Empire of Mercy

by Daelyx Len Auphydas

Revelations

"Try your best to remember the path we're taking. Our first stop is your new rooms, which should be all ready for you two by now." Celestia explains as they walk, climbing up the stairs of the tower. "Your rooms are just below mine, so if you need anything, you should be able to find me readily enough. Rainbow Dash, that door leads to your room." Celestia motions at the chamber Rainbow Dash had already entered earlier that day, before going up to another of the three doors on the landing. "And Twilight, this is where you will be staying." Celestia raises their hoof and knocks on the door three times.

"Coming!" A voice calls out from within, and momentarily afterwards the door is opened to reveal a pastel pink alicorn with a long mane which curls upwards at the end.

Twilight and the new alicorn both do a double take, while Rainbow Dash blinks in surprise. Why is there another alicorn she hasn't ever heard of!? Only, she doesn't look quite the same as Celestia. She doesn't have the same aura of majesty, or air of casual grace that Celestia has. Rather, she looks more like a unicorn who just happens to also have wings.

"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves, and do a little shake!" Rainbow Dash's thoughts are cut off by the most ridiculous little song and dance number performed by Twilight and the new alicorn on the spot.

Glancing back up at Celestia with bewilderment, Rainbow Dash finds her own surprise mirrored on the Princesses face. "You two... know eachother?" Celestia asks, raising a brow.

The unfamiliar alicorn turns to Celestia with a broad grin plastered on her face. "Of course! Do you remember when you had me foalsit for Canterlot nobles? Twilight was one of the fillies I foalsat for!" She beams at the purple unicorn filly, who is grinning ear to ear in turn.

Rainbow Dash just blinks. "Um. A little help, here? Who is this, why was an alicorn foalsitting, and how have I never heard of them?"

Celestia steps in. "My apologies, allow me to introduce you two. This is princess Cadance. I took her in after her transformation into an Alicorn. You can think of her as my niece. As far as why she was foalsitting, she was... Understandably anxious after her impromptu promotion, and needed something to focus on."

Rainbow Dash frowns. There is something bugging her about the explanation she was just given, but she can't quite put a hoof on it. Thankfully, Twilight has no such issue, furrowing her brow in confusion.

"I'm sorry, Princess Celestia, I think I must have misheard you. Did you refer to them as 'her'?" Twilight asks, raising a hoof in confusion. It was a well established fact that alicorns were universally genderless upon their ascension. Sometimes they continued to use titles or honorifics from their original gender before their ascension, but she has certainly never heard of an alicorn being outright referred to as female or male.

But the question seems to trigger an odd sense of tension in the air, as there is a slight but noticeable coldness to Celestia's features as they regard Cadance, the younger Alicorn blushing and looking away. "I-I'll explain this one, your majesty." Cadance stammers out, before turning to Twilight and kneeling down on her haunches. "Do you see my cutie mark?" Cadance asks, softly.

Twilight looks over at it, then nods slowly. "It has to do with that. My special gift is an affinity for romantic love, but in order to fully appreciate that, I needed to be able to bear foals myself. So..." There is an awkward silence for a long moment. Rainbow Dash glances up at Celestia, noting with a small pang of dread an unusually imperious, cold expression on the monarch's face. "...My special talent allowed me to restore my original form. So, I am a bit of an exception to the rule."

Twilight blanches at the explanation, which flies in the face of everything she knew about Alicorns, while Rainbow Dash simply takes it in stride. "Alright, that's all well and good, but how come I've never heard of you? How is that even possible?" Rainbow Dash narrows her eyes suspiciously at the princess. Twilight wants to scream at the cyan pegasus to quit being so abrasive before she gets thrown in the dungeon, but Celestia simply regards her with a patient gaze.

"Cadance was transformed under... Less than ideal circumstances." Celestia states, delicately. "I don't believe I am at liberty to say more, for Cadance's sake. But suffice it to say, she is not yet well known outside of Canterlot circles." Cadance shudders at the mention, and shakes her head.

"I would rather we don't discuss that right now, if it's alright." Cadance requests uncomfortably, before quickly changing the topic. "So, why are you all here? And just who do I have the pleasure of meeting?"

Celestia drapes a wing over each of their two new students. "This here is Rainbow Dash, a pegasus from Cloudsdale. She not only performed a Sonic Rainboom, but also managed to fly all the way to Canterlot from Cloudsdale in a single day. I extended her an offer to take her in as my personal student." Rainbow Dash puffs out her chest in pride at the glowing praise, flaring out her wings to look more grandiose. "And of course, if you have met Twilight, you should not be surprised I have also taken her in as well."

Cadance frowns, looking at each filly in turn. "Celestia... Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean... After what happened with Sunset Shimmer..." Twilight blinks and looks up at the two alicorns, wondering what they were talking about.

Celestia bites their lip in discomfort. "I... Have learned much from my mistakes, and will not make the same ones again. Twilight has immense magical potential that should not be squandered because of my own personal failings. She was able to hatch the egg from the Canterlot entrance exam, while empowered by Rainbow Dash's rainboom."

Cadance blinks in surprise, and looks down at Twilight with both newfound respect, and a sense of apprehension. "She did what!? But... That egg is..."

Celestia just nods. "Yes, that egg is simply a rock." That simple statement, so innocuous in tone, completely shatters Twilight's world, her own jaw dropping open.

"Wait, what? But... I... I hatched it!" Twilight blurts out, brain scrambling in confusion.

Celestia quietly giggles, and leans down to speak to her more directly. "That test is usually made to see how unicorns deal with failure, and how much effort they are willing to put in to make something impossible work. When you hatched that egg, you did not simply heat up a dragon egg, but transformed a painted rock into life on the spot. I was going to tell you later, but, well, now is as good a time as any." Celestia shrugs, seemingly in good spirits once more.

Cadance bows her head to each of the two fillies in turn, lightly. "Well, its a pleasure to meet both of you." A light suddenly seems to flick on in Cadance's head as she connects the dots. "Ah, then this must be your new room! I was wondering why Celestia had asked to have Spike put here, next to Sunset Shimmer's old room. But if you hatched, or, I guess I should say, created him, then it makes sense he'd be staying in your room."

Celestia nods. "Very astute, Cadance. I am just now giving these two fillies a tour of the palace so that they can find their way around. But first things first, Twilight wants to see Spike. She hasn't gotten to see them since the entrance exam, you understand."

Cadance gives a soft smile and steps aside, inviting everypony in. "Of course, come right in! He's sleeping in the crib right now. Just be quiet, the noise suppression spell I cast only blocks noise from outside the room."

---

Celestia and Cadance stand back to allow Rainbow Dash and Twilight to stand close to the crib where the baby dragon is sitting.

"That's the dragon?" Rainbow Dash sounds disappointed, reaching out a hoof to poke the baby dragon in the cheek. "They're, uh... A lot wimpier than I expected."

"Well, why don't you try conjuring life up out of nothing." Twilight states defensively. "Maybe we should just be happy they're alive at all."

While the two fillies continue their inane discussion, Cadance looks on uneasily, taking Celestia to the side to speak to them quietly. "Are you sure about this, Celestia? This... Dragon was born without parents or love. We don't know how that will affect him. He could be dangerous."

Celestia's brow raises. "And what would you suggest we do, Cadance? Kill an infant?"

Cadance frowns, looking deeply uncomfortable. "I-I mean... He's not natural. He doesn't behave like any infant I've ever seen, I thought it was just because he's a dragon, but... Does such a creature even have a soul?"

Celestia sighs, and turns back to gaze at the dragon, who had just woken up and was curiously staring up at the two fillies over him. Their behavior is rather unusual for a baby, that much is true; They looked at the world with an uncharacteristic degree of calm and understanding. "Spike was born from the magic of harmony, Cadance, in the form that Twilight found most fitting. Twilight is a good natured pony, no?" Cadance nods hesitantly in response. "Then I'm sure her creation is equally as good natured. Spike is indeed an unusual entity, but I see nothing to suggest they are dangerous. In a way, they are most similar to ourselves, in the sense that we were also formed from the magic of Harmony."

Cadance looks down, darkly. "I don't think I would describe that cabal's magic as 'harmony'..."

Celestia offers Cadance a sympathetic look, and places one hoof reassuringly on her shoulder. "Perhaps not, but Harmony is the magic that made you into this rather than what they intended. Have patience, Spike will turn out just fine."

Cadance stares at the dragon hatchling with grave intent, watching as Twilight picks them up and places them on her back. With a sigh, Cadance bites her lip, a feeling of dread stinging her heart. "Or be the doom of us all..."

---

The princess and their two students bid Cadance farewell, and continue on their tour, with Spike clinging tightly to Twilight's back. Celestia had tried to move the dragon back to the crib, but Spike had refused to be separated from the purple unicorn filly and Celestia frankly did not have the heart required to force them apart.

Rainbow Dash quickly loses track of where the group was actually going, the directions getting all muddled in her head as Celestia explains what yet another room is for, none of which has any meaning to the pegasus. At least Twilight seems to be getting something out of it, judging by how raptly she is paying attention to the princesses words. For Rainbow Dash's part, it is getting to be a struggle just to follow along.

At least the massive room they are currently walking through, lined with stained glass windows, is easy to remember. It is, after all, rather difficult to miss given how imposing it is. "This is the way to the throne room and the vaults." Celestia explains as they walk. "These windows portray events and ponies from the last thousand years who have shaped the Equestria of today. The enchantment cast upon this hall creates a new portrait whenever the course of Equestrian history is changed."

Celestia is still talking, but Rainbow Dash doesn't hear another word of what they are saying. Because the sight before her, had instantly wiped all other thoughts from her mind, her blood running cold as she stops in her hoofsteps.

Before her, in all its glory, practically glowing with the rays of sunlight cast through it, is the likeness of a pony she is quite well aware of. Shadow Kicker, on her deathbed, spear through her chest... Just like in Rainbow Dash's dream, though she is certain she had never seen the painting before.

"Rainbow Dash?" Celestia's prodding voice snaps Rainbow Dash out of the trance she had been caught in, and she jumps into the air, startled.

"Ah! I mean, sorry, I got... Distracted." Rainbow Dash nervously smiles, trying to play off the screech of surprise she had just given off. Gah, stupid, stupid!

Celestia's eyes are drawn to the portrait that Rainbow Dash had paused in front of, and walks up beside the young filly. "Ah. Shadow Kicker." Celestia frowns, gaze becoming downcast and melancholy. "A tragedy, what happened to her. She was a true hero, in her time."

Rainbow Dash frowns, looking up at Celestia. "How did she die? I mean, I've heard stories, but... None of them seem to agree. Cloud Kicker says one thing, school says another."

Celestia goes rigid for a moment, face displaying a level of unease as they lay down next to Rainbow Dash. Twilight glances over in curiosity and joins them as well. "It... Was my fault." Celestia eventually states, a long-buried undercurrent of pain in their voice. "A dear friend betrayed Equestria, and I could not bring myself to hurt them. Shadow Kicker wouldn't let it be... It was only after her death that I was able to bring myself to retaliate." Celestia closes their eyes tightly, muscles tensing. "And my mistake was sealed in glass, for all eternity."

Rainbow Dash gives Celestia a scared look. This was the most upset she had seen Celestia since she had met them... Just about a week ago. Had it really been such a short time? "O-oh." Rainbow Dash's gaze lowers, and she takes a deep breathe. "I... I've seen this portrait before. In a dream, the night after you visited me in Cloudsdale."

Celestia gives a bittersweet smile, as their gaze drifts over to Rainbow Dash. Despite the filly's claim, the princess does not appear the least bit surprised. A small chuckle escapes their lips, as they stand up. "Oh, dearest sister, playing games again, are we?" Celestia muses to themself. "And yet, you've never graced my dreams, not once. Perhaps you know that is the worst nightmare of all."

"P-Princess?" Twilight stammers out. "What are you talking about?"

Celestia's melancholy gaze sweeps the long hall, and they shake their head. "Nothing you should concern yourselves with now, my little ponies. Nothing that should burden young minds such as your own. Come, we have a throne room to tour." With that, Celestia begins trotting down the hallway once again.

Rainbow Dash hesitates for a long moment, staring up at the portrait, before joining them. Then that proves it... That dream really was a warning. Cloud Kicker was right. As Rainbow Dash hurries to catch up with Celestia, she can't quite dispel the feeling of dread which infiltrates her heart.

Author's Note:

Bonus chapter for Celestia Day!

I imagine this chapter will be, uh, divisive. I feel like this is gonna be pretty much the dividing line for if anypony is along for the ride or not.

If you're not... Alright, there's the door. No, really. I mean it. This chapter is a pretty good capture of the themes and plot threads we're gonna be traveling down in this story so, if you're not feeling it, now's probably the best time to jump ship. Won't be changing going forwards.

Comments

[TheUndeadEmpire]

I think the Alicorns being genderless thing is kinda wierd, borderline dumb. Does that mean Princess Celestia is like a doll? Maybe I’m missing something. I like Cadence questioning about Spikes nature though.

[Yaakov Lubin]

With Cadence conern about Spike's development, dose this mean that Spike will play an important role to this story?

[Daelyx Len Auphydas]

11933693
Yes and no? I'm not entirely sure how to answer... Yes, they're important to the story, but not for the near future. I kinda have plans for alot of characters, its hard to determine what counts as 'Important" in this case. I do definitely plan to follow up on this though, Spike's nature is going to be an ongoing plot thread, it won't just be randomly left unaccounted for if that's your concern.

11933641
Yes. Yes it does. Celestia is a divine being, unbound by the constraints of mortal flesh.

This is the direction the story is going. Like it or not this is where I'm going with it and have no intention of changing my plans now.