Seeking Harmony

by Maran

Rating: everyone
Tags: Main 6, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Princess Celestia
Length: 20960

After Celestia used the Elements of Harmony to banish Luna, the magical gems went dormant. Celestia realized that her destiny was to find new Bearers and give them as much or as little guidance as they needed. Even if it took a thousand years.

I knew there was a special group of fillies in Ponyville . . .

After Princess Celestia used the Elements of Harmony to banish Luna, the magical gems went dormant. Celestia realized that she was not destined to bear them again. Instead, her destiny was to find new Bearers and give them as much or as little guidance as they needed. Even if it took a thousand years.

Pre-read by HeroOfWinds.

Featured on Equestria Daily.

Published 2017-06-07 00:00:07 UTC
Last updated 2017-09-06 20:55:12 UTC

Chapter 1

Princess Celestia would never forget the last time she ever used the Elements of Harmony. Her own sister, the only family she had, tried to kill her. Luna – or Nightmare Moon, now – had caught Celestia off guard. In that horrible moment, all Celestia wanted was to stop Nightmare Moon and make sure she never threatened her life again. Sending her to the moon was instinctive. But after Celestia used the Elements to banish her sister, they turned gray and inert. Most bewilderingly, the Element of Magic vanished altogether, leaving behind the other five rocks.

After months of studying the Elements, Celestia saw evidence that they had gone dormant like plants during periods of stress. It was not difficult to guess what had strained them. They were used close together when they were meant to be dispersed to prevent thaumic overload. They were used by one Bearer against another, causing turmoil in both Bearers' hearts. But the reason for the sixth Element's disappearance and its ultimate fate remained a frustrating enigma.

Celestia wished that her mentor, Star Swirl the Bearded, were still alive to help her. Yet part of her was glad that he had not witnessed the rift between herself and her sister. In retrospect, Celestia wished she had seen the warning signs that Luna was growing discontented and jealous. She would have tried to make Luna see that the ponies did appreciate her night and everything she did to guard their dreams. That was one of the worst things about having to banish Nightmare Moon. Celestia could raise and lower the moon, but dream magic was unique to her sister. Without her, the ponies and other species were disturbed by wild nightmares. Celestia herself had terrible dreams that she could do nothing to stop.

It was partly for this reason that many mages and scholars attempted to recover the missing Element. Clover the Clever herself, in her advanced age, theorized that concentrated forms of Honesty, Loyalty, Laughter, Kindness, and Generosity would reactivate the surviving Elements, creating a spark that would summon the Element of Magic. These concentrated forms would require five different ponies who each exemplified one Element. Celestia had always been most closely aligned with Magic, Kindness, and Generosity, so she alone could not test Clover's theory.

Heartsick, Celestia decided to leave the castle she had shared with Luna and build a new palace on the Matterhorn Mountain. She sealed the books in the royal library and let the Everfree reclaim the building. The five dull Elements sat on a pedestal within the edifice, useless without the Element of Magic.

Even after everything that happened, though, Celestia did not regret imprisoning Luna inside the moon. After all, Luna had declared herself to be Nightmare Moon, a different pony from the sister she'd grown up with. More importantly, Celestia was convinced that if she hadn't used the Elements to defend herself, Nightmare would have killed her. Yet Celestia didn't want her sister's punishment to be permanent. She missed her dearly and hoped to get the old Luna back, the Luna who was happy, honest, and loyal. If she still had all six Elements, Celestia would have used them to free her sister after a few years, or at least speak to her and find out if she had come to her senses.

There was one discovery that made Celestia optimistic about her sister's future. A few decades after Nightmare's attempted coup, an astronomer named Sky Gazer studied the movements of the stars and accurately charted their paths. According to his calculations, in the thousandth year of Nightmare's banishment, on the Summer Solstice, four stars would move so close to the moon that they would almost touch. The power radiating from these stars would free Nightmare Moon from her prison. Sky Gazer was renowned for his advancements in astronomy, so Celestia had no reason to doubt him.

She had conflicted feelings about her sister's eventual escape. It was a relief to know that Luna's banishment wouldn't last forever. If Celestia could never speak to her sister again – if no one could ever contact Luna again – she might as well be dead. But a thousand years was still a long time, even for an alicorn. Celestia didn't want to wait that long to be reunited with her sister. Still, that should give Nightmare plenty of time to change her ways. But what if she didn't? What if, after all that time, Nightmare Moon came down Tartarus-bent on finishing what she started? Nightmare's magic would be bolstered by the stars. Without the Elements, Celestia doubted she could overpower her. Celestia feared not just for her own life, but the lives of her ponies and every other being in Equestria. If Nightmare Moon succeeded in making the night last forever, the world would grow colder and colder. Without sunlight and warmth, the plants would perish first, and then the very young and very old creatures. The sapient beings who didn't freeze to death might hold on for awhile, but eventually their food stores would run out. Only the dragons would have any hope of surviving long term.

Celestia worried about all of this, but as the years passed, she spoke of the threat less and less. There was no point in troubling her ponies when they had already done all they could to help. Eventually most of the ponies forgot that their princess had ever ruled alongside her sister, and Nightmare Moon was known only as a strange pattern of craters in the moon, and an old pony's tale to scare foals. She was said to gobble up foals, which was as silly as the story about Chancellor Puddinghead bringing presents to all the children in the world in a single night. Yet Celestia let her ponies believe their lies. She remembered the truth so they didn't have to.

Once in a while over the centuries, Celestia met a pony who seemed to embody one of Elements of Harmony. Unfortunately, she never found more than four such ponies living at the same time. Sometimes Celestia worried that the perfect Bearers had passed away without her ever knowing it.

Centuries passed, and society settled into a new normal. Celestia took up an interest in education, encouraging innovations in magic and practical technology. She was a judge every year at both the Best Young Fliers' Competition and the Royal Growers' Fair. And she went as far as teaching a weekly class at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns.

As an alicorn and the ruler of Equestria, Celestia represented all ponies, whether they had horns, wings, or greater muscle mass. But the School for Gifted Unicorns happened to be located closest to the royal castle, so it was an easy commute. And it hadn't been Celestia's idea to name the school after herself. The founder of the school had been one of Celestia's proteges, and he had decided to name it in her honor. Happily, tribal tensions had eased since the tribes united, so Celestia heard few complaints about tribal bias.

There was one student at the School for Gifted Unicorns who showed a great deal of promise as an Element Bearer. Sunset Shimmer was intelligent, one might even say cunning. She had more drive and ambition than anypony Celestia had known in decades. And so Celestia took her under her wing as her latest protege. Eventually, Celestia shared the story about her sister becoming Nightmare Moon and having to use the Elements of Harmony against Luna, and how they had deactivated. Celestia had not disclosed this information to anypony since the time of Sky Gazer.

Sunset asked why she couldn't reactivate all of the Elements herself and use them. Celestia explained Clover the Clever's theory about each Element needing a pure, distinct Bearer of its virtue to awaken it.

“Couldn't you at least let me try?” asked Sunset, a bit stubbornly. “If anypony could do it, I could!”

Celestia raised her eyebrows. She had not expected her student to immediately want to awaken all the Elements.

“I suppose I could let you try to activate them, when you're ready and I can arrange transportation,” said Celestia.

“What do you mean, arrange transportation? Couldn't you just teleport us there?”

“It is too far to teleport easily. I would need to spend time recharging my thauma after I arrived.”

Sunset swished her tail. “Well, fine, then arrange the trip as soon as you can. I want to wield these Elements.”

“Do not get your hopes up too high,” cautioned Celestia. “I'm not trying to discourage you, but I believe it's unlikely that you will be able to wield them without the help of other ponies. Even I could not–”

“Just because you couldn't doesn't mean I couldn't!”

Celestia shook her head. “I do not think you are ready yet. To tell you the truth, your words have shown me that you are less ready than I thought you were.”

Sunset left in a huff. She returned for her next lesson, but became more bitter and manipulative, trying over and over to convince Celestia to tell her where the Elements were. A few months later, Celestia showed Sunset the magic mirror portal. She intended to use it as a way to teach her humility and patience. Instead, Sunset declared that she was through with her lessons and that she wished Celestia had never taken her on as her special student. Then she jumped through the portal. Celestia did not follow her. She did not want to risk either upsetting the balance of the alternate world or getting trapped there. Hopefully, Sunset would return and decide that she was ready to learn from Celestia again.

In the mean time, Celestia went back to teaching regular weekly classes at the School for Gifted Unicorns.

On her way to teach class one day, there was a giant explosion in the sky over Canterlot, with every color of the rainbow bursting out. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the school roof was damaged when a dragon's head broke through it.

Celestia gaped at the purple dragon head poking out through the shingles, tendrils of fuchsia magic streaking out around him. At her age, it took a lot to surprise her, but that was something else. She galloped into the school and found the exam tower in a state of chaos that would have made Discord laugh with glee. The dragon sat in the middle of the floor, his head breaking through the ceiling. The four teachers floated in a magenta glow, while a lavender filly floated above the tiles, her horn alight and her eyes emitting an ethereal light. Wild pink thauma shot out every which way from her body.

Celestia recognized her as the filly whom her niece foalsat: one Twilight Sparkle. She walked over to her and put her hoof on the child's back. Twilight turned her head toward her, her mouth contorted in a painful grimace. Then she relaxed, her thauma dimming as she sank back onto her hooves. Her aura quickly released the teachers, who fell to the stands. A cactus and a swordleaf plant turned into the filly's father and mother, respectively. Oh, dear, that had to be an unpleasant experience.

Lastly, the dragon shrank, changing into a hatchling who stuck his tail in his mouth. Celestia glanced at him before turning her attention to the little unicorn. She told Twilight that she had incredible raw power for a unicorn her age, and asked her if she would like to learn how to tame and control it as her protege.

Twilight shouted and jumped up in exhilaration.

And that was when Celestia saw something that she'd given up hope of ever seeing again.

Twilight's flank had been bare, but suddenly it held the very image of the Element of Magic. It was a deep pink six-pointed star with five smaller white stars around it. Celestia couldn't have asked for a clearer sign that Twilight Sparkle was destined to call back the missing Element. Grinning wide, Celestia barely contained a joyful squeal. Instead, she merely pointed at the mark.

Twilight beamed. “My cutie mark! Yes yes yes yes yes!” She bounced around in a happy dance all around Celestia.

Using her telekinesis, Celestia lifted the dragon whelp. “You hatched the dragon. What are you going to name him?”

Twilight stopped. “Me?” She stared at him for a moment. “He looks like a Spike.”

It wasn't a terribly original name, but the girl was only six. She could hardly be expected to think of something deep and meaningful on the spot.

“Spike the Dragon it is,” said Celestia.

Glancing from her parents to Celestia, Twilight asked, “Does this mean I get to keep him?”

Her parents shared nervous looks.

“I think it would be best if I take care of him, at least until he's more mature,” Celestia answered graciously. “But you can see him whenever we have our lessons.” She floated Spike toward her body and held him with her foreleg. He curled up against her, resting his head on her barrel.

So it was that Celestia gained a new family member, a new pupil, and a chance to finally recover the Element of Magic. It was almost as if the Element had decided to return at just the right time. According to Sky Gazer's calculations, Luna would escape from the moon in twelve years. Celestia should have enough time to restore the Elements and prepare for her sister's return, should Luna decide to bring about eternal night.

Little Spike slept through that first night. He slept quite a lot, even for a baby. Celestia decided she had better research dragons if she wanted to raise one. She considered Spike family – not her child, but more like her nephew, just as Cadence had become her niece.

Celestia checked her library, but all of the volumes on dragons were depressingly slim. She figured she should do her best with what scant information she had, and she did know that adult dragons could sleep for decades at a time, so it made sense that whelps would spend long periods of time sleeping, too. And Spike seemed content and healthy whenever he was awake. He would eat almost anything, which caused some irritation, such as the time he ate one of her favorite teacups.

There were other concerns besides looking after a baby dragon and planning her new student's lessons, however. If Clover the Clever was correct, the five dormant Elements would require ponies who perfectly resonated with each of the Elements. Celestia had been unable to find such equines after centuries of trying. But finally, she had found a key. Twilight's thaumic surge had happened after the poly-chromatic boom had resounded across the sky. Whomever had made that boom was an ideal candidate for an Element Bearer.

And so two days after the incident, when things had settled down a bit, Celestia asked one of her pegasus advisers if he knew who had created the explosion in the sky.

The adviser told her that some pegasus foals had raced each other, and one of the foals had flown faster than the speed of sound.

“Magi-physicists have theorized about the possibility of a sonic boom for years, but nopony ever broke the sonic barrier until now,” said the adviser, his tail swishing in excitement.

Celestia was somewhat familiar with the concept: any moving object generated sound waves in circles that traveled faster than the object. The waves bunched closer together in front of a moving object, creating a higher-pitched sound as the object approached an observer, and a lower pitch as it retreated. In theory, if an object moved faster than the speed of sound, the sound waves would combine together so that at first an observer would hear silence, and then a loud noise.

A related hypothesis stated that if a pegasus broke the sound barrier, his or her contrail would burst outward in either a ring or a sphere. Apparently the ring model was correct.

“That makes a great deal of sense,” said Celestia. “It's amazing that a foal flew faster than any adult! How old is this foal?”

“The foal was from the Cloudsdale Flight Camp for ages six to eight,” answered the adviser. “Based on what my ponies have told me, two different foals claim to have caused the sonic poly-chromatic boom, but nopony has been able to confirm which of them did it. The camp counselors have more important things to worry about right now. It seems a foal went missing around the same time the sonic boom occurred.”

“Oh, dear!” Celestia raised her front hoof to her muzzle. “The poor foal! Did this have any connection to the sonic boom?”

“I believe the missing foal was last seen watching the other foals race,” answered the adviser.

“We must do what we can to help find this foal.”

The adviser blinked in surprise. Then his eyes opened wider in apparent understanding.

“You want to find out the identity of the foal who broke the sound barrier, your highness.”

He was so certain that she had an ulterior motive for wanting to find the missing foal. The adviser was technically correct, but Celestia was still somewhat disappointed that he assumed she didn't want to find the foal purely out of the goodness of her heart. Celestia cared about all of her ponies, of course, but she usually let them manage their own problems. If a crisis became great enough to endanger the well-being of Equestria, then she would intervene. But in most cases, she trusted that her ponies had become powerful and resourceful enough to resolve issues on their own.

She kept these thoughts to herself, however. “Yes, I do. Contact the mayor of Cloudsdale and tell him the Wonderbolts are on the way to help with the search.”

Even in the rare instances Celestia took a special interest in a pony's problems, she still often delegated.

And so the Wonderbolts were dispatched to search for the foal and found her four hours later. She was in the woodlands below Cloudsdale (not, thank goodness, the Everfree Forest), which was currently to the southwest of Canterlot. The filly had been on her own in the middle of nowhere for almost 72 hours.

After the child had been reunited with her family, Celestia decided that this would be a good excuse to visit Cloudsdale and see this filly for herself – and she also hoped to see the foal who had broken the sound barrier. So she sent word ahead to the mayor of Cloudsdale, and headed straight for the city in the clouds, taking four of her pegasus guards with her. However, when the mayor and some of the Wonderbolts met her on the landing pad, they had disappointing news.

The mayor dipped in a respectful bow. “I apologize, Princess Celestia. I tried to send a message back to you, only you'd already left. The lost filly's family refuses to meet with us.” He snorted quietly. “Believe me, I would've loved the photo op, but there's nothing I can do about it.”

“Ah, I'm sorry to hear that. But since I am here, perhaps I could meet some of the other foals from flight camp,” Celestia said nonchalantly.

“I'm sure the other foals would love to see you,” said the mayor. “All the foals came home from camp yesterday, so it may take a few hours to round up all of them.”

“That's quite all right, Mr. Mayor,” said Celestia with an easy smile. “I can wait. In the mean time, I would like to speak with the Wonderbolts who found the missing foal.”

The Wonderbolt captain stepped forward. “That would be Cadet Spitfire and Cadet Fleetfoot, your highness.” He nodded curtly to two young mares, each with the permanently windblown manes characteristic of Wonderbolts. They bowed and rose in smart military fashion.

“Good work, soldiers,” said Celestia. “Tell me what happened when you found the filly.”

“Thank you, ma'am – uh, your highness,” stammered the yellow and orange one – Spitfire, if Celestia knew how ponies' names worked, which she did. “Well, your highness, all of us fanned out over the woods below the city to search for the filly. We knew from our briefing that she was eight years old, yellow with a pink mane and tail, and couldn't fly well for her age. So I suggested we walk because the filly would probably be walking too, if she survived the landing.”

“The captain liked the idea, tho he ordered uth to pair up with one pony flying and the other walking,” added Fleetfoot. Her speech impediment made her a bit hard to take seriously, but Celestia did her best. “I walked through the woodth, and pretty soon I found yellow featherth. Then I thaw a whole lot of animals, even for the woodth. And then I thaw a big, thick tree that was half hollow at the bottom. There wath a pink tail thticking out of it.”

“Fleetfoot called me down to come look,” said Spitfire, taking up the tale again with more confidence. “So I landed next to the tree, and all the animals scattered. And then I saw the filly curled up inside the tree. She was so skinny and her mane and tail were tangled and her wing feathers were fluffed, which is not a good sign, but I'm sure you know that. But amazingly, the doctor who saw her said that she was just a little dehydrated and had a few scratches. I guess she landed all right, but she couldn't gain enough height to fly back up to Cloudsdale.” She shrugged. “But that's just a guess. She wouldn't talk to me. She wouldn't talk to anypony until she saw her parents.”

“Oh thank you thank you thank you for bringing back Fluttershy!”

Spitfire turned her head to stare in surprise at the little rainbow streak that zoomed up to her.

Celestia gazed at the cyan filly with the rainbow mane and tail, and the cutie mark of a tri-colored lightning bolt shooting out of a white cloud. And a feeling of certainty settled in Celestia's gut. She knew that not only did this child break the sound barrier, but she was also a future Element Bearer. Celestia did not yet know which Element she would bear – she didn't assume that every Bearer would have a gem-shaped cutie mark since Celestia herself didn't have one that matched an Element. The filly had colors that could fit either Loyalty or Generosity – or, if they were lightened a shade, Laughter or Honesty. However, it hardly mattered. Once Celestia found the other Bearers, she would figure it out by process of elimination if nothing else.

“I got here as fast as I could! I heard the whole story! I didn't think the Wonderbolts could get any more awesome,” the girl gushed, buzzing around Spitfire and Fleetfoot, “but you did! You saved my best friend!”

Spitfire smiled. “Just doing our duty. What's your name, kid?”

“Rainbow Dash. You know the rainboom everypony's talking about? That was me.” She held her hoof to her chest.

Celestia couldn't resist grinning and raising her eyebrows ever so slightly. “The rainboom?”

Rainbow swiveled her head to gaze at Celestia, her eyes widening. “Oh, Princess Celestia!” She attempted a clumsy bow while still flying, which entirely missed the point of bowing, but Celestia let it slide. “I'm sorry, I was so excited seeing the Wonderbolts, I didn't notice you.”

“Think nothing of it, Rainbow Dash. I draw so much attention wherever I go, so sometimes it's nice not to be noticed,” said Celestia.

Rainbow looked dubious. “If you say so, Princess.”

The Wonderbolt captain flew over to Rainbow. “So you're the foal who broke the sound barrier. Can you prove it?” he asked.

“Oh, um . . .” Rainbow lost some of her bravado. “Now?”

The captain shrugged. “We can give you a chance to warm up first.”

Rainbow's ears flicked. “Sure. Right here and now. With all the Wonderbolts and the princess and the mayor watching. No sweat.”

Celestia knew that pegasus magic worked a bit differently than that of the other tribes. Confidence was key. Without her confidence, Rainbow would not be able to recreate her rainboom.

“Perhaps it would be better if you wait until the Best Young Fliers' Competition in a couple of months,” suggested Celestia. “I'm sure you'll be more than ready to wow everypony then.”

“The Best Young Fliers' Competition?” Rainbow tilted her head. “Don't you have to be, like, sixteen to compete?”

Celestia smiled. “I'm sure I can pull a few strings.”

“Really?” her eyes widened. “Um, well, you really don't have to do that. I'll just wait like everypony else. I wouldn't want to make the other ponies look too bad, losing to a much younger pony, you know?” She let out a nervous laugh.

“That is very considerate of you,” Celestia said evenly. “If you should change your mind in the future, just let me know and I'll see if I can get the age lowered.”

Rainbow gulped. “Sure. You got it, Princess.”

Author's Note

Like many fans before the S5 finale aired, Celestia reasonably assumed that eternal night would be apocalyptic. She didn't expect that the temperature and plant growth would magically stay at livable levels.

I'm going to assume that filly Spitfire in the flashback from “Parental Glideance” was mere fanservice. It seems very unlikely that she's as young as Dash, and that they frequently competed against each other. I can only stretch canon so much to make it fit itself.

Chapter 2

As she flew back from Cloudsdale, Celestia reflected on what she had seen and heard. She'd found two Element Bearers within three days, and possibly a third, if she could ever think of a reason to meet this Fluttershy that wouldn't raise questions. That Fluttershy was Rainbow Dash's best friend was a good sign, and Celestia could tell just by listening to the Wonderbolts' account that Fluttershy was a strong little filly, to have survived on her own for three days. But apparently the ordeal had traumatized her, understandably so. Celestia was patient, however. She had already waited almost a millennium, and she hoped that she would see both fillies at the Best Young Fliers' Competition.

In the mean time, she had other youngsters to attend to.

“Hello, Cadence. Did you have any trouble with Spike while I was gone?”

“Oh, he wasn't much trouble, Auntie,” answered Cadence, floating Spike in her aura. “But I wish you would've warned me that he was starting to roll over. Last night I set him on his blanket on the floor and turned my back for ten seconds and when I looked back at him he was taking a bite out of the door! He'd gone at least eight feet by himself.”

“Oh, my!” Celestia chuckled. “I didn't know he could roll that fast! He'll be as mobile as a newborn foal before long, and then we'll really have to keep a close eye on him.”

“Don't I know it! I like this, though. Watching Spike and Twilight makes me feel like I'm finally an adult.” She smiled. “Speaking of Twilight, when are you going to have your first one-on-one lesson with her?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

“Oh, how exciting! What are you going to teach her?” She leaned toward Celestia and whispered, “I think you should start with a lesson about Star Swirl the Bearded. She's a huge Star Swirl nerd.”

Celestia grinned. “Thank you for the suggestion, Cadence. I think I'll do that.”

And so the next morning, Celestia went to the School for Gifted Unicorns, taking Spike with her in the basket he slept in. She entered the classroom she'd reserved for her lessons with Twilight. As soon as she set Spike on her desk and began laying out the books she would use, a quiet knock sounded on the door.

“Come in,” she called cheerfully.

Twilight opened the door, a nervous smile on her face.

“Good morning Twilight. I've brought Spike to sit in on our lesson today. Would you like to hold him?”

Twilight cantered over to the basket and peered inside. Her anxious smile relaxed into a sincere grin as she waved to him. He squealed just as all sapient babies did when they were excited. Twilight touched his shoulder with her hoof.

“Use your unicorn magic to hold him,” said Celestia.

Narrowing her violet eyes in concentration, Twilight lit her horn and projected her thauma around Spike. Slowly, she floated him up from the basket, moving him in a wide circle around the room. Spike's eyes widened in surprise for two seconds. Then he giggled, waving his arms and legs.

“Very good, Twilight,” said Celestia, as her student lowered Spike back into his basket. “Control is more important than power. Now, I'd like you to start reading this book.” Celestia lit the book with her aura, but before she floated it, Twilight shouted with excitement.

“Is that a book about Star Swirl the Bearded!?” It was the first time Twilight had spoken since entering the classroom.

Twilight's magenta magic overtook Celestia's gold as she raised the book to look at the cover. “It is! Star Swirl the Bearded is my favorite pony in all of history! He invented so many amazing spells! I'm so glad you asked me to read this!”

Celestia laughed. Twilight's reaction was far better than Celestia had anticipated.

And so Celestia taught Twilight about Star Swirl, revealing that he had been her mentor. Twilight responded with enthusiasm – “mind-blowing” was the term she used. However, Celestia was careful to avoid any mention of Luna, which left more than a few holes in her retelling. Of course she would have to tell Twilight about Luna and her downfall at some point. But after what happened with Sunset, Celestia was cautious about revealing too much about her past or her plans for her student. Besides, she wanted Twilight to enjoy her innocence for a while longer.

Celestia had many more lessons with Twilight and Spike. She loved watching both of them grow and mature. However, she also kept Rainbow Dash in the back of her mind. Even though she did not receive word from Rainbow about entering the Best Young Fliers' Competition, Celestia went ahead and asked the competition coordinator about lowering the age limit. The coordinator liked the idea and longed to see the rainboom herself, so she agreed to hold a qualifying round that would be open to any pegasus under the age of sixteen. Any foal who completed the track in the qualified time could compete in the main event with the older fillies and colts.

And so at the end of summer, Celestia came to Cloudsdale to serve on the judges' panel, as she had every year for the past four centuries. Unfortunately, she did not see the multicolored filly. Rainbow Dash was not even in the crowd. Celestia could only guess that Rainbow did not feel confident enough to perform at a competitive level. Perhaps she had stage fright. Even though Celestia wanted to see Rainbow again, she didn't want to intrude into her life yet. Experience had taught her that ponies could usually find their own paths and purposes when left to their own devices.

She did keep her eye out for other foals who could be Bearers. There were a couple of fillies among the spectators who almost fit Fluttershy's description, but they looked a bit younger than eight. Besides, Celestia had a feeling she would know Fluttershy when she saw her.

When Celestia returned to teach her regular class at the School for Gifted Unicorns, she carefully observed the first year students. Moon Dancer was very bright but aloof. Lemon Hearts was charming but accident prone. Most of the other foals seemed perfectly average. The only student who stood out as a possible Bearer was Minuette. The filly had a bubbly, infectious laugh, and she often smoothed awkward moments with a light, witty comment. Her sky blue coat was very close to the color of the Element of Laughter. However, for whatever reason, Celestia did not feel the same certainty that she sensed with Twilight or Rainbow.

A month later, she found out why.

She was at the 500th Annual Royal Growers' Fair, located in a field exactly halfway between Manehattan and Fillydelphia. The fair gave earth pony farmers and botanists an opportunity to network with each other and submit the literal fruits of their labors to a panel of judges to determine who was the best in their field.

The event was more magical than it appeared to the casual observer. Whereas unicorn magic activated via visualization and willpower, and pegasus magic functioned through confidence and instinct, earth pony magic worked with the ebb and flow of the earth's energies. With thousands of earth ponies gathered in the same place, they had to be cautious about where they directed their thauma to avoid accidentally influencing other ponies' crops. A carelessly aimed energy siphon could wither a prize begonia, or make lettuce grow undesirable flowers.

Celestia sensed the silent thaumic swirls and eddies as she browsed the booths, pausing at a table piled with small, green fruits. Celestia picked up a fruit and saw that it had a prominent seam that divided it in half.

“This fruit looks familiar, but I can't identify it,” she said to anypony who would listen.

“That's what almonds look like before they are peeled and roasted, your highness!” said the enthusiastic mare on the other side of the table. “You see, the almonds that we eat are not nuts, but the pits of these fruit!” She gestured toward another pile, this one consisting of almonds in their familiar tan pitted hulls.

“That is fascinating. I am more than a thousand years old and I learned something today.”

The mare waved her foreleg dismissively. “You probably heard it somewhere and just forgot. I'll bet you've forgotten more knowledge than I've learned in my lifetime!”

That was probably true. As Celestia set down the almond fruit, something shiny caught her eye.

She pointed her hoof at the almond-sized white quartz. “It looks like a stray mineral got into your pits,” she observed.

“That's strange,” said the mare. “I'm sure it wasn't there a few seconds ago.”

From somewhere near the ground came a high-pitched giggle. “How'd that get there? Silly rock!”

Celestia looked down. Standing next to the table was a pink filly who seemed no older than Twilight, although perhaps she merely looked a bit young for her age. She gazed up at Celestia, her eyes glittering like the Element of Laughter. Her coat was the same pink as the Element of Kindness, and on her flank were three balloons: two that matched her eye color, and one the color of the sun.

And whereas other earth ponies acted as magical pumps, this small earth filly was a gravity well that drew the energies downhill, to extend the water metaphor.

She was certainly a special little pony. Celestia knew in her heart that she had found another Element Bearer.

“It's not supposed to be with the almonds,” said the filly, waving her foreleg with a cheeky grin. “It's supposed to be with the other rocks at the Pie Rock Farm booth! So if you like this rock, Princess, you should follow me and see all of its friends!” She sprang up and down in place.

The mare at the almond booth lowered her eyebrows. “Maybe the princess would like to finish hearing about my almonds first.” A smile returned to her face, less sincere than before. “These are the sweetest, most nutritious almonds in all of Equestria.”

“You had me at sweetest!” shouted the filly. “I'll take twenty pounds!”

“Oh!” The mare blinked, looking disarmed. “All right, dear. They're at wholesale price here, so they're only five bits a pound.”

The girl reached up into her wild mane and pulled out three bits. “Aw. I can only buy half a pound.”

“I'll buy a pound for us to share,” said Celestia.

The filly's eyes grew enormous. “Really!? Best day ever!”

As she weighed the almonds, the mare said, “Thank you, Princess. Please come again!”

“Yes, thank you, Princess!” said the filly as she reached into the bag of almonds. “I can't believe I'm sharing almonds with the Princess of Equestria!” She shoved the seeds into her mouth. “She was right, these are sweet!” The child yelled, spraying bits of food. “Not as sweet as the apricots I ate for breakfast, but really, what is? Now, to the Pie Rock Farm booth!” She pointed in the direction of the mineral quadrant of the fairgrounds.

Celestia smiled down at her as they walked. “Miss Pie, is it?”

She nodded. “Pinkie Pie. You are going to love our rocks. We have a bumper crop this year! I even helped culti- culti- well, my big sisters made most of them grow,” she said with less excitement. “I can't push any of my energy into the rocks yet.” Then her grin widened. “Oh! There they are!” She waved. “Hi Mom and Dad! Hi girls! Look who I found! Do you see!?” She pointed, as if Celestia did not stand out like a beacon with her height and shimmering mane and tail.

Pinkie Pie's mother and father gaped up at her with enormous eyes. Three fillies – no doubt the sisters Pinkie Pie had mentioned – stood next to the booth, and each sister wore a different expression. The smallest was terrified, the middle one was almost bored, and tallest was bewildered with a hint of annoyance.

“She actually did it?” asked the tallest filly. “I thought she was just blowing sunshine up our rear ends when she said she was going to find Princess Celestia and bring her here.”

Her father scowled at her. “Language, Limestone! Thou art in the presence of the Princess of the Sun!” Then he took off his hat and bowed. “Thou doth honor us with thy presence, Princess Celestia. I am called Igneous Rock Pie, and this is my wife, Cloudy Quartz Pie. Wouldst thou care to view our array of minerals?”

Rock farmers tended to be even more traditional then agricultural farmers, so Celestia was not at all surprised that his speech was more old-fashioned than a crystal pony. It was actually a bit unexpected that the daughters seemed willing to blend in with mainstream society.

“Yes, please. I happen to have a baby dragon, and he needs more variety in his diet so he'll stop eating teacups and doors.” She hoped.

Cloudy Quartz put her hoof to her cheek. “Forgive me, Princess Celestia, but would not a dragon pose a threat to the ponies that dwell within the royal castle?” Despite her words of caution, she spoke in a soothing tone that would've been perfect for reading a bedtime story.

“It's all right, Mrs. Pie. I did say 'baby' dragon. He's only the size of a three month-old foal, in fact. I'm going to raise him to respect Equestrian values.”

“Oh.” The mare nodded in approval. “Thou art wise, Princess. Mayhap thy dragon whelp wouldst partake of our quartz and feldspar.”

“They look wonderful. I'd like for him to have a wide variety of minerals. I also want the stones to be little, so I can teach him to take small bites without having to break up the rocks myself.” Or without making one of her poor servants do it.

“As you wish, Princess.”

Celestia bought ten pounds of the choicest pebbles in Equestria, splurging on some of the rarer ones like amethyst, citrine, and agate.

“You sure you don't want more rocks, Princess?” asked Pinkie Pie. “A growing dragon needs to eat more rocks than that!” she declared as if she were the expert on dragons. “I'll even help you carry it to your carriage!” She frowned for a second before pointing to her bored-looking sister. “Actually, Maud will. She's stronger than I am.”

Maud gave a little wave, her expression unchanging. “It's true.”

“Hey!” Limestone whipped her head around to glare at Pinkie. “What am I, invisible?”

“Of course not, silly!” said Pinkie Pie. “You're just not as strong as Maud!”

“Also true,” said Maud.

Limestone walked closer to Pinkie and hissed, “Just because Maud is your favorite sister does not mean she's the strongest.”

Pinkie's pupils shrank. “I never said Maud was my favorite!”

“You didn't have to!”

Everypony could feel the tension mounting between the sisters. It would be best to steer the conversation back to business.

“Thank you for the offer, all of you, but I would prefer to buy a smaller bag for now. After I figure out what my . . .” Celestia paused, realizing that she had never actually called Spike her “nephew” out loud, and she wasn't sure if she wanted the first time to be here with this eccentric family.

“Your dragon?” Pinkie suggested helpfully.

“Yes, my dragon. After I figure out what he likes, I'll order more of those kinds of minerals from your farm. I'll keep in touch.”

Limestone's eyes suddenly widened. “Business card!” She grabbed one off the table and held it up toward Celestia. “Here's where to find us when we're not at the Grower's Fair, Princess.”

Celestia took the card and the bag of pebbles in her telekinesis. “Thank you, Limestone Pie. I'm very glad to have met you all.” But she was staring at Pinkie Pie when she said the last sentence.

Author's Note

Early dragon development in my headcanon is much closer to humans than ponies, but dragons reach developmental milestones more quickly than humans, and they can eat virtually anything as soon as they hatch. Another difference is that they sleep all through the night, since they are not mammals and thus have adapted to their parents not being able to find food in the dark.

Chapter 3

Celestia had instantly known three Element Bearers from the moment she saw them. Or, she realized after some reflection, when she saw their cutie marks. Three times was enough repetition to be a pattern. This meant that Celestia could rule out the students who already had marks at the School for Gifted Unicorns, including Minuette with her hourglass.

However, she still thought that it would be good for Twilight to have friends at her school. The filly would constantly bury her nose in her book, even in during recess.

“You should spend time talking with your classmates, Twilight,” said Celestia during one of their lessons in their reserved classroom. “Your books will always be there for you, but your classmates may move on before you ever get a chance to know them.”

“I do talk to the other foals,” said Twilight. “I talked to a filly yesterday.”

Celestia's heart lifted. “That's good. Who did you talk to?”

“Moon Dancer.” Her pupil fell silent as she read more of her copy of Multitasking with Telekinesis.

“Well,” Celestia prodded, “What did you talk about?”

“I asked her if I could borrow one of her quills, and she said yes.”

“Is that it?” asked Celestia, her heart sinking.

“I think that's it since yesterday.”

“You should try playing with Moon Dancer at recess tomorrow.”

“I don't really need to play with anypony.” Twilight turned a page. “I can slide and swing on my own.”

“It might be more fun with other another pony,” suggested Celestia.

“I guess. To be honest, I feel nervous talking with the other foals.”

Celestia craned her long neck down to her pupil's level. “You're not nervous talking with me.”

“Not anymore, but it took me a few weeks to get used to talking with you. The day before our first lesson, I was so anxious that I couldn't eat or sleep.” Her student's ears flattened. “It's hard. I guess I'm just not a 'pony' pony.”

Celestia draped her wing over Twilight's back. “It's harder for some ponies than others to make friends, but it's worth the effort.”

After that discussion, her protege gradually started to converse with her classmates more often, and even sometimes participated in games at recess. But she did not visit with the other students after school hours, and she turned down party invitations.

A year passed and Celestia discovered no new Bearers. Disappointingly, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were again absent from the Best Young Fliers' Competition. Celestia wondered if it would help if she sent Rainbow an encouraging letter. She made up her mind to write her two months before the following year's competition.

She did, however, send a personal note to the Pie family along with her regular order of rocks. It was a polite inquiry about how the family was getting along. Igneous Pie mailed a reply that his daughters were doing quite well. Three of them had their marks, and his second youngest, Pinkie Pie, had become apprenticed to a couple of bakers in Ponyville. He wrote that although she hadn't stayed in the family business like they'd hoped, he and Mrs. Pie were nevertheless proud of Pinkie for starting a job at such a young age.

The letter reminded Celestia of Ponyville's importance. Although it was a small town, it was steadily growing. More critically, it sat on the border of the Everfree Forest, which unbeknownst to the citizens contained not only the five dormant Elements, but also the Tree of Harmony whence they came. Ever since the city was founded, Celestia tried to visit every decade or so just to check on it and the nearby Elements. Something told her that if she went to Ponyville to see Pinkie Pie, she would not regret it. Celestia hoped that the other Bearers might be drawn to the town just as she was.

She needed an official reason to travel to Ponyville so nopony would question her motives. Fortunately, an explanation presented itself in the new railroad tracks from Ponyville to Manehattan. Since the city was close to Canterlot but not halfway up the tallest mountain in the country, Ponyville was an ideal travel hub for Equestria.

Celestia wrote to the mayor that she would love to come celebrate the completion of this railway.

Then she informed Twilight of her trip and asked if she would like to accompany her.

“The trip is next Saturday?” asked Twilight. “I'm sorry, Princess, but I can't come. That's Shining Armor's birthday. We're going to that Dark Age themed restaurant. Spike can stay with us while you're gone, if you want. I think my parents are starting to get used to him. We'll take good care of him.”

As if his name were a cue, Spike stood on tiptoe and reached for a flask on one of the desks.

“Spike, no no,” cautioned Celestia.

“Uh oh,” he said before knocking the flask to the floor, where it shattered in hundreds of pieces.

Twilight sighed and picked up the shards using her thauma. “Spike, you could've been cut if you didn't have those tough scales!” She floated the glass fragments into the trash can, exhibiting fine control for a unicorn her age. “Besides, you're supposed to say 'uh oh' after you break something.”

“Uh oh. No no, Sike,” said the toddler.

Celestia smiled. “I'm sure Spike will be in capable hooves with you watching him – with your parents' help, of course. I wish you could come with me, dear, but I can't tell the mayor to reschedule the celebration on such short notice.”

“Oh, I don't expect her to reschedule it just for me, or my brother. I'll just have to try to go with you on your next trip.”

“I would like that very much.”

Celestia arrived in Ponyville by a carriage drawn by pegasus guards. She met the mayor first, as was protocol whenever she came to any city. Then she had two hours of unscheduled time to herself before the ribbon-cutting ceremony and party. And so she began to make her way to the bakery.

It was a crisp autumn day – a bit nippy but still pleasant – and ponies trotted up and down the quaint dirt streets, making way for her and bowing when they saw her. It brightened Celestia's spirits to see a blend of earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi, and even a donkey. This town truly did represent a cross-section of Equestria.

As Celestia began to turn a corner, she saw a unicorn mare with two fillies walking out of a store. One filly was a tiny yearling who took short steps on her toddler legs. But it was the older filly who captured Celestia's attention. She appeared to be a year or two older than Twilight, and her elegantly curled mane and tail were the same deep amethyst of the Element of Generosity. Her cutie mark was powder blue like the Element of Laughter. Celestia could not ignore her gut feeling that this young unicorn was a Bearer.

The filly stuck out her lower lip as she looked up at the mare. “If you don't want me to go down to the cave by myself, why don't you come with me?”

Frowning, the mare said, “Aw, c'mon Rarity, don't give me that pouty lip. Ya know darn well that your father and I aren't gonna go into any cave, not after that disaster in the Canterlot Caverns.”

Celestia blinked. She hadn't expected the filly to have a posh voice any more than she'd expected the mare to have a thick Whinnyapolis accent. The mother had drawn out “Can-ter-lot” like “Keean-ter-lot,” for example.

“But that was ages ago! Besides, nopony was hurt.”

“No, just our reputation and the Hearths Warming Stalactite. I tell ya, that thing smashed like stage prop furniture, don't ya know.”

Celestia's eyes widened. So this mare and her special somepony had broken the Hearths Warming Stalactite? Tourism in Canterlot had taken two years to fully recover, and the famous Canterlot Caverns were still closed to visitors.

However, Celestia had always believed that as long as a pony was sorry and learned his or her lesson, that pony deserved a second chance.

“Mother, in case you haven't noticed, I am not you. And the cave near us is not as special as the one in Canterlot. Still, I shall be very cautious when I hunt for gemstones. I promise I will, if only you'll let me go!”

“Go,” echoed the smaller foal, as if it were up to her.

Her mother chuckled at her younger daughter before turning her attention back to Rarity. “Well, I suppose if you can find somepony else to go with ya besides me and your father, then you can go in the cavern.”

Rarity huffed and rolled her eyes. “But I don't know anypony who will want to go with me.”

“Use that winning charm o' yours. Or bribe somepony. I don't really give a rat's patoot how ya do it.”

Celestia wondered how Igneous Pie would react if he heard that kind of language.

“Actually, that's not a bad idea,” said Rarity. “The other pony could keep some of the more valuable gems, as long as I have enough left for my outfits. I'm sure that would make it worth their time.”

At that moment, the smaller girl peeked in Celestia's direction and caught her eye. The foal smiled, pointed her hoof at her, and began ambling toward Celestia.

The mother looked up sharply. “C'mere, Sweetie Belle, we're not goin' that way.”

Celestia decided to step out from behind the corner, pretending that she hadn't been standing there, spying on them for the past couple of minutes.

“Well, hello there, little one,” she said, smiling down at the toddler before glancing up at Rarity.

Sweetie Belle's grin widened. “Yes,” she said with deliberate nod.

Rarity locked in place, her eyes the size of dragon eggs.

Her mother bowed. “Welcome to Ponyville, Princess,” she said politely.

“But,” muttered Rarity, “you weren't supposed to come here for a few more hours. I didn't have time to prepare.” Her voice grew louder as she pranced in place, clearly agitated. “I was going to wear my nicest ensemble! I didn't want to meet royalty in my birthday suit!” She lifted her foreleg to her forehead and fell backward against her mother's flank.

The mare shook her head. “Stars above! I sure hope you grow outta this melodramatic phase.”

“Says the pony who is fully clothed!” Rarity shot back.

Celestia smiled in amusement. Using her magic, she removed her crown, necklace, and shoes, floating them in a group beside her.

“Until the ceremony, consider me just another pony visiting Ponyville.”

Rarity pulled herself up straight, her pupils wide. “I must be dreaming! You would lower yourself to my level?”

“Do not think of yourself as low. You are a very special pony.” Far more special than she realized.

“Aw, you're too kind, Princess,” said the mare. “My Rarity really is somethin' else, you betcha. Her special talent is findin' and makin' the most beautiful things. Why, you shoulda seen the outfits she made for the school talent show. They were the talk o' the town.” She brushed back Rarity's forelock with her hoof.

“Mother! Not the mane!” Rarity stepped away from the mare. Then she added, “But, she's right, your highness, you are very kind. I don't even know why you're still talking with me.”

“Well . . .” Celestia couldn't tell her the truth, of course. Not yet. “Have you ever considered applying for the School for Gifted Unicorns?” she asked.

“What? I?” Rarity held her foreleg in front of her chest. “Oh, I never had any talent for the advanced spells.”

“Your gem-findin' spell is pretty spiffy, though,” said her mother.

“Yes, thank you Mother, but I can only use that spell because it goes with my special talent. You see,” she explained, looking from her mother to Celestia, “I am working through every step of the creative process, from finding the materials to finishing the fine details. I'm even working on a weaving spell, although I can't get the threads as fine as I'd like, yet, but I'll get there. I call my process TLC: Time, Love, and Couture.”

“That sounds quite promising,” said Celestia. “I look forward to seeing your creations, Rarity. But I would suggest that you at least try learning a variety of spells, even the ones that may seem difficult. You would be surprised how many unicorns suddenly discover a strong desire to teleport, but lack any experience.”

Rarity blinked in confusion. “Very well, Princess. If you say so.”

“Well, I hope to see you at the ceremony. It was a pleasure meeting you, but I must go to the bakery before my duty calls.”

“Of course, your highness,” said Rarity, bowing her head respectfully. “The pleasure was all mine!”

Celestia continued on her way, still floating her regalia by her side. It would be easier to wear it than carry it, but she delayed putting it back on, just in case Rarity wanted to talk with her again. Besides, the packed earth road felt pleasant to her bare hooves, unlike the hard, rough cobblestones of Canterlot. She quickly understood the appeal. And it was freeing to feel the breeze in her hair without her crown.

She reached the street where the bakery was located and found it lined with little mom-and-pop shops with sidewalk displays set out front. Thauma flowed erratically as ponies busied themselves with different tasks. The florist had fragrant rosebushes and petals strewn on the ground before it.

“It ain't that bad, Miss Roseluck. I can fix it up real quick-like so nopony will know the difference.”

The speaker, an earth filly about Rarity's age, stood in front of one of the shrubs. A feeling of familiarity struck Celestia, as if she had known this pony's parents or ancestors years ago . . . Or as if she had seen the color of her coat in the Element of Honesty. Not only that, but the three apples on her flank were similar to the red of the Element of Loyalty.

Celestia could scarcely believe her luck. Or was it destiny that she should discover two Bearers within thirty minutes of each other?

The girl did not notice Celestia, as she was staring at the rosebush. The reason for the strewn petals became clear. Many of the blossoms on the bush were broken, smashed, and chewed. The culprit seemed to be a tiny yellow foal with scarlet petals stuck to her face and hooves.

“I know what you're doing, Applejack. You're just trying to keep Granny Smith from finding out about this,” said the cream-colored mare with the rose cutie mark.

Granny Smith! That must have been one of the reasons this Applejack felt so familiar. Most likely she was her granddaughter, or several-greats granddaughter, given how old Mrs. Smith was.

Applejack shook her head. “That ain't it at all! I don't care if she finds out. I want her to see that I can deal with problems on my own without runnin' to her for help.”

Roseluck's expression softened. “All right, I'll give you a chance to try to make it retail quality again. But if you can't do it, either you or your granny will have to pay for it.”

“Fair enough. I'll need five minutes and some prunin' shears,” drawled the filly.

“Five minutes?” Roseluck passed her a pair of pruners. “Kid, this isn't like those bean plants you practice on at summer camp. These roses are sophisticated perennials that take time and effort to grow.”

“Okay, I get the picture.” Applejack began deadheading the damaged flowers, which took about a minute. As the blossoms landed in the dirt, the tiny foal picked them up with her hooves, tail, and mouth, holding at least eight of them altogether.

“I hope you're happy, Apple Bloom,” muttered Applejack.

Apple Bloom let out a happy coo.

Applejack placed her hoof in the soil within the pot and frowned in concentration. From her vantage point thirty feet away, Celestia perceived the transfer of energy from pony to plant. New shoots sprouted from the nodes near the tops of the stems. Buds unfurled to form leaves up the sides of the stems, with flowers at the tops. However, the leaves were a pale, sickly yellow, and the petals where salmon pink unlike the deep crimson of the original blooms.

The filly murmured something inaudible.

“You're not giving it enough nitrogen,” said Roseluck.

“I know that!” snapped Applejack before flattening her ears. “Uh, beg pardon.”

Roseluck sighed through her nose. “That's all right, Applejack. Just try to push the nitrogen up to the top.”

Applejack narrowed her eyes, her hoof still pressed into the potting mix. In a moment, the yellow leaves turned a lush green, and the petals flushed scarlet.

“Stop!” Roseluck held up her hoof. “Too much nitrogen kills the tips of the leaves.” She pointed to a brown tip on a lower leaf. “The lower part of the plant already had the right balance of nutrients. You need to distribute them evenly throughout the shrub. Still, you did better than I expected.” The mare nodded, a smile forming on her face. “This is good enough.”

“Thank you ma'am.” Applejack scooped up the foal and set her on her back. “Come on, sugar cube, best get ya home 'fore ya get into any more trouble.”

Apple Bloom blew a raspberry. Applejack finally turned away from the rosebush and began trotting down the street in Celestia's direction. She went several steps before she glanced up at Celestia and slowed to a stop.

“Princess! Have you been there the whole dang time!?”

Celestia grinned. “I was here long enough, I think. You made good use of your magic, Applejack.”

The filly bowed her head, showing respect without dislodging her sister. “So you saw all that. Well, thank you kindly, Princess, but I was just workin' with what was already there. That rosebush wanted to re-bloom, it just needed a little help.”

“That is exactly how earth pony magic works. Without magic, the bush would not have recovered.” Celestia tilted her head. “Why have I never seen you at the Annual Royal Growers' Fair? You have a talent for it.”

Applejack's cheeks turned pink. “Thank you, Princess, but y'see, the Growers' Fair falls in the middle o' cider season, which is a big seller for my family's farm, so we all gotta be here to make it.”

“I see. At least you have an excuse,” said Celestia, thinking of Rainbow Dash.

Applejack's forehead crinkled as she stared up at her. “Beg pardon Princess?”

“Never mind. Do happen to have any cider left from your last batch?”

“'Fraid not.” The filly shook her head. “Everypony here knows it has a short shelf life, and they always buy it like crazy 'fore it goes bad.”

“I have not tasted Sweet Apple Acres cider in decades. I should come to Ponyville earlier next year so I won't miss out.”

Applejack beamed. “That'd be just dandy! We'll set aside a bottle for ya.”

“That would be delightful.”

Then the filly cocked her head as her gaze traveled to Celestia's accouterments. “Don't you wanna wear your crown and all?”

“Not right now. You see I met another filly who felt uncomfortable not wearing clothes in front of me, so I took off my accessories to make her feel more at ease. And then I noticed that I liked the feel of dirt on my hooves and the wind in my hair.”

Applejack nodded in agreement. “It does feel mighty fine.”

“I will put them back on for the ceremony this evening,” added Celestia. “Will I see you there?”

“Sure, my whole family's fixin' to be there, so you'll probably see us. I gotta make sure my lil' sister gets a nap afore then, else she'll be fussy the entire time.” She reached back and patted Apple Bloom's head. “I'd better get her home pretty soon, actually, beggin' your pardon.”

“I know how that is. I'm raising a baby and he certainly fusses if he doesn't get enough sleep.”

“You have a son!?” Applejack's mouth fell open. “Well knock me over with a feather!”

“Oh, I wasn't very clear. This baby is more like my nephew.” There, she had finally said it.

The girl gave her a look of sympathy mixed with admiration. “Why, that's a real decent thing you're doin' for this baby, takin' him in when his parents can't take care o' him no more. Just like my granny with my brother and sister and me.”

“Yes,” Celestia said quietly. “It is. Thank you, Applejack. And you have my sympathies.”

“Thanks, Princess. We're gettin' along as best we can, runnin' Sweet Apple Acres the way my mom and dad wanted.”

Her steady tone implied that some time had passed since she'd lost her parents, although judging by the foal's age, it had been less than two years.

Apple Bloom leaned forward and grabbed the back of her big sister's neck, closing her eyes and snuggling into her mane.

Applejack smiled. “She's ready for her nap, sure as sugar.”

“Well, don't let me keep you. I need to go to the bakery, anyway.”

“It's at that intersection, yonder.” The filly pointed. “You're in for a treat. Sugar Cube Corner is the best bakery in Ponyville.” She paused and rubbed her chin. “'Course, it's the only bakery in Ponyville, but it's much better now that the new managers took over.”

“It sounds wonderful. It was lovely meeting you, Applejack.”

“Likewise, Princess.”

It was not much farther to the bakery. The building was whimsically decorated to look like it was made out of gingerbread and icing. It was a perfectly fitting workplace for Pinkie Pie.

As soon as she stepped inside, a loud gasp rang out. “Princess Celestia! I knew you'd stop by!” A pink blur wooshed forward and solidified into a filly, a bit taller since Celestia had last encountered her. “I mean, the paper said you were coming for the train thingy but my Pinkie Sense told me you were coming to Sugar Cube Corner! And here you are!” She bowed, then shifted into a crouch and sprang up, snatching Celestia's regalia out of the air. “I'll just put your things in the umbrella stand.” She dropped them in with an ugly clang. Celestia fought to keep from wincing.

“Pinkie Pie!” Scolded the plump earth mare behind the counter. “What are you doing? You can't touch the Princess's crown without asking!”

“N-No, it's fine. They've already taken a lot of abuse over the years, especially my shoes.” And if they had gotten scratched, Celestia knew a spell to fix them.

“Don't be such a worry-wart, Mrs. Cake!”

“What treats do you recommend?” asked Celestia, eager to move on and smooth things over.

“Oooh, our pumpkin cake is very popular now. It sells like hotcakes! Which we also have, although Mr. and Mrs. Cake turn off the griddle at ten,” rambled Pinkie.

“Uh, your highness, if you want to order anything from our breakfast menu, we can make it for you, no problem!” said the lanky earth stallion, presumably Mr. Cake.

“The pumpkin cake sounds delicious,” said Celestia.

When they brought it to her and she tried to pay, both Mr. and Mrs. Cake refused to accept her money. They were not the first ponies to do this, but it still perplexed her whenever it happened. Even the Pies appreciated Celestia's regular patronage. Perhaps the difference was that the Pies had a large family to support, while the Cakes might not have any children yet. They did look on the young side.

In the end, Celestia accepted the slice of cake gratis, but stated that the next time she came to Sugar Cube Corner, she would order the most expensive item on the menu and pay every bit.

After that was settled, Celestia sat at a table, inviting Pinkie Pie to sit and talk.

“Working at Sugar Cube Corner is so amazing! Mr. and Mrs. Cake use so much sugar in all their treats, they make those sweet almonds taste like – like chalk!” She took a long drink from her milkshake.

Celestia's eyes crinkled. “There's nothing wrong with almonds, but this cake is delicious! I have a sweet tooth too. I would love to be a baker if I weren't a princess.”

Pinkie's pupils grew enormous. “Really?”

“Really. So, tell me, dear, have you made any friends since moving to Ponyville?”

“And how! There's Mr. and Mrs. Cake, of course, and Applejack, Rarity, Ditzy Doo, Berry Punch . . .”

Celestia waited patiently for Pinkie to finish her list of new friends, but her patience ran out before the names did.

“. . . Mr. Waddles, Granny Smith, Matilda . . .”

“Excuse me, Pinkie Pie, but did you memorize the names of everypony in town?”

“Not everypony, but I'm working on it. I starting keeping a file of everypony I meet here!”

“Did you now.” Celestia narrowed her eyes ever so slightly. “You know, Pinkie, I happened to meet two of your new friends on the way here. I wonder if you could send me special reports on how they're doing and what's going on in their lives. Just every so often, maybe once a week to start with.” With any other pony, the request would have been ridiculous. But with Pinkie Pie . . . Well, it just seemed like something she would do.

Indeed, Pinkie didn't bat an eyelash, but her grin did widen. “Sure I can send you reports on my friends!”

Celestia paused, humming a bit to herself. “Perhaps we can call them updates instead.”

“Huh? What's the difference?”

“Nothing much. It's just that updates sounds nicer.”

Pinkie shrugged. “If you think so. Okay, which friends do you want me to update you on?”

“Applejack and Rarity. They struck me as very special ponies.”

“Oh, they are! Wait,” said Pinkie, lowering one eyebrow. “You didn't meet them at the same time, did you?”

“No, I ran into them separately.”

“That makes more sense. They don't really like each other.”

Celestia's eyebrows shot up. “What? How could they not like each other? It doesn't make sense,” she added, mostly to herself.

“I know, right? They're both super nice and hardworking! But Rarity thinks Applejack is uncouth, and Applejack thinks Rarity is stuck-up. Plus there was this thing that happened before I moved here, something about AJ skipping out on a play. I don't know, they both keep telling me it's complicated. Separately, of course,” she finished, propping her chin on her hooves and looking uncharacteristically serious.

“That is a shame. Ponies should put their differences aside and be friends.”

“Thank you!” Pinkie waved her hooves toward Celestia. “Maybe you should tell them that if you see them again. They'll listen to a princess!”

“Actually, I think it would mean more coming from you.”

“But I already tried to tell them! They won't listen!”

“Well, keep trying.” Celestia leaned toward her. “Don't give up on a worthy cause that you believe in.”

Pinkie sat up straight. “You're right, Princess Celestia. Pies aren't quitters! I just gotta make Rarity and Applejack see that they should be friends!”

Author's Note

The opening scene with Twilight is semi-autobiographical.

Chapter 4

Celestia returned to Canterlot with mixed feelings. She was overjoyed at finding two more Bearers, but disheartened that they weren't automatically friends. All this time, she had assumed that as soon as the Bearers saw each other, they would experience the same instant connection that she, Celestia, felt toward them. But that was turning out not to be the case. And Twilight did not make friends easily. What if she never formed bonds with the other Bearers?

Then, if Luna did not change her ways, Equestria would be doomed.

To distract herself from these gloomy thoughts, Celestia matched the Bearers to their Elements, based on her limited information. Obviously, Twilight's raw power and fascination with spells exemplified Magic. Rainbow Dash was ecstatic after her best friend was rescued, and also idolized the Wonderbolts, so she exemplified Loyalty. Pinkie Pie, who smiled 99 percent of her waking hours despite being raised in such a serious family, exemplified Laughter. Rarity pouring her heart and soul into creating beautiful costumes for other ponies exemplified Generosity. And Applejack made up for her sister eating the roses and got Celestia to open up to her more than she would have for other ponies, so she exemplified Honesty.

That left Kindness. Celestia still had a hunch that it would be Fluttershy, but she could not be certain until she saw her.

As the Best Young Fliers' Competition once again drew near, Celestia wrote a letter to Rainbow Dash. Two days later, she received a letter from her parents stating that their daughter would absolutely participate in the competition, win all the awards, and be the most amazing pegasus ever!

The letter had a lot of exclamation points.

So, during their next session, Celestia asked Twilight if she had any plans for the last weekend of summer.

“I don't think so,” answered Twilight. “Why do you ask?”

“Because I'd like for you to come with me to Cloudsdale when I judge the Best Young Fliers' Competition. You'd get the perfect chance to try out the cloud-walking spell,” Celestia added to tempt her.

“That does sound exciting. And dangerous.” Twilight raised her hoof to her cheek. “What if the spell doesn't work?”

“You've never failed at any spell you've tried yet. I have full confidence in you.”

“Thank you, Princess. When you do go, my parents can watch Spike for you. Did I tell you they bought a basket for him to sleep over?”

“Oh?” Celestia blinked. “No, you didn't mention that.”

“Yeah, I told them he'll probably just outgrow it soon, but they got it on sale, and they said they'll find another deal on a bigger bed when the time comes.”

“Oh! Well! They certainly seem to have grown fond of Spike.”

“They really have! I would never have expected it, but my mom and dad go on and on about what a sweetheart he is and how easy he is to take care of compared to unicorn foals.” Her student shrugged. “I don't really understand it, but I haven't spent much time with baby unicorns.”

Celestia chuckled. “No, you haven't. It's good to know that Spike has a home away from home.”

A week later, Twilight had news for Celestia. “You know how you're always telling me I should spend more time with the other foals? Well, Minuette invited me to her birthday party. I was thinking I should go this time, but it's the same weekend as the Cloudsdale trip. So do you not want me to go to the party?” She gazed up at Celestia, asking her to help her choose.

Celestia sighed. She had always told Twilight to have fun with the other foals outside of school. On the other hoof, it sounded like Rainbow Dash would actually compete this year, and Celestia wanted Twilight to at least see the other Bearer.

But what if Twilight didn't feel a connection with her? What if Rainbow Dash didn't like Twilight? It was so nerve-wracking to think about, now that she had evidence that this was possible.

“I cannot tell you what to do,” she said after a moment of silence. “You will decide what is best.”

And so Twilight elected to go to the party, and Celestia arrived at Cloudsdale without her.

When she landed just outside the Cloudiseum, Celestia was greeted with the sight of not one, not two, but three sets of rainbow manes and tails. There was Rainbow Dash herself, a bit lankier with two years of growth. Standing near her were two multicolored stallions who had to be her close relatives, as well as a blue mare with an orange mane and tail. The mare made up for her deficiency of natural color by wearing a vivid windbreaker and having Rainbow's cutie mark painted on both cheeks.

“Princess Celestia!” exclaimed the stallion with the stubble on his face. “I'm Bow Hothoof and this is my wife, Windy Whistles! And you already know our daughter, Rainbow Dash.”

“We framed your letter and everything, your highness. We are so honored that you recognized our Rainbow Dash for the awesome little pony she is!” said Windy Whistles.

“I'm not with them,” said the clean-shaven stallion, holding out a foreleg's length between himself and Bow.

Rainbow stared up at him with her brow furrowed. “What do you mean, Uncle Spectrum?”

Spectrum looked from Rainbow to Celestia with a grimace. “I'm not really her uncle, I'm just like, uh, her mentor.”

“Stop kidding around, big brother, we're family!” Bow slid over to Spectrum and threw his foreleg around his shoulders. “We used to take baths together!”

“That's it, I'm done.” Spectrum flung his brother's arm off and stalked away from him, swishing his tail as if to shoo off a fly.

“What's with him?” asked Rainbow.

“Oh, he's just not a team player.” Bow waved his hoof airily.

“But he's coming back, right?” The filly creased her brow.

“Don't worry, champ, I'm sure he'll be back to watch you win first prize. He just needs a little time to cool his head.”

She sighed. “I hope so. I really want my family cheering me on. And Fluttershy cheering me in spirit.”

“Cheering in spirit?” Windy Whistles snorted. “What does that even mean?”

“I don't know, but Fluttershy says it's a thing she does,” said Rainbow, shrugging.

“Is Fluttershy your friend who was lost in the woods?” Celestia asked as casually as possible.

“Yeah, she was. For some reason she really liked it. She wants to move there someday. She's here, but she's hiding in the crowd right now.” The filly glanced around her as if hoping to catch sight of her friend. Then she shook her head. “She won't come around as long as you're with us. No offense, princess!” She held up her forelegs in a gesture of surrender. “She's just very shy about talking to strangers, especially strange grownups. And you're as grownup as it gets.”

Celestia's mouth quirked up in amusement. “That is true. But I hope Fluttershy isn't in the habit of getting lost.”

“Well . . .” Rainbow gazed upward and rubbed the back of her neck. “We're working on that.”

“Oh, look at the time!” Windy Whistles said suddenly. She pointed at the giant clock above the stands. “We only have half an hour to find good seats!”

“Okay, Dashie, we'd better go now. You know what to do.” Bow ruffled her mane.

“Leave all the other ponies eating my contrail!” replied Rainbow.

“That's my girl!”

“We'll be cheering for you!” added Windy.

“I know. See you in the winners' circle!” She turned toward Celestia as her parents flew away. “I need to start warming up soon, princess. But first, um, I wanna thank you for the letter.” The filly rubbed her front hooves in circles together. “I guess I was afraid of not being able to create another rainboom. I thought I'd already peaked so why bother to push myself anymore? But then you wrote in your letter that I should believe in myself because – because you believe in me. That really means a lot.” Her ruby eyes wavered. “So I'll keep doing my best for you and all the ponies who care about me.” Then she beamed. “Besides, I know I'll at least fly better than all these slowpokes here.”

“I have every confidence that you will, Rainbow Dash.”

The filly cheerfully zipped away to join the other young athletes in warming up.

Celestia glanced at the clock and saw that she had 28 minutes to search the crowds for Fluttershy. She could not waste this rare opportunity. The challenge was that there was a large crowd outside the arena, and pegasus crowds tended to be more three-dimensional than earth pony and unicorn crowds.

She went over what she knew about Fluttershy. The filly would be ten years old by now, yellow with a pink mane and tail, and she had social anxiety. Such a pony would stay at the edges of the crowd. It didn't narrow down Celestia's search all that much, but it was a start. Nodding to herself, Celestia soared toward the periphery of the crowd. Several times, her heart leaped as she caught a glimpse of yellow or pink, but none of the ponies turned out to be the final Bearer.

As the time grew closer to the start of the competition, though, the crowd became thinner and thinner, making it easier for Celestia to scan both outside the Cloudiseum and into the rows of seats inside the arena. As she continued her search, something unusual caught her eye. It was a small, gray bird with a long tail. Just seeing any bird besides a pigeon was rare in Cloudsdale. This bird was too little to be a pigeon, although it was somewhat similar in shape. Celestia was fairly sure it was a dove. Curious, Celestia followed the dove at a distance until it landed on the dense cloud-grounds near two ponies. One she recognized as Spectrum, and the other . . .

The other could only be Fluttershy. She was tall for a ten year-old filly, with a long, pink mane and tail, and upon her flank were three butterflies the same hue as the Element of Kindness.

At long last, the set was complete.

Celestia did not want to scare Fluttershy, but she had to at least attempt to speak with her. She landed softly on the cloud about forty feet away from the filly, and inched closer to her, all the while aware that she was running short on time. She observed Spectrum and Fluttershy conversing.

“Yeah, well, at least your little brother isn't here to embarrass you,” said Spectrum.

“You think my brother would embarrass me?” asked Fluttershy.

Spectrum raised his eyebrows. “Have you met your brother?”

“He's not that bad, except when he acts weird around Dashie,” said Fluttershy. “And Mr. Hothoof isn't bad either. He always has something nice to say.”

Spectrum sighed. “His heart's in the right place, but why does he have to be so over-the-top about everything? He never knows when he crosses the line, and Windy is no better.”

The dove flew up and perched between Fluttershy's wings.

“Oh, look, your little pal's back,” said Spectrum, breaking into a smile.

“Hello, Fred,” she said, turning her head to look over her shoulder at the bird. Then her eyes met Celestia's, and her pupils shrank.

“What is it?” Spectrum followed her gaze and spotted Celestia. “Oh.” He bowed as Fluttershy moved to hide behind him.

Celestia figured she might as well approach the two ponies. “Hello again, Spectrum. And you must be Fluttershy.”

“You, um, y-you know who I am?” stammered Fluttershy. She seemed perfectly capable of conversing with ponies once she got to know them, but introductions proved to be a hurdle.

“Rainbow Dash told me about you.” Celestia lowered her head to the filly's level. She'd learned over the years that some ponies felt more at ease when she did this, while others were put off by the condescending gesture. In this instance, Celestia decided to try it.

Fluttershy peaked out one eye from her hiding place behind Spectrum. “Oh – oh, my. Um, oh dear. . .”

Fred the dove cooed. Whatever he communicated seemed to fortify Fluttershy. She drew a steadying breath and took a step out from behind the stallion. However, she still did not look directly at Celestia's face.

“Um, what did she say?” asked Fluttershy.

“She said that you are her best friend. She also said that you were lost in the woods, and you liked it so much that you want to move there.”

“Oh, yes, it was wonderful.” Fluttershy's face warmed in a genuine smile. “That's where I found out that my special talent is communicating with animals and helping them. There aren't as many opportunities to do that here in Cloudsdale.” She ducked her head as if realizing that she'd said a great deal more than she had intended. “Um, your highness.”

Celestia successfully held in a laugh. “I can imagine. Only birds can come up here, and not very many species stay here.”

“Yes, exactly, princess!” She blushed at her own outburst and hid her face behind her mane.

“You should visit Ponyville sometime. There are all sorts of animals there, like rabbits, squirrels, and frogs, and I'm sure there are fish in the brook and pond.”

“Actually, I did go down to Ponyville last time Cloudsdale blew over there to help out with their Fall Finale. I saw many different creatures and different kinds of ponies, donkeys, and cattle. It was – it was a little overwhelming.”

“Ah, I see. That's understandable. Could you see yourself staying there longer?” asked Celestia.

“I guess I could get used to it, if it meant helping all the animals there.”

“I'm glad to hear it.” Celestia turned her head toward Spectrum. “I'm sorry for excluding you from the conversation, Spectrum.”

Spectrum waved his foreleg. “That's all right, princess. In fact, I was never here.” He reached into his pannier and withdrew a curly brown wig and tail extension of the same color. “Hey, maybe I can sneak into the Cloudiseum without Bow – I mean, certain other ponies noticing.” He put them over his mane and tail, only partly covering his bright hair.

“Um,” said Fluttershy, “Mr. Spectrum, some of your hair is sticking out.”

“Whew, thanks,” said Spectrum, tucking his mane and tail completely under the false brown hair. “No one will recognize me now! See you later, Fluttershy.” He waved at her before flying into the arena.

“He didn't cover his cutie mark,” observed Fluttershy.

Fred the dove cooed in agreement.

“I'm sure he'll figure that out sooner or later,” said Celestia with a smile. “Are you going to watch your friend compete?”

“Yes. Um, that's why I'm here.”

“Would you like to sit in the box with me?”

Fluttershy's eyes widened. “What? Oh, no, I couldn't. I wouldn't dare!”

Fred cooed longer and more loudly than before.

“You want to sit up in the box with me, Fred?” The girl gazed at the dove on her back.

He nodded.

“But everypony will stare at us.”

Fred cooed again.

“Yes, I suppose they will be staring at the ponies racing.”

The dove let out another coo.

“Well, when you put it that way . . .” Fluttershy turned back to meet Celestia's eyes. “Thank you for inviting me, Princess Celestia. I would like to sit with you. That is, if Fred can come too.”

“Of course. Follow me, Fluttershy.”

Celestia lifted off into the air and looked over her shoulder to make sure Fluttershy was following her. The filly hesitated for a moment while the dove flew toward Celestia. Then she took a deep breath and flapped her wings, rising above the cloud ground. Celestia gave her an encouraging nod and flew slowly, allowing the girl to catch up to her. Fluttershy flew closer, keeping pace under Celestia's right wing. She looked up at Celestia with a nervous smile. Celestia returned the smile and led her to the box seats. She settled in somewhere between the competition coordinator and one of the other judges, but there was plenty of empty space left in the box.

“Oh, good, you're just in time for the contest to start, princess,” said the coordinator.

Fred the dove landed on the bench next to Celestia. Nopony else seemed to notice him. Celestia glanced up at Fluttershy hovering uncertainly above the box. She beckoned the filly with her foreleg.

“Fillies and gentlecolts, the Best Young Fliers' Competition is about to begin!” said the announcer, his voice magically amplified. “Please be seated so that everypony has a good view of the athletes in the air.”

Fluttershy let out a squeak, barely audible over the announcement, and swooped down to land next to Celestia.

After a pony sang the Cloudsdale anthem, the competition began. The contestants were judged based on speed, agility, and the nebulous category of style. Celestia did her best to pay attention to each young athlete, but she kept thinking about Rainbow Dash and wondering how she would perform. Every so often she glanced at Fluttershy out of the corners of her eyes. The Bearer silently gazed up with interest, her expression a bit wistful.

Finally, it was Rainbow's turn.

“WOOOOO!”

Celestia couldn't see Windy Whistles, but she could certainly hear her.

“Rainbow Dash! You can do it!” screamed Windy.

“Go Dashie! Go Dashie!” chanted Bow Hothoof.

The filly beamed, and then furrowed her brow as she scanned the crowd.

“Is she looking for somepony?” asked Fluttershy.

“I believe she is looking for you, Fluttershy,” said Celestia.

“Oh.” The filly's eyebrows tilted upward. “I guess she expected me to sit with her family.”

The two ponies lapsed into silence as they watched Rainbow begin zooming around the arena. She seemed to be going for agility rather than speed, which was not what Celestia anticipated. As she flew through a cloud ring, her wing clipped the edge. She grunted softly.

“Go Rainbow! Best flier ever!” cheered Windy.

Rainbow bumped the inside of another ring.

Then Fluttershy's eyebrows lowered in determination. She reared up on her hind legs and spread her wings and forelegs.

“Come on, Rainbow!” she almost yelled. It was the loudest Celestia had heard her speak, at any rate. “You can do it!”

Rainbow's eyes lit up as she looked down at Fluttershy. Then she turned her head back to focus on the track and picked up speed, clearing each ring in perfect form.

Rainbow Dash ended up placing fourth, but she was the youngest flier in the competition, so all things considered, she performed very well. She did not even attempt break the sound barrier, because, as she explained, she knew she did not have time to gain enough height to go into the long dive that would boost her speed. But her parents were as proud as they would have been if she'd won first prize and generated another sonic rainboom.

Chapter 5

Several years passed, and each year Celestia saw Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash at the Best Young Fliers' Competition. Whenever Celestia saw them, she encouraged both fillies to visit Ponyville as often as they could. Eventually, her persistence paid off as Fluttershy moved into a cottage on the outskirts of Ponyville. However, Rainbow remained in her hometown. Celestia wondered if the Element of Loyalty might actually be working against her purposes.

Twilight advanced in her studies, outperforming her peers in every subject. She began to take on summer courses even though she was the last student who needed them. This left less time for socialization. Unfortunately, Minuette's birthday party was the only one she attended. Twilight continued to buy birthday presents for all of her acquaintances, but declared that parties were a waste of time. She also found every excuse not to travel to Cloudsdale or Ponyville. Celestia understood being a homebody, but this was getting a little ridiculous.

Celestia couldn't help feeling concerned. According to the prediction, Luna would break free from her banishment in only two years. Time was running out to bring all the Bearers together. If that weren't worrying enough, Pinkie Pie's updates stated that Rarity and Applejack still did not get along well with each other, despite Pinkie's best efforts. Fluttershy acted friendly toward Pinkie, Rarity, and Applejack, but had yet to form close bonds with any of them.

What to do? Celestia considered summoning them all at once and telling them the truth. But what good would that do if they still did not become friends? Such a thing could not be forced, not even if the fate of the world depended on it.

Celestia grew a bit more optimistic when Pinkie sent word that Rainbow Dash moved to Ponyville, only a few months before the thousandth Summer Sun Celebration. Predictably, Pinkie declared Rainbow to be one of her new best pals. Her letter brought a smile to Celestia's face. Perhaps everything would work out all right in the end. Spurred into action – to use an archaic term from the dark ages before she was even born – she visited Ponyville one final time before Luna's release, to make her preparations. Her plan was to send Twilight to Ponyville on official royal business, so that her student couldn't refuse. Celestia would put each Bearer in charge of organizing a certain aspect of the celebration – except for Pinkie Pie. Celestia had another idea for the Bearer of Laughter.

The Mayor of Ponyville was pleased with Celestia's plans. “You know this town well, your highness,” the politician told her at their official meeting. “I never would have thought to ask Fluttershy to provide music with her birds, but it's a lovely idea. And your other choices are excellent as well. I'm sure they'll all be honored to help organize the celebration. I'll tell them the good news.”

“I would like to tell them myself, actually.”

“Oh, they'll be so excited!” The mayor beamed.

“There's one more thing I need to arrange, Madame Mayor. My protege is coming to oversee the celebration a few days before my arrival. My nephew might come as well.”

The mayor gasped. “Prince Blueblood?”

“No, the other one.”

“Goodness, I didn't realize you had more than one. Well, I'm certain one of our citizens would be more than happy to let your nephew and your protege stay in their home.”

“What about the library?” asked Celestia, remembering the charming giant of an oak tree she had seen during her prior visits.

The mayor looked at the ceiling in thought. “It's interesting you should ask about the library, Princess. Our public library has a bedroom and a full kitchen. Our last librarian used to live there, but she's no longer with us.”

Celestia frowned. “She passed away?”

Shaking her head, the mayor said, “Well, nopony knows for certain. You see, two years ago, she left a note on the library door, saying that she had gone to the Castle of the Two Sisters to find the old books that were supposedly left there. If only she had told somepony ahead of time, we would have made sure someone went with her to protect her. It's dangerous for anypony to go into the Everfree alone, but especially one as elderly as our librarian. As it was, all we could do was send out a search party. Needless to say, the search came up empty. Her fate is still unknown. She could have been pulled into Tartarus for all anypony knows.”

At first Celestia wondered if the earth pony were joking or speaking in hyperbole. However, the mayor didn't have a hint of jocularity in her expression.

“Do you actually think that could have happened, Madam Mayor?” asked Celestia.

“It's unlikely, but it is possible, your highness. There actually is a portal to Tartarus within a day's hike from Ponyville, but it's in almost the exact opposite direction of the castle, so she had no reason to go anywhere near there unless she got lost. Poor old mare. Nopony has stepped in to fill her shoes since her disappearance. There's one volunteer who keeps it tidy and opens it up a few hours a week, but nopony seems interested in managing it full time.”

Celestia bowed her head. “What happened to your librarian is a tragedy, especially to think that it could have been prevented if only a friend had gone with her.” She swallowed a lump in her throat as the tale hit closer to home than she'd expected. “And it is a shame that you've been without a full time librarian for so long. But I believe my protege would love to stay the there for a few nights, if that's all right.”

“Oh, that shouldn't be any trouble. We'll have it ready in time for the Summer Sun Celebration.”

Once Twilight and Spike's arrangements were settled, Celestia went off in search for the five special fillies. She headed for Sweet Apple Acres first, where she'd drunk cider two years prior. The first pony she met there was Applejack's brother, Big McIntosh. Truthfully, she didn't meet him so much as frighten him away from the apple cart he was loading. The young stallion seemed even shyer than Fluttershy, but it was possible that he was simply intimidated by royalty. He returned in a minute or two with his sisters and Granny Smith.

“Howdy there, Princess Celestia,” greeted the matriarch. “Big McIntosh here told us you'd stopped by.” She reached under her shawl and pulled out a tiny jar filled with colorful jam. “We don't got no cider this time, but here's some o' last season's zap apple jam.”

“Why, thank you, Mrs. Smith!” Celestia wrapped the jar in her magic. “But you know, you don't have to give me something every time I come here.”

“Aw p'shaw. We wouldn't even have none o' these fine products if it wasn't for yer generosity to my family all those years ago. I just wanna show a lil' appreciation to ya.”

“That's very thoughtful. You are a national treasure, Mrs. Smith,” said Celestia, figuring there was no point in trying to argue with her.

“Aw, shucks.” The elderly pony's eyes lit up with pride, belying her modest tone.

Then Celestia told the Apple family about her decision to have the Summer Sun Celebration in Ponyville. The four ponies' eyes lit up as they grinned.

Applejack reared up in excitement. “Yee-haw! We've been wantin' to host the Summer Sun Celebration for years!”

Celestia chuckled. “There's more. I would like Sweet Apple Acres to cater the event. You'll be compensated out of the royal treasury, of course.”

“This is so amazin'!” said Apple Bloom, who had grown a great deal in the seven years since Celestia had first seen her. “Weren't y'all sayin' earlier how we need to save up some money to pay for Granny Smith's hip surgery?”

The matriarch frowned. “I keep tellin' y'all I don't need no stinkin' hip surgery! My hips are as fit as they were on the day I was born!”

“Granny,” said Applejack, putting a placating hoof on her grandmother's shoulder, “we'll talk about this later, okay?”

“Well, okay, but I don't think there's anythin' more to discuss.”

Applejack turned to face Celestia. “So, we'll need to prepare enough food for, oh, about two thousand ponies?”

“You'll probably want to double that. I came to you because you're the only business in Ponyville that can provide both the quantity and quality of food I'm looking for. I'll let you keep record of the cost and you can bill the royal treasury the day of the summer solstice.”

The earth ponies exchanged smiles once more.

“That'll suit us just fine, Princess,” said Applejack.

“Eyup,” agreed Big McIntosh.

“We'll need to ask some of our kin to come over and help get it all done,” added Mrs. Smith, rubbing her chin.

“I reckon they'll wanna come for the celebration anyway!” exclaimed Apple Bloom. “This is gonna be great!”

The corners of Celestia's mouth pulled upward. “There is one more small thing I would ask of you. Well, two things, actually. First, I want you to work closely with the other event planners to make this the best Summer Sun Celebration ever.”

Applejack nodded. “'Course we will. Who else have ya asked to help out?”

“Rainbow Dash for the weather, Fluttershy to provide music, and Rarity to decorate,” answered Celestia.

“Oh,” the Bearer said simply. She looked down and rubbed the back of her neck. “Okay.”

“Is there a problem?”

“Well, no, I don't expect there will be.” Applejack kept her eyes on the ground. “Rainbow Dash has a bit of an ego, but there's good reason for it since she's really great at what she does. Our trees are lovin' the weather we're havin' since she moved in. I ain't talked to Fluttershy as much yet, but she's a sweetheart.” She paused. “And then there's Rarity. She and I have had our differences in the past, and she gave me the silent treatment for a while.”

Her little sister tilted her head. “Really? Why's that?”

“I think it was on account o' me missin' the play she made costumes for when we were fillies – when you were just a baby, Apple Bloom. I had told Rarity I would come see the show, but then I decided to stay in Manehattan with no real plans to come back. Didn't even write to none o' my family and friends here besides Granny Smith.” Applejack hung her head. “By the time I did make it back to Ponyville, the play was over, and things were mighty awkward between Rarity and me. Have been ever since.”

Her grandmother put her hoof on her shoulder. “Big Mac and I forgave ya long ago for leavin' Sweet Apple Acres for so long. But maybe Rarity needs to hear ya apologize. Did ya ever talk to her 'bout it afterwards?”

Applejack scratched behind her ear. “I tried to, once, but I don't know if she was really listenin'. 'Sides, I'm only sorry for not writing to her. I ain't sorry for missin' the play. I needed that time away to – well, to figure out where my place was.”

“Perhaps you could tell Rarity what you just told us?” Celestia suggested gently. “She may understand.”

The Bearer nodded. “I'll give it a go.”

Celestia beamed. “Wonderful.”

“What's the other thing you wanted to ask, Princess?” asked Apple Bloom.

“My student, Twilight Sparkle, and my nephew will arrive before the solstice to check on the preparations. I want you to give them a warm welcome.”

“Sure we will!” said Apple Bloom. “We'll invite 'em to stay for lunch or dinner or whatever meal is closest.”

“Darn tootin'!” Applejack ruffled her sister's mane. “We'll treat 'em like family.”

“I could not ask for better than that,” said Celestia.

She bade farewell to the Apple family and turned her attention to the translucent sheet of altostratus clouds. Being part pegasus, Celestia appreciated the nuances of cloud formations. She took to the air and searched for the now familiar rainbow mane. Before long she spotted an intricate cloud formation closer to the ground. Celestia realized that it fit the description of Rainbow's house from Pinkie's most recent letter. Pegasus-style cloud houses were still uncommon in Ponyville despite its decently-sized pegasus population. Almost all of the pegasus ponies lived in the standard wood and stucco homes on the ground. But since Rainbow had moved from Cloudsdale, she no doubt felt more comfortable living in a house made of clouds and water crystals. Pinkie Pie was more worldly than Twilight – admittedly a low hurdle to clear – but she had never seen a cloud building before. Pinkie was quite excited when the pegasus builders had constructed it, and she'd borrowed a balloon to fly up close to it.

Now Celestia wondered if anypony was home. She approached the house and flew around it. The architecture was quite whimsical even by pegasus standards – not at all like the utilitarian, durable buildings constructed by earth ponies and unicorns. A luminous rainbow streamed out of the domed roof, while liquid rainbows trickled down either side of the cloudscaping that formed its foundation. Flowing, naturalistic clouds had been artfully tacked to the outer walls of the three-story house, while leaving the classical scroll-topped columns visible.

It wasn't hard to see why the former rock farmer was impressed. However . . .

Celestia couldn't help noticing that several cloudscaping tools had been left lying in the middle of the cloud yard. She landed on the yard and picked up the handle of a cloud-smoother, looking around for a place to put it away.

“Princess Celestia!” A multi-hued contrail solidified into Rainbow Dash standing on the gray cloud surface in front of her. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see how you were settling into your new home and job, Rainbow Dash,” said Celestia.

Rainbow waved her foreleg at her home. “I'm pretty much all set up here. Fluttershy let me stay at her place until my new house was ready. I'm glad I can sleep on a cloud bed again. But it still feels weird to have this big house all to myself, with no one to help keep it up. Adulting is hard.” She picked up a cloud-shaver from the cloud ground.

Celestia inclined her head. “Yet you chose to leave the comfort of your parents' home.”

“Well, yeah. You've met my parents.” Rainbow started rolling her cloud-smother. “They're awesome, and I love them, but they can be kind of smothering, you know? Plus, Fluttershy made Ponyville sound so cool, I had to see it for myself.”

“Cool?”

“Yeah, every other week there's some kind of monster rampaging through the streets or a magical mishap that threatens everypony's lives and sanity. How exciting is that?” The pegasus dropped the tool and brought her hooves to her cheeks.

Celestia chuckled. “Well, I can't say you're wrong. And what of your job as a weather pony?” asked Celestia.

“That's part of the adventure. There's all these storms and wild weather systems that blow in from the Everfree Forest. It's not like controlling the weather in Cloudsdale. They make weather in the factory, like clockwork. Here we mostly stabilize the wild weather that comes our way. We have a guy whose job is just predicting what type of weather will come in next, can you believe that? He's wrong, like, eighty percent of the time,” she added, rolling her eyes. “But at least it's never boring. I pretty much work on call instead of having a regular schedule. Sometimes I have to drop everything to help counter a gust of wind or a hailstorm,” explained the Bearer. “We just now finished softening a cold front.”

“It sounds like you're adjusting well to your new role. Which is why I want you to keep the sky nice and clear for the Summer Sun Celebration,” said Celestia.

Rainbow's eyes sparkled as a grin slowly spread across her face. “We're having the Summer Sun Celebration here?” She spread her wings and flew in a loop-de-loop. “That's awesome! I've never watched you actually raise the sun before! And everypony will be able to see it because of me!” The Bearer held her hoof to her chest.

Then Celestia told her about sending Twilight before her, and asked Rainbow to give her a warm welcome.

“I'll treat her the same as my other friends,” answered Rainbow.

“I'm glad to hear that. Do you have any friends in Ponyville besides Fluttershy?”

“Yeah, I've made a few good friends here. Pinkie Pie really knows how to have fun and she loves my new house. Applejack loves a good, friendly competition, and she lets me eat apples from her orchard as long as I ask first.”

“That's good. Anypony else?”

Rainbow shrugged. “Not yet, but hopefully I'll make some more friends soon if work and catching up on sleep don't cut into my social life too much.”

“Well, it's interesting you should mention Applejack, because she's one of the other ponies I asked to help with the Celebration. Fluttershy and Rarity are also assisting with the planning.”

“I don't know who Rarity is, but that sounds great!”

“She's a unicorn who just opened a tailor shop called Carousel Boutique.”

“Oh, yeah,” said Rainbow, bringing her hoof to her chin in thought. “White coat, purple mane?”

“It's more of an off-white, but yes.”

“I've seen her around. I'm sure we'll make everything awesome for you. But, you didn't mention Pinkie Pie. Did you ask her to help out? Because, pro tip, she plans the best parties I've ever been to.”

Celestia smiled. “Pinkie Pie's role will be more behind the scenes. I have something special in mind for her to do.”

“Oh, a surprise! Gotcha. Say no more, Princess,” said Rainbow with a wink.

Next, Celestia visited Rarity's new clothing store. Of all the Element Bearers, Rarity was the most accomplished by economic standards. At only twenty years old, she had started her own small business from nothing but her own talents.

A bell tinkled as Celestia entered the shop.

“Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is – Princess Celestia!” Rarity quickly bowed in front of her, looking as elegant as ever. “I can't believe it's you! What are you doing here?” She rose and gazed wide-eyed up at Celestia.

For both of their sakes, Celestia was grateful that Rarity kept better control over her starstruck reaction this time. “I've chosen Ponyville to host this year's Summer Sun Celebration, and I'd like you to be in charge of the decorations.”

“W-what?” She brought her hoof to her barrel. “You want me in charge of decorating one of the most important ceremonies of the year? Oh my goodness! I'm so flattered that you remembered my designs, although my expertise lies more in fashion. Still, I believe I can adapt my skills to décor.”

Celestia had thought about asking Rarity to design a gown for her to wear while she raised the sun. No doubt the Bearer would have been thrilled with the prospect. The problem with asking Rarity to make a dress was that Celestia wanted Twilight to check on Rarity's progress – and meet her fellow Bearer in the process. Twilight would have no logical reason for checking on a gown fitted especially for Celestia, but she would have reason to view and give her approval for the decorations.

“I know I can count on you to make the town hall look as lovely as your boutique,” said Celestia.

Rarity demurely fluttered her eyelashes. “I shall do my upmost to meet your high expectations.”

“Thank you. The royal treasury will compensate you for your efforts and materials.”

“Oh, no, I wouldn't dream of taking payment! Decorating for the Princess of Equestria is reward enough.” She crossed one foreleg in front of the other. “Although, perhaps you could promote my work among the nobility in Canterlot?”

“I will gladly do both. I'm paying the other event planners for their work, and I wouldn't want to shortchange somepony of your talents.”

“I see. Well, if you insist,” said Rarity. “Who else have you chosen to help with the planning?”

“Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Applejack,” answered Celestia.

“Oh.” Rarity raised and then lowered her eyebrows. “Well, if everypony will be civil, I'm sure we'll get along just fine.”

“I hope there won't be a problem,” said Celestia.

“Problem?” echoed the Bearer. “There's no problem at all. Fluttershy is a dear! There was one time my little cat ate one of my ribbons and had – well, tummy troubles, and Fluttershy helped her feel better in no time. And Rainbow Dash is . . .” Rarity tapped her chin. “Well, she's very good at managing the weather, and she does have a certain flair. I'm sure we'll make it the best Summer Sun Celebration ever!”

“That's good to hear. But did you forget somepony?”

Rarity lowered her hoof to the floor. “No. It's just that Applejack . . .” She looked away, gazing out one of the windows. “I will stay professional, but Applejack and I have . . . difficulty communicating with one another. We used to be friends when we were little fillies, but then she left to stay with her aunt and uncle in Manehattan. I was designing costumes for a play that the other foals were putting on at the time, and I hoped Applejack would return in time to attend. She promised she would come see it, but she never did. She came home a few days after the play and didn't seem to care about it or my costumes or me at all.” The Bearer scrunched her muzzle and lowered her head as if she'd said more than she'd intended. “In retrospect, I suppose I could have asked Granny Smith for Applejack's mailing address so I could write to her and remind her of the play and how important it was to me. But she should have written to me, too. And she knew my address, so she had less of an excuse.”

“I can understand how that would make it awkward for the two of you to spend time together,” Celestia said sympathetically. “But for what it's worth, I spoke with Applejack about the possibility of working with you, and she mentioned that this was a sore point between you. She said that she wanted to talk it over with you. If you give her a chance to explain herself, do you think you could find it in your heart to forgive her?”

Rarity toed the floor with her front hoof. “If she's truly sorry, then I can forgive her. I've already acknowledged that I share a teensy bit of the blame. Perhaps I could tell her that as well.” Her eyebrows lowered with resolve. “Yes, it's past time we resolve this drama and put it behind us.”

Fluttershy was next. The Bearer of Kindness had moved into a charming cottage on the outskirts of town, unsurprisingly away from any close neighbors. Various animals followed her like shadows – among them was a white rabbit that seemed very unsure about Celestia being there. Fluttershy herself wasn't quite as timid as she'd been when Celestia had first met her as a filly, but that was a low bar to clear. She had also blossomed from a gangly youth into a lovely mare. It wasn't that the other Element Bearers weren't pretty in their own ways – they were, but Fluttershy was the most classically beautiful.

Celestia told her about the Summer Sun Celebration and how she wanted Fluttershy to provide the music with her birds.

“Oh, my! You want me and my birds to sing for you?” Her aquamarine eyes were enormous.

“Just your birds, if that's agreeable to you. I was hoping you could teach them to sing in harmony.”

“Oh!” Fluttershy's eyes softened. “It will be no trouble at all for me to teach the birds to sing for you.”

Then Celestia told the Bearer about the other event planners.

“I'm glad you chose Rainbow – I guess it's not surprising that you would. I don't know Rarity as well as I know Dashie yet, but she seems very nice, and she has a good eye for design. I don't know Applejack very well either, but the apples from her farm are delicious, she always seems to keep a cool head when everypony else is, um, stressed.”

“I'm glad you approve of my choices,” said Celestia sincerely.

The Bearer blushed and ducked her head.

“No, I mean it,” added Celestia. “It's great that you're getting along with the ponies here.”

“Th-thank you, Princess. I moved to Ponyville to be close to the animals and take care of them. There are so many species that I've never even dreamed of, like jackalopes and star spiders and platypi! But then I found out that the ponies are very nice too, and that made this town even better.”

After Celestia said goodbye to Fluttershy and headed toward Sugar Cube Corner, she realized she'd forgotten to advise her about Twilight and Spike. Briefly, Celestia debated with herself on whether or not she should go back and tell Fluttershy to expect them. She concluded that it probably wasn't necessary. After all, Fluttershy was the Bearer of Kindness, and she was getting along well with the other Bearers so far. Besides, Celestia had made certain to tell them all to work together on the event. Surely that would include sharing the information Celestia had given them.

Nodding to herself in satisfaction, Celestia walked up to Sugar Cube Corner and stepped inside.

“Welcome back, Princess!” Pinkie Pie sprang in front of her, a bit taller and stockier than when Celestia had seen her last. “Take a load off! Can I take your crown?” She held her foreleg toward Celestia. At least Pinkie didn't grab the regalia this time. Celestia did not know whether Pinkie was more mature or merely held back because the crown was on Celestia's head instead of floating in her magic. The latter was the more likely explanation, if the tone of Pinkie's letters was any indication.

Holding up her front hoof to deter Pinkie, Celestia said, “That won't be necessary, but thank you for the offer, Pinkie Pie.”

“You're welcome!” Then the Bearer put her front hoof to the side of her mouth and stage-whispered, “Did you get my note?”

Celestia nodded. “I believe I have a solution to the problems you pointed out. I've chosen Ponyville to host the Summer Sun Celebration–”

“Ohmygosh ohmygosh!”

“–And I asked the ponies you mentioned in your note to plan the event. That way they can work together and get to know one another.”

“Great idea! My mom was right: you are wise!”

“Thank you, dear. I know you are friends with Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy, but I think it would be better if they spent time together without you as a buffer between them. They are already close to you – now they need an opportunity to grow close to each other.”

Pinkie's ears drooped. “Are you sure you don't want me to help plan the party? I guess I never told you this, but party planning is part of my special talent.”

“I'm aware of that, Pinkie Pie. That's why I have another job for you that is just as important.”

“Really? What is it?”

Celestia grinned. “You're going to throw a 'welcome to Ponyville' party for my student, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Ooooh!” The earth pony's ears perked up. “I love that job! Can it be a surprise party?”

“It certainly can.”

“Woohoo!”

With that settled, Celestia ordered the most expensive item on the menu and paid for it up front.

Mr. and Mrs. Cake were taken aback, as if they hadn't really anticipated that she would remember her promise.

“The seven layer cake!? It would take at least an hour and a half for us to make it!” exclaimed Mrs. Cake.

“That's all right with me. I have one more stop to make here in town, so I'll come and pick it up after I'm finished and take it home to share with my niece,” explained Celestia.

“As you wish, Princess,” said Mr. Cake with a nervous smile. “Any special occasion?”

“Who says you need a special occasion for cake?” asked Celestia. Nopony could argue with her logic.

After leaving Sugar Cube Corner, Celestia flew toward the library. She wanted to see for herself if it was a suitable home for Twilight. She did not need to ask where it was, for she had passed by it many times during this visit and many of her earlier day trips to Ponyville. Golden Oak Library was quite a distinctive structure, not just in appearance, but also in magical properties. Celestia focused her keen magical senses on the giant oak tree. It was full of earth pony magic that kept it healthy despite being hollow. Celestia circled in closer and saw a lightning rod sticking out of the tree's crown, most likely installed by pegasi, if she had to guess.

And then there were the books.

Equestria was a magical land where even seemingly mundane substances such as stone and air had thaumic power. But even more powerful than the physical forces were the intangible ones: emotions and ideas. And when emotions and ideas were written down, they were the strongest magic known to equines. And when the words were lined up and stacked and crammed together in a confined space, they tended to distort the very fabric of reality. This was true even of ordinary fiction and nonfiction books, but especially true of books that contained magic spells and techniques and theories and formulas and potion recipes. The result was that libraries were bigger on the inside than on the outside, and gravity tended to veer away from the floor and pull towards various bookshelves. Celestia had rescued many a student who had gotten disoriented and lost in the library at the School for Gifted Unicorns.

She alighted in front of the oak and observed all the details. Thick moss grew on the awning over the door, which had a lit candle painted on it, and to the left was a sturdy wooden sign with a picture of an open book and the library hours listed below it:

Mondays 10:00 am – 4:00 pm.

Celestia hummed to herself. That was short and sweet.

Dozens of honeybees buzzed around the flowers next to the sign, and wandered over to Celestia, who was as colorful as a flower herself. She idly swatted them away with her tail and glanced up. Ah, there was the problem. A large beehive hung from one of the great tree's branches. It seemed like poor practice to keep a beehive near a street where there was plenty of hoof traffic. It was a wonder nopony had relocated it. She hoped the hive wouldn't scare Twilight away. However, it was likely that her protege had never seen a beehive before, and if she knew Twilight, she'd find it more fascinating than frightening.

Celestia lowered her gaze and saw that on the other side of the door was a large wooden chest with a slot in the front, with elegantly painted letters:

Returns

In her honor

A lit candle that matched the door had been brushed onto the wood below the words. Celestia wondered if this was the librarian's cutie mark. She stared at it for a moment, worrying that Twilight's fate would be similar to the previous librarian's. What if she figured out that she must go to the Elements in the old castle, but didn't tell anypony where she was going? What if none of the other Bearers found out in time to go with her, or to follow and catch up to her? What if Twilight was eaten by a manticore or timberwolf or other wild beast? What if she somehow wandered in the wrong direction and actually did get pulled through the portal to Tartarus? What if she went the right way and found the Elements, but still failed to reactivate them because she was alone? What if she didn't figure out what she had to do to activate the Elements?

Celestia countered her anxious thoughts with hopeful ones. Unlike the librarian, Twilight was young and in her prime. Besides, there had to be a reason that Celestia felt an instant connection to the six fillies. It must have been because they were destined to use the Elements.

But, just to be certain, perhaps she could tell Pinkie to keep an eye on Twilight.

Celestia tried the door and found that it was locked, for it wasn't Monday. Rather than finding somepony who had a key, she simply teleported inside. As one would expect, the library had a very woody scent. The main room had ample floor space – more than enough for a meeting, or even a friendly get-together. Perhaps even a surprise party. If there was one party Twilight couldn't say no to, Celestia was certain that it was a party inside a library.

Smiling, Celestia browsed some of the titles that lined the curved walls. It was a fine collection for a town this size. Everything from cookbooks to magical reference guides were contained within a single oak tree. It would be a shame to keep it from the Ponyville citizens for six days of the week. Celestia was more determined than ever to see Twilight become this town's librarian – and perhaps, down the road, gain enough experience to take on a leadership role in Ponyville and beyond.

Celestia just had to trust that her pupil would know what to do when the time was right.

Yes, everything was in place. Twilight needed only gentle encouragement.

A few days before the summer solstice, Celestia decided that perhaps it was finally time to ease her student into learning the truth about Luna and the Elements of Harmony. She was still reluctant to do so after Sunset Shimmer's reaction, but time was running out. Either Twilight would be informed of the facts before Nightmare Moon's return, or the world would most likely fall to eternal darkness. So Celestia left a book titled The Legend of the Two Sisters on the shelf where the librarians set out their books of the month, front and center for everypony to see. Twilight wouldn't fail to notice it – unless, of course, another pony checked it out before Twilight saw it.

Next, Celestia wrote a letter, trying to predict what her protege's reaction to the legend would be. Her tone was as casual and light as possible – after all, if she fed Twilight's anxiety, it would be more difficult for the girl to make friends with the other Bearers. Celestia even told Twilight to stop reading those dusty old books. It was good that she had already read them, of course, but there was a time to stop reading and start doing.

Three days later, Celestia received a letter in a burst of green flames. It was Spike's writing, but Twilight's panic was evident through the words. She stated that Nightmare Moon would return in two days, which surely meant that something really bad would happen. Her reaction was very close to Celestia's prediction. Her student was right about one thing, however: there was no time to waste.

So when Twilight asked to see Celestia face to face, Celestia declined with the excuse that she was too busy preparing for the Summer Sun Celebration. She wanted to explain everything to her student, but there simply wasn't time. Celestia had already kept Twilight in Canterlot longer than she should have. Besides, she was still uncertain how her pupil would react to learning the whole truth. And so she wrote one last note:

My faithful student,

I will meet you in Ponyville on the summer solstice and we can talk then. For now, I need you to do this for me. I need you to make sure the solstice goes off without a hitch.

Yours truly,

Princess Celestia.

With a sigh, she cast the spell to send her note to Spike. Twilight would have to rely on her new friends, from that moment on. She did not need her mentor anymore – not as much as she once did, at least. Her student would find her own way, as all ponies did.

Author's Note

Yeah, Celestia's reply to Twilight's first note came so quickly that she would've had to write most of it in advance.

I re-watched the first episode for inspiration and it was jarring to see how rude Twilight acted toward Spike. She still had a lot to learn about friendship at this point.