As Celestia stood in front of Wild, she was keenly aware of the fear in his eyes and tension in his body.

It wasn’t the first time someone was afraid of her, and she knew it certainly wouldn’t be the last either. Some would perhaps label her as clueless to her own power, but she was far from that. She was tall, extremely tall, taller than most in a way that spoke of their distant ancestors, though not many outside historical academia made much of a note of that connection, and she was very aware that she towered above nearly everyone. If not for the pleasant demeanor she did her best to cultivate, she had no doubt others would fear her even more. She might not look muscular, yet she knew she had strength that most would not be able to achieve in their lifetime, and she spent more time eating cake than exercising. She counted.

However, her physical appearance and thus her intimidating form was not the reason - or, at least, far from the main reason - Wild was afraid of her now.

“I’ve come here to apologize and to explain my actions,” Celestia said, her voice gentle. Despite the reason for his fear not being her appearance, she knew it wouldn’t take much for him to interpret any of her actions as aggression, as an attack, and would thus lead to a disaster. She might be able to come back from any physical harm, but the same could not be said about him, and the mental harm it would bring was a different thing entirely. She needed to approach him like a scared animal, to show him that she truly meant no harm. And now, she also needed to be direct in her speech, to bring the issue to the forefront, “I promise you that you are in no danger from me.”

There was a tiny chance she was wrong about her conclusion that led her to him, now that there was a convenient - at least from a certain point of view - time for her to see him personally, but Wild’s reaction to her was all that she needed to know that she was, unfortunately, right. He was, indeed, that spirit she had encountered and harmed. Looking at him, she could see the resemblance clear as day. The spirit's pony-like shape was, without a single doubt, a simulacrum of Wild's physical form. While the colors were not right, and the spirit's shape was certainly not solid, he was that spirit. As for the colors... they were worrying, telling of a story that she wasn't certain she wanted to hear. Of course, the color black held different connotations depending on the culture, but the cracked appearance, the blood-red color of those cracks, they seemed to point to exactly one conclusion.

On her way to him, she had wondered why his spirit looked the way it did, as well as why he could travel so far away from his body. However, those weren’t the questions she was going to ask now, if at all. She came to him not because of her curiosity, after all.

Wild took another step back, and she could practically feel his distrust radiating off him towards her. As much as he perhaps wished for her to go away, she could not do so, not when this situation needed to be remedied, not avoided.

“I understand you may not believe me when I say it,” she continued, consciously not moving from her spot, doing her best to appear non-threatening, “I’m very aware of my position. I am the most powerful being in Equestria, magically and politically,” she let out a sigh, “And this is why many are afraid of me. However, I do not play games. I mean what I say, and my actions align with my words. There is no need for dishonesty and tricks when I have as much power as I do.”

It was, of course, only partially true. She had not told Twilight Sparkle that she really needed to make some friends, and likewise she had not told various politicians she had met in her life to crawl into their own assholes and roll straight to hell. However, what she did say was still honest, and the intent could be clearly read. Those she disliked knew of her dislike, and she could be honest to those she liked without hurting them with her words. It was a delicate sort of balance.

However, such was not a balance that needed to be maintained with Wild, not at this point. So, she was being entirely honest with him, without mincing words, and without trying to avoid what she truly thought.

Wild seemed to consider it for a moment, eyeing her warily, and then he nodded. Silently, he signed, asking her how she found out the truth about him. It seemed that her statement, at least, prevented him from panicking outright. That was good, situation was under control to an acceptable degree. He was still wearing the Alicorn Amulet and, while she knew he didn’t have the skill to wield the power it provided efficiently, it would have still proven a disaster had he seen her as a danger to him. She had considered delaying approaching him about it all, but it would have only let it all fester and turn ugly, more than it had already had. After she ignored the signs of her own sister growing bitter towards her, she knew she had to be vigilant about never letting it happen again.

“Trixie Lulamoon was question about the events that led to her getting and then losing the Alicorn Amulet,” Princess Celestia explained, “Her description of the spirit and then your appearance with the Alicorn Amulet on you were easy to put together to find the truth.”

Wild nodded, taking another step back seemingly unknowingly. Celestia longed to reach out to him, to assure him that everything was alright, yet she was the cause of his distress, and so she couldn’t do as she wished.

“Firstly, I will say that I am not mad at you for concealing your talent and for not revealing who you were while you were, I suppose, in your spirit form,” she continued, “Such a talent is unusual, and I understand why you would be scared to display it openly.”

She paused, letting Wild process what she was telling him. Her words were slow and methodical, but not to the point that Wild would feel like he was treated as a child. He was a person with his own wants, desires, and will. To deal with people, Celestia had learned to recognize them as people, not merely as temporary vague presences in her long life. She had managed to avert or minimize a great many crises for many centuries due to paying attention. As much might as there was in physical and magical strength, there was much power to be gained through words alone.

“I am sorry you didn’t feel safe to confide in me. Let me make it clear - I will not punish you for your talent. There is nothing to punish. A talent is a part of a pony, a part that cannot be taken away or forcibly changed. If anyone ever told you otherwise, they are wrong. You have a right to use your talent in your life, a right that no one can take away.”

Wild was standing in place, still somewhat wary but more surprised, which saddened Celestia. What had she done wrong that made him think so badly of her? She knew she hadn’t been closely monitoring him, assuming all would be fine at the Royal Orphanage, especially under her sister’s watch. For a time, things have been going well as far as she could tell. From what she knew, Luna and Wild had grown closer over time, and Wild had confided in Luna multiple times by now, though Celestia knew nothing about what it was. There was a bond between the two, a strong bond, a bond that made him feel safe enough to approach Luna and to trust her to be fair to him.

Why did he feel like Celestia would be unfair to him? Celestia knew that, for all her mastery of politics and the general ability to figure out what others wanted, she oftentimes lacked true understanding of interpersonal relationships, and recognizing it is what drove her to send Twilight Sparkle to Ponyville. For all the wisdom Celestia had, there was one area in which she greatly lacked, and she hoped Twilight would unlearn the harmful habits Celestia no doubt had imposed on her because of her teachings.

Was Wild another victim of Celestia’s lacking?

When it came to politics, she was well-versed, having been at it longer than nearly anyone else. She knew how to appease the unhappy, how to make those who overstepped backtrack, and she could see the consequences of policies before they became reality. However, all those skills that greatly helped her with ruling Equestria didn’t translate into perfectly understanding people on a personal level.

What exactly did she miss about Wild?

Casting her mind back to when he was first found, it was understandable why he would be distrustful of others. However, much time had passed since then, and he had grown a relationship with her sister. What she wanted to know were the reasons why he didn’t trust her specifically. Was it because of persistent negative rumors about her that had been circulating for a millennium and never quite disappeared? She had immediately ruled her own sister out - they had made up, and Luna would never paint Celestia in a light of anything but the truth. In the past, that had not been the case, but things had changed. To Celestia’s great relief, she made up with her sister for all the wrongs she had done to her, for all the grievances that were unaddressed, for all the unspoken words, for all the repressed feelings, for... everything.

“Wild... why were you so afraid of me then?” Celestia asked, hoping to find out the truth now before it went out of control. This could not be ignored, certainly not when Wild was growing in magical power day by day.

Wild was silent for a long while, not looking at her, before he, haltingly, offered an explanation. He signed that he hadn’t trusted anyone with his secrets, but Princess Luna found out about them, and he had been forced to accepted that fact. However, he did not wish to share it with anyone else. After a short pause, he explained that he was afraid he would be asked questions he did not want to answer. He then looked into her eyes and signed that she held power over him and could make him answer, and she had done just that.

Silence reigned between the two after his explanation. Celestia had forced the truth out of him, hadn’t she? She could say that it was to protect her sister and others, and it would be true because it was true, but it would not erase the hurt Wild had experienced. She had done what she needed to do considering the circumstances and what she knew at the time, but the consequences of her actions would still be there for her to deal with. She had to take responsibility for it no matter how right it was to do, no matter that she had done her best, no matter that there was no true physical harm done.

Many times in her life that sometimes felt unfairly long, she wondered... who rules the ruler? Who makes sure the ruler does not go astray? Celestia knew she, by herself, was more powerful than any unicorn that had ever existed. She knew it would take a combined effort of thousands of ponies to defeat her if she ever went the way of Nightmare Moon, assuming the Elements of Harmony were not in play - and she knew a vague idea of a plan to deal with them, a plan that she firmly kept out of her mind, trying not to even hypothesize about it. Even if she did not find a way to deal with the Elements of Harmony, they were still, at least at this point, under her control, if indirectly. And, of course, they had been under her control for a thousand uninterrupted years. Perhaps they would have simply ceased to work for her if she abandoned all that she cherished and embraced the path of selfishness and malice, but that was not something she was willing to test.

Sometimes, she questioned whether the world would be better off without her, without all of that great potential for destruction and pain and misery. If she wanted to, she could have done... much harm. Wild, it appeared, was very much aware of it. He wouldn't be the only one, of course, although Equestria had been peaceful and stable for so long that most ponies simply never question Celestia's position. Those that do were ridiculed, though Celestia herself never said a word about them and never indicated that their words of criticism were unwelcome.

Wild, it appeared, was ready for harm coming his way from her, and his fear would certainly not be without reason. And, in truth, what could Celestia promise? Any promise she made she could break without serious consequences. A great many ponies believed in her, took her words as gospel. She had previously met many that, for all the intelligence they possessed, had a blind spot when it came to her.

With great power comes great responsibility, and Celestia was very aware of what could easily happen had she ever slipped. And now it was up to her to convince one pony that she would not hurt him without good cause, a task that seemed impossible, for there was no true guarantee that she could give him.

“I am sorry for forcing you to go through the interrogation,” Celestia said first, putting as much sincerity into her voice as she could, “I believed you were an immediate danger, and I acted according to that belief. I understand this will not alleviate the stress you’ve experienced, but I hope you understand that I did this with no malicious intent, and I hold no ill will towards you. Is there anything I can do for you to prove my sincerity, to prove that I mean my apology? I can grant you anything, within reason.”

Wild thought for a while, and Celestia was glad to see that some tension disappeared from him. He had been almost hunched on himself under her gaze at first, but now he was standing straighter, with more confidence.

Of course, Celestia was aware that she was essentially offering a bribe. She didn't expect him to forget, but she did hope that whatever it was that she could give him would also give him a peace of mind. What it was, however, remained to be seen. Had he been some other stallion, she could perhaps expect a sexual kind of proposition, as crass and unpleasant as it could be. Not that she would agree, and she would have to keep an eye out for the kind of person who would voice such a thought aloud. She was perfectly aware ponies had their fantasies, but some would have to stay in their own heads or, at most, in fiction or some kind of role-play. None of her business as long as it was consensual. Next, of course, was a demand for, essentially, shush money. The easiest to grant, though it could possibly give a way for someone to grow bold enough to blackmail her, as unlikely as that scenario was. The boldest people could ask for titles or land, which... of course, she wouldn't grant the former, but, depending on the severity of her offense, she could certainly grant the latter.

Wild came to a conclusion, which pulled her out of her thoughts. he signed that he had an idea of what to ask for, but he wasn’t ready to tell her what it is. He gestured that he would speak with Luna first before he revealed it.

“Very well,” Celestia nodded, though she was worried internally about what it was. It appeared it wasn't going to be as simple as a demand for money, “I will be waiting, then. And please, don’t hesitate to ask for anything if your stay here is uncomfortable in any way.”

Such a thing had been available to him from the beginning, but reminding him of it could not hurt.

Wild nodded, although he offered nothing more afterwards. Celestia gave him another nod and then departed, softly closing the door behind her.

Celestia stretched her wings and then, with one powerful flap, flew up and headed away from Wild’s temporary residence in the Tower of the Six. She briefly wondered whether he knew the honor he was given by being housed there, but then shook her head - it didn’t matter. Whatever honor there was in giving him that place, even temporarily, was overshadowed by his bravery in confronting Trixie Lulamoon and tricking her into taking off the accursed Alicorn Amulet.

She flew above the palace, enjoying the winds around her. She rarely got the opportunity to fly anywhere these days. She knew she didn’t need protection of her Royal Guard, but she had made it a habit to travel by chariot pulled by pegasi, and forgoing that would break tradition. Her sister, in part because of her thousand-year-banishment, did not need to burden herself with such concerns. Her reappearance, in a way, was a break of traditions, which allowed her to defy expectations. Celestia had, in some way, dug her own grave over hundreds of years, and so every deviation from what ponies expected of her would be met with curiosity, perhaps wariness, and maybe even panic if it were dramatic enough.

As Celestia flew, she wondered exactly what secrets Wild held from her and others. A part of her itched to know, itched to investigate - secrets in politics could prove to be deadly. She knew the secrets were great enough that Luna took them seriously and would never tell them to anyone without Wild's permission. Were they about his past? She had already figured out that he was not, in fact, a Feral, and so his story of having lived in the Everfree Forest was a lie. A lie in self-defense, of course, but still a lie.

However, there were no records of him ever existing before he was found. Of course, it wasn’t like ponies had much documentation overall, especially in rural areas, and especially if someone opted for a home birth instead of going to a hospital, but Wild appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and he did have genuine troubles with the language. Every single pony knew the language, so him going for almost one and a half decades without learning it was, simply put, a total impossibility.

Celestia had a feeling Luna knew the answers to those many questions concerning him. However, if Wild felt it would be safer not to reveal them, and Luna judged it safe not to share them, then Celestia was willing to let it all go. The itch to know everything about everything that was going on in her country would have to be left unsatisfied.

Even then, she wished she had the knowledge in order to build trust between Wild and her, to show him that he was safe with her, and that he could bring up whatever issues plagued him to her if he ever needed help. She was glad he had Luna, yet she couldn’t help but hope she would be brought into his confidence as well.

Perhaps she had taken too much time away from the ponies in the Royal Orphanage. Perhaps it was time for an extended visit, to see if she failed to see even more than she had already missed.

Author's Note

If I am to describe Celestia I'm trying to portray, she is a benevolent-minded manipulator.

On an unrelated note, I have gotten sick and didn't manage to finish Chapter 104, which I will, naturally, be posting on my Boosty once it's done. Yes, this is my Boosty plug. You pay me money, and you get more chapters earlier with, unfortunately, somewhat inconsistent posting schedule because shit happens sometimes. Still, I think I've managed to do a decent amount of stuff, so yeah.