyes, a simply thought occured to her. Was the Princess scared of her?
Shaking off that though, she focused on the Princess’ question and shook her head.
“No.” Silver Wing said. “Nothing’s wrong, Princess. Just...I’m wondering where mommy is. She’s usually beside me when I wake up.” Then, as she said this, another thought occurred to her. “Actually, Princess Celestia, if you don’t mind me asking, what am I still doing in your room? Didn’t me and mommy go home last night?”
A pained look seemed to form on the Princess’ face for a moment, before quickly being replaced by a gentle expression.
“Silver Wing-“ She said gently. “-before I answer your questions, let me ask you one thing first. Do you remember anything about yesterday?”
“Yesterday?” Silver Wing asked, confused. The Princess merely nodded in response, making Silver Wing think hard on what happened the previous day.
She remembered playing in the Princess’ office, waiting for her mommy and the Princess to come back from their trip. She remembered getting bored, and even worrying what was taking them so long. She remembered being assisted by the kind maids of the castle and allowed to rest in the Princess’ own bedroom. She remembered feeling tired, falling asleep, only to wake up to see the Princess. She remembered being told that…
A pause, then Silver Wing looked up to the Princess, eyes beginning to water, as realization finally hit her.
“Is…” Her words began with a stutter. “...is my...is my mommy really gone?”
The Princess seemed to wince as she heard that, but managed to give a small nod. I’m afraid so, Silver Wing, she had to go.”
“No!” Silver Wing screamed, the first drop of tears running down from her eyes. “She can’t be gone! That was only a dream last night, a bad dream!”
The filly was now shaking terribly, as her tear soaked eyes scanned the room, trying to find a single hint of her mommy’s presence. When she couldn’t find one, she gave the Princess a desperate look.
“It was only a bad dream, right?” She asked, frantically hoping to see the Princess nod and agree with her. But a slow shake of the head was all it took to break her heart, as she suddenly felt weak and decided to lay her whole body on the bed.
“No…” She weep. “...she can’t be gone… She just can’t! She can’t leave me! I don’t want to be alone…”
“You’re not alone, Silver Wing.” She heard the Princess said, as the alicorn placed a gentle hood on the back of her head, soothly caressing it. “You will never be alone.” The Princess continued. “You’re mommy is still there, watching you from above. While she’s there, I am also here for you, and I promise that I will always take care of you.”
“No…” Silver Wing meekly said, as she continued to cry. She suddenly remembered the conversation last night and what the Princess had told her. Her mommy was an angel now and left for a place above the sky, but that can't be true… Her mommy would never just leave her here all alone. She felt sad that her mommy was gone, and she felt even worse thinking that she had left her without saying goodbye.
But soon this sadness turned into anger, as she realized that her mommy had basically abandoned her. She was left here, all on her own, without the comfort of the person she loved and needed. She was angry, and she couldn’t contain this anger.
“No…” She cried once more, this time in a louder tone. She was growing more and more angrier at her mommy for abandoning her, and now she was growing angry at the Princess for thinking that she can replace her mommy. She wanted her real mommy, not a replacement.
“No! She finally screamed. “I don’t want you to protect me!” Shoving her hoof upward, Silver Wing then swatted away the Princess’ hoof, surprising her and making her pull back.
“I want my mommy!” Silver Wing cried, ws she got up and shot an angered look at the Princess, who was still staring at her in shock.“I want my real mommy!”
“Silver Wing.” The Princess began , speaking in a low tone to try and calm the filly down. “I know it is hard, but you need to understand.”
“No, it’s you who don’t understand!” Silver Wing accused. “I want my mommy! Only my mommy can take care of me and love me… I want my mommy, and you’re not my mommy!”
With that, Silver Wing turned away from the Princess and darted toward a pile of pillows on the bed. Diving for it, the young pegasus filly soon buried her head and covered her face, as she soaked it’s fabric with her tears.
Silver Wing felt lost and scared, she didn’t know what to do except cry. She couldn’t understand what was happening, and deep inside she wished that her mommy would just appear and hug her. She missed her mommy, she needed her mommy.
As she cried and wondered why her mommy had abandoned her, she failed to hear the long troubled sigh of the alicorn behind her.
Celestia closed the door behind her and sighed again. It took nearly half an hour, but Silver Wing finally calmed down. Although barely responsive to her, the filly had at least finally stopped crying.
However, she refused to leave the room, and seemed not too happy at the alicorn’s presence with her. Celestia was sad to admit it, but she felt guilty that she had rushed Silver Wing. Maybe it was because of her unfamiliarity towards the situation, or her dedication to fulfill her pledge to Sunflower, but whatever it was, it brought the wrong message to the pegasus filly. The young pegasus was still grieving over the loss of her mother, and Celestia telling her that she would take care of the filly probably made her think that she was suddenly replacing Sunflower as her mother.
‘These things take time, Celestia. Give her time.’ She had mentally told herself. ‘Give her time and space for now. She needs to think and clear her head first.’
With that though in mind, Celestia decided to leave the young filly for a while, and give her the space needed. It was probably a good idea too, since the last thing the filly probably wanted to spend time with now was the alicorn who she thought was replacing her mother. Besides, there was no safer place for Silver Wing to think in than her own personal quarters.
With a shake of her head, Celestia did her best to clear her mind of what just happened and focus on the other important things she needed to accomplish that day. Turning towards the Guard Ponies who protected her door, she nodded towards them before gesturing towards her room.
“As you probably know, I have a very important guess in there, a young pegasus filly named Silver Wing.” She told them. “I want you two to keep her safe, and if she needs anything like food, be sure to inform any of the castle staff so that can get it for her. Understood?”
“Yes, mam!” They said in unison.
“Thank you.” She said. “Oh, and be sure to pass along those orders when you change guards.”
With that handled, she gave them one final nod and, knowing that they will fulfill their duties and orders to the best of their abilities, she left them and began heading down the Royal Tower. As she took the long winding staircase, she made a mental note of all the things she needed to do.
From time to time, she had to fight the urge of glancing to her side and asking Sunflower what her full schedule for the day was or if she was missing anything else from her checklist. That hurt her when she accidentally did that, but she couldn’t get rid of old habits so quickly.
“So much for saying you could handle a month without her…” Celestia muttered, before letting out a depressed sigh. She then wondered how she could go on without her most trusted friend.
For a moment, she felt like breaking down again. The memory of her friend dying still lingered in her mind, and the thought of her loss and the situation it brought her daughter made her heart ache a lot.
Despite having lived for thousands of years? And having seen countless amounts of death throughout her time, the loss of a loved one has never become easy. It always stung bad and although she was grateful that she had never became numb to it, there were still times that she wished she had.
Sunflower’s loss struck her hard, and she felt guilt for not having been able to prevent it.
Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and exhaled all of those thoughts away. There was time for guilt and grief later. Celestia the pony had to wait for later, since Celestia the Princess had a duty to handle a nation in shock.
Reaching the end of the staircase and entering the large long hallway of the main Castle Complex, Celestia contemplated where to go first. Thinking it over, she decided to first inform her Public Relations Staff to prepare the Press Room for an address by her, which she planned to hold an hour from now.
With the time between the moment and the address, Celestia hoped to head for the kitchen and cook up a couple of pancakes for Silver Wing. Although the filly never said it earlier, Celestia knew that the young pony would be starving after all that crying she did. Because of that, the alicorn knew that a tall stack of pancakes would surely fill her stomach up and replenish all her energy. Not only that, but a nice sweet breakfast like that might also hell her mood.
With that thought in mind, she began making her way towards the office of her P.R. staff, where she would inform them of her plan, before heading for the Royal Kitchen. As she walked along the hallway, however, her thoughts were not about addresses or work, but instead they were focused on pancakes and on what fruit pairing Silver Wing would like.
Although she promised herself to focus on Equestria, she at least allowed her mind s couple of moments to think of the filly. She cared for her too much, and it was hard not to think of her now.
Besides, Celestia also liked making her own pancakes and everyone in the Kitchen Staff knew that. She always poured a lot love and care into it, and many who have tried her creations say that it's those ingredients that make her pancakes taste the best. But now, more than ever, she was determined to pour as much love and care into making these morning’s breakfast, as she knew Silver Wing needed it.
Author's Note
Oh, wow, look an update to the story. And, you might not see it, but the next chapter is being written now too!
Placing the finishing touches on her creation, Celestia gently lowered the last of the blueberries onto the pancake. Levitating it down to the center of the pastry, she then smiled and looked down at the slightly crude smiley face she had made out of blueberries on the pancake’s surface.
Nodding to herself, she knew that, despite the rough looking decorations on its top, the pancake itself was delicious and fulfilling. In fact, to make sure that this morning’s batch was indeed perfect, she had eaten an entire stack of pancakes, before making the one destined for Silver Wing.
Thinking of Silver Wing, Celestia felt her smile waver a bit, as she remembered the devastated sight of the filly. She just hoped that this would at least make feel a bit better, even if it was just slight.
Placing the plate of pancakes on a serving tray, she happily joined the breakfast with a glass of milk, and a small plate of toast. She had to admit it was a pretty big breakfast for a small filly, but after what she had gone through, Celestis knew that she needed it.
Levitating the entire tray with her magic, the alicorn Princess gave a quick thanks to the kitchen staff for allowing her the use of the kitchen, before making her way along the Main Hallway and towards the Royal Tower.
Celestia had hoped to personally serve the breakfast to Silver Wing, as she thought the filly would enjoy it. She had to admit though, this may come out to the filly as blatant and try-hard attempt to get her affection in an attempt to replace her mother, but Celestia knew that she still had to try. It wasn’t like she was trying to replace Sunflower in the filly’s memories, it was just that she knew that Silver Wing felt alone right now, and needed some care and comfort. With nopony else there for her, it was up to her to provide it.
Making her way along the hallway, Celestia was just about to make the turn towards the staircase of the Royal Tower, when she suddenly heard somepony call out her name.
Responding quickly and turning her head towards its source, she gave a curious look when she saw Lieutenant Silver Arrow heading towards her at a rather fast pace. Stopping as she turned towards him, she patiently stood there as he got closer towards her.
“Is there something wrong, Lieutenant?” She asked in a serious tone. “Has there been an attempt to breach the castle last night?”
“No, Princess.” Silver Arrow said, as he finally stood in front of her. “No attempts to infiltrate the castle were detected last night. However, we do have a situation.”
“Oh?” Celestia asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes, mam.” Silver Arrow said with a nod. “One of the nobles, Prince Pureblood, demands to be allowed into the castle for the protection of himself and his family. He also wishes to see you and discuss matters of security for all the nobles.”
Celestia had to fight back in order to suppress a groan as she heard this. Of course it just had to be Pureblood, her self-absorbed and arrogant relative. Like his father, and all the previous colts in the family line, he was greedy and exaggeratedly concerned for his own safety, whether it be physical, financial, or political. Sometimes she had to wonder if he and his family really were related to her, but she knew better than to question the countless number of genealogy spells she cast on each family generation.
Sighing, Celestia soon shook her head. Whatever his character was, family was family. Besides, if Pureblood brought his family, then that meant she would get to see her cute little nephew Blueblood, the young innocent colt who hadn’t been tainted yet by the family personality. He might even prove helpful in helping Silver Wing feel better.
Knowing that she should deal with Pureblood soon before he caused too much of a scene in front of the castle, Celestia reluctantly called on one of the castle staff to deliver the breakfast to Silver Wing, before allowing Silver Arrow to escort her to the castle's main entrance so they could both greet Pureblood’s family and allow them to enter the safety of the castle.
After some formalities and fake smiles, Celestia soon found herself in the royal dining room, with Pureblood and his family sitting around the table and helping themselves to a hastily prepared breakfast by kitchen staff.
“I would like to thank you once more for hosting us and letting my family seek refuge within your castle, Aunty.” Pureblood said, using the title his family used on her for generations.
“Of course, Pureblood.” Celestia said, trying her best to make her smile look genuine. “Family is always welcome here.”
She had to suppress a groan of annoyance after saying that lie, as she felt tired at keeping up such acts in front of nobles like him.
“Yes, yes, family is always important, especially in trying times like this.” The black haired and white furred unicorn said, his voice starting to sound more and more dramatic. “Tell me, Aunty, have you caught those responsible for the attempt?”
“We have the one who made the attempt.” Celestia said, remembering that Golden Shield was still confined to his quarters. “However, the Guard believes that he may not have done it with his own free will. An investigation is still going on to find out the root of the conspiracy.”
“That’s good to hear.” Pureblood said. “I’m glad that you managed to get out of it unscaved. From the news reports I heard, the assassin got distracted by that secretary of yours. Luck seems to smile upon you, Aunty.”
Upon hearing this Celestia gave the noble unicorn a cold stare. Deep inside, she could feel a boiling rage rise inside of her. How dare he mention Sunflower in such a manner? How dare he mention Sunflower as if she was disposable?
Feeling her hoof shake in anger, the white alicorn felt tempted to raise it and slap the disrespectful noble. Many times in the past, his family had shown her time and time and again that they were nothing but arrogant, selfish, and disrespectful. However, never before had she felt so angry at their nature than at that moment right there.
Keeping her eyes fixated on Pureblood, she could see that he was beginning to worry about her constant staring and silence. Her usually strong self-control was giving way to the emotions that have been building up inside her.
Despite knowing that what she wanted to do would ruin the Crown’s relationship with the nobility, her instincts were telling her that it was the right thing to do. She wanted to put him in place, to slam a hoof on his arrogant place. She wanted to do it. She was on the verge of doing it.
However, a certain blonde maned and white furred young colt managed to distract her from the growing storm inside of her.
“I’m sorry somepony tried to hurt you, Aunty.”
The voice came from below her. Taken by surprise, Celestia gave a curious glance below to see the young Blueblood staring up at her with a sad and innocent look plastered upon his face. Upon seeing this, the alicorn felt her rage equal down by a bit, as he gave her genuine concern.
Feeling her anger slowly disappear, Celestia briefly closed her eyes and decided to let the one insolent remark pass. She didn’t want to do something terrible in front of such a young colt afterall.
Giving him a soft look, Celestia then made a small smile, before deciding to engulf him in her magic and lift him up. In one quick gesture, he then wrapped his hooves around her neck and gave her a quick hug, which Celestia returned by giving a short soft hug for the colt.
‘Oh, Blueblood, be better than your father and your ancestors. Always be kind and gentle’, Celestia thought, wishing that the young colt would always remain as caring as he was now.
“Thank you, Blueblood, I really needed that hug.” Celestia eventually said after putting him down.
“I’m always at your service, Aunty.” The colt said, giving a very formal bow.
Celestia smiled at this and found it amusing. However, an idea soon formed into her mind. Smiling broadly now, Celestia looked down at Blueblood once more and said in a gentle voice:
“You know, there's something you can do that will help me a lot.”
Silver Wing was in no mood for food. Laying on the bed, head buried on a pillow, she kept on whimpering at the thought that she was alone now. There was no more mommy to be with her, no more mommy to comfort her, no more mommy to hug and kiss her. Silver Wing was alone and the thought both scared and devastated her.
Time and time again, she tried to get up from bed and try to find a way home. However, each time she did so, her hooves suddenly became weak and shaky. Home was no longer home. There was nopony there to be with her. Each time she would be reminded that she no longer had a home and the thought of this broke her every time, forcing her to collapse on the bed once more and cry.
It seemed like she had no capability of doing anything else but cry that day. The future just seemed so uncertain.
Of course, the Princess was kind enough to offer her a new home and to be her new mommy, but Silver Wing can never accept that. There was no replacing her mommy, and the Princess can never fill the hole that appeared in her heart.
She didn’t want to be alone, she was scared about that, but she also didn’t want somepony else to replace somepony important in her life.
It was all confusing and she couldn’t help but feel sorrow for everything. It hurt, it hurt a lot for her. Desperately, she tried to close her eyes and open them to see if it was just all a nightmare. But instead of seeing her room, with her mother lying next to her, she instead saw the Princess’s bedroom, with only her alone on the bed.
Feeling her tears form once more, she soon covered her face in the nearest pillow and cried. It was the only thing she felt capable of doing. Soon enough, her soft cries once more filled the room, as she felt lost in her world of sorrow.
Unable to focus on anything else, she failed to notice that the door to the room opened up slightly, as a certain alicorn urged a young unicorn colt to go inside. It was only when a sudden voice called out to her did she realize that there was somepony else in the room.
“Are you okay?” The voice said with a concerned tone.
Shocked by this, Silver Wing let her instincts kick in, as pulled her head out of the pillow and began rolling away from the source of the sound. Heart racing in panic, she frantically looked around, to see who spoke to her. The voice had caught her by surprise and its unfamiliarity made her feel a bit frightened.
Eventually, her eyes fell on a unicorn colt, who was standing on the edge of the bed and giving her a look of both worry and sadness.
“Who…who are you?” She said, her voice shaky and tired.
“I’m Blueblood.” The colt said, giving a small smile as he offered his hoof. Staring at him, Silver Wing was unsure how to respond. However, since the young pony in front of her kept his hoof extended, the pegasus filly decided to cautiously move towards him and tap his hoof with her own. This earned her a confused look from the other pony, but if he had something to say he merely kept it to himself.
“I’m Silver Wing.” She eventually said, as she sat down and tried to regain some composure. But after hours of crying, that was easier said than done. With fur soaked in tears and her mane and feathers disheveled, the young pegasus looked like she was in a bad state.
“So, Silver Wing, I want to ask again, are you okay?” Blueblood eventually said.
The gray filly hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. “No…I don’t think I am…”
Looking down, she tried to hold her emotions back, but it felt harder and harder as each second passed. All that had happened so far flashed before her eyes, as her faith still remained so unsure to her. Fear, loneliness, sadness, and longing, all of those struck her heart all in one moment. She felt like she was on the edge of bursting into tears again.
However, before the dam holding them all back could collapse, she suddenly felt a pair of hooves wrap around her and pull her into a warm hug. Once more caught by surprise, she felt paralyzed and unable to react. But it didn’t take long for her to accept the comfort of the hug, as her own hooves eventually returned it.
Letting loose the hurt she felt, she couldn’t help but cry again as the other pony kept a close hold on her. Although not as intense as before, each tear still hurts very much. It seemed like she was lost in a loop of sorrow and she couldn’t do anything to stop.
However, eventually the tears stopped falling and she managed to regain composure and calm herself down, as she broke away from the hug and wiped away her tears.
“Why are you doing this?” Silver Wing said, as she looked up towards Blueblood.
“Doing what?” The colt asked as he tilted his head.
“Comforting me. I don’t know you, you don’t know me, yet you’re being really kind to me.”
“Because it's good to be kind.” He said innocently. “I want to be like my Aunty, the kindest pony out there.”
“Your Aunty?”
“Yea!” He said, nodding his head eagerly. “My Aunty, Princess Celestia!”
“Oh…” The pegasus filly remarked, before letting out a sigh and giving a frown. Then, looking back down, she once more became silent.
The thought of the Princess now returned to her head, as the idea of her replacing her mommy became a source of worry for her. She hated the idea that her mommy had to be replaced, but at the same time it felt inevitable. Her mother was gone and there was nothing that could be done to bring her back.
Noticing her frown, Blueblood gave her a concerned look. “You don’t like Aunty Celestia?”
“No…” Silver Wing remarked, before looking up and quickly changing her response. “I mean, no, it’s that I don’t like her.”
Blueblood patiently nodded at this. “Then what’s wrong?”
“I…just…” Silver Wing began, but she found it hard to translate her emotions to words. “I don’t want her to become my new mommy.”
The colt was about to open his mouth to say something, but held it back as he thought over his words carefully. Based on his seeming understanding of what she said, the filly assumed that the Princess must have told him about her situation.
“I don’t want my mommy to be replaced too, but Aunty Celestia is a good pony.” He simply said.
“I know she is…but…I just miss my mommy so much.” The pegasus said, feeling herself tip over towards another wave of sadness.
“Hey, it’s okay, that’s perfectly understandable.” He said, offering another hug for comfort. Silver Wing did not hesitate to accept this. Once in his grasp, the unicorn did his best to comfort her. “It's okay now, don’t worry. Aunty Celestia may not be able to replace you mommy, but I promise that she’ll do her best to help you.”
Silver Wing only nodded at this as she cried out the last reserves of sorrow within her.
From the door, Celestia took a peek at the scene and gave a sad smile. Although she was happy her nephew had helped the young filly, she also knew that she would still have to do a lot in order to make her feel better.
Author's Note
Wow, it's been a long time since I updated this story. I'm terribly sorry for leaving you all hanging
Chapter 4: Funerals and an Empty Office
It was a rainy day. The pegasi were scheduled to bring rain to the city and she knew better than to interfere with their weather work. It was unintentional, but Celestia thought it was appropriate for such a sorrowful day.
Looking down at the casket, Celestia frowned at the heartbreaking sight. Silver Wing refused to let go and there was nothing she could do to get the filly off of it. Standing just behind her and levitating an umbrella to cover the two of them, the white alicorn found herself silent and still. It was one of the rare occasions where she didn’t know what to do.
The Princess’ gaze was fixated on the young filly, Celestia couldn’t help but feel a wave of emotion overcome her the moment her eyes drifted towards the closed casket. She had tried to stay strong whenever Silver Wing was near her, she tried her best to push back her emotions and conceal the hurt in her. However, she couldn’t hold it back any longer. It was just too much now and she knew that she had to let it out.
With the pegasus filly’s back turned towards her, the Solar Princess decided to allow herself a brief moment of grieving. As tears began to drip from her eyes, she threw away any thought of anypony else seeing her in such a state. Not that there were many to see her cry. The only other ponies there were the funeral staff and the members of the Guard, with the latter being too busy looking in different directions to ensure that no pony made another assasination attempt against her.
The Royal Guard had urged her not to go, but she wouldn’t have it. They were afraid that those who wanted her dead would be ready to pounce on her the moment she left the protection of the castle, but she knew that she couldn’t live in the castle forever and continuously be surrounded in fear. She had to leave its walls eventually and she wanted to do it to honor somepony dear to her heart. The alicorn also wanted Sunflower to know that there was somepony else aside from Silver Wing who would miss her terribly.
Sunflower didn’t have any living relatives anymore. This saddened the alicorn, and it brought an extra sting as she realized that it also meant that Silver Wing had no family left. Looking back at the young filly, Celestia allowed more tears to drip down from her eyes.
The filly felt that she was alone and she couldn’t blame her for thinking like that. She understood the feeling and had undergone it herself many centuries ago. With the loss of Sunflower, she had lost the last remaining family member she had. Everything right now must be terrifying for her, while the future seemed so unsure.
However, Celestia wanted to help her, to provide her an opportunity to be happy again. Looking back, she remembered the gleeful smile of that young pegasus that often played around her office. She wanted that to return, she wanted to see Silver Wing smile again. After all that happened, she knew that it would be a long time before the filly would feel happy again, But Celestia was willing to wait and work hard to make it happen. She had made a pledge to take care of the young pegasus and she knew that meant making her happy again.
The Solar Princess didn’t want to seem like she was trying to replace her mother, but she didn’t want the filly to feel alone. Silver Wing needed a mother and although the alicorn knew she could never replace Sunflower, she also knew that she would be able to provide the care and comfort she needed.
Wiping away the last drops of her tears with a hoof, Celestia stared at Silver Wing and felt so sorry for her. At that moment, all she wanted to do was hug the filly and tell her everything will be okay. But she held back, remembering all recent attempts had been met with furious shoves. She wasn’t ready for her yet, but she was willing to wait.
Sighing, the alicorn shook her head and stood there. She wished Blueblood could have joined them so that he could have comforted the young filly, but his parents simply didn’t want him to go out in such dreadful weather. Her young nephew had become a good friend for the lost filly, and she was glad that she somehow found comfort in him. However, despite the pleas from the young colt to be there for his friend, his parent’s final words were still against it. At least she could take comfort knowing that the unicorn colt would be ready to greet Silver Wing the moment they got back to the castle.
She didn’t know how long they stood there, but eventually it was time to go. The rain was worsening and she knew that the umbrella they had was no longer protecting the filly from being soaked. Celestia simply couldn’t let the pegasus get sick from exposure to such elements, especially during this time when she was already feeling weak in the soul. The last thing she wanted was for her to feel weak physically too.
With great hesitation, Celestia eventually moved towards Silver Wing and placed a gentle hoof on the pegasus’ back. To her surprise, the young filly didn’t react violently to this. Instead, she simply turned her head to reveal bloodshot eyes. Trying her best not to burst into tears again, she kept up a straight face and spoke in a calm voice.
“It’s time to go, Silver.”
The filly didn’t immediately respond. Instead, she glanced towards the casket before turning towards Celestia again.
“I miss her already…” She eventually said.
“I know, I miss her too.” Celestia responded, still trying to keep her composure.
Then, to her surprise, Silver Wing suddenly jumped from her place and rushed towards Celestia. In one quick movement, the young pegasus suddenly moved beside her and hugged her hoof, as she planted her face against the alicorn’s chest. The Princess could then feel the filly cry out again and she couldn’t help but wrap a comforting hoof around her.
She did not know what to say to make her feel better. She didn’t think there was anything she could say to make the pegasus feel better during that moment. So she just kept the protective grasp of her hoof around the filly, as the alicorn felt tears roll down her cheeks again.
The two remained in that position as the Sunflower’s casket was slowly lowered down.
Celestia sat in her office for the first time in weeks. It felt so strange to be in there after all that happened. The room was quiet, so different from the usual buzz that she usually encountered every day.
Looking to her side, she imagined Sunflower standing there with her checklist, reminding her of all the papers she needed to sign and all the meetings she needed to attend. She always was good at always keeping her up to date with everything and the alicorn was just beginning to realize how difficult life was without her.
Turning her attention away from the side, she tried to push her thoughts away from Sunflower and instead focus on the work before her. Despite recent events, affairs within the Kingdom still continued and that meant that she still had a lot of work to do as the nation’s sole monarch. Gazing at the folders and papers on her desk, she used her magic to pick one up before doing her best to go through its contents. But it was hard to concentrate, her mind and heart just didn’t seem to allow it.
Eventually, she found her eyes drifting away from the paper and looking around the room. How she missed the small notes Sunflower attached to each document, summarizing for her the essence of each file. Frowning, she found it hard not to think of Sunflower.
Letting her eyes drift, they soon fell upon the chair in front of her table. Reserved for guests who visit her, it was also the same chair Sunflower would sit in to chat with her during slow days. Smiling at the memory, the alicorn remembers the laughs and heartfelt stories they shared.
Sunflower was more than just a secretary to her, she was a friend too. Now Celestia missed her friend dearly. She wished that she could spend one more day with her, one more conversation. Frowning, she remembered Silver Wing and wished that the filly could spend one more day with her mother.
Soon, the thought of the young pegasus became stuck in her mind, as she began to recount how she had been during these past weeks. Silver Wing had been doing better, but it was clear she had not fully recovered yet. Her gleeful smile had not returned yet, but she had been starting to form something that was close to it.
Sighing, Celestia wished that she could do more to help, but such things take time. Silver Wing needed to heal from the wounds, just as Celestia needed to do the same. The only thing they can do now is be there for each other.
The young filly had been adapting to life in the castle as best she could, but it was clear that she still didn’t feel at home yet. Despite having her own room, despite being able to freely go around the castle, and despite being treated by the staff the same way they treat the Celestia herself, she could see that the pegasus filly did not consider the place as home yet. Instead, she felt like she was an esteemed guest. The alicorn knew that she had to change that.
Thinking this through, Celestia considered making some minor adjustments to make the place feel more like home. The room that she had given for Silver Wing had remained the same since she first stayed there and the alicorn thought that some redesigning could be done to make it feel more comfortable for the filly. Making a mental note, she planned to ask the filly what she would like in order for her to have a bedroom so that she could stop feeling like a guest in her new home.
Letting her mind wander, she began thinking of other things to help the filly. Thoughts of adding a playroom and maybe even a playground in the garden area. She knew that Silver Wing and Blueblood often liked hanging out in the garden and it seemed like their favorite place so far.
Getting up from her seat, Celestia moved towards a nearby window that presented her a great view of the Royal Garden. From there, she could see Silver Wing and Blueblood sitting by a patch of grass and quietly conversing with one another. Staring at them, she wondered what the two were talking about. Seeing her nephew point at the many statues at the garden, she assumed that he was probably giving her an impromptu history lesson.
Thinking of her nephew, she couldn’t help but be proud of Blueblood for being patient with her. Although Silver Wing was not the ideal playmate due to her gloomy mood, the young colt still stuck by her and was rarely seen not by her side. Those two had really become good friends and she could feel that the pegasus filly found comfort when with him.
Giving a small smile, she felt happy to know that Silver Wing was not alone. Both she and Blueblood were there for her and no matter what they would do everything to make her happy again.
Letting her mind linger at this, she smiled a bit more knowing that the pegasus was also starting to become closer to her too. Ever since the funeral, the gray filly had begun to become a bit more comfortable with her. Although still hesitant at times, she at least no longer rejected her or spat out in anger whenever the alicorn tried to comfort her.
Maybe it was because she finally accepted that she wasn’t trying to replace her mother and just wanted to make her feel better or maybe it was because she just felt so lonely that she was willing to accept any comfort she could get? Celestia hoped it was the former, because she wanted the filly to understand that although no one can replace Sunflower, it didn’t mean she would be deprived of love and care a young pony deserves and needs.
Shaking herself away from her thoughts, Celestia started to trot away from the window and move back towards her desk. Glancing at the paperwork she had, she couldn’t help but sigh. However, her eyes soon drifted towards another document on her desk, one which she thought was more important than all the other documents combined.
Picking it up with her magic, she lifted it and brought it closer towards her. Staring at it, she couldn’t help but feel mixed feelings about it. She felt both excited and worried about the document, as she was unsure how Silver Wing would react to it.
“...legally adopted by Princess Celestia…” The alicorn mumbled to herself.
This was an important milestone, yet she was afraid of how Silver Wing would take it. Although she had gotten close to the alicorn, Celestia didn’t think their relationship was close or strong enough for the filly to accept the alicorn as her adopted manner.
For a brief moment, the Princess started to regret her decision, thinking that she may have acted too quickly. Silver Wing was still adjusting and she needed time before something like this should occur. But in the end, she knew that it had to be done now. They couldn’t delay something so important, the pegasus needed a guardian to protect her.
Sighing, Celestia sat back on her seat and gazed up at the ceiling. She was nervous. She didn’t know when to tell the filly or how to tell it to her. She was afraid that this news might break the relationship that had been building so far.
Sitting in silence, she couldn’t help but worry about all the worst possible scenarios. The images that her mind made scared her, as the thought of an angry Silver Wing getting the wrong message from intentions was the last thing she wanted.
However, she also thought of that one scenario where the young filly accepted the news. The thought of the pegasus smiling and feeling hope again warmed the alicorn’s heart.
In the end, she knew that she would have to tell her, but she decided to do so in a time where the filly was feeling safe and comfortable. With that in mind, she began planning something special for her, something where both alicorn and pegasus filly could bond over.
