The sun rose across Equestria.
This, rather simple act, has been described by many poets and writers throughout the ages since the very first pony ever looked up into the sky and saw the sun in all it's beauty. It slipped it's way along the hills and through valleys, across deserts and over mountains, nothing stopping the endless march of liquid gold. This was a silent affair, few already awake enough to comment upon the rising light.
Yawning sleepily Princess Celestia stared out from her balcony to observe her work and the kingdom before her. Her white coat shone out, gleaming immaculately in the sunlight whilst her ever changing coloured hair flowed gently beside her. She spied the distant and grand city of Manehatten, it's huge and sprawling structure rising out from the land as it's sleepy inhabitants prepared for work. she spotted the majestic floating city of Cloudsdale, the clouds it was compromised of given a golden glow by her sun. Yet, despite their appeal, her attention was drawn to the small hamlet of Ponyville nestled safely in the hills bringing an involuntary smile to the princess's face as she thought of the small villages inhabitants.
Her attention turned towards the waking city of Canterlot as ponies began waking up to the humdrum of normal life. Market stalls and shops opening for business for the day a few ponies already beginning to head out into the market as the princess watched on her smile growing as she observed the city itself waking up.
She noticed the nearby construction teams patching and repairing the damage done to the city by the recent changeling invasion, small craters in the road requiring filling and cracked walls in need of repair pleased that the city was recovering so quickly and well from the shock attack.
A knocking at her door broke the silence and alerted the princess to a guard's presence beyond her bedroom.
"Come in" she called, bidding entry to the pony, a warm smile still set upon her face as she observed the golden clad guard enter.
"Pardon me your highness but our... guest is awake" the pony relayed, tripping slightly in his speech as he searched for the correct term to use for the newest occupant in the castle.
"Ah, yes, thank you" She replied her previous good mood slipping slightly as she gestured for the guard to lead on, following him as he took her towards the Canterlot dungeons.
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The aforementioned dungeons were infamously known to be the worst and most terrible dungeons ever to be created throughout all the land of Equestria and beyond.
Although this misleading description often shocks tourists and makes a good story, a more accurate description of the Canterlot dungeons would be that they are the worst possible dungeons, due to the fact that any real dungeon would actually be made to torture and forcefully contain a pony within it's cell.
Whilst the dungeons are capable of containing a pony, they are more easily compared to luxury suites with locks on the door from the outside; each containing plush and comfortable furniture with a fully functioning kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. So when the only and most recent addition to the dungeons was awoken and was told by a nearby guard that they were in prison the laughter echoed down the hallways of Canterlot castle, down one of which one of the co-rulers of said castle was currently making her way towards the source of the noise, her guide hurrying behind her.
Queen Chrysalis finally managed to reign in her laughter as she stared , grinning, into the unamused face of Princess Celestia.
"Oh, wow." The cell occupant commented. "If this is how you treat prisoners I might just move in!" shining green eyes flashing in amusement as she regarded the princess across the room from her.
"I thought we agreed that you would have your forces retreat." the alicorn replied, straight to the point, glaring back at the reclined changeling, lounging across a set of pillows next to a wooden table her black armour-like exoskeleton gleaming smoothly like frozen ink against the sun streaming through the windows.
The two rulers had been in converse with each other since the changeling attack upon Canterlot two weeks ago with Celestia ensuring the safety of the city and Chrysalis ensuring all of the captured or lost changelings were returned home. The agreement had been working thus far and had gone smoothly with each ruler being co-operative with one another. However, Celestia had begun to doubt Chrysalis' word and requested her presence the night before to re-discuss the terms of the agreement.
The changeling queen bristled at the response, her long fangs bared slightly, shining pure white it the brightly lit room.
"Are you accusing me of lying?" She spat venomously any form of civility between the two rulers shattering.
"It would certainly explain the reports that I and my sister have been receiving regarding appearances of changelings!" Celestia shot back , her own ire rising as the other ruler became aggressive.
"Ha! your 'reports' are nothing but paranoid little ponies scared that the big, bad changelings will come and get them!" The queen scoffed, dismissing Celestia's accusation.
"Then explain this!" Celestia argued and produced a photo which she passed via telepathy before having it snatched by the opposing ruler.
The photograph clearly showed a changeling shadowed in an alleyway of Canterlot, it's blue glowing eyes aimed straight at the photographer, almost seeming to glare at the rulers themselves from the picture.
"Well...?" Celestia questioned after a pause, carefully observing the changelings reaction as the queen studied the picture before drawing back slightly, emerald eyes widening slightly.
"this is...not one of my own" Chrysalis stated slowly, "this one is from another land."
"What do you mean?"
Chrysalis nervously tapped her hoof against the side of a nearby table, making a dull thud each time her hard exoskeleton came into contact with the wood. Her suddenly worried eyes regarding the picture in front of her as Celestia anxiously awaited her response.
"I mean that we may be in trouble."
