A Drink

Chapters

Broken Clock
A Drink
A Dream
Dereliction
Another Round
Darius
Past
Not Forgotten
Dreams
Ice
Morning
Library

Broken Clock

The sun shines warmly down upon the mountain city of Canterlot, despite chilly Autumn winds blowing through the streets. It’s a clear day, many ponies out enjoying the atmosphere of the capital of Equestria, letting the well-worked Pegasus winds flow past them, and smiling as Celestia’s sun looks down upon them. Pegasi flitter about, some late to meetings, some ensuring the weather remains pleasant, some just enjoying a flight. Equestria is a land of peace.

The walls of Canterlot Palace are a forcefield against the positive emotions outside, much more dull and ordered than the outside. Nothing makes this more clear than the small, barely perceivable frown on Celestia’s muzzle. Her Majesty sits upon a marble throne, veins of bright and shiny gold running about it, radiating away from the Princess’ form like the Sun’s rays. Her brilliant white coat is only interrupted by equally brilliant golden regalia, marking her as the royalty she truly is. Her eyes look upon her court like a mother, warmth and kindness backed by a cold steel.

Stood in front of her now is a nervous unicorn inventor, wearing her finest robes, a light blue affair that rests on her orange coat and contrasts harshly with her yellow mane. The mare goes on and on, speaking of the machine next to her. “This truly wonderful invention, Princess, could lead to Equestria’s industrial capabilities more than doubling!”

Sparing a glance to the machine, it was nothing new. A coil, built as to conduct electricity to other coils of similar size, allowing for nearly instant energy transfer between specific areas. It would certainly remove a lot of the hassle many ponies face, especially the DJs and any other traveler who needed to carry their energy. There was just one problem with instantaneous energy transfer, that being that any being, even an alicorn, caught between the two conduits, would be struck dead by voltage. No, it was nothing new, it had been seen many times by the Princess’ old eyes, and every time it was banned.

The unicorn continues on her spiel, “…And thus, Princess Celestia, I would humbly request that you would consider installing my coils across all of Equestria. I would not dare to ask anything more than a one percent profit in return. The rest, my Princess, is your’s, for it is your humble wis-“

She’s cut off as Celestia raises a hoof, “Sunset has almost arrived. Guards, ensure court is settled and the next petitioners go first in the morning. Let this unicorn stay.”

The various guards around the room all nod, and salute, moving to complete their orders. The unicorn looks at them, and then back at Celestia, shrinking away slightly upon making eye contact, but then standing straighter, speaking with a confident tone, “Thank you for letting me stay, Your Majesty. It is an honor to be able to-“

She stops suddenly as Celestia takes in a breath, even the quiet motion being enough to stop her. She pauses for a few seconds, looking at Celestia nervously, opening her mouth to speak again, only to stop as Celestia speaks herself, “What is your name, unicorn?”

The unicorn blinks, and blushes a bit, “U-umm, I’m Sunrise Twinkle. Daughter of-“

Celestia interrupts her, “Of Sunstroke Damnation and Sugar Sprinkle, or perhaps of Candle Flicker, it can be hard to tell with herds, as I’m sure you’re aware.”

She swallows nervously, and nods, “Yes, Your Majesty, I am aware. My father has-“

Celestia smiles slightly, “Seven mares, lining up with the imbalance. Do not be so nervous, Sunrise, you are not in trouble.”

Sunrise nods, slowly letting her nerves disappear, “Oh, it’s just-“

“Yet.”

Sunrise blinks, looking up at Celestia with nerves again, “Y-yet, Your Majesty?”

Celestia nods, “That all depends, Sunrise, on if you are as loyal as you appear.” Sunrise opens her mouth to respond, but Celesria gives no room for response, “You shall leave your coils with me, destroy every evidence of their creation, forget the studies you did to make them, and never again attempt to make them.”

Sunrise stands shocked for a moment, her mouth opening and closing, before she finally finds words, “Y-your Majesty, how can you expect me to-“

Celestia raises a hoof, “Sunrise. I am the Princess. I do not tell you how, I tell you what.”

Sunrise frowns, taking a step back, “But this is unfair! This is my life’s work, imagine all the good it can do! Your Majesty, please, think-“

Celestia stands from her throne, slowly trotting down the steps in front of it, looking down upon Sunrise, “You shall not imply that I have not thought about this, Sunrise.” She leans down, frowning slightly, Sunrise shrinking down, “You do not question what I say. You do not so much as think about going against my orders. You are a pony, and I am the Princess. You will either listen, or you will learn the price of becoming an enemy of Harmony.”

Sunrise frowns, backing up, “This is insane, Princess.”

Celestia leans back up to her full height, “Tell me, Sunrise, did you live through the days of Discord? The days of the Nightmare? No? Then don’t speak on insanity. This is not a debate, this is not a discussion. You shall abandon this research.”

Sunrise frowns more, only to pause. Her face flashes many emotions, easily read by the immortal Princess. Anger, resignation, guilt, shame, spite, hope. Her face settles on a mix of spite, resignation, and hope, and she nods, “I understand, Your Majesty. I’m sorry.” The young unicorn bows her head, and trots out of the room, leaving Celestia alone.

The frown slowly fades from her face, as she turns to regard the machine. With a single flash of her horn, the metal coil is reduced into ashes. A wind comes from elsewhere, but the ashes don’t scatter. Instead, they begin to morph into a tall form, staring eye to eye with Celestia. The form grins as it’s ashy exterior is blown away, showing off fangs, lit by flaming mane. A brilliant white coat made all the more brilliant by flaming mane and tail, and draconian orange eyes.

Celestia looks at the figure impassively, “Daybreaker. What shall it be tonight? Taunting me about our father, perhaps? Discord? Heavens forbid, Sombra?”

Daybreaker grins back, her fangs glinting as a stained glass window casts the light of the setting sun upon her, “I don’t think I have to say a single sinful word, Sunny-Bunny.”

Celestia frowns, turning her back on the fiery demon, trotting to a nearby window, looking out of it, onto the hustle and bustle of a town right before nightfall, “You always have something to say.”

Daybreaker appears in front of her, head poking inside through the window, “I don’t have to say a single thing. You already know why. She was such a loyal subject, Sunny-Bunny.”

Celestia turns around again, trotting back to her throne, “She will continue to be a loyal subject, or she will face the consequences.”

Daybreaker appears in the throne before her, grinning and lounging back, “Hmm, face the consequences, sounds rather familiar.” She smirks, an inky black shadow appearing next to her, green and red eyes peering out of it, “Wonder why?”

Celestia shakes her head, “I’m not in the mood for your games and foalish manipulations, Daybreaker.”

Daybreaker smirks, “When are you ever in any mood other than ‘pissy’, Sunny-Bunny?”

Celestia turns around, trotting out of the room, as the fiery manifestation disappears, “I need a drink…”

Author's Note

This is my first story in a while, but this one I’m going to try to finish, so stay tuned.

A Drink

Yellow coat, a simple pink mane, a false Cutie Mark of a smiling sun, unicorn, of course, with a suitably middle class robe of yellow. Celestia trots down there street in this form, taking a moment next to a shop to reflect on her disguise in the moonlight. A slight smile, suitably friendly, but not enough to attract attention. Slightly wider eyes, as mortal ponies do during the night. Ensure each hoofbeat is suitably slow enough to not be in a rush, but also not so slow as to slow down any other late night trotters. Slightly wrinkle the robes to show use, and now it’s all good to go.

Celestia grins in her smaller disguise, turning and trotting down the street once more. The cool night air blows around her, ruffling her robes in the wind, feeling quite pleasant on her disguise’s fur. She comes to a stop rather quickly, having reached her destination. A simple building, constructed of stone and wood, a sign above its door reading ‘El Mercenario’s Bar’. A quaint location, perfect for an unassuming, middle class appearing, mare to find a drink in.

She trots in, instantly being washed in the warmth of the cozy interior, the bar having a large fireplace that not only makes it pleasantly warm, but casts a rather romantic light on the interior. She scans the room, accessing the various options for seating. There are stools right at the bar, but those are much too exposed. There are tables in the dark corners of the room, but those are all taken up by dark figures, probably novice adventurers who believe themselves to be mysterious. There are many tables scattered around the room, but those are being used by some sort of ‘speed dating’ for nerdy mares. Then, finally, she spots the perfect table. Up against the wall, but not in a corner, a booth with appropriate cushioning, and not in use. With a smile, she trots over there, taking her seat.

As soon as her flank touches the seat, a staff member appears in front of her table. A unicorn with a crooked horn and insectoid wings, ruby red eyes looking at Celestia as she pulls out a notebook. Descendent of a Changeling mercenary she hired four centuries ago, one who enjoyed increasing the population of Canterlot. The unicorn clears her throat, smiling, “What will you want to drink, ma’am?”

Celestia smiles back, ensuring her disguise’s green eyes don’t look directly into the server’s, “I’ll have a whiskey, two shots of vodka, and a White Mare.”

The server blinks, and grins, “Understood, ma’am, I’ll get those out real soon.” She turns and trots away, moving to socialize with some of the speed dating mares, a unicorn with wide brimmed glasses and a Pegasus with a die on her flank. Careful not to stare too long, Celestia turns to look at the wall, idly musing over the map posted there. Certainly not one of Equestria, nor one of the world, looking hoof-made, but expertly detailed. Tel’la De Rus, the map proudly declares, and as she looks more, Celestia realizes many of the city names on the map are plays on real names. Axeington, Low Mane, even one called ‘Comelot’, along with some more odd ones, such as Gone Door.

She smiles in mild amusement, examining the map with piqued interest. Before she can look too much longer, she’s brought out of her thoughts by someone sitting across from her.

She quickly turns her head, seeing a cute thing sitting there. A unicorn, wearing some small glasses on the end of her muzzle, her mane a blonde color, brought back into a rather cute ponytail, her coat a slightly light purple, and her eyes a light blue color, like that of the sky. She smiles upon seeing Celestia look at her, “Mind some company?”

Celestia slightly smiles, averting her disguise’s eyes, “Well, I came here alone for a reason, but I suppose some company wouldn’t hurt.”

The mare grins happily, offering a hoof across the table, “I’m Teardrop Exalted.”

Celestia looks up, taking and shaking her hoof, “Sunshine Smiles. A pleasure.”

Teardrop smiles, “The pleasure goes both ways, Smiles. You have a very unique look.”

Celestia slowly raises an eyebrow, “Oh?”

Teardrop nods, “It’s in your eyes. When you look around, or look at something, you spend a moment to study it, and memorize. What’s north of Low Mane?”

Celestia takes a moment to pause, as if thinking. While she could have easily answered immediately, it would be quite suspicious of a regular pony to do such, “I believe it was… Gone Door.”

Teardrop grins, “You studied it, and memorized it, and it took barely even a minute. Let me guess, you’re an artist?”

Celestia coyly grins, “Something like that.” The server comes back with her drinks, laying them down before her, then trotting off again to socialize. She picks up her whiskey, taking a sip, keeping her eyes on Teardrop, studying her face for a moment, then putting down her drink, “Teardrop Exalted, a very unique name. The name of a writer of a sort.”

Teardrop smiles, “That is super cool, how you can just tell that from my name. But you weren’t quite on the mark.”

Celestia pauses, raising an eyebrow, “I wasn’t?”

Teardrop grins, “Nope. I’m actually a mage, though I aspire to be a poet someday. Magic and poetry are very similar, you know, both are just making art out of languages.”

Celestia smiles slightly, “An aspiring poet who is a mage? Normally those things would be reversed. Poets are, of course, valuable and powerful in their own ways, but mages have the abilities to change the world, literally. Mages have the ability to manipulate, the ability to destroy.”

Teardrop smiles back, “Well, you know what they say about destruction and creation. The pen is mightier than the sword.”

Celestia chuckles a tiny bit, taking another sip, then putting the now empty glass down, “Well, Teardrop, if I am to be faced by ten angry Griffon knights, I would choose the fireball before pen or sword. Though I mostly joke, there is truth there.”

Teardrop grins, “Okay, okay, sure, fireballs are useful and cool, but have you ever read? Reading is so awesome, and books are cool, and honestly it’s just such a unique thing to sapient creatures. Maybe a mage can create a big ball of fire, maybe a mage can kill a few more Griffons, but a poet, Smiles, a poet can sway ponies. A poet can stop a war, a poet can cause a revolution, a poet can bring understanding, and enlightenment. Show me the last time a fireball made someone realize that they live in a tyranny.”

Celestia grins, picking up and downing her vodka, looking Teardrop dead in the eyes, “Mæcedes.”

Teardrop pauses, “Shit. Well, umm, that doesn’t count. Because all that fireball did was kill the tyrant, it didn’t make the zebras realize that they should rise up, nor did it make Mæcedes change his mind.”

Celestia smiles, “I think his mind was changed quite a bit.” She downs her second vodka, floating over a napkin to wipe her mouth, smirking, “From solid to gas.”

Teardrop blinks, slowly smiling, and then breaking out into giggles. She snorts in her laughter, and smiles widely, “Okay, okay, I trotted into that one, Smiles, you’ve got me. I concede, mages are cool.”

Celestia smiles back, genuinely, “This wasn’t anything more than fun, I hope you know, Teardrop. Poets are lovely, and on average, are much cooler than mages and wizards. And no, we’re not counting the Star family, they make it unfair.”

Teardrop looks back at her, and smiles more, “Thank you, Smiles. Hey, you’re pretty cool yourself, you’ve got a pretty good sense of humor.”

Celestia grins, “I do try to keep my wit sharp, usually by playing Knip’s Advocate during discussions. I find it fun to disagree, for the pure sake of disagreeing, at times.”

Teardrop nods, “I know how that feels, myself, but I usually just stick to my actual beliefs.” She then switches to a smile, “I can tell we’re going to make good friends, Smiles, but it’s probably time I go, it’s getting late.”

Celestia smiles back, “Do return home safely, Teardrop. You are a very entertaining mare to talk to.”

Teardrop grins, and stands, “Oh, one more thing, Smiles. When are you going to be here next?”

Celestia looks over at her, “Hmm… tomorrow night. I hope I’ll see you here, you make good company.”

Teardrop smiles widely, “Oh, I’ll be here, Smiles. Enjoy the rest of your drinks!” She turns and trots off, Celestia’s eyes looking at her backside for a moment before she turns back around, lifting her final drink, and downing it.

A Dream

Celestia smiles, taking a seat at her royal dining table, her mind not even affected by the alcohol she downed in the last hour. Servants enter the room, respectfully placing her dinner, a simple salad, before her and then trotting off. She smiles, taking a bite of her salad, thinking back on her conversation with Teardrop. If a common pony is like that, perhaps she should speak with more commoners in the future.

In the middle of her thoughts, the door to the room opens, a unicorn entering. Dark blue coat, darker blue mane, and a lithe body. One of few stallions in her employ, confined to a wheelchair. His horn lights up, spinning the wheels of the chair, moving him closer, where he bows his head, “Princess.”

She smiles at him, “At ease, Agent Astral. I must say, it is odd for you to come to me, you are usually performing your dream duties.”

Astral looks up, and nods slightly, “Normally I would be, Princess, but this is not a normal night.”

Celestia nods, looking back at him, “Do tell, Agent Astral.”

He nods once more, “While performing my duties, Princess, I decided to check on the dreams of the Zebras.”

Celestia raises an eyebrow, “The zebras? Astral, that is not your realm to overview. The zebras fall to Agent Sweet and Agent Sweet alone. I trust you must have had good reason.”

He looks into her eyes, “I did, Princess. I discovered that their dreams hadn’t been checked on for nearly a month, a clear dereliction of duties. I decided to check on the dream of Emperor Darius, to ensure there was no treachery. I fear Darius has come in contact with Nightmare Moon.”

Celestia drops her fork, standing instantly, “He’s what? Astral, if this is some sort of prank, then I will have you drawn and quartered.”

Astral looks up at her, “It is no prank. In his dreams, he spoke to the moon and stars, and told them that he would obey their commands. They commanded treachery, deceit, the ruination of peace. The facilitation of the return of the Nightmare.”

Celestia scowls, “Zebras… of everyone, she would contact them.” She looks to a nearby guard, “Contact the General at once! I do not care if she is sleeping or if she complains, she shall report to me before midnight!” The guard quickly nods, and rushes off, while Celestia looks back at Astral, “You know what this could mean.”

Astral nods, “War, Princess. This could mean war.”

She nods grimly, “If the Nightmare is on their side, Astral, it won’t just be the army who fights. We will need to protect our minds and dreams as well. Rally the other Agents, ensure that they are prepared for everyone. And Astral.”

“Yes, Princess?”

“Cull the Agents who aren’t loyal. I will not have them doom my nation to the Nightmare again.” She gives him one last look, and then trots out of the dining room, “Inkwell!”

Unicorn mare, wearing fine robes, white coat, black mane, secretary. She rushes up at Celestia’s call, “Yes, Princess?”

She looks down at the smaller mare, “Take correspondence to Emperor Darius. Dear Emperor Darius the Second of Zebrica, I have heard rather concerning news as of late. I request your immediate presence in Canterlot, so we may discuss, as allies, the proper path of action. This may very well be time sensitive, so hurry as quick as you can. I shall await your arrival with baited breath. From Princess Celestia, Goddess of the Sun and Ruler of Equestria.”

Inkwell smiles and nods, finishing the letter, “I’ll get our fastest flier on it right away, Princess!” She gallops away, quickly replaced by a galloping mare, who salutes immediately upon seeing the Princess.

Celestia looks down on the new mare, “General Shine, your swiftness is commendable.”

Shine nods, keeping her salute up, “I come to your call, Princess.”

She nods, “And that is why you are General. I want the army to be rallied, and prepared for war. Do not question why, do not make it obvious, but make it swift. Do this, and I’ll ensure a reward.”

Shine smiles, “At once, Princess.” And gallops off again. Celestia, alone, takes a deep breath, letting it all out in a sigh, quietly trotting her way to her bedroom.

She opens an orange golden door, trotting into her bright room. Even in the moonlight, her orange bedsheets almost glow with radiance, and the roof of the room, painted like a sunny and clear day, almost seems to shine. Their brightness is in contrast to Celestia’s dour posture, as she sinks into her bed, looking out of a nearby window, right at the moon, and at the face upon said moon.

To her side, a fiery mane appears, the forked tongue of Daybreaker whispering, “She’ll be back eventually, Sunny-Bunny, even you can’t stop that. And there won’t be any Elements to stop her this time.” Celestia lets out a sigh, looking at the moon harder as Daybreaker goes on, “Either you’ll die, or you’ll have to kill her. We both know you won’t be able to survive the heartache.”

Celestia lays down, looking Daybreaker in her fiery eyes, “You’ve said that every time before. Discord, Sombra, Father, even with the Fatecaster. You’ve never been correct.”

Daybreaker grins, “Every time, Sunny-Bunny, you had Lulu to confide in. She was your rock, and you crashed against her until she was a pebble. It’s your fault. But you don’t have to deal with the pain of your mistakes, you know. I’m here, Sunny-Bunny.”

Celestia smiles, “Oh, you are here, yes. And here is where you will remain, Daybreaker. Goodnight.” She closes her eyes, the demon fading away as she escapes into the bliss of dreaming.

Dereliction

It’s a cloudy, overcast day in the grand city of Canterlot. To the citizenry, it’s a day just like every other, a day for peace, prosperity, and productivity. Pegasi flit about with each other, nobles enjoy leisurely strolls to their personal favorite cafes, students practice magic in the field in front of their school. Indeed, it’s a regular day, just like any other, with barely a single notice given to the slight increase in guard activity.

To the young mare trotting through the halls of Canterlot Palace, it is anything but. The youthful Pegasus, Sweet Dreams, an energetic little thing with a dark color scheme, wearing a bright yellow robe, trots rapidly down the halls, towards a personal meeting room. Often, she looks down at a piece of paper in her wings, a personal summons from Princess Celestia, and frets over why it was given to her. As she trots, she pauses, looking over to a skewed painting, and straightening it, before trotting on.

Celestia sits in a dark meeting room, floating up some tea to take a sip, as the door is slowly opened. Sweet Dreams pokes her head in, blinking upon seeing the Princess, “Y-you wanted me, P-Princess?”

Celestia smiles serenely, and nods, “Please, Sweet Dreams, come in, and take a seat. Oh, and close the door behind you, if you would.”

She nervously trots in, slowly closing the door behind her, anxiously sitting down, tapping her hooves tensely, “I-I’m here, P-Princess.”

Celestia smiles more, “There is no need to be nervous, Sweet Dreams. You are not in trouble.”

The mare lets out a long breath, and nods, “Understood, Princess. May I ask why I am here?”

Celestia grins slightly, “You may.”

Sweet Dreams blinks after a second, “Umm… why am I here?”

Celestia looks at her, and smiles, “I just have some questions, Agent Sweet. I have heard some news about the dreams of Zebras…”

Sweet blinks, and draws back a bit, “W-well, Princess, you see-“

Celestia smiles more, “I don’t see, actually. I’m afraid I looked into the sun when I was a filly. I’ve been secretly blind this entire time, surprise.”

Sweet pauses for a second, “Umm… okay, Princess. You see, about the Zebras-“

Celestia leans forward, until her muzzle almost touches Sweet’s, looking into her eyes, “Do you know what happens when you look into the sun, Agent Sweet?”

She draws further back, until she’s almost leaning off the chair, “U-umm, you look away?”

Celestia smiles softly, “No, Agent Sweet. You go blind. Do you know why that is?”

“I-it, umm… melts your eyes?”

Celestia grins, “No. No, Agent Sweet, that is far too foalish an answer. The sun, Agent Sweet, is all-seeing, you see, it sees, what all see, from sea to shining sea, it will see when you get a ‘C’, it will see. When you look into the sun, Agent Sweet, it steals what you see, it becomes your eyes, all you will ever see, you see?”

Sweet slowly blinks, “Are you… feeling well, Princess?”

Celestia smiles, “No, Agent Sweet, I am not. I am a very patient pony, as all would know. Infinite in beauty, patience, radiance, and yes, Agent Sweet, in knowledge. But there is one thing I am not, Agent Sweet. I am not forgiving to liars.”

Sweet shakes her head rapidly, “P-Princess, I haven’t lied to-“

“You were going to.” In a flash of magic, Celestia moves the table between the two aside, standing up, still smiling as she trots closer to Sweet, “Let me guess. You were given an order by a higher-up to not cover your area? Perhaps you did cover your area, and Agent Astral is just lying? Or was it that you are sorry?”

Sweet falls backwards out of her chair, standing up and backing away from Celestia, “P-please, Princess, you’re acting-“

Celestia trots closer, Sweet backing up until she’s against a wall, “Insane? Irrationally? Out of rage? If you believe this is me being either of those three, Agent Sweet, you would not want to see me when I actually am.”

Sweet’s eyes begin to water up as she looks at Celestia, “P-Princess… I’m sorry! I was lazy and I didn’t cover my-“

Celestia smiles, “Liar. You are not a lazy pony, Agent Sweet, I know that. And you aren’t sorry.”

She shakes her head rapidly, “But I am, Princess! I am sorry!”

Celestia’s smile becomes softer, “Do not dare to utter another lie in my presence, Agent Sweet. You will tell me why, now.”

Sweet looks around rapidly, “P-Princess, please!” Then, in a flash of motion, she reaches into her robes, drawing out a dagger, slashing it at Celestia’s face. The steel blade scrapes against the Princess’ flesh, sinking in a single inch, before the blade itself breaks. The dagger shatters into a hundred bits from the strength of Celestia’s skin, falling to the ground in tiny fragments, the handle hitting the ground with a bang as Sweet drops it.

Celestia blinks, slowly reaching a hoof up to her cheek, patting the tiny amount of blood there, before the cut disappears. She looks at the blood on her hoof, her smile gone, “You have made a mistake, Sweet.”

Sweet stammers as Celestia takes a few steps back, “P-P-Princess…”

With her horn lighting up, Sweet is surrounded by a field of golden magic, floated away from the wall, and up into the air. Celestia trots in front of her, looking over with a glance, “I wish you would have just told me, Agent Sweet. But now I must punish you.”

Sweet shakes her head rapidly, “Princess, no, please, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-“ With a flash of magic, a zipper appears over her mouth, zipping shut, ensuring nothing but mumbles can escape her. Then, slowly, the golden magic aura gathers around her wings, stretching them to either side.

Celestia trots back over to her chair, “I believe you’ll be called, hmm, Persistent Smile. Yes, that sounds like a perfect name. A worker in Hoofington who just came from Fillydelphia. A lovely earth pony.” She looks at Sweet, smiling peacefully, “Won’t you like that, Agent Sweet, to be an earth pony?”

Sweet blinks, before her eyes widen. She rapidly shakes her head, beginning to tremble and cry, not able to do anything but mutter. Celestia’s magic strengthens more around her wings, before then pulling either way. It takes just a second for the two limbs to come off, splattering blood across the room as Sweet cries harder.

Celestia smiles more, cauterizing the wounds and evaporating the blood with a single flash of solar magic. She then floats the wings over to her, turning them to ash with yet another burst of magic, “There. That wasn’t that bad. And don’t worry, Smile, you won’t remember this. In fact, you won’t remember anything.” She trots up to Sweet, putting her horn on her chest, sending a pulse of magic into her.

Slowly, Sweet begins to change. Her coat becomes a bright yellow, and her mane a bright orange, as the stumps of her wings disappear entirely. Inside, she relives all of her life’s memories in a single instant. Her parents, her first day at Flight School, blood dripping from a knife as she stands above the corpse of a bully, meeting the Princess, being hired to be a Dream Agent. In but a second, her memories leave her, being replaced by false facsimiles of a life never lived. Daughter to the happiest factory workers in Fillydelphia, president of the Princess Celestia fan club, gaining her cutie mark by cheering up a crying filly.

Slowly, Persistent Smile is lowered down to the ground, her happy eyes opening as she looks at the Princess. She smiles, “Your majesty.”

Celestia smiles back, “Persistent Smile. Your permit for ownership has been approved by my very hoof. Congratulations on your founding of the Clip Clop Clinic on Fifteenth Street, Hoofington. Here, I’ll accompany you to the train station, and see you off.”

Smile smiles widely, “Thank you, Princess!”

Celestia chuckles lightly, trotting out of the room, “Come on, Smile, the day won’t last forever.”

Another Round

Celestia sits at the same table as the previous night, back in her disguised form, lightly sipping some vodka as she waits her guest. Elsewhere in the bar, an argument is going on between two ponies. One of them, a young mare wearing a black cloak, who had been sat in a corner table, and the other a mareish stallion wearing a black cowl, arguing over his right to sit in the corner. Their arguing stops as the owner comes over, chewing them out and forcing them to sit beside each other awkwardly. The two try to look mysterious, but it’s ruined as the owner sets a romantically lit candle between the two.

Her pony watching ends as Teardrop sits across from her, grinning, “Evening, Smiles, surprised you’re back.”

Celestia looks at her, and smiles lightly, “You caught my interest, Teardrop. I could hardly stop myself from returning.”

Teardrop smiles, “Well, I gotta wonder something, Smiles. You asked me what I do last time, but I had to leave before I could ask the same.”

Celestia smiles, “Indeed, you did leave before you could ask.”

Teardrop waits for a moment, and then grins, “Oh, I get it, you aren’t… alright, alright, that’s pretty funny. But seriously, what do you do?”

Celestia grins slightly, “I generally try to breathe, it is a very important skill. Eating as well, I’ve found, is a top-notch skill. And don’t forget drinking, that’s my favorite. I also enjoy long trots on the beach where I ponder the weight of my sins.”

Teardrop grins more, “Smiles, you aren’t going to get me off my question. What do you do for a job?”

Celestia smiles, “Oh, fine, I suppose I can reveal it. I take care of the Royal Gardens. I plant all that I can, from the beloved Midnight Lavender, the dreaded Thorny Lily, and my personal favorite, the Sunrise Orchid. I ensure they all grow well, even if I have to stamp out a few weeds to ensure the health of the garden. It’s very rewarding, you know, to see flowers grow together, even though you know they will die far before you do. A more cynical mare might say that it’s useless to care for the flowers, because they’re temporary, and you’ll far outlive them. But I think the growth itself is the point, the reward, of the effort. Sometimes, you’ll need to get your hooves dirty pulling out weeds or fending off invasive species, and using their nutrients to grow a lovely flower. It’s a hard job, but a good one.”

Teardrop smiles, “That’s actually a pretty poetic description of gardening. A lot of it feels like a metaphor, but I like it. I respect that a lot, really, only a few ponies can do what you do. Make the hard choices.”

Celestia looks at her, taking a sip of her vodka, “If I could, may I bounce a scenario off of you?”

Teardrop nods, “Definitely, Smiles.”

Celestia nods back at her, “Say you were leader of a nation, like.. Griffonia. You discover among you a mare of great magical talent, but with a very violent streak, and you decide to raise her up to serve you, and the nation as a whole. However, you discover eventually that she’s been using her power to attempt to destroy the nation, or you, the Queen. You know for sure that she has betrayed your trust. What do you do?”

Teardrop pauses, and taps her chin, “Hmm… that’s a good question, a difficult one. There’s three options, really. The moral one, the logical one, and the compromise. Morally, the best choice would be to forgive her, or attempt to persuade her to be more loyal or show her that it’s in her best interests that she stops. Logically, it’d be best to execute her, or to remove her magic entirely. While, of course, it’s horrible to kill anyone, or to mutilate them, it would remove her from the picture entirely. Thus, the best position should be that which lies between the two extremes. You need to ensure she isn’t a threat without becoming evil yourself. My solution? Remove their ability to do magic, and imprison them. Then, use Padlockian Conditioning on them. Offer them rewards for loyal behavior, and punishments for treacherous behavior. Slowly, their mind will associate good with loyal, and bad with treachery, and will begin to help you.”

Celestia blinks, “Padlockian Conditioning? I was… unaware of such a thing. Well, Teardrop, say that this is how it happened. Say that you had a magic that could change memories of ponies, and when you find out, you forcibly replace the memories of the mare, making her into an entirely new pony. A new personality, a new family, a new job, and a new look.”

Teardrop nods, “Well, that would be a very logical thing to do, really. You ensure the pony is loyal, she doesn’t even have memories of being treacherous, and you make sure she continues to benefit society. However, this is no better than murder, because you still are killing the pony. If we consider murder for the betterment of society a wrong, then we must consider mental murder the same. It is a violation of basic consent, and sets a dangerous precedent that can make many immoral actions moral. It also violates Aristrotle’s Golden Rule of Morality, for we would most certainly not want our own minds to be changed.”

Celestia slowly nods, “I see… I thank you for your answers, Teardrop. I’m sorry to depart so early, it’s been lovely, but I have a lot on my mind, and a lot to do tomorrow.” She stands up, tossing Teardrop three bits, “Here, buy some on me.”

Teardrop smiles, “Will do, Smiles. Oh, one more thing. You have very nice legs.”

Celestia blinks, her face breaking out into a blush as she quickly turns and trots out.

Darius

Celestia sits at her large dining table, smiling as she takes a bite from a well prepared salad, quickly taking a sip of tea afterwards. Her smile is more genuine than normal, and her magenta eyes almost sparkle with warmth as she enjoys her meal. She sits, awaiting the Zebra Emperor, Darius, to converse.

Think of the Fatecaster and Darius appears, it would seem. The doors to the dining room open wide, a group of two zebras, wearing many golden rings around their bodies, step in, standing at attention on either side of the door. Trotting in after them is the Emperor of Zebrica himself. Wearing a red headdress, upon which sits at least twelve different feathers, with large golden earrings and larger golden bracelets around his legs. He smiles, and nods to Celestia, trotting up to sit across from her, “Princess Celestia.”

Celestia smiles back, floating down her silverware, “Emperor Darius. Please, take a seat, I shall have my servants fetch you something.”

Darius pulls out a chair, taking a seat, looking back at Celestia, “You speak differently than I remember, Celestia. You look different, as well, much less… how to say, serious? Perhaps not the proper word, but it is all my mind can find. What is the catalyst of this?”

She pauses, taking a small bite of salad as she mulls over the question. With a swallow, she smiles softly, “Do you speak often with your citizens, Darius?”

Darius blinks, and nods, the feathers of his headdress bobbing with the motion, “Some I do speak with, yes. I must confess, it is mostly just my advisors and the Council of Chiefs, but I do make it a point to sometimes trot the streets of Neighgeria, or even far-off Algae Area, to hear the voices of my citizenry. It can be enlightening for an Emperor like I to hear from those of a far below social hierarchy. It is the word of Zuéstro, after all, that states even the most common can be the most exceptional. Why do you ask this, Celestia?”

Celestia smiles more, “I must admit honestly, Darius, that I have questioned a decision of mine as of late. I discovered one who had shirked their duties and betrayed the nation, and wondered if I had gone too far with their punishment. I pursued a purview of the situation from a mortal citizen, as I know both my age and my position can easily tint my view of things. I spoke to one of my subjects, and came to the realization that I have, for too long, lost sight of who I truly was, and had gone much too far to protect my nation. I was, to put it simply, a benevolent tyrant, instead of the enlightened monarch, the benevolent despot, that I should be.”

Darius nods, smiling as a salad is placed before him, “I must say, that is a conclusion that I have to imagine was hard to come to. To admit fault, and to change ones path, is the hardest thing one can do, let alone one as old as you, Celestia. No offense intended towards your age, of course, I am sure it has granted you much wisdom throughout your rule. I must wonder what punishment was so bad as to get you to question your choices, but in the same breath, I must realize that it is not my place to pry into your Kingdom’s affairs as an Emperor. I will, however, ask as a potential friend and confidant.”

Celestia takes a bite from her salad, pondering for a moment, “I appreciate your open ear, Darius, and your offer of friendship. But we both know that my relations with the Griffons are strained, and your people have a longer history of friendship with them than with me. To befriend me, on the world stage, could very well cause problems in your alliances and friendships in the east.”

Darius nods, taking his own bite, “I did not offer that as Emperor, Celestia, but as a zebra. Beneath this headdress and these rings of gold, I am much the same as any other zebra, and as thus my feelings are not confined by alliances or the endless show of world politics. I rule not just for the good of my zebras, but for the good of all creatures everywhere, be they Equine, Avian, or Minotaur. I sit here and I see a pony in front of me who very much might need an open ear for her to speak to. I would offer said open ear.”

Celestia smiles softly, “I appreciate it, Darius, I truly do. Perhaps I might take you up on that offer, but I’m afraid business must come first. I shall cut through the mindless chatter, and say what I have heard to you honestly, so you may respond in kind. I have heard from a source I consider reliable that you may well have been consorting with the Mare in the Moon. You know her well.”

Darius frowns, his fur bristling up, “Nightmare Moon, hrátés, to even speak her name is like dipping my tongue into filth. I would like to know who this source is, that I may confront them and ensure they never slander me like that again! I am Emperor, servant of the gods, who would dare to accuse me of consorting with heretical demons?! Does he think I have not read of the famines caused by her, the zebras she kidnapped to fight and die?!” He slams a hoof on the table, “Zebrica has not forgotten the demon, nor shall we ever, lest the gods themselves turn their backs on us!”

Celestia looks him in the eyes, “Darius. Please. Calm.”

Darius pauses, looking at his hoof, and nodding, taking a deep breath. He lets it out slowly, “I… apologize for my outburst, Celestia. It was unbecoming of me, and shows I still have a long path to understand my emotions.”

Celestia nods back, “I am not surprised at the outburst, Darius, and in fact am happy about it. I can see the genuine anger within your eyes, and I understand it well. The Nightmare caused many zebras to starve, as she did to ponies, as is common in war. I also understand your view of her as a demon, a perversion of your Night goddess, Hermása, if I remember correctly. I perfectly understand why this accusation has brought you rage, and I apologize.” She bows her head in respect, “But it just means that I have a new problem.”

Darius raises an eyebrow, “And what might that problem be, Celestia?”

Celestia takes a slow bite of her salad, looking behind Darius at the fiery visage appearing behind him, “Someone has framed you.”

Past

Celestia sighs, writing down the last of a lot of orders in her private study. All orders are to carry out investigations in different places and layers in society, and to audit every possible dream magic user in Equestria. It will be a long, and very, very difficult process, but it will be worth it to discover any who might have framed Darius.

Appearing in a flash of flame in front of Celestia is Daybreaker, her usual fang-filled grin gone as she steps up to the table Celestia sits at, “Is this it, Sunny-Bunny? You’re going to sit here ordering others to investigate those who you and I both know didn’t do it?”

Celestia looks up at the demonic mare, “We do not know anything, Daybreaker. We must investigate every tier of society.”

Daybreaker snorts, “Investigate? What’s happened to you? We both know that that Zebra remembers his dream perfectly well, Sunny-Bunny. So take those memories from him, by force, if he isn’t willing to share.”

Celestia frowns, “I shall do no such thing. My ponies will investigate, and they will find the one behind this. I shall resort to darkness no more.”

Daybreaker frowns, “You would give up our nation because you are afraid of darkness? Oh. I see how it is.” She sneers, trotting through the table to get closer to Celestia, “It’s that mare. Have you truly become so lonely that you’ll give up our nation for a mortal mare, Celestia? Are you so desperate as to sell our souls to the Nightmare for some flank?!”

Celestia scowls, “I sell nothing and give up nothing, Daybreaker. And even if I were to, why would you care?”

Daybreaker snorts, “Why would I care? Why would I care?! When I win, Celestia, and trust me, I will win, I’d prefer to have a nation to lead! I shall become goddess of this land, and I won’t let you kill my worshippers out of some infatuation! Now get off your fat flank and fix this mess!”

Celestia stands up, her horn passing through Daybreaker’s face, as she trots to a nearby window, “You forget who is in charge, Daybreaker, and you would do well to keep your place in mind. I am Princess, and I am the one who penned the laws I currently abide by. I shall not become a hypocrite or be a tyrant any longer because of your rage and paranoia. I have never lost before, nor shall I ever.”

Daybreaker appears in front of Celestia, leering at her, “You haven’t lost? Then why do you stand here alone, Sunny-Bunny? Where is Luna, hmm? I’m afraid I don’t see Father anywhere, how odd. Your Uncles? Frozen in stone, frozen in time. Is this what victory looks like, Sunny-Bunny? Standing in an office, alone, speaking to your personal demons? You’re weak, pathetic, not deserving of your power. Give it fifty years, Sunny-Bunny, and you’ll go the way of Uncle ‘Dissy’.”

Celestia scowls, taking a moment to come up with a response, only to pause, “Discord… the Elements went inert when I used them on Luna…”

Daybreaker blinks, appearing in the office behind Celestia, “They turned to stone. That means-“

Celestia rounds on her, “The enchantment is weakened.” Her eyes widen, “A false dream meant to play us off each other… meant to cause chaos!”

Daybreaker blinks again, only to slowly grin, “Oh-ho, clever, Sunny-Bunny. Has that finally lit a fire under your flank?”

Celestia looks at Daybreaker, “You knew. You were trying to tell me all along, weren’t you?”

Daybreaker grins more, “You know, Sunny-Bunny, I also remember a certain shadow’s banishment lasting a thousand years. Wasn’t that in 1500?”

Celestia frowns, “Sombra and Discord, and we have no Elements. Just us. Come on!” She turns, leaping out of the nearby window, spinning and spreading her wings, catching the air with not a single shard of glass on her. Her large wings flap, sending her rocketing towards the Gardens.

The ponies of Canterlot would wonder why they heard a sonic boom that afternoon, and many chided Pegasus friends playfully for ‘causing it’. However, for a select few near the palace, they’d be able to look up and see their Princess flying through the air, a radiant corona of solar flames surrounding their immortal ruler. The wonder lasts for only half a minute before the Princess lowers out of sight, and the average pony is left to go about their business. All except for one unicorn mare, who rushes to where the Princess landed.

Celestia comes to a rapid landing in the gardens, sending dust flying up and almost making a crater at the point of impact as the flames around her die out. Nearby, the Royal Gardener jumps in fright, with him frowning slightly, not seeing the Princess behind the dust cloud, “Don’t disturb the animals! They don’t like new things!”

The dust settles down, and Celestia looks towards him, with him immediately panicking and bowing, “Rise. I won’t chastise you for doing your job. But take the day off.” She trots past the bowing stallion, headed deeper into the garden.

On a normal day, Celestia might trot around the garden as a way of relaxation. Alone with nature, away from the noise of the city, surrounded by the beauty of the world, it can be very relaxing and freeing for the mind. Normally, birds would tweet and exotic animals would scurry about below the bushes, by the shrubbery, and around the statues. But now, the animals are completely quiet, all watching the Princess with baited breath, knowing instinctively not to get in her way.

She comes to a stop in front of a particular statue, slowly looking up to look at it’s face. A face frozen in the middle of laughter, a lion’s paw tucked over a snake’s torso and an eagle’s claw held outward. Despite being made of stone, the statue seems alive, and full of a chaotic energy, almost seeming like it’s moving if one looks long enough. Celestia sighs as she looks at it, “Hello, Uncle.”

Daybreaker appears behind her, watching with interest. She then grins, stealing a glance to the nearby bushes, where she sees a unicorn hiding, “You know, Sunny-Bunny, I wonder if he can hear us. That would just be torture, almost too much for even my tastes, to be trapped like that but still conscious.” She shudders, “Not even able to annoy you.”

Celestia nods sadly, “If he is still conscious inside there, then I have no doubt he will try to kill me if he escapes. If he is still conscious in there, then I have performed the most evil act imaginable by putting him there, no matter the reason. If.” She slowly lights up her horn, surrounding the statue in a yellow glow, “He’s still here.”

Daybreaker nods, “Oh, I’m sure he’s still physically there, but his power is definitely leaking. He’s obviously trying to arrange for his escape, Sunny-Bunny. You know you’ll have to stop him.”

Celestia looks back, not noticing herself one of the nearby bushes rustling, the eyes of Teardrop Exalted looking out from within, “Without the Elements of Harmony? We both know that there is no other way to stop him, Daybreaker, unless we were to somehow convince Løkus to plant another tree.”

Daybreaker grins, “Oh yeah, Løkus, didn’t his son take over the title? He might be easier to convince than his father was. But no, Sunny-Bunny, I don’t know that there’s no other way. In fact, I think I know one way in particular. Order.”

Celestia scowls, “You would suggest we turn to Father’s magic? Chaos is preferable to Order, and I will not resort to such measures ever, even if it would mean my death and Discord’s escape.”

Daybreaker shrugs, “Well if you don’t want solutions, don’t ask for them, Sunny-Bunny, and pull that fifty inch stick out of your flank, geez. Try to be helpful for once and look what it gets me. My solution works, at least, that’s more than you can say. What’s your backup plan, hmm, Sunny-Bunny? Have hope and faith?”

Celestia opens her mouth to speak, only for a male voice to call out and interrupt her, “Celestia?”

She blinks, and turns to face the zebra that now approaches, “Darius? I was under the impression you had departed back to your lands.”

Darius smiles and nods, “I may have said as such, but I changed my mind. I have dispatched my fastest courier, Marathon, to deliver orders to Chief Caranus to carry out an investigation on a national scale. I will, if your fair graces permit, stay here in Canterlot rather than return to Neighgeria.”

Celestia nods back, “Why is it that you are staying, Darius?”

Darius smiles more, “I find myself thinking still of the conversation we had, and wonder what more wisdom we could share with each other. I must also admit, I find myself feeling safer from threat of assassination here than I would feel back home.”

Celestia smiles softly back, “Well, Darius, if it is assassination you fear, I could send you to stay with Fatecaster Knip. Tartarus would be safer than even Canterlot, especially in the halls of the Fatecaster, and I am fairly certain you are a distant cousin to him.”

Darius shakes his head, “More like a distant nephew, Celestia, only due to my line’s first and his relation to Zuéstro. But I also stay here so I may better understand the dominant culture of the world, and I stay so I may speak more with you.”

Celestia smiles more, and nods, “Very well, then. I shall have a room in the palace prepared for you to stay, Darius, and you have all the resources of the crown to ensure your comfort. If you don’t mind, I do have something else I must do, a matter that has drawn me north. I shall be back by dawn tomorrow, fates permitting, if you would wish to speak then.”

Darius smiles back, “I would wish, Celestia. Have a comfortable trip.” He then smiles more, as Celestia turns and trots off, muttering under his breath, “I would wish much more than talk…”

Nearby, in the bushes, Teardrop watches on, her face scrunching with jealously.

Not Forgotten

Teardrop Exalted was not having a good day.

She mutters under her breath as she unlocks the door to her apartment, “Not gonna let some stripe beat me… I’ll show him.”

As she trots in, her ears perk up from the sound of tinkering. She turns around, seeing her roommate working on some strange machine made of coils. Said roommate floats various tools around in her magic, speaking as she works, “Hey, Tear.”

Teardrop trots closer, floating her saddlebags and robes away, “How’s it going, Sunrise? I haven’t seen much of you since that visit to the Court. Did Celestia like your machine?”

Sunrise holds up a hoof, “Princess Celestia, Tear, normally you aren’t one to forget the titles.” She then places the hoof back down, sticking her head beneath the machine, “It went fine. She encouraged me to work on it some more, said it had some safety issues. So I’m making it into a- hey, can you pass me a five fifteenths wrench?”

Teardrop trots over to the nearby toolbox, quickly weaving together a unique scanning spell, closing her eyes and envisioning the magic needed. She lets the spell pass over the various tools, floating out the specific wrench once she finds it, then floating it over to Sunrise, “Here you go. I’ll never get you tools ponies and your need for so many different tools.”

Sunrise takes the wrench into her own magic, waving a hoof as she speaks, “And I’ll never understand why you poet ponies need so many words. At least I can say other wrenches won’t fit here, with you poets, everything fits everywhere. Scale fits scale which fits scale. You can put scales on a scale to scale their measurements, disgusting, I feel like I need to wash my mouth out after saying something that stupid sounding.”

Teardrop rolls her eyes, “At least it means something, and it sounds good. I come in here every day and I hear the squeaks of tinkering. I try to sleep every night, and I hear the squeaks of tinkering.” She then looks back at the toolbox, floating out a pair of pliers, “Marki? What or who is a Marki and why is it on your pliers?”

Sunrise floats more tools below the machine, “He’s a Griffon study-buddy, he must have left them here after some long night tinkering.”

Teardrop grins, “Oh, it’s a he?” She smirks, putting the pliers back, “I guess it wasn’t tinkering I was hearing all night.”

Sunrise brings her head out from the machine, turning to grin at Teardrop, “Screw you.”

Teardrop grins back, “Like Marki did?”

Sunrise snorts, and chuckles, “Okay, fine, I trotted into that one, but to be fair, this is literally your hobby. Twisting words to have different meanings. Now I have to wonder if I’m talking about a poet or a rumor mill. Actually, considering who I’m speaking to, both.” She steps back, “Mind making a spell for me? I need a bolt of electricity, exactly twenty volts, to hit that coil there.”

Teardrop grins, “Easy.” She closes her eyes, envisioning the magic needed, linking them together like words in a sentence. With the ‘sentence’ fully completed, she opens her eyes, sending a small bolt of lightning from her horn, right into the main coil of the machine. It lights up with electricity, spreading to the other coils with a humming sound, slowly getting louder. However, with a sudden spark, the coils all go dead, “What happened?”

Sunrise sighs, “I need to add more resistance near the bases of the coils or too much power is lost to the ground. Hopefully that will work.” She moves back to the machine, floating her tools all around the bases of the coils.

Teardrop nods, watching for a minute, before clearing her throat, “So, Sunrise, I actually need some advice.”

Sunrise nods as well, still focused on her machine, “Yeah, Tear? Something engineering related?”

Teardrop shakes her head, looking away, “It… it has to do with a cute mare I’m trying to woo. She’s super cute, and I love talking to her, and she actually listens to me, and actually speaks back with interesting ideas!”

Sunrise looks over, smiling, “Sounds like you have the perfect mare for you, then, Teardrop. I don’t see the problem.”

Teardrop looks back, “Well, you see… there were some Zebra ambassadors that came to Canterlot earlier today, and one of their higher-ups wants her as well. He’s more prestigious, probably more charming, and, well, he’s a zebra stallion.”

Sunrise raises an eyebrow, “A higher-up? Damn, that is an issue. Luckily I’m an engineer, so you came to the right mare.” She wipes her hooves off on her coat, moving closer and sitting down, “So, you like this mare, and she likes you back. You want to get her before this stallion gets her first, so I’m going to introduce you to Sunrise’s Simple Solution. Kill them stallion.”

Teardrop’s eyes widen, “What?!”

Sunrise snorts, and chuckles, “Teardrop, relax, relax, I’m kidding. And that was damn funny, I’m proud of myself for that one. Okay, no, here’s the actual Sunrise Simple Solution, alright? Take the mare out for a date tonight, take her to that special place down Seasons Avenue, give her some flowers, have a wonderful time, and then kiss her.”

Teardrop looks at Sunrise, “Just… kiss her? What if she doesn’t want to?”

Sunrise smiles, “Then apologize for being so quick. But I’m serious, do all of the above, and above all, Teardrop, just be confident, and be yourself. Give me a confident grin.”

Teardrop nods, grinning, “Alright, be confident, and be myself. Oh, there was another thing, too. I might have seen her in a private setting, and… well, I’m a tiny bit worried. She was talking to herself, and saying some concerning stuff…”

Sunrise stands up, putting a hoof on Teardrop’s shoulder, “Tear, you think you like this mare, right?” Teardrop nods, and Sunrise grins, “Then be there for her. If she’s going through it right now, help her.”

Teardrop smiles, “Yeah… yeah, you’re right. Thank you, Sunrise.”

Sunrise grins more, “Now go get her.”

The Northern Mountains go by many different names. Peaks of Darkness, Shining Pillars of Strength, the Eversnow, and to some religious creatures, due to the excellent natural acoustics of some of the mountains, the Hymnalayas. Many would also bicker about the location. North of Vanhoover, Northwest of Stalliongrad, Northeast of Fillydelphia, East of Yakyakistan, even some would say simply ‘the edge of the world’. There is one fact all will agree with about the Northern Mountains, though, they are a cold and dreary place.

It’s a slow change one would see normally from the tundra and taiga of Stalliongrad to the snowy plains leading to the mountains. Wind whips the landscape, carrying bitingly cold snow with it, even the warm sun unable to stop any unfortunate pony from freezing to death in a few short hours. And as one trots along the flat landscape, they would eventually come upon giant mountains, raised from the ground with no fanfare nor prelude, as if carelessly dropped there, heedless of any surroundings. However, if one were to risk crossing the frozen Hoof and Canter Rivers, which originate from the mountains, they would come upon a valley.

The valley is a great rift between the mountains, connecting the lands of Equestria to the unknown North, and once was home to an equally great empire. The Crystal Empire, a light of prosperity and harmony in the frozen tundra, a sight to behold for any travelers. It’s tall crystal spires would glisten in the light like a shining jewel, and it’s bright and welcoming colors would promise anyone warmth and safety. The last refuge in Equestria from Discord’s madness, the great city was the saving grace for thousands. Now, it is nothing more than a valley.

Celestia lands, having forgone any jacket due to her solar radiance, and she lights up her horn. A quick scanning spell for any magic concerning banishment. Her spell quickly returns a positive for banishment magic, but then returns something else, illusion magic.

She trots towards the source, raising an eyebrow as she sees the form of someone there, a glossy black wearing no clothes. She trots even closer, “Changeling. It is cold and you wear nothing.”

The changeling doesn’t look back, instead speaking in a smooth and clear voice, carrying perfectly despite the wind, revealing that she is a mare, “I was born here.”

Celestia trots even closer, now seeing that the changeling’s exoskeleton is glossy and slightly transparent, “Is that so?”

She nods, “This was my home. I was born here, I grew up here, perhaps I should have died here.”

Celestia blinks, and pauses, “Woe. Artist’s Woe. I’ve met you before.”

Woe looks back, bright blue eyes staring despondently, “You were a good investment, Celestia. The Nightmare was dreadful for business. Leave this place, leave it for me.”

Celestia trots closer, “You will freeze to death out here, you are a changeling.”

She frowns lightly, and turns away, “And I am Crystal, the cold is my home. This place is my home, I don’t want intruders.”

Celestia shakes her head, “You will still be worse off up here. Leave the ghosts to their rest.”

Woe shakes her head as well, “You do not control me, Celestia. I swore my oath to the Empire, not to your petty Kingdom. Leave.”

Celestia trots up right behind her, putting a hoof on her crystalline shoulder, “You may reach near a millennia in age, if born here as you claim, but you are still young. You don’t do anything by disturbing those who are gone, Artist’s Woe. I lost much in the disappearance of the Empire as well, young one, I know what you feel.”

Woe frowns, looking down, “No you don’t. You’re a Princess, you’ll never know how it feels to lose everything to one pony.”

Celestia looks away, “I’m afraid I know that feeling better than anyone. Come with me, let us speak in Canterlot, over tea. Let’s remember the lost.”

Woe scowls, standing up and pulling away from Celestia, “Remember them with their killer? I’d rather drink arsenic.”

Celestia blinks, drawing back a step, “Their killer? What is it y-“

Woe spins around, pointing an accusing hoof at Celestia, “My father left to fight your battles because you were so incompetent! My mother drank herself to death because you took so long to defeat Discord! It was your stupidity that made the Empire disappear! You’ve taken everything from me, Celestia, because you were stupid and weak!” She growls, “You’re a tyrant and a killer. I’d be doing the world a favor, killing you here.”

Celestia blinks again, her eyes looking around as she pauses. After a second, she sighs, bowing her head, “You are correct.”

Woe frowns, “What?”

Celestia looks back up, looking directly into her eyes, “I have done much harm because I was stupid. Because I was… I was weak, yes, I admit it. Discord was powerful, but I could have stopped him. Sombra was strong, but I could have saved the Empire. My sister was jealous, and I should have seen it. I was blinded by arrogance, righteousness, and family ties. I have become a tyrant, so concerned with safety that I saw good and evil as suggestions. Do you know about King Sombra, Woe?”

Woe straightens up, her frown lessening, “He was a good King, and a better friend. But he went mad.”

Celestia nods, “Once good, turned insane. That is, seemingly, the curse of my family, and I’m the last one standing, thinking that I am exempt. Discord spread chaos because he turned mad and cruel, Sombra enslaved his citizens simply because he was mad and cruel, the Nightmare wanted eternal night because she was mad and cruel. My father…” She sits down, taking a deep breath, “I had a third sister, once. But here I stood, and while I might make a few ponies disappear, and banish entire concepts from reality, it was all for the good of the nation. I had to act cruel to ensure there would be no other Discord, not another Sombra. Little could I see that the insanity was already within me, until I finally went too far, and realized I had gone mad. I am Celestia, the last of my line, my species, still standing, and I am the mad tyrant of the modern day. Judge me.”

Dreams

Darius was always a curious zebra, in both meanings of the word, and his position as Emperor had done nothing but boost that curious nature more. Thus, finding himself in the richest city in the world, within the palace of the most powerful leader, he found himself wandering.

The Palace is an expansive work of art in itself, it’s corridors made of gold and marble, covered in the finest artifacts and foreign gifts. Rugs from Buffalo, paintings by the finest Griffon artists, Zebrican silks and mosaics, and Minotaurian tapestries from their old days of independence. Anyone could spend their entire life studying just a single hall, let alone an antechamber or the throne room itself.

However, what is most fascinating about Canterlot’s palace are the many hidden hallways, hidden only by tricks of psychology and optical illusions, but elsewise open completely. One hallway is shaped in such a particular manner that one would think it’s just a short inlet barely two feet deep, but upon stepping in it would be revealed it’s actually a long hallway of at least fifteen feet, connecting two halls as a shortcut. If one trots that way, they would see a stained glass window halfway down the hall, which, upon trying to touch, would be revealed as just a reflection from a much larger room.

It is into this room that Darius trots now, seeing that the entire room is dedicated to different stained glass windows. He looks around, admiring them all in turn.

One of them show the chimera form of Discord, though his eyes lack the yellow they would in the future. He is shown laughing, clinking a glass with a faceless unicorn, while all around him ponies party and feast. Beside him is another window, one of King Sombra, wearing a blue cape and lacking any purple flames in his eyes. It shows him at the front of a herd of Crystal ponies, braving through a blizzard.

Between Discord and Sombra is the largest window in the room, shining brightly in the brilliant light. It shows off the form of a stallion, with wings bigger than most ponies, and a horn long enough to pierce through a pony from the side. His coat is an ocean blue, his calm eyes a leafy green, with his mane red and orange, like fire, and his tail grey, like stone. He looks forward, wearing a small but ornate circlet around his head, containing a gem in the front that seems to be every color at once, and yet no color at all. Surrounding him are dozens of ponies, all bowing, while the sun and moon rest above and below his outstretched wings, respectively.

Darius takes out a little journal, writing down on it, “Fascinating piece of art… I shall have to ask about it.” He then turns around, barely able to take in a window of an armored Pegasus mare and a regal Griffon before he is blinded by orange fire, “What in the blazes?!”

He blinks rapidly, clearing his eyes, and looking to the source of the light. There, he sees a rather young looking mare, wearing heavy and shiny plate armor, an insignia of the sun emblazoned on the front. Her coat is a bright yellow, and her mane a bright orange, the tips of which burn with equally bright orange fire. She trots closer to him, “You aren’t supposed to be here, nerd.”

He takes a small step back, “Well, there is nothing saying that. It is really a marvel in here, isn’t i-“

He’s cut off by her, “Don't care, nerd, I’m not a nerd and art shouldn’t exist for another two hundred years.”

He pauses, and looks at her, “You’re a Paladin. Yet also a demon, from the burning mane.”

She grins, “Damn, you’re more perceptive than the last striped nerd I met. Then again, he was blind.”

Darius nods, “You know Fatecaster Knip, then, speaking of a blind zebra. A distant uncle of the Royal line due to his divi-“

She cuts him off again, “Cousin, not uncle, nerd, and idiot, plus ratio.”

Darius slowly nods, “Judging by your odd way of speaking, you must be an Insanity. Perhaps Lady-“

She grins, cutting him off, “D. Squire D, Pala-Din, Insani-D, choose whatever you will but don’t wear it out. And you’re Emperor Darius.”

Darius nods, “Yes, and I’ve read about you. The Terror of Hoofington, it called you. The Destroyer of Trottingham. The Great De-Winger. The Demon of the Sun.”

D rolls her eyes, “You cut off one pair of wings and suddenly you’re ‘the great de-winger’. Okay, Darius, shut up and stop distracting me.”

He shakes his head, “I’m afraid I won’t j-“

She reaches up, closing his mouth with a hoof, “Shut up, nerd. I’m playing the long game here and I need to make sure everything goes perfectly. The proper foals made, the correct lessons learned, the right battles fought. I need to get you with Sun-Ass.”

He frowns, smacking her hoof away, “Do not refer to her as such.”

She grins, “You can’t tell me what to do, you aren’t my mom. Now, I want you to get with Celestia, because she needs you, Darius. She likes nerds, and you’re a nerd, she also likes compliments to her legs. So, take a seat, and Momma D is gonna tell you how to seduce a princess.”

Persistent Smile had always had vivid dreams.

As a foal, she suffered from many nightmares, nightmares of her being in another filly’s body, a Pegasus, being bullied all throughout school. She’d wake up, of course, crying as fillies do, confiding in her parents and finding comfort within them. Her other moms would always try their best to help, but only the two that made her could truly get her to calm down. They reminded her, always, that the dreams weren’t real, and that she was safe.

But the dreams had always seemed so real. One day after class, even, she ran home and wrote a letter to the address she saw in her dreams. Of course, this came back with nothing, said address didn’t even exist, but this did attract the attention of the Princess. She came to Fillydelphia and went to Smile’s school, giving a speech there to the foals about the importance of honesty and mental wellness. She ended it off by mentioning how any foal could write her at any time if they needed help, planting a seed in the young filly’s mind.

That night, after writing to the Princess, the little filly had another nightmare. Her bully was beating her small dream Pegasus form, but he was turned to ash and her wounds disappeared as the Princess herself appeared in her dream. She told the small Smile about a secret group of ponies, the Dream Agents, and how one of these ponies would help her with her nightmares from now on. She ended off the night by teaching Smile how to fly in her dream Pegasus form, and taught her the importance of shining bright for everyone else.

From that night forward, every time she had a nightmare, her special Dream Agent would come and vanquish the nightmare. Her Agent was a funny stallion named Corny, and would always leave her waking up with a smile. As she grew older and older, she learned more about Corny, about how he was confined to a wheelchair and used his humor and Dreamwalking to still feel useful. As she grew into a teenager, and then into a mare, he became her best friend, and a second father figure. He was old, much older, than her, and had a lot of wisdom to give.

Currently, Smile sits, the young age of 22, wearing a light blue dress, and occasionally looking out of the window. She’s just sent a letter to Corny yesterday, asking for him to come over and meet her parents. Not only her parents, but the entire herd, had been so welcoming that they all left in a carriage to go pick up Corny from the train station, leaving her alone in the house. She smiles brightly as she waits, deciding to snooze the time away.

Blood. That’s the first thing she notices in her new dream. Her hooves are coated with it, her mouth carries a knife coated in it, some of it leaks from a cut near her eye. In front of her, it comes from a deep cut in her bully’s neck, spilling out his life force. Her wings are flared out, either in anger or fear, and she pants, breathing in more of the iron smell.

She looks up wildly as the gigantic form of the Princess lands in front of her, hard magenta eyes glaring at her. She frowns, mouth tightening around the knife, with her lowering down into a better stance. The Princess frowns back, ripping the blade free of the knife and throwing it far away, before then speaking in a quietly stern voice, “Sweet Dreams. You are a very troubled mare.”

Sweet scowls, dropping the handle of the knife, “You don’t know anything.”

Celestia narrows her eyes, “Bow.”

Sweet frowns, stepping closer, “No.”

Celestia frowns more, “That was not a request, but an order. You have murdered a stallion, that alone can give you many years in prison. But you are useful. Bow, and perhaps I’ll consider forgetting what I’ve seen.”

Sweet scowls, slowly getting down and bowing.

Celestia nods, “Good pony. You might think your life is worth nothing, but I will remake you. There’s a place for troubled ponies like you.” Her mane catches ablaze, and her eyes turn orange, as she leans down, horn lighting up like fire, “And it isn’t in a dream.”

Smile wakes back up with a start, hearing knocking on the door. She quickly gets up, and gallops over, opening the door, seeing the mailmare has arrived, looking solemn as she gives over a letter.

Smile slowly takes the letter, almost looking at it, before a voice much like Celestia’s speaks, “You remember this day, Smile.”

She looks up, seeing Celestia, with fiery mane and eyes, where the mailmare stood before. She blinks, “P-Princess?”

The fire Celestia snorts, “Much more than that, but not yet, Sweet Dream.”

Smile tilts her head, “What? That’s the name of my dream self, silly.”

She trots into the house, “That is what you think. But those dreams all were awfully real, and your memories… aren’t. What do your parents look like?”

Smile blinks, “Well, they look like me, right?”

She looks at Smile, “That isn’t a question that should be answered with a question. This is a dream, a memory. That letter tells you about how your family and your best friend is dead. Then you go to Canterlot and speak with Celestia. I ask you, what did the mailmare look like?”

Smile blinks again, “Well… like the mailmare?”

She shakes her head, “You don’t remember, because that’s too detailed. Smile, do you trust me?”

Smile slowly nods, “I… well, who are you?”

“Your true ruler.” She trots up to smile, offering a hoof, “When you wake up, you will be the beginning of the end of the greatest villain the world has seen. You just must go to Cloudsdale.”

Ice

Celestia, back in her disguise, takes a seat at the same table as usual, resting her head on a hoof while she awaits Teardrop. She mutters under her breath, sarcastically, “Judge me. Acted like a foal…” She turns her eyes to a corner in the room, where the cloaked mare and stallion that argued the night before now sit together more happily, enjoying a small meal and talking over the romantic candle the owner had put there the day before, “Would Sombra have this in his Kingdom? Would the Nightmare have two ponies bond with no thought of possible danger in their everyday lives? Would Discord afford the stability needed?” She frowns, looking away again.

After a minute, Teardrop trots up, “Hey, Smiles. What’s got you feeling so down?”

Celestia looks over, her frown leaving, “Hello, Teadrop. I’m sorry, I just had… an unpleasant conversation.”

Teardrop smiles, sitting down, “Well, here, let me cheer you up.” She reaches into her robes, pulling out a bouquet, which she presents to Celestia, “For you.”

Celestia blinks, floating the bouquet closer to her, “Midnight Lavender surrounding three Sunrise Orchids.”

Teadrop smiles more and nods, “You said they were your favorite, so I got them. Oh, here.” She floats out the dark blue flowers, wrapping them around Celestia’s head, as if they were a royal circlet, then floating one of the bright yellow orchids up and nestling it behind Celestia’s ear, “There you go, Smiles. Looks more beautiful than normal.”

Celestia smiles softly, “Thank you, I appreciate the gift… and I love the fact that you listened enough to recall this. Now I feel like I should have gotten you something in return.”

Teardrop grins, “Oh, you did get me something in return. Your company.” She then chuckles, and shakes her head, “No, but, really, you don’t have to get me anything. Though I do have another surprise.”

Celestia smiles more, raising an eyebrow, “Another? It seems you are as full of surprises as you are… adjective or noun.”

Teardrop smiles back, winking, “Well, I think you’re pretty full of adjective or noun yourself, Smiles. Perhaps you’d like to adverb verb noun adverb verb adjective noun?”

Celestia smiles wider, lightly giggling, “Why, yes, I would like to adverb verb noun adverb verb adjective noun, since pronoun exaggerator adjective.”

Teardrop grins, “Ah, pronoun exaggerator adjective? Well, pronoun’s noun is adjective which I’d like to verb.”

Celestia giggles a tiny bit more, and shakes her head, “That was silly. What is this other surprise, Teardrop?”

She smiles, standing up, offering a hoof, “Why don’t you come see, Smiles? I’m sure you’ll love it.”

Celestia takes her hoof, standing, nodding at Teardrop, who then trots out. She follows after her, looking around slightly, “I don’t get out here that often. It is beautiful, in its own way.”

Teardrop looks back, smiling, “Pony ingenuity, Smiles, it’s all around here. You know, my roommate actually specializes in that, she’s an engineer. She’s constantly studying and tinkering on this or that machine, trying to be the next Zap Apple, and hey, if she can manage what he did, props to her. I don’t really get it, myself, but technology is pretty cool. Thing about technology, though, it fades, and becomes obsolete. Words never do.”

Celestia nods, “But most technologically is quite old. For example, the train was invented by Zap Apple in the 1800’s, and we still use that. And the wheels that trains run off of were created sometime in the 300’s, by the old Romauian Empire. Technology is a tree, where every branch relies upon the branch that came before it, and technology can be an old, old thing. It is a fascinating thing, too, but dangerous, as are words.”

Teardrop grins, “Yeah, but words are a lot harder to suppress than technology, thus words are better than technology. I have no bias and I am not accepting constructive criticism at this time.”

Celestia smiles, “Words are powerful indeed. They can be strong distractions.” She then giggles as Teardrop runs into a wall, falling onto her flank, “They can be quite stunning, one might say.”

Teardrop smiles, standing up, “Well, that was on purpose, so yeah. I still win.” She then trots around the corner, “Come on, it’s here.”

Celestia trots after her, eyes widening as she sees what’s here. A hidden little park square, fenced off and with bright lights of all colors hanging from the fence. Inside the fence is a pool of frozen water, it’s reflective surface dazzling all around with the multicolored lights, “What is this?”

Teardrop grins, “You see, my roommate has an eccentric aunt, and she owned this little piece of land. So she decided that instead of building a house here, she would enchant a pool of water to be permanently frozen, for ponies to have fun with. She even invented this thing she calls ‘ice skating’.” She floats out four shoes from her robes, with skates on the bottom, “Wanna try?”

Celestia smiles, and nods, “Oh, I’ll try.” She trots up, taking the shoes, and putting them all on, slowly trotting up to the fence. Teardrop grins more, opening the gate, letting Celestia take her first steps onto the ice. The one hoof she puts on slips out from under her, and she puts a second in, trying to stop her fall, only for that to slip as well. She leaps flowed with the last two hooves in a final attempt to stop the fall, but they also slip out, causing Celestia to slam her belly against the ice, “Ow…”

Teardrop smiles, stepping past her, and offering a skate-wearing hoof to her, “Don't worry, it takes a bit of getting used to.” She pulls Celestia back to her hooves, using a shoulder to stabilize her, “It’s all about the position of the blades on the ice.”

Celestia nods, leaning away, managing not to slip this time. She slowly tries to take a step forward, and as soon as she does, her other three legs slip, sending her back down. Teardrop helps her back up, smiling softly, as Celestia then tries again. This time, instead of trying to trot, she attempts to paw at the ground, the force from such moving her forward some, “Ah, I see.”

Teardrop smiles more, “Come on, Smiles, let’s see it.”

Celestia smiles back, slowly moving her hoof in the same pattern, then doing it on the other side, giving herself forward momentum. She glides across the ice, and ever so slightly tilts her skate’s blades, causing her to spin around and face Teardrop. She grins, “See? Knew I could do it.”

Teardrop grins back, “Oh yeah? Try to do this.” She then skates rapidly towards Celestia, angling her blades so that she slides around her, behind her, and then spinning to come to a stop, smirking, “It takes a lot of practice, keep in mind.”

Celestia nods, then begins to slowly skate towards Teardrop, angling her blades to attempt much the same. She picks up speed, and in doing this, loses the angle she had, her hooves slipping out from under her, causing her to slide completely underneath Teardrop, somehow not tripping her.

Teardrop grins, helping Celestia get back up, “Not quite what I did, Smiles.”

Celestia looks back at her, and grins back, “Give me time.” She then leans away, skating around the edges of the ice, keeping her blades angled so she’s looking at Teardrop the entire time, “I’m a quick learner!”

Teardrop smirks, spinning to face her, “Oh, you can go in a circle, impressive. Last I checked, I did more than go in a circle, Smiles.”

Celestia grins more, “Oh, just you watch.” She then shoots off towards Teardrop, attempting to angle her blades properly. However, her speed is too great, so she catches her front left leg on Teardrop’s front right, getting their legs interlocked and sending them both falling and sliding.

It ends with Teardrop and her pressed against each other, face to face, as their sliding comes to a stop. Teardrop smiles, blushing heavily, “Hey, Smiles, I have another surprise.”

Celestia begins to respond, only to be cut off.

Teardrop leans up, giving her a short kiss, breaking it off quickly to see her reaction.

Celestia blushes, looking down at Teardrop, and teleports away.

Morning

Today was a very odd day in Canterlot Palace. The Princess appeared in a flash of teleportation during the night, telling her secretary to cancel Day Court and to declare it an official day of rest. Nearly everyone, except for a few maids seeking extra pay and guards who snuck bribes to their captains, has left the palace.

Inside her room, Celestia has buried herself under a pile of pillows, falling asleep under their soft warmth, only waking up now due to her body’s refusal to continue sleeping. Slowly, her magenta eyes open, looking deeply into the sun insignia on the pillow right above her, then slowly floating it, and the rest of the pillows, away. Above her stands Daybreaker, smirking, “Wakey-wakey, Sunny-Bunny. I made breakfast.”

Celestia blinks, “You did what?” She sits up, looking at a plate, held aloft in fiery orange magic, “…You made breakfast. How?”

Daybreaker grins, “Just because I’m trapped in your mind doesn’t mean I can’t have some minor outside influence. Even you can’t ever fully contain me.”

Celestia slowly floats the breakfast over to her, looking it over. Haycon, fried, some roasted broccoli, and pineapples cut to look like pancakes. She looks up at Daybreaker, smiling slightly, “This… well, thank you, Daybreaker. I’m… at a loss for words, really, I did not expect this.”

Daybreaker grins more, “Yeah, well, whatever.” She shrugs, “Are you going to enjoy or what? I’ve been smelling that for a while and want to know how it tastes.”

Celestia nods, taking a small slice of pineapple on a summoned fork, eating it first, “Mmm… this isn’t the palace chef, it is cooked slightly more than she would. You got this from elsewhere. A diner?”

Daybreaker smirks, “Yep, a small place in that ‘Tall Tail’ town, thought it’d be good. Now make sure to eat all that pineapple, Sunny-Bunny. I remember we read an experiment some centuries ago that found that mares who eat pineapple taste be-“

Celestia dispels her fork, “Daybreaker. Did you do this all as a joke?”

Daybreaker grins, laying down on her belly at the end of the bed, “Well, duh, of course I did. That’s how it started, but it changed. You need that, Sunny-Bunny, to regain your energy.”

Celestia slowly nods, summoning another fork and biting into some broccoli, “Well, I appreciate it no matter the reason.”

Daybreaker smirks, “After all, you need it. That was the most sexual activity you’ve had for a millennia!”

Celestia blushes, “W-what, no it isn’t! Two millennia! When Hermása kissed me, that was the last time.”

Daybreaker grins, “Oh, right, you’re even more of a virgin than I thought! You even needed a mind changing artifact to so much as cuddle with that blue hybrid.”

She frowns, “He was my nephew, and my mind was poisoned. B-besides, there is nothing wrong with being a virgin.” She grins slightly, taking a small bite of haycon, “I am the pinnacle of virtue, Daybreaker, perhaps one such as yourself cannot understand that purity is virtue.”

Daybreaker smirks, “Oh, your body may be pure, but your thoughts aren’t. Don’t forget, Sunny-Bunny, I saw what you wanted to do.”

She nods, “Perhaps I wanted to do something different, in moments, but I didn’t.”

Daybreaker then smiles, standing up, “So, what’s it going to be with her? You know that all this time without any fun is wearing down on me too, right? While you might be able to hold your chin up high and go ‘oh, I am to be a celibate virgin, chaste and locked away from the world’, well, I’m not the same. Now, before you speak, I want you to actually listen.” Her fiery eyes meet Celestia’s magenta, “I want you to be happy, Sunny-Bunny, and I want you to find love. Just like I wanted you to eat that breakfast, or I want you to read certain books, I want… I need you to do all of this, so I can feel it at least once.”

Celestia looks away, “Perhaps you may enjoy it, but there are other things to account for.”

Daybreaker frowns, appearing where she looks, “Celestia, look at me. Look into my eyes.” She grabs Celestia’s either cheek with her hooves, “That mare’s kiss was the best thing I have ever felt. It is the closest I have come to being physically touched since you first trapped me. It is trapped in my mind, replaying over and over again in how good it was. Please, Celestia, I know you want more of it too.”

Celestia pauses, averting her eyes, and slowly nodding, “Yet, still, there is much to account for. Teardrop is… quite beautiful, yes, and I do enjoy speaking to her. She is a nerd, she has shown appreciation to both my mind and my body, she has granted me gifts, she listens… and she took initiative. But she doesn’t know who I am, Daybreaker, and if she were to know, I doubt she would be so brave.”

Daybreaker rolls her eyes, “Oh yes, she doesn’t know. The random mare with a look like the sun, a cutie mark of the sun, can down drinks without even a hint of being inebriated, is named after the sun, ‘facing down Griffon Knights’, leaves when the night is done, has the power to teleport, is a gardener in the Palace gardens… definitely totally unrelated to Celestia. Nope, I guess Teardrop is too stupid to connect the really obvious dots.”

Celestia frowns, “Hey. Watch what you say, Daybreaker.” She then pauses, “And… perhaps you might be right, but you could also be wrong. I will go to her in disguise still, until such a time that I have set up the proper way to reveal. And now that she has become explicit about attempting to woo me… I shall see where it goes.”

Daybreaker grins, “Tonight?”

Celestia nods, eating another piece of pineapple, “Tonight.”

Teardrop trots into her apartment as the sun rises outside, smiling just a tiny bit, but looking worried as well. Sunrise stands in their living room, as before, working on the finishing touches for her machine. She looks over as Teardrop trots in, smiling, “Did you get the mare?”

Teardrop nods, losing her slight smile, “I… think? I went to the bar and I gave her the flowers, and she seemed really happy about it. And I took her to the special place, and we had a wonderful time…”

Sunrise puts away her tools, trotting over, “There’s usually a ‘but’ after that, and seeing you aren’t grinning widely, I assume it wasn’t her’s.”

Teardrop nods, taking a seat, “I gave her the kiss, and I was about to say something, but… she teleported away.”

Sunrise blinks, “Oh, oh, she’s a stallionish filly, then, whoops. Wait, you’re into stallys?”

Teardrop looks up, “What? No! Well, okay, don’t look in the secret desk drawer, but no, she’s not a stally. She’s very beautiful, marely, I guess she just didn’t… know I wanted her romantically?”

Sunrise sits down as well, “Don’t worry, Teardrop. If she isn’t a stare, then she probably just panicked in the moment. Buy her some flowers, and when you next meet, tell her that you like her. Go deep in details, too. If she’s got a good ass, by no accounts should you be shy about mentioning it.”

Teardrop chuckles slightly, rubbing the back of her head, “She does have a pretty good ass… but there’s more to her than that.”

Sunrise nods, “Well, no shit, compliment those as well. If she’s got a polished horn, you’d better comment on that, maybe offer a little something involving polishing it more. If she’s got a good mane, you tell her she’s got a good mane. Long legs are a must to comment on, lots of mares love talk about their legs.”

Teardrop smiles, “Well, I’m not just going to talk about her body, Sunrise, she’s so much more than just beautiful. Oh, that’s good, I need to save that one for later.” She floats out a notepad and writes on it, “Anyway, she’s super smart, fun, and she listens. Unlike you, I don’t just go after things because they’re physically stimulating, I need emotional stimulation too. I feel like you’d fuck a piece of cardboard if a good enough flank was drawn on it.”

Sunrise grins, “Now, since when could you see the past? Also, don’t go into my room, you bitch. Also also, at least I actually get flank, unlike you. Aren’t you a virgin? At twenty four?”

Teardrop frowns, crossing her hooves, “Hay, that has nothing to do with this. If I get with someone, Sunrise, I want it to last, if not be permanent. That’s what I’m hoping for here. I think… I think Smiles and I could go for the long haul here, and I’d be happy.”

Sunrise smiles, “Then do it, if you want. And get some sleep, you look a mess.”

Teardrop stands up, “I will. Still look better than you.” She trots past her.

Sunrise grins, getting back to her machine, “Bitch.”

Teardrop smirks, “Just wait, you asshole, until me and Smiles keep you awake at night!”

Library

Darius trots down a dark hallway of a hidden wing of the palace, dark somehow still despite the light outside. The mare he met the day before, D, trots behind him, “You’re lucky that today’s a slow day around here, you know, Durian.”

Darius looks back, “Yes, I am, and it’s Darius.”

D grins, “Well, you’re a bit fruity, so it’s Durian.”

He shakes his head, looking ahead, “You are so… I cannot even put it into words. Indescribable, mare, you are indescribable, and I haven’t the faintest if that is good or bad-“ He’s cut off as he runs head-first into a guard.

The armored mare stumbles back, looking at him, “Emperor Darius? You aren’t supposed to be here.”

Darius stumbles for a second, finding his footing quickly. He looks at the guard, and nods, “Perhaps I’m not.” He holds forward a nondescript brown bag, the clinking of coins coming from inside, “But it is lucky that you escorted me out of here, then, isn’t it?”

The mare blinks slowly, and then takes the bag, opening it and eyeing the bits on the inside. She closes the bag, placing it into her saddlebags, “I don’t think I saw a single living thing in this wing, barely even a rat.” She nods, and trots past Darius and D.

D looks at Darius, “Bribing a guard? Shit, maybe I underestimated you, Durian.”

He nods, trotting onwards, “I do not like it, but if what you say is true, it needs to be done. From our short encounters I must admit I am quite smitten, and you have told that she will need me in these coming days. Even if I may not enjoy skullduggery and bribery as such, I shall still do it to help her.”

D grins, trotting after, orange flames dancing in her mane, “Oh, a bad boy with good intentions? And a nerd too? Oh yeah, you two are gonna fuck.”

He looks back with a slight frown, “Try to be less vulgar, if you would. I do not appreciate such vulgarities and vocabularies being uttered near me. In any fashion, I am not the nerd here.” He trots into a room, a wide and large library, dimly lit. Shelves line the walls and form aisles all over, overflowing with books of all sorts, with even more books scattered across tables in the center of the room, “It was you, mind, who asked to be taken to a library for payment.”

She grins more, “Oh no, a mild and mediocre comeback, how shall I ever recover? I can almost feel my very soul slipping away, dying off, entering the great void beyond worlds. Oh, how could you ever be so mean, Durian, to call me a nerd?” She smirks, trotting to a table, “Look, Durian, only one pony can pull of the ‘No You’ joke of repeating someone else’s words but funnier, and it isn’t you. Now, shoo, go look in the big forbidden library, I have something to read.”

Darius nods, “You truly are an indescribable and often unbearable mare. I’m afraid I cannot see what the Fatecaster saw to make you a Lady.”

She rolls her eyes, “Please, you think blind, short, and scarred made me a Lady? The only thing he made me was a want to die. Now, like I said, shoo.” She sits at the table, holding up a book, “I’ve already wasted too much funny on you.”

He shakes his head, turning and trotting to a random aisle of bookshelves. He looks past many old books, dust obscuring their many titles and age wearing on their binding, until his eyes land on a specific book. He takes it off the shelf, blowing off the dust, and looking at the front. A binding made of bright red leather, inlaid gold on the front forming a symbol like a ‘U’ of wheat. He looks at the title, muttering out loud, “Liber Alicornium, sounds almost like Romauian.”

He flips open the book to the first page, upon which is an illustration of a young alicorn filly, with a bright white coat and a pink mane, playing with some Phoenixes. He looks over the page, reading aloud, “Celestia Solaris Ordver, Aspect of the Sun. First to fall, year 220, still survives. Protected by Aspects of Order, Chaos, Shadow, all attacks ended in failure, attack not recommended.” He blinks, and mutters the last line, “If seen, immediate evacuation recommended, too strong for even the Legates.”

He shakes his head, flipping to the next page, showing an illustration of a tall alicorn colt with a bright golden mane and grey coat, this time the illustration has the golden symbol of the cover on top of him, “Honorius, Aspect of Honor, fell 221… eliminated by beheading.” He flips to the next page, a smiling alicorn filly of blue color there, the golden symbol on top of her, “Positida, Aspect of Ocean, fell 223, eliminated by burning at the stake.” He flips once again, where a bright red alicorn colt is shown, the same symbol on top of him, “Ofre Nail-Hoof, Aspect of Sacrifice, fell 240… crucified.”

He flips quickly through, only skimming pages, “Jimothus, Fatherhood, drowned. Anon-Filly, Opposition, poisoned. Fortunado, Luck, impaled. Rammus, Cooking, crushed. Bright Star, Life, drowned.” He flips past at least twenty pages more, stopping as he comes to one of the last two. A small dark blue filly with a lighter blue mane, holding a dagger, too big for her, within her mouth as she trots towards a cave, “Noctarus Lunarid Ordver, Aspect of Moon, fell 700, still alive. Protected by Aspects of Order, Shadow, Chaos, and Sun. Adventurous, but impossible to be ambushed even when on her own… a capable warrior despite her young age. If seen, immediate evacuation recommended, lest Shadow kill you. Do not engage.”

He looks over the page, slowly flipping to the last one, showing an older filly. Her coat is grey, with blue and yellow mane, and eyes that shine the colors of the rainbow, “Harmonikus, Aspect of Harmony, fell 750, still alive. Protected by all other Aspects, a skilled martial artist in her own right. If seen, do not evacuate, instead sit and have a drink. Do not attempt to fight.”

Darius closes the book, shaking his head as he puts it back, “A book on how to… kill alicorns? There were more alicorns?”

D speaks from behind him, “Why do you think Celestia is so paranoid, Darius?”

He looks back, “Is she?”

D nods, “You haven’t seen it, because she’s sneaky. Her family died to us mortals, she’s the last one left. She needs someone, you know.”

Darius looks away, “I suppose I do know… is this why you took me here?”

She grins, “Nah, I just wanted to read Striped Sun. It’s a book about a group of zebra stallions who ambush Celestia on a diplomatic trip and-“

He holds out a hoof, “I don’t need to hear any more. I swear, mare, you are like a switch, flipping from serious to… that, in an instant.”

She grins more, “Yeah, and? Now come on, Durian, let’s get you dressed to ask her out.”