Chapter One - The Sun's Delay
Chapter One - The Sun's Delay
It should have been a morning like any other in Canterlot - birds were singing in the trees, frogs were croaking in the ponds, foals and colts on their way to school. But there was no morning. This morning was still dark outside. The stars still hanging above the sky along side the moon, which shined brightly for all ponies of Equestria to see.
For some ponies this was unusual. Shouldn't Celestia have raised the sun by now? A white-coated unicorn mare with a bunned-up brown-colored mane and tail ran down long hallways throughout the castle, being careful to avoid running into guards and castle staff until she came to an abrupt halt in front of a tall set of doors.
She wore a pair of glasses and a white collar with a red ruffle tied in the middle along with a pair of glasses that were falling off her face due to her mad dash to Celestia's bedroom.
"Celestia? Are you there your highness?" The mare spoke with urgency. She couldn't hear much, but it sounded like somepony was in the princesses's chambers. Fear crept into the mare's mind, how did this intruder get in? Was this the work of Discord trying to set up some sort of prank or was this somepony else? The mare mustered up her courage and unlocked the door with her magic and peeked inside. She swung open the doors to find a sight most usual. The alicorn princess was trying to get back to sleep, even though the sun was supposed to be out more than 30 minutes ago!
"Princess Celestia, what in blazes are you still doing in bed? You're supposed to have risen the sun 30 minutes ago your highness!" The mare shouted.
Celestia shifted her head towards her assistant and said, "Can't you tell Raven? I'm trying to sleep in," Celestia spoke a low voice.
As she began to turn her head back away from Raven said with most annoyed tone. "For Equestria's sake, Celestia, first you were ten minutes behind yesterday morning, and now you're 30 minutes behind. What has gotten into you Princess Celestia?" Raven said with a scowl.
Celestia turned her head halfway to look at Raven and slowly turned her head back to the other side and she said, "How about you ask Luna to raise the sun for me this morning, Raven," Celestia spoke with an unaesthetic tone.
Raven was dumbfounded. Celestia didn't want to raise the her glorious sun!? Raven was about to speak out when Celestia continued, "Also, can you ask my sister to take care of some of my morning appointments until I've fully woken up, Raven? I'm feeling quite sluggish this morning." Even though Celestia said she was exhausted, there wasn't any sign of it when she got out of bed.
"Really, Celestia? You don't look that tried to me," Raven said inquiringly.
Celestia turned her attention to Raven. "I'm just not in the mood as of right now, Raven. Go speak to Luna and tell her that her sister is not up for the task this morning!" Celestia barked at Raven. After hearing her response, Raven didn't want to press the issue any further and nodded her head to the sun alicorn and left her chambers. She probably thought that Celestia was having an off morning and went towards Luna's chambers.
Raven lightly trotted across the castle once more in the opposite direction towards Princess Luna's quarters. She walked up the winding stairs in one of the castle's mighty pillars and knocked on the door. After a minute passing by heard nothing, knocking again the door sung open a little. Raven knew this was an invasion of of Princess Luna's privacy, but she had to enter in order to wake Luna up so she could raise the sun before ponies started getting restless and worried.
She entered Luna's chambers and took in the scenery a bit since she didn't enter the princess of the night's quarters often. Luna's room was decorated with star-mapped walls that covered her entire room and orbs which hung from the ceiling. Raven had once heard that they contained dreams of other ponies. As Raven walked in closer, she spotted a little furry animal on Luna's star-cluttered bed, which she recognized it was Luna's pet opossum.
Raven often saw Tiberius scurrying among the halls at certain times during the closing hours of her shift when the sun began to set, and, since he was a creature of the night, it would only make sense that he'd be sleeping right now. But where was Luna? She should have been in bed along with Tiberius. Raven wondered if Luna was falling behind schedule as well. She considered going back to Celestia's chambers and trying again when suddenly two white owls came out of nowhere and started to peck at her.
"Ow! Stop it I'm not a threat to anypony!" Raven shouted, levitating a dream orb, trying to use it to swat away her attackers.
"Castor! Pollux! Halt your attack this instant!" A voice cried out from outside the balcony. The two snowy white owls obeyed and returned to their perch while Raven tied the dream orb back up from where she snatched it to defend herself and spat feathers after the frightening encounter .
A dark-blue alicorn with a starry dark-blue mane flew into the room and began walking towards the startled and fazed unicorn. "Sorry about that, Raven, Luna said while walking towards her owls. "Caster and Pollux have been taking their role very seriously ever since I appointed them to stand guard of Canterlot and my living quarters when I'm gone.
Now, why is it you have entered my room without my permission, and why hasn't my sister raised the sun yet this morning?" Luna asked Raven while she began to groom them with the brush she kept on her nightstand.
Raven, recovering from the owl attack and plucking the feathers from her teeth, said, "That's why I'm here Your Highness. I am very sorry for entering your room without your permission, but your sister, Princess Celestia, has asked you to raise the sun for her," Raven said.
Luna set down the brush and turned towards Raven with the most puzzled look. "Really? My sister has declined to raise the sun? Luna responded in disbelief.
"That's right, Princess" Raven said. "She says she's very tired this morning and not only asked you to raise the sun, but also to handle some of her morning appointments."
"My goodness, is my sister coming down with something?" Luna asked with concern.
"I don't think so, Princess Luna, she seemed in good health to me but I think she didn't get quite enough sleep last night by the way she snapped at me." Raven rolled her eyes.
Luna knew her sister had a lot of patience and didn't lose her composure easily, but she had her limits - something must have happened recently to make her act so unpleasantly this morning.
Raven took out a pocket watch and looked horrified. "Oh my goodness it's been over 55 minutes since the sun was supposed to be up! Quickly, Luna, before ponies start to wonder what's going on!" Raven barked frantically.
Luna rushed onto the balcony, guessing that her sister's bad mood was passed along to her assistant. But she was right - the more time that passed without the sun, the more ponies would take notice and begin to worry. Luna started to focus intensely upon her moon and began to slowly lower it down while replacing it with the sun. Raven gave a huge sigh of relief as the sun shined brightly in the morning sky.
Luna walked past Raven and said, "I'll take care of my sister's duties until she arrives." Just before Luna left her room, the dream orb that Raven tied poorly fell to the ground and shattered to pieces. She turned around and said, If it's not too much trouble would you mind cleaning up that mess you've made, if you ever-so-kindly please."
Luna teleported a broom and a dustpan in front of Raven before walking down the staircase. Just as the door closed shut Raven said, "I see this is foreshadowing my week, isn't it." Then Tiberius scurried past Raven following Luna down the stairs.
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Luna began to take on Celestia's morning appointments one by one, each more grueling then the last.
While Luna was talking with a delegate from Prance about their growing rat problem, Tiberius was dashing about with the castle mice and getting cheese for them so they wouldn't get spotted by the castle guards. Luna was taking appeals left and right from delegates all over Equestria. The time passed so fast it was 1:30 before she knew it.
Luna was throwing a ball around the room for Tiberius during her break when Celestia walked into the throne room with a gloomy expression painted across her face.
"Sister, it's been over an hour since you were supposed to take over.," Luna said while yawning.
"I know Luna I was ju- wah!" Celestia yelled when she stepped on Tiberius's ball, nearly falling over him in the process.
Luna rushed over to Celestia "Oh my stars! Sister are you alright?" Luna asked with concern.
"I'm fine, Luna. Just don't be throwing that ball around the throne room anymore, okay? I'm sure that I'm not the only one who's tripped over it!"
Luna immediately remembered one such incident involving a castle unicorn guard going about his rounds when suddenly Tiberius ran down the hall after the ball and tripped the guard down the stairway. The poor stallion had to stay off his leg for two weeks, and neither his family and Celestia were very pleased. Ever since then, Luna and Tiberius's game had to be played only outside or in her room. To be honest, she'd forgotten about the ordeal until Celestia brought it up again.
"I'm sorry ,Sister, it slipped my mind, and Tiberius was bored. After all, this isn't usually a part of my responsibilities," Luna remarked.
Celestia walked towards the throne and said, "well, taking great care to put up the stars the way you used to wasn't part of mine either." Celestia sat on the throne, only to see Luna standing still, staring at her with disbelief. Celestia got off of the throne and said, "I'm sorry Sister I didn't mean anything by it, I was just..."
"Not yourself today," Luna said, shifting her eyes away from her sister.
Celestia walked over to her and said, "Luna, I'm sorry. I just blurted it out without thinking. She spoke softly. "I'm having a difficult time right now and getting my feelings back into order before I take care of the rest of my duties," she said while she began to hug her sister.
"I'm sorry too, my sister. I should not have complained like that in front of you, after all, you took care of my duties the best you could, while I was imprisoned in the moon for a millennium."
The doors swung open, and Raven entered the throne room and whipped out her clipboard. "I'm sorry to interrupt your touching chat with your sister Celestia but the next set of forms and ponies who wish to seek an audience with you are waiting patiently for your attention to these important matters." Raven levitated a clipboard and a quill, ready to resume her duties.
"Ah yes," Celestia responded. "We'll talk more if you wish my sister, it appears that I'm going to be quite busy today". Celestia flew back to her throne.
"Of course my sister" Luna nodded and walked away with Tiberius following right behind her.
When the two of them walked into the courtyard, Tiberius rode upon Luna's shoulder, chattered in her ear, and Luna said. "I agree Tiberius something is absolutely amiss with my Sister."
Author's Note
This story will be my first multi-part story and I have a lot of to cover. I Had a blast writing it, hope everypony enjoy's it.
