Chapters Chapter 1
Had it been a long day or was it just one long week? She could no longer tell just by simply looking at her own reflection. The week showed, it showed in her once gorgeous magenta eyes, which were now very bloodshot and had very dark circles beneath them. The week also showed in her once glorious rainbow ethereal mane as well, which compared to other days seemed unusually unkempt and frizzy. Even the once beautiful alabaster coat she had was an absolute disaster. As she gazed at the mirror, she would wonder she hadn't collapsed from exhaustion yet, using a hoof to take a closer look at her eyes.
Looking deep into them, she could just see the events of the past week weighing heavily in them, before finally dropping her hoof. She then extended her wings briefly, which was a strain in it of itself. They ached, she could feel the dull pain coursing from the nerve endings at the base of her wings; this however, was mostly due from underuse throughout the week however, leaving them rather stiff. Even her horn had the very same dull ache, unlike her wings however, the ache had been caused by overuse of her magic. She sighed softly in defeat, before turning from the mirror and heading to the door.
She would glance back one final time, her eyes narrowing at the image she saw reflected in the mirror. 'What have I become?' she asked herself in the confines of her own mind. Even her mane, her ethereal mane, had been affected by the events of the past week. How was that even possible? Considering that it was composed more of magic rather than hair. Then again, she had seen stranger, especially over the course of this week.
The alabaster alicorn trotted quietly from the bathroom, being sure to hit the lights as she left. The room before her was rather large, with the ceiling painted a light blue, gradually growing into an orange as it spread onto the walls, leading all into a dark red carpet beneath her hooves. Even her bed matched this aesthetic, having an orange comforter and dark red pillowcases, about the only major difference compared to the rest of the room was, they had gold trim tassels on the edges. About the only thing that seemed out of place in the room however, were the pink curtains that lead off to the balcony. She would only glance in the direction for a brief instant, before continuing to the place she desired most right now. Bed.
From the tip of her horn to the base, a golden aura would appear, enveloping the crown she wore before it was causally, yet very gently set aside on the nightstand, along with her gorget as she reached the edge of the bed. Without a single bit of effort she also slipped from the golden horseshoes she wore, which was a relief for her hooves in that very second. That was, before she finally flopped onto the soft bed.
The true relief was instantaneous as she flopped onto the bed, her head landing square on the pillow, while she struggled nestled her exhausted body into a comfortable position on her side. Today, a comfortable position would be her entire body resting on its side, her wings fully extended, yet limp. One hoof beneath the pillow her head rested on, while the other on top. How she was able to find comfort in a matter of seconds was beyond anyone, except for her. For, this bed was the only place right now, that she wanted to be and no where else.
Bliss soon overtook her mind as she lied on her bed in total silence. It would be the first time she had gotten any peace and quiet in nearly a month and the first time she had actually been able to get any rest in close to a week. As she slowly closed her eyes, she felt her consciousness beginning to slip from her, finally, she would be able to find much needed peace, maybe even a wonderful dream or two?
The alabaster alicorn drifted ever-so-slowly from reality, her body's aches and pains faded, vanishing into the corners of her mind. As they would, her mind would begin to float and wander, her vision grew blurry as her consciousness faded. With each passing second, she became less aware of her surroundings, less aware of the uninvited guest that slowly crept into the room from the main door.
It wouldn't be a normal guest either, in fact, it was a rather small guest that silently crept into the room. Moving on just the very tips of her hooves, the guest was very quiet, yet rather out of place against the colors of the room, her cobalt blue coat contrasting the red of the carpet and her shimmering silver mane contrasting the rest of the colors of the room. She would quietly sneak up onto the bed, using her wings to help her climb the covers, somehow managing not to disturb the resting alicorn. Once at the top, she would continue to creep right up next to the pillow and the alicorn's head in an almost childish manner, before inhaling very deeply.
“Auntie Tia!” the filly cried out, before beginning to bounce up and down on the bed; the alabaster alicorn's eyes snapped open very quickly, faster than they ever have, and she virtually leapt out of her coat at this point. With her heart pounding in her chest and a scream of utter shock, she rolled right off the bed and onto the ground, thankfully face-first instead of back first.
“Starlight!” she snapped, “How did you get in here?” This was a curious question she would ask, as she had even ordered the guards not to let anyone in, no matter who they were. Yet, here bounced an energetic alicorn filly, but not just any alicorn filly either, her favorite four year old, very adorable niece, Princess Starlight Crescent. It was right then and there that she realized just how the little filly had gotten in, as she gazed into the large, greenish-brown eyes. It was something nopony could resist or ignore, a look that she had inherited from her dear sister.
“Oh! I asked the guards to let me in!” Starlight said cheerfully, much to the alabaster alicorn's dismay.
'Mental note; punish those two after I get some sleep,' she thought, 'If I ever get any...'
“Is something wrong, Auntie Tia?” she asked, even for such a young alicorn she was quite perceptive, even if it was obvious at just how exhausted her aunt was.
“Oh...nothing,” she lied, unable to even show any form of frustration or anger around the little filly. In truth though, while she was absolutely exhausted, this was something that lifted her spirits quite considerably, seeing her niece actually made her smile. Brightening her day---or evening as it were. Yet, that raised an important question, why was she even here? “Shouldn't you be with your parents though?”
“Mom and dad...well, they said something about...Blueblood causing trouble with...um....a...” Starlight didn't even need to finish the sentence, because it was obvious what she was going to say at the end.
'Not today, not now Blueblood if you really are causing trouble with foreign dignitaries--namely one certain King—I'm not going to save you from Lulu's wrath...' she thought, letting go a sigh, as if her day couldn't possibly get any longer, it had. From past experience, in dealing with this particular king, it required a precise art, a certain way with words. Things needed to be phrased right and that was often left up to her, which is why this week had been so rough. Trouble had risen in the negotiations with the Griffin King, namely one by the name of Blueblood. 'Least it wasn't Silver...' Without a second thought, she waved her hoof.
“Starlight, you don't need to finish that sentence, all you needed to say was Blueblood was causing trouble,” she clarified with a sigh as she climbed up to her hooves finally. “Looks like I--”
“Mom said that she and dad could handle it,” Starlight interrupted, “They just wanted me to stay in here, where it's safe.” Which was actually rather smart of the two of them, considering whenever the Griffin King went on a rampage he would leave quite a few guards injured at the very least. Thankfully no one ever died from one of them either, otherwise he might've had something far worse to deal with.
'With Luna and Emerald attempting to restrain him on top of the guard, their should be fewer injuries this time...' she thought, 'And with this, the treaty will have to be subjected to change...great.' It was disappointing to hear about a king loosing his temper so violently and quickly, but then again, it was over Blueblood, so it was to be expected. “I'll have to lecture Blueblood in the morning...”
“No need,” an elegant voice called out from the balcony and for the second time in the past ten minutes, the alabaster alicorn would jump right out of her coat with her heart racing extremely fast. “I already took care of it for you.” Right away, she recognized the voice, she knew it from various occasions. The voice was that of one of her dearest friends, often a pony she respected greatly, not just for her wisdom, but for her sheer beauty.
Slowly, she turned her head in the direction of the voice, her head locking onto the flowing pink curtains around the balcony door. From which a pony trotted in carefully. She was a very elegant pony, one unlike any other she had seen before in her life. Was it the color of her coat that she loved? Was it the beautiful forest green hue that she had in her coat? Or was it her mane that she adored most? The flowing silvery color, which in it of itself seemed to flow much like her own ethereal mane. Yet, it wasn't ethereal, but a trick of the wind and style imposed on it.
“Ivy!” snapped the alicorn, pressing her chest to feel her own heartbeat, “You need to start announcing your presence...you're going to give me a heart attack one day!”
“My apologies, Celestia,” Ivy replied, with a small snicker, in truth, she loved doing this, she loved showing up unexpectedly before the princess, before her friend, Celestia. “I merely just came to inform you fully of the situation...and pick up my granddaughter.” This was sweet relief to Celestia's ears the moment she heard it. While she simply adored her niece, now wasn't really the best time for her to be watching over her. She actually needed rest, unlike the filly, whom was still bouncing with energy.
“Then please do, what exactly did Blueblood cause?” Celestia asked, still a bit on the curious side of the situation.
“Well...he...” Ivy began to explain the entire situation from start to finish, first starting with his arrival to the dining hall just after dinner. This is where she explained that he had simply bumped into the king, whom had actually removed his royal attire because it began to grow a bit uncomfortable for him. This is where things took a nosedive in a minute, where the foolish prince actually proceeded to let out a flurry of terrible insults, quite a few were actually rather racist against the entire griffin race. “As you can well imagine, it didn't sit too well with the King...and...well...he kind of lost his temper.”
“I don't blame him,” Celestia added, “Anypony who can tolerate Prince Blueblood, is well...a saint.”
“Even I wonder how you put up with him!” Ivy snapped, before leaning in out of pure curiosity, “How do you put up with him?” That was a serious question for Celestia, in fact it actually silenced her for the first time in quite a while, making her ears drop a tiny bit, while she attempted to figure it out.
“He's....family?” she finally said, simply shrugging almost as if she didn't know.
“Not the kind of family I'd want,” Ivy added, “He needs to learn some manners.”
“Its not his fault really...he was so sweet when he was a colt...and cute too!” Ivy wanted to speak out and lash the supposed prince further, but she lowered her hoof when her eyes shifted over to Starlight, whom had been rather quiet as she listened to the conversation. Mostly, for the sake of her granddaughter's young ears, she restrained herself.
'Only for Star's sake...' she thought with a soft sigh, before actually turning to her. “Star, dear...don't you ever grow up to be like your cousin, Blueblood.” The little filly only smiled in response to this, before giving a small nod. This made Ivy herself smile, “Good, now how's about we go get some ice cream! I'm sure your parents won't mind.” Celestia's eyes narrowed when she heard this, she knew a bit differently and her eyes even stated this. At the very same time, Ivy didn't seem to care, knowing full well what doing this could bring about.
Starlight's response was to resume bouncing up and down on the bed before dashing straight to the door. With a grin wider than any Celestia had ever seen plastered on the little filly's face, she only smiled as well. It indeed brightened her evening with this turn of events, just seeing the joy on her niece's face. That alone made the day well worth it, well worth everything that had happened, regardless of the issue she had just heard about. Even with that though, Celestia's glare at Ivy didn't change in the least. That was, until she leaned in a bit closer to the alicorn with a small grin of her own.
“Grandmother's privilege,” Ivy whispered jokingly, “We've earned the privilege to spoil our grandchildren.” That single line was enough to break the intimidating glare she had been sending at Ivy and actually worked to make her laugh rather loudly and it was a much needed one too as she would be laughing hard enough to be brought to tears; just from one remark too.
As it would die down, Celestia placed her hoof on her chest again, in attempts to catch her breath. Wiping the tears from her face and eyes, she giggled still. “Thanks Ivy, I really needed that,” she pointed out, her smile a bit brighter than it had been before.
“We all need a good laugh now and again,” she said, “And, sometimes even the best of us need a break too.” This is where Celestia found herself, for the first time in over a thousand years, confused.
“What do you mean?” a bewildered Celestia asked, climbing slowly back onto her bed.
“What I mean is, don't be afraid to take a day or two off!” Ivy snapped, “How long have you been running Equestria without a break?” This hadn't ever been the truest of statements she heard in her life, in fact, looking back on it. It was always an issue here and an issue there and just when she thought it was solved, a third party would bring up an issue. Most of which were just fairly obvious situations, not even considered political, others were a bit more complicated but nothing she couldn't figure out. Yet, all these issues took their toll on her. Without a single word she flopped back onto the bed before finally speaking again.
“Far too long...” Celestia admitted, sighing very deeply.
“When was the last time you actually did something for yourself too?” Ivy asked, “The last time you put a little selfishness into what you wanted?” That's what really got the princess thinking, lifting her head very slowly as she reflected further on the issue.
“Last time...I did something selfish was when I...” Celestia tried to speak, but her thoughts wouldn't let her, she couldn't even find an instance of when she actually just thought about her own personal desires, aside from a lover or her desire for the sweet and delicious cakes she often indulged in. Most of these were only actually short lived desires, often in the heat of the moment, sometimes resulting in her having to pay the price for it a bit later.
“See?” Ivy continued, “Think about it...think carefully...then if you really want it...seek it out.”
“But, what about--”
“Don't you worry about Equestria this time, its in good hooves,” Ivy added, “Namely, Luna and Emerald...I'm sure they could handle things while you're gone.”
“But...what if--”
“Now, you don't have to go on vacation if you don't want to, its your choice,” Ivy continued, “But, you do look like you need one, desperately.” the unicorn mare's attention shifted fairly quickly as the little filly would begin to tug on her rather long mane, as if to pull her grandmother out the door. There were a few small arguments and complaints, but Ivy never stopped smiling the entire time. “Now I must attend to my granddaughter...take care Celestia.”
“Thank you, Ivy,” Celestia smiled, which changed the instant the door had closed behind the two. Tears began to flow in that instant, while she remained silent, the pain was no longer able to be ignored. Just seeing those two was enough to make her realize what she had wanted most in her life. It was something that, above all else, her heart desired. It would weigh heavily on her mind throughout the night as well, even as she would cry herself to sleep that evening, the desire would remain as it stood, unfulfilled.
Chapter 2
Pain, she had felt it before, on countless occasions, but, that morning topped it all. From the tip of her horn, to the very end of her tail, she somehow ached. As she stirred, she would whimper in agony. It wasn't the first time she had woken up in this kind of pain, but it was by far one of the worst instances of it. It had gone from a dull headache, to a full blown migraine as she rolled over, thankfully catching herself just before she fell off the bed. Slowly, she lifted herself, the aches and pains in her body only growing far worse, to the point where there were visible tears in her eyes.
She forced them back however as she slowly climbed off the bed. As she set foot onto the carpet, a jolt of pain shot up her leg, causing her to pull it back for a moment. She would hesitate from here, carefully setting foot onto the carpet again, this time, the pain wasn't present. She sighed in relief as she climbed out of bed, before sluggishly crossing the room, to the balcony door. It amazed her, that even through the pain, she actually made it, but what came next, was an entirely different story.
Next, came the arduous task of actually bringing forth the morning. With a heavy sigh, she set foot onto the balcony, her eyes closing as she did. 'You can do this Tia...just focus!' she inhaled, knowing what would come next. It began from the tip, a very fine golden glow spread across her horn. Right when it began to spread, she felt a tremendous jolt of pain shoot through her spine, once again, this wasn't the first time this had occurred, however, it was still the worst she had experienced.
The pain was crippling, making her cringe and almost want to curl up into a ball on the balcony. However, she knew this was something she had to do, every morning, no matter what it did to her. She had done it countless times before, yet, it seemed especially difficult this morning as she held back a cry in sheer agony. Finally, through sheer force of will, her entire horn had become enveloped with the familiar spell, as it would, she felt the very power of light filling her being, warming her right down to the bone. As it enveloped her, she could feel the pain beginning to die down.
Had it not been for the warmth and light of the new day she was bringing forth, she might not have noticed where the pain actually was. While most of the agonizing pain was in her head, she could a lesser, dull pain in her neck and back. Even more surprising, she could feel it on the very tips of her wings. How was it she let the pain escalate to this level? How was it she hadn't felt it before? It astonished her just how bad it had gotten. As her thoughts wandered, the spell she had active began to fade, as the light and warmth left her, she would snap back to her senses.
'Concentrate, Tia!' she screamed in her own mind, forcing herself to focus on what was important right now. Bringing forth the new day for her ponies. She strained, tears returned to her eyes as she felt the pain in her horn return. Even dulled by the sun's warmth, it was still agonizing having to force herself to do this. “Nngh!” she winced, cracking a single eye at the horizon. The familiar orb of light and fire just began to peek over the horizon, as it would, the pain reached its most severe point.
Celestia's legs began to buckle beneath the pain she felt throughout her body, the tears began to stream. The pain had never been this bad before! She had never failed in raising the sun before! She had done this spell more times than she could recall, not once had she failed in performing it. Except for maybe when she was a little filly, but that was irrelevant at this time. She wasn't about to let down her kingdom!
“Tia,” a familiar voice called out to her, “I'm here for you.” It was a soft voice, yet a very strong one. It was one that brought her comfort even through this horn-splitting agony. It was then she would feel a hoof on her shoulder, which in turn caused her to gaze up, in her teary, blurred vision, she saw what she thought was a true gift. All she saw was a blurry, dark sapphire blue figure, one that only made her smile. “Now dry your tears...”
Celestia took ahold of the hoof presented to her immediately, allowing herself to be helped up from not only the ground, but from the dreadful state she was in. As she would be pulled up to her hooves, she felt herself being reinvigorated, magic once again flowed through every fiber of her being. She felt the drive again, the will to bring forth the new day. She leapt from the balcony, flying high into the sky. With her wings fully extended, the sun followed her very movements. She slowly rose into the sky and from the darkness of the night, the rays of light spread across the land, the orb pulling itself over the horizon as gloriously as it did every other day before it.
She would smile once again as she gazed upon her work. While not as artistic as her sister's night, it was still one of the things she enjoyed, one of the things she took pride in doing. She took one final gaze upon the beautiful orangish-red horizon before descending back onto the balcony, exhausted. Greeted by the embrace of the dark sapphire blue alicorn was the highlight of the morning. Although it couldn't be considered much of an embrace as she virtually fell into her arms instead.
“Thank you, Lulu,” she sighed, resting her head on the smaller alicorn's shoulder, “but...how did you know?”
Luna's cyan eyes would lock with Celestia's at this point, before a smile spread across her face. “Do you think I wouldn't watch out for my big sister when she needed it?” she replied, the smile never vanishing.
“But...!”
“Ivy informed me last night that you might struggle,” she explained,
“How did she...?!” Celestia stuttered,
“She said, it was in your eyes,” Luna continued, “Something about...being empty and unfulfilled.”
“W-why would she say something like that?” argued Celestia immediately, “I'm not unfulfilled!” she outright lied in this case, if not by her eyes, it would be by the tone of her voice that would give her away. If not that, it would then be the simple fact that she pulled away from the embrace to turn her back on Luna.
It was a common thing for Celestia to do something like this. When it came to lying, she was fair at it, at least, to those who didn't know her personally. Luna however, knew her sister very well and her very reaction is what told the tale. While it didn't give away why exactly she was unfulfilled, she could tell already that it was a very true statement. Yet, what also befuddled her was the simple nature of the reaction too, even if she was lying, she would rarely turn her back.
“I understand if you don't want to talk about it...” Luna sighed, lowering her ears. “But, please, do your sister a favor and take today off.” This quickly struck a few nerves, having to be told to relax by her little sister. Not only did she turn around with a hint of aggravation on her face, but her ears had perked up as well.
“But, what about the mess Blueblood caused yesterday?!” she snapped, “Isn't the Griffin King upset about that?” Here is where it began to grow interesting, where Luna broke out into a fit of laughter as she recalled the whole thing. Not only laughing at Celestia's assumptions, but just at the incident in general.
“No need, it was taken care of last night,” the younger alicorn commented, “The Griffin King will uphold the treaty still.”
“What? What happened?!” Celestia cried out, “How did you...?” Luna rose her hoof, as if telling her sister to relax. It worked too, with her curiosity burning as intense as the sun she calmed herself, taking a very deep breath to do as such.
“Well...” Luna began, “It was actually thanks to Emerald that we saved the treaty. I don't believe I've ever seen the Griffin King laugh that hard since my return.” Had Emerald made a joke? This was the first time she had ever heard of such a thing, taking Luna's husband as one of the most serious unicorns she had ever seen. Just this alone was enough to make her curiosity burn even hotter.
“What did he do? Did he tell a joke or something?”
Luna tilted her head from left to right as if to internally debate the question, all the while a grin growing on her face. “Ehh...You could say that,” she replied, “But, let me tell you what happened...you see...we were all enjoying the dinner the chefs had prepared when Prince Pompus walked in.”
Celestia simply laughed at the nickname, it was new and one that was very fitting for their nephew, considering his arrogant attitude. “Who came up with that one?” she asked,
“Emerald did, last night,” Luna added, giggling softly, “As I was saying though...he walked into the room and joined us, at first, he was relatively calm and quiet, but...I had a bad feeling about his arrival, so I sent Starlight to you. It was perfect timing too, because just as she was leaving...he ended up making a remark about the Griffin King's eating habits...” Celestia gulped, she knew what they were like, griffins were not exactly the most well-mannered of eaters when it involved meat. It was sometimes tough to be at the same table as one on occasion. Some were polite, but the Griffin King, well, he just had a rather...brutal way of eating. One that was considered well-mannered for his race, but not for ponies. No one ever complained about it though, to be polite.
“You mean, he...?”
Luna nodded, “Yes...he insulted the King's table manners,” Celestia could only imagine where just a single comment about it would lead. As she thought about it, she could only roll her eyes. This was followed by the strongest of desires to hit her head against the nearby railing.
“Please tell me he's still alive...” she muttered,
“Oh, he's just fine, rather beaten up, but just fine,” Luna continued,
“You mean, the King attacked him?” This is where the night princess' grin grew even wider than it had been over the past couple of minutes.
“Oh no, the King didn't attack Blueblood...he just ignored him the best he could,” Celestia gasped at this, out of everything to hear in the story so far it was by far the most impressive, especially considering she had recalled the Griffin King had quite the issue with his temper the last few times they met. “I know, I was surprised too, Tia, but apparently he had been working on it.”
“Then how did Blueblood end up getting beat up?” she asked, curiosity still growing.
“I was getting to that!” Luna snapped, pausing to clear her throat. “He went on...and said various rude things to the King...a few did annoy him, but Emerald warned not to say a word...that is when everything took a surprising turn....”
“Oh, please don't tell me...” Celestia assumed, “Did...Blueblood attack Emerald?”
“He wouldn't dare...he actually insulted Emerald, Starlight and I in a single sentence...and his tone was rather threatening,” This is where Celestia gulped, now knowing exactly what road it was about to take. Granted she could've assumed that this would've happened sooner or later, as Emerald couldn't stand Blueblood in the least, but then again, few actually could. “The rest happened so fast...the look on his face changed in less than a second, probably realizing the stupidity that just flowed right out of his mouth...but...Emerald was just too fast for him.”
“Out of everypony that might've wanted to whip his flank...Emerald was the first on the list to actually do it,” Celestia remarked, but instead of laughing at her nephew's misfortune, she only sighed.
“But, boy you should have seen it!” Luna exclaimed, “Blueblood was screaming like a little filly half the time! I didn't think any stallion could actually scream that high! He tried to run, but Emerald was just too strong for him...eventually it resulted in the Griffin King and I having to pry them apart and having the guards take Blueblood away.”
“House arrest?” Celestia enquired on the punishment, aside from having his flank whipped.
“Along with two weeks of nasty nightmares,” Luna added, “No one threatens my little filly. Family or not.”
“What about Emerald?”
“He is unhurt,” she said, “But, I'm going to...reward...him a little later for giving us such a show.” Both princesses blushed here, while Luna's coat hid hers, Celestia didn't have the same luxury. This was also something she didn't even want to know about either, but once something has been said between them, that's how it would remain.
“Ivy had said it was rather bad last night though,” Celestia pointed out, quickly changing the subject. “She said the Griffin King attacked Blueblood!”
“She probably assumed that, from what she heard in the dining hall,” her sister replied, “But it was Emerald, I can assure you...and on a positive note, the Griffin King seems to have taken a shine to him as well, having gained a bit of his respect for actually striking Prince Pompus countless times.”
“Wish I had been there...” her entire body slumped a bit, in this time she began to realize just how much she was slipping. Not only had her nephew caused a bit of trouble, but she also lost a chance to strengthen the treaty with the Griffin Kingdom. Once again, she was filled with a desire, but this time, it was one to simply just go back to bed. Today hadn't been quite her day starting off, perhaps Ivy and her sister were both right? Perhaps she needed to take some time off. It was then an idea sparked in her mind and her face lit up.
Luna recognized that face, it was one of the many faces she often saw her sister gain when an idea came to mind. It made her worry, as it had been known that this grin was often followed by a rather....complicated prank that she often fell for on every occasion. “What is it, Tia?” Luna asked hesitantly.
“I...think I actually will go on that vacation!”
Luna stepped back in shock. “Vacation? What happened to just taking a day off?”
“Luna...I am taking a day off...to plan a vacation!” This was the first time she had ever heard such a thing from her sister, but, as they both stood there, it was evident she wasn't going to budge on the subject.
“W-Where in Equestria did you get such an idea?”
“Ivy suggested I take one,” Celestia stated as she dashed into the room, “But...I decided against it last night, because I thought Equestria needed me...”
'Curse that green mage,' Luna thought, “But, Equestria does need you, Tia! You raise the sun everyday!” she would argue, only to have a scroll tossed right at her from her sister.
“That scroll contains the spell I use to raise the sun every morning...”
“But...Tia!” Luna tried to argue, only to watch her sister slowly turn to her.
“Lulu...for one thousand years, I brought up both the sun and the moon...” she argued back, “I thought I couldn't handle it at first...but, you know...lifting both wasn't as difficult as I thought...same went for the stars...it just took me a few years to get it right.” Luna grew relatively quiet as her sister began to explain this, it was almost agonizing to listen to, but it was true as well, she could see the honesty in her eyes. “I...ran Equestria for a thousand years, without once taking a single day off...if I can handle that...then surely you can handle taking my place for a couple months.”
“But...sis!”
“No buts this time Lulu...you have Emerald by your side...I'm certain you can handle this,” Celestia added, as she dashed around the room, as if pondering what she should bring. “Plus...you can always send a letter my way if you get stuck in a tight situation.”
Luna was at a loss for words, to be honest, she was actually terrified at the prospect of this. Not only that, but she was also rather nervous as to how the staff---and Equestria---would take this news. The news that Princess Celestia was going on a vacation, leaving her sister to actually take care of Equestria. Luna simply gulped at the prospect.
The entire time Celestia had been dashing about her room, Luna had been frozen, just glaring at the scroll she had received from her elder sister. After a few moments she was able to regain her mental focus, her glare returning to the white blur that was now galloping all over the room mindlessly. This only seemed to last for a good fifteen minutes before she felt a hoof on her shoulder.
“You'd best go get prepared! I'm leaving tomorrow!” Celestia announced, now virtually pushing her sister right out the door.
“H-Hey! Don't I get a say in this!” Luna argued, spinning around to meet her sister's gaze.
“Lulu...I--”
Luna didn't give her sister the chance this time. She wasn't going to allow herself to be manipulated, she wasn't going to allow this to happen again. It was here she did something that she had never done. With a loud smack, Celestia took a few steps back. It was the first time she had ever struck her sister, leaving her frozen in place, just gazing at the sapphire blue alicorn.
“Tia...I'm sorry,” she whispered, “But...you need to take a moment to relax and think...”
Celestia was left in shock by not only the slap, but by the fact that it actually happened. While she felt a bit angry that it had actually happened, she knew it hadn't without good reason. This in fact actually did work into her advantage as she took a very deep breath, finally able to calm down.
“No...I needed that and deserved it,” Celestia added, as she slowly closed her eyes. The thoughts that once rushed through her head had come to a grinding halt in the very instant she was smacked and for the first time in quite a while, she actually had a bit of clarity to them.
“Now...please, reconsider about taking a vacation! I can't do this without you!” Luna snapped, much to Celestia's dismay.
“No, Lulu...I'm not changing my mind this time, I need this...”
“But this isn't about--”
“Luna! Listen to yourself! You're acting like a child!” Celestia snapped, this time acting like the older sister. “You have a wonderful husband and a beautiful daughter...since your return, you've not only grown stronger and wiser, but...you've...” she paused, a lump forming in her throat as she tried to bring the words out. “You've...found something that...I wish I had!”
It was Luna's turn to be shocked as she was forced to take a step back. “Are you...?”
“Yes!” she cried out, “I'm jealous of you!”
Chapter 3
In Golden Oaks Library, even before the sun could rise on that morning, a dark blue alicorn began to stir. At first, he had a mild resistance to pulling himself up, however, as he would shift around on the bed, that would change. His ears perked up after a few moments, and his wings unfurled as he began to yawn. This in turn caused him to stretch out his front legs, pushing them beneath the pillow, several small pops could be heard in his joints as he stretched.
He then turned onto his side for a moment, taking it to actually gaze at the lavender alicorn that rested right beside him. She slept rather peacefully too, mind you, it was almost cute to him. Just seeing her made a soft smile spread across his face, finding joy in just being by her side. It was unfortunate though that he had to get up, as part of an agreement with her.
He could only roll his eyes at the thought of why he had to get up, before his whole body actually rolled right off the bed, landing on the wooden floors with decent force. The noise he made simply made him wince, before glancing once again at the lavender mare. He sighed in relief as she only shifted onto her left side, now facing him.
“Mmm...don't be so loud,” she mumbled, still deep in her slumber. “I'm trying to sleep.”
His golden eyes only narrowed when she said this, before he chuckled very softly. 'Even when she sleeps,' he thought, in this moment he leaned over to her, placing a very soft kiss on her forehead, right next to her horn. This caused her to groan softly, before adjusting her position yet again, her back now to him. 'Now for morning business,'
His head snapped quickly to the left, turning in the direction of the vanity that was so neatly pushed up against the wall. Even at this distance, the stallion could easily see his once glorious mane had become a mess from the previous night, but as he approached, he was quickly able to remedy said situation with just a quick spell, returning his mane to a rather silky look.
As he crossed the room however, he was sure to be as careful and quiet as he possibly could, stepping around a basket that a certain purple and green dragon slept on. If there was one thing he was thankful for though, it was the fact that said dragon was in fact a rather heavy and stubborn sleeper. The stallion chuckled once again while making his way to and down the stairs, only stopping one final time to glance back at the two that now slept so peacefully.
“Oh the things I do,” he thought aloud, simply shaking his head with a small grin. It only took him a few seconds to actually get downstairs, upon which he made a beeline straight for the door. Right as he opened it, it was met with a tightly wrapped stack of papers flying at his face. The initial reaction to this would be to close the door quickly, however, it was something he had grown accustomed to by now, so instead, the horn atop his head began to glow with a silvery light. It quickly enveloped the paper as it was flying at him, stopping it less than an inch from his face, where he couldn't help but smirk.
“Shoot! So close!” a young voice called out in the mild pre-dawn darkness. The voice seemed almost disappointed that the paper hadn't struck the alicorn, whom, by this time was actually beginning to laugh.
“Better luck next time!” he called back, “Just don't get discouraged! I'm sure you'll beat me to it eventually...if not, you'll at least hit me with it!” A laugh was heard after the alicorn spoke, this laugh was clearly that of a young colt, he could tell, as he had heard it countless mornings prior.
“I'll get you tomorrow, Silver,” the colt replied jokingly, “One day, I'll get the paper here before you're awake.”
“Like I said, good luck with that,” Silver snapped back, smirking deviously, “But you'll have to wake up really early in the morning to do that...so just keep at it.”
“Enjoy your morning,” the colt called back again, his voice growing more distance.
“You too,” he replied, “Keep up the hard work.”
“Thanks!”
The paper floated behind Silver as he slid back into the library, closing the door as he did. After which, he quietly trotted off into the kitchen with a rather large grin plastered on his face, while casually tossing the paper onto the table. There was a short pause between this and his next action, which he already had in mind, yet hadn't quite decided on at the same time. Mostly, it involved tea.
His morning tea to be exact and his one problem came in that morning as it seemed he had no clue what kind he wanted. Instead of griping about it however, he actually went straight up to the cabinet, pulling out the teapot and cups while he thought carefully. 'Chamomile or Jasmine?' he thought, setting the teapot on the counter, before pulling out both boxes. Where he began to mull over his decision.
'Well, if I make Chamomile, Twilight will be pleased,' he thought, tapping his chin with his hoof, 'But, I prefer Jasmine, its a bit tastier...least to me...' as he continued to mull it over, without even realizing it, he actually began to mix the Jasmine, accidentally putting one of the teabags into the pot itself. By the time he realized it, it was far too late to correct the mistake as it were. So, he actually went with the choice, smiling a bit.
It took Silver a good five minutes to get settled in after pouring his first cup of tea. Once he actually took his favorite spot at the table, facing the door, he took his first sip of tea as he unwrapped the paper. 'Mmmm...delicious...' In a matter of moments, he also unfurled said paper completely, beginning to look over the very front page, whereas a simple unfurled scroll that had sat beneath the paper, went unnoticed.
Silver chuckled softly as he enjoyed his morning tea, sipping on it formally, while reading the paper casually. He snickered as he read through it, but as he would continue, the look on his face began to morph from one of enjoyment, to one of dread. It had also occurred just as he was taking a sip of the tea, which in turn, caused him to have a spit take, wasting a bit of the delicious brew he had just made up. A double take was necessary to ensure that he had read what he thought he did, before finally gulping at it.
“Princess Celestia goes on vacation,” he read aloud, eyes as wide as the tea saucer his cup now rested on. “When asked in an interview, Princess Luna stated: My sister is in great need of rest, so for an undisclosed amount of time, she will be away from Canterlot, relaxing at an undisclosed location, for her own benefit.” As he read it aloud, he actually thought it was some elaborate prank by the two sisters, as he was familiar with their media scare, but as he read on, it became very clear that it wasn't a prank, after which, the paper just seemed to slump in his magical grip. Was Equestria actually ready for Celestia to rest? Could she actually go on vacation without the fear of trouble? The more he thought about it, the more he began to wonder, the more questions he had, and these thoughts he had to ask...Why hadn't Celestia written to either Twilight or himself about it?
Needless to say, just reading this in the paper caused Silver's mind to become frazzled rather quickly, but a sip of tea quickly remedied that situation. It wasn't until the paper had slumped even more in his telekinetic grip that he spotted the unfurled scroll on the table. While he wouldn't take too much notice of it normally, he had actually spotted the royal seal on it, which caused him to shift his focus. In less than a second, he lifted the scroll and proceeded to read it quietly.
Dearest Twilight and Silver,
It is with great joy and excitement for me to write this letter as I will soon be making a trip to Ponyville. However, don't mix this up with any other visit, I ask that you keep the visit strictly confidential as this visit is more along the lines of personal. It is to be kept between just you two, Spike and maybe the other element bearers if you feel the need to inform them.
Furthermore, while I'm visiting Ponyville, I request that you simply just keep up with your daily lives and treat me as if I'm just a regular pony. On that note however, I will be arriving in disguise, a persona if you will. This persona will consist of many aspects, and I request that you simply use its name, over my real one, unless of course we're in private, then and only then will I actually let it down.
First and foremost, my persona's name will be Radient Dawn; preferring to being called Dawn, over her full name. I also realize that, this is a rather weak idea for a persona, a rather obvious one. Before you say anything in response to it, I also wish to inform you that I have a decent explanation, one that gives me quite a bit of leeway. Yet, I also realize there will be those ponies that actually see through the disguise in its entirety, however I left it just simple enough to where even if they do somehow see through it, they won't bother me, as it'll be stated in the paper tomorrow; I am on vacation.
Second, as for the explanation...the persona's story I should say, its open ended, saying that I was once a mage at Canterlot. I was hand-picked and I worked for the castle for many years, before heading out on a journey. Where I wandered Equestria for many more years, before finally finding my way to Ponyville, at the end of the journey.
On a final note; I will also be needing a place to stay for the first few days. As upon my arrival I intend on renting a small cottage. But before that, I will need temporary lodgings, so I ask that you prepare the guest room for my arrival. Thank you both very much and I'm sorry for putting you both on the spot like this as well. For now though, I must be going, I still have a bit of packing to do before tomorrow. So until then, take care.
Yours truly,
Princess Celestia.
As Silver read through the letter he was left in pure shock. More so than when he had read the article in the paper. At first he couldn't help but feel extremely frustrated and annoyed at Twilight for not waking him up the previous night for this letter. It was enough to make him grit his teeth through the frustration, before letting off a very soft sigh. 'Then again, I was exhausted last night...she may of tried to wake me, but couldn't... ' he pointed out to himself, realizing that his frustration wasn't very well founded. Not only that, but it wasn't even six in the morning, as the clock on the wall clearly showed. Silver skimmed over the letter one final time before setting it down, this is when he took notice of one final piece that he seemingly overlooked, and this was one that nearly caused him to slam his head on the table.
P.S. I will be arriving early tomorrow morning, on the first train to Ponyville, as I just wish to blend in with the common pony.
That very last part seemed to send him into a bit of a panic as his telekinetic grip on the letter seemed to vanish. Before he knew it, he galloped from the kitchen, making a beeline straight for the stairs. Just as he reached them however, he bumped right into the one he was going to talk to.
“Twilight! Why didn't you wake me last night?!” his voice was frantic as he spoke up to her, yet, she seemed unfazed by it, remaining perfectly calm, but this was due in part to her having just woken up.
“What do you mean?” she inquired through her mild drowsiness rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
“I mean...when you received that letter from Celestia!” he snapped, stomping his hooves. “Why didn't you wake me?” It took a moment for her mind to register his panic, almost as if she didn't quite realize what exactly he was referring to. Once it actually did however, her ears perked up fairly quickly.
“Oh! You mean the one about her going on vacation?” Twilight recounted, “Well, I tried! You just refused to wake up, so I thought I'd just leave the letter for you to find in the morning.” This caused another mild eye twitch in Silver when he heard it, before he sighed in defeat.
“Its partially my own fault...but that's not important now!”
“Silver, please just calm down...you're getting worked up,” she uttered calmly, “Just breath first and relax.” It was surprising for him to actually hear this from somepony, no less, a pony like Twilight. It was almost astonishing that he actually heard it from her in the first place, as often she would get worked up like this from time to time.
Silver inhaled deeply the moment he heard it and upon his exhale, he seemed to calm down quite significantly, even given the still-visible eye twitch he had. “But...you don't understand...alicorns cannot ride on trains!” he warned, “Or at least, they shouldn't.” Twilight could only giggle when she heard this, it seemed funny to her that he would say such a thing, even knowing that she's ridden on the train since becoming an alicorn herself.
“But...I've ridden on the--” she began, but before she could finish, Silver cut her off.
“Its something that only afflicts naturally born alicorns, like myself and the princesses!” he snapped, “Artifical alicorns don't seem to suffer from the problem, its just something we simply can't explain, however, you see, when a natural alicorn rides on a train, it seems to afflict us.” Twilight was taken aback by this information, her eyes slowly growing wide as she listened.
“Afflict you, how?”
“You remember how, a few years ago, when Luna and my brother came here?” he questioned, receiving a nod. “How Luna didn't appear all too well? In fact, she actually looked like she had been violently ill?”
“You mean-”
“Yes, Celestia will end up enduring the same thing!”
“How do you know?” Twilight had to ask,
“Because...I've been through it too,” Silver stated, his eyes narrowing, “Its not that pleasant of an experience really, but to best describe it...its like everything is moving...its almost like you're on a ship at sea and the sea itself is extremely violent. You just simply cannot stay balanced. It can sometimes even happen without warning, other times its like a gradual effect.”
“If its motion sickness, then how do you handle being on a boat?” Twilight's curiosity peaked rather quickly, her head tilting slightly to the side as she listened.
“I can handle boats just fine, as well as other types of transportation...its just...alicorns and trains simply do not mix,” he explained, “My mom thinks it has something to do with the speed of the train, but that's all she's told me regarding it.” It was right then and there when reality finally dawned on Twilight, before actually smacking herself for not trying as hard as she should have to wake Silver. Had she actually succeeded in waking him the night before, it might've been a bit different. At least now though, she understood why he was so panicked.
“Its too late to send her a letter...she's probably gotten on the train by now,” Twilight pointed out, “From what I recall, the earliest running train, is the one that runs at four-thirty.”
“Then, the most we can do is...simply meet her at the station and get her back here safely,” Silver added, “What time does it arrive in Ponyville?”
“If memory serves...it takes about an hour and fifteen minutes for the train to get from Canterlot to Ponyville,” she recalled, “So, about five fourty-five is her arrival time!” Immediately, Silver's gaze shifted up to the clock hanging on the wall, only to have his heart sink the moment he saw the time. Just as he did however, a knock came to the door and it was soon followed by a familiar voice.
“Special delivery!” the voice called out, obviously a male. While Twilight didn't quite recognize it at first, Silver did, causing him to rush straight to the door to unlock it. There, they were greeted by two unicorns. However, to their dismay, the unicorn mare was being carried by the stallion. Resting mostly on his back, with an aura of white magic surrounding her, holding her up steadily. The positive news however came when she let out a soft groan in discomfort, showing that she was at least responsive. It didn't take a second glance to recognize who the mare was, even in her unicorn form; a form she often took when she needed time to herself. Even Twilight was able to recognize her, with how simple the disguise was and as she looked it over, she couldn't help but wonder if such a disguise would fool other ponies.
“Ugh...Silver? Is that you?” she asked, lifting her head to gaze at him.
“What is it, Celestia?” Silver responded, with a look of worry on his face.
“Remind me...to never ride the train again,” Celestia continued, bringing her hoof over her mouth for a brief moment, looking as though she was about to be sick again. Everypony froze the moment they saw this, especially the unicorn stallion carrying her. Never in his life had Silver seen the princess like this before. While he had seen Luna in this state, and he himself had experienced it, he had never seen Celestia in the rough state she was in now. Even with the train ride, she looked absolutely exhausted, with her pink mane virtually a rat's nest. On top of that, even her once regal alabaster coat seemed to be in the same, if not worse state.
“Sir Silver, Princess Twilight could you help me out?” the stallion asked Celestia lowered her hoof, the nausea passing. She was enveloped by their respective auras in a matter of moments, levitating right off the back of the stallion, who dived back behind the door to pull in a suitcase. “Glad she packed light.” he muttered, as he set it just inside the building.
Celestia would be lying if she wasn't enjoying herself now. While it wasn't the first time she had ever been lifted by magic, it was actually the first time in quite a while that she had been. The previous time a very distant memory of when she had been a filly. It was enough to bring a smile to her face as she was gently set down on her hooves.
“Thank you Shield Breaker,” she said, just beginning to regain her composure now that she was on her hooves. “And I'm sorry to have ruined YOUR vacation.”
“Oh its no problem,” he replied, grinning sheepishly. “I'm just glad I was able to help.”
“Why are you even in Ponyville? Aren't you the new Captain of the Guard?” Silver inquired, only earning a small laugh from the unicorn.
“I was granted a period of leave upon my promotion...and I wanted to see what made Ponyville so unique,” Shield Breaker explained, “But now I realize...what exactly makes it so special...” slowly, his eyes turned slightly to Celestia, whom only seemed to wobble a bit on her own hooves. “But now I think I'm beginning to understand.”
“None the less...Thank you again for your help Shield Breaker,” Celestia said, this time bringing her hoof to her head. “I might've been in trouble had you not recognized me.”
“How can I not? Its such a simple disguise,” he stated, “You should really consider coming up with a new one, unless you want to be recognized by all of Ponyville.”
“I agree,” Both Silver and Twilight said simultaneously, turning to each other with a nod. “That...and come up with a new name.”
“Hey! I came up with it on the spot,” Celestia snapped, “But now that I'm here...where's the guest room? I think I need to lie down.”
“Its just down this way,” Twilight replied, gesturing her hoof as she trotted down a small hallway. “Forgive me if its a tiny bit messy...”
“Its fine Twilight, I'll only be here for a day or two,” she pointed out, “If you recall from the letter, I intend on renting a small cottage while I'm here...” Celestia trailed off as she reminded Twilight of this, as in that moment the door slowly opened and the instant it did, she dashed right in before collapsing onto the bed without a single word.
It only took a matter of seconds before Celestia was out cold, a testament to just how exhausted she really was. For Twilight, this would be the first time she had ever seen her former mentor in this state. As shocking as it was, it also didn't seem as surprising to her, in fact, she could only smile as she slowly closed the door to the room, granting her the peace she not only wanted, but needed as well.
'She really is just like everypony else...'
Chapter 4
Every muscle ached, every joint felt stiff. This is what proved to finally bring her from the world of dreams. Not so much the loud nosies she could hear in the library, although they only seemed to add to her growing frustration as the became more frequent. Yet, she paid little mind to them as she slowly lifted her head. Even the muscles in her wings ached, but this was nothing compared to a morning or two ago.
Right away, as she lifted herself, she took note of the fact she had reverted in her sleep. A common occurrence for shapeshifting spells, as some couldn't be sustained while asleep. Plus, with that spell, she had required a little bit of help to cast, as her horn had been pain. That was when her eyes snapped open wide from the drowsiness, this morning, at least she thought it was morning, she didn't feel a single bit of pain in her horn. This personal news brought an instant smile to her face, now feeling like it was going to be a fairly decent day.
As Celestia set foot onto the wooden floors, she felt a jolt of pain shoot through her spine. This caused her to wince a bit, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. It only took a moment before she had finally set all four hooves onto the ground, finally able to stretch out her muscles. The stiff and aching muscles slowly vanished as she stretched. She felt her joints pop, and her muscles cry out in sheer delight as she shook the drowsiness from her person before gazing back at the bed.
'Mental note; outlaw metal spring mattresses when I get back to Canterlot,' she thought, rubbing her back very gently, feeling just a bit more soreness. This soon faded however as she began to trot from the room with another yawn.
It wasn't until Celestia set hoof just outside her room that she felt it. It had gone unnoticed before as she had been a bit more focused on her aching muscles, but now that her thoughts were free, she could feel an intense pressure, one that needed immediate relief . Without a second thought, she made an immediate bee line for the bathroom, moving at a near-galloping pace.
Seconds felt like minutes as she raced through the library and with each second, the pressure only grew worse. Celestia tried to put it out of her mind, but to no avail as she held it in, it became painful, she wouldn't last much longer. Just then, relief came into sight, in a sense at least. The doorway that lead to her much needed place rested before her. Hopes high, she sprinted right over to the door, her horn lighting up as she reached it.
The hopes of relief were shattered in less than a second as she twisted the doorknob. It was in this moment when panic set in, she didn't ask any questions, instead, she only closed her eyes. Tears formed at the corners of them as she continued to hold it in, which only seemed to make her situation far worse than before, causing her to bounce a tiny bit as the pressure only grew worse.
'What if...' she thought, making a poor attempt to shift her thoughts elsewhere. The pressure in her bladder only growing into pain. It was in this instant where all rationality seemed to vanish from her mind, as it did, her horn lit up once again. In desperation, Celestia began to cast a small spell over the doorknob, one that she often used to get to the cakes that her dear sister had locked away from her. Little did she know however, the door was locked for good reason.
Without a single bit of hesitation, she dashed right inside the bathroom. Quickly taking her place on the toilet, where she finally found sweet relief for her bladder. She let out a deep sigh in the relief, but this was short-lived as she took notice of something else. As Celestia's rationality slowly returned to her, she began to notice something was amiss in the room itself. It felt rather humid in there, not only that, but quite a bit of steam seemed to be in the air.
Celestia's ears perked up in less than a second as she realized what she had just done. She could hear movements on her left, but not just any either. They were wet, slapping noises, the type she was all too familiar with. On top of that, she could also hear very faint moaning sounds. This tipped her off immediately as to what she had walked into. With this knowledge, all she could do was gulp, hoping that no one had heard her yet. Only hoping she could actually finish her business before she was discovered.
“P-Princess!” A voice called out, only assuming that it was directed at her. Sadly, it was too, as the slapping sound only seemed to cease. “W-why're you--?”
“I-I...really needed to go...!” was her immediate response, her entire face turning a very bright red. “I-I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to intrude...!”
“N-no! It was my fault, Princess...but...Silver was--” Twilight began, only to have Silver clear his throat.
“Hey! Don't pin this on me, you actually wanted it once I joined you,” he snickered, “Plus...I don't mind if she sees, granted, she's seen it before.”
“Gross!” Twilight responded, “As Rarity would say, show a bit of class!”
“Well, perhaps then we should ask her to join us?” Silver joked, which only made Celestia's face grow to an even brighter shade of red, reaching the point where it was virtually a beet beneath her coat.
“B-but, she's like a mother to me! That's even more disturbing!” Twilight snapped, only to have Silver laugh a bit more. Through the shower curtain, even though Celestia only took a brief glance at it, she could see what positions they were in, which only seemed to make matters worse for her.
“I-I should be going...” she muttered, shaking off all possible thoughts from her mind, at least for the time being.
“Fine then...we'll see you in the kitchen in a few minutes,” Silver replied, who seemed almost disappointed that Celestia had rejected the offer.
Meanwhile, Celestia had made her way from the bathroom to the kitchen. By which time she was trying her hardest to erase what she had just seen, although it hadn't been the first time that something like this had happened. In fact, from what she recalled, it was actually the third time this had happened recently, especially considering the other two couples she had walked in on already. Even though this one hadn't been as bad as the other two, it still nagged her in the back of her mind. Why is it she always walked in on ponies during tender moments? Why is it they could never find a conventional place to actually have at it? Why was it that she walked in on them? Why not somepony else? She only sighed in defeat as she pushed open the door to the kitchen.
'First Cadance and Shining Armor in the garden,' she recalled, 'Then my sister and Emerald in the archives...how they even ended up doing it in there...I have no clue.'
Upon entering the kitchen, she happened came to a stroke of luck, the first of which for this day. On the table sat a pot of tea, a smile replaced her frown immediately. She quickly poured herself a cup and even though she was on vacation, she still sipped on it formally. 'Ahh...Chamomile...one of my favorites...' There was an immediate effect as she sipped on it, while not visible to the naked eye, it seemed all her stresses vanished with each sip.
By the time the second cup came around, she had nearly forgotten about the incident that had occurred not more than five minutes ago. It might've remained that way too, but it wasn't to be, because, just as she began to pour the second cup, the kitchen door swung open, along with it, the voices of both Twilight and Silver.
“Next time, don't offer that to her!” Twilight snapped, “I know that she's on vacation, but that's not the type of relaxation she needs!”
'Actually it is,' Celestia remarked inwardly, keeping the actual words to herself, before she forced the thoughts from her mind again. This time however, it was a bit more difficult, because just as she opened her eyes, she was met with quite a sight. To the left of her, just entering her view, came a sight she hadn't seen in quite a while and one she quite enjoyed seeing. 'So glorious...' she thought 'Oh how I'd love to caress that rump again!' It took her less than a second to stop herself, her gaze shifting from Silver's rump, back onto her tea, which she poured using her telekinetic grip, albeit a bit shakier this time. As she strained just to avoid gazing at the gloriousness no more than inches away from her face.
“No wonder Twilight's not willing to share you, its so tight!” Celestia finally remarked, “Although, I already knew that.” The entire room went completely silent when these words were spoken. Not only did Silver's cheeks begin to glow a bright red, but so did everyone's cheeks.
“C-celestia!” Twilight cried out, breaking the silence. Not in her life had she ever heard these words from her former mentor, it felt almost humiliating to actually hear them. Granted, she held Celestia at very high regard, where as the laughter from Silver said otherwise.
“Well, if its going to be presented to me...I'm going to look!” Celestia snapped, “I mean, look at it.” It was here where she gestured her hoof in the direction of the offending object, where by this time, the owner of which was about to break down on the floor laughing. “Its so glorious...so tight, so beautiful! Its not a wonder you don't share it with anypony!” It was obvious now that she was simply teasing her former student, although it wasn't visible by the fact that her face had gone completely red, somehow visible through her lavender coat.
“I-I can't believe that you're saying such things Celestia!” Twilight stammered, raising her voice just a tiny bit. “I didn't think you were like this!” While it was true, that few actually had the chance to see Celestia speak and even act in this manner. It was a rare occurrence to see her let down her guard and just be herself, even though it was true, she shouldn't act like this, she couldn't help herself. It actually widened the smile on her face.
“I'm just like everypony else, Twilight,” she added, “Just because I'm a princess, doesn't mean a thing now that I'm on vacation.” The laughter from the stallion in the room seemed to die down relatively quickly as Celestia spoke. It wasn't until he took notice of the look on Twilight's face, that he came to the realization on how she had viewed her former mentor.
“Wait...you mean to tell us, that you never thought that...” Only a nod came from the already embarrassed Twilight, whom only looked away by this time. “Twilight...you should know...before she was a princess, Celestia was just like us...she had a life! Now, what that life was like...I won't go into...as its hers, but...even she has needs and desires...ones that need fulfilling too.”
Celestia only nodded in agreement, returning her focus to her third cup of tea, which aided in dispelling the tension, at least for her anyhow. “Now, take a seat and enjoy the tea,” she muttered, “Can we at least enjoy the rest of the morning?” The both of them simply nodded in agreement, before Twilight actually took her seat across from Celestia.
“So, what do you want for breakfast?” Silver asked, “I'll be the cook this morning, as you're probably starving.” The instant he mentioned the idea of food, the alabaster alicorn felt her own empty stomach, she could hear it growling, begging for food. The question was though, how did he know? It was just then it dawned on her as to why her stomach felt so empty.
'Wait a second...I arrived just as the sun was rising yesterday...' she thought, 'But....its before dawn right now! That means...well, that explains why I was so sore this morning.' Celestia slowly closed her eyes again, finishing off her third cup of tea. It would be a moment longer before Silver's question would be answered, as she attempted to figure out what she wanted. “An omelet if you please,” he didn't question it either, he just slid on over to the fridge, where he collected the eggs, before shifting back over to the stove, to proceed with his cooking.
“What do you want, Twi?”
“Same as Celestia, I've never tried one of your omelets before,” she replied, as she took a sip of her first cup of tea.
“Done, anything either of you want on it?” he inquired further, “Or do you simply want a regular cheese omelet?”
Celestia had to pause for a moment to think, she wasn't exactly sure what she wanted on it. However she did know she wanted an omelet. The more she thought about it though, the more ideas came to mind. There was so much versatility she could have, which was why she loved having omelets for breakfast now and again. That is, when she could find the right idea for one. “Surprise me!” she finally said, breaking the silence, “But...be sure to put hot sauce on it, I want it to bite me back.”
“Are you sure?” Silver asked further, only to meet the hungry eyes of the alicorn princess. This immediately made him twitch, before he shifted, beginning to work quietly. As he began to cook, it became apparent that he knew a few tricks, he moved swiftly, although not too gracefully through the kitchen, gathering a few vegetables, which he kept cleverly hidden at his side from both mares. Even while he chopped and diced them up he kept them hidden too, it was rather impressive that he could hide them that well, at least to Celestia.
“Where did you learn to cook?” Celestia asked, “The only one I've seen that can move around like that in the kitchen is...I think your younger brother!”
“Oh? You mean Adamant?” he asked, tilting his head back just sightly to gaze at the mare. “He taught me these moves, so of course they look similar.”
“So, you learned to cook from him?”
“Surprisingly, yes,” Silver replied, “Lucky he did too, otherwise I would've been eating takeout every night.”
“So, he's that good, is he?” Celestia pressed, growing more curious by the second.
“Yep...one of the best I've ever seen...and when I say that, I mean overall,” he explained, “Its not just one particular style of cooking, but several. Such as baking.” Celestia almost spit her tea out when she heard this, she had heard a little about his cooking, but never really had much of the pleasure to actually taste it.
“R-really?” she stammered, “What can he bake?”
“Just about any pastry you can think of...the best part is, he's also very inventive...” Silver continued, his focus remaining on the omelet which was now beginning to cook on the pan.
“Inventive?” she drooled, “Y-you mean, he makes his own pastries?” her stomach only growled louder as her mind began to wander onto the sweet pastries. By now it became apparent just how hungry she really was, as a bit of drool began to fall from the corner of her mouth.
“Yep, he even gives a few of the recipes to the Cakes on occasion,” At the mere mentioning of the word 'cake' her mind seemed to shift. It didn't take Silver more than a second to actually notice this, especially given how Celestia was eyeballing him much like she would eyeball a cake she wanted. He gulped as he turned around, with the omelet in hoof.
“D-does he...bake cakes?”
“Of course!” Silver replied, as he set the first omelet before Celestia, whom only failed to notice it at first, her eyes more transfixed upon the stallion and the conversation. “Have you ever heard of the Death-By-Chocolate cake?”
Celestia's eyes went wide when she heard the name of that cake, almost as if she knew it all too well. “Y-you mean...HE'S the baker of that cake?”
“Yes, the one who made the recipe no less too,” he added, “But he doesn't bake that cake anymore, said it was too rich for the average pony.”
“Too rich?!” Celestia exclaimed, “I thought that cake was absolutely perfect! One of the best chocolate cakes I've ever tasted!”
“Then you should go tell him that,”
“Why?” Celestia inquired,
“Because he doesn't intend on baking that cake again,” Silver stated, “He said it could cause a sugar coma in an average pony.”
“Where does he live?!” the princess snapped, “I should go get him to bake me that cake again!” Silver gestured his hooves, before pointing one of them at the plate before her.
“Breakfast first,”
“No! I'm going to go find your brother!” Celestia yelled, her desire for cake growing a bit more.
“Adamant is a very difficult to find pony,” Silver stated, “You won't find him no matter who you are, even mom can't find where his house is.”
The second her spirits were lifted up, Celestia could feel them being crushed beneath the weight of Silver's words. Just as she turned around to the door she felt the sting of defeat already, bringing her attention back around to the omelet with defeat on her face. She didn't hesitate for a moment after this, picking her fork up with her magic and then proceeded to eat.
The first bite Celestia took snapped her back to her senses instantly, bringing back the cheer she had before the conversation about the cake. The flavor was exquisite, possibly one of the best omelets she had ever tasted. In it, she could taste the cheese, which was the most prominent flavor, but at the same time she could also taste the other ingredients he added as well. The tomatoes were particularly sweet as she bit into them, in fact, they were very crunchy compared to other ones. What stood out though, was the fact that they hadn't been cooked, but simply placed upon the omelet, sliced neatly and salted a tiny bit. It wasn't until the hot sauce kicked in that she felt the full blast of flavor.
Celestia's eyes began to water after two or three more bites from the first one, as one of them contained a glob of the sauce. This hit her fairly hard, yet she seemed to enjoy it at the same time, as it only added to the flavor of the omelet itself, regardless of whether she had to close her eyes just to endure the spiciness of it.
“Delicious!” she coughed, “But, perhaps just a bit too much hot sauce.” She paused a moment to take a sip of the tea right next to her, this allowed her mouth to cool down just a bit more, giving her a moment to breath. “You should consider adding some to yours Twilight.”
“No way! We only keep hot sauce in here, because I'm outnumbered by popular vote!” Twilight snapped, “If it was up to me, we wouldn't have any in this house because of what happened.”
“You mean when you drank it straight from the bottle?” Silver jokingly reminded, chuckling softly.
“Yes!”
“Which time though?” he asked, “First or second?”
“The second! The first was my own fault for trying to focus on Pinkie and getting a drink at the same time,” Twilight added, her ear twitching. “The second however, was a prank by my boyfriend on April Foals day...some prank...” her eyes narrowed into a glare at the stallion, who had to take a step back from Twilight at this point, a little more fearful.
“Hey! Don't blame me!” he remarked, “It was Pinkie's idea, plus it was a joke, we meant no harm by it.”
Twilight sighed in defeat when he took a step back, before moving around the table to nuzzle him very softly. “Its alright, I know,” she cooed, “You know I'll love you no matter how many childish pranks you do with Pinkie and Rainbow.”
Celestia's heart melted when she saw this unfold. It was by far one of the most precious things she had ever seen in her life, especially given that it was her former student and a very dear friend. While she did feel a bit jealous considering that Silver was a former lover of hers, she didn't seem to mind really. She only wished that she could feel what they were feeling at this precise moment herself. 'At least they're happy...'