Canterlot Castle
17 years before the 1000th Summer Sun Celebration
Celestia
It seemed like an ordinary day at first to Celestia, wake up, raise the sun, eat breakfast, run the country, eat lunch, yell at nobles, eat dinner, raise the moon, sleep, then repeat for a few centuries.
She was in the middle of a session of her Court of the Sun, mediating a land dispute between the city of Manehatten and the city of Baltimare when suddenly her crown glowed slightly and heated up, alerting Celestia to the predetermined signal.
That could only mean one thing.
It was time.
"Gentlecolts," Celestia interrupted, the two stallion mayors stopped their presentations and looked up at her expectantly. "I will have to need you both to reschedule this for another time, something more important has come up that needs my immediate attention."
Before either could protest, Celestia swiftly addressed her seneschal, Quick Quill, who was standing amongst a fortress of bureaucratic papers at the foot of the dais on which her golden throne sat.
"Ms. Quill."
"Yes, your Highness?" the mare intoned dutifully.
"Reschedule all of today's and tomorrow's appointments and events for another time, close the castle to public visitations for the same duration, and then inform Captain Wheeler that I will be in my chambers and that I must not be disturbed for anything short of invasion."
As Quick Quill opened her mouth to answer, her brow scrunching in question, Celestia didn't hear what her seneschal was about to say for she had already charged her magic, her long slender horn rippling with magic, and with a flash of gold the throne room was replaced by her personal chambers.
Her niece was awake.
Celestia quickly enchanted her door to hold back any visitors and to alert her to anyone trying to get in before she trotted quickly over to a large painting of herself and Starswirl the Bearded which hung right next to her bed. Many a rare visitor to her private chambers had wondered if the sun princess had had a fleeting fancy with the ancient stallion. While Celestia had cared for Starswirl a lot since he had been one of her greatest friends that was not the reason for why the portrait was there. Moving the painting off of the wall with her magic, Celestia was greeted by a blank wall.
At least, that is what other ponies were supposed to see, but Celestia knew better since she was the one to have set up the camouflaged barrier over the tunnel entrance in the first place.
Wasting no more time dilly-dallying, Celestia dispelled the conjuration and quickly stepped into the large and barely lit downward staircase that led deep underneath the castle, even deeper than the dungeons. It would have been faster to teleport, but Celestia had enchanted the underground chambers to repel all magical modes of teleportation, the only way to get there was by physically entering the tunnel after breaking through numerous protective wards that would have alerted Celestia to an intruder the moment they were touched by anyone but her.
Descending quickly, her golden hooves tolling sweetly like ancient bells on the stone steps, Celestia allowed a true and genuine smile, something that hadn't grace her face in ages, break through the normally unbreakable serenity she held up for her subjects.
Who wouldn't be happy to finally meet a new family member? After all, this one had been in a coma for almost a thousand years.
Finally, she arrived at her destination after traveling down the winding staircase.
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Heir of the Nightmare
FanfictionA thousand years ago, Princess Celestia banished her sister to the moon, that much we know. What wasn't known, and what Celestia kept secret was that before her banishment, Luna had given birth to a foal. Now a thousand years later, as Nightmare ret...
