Arboreal Grieving

Celestia flew skyward, gaining height. Her eyes struggled to stay open in the face of crushing wind, but she managed. Bitter cold invaded every part of her being, kept at bay only by Celestia’s inner fire.

I should be able to see from here, she thought. Slowing her ascent, Celestia flapped in place, glaring down through the wind for any body of water large enough. Below her, the fires of Ponyville were just barely visible, the smoke slowly rising up into the sky. Thankfully, she was able to see other things below her—the sky was beginning to brighten with the reds and blues of dawn.

Celestia peered at the desiccated Saddle Lake, almost completely empty at this time of year. Her eyes trailed down the riverbed branching off of the lake, finding not a single reflective mote of water. Of course it would have all drained into the Everfree by now, she realized helplessly.

Her eyes glanced this way and that for anything. Froggy Bottom Bog and Lake Charmoille were too far—half the town would be ash by the time she got back. Glancing towards the Canter Range, Celestia considered the world-famous Canterlot waterfalls. On second consideration, they fed the city: if she drained them, the fragile system of caves and high-speed pipes wouldn’t be able to fill it enough for the city’s water needs. And she wouldn’t be able to teleport back with all that water, she’d have to take the long way.

Glancing upwards, Celestia again searched the sky for any trace of clouds. She found nothing but endless air. By the Stars, how is it possible for the sky to be this empty? she thought.

As she turned, however, she noticed a dark shadow on the horizon. Peering at them, Celestia sighted the telltale flashes of a thunderstorm. To Celestia’s joy, there was a towering series of storms flashing over the south side of Ponyville.

Wait—is it?

To Celestia’s alarm, she realized exactly where the storm was raging over: the Everfree Forest. Storms were notoriously dangerous over the chaotic wetlands, pounding the land harder and lasting longer than any pony-made storm. Every single pony who had tried to tame one had failed, even the late Rainbow Dash, who made it out on the skin of her teeth.

But the infamous storms had never faced an alicorn before. Celestia glanced around in indecision. This might be my only chance to save the library.

This is my only chance, she thought, and for Twilight’s sake, I must take it.

Celestia made flight, beating her wings in the direction of the storm.