I am Princess Celestia of Equestria. For over a thousand years I have ruled over this land. I set the sun in the sky to start each new day. I've kept peace for most of my rule. Yet, sometimes I feel like a foalsitter.

“The Mayor of Salt Lick City has requested additional rain to be added to the weather schedule or their crops will dry out,” my trusted secretary says as she walks along the castle corridor beside me.

I'm feeling exhausted after a long day, so my answer is curt. “This isn't a crown matter. Tell him to put in a request with the Department of Weather.”

“That's the problem. He's already done that three times and has been denied.”

“On what grounds?”

She uses her unicorn magic to quickly leaf through the papers she's carrying in front of her. “The DOW claims that they don't have the resources, but the Mayor insists it's because Salt Lick City did poorly during their tornado duty last year and now the pegasi are out to get them.”

Rolling my eyes, I respond. “That's a serious accusation. Tell the Cloudsdale state department to launch a formal investigation. In the meantime dispatch some weather teams to Las Pegasos to get some extra rain clouds from there.”

My secretary scratches out a few notes and adjusts her glasses. “Also about the budget for Nightmare Night … “

I cut her off by holding my hoof in front of her. “Take that up with my sister Luna. Besides the time for the Day Court is over.”

“There's still five minutes till sundown.”

Closing my eyes, I fire up my horn and gently lower the sun behind the horizon. “You were saying, Swift Quill?”

She sighs. “You really shouldn't do that, your highness. You know it upsets the castle guard in their rotation.”

“For the last millennium I've pulled double duties through both day and night. I think I deserve to punch out early for once.” It's not that I hate my job. There are just the kind of days, where I get swamped with administrative details to the point that I have to wonder if my subjects have forgotten how to live without my orders. Like today.

Swift Quill gives me a weak smile. “Off the record, your highness. It's about damn time you took a vacation. Take a few days off. Have some fun.”

Although she's my subordinate, she's been working with me for so long that we've also become friends. So I appreciate her openness. I'll miss her, when she's gone. But I've gotten used to losing friends a long time ago. It's one of the realities, when you've lived as long as I have.

“I may actually do that. But for right now a hot bath will have to do.”

“See you bright and early tomorrow, your highness.”

After bidding me farewell, she hurries back to the throne room. She still has to hand over the protocol of the day's events to the secretary for the Night Court. As my mood begins to brighten in anticipation of a nice bath, a good book and the prospect of my soft bed, a guard comes running down the hall.

“Your highness!” he yells and then promptly trips over his own hooves, face-planting on the polished floor with a clatter and sliding the rest of the way until he comes to a stop in front of me. He looks up at me from under his crooked helmet with a blush. “I … um … ah.”

“Calm down, Corporal,” I say, straightening him out and lifting him back to his hooves with my magic. “What seems to be the problem?” One of the earliest lessons I've learned is to keep a cool head in a crisis. Not only is it necessary to make decisions, but it's also important to keep your subjects from panicking.

He nods and salutes. “Intruders in the palace, your highness. They appeared from some kind of magic circle.”

My eyes narrow. “Who is it?” My mind goes through a million different possibilities. But at this point what I need is information.

“They are … well, actually I'm not quite sure what they are, let alone who. They stand on two legs and they don't have front hooves. More like some kind of claw, but they aren't dragons.”

“What are they doing right now?”

“Just … waiting, I guess. They asked for you by name.”

That was unexpected. From the vague description they sound like humans. But humans normally can't enter Equestria, unless … “Take me to them.”

The guard leads me to one of the seldom used rooms in the castle. Two guards are standing in front of the door. I only give them a short nod in response to their salutes as I pass by them. Having entered, I can see three men. Several of my pegasus and unicorn guards have them surrounded, even though I can see in their eyes that they are apprehensive at the strange creatures.

“Yo, Celly! Long time no see.” The man who greets with with a bright smile and a cheerful expression has crimson hair and is wearing a white uniform with a red cape.

I let my breath out explosively. “Sirzechs, please don't scare my subjects like that or does the Underworld no longer use doors?” Yes, that man is Sirzechs Lucifer, the current Demon Lord of the Underworld.

“Please forgive us Celestia,” the tall, blonde man next to him says apologetically. “I told them we should have sent word ahead.” That's Michael, Chief Archangel of the Heavens and the successor of God from the Bible, who died during the Great War.

The third man, who has black hair with bleached tips and is wearing a Japanese yukata, laughs. “What would be the fun in that? It wouldn't be much of a surprise visit otherwise.” Azazel, Governor General of the Fallen Angels. I see his easy-going attitude hasn't changed.

“What surprises me far more than the manner of your entrance, is that the three of you are in one room together and you aren't trying to kill each other.”

Azazel shrugs. “Well, some things happened and the three great powers are now at peace.”

That's gotta be the understatement of the century. “Remarkable. And it only took you two hundred years.”

“Hahaha. I'm still waiting for the passage being added to the Bible, where it says: 'And a magical pony princess descended from the sky and told everybody to knock off the crap.'” He pokes Michael in the ribs.

The Archangel coughs in embarrassment. “Yes, well. If we ever do put that in, we'd have to word it slightly differently. But it is true that your role in the initial truce is understated, Celestia.”

Back then God and the third Lucifer had just died and the war had reduced the numbers on either side greatly. But none of the factions trusted the other enough to hold a peace meeting. Since Equestria and Earth are connected through Tartarus, I was brought in as a mediator.

Still, it's remarkable that they managed to come to some sort of agreement without calling me. Looking around, I notice that my guards are still on alert with their weapons at the ready. “Guard. Stand down. These three are our guests. Please escort them to the east tower and see to their needs. I'll be along shortly.”

They're still apprehensive about, what are to them alien creatures, but they salute and carry out the order.

“Aren't you coming with us? I have something to talk to you about,” Sirzechs asks.

“It can wait half an hour. I've had a long day and I was just on my way to the royal baths.”

“Need someone to scrub your back?” Of course it's Azazel who asks such an outrageous question with a grin on his face.

“I hear you tried that line on Gabriel once and she threw you off Mt. Megiddo for it.”

“ … It was Mt. Sinai,” he says sullenly. I can hear Sirzechs and even Michael trying to suppress their chuckles.

“Well, if you wanna add the Canterlot Mountains to that list, you're free to try and follow me.” Of course he doesn't.

Author's Notes:

yukata - a type of kimono usually worn in the summer