It was only a few decades ago that Queen Novo, High Regent of Hippogriffia, had last seen her dear lover. Last time the two had met was at a conference to promote cooperation and peace between the races of Equus.

It was all sorts of calamity and clamor that led Queen Novo to find herself wandering away from the negotiations and noise. Hopefully, everything could survive for a few moments without her. Oh, what she would give for some pampering about now. Maybe a seaweed wrap, yes, that would do it.

It would definitely make up for the Hippogriff King’s none too subtle overtures and wandering paws. He was drunk on something, clearly. If his slurred speech wasn’t an indication, it was his reddened eyes. “Oh, this is all going to hell in a handbasket, isn’t it?” Novo grumbled to herself, amazed that nobody had come to drag her back to the negotiations. “Then again, ponies listen out for hooves and not clawtips. It’d be all too easy for some hippogriff assassin to sneak into this place and… well! That’d be the end of that!”

By now she was out on a balcony, overlooking the beauty of the setting sun over the valley. It cast a beautiful painting of reds, oranges, and yellows. The trees were gently swaying in the wind. Novo, for the first time since she’d arrived, found herself at peace, at least a little bit. She clacked her beak in annoyance, her mind still on a certain king, her feathers rustling in the gentle breeze.

“I’d assume this hypothetical assassin will stay only that, hypothetical right?” a gentle feminine voice asked, warm as the sun. But Novo knew from experience that it could turn harsh as a solar flare in a microsecond. She turned and saw perhaps one of the only others who could match her in stature, the pure white alicorn gifted with a flowing mane like the solar winds.

“I see you managed to ditch your guards, Celestia,” Novo commented, turning her back to the majestic rainbow falls behind them. “Then again, what use would you have for them? By this point they’re only ceremonial, really. Am I right, honey?”

“It’s the thought that counts,” Celestia retorted with a gentle teasing grin. “Yes, I assume I could handle myself, but all the same it doesn’t hurt to be… careful. After all, you just hypothetically admitted you could pull off an assassination!”

“Yes, well, any good assassin worth their salt would be in and out before your golden boys would even know I’m here,” Novo remarked. “That is the point, is it not? We hire ninjas, not non-jas.”

“It’s half a shame what passes for ninjas these days, really,” Celestia said, quirking a smile.

“Half a shame?” Novo replied. It didn’t escape Celestia’s notice how Novo’s crest had lifted along with her neck fluff. In some ways, it made her resemble a chicken. Not that she would ever say that aloud, of course. “What about a complete shame?”

“Half a shame is simply because a failure of a ninja is fairly entertaining, really,” Celestia teased. She gave Novo a gentle shove of the hoof. “Ninjas are supposed to be silent. Waking up the entire castle and having my royal guard atop the assailant is anything but!”

“I assume you speak from experience?” Novo inquired.

“Yes, well, it has happened before. Long before you were born, you wouldn’t have heard. Some noble, I forgot his name, was in a feud with the Bluebloods. Sent one of his supposed very best to try and kill the youngest son, who was my student at the time,” Celestia explained. “As you can imagine, it didn’t end very well.”

“Did the guards arrive before or after?” Novo asked. Celestia looked at her. “Oh, don’t treat me like I’m stupid. Did they arrive before or after you sent the assailant flying off the highest rooftop?

“Which one do you think?” Celestia replied.

“I never thought the great Solar Invictus would ever dirty her hooves with blood,” Novo said. “This is coming from the mare who practices friendship instead of warfare!”

“Just because I don’t like to fight doesn’t mean I’m not willing to engage in… aggressive negotiations if need be.”

Novo shook her head and fought back a laugh. “You’re such a pony.” She smiled. “Only you would call a battle a form of aggressive negotiations. Only you!”

“Yes, well, if all goes according to plan, there is actually a form of negotiations after the bloodshed is over,” Celestia mused. “How do you think I expanded Equestria’s borders so well? This was once a tiny kingdom, after all…”

“So you do have a spine!” Novo teased even though she knew very well Celestia was not a mare to be crossed. Her patience was long, and she, for the most part, was friendly and serene. Usually, however, the idea of Princess Celestia, Lady of the Sun coming to the battlefield was enough to send an enemy army into retreat. Only three fools had ever been so bold as to think otherwise. One was now stone, another was simply dust in the cold winter winds, and the last one was banished to the badlands forevermore. Though, Novo mused as she looked up to the moon, perhaps there was another one.

“And you, I see,” Celestia replied in turn, “have a funny bone or something of the kind.”

“How humerus,” Novo said. Celestia blinked in shock, swearing she’d just misheard. Novo never punned. Celestia thought it was beneath her. “But seriously, honey, you think these good looks get momma so far in life alone?” the hippogriff purred.

“They are very good looks,” Celestia commented. “You’ve kept yourself well over the decades. Your mother’s genes did you a favor.”

“Your flirting needs work, and you’re such a pony! But yes, if I am to win this war between us, I have to show you up in the looks department. I can’t just lose this contest by letting a few odd wrinkles show here and there, really,” Novo remarked. “But in all seriousness--jesting aside--it isn’t just looks that got me to where I am, oh no, honey. It’s my charisma! And trust me, I have a lot of that! Oooh!”

“Yes, you certainly do, and also a fair share of an ego,” Celestia returned. Novo rolled her eyes at the jab. Her partner gave out a long, exaggerated sigh. “But very well, I shall settle for being the smart one in this little contest of ours. You’ll be the pretty one, as always, I suppose…”

“...I suppose we should be starting back, really…” Novo mumbled while casting a glance behind her. She was fidgeting, and once again she clacked her beak in an expression of annoyance and general displeasure. “Still, I don’t fancy having to deal with King Buckbeak.”

“Neither do I, dear,” Celestia said. “Neither do I. But we must if we’re to keep the trade routes open.”

“You’re just looking for an excuse to not toss him through the nearest window,” Novo deadpanned.

“I, unlike you, don’t look for unnecessary excuses for war,” Celestia said. “Vile as Buckbeak is, I’d rather my ponies not see warfare again in their lifetimes. As I said, I am the smart one in this relationship, after all.”

“And you chastise me for my ego!” Novo said, holding a claw to her chest in mock offense. “You are a charlatan!”

Celestia chuckled before turning back to her friend, the two continuing down the corridor, torches crackling with fire on either side of them. The fire cast light on the otherwise dark passageway. It was further made merry with fountains on either side of them. Outside, fireflies were beginning to gather. Back inside, it wasn’t dark nor was it dank. No, it was only welcoming to visitors. Splendid, but subdued in general atmosphere.

To be honest, Celestia was proud of the work her chosen team of architects did with this little castle above Rainbow Falls. What was once a faded ruin now exuded an air of elegance but also modesty.

She knew that if someone else--King Buckbeak sprung to mind--was picked to prepare the summit location, the interiors would be nowhere near as subdued as this. Under his claws they would probably be overdone with gemstones lining the floors. As for the walls, they would end up slathered in gold. In her mind, it was showing off, basically. An intimidation factor, to emphasize that the host was, in essence, better than you in some regards and wanted you to know it.

Celestia shook her head, she was above such things as overly lavish decor. The kind designed to frighten rather than to welcome. She shuddered at the thought. It wasn’t simply the pony way, no she welcomed everyone, even her enemies. After all, your enemy was more often than not, a friend you just haven't met yet. It sounded sentimental, but Celestia did have a way of turning the smallest of sentiments into truth. “Always forgive your enemies; nothing has ever annoyed them worse, I've found. And turning an enemy into a friend... Well, that destroys them better than any spell,” she mused.

“You’re going over all pony again, Celly,” Novo remarked. Celestia gave her a look.

“And is this such a bad thing? Standing up for your beliefs, that’s better than staying silent. If you were to ask me, staying silent is the folly of a coward. It’s like a slow-growing cancer to the soul. There is nothing intelligent, there never has been about failing to stand up for yourself and what you believe. You may not win every battle. However, everyone will at least know what you stood for, I think!” Celestia said. Novo smiled at her.

“You and your grand speeches, honey,” Novo said. “You could make me quiver if I weren’t already.”

“And what are you quivering about, hmm?” Celestia inquired.

“Now wouldn’t you like to know?” Novo asked and Celestia wrinkled her nose. Novo almost smirked. “Oh, could it be I’ve finally got one over on the great Celestia Sol? I know something she doesn’t?”

“Keep flattering yourself,” Celestia said. “Soon enough, your ego shall be seen from space I should think!”

“Oh, and what if it is? Momma loves to be adored, really…” Novo cackled. “Sweet cheeks, you really must know that in this little contest of ours, I shall always, always, be the pretty one. You’re just the one who gets up on her high horse--pun fully intended, I assure you--with the grandiose gestures and speeches!”

“Grandiose? Me?” Celestia asked, now being the one to hold a hoof over her chest in mock offense. “You wound me. There has never been anything grandiose about me!”

“Keep telling yourself that, dear,” Novo remarked. “You remember how we first met?”

“You assume in all my years of living, my memory has only now just started to fade and I’ve begun to go senile?” Celestia asked. “I still have years to go yet! Centuries, perhaps! But yes, I do remember…”

“And do you remember the grand carriage in which you arrived in Hippogriffia? I was naught but a teenager then, really. It was all decked out in white and gold. I’m not sure what you would have called it, but it was showing off in anybody’s books!”

“Yes, well, I seem to recall it left you weak at the knees, you old bird,” Celestia teased gently. “You couldn’t form proper speech around me for a day and a half. Though… I do suppose you’re right, I did come across as rather intimidating back then…”

“You were trying to impress my father, so I can hardly blame you. He always loved the shiny stuff, really…” Novo sighed, her eyes briefly flickering to a darkened corner. “Mind you, you can impress me now…” she purred.

“Really, Novo!” Celestia hissed. “We are already running late as it is!”

“And being fashionably late isn’t a thing?” Novo said, quirking her head like a parrot. “I did say you were making me quiver, and aren’t you curious to find out why?”

“Oh, I already knew…” Celestia smiled as she took Novo’s claw in her hoof. She flicked Novo’s pearl necklace with her hoof. “I guess it’s time to make you weak at the knees again, hmm?”

“You’re corny pony…” Novo said, though she soon gave up caring.

That was then, this was now.

Those were the days, Novo thought to herself with a smile. Soon, however, she had to retire to her own kingdom, and Celestia became busier than ever. They could only exchange letters, and even that soon stopped entirely. In that thirty-year time period, Novo found new love, got married, and had a daughter. The light of her life, brilliantly rambunctious and about the only good thing that marriage had ever produced. She’d told Celestia how happy she was in one letter, though that didn’t last. Happy couples didn’t get divorced after all, and Novo always had a sneaking suspicion why. She did harbor feelings for her old flame in the back of her mind, she knew. As much as she tried to hide them, they’d always been there.

Still, nothing I can do about it now, Novo thought with a trace of sadness. Perhaps she was a coward. But a wise coward, given the Storm King had driven them far below the seas. She snorted, a wise coward. That was perhaps the most oxymoronic thing she’d ever thought. They were hippogriffs, and they had the Pearl. Really they could have changed into anything they wanted for a battle, and yet they ran and hid. You’re disappointed in me, aren’t you, Celestia?

“Mom, mom, mom!” came a miniature whirlwind of a voice. Novo found herself tackled off her clamshell throne. Skystar, the light of her life. But a light trapped in a cage. Thanks to Novo’s own folly, the queen admitted bitterly to herself. A gilded cage, but still a cage all the same.

“Skystar, what have I told you about doing that?” Novo asked, though a hint of a fond smile crept on her face. “Now go on, out with it. Did you make friends? I know you wouldn’t be this excited unless you had something to show me…”

“No, no, not just excited. Nervous. Nervoucited? Is that even a word? Anyways! So, you know that secret tunnel out of the mountain, the one that leads to the shoreline?” Skystar babbled animatedly. Novo gave her a disapproving look. “...Oh, so I guess you didn’t. It’s not so secret anymore, I suppose. I guess there’ll be guards at it now. So yeah, thanks for that, Mom. Anyways! So, I took it out and--”

“Skystar!” Novo bellowed. “You know you’re not supposed to venture outside the kingdom!”

She’d hate to see her daughter put in such danger. It would be all too easy for assassins to get to her.

“Yes, but you’ll want to see this. There’s a pony, a pony, Mom! He washed up on shore, and I don’t think he looks too good…” Skystar murmured.

Novo was out of her throne in only a second or so. She could be called many things, but she wasn’t a cruel mare. The ponies were her allies once, and so they still were. Never would she let it be said she’d leave one of Celestia’s subjects adrift. Following Skystar, clutching the Pearl around her neck, she soon found herself on the foggy, cragged beach at the base of Mount Aris. Even with her feathers, Novo shivered from the cold, the chilly sea breeze cutting her straight to the bone. Well, that’s one thing I won’t miss, really… she thought. Say what you will about living underwater, but at least you won’t freeze to death!

Then she came across the pony in question. Her guards arrived about then. Novo made a note to tell them off later. One minute behind schedule, not good. Soon, they were pointing spears at the brilliantly yellow stallion with a flaming red mane. Drenched robes lay prone across the sand. Novo looked at her guards, then gestured at them to relax. “Well, I hardly think a half-drowned magician will be any threat to us at all!” she drawled.

Skystar pranced nervously in place. “Is he going to be alright, Mom? Is he? Is he? Please, I want to know!” she babbled in worry.

“Hush dear, we’ll find out soon enough.”

And find out soon they did. As soon as Sunburst--as he introduced himself as--regained consciousness, he spun quite a tale. And a horrifying one at that. Novo listened with an ever-growing expression of both shock and horror.

“S-so, you see,” Sunburst coughed out as he lay on his bed of seaweed. He glanced at the medicine on a clamshell table nearby. Mostly potions, a few vials for burns. “Celestia… She's gone mad. I don’t know what happened, or how it even happened. But she calls herself Daybreaker now, and she’s scouring the lands. Anypony who can... they’re escaping… heading for other nations. Anyone who’d take them, really. Even the dragons look more appealing to us now…”

Novo blanched. If truly even the dragons were considered… Well then that said a lot about the state of things. She turned her head so Sunburst or her daughter couldn’t see her cry. What happened to you… my love? What turned you so?

Then she saw the memory orb Sunburst had produced. Certainly, this couldn’t have been Celestia. Her royal attire had turned from a regal gold to a frightening burnt orange. Emphasis on the burnt part, for her mane and tail were now pure flame. And the Celestia Novo remembered certainly did not possess fangs. If anything, she looked like a frightening twisted parody of the Mare in the Moon.

“Please… help us,” Sunburst pleaded. His tone was that of a stallion who’d lost almost all hope. “I’m no expert in magic, though I wish I was, but I’ve heard rumors of your kingdom’s prowess in battle. The Pearl of Transformation. If anyone has any chance of overcoming Daybreaker…”

“So, you think I and my kingdom should help you and yours?” Novo questioned and for a brief moment, she saw the fear flash across Sunburst’s face. “Well now, you make a good case, and quite frankly I think her Royal Highness needs a good slap up the flanks every now and again! The ponies were my allies once, and so they still are! I think… if anyone has a chance of reaching… of reaching her, then it’s me,” Novo whispered, her voice faltering for a brief moment.

“Reaching her?” Sunburst breathed before his eyes widened in realization. “Surely you don’t mean…”

“Oh, yes I do, honey! After all, befriending an enemy, isn’t that the best way to annoy them? Looks like I’ll have to be the pretty and smart one, given Celestia’s gone off the deep end. Never fear, Sunburst, for the hippogriffs are here!”

Oh, now who’s the corny one, Celestia?

Trottingham was where Novo found the mare, and in hindsight, it really wasn’t all that hard to do. After all, all you really needed was to follow the chaos and all the screams. Novo was quite frankly amazed by now that Discord hadn’t broken free. As if they needed any more problems, really. Though if Novo had her way, Discord would be the least of this ‘Daybreaker’s’ worries by the time she was through. Horrendous name, actually. It was so obviously evil it bordered on edgy.

Oh, and her sense of style would not be making the cover of any magazines any time soon.

Novo landed in the flaming streets, feeling the stone beneath her claws for the first time in decades. If it were any other sort of situation, she would be gladdened by the feel of the cool stonework. The sun beat down intensely, like a hot hammer upon her back. Fires crackled off in the distance.

“You know, honey, if all you wanted to do was get my attention, you could have just potion-called me,” Novo said with a steely expression as she strode up towards Not-Celestia. Novo’s soldiers began to fan out, Stratus Skyranger in the lead taking to the streets for search and rescue. “Then again, I suppose tyrants have little time for such things!”

“N-Novo?” Daybreaker whispered and for a moment she was Celestia again. The mare, Novo noted soundly, hadn’t seemed to have aged a day. Her beauty was still there, tarnished as it was by the fearsome transformation she had undergone. Then, Daybreaker’s voice turned sickeningly sweet. “Oh, so you’ve come to pledge allegiance to me? Well, I do have space for my old flame in my concubines...:”

A searing flame of jealousy tore through Novo at the words. Her feathers rose in agitation. She dared? And then there was the voice, it sounded so completely wrong coming out of that mare’s body.

“I only pledge allegiance to one mare, and I only recognize one mare’s authority. Her name is Celestia, and you are not Celestia,” Novo said defiantly, keeping well out of firing range, but managing to look Not-Celestia in the eyes all the same. Her gaze was stern and defiant. She never blinked, not even once.

“Sadly, Celestia has left the building. There is only Daybreaker now,” Daybreaker said. “Though it is brave of you to challenge me, really. It has been… so long that I’ve found someone who could actually intimidate me, if only slightly.”

“But you are intimidated all the same, honey,” Novo said. She wasn’t sure why she wasn’t quivering in terror just yet, and Daybreaker seemed to be thinking the exact same. Novo’s heart ached, having to look upon this mare who had stolen away her lover’s visage. This was not Celestia, no matter how much she claimed to be. Novo wasn’t sure what had happened, but she swore to find out. “So do tell me, what happened to you?”

“That is of no importance, you might say all I did was just embrace what was really inside. All that stress…. Oh, it just seemed to melt away as soon as I gave in!” Daybreaker said before she spotted a mare trying to sneak past her. One blast of her horn, and fire consumed her. A charred skeleton was all that was left. Novo could only stand to watch in horror.

She… she just murdered the pony, her subject! Just like that! Novo thought, her eyes glistening with tears that soon turned to steam in the sheer heat in the air. She wiped away any remaining. No, there was no time for sentiment right now, only stopping--and if need be, killing--the mare in front of her. No matter how much it hurt.

“So, you’ve turned to having pony barbecues in broad daylight, is that a private thing or can anyone join?” Novo said, her voice dripping with disapproval. She hid her pain the way she always did, pure snark. “I must say, you’ve really moved up in the world!”

“I have, haven’t I?” Daybreaker preened, clearly missing the sarcasm. Or maybe she just didn’t care. “So tell me, what do you think?”

What do I think!? Novo thought, just barely managing to hold back her rage. “As I said, I only recognize one mare’s authority, Celestia Sol. The treaty between Hippogriffia and Equestria only recognizes Celestia’s authority, not yours.”

Novo knew she was gambitting, really. Talking so defiantly to this mare who could so easily kill her. But she still hoped she could somehow reach the pony inside. The one this ‘Daybreaker’ had locked away. Daybreaker laughed, and Novo swallowed. Wait, why was she laughing?

“See, you’re not Hippogriffia anymore, are you?” Daybreaker sneered, and Novo’s heart nearly stopped. Crap, so she had heard about that! “See, last I heard you decided to turn chicken and run away and hide. You’re calling yourself Seaquestria, right? So your authority is no longer recognized.”

“Yes, well, I call it making a tactical retreat.”

“Bullshit,” Daybreaker scoffed. “You turned coward, and here I thought you were a strong ruler, Novo. You could have easily taken down the Storm King just with that fancy pearl of yours! You could have turned into anything, your army could have all been Ursa Majors! But no, you decided flight was better than fight.”

Oh, that hurt. Novo, all the same, knew she was right. But she didn’t have to like it. She knew she should have fought to have defended her kingdom when it mattered, and instead, she failed it.

“So,” Daybreaker continued on, “I decided to handle things for you. The so-called Storm King? His head’s mounted on a pike displayed for all to see. I did it for you, really. I wanted… I wanted to see your people free.”

For a moment, Novo could have sworn Celestia’s, not Daybreakers, eyes were glistening with tears. Hot steam soon evaporated them, and Daybreaker’s gaze hardened once more. Novo’s heart was beating rapidly in her chest as she watched the mare stride forwards, the cobblestone melting under her hooves. Had she gotten her hopes up, was that simply her imagination? Was Celestia too far gone to be reasoned with, and now there was only Daybreaker? No, Novo told herself. No. Celestia never gave up hope even in the darkest of times and neither should she!

“You told me once that turning an enemy into a friend destroys them better than any spell, didn’t you?” Novo asked, severely wishing and hoping that some part of Celestia was still inside that monster who wore her skin. She wondered if her luck hadn’t run out and she wasn’t pushing it.

“I was naive, but now I am free!” Daybreaker shouted, tears still crawling down her face before turning to steam. “You remember all those years ago when you accused me of being too soft? All those years wasted worrying about others, being too kind and too considerate and-- ”

An eruption of flame consumed Celestia briefly as her screams pierced the… night? Or was it day? Novo had stopped caring by this point.

“No, I never said anything of the kind. I wanted you to be you, what works for one creature may not work for the next!”

“Oh sure, like being kind and considerate worked out for you,” Daybreaker sneered.

“Perhaps I misspoke. Perhaps you misunderstood what I’m getting at,” Novo said, standing firm, one claw on her pearl necklace. Just in case. “I say to you this. Standing up for your beliefs, that’s better than staying silent. If you were to ask me, staying silent is the folly of a coward. It’s like a slow-growing cancer to the soul. There is nothing intelligent, there never has been about failing to stand up for yourself and what you believe. You may not win every battle. However, everyone will at least know what you stood for, I think!” Novo said..

Daybreaker blanched, and with a scream of rage tackled her through a portal she summoned. They landed in a twisted perversion of Canterlot Castle throne room, decked in white and gold.

“So now we move on to aggressive negotiations,” Daybreaker said as Novo darted behind a pillar that got blasted apart seconds after. “Like my throne room? Very intimidating, isn’t it?”

“It’s disgusting,” Novo said, still holding out hope Celestia was somewhere in there. Daybreaker used words, phrases only she would use. Her heart continued to beat out a crescendo, was she getting through to her at last? “You’ve never needed to win a war using bloodshed, and you never needed to start one!”

With a flash of light, Novo’s whole form shifted and she was a manticore, striking away at Celestia with her stinger tail. Celestia tossed her through a stained glass window depicting a horrible perversion of her original crowning. Novo shifted back to her original form mid-air. Daybreaker shouted from somewhere above, “We can rule together, you know. Two lovers, two queens! Is that satisfactory enough for you?”

“No, it’s not, and it never will be. I want Celestia, and only Celestia, not… well, whatever you are!” Novo said, pinning the fiery mare to a castle wall with her claws. Blood was drawn.

“And I wanted you!” Celestia shouted. Celestia, not Daybreaker. “But you were never there! I had to wallow alone a-and deal with the nobles by m-myself! You ran and hid, while I was forced to train and lose my student to that damned mirror portal!”

Novo’s heart went out to the mare, so this was the cause of it all? So much stress building up over time and eventually… she finally snapped. That settled it, Novo decided. That settled it. She knew what to do now.

“I’m sorry, Celly…” Novo whispered. “I truly am. I should have been there. Instead I had to hide away like a damn coward and raise my daughter alone.”

“Y-Your daughter?” Daybreaker asked. “Y-You had a daughter, without me? B-But…”

“If I were a wiser griff, I would have married you, but love is love. It makes fools of us all, really…” Novo said. “And we’re all the poorer for it. Surely you have a daughter of your own, yes? Or someone close enough to that, right?”

“I did, but then she left me!” Daybreaker shouted. “She left me! She… No, I left her. I didn’t teach her right, and I… what does it matter!? She’s never coming back!”

“How do you know that, honey?” Novo asked. “The future is never a certainty, it’s only what we make it. This daughter of yours, you can reach out to her, yes?”

“She hates me,” Daybreaker said. “She… and it’s all my fault, mine alone! If I hadn’t rejected you... Sunset… I… I might not have fallen so far. You might not have fallen so far.”

“So what?” Novo asked. Daybreaker’s eyes narrowed. “So what? Haven’t you been listening, sweet cheeks? Just because you stumble, once or twice doesn’t mean it has to define your whole life! You can correct yourself, you don’t have to be infallible! I mean, Tartarus, look at me! God, I’m such a hot mess I can barely hold myself together. Did you know my daughter has never walked on land until today? Never!”

“Sounds… sounds like we can compare notes, we’re both failures to our kids, aren’t we?” Celestia asked.

“Maybe,” Novo said before she pressed her beak to Celestia’s lips. Little by little, the heat began to die down, and slowly that beautiful mane of hers returned. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t fix what we’ve broken.”

Morning came, and Novo let out a yawn as she climbed out of bed. The soft downy sheets still beckoned, but so did the smell coming from the kitchen. Pancakes, Novo remembered. She hadn’t had pancakes in over three decades.

Last night seemed to be only a horrible dream, even if Novo knew only a few short hours ago she was fighting for her life against a madmare. And now she was being cooked breakfast by the aforementioned ‘madmare’.

“My little ponies,” Celestia whispered, her fur charred and burned. Novo noted her own feathers had suffered similar fate. Oh well, it couldn’t be helped. Nothing a potion or two couldn’t fix anyhow. “...what should I tell them? How… how can I even begin to apologize?”

“You said they’re a forgiving sort, correct?” Novo remarked. “You’ve been their princess for generations, in time they’ll learn to love you again.”

“You’re an optimistic one, aren’t you?” Celestia muttered. “I was a monster, a tyrant in pony clothing.”

“You just had one bad day, that’s all,” Novo replied, Celestia having to swipe her claw away from the fluffy confection in front of her. Novo’s eyes followed the pancake with each flip. Novo blinked, was she drooling? Yeah, she was drooling. Oh yeah, she definitely was drooling. Celestia’s ‘Too Adorable to Be Legal’ apron didn’t help. “I’m sure anyone can relate to that.”

“I suppos… ow!” Celestia suddenly yelped. She’d felt a distinct nip at her backside. “...what was that for?”

“You need to smile more,” Novo said. “If being a flirt does it, so be it. I shall sacrifice my dignity if necessary…” she commented with a long drawn out and completely exaggerated sigh.

“You have an obsession,” Celestia drawled. Her muzzle scrunched up, and try as hard as she could, her glare was more cute than intimidating.

“I’m a hippogriff, aren’t I, Sweet Cheeks?” Novo deadpanned and gave her rump a very distinctive wiggle. “What part of the equine anatomy am I supposed to like? If you want me to stop, just say so.”

Celestia tried glaring again. Needless to say, it didn’t work. “Oh, this is going to be a thing, isn’t it?” she muttered.

“Not unless you protest otherwise,” Novo said. “And I don’t see you protesting, really!”

“Now really, Novo, must you be so… crass?” Celestia asked.

“Honey,” Novo said for the umpteenth time, “you really need to loosen up!”

She realized a little too late that might have been exactly the wrong thing to say given last night’s events.

“And how do you say I ‘loosen up’ without turning into that… that creature ever again?” Celestia challenged. Her voice became softer. Sadder. “I turned into her once, and… who’s to say I won’t change back into her?”

“And if you do, I’ll be there to stop you,” Novo said, nuzzling her. “Look, Hippogriffia...or Seaquestria now, it has psychiatrists. So does Equestria, you don’t have to suffer alone. Doctor-patient confidentiality, right? No one will ever think badly of you if you ever have to admit yourself, we all have our bad days.”

“You’re too sweet to me…” Celestia said, though it was clearly obvious that she was smiling.

“And don’t I know it, Sweet Cheeks!” Novo declared. “Oh, suffering is me!”

“You’re so important,” Celestia muttered. “Our relationship… it’s not exactly something we could ever hide. I’m amazed we did in your youth. We were like…”

“Horny teenagers?” Novo offered, nuzzling Celestia again. She could feel her heartbeat, and it was like the tide. Strong, soothing, and all hers. “Yes, well, as I said before, love makes fools of us all.”

“Then if I am a fool, let it be the good kind,” Celestia said. “Only once in your life, I think… No, I truly believe, you find that certain someone who can completely turn your whole worldview around. You bare your soul with them, and… one thing leads to another. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life.”

Novo’s expressions ran the gamut from shock, confusion, and finally understanding. Now, Celestia was not a gambling mare--and while she did pride herself on the ability to read a pony--this was the biggest gamble she’d ever made. “You… you actually want to be a queen?”

“If you’ll have me, yes,” Celestia said. She smiled shakily, not really sure where to go from here.

“Oh, you tyrant,” Novo said, gently swatting her. “So is this how you further Equestria’s borders in reality? Sleeping your way through your opposition?”

“Heavens no!” Celestia said agasp at the insinuation.

“Could have fooled me,” Novo gently teased. “Oh, this is going to change everything…”

“Will it?” Celestia inquired.

“No… perhaps not,” Novo agreed. “And Skystar, she’ll finally have a… oh gods, Skystar! Last she saw, I was heading off to battle, and I… I haven’t returned!”

Frantic panting was all Novo did for the next few moments before Celestia draped a wing around her. Nobody needn't have worried, however, as Sunburst burst into the room, several explosive potions in hoof. With him was Skystar covered head to claw in armor.

“M-Mom?” Skystar sputtered, dropping her spear. At any other time, Novo would have chastised her daughter for being so foolish. But considering the circumstances, all she could do was sweep her up in a hug.

“You’re grounded for five hundred years, dear, I hope you know that…” Novo said, although her smile betrayed her.

“Well, this is a… situation,” Sunburst said dumbly. “I was going to say the hippogriffs are calling for blood, but… um…”

“Is there a situation? I don’t hear anyone screaming?” Celestia said gently.

“Oh, there was screaming,” Novo said with a devilish smile. “It just wasn’t coming from the peasants.”

“Mom!” Skystar shouted, blushing a bright red, Sunburst following as Novo cackled.

Yeah, this was going to be alright, Celestia decided. Everything would be alright.

Author's Note

So.... yeah, I'm not the world's biggest fan of Novo. Let me say that straight out. But my prompt, well one of them anyways was to write her. So, I did. Novo's a... well, I won't say the word I'm thinking really, a queen who could have easily helped Twilight and company in the movie but decided not to.

...That may have played into this, I'm not sure. Oh well, credit where credit is due as two stories "You called for me" and "The Broken Treaty' played a part in shaping this story. The first for the Novo/Celestia relationship and Treaty for the general scenario. To be honest, the first drafts were.... very confused about what this story wanted to be. A romance story, or an adventure one with Novo being a badass. I decided to hell with it and take the best bits from both.

YMMV if I succeeded.

2/4/20: Now thanks to some heavy editing via Everfree and PoisonClaw, I believe this story is as ready as it'll ever be. Give both of them a shout eh?