Malefic Bonds

by Hibernating Lizardman

First published 4th of December, 2013

Evil is never inherited; it's created from the despairs suffered by loss of love, purpose, and hope. When evil arises, villains are born and subsequently defeated, in turn giving rise to new ones in a never-ending cycle . . . until now.

After casting down Discord and imprisoning him in stone, Celestia and Luna become the new rulers of Equestria. Their subjects, however, are fearful of them due to their command over the sun and moon. To prove she and Luna care for Equestria, Celestia begins a campaign of befriending their subjects through acts of love and kindness.

This results in her meeting Solis, a troubled earth pony orphan with pure yellow eyes and whom never had a loving family or friends. Recognizing great potential in the little colt, Celestia adopts Solis for the purpose of raising him to be a third wheel in she and Luna's rule over Equestria. With him under her wing and Equestria's citizens faithful to her and Luna, Celestia is confident that the future of ponykind is a bright one.

Such confidence is broken, however, by Nightmare Moon's rise and subsequent defeat. With her subjects' faith shattered, Celestia's vision of a bright future starts to crumble. It's then that Solis proposes a plan to ensure such a future comes to pass, but at a great cost to them both. The fate of Equestria is in Celestia's hooves and it all boils down to one simple, yet very emotional question.

Can she learn to hate her only child?

Edited by: kyttypony and Aurora-Borealis
Big thanks to them for helping me with Ye Olde speak.

Adopted Sun (Part 1)

Of every settlement throughout Equestria, the city of Canterlot was undeniably the most grand as well as the most significant to the country’s history. Built along the tall and imposing Canterhorn, Canterlot was originally the site of Princess Platinum’s settlement of Unicornia. After the Windigoes’ defeat, the six companions agreed to rename the mountain-bound city to be ambiguous in regards to tribal affiliations, though the city always remained unicorn-centric.

Times were especially hard for those living in Canterlot during Discord’s rule, as the mountain-bound city was a favorite target of the draconequus’ chaos. Thankfully, safe haven could be found in the crystal caves underneath the city whenever things became too unbearable for everypony, assuming the greedy nobles who owned them could be convinced nopony would steal any crystals.

Now that the mad draconequus had been cast down and imprisoned, the denizens of Canterlot could rejoice in the comfort of their newfound harmony. At the same time, however, they could not help but speculate as to the nature of the beings that had saved them. The ‘battle’ which had ended in Discord’s defeat had indeed been witnessed by Canterlot’s inhabitants, and while they had sighted the ponies which brought down the draconequus not much was known of them aside from their general, and highly unusual, appearance of two mares with both the wings of a pegasus and the horn of a unicorn. Such knowledge only heightened their curiosity regarding their liberators’ identities, but it would not be long before they received answers to their questions.

A week or so after Discord’s chaos was eradicated from Equestria, early in the morning the citizens of Canterlot spotted an object flying through the sky toward the Canterhorn. It first appeared as an unidentifiable dot above the horizon which gradually grew in size until, eventually, it became clear to everypony that what they were watching was a chariot similar to the ones used by Ancient Pegasopolian gladiators, it’s color golden like the early morning sun’s rays that it reflected. As it neared the Canterhorn, they saw that it was being pulled by four pegasus stallions with identical white coats and golden armor which matched that of the chariot they pulled. Sitting in the passenger seat of the rich carriage was another golden armored stallion, though a unicorn instead of a pegasus and with a dark brown coat rather than snow white. Wrapped around his shoulder was a brown saddlebag.

The golden chariot descended upon Canterlot, to which ponies in the streets ran aside to make way for it. They watched in awe as the pegasi touched down on the street and galloped along with the chariot’s wheels making contact soon after, following them until they came to a stop in front of the marketplace.

Immediately, the unicorn stallion stood up straight on the carriage and cleared his throat before speaking loud and clear to the dozens of ponies that watched the display with interest.

“Hear ye! Hear ye! A message from Equestria’s liberators hath been issued to everypony in this fair country! Please, gather all who dwell within the grand city of Canterlot and have them congregate here at once!”

Nothing more needed to be said. Within the next ten minutes, every stallion, mare, and foal of Canterlot was amassed around the golden chariot, eager grins plastered upon their faces in anticipation of what their saviors had to say. The unicorn stallion waited until he was sure everypony was present before levitating a scroll out of his saddlebag and opening it.

“Their message is as follows,” he said, and began reading.

Dear citizens of Equestria,

It pleases Us to announce that the monster known as Discord has been cast down from his rule and is no longer a threat to the well-being of this fair country. From this day forth, Equestria shall be ruled by Us; Princess Celestia, commander of the sun and its day, and Princess Luna, commander of the moon and its night. Together, We shall bring about a reign of peace and prosperity in place of Discord’s chaos and unhappiness.

Sincerely, the royal pony sisters

Once the guard finished reading the message he looked to the crowd, gauging their reactions. What he saw worried him, as the bulk of the crowd wore expressions ranging from confusion to uncertainty to outright horror. They all shied away from his gaze when he glanced in their general direction, as if afraid to be judged by him. Only a few ponies looked genuinely happy to hear the news, and even they looked a tad uncertain of how they should take the news. Such a reaction was understandable by the guards, however, as they too were nervous upon learning the princess’ had solo control over the sun and moon.

Hopefully everypony shall take this glorious news in better stride over time, he mused to himself before continuing.

“We are her highness’ solar guardsponies,” he said, gesturing to himself and the pegasi whom pulled the chariot. “I am Captain Tricolt, and her highnesses have instructed us to inform every settlement throughout Equestria that this fair country hath undergone a change in governance. They have also instructed us to inform everypony that the need for more guards and hoofmaidens is high, and that anypony whom agrees to either position can expect rich compensations for them and their family.”

He let his words sink in for a few moments, during which time he noticed at least a few ponies’ expressions brighten up a bit, before continuing. “We shall remain in Canterlot ‘til tomorrow morning, at which time we must leave to continue our mission. If anypony hath any a question, from now until then is the time to ask.”

After a few seconds of silence one stallion near the front of the crowd spoke up. “What hath become of Discord?” he asked. “Is Equestria truly safe from his madness?”

Tricolt smiled. “Equestria need not worry about the mad draconequus any longer,” he confirmed. “As for what hath become of him . . .”

“So, Discord, dost thou enjoy thy new prison?” Princess Celestia asked the petrified draconequus.

Of course, the statue said nothing in return. The white alicorn could only imagine what retorts the former ruler of Equestria wished he could respond with, assuming he could even hear her at all. Celestia gave a coy smile and stood up on all fours.

“Well, We hope thou dost,” she said, beginning her exit from the castle’s inner courtyard, “because for the rest of thy life, thou willst remain nothing more than a perch for the few birds which choose to visit.”

Celestia stepped onto the stone pathway and followed it into one of the archways connecting the inner courtyard with the castle proper. She spared one last look at the draconequus’ statue before turning back and continuing onward.

Princess Celestia spent the next hour or so exploring the stone hallways of Everfree Castle, she and her sister’s new home. The decision to build the castle in the Everfree Forest was so they were always close to the Tree of Harmony. At that point the actual foundation and framework to the castle were completed, to which all that remained was decoration. Celestia pondered various aspects of this while she walked.

Hmm, a color scheme of burnt orange, red, and yellow might look best for Our side of the castle. Or maybe a color scheme matching Our mane would be more sufficient. For sure, though, a sun roof is needed in the throne room so We can raise and lower Our respective charges with clarity. For the throne itself, should We have just one with the shared design of both Our Souls, or one for each of Us? Hmmm . . .

“Your highness,” said a familiar voice.

The solar princess was brought out of her thoughts and she looked ahead to see the Captain Tricolt bowing before her with his spear clutched firmly in hoof. Celestia adopted a neutral expression and quickly closed the distance between them.

“Rise, Guard Captain,” she commanded.

The unicorn stallion did as commanded, and saluted. Celestia smiled briefly before re-adopting her neutral expression.

"Everypony is aware of Our new rule?" she asked, keeping stoic and calm.

"Indeed, your highness," Tricolt replied. "They were quite nervous upon learning their new rulers can command the sun and moon, but on the whole your rule is quite welcome."

Celestia pursed her lips at that. "We assume there were many questions regarding how We came to obtain such power?" she asked.

"Nay, your highness," Tricolt replied, smiling wistfully. "Everypony was more concerned over Discord's fate than anything having to do with you or your sister, to which I made sure to make clear that he is no longer a cause for worry."

"As he is not," Celestia replied, glancing back toward the inner courtyard. "Never again will he be a threat to this fair country."

"Indeed, your highness," Tricolt agreed.

The two then stood silent for several moments while Celestia lost herself in thought and Tricolt awaited further orders from his princess.

“Walk with Us, Captain," Celestia eventually said, and resumed her trot down the corridor.

“Yes, your highness,” Tricolt replied, and followed after the sun princess.

They spent the next few minutes leisurely walking through the castle’s hallways, Celestia continuing to visualize what designs and decorations would be best implemented into the stone structures, while Tricolt kept focus on his surroundings and his eyes peeled for any sudden flicker of movement to indicate a threat to their safety. So focused was he, in fact, that he did not realize Celestia was trying to get his attention until she stepped part way in front of him, blocking his path.

“Princess?” he asked, looking up at her.

Celestia unblocked Tricolt’s path and replied with, “We asked thee how many ponies offered their services to Us while on your mission?"

Tricolt looked up in thought for a few moments before giving a reply. "I recall around forty-five or so ponies offering to serve under you. Most were stallions asking to join the guard, though a good amount of ponies offered their services as a hoofmaiden as well."

Celestia nodded. "That number shall suffice for now," she said.

"Indeed it should, your highness," Tricolt replied.

“With that matter cleared,” Celestia continued, turning her gaze forward as they approached the entrance hall, “We are free today.”

“What will you do, your highness?” Tricolt asked, looking up at her expectantly. It would be a few days before the royal sisters were to begin proper their roles as the new diarchy of Equestria. Until then, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were free mares.

Celestia took a minute to ponder her answer. The castle renovations would not be carried out until the following week, upon which time Celestia and Luna needed clear visions of what the castle’s interior design should look like. Celestia supposed she could spend the day continuing to mull over what she wanted her section of the castle to look like, but quickly decided against it as there were surely more productive ways of spending her time.

Perhaps it would be best to get intimately acquainted with Our subjects so they might see we are wholly benevolent and caring of their well-being. It hath been so long since the ponies of Equestria could look at their ruler in a splendid light and be proud to serve under them. Yes, to truly connect with Our subjects We must do more than take up the title of ‘princess’ over ‘queen’; We must befriend them like normal ponies would one another. Hopefully, Luna will agree that this decision shall produce the best results.

Celestia finished her inner monologue and turned her gaze down onto Captain Tricolt. In a sincere tone that betrayed no emotions, she replied to his question.

“We wish to know Our subjects.”

Tricolt arched an eyebrow in confusion, not quite understanding what Celestia meant by that. Seeing his confusion, Celestia trotted over to the pedestal which displayed the Elements of Harmony. The six gems rested upon their perches in full splendor for all those who entered the castle to see. Celestia had decided to display them in the castle’s entrance hall for two reasons. The first was so ponies could give thanks to the artifacts that brought their namesake, Harmony, back to a chaotic Equestria. The second reason was because Celestia and Luna were the only ponies capable of wielding the elements there was no need to worry about them falling into the wrong hooves.

Celestia sat down on the pedestal’s rim and gestured for Tricolt to do the same. The Guard Captain complied, quickly trotting over and taking a seat next to her highness. Both of them took a moment to say a small prayer to the Elements before returning their gaze onto each other. Celestia spoke up, her tone wistful.

“Dost thou know the truth behind Discord, Captain Tricolt?”

The Guard Captain furrowed his brow and grumbled. “His paradigm is one of what should happen when a court jester inherits the throne. With utmost honesty, your highness, just the thought of such a thing makes me sick to my stomach.”

Celestia nodded. “We do not fault thee for such a claim, as my sister and I found him to be every bit as repulsive as he was maddening.” She sighed. “Tis a shame that Equestria and its fair populace had to suffer so long under the rule of such a creature.”

“Indeed, your highness,” Tricolt replied, looking downcast.

“But We shall not become such rulers,” Celestia continued. She gazed out a window toward the sun which she commanded and smiled warmly. “From the moment We acquired Our Soul, We could instantly discern two things about Ourself.” She used a wing to point out the window toward the sun. “The first was obvious, move the sun to bring forth the day. We will not lie and say that We felt either joy or pride at having been selected to command the sun all by Our lonesome. Indeed, We were scared to hold such a huge responsibility in Our hooves, as was Luna when she received her own Soul.”

She retracted her wing and turned to look upon the Elements. “The second was more instinctual, but We believed it with every fiber of Our being and that was destiny had set Us on a path much grander than just bringing forth day and night. To have two fillies receive Souls that dwarfed all others in significance in the middle of a chaotic Equestria, where day and night were subject to change at a moment’s notice, surely held a deeper meaning.”

Tricolt tilted his head. “And what was that, your highness?”

Celestia took another moment to gaze upon the Elements before replying. “That We were to lead Equestria into an age of peace and prosperity.” She turned to her Guard Captain. “There were many times that Luna and We believed we were the last ponies who held onto hope that Equestria would one day find itself free from the shackles of Discord’s rule and harmony would be ushered in forever more.” She sighed, smiled, and returned her gaze to the Elements. “But the thought that it would be Us who brought harmony to Equestria did not cross Our minds until mere weeks ago.”

“The Tree of Harmony?” Tricolt asked.

Celestia nodded. “When We saw Our Souls patterned upon the tree’s trunk We knew, then and there, that We were meant to wield the Elements and cast down Discord. After which, with Us in control of both the sun and moon, taking up the position of Equestria’s rulers was only natural.”

Celestia returned her gaze onto Tricolt. “To that end, We wish to set Ourselves apart from Discord in all possible ways, one of such being open relationships with Our subjects.” Celestia took a moment to scratch one foreleg with the other before continuing. “Very few ponies knew Discord personally. Such a dark blind only heightened their fear of him, making it nigh impossible to mount an organized resistance against his madness. Our desire is to quell all fears anypony may have of Us by showing them that Our intentions are pure; only then shall they regard Us as the benevolent rulers We are.”

Celestia smiled when realization began dawning on Tricolt’s face. She continued. “Prepare both the recruits and the Royal Chariot, Captain Tricolt; consider this your first official assignment as the new Solar Guard of her royal highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria.”

With a smile, Captain Tricolt saluted. “Right away, your highness,” he said.

And with that, he cantered off to the Solar Guard barracks to put together a sufficient escort for the sun princess. Celestia watched until he disappeared from sight down the adjacent hallway from where they came.

We chose wisely Our Guard Captain, she thought with a smile.

An aura of nervousness had permeated Canterlot ever since Captain Tricolt delivered the royal sister’s message announcing their new rule over Equestria. Whereas everypony was before then curious as to the nature of Equestria’s saviors, now they had nothing but trepidations for them and how Equestria would fare under their rule.

Even with every reassurance given to them that the royal pony sisters intended to promote peace and harmony with their rule, most of the populace of not just Canterlot, but all of Equestria held a common fear for their new rulers. Even those who did have faith in the new diarchy could understand the mindset of those who did not; any one pony that could command either the sun or the moon held the fate of all living things in their grasp, to which fear for said pony was perfectly natural.

With all the unease regarding their new rulers, it was to be expected that the ponies of Canterlot (at least those outside in the streets) froze in their tracks when the following statement was shouted by somepony:

“The Royal Chariot of the sisters approaches!”

While this statement was repeated throughout the streets, loudly so as to reach the ears of anypony inside their homes, those who heard it the first time looked skyward in search of the golden chariot used by the royal sisters. Sure enough, there it was approaching from the southeast, being drawn by four pegasus stallions wearing the golden armor of the new Solar Guard. Sitting in the carriage were two more ponies, both recognizable. Tricolt had been in Canterlot a few days previous to recruit stallions for their highnesses’ respective Guards, and was easily identified by his brown coat as opposed to the white coats of the pegasi pulling the chariot.

But the bulk of everypony’s attention was fixated on who was sitting next to the Solar Guard Captain. The colorful, ethereal mane and tail of Princess Celestia stood out against the blue sky like an incomplete rainbow, their wave-like movements making it hard to focus on any other part of her. Her magenta eyes stared straight forward, not bothering to look down at the ground while her face was set into a neutral expression that betrayed no feelings of angst or determination, which made it impossible to guess what she could be thinking.

As the Royal Chariot began descending closer to the cobblestone streets of Canterlot, ponies who found themselves in its landing area quickly stepped away to make room for it. The pegasi guards touched their hooves onto the ground and immediately began running along the street, their hooves clopping against the cobblestone in rapid succession which was accompanied by the sound of the chariot’s wheels rolling along behind them. The chariot rolled along the streets for a good twenty meters, passing a plethora of awestruck ponies on both sides, before coming to a stop in front of the city’s marketplace.

Ponies watched from their stalls as Princess Celestia gingerly stepped off the chariot and onto the pavement. Captain Tricolt followed, hopping off the chariot in a burst of energy and landed onto the pavement with a hard thud. He instantly took position in front of Celestia, ready to shield her from any and all harm that may come her way. Celestia nodded in appreciation of his professionalism, then took a moment to look at everypony around them.

What she saw made her frown. Everywhere Celestia turned to look ponies would shrink under her gaze. Some even trembled when she looked in their direction, as if afraid she would shoot them with a magic beam at a moment’s notice.

Surely they do not already equate Us with that mad fiend Discord?

While Celestia surveyed the surrounding ponies, Captain Tricolt helped the pegasus Guards unlatch themselves from the chariot. Following that, he huddled them together for re-debriefing on their assignment.

“Remember colts,” he said, doing his best to sound authoritative, “we are to ensure her royal highness is protected from harm, no matter the cost. If one of us must lay down their life to ensure Princess Celestia remains safe, I expect them to openly welcome death's embrace. Am I clear?”

All four stallions nodded in understanding. Captain Tricolt smiled, then continued.

“Now, one of you four must stay with the Royal Chariot until her highness is finished here, so as to keep it safe from supposed thieves. Dost anypony volunteer to stay behind?”

All four stallions raised a foreleg into the air, whichever one wasn’t occupied with holding the respective Guard’s spear. Tricolt’s smile fell into a frown as he groaned in displeasure. He pointed to the Guard closest to him.

“Private Microburst, thou willst stay with the Royal Chariot, understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Microburst replied, smiling.

“Now then,” Tricolt turned his gaze to Princess Celestia, “shall we proceed, your highness?”

Celestia ceased her survey and turned to Captain Tricolt. She put a hoof to her chin and pondered her answer for a moment before giving it.

“Soon, Captain, but first We must make clear Our purpose for being here.”

Captain Tricolt watched as Celestia took off into the air, creating a moderate burst of wind that kicked a small cloud of dirt up into the air. Ponies from all over Canterlot watched as their sun princess flew higher and higher into the sky until she was level with the top of Canterlot’s tallest spiral towers. Gliding over to one that was nearby, Celestia touched down upon the roof and turned to face down at her subjects. Then she channeled magic into her vocal chords so as to be heard by everypony within the city. Once done, she began speaking.

“Citizens of Canterlot, it is with great pleasure that We announce the arrival of Princess Celestia of Equestria to thy fair city!!! Our purpose for being here is naught but to observe the daily lives of Our subjects and become better acquainted with all of you!!! We hope to quell all fears you may have pertaining to Our rule, as both my sister and We have naught but the purest intentions for Equestria and its citizens!!! Hopefully, with some time, you will come to trust that We are the ponies who shall lead this great country into a golden age of peace and prosperity!!!”

Upon finishing her speech, Celestia listened for whatever response Canterlot’s citizens had for her. She frowned when all she heard was a perfect silence emanating throughout the city streets below her. It was momentarily broken by the sound of a gentle breeze whistling through the air around her but returned immediately thereafter. For a moment, Celestia worried she had paralyzed everypony with fear instead of soothing their concerns as she intended.

Then Celestia’s ears flickered in response to a sound; one which came from the streets below her.

Clop Clop

Celestia recognized the sound as that of hooves stomping on stone, which continued on. She scanned the throngs of ponies below her until she spotted the source; a young unicorn stallion with an aquamarine coat and white mane/tail, stomping the stone pavement like a mad pony. Celestia could have sworn she saw a smile on the pony’s face as he applauded her.

Then more clopping followed from ponies nearby the stallion. They repeated his applause, which resulted in ponies nearby them doing the same. This continued on and on until everypony in Canterlot, that was outside at least, was stomping the stonework beneath them with such a fierce passion as to almost make Celestia cry out in joy. But she kept herself composed and let soak in her ears the sound of hundreds of ponies’ applause. Once the stomping died down, she continued speaking.

“We thank you for your applause, and are truly grateful to have such a warm welcome to your fair city of Canterlot!!! Whilst We are here, We expect you to remain respectful of Us and answer Our questions when asked!!! With that said, We look forward to making your acquaintance!!!”

Her speech concluded, Celestia leapt off the tower’s roof and began gliding down towards the ground. She smiled all the way down, for her plan was working. Ponies were warming up to her and, hopefully, becoming more faithful to her and Luna. As she neared the ground a little unicorn filly with a black mane and tail, a green coat, brown eyes, and a piccolo Soul was waiting for her.

"Well, hello little filly," Celestia said, touching down, "is there something We can help thee with?"

The filly stared sheepishly up at Celestia and scuffled her hoof across the pavement before answering. "If you rule Equestria now, dost that mean Discord is gone?"

Celestia smiled. "Discord is indeed gone, little filly. No longer must Equestria suffer under his rule, of that We guarantee."

The filly frowned. "If you-"

"EMERALD, WHAT ART THOU DOING!?"

The filly, Celestia, and the Guards turned as one to see a unicorn mare with the same coloration as the filly and a flute Soul galloping towards them. The mare barreled around ponies trotting throughout the marketplace, almost causing many to spill their purchases. She rushed across the pavement before coming to a stop in front of the filly.

"Never wander off like that again, young lady!" she shouted to the filly. "Dost thou understand me loud and clear?"

The filly shrunk under her gaze. "But mother, I had a question for the prin-"

"DOST THOU UNDERSTAND ME!?"

". . . Yes, mother."

The mare sighed in exasperation before turning to Princess Celestia and bowing. "I am terribly sorry if my daughter has caused you any inconvenience, your highness. Please, spare her your judgment."

Celestia and Tricolt shared a befuddled look before Celestia addressed the mare before her. "It is quite alright, miss . . .?"

"Lady Melody of the Wind House, your highness," the mare replied, voice laced with fear.

"Miss Melody, it is quite alright; thy daughter hath caused Us no inconvenience whatsoever." She smiled. "She merely asked if Our rule indicates Discord hath been cast down, which he has indeed."

Melody stood up on shaky hooves and smiled wryly. "Well, thank you for casting him down, your highness; everypony is surely grateful to both you and your sister for bringing harmony back to Equestria." Melody then hoisted her daughter up onto her back with her magic. "Come, Emerald, we must return home so thou canst practice."

Emerald nodded and the two set off back into the marketplace. As Celestia watched them go she noticed out of her eye's corner a couple of ponies watching her from affront a nearby stall. When she turned to meet their gaze, both ponies nearly tripped over themselves trying to return to what they were doing. Celestia then looked around the marketplace and saw that many ponies had been watching the exchange between her and Lady Melody along with her daughter Emerald, who all followed suit of the first two and quickly looked away and continued with their business.

We have much work to do, Celestia mused before turning to Captain Tricolt.

“We may proceed,” she said, smiling.

Tricolt nodded with his own smile. “Yes, your highness,” he replied, then turned to the three pegasus Guards. “Assume the formation!”

Within a single moment, all four Guards had surrounded Princess Celestia, ready to intercept an attack on her from any side. The three pegasi flanked Celestia on her left, right, and rear while Captain Tricolt took the lead.

Nodding her approval, Celestia spoke. “Lead the way, Captain.”

For the rest of the day, Celestia and her escort of Solar Guards explored the city of Canterlot, checking out the ponies and observing their daily activities with interest. The ponies of Canterlot always made sure to bow before the solar alicorn whenever she passed by, to which Celestia always smiled and continued onwards, not wanting to keep them from their business.

Occasionally, Celestia would tell her guards to halt so she could check out something of interest at length. When this happened, Captain Tricolt and the pegasi only got more vigilant in protecting her highness, going so far as to scowl at anypony who came too close to their formation. Celestia would then give them a stern reprimand, saying the whole point of their visit was to quell fears they had of them, and being intimidating to simply passersby went against that goal. The guards would apologize, and Celestia would smile before they continued on their merry way.

There were a few points when Celestia had even asked to stop and purchase food from the marketplace. Unsurprisingly, stall vendors who she went to would freak out and claim Celestia could take whatever she wanted without charge. Celestia would insist that she pay for the food, stating she wished to do all she could to help her subjects lead happy lives, to which the vendors would graciously accept the money and thank her highness immensely. Celestia always gave a warm smile in return before taking the food and continuing onwards. As to the food itself, Celestia would always say it’s “delicious” regardless of how it tasted.

It wasn’t until a few hours before dusk that Celestia and the Solar Guards began heading back to the royal chariot, hoping that Microburst had not managed to lose it since they left him with it. All the while they headed back, Celestia was lost in thought as to how much progress she had made getting in the good graces of her subjects. Even with the reassurance of a thousand ponies’ applause to her speech earlier, Celestia knew that her subjects were not totally convinced she had their best interests at heart. Good word of mouth would surely spread of her with all the commoner food she had bought, but Celestia knew she needed to do more to truly make ponies realize she cared for her subjects.

As she and her escort passed down the street leading to the chariot, one particular building to their left caught Celestia’s eye and she turned to look at it.

“Halt,” she commanded.

The Solar Guards did as instructed and stopped walking. They looked to her highness and followed her gaze to the building that caught her interest. It was a two story stone brick abode with a slanted wooden roof and a chimney on the right side. A couple of windows flanked both sides of the wooden front door; through the right one a pink unicorn mare with a wavy red mane and magenta eyes could be seen with her head resting in her forehooves. Atop the front door was a wooden sign that read:

Princess Celestia stared at the building for a few moments, deep in thought, until Captain Tricolt’s voice snapped her back.

“Your highness?”

Celestia turned to face him. “Captain,” she replied, “We have decided to adopt a foal.”

Tricolt’s, as well as the pegasi’s, eyes went as wide as dinner plates. Celestia suppressed a giggle as Tricolt got over his shock and replied to her.

“For what reason, your highness?” he asked.

“For the same reason We are here, Captain.” Celestia turned to look back at the orphanage and continued. “In spite of all We have done to prove to Our subjects that We care for them, doubt still lingers within their collective psyche. By adopting a foal to raise up and nurture, We hope to accomplish two things. The first is to have a third wheel to help Us rule Equestria and help it recover from Discord's chaos. The second is to prove that We care for Our subjects by raising one as if he or she were Our own.” Celestia turned to look back at Tricolt, who now wore an expression of understanding mixed with a hint of nervousness.

“We understand if this decision comes as a shock to thee, Captain.” Celestia smiled. “But trust Us when We say it is with the best of intentions.”

Captain Tricolt took a moment to mull over her words before adopting a resolute expression and replying. “As you wish, your highness.”

Celestia nodded, and began walking toward the orphanage, to which the guards began to follow before being waved off by the solar alicorn.

“Thou willst remain here and stand watch,” she commanded, “for thy presence shall only create unrest to the orphaned foals inside.”

The Solar Guards nodded in understanding and positioned themselves to either side of the orphanage’s front door while Celestia approached it and knocked. After a few moments of waiting, the door opened to reveal the pink coated mare she had seen inside, whom immediately started and bowed before the sun princess.

Celestia merely smiled and knelt down to the mare. “Art thou Miss Happy Heart?” she asked.

The mare looked up at her and nodded shakily. “In-indeed I am, y-your highness.”

Celestia stood up straight. “Thou mayst rise, Miss Heart.”

Happy Heart did as she was told. “T-to what do I o-owe the pl-plea-pleasure of having y-you visit, your highness?”

Celestia gestured with a wing inside the orphanage. “May We come inside?” she asked.

Happy Heart nodded shakily again. “Of course,” she replied, the stutter finally leaving her voice. She stepped aside to allow Princess Celestia entry, to which the solar alicorn nodded and proceeded inside.

Celestia took a moment to stretch her wings before scanning the inside of Happy Heart’s orphanage. In front of her was a stone-walled hallway with a wooden floor and four doors along both walls; two on each side. At the end of the hallway was a wooden staircase leading up to the second floor. Celestia could make out faint sounds of activity emanating from that direction; no doubt the orphaned foals were upstairs playing.

One of them shall be pleasantly surprised very soon, Celestia thought, smiling happily.

She heard the front door close behind her followed by the sound of hoof steps trotting up alongside her.

“For what reason are you here, princess?” Happy Heart asked, coming around Celestia and looking up at her. “Surely I have done nothing to warrant suspicion of treason or rebellion . . . right?”

Celestia shook her head, keeping her smile wide. “Nay, Miss Heart; quite the opposite, actually." She took a moment to stretch her hind legs before continuing. "We are here looking to adopt a foal."

Celestia watched with amusement as Happy Heart stumbled over backwards in response and fell onto her haunches, wide-eyed like her guards were earlier. She quickly scrambled to her hooves and replied.

“Are you serious, your highness?”

Celestia nodded and answered. “Like We announced earlier, We wish to show Equestria’s populace that We mean no ill will towards them and genuinely care for their well-being. To prove Our assertion, and provide a paradigm for those whom lack faith in Us, We wish to adopt a foal and care for them like a good mother would.” Celestia re-donned her smile. “Additionally, a third wheel to help Us rule Equestria could not hurt to have.”

Happy Heart mulled over the sun princess’ words for a moment before a small smile broke out on her face and a teary mist formed in her eyes. A little sniffle sounded from her as she pointed to the stairs.

“Everypony is currently playing upstairs,” she said. Happy used a fore hoof to wipe away the mist from her eyes. “If you need me, I will be in my office.”

Celestia nodded, and began walking toward the staircase. Happy Heart, meanwhile, rushed into her office and shut the door. She wandered over to her desk and sat down before using her magic to pick up a rag from the nearby vanity and levitate it over, where she began using it to wipe away her joyous tears.

The first thing Celestia noticed upon reaching the stairs’ top was the sheer amount of energy all the little foals had. Most of them were engaged in a game of tag from what she could make out, and all the laughs and cheers that resounded from the little ponies while playing brought a warm smile to Celestia’s face. Then Celestia noticed something in a far corner of the room; three unicorn fillies surrounded an earth pony colt whom was reading a book, talking to him. The three fillies had color schemes of various shades of green and blue, while the colt had a coat colored crimson and a mane and tail colored dark gray. Celestia could not see his eyes as they were buried in his book, but she did not need to see them to guess the colt was not enjoying the three fillies’ company.

I had best see what is happening, she thought, and began walking toward them.

In no more than five seconds, every foal who had been playing tag spotted her and stopped cold in their tracks. Even the foal whom was currently ‘it’ froze where she was, not even bothering to take advantage of the suspended game play. With the sudden pause in the game came silence from those whom were playing. Now Celestia could hear clearly what the three fillies were saying to the colt, and it made her furrow her brows in anger.

“Solis is Soulless! Solis is Soulless! Solis is Soulless! Solis is-“

“Ahem.”

The three fillies immediately stopped their chanting upon hearing Celestia clear her throat. Slowly, they turned around to face her, wide eyed and legs trembling. As soon as they saw it was the sun princess, however, fear itself seemed to overtake them as they backed up against the nearest wall and began mumbling incoherent nonsense in their traumatic state of mind. Celestia kept her brows furrowed and closed the distance between them. She gave them disappointed looks and spoke.

“All three of thou, make haste immediately.”

The three fillies wasted no time in complying with Celestia’s command; they galloped to the opposite wall from where the colt was reading and stood there shaking with fear, silently whispering for the sun princess to have mercy on them. Celestia ignored them and turned to the colt who had not stopped reading his book throughout their exchange. Now that she was closer Celestia could see his eyes clearly, and she found them more bizarre than anything else; they were fully yellow with no visible pupils to speak of.

Hath he a birth defect? Celestia asked herself.

She pondered this while she approached the colt, who still refused to meet her gaze. Celestia used her horn to cast a sound barrier around the both of them so they would not be overheard by the other foals, then knelt down so she was eye level with the colt. Upon looking into his yellow eyes, despite them having no visible pupils, Celestia could see a fierce determination in them that beheld an almost abnormal level of focus on the book he was reading. She gave him her warmest smile and spoke.

“Hello, little one,” she said to him, “what is thy name?”

The colt answered without even looking up from the book. “The three mules were chanting it for quite a while; my name is Solis.”

Celestia raised a curious brow at his choice of words used to refer to the three fillies. She was especially perturbed by how casually he spoke the insult, as if he was accustomed to it already. Clearly, this wasn’t the first time the fillies had harassed Solis.

“For what reason do they chant?” she asked.

Solis still refused to look up at her, which slightly irked Celestia, but he still answered her question again. “They find it amusing to tease me because I am lacking a Soul.”

It was then that particular detail finally caught Celestia’s attention. She glanced at Solis’ flank to see that it was, indeed, blank as could be.

A late bloomer, it seems; probably the sole one amongst these foals.

Celestia was brought out of her musings by the action of Solis turning a page to the book. Curious as to what had his undivided attention, she gazed down at the words herself only to be puzzled by them. Despite the book being upside down from where she was looking, Celestia could see that the pages Solis was on talked about advanced magical theory; specifically, unicorn magic. This was especially confusing since Solis was an earth pony and not a unicorn. Celestia might have assumed Solis was reading purely out of curiosity, but the determined look in his eyes convinced her there was more to it.

Since Solis had made it clear he was not interested in properly conversing with anypony, Celestia decided to seek answers to her remaining questions from Happy Heart. She quickly dispelled her sound barrier and stood up. Turning around, she saw that every single foal’s gaze was fixated on her, their eyes wide and mouths slack-jawed in awe. Celestia gave them a warm smile and proceeded toward the stairs.

“Do not mind Us, little foals,” she said to them while walking. “Please, continue playing your game.”

None of the foals gave any kind of response. They merely followed Celestia with their eyes as she reached the stairs and began descending them. They continued staring long after her ethereal mane disappeared from view. A harsh silence permeated the room’s atmosphere, eventually broken by the sound of Solis turning another page of his book.

“What happened?” asked a pegasus colt whom was closest to the stairs.

“Princess Celestia herself came and spoke with Solis!” shouted one of the three unicorn fillies whom was taunting Solis.

All eyes turned to said earth pony colt, to which some of them widened in response to seeing that, after hours of reading his book, Solis had stopped reading and was now looking at them with a curious brow raised.

“That was Celestia?” he asked to nopony in particular.

“. . . Surely thou art kidding, correct?” asked another one of the unicorn fillies.

Solis rolled his eyes. “Forget I asked,” he said, and resumed reading.

“Nay,” the filly replied. She walked over to Solis and yanked the book out of his hooves with her magic.

“What the- give it back!” Solis attempted to grab the book back, but the filly levitated it away. She passed it along to another one of the trio to which Solis followed it.

“Keep Away!” shouted the third filly as the book was passed to her.

All the other foals watched the scene before them with equal parts hesitation and concern. All of them wanted the four ponies’ quarreling to stop, yet at the same time hoped somepony else would step in as they did not want to put themselves in harm’s way. Nopony did, however, and the game of keeping Solis’ book from him continued on.

“GIVE MY BOOK BACK!!!” Solis eventually shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Maybe thou shouldst use magic to take it back?” the filly currently holding the book said. “Oh wait, thou art an earth pony!” And she started laughing.

And with that, Solis lost his patience. All his pent up anger and hatred for the three fillies finally reached its breaking point, and he was keen on letting it out. This time, Solis didn’t gallop towards the filly currently holding his book. Instead, he slowly trotted toward the filly whom just insulted him, his eyebrows furrowed and mouth set into a grim line.

The filly raised a confused brow as he reached her. “What art th-“

She never got to finish her question. Solis left no time for her to react as he turned around and shot a back hoof straight to her face. The blow connected square with her muzzle, resounded by the sickening crunch of bone and squished muscle tissues, and sent the filly flying into the nearest wall. She hit it hard, making a dent in the wood in her shape before falling facedown onto the floor.

Solis lowered his back hoof and turned to face the other two fillies. Their eyes, along with everypony else’s, were wide with shock and terror. He scowled at the one holding his book, and was about to demand she give it back when a familiar voice spoke out, one which sent a slight chill down everypony’s spine.

Adopted Sun (Part 2)

Happy Heart was quietly thinking to herself at her desk when a knock sounded on her office door.

“Thou mayst enter!” she called.

The door opened to reveal Princess Celestia, a neutral expression on her face.

“Your highness,” Happy breathed. She quickly got out of her chair and bowed low for a moment before looking back up at Celestia. “Did you find a suitable foal?”

“Possibly,” Celestia replied, then gestured inside with a wing. “May We come in?”

“Of course, your highness,” Happy Heart said, using her magic to open the door all the way. Celestia entered, then used her own magic to pull over a chair from against the wall, which she sat upon.

Happy returned to sit in her own chair, then turned around to face Celestia. “What do you mean by ‘possibly’?” she asked.

Celestia took a moment to crack her neck before replying. “We came upon a scene most shameful to the foals involved; three little fillies were taunting the colt known as Solis for his lack of a Soul.”

Happy’s eyes widened slightly in response before she lowered her head in disgrace and let out an audible groan. Celestia raised a curious brow to this. “Is it safe to assume similar incidents have happened in times past?”

Happy Heart nodded sagely, then returned her gaze to Celestia. “Ever since I brought Solis here those three fillies, who are sisters named Droplet, Aqualung, and Misty, have done little other than berate and pester the poor colt not just for being Soulless, but also for being as they say, ‘a monster’.” She sighed. “Such insults go against everything this orphanage promotes; I am so sorry, your highness.”

Celestia smiled and shook her head. “Do not blame thyself, Happy Heart, as thou hast done so much for these foals that is commendable.” Happy Heart perked up at the sun princess’ praise of her, which made Celestia’s smile grow a little before re-settling into its previous neutral expression as she continued. “Dost thou attempt instigating proper discipline and social etiquette to these foals?”

“I do, your highness,” Happy Heart replied, “but there is only so much a caretaker can hope to accomplish with foals. What helps none, especially, is Solis’ reluctance to seek my aid in such situations as what you witnessed.”

“For what reason doth he refuse thy aid?” Celestia asked.

Happy Heart sighed again. “Truth be told, your highness, Solis doth not harbor much respect for figures of authority such as we.”

Celestia tilted her head in response. “Why so?”

“It is likely a result of his upbringing.” Happy fidgeted in her seat. “Should I explain to you, princess?”

Celestia thought for a bit before responding. "First, wouldst thou mind explaining how so many a foal came to be under thy care? We noticed at least a couple dozen foals playing upstairs; surely they do not all hail from Canterlot?”

"Of course I shall, your highness, and nay, very few of the foals under my care hail from this city. Most of them I brought under my care during my travels across Equestria.” Happy Heart frowned softly. “As I am sure you know, your highness, life under Discord’s rule was utterly miserable. More so even, many ponies lost loved ones to his chaotic machinations.”

Celestia looked downcast. “Yes, We are aware of such, and it pains Us greatly.”

“It pains me too, your highness,” Happy Heart took a moment to wipe away a tear before resuming her speech, “which is why I took it upon myself to bring under my care any and every orphaned foal I could find throughout Equestria. I visited many settlements which were wrecked by Discord’s chaotic machinations and scooped up every foal whose parents were lost as a result.” Happy Heart looked downcast herself. “By the time I would find them, they would be cold, hungry, and scared endlessly of the horrors they had witnessed. My promise of food and shelter, however, always brought a smile to their little faces and they expressed their utmost gratitude for my generosity.”

Celestia smiled. "We art truly blessed to have a mare as kind as thee living within Equestria."

The pink unicorn beamed. "Thank you, princess; that means a lot to me."

Celestia nodded. "Now, about Solis' upbringing?"

Happy Heart's beaming smile fell into a hard frown. "His story is probably the most tragic of every foal I have under my care."

Celestia frowned herself. "How so?"

Happy took a moment to get comfortable in her chair before beginning. “All of what I say here is according to what Solis has told me of his foalhood prior to us meeting, so I cannot be sure how much of it is the truth.”

Celestia nodded. "I understand."

Happy nodded herself and proceeded. “According to Solis, he did not lose his parents to Discord's chaos. Rather, his mother died giving birth to him, to which his father apparently resented him for. Solis has said his father never viewed him as a son, but rather a deformed cretin whom should have remained unconceived.” Happy looked into Celestia’s eyes only to see they were wide as dinner plates while her mouth was slack-jawed. Happy sheepishly chuckled. “Of course, that is merely what he told me, your highness; Solis never clarified whether his father ever referred to him with those exact words.”

“The poor colt,” Celestia muttered to herself, deep sorrow lacing her words.

“I wholeheartedly agree,” Happy replied.

Celestia took a moment to wipe a few tears away from her eyes. “Thou mayst continue,” she told Happy, who nodded.

“For the first eight years of Solis’ life, he was unloved by everypony he knew. They all shied away from him due to his deformation, so he never had anypony whom he could call a friend. Eventually, Solis gave up on ever befriending anypony and vowed to live his life for, and only for, himself.”

“Such would explain why he is so cold and detached,” Celestia mused.

“Indeed, your highness,” Happy said while wiping away a few tears from her own eyes. “His father died of a heart attack when he was eight years of age, leaving him without any family. Not long after is when I found him, still living in his own home and freezing half to death. Needless to say, I brought him here straight away.”

“And is Solis grateful for thy generosity?” Celestia asked.

“I believe he is,” Happy replied, “though he does not make such clear.”

Celestia took a moment to ponder all she had been told regarding Solis’ upbringing. Once done, she returned her gaze to Happy and spoke.

“We have one more query for thee, Happy Heart.” Said unicorn nodded in understanding. “We found Solis reading a text outlining several advanced theories on unicorn magic. All throughout our conversation he refused to look Us straight in the eye when speaking as he was entirely focused on the book. It strikes Us odd that an earth pony such as Solis would find interest in something unattainable to him. Hast thou any idea of why he reads such material?”

“Well, your highness,” Happy said, “Solis reads more than just books on unicorn magic.”

Celestia raised a curious brow. “And, pray tell, what else doth he read?”

“I have witnessed him reading works on various subjects, but he seems most interested in astrology and psyche anatomy in addition to magic theory. For your first query, princess, I regrettably never gave much thought as to why he reads such material.”

Celestia tapped a hoof to her chin in thought. “Perhaps . . . ah.”

“Princess?”

Celestia gave a sneaky smile. “We believe the answer hath been realized; Solis seeks a solution to his Soulless conundrum.”

Happy Heart gave a wide-eyed stare before also tapping a hoof to her chin in thought. “Such would make sense, I suppose, as his favorite reads can find relation to Souls one way or another. But if such were the case, he would be wasting time as Souls only appear naturally and cannot be forced.”

“Thou art quite right,” Celestia replied. “Though, We must admit to being impressed with his unwavering focus in studying such complex and demanding subjects; tis a skill most helpful in strenuous jobs such as, oh, ruling a country.” Celestia’s sneaky smile grew twice as large.

“I sup- . . .” Happy Heart took a moment to process what Celestia just said. Then her eyes grew wide-eyed again as she stared at her highness, slack-jawed and dumbstruck. Celestia did her best to suppress a giggle at seeing Happy in such a state of shocked realization.

The pink mare eventually snapped back to her senses and, with teary eyes, smiled and asked, “Am I right in my guess that you wish to adopt Solis, your highness?”

Celestia smiled in turn. “We would be honored to raise Solis like he were Our own.”

Happy Heart let flow a steady torrent of tears in response. “Bless you, your highness,” she muttered.

Celestia heard her, but did not respond and just kept her smile as Happy used her magic to open a desk drawer. She levitated out the appropriate adoption scroll and over to Celestia.

“Thank thee again for your kindness, princess.” Happy Heart levitated a quill and inkwell from her desk over to Celestia. “Now, all that is req-”

“GIVE MY BOOK BACK!!!”

Both mares flinched in response to the shouting above their heads. They craned their necks up toward the ceiling and listened for any kind of follow up to the exclamation. When none came at first they looked to each other with worried expressions.

“The fight hath resumed, it seems,” Celestia mused as she got out of her chair and headed for the door.

“Princess?” Happy said, still holding the adoption scroll.

“We shall return,” Celestia said over her shoulder as she exited Happy’s office.

She broke out into a canter down the hallway when a loud banging sound echoed above her head, followed by a softer thud.

What hath occurred in Our absence? Celestia pondered as she ascended the stairs.

Once she reached the landing and gazed into the room, Celestia froze at what she saw along with all the foals whom were playing tag previously. At the other side of the room, one of the unicorn fillies lay face down on the floor with a large dent in the wall above her while the other two stared, Solis’ book enveloped in the aquamarine aura of one of them. But it was seeing Solis himself that shocked Celestia the most.

Judging from how Solis was positioned relative to the downed unicorn filly, it was easy to conclude he had bucked her into the wall. The earth pony’s face was held in an expression of pure, unbridled rage as he scowled at the unicorn holding his book. Celestia, fearing he would repeat his attack, spoke up.

“STOP THIS AT ONCE!!!”

Hearing her voice caused everypony to turn towards her. Their eyes went wide at seeing the solar princess again. Celestia quickly flew over the stunned foals and to the downed unicorn. Turning her over with her magic, Celestia checked for any signs of serious injury. When she found none, she put her ear up to the filly’s chest and listened. Her heartbeat was normal. Celestia then used her magic to search for internal injuries, to which she found a large number of fractured bones and injured muscles in the filly’s facial area. Grimacing, Celestia cast a spell to keep the filly’s face stable while her body naturally healed itself.

After giving her one final check, Celestia lifted the filly in her magic and turned to the other foals. The filly’s sisters were watching her with teary eyes while Solis had retrieved his book and resumed reading in the corner; all the other foals had stopped looking at the scene before them and were looking downcast.

Celestia focused her attention on the filly’s two sisters. “Your sister shall be fine,” she told them; they gave a small smile in return. Celestia then turned her attention to Solis with furrowed brows. “Solis, follow Us downstairs,” she commanded. The yellow-eyed colt glanced up at her for a moment before sighing and picked up the book in his teeth.

“Leave the book here,” Celestia commanded again. Solis’ eyes widened in alarm and spat the book out to protest, but Celestia’s stern gaze convinced him otherwise. Solis sighed again, then turned to the injured filly’s sisters while pointing down at the book.

“Do. Not. Touch,” he growled, and made way toward the stairs with Celestia next to him, the injured filly levitating on the opposite side of her from Solis.

The two of them descended the stairs and made way to Happy Heart’s office where the pink unicorn was waiting patiently for Celestia to return. The solar alicorn motioned for Solis to remain out in the hallway and entered. Happy Heart smiled upon first seeing her, but frowned when she saw the filly suspended in her magic grip.

“Is something wrong with Misty, your highness?” she asked.

Celestia sighed. “The fight with Solis took a rather violent turn.” She levitated Misty to Happy, whose eyes went wide upon hearing what happened. “Couldst thou put her to bed and have a doctor come to properly inspect her; We hath little experience with such matters.”

“Of course, your highness.” Happy took the little filly in her magic. “I shall do such immediately.”

Celestia smiled and followed Happy out into the hallway where she watched the pink unicorn enter one of the adjacent rooms. She emerged a few moments later without Misty, nodding to Celestia before opening the front door with her magic and rushing out. Celestia then turned to look at Solis with a stern, disappointed gaze. The earth pony colt did not return her gaze, instead staring at the adjacent wall from him with a neutral expression.

Celestia approached him and spoke. “We are disappointed in thee for stooping so low as to strike another pony.” She furrowed her brows at Solis’ continued refusal to look at her when she spoke. “Why didst thou do so?”

Solis’ gaze remained fixated on the wall as he replied. “They swiped my book and refused to return it. I tried to reclaim it but she,” Solis gestured through the wall where Misty was put to bed, “stated I was but an earth pony and could not retrieve it from unicorns such as them.” Finally, Solis looked up at Celestia as he finished his explanation. “Therefore, I responded as an earth pony would; with my strength.”

Celestia absorbed all of what Solis told her and mulled it over. It sounded as if some racial tension had occurred between the fillies and himself, but for Solis to lash out the way he did seemed excessive if it were an isolated incident.

“Pray tell, Solis,” Celestia said, “do the three ‘mules’ commit such an act often?”

“Nay,” Solis replied. “Normally they just taunt and tease, with an occasional spit in my direction.” Solis appeared to roll his eyes following this; it was hard to tell with him having no visible pupils.

Celestia sighed. “Solis, We understand thou hast grown tired of such mistreatment, and We do not blame thee for resenting the fillies.” She pointed her hoof at him. “But thou hast no right to physically harm another, even so.”

“Flames let off steam when showered with water, Celestia,” Solis replied, casually and with not a hint of anger whatsoever.

Celestia was about to reply when what Solis said caught her attention, or rather, what he had not said. Celestia’s brows furrowed even further as she changed her reply.

“Thou willst refer to Us by title, followed by name and naught any way else.” She lowered her head so Solis could clearly make out the severity of her words. “Are. We. Clear?”

What Solis did next astounded Celestia as to how disrespectful any one pony could truly be. Instead of answering yay or nay, Solis merely snorted and huffed in indignation. This gave Celestia pause. She was, for all intents and purposes, the most powerful pony in Equestria. She was the new ruler of Equestria along with her sister Luna, whom had both cast down Discord and brought harmony back to the land after such a long absence. Despite all of that, Solis treated her like she was a harbinger of nothing but despair and heartache. Celestia started to consider cancelling her adoption of Solis for that reason alone.

But then Celestia recalled what Happy Heart said about Solis’ attitude towards figures of authority, about how he was never loved throughout his foalhood, and how ponies never wanted to befriend him because of his bizarre appearance. Coupled with foals’ natural tendency to talk down upon those whom they see as inferior, whether because their target is Soulless, lacks magic, or something else, Celestia began seeing Solis’ disrespectful attitude in a new light.

Perhaps he is merely repeating unto others what life has given him. If such is the case, We must show him life is not all dreadful.

“See here, Solis,” Celestia said, coming out of her thoughts, “We understand thy upbringing was most despairing, but thou must understand ponies such as Happy Heart and Ourself have naught but good intentions.” She folded her fore legs and laid down on the floor next to Solis. The earth pony did not spare her a glance and remained fixated on the wall in front of them. She wrapped a comforting wing around him and continued. “Thou needest only to recognize them when presented to thee and embrace them. Happy Heart, true to her name, wishes to make all the foals under her care happy as can be, but she cannot do so if they do not seek out her help when treated like thou hast been by the ‘mules’.”

Solis said nothing in response, but did appear to roll his eyes again. Celestia struggled to stifle a giggle as she adorned a mock frown and used her wing to turn Solis’ head around so he was looking into her eyes.

“Thou willst treat thy new mother with respect, young colt.”

Solis was too surprised by Celestia using her wing to turn his head to soak in what she had just said. He briefly struggled to break free of her grip to no avail, and it was only once she had retracted her wing that Celestia’s words began registering in his mind.

Celestia struggled once again to stifle her giggle as the young colt’s pure yellow eyes widened in surprise. The look he had on his face was so amusing Celestia did her best to commit it to memory so she could show Luna later with a flashback spell. But then Solis’ eyes returned to normal and he replied.

“You really wish to adopt me?”

Celestia let her smile grow and answered. “Indeed We do, dear Solis; We shall become the mother thou never hadst growing up.”

Celestia expected many things from Solis at that moment; a hug, a thanks for getting him away from the ‘mules’, a smile, just to name a few. What she did not expect, however, was his actual response.

“Okay . . . may I take my belongings?"

It was not the response itself which surprised Celestia, as she expected Solis would not want to depart with what few possessions he retained from foalhood. No, what surprised Celestia was the tone in which Solis had spoken it. His tone was not full of joy like one would expect from an orphan who had learned they were being adopted. Rather, Solis’ tone had a more wistful edge to it. Celestia took this to mean that, in spite of all the pain he had suffered during his time there, Solis still held an emotional attachment to the orphanage.

“To leave someplace one has grown accustomed to is a hard trial indeed,” Celestia stated, to which Solis quirked an eyebrow. “But We are confident thou shalt find Everfree Castle to be most comfortable and inviting.” She stopped and tapped a hoof to her chin in thought. “At least, once the decorum hath been decided upon.”

The sound of hoofsteps approaching attracted both ponies’ attention. They turned to the front door to see Happy Heart and a unicorn stallion with a brown mane and tail, a yellow coat, green eyes, and a heart organ Soul enter. The stallion bowed before Celestia briefly before speaking to Happy.

“Where is she at?” he asked.

“In there,” Happy replied, pointing to the room she had left Misty.

The stallion nodded and entered the room. Happy Heart then turned to Celestia and Solis. “He hath agreed to help, though I fear his services are too costly for me.”

Celestia shook her head. “Consider thy payment Ours to bear.” She turned to Solis. “To answer thy question, dear Solis, thou mayest bring your possessions.”

With a nod, Solis turned around and made way toward the stairs. Happy cocked a brow in confusion to their exchange. “Princess?” she said.

Celestia returned her gaze to the pink unicorn and smiled. “We shall adopt Solis as stated previously.” She sighed in exasperation. “We do hope motherhood is not too much to bear alongside ruling Equestria.”

Happy stared blankly for a moment, then smiled herself. “Well, I have faith in you, princess.”

Hearing those words gave Celestia a brief moment of pause before her smile doubled in size. “Bless thee, Happy Heart, for Our wish is that ponies shalt have faith in Us.”

Happy Heart nodded, then used her magic to open her office door. “Let us make official this adoption, shall we?” She entered her office.

Celestia nodded herself and followed her in.

Dusk had fallen. The whole of Equestria was bathed in the yellow-purple luminescence of the twilight hour. It was a period of transition from the energetic, playful time of day to the relaxed, sleepy time of night. During this time, all the little foals of Equestria were told to pack away their toys and prepare for bed. Some would complain, some still would attempt to defy their parents, but it always ended the same; little foals need their sleep so they can be well rested for the next day. Of course, nopony would get to sleep until the sun was lowered and the moon was risen to bring forth the night.

On the front steps of Everfree Castle stood a dark blue alicorn with an ethereal mane that sparkled like the star-filled nighttime sky. She had recently awoken from her slumber inside and donned her regalia to prepare for the rise of her domain. After a short, fruitless search for her sister she asked the remaining guards of her location, to which they revealed she had left for Canterlot on “royal business”. Hearing this made her angry, as she believed any and all royal business should concern the both of them and not just her sister. She tapped her silver shod hoof impatiently, waiting for her sister to return so she could berate her.

Eventually, the distant image of the Royal Chariot could be seen approaching Everfree Castle from the sky above the forest. The dark blue alicorn leapt off the steps and onto the ground as the chariot drew closer. She watched as it swung around until it lined up perpendicular with the bridge leading to the castle before descending towards her. The pegasus guards touched down and began galloping, followed by the carriage which sent up a small cloud of dust when it touched down and began rolling on its wheels. The whole ride eventually came to a stop just a few meters from where she stood, her brows furrowed in frustration.

Her sister stepped out of the carriage followed by Captain Tricolt. While Tricolt made to help unhook the pegasus guards from the Royal Chariot, Celestia turned to look at her with a smile on her face.

“Did you have a good day of sleep, Luna?” she asked her.

Luna huffed and turned her head up in disgust.

Celestia’s smile fell into a frown. “What is wrong, sister?”

“What is wrong, sister,” Luna echoed, “is we are co-rulers.” She returned her gaze to Celestia. “Such implies we rule together, not leave one to sleep while the other conducts royal business.”

Celestia blinked. Then realization hit her and she giggled. “You always were most easily misled, dear sister; I conducted no such business while in Canterlot.”

Luna arched a brow in confusion. “Then what were you doing there?”

“I shalt explain later,” Celestia replied, then motioned to the carriage. “For now, there is somepony you must meet.” She turned to it. “Come hither, please.”

Luna was about to question Celestia as to why she was talking to what appeared to be an empty carriage when a soft clopping sounded off from within. The clops turned into hoofsteps as a little earth pony colt emerged from the luggage space below the seat with a saddlebag strapped on him. Luna took one look at this third passenger and flinched at the sight of his pure yellow eyes. She managed to keep composed on the outside, but inwardly she was appalled at the sight before her. The colt looked at her for a brief moment before turning his attention to the castle.

“This is Solis,” Celestia said. Luna turned her gaze back to her only to find the biggest smile she had ever seen on her sister’s face. “Your adopted nephew.”

Celestia struggled to stifle a giggle as Luna’s eyes widened in response to her revelation. Solis had gone from inspecting the castle to the rope bridge that connected it with the forest on the other side, not acknowledging the royal sisters' conversation in any way. The guards, whom were now unhooked, held their breath in anticipation of the night princess’ response. After a few seconds, Luna’s eyes returned to normal and she turned her gaze to Solis.

“I see.” She pointed a hoof toward him. “Solis, come hither!”

Solis turned around and walked over to his new adoptive aunt. Luna could not quell her feeling of disgust brought about by looking into those deformed eyes of his; they reminded her of Discord’s, minus the mismatched pupils. She felt ready to hurl her stomach’s contents into the nearby gorge, but such behavior would be unacceptable from her. Keeping herself composed, she addressed her new adoptive nephew.

“We are humbled to call thee family, little Solis.” She furrowed her brows slightly to look serious before continuing. “We expect thee to work hard to earn thy keep here. Canst thou promise Us such?”

Solis just stared for a few moments before nodding his agreement.

“Well then,” Celestia said, turning to Luna, “shall we bring forth the night?”

Luna returned her gaze. “Indeed.”

Celestia turned to Captain Tricolt. “Captain, please escort Solis to an open bedroom while We bring forth the night.”

Tricolt saluted and motioned for Solis to follow him. The earth pony fell into line behind the Guard Captain as they made way to the castle’s front entrance. The pegasus guards, meanwhile, took it upon themselves to roll the Royal Chariot back to its proper place around back the castle. Celestia and Luna watched as everypony left, leaving them alone to lower the sun and raise the moon.

Nodding to each other, Celestia and Luna set to work. Celestia charged magic into her horn and concentrated on the sun which hung just above the horizon. Simultaneously, Luna charged magic into her own horn and concentrated on the moon which hung just below the horizon. In perfect synchronicity, the two sisters gently pushed their respective charge along its allotted path. The sky changed from its purple twilight color to the blackish-blue color of night, which the stars immediately began dotting. Despite being hidden by the forest’s trees, Luna could feel the moon’s presence and knew it was on the correct trajectory.

Both sisters let go of their respective charge and turned to face each other. “Now, where were we?” Celestia asked.

“What were you doing in Canterlot?” Luna replied, frowning.

“Yes, well,” Celestia began, taking a moment to organize her thoughts, “I was working to endow public confidence in our rule. The citizens of Equestria have suffered so long under Discord that I wished to make clear to them our intentions are entirely pure.”

Luna stared blankly for a few moments. Then she looked downcast, to which Celestia frowned. “Luna?”

The lunar alicorn looked up at her sister. “Sister, I have kept something from thee for the past few days.” She looked downcast again briefly before continuing. “Are we fit to rule?”

Celestia looked puzzled. “What dost thou mean, Luna? Of course we are fit to rule; we cast down Discord and brought harmony back to Eques-”

“'Twas the Elements that were responsible for such,” Luna interrupted, “and despite so, casting down that vile cretin doth not mean our rule is warranted.” Luna sighed, then stared out at the trees, likely in the direction of her moon. “Perhaps, we are meant only to command the sun and moon, naught else.”

Celestia stared for a moment before smiling wryly. She walked over and wrapped a wing around her younger sister, eliciting a small gasp from Luna as she looked into Celestia’s eyes. “Luna, I understand if the prospect of ruling over this land brings thee fear.”

Luna’s eyes widened before she turned her head aside in disgust. “It brings me no fear.”

“As thou sayest,” Celestia replied, chuckling a bit before continuing. “My point is, Equestria needs us to lead its citizens into an age of peace and prosperity, to wipe away the vile aftertaste left behind by Discord.”

Luna said nothing in response for a few moments, and when she did she did not look Celestia in the eyes, rather returned her gaze to the direction of her moon.

“How can we?” she asked.

Celestia smiled again, more warmly, even though Luna could not see her face. “By doing what I did today,” she replied, retracting her wing. “We must prove to our subjects that Equestria is in good hooves with us.”

Luna returned her gaze to Celestia. Her face had perked up a bit. “Should I adopt a foal as well, sister?”

“Luna,” Celestia chided, “being a mother is not an easy task.” Her smile turned into a smirk. “Additionally, I doubt there exist many foals sharing thy time of slumber.”

Luna’s eyes widened in anger for a moment before she relaxed and sighed in exasperation. “Such is correct, sister.” She looked once again at her moon through the trees.

“Do not worry, sister,” Celestia said, “for the words of one of us applies for that of us both; the same holds true for our actions.”

Luna smiled. “I suppose thou art correct, sister.” She looked back to her. “But can I still mingle with our subjects like you?”

Celestia nodded. “Assuming any can be found awake at this hour, of course.”

“Then I shall visit Canterlot as well,” Luna cheerfully declared, and took off into the night sky toward said city.

“Return before dawn!” Celestia called after her.

“I shall!” Luna called back.

Celestia watched her sister go until she had passed behind the trees and could not be seen. Clicking her tongue, the solar alicorn turned and made way into the castle.

Along the way to her bedchamber, Celestia came across Captain Tricolt standing in one of the archways leading to the inner courtyard, looking off to the right. She approached him from behind and cleared her throat, to which the Guard Captain immediately spun around and, upon seeing the solar alicorn, bowed.

“Your highness,” he said.

“Hast thou escorted Solis to a spare bedroom?” she asked.

Tricolt stood up and sheepishly rubbed a hoof along the back of his head. “I did, your highness, however . . .”

“Yes?”

Tricolt used his spear to point into the inner courtyard, behind the stone wall to Celestia’s right. Walking forward, she peered around the wall to see what was there. What she saw very much surprised her; Solis looking up at Discord’s statue. He was missing his saddlebag, so Celestia guessed he had indeed been shown a room by Tricolt before returning here to study the petrified draconequus. Tricolt immediately confirmed this when he spoke up.

“We wert making way toward the guest hallway when he spied Discord through an archway. He asked if he could take time to observe the draconequus, to which I replied we had best get him settled in first. We arrived at the guest hallway and Solis picked the first room on the left side. After leaving his possessions inside, we returned hither where I have kept watch over him.”

Celestia turned to him and smiled. “We thank thee for keeping watch over him, Captain. Thou mayest retire to the Guard Barracks; We shall take over now.”

Nodding, Tricolt turned around and made way down the stone corridor. The sounds of his armor clanging and shoes clopping echoed down the hall for some time, but Celestia had tuned out all sounds as she watched her adoptive son study her greatest enemy. She noticed the look in his gaze was similar to the one he had while reading the book on magical theory back at Happy Heart’s orphanage. It was a look that spoke of vast amounts of studious curiosity and determinative focus, as if he was trying to solve some giant conundrum with the draconequus.

Celestia watched for a few more moments before stepping out into the inner courtyard and making her way toward Solis. The young colt might have been too focused on the statue before him to hear the sound of her hoof falls on the stone pavement approaching, as he did not turn in her direction the whole time she approached. Upon reaching him, Celestia sat down on her haunches and spoke.

“Is something the matter, Solis?”

The earth pony colt responded without meeting her gaze. “I wonder how such a creature can even be conceived.”

Celestia paused for a moment, then she turned her gaze up to Discord as well and replied. “We do not know the answer to such a query. We never cared to know, anyway, for Discord is naught but an abomination to all that is pure and kindred.”

What Solis said next was more to himself than Celestia. “Like somepony fused together a random assortment of animal parts . . .”

Celestia turned to see Solis squinting his eyes at Discord. Happy as Celestia was that Solis possessed such an apparent interest in problem-solving, she wanted nothing more than to get out of Discord’s presence. She stood up.

“Come Solis,” she told him, “let us make haste and get thee into bed.”

Solis did not respond, but he did follow Celestia as she began walking back towards the archway, not once tearing his pure yellow eyes away from Discord’s statue until it was out of sight behind the stone wall.

For most of the trip to Solis’ chosen bedroom the two of them remained silent. The sounds of their hoof falls against the stone floor, along with the wind whistling through the hallways from the castle’s many windows, were the only audible sounds for them. At one point, however, Solis asked Celestia a question, which surprised the solar alicorn as he had shown so little interest in conversing with her thus far.

“Celestia, what limits doth magic have?”

Celestia spared a glance at him, and got her second surprise; Solis was actually looking up at her. His expression was a watered down version of when he looked totally focused on something, with little more than his eyebrows being slightly furrowed. Seeing Solis following social etiquette for once left Celestia speechless for a few moments. Eventually, she snapped back to her senses and answered with her own question.

“What dost thou mean?”

Solis continued to stare up at her for a moment before looking straight forward again. “Forget I said anything,” he said.

“Nay.” Celestia had no intention of letting Solis worm his way out of this conversation. She stopped and blocked his way with one of her wings. “We both asked the other a question, so we shall not proceed further until answers are given.”

Celestia heard Solis grumble something under his breath, but let it slide. The colt returned his gaze to her and spoke. “What I meant was, doth an impossible spell exist? Something that unicorn magic can never hope to achieve?”

“Ah, a fine question indeed,” Celestia answered, “but it is one without a straight answer.” She retracted her wing now that Solis was attentive to her. “Magic is what bridges the gap between the inner psyche of ponies and the material world we live in and interact with. Spells are resulted from a unicorn analyzing the workings of the material world and the different ways in which their inner magic can be used to affect it.”

Celestia smiled as she continued. “Answered another way, think of magic as the combined application of the physical sciences of the material world and the psyche studies of the pony subconscious. To that end, the only real limit to magic would be the level of creativity and knowledge a pony possesses.”

Solis took a moment to mull over all of what Celestia said. “I . . . believe I understand.”

Celestia resumed trotting down the hall, to which Solis followed. “If thou dost not mind Our asking,” she said, “why art thou so interested in studying unicorn magic?”

Celestia looked down and from the expression on his face, she could only imagine Solis would be blushing profusely had his coat not already been crimson in color. She stayed composed, however, and waited for Solis to respond, even though she had a pretty good guess as to what his answer would be.

Solis looked downcast for a moment before gazing back up to her. “Can magic grant ponies Souls?”

As We thought, Celestia mused to herself before replying.

“Perhaps We misspoke earlier; if there exists one impossible spell, it is one that grants Souls.” She saw Solis look downcast again. “But do not fret, for everypony gains a Soul eventually.”

“Then why have I not received one?” Solis asked, in a tone that Celestia had yet to experience from the colt; fearful.

“There do exist late bloomers,” she replied, trying to instill confidence into him lest he despair. “Such ponies need only wait longer to discover themselves.”

Solis’ mood seemed to lighten a bit in response, which made Celestia smile. The two continued on for a bit longer until they reached the guest hallway. Solis approached his selected room and used a hoof to push in the doorlock. The door opened and he stepped inside, followed by Celestia.

Looking around the room, Celestia was reminded of why she wanted to decorate the castle’s interior as soon as possible. Aside from some basic furniture (a solid oak bed, a nightstand, and a vanity with both a mirror and Solis’ saddlebag atop it), the room heralded nothing but blank stone walls. Like the castle itself, what little furniture it housed was built by the royal sisters themselves out of whatever materials could be scrounged. The decorum was to be added next week by a team of Equestria’s best seamstresses and metal forgers, and it couldn’t come too soon for Celestia.

Solis trotted to and hopped up onto the bed. He laid on his back and, using his teeth, reached over and pulled the covers over him. He then took a moment to evenly space out the sheet’s corners from each other before resting his head against the pillow. Celestia smiled at the scene and trotted over to him.

“We are proud to be thy mother, Solis,” she said, sitting down on the bed next to him. “Dost thou feel proud to be Our . . . my, son?”

Solis said nothing at first and just stared up at the ceiling; Celestia could tell he was processing all that had happened to him that day. She was sure the little earth pony never predicted he would be adopted by not just anypony, but the solar alicorn herself. Then there was the fact he would now be living in Everfree Castle which, once the decoration was finished, would far outshine Happy Heart’s orphanage in quality. To make the leap straight from orphan to royalty was undoubtedly heavy on the mind, and Celestia patiently waited until he was ready to answer.

When Solis did, his tone was that of wistful curiosity. “For what reason did you adopt me, Celestia?”

The question itself surprised the sun princess so much so that she missed Solis’ continued refusal to call her by title; it was one she was not prepared to answer. Celestia knew exactly why she had adopted Solis, of course, but only now she realized revealing her motives to him would either make or break their long term relationship.

“Well,” she began, to which Solis turned to look at her, “We wish to quell Our subjects’ fear of Us by proving that Our intentions are pure. We visited Canterlot today for the purpose of mingling with its citizens and performing small acts of kindness to improve Our reputation.” Celestia smiled down at him. “But then We came to realize two truths. The first was that if We truly wished to get in the good graces of Equestria at large, We had to provide a living paradigm showcasing the benevolence to Our rule.”

“And I am that paradigm?” Solis asked, pointing a hoof at himself.

Celestia nodded. “It is Our hope that word of your adoption shall spread and ponies willst come to realize that We genuinely care for all Our subjects.” She turned away from Solis to look upwards at the golden crown resting upon her head. “The second truth was, the process of re-establishing ties to the world outside of Equestria shall be long and arduous. Fit as We are to rule, a third wheel could not hurt to have.” Celestia gazed back down to Solis, who wore a neutral expression. “With your superb determination, focus, and desire to learn such a wide variety of subjects, thou art most fit to become that third wheel.”

Before Solis had even the time to process what he had just been told, Celestia reached over and grasped his hoof in her own and began stroking it. “But do not think We are selfish with Our motivations, for We truly do care for thee.” She smiled again; this time a hint of sorrow laced her words. “No pony should have to experience such a first decade of life as thou didst, Solis. We promise to treat thee with love and kindness, like thou wert my own, true son.”

Solis only stared blankly for a few seconds before furrowing his brows in thought. After another few seconds, he looked back up to Celestia with a hopeful expression. “What about my Soul? Can you help me discover my special talent so that I may receive one?”

“We could,” Celestia replied, ceasing her stroking of Solis’ hoof, “but only if thou agreedst to work hard and excel in thy new political studies.”

“Then we have an agreement,” Solis said, eyes wide and smiling.

Seeing Solis in such a happy state brought a warm feeling to Celestia’s chest and she felt her eyes become misty with tears. After regaining her composure, Celestia leaned forward and kissed Solis’ forehead.

“Sleep well,” she said, then sat up and made way toward the bedroom door.

“Celestia?’

She stopped. “. . . Yes?”

“. . . I am proud to be your son.”

Celestia stared ahead blankly for several moments before replying with a smile that Solis couldn’t see. “Many thanks, my little sun.” And with that, she opened the bedroom door and slipped into the castle hallway, closing the door with a soft click on her way out.

Nighttime. The opposite time of day when ponies retired to bed for rest so they would be alert and energized the next day. Since most ponies slept through the night, they had not the faintest clue of how Equestria at nighttime compared or differed from how it was during the day. But one pony knew nighttime Equestria very intimately, and that was entirely because she was responsible for watching it over.

Princess Luna, sovereign of the night and mistress of the moon, soared through the skies above Equestria, relishing in the familiar feel of her night’s cool winds brushing against her coat and through her ethereal mane. While headed toward Canterlot, the dark blue alicorn decided to take some time to admire the serene majesty of nighttime Equestria on the ground. She swooped down towards the forest below her, plunging through the canopy. Swerving and dodging tree branches on her way down, she slowed her descent enough to land gently onto the ground. After checking herself for cuts and scratches, Luna began strolling through the forest.

As she walked, the sounds of nocturnal creatures echoed through the trees. Frogs, crickets, even the obligatory hooting of an owl filled the air with a chorus of noises. And yet, Luna found it wholly calm and relaxing. Like a background orchestra, the nocturnal creatures inhabiting the forest provided a symphonic track for Luna’s ears to enjoy as she strolled through the forest.

At one point she spotted a hole in the forest’s canopy. The light from her moon shone through, bathing the forest floor in a brilliant luminescence. Fireflies danced about the air surrounding the moonlight while wind whistled through the canopy hole above, shaking leaves loose and sending them downwards. The combination of all these elements gave the scene before Luna a splendor not seen in even the most professional painter’s attempts to capture the night’s true majesty.

Why must everypony insist they sleep through enchantments such as this?

Luna spent the next while marveling at the sight in front of her, after which she took off into the forest air and up through the moonlit canopy opening. Spotting the Canterhorn, with the city of Canterlot nestled against, Luna made way toward it.

Along the way, Luna thought back to Celestia’s explanation of her earlier trip to the mountainside city. Luna could not argue that her sister’s logic of endearing themselves to Equestria’s citizens was sound, but such a strategy was difficult for her to attempt as she was nocturnal, unlike everypony else. Sure, Celestia’s efforts would undoubtedly count for both of them, but Luna wanted to showcase her own usefulness.

After a few minutes of flying, Luna reached Canterlot. Looking down, she was dismayed to see nopony awake and outside. Useless streetlights alit with candles dotted the city, only ever used on rare occasions where a little foal might have stayed out too long and needed a light to return home. Other than such, Luna was the only pony who could ever give purpose to the beacons of light. She landed onto a cobblestone street and surveyed the immediate area.

Canterlot . . . such a beautiful city, if a tad ostentatious. She turned to look out into the night sky, noticing how much more of it could be seen without trees blocking the view. Both the sun and moon can be seen clearly from up here . . . if only the Tree had grown here and not in the forest. She sighed. Oh well . . .

Luna began walking down the street, her steps making audible clopping sounds that likely would have attracted the attention of anypony still awake inside their homes. In all honesty, Luna would have been elated for such, as then she would have somepony to converse with. But to her continued dismay, nopony stepped out of their homes in response to her presence.

She sighed again. Everypony must be asleep already.

Luna continued her stroll throughout Canterlot for what seemed like several hours, but was only one in actuality. She toured the entire city from one side to the other, all the while marveling at the exquisite architecture of Equestria’s grandest city. She took note as to the design and decorum of several buildings whose appearance caught her attention, figuring while she was there it would be a good idea to take inspiration for the look to her side of Everfree Castle. But then she came upon a building which caught her attention for an entirely different reason.

Happy Heart Canterlot Orphanage . . . for sure the place where sister met and adopted Solis.

Luna stared at the building while deep in thought for some time. While Celestia was right that Luna would have a hard time caring for a child herself because of conflicting sleep schedules, Luna was confident that the task of raising one in and of itself was well within her capabilities. But the former was for sure too great an obstacle to overcome in such an endeavor.

I shall not stand for a rule of insignificance whilst my sister basks in Our subjects’ praise.

Eventually, Luna decided that while she could not adopt a foal herself, she could at least watch over them as they slept. She made way into the alley aside the building where three windows were lined up in the wall. She trotted quietly up to the center one and peeked inside; being nocturnal afforded Luna night vision. Inside, she could see several rows of beds neatly lined up, each one occupied by a sleeping foal.

Luna watched them sleep for another hour or so, smiling to herself at how peaceful their slumber was. Her smile fell into a frown, however, when one of the foals close to the window began fidgeting in their sleep. Focusing on this foal, Luna could see it was a unicorn filly with a sea green coat and a blue mane. She had a series of bandages wrapped around her head, leaving only her eyes and mouth exposed. She began mumbling in her sleep and batting at the air in front of her face. It did not take long for Luna to realize the filly was experiencing a Night Terror.

Luna contemplated entering the building and trying to soothe the filly, but she hesitated out of uncertainty as to whether her uninvited entrance would be welcomed. While she debated with herself about what to do, the filly continued her distressed squirming and swiping at the air. She began getting tangled in her bed’s covers as her movements increased in intensity. Finally, Luna decided she had to intervene before the filly wound up hurting herself worse than she already was.

The night princess charged magic into her horn to teleport inside. But just as she was about to cast the spell the filly screamed. Luna’s focus on the teleport was instantly shattered and she folded her ears back out of reflex. When doing so immediately failed to block out the scream Luna pressed both fore hooves over her ears to moderate success. The filly’s scream had no trouble waking up all the other foals in the room, half of them even managing to fall over the side of their beds onto the floor.

After the filly’s scream stopped there was a period of awkward silence, during which the other foals got to their hooves and rubbed the sleep from their eyes. Eventually, the door opened and a pink unicorn rushed through, a panicked expression etched onto her face.

“What hast happened!?” she exclaimed.

While all the other foals looked confused, the filly that had the Night Terror spoke up.

“Miss Happy Heart!” She ran over to the caretaker and began sobbing into her coat. “That monster was back and wished to beat me repeatedly until I was naught but a pile of hair and bones!”

Luna saw Happy’s expression change from shock to exasperation before settling on consolation with a smile. She lifted the filly’s chin up with a hoof and spoke.

“Thou art safe, Misty; 'twas naught but a Night Terror.” She looked around to all the other foals, whom stared back with neutral expressions, before closing her eyes and sighing.

“All right everypony, return to bed.”

Nopony objected, and pretty soon all the foals were back under the covers of their bed, including a still tearful Misty. Happy Heart gave them all one last smile before exiting the room and closing the door.

Luna, meanwhile, remained undetected as she slipped away from the window and returned to the main street, turning left back toward the city’s entrance where the trail leading to Everfree Castle was. She decided to take the trail back home as it cut through the forest where she hoped to see another beautiful sight as the one from earlier. She soon exited the city and began walking along the trail.

As she walked, Luna thought about what had just happened at the orphanage. She wondered whether her ultimate decision to intervene was warranted, or if she should be grateful the matter was easily resolved without her help. After mulling it over for a bit, Luna concluded her decision to intervene was indeed warranted. Ruling over Equestria’s citizens entailed coming to their aid when she was needed, and a pony experiencing Night Terrors would for sure need her help in vanquishing them so they could sleep in peace.

After mulling it over a bit more, Luna realized how she herself could endear Equestria’s citizens to her like Celestia did to herself that day. She picked up her pace from a trot to a canter, wanting to return to Everfree Castle quickly so she could begin work on her idea as soon as possible. It would undoubtedly take a lot of long hours and hard work to perfect, but the end result would surely make all of it worthwhile.

Soon, everypony shall realize my rule is equal to Celestia’s.

Celestia's Diary #1

The hidden study within the castle library opened and Celestia, looking weary and with bags under her eyes, entered. So much had happened during the past few weeks and it had taken its toll on the solar alicorn. She was looking forward to a good night's rest, but such would have to wait a few extra minutes.

Celestia trotted over to the dais in the center of the room and set the book she was carrying down onto it; it was titled, "The Journal of the Two Sisters". Summoning a quill and inkwell, she began writing on the book's first page.

7/20/01

This shall be my first entry in this diary We received from one Gossamer, the lead seamstress whom We hired to decorate Our castle. Upon my asking of her reason for giving Us this gift, Gossamer answered with the following:

"Giving unto others is something I take much pride in, your highness. The knowledge that a figure of such power as yourself makes use of my gifts makes me the happiest mare in Equestria."

Touched as I was by Gossamer's generosity, giving Us a diary was not needed as her decorations were top-notch and absolutely marvelous. Besides, my sister has no interest in writing within this book. Though, it would be unbecoming of Us to throw away such a thoughtful gift, so I shall make extended use of this diary. And my first entry shall be a recounting of all that has happened the past two weeks.

Luna and myself were ecstatic once the hired group of smiths, architects, artists and seamstresses arrived at the castle. The first thing I noticed upon greeting them was the sense of intimidation they all felt. This was not surprising, of course; having to decorate a castle inhabited by anypony of Our status would intimidate me as well. I did my best to reassure them all that Luna and I had faith in their talents to turn our drab castle into one with beauty second to none.

Though still nervous, the group immediately set to work drawing up plans for both the interior and exterior designs of our home. Both Luna and myself offered to pose for the team of seamstresses to help them in sewing our likeness into the tapestries currently adorning the castle's walls. Having to stand perfectly still, for several hours and with one foreleg raised was pure agony for us both. The end result was most definitely worth it, however; those images are truly a sight to behold.

As per Our instructions, the castle was split into two halves; one each for Luna and myself. My own half boasts a golden yellow color scheme like that of the sun I command, while Luna's boasts a midnight blue color scheme. This motif of Day and Night is present all throughout the castle, even on the support columns holding it up.

I find myself intrigued by the design choices of the artists in creating the various stained-glass murals throughout the interior. My own side boasts murals with more free-flowing, wavy patterns whilst Luna's boasts patterns more perpendicular-aligned. Perhaps the artists tried to create reflections of Our character traits in the murals. If this is true, then I know not whether to be flattered or concerned that I am seen as 'free-flowing'. Oh well, 'tis nothing worth worrying over.

On the subject of artistic designs, I must make mention of Solis' own contribution to his new home's appearance. I allowed him one decision as to the castle's appearance, and what he chose I find to be quite telling. Solis asked the group of smiths to construct several dragon statues to be placed around the castle's exterior. His reasoning was this:

"I oftentimes find myself relating more easily to dragons than ponies."

I can only agree. Like dragons, ponies know so little about Solis because he strikes fear and repulsion into their hearts. I sincerely hope to change this while he is under my wing.

I must also make mention that even now, as wondrous as the castle currently looks, it is still not finished. Though most of everypony whom we hired to help with the decoration has already left to return home, I requested a select few to stay behind for a special project of mine which I call The Organ to the Outside. It's purpose is little more than a personal amusement of mine, but I foresee a great need of such when the stress of ruling Equestria becomes aggravating in the near future.

Luna and I never truly lost the playful nature all ponies possess during foalhood by growing up. We have always loved playing games and experiencing thrills with each other. To this end, several secret passageways and entrances were built throughout the castle's infrastructure. No pony, not even the castle staff or Solis, other than Us knows of these quirks, and hopefully it stays that way. The knowledge that there is a secret corridor, or chamber, inside your home that only you know of is a great feeling, one which I cannot explain.

I love to duck behind the paintings, and though the Hall of Hooves still gives her a bit of a fright, the trap door slide is Luna's favorite. All of these little quirks make me, and possibly Luna as well, feel like a little filly again. 'Tis a feeling that shall be missed in the coming years, but hopefully one which can be experienced whenever We manage to scrounge sufficient free time from our new royal duties.

I can hear Summer Scape calling to me. I shall end this first entry by saying if you are reading this, and not named Luna or Solis (in which case you should know better than to read other ponies' diaries; shame on you), you are hereby fired from service under her royal majesty, Princess Celestia of Equestria.

I will know if you read this, believe me.

7/24/01

Soon The Organ to the Outside will be finished. I can hardly wait.

7/26/01

The Organ to the Outside has been finished. Finally. Now I can have some fun with unsuspecting staff. Though, I suppose I shall have to be careful as to who I prank, as they will suddenly be privy to the secrets hidden throughout this castle.

8/5/01

Luna has informed me of a new spell she is developing during our latest twilight hour meeting, one which will allow her access to our subjects' dreams. She plans to use it for quelling night terrors they experience, thereby endearing her to them. This is wondrous news, as Luna now has a way of interacting with our subjects in spite of her nocturnal sleep schedule. The sooner she finishes this spell, the better.

8/11/01

Luna and I are now properly settled into our roles as Equestria's rulers, to which work can begin on getting Equestria back upright and prospering. Today, Luna and I issued a decree announcing the new system of Court to all of Equestria. With it in place, ponies can arrange a meeting with either myself or Luna and plea for funds to a project which they believe will aid in Equestria's development for the better.

Citizens are required to provide their own transportation here, however, and given the castle's general isolation very few ponies will be able to make the trip. Factually, this shall limit the number of petitioners Luna and I must deal with, lest we lose our minds from the sheer volume of potential petitioners. Those that make the trip, however, will be offered lodging and food overnight so as to rest for their journey home.

This Court system is but the first step toward a bright future. Many harsh trials are to come, I am positive, but with Luna and Solis at my side they shall be overcome.

8/31/01

Now that Solis has fully adjusted to his new home and lifestyle, the time has come for him to start his political studies. Since Luna and myself are too busy to teach him ourselves, a private tutor named Rusty Quill has been added to the castle staff to educate my son on politics. Solis has taken his new studies in stride which I am proud of him for, as well as Rusty Quill for being respectful regarding Solis' eye deformity.

I can only imagine how Solis feels in regards to his new position as the son of royalty. Such a thought I am positive never crossed his mind before we met at Happy Heart's orphanage. Within the next few years he shall be ready to properly assist Luna and I in ruling Equestria. I must also credit him for adapting to his new position swiftly and without grievances. Few other colts his age I imagine could come to grips with such a sudden change so fast, but Solis has proven himself to be quite resilient. Such a quality is most useful in traversing the ever shifting political tides, and I hope to tap into the full potential Solis possesses to become an excellent leader alongside Luna and myself.

9/10/01

According to Luna, her 'dreamwalking' spell is completed and ready to cast. I can barely contain my enthusiasm for her accomplishment.

9/30/01

Lately, I have noticed that Solis makes himself scarce when We play host to Court petitioners. This does not surprise me in the slightest, however, as I am well aware of Solis' presentiments toward other ponies. I wrote last month of how resilient Solis is, and how such a quality would be vital to helping Us rule Equestria. Now, I realize, Solis needs assurance that with such authority he need not worry over ponies' prejudiced views toward him. If anything, they would kiss the very ground he walked upon. I wish that last sentence was entirely figurative.

At any rate, I have decided to set aside some time every day to bond with Solis. Hopefully, I can make him realize the importance of social interaction in life and politics. Additionally, a little one-on-one time between just us two should be healthy for our relationship.

Perhaps he will take to addressing me properly instead of by name. Such would be nice.

10/15/01

Luna regaled me with a most wondrous tale this morning. Last night, she entered the dream of a little colt named Ia Painta experiencing a most horrifying Night Terror. In it, she says, Ia was being tortured by nameless monsters with purple bodies, long pointy limbs, and which screamed loud enough to make one's ears bleed.

What happened next, and at this part I knew my sister was exaggerating, was that Luna dispelled each and every abomination with such vigor and ruthlessness that little Ia almost fainted within his own dream. More than likely, she simply cast a secondary spell to erase his mind of the horrid images. In another life, my sister was probably an actress; a self-indulgent one at that.

Anyway, what she said happened next just melted my heart. According to Luna, little Ia was quite enthralled by how Luna single-hoofedly eliminated the abominations. Deciding to have a little fun, Luna allowed Ia to return the favor by 'rescuing' her from a vicious, fire-breathing dragon of his own creation. She spent around a few hours playing with Ia inside his dream before leaving to search out more Night Terrors to vanquish.

I am very much proud of Luna. Such interactions with our younger subjects shall see to it that future generations hold us in the same high regard as their ancestors. Luna and myself shall be ruling Equestria for many years to come, and I hope to always be in the good graces of our subjects.

10/31/01

I am sweating even as I write this. One of the guards discovered the rotating wall in the inner courtyard, which he confronted me about. I told him it was built for emergencies, and he appeared to believe me. I made no mention of any other quirk We built into the castle. Hopefully suspicion does not arouse among the castle staff as a whole, lest the one source of amusement We have be jeopardized.

11/23/01

It has been nearly a month since I last wrote in this diary. Lately, I have been retiring to my bedchambers too ehxustead to right an inztaed flal I dozed off a bit there; I meant to say 'exhausted to write and instead fall fast asleep'. I was originally going to write of how Luna's fear of the Hall of Hooves has waned considerably, but I feel too drowsy to write in more detail, so I shall end this entry by saying I will write more sparingly from now onwards.

12/24/01

It is Hearth's Warming Eve, and even as I write this the sound of a hundred hooves stomping throughout the castle, finishing preparations for the celebration of Equestria's founding, echoes throughout the library. This shall be the first Hearth's Warming celebration after Discord's fall to which I, as well as everypony else, believe it should be naught but perfect.

12/25/01

It is Hearth's Warming Day, and a most joyous mood permeates the Castle of Everfree. From where I sit at the Grand Table, I can physically feel the uplifting spirits of everypony around me. Some chat, some gorge on their food when they believe neither I nor Luna is watching (not that I blame them; Cherry Cake's food is always to die for), and others still are, quite amusedly, well into their cups.

The only pony whom I sense no joy emanating from is Solis, who sits right next to me. To have anypony sulking on this day is unacceptable, so I will now ask my son what ails him.

It has been roughly five minutes since I stopped writing. Upon asking Solis why he was not making merry with everypony around him, my son said he was deep in thought about some things. When I asked him what these things were, Solis responded it was a secret for the time being. I tried pressing him a little bit more, but it seems my son is content to waste the day pondering rather than celebrating.

Oh well, only if he is sad should I worry.

1/17/02

I should have written this weeks ago, but at the time my sleep-deprived brain would not allow me to pick up a quill, and I forgot about this until just a few minutes ago.

The new year has brought with it a heightened sense of awareness among the general public. Specifically, the need to let the world outside of Equestria know that we are now free from Discord and safe to form relations with. It has been so long since Equestria held firm contact with the Gryphon Nation or the Crystal Empire; I wonder how things have fared throughout the world during Discord's rule?

Hopefully, we will learn soon enough. Luna and I have sent notices to every nation once allied with Equestria informing them of our liberation from Discord. We expect replies back before spring is finished. I pray to the Elements they will reciprocate our call for re-alliance.

2/28/02

Solis received flying marks on his economics test today. Even if he is indifferent to it, I am wholly proud of him.

3/19/02

Luna and I are currently riding the Royal Chariot to the village of Earth. There have been many reports of vicious roars sounding from the isolated settlement's surrounding forests. Coupled with this, the destruction of vast quantities of trees. Theories have sparked among the residents as to what haunts their home; windigoes, dragons, and even a long lost relative of Discord's are the most accepted.

Personally, I believe none of these are true. Windigoes, if they still exist even, do not destroy trees. If a dragon was at fault I would expect telltale signs of their fiery breath, like scorch marks etched into the ground, of which none have been reported. As to the last theory, I know not Discord's origins so whether he has family is and shall forever be unknown. I also doubt this theory is correct, but regardless, whatever terrorizes Earth is surely ferocious and powerful, to which We have brought the Elements of Harmony.

With luck, they will not be needed.

3/19/02 (evening)

Indeed, We are in luck; the Elements were not needed.

As it turns out, the beast which haunted Earth was naught but an Ursa Major. What one is doing within Equestria's borders, I will not pretend to know. What I do know, however, is that this one is pregnant which is why it caused such a disturbance to my little ponies. I suppose it is for the best that I adopted rather than birthed a foal myself. I shudder to think of what going through labor feels like.

The Ursa Major has been incapacitated and will be relocated to the Everfree Forest posthaste. From what I have learned of Ursas, Majors go into a centuries' long hibernation following birth, so this should be a suitable solution for the time being.

I shall end this entry saying that dealing with the Ursa has boosted public faith in Our rule, if the groves of ponies currently bowing before Us are any indication.

3/20/02

The Ursa Major has been successfully relocated to a cave within the forest. While Our little ponies are safe for the time being (assuming none venture off the path and enter the cave), I loathe the ear-splitting roars that are sure to come when the creature finally gives birth. I pray to the Elements that my soundproof barrier is strong enough to cover the entire castle.

4/13/02

Today is a very special day, for Solis is now 11 years of age. Despite this, Solis has made it clear he is not interested in celebrating his birthday. Though he refuses to say why, I assume it is because the knowledge that his life came at the expense of his mother's is not acceptable to celebrate over, which is understandable.

Still, I cannot imagine his birth mother would appreciate seeing her son mope like so. If anything, I imagine knowing her son is in the hooves of royalty and shall be given the best life possible makes her happy even beyond the grave. Still, it is Solis' special day, and so be it if he decides to waste it away reading books in his room.

6/1/02

At long last, replies from both the Crystal Empire and the Gryphon Nation have arrived. One response heralds pleasant news, whilst the other does not.

First, the good. The Gryphon Nation formed an alliance with the Minotaurs some hundred years back. This makes reconnecting with both easier for Equestria, for if one agrees than both agree. According to their response to my query asking for a re-alliance, both races want assurance that Discord is no longer a threat; only then will they consider re-opening ties with Equestria. I shall write back saying the accursed draconequus is no longer a cause for concern and that all races are safe within Equestria's borders.

The Crystal Empire, however, is currently in turmoil. The details are unclear, but it appears that their rulers fell victim to a sort of 'love poison' which rendered them incapable of ruling the country. The Empire is apparently going through a power struggle right now. I have already written back asking if Equestria might lend assistance to ensure the crystal ponies are safe and secure. Hopefully, this will help in re-establishing ties with our northern neighbors.

7/2/02

Almost an entire year has passed since Discord was cast down, Luna and myself became Equestria's new rulers, and I adopted Solis as my son. It feels as if all this occurred naught but a mere few days ago. Time during Discord's rule moved by at a snail's pace compared to now.

Many more years await Luna and I, and we shall meet their challenges head on with reckless abandon if need be.

9/15/02

It has been a long while since I wrote an entry, but only because little of significance has occurred since then. The Crystal Empire has answered back and have denied our offer for help. Why? According to the response, the turmoil has settled down and a new ruler by the name of Sombra has risen to replace the old ones.

Details were sketchy at best, but it does appear the Empire is no longer in imminent danger of collapsing. Also according to the response, the Empire is still recovering from its turmoil and will not be open to negotiations for some time. This is okay, as Luna and I have all the time in the world to wait. Hopefully, Sombra will see things Our way when said time comes.

As to the Gryphon Nation and their new allies, we have yet to hear back from them. It is quite frustrating that our lands are separated by an entire ocean, making travel between the two a tedious affair. Considering how long their first response took to reach us, I believe the next will arrive within the month, assuming those featherbrains still care for ponykind.

10/4/02

The Gryphons have finally responded. Apparently they care not for ponykind, for the response said nothing of re-allying our two countries, only a mere congratulation on finally overthrowing Discord.

Frustrated as I am of this development, We can always try again at a later date. For now, I shall concentrate both on being a good leader to Our little ponies and a good mother to Solis.

11/1/02

Solis continues to impress me. Every week I hear nothing but high praise from Rusty Quill regarding Solis' studies. No other pony, I believe, could take to learning politics as easily as Solis has. That said, I worry for my son in regards to his sociability. We have spent much time bonding, true, and Solis seems ever more respectful of my authority (though, he still refuses to call me by anything other than name), but aside from this he never gets out and interacts with anypony else. The castle staff make no ill onto him over his deformity, yet he cannot remember all their names despite having lived over a year in the castle.

I am concerned as to what will become of Solis when his studies are complete and he is meeting with foreign diplomats and such. As I have written previously, a good leader must be sociable in addition to being intelligent and crafty. Solis excels in the latter two, but shows no signs of care for the first. To this end, I have decided to force Solis to bond with some of the staff. Perhaps he and Captain Tricolt can go on an adventure together in the Everfree? Maybe Summer Scape would be interested in spending some time with my son? As long as Solis learns to open up to ponies other than myself, then I shall be happy.

And so shall he.

11/13/02

Solis has spent time with much of the castle's staff since my last entry, Tricolt and Summer Scape included. He complied with my request that he take some time to bond with ponies aside from myself, but not without some trepidations. Solis still holds distaste for figures of authority, to which I surmised he would get along well with the staff since they are not above him in this regard. This proved true for the most part; Solis did indeed show tolerance towards the various ponies whom serve Us. However, everypony reported back to me that Solis showed little interest in proper conversation. According to them, he would not look them directly in the eyes when talking and usually only replied to questions with quick, impatient responses, much like how he acted when we first met at Happy Heart's.

I feel it may be some time before Solis is ready to help me tackle the challenge of re-connecting with the outside world, for good social skills are needed when dealing with foreign dignitaries. At any rate, he will learn his lessons of respect for others alongside his political studies.

I have complete and utter faith in his potential.

12/5/02

As I write this I am struggling to contain my laughter. The most hilarious occurrence of a pony being well into their cups happened just an hour ago during supper.

Nightcanter, Luna's Guard Captain, had too much wine to drink and began flirting with my sister in front of everypony. It kept escalating until poor Nightcanter mistook a doughnut for a wedding ring and proposed to Luna on his knees. Needless to say, I had to use a silencing spell on myself to keep from bursting out laughing all throughout this scene.

While this happened, I observed the varying reactions from everypony else around the table. All the maids and remaining guards could do was stare in shock, jaws agape. Solis seemed to merely be confused as to what Nightcanter was doing, which has got me thinking about how I shall introduce him to the concepts of romance and intoxication. Certainly in a way better than what transpired at supper.

And at last, Luna. Oh, my dear sister. Never have I seen her more embarrassed than tonight. The expression on her face was golden as she blushed profusely in response to her Guard Captain's behavior and ultimate proposal. Forever shall I have the image of him holding out the proposed 'ring' to his princess whose cheeks are reddened like apples burned into my retina. I predict many uses of the flashback spell in the near future during Our twilight hour meet ups.

Regardless, a limit on wine consumption has been enacted to prevent similar occurrences. Hilarious, yes, but it is improper to have Our staff act in such a fashion, inebriated or otherwise.

1/1/03

Another new year dawns upon Us, and with it many changes are sure to happen both to the land of Equestria and to the ponies that inhabit it. To which I say, bring it on.

2/15/03

We are expecting the Ursa Major to give birth any day now. I am ready to cast my sound barrier at a moment's notice.

2/20/03

It finally happened. The Ursa Major has given birth. I was, thankfully, able to respond in time to its cries and raise my sound barrier before anypony's ears bled. Now the new mother will hibernate with her newborn for many years. Hopefully, when she wakes, the Major will not terrorize Our little ponies anymore.

4/13/03

Solis turns twelve today. Like last year, he wishes not to celebrate. I cannot help but feel he unfairly blames himself for the death of his mother. But as much as I understand his pain, such an attitude is unhealthy for a maturing young colt. Next year, I will not let pass such behavior.

6/1/03

Today Solis made a very unusual request to observe the Elements of Harmony. When I inquired as to why he wished to do so, Solis replied he believed studying the harmonic resonance between the Elements would aid him in a secret project of his. When I next inquired as to what this secret project was, Solis replied, "'Tis a secret; I cannot tell."

Such a response elicited a chuckle from me and I told Solis he needed a better reason to convince me. He merely huffed in response and exited my bedchambers. There comes a point in every pony's life wherein they learn not everything goes their way. Solis has indeed suffered a loveless first decade of life, but such a request requires good reasoning to make happen. I might have considered demonstrating the Elements' power if he let me in on what his secret project entailed. I am genuinely interested in what it could be.

6/6/03

I just ordered Captain Tricolt to take Solis on a little boy's adventure through the Everfree. My son has spent far too much time indoors lately, and with summer soon to be upon us, now is the ideal time for Solis to leave the confines of this castle and see the world proper. Solis resisted, of course, but my insistence ultimately won out and he agreed to tag along with my Guard Captain.

It is plain to see that Solis is afraid of the outside world. After having been treated like scum for ten years, and then to be treated with respect by myself and Our servants for the past few, it is understandable as to why he wishes to remain here. But Solis will eventually learn to let go of the past and judge others based on their own merit rather than others'.

In regards to being insecure over his deformed appearance, I have a trick in mind which might alleviate such insecurities. Though, I will wait until a more proper time comes before testing it out. Until then, I shall not force Solis to interact with Our subjects if he wishes not to.

12/7/03

It has been many months since I last wrote in this diary as I thought it had been lost. It was hiding underneath the Organ all this time. Had I not tripped over one of the supports I would never have found it. But now that I have, I can write about the arrival of a new enemy to Equestria; a centaur who goes by the name of Lord Tirek.

Lord Tirek and his brother, Scorpan, arrived together near the end of summer with the stated mission of reestablishing connections with Equestria following Discord's defeat. To learn that other countries would be willing to reach out to us filled me with joy, but it was not long before their true mission was revealed, that being to steal all the magic in Equestria for themselves. Whether they were given this mission, or if they acted on their own has not been answered, but maybe Scorpan was too distraught about betraying his brother to say which is true. I suppose that is understandable, and if he makes good on his promise to never again set hoof on Equestrian soil with ill intent, We can forgive him for his part in this crime.

As for his brother, the Tartarus Caves shall suffice as a prison so long as Cerberus remains vigilant. Whether We will ever forgive him as well is yet to be determined, but even if so, it shan't happen for many a moon.

More positive news regarding foreign relations is that another offer to re-ally with the gryphons will be attempted early next year. Additionally, We believe sufficient time has passed for the Crystal Empire to be recovered from its turmoil, so negotiations shall be attempted with Sombra and the crystal ponies around roughly the same time.

1/1/04

Yet another new year is upon Equestria, and with it comes another step towards realizing the future I have envisioned for this wondrous land I call home. With each new year that passes, the first thing I always think to myself is, 'What can We make of this fresh start? What new goals should We strive for? And above all, how can We ward off the allures of malice and greed that has corrupted the hearts of many once good rulers throughout history?'

I suppose this is self-indulgent to admit, but when I look upon Our subjects I feel little other than pity. While We possess the strengths of all three pony tribes, Our subjects are limited in their talents and must rely on each other for support. To have just one, let alone two ponies who possess all of magic, flight, and great strength in addition to power over the sun and moon, rule Equestria is undoubtedly a terrifying prospect. With such power at Our command, We hold the lives of everypony everybody in our hooves.

Thankfully, I have observed over the past few years that Our subjects are much more faithful to Us than they were at the start of our rule. For instance, just last week I paid yet another visit to fair Canterlot intending to tour Lord Pig Skin's crystal mine and possibly purchase a section of it for governmental use; the crystals hidden within possess attributes for which many productive uses exist. Upon just arriving in Canterlot I was greeted with smiling faces and thunderous applause; I am positive I visibly blushed in response. Meeting with Lord Skin, I was quite pleased with how understanding he was with my request and wasted no time in leading me to the mine's entrance. I explained the reasons behind my request during the tour, and all the while Pig Skin never showed any sign of fear or apprehension to the prospect of selling away part of his mine. Once the tour concluded, he promised to think about my request and deliver his response soon.

As it stands now, the campaign of befriending Our subjects has yielded very positive results, as indicated by numerous instances like the one described above. However, I am positive there are still pockets of apprehension within Equestria's population regarding Our rule. The path toward a wholly faithful Equestria is not yet complete, but progress is made with every act of kindness and generosity Luna or myself performs for our subjects. We will not fall to the same plague of corruption and selfishness that rulers throughout history have fallen to.

2/28/04

I have just sent another notice to the Gryphon Nation as well as the Crystal Empire asking for an alliance with Equestria. Assuming no catastrophes occur, We should receive a response from both within the next few months.

I pray that all goes well this time around.

3/15/04

Today it was discovered that not all of Discord's chaotic influence was purged from the land when We cast him down and restored harmony to Equestria. Solis and Tricolt came back from their latest bonding session through the Everfree yesterday looking the same as when they left. Today, both woke up anything but.

My Captain's mane and tail are replaced with (I am ashamed to admit, mouth-watering) sweet grass, while Solis' body weight doubled, making each individual step he takes a harrowing ordeal. When I asked them what might have happened in the Everfree to cause these symptoms, Tricolt said that the two of them had walked through a patch of what he calls 'chiming blue flowers'. I instructed him to take me to these flowers immediately.

When we arrived at the flower patch I studied the magical anatomy of them, only to quickly realize they were imbued with chaos magic, the very same which Discord employed. It appears even while imprisoned Discord is able to wreak havoc with Our little ponies. I immediately destroyed the accursed flowers and returned with Tricolt to the castle.

At this very moment, Our doctors are researching a possible cure for my son and Guard Captain. I have instructed the maids to bring Solis his meals in bed until he is healed and have postponed any and all Court requests until further notice. Hopefully, the effects of that vile plant are not permanent.

3/20/04

A cure has been found for Tricolt and Solis. All that is needed are a few simple herbal ingredients to mix up a potion that can undo the effects put upon them by the flowers. Many of them are not native to Equestria, however, but I recall seeing many of them available for purchase during my last trip to Canterlot. It should be a simple matter of visiting Canterlot, acquiring the needed ingredients, and returning here to make it for Solis and Tricolt, but there is something that worries me.

Our subjects look up to Us as beacons of hope and wisdom, I can tell. My concern is how their views of Us might askew if they knew I was looking to them for help in such an important matter as curing my Captain and son of their illness. I need not tell them, certainly, but it is not everyday that I stroll through the marketplace alongside commoners, purchasing goods. Sure, I have done it in the past, but only on the rarest of occasions.

I plan on going all the same, without a doubt. I just hope nopony gets curious regarding my purchases.

3/20/04 (afternoon)

Solis and Tricolt have been cured of the chaos flowers' effects. I am quite relieved.

4/13/04

Today is Solis' thirteenth birthday. The little colt I first met at Happy Hearts' years ago is quickly growing into a dashing young stallion. If only he was not still adamant about ignoring his birthday. I promised I would make him enjoy his birthday last year, and I have upheld that promise. I summoned Solis to the castle dining room this morning, a full spread of all his favorite foods waiting to be eaten on the table, an enormous banner stretched across the room, and everypony lying in wait to shout 'Surprise!' once he entered.

He seemed genuinely surprised, that much I am certain. However, after getting over his initial shock, Solis scowled and walked to the table, grabbed some food and stormed back off to his room. While everypony else merely tilted their heads in confusion, Tricolt and myself followed him; Solis has apparently opened up to my Guard Captain about his foalhood throughout their bonding sessions. When we tried talking to him, Solis screamed at us to go away. I knew my son would not be wholly welcoming toward a surprise birthday party, but I assumed he would at the very least join the festivities, unhappily or not, rather than retreat to his room in a huff. The two of us attempted everything we could to coax him into returning, but no matter what he would not budge.

Tricolt suggested we leave him be, clearly having given up, and for a brief moment I agreed that our efforts were fruitless. Then one last idea sparked into my brain, and I asked Tricolt to wait outside and make sure no one entered. He complied, and I was left alone with my son. I stood next to his bed, watching him eat the food he brought, never once returning my gaze. Eventually, he sighed and asked why I wanted him back so badly. I decided to throw the question right back at him and asked why he was so adamant to not celebrate his birthday. Solis must not have expected the question, for he blanked on an answer at first. The answer he gave, however, was different from what I assumed to be true.

According to Solis, birthdays are not in celebration of one's birth itself. Rather, they are conducted to celebrate the entirety of one's life up to such a day. To this, he believes a horrid life such as his is not worth celebrating. It took me awhile to give my own answer, but I told him that even if the first ten years of his life are not worth celebrating, the years he has spent living in Everfree Castle with me, Luna, Tricolt, and everypony else are surely worth it. Ultimately, he agreed to return and join the festivities, though his sour mood never did lift.

Perhaps it will lift over time.

5/21/04

It has been a while since I wrote an entry telling of Luna's exploits in the dreamscape. She has spoken little of her experiences as of late, and whenever she did it was often little more than a re-telling of her earliest stories of how she vanquished Night Terrors before playing with the foals whose dreams they plagued. This morning, however, her story had a vastly different ending.

Last night, she visited the dream of a filly named Apple Cross who was being chased by a ravenous manticore. As per usual, my sister vanquished the Night Terror and consoled little Apple. But unlike the early days of Luna's adventures throughout the dreamscape, Apple Cross asked for Luna to leave her dream as she wanted privacy. She was polite about it and still ever grateful to Luna for vanquishing the Night Terror, but all the same my sister was saddened that the little filly was not interested in playing with her. I offered her all of my sympathies, to which my sister brightened at least a little.

With all the pressure I constantly find myself under from ruling Equestria during the day, coupled with the task of raising Solis properly, I have found myself with so little time to bond with my own flesh and blood. Our twilight hour meet-ups are a bi-daily occurrence, and in that time we are only able to bond so much. Perhaps this will change over time.

I certainly hope it does.

6/10/04

I have received a response from the Crystal Empire, and it heralds good news. With their turmoil resolved, the crystal ponies have agreed to a meeting between Us and King Sombra. At long last, We can begin reconnecting Equestria with the outside world. All We need is to make Sombra feel welcomed and be wholly open to discussion. We have no way of knowing what his highness may want out of a supposed alliance between our countries, but We shall know sometime next month, when he arrives.

6/25/04

I have long wondered just what Solis does during his spare time. Whenever he is not under Rusty Quill's tutelage or bonding with myself or one of the staff, he is almost always in his room or in the library reading various books pertaining to magical theory like he used to do at Happy Heart's. I came upon him doing just this while browsing through the library today, except the amount of books he had on hoof easily dwarfed his usual amount. My curiosity piqued, I decided to join him to which he had no objections. I picked up a book myself and began faux-reading as I was more interested in observing Solis' behavior.

The emanations I felt from him spoke of everything I already knew he exhibited: determination, resolve, and unwavering focus in reaching a set goal. I felt something new this time; satisfaction. I decided to ask him what he was reading, to which Solis replied he was studying Starswirl the Bearded's famed amniomorphic spell. I have known my son to read up on many famed magician's feats, but Starswirl the Bearded was, to my knowledge at least, never among them. To know that Solis was studying the work of perhaps the single greatest magician to ever live did nothing except heighten my curiosity.

I then asked him why he was studying it, and that is when I saw something so fleetingly rare from Solis that I was sure at first my eyes were playing tricks on me; he looked up from the book and gave me a broad smile. I am sure my facial reaction belied no weakness, but my mind did a double take that left me utterly speechless. Solis stated he was taking inspiration from the amniomorphic spell in his development of a new spell which went one step further than Starswirl's. Whereas Starswirl's spell changes the cellular composition of living beings, Solis' would, according to him, 'tune the atomic bonds of an object with that of another, thereby bridging the two together as one, single object'.

Apparently my son exudes one other trait; ambition. To attempt designing a spell of such magnitude that it reaches further than even Starswirl's most famous work, Solis is either deceptively brilliant or in way over his head. I would never admit this to him, but given his inability to use unicorn magic I have doubts about his capacity to understand it enough to design his own spell, let alone one to achieve the effect which he described to me. Regardless, I am quite happy to see him hard at work doing something which he seems to enjoy, even if it amounts to nothing.

7/14/04

I have received word that King Sombra is now on Equestrian soil, waiting to be escorted to Everfree Castle. At long last, We shall meet with the esteemed ruler of Equestria's northern neighbors. I am debating whether to bring Solis to the meeting so that he may observe the negotiations to get an idea of what is expected of him once he completes his studies. If I allow him to join, I will give my present to help him deal with his insecurities. I shall have made up my mind later on. For now, I must prepare the Royal Chariot to fetch King Sombra.

7/14/04 (afternoon)

We have just arrived back at Everfree Castle with King Sombra. My impressions of the king are rather mixed. He is a gruff fellow, and his voice seems to always carry with it a harsh tone regardless of his feelings. We chatted back and forth the whole trip home, mainly in regards to how we returned order to our respective homelands. Sombra was very much interested in hearing about the Elements of Harmony, as well as how Luna and I came to wield both the sun and moon by our lonesome. I expected such questions, and gave him the proper answers in turn.

One question I did not anticipate, however, was in regards to Our ethereal manes and tails. The question of why We had them caught me off guard as nopony had ever questioned Us on them before. We are aware as to why We have them, of course; the magic flowing through Us is so plentiful that it needs a channel for release, which Our manes/tails act as lest We suffer magical sickness. The question made me feel uncomfortable, but I answered all the same. Sombra seemed particularly interested in learning about how We came to possess such power, but my growing unease prevented me from giving any more answers. I do not know why I felt this way as his curiosity was justifiable to an extent. Perhaps it is merely because this is the first time somepony has shown interest in Our physiology.

At any rate, negotiations between Us and Sombra will commence in a few hours. I asked Solis if he wished to join us as an observer, to which he replied he was uninterested. He is currently studying in his room while Luna and myself prepare for the biggest challenge of our rule thus far.

I pray all goes well.

7/15/04

A celebration is most definitely in order, for Equestria and the Crystal Empire are now official allies once again. King Sombra was very open to reason and understood the benefits obtainable from allying with Us. The coming years shall undoubtedly see broadened communications between our two lands, as well as a plethora of trade routes open up, among many other things.

All that remains now is to convince the Gryphons that Equestria is an ally worth having. I am worried that their failure to respond to my last letter indicates they are wholly uninterested as of now. If such is the case, hopefully their minds shall change upon learning the Crystal Empire has allied with Us. I will send another letter to them informing them of this along with yet another plea for open relations.

We are so close to repairing Equestria's relations with the outside world; to fall short after all of Our hard work is unacceptable.

7/17/04

Once again, We have sent a letter to the Gryphon Nation, asking for a meeting to negotiate re-opening ties with each other. Also once again, We shall play the waiting game for their response.

8/21/04

Rusty Quill has informed me that Solis has continued to receive flying marks in all of his studies. It will not be long before my son has finished and can ascend to a higher level. Namely, the one where I teach him how to properly communicate with Our subjects. While he is improving his social skills gradually, he still has much to learn before he can effectively help Us rule Equestria.

There is also the issue of insecurities regarding his deformity. While I have a trick to quelling them, I am also aware of some possible negative repercussions that could result from employing it. I shall have to think long and hard over how to best implement my trick so that these negatives are minimized.

Another concern of mine is the amount of time Solis spends locked up in his room, working on his 'tuning' spell. While I am happy he is doing something which he enjoys, a maturing colt such as him cannot spend all his time cooped up in one place. He needs to get out and explore the world himself rather than reading about it in books. And he must learn to do it on his own, rather than wait for me to force him to.

Perhaps I can find a common solution to both of the above problems.

9/4/04

I stated in my prior entry that Solis should not wait for me to force him to get out and see the world. I have since realized a little 'push' is needed to get him interested in traveling Equestria and interacting with Our subjects.

Tomorrow I shall be visiting Canterlot to re-connect with some old acquaintances, one of which being Happy Heart. I shall have Solis tag along; if he refuses, I will force his hoof to come. As for my trick to helping him quell his insecurities, I have decided to indeed employ it. It may backfire in the end, but I realize now that taking risks is something I must get accustomed to if I am to be an effective ruler alongside Luna.

I shall inform Solis of tomorrow's plan later today. Hopefully, he will act his age and not complain.

9/5/04

In an hour, Solis and I will leave for Canterlot. I am proud that my son acted mature and did not whine about revisiting the mountainside city where we first met when I told him yesterday we would be doing such. That is not to say he was entirely comfortable with the idea, and I do not fault him for being hesitant to return after the treatment he received from his fellow orphans at Happy Heart's. But then I unveiled my trick to help him quell his insecurities; a brown, ceramic mask I had custom made for him.

Solis was at first confused as to the mask's purpose, but after my explanation he visibly relaxed and much of his prior hesitations melted away like a frozen lake surface in the sunlight. By wearing the mask, he can not only hide his deformity, but also his facial expressions when in conversation. Such would allow him to react in any which way he pleases without it affecting ponies' impressions of him. But therein lies the possible negative repercussions I mentioned in my previous two entries.

I am very well versed in social behavior (I would be incapable of ruling properly if I was not), and as such I know that ponies need visual cues when in conversation to determine their recipient's state of mind. This cannot be attempted with a pony wearing a mask, and as a result ponies would be uncomfortable conversing with such an individual. However, I believe I have found a way to overcome this obstacle.

Over the years, ever since We began our rule, ponies have gradually come to trust and respect Us. My hope is that I can use this trust to help forge a bond between Solis and Our little ponies. By having him join me in the various meetings with my old acquaintances while wearing the mask, I believe I can accustom ponies to conversing with him despite not being able to see his face. Word will then spread of 'Princess Celestia's masked son' and how polite he was, and ponies will come to realize that Solis is every bit as deserving of their trust and respect as We are. In time, I hope Our little ponies may come to revere Solis equally as much as they do Us, regardless of his appearance.

Of course, this all depends on the results of this first outing. I pray that all goes according to plan.

9/5/04 (evening)

We have returned from Canterlot. As far as I can tell, all went well. Solis and I visited many ponies, some of whom he knew and some I knew. At every single get together Solis acted like a proper gentlecolt, though he did not exude much happiness the whole time, but such does not matter. Everypony we conversed with appeared to be indifferent to Solis' concealed face, but at the same time they were more interested with making idle conversation with myself rather than him. Some ponies did show interest in him, of course, such as Happy Heart. The pink mare did a fine job of conveying exactly how overjoyed she was to see Solis again after all these years, if the enormous bear hug she gave him is anything to go by.

Overall, I believe this strategy of using my relationships with Our subjects to help forge new ones between Solis and them is coming along nicely so far. I plan on making periodic trips to Canterlot in the coming months, and I will make sure Solis accompanies me every time. Eventually, he will be as revered by everypony as We are.

I am certain of this.

10/29/04

Solis and I made yet another trip to Canterlot today, this time more to casually stroll around the city and admire the beautiful scenery afforded to those living upon the mountain. To be honest with myself, it was the most delightful experience I have had since the start of Our rule. Nopony gave us even the smallest lick of trouble, and we were even gifted with a couple of chocolate squares by one of the street vendors. I must say, the sweets Canterlot ponies make are without a doubt the best I have ever had the privilege to eat.

Perhaps I should set aside some bits for more every so often.

11/3/04

We have just received a reply from Stirrope. The Gryphons & their Minotaur allies are at war with a clan of dragons of the serpentine variety. The messenger whom We sent can attest to this for he says he was attacked by a blue & black one upon reaching the Stirropean coast. Were it not for a couple of heroic Minotaurs whom were hunting down the winged serpent my messenger would most likely have been roasted alive.

As to what the Gryphons' current stance is on a possible alliance with Equestria, they have announced their acceptance of the idea but are much too preoccupied with combating the dragons to focus on peace talks with Us. I can understand and respect their reasoning wholeheartedly. So long as they are open to talks of allying with Equestria, We can wait some more time before reaching out to them once again.

12/25/04

Another Hearth's Warming is upon Us. And with it comes yet another attempt from the staff to locate the secret wine cellar in which We have hidden said liquid.

Oh, watching them scour the castle grounds in search of their beloved drink has me laughing my head off; 'tis a good thing nopony is aware of the secrets that permeate this castle's infrastructure, at least for the most part.

1/1/05

Another new year is upon us. It is only now that something of grave importance has caught my attention, whereas before I have been far too busy leading Equestria to a brighter future to notice: Solis remains a blank flank.

As everypony knows, Souls only appear when a pony discovers their purpose in life. While I have long since believed Solis was a late bloomer, never would I have guessed he would remain Soulless even at 13 years of age. To my knowledge, nopony is recorded history has gone so long without receiving a Soul as Solis has. Such a development both interests and concerns me.

On the one side, I am all the more interested as to what Solis' calling in life is. If he is meant to help rule Equestria alongside Us, then I suppose I should credit myself for unintentionally anticipating such. If this is indeed true, Solis' Soul should appear sometime following the completion of his studies.

On the flipside, however, I am concerned for Solis' emotional well-being. The little colt I adopted years ago had but one obsession, and that was to obtain a Soul. I remember how he would pour over every book he could find in the castle's library, looking for information pertaining to what makes a Soul appear. It is a phase all foals go through; even I myself at one time lacked faith that I would receive mine. Solis has since grown out of this phase, of course, but I am worried that he is hurting on the inside due to still lacking a Soul to call his very own.

I have considered consoling him about this, but I fear I would only be deepening the wound by doing so. To that end, I have decided only to act should it become clear to me that Solis is suffering from depression. I am no proper therapist, but if there is one thing I truly excel at it is comforting those who have despaired.

1/31/05

Solis and I have just returned from yet another trip, but not from Canterlot this time. Instead, we visited the historic city of Cloudsdale. I am ashamed to admit I got a good chuckle out of Solis' hesitation to step out of the carriage and onto the cloud surface, despite my very clear explanation of how the cloud-walking spell functions and that it is wholly trustworthy. Then again, I am sure many non-pegasus ponies would be scared to attempt cloud-walking their first time; tis only natural.

As for our visit itself, it was pleasant all around. The pegasi were very welcoming and, as in Canterlot, rather indifferent towards Solis' masked face. Once again, Solis was a proper gentlecolt and even managed to start a conversation with Captain Tricolt's older twin brothers, Silver and Iron Smith, on his own. I am glad that my son is warming up to Our little ponies and realizing that their friendship is worthwhile. With how influential the Smith brothers are among the pegasi, I think it is safe to assume Solis' good reputation, in Cloudsdale at least, is secure.

If only he could find joy in making friends with Our subjects.

3/2/05

Something has changed with Luna.

I remember in the early days of Our rule, during our twilight hour meet-ups Luna would regale me with tales of her experiences in the dreamscape, of how she would vanquish foals' Night Terrors, then play with them before bidding farewell in search of more. The way she told her stories with such gusto and passion delighted me and I always found myself looking forward to each and every morning to hear more. But such a time has passed, and now I find myself concerned for my sister.

Within the past year or so, I have noticed Luna's stories are not as plentiful as they once were, and what ones there are she tells without any of the excitement she once emanated. A few times she has mentioned that foals are more reluctant to have their dreams invaded than they used to be, but it should not be enough to put down Luna like she currently is. Like with Solis' insecurities, I am hesitant to pointedly ask my sister what troubles her for fear of touching upon what could be a sensitive topic, and I know Luna's insecurities are almost on par with Solis' in prevalence. I shall wait to see if Luna opens up to me regarding whatever issue she is facing.

4/13/05

Solis turned fourteen today. Oh, how the years fly by.

I remember what happened last year very clearly, and I am pleased to say there was not a repeat occurrence today. Solis, while still displeased that I took the liberty of organizing a birthday party for him yet again, did not complain and went about partaking in the festivities along with the castle staff. While I would prefer he was thankful for my attempts to express everypony's happiness for his life, I can wait for a time in which he has put the past fully behind him and embraced his life and what he can make out of it.

Near the party's end, however, Solis said something to me which, while I found cynical at first, I now find most interesting. The two of us were sitting at the dining table, munching on dandelion biscuits and watching the staff either chatting or dancing with one another, when Solis spoke up. He asked me what I thought about the idea that his misery resulted in the happiness of so many others, in specific reference to him not being happy celebrating his own birthday while everypony else was enjoying it. Like I said above, I accused my son of being cynical and refused to answer the question. Solis stated he only asked out of curiosity and went back to eating.

I was bothered by his question for a while, but now I am wholly curious as to what he was suggesting by it. I will not deny that what he says is true, how everypony other than him enjoys his birthday celebrations. At the same time, however, I truly believe that the castle staff are happy for Solis himself, rather than just for the festivities I arrange in celebration of his birthday. Perhaps he disagrees with this notion; I cannot know unless I ask, which I will not. Like with my sister, I shall wait and see if Solis opens up to me regarding this at a later date.

I must go now, for I hear Luna calling for me to lower the sun.

5/29/05

The time has come once again to reach out to the Gryphon Nation with offer of an alliance. Hopefully the featherbrains have overcome the dragon onslaught and are now in an ideal position to consider it at the very least. I hope beyond hope, however, that they wholeheartedly agree to the offer this time.

Only time will tell.

6/10/05

Today Solis and I visited another settlement, this time the village of Earth. I had not visited since the Ursa Major incident, but nevertheless everypony was wholly welcoming and, once again, indifferent to Solis' masked face. When I informed Solis of where we would be traveling, he seemed moderately delighted that our destination was predominantly earth pony-centric, which makes sense as he is one himself.

As for our actual visit, it was by all means a repeat performance of our last two: everypony was wholly welcoming, Solis was a proper gentlecolt, and I had a delightful time conversing with acquaintances I made during my last visit. I noticed that Solis did not emanate as much dread as he did during our previous trips throughout Equestria, though at the same time he was not truly happy to interact with Our subjects and forge blooming friendships with them. I do not expect him to be entirely open to the idea of befriending Our subjects straight away, of course, and it will warm my heart when such a time finally arrives.

7/24/05

Today is a very special day, for Solis has at long last completed his political studies. He received naught but flying marks on all of his final exams, and Rusty Quill says Solis is without a doubt suitable to be a third wheel in mine and Luna's rule over Equestria. I wholeheartedly agree, and I cannot wait to start putting Solis' skills to use as Luna and I desperately need more time to bond with each other.

Speaking of Luna, I learned the other day that my sister took it upon herself to travel to Cloudsdale and attempt chatting up some of the residents. To my knowledge, Luna has never before foregone sleep to leave the castle for anything outside of emergencies. Apparently, her visit did not go over so well with Cloudsdale's pegasi. While everypony was respectful of her like they are with me, they were more intimidated than happy to see their princess of the night walk among them, and nopony was particularly keen on chatting with her. She returned to the castle having gained nothing from her encounter.

What I am confused about, however, is why Luna felt she needed to do this to begin with. After all, her job of slaying Night Terrors should still bear fruit in building her good reputation with Our subjects, so there should be no need to mimic Solis and mine strategy to get in the good graces of everypony. I am all the more tempted to openly confront her on what is plaguing her mind these days, but I would still like to think my sister is mature enough to seek my council in such a matter.

I hope I am not overestimating my sister in this regard.

8/1/05

I have decided to introduce Solis to the difficult annoying infuriatingly maddening process of Court. With my son having graduated from his political studies, the time has come for him to gain first-hoof experience in the subject. Better he get accustomed to the madness associated with listening to the incessant whining of snobby nobles over the most meager of topics. He will accompany me during each Court session from here on out, learning the ropes as it were, and getting a proper feel for the decision-making We go through each time.

May the Elements have mercy on him.

8/2/05

Solis' first experience in Court has ended, and I am pleased that he stayed composed throughout the entire session. One thing I did not expect him to do was don the mask I gave him. When I asked why he brought it, Solis replied that he had 'grown attached' to it and decided to always wear it when in the presence of ponies whom do not live in the castle. I certainly did not object to this, of course, as I can only imagine how many times Solis' face twisted in disgust upon hearing a noble's complaint over the most ridiculous of things. Now I am jealous for my son, as keeping a straight face all throughout such torture is harrowing to say the least.

Anyway, Solis' first time sitting in on Court went well, and I know he paid close attention to all the proceedings. Someday, he will have enough experience to properly help Us in listening to Our subjects' petitions and decide which ones are worth endeavoring into. The thought of all three of us, Solis, Luna, and myself ruling over Equestria together is something I can hardly wait to happen.

9/14/05

I was genuinely surprised today on two accounts. The first was that Solis accompanied me while I was playing the Organ to the Outside during one of my brief periods of freedom. This is the first time he has done so; I had previously assumed he had no interest in music. As it turns out, Solis is actually very fond of music, though singing irritates him to no end. Pity, I was going to sing to him on his next birthday.

When I asked him why he wished to join me, Solis replied that he deserved a break from working on his 'tuning spell' and thought he would see what his 'dear old mother does in her free time'. And this brings me to the second account of how I was surprised, as that quote is the first time after all these years that Solis has referred to me as 'mother' and not 'Celestia'. When I first heard such come from his mouth, I almost fell out of my seat. Solis, however, only raised a brow in curiosity to my bout of clumsiness. He must not have realized exactly what he said, which indicates him calling me 'mother' was not by choice, but rather instinctual.

This actually makes me more happy than if he had consciously chosen to call me 'mother', as it indicates he truly sees me as such, even if subconsciously. I cannot help but feel proud to be as valiant in motherhood as I am in both government and battle. Truly, I chose the correct path laid out by destiny.

10/7/05

A most disturbing incident occurred during Court today. Luna, Solis, and myself were listening to Lady Melody drone on about how Equestria stood to gain much from a theater of musical arts or something of the sort when she began to sing the lyrics to an original piece I, unfortunately, was not able to learn the name of due to what happened next. While Luna and I listened with interest, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Solis was breathing heavily and had his ears folded backwards. I excused myself and Solis and led him to his room where I asked if something was the matter. He repeated what he had said a little less than one month ago about how he despised singing, and he did not want to hear any more.

When Solis had first told me that he hated singing I assumed it was little more than a minor nuisance to him, one which he could easily push through. After baring witness to his behavior in Court, however, it is clear that such is not the case. The emanations I sensed from him were of total, unbridled rage toward Lady Melody, and I fear had I not excused Solis from Court he would have lashed out at her. I had planned on singing to Solis for his fifteenth birthday, but it is clear to me now that such is a bad idea.

11/14/05

My concern with Luna has done naught but triple over the past few months. Now not only is Luna distressed during our twilight hour meet-ups, but she does not even spend the full hour with me anymore. More often than not she excuses herself before our bonding time has finished and without so much as a 'good day' or a 'sleep well'. I am heavily concerned for her now, but I still hope she will open up to me about whatever ails her. I shall wait another few months before forcing Luna to open herself up to me.

11/27/05

A response from the Gryphon Nation has been received, and it heralds splendid news! They, along with the minotaurs, have finally agreed to a meeting with Us for re-establishing ties with Equestria! The only part about this that makes me unhappy is the fact that We must wait another few months for Our overseas friends to arrive here. Aside from that, I am truly the happiest mare in the world as of now.

A round of the finest wine is in order for supper tonight.

12/25/05

Another Hearth's Warming is upon Equestria, and the emanations circulating around the castle air right now are entirely of happiness to the greatest degree. Such is largely due to my ever-increasing joy at the thought of finally completing the task of re-uniting Equestria with the outside world. The gryphons and minotaurs will arrive sometime early next year, and I have total confidence that all will go well like they did with King Sombra and the Crystal Empire.

1/1/06

A new year has arrived, and now We eagerly await a visitation from Our, hopefully soon-to-be, allies from Stirrope. I have also decided to include Solis in the proceedings. Aside from the incident with Lady Melody a few months ago, Solis has proven himself very patient and attentive in Court, and as such he could benefit greatly from a taste of high politics. My only concern is how the foreign delegates might react to having a masked pony attend the meeting; while Our little ponies have remained indifferent on the subject, I know not how gryphon or minotaur social customs would treat such an enigma.

I suppose I shall see when the time comes, which I imagine will be sometime before the end of next month.

1/28/06

I have just sent a message to the Crystal Empire to inform his highness King Sombra of the upcoming negotiations between Equestria and the Gryphon Nation along with their allies. Now that Equestria has an established postal route a reply should arrive within a few weeks rather than months. In the message I have included an invitation for his highness to join the proceedings, perhaps help convince the overseas delegates that they stand to gain much from allying with Equestria. Regardless, the negotiations cannot fail, as I sincerely doubt the gryphons will allow for another opportunity for Us to reconnect with them.

2/26/06

At long last, negotiations between Us and the Gryphon Nation along with their allies will begin. I am, however, surprised to have learned that the delegates from both the Gryphon Nation and the Kingdom of Minos are none other than Queen Ziz and King Cretan, respectively. I thought for sure they would send proper delegates to this meeting, but I shall not admonish them. All that matters is that they are here, and negotiations will be underway by tomorrow.

Unfortunately, King Sombra has elected not to participate in the negotiations. The reasoning he gave in his reply letter was that the Crystal Empire is content with having Equestria as an ally and no more, but that he did not oppose Our attempts to re-establish ties with the Stirropean countries. I suppose his help is not needed, however, as I am fully confident that the gryphon and minotaur royals will be receptive to Our pleas for a re-alliance.

2/27/06

Never before have I felt so offended as I did this morning during the negotiations between Us and Our royal ambassadors. The meeting started off without a hitch, to which I believed We were in the clear. Queen Ziz and King Cretan listened to Our plea for re-alliance and were satisfied with all the benefits We outlined in the drafted charter. They declared a re-alliance could be easily achieved provided one more condition was met. We asked them what this condition was, to which they announced confirmation of Discord's death was all they needed to sign the charter.

I was so caught off guard by their condition that my mind went blank for a couple of seconds. In hindsight, I know now why it did so; We were so close to completing the task of reuniting Equestria with the outside world, and yet the last obstacle was impossible to overcome because Discord is still alive despite being imprisoned in stone. I remember being ready to lie to their faces and say Discord had indeed been slain but Luna, as the Bearer of Honesty, beat me to it with the truth. I also remember, for a split second after she said it, that I reviled her which I am now ashamed to have done.

Queen Ziz and King Cretan asked if it was true that Discord is still alive, to which I explained the whole story of how We cast him down using the Elements of Harmony. I had hoped that their majesties would understand that even with Discord still alive he is no longer a threat to anypony after I finished my story. Such was not the case, however, and they went so far as to criticize Us for being 'too soft'. They stated any ally of theirs' should be willing to kill to protect them as they would themselves. They further stated if We were proper rulers We would have destroyed Discord's statue as soon as he was imprisoned to forever ensure his reign of chaos never again touched the land. I know both of Us were offended by this notion, and We could not believe how rude their majesties were in calling Us improper rulers. In hindsight, I was frighteningly close to using the Royal Canterlot Voice on them in response.

At that point, all seemed hopeless. Their majesties had essentially refused to sign the charter, and unless We could convince them otherwise my dream of allying Equestria with the outside world would never come true. At that point, I was about ready to agree to smash Discord's statue in front of them so they would have reason to sign the charter. But then Solis, my son, did something entirely unexpected and I was at first shocked in response. He slammed his hooves upon the table and challenged the gryphon and minotaur in their beliefs. He stood up for Us, saying that not only were their majesties wrong in saying We were 'too soft', but that We were crueler than even Discord himself.

Solis then beckoned everyone present to follow him. I was too shocked to object, and I found my hooves carrying me behind him, to which Luna and their majesties followed with varying degrees of reluctance. We followed Solis all the way to the inner courtyard where Discord's statue is located. My son proclaimed to the king and queen that if We were 'too soft' as they believed, than We would have indeed destroyed Discord's statue to kill him. By imprisoning him in stone instead, he said, We sentenced Discord to a fate worse than even death which was an eternity of conscience confinement. He finished by saying We were more cold and merciless than even they could hope to be, and that We were indeed willing to kill to protect Our allies.

As soon as Solis finished speaking, the king and queen declared they would make their final decision tomorrow before leaving for home. I do not know if Solis' words had any effect on their judgments, but I cannot blame my son if nothing has changed by tomorrow morning. We had failed on Our own to convince their majesties that Discord need not have died to be harmless, so nothing Solis had said can possibly worsen the situation. As of now, We can do nothing but hope that my son's words will convince their majesties to sign the charter.

All the same, though, I now find myself pondering the last thing Solis told them, that We would be willing to kill to protect Our allies. We have never had to as of now, and I pray to the Elements that We are never forced to make such a decision. But if such a time does arrive, I fear We may not be able to live up to such a claim. Hopefully, that fear is unfounded.

2/28/06

Words cannot properly convey how happy I am at this moment in time. Just minutes ago, Queen Ziz and King Cretan departed for Stirrope having made their final decision.

They signed the charter. Equestria and the Gryphon Nation are officially allies. After almost five years of vying the gryphons for an alliance, Our dream of reuniting Equestria with the outside world has been realized. And to think, my own son is responsible for making that dream a reality.

I just got done talking to Solis about how thankful I am of him for his help in convincing their majesties to sign the charter. My son, never one to shy away from a chance to be authoritative, gave me a short lecture on the importance of asserting oneself when faced with seemingly unbeatable opposition. While I was indeed attentive to him, I could not help but find amusement in Solis acting like he was my parent and not vice-versa.

At any rate, Our goal has been reached because of Solis. I can now say with perfect certainty that I chose the right foal all those years ago, and I am eternally grateful to have him as my son. All I have left to do is adequately show him my thanks, to which such an opportunity shall eventually come.

3/7/06

For the past week, I have been pondering what Solis' Soul could possibly be. he is still lacking one, and here I believed he would have received one after Our meeting with the Stirropean royalty. My son has consistently demonstrated superb talents in political dealings, from his studies to Court to the meeting last week, and yet he has not received a Soul after all. To see my son exhibit such talent that is not his calling in life leaves me both confused and excited; confused in that I am clueless as to what else Solis could be exceptionally talented at, and excited to see what such a thing ends up being.

Only time will tell.

4/13/06

Today is Solis' fifteenth birthday. To think, that the little colt I adopted almost five whole years ago is growing into such a dashing, smart, and very useful young stallion fills me with a certain sense of pride. I feel it is safe to say that I have succeeded as a mother. While it is true that Solis' insecurities are still present, I fully believe in a year or two he will readily take on all of life's challenges without me having to prompt him. He has definitely lived up to his potential as a leader, and soon he will be helping Us more frequently in ruling Equestria.

I can hear Summer Scape calling for me. I shall end this entry by saying I am both glad and a little surprised that nopony has discovered this secret room. Ah well, Solis' birthday celebration is already set up in the dining room, and I must wake the birthday colt to attend. Hopefully, he will exude more joy this time around.

Celestia ceased writing and set the diary down onto the dais. After that, she charged magic into her horn and teleported out of the secret room to meet with Summer Scape.

Ancient Ascendant (Part 1)

"Your highness!" Summer Scape called out to Celestia from within one of the castle's many hallways. "Where are you!?"

No response came. The earth pony mare sighed. There were times that she went to check on Princess Celestia only to find her room empty with no trace of the white alicorn. Summer Scape never panicked, though, as she knew Celestia would sometimes wake up extra early to raise the sun and take some time to stroll around the castle afterwards. It slightly irritated Summer Scape but she never brought it up to Celestia, being afraid to lose her job as lead hoofmaiden.

She called again. "Your highness! Where are you!?"

This time, an audible popping sound came from behind her, to which Summer quickly spun around to find the solar alicorn smiling coyly down upon her.

"Shouting is not necessary, Lady Scape," Celestia said. "Indeed, thou runnst the risk of waking everypony doing so."

Summer Scape bowed before her in a show of respect. "Apologies, your highness; I shall keep my voice to a minimum." She stood up and gestured down the hallway. "Your bath awaits, princess."

Celestia nodded. "Lead the way, Lady Scape."

Summer Scape nodded, and began heading down the corridor to which Celestia followed the butterscotch mare.

They walked in silence for most of the trip to the baths. As it was still early morning, aside from the occasional whisper of wind sounding from outside whenever they passed a window the only sounds that could be heard were the clip clops of their hooves against the hallways' stone floor. Aside from the two mares, and possibly still Luna, nopony else was awake which meant Celestia and Summer Scape were alone for the time being. Neither took advantage of this fact at first, however; only once they reached the utility wing of the castle did conversation spark between the two.

"Summer?" Celestia said as they rounded a corner.

The butterscotch earth pony gazed up at her ruler. "Yes, your highness?"

Celestia took a moment to carefully select her words before replying. "Was it hard leaving thy family to work here?"

Summer Scape's eyes widened in surprise briefly before she returned her gaze straight ahead. She took a moment to select a reply. "W-well," she stuttered, "it was not so hard for me as it was for my family." She looked up in thought. "I remember my husband was particularly distraught, though he understood we dearly needed the bits." She looked back up to Celestia with a smile. "I could never adequately express my thanks for accepting me as your lead hoofmaiden, your highness."

Celestia chuckled. "Well, thou wert the most suited to the job amongst every applicant."

"And I shall express my thanks once again," Summer replied. "Thank you, your highness."

Celestia rolled her eyes with a smile. For the hundredth time.

After a few more minutes of walking, they found themselves outside the bathroom. Summer Scape held open the door for Celestia, who entered and approached the tub of water set in the room's center, immediately setting to work cleaning herself. Using her magic, she levitated a glob of water out of the tub and brought it over to her. Being ever so careful with her movements, she gradually let her ethereal mane soak in the fresh water, to which it ceased free-flowing and hang loose around her head.

"If I may ask, princess," Summer Scape said, trotting into the room, "why did you ask your earlier question?"

Celestia halted for a moment in surprise before resuming with the water. "We suppose . . . We are afraid."

Summer quirked an eyebrow. "Afraid? Of what?"

"Of what shall happen when Solis comes of age in a few years." She ceased soaking her mane and moved to her coat. Summer Scape grabbed a cloth hanging from a nearby rack and began wringing Celestia's mane dry as she continued. "We have raised him to help Us in ruling Equestria, which he hath already proven to have the capacity for doing." She sighed. "But he may not want to do so for life, and once he turns eighteen Solis may wish to leave and start a life all his own." She turned to Summer Scape with eyes filled with worry. "We are afraid to bear the pain of letting him go should he choose this path."

Summer Scape processed all of what Celestia told her while wringing the solar alicorn's mane. Once finished, she giggled and replied, "Such a fear is quite common, your highness."

Celestia quirked an eyebrow herself. "Truly?"

Summer Scape nodded. "Indeed, princess. There comes a time in every parent's life when they are faced with the challenge of letting their child 'grow up', as it were, and I suppose the same holds true even for adoptive parents." She smiled coyly. "But the key difference between you two and other parent-child pairs is most parents are not royalty. I can all but guarantee that Solis would not trade away his current status for a simpler life to himself, especially considering his insecurities."

Celestia mulled over this for a moment before replying. "We suppose such is true." She levitated another glob of water out of the tub and began washing her tail with it. "Perhaps We have been spoiling him, then."

"Ah, let him be spoiled, your highness," Summer replied while she switched from wringing Celestia's mane to drying her coat. "Solis is fairly modest, and does not demand unreasonable favors from the castle staff. If anything, he doth deserve a little more, especially since today he turns fifteen."

Celestia smiled. "Perhaps." She ceased washing her tail, which Summer took as incentive to begin drying it next. "What will help Us bear the pain of letting Solis go should he choose to leave?"

Summer Scape thought it over while she finished drying the solar princess. When she formed an answer, she said it with a soft tone of complete sincerity. "In all honesty, your highness, there is no proper method of bearing such pain."

Celestia turned to look at her with a bemused expression. "Why so?"

"Because 'tis a natural reaction to have when one is forced to let a loved one go." She began making way toward the rack. "To be truthful, your highness, anypony who doth not feel it is a heartless monster."

"Indeed," Celestia agreed, "but we wish to know how best to bear this pain if he does indeed leave." Her mane and tail began billowing in their natural ethereal breeze as she continued. "How dost thou cope with having left thy family?"

"Well," Summer Scape said as she threw the cloth over the rack, "I remind myself every day that my family loves me, and that I hold a special place in their hearts which can never be replaced." She turned back around with a wistful smile. "Such gives me the strength I need to overcome the pain of not being there for them myself, and that I can aid them indirectly by serving under you and Luna."

Celestia looked slightly crestfallen. "We are not sure if Solis hath reserved such a place for Us in his heart."

"I hath no doubt that he has, your highness," Summer Scape said. "After all you have done for him, 'twould be ghastly for him not to."

". . . Thank thee, Lady Scape," Celestia said, perking up a bit. "We feel much better now."

"Of course, all of your fears hinge on the notion that Solis would rather live amongst the populace than in the luxury afforded to him by living here." Summer Scape continued with a hint of cheekiness in her tone. "Although, if you are still worried, I imagine a spoiled colt is also a complacent colt."

Celestia struggled to hold back a snort of laughter in response. "Do not tempt me, Lady Scape; there is a limit to everypony's sense of modesty."

"Not Solis'," Summer Scape countered.

Both mares devolved into a fit of giggles as they made way toward the door.

Summer Scape and Celestia spent the next ten minutes making sure everything was adequately prepared for Solis' fifteenth birthday celebration.

The previous night was spent decorating the dining room to be as elegantly festive as possible. Glittering tapestries created specifically for such occasions hung from the walls, embedded with gems of various types and sizes in stark contrast to the drab, grey bricks which they covered. From the ceiling was hung a solid gold chandelier that sparkled during the hour of time in which the sun's light shined through the appropriate window, bathing the room in a shining luminescence that would leave normal ponyfolk breathless to the sight of, but was nothing special to the castle's inhabitants.

A large banquet heralding all of Solis' favorite foods was spread out from one end of the dining table to the other prepared by the chefs the night before, now sleeping in as a result of their night-long cooking crusade. As such, Celestia was forced to cook Solis' breakfast herself, though with a little help from Summer Scape. It was a rather crude breakfast made up of just a few boiled potatoe slices and a glass of milk, but they knew it would suffice for the rest of the day until the celebration, whereupon everypony would gorge to their heart's content. For now, though, all that mattered was keeping Solis out of the dining room so as to keep the celebration a surprise.

"Remember Lady Scape," Celestia said as they exited the kitchens, the solar alicorn levitating Solis' breakfast in her magic grip while they walked, "nopony is to enter the dining room until We give the signal, whereupon thou must gather the castle staff and usher them in. We shall then fetch Solis and guide him there so everypony can surprise him."

Summer Scape tilted her head. "Surely he is privy to surprise celebrations by now, your highness." They entered the utility wing's main corridor and headed toward the inner courtyard. "After all, you have thrown surprise birthday celebrations for him over the past few years."

Celestia smiled wryly. "Perhaps, but there is more satisfaction to be had in throwing a surprise celebration, is there not?"

"Only for the thrower," Summer replied with a laugh.

The two mares reached the inner courtyard soon after. A couple of birds had entered through the outer archway and were perched upon the horns of Discord's statue. The inner courtyard held an aura of serene tranquility in spite of its permanent occupant, and it never ceased to calm Celestia whenever she felt agitated or enraged. Now, however, she felt neither and was instead filled with budding excitement at getting to congratulate her son on turning fifteen.

"Well, I shall be off then," Summer Scape said, turning down the stone walkway toward the castle's entrance.

Celestia watched until the butterscotch mare disappeared around the corner before continuing forward through an archway leading to the guest wing. After walking for about three minutes she reached the guest wing. She approached Solis' room and, keeping his breakfast aloft in her magic, lightly knocked on the door once.

No answer came.

She tried again. Still nothing.

Celestia smiled. Always one to sleep in, art thou?

Carefully, Celestia pushed in the doorlock and ever so gently opened the door. Peeking her head inside, she spotted the lumpy form of her son underneath the bed sheets, which rose and fell slowly with each of his breaths. Celestia's ears twitched as she heard a soft snoring sound emanating from the bed, and she giggled quietly before fully opening the door and stepping inside.

Shutting the door behind her just as quietly, Celestia took a moment to examine her son's room. Over the last five years, Solis' room had changed quite drastically. Whereas before all the room heralded was some plain furniture and drab walls, now there was a room better fit for the son of royalty. Tapestries hung from the walls between the room's windows, each one depicting either a scene of sunrise over the horizon or a dragon flying amongst the clouds. A fully stocked bookcase stood against one wall, filled with various tomes and scrolls either purchased by Celestia as gifts to her son or, as was the case for a scant few, acquired by Solis prior to being adopted by the solar alicorn.

Alongside the wall directly opposite the bed was a desk that contained parchments, glass beakers, various chemicals that Celestia would pop a blood vessel attempting to remember the names of, and star charts. Next to the desk was a telescope that looked out the window to the vast cosmos above. It was where Solis conducted research pertaining to his various side-interests, including his 'tuning spell' as he called it.

Perhaps it is time Solis received a proper room rather than an intended guest room, Celestia thought as she made way toward the bed where her son still laid fast asleep.

Upon reaching it, she set the potatoe slices and milk onto the nightstand, freeing her magic so she could lift the blanket partway off of Solis. The young stallion reacted unconsciously by attempting to grab it back and cover himself again, which Celestia could not help but smile at the cuteness of. Looking down at Solis, she found it amazing that the little colt she had adopted five years ago was already so far grown. Gone was his chubby little coltish figure and in its place was the slender, well-toned form of a maturing earth pony stallion. His crimson coat was well-groomed and sleek-looking in her sun's light, and despite having just slept in bed his short, dark gray mane bore no signs of having been subjected to tossing and turning, staying relatively straight all throughout the night. His face was pointed upwards, affording Celestia a clear view of his maturing stallion muzzle which let loose a snore with each outtake of breath.

Keeping her smile, Celestia sat on the bed and began gently stroking Solis' face with a wingtip. "Wake up, little sun," she said in a calm, soothing tone only she could manage.

Solis stirred slightly, but did not wake up. Celestia giggled and began stroking slightly harder. "Rise and shine, Solis," she said a bit louder.

This time Solis woke up. He slowly lifted his eyelids and let his vision focus before turning to Celestia with a small smile. "Oh, hello mother," he said. He took a moment to let out a yawn before continuing. "Why are you here?"

Celestia adopted an expression of mock offense. "Surely We are allowed to personally deliver Our son breakfast in bed on his fifteenth birthday," she said while pointing to the food and milk on the nightstand, "or are We not?"

Solis' smile grew slightly larger and he rolled his eyes. "You lay down the law and govern the land, mother; my opinion accounts for little, if anything at all."

". . . Yes, of course."

Solis raised a brow. "Is something the matter, mother?"

Celestia looked downcast briefly before looking back up to Solis with a hardened gaze. "Solis," she said, "what dost thou wish to achieve in life?"

Solis stared blankly for a moment before replying. "What do you mean to say?"

"What We mean is thou art coming of age, and wilt soon be expected to make thy own choices." She took a moment to scratch her fore leg before continuing. "We were wondering what those choices might entail."

Solis could only raise his other brow in confusion. "I am afraid I still do not understand."

"Subtlety never did work with thee," she replied with a laugh. "When thou comest of age in a few years, wilt thou wish to remain with Us here in Everfree Castle helping to rule over Equestria, or wilt thou choose to start a new life amongst the populace?"

Solis appeared to continue to stare blankly at Celestia, but the solar alicorn knew that he was processing her question in his mind and trying to come up with an answer that would please her, which he was having trouble with. Eventually, Solis seemed to shrink into the bed, a clear sign that he was uncomfortable with the question. Celestia sighed and shook her head upon realizing she was putting too much pressure on her son.

"Forget We said anything," she said, and levitated a potatoe slice over to her son.

Solis rose up and grabbed the starch stick in his mouth. Using his hooves to grasp it, he took a bite. Celestia watched as Solis chewed and swallowed, making sure to keep his mouth closed the whole time, before he looked up to her with another small smile.

"'Tis delicious," he remarked, then took another bite.

"We are glad thou findst it satisfactory," Celestia replied, her smile returned. "We made it Ourself."

Solis' eyes widened a bit as he chewed and swallowed the second bite. "Truly?" he asked.

"Indeed," Celestia answered with a nod. "Though, with a little help from Lady Scape."

Solis nodded in turn, then proceeded to take another bite out of his breakfast. A look of realization suddenly crossed his face, to which Solis reached over to the nightstand and pushed the plate a bit closer to Celestia. The solar alicorn merely tilted her head in confusion and it was not until Solis gestured to the potatoe slices with his hoof that she realized he was inviting her to take one for herself. Smiling kindly at him, Celestia used her magic to take one and brought it up to her mouth before daintily nibbling it.

Indeed, it is delicious, she thought while she chewed.

The two sat in silence for a while afterward, continuing to whittle away the number of potatoe slices the plate heralded as well as the milk contained within the glass. All the while they ate, Celestia let herself get lost deep in thought over the stallion in front of her.

Lady Scape doth have a strong argument; Solis is quite the modest one in spite of all his accomplishments. It is thanks to him that Equestria hath repaired its relations with the Gryphon Nation and its allies. For a young stallion such as he to accomplish such a feat, and with naught but a few well-placed assessments, it is something even We could never hath done Ourselves. Not only that, but to challenge the words of royalty such as Ziz and Cretan, and stand up for Us and Our actions when imprisoning Discord . . . Solis is something special indeed. Our-no, my son is truly one of a kind. Perhaps he doth deserve something more significant than merely a new bedroom . . .

Once they finished, Celestia sat up off the bed and stretched her wings before speaking. "Now that we are full, let us get thee cleaned up so we can enjoy this most special day properly."

"Certainly, mother," Solis replied, "but can I show you something first?"

"Of course, my son," Celestia replied back with a smile. "What is it?"

Solis pointed to the nightstand drawer. "It is in there," he said, adorning a smile that put all others he had worn over the years to shame.

Whatever it is, Solis must love it very dearly, Celestia thought as she used her magic to open the drawer. Looking inside, she saw nothing but a single rolled-up parchment scroll which lacked any kind of proper sealing or binding. Celestia raised a curious brow as she once again used her magic to levitate the scroll in front of her and unfurl it.

Her eyes widened briefly in response to seeing a series of diagrams and equations clearly illustrating a spell on the parchment, but one of such complexity that Celestia found herself confused as to its purpose at first. Only after a few minutes of careful study did Celestia realize what she was holding.

"Is this thy 'tuning spell', Solis?" she asked, looking down at him in surprise.

Solis nodded. "Indeed it is," he replied, never letting his smile fade even a bit. "I was inspired to create it the first time I laid eyes on Discord's statue. I looked at him and thought to myself, 'what if animal hybrids could be made to serve a noble cause?' Unfortunately, my research failed to yield a successful method for creating living hybrids, but for inanimate objects it did."

Solis got out of bed and pointed at a specific equation on the scroll. "It is here where the entire key to this spell lies. Simply put, by enchanting two objects in contact with each other to form a chemical bond between common substances in both, the caster can effectively polymerize both objects into a single object of equal combined atomic mass." Solis looked up to see Celestia's eyes glazed over, to which he chuckled. "Art thou confused, mother?"

Celestia snapped out of her stupor and looked at Solis blankly for a moment before returning her attention to the parchment. Looking upon the various diagrams and equations it heralded with a much more critical eye, Celestia gradually came to the realization that the spell it described was entirely genuine. While neither she nor Luna were masters of spell design, the two sisters were knowledgeable enough of its practice that Celestia knew the spell design she held before her was the work of somepony well-versed in its application.

This . . . might actually work, she thought.

"Is it sound, mother?" Solis asked, breaking the solar alicorn from her thoughts.

Celestia looked over the spell one last time before smiling wistfully and returning her gaze to Solis. "It is time We made a confession, son," she said.

Solis tilted his head. "A confession? To what?" he asked, tone bursting with curiosity.

Celestia wrapped a wing around the crimson colt and had him sit back down onto the bed, to which she sat beside him and began lightly stroking his backside with her wing's feathers. "Truth be told, Solis, when thou first told Us of your intention to create this 'tuning spell' despite not possessing the means to test it out for thyself, We chalked up your goal as little more than foal's ambition."

"Wait, what!?"

Before Solis could erupt into a fit of rage, Celestia held up a hoof to silence him. "Let Us finish," she commanded.

Solis huffed and gestured for her to continue, which she did.

"But while We believed setting such a goal for thyself was foalish, We were proud of you for thy desire to prove your ill-givers wrong and showcase your raw talent in the absence of a Soul to do such for you." She smiled warmly. "Thou art truly a gifted colt, Solis; possibly the most gifted We have ever known, second only to Star Swirl the Bearded himself."

Solis managed to break out of his ill tidings enough to chuckle heartily in response. "Nopony shall ever surpass him, I suppose?"

Celestia shook her head. "We sincerely doubt it."

"I suppose second best is nothing to sneeze at, then," Solis replied with a wistful smile and furrowed brows.

Celestia chuckled herself. "Indeed it is not," she replied. Her expression changed from one of playfulness to one of solemn joy. A tear rolled down her cheek as she continued. "But even as gifted as thou art, We thought something such as this," she gestured to the parchment in her magic, "was beyond the reach of non-unicorns. We wert sure that the prospect of designing a spell in itself, much less one as well-articulated and fleshed out as this one clearly is, was impossible without access to unicorn magic itself for testing purposes." She set the scroll down on the nightstand and looked down at her son, all the while continuing to stroke his backside. "We must ask, how didst thou manage to finish the spell without any way of field-testing it?"

Solis shook his head. "I will admit it was not easy; even now I am not certain that the current iteration of the spell will yield successful results. Without any way to test each step, I had to resort to careful analysis of each equation, matrix, and diagram before making an educated guess on the results of their implementation and whether those results would ruin the entire spell." He looked up at Celestia with a face happier than Celestia would have ever thought possible to see from him. "But I finished it regardless, because working on it gave me a sense of purpose I had not felt before in life. The satisfaction I felt from taking all I had learned and making something new and useful from it was above and beyond anything I had ever experienced, even greater than when you first revealed to me your intention to adopt me."

A few more tears stained Celestia's face as she pulled Solis into a warm, motherly hug. "Words cannot describe how proud We are of thee, my son," she said.

Solis returned her hug in kind. "Actions speak louder than words, mother; perhaps you can do me a favor?"

"And what is that?" Celestia asked, sure she already knew what it was.

Solis looked up at her with a pleading smile so soft it practically melted the solar alicorn's heart. "Could you perform the spell yourself, to see if it works properly?" he asked, never once letting his smile falter.

And We are correct once again, Celestia mused to herself before answering.

"Indeed We shall, my son." She nuzzled him affectionately. "But first, a bathing is in order for the birthday colt." She smiled. "After thou art done washing thyself thoroughly, meet Us in front of the castle and we shalt put thy spell to the test."

Solis tilted his head at Celestia's odd emphasis on 'thoroughly' before realization struck and he sniffed his left fore leg, only to recoil slightly in disgust.

Celestia giggled. "Another long night of studying, We presume?"

Solis' blush was hidden by the already crimson color of his coat. "Err . . ." He finally deflated. "Yes, mother."

Celestia giggled again, a tad louder this time. She broke their hug and gently pushed Solis toward the door with a wing. "To the baths, my little sun."

Solis nodded and made way toward the door. He had just reached a hoof up and pushed in the doorlock partway when he stopped. "Mother?" he said.

"Yes?" Celestia replied, still sitting on the bed.

Solis turned his head to look at her, a wistful smile adorning his muzzle. "I forgive you," he said.

Celestia looked confused. "Forgive Us for what, pray tell?"

"For dismissing my ambition of crafting that tuning spell as foalish." He turned his gaze upward and the wistful smile changed to an exasperated one. "I suppose it only made sense to dismiss it as such, given its scope and complexity, as well as my amateurism in spell crafting."

Celestia stared blankly for a moment before nodding. "Tis only natural." She made a shooing gesture with her wing. "But less talking is in order, rather more bathing."

Solis nodded, and finished opening the door before slipping into the hall. Celestia listened as the clopping of his hoofsteps against the stone floor faded away until she could no longer hear them, then looked at the parchment upon the nightstand and the spell design it heralded once again. She smiled and shook her head.

"Clearly, 'twas Us who was the foal."

Prior to the royal sisters' rule, the Everfree Forest was rarely one to host travelers. As there were no settlements to be found throughout the land beyond its borders, ponies never had reason to travel through it. That, and for the secondary reason that Discord had turned it into his dumping ground for, what he considered, 'boring old news'. The ponies were not sure of what he meant by 'old news', but the fact that certain chaotic machinations of his would disappear without a trace only to be replaced by new ones gave them a good idea of what the phrase referred to.

With the home of Equestria's new rulers lying within the dark forest, however, ponies now had a reason to enter and travel it. One such pair of ponies was the mother-daughter pair of Melody and Emerald Wind of Canterlot, both musical talents with Souls to match: a large, elegantly carved flute for Melody and an extra long, thin flute for Emerald. The two made their way along the path which lead to the royal sister's castle, a cart loaded with two day's worth of supplies hitched to Melody while Emerald trotted alongside her, taking in the forest's sights around them.

"What dost thou wish thy new name to be?" Melody asked at one point, drawing her daughter's attention.

"Pardon, mother?" Emerald responded.

Melody gave her daughter an eager smile that slightly unnerved the younger mare, causing her to shrink back a bit. "I want to know what name thou hast decided to give thyself following our meeting with their highnesses, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna."

Emerald gave her mother a wry frown. "Is it not too soon to believe their highnesses shalt agree with your proposal, mother?" she asked. She took a moment to give her mother a little more space between them before continuing. "As for your own question, I have yet to decide on a new name for myself."

"Tsk tsk." Melody shook her head. "Thou art such a silly filly." She playfully bopped her daughter on the head, causing Emerald to blush in agitation. "'Twould be beyond foalish for their highnesses to dismiss our proposal, as there undoubtedly exist many a foal given names unbefitting of their Souls or statures." Melody turned away from her daughter and stared straight ahead with a resolute look. "The simple option to change one's name is a necessity to remedy this problem."

Emerald stared blankly at her mother for a few seconds before following her gaze forward. "Should it matter, though?"

Melody stopped walking in response, causing the cart to come to a sudden halt and sending various utilities sliding forward, scratching the wood in the process and chipping a few plates which came in contact with the front wall. Emerald stopped alongside her mother and turned to face her, only to be confused by the crestfallen expression on her face.

"Thou asked if it should matter whether a ponies' name and Soul compliment each other," Melody looked up to Emerald, causing the younger mare to once again shrink back as her mother's expression changed to one of disappointment, "correct?"

Emerald instinctually took a couple of steps backward. "Y-yes," she stammered, her tone laced with trepidation in response to her mother's sudden shift in mood.

Melody sighed heavily. "I thought so," she said with a disappointment that matched her expression. She took a moment to unhitch herself from the cart before turning back to Emerald. "Understand this, dear, having an appropriate name that compliments one's Soul is vital to a maturing pony's stature." She used her magic to levitate out from the cart a cloth-wrapped flute identical in appearance to the one which adorned Emerald's flank. After removing the cloth and stowing it back in the cart, she presented the flute to Emerald. "To a pony who knows not of you or thy talents, the name 'Emerald' would convince them that thou art a lowly gem miner, which thou art not," she gestured to the flute Soul on Emerald's flank, "and as such, it is necessary that a decree be enacted that allows ponies to change their names so as to avoid confusion."

Emerald stared blankly for a few moments before slowly nodding. "That makes sense, I suppose," she replied just as slowly before taking the flute in her own magic. "But why then did you and father bestow upon me such an 'inappropriate' name if our family ancestry is revered for its music talents?"

Melody seemed to hesitate for a moment in response to her daughter's question, pursing her lips and shying her gaze away from Emerald, all the while maintaining an expression of stern-forthrightness.

"Such knowledge is not needed as of now," she finally replied, perfectly composed and neutral in tone.

Before Emerald could offer a reply, Melody's nose twitched and she took in a sudden, involuntary breath. She quickly retrieved another, much dirtier and dried mucus-stained cloth from the cart, which she held up to her muzzle and let out a mighty, prolonged sneeze. A few moments later and the cloth was covered in another layer of mucus which would eventually dry up like the rest, further adding to the old dish rag's deteriorated condition. After wiping off some stray snot from her muzzle, Melody returned the cloth to the cart.

"Ugh," she groaned, and took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. "We had best move quickly so as to reach the castle with plenty of time for a Court session to be held today." She re-hitched the cart to herself and resumed trotting forward along the dirt path. "Have a new name selected by the time we arrive, Emerald."

The smaller unicorn groaned in exasperation and followed after her mother. "Yes, mother," she said with obvious distaste.

Melody briefly turned back to glare at her daughter. "Do not use such a tone of voice when talking to me, young lady."

Emerald did not respond, instead merely rolling her eyes as she followed after the older mare.

The mother-daughter duo continued their journey in silence after that. Every once in awhile Melody would stop to unhitch herself from the cart and take a quick rest while Emerald wandered off a ways to admire various plant life native only to the forest. In between breaks, Emerald would occasionally briefly ponder a possible replacement name for herself that befitted a flute player. Several names came to mind over the course of their journey, such as Whistling and Breezy. She also considered more abstract names like Fipple and Resonate that, while having relation to flutes didn't quite compliment the Wind family name.

The sun's position indicated the time was around mid-morning when the duo exited the Everfree in front of the bridge leading to the sisters' castle. Melody took a moment to stretch before she unhitched the cart again and tied it to one of the bridge's posts.

"Now then," she said once confident the cart was secure, "let us proceed to the castle." She stepped onto the bridge and began crossing it.

Emerald stepped up to the bridge, flute still in her magic grip, and peered down. A seemingly bottomless abyss stared back up at her. She recoiled in fear at the sight, instinctually shuffling backward a few steps and began breathing heavily in and out.

"What holds you up, Emerald!?"

The younger mare looked across the bridge to see Melody had finished crossing it, and was now staring intently back at her while tapping her hoof impatiently.

Emerald took a few more deep breaths before finally recomposing herself and replying with, "My apologies mother! I am coming!"

"Yes, please hurry hither!" Melody replied back. "Time is of utmost importance, for Celestia's sun shall not hang forever in the sky!"

With a nervous nod of agreement, Emerald stepped up to the bridge and stared across. Sweat formed on her brow and quickly began trickling down her muzzle, dropping to the ground around her hooves. Her legs began trembling as well, and for a moment Emerald was afraid they would snap in half with how vibrant they were becoming. She closed her eyes to keep from having to peer down at the gorge below, though that raised the question of how she would keep herself aligned with the bridge so as to avoid stepping off and fall to her doom.

"Emerald!" Melody yelled, growing increasingly frustrated. "Come hither now!"

Not wanting to further anger her mother, Emerald took a hesitant step onto the bridge with a still-trembling hoof. She cracked one eye open and looked ahead to see that she was perfectly aligned with the bridge. She took another step forward, her sweat still trickling and falling around her hooves on the bridge's planks. Then she took a third step. Then a fourth. A fifth. With each step she took her fear of falling lessened a bit, and by the time she was halfway across the bridge she had relaxed enough to let her gaze wander to the beautiful landscape on her left.

After taking another few steps, Emerald remembered the need to stay aligned with the bridge and she returned her gaze forward, only to let it fall down to the gorge below her momentarily as she did so. The sight of the deep drop below made her concentration falter for a moment, and the next step she took ended in her tripping over a loose plank. Emerald fell barrel-down onto the bridge hard and the magic grip on her flute vanished, to which the instrument fell down onto the bridge and, after a bounce, slid across the wood and plummeted into the gorge.

"Emerald!" Melody cried out in fear. "Art thou hurt!?"

"I am fine, mother!" Emerald called to her. She took a moment to get up on her hooves and rub her barrel, which ached a little bit from the fall. "My flute, however, did not fare as well."

"Worry not about it!" Melody replied back. "Merely focus on crossing the bridge unharmed."

Nodding, Emerald returned her gaze forward and kept it there as she continued traversing the bridge. She went at a slower speed now, however, as she took longer with each step due to being more careful so as to not trip over any more loose planks. Slowly but surely, she made her way across and, upon reaching the last plank, jumped onto the grass just beyond and took in a shuddering breath at having finally crossed. Her eyes let loose a few tears which she wiped away with a hoof as she felt another on her shoulder.

"Art thou sure thou art unhurt?" she heard Melody ask.

Emerald exhaled slowly and took in another shuddering breath before letting that one out as well and looking up at her mother's face. "I am sure, mother," she confirmed. "Shaken, yes, but otherwise unharmed."

Melody smiled. "That is good to hear." She turned toward the gorge and frowned heavily. "'Tis a shame thy flute is lost, though."

"We must disagree with thee on that assertion," said a kind, soothing voice from behind her.

Both Melody and Emerald jumped in alarm and spun around to face their eavesdropper. There before them was Princess Celestia, fully adorned in her royal regalia and smiling kindly down at them.

"Your highness!" Melody practically shouted. She quickly bowed before the solar alicorn, to which Emerald did the same.

Celestia nodded in acceptance and replied with, "Thou mayst rise, Melody Wind." She then turned to Emerald. "Thou as well, Emerald Wind."

Both mares quickly complied. While Emerald began trembling all over again due to being in Celestia's presence, Melody managed to keep herself somewhat calm as she spoke to the solar alicorn.

"Forgive me if I may ask, your highness," she said, smiling nervously, "but how much did you bear witness to?"

"We only just arrived," Celestia confirmed, gesturing to the castle's front door. "Wouldst thou care to enlighten Us of the motivation behind this second visit to Our castle, Melody Wind?" She tilted her head curiously. "Was the theatre not satisfactory?"

"No! No! Not at all your highness," Melody replied hastily. "'Tis very satisfactory indeed."

"Then what is the purpose behind this second visit?" Celestia asked.

For the next few minutes, Melody explained all the details behind their visit and what they hoped to achieve. All the while she talked and Celestia listened, never paying Emerald any mind, Melody's daughter never let up in her nervous trembling from being in the solar alicorn's presence. The amount of sweat she produced while trying to cross the bridge paled severely in comparison to the amount she produced now, and by the time Celestia and Melody were finished the ground around Emerald's hooves had dampened from all the accumulated sweat which dropped from her face all throughout the exchange.

"'Tis a genuine concern, indeed," Celestia finished off. She tapped her chin in thought for a moment before returning Melody's gaze. "Well, nothing canst be done without a Court session, so We invite both thee and Emerald to stay the night."

"Oh, thank you, your highness," Melody said, giving a small bow.

Celestia then turned to Emerald and smiled again for her. "Thou hast grown much since We last saw thee, Emerald Wind."

Emerald let out a small squeak in response to being addressed directly. Celestia's smile fell into a frown at this.

Odd, I remember her being more . . . brazen, than this.

"Well, as We hinted at earlier," she continued, turning back to Melody so as to put Emerald more at ease, "thy daughter's flute is not lost forever." She spread her wings to their full length. "We shalt return momentarily."

The solar alicorn took to the air and hovered over the gorge, quickly diving down into its depths. Almost immediately, Melody's ear twitched in response to something from behind her. Turning around, she furrowed her brows a tad at the sight of Solis stepping through the wooden castle door, not wearing his mask. The princess' son took a moment to inhale a breath of fresh morning air before starting down the stairs, only to flinch in surprise upon seeing Melody and rush back inside. The older unicorn scoffed and turned back to the gorge.

Perhaps her highness hath instilled some proper discipline into her adopted son since last time? she thought sarcastically.

After little more than a minute of waiting, the always-majestic form of Princess Celestia emerged from the gorge carrying something in her golden magic aura. Or rather, two things from what Melody could see. As Celestia flew closer she could gradually better make out what the princess was carrying, and upon realizing what they were Melody's heart sank.

Celestia landed upon the ground just in front of Emerald, who had taken to counting the blades of grass around her in an attempt to calm down, only to shoot to attention upon seeing the solar alicorn's hooves fill up half her vision. She looked up into the neutral face of Princess Celestia and, while she no longer trembled from being in her highness' presence, the young unicorn mare still shed a few sweat droplets which fell to the still damp patch of grass below.

Celestia noticed this, but paid it no mind as she levitated the broken flute to its owner. "We are sorry," she said with a grimace. "It must have cracked upon impact with the bottom, for the flute fell apart as We retrieved it."

Emerald gave no response as her brain attempted to make sense of all that was happening between the princess' casual behavior, her broken flute, and what little trauma she still harbored after crossing the bridge. It was enough to make her dizzy, and she would have collapsed to the ground had Celestia not wrapped a wing around Emerald to keep her upright.

"Art thou okay?" she asked the young mare, concern plainly evident on her face.

Emerald stared blankly ahead for a few moments before giving her head a rigorous shake for clarity. "Y-yes, I am okay," she stuttered. She then took the flute pieces in her own magic while Celestia unwrapped her wing. Emerald stared at the broken flute for a moment before letting out a long-winded sigh. "'Tis a shame to lose it, but a replacement shall suffice, I suppose."

Celestia gave a small smile and nodded. "We are glad to see thee taking this loss well," she said, then her smile turned wry. "Wert thou planning to sing to Us like thy mother did during her previous visit? We would advise against this, as my son harbors a deep resentment of sung lyrics."

"Nay, your highness, we bring our instruments everywhere with us," Melody stated, stepping up to them. She reigned in her previous displeasure and continued. "Speaking of your son, princess, he came through the castle's door whilst you were searching for my daughter's lost flute but made a hasty retreat back inside upon sight of me."

"Did he now?" Celestia asked, turning to Melody. "Was he wearing his mask?"

Melody shook her head.

"That explains why he retreated back inside, then," Celestia said. She leaned closer to Melody and whispered in her ear, "My son has taken to wearing that mask whenever he must meet with somepony not living in Our castle."

Melody raised a confused brow. "Why?" she asked.

"Insecurities over his appearance," Celestia answered, to which Melody still looked confused before eventually giving a faux smile of understanding.

Then both mare's ears flicked in response to something. As one they turned toward the castle's front door to behold the sight of Solis, now wearing his mask, descending the steps.

"Solis!" Celestia exclaimed. "Thou hath arrived at long last!"

The masked earth pony appeared to regard her, though as his eyes were hidden it was impossible to know for sure, and replied with, "I was unaware we were playing hosts to Miss Wind and," he turned his head toward Emerald, who had tuned out of the conversation and was currently cloud gazing with her broken flute on the ground next to her, "whom I assume is her daughter, if the striking similarities between them is any indication."

"Very good, my son," Celestia said with a nod. She turned back to Melody. "Perhaps introductions are in order between our children?"

"Of course, your highness," Melody replied with no hesitation. She looked to her daughter and said, "Emerald, come and introduce thyself to her highness' son!"

The younger mare ceased her cloud gazing and turned to regard her mother before shifting her attention to Solis. The sight of the masked stallion caught her by surprise and she instantly shot to her hooves before bowing low to him.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, your highness," she stammered. "I am Emerald of the Wind House in Canterlot."

Solis nodded and stepped up to Celestia's side, who regarded her son with a small smile as he replied with, "And I am Solis, adoptive son of her highness Princess Celestia of Equestria." He regarded both Melody and Emerald with curiosity, though it could not be seen behind his mask. "Now what, pray tell, is the purpose of your visit?"

Melody just rolled her eyes in annoyance while her daughter kept her mouth silent, afraid to say something out of line. Seeing how their visitors would not answer, Celestia answered for them.

"Miss Wind and her daughter have come here for a Court session wherein they wish to propose a new law," she said. Celestia took a moment to regard Emerald before continuing. "Said law would grant ponies the privilege of changing their birth name to one they better approve of."

"And it is imperative that my daughter's name is changed to one better suiting a flute playing prodigy such as herself," Melody spoke up, drawing everypony's attention. She looked to Princess Celestia with an anxious gaze. "So, your highness, may we conduct a Court session immediately?"

"Not immediately, but we can later," Celestia replied, wrapping a wing around Solis. "My son's fifteenth birthday is today, and as part of his birthday celebration We have promised to test a new spell which he designed by his lonesome."

Both Melody and Emerald's eyes widened in surprise. "He . . . designed a spell?" Emerald stammered.

Celestia nodded while she cherished the befuddled expressions on their faces. "And a powerful one at that, if it works as intended." She took a moment to nuzzle her son affectionately, to which the crimson stallion looked embarrassed behind his mask. "Truly, he is a genius."

"Heh heh," Solis chuckled embarrassingly, gently nudging away his mother's muzzle, "thank you for the praise, mother."

"Thou hast earned it," Celestia replied coyly, to which Solis smiled a genuine smile behind his mask.

"So," Melody said, drawing their attention, "what doth this new spell accomplish?"

"Well, it-" Solis cut himself off upon eyeing the broken flute still laying on the ground. A smile spread across his muzzle behind his mask, and he continued with, "Perhaps it would be better to show the spell's purpose firsthoof."

The two mares only stared blankly at him, to which Solis pointed at the broken flute. "May I see thy flute, Emerald?" he asked the unicorn mare.

Emerald frowned confusedly instead of replying. It was only when her mother nudged her did Emerald comply with the request. "Okay," she said, levitating the two pieces of the broken flute to Solis. "What do you plan to do, your highness?"

From behind his mask, Solis smirked. "I intend to fix it, of course," he announced.

"What?" Emerald dumbly asked. Her mother raised a skeptical brow at his declaration, but said nothing herself.

Solis ignored both mares and turned to Celestia. "Mother, you remember the spell's design, correct?" he asked her.

Celestia responded by charging up her horn and summoning the scroll which contained Solis' tuning spell. After a few moments of studying it she returned the scroll to Solis' room. The masked stallion could only roll his eyes at his mother's cheating, but let it go out of excitement for finally getting to see his spell in action.

"Indeed We are, my son," Celestia said. She enveloped both pieces of Emerald's flute in her magic and levitated them to her. "And I must say, this is definitely a fitting test subject for such a revolutionary spell."

"Well, so long as it is fixed," Melody said, uncertainty clear in her tone.

"Believe me when I say it will," Solis replied confidently. He then turned back to Celestia. "Whenever you are ready, mother."

Nodding, Celestia set the two pieces down on the ground so they just barely touched each other while Solis stepped beside Emerald and Melody to give his mother space. The younger unicorn glanced to the stallion for a moment before asking, "How did you craft a spell without any access to unicorn magic yourself?"

Solis looked to her and, though she could not see it, the stallion regarded her with a soft smile. "I have worked on this spell for the past five years of my life, beginning from the very day Celestia adopted me until mere days ago. Every minute of it was grueling, arduous, and there were a number of times where I considered abandoning my research because of its difficulty. But," he turned back to Celestia, who had just finished focusing her magic and would cast the spell in a few moments, "if the spell works, then it will have been worth all the effort."

Emerald raised a curious brow. "What exactly was the purpose behind crafting this spell?" she asked.

Solis sighed. "I would rather not say why."

Emerald was only more curious after such a statement, but she did not press for further answers and instead returned her attention to Celestia.

The solar alicorn gathered all the required magic for the spell into her horn. Solis had been very specific in his instructions on how much magic to cast and how to distribute it between both objects. Too much magic on one side would cause the object's atoms to fall apart from each other thus rendering the object irreparable, whereas too much magic overall would cause the objects to spontaneously combust.

Celestia made sure to keep her magical output at a reasonable pace before pointing her horn down at the flute pieces. She let the magic pour from her horn, which sailed through the air and down to right between the flute pieces. Immediately a magical bridge formed between them which began closing up on itself, leaving unblemished black paint in its wake. In a few moments the gap closed up entirely, to which Celestia ceased her output of magic and sat down on her haunches, panting heavily.

I did not think that would take so much out of me, she mused to herself.

Emerald cautiously approached her flute as if afraid it would suddenly burst into flames. She then levitated it in her magic and brought it over to her, inspecting it for a moment before bringing it up to her lips and playing a single note.

"Unbelievable," Melody muttered, utterly spellbound.

"Oh, thank you so much, Solis!" Emerald exclaimed with joy. She ran over to the stallion and threw her hooves around him in an affectionate bear hug, knocking his mask out of alignment a bit in doing so.

Solis chuckled. "Thou art very welcome, Emerald," he replied, patting her on the back.

"Emerald!" Melody practically screeched. The older mare used her magic to pry her daughter off of Solis, who proceeded to re-adjust his mask.

"I am terribly, terribly sorry, your highness!" Melody said while bowing before Solis. "Please forgive my daughter's foalishness."

Solis regarded the panicked mare in front of him before turning to look at Celestia with a look of confusion behind his mask. Knowing what her son was thinking, Celestia nodded her head and made a rising gesture with her hoof. Solis nodded in understanding and looked down at Melody.

"She is forgiven, Miss Wind," he said. "Thou mayst rise."

"Thank you for your mercy, Solis," Melody replied, getting to her hooves. "And thank you for repairing my daughter's flute as well."

Solis merely nodded his head in reply. Melody and Emerald then proceeded to talk with Princess Celestia about when their Court session should take place while Solis used a hoof to lift up the back end of his cloak.

Surely I received a Soul for accomplishing such a feat? he wondered.

Craning his neck over his shoulder, Solis glanced at his right flank.

There was nothing.

No, how could I not . . .? He glanced to his other flank.

Nothing.

It was at that moment that Solis' mind caved in on itself and he slumped to his haunches. Then, muffled behind his mask so the three mares nearby could not hear him, Solis began to cry.

Ancient Ascendant (Part 2)

“We will inform Our sister of thy request for a Court session immediately,” Celestia told Melody.

Melody bowed in respect, to which Emerald hastily followed her lead. “You have all of our thanks, your highness,” Melody replied.

Celestia nodded. “We trust thou rememberest where the guest chambers are located?” she asked her.

“Yes, your highness, I remember where they are located,” Melody replied. She began making way toward the castle’s front entrance. “Come along now, Emerald.”

The younger unicorn nodded and fell into line behind her mother. The two of them ascended the castle’s front steps and slipped inside, leaving the door open.

“Now, Solis,” Celestia said, turning around to her son, “let us info-”

Celestia cut herself off upon seeing the position her son was in; slumped over with his masked face buried in his hooves. Frowning in confusion, she approached Solis and knelt down before him.

“Is something the matter, Solis?” she asked him.

Solis did not respond, but he did lift his head up from behind his hooves. Celestia’s eyes widened in surprise upon seeing the tears streaming down his neck from underneath his mask.

“Solis!” she practically shouted. “Why art thou crying? Art thou hurt?” She made to inspect his body for signs of injury before a shake of Solis’ head dispelled her assumption.

“I am not hurt, mother,” he replied, though his tone was nothing but, “merely upset.”

“What reason wouldst thou have to be upset?” Celestia asked exasperatedly. “Your tuning spell worked flawlessly to repair Emerald Wind’s flute, for which she and her mother are wholly grateful.”

Solis did not respond again, and the tears streaming down his neck only increased in intensity. Seeing her son so upset for no apparent reason ate away at Celestia’s heart, and she almost felt like crying herself.

“Solis . . .” Celestia whispered as she used her magic to lift the mask away from her son’s face, revealing the pained expression underneath. “Please, tell Us what bothers thee.”

Solis scrunched up his face, making him look almost murderous, as he lifted his cloak and gestured with his head toward his flank. “My success means nothing!” he shouted.

Confused, Celestia turned her attention to his flank. It was not until a few moments after noticing it still lacked a Soul that she realized the reason for Solis’ despair, and she quickly wrapped a comforting wing around her son while he bawled his eyes out.

“There there, little sun,” she soothed. “Let the light of thine eyes purge thy spirit of despair.”

Celestia stayed with her son for a few minutes while he let loose every last tear his eyes contained. Every so often as he did so Celestia would nuzzle him affectionately, to which his choking sobs lessened in intensity. Eventually his eyes were spent and no more water flowed from them.

“Art thou feeling better now?” Celestia asked him.

Solis sniffled and nodded.

“Good.” Celestia smiled wryly as she unwrapped her wing from around Solis and stood up. “Now then, thou art saying, because thou remainst Soulless, that thy work crafting the tuning spell was for naught?”

Solis sighed and used a hoof to wipe away some dried tears from around his eyes. “I was so confident that I would receive a Soul for performing such an extraordinary feat as crafting a working spell without any access to unicorn magic myself.” He returned Celestia’s gaze and continued. “Truth be told, I also thought helping you and Luna reestablish ties with the Gryphon Nation and its allies would earn me a Soul, but I did not get upset then because I still had this to look forward to.”

He stomped his hoof in frustration before ending with, “Why can I not have a Soul to call mine own? Why!?”

Celestia looked upon her son with a mixture of emotions: pity, sorrow, confusion, and concern being the most prominent. The topic of Solis’ Soul was something Celestia had not paid much attention to since adopting him. While the nature of Souls was still shrouded in plenty of mystery, she had known that the best course of action was to wait for Solis’ to reveal itself. Only within the past few years did Celestia start to grow genuinely concerned for its continued absence, as no other pony in history had lived so long without receiving one as Solis. The fact that he was now fifteen years of age and still Soulless only added to that concern, and seeing Solis wallow in despair over still not having one only pained her extra.

Could it be that Solis hath no destiny? she thought.

Solis reclaimed his mask and put it on before trudging back toward the front door. “I shall be in my room,” he announced.

“What of Emerald and Melody’s Court session?” Celestia asked, surprised. “It starts as soon as We fetch Luna from her room.”

Solis did not reply and instead continued trudging toward the door. Celestia made to go after him, but stopped herself upon realizing her son was in no condition to sit through a Court session. She watched as he slipped inside and shut the door behind him, never once turning back to look at her. If he had, Solis would have seen the crestfallen look in Celestia’s eyes as she fought to hold back her own tears.

Celestia stood there for a few moments before sighing and charging her horn. With a flash, she teleported inside the castle, re-appearing outside the doorway to Luna’s room. She raised a hoof and lightly knocked a couple times on the door.

“Sister?” she called. “Art thou asleep yet?”

“Nay,” her sister’s voice replied from the other side, “but I was about to fall asleep when thou interruptedest me.”

Celestia giggled softly, which helped to cheer her up from what had just transpired outside. “May I come in, sister?” she asked.

An audible groan sounded before Luna replied with, “Thou mayst, assuming ‘tis for a sound reason.”

“I assure thee, Luna,” Celestia replied back, pushing in the doorlock, “it is.”

True to Melody’s word, the mother-daughter duo easily navigated the castle and found the guest room corridor.

“Their highnesses do know how to properly treat guests,” Melody mused as she and Emerald entered their selected room. “Though, ‘tis a pity these guest chambers are not more pleasing to the eye.”

Emerald only nodded in agreement for she was still preoccupied with marveling over the fantastic repair job Solis’ spell did to her flute, which she held aloft in her magic. The fact that it was an earth pony which created the spell used to repair it was especially amazing to the young unicorn. She, like all other foals, was led to believe each pony tribe’s magic could only be understood and studied by its respective ponies. Seeing a non-unicorn like Solis successfully craft a spell, much less a spell as ground-breaking as the one which repaired her flute, made her call into question many things she had learned throughout life.

So lost in thought was she, that Emerald failed to immediately realize her mother was speaking to her.

“Emerald!?”

The young unicorn was snapped from her thoughts by her mother’s loud exclamation, to which she reflexively swiveled her head around for a few moments in panic before settling her gaze onto Melody.

“Y-yes, mother?” she stuttered.

Melody’s mouth fell into a slight frown for a moment before she said, “I asked what thy new name will be after we are finished here?”

“Oh, well . . .” Emerald trailed off as she sheepishly rubbed the back of her head.

Melody frowned harder. “Is something the matter, Emerald?” she asked. Then she gave Emerald a furrowed gaze and continued with, “Thou hast decided on a new name, correct?”

Emerald shrunk a bit under her mother’s stare before standing tall and replying with, “I have selected a few for consideration, but . . .”

Melody arched an eyebrow. “Yes,” she said.

Emerald let out a breath she had not realized she was holding in with a sigh and replied with, “‘Twould be nice to hear the reasoning behind your and father’s decision to name me Emerald before I discard it for something else.” She looked down as memories of her father fought to bubble to the surface of her mind while she suppressed them as best she could.

Because Emerald was looking down, she failed to notice the agitated expression Melody wore in response to her statement.

She cannot let it go, can she? she thought.

The older mare was about to reply when a knock on their room’s door caught their attention.

“Yes!?” Melody called.

The door opened to reveal the armored form of Captain Tricolt. The Solar Guard Captain looked a tad tired, judging from the slight bags under his eyes, which were otherwise as stoic as Melody remembered them being from her previous visit.

He regarded the two mares for a moment before saying, “Their highnesses are ready to see you now.”

“Ah, excellent,” Melody replied and started after him. She turned back to Emerald and said, “Come, Emerald, let us follow her highness’ Guard Captain to the throne room.”

Taking a moment to compose herself, Emerald nodded and fell into line behind her mother and Tricolt. “So, mother,” she said, “why did you and-”

“That is quite enough, young lady,” Melody sternly cut her off as she exited the room, startling both her daughter and Tricolt. “And I wish not to hear another word from thee until we reach the throne room. Understand?"

Emerald’s expression soured as she glared hatefully at her mother’s backside. She wanted to scream and verbally chastise Melody right then and there, but restrained herself from doing so out of embarrassment for Captain Tricolt’s presence.

“Yes, mother,” she said dryly.

The group of three made their way through the castle toward the throne room. All the while they walked Melody would continuously point out every single difference in the castle’s design and decor compared to her previous visit that she saw. What made it annoying to Emerald, and Captain Tricolt to an extent, was that the older unicorn kept talking to them as if they already knew how the castle looked before. While Tricolt did indeed know of these changes, Emerald had not come with her mother during her first visit to the castle, so she was unfamiliar with everything Melody was stating as if it was common knowledge.

My mother is such an inconsiderate mule of a mare, Emerald thought to herself at least a few times during their trip.

After about ten minutes or so of walking, the three finally reached the double doors leading to the throne room. Following the same motif as the rest of the castle, the throne room doors’ doorlocks were designed to represent the royal sisters’ Souls; a sun symbol on the left and a moon symbol on the right.

“Their highnesses will see you now,” Captain Tricolt said. Stifling a yawn, the Solar Guard Captain used his magic to push in the doorlocks and open the doors.

“Thank you, captain,” Melody said before stepping inside.

“Yes, thank you,” Emerald said sourly, following her mother inside.

Captain Tricolt arched a brow in response to the younger unicorn’s tone of voice, but shrugged it off and closed the doors. He then began making way toward the Guard Barracks with the intention of waking his division up to replace the Lunar Guard for the day shift.

Celestia and Luna sat on their respective thrones waiting for Lady Melody and her daughter Emerald to arrive so they could begin the requested Court session. However, whereas the royal sisters typically made sure to present themselves to visitors as tall, regal, and authoritative, at the moment they were hardly any of the three. Both princesses wore a differing expression that spoke not of a powerful ruler who commanded respect, but a weakling pony who was ill-prepared to listen to a couple of ponies’ ramblings.

Princess Luna sat on her throne with a dull, tired expression. Bags adorned the space under her eyes and her posture was bent forward slightly, making it look like she was about to collapse onto the floor. Since she had been ready to fall asleep for the day when Celestia requested her presence, the lunar alicorn tried her hardest not to fall asleep on the spot and come across as inept to their visitors.

Celestia, on the other hoof, looked crestfallen. Thoughts of Solis and his reaction to remaining Soulless after the success of his tuning spell swam through her mind, eating away at her happiness like a spiritual parasite.

Solis . . . . . . nopony should be made to despair like thou didst, especially on their birthday.

The doors to the throne room opened, bringing Celestia out of her thoughts. She looked up to see Emerald and Melody Wind walk into the room and approach the sisters’ thrones. The two mares were quick to bow before them, though Emerald never once brought her gaze downward, instead keeping her head held high and gaze straight upward. She had an expression of annoyance etched clear as day upon her features.

“You may rise, Our subjects,” Luna stated drowsily. She took a moment to shake the sleep from her head, doing it quick so the two mares would not see her looking undignified.

“Thank you, your highness,” Melody replied, coming out of her bow and smiling up at the princesses. Emerald looked to them as well, but did not smile like her mother.

Luna nodded, adopting a stoic expression as she said, “Let us begin,” and turned to her sister. “Celestia?”

The solar alicorn hesitated, to which a heavy silence fell upon the room. Luna’s stoic expression dropped into one of concern as she waited for her sister to start the proceedings. Melody and Emerald both looked concerned as well when Celestia said nothing, instead letting her gaze travel downward with a solemn expression.

“Sister, what is the matter?” Luna asked finally. “We must begin this Court session immediately.”

Celestia shook her head and sighed. “I apologize, everypony,” she said, and stood up off of her throne, “but I am in no condition to attend this Court session.” She turned to Luna. “Sister, please hear their request yourself.”

All of Luna, Melody, and Emerald’s eyes widened in shock. “Sister, what is the meaning of this?” Luna asked, slightly accusatory.

Celestia sighed again and smiled wistfully at the lunar alicorn. “A mother’s work is never finished,” she replied.

Before Luna could ask what she meant by that, Celestia charged up her horn and initiated a teleport, disappearing in a flash of white light.

Princess Luna stared blankly at the spot where her sister had just been, trying to rationalize the solar alicorn’s decision to leave her alone with their guests. It was only after a few moments that she realized said guests were staring attentively at her. With a gulp that she hoped Melody and Emerald did not notice, Luna turned to the unicorns.

“Well then,” she said, a bead of cold sweat dropping from her forehead, “you may begin.”

Both Melody and Emerald stared blankly themselves at her for a few moments before snapping from their stupor. “Of course, your highness,” Melody said, to which Emerald slowly nodded in agreement.

For the next half hour Melody told Luna everything she had already told Celestia, as well as going into greater detail about why it was inherently beneficial that ponies be allowed to change their names. Luna listened with great interest all the while, even pulling herself out of her drowsy state near the middle of Melody’s petition. Melody even had a few words to say about a potential system of approval that ponies would have to pass before changing their name.

All the while Melody talked and Luna listened, however, Emerald stayed completely silent. There were a few times she was tempted to lay on her back and stare at the ceiling, but ultimately refrained from doing so out of respect to Princess Luna. She contented herself to observe the throne room’s decor until her mother finally finished speaking, upon which she fixated her attention on Princess Luna.

“We admit that Our interest in your petition is great, Miss Wind,” Luna said with a smile. “We are confident that Our sister is too, so thou mayst consider it granted in the near future.”

“Oh, thank you, your highness,” Melody beamed. She turned to Emerald. “Art thou excited, Emerald?”

The younger mare shrugged. “I suppose,” she muttered, not making eye contact with her mother.

Melody frowned. “Thou dost not sound enthusiastic.”

Emerald sighed. “Can we speak in private, mother?”

“Sure, I suppose,” Melody replied, and turned to Luna. “Thank you once again, your highness.”

Luna nodded, and watched as the two unicorns exited the throne room before charging up her horn and teleporting to her bedchambers, intent on resuming her sleep.

“What is on thy mind, Emerald?” Melody asked as the two stepped into the hallway.

Emerald turned to face her mother with a stern expression. “You already know, mother,” she replied.

“What do you-” Melody cut herself off when realization hit her, to which she groaned. “Emerald, must thou keep at this? We were successful in convincing their highnesses of the importance of our petition, so why dwell on the origin of your current name?”

Emerald stomped her hoof in aggravation. “Because it is who I am, mother!” she shouted, not caring who else heard her. “Never once have you revealed to me the origin of my name, and I refuse to discard it until I am told why exactly you and father would bestow upon me a name which, apparently, is so wrong for me!?”

Melody seriously considered admonishing her daughter for her horrid attitude in response, but a nagging voice in the back of her head, which she had all but ignored up until now, finally convinced her that revealing the truth to Emerald would give the younger mare enough reason to drop the issue and stop annoying her.

Before Melody could speak a sudden sensation in her nostrils caught her off guard. She briefly turned away from Emerald toward the nearest wall and blew a hard sneeze.

“I should have brought my rag,” Melody mumbled as she turned back to Emerald. “Very well, I will tell thee the origin of thy name.”

Emerald smiled. “Thank you, mother,” she replied happily.

Melody sighed in exasperation before starting. “The truth of the matter, Emerald, is that your name was not my decision, but rather your father’s.”

Emerald tilted her head in confusion. “What does that mean?”

Melody sighed and turned down the hallway. “I shall explain as we make way toward our room.”

Emerald nodded and fell into step alongside her mother.

“Thou wert a troublesome foal before birth, Emerald,” Melody continued. “Whereas foals must be birthed head first, thou triedest many times to enter the world the opposite way, which only made everypony’s work needlessly difficult.”

Emerald blushed as she stared straight ahead. “I am sorry, mother,” she weakly muttered, just barely loud enough for the older mare to hear her.

“Do not be,” Melody affirmed, her tone neutral. “All that matters is that thou wert birthed safely, but only because . . . because . . .” She trailed off.

“Mother?” Emerald said worriedly as they turned a corner. The sight of the inner gardens greeted them down the hallway.

Melody sighed. “Emerald, please understand when I speak this next part, that I hold no grudge against thee, nor do I regret birthing thee.” Seeing the worried and confused look in her daughter’s eyes almost made Melody reluctant to keep talking, but she pushed onward regardless. “Thy birth was the absolute worst experience I have ever endured.”

Emerald’s eyes widened in shock as she turned to Melody. “W-w-what do you m-m-mean, mother?” she stuttered.

The two of them crossed under the archway and entered the inner gardens. Melody shied her gaze away from both her daughter and Discord’s statue as she increased her pace a little so as to avoid having to stay near the latter for too long. A part of her felt like she was also running from Emerald, as if not wanting to continue the story of her birth any longer. The younger unicorn kept pace with her, though, so any such desires were fruitless in the end.

The two of them crossed under the adjacent archway after a few seconds, and they fell back into their previous pace. “Sorry,” Melody apologized, “where was I?”

Emerald looked to her with a frown. “You said my birth was the worst experience you had ever endured,” she replied in a hurt tone of voice, no doubt because of what exactly she had reminded her mother of saying.

“Right,” Melody said with a sigh. She took a moment to re-strengthen her resolve before continuing. “I spent a full two days' length of time in labor as a direct result of your stubbornness.”

Emerald’s expression turned to one of pure horror, and she lifted a hoof up to her mouth in shock as her breath caught in her throat.

“The entire ordeal brought me more pain than I could ever wish upon anypony,” Melody continued, unmindful of her daughter’s reaction. “Twas too much for me to bear, apparently, as I was told I fell unconscious halfway through the process, and remained so for another full day’s time afterward.”

Emerald choked out a sob. “Oh, mother, I am so sorry,” she cried.

“I said do not be,” Melody replied, a little more harshly than intended. “Thou art not to blame for my pain, young lady, as thou hadst no conscious thought prior to birth.” She turned to Emerald with a glower. “Dost thou understand?”

“I understand, mother,” Emerald replied. She wiped away a tear.

“Anyway,” Melody continued, returning her attention to in front of her, “with myself incapacitated, the task of naming thee fell squarely upon thy father.”

“Why did he choose the name ‘Emerald’?” the younger mare asked, having managed to recompose herself a bit.

“According to him, he likened thee to a ‘precious little emerald’ due to your green coat, and so decided to name thee such,” Melody replied. “He also said that had the doctor not asked for a name straight away, he would have waited for me to awaken before choosing one.”

“I see,” Emerald said, casting her eyes downward in thought. “And did you disapprove of his choice straight away?”

“At first I was merely upset that I was unable to join thy father in deciding on a name for thee, and this remained true for years afterward,” Melody answered. “Only after thy Soul appeared did I start growing concerned ponies would be led astray by thy name.”

By now they had reached the guest wing of the castle. As they passed by Solis’ room, the two mares could hear the sound of conversation from within. They continued on, however, not wanting to show disrespect to Princess Celestia and her son by eavesdropping on them.

“But now my concerns are lifted,” Melody continued with a bright smile, “now that their highnesses have agreed to our proposal.” She turned to Emerald with an expectant gaze, which the younger unicorn shrunk under. “So, hast thou decided on a name yet?”

Emerald stared blankly ahead in response. Then she looked downcast. Father . . .

“Emerald?”

“May I have some time to think it over?” she pleaded, not letting up on her downcast expression.

Melody smiled as she opened the door to their room. “Of course, take thy time,” she answered.

“Thanks, mother,” Emerald replied, depressed, and the mother-daughter pair stepped inside.

Celestia came out of her teleport in front of Solis’ room. After pondering for a brief moment what her son may be up to, Celestia pressed an ear against the door and listened. She heard nothing for a few moments, to which her concern for Solis rose in earnest before a soft rustling sound emanated from the room. Celestia stood up straight and raised a hoof to the door, giving it a fair knock.

No response. She knocked again. No response still.

“Solis!?” Celestia called out, a slight tinge of panic in her voice.

A sigh sounded from inside. “Yes, mother!?” Solis called back, sounding just as depressed as he did earlier.

Celestia let out a relieved sigh and replied back with, “May We enter!?”

Another depressed sigh. “You may enter!”

Celestia pushed in the doorlock and opened the door. Stepping inside, she found her son laying on his bed with an open book in front of him. Even from the door, Celestia could make out a few tears trickling down the young stallion’s face, some of which fell onto the books pages, staining them.

Celestia would have frowned at the sight had she not been so relieved to see Solis was okay. “What art thou reading this time?” she asked while approaching the bed.

Solis glanced up from the book. “What of Miss Melody and Emerald Wind?” he asked, ignoring her own question.

“Answer Our question first and We shall answer yours,” Celestia replied with a coy smile.

With a huff, Solis grabbed the book with his mouth and lifted it so Celestia could see as she reached the bed. The solar alicorn peered down at the pages, and raised a confused brow in response to seeing the contents.

“The Paleo-Pony Talent Disease outbreak?”

“Yes,” Solis said, then brought the book back down and resumed reading it.

Celestia’s confusion remained for several moments as she wondered why her son was reading about the ancient sickness. When realization struck her, Celestia sighed in exasperation as she used her magic to take the book away from Solis and bring it up out of his reach.

“What the-give it back!” Solis cried.

He made a jump for it, but to no avail as Celestia simply levitated it up higher out of his reach. She then closed the book and floated it over to the bookshelf, nestling it in its proper place.

“We understand how desperate thou art for a Soul.” Celestia turned to Solis with a furrowed gaze which made clear just how disappointed she was in her son. “However, seeking out the dreaded Talent Disease is not the answer to thy troubles. Are We understood?”

Solis remained unyielding for all of five seconds before slumping over with a sigh. “Yes, mother,” he replied.

Celestia’s expression brightened. “Good.”

Solis pounded the bed in frustration. “‘Tis not fair!” he cried. “Why must I be cursed to remain Soulless in spite of everything I have accomplished!?” He slammed his hooves down one final time before finally giving up and letting loose another torrent of tears. “What is my purpose in life?”

Celestia sat down on the bed and gently stroked Solis’ backside. “We truly wish the answer was readily apparent, Solis. Regardless, thou hast much to be proud of, both in helping Us re-forge ties with the Gryphon Nation and inventing what is essentially a new branch of magic study.” She regarded her son with a thoughtful smile as she continued. “Thou hast great potential to accomplish so much more, Solis, and a picture on thy flank is hardly required to tap into it.”

“I suppose that is true,” Solis said softly. He laid on the bed barrel-down with his head rested in his fore legs. In his eyes was a faraway look which clearly conveyed how lost in thought he was. Celestia continued stroking his backside, waiting to see if Solis would continue to speak. When it became clear he was finished, Celestia ceased stroking him and stood up from the bed. She looked down at the crimson stallion with thoughtful eyes, while an internal debate raged in her mind over her son’s future.

He can be trusted, that much is certain. But what if Equestria’s citizens react unfavorably if I follow through with it?

No, no, they trust Us. They must after all We have done to help them recover from Discord’s reign of chaos.

Mmm, Solis has grown so much these past five years, and shall soon come of age. Whether or not he chooses to remain here, We must respect his decision. And in case he doth decide to leave, at least he shall have the means to make use of his full potential without needing Our help.

Everything shall change today. Hopefully, it is for the better.

“Solis?”

The crimson stallion looked up to her. The sheets directly under his head were sopping wet and in need of a good wash. “Yes, mother?”

“We may, perhaps, have an answer for thy Soulless conundrum after all.”

Solis’ eyes widened in surprise and shock. “T-truly?”

“As We said, perhaps,” Celestia replied. “It is merely a theory, but a plausible one no doubt.” She began using a wing to wipe away her son’s teary face while continuing. “It may be possible the reason why thou remainst Soulless is because destiny has seen fit to let thee choose thine own.”

Solis frowned, this time out of confusion rather than sadness. “Choose mine own?”

“As I have stated many times previously, a pony’s Soul indicates where their talent lies,” Celestia said. She finished wiping Solis’ left eye clean and moved to the right one. “Naturally, a pony will embrace wholeheartedly that which makes them special, so they stick to their talent and think nothing of deviating from it.”

“Yes, that is true,” Solis said. “And how doth this apply to me?”

“It doth not,” Celestia answered, finishing with his right eye and retracting her wing. “Thou hast been bestowed with no clear indication of where thy talent lies, but not because you have none. Rather, thy talent is too far spread to symbolize in a single picture.”

Upon seeing the nonplussed look on Solis’ face in response, Celestia elaborated. “Thy cognitive skills are above average, is what We mean to say. Thou canst apply gained knowledge to solve most any problem which would leave most ponies utterly clueless as to the solution. There are ponies with talents in problem-solving, of course, and with Souls to indicate such. However, and this is one of many reasons why We are proud to call thee son, thou art gifted in problem-solving of multiple varieties.”

Solis arched a curious brow. “Multiple varieties?”

“Indeed,” Celestia replied with a nod. “Thy biggest accomplishments, helping establish ties with the Gryphon Nation and inventing the tuning spell, are indicative of thy talents in problem-solving for psyche anatomy and magical theory, respectively.”

“How many more are there?” Solis asked, his interest piqued. “And how could you know whether I am adept at any others besides those two?”

“More than We can recount,” Celestia replied with a cheeky smile. “And call it mother’s intuition that thy full potential has yet to be tapped into.”

“If you insist,” Solis replied. He began returning to his previous position of having his head rested in between his tucked in fore legs, but was halted by Celestia’s hoof underneath his chin. Looking up at his mother in confusion once again, Solis saw Celestia looking down at him with an expression that somehow mixed both stern-forthrightness and joy, though he could not tell which one was more prevalent.

“Speaking of which,” she said, her tone of voice every bit as happy and stern as her expression indicated, “We can grant thee the means by which to make use of thy true potential without needing to rely on Us for aid.”

Solis raised a curious brow. “I am confused, mother. What ‘means’ are you referring to?”

Celestia smiled. “Thou shalt see soon,” she answered. “Assuming, of course, that thou art willing to accept the responsibilities which shall be imparted unto thee as well.”

Solis only stared blankly for several moments, all the while mulling over everything he had just been told, his mind a chaotic maelstrom of questions and hesitance.

Could mother be implying she would grant me the ability to cast magic myself? Would that mean I shall become a unicorn if I accept these new responsibilities? How is that possible? And what would these responsibilities entail me doing should I choose to accept? Why must mother speak so cryptically about this decision of utmost importance?

Solis broke from his thoughts to stare wryly up at Celestia. Her face held the same serene, compassionate expression that Solis had seen a plethora of times over the last five years since she adopted him. It was the look of a mother who wanted her son to lead a happy life, and truly believed she knew what it would take for such to come to fruition. It was a look which Solis had long since realized meant Celestia loved him dearly, and would do anything to make sure the crimson stallion received all the love and compassion which he never had before she came into his life.

No, I cannot doubt her word, not after all she has done for me up until now. If she believes her offer will be beneficial to us both, then I shall put all my trust in her judgement.

“Mother,” he said, standing up straight and adopting a resolute expression, “I accept any and all responsibilities that may come attached to your offer.”

With a nod, Celestia lit up her horn. “We suggest thou keepest thine eyes shut,” she said, not breaking her smile.

With a nod himself, Solis shut his eyelids tight and waited for further instructions. A moment later he heard a loud popping sound, followed by a feeling of pressure coming in on all sides of his body, and finally ending with complete and utter silence. He stood there, unmoving and unblinking, curious about what Celestia had done but patiently awaiting further orders from her.

“Thou mayest open your eyes, little sun,” Celestia finally said with a soothing whisper.

Eager to see what Celestia had waiting for him, Solis obliged, and almost staggered back upon seeing where the two of them were. His bed chambers had been replaced by a star-filled scape that seemed to stretch to infinity, at least from what could be seen through the turquoise-colored atmosphere that enveloped the area where Celestia and Solis stood together.

A regular nighttime sky hung above their heads, but neither mother nor son glanced upward to see it. Solis’ attention kept shifting from the starry scape around them to Celestia, who stared thoughtfully at her son with a kind smile.

“Mother,” Solis finally said, “what is this?”

Celestia finally turned her attention to the starry scape around them, her features softening even more as she replied, almost too quietly for Solis to hear, “This is the start of thy destiny, Solis.”

Solis turned to Celestia with an exasperated frown. “I meant to ask where we are?”

Celestia merely shook her head slightly. “This is a very special place,” she replied. “Only We knew of it before now, and thou art now the third.”

Solis swept his gaze across the starry scape once more before looking to Celestia with a confused expression. “You said I would be granted the power to make full use of my talents by my lonesome,” he said. “How doth this place relate to such?”

“Thou shalt see son enough,” Celestia replied. She then pointed behind the crimson stallion. “However, there is something We must show thee before such.”

Solis turned to where Celestia was pointing and his eyes widened in surprise at what he saw. Floating in the air towards them, perfectly aligned with each other, were two rows of moving images featuring him, Celestia, Luna, and various other ponies. Solis’ surprise was short-lived, however, as he quickly recognized all the events playing out in each image: the first time he met both Celestia and Luna, his time studying politics under Rusty Quill, the pivotal meeting with King Cretan and Queen Ziz, his time visiting Equestria’s more historic settlements and meeting with their ponies, and many more.

Solis’ eyes flitted back and forth between both rows of images for several long moments, trying to make sense of the assorted memories, before realization hit and he turned back to Celestia, who was watching the images herself with an expression of pure, nostalgic bliss.

“This is a massive flashback spell, is it not?” he asked.

“It is,” Celestia answered with a nod, not tearing her gaze away from the row of memories.

“What is its purpose, mother?”

Celestia did not answer right away, instead continuing to eye each and every image which passed by with a content, happy expression. While waiting for an answer, Solis felt a sudden, and strange sensation in his hooves. Energy began coursing through his body, small at first, but eventually becoming so intense that the crimson stallion was afraid for his life. He was about to ask Celestia for help, but the solar alicorn chose that moment to answer his question.

“We have watched thee grow so much, Solis. As an earth pony, thou wert already quite strong in body, and the past five years have seen thee grow equally as strong in both mind and spirit. Thou hast overcome many hardships and challenges to accomplish feats greater than most ponies believe is outside the realm of possibility for an earth pony.”

The sensation in Solis’ body had spread to his barrel by now and was quickly rising through to his shoulders. The crimson stallion’s attention was divided between keeping his body standing up straight and listening to Celestia’s speech.

“Today marks the end of thy life as an earth pony, Solis. The power flowing through this realm is greater than that of Equestria’s natural magic, and it shall provide thee power matched only by Luna and myself.” Celestia paused for a moment, then finished by saying, “Happy birthday, my son.”

The energy which coursed through Solis’ body was too great to keep under control any longer, and Solis felt his hooves lift off the ground as it finally grabbed a hold of his entire being. The last thing he saw was Celestia’s smiling face before a bright white light engulfed his entire field of vision and he shut his eyes out of reflex.

Solis kept his eyes closed for several seconds, unsure whether opening them again would result in blindness. While waiting for Celestia to give him further instructions, he felt the energy coursing through his body coalesce into three areas on his body: on on either side of his back, and one on his forehead. After that, he felt a brief popping sound at each of these three points before he then felt himself lower to the ground. His hooves settled onto solid stone and he held his posture, quivering slightly from the experience.

“Thou mayst open thy eyes,” he heard Celestia say from in front of him.

Solis complied once again, slowly cracking both his eyes open to reveal Celestia’s smiling face looking down at him, at his forehead. Confused, Solis crossed his eyes upwards, and immediately noticed a pointed protrusion the same color of his coat at the top of his field of vision. It took Solis a few seconds to realize what he was staring at, but he eventually realized he was staring at a unicorn horn.

His horn.

The shock hit Solis like a ton of bricks, and he unwittingly unfurled the wings which now adorned his sides, doubling his shock and causing him to stagger backwards.

Celestia giggled at the display. “I expected this might come as a surprise to thee,” she admitted.

She used her magic to lift Solis back onto his hooves, who managed to recompose himself enough to notice they were in his room once again.

“So . . . I am now an alicorn?” Solis inquired. He reached a hoof up into his mane and felt it, frowning upon noticing it did not flail in an ethereal breeze like that of Celestia and Luna. "Why is my mane still normal?”

Celestia walked forward and draped a wing over Solis’ shoulder. “That is a matter for another time,” she answered. "Right now, thou must learn the responsibilities which come attached to the gift I have bestowed upon thee.”

Solis nodded. “Very well, what are they?”

“Thou art now a prince of Equestria, Solis,” Celestia explained. “With this new title comes an expectation that thou shalt rule alongside Luna and myself, with the goal of promoting peace and prosperity to Equestria’s citizens. Should Luna or I be unable to perform our royal duties for whatever reason, it shall fall upon thee to keep Equestria in order.” She smiled. “I believe this is a fair exchange for the ability to cast magic, as well as fly, correct?”

Solis nodded. “Yes, it is fair.” He glanced back up to his new horn and attempted to channel magic through it. A golden aura, the same color as his eyes, emanated from it for only a second before disappearing. Solis tried again, only to be met with the same result. “This is much harder than I assumed it would be.”

“Some practice is definitely in order,” Celestia replied. “Wouldst thou like to do so for the rest of today?”

Solis looked up to Celestia with a smirk. “Until the time for my surprise birthday celebration comes, yes I would, mother.”

Celestia’s jaw dropped. “H-how did-”

“Mother, you have given me one on my birthday for the past five years,” Solis interrupted, exasperated. “I am quite privy to them by now.”

Celestia stared wide-eyed at her son for a while before eventually reining in her stupor and letting out a small sigh. “I suppose it was easy to predict.”

Solis reached up and nuzzled Celestia’s cheek. “It is okay, mother,” he said happily, a small smile gracing his muzzle. “I appreciate it all the same.”

Celestia smiled and nuzzled him back. “My thanks to thee, son,” she whispered.

“Thank you, mother,” Solis replied, “for the best birthday gift possible.” He pointed to his horn.

“Well then,” Celestia said, “let us put it to use, shall we?”

Solis nodded, and Celestia began teaching her son the proper way to cast magic, all while the crimson alicorn struggled to contain his excitement over finally being able to cast magic by himself.

This is undoubtedly my best birthday ever.

Ancient Ascendant (Part 3)

Princess Celestia stayed with her son the whole day, helping Solis to gain some control over his newly-gained unicorn magic. She explained to him the exact methods by which unicorns tapped into and used their magic, never afraid to use more high-brow vocabulary since she knew Solis was smart enough to understand her. There were a few instances where Solis lost control of his magic while attempting telekinesis, to which Celestia would intervene and keep the situation from turning hazardous.

Prince Solis never let his spirits get crushed when this happened, however. Whereas Celestia was more than happy to teach her son the basics of magic control, Solis was every bit as eager to learn them. Every time he lost control of his magic he would merely shrug and resume the exercise anew. It was the same tenacity to conquer a given challenge shining through as Celestia had noticed during her first meeting with Solis years earlier, and as the day wore on Celestia found herself growing more and more confident she had made the right choice in letting her son ascend to alicornhood.

The mother-son duo finally decided to call it quits in the late afternoon, by which time Solis had more or less mastered telekinesis and started to learn the basics of teleportation.

“I am quite impressed with thee, my son,” Celestia said while stretching her legs. “Thou hast made significant progress in naught but a single day.”

Solis smiled. “Thank you, mother,” he replied. “And you were a splendid teacher.”

“I thank thee in turn, my son,” Celestia replied, smiling herself. She then glanced out the window, noticing the sun was reaching close to the horizon. “Gosh, it appears we have spent the bulk of today in here.”

Solis followed her gaze out the window. “Indeed we have.” The sound of shoed hooves click-clacking against the stone floor caught his attention, and he turned back to see Celestia heading toward the door. “Mother?”

“I must be off now, Solis,” Celestia replied a little too hastily. “Please stay here for the time being.”

Solis arched a brow in confusion. Then rememberance overtook his brain, to which he sighed exasperatedly. “Mother, is it truly necessary to still play up my surprise celebration as such? After all, what point is there in throwing surprise birthday festivities if no surprise is to be had by the recipient?”

Celestia paused for a moment to mull over his words. Then she sighed heavily and turned back to him with a wistful smile gracing her lips.

“You are right, Solis; it is pointless.” She closed the distance between them and laid a wing on his withers. “The reason I strove to surprise thee with each birthday celebration is because a pony’s happiness shines brightest when they are genuinely, delightfully surprised. I had hoped that, eventually, thou wouldst be truly happy enough living with Us to show it.” Her wistful smile grew a tad wider for a moment before falling into a small frown. “But, I suppose such is too much to ask for at this point in time. It is my own fault, really, so do not think thou hast disappointed me, Solis.”

Solis stared blankly for a moment before smiling himself. “Mother, surprise celebrations are unneeded for me to be happy, or even show it.” He laid his own wing on Celestia’s withers and continued. “But, if you want me to, I can pretend to be surprised.”

“No, no,” Celestia replied quickly while shaking her head, “I said thou must be ‘genuinely’ surprised, which the act of pretending goes entirely against.”

“Right, sorry,” Solis replied back.

The two stayed in each others’ embrace for a few minutes, relishing in the warm feel they got from each other, wishing they could remain like so forever. Eventually, Celestia retracted her wing, to which Solis did the same, and turned back to the door.

“Now then,” she started pacing toward the door, “I must inform everypony of the new change in plans.”

“How will you explain to them my new status of prince?” Solis asked.

Celestia paused for a moment to mull over his words again. This time, however, she drew a blank.

“I . . . am unsure.” She looked up thoughtfully, as if the answer to her new dilemma would be presented upon the ceiling or some other such nonsense. “Truth be told, my son, yours is an unprecedented case.” She glanced back to him, noticing his expression was of mild surprise. “Nopony else has undergone ascension like thou didst, so I am unsure of how to get the message out to Equestria’s citizens.”

Solis’ expression changed from mild surprise to total bewilderment. “Truly, you are clueless?” he asked.

A slight blush crossed Celestia’s face, but the solar alicorn stayed composed as she responded with, “I will admit this to be an oversight on my part.”

Solis smacked his forehead with a hoof and let out a groan. “Well, at least they shall be genuinely surprised to learn of my new status.”

“Yes, I suppose they shall be,” Celestia agreed. Then she went wide-eyed as realization dawned on her, and before long a mischievous smile adorned her muzzle. “Solis, I know how we shall reveal thy new status as a prince to everypony, or at least the castle staff.”

“How so?” Solis asked, brow raised in coinfusion.

Celestia beckoned him closer, which Solis complied with, and she began whispering her new plans in his ear. As she continued on, a smile just as mischievous as Celestia’s adorned Solis’ muzzle, and by the end of it he was practically grinning like a madpony.

“Have you always been so cheeky, mother?” he asked once Celestia had finished.

“As far back as I can remember, and I am positive Luna could attest to such,” Celestia replied with a giggle. She then lit up her horn. “Now then, I shall return momentarily.”

The solar alicorn teleported from the room, leaving the now giddy Solis alone to eagerly anticipate the soon-to-come ‘surprise’ festivities.

Summer Scape spent the majority of her time following the final preparations for Solis’ surprise celebration busying herself with tidying the castle, a task ingrained into her very essence through several years of raising two very messy foals. The butterscotch mare had worked her way from the castle’s entrance, broom and scrubber in tow, sweeping and scrubbing as much of the castle’s walls and floor as she could, wishing all the while to be a pegasus so she could reach the ceiling. Being an earth pony, however, meant the task would ultimately befall one of her pegasi co-workers.

It was while Summer Scape was cleaning the eastmost archway to the inner courtyard that she heard a familiar popping sound behind her. She turned around to find Princess Celestia smiling down upon her, though, for a moment Summer Scape thought she saw a mischievous glint in the solar alicorn’s eyes. She ignored it, however, and gave the princess a curt bow.

“Thou mayst rise, Lady Scape,” Celestia said with a nod.

Summer Scape stood up and glanced around the archway, up at the window above the northern walkway, where the sky’s light had dimmed considerably, indicating a lot of time had passed since their engagement that morning.

“We trust the dining room is safely secure as we left it?” Celestia asked.

“It was when I last checked,” Summer Scape answered, turning back to face Celestia. “So, shall I fetch everypony now? Is Solis preoccupied?”

This time Summer Scape could hardly ignore the mischievous glint in the princess’ eye, nor the giggle she suppressed with a hoof clamped over her muzzle.

“Princess?”

“It is nothing,” Celestia answered, recomposing herself and returning to her usual, regal posture. “Solis is indeed preoccupied, so work quickly to gather everypony and bring them to the dining room.”

Summer Scape nodded and set down her cleaning supplies, carefully leaning them against the archway so as to not become a nuisance. She then proceeded to trot off across the inner courtyard when a Celestia spoke up.

“And when We say ‘everypony’ that includes our guests Miss Melody Wind and her daughter Emerald.”

That gave Summer pause. “Melody . . . that unicorn musician who annoyed Solis with her singing, correct?”

“The very same,” Celestia confirmed. “She and her daughter are here for another audience, this time to petition a law allowing ponies to freely change their names.”

“And what of the verdict?” Summer asked, looking back curiously at Celestia.

Celestia’s smile fell and she shifted uncomfortably. “We left the decision to Luna . . .”

“For what reason?”

“It . . . is nothing.” With a shake of her head, Celestia’s smile returned. “Now be off. We shall be there in an hour’s time, so have everything, and everypony, ready before then.”

“I shall, your highness,” Summer Scape promised, and resumed her trot across the inner courtyard, soon after hearing another popping noise behind her indicating Celestia’s own departure.

With a smile on her face and a happy skip in her step, Summer Scape set about completing her newly appointed task, eagerly looking forward to Solis’ birthday festivities. She first set about gathering Celestia’s patrolling Day Guards before stopping off at the Guard Barracks to awaken Luna’s Night Guard. After instructing Guard Captain Nightcanter to retrieve his princess, Summer finished her errand with a visit to the guest wing where Melody and Emerald Wind sat quietly reading some books from the shelf.

The mother-daughter duo, while surprised initially that Princess Celestia would invite them to her adopted son’s fifteenth birthday celebration, were not the least bit hesitant to accept the invitation and promptly joined the group. As soon as Princess Luna and Captain Nightcanter, both looking a tad bit flustered, arrived the group set off toward the dining hall.

For most of the trip the group stayed quiet, sans the clopping of their hooves against the stone floors of each hallway. With a couple dozen or so sets of hooves parading down a hall there was no way Solis would not hear them, to which the group silently hoped that Princess Celestia could successfully quell any curiosity her son may have.

When the group had reached the last corridor before the dining room Melody spoke up to Summer, keeping her voice only loud enough to be audible over the group’s legion of hoofsteps.

“Miss Summer Scape?” she said, sidling up beside the earth pony mare with Emerald in tow behind her. “May we converse?”

“Sure, I suppose,” Summer said with a shrug. “What about?”

“Oh, nothing in particular,” Melody replied dismissively. “Regrettably, I never learned much about everypony whom directly serves their highnesses during my last visit here, years ago.”

“I understand what you mean,” Summer Scape said. She glanced over her shoulder at Emerald, who only briefly returned the glance before focusing her attention on the floor in front of her, to which Summer just smiled.

“Your daughter is quite lovely,” she complimented, turning back to Melody. “How old is she, if I may ask?”

“Emerald turns thirteen years of age in a couple of months,” Melody answered, smiling herself.

“My own daughter shall be age twelve come year’s end,” Summer said.

“Really?” Melody said. She leaned closer to Summer. “Please, tell me about your family.”

“Certainly, but wait for now,” Summer replied.

The group had reached the dining room. Opening the doors leading inside, Summer Scape turned to look at the group with an instructional gaze.

“Find a suitable spot of cover once you enter, and be sure to quickly shout ‘surprise!’ once Solis enters. Does everypony understand?” Everypony nodded their heads. “Good, now be quick like a rabbit and get inside.”

She began ushering everypony in one by one, single file. As instructed, they all scoped for a good place to hide, though there was a notable lack of effective hiding places amongst the chairs and banquet table. Almost all of the guards, acting partly on instinct, chose to press themselves against either wall as if they were expecting an enemy to show up. Luna, being the most eye-catching of them all, was forced to hide under the dining table to adequately conceal her ethereal mane and tail. Lastly, Melody, Emerald, Summer Scape, and Guard Captains Tricolt and Nightcanter waited on either side of the doors; the three mares together on one side and the two stallions on the other.

“Now then, you were saying?” Summer asked Melody.

“Your family,” the dark green mare replied.

“Right, well, my immediate family consists of my fourteen year old son White Scorcher, eleven year old daughter Daisy, and husband Flint who is five years my senior. Before I moved here to serve as Princess Celestia’s lead hoofmaiden I lived with them in a small village west of Canterlot named Oppiscit.”

“Oppasite-er, oppashi-no, opper-blegh!” Melody tried repeating the name several times before blanching. “My apologies, Summer.”

“It is quite all right, I assure you,” Summer Scape replied with a smile. “Truthfully, almost every outsider to the village cannot pronounce the name for their life.” She let out a subdued laugh.

“I pray I never have to,” Melody replied back, nervousness plainly evident in both her tone and expression. “So, what is your family like?”

“Nothing too special, but the three of them are lovely in their own right.” Summer’s eyes took on a distant look, making it clear she was reminiscing about her family. “Flint is quite the charmer, as well as a hard-worker; only because of him was I willing to leave our children to come here. And our children are just darling little things. White Scorcher has a fiery spirit befitting his name, never one to back down from a challenge, while Daisy is a sweet filly with a heart as warm and pure as the light of Celestia’s sun.” She let out a heavy sigh and returned her attention onto Melody. “Truly, I am blessed to be part of such a wonderful family.”

“I am happy for you,” Melody replied, genuinely happy though her voice wavered a bit.

“And what of your own family?” Summer asked.

“Oh, Emerald is quite possibly the most darling filly in all of Equestria,” Melody boasted, voice full of pride. “She is an exceptional music talent, as indicated by her Soul, and her beauty makes her the envy of every young mare in Canterlot as well as the desire of every stallion.” A slightly smug smirk spread across her lips as she finished off with, “So, yes, I am quite proud to be a part of my family.”

Summer looked over Melody’s shoulder and, after a moment of confusion, softly giggled. “I see somepony is rather embarrassed.”

Melody followed Summer’s gaze behind her to find Emerald crouched to the floor, her ears folded back and head in her hooves. The younger unicorn was letting out muffled groans of displeasure from behind her hooves and her tail was swishing back and forth in agitation.

With an exasperated sigh, Melody turned back around to Summer. “Of course, she can be a bit of a bother, sometimes.”

“She and many children, including my own on occasion,” Summer replied with a smile. “And what about her father? What is he like?”

Melody’s expression fell into a depressed frown, and she looked to the side away from Summer. The earth pony frowned herself, confused over Melody’s response.

“Is something wrong, Miss Melody?” Summer asked her.

“. . . My husband is . . .” A single tear dropped from Melody’s eye and onto the floor. She shook her head once, reigning in her discomposure and staring Summer straight in the eyes. “I am a single mother to Emerald.”

Summer threw a hoof over her muzzle as she let out a surprised gasp before lowering it to reply. “Oh, my sincerest apologies, Miss Melody. Had I known-”

“It is all right, Summer,” Melody said, raising a hoof. “I do not blame you for asking about my deceased husband.” She sighed, and rubbed the bridge of her muzzle. “But it is a severely sore subject for both me and Emerald, so please ask no further of the topic.”

Summer nodded. “I promise not to.”

“Good,” Melody replied.

At the same time the two mothers were conversing, Captains Tricolt and Nightcanter were engaged in a conversation of their own on the other side of the doorway.

“Ah, Solis is surely privy to these surprise celebrations by now,” Tricolt mused. With a sigh, he propped a hoof against the stone wall and leaned against it, eyes half closed with boredom. “So, Nightcanter, how goes nightwatch these days?”

Silence.

Arching a confused brow, Tricolt glanced behind him to find Nightcanter looking down at the floor, a concerned frown etched into his features, and a faraway look in his eyes.

“Captain Nightcanter.” The Solar Captain gently pushed his withers. “Answer me.”

The Night Guard Captain broke free from his stupor with a start, swiveling his head around in alarm before resting his eyes on his colleague. “Oh, my apologies, what was your question?”

“I was merely curious how your duties as Princess Luna’s Guard Captain are treating you as of late.” A concerned frown fell across Tricolt’s own muzzle as he continued. “Now, however, my concern lies toward whether something is the matter with you?”

Captain Nightcanter blinked once, then sighed and took his helmet off his head before rubbing his temples with both hooves. “I will tell you what has been eating away at me, but can you make a single promise not to assume I still harbor affection for Princess Luna?”

Tricolt stared blankly in response, not having expected that to be Nightcanter’s plea.

“Well?”

“Uh, yes, of course, Captain Nightcanter.” Trciolt crossed his right fore leg over his chest. “You have my word that I shall not make such an accusation.”

“Thank you,” Nightcanter replied.

The Lunar Captain looked to his left, across the room at the dining table. Princess Luna was poking her head out from underneath the tablecloth, waiting for a signal that her sister and nephew had arrived so she could hide again. While the expression on Luna’s face was full of excited anticipation, Nightcanter watched her with worry plainly evident on his features.

“I am concerned for Princess Luna,” he said.

Captain Tricolt followed his gaze. “What for?” he inquired.

“She has not been acting like her usual self as of late.” Nightcanter turned back to Tricolt, to which the Solar Captain mirrored him a moment later. “Princess Luna is typically quite jovial in performing her nightly duties, which I can attest to as her closest confidant and Guard Captain. As of the past . . . five or so months—my memory is far from reliable—but anyway, I have noticed a gradual change in her behavior every night.”

“I assume her joviality has decreased in prominence?” Tricolt asked.

Captain Nightcanter nodded sagely. “She tries hard to hide her displeasure from her Lunar Guard with false bravado and confidence, of which I am only able to realize is false because of our countless hours of time spent together. Just last night, for instance, Princess Luna came out of a dreamwalking session and the first thing she did was breath a heavy sigh of annoyance.

“I asked her what was wrong, but she dodged the question and instead left to take a short flight over the Everfree. Even my succeeding attempts to console her upon returning were met only with resistance, to which I eventually ceased.” Nightcanter gave Tricolt a slightly furrowed gaze as he continued. “Please note that my concern for Princess Luna is strictly professional, as I am worried her behavior will create problems when performing her royal duties.”

“I wholeheartedly believe you, and your concern is noted,” Tricolt answered. “I will bring this to Princess Celestia’s attention, as her own behavior indicates she is unaware of her sister’s increasing displeasure.” He paused to think for a moment. “Have you any idea what the cause of Princess Luna’s unhappiness may be, based solely on conjecture?”

“Nay, I have none,” Nightcanter answered sadly. “At best, I would-”

Suddenly, Tricolt’s ear twitched. “Wait,” he said, holding up a hoof. “Listen.”

Nightcanter was confused for but a moment before his own ear twitched in response to a faint sound coming from the door’s other side. It was a soft, steady rhythm of hoofsteps, slowly approaching the dining room. It was also clear that there were not one, but two sets of hoof falls.

Tricolt and Nightcanter looked first to each other, then to the three mares standing at the doorway’s other side. They returned their gazes with smiling nods, having heard the approaching duo as well. Summer Scape silently signalled to everypony in the room that Celestia and Solis were approaching, to which they all prepared to jump out and surprise the birthday colt.

Everypony waited in silence as the hoof falls came closer, becoming more clearly audible to everypony. A metallic clinking sound accompanied one set of hoof falls, recognizable as that of Princess Celestia’s golden shod hooves. Everypony held their breath when the hoof steps reached the dining room doors and stopped. The ponies nearest to the doors stood stock still, determined to make not even the slightest movement and risk being overheard by Solis, even though they were confident he knew what was coming.

The piercing silence throughout the dining room was finally broken by the door’s creaking hinges as it began slowly opening. A sliver of sunlight poured through the widening crack from the adjacent window in the hallway, dividing the room into two halves of subdued darkness with the table split right down the middle, as well as the eager face of Princess Luna sticking out from under the tablecloth. The doors fully opened after a few seconds, and everypony prepared to shout ‘Surprise!’ once Solis stepped into the room.

Instead, they were all surprised when not Solis, but an ornate golden carpet emerged from the doorway. It followed the trail of sunlight, unfurling as it rolled across the room toward the dining table. It stopped just a few inches shy of Princess Luna’s muzzle, to which the lunar alicorn, as well as everypony else, merely looked at it in confusion. As they were all distracted, nopony immediately noticed the young, crimson alicorn stallion emerge from the doorway and begin slowly trodding down the carpet, head held high and wings spanned in a show of regality.

Soon everypony’s attention was redirected to Solis, and every single one of them did a double take upon noticing his new appearance. A few of them, Princess Luna included, could only stare stupidly with their jaws hanging open, while others mumbled incoherently to themselves, trying to make sense of the enigmatic sight before them. The earth pony they knew had disappeared and been replaced by an alicorn much the same as the princesses, minus the ethereal mane and tail.

Eventually, Solis reached the carpet’s end and came to a stop. He glanced down at the dumbfounded Princess Luna for a moment before turning around to survey the rest of the assembled ponies; they all shared Luna’s expression of utter bewilderment.

Unfurling his wings, Solis swept his gaze across the room once more before nodding and turning around to the spread laid out on the table. He selected a simple red apple slice and used his magic to levitate it up to his mouth. He took a dainty bite out of the fruit and idly chewed it for several seconds before spitting it out like it was poisoned. Spinning around on his hooves, everypony recoiled in terror at the sight of Solis’ expression of pure, unbridled rage.

“Unbelievable! Inconceivable! Disgraceful! Disgusting! Despicable!” He brought the apple up for everypony to see. “This apple is without any doubt the most horrid abomination to fruits the world over!”

By now, everypony’s bewilderment and confusion had been entirely replaced with fear, and more than a few ponies, including some guards judging from the slight metallic rattling throughout the room, were shaking with terror. They all looked more akin to little foals than fully grown mares and stallions with the way their faces contorted into panicked expressions as they watched the enraged alicorn. Some of them briefly glanced toward the double doors, probably contemplating escape but stayed stock still out of fear for what might happen if they failed.

“As Equestria’s newest prince it is my responsibility to see to the swift and merciless elimination of any and all criminals!” Solis took a step forward, making everypony flinch in response. “And for the vile heathen that thought they could serve me such waste . . .”

Solis remained quiet for several seconds, only staring straight ahead at nothing in particular and ignoring all the terrified staff and guests watching him with extreme trepidation. The several seconds seemed to drag on forever, to which everypony’s anxiety only blossomed. Sweat poured down everypony’s faces and knees buckled from lack of support while they waited, all the while praying to the Elements that they were spared Solis’ wrath.

A corner of Solis’ mouth lifted into a smirk. His eyebrows raised as Solis’ smirk then stretched across his mouth into an amused grin. Then, almost too suddenly for everypony to realize what happened, the crimson alicorn stallion fell forward onto his barrel and proceeded to laugh hysterically.

“The look on your faces, ha ha ha!” He lightly pounded the floor with a hoof. “We got you all well and good!”

All at once, everypony’s fear and anxiety melted away, replaced with confusion of the highest caliber. Everypony watched the laughing Solis with questioning glances for several moments before a recognizable voice chimed from the double doors.

“That was a most excellent performance, my son.”

Everypony’s attention shifted from Solis to the splendid form of Princess Celestia trotting down the gold carpet toward the crimson alicorn stallion. She wore a satisfied smile on her face which she kept directed on Solis while approaching him.

It was only when Celestia closed the distance between them that Solis ceased his laughing and stood up to regard her.

“Thank you, mother,” he replied. “So, are you satisfied with the ‘surprise’?”

Celestia wrapped a wing around him and pulled him closer. “Indeed I am.” The mother-son duo proceeded to nuzzle each other affectionately, unmindful of the couple dozen or so utterly confused ponies watching them and trying to make sense of all that had just happened within the last minute.

Eventually, Celestia’s and Solis’ nuzzling was interrupted by Princess Luna, who emerged from underneath the table and cleared her throat, catching their attention.

‘Sister,” she directed to Celestia, her tone calm and measured but with obvious traces of pent up anger, “what is the meaning of all this? And why is Solis now an alicorn himself?”

There are supposed to be only two alicorns . . .

Celestia held in a giggle. “This,” she replied, loudly so everypony could hear her, “was my way of compensating for being unable to pleasantly surprise Solis with these surprise birthday celebrations.” She turned around to look at everypony while grinning mischievously. “We imagine all of you were quite surprised by Solis’ new appearance, were you not?”

Everypony’s confusion and fear was replaced with mass relief, mixed with a some resentment, upon learning they were merely the victims of a prank by the solar alicorn and her son. As one, they all nodded in response to Celestia’s question.

“Good, and with that done We shall explain why Solis is now an alicorn.”

Everypony stood at attention, curiosity and eagerness swelling through them as they listened to Celestia’s explanation. The solar alicorn herself gave Solis a warm smile, which the crimson stallion returned in kind, before returning her gaze onto everypony else. Luna, meanwhile, softened her features and instead gave her sister and adopted nephew an appraising gaze, eager to judge the merits of Celestia’s decision.

“We have raised Solis for almost five years now, and in that time he has grown so much in body, mind, and spirit. We adopted and raised him with the intention of helping Us rule this fair country, and Solis took it in stride, meeting every task We put forth head on and without complaint.”

Celestia wrapped a wing around Solis, to which he sheepishly shuffled his hooves. “Raising him for five years has also enlightened me to his full potential not just as a leader, but as a magic user.” She pointed with her other wing toward the front of the room, specifically at Emerald. “Emerald Wind, thou canst attest to this with thy flute.”

The young green unicorn smiled and nodded. “Yes, and I am beyond thankful for your son’s assistance in repairing it, your highness.”

Celestia nodded. “And he is thankful to have been of use.” She looked down at Solis. “Art thou not?”

Solis seemed to lock up and shy away from everypony’s gaze for a second before returning his attention forward, specifically, at Emerald.

“Ind-indeed, Emerald,” he stuttered.

Celestia frowned at her son’s sudden nervous behavior, then realized it was because he was unmasked in front of outsiders. With a roll of her eyes, Celestia’s horn lit up and Solis’ mask was summoned a second later, which he wasted no time in donning.

This action caused Emerald to frown slightly, confused as to why Solis had reacted so nervously to her praising of him. She managed to shrug it off and remain attentive when Celestia resumed speaking, but a lingering sense of hurt remained floating in the back of her head all the while.

“As both a way to signify Solis’ new position as a third wheel in Our rule of Equestria, as well as letting him make use of his understandings in Magic Theory without needing Our aid, We have imbued within Solis the abilities of both unicorn and pegasi in addition to his natural earth pony strength. As a result of his ascension, Solis has also been granted the title of Prince of Equestria, to which his authority is equal with Our own.”

Celestia let her words sink in for a few moments, all the while judging the facial responses of everypony in front of her; what she found was encouraging to say the least. Most of the guards seemed either indifferent or happy to hear her announcement, while Guard Captains Tricolt and Nightcanter were among the latter category, wearing big smiles on their muzzles. Summer Scape was equally positive in her response, and seemed to be struggling to hold back a few tears from the looks of it.

As for Melody and Emerald, however, Celestia was disappointed to see their reactions were not quite as positive as that of everypony else. Among the two, Emerald’s reaction seemed more favorable, as the younger mare wore a wistful smile on her face as she looked at Solis. Her mother Melody, however, looked slightly irritated in response to Celestia’s announcement.

Perhaps she is merely still annoyed with Solis for that prior incident, and her annoyance is showing itself here. Hopefully, she and Emerald will still support this decision, as well as convince the ponies in Canterlot to show support to some degree as well.

“We are sure many of you still have questions for Us pertaining to this revelation,” she said, regaining everypony’s full attention again. “Rest assured, We shall be more than happy to answer any question during the festivities.” She unwrapped her wing from around Solis and held both up high in the air. “And on that note,” she made a grand sweeping gesture with both her wings, “let the celebration begin!”

Everypony let out a small cheer of excitement and began spreading out across the dining room. They gathered in groups and began chatting animatedly about everything that had just happened: Solis’ new title, his and Celestia’s prank, and how exactly Celestia granted her adopted son wings and a horn. It was a lot to take in, but Celestia and Solis were happy to see such positive reactions from everypony.

“Everypony seems to be excited for thee, Solis,” Celestia said to him.

“‘Tis a relief,” Solis replied. “Hopefully, the rest of Equestria echoes their reaction.”

“I hope so too,” Celestia said.

“Solis!”

The mother-son duo turned to see Captain Tricolt approaching them, a wide grin spread across his muzzle.

“You sure changed since I last saw you,” he said, stopping in front of Solis. “Quite a lot, in fact.” He flashed a playful smirk at Celestia. “Just what did you do to him, your highness?”

Celestia said nothing in response, merely rolling her eyes upwards and smiling innocently.

Tricolt let out a laugh and ruffled Solis’ mane. “I have to say, you really had me shaking in my armor just now. I was about two seconds from running away screaming when you started laughing.”

Solis looked up at him, his eyes wide behind his mask. “Truly, thou wert?” he asked.

“No, not really,” Tricolt said. He stopped ruffling Solis’ mane. “Rest assured, Princess Celestia chose no coward to be her Guard Captain.”

“I also chose no slouch to be my son,” Celestia added. She softly pet Solis’ backside and smiled lovingly down at him. “Solis hath proven himself worthy to possess the power of an alicorn, that is for sure, and We trust he shall make good use of it.”

Tricolt nodded. “I trust your word, princess.” he looked back down to Solis. “Quite a birthday this is, huh?”

“The best one ever,” Solis chirped.

“Then I shall leave you to enjoy it.” With that, Tricolt walked past them to the food table, grabbed a bread roll, and left while giving Solis a friendly wave, which he returned in kind.

“You heard him, Solis,” Celestia said, drawing his attention. “Go! Enjoy your birthday!”

Solis just nodded, before leaving to join the nearest group of guards. Soon after he was showing off his new wings and horn to them, and Celestia watched with pride swelling in her heart.

To think, the Solis of five years ago was such an anti-social gruff. Now, he flaunts his new gift like a noble flaunts their wealthy status. A tad bit ironic, but all the same, such is remarkable progress toward making Solis into a better pony.

Shaking her head, Celestia turned around to fetch some food from the table, only to be met with the hardened gaze of her sister.

“Sister, we need to talk,” Luna stated calmly.

“Of course,” Celestia replied. She levitated a chocolate square over to her, and took a dainty nibble while gesturing for Luna to speak.

Luna glanced around, making sure nopony else was close enough to overhear their conversation. Once satisfied, Luna began speaking in a hushed whisper.

“Why was I not informed of thy decision to ascend Solis?” she asked. “Something of such importance should be discussed between the both of us at great length first, as we have not the foresight to know whether this will work in our favor.”

Celestia chewed her chocolate a bit and swallowed. “I wished not to wake thee up a second time in one day, sister,” she replied, frowning slightly. “I do apologize, however, for following through with my decision without first informing thee.”

Luna sighed. “Thine apology is accepted, but it cannot undo what has been done.” She fixed Celestia with a hardened gaze. “We have no idea whether Equestria’s citizens will be accepting of an earth pony ascending to alicornhood. True, Solis is your adopted son and legally family, but even so, ponies may still think of him as a common citizen at heart.”

Celestia regarded Luna curiously for a moment, then smiled and placed a comforting hoof on her withers. “I understand if thou art fearful of retribution for such a decision, sister, but I have complete trust in more than just Solis. While I may not know for sure, we have crafted such a benevolent rule that Equestria’s populace has no reason to shun this decision.”

“Gambling with-!” Luna quickly covered her mouth at her sudden outburst, removing it once she had calmed down. “Gambling with our subjects’ trust is foolhardy, Celestia. For all we know, once word gets out that Solis has ascended, ponies will come to us screaming blasphemy.”

Celestia held back a snort at that statement. “Luna, since when did you air on the side of exaggerated drama?” she asked, rhetorically. “More likely, ponies will come to us pleading to receive ascension themselves.”

They shall think twice about that upon seeing me.

“And would that truly be any better?” Luna asked, deadpanned almost.

“T'would be easier to placate them, so yes,” Celestia replied with a nod. She took another bite out of her chocolate, sighing in satisfaction at the heavenly taste it afforded her. Once she finished chewing and swallowed, she asked, “Is that all thou wishedest to talk with me about, sister?”

“I need to voice one last concern,” Luna replied. She gave Celestia a pensive frown. “I understand that thou trustest Solis to use that power wisely, and I share that belief wholeheartedly, but by granting more ponies ascension we only increase the chance of it falling into wicked hooves.”

“I would not worry about our power falling into the wrong hooves,” Celestia said, “as I have no intention of granting it to anypony else.”

“Very well,” Luna said, nodding.

Celestia smiled. “Well then, let us enjoy the celebration, shall we?” She levitated a few more chocolates from the table, and joined a group of castle maids to chat.

Luna stared after her for a while, her expression unreadable, before sighing and moving to join a group of her night guards.

Ancient Ascendant (Part 4)

Solis’ birthday celebration lasted the rest of the day and carried over into the night, Celestia and Luna having excused themselves to bring it about, before re-joining the festivities. Despite it being his celebration, and having just become an alicorn, Solis only stayed the center of everypony’s attention for so long before they began mingling with each other. Solis was okay with this, though, and he quickly began busying himself with practicing levitating multiple objects at once with his new unicorn magic.

Most of the guards took to passing the time by chatting, a couple of fencing matches every so often, but mostly gorging to their heart’s content on the food. One day guard even went so far as to swipe the entire plate of chocolates, leaving Celestia confused, as well as a little teary-eyed, when she went to fetch another one upon returning with Luna.

The princesses spent their time just watching everypony, occasionally conversing with one when they approached. One such instance was with Tricolt, who, after excusing himself from his troops, joined Celestia where she stood, watching Solis practice his telekinesis.

“Highness,” he said, bowing slightly as he walked toward her.

“No need to be formal, captain,” Celestia said. She watched Solis for a few more moments, before turning her full attention to Captain Tricolt. “Art thou in need of something?”

Tricolt looked up to her with a concerned expression. “I have a message from Night Guard Captain Nightcanter, your highness⋯” He trailed off for a second, looking across the room. “It is about Princess Luna.”

Celestia quirked an eyebrow as she followed Tricolt’s gaze toward her sister. Luna was standing against the wall opposite them, seemingly staring at nothing as her eyes were unfocused, her face wearing a bored expression.

“Captain Nightcanter informed me earlier that Princess Luna’s recent behavior is very unusual for her,” Tricolt explained, drawing Celestia’s attention again. “According to him, her highness was once quite jovial in performing her nightly duties, whereas she hath been growing increasingly gruff and annoyed as of late.”

Celestia frowned, and turned to Luna again. “Yes, We hath noticed Luna growing increasingly distant during our twilight hour meetings. She refuses to say what the matter is, and it pains Us to see her so distraught, yet unwilling to ask for support.” She sighed, and turned back to Tricolt. “By chance, hath Our sister been more open with her Guard Captain?”

Tricolt shook his head. “According to Nightcanter, she refuses to speak even with him. Just last night, he says she came out of a dreamwalking session, annoyed, and refused to say why upon his asking.”

“Than We shall converse with her Ourselves,” Celestia said with conviction. She gave Captain Tricolt a sharp gaze that indicated her upcoming orders were to be obeyed without question. “In the meantime, We wish for thee to keep frequent contact with Captain Nightcanter. Tell him to inform you of any and all developments in Luna’s behavior starting tonight. This is a direct order from Us.”

Captain Tricolt started to nod in agreement, but stopped when a thought occurred to him. “But what if he is hesitant to go behind his princess’ back in this manner?” he asked.

Celestia smiled. “If he still cares for Our sister, then such an order should be of no bother to him, as it is to help Luna overcome whatever ails her.”

“Captain Nightcanter said he harbors no affection for Princess Luna anymore.”

“Loving and caring are not always intertwined with each other. A pony can care for another without harboring feelings of love for them.” Celestia turned her body to face Luna, but kept her attention on Tricolt. “Hopefully, We can make her open up to Us tonight, but in case We fail, give Our order to Captain Nightcanter while We speak with Luna.”

“Of course, your highness,” Tricolt said, and quickly left to find his Lunar colleague.

Celestia turned to face Luna, seeing she was still in the same place as before, with the same expression, and began trotting toward her. Princess Luna only took notice of her after Celestia rounded a group of chatting maids, but said nothing in response and returned to staring ahead at seemingly nothing. Celestia wore a cheerful smile as she approached.

“Are you enjoying the festivities, sister?” she asked.

“Yea, verily,” Luna said, rather unenthusiastically.

“Then why do you sound depressed rather than jovial?” Celestia tilted her head, regarding Luna with a wistful expression. “Is something the matter, sister?”

Luna said nothing for a few moments. As the silence stretched between them, Celestia thought she could hear low humming from her sister, almost agitated in its tone. This confused, and slightly concerned, her, as such behavior was unlike Luna when the two sisters conversed. It only served to further convince Celestia that her sister might need counseling.

Eventually, Luna turned to face Celestia, her expression one of exasperation, and replied with, “It is nothing that concerns you, sister, so please, leave me be.” She gestured with her head toward the various groups of ponies scattered throughout the dining room. “I imagine somepony wouldst appreciate your presence more so than I.”

“Of that, I have no doubt,” Celestia replied, before shaking her head disapprovingly. “However, it is you who needs my presence most, sister.”

Celestia stepped forward and stood alongside Luna, whose only reaction was to shift her gaze away, back toward the well of nothingness she had been fascinated with previously. Celestia wrapped a wing around Luna’s withers, but the lunar alicorn refused to acknowledge the gesture.

“Something is troubling you, Luna,” Celestia said, in her best soothing tone of voice. “Please, let me understand what ails you, so that I may be of assistance in dispelling it.”

Luna sighed. “It is nothing you can dispel, Celestia,” she replied, slumping a bit. “Now, please, leave me be.”

Celestia shook her head. “Not until I am made privy to whatever ails you, sister,” she replied with conviction. “Let me be the judge as to whether or not I can be of assistance.”

Luna stared up at Celestia with a frustrated expression, while Celestia returned her own, resolute one. She tightened her hold a little bit, out of instinct, though, she was confident Luna would be unable to escape from her regardless.

Eventually, Luna relented. Looking downcast, she began her explanation.

“I trust you remember, when we first came to power, how I wished to aid in your campaign of befriending our subjects?”

Celestia nodded. “Indeed I do,” she replied. “I still remember the morning after you first cast your dreamwalking spell.” She smiled. “You were very elated while describing your first experience exploring the dreamscape.”

A small smile tugged at Luna’s lips. “Indeed, it was the most wondrous experience I had felt up until then. However, my happiness was due more in part to all the ponies’ dreams I visited, and becoming acquainted with them as a result.” Her smile fell away, replaced by a solemn expression. “But no longer do I feel such joy when traversing the dreamscape.”

“And why is that?” Celestia asked.

“You must also remember that I took it upon myself to vanquish any and all night terrors I came across during my travels—”

The one task which no other pony is capable of performing, which Our subjects seem to not realize.

“—However, within the past year or so, the number of night terrors I encounter during my dreamscape travels has shrunk to a mere fraction of what it once was.” Luna sighed, and looked downward with a depressed frown. “I have yet to vanquish even a single night terror this week⋯”

Celestia was silent for a moment as Luna’s words registered in her mind. Then a small, open-mouthed smile spread across her lips and she nuzzled Luna, much to the lunar alicorn’s surprise, and slight embarrassment.

“Er, Celestia?” she said, confused.

“There is no need to feel sad about this, sister,” Celestia replied. She brought her head away from Luna’s face and smiled down at her. “The fact that night terrors have become ever more fleeting means you have excelled in your task of reassuring ponies during the nighttime to an unfathomable degree.” She leaned in and quickly nuzzled her sister again before she could object. “This is no cause for depression, Luna, so why do you feel so?”

Luna cast an annoyed glare at Celestia while rubbing the spot on her face where she nuzzled her. “It saddens me because my time traversing the dreamscape every night has become needless as a result. No longer may I use my power to slay horrors which create unrest for sleeping ponies, which, aside from raising and lowering the moon, was my only contribution to our shared rule of Equestria. With it gone, I feel more useless than ever.” She sagged her withers, out of Celestia’s wing’s hold, and sighed deeply.

Celestia only subconsciously retracted her wing as she stared down at her sister’s sulking form. Words failed to escape her lips as a pensive frown crossed them in response to seeing Luna in such a state.

A long silence stretched between them, broken only by the constant chatter from everypony in the room, as both sisters remained unmoving, minus their free-flowing manes and tails, like statues. Celestia stared at her sister with a sorrowful gaze, mixed with a hint of pity, as she once again processed Luna’s words. When she finished this time, instead of smiling, a single tear ran down Celestia’s cheek as she spoke up.

“Luna, why did you never tell me, or anypony else, this before?” she asked, choking back a sob. “All this pent-up frustration has been eating away at your heart, leaving you spiritually crippled and downtrodden. You say this has been the case for a year, even?”

“‘Tis only a guess, since I never bothered to keep a record,” Luna replied, not meeting Celestia’s gaze.

“Regardless, you should have come to me for help,” Celestia stated with conviction. “I am your sister, and I will always be willing to help you overcome your woes, but only if you would seek my assistance can I do so.”

Luna finally stared up at Celestia again. “We are grown mares, sister, so it stands to reason I shouldst find a solution by my lonesome,” she stated, also with conviction. A small smile crossed her lips. “But, I do feel less downtrodden now, so thank you for making me share my woes.”

Celestia’s smile widened. “‘Tis an older sister’s job, is it not?” She laughed, then her smile turned wistful. “I understand your reasoning, Luna, and I shall leave you to find a new purpose, but remember that I will always come to your aid when called upon. Of that, you can guarantee.”

“Thank you, sister,” Luna replied. She turned toward the dining room entrance. “I shall go and do so now, as a matter of fact. If anypony needs me, tell them I am in my bedchambers, pondering.”

“Of course,” Celestia said with a nod. “My best wishes to you, Luna.”

Luna waved Celestia goodbye before heading toward the double doors. On her way out, she passed by Emerald and Melody Wind, along with Summer Scape, who were deeply rooted in conversation. Emerald, however, was spending less time chatting than she was leaning against the wall, staring idly up at the ceiling while thinking to herself.

“Then I told her, ‘Emerald can outshine your own daughter in choir whenever you so choose!’,” Melody said, giving a hearty laugh as she gripped her chest. “The poor sod ended up regretting her challenge, for sure!”

Summer Scape gave a light chuckle in response, but secretly she found nothing particularly humorous about Melody’s story. Indeed, she was a little off-put by how boastful the unicorn was in regards to her daughter, but did a sufficient job of keeping it from showing in her features.

“Well,” she said, shaking her head, “I shan’t deny your daughter’s extraordinary musical talent, even if I have yet to hear any of it firsthoof.” She perked up a bit, then looked over Melody’s shoulder to Emerald. “But perhaps I could be made privy to a piece or two once the festivities conclude?”

Emerald turned to Summer, and was about to respond, before Melody practically shouted, “Oh, yes indeed! In fact, everypony should have a chance to hear why my daughter is the greatest musician in all of-”

Melody paused as a sensation began building up in her nostrils. Turning her head away from Summer toward the wall, she proceeded to sneeze into her dress sleeve. Pulling her head away from it revealed a gooey mess of phlegm trailing between her muzzle and the dress.

“Ugh,” she groaned, then wiped the mess off on her dress. “This dress will need a good washing once we return home.”

Summer Scape frowned. “Are you feeling well, Melody?” she asked, genuinely concerned for the other mare.

Melody sniffed, and waved a dismissive hoof. “‘Tis a common cold,” she replied. “Nothing of concern.” She smiled. “So, a concert, yes?”

Summer Scape stared blankly for a bit, then smiled and looked to Emerald, who began nervously scuffing her hoof across the stone floor.

“Um, p-perhaps you c-could perform instead, mother?” she asked, shakily. “After all, you told me the princesses enjoyed your music when you last played for them.”

“Indeed they did,” Melody replied, briefly smiling before a stern frown crossed her muzzle. “However, they deserve to hear the fruits of thy talent today, and, rude as he is, Sol- er, Prince Solis wouldst appreciate a fine, lyric-less tune on his birthday.”

Emerald sheepishly rubbed the back of her head, wryly gritting her teeth. “Playing for the entire staff of Everfree Castle is quite a tall order, mother . . .”

“Nonsense, dear,” Melody replied, reaching over and patting Emerald on the back. “‘Tis no different from playing for the choir back up in Canterlot.” She then gave Emerald a small nudge toward the exit. “Now run along and fetch thy flute from our guest room. I shall have everypony ready to listen upon thy return.”

Emerald hesitated for a moment, legs rooted to the ground as she turned to glance at all the assembled ponies in the dining room. There were at least a few dozen, all chatting animatedly with each other, paying her no attention.

And yet, Emerald felt as if their collective spirits were boring through her own, scrutinizing it, judging its stature. The entire room seemed to take on a fish-eye perspective as Emerald felt her heartbeat increase, to the point where she could actually feel it pounding in her chest. Her vision began blurring, distorting the ponies throughout the room, transforming them into twisted, almost monstrous, parodies of their actual selves.

A sense of nausea fell over Emerald, coupled with a sudden lance of pain that shot through her head, and she clutched at her head with a fore hoof, grimacing as she fought to keep from crying out in anguish.

“Emerald!? Emerald!” Melody cried out. “Art thou all right?”

Emerald gave no response, instead she just clutched her head even tighter. A low moan of agony escaped through her lips, and she began swaying slightly.

“Emerald, calm down,” Summer said. She took a step toward the young unicorn, fore hoof held out placatingly. “Just relax, and I can-”

“AAAAAAHHHHHH!”

The sudden cry from Emerald instantly attracted everypony’s collective attention to her. Summer Scape reeled back in surprise from the outburst, and Melody stood stock still in horrified confusion as she watched Emerald begin wheezing like a torture victim.

Everypony in the room, previously conversing with each other over meager things, now whispered with one another over the commotion occurring at the front of the room, all of them watching the commotion with looks of either concern, confusion, or annoyance. Princess Celestia and Prince Solis, especially, watched with apprehension as Emerald swung her head around the room, staring at each and every pony with wide, dilated eyes which gave the impression she was staring into the jaws of death itself. Seeing one of her little ponies in such a state tugged at Celestia’s heartstrings, while Solis was more curious than anything else what was happening to Emerald, and the expression he wore behind his mask reflected this.

What could be wrong with her? he wondered.

Emerald spent the next few moments convulsing while standing before dashing out the double doors into the castle hallway, quickly disappearing from sight and leaving everypony in the room utterly speechless. The only sound then was Emerald’s distant, retreating hoofsteps, which eventually faded from earshot, leaving the room completely silent.

That silence was eventually broken by Melody, who snapped from her shock and yelled, “Emerald!”, before dashing to the double doors herself, and disappearing into the hall as well.

Everypony else in the room gradually began recovering from their shock as well. Whispers quickly permeated the dining room, carrying sentiments of concern, curiosity, and even disgust between ponies. In the middle of it all, Princess Celestia and Prince Solis only continued staring at the double doors, a pained grimace etched into the former’s features, while the latter’s mask hid an expression that combined pity and intrigue.

Eventually, Celestia turned to Solis, and said in an apologetic tone, “My sincerest apologies, Solis.”

The crimson alicorn returned her gaze, tilting his head in curiosity. ‘What for?” he asked.

“The festivities were going so smoothly, and, for once, I could see your happiness in full bloom.” She sighed, and hung her head, shamefully. “If this little incident hath ruined thy enjoyment, I am the one who invited Miss Melody and Emerald to the festivities, so it is I who must apologize to you.”

Solis stared blankly for a moment, then snorted. “Mother, you need not take the blame for this,” he said. “Even with limited foresight, I am quite confident this was impossible to predict.” He shrugged. “This does little to bother me, anyway. Truthfully, I am more interested in what is wrong with Emerald than in reprimanding her for her outburst.”

Celestia lifted her gaze back to Solis, a small smile crossing her muzzle. “Thank you, son,” she said. Solis returned her smile, but realized Celestia was unable to see it, so he used his magic to lift his mask up enough that she could.

A moment later, the sound of hoofsteps began emanating from outside the door in the hall. They quickly approached the dining hall’s double doors, and the sweaty, panicked form of Melody came rushing in, panting heavily.

“Emerald⋯is⋯missing,” she wheezed between gasps.

Immediately, everypony in the room was alert and at attention. All the guards stood rigid and stiff, awaiting orders to locate the missing mare, while all the maids gasped and held their hooves up to their mouths.

Melody waited to catch her breath before continuing. “I was sure she went back to our guest room, but when I went to check, it was empty.” A deep feeling of dread washed over Melody as horrible thoughts of what could happen to her daughter played through her mind, one after another, each one worse than the last.

“Melody, please stay calm,” Summer Scape said. The earth pony approached the unicorn, then knelt down and clutched her cheeks with her fore hooves, bringing her gaze up to look into Summer’s reassuring, and resolute, eyes. “Emerald will be fine, nothing in this castle shall harm her, and we will find her.”

“Indeed we shall,” Celestia spoke up, attracting everypony’s collective attention.

She turned to Captain Tricolt, giving a slight nod, which her guard captain responded with one in kind, and spoke up.

“All guards, front and center!” he shouted.

Every single guard in the room, solar and lunar alike, quickly assembled in front of him, in four rows of seven each. Their faces went stoic as they awaited their orders.

“Find Miss Emerald Wind and escort her back here, unharmed. If she refuses, send somepony to fetch the princess while keeping her under watch.” Tricolt then began gesturing to each row, one at a time, while designating their respective search areas. “Row one, search the west wing. Row two, the east wing. Row three, check the dungeon. And row four, head outside and search around the castle’s perimeter. Am I understood?”

“Sir, yes, sir!” they all shouted simultaneously.

“Good, now move out, and be diligent!”

The guards began making their way outside, single file, while everypony else watched with anxious expressions. Melody, especially, was on the verge of tears, while Summer Scape stayed at her side, doing her best to comfort the distraught unicorn mother. Meanwhile, Celestia and Solis watched the guards march outside, the former wearing a confident smile, while the latter’s mask hid a worryful expression.

“Mother?” Solis said.

Celestia turned to him. “Yes, my son?”

“I shall join the search as well.”

Celestia’s eyes widened, and her muzzle fell into a quizzical frown. “Truly? What for?”

“I wish to assure Emerald that her outburst has done nothing to bother me, and that my birthday celebration is far from ruined,” Solis explained. He returned her gaze. “That, and Tricolt failed to account for one place in the castle.”

Celestia tilted her head in confusion. “What place is that?”

Everfree Castle was bustling with activity all throughout as the combined solar and lunar guards combed through every nook and cranny of their designated search areas. They moved swiftly and efficiently, leaving no corner unsearched or table unturned, fully intent on locating Emerald Wind and bringing her back to Melody. And yet, in spite of their efforts, the young mare was nowhere to be found wherever they searched.

While both the grounds outside and the main areas inside the castle were a flurry of motion from the guards, the inner courtyard housed a single figure, on the upper walkway, staring out the window into the beautiful, moonlit sky.

Emerald watched with half-interest as stars, of both the regular and shooting variety, decorated the night sky, while the glowing white orb that was Luna’s moon hung silently alongside them, standing out brilliantly amongst the sparkling nightscape. She rested her chin on her fore legs, folded on the windowsill, while relishing the occasional gentle breeze which blew in from outside and through her mane, but it was unable to dispel the pained frown her face wore.

You are a horrible mother, Melody. I refuse to play for everypony just to make you look better than you truly are. You pride yourself in having raised an exceptionally gifted music talent, but your daughter is hardly fit to play for royalty! Did you ever once consider that, perhaps, I was happy just playing for the citizens of Canterlot, along with the occasional traveler searching for a good venue of entertainment?

Of course not, because you cannot care any less for my feelings, or my preferences. I may be only thirteen years of age, but I am not your puppet! I do not desire recognition from the princesses, and just because you do does not give you the right to use me to further your own aspirations for grandeur and influence!

A few tears trickled down Emerald’s face, the tiny splashes they made upon contact with the windowsill barely audible to her ears. Emerald’s entire body tensed up as she gritted her teeth, trying to stave off the feelings of anguish welling up inside her, threatening to release via another scream of despair. She slumped to the floor, in turn ripping her dress on the windowsill’s stone patchwork, and curled up into a ball, burying her head in her fore hooves as she tried to stem the rising tide of tears.

Suddenly, the sound of hoofsteps reached her ears, and Emerald shot up with a start. She frantically looked to either side of the walkway, desperately trying to find the source so she could run the opposite way. The hoofsteps got closer, ringing louder in Emerald’s ears as they did so, slowly filling her with dread at the thought of being found.

“Emerald!?” called a voice, one which she recognized.

Prince Solis? What is he doing here? she thought.

“Emerald!? If thou art here, please respond!” Solis called again. “Do not be alarmed, I merely wish to speak with thee!”

Emerald quietly scooted over to the railing, and peeked over the side. Down below, she saw Prince Solis, alone, looking through one of the east archways. Out of his eye’s corner, however, he spotted Emerald, and Solis turned to face her fully. Behind his mask, he smiled, and gave her a wave.

Emerald did nothing in response. She merely stood there, staring blankly back down at him, all while trying to comprehend what Solis was doing there alone. The thought of it being a trap suddenly occurred to her, and she listened for more hoofsteps approaching from the east wing, but heard nothing.

“May I speak with thee?” Solis asked again.

Emerald blinked once, then sheepishly rubbed her neck’s back. “You⋯may?”

“Excellent!” Solis beamed. He began heading through the archway. “Stay where you are! I shan’t be long!”

Emerald watched as Solis disappeared through the archway, and began waiting for him to arrive. While she waited, the thought of leaving to find another hiding place fought for dominance against the belief that Solis was being genuine, that he really just wanted to talk. The oddity of seeing him out searching for her by his lonesome was enough to convince Emerald to stay where she was.

Eventually, Solis rounded the corner, and began approaching her from along the walkway. “I imagined thou wouldst hide here,” he said amusedly. “Since it is so expansive, it makes sense nopony would think to check here.”

Emerald scuffed a hoof across the stone, averting her eyes from his own, despite his mask blocking it. “I refuse to go back,” she stated, sounding not the least bit confident or assertive.

“I never intended to bring thee back to everypony, at least not until I have gleamed a few things from thee.” Solis sat down and gestured for Emerald to do the same, which she did so after a moment of hesitation. “Now, please, tell me exactly what happened earlier.”

Emerald shifted nervously, looking downcast. “I⋯well⋯” She trailed off.

“I want to help,” Solis assured her. Scooting closer, he wrapped a wing around Emerald’s withers, eliciting a small gasp from her. “Do not think I will frivolously share whatever thou sayest with anypony. Whatever thou would reveal to me, I promise to keep a secret between us, along with anypony else that thou deem trustworthy.”

Emerald wanted to say no, that she would not share anything with Solis, but his words sounded wholly genuine to her ears. This, coupled with the warmth she felt creeping throughout her body, stemming from the fact that a colt was touching her in a compassionate manner, and Emerald found her guard slowly shrinking the longer the silence between them stretched.

Eventually, it disappeared entirely, and she sighed before giving her answer. “My mother suggested, nay, demanded that I play my flute for everypony.” She fidgeted a little. “Playing for royalty is a far cry from performing for acquaintances and the like. I am unfit to play music for somepony of such high stature, and my mother is too caught up in her self-pride to see that.” She capped off her explanation by shamefully hanging her head, choking back a sob.

Solis regarded her with curiosity as he mulled over her answer for a moment. “Why dost thou believe thou are unfit to perform for royalty?” he asked, earning Emerald’s attention, the unicorn trying to hold back more tears. “Even if thy mother is overestimating thy talent, playing an unofficial concert for the princesses is no cause for alarm. Thou wouldst be doing it entirely out of the generosity of thy heart, so the princesses would have no reason to berate thee if thy playing was subpar to their tastes. The same holds true for me as well.”

Emerald sniffed, and wiped her muzzle with her dress. “Truly? They would not?” she asked.

“The princesses are not the type to take offense so easily, Emerald,” Solis said, tightening his grip on her a little. “If such were the case, I doubt Celestia would have bothered to adopt me at all.”

Emerald’s eyes widened like dinnerplates. Solis chuckled at the sight of her so shocked, and retracted his wing from her.

“I was a very different pony five years ago,” he continued. “To put it simply, I was a problem child to the highest degree. No respect for my elders, not a care for the ponies around me, and I would violently lash out at anypony who gave me enough grief.” He chuckled darkly. “Princess Celestia bore witness to all three faults, and yet, in spite of it all, she adopted me anyway.”

Emerald’s mouth hung open in utter amazement at what she was told. Her mind had received enough of a shock that it was no longer able to send signals to her eyes calling for tears. She just sat there, utterly transfixed by Solis’ words, unable to form a response, coherent or otherwise.

Noticing this, Solis gently poked her cheek with his hoof, to which she slowly recovered from her stupor.

“Amazing,” she whispered.

“Perhaps thou art ready to return?” Solis suggested, beginning to stand up. “We couldst fetch thy flute on the way back. I would love to hear a piece from thee, as long as thou keepest from singing.”

Emerald paused, then looked downcast. “Cou-couldst we stay here for a little while longer?” she asked. “I-if it is okay with you, that is.”

Solis considered for a moment, then sat back down and nodded. “Very well,” he replied.

Emerald smiled, then thought about what Solis had just said. “My mother told me about what happened a few years ago, how you refused to listen to her singing while playing for the princesses,” she said. “Why do you have such an ill repute for singing?”

Solis stared blankly at her, surprised to hear the question. That surprise gave way to annoyance as he let out a low growl, which caused Emerald to flinch in surprise.

“Asking such personal questions is foolhardy, Emerald,” he said, retracting his wing. “Thou wouldst do best to refrain from asking such again.”

Despite his gaze being masked, Emerald wilted under the intensity she felt emanating from him. “I apologize, your highness,” she said, a guilty expression crossing her muzzle.

Solis relaxed his anger upon seeing Emerald’s guilt, and how she seemed to draw back into herself. Realizing he was being counterproductive to his goal of helping Emerald, Solis decided to answer her question.

“Truthfully, I cannot explain why I hate it so much.” He folded his fore legs and laid his head upon them, his mask lifting up slightly as a result, revealing his mouth. “Far back as I canst recollect, acts of singing hath filled me with dread to the highest degree. I am oblivious to whatever reason for this there is, and, truthfully, every attempt I have made to find an answer hast ended in naught but frustration.” He sighed, and dipped his head lower, further slipping off his mask.

Emerald stared at Solis in confusion, as his behavior was very uncharacteristic for a prince. Then his words began sinking into her mind, and Emerald’s confusion turned into pity for Solis.

It became clear to her that Solis, despite being Princess Celestia’s adopted son, and having all the benefits such a position would entail having, still had a modicum of unhappiness in his heart. Music, and especially singing, in Emerald’s opinion, was the most beautiful thing ponykind had ever created. For there to be a pony who found despair instead of joy in hearing a string of words sung in harmony, was heart wrenching to Emerald.

“It must be painful to know that what you find distaste for is one of the greatest treasures ponykind holds dear to itself,” she said. She looked aside herself in pity, having found it unbearable to watch Solis, a new royal figure, in such a state of misery. “And yet, everything you do treasure is what I have utter distaste for.”

Solis lifted his head back up, his mask sliding back into its proper place, but coming loose a bit, and gave her a curious expression from behind it. “What dost thou mean?” he asked.

Emerald returned her gaze to him. “You made your approval of Princess Celestia’s treatment of you very clear, but I could never say the same for my own mother.” She sighed. “My mother has done nothing but impose her rule upon me like a tyrant for so long, controlling every single facet of my life, all so she can groom me into becoming her financer for when she grows old and is unable to support herself, let alone both of us.”

Solis quirked an eyebrow. “And what of thy father?” he asked. “What role dost he play in your family’s life?”

Emerald grimaced, then resumed her rageful expression, and turned away from him. “My father is dead, Solis,” she said, her tone one of hurt.

“Really!?” Solis sounded quite shocked. “Oh, my sincerest apologies, Emerald!”

Emerald said nothing in response, merely waving him off before gesturing down into the courtyard; specifically, at Discord’s statue.

“My father died from one of that monster’s chaotic machinations,” she explained, her tone now mixed with both anger and hurt. “My father alone named me, since my mother was passed out after birthing me, and now she wants me to change that name to one which she approves of.” Emerald stomped a hoof, sending a loud clop echoing throughout the courtyard, as tears resumed falling from her eyes. “How could she disregard him so easily⋯?”

Solis watched as Emerald broke down into tears once again, curling herself up on the floor and sobbing uncontrollably with her hooves pressed hard against her eyes, which did nothing to stem the tide of tears falling to the floor. Emerald had essentially denounced her mother as unloving, and, while that may or may not have been true, Solis found the raw, emotional outpour she was giving off to be strikingly familiar.

“⋯⋯Thou art not alone.”

Emerald heard Solis’ words, but did and said nothing in response while she continued to cry. The sheer volume of her tears was almost strong enough to be an actual stream as it trickled at great speed down her face, coalescing into a large puddle around her on the floor. When she finally stopped crying, Emerald shifted her placement out of her puddle of tears.

“What did you say?” she asked, wiping away one last tear.

“I said ‘thou art not alone’,” he repeated, “by which I mean, I know what it feels like to be raised by a rotten parent.” He sighed, and once again lay down on the floor with his head rested in his fore legs, again slipping his mask off to reveal his muzzle. “Before being taken in by Happy Heart at the orphanage where Celestia and I met, I lived alone with my own father after my mother died giving birth to me.” Emerald let out a small gasp. “My father hated me for that reason, and never once let me believe otherwise.” He sighed, and tilted his head to one side. “Truthfully, I sometimes wonder why he even bothered letting me live.”

Emerald sniffed, and moved closer to Solis. “Oh, your highness—”

“Just ‘Solis’ is fine.”

“Of course, yo- err, Solis.” Emerald closed the distance between them and placed a hoof over his own, to which he quirked an eyebrow at the brazen gesture, but said nothing in response. “Nopony should be made to suffer like you have.”

The corner of Solis’ mouth lifted into a smile. “Like both of us have,” he said softly.

A smile crossed Emerald’s muzzle as well, and she began subconsciously stroking Solis’ hoof with her own. Solis said nothing to object, finding the gesture to be comforting, but he still found Emerald’s sudden brazenness to be quite an enigma.

The two of them laid there for what might felt like hours, but was really only a few minutes, during which time not a single pony passed through the courtyard below, or the walkway they shared. All that interrupted the silence of the courtyard were a few gentle breezes that came in through the window above their heads, and both ponies savored the nice, soothing feeling the cool night air gave as it blew through their manes.

“How is it that not a single guard has found us by now?” Emerald asked, breaking the silence.

Solis chuckled. “Captain Tricolt needs to better emphasize the importance of being thorough in one’s search to the guards.” He lifted his head up to meet Emerald’s gaze. “Wouldst thou like to return now?”

Emerald shied under his gaze, and scuffed a hoof. “Would it be too much to ask for a little more time together?” she asked, looking at him with wide, pleading eyes.

Solis’ heart melted at the sight. “Very well, but only for a short while,” he replied. He turned his head toward the entrance behind him. “We must—”

Solis stopped short as, right when he turned around, the momentum caused his mask to fly off his face. Both he and Emerald watched as it sailed through the air, then impacted the ground with a loud crash sending pieces of brown ceramic down the hallway in a conical pattern.

Silence reigned for a few seconds. Both ponies sat stock still, eyes focused on the scattered pieces of Solis mask. Solis had his head turned away from Emerald so his face was hidden from her, and even after his brain unscrambled itself he still held his position, knowing his face was exposed now for her to see.

“Um, Solis?” Emerald said, to which the alicorn nervously bit his lip. “Are you all right?”

Solis gulped, his forehead beginning to sweat as he turned around to face her. “O-of c-c-course,” he stuttered, smiling nervously.

Emerald tilted her head curiously, confused over Solis’ sudden change in behavior. Then she remembered something from earlier, back in the dining hall.

“I remember you were hesitant to show your face to me earlier, and you had Celestia give you your mask.” Emerald frowned. “Why is this?”

Solis’ lips trembled, and the sweat began trickling down his forehead, getting into his eyes. Finally, he sighed, and replied while using a hoof to rub his eyes clean.

“It is for nothing against you personally, Emerald, I promise you that.” He gave a forlorn glance back to his shattered mask as he continued. “My father was not the sole source of my discontent in my childhood. My peers would constantly berate and taunt me for my horrid facial features, even while living at Happy Heart’s orphanage.” A hint of a smirk briefly crossed his features. “By any chance, do you know of the hydra sisters?”

“You mean Misty, Aqualung, and Droplet? Yes, I do know them.” Emerald deadpanned. “A spoiled rotten bunch of fillies, they are. I take it they treated you like dirt as well?”

Solis chuckled darkly. “The very day I was adopted I had smashed Misty’s face in, which Celestia bore witness to even.”

Emerald’s eyes widened considerably. “Truly?”

Solis nodded. “I thought for sure she would leave me at the orphanage after that, but instead, she saw my violent behavior as all the more reason to adopt me.” He settled into a more relaxed position. “Celestia is probably the only pony alive who would have done so.”

Emerald nodded. “I have no doubt about that.”

“The mask was a gift from her, made so I could accompany Celestia on her various travels throughout Equestria without the fear of being judged unfairly because of my face.” He sighed heavily. “Since I know all of the castle staff so well, I never need to wear it around them. When outsiders visit, however, well⋯”

“I understand perfectly,” Emerald said, nodding slightly. “It only makes sense to be afraid of unfair judgment from somepony you hardly know.” A small smile crossed her muzzle. “But, perhaps we know each other well enough that you shan’t need the mask, at least for me?”

Solis mulled over the question for a moment, before looking up to her with his own smile. “Yes, I suppose I shan’t,” he replied.

“Thank you, Solis,” Emerald replied back, almost as a whisper.

“So, thy mother wishes for you to adopt a new name?” he asked. “For what reason?”

“She has the belief that having a name to match one’s Soul is of great importance,” Emerald replied with a snort. “The whole idea is ludicrous, but she will not listen to anything other than her own delusions, so I am forced to think of a new name for myself to please her.”

“‘Tis a shame, for emeralds are a very lovely gem,” Solis mused, earning a blush on Emerald’s cheeks, and a bashful expression on her face, to which he chuckled. “I give you my best wishes the name situation works itself out somehow.”

“I hope it does too,” Emerald said, before perking up a bit. “And I give you my best wishes that your irrational hatred of singing is resolved.”

Solis snorted. “It shall take more than a few abstract hopes to make my hatred just ‘disappear’.”

A sly smirk crossed Emerald’s muzzle, and Solis felt a slight chill run down his spine upon seeing how disturbing such an expression made her face look.

“Perhaps we shouldst make a wager on whether or not I canst do just that?” she cooed, her voice taking on a teasing, mischievous vibe. “Leave it to me to write a song which you not only approve of, but shall cherish for the rest of your days, and beg me to sing for you every time we meet.”

Solis’ mind was abuzz following Emerald’s bold proclamation. What prompted her to make such a statement? Why was she suddenly so fixated on ridding him of his hatred for singing? Moreover, at the forefront of his mind, Solis was questioning where the timid, underconfident mare he had first found here in the courtyard had gone? Gradually, these questions faded away as the realization that Emerald was awaiting his response dawned on him.

“Um, well—” Solis stuttered, still off-put by Emerald’s sly demeanor, “—if thou canst achieve such a feat, I see no reason to deny thee a chance.” He shrugged. “I shall be fine with or without an appreciation for sung lyrics, regardless.”

Emerald giggled. “I shall make a music connoisseur out of you yet, your highness,” she declared in a playful tone.

“The anticipation shall kill me before thou canst succeed,” Solis replied in the same tone of voice, while rolling his eyes.

He then stood up, taking a moment to stretch his legs and wings before saying, “We shouldst return now, and hope everypony hast not grown too worried for thee.”

Emerald nodded sagely, and stood up herself. “I feel ready to face my mother’s ire,” she said.

“That is good.” Solis gestured to the scattered pieces of his mask. “Wouldst thou care to help me clean up before we return?”

Emerald smiled. “Of course, Solis.”

Nodding, Solis began heading over to his mask.

“Solis?”

He turned around. “Yes?”

Emerald scuffed a hoof as another bashful smile grew from the corners of her mouth, complete with the same blush as before too. “Thanks for being here for me.”

Solis stared blank for a second, then smiled himself. “Thou art welcome, Emerald,” he replied, trying to match the same levels of soothing and serenity that Celestia exuded whenever she wanted to thank him for something.

“Well, let us get a move on now, shall we?” Solis resumed walking towards the shattered fragments of his mask.

With a final nod of understanding, Emerald followed right behind him, the soothing warmth in her belly dying down, only to be replaced by a sudden rush of cold wind from the window, making her shiver slightly in surprise.

Hmm⋯yes, that might work.

The section of castle in which Princess Luna’s bedchambers sat was far removed from the dining room, to which a soothing silence hung in the air, broken only by the periodic chirping of crickets from outside. Then a set of hoofsteps began ringing outside in the hall, growing in volume as they approached, until they eventually stopped outside the door. The door was enveloped in a blue magical aura, and Luna quickly slipped inside, gently shutting the door closed behind her.

Luna took a moment to examine her room, making sure nothing was lost or misplaced, before she silently trudged to her bed and plopped down upon it in a very casual manner, a soft groan escaping her lips as she settled into the soft, silky embrace of her sheets. Luna spent a while just lying there, feeling too mentally exhausted to do anything else, having spent a lot of time otherwise used for sleeping attending Solis’ birthday celebration.

The thought of her adopted nephew’s ascension was quick to come to her mind’s forefront. Luna was unsure what to think about the fact that Solis, once a common, everyday earth pony, had been bestowed the title of prince, along with all of the power which had previously been reserved for her and Celestia. She truly did believe he would be a just ruler alongside the two of them, but while she had forgiven Celestia for acting without consulting her, the entire situation still managed to irk her.

Of course she chose to ascend him, because she cannot rely on a pony who sleeps during the day, when everypony comes to us for aid.

Luna spent a while lounging on her bed, thinking about all the recent big changes, before deciding to check the dreamscape for night terrors, hoping with all her heart there was at least one for her to vanquish.

Luna’s horn lit up in a midnight blue aura as she cast her dreamwalking spell on herself. Closing her eyes for a brief moment, a brilliant white light shone from them that obscured their defining features, giving them a blank, lifeless appearance. A series of pulses vibrated across their surface, indicating Luna’s presence in the dreamscape.

The blue alicorn gazed upon the vast expanse of stars before her, each one representing someone’s dream, set against a black background of empty space. Each one twinkled with a shine splendid enough to rival even the actual stars of space, and Luna had come to appreciate this aspect of the dreamscape the most in all her time spent within it.

But now that appreciation was overshadowed by her desire to see even a single night terror. She began walking among the dreams, keeping her senses primed in search of a star that radiated negative energy, the telltale sign of night terrors. She spent an hour of real time searching all throughout the dreamscape for one, even contemplating searching beyond Equestria’s borders at one point, but dismissed the idea upon realizing it would be both ill-advised and time-consuming.

Luna found no night terrors by the time she had covered the entire square area of the dreamscape. Saddened and downtrodden, she undid the spell, her eyes opening to the sight of her bed chambers once again. She lay on her bed and folded her hooves together, resting her head in them as she silently mourned for her favorite pastime.

I suppose everypony has grown less fearful as a direct result of Our rule. So reassured they are that their dreams no longer reflect the fear and uncertainty they once held for the world.

Celestia sees our subjects more often than I do, so how can I be at all responsible for their newfound reassurance?

Luna slumped even further into the bed, subconsciously tracing little circles into her bedspread as she lost herself even further in her thoughts, all the while a scowl slowly crossed her muzzle.

Celestia has held more clout in our shared rule of Equestria. Meanwhile, all I was capable of doing was standing watch over our subjects’ dreams, and now even that purpose has been stripped away from me by fate’s cruel dealings. What a burden it is being nocturnal.

Really, there is nothing else I can hope to do. Ponies sleep at night, so they cannot even take the time to appreciate the one thing that still gives me purpose: the nighttime sky.

Am I even needed? Celestia has ruled Equestria almost by her lonesome for the past five years, and Solis has learned so much that he could easily replace me on that front.

Luna stomped a hoof in frustration against the bed’s headboard, making an appropriately-sized dent in the wood as a result, but she paid it no mind. Tears threatened to spill from her cheeks as her scowl hardened and a small grunt of despair escaped her lips. Luna fell onto the bed again, hooves splayed about and muzzle buried firmly in her pillow. Her tears let loose and quickly stained the pillow while her muffled sobs emanated from it.

Is that truly my future? The forgotten mistress of the night and dreams, left to guard her dominion forever alone?

. . . No, that is Luna’s future.

A sliver of light from the ascending moon shone through the window as Luna lifted her head up. It trailed across the room and over the bed, running over Luna’s face and highlighting her eyes, revealing a newfound sense of clarity through the glimmering moisture of her tears.

”I will not be forgotten.”

Celestia's Diary #2

The door to the library’s secret study opened in a veil of golden magic, and in sauntered Princess Celestia, looking quite chipper despite it being early morning. She strode over to the center dais where her diary lay in wait with a merry skip in her step, summoning a quill and inkwell and opening to the next blank page.

4/14/06

Last night was one to remember, without any doubt. Of all the birthday celebrations I have held for Solis over the years, I can say with utmost certainty that this one triumphs over them all in significance, for both political and personal reasons.

Politically, Solis has made a good impression on the Wind family after finding and comforting little Emerald. She and her mother Melody are the foremost link We have to the common populace, and if their reactions to Solis’ ascension to alicornhood are indicative of how Equestria as a whole shall react, all will be well on that front.

Personally, I am secretly wondering if Solis and Emerald are romantically involved. When my son returned with Melody’s daughter to the dining room, their spirits were nothing if not jovial. I had meant to ask Solis the details of what happened, but he assured me it was nothing of importance. Admittedly, I am not well-versed in the ways of romance, but as a mother, I cannot help but be curious.

Melody and Emerald left for home a few minutes ago, and I may have imagined it, but I swear I saw Emerald wink back to Solis as she left. One of these days I will press Solis for more information, perhaps during his upcoming flying lessons.

So many changes have occurred in such a short amount of time, and I predict many more are to come, to which I shall face them all with unwavering resolve.

4/15/06

Luna tells me she is busy figuring out a new task to undertake after her previous job of quelling night terrors has been rendered null. She gave me no specific details on what she believes her new job will entail, but she assures me it will quell her unhappiness as of late. This I am glad to hear, and I hope she works everything out sooner rather than later.

4/26/06

Today is the day I begin training Solis to use his new wings. As expected, he is far from enthusiastic about learning how to fly, which is quite ironic, considering his penchant for learning about magic.

Oh well, he shall learn to overcome his fear of heights in time, this I am sure of.

5/01/06

Solis is steadily making progress using his wings. We have recruited the best flyers among the Solar and Lunar Guards to help conduct the lessons, and the extra help has done wonders for Solis, both with his training and with dispelling his fear of heights. There is still much work to do, but Solis is undoubtedly on his way to mastering flight.

5/04/06

Ever since Solis presented his tuning spell to me, I have debated whether to set aside some resources for the purpose of studying and expanding upon its use. Transformation spells such as Solis’ are a commodity, with the only other such spell in recorded history being Starswirl’s famous amniomorphic spell. Solis opened up a whole new field of magic study with his tuning spell, one centered around the reconfiguration of chemical compounds.

I intend to speak with Luna about this tonight. Speaking of whom, I am very curious as to what she has planned for herself regarding her new nighttime job. I shan’t pry for information tonight, but I do hope she will share some with me soon, if only so I am no longer oblivious to her woes.

5/06/06

After much debate between Us, the decision has been made to follow through with funding a new branch of magic study, with Solis’ tuning spell acting as the basis. A decree is currently being drafted that states We are looking both for ponies with exceptional magic talent and scholars whom specialize in magic theory. Anypony who believes they are of such high a stature in one or both of these regards is welcome to answer Our call.

If all goes well, the results of this new study could yield a plethora of benefits to Equestrian society and infrastructure.

5/07/06

The decree has been sent. Now we wait to see who answers.

5/14/06

Solis’ flying lessons are steadily yielding progress. Just today, my son managed to launch off one of the castle’s columns and land safely to the ground on his own. My little colt will be flying alongside Us very soon, I can feel it in my heart.

5/29/06

After much discussion amongst Us, the specifics for Miss Melody’s requested name changing law are complete. We did our best to make the law fair to everypony with as little hassle as We could manage. Although, I suspect most ponies will not take advantage of it, being happy already with their birth names. The option is still a good one, of course, and We are happy that Miss Melody suggested it to Us.

6/07/06

I just came back from Solis’ bedroom, where my son was practicing with his unicorn magic. Undeniably, he is more excited to learn this aspect of his new alicorn body than his wings, and I suppose I would be too if I was him. He appears to be making as much progress with magic as he is with flying, except he is able to accomplish it all by himself without Our help. I cannot say it surprises me, however, for if Solis can create functioning spells using only written texts describing magic theory as a basis, it makes perfect sense he can teach himself how to cast spells as well.

However, he is unable to cast his own tuning spell as of now. Studying magic is one thing, but casting it is another story, especially for a beginner like my son. Given time, however, he will learn how to harness it so he may cast spells as well as any unicorn.

6/016/06

Today Everfree Castle was visited by a small number of Canterlot unicorns who have expressed interest in Our call for ‘unicorns of exceptional magic talent, study, or both’. From what I understand, only two out of the group of ten are of the scholarly persuasion, while the rest are among Canterlot’s finest magic users, and rather self-entitled ones at that. This is hardly a surprise to me, given the general attitude unicorns have carried since even before Equestria’s founding. Nevertheless, they are high level magic users, so they are a worthwhile asset to this undertaking.

After a lengthy meeting between them, myself, and Solis the initial arrangements for this new study were decided upon. It will take a while, perhaps even a few years, but the unicorns have agreed to invest in this study and shall pool some resources to set up a research congregation for the express purpose of studying this new branch of magic study, which we have decided to term ‘alchemy’ due to the tuning spell’s nature of rearranging the chemical composition of any desired object.

The meeting is significant for another reason; it was the first time a common citizen of Equestria aside from Miss Melody and Emerald has witnessed Solis in his alicorn body. While I had faith that Equestria’s populace would appreciate my decision to ascend Solis, there always was a niggling bit of doubt in my heart that they would think ill of me instead. These ten unicorns were very polite to Us, and even offered Solis a few congratulations for receiving such a high honor. While these ponies’ reactions do not speak for the entire population, I would like to think that if even the most selfish of Equestria’s populace are appreciative of my decision, that everypony else is too.

Perhaps when Solis learns to fly or teleport and is old enough to leave the castle all by his lonesome he shall learn this himself.

7/18/06

At long last, today is the day that Solis has learned to fly adequately. Our guard did a magnificent job teaching my son all the basics of flight, and I truly believe there is not a word in existence that adequately expresses how happy I am for this.

That said, my son is still reluctant to make extensive use of his newfound flying prowess. I suppose some encouragement is in order, but for now I shall leave him be so he can practice his magic. Perhaps when the alchemy studies begin in earnest will he make significant progress from working with so many exceptional magic talents.

7/30/06

Last night I played a prank on one of Luna’s patrolling guards. Using The Organ to the Outside, I played a slowed down rendition of Dusk Gale the Charmer’s most famous piece, ‘The Lurker Approacheth’. This made it sound especially ominous, and the results showed on his face this morning at breakfast. He believes the castle has been invaded by, of all things, the undead spirits of the Sirens, having returned from the grave to exact revenge by using music to lure ponies so they can drag them back to the afterlife.

One of the benefits of being as long lived as Us is that certain details are never lost to time, such as the fact that Starswirl the Bearded did not kill the Sirens, but instead banished them to another plane of existence.

Just now as I write this I can see where the confusion stems from. Perhaps someday We will make clear to Our little ponies such details. For now, however, my interest lies in watching Our guards chasing after non-existent ghosts.

The only kind there is, in fact.

9/05/06

The Canterlot unicorns who visited Us a few months back have returned with information regarding the plans for the new alchemy branch of magic study. According to them, a suitable location has been determined for such a congregation up in Canterlot, alongside one of the mountain’s higher cliff faces. We are alright with this arrangement, but Solis was noticeably nervous upon hearing of this. I sincerely hope he learns to overcome his fear of heights before the final preparations get underway, or else communication between Us and the unicorns partaking in this study will be made all the more complicated.

9/019/06

At first I found it rather funny how Our guards were so quick to believe this ‘Vengeful Siren Ghost’ nonsense, but it has been almost two whole months since I played that prank and they still hesitate to wander this castle’s halls alone, especially so at night. We had assumed Our guards were a brave and diligent lot, but perhaps we overestimated the former.

Perhaps I should come clean about my prank.

After spending a few minutes thinking about it, I have decided to keep it a secret. If I wished to come clean, I should have done so straight away. As it stands, speaking of it now would only serve to dishearten the guards, and possibly even lose some of their respect for Us. I shall instead attempt to give assurance that no ghosts haunt this castle through less direct methods.

How exactly, I do not yet know.

10/7/06

I remember how her desire for Emerald to have a new name is what motivated Miss Melody to petition for the name changing law. We were visited by the pair again today, and they announced their desire to enact the law. Emerald has decided to change her first name to ‘Soothing’, and all the legal work is currently being completed to make the change official. I must admit, her desired new name strikes me as an odd choice, seeing how it references nothing from the musical arts. Melody also seemed to be off-put by her daughter’s decision, but acquiesced all the same.

I will admit, however, that ‘Soothing Wind’ is a lovely name.

10/8/06

Miss Melody and Emerald just left for Canterlot. The legal work will be sorted out in around a month’s time, whereupon Emerald will officially be known as Soothing.

Before they left, Emerald asked to speak with Solis in private. When told my son was too busy working on practicing his magic, Emerald asked me to relay a message to him. It was:

“Let your son know I am hard at work on ‘it’. He shall know what I am referring to, worry not.”

Indeed, Solis said he knew exactly what Emerald was talking about when I told him, but his tone was that of indifference. Whatever is going on between them, it appears not to be anything of the romantic persuasion.

Needless to say, my curiosity has been piqued.

11/10/06

The legal work for Emerald’s name change is completed, so she is now officially known as Soothing Wind.

Nopony else has yet to ask for a name change, however, but We shall see if that changes moving forward. Either way, as I know I have said before, the option is good to have.

11/22/06

Today I learned something very interesting from my sister. As it turns out, Luna has been studying up on transformation magic since Solis’ birthday celebration, specifically that of self-transformation.

This gave me an idea for how to assure Our guard that no ghosts haunt this castle. I have been pondering for the past two months how to go about this without revealing to anypony the existence of the Organ to the Outside. Now I have been presented with the perfect opportunity to do just that, and, much as she likes watching our guards acting like terrified little foals, Luna has agreed to help me.

This will be fun.

11/24/06

There are few instances I can recall where I have used the flashback spell to capture a moment from time for my memories. Last night was one of the rare instances where I did just that.

Foals have an especially strong imagination, and We were no different in that regard. Even now we still harbor some foalish imagination within our minds, which is what gave birth to all the secret passageways strewn throughout this castle. We occasionally liked to play pretend as well, and we invoked that same sense of make believe for my plan to convince Our guard that no ghosts exist in this castle.

The plan went as follows: I join the night guards on patrol, Luna shows up disguised as one of the sirens in ghostly form, and I pretend to slay her with my magic, thus making the guards believe the castle is once again free of ghosts.

It worked flawlessly, and nopony is any wiser about the Organ to the Outside.

12/07/06

The month of Hearth’s Warming is once again upon Equestria. This year, I have proposed We try something new.

We set out to endear Us to Our subjects. It has been a little more than five years, and We have more or less accomplished that goal. And yet, I feel as if We are still somewhat distant from them, and not just in the literal sense of Everfree Castle being isolated from every other settlement.

I want Our subjects to keep assured that We wish only the best for them and Equestria, which they could easily forget over time as new generations come and go. Therefore, I have proposed that We arrange a Hearth’s Warming celebration in Canterlot, to which everypony would be invited for merry fun and games. Of course, that would include Us, as well as the castle staff.

Such an event would truly be an ambitious task to undertake, but I have no doubt that We can make it happen, and I expect to hear soon whether Luna and Solis agree with me.

12/08/06

Solis and Luna have both agreed to my proposal for a Canterlot Hearth’s Warming celebration. The castle staff are also particularly excited, especially since it will give them a chance to spend Hearth’s Warming with their families. Indeed, free transportation, courtesy of Our guard, shall be provided to them.

A formal announcement of this celebration is currently being written, along with invitations to everypony in Equestria. I sincerely doubt every last pony will be able to make the trip, but We aim to provide the pinnacle of joy and good times for those who do manage.

I have a strong feeling this upcoming Hearth’s Warming will be hard to outshine for years to come, possibly for as long as We live.

Or perhaps my imagination is getting the better of me. Regardless, We aim to make this celebration one worth remembering.

12/10/06

We have just returned from Canterlot where we announced the upcoming Hearth’s Warming Celebration to everypony there. I was a little nervous that they would find Our announcement sudden and forced upon them, and while it was both in many respects, nopony appeared to be upset by it. Quite the contrary, many of them were positively elated at the coming festivities.

While We were there, Solis took the opportunity to visit with Miss Melody and Soothing. According to him, Miss Melody has been feeling sick and is bedridden a lot as of late, leaving Soothing to maintain their household.

I hope she feels better in time for the celebration, for it would be a shame not to have some classical music played for those in attendance.

12/11/06

The idea to invite King Sombra and the crystal ponies to the Hearth’s Warming Celebration crossed my mind today. It may not be feasible, since the Crystal Empire is a fair bit of distance to travel, especially across so much icy tundra, but I feel extending the invite to them is only the proper course of action.

12/13/06

Preparations for the Hearth’s Warming Celebration have begun in earnest. Such an undertaking as massive as this is already proving to be anything but simple, doubly so since it is on such short notice to everypony involved.

Nevertheless, progress is steadily being made toward getting everything complete in time for Hearth’s Warming Eve. Our staff is currently hard at work on food and decor, while the ponies of Canterlot are transforming the marketplace into a suitable ground for the upcoming festivities.

Just now as I write this, I realize that this will be Solis’ first visit to Canterlot after his ascension. While I am confident everypony up there will be accepting of this, I do have to wonder how Solis will react should anypony from his past that he has ill will toward approach him. Much as I trust him to refrain from physical violence, I suppose some supervision on Our part would be a good idea.

12/20/06

The final preparations for the celebration are underway. We have visited Canterlot a couple of times over the past week, and I must say, the marketplace looks absolutely magnificent. The ponies of Canterlot truly deserve praise for all their hard work; never before have We seen so much excitement and festivity conveyed through a few simple silk ribbons and multi-colored torches.

12/21/06

A reply has come from the Crystal Empire regarding Our invitation to King Sombra. It comes as a small surprise that he has decided to attend the festivities this week. I had thought joining a celebration for an Equestrian holiday would not be worth trekking across miles of icy tundra, but King Sombra has seen fit to do so regardless. Perhaps there is more to his character than the grump We met before.

The king is due to arrive on Hearth’s Warming Eve along with a small assembly of his crystal ponies. May they have a merry Hearth’s Warming along with Us and Our subjects.

12/22/06

I am writing this entry from Miss Melody’s study in Canterlot. We traveled up here for a final check upon the marketplace, after which We decided to stop by Miss Melody and Soothing’s dwelling to ask if either would be interested in playing some Hearth Warming carols for the populace in attendance.

Even as I write this, Miss Melody’s wheezes and coughs from upstairs emanate clear as crystal. Solis and Soothing are conversing about something, likely whatever Soothing referred to as ‘it’ a few months ago, across from me by the fireplace.

In all honesty, I cannot recall the last time I saw a unicorn in such an ill state as Melody currently is. She says every doctor in Canterlot and Cloudsdale has come by to check on her at least once, with their collective diagnosis being that she merely has a severe case of the common flu. According to them, plenty of bed rest is all it will take to make her healthy again, but she has doubts about the viability of their claim.

I will admit to not being particularly well-versed in medical expertise, but I see no reason to dispute the doctors’ claims. However, seeing Miss Melody sick so close to Hearth’s Warming has me convinced she shan’t be fit to play for everypony by then. ‘Tis a sad truth, but perhaps We can convince Soothing to play instead. Hopefully she has overcome her stage fright since Solis’ birthday.

Speaking of whom, my son just asked me if he and Soothing could take a stroll around Canterlot. I told him yes, so long as he allows a few of Our guards to come along. It seems he is slightly unhappy about this.

On a more positive note, everything is going great for Solis up here in Canterlot. Our whole time up here my son has been met with nothing but warm reception. Indeed, everypony seems to be genuinely excited to see Equestria’s newest co-ruler despite his masked face and very shy demeanor. I do wish he would open up a bit more with everypony, but regardless, everything stands well as they currently do, and it feels great to have indisputable assurance that my decision to grant Solis ascension was a good choice.

12/24/06

It is Hearth’s Warming Eve, and goodness gracious, never before have I seen so many ponies gathered in one place. I am writing this from high atop a cloud I borrowed from Cloudsdale’s weather ponies, and the streets below are positively flooded with ponies. They all look like little ants from up here.

Joyous, chatty, inebriated ants.

I can see Luna standing by a concession table, doing her best to remain awake and converse with Our subjects. I will ask her about this later.

Our staff is currently reconnecting with their respective families. I imagine going for extended periods of time without seeing a loved one takes a serious toll on one’s heart, so it warms my own to see everypony re-establishing bonds with those they provide for by working for Us.

Solis and Soothing have been alternating between joining in the festivities and checking up on Miss Melody. It saddens me to know she is missing out on this most joyous occasion, but at least she has company. Soothing has declined my request to perform for everypony, but not out of stage fright, it seems. Rather, according to her, she wishes to hone her skills some more before accepting anything of such a high magnitude. I respect her decision wholeheartedly, and yet, I cannot help but wonder where the nervous little filly from my son’s birthday has gone. Perhaps Solis’ time spent with her has had a greater effect on Soothing than I initially thought.

And last, but certainly not least, King Sombra and the Crystal ponies are skulking around of their own accord. It has been a while since the king and I have conversed, and even then it was almost entirely over political matters. Perhaps now we can speak to each other on a more casual level, like regular acquaintances.

It has been about an hour since I decided to visit with King Sombra. He is still as gruff and unamused by foalish wiles as he was during our first meeting, but I suppose anypony would be after having to recover an entire empire from the brink of anarchy. Between the two of us, I cannot help but wonder whose job as a ruler is more difficult. Anyway, he was very pleasant to talk to, although, I was a bit unnerved when he asked if he could touch my mane. I remember how he had many questions regarding Our physiology and power, and even back then I was a bit unnerved by it all. Regardless, I let him touch, and in hindsight I wish I had told him not to let his hoof get tangled, because now I am a few hairs short of a full mane.

12/25/06

The celebration has reached its end, and everypony will be leaving for home in short time. I had intended to make this Hearth’s Warming one which everypony will remember for years to come, and judging from the reactions We have observed from Our subjects thus far, it will be exactly that.

I had a pleasant time myself, as did Solis and Soothing from what they have told me. Luna appears to be a bit more downtrodden than them, but her spirits are nonetheless positive. She says conversing with Our older subjects is hard when they keep groveling before her, which I can imagine to be true. Having interacted with Our subjects as much as I have, they likely feel more assured around me since they know I shan’t lash out or use the Royal Canterlot Voice out of line. If Luna could find more time to personally interact with Our subjects, I imagine she would eventually give them the same level of assurance.

King Sombra has said he would like to stay in Equestria for a few more days, until just before the new year, for the purpose of ‘learning more about Equestria and its leadership’. Ever the curious one, he is. I sincerely hope he has no double standard, because We would love to learn more about the Crystal Empire and himself as well.

12/28/06

The Hearth’s Warming Celebration has done wonders for the morale of Our staff. Not that it was low before then, but they are noticeably more jovial in their day-to-day activities. Seeing their families truly has brightened their spirits.

Solis appears to be unchanged after the celebration, possibly as a result of spending most of his time with the Wind family rather than connecting with Our subjects. Much as I want him to open up more, I commend him for choosing to stay by Miss Melody’s side in her time of need, especially given the strained relationship they have after that one incident years ago.

Luna, however, seems to be even more depressed than she was before the celebration. No doubt this stems from the fact that Our subjects are unaccustomed to speaking casually with her, thereby making her attempts to bond with them exceedingly difficult. This could be solved fairly easily given more chances to casually converse, but then the fact that Luna is nocturnal by nature makes this exceedingly difficult. She says her secret plan to become useful again is still in the works, however, so perhaps things will work out for her in the end.

King Sombra will be leaving tomorrow with his crystal ponies. Much as he spoke about learning more of Our rule over Equestria, not once did he ever come to us asking for information. Reports say he spent the past few days visiting various settlements close to and around Canterlot, doing little other than observing the various day-to-day activities of the ponies living there and getting a view of the surrounding landscapes. This all might seem typical at a glance, but his unusual behavior as of late leaves me a tad bit suspicious. I have no proper reason to suspect him of having ulterior motives, of course, but the feeling is too strong to ignore.

Regardless, spirits are on the rise now, and I believe Equestria will come out stronger than ever going into the new year.

1/1/07

It has been almost six whole years since Discord’s reign ended and Ours came to power. And yet, I feel as if little to no time has passed at all. Where did it all go?

1/15/07

The Canterlot unicorns have visited again bearing more news regarding the upcoming studies into alchemy. They say the research facility’s construction is well underway, with completion estimated to be in a few months’ time. Possibly around the time of Solis’ next birthday. That would be an interesting birthday celebration for sure.

1/22/07

On Solis’ request, We have made the trip up to Canterlot once again for the sole purpose of checking up on Miss Melody to see if she has recovered from her illness. As it turns out, her condition has only grown worse in the past few weeks.

Only because this is a private journal will I speak my true thoughts regarding Miss Melody. She looks like a risen corpse that has walked through a swarm of locusts. Her face is puffy and swollen almost beyond recognition, and her throat sounds so dry and hoarse that the sound she makes whenever she tries to talk is bone-chilling, and no amount of water seems to help. More sickening is how she vomits blood every other hour, having to use a bucket for such, and yet a few red stains still coat the wooden planks of her floor.

Needless to say, everypony with even a shred of medical expertise has been summoned to help her over the past few weeks. The exact nature of her illness is unknown as of now, but the working theory is that she has fallen victim to some form of cancer. Hopefully more details will be brought to light sooner rather than later.

Soothing has taken her mother’s sickness surprisingly well for such a young mare. She keeps herself busy around the house in her mother’s stead, runs errands to and fro the market, and has even taken to feeding Melody her meals as if she was a foal. I find her choice of protective facial wear to be quite absurd, however, that being a gryphon mask and a black cloak. The costume has an enchantment designed to ward off diseases of all kinds, and Soothing says she purchased it from one of the market vendors in town. Why they would enchant those two specific items is beyond even my capacity to understand.

I sincerely hope Miss Melody feels better soon. Of all Our subjects outside of the castle staff, she is the only one which I consider a personal friend.

During Our time up here, We also got to see the alchemy research facility’s construction in progress, and I have to say, the concept of modesty seems to be non-existent with these unicorns. For just a simple research facility, they have seen fit to build it as if it were a palace. I have seen the design plans, and they include spires taller than any already found here in Canterlot, archways meant to overlook the entirely of the city, and even a great bay window where the observatory will be located.

Why an observatory in a magic research facility? They claim it will ‘afford knowledge indirectly to the main purpose of this undertaking’, which I read as ‘we want it because it looks fancy and we like fancy’.

Regardless of its practicality, I see no harm in building it.

1/23/07

It seems my son has undergone a maturity spike since last night, or maybe even before We came up here without me noticing.

We were meant to leave for the castle today after staying with Miss Melody, but Solis has requested to remain in Canterlot to help Soothing care for her mother. I will not lie; I was surprised to hear this from Solis. I had known he cared for Miss Melody when he asked that We come up here, but never did I think he would want to stay behind, especially since that would put him at risk of contracting whatever disease Melody harbors.

Regardless, I have agreed to let him stay on the condition that he takes a few guards for protection. Solis says he will keep us updated on Miss melody’s condition, and I pray to the Elements that she eventually recovers, whether by chance or from a cure.

1/26/07

It has been three days since Solis chose to remain up in Canterlot, and yet, it feels so much longer than that. I miss him dearly, and even though Canterlot is only about a few hours’ distance by carriage, I feel as if we are a world apart. Summer Scape has said that these feelings are common for a parent to have when they are separated from their children. For me to incur these feelings despite not being Solis’ mother by blood is a testament to how genuine my love for him is.

1/30/07

A message from Solis has arrived. Miss Melody has yet to recover, but her condition is not getting any worse, which is good to hear. He also says that the research facility’s construction is proceeding along smoothly, which is also nice.

2/03/07

Another message from Solis has arrived. Miss Melody’s condition is stable, but she has still yet to recover. Aside from that, my son has seen fit to inform me of the secret shared between him and Soothing, or so I assume.

Solis says Soothing is working on writing a song that will ‘have me clamoring for more in spite of my aversion to lyrical pieces’. I will admit to being curious as to how exactly that mare plans to quell my son’s dislike of songs, or why she even wants to, but if she can do so then I shan’t have any objection. Quite the opposite, in fact, as t’would be very nice for my son to appreciate the wonders of music.

2/05/07

Solis seems to share my sentiments regarding the observatory those unicorns desire for the research facility in that it is only there to make the building look fancy. Regardless, he claims to have an idea in mind for how to make productive use of it, but he gave no specifics.

If I had to reason a guess, however, he probably intends to turn it into his second home away from the castle. At the very least, he shall have a place to live for whenever he may decide to permanently leave Us to start his own life.

2/10/07

Miss Melody is dead.

I have spent a half hour standing here, holding my quill, trying to muster the courage to write that down. Even as I continue writing this entry, my tears are threatening to burst forth and ruin this journal.

Solis’ latest message arrived just a few hours ago. In it, he explained that he and Soothing found her mother’s body on the floor beside her bed, stretched out almost like she was crawling towards her door. She was lying down in a puddle of blood which was dripping from her mouth, eyes bloodshot and corpse-like, and hair unkempt and matted with dried up perspiration.

But according to Solis, knowing that her mother is deceased has done little to upset Soothing. She has shed many tears since morning, but nothing in the way of wailing and bawling her eyes out with uncontrollable sobs. I suppose that goes to show how strained Soothing’s relationship with her mother was, but it is nice to know she loved her enough to mourn for her passing.

We must now leave to join Solis in arranging the funeral, as well as inform Canterlot’s citizenry of Miss Melody’s passing.

2/20/07

I write this entry from the cemetery up atop the Canterhorn, now named Wind Cemetery after its soon-to-be newest addition.

Much has occurred over the past ten days. I only write this entry now because We have had little in the way of free time in between preparing for Melody’s funeral, contacting the Wind family’s closest relatives and informing them of her passing, and commissioning suitors to create black garbs for Us to wear here.

Soothing has kept quiet over the past week, staying holed up in her room back down in Canterlot and letting nopony see her, including Solis. The pain she must have felt then, and even now as I watch her across from me, is something We could wish on nobody. Not even Discord would deserve suffering so immense.

As for Us, reactions to this tragedy have been mixed. Solis has been more concerned for Soothing’s emotional health than anything else. Luna, while disheartened, is nowhere near as distraught as Soothing or myself. Indeed, I might be more heartbroken over Melody’s passing than even Soothing. She was the closest I had to a true friend in so long. What makes me even sadder than knowing I shall never see her again is having not been there by her side when she died. Had I known her illness was so serious, I would never have left Canterlot until she died, or, if miracles are to be believed, she recovered. But the past cannot be changed, and I shall not grieve over what I could have done differently.

The funeral service will be conducted in a half hour’s time, to which Miss Melody will be laid to rest. May she find everlasting peace and happiness in death.

3/15/07

Quietness has reigned supreme for the last month following Miss Melody’s funeral. Soothing has her aunt and uncle looking after her, We have resumed Our daily activities in ruling Equestria, and the construction of the alchemy research facility is nearing completion.

I had hoped this year would be full of cheer and splendor, but the exact opposite is all it has given so far. Losing such a wonderful friend as Melody crushed my spirits, but I shall recover. I only hope that the joy and mirth We used to cherish will return sometime soon.

4/13/07

Today is Solis’ sixteenth birthday, and once again, I have exercised every last bit of my power to put together a celebration worthy of a prince of Equestria. Not a surprise celebration, of course; I have accepted the reality that such would be a fruitless endeavor.

Instead, I have given Solis a personal gift, one which I believe he will make good use of.

Solis' Diary

4/13/07

Mother saw fit to gift me with my very own journal today. I cannot claim to know how much she may love transcribing her experiences and thoughts into readable material, but such has never been an interest of mine. Nevertheless, she must have spent a few bits to acquire this blank book, so the least I can do is make sufficient use of it.

Today has been rather simple in regards to my typical birthday celebration. Mother decided to forgo having a surprise celebration in light of last year’s events. Nevertheless, she was determined to prove how spoiled a prince of Equestria should be.

It was also nice to see Soothing again. I was honestly sure she would have still been too distraught over her mother’s death to make the journey down here for my birthday. She claims to be nearly finished with her ‘make-the-sour-prince-appreciate-choir’ song, but I sincerely doubt it will work.

But even if it fails, I shan’t lambast her for trying. If anything, I shall give her the highest of praise for caring enough about my happiness to make the attempt.

5/01/07

Construction of the Canterlot Alchemy Research Center has reached completion. A more creative name would have been nice, but I digress.

Work will begin in earnest sometime this week, and I foresee spending much of my time with Canerlot’s finest to expand on this new branch of magic study that I helped to create. I admit, the honor is liable to make me arrogant.

Spending much of my time up in Canterlot means I will need to get better accustomed to using my wings to make trips to and fro there on my own. It fills me with some dread, but I shall manage, especially since it means I will get to visit Soothing more often. That alone is worth the effort to conquer my fear of flying.

5/05/07

Today I leave for a month long stay up in Canterlot to aid the research team in beginning our foray into the wonders of chemical recomposition, otherwise known as alchemy. Mother is at least partially sad at this, assuming my eyes played no tricks on me and that I did indeed see a tear run down her cheek when I informed her of this news. She has mentioned before how hard she believes it will be for her to watch me begin a life on my own when I come of age.

Truthfully, I am unsure of what to do when that time comes. I rather enjoy the castle lifestyle, and all the luxuries afforded to me by virtue of being the adopted son of one of Equestria’s rulers. Yet, the appeal of starting my own life has done nothing but grow as of late, to which I am starting to consider it a worthwhile alternative. Only time will tell what decision I find to be more savory.

For now, however, a short leave from the castle is all I seek. Those researchers up in Canterlot would surely be lost without my guidance.

5/06/07

It has only been one day since I left the castle and already I feel homesick, which is strange as I never felt so when I stayed to help Soothing care for her dying mother. Perhaps it is because I know I will be gone for a significantly longer stretch of time than I was then. The fact that I can visit Soothing whensoever I please will certainly help alleviate these feelings. I wonder what her new guardians are like?

As for the research crew, much as I could do without their self-centered attitudes, having such an enthusiastic team to work with is quite nice. Especially Doctor Heartstrings. Never before have I seen a stallion as patient, humble and intellectual as him. He might end up being my sanity’s saving grace amongst all these snobbish mules.

5/13/07

It has been a week since this research into alchemy began, and our progress has been slow but steady.

Our first step was to allow everypony the chance to try out the tuning spell. Total mastery will take some time, but nevertheless they each managed to pull it off fairly well on their first tries. I envy them, for I had significant difficulty pulling it off at first, despite it being my own spell. Mother has said it was due to my lack of first hoof experience using magic, but at least such is no longer the case.

From there, work began on studying and expanding the tuning spell’s applications in many different fields, not the least of which being medical magic. After Miss Melody’s death, a certain desire has indeed settled over Canterlot, one to research deadly diseases such as hers and prevent them from claiming more lives. Perhaps with this study we can eventually make significant progress towards achieving that goal.

For now, however, all we can do with ease is turn apples into oranges. More a novelty than a practicality, but it shows that this study does indeed have potential.

5/15/07

Today I heard tell of something interesting from one of the researchers. Apparently, their daughter had a night terror last night, and yet, Princess Luna took no initiative to slay it. Since I have lived with her for so long, I informed them that my aunt has felt unneeded lately as a protector of dreams, and has been seeking a replacement task for herself.

Perhaps she shan’t need one if night terrors become rampant like they used to be.

5/20/07

Work is still proceeding along slowly and steadily. We have added a few new specified formulas of the tuning spell to our repertoire, including a rather humorous one which allows the subject to grow facial hair from their upper lip. None of these are worth flaunting to anypony, but each new spell gives us a sense of reassurance that what we are doing is not a waste of time.

5/31/07

In about a week I shall leave for home. The team can manage from here on out without my guidance. I have total confidence in their abilities to harness my tuning spell’s full potential.

Regarding the here and now, I visited Soothing and met her aunt and uncle for the first time. Unlike Melody, who was rather indifferent towards my status as a prince of Equestria — which I commend her for being — her sister and brother-in-law follow the common belief of ‘grovel to the alicorn in hopes that they will approve of every action you take’. It was quite annoying at first, but at least they had relaxed by the time I left.

Soothing says her song shall be ready in a month’s time, and I promised to make the trip up here by the 30th of next month to hear it.

I think about Soothing very much these days, it seems. Perhaps because she is the closest I have to a true friend, I want to spend as much time with her as possible. I imagine Mother probably thinks I harbor romantic affection for her, but such is not true. Quite honestly, I cannot see myself ever marrying, regardless of my status, as being a family pony is something I know full well I am unfit to be.

That said, if ever there was a mare whom I could possibly foresee myself settling down and having foals with, it would be Soothing.

6/06/07

Mother and Aunt Luna are both happy to see me again after my month long absence from the castle. Little of note has happened here during my absence, but I did mention to Luna that some ponies in Canterlot have been experiencing night terrors as of late, and that her help quelling them would be most appreciated. Her reaction was strangely muted at first, but she eventually rejoiced and declared her intention to vanquish them swiftly and without mercy. Truly, nopony can outshine her in raw enthusiasm.

6/17/07

Had I been told by my future self back when I was just a little colt that I would eventually grow pegasus wings, much less learn to conquer my fear of flying, I imagine my younger self would have spit in my face before caving my face in.

I plan to fly to Canterlot alone for my upcoming visit with Soothing to hear her completed song. I suppose anypony reading this might think Mother pressured me into doing so. The truth is that I made the decision without her input, but it goes without saying that I have her full support.

I decided that, much as I like the royal lifestyle of being catered to endlessly, I shan’t need to rely on somepony else to take me where I want to go. I desire more freedom in that regard, and since I know Mother would never approve of me visiting certain locations, such as the Tartarus Caves, I have too much to gain by conquering my fear of flying to not even try.

But conquering one’s fear is easier said than done, as I have learned the hard way from up here atop the castle’s highest spire.

I can do it. I know I can.

I did it.

6/30/07

I must say, the trip up here was surprisingly pleasant. While I did manage to successfully fly off of the castle, I had assumed to travel the distance between the Everfree and Canterlot would be worse by large. It is truly amazing how fear can be so fleeting at times.

Now I am at Soothing’s house in Canterlot once again. She says her song is indeed finished and is off to retrieve it even as I write this. Her aunt and uncle are currently sitting across from me, giving me nervous glances every time I look up from writing. Perhaps because my face is obscured by this mask they cannot be assured that I am happy with my experience as their guest of honor. I have no intention of removing it, so I suppose they will just have to trust in their hospitality.

Soothing has returned. Now to see if her song can truly make me appreciate choir like she claims it will.

6/31/07

I have held off from detailing my reaction to Soothing’s song for the past day because, in all honesty, I am unsure how to feel about it.

I occasionally wondered over the past year what kind of lyrics she would choose for her song, but what she did end up choosing was quite unlike anything I had thought of. If I had to wager a guess, she was unable to write more traditional lyrics and instead decided to transcribe her thought process for writing songs into one itself.

The end result was interesting to say the least. I managed to sit through it as well, so the song was successful in that regard, but I cannot say whether or not I truly love it, much less choir in general. Not for now, anyway.

One particular line of the song has me both intrigued and nervous. The line was “Sing a melody of love.” I sincerely hope it refers to Soothing’s love of singing and not for me, because I could never begin to reciprocate such feelings.

7/17/07

For the past few weeks I have thought idly about Soothing’s song, trying to reach a conclusion as to whether I actually liked it.

The song, such as it was, left me more confused than anything else. That could be attributed to how unorthodox it was for a song, but at the same time, I never felt a shred of either happiness, anger, or even indifference while listening to it. Perhaps I need to listen to it more than once to get a clearer idea.

I suppose another trip up to Canterlot is in order, but I shall put it off for the time being, lest Mother believe that I am no longer interested in living with her anymore.

8/2/07

Summer Scape and Captain Tricolt have both now said, on separate occasions, and despite me being Celestia’s legally adopted son, they consider me a son-like figure in their lives here at the castle. Summer Scape, especially, says that she likes to pretend her real son, White Scorcher, and I are brothers. Based off the descriptions she has given of her son, Miss Scape must be stretching her imagination very far if she can pretend he and I share any blood.

In a way, everypony who lives in this castle is one big family, and it is one which I am happy to be a part of. Never to the end of time will I ever say the same about my old family.

Either of them.

9/19/07

Once again I am up in Canterlot, here to listen more to Soothing’s special sonata, but also to pay a visit to Doctor Heartstrings and all the other ponies working at the research facility.

Speaking of, it appears some of their work has escaped to the public, if the numerous hair-lipped ponies I am currently watching wander the streets of Canterlot are a clue. I wonder what is happening?

After speaking to a random citizen, it appears the research team has been selling some of its less practical spells to the general populace. Now this begs the question of where the proceeds are going.

Upon further investigation, it appears the proceeds are being used to purchase, unsurprisingly, jewel-encrusted furnishings. Times such as this are when I feel ashamed to be a pony. Hopefully, my spirits will liven upon visiting Soothing again.

9/20/07

Since yesterday I have listened to Soothing’s sonata a total of ten times, including the first time some months ago. Despite having listened to it almost a dozen times, I still cannot tell how exactly I feel about the song. I feel no annoyance, happiness or indifference to it, and to my knowledge there exists no other basic emotion to associate my feelings with.

I suppose the best assessment I can give is that Soothing’s song has me curious. I will admit to being genuinely interested in why it leaves me perplexed rather than annoyed, but I fear that it is a mystery which I lack the proper tools to research. Perhaps one day I will look deeper into this, but for now, I have other projects I wish to work on.

10/30/07

After observing pony behavior for almost a decade, I have concluded that ponies are one of two things more often than not. Either they are complete and utter numbskulls, or, as is the case with pretty much every single Canterlot noble, have their heads so far up their plots that I wonder if they eat their own horseapples.

Of course, that is my uncontrolled opinion of typical pony behavior. A more professional opinion is as follows:

Ponies are different from the world’s other races in many ways aside from their Souls. Unlike other races, ponies are often hard pressed to put on a facade to mask their emotions, thus resulting in their feelings and intentions being easy to decipher. This also applies to how they treat each other. For example, those nobles make a show of berating anypony they perceive as being below them in stature, whereas anypony with a sense of politeness would keep such opinions private. Another, more hypothetical, example would be if a complete stranger sauntered into one of Equestria’s more rural settlements and everypony retreated into their homes out of fear, while the more reasonable course of action would be to simply keep wary of the visitor until more information about them comes to light. Probably the most famous example of this reality is before the founding of Equestria, when the three pony tribes were caught in the Windigoes’ snowstorm and continued to bicker and argue rather than work together, almost being annihilated as a result. It all serves to showcase ponies’ inability to keep their emotions from escalating to ridiculous heights.

Some might think I am being hypocritical in my writing here, since I used to violently lash out at those who push me over the edge, but I was only a foal then. Foals do stupid things all the time out of ignorance and immaturity. Now I would never hit another pony unless to defend against their own violence towards me.

Were it not for ponies like Mother, Aunt Luna, Soothing, Captain Tricolt and Summer Scape, I would declare ponykind to be a garbage species.

12/11/07

Hearth’s Warming is fast approaching, and Mother is preparing another celebration. She is fully aware that she cannot outshine last years’, so she has decided to try something entirely different this year.

Last year’s celebration was unfocused in its setup, with the basic idea being to have food, drinks, and mingling of the masses. This year, while there were still be plenty of all three, there will be a main event this year in the form of a play re-enacting the founding of Equestria.

I have read about the exploits of the Six Companions a plethora of times, so to see a re-enactment will be splendid indeed.

12/15/07

Mother has offered me the chance to narrate the Hearth’s Warming play, it being the last remaining open role. I agreed, but only because I shan’t have too much stage time.

12/23/07

We are up in Canterlot once again, so I paid Soothing another visit. She is looking forward to seeing the play tomorrow, and especially my narration of it. She also asked me if I had reached a verdict regarding her song. I told her that it might be a while before I can come to a conclusion regarding my feelings for the song. Her only response was to tease me by saying I am afraid “to admit it is the most beautiful string of notes ‘my’ ears have ever been graced with”.

Truth be told, I believe it very well might be, but my feelings about it are an entirely different matter, one which I intend to resolve another day. For now, I must join the rest of the play’s cast in rehearsing for tomorrow’s performance.

12/24/07

The play is over, and I am relieved that it went by without a hitch. Everypony from the castle is quite proud and congratulated me for my excellent narration, especially Mother, who is determined to smother me with all of her praise.

Since I was the narrator, I was able to enjoy the play as much as the audience. It really is a treat to watch events one has previously only read about in action, even if it is a mere recreation.

Mother is beckoning me to her. It must be time to return home.

1/10/08

Once again, I am back in Canterlot. Now that I have both the courage and motivation to fly up here on my own, it hardly surprises Mother that I am spending increasingly less time around the castle. She has said that she dreads the day I decide to take up permanent residence somewhere else, but would respect such a wish from me regardless. I cannot say for sure if that is what I will do in the future, but for now I only intend to visit Canterlot, and only ever to check up on both the alchemy research team and Soothing.

The research team has been hard at work exploring every possibility afforded by my tuning spell, adding to their list of successful spells with each passing test session. Thankfully, they have ceased their commercial practices with selling the more novel spells to Canterlot’s populace. Perhaps my faith in ponykind can be salvaged after all.

Soothing is doing well, too. After Melody died, her music school was left to rot without its teacher, and Soothing is working hard to restore it to its former splendor as a place where music lovers can come to learn and practice their budding talents in the field. I wish her nothing but the best of luck at this.

Soothing also wishes nothing but the best for me and my own pursuits. As for what those are, I am keen on furthering my studies of the pony psyche, or, as academics have been referring to it as of late, psychology. Perhaps if I can better understand the inner workings of pony behavior and what makes the lot of them so utterly stupid, I can change it for the better. I also plan to further my studies in astrology, but this will have to wait for the time being until I can acquire all the necessary resources for it to bear fruit.

1/11/08

It seems another night terror has befallen a Canterlot resident, if the screams which woke me and half of the city up last night are any indication. I wonder why Aunt Luna failed to slay them? Perhaps she is still not convinced her help is once again needed. I shall speak with her upon my return to the castle.

2/28/08

I write this from the Royal Chariot en route to the village of Earth. We are travelling there in response to a report telling of a crystal pony staggering into the village tired, beaten, and starving.

The report stated that this pony specifically requested to see the princesses. No information regarding their reasoning was given, only that it was ‘of dire importance that the princesses be involved’.

How very ominous.

3/1/08

After having conversed with the crystal pony, who is named Ia Painta, it is now clear that the situation at hoof can, indeed, only be solved by the princesses.

According to Ia, King Sombra has fallen to madness and enslaved the crystal ponies. This came as an enormous surprise to us all. Even the royal guards whom flew us here let slip their stoic demeanor at this horrible revelation. Ia went on to explain that he was part of a budding rebellion within the empire, and that he was tasked with contacting the princesses to plead for their help in freeing the empire from Sombra’s dark clutches.

Mother and Aunt Luna are in full agreement that King Sombra must be stopped, but asked for more information about why he fell to madness, and what his motives might be. All Ia could say on the matter was that Sombra’s reign of terror started just a few months after he returned from our first Hearth’s Warming Celebration, and that there were rumors circulating throughout the empire of experiments being conducted in the palace prior to his tyrannical rule.

What he said next, however, has us all confused and, especially in Mother’s case - as I could plainly see in her features when Ia said it -, alarmed. According to him, King Sombra’s mane and tail have developed an ethereal quality not unlike that of the princess’ own. What this means, I am wholly unsure, and Mother and Aunt Luna refuse to divulge any information concerning the topic to me, but I have a feeling that such will not remain the case for long.

Ia Painta is currently accompanying us on our ride back to the castle. The poor stallion has clearly been through a terrible ordeal, and I have every intention of seeing to it that he is comfortable within our care.

3/2/08

Mother and Aunt Luna are leaving for the Crystal Empire in a few hours’ time with a squadron of guards. Both are firmly set on bringing King Sombra’s tyranny to an end, hopefully through peaceful means. But they will not hesitate to fight should the need arise.

It is both strange and frightening to think that the stallion I met years ago has become a monster. Cold and indifferent as he was, never once did Sombra strike me as a pony capable of committing such atrocities as he apparently now has. Hopefully, Mother will succeed in making him see reason.

And where will I be all the while? Why, ruling over Equestria, of course! A sixteen-year-old colt with only the smallest amount of experience in politics will rule over Equestria while the princesses are away! They promised to be back in a matter of days, but what if they are slain by King Sombra before then! I cannot hope to rule over Equestria for the rest of my life, regardless of how qualified I might be. Everypony will grate on my nerves to no end!

3/2/08 (evening)

After a lengthy talk with Mother, perhaps I overreacted in my previous entry. Mother has reaffirmed that she and Aunt Luna will only be gone for a maximum of two days. She says that, if they wanted to, they could strike down King Sombra swiftly and with little effort, and that only their desire to reason with him is necessitating the extra time.

Mother reassures me that ruling over Equestria is hardly a demanding task, even for longer than two days. She says the only worries I could feasibly have are responding to either somepony’s request for a Court session or a monster attack on a distant settlement, neither of which she believes are beyond my ability to resolve

I suppose she is right, and yet, the feeling of dread I currently have as I write this shows no signs of dissipating. At least I have Captain Tricolt and Summer Scape to rely on for support as I take on what is undoubtedly my biggest responsibility thus far as a prince of Equestria.

May the Elements look favorably upon me.

3/3/08

I have rule over all of Equestria. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever believe that previous sentence would become factual. Many foals dream of becoming royalty, never realizing the responsibility such a position entails, whereas adults know this well enough regardless of whether or not they strive to attain it. My situation is unique in that I have been thrust into this situation well aware of the responsibility that comes with ruling over Equestria, but without the confidence one could attain from living longer than a mere sixteen years.

And yet, despite Equestria being under my leadership until tomorrow, very little seems different. The staff is treating me no different from how they typically do, and fate is showing mercy by not conjuring a crisis for me to resolve. Perhaps it is because my time as ruler is so short that nopony has seen fit to treat me in the same capacity they do Mother and Aunt Luna.

After tomorrow, I will be able to truthfully say to ponies “I was your ruler for a time”. I cannot deny such a thought evokes some excitement from me.

The only pony who is treating me like royalty is Ia Painta, who is staying here in the castle until further notice. Life in this castle tends to be rather uneventful, so having somepony new to speak with is a welcome change, even if he is groveling at my hooves more often than I would like. His Soul is of an easel with all seven colors of the rainbow. This, combined with his last name, indicates a talent in painting, and indeed, Ia says his job was as a face painter in the Crystal Faire every year.

Regarding King Sombra, Ia says he cares little for the outcome of his and the princess’ encounter, only that the crystal ponies remain unharmed, especially his family. I can see the look of pain and fear in his face every time we meet together, how he regrets leaving them behind while he came to Equestria for help. Such a feeling, while I understand it, is something I cannot foresee myself ever experiencing, as I have no intention of ever starting a family.

We will know King Sombra’s fate come tomorrow. Hopefully, everything can be resolved with no casualties.

3/4/08

Mother, Aunt Luna, and their guards returned a couple of hours ago, and their news regarding the fate of both King Sombra and the Crystal Empire is both confusing and, for Ia especially, painful.

According to them, King Sombra was not only unwilling to talk, but wasted little time in lashing out at them with what they described as “magic of a different wavelength”, and things devolved into chaos very quickly from there. Mother’s guards had no choice but to retreat, as King Sombra’s magic was too powerful for them to stand against, leaving her and Aunt Luna to take down Sombra themselves.

Mother has told me before that an alicorn’s magic is about equal to that of everypony in Equestria combined. With such power doubled on their side, it comes as no surprise to hear that Mother and Aunt Luna easily overpowered King Sombra, who was given one last chance to surrender instead of be slain. This is where both the confusion and pain of their story begin.

Beaten, and with no chance of escape, Sombra activated his horn. The next thing everypony knew, the whole Crystal Empire vanished in a burst of green light, leaving not a trace of its existence behind. The princesses and their guards were too shocked to do or say anything even as King Sombra descended into a fit of maniacal laughter through his tired gasps. Eventually, Mother demanded to know what happened to the Empire, to which Sombra just grinned and said “The answer will come in due time, upon which I will be there to reclaim it.”

What this means, we are not sure, but all is well for the time being. Mother and Aunt Luna have said Sombra is no longer a threat, but they did not confirm his death, which is what leaves me conflicted. Did they really kill him? Was his statement just a farce, or is there more to their story than they are letting on?

Whatever the case might be, there are more important matters I must attend to than questioning them. Ia Painta has been shut up in his room ever since learning of the Empire’s disappearance, mourning the apparent loss of his family and friends. I have told him that there is yet hope, as Sombra seems not to have killed everypony in the Empire, but rather displaced them. I have assured him that Mother will do everything in her power to find the Empire, whatever condition it might be in, and return it along with everypony living there. In the meantime, Ia shall need new living arrangements, and I will be travelling again to Canterlot to find a suitable home for him until his own is restored.

While I am up there, aside from visiting Soothing, there is another task I must complete. Mother produced an amulet at the end of her and Aunt Luna’s story, explaining that it fell off of Sombra’s person during their fight, and that they brought it back home because they believe it might have some connection to Sombra’s descent into madness and tyranny.

Quite an interesting little trinket, it is. Black and red color scheme with an alicorn motif and, most interestingly, I can sense a magical presence within that feels familiar, yet different from that of a pony’s magic. The alchemy research team and I shall attempt to unlock the secrets of this amulet and possibly gain a clue as to the Empire’s current location.

Mother plans to give a formal declaration announcing the Empire’s disappearance in the coming days, as well as a plea for allied countries to join in a search effort to locate it. Knowing how rumors multiply among ponies faster than rabbits in heat, I dread what sorts of stupidity I shall hear of during my time up in Canterlot.

3/7/08

Mother’s declaration came out a few hours ago, and as I believed, ponies are jumping to conclusions despite the declaration stating with crystal clarity that “Our actions were wholly just, for King Sombra had abused his power horribly and with little to no care for the crystal ponies’ health and happiness.”

Maybe I can convince Aunt Luna to use a transformation spell to turn me into a dragon.

At least things have been relatively intellectual in and around the research facility. I had repeated the princesses’ story to them, and while they had the amulet as proof, only after Mother’s declaration did they wholeheartedly believe the story and agree to shift resources from my tuning spell onto the amulet, which we have taken to calling the Alicorn Amulet due to its alicorn motif.

Ia Painta has taken up residence in a small abode not far from where Soothing lives, which will make visits between them more convenient. In order to keep Ia from getting swamped by curious types asking questions relating to the Empire, I have asked Soothing and her guardians to keep an ear out for him and make sure his stay in Canterlot, for however long that may end up being, is pleasant, which they have agreed wholeheartedly to.

I hear Heartstrings calling for me; our work on the Alicorn Amulet is about to get underway. I wonder what secrets it holds?

4/1/08

After almost a month of studying the Alicorn Amulet, one thing has made itself clear to everypony on the research team; it is wholly responsible for King Sombra’s fall into madness.

One of our first experiments was to simply try on the amulet and record any immediate effects from that alone. We all took a turn wearing it, and while nothing happened on the surface, we all felt an identical sensation of something “poking” our natural magic. This confirmed that the amulet has its own native magic, so we focused our efforts on attempting to unearth its nature.

Further tests gradually painted a clearer picture of how the magic works. It was determined very early on that the magic employed by the amulet is quite unlike that of a pony’s own. Whenever we attempted to draw the amulet’s power into ourselves, it came in with absolutely no resistance. In fact, thinking back on it now, the “poking” sensation we all felt could be attributed to this, which suggests the amulet’s magic has some level of sentience.

But the most alarming aspect to this amulet yet was discovered just a few days ago, during a week long trial in which one of us would wear the amulet and make extensive use of it while the rest of us recorded any noticeable long term effects. It only took a few days for us to realize the amulet is beyond the capacity for anypony to control.

Arrow Horn is the researcher who volunteered to wear the amulet, and as his name suggests, archery is among his favorite hobbies. As the trial carried on, we noticed him spending less time around the facility proper and more time on the grounds outside where he had set up an archery range. The breaking point came when we woke up one morning to find Arrow Horn already outside, relentlessly shooting arrow after arrow at the target, eventually covering up the entire center mark. Our attempts to reason with him only gave rise to violent tendencies, and he almost shot an arrow straight through Doctor Heartstrings’ chest before I managed to subdue him. Only by threatening to snap his bow and arrows in half did we convince him to relinquish the amulet, to which he returned to his normal self right away.

During the trial, I did happen to notice that Arrow Horn was much more proficient with casting magic than he was without it, with his perfect shots being the pinnacle of evidence for this. This confirms that the Alicorn Amulet grants the wearer increased proficiency with their magic, with the most noticeable effects being in whatever they use it the most for.

We will have to be more careful with how we use the amulet from now on, now that we know it turns ponies mad with extended use.

4/13/08

I have been so busy helping the research team that I had forgotten today is my seventeenth birthday, and only because a message from Mother arrived was I even reminded of it. She says she wishes I could have been at the castle, but respects my decision to stay here, and that she knows how important it is that we uncover the Alicorn Amulet’s secrets.

She also says the search for the Crystal Empire has turned up nothing, but that each of the countries involved with the search have refused to back down. For Ia’s sake, I hope the Empire is found soon, and intact.

4/24/08

After thorough testing from every conceivable angle in every conceivable manner of study, some information, both interesting and confusing, about the Alicorn Amulet has come to light.

Apparently, the amulet contains a total of three magical signatures, and we have identified two of them already. The first is unmistakably King Sombra’s, as it has an especially harsh edge to it. The second signature is that of Mother, which in itself is unsurprising since she had to carry the amulet all the way from the Empire using her telekinesis. However, we have found traces of her magical signature not just on the surface, but within the amulet itself! In fact, her magic is so prevalent within the amulet that we are all but convinced the accursed thing was made using her power. Why this is, we have no idea, but I intend to speak with Mother about this as soon as I return to the castle.

The third magical signature was unique in that it seemed not the mark of any one particular pony, but rather a whole new type of magic altogether. The way it churns and flows through the amulet is unlike anything any of us have ever seen, but one aspect that stands out is its coloration. We managed to extract a small sample of this magic, to which we learned of its green and purple coloration, the former being more prominent. Upon learning this my mind went back to Mother’s story, about how the Crystal Empire vanished in a burst of green light, which indicates this new magic possesses considerable strength.

Everything we have learned has only left us with more questions than answers. Sadly, I fear that without King Sombra we may never learn the whole story. Mother might be able to shed some light on all the goings on surrounding the amulet, but for now, our attention will shift to studying this unique magic. Perhaps we can learn to harness its immaculate power for good causes without risking anypony’s safety.

5/16/08

I heard tell during a stroll through Canterlot on my way to visit Ia and Soothing that many young foals experienced night terrors last night. Perhaps Aunt Luna will change her mind and return to her job of patrolling the dreamscape if night terrors become widespread once again.

Ia is getting along quite well with Canterlot’s populace, which is good to hear. Perhaps when the Crystal Empire has returned he will have his family visit sometime. I let him know that search efforts have still turned up nothing, but that Mother shan’t quit until the Empire is returned. The hug he gave me in response was refreshingly brazen.

Soothing’s music school is also coming along nicely. She even has some volunteers for teaching positions, and every week she holds classes for foals wishing to study music. It is nice to see her in such high spirits, having recovered from her mother’s death last year. I still cannot give a solid opinion of her special sonata, but perhaps I will have time to think it over once research on the alicorn amulet is complete.

6/1/08

After exhaustive study on the strange green magic found within the Alicorn Amulet, we on the research team have a better understanding of how exactly this new magic works, though we still lack an explanation as to its origin.

We on the team have collectively decided to refer to this alien magic as “dark magic” due to the fact that much of it is still surrounded in mystery. What we do know is that it allows the user to cast magic with almost no difficulty while increasing their proficiency. At the same time, dark magic has an addictive quality that makes the user want more with continuous use, in turn robbing their psyches of rational thought.

Seeing how the amulet is imbued very strongly with this dark magic, it could very well be that King Sombra wore it for an extended period of time, eventually succumbing entirely to its influence and becoming the tyrant that Mother cast down. Additionally, though this is pure speculation on my part, this could also be the reason he developed an ethereal mane and tail. The amulet is also imbued with Mother’s magic, so perhaps wearing it long enough grants the user some of her physical characteristics. Not that we will ever find out for sure, for I plan on keeping the wretched thing locked safely away so nopony will ever again be hurt by it.

At the same time, I believe there are many ways in which dark magic can be harnessed for good purposes. Only a pony with iron clad constitution can hope to control it, of course, but I genuinely believe I am such a pony.

6/13/08

Upon returning to the castle I immediately presented all of the research team’s findings on the Alicorn Amulet, dark magic, and what we think might have happened to King Sombra, to Mother. I also asked why her magic seems so heavily intertwined with the amulet, and how King Sombra possibly could have stolen it from her.

Regarding her power’s presence within the amulet, she has no idea how Sombra came to possess her power, but what she said regarding the amulet itself had me stunned. According to her, if the amulet really can grant those who wear it the powers of an alicorn such as her, their spirit would be connected to the Tree of Harmony, which would mean a number of things, not the least of which being a greatly extended lifespan.

Clearly this shan’t happen without prolonged exposure, which is quite the relief.

Regarding dark magic, Mother was at first hesitant to let me study it more in depth, but relented when I assured her that I understood the risks and know how to control it. I already have some ideas of how I can apply the better qualities of dark magic in new ways to the benefit of Equestria. I will have to do it alone, as I am sure nopony else on the research team has the constitution to properly channel dark magic without letting it cloud their good judgement. At the very least, this means I will get to spend more time here at the castle.

I also spoke with Aunt Luna about the gradual surge of night terrors in Canterlot. Her response was unusually muted, and even a little cold, which I found more than a little disconcerting. Perhaps she was just grumpy because I accosted her while she was tired and heading to bed.

7/22/08

For the past month I have been holed up in my room, performing more experiments than I can hope to tally on dark magic, trying out a plethora of formulas and theorems of my own design to learn the full potential of this strange magic. As it turns out, the possibilities afforded by dark magic put my own tuning spell to shame.

Dark magic possesses raw magical power far greater than that of its regular variant, and my efforts have heralded results that leave me consistently amazed, especially whenever I use it to power my tuning spell. Just the other day, for example, I was able to create solid rocks out of air particles in little over a second. The power this grants to me is immeasurable, but the sad truth is that even I can only resist dark magic for so long.

Repeated use of dark magic has continually weakened my mental strength to resist its addictive property, forcing me to cease its use altogether for the time being. All the same, I have recorded all of my findings in the Inspiration Manifestation. The power dark magic grants to an effective caster is too great not to warrant further investigation, even if it might be a long while before such an opportunity has arisen. In the meantime, it should be safe from curious fools in the castle’s hidden chamber.

8/2/08

Soothing and Ia have become good friends during my time at the castle, and Soothing has made good on her promise to help make Ia’s time here in Canterlot comfortable. Search for the Crystal Empire has still turned up nothing, and a few countries have given up, declaring their efforts to be a lost cause. I withheld this last bit from Ia, as it would do nothing except crush his hope, and I could never wish that on him.

It also seems that the ponies of Canterlot have grown accustomed to my presence, if their current behavior is any indication. Since arriving yesterday, I have received not a single bow. A few stares upon my initial arrival, sure, but nothing to indicate they harbor deep reverence or even disgust towards me. This pleases me, of course, and I look forward to spending my time here with Soothing and Ia in a more casual light than I have previously.

8/10/08

The three of us have spent the past eight days bonding with each other, as I am told good friends are supposed to do: laugh and joke, play a few games, and so on. I remember the very idea of friendship was something I scoffed at in my youth, preferring to do little else other than read and sulk in my despair. Now I understand how good it feels to have friends, and I hope Soothing and Ia view me in the same light.

8/29/08

True to his claims, Ia has quite a talent with the brush and easel. The three of us decided to hike up the Canterhorn today, and Ia decided to take along some art supplies he purchased at the market. The landscape up there is absolutely breathtaking, and Ia decided to paint it while Soothing and I spent some alone time together, reminiscing about our lives and other silly sentimental nonsense.

The finished painting is now hanging in Ia’s bedroom, and it is simply remarkable how well he managed to perfectly recreate the Equestrian plains on that canvas. So amazed was I, in fact, that I asked if he could teach me the ways of artistry. Upon recovering from his shock of having a member of royalty ask a favor of him, he agreed with a fervor I believe has no equal at this point in time.

Truthfully, I only asked him to teach me because Mother and Aunt Luna have had little need of me in governing this country. I remember that Mother intended me to be a third wheel, to which it only makes sense I shan’t be needed very often for official matters, but life has been rather boring as a result. Aside from learning how to paint, I suppose my studies into pony psychology might be due for a revival. I have gotten to know many different ponies very well over the years, and learned so much from them that has made me a better person, so I believe learning how the pony psyche itself works would let me learn so much more.

At the very least, I shan’t be bored.

9/16/08

Only in recent years has the study of pony psychology gained serious traction among scholars. Between now and the time of Equestria’s founding, curiosity about the equine condition was sparse. Astral the Great was the only scholar to extensively research pony psychology, or at least the only one to record their findings.

Reading through his books, I must say I am intrigued by some of his theories, the most notable undoubtedly being his theory of Planetary Influence. The idea that a planet itself might dictate the behavior of its inhabitants sounds completely ludicrous, and yet, I can think of nothing to disprove the notion.

One detail of his works in particular caught my attention above all else. Astral the Great believes that chaos is wholly independent of Planetary Influence, meaning that Discord himself would not adhere to such a system. Which would make him wholly alien, I imagine?

No matter. Such a question is probably better left unanswered, and I believe there may be more yet to discover in these books that holds more significance.

9/30/08

After having read all of Astral the Great’s works, I now believe there is a grain of truth to his theories, but nothing more.

According to him, we all currently live on what is known as a ‘benefic planet’. Such a planet has a positive influence on its inhabitants, giving them a benevolent demeanor. A malevolent force still exists, though, it is easily outshined by the former in prominence. Conversely, a ‘malefic planet’ harbors a greater malevolent force than a benevolent one, in turn giving its own inhabitants a malevolent demeanor.

This is not entirely plausible, however. The bitterness and hatred that governed ponykind prior to Equestria’s founding no longer exists, so to say that there exists a pre-determined set of behavior for all sapient creatures is incorrect. That said, I do find it interesting how the dragons went from being a peaceful, if rather callous species, only to turn quite violent in the past few centuries, so perhaps these forces Astral believed exist are very flexible, assuming there is truth to his theory.

This warrants further study.

10/17/08

Painting is hard. It is also a dinner bell for trouble.

I hope this paint easily washes out of my mane.

10/23/08

It has taken many agonizing hours of learning under Ia’s tutelage, but I believe I finally have something of a knack for painting myself. I shall never recreate the Equestrian plains on a canvas, but I can now paint a reasonable facsimile of most anything.

Ia says that painting is more than just a talent, that it is also one of society’s most valuable cultural tools. Paintings can give future generations a visual glimpse of what times were like at their conception. An example he gave was if a town is constructed in the middle of the Equestrian plains sometime in the future, and his painting of the landscape survived until then, the idea that the town’s inhabitants could see what the area they call home looked like long before any of them were born is delightful.

I doubt anything I paint will ever be held in such a regard, but the feeling that it might become timeless is nice.

11/30/08

The more I read of Astral the Great’s work, combined with my observations of pony behavior throughout recorded history, the more I wonder if his theory of Planetary Influence was merely the progenitor to a study of great significance.

The history of ponykind has remained consistently uplifting after Equestria’s founding, barring Discord’s influence. We are a peaceful lot, with a desire to avoid bloodshed whenever possible, after learning we could go extinct by clinging to hatred and strife. Looking at the history of every race in this world as a collective whole, however, may validate Astral’s theories to some extent.

Scouring through multiple imported texts has revealed several interesting facts about the histories of other races in relation to our own. For example, the gryphons appear to have been relatively peaceful at around the time of Equestria’s founding some thousand years ago, only to become increasingly territorial soon after and seek to conquer the minotaurs, who themselves had been fighting the yaks for control of the frozen north for some time before abandoning that fight to fend off their new adversary and future allies.

The fact that the gryphons became so greedy so soon after ponies learned to embrace harmony is quite interesting. Some may say ‘tis merely coincidence, and indeed, I would say so had it not been for several more examples of this shift in behavior present throughout all of recorded history. The dragons only began wreaking havoc on the Gryphon Nation after the yaks severed all connections with the outside world, and the centaurs’ invasion of the Marequesas and subsequent defeat by the orcas happened immediately prior to the Great Cow Skirmish.

All these seemingly coincidental occurrences suggest that, if Astral the Great’s theory holds any truth to it, then all living things have a degree of control in the matter. Still, the entire idea of one’s behavior being influenced in negative ways is unsettling. However, it is uplifting to know that the world is in an era of relative peace, marred only by the continued conflict between the dragons and the Gryphon Nation.

I intend to continue research into this topic, and if Astral’s theories are indeed truthful, then a method of control over it as well.

12/23/08

Hearth’s Warming is fast approaching, and Mother has prepared another celebration in Canterlot. This year, I have chosen not to narrate the Hearth’s Warming play, preferring instead to watch it with Soothing and Ia as attendees.

Ia has been feeling especially depressed as of late, almost assuredly because the Crystal Empire has remained elusive to the search. Seeing Ia taking part in the Hearth’s Warming celebration is a strange, almost alien, concept. He says the Empire has no true equivalent to Hearth’s Warming, but it feels wrong that he is willing so readily to partake in this country’s customs. Has he lost hope that the Empire, along with his family, will ever be found? Or does he refuse to let his fear for their safety prevent him from having what he believes will be a good time?

Whatever the case, seeing him happy is a great enough gift for me, and I believe Soothing as well.

12/25/08

Ia got drunk at the celebration last night, and sang to all of Canterlot what he calls ‘the Ballad of the Ice Beast’. Needless to say, the entire escapade was of utmost hilarity, and Ia is currently hiding under his bed covers out of embarrassment.

Oh well, he had a good time, which is all that matters.

1/29/09

I have spent many hours thoroughly researching Astral the Great’s works and matching his claims against the historical behavioral trends of every known society in this world.

It all makes sense.

Throughout history, the ratio of peaceful, harmonious behavior to aggressive, ambitious attempts to conquer other societies has remained almost perfectly consistent, with the former always outweighing the latter by a substantial volume. This lends credence to Astral’s belief that we all live on a benefic planet.

Of course, my study leaves me with nothing but conjecture, so I cannot prove Astral’s claims to be true. As well, I am unsure whether I truly believe them myself, even after everything I have discovered. I suppose any good scientist should retain a sense of skepticism in the absence of irrefutable evidence.

And yet, the overwhelming support of my research in favor of Astral’s theory being true keeps me from dismissing it. Now I realize Astral’s theories are impossible to prove without first understanding more about pony psychology and what, if any, relation it might have with ‘planetary psychology’ for lack of a better term. Magic will surely aid me in this regard, but until I gain complete mastery over it I am ill-prepared to tackle such an endeavor.

With that said, magic can aid me here and now in another regard, that being how to influence pony behavior as I see fit. If I can develop a spell which allows me to mold the ‘current’ of behavior in living things, I could potentially make the world a kinder place to live. If nothing else, Mother would applaud such a feat, I believe.

2/14/09

If my studies into pony psychology have made one thing above all else clear, it is that despair is the true bane of peace and harmony. No one, regardless of race even, develops malicious intentions without having first suffered through someone else’s own. At the heart of every scoundrel lies a wounded spirit, their despairs manifesting as a desire for vengeance, power, or a great many other motives without a care for the well-being of others. But had they never been mistreated by their peers, or parents, whichever the case may be, I cannot believe they would ever have grown so apathetic to the world and all of its inhabitants.

I believe this is the case even for Tirek and Sombra, and perhaps even Discord to a lesser extent. I know not what motives any of them had for committing their misdeeds against Equestria, but surely a spark of friendship existed somewhere deep in their hearts. ‘Tis a shame that fate decreed them to be enemies of Equestria rather than allies. Although, had it not been them, others would have taken their place.

With them all gone now, what does the future of Equestria hold? To my knowledge, none of the three were slain which, according to Astral’s theories, means Equestria should be on the path toward eternal peace, but only if there exists a consistent volume of despair spread among all living beings. If that is the case, then do those three contain it all? And if not, who might be next to join them?

I must study harder to develop the spell which can seize control of this current of despair before this happens.

2/28/09

I hear tell that the ‘Pony of Night Terrors’ has been quite active in Canterlot as of late, and much more aggressive than they were in the past. A couple of nobles held a Court session asking for aid in protecting their foals from the pony’s wrath, and Aunt Luna claims to be on the verge of tracking down the mysterious entity, but states that this entity is quite adept at evading her within the enormous Dreamscape, so she cannot be certain how long it will take to track them down.

How long has this ‘Pony of Night Terrors’ been around? And, assuming they are intelligent, what do they desire? Whatever their reason for terrorizing the citizens of Equestria might be, we shan’t learn until Aunt Luna succeeds in capturing them.

3/6/09

I only consuled Ia only minutes ago, about how the search for the Crystal Empire is coming to an end. The last remaining few countries involved in the search have announced their withdrawal, proclaiming it to be ‘wasting time and resources’ or ‘utterly futile’. I would call them a number of expletives, but perhaps ending the search now is for the best. Every known land mass in the world has been thoroughly searched, and not a trace of the Empire has been found anywhere.

Ia was, understandably, quite upset, but he did not cry like I thought he might. I must credit him for having such a strong character. Soothing says he is likely crying on the inside, that he refuses to make visible his real feelings. I hope he realizes nopony shall think him weak for crying over his missing family.

3/10/09

Ia, Soothing, and I made another trek up the Canterhorn yesterday. The air between us was laced with concern, now that we know Equestria has followed in abandoning the search for the Crystal Empire, meaning the search itself is dead entirely.

We spent probably the better part of the early afternoon sitting on an outcropping of rocks, chatting about anything other than the Empire’s fate, which I am confident was on all of our minds the bulk of the time. Only after what was probably around five minutes of silence with us all failing to think of a new topic did I ask Ia if Soothing and I should be worried for his well-being.

His reply still runs through my brain even now, as I cannot help but be humbled under its power.

“There was a time when, indeed, I would have broken down in tears over the loss of my family and home. Yes, I am heartbroken over the loss of everything I once held dear. My entire world. But I cannot bring myself to cry over these losses. After all the time I spent under King Sombra’s rule, I have suffered enough to become immune to the anguish of pain, whether from the heart or the body.

“Listen, Soothing. Solis. I ask that you not worry over my well-being. Despaired as I am, I will be fine. I have you two, as well as others who make me happy to live here in Equestria, which is what my family and friends would have wanted.

“So… I will not cry.”

To whoever may read this, my apologies for the tear stains.

3/20/09

A little over one month it has been since I began researching a spell with which to control the current of despair that infests ponykind. I am amazed at how much progress has been made in such a short amount of time, especially compared to how long it took me to complete my tuning spell. I suppose it helps greatly to have access to magic myself, instead of being forced to rely on countless estimates and hypotheses rather than solid trial and error.

Even so, the spell is still in an early experimental form. A few final parameters are in need of tinkering before testing proper can commence. Due to the nature of this spell, I am not involving any of the research facility’s staff. Truth be told, I fear what Mother might say if she got wind of this project. No doubt, she will forbid me from continuing with it, but what she might say about my intentions in developing it are far worse.

At least I shall have found a worthwhile destiny to call my own.

4/13/09

Today I turn eighteen years of age. The celebration was as spectacular and heartwarming as those previous, but Mother was not as jubilant as she has been years past, and I believe I know why.

No longer is Princess Celestia officially my legal guardian. I am now free to take charge of my own life, and given what Mother has said to me time and again, I believe she fears I will indeed make the choice to do just that.

My choice has already been made, and I am currently shaping my own destiny, as I must in the absence of a Soul. I do not intend to cut Mother out of my life, but I believe her love for me may be strained once I reveal to her my plan.

And, if I were completely honest with myself, I would prefer she did come to hate me once I do.

4/26/09

Ia has added another painting to his collection. The subjects for this one included myself, him, as well as Soothing and her guardians. How he managed to paint himself into such a portrait shows the extent of his artistry mastery.

Ia says he intends to reassure his family and friends, should the Crystal Empire ever return, that he lived a happy life here in Equestria. The following quote comes from the message he wrote on the portrait’s backside:

“Should this message reach you after I pass away, please be happy to know I lived a good life here in Equestria. The ponies here were more than welcoming of me, and while I ache every day not knowing what fate befell my fellow crystal ponies, from now until my dying day I will cherish the support given to me by the denizens of this wonderful southern land.

Until we meet again.

- Ia Painta"

I suppose it shall fall unto Mother and Aunt Luna to deliver this message should the Empire ever return. Or perhaps, if my plan comes to fruition, I might carry out the task myself.

4/30/09

It appears the ‘Pony of Night Terrors’ has been active all over Equestria for the past couple of days. Reports have come in at regular intervals since last night of ponies of all ages experiencing night terrors.

But what makes this different from every previous incident is that half of all the ponies’ reports spoke of a tall, blue-armored mare with a coat as black as pitch, just within their perception amidst their respective maelstroms of fear and horror.

I assume this is describing the Pony of Night Terrors, but Mother’s reaction to this news has me confused. When the first report came in with this description, her eyes widened and she tensed, and I am almost certain I heard her breath catch in her throat. When I asked what the matter was, she left, saying she needed to have a talk with Aunt Luna.

I am nothing if not intelligent. I know Mother is suspicious of her sister being the Pony of Night Terrors herself. The description of ‘blue armor’ does indeed point to Aunt Luna being responsible. But that is circumstantial evidence, as a single color match is not definitive proof that Aunt Luna is the Pony of Night Terrors.

And yet, I cannot shed myself of suspicion towards her. She is usually reluctant to talk about the Pony of Night Terrors whenever the subject is brought up, and I would have thought a pony as experienced with dreamwalking as her would find no trouble in tracking down and apprehending such a malevolent force terrorizing Equestria’s populace.

Is Aunt Luna capable of such treachery as terrorizing Our subjects? And if so, what motive could she have?

5/10/09

Mother and Aunt Luna have been cold to each other for this past week. I can feel the tension in the air between them at every meal, as does every guard. Nightcanter especially, as he even refuses to sit next to Aunt Luna from now on. I cannot say that I would have the gall to do so myself; that is how unnerved even I am over this recent development.

This is definitely related to the Pony of Night Terrors. Could it be true? Aunt Luna really is the vile entity that has been terrorizing Equestria’s populace all this time? Mother refuses to say a word regarding the matter, which strongly suggests this to be the case, but that still leaves the question of why Aunt Luna would commit such an act unbecoming of a ruler.

And is she finished now that she has, supposedly, been caught?

6/1/09

The tension in the castle is too much for me to bear any longer. I have taken up residence once again in the research facility, intent on continuing development of what I now call my ‘despair convergence’ spell.

Now is not the time to pay attention to Dr. Heartstrings and the rest of the research team. Not even Soothing and Ia are worth my time right now. I must finish this spell and put my plan into motion as quickly as possible. I only take time away from work on it to either eat or write in this diary. So many thoughts and events I have transcribed here, instinctively preserving my life so others may know my story, should they happen across it.

I do not believe such will happen for a long time.

6/15/09

At long last I have completed my despair convergence spell. I have spent so much time and energy making something that can potentially change ponykind for the better. It was well worth the effort, based on my tests, but to make it work on the whole of Equestria will be my greatest challenge yet. Had I not the power of an alicorn, I believe such would be an impossible endeavor.

6/20/09

My resolve is faltering.

I have spent almost a week in the research facility, scared to return to Everfree Castle and inform Mother of my plan. I cannot believe after all the work I put into crafting my spell, I am now unable to propose it to Mother. Damn it!

Maybe if I knew for certain she would

Knock Knock

Solis stopped writing in response to the knocking at his room’s door. The suddenness caused him to jump a little, as he’d firmly settled into the permeating quietness of the nighttime atmosphere.

“Solis, are you in there!?” Soothing’s voice called from behind the door.

“Would you mind if we came in?” Ia’s voice followed.

With a sigh, and a ruffle of his wings, Solis closed his journal and set the quill beside it. “Yes,” he called, turning towards the staircase. “You may enter.”

Sun vs Moon

The door opened in one careful motion, its hinges emitting a high-pitched squeak that forced everypony’s ears to fold back out of reflex. Recovering from the piercing noise, Solis could make out the white mane and blue coat of Ia ascending the stairs in his eye’s corner, followed by Soothing’s own black and green colors. His two friends took a moment to recover themselves before stepping into the room, not bothering to shut the door behind them lest they receive another onslaught.

Solis did not bother turning around as they approached, instead taking interest in a far off corner of the room while he spoke. “My apologies for the door. I have been meaning to replace it, but never found any time to do so.”

“I find that difficult to believe, with how much time you like to spend here as of late,” Ia stated as he approached Solis. The older stallion tried to meet Solis’ gaze, but he merely continued staring into space, not making proper eye contact. “Is everything alright with you, Solis?”

“We have worried for your well-being ever since we learned you had secluded yourself here,” Soothing said as she too approached him. She came around to his other side, also trying to meet his gaze with no success. “If something is bothering you, please tell us.”

Their concerned gazes went unnoticed as Solis cast his own downward, sighing deeply. “I apologize for worrying you both,” he replied, softly, before looking up and out the large bay window. Outside, the stars shone brightly in Luna’s moonlit sky, twinkling with a beauty that Solis was all too willing to crack a smile at. “Might we talk outside? ‘Tis a lovely night for stargazing.”

Ia and Soothing both nodded. “Yes, that is a splendid idea,” Ia said. “The stars are quite beautiful tonight.”

“And the night air feels especially refreshing tonight,” Soothing added, and nudged Solis in the withers. “It is said cool air is good for the conscience. Yours must be begging for mercy right now if that is true.”

Solis blanched. “W-well, um…” His smile turned sheepish as he trailed off.

Ia chuckled. “Come, let us get out of this stuffy library.” With that he turned back toward the staircase.

“I only jest,” Soothing said playfully while stroking Solis’ cheek, before following after Ia.

Solis took a moment to let his heart settle down before following after them, As he trotted down the staircase, his eyes wandered to his desk which held the work for his Despair Convergence spell, and he frowned upon remembering his plan.

Soothing and Ia are such good friends. Could I really…?

A few minutes later the trio was walking across the research facility’s front lawn. They quickly picked out a random spot on the grass and sat down cross-legged, relishing in the cool touch of the grass against their legs.

“Ah, ‘tis not often I am able to enjoy a pleasing cool night breeze,” Ia commented. “The frigid air of the Frozen North can often be a bit too much.”

“Such was the origin of my new name, if I remember correctly,” Soothing said as she glanced up toward the stars, taking comfort in their twinkling, radiant splendor. “A cool autumn breeze is the most wondrous sensation.” Her expression turned thoughtful. “Pardon me, Solis, but is it true that autumn is Princess Celestia’s favorite season?”

When Solis said nothing, Soothing glanced over to him to see that the prince was staring down at the ground, apparently deep in thought.

“Solis?”

“Hmm?” Shaken from his thoughts, he turned to Soothing. “Yes, Soothing?”

“Is something the matter?” she asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Solis looked downcast for a second before facing forward. “I was merely pondering over some things.”

“What such things?” Ia asked.

“Does it have to do with whatever you have spent the past month working on?” Soothing inquired. The curiosity in her voice made Solis’ heart skip a beat. “Is it another spell of your own design?”

Solis found himself unable to speak. A flood of butterflies swarmed his stomach while shivers trailed down his spine. The idea of Soothing and Ia learning of his plan filled him with dread. Dread of what they might say to him upon learning he intended to essentially abandon their friendship, even if it was for the good of Equestria.

“Apologies, but... I would much rather not tell you,” he finally managed to say, shakily. “Not now, at least.”

Soothing and Ia shared a look before turning to him. “Solis, we are here for you now,” Ia said. “We are friends, correct? We shall lend a sympathetic ear to whatever might ail you.”

“That is what friends should do,” Soothing added. She scooted over a little, allowing her to place a comforting hoof on Solis’ withers. He turned to her, and his heart skipped a beat at how close her muzzle was to his. “Please, Solis,” she continued, her voice becoming a soft whisper, “if something ails you, tell us.”

“... Do you both promise not to judge me unfairly?” Solis asked. He gave them both a glare that, while hard on the surface, carried with it a sense of hopefulness. “What I have to say can be very easily misinterpreted.”

Soothing retracted her hoof and placed it across her chest. “I promise,” she said.

“As do I,” Ia followed, mimicking her action.

Solis smiled, thankful for their lack of prejudice. “Okay…” He took a deep breath, steeling his resolve, before turning to face them fully with a determined expression. “What if my intention was to abandon you both forever?”

Soothing and Ia stared deadpanned at him in response. They then briefly gave each other a confused glance before turning back to him. “What do you mean ‘abandon us’?” Soothing asked.

“I would hope we could be friends for a long time,” Ia followed with a small, wistful smile.

“As would I,” Solis replied with his own wistful smile. The corners of his mouth then turned down a little as he looked downcast. “But as a prince of Equestria, it is my duty to help make Equestria a better place to live. I have been thinking as of late about what I can do to achieve this, and…” He turned away, scrunching his eyes, “... it entails turning my back on not just you two, but Mother, Aunt Luna… Equestria itself, even.”

A few moments of silence followed, during which Solis could practically feel the worried stares of his friends boring into the back of his head. They were rational ponies, that he knew. They would never get angry at him for such an admission. But the knowledge that they were about to question what he meant worried him more than even that would have.

“What do you mean by ‘turning your back’?” Ia finally asked. “Are you not happy being a prince of Equestria?”

Solis sighed, and stood up, his prior resolve now shattered. “I should have remained silent,” he said, his voice perfectly stoic, easily betraying his desire to end the conversation. “Perhaps it is better that I retire to my quarters for the night.”

With that, he turned and began heading back to the facility. He only made it a few steps, however, when he felt a tingling sensation on his tail, followed by him being lightly dragged back across the ground. Turning around, he saw Soothing’s horn was alight, her face set in a bemused stare that managed to unnerve him. Good friends as they were, Soothing had always retained a sense of underconfidence resulting from her late mother’s dominance. Seeing her act so assertive out of nowhere was greatly surprising, enough that he found himself too shocked to use his own magic to resist, instead letting her pull him back to right alongside them.

“As we made clear, Solis, we are genuine friends,” she stated, her voice stern, but kind. She released her magic hold on his tail. “Now tell us what is on your mind.”

Solis could only stare back in disbelief for a few moments as he tried to gather his thoughts. He could easily escape if he wanted to, but such an effort would be futile as Soothing and Ia would know exactly where to search for him. To that end, he took a few moments to think about how exactly to word his response. How could he make his plan to abandon Equestria sound jovial to his friends? Moreover, how could he ensure they would go along with it without grieving for him?

For the ten seconds he gave himself to think on these questions, the answers he crafted, he believed, would suffice. Once he was done, he looked down and began explaining.

“My intention is exactly as I said; to abandon Equestria. I have no desire to become an enemy of this nation, but rather, to remove myself from it. At the same time, I intend to indirectly serve the greater good by containing the despair which flows through ponykind. I have spent the past few years studying Astral the Great’s works, and have come to the realization that Equestria will continue to be threatened by malevolent forces if their source is not kept under control.

“I have no Soul, and therefore no destiny, to call my own. To that end, I have made the decision to become the caretaker of this source. I shan’t reveal exactly how I intend to do so, but if my plan comes to fruition… well…” He trailed off, his resolve suddenly wavering again. He spared a glance at his friends. Their gazes were blank, expressions unreadable. Whatever they were thinking, Solis was grateful they neglected to show it, as this gave him the courage to finally say what needed to be said. “If it comes to fruition, our friendship will meet its end.”

A thick silence settled around the three of them following his statement. He refused to spare another glance at them. He hardly expected them to be especially angry with him, but he kept their gazes hidden from his eyesight out of shame. All the same, whatever they thought of him, he would respect any and all grievances they might have for him.

The silence was eventually broken when Solis heard shuffling hooves next to him, followed by a soft muzzle pressing into the side of his neck. “As long as you can be happy,” Soothing said.

Solis blinked. The eyes he found when he turned his gaze were different from anything he had ever seen before. He saw many emotions reflected in Soothing’s eyes. Relief. Concern. Sorrow. These and more stared back at him through the glint in her eyes. Looking down, Solis almost reeled back upon seeing how close their lips were to each other. Now that he looked closer, it almost appeared that hers were getting closer to his…

“Enough now, Soothing,” Ia said. He reached over and gently pulled Soothing away from Solis by her tail, eliciting a startled gasp from the green unicorn, followed by a blush on her cheeks.

Solis blinked again. “What…?”

Ia laughed. “Think nothing of it, Solis,” he said. He tilted his head, looking at him curiously. “Is this a decision of your own free will?”

Solis nodded. “It is.” In his eye’s corner, he thought he saw a flash of pain cross Soothing’s face. “... But I intend to wait a little while before enacting it.”

Soothing cast her gaze up at him, her expression a mixture of surprise and a little bit of hope. Solis smiled, and patted her withers. “I would very gladly devote an entire week to spending time with you two. ‘Tis the least I can do to show my appreciation for you both.”

Soothing smiled herself, while Ia just nodded. “That would be nice, yes,” he said, then tilted his head. “Would it be too much to ask for more details on what exactly you are planning?”

Solis opened his mouth to say ‘yes’, but stopped and tapped his chin. Thinking on it, he decided that his closest friends did deserve to know all of what he was going to do. Clearly they were okay with his plan, if a little disappointed, so what harm could the details do if he told them?

“I shall tell the both of you, however,” he gave them both a furrowed gaze that clearly indicated how serious he was, “nopony hears a word of what I tell you, especially my mother. I shall tell her myself when the time is right. Am I clear?”

Both Soothing and Ia nodded their heads in affirmation.

“Very well.” Solis gestured towards the front gate. “Let us take a stroll through Canterlot. I shall reveal the full extent of my plan all the while.”

“Okay,” Ia said.

The three of them began making their way toward the front gates. Only after a few steps, however, did Soothing walk around in front of Solis, eliciting a raised brow and a quizzical look from the prince.

“Is something the mat–mmph!” His reply was cut off when Soothing’s lips made contact with his own. The suddenness of the kiss caught him off guard, and he would have staggered back had Soothing not also wrapped a fore hoof around his withers to keep him steady.

A blank canvas may as well have existed behind Soothing; for a brief while, the world was of nothing but them. Solis’ heart hammered in his chest while a warm, tingly sensation sprouted in his stomach. While his mind was clouded with a maelstrom of emotions — from confusion, to surprise, to embarrassment — at the forefront was a strong sense of satisfaction. Since first meeting her, in a small corner of his mind, there existed a feeling that Soothing harbored romantic affections for him. And, to a lesser extent he was sure, he harbored similar feelings for her.

He wrapped a hoof around her withers himself and returned her kiss. His mind had not been changed; he would carry out his plan with the same steel-clad resolve as before. But until then, the least he could do was satisfy Soothing’s romantic desire.

They eventually broke their kiss with a deep gasp each, panting heavily as they stared into each other's eyes. The world came back into focus for him, allowing Solis to witness Ia shaking his head with a small smile on his face near the gate. It must have been a very entertaining sight for him, seeing his friends share such a loving, tender moment. Solis just rolled his eyes before facing Soothing again.

“How very brazen of you,” he remarked.

Soothing’s face flushed red. “I apologize for being so sudden.” She scuffed a hoof along the ground, looking sheepish. “But, I, well–”

Solis put a hoof to her lips, and she went silent. He closed his eyes and smiled. “Thank you.”

Soothing stared blankly for a moment, before smiling herself, a sparkling glint in her eyes.

“Are you two quite done yet?” Ia called, a cheeky air to his words.

Solis removed his hoof from Soothing’s mouth and turned to face him. “Indeed we are.”

“Then let us get going, before this beautiful nighttime atmosphere is gone,” Ia said, before turning around and down the street.

Solis turned to Soothing, gesturing for her to lead the way. “After you,” he said.

Giggling, Soothing went right ahead, and Solis followed right behind. They were walking side by side a scant few moments later while Solis began explaining his plan to his friends.

An endless expanse of dreams, shining and twinkling like the stars in the nighttime sky. The sereneness of the dreamscape was unrivaled by anything else in reality, possibly even within the realm of fiction. To have a place as beautiful and awe-inspiring as this was a privilege only she could lay claim to, for nopony else knew how to cast the Dreamwalking spell. To be able to traverse the realm of dreams and interact with the ponies of Equestria through them was a blessing of the highest caliber. Anypony would wish to possess such an ability.

But no, to her, the dreamscape was nothing but a reminder of what she was. A failure. Or, perhaps, too great a champion. Where the dreamscape was once home to many a night terror ripe for vanquishing, now the many stars representing ponies’ dreams radiated nothing but benevolent feelings.

Clearly, it had been too much to hope that maybe, just maybe, she would find even one night terror after all this time. She scoffed, and undid the spell. Soon she was back in her physical body, looking straight ahead at the entrance to the throne room from her throne. She was flanked on either side by Captain Nightcanter and Private Bone Pick. Behind her, the moon’s light shone its brilliance through the windows, allowing their shadows to stretch across the floor.

Their shadows shrank as the night wore on. By early morning the moon’s light was unable to reach through, leaving the throne room in a state of deep darkness.

Captain Nightcanter let out a long yawn, and smacked his lips. Bedtime was drawing near, and soon Princess Celestia and her own day guards would be arriving to replace them. He waited for Princess Luna to give the order to return to the barracks.

And waited.

And waited.

He must have waited a whole hour. His sense of time was never great, but he was sure morning should have come by now. He looked up to Princess Luna; she stared ahead with purpose in her eyes, as if contemplating. “Your highness?” he asked.

Luna cast her gaze down to meet his, her expression unchanging. Nightcanter silently debated whether continuing would result in Luna misinterpreting his question as a lack of faith in her. He shrugged off his worries, sure enough that Luna could see that would not be true. “May I ask for how much longer the night shall last? My sense of time is quite lackluster.” He allowed a small, sheepish grin to cross his face, thinking Luna might go softer on him if he appeared vulnerable.

Luna did and said nothing in response, merely continuing to stare for a few moments before returning her gaze up.

Nightcanter blinked. He did nothing wrong, surely. Was Luna feeling unwell? He chanced speaking again.

“Princess–”

“Leave,” Luna said, flatly.

Nightcanter cocked a brow. He looked over to Bone Pick; the Private also looked confused. “So, it is time to retire to the barracks?”

Luna turned back to face him. A shiver traveled down Nightcanter’s spine as a wicked grin, made all the more creepy by the lack of moonlight, crossed the princess’ face. Even more frightening, he thought he saw her pupils change for a split second, appearing more slit-like, like that of a dragon. A pit formed in his stomach, which only grew worse when Luna gave her reply.

“Quite the opposite, Captain. Your duties have only just begun.” She suddenly descended into a fit of giggles. Her giggles grew in volume and pitch, steadily progressing into a maniacal laughter, eventually to roaring guffaws as she threw her head back with her eyes shut.

Nightcanter and Bone Pick found themselves at a loss for words and actions. Their minds swam with a plethora of emotions, ranging from confusion, to fear, but above all concern. Luna could not have been playing them for fools; humor was never her specialty. What she had said was the product of a fantastical delusion. She needed help.

“P-Princess?” Nightcanter stuttered, and silently cursed himself for his failure to speak adequately. “Are you feeling unwell? Perhaps you could do with–”

“Leave for now,” Luna interrupted. “But make no mistake, your services will be doubled in due time.”

The two guards shared another look, their concern etched clearly into their faces. “But Princess–”

“Away with thee!” she shouted, stomping her hoof.

Both Nightcanter and Bone Pick found themselves unable to move for a short moment. Finally, they found the willpower to take a few steps backward, their eyes never leaving Luna’s furrowed glare. Then, as if in response to a clap of thunder, they bolted toward the throne room doors, their hooves pounding hard against the floor. Bone Pick wasted no time in shooting through the door, while Nightcanter took a moment to flash a worried glance back at Luna before following him, leaving Princess Luna alone in the throne room.

Luna waited for a moment, taking in the silence. It would change soon enough. A quick survey of the throne room and all its design flourishes made her briefly wonder how much of it would survive the next hour. A pity, it was. She appreciated all the hard work that went into its design and construction. But all would be fine if the majority of collateral damage happened to her sister’s side of the room.

It is time, dearest sister… She then lit up her horn, feeling her magic connect with the moon, and reversed its course.

“What should we do?” Bone Pick asked while keeping pace with Captain Nightcanter.

The two guards went down the hall at a brisk trot, their moderate hoofsteps making sharp echoes as they ventured through the castle. Where to, Bone Pick had no idea, but Captain Nightcanter’s determined expression told him he had a set course of action.

“We speak to Princess Celestia,” Nightcanter answered as they turned a corner down the hallway leading to said alicorn’s bedchambers. “She will have sound advice, I have no doubt.”

Bone Pick nodded his agreement. The two of them made their way down the hall, eventually coming to a stop in front of the entrance to Princess Celestia’s bedchambers. Mindful that she was currently sleeping, Captain Nightcanter knocked on the door only so loud. A few moments went by without a response. Some louder knocks still yielded no response.

With a sigh of defeat, Nightcanter pulled on the doorlock, before gently creaking the door open a bit. Peering inside, the resulting sliver of light revealed the princess’ bed, with Celestia tucked in still asleep.

Nightcanter opened the door the rest of the way and gestured for Bone Pick to follow him inside. The two of them approached the princess’ bed, quiet so as to not disturb her prematurely.

The bed sheets fell and rose at a steady rhythm, indicating Celestia was sleeping soundly, further evidenced by the look of content spread across her face. The same could not be said for her mane, however, which splayed all across the pillow in a haphazard fashion, its ethereal quality giving it a serene, ghost-like image.

Nightcanter reached up to Celestia’s face, hovering above her cheek for a moment, before gently poking it. The sleeping princess’ reaction was to grumble a little and shift her position slightly, prompting a more forceful poke and a small shake of her head.

Finally, she awoke. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she looked up to regard the two guards with an expression of utter annoyance. “What dost thou need of Us at this hour?”

Nightcanter and Bone Pick both fell into a deep bow. “Our apologies, Princess,” Nightcanter said. “But a situation has arisen that requires your guidance.”

Celestia remained silent for a moment, eyebrow raised in curiosity, before replying. “What is it?”

“Her Highness, Princess Luna,” Bone Pick started. “We asked how much longer it would be before the day, and her response was…” He paused for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck in a show of nervousness, “... unsettling.”

“Unsettling how?” Celestia asked. Her tone had changed from tired and groggy to fully alert and attentive, her eyes narrow and focused.

“She claims ‘our services will be doubled’ ‘in due time’,” Nightcanter replied, frowning a little. “Perhaps she is ill and delusional, and requires treatment?”

Celestia gave no response. Instead, she closed her eyes, silent save for her own breathing. The two guards looked at her in silent anticipation as she appeared to mull over something. That, or she was channeling her alicorn magic in a way neither of them could comprehend, and to a purpose unknown to them. Or both, even.

Finally, she opened her eyes, and gone was any trace of a groggy princess annoyed at having been abruptly woken up without order. In her eyes was a stern resoluteness seen very rarely, that was enough of a shock to the two guards to make them recoil slightly. “Captain Nightcanter,” she addressed him.

“Y-Yes, Your Highness?”

“Collect all the staff and evacuate them to safety outside the castle.”

Both his and Bone Pick’s eyes widened considerably. “Wh-What?” he stuttered again. “P-Princess, what is the mean–”

Celestia’s raised hoof silenced him. She took a deep, calming breath before speaking again. “We need no hesitation from thee, only conviction.” She lit up her horn, levitating her regalia from her vanity and donning it while continuing. “I shall confront my sister alone and set her right.” She turned to them with a sharp gaze. “Leave not a single pony behind, and do not return to the castle until We say to. Are We clear?”

The guards stood stock still for a couple of moments, before giving shaky nods and retreating from the room. Celestia watched them go, silently praying that such a precaution would prove unwarranted, but what glimmer of hope for such was merely that. A glimmer.

She had been dreading this, ever since she confronted her sister over her activities terrorizing their subjects. She understood her sister’s plight, of course. The need to be useful and loved was a desire shared by everypony, and to be denied this was a pain she could wish on nopony, let alone her own sister. She had tried to reason with Luna, to suggest that there was another way to achieve adoration by their subjects, but in hindsight, she feared her outbursts over Luna’s role as the Pony of Night Terrors had done little to quell her anger. And now, that anger seemed to have reached its breaking point.

Celestia closed her eyes, reaching out with her magic to the sun and the moon, and the connection shared between them and she and her sister. The incredible energy possessed by her sun had been overwhelming once upon a time, but with increased age and strength also came a greater understanding and better control of her charge, and the solar body was now as much a part of her as her own flesh and blood body was.

In stark contrast, the moon was as alien and unfamiliar to her spirit as it had always been. She and Luna had never bothered teaching each other the techniques with which to move the others’ celestial body. Always they figured their shared reign would be that of equals. Of peaceful co-rulers. Of two sisters having fun together.

But that vision had been dashed, as Celestia now found herself struggling to lower the moon herself, to control a body she was wholly unaccustomed to moving. Worse still, she could feel her sister’s power working against her own, impeding her effort to bring forth the day. It only served to confirm her fears as true.

But she would not be deterred. Her teeth gritting, Celestia poured every last ounce of magical strength she could into overwhelming Luna’s own. A small corner of her psyche took pleasure in being the more magically potent of the two, but this grim pleasure was greatly overshadowed by the knowledge of what was to occur after the fact. The harmony between she and her sister was hanging by a loose thread, one that was sure to snap upon her confrontation with Luna.

Finally, she felt her magic take root in the moon. She felt a drop of sweat drip down her face with how much effort it took her to achieve that much, and she wondered if Luna was feeling completely exhausted right then, with how much effort it had to have taken her to put up a suitable resistance to Celestia’s magic.

Suddenly, as if in direct response to her musings, she felt Luna’s magic break away. Celestia wasted no time in moving the moon along its proper path, setting it below the horizon. In turn, outside, the moonlit sky darkened considerably, leaving everything a much greater shade of black. This was soon remedied, however, as Celestia took hold of her sun and rose it above the horizon, not stopping until she saw a sliver of sunlight shine through her window out of her eye’s corner, illuminating her bed chambers enough for her to see into her mirror. The mare who stared back at her was red in the face and sweating profusely, huffing with the amount of energy it took to move both celestial bodies.

Celestia let her body collapse in on itself, feeling her leg joints strike hard against the floor, making her wince in pain. The rest of her body followed unceremoniously, falling barrel down with her legs splayed out. Her wings drooped at her sides, while her mouth sucked in much needed lungfuls of air at a rapid pace. Finally, she felt her entire body relax, and she closed her eyes, unable to do anything but think to herself.

It was obvious to her that Luna had ended her resistance in order to conserve her energy for their inevitable confrontation. In her current state of exhaustion, Celestia knew that Luna would have the upper hoof, but a few minutes of rest would bring her strength back up to snuff. No, her real concern was whether Luna would actually attempt to kill her once they met. If she was right about what the guards had indicated, then her sister was plotting to overthrow Celestia and claim rulership of Equestria entirely for herself.

The thought that Luna might be capable of regicide sent an icy lance of pain through Celestia’s heart. After everything they had been through, all their hardships, training, and cooperation to make Equestria the land of peace and harmony they so longed for, the idea of now being forced to turn on her own sister was too much for her to bear.

Once properly rested, Celestia stood up, her mouth set into a determined frown. Never could she fight her own sister, much less kill her in self-defense. She held onto a small spark of hope that she might be able to pull her sister from her lust for power upon their confrontation. If that failed, then there still existed one way in which she could save Equestria.

As she opened the door to her bed chambers and slipped outside into the hall, she sent a small prayer to the Elements that everything would turn out alright.

This was it.

Luna stood silently before the throne, staring at the double doors. Waiting. Celestia would come soon enough, and when she did, she would finally put an end to her sister’s silent monarchy. Everypony enjoyed the sun and the radiant warmth it exuded. That she exuded. That Luna herself had once enjoyed.

Celestia… you will perish tonight. I will finally destroy the rule you have exerted over Equestria, leaving me in the darkest corner to wither away, to never be seen. To never be loved.

I will destroy you.

And so she waited. Minutes dragged by, and Luna patiently stood still, keeping an ear peeled for the sound of Celestia’s shoes clacking against the floor outside. She did indeed hear the distant sounds of scampering hooves, but none that were approaching the throne room. Celestia would want to keep the staff out of harm’s way before confronting her. Which was good, because they would still be needed for Luna’s solo reign.

Finally, the unmistakable clacking sound of golden-shod shoes greeted her ears, and Luna listened as they steadily approached before stopping outside the doors, which were soon opened in an aura of golden magic. Celestia stepped inside, and even from her distance, Luna could clearly see the calm, neutral gaze her sister typically reserved for Court sessions held upon her face.

Celestia stood before the doors, meeting Luna’s hardened stare. Their gazes remained locked onto each other for what was only a few seconds, but the weight of centuries’ worth of emotions passed between them in just that time alone.

After everything they had gone through, after all the time they had spent becoming strong in magic and spirit, of learning to tackle their destinies head on and with bravado, and to craft a bright future for the land they so loved, this was it. They were now enemies, but while Luna had every intention to slay her sister, she knew that Celestia could never match that resolve.

Which was why Luna knew this fight was hers. Her sister still thought that persuasive speech was the solution, that simply by speaking the right words she could convince Luna to back down. But there were no ‘right’ words, for nothing she could say would change Luna’s mind. She had made her decision, and unless Celestia’s resolve strengthened within the next minute, this would be her last night alive.

Celestia took a step closer.

“Not another step!” Luna called.

Celestia backtracked without a word, her calm, neutral gaze never leaving Luna’s own stern, cold one. They stayed like that for a few moments, silent again, waiting for the other to speak up. They both knew what was to come, and Luna waited for Celestia to begin her pleading. Her begging for Luna to change her mind.

But her sister remained silent, prompting Luna to eventually continue.

“Did you really expect me to sit idly by while they all basked in your precious light!?”

At long last, to Luna’s internal pleasure, Celestia’s expression faltered. Her sister’s brows furrowed slightly and the corners of her mouth curled into a small frown. Luna trotted over between the thrones, just underneath the stained glass window with a very vague tree-like pattern set between them. She no longer cared for its meaning.

“There can only be one princess in Equestria!” she boomed, her voice echoing off the chamber’s walls. “And that princess… will be ME!”

She punctuated her last word by rearing back and slamming her hooves against the railing before her, crushing it into a million tiny pieces of rubble which scattered across the floor and stairs before the thrones.

The air hummed with magic as the power behind her stomp reached behind her. Cracks spread across the ground and up along the wall, coalescing at the stained glass window, which promptly shattered, the glass shards adding to the wooden debris from the shattered railing.

Luna’s horn lit, and she reached out to her precious moon. Her beauty of the nighttime sky rose from its place below the horizon, rising up across the sky before stopping directly in front of Celestia’s accursed sun, eclipsing it. Immediately, the sky turned dark, the stars coming out in full force with their twinkling splendor.

And as she began gathering her magic for the final battle, Luna managed to catch a glimpse of her sister, and was delighted by what she saw. There was a deep sense of hurt in Celestia’s eyes, and it looked like her sister was warring with herself whether to turn away so as to not bear witness to Luna’s transformation.

Luna’s magic quickly overtook her body, rendering her visionless as each one of her senses locked up in response to her transformation spell. Her body began assuming the form she had used to terrorize Equestria’s populace within their dreams; a form that struck fear into the mentally weak and cowardly, and would show Celestia that her dear sister was gone, replaced by the bringer of her destruction and eternal night for Equestria. Everypony would have no choice but to worship her and her beautiful nighttime sky, at long last!

She felt her overall body shape stretch and grow, becoming taller and more slender, matching Celestia’s own physique, while changing from dark blue to pitch black. Blue armor materialized around her head and body, for what little protection she likely would not need, but hardly minded having. Her teeth changed shape as well, becoming sharper, more canine-like; ill-fitting for a pony, which is why she chose them. And the last to change was her eyes, which became more slitted, more dragon-like. Dragons were feared creatures, after all, and to lock gazes with one could send shivers down even battle-hardened soldiers’ spines.

No longer was she the pathetic little princess who always stood in Celestia’s shadow. Now, she was the feared mistress of night terrors. She had terrorized countless dreams using this form, striking fear into the hearts of so many ponies, and now, her dear sister would become the next victim of her menace.

She laughed. A maniacal, howling laughter that came from the very depths of her twisted heart. So happy was she to finally turn against her sister, to finally come out of her shadow and become her own person. Now, she would annihilate Celestia’s very being, and reign supreme as Equestria’s sole princess.

Finally, her transformation ended. She spent the next several moments with her eyes closed, her laughs resounding throughout the throne room as she briefly lost herself to her state of euphoria. At long last, she stopped, and opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was a statue of Celestia atop a stone column against the far wall. Her mouth fell into a cold scowl as she charged up her magic, quickly letting loose a concentrated beam of blue magic directly at it. The statue instantly shattered, sending bits of stone crumbling to the floor in a dusty cloud. Out of reflex, she tilted her head slightly upwards, to which her beam cleaved a line of destruction up to the ceiling, sending even more debris raining down.

Through the resulting curtain of dust, she noticed Celestia take a few steps closer, looking forlornly down at an especially large piece of rubble from her statue. She snorted, wondering how much value her sister could put on a mere piece of chiseled stone, especially over her own sister’s happiness.

She gave her wings a strong flap, hopping down level with the door, just as the cloud of dust began to dissipate. Her sister had taken to the air, looking down at her with that disapproving, self-entitled, condescending, wretched gaze–!

She fired another concentrated magic beam. Celestia flew to the side, letting it pass her and strike the ceiling, sending even more debris raining down. She touched down on the ground, immediately turning back to her with that gaze. She did not fire another beam this time, instead curious as to how Celestia would respond after she made a very clear attempt at her life.

“Luna, I will not fight you!” Celestia said. It was clear from her tone she was sincere, and that fear had an iron clutch over her heart. “You must lower the moon! It is your duty!”

“... Luna?” Did she truly still consider the terror standing before her her sister? Celestia clung too desperately to whatever single shred of hope she had yet to lose. ”I am… Nightmare Moon!”

Celestia grimaced.

”I have one royal duty now: to destroy you!”

Locating and evacuating every single guard and servant from the castle had been a mostly simple process, as almost everypony was still asleep in their designated barracks. The only tricky part was tracking down and rounding up all of Luna’s night guards who were on patrol throughout the castle, but the deed was accomplished in a very short time.

Every last one of the royal sisters’ guards and hoofmaidens were gathered in front of the castle. Hushed murmurs and whispers had permeated the crowd, no doubt pertaining to the subject of why exactly they were all gathered outside. But a slight of panic had arisen among those whispers after the crowd bore witness to Celestia’s sun being eclipsed by Luna’s moon.

As Captain Nightcanter watched the horrid spectacle play out, all he could think about was what the princess had said before dismissing him. He had merely thought she was under some kind of stress at first, perhaps due to a severe lack of activity in the Dreamscape. Seeing what he saw now, however, made him question whether it was merely stress, or a genuine loss of sanity that plagued her.

Realization hit him hard.

She wants to… to…

A loud bang interrupted his line of thoughts, and the crowd jumped with a start. After a few moments of fearful confusion, the crowd’s attention was drawn skyward, where two flying shapes emerged above the castle: one white, the other black. The black figure chased the white one around in the air, shooting magic beams at them every other second, which the latter managed to keep dodging.

More whispers began permeating the crowd; Nightcanter heard Celestia’s name come up a few times. Indeed, the white figure was unmistakably that of Celestia. But the black figure was unrecognizable, as no other pony matched Celestia’s size and body shape. Then it dawned on him that Celestia and Luna were the only two ponies left in the castle.

Just then, the black figure struck Celestia with a magic beam, causing her to plummet back towards the castle, her scream reaching the crowd, before she crashed through the castle roof just above the entrance hall.

“Princess!”

Nightcanter turned to his left, spying a wide-eyed Captain Tricolt staring at the spot where Celestia had fallen. The panic and concern etched into his features were the greatest he had ever seen for his fellow Guard Captain. He himself felt much the same, but not being Celestia’s personal Guard Captain, his attachment to the sun princess was nowhere near as strong as it was with Tricolt. Even so, he knew Celestia was strong enough to survive one magic blast, and would rather obey her order to the letter then risk being swept up into the ensuing conflict himself.

Tricolt had apparently forgotten about Celestia’s order not to reenter the castle, however, as the instant Celestia crashed through the roof, he rushed toward the front doors.

“Halt, Tricolt!” Nightcanter shouted.

Tricolt stopped and turned around, a hint of rage mixing with his concern and panic. “Nightcanter, we must lend our aid–”

“Celestia will be fine,” Nightcanter interrupted him. He stepped up to Tricolt, placing a hoof on his withers. “She gave us the order to remain outside no matter what knowing that. We must trust her decision.”

Tricolt grimaced, switching his gaze between Nightcanter and the front doors for a few moments, before stomping his hoof against the ground in frustration.

Nightcanter looked back to the spot where Celestia had fallen through the roof. Inwardly, he too had a strong desire to ignore her highness’ order and rush to her aid, but knew that doing so could spell trouble for not just himself, but everypony else from the castle. To that end, as he led Tricolt back to the crowd, he sent a silent prayer to the Elements that everything would turn out alright.

”Sister, look at this! Look!”

“I see, Luna. Clearly, you have been practicing your levitation.”

“I have! I only wish I could lift up more than a small rock. If I am to control the moon someday, I need to practice a lot.”

“As do I… Might we make a wager?’

“A wager? On what?”

“Whoever learns to control their charge first gets the other’s dessert for a year.”

“... I accept. Although, perhaps you should surrender right now.”

“Why should I?”

“Your flanks are already quite large enough, sister.”

“Wait, what do– … Surely you jest, sister!? My body is perfect…”

“How certain are you of that, sister?”

“...”

“Ahahaha, you are so much fun to tease!”

"Well, I never..."

“But might you instead help me practice? I really do wish to master the craft so I can start helping everypony very soon!”

“Very well, Luna, but only if you stop teasing me about my, err…”

“Monstrous flanks?”

“Luna!”

“Ahahahahahaha! Yes, yes, Celestia. I will.”

“Good.”

“... Sister?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you for always being by my side.”

“My thanks to you as well, Luna.”

The pain of having crashed through the castle’s roof failed to register in Celestia’s mind as memories of her and Luna’s youth swirled through. But all the comfort they brought was quickly drowned out by the realization of what had just happened.

Luna, her precious little sister, the only family Celestia had in the world, just shot her. With intent to kill.

Of course she had known a physical altercation would come to pass between them upon setting off for the throne room, but she had dared hold onto a shred of hope that maybe all would be well and the two of them could return to ruling over Equestria together as co-rulers.

As friends.

But that last glimmer of hope was now crushed by the cruel reality of the current situation. Luna wanted her dead, and would stop at nothing until Celestia was well and truly deceased. But even still, as she lay there, body in suppressed agony, Celestia could find no will to fight back.

Luna could never beat her. Try as she might, Celestia would always have the upper hoof between the two of them in a straight up magic duel. She knew Luna knew this, which is why she attacked Celestia knowing full well that her sister would never fight to kill back at her.

Celestia opened her eyes suddenly as a new thought crossed her mind. She loved Luna too much to ever slay her, but there was another way she could save Equestria from eternal night without doing so.

The Elements of Harmony would grant my wish to save everypony, including Luna.

Slowly, her entire body aching from the effort, she pulled herself to her hooves. The pain had mostly subsided, but she still felt small pockets of resistance in a few joints. It did nothing to faze her as she stared up through the hole in the castle roof she had created, beyond which her sister waited for her to return for their resumed brawl.

No, the creature up there was not her sister. Not anymore. Nightmare Moon was a facade, keeping the sister she loved as much as Equestria itself buried under a mountain of jealousy and despair. Somewhere within that heart of darkness was her sister, and though she could never bring herself to kill her, her trust in the Elements was absolute.

“Oh dear sister, I am sorry, but you have given me no choice…” She turned her head toward the spot where she knew the Elements were currently being kept under the floor, “... but to use these.”

Her horn lit in her golden aura, followed by the spot on the floor which opened up. The sound of gears and other mechanical components working together emanated from the hole as the dais used to house the Elements of Harmony slowly rose up from the floor in a billow of dusty air, before stopping as the mechanism locked into place, displaying the Elements in all their splendor.

For a moment, Celestia could only stare up at them with a subdued sense of awe. She had decided to keep the Elements under the floor some time ago, after her conscience convinced her that such powerful artifacts are better kept out of sight, safe from potential thieves. Visitors might not be able to see them, but such was her decision. Long enough had it been since she had last seen them, that she had forgotten the powerful aura they emanated. It was subtle, and probably only noticeable to magic users, but the feeling it gave her to lay eyes upon objects of such power and influence could never be adequately described with words. That was to say nothing of holding them around one’s neck and summoning their great power for themselves.

Finally, she flew up to the dais. Lighting her horn again, she enveloped each Element in her magic and floated them over to her. The Element of Magic, arguably the most important of them all, had been hidden inside the topmost sphere for extra protection. From its stone shield, it rose slowly, like a long dormant spirit rising from its grave.

With all the Elements in her control, Celestia called upon their power. The Elements began rapidly swirling around her, the process by which they harmonized. She could feel the latent Magic of Harmony building between them, growing and even touching her own magic. She had almost forgotten what wielding the Elements felt like; everything was clear to her. Her emotions and spirit came into focus before her mind’s eye. It was a sensation that truly needed to be felt in order to be understood, and it felt great to her senses. It helped dull the pain of knowing what was to happen next.

Celestia took to the air, flying through the hole in the ceiling. Immediately, Luna came into view a fair distance away, holding an expression of defiance. There was no doubt in Celestia’s mind that her sister knew what was about to happen, and yet, she could see that her sister would oppose her to the very end, no matter how hopeless her chances of prevailing were. A small tear fell from Celestia’s eyes as the Elements assumed their offensive formation in front of her.

Nightmare Moon’s eyes shone with the white light of her strongest magic as she charged up her horn, before unleashing a powerful magic beam straight at Celestia. The Elements responded in turn, their energies coalescing in the Element of Magic, before firing a matching beam of rainbow energy wrapped in Celestia’s own golden magic.

The two beams collided and immediately began pushing against each other. The Elements of Harmony’s power quickly prevailed, forcing back Luna’s power with ease. Celestia could not see through the blinding array of the Elements’ magic, but she heard a faint cry of ‘NO!’ from her sister as she was enveloped in the harmonic magic of the Elements, and was quickly shot off into the sky, straight towards the moon.

Spent from using so much power, Celestia pulled together what little strength she had left, landing on the castle’s roof just as she felt a sudden blast of magic in the atmosphere. Weakly, she turned her head skyward toward the moon, just in time to witness the last shadow come into place on the moon’s surface, forming the shape of a unicorn’s head.

Celestia felt her tears returning, and she dipped her head, unable to look up at the moon any longer. The Elements had granted her wish. Nightmare Moon was gone, safely banished to the moon, and Equestria was saved from the threat of eternal night. But her sister, Luna, was gone in turn. Her only kin was now a mere shadow upon the moon’s surface, forever trapped within the celestial body.

Forever…

Oh, Luna…

Tears torrenting down her face, Celestia waited until she had regained enough magic before lowering the moon, allowing her sun’s rays to shine upon the land.

She wept the entire day.

Evil Hero

The research facility’s front lawn was invisible beneath the crowd of anxious, fear-stricken ponies. They chattered loudly, filling the nighttime air with their collective qualms while alternating their attention between the research facility, the wall of Day and Night guards keeping them at bay, and the dark shape staring down at them from the moon.

The sudden appearance of a mare’s head on the moon’s surface had inevitably attracted the attention of everypony in the country, with the rest of the world soon to follow. Everyone was confused, wondering if perhaps Princess Luna was working on a special project. For the first few days following its appearance, ponies had shrugged off the oddity and went about their lives, unmindful of the moon’s newest decoration.

It wasn’t until four days afterward when news broke out that Princess Celestia would be cancelling any and all Court sessions for the foreseeable future that a shadow of unease spread throughout Equestria’s populace. The rumor mill began turning not long afterward, with claims that Celestia was on her deathbed due to a magical illness being the most widely accepted. But ponies wanted actual answers, and so they made to go for the closest pony who could give them some, only to be denied admittance by the guards.

Solis looked down at the crowd through the bay window, annoyance clear in his expression as he cursed their persistence. The last three days had been hectic as he tried his damnedest to avoid the herd of inquisitive ponies heckling him for answers as to Celestia’s condition. Part of him was tempted to lie and confirm the story that Celestia was suffering a magical illness, if only to finally be rid of them for a little while.

“They are persistent,” Soothing said from beside him.

Solis sighed, and turned to look at her. Her mane was unkempt, owing to her shared exhaustion in trying to help keep the crowd at bay for the past few days, a fate his much shorter mane had been spared from. “Indeed, they shan’t rest until their curiosity is satisfied,” he said, before lifting his gaze to the moon hanging in the sky, the dark shadow cast across it dulling its brilliant luminescence ever so slightly. “What foals.”

Soothing followed his gaze, her eyes gaining a forlorn look to them. “Luna…”

Just then, the door to the study creaked open, and they turned to see Ia step inside. Large bags hung under his eyes, and his mane was in a similar, albeit lesser, unkempt state as Soothing’s. His movements were sluggish and labored, as if even a single step exerted mountains of pressure on his legs.

“Ia, how are the guards faring?” Solis asked.

A tired smile crossed Ia’s lips. When he spoke, his voice was equally as exhausted. “Not so well. The crowd’s patience is wearing thin, and we have reason to believe they might revolt should they be left without answers for much longer.”

Solis sighed, and turned to look back down at the crowd. “I only wonder whether the truth would be for the better.”

“The ‘magical illness’ story might placate them,” Soothing mused.

“No, it will not,” Solis said. “They would undoubtedly question us as to Princess Luna’s disappearance, as well as why the moon suddenly has a mare’s face cast across it. Some of them might have already figured out the truth, even.”

Ia walked over and joined Solis and Soothing by the window. “What should we do, Solis?”

Solis found himself unable to answer at first. In truth, the whole situation was leaving him greatly confused, despite the fact that Celestia had straight up told him when he visited Everfree Castle a week ago everything that had transpired between herself and Luna.

The idea that Luna had betrayed her sister, and even attempted to kill her out of jealousy, was surreal. His time with Luna had paled in comparison to his with Celestia, true, but even so, Luna’s heart had always reflected back a kind, loving sister to him. It only served to support what he already believed; despair is the root of all evil. He needed to enact his plan quickly, before anypony else fell victim to the sting of despair and another enemy of the peace that Mother treasured was born.

“I will journey to Everfree Castle and convince Celestia to diffuse the crowd’s curiosity,” Solis said, and sighed. “Not an easy task, for sure.”

Soothing wrapped a hoof around him and nuzzled his withers, earning a light blush from him. “Trust in your ability, Prince,” she said, sweetly.

Solis smiled, and briefly returned her nuzzle before pulling away. “I will do it, I promise,” he replied, voice brimming with confidence. “Please help the guards until then.”

Soothing and Ia both nodded.

“I will be off, then.” Solis turned and made for the door, only to pause as he caught sight of his mask resting on a nearby desk. After a few moments of thought, he went and retrieved it, gazing down at it in contemplation for a few more moments before putting it on. “But first, I have an art project to complete.”

Little more than a week previously, the halls of Everfree Castle were alive with the hooffalls of guards on patrol and hoofmaidens busily completing their chores. Everywhere the sound of armor clanking and hooves clopping would resound as they went about their business, conducting a labored symphony that could be heard echoing throughout the castle.

It was a pleasant orchestra to Celestia’s ears. The rhythm of harmony between she and her staff as they all performed their part in the grand symphony of keeping Equestria well and good. Knowing that everypony was doing their part filled her with a special kind of joy; the kind that she only valued as a hard-working adult, and that her younger, filly self liked to complain about to no end to her parents.

Now that joy was gone, replaced by a heartache that Celestia knew deep down would never go away. She tried her hardest to come to terms with what had happened, to pick herself up and continue ruling over Equestria as she was meant to. But every time she would look up at the moon, whether to control it or because her gaze wandered, her heart reeled from the resulting lance of pain. She was beginning to wonder if, because she had yet to come to terms with what happened, she truly was fit to rule over Equestria. Would the leader Equestria needed be so weak in spirit? Be unable to let go of the past and work to improve the future?

Her internal musings were interrupted when her ear flicked in response to a faraway sound, coming from somewhere within the castle. No, it came from the front door, she realized. Someone was looking for her. It had to be Solis, as only her son had both the knowledge of her location and resolve to attempt to disrupt her despairing.

She listened as a steady trail of hooffalls echoed throughout the castle, gradually getting closer to Celestia’s bedchambers, before stopping outside the door. Celestia remained where she was, gazing outside while only barely listening as the door opened and closed. A few moments of silence followed, before she heard Solis’ hooffalls approach from behind, finally stopping right next to her. Celestia sidestepped over a bit so Solis could comfortably join her at the window.

“‘Tis a lovely night,” he remarked.

Celestia nodded. “Yes.”

The two stayed like that for a few minutes, silent and unmoving, just admiring the nighttime atmosphere. The peaceful ambiance of chirping insects and the light howling of wind was always pleasant to listen to, and an ever-growing part of Celestia wished she could listen to it forever uninterrupted instead of having to listen to what she knew Solis would eventually tell her.

“... Everypony is concerned for you.”

Celestia sighed a little. It had to come, she reminded herself, and she turned to face him. “I cannot bear to tell them the truth of what has happened. And yet… how else might I explain the moon’s newest… ‘addition’?” She felt another lance of pain stab her heart with that last word, and her eyes welled up and threatened to burst. She quickly used a wing to wipe away her tears, not wanting Solis to think she had yet to recover from the ordeal with Luna.

No, with Nightmare Moon.

She felt a wing wrap around her withers, followed by a light nuzzling on her neck. Instinctively, she wrapped both of her wings around Solis, drawing him against her chest. Again the two stayed silent and unmoving, relishing in each other’s warm embrace. Celestia had missed this loving feeling, of being with somepony she could confide in. She silently thanked Solis for coming here, for helping her in her time of need.

It was only after they broke apart that Celestia finally noticed the brown saddlebag Solis had strapped to his side. Before she could inquire as to its contents, however, he spoke up.

“We need to talk, Mother, about our roles moving forward.”

She nodded. “Yes, we should. I… suppose the throne is now ours to share.”

Solis shook his head. “No, Mother. It is not…” He trailed off, visibly sagging as he looked down.

Celestia was confused by his response. “What do you mean, Solis?” she asked.

Solis was silent for a moment, apparently collecting his thoughts. Celestia patiently waited for him to continue.

“... From this day forth, we will be enemies, Mother.”

The resulting silence was palpable; one could hear a needle dropping all the way from the other side of the castle. Celestia just stared blankly at Solis, her mind failing to comprehend the words that were just spoken to her. Her blank expression turned to one of confusion, and she finally mustered the strength to speak.

“I-I do not understand, Solis; what do you mean we shall be ‘enemies’?”

Solis sighed, his face hardening as he looked back up at her. “It is time I divulged the purpose of my recent studies to you.”

Solis then spent the next few minutes explaining what he had been studying and working on over the past two years. Learning about Astral the Great, his theories on planetary influence of pony psyche, how Solis came to believe these theories; everything was divulged to Celestia. Every now and then she would ask for him to repeat a certain detail or slow down so she could process his words; a lot of what he was saying was new to Celestia, and her mind was still half preoccupied with thinking about Luna.

Not until Solis began explaining his new purpose, however, did a creeping sense of dread and horror overtake Celestia. Solis wished to abandon Equestria for the purpose of “harboring the current of despair infesting ponykind”!? A million questions flitted through Celestia mind at that, not the least of which being whether she should worry about her own son launching an attack against Equestria should she agree to his plan.

Worse still, his desire to connect himself to the Tree of Harmony, thereby granting him the same immortal power she and Luna possessed, was like an earthquake shaking the foundations of her motherly instinct. Never could she condone such a plan to curse her own son to an eternity of loneliness and despair, even if he himself wanted it.

“I absolutely refuse to aid this foalishness!” she practically shouted once Solis had finished explaining.

“Mother…” Solis sighed. “Please, Mother. This is my decision, and I have made it knowing full well the risks, as well as what it will mean for our relationship.” His gaze turned, settling on the blank spot on his flank for a good few moments. “I might not have a soul to call my own, but… having this plan gives me a sense of purpose. I finally have a way to help guide Equestria to the eternal prosperity and happiness you have long sought.”

“You can help me by remaining by my side, Solis.” A smile, filled both with all the warmth and fear in her heart, crossed her muzzle. “You are splendid in many ways, Solis; as a leader, as a mage, and as a pony.” She reached up with a wing and stroked Solis’ cheek. “Let us happily rule Equestria side by side, as mother and son.”

For a long moment, Solis remained silent, all the while Celestia contemplated whether her argument would sway him. In truth, she saw the logic behind Solis’ plan, and a part of her which she resented had to agree that it was sound. She had always been skeptical about Astral the Great’s theories about planetary influence, but after Luna attempted to kill her and bring eternal night to Equestria, her skepticism was waning.

But regardless, she could never, would never, condone Solis’ plan. Luna, her only flesh and blood relative, was now gone. Solis was the only family she had left in the world, and she would never let a similar fate befall him, even at his own request.

Finally, Solis broke the silence with another sigh. He looked up into Celestia’s eyes, his own full of hardened resolve. “Mother, I could never rule this country alongside you.”

Celestia blinked. “... Why not?”

“I harbor no love for this country, Mother. I may be a pony in body, but in spirit I am... something else. Something that could never cherish all the ponies of Equestria like a parent would their child. To me, Equestria is a separate entity, cut off from my spirit since the day I was born. And it is for that reason I am ill fit to rule over this country.” He paused for a few moments.

Hearing Solis’ confession was like having her chest torn open and her heart repeatedly punched. His upbringing had been horrible, truly, and no doubt had left Solis with a bitter resentment toward his fellow ponies, but Celestia had well and truly believed that under her care and tutelage, Solis could learn to love like she did. She had poured her heart and soul into being the mother he never had, into caring for him like he deserved to be. To hear him say he felt nothing for her efforts made her spirit crack apart.

At least, until he resumed speaking.

“But I do love you, Mother.” He wrapped a wing around her withers, and Celestia embraced the warmth it offered. “Consider this my gift to you in exchange for bringing me so much happiness. With my plan, Equestria can truly enjoy everlasting peace and harmony. Never again would this country need to worry about some villain rising up intending to wreak havoc and destruction.” He frowned a little. “I cannot guarantee protection from external threats, however.”

A tear rolled down Celestia’s cheek as she listened. The dam behind her eyes threatened to burst in a steady torrent of sorrow and grief. Deep down, she believed everything Solis was saying. Her son had proven his intellectual prowess by creating his tuning spell, so if he said he could protect Equestria by stealing ponies’ despair, she could only believe him.

But even if Solis was prepared for the sacrifices his plan would entail, Celestia was unsure whether she too was prepared for them. Following through with Solis’ plan would mean an eternity of loneliness for herself without another immortal to share it with; the resulting sorrow would be immeasurable. The idea that Solis might be willing to visit her every so often was a comforting thought, but it did little to ease her trepidations.

“... Is there nothing I can say to make you change your mind?” she asked, so small amount of hope in her voice.

Solis shook his head. “I am firmly committed to this, Mother,” he said.

“You need not be a harbinger of despair, my son,” Celestia said, still hopeful. “We can face whatever new evils rise together and overcome them all.”

Solis blinked. “... Would you be willing to repeatedly cast down your own subjects?”

Celestia stared blankly, unsure how to respond at first. “I-I…” She sighed. There truly was no hope, it seemed. “I suppose not.”

“Mother, I understand this is a lot to take at once, especially now that Aunt Luna is gone forever.” Solis cast a brief glance out the window, up at the moon, before turning back to Celestia with a wistful smile. “My plan would see to the permanent harmony of Equestria. All I need is a small portion of your magic, and I can grant the future of eternal peace and prosperity that you desire for Equestria.”

Celestia matched her son’s gaze, looking into his golden yellow eyes. She saw a genuine happiness reflecting from them, one she could not recall ever seeing from him before. The thought that her son might find true happiness in essentially abandoning her would have filled her with great despair once upon a time, after all the love and care she had given him for the past eight years.

But not anymore.

Solis, the one pony who had never found a Soul to call his own, now had a purpose. Without a Soul, how was any pony to discover their place in the great framework of destiny? They would have to choose their calling, which is exactly what Solis had done. And yet, he had done so with consideration not just for Celestia’s well-being, but for that of Equestria itself. The ultimate act of selflessness, carried out by her adopted son that she had nurtured and loved.

“... Very well.” Celestia’s lips lifted into her own smile. “I shall condone your plan, my son.”

Solis’ already large smile widened considerably. “Thank you, Mother.”

“Shall I transfer a little of my magic now?”

Solis nodded. “Please.”

Celestia lit her horn in her familiar comforting golden aura, forming a small shining sphere at the tip. Her face briefly contorted into a slight grimace, before she regained her smile and gently shot the sphere at Solis’ horn. Celestia’s magic traveled its length before spreading throughout his entire body, generating such a tremendous amount of pressure that his body almost collapsed under the strain.

Solis screwed his eyes shut as he did his best to bear the pressure. Celestia’s magic had to have been sufficiently strong in order to control the sun, he knew, but to actually experience it flowing through his body was a sensation beyond description. It truly was the power of the sun flowing through him, and he found himself amazed how easily Celestia was able to constantly keep it under control.

Finally, the magic began to settle down, allowing Solis to relax. There were still a few points along his body where the addition of Celestia’s magic to his own was causing small surges of power, making him wince a little with each one.

“Are you okay?” Celestia asked him.

Solis nodded, wincing again as he felt a surge in his wings, involuntarily causing them to flare out before he retracted them. “Yes, I am,” he replied. Another surge, this time in his leg, which forced him to kneel for a moment. “Such power…”

Celestia managed to suppress a giggle. “The surges will pass soon enough, once your body has acclimated to the magic.”

“How long might that take?” Solis asked.

“A couple of days.”

“Fair enough.”

A grimace crossed Celestia’s muzzle. “What now?” she asked.

“My plan is to take up residence in the Tartarus Caves,” Solis explained. He felt another surge in his leg, but he managed to shrug it off and continued. “It is for the best that I remain as far away from pony civilization as possible, while still being close enough so that I can help keep an eye on Equestria as it grows and evolves over time.”

Celestia nodded. “I understand.” She felt her eyes start to water up again, before using a wing to wipe them clean. She then felt Solis nuzzling her again, and she returned the gesture. “Words cannot express how much I will miss you.”

There was a moment of silence. Celestia kept her eyes closed, just relishing in what was soon to be among the last embraces she would share with Solis. She would give anything to not have to stop, to keep Solis by her side forever. But the very least she could do was enjoy the warmth of their bond as long as Solis was still with her.

“... Mother?”

“Yes, my son?”

The hesitance in Solis’ eyes gave Celestia a sinking feeling in her stomach. He was about to say something she was going to dread, she realized.

“Mother…” He sighed, before a hard stern crossed his features. “Perhaps it would be in your best interest to sever your bond with me as well.”

Celestia blinked. “What do you mean?”

“If you learn to stop loving me, the pain of losing me will be that much easier to bear.”

Celestia blinked again. It took her a moment to decipher the logic behind Solis’ reasoning. When she did, she felt every last bit of dread melt away, instead replaced by a very welcome sense of motherly superiority. In spite of all his wisdom and prestige, it seemed that a part of Solis’ inner child still exerted some control over his beliefs.

“Solis, my dear, irreplaceable son,” Celestia started, as she wrapped both her wings around Solis and rested her chin atop his head, “never could I stop loving you. Never until the end of time. Even after death, I will love you as though you were my own flesh and blood. To ask a mother to hate their own child is foolhardy. Impossible, even.” She nuzzled his head and smiled. “All parents love their children.”

Another bout of silence followed between them. Celestia relished in it, letting the quiet atmosphere sink in as she soaked in Solis’ warmth from her embrace. So happy with content, was she, that she wished such a spell existed that allowed one to capture the essence of a familial hug for later experience, similar to the flashback spell.

That happiness was cut abruptly short, however, by a sudden blow to her barrel, knocking the wind out of Celestia and causing her to fly backwards. She bounced once on the stone floor before landing against the far wall in a tangled heap. The suddenness of the blow left her mind reeling, unable to contextualize what had happened. All she could properly ascertain was that her stomach was hurting badly, and that her left wing was pinned between her back and the wall, adding more agony to the equation.

She let out a few wheezing coughs as she untangled herself before leaning against the wall. It dawned on her what had happened: Solis had bucked her. She looked to her son with confused, horrified eyes.

“Solis…?”

The expression that greeted her was devoid of any warmth. Gone were her son’s caring, soft-spoken eyes, replaced by eyes that seemed to try to stab at her very being. Solis’ eyes were furrowed deeper than she had ever seen them before, while his mouth was set into a cold scowl akin to a wild animal protecting their young.

“Mother…” He trailed off. His severe expression softened a little, before settling into a determined gaze. “You must stop treating me like your child, Celestia. I am a full grown stallion. I make my own decisions, and I set out on this path with every intention of severing my bonds with you. I have no wish to hurt you or Equestria, which is why I demand that you do the same.” One side of his mouth then turned up into a wicked-looking smirk. “Unless, of course, you believe you are heartless enough that my abandoning you will bring no pain unto you.”

Celestia found herself at a complete loss for words. She was still shocked by Solis bucking her, but the added incredulity of her son’s complete attitude reversal was too much for her mind to properly fathom at first. Then it dawned on her: Solis had indeed severed his bonds with her. Enough so to present himself not as her son, but as an enemy. An enemy who cared nothing for her happiness or well-being. Somepony who wanted to be hated. He was trying to pressure her into severing her own bonds with him.

Celestia smiled. She got up and, after taking a moment to massage her wing, looked to Solis with an understanding smile. “The pain of losing you will be nigh unbearable for as long as we both should live.” She shook her head. “Yet I still refuse to abandon my love for you.”

Solis let out a disgruntled sigh as he rubbed his temples. “Mother, why must you torture yourself?” he asked. “I have shattered my love for you; you are no different from every other pony in Equestria in my eyes. Why do you cling to unreciprocated affection when it will bring you nothing but heartache and misery?”

Celestia giggled a little in response, taking a small amount of delight in Solis’ confused expression, before composing herself. In spite of everything Solis had learned, whether from books or experience, there were still many things he had yet to learn, and probably never would on his chosen path. Never would he learn what being a parent truly entails.

Nor being a sibling.

“As I already said, all parents love their children, even if they are not tied together by blood.” Celestia walked over and laid a wing over Solis’ withers, only to have it swatted away by him with a scowl. Unperturbed, Celestia continued. “I have already felt crushing pain the likes of which you will never feel. I…” She trailed off, her heart taking a stab. She quickly shrugged it off and continued. “As long as Luna remains banished, I will feel a crushing sadness in my heart every time I look to the moon and see my sister’s face outlined upon its surface.” Her gaze turned wistful. “Solis, I already have to bear the pain of losing somepony near and dear to me; bearing the pain of losing another, and by their own choice even, will hardly make a difference.”

Solis lifted a hoof and opened his mouth to reply, only to pause. After a moment in thought, he set his hoof back down. “I… suppose that makes sense,” he said, and gave her an understanding smile. “You are a strong mare, Celestia.”

Celestia nodded. “And you are a strong stallion, Solis.”

He shook his head. “No, I am no longer Solis.”

Celestia arched a brow, to which Solis opened his bag and levitated out his brown ceramic mask. Only its appearance had changed quite a bit, Celestia noticed. Whereas before the mask had no distinguishing features, the front was now painted, giving it a tribal look similar to the ones worn by the zebra tribes across the eastern ocean. One side of the mask had been painted red in a pattern vaguely resembling a wicked smirk, while the other side was black and shaped like a cold scowl. Truly, it was an unsettling pattern, and Celestia found herself briefly taken aback by its sinister quality.

“For the path I have chosen, I am essentially becoming an entirely new pony,” Solis explained. “Therefore, it is only fitting I change both my appearance and my name to better suit my new role as Equestria’s harbinger of despair.” He levitated the mask up and settled it against his face. “Henceforth, I am Prince Malefic.”

Celestia stared blankly for a few seconds, taken aback by Solis’ ‘transformation’, as it were. Eventually, she simply smiled and nodded her head. “As you wish,” she said.

Malefic nodded himself. “I plan to depart for the Tartarus Caves in two days’ time… You would wish to accompany me, I presume?”

Celestia leaned forward and wrapped her son in another embrace, one which he did not return, but he did not buck her again.

“‘Tis my duty as a parent to see you off.”

The surrounding landscape was the epitome of all things dreary and lifeless. Dull rock formations jutted from the ground every which way one could look, while an unsettling fog swirled around each and every one of them, giving the landscape a haunting atmosphere.

The entrance to the Tartarus Caves stood tall and ominous, its cavernous entrance topped with a plethora of sharp stalactites, making it look like a creature’s maw. Every so often, a light wind whistled through, resulting in a chilling howl that further added to the dark ambiance. Cerberus, the caves’ eternal guardian, stood at guard next to the entrance. Two of the heads slept soundly, while the third stood vigilant, ready to pounce any villain either coming in or out without royal consent. A small talk and a scratch behind the ears from Celestia was enough to placate the gigantic canine for the time being.

Celestia and Malefic stood together before the entrance, silently staring up at the cavern with neutral expressions, Malefic's own hidden behind his mask. In the few days since receiving a portion of Celestia’s magic, his body had fully adapted to its power. His tail and mane now bore the same ethereal quality as Celestia’s own, flowing in the same non-existent wind.

Finally, Celestia broke the silence. “It looks as daunting as ever.”

Malefic nodded. “Indeed.”

Another few moments of silence passed between them, neither one saying anything, just enjoying the hauntingly tranquil atmosphere around them. Eventually, Celestia wrapped a wing around Malefic's withers, pulling him against her. He smiled, and returned her embrace. Mother wanted one last hug before they parted ways, he knew; it would be unnecessarily cruel to deny her that much.

“I do plan on keeping an eye on Equestria’s growth as a nation over time,” he said, looking up into Celestia’s eyes. “It is not unreasonable to think that, perhaps, we will cross paths at some point in the future.”

Celestia stroked Malefic's backside, earning an irritated groan from him. Her resulting giggle was devoid of much of its usual playful warmth, the crushing sadness she was feeling shining through her tone. “I hope we do,” she replied with a nod. She moved her wing from Malefic's backside to his mane. The thought to ask him what he thought of his new mane and tail briefly crossed her mind, if only to forestall his departure into the caves by a few more minutes. But she needed to face reality; her son was a grown stallion now, fully capable of making his own choices. She had to trust that he would be okay on his chosen path, and be happy that he had, after so long without having one, finally found a purpose to devote his entire existence to, even if he still lacked a Soul to symbolize it.

Finally, Malefic broke the embrace, turning toward the entrance. “I should be off now.” He hoisted his saddlebag, wrapping it over his withers, and proceeded toward the entrance. He made it about ten steps before stopping. Turning to look back, he lifted his mask away from his face, allowing Celestia to see his small, genuine smile. “Mother... thank you for taking me under your wing."

"You are most welcome, my son,” Celestia replied, wiping a tear from her eye.

Malefic nodded, and turned back toward the entrance. "Goodbye Mother... forever."

And with that, he put his mask back on and continued onward. Celestia watched him go all the way until he had disappeared into the darkness of the cave, whereupon a sudden, shining light indicated he had cast an illumination spell to light his way. But even the light eventually faded as he proceeded further in still, eventually disappearing altogether.

For what might have been an hour or two, Celestia just stood where she was, unmoving, her gaze fixated on the darkness of the cave. In her mind, she was fully aware of what had happened. Malefic had left her and Equestria, setting off on his own with the intention to aid the harmony of Equestria by preventing its disruption in the future; she had no trouble accepting this reality.

But doubt had begun to seep into her mind. With both Malefic and Luna gone, she was the sole ruler of Equestria. Never once had she imagined such a reality would ever come to pass, nor had she ever wanted it to, both because she always wished to rule Equestria alongside Luna, and that the weight of ruling an entire nation by herself was a seemingly impossible task. And yet here she was, now forced to do exactly that.

For a brief, solitary moment, she felt an immense resentment toward Malefic for leaving Equestria to herself. But the feeling quickly passed, replaced by resolve. Resolve to do her best to continue her and her sister’s wish of turning Equestria into a land of everlasting peace and prosperity. With Malefic's plan in motion, she realized, that dream could now become a reality.

Finally, Celestia turned around, ready to return to Equestria. She stretched her wings and took off, using an illumination spell to see her way through the fog until she breached through. Soon enough, Equestria proper was within her sights.

She spent the entire trip back lost in thought about many things: how to break the news to Equestria’s populace that Luna and Solis were both gone; what steps she needed to take to ensure that mass pandemonium did not break out as a result, or that she would not be under threat of being usurped. She would have to think long and hard about what were the right steps to take henceforth to ensure her son's sacrifice would not be in vain.

But her son was at the forefront of her mind for the majority of her trip, which was only natural, she reasoned. She wondered many things about how he would fare living on his own, in what was considered the most uninhabitable place in Equestria. He had described details of his plan regarding food, water, and comfort, as well as his promise to keep a close eye on Tirek and inform her if he managed to escape his prison. She had no doubt that Malefic would be just fine on his own.

Her greatest worry was not that Malefic might be unable to contain all the despairs of ponykind; his alicorn magic was sufficient enough to prevent such a fate, she knew. Rather, she worried about how an eternity of self-imprisonment might harm Malefic's psyche. He was already quite anti-social before now; going forever without contact with other ponies, with only Cerberus and Tirek there to keep him company, was likely to turn him more jaded and bitter as time passed. She shuddered to think that, perhaps, at some distant point in the future when they might meet one another again, her cherished son would be replaced by a venomous cur flinging insults at everypony he saw.

She pushed the thought out of her mind as she approached Everfree Castle, coming in to land atop the highest roof. Seeing the damaged parts of the roof brought back unpleasant memories of her and Nightmare Moon’s battle, but she quickly pushed them aside as well, and began inspecting the damage. The castle’s structural integrity appeared to be intact, so a minor repair job to the damaged areas would be enough to make everything look brand new again.

But she would not have it repaired, for this was no longer her home. The first step of her new solo rule, she decided, would be to get closer to her subjects than she ever had been before, both physically and spiritually. Looking back, it was clear she should have built her and Luna’s home closer to their subjects from the start, rather than seclude themselves for the sole purpose of being close to the Tree of Harmony. The bond between them and their subjects was worth more than some arbitrary comfort of being next to the entity which created the Elements. To keep that bond between her and her subjects eternally nurtured, she needed to treat them less like subjects, and more like acquaintances.

… No, like friends.

All the same, Celestia was going to miss Everfree Castle. The artisans who constructed it did such a magnificent job, and she had made so many splendid memories during her time living there, that it was sad to have to abandon the place. She made a mental note to return later to teleport all of her valuables once her new home in Canterlot was constructed.

She stayed upon the roof for some time, blissfully lost in her happy memories. Finally, she took off and descended to the ground, right in front of the bridge leading across the ravine. Lighting her horn, she undid the knots securing the bridge to the two posts, letting it fall into the misty depths below. A distant clatter indicated it had hit the rocks on the other side. It was a torpid solution to keep ponies away from the castle, but it would help get the message across to keep away, at least.

Celestia then took off into the sky once again, bound for Canterlot. The mountain city looked placant from a distance, but she knew, somewhere within its majestic architecture, there was a crowd of anxious citizens bombarding her poor Guard with questions about where their missing princesses were. She needed to think up a convincing half-truth explaining why both Luna and Solis were gone. In spite of Luna’s utter betrayal of Equestria, never could Celestia let her sister’s name live in infamy forever. The same was true for her son, even if he might have preferred that such a fate befall his reputation in light of his plan. Celestia would see to it that they were both loved by Equestria from now until its eventual end, even if she alone knew the truth.

As she neared Canterlot, she spotted the crowd of anxious citizens in front of the magic research facility. On the front lawn, she saw a number of Day and Night guards blocking off entrance to the facility, Captains Tricolt and Nightcanter front and center. Celestia briefly wondered whether everypony in the crowd still thought that Solis was inside, if they were still gathered around in front. She would not put it past her son to make a stealthy exit so as not to draw the crowd toward Everfree Castle, and risk disturbing her as a result.

One of the citizens caught sight of her as he turned around, immediately drawing the rest of the crowd’s attention to Celestia as she swooped down low.

“Princess Celestia yet lives!”

“Huzzah!”

“All is well!”

Celestia ignored the crowd’s ecstatic chatter as she came to land in front of the guards, who immediately fell into their expected bows.

“You may rise,” she said, and they all complied. She turned to regard the ecstatic crowd with amused curiosity for a moment before turning to the two captains. “Is everything well, Tricolt? Nightcanter?”

The two of them nodded their affirmatives. “The crowd has been here for the past few days, your highness,” Tricolt explained. “They have feared you ill and on your deathbed, and the added uncertainty over the shadow upon the moon’s surface has done nothing to ease their concerns.”

Celestia nodded. “I imagine so.”

“What shall we do to placate them, your highness?” Nightcanter asked, a small frown crossing his muzzle as he turned to the crowd with a worried expression. “They are quite persistent.”

Celestia smiled. With a mighty flap of her wings, she launched into the air, while the crowd followed her flight with awed expressions. She made to aim for the tallest height of the research facility, but a ruling voice in her mind said that was unnecessary, She decided to follow it, instead perching atop one of the lower roofs before turning to face the crowd below with a warm smile.

“Citizens of Equestria! Thy princess of the day hath arrived!”

A thunderous cheer rose from the crowd while they furiously stomped their hooves to show their elation. Celestia’s heart sank knowing that the utter joy expressed by them was about to be crushed by what she was about to say.

“But it is Our–” she paused, realization taking root in her mind, “–my regret to inform everypony that a great tragedy has befallen Equestria.”

She heard a few resulting gasps and murmurs from the crowd. Here it came…

“My dear sister and son, Princess Luna and Prince Solis, respectively… are no longer with us. They are… gone.”

The reaction Celestia got was more or less what she expected. Initial confusion gave way to a growing understanding as every pony in the crowd discerned the hidden meaning behind Celestia’s words. Celestia made another mental note to make her guards swear secrecy surrounding the truth behind their disappearances. She would also need to swear Malefic's friends to secrecy, as well. She only hoped Ia and Soothing would understand and agree with her reasoning.

Once the crowd had settled down enough, she continued speaking.

“The pony responsible for their passing has been punished befitting their crime.” She gestured up to the moon. “From now until the end of time, the nefarious Nightmare Moon shall remain imprisoned within the moon, forced to an eternity of isolation where she can do no harm.”

Soft cheers of praise rose from the crowd. Celestia kept her gaze upon the moon, and the dark shadow of her sister emblazoned upon it. She wondered if Nightmare Moon could hear everything she was saying.

Satisfied with Celestia’s explanation, most of the crowd now began to disperse. Those that stayed behind had their heads either downcast or were staring at some far off point in their minds’ eyes, likely mourning the loss of two of Equestria’s rulers. As much pain as they were feeling, however, Celestia knew hers surpassed all of theirs’ combined. If not now, then at some point in the future.

Her subjects would all live mortal lives. They would eat, sleep, laugh, cry, and sometimes argue with one another as they lived their lives moment by moment, eventually succumbing to death and passing away from this world. As time passed, and everypony currently living would die, future generations would hear stories of how Equestria was ruled by two princesses and one ascended prince. But because they had no attachment to Princess Luna or Prince Solis, they would feel no heartache knowing they had both ‘died’.

But Celestia was immortal, or as close as made no difference. Forever would she bear the pain of having to banish Luna after her own ignorance blinded her to her sister’s troubles. Every day, when she would look up at the moon to set it on its intended path, she would feel a sharp lance of pain in her heart in remembrance of Luna’s horrifying transformation into the monster that called itself Nightmare Moon. The additional pain of losing Malefic would make things worse still for her, but it would be lessened by the knowledge that, at the very least, her son had finally found his purpose. The pain would forever eat at her heart, but she knew she needed to overcome it.

For her little ponies’ sake.

Eventually, the rest of the crowd dispersed. Celestia hopped off the roof and flew down to land before her guards, who all looked quite relieved to finally have the crowd off their backs. “Thank you, your highness,” Tricolt said, bowing, to which the others followed suit.

Celestia nodded. “You are welcome.”

“What happens now?” Nightcanter asked, and every single guard looked to Celestia expectantly.

“Construction will begin of a new castle here in Canterlot,” she said immediately, her tone exceedingly firm. “Nothing else should change much, except…” She paused, casting Nightcanter a brief, sympathetic glance. “... Both the Day and Night Guard fall under my sole command.”

Nightcanter shifted uncomfortably in response. Celestia always wondered if he truly had ever gotten over his affection for her sister. If not, then his pain over losing Luna was quite possibly rivaled her own.

She smiled, and wrapped a wing over his withers before nuzzling him. Nightcanter’s body tensed in response, no doubt not expecting to receive such an intimate touch from his charge. He looked up into her eyes, and after a moment he visibly relaxed, smiling himself and nodding his thanks.

Celestia nodded in turn, and retracted her wing.

“Shall I contact some artisans to begin making preparations for the new palace?” Tricolt asked.

“Yes, please do,” Celestia answered. She turned to the rest of the guards. “You are all dismissed.”

While the rest of the guards dispersed, heading out to patrol the research facility, Tricolt made his way inside to draft some letters. He passed by Soothing, Ia, and Summer Scape in the entrance, who stopped to stare at Celestia. She returned their gaze, and for a long moment they all stared with neutral expressions, saying nothing. And yet, Celestia knew what was going on in all their minds spoke volumes more than any verbal words could ever hope to achieve.

Eventually, Celestia broke their gaze, settling down on the grass with her hooves folded, staring up at the sky, lost in her thoughts. Thoughts about how she would run the government by herself. How she would deal with the inevitable flood of angry foreign leaders over the extended night last week. But most of all, she thought about the future of Equestria, and whether it would grow and develop into the one she had always desired.

Only time would tell.