A Survivor's Guide to Grimdark Equestria
Chapter 45: Equus IV – (Reluctantly) Crossing the Threshold
Previous Chapter Next ChapterI wasn't sure what to expect when Luna led Twilight and me through the massive double doors. I was honestly still too shocked by the bombshell Luna dropped on me to give the actual room any thought. But entering the room, I couldn't help but frown at the sight of a single queen-sized bed at one end of the room that looked... kind of comfortable. There a small nightstand by the bed upon which sat a dark brown journal or diary of some sort, a large oaken armoire off to one side, and... that was about it really.
The bed was incredibly simple. It was just a plain thing consisting of nothing more than a plain dark brown wooden frame, a thin but plush white mattress, a few feathery pillows, and a thick wool blanket. It looked like the kind of bed you might find in a cabin or something. The room itself was also pretty small but not overly so. Aside from the several dimly lit crystals embedded in a uniform pattern within walls being fashioned similarly to those just outside, it was a far cry from the ostentatiousness of the hallway we'd just come from. I took all of this in at a glance and turned to ask Luna the question sitting at the very top of my ever-increasing list.
"So... where's Celestia?"
In all honesty, I didn't really give a damn about the room itself or why there was practically nothing in it. Questions like 'why is there only one bed' or 'why make the hall so overbearingly gaudy if this is all you have to show' could wait until I found out what the hell this Equestria's Solar Princess was thinking. I kept my cool, naturally, but I wanted answers and Luna had led us into a room that was sans one Sunbutt. Twilight, for her part, looked far more curious about the room than I was, but if she had anything to say or ask on the matter, she kept it to herself as I turned to consult the larger alicorn.
"My sister is making some... last minute preparations," Luna replied after a moment, "but she should be returning shortly." She silently focused her unseeing gaze on me for a second and I was suddenly struck by how tall the mare was. I hadn't given it much thought with everything else going on, but the size of each pony I'd seen so far had been pretty consistent across each Equestria I'd been to. I was about 5'11"—roughly 180cm—and Twilight came up to just below waist height at the wither. Luna herself was almost at eye level with me, not counting the horn. Given her somewhat ghastly appearance it was actually kind of intimidating standing this close, but I didn't let it bother me too much.
"What?" I asked, returning Luna's continued silent stare with some discomfort, "Something wrong? You're looking at me like I'm some kind of weird puzzle." The mare tilted her head to one side at my words, but it took her another moment to answer. When she did, it was with a tone both thoughtful and bemused, like she really was trying to figure me out.
"I apologize, Salvatore," she began slowly, "I do not mean to stare, but something about you..." she paused and shook her head once before continued, "I know for a fact that we have never met, but I cannot help a queer sense of... familiarity the more I look upon you." Her frown deepened, "No, perhaps a more accurate description would be a sensation akin to a word or phrase almost but not quite remembered—something held eternally on the tip of the tongue if you will. That is what I feel when I look at you."
I gave a small frown of my own before casting Twilight a perplexed look. She mirrored the look for a brief second but then her expression grew contemplative. "You did know things about the situation that you should have no way of knowing," she mused, looking me over curiously, "are you sure you haven't been here before? Maybe Discord did something?"
"Maybe he did, maybe he didn't," I answered with a helpless shrug, "if he did I have no memory of it, but if you ask me, I don't think that's it," I returned my attention to Luna, "I'm pretty sure—no, I know I've never been here before but I know exactly how you feel. I'm getting that same sort of feeling where it's like an unseen memory that's stuck in the back of my mind. It's like..." I paused as I tried to find the words, "...it's like the information is there, but there's no context and I have no idea where it came from."
"How strange," Luna replied quietly. She gave me that same intense stare as she spoke, "it is certainly something to ponder, but in truth, that conundrum is not what worries me." At mine and Twilight's confused and expectant looks, Luna nodded in my direction. "Looking at you, I also get the impression of something.... misaligned. A piece that doesn't fit. In you, I still feel the essence of a human despite the overwhelming taint of Chaos... but I also feel something entirely... other."
"Um... other?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow at the statement.
"I do not know," Luna said with a shake of her head. Somehow here sightless gaze intensified even more as she continued, "I haven't the words to explain it, but what I do know—what I feel in my heart of hearts, is that you do not belong here, Salvatore. More than even young Twilight Sparkle, you should not be here. Your presence in this world is... wrong on a fundamental level, I think." My brows furrowed at that and Luna gave me a rueful smile in response.
"Do not misunderstand me, child from another Plane," she chuckled, "I do not mean to imply that you are unwanted by myself or Celestia, merely that there may be forces at work that even I do not understand." Her rueful smile fell into a grimace and in a quieter tone she muttered, "Although I now find myself questioning the wisdom in my sister's plan."
"And you didn't before?" I asked incredulously. There was a lot to take in regarding what she'd said about me, but now that we were back on the subject, I couldn't help myself. I knew those last few words weren't really meant for me, but I had to respond anyway. "I'm sorry, but during that whole explanation about how we wound up here, did you miss the part where I was just some half-blind chucklefuck before I got dragged into all of this shit?" I threw my hands up in the air, more exasperated than anything else, "what the hell does Celestia expect me to do?"
"I expect a great deal from you, Salvatore."
All three of us snapped our heads toward the center of the nearly empty bedchamber at the sound of the vaguely familiar voice. At first there was nothing to see, but that quickly changed as the disembodied voice died away. The air began to warp and within the distorted haze a shape started to form. With what I could only describe as a 'sigh' of magic, the pale white, regal form of none other than Celestia shimmered into existence like some kind of ghost from the aether. She stood tall and refined in the center of the room, looking over each of us with a cerise colored gaze that could freeze magma.
Her eyes lingered on Twilight for a brief period, but if there was any anger or sadness related to the past she didn't show it. She didn't show much of anything really. Her face was an icy mask of regal impassivity. The look actually made me shiver a bit, but more than that, there was something else off about the mare that I couldn't put my finger on. Unfortunately, the imperious mare spoke again before I could put anything together. "If what my sister tells me is true," she began in a casual tone that did nothing to take away from her chilly aura, "you've come along way from the hapless human you once were before your... tragic circumstances arose."
"Trust me, Princess, I really haven't," I replied, trying for a wry grin that failed in the wake of Celesta's undivided attention, "I'm still that same hapless human in spirit if not entirely in body anymore." I held out my hands to my sides in a show of helpless resignation, "I can make my own decisions, sure, but they haven't exactly worked out for me—well, for the most part anyway..." I threw Twilight's still disguised form a side glance but she only had eyes for the Princess. She looked... confused? Worried? Angry? Suspicious? I couldn't really tell so I just continued on, "and for everything else—all the recent major changes in my life—my hands have kind of been tied here."
"That may have been true once," Celestia shot back, "but as I see it, you've been granted an opportunity to take back control of your own fate." She took several graceful steps forward until she was standing directly before me. The mare was a full head taller than me and peered down at me with that same impassive stare as she spoke. "You wish to know what I expect of you? I expect you to take advantage of the gift you've been given. I wish to you grow and learn and use the power you've been given to lift my little ponies out of this interminable darkness."
"Ah," I replied as the pieces finally clicked into place, "so you want me to use my brand spanking new Chaos magic to... to what? Defeat the Old Night? Are you serious?" I backed up a step and turned to Luna, "Is she serious?" The midnight blue alicorn frowned but said nothing. Apparently now that her sister was here this wasn't her show anymore. When she didn't respond, I looked back over to the taller sibling and shook my head. "You do realize that Zushakon is a primordial alien death god right? I'm pretty sure all the magic training montages in the world won't help me win against a creature whose power and presence is supposed to be literally impossible to comprehend."
Celestia went quiet for a second and her dispassionate frown deepened slightly. It looked like she was trying to parse my words, but it didn't take long before she started talking again. "Such comprehension may be impossible for the average human or pony," she replied in a slightly chiding tone, "but you misunderstand your situation, Salvatore." She glanced at Luna for an instant and some silent understanding I couldn't catch passed between the two. She raised her head and continued in a voice befitting her station as a ruler, "You speak and argue your case as though you are a human learning the ways of Chaos magic, but that is not so—or rather, that will not be the case for much longer as you've already been made aware."
"So that's your plan."
All eyes turned to the mare who'd had to yet to say her piece in the matter until now. A crack formed in Celestia's icy mask at the sound of Twilight's voice. Something that might've been fury or regret or despair or grief crossed her face for a fraction of a second. The look passed by and was gone behind that cold indifference so fast I could've imagined the whole thing. It could've been all those emotions. It could've been none of them. Either way, Celestia's regal impassivity was firmly back in place by the time her gaze settled on Twilight. If Twilight saw the same thing I did, she didn't acknowledge it. Instead, she squared her shoulders—withers—and met the Princess's cool stare with her own accusatory glare.
"I thought there'd be more to it than that, but no," Twilight said with barely concealed disgust and disappointment. She continued to look at Celestia but her next words were aimed at me, "Salvatore, you're turning into a lesser Chaos spirit, and while I'm not entirely sure what that entails, I'm almost certain that kind of transformation will have some major effects on how you perceive the world and reality in general." She threw me a side glance, her enmity shifting to worry. "We've already seen evidence of that back in my Equestria."
She was right on the money. Neither of us had realized it back then, but looking back on it, it was entirely possible that Discord wasn't to blame for the hallucinations. At least, not in the way I'd first thought. If what Luna and Apparatus had said was true and I was turning into some kind of proto-Chaos Lord, then that explained a lot. It also might've explained why I could suddenly almost make out the words of a certain eldritch alien language not meant for mortal ears. When it was spelled out like that, I began to more or less understand what Twilight and Celestia were getting at. Twilight's next words only confirmed my growing suspicions.
"With things as they are, it's only a matter of time before you become a Chaos spirit in full, and the Princess wants to use that power." She pressed on, returning her attention to Celestia, "I don't know how she plans to pull it off, but she essentially wants to mold you into another Discord and throw you at the problem," she raised her head and looked Celestia dead in the eye, "...am I wrong?"
After a very uncomfortable beat or two of silence, the taller Princess addressed Twilight for the first time since she appeared. She smiled at the magically veiled unicorn-turned-alicorn but it was fake, hollow thing that didn't even come close to reaching her eyes, "As astute as ever I see. I suppose some things are wont to remain the same even across the supposedly myriad universes," the smile fell away and something inscrutable crossed her face, "how... comforting." She let out a deep sigh, and I got the distinct impression that she was gearing up for a monologue. When she started pacing about the room, I was almost certain, and then she started talking and I had to resist rolling my eyes.
I want to write this whole thing off as insane, but honestly, if she can help me get this Chaos magic under control even a little, it might be worth hearing her out. Discord sure as hell isn't gonna help me sort this shit out... and speaking of which, what the hell happened to the Discord of this Equestria?
"You have the right of it insomuch that I intend to use Salvatore's chaos magic to free my subjects from this endless nightmare," Celestia said, snapping me out of my thoughts. She stopped pacing and shot Twilight a... well, it wasn't a glare exactly, but it certainly wasn't a friendly look. "As for your claims regarding an attempt to birth another Discord..." she shook her head and briefly allowed a look of disdain to cloud her face, "we would be better served by one who is not so tightly bound by the will of their progenitor. No, we do not need another Discord, but rather somepony—someone who has the means to do what must be done and will not abandon us in our darkest hour."
Ah, guess that answers that question...
"And who's to say I won't abandon you in your darkest hour?" I asked pointedly. At her sharp look I raised my hands in a placatory gesture, "Look, it's not like I want to leave you all in the lurch, but you're making a lot of assumptions here and I have my own thing I need to do." I grimaced in consternation, then gave a resigned sigh. I hadn't wanted to divulge this troublesome piece of information if I could help it, but with what Celestia was asking me to do, I figured I'd better lay some more cards on the table. If she had some method to help me learn to use my chaos magic that would be awesome, but thinking further on it, the risk was too great.
"I suppose I could try to help you with your eldritch nightmare world problem, but there's something you need to know if you're gonna force me into this." I gave Twilight a meaningful glance. If Celestia wanted to play me then I was going to make damn sure she was aware of the consequences. Thankfully, Twilight picked up what I was putting down and nodded her silent agreement, her expression grim. With that settled, I kept going, "When I told Luna about my situation I neglected to mention this little detail for all of our sakes, but since it's come to this, I should probably mention that if I die this whole world goes with me."
I quickly held up a hand to forestall any shocked or outraged replies from the Royal Sisters, "Before you go off on me, no, this isn't a threat, just simple cause and effect. The Discord who threw me into the middle of this shitstorm basically used his magic to tie my life to the fate of each Equestria I get dropped into," I gave the two sisters a rueful smile, "I don't really get how it all works, but my death causes some kind of magical reaction and once it goes off... well, that's all she wrote."
That brought the two up short, just as I expected. Celestia shot her sister a questioning look, but Luna was too busy watching me with an expression I couldn't parse, mostly because her monstrous mane was in the way. "Surely you don't expect me to take you at your word?" the alabaster mare finally replied after several tense seconds. Her eyes narrowed and her words turned skeptical, but I could practically see the gears spinning in her head, her mind trying to re-evaluate the situation, "that is... quite the claim, Salvatore—one I hesitate to entertain given your obvious reluctance to assist."
"I've done the research," Twilight cut in. She took a step forward, her serious gaze dancing between the other two alicorns as she tried to explain, "I've seen for myself what Discord did to Salvatore. Locked away somewhere within his body is enough chaos magic to obliterate not just Equestria, but this entire realm," her thin frown grew more sympathetic, "you could say that Salvatore himself is a walking apocalypse. Unless we can find a way to safely undo the chaotic spell matrix etched into Salvatore's being, his death will be the end of this universe... just as it was my own."
I sucked in a quiet breath at that last bit but there was no blame in Twilight's tone, only a sort of morose acceptance. I didn't feel guilty about the circumstances exactly. We both knew who the real culprit was, but that didn't stop me from feeling bad for the mare. Yeah, her situation was fucked beyond all reason, but that had still been her home and it was gone now. There was nothing left. Nothing to go back to. She was stuck traveling around with me, the catalyst for the complete destruction of everything she knew and loved. It was actually a wonder she didn't blame me, even if she knew it wasn't really my fault.
Okay, so maybe there is a bit of residual guilt.
"If what Twilight Sparkle says is true," Luna began slowly, her hidden eye sockets never once leaving my own eyes, "we can assume you perished in her realm... and yet you stand here before us alive and well." It was a question wrapped up in a statement, and I gave a noncommittal shrug in response knowing she had more to say. Sure enough, she gave a slow, thoughtful nod of her own and spoke again, "And I suppose your apparent resurrection is another facet of the story you kept hidden from me during our initial meeting?"
"Didn't see the point in bringing it up if I wasn't gonna talk about the consequences of my demise," I replied without a hint of shame. "Once one Equestria is wiped out, that same spell matrix Twilight was talking about brings me back to life in another Equestria. If I'd died here at any point, none of you would be in any position to ask questions about why I was alive, savvy?"
I wasn't sure why I decided to channel my inner Jack Sparrow then, but it felt right somehow. Luna just nodded again, evidently taking the new information in stride. That was something I could respect and was extremely grateful for. "A fair assessment, all things considered," she replied before addressing Celestia. "What say you, sister? I do not believe either of them speaks falsely, and we both know your plan carries with it a great deal of risk as it is. Would you truly wager all of existence against the small hope that Salvatore will succeed where we have failed time and time again?"
There was a worryingly long period where Celestia didn't say a word. She merely stood there in the center of the room, her eyes closed and silent as the grave. Any regal masks had long since fallen away and it was clear for all to see that she was fighting some internal battle against her better judgment. Strangely enough, as the silence dragged on, I grew more okay with the idea of trying to help, even with the risks involved. As soon as I realized what I was thinking, I mentally tried to stamped those thoughts into the figurative dirt... but I couldn't quite manage it. I meant it when I said I hadn't wanted to abandon this Equestria to its fate.
Deep down, I did want to help, but when it came right down to it, I knew my reluctance was rooted in my perceived powerlessness and unwillingness to take responsibility. I didn't think I could be relied upon to make any sort of difference. I was the reactive sort and even then only when I had to be. Otherwise, I was perfectly happy to laze about and let others take care of things when I could get away with it. If I'd been more proactive when I got locked up in the brig on that ship, I probably could've done something—probably not much, but maybe more than I actually wound up doing. And back in Golden Oaks, all I really did was sit around and read or play the passive role of a guinea pig while Twilight did all the work.
I'd always been the type to let life pass me by, and I was okay with that. Hell, I was still okay with that even now. I liked who I was despite my flaws and I didn't want to change... but circumstances were demanding more and more that I do so. I had to be more proactive. I had to start thinking. I had to take responsibility. Discord had all but forced me into the role of a protagonist and I needed to fulfill that role somehow. The stakes were too high to just sit back and let the cards fall where they may. At my core, I didn't think I could ever be the type of guy who could truly hate someone, no matter how much I changed on the surface.
With that said, in that moment—as I stood waiting for Celestia's decision while internally groaning at all these unwanted epiphanies—that draconequus son of a bitch officially became my least favorite thing in existence. I wasn't charismatic. I wasn't a complete idiot, but I wasn't exactly the sharpest tool either. I was an absolute klutz. I was way too lazy for my own good. I didn't have a single trait I could think of that would make me a good or even competent hero, but I had to make it work somehow. No, that wasn't entirely true. I had my budding chaos magic that I didn't know how to use properly, far too much patience in dealing with bullshit, and the capacity to not be a total dick. I also had Twilight.
And I guess that'll have to be enough for now...
Still, just because I'd finally accepted my role as the 'guy who needed to get shit done no matter how much he didn't want to', that didn't mean I was ready to just throw myself at a Lovecraftian horror from beyond the stars. I don't care how much my perception of reality changed, me pitting myself against the Old Night was a horrifying notion no matter how you sliced it. No, if I was going to do this—and the God Emperor strike me for a fool I was actually going to do this—then I needed some assurance. I didn't volunteer to do the job outright, but rather waited for Celestia to say something. I'd try to help one way or another, but how I contributed would depend on her response.
Wait, so is the Imperium of Man actually out there somewhere in the multiverse battling against the forces of Chaos? Does this mean the Warp is real? Does Discord know about the Warp, being a Lord of Chaos and all? Are all concepts of Chaos connected in some way? And if so, does that mean—
Before I could dive too deeply down that terrifying rabbit hole and into what the implications might mean for me personally, Celestia finally stirred. She gave a long weary sigh and when she opened her eyes, any semblance of decorum was gone. She suddenly looked just as old as she probably was. It was like she didn't have the strength to keep up her ice queen facade anymore and just wanted to get this over with and go to bed. Honestly? I could completely relate to the sentiment. It seemed we both had shit we didn't want to do but had no real say in the matter.
"I grow tired of this farce, dear sister," Celestia said with an exhausted shake of her head. She gave a sad little chuckle and met my gaze with a rueful smile, "forgive me for the wretched display, Salvatore, but in the face of this dilemma I find I no longer have the mental fortitude to keep up appearances. I'd rather talk plainly from here on out if that suits you."
"It suites me just fine," I replied, all too happy to do away with stiff formalities, "not really a big fan of being grilled like that. Builds a shaky foundation for a relationship, y'know?" My amiable grin fell a bit, "so... what's the verdict? You still want me to give you guys a hand, or—" I was suddenly cut off as Twilight raised a hoof and took a step forward, her eyes locked on the alabaster Princess and her expression wary.
"Before that," she said with more than a little accusation in her voice, "I have to ask... are you really Princess Celestia?" She shook her head and suddenly rounded on Luna with naked suspicion, "Or maybe I should ask you a different question. Was Celestia ever really here to begin with? Because, according to my mage sight, that—" she stabbed a hoof toward a shocked Celestia while keeping her eyes trained on Luna, "—is nothing more than a spell construct. A thaumic illusion. A magical mirage," she finally tore her gaze from the dark mare and turned to me, "I don't know how it was done or why, but I do know it was no teleportation spell that brought that simulacrum pretending to be the Princess here."
I blinked and look from Twilight to the apparently fake Princess with a thoughtful frown. "Huh," I muttered, "I thought something about her was weird, but I just chalked it up to her acting totally out of character." I turned back to Twilight, "Wait, when the hell did you use mage sight?" At that, the mare straightened up and puffed out her chest a bit as she replied. "I can be pretty subtle with my spells when the situation calls for it," she said with a hint of smug satisfaction, "it was a little after she showed up, and the reason I didn't say anything then was because I didn't want to spring any potential traps too soon," she once again directed her full attention to the darker alicorn, "but now that we've all decided to speak plainly, I think I'd like some answers."
For the first time since we met back in the abandoned cellar beneath the cabin, Luna actually looked... uncomfortable. Instead of responding to Twilight's accusations, she silently deferred to the 'simulacrum', as if waiting for it to explain itself in her stead. Twilight and I also turned our focus toward not-Celestia at the sound of her bitter laughter. Looking at her now that I knew she was a fake, it was sort of obvious. She was too... perfect. Her fur was too pristine. Her cerise eyes sparkled too brightly. Her variegated mane and tail were too vibrant and graceful. She looked entirely out of place in a world so dark and twisted. It was like she'd stepped right out of the idealized version of Equestria from the show—or it would've been, if not for her world-weary visage.
"I should have known better than to cast such a simple cantrip under your scrutiny," the Celestia look-alike conceded with a wan smile. "It's worked well enough to fool the masses, so I suppose I'd become a tad complacent about using it," her smile faded into a smaller grin full of melancholy, "and I don't believe my faithful student ever learned to use a spell quite like this 'mage sight' of yours. I'm curious to know how it works."
Judging by the complicated look on her face, it seemed Twilight hadn't expected that kind of response. She opened her mouth to say something, but the words fell short and she looked up at me like I had answers to give. I didn't know what to say to that so I just moved on. "So... it's not Luna casting some kind of projection spell or something," I surmised, "which means your real body is... hidden away somewhere?" I scanned the nearly empty room but didn't really expect to find anything that would give me an obvious answer. If this was going to play out how I predicted it would, then—
"Sister..." Luna began. She sounded... not quite worried, but definitely cautious, "should we—" Celestia cut her off with a stiff nod. "Yes, I think it best to let them know the truth of the matter," the magical construct said, her tone grave but determined, "no more secrets or subterfuge. If anything, I'm beginning to think we went about this all wrong." She looked into her younger sister's eyes—or lack thereof—and something deep and unknowable passed between them before she spoke again, "I want you to bring them to the Chamber of Déaþgedál, but before that..." her focus shifted to Twilight and for a long moment, she simply stared at the camouflaged mare.
Another moment went by and Twilight started to squirm uncomfortably under the intense gaze. "Wh-What?" she finally asked in a defensive tone, "if you have something to say, just tell me." She grimaced as the thaumic projection continued to stare, but before she could say anything else, Celestia blinked. Ever so slowly, her face smoothed into an expressionless mask. Unlike before though, this one felt more like fragile porcelain ready to shatter at the merest touch. When she finally opened her mouth, the words that came out were brittle and toneless. "Before we proceed, could you... allow me to see her face? If only briefly?" The mask cracked and her voice hitched, but she held it together, "...Please?"
"Sister!" Luna cried, making to rush to Celestia's side before evidently realizing she wasn't really there. She pulled back to where she'd been standing but even through the shroud of her thrashing mane I could tell she was straining to keep her composure, "Celestia, you don't have to—"
"Please!" the too-perfect alicorn all but begged, her carefully controlled facade breaking down. She completely ignored Luna and fixed her desperate gaze on Twlight, "Please... just let me see her one last time before—" she visibly swallowed and lowered her glossy eyes to the stone floor, "...just one more time is all I ask." The last words she croaked out in a shaky whisper that hit me way harder than I would've liked or expected. I grimaced and looked away, entirely uncomfortable with the outpouring of such raw emotion. I glanced over to see Twilight's reaction and was unsurprised to see one hoof over her mouth and unshed tears in her eyes as she stared back at the much taller mare.
Luna just stood there helplessly, looking like she wanted to do something but holding herself back. The ensuing silence grew so loud my ears started to ring. An eternity passed in the span of a dozen seconds or so before I heard the tell-tale hum of magic being used. Without a single word, Twilight dispelled her unicorn disguise and the pale yellow coat she wore shimmered and shifted to a more familiar lavender hue. Wings once hidden now faded back into view and her mane and tail regained their indigo color, the singular streak of pink shining bright against the low light of the bedchamber. Amethyst eyes met cerise and there was a short period where the world went still.
Nobody moved. Nobody so much as dared to breathe in that instant. Time was slow to resume, but eventually the projection of the Solar Princess moved. Her magically conjured frame trembled, her eyes slowly but then slammed shut as the tears fell. Her pale white face twisted with pain and longing so deep and intense that it slammed into me like a physical force. I was so caught off guard it took me a second to register a high-pitched keening sound. It took me another second to realize it was coming from the Princess. Before anyone could say or do anything, the thaumic spectre that was Celestia shimmered, warped, and vanished like dispersing mist.
The fading echo of a single, heart-wrenching sob rang out across the silent room like a gunshot.
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