In Her Sanctuary

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In Her Sanctuary is a tragedy featuring Celestia and Twilight Sparkle in a not-so-distant future. Written by OmegaPony11, this short story deals heavily with grief and the loss of a loved one. Luna and Cadance take on minor, yet significant roles to remove Celestia from her isolation driven by madness.

Style
In Her Sanctuary is written in third person limited perspective with Celestia being the point-of-view character. The story makes use of repitive lines to make a point, as well as the use of a red herring.

Summary
The story starts with Celestia hidden away deep in the Everfree forest. They live inside a great tower, and are protected by wards both Celestia and Twilight cast to shut out the outside world. However, Twilight Sparkle is unresponsive to her lover Celestia, but this does not seem to bother the former monarch in the slightest. After a brief visit to their private library, Celestia decides to take Twilight to her garden for an afternoon brunch.

While working in the garden, Celestia notices the book Twilight is reading is one about the long forbidden creation of  Equnculi,  or artificial ponies. Celestia celebrates this disocvery; the failure of an immortality spell has left Twilight in a state of stasis, and Celestia believes this spellbook would have the answers she seeks.

 However, her celebrations do not last long as Luna and Cadence arrive to make Celestia see reason. Celestia shuts herself and Twilight back in her Tower, only for the wards to fail and the other two alicorns to descend upon her. Luna forces Celestia to see the truth about Twilight, though Celestia refuses to do so at first.

 Driven mad by grief, Celestia attempts to shut out Luna and Cadence, but Luna’s forcefulness and refusal to leave brings Celestia to look at her mistake. Once she realized the truth, Celestia could no longer bear the site of Twilight. She quickly requests asylum with Luna, and both dissapear, leaving Cadence alone with Twilight.

Reception
 In Her Sanctuary was received well, and was generally favourably by readers. The story is on EQD in one attempt and has a reading available on YouTube. Common criticisms are the repeition of a single line that some say give away the ending early, and that Celestia would have handled grief better. Other criticisms go towards the choice of cover art for being too risque.