Aeterna Solara - The Dawn of a New Equestria

"So, what is it you wanted to talk about?" Aurelius asked. The sun's rays poured in from the open door of his balcony and scattered across the furnishings in his room, their glow rivaling that of the king himself.

"That song you share with the moon," Celestia said. "Galaxia's eulogy, is it not? Such a profound and touching verse."

"Indeed..." Aurelius said, "... and yes. Poetry of my own creation, made into music by our subjects. Why do you ask?"

"In a dream, I heard the hymns of a people grieving. I saw a son and father distraught, and I saw the sky fall upon the remains of a once thriving lady. Her tomb was here in Canterlot, all this time."

Aurelius withdrew his stance and gave the nearby window a pensive stare. "My mother's funeral. Thousands of suns have danced across the sky, and endless lifetimes have since passed since Galaxia was lost, and yet the memory remains fresh in my mind, raw like the morning dew."

"Lost to the living, perhaps, but still bound by her fate to this earth. Galaxia has become a wraith, hasn't she, Father? Is this why you withheld her true death from your daughters?"

"For two thousand years I've searched for her spectral form, all in vain. Not even Lucretia has been able to locate her. But when I sing to her, I feel as though she is singing back. For one short moment, I feel close to her again." Aurelius turned and met eyes with Celestia. "I am sorry that I never told either of you about this. I wanted you to grow up with a happy memory of Lady Galaxia, rather than a chance to dwell on a terrible fate."

"I do wonder when you intended to tell either of us," Celestia said, "But I suppose I can understand. A lifetime of sadness, a childhood wrought by uncertainty and shadow is a curse no light or love can lift."

"A dark thought, indeed. A thought that I had never considered, in fact, but true nonetheless. I suspect that these dreams are a gift of Galaxia, her attempt at contacting you. It leaves me wondering, though, why she would grant you and not her own son this privilege." Aurelius let out a breath of contemplation, and his eyes darted back and forth around the floor.

"I'm afraid I could not give you the answer, Father, but there are other matters concerning me. You know now of Silver Brighthoof's noble ideals and of his quest to help us rid the world of evil, but he knows not what he stumbles into. He has not the skill or reflex of a hardened warrior, nor the sharpened mind of a wisened adventurer. I would hope that you can help to hone his ability, to steady his hand and to ready his mind for what's to come."

"You ask that I would share with this mortal stallion my ages of knowledge and artistry of combat," Aurelius said, returning eye contact with Celestia. "I still do not understand why you have chosen this musician as your betrothed, but I'm at least happy that he makes you happy. For your sake, I shall teach him what I know. But we have not the time to do it here. Along the way, perhaps."

"You don't mean...?" Celestia softly gasped. Her heart fluttered; her father had seemingly intended to follow them on their venture.

"I shall be accompanying you on your quest," Aurelius said with a smile. "To help Silver as best as I can, if he is truly to be with you for all of his days. To help you, if you will truly meet our nemesis."

"Oh, thank you!" Celestia leaped into Aurelius' arms and gave him a hug, causing him to laugh in return. "You've saved me from yet one more awkward request."

"I promised that I would help in any way I could," Aurelius said, holding Celestia's delicate shoulders. "Even if it means I must leave the comfort of my home to protect the welfare of my keep."

"With you, our enemies stand no chance." Celestia beamed at her father's shining countenance, and he reciprocated.

"I expect that Lucretia and Silver are waiting for us by this point," Aurelius said. He made his way to the door and left his quarters, with Celestia turning to follow him.

"Oh, and Celestia, as you may have noticed, I had to raise the sun for you this morning." Celestia stopped and looked outside, then back to Aurelius with a slight look of guilt. "I managed to bring it into the sky in time, but I will not always be around to cover for you. I understand that you were in a predicament last night, but you must be careful not to shirk your responsibilities."

"Yes, Father... I'm sorry."

"You are forgiven. Come, our company awaits us." Together they ventured down the tower into the throne room, as the poet and the seeress made their entrance.

The first sight that caught Aurelius' eye as Silver appeared were the jewels that now adorned his neck; upon his chest now lied the crafts of his forebears, the spiraling sun forged of silver and encrusted with ruby gems, gifted by Lucretia as a token of protection. Aurelius had not seen this adornment worn or used in many centuries, and its memory left a shockwave that coursed through him. "The Amulet of Magnus... entrusted to you, Silver Brighthoof, it is quite a kingly gift. Please use it well, and know that the spirits of its artisans precede you."

"Oh..." Silver said, taking the pendant into one hoof and examining it. "I won't let you down. I'm honored to be its new owner."

"It will keep him safe through his travels," Lucretia said. "When all hope fades, the illuminating light of Magnus will show him the way."

"And I will show him my own ways," Aurelius said, standing face to face with Silver. "I will stand by you both as you meet with the Changelings and their queen. You will make a fighter yet."

"Y-you?" Silver shook slightly out of nerve. "You're going to be training me? And coming with us?" Aurelius nodded with a smile. "There must be others more worthy of your help than me, my King." Silver lowered his head.

"No one is more worthy than you, Silver son of Lazarus, for if you were unworthy of my guidance, I would not have offered it. Trust in me, and my word, and you will change for the better."

Silver looked back upon Aurelius, and upon seeing his bright golden eyes, all uncertainty washed from his being. There was an unknown magic to this alicorn's character, a magic meant to inspire hope and warmth to all in his presence. Silver regained his confidence, and met Aurelius with a proud stance. "You won't be disappointed, King Aurelius. If you allow it, I will learn to become Equestria's greatest warrior."

"I know you will."

"Where do we make from here?" Celestia asked. "I have my eyes set on the frozen south, the Changeling Queen's lair. A teleportation spell should get us there quickly."

"That is indeed our path," Aurelius said. "But we cannot teleport there. Silver is in need of training, and something tells me he isn't too keen on teleporting, being an earth pony."

"You've got that right. Tia and I teleported here, and I felt like I was going to lose my breakfast. Maybe we could take one of those fancy airships you Canterlot ponies use around here?"

"Not a bad idea..." Aurelius said, rubbing his chin softly with his hoof. "Gallius!" At once, Gallius the decorated captain appeared and stood before Aurelius, poised and ready for orders. "Have a zeppelin ready for us by tomorrow morning. We shall be venturing southward." Gallius nodded and bowed, and then made his exit. "In the meantime, I expect you will both be wanting some warm food. Will you join us in the dining hall?" Aurelius started in the direction of the dining area.

"I could go for a nice bit of lunch this time around," Silver said.

"Me too," Celestia said, and they both began to follow Aurelius. Lucretia followed shortly behind.

Celestia's quill scribbled across the bit of parchment that lay on the dining table before her; a list of directives and decrees to be sent to Canterlot's governing bodies for her new emergency orders. Her eye focused intently on her writing, and more than once she paused and re-read her work before continuing. Silver sat next to her and watched her write out of curiosity. A noticeable bout of stress poured from Celestia's face, as she sighed many times amid her legislation. Silver noticed this, and began to rub her back, an action that helped to relieve her even if only slightly.

Celestia then added her signature to the document and poured a healthy amount of candle wax beside it, which she then stamped with the House of Magnus royal seal. A house representative waited from behind, and graciously accepted the document once Celestia was finished with it.

"I get the feeling this will eventually be a daily thing for you," Silver said softly.

"It will, yes, but it is a labor of love. I wish only for the safety and happiness of every pony under my rule, and if this what is required of me, then so be it."

"You could possibly have waited until after lunch though, right?"

"Oh, this is a perfectly normal thing for my family. We read through our daily agendas during breakfast, sign off orders and documents during lunch, and invite dignitaries to debate over dinner."

"Hmm... sounds rough, honestly. Have you never had just a normal, relaxing dinner with your family?"

"On occasion, when my parents needed a break. Until my coronation, it was a responsibility that rested solely on my parents' shoulders. Now it shall be mine and Luna's as well."

"I'll admit I don't know much about running a nation, but I can imagine it'll be really stressful for you. Even if I can't offer any input, I'll always be there for you if you need me."

"Oh, Silver..." Celestia took Silver's hoof into her own two hooves, and a bright glow spread across their faces. "That is all I could ever ask of you."

Aurelius observed them from his seat at the end of the table, remaining silent. He could sense the love in their eyes, having now seen it up close. Just as Celestia and Silver leaned in for a kiss, the door to the kitchen swung open, and they made a startled withdrawal from their moment of romance.

A familiar mare stepped out with a cart full of food, humming idly, and stopped beside the table. "Good afternoon, everyone! For today we've prepared some risotto, prepared with mushrooms, white wine, shallots, chives, and Parmesan with saffron and a nice vegetable broth."

Night later fell upon Equestria, and Celestia laid the sun to rest. The bustle of Canterlot faded to the songs of crickets and the cool softness of the brisk night air. Silver felt no desire to sleep, and instead took his time to explore the castle. His venture led him past the throne room and through the library, where the moonlight shone upon countless tomes through the windows.

Silver found his way through a number of corridors and hallways until he reached the courtyard of the castle. The moon created a soft pale glow on his coat as he set foot outside, and there he came upon Aurelius, who had seated himself at the far end overlooking the lands at the seat of the mountain. Aurelius, whose red and yellow hues contrasted sharply with the cool blues of the night sky, turned his head slightly after noticing Silver's presence. "You should be resting," he said. "We have a long journey ahead of us, a long ways to go."

"You should get some sleep too, then," Silver said.

Aurelius stayed silent for a moment, and resumed his watchful eye on the settlements below him. "Sleep has escaped me for many moons, Silver Brighthoof. I know not of its comforts, save for a taste in the quiet hours of the early morn. There is too much to think about, and not enough that my dreaming can satisfy."

"That doesn't sound healthy," Silver said, taking a seat by Aurelius' side. "You should try, at least." The trees whistled softly around them, and their leaves dropped softly onto the stone paths below them.

"I am flattered that you care, but you needn't worry about me. Through day and through night, I will carry on. From the songbirds of early dawn to the fireflies of twilight breaking, here I will always stand."

"So, what do you do at night then, if you don't get much sleep?"

"As I said, I have a lot to ponder. I spend the nights lost in my thoughts. Thoughts of the past, thoughts of the present, thoughts of what may be. I think often of my daughters, and the great things I see in them both. Luna as a lady of dreams, and Celestia as a beacon of warmth and guidance for every mare and stallion on this earth." Aurelius broke his gaze and focused his glowing eyes on Silver, and the corners of his mouth turned upward. "She is very fond of you, as I'm sure you know. She has spoken of you many times."

"I know, and I love her, too. I can imagine already what she's said about me. But what I'd like to know is what you've said."

"The mystery of the love you both share eludes me." Aurelius shifted his eyes back and forth across the various features of the darkened lands outside of their reach. "I have told her thus far that there is no future for you together. She will outlive you by a great many generations, and I had predicted nothing more than an eternity of grief for her if she falls in love with you."

"An eternity of grief, or perhaps an eternity of legacy? Maybe you've only focusing on the negatives? I've said this already to Celestia. What if she spends the rest of her life with me in her memory, and what if she gets to watch our descendants grow and have children of their own?"

"You still need to convince me that you are right for my daughter, Silver Brighthoof. There is one thing yet that I have not told her, for the sake of her own happiness, and it will rest greatly on how suitable you are for her. Thankfully, I will have the chance to spend time with both you and Celestia, and I shall see if you are destined to be with her."

"What is it? I won't tell, don't worry."

"I'm sorry, but will not grant you any secrets to keep from Celestia. You will find out in due time."

"Well, I hope it's a good enough secret for you to keep from her."

"Everything I do, I do out of love for my daughter." Aurelius stood, and started for the inside doors out of the courtyard. "I'm going to retire to my quarters for the night. You should get some rest, Silver Brighthoof. Tomorrow we make for the southern reaches, and your training will begin."

Silver was then left alone, as the glow of the fiery king left him and the shadowy foliage behind. His mane flowed with the breeze, his icy eyes fixed on Aurelius as he made his exit. Silver's mind held nothing more at that moment than what that secret might be, what Aurelius might have found necessary to keep from Celestia.

Silver shook his head in defeat, and returned inside to Celestia's quarters to rest for the night. She invited him into her soft velvety bed to sleep, and Silver accepted her invitation eagerly. He closed his eyes, and he slowly drifted away into the realm of dreams.