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"If I did ever become queen, my first action would be to appoint my dear friend Simon as my trusted chancellor."
That's what she said, right? That's what she said when she and Simon went to their old training place.
She never told him, not yet at least, how important he was to her. How their meeting not only changed his life, but hers.
She was a lonely child growing up; the nobles always called her the "Turncoat Queen's Daughter"; that's what they always called her.
It didn't matter if she was a kid; they wanted nothing but gossip and drama. She learned that too early...
Her mother left her, she really wanted to believe in her, really, but she was struggling every day...
Her father was strict with her and wasn't close to her. She couldn't blame him, though; that was his role as king. She reminded him too much of her mother, so of course, he would act like that.
But Celeste felt emotionally neglected and isolated. She had no one to confide in.
She didn't want to bother Korra with that; she knew she was close with her mom and didn't want to burden her. Ogden already lost his son; she didn't want to bother him too. Gaul was hard to read. She wasn't close enough with him anyway. And Rudy... she didn't want to burden Rudy either. Thea, the new recruit, already had enough troubles with the lost Poogies, she was a child, too.
Yet Simon, the one person she grew up with, who knew her struggles, and was there whenever she felt emotions. He was the one she was sometimes vulnerable around. Someone she even trusted to talk about a very personal past with...
Someone she could confide in.
So when Simon and Fawn attacked Clarrisa and the second Rathalos that was Ratha's twin...
"You promised me that you'd leave the princess alone!"
"Simon, what...?"
That's all she could say, confused.
Simon knew Clarrisa? Not only that, they made some sort of deal? What did he do?! What did he mean when he said she promised not to harm her?! How did?!
It all clicked in. Was Simon from Vermeil? How...?
But then Clarrisa's Rathalos attacked Fawn, causing Simon to fall.
She tried to catch him as fast as she could. She tried. But she couldn't.
He crashed into the trees, slowing down his fall, but with that height, he was still injured.
Celeste hurried to where her best friend was, but he was heavily injured...
"Simon! Hang in there, ok? I'm gonna get you some help!" She was about to leave, but he stopped her, grabbing her wrist.
"Wha...? Simon...?" Why did he stop her? It didn't matter if he came from Vermeil; she just needed answers, which wouldn't stop her from saving him! Her feelings for him wouldn't change!
"It's funny... You really do... look just like... A-Amara." He says, weakly.
"What're you talking about? Simon, how would you even know...?" How would he know? He never met her... right? She always talked about him whenever she could, and he always said he admired her too, so... why would...?
He turned his body to properly give her something. It was... a necklace? Why would he-. But she instantly recognized it. It was her mother's?!
She could only gently grasp it on Simon's hands. "Have you had this all along...?" She couldn't ask him. There were too many things to ask, but it wasn't the time yet.
"Y'know she told me you could hear them. Just... before they started to hatch..."
"Huh...?" So he DID meet her?! And he never told her?! Why?! What held him back from telling her?!
He gently caressed her cheek, her expression still filled with horror...
"Go to the Sacrosanctum..."
"Simon..."
Did her mom really leave for the Merdian? If that was the case, why did Clarissa have the other one?!
Simon's cough interrupted her thoughts. Clarissa was also close behind them too.
She picked him up, attempting to get out of there for safety.
But she knew they weren't going to make it. It was hopeless.
Was she really going to die with Simon like this...?
But as she felt the fire close behind her, Simon pushed her out of the danger...
The last thing she saw before he was engulfed with fire... Was him smiling at her for one last time...
She couldn't move, even after Clarissa left... Even after Rudy searched for Simon, hoping he was okay...
But all Rudy could find was his pouch...
"SIIMOOOON!!!" She cried out in pain.
All Celeste had left of him was the pouch, and the necklace of her mother he had carried with him...
She fell on her knees; she couldn't move.
Everything around her was ringing...
She could barely hear Rudy calling out to her, trying to get her to move.
Korra, Gaul, and Elenor -who was riding with Gaul- found her. She could barely hear Korra's horror at learning what happened to Simon.
"Princess, we need to go." Korra tries to tell her.
But when she couldn't move, she moved her to ride with her on Gravey.
Back at base, Celeste cried alone with Ratha, who tried to comfort her...
She realized how much she didn't know about Simon, whom she claimed was her best friend...
Did she do something wrong? Why couldn't he trust her?
Why couldn't she tell him? She had the courage to face Feral monsters, SO WHY COULDN'T SHE TELL SIMON ABOUT HER OWN FEELINGS?!
She realized her feelings too late...
She really hoped the Rangers wouldn't be involved in this war...
But in the end, they did...
She couldn't save him...
She didn't know him...
He was gone...
And that was something she would blame herself for a very long time...
The End...?