Chapters -Note to the reader-
To those who wish to complain: ~~Yes this story contains two and sometimes three narrators, that is an artistic choice. No I am not an literature major, I did not study to write this story and yes I make grammar mistakes and spelling errors. I am aware of all this and chose to write anyways. Furthermore, I have not read that many fics, if you see or note any similarities to any stories you know and love, it’s merely a coincidence.~~
To those who wish to read: Please enjoy the story.
“White... White white white... Gold and white... Everything is golden and white... Pretty... But bland...” I looked down at my hoofs as I climbed the many stairs. “White and gold... *Sigh*” I peered out the window, trying not to be seen. Guards flew around like busy bees... There’s no way I could fly to the top without being seen. I thought as I climbed the stairs. Simply no way... My hoofs felt like mush as I climbed the tower, so used to flying, this many steps wore terribly at these pretty legs .
She paused, catching her breath as she peered once more at that door. The green door, made of dry wood and black iron bindings with chipped paint. It smells like regret and insanity. Her horn glows blue as she molds a key out magic and dust, the lock clicks and the door swings open... The pearly white pony trots into the room, kicking off her shoes and tossing her crown, she makes herself naked and leaps into a large sty of pillows. She was alone once more in her sanctum... her beloved lair.
The windows in that room are obsidian, black crystals that let no light in. I open the jet glass with my magic and light flooded in.
Her room was marked and painted insanely with every color imaginable, splashes of green and purple covered the walls. The ceiling was stained orange and yellow, red and pink. On the floor countless spills and drools of paint and gouache filled the ground. Black, blue, brown, green and pink hoof marks covered the floor and walls. There was no order to the mess of bright shades and there was no white.It felt good to be inside this place again, this room in which I spend so many years captive. I grew accustom... comfortable in here. These four walls are like a second womb to me. And yet I only see it once a month or so... I wanted to paint, I wanted to unwind.
The princess set flame to a small prism of chalky orange incense, and breathed in the pink fumes that it gave off.Pink freckles formed on my cheeks and between my eyes as I giggled like a little filly. Teehee~ Time for some RandR. I turned to the masterpiece, my huge canvas, soon to be fresco. I had been working on it for nearly twelve years now, it’s colored in many spectrums and explodes with all the foolie that runt of a draconequus gave me. I stared at the thick slab of modern art in admiration, though it was mostly shades of purple at the time. But I was ready to get back to work and try once more to finish my art. It’s a shame... I thought. Nopony will ever get to see it. And yet I’m sure everypony would love my art *Sigh* of course they would... I’m the princess after all... The wild smell of fairy dust brought me away, like a ship with high sails. My favorite color at the moment was pink... It was all I could think about. I smeared pink hearts and swirls around the splashes of purple ink and violet stripes.
As she painted. A green and white mist flew in through the window and danced about before her. Transfixed by the magic dust, it soon flashed and turned into a scroll of parchment. Odd... She thought. Twilight already sent her report this week, what could this be? The princess slowly unrolled the parchment with glee, giggling as she peers into the text.
Dear princess Celestia
Today, Pinkypie, Applejack and I prepared numerous pastries for a play Applebloom will soon be appearing in, as we baked we sang and danced, but in a fit of musicality we prepared far too many sweet meals and decided to give a few away. When I saw this cake I thought of you and had it shipped right away. I hope you enjoy it, please write back.
“*Giggle* A cake from Twilight~ I can’t wait to try it!” I wiped my drooling lips off on my messy hoofs and immediately kissed the still wet fresco. The shape of my two lips marked the artwork in bright red.
As the incense finished burning, the princess slowly regained her mind. What time is it? She thought. Stepping back to look at her art. “Wha... It’s looking good...” She studied the width of her canvas as it layered nearly three inches thick of paint, painted over and over again and again... What time is it? She thought again.
I moved to an open window and peered outside, the sun was still high and and bright. “I have plenty of time... But I wish I had more...” I wanted to paint some more, but less insanely. I sat down in my favorite poof and picked up a figurine. “Maybe I’ll sneak these two in the kitchen and ask that they be used on the wedding cake? Hmn...” I happily set them down, what I wanted to paint was purple... That was all I could think about... Purple... I was thirsty and needed a drink.
The princess gathered and mixed her finest dried fruit and favorite mushrooms into a shake, as she drank the cocktail she felt more healthy and attentive. And with it inside her, she got painting.
“Hmn... Maybe more time wouldn’t be that great...” thinking out loud to myself. “longer workdays would be a tire and my special days in my lair would seem to never come...” I noticed the figure of a white unicorn toppled over a little drake. “*Giggle* I should lower the legal age for them.” Playfully I stood them up right and hugged them together. Blushing I looked left to right out of reflex and picked up the figures I was painting... “Dear princess Celestia~” I giggled to myself in a fillyish voice. “Yes my faithful student?” I blushed furiously as I pulled the two toys together...
She pondered and wondered, hunched over her books. Bright green and blue incense filled her sanctum as she studied into the night...
“Time... Time is so... *Grumble* I’ll figure this one out soon...” I buried deep into the arcana, trying furiously to remember my youth, back when magic was my playing field... I was starting to feel old. But Determined I would soon bend and wind the flow of time as I do my voice... “I’ll slow down time when I’m having fun and speed it up when I’m bored *Sigh* but time is such a hard material... I’m starting to remember why StarSwirl was such a great colt.”
Late in the morning, Dust flew gently threw the air. It spun and swirled about before being breathed up in the princesses nostril. "ZZzzaahh!" She exclaimed as she woke, a loose page still stuck to her cheek. "Wassit... Wha What time is it?!"
I hoped up and ran to a window, the cold air breezed in, flowing against my face, I breathed in feeling the cold chill down my throat... I suddenly noticed what time it was. "Ssshoot"
The princess bolted down the stairs, leaping three at a time. She hustled down nearly tripping constantly
"Shoot Shoot shoot shoot! This is bad!!" Just as the ground started to peer out the side of the spiral staircase, I felt the world dart out towards me far faster than I wanted. "AAahh!!" I flapped my wings in vain, trying to pick myself up before I fell, but I was to close to the ground. I slammed down hard protecting my precious face with the joint of my wing. "Aaahrg, I don't have time for this!" Just as quickly as I tumbled I got to my hoofs and started to gallop.
Celestia flapped her wings to fly, but her left just wouldn't budge. "Ouch, damn these hollow bones" She dashed down the main hall and across the royal garden. Guards flew by her side.
"Your highness are you okay?" Asked the guard captain.
"Can't talk... Running... Erk!" Cramps caught up with her royal sides, just in time, she arrived at her alter. Her horn shined bright as it rose skyward, with it the sun began to pick it's self up... "~Yawn!" The spell broke as the princess gaped widely.
"Watch it!" Luna exclaimed as she caught the sun before it fell. "Thou almost dropped it"
"*Sigh* Thank you Luna"
"Where were Thou?" Sister seemed quite bitter "Nopony caught eye nor ear of thou all night" I wanted to think fast, I wanted to but I stumbled fast instead. "I passed out in a bush" Not my best excuse, but it would do.
"In a bush? What ever were thou doing in a bush so late at night?"
"I euh..." Noticing the page still pressed to my cheek "I was out and about, studying... Plants... When a branch fell on me!"
"A branch?"
"Yeah it hurt my wing... Oow~" I showed her my swollen feathers. She didn't seem to believe my story, but accepted my false proof. Just as soon a small herd of ponies huddled over to see my wound and shouted caring questions at me.
"Thou should see to that, sister... a broken wing is no image for a princess" Her eyes scolded me like fire as she slowly turned and trotted away.
Within moments, Princess Celestia was brought to an infirmary and treated with far more care than was needed.
"Were you attacked?" Asked a concerned mare.
"No no... Just a loose branch, it must of fallen on me during the night"
"Did you see who made it fall?" Questioned another.
"Nopony did, it fell on it's own."
"Oh my! so the tree attacked you!" The third guest asked, only then did I notice their hats and cameras.
"No no no. Nopony attacked me, the branch fell on it's own, it was an old tree and the branch just let go." The three journalists seemed displeased by that announcement, but took it for true. and asked questions to nurses and doctors instead.
The princess rested more a few moments, which gave her time to think... She noticed how clearly she was thinking, as opposed to last night, and what kind of trouble her late night got her into. But she did not regret it, even for a moment.
I trotted onto my balcony, my pride flowing, giving off my best smile. a herd of ponies massed up before the castle wall. I focused on seeming happy, yet sorry. "Hello everypony... I would like to apologize for this mornings events." I turned nonchalantly, showing off my bandaged wing. "I am deeply sorry that the sun was late, and that you may have been late because of me. I am sorry for neglecting my duties this morning. I hope you can all accept my apologies and forgive me." Even though I was telling the truth, it felt like a lie. Maybe because it was the only true part of the entire story... But then a thought crossed my mind and it was the only thing that mattered "~Twilight's cake!"
-Chapter 3- The coming darkness
*Splat!!*
The princess sighed aloud and added a few more notes to her already enormous calculation. She prepped up another specimen and turned the device on. It spun round and round at a rather slow pace as her horn glowed bright, she focused on it with all her might, channeling her refined spell into it...
*Splat!!* Yet another banana exploded smearing yellow mush on the already soiled turn table. I growled furiously at the fruit "Damn it all that's the fiftieth time today!!"
"Fifty-six" I snapped around quick only to notice my younger sister lazing about with a large bag of chips... "Thou exploded fifty-six bananas."
"How long have you been watching me Luna?" I was in no mood for her foolishness. "And shouldn't you be asleep at this hour?
"We are having a mid day snack~ When we arrived thou had killed thirty fruits and were acclaiming your anger quite loud." I couldn't help myself from blushing. Had I been raging at this spell out loud? It wasn't out of place, I had been pouring every free moment of myself into this spell for nearly two weeks. But still, as a princess I had no right to express anger over such a trifle.
"We must admit Celestia, Thou does quite impress us. It is not every pony that can master time magic quite like you." I glared at her impatiently, She was clearly insulting my magic, but she seemed sincere. "Most unicorns that attempt time magic cannot amount to anything, thou at least obtain a result... Though it may seem... Unsuccessful, it is a pace in the right direction." I was glad to hear such a compliment, however odd it may be, I had been dodging my sister ever since the accident and felt a cold glare from her. "How ever, we fear for you sister. They say that time magic foretells insanity, perhaps thou should retreat from it for a time?"
"Who ever said that?" Just as soon as she made me feel welcome she frustrated me again, doubting my sanity, who did she think I was?
"Star swirl the bearded told us once in person. He claimed that he lost his mind in the arcane winds of time and had to go through great lengths to retrieve it." My ears puckered up "Star swirl did? I knew he wasn't all there but..." I though, contemplating how hard I had been working. Pages upon pages of notes and cantrips piled high above my head and far across the black board, which was riddled with formulas, scratched out and corrected, then re-corrected and erased partially only to be corrected once more.
"*sigh* Perhaps you're right, I'll try to relax. You know how I can be when I can't get around things. Thanks Luna, try to get some sleep"
The blue alicorn Smiled and left out towards the main hall. The Princess, alone in her study contemplated her final results before folding everything back into a neat pile.
Celestia sat in her fluffy chair, contemplating how she would spend her time. She had made all this time to further her studies, now that she was taking a break she didn't know how to spend it. "Maybe I'll take a stroll and stretch out my wings?" She thought, looking down at her bandaged tuff of feathers. "*Sigh* But the guards would likely stop me..."
I wanted to run around,but had no reason to, I was jittery and agitated, I didn't like not being able to complete that spell and the yellow music player only mocked me further. "I should clean that" I thought vaguely to myself, the mess didn't bother as much as the color... Bananas taste good but have such a bland color. Other fruit can be so wild and vivid but bananas are so dull inside. Even on the outside they're kinda pale. "I guess they can bright if they're ripe" I said aloud as I waved a magical hoof inside the crate looking for one to eat. But it was empty, I peered over into the box and sure enough it was empty, I had spent the entire morning burning or blowing them up with my spells and now there was none left.
"Hmm... I'm hungry" She said getting up from her seat. "I feel like cake and sweets~" But she knew she couldn't, not after the event's that occurred several weeks earlier involving Twilight's cake. It would be weeks more before she'd allow herself to sink her teeth into a slice. "Hmn... Maybe just a salad? No! I want something sweet and fruity... Fruit? What fruit though?"
I was pacing circles in my cluttered study, papers ruffled and tore under my hoofs, but I didn't care for them, I was to busy thinking about my stomach. "I know! I'll ask Twilight, she'll know what to suggest" It was a lazy thing to do, but that was how I'd been dealing with things: Can't be bothered to think of something? Get Twilight to do it, plus I got to hear from her, knowing She had the idea made everything seem better. I sad down at my desk and pulled up a virgin page.
Dear Twilight Sparkle
I have an odd request for you, I have a craving for delicious fruit, but can't think of anything worth eating, Perhaps you could think of something? something delicious and healthy that will fill me up. If you can't be bothered to think of anything that's fine. please reply as soon as you can.
On another note, I would like to apologize for your cake, Although it was very delicious. Yours truly Princess Celestia~
She paused and reread it over twice before adding a postscript: One more thing, we should see each other real soon, I've been dyeing to have a pick-nick, just you and me.
that sounded exiting, my heart fluttered as I thought about. I shot up a wind messenger spell and blew green flames onto the rolled up letter, which turned into small cloud of mist and flew away. I stared out the window at my messenger as it drifted away out of sight. I thought more and more about Twilight and I, Alone in the white tail forest. Maybe I'd show her an art piece of mine, and maybe while we eat... I'd tell say something out of place, she'd say something like... It's not like you love me right? And then I'd blush and stare tenderly at her... Teehee she'd blush and smile and we... We...
The princess noticed how red she was blushing, her little shipping fit had caused quite the reaction and needed to walk it off. "That's no way to think Celestia, She's your star pupil, you can't have such crude thoughts about her. Besides she's far far to young for you." She paced about talking to herself for a while more. As the princess thought, she started to wonder. "Sure is taking her... I wonder if I offended her with that request." Celestia paced faster about her room, worrying herself to pieces. "Or maybe she's angry about the cake... Oh I hope she forgave me about it... *Gasp* The invitation! Was I to direct? Do you think she knows how I feel about her? N... no, It can't be that... she would tell me... She would..."
I was worried... Far too worried, I had only sent the note fifteen minutes ago and it takes ten to get to ponyville and back. "Okay calm down Celestia, maybe she's having an adventure with her friends, she's probably out fixing somepony's problems or saving ponyville from a catastrophe and can't respond to my little request" I sighed satisfied with that answer. I decided To just go to the kitchen and see what we had.
The royal fridge was filled with rare meats and veggies, all of which looked great but needed preparing and after that fit of anxiety I just wanted something quick that didn't need any fixing. Just then I spotted the most delicious looking peach turnovers, all six were sitting on a fine china plate and were glazed with cinnamon and honey. I picked up a pastry and opened my mouth wide. "A few pastries won't hurt, so long as nobody notices." But then I saw the sign next to them "hoofs off, they're mine!" The note was marked with a moon and wreaked of my sisters ancient hoof writing. *Pout* "Fine!" I yelled "I'll go get my own... Fresh ones!" I slammed the door behind me and noticed the chef, he seemed vexed hearing me not only talk, but yell to myself. Blushing I excused myself and trotted off at a brief pace.
The princess gathered a few things and left out the main door, she wore a large sun hat as she trotted out towards the town. As she hit the gates, guards questioned where she was headed, stating how they still hadn't found the one who hurt her wing and it might be dangerous, they insisted to follow her, but the princess wanted a moment away from the guards and the whole castle at that. Alone she marched to Canterlot.
No matter where I'd look everypony was bowing, I couldn't escape being a princess even if I wore a hat. "Why did I think that would change anything?" I though as I smiled tenderly at my subjects. No matter, I was use to this treatment by now and really only cared about my stomach. I found a nice bakery with a large terrace, I made up my mind, that was where I would eat. As soon as i sat down at the table a waiter was at my hoofs trying to hold his notes as he trembled.
"Yu-your Ma-ma-majesty... Wh-wat-what can I WE get for y-" Before he could finish his stutter ridden phrase the baker marched out to greet me.
"Ah Princess Celestia~ How may we serve you my highness?" He bowed as he spoke, though he talked clearly he was sweating.
"I am in the mood for peaches, something sweet like a strudel or a tart"
"Eer we D-don't serve P-peaches here Princess" The waiter stated as he fumbled nervously with his papers. The chef clopped him on the head "of course we do! Fetch, go buy some posthaste"
Oh nonono that's fine, I wouldn't want to bother anypony" I said waving my hoofs. "What kind of fruit do you serve here?" Regardless the colt was off on a quest for peaches and the chef was pleased of his work.
The Princess waited patiently, thinking once more of her date to come with her student. She smiled and blushes when she heard her name.
"Hey Celestia, over here!"
