Ponyville was bustling in the early Thursday morning as its inhabitants made their way to their jobs, opening stores and setting up stalls while others moved around to be first in line for the days produce. It was nowhere near as bustling as a place like Canterlot or Manehattan, which made it feel all the more welcoming and peaceful. It was certainly nothing that Celestia, the recently retired ruler of Equestria, was used to but she enjoyed it all the same.
Gone were the royal regalia and pure white dress she was accustomed to wearing during her over eleven hundred year tenure as princess, the alicorn now wearing a much more casual pastel pink v-neck shirt and light green trousers. She also had a comfortable pair of slip on shoes, made for walking around the roads of Ponyville with little trouble instead of the fine heels expected of a monarch. Her clothing did not show off her magnificent figure as her typical princess dress had, which she considered a blessing even if it didn't stop all of the stares. She was accustomed to ignoring them though, as well as being more focussed on the young colt walking beside her.
Beacon was her reason for being up bright and early that morning, her six year old son humming merrily to himself as he walked with her to school. He had a messy pale green mane the same colour as the stripe in her own, bright purple eyes taking in all the sights of the bustling town. Underneath his mane poked up a gleaming white horn to indicate he was a unicorn, the same colour of his coat. He wore a light blue shirt with a winged ball on it, symbol of the game buckball along with a navy pair of shorts and purple and white sneakers. Finally he was carrying a backpack, filled with his school books and pencils so that he could have a productive day learning.
"Here we are!" Celestia said as they drew into sight of Ponyville School, her son's eyes lighting up in excitement. Already several young ponies were assembled around the red brick building, meeting up with their friends or saying good bye to their parents. Beacon grinned broadly as he saw his own friends gathered around the swings, running over while the former princess followed at a more leisurely pace.
"Summer! Fang! North!" He exclaimed gleefully, the group turning to greet him. Sitting on one of the swings was Summer Breeze, a light blue earth pony filly with a short blonde mane held back with a head band. She wore a white sun dress with a floral pattern and white buckle shoes, her green eyes looking lazily at him as he approached. On the other swing was North Star, a purple earth pony filly with a black mane that swept up and down into a single plait. She wore a light green shirt and three quarter length pink pants with red buckle shoes, along with a horn headband and a set of fake wings both painted to match her own purple. Finally standing nearby was Fang, an oddity at Ponyville School as he was a tan scaled young dragon, his hair and wing membranes a bright matte orange. He had deep blue eyes and his face was framed by forward facing curled horns, wearing a black shirt and jeans with no shoes. Compared to the relaxed Summer Breeze and the imperious North Star, Fang was quite shy and reserved.
"Yo, B! Yo B's mum!" Summer said as Celestia and Beacon reached them, her legs kicking slightly on the swing. Next to her North Star hopped off the swing to offer the former princess a curtsy.
"Good morning Princess Celestia." She greeted the alicorn formally, her head bowed. Celestia smiled in exasperation, knowing already that nothing would dissuade the filly from doing so. North Star was convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that one day she would be joining the ranks of the princesses, and as such had what Celestia privately deemed to be an unhealthy fixation with royalty.
"H-hi..." Fang murmured shyly, still learning to be at ease around others. Beacon gave him an encouraging smile, having made fast friends with the young dragon where others had avoided him. More talk was cut short as the school bell began to ring out, parents getting in last minute hugs with their children before class began for the day. Beacon and his friends started to move to the door before he turned around to give his mother a hug, the alicorn kneeling down so that she could plant a kiss on the top of his head.
"I love you, Beacon. You be a good boy for Miss Cheerilee, alright?" Celestia asked, smiling at her treasured child.
"Okay mum!" Beacon replied happily, a broad smile on his face. "Love you too!" As they said their good byes Cheerilee approached, giving the former ruler of Equestria a welcoming smile. She had a pink coat and mauve hair, the teacher dressed smartly with a white collar shirt, brown vest and a green skirt with a floral pattern.
"Good morning!" She greeted them all, her green eyes bright and friendly. "Do you all have your permission slips for the upcoming field trip?" As the students searched around for their slips she accepted them, frowning slightly as she looked at Beacon's. "Oh dear, I think there was a mix up with the notes." She said, indicating the two staple holes in the corner where an important piece of information had been. "It's still a recent change, but the E.E.A. now requires both parents to sign the permission slip. Unfortunately the latest I can accept the permission slips is the end of the school day today, but I'm sure I can help if you need a bit more time Celestia."
"You can get dad to sign it, right mum?" Beacon pleaded, his cheery mood punctured by the news he might not be able to go on the field trip. He had been so excited for the trip to Appleoosa, and the thought of missing out clearly distressed him.
"It will be no problem at all, I'll go and see your father right now Beacon." Celestia assured him, watching his eyes light up once more. Accepting the note she watched the teacher and students file into the school before her horn flared up, teleporting the vast distance between Ponyville and Canterlot in the blink of an eye.
***
Celestia reappeared in front of the gates to the castle, knowing that it would be highly improper even for the former ruler to just appear within the castle grounds. Rules were there for a reason, and she was loathe to be so arrogant as to break that which she had put in place just because she had once been in charge. The drawbridge lowered over the moat, the yellow rimmed gate with expertly crafted floral patterns and pristine white walls were a much more familiar sight to her than the open borders and much more quiet surrounds of Ponyville, but she appreciated both just the same and perhaps the latter more now that she had a husband, son and sister to share her time with.
Crossing the drawbridge still felt natural to her, no different now that she was a civilian. Allowing a brief moment to enjoy the nostalgia, Celestia resumed her journey into the castle grounds. Many of the guards she recognised, still content to serve in their roles as protectors of Canterlot and its denizens no matter who wore the crown while others were fresh faces, a new generation of guardians to safeguard the future. Their skills were now in the hands of her husband Rally Flag, a veteran when they had first started dating and as of shortly after her retirement the new drill sergeant of the royal guard.
Passing by the main entrance to the castle Celestia instead headed for the training ground, expecting to find Rally there so early in the day in order to whip new recruits and veterans alike into fighting shape. As she approached the gate to the training grounds she got a glimpse of the ranks of stallions and mares that had signed up to protect Equestria, the sunlight gleaming off their golden armour as the stood to attention. Each held a spear in their right hand and a shield with their left, wore a gold helmet with a blue plume and matching breastplate with a blue skirt and sandals, the traditional arms and armour of the royal guard dating back to the founding of Equestria.
At the very front of the assembled rank and file stood Rally, resplendent in his own armour. Unlike them the pegasus wore dark red armour with a gold trim, the plume and skirt the same colour as the armour. On his belt hung a hammer, one that she had given him personally as recognition for heroism during the changeling invasion of Canterlot that felt so very long ago now. It was decorated with carvings of the royal symbol of the Two Sisters, the twenty-seventh unique weapon commissioned over the time Celestia had ruled Equestria. Each one had been enchanted to last the ages, most now on display in the castle to honour those that had wielded them in battle.
"Alright troops, listen up!" Rally shouted out so that all assembled would hear him clearly. Celestia smiled, not having seen him working in his new role but clearly able to picture him, from his piercing blue eyes and messy blue mane to his green coat and even the scar that poked out from the sides of his helmet and crossed his muzzle. Content to wait until he had finished issuing his instructions, Celestia made for a white stone bench that was just inside the training grounds.
"Halt! Civilians are not permitted inside the training grounds."
Having become so accustomed to being able to move freely about the castle, Celestia didn't give the voice a passing thought as she assumed that the stationed guards would handle the situation appropriately. It wasn't until the two spears were lowered in front of her did she realise that they were doing exactly that, blinking in confusion and even a little indignation.
"I beg your pardon?" She asked, wondering if they were doing their jobs just a little too well by checking their former ruler. Smoothly they stepped in front of her, two young stallions dressed in the same gold armour as those in the training grounds. The one on her left was quite large, close to Rally's height and perhaps bulkier due to being an earth pony. He had slate grey eyes and a light blue coat, not taking his steely stare off her for a second. His counterpart was shorter and more lean but still somewhat muscular, a horn jutting out of his helmet to indicate he was a unicorn. His coat was a pristine white much like the castle stonework, his eyes a vivid red along with some of his mane poking out from under his helmet. "I only need to see my husband for a brief moment, if you wouldn't mind allowing me a seat until he is finished please?" She asked politely, certain that the situation could be resolved with ease.
"Ma'am, if you won't leave the area we will have no choice but to arrest you for tresspassing." The unicorn stated, Celestia dumbstruck at the statement. While she understood that she was no longer the ruler of Equestria, it hadn't even been a full year since her retirement. Surely they would be able to show reason in this case?
"Please, if you would just-" Celestia began, stopping mid-sentence as the two guards began to move towards her. With practiced ease the earth pony restrained her arms behind her while the unicorn slipped a nullifier ring on her horn. Her eyes grew wide as the smothering feeling of the ring took effect, realising that she was now cut off from her magic and helpless. "Excuse me! What are you doing?" She demanded, the guards remaining silent as they hauled her away to the dungeons.
***
"How's training the new recruits going, Rally?" Rally Flag turned from watching his charges practicing their weapon drills on the wooden training dummies at the voice, smiling when he saw his friend and captain Bulwark approaching. He was a mountain of an earth pony, with a slate grey coat and close cropped blonde mane with light blue eyes. He wore the purple and gold trimmed armour reserved for the captain of the royal guard, with a sword on his belt and a tower shield strapped to his back. Few ponies in the guard could carry the thing, but Bulwark was a very skilled warrior with it on his arm.
"More drilling and they might even make decent meat shields, captain." The pegasus grinned, offering a salute which was promptly returned. Having been friends since they both enlisted along with Shining Armor none of the three would care about formalities when dealing with one another in private, but out in front of the recruits they were on display and thus wanted to set a good example. "Seriously though, we have a good crop here. Training's going good, should be able to get them out on first patrols in a week or two." Bulwark nodded approvingly, casting an eye over the recruits. Here and there a few still made sloppy thrusts or wobbled a little due to poor foot placement, but he was confident that such things would be easy enough to rectify.
"Good, good." Bulwark said. "If you have a free moment, a couple of our newer guards told me they have arrested a trespasser and they wanted to get some lessons in interrogation. How about an example, for old times sake?" Rally grinned again, the prospect of a good interrogation a call back to the days before his promotion when he still regularly went on patrol and ran down criminals. He enjoyed being drill sergeant, but it was still different from the old parts of the job that he loved almost as much as his wife and son.
"Sounds good, captain. It's about time for this lot to get a break anyway." He replied, taking a step forward to address the recruits. "Alright everyone, that's time! Hit the mess hall and meet back here at thirteen-hundred hours!" Rally and Bulwark watched as the recruits lowered their weapons and headed into the castle, already meeting up with their friends and chatting among themselves. It was another reminder to the veterans of their first days, joined by Shining Armor and other friends they made in their first weeks.
"Let's go, then." The captain said, leading the way to the dungeons. Rally moved alongside him, getting more and more excited about the impending interrogation. The pegasus found himself hoping that this trespasser put up some resistance, relishing the chance of a good argument. With any luck, the imposing figures of the captain and the drill sergeant in their more intricate armour wouldn't deter that. Making their way through the castle halls it didn't take long to reach their destination, going down a flight of stairs where the gleaming white walls and pristine marble columns were replaced with cold dark stonework. The stairway was lit intermittedly by magical everburning torches, casting flickering shadows of the two ponies over the walls as they descended into the depths.
"Gentlecolts." Rally said as they approached the interrogation room, two guards keeping watch over it to make sure the intruder remained inside. A light blue earth pony and a white unicorn, they both snapped to attention and gave a salute to the approaching officers which was promptly returned. "At ease. What have we got?"
"Trespasser, sir." The unicorn replied, handing the pegasus a couple of pages of arrest paperwork. "We caught her trying to enter the training grounds. She's refusing to cooperate, we were hoping to learn from you and Captain Bulwark about interrogation." Bulwark nodded, knowing that any such information would have been in the paperwork but hearing it first hand was always better as far as he was concerned.
"She actually had the audacity to ask us to fetch Princess Twilight." The blue guard added, letting out a short laugh at such an absurd request. Rally glanced at the sheets in hand once more, noting their names as Stoneheart and Vanguard. By all accounts they had done everything right and shown themselves to be skilled guards and willing to keep improving beyond that, but something about that remark had him curious about this intruder. She certainly wouldn't be the first pony to have tried to break into the castle over the years and definitely wouldn't be the last, but trying to get into an area crawling with guards and asking for the ruler of Equestria directly?
"Let's get started then." Bulwark said, though a quick glance at Rally as Stoneheart unlocked the door told the drill sergeant that his sentiments were shared. It wasn't until the door was opened and Rally stepped inside to see the sole occupant of the room did understanding dawn on him. Sitting on the hard blue chair, handcuffed to the plain white table and illuminated by the flickering orange light of another torch, a filthy scowl plastered on her face, was Celestia. Rally and Bulwark blinked in confusion, slowly turning to face the expectant young guards with incredulous looks.
"Why did you arrest my wife?" Rally asked, his tone flat and neutral as though he believed this were some kind of ill-conceived prank. Immediately the expectant looks shattered, Stoneheart and Vanguard looking as though someone had just told them they were to be executed.
"Uhhh..." Stoneheart began, the earth pony's eyes darting to his partner. The unicorn was likewise frozen to the spot, his red eyes darting nervously between every one else in the room. The captain was the first one to move, bringing out his master key and unlocking Equestria's retired ruler from her handcuffs.
"You've put a nullifier on her, so you know she's not a changeling or using a magic disguise." Bulwark growled scarcely able to believe that such a situation could occur. The two guards were fumbling their words now, falling completely silent as they saw the drill sergeant's face. Gone was the stony disbelief, the pegasi's face a mask of pure rage made all the more frightening by his steely blue eyes and the vivid scar poking out over his muzzle.
"So why'd you arrest my wife?!" He exploded, their nerve failing them in the face of their commanding officer's anger. Stoneheart and Vanguard were tripping over themselves to get out of the room, making a mad dash down the hall in a desperate bid for freedom. Rally stormed out into the hall after them, the paperwork being crumpled in his balled fist. "There's no point in running you clowns! You put your names on the arrest form!" He roared after them, before turning back into the interrogation cell to check on his wife. Celestia was standing up now, rubbing her wrists and stretching her wings in an irritated manner. The scowl had only slightly lessened, though he was sure that such an ordeal wouldn't be easily forgotten even by someone as forgiving and patient as her.
"Thank you, captain." Celestia said, her tone slightly higher and more commanding as was usual when she was unhappy. Rally rushed to her side, his own anger replaced by genuine concern for her wellbeing as he hugged her firmly. She let out a quiet sigh, more to acknowledge him than any indication of her mood changing. "I have been in this room since just after nine o'clock, and all I wanted was to get Rally to sign Beacon's permission slip." She said, Bulwark blanching at the time she had said.
"Three hours." He said, disbelief at just how little common sense these recruits had shown in his voice. "Rally, take the rest of the day off. I'll sort this mess out." The captain added, the drill sergeant nodding at the words even as he brought out a pen to sign the slip Celestia had handed him.
"Thanks Bulwark." He replied distractedly, turning to his wife. "Let's go home, I'll get chnaged and we can go out for lunch and even visit the spa." Celestia nodded, her purple eyes showing gratitude to both of them before her horn flared up, teleporting herself and her husband back home to freedom. Bulwark watched them go, already trying to remember what their favourite brands of alcohol were.
Stoneheart and Vanguard were going to need to make an apology that would see them pardoned from Tartarus to smooth things of this magnitude over, after all.
