The Sun Also Rises. Again.
Summer dew went through the castle doing her duty. In this case, that was cleaning the various windows of the castle, which was a rather important job, or so she liked to think. The many rooms, the curtains, the windows...
After all, the palace had a LOT of dust and dirt.
She was a unicorn mare of a nearly day-glow orange coloure coat, particularly close to the height of summer (her appropriately faviurite time of the year). Her mane and tail were similarly fluid in colour. At various times of the year, it would change colour. Sometimes a deep cherry red; others a vibrant magenta. During winter, her hair tended more toward the blues, but still with some of the reds in it. But everypony just passed it off as a quirk of hers.
Her cutie mark was of a shining sun, a bit over a horizon, juuuust below a mountain's summit. all of that covered in what seemed like a drop of water.
Today she felt was an especially good day to be in a good mood, for some reason. Like something ausoicious was about too happen. She just couldn't, for the life of her, put her hoof on what it was
Suddenly, one of her co-workers, Lemon Fresh, came up, seeming to be worried or sad about something. She interrupted Summer's reverie. "UIm... Summer? Something's come up and I need you to do the thing. You know."
"You mean the Princess's room needs dusting AGAIN?" Summer replied.
"Yeah. Something's come up and I can't do it. I know this is my week, but this is urgent for me." Lemon pleaded. "I'll do the windows later in your place, just... please?"
Resisting the urge to roll her eyes at her friend, she nodded. "Alright. Good luck with whatever you'ree going to do," It wasn't her place to pry, so she kept quiet as Lemon hugged her briefly. "It's no problem. You know, for a room with no Princess, it's kind of odd that that room pick up so much dust isn't it? Almost monthly."
All of that decided, Summer went to the large room that once held the Princess of the Sun. Nopony knew what had happened, really, but she went missing from the world, somehow. When her remains -such as they were- had been found, all there was: a burnt crown, regalia and a few feathers. In front of them, there was a mesage saying "The Sun Will Rise Again", with a seal in the low center of a stylized sun, much like the missing Princess'.
Tjhat was over 20 years ago. Since then, Princess Twilight had taken over the movement of the sun. So Celestia's old room only held her things. It was kept just as it was when she'd left, out of respect. Since then, even so many years later, Princess Twilight wept every night and, though she tried her damnedest to hide it, she was rather despondent without her old mentor/friend.
Her bed was till made up in the way she preferred (aside from the dust), her mirrors and her desk were just the way she liked it (but with more dust)...
You get the idea.
As summer brushed at the various things in the room, when she looked toward the jewelry case on Her dresser. Suddenly, the door unlocked and an ornate piece of jewelry floated out, seemingly of its own accord; A pendant of sortts that looked like Princess Celestia's peytral, the one that she typically wore, but much smaller. A voice entered Summer's mind.
Take it. Claim the destiny which is rightfully yours. The sun must rise once more.
Summer knew that sudden voices in one's head is not a good sign. Nevertheless, she couldn't resist taking it. It was as dusty as everything else, so she cleaned it off before considering the piece. As it was now, it would only be a necklace. It wouldn't be too hard to put it on. Giving it a scan as well, she could tell that it was magical. Blessed, even, as was apropos for the previous bearer. But there were no curses on it, no dark magic, none of the dark stuff.
The amethyst jewel in the center glowed softly.
Put it on, Summer Dew. The sun must rise. A new dawn for all.
What would be the harm in it? Just for a moment, then she'd put it right back. Nopony would notice or ever know about it.
She slipped it over her head. A perfect fit, like it had been made for her.
Unbeknownst to her, her mane and tail started to lengthen. Her sides to itch. But she was too focused in weeing what she looked like. Why, she'd look a bit like the Princess herself if she'd gone on vacation for a month. If she were shorter. And had no wings. and maybe ate 20 oranges every day.
With the necklace on, she felt powerful, yet graceful.
To wit, she instinctively went toward the center of the room. Taking on a two-legged stance, she began to dance, going around in a circle, counter clockwise, like the sun rising in the east and settling over the west, at length. She skipped, hopped and twirled, delighted that with the pendant on, she seemed to be a dance expert. She probably could have sung, but she preferred dancing to the sourceless music that was rising in the background.
Speaking of the pendant, it started to grow somewhat. It started to cover her chest, becoming more like the late Princess's signature item, actually.
The signature golden hoofshoes silently floated from the large display ase as well. So focused was she ib her dance that she didn't nitice the sudden lengtheningg of her horn and the shoes sliding themselves on her own hooves; another perfect fit Her legs began to lengthen slowly.
Yhough the Princesses were rather leggy by default, but not nearly as lanky in that regard as others thought. If she weren't so focused on her dance, she would have noticed that her body started to fill out, almost balloon-like, but on a lesser scake. She might also have noticed that the drop of water in her Cutie Mark was letting off steam, shrinking more and more.
Memories flitted across her mind as her muzzle lengthened somewhat. She couldvaguely remember times past, of Ponies cheering, of the Sun's warm embrace every morning... Her mane, long and flowing now, began to develop streaks of a few colours. Orange, yellow...
She jumped again, coming down twirling. From her sides, two wings nearly exploded, slicing through wounds which sealed themselves before any blood could be lost. The last of the water was nearly gone from her Cutie mark, the stylized sun on her flanks going over the mountain. Her mane continued to change, the heat in the room also rising. Green, blue...
The once-pendant was now completely over her chest portion, just like Celestia's did. Now she would be a decent couple of meters tall, on all fours. If she'd stand still for a moment..
She leapt again as her mane took on its prismatic form, but more in a twin-tailed style; Indigo, violet! The water in the Mark was now completely dissolved, the sun nearly fully above the mountain. She leapt into the air once more, curling up as a coruscating sphere of energy surrounding her, coloured like the sun itself, as the same rose high in the sky outside, just as Princess Twilight was about to move it herself.
The windows in thee room shattered (along with a lot of the more glassy objects in the room) as the sphere she was in exploded with a thundrous crack, revealing the full-sized Celestial Princess, but with an orange fuzzy coat, in a vertical spread eagle pose. She came down in a long twirl, landing gracefully in a bow, to applause from multiple sources.
She looked up. At the doorway there was a groupof mares, some maids and both Princesses. The reactions varied, from amused enthusiasm from some of the maids, shock from the others, and a tearful joy from Princess Luna.
Princess Twilight's expression was more of awe. She approached the orange, rainbow maned mare, now a full nearly 2.5 meters where she'd once been about a third of that. "Celestia?"
The newly formed Princess examined herself. "... Yes. Similar, but a little bit different. Good morning, everypony. Did I miss anything?"
"But.... how?!"
"I think... Yes, there was an enchantment upon some of my regalia; a world-changing magic, you might say. While the sun does set, it eventually rises again. Come what may, "the dawn" comes once more, as do I. When the right mare is found, Destiny guides her to take up the mantle, memories and moniker. I may live long like many a typical Pony and i can be slain, with some difficulty... But a new day will dawn. Call me Celeste, for now."
Luna declinmed to comment, but instead tearfully tackle-hugged her reborn sister. Some of the maids dod so as well. Twilight looked on, questioningly. Celestia extended one foreleg. The last Princess joined the hug.
The lunar Princess said, "We missed you. You've been gone so long. Our little Ponies will want to know of this; of your return."
Looking toward the morning sun, Celestia- Celeste, said, "I've never left. I have been and will always be watching from above."