Royal Beginnings

“Your room is on the left side of the hall, Princess Luna’s room is down and to the right. She is in a spare wing for now pending a remodelling to better suit her tastes.” Raven’s voice was rich and deep, echoing off the walls. Apple licked her lips, the taste of magic was getting stronger. “Princess Celestia’s wing is down that hall, up three levels and to the right.” Raven continued. “It is, of course, off limits. The kitchen can be accessed down that staircase and just follow the signs, should Her Highness require anything you may also use the pulley syst-”

“Why is this wing so heavily warded?” Apple stopped in the hallway, the celestial guard tailing them almost knocking into her. “You must have eight-nine, maybe even ten high level wards here.” She pushed past Raven towards the hall leading to Luna’s room, her tongue flicking out and tasting the sugary, marshmallow syrup flavour in the air. “Several of these are alicorn level defensive wards.” She turned to Raven, who was watching her impassively. “Why are you warding Luna’s wing?”

“Princess Luna has only shed the yoke of Nightmare Moon less than twenty four hours ago.” Raven sniffed. “Princess Celestia felt it prudent to take precautions in the slightest case she should awaken and not know where she is. The protection of our citizens is of the highest importance.” Raven’s haughty gaze turned curious. “How did you know there are wards here? They are only detectable by unicorns.”

Apple snorted. “If ponies can't taste magic this thick, they are idiots.” She knew Celestia wasn't warding the wing to protect the citizens from a confused alicorn, these wards were too heavy for that. These wards were to buy them time should Luna waken as Nightmare Moon again. Of course she would frame it not as suspicion of her sister but as a kind gesture to protect her. Celestia hadnt changed, for all her pretty words. Not on Apple’s watch. Luna would not awaken to being treated like a danger in the palace Celestia had built without her.

“Stand back.” Apple barked at Raven and the stupid celestial guard, who reluctantly gave her about half a hoofstep of room.

Apple closed her eyes, her ear tufts twitching. Licking her lips, she began to taste the air again, more deliberate this time. Leathery wings stretched out from her sides, the skin shifting as she felt for the magical currents in the air. So many, and so thick. She wouldn't be able to break all of them, not the ones woven by Celestia, but whatever hack unicorn wove the other ones clearly wasn't expecting a thestral Mage to have at them. Drawing in a deep breath, Apple Harvest felt for the residual lunar magic that remained after Luna’s return, the feeling of cold, silvery power that now thrummed through her veins. All thestrals had magic, but not all could harness the magic into a spellcast. Slipping into Thestrus, she drew a sigil in the air with a wing tip, hissing the words of power. The magical lights in the corridor dimmed, flickering before going out completely, leaving them in a soft afternoon glow through the windows. Apple released her breath in a screech so high that it was silent to the ponies watching. It rippled out from her, disintegrating the first seven wards protecting the castle from Luna. No doubt an alarm had just sounded in Celestia’s room alerting her to the removal. The guard behind her had unsheathed his sword which was now pointing directly at Apple’s neck, Raven cowering behind him.

“You would strike me down, guard?” Apple turned to face him, her green eyes luminous in the darkened corridor. He blanched, but did not lower his sword.

A purple unicorn appeared in a flash of light, her horn primed with magic and mane slightly singed. This must be the one that set the wards, she would have hidden a teleport trigger in amongst the wards to be able to get here so quickly, and judging by her mane she was not used to teleports. Apple sat down on her haunches feigning nonchalance, inspecting her hoof.

“Where is she? Where is Nightmare Moon?” The Mage whipped her head around, taking in for the first time the guard holding Apple at sword point. “Who are you? What are you?”

The unicorn had a six pointed star on her flank, a cutie mark of magic. How rare, Apple thought. She opened her mouth to speak, only to be cut off by another flash of light. This one gleaming gold, a deliberate teleport. Celestia had arrived. She glanced cooly around at all of them before the purple unicorn ran to her side.

“Princess Celestia! My wards have been removed, there's an intruder!”
Celestia smiled warmly at her unicorn mage, before turning to Apple, her face significantly less warm.

“I see you have decided to alter my protege's spells. Those were designed to protect Luna should she wake up confused.”

Apple wasn't impressed, or fooled. “Dont lie to me, Celestia. You and I both know those wards weren't for Luna’s protection.” She flicked her mane out of her eyes to see the purple unicorn looking at her in confusion. “And your protege’s wards need serious work. I could taste them walking through the front door.”

“Taste them?” The mage was clearly confused, and annoyed at the insult.

Celestia sighed. “Twilight Sparkle, I would like to introduce you to Apple Harvest, a thestral who I have hired to be Princess Luna’s aide during her transition back into Equestrian society. Apple Harvest, this is Twilight Sparkle, my personal student, protege and the bearer of the element of Magic.”

Now that was interesting, an element bearer. Apple got up, ignoring the sword pointing at her and walked over the Twilight.

“What did you mean, taste them?” Twilight backed up against Celestia to avoid Apple’s inquisitive sniffing. Though, Apple mused, She also must smell a bit ripe. She barely had time to clean on the flight from Hollow Shades, and knew she was still covered in dust from the travels.

Apple Harvest grinned, showing off her fangs. “Most creatures can taste magic, but aren't aware of it. Thestrals are especially good at it.”

Twilight’s eyes were glued to her fangs, and she was shaking with fear.

“Please refrain from frightening my student, Apple Harvest.” Celestia admonished, her ever patient smile wearing thin. Apple stepped back, this time glaring up at Celestia.

“Please refrain from casting spells designed to contain and drain my Princess of magic, Celestia. I may not be able to break your wards, but Luna can. Is this how you mean to start rebuilding her into society? With mistrust and traps?”

Celestia wasn't moved. “I need to protect my ponies, Luna would understand.”

“I don't believe so, Celestia.” Apple stepped back, flicking her tail. “She's been trapped on the moon for well over a thousand years. You are not tied to her, you did not feel her grief when the elements stripped her of the Nightmare. You asked me to be her aide, I’m asking you to be her sister.”

Celestia sighed. “Perhaps you are right.” She looked down at Apple. “Luna is greatly weakened by the elements, but she is far from powerless. I will diminish the wards, leaving only the ones that will alert me to her waking.”

“You may want to check the spell parameters, as Luna has been awake and listening this entire time.” Apple revelled in the look of shock on Celestia's face for a brief moment before fleeing down the hall to Luna’s room, wading through the thick wards.