Once upon a time at the Gala
Celestia towered like a stalwart rock in the middle of the River of Time. The stream, violent, turbulent yet quiet, could only flow around her. Powerless against and unable to shift her even an inch.
Silent and full of thought, the Princess gazed into the flow. An uncertain, trembling image of the future in the moving crooked mirror of the River. It was muddy as a swamp and clear as a glass at the same time. It carried a whole swirl of colors, millions of images. Millions of events. All are destined to happen, for even immortal goddesses have no power over a fate. All She could do was try to discern which of the thousand possible outcomes would be favorable to her goals. And what must be done to make it so.
Celestia frowned. She had seen what she needed, but it wasn't what She would want the most.
The Princess concentrated, returning from the astral plane to the physical world. There, Her body was standing on the large open gallery of the Canterlot’s castle main spire. It stretched out the neck putting the face up in the wind. She let savage gusts to catch the multicolored mane, yanking and tearing it. She basked in the wind until She finally felt whole again. Again a white alicorn, existing in the reality She had chosen as her current one.
Her horn glowed like a white-hot metal rod. The sun sank below the horizon so easy and natural as she herself would lay down or rise to her hooves. The sun, after all, was a part of her. Or rather, She was the sun.
Nowadays She was wondering sometimes, which one is more of a Celestia now.
That one in the sky - immense and powerful ethereal entity, that exists in many dimensions concurrently?
Or this one elegant winged silhouette - here, in the tower against the red evening horizon?
Experiences of a living being, all this the time spent in the physical plane made her a tiny bit unsure.
Next, the moon rolled out into the darkening sky. Round, bright, silvery and decorated with a dark alicorn head-like pattern. Surrounded by the bright scattering of stars
Rise of the moon evoked quite a different feelings and emotions. It was like carrying senseless body of your beloved one — limp and heavy. And looking back every other moment. Catching her weak breath, knowing that she is alive - but not here, not with you. One of those feelings which would have remained unknown to Her had She not descended from heaven.
Celestia sighed. Her horn started to glow again. But she changed her mind. Instead of teleporting, she opened the heavy bronze trapdoor. The one that led down from the gallery.
***
There was a great deal of activity in the vast square in front of the Canterlot palace. Luxurious ground and air carriages were arriving at the main entrance in a steady stream. The draught teams unharnessed themselves with the help of Palace servants. And went to the place’s service rooms. There they were free to rest, eat, and drink as much as they pleased during the festivities. Meanwhile the passengers were descending from the carriages with a great deal of grandeur. The wide paved road, decorated with abundant gems led them to the main gate. Here they showed an invitations to the silent and stern Royal Guards. Here, armor-clad ponies passed them on. Further to the imposing bulk of the castle reigning over the square and the city.
Music was filling environs from all directions. The Canterlot Symphony orchestra was playing in the Palace itself, in a ballroom the size of a small village. The smaller groups were playing in the Park.
Those guests who had arrived early were already strolling among the amazing green and marble sculptures in the Park. They had a great time trying to find a way out of the maze of bushes and trees. Others preferred to gather in the hall, enjoying a variety of dishes laid out on huge tables.
The newcomers were still climbing the marble staircase. On the top of it the Sun Princess herself, as a hostess, awaited their customary greeting.
There were only two events of such importance in the Equestrian calendar. Events, that she hosted herself: the Summer Sun Celebration and the Grand Galloping Gala.
The Summer Sun was an all-people holiday. A sincere gift of the Princess to all her subjects, to all the allies and friends of the Equestrian nation. The Gala, however, was an event of a completely different kind.
It was an occasion for the selected few (although ‘few’ in the scale of Equestrian state meant ‘several thousands’). Among the guests were the most eminent, notable ponies and non-ponies alike. Famous artists, athletes, diplomats. Military ponies and foreign dignitaries. Prominent figures in various sectors of the economy. Landowners, entrepreneurs, members of the still quite influential aristocracy, scientists and doctors.
Someone said that the Gala is only necessary to amuse the pride of the nobility. Others claimed that this is to reward those the most deserving. The closest to the truth were those who believed that the Gala is a great platform for communication and business acquaintances. The opportunity to discuss current problems among those who had real influence on the development of Equestria.
But the whole truth was that in the end Celestia orchestrated all this. Business acquaintances and connections often arose with her direct participation. Current problems, by a strange coincidence, were almost always discussed by those able to solve them. Those who were able to create problems often realized, to their surprise, that they are in the minority. Then they were subtly presented with an idea that maybe, just maybe, they should change their stance. So as not to cause severe resistance from the other influential persons. Or even (Celestia forbid!) the displeasure of the Crown. Given the herd psychology, this worked much more effective than one can imagine.
The Princess was standing at the top of the stairs, as beautiful and graceful as she had been thousands of years ago. Clad only in her golden regalia, for no gown could be enough compliment to her beauty. She gave a warm smile and a few words to everyone.
Ponies, even the most experienced courtiers, could not help feeling a sense of awe under the gaze of her attentive eyes.
None of them knew that these eyes gazed into their souls for real.
Alicorn's perception is unimaginable to a mortal. The world, as experienced by ordinary creatures, is a mere fraction of a whole picture for the eldritch being.
Right now Celestia's world was a lilac haze. Gray outlines of a material objects loomed through along with bright colored stains — the auras of a living beings. In these auras thousands of colors shimmered as in a kaleidoscope. Each of it meant thoughts, feelings, intentions, emotions. This color palette was as clear as book for Celestia. With a great precision she made her judgement about each of those who stood in front of her.
She always knew. Knew who to introduce to each other. Who should be kept apart. Who needs an advice, and who to encourage by silence. But beside a puzzle with hundreds of swaying kaleidoscopes, she also studied thousands of files. Files, meticulously compiled by the Royal Security Service.
Of course Celestia could've just read the minds. Alicorn is a telepath of the power unrivaled . But the impact of her mental influence would have been anything but subtle.
It was another one of many reasons why she missed Luna. By the irony of fate, the rougher and more direct of the two Sisters had a natural talent for secret and covert activities.
Luna could in one night examine in detail the inner world of a thousands of living beings. And in a such manner that no one would suspect her presence in themselves. Celestia’s mind reading, in comparison, would tell her ponies too much about the true power of their ruler. She considered it to be counterproductive. She was already the subject of many legends and myths. Legends, most of which she tried to sweep under the rug.
Meanwhile two more souls approached her through the lilac mist.
"Fresco! Impressive Style! Greetings! I heard your joint exhibition was a big cultural event in Vanhoover."
"Thanks to Your Majesty!" Fresco, the unicorn bowed in response. His soul was larger of the two, but somehow more ethereal. "This would never have happened if it hadn't been for that dance with Impressive Style at the former year's Gala."
"Indeed" agreed his cheerful companion, earth pony, whose outline was discernible beside him. Soul of Impressive Style was more dense, with bright and juicy colors. Like most earth ponies. “I wouldn't have been so inspired if I hadn't met my dear Fresco. You're the reason we found each other!”
"And if it's possible — forgive my impudence - we'd like to invite You to our wedding." Fresco said timidly. Impressive Style shuddered and nudged him with her rump to bring him to his senses.
“I'm afraid Royal business would not not leave me time to attend in person. But I will be sure to convey my congratulations and best wishes with the representative of the Crown." Celestia replied in a warm, friendly tone.
The two ponies departed in the best of spirits, and for a moment the Princess reveled in their emotions. To the world's strongest telepath, they were real and tangible. Good natured joy of others always filled her with a sense of satisfaction.
The next soul, meanwhile, had already taken their place before the majestic gatekeeper.
"Glad to see you, Bashful Rose! I am also glad that Our investments into your rose plantation helped to open a new profitable enterprise.” Princess smiled, looking through another guest.
The kaleidoscope in front of her began to play with joyous colors. The ghostly shape of the pony dropped to her forelegs in a bow.
"Your Majesty is kind. It's You I should thank for the guarantee to the Bank of Equestria!"
The earth pony went into the hall, accompanied by a gracious nod.
Now it were three new ambassadors from Saddle Arabia who stood before Celestia. The auras framed their tall, lean figures and stretched back like the tail of a comet. Two high ranking mares and a stallion. Must be a relative of theirs and must be rather talented, for him to be included in the Embassy.
"Hail, o Greatest One!” the senior mare said, “It is an unrivaled honor to appear before you."
“I thank you and in turn welcome you in Canterlot, noble mistresses. You and your companion.” The Princess looked directly at the stallion. His aura betrayed his state of utter turmoil. He dropped his ears and was fighting the urge to retreat behind his female relatives. Conservatism of the Easterners, their old fashioned herd ways amused Celestia at times.
Next in line was the current line-up of the Wonderbolts. The Royal air force's elite aerobatic team. They greeted the Princess, listened to her return salute standing at attention, and then marched to the table in formation. But Celestia did not like the dark scorch in the soul of one of the officers. The Princess made a mental note to encourage her to talk to one of Celestia’s confidants…
Yet, in the end, she enjoyed this microcontrol. Life and prosperity of her earthly domain consisted of countless lifes of it’s inhabitants. Lives that she could direct, prosperity that she could help them to build. For some time now she had mentally acknowledged Luna's points in that ancient dispute of theirs. Celestia had learned to love the bright and varied inner light that mortals radiated. And was waiting for the moment when she’ll finally be able to tell this to her younger Sister in person.
At last, the flow of new guests somewhat dried up. The Chief Majordomo already has begun to shut down massive oak doors.
And Celestia saw a familiar soul. One of the few she'd seen grow and develop since infancy. The soul of someone she has expected today the most. The Princess blinked. The lilac mist had cleared. The objects around her had assumed their usual shape and color. The bright spots of auras replaced by ordinary ponies. She was looking on the visible spectrum again.
A stately unicorn stallion approached her, dressed in a expertly tailored tuxedo. Dark azure with a dark blue mane. A cutie mark in the shape of a small crescent against a shadowed golden disk.
The stallion has come alone, as she has expected, based on her data.
“Hello, Night Light! I'm glad you're here.” Celestia's smile deepened. Then she frowned. “Where's Twilight? Oh, goodness! Is little Shining Armour got sick?”
“Your Majesty's insight knows no bounds!" the unicorn replied in typical courtly fashion and bowed. “Twilight asked to pass on her sincere apology, that she wasn’t able to take advantage of your invitation-”
“Stop it, Night. The diplomatic corps left too much of a mark on you.” Murmured Celestia, and Night Light froze mid sentence. "And call me as you always did."
“Your wish is- err… Of course, Princess Celestia” Night Light bowed again. "Shining caught a cold. He and his friends were playing tag. He ran home and did not wipe himself properly, drank cold water. Twilight remained home with him…”
Celestia gazed at the unicorn, listening to the story about the troublesome firstborn. Before her inner eye Night Light himself appeared first as awkward and tousled foal, then energetic and restless colt. Somewhere in the middle of her recollections, the image of a small filly with multicolored ribbons in her mane, popped into mind.
Night Light's own mother.
‘Or was it his grandmother?’ Celestia asked herself ‘They're the same color, you almost can't tell without a cutie mark.’
“I will ask one of the Palace physicians to pay you a visit tomorrow." said the Princess, redirecting her train of thoughts from the past to the present.
"Oh, thank you very much!” the unicorn beamed.
Celestia nodded to him, then opened her wing and gave her longtime apprentice a gentle push toward the entrance to the hall. Night Light immediately rushed forward, like he always did as a child in the same circumstances.
The Majordomo blushed at this blatant breach of the Protocol.
***
The ball was in full swing. The orchestra did their best, sounding divine. Couples waltzed in the center of the great hall. With a loud, rhythmic clatter of hooves, they made graceful synchronized movements. They converged, diverged, turned on the spot and then touching their foreheads. The dance-weary ones gathered on the periphery, near the walls. Around tables of food and drink were set up along the open windows.
Celestia sailed through the hall like a majestic battleship in the midst of living waves. Hundreds of elaborate toasts were made in her honor, and the Princess accepted them graciously, each time raising her glass. The amount of alcohol was in the gallons by now, but she always looked and sounded like she hadn't had a drop.
Ponies took this for granted. The living goddess ruled them after all, of course she was above the banal intoxication! Although it was only a tiny fraction of the properties of her immortal physical body.
‘It’s actually good that so many years have passed…’ Celestia thought. And felt an involuntary relief that here wasn’t (and couldn’t be anymore) anyone around who had seen her centuries ago in person. Had seen as splatters of blood were self disappearing from her pristine white coat. And how completely torn off swan-like wing grew back in minutes…
Princess came to the table with a sweets and the crowd parted, giving way to their sovereign. She picked up in her aura a few sprigs of lucerne glazed in honey from the dish. Princess chewed them with a loud crunch, as etiquette demanded, in tribute to the skill of the cooks. Then she smiled, mischief glowing in her eyes. A piece of the huge cream cake decorated with strawberries detached itself from the whole and floated on the large plate. She poked at it by a tablespoon, with a coy. Then withdrew from the table, chuckling to herself, leaving pony to discuss with fervor what they had seen.
The Sun Princess had a little need for the food. Mainly when she needed matter to patch injuries or to regenerate organs or limbs, for example. But she discovered the whole wonderful world of taste thousands of years ago. And since then she perfected the art of enjoying gastronomic sketches. It was something personal, intimate for her.
Celestia caught up with Night Light at the table with cereals. She cast a quick appraising glance at his dish and dropped her ears in disappointment for a moment. Unicorn ate only with the help of telekinesis, not using any cutlery. Of course, the Higher Diplomatic school was to blame. There was no saliva on the plate either. She didn't even consider his glass of wine.
‘Alcohols and acids are too aggressive. I need to offer him something more soft and neutral,’ flashed through Celestia’s mind.
“I'm pleased with the work you did in Saddle Arabia as military attaché, Night.” she said aloud, without any preamble.
“Oh, but I only reported to the Committee the day before yesterday!” answered the stallion, with a slight embarrassment in his tone.
"I have already read it. And I agree with your assessment of Saddle Arabia's military potential in a possible conflict with Jamalid Sultanate.
“But- But the report had four hundred pages…” whispered Night Light to himself.
“My Princess, I have always admired your performance. You have been an example to me, more than anyone else! When I do something, I always try to do it with at least a third of your efficiency!” Said he, now much louder.
Celestia looked at him, once again evoking images of his ancestors. Night Light had a priceless treasure - the genes of the Starswirl the Bearded. Who was one of the most powerful and talented unicorns in history. Celestia had guided his lineage through the centuries with a great care. She knew that eventually she would need that potential power hidden in DNA.
Content filled her smile. She bent her neck and touched the unicorn’s forehead with her upper lip.
Night Light blushed from this praise, familiar from the childhood. He looked around, but no one batted an eye. The whole country knew that Celestia felt almost maternal toward her personal students.
The Princess picked up the cake again, swaying along with the rhythm of a music. Night Light took one of the soft and airy oatmeal cookies and suddenly grimaced.
Celestia blinked. The world around her had changed color once again, and now it was blue, green, red, and yellow. On Night Light's heat map, the jaw on the left side, near the molars was much redder than it should have been.
“What happened? Are the cookies undersalted?” she asked solicitously, returning to normal mode.
"Not at all, my Princess. The tooth aches, for some reason.”
Celestia frowned.
“Looks like you need to see a doctor yourself. After the ball ends, please go to the Royal physician at once. Do you know where his lab is?”
"Don't worry, Your Maj- my Princess! I'll just rinse with some sage broth. It's rather late in evening, and the case is not an emergency-”
The Princess smiled and shook her head.
“The Royal physician is an insomniac. And besides, he is bored with only endless researches anyway."
Night Light looked at her with somewhat miserable expression. Celestia tilted her head back and laughed her sweet, charming laugh. No one living, no matter how old, seemed to like going to the dentist.
"Come on, Night Light! Your Princess commands!" she said sternly, but with a touch of jocularity.
"Aye aye" the unicorn submitted after a slight pause, and hurried to wash down cookies with wine.
Celestia patted him on the back with her wing and headed for the other side of the hall. She knew he wouldn't dare to disobey.
***
The Royal physician was an elderly unicorn with unusually hard and penetrating eyes. He laid down his pen, turned to face the opening door of his study, and bowed low as the Princess entered. Without breaking the silence, he levitated up one of the glass tubes filled with a scarlet liquid from the laboratory table.
"Here, Your Majesty. As you wished.”
“What was the matter?” Celestia asked.
“A rudimentary tooth. Had to remove it. Collecting samples during the surgery was pretty easy.”
The morning sun was long since risen. It flooded the room with bright shine through narrow lancet windows. The Princess took the vial into her telekinesis and thoughtfully examined it in the light. The Royal physician returned to his manuscript.
“Won’t you ask me why I need his blood?" Celestia said without looking up from the test tube.
The healer gave her a quick glance.
"Your Majesty's paths are inscrutable.” he bowed again. "And the less a mortal knows about them, the sweeter the pleasant surprise will be. And a relief, when any given situation is resolved, at Your will, for the good of all."
Celestia made a half bow of her own as she took her leave, a sign of the respect she felt for the old scholar. Then she disappeared from the office in a flash of teleportation.
***
Once in her chambers, the Sun Princess lay down on her favorite antique carpet and opened a test tube. Drawn by the divine will, a small drop detached itself from the column of liquid. It floated out of the test tube and hung in the air, motionless. Celestia stared at it, her horn glowing as bright as if she was raising the sun…
Every unicorn knew, what Starswirl himself wrote in his legendary tome "De artis Magicae.
"There are three factors limiting the power of the sorcerer. The first of them is spiritual. How much energy of Creation from the surrounding ether can one contain in their soul for the necessary purpose? The second is physical. Does one’s body can withstand the manipulation with so much of energy? And the third, the last but not least, is the knowledge. Does the wizard know what they are doing? Does they understand, how the desired outcome comes to be? By what mechanism it becomes reality?”
The first two limits did not concern Her. And She knew and understood, down to the smallest detail, what She was doing.
Something was happening with the drop. Had one possessed a microscope, one would have been able to observe its surface seething. As if a global storm had broken out on a miniature planet.
At the micro level, the unimaginable was happening there. Celestia was reconstructing the atomic structure of the object on the fly. She was adding the missing carbon chains, and destroying unnecessary ones. She was removing atoms from the surrounding matter and putting them in the necessary places. In a few minutes the drop in front of her became a dull white in color, resembling pearl.
Princess stopped to rest for a moment, and then teleported a white drop inside of herself. In her mind's eye, she saw the alien cells she had just reconstructed. They frozen in her womb, waiting for conclusion of their fate.
The sun is not only the soothing warmth of a spring day. The sun is also a scorching heat of the desert. No cell, uninvited, could survive an encounter with an alicorn’s body.
Celestia nodded, and the cells came alive. Twitching their long, curling tails they moved forward. She watched with satisfaction as the ovum, ripe and ready, rolled along the inner surface of her Fallopian tube. It burst out like a bowling ball, crushing into cells and swallowing one of them.
The Princess relaxed, stretched out on the carpet, and stroked her belly with a wing.
***
There was an insistent knock at the door.
“Darling, open please!” Twilight Velvet called from another room.
Night Light put down the kitchen utensils and went into the hallway. He opened the door confidently. The diplomatic quarter of the Palace district was the safest place imaginable!
On their doorstep there was a unicorn mare, clad in in the uniform of a land postpony.
But the Night Light immediately realized something was wrong. Her gaze was steely, atypical to this quite peaceful (in modern realities) profession. He staggered back inside the apartment, slamming the door. The unicorn caught it with her aura. Their telekinesises fought for entrance for some time.
At last, the mare have pulled something from a pocket with her teeth. Not a weapon though, but a gold plated badge with Celestia’s cutie mark.
He couldn’t believe his eyes. Royal Security!
"In the name of the Crown." the intruder spoke quietly but severe.
Night Light, still not quite believing, let her in the foyer. Without another word, the unicorn activated her magic again. The fur on her face and neck darkened with sweat that instant. Telltale sign that she was preparing a complex and energy-intensive spell.
With the usual pop, a large wicker basket with a white bundle in it appeared in the room. With the scroll, floating in the air along. Night Light grabbed the scroll and broke the Royal seal, not without a jitters.
But instead of 'Celestia, by the grace of Her Own, Princess of Equestria... et cetera, et cetera ... hereby commands...' there was an ordinary letter:
"My faithful student! I'm putting this little pony into your and Twilight’s hooves. She was born under unusual circumstances. She has a great destiny before her, and I am sure that only you will be able to raise her in a proper way.
I implore you to nurture and love her as your own daughter. And to bring her to me in due time.
No one must know contents of this letter and the circumstances under which she came into your care. And she herself in the first place.
With hope and sincere gratitude, your mentor.
Celestia.”
The moment he scanned the last few lines the letter crumbled to dust. The “postpony” stared at him with expectation.
"The Princess's wish is my command.” Night Light said hoarsely. The RSS agent nodded and left without saying goodbye, closing the door behind her.
"Who is it, Night?" his wife spoke again.
"You wouldn't believe it." the diplomat muttered, and unfolded white nappy. A small, almost newborn unicorn filly with lavender coat and lilac mane stared back at him. He glanced at the calendar on the wall, to find out when to celebrate the "birthday." Looking at the date, Night Light casually noted to himself that the next Gala was just a month away.
