It is another beautiful winter day in the regal city of Canterlot. The high society ponies all have their beautiful and unique sweaters on, and some had even gathered to watch others ice skate in the Canterlot Gardens Ice Rink. Young foals were skating in a circle near the center of the rink while older ponies skated on the outside near the guard wall, and every now and then a pony would break from the outer circle, jump, and pirouette. In the royal palace, things were just as lively. Everypony was hurrying to decorate the palace and prepare the feast for the Hearth’s Warming season.
Even the Princesses were busy. It was a tradition for all of the foals of Canterlot to approach Princess Celestia and ask for one present for Hearth’s Warming. Celestia would keep a list of all of the good fillies and colts (which was usually all of them) and Luna would deliver the gifts on Hearth’s Warming’s Eve night to each foal’s doorstep. To ensure that the original spirit of the holiday stayed alive, all the children had to give their gift to a friend in remembrance of the three ponies whose friendship kept them from freezing.
Celestia was making her list of all the colts and fillies, double checking to make sure that she didn’t miss anypony, when a sudden flash of green light caught her eye. The scent of smoke and brimstone filled her nostrils as she looked to her right and found a scroll falling to the marble floor. Celestia brought the scroll to eye level with her magic, unrolled it, and began to read.
Princess Celestia,
Thief stole important books. Headed into the Everfree Forest. Hit with a wei------------
The rest was just a streak of ink. Celestia recognized that writing. It wasn’t done with a mouth, or magic…but a claw! Now alarmingly worried for her star pupil, Celestia was about to call for the guards when she heard a ruckus going on outside the palace door. She peered out the window and saw the door guards’ lances lowered, pointing at a mass. The mass was multicolored, a mixture of pink, yellow, white, blue, purple, and orange. Celestia instantly knew who that mass was and teleported to it.
Disturbed for a second time, the guards jumped and returned their lances to their original positions. “Ah! Y-your majesty!” They both stammered in unison.
Celestia looked at the two of them with a face of authority and worry. “Get these seven to the infirmary immediately.”
“Yes ma’am!”
With a combined force of magic, the two guards lifted the Elements of Harmony and baby dragon to the infirmary with Celestia following. All the while, worry was on her face, and she never took her eyes off of her ailing student. Twilight was moaning and squinted at Celestia with pain in her eyes. She couldn’t say anything; the pain was too great for her.
Each body was placed in a bed with a doctor and a nurse on either side. Celestia, however, insisted that she heal Twilight herself. The doctor graciously stepped aside as her horn began to glow with a golden aura. Twilight slowly began to relax and breathe more easily. Celestia let out a sigh of relief and calmly asked Twilight, “What happened to all of you?”
Twilight coughed and weakly began to speak. “A thief stole a book of powerful spells. I was too afraid to ever read much of it, but some of the spells included were summoning horrible beasts and spreading terrible disease. The thief ran to the Everfree Forest, and we chased, but the thief hit us with some sort of poisoning spell. Nngh!”
Pain surged once again through Twilight until finally she passed out. The other six weren’t fairing much better. Celestia couldn’t believe the best medicinal magic in Equestria wasn’t helping! She had to think of an alternative and fast. “Zecora!”
--F+L--
The royal chariot landed just outside of the Everfree Forest. Princess Celestia helped to lift the ponies and dragon, but the guards hesitated on the fringe of the forest. Celestia turned to them with a reassuring smile and said, “Don’t worry; we’re not going in too far.”
They arrived at Zecora’s stump of a house, and despite the haste that was racing through Celestia’s mind, she remembered her royal properness and politely knocked on the door. Zecora opened the door and smiled at her visitors. “Ah, pony princess of shimmering white, to what do I owe this delight?”
Celestia spoke up, “Miss Zecora, my student, Twilight, has told me that you are quite gifted in healing bizarre and mysterious ailments. Can you please help them now?”
Celestia levitated the seven in front of her and Zecora’s jaw dropped. “How could this have happened to my dear friends? Come in, and I’ll make sure this nightmare ends.”
The humble home was suddenly crowded with six ponies, a pony princess, a zebra, and a baby dragon. The two guards stood outside in fulfillment of their duties to their princess. Celestia gently let the seven bodies float to the ground and let Zecora examine them. The zebra first looked at Spike. She looked over his back, his face, and finally his front. “Aha! Here is the cause,” she invited Celestia to look closer, and she found purple lumps underneath the scales, “tick like parasites, with teeth like saws. I have the ingredients required to rid them of these pests, but I must act quickly before they begin to nest.”
“Of course,” Celestia exclaimed, “it was a conjuration spell, not a poisoning spell! Please heal them. I must find the thief who did this to them.”
The two said their goodbyes and Celestia rushed outside to her guards. “I must go deeper into the forest,” the guards both took a nervous gulp which made Celestia smile a little, “don’t worry. I don’t want you following me. I couldn’t forgive myself if anypony else got hurt. Return to the palace and resume your duties. If I’m not back in five hours, tell Luna to set the sun and that I’ll be back soon.”
The two guards stood gave their salutes, “Yes your majesty!” and went off.
Celestia was glad that they didn’t ask what to do if she didn’t come back. She wouldn’t have been able to give them a straight answer. Most ponies were afraid of creatures like timberwolves and manticores living in the Everfree Forest, but Celestia knew that there were worse horrors in those trees.
As she began walking and looking for any sign of fleeing Celestia also began to remember how the forest was before the horrors arrived. During the rule of Discord, there were mischievous pixies. They weren’t usually a threat, but they were quite a nuisance by tugging on ponies’ manes and pinching their flanks. However, Ever since Discord was defeated and everything returned to normal, these pixies became more ghoulish and sinister. Now they resembled phantoms and could influence a pony’s mind to their liking, and their liking was insanity.
After an hour of wandering around, Celestia found a trail of several hooves which led to lazy, random scrapings in the dirt and only one trail leaving cleanly. This must be where they were attacked, Celestia thought to herself. She followed the trail quickly and began noticing that the imprints started becoming deeper, indicating that the assailant began running. The trail began zigzagging between trees, over shrubs, and finally came to a halt behind a boulder. There were no further hoofprints to follow, which could only mean that the thief teleported somewhere. The only thing Celestia could do was fan out and search for the trail to resume.
That’s when Celestia heard them; a hideous chorus of laughter and cackling. “Who goes there?” Celestia asked nervously. She looked all throughout the trees for a sign of them, but nothing revealed itself. A hoarse voice whispered back, “You look so lonely your “majesty”,” the voice was practically in Celestia’s head, “We never thought you’d want to be alone again, not since your dear sister returned.”
Celestia was taken aback at this. “I-I have no quarrel with you creatures. Kindly leave me be and I shall be out of your territory shortly.”
A new voice arose, “Oh, but we couldn’t be more delighted that you had come. It has been sooooo long since we’ve had a guest in our neck of the woods.” All of the voices erupted in laughter at the pun.
“I am…honored to be a guest of yours,” sweat was dripping down Celestia’s face, “but I’m in the middle of a crisis right now and I must resume my search for somepony.”
“Ah yes, the sniveling, low-life thief. She wasn’t all that much fun, so we let her go. YOU, on the other hand, we know we’ll enjoy. Let’s take a trip down memory lane shall we?”
Celestia tried to block off her mind to them, but no matter what she thought of, it all related back to one pony: Luna. She was always such a sweet little sister, always so cheery and ambitious to be just like her sister. That is…until she realized that her night was inferior to her sister’s day. Celestia had no choice but to send her to the moon to protect her people, but Luna felt so abandoned. What if she couldn’t get back before sundown? Would she think Celestia abandoned her sister again? No. No! She wouldn’t do that…but, what if she did, and she sought out comfort from the darkness within her? What if she declared that she was now the sole monarch of Equestria? What if she declared Celestia a traitor and puts a bounty on her? She could do all of that. It was within her power to make everything the way she wanted it to be.
Celestia couldn’t stand these thoughts, and she knew that these phantoms were the cause of it. She had to escape, but to where? Celestia didn’t know where, but she had to run. All the while, the phantoms were chasing her, their horrible voices scratching at her ears, “Where ya goin?” “Aren’t you having fun with us?” “Why the long face?” Once again, the voices erupted into cackles and hideous laughter.
At some point, the voices ceased and Celestia could finally think clearly. She saw the mouth of a cave and decided to enter. Such a bizarre place; it had drawings all along the walls and ceiling that became increasingly detailed and more beautiful the deeper in she went. The tall columns that reached from ceiling to floor were perfectly rounded and shaped, and a waterfall rushed through a hole in the ceiling, which let in some sunlight. “What is this place?” Celestia asked out loud to nopony in particular.
“My home” a deep voice responded.
Celestia jumped at the voice. “My apologies! I…I didn’t think that this cave was housing anypony. I’ll show myself out.”
“Now hold on a moment,” Celestia stopped in her tracks, “It has been so long since I’ve had the chance to communicate with another. Please, stay a while.”
Celestia came closer to the light. “Might I ask whom I am speaking with?”
“You may call me Conchithiuum,” replied the voice, “what might I call you?”
“Celestia.”
Some of the walls began to move. “Celestia,” pondered the voice, “the princess of the day? That Celestia?”
A great shadow emerged just outside of the light that had Celestia nervous, though she kept her composure. “Yes, I am Princess Celestia.”
The shadow called Conchithiuum lowered his head into the light. His eyes were a milky white and could not focus on the pony before them. “To what do I owe the honor of such an esteemed guest?”
Celestia swallowed hard, “Well, a thief has stolen a book that contains several dangerous spells and I am searching for her, but I encountered the phantoms and ran here. Why didn’t they follow me here?”
“Dragons are immune to the phantoms’ manipulation. We have nothing to lose except our horde, which we all guard with our lives, and we never care for anything else. How can you mold without clay?”
Celestia thought on this and said, “I suppose I should thank you then”
Conchithiuum replied, “Not at all, especially since I’ll soon kick you out.”
Celestia didn’t understand. “Kick me out? I thought you hadn’t interacted with anypony in a long time.”
“But you have a mission that you must accomplish. I cannot keep you from it. Before I kick you out, however, I shall give you some advice.
“Advice?”
“Advice to help combat your fears. Tell me, what is it that you fear?”
This made Celestia pause. “Why should I share such information with you? What if you go to other dragons to plan an uprising?”
“Your paranoia misleads you. Dragons are incapable of staying away from their treasures for more than a day of hunting or pillaging.”
Celestia felt a bit more at ease. “Well…it’s my sister. I hurt her long ago, and it caused us to be separated for a long time, and I’m scared to ever hurt her again.”
Conchithiuum contemplated this for a moment. “Losing a loved one is a pain I have experienced. Do not confuse me for an average dragon. In my old age, I have learned to see beyond the gold and gemstones to what really matters in this world. I recall my childhood friends and the good times we used to have. I do not know where they are now, but I do miss them. But I must remember that they probably haven’t achieved the enlightenment that I have. You too must enlighten yourself to what is fact. If you hurt your sister, what will really happen? Will you be separated, or can you merely forgive and forget? You must remember this when you face the phantoms.”
Celestia nodded and said, “Thank you wise dragon. I must say goodbye now.”
“Goodbye Princess Celestia.”
With that, Celestia exited the cave. With a new outlook, she climbed a nearby hill and resumed her search. In no time, she found a new set of hoofprints. She followed them to a river where she saw a dirty hooded pony fidgeting and holding a tome. Celestia furrowed her brows and snatched the thief with her magic. “Aaaahhhh! The Great and Powerful Trixie demands that you put her down immediately!”
The Great and Powerful Trixie. Celestia remembered that name from one of Twilight’s letters. “What are you doing with this spell book?” demanded Celestia.
Trixie still hadn’t seen her captor. “Trixie doesn’t have to explain anything to a commoner!”
Celestia brought Trixie closer, and when Trixie saw who it was her eyes instantly widened and she sputtered, “y-y-your m-m-m-m-m-majesty! I…I did not mean to call you a commoner. You see…I…um, what are you doing out here?” Trixie gave a nervous smile.
“Looking for the thief who not only stole a priceless and dangerous book, but also seriously hurt my pupil.”
Trixie looked away shamefully, but quickly perked up her ears as an eerie wind began to blow. “Ah, welcome back Princess! Hehehehehe.” The voices seemed less frightening to Celestia now.
She now spoke with the Traditional Royal Canterlot Voice, “YOU DO NOT FRIGHTEN ME PHANTOMS! I AM IMMUNE TO YOUR MIND TRICKS NOW!”
“We’ll be the judges of that!”
Celestia’s mind suddenly flooded with thoughts of Luna. Her foalhood, her getting a cutie mark, her fall from grace, her return, and finally the future. Luna has grown past such vile thoughts! Celestia thought to herself, She knows that I love her and would never abandon her or ever wish harm on her. Luna is good! With that final push of will power, Celestia forced the phantoms from her mind. They were hissing and screeching everywhere, until finally they revealed themselves. Little more than skin and bone, they were truly horrid creatures to look at.
Celestia knew why they hid in the shadows, because they couldn’t stand the clarity of light. With a mighty flash of her horn, the phantoms scurried off deep and scattered into the forest. All the while, she still had Trixie in her magical grasp. She frowned at her and they teleported out of the Everfree Forest.
--F+L--
The Hearth’s Warming feast was all prepared, everypony was seated, and Celestia couldn’t have been more delighted that Twilight and her friends could join them. “And that, my dear Twilight, is why you should always keep a level head.”
Twilight was amazed by the story. “Wow Celestia! I can’t believe a dragon could be so wise and, well, not ferocious.” Spike cleared his throat loudly. “By the way, what did you do with Trixie?”
Celestia pointed to the doors where the servants would come in and out of. She opened them with magic to reveal a food pasted Trixie burning her hoof on a hot stove. Celestia and Twilight shared a laugh, and all was pleasant in Canterlot once more.
