The Sun and The Beast

In their own corner of Equestria, tucked away near the countryside, Celestia was up bright and early. Her pink mane tied back as she was doing some light cleaning.

Since she gave up most of her powers when stepping down as ruler, her mane reverted back to how it was many moons ago.

Though the two have servants, Celestia liked doing stuff like this, cooking too, to keep her mind occupied from other things that run in her head.

She hummed a little as she heard hoofsteps coming down the stairs. Celestia didn't turn to see who it was as she lifted objects up and dusted them.

"Morning," a tired greeting meets with her ears, causing her to turn and see her sister Luna.

Luna looked as exhausted as ever. Even though she was retired from her royal duties, the Guardian of Dreams - Twilight’s new title for her - still had work to do when maintaining dreams. Her choice though.

“Long night of working?” Celestia asked her sister with a smile. Seeing how dark the circles under her eyes were.

Luna yawned, rubbing her eyes with her hooves. “It’s never been a dull moment when combing through the field of dreams.” She responded. “Why are you cleaning?”

“Just getting what the others have missed.” Celestia said as she went back to cleaning.

When she said that, she received some nasty looks from the nearby maids who took offense to that and walked away from them.

Luna raised a brow as she watched her sister just clean. “Is something on your mind?”

“Nope, no, no, nothing up here, ta-la-la.” Celestia said as she walked from her sister. “I make pancakes.”

Luna quickly poked her head at the dining room and her jaw dropped. There were a lot of pancakes that covered every square inch of the table.

“How long have you been awake?” Luna asked her, seeing there was an abundance of various fried flat cakes. “And you made all that?”

“Yup! Thought I’d give our chefs a break this morning.” Celestia said as she poofed the cleaning supplies off somewhere, probably in their place, before going outside to the back courtyard. Using her magic to poof on a gardening uniform and a large straw hat and pruning shears.

She goes up to a rose bush and begins trimming the stray stems and leaves to roundly shape it.

Luna grunted before following her. Staring at her closely. Though Celestia was good at faking things, Luna knows a thing or two of not getting enough sleep. “Celestia, how long have you been awake?” She repeated the question.

Celestia hummed before glancing over at her. “Sorry, did you say something?”

Now annoyed, Luna used her magic to rip the shears away from her. “I won’t ask the third time.” she growled.

The two sisters stared at each other in an intense stare down.

However, Celestia had to admit, the way Luna was looking at her, with her having more lack of sleep than her, Luna was more intimidating of the two sisters. And she was the youngest of the two.

Celestia sighed in defeat in a frustrated way. “Fine, I’ve been awake for a while.”

Luna’s glare intensified as she didn’t get the full answer. Her silence spoke volumes.

Celestia groaned. "Oh alright, fine. I've been up since two in the morning." She then sidesteps Luna to tend to more flowers in the garden.

"Why were you up?" Luna questioned.

"As Guardian of Dreams, I thought you'd already know." Celestia said before looking up at the sun. "Is the sun crooked? It looks crooked. I saw it rise this morning, I'll have to write to Twilight about that and see if she can't get it straightened out." Since it wasn't her job to raise the sun anymore, that was passed onto Princess Twilight.

Luna scowled. "You do realize that I don't always go into your psyche. I have countless other creatures to comb through. You're the last thing I tend to dear sister." She wanted to go to bed. " She teleported to be in front of Celestia, flying above her and using her wings and body to block the view of the sun.

"What is it that keeps you from slumbering?" Luna asked.

Celestia squints her eyes at her. "What's keeping you from doing the same?"

Luna snarled before landing. "Fine, be stubborn. I'm going to bed." She said as she clops her hooves on the stone pathway, leaving the garden to head back into the estate. "The truth will come out, Celestia." She left with that parting words before going inside.

Celestia waited to turn when Luna was not in earshot. She walks back to the roses she tended to before. She used her magic to pluck one of them up and held it close.

Her mind began wondering back to her time over in the Mirror Universe. Remembering the moments she felt the happiest, moments she felt truly loved. Still remembering feeling his arms wrapped around her.

“I thought I'd gotten over him…” Celestia muttered softly, sniffing the rose. Her eyes closed and she envisioned her time with him more. “I guess not…” she sighed, opening her eyes.

Last night wasn’t the only time she saw visions of Sombra. For the past few weeks, she had been seeing him, certain moments in time. But they weren’t complete. She only sees pieces and glimpses, not the whole picture.

Which had her thinking her predictions were just dreams..But these dreams felt so life-like, so real…

But what she had in mind was this…

“Is he really here?” Celestia softly asked, her heart was aching the thought of him here. She had thought of talking to Luna about this, but she knew what her sister would say.

If he was here, wouldn’t the balance of their worlds be once again on the brink of chaos??

No…no. She then remembered that this world’s Sombra was dead. Twilight and her allies had destroyed him not long after he destroyed the Tree of Harmony and its elements. Since there couldn’t be two of the same being from the Mirror Universe and to this Prime universe, which meant the balance was still intact.

If it was Her Sombra, how did he get here if the mirror was destroyed?

Celestia used her magic to transmute the rose into a quill, summoning a scroll and began writing a letter.

My dearest student,

Hello Twilight, how are things going being the new Ruler? I know it can be a bit overwhelming, but I know you’re doing a good job. Retirement is doing well on my end, Luna is still working, but you know how she can be.

Anywho, I’m going to be visiting Canterlot very soon and I was wondering if we could talk? I miss having our chats.

Your teacher,

Celestia.

After signing her name, she sent the letter off via magic. Knowing a certain purple dragon will get the letter straight to the Princess.

“Lets just hope what I’m seeing was a dream, if it isn’t…” She trailed off.

Because if her visions were real, Celestia knew she was going to go after him.

She lost him once, she wasn’t going to lose him again.