Esquestria: The House of the Sun - A pony cultist experience

Regarding Rarity's future, you have negotiated for her to go on the slowest and steadiest path. Where she has the most freedom to work, and where she can deliver anything and everything she deigns to create. Naturally, that will make her fame grow more slowly, since she will not focus on any specific market. Still, you think that will yield the greatest fruits on the long term.
You also decided to "keep her for yourself". Dame Rarity, the word will spread, works best from her secluded boutique. And you will foot the bill of the initial investment so the Needles can't have any influence over her.

During the noble party, while you were subtly building up Rarity's image, you have met…

[] A group of noble merchants. Bit handlers and scions of families with a better hold on the economy of the capital… and beyond. They might not be family heads, but their families have enough assets that they are in "direct supervision" of quite a few things, much like yourself and your family's Estate in Ponyville.

[] A few officers of the Guard. Not the Royal Guard, and Equestria's military is not decadent to the point where only nobles may rise to the higher ranks of officers. But these ones in particular are nobles, and they might have a bit of pull in a lot of places thanks to it.

[] A few studious unicorns. Scholars and teachers, invited because of their prestige among some of the guests. Considering how much time they spend in classrooms and libraries, it is a bit surprising that they were there at all.

[] A group of more influential nobles. Call them sycophants, call them clever, but these nobles have managed to blend in with higher nobility despite their "low" status. You hit it off well enough with them to the point where they promised you to make some introductions if you would like.

[] Nopony in particular. But thanks to your uncle, you managed to… well, "clear your name" a little bit. (Lose the "She is a Velvet, though…" hidden malus. Yes, it will still apply for other encounters if you don't.)

(All picks, bar the last, will be a useful "first step" when cult-spreading efforts begin in Canterlot. The difference between them is what sorts of things you will be able to do more easily in Canterlot, whenever you visit again personally, and which segment of the population the cult will bite first, or at least will meet least resistance with, if you ever make a move towards Canterlot.)

"Uhmmm… my heeeead…" a low groan reaches you, finally. Not enough time had passed for you to start worrying, but she still took her sweet time.

Well, in all fairness that actually sounds like something she would do, beauty sleep and all.

"Why is the world so bright?..." Rarity tosses under her sheets, but you have a very good idea of what she must be feeling right now. You know for a fact that she won't be able to get back to sleep anytime soon.

Come to think of it, you wonder, has Rarity ever been through a hangover before?

"Mostly because it's already a bit past morning," you answer nonchalantly, not looking up from your book while comfortably sitting on a cushion, "there is a glass of water on your nightstand. It has some remedy in it, so don't worry if it tastes funny."

You hear another groan, followed by the sound of covers and pillows shifting, and finally the sound of something being floated.

You make sure to give her time, though, and also to stay quiet while you continue your idle reading.

"By Celestia… how come you are feeling so well Velvet?" she asks, after a few minutes, still sitting on her bed while she sips from her glass of water.

You also notice that she has a hoof covering her eyes, so with a slight glow of your horn you close the curtains a little more. Not enough for the room to get dark of course, she still needs that uncomfortable encouragement to get up after all, but enough for your friend to not be in as much pain as she was before.

"You get used to it," you answer simply.

You might have missed a whole lot of partying while you grew up, having been locked inside your family's mansion for a long time after your accident. But you have attended one or two after you were a bit older.

You also drink with your husband every now and then, so you certainly have more experience than her, or at least resistance.

"And I've been up for a few hours now," you continue, making sure not to speak loudly, "a good breakfast and a shower also help wonders," you say with a smile, seeing that she is slowly getting her bearings back.

You have dismissed Ponpon for the day, but you could have the guards outside call for somepony of the castle's staff. In fact, you get up and head towards the door to do just that. As much as you know Rarity is physically starving, her headache will probably stop her from realizing it anytime soon.

"You keep saying that I should get used to it but…" you hear her wince, although you already know where her thoughts are taking her, "this particular bit I wouldn't mind never having to experience again."

You let out a small laugh at that, slowly opening the door and asking the guards outside to have something brought up for her.

They are Cadance's guards, you realize. Ponpon had woken you up earlier, before you dismissed her, so you didn't realize this particular detail. Well, you don't exactly mind having her favor as a more permanent thing, at least while you are here for the search.

The guards nod at your request, their expression making it clear that this is something perfectly normal in the castle. One of them is gone down the corridor shortly after.

"Although… I can remember most of yesterday, but I can't remember us coming back. Did I doze off in the carriage or something?" you hear Rarity ask, still sitting in her bed and nursing her head, "my goodness, all that drinking did a number on me… I had the strangest dream, now that I think about it."

"A dream? What was it like?" you ask, your ears suddenly perking up.

"Well, we were in the carriage," she starts, talking slowly, since trying to remember it is clearly not being a painless experience, "but then we… actually, I was in the carriage, but it didn't have a roof? Goodness gracious, please don't get this wrong darling, but I'm pretty sure you were…"

You keep your expression neutral, perhaps even with a kind smile on your face considering your friend's sorry state, but you float your cushion in her direction and sit down in front of her regardless.

"I was…?" and you are honestly curious about this.

"You were on top of the carriage… I think? Looking down towards me, but you had this… it looked like a large barrel, that you were holding, and you were pouring down this drink on me."

"I was giving you a shower of wine?" you laugh, making sure to cover your mouth and keep your tone low.

"Oh believe me Velvet, it wasn't a shower, I was drowning in it," she says, laughing a bit herself, although you can see her wince in regret as she laughs.

Well, at least she has a bit of her humor back, you nod with satisfaction.

And more importantly… the Drowning Waters? You know you did something last night, but you are not sure what it was. Nothing unladylike, you are sure, at least not that you remember. But you are absolutely sure that it involved a secret.

And a dream about the Drowning Waters all but confirms it, although curiously you are not sure what it means yourself. You are not even sure why you are so confident that this… thing, has this particular name, now that you think about it.

Maybe it is something you heard from your Master once? Maybe it's because of some other reason..?

"Yes, but after that…" she trails off, her expression a little more nebulous now, "I was drowning, yes, but then I was… I feel like I was washed off on a beach?"

Your ears perk up again, and you make a conscious effort to keep your eyes from going wide open. You all but will her to keep talking with your stare, although you can see that she is struggling to remember what happened next as much she is struggling to put it into words.

"I was washed off and… the scenery completely changed, no carriage or wine anymore, no. I was on this… beach, but the sand was black, and there were these… these paths? Like these roads of blue stone and…"

A small shiver goes down your spine, but Rarity is gently shaking her head, and taking a generous gulp from her glass of water, before she continues to speak.

"Never mind, darling. It was just a strange dream," she says, waving a hoof and dismissing her thoughts.

"Yes, it does sound like you simply had too much to drink," you answer, summoning up a friendly laugher from her.

Inside your head, however, you make a mental note. This is definitely something you will circle back to talk about with her, later.

"So, you just make sure to rest for today," you say, getting up from your cushion and heading towards the door, "I'll go check on the breakfast thing with the guards. The search efforts will continue tomorrow, but I will not," you stress that last word, "let you help if you aren't in tip-top conditions."

You say with a wink, seeing her nod with a mixture of appreciation and defeat at that.

Good, you think to yourself as you head out through the door. There will be a time for everything else, but for now your friend needs her rest.

Rarity has had the Dream and, most curiously, did so through a method you do not know or understand. But you doubt that she will be able to do so again without help, yours or otherwise. And even then, the crossroads are only the beginning.

You and Rarity walk into the great dining hall that was converted into the heart of the search efforts for Princess Luna. The two of you spent the entirety of the last day doing basically nothing, except for a walk around the castle after the sun had set.

The place is enormous, and there was no shortage of routes and particular spots for you to pick from after asking a few guards for pointers about it. But still, it felt somewhat… empty. You are not entirely sure of why it felt like that, but maybe it was because Princess Celestia was not there, so the entire place felt rather devoid of life and activity, as much as Princess Cadance has been doing her utter best to keep the capital running.

Or maybe, it was because every time you looked out through a window, or passed by an open garden, you looked up to see the sky almost completely empty of stars.

All the more motivation to get back to work, you figure.

But this time you know what to do.

[A dazzling tour, breakpoints 40/80/120]

[Rarity's roll: 49 + 15 (Rarity) + 20 (Royal Favor) + ?? (Grail?) = ??]

[Second breakpoint crossed]

You finish your letter to the Cartographers Guild, and many others. The librarian's union, a few offices of accounting, heavens you even wrote to one or two low noble houses that you thought were more on the agreeable side during the party you went to. You ask everypony you can think of for help, but with every request you make you also hint about some potential reward.

Of course, you have neither the authority nor the funds to make good of those rewards, but you don't spell them out or make direct promises either. Again, you merely hint at them.

Potential opportunities of exploration for the cartographers, possible access to the less public parts of the Royal Library for the librarians, the obvious "it will really look good" for the nobles. All of those should be self-evident, you think, but you still feel that it warrants a try, for good measure.

But of course, you also know that a simple letter will probably not cut it, especially considering the efforts that the Crown has made to do the same thing. Almost everypony who can help has already either volunteered or has been summoned at least twice.

However, you think hopefully, the third time just might be the charm. Especially when you are using the card you have up your sleeve.

"And make sure you ask to talk to their director, or leader, or head of staff, or whatever. Oh, but don't shy from letting whoever you pass by, while in their building, know what you are doing there," you continue talking as you magically seal the final envelopes.

"Velvet."

"And for heaven's sake, using Cadance's chariot and guards is good, but don't use it when you head for the noble district. It might blow up on our faces without us even realizing," you say, ticking off more items from your mental list.

"Covers, darling I-"

"But also, don't waste an opportunity if you see one, follow your instincts and all that. The very worst thing that can happen is you getting a harsh 'no' thrown at you and-"

"Darling, this time you are the one who is worrying too much," Rarity interrupts you, her words cutting through a small curtain of nervousness that was hanging around you, one that you didn't even know was there, "I think I've picked up enough from you during my time here. I'll be just fine!" she says with a confident smile.

You look at her, seeing her expression that is equally determined and just a little bit amused, and you give her a nod, letting out a long sigh.

"I know, I know… I trust you," you say, sagging in your seat as you float the letters towards her, feeling her pick them up with her own magic and put them in her saddle purse.

Your eyes go over the enormous map in front of you, and then you raise them to look at the room around you, to the several armored and uniformed Royal Guards, each doing a specific task.

They are being as productive as they can possibly be, but you know that this is not what they are suited for. Neither their training nor their cutie marks being able to help them run through books and reports and maps and…

"Well... good luck Rarity," you say, your voice equally defeated and honest. You have given her the letters and the addresses, and she will have Cadance's guards to take her. There is really nothing else you can do.

"I won't let you down Velvet," she answers, with something that you think might even be excitement.

Well, you think as you watch her go, you couldn't find anything for her to do that really helped in the organizational part of the search, in all honesty. But this, trying to rally more ponies to the cause, more influential ponies that is, just might be the very best way to use her skills in this situation. Social skills are, after all, not exactly useful when it comes to pushing paper.

And Rarity has those skills to spare. That, and dressmaking of course. So this is really the best you can come up with to have her help as much as she possibly can.

It sure will be a little lonely, though. But you will have Ponpon for company, as usual, and by now you have quite a pleasant work relationship with Shining Armor.

It will have to do.

You don't see Rarity for the rest of the week, save during the nights when you finally return to your room, or during a few odd visits she does to the search hall, mostly to ask you or Shining Armor for some few details about Canterlot or a quick piece of advice.

However, you do notice the results of her efforts soon enough. A not unreasonable number of specialists, experts, and even two nobles, arrive as the days go by. They come directly to you, without even being pointed in your direction by the Royal Guards, and you quickly give them a good number of tasks that you think will suit them best.

Finally, this place is getting properly staffed, you think at one moment. If this keeps going on, you might even consider telling Shining that he should send some of his own guards to the front of the search parties.

In fact... yes, that thought has given you an idea.

Although you already know at first glance that putting it into practice will be extremely complicated...

[Rarity has gathered you some extra help in the form of bureaucrats, specialists, and more. Their arrival and subsequent efforts will accumulate to a +20 bonus on your own efforts as the week progresses.]

"Shining Armor? Could you come here for a second?" you call for the unicorn, seeing him dismiss two of his officers before he heads in our direction.

"What can I help you with?" he asks, coming to your side. He notices your concentrated expression quickly, and soon enough his own eyes go towards the direction that you are facing.

You are eyeing the map before you, the one whose surface dominates the central table, with a wrinkle on your brow.

More specifically, you are eyeing the marble piece of an alicorn, that is currently resting over the printed representation of the mountains towards the Undiscovered West, and a few moments later Shining realizes that as well.

"This is the main organizational hub of the search…" you start saying, almost as if you are talking to yourself, putting your own thoughts in order, "and our work here is about more than just distributing supplies, this is also about organizing efforts."

That same map has several marks and areas drawn over it, the most recent among them being the trio of interlocked grids, in green, blue and brown, indicating the places where the race-specific search parties are supposed to go. Organizing, on a greater level, how each hub is supposed to cover for each other's areas and deficiencies.

"But this whole time, that particular piece has been beyond out control. Well, not control," you snap out of your reverie, your etiquette and education taking the best of you, "Princess Celestia can very well do as she pleases. But still…"

You shake your head, pushing your half-formed thoughts to the side. You honestly hope that Shining will be able to help you with this.

"Is she really incommunicable? Princess Cadance is standing regent, but is there no way at all that we might reach Princess Celestia?" you ask, hoping that he might know something that you don't, mainly by virtue of being a captain of her personal guard.

And besides, she has been keeping some links to the castle. It might be a simple (simple by alicorn standards, that is) spell, but the small marble statue teleports on its own around the map, so you know she didn't just up and disappear in some desperate search for her sister.

"Well, she hasn't been keeping in touch officially but…" he looks around and lowers his tone, clearly wary about being overheard, "I know that I can tell you this, at least. Cadance has been keeping in touch with her, but the missives and letters have been short, at best. Princess Celestia is doing… fine," you feel the hesitation in his voice as he says that last word, "but things might stay the way they are for a while longer."

You nod at that. At least, you think, she still is in touch with her own kingdom and-

"Wait, hold on," your mind grinds into a halt at a specific detail.

Cadance?

Did Royal Guard Captain Shining Armor, the straight and narrow drilled pony, just name-dropped a Princess like that? Without the use of her titles? The very titles he has probably been drilled to use even on his dreams, since the very first day he joined the guard?!

You can feel your thoughts, the serious thoughts about the search, being totally derailed into a train wreck. But you can't stop yourself from…

"By Cadance you mean Princess Cadance, right? Princess," you stress that word in a very specific way, a very particular way, "Mi Amore Cadenza, right…?"

And you see his eyes go wide, as if he had just made a mistake that, on a personal level, he has been trying to avoid for the longest time. His shock only lasts a moment, but you see it.

"I uh… I mean, yes. Her highness, Princess Cadence," he answers quickly, tripping over his words for a fraction of a second before he corrects himself.

And that causes your own eyes, in turn, to go wide, a completely unrelated part of your brain connecting a set of ideas with an audible "click".

You recall your conversation with Cadance, and how the mare was able to completely dance around the subject of who she is interested in. As much as the conversation left her completely flabbergasted, your own assaults and insinuations growing bolder and bolder in their ridiculousness as the time passed and you realized just how approachable she really was.

But in the end, you had failed. You had been more than satisfied that you managed to make the Princess laugh, gossip, and maybe unwind a little, but you didn't manage to discover exactly who she is interested in.

At least... until right now?

"Ohhh…" a smile appears on your face. A wry smile, completely out of place in the serious environs of the search hall.

But you can't bring yourself to care, not during these short few seconds.

"So it's you," you say, giving him a look.

A knowing look, eyeing him up and down like on the first time you and Rarity saw him.

"Of course it would take somepony of her level to get a hold of all this, yes it all makes so much sense now…!" you whisper to yourself, but purposefully on a tone that Shining Armor will be able to hear.

And the stallion understands exactly what you mean, his cheeks lighting up and sweat appearing on his forehead. This all but confirms everything, as it becomes utterly obvious to you that Cadance must have commented about your own chat with her.

"I-I… have no idea what you mean, Lady Velvet and," he clears his throat loudly, taking a deep breath, and continuing to talk with the clear and commanding tone he has probably learned to use as a captain, "and we really should focus on our work, my lady. No time for horseplaying."

You let out a chuckle, still smiling while you stare a pair of holes into his own eyes. But to the captain's credit, his composure breaks down only very slightly.

You give him a knowing nod, all but whispering an "I see…", and you get back to what you were going to talk to him about.

"As I was saying," you do your level best to push those thoughts aside, forcefully bringing your ideas about the search back to the fore. The process takes longer than you hoped it would, and you shake your head slightly to try and dismiss your recent finding.

Not before promising yourself to tell Rarity about it, of course.

But you eventually reach the calm mindset that you know will be needed for all of this.

"Again… as I was saying," you say after a good set of deep breaths, "Princess Celestia. We have been tracking her progress, and we know where she has been. And it is probably a safe bet to assume that the parts she has been through can be considered properly, and thoroughly, searched," you look at Shining Armor, your eyes telling him that you hope he can confirm that.

He takes a quick look around, seeing that nopony else is paying attention to your conversation, and then he nods. Good, so Celestia has probably been keeping Cadance updated about that.

"But the places she has been to are all places we can't send our search parties," Shining says, turning his attention back to the map, "they are all too dangerous for the volunteers, and for good reason."

You nod at that. He is correct, and your own map reflects that. The three interlocked grids reach for almost every last part of the Pony Kingdom, but only almost, even the parts that are farther away, the ones marked to be searched later, are at a first glance places that can be reasonably or safely reached. But the places that the alicorn statue has been to are all out of those areas.

Mountaintops, deep forests, swamps, deserts, all places that Shining Armor's ponies have, unanimously, deemed too dangerous for the search parties be sent to.

"True," you say, "those areas are indeed far too dangerous…"

He raises an eyebrow at that, and you can see that he is already forming the question of what exactly your point might be, then.

"But what if we prepare a search party not comprised of volunteers?"

That freezes his question while it is still inside his throat, but you can see another, more obvious question, being formed instead.

"Before you ask me about the obvious safety concerns," you interrupt his nearly-spoken question again, "and the details about all of it, hear me out first."

[Celestia's finest, breakpoints 50/100/150]

[Roll: 73 + 10 (Stewardship) + 20 (Rarity's efforts) = 103]

It took some work… a lot of it, truth be told.

"Your best mares and stallion, your best gear, everything we can spare and maybe a few things we can't."

"Velvet Covers, there is a reason as to why Princess Celestia is going to those places alone. They are too dangerous!"

And the general efforts of the search did not stop while you were at it, of course. The greater scope of the parties of volunteers still had to be efficiently directed to their destinations, supplies still had to be distributed, emergencies, both big and small, still made their way to you.

"This is a dangerous idea, but it is not a thoughtless one. Look, there are places like those, out of the volunteer's reach, that practically touch their assigned grids. We can have support camps set up there, relief would only be one hour of flying away at most. I'm not suggesting that we send a team to the Dragonlands, I'm suggesting that we send ponies to the dangerous places within the Pony Kingdom. Take a few of those spots out of Celestia's plate before she gets to them, ease her burden even if just a tiny little bit."

"We are talking about mountaintops, Velvet! For the Princesses' sake, it's dangerous swamps! Filled with ruins, and beasts and all sorts of things. Those are the kinds of places that ponies disappear in. One hour of flying can be too long under those circumstances!"

But even while you were doing all of that, you slowly made preparations for your other idea. You had a list of the Royal Guard's best soldiers prepared, you marked the places that were within the Pony Kingdom and were close to the pegasus-specific assigned areas. You did everything in your power to prepare a team.

The search efforts were already on their way, and with the extra volunteers that Rarity was bringing in it would soon be able to walk on its own four legs. Soon enough everypony would be doing their very best, every last cutie mark and skill brought to your disposal would be leveraged on the most efficient way possible.

All of them, of course, except for those of the Royal Guard itself.

And you had no real authority over the Royal Guard, you had no real authority at all on the search efforts, in fact. No, the only way to bring your plan into fruition would be by convincing somepony who had said authority.

"But is that not the duty of the Royal Guard? Would you not die for your Princess?"

Perhaps you were too harsh when you asked him that. For a moment you even thought you had lost him as a friend. But the shock you saw in his eyes, the one you mistook for a recently borne animosity, slowly turned into…

A grim resolve…

Captain Shining Armor thought for a deep, long and silent moment. But in the end, after taking a deep breath, he nodded, saying then and there that he would lead the Royal Guard search party himself.

And you could see the reasoning in that. His cutie mark, his very name, Shining Armor as well as every last pony in the guard, royal or regular, had been borne with the innate desire to protect others. You just had to… remind him, remind them, of what that could really mean. But by the mark on their flanks, once they realized that you knew that they would not back down from their duties.

That certainty, that understanding of what one is supposed to do in their lives, is truly the gift, and the curse, of the cutie marks.

Shining Armor only came back after you… had a short note hurriedly rushed towards Cadance, by one of the guards she had accompanying you. You hoped you had not overstepped your boundaries with the Princess. But when you saw the captain return only a few hours later, with his still grim expression marred with a tinge of defeat and the clear signs of a prolonged and nasty argument, you knew she had agreed with you and taken the proper course of action.

The two of you… or rather, the three of you, knew that this idea was dangerous, but it seems Cadance agreed with you when it came to that last selfish detail about how it was supposed to go.

But right now…? Now there is nothing left to do. It is the night of the fifth day, and it has been more than forty eight hours since the Royal Guard search party, comprised by twenty four ponies hoofpicked by Shining Armor himself, left for the San Palomino desert.

A support team would be stationed on Los Pegasus around the clock, ready to head out into the blistering desert at a moment's notice should the search team call for help through any of the safeguards that had been prepared, magical or otherwise.

But still, no desert is a safe place, even less so when a pony is expected to search through every last underground cavern, to comb every last stretch of sand-filled land.

Still, this is the last stretch of effort you can possibly add to this whole search. You have improved the search efforts as much as you could, and the rest of the staff, now mostly composed of civilians and volunteers, is ready to continue the work come next week.

Progress has been made. You have no idea how it will turn out, but you are sure that everypony will be able to hold their heads high and say they did their very best.

You recall Princess Luna's sleeping figure, in her own dreams, and you hope that it will be enough.

Still, you take one last look around you, watching everypony do their part, and you allow yourself a nod of satisfaction. Shining Armor, too, has recuperated himself from his sour mood, and is pouring over the Royal Guard's report, personally supervising their efforts as they comb the deadly desert.

You could stay here for a while longer, but you are also acquaintanced with the sweet trap of overworking. You know that there will be always more work left to do, so you know when you are supposed to simply stop and leave.

Granted, you can overwork yourself just fine when you have the time. You almost didn't sleep during your first days here, after all. But that was at the beginning of it, when you still had endless hours ahead of you, and a mountain of work to get through.

But right now? Seeing the search effort progress like a moderately well oiled machine? You don't mean to pat your own back, but you do believe that you would need another two weeks to make this place any more efficient, and even then you would probably not meet with much success.

And you don't have two weeks anymore, and neither will checking the lists of a final supply run make any difference in the search so… well, there is nothing left for you to do here.

You idly look at the central map one last time and-

And you see the alicorn statue blink in a short burst of teleportation magic.

Only for it to land on the San Palomino desert, nearly tipping over the flag symbolizing the Royal Guard search party.

"Shining… Shining Armor, come here," you call for the stallion, not taking your eyes out of the map.

He is by your side moments later, and you can hear him mutter something when he notices the same thing.

"That is… unexpected. I will have word sent to them, although there is an enormous chance that we will hear from them first or th-"

The captain freezes, however, when the alicorn statue starts to glow again. The eyes of both of you, in fact, go wide open when you see that the statue is not preparing for another teleportation.

No, this time it starts to float, spinning faster and faster as it does, moving towards another part of the map.

And moments later it is floating right on top of Canterlot, the statue spinning like a wheel and shining with enough strength to look like a miniature sun.

You don't even have time to express your surprise before the statue disappears into a burst of light, the boom of pressurized air echoing through the room as a large sphere of pure magic materializes in the air.

You are bowing before you even realize it. Every last pony in the room is.

Princess Celestia is now floating over the table, her form gently falling down towards it until you hear the click of her horseshoes landing against its map covered surface.

You are breathless.

Never before, in your whole life, have you felt anything like this. Not while awake, at least, not while in a place like this.

Not in the Wake.

And you have not even looked up yet. You have not even confirmed with your own eyes that it really is the Princess, you just know. Her very presence feels like it applies a physical pressure on the very air. You can almost tell where she is looking at because it almost feels like heat is coming out from her eyes.

And you know that if you do look up you will see it all there. Presence, and power, and wisdom, and might, and all the other things that have guided ponykind for as long as history remembers.

The thing before you is old, you know. You have seen older things, and she is not as old as those, but you can feel that same weight and kinship about her.

"Everypony," you hear her say, her voice clear and calm, "leave us."

She clicks a hoof against the table for emphasis. The movement is unnecessary, you know, but it gets the point across regardless. Everypony, you included, is hurriedly standing up to make for the nearest exit.

"Not the two of you, Shining, Velvet," she adds.

You freeze on the spot, your mind stuck on the imperative that you are not supposed to leave, although you have no idea why, at the same time as your more rational side is wondering why in the heavens she could have possibly singled you out like that. You can understand her calling for Shining Armor of course, but you?

And more importantly, how in the heavens does she even know your name to begin with?

The door is shut close by the last pony leaving, before you turn to face the Princess.

And what you see is…

Well, you can safely say that now you understand what everypony means when they speak about the Princess of the Sun.

She is tall, taller than a pony will ever be, and then twice that. A single wing of hers is as large as a single pegasus' total wingspan, and you have the faint impression that her horn might be as long as you are tall.

But that is not all. The aura she has around her, that pressure that she seems to emit, seems almost like a physical thing when you look directly at her. Her mane gently floating on an invisible breeze, gleaming with the colors of an aurora borealis, her eyes steady and strong, absolutely sure of what must be done.

And those eyes, right now, are looking at Shining Armor. You are not sure how the captain is being able to meet her gaze so calmly.

"Hello, Shining Armor," the demigoddess speaks, her tone surprisingly… normal.

"My Princess," he answers back, with another short bow.

To which the Princess, that awesome avatar of power and order, answers with a… with a simple sigh.

A long, drawn out sigh, as if she is trying to completely empty her lungs of air, as if she is trying to empty her entire body until she becomes smaller, like a balloon might lose its volume as it is drained of air.

And as her sigh goes on and on you… a part of you swears that she is doing just that.

Princes Celestia is not becoming any smaller, or less powerful, or less tall, but she is definitely… you can't describe it in any other way apart from that she is "diminishing" herself.

Her awesome aura is disappearing like a setting sun, her gleaming coat is becoming utterly regular, perhaps even with a few dirty spots here and there that would have seemed unthinkable a few seconds ago.

Her eyes are… there are so many bags under her eyes, and she looks so very tired now.

And much like they were looking at Shining Armor, those eyes are now staring at you.

But you don't feel intimidated anymore. Quite on the contrary, you feel…

"Hello, Velvet Covers. I don't believe we have met before."

You feel sorry, for her.

"My Princess," you answer, bowing shortly as Shining Armor just did.

Her eyes then go to the table, and the map underneath her hoofs. She gives a single gracious flap of her wings, enough for her to jump to the ground without sound, but for some reason not disturbing a single piece of paper on the table itself.

You can see her looking at the work of the search efforts, and for all her tiredness you know that she is taking all of it in during those short few seconds.

"Cadance has been keeping me up to date about a few things," she says slowly, meaningfully, "but I honestly didn't expect to find our ponies out in such a dangerous place… Truly, your efforts here have been commendable."

She turns back to the two of you, and you know that she has completely processed the entirety of the search efforts in those few moments. You see it in her eyes, the satisfied expression of a teacher, the subtle look of a pony who is about to nod with approval.

"It was all thanks to Lady Covers, my Princess," Shining Armor says, much to your own chagrin, for some reason, "we wouldn't be doing nearly as well if it wasn't for her. In fact, although I am happy that you have come, I am a little grateful you have not visited us two weeks ago," he says with a small smile.

You think you hear the Princess chuckle slightly at that.

But not even that bit of good humor from her can take away your focus of just how utterly... how incredibly tired Celestia looks.

Ever since she did… whatever she did, that allowed you to see her normally, you have not taken your eyes away from her.

How can Shining Armor be treating her so normally? You can see evidence of how unwell she is everywhere you look. You see how skinny she is, probably from not eating properly during her searches, if she is even eating at all. You see the telltale signs of magical overuse, those slightly discolored veins spreading from the base of her horn.

Also her eyes… something inside of you whispers that she has not slept at all, ever since this whole ordeal started. That she can't bring herself to sleep because she dreads the thought that she will dream and not feel the presence of her sister, and that it would be too much for her to bear.

And as she faces you, you see it. You see that final piece of self-imposed cruelty, that final evidence that all your worries are well founded. Princess Celestia is looking back at you, and you know that she knows about her own state. You know that she is old enough to have that level of self-knowledge.

However, she continues to do this. Willingly. All of this, not just the searches. All of it.

She chooses to continue ruling ponykind, she chooses to keep raising the sun and moon, and to care for the mortal affairs of ponies. She chooses to carry the weight of the whole world on her back.

In fact, this whole search, her own efforts in it, might be the only bit of selfishness that she has allowed herself in centuries. The one defiance she has made against her own rules, because they involve the one pony she would be willing to break them for.

But that is simply not fair, and you know it. Perhaps in all of Equestria you are the only pony who knows it, bar the Princess herself. You know that she was borne into this world, you remember the bits of knowledge from Princess Luna's dream. You know that, alicorn or not, she is a pony the same way you or Shining Armor are, you know that this can't be easy or pleasant for her.

You know that, awesome mind or not, perfect body or not, age of wisdom or not, she still has feelings.

And no matter who you are, what she is going through is just too much.

"Well then," she says, her voice calm and nurturing despite the obvious dryness of her throat, her expression calm and collected despite the obvious exhaustion in it, "it seems that you have done me a great favor then, Velvet Covers. And I know that it must have been especially hard for you to do this, considering the current complications that Canterlot is living through."

You almost feel like interrupting her, you almost feel like shouting at her. How can she be so calm in a situation like this? How can she even care, about talking to you, or Shining, or to anypony else?! The more time you spend looking at her, the more it becomes glaringly obvious to you.

She needs to rest, and to eat, and to talk with a friend, and maybe she even needs to cry. And above all else, she needs her sister back. How in the heavens can she stand to be here, having a pleasant conversation with you, when you can't even stand to look at her after knowing what she is going through?!

But then...

But then you remember how the world looked like, through Princess Luna's eyes. The world itself looked like the same, of course, but you remember the rush she felt when she raised the moon, the emotions that rushed through her when she looked down on Equestria and saw everything she had to protect. Everything she needed to protect, that she was borne to protect.

And you realize that Princess Celestia must have felt that same thing, every day of her life, for the last thousand years. It must have been a beacon of motivation, right next to the aching wound that her sister's absence must have felt like, but…

You let out an internal, defeated sigh. This is not your place to chime in. She is too old, and too powerful, and has made a pact with something that was even older and even more powerful. You are a foal before her, and as much as you might want to help her, or want to see her be helped, you also know that this is not the time or place for that. That it is not your place to do it, either.

This, you realize, is why everypony thinks of her as a demigoddess. And this, you also realize, must be the weight that her cutie mark must have. The weight caused by having a life long calling to nurture and guide, when you are an immortal being capable of moving the very heavens. Asking her not to do this, all of this... asking her not to nurture and guide Equestria, would be the same as asking Cadance not to love, or as asking Rarity not to create.

"I cannot remain long, unfortunately," she continues, ignorant, or choosing to ignore, your plight. Ignorant, or choosing to ignore, her own plight, "I will keep the progress of the search efforts in mind, and move accordingly. However…"

She takes a step towards you.

"Velvet Covers, I can see that you have been very kind to me. Is there any way I may repay your kindness?"

[Voting options will be available at the end of the update]

[Velvet Covers has thrice overperformed during the search for Princess Luna, and has realized that she has a knack for the administration of large projects. Well, even more so than she already knew after years of administering her family's Estate. Gains the trait "Queen" "Mare Administrator: +2 Stewardship, +10 when organizing the projects that span large areas, or that involves the effort of several other ponies".]

And after that, the Princess of the Sun is gone, the same marble statue taking her place as she disappears into thin air, moving towards another dangerous and faraway place of Equestria.

Leaving you unsure about what you should even think about her… Princess Cadance seems normal and approachable, an affable mare that by some means ascended into alicornhood. Princess Luna, as well, felt understandable, although you realize that she was young during her dreams. That she is young even now, having lost so much time of her life.

But Princess Celestia? She might be the only pony who has actually lived all those centuries, with a mind capable of keeping track of it, and with a body and intellect capable of thriving and growing during that whole time.

Which makes you wonder how utterly lonely that must have felt like, watching everypony around her grow old and die, foals that would meet the same fate taking their place. Knowing that the only pony who would ever be able to keep her company was locked away in the moon, by her own hoofs…

You feel very sorry for Princess Celestia, and much like you hoped for Princess Luna when you saw her sleeping in her dreams, you hope that Princess Celestia, too…

You have no words for it, in the end.

For all the hate your Master seems to feel for her, you can't help but to truly wish her well.

You wake up in the middle of the night, drawing a deep gasping breath as if you had been choking seconds earlier.

The room is completely dark, which makes you promptly close your eyes. Your heaving has not woken up Rarity, you see, but you also notice that…

That there is something utterly wrong with this place, not wrong in an intimidating or dreadful way, but still wrong nonetheless. You see it in a thousand small details, the half-opened cabinet that you swear you had left closed, the slightly different way your luggage is piled at the corner of your room.

You are out of your bed, and out through the door, moments later.

There are no guards standing outside the door either.

You walk through the corridors of the castle, feeling that there is something wrong with the whole place. You can't rightly place a hoof on what it is, though.

At least until you reach the doors that lead to the dining hall, the one where Princess Luna's search is being orchestrated from. And that is because you see another door, on the corridor by your side, slightly opened.

That door, you are sure, does not exist. Not in the castle you know, not in the corridor that you have passed through every day for the last two weeks.

You go through the door.

It is a small storage room, another one that had been repurposed for the search efforts. Something that must have been a pantry months ago, repurposed to storage book cabinets, and tables, and utensils for the search staff that had been or might be useful.

And on one of the tables, the one on the farthest corner of the room, you see an open map.

And a pen, a writing pen made from a bird's feather, laid on top of the map.

A chill runs down your spine.

You remember. Weeks ago, on the makeshift circle kept under Windy Flake's shop, you have performed a ritual. A small ritual, that could attract the attention of certain laws and powers.

The laws you wished to attract were those of the world itself, of the many paths that the world might take, and of the many secrets and histories that may or may not have happened.

And the price of that ritual was that you had to lose something yourself, a small offering to be forgotten by you, so that the world might, in return, allow you to remember something that it had forgotten.

The thing you chose to lose was a feathered pen, which you had buried on the center of the ritual circle. Which you had buried in a way that, no matter how much you dug for it, you knew you would never find it again.

And by all the stars in the sky, you swear to the heavens that the same pen you buried is now right in front of you, over that map.

You walk towards the map. You thought your steps would be slow, that your gait would be fearful, for surely something very strange is going on. But no, you walk with purpose and calm, because you know…

You know that this is how the world works, you know that this is merely a reaction for an action, a result of a law.

It really doesn't take any effort at all.

You look upon the map, and you find it almost immediately.

It is right there, it was right there all this time, in plain sight. So obvious in its location, so glaring in its signs.

This is so easy, in fact, that you don't even know what to do next, you don't know who to thank, or how to act. You have no idea of how you are supposed to honor these powers that look upon you, and close this circle that you find yourself in.

Except for one way. One incredibly obvious way.

A part of you thinks that this idea is delusional, that it will only present a risk. A part of you thinks that, although astronomically small, what you are about to do might just be enough of a hint that it may be found by somepony, and that said pony may have all your efforts and secrecy ruined if they realize what your action means.

But another part of you, a smaller yet resolute part of you, knows that such worries are not true. You know that this is how things are supposed to be, you know that these circles can only be closed in one way.

Circumstances like these may only ever be closed… with a paradox.

You take the pen in your hoofs, seeing that there is a trace of ink on its tip, and you draw a circle on the map. You draw a circle around that spot, where the river meets two hills, so small that they were almost not drawn into the map. You pen down in ink, for all to see, the location where Princess Luna is hidden, the place that many ponies would pay fortunes to find, the place that a demigoddess would do anything to discover.

You circle it, and leave it there, in that forgotten side-room filled with old maps.

Because you know that the only pony who will ever find that circle is yourself, in another History.

You know that the paradoxical question, of whether if that circle was drawn before or after Princess Luna was found, will never be answered by anypony in this History.

And you know that leaving behind such a question, such an unanswerable riddle, is enough payment for whatever powers brought you here in the first place.

You go back to your room, back to your bed, and you know that you will wake up where you are supposed to wake come next morning.

And you gently go to sleep, hoping that another Velvet Covers has left your bed warm for your return.

[Search bonuses: +15 (Learning, SH doubled) +20 (SECRET HISTORIES, doubled) + 15 (The First Search, third threshold) + 25 (The Second Search, fifth threshold) + 20 (The Third Search, second threshold) = 95]

[Your accumulated bonuses were enough to guarantee success, and that has attracted the attention of certai-]

You have located the place where Princess Luna is, and will be able to set out on a Expedition to reach it.

But… how did you do it? What exactly happened?

[] You have "skipped" into another place, one where you had already discovered where she was, and you merely followed your own breadcrumbs, and such passages are providence of a specific Lore. Gain 1 scrap of KNOCKLore.

[] You became a linchpin, around which every possible answer rotated. Not the map, not the world, not even Luna herself knew where she was… until you circled it with your feathered pen. Gain 1 scrap of SECRET HISTORIESLore.

And what might you ask of Princess Celestia?

[] Nothing, you being here is not even kindness, it is the right thing to do. (This will cause you to get into Princess Celestia's notice).

[] Nothing, I am but a scion of my family, it is them who you should look favorably towards. (Princess Celestia will favor the Velvet family. Give the fruits of the entirety of your efforts to your father, and win great favor from him… you hope.]

[] I would ask for a boon. (WRITE IN, ask Princess Celestia for a boon)