Arboreal Grieving

by Pink Man

Rating: everyone
Tags: Alternate Universe, Sad, Princess Luna, Drama, Spike, Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 8096

Every home has old possessions you don't give up in memorium. A select few grip these more then their own, treasuring the treasures of those who have passed on. Princess Celestia finds herself in this position.

Every home has old possessions you don't give up in memorium. You see it in the man who still has his grandmother's old lamp. You see it in the teenager who inherited a baseball card collection, or perhaps a great deal of vintage CDs. You see it in the grandfather, who still holds his wife's old jewelry in the drawer. Those who have passed leave us their own loves, loves we cannot easily lose. After all, sentimentality is the death of reason.

A select few grip these possessions more then their own.

Created for the Depth in Innocence contest,

Cover Art Source

Published 2020-07-02 01:10:00 UTC
Last updated 2020-07-02 01:10:00 UTC

Reminiscings

“Do you think people are remembered after they, well, you know, pass?”

“Of course they are! I remember each and every one of my subjects fondly.”

“But for how long?”

“For as long as I shall live.”

“And you’re not worried you’ll forget?”

“Never.”

The day was ending. Soft orange light peered through ornate stained glass windows, giving the room the feeling of a dying flame. A kaleidoscope of faces dotted the windows, all different. A chaotic monster, mismatched and malevolent. An alabaster alicorn, set aside a midnight blue sister. A queen full of holes, a nightmarish insectoid invader. A lavender face, surrounded by friends.

The long royal hall was completed by a regal raised throne at the end, with two remaining ponies. One, seated on the throne, was very tired. The other, a short servant reading off of a checklist.

“The royal petitioners seek another hour of counsel, your majesty.” A pale mare, white as bone with a jet black mane, waited at the hoof of the Solar Princess with a checklist.

A white hoof pressed against a forehead. “Tell them they are denied, but that they are permitted to reconvene tomorrow.” Golden magic lifted up a small teacup, still simmering.

The servant rose to attention. “It will be done, your majesty.”

The alabaster ruler nodded her head for dismissal. “Thank you, Raven.” She took a sip of her tea, jasmine if she recalled correctly. Deliciously, swelteringly hot, but she was used to both the heat and the flavor. A question occurred to her. “Oh, Raven, is there anything more on the schedule? I feel that I am weary of the court for now.”

Raven shook her head, giving a sympathetic smile. “No, there’s nothing more for today. Enjoy your evening, Princess.” She bowed, and grabbed the various mountains of paperwork in her magic. Giving Celestia one final salute, she disappeared behind the throne to leave through the servants’ entrance.

Making sure to hear the old door creak closed, Celestia let out a deep sigh of relief. She stretched out her hooves, feeling the joints creak in thanks. Now lying languidly on the throne, she had a soft giggle. Not very princessly of you, Celestia, she thought. With a mental shrug, she downed the rest of the tea, placing the cup to her side. A sudden pinch on her neck muscles painfully reminded her of the torc, which she immediately dislodged and pulled off. Tossing the golden neck arrangement to the side, she rose, yawning slightly.

I should probably get to bed sometime after sunset, Celestia thought. Twilight would’ve-

She stopped herself. It did no good to think of those things. Celestia shook her head, clearing away the intrusive thoughts.

Celestia lazily stepped down from her throne, dragging her torc behind her in a golden field. Slowly but surely, she made her way down the hall, the clacking of her horseshoes echoing unpleasantly. She kept her gaze downwards, avoiding the eyes of the stained glass windows. She almost made it to the ornate doorway without looking up.

A lavender glint caught her eye, and before she could stop herself, she glanced upwards. The sky was more red then orange, now, and it reflected through the glass panes in a dark velvet light. The window commemorating her sister’s redemption looked all the same, pristine as the day it was finished.

Celestia’s eyes were drawn to a particular figure near the left side. Surrounded by the Elements’ magic, Twilight Sparkle peered at Celestia from beyond, her mane still that deep purple - unmarred by grey streaks - that Celestia had loved. It was a simple representation, but the memories it drudged up brought a soft smile to Celestia’s face.

Celestia was brought back to her senses as the sun tugged at her mind, urging her to keep schedule. As she dutifully pulled the sun over the horizon, like she had done so many times before, Celestia realized how much she valued that stained glass window, and the many legacies of Twilight Sparkle that were just like it. How many times had she reminisced today looking into them? Yesterday? The past year? Regretfully, she took one last look at the window, its crystallized figures darkening until she could see nothing but the barest hint of color.

Celestia slowly trotted towards the softly lit doors, the torches automagically lighting with a dim purple flame. Barely registering the guards, who saluted respectfully as she passed, Celestia pondered the state of Twilight Sparkle’s legacy.

Drafting

“So, Lulu, what do you think?” Celestia gleefully looked down at Luna, almost touching snouts with her over the breakfast table.

Luna carefully pushed Celestia back. Skeptically, she asked, “I’m a little wary of this idea, Sister. Twilight Sparkle was a good friend to me as well, and I’m not strictly against it…”

Celestia nodded, pushing back into her seat. She motioned for Luna to continue.

Luna uneasily finished, “But it’s not healthy to obsess over your dearest-”

“Obsessed? Is that what you think?” Celestia huffed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Luna rolled her eyes, pointing to a particular piece of legislature. “Celestia, you are planning to fund state-sanctioned biographies, forgetting that there are already multiple in publication, including Twilight’s own autobiography!”

“There’s nothing that says I can’t help add to the list!” Celestia hotly contested. “Maybe they’ll catch a detail the others missed! You don’t know!”

“Really.” Luna answered drolly. “Better than Twilight Sparkle herself, the living library? Celly, that was ridiculous and you should know it better than anypony.”

Celestia blushed a little. “I-”

“And that’s not even the most offensive part of this bill.” Luna interrupted, “Here, you’re pushing for over 100 statues to be placed in Canterlot alone! There are only 67 outdoor statues in this city!”

“And just how do you know that, nerd?” Celestia asked smugly.

Luna stared down her sister. “Sister, I am the chairpony for the Equestrian Arts Foundation. I have added 12 statues myself since my return.”

Celestia looked away, red from shame. “It was easier to tease you into submission a thousand years ago.”

Luna smirked, replying, “And it’s far easier to tease you! Aren’t you historically famous for your uncrackable mask?”

Celestia coughed. “Recent developments changed that.” She sighed, regaining composure. “You know why I’m doing this, Lulu.”

Luna sighed, giving a sympathetic smile. “Celly, of course I do. I’m just trying to prevent this outrageous bill from being passed. You’re usually better at lawmaking than this.” Luna held up yet another bill, grinning. “Really, Celly. Provisions for state-sanctioned pins, plushies, and decorative keychains, featuring Twilight Sparkle?”

Celestia blushed madly yet again, leaping onto the table to snatch the piece of paper out of Luna’s magical grip. “Lulu, I insist, at the very least be constructive!” She rapped the paper with a hoof, continuing, “I still plan on instituting most of the things in this bill, even if I might have to review some of my more...irrational decisions.” She glanced warily at the stack of papers.

Luna smiled reassuringly and pulled the proposals towards herself, saying, “Oh, I was just messing with you, Celly. Most of these aren’t even half bad, if not actually good.” She flipped through the pages, pointing to a particular one under Motion 12. “For example, I fully support designating Twilight’s old library as an Equestrian Heritage landmark. She made quite a lot of contributions to magical theory.” She tapped the table thoughtfully. “Although, you might want to keep it a functioning library. Twilight wouldn’t have wanted a place of learning to be empty.”

Celestia nodded in agreement, smiling. “Thank you for looking over it, Luna. I don’t know what I would do without a rational head around here.”

Luna waved her hoof dismissively, saying, “Celly, I know how important this must be to you. Besides, even if it wasn’t, Twilight was my first and greatest friend. Really, I don’t know how you survived a millenia without me.”

She glanced down, frowning. “Also, you’re standing in my pancakes.”

"Oh."

Dispute

Celestia presided over court, watching the line of petitioners file in. As the nobles had already filed out, Celestia was now free to hear the concerns of the common Canterlot citizen.

A short-statured dark blue pony approached the stand, carrying several files with him. “Our group petitions for the removal of Twilight Sparkle’s statue from the astronomical center on Walt Street.”

Celestia didn’t even have to think before she decided. “Denied.”

“Princess!” The pony protested, “It’s an absolute eyesore! The face alone is cause for—”

“Denied. Please leave civilly.” Celestia motioned for guards to escort the pony out.

As she heard the next claim, a dispute of ownership between two mothers, Celestia’s eyelid twitched.

Sculpture

The sun was shining, and it was a beautiful day.

Celestia rather enjoyed her walks through the Royal Gardens, but today was especially enjoyable. Seeing all the sculptures and topiary in the early morning brought her a sense of calm only tea had matched.

Especially this one comin—

Celestia stopped in her tracks, having found a great deal of spray painted iconography on one of her favorite statues: her familiar Twilight, immortalized in stone performing the traditional Sunset Dance. Black paint now covered most of the face, and her sides were covered in crude drawings.

Nearby, two young colts were busy spray painting another statue, one of a pegasus mare flying over stylized mountains.

"Hey!" Celestia yelled. With a yelp, the two colts ran into a carefully cut bush. Celestia leaped after them, only to find nothing but spray paint cans.

She felt herself practically simmering. I can't believe this, she thought furiously, that anybody would deface Twilight Sparkle! Glancing at the now-profane statue, Celestia made mental notes to invest in electric fencing.

Proposal

Sunlight filtered through blinds to create a warm, softly lit room. Celestia had seated herself at the study table, currently at work on a new bill concerning military funding.

A sharp rap on the door brought her out of the zone, ears flicking around. Opening the door with her golden field, Celestia greeted the courier and took his scrolls from Parliament.

Dismissing him with a friendly nod, Celestia returned to her desk, opening the proposals one after the other. Funding for education, allocations for industry, tariffs on various items…

Finally, Celestia found the scroll concerning her Twilight Sparkle legacy proposal. Reading through the concerns and agreements, she found…

She grit her teeth before she even finished the word. “Denied,” she muttered, her expression darkening almost instantly.

How dare they!

Pulling a stack of paper from beneath the desk, Celestia growled under her breath. This was going to take some time to set right.

Fight

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.

Fire

The first thing Celestia felt was frigid air, the sensation of falling. Her eyes opened, she took in the entirety of ponyville—from the air.

Immediately on reflex, her wings snapped open, bringing her careening fall to a slow glide. Burning brightly against the dark landscape, her gaze was instantly drawn to the flames: spreading smoke across a third of the town.

With a single beat of her wings, Celestia flew—far faster than any normal pegasus, something she noted to herself with a tinge of pride. As she drew closer, Celestia found herself able to make out small figures flitting around the fires.

Her wings flapped in the wind, trying to give her the speed she desired. Celestia flew ever nearer, and she began looking for a spot to...

Here!

Not soon enough, she pulled in her wings. The wind was a freezing, biting force, but she powered through it. Hurtling towards the ground, she sighted a throng of ponies around the fountain.
Celestia aimed for them, preparing her body for landing. She purposefully avoided looking at the inferno. She didn’t want to see the library in flames.

Celestia snapped her wings open, bringing her dizzying speed to a close. Her hoof reached, pawing for the ground, and she found purchase. Skidding, she managed to plant her hooves in the ground, stopping just in time.

In front of her, a small yellow unicorn cowered. By his feet, a pail of spilled water. Celestia took a breath, folding her wings. Pulling herself up to full height, she noticed the crowd of ponies.

“—the Princess!”

“Celestia!”

“—help?”

The crowd whispered amongst themselves, and Celestia took the opportunity. “Please, my little ponies, quiet down!” She waited, calmly, as the ponies deferred. She continued, “I need to know, where is the mayor? Who is handling this?”

As she glanced around, some of the ponies in the crowd began to make way for somepony else—to Celestia’s surprise, said pony was wheelchair-bound, and clearly very old. Celestia recognized their cutie mark of drafted parchment, emblazoned on the sides of the wheelchair, as someone surprisingly familiar.

“It is a pleasant surprise to find you still running things here, Mayor Mare,” Celestia said kindly, “Though, I wish it was under more pleasant circumstances.”

Mayor Mare bowed her head, a slow and strenuous effort. “It is disastrous, yes,” Mayor Mare began, “And we have not enough pegasi or water to put it out.” The elderly mare moved her head to look at the fire blazing before them, and Celestia gritted her teeth.

“Could you not simply—” Celestia started, glancing up. To her frustration, the sky was completely clear, without a cloud in sight. The blue of daylight was seeping upwards, and a few stars could even be seen. Celestia muttered a curse.

Suddenly, another idea occurred to her. “Perhaps we can drain the reservoir? Or the water tower?” she asked hopefully.

This time, a pegasus weatherpony spoke up from behind Mayor Mare. “I’m afraid Saddle Lake was recently drained by Cloudsdale, and we’ve already used most of the water in the tower.” The pegasus held out a bucket of water he’d been holding. “As you can see, it wasn’t that effective.”

Celestia uttered another quiet curse. Glancing at the nearby half-empty fountain, she already knew that wouldn’t be enough either. And using my own magical ability would only worsen the flames instead of dousing them... she thought.

“Has everypony been evacuated? We might have to leave the town for the surroundings,” Celestia offered, uneasily. A shocked silence prevailed, and Celestia thought to herself, It’s not what I want, but it’s preferable to the alternative…

A pale pink mare next to the mayor spoke up. “Most ponies are already out of their homes, and we can have the rest evacuated in about ten minutes. But...” She pointed down the street with a hoof.

“Spike’s still in there.”

Celestia looked without thinking.

Golden Oaks Library was burning. The upper foliage was completely obscured by smoke, and the flames were consuming most of the ground floor. Dark grey soot spilled out of the windows. Surrounded by similarly burning buildings, one could barely make out its shape.

Celestia realized she was gaping in horror. Exerting effort over herself, she managed to tear her gaze away from the library. She saw her ponies wearing panicked expressions, and with trepidation, one small filly stepped forward, saying uneasily, "Spike's a dragon, so he should be fine. He's probably still sleeping, right?" She gave a weak laugh.

Celestia gave a half-smile at the foal. "I'm not concerned about Spike all that much. He should be fine." She paused, watching the fires rage on. "The town itself is what I'm worried about."

I have to save this town. I have—need to save the library.

Celestia glanced at Mayor Mare. The elder was not panicking—rather, she was looking expectantly towards Celestia. She nodded in the mayor’s direction, steeling herself for the coming ordeal.

Suddenly, she spread her wings, opening them to their full width. “I’m going to look for any nearby water sources,” Celestia explained. She glanced around at the fires illuminating the dark streets, and without looking, recalled the image of the burning library. “I pledge to save your town with all my strength,” she said.

Grunting, Celestia leaped into the air. Beating her wings once, she was gone, disappearing behind a row of burning cottages.

Storm

This was not a good decision, Celestia thought, dismally.

Sleet pelted her coat as she desperately tried to turn the storm towards Ponyville. Her mane’s inherent magic had failed in the face of the storm’s downpour, soaking it beyond belief. The chill had penetrated her very bones, and she knew her alicorn status and fire affiliation were the only thing keeping her alive.

Celestia had desperately tried to wrangle the storm, or even just a part of it. Every time, she was denied, flung out into the rain in the wake of her misguided attempts. Her primaries were drenched and bent, barely able to keep her form airborne. And to top it off, she could barely tell what was going on at all—the storm tried its best to disorient and bewilder her with gusts from all sides, pounding rain, and mind-deafening thunder.

As she dodged yet another lightning strike, Celestia felt herself starting to panic. Her limbs began to shiver uncontrollably as she forced herself into yet another grapple with the heart of the storm. But she knew her motivation, and the stakes. Princess Celestia was not backing down to a mere storm.

If I can’t control it from the heart… then there’s only one other option.

Celestia beat her wings once, clearing the space around her. With the clouds momentarily pushed back, Celestia took her opportunity to reorient and leap upwards. Ascending through the cloud layers, Celestia flapped her wings with every ounce of energy, fighting tooth and nail to climb just one more level.

Celestia felt herself falter in the ascent, but the Golden Oaks Library burning in the back of her mind kept her spirit burning. She had to do this. There was no other choice.

Cloud after cloud, Celestia punched through. Her vision was almost completely obscured—her natural pegasus affinity the only thing keeping her on the right path. She beat apart yet another raincloud with her primaries, shaking off the frost and dew.

Finally, with a soft puff of cloud, Celestia surfaced on the top. Coughing violently, she found herself unable to stand. Collapsing onto a strangely comfortable thunderhead, Celestia struggled to find her breath. Her body was soaked to the bone, her wings almost too wet to continue functioning.

However, for a moment, Celestia found herself able to relax, despite everything.

Up here, she thought, it almost seems peaceful. The sun had still not quite climbed over the horizon, and so the sky was a beautiful blend of red, orange, and blue. She couldn’t see the fire from here. On the top of this raging storm, Canterlot’s ivory towers, White Tail Woods’ endless expanse of trees, the purple-tinted Canter mountain range: all of it was stunningly beautiful.

Celestia’s limbs didn’t appreciate the image. Aches and pains made themselves known, and her wings beat nervously. And worst of all, the image of the library burning lingered in the back of her mind. I can’t stay here forever, she thought.

Picking herself up, Celestia repositioned to face Ponyville. She plunged her hooves into the clouds, solidifying them into place with some quick cloudshaping. Her wings began to beat, gathering magic into the pinions.

She closed her eyes, taking a steady breath. Bracing herself, she pushed.

She held her breath, coercing, encouraging, compelling the storm to just listen to her. Hearing the responses, she released the magic with a silent curse.

She had pulled out all of the classic pegasi tricks, but the wild magic of the Everfree would still not obey. It was too chaotic, too self-important, it would never follow her orders. The tinge of hopelessness invaded her soul, and she forced herself to muster all of the determination she could find.

Whatever opposition I face, I must put forth all I can muster.

Pulling her hooves back into position, she readied for another attempt. Gathering magic from the ambient air, she imbued her primaries to the fullest extent she could manage. Her horn lit in tandem with her beating wings as she ignored the biting frost, gritting her teeth.

Celestia pushed again, to little effect. She felt a marginal shift in favor from the clouds, but it wasn’t enough.

Celestia gathered her magic again. I have to try something different, she thought, Maybe if I… ”

Celestia experimentally flapped her wings. Taking a breath, she plunged her wings into the cloudcover, shivering despite herself. She centered her mind, pushing away the distant feelings of gust and cold.

You have to do it. If this fails, all is lost.

She paused for a deep, steadying breath.

Come on, Celestia, third time’s the charm!

She braced her muscles, straining against the now-solid clouds. Her horn lit once again.

You’ll have let Twilight down.

For the third time, Celestia pushed.

Delay

The dim light of early morning filtered through blinds, supplemented by an electric lamp resting on a table. The room was spacious, but filled with all manner of assorted items. Sculptures and antique furniture were lined up against the walls, and paintings filled up every square inch of available wallspace.

“Guards?” A wavering voice echoed from inside a mahogany canopy bed. Nearby, a pair of thestral Night Guards watched the bed warily.

“What is the matter?” Luna’s face, unusually cross, popped out from the curtains. “Whatever is so important that it requires my attention?”

One of the guards, a black coated stallion uneasily stepped in. “Your Majesty, you have duties to attend to that need addressing. ” He glanced at his fellow guard for support, finding no courage whatsoever in his teammate. "Solar Court will start soon, and we as the Night Guard have duties to fulfill."

"I had a rather harsh fight with my Sister," said Luna, "I'd rather not deal with petty nobles and their squabbles."

“But why don’t you go try to solve it with her? You’ve been in this room for an hour.” The guard winced prematurely at his own question.

“I know exactly why she’s distressed,” Luna muttered, “But she did something she promised to never do, and that’s a broken Sister promise.”

“Well, it’s the duty of the Royal Sisters to help one another, isn’t it?” The other guard, a dark brown female, offered. “If this issue is troubling Celestia so much, then you need to help her.”

The figure behind the curtain shifted. "We don't break promises. Celestia would never stoop so low normally... "

"Maybe she's not "normal" right now, then?" The female guard craned her neck to try and catch a glimpse of Luna through the curtains.

To the guards’ surprise, Luna pulled herself out of the canopied bed in response. She stood up to her full height, looking no worse for wear other than an unkempt mane and a worried expression.

“Come, guards.” Luna trotted to the door, opening it without fanfare. “If Celestia has truly been so discomforted by her lover's passing, I fear she is no longer herself."

"Woah, isn't that overreacting a tad?" The stallion asked. "I don't think the Princess will turn into, like, Nightma—"

Luna fixed him with a withering glare. "I take these matters very seriously. I hope the best, but it is better to prevent the worst." Turning away, she muttered, "I didn't even realize it, but as I think about it, it feels so similar to my own distress a thousand years ago."

She led the shocked guards into the hall, moving to exit the Lunar wing. Shining with bright electric lighting, Luna’s small portion of the Castle was never to be shrouded in darkness again. Perhaps not a change the thestrals liked, however, as they snapped on protective eyewear built into their headpieces.

Suddenly, a cry was heard from down the hall, accompanied by scuffling and shouting. Luna held up a hoof as she advanced towards the disturbance, holding her two guards in place.

Trotting at a brisk pace and rounding the corner, she found what appeared to be a small fight between a few of her own Night Guard and a courier. Luna wasted no time here, brusquely asking, “What is the problem here? Hurry.”

One of the night guard, obscured under his full armor, pointed to the courier. “He is not to be allowed to enter, per your command.”

The courier protested, “I have a very important message for Her Majesty!” He waved a small piece of sealed parchment. “From Celestia herself!”

One of the guards retorted, saying, “Orders are orders, no non-authorized personnel allowed—”

Luna stopped him with a hoof to the mouth. “Couriers are to be allowed wherever they are sent, especially if it’s a message delivered from a Princess.” She grabbed the scroll in her magic, nodding to the courier. “Your diligence will be noted. Thank you..”

The courier saluted and ran off, leaving Luna alone to reprimand her guards. Luna opened her mouth to scold, only to sight a particular symbol on their shoulders. Luna quickly realized her error.

“Oh, you’re rookies.” She said, glancing at each guard with disdain. “You should not have ever been chosen to guard here. However, as your failure is still apparent, you are to report to your commanding officer for appropriate punishment.”

Trotting back to her own guards from a chorus of rookie moans, Luna opened the delayed message. Standing there silently, her eyes flicked across the page, widening with every line. With a snap, the scroll was snapped shut in dark blue magic.

“Guards, ensure Blueblood is notified of his responsibilities in the Solar Court.” Luna at once seemed to be bathed in shadow, her form obscured by darkness even the electric lights above could not pierce. “I must assist my sister in Ponyville immediately.”

The guards glanced at each other in concern as Luna disappeared further into the shadow. “Ensure that those privates are punished. I will be foregoing the chariot in lieu of teleportation.”

Seeing salutes and subsequent dispersal, Luna submerged fully in the darkness. Closing the entrance behind her, she began swiftly moving towards Ponyville.

Focused on the journey, Luna tried to avoid thinking about her worries.

Ashes

With a snap, Celestia regained consciousness. Unable to move, every limb in her body cried in protest as she tried to get up.

Carefully restraining her panic for the moment, she tried to sense if anything was broken. Her wings hurt the most, but were folded and receptive. She still felt her drenched coat, and her hooves were responsive as well. Celestia silently thanked her alicorn durability.

Tracing her memories, Celestia realized she was likely crashed somewhere in the library. Although her eyes refused to open just yet, she felt the wood paneling beneath, meaning she wasn’t hanging in the rafters or branches. However, she was trapped with a weight of some kind. Struggling to move, she could not lift it, finding her muscles too weak for even the most simple of tasks.

With a gasp, the weight was suddenly lifted. Creaking her eyes open to newfound light, Celestia saw a purple-green form moving over her. With some focusing, she realized with some relief that it was Spike, his spines unmistakable.

Mustering up energy, she managed to sound out her surprise. “...Spike?” she asked, “I—is that you?”

Spike lifted yet another weight off of her body, freeing her legs. “Princess, why are you here? And what happened to you?” From what Celestia could see of his expression, he was greatly worried.

She closed her eyes and sighed inwardly. “I-it’s a long story,” she said, awkwardly. “Could you please pull me out of the water?”

With a grunt, Spike lifted her up. Finding herself placed down on a dry table to the side of the room, she hissed as a bruise on her side made itself known. She glanced upwards, taking in her surroundings.

The room was completely destroyed. To her dismay, half of the room was caved in, rainwater pouring in relentlessly. Glancing at the bookshelves, they were in an even worse state—the books themselves were reduced to piles of mulch, with the shelves a scarred, collapsing mess. Her heart panged as she realized even the door had been shattered, something she had helped paint a good number of years ago. The green color was barely even noticeable, now.

Shocked into silence, Celestia didn’t even realize she was tearing up until Spike interjected. “Princess, what happened? You’re crying, the library is destroyed, what’s going on?” His baffled expression moved her to explain.

She started to speak. “I…”

Pausing a moment, she noticed a shadow move in the corner of her eye. Turning her attention to it, Celestia panicked a little, struggling even with what little strength she had. “Spike, hide me, or something! She can’t see me like this!”

“What? Why?” He asked, growing even more concerned. “Who’s coming?”

With a glint of light, the shadow moved into the center of the view. Transforming, the shadow grew upwards, solidifying into a pony like shape. “Princess Luna!” Spike exclaimed. Celestia winced as her sister immediately rushed to her side, pushing Spike aside.

“Celly, what happened to you?” Luna was clearly distressed now, far from the anger Celestia had expected. “I worried for you!”

“I got too caught up in things, and I tried to wrangle a storm to save the library.” Celestia shrunk from her sister in shame, only to be wrapped in a crushing hug.

“Sister, don’t do that ever again. Please.” Celestia, with renewed tears, silently nodded. She pulled Luna in tighter.

Sharing a moment, the two said nothing.

Spike cleared his throat, still standing behind them. “Princess, I still want an explanation…”

Luna retreated from the hug, fixing her sister intensely. “Now that I am assured of your safety, I want one as well. Why does Twilight trouble you so, after so long?” Spike gave a sideways glance of bafflement.

Celestia paused, finding her words. “I—I got too stressed over Twilight. I thought that if I tried hard enough, I could force everything to stay the way it was…” She pulled in her legs, looking skyward to avoid the gazes. “Obviously, it didn’t work. I know that now.” She gave a bitter laugh, devolving into a cough as she overexerted her lungs.

Luna took on her worried look again. “Celly, what caused this? Was it...myse—”

“No, Lulu, never you.” Celestia interrupted, even more deeply ashamed. “I… lost control. It’s my fault, entirely. I should’ve just moved on, instead of clinging…”

“Hang on here,” Spike interjected, “That’s what this was about?” He glanced at the wreckage. “Does that mean you caused this?”

Celestia quickly shook her head, saying, “No! I don’t know how this started. I was talking of my own waywardness in Canterlot… I grew obsessed with Twilight’s legacy, everything she left behind.” Tears formed in her eyes again as she looked at the ruined house behind the two. “It just hurt, I didn’t know how to stop it.”

“Nobody does, at first,” Luna replied quietly. “I’ve lost lovers in my time as well, you know that. You could have come to me.” She lowered her gaze.

“Twilight was, like, my mother,” Spike added, “You can always talk to me about her.” Glancing at the room behind him yet again, he sighed. “Although, it’s probably going to be a little more often than I would’ve expected. No way I can stay here after this.”

Celestia grimaced. “We can discuss that later. It’s yet another reason I wish I could have saved this house.”

“But you saved the rest of Ponyville,” Spike countered, “Twilight’s old library was definitely not something I wanted to burn down. But the rest of the town is saved.”

“I do wish to raise the question, how did you get so damaged by a single storm?” Luna questioned, glancing at the still-pouring rain in the background.

Celestia sighed. “There wasn’t a single cloud in sight, except over the Everfree.”

Luna’s eyebrows raised. “You managed to direct an Everfree storm? That’s an… incredibly impressive feat, Sister.”

“But it wasn’t enough to save the library, or the surrounding houses.” Celestia hung her head.

“Oh, the library isn’t that important, Celestia,” Spike asserted, “We all miss Twilight, but we don’t need a gigantic tree to remind us of her.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Celestia admitted, “I was so focused on the things around Twilight, that I forgot to remember the mare herself—for herself. I can’t believe I let myself get caught up in that.”

“Celestia, we all make grave mistakes like this someday. It’s a part of life. After all, I’m reminded of her at the end of every day.” Luna said, “It’s in the name, after all.”

“Oh, that was terrible, Lulu.” Celestia said, trying and failing to hide her smile.

“Wait—that wasn’t a joke!” Luna protested, “I swear!”

Celestia smirked. “With how bad yours are, Luna, how am I supposed to tell?”

“Oooh, She’s got you there!” Spike said, laughing despite the situation.

“My jokes are not terrible!” Luna scoffed.

Celestia found the energy to bop Luna on the snout. “If your jokes are so good, go tell Spike one right now!”

“I—what—oh, fine!” Luna grumbled, turning to Spike. Clearing her throat, she paused for a moment, glaring at the other two. “Why did the bike fall over?”

Spike facepalmed, while Celestia tried to hold in a giggle. Luna blushed, rethinking her decision. “Don’t criticize before I even finish it!” she stammered indignantly.

“No, no, finish the joke, I insist!” Celestia said through a hoof.

“Because it was too tired.” Luna finished lamely, without a hint of inflection.

For a moment, all of them were silent. Celestia and Spike looked at each other, and then back at Luna. After a moment of held breath, both erupted into laughter.

They continued laughing as Luna stomped outside, grumbling. “If you two are done laughing, I’m going to go help the townsfolk!” As both continued to cackle, she huffed.

“Ugh, you two are the worst!”

Bills

“Well, Auntie, these bills here look rather out of place, considering… “ Prince Blueblood the twenty-third, almost the exact same stallion as his father, stood next to the Princess herself. Annoyingly, he brought issue after issue of the noble houses to her divided attention.

Celestia sat primly, inwardly struggling to resist the urge to slouch. In the back of her mind, she found herself missing the many times Twilight had crashed her court. The star spiders had been rather entertaining, perhaps it was time for a repeat event—

“Tia! Are you even listening?” Blueblood demanded, irately. “You're obligated by the law to hear us for our allotted time! Don't tell me you're looking for a repeat of that hooligan's antics.”

Celestia suddenly peered down at Blueblood, unblinking. He wilted, realizing his mistake, and although for a moment it seemed as if she would smite him, she eventually settled back into her seat.

“Blueblood, you are asked by the throne to keep comments like that to yourself,” Celestia said coldly, “Please, continue with the petitions, and we’ll forget that happened.”

Blueblood happily obliged.

Flight

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.

Crash

Celestia flew weakly, making an effort to not overexert her wings. Covered in frost and drenched, she expected to need medical care after this disaster was over and done with.

Shivering uncontrollably, Celestia still managed to keep herself in the air, gliding down into Ponyville from the clouds. Rain still beat down on her, thankfully warmer than inside the storm, keeping her completely soaked to the bone.

Celestia zeroed in on the faltering light in Ponyville, even as the flames were drowned out by the downpour. Peering through the haze, she could see that the blaze was considerably weaker than she remembered.

Distracted, Celestia inhaled a lungful of water. Sputtering, she was wracked with coughs in midair, losing her grip on the air. Her wings lost the energy to beat, and she fell.

Panic set in as Celestia struggled to take a breath, only finding more frigid rain. She tried to force her wings to cooperate, but they only weakly beat once before falling limp once more.

Oh, this is bad!

Celestia glanced down, finding the Ponyville roofs to be too close for comfort. She exerted her wings for one final effort, angling her body for a rough landing. Sighting the street, she unfurled her wings completely, aiming for a slow glide.

Suddenly, a sharp pain pinched her wing at the alula. Celestia struggled with her wing, pushing it out with a desperate hoof, but it continued to crumple in, the pain forcing her to veer to the left.

With a weak cry, Celestia found herself speeding for the building she had planned to land beside. Forcing her other wing out, Celestia tried to slow for a more controlled approach, only to find her wing unable to hold up her body. As the other wing was forced to her side, Celestia braced her body for impact—

Spike

Spike blearily clawed at his blankets, turning over with a creak. The cold, wet sensation would not leave, to his great frustration. He tried to return to the warm dream, only to have it dissipate completely.

Pulling himself upright with a great deal of effort, he rubbed at his eyes. His entire body felt wet, and his nose could only pick up the faint smell of… ash?

Spike’s eyes flung open in a panic. Assessing the room, he realized with shock that the entire room was blackened, soot and ash piled everywhere. In the ceiling, a few more holes than he remembered had appeared. Even more concerning, water was leaking into the room from said holes. Oh Celestia, he thought, I didn’t torch my room in my sleep, did I? Did they have to have the pegasi clean it up?

Tearing off his drenched comforter, Spike leaped to his feet. Eyeing his ruined slippers, he chose to go bare, quickly making his way to the exit.

Thankfully, the stairs were still intact, leading to a hope for minimized damage. Twilight’ll flog me from beyond the grave if the main room went up! he thought nervously.

Creeping down the stairs, Spike found himself more and more anxious, hesitating to look at the potential damage. Stopping himself just before the corner, he steeled himself.

With a burst of determination, he peered through. Spike’s eyes widened—his worst fears had been realized.

The main receiving area was wrecked. The right part of the ceiling had completely collapsed, letting in what Spike realized was a veritable downpour of rain. The entire area was blackened and smoky, and with a wince, Spike realized there was absolutely no way the books had survived.

Taking another shocked look, Spike heard a loud crunching noise. Stepping backwards, he watched as yet another part of the ceiling caved in, collapsing on the central horsehead sculpture. He immediately rushed in to try and preserve the room, to no avail—the rain had already started pouring in the hole, only rendering him even more drenched.

Hearing a groan, Spike looked down at the rubble. Within it, a white form lay prone, moving the debris around it with grunts of pain.

Spike carefully picked up a particularly large log, releasing even more sawdust into the air. Glancing downward again, he realized with shock that the form was somepony more familiar.

Princess Celestia lay on his floor, covered in soot. While he thankfully couldn’t find any clear injuries, she was clearly not well: her mane was limp and the color of an old washcloth, and her coat was drenched, only absorbing more from the layer of water on the floor.

To his surprise, she opened her eyes as soon as he lifted up another log.

“...Spike?”