*Chapter 13*

Into the Everfree

...

'Celesty, I hope this letter finds you swiftly. I cannot disclose every last of the details of concern in this letter; time will not allow for that. As it stands, Equestria could very well be on the brink of disaster. Despite my and Luna' best efforts, we cannot contain the threat. We believe the only solution lies with you and your power of harmony. Please, come as quickly as you can. -Celestia.'

Those were the urgent words contained in the letter that Celesty had again read for the fourth time. She gently floated the letter with her magic to tuck away in a nearby chest of drawers as she continued her steady gaze through her throne room's window. The bronze city of Saba shone in the afternoon sun, filling Celesty's eyes with it's radiance. While her eyes were on her city, her mind was much more distant. What manner of threat had come over Equestria that Celestia and Luna could not solve on their own? Surely their combined power could easily waylay any challenge to their country; so why is it that they turn to her as their last hope?

Of course, Celesty hardly found it strange that Celestia knew of her creation of the Elements of Harmony; as the only immortal alicorn in the world, she had all the world's knowledge at her disposal. And as such, Celestia was not just the princess of Equestria, but high princess of the entire world. And one did not ignore a plea for help from the high princess.

Celesty levitated her twin saddle bags; which were already packed for her journey with a dozen apples, several bag of oats, and stalks of asparagus, and two bottle of fresh water; onto her back and drew the clasp snugly around her middle. She then magicked from beneath her throne, the most important items for this particular trip, her Elements of Harmony. She tucked three of the precious stones into one bag, and the other three in the next. Now she had everything she needed.

She walked with a slow and distinct purpose through the grand double doors of her throne room. Out in the foyer, she was met with a contingent of her guards, both unicorn and pegasus, and her two children.

Sendor immediately trotted up to her and fired off a rapid series of rather forceful questions. "Mother, what is this about you being needed in Equestria? Their country falls under no jurisdiction of ours, and nor does ours fall into theirs! Whatever is happening over there could never be important enough for you to put yourself in danger like this!"

Celesty met his tirade with an infinite and motherly patience. She responded by wrapping her forelegs around his neck and pulling him into a loving hug. Growing up, this was the only way to calm Sendor down after he had worked himself into a state. And even in adulthood, that fact hadn't changed. Sendor melted against her neck as he whispered, "I don't want you to go..."

"I know, baby," Celesty cooed back. "But I must." She let Sendor go as she regarded her daughter, who had remained astutely withdrawn and stone-faced at the news of her mother's imminent departure. "My dear Fimbulvetr," Celesty began. "You will assume the role of ruling regent during the length of my absence. I know that you are more than capable of living up to this responsibility."

Sendor mentally flinched. Why is it she did not trust the duties of regent to him? Was he not the oldest child? Sendor was careful to not let any of this show on his face; simply taking this bit of news with a nod of hard understanding.

Fimbulvetr nodded solemnly. "I only wish you that you did not have to go at all..."

It was then that Celesty looked about the room. Her two children, and her force of royal guardsmen were looking at her with with a mix of emotion that Celesty could barely bring herself to process. There was love; there was anger; but above all else, there was the silent, unspoken plea in their eyes, that said all too plainly, 'please return safely...'

"I thank you all sincerely for your concern," she said, placing a hoof over her heart as she spoke. "But I hereby give you my word on my safe return to my realm. Whatever danger Equestria now faces shall be quelled by my, Celestia's, and Luna's combined might." Celesty paused here for just a moment. "However long this shall take is another matter of course, but I assure you that no true harm shall come to me or the world we live in. This is the promise of your princess, and I will see it done."

The pony guardsmen broke off into two uniform lines, standing on either side of the hall in complete uniform; their hooves raised to their heads in a fare-well salute to their princess. This was the affirmation she needed. Celesty gave each of her children one last hug before she trotted to the very front gate of the castle, Sendor and Fimbulvetr flanking her on either side. Celesty looked to the clear afternoon sky overhead. Her original plan was to have an escort of guards fly her to Equestria. However, the trip was quite lengthy; spanning hundreds of miles. And while her pegasi escorts were endurance-trained to make such journeys with ease, she believed this undertaking as something to be done alone, and thus decided to make the trip via teleportation instead.

Of course, even then it was a daunting prospect; all but the most powerful of magic users could fathom teleporting such a distance. But Celesty was one such magic user. She looked to both Sendor and Fimbulvetr in turn and said, "I will return to you, I promise." And then she was gone, in a flash of light-blue brilliance.

...

The princesses Celestia and Luna were sat just at the very edge of the wild Everfree forest. Even as they watched, the treeline seemed to writhe and pulsate, as though it were breathing. Celestia used a nonchalant burst of her magic to immolate a rather frisky tendril of ivy that had been working it's way up her foreleg.

Luna dismayed at their present situation. The two rulers of all of Equestria absolutely powerless to stop a problem within their own borders. Luna felt equal parts fear and shame at the prospect. Knowing that not only will the ponies of their own country second guess their abilities, but ruling bodies of other pony nations maybe interpreting this debacle as a sign of weakness, and perhaps amass a force of invasion...

In an effort to quell her rather morbid train of thought, Luna engaged her sister on her choice of assistance in this matter. "You sent that letter some good time ago, sister," She began. "Can you be entirely sure that she will answer the call?"

For just a short moment, Celestia did not answer. Her gaze was on the horizon; her eyes glazed over, but sharply focused. She wasn't just looking for the presumably incoming Princess Celesty, but feeling for her as well. As the time was close to midday; the sun at it's highest point in the sky; Celestia's powers were at their absolute peak; she could feel the beat of a heart, or hear the drop of a pin from any point on the planet earth. Celestia came out of her trance with a rapid blinking of her long-lashed eyes. "I am entirely sure of her coming, Luna," she said in answer to her previous question. "Because unless I am very much mistaken, she is approaching as we speak."

Luna turned hers eyes to the cloudless skies as she watched for Celesty's imminent arrival. She held her sky-gazing posture for several moments more before turning her eyes on her sister once again. "I do not see her." She stated plainly. Celestia gave just a tiny smile as she walked forward several paces along the dirt road. Luna followed rather absently as she joined Celestia's side again. "Dear sister, if this is your idea of a-"

Luna's sentence was cut short as a sudden magical phenomena just a few yards from their position. Their was a shimmer, as though of distorted air, and then a brilliant flash and materialization of a pony.

Princess Celesty had arrived at last.

The ice-white alicorn slumped to her haunches as she panted for breath in recovery of her magical exertion. Celestia seemed in no rush to welcome or aid her, but simply stood in place with a rather self-satisfied and knowing patience. At last Celesty had recovered enough of her strength to regain her legs and greet the two princesses.

Luna's lips tightened just slightly, as they always did when she was around somepony whom she felt less than comfortable with. Luna looked over the alicorn with a silent appraisal. There was no doubt to her beauty; any stallion with a healthy libido wold agree. Luna often envied both Celesty and her own sister's fair coats of brilliant white; so reflective and pure of hue. As opposed to her coat of cloudy and almost listless purple. While as vibrant as the rest of Celesty seemed to be, there was but one feature that Luna could not come to terms with. And those were her eyes. They were solid, and completely ice-blue. She had not pupil or iris to speak of. She was as frightened as she was fascinated by such eyes. Was Celesty born with such eyes, or perhaps were they a product of her ascension? Luna had often heard that the eyes were a window into a ponies' soul. But with such startling eyes as that, Luna often wondered if this pony even had a soul...

Fully recovered from her telepathic journey, Celesty bade Celestia a daintily respectful bow as she said, "I have received your call for aid and have come to offer my assistance in your time of need."

"Thank you, Celesty," Celestia said with equal parts respect. "But I am afraid that our problem grows more severe with each passing moment. If it is alright with you, I would like to get started right away."

"Of course, your highness," was Celesty's response. And the two ponies trotted off into the forest with purposeful haste. Luna felt no worse for attention having been left out of the conversation entirely, or even acknowledged by Celesty for that matter. This fact she did not lament; the less time those beautiful, awful eyes were on her, the better.

Celesty followed Celestia into the depths of the Everfree forest. She had heard many rumors about this savage and fantastic place; a place where time moved of it's own accord, forwards or backwards, or at times stopped altogether; a place where wild magic permeated every living thing inside it, so that every tree, flower, and blade of grass seemed to watch and hiss at her every move. Very little sunlight managed to penetrate the gnarled canopy of the magic forest, so Celestia set her horn alight and the three princesses followed it's narrow strip of brilliance along a path that Celestia had clearly traveled many times before. It was only then that Celesty remembered that the sisters made their home here in the Everfree forest. Why, she could only fathom.

Not too many moments later, Celestia came to an abrupt halt, causing the other two of the ensemble to do the same. Celestia shone her horn light on what appeared to be a solid mass of thick, spiny vines that had entangled themselves to block the path ahead. Celestia studied the obstruction with a keen and rather delighted interest. "It knows..." she said to no pony in particular.

Celesty gave her a sidelong look. "It knows what?" She said.

"Celesty, come forward," Celestia said, her eyes never moving from the mass of vines in their way. Celesty obliged and joined her side. "Shine the light of your jewels on it," Celestia commanded.

Of course Celesty knew that her Elements of Harmony were the entire reason she was called here. So she ignited her magic and levitated the six magic stones just in front of her. At her silent command, they were each illuminated from within, casting their colorful light onto the blockage in their path. And the vines, screaming with a voice as unnatural as one would assume a plant to have, unraveled themselves in desperate haste to escape the light of the elements. Celestia's response to this was a triumphant flare of her nostrils and quirking of her lips. And without another word, she continued into the darkness of the Everfree, leaving Celesty and Luna to follow.

*End of Chapter 13*

...

A/N: Okay, I'm going to apologize for two things here; the slowness of the update, and this chapter's abysmally short length. I totally just typed this up today here in but one sitting. I wonder why I'm chopping up this flashback segment into so many pieces? Ah, whatever.

On another note; Destiny is freakin' awesome! A true shooter and grinder's paradise. Join my fire team and together we shall do...fire team stuff, yeah!

Platform: Xbox 360

Gamertag: Buster Sangwich (ask me where I got this from!)

Class: Hunter (Gunslinger)

Level: 27

Faction: Future War Cult

So that's my destiny profile and what. And I guess I'll be taking off for now. I'll update again...at some point. Between Destiny and the new Super Smash Bros. 3DS coming, my fanfics are definitely gonna take a hit...

-B.D. Skunkworks