"Shoo be doo, shoo shoo be doo..." Celestia sang softly to herself, a watering can held in her magic, raining down precious lifewater upon the plants outside her apartment. She paused and looked up at the sun beaming down upon Silver Shoals. The sun, once hers, was now in the hooves of Twilight Sparkle, and she felt at once both relieved and heartbroken. Thousands of years raising and lowering the sun had impressed a strong connection with the celestial body, and now part of her felt as if she had lost an old friend. Celestia smiled and lifted her hoof, waving at it.

"Still feels odd, doesn't it, sister?" Luna asked, startling Celestia from her reverie. As always she could move so quietly that she startled just about everypony she approached, her sister included. "It's nice to just be regular ponies for once, and yet..."

"Yes." For once, the wise and immortal sun mare had no speech to trot out. "It'll take some time to get used to this. Maybe a few decades at least." She shrugged and continued watering her plants. "For now, it's one day at a time. Equestria's in good hooves, and here's hoping it'll be a while until the next attempted takeover. Even Twilight and her friends could use that sort of break, especially given the task they've now been given."

"They'll be fine. You and I didn't have a council like Twilight's, and we handled things all right." Luna moved closer and leaned against her sister, nuzzling her neck. "We're retired, let's try not to obsess over our old jobs every morning. It's been a few months, and nothing has blown up yet. Just think positive and relax."

"You're right, Lulu." She replied, returning the loving nuzzle. "I'm heading to the arts building for art time soon, are you coming with?"

"Hmm, no, perhaps another day. I feel like once more vanquishing my foes in the art of paintball." Luna grinned and narrowed her eyes dangerously. "This time I will be victorious."

"Suuuuure, suuuure, that's what you said the last ten times." Celestia chuckled and dodged a swipe of Luna's hoof. "Enjoy yourself, dear. I'll see you this afternoon for tea, yes?"

"Of course! I'd never miss tea time with my big sis." Luna giggled and turned away, trotting down the stairs of the porch. "I shall let you know how I fare!"

* * *

"Oooh, what a lovely sunrise, Prin-...Celestia!" Celestia looked up from her painting, her brush dipped with crimson red. Beside her stood Mixed Palette, the instructor and supervisor of the art class. The pegasus mare was an artist and former art teacher from Fillydelphia who had retired and brought her love of art to Silver Shoals. Celestia smiled softly at her, giggling a little at seeing the mare trying hard not to use her former title. Old habits die hard after all.

"Why thank you, Mixy. They do say to paint what you know, don't they?" She asked.

"Mmm, yes, that is true." Mixed Palette said with a nod, pushing her glasses up her muzzle. "And since you've come here, you've painted many lovely sunrises and sunsets." Mixed paused, biting her lip. "Buuut...I speak not as your teacher but as your friend...is everything all right?"

Celestia blinked, cocking her head to the side. "...y-yes? Nothing is the matter. Why do you ask?"

"Mmhmm, sure." Mixed Palette stood up straighter, and Celestia was sure she could hear those old bones creak a little. "There's nothing wrong with painting the sun, not at all. But that's all you seem to paint, and when you do you get all...wistful like. You look kinda sad and a little lost."

"I...I do?" Celestia slowly put her brush down, suddenly feeling a little uneasy. "Is it really that obvious?"

"Plain as the day, Celestia." Mixed said matter-of-factly. But then she sighed and reached out, putting her hoof gently on Celestia's. "I can tell that you miss it. Being a princess. I mean, this is a big change for all of us too. We looked up to you, and we still do! But now to come to grips with you and your sister stepping down, it's...well, it's a strange feeling. Even now I still want to bow to you, though my back would say otherwise."

Celestia sighed and extended a wing around Mixed, pulling her in close. "Then...what do you suggest I do?"

"I don't really know, to be honest. But! You need to find something to really shake things up. Coming here to spend time at Silver Shoals is nice and all, but perhaps it is a bit too relaxing. You need something to challenge you, to get your attention, something that you will really invest yourself in, just as surely you invested yourself in ruling Equestria."

"Hmm...you know, I think you're right." Celestia smiled and nuzzled between Mixed's ears, drawing a cute squeak from her friend. "But what? It'd have to be something big, something important, something that would truly rival ruling a nation."

"I'm sure something will come along, Celestia. Life always has a way of dropping things in our hooves."

* * *

Celestia made her way back to her apartment, somewhat more subdued than she was earlier in the day. Mixed Palette's words had gotten to her, and the former ruler realized she had a lot to think about. How does one go from doing a job for millenia and then simply leaving off it?

As she reached the steps of her front porch, she looked up and paused. Her door was ajar. The hairs on her withers lifted. While the other residents often visited, they were polite enough not to let themselves in if she was out. And if it were Luna who had entered, as she had tacit permission to do so, she would have closed the door behind her. It was unlike Luna or anyone else at Silver Shoals to leave her door like that.

Ever so quietly she crept up the steps, wincing as one of them creaked. She paused and listened. Nothing, not a peep. She waited a moment, then continued, and approached her door, pushing it open and peeking inside.

A slow scan of her living area showed that nothing seemed amiss. Nothing was ransacked or strewn about. Everything was as she left it. She moved in, eyes vigilantly taking in every detail. When no small clue showed itself, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Silly me, I probably left it open or something. Or maybe the latch needs fixing."

Moving into her bedroom, she levitated her painting off of her back and placed it against the wall, next to a series of other sun-related paintings. She smiled softly and looked over them, admiring the many hues she'd used to capture the way the sun painted the sky in the morning and evening. Then she turned and looked at the rest of her room. And paused.

There was something sitting on her bed.

The feeling of unease came back in full force, and her legs shook as she closed the distance. Laying upon her bed was a basket covered with a blanket, and a letter sealed with wax. She brought the letter to her with her magic, and carefully broke the seal, opening the envelope and sliding out a single sheet of creamy paper. Words written in very careful and elegant script jumped out at her from the page.

Hello Celestia,

IF you are reading this (and I consider it a big if), then congratulations, you have won. It makes the very bile rise in my throat at the thought, but even I had to consider it a possibility, no matter how remote.

I know there is no love lost between us, but I write to ask one thing of you. To look after and care for something very important to me.

My daughter.

Yes, along with this letter you are receiving the egg of my as yet unhatched daughter. While I had hoped to return victorious and create a kingdom of my own, your receiving this letter means that such plans are shattered, and now my daughter has lost her mother. Her birth mother, at least.

Consider this my last laugh, Celestia. I would not see true changelings fully extinguished (and I do not consider those rainbow coloured traitors to be changelings anymore), and so my kind will live on through my daughter. Your daughter.

Take good care of her. If I know you as well as I think I do, then I know you will.

Forever your enemy,
Chrysalis.

"N-no...it...h-how..." Celestia dropped the letter. This was the last thing she needed. While she had not taken any joy in doing away with Chrysalis, it had been a necessary evil. How foolish she had been to think it was over. Even now, defeated though she was, Chrysalis threw a wrench in her plans, upsetting the careful balance of her life.

Celestia remained quiet for a few minutes, taking deep breaths to calm herself. "Calm down, Celly, calm down...just need to...contact Twilight and...and Thorax..." Her attention turned to the basket upon her bed, appearing like a mockery of the kind used to leave foals at an orphanage. She pulled the blanket away, revealing an iridescent egg, the colours shifting and changing as Celestia examined it. She reached out and touched it: it was firm but still somewhat yielding, not unlike a changeling's carapace.

It was in the middle of slowly stroking the egg that she was once again startled by another one of her sister's sudden appearances. "Tia? What...what is that?"

"L-Lulu..." She turned and regarded her sister, the lunar mare looking at her with visible confusion. "We've definitely got something to talk about over tea."

Author's Note

SHOO BE DOO, SHOO SHOO BE DOO