Chapters Crossing Anthology 1.5: Celestia's Saga
Everyone has someone close to them, whether it be on their mind or in their heart. Someone is there. In times of dysfunctional in a family, one can look to a friend to hold close. In times of disharmony among friends, one could seek advice from a sibling or parent. It doesn't even have to be one of those, it could be anyone; anyone who shows you the most kindness and provides the most understanding nature. There may be days where you do not realize just how important these people are, and you do not appreciate them, and you may even begin to resent them.
I am Princess Celestia, the princess of the sun and day and all seeing eye of my beloved world. It is my job to raise the sun every morning and later lower to make way for my sister's night. It is my responsibility to care and to provide guidance to all my subjects, big or small, old or young; everything rests upon me. It is a feeling that I did not always have, and for that an ultimate consequence was paid, and the life of someone I loved was ripped from me, forever. Oh how I loved him, so beautiful and so young, he was everything to me and I was not there for him. I never forgave myself for my neglect that day.
Two hundred years later, the anniversary of my loved one's death has come again. I decide to return to his place of rest and remember, sit, and speculate on what a great and strong pony he could have become. The shine of the moon beginning to lower behind the far mountains beamed through the large windows of my bed chamber, telling me it was time to raise the sun. With a powerful display of magic, I used my alicorn powers to raise the sun high and proud above the thousands of happy faces in my kingdom, and give them light and energy. It made me happy knowing that I could still care for ponies out there, in recent decades I had moved on from the lose of my love. Knowing that I at least continue to watch young ponies grow into responsible grown ponies.
I had a bag prepared for this day, I strapped it around my back and continued to walk to my castle exit until I was stopped by my younger sister. Princess Luna, the princess of the night and moon; she showed a concerned face and asked me, "Good morning, sister, today is the anniversary is it not?"
I walked to her, "That it is, little sister."
"Will you be okay, should I follow you?"
"That won't be necessary, I would rather go alone. It's nothing personal it's just-" Luna cut me off with,
"Oh I understand." Luna said with a worried voice. "It's just, I fear that sometimes the pain may be... A bit much for you."
I could recognize where she was going with her worries, "You're not worried about what happened long ago are you?"
With an abnormal look on her face she dragged her hoof in circles and argued, "Well... Even though that was during the time of my banishment, I could still watch it all happen, and looking back on it now... I'm worry you could have, the same... Complications..."
I sighed and gave a smile, "I assure you, I've moved on and better learned to control my emotions. This isn't the first time I've gone to pay my respects to him."
Luna nodded and agreed, "True. Be safe my sister." Luna returned to her own business and I left the castle.
By what my sister was meaning, was that after my loved one's death, I could not control my rage and sadness. I displayed a horrible and cataclysmic form of the darkest magic I had at my disposal. I could have hurt or even killed somepony, remembering this I moments later tamed my emotions. Luckily no pony was harmed, rather they all felt remorse for my loss, and comforted me. That was the first time I think I really ever needed somepony to help me and to calm me down.
Getting back to the event at hand, On my way down the steps of my castle garden. My Royal chariots-men came to me and asked if I would like to request a ride, I told them no and that this was a journey I had to take on my own. A good ten minutes had passed by the time I had reached the Canterlot limits, from here on out it was a windy mountain and a quiet woodland area to pass in order to reach my destination.
I could have used teleportation to arrive faster, but I enjoyed the adventure of getting there and I figured I could use a good long walk. As I continued down the mountain I noticed something, a detour in my path. The whole road to my destination, even the woodlands were completely shutdown.
There were several guard ponies and Wonderbolts guarding the perimeter, making sure no pony got in or out. On my side of the block-aid there was a young colt jumping and stomping his hooves in anger at a Wonderbolt, demanding to pass the boundary. There was something different about this colt, the saddle bag he had appeared to be huge and filled to the limit with what appeared to be clothes and food peaking out the sides.
I assumed this boy was possibly just going to see some friends in another town, I passed him and spoke with the first Wonderbolt nearby, "Good morning to you, soldier. May I ask why the road ahead is blocked?"
He turned to me with a surprised face and bowed immediately, saying, "Your highness, good morning to you. We've blocked this path for investigation purposes. I am sure you are aware of the murder in Ponyville recently?"
"Yes, I am aware."
With a grim and depressed look, he told me, "He has struck again, numerous times through out several other towns. Mostly in the regions ahead."
I was shocked. I was sure that my forces, what with their prior experience, would be great enough to find this murderer. But that was no longer the case, now they were dealing with a cunning, strategic serial killer.
I gathered my thoughts, "I see, please do your best. I will send more enforcements out on a later date." The Wonderbolt bowed to me, and returned to his business. I decided that it would be best if I simply tried walking to my destination another day, once the recent crimes had died down.
But suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I see the young colt from before trying to carefully climb down the mountain to the forest. He took one wrong step, and fell straight down. I took immediate action, and jumped to catch him in my arms. Once he landed in my hooves, I spread my wings; and safely soared down to the ground below the mountain.
Crossing Anthology 1.5: Celestia's Saga
The ground below the mountain was dirty, and hardly visible from excessive growth of vines, and fallen leaves. The area surrounding the young colt and I was dark and filled with dying trees.
I turned to the boy and asked,
"Child? Are you okay?"
He stood up slowly, looked over and assured me, "Yes, I'm okay. Thank you, Princess." he then bowed to me.
Looking again at his over-stuffed saddle bag, and then observing the current desolate location; I could already assume what's going on with this child. Regardless of my mental assumption, I asked him,
"Why did you want to come down here?"
With a nervous look he replied, "I'm... just seeing some friends, they live here in the forest." he began to walk away from me. He looked back and said,
"Thank you again, Princess!" a surprised look was shown on his face when he saw that I had disappeared from where I was standing, he turned back around to be startled by my presence in front of him. With one eye raised higher than the other, I told him,
"From the looks of how dead this place is, I don't think anypony lives here." he shrugged his shoulders and looked down to his hooves for a quick moment. "Tell me, child. Are you running away from home?" I asked.
He closed his eyes tightly and said with a sigh, "Yes..." I wasn't so surprised by this answer, it was exactly as I thought.
I asked him, "How come?"
"Because, my mother felt the need to drag me out of my regular school. Where all my friends are, and place me into that new private school. I don't need to put up with that, everypony there is so politically correct to the point were it's just annoying."
I tried reasoning with him, "I've read the reviews on the school in the local paper, it mentions how involved most students are with clubs and activities. Why not join one and try to make new friends?"
The boy rolled his eyes and said, "Oh, please. There's no way anypony is gonna want to be my friend; they all think I'm just some stupid, mouth breathing, hillbilly from the public schools."
"But what about your family? Don't you think they will miss you?" I asked with a concerned tone.
"My family wouldn't notice that I was gone, I bet they'd be better off if I was dead!" he replied with a raised tone.
As a princess, I normally wouldn't have tolerated such a bad attitude, and would've immediately brought him home. But, another part of me was speaking to me that day, and reminded me why I left my castle that morning and reconsidered declining my annual visit. With a fake smile, I said to him,
"Hm, alright then. I won't stop you."
"Thank you." he passed me.
I began to follow him and suggested, "Say, would you like some company on your adventure? I know a remote place that you could reside at for a good while."
"You'd really help me? Wow, that's unexpected. But you were just trying to get me to go back just a second ago. Why help me now?"
"You have good reasoning." of course it was a lie, but it was necessary for what I wanted to show him.
I politely asked him, "I'm sorry, I don't believe I got your name, child."
"My name is, Drew." he said softly.
As the hours of traveling passed, we exited the forest, passed through wide plains, and stumbled upon gorgeous rivers. Along the way he would ask me, "Why not use your magic to teleport us to this place we're going?" or, "Why don't you fly us there?" I would lie and say that, "My magic is temporarily spastic." or, "My wings are hurting." The truth was, I wanted him to experience what it's like without anyone around to provide care for him, to be alone. But that was only the beginning, my real persuasion towards him was yet to come.
We had a couple breaks to dine on what he had crammed into his saddlebag, mostly sandwiches and fruit. During these moments of rest he would tell me more of just why his home life was indifferent to him, as well as describe his unbridled loathe for his mother and father. I only humored him.
Nightfall eventually came, my sister's night conjured a bitter air, as her moon arose from beyond the mountains. It was at this time that Drew and I spotted a nearby cave on a mountain path; we decided that it be best for us to stay there for the night.
The cave floor was dirty and uncomfortable, the walls were aligned with dead moss, the temperature was torture for the skin. The only light provided for any form of sight was the shine of the moon, aimed in the direction of the cave entrance. I watched Drew with what little brightness was available, he laid down on the cold surface, deeper in the cave. He shivered and shook violently as the breeze pounded against his small body. With a sympathetic tone, I offered,
"Drew? Would you like to sleep next to me? So that you won't be so cold?"
He turned his head to me and softly said, "No. Thank you for your offer."
"Well, it doesn't make me happy to see you so cold, but, alright. Just come over if you change your mind." I laid down and began to sleep, the next day would a big day; what would really set him on the right path.
Crossing Anthology 1.5: Celestia's Saga
Morning came, my sister did well raising the sun for the remainder of our adventure. The god rays shined through the clouds, awakening me to a much brighter light than what was provided the previous night. I got up and stretched my wings and legs. I nudged my right hoof against Drew's tightly curled up body, lightly to wake him up. He raised himself up with a loud yawn. I asked him,
"Good morning, Drew. Did you sleep well?"
"Good morning, Princess Celestia... It wasn't perfect, but I guess I'd better get used to it..."
"We should be at our destination within the hour; I guess we'd better get a move on."
"Sure, we can have breakfast once we're there."
Roughly thirty minutes passed, we had arrived to our destination, my home town. Drew looked at the rather retro atmosphere, not many ponies reside here anymore due to business failure and bankruptcy of many companies. It was a ghost town, and a good place for me to clear my thoughts, to escape from the occasional monotony of royal duty. With the recent murders that have happened throughout the land, I knew that in order to come up with a wise and effective solution, I would have to have a clear mind.
I brought Drew to the central cemetery of the town, "Golden Path Memorial Park." Drew looked up to me and said,
"This is perfect! No one will find me here!"
"Wearen’t done yet, child." I said, pointing my hoof to the largest tomb stone. Drew looked confused; he walked slowly to the tomb stone. I followed him with both eyes locked on to the grave, remembering the times I shared with that young soul, buried below the surface.
I remembered his bright, shining, beautiful face. Happy, carefree, laughing and playing, I loved him so much he was the most beloved pony I had to my proud heart. The times we shared were magical, every day I spent with him was a blessing, to see those blessings vanish was the most heart breaking event of my thousands of years of life.
Drew snapped me out of my memories, he pointed to the grave we stood in front of and asked,
"Princess Celestia... who is this?..."
I cleared my throat, and shut my eyes tight before telling him,
"Drew, I would like you to meet my son."
Drew's face changed from confusion to shock, most ponies never knew I had any children so it was understandable. Drew read out loud what was engraved in to the stone,
"In the loving memories of our princess' amazing and beloved son, Corona. Son of Celestia, Nephew of Luna. May your afterlife be as joyous as your seven years of life with us."
Drew regained his confused expression and asked,
"I don't understand, why did you bring me here? It's more than just escorting me to a hideout, isn't it?"
"When I lost my son, it was unlike any pain I had ever felt before, worse than any wound I could possibly bear. A mother should never have to learn, nor even think of losing her own child, and I was one of them..."
Drew looked down in sorrow; I could tell he was thinking hard about something. I continued to speak,
"You never know just how much you truly love somepony, until they are ripped from your life."
Drew finally spoke,
"I can't imagine how my mother must feel. But at the same time, does she even notice that I am gone?"
"There's a good way to find out. Go to her, Drew. Go home."
Drew processed my advice; he looked back up to me slowly and said,
"That's why you followed me; you wanted to show me this..."
"Exactly, a mother knows best, and I know that yours must be worried sick about you. She could be feeling the same way I felt so many years ago."
Drew was silent, his eyes began to form tears. He dropped to the ground with his head down, facing the ground. I kneeled to the ground next to him and stretched my wing over him, pulling him into my side to hug him. He never wanted to leave his family, he didn't want to be cold and alone. Knowing this, I used my magic to teleport him back to Canterlot. My horn glowed a bright yellow color, and Drew vanished, back to his home. I spent the next matter of minutes in front of my son's grave, sending him a prayer wishing for the best in his afterlife.
Ten months later...
I am Princess Luna, the younger sister of Princess Celestia. For almost a year now, a serial killer has been mercilessly putting a brutal end to countless amounts of unicorn lives, 'tis a sickening sight, my sister has tried many of her regular moves; sending out investigators, having Wonderbolts search the skies, encouraging royal guards to maintain a more keen eye for any sign of trouble. But I have grown impatient, my sister's tactics are failing before my and everypony's frightened eyes!
It is time for me to engage this criminal, and deliver a swift, painful end to his terror. But, how shall I perform such a feat...
Just who may I call upon for help?...
The End.