//------------------------------//
// 04: Celestia's Remorseful Embrace 
// Story: MLP: One as a Family: A Golden Week in Exile 
// by SaburoDaimando 
//------------------------------//


Celestia’s Remorseful Embrace



“HELLO?  HELLO IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE?”
Princess Celestia ran through the ruins of what appeared to be Canterlot City.  She looked frantically left and right as if she were trying to locate anyone in sight.  But the city appeared to be empty and devoid of a single pony.
“Sunset Shimmer?” Princess Celestia called.  “Wanda Young?  Cadenza Mi Amore?  Twilight Sparkle?  Shining Armor?  Starlight Glimmer?  Sister?  Anyone?”
But as Princess Celestia ran through, she came to a stop, and gasped hard.  In front of here appeared to be nearly everyone she knew lying on the ground with their color completely desaturated.
“No,” Celestia cried.  “It can’t be.”
Princess Celestia ran up to Sunset Shimmer and picked her up.  She looked down as saw Sunset’s eyes were not only barely open, but they no longer had any irises or pupils.
“Sunset,” Celestia said as she held Sunset close.  “Sunset, wake up.  Please wake up.”
Celestia placed Sunset Shimmer down and turned towards her right.  She gasped even louder as she approached a desaturated and unconscious Wanda Young.  Next to her lay Abigail Albright and Spike the Dragon, who looked like they held hands together.
“Wanda,” Celestia cried as she picked up Wanda.  “Not my darling Wanda.  Say it isn’t so.”
As Princess Celestia held Wanda close to her, tears flowed down her cheeks.  Celestia held the man’s cub as close as possible before opening her eyes to her surroundings.
“They’re all gone,” Princess Celestia said, looking around in despair.  “Princess Cadance.  Shining Armor.  Queen Novo.  Chancellor Cinch.  My sister Luna.  Even…Twilight Sparkle.”
Princess Celestia placed Wanda down before walking up towards Twilight Sparkle, who laid down on the ground, desaturated like everyone else.   Celestia picked up Twilight and held her close.
“Twilight, please don’t leave me,” Celestia cried.  “You’re as important to me as my daughters.  Please come back to me.”
As Celestia cried while holding Twilight Sparkle, she looked up among the fallen ponies of Canterlot.  Her eyes immediately saw Queen Chrysalis, Coldnelius Snap, Magistrate Creme Dream, Majesty and even Cozy Glow laying down completely unconscious and with their coats and manes desaturated.  But nearby, Gold Banks laid next to them, except her color was still intact.
“Gold Banks,” Celestia said as she laid Twilight down on the ground.  “What happened?”
Celestia walked up to Gold Banks and picked up her fallen foe with her hooves.  Gold Banks looked up at Celestia, looking completely weak.  The Alicorn Amulet around her neck had been shattered completely.
“Banks,” Celestia said.  “What did you do?”
“It’s your fault,” Gold Banks said in a weak tone.  “We’re all….doomed….because of you….Daybreaker.”
Gold Banks closed her eyes as her head slumped down to her left.  Her coat and mane desaturated completely as her cosmic core ejected from her body before flying upwards towards the sky.
“BANKS, COME BACK!” Celestia cried.  “DON’T LEAVE ME ALL ALONE!   PLEASE COME BACK!”
Princess Celestia collapsed onto the ground and cried on the ground.  Her tears fell at a rapid pace, generating a puddle on the pavement.
“This is my fault,” Princess Celestia cried.  “I shouldn’t have said those horrible words to Wanda.  Banks is right.  I am still Daybreaker.”
“No you’re not, sister.”  Princess Celestia slowly raised her head and saw Princess Luna walk towards her.  Despite the sadness in Celestia’s eyes, Luna bare a smile on her face.
“Luna,” Celestia cried.  “Luna.  You’re alive.  I didn’t end your life.”
“You didn’t, dear sister,” Luna said.  “In fact, I am far more real than the Luna you saw lying dead in your dream.”
Celestia slowly got up, keeping her eyes on her younger sister.  Luna reached out and hugged her elder sister.
“I’m just glad to see you again,” Celestia cried.  
“Even in the dream world, I am still able to see you as well,” Luna said. “As I speak, Gold Banks has captured me and locked me away in Tartarus.  But you already know that my spirit can project into this world.”
“That’s why you were able to communicate with me,”  Princess Celestia said.  “You’ve done this many times.  How could I have forgotten?”
“It happens to all of us,” Princess Luna said.  “Even I’ve had my dark days.  But right now, I have my own concern for Sunset Shimmer.”
“Sunset Shimmer?” Princess Celestia said as she wiped the tears from her eyes and got up on her four hooves.  “Is she alright?”
“She is,” Princess Luna said.  “But as I speak, Sunset, and the very demon pony she reincarnated from, have suffered badly over their loss to Gold Banks”
“Demon pony?” Princess Celestia said.  “Reincarnated?”
“Even I was surprised when I peeked into her cosmic core,” Princess Luna said.  “But Sunset Shimmer is the reincarnation of what I believe is an extinct species of pony.  Her previous incarnation was called Taiyou no Arashi Kijo.  But to simplify things: Sunstorm Demona.  She was the Jotei, or Empress, of the demon ponies of Megijima Island.”
“I’ve barely heard about this species of pony,” Princess Celestia said.  “All I know is that they disappeared from this land a thousand years ago, and I don’t know where they went.”
“I’m afraid there may be more than we realize,” Princess Luna said.  “By tapping into Sunset Shimmer’s cosmic core and into the memories of Sunstorm Demona, I learned that an alicorn that claimed to be Queen of Equestria was the one who may have been responsible for the fate of the demon ponies.”
“Queen of Equestria?” Celestia said.  “It can’t be Queen Eternia or Queen Icelina.  Could it?”
“No,” Princess Luna said.  “And unfortunately, I recognize the pony who did this: Hydia the Horrible.”
“Hydia,” Celestia snarled.  “Even though she’s no more, she still haunts my soul to this day because of the crimes she committed.  But the total extinction of a species of pony?  That’s gone too far.”
“It is,” Luna said.  “That being said, my main concern is waking up Sunset Shimmer.”
“And that’s the reason why she hasn’t opened her eyes,” Princess Celestia said.  “All this time, she feared her own demon form.  And to see her fall after being transformed into a demon really hurt her pride.”
“Right now, I’m having a problem with contacting Sunset Shimmer through the dream realm,” Princess Luna explained.  “No matter how much I try to reach out, her wish to see her demon form again is pushing me back.”
“Is there anything I can do?” Princess Celestia asked.
“No,” Princess Luna replied as she created a vortex.  “Right now, you must tend to little Wanda.”
As the vortex formed, an image of Queen Eleanor comforting Wanda appeared in the center.  Celestia looked down for a moment before tears formed in her eyes.
“This is my fault,” Celestia said.  “If I wasn’t so harsh, if I didn’t throw my own life away, Wanda wouldn’t have hated me for this.”
“She doesn’t,” Luna said.  “I may not be able to enter her dream, yet.  But even in this form, I can still observe what’s going on in the Golden Land.  I believe she’ll be heading towards a secret cavern in the ground that contains a secret of this planet’s past.”
“But I,” Celestia said before Luna placed her hoof on her sister’s mouth.
“Trust me, dear sister,” Luna said with a smile.  “She needs her mommies more than ever.  I will alert Princess Cadance and Chancellor Cinch, and ask them to help look after Sunset Shimmer and the rest of the ponies in the Golden Land.  Do what you can to comfort Wanda for the night.  She’ll need all the help she can get.”
“I….I understand,” Princess Celestia nodded.  “And thank you.”
“My physical form may be trapped in a prison,” Princess Luna said.  “But at least we will never be separated again.”
Celestia smiled for a moment before she reached out and hugged her sister as the dream world was surrounded in a bright light.

Immediately, Princess Celestia woke up in her bedroom within the golden palace.  She got up out of bed and shook her head.
“Luna,” Princess Celestia said.  “One moment, you were here to give me advice, and the next moment, you’re gone.  But what if what you said was true?  I only hope that in the dream world, you can make things right.”
Immediately, Celesita heard a knock on the door before she heard the sound of Queen Novo’s voice.
“Princess Celestia,” Queen Novo shouted from behind the door.  “Are you alright in there?”
“I’m fine,” Celestia shouted.  “Except I have one request.”
“Go ahead,” Queen Novo replied.
“Can you call Wanda to my room this instant?” Celestia asked.  “I believe she’s within the Emerald Forest and she might be in a hole in the ground along with Eleanor and her friends.”
“Are you sure?” Queen Novo asked.
“I am,” Princess Celestia said.  “Let’s say a dream told me about it.”
“That sounds rather odd,” Queen Novo said.  “But I’ll go check it out.”
As the sound of claws running through the floor echoed through the castle, Princess Celestia climbed back onto her bed and looked out the window.
“I don’t know if I deserve any forgiveness,” Celestia said.  “Not after I drove my darling Wanda off.”

Later that evening, Wanda Young rode on Queen Novo’s back as the hippogriff ran through the plains of the Golden Land.  Behind them, Eleanor Young flew in with Cozy Glow by her side, while Abigail Albright, Starlight Glimmer, Misty Brightdawn and Golden Lace ran next to them.  Wanda held on tight as Queen Novo ran into the building, bypassing the ponies who waited nervously.
“Do you really think mommy wants to see me after what happened?” Wanda asked.
“She does,” Queen Novo said as she ran up the staircase.  “But it also sounded like she was remorseful.”
“I know why,” Wanda said.  “And unfortunately, I may have said some horrible things about her and my other mommy.”
“No need to be sad, smallfry,” Queen Novo said.  “We’re all here for your support, and for your mommies’ support.”
Queen Novo ran down the hallway through the palace while Wanda held on tight.  The hippogriff queen slowed down her running before she came to a stop outside of Princess Celestia’s bedroom.  Wanda looked at the door and noticed it was slightly open.
“Does this mean,” Wanda said as she got off of Queen Novo.
“It is,” Queen Novo said.  “I believe Princess Celestia wishes to speak with you.”
Wanda swallowed hard as she placed her hand on the door handle.  She slowly pushed the door open and began to go inside before turning back towards Queen Novo.
“It’s okay,” Queen Novo said.  “You can do this.”
Wanda nodded to Queen Novo before she went inside the room.
But as Wanda disappeared, Eleanor Young, Cozy Glow, Abigail Albright, Starlight Glimmer, Misty Brightdawn and Golden Lace ran down the hall before they came to a stop next to Queen Novo.
“Queen Novo,” Eleanor said.  “Did Wanda go in there?”
“She did,” Queen Novo said.  “I only hope that Wanda can break through Celestia’s depression.”
“And what if she can’t?” Misty Brightdawn asked.
“It is something I don’t want to think about,” Queen Novo responded.  “We need her more than ever in these dark times.”
Golden Lace walked up to the doorway and looked in between the crack.  Inside, she saw Wanda walk up to Princess Celestia, both of which had a sad frown on their face.
“Wow,” Golden Lace said.  “I’ve never seen Princess Celestia this sad at all.  Not even after I humiliated Ditzy Doo at the School for Gifted Unicorns.”
“Right now, it would be best if we let them be,” Queen Novo said.  “Princess Celestia’s going through some tough times, and it may be a long time until she recovers.”
“I wish I could do something about it,” Golden Lace said.
“I don’t think any of us can help her out,” Misty Brightdawn said.  “I dunno if even my big brother can snap her out of it.”
“Misty’s right,” Eleanor said before she turned towards Queen Novo.  “In fact, I think you should go check up on your daughter Princess Skystar.”
“Will you be okay?” Queen Novo asked.
“Don’t worry,” Eleanor Young said.  “I’m also an effective babysitter.”
Queen Novo nodded to Eleanor before she turned around and walked down the hallway, leaving Eleanor with Starlight, Abigail, Cozy Glow, Misty and Lace.
“Do you think Wanda will be able to bond once more with Princess Celestia?” Starlight asked.
“She will,” Eleanor replied.  “The bond of mothers and a daughter is far stronger than we realize.”

Inside Celestia’s room, Wanda sat down next to Princess Celestia, whose eyes were shifted towards the setting sun.  As Wanda barely turned her head towards her adopted mother, Celestia reached out and placed her hoof on Wanda’s shoulder.
“Mommy,” Wanda said.  “There’s something I….I need to…tell you.”
“No Wanda,” Celestia said, turning towards Wanda.  “I shouldn’t have said those words to you.  I was so distraught over losing my sister, that I took it out on you.  For that, I’m sorry.”
“But mommy,” Wanda said before Celestia gently placed her hoof on Wanda’ mouth.
“If you were going to mention about having no mommies, I actually deserved that,” Celestia said.  “So you’re forgiven for that remark.”
As Celestia removed her hoof from Wanda’s face, Wanda looked up at her and said “No fair.  I wanted to confess and you took it away.”
As Wanda pouted on the bed and crossed her arms in disgust, Celestia rubbed her adopted daughter on the head and giggled, causing Wanda to let out a slight chuckle.
“You never cease to make me laugh,” Celestia giggled.
“Mommy, will you knock it off?” Wanda growled.
“Only when you stop being a pouty pants,” Celestia said with a smirk on her face.
With that, Celestia placed her hoof on Wanda’s belly and rubbed it.  The little girl fell onto her back and laughed uncontrollably.
“I’M SORRY MOMMY!” Wanda giggled.  “I DIDN’T MEAN TO!  PLEASE KNOCK IT OFF!”
“Oh alright,” Celestia joked before removing her hoof from Wanda’s belly.
As Wanda sat back up, she looked at Princess Celestia’s face, who despite her smile, still shed some tears from her eyes.
“Mommy,” Wanda said. “Are you still sad?”
“I am,” Princess Celestia explained.  “But not just because of Princess Luna.”
“It’s because of Sunset,” Wanda said.  “It is?”
“Princess Luna was able to speak to me in my dreams,” Princess Celestia said.  “She told me that your sister was troubled since her demon form was defeated by Gold Banks.  Furthermore, any attempt at trying to contact her in the dream world has failed.”
“Is that why Sunset is still asleep?” Wanda asked.
“Yes,” Celestia said, placing her wing on Wanda’s back.  “Until Sunset Shimmer wakes up, I’m going to be stuck in this room for quite a while.   During that time, Chancellor Cinch and Princess Cadance may be asked by my sister in the dream realm to lead our people during these hard times.  Promise you’ll be on your best behavior?”
“I will,” Wanda nodded before she climbed out from under Celestia’s wing.
Wanda climbed down from the bed and began to walk away, only to stop when Celestia said “Wait.”
“Mommy,” Wanda said, turning back towards her adopted mother.
“I wasn’t done speaking,” Celestia said.  “Since this time away will cripple my spirit, could I ask you a favor?”
“What favor?” Wanda asked.
Celestia lifted her wing up and said “Could you stay with me for the night?  After what you’ve been through today, you deserve some form of comfort.”
Wanda’s eyes began to tear up.  She took her shoes off and tossed them to the side before climbing back up on the bed.
“I will, mommy,” Wanda cried as she hugged Princess Celestia.  “I will.”
“That’s the spirit,” Celestia laughed.
But Wanda opened her eyes for a moment and said “Wait.  What happened to my luggage?”
Celestia immediately rubbed Wanda on her head, messing up her hair, before she said “Go tell the others that you need your luggage.  I think they’ll help you look for it.”
Wanda jumped off the bed and ran towards the doorway, ignoring her shoes that were tossed nearby.  Celestia watched as Wanda opened the door and reached her head out as if she were whispering something.
“I’m not going to be the same after today,” Celestia said.  “But at least I have Wanda to give me one last reason to smile.”

Meanwhile, in another room, Princess Skystar laid on her bed, looking out at the sun setting in the west.  Nearby sat her wheelchair, completely motionless.  She let out a sigh before turning her head towards the ceiling.
“We were this close to leaving Equestria for a new land, and now we’re stuck in the Golden Land once more,” Princess Skystar sighed.  “Here I thought losing Seaquestria and Mount Aris was bad enough.”
“Now what happened to the daughter that used to enjoy life to its fullest?” Princess Skystar slowly turned her head towards the doorway and saw Queen Novo approach her.  But Skystar shifted her eyes back up at the ceiling.
“Hi mom,” Skystar said in a depressed mood.  
“You’ve been down since early ago today, correct?” Queen Novo asked.
“I have,” Skystar said, keeping her eyes on the ceiling.  “It’s not fair.  How come someone as wicked and vile as Gold Banks can take our kingdom, and take Princess Celestia’s kingdom?”
“My dear,” Queen Novo said. “That is an example of an extremely selfish individual who wants power at any cost.  While the Windigo’s Guild and the Changelings have terrorized us before, they do not put selfishness over their own people.”
“How do you know that?” Skystar asked, barely raising her head.
“I’ve fought them for many a century,” Queen Novo said.  “Like Gold Banks, they do desire to conquer us.  But unlike Gold Banks, they are not one to throw their own kind under the bridge for their own personal gains, even if they do lose their temper and get agitated, like I do.”
“And yet, this Gold Banks is willing to throw others under the bridge for her own gain?” Princess Skystar asked.
“Yes,” Queen Novo said.  “In fact, before she decided to lock Wanda away in Daisy Joy Tech with her friends, rumor has it that Gold Banks was the one who purposefully botched up Princess Wanda Young’s hay fever vaccine so that it would not be as effective when she caught the virus.  Some say she wanted Wanda to die because she doesn’t like the presence of a human in Equestria.  Even Chancellor Cinch thought that was going too far.”
“Geez,” Princess Skystar said.  “I know that Gold Banks is a bad, bad pony.  But I didn’t expect her to be that bad.”
“Gold Banks had yet to confirm or deny this accusation,” Queen Novo said. “Though Princess Celestia began to suspect it more after the Daisy Joy Tech incident.  No doubt that she's an irredeemable monster."
"Maybe if her mommy and daddy treated her right, none of this would have happened," Princess Skystar said.
"And you might be right," Queen Novo replied.  "Some say that the parents influence what their child becomes.  I believe that her parents either neglected her, treated her horribly, or far worse.  Though I also believed that her sister may have been mistreated, Spoiled Rich came out as a far better pony than Gold Banks became."
Princess Skystar just sighed before she said "I wish we could get out of this mess.   Until then, I don't think I'm up for any more adventures."
"You don't have to if you don't want to," Queen Novo said.  "If you are fine with being here, that is your choice.  But know that I will always be by your side, no matter what."
Queen Novo reached over and kissed Princess Skystar on the forehead.  Skystar just looked at her mother and giggled slightly.
“Thanks mom,” Princess Skystar said.  “I think after what has happened, I’m glad you’re by my side.”
As the sun began to set in the distance, Queen Novo sat on the bed next to Princess Skystar and stroked her forehead gently.  Skystar yawned as she felt the tip of her mother’s claws atop her forehead before she fell asleep.  Queen Novo looked down at her daughter before she got off the bed and pulled up a chair.
“Like I said,” Queen Novo said before she sat down.  “I will always be by your side, even after you lost your father long ago.”

Later that night in Celestia’s Golden bedroom, the moon shone down into the room as Wanda and Celetia looked out through the window.  An open luggage case sat next to a chair with a light blue/white dress lying next to it, with her shoes parked right next to it.  Wanda was wearing her pajamas as she laid under Celestia’s wing.
“Mommy,” Wanda said.  “Is it true that the sun and the moon shine down on the Golden Land like they do in Canterlot?”
“Now that’s a question even you would be surprised at,” Princess Celestia said.  “But believe it or not, the Golden Land is one of the many sacred lands that lay beneath the surface of this planet.”
“It does?” Wanda said, a little surprised.
“It does,” Celestia replied.  “But for some reason, there is a kind of magic above us that allows the atmosphere of our planet to be projected into the sacred lands.  A magic that even Starswirl the Bearded and my mother Queen Eternia couldn’t understand.”
Wanda reached out to the moon outside of the castle, which had the image of the Pony of Shadows embedded on the surface.  She turned towards Celestia, who cracked a smile despite a tear from her left eye.
“Mommy,” Wanda said.  “Why do you look a bit sad?”
“Well truth be told,” Celestia explained, “I’m not looking forward to being alone for some time.  In fact, it’s not the first time I’ve isolated myself in a room and allowed my mind to shatter.”
“When did that happen?” Wanda asked.
“Sometime after you, Princess Luna and Misty Brightdawn freed me from the Pony of Shadows, I began to have nightmares from my experience,” Celestia said.  “It was as if my mind was being tormented by the very monster that took hold of me.  I feared that I would become Daybreaker once more.  So I barricaded myself within my room of the old castle for a month.”
“Barricaded?” Wanda said, surprised.  “Was it that horrible?”
“It was,” Celestia replied.  “To make matters worse, everyone was concerned for my own well-being.  My sister, Misty Brightdawn, and some friends that she made while she lived at the castle.  In fact, all of Equestria wanted to make sure I was alright.  When Luna found me, I was an emotionless wreck, unable to speak to anyone due to how much weight was placed on my cosmic core.”
“That must have been a sad experience,” Wanda said.
“It was, and I know I’ll be suffering this again,” Princess Celestia said.  “And it’s because I still worry for Sunset Shimmer, and for everyone else’s well-being.”
“Mommy,” Wanda yawned.  “Sometime tomorrow, I want to watch my sister Sunset Shimmer while she’s still asleep.
“And you won’t be alone in that,” Princess Celestia said.  “Tomorrow morning, while I isolate myself in this room, speak with Princess Cadance.  She will be able to help you in this time of need..  You should also get your friends to pitch in.”
“I will,” Wanda yawned.  “I will.”
With that, Wanda’s head lowered down onto the surface of the bed as she fell fast asleep.  Princess Celestia used her magic to pull the blanket over Wanda, leaving her head exposed to the moonlight.
“I’m going to miss you, my daughter,” Princess Celestia said as her eyes watered up.  “I’m not going to be myself for who knows how long.  But I know you will stay strong for all of us, and for your sister.  We’re living through hard times.  But as long as we have each other, we won’t be broken.  I promise you that.”
With that, Princess Celestia lowered her head and fell asleep next to Princess Wanda.  
The moon shined down on Wanda and Celestia, who were sleeping peacefully.  Nearby, a crystal sat on a golden mount, placed atop the surface of a dresser, shining brightly by the light of the moon.



	To Be Continued in…


	A New Day in the Golden Land