It was early spring the first time I met her and the heavy gray clouds hung low in the sky. A gentle rumble of thunder reverberated through the heavens warning of the impending storm I had just finished gathering together. When I finally set hoof back on the ground and I stretched my wings and back. Grumbling to myself it had been a hard day's work getting this spring shower together, especially since I was the only weather pony assigned to this particular section of nowhere.
As the first drops started to fall, I looked to the north toward home when I saw her, she stood on a small rise to the north, her white fur glowed in contrast to the premature dark that was settling in this afternoon. Her majestic wings were flared out to her sides, her regal plumage almost glittered in the fading light. Her muzzle was pointed skyward and her eyes closed as she let the first drops of spring rain splash against her face.
After I processed what I was seeing, I had a minor panic attack. Princess Celestia, in the middle of nowhere, in the rain that I had created, I was so fired. I rushed to her as fast as my wings could carry me.
“Your majesty, please forgive me. I did not know you were here. Let me break up this storm for you.” I said, Stifling a pant and bowing low.
“You will do no such thing.” She said gently but firmly without turning from the clouds above.
“I’m sorry your majesty it’s raining and-” I stammered but she cut me off.
“I am the leader of an entire nation and older than I’d like to admit. I believe I know the risks of standing in the rain.”
“Yes your majesty, as you wish.” I said sitting back on my haunches folding my wings in. I had served Equestria for five years in the EUP and had been in the weather patrol another five. A bit of rain wouldn't bother me and I'd be damned if I just left Princess Celestia alone in the middle of nowhere during a rainstorm. As I sat watching her, her ethereal mane and tail started to slump and stick to her body. She stood like that for a long while, letting the rain soak every part of her. As her coat was saturated, the rain gathered in small rivulets and rolled down her neck and back before falling to the ground.
“I love the rain, especially spring rain. It brings life back to the land and leaves everything feeling right.” She commented “But I never get to enjoy it as everypony tries to protect me from it.” Distain practically dripping from the word protect. She sighed and chuckled “It’s not like I’m going to melt.”
“But your Highness the sun is your charge. Ponies just-”
“Yes the sun is my charge, but it does not bring life. Without rain the world would be but a desert. That is why we need balance. Sun, rain, day, night, life and death without one the other could not exist.”
“Yes, of course, your majesty.” I said allowing silence to return.
With that she smiled a small smile and opened her eyes and sat on her haunches. She sat there looking around for a few moments. She was looking not at the open clearing in the woods that was there now but somewhere or sometime else. She looked back at me over her shoulder
“Did you know, that a couple thousand years ago, this used to be a lovely little village?”
“Yes your majesty I did. I was born not too far from here. My mother was an earth pony.” I said nodding my head.
She Stood nodding. “Every Spring they had a huge festival that centered around the first rain of Spring.” She walked a short distance away to a large round depression in the ground. I followed keeping a few hooves lengths behind her.
“There!” She said her mood brightening a bit as she pointed to the depression that was now collecting the rain into muddy puddle.
“Your highness?” I asked.
“Every pony in the village would dance in the rain and the mud. They said it would ensure fertility of the soil, and the mares.” She said the last bit, as if it was scandalous raising an eyebrow. “But if you ask me the copious amounts of cider and a certain amount of anonymity provided by everypony covered in mud that helped that last part.” She giggled at her own observations smiling with longing for a simpler time.
“They always invited my sister and I. The only ponies in Equestria to invite the Royal Princesses to “roll in the mud”. We looked forward to it each year, it was great fun. I remember the first time we attended. Luna got into a disagreement with one of village’s bigger mares. They fought, wrestled and danced for hours before retiring to the mare’s home.” She said laughing at her own story.
“It sounds like quite an interesting time.” I said as she paused on her recollections.
“Indeed. Now all the festivals that I attend are formal, and I’m afraid that if one of the nobles got a bit of dirt in their mane they would be traumatized for weeks.” She said chuckling again.
“Well, you highness, a bit of mud never bothered me. If I may be so bold, would you care to dance?” I asked standing and offering the Princess a hoof. The princess smiled and scooped up a hoof full of mud and smeared it over her cutie mark.
“Please, it’s just Celestia, and I would love that.” She said smiling brightly, taking my offered hoof.
After a bit of dancing and playing in the mud, we were both panting and saturated.
“I could use a drink.” The princess said plopping down in the mud at the edge of the depression.
“I think I can handle that.” I said reaching over to my saddle bag and producing a non descript hoof blown bottle full of an amber liquid.
“The Apple family’s finest whiskey, picked it up this morning on my way here.” I said offering her the bottle.
“You expect me, the Princess of Equestria, to drink whiskey from a bottle?” She feigned indignance.
“Didn’t expect to see you rolling in the mud either.” I quipped.
“Touché sir.” She said popping the cork with her magic. “Have you ever considered becoming a royal guard?” Celestia asked me before taking a healthy swig from the bottle and handing it back to me.
“Naw those guys are too stuffy for my taste.” I said taking a swig from the bottle.
“Yes they are. I want you to stop by the castle tomorrow morning at 9:00 for an interview.” She said before taking another slug from the bottle, shaking her head as the alcohol burned her throat. ”Make that 10:00.” She said setting the bottle down in the mud between us. And before I could object to the interview, she pulled me up to my hooves. “Time for another dance!” She said excitedly.