Celestia sat and waited, Twilight by her side.

Oedon Chapel was indeed a safe place. Even in the nightmare that was Yharnam the Chapel felt safe and warm, an inviting refuge away from the grime and grandeur of the city outside.

Eustace had been led down the stairs by the Chapel Dweller, and it looked like he was right about healing in one day. Despite what Celestia had determined to be broken bones and extensive tissue damage he was walking, albeit slowly, by the time they'd gotten to the Chapel. Either he was too prideful to admit how bad it hurt, or his bones had actually healed that quickly.

If it was the latter, then she could definitely see how the ponies of Yharnam got sucked into using the Healing Blood.

Celestia sighed. The more she thought about it, the more she couldn't believe she hadn't seen it earlier. Blood Magic ran through Yharnam like telekinesis was used in Canterlot, it was normal, accepted, but it also came with a price. The Hunt, the beasts, and all the carnage and destruction both wreaked on civilization were the price of that power, regardless of whether it was used for the benefit of everypony or not.

At first, she'd felt little pity for the inhabitants of Yharnam. They were greedy and xenophobic, unwilling to lend a hoof to an outsider unless threats were made. For all the world she didn't care, but now? Now she felt sorry for them. The citizenry had been coaxed into blood magic, of course they'd embody many of the things Celestia herself worked hard to exterminate in her kingdom. One did not simply utilize magic as foul as that without repercussions on both mind and body, after all.

Her brow furrowed. But was feeling sympathy healthy? She knew the outcome of all of this, she knew what Yharnam would become, she knew that it was unlikely any of these ponies that she'd met would survive, let alone their children. She knew that she didn't belong here, and she knew the repercussions of major intervention.

And she knew she definitely didn't want apes ruling the planet.

So she sighed again and shook her head. She looked at Twilight, who looked much like she did. She was sitting like her and looking thoughtful, undoubtedly lost in her own thoughts about the hunt, blood magic and the state of Yharnam.

She wouldn't get in the way of that, so she returned to her own thoughts. Thoughts about things other than the inevitable.

One primary thought rose to the foreground. Where was Astral? The pale pink alicorn had assured them she'd be there, waiting for them back at the Clocktower office, and yet had been nowhere to be seen.

Eustace had assumed that she must have been asleep, but Celestia knew Astral well. In fact, after two hundred and fifty years she'd been the only pony that Celestia had trusted with the title of Vicereine, which essentially dumped all of Luna's old responsibilities on whoever held the title. Astral had officially relinquished the title after thirty years of holding it, but true to her integrity had still carried out some of the functions for Celestia as a friend.

She'd been stringent in her conduct, and had demanded the same from everyone around her. If she'd had a choice, Celestia was certain those gates would have been open. The only way she would've not had a choice was if she was incapacitated, or outside the Upper Ward, and Astral wouldn't have left the Upper Ward without at least one contingency in place for them.

That made her worried, even scared. Astral's contingencies were usually rock solid.

Those thoughts were brushed to the side, though, as the Dweller dragged itself from the small library below the Chapel. "Oh, good! You're still here!" he called, looking towards them both with a wide smile. "I've just finished with our friend, and he'll be all better by the morning, if everything goes to plan that is."

Celestia nodded, grateful for the distraction. "That's good, thank you," she said, offering the withered looking pony a smile of her own. She couldn't see much of him beneath his blood-red robes, but it was clear at least that he was either terribly old or the victim of terrible genetics. His front hooves were cracked and shriveled, his skin was withered, gray and hairless, and he was evidently a double amputee, if the lack of back legs was anything to go by.

"Oh don't mention it," he said with a wave of his hoof, "that's what I'm here for! Just a good Samaritan, looking out for you hunters and anyone else who happens by."

Celestia nodded. "Of course, as we should all do for one another, right?"

"Right! Though, some ponies don't think so, if you get my meaning," he said with a sad tone. "Say, you two are heading out again, am I right?"

Celestia and Twilight shared a look. "Well, we were planning on calling it a night, I think," the white alicorn said, giving the Dweller an apologetic look.

"Oh," the Dweller said, sounding even more sad than before, "nevermind, then. If another hunter happens by I'll ask them."

As he went to drag himself away from them, Twilight let out a small sigh, her sympathetic side getting to her. "No, it's okay, we'd like to hear it anyways," she said with a weary smile.

"Oh, well…" the Dweller began, a hopeful lilt in his voice, "I was hoping that you'd keep your eyes and ears peeled for anypony with their wits about them while out and about, so to tell them about this here Oedon Chapel! Since folks aren't always safe indoors anymore, I figured it'd be a nice safe spot in the middle of all this madness, right?" he said, a smile appearing on his face. "But I understand if you two are worn out. The hunt's long and dangerous work, and everypony needs to rest at some point. So, feel free to stay here for as long as you wish!" The Dweller finished with a smile and a wave, gesturing at the floor. He then turned around, dragging himself to a corner where he remained still and worked with something between his hooves.

Twilight nodded, grabbing Celestia by some of her mane, which had been solid since they'd arrived in Yharnam, and brought her over to a far corner. "Princess," she whispered at Celestia. She didn't even need to say anything more, and Celestia already knew her question.

"Twilight," Celestia whispered back, caution in her tone.

Twilight paused for a beat, but continued on. "I know why you're worried, but we can't just leave innocent ponies to die, can we? What kind of Princesses would we be?"

Celestia sighed. She agreed, a thousand percent, but she had a good reason to hesitate. "What about time, Twilight?" she said, meaning the question to be rhetorical.

"I know," Twilight admitted, "I've been thinking the same thing, but look at all this" – she gestured subtly to the floor, the ceiling, even the Dweller, – "all of it's gone by the time written history starts again, after Discord. Nothing's left, and I doubt a few ponies who didn't deserve anything being told about a safe haven will change that." Despite her argument, Celestia could tell that she was put off by the fact that she was right, that there really wasn't anything of Yharnam left in the future.

To be honest, it seemed off to Celestia too. Maybe Discord just had a grudge against Yharnam? Not that she'd blame him, but she'd have to ask him the next time she saw him all the same.

She sighed. As much as she was terrified of altering the timestream, was saving a few ponies from a doomed city really going to change anything? Then again, the further one went back in time, the more dire the consequences of their interference tended to be…

All those arguments became moot, though, when she looked at Twilight again and saw an expression that said that she'd already made up her mind.

She closed her eyes, resigning herself to whatever the city had in store for her. "Alright, Twilight," she said, her tone weary, "but we're going to be careful. Getting eaten, shot or otherwise killed is low on my to-do, and so is upsetting time."

Twilight nodded. "We'll be careful, Princess." With that, she turned to talk to Dweller one last time before she led the two of them out once again.

Celestia didn't know how to feel. On one hoof, the shuddering inside felt… better, now that she'd agreed to Twilight's plan. On the other, they were going out into what essentially amounted to a warzone.

She sighed again, adjusting the Kirkhammer and loosening its fastenings just a bit, for quick drawing if needed. If she was going to wind up killing some more, by the Maker the least she would do was kill efficiently. Soon, both of them were outside again wondering where to begin, aided in part by a new acquisition - a map.

Regardless of where their hunt took them, Celestia was sure there'd be plenty of beasts between them and their destination.

Their thoughts were interrupted, however, by the screeching of what could only be a Cleric Beast coming from the direction of the Great Bridge, with its horrid voice rising above the drone of the rest of Yharnam. If somepony was fighting it…

Perhaps they'd start there.

Author's Note

One guess where we go next.

Vicereine/roy title in Equestria is different from feudal/imperial viceroyalty. It is more similar to coruler, but with less political and bureaucratic weight. Similar responsibilities, but appointed title thus easily revokable.

The next part will be uploaded as chapters of this story, since they tell the second half of With Eyes Open and not a whole new story. If you've read this far, remember to give a like, a favourite and a follow. Leave a comment as well, if you're inclined.