Two years

Two years. It had been two years since her sister had been banished.

Celestia stared out over the plains below her newly finished citadel, now dubbed Canterlot, and sighed. The view from the balcony may have been beautiful, but Celestia was already growing tired of it; she missed her view of the guardians in the old castle in the heart of Everfree. She shook her head, and returned her thoughts to the events of the past two years.

The great white alicorn had led her little ponies through the time of recovery, which was by no means close to being finished, with a kind of detached grief which only reared its head around those she truly trusted and even then only for a few brief seconds before it was retracted once more. She had to be the rock that others leaned on now, not the other way around.

The nobles had finally given up their attempts to skewer each other over what land they should and shouldn’t gain from those who had supported her sister in her bid for power, and Celestia had stopped burning the legislation that they sent her. She still didn’t trust them not to attempt to maul each other politically, but at least they would stick to words and convoluted plans instead of swords and armies.

The peasants and layponies were, as expected, doing poorly as much of their crop had been destroyed or ‘charitably given’ to the clashing armies. However, Celestia knew that given a few more good growing seasons they would recover as well. In the meantime, they would just have to be grateful for the food Celestia had ordained for them to receive every week. Despite the granaries being worried, the alicorn knew that there was enough food to go around for a year or two more.

The thestrals presented a... bigger problem. They were by no means despised by the entire population, most of whom had been surprisingly accepting of their batlike brothers and sisters, but there were still pockets of hatred scattered across the land. Each day Celestia heard horror stories of lynchings and ‘bat hunts’ which were carried out during the dead of night by lone groups of ponies and as of yet, her police forces had been unable to find the sources behind the attacks. With every story she heard Celestia’s heart bled as the knife of hatred and loathing stabbed even deeper into it, twisting and cutting at the alicorn’s conscience.

The nearly silent sound of hoof steps behind her alerted her to the approach of Moonshadow. The young thestral, who as it turned out had only been fourteen when he arrived, made her proud each and every day, quickly grasping the complex games that the nobles played and giving as good as he got, and on some occasions even better.

With Celestia’s help and tutelage the stallion had become adept at problem solving, critical thinking, and even at reading legislation... thought Celestia doubted that he would be ready to truly write anything for quite some time.

“Good afternoon Moonshadow,” Celestia said turning her head to face the blue maned thestral.

“Good afternoon, My Queen,” Moonshadow replied, formal as always upon introduction, giving her a short bow before walking over to stand beside her.

Celestia glanced down at him and a smile of joy crossed her face. Two years ago she would never have suspected that the bedraggled, travel weary, and emotionally distraught thestral would have become so handsome and confident.

Now his blue mane was now well combed and washed and was the same color as the sky as dusk became night. His slate grey coat was now spotlessly clean and the stallion’s powerful leathery wings were folded neatly against his sides. The thestral looked up at her with his dark golden eyes which were just as intense as they had been on that first night, his chiseled jaw set in a small smile.

According to the servants’ gossip, which Celestia had long ago learned to listen too, he was the castle heartthrob and there were many of the castle staff and even several noble mares who giggled whenever he passed. Celestia knew that he hardly gave them any notice, but that didn’t stop them from trying to capture and ensnare his attention through all manner of tricks.

All in all, Celestia was very proud of how far her ‘son’ had come in the two years following their first meeting.

“Have you come with more reports from General Blueblood?” Celestia asked him as she took a seat on her haunches. “Unless of course you are simply after my company, in which case all you need to do is say so and you will have it.”

Moonshadow smiled and sat down beside her.

“In truth, it was both,” he said before he drew a letter out of a satchel bag around his neck with his sharp teeth and passed it up to her. Celestia gently plucked it from within his teeth with her magic and opened up the letter, quickly glancing over its contents.

Celestia

The Dominion army decided to test our mettle on the field of battle two days ago. Fear not, we beat back the damned dogs with few casualties of our own, less than a hundred, and inflicted somewhere in the realm of two thousand, against them. I may be preemptive in saying this Ma’am but I believe that the campaign season is over for the year.

-Warmest regards and pleasant days: General Blueblood.

Celestia read over the concise message twice and nodded in satisfaction before passing it back to Moonshadow to read over. “Good, hopefully this victory will keep remind the Dominion why the Equestrian Army is the second best in the world.”

“We can hope so,” Moonshadow agreed. “The General seems confident enough of it by the look of this letter.”

“Yes he does,” Celestia nodded before she reached out and pulled the young thestral closer to herself with a billowy white wing. Moonshadow allowed himself to be nudged closer to the mare until his grey fur was touching her own white coat. “So my young ward, what of the other reason are you here?”

Moonshadow sighed and looked down at the balcony floor for a moment before finding the right words.

“I just... wanted to ask you a question,” he said slowly, an obviously nervous look crossing his face.

“Then you must simply ask it,” Celestia stated warmly. “I will not judge you harshly for your question, whatever it may be.”

Moonshadow nodded his head and then rallied another breath. “When are you going to bring your sister back?”

Celestia’s breath caught in her chest and she froze for a moment before she answered causing Moonshadow to look up at her with concern.

“I... honestly do not know. I have been so busy as of late returning our country to the way it was before her rebellion that I had not thought to ask Clover the Clever how to undo her banishment spell,” the alicorn answered uncertainly, then she sighed deeply. “Unfortunatly... even if I had asked, the answer would most likely be the same... not for some decades until I have succeeded in correcting the damage that she did the country.”

“I see...” Moonshadow trailed off with a sigh of his own. “I’m sorry for bringing it up My Queen. I know the subject troubles you deeply... it’s just I know that my people would prefer to have our ruler back.”

Celestia leaned over to gently nuzzle the colt with her proud white muzzle. “Do not fret Moonshadow; I know the ails of your people... and I know that were my sister here she would surely be able to correct some of the issues that I myself may not.”

Moonshadow accepted the nuzzle freely and smiled slightly at the feeling. “Thank you... mother.”

They sat together like that for some time, one wrapped in the other’s embrace until Celestia sighed and unwrapped Moonshadow, getting to her hooves. “I’m afraid my son, that I must depart... your question has reminded me that I have an appointment with Clover that I must get to.”

The thestral nodded. “I will see you at dinner then, mother?”

“Of course,” Celestia said with a small smile. “Now run along, you have fillies to make giggle,” she added with a sly motherly look

Moonshadow blushed scarlet and Celestia left him alone on the balcony, heading for Clover’s chambers.

The Archmage’s mood had been... improving since they’d moved to Canterlot, though she was still far from perfect. She was still sour and for the most part rather cut off from the average pony; in fact the cleaning crew was still in the process of cleaning up the mess left behind when she had offended a noble who had challenged her to a duel. To say that it hadn’t been pretty would have been an understatement and Celestia heard that the stallion was still having night terrors two weeks later.

Worst of all, she had erected a seemingly insurmountable wall between herself and Celestia, and whenever they talked the mare had addressed her formally instead of by name. It saddened Celestia’s heart... but she did not blame the mare, nor begrudge her of her feelings. After all... how could she when it was herself to blame for the mare’s feelings?

The alicorn reached a set of stairs and started to walk downwards into the heart of the mountain where Clover had chosen to make her home and laboratory. Though Celestia had begged her to remain above ground in the light, the mare had chosen instead to move underground citing the safety the spells that she would be performing... and her wish to not be disturbed by the ‘common rabble of idiots’.

Celestia reached the door to Clover’s chambers, a thick solid metal door engraved with a thousand runes, and placed her hoof on the proper one to activate the ‘doorbell’ spell. Celestia winced at the memory of activating the wrong rune, and setting of an intruder countermeasure spell strong enough to suspend even her from the ceiling for several minutes till Clover had depowered it. The answer came swiftly, and the door swung open to show a familiar purple unicorn looking at her with a neutral expression on her face.

“My Queen,” Clover said plainly, not bothering to bow.

The mare’s face was impassive, but the large bags that ran under her eyes and across her face showed just how tired and exhausted she really was. Beneath the outer layer of exhaustion there was still a raging fire of intelligence in her eyes, and below that a pit of grief.

“Clover,” Celestia replied cordially as she stepped through the door and into the intricately carved room.

Unlike all other rooms in the castle which had been made to withstand siege via strengthening spells which had allowed the builders to focus purely on aesthetics; Clover’s room was much different. Instead of being made out of separate pieces of stone and bricks, the room had instead been carved out of a solid block of granite by Clover’s own magic which had then been coated in a layer of iridium and then heavily enchanted to prevent any and all magic from leaving or entering the room. It had then been painted over in a light blue color... the same as Luna’s coat before her turn.

Set along the walls were massive, ancient bookshelves loaded to the brim with hundreds of books, each containing more detail than most libraries. Magically entrenched into the solid stone of the floor was a large circle of silver and gold. A ring of runes running along the outside of it forming a complex pattern that would baffle the average eye and confound anyone but the most intimately knowledgeable about the upper level areas of magic.

Sitting off to the side of the room in a wooden chair, calmly reading one of the many books was Adamant Armor, the golden maned stallion who had become Clover’s constant companion since the night she’d broken down in the garden. Celestia wasn’t sure whether or not Clover enjoyed his company, or if she just trusted and respected him marginally more than the average guard. Whichever the case, the fact remained that he’d put up with her moodiness, and Celestia wasn’t about to throw off a good thing.

“So, what is on the schedule for today?” Clover asked as she led the way to table off to the side of the room. Celestia sat down across from her in an extra large chair that could hold her considerably larger than average sized rear end and smiled.

“Not much I’m happy to say. General Blueblood seems to think that we’ve finally whipped the Dominion enough times to make a real impression on them,” Celestia answered causing Clover to nod.

“Good, with the mutts taken care of we will have fewer... scavengers nipping at our heels,” Clover said with a distasteful frown at the mention of the diamond dogs.

“Indeed, it will be good to have General Blueblood home once more, along with the rest of the troops,” Celestia agreed with a warm note in her voice.

“True enough,” Clover agreed. “Now... what else is on your mind My Queen?”

Celestia frowned for a moment before saying. “Well, I had a question about the banishment of my sister... how long until the spell blocking her return is lifted?”

Clover’s mood darkened and she looked away. “She is to be banished for a thousand years our time, after that the walls will be lifted.”

Celestia frowned. “Why would you choose such a long stretch of time? Truly; I will have things repaired enough for her to return in a matter of decades...”

“Because, not only do you have to repair the country, but also her image,” Clover said, her eyes locking on Celestia’s. “Luna fell to the parasite in the first place because she believed that ponies hated and feared her, instead loving only you and your day. If you do not change that then the exact same thing will happen again once she is home and cured.”

“I see... I had not thought of that,” Celestia said slowly as she frowned.

“I can see that,” Clover replied coldly. “You never have.”

Celestia winced, but nodded slowly, accepting the blame.

“I - yes, you’re right,” Celestia sighed softly. “I... just didn’t think she was so upset at the time... I thought it was just...”

“Just what Celestia? Teenaged angst?” Clover inquired with a critically raised eyebrow.

Celestia bowed her head in shame, tears appearing in her large violet eyes and slowly leaking down her face, they poured like a river for a few long moments as Clover watched her with icy eyes. Then, the tears dried and Celestia’s gaze was boring into Clover’s.

“What do I have to do to get my sister back Clover?” she asked in a low tone, her voice crackling with intensity.

Clover almost flinched under the intensity of the alicorn’s eyes and she was suddenly reminded that Celestia controlled the sun with her magic. A feat that even she couldn’t replicate. It was more than that though, alicorns felt emotions far more intensely than the average pony did... a fact that she knew very well from her friendship with Luna... and the emotions raging behind Celestia’s normally gentle eyes were... to be quite frank; terrifying.

“Well... you must wait nine hundred and ninety eight years-”

“-you said a thousand but a second ago!” Celestia protested, a fiery edge of anger in her voice.

Clover sighed. “A thousand sounds more ominous than nine hundred and ninety eight years, eleven months, five days, and twelve hours...” she trailed off, looking to the side. “Yes... I counted.”

Celestia gave her a flat look and the other mare fidgeted slightly beneath the sheer... presence of the alicorn.

“Continue,” Celestia finally said neutrally after several seconds of eying Clover.

“Well-” Clover cleared her throat for a second before continuing. “You must wait nine hundred and ninety eight years, then you return to the place where Luna had the deepest connection... in other words the old castle, and have a direct female blood descendent to me cast the return spell.”

“I see...” Celestia mused and then looked at Clover carefully. “In that case...” she trailed off and looked at Clover.

“Before you say anything,” Clover said, holding up a hoof stopping Celestia from saying anything more. “I have already accepted that, and I know who it will be.” She looked behind her to the stallion sitting in the chair reading a book. Celestia also cast a look to Adamant Armor who looked up and blushed and his white coat turned red under the duel looks.

“Ah... you are certainly well... prepared then...” the alicorn said, a little awkwardly.

Clover nodded swiftly. “I have failed Luna once already... I will not fail her a second time.” Then she locked gazes again with Celestia, steely conviction coloring her voice. “And neither will you.”

“You are right; I will not,” Celestia promised her. “I want nothing more than to correct my mistakes... I will do so even if it costs me my life.”

“Good... or else I will be forced to haunt your immortal rear end,” Clover stated, and Celestia was uncertain if she was joking.

“I will keep that in mind... I would not want you haunting me Clover... I fear that I would never get enough sleep with your constant lecturing on magical theory,” Celestia said, a small smile on her face.

Clover stared at her for a long moment... then, ever so slowly, the Archmage's cheeks lifted up into a small smile of her own. Slowly, as if breaking through a two year thick sheet of ice, the two began to chuckle softly, then to giggle a little louder, and then finally to laugh.

Author's Notes:

Hey guys, surprise second update! I'm doing this because I have the day off on Tuesday so I should be able to get the next one out on time.

Anyways... I'm not sure how to feel about this chapter... I hope it doesn't seem rushed but I think it does everything it needs too.

Oh, and for those of you wondering about the way time flows between Equestria and the Wasteland, all I can say is that it flows just fast enough to be convenient.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it and please comment!