...Rain pattered against intricate stained glass windows, and drummed audibly upon the roof of the great throne room. Outside the night sky was obscured by the thick layers of rainclouds, the rain coming down from them in thin sheets, coating the normal view from the window in a haze. Several hearths along the walls of the throne room burned steadily, the many fires filling the hall with a pleasant warmth, and the normal snapping and crackling of the fires was drowned out by the sound of rain. A single mare, draped in a cape of the richest fabrics stood near one of the great windows, watching the raindrops running down the intricate patterns of the glass. She couldn't help but smile; nights like this were perfect. She turned, and made her way through a pair of double doors settled in the back corner of the throne room. She walked slowly through the corridors of the castle, her gaze still locked onto any window she passed, and the raindrops making their swift dashes down the glass. Guards acknowledged her with a small, curt nod. Servants that were still up bowed as she passed, or uttered swift greetings: "My Queen" and "Majesty" being the most common. Down halls, through doors and up stairs she went, until she finally reached yet another set of arched double doors, flanked on either side by unicorn guards. She smiled to one as he wordlessly opened the door for her. She entered the suite of rooms that were of her own and those of her foals. The central parlor was richly furnished and decorated, with another set of doors leading out to a balcony.
She turned towards the doors leading to the bedroom shared by her and her husband, who was now most probably asleep. Suddenly, her ear swiveled as she heard a small, almost tentative knock. She instinctively turned towards the doors she entered from, but realized with a start that the knocking wasn't coming from that direction. She turned then towards the doors leading to the balcony. The small knocks repeated, and were indeed from those doors. The mare moved towards the doors cautiously, coming close before stopping and calling out;
"Who's there?" A short, tense silence ensued, before a voice answered.
"'Tis I, my queen." The voice was quiet and unmistakably belonging to a stallion, but held an indescribable amount of power. The Queen tentatively raised the lock upon one of the doors, and opened it slowly with a flare of magic. On the other side of the threshold was the silhouette of a huge, regal stallion, who had to bend slightly to look in through the open door. The Queen gasped and rushed towards the door.
"Novus? Doth my eyes deceive me? For what reason art thou here?" The stallion stepped in through the door, into the parlor. His coat resembled the night sky itself. His whole body, from fetlock to end of flowing mane, was almost ethereal . His flank was adorned with a cutie mark of a solar eclipse. And despite the weather, he was perfectly dry. As he stood up straighter, he stood far taller than the Queen. His head bowed as he regarded her.
"Queen Platinum." Was all he said. With a passing glance, he let a flare of deep blue magic course through his long horn and quietly shut the doors to the balcony. The Queen looked at him critically, his face held no joy, indeed, it held a deep sort of sadness. Novus shifted somewhat uncomfortably. The Queen walked over to a cushioned seat and positioned herself upon it so that she faced the newcomer.
"Well, Novus, how art thou going to explain entering my castle at this time of night?" She asked curtly. Novus looked about a bit nervously, rustling the ethereal feathers of his wings. He looked about ready to say something when Platinum interjected. "And, do think not upon standing upon formality. I may be Queen, but thou art an Alicorn." Novus nodded slightly, before settling down on the carpeted floor.
"My-ah-Platinum. Forgive me, but I must discuss a somewhat... uncomfortable matter with thou. There... there hath been a calling." Platinum screwed up her face a bit.
"A what? Novus, thou speaketh in a manner I am not familiar with."
Meanwhile, a young unicorn filly peered through a cracked door into the parlor where her mother sat. She could hear a conversation, but could neither hear or see with whom her mother was speaking. She could only make out muffled speech to tell her that there was another pony in the room. Was it father? She wasn't sure. She stuck her tongue out in concentration, trying to get a better view of the room beyond without opening her door too much. A small voice from behind broke her momentarily from this task.
"S-sis? What art thou doing?" The young unicorn spun around to see another young filly. This one was younger, and possessed a coat of midnight blue with a light blue mane. A blanket trailed behind her that was many times her length, and she was rubbing sleep from one of her eyes with a hoof. The slightly older one brushed her pink mane from her face and looked down at her sibling.
"'Tis nothing, only a visitor with whom mother is speaking. I wish to hear the conversation." She returned to looking through the crack in the door. "Besides, thou ought be sleeping." The younger furrowed her brow.
"So ought thou, sister." The older spun around.
"Sh-shh! I can almost hear what mother is saying!" She spun back, and pressed her ear to the wood of the door. She still could only hardly make out what the visitor was saying, but she thought the voice sounded very familiar.
"What? Thou art saying that-" Her mother said in a shocked voice. A muffled reply came from the visitor. "Th-then, which one was-" again, another muffled reply that interrupted her mother. Whoever this visitor was, they seemed a little rude.
"Can I listen in as well, dear sister?" The younger filly asked in an excited whisper. The older sighed.
"I am sorry to trouble thou with such news at this time of day. However, it seems thou doth understand my urgency." Novus said quietly. Queen Platinum stared at the ground in shock, her previous position shifted and royal manners forgotten. She opened her mouth to speak when one of the bedroom doors suddenly swung open and two young fillies, one white and one dark blue, tumbled out. Platinum stood at once, suddenly recalling her royal standing.
"What art thou doing out of bed?" She snapped. The younger looked up with a sad expression, which was immediately lost in one of joy.
"Uncle Novus! What art thou doing here?" She squeaked happily. The small, dark blue filly raced over to where the ethereal alicorn sat and nuzzled his side. Novus gave a small, genuine smile and returned the filly's gestures. The older one lifted herself off the floor and rubbed her head with a hoof. She looked over curiously to where Novus sat and then to her mother.
"Mother, why is Novus here?" To which Novus replied in his quiet, yet powerful voice;
"'Tis a matter I shall discuss with you later, young Celestia. Now, young Luna," he said, looking towards the small blue unicorn. "Thou ought make thy way to thine bed. And thou as well, Celestia. After I raise the sun, I shall return and speak with thou both on some very important matters." Celestia seemed content with this, and bid her mother goodnight as she walked back through her bedroom door. She looked back after her sister to see Luna curled up, asleep on Novus's back. The alicorn smiled, and lifted the sleeping filly carefully with his magic. He levitated her into her bed, moving the covers over her before bidding goodnight to Celestia and telling her to follow her sister's example. Celestia watched as her mother shared a few indistinguishable words with the alicorn before slowly shutting the door to Celestia and Luna's bedroom.
Left alone in the dark, listening to the sound of rain patter against her shuttered window, Celestia wondered what Novus, the keeper of night and day, would be doing at her family's castle in the dead of night. Certainly, the alicorn kept close contact with the ruling unicorn family since their arrival in Equestria almost a century ago. He kept contact with the leader of all of the tribes, even as they were united under a single banner now. After all, Novus seemed to be parts of all the pony races. He had the strong build of an earth pony, the wings of a pegasus, the horn of a unicorn, and then the size and appearance of something else entirely. Celestia looked out her window, into the forests below and beyond, and wondered just what Novus was doing that night. The thought troubled the young princess until the soft lullaby of the rain sent her into a deep slumber.