Celestia drew in a deep breath and focused herself.

It was almost second nature to her now, after doing this for so very long. She inhaled the sweet air around her and gently expelled it out her nose and took hold of the magic within her. The infinite power of the Sun warmed her from her very core and spread out to all of her six limbs. The power grew in her horn as she called to the Sun to rise for the brand new day, her voice sweetly singing through the ether. Sometimes she wondered what the world had been like before she’d taken up this power. Certainly, the sun had risen and set - but what had made it do so? Or perhaps, the better question was who had made it do so?

Celestia didn’t know. What she did know was that the Sun had been with her for as long as she could remember now, her very being suffused with its light and its power - and its responsibility. Her power spun out into the ether, the call of her inner voice shimmering across the purple and blue skies above. She could feel the gentle tug of the Sun, and the slowness with which the Moon fell to its own slumber. She smiled a little, feeling a gentle brush of Luna’s power against her own as she sent her call out to the Sun again.

The Sun came to her call and slowly lifted itself above the horizon. It’s warm, orange light shone toward her, and she smiled and closed her eyes. “Good morning,” she whispered, as she had countless times before. She had no real idea if the Sun heard it… but it was a whimsy she enjoyed indulging. The Moon finally gave way, and the Sun began its slow ascension from its sleep.

Celestia turned back toward the camp to find Star Swirl leaning against a tree with a sly smile. His hat and cloak were nowhere to be seen, and were it not for his beard, he might have passed for any other aged unicorn. “Today’s the big day, Celestia,” he began, his voice strong and firm. The gravelly rasp was gone after nearly two weeks of vigorous exercise and the excellent cooking of Moon Song. Even so, the mention of the ‘big day’ sent a twist into her guts.

Ever since she had - reluctantly, it must be said - taken the position as the penultimate ruler of Equestria, she had done everything in her power to keep her ponies from seeing her as some kind of god figure. Not simply because of the complications it would bring, but because of the distance. She loved that she didn’t need to disguise herself to enjoy a good party with her beloved ponies, nor did she need to hide her true nature to find… more intimate entertainment. She ruled over them, yes, but they knew that when injustice reared its head, even the least of her citizens could petition to speak with her personally. Not even the littlest filly….

And just like that, it hit her again.

And this time, there was no hope that she could silently convince Luna to step away and give her a few moments of peace. “Celestia,” Star Swirl’s voice came slowly, as she scrunched her eyes shut and leaned against the nearest solid object - a tree, in this case. “Celestia, look at me.” His voice tried to penetrate, but it got as much attention as Celestia was prepared to give the wind. A hoof grasped her shoulder and shook firmly. “Celestia, stop this!” Star Swirl’s voice had gone firm, commanding…

And it didn’t matter one whit. Twilight… the thought came, unbidden and unwelcome as it always did. A crushing sense of defeat, loss, depression… anger. The past weeks had come with the slow reveal of everything that had happened to Twilight, through the lense of Moon Song. Luna had tried to talk her out of the questions, but Celestia would have none of it. She had to know what had happened, had to know every gory detail, so that she might concoct the plan to save Twilight’s mind.

And now that she knew absolutely everything, Celestia was no longer certain she could find the means to do so. Too much had happened. She had been pushed too far for any mundane solution to take hold. I should have stayed. I should have spirited her away - someplace I could have protected her… But that might have only ended up worse, and Celestia knew it all too well.

Logic had no place in those emotions, however. So she wept silently, ignoring Star Swirl’s remonstrations and wishing he would leave her be. Twilight had always bid fair to be extraordinary even amongst the ranks of Celestia’s students, but Celestia had never been able to admit to herself just how special she had become to her. More than a student. More than friend, maybe. But what did that make them? Celestia did not know, and she now feared she would never be able to find out.

But a hard hoof grabbed her head and wrenched it around, shocking Celestia out of her melancholy to stare into the fierce golden eyes of her teacher and one-time mentor. “You aren’t going to help her like this, Celly.” His voice rippled with understanding, but also a deep concern. “I know how…” Star Swirl hesitated, then continued quickly. “Take heed, apprentice. The weapons and the means exist to save your beloved student, but not if you surrender to despair.” His eyes were soft - understanding - and his words were just the same.

Celestia felt her neck snap a little as her head came up, narrowing her eyes. “What sort of means, teacher?” She could hear her voice heating, could feel the rush of power from her core at the very thought that there might still be hope. But… this was Star Swirl, and that led Celestia to only one other thought. “What are you hiding from me?” That came out a great deal stronger and sharper than she’d intended, and she immediately winced back from the words. “Oh fie, teacher… I’m sorry.”

Star Swirl glared at her for a few moments, and then… then he sighed softly, leaning on the tree next to her. “No, I suppose I deserved that,” he growled, crossing his hooves over his chest to stare out into the horizon. “I should have told you what I was going to do. I should have told you about Umbra. Perhaps if I had, we wouldn’t be here now.” There was a pause… and Celestia felt a hard hoof smack her across the back of the head hard enough to make her wince. “Doesn’t excuse you acting like a foal, though,” he grumbled at her.

Celestia couldn’t help it. A little smile cracked through her anger and depression as she reached up to rub where he’d smacked her. “Ow,” she half-whined at him, hoping that perhaps a bit of banter might help calm her down. “I’m quite serious though. I know when you’re holding something back, teacher. There’s something you don’t want to tell me.” Now she grabbed his shoulder and turned him to face her. The look on his face was one of conflict and concern, and Celestia took in a deep breath. “Star Swirl… I’m very much a grown mare now. I can handle bad news you know.” She tried to cajole him as she spoke, putting on her best and most regal airs.

Star Swirl looked up into her eyes then, and his voice was almost whisper soft. “Can you, Celly?” He shook his head and pushed off of the tree, starting to walk away. She stared after him as he walked, a quiet resolve set on his shoulders, until he turned to face her again. “Could you really bring yourself to do that?” His eyes were intense upon her, and Celestia felt her heart clench painfully, the beating becoming far more rapid than it had before as he strode back to their camp.

Surely he could not be suggesting that she would have to do…. that.

Could he?

“Bright the day, sister dearest!” Luna’s chipper voice cut through Celestia’s brooding thoughts, and the smell of warm oatmeal and syrup assaulted her nose. Celestia felt her lips twitching at the sight of Luna bent over the cookpot and stirring with a long handled wooden spoon. “Our morning repast shall be ready presently, and Master Star Swirl shall be outlining our plans.” Luna looked positively chipper for somepony who was far more used to a nightly schedule, and it wasn’t until the robust smell of strong coffee hit her that Celestia could figure out why.

Moon Song was present too, scrubbing a bright cloth into what looked like… “Luna, why on earth do you have your armor out?” Celestia said, feeling utterly baffled at the sight of the midnight blue steel plating and bright silver fixtures. Moon Song herself blushed a little and redoubled her efforts at shining up the plate piece by careful piece. Luna giggled softly, a sound that at once cheered and mildly annoyed Celestia.

“Because we need to make an appropriate entrance to Neighpon, Celly,” Star Swirl said brusquely, once again breaking through Celestia’s thoughts before she could effectively marshall them. A bright silvery tendril of magic lifted a spoonful of the breakfast from the pot and delivered it to the awaiting lips. “Mm, needs a touch of salt, Lulu. The Jade Empress is expecting a pair of goddesses, Celestia. Given that you were kind enough to bring something impressive to wear…” He shrugged a shoulder at her, even as Celestia tried very hard to focus a glare at him.

Luna chuckled again before speaking, a sprinkling of white salt over the pot punctuating her words. “Dear sister, stop trying to burn a hole in him. He’s right; the swifter we make our power clear, the faster we can accomplish our goals here.” Lulu gave the pot one more stir and began to dish out the cereal before delivering a sly gaze to Star Swirl. “Though it might be nice to know exactly what our goals here are…”

Celestia huffed out a breath, taking her bowl of cereal and primly sitting next to her sister. “Yes, teacher. I think it is past time we were informed as to the particulars of your deal with these… ponies.” The last word came with just a touch of acid. Celestia truthfully knew very little about the Ki-Lin race beyond the fact that they shared some kind of common ancestor with unicorns. They were a highly insular sort of nation, and had been for as long as Celestia had been aware of them. Calling them ponies was the closest she could come to a description though, as in all respects they very much looked like her beloved Equestrians.

Star Swirl nodded as he set down his bowl next to him and began taking neat bites using only his magic, floating the cereal in little bowl-shaped globules up to his mouth before biting them out of the air. Celestia thought it was a little silly, but then… well, a great deal of things her teacher had done were a little silly. That did not diminish his magical genius one iota. “Very well,” he began, adjusting his pose to the very same ‘lecture’ position he had so often taken in the distant past. “When I first encountered them, the Ki-Lin were ruled by a complex and diverse theocracy, based on a strange belief system that purported that all things in the world were possessed with a spirit of one kind or another. Some spirits were more powerful than others, and no spirits were as powerful as those of the moon and the sun.”

Star Swirl paused for a moment, drawing a flask from one of their saddlebags and taking a pull from it before continuing to speak. “The central figure of this theocracy was called the Jade Empress, a Ki-Lin possessed of exceptional magical power. According to their mythology, the strongest female magic user of each generation was ‘chosen’ by these spirits to be worthy of rule over the Ki-Lin’s government.” He shrugged his shoulders then, taking only a moment for several more bites of cereal before continuing. “A strange, but still rather effective means of picking a ruler. These girls would be given the absolute finest training in magic and governance; and should the present Empress die, they would then undergo some sort of mysterious ritual they called the Trial. Whomever survived this Trial was made the new Empress.”

Celestia stared at him for a moment, fascinated by the implications of that. Unicorns could live to be an exceptionally old age if they were powerful enough in magic, and even those that weren’t could improve their lifespan through the use of various complex rituals and spells. How many such powerful individuals could be around for that sort of… barbaric competition? And why on earth did Star Swirl almost sound like he admired them for it?

Whatever the reasons, Star Swirl didn’t seem to notice her distaste as he continued to speak. “Before I came to Neighpon for the first time, I had been looking for so long for some kind weapon to wield against Umbra…” His gaze fell to the fire, tone dropping to something much softer. “Clover was as vigorous as she ever was, but I admit I was becoming wearied of the search. We had spoken to the zebricans, the griffons, dragons, buffalo folk, even the diamond dogs - following the legends of the dark power that corrupted the minds of the innocent and plotted to seize the world for her own. And yet we could find no decisive means to deal with her - nothing that would not simply begin the cycle anew.” He looked up and exhaled a deep breath, staring into the sky. “I was running out of ideas. So… I did something… risky… and I contacted the one creature who might be able to help me.”

“The White Doe,” Moon Song whispered softly - and a blast of wind rushed through Celestia’s mane, sending it flying all around her. The name drove into her heart like a stake of steel and chilled her to the very bone. “The guardian of the woods, and the daughter of the Hart was known to have the power to see into the future,” Moon Song continued, and much to Celestia’s surprise didn’t immediately get silenced by her mentor. Star Swirl hated being interrupted like this but… nothing. Why did he look so thoroughly depressed?

“Yes… more the fool I was to think I would walk away from that meeting unscathed,” Star Swirl muttered softly, his magic alighting and pulling his hat out from the pile of their things and cramming it onto his head with a jangle of the bells. “I asked her to provide me with insight into the true nature of the Shadow and how to battle it. She agreed to tell me, but the price would be that I would have to carry out a task for her.” He shook his head slowly, his hooves pressed tightly together in front of him. “Had I known how long that task would take me… perhaps I would have sought some other means.”

Star Swirl looked up, his gaze firmly set on Celestia’s face. “She took me to the fountain of the Hart, where he had first imprisoned Umbra and taken from her the powers of creation. There, she revealed to me the history of the Shadow, and for the first time told me her true name. But she did far more than that. She showed me many things that would come to pass - she told me of a fallen prince who would seek to enslave all the world, and how he would be imprisoned in eternal ice.” Celestia gave off a little gasp, nearly shoving herself backwards. King Sombra… The thought crossed her mind, and her heart clenched once again in pain…

And the next words were far, far worse. “She told me of the return of Discord, and his fell power upon the earth. She told me of the griffon wars, and so many other events.” He looked at Luna, his eyes softening. “And she told me of the two ponies I loved the most in all of the world battling for the future of the entire planet, one of them possessed and tainted by the dark power of Umbra.” A spoon clattered to the ground, followed by a mostly emptied wooden bowl as Luna stared at him in stark disbelief. Celestia felt a burning anger in her heart at that even as Star Swirl’s mood turned utterly miserable. “The White Doe turned to me, and said that if measures were not taken, there would be no hope for all of the world to survive the conflicts to come. And then…” He took a deep breath and exhaled it. “She told me that if I truly sought to end the threat of Umbra, I would need to be alive two thousand years into the future. For it would be then that the world’s one chance to bring an end to her power would occur.”

Star swirl looked down, hiding his eyes behind his hat even as Luna worked her mouth - obviously trying to find the words to speak. Moon Song cut in a moment later; however, and robbed Luna of her speech once again. “He came to my ancestors and many like them. Those who were loyal to Equestria, and those who knew the threat of the Shadow. He told us of what he had seen, and plans were laid to avert the worst. The prophecies he was given were carefully passed down, generation to generation amidst the families… and when the time came, we were ready to act.” She looked up at Luna, her eyes sad but determined. “Would that I had known it would be me who would have to pay the price for those prophecies…” Moon Song’s voice drifted off, once again into that distant sadness that Celestia could simply only describe as utter, soul-crushing loss.

Star Swirl cut in again, his voice harsh and gravelly. “We spoke for weeks, and in the end I knew that I had not the power to ensure no matter what, I would live to see these days. But the Doe spoke to me of a land where the magics of life and the spirit world were the strongest, and so I came here with Clover. Here, we met with the Empress of the Ki-Lin, and…” He hesitated, his voice breaking for a moment before he continued. “And her price for aiding me was simple. She claimed her kind had long had a prophecy about a great darkness that would consume their kingdoms… unless the spirit of the Sun and Moon were to come to the Imperial Capital and lead them to victory against it.” He looked up once more, his gaze travelling between Luna and Celestia slowly, his voice firm and desperate. “What else could I do?”

He fell silent, and Celestia toyed with the bowl in her hooves. She slowly turned the new knowledge in her head over and over again, just as she turned the bowl. Centuries of wondering what had happened to her teacher - of trying to understand the last meeting between them. Memories of Star Swirl’s dire warnings of what her sister would become. Memories of her dismissing such claims - scoffing at the very idea that Luna would ever so betray her. Memories of telling Star Swirl that she would never, ever harm Luna...

Celestia clenched her eyes shut and the bowl shattered into shards of pottery, falling to the ground in front of her. “Celestia!” a voice cried out from around her, but the memories were already setting in - slamming her mind and heart with the images burned into her mind.

Luna, rife with dark magic, confronting her in her own throne room. Proclaiming her sister to be unfit to rule and declaring herself Queen of Equestria.

Luna, now Nightmare Moon, wreaking destruction and havoc upon the land of Equestria and so many other lands around it. Countless innocents forced to worship her as a living goddess.

Luna, screaming in pain and fear as the Elements of Harmony shone with impossible power and struck her with the final spell of the Nightmare War. Celestia’s eyes blinded with tears, rage, and sorrow.

Celestia’s body wracked with pain as the Elements grew dull and lifeless, smashing into the ground with the force of a judge’s gavel. The final judgement upon her unwillingness to see the truth and for the ultimate crime of sealing away her own sister rather than be able to save her.

And worst of all, the knowledge that in the end, she could not bring herself to save the world from some nebulous future threat at the cost of her sister’s life. Damn the world. I’ll not sacrifice Luna for it. Such had been her thoughts. And now?

Now Twilight was under the control of that same dark magic. Her desire to deny fate the blood of one she loved dearly had led to this. Once again, Celestia’s own pride had blinded her to the power of the threat she faced, and Twilight was the one who would pay the price for her arrogance. I am a fool… a damned fool… Some Princess you are, Celestia. The thoughts came bitterly, tears beginning to stream unheeded down her cheeks.

Then she was slapped.

Celestia’s eyes opened blearily, and she stared into the shining golden eyes of Moon Song, her lips twisted into an angry rictus and her gaze narrow and fierce. “Stop it.” Her voice practically screamed at Celestia, stunning her into a momentary compliance. “We’ve all fucked up, Princess. Everypony sitting here has fucked up in some terrible way. Some of us are still paying for those fuckups.” The casual profanity rocked Celestia for a moment, rendering her speechless at the barrage of foul language.

But Moon Song wasn’t even close to done. “The past fucking hurts. But right now, there are countless fucking ponies who are counting on you.” Moon Song’s voice went much quieter, hissing the next words out at point blank range. “Not the least of which is the pony I love more than anything else in the world, and the pony you love more than anything else in the world.” Celestia opened her mouth for a moment to deny that, and was stunned to find herself slapped again by Moon Song - the blow hard enough to set her ears to ringing. “Don’t you dare fucking try to tell me otherwise. They don’t need you crying into your fucking soup.”

Moon Song’s hoof jammed into Celestia’s chest, the words coming faster and thicker now - no longer razor sharp, but hammer blows. “What they need is Celestia Solaris, the fucking Sun Queen. They need the monarch so feared by every other shithead ruler in the world that no one sane has tried to fuck with Equestria in seven centuries.” The hoof jammed in again, and Celestia could feel a spark of… something, lighting up in her chest. Moon Song released her hoof and turned slightly before speaking one more time. “So put on your big-filly panties and deal with it, Princess - unless you want to go back to a smoking ruin of a country.”

Celestia could only stare in astonishment after Moon Song and was at least gratified to see that Luna’s disbelief was no less powerful. Luna shook it off faster though, and before Celestia could work up a good head of outrage, she was already speaking in quiet and reasonable tones. “She is right, Sister. We cannot afford to hesitate now. Every moment we do so is another moment that foul being has a chance to work its will upon Equestria.” Luna’s voice had taken an edge to it, but there was no less courage in her tone.

Luna trod around the fire and pressed a hoof into Celestia’s. “Please, sister… I know you fear that you will become no different than Nightmare Moon.” Celestia’s head whipped around, her jaw dropping. She had said no such thing, and had not even once inferred such a fear around Luna! Of course, that is the last thing I wish to do given how sensitive she was about those times at first… “Sister,” Luna’s voice cut in, her mouth turned upwards in a gentle smile. “Please believe me when I say that you could never become like that… creature was. No matter how much they may try and worship you, I have little doubt that such attention will simply roll off you.” Luna’s eyes were twinkling at her, her voice turning sly. “At least, it will once they have seen you sleeping off an excess of cake and hard cider.”

Celestia stared at Luna for a moment of disbelief before bursting into laughter. Strained, slightly psychotic sounding laughter, but laughter none the less. Luna is right… as usual. “Very well,” Celestia found herself saying, drawing herself back up to a proper sitting stance. “If we must play the goddess for these children to ensure our victory, then we will do so.” She held up a hoof at Star Swirl’s excited smile and the sudden revivification of his mood. “But! You and I shall share very frank words later, Star Swirl. And I shall not wear my battle armor for this purpose. No. If these Ki-Lin desire a Sun Goddess, then that is what they shall receive. On my terms.”

Luna blinked at her, tilting her head slightly to one side. “And just what did you have in mind, dear sister?”

Inked Hooves was well and truly bored.

Not that he would ever admit as such to his superiors, but he was. Even in spite of the brilliant and beautiful sunrise provided to them by the Goddess, today was clearly going to be a slow day for himself and the rest of the gate duty. The two guards - Silver Breeze and Bright Star - were chatting amicably with one another, their long naginata resting carelessly against the wall. Had it been any other day, Inked would have chastised them for their laziness… but frankly, he was feeling in much the same casual mood.

It was not precisely known that such a casual sort of attitude could be displayed at the Grand Eastern Gate, but Inked Hooves long ago discovered that it was good to relax from time to time. It seemed to make the peasantry more at ease with them if they believed their betters thought and lived much as they did during their off hours. A silly notion, but it helped foster better relations with the lower castes.

So when his morning reports had been written and sent off by messenger, Inked decided it was a good day to simply enjoy the bright sun and pleasant fall breeze. Soon enough, it would be too cold to enjoy this sort of atmosphere, but the gentle bite of Tsukiyomi’s wind contrasting with the loving gaze of Amaterasu’s sun was a pleasant dichotomy to begin the day. He felt his heart brighten, and with but a thought and a touch of aid from the wind spirit he had already set his quill to writing out a few words on the subject. It was always good to indulge one’s creative side when praising the spirits as the priestesses often said it could please them enough to grant you a bit more of their power.

He had just finished roughing out the first draft and placed his signature upon it when Inked noticed the subtle change. A new breeze flooded through the gates and the windows of his office, smelling richly of baked earth and the depth of a summer evening. Gone was the chill of the fall day, replaced with a gently soothing heat that came from no discernable place at all. He started, and stared around him for a moment, searching for the source of this strange change in the world around him.

Then the breeze came again, this time redolent with the smell of summer flowers and the richness of fresh fruits and vegetables. Inked stared for a moment at his simple words, and wondered if perhaps Amaterasu truly had been watching and had found his words pleasing. He licked at his suddenly dry lips when the soft light of the morning sun became even brighter - shining golden-yellow into his office, and he could no longer sit and wonder what might be occurring outside his window.

His hooves carried him out into the open space of the Gate. Like all of the Grand Gates, it was built into a perfect semi-circle, marred only by the need for a flat road at the ground. Fitting for the Eastern Gate, this one was painted a bright red with many sun motifs and wavy architecture in praise to the Sun Goddess. There was even a large disc of white jade - onto which had been carved what many thought of as the image of Amaterasu - set into the ground in the middle of where the gate met the earth. The two guards had taken their naginata in hoof and were staring into the east in awe, and as Inky turned his gaze to see for himself, he could not find the heart in himself to chastise them.

For the dawning sun was shining with impossible beauty through the cherry blossom trees that lined the road towards Neighpon, and upon that road, a single slender figure walked slowly towards the gate. Clearly, it was a unicorn or Ki Lin, but it was far taller and its horn far more slender and graceful than any creature Inked had seen before in his entire life. Inked Hooves wondered from where such a creature could have come when the world blossomed in color and light.

Before his very eyes, the cherry blossom trees burst into new life - vibrant pink blossoms suddenly budding and blooming far, far out of season for them. The sere grasses alongside the road, the life having faded from them as winter approached, suddenly glowed with the healthy green lush of midsummer. Inky felt his heart contract with an emotion he could not immediately identify as the shadowed figure strode close enough to be seen even in the shining bright light of the sun.

Her eyes were the most vivid color he had ever seen in his entire life. He could not even properly describe the color of those eyes, looking down upon him with a gentle kindness and love that was fit to fill up the entire world. Her mane flowed with ethereal grace, colored in soft pastels that mocked what poor artists had tried to capture in mere paint. Her coat was as pure white as the snow, and she bore vast and powerful wings upon her back. Her hooves were shod in boots of gold, and a simple golden crown inset with a single blue stone sat upon her brow. A golden torque was the last of her jewelry, shimmering with simple sun iconography.

Of course, a Goddess had no need for further ornamentation.

Words abandoned Inked Hooves in that moment, and even under the kindly gaze of Amaterasu he could not help but feel a sense of awe. His hooves trembled as he offered up the scroll to her, wondering if perhaps he had erred too far in his desire to express his devotion. “For me?” she spoke to him, her voice mellifluous and gentle and infinite in its kindness. He nodded a little, unable to find words for his tongue to speak. Her horn lit with vibrant golden magic and unfurled the scroll slowly, her eyes darting across the parchment as though she read like any other mortal. Perhaps it was simply a way to make the lesser folk more comfortable in her presence. Regardless, a slow smile blossomed onto her face. “My goodness… Sister, you really must read this,” she said, turning her head to glance over her shoulder when a second figure strode into view and nearly caused Inked Hooves to collapse on the spot.

She had made no shadow upon the earth - which was perhaps appropriate, given that Her moon was currently slumbering in wait for the night. Her eyes shone with the pure blue of the evening sky, and her coat was the dark-blue of the night. Within her mane a field of stars and space rippled through the air and where Amaterasu’s regalia was of gold, hers was of silver and moonstone. Her own eyes darted across the paper and she gave a soft and pleased laugh. “Tis a truly flattering bit of prose, Sister.” The gaze of Tsukiyomi turned upon him, and her coy smile was fit to arouse a pleasure and lust in even the most chaste stallion’s heart. “We thank thee for thy kind words, young stallion.”

Amaterasu nodded in agreement. “Oh yes. May we keep this?” she asked him - asked! - waving the scroll gaily in the air. It was all he could do not to nod so hard that his head fell off. She smiled in slow pleasure and bowed her head to him for a moment in clear thanks before tucking the scroll away in a saddle bag. “Now, would you be so kind as to direct us to the Imperial Palace? There is much work to be done.” Though her voice was still kind, there was now a briskness to it. Any child would have recognized the firm tones of a mother in that voice - kind and sweet, but fully prepared to lay down the law when work needed to be done.

Without even thinking about it, Inked Hooves felt his professionalism snap back into place. “Of course, Great Ones,” he murmured reverently, bowing deeply to the both of them. Clearly they were testing his ability to perform his duties, even in the face of the extraordinary. “To reach the palace is simplicity itself. Proceed down the Jade Road, upon which we now stand.” He gestured firmly, confidently. He would carry out his duties with dispatch and skill. “Until you reach the central square, where the Marketplace resides. Then turn to the north road, which is called the Golden Way and follow it without error. At the end of that road, you shall find the Palace complex.” There! A perfect and succinct description, as good as his superiors could have ever asked for.

And sure enough, Amaterasu seemed quite pleased. “Thank you, Inked Hooves,” she said with a smile that sent a wave of warm approval through his body. “Come along, Sister - Star Swirl. We ought to not keep them waiting.” And with those mysterious words, she continued through the gate at a firm trot. Tsukiyomi followed in her wake, but not before giving Inked a smokey sort of look as they vanished past the gates…

And in her hoofsteps a third figure walked. He wore a strange wizard’s hat and cloak, bedecked with bells, stars, and moons. A scraggly white beard hung from his chin, and his eyes were piercing and calm. He said no word to Inked or the guards, but not one of them did not know his face. His statue had long been prominent in the Grand Square, after all.

And every child knew the name of The One Who Shall Return.

For the rest of her life, Celestia would never be able to forget the first time she laid eyes upon the Jade Palace. Perhaps it was because of how the city was reacting to her presence - subtly casting the dozen or so spells and manipulations of the weather using her own pegasus magic had created the intended effect. Instead of appearing as avenging battle goddesses, they had instead awed the locals into the same kind of gentle curiosity as the average Equestrian.

Their Goddesses strode amongst them - a kind word here, a gentle laugh there. Luna was expressing great interests in all the local treats and cuisine they passed, and Celestia herself could not deny that she was very interested in sampling those fascinating looking cookies being sold on the street. But now was not the time for gustatory pleasures, and instead they simply moved inexorably to the palace.

There, Celestia found herself stunned into silence by the immeasurable beauty of the place. Unicorn architecture had always been gorgeous, but this place bid fair to put even Canterlot in the shade. The entire structure seemed built out of gentle circles, arches, gracefully fluted fences, and elegant gardens of vibrant flowers and stone. The building soared an easy ten stories into the sky, dwarfing many of the other buildings around it… but not all of them. Indeed, it was kind of strange how so many other tall buildings there were interspersed throughout the city.

There were no walls about the palace… and there didn’t need to be. A vast and swiftly flowing river neatly demarcated where the city ended and the palace grounds began, and only a single wide bridge spanned the river to cross it. Word had apparently quickly spread of their arrival, as the bridge was guarded by several squads of Ki-Lin in odd looking armor. Many carefully stitched together plates of some kind of material made up the armor, and they all held those odd swords-on-spears that the main gate guards had been holding in their hooves.

At first, Celestia could not pick out their leader until she strode forward - instead of one of the spears, she wore a pair of slender looking blades strapped to her back. Her eyes were a bright and vivid green, and she wore the same kind of stiff look that Celestia’s own Royal Guard often wore when they were on duty. The thought made her grin a little, and a touch of hesitation went into the guard-captain’s otherwise stiff and formal stance. Fortunately, this captain was apparently quick on her hooves. “Sagacious greetings to you, Almighty Amaterasu. And greetings to Your Radiance, Tsukiyomi.” She bowed deeply to them, as did every other member of the guards by the bridge. “And at last, we welcome your return to Neighpon, honored Sage.”

She raised from her bow as Star Swirl strode to stand alongside her, and she spoke in a soft and reverent tone. “The Empress awaits you all with eager anticipation.”

Author's Notes:

Sorry for the wait, everypony. In exchange, here's an extra-long chapter!