Arboreal Grieving

The dim light of early morning filtered through blinds, supplemented by an electric lamp resting on a table. The room was spacious but felt small, hemmed in by large furniture and a great deal of stacked legislature.

Near the bed, Celestia pored over one stack of paperwork, forehead creased in frustration. A pen surrounded in a golden field, one of Celestia’s favorite newer inventions, furiously scribbled into one of many reports.

Alabaster ears perked up as they heard the door open. A rolling chair screeched across the hardwood floor.

“Celly, are you still filing reports for that checklist?” Luna peered into the room, her horn poking one of the many stacks of paperwork. “The Solar Court is going to be in session in a few hours. You’ve already missed multiple the last few days, and I am too tired to cover for you agai—woah!”

Celestia had turned around, revealing bloodshot eyes with bags under them. Her mane was sagging, faded of color, and her horn showed the telltale sheddings of neglect. Celestia sighed. “Sister, we do not wish to be disturbed at this moment. The noble petitioners will have to wait.” She rubbed her eyes with one hoof, lifting herself off of the rolly chair. “Can’t you get Blueblood to do it? He has the authority, he might as well use it for once.”

“Get Blueblood to—Celestia, you have not looked this awful since the Gryphonnian Wars!” Luna stammered out, “By the Stars, what have you been doing the past week?”

“I’ve been detailing my proposal I outlined to you last Fausday, the week before.” Celestia grunted, turning away. “The one about Twilight Sparkle.”

Luna blanked for a moment. “I—I thought we had settled that matter! Sister, whyever are you still working on it?”

Celestia waved her hoof, trotting back to the table. “I must preserve the legacy of Twilight to the fullest extent possible. It is my duty as her widow and as Princess of Equestria.”

“Surely that doesn’t require you to sequester yourself for this long?” Luna replied, dumbfounded, “I thought you had already submitted the proposal to Parliament weeks ago! What compelled you to start obsessing over it now?”

Celestia flinched, turning around to retort, “I’m not obsessed!” Luna shrank from the yell, immediately filling Celestia with regret. “Oh, Lulu, it’s just… I have to do this. No, I need to do this.” She fixed Luna with a look of steely determination. “Twilight deserves this proposal and more, I just didn’t realize it at first. I will make sure she is respected and remembered.”

“Celly, you need to stop!” Luna protested, “Twilight wouldn’t have wanted this!”

“I beg to differ, Sister.” Celestia replied coldly, “I am simply making sure that Twilight Sparkle's legacy will be preserved, as long as I’m alive.” She paused for a moment, shifting to give Luna a reassuring smile. “I’ll be done soon. I’ve almost categorized the seventy thousand, six hundred and two books mentioning her, and then I only have to finish up with the media—”

“Seventy thousand?” Luna gaped, “That’s—I demand you cease with this nonsense!” she demanded, stamping the ground. “I know you grieve, but this is too far, both for me and Equestria! What has gotten into you?”

“Leave me be, if you don’t care about her!” Celestia growled, knocking over a pile of paperwork in her anger. “This is too important to let by! I will not stand idly by as she is disrespected by the world!”

Celestia slammed her hooves into the ground with an audible crack, lighting her horn. Initiating a teleportation spell. Luna resisted the magic momentarily, but Celestia was always the stronger sister. In a flash of blinding golden light, one alicorn was left standing in the room, papers fluttering softly to the floor.

Celestia hyperventilated, emotionally taxed. Her head panged, her entire body ached.

She just doesn’t understand—

She could never understand—

Why couldn’t she just let me do this?

She took a shaky breath, ignoring the pounding in her head. Bracing herself with a hoof on the wall, she was able to regain some composure. Just in time too, as a soft knock on the door brought ears swivelling to face the new intruder.

“Your majesty, I wanted to tell you earlier, but I—” The voice of a stallion, Celestia realized, and she turned to look at him. She noticed the adornments of a courier first, and his exhaustion. Panting heavily, he was brown with a black mane. “I come to bring news, terrible news!” He gasped out.

Celestia immediately straightened, making an effort to keep herself proper. “What is it? Tell me!”

The stallion took a deep breath, steadying himself to speak again. “Ponyville, it’s—it’s on fire! A—and there’s no fire department anywhere near!”

Celestia’s mouth opened in shock, momentarily dumbfounded. With a flick of motion, she advanced on him, asking, “Where is Blueblood? He’s Baron of the Canterlot duchy, he should be on the scene!”

“He’s been notified as well, but he’s too slow to get there in time!” the courier said quickly, “Half the town will be lost!”

Celestia paused for a moment, calculations running through her head. The earlier exhaustion was gone, and her past worries were forgotten in lieu of a new anxiety. “Quickly, where has the fire started?”

The courier stopped, thinking. He answered, “I—I believe it was the northern zone?”

Celestia cursed under her breath, invoking a forgotten god’s name in a rather profane manner. She lit her horn in preparation, her head swirling with the necessary equations for reaching Ponyville from the castle.

Glancing at the courier, she gave him a final instruction. “You must contact the Canterlot firefighting brigade at once, if Blueblood has not already. I will minimize the damage best I can, enlisting the help of the local pegasi.”

Her horn shone brighter, and sparks began to appear. “Go!”

The courier took the hint, hooves squealing on the tiled floors. Celestia inhaled, breathing in the aether of the air. Horn doubling in aura, she finally gathered the remaining magic needed. At once, she initiated the spell.

Eyesight filled with blinding golden light, she was briefly reminded of Luna, and regret filled her once more.