The Prince

Chapters

The Awakening
Arrival
A visit to Ponyville

The Awakening

The Awakening

By Desolated Brony

Another day another sunrise in the kingdom of Equestria, as princess Celestia began her morning routine. The princess was of course up the earliest, to see that everypony was to be welcomed with the shining star which she had granted every morning. This was not new to her, for she had been raising the sun for hundreds of years. The princess stood on her bedroom balcony; ready to begin her daily routine. She used her wings and propelled herself into the air and began to raise the sun. The longstanding alicorn sighed as she descended to her hooves. Same old same old she thought; telepathically opening her bedroom door. She then proceeded slowly over to the kitchen, where her normal day would begin. But better yet, breakfast would be served.
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Somewhere, in the depths of a cave in the evergreen forest, an obstreperous rumble could be heard over a mile away. Breaking the sound barrier; it sent birds flying, rabbits running, and pinkie pie shudder in her sleep. Engrossed beneath the earth, the sound was emitted from a dark, cold cavern filled with icicles hanging from ceiling, glaciers forming along the rock walls as a living figure could be seen on the floor. The stallion opened his golden eyes; his coat was a deep orange and encrusted with ice shavings, his mane black and short, and his cutie mark a wonders constellation of stars. He analyzed his surrounding seeing that where he laid, stood a large wall made of rock-hard ice, also a notable hole seeming to be the source of the explosion. As the rather young and tall stallion rose from his slumber he steadily recollected himself as he plodded himself up, trying to find his way out of the murky cave. He had little choice but to proceed to an exit he had found after examining the cave for some time.

He stumbled toward the entrance, slowly wobbling through the winding passageways. Walking for what seemed forever in the never-ending pitch black hollows, he thought that he was trapped. He walked through different paths and crosses, and soon found himself lost. He was giving up. The pony was extremely dazed and still weary of his brief awakening; trying to go back this way, then that. He tried to retrace his steps but seemed to be going nowhere fast. As the pony was nearly done; giving up to the caves, he found a promising walkway. He took a turn and another and there, he found it. There it was, beams of light expanding his pupils. As the stallion galloped towards the light, he pushed as hard as he could; trying to liberate himself from the rocks that led to his freedom. He pushed and pushed until finally one rock fell, opening a small hole outside, and then another and another until the pony broke free. Gasping for air he made his way out. He stood still bewildered. Amazed by the light, fresh morning air and warmth; he looked up into the sky. Just in time, the sunrise had merely begun; he smiled with tears forming on his eyes.

Freedom.
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The princess was sitting by herself and was having her best chiefs fricassee her legendary favorite meal.

Pancakes.

A servant approached from out of the doorway which led to one of the many kitchens scattered about the palace, he held a large plate in his right hoof.

"Bon appetite," the servant said with an exquisite look as he laid down the platter on the table.

"Thank you monsieur," Celestia replied chuckling at her servant’s bad attempt at a French accent.

The waiter smiled and left the princess to her food. There they were, the delicious scent of warm pancakes stacked on each other, with butter and pecans on top. The piping hot stack of fat pancakes filled the dining room with an intoxicating scent of warm deliciousness. Celestia then took a generous amount of syrup and bathed her towering pastry with maple goodness. About to dive into the welcoming pastry, Celestia remembered her manners and grabbed her napkin and cutlery, and began cutting into the not so healthy breakfast using her magic to do the work. As she was enjoying the most important meal of the day, Princess Luna was lazily walking toward the table, her mane was a mess and her fur was scuffled; as she sat down in her regular seat.

“You’re up early." Celestia said wittingly; as she gave a sarcastic smile to her sister.

Luna merely gave her a glaring look. Her sister of course knew that Luna was not a morning pony, she was always devastated to have her sister arrange a servant to wake her; thankfully enough today she awoke naturally. Her thoughts were interrupted as she targeted all her attention to the waiter giving Luna her favorite breakfast.

Waffles.

She gave a thank you and a smile as he took off.; Luna stared down at her Belgian treat. The room was suddenly filled with a loud rumble; and the castle shook startlingly. "What was that?" Princess Luna said as she gulped down a piece of her waffle.

"I'm... not sure, I can't imagine it being Discord." Celestia said with a troubled look on her face, as she turned to her sister.

"You don't think?"

"No it can't be.......can it?"

"*gulp*, I’m afraid so"

"Has it really been that long?"

"I'm sure it’s about time"

As the orange stallion walked his way around the forest, he was once again stumped.

“Not again” he said to himself as he couldn't find a direct route or a road, for that matter.

He was now in the same situation as before, but with a more pleasant view and sunrise. In fact, the evergreen forest seemed distinctively more alive. There were many more diverse creatures living here than how he remembered it being before. The pony then stopped to recollect his thoughts. In his faint memories he remembered the evergreen forest to be more silent and frightening, a place lurking with thieves and criminals. Yet the real question was why? Why had it been so different from how he knew it, why aren’t there any soldiers after him or at least on the lookout? A winding path halted the pony as he turned his attention to the new-found road.

"Canterlot" he read as he looked at the sign directing north. If there was any way to seeing what was going on, it was in Canterlot. The stallion then proceeded to make his way north home bound.

It had been at least half an hour since he last saw the sign. He was indeed close, but was now fatigued. As he made his way up to the Canterlot steps, he approached the gates. There sat the royal guards on duty showing no emotion whatsoever, watching the entrance as they were instructed to. However, as the noticeably taller stallion ascended from the stairs, the guard’s jaws dropped loose at the sight of the great pony.

"Good afternoon." the orange pony said as he effortlessly trotted past the gate; watching inquisitively as the guards didn't stop or addressed him. As he made his entrance towards ‘Main St.’ he noticed that everypony grew quieter as he trotted along the sidewalk, with some ponies gasping as they saw the stallion.

"No"

"Could it be?"

"Impossible"

He heard ponies say as they stared at him baffled. He had to admit he was a bit uneasy having all this attention paid to him. Even so, what he was really uncertain about was this....unknown Canterlot. The stallion couldn't recall if this street even existed. As he proceeded down the street he looked around and was astounded at all the modern statues that they had, and the gardens that had been built. The pony then proceeded to make his way towards what looked like a park. His eyes widened with interest as he looked at all the wondrous things. He saw beautiful flowers of pinks and blues, grand statues and fountains of royal and legendary ponies along with elegant murals and paintings. He wandered through each pathway astounded by the brilliant works of art. His hooves stopped suddenly at the new sight that stood before him. He was shocked to see that there was an old statue of a young stallion alicorn standing proud wrapped in armor. His eyes filled with tears as he read the slab below the statue. “In loving memory of Dawn.”

In the castle, princess celestia was trotting towards her library. “OK Luna but only this once, that's the last time" Princess Luna smiled childishly as she succeeded to whine her sister into an explanation of what was happening. Once they had passed through several hallways, Celestia opened the door to her library. The room was a vast and wide, filled with books. The shelves spread across the room making Isles, paintings of the evergreen forest were mounted on the walls.

"This way" Celestia directed and proceeded to lead her younger sibling into her secret collection. Princess Celestia then led her sister through a door leading towards a set of stairs descending to a basement. At the bottom of the staircase and through a door, Luna found herself with her sister in what seemed to be her study. Books piled high on her desk, quills and parchments everywhere, notes and paper were scattered across the floor. The ‘not so’ organized princess presented her sister with an aged book that seemed yellow with maturity and had a weary cover. The book was labeled "Equestria.vol16" and had clearly been an ancient doctrine written long ago. “You see here, Luna" Celestia began flipping through pages of the old tome.

“It says here that long ago there was only one prince who ruled over Equestria, and his name was Dawn." here

Luna found a seat; this was going to take a while.

“But when Prince Dawn inherited the throne from his father, he left him a mess of a land." “At this time there was a group of rebel ponies, who thought that the rulers of Equestria were corrupted and unfair. These rebels soon waged war, and Dawn was left with a heavy weight on his shoulders."

"Wait." Luna interrupted “So these ponies fought against the royal family?
"That's right. They thought that we were dictators, and believed the only way for peace was to overthrow our family

“Celestia stated.

"Ooh, ok go on?"

"Well the new prince was, in fact, a great leader and a very kind gentle colt, but that wasn't enough to convince the rebels." “So they went to war against one another; many lives were lost." “However, the rebel numbers where overwhelming. The prince soon took drastic measures. For an act of salvation, Dawn told his guards to bring him two healthy new-born's one male and one female. With the new fillies, he cast a powerful spell on them to make them pure alicorn, and had them taken to safety outside of Canterlot." “It was not but a month later that the Canterlot castle was being attacked, the prince had no choice but to surrender to the rebels." “It was that night that the rebels led Dawn deep into the evergreen forest, and it is said that all the unicorn ponies contributed towards a spell to freeze him and lock him away forever." “Although this story seems quite sad, there are tales that one day the prince will return and seek his place on throne again."

"Wait a minute, what happened to the fillies that he made alicorns?" Luna interrupted abruptly.

"Well nobody is certain how they were raised, but it’s believed that they eventually became king and queen of Equestria." Celestia explained

“Ooh, wait so that means that some pony from centuries ago is coming back, how is that possible?" princess Luna asked.

"Well a unicorn's magic can only be so strong, so the spell is bound to wear off." Celestia made clear. "And that's exactly what I’m afraid of." Celestia added with a frown, worried of the circumstances.

"Well I think that it’s great to have another alicorn in Equestria" Luna replied

"NO! You don't understand." Celestia retorted “If he comes back....... if there were to be another stallion alicorn in the throne......"

"What, what is it?" Luna said unknowingly

"... It means that he would have the right to...well." Celestia stammered.

"Well what is it?!" Luna said giving her sister a nudge.

“He’ll be able to........... Marry us."

Luna stared at her older sibling in question.

“Well who says that he has the right to do so?" Luna asked after a brief moment of the odd thought.

“It’s been a ritual in the royal family for years; the prince chooses his bride, no questions." Celestia answered.

Luna was dumbstruck. Was this really going to happen, was she going to be married? Is this stallion alicorn a mean pony, is he's nice, what if he's hideous? Luna stopped herself in her endless thoughts.

“How do we know if he's really back?" Luna asked.

"I'm... not sure, I suppose the first place he'd trot to is......... well here." Celestia thought aloud, "But, if by any chance he comes here I want you to treat him kindly and with respect, he hasn't been around for thousands of years."
Luna rolled her eyes " Ok sis, but it’s not like he's really going to turn up....... right?"
As she led her younger sibling out of her library she stopped “I hope not, Luna" she said, her eyes lost in thought.

Meanwhile there was an orange pony sitting on a park bench lost in thought. The stallion stared at the now gloomy statue of the remembrance of the alicorn leader. His eyes were swollen from tears and his body weary from sitting too long. He was interrupted by a unicorn who sat next to him. The stallion was tall, had a neat and clean white coat, and wore formal attire.
“Sorry to interrupt you sir but, you seemed rather lonesome here...” the orange pony gave a glance and stared at the statue.

“Oh pardon me, where are my manners; the name’s Fancypants." Fancypants gave him a friendly smile as he introduced himself.

“Hello....um, my name is Dawn." the voice was kind and gentle, but firm and deep.

"Well then Dawn, I couldn't help but notice that you’re an alicorn." Fancypants stated.

"Yep that's me." Dawn said in a very unenthusiastic manner.

"Well, might I ask how that's....um possible?" Fancypants asked honestly.

"What do you mean?" Dawn was obviously confused.

"Well, everypony knows that there are only two alicorn's, Princess Luna and Celestia." Fancypants explained.

“Wait you said there are others?" Dawn lifted his head finding interest in this possibility.

"Of course, there in the castle straight up Hooves Rd." Fancy informed

"Thank you, kind sir." Dawn said politely as he hastily departed from the park and headed towards the royal Canterlot castle.

As Dawn galloped his way up the road he knew he would find answers to this new and confusing Canterlot. He galloped past gossiping ponies and guards who he caught the attention of but didn't seem to care. The journey was not a short one, but he eventually made his way towards the entrance. As he arrived at the Canterlot gates two guards hesitantly halted him.

"What.... how the?" One guard stammered looking at his obvious signs of an alicorn.

"No time to explain let me through!" Dawn commanded

"What sorcery is this?" The other guard asked.

"This is no sorcery, I’m the prince don't you recognize me?" Dawn asked confused.

"Let him in gentlemen." A gentle but firm, feminine voice could be heard from behind the gates.

"Yes milady." The two guards said as they obeyed.

As Dawn looked past the gates he could see a tall, white mare with shining pink eyes and a very colorful flowing mane.

"Hello, my name is Celestia. “The mare introduced. "You must be Dawn."

"Yes... how did you know?" Dawn asked curiously.

"I've been expecting you, come let me show you around the castle, I’m sure there is a lot of questions you have to ask."

Arrival

Chapter 2:

Arrival

Celestia lead her new guest up the steps towards her palace, ready for an explanation. As she took him up the steps and through vast hallways, Dawn examined the castle's interior. It was more fitting to see that the palace hadn't changed a bit. The castle still had the great stone steps, red carpet and had kept all of the Victorian furniture that it originally had. They made their way to Celestia's large lounging room, that was arranged with comforting furniture and had shelves of books lined up on the wall. This was where Celestia would spend her leisure time, reading books and sitting close to the fireplace, she figured this would be the proper place to explain to the alicorn.

"Go ahead have a seat" Celestia motioned dawn over by the fireplace. Dawn laid down next to the fireplace trying to relax himself of what was going on, as Celestia too took a seat next to him.

"Would you like anything?" the alicorn asked.

"No thank you." Dawn said keeping his manners for the princess in front of him.

"That'll be just a water thank you." Celestia said to a nearby servant who slightly bowed and when off to fetch her drink.

"Now Dawn." she began "I know that you are confused right now and have lots of questions but, may I ask, how did you arrive here?"

Dawn shifted as his memories came back to him. “Well, I woke suddenly in some sort of...cave, and escaped my way towards the Everfree forest where I found my way to Canterlot. Before I go on I must ask, why have things changed so drastically, what has happened to my city?" Dawn asked confused

"Dawn I’m not sure that you've noticed but you're not in your 'old' kingdom anymore." Celestia tried to explain trying not to overwhelm the confused stallion.

"But, what about the rebels, what about the war?" Dawn said baffled.

"When the unicorns cast that spell on you Dawn, they sent you further into time. I'm afraid you’re here 3,000 years after the war." The alicorn resolved earning a shocked face.

"That's, impossible. Just yesterday I was..." Dawn realized that those days were long past over, looking out the large window seeing all of the busy streets and districts of Canterlot. All of the ponies were talking and trotting alongside each other in peace. No war, no rebels, no soldiers. Dawn sighed lowering his head. A servant came into the room holding a tall glass of water. "M'lady" the servant said levitating the glass to her and then exiting the room.

"Thank you." Celestia said as she levitated her drink towards her mouth; taking a gulp of her beverage; she noticed Dawn's expression.

"I truly am sorry Dawn." Celestia tried to comfort him putting her glass down. “You are more than welcome to stay here." Celestia assured.

"Thank you very much princess, I understand the situation is very overwhelming." Dawn said lifting his head trying to keep himself up. Dawn looked into the alicorn's gorgeous rose eyes as he felt a familiar rising in his chest. Celestia began to also stare into the stallion's golden eyes, which were blazing before her from the reflection of the fireplace admiring his natural charm. She noticed how long she was staring at the alicorn and began to grow nervous.

"Well, Dawn I'm sure you would enjoy having dinner with me and my sister." Celestia said breaking the long silence.

"Sister?"

"Yes her name is Luna; although I’m afraid she’s currently studying." Celestia said pondering of what she might be doing in her study for so long.

"I'll have a servant show you your room and you can freshen up there before joining us for dinner." She added, calling a servant over who entered the room motioning the prince to come alongside him. With a smile she watched as the tall stallion walked towards the exit and left, returning the gentle smile. Celestia sat there, left alone with her thoughts; staring into the fireplace with a confused face as she looked into the embers. That's odd. Nopony has been able to make me feel nervous like that in so long. Celestia put the thought away from her head ignoring the incident. She got to her hooves and walked towards Luna's study to inform her sister of the dinner tonight. She made her way through the palace halls and knocked on the door of her sister's private quarters. "Luna, it's me" Celestia said through the door.

"Come in." Luna answered as the door opened. Luna was sitting close to her desk writing on a scroll while reading a stack of books that were next to her desk. "Yes?" Luna said turning her attention to her sister.

"Luna we have company for dinner tonight."

"Yes and who might that be?"

"Dawn." She said with a cheeky smile, taking slight pleasure in her sister’s expression.

“Dawn?” Luna asked surprised “As in Dawn, Dawn?”

“The very same” Celestia assured. Luna sighed and turned herself back towards her study. Celestia noticed her usual anti-social behavior, and quickly corrected it.

“Now Luna, I expect you to be on your best behavior, he’s new here and I want us to make a good impression.”

“I don’t want to!” Luna said childishly throwing herself to her bed.

“Luna...” Celestia said carrying her voice “dinner starts this evening, so I expect you to be there in formal attire.” Celestia stared at the back of Luna’s head, unconvinced. “Understood?”

“Yes, mom.” Luna said as her older sister trotted off shutting the door.

Luna sighed as the door shut, leaving her too alone with her thoughts. Ugh, just your luck Luna. She thought to herself as she lazily got to her hoofs, to freshen up.
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“Right through here sir.” the servant gestured through the doorway as Dawn gave him a content smile entering his very own private room. “Thank you again.” Dawn said as the servant briefly bowed and made his way towards the dinner table. Dawn shut the door as he sighed, despaired of the situation he was in. Dawn looked around the room studying his surroundings. The room was a decent one, rather large and was composed of a large cloud bed in the center; followed by several furniture pieces of rather fine wood. The room also had a complete bathroom, and was rather large for a single room.

Dawn figured that he would take a quick shower before he was to formally acquaint himself with the princesses as he trotted towards the shower and kinetically turned on the water. As he magically scrubbed himself with the provided soaps and washes, Dawn couldn’t help but think of that subtle moment of silence between him and the princess. He remembered those gleaming pink eyes and her bright, warm smile. He could have sworn she’d had done the same, the way she was looking at him, it had to be. Dawn stopped his train of thoughts as he shook the memories away, noticing how long he had been in there, the room draped in fog from his hot shower. Turning the shower off Dawn stepped out of the shower, telepathically grabbing the nearest towel to dry himself. He finished drying his coat and making his way back to the bedroom. He looked at himself in the mirror making sure that his mane and coat was in order before making his appearance to dinner. He gave the mirror a smile testing out his expressions before leaving the room. As he shut the door there had already been a servant awaiting him and was ready to escort him towards the dinner table.

“This way, sire” the servant spoke as he lead the alicorn through the hallways and past the stairs as they entered the dining room. The dining area was very spacious, consisting of a long rectangular dining room that spread down the entire room, along with a large crystal chandelier that hung above the lengthy table. Princess Celestia sat at the end of the table, welcoming him with a smile as he trotted into the room.

“Good evening Dawn, have a seat dinners just about finished.” the princess said as a servant pulled up a chair next to her gesturing him over. Dawn stepped into his seat thanking the servants as they nodded and made their way towards the kitchen. The dinner table was set with fine cutlery and dining ware as he also observed the various fruits laid out on the table. Breaking the silence a tall dark blue mare entered the dining room with a shy smile and stunning blue eyes. The alicorn grasped Dawn’s attention as she took a seat next to her sister; right in front of him. Celestia whispered something incoherent into her ear. Dawn thought nothing of it as Celestia introduced her.

“Dawn, I’d like you to meet my younger sister Luna.”

“Pleasure to meet you.” Luna said with a greeting smile.

“The pleasure is all mine.” Dawn said as he kindly returned the smile.

The conversation was broken as a bell was rung. “Dinner is served.” a servant said as three others came into the dining room with trays of food, laying them on the table. Dinner looked delicious; as the plate consisted of a large fruit salad with apples, oranges, watermelon, and various berries. The three thanked the servants as they returned to the kitchen.

“Well go right ahead, dig in.” Celestia said as Dawn levitated a fork and dove into his awaiting meal. Luna and her sister did the same, as they savored their juicy meal.

“So Dawn.” Celestia said between helpings “What was it like living in your time?”

“Well.” Dawn said gulping down his food “When I was a colt, the city had just finished being built; I remember I would play in the fields, and help my father. The people were friendly and generous, Canterlot was a very prosperous city back then. I also remember I would study and read books as a colt, and my mother always nagged me about it.” Luna looked at her sister with a glare as her sister simply chuckled in return. “The city gave me a sense of protection growing up and I will never forget how that city shined at night when I would look out my bedroom door.” Dawn said as he noticed Luna listening intently, her eyes gleaming at him.

“Very interesting.” Luna said, a little more seductively than she intended. Luna was caught by surprise at the new guest. When her sister said that an alicorn was coming in from 3,000 years from the future she expected an old wrinkly pony, with an attitude. But what she really got, was a tall, handsome young stallion with golden eyes and a bright smile. Luna leaned closer, with her eyes half-closed as she stared at the stallion flirtatiously.

“Please Dawn, tell me how did you get sent through time?” Dawn noticed her gaze as he continued his story for the gorgeous mare.

“Well.” Dawn started gulping down his dinner. “It first started when I became prince after my father died. It was a time of great sorrow and the whole city was mourning, it just wasn’t the same without him. I had to comfort my mother for months before she could go to bed without weeping.” Dawn said as he earned a sorrowful expression from Celestia.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that Dawn.” she comforted.

“It’s quite alright.” He replied “It’s been a long time since then.” He took a gulp of his water before lengthening his story. “After his death, people began to look for answers, looking for someone to blame. A group of ponies then began to spread a rumor that the royal family was corrupt, and had killed him for me to take his place.” Dawn said as he took another bite of watermelon. “Before I could control the absurd rumors, it was too late, the group grew larger and larger as a rebellion was being called out against us.”

“So please, tell me, what was the last thing you did before awaking here?” Celestia said as she finished her salad and sipped on her tea gently.

“Hmm, it had been our last battle after I had sent the two alicorn foals to their mother, when the rebels invaded the castle and kidnapped me. I don’t remember much from there, but I do remember them taking me deep into the Everfree forest. There a group of unicorns combined their magic and from then on out, it went black.” Dawn finished his drink and placed the glass down finishing his story.

“So the books are true.” Luna said as she to sipped on her tea.

“Appears so” Dawn said as the three noticed the time, they had been dining for quite some time now.

“Well that was a very intriguing story Dawn, but I’m afraid it’s time to get some rest.” Celestia said yawning, as if on cue.

“Yes, I am a bit tired myself.” the alicorn said as celestia called a servant.

“Would you please show Dawn to his room.” Celestia said in her usual gentle voice.

“Of course, your highness.” the servant replied as he motioned the way to Dawn, who got up said his goodnights and trailed behind the butler. Celestia and Luna too departed with their goodnights as they made their way to the bedroom. The servant stopped at a door and kindly opened it for him. Dawn thanked him and entered his bedroom and sat down on his bed. It was just moments later, before he was going to bed that he heard a gentle knock on his door. He approached the bedroom door as he revealed who it was. “Princess Luna?” Dawn said confused as Luna shushed him with her hoof.

“Shhh...follow me, I have to show you something.” She said as the two silently crept across the hallways, trying not to wake anypony up. She led him past the corridor and through several hallways in which Dawn was unfamiliar with. They arrived up multiple stairs before they opened a large door to a balcony. As Luna led him towards the railing, Dawn noticed that they had been atop the Canterlot castle and had a clear view of the city. They both marveled at the city as the sun set down on the horizon, painting the sky in deep oranges and purples. Dawn noticed the mares horn begin to glow and as the sun completely set, and in its place the moon rose. Dawn smiled as the night took over the day, leaving the city in gorgeous colors, as the city lights illuminated the night sky.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Luna asked staring at the view.

“Hasn’t changed since I was a colt.” Dawn said looking at the remarkable town, as ponies trotted back towards their homes for a nights rest. Dawn exchanged glances with Luna. “Do you raise the moon yourself?” he asked as Luna nodded.

“That’s right, I raise the moon every night and my sister raises the sun every morning.” Luna confirmed.

“That must be nice.” Dawn said returning his gaze to the kingdom. “To be honest, I prefer the night time rather than the morning.”

“I know, the night time is so embracing, I’ve always loved looking at the stars ever since I was a filly.” the princess said as the stallion next to her began looking at her admiringly. She hadn’t felt like this in years. Her chest seemed to tighten, as the alicorn’s golden eyes met hers.

“Your mane...It reminds me of the stars.” Dawn whispered to her as Luna’s cheeks rose to a shade of red. Dawn chuckled aloud at the flattered princess. They both looked up into the sky at the vast array of stars scattered about. Dawn sighed as he looked at the night sky gleaming back at him. “Do you think I did the right thing?” Dawn asked breaking the silence.

“Pardon?” Luna questioned unknowingly.

“Sending those foals, I mean. Do you think I made the right decision?” Dawn asked directly.

“What do you mean?” Luna asked looking at the older stallion that was looking deeply into the sea of stars.

“I mean...well, when I was the prince, people expected me to be as great as my father. And I tried my best really I did but... I don’t think that that’s what my father would have done.” Dawn hung his head “I guess I’ll never be the great leader that he was.”

Luna couldn’t help it. The handsome stallion was too much for her, his soft features and gentle eyes were flattering, and she just couldn’t see him like this.

“Don’t say that. It’s because of you that the royal family blood could live on. It’s because of you that the royal order was saved and it still lives on today. It’s the reason, I’m still here.” Luna said as the prince looked at her appreciatively.

“Thank you Luna, your kind words have helped.” Dawn said yawning. “I...probably should get to bed.”

Luna smiled. “Yes, I do believe it is rather late. Why don’t I help you back to your room?”

“Yes.” Dawn returned the smile “Yes, I would like that very much.” he replied as they both trotted their way back down the steps. Dawn had little idea where he was going, blindly following Luna to take him back towards his room. Across the way they slowly approached his doorstep, walking carefully and trying not to make a sound. As they neared the door, Dawn silently opened it with his magic, as he turned to his escort to say goodnight. The moonlight that passed through the window reflected upon Luna’s face, giving her deep blue complexion a gracious glow. Dawn was intending on saying goodnight, but his admiration left him baffled as he scrambled for words.

Luna saw his reaction to her as he was about to bid farewell. The soft hue of pink began to grow on his cheeks as words tried to form a sentence in his head, but came out in quiet incoherent slurry. Luna chuckled slightly at the cute reaction from the prince. She gently leaned over and gave him a small peck too the cheek.

“Goodnight, Dawn.” She whispered, flirtatiously as she left the stallion alicorn lost for words.

Dawn stuttered his speech, feeling his heart in his throat. ”G-Goodnight, Luna.” he said barely whispering the words back to her as he silently closed the door. Dawn let out a sigh as he leaped into bed smiling to himself. He promptly got under his covers as he thought of the cute mare, wondering how ridiculous he must have looked stumbling upon his words. He found that the feelings this mare was giving him were rather bizarre, but in all honesty, he truly did enjoy it. He smiled contentedly as slumber found him rather early today. Maybe this new canterlot is not so bad after all.
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Meanwhile a certain blue mare was gently creeping upstairs as she neared her bedroom. Her mind still racing from what she had just done. Nopony had ever made her feel this way before, her pace grew to a jolly skip as she thought of the stallion. Growing up, Luna had never had such relationships with other colts, it was unladylike for a mare such as herself to be involved in such a manner. She remembered her old butler would scold her every time she would try to make a friend. Her sudden reminiscence was halted as a light clicked on from her sister’s room. She then hastily tried to make it into her bedroom before her sister saw her in such a suspicious manner. She opened the door hastily before being stopped as she heard the familiar voice from behind her.

“Luna?” her sister sounded surprised “Luna, what are you doing up so late?” Celestia asked, squinting her eyes tiredly.

“Um...nothing Tia I was... just out to get a drink of water.” Luna said forcing a smile as she saw her sister’s unconvinced reaction.

“Luna...you’re not ‘pranking’ the royal guards again, are you?” she asked, knowing her sisters usual malicious behavior.

Luna rolled her eyes. “No, mom I’m not pranking the guards.” Luna retorted “Besides that was one time!”

Celestia simply glared at her “Well then, it’s time for bed Luna.” she said firmly as she shut the door to return to her rest.

Whew. That was a close one. Luna thought as she turned around to enter her bedroom. She levitated her crown and jewelry off before jumping into her more than large enough cloud mattress. Snuggling herself under the sheets, she smiled thinking fondly of the new stallion she had just met. Her heart seemed to beat with a flame growing inside of her, spreading inside her; feeling her stomach cloud with some sort of, fuzziness. Could this be? Is this how love feels? Luna shut her eyes, and let the warmth take her over, as she fell into a deep slumber.
________________________________________________________________________

Celestia sighed as she shut off the lights and promptly went back to bed. Or at least tried to. For the past hour or so she had spent herself musing over the events of today. That young man is certainly not what I expected. She thought as she shifted in her bed. Celestia couldn’t help but to think back to that moment in the fireplace. When their eyes met, she was certain she could see something deep in the stallions’ eyes. She was rather taken back at the fact that she was indeed staring for so long back at them. I haven't felt like that in years. The princess stopped, realizing what she was thinking. Oh, stop it Celestia. She thought, scolding herself. You’re acting like a filly. Celestia became aware of her inner conflict and decided that it was best to get some rest. Trying to stop her midnight brooding, Celestia finally found her comfort zone as she shut her eyes letting the relaxation of her bed take her.

A visit to Ponyville

Chapter 3
A visit to Ponyville

The Sun goddess awoke briefly, as usual. She had been doing this for as long as she could remember, and had awakened at the same time she did every day to raise the sun. She rubbed her eyes and levitated her blankets over as she stood up. She stretched herself near her bed, yawning loudly as she absorbed the soon to be morning. She lazily trotted towards her window looking out at her city in slumber. This morning didn’t feel as regal as it should be. Her lips felt cracked, her mane was a mess and she had the funniest taste in her mouth. The previous night she had struggled to get to sleep, and with her new guest and all; she couldn’t help but feel concerned. She didn’t bother to walk out to the balcony. She simply gazed out the window, and with a glow of her horn, she raised the sun; yawning before heading downstairs for her morning breakfast.

Today doesn’t feel…routine she thought, trotting out the door; making her way down the stairs before arriving at the dining area. The room wasn’t as busy as it normally would be, so she must have been up early. Celestia then proceeded to trot her way over towards the kitchen seeing that her faithful cook Sugar plum was awake.

“Good morning Sugar plum.” She greeted warmly “You don’t mind fixing me up a quick breakfast do you?” She asked gently, like a friendly gesture.

“But of course.” she answered politely smiling as she levitated pots and pans over towards the counter top to begin preparing the meal. Celestia gave a grateful smile as she walked out of the kitchen awaiting her delicious breakfast. She sat herself down on the table looking at all of the empty seats surrounding her. She sighed softly not fully understanding why she was feeling so…strange. Like a void in the bottom of her very being, but only more vague. She was quite sure that she had felt these feelings before; but she couldn’t quite put her hoof on it. The sound of hoofsteps trotting interrupted Celestia’s thoughts as her chief came into the dining room, levitating a plate of fresh fruits, neatly cut and arranged in a lovely decor.

“Thank you very much, this looks delicious.” The princess said smiling, as the food was placed on the table presenting itself to be all the more delectable. The kind culinary pony nodded, grinning kindly as she began to trot her way back to the kitchen. Celestia wasted no time in levitating one of the succulent pieces of watermelon; popping it into her mouth, letting it soak with quenching sweetness. Before she knew it she was craving another, as one-by-one the fresh fruit was devoured by the princess; leaving an empty plate of various fruit juices on her table.

She finished her breakfast contently, wiping her face of unwanted residue with a nearby napkin. She glanced over her shoulder as the sound of hooves began to echo throughout the room, seeing a familiar pony heading down the stairs. The alicorn came down the stairs slowly, with a ruffled mane and calm demeanor; he smiled softly spotting her from the stairs.

“Good morning Princess. Lovely morning you’ve made.” He said, earning a smile from the princess alicorn.

She chuckled in reply, looking at him warm heartedly “Thank you very much Dawn, this morning does seem different doesn’t it. Care for some breakfast?”

“Don’t mind if I do.” He said taking a seat at the dining table.

“Sugar plum, you don’t mind cook-.”

“Way ahead of you.” Sugar plum intervened, smiling gleefully as she came through the dining room, placing a large plate of perfectly cut fruit in the middle of the table. “There you go.” She added as she laid down a stack of plates to go along with it.

They both thanked Sugar plum as she nodded and trotted back to the kitchen. Dawn levitated a plate over and began to stack various fruits on top of it he licked his lips before taking a bite from one of the delicious morsels.

“So.” He began, gulping down a piece of fruit. “What are your plans this morning?”

The princess opened her mouth but stopped, she began thinking about the royal duties that she would carry out today. A short pause filled the room, as the princess stared at her hooves in silence. As she opened her mouth to say something more, she was interrupted by her sister who trotted into the room.

“Good morning everypony.” She said vibrantly, taking a seat in her chair close to Dawn. “Breakfast looks delicious.” She said levitating a plate over, along with a bundle of various fruits from the platter.

“Good morning Luna.” They both greeted, watching as she gobbled down the fruit. Dawn stared at Luna for a brief moment before catching himself, and continuing his conversation.

“Right, where were we? Oh yes, I was asking of your plans for today.” He remembered, taking a bite of his breakfast.

She pondered for a minute “Hmm, I think I have some tasks to attend to this morning,” She lied “What have you got planned for the day Luna?” She asked looking at Luna who shuffled a bit, swallowing a mouthful.

“Bleeergghh!” Luna belched closing her mouth, her cheeks growing red “Excuse me.” She apologized sheepishly.

Dawn couldn’t help but giggle at the mare’s foolish actions as Celestia just rolled her eyes, a small smile forming on her lips.

“I was thinking.” She continued “Maybe we could show Dawn around the city a bit.” She said as Dawn grinned.

“Sounds like a splendid idea!” he added, both looking at Celestia for approval.

She shifted in her seat feeling the unusual emotions from earlier creep on her once again. “No…I don’t think I could go.” She reclined “I have too many errands to run today…” she said looking at the two who frowned. “But you two are welcome to go! Don’t let me hold you back; go ahead and have fun today.” She reassured as the two were beaming in their seats.

“Great! I’ll show you the Canterlot café, the royal garden, all the great shops and more! We’ll have a great time.” Luna said ecstatically. “Oh just one second, let me get ready.” She added getting out of her seat and galloping off towards her bedroom.

“Well then I’d better get ready too.” He chuckled, getting out of his chair. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like to join us?”

“I’d love to really. But I just have too many tasks to do today, I’m sorry.” She said again feeling the sensations return to the pit of her stomach.

“Okay, if you say so.” Dawn said, trotting off out of the kitchen.

“Your room is on the left.”

“Oh… right.” He said smiling sheepishly as he turned off the other direction. The Princess giggled aloud as she watched the stallion walk off. Soon she was alone again; the odd sensation returning as she sighed loudly staring at the table.

“Sugar plum?” She called out.

“Yes!?” she answered from the kitchen, the sounds of dishes clattering about coming from the doorway.

“Would you mind brewing up a cup of tea?”

“Not at all,” She replied.

Celestia thanked the mare and soon heard the sound of water boiling from the kettle across the kitchen. She stared at particularly nothing as she tried to ignore the strange feeling. It didn’t work. She still felt the feeling climbing, growing inside her having no purpose but to sit in her heart and lurk.

“Here you go.” Sugar plum said as she lowered a kettle and a cup of tea onto the table; the Princess didn’t see her walk in.

“Thank you.” She said taking the tea into her telekinetic grasp and sipping on it diligently.

“Princess, this is none of my business but… are you feeling okay?” Sugar plum asked abruptly as Celestia gulped down her sweetened tea.

“Wha-What makes you think that?” She asked stuttering.

“Well…It’s just that you seem a little off today Princess, that’s all. You know if anything’s wrong, you could always tell me. I’m a good listener.” She said caringly.

Celestia sighed, looking at her half empty tea cup. “Sugar plum, have you ever felt as though…there was a weird gushy feeling in your stomach?”

Sugar plum raised an eyebrow as she pulled up a chair and took a seat.

“As if… there is a small ember growing bigger and bigger inside you and you… you just can’t sleep at night?” she continued unable to fully express what she was feeling. “I know I’ve felt it before but…”

A small smile grew on Sugar plums face as the Princess’s words ran through her ears. She let out a hearty chuckle as she poured herself a cup of tea.

“Sounds like you’re in love.” She said smirking as she gulped down her tea.

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous.” The Princess said, laughing at first but then stopped; looking at Sugar plums serious and calm demeanor. “Wait, you really think so?”

Sugar plum nodded. “I’ve seen it hundreds of times before.” She took a sip of her tea smiling a bit “Bet it’s that new Prince isn’t it?” The Princess sat still, her cheeks growing a hue of crimson.

“It can’t be… ar-are you sure?” she asked hesitantly.

“Looks an awful lot like it.” She continued “The sleepless nights, the warm fuzzy feeling and that nice shade of pink on your face. Yeah, that’s it alright” She confirmed putting down her empty cup. “Love at its earliest stage.”

The Princess stood still for a moment, collecting it all. She couldn’t recall this to be love. She’s lived for such a long time and never felt love like this one. Of course she remembers the love that she felt for her parents when she was just a filly, but this… this was different. She shook her head. She recollected on what happened yesterday at the fireplace was similar; the shortening of her breath and the same warm fuzzy feeling underneath, sounds just like Sugar Plums description. She sighed, not knowing what to do.

“It can’t be…he came here just yesterday.” She denied looking at Sugar Plum who chuckled warmly.

“Well it seems love at first sight then.” She said giggling as the princess gave her a confused look. Sugar plum sighed resting her cheek on her hoof. “Look, seems to me like you like him. If you want, you should get to know him better.” She said finishing her tea.

Celestia looked down at the floor, not feeling the ‘love’ sensation go away. “Then, what do I do now?” she asked sheepishly.

“You should go ask him.” She said giggling.

“Ask him what?”

Sugar plum rolled her eyes. “You know, on a date.”

“A-a date? Well I can’t possibly do that I-” she stopped, looking at Sugar plum who stared at her unconvinced. “I don’t even know the first thing about dates…” she said defensively.

“It’s okay to ask for a little help.” She answered.

“Like, you?” Celestia asked, receiving a wincing reaction.

“Oh no. No I’d rather not get into that. But you know who you could ask.” She alleged “You could ask that, student of yours.” She said gesturing.

“Twilight? Oh no I couldn’t bother her with such silly requests.” She argued subtlety.

“C’mon, she reads all those books, I’m sure she knows something about love.” She said assuring her.

“Well, I guess I can try.” Celestia said defeated.

“That’s the spirit. Now if it's not a bother I have some meals to cook.” She said getting out of her chair.

“Don’t let me drag you down.” Celestia said smirking. Sugar plum grinned and began her way to the kitchen before the Princess stopped her. “Oh and Sugar plum,”

“Hmm?”

“Thank you.” She said looking at the cheerful pony’s face light up.

“That’s what friends are for.” She said grinning as she left to the kitchen, beginning the meal for the evening.
The Princess couldn’t help but smile on her way out to her carriage. She’s known Sugar plum for well over five years now, and felt a strong connection between her since the day she arrived. Her young, vibrant face and her caring friendly attitude made her hard not to get along with. She made her way towards the castle courtyard, and walked up several stairs and through an open door. There she saw that two guards were standing close to her carriages ready for her disposal.

“Princess.” They both greeted; puffing their chests out trying to appear more alert.

“Gentlecolts.” She greeted “I’d like to take a ride down to ponyville, I think I’ll be visiting there for a while.”

“Yes ma’am” they said in sync, as they both strapped themselves in the carriage; as the princess climbed aboard. They took flight briefly, soaring off the launching pad that was the Castle and made their way to Ponyville at a steady pace. She reclined in her seat, observing her early morning sun drag light across the awakening city below her as the faint noise of busy ponies began to slowly fill the city. She sighed. Today wasn’t normal at all.