Infinitas Exemplumby Riku006ChaptersPainful ReminderA Sister's RequestSunshine in PonyvillePainful ReminderThe crowd of ponies stood at the edge of Ponyville, some clearly trying to stay awake as they waited by the stage for the sun to rise. The entire town had gathered, braving the slight chill on the wind, seeing the moon set and the stars begin to fade in the path of the coming dawn. And in-front of them all, standing in excited anticipation by the stage, was Twilight Sparkle and her friends. Pinkie Pie was barely containing the excitement, unlike the calm and collected Fluttershy next to her. Rainbow Dash and Applejack waited patiently, smiling as they shared a laugh over Rarity’s extravagant hat, which blocked the view for a few unfortunate ponies behind her. But the most excited of all was Twilight, for this very sight was what inspired her to practice magic in the first place, the reason for her cutie mark and subsequent being made the student of the Princess herself. As the sky to the east began to tinge orange, she walked onto the stage. She appeared radiant as always, as if she was the light source of the world, not the sun. Taking a wide stance, she spread her wings and lowered her head, concentrating on everypony and everything around her. She felt the earth and all its energy, even through the stage beneath her hooves, she felt the wind – west north-westerly based on the direction – as it filtered through each and every feather. As all of this was done, she also summoned all the power within her, and channelled it up into her horn, concentrating hard as she felt her magic now reaching across the immeasurable gap between the world and the sun. Feeling the connection, she took a few powerful flaps and was airborne within seconds. As she rose, hooves outstretched, she felt the warmth of the sun as she reached out to it, willing it to move. As she rose higher, the sun, much like it had for millennia, answered her call and followed her lead, ascending above the horizon and spreading its rays of light across the land and sky. She came to a stop in the sky, before a pillar with a sun insignia resting atop it. She stretched out her wings, the light from the sun filtering through her feathers as it shone from behind her, casting an amber silhouette in-front of it. She descended slowly as the ceremony came to a conclusion and before the joyous ponies of Ponyville stood their Princess, her white coat gleaming in the sunlight and her mane and tail flowing in the solar breeze radiated by her celestial counterpart. As other ponies began celebrating the longest day of the year, Princess Celestia smiled as her faithful student approached, and she smothered a laugh as she spied the young dragon sleeping on Twilights’ back. But a scream ruined it all. Celestia’s head whipped around in an instant to see a beige earth pony with a red mane and tail and a rose for a cutie mark pointing a hoof to the sky, her eyes wide and rife with fear. Celestia turned to see why as more ponies began to emit sounds of panic and terror. And, for one infinitely rare moment, Celestia could not comprehend what she saw. The sun had risen, so the ceremony had indeed worked, but now, without any explanation or reason, the sun was expanding, blotting out more and more of the sky as the temperature and light increased. If this were to continue, the crops of farming ponies would surely be lost, and the risk of forest fires would soon raise its head. Celestia made haste, soaring into the sky towards the near-blinding light, focusing her power once more and concentrating as she willed the sun to cease, to return to its original state and leave the ponies below be. But as she reached out once more, a sharp stabbing pain struck her mind, and rendered her paralysed as the light and heat overtook her, blinding her before her vision faded to darkness. Groaning, the first sensation Celestia felt was pain, and lots of it. Her entire body ached, though the epicentre focused on her forehead and horn. This must be what it feels like to break a horn, Celestia mused to herself as she moved, causing more pain. Lifting her head off the ground, she opened her eyes, expecting to still see the blinding light that had engulfed her. Instead, there was darkness. As Celestia stood, waiting for her eyes to adjust, she realised she was missing the shoe of her right fore-hoof, and felt the grass beneath her. It felt strange... like a fire had charred it to dust. And the air carried a smell from distant times, of large amounts of smoke. Fears beginning to emerge in her mind, Celestia forced her eyes open, disregarding the pain she felt. Upon doing so, however, she instantly wished she hadn’t and something began creeping into her heart, a feeling she hadn’t felt in a long time; pure dread. The sky was dark, barely any light shining through from behind darkened clouds, and off in the distance, a pillar of smoke rose to meet it, the glow from beneath it indicating a fire of mammoth proportions. Everything that was once green was now charcoal grey. Every tree that still stood was now a blackened corpse, leafless and lifeless. But it wasn’t these sights that gripped at Celestia’s heart. It was the ponies. Stretching into the distance were the bodies of ponies, many of whom were at the Summer Sun Celebration, lying prone on the ground... Not one of them was breathing. Some had large scorch marks pocketing their coats, while others had gaping gashes dug into their bodies, the flies already flocking to them. Celestia’s mind began racing. H-How did this happen? Did-Did I do this? No, she shook her head. This couldn’t have been my doing. Something attacked me, and then the sun... As she surveyed the landscape around her, noting the remains of Ponyville in the distance, an important fact emerged from the fog of her mind. “Twilight,” She whispered and immediately opened her wings, which groaned and ached in complaint. But before the Princess could attempt a take-off, she heard something behind her, the sound of rustling grass. Celestia turned, prepared to defend herself from whatever monster had done this to her beloved ponies, but all of her momentum froze when she saw... him. Before her stood a royal blue stallion with white hooves emerging from his coat, and a slightly dark orange mane and tail. He stood tall, barely a few centimetres shorter than Luna, and his body lean, but muscular, while his eyes were a dark emerald in colour and on his flank was a shield, with a sword and shooting star crossing behind it. Celestia could not stop herself from staring, her mouth agape at the sight. “C-Cobalt?” She asked, her voice betraying the feelings of confusion, sadness and surprisingly joy all at the same time. “Cobalt Shield, is it you?” She stepped forward, inching closer to the pony she knew, the one who at times she would see in her dreams, her old friend. But as she raised a hoof to touch his face, he stepped back, a smile forming on his face, one too sinister to belong to a friend of Celestia. “Not quite,” He replied, though Celestia gasped at the voice. It wasn’t his, it was too cold, too callous, and in one swift movement, the Cobalt impersonator summoned a razor-sharp cone of magic around his horn, black in colour and outlined in red, and pierced Celestia in the right shoulder. With a shriek of pain, the Sun Princess fell to the ground, writhing in pain as her beautiful white coat was stained crimson, blood beginning to flow profusely from her wound. “Ah, it’s been too long since I’ve heard that sound,” The being pretending to be Cobalt gloated, sneering at Celestia. “But you’re moving too much to let me see it. Hold still.” His horn glowed once more, and Celestia became immobilised within his magical aura. But it was different. Every inch of her that was sore from before now flared in pain, as if every pore was being skewered. It took all of her strength not to slip into unconsciousness as the aura was lifted and she was left shaking on the ground. Whether it was in fear, anger or a mixture of those two was uncertain, as the pain roared throughout Celestia’s body, drowning out almost everything else. “Who, who are you?” Celestia asked weakly as she glared up at her assailant, though it was clearly an underwhelming stare. “Why... do this?” “You’ve forgotten me?” The pony replied in mock shock, putting a hoof to his chest. “Why Princess, I’m hurt. How could you forget the face of your oldest friend?” As he finished, his coat began changing colour, dulling until it became a shade of metallic grey while his mane and tail darkened to a black darker than the highest point of Luna’s night. Then the whites of his eyes turned black as his once green irises became blood red. In a final change, his cutie mark burned off his flank in a blaze of purple flames, being replaced with a symbol made of blood red lines. The same symbol also appeared on his chest and forehead, the highest middle line running the length of his horn. As the changes ceased, Celestia felt her eyes widen despite the exhaustion threatening to overwhelm her, as the fear in her heart returned and was joined by shock. She knew who he was, but the fact he was standing before her didn’t add up. “R-Ragnarok?” She asked in-between gasps, the pain of her wounds getting to her. “But.... But how? It, it hasn’t been-” “Five thousand years yet?” He finished for her, his wicked smile growing. “I thought I’d skip out early to pay you a visit. True I’ve only served a tenth of my sentence, but after my time spent in captivity, one year already feels like an eternity, let alone five thousand.” Celestia’s eyelids grew heavy as Ragnarok came closer, leering down at the weakened Princess. “I could kill you so easily right now, but you know how much I love giving creatures a fighting chance. So this is your one and only warning; in three days time, my sacrifices shall be chosen, and on the fourth, I shall escape my forsaken prison.” With that, Ragnarok began shifting back into Cobalt Shield, though the demonic eyes and glowing mark on his forehead remained. “You’d best hurry if you don’t wish to repeat what happened to poor Cobalt.” Those words reignited something within Celestia, a feeling she seldom entertained; Hatred. Ignoring the intense pain emanating from the hole in her shoulder, Celestia stood once more, glaring at the demon standing so smugly before her. “You...” She panted, focusing what magic she had left to her horn, “I... won’t... let you!” With that, the Princess fired a blast of golden energy, hoping to smite the foe once and for all. But when the beam made contact, the pony’s body disintegrated into dust, leaving a floating, smirking head looking back at her from within a cloud of dust. “Ah,” the demon chuckled, “These next few days are going to be fun.” As his face faded to dust as well, Ragnarok’s new form began charging at Celestia, entering her wound and radiating energy from within. Celestia roared in pain, covering the wound and shutting her eyes in an attempt block out the pain. When Celestia opened her eyes, she was greeted by darkness again for a split second before light burst in from two doors a short distance away. “Princess,” a familiar voice asked, worry evident in its tone, “Are you alright?” As the light filtered into the room, Celestia realised where she was; in her bedroom back at Canterlot. So, that was just a dream? But she knew that wasn’t right. She actually felt the pain. There was no gaping hole in her shoulder, but there was numbness where the wound was struck. She looked around, noticing her bed sheets were drenched in sweat, Philomena sat on her perch looking worriedly back at her, before turning her attention back to the guards. “Yes,” She lied, donning the smile she used during boring royal court meetings. “It was just a bad dream, nothing more.” The guards looked at each other before turning back to the Princess. “Is there anything we can do for you?” One asked. “Yes, please inform my sister that I wish to see her when I raise the sun. Also, could one of you bring Lieutenant Razorwing to see me? There’s something I need to discuss with him that cannot wait.” “Yes Your Highness,” The two replied simultaneously with a bow as the turned and left the room. Celestia, however, stood from her bed and walked to the doors of her balcony, looking out the glass-paned doors at the stars of her sisters’ sky. She sighed, not sure what else to do. “Mother,” Celestia whispered, “Please, watch over us.” A Sister's RequestCelestia looked up at the sky, watching the stars of her sister’s night begin to fade away. It was true what they said; the night was darkest just before the dawn. To the west, Luna’s moon had begun setting, adding to the temporary darkness. Celestia sighed, standing on the balcony of the tallest tower of the castle. Under normal circumstances she would look forward to performing her duty, but with the dream she had endured hours earlier, she was now nervous about raising the sun; something she hadn’t been since she was a filly. Focus Celestia, she mentally scolded herself, shaking her head as if in an attempt to wipe away the worries that plagued her. They persisted, but the Princess knew she couldn’t stall any longer, as ponies would soon start waking up, and there would be confusion about why the sun hadn’t risen. The hoof of blame would immediately swing towards Luna, and Celestia never wanted her sister seen in that light ever again. Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, Celestia spread her wings and extended all of her senses, feeling the various energies of the planet as she did in her dream. As she did this, her horn became illuminated in a golden hue of light as she reached out to the sun, willing it to move, and nothing else. With a few flaps, she was off the balcony and rising slowly. As she rose, the sky began changing colour, and she slowed her assent just a little, so as to appreciate it. It also served as an excuse to keep a wary eye on her celestial charge, in case her dream, no matter how unlikely, become reality. Slowly, the sun peaked across the eastern horizon, washing it in an orange glow that soon turned golden as any clouds lingering in the sky began turning pink. A smile crossed Celestia’s face, as though it was a simple trick of the light, she never tired of the sight of pink clouds floating above her, reminding the Princess of her foalhood mane and tail. I imagine Pinkie Pie would be waiting beneath that with a straw, Celestia thought to herself, remembering the party-throwing pony’s delight of chocolate rain during the revival of Discord. As the sun ascended higher with Celestia guided it, she realised just how foalish her worries had been. Even Ragnarok wasn’t strong enough to sever her connection to the sun, and the only reason he did so in the dream was because it was just that: a dream, where the imagination played while the body rested. Content that the sun would now take its path over Equestria without exploding into a blinding light of doom, Celestia now floated there, overlooking the now illuminated lands. Canterlot sprawled beneath her, perched on the mountainside and overlooking the magnificent River Mane far below, which resided in Whitetail Wood, a peaceful stretch of woods that were part of the Running of the Leaves during Autumn. The river weaved its way through the land, curving as it continued its path north-east before passing through a large gap in the mountains, known as the Phoenix Valley. After that, it continued heading north-east before exiting Equestrian borders. Directly east beyond the mountain range was the city of Fillydephia, the large city spread a fair distance before green hills came into sight once more. Further on were the smaller cities of Trottingham and Sydneigh, the latter being a favourite holiday spot for ponies wishing to head for the beach. Equestria’s borders continued onwards, until the edge of the country was hard to spot due to the sunlight of the morning sky. Turning north, Celestia spotted the northern-most town of St. Petershoof, where the northern barracks protected Equestria from any hooligans of the Gryphon Empire to the north of the border. They were not at war, but relations were always frigid between the two nations, and Celestia had had to show her authority in the face of arrogant gryphon generals. The Gryphon Empire was situated in a cold, mountainous region, so the Princess understood if there was some resentment towards ponykind for the eden in which they lived. The gryphons built their cities high on the side of the mountains, much like Canterlot in that regard, though they also had to contend with dragons that favoured caves in the mountains the gryphons colonise. Putting those thoughts aside, Celestia’s gaze turned west, and very close to Canterlot was the small dot on the land that was Ponyville, the home of her faithful student and seemingly the epicentre for all recent events, as well as the cloud town of Cloudsdale, which was responsible for the weather in this region of Equestria. Just southwest of that was the large Everfree Forest, which stretched down to barely a kilometre away from the southern shore to a small mountain range which halted its expansion. Resting in-between the forest and the shore was the city of Manehatten, the southern-most city in all of Equestria and a major metropolis not unlike Canterlot. Beyond that, the land became dryer and a tiny dark brown dot could be seen near a valley of green. Appleloosa, if Celestia wasn’t mistaken. Though she remembered signing the deeds that allowed the ponies to settle there, it wasn’t until Twilight’s friendship report that she knew what it was like over there. A small ways southeast of the town was Dodge Junction, another western town she’d learnt of from the letters. Also to the northwest was the cloud metropolis of Las Pegasus, the great cloud city renowned for producing the best Wonderbolts. Finally, Celestia’s gaze swung south, towards the wide, arching shores of the Great Equestrian Bight. A small thin line of land stretched across the far side of the sea. That was the Kingdom of Cevidaeus, the land of deer, reindeer, moose and elk. The landmass of their country was joined to Equestria by a thin stretch of earth, with another much larger expanse of water on the other side. As she landed back on the balcony, Celestia’s gaze was in the direction of the larger ocean to the west, knowing it was there she had sealed Ragnarok away all those centuries ago. Her thoughts briefly returned to her dream before lingering on Cobalt Shield. It was unknown how long she stood there. In all likelihood, it was a few minutes, but to Celestia it felt like an entire year could’ve have passed at that moment and she wouldn’t have noticed. “Sister?” A voice asked, freeing Celestia from her trance. She turned to see Luna standing a few feet away from her, the glittering blue mane of hers flowing like that of her sisters. Luna had bags forming underneath her eyes, a sign that the Night Court hadn’t been enjoyable. “Oh, Luna,” Celestia answered softly, a small smile forming. “You startled me. I guess I was still tired.” “I startled you?” Luna asked, tilting her head to the side much like Twilight would when presented with something incomprehensible. “You are the one that summoned me to meet you. What is it you wish to discuss?” Celestia turned to face her younger sister. “Yes, I needed to ask a favour of you.” Luna raised an eyebrow, prompting Celestia to hold back a giggle as she continued. “There is a matter of great importance that requires my attention, and I must handle this myself. Therefore, Luna, would you be so kind as to take my place for a few days?” To say Luna was shocked would be an understatement. Her jaw dropped for a second before she attempted to compose herself once more, with limited success. “M-Me?” She asked, pointing a hoof to the regalia resting around her neck and chest. “You want me... to take your place?” “For a few days yes. This will mean you’ll have to close the Night Court to fill in for me during the Day Court. And then there’s the matter of raising the sun.” Luna’s pupils narrowed to pinpricks. “T-T-The sun? Me? I-” Celestia raised a hoof to stop the stunned noises her sister was making before continuing. “I know this is a great increase of responsibility, but I know you can do it. You are the only pony that can.” Luna glanced at the sun before sitting, looking down at the balcony floor. “But, the sun has always been your charge. What if I can’t do it? Why must I bear your responsibility as well as my own?” “Luna,” Celestia said reassuringly, placing a hoof on the younger alicorn’s shoulder. “I wouldn’t ask this of you if I didn’t think you couldn’t handle the task. Besides,” Celestia’s smile returned, “I raised your moon for a thousand years. The least I can do to return the favour is allowing you to raise my sun for a few days. It’s not that much different than the moon, but I’ve left notes in my chambers in case you’re unsure how to proceed.” “But you still haven’t told me why you must leave.” Celestia sighed, and for a fraction Luna could see through her elder sister’s facade, and witness the fatigue withheld from the world. “Tia,” Luna asked, concern now filling her voice as she stood once more, moving closer to her sister. “What is troubling you?” “It’s nothing.” “Do not treat me like a filly Tia, I can see you are unwell.” Celestia looked back at her sister, and smiled in spite of her reason for this talk. “I’m sorry Luna. It’s just, I had a dream – no, a premonition last night, an unsettling one at that.” “What about, if you mind my asking?” A look of what appeared to be shame mixed with sadness fell across Celestia’s face as she closed her eyes. “...Ragnarok...” Celetsia didn’t need to see her sister’s reaction, as she imagined it would be the same as hers. Luna stood there, staring at the Sun Princess as her eyes widened and her head slightly shook back and forth. “B-But, that cannot be... You said the last time he returned was no more than five hundred years ago.” “I know, I asked the same questions myself. But it appears that recent events have sown enough negative energy to hasten his return.” “Recent events?” Luna asked, tilting her head in confusion once more. Celestia nodded. “Things such as the return of Nightmare Moon, Discord’s revival, and the Changeling invasion. These, along with border disputes with the gryphons, have generated negative energy faster than normal.” Luna’s ears lowered when her former self was mentioned. Guilt coiled itself inside her, making her feels worse. But when Luna looked back, she saw Celestia come close and nuzzle her, the kind smile once more on her face. “I’m sor-” “Luna,” Celestia interrupted, pulling back to look her little sister in the eye. “I don’t blame you for becoming Nightmare Moon because you couldn’t help it. You are not at fault. Let what happened go.” Luna looked down before nodding. “Okay... I’ll try, and I will try to be as good a leader as you have been.” Celestia’s smile widened a little. “That’s all I would ever ask for. But, before I go, there is one more thing you could do for me.” Celestia pulled a pleading face, causing the younger sister to giggle. “Anything,” Luna replied, smiling back at her silly elder sister. Sunshine in Ponyville“Ugh,” Saberspark yawned, leaning against the pegasus carriage in the private gardens at the palace. “How much longer do we have to wait?” The young colt was clearly upset about having being woken up so early in the morning for reasons he didn’t know of, and waiting around never sat well with him. “Saber,” his brother Brightspark replied, tiredness clear in his voice as well. “The Princess can take however long she wants. Besides, shouldn’t you be happy you’re not on patrol detail for once?” “Yeah,” Saber muttered lifting himself off the carriage as he began hovering using his wings. “But you’d think they’d tell us what we’re doing instead of keeping us in the dark.” “I’m sure the Princess and Lieutenant Razorwing have their reasons.” “You bet Starswirl’s beard we do.” A gruff voice answered them and the two turned to find an older pegasus stallion glaring at them. Lieutenant Razorwing’s dark grey coat and silver mane stood in contrast to the bright garden the two brothers waited in, while his golden eyes showed the strength of a warrior, and his cutie mark was a tornado with wings stretching from it. But the thing most ponies noticed first was the scar that ran across his left eye, which he got during a border scuffle with the gryphons. “Sir,” Saber and Bright said in surprised unison, standing at attention next to each other and saluting. Razorwing nodded before stepping aside, and out of the doorway he was next to came Princess Celestia, a small smile starting to form. “Your Highness,” the brothers said in unison again, this time bowing their heads. Celestia shook her head a little, though she still smiled. These two were fresh out of the Royal Guard academy, the first brothers to graduate in the same year if she remembered correctly. Saberspark was a pegasus with a pure white coat, almost like her own, and he wore his navy blue mane in a style where the middle was gelled up while the rest fell naturally. On his flank was a cutie mark showing a wing with the end feather shining at the tip. From what she had heard, he was an energetic colt who wished to prove himself in the field, instead of stand on guard duty like most Royal Guards. His brother Brightspark, on the other hand, was his opposite in nearly every aspect. He was a navy blue unicorn with a short cropped silver mane while his cutie mark was a four-pointed star with a quill standing vertical in the middle, said to represent his tactical prowess. Unlike his brother, Bright was attentive and reserved, as well as a quick thinker. Some ponies had rumoured he had what it takes to become the next Captain of the Royal Guard. “There is no need for formalities, Saberspark and Brightspark,” She said, forcing them to look back at her. “Especially not on the mission we now find ourselves tasked with.” “But,” Saberspark spoke up nervously. “What is the mission, if you don’t mind me asking?” “We’ll fill you in on the way,” Razorwing said sternly. “Now take off that armour and saddle up.” The brothers looked at each other in confusion, then to the Princess for answers. “This is a covert mission,” Celestia elaborated. “Only my sister knows where we will be exactly, so that we do not draw unwanted attention to ourselves.” “Forgive me if I sound rude, Your Highness,” Brightspark spoke up now as Saber got out of his armour. “But you’re not exactly a pony that can get lost in a crowd.” “Brightspark,” Razorwing chided him, but Celestia raised a hoof to stop him. “He does have a point Razorwing,” She stated, turning back to the young unicorn. “That is why I must appear a common pony like you.” As Celestia stepped back, the brothers now realised she wasn’t wearing any of her regalia, not even her crown. Spreading her wings, the Princess summoned a sphere of light at the tip of her horn the size of a ball. It then split in two, circling around the Princess slowly until it encompassed her completely. The orb of light shone brightly for a moment before vanishing, and the guards pull their hooves away to see what happened. As the small amount of smoke cleared, two jaws dropped at the sight. Standing in place of Princess Celestia was a tall mare, her coat still pure white but her mane and tail were now as they were when she was a filly; a shade of pink bar a streak of gold she had added for the fun of it. Her wings had vanished and her cutie mark was now a cloud with rays of sunlight streaming down from it. “So,” Celestia’s new form asked with a smile, “How do I look?” Razorwing smiled, but Saber and Bright were still stunned at the transformation. “P-Perfect...” Bright replied as he quickly composed himself and smacked Saber in the back of the head to stop him from staring. “Ouch, what was that for?” “Don’t stare at the Princess.” “You were staring at her too.” “Was not!” “Were too!” As they bickered, Razorwing came over to Celestia’s side. “Are you sure about choosing them, Your Highness? I mean, they’ve never had anything besides guard duty and they’re definitely not the best fighters.” “But that isn’t what I chose them for.” Celestia answered, looking back at the veteran soldier. “Their youth could help in our cause. And they wish to prove themselves, this is their opportunity.” “I still say you should’ve let me chose your escorts.” “Oh,” Celestia’s cheeky grin emerged. “You wanted us to be alone together, didn’t you? You naughty soldier you.” “What?” Razorwing nearly shouted, flustered as his outburst stop the brothers arguing. “No, Princess, I’d never-” He stopped when Celestia held up her hoof up, softly giggling at her playful joke. “I’m kidding. Now then,” She said, calming down. “Shall we be off then?” Saberspark nodded and ran around the carriage, strapping himself into the left station while Razorwing flew over and took the right. Brightspark finished taking off the golden armour he was wearing and hopped into the carriage, followed calmly by Celestia. “So,” Saberspark asked with a confident grin, “Where to?” “To Manehatten, as fast as possible,” was Celestia’s reply. Razorwing nodded and he and Saberspark soon had the carriage in the air, soaring away from Canterlot. Celestia took one glace back, catching Luna on one of the balconies watching them go. It saddened Celestia to leave so much on Luna’s shoulders, but nothing could be done about it. I’ll make it up to you, Celestia thought to herself, making a mental note, I promise. Soon the group had left Canterlot airspace and were now nearing the skies above Ponyville. Celestia could already see the vast expanse of trees that belonged to Sweet Apple Acres, and soon the whole town came into view. Though the Princess had travelled there by carriage before, she had never seen the small town from this angle. As she spotted the tree that served as the town library, Celestia suddenly had the urge to shout IDEA, much like Twilight told her how Rarity did when hit with inspiration. “Lieutenant,” She called out over the wind, “Land us near the edge of town. There’s something I need to do.” Though he didn’t look back, Celestia could see the old stallion nod, and help steer the carriage down to the ground. With a soft thud, the two pegasi brought them to a gentle stop, un-strapping themselves from the carriage harness. “Brightspark, would you accompany me into town? There’s somepony I need to speak with.” “Yes Your Highness,” He replied as he jumped off the carriage. “Don’t say that,” Razorwing snapped. “We can’t let anyone know it’s her.” “Razorwing is right,” Celestia agreed, though in a more diplomatic tone. “While we’re in public, please call me Sunshine.” Bright raised an eyebrow and the mention of the name made Saber, who was now resting against a tree, look at the Princess. “I admit it’s not a very original name,” Celestia smiled. “But it’s a false name I’ve grown attached to.” Bright just shrugged and nodded. “We shouldn’t be too long,” she went on, turning to Razorwing, “Though this may hamper our progress to Manehatten.” “It’s fine,” he replied. “If need be, we can camp.” “Very well then. Brightspark, shall we?” “So, this is Ponyville, huh?” Bright said more to himself as he and the disguised Princess walked down the main street. He looked around at the straw-roofed houses, and saw lots of ponies out enjoying themselves in the park. “Seems like a nice place.” “It certainly is,” Celestia said, using her magic to slightly alter the tone of her voice so nopony would recognise her. “I’ve often wondered if I could escape my royal duties for just a moment like this, to walk among my little ponies without the hassle of being Princess.” “Do you... dislike ruling?” Bright asked, though his voice was more a whisper at the end. Celestia shook her head. “No, but sometimes being a Princess doesn’t allow me to be myself. I have to present myself properly; otherwise it would be a big scandal back in Canterlot.” “I see,” Bright replied, going back to looking around town. It was only now he noticed that other ponies were staring at them. No, not them, her. Bright understood though. Even when disguised, the Princess was a stunning mare to behold. Celestia catch him watching before he turned away, blushing knowing it was too late. “Come on,” Celestia said, smiling at the young stallion. “We need to reach the library.” As Celestia stepped forward to knock on the door, Brightspark looked up at the large tree, seeing the number of windows and balconies among the branches. It wasn’t long, however, before the door was opened by a purple aura. Standing before them was a lavender unicorn with a purple mane and tail, striped with a lighter shade of purple and pink. Brightspark was face to face with Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic and Princess Celestia’s personal student. “Oh, hello,” She said with a smile. “Can I help you?” “Yes,” the Princess replied. “May we come in?” The young mare stood back letting them in, and Bright couldn’t help but look around the interior. Every spare space on the walls was a bookshelf, and each of those was full to the brim with books on all manner of subjects. It wasn’t until the door closed behind them that he snapped out of it and stood by the window, standing on lookout. “So,” Twilight asked again, “What can I help you with? I’m a little behind schedule since my assistant’s out with a friend.” “Oh really,” a playful smile played on the Princess’ features. “Do you think he’ll propose to Rarity?” “I doubt he’d do something like that so sud-” Twilight stopped and stared at the apparent stranger. “How do you Spike and Rarity?” Bright turned back to see Celestia turn side on to Twilight and close her eyes in concentration. Her horn glowed in a golden light for a moment as the illusion spell receded around her flank, revealing the royal sun cutie mark. As soon as the point was made Celestia re-applied her disguise, the false cutie mark returning once more. Twilight’s mouth hung open for a moment before she could even speak. “P-Princess? What are you doing here? Why didn’t you write? If I’d known you were coming I’d...” Twilight’s eyes shunk, but before she could continue her frantic worrying Celestia placed a hoof to her student’s mouth. “I’m afraid I can’t explain Twilight, but I would like to ask a favour of you.” “Of course. What is it?” “Since Spike is currently absent, you’ll have to take this note for me. I wish to contact my sister.” Twilight was about to ask a question, but though against it. Something had to be up for Celestia to handle something personally, especially if she was in disguise. Twilight disappeared in a flash and then re-appeared a second later, paper and quill levitating at the ready. Celestia nodded as she began. “Dear Luna. I am writing to say that I have decided to send Twilight Sparkle and her friends to Canterlot. Please send of a couple of carriages for them. They can help you rule the kingdom in my stead for the next few days, and if necessary, help defend the city with the Elements.” Twilight stopped reading as more questions kept raising their head inside hers. Why is Princess Luna in charge of the day court? And why would we need to use the Elements again? Is Equestria in danger? Somepony clearing their throat snapped Twilight out of her train of thought to reveal both Brightspark and Celestia waiting for her to continue writing. “Oh, sorry,” the young mare whispered, blushing. “And as for the spell you cast,” Celestia continued, “I am aware what of what may happen. But given the alternative, I am willing to take that risk. Your Sister, Celestia.” Twilight set the quill down on the table while rolling the letter up and looking back to her teacher. “Princess, I don’t understand. What’s happening, and why do my friends and I have to go to Canterlot?” “I wish I could say Twilight,” Celestia replied, the internal conflict to explain everything clear on her face. “But as I said, I’m afraid I can’t. I must be at the southern borders of Equestria within the next few days. “However, I will say something important has arisen, something that needs my undivided attention. I’ve left Luna in charge of the Day Court, but I think she’ll need some help.” Twilight looked uncertain, but nodded nonetheless. She wasn’t the type of pony to ignore a request from the Princess. “Alright Princess.” A smile returned to Celestia’s face before a large gale blew past the street outside, sending stray leaves and somepony’s hat flying. Racing outside, Twilight and Brightspark could see two trails quickly zooming across the sky; one dark blue, the other a rainbow. “Looks like Rainbow Dash’s racing again,” Twilight stated with a smile. “I don’t know who she’s racing though.” “It’s my idiot brother,” Bright deadpanned, causing a slight chuckle from Celestia.
Painful ReminderThe crowd of ponies stood at the edge of Ponyville, some clearly trying to stay awake as they waited by the stage for the sun to rise. The entire town had gathered, braving the slight chill on the wind, seeing the moon set and the stars begin to fade in the path of the coming dawn. And in-front of them all, standing in excited anticipation by the stage, was Twilight Sparkle and her friends. Pinkie Pie was barely containing the excitement, unlike the calm and collected Fluttershy next to her. Rainbow Dash and Applejack waited patiently, smiling as they shared a laugh over Rarity’s extravagant hat, which blocked the view for a few unfortunate ponies behind her. But the most excited of all was Twilight, for this very sight was what inspired her to practice magic in the first place, the reason for her cutie mark and subsequent being made the student of the Princess herself. As the sky to the east began to tinge orange, she walked onto the stage. She appeared radiant as always, as if she was the light source of the world, not the sun. Taking a wide stance, she spread her wings and lowered her head, concentrating on everypony and everything around her. She felt the earth and all its energy, even through the stage beneath her hooves, she felt the wind – west north-westerly based on the direction – as it filtered through each and every feather. As all of this was done, she also summoned all the power within her, and channelled it up into her horn, concentrating hard as she felt her magic now reaching across the immeasurable gap between the world and the sun. Feeling the connection, she took a few powerful flaps and was airborne within seconds. As she rose, hooves outstretched, she felt the warmth of the sun as she reached out to it, willing it to move. As she rose higher, the sun, much like it had for millennia, answered her call and followed her lead, ascending above the horizon and spreading its rays of light across the land and sky. She came to a stop in the sky, before a pillar with a sun insignia resting atop it. She stretched out her wings, the light from the sun filtering through her feathers as it shone from behind her, casting an amber silhouette in-front of it. She descended slowly as the ceremony came to a conclusion and before the joyous ponies of Ponyville stood their Princess, her white coat gleaming in the sunlight and her mane and tail flowing in the solar breeze radiated by her celestial counterpart. As other ponies began celebrating the longest day of the year, Princess Celestia smiled as her faithful student approached, and she smothered a laugh as she spied the young dragon sleeping on Twilights’ back. But a scream ruined it all. Celestia’s head whipped around in an instant to see a beige earth pony with a red mane and tail and a rose for a cutie mark pointing a hoof to the sky, her eyes wide and rife with fear. Celestia turned to see why as more ponies began to emit sounds of panic and terror. And, for one infinitely rare moment, Celestia could not comprehend what she saw. The sun had risen, so the ceremony had indeed worked, but now, without any explanation or reason, the sun was expanding, blotting out more and more of the sky as the temperature and light increased. If this were to continue, the crops of farming ponies would surely be lost, and the risk of forest fires would soon raise its head. Celestia made haste, soaring into the sky towards the near-blinding light, focusing her power once more and concentrating as she willed the sun to cease, to return to its original state and leave the ponies below be. But as she reached out once more, a sharp stabbing pain struck her mind, and rendered her paralysed as the light and heat overtook her, blinding her before her vision faded to darkness. Groaning, the first sensation Celestia felt was pain, and lots of it. Her entire body ached, though the epicentre focused on her forehead and horn. This must be what it feels like to break a horn, Celestia mused to herself as she moved, causing more pain. Lifting her head off the ground, she opened her eyes, expecting to still see the blinding light that had engulfed her. Instead, there was darkness. As Celestia stood, waiting for her eyes to adjust, she realised she was missing the shoe of her right fore-hoof, and felt the grass beneath her. It felt strange... like a fire had charred it to dust. And the air carried a smell from distant times, of large amounts of smoke. Fears beginning to emerge in her mind, Celestia forced her eyes open, disregarding the pain she felt. Upon doing so, however, she instantly wished she hadn’t and something began creeping into her heart, a feeling she hadn’t felt in a long time; pure dread. The sky was dark, barely any light shining through from behind darkened clouds, and off in the distance, a pillar of smoke rose to meet it, the glow from beneath it indicating a fire of mammoth proportions. Everything that was once green was now charcoal grey. Every tree that still stood was now a blackened corpse, leafless and lifeless. But it wasn’t these sights that gripped at Celestia’s heart. It was the ponies. Stretching into the distance were the bodies of ponies, many of whom were at the Summer Sun Celebration, lying prone on the ground... Not one of them was breathing. Some had large scorch marks pocketing their coats, while others had gaping gashes dug into their bodies, the flies already flocking to them. Celestia’s mind began racing. H-How did this happen? Did-Did I do this? No, she shook her head. This couldn’t have been my doing. Something attacked me, and then the sun... As she surveyed the landscape around her, noting the remains of Ponyville in the distance, an important fact emerged from the fog of her mind. “Twilight,” She whispered and immediately opened her wings, which groaned and ached in complaint. But before the Princess could attempt a take-off, she heard something behind her, the sound of rustling grass. Celestia turned, prepared to defend herself from whatever monster had done this to her beloved ponies, but all of her momentum froze when she saw... him. Before her stood a royal blue stallion with white hooves emerging from his coat, and a slightly dark orange mane and tail. He stood tall, barely a few centimetres shorter than Luna, and his body lean, but muscular, while his eyes were a dark emerald in colour and on his flank was a shield, with a sword and shooting star crossing behind it. Celestia could not stop herself from staring, her mouth agape at the sight. “C-Cobalt?” She asked, her voice betraying the feelings of confusion, sadness and surprisingly joy all at the same time. “Cobalt Shield, is it you?” She stepped forward, inching closer to the pony she knew, the one who at times she would see in her dreams, her old friend. But as she raised a hoof to touch his face, he stepped back, a smile forming on his face, one too sinister to belong to a friend of Celestia. “Not quite,” He replied, though Celestia gasped at the voice. It wasn’t his, it was too cold, too callous, and in one swift movement, the Cobalt impersonator summoned a razor-sharp cone of magic around his horn, black in colour and outlined in red, and pierced Celestia in the right shoulder. With a shriek of pain, the Sun Princess fell to the ground, writhing in pain as her beautiful white coat was stained crimson, blood beginning to flow profusely from her wound. “Ah, it’s been too long since I’ve heard that sound,” The being pretending to be Cobalt gloated, sneering at Celestia. “But you’re moving too much to let me see it. Hold still.” His horn glowed once more, and Celestia became immobilised within his magical aura. But it was different. Every inch of her that was sore from before now flared in pain, as if every pore was being skewered. It took all of her strength not to slip into unconsciousness as the aura was lifted and she was left shaking on the ground. Whether it was in fear, anger or a mixture of those two was uncertain, as the pain roared throughout Celestia’s body, drowning out almost everything else. “Who, who are you?” Celestia asked weakly as she glared up at her assailant, though it was clearly an underwhelming stare. “Why... do this?” “You’ve forgotten me?” The pony replied in mock shock, putting a hoof to his chest. “Why Princess, I’m hurt. How could you forget the face of your oldest friend?” As he finished, his coat began changing colour, dulling until it became a shade of metallic grey while his mane and tail darkened to a black darker than the highest point of Luna’s night. Then the whites of his eyes turned black as his once green irises became blood red. In a final change, his cutie mark burned off his flank in a blaze of purple flames, being replaced with a symbol made of blood red lines. The same symbol also appeared on his chest and forehead, the highest middle line running the length of his horn. As the changes ceased, Celestia felt her eyes widen despite the exhaustion threatening to overwhelm her, as the fear in her heart returned and was joined by shock. She knew who he was, but the fact he was standing before her didn’t add up. “R-Ragnarok?” She asked in-between gasps, the pain of her wounds getting to her. “But.... But how? It, it hasn’t been-” “Five thousand years yet?” He finished for her, his wicked smile growing. “I thought I’d skip out early to pay you a visit. True I’ve only served a tenth of my sentence, but after my time spent in captivity, one year already feels like an eternity, let alone five thousand.” Celestia’s eyelids grew heavy as Ragnarok came closer, leering down at the weakened Princess. “I could kill you so easily right now, but you know how much I love giving creatures a fighting chance. So this is your one and only warning; in three days time, my sacrifices shall be chosen, and on the fourth, I shall escape my forsaken prison.” With that, Ragnarok began shifting back into Cobalt Shield, though the demonic eyes and glowing mark on his forehead remained. “You’d best hurry if you don’t wish to repeat what happened to poor Cobalt.” Those words reignited something within Celestia, a feeling she seldom entertained; Hatred. Ignoring the intense pain emanating from the hole in her shoulder, Celestia stood once more, glaring at the demon standing so smugly before her. “You...” She panted, focusing what magic she had left to her horn, “I... won’t... let you!” With that, the Princess fired a blast of golden energy, hoping to smite the foe once and for all. But when the beam made contact, the pony’s body disintegrated into dust, leaving a floating, smirking head looking back at her from within a cloud of dust. “Ah,” the demon chuckled, “These next few days are going to be fun.” As his face faded to dust as well, Ragnarok’s new form began charging at Celestia, entering her wound and radiating energy from within. Celestia roared in pain, covering the wound and shutting her eyes in an attempt block out the pain. When Celestia opened her eyes, she was greeted by darkness again for a split second before light burst in from two doors a short distance away. “Princess,” a familiar voice asked, worry evident in its tone, “Are you alright?” As the light filtered into the room, Celestia realised where she was; in her bedroom back at Canterlot. So, that was just a dream? But she knew that wasn’t right. She actually felt the pain. There was no gaping hole in her shoulder, but there was numbness where the wound was struck. She looked around, noticing her bed sheets were drenched in sweat, Philomena sat on her perch looking worriedly back at her, before turning her attention back to the guards. “Yes,” She lied, donning the smile she used during boring royal court meetings. “It was just a bad dream, nothing more.” The guards looked at each other before turning back to the Princess. “Is there anything we can do for you?” One asked. “Yes, please inform my sister that I wish to see her when I raise the sun. Also, could one of you bring Lieutenant Razorwing to see me? There’s something I need to discuss with him that cannot wait.” “Yes Your Highness,” The two replied simultaneously with a bow as the turned and left the room. Celestia, however, stood from her bed and walked to the doors of her balcony, looking out the glass-paned doors at the stars of her sisters’ sky. She sighed, not sure what else to do. “Mother,” Celestia whispered, “Please, watch over us.”
A Sister's RequestCelestia looked up at the sky, watching the stars of her sister’s night begin to fade away. It was true what they said; the night was darkest just before the dawn. To the west, Luna’s moon had begun setting, adding to the temporary darkness. Celestia sighed, standing on the balcony of the tallest tower of the castle. Under normal circumstances she would look forward to performing her duty, but with the dream she had endured hours earlier, she was now nervous about raising the sun; something she hadn’t been since she was a filly. Focus Celestia, she mentally scolded herself, shaking her head as if in an attempt to wipe away the worries that plagued her. They persisted, but the Princess knew she couldn’t stall any longer, as ponies would soon start waking up, and there would be confusion about why the sun hadn’t risen. The hoof of blame would immediately swing towards Luna, and Celestia never wanted her sister seen in that light ever again. Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, Celestia spread her wings and extended all of her senses, feeling the various energies of the planet as she did in her dream. As she did this, her horn became illuminated in a golden hue of light as she reached out to the sun, willing it to move, and nothing else. With a few flaps, she was off the balcony and rising slowly. As she rose, the sky began changing colour, and she slowed her assent just a little, so as to appreciate it. It also served as an excuse to keep a wary eye on her celestial charge, in case her dream, no matter how unlikely, become reality. Slowly, the sun peaked across the eastern horizon, washing it in an orange glow that soon turned golden as any clouds lingering in the sky began turning pink. A smile crossed Celestia’s face, as though it was a simple trick of the light, she never tired of the sight of pink clouds floating above her, reminding the Princess of her foalhood mane and tail. I imagine Pinkie Pie would be waiting beneath that with a straw, Celestia thought to herself, remembering the party-throwing pony’s delight of chocolate rain during the revival of Discord. As the sun ascended higher with Celestia guided it, she realised just how foalish her worries had been. Even Ragnarok wasn’t strong enough to sever her connection to the sun, and the only reason he did so in the dream was because it was just that: a dream, where the imagination played while the body rested. Content that the sun would now take its path over Equestria without exploding into a blinding light of doom, Celestia now floated there, overlooking the now illuminated lands. Canterlot sprawled beneath her, perched on the mountainside and overlooking the magnificent River Mane far below, which resided in Whitetail Wood, a peaceful stretch of woods that were part of the Running of the Leaves during Autumn. The river weaved its way through the land, curving as it continued its path north-east before passing through a large gap in the mountains, known as the Phoenix Valley. After that, it continued heading north-east before exiting Equestrian borders. Directly east beyond the mountain range was the city of Fillydephia, the large city spread a fair distance before green hills came into sight once more. Further on were the smaller cities of Trottingham and Sydneigh, the latter being a favourite holiday spot for ponies wishing to head for the beach. Equestria’s borders continued onwards, until the edge of the country was hard to spot due to the sunlight of the morning sky. Turning north, Celestia spotted the northern-most town of St. Petershoof, where the northern barracks protected Equestria from any hooligans of the Gryphon Empire to the north of the border. They were not at war, but relations were always frigid between the two nations, and Celestia had had to show her authority in the face of arrogant gryphon generals. The Gryphon Empire was situated in a cold, mountainous region, so the Princess understood if there was some resentment towards ponykind for the eden in which they lived. The gryphons built their cities high on the side of the mountains, much like Canterlot in that regard, though they also had to contend with dragons that favoured caves in the mountains the gryphons colonise. Putting those thoughts aside, Celestia’s gaze turned west, and very close to Canterlot was the small dot on the land that was Ponyville, the home of her faithful student and seemingly the epicentre for all recent events, as well as the cloud town of Cloudsdale, which was responsible for the weather in this region of Equestria. Just southwest of that was the large Everfree Forest, which stretched down to barely a kilometre away from the southern shore to a small mountain range which halted its expansion. Resting in-between the forest and the shore was the city of Manehatten, the southern-most city in all of Equestria and a major metropolis not unlike Canterlot. Beyond that, the land became dryer and a tiny dark brown dot could be seen near a valley of green. Appleloosa, if Celestia wasn’t mistaken. Though she remembered signing the deeds that allowed the ponies to settle there, it wasn’t until Twilight’s friendship report that she knew what it was like over there. A small ways southeast of the town was Dodge Junction, another western town she’d learnt of from the letters. Also to the northwest was the cloud metropolis of Las Pegasus, the great cloud city renowned for producing the best Wonderbolts. Finally, Celestia’s gaze swung south, towards the wide, arching shores of the Great Equestrian Bight. A small thin line of land stretched across the far side of the sea. That was the Kingdom of Cevidaeus, the land of deer, reindeer, moose and elk. The landmass of their country was joined to Equestria by a thin stretch of earth, with another much larger expanse of water on the other side. As she landed back on the balcony, Celestia’s gaze was in the direction of the larger ocean to the west, knowing it was there she had sealed Ragnarok away all those centuries ago. Her thoughts briefly returned to her dream before lingering on Cobalt Shield. It was unknown how long she stood there. In all likelihood, it was a few minutes, but to Celestia it felt like an entire year could’ve have passed at that moment and she wouldn’t have noticed. “Sister?” A voice asked, freeing Celestia from her trance. She turned to see Luna standing a few feet away from her, the glittering blue mane of hers flowing like that of her sisters. Luna had bags forming underneath her eyes, a sign that the Night Court hadn’t been enjoyable. “Oh, Luna,” Celestia answered softly, a small smile forming. “You startled me. I guess I was still tired.” “I startled you?” Luna asked, tilting her head to the side much like Twilight would when presented with something incomprehensible. “You are the one that summoned me to meet you. What is it you wish to discuss?” Celestia turned to face her younger sister. “Yes, I needed to ask a favour of you.” Luna raised an eyebrow, prompting Celestia to hold back a giggle as she continued. “There is a matter of great importance that requires my attention, and I must handle this myself. Therefore, Luna, would you be so kind as to take my place for a few days?” To say Luna was shocked would be an understatement. Her jaw dropped for a second before she attempted to compose herself once more, with limited success. “M-Me?” She asked, pointing a hoof to the regalia resting around her neck and chest. “You want me... to take your place?” “For a few days yes. This will mean you’ll have to close the Night Court to fill in for me during the Day Court. And then there’s the matter of raising the sun.” Luna’s pupils narrowed to pinpricks. “T-T-The sun? Me? I-” Celestia raised a hoof to stop the stunned noises her sister was making before continuing. “I know this is a great increase of responsibility, but I know you can do it. You are the only pony that can.” Luna glanced at the sun before sitting, looking down at the balcony floor. “But, the sun has always been your charge. What if I can’t do it? Why must I bear your responsibility as well as my own?” “Luna,” Celestia said reassuringly, placing a hoof on the younger alicorn’s shoulder. “I wouldn’t ask this of you if I didn’t think you couldn’t handle the task. Besides,” Celestia’s smile returned, “I raised your moon for a thousand years. The least I can do to return the favour is allowing you to raise my sun for a few days. It’s not that much different than the moon, but I’ve left notes in my chambers in case you’re unsure how to proceed.” “But you still haven’t told me why you must leave.” Celestia sighed, and for a fraction Luna could see through her elder sister’s facade, and witness the fatigue withheld from the world. “Tia,” Luna asked, concern now filling her voice as she stood once more, moving closer to her sister. “What is troubling you?” “It’s nothing.” “Do not treat me like a filly Tia, I can see you are unwell.” Celestia looked back at her sister, and smiled in spite of her reason for this talk. “I’m sorry Luna. It’s just, I had a dream – no, a premonition last night, an unsettling one at that.” “What about, if you mind my asking?” A look of what appeared to be shame mixed with sadness fell across Celestia’s face as she closed her eyes. “...Ragnarok...” Celetsia didn’t need to see her sister’s reaction, as she imagined it would be the same as hers. Luna stood there, staring at the Sun Princess as her eyes widened and her head slightly shook back and forth. “B-But, that cannot be... You said the last time he returned was no more than five hundred years ago.” “I know, I asked the same questions myself. But it appears that recent events have sown enough negative energy to hasten his return.” “Recent events?” Luna asked, tilting her head in confusion once more. Celestia nodded. “Things such as the return of Nightmare Moon, Discord’s revival, and the Changeling invasion. These, along with border disputes with the gryphons, have generated negative energy faster than normal.” Luna’s ears lowered when her former self was mentioned. Guilt coiled itself inside her, making her feels worse. But when Luna looked back, she saw Celestia come close and nuzzle her, the kind smile once more on her face. “I’m sor-” “Luna,” Celestia interrupted, pulling back to look her little sister in the eye. “I don’t blame you for becoming Nightmare Moon because you couldn’t help it. You are not at fault. Let what happened go.” Luna looked down before nodding. “Okay... I’ll try, and I will try to be as good a leader as you have been.” Celestia’s smile widened a little. “That’s all I would ever ask for. But, before I go, there is one more thing you could do for me.” Celestia pulled a pleading face, causing the younger sister to giggle. “Anything,” Luna replied, smiling back at her silly elder sister.
Sunshine in Ponyville“Ugh,” Saberspark yawned, leaning against the pegasus carriage in the private gardens at the palace. “How much longer do we have to wait?” The young colt was clearly upset about having being woken up so early in the morning for reasons he didn’t know of, and waiting around never sat well with him. “Saber,” his brother Brightspark replied, tiredness clear in his voice as well. “The Princess can take however long she wants. Besides, shouldn’t you be happy you’re not on patrol detail for once?” “Yeah,” Saber muttered lifting himself off the carriage as he began hovering using his wings. “But you’d think they’d tell us what we’re doing instead of keeping us in the dark.” “I’m sure the Princess and Lieutenant Razorwing have their reasons.” “You bet Starswirl’s beard we do.” A gruff voice answered them and the two turned to find an older pegasus stallion glaring at them. Lieutenant Razorwing’s dark grey coat and silver mane stood in contrast to the bright garden the two brothers waited in, while his golden eyes showed the strength of a warrior, and his cutie mark was a tornado with wings stretching from it. But the thing most ponies noticed first was the scar that ran across his left eye, which he got during a border scuffle with the gryphons. “Sir,” Saber and Bright said in surprised unison, standing at attention next to each other and saluting. Razorwing nodded before stepping aside, and out of the doorway he was next to came Princess Celestia, a small smile starting to form. “Your Highness,” the brothers said in unison again, this time bowing their heads. Celestia shook her head a little, though she still smiled. These two were fresh out of the Royal Guard academy, the first brothers to graduate in the same year if she remembered correctly. Saberspark was a pegasus with a pure white coat, almost like her own, and he wore his navy blue mane in a style where the middle was gelled up while the rest fell naturally. On his flank was a cutie mark showing a wing with the end feather shining at the tip. From what she had heard, he was an energetic colt who wished to prove himself in the field, instead of stand on guard duty like most Royal Guards. His brother Brightspark, on the other hand, was his opposite in nearly every aspect. He was a navy blue unicorn with a short cropped silver mane while his cutie mark was a four-pointed star with a quill standing vertical in the middle, said to represent his tactical prowess. Unlike his brother, Bright was attentive and reserved, as well as a quick thinker. Some ponies had rumoured he had what it takes to become the next Captain of the Royal Guard. “There is no need for formalities, Saberspark and Brightspark,” She said, forcing them to look back at her. “Especially not on the mission we now find ourselves tasked with.” “But,” Saberspark spoke up nervously. “What is the mission, if you don’t mind me asking?” “We’ll fill you in on the way,” Razorwing said sternly. “Now take off that armour and saddle up.” The brothers looked at each other in confusion, then to the Princess for answers. “This is a covert mission,” Celestia elaborated. “Only my sister knows where we will be exactly, so that we do not draw unwanted attention to ourselves.” “Forgive me if I sound rude, Your Highness,” Brightspark spoke up now as Saber got out of his armour. “But you’re not exactly a pony that can get lost in a crowd.” “Brightspark,” Razorwing chided him, but Celestia raised a hoof to stop him. “He does have a point Razorwing,” She stated, turning back to the young unicorn. “That is why I must appear a common pony like you.” As Celestia stepped back, the brothers now realised she wasn’t wearing any of her regalia, not even her crown. Spreading her wings, the Princess summoned a sphere of light at the tip of her horn the size of a ball. It then split in two, circling around the Princess slowly until it encompassed her completely. The orb of light shone brightly for a moment before vanishing, and the guards pull their hooves away to see what happened. As the small amount of smoke cleared, two jaws dropped at the sight. Standing in place of Princess Celestia was a tall mare, her coat still pure white but her mane and tail were now as they were when she was a filly; a shade of pink bar a streak of gold she had added for the fun of it. Her wings had vanished and her cutie mark was now a cloud with rays of sunlight streaming down from it. “So,” Celestia’s new form asked with a smile, “How do I look?” Razorwing smiled, but Saber and Bright were still stunned at the transformation. “P-Perfect...” Bright replied as he quickly composed himself and smacked Saber in the back of the head to stop him from staring. “Ouch, what was that for?” “Don’t stare at the Princess.” “You were staring at her too.” “Was not!” “Were too!” As they bickered, Razorwing came over to Celestia’s side. “Are you sure about choosing them, Your Highness? I mean, they’ve never had anything besides guard duty and they’re definitely not the best fighters.” “But that isn’t what I chose them for.” Celestia answered, looking back at the veteran soldier. “Their youth could help in our cause. And they wish to prove themselves, this is their opportunity.” “I still say you should’ve let me chose your escorts.” “Oh,” Celestia’s cheeky grin emerged. “You wanted us to be alone together, didn’t you? You naughty soldier you.” “What?” Razorwing nearly shouted, flustered as his outburst stop the brothers arguing. “No, Princess, I’d never-” He stopped when Celestia held up her hoof up, softly giggling at her playful joke. “I’m kidding. Now then,” She said, calming down. “Shall we be off then?” Saberspark nodded and ran around the carriage, strapping himself into the left station while Razorwing flew over and took the right. Brightspark finished taking off the golden armour he was wearing and hopped into the carriage, followed calmly by Celestia. “So,” Saberspark asked with a confident grin, “Where to?” “To Manehatten, as fast as possible,” was Celestia’s reply. Razorwing nodded and he and Saberspark soon had the carriage in the air, soaring away from Canterlot. Celestia took one glace back, catching Luna on one of the balconies watching them go. It saddened Celestia to leave so much on Luna’s shoulders, but nothing could be done about it. I’ll make it up to you, Celestia thought to herself, making a mental note, I promise. Soon the group had left Canterlot airspace and were now nearing the skies above Ponyville. Celestia could already see the vast expanse of trees that belonged to Sweet Apple Acres, and soon the whole town came into view. Though the Princess had travelled there by carriage before, she had never seen the small town from this angle. As she spotted the tree that served as the town library, Celestia suddenly had the urge to shout IDEA, much like Twilight told her how Rarity did when hit with inspiration. “Lieutenant,” She called out over the wind, “Land us near the edge of town. There’s something I need to do.” Though he didn’t look back, Celestia could see the old stallion nod, and help steer the carriage down to the ground. With a soft thud, the two pegasi brought them to a gentle stop, un-strapping themselves from the carriage harness. “Brightspark, would you accompany me into town? There’s somepony I need to speak with.” “Yes Your Highness,” He replied as he jumped off the carriage. “Don’t say that,” Razorwing snapped. “We can’t let anyone know it’s her.” “Razorwing is right,” Celestia agreed, though in a more diplomatic tone. “While we’re in public, please call me Sunshine.” Bright raised an eyebrow and the mention of the name made Saber, who was now resting against a tree, look at the Princess. “I admit it’s not a very original name,” Celestia smiled. “But it’s a false name I’ve grown attached to.” Bright just shrugged and nodded. “We shouldn’t be too long,” she went on, turning to Razorwing, “Though this may hamper our progress to Manehatten.” “It’s fine,” he replied. “If need be, we can camp.” “Very well then. Brightspark, shall we?” “So, this is Ponyville, huh?” Bright said more to himself as he and the disguised Princess walked down the main street. He looked around at the straw-roofed houses, and saw lots of ponies out enjoying themselves in the park. “Seems like a nice place.” “It certainly is,” Celestia said, using her magic to slightly alter the tone of her voice so nopony would recognise her. “I’ve often wondered if I could escape my royal duties for just a moment like this, to walk among my little ponies without the hassle of being Princess.” “Do you... dislike ruling?” Bright asked, though his voice was more a whisper at the end. Celestia shook her head. “No, but sometimes being a Princess doesn’t allow me to be myself. I have to present myself properly; otherwise it would be a big scandal back in Canterlot.” “I see,” Bright replied, going back to looking around town. It was only now he noticed that other ponies were staring at them. No, not them, her. Bright understood though. Even when disguised, the Princess was a stunning mare to behold. Celestia catch him watching before he turned away, blushing knowing it was too late. “Come on,” Celestia said, smiling at the young stallion. “We need to reach the library.” As Celestia stepped forward to knock on the door, Brightspark looked up at the large tree, seeing the number of windows and balconies among the branches. It wasn’t long, however, before the door was opened by a purple aura. Standing before them was a lavender unicorn with a purple mane and tail, striped with a lighter shade of purple and pink. Brightspark was face to face with Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic and Princess Celestia’s personal student. “Oh, hello,” She said with a smile. “Can I help you?” “Yes,” the Princess replied. “May we come in?” The young mare stood back letting them in, and Bright couldn’t help but look around the interior. Every spare space on the walls was a bookshelf, and each of those was full to the brim with books on all manner of subjects. It wasn’t until the door closed behind them that he snapped out of it and stood by the window, standing on lookout. “So,” Twilight asked again, “What can I help you with? I’m a little behind schedule since my assistant’s out with a friend.” “Oh really,” a playful smile played on the Princess’ features. “Do you think he’ll propose to Rarity?” “I doubt he’d do something like that so sud-” Twilight stopped and stared at the apparent stranger. “How do you Spike and Rarity?” Bright turned back to see Celestia turn side on to Twilight and close her eyes in concentration. Her horn glowed in a golden light for a moment as the illusion spell receded around her flank, revealing the royal sun cutie mark. As soon as the point was made Celestia re-applied her disguise, the false cutie mark returning once more. Twilight’s mouth hung open for a moment before she could even speak. “P-Princess? What are you doing here? Why didn’t you write? If I’d known you were coming I’d...” Twilight’s eyes shunk, but before she could continue her frantic worrying Celestia placed a hoof to her student’s mouth. “I’m afraid I can’t explain Twilight, but I would like to ask a favour of you.” “Of course. What is it?” “Since Spike is currently absent, you’ll have to take this note for me. I wish to contact my sister.” Twilight was about to ask a question, but though against it. Something had to be up for Celestia to handle something personally, especially if she was in disguise. Twilight disappeared in a flash and then re-appeared a second later, paper and quill levitating at the ready. Celestia nodded as she began. “Dear Luna. I am writing to say that I have decided to send Twilight Sparkle and her friends to Canterlot. Please send of a couple of carriages for them. They can help you rule the kingdom in my stead for the next few days, and if necessary, help defend the city with the Elements.” Twilight stopped reading as more questions kept raising their head inside hers. Why is Princess Luna in charge of the day court? And why would we need to use the Elements again? Is Equestria in danger? Somepony clearing their throat snapped Twilight out of her train of thought to reveal both Brightspark and Celestia waiting for her to continue writing. “Oh, sorry,” the young mare whispered, blushing. “And as for the spell you cast,” Celestia continued, “I am aware what of what may happen. But given the alternative, I am willing to take that risk. Your Sister, Celestia.” Twilight set the quill down on the table while rolling the letter up and looking back to her teacher. “Princess, I don’t understand. What’s happening, and why do my friends and I have to go to Canterlot?” “I wish I could say Twilight,” Celestia replied, the internal conflict to explain everything clear on her face. “But as I said, I’m afraid I can’t. I must be at the southern borders of Equestria within the next few days. “However, I will say something important has arisen, something that needs my undivided attention. I’ve left Luna in charge of the Day Court, but I think she’ll need some help.” Twilight looked uncertain, but nodded nonetheless. She wasn’t the type of pony to ignore a request from the Princess. “Alright Princess.” A smile returned to Celestia’s face before a large gale blew past the street outside, sending stray leaves and somepony’s hat flying. Racing outside, Twilight and Brightspark could see two trails quickly zooming across the sky; one dark blue, the other a rainbow. “Looks like Rainbow Dash’s racing again,” Twilight stated with a smile. “I don’t know who she’s racing though.” “It’s my idiot brother,” Bright deadpanned, causing a slight chuckle from Celestia.
