Time Makes Foals of Us All

“Yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is today's dream.” – Kahlil Gibran

~~~

Timeline 0, Hearth's Warming Day, just after the machine is activated

"Sister! Sister!"

Luna approached the balcony of the highest tower of Canterlot Castle in haste. Normally when the younger Princess was this excited she would simply teleport directly to her sisters chambers. Her meteor shower had ended, but the aurora would continue for a few more hours. The dark alicorn was mentally drained from her magical exertions, yet physically she felt invigorated, her wings were as strong as ever.

Luna had extended the flight from the observatory tower through the sky surrounding Canterlot. She had flown like the wind, snowflakes passing her fast enough to blur together through her flight goggles. Her sister may have been much more magically adept but she was always the better flier. She felt a thousand years younger.

She alighted on the snow powdered balcony and opened the doors into her sisters chambers. The enchantments to block intrusion were keyed to allow Luna in without resistance. The spell was crafted by the eldest practical spellscribe ever, Princess Celestia herself.

"Sister, did you see them? Our little ponies were dancing in the streets, just a few moments ago! Singing songs of joy and—"

Luna was looking into an empty room. The bed was empty, the covers still pristine. The fireplace held the same ever-burning logs, casting shadows along the numerous artifacts of Equestria's past, as it always did. Celestia was never far from fire, a security blanket and night light for the goddess of the dawn.

Luna closed the balcony doors to keep out the bite of winter, she walked into the center of the room and peered into the powder room where her sister would prepare for bed.

"Sister? Are you in here?"

The door swung open to reveal the warm glow of the vanity mirror that covered the wall opposing the doorway. The unique set of golden horseshoes were resting on their polishing rag for the morning maids. The heavy golden tiara and peytral adorned with their star amethysts rested on the alabaster bust of her sister. Their beauty seemed diminished on the immaculate white marble recreation of her sisters visage and slender neck. Without the magenta eyes to match them they seemed like any other beautiful thing on display, lacking life.

The indigo alicorns gaze was drawn to the sink and the darkly smudged cotton swatches resting next to the vanity chest. Celestia may be immortal and the paragon of mature beauty, but a little eye liner never hurt a mare. Celestia must have just finished removing her makeup and royal adornments. She should have been in bed, preparing to catch what few hours of rest a goddess could before rising to make the dawn.

Luna returned to the main chamber and magically thrust the 5 meter tall, intricately hand carved, gold inlaid and exceptionally old doors aside with enough force to knock over a barn. The two guards standing outside – stewing in their misfortune of having to guard a door on Hearth's Warming Eve – had their drowsiness ended by the sharp punctuation of steel hinges being ripped from a stone doorframe.

"GUARDS!"

"Yes, Princess Luna!" The two grey unicorn stallions immediately straightened to attention and held their spears high. Happy thoughts of sledding with their foals tomorrow were immediately replaced with the knee jerk reaction to clench their buttocks lest they make a mess.

"Where is my sister? What is become of Celestia! Hath she snuck off to the royal pantry again to pilfer sweets? Answer me!"

"We, we don't know, your highness!" exclaimed the first guard.

"Verily your highness we hath not knowledge of her whereabouts!" the second guard followed.

The first guard broke posture to glance in fear at his associate. Why did he have to get stuck with the foal who broke into formal speak when he was nervous? Luna joined him in glancing at the one who spoke second.

"Darest thou to... ahem... Are you mocking your princess, guard?" Luna lowered her muzzle to his level as she walked over the fallen doors and stood before him.

"Nay... N-no! Your highness I apologize! I am unaware of her location! she entered only moments ago wishing us good night and a Happy Hearth’s Warming and did not leave!" He barely held his composure as he continued to practically shout into her face nervously. The imposing goddess in front of him continued to scan his face for signs of treachery.

After a brief pause Luna raised her muzzle and shifted her glance to the second unicorn. "Fetch the maintenance crew to repair this portal, tell them they will receive additional pay for the holiday hours. Rouse what guard are still here and have them search the castle for my sister. She will be without her regalia."

The first guard nodded his understanding and Luna turned and galloped down the spiral stairs. There were few places her sister would teleport to seeking solitude but one stood out foremost in her mind. After all it was Hearth's Warming Day, and she knew that brought out the memories of him almost as badly as Hearts and Hooves Day.

~~~

"Whew... Never guessed that drawing the short straws would lead to such excitement eh rookie? I don't think my wife is going to believe me, heh." The first stallion guard chuckled to himself and began walking forward. "I'll fetch the colts, you want to handle the maintenance crew?" Silence answered him. Turning to face his fellow guard he spoke, "Ugh... rook?"

The addressed unicorn guard slumped over to the side in a heap of barding. His helm rolled off and the enchantment maintaining his anonymity as a royal guard in Princess Celestia's service fell. The spear followed the stallion and clattered to a halt. The sound in the tallest spire of Canterlot Castle was reduced once again to the muted sounds of the high altitude winter breeze caressing the ancient masonry. The unmistakable stench of urine filled the air.

"Ugh... I guess I'll get them both, and the janitor as well."

~~~

Celestia stared at the hourglass. The sands contained within were in the process of falling upwards from the bottom half to fill the top half. The enchanted grains always knew the exact time of day. They would begin falling from the upper half as the sun breached the horizon, just like every other hourglass. But as the sun fell below the horizon and the moon rose to bring the night they would finish their downward journey and defy gravity to fall up. It didn't matter what the date, longest summer morning or shortest winter evening. The grains would follow their plotted course, forever bound to the sun and moon. And they had been every night for over a thousand years. All except for one very specific night.

The alabaster alicorn sat down on her haunches and sighed. She was reminded again of that fateful night. She came here as she always did when she felt his magic or thought of him.He reminded her of the night she banished her sister for a thousand years. She would never forget watching those grains as they clung to the roof of the hourglass like some piece of abstract art. The reality was that back then, the moon hung high in the sky and refused to make way for the sun. The enchanted grains knew that the morning was long due but the morning didn't come.

It wasn't until Celestia made the toughest decision of her life that the grains would begin their descent again. And they have been following the same unbroken pattern ever since. He was there for her then when she needed him most, but he wasn't here now. The undying enchantment placed on sand by him withstood the trial of time like it was designed to do. Like he always did.

"Sister?"

Celestia wiped the tear from her cheek as she turned to face the princess of the night, her younger sister, her best friend, her biggest regret manifested.

"Luna. It is good to see you. I did enjoy your night so m—"

"Stop it Tia. Why do you insist on putting up a false front even now?"

Celestia lowered her gaze in shame.

"It's been six years, Tia. How many more years must pass before you let go of your sorrow? How many more times must that hourglass complete its cycle before you can look at it without crying? I have already forgiven you, you just need to forgive yourself."

Celestia made to rise from her hindquarters and address her sister but a warmth presented itself to her side and halted her progress.

"Oh, Luna... I have forgiven myself. I just can't help remembering at times like this." Celestia sighed and watched the sand defy gravity once again as a midnight blue wing extended to embrace her.

"It's not just me tonight, is it?" Luna rested her head against her sisters longer neck.

"I wish I could describe these feelings I get Luna. I know it doesn't make sense but sometimes it's like he's here again, right now. With me. It's times like these I look at these shelves full of scrolls and tomes and I remember all the hours we spent here discovering magic, and discovering each other." Celestia let her gaze wander around the book shelves. The countless scraps of ancient parchment older than Canterlot itself.

"I remember when we first built this place. The mountain fortress that was our last bastion of defense when we battled Discord all those years ago. I remember the first brick we laid and the last pony we lost defending it."

Luna tightened her hold on her elder sister. "I remember too Tia. I remember how strong you were. Even then I looked to you for strength, we all looked to you for strength. It was only natural that you be elected as the leader."

Celestia brought a wing to encompass Luna in return. Her touch was gentle, her large wings so soft in comparison to the smaller and muscular wings of her sister. "We are so much like the heavenly bodies we guide, you and I. I am bound to offer hope and strength, nurturing the mind as the sun nurtures the soil we till. And you offer comfort and safety, your bright moon watching over the ponies when they are at their most vulnerable, inspiring romance and closeness when we feel most alone."

Luna remained silent and let her sister continue. She knew when the great teacher had more to say.

"The Sun gives strength to all that would simply embrace it. But what does the Sun draw its strength from? Where could I turn when I felt tired, or weak. Millennia of giving, serving and offering my knowledge and time to any who would accept it. I chased every secret and learned everything I could about magic. I had your friendship, the magic powerful enough to imprison a god of chaos in stone. But the strongest magic eluded me, the magic of love." Celestia watched the grains as they still rose.

"The moment when I first met him was one of the greatest moments of my life."

~~~

The Royal Herald of the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters stood and delivered.

"Her Royal Highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria, on this, the 14th day of February of the 152nd Anno Ordo will now turn her ears to hear the voices of her loyal subjects and pass judgment as she sees fit. Before this day court of her Royal Highness, Princess Celestia of Eq—"

"Oh, for the love of ORDER can we PLEASE skip the formalities?"

The Captain of the Guard bristled.

"Silence, THAUMATURGE! You should feel fortunate we did not send you straight to the dungeons for attempting to poison our beloved princesses with your most heinous herbs!"

The guards bore their dark chain mail well. The coifs and padded caparisons over their rippling muscles shook with barely contained fury. The multiple spears were poised to impale the purple unicorn stallion before them. The tips were pointing towards all parts of the rogue mage not covered by his silly cloak and hat, covered as they were, in bells.

The purple pony laughed out load and bobbed his head in jubilation, the bells jingled with every chuckle.

"Heinous Herbs?! Haha... hahaha oh wow... what... hahahahaha!"

"SILENCE FOUL ENCHANTER! YOUR MANIACAL LAUGHTER ONLY REVEALS YOUR DARK HEART OF CHAOS!"

"ENOUGH!"

Princess Celestia herself rose from her throne. With the power of the royal voice she quieted all of the guards.

"Thou shalt, STAND DOWN, Captain." All of the guards immediately lowered their spears and stood to attention.

There was a brief pause as the stalwart Captain considered lowering his guard around the clearly crazed caster. But his unshakable trust in a Princess of Equestria was stronger. He didn't become commander of the Royal Guard by ignoring orders.

"You heard her highness, stallions. Stand down, let this lunatic wizard through." He spit at the hooves of said unicorn.

"Yes! That's right you muscleheads, go march around or eat some boring and unflavored oats, eh? Don't you have some doors to stand in front of? Haha." The purple unicorn pressed his luck and continued to verbally cut down the guards at the knees.

The Captain growled.

"THAT'S THE LAST STRAW SCREWHEAD! I'M GONNA BUCK YOU RIGHT OUT THE WINDOW INTO THE GORGE!" Captain Steel ripped off his coif and shed his mail caparisons. His steel grey fur almost shone in the torchlight of the Castle throne room as he charged the eccentric equine enchanter.

*FLASH*

"WHO DARES TO INTERRUPT OUR SLUMBER!" The only living creature powerful enough to make a full momentum Captain Steel come to a stop appeared directly in his path. Her Royal Highness, Princess Luna of Equestria.

Captain Steel's eyes shot open his hooves dug into the stones below him. His body struggled to come to a halt as he slid towards the deep blue alicorn in front of him. His muzzle halting merely centimeters in front of hers.

Princess Luna scowled at him and leaned forward to the side of his face. Her breath tickled his ears as he stood wide eyed in shock. Captain Steel feared he would get another dose of the Royal Voice at point blank range but instead received the most sensual whisper he had ever heard.

"My, my, my Captain. My Captain, my captain. Are you not playing nice again? Hmm?" Luna breathed into his ear that was still recovering from her initial blast. He began to sweat from his brow and feel a pressure building between his hind legs.

"N-no... P-pri—" Captain Steel stuttered.

"SHHHhhhhh did I give you permission to speak?" Luna switched to whispering in his other ear as the courtroom watched in stunned silence. "You know, normally it's me interrupting your sleep, keeping you up at night." She began to slowly nuzzle him, almost imperceptibly slow and delicately. "But it's day time now, and I have been awoken by your excited shouts, and that upsets me. It makes me envious. Because the only thing in this universe that should make you shout that excitedly..."

Princess Luna paused in her sensual whispering to deliver a long gentle lick along the edges of Captain Steels ear, trailing from bottom to tip. He didn't blink, he didn't fidget. His Luna was in control now and he would not challenge her.

"... Is me."

Captain Steel was immovable, firm, rock hard, and erect. The guards that weren't stunned into total silence were fighting to contain their amusement.

Princess Luna immediately turned to face her sister. "Princess Celestia, dearest sister, We regret to inform you that due to Captain Steel's current egregious behavior and his pattern of repeated tardiness to morning roll call We must decree that he be stripped from his rank of Captain and removed from the Royal Guard." The guards in the throne room were all completely dumbstruck. The Captain? Fired? Whispers and mutterings began to circle the court as the royal herald looked to Celestia for guidance. Most of the feminine mutters concerned a now fully displayed marvel.

"Furthermore!" Luna continued, "We decree that the former Captain Steel must be punished for interrupting our royal slumber. We will carry out this punishment ourselves. And since it is only convenient to us during the hours of night – when We hold court – We are conscripting Captain Steel into the newly created Night Guard!" Confused looks darted all about the throne room as the nobles present and nearly every guard looked for an explanation.

"Well! We really should be off to bed again, fare thee well!" Luna smiled deviously and looked her sister in the eye before disappearing.

*FLASH*

With Captain Steel.

~~~

Captain Steel found himself in a large bed in a dark room. The black curtains drawn shut tight, the only source of light was from the glowing mosaic of stars covering the high domed ceiling. He was in his Luna's bedroom.

"Oh Steel why did you have to be so disobedient? You know how hard we worked to whip some obedience into you."

He merely nodded his understanding as the cosmic scene above him was filled with the glowing turquoise irises of his hearts desire as they opened to regard him. He felt four depressions on the soft pegasus feather mattress moving closer and closer to his barrel. A weight slowly descended onto his chest and his ears tingled as whispers met them. A star filled tail brushed back and forth across his better half, teasing him with its softness.

"Yes former Captain Steel, your punishment must be severe. If you wish to have your rank and station back you must earn it. I am going to use you today, you are going to be bruised from the intensity. When I get done with you, your coat is going to be fifty shades of grey."

~~~

Princess Celestia struggled to remain composed after her sisters performance. If she could balance on two hooves she would have two held to her forehead instead of just one.

"Leave us."

The nobles and court aides looked at Celestia in bewilderment. The remaining guards were looking to each other, trying to figure out who was next in the chain of command.

"Do not make us ask again, I want all present to leave this throne room immediately. We desire time with our thoughts."

The nobles, court aides, guards and common folk all left the court room in hushed worry. No pony noticed the most marvelously made up magician who remained. Or his crate of 'heinous herbs'.

Celestia heard the throne room doors close and lowered her hoof and let her gaze fall upon the now empty throne room and its single occupant and his box.

"What do you want strange unicorn, I have no time for your assassination attempts today. Sorry to spoil your no doubt well planned scheme but I am immortal, in case you had not heard." Celestia couldn't be bothered with formality. Just imagining the debauchery taking place in her sisters, inner sanctum – no, poor choice of words – chambers. Ugh, even worse. This was giving her a migraine. That mare is getting worse and worse every day.

"Celestia! I come to you not bearing malicious intent but concern for the safety of Equestria! How could you think such a thing of me. For I am your most faithful student!" The Purple Unicorn levitated his crate and approached Celestias throne. Jingling all the way.

"I would (jingle) love to entertain your ravings (jingle) but I have (jingle) never seen you (jingle) before in my (jingle) extremely (jingle) long (jingle) life and I have a (jingle) fantastic memory. And WHY are you wearing that ridiculous outfit. (jingle)" Celestia was almost at her breaking point. She was ready to start teleporting things great distances.

"Your Highness. I am not sure what sort of madness has befallen the once proud Capitol of Equestria down here in the Everfree forest but if what has happened only moments before now is any indication, then my theory is correct. Celestia, you are in dire need of Love!"

Celestia felt her mind pause. Her eyebrows rose up into her mane and she looked down at this smug purple unicorn with a half-lidded gaze of intense disapproval.

"I don't know who you are. I don't know where you came from. But if you take one step closer to me I am going to send you so far away that when I raise the sun you will be watching the moon rise." The goddess of the sun walked down from her throne and stood in front of the purple wizard and his ridiculous pointy hat as it threatened to poke her muzzle with its single dangling bell.

"Forgive my rudeness Celestia but this act of affection must be performed with due haste. All your questions will be answered in time!" With that, the stallion levitated the crate and tossed the lid aside that the guards had so rudely pried off upon inspection. He raised it above the princesses and gently jostled it with his magic, loosing a few of its contents with every shake.

Celestia stared at the unicorn in awe.

She was being showered with rose petals.

They swirled around her gently as he created a soft breeze to twirl them evenly and spread them as they fell across her pristine coat. The petals brushed against her white fur like thousands of gentle kisses. They fluttered and danced with her mane as it waved in the ethereal breeze. Her modest and simple golden tiara caught a few as they fell and held onto them. For those brief moments she was in harmony, she was at peace, she was loved. It ended all too soon.

The purple unicorn shook the crate a few more times to get the stragglers out. He noticed the few that got caught in her tiara and levitated them out of the way until she was once again unblemished, but standing amidst a small pile of rose petals.

"Ah, my apologies Celestia I had planned on that lasting a bit longer. I hoped to read poetry to you while it was happening but it seems I will have to do that now. Ahem..."

"Bright is the light that shines 'cross this land.

A paragon of perfection, strong and pure.

Immortal is she, immune to time's sand.

Her brilliance and beauty, forever endure.

Celestia began to blush. "I really appreciate the gesture but—"

The unicorn was not dissuaded by the alicorn and he continued unabated.

"Ah, perhaps not literal enough. Well..."

"As the sun rises each morning

so too does my member—"

"YES! that will be enough. You were doing quite well I must admit until that last part there *cough*"

"Hmm. Very well, Celestia. It seems that you are further gone than I had predicted. My attempts to woo you have fallen upon deaf ears I am afraid. This can only mean that your sister will continue to grow in power until she usurps your rule and casts this world into eternal night."

Celestia was again floored by this stallions behavior. He goes from insane ramblings and erotic poetry one moment to libel and slander the next. She couldn't even be bothered to tell him that she should be addressed appropriately.

"And in answer to your prior inquiries I am known to my friends as Star Swirl."

~~~

Star Swirl. A unicorn who had taken up residence in the abandoned fortress atop a mountain nearby. The future location of Canterlot. He was an incredibly gifted unicorn and a prodigy of understanding magical flows. His cutie mark was a spiral galaxy. Appropriate since his residence was chosen for its advantageous location for his favorite hobby, stargazing. But his favorite star to watch was not visible at night. It was known as the sun.

But contrary to stereotypes. Unicorns that live in abandoned fortresses on mountain sides are not all hermits. Star Swirl was a wonderfully happy character. He embraced something he referred to as, The Magic of Friendship. He postulated that by surrounding oneself with like minded and happy individuals to share activities, food, drink and conversation with that one actually enriched the overall quality of their lives! And most importantly the potency of their magic. And all unicorns are attracted to the promises of improving one's horn.

But Star Swirl also knew that the magic of friendship could only be overpowered by the magic of love. And so while the unicorns in the university and observatory were bookish and introverted by day. They were quite active at night, in the bedroom, with each other. Star Swirl was no stranger to love.

Star Swirl's observatory had eventually expanded into a library and from there into a small university, a school for giften unicorns, as unicorns all around Equestria were drawn to the lights in the mountain, to observe the lights in the sky. Of course mining for gems was what funded his little project and research but his real passion was science. Digging simply kept the earth ponies delivering food and the pegasi clearing the sky. Yes he was quite accomplished for an 18 year old. And that sort of young prodigy is not without its... personality side effects.

~~~

"Well Star Swirl you have answered my questions about your background, but unfortunately your accusations towards my sister are unfounded and insulting. Therefore I will simply have to teleport you back to your university lest you fall victim to my sister's unique brand of punishment."

Celestia shuddered at the thought.

It seemed that Luna was in the thick of her stallion phase – for lack of a better term – and was likely to break non-earth ponies with her intensity. It was strange how her sexual preferences shifted every hundred years like the waxing and waning of the moon itself. Celestia had always preferred stallions herself but they just seemed so... plain after so many years. Maybe that was why Luna chose to... experiment.

But this stallion seemed to be the most unique one she had come across. Hooves down.

"But surely you have noticed Celestia! The sun is losing its share of the sky! According to my observations, beginning on September 22nd this past year of order we have been losing minutes of daylight! The moon is taking up more and more of the 24 hour cycle and it won't be long until your sun fails to rise at all. We simply must give you a boost of magical energy to combat the energy that your sister is receiving with her rampant love making!"

Celestia was once again tightly strung between two divergent emotions. The first being glee. Joy that a unicorn so far removed from the kingdom managed to notice her grand design to facilitate the change of seasons for the Pegasi. The Autumnal Equinox marked the beginning of the cold season and the reduced hours of sunlight would make the creation of snow much simpler. But the accusations of her sister being a whore were clearly pulling her once again towards the second emotion. The intense desire to send this jingling buffoon as far away as possible.

"Star Swirl. While I am offended by your comments about my sister beyond what you can fathom. I am at the same time glad that you have noticed the care I have taken to bring a new type of order to the sky."

~~~

Celestia then explained the significance of daylight hours and her plan to improve the transition of season for the pegasi. She said it would create more harmony amongst the three pony races and would improve the quality of the farmed products, giving the land more time to lie fallow in the winter and restore nutrients to the soil.

Celestia then explained that on the 20th of March the cycle would revert and the long nights would make way to longer days. They conversed on the benefits and withdrawals of such a system and Star Swirl jokingly suggested that she move the hour of waking to be later in the cold months so that the farmers would not have to change their alarms and get confused. Attempting to rise and milk the cows before they had awoken themselves!

Celestia thought that was silly indeed.

But as the sun continued its journey across the sky, Celestia stopped caring that this unicorn called her by her first name. Something only her sister did. She enjoyed his intellect, his candor, his incorrigible personality and all of its eccentricities. Celestia let her mask drop. She wasn't a royal princess and leader to this unicorn, she wasn't his goddess. She was a pony. Star Swirl made her feel like a mare.

As Celestia lowered the sun and Luna somehow found time to raise the moon between her carnal activities, Celestia became hungry. Star Swirl suggested they share a quiet meal, just the two of them, and a few candles.

And while they dined together, they talked. They taught each other so much. Creator and observer sharing a passion for the heavens. A passion for teaching and learning. Student and mentor, together at long last. Their magic so strong on their own but drawn together by an intangible force. Some might call it fate. They were going to be the best of friends, but Celestia had the feeling it was going to be something more.

She stopped caring that he was wearing a silly robe and hat with bells on them. Well almost.

~~~

"Hahaha, oh Star Swirl I simply must meet little Clover, she sounds like a real hoofful!"

"Oh yes, young fillies so obsessed with their special talents. I have never seen a foal so concerned with earning her cutie mark, and at such a young age! Taking that brilliant little filly under my care continues to be my greatest challenge." Star Swirl laughed along with her as they shared another glass of wine.

"But I have to ask, it has been on my mind ever since I laid eyes on you..."

"Ask away Celestia. My mind is an open book to you."

"What is with the bells?"

"Why I thought it would be obvious, Celestia! They are not simple bells, they are bear bells!"

"Bear bells?"

"Yes, how else would I ward away the Ursa Major as I traversed through the Everfree to get to the castle. Why without these bells to rouse them and warn them of my presence I may accidentally stumble into one of the Ursa Minor and startle it. I might have to defend myself from it, and that would surely upset the mothers."

"You. Against an Ursa Minor?"

"Indeed, it has happened before."

Celestia looked disbelieving but somehow she knew that no matter how strange this stallion seemed he would not lie to her. He was too pure, too wrapped up in the pursuit of knowledge to bother with fabricating lies. She gazed into his light blue irises as they met her own magenta ones. She felt attraction to this strange stallion.

"Oh! I almost forgot. I have given you roses, poetry, and dinner by candlelight but I have forgotten the most important ingredient in my quest to win your heart." Star Swirl trotted to his saddlebags and removed a delicately wrapped box.

Celestia saw the box and almost went into shock. He couldn't possibly think to propose to her after just meeting her? He might actually be truly insane. But as he approached it could be seen that it was not a horn ring box, but a larger box. A more squat and less perfectly square box. A box that he held delicately from below.

"The most important ingredient of course. Sugar!"

Star Swirl opened the box and placed it on the dining table he shared with Celestia. The Goddess of the Dawn. The Princess of the Day. The primary ruler of Equestria.

It was a cake.

Celestia levitated a piece and took a bite. Then another. She devoured the whole morsel moments later. She was in paradise. She searched for another but found it levitating in front of her, wrapped in a purple glow. She smiled and took a large slow bite. She continued to eat the cake as Star Swirl fed her like a foal. The perfect moment.

"Star Swirl, where will you be staying this evening?" Celestia asked between bites as she chewed thoughtfully. The last piece danced along her taste buds.

Star Swirl calmly answered, "Wherever you want me to my love."

Celestia stopped thinking and felt true unbridled emotions for the first time since her dire battle with Discord.

She took inspiration from Luna and immediately teleported herself and Star Swirl to her chambers.

"Celestia, my love, my shining star. Tell me what to do."

She had only one thought that came to mind.

"Leave the bells on."

~~~

Meanwhile, in the adjacent room...

"Mmmmmm Steel that was amazing."

(*Jingle*)

"I know Luna, I love you. With all of my heart."

(*Jingle*)

"You know, this means that I will bear a foal now."

(*Jingle*)

"And I will be there for you to raise him my most precious moon."

(*Jingle*)

"Oh, Steel. (*Jingle*)"

Luna felt her sanity slipping.

"TIA! I AM HAVING A MOMENT HERE. COULD YOU PLEASE STOP MAKING THOSE STUPID... NOISES!"

Steel and Luna remained in each others embrace and listened to the quiet murmurings through the walls separating the bedrooms. Normally the equal and opposite sleep schedules between the princesses kept this sort of situation in the realm of impossibility. But Luna was making a child with her lover and Celestia was playing with musical instruments.

(*Jingle*)... a pregnant pause... (*Jingle*)

Luna had enough, she stormed into the hallway and leaned against her sisters door.

"TIA! STOP THAT NOISE AT ONCE. I AM WITH A STALLION. NOT THAT YOU WOULD KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT—"

(*Jingle*)

"Ohh!"

Luna froze. It couldn’t be.

(*Jingle*)

(*Jingle*) "Ohh" (*Jingle*) "Uhh" (*Jingle*) "I'm so close, Star Swirl!"

(*Jingle*)(*Jingle*)(*Jingle*)(*Jingle*)(*Jingle*)(*Jingle*)(*Jingle*)(*Jingle*)

Luna ran into her bedroom and covered her head with a pillow. Steel held her close, but he heard the whole thing.

~~~

Back in present day Canterlot

"Ahahaha, oh Tia I do admit that destroying that old castle when I went through my 'eternal night' phase had its drawbacks but a thousand years on the moon was worth inheriting a castle with bedrooms in opposite spires. I know you made him wear those stupid bells every time you did it just to drive me insane. In fact, it is probably the leading cause in being possessed by evil spirits." Luna laughed as they both recalled the very first Hearts and Hooves day in Equestria. It was no surprise that a mare like Cadance would be born of the line Luna and Steel started that night. The women in the family seemed to have a taste for Captains of the Royal Guard. In fact earning that position was almost a guaranteed ticket to date one of the royal family.

But Celestia never bore children with Star Swirl.

"After our battle in the old Castle it only made sense to move the capitol here. He had his observatory on the mountain, his school for gifted unicorns. And the sizeable quantity of unicorns, the established industry, and its central location were all major factors in why it become the new seat of power. But most of all I wanted his observatory and I wanted him." Celestia's happy nostalgia faded to a dull melancholy as she remembered why she came down here in the middle of the night on Hearth's Warming.

"This wing of the library is all I really have left of him. I never bore foals for him, I was always too afraid. I felt that having children with him was just an admission that his life and our time together was over. That the romance would be replaced by our responsibilities of raising our foals. He knew I could never marry. It wouldn't make sense for an immortal being to swear undying love to a mortal. But I would have if he asked me. I love him so much."

Celestia's heart was older than a nation and hardened to sorrow and pain by way of exposure. Yet when she thought of Star Swirl she felt weak.

"Even when he was old and grey. His bright blue mane became ash gray and he grew the most ridiculous beard I have ever seen. He always said it was to compete with my mane. But he could never make a spell to mimic how it waved in the ethereal breeze." Celestia released a quiet laugh. Luna only held her closer.

"I come here when I get those feelings Luna. It's not just because I regret the time you and I didn't spend together, because I know we have all the time in the world to be together as best friends and sisters. But Star Swirl and I were something special, we stood apart from time. And all those times we looped back through time, playing silly pranks on the palace guards and staff. Playing with and discovering new magic and wondering where the edge of possibility was. We never had any regrets. We were living in the moment and enjoying every second."

Celestia paused to stand and move to the window. She glanced up at the aurora that was slowly fading into the night sky to the north.

"I once asked him if he would ever try to invent a time spell to make himself immortal." The elder said.

Luna rose to join her sister and admire the night. "What did he say Tia?"

"He said that life is like a coin, you can spend it any way you wish, but you can only spend it once. It can be divided into many pieces and split many ways, but never be more than what it began as. He said he was glad that he spent as much of what he could on us."

Celestia looked to Luna again and saw only compassion in her teal eyes.

"And that is why the way he left makes me the most upset. He sent himself into the future, on Hearth's Warming Eve. And left nothing but a note behind for me to find. Some gift. He always talked about travel to the future being a possibility but never managed to prove it. Him and his theories. But he always wanted to, he said that time was his specialty and his responsibility. It just makes me sad that the last three words I said to him was 'I love you' and the last three words he said to me was 'I'll be back'."

Celestia walked to the hourglass and watched the sand rise again. Luna continued to stare out the window.

"But sometimes I get that ineffable feeling that he's here again. It's like his familiar flavor of magic is in the air. The last two times were because Twilight managed to use his time travel spell. That was why I came to the Star Swirl the Bearded section of the archives. That's why I was here when she used magic – his magic – to create a time loop the first time. I thought it was him, I thought he had returned to me. So I hid my disappointment in the only way I could. I raised the sun and wished Twilight a happy Tuesday. I must have sounded ridiculous."

Celestia left the archives through the entrance at a brisk pace. Luna made to follow.

"Sister I can't imagine what you go through in times like these but I can assure you he will return. You just have to keep listening to the flow of magic, maybe you can hear him when he will arrive. Maybe it will be a loud roar of magic when he does, not the quiet murmurings that we feel when Twilight uses his spells." Luna kept pace with her as she ascended the spiral staircase to her chambers.

"The last time I felt like this I found my personal student in a compromising position with a strange stallion in the banquet hall. I am afraid to think what has happened this time but we can narrow down the suspects to two very intelligent unicorns I think." Celestia responded sleepily. "And I am afraid that I am in no state to launch a full investigation of this and Magic Kindergarten and stallion castration can wait until after Hearth's Warming don't you agree?"

Luna simply laughed at her sisters playfulness. She was glad that her melancholy was lifting. "Oh sister you know they are harmless, it was just a little bit of drunken fun. If I'm not mistaken your most romantic encounter involved a little bit of alcohol as well."

Celestia blushed at the memory for the second time that night and approached her now repaired bedroom doors.

"You are right of course Luna. Twilight and her coltfriend could hardly get into any trouble on their own, those two love each other too much to risk doing any serious damage to each other. They both know the consequences of losing each other are far greater than any we could ever impose on them."

The two alicorns and rulers of Equestria entered Celestia's chambers.

"I am glad you see things that way. We will let them continue their experiments then. As a Hearth's Warming gift from us."

"Yes, that sounds fitting. Goodnight, sister. Thank you for caring for me. And thank you for listening."

Celestia slipped under her covers and made ready for bed.

"What kind of sister would I be if I didn't?"

Celestia simply smiled as she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.