Normally, the Sun wakes ponies from their slumbers. The gentle, golden light of the larger of Equestria's celestial bodies will filter through windows open and closed alike, and alight gently upon slumbering faces, softly bringing them from the world of slumber and dreams to the waking day.
All ponies welcome this smooth transition from night to day, swift and sudden though it may be; they quickly will arise and prepare themselves for the day ahead.
This is not so for one pony, lying in her bed, awakened not by the sun but by the silver radiance of the moon. She opens her eyes, tired and weary, sits up in bed, stretches, yawns, and makes an obscene gesture at the moon.
Almost as if in reply, the moon shines a bit brighter, and Celestia scowls.
"I'm up." she growls, her voice raspy and low. "Turn down the friggin' moon already."
The moon dims, and the alabaster Princess raises herself from her bed, mane tangled around her in a nest of wavy, bedraggled majesty.
"Philomena?" Celestia calls tiredly, eyeing a gilded cage not quite covered by a pearlescent cloth. "Are you feeling up to helping me with this?"
No reply comes from the vessel, and Celestia hangs her head.
"Just me, then. Again." she sighs, her horn glowing with golden power. Her mane slowly moves, almost as if on its own, and soon it flows behind her, as it always does.
Celestia eyes the cage again, giving it one last plaintive glance before stepping into her golden horseshoes and opening the door to her chambers. Before exiting, however, Princess Celestia gazes once more at her room, her eyes falling, as they do every morning, on the small, empty bed resting across the room from her own.
Empty for a long, long time.
Sighing deeper this time, a long, low mournful sound, Celestia trudges out of the room, the door softly swinging closed behind her.
The corridor leading to the Balcony of the Sun is neither long nor ornate; it is a simple hallway. One end connects to the Princess's bedchambers, and the other leads out onto the landing. A third door, set into the middle of the corridor, leads to the most important room in the castle at the moment for our dear Princess.
Alas, Celestia cannot enter yet; she has a task to fulfill.
She trudges past the door, giving it a longing, yearning look, before sighing again and turning to the door at the other end of the hall. It opens before her, and she slips out into the morning air.
The city of Canterlot is peaceful, serene, tranquil, placid, and a number of other words meaning 'calm' as it spreads out below the balcony, lit by the Moon as it nears the horizon. One benefit of living atop a mountain is that everywhere is the horizon; As such, the Balconies of Sun and Moon are excellent places to judge exact time by.
Celestia steps out onto the balcony now, breathing in the chill night air.
"Friggin' cold out here." she mumbles, scowling, before lowering her head, touching her horn to the stone. A 'thrum' of power races through her, and a deep, sonorous voice echoes through her head.
It is once again time, Celestia. it says. Time for you to call me forth from-
"Yeah, yeah, raise you already." Celestia snaps. "Just get on with it, will ya?"
The voice chuckles.
To the point, as always, dear one. Worry not; after a few thousand years, you will come to posess patience akin to mine.
"Go stuff yourself. But rise first, though."
The wind, rushing past, punctuates the silence as the sky greys and a sliver of golden light appears on the eastern horizon.
"This is the best part of the job, right here." Celestia sighs, a smile cracking her stony visage. "The peace. The quiet. The-"
"Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba!"
"Sithi uhm ingonyama!"
The chant, loud and strange, cuts through the air. Jumping, the Princess turns to the source of the sound. Her efforts reveal a small group of ponies, led by a Zebra, lifting their voices in a chant; a primal praise to the daylight and the sun.
"Hey!" Celestia yells to the throng. "You seven! Or eight; whatever! You ponies chanting down there!"
The chorus turns, bowing low in deference to the Princess of the Sun.
"Yeah, yeah, that." Celestia says, rolling her hoof in a 'get on with it' motion. "I want to give you a message."
"Yes, O Princess? A unicorn, golden-maned and blue-coated says, his tone humble.
"Shut up!" Celestia yells.
The slamming of the balcony door penetrates the ensuing silence.
Grumbling to herself, Celestia approaches the door in the center of the corridor, allowing herself a small smile as the portal opens.
Light, heavenly and radiant, emanates from the other side of the door, bathing the Princess in white wonder. She closes her eyes in ecstasy, letting the glow wash over her, as if baptizing her.
The door finishes its opening, revealing the most important room in all of Canterlot: Celestia's private kitchen.
Fully-stocked and fully-loaded, the Princess only allows one other living soul to enter this sanctuary of sactuaries, line in white tile and kept immaculately clean; her own sister.
And, in Celestia's own words; "That's only because she's the best cook in the history of ever."
"Hello there, gorgeous." Celestia breathes, her voice low and filled with longing. "I've been dreaming of you."
She trots gaily into the room, and the door closes behind her with a satisfying 'click'.
"Good morning to you, sister dearest!" a saccharine voice chirps, and Celestia's grin fades slightly.
"Morning, Lulu." she says, collapsing into a chair set into a small table, sighing as she falls into the soft cushions.
Luna is standing on the other side of the table, her horn glowing and a grin on her face.
"Sister!" she calls brightly. "I have something for you!"
"Lulu?" Celestia says. "I really appreciate your company in the mornings; I really do. But please, please just wait until I've had my tea."
A golden glow suffuses the room, and soon a pot of tea appears on the table, pouring itself into a cup.
"Tia, I really want-"
"Lulu, please. Tea first."
A veritable mountain of sugar dumps itself into the bowl, and a powerful force firmly stirs the mixture at supersonic speeds, not so much mixing the tea as it is merging the two substances at the atomic level.
"But Tiaaaaaa-" Luna calls, hopping up and down.
A hoof slams into the table.
"Luna!" Celestia shouts. "How many times do I have to tell you; Leave me alone!"
The Princess of the Night stops suddenly. The glare coming from the eyes under the again-messy mane have said enough; the Princess of the Sun has had one too many buttons pushed one too many times.
"I apologize." Celestia says, her tone stiff, cold, and formal, as she stands. "Have a good morning; at least one of us will have done so."
And with that, Celestia opens the door, stalks out, and slams it behind her.
In Celestia's bedchambers, a Princess lies faceup in her bed, a teacup floating above her head as she sighs.
"She didn't deserve that." Celestia mumbles. "She just wanted to make small talk, and I..."
Another sigh - more at the fact that she's been sighing a lot today than anything else - and the teacup tilts, pouring the scalding liquid directly onto Celestia's face.
The tea doesn't burn her. It doesn't even cause her pain - she grew out of that design flaw long ago - but still she pours it onto herself, watching the steam curl up toward the ceiling and wondering what it would feel like to feel the pain of the heated water.
"I deserve it." she mumbles, turning over in her bed and burying her face in a pillow. "You know, for all my moping around, lamenting my loneliness, I sure have a habit of getting rid of the ponies closest to me."
She sits up, gazing at the bed and the cage.
"First Lulu," she sighs. "Then Cadance and Twilight, now that they've moved out..."
She lies back, covering her face with a pillow.
"Not even Philomena wants to spend time with me any more."
As she lies there, the soft 'click' of the door opening cuts through the silence.
"Welcome," Celestia mumbles, her voice muffled. "Thank you for visiting Jerktown, Population; Me. Don't forget to pick up your 'World's Worst Princess' mugs at the gift shop."
"Tia..." Luna's voice, soft and soothing, washes over her sister. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah."
"You don't sound all right..."
There's a long silence.
"You poured tea on yourself again, didn't you?"
"So sue me."
Luna sighs. Unlike her older sister's, her sigh is a loving one.
"What am I going to do with you?" she asks, placing a hoof on her older sister's back.
"Nothing. I'm fine, Lulu."
"Sister." Luna says, looking Celestia dead in the eyes. "You protect the entire world. You raise the sun. You are kind, you are graceful, and you are, in all honesty, the best pony I know."
"Is there a point to this, or are you just complimenting me?"
"My point is that even though you are all these things, you're still a pony." Luna says. "You are allowed to feel sad, you know."
Celestia rolls her eyes, and Luna stomps a hoof.
"I mean it, sister!" she says. "Sometimes it is necessary to rely on those younger and... weaker than you. I mean, just look at how I came back; I would not be here if t'were not for young Twilight and her friends. If you need help, we're here for you."
There is a long silence.
"I wanted to tell you earlier; I've spoken with Smooth Schedule." Luna says. "Your itinerary for today has been cleared; if you wish, you can use this to nap. Or you can go out and visit one of the others. Today, both of us are taking the day off."
Something presses itself into Celestia's side; something square and made of cardboard.
"I will see you when you are ready to come out, Tia." Luna says warmly. "Take as much time as you need, all right?"
The door closes, leaving Celestia alone again, in a room quickly filling with sunlight. Wordlessly, she sits up, looking at the box next to her.
The box that contains a large, red velvet cake; Celestia's favorite flavor. A hoof-written note, attached with tape, bears a crayon-written message.
I baked this myself; I know it's your favorite. If ever you feel like taking a day off, let me know, and I'll be there.
I love you. Never forget that.
-Luna
Tears filling her eyes, Celestia wraps the box in eager hooves and lies back.
"Dangit, Luna." she whispers. "I thought I told you to turn down the moon; it's shining in my eyes."
"Morning, Lulu!" Celestia calls cheerfully, trotting into the kitchen, a slice of cake on a plate levitating before her. "Cake?"
"I already had some," Luna says, smiling. "But thanks. It is good to see you up and about."
"Well, you know me; I usually take a little while to get started in the mornings."
"I can assure you you are not the only Princess who has trouble 'getting started'." Luna says, smiling.
"What're you talking about?" Celestia mumbles, her mouth full of cake. "Cadance is the morning-est pony I've met."
"Oh, I wasn't talking about Cadance." Luna says, grinning.
"Twilight!" Applejack calls, galloping into the kitchens of Ponyville Castle, where the purple alicorn sits, bent over a steaming mug. "Come quick! There's some sort-a giant moster thing attackin' the town!"
"Applejack." Twilight snarls, glaring at the farmpony. "What have I told you?"
"Right, right." Applejack says, rolling her eyes and backing out of the room. "Friendship ain't magic 'til the fifth cuppa coffee."
Author's Note
Do not let me write at night.
