//------------------------------// // The Sun and her stars // Story: Precious Moments // by Indulgence //------------------------------// A hushed silence fell amongst the assembled ranks, but moments before at the height of excited noise, rapid voices firing back and forth in anticipation. The crowded rows equally instantly became still, becoming statuesque on their hooves, yet remaining internally buzzing in their places. This hush then became an awed exhale of breath as high above them a pair of stained glass doorways (on which all eyes were focused) slid open and the Sun stepped out from her pointed tower onto a balcony set in her palace’s untarnished marble walls. As a single voice a cheer ran amongst and rose from everypony, before equally organically slipping back into collective quiet, pre-empting what they all waited for. On her podium Princess Celestia stood resplendent, the pale stripes of her hair constantly flowing away from her in a non-existent breeze, whilst the gilded gemstones of her royal jewellery shone outward with her day’s fading light. In fact from her high peak the entirety of her pure white form seemed to shine, as if she were a beacon at the apex of the imperial capital, itself the guiding centre for her realm. She was a constant, an ever-present gleam in the sky, casting wide her rays that none would be kept from their caring warmth. She was always watching over everypony, always on hoof as their protector. In this way she was the bedrock, the foundation, on which others could confidently build, not forcefully so, but rather as a supportive safety net in which all put their trust. With this reality it was a good thing that at that moment she was placed far from her audience, tonight her imperious façade falling just short of covering what lay within. Below the princess her audience expectantly waited as an unblinking sea of stares, all bearing up at her. That they had her infinite care could not be doubted, the ceremony they were awaiting standing as testament to all that she had and would sacrifice for them. To a large extent it was what she was but, contrary to popular belief, this did not excise all doubts from her being. Reigning in a sigh before it could fully form she returned her thoughts to her duty and focused herself to that purpose, a golden aura forming about her horn as her face creased in concentration. At her call she felt the pull of her solar charge to which she was linked, tucking it away beyond the horizon and in tandem in its place she pulled up its twin, glowing silver with reflected light: her sister’s prison. Cheering abounded, rising from beneath with the cratered body which settled to fill the sky as a monument (but not one that its keeper could find any pride in), the swell of praise filled shouts bringing her nothing. To them however she managed to smile and bow on cue and then not too soon she could take her leave, retreating back to whence she came. Celestia let her magic pull closed the glass doors now at her back, but even beyond more prying eyes she could not yet hang up her regal image. There were still others that had to be sent away first, no matter the guardianship meant to be entailed in their presence. ‘Thank you captain, you and your force are dismissed for the evening.’ ‘Of course majesty’ an elite officer replied unquestioningly with a salute, turning to the quintet of his equally gold armour clad compatriots and nodding them away to the bedchamber’s doorway. ‘Goodnight your highness.’ Finally with their departure the sovereign was allowed to expel a long held in sigh, casting aside with its inner tension her royal regalia. Her hooves stepped from their heavy golden shoes, all of which added permanently unwanted extra height over subjects, whilst her weighty crown and bejewelled chestplate were also lifted away by her telekinesis, leaving her at least freed from their cold as well as leaden grasp. She took in the familiar sight of her room, purple eyes going first to land on her desk, falling on a mountainous pile of scrolls. ‘Buck no’ she cursed to herself, only just resisting the considerable urge to conjure flames and incinerate the whole heap. Even here, in what was supposedly her most private annex, the undefeatable legions of officialdom could not be deterred from invasion. Rather than despair her gaze moved further to the far more enticing pillowed expanse of her bed but, although weary to say the least, she knew that she was not yet tired enough to be granted sleep. Instead she was restless, un-tempted either by the space before a roaring fire covered in cushions, a tome there also sitting idle, its escapist contents long since finished. That gave her pause for thought, bringing with it if nothing else the chance to stretch her legs a bit before turning in. Mind set, Celestia on autopilot took a few steps toward bedroom door before being halted as she remembered the dozen or so sentries posted in the corridor beyond. Her want of space was always a guilty one, not ultimately resenting the constant presence of her relatively few guards, many of whom were in the vast minority of those who were close by rank and actually friends (so unlike most who filled the princess’ almost cyclical existence within the palace’s walls). The majority of many days were studded with the incessant demands of nobles and petitioners which, though she would always listen to the needs of her subjects, could be draining to say the least. Right now however she wanted to switch off and, despite their caring for her as far more than a simple charge, a marching cordon in full battledress could only seem as a hindrance to this desire. She therefore quietly switched off the nullifying field which surrounded her quarters and, sparking up her magic once more unhindered, blinked from the room. In a burst of gold Celestia found herself re-materialised elsewhere in the palace, a pathway of pooling moonlight stretching away both in front and behind, pouring through opposing walls of stained glass panes. Requiring only a moment to brush aside a single lock of ethereal fringe that had fallen in transit (such short range teleportation being mere foals’ play for one such as she) she immediately set off down the hallway. She consciously ignored her surroundings in her passage, despite their great beauty, keeping her eyes averted from the shining full colour depictions of the past. It was as if her history were pursuing her, until finally she escaped them, slipping into the safety of the library. Celestia’s nostrils flared in a relief filled inhale as she was comfortingly enveloped in the fustiness of old manuscripts, all as much as the space they inhabited constituting a world apart, somehow able to seem as timeless as she was. Her hoofsteps were allowed to slow and she was set to strolling between the stacks, not yet truly searching their contents but rather just simply drifting leisurely, making her way steadily towards the library’s centre. For a while there was silence, scarlet rugs muting her hoof-falls, but as she reached a final bend in her tome lined path she became aware of a deep breathing other than her own somewhere ahead, initially startled by the unknown noise. Completely un-alicornlike, Celestia crept forward, more intrigued than concerned as to the sound’s source as she peeked round the shelves’ corner. Initially she confusingly saw nothing, gaze panning over a nexus of reading desks and their associated seats as well as circles of sofas, no lights being on to suggest any other pony in the room. In a second sweep however she did spot something out of place: a single book sat open on a table before a high-backed chair. Still sneaking she came up behind the tall piece of furniture, peeking over it and to her surprise finding a tiny purple shape curled up in its cushions. In recognition her face, which had been lightly frowning, became a wide smile. The snoozing unicorn filly, seemingly long settled in place, with hooves tucked up beneath her to stave off the night’s chill, was of course Twilight Sparkle. It had only been earlier that week that she had granted her faithful student free reign of her library (the thought of the filly’s ecstatic reactions as she skipped through the rows making the princess beam all the broader), so she should really have predicted eventually finding the knowledge hungry pupil ensconced there. Unsure of how long she remained there in happy reminiscence, Celestia was awoken as a shiver passed across the filly’s form, fur bristling against the night’s cold. Without thinking, merely acting on instinct, the princess enwrapped the small purple shape in a golden corona, gently lifting Twilight from the seat and gliding her to the crook of a now raised forelimb which proceeded to hold her supportively against the alicorn’s breast. Having landed on her back the filly now rolled inward onto her side. Her back and neck curled to the contour of her new mattress, whilst her forehooves kneaded against her new pillow (lacking its usual armoured cover) before tucking themselves in also, a contented smile breaking across her features in her sleep, enjoying the hug’s warmth. What are you doing? Celestia looked down at the form so quickly nestled in her forehoof. It was perfectly clear what she was doing, in spite of her mind’s foalish question to the contrary. Not wanting to see the young unicorn remain cold she had scooped her up, but with that said the embrace seemed to bear more than that simple conclusion. ‘It’s definitely time you were in bed little one’ she whispered with a loving nuzzle. She retraced her way back through the stacked shelving, easily forgetting the why of her originally coming to the library as she walked straight back out again, although not empty hooved. If she had wanted to the alicorn could have quite readily have repeated her quite academic spell of teleportation, but at that moment she much preferred, almost selfishly, to stroll with her precious burden still held tight against her. Her pace was slow, considered, as in turn she was considering, in transit toward one of the castle’s multitude of guest rooms. One could not be the ruler of a great nation for multiple millennia without maintaining a frank honesty with oneself, but she had to confess that this was one area in which she found it hard to do so. You’ve pretty much been running Equestria singlehoofed, so what time has there been for anything else? ‘Not wholly true, there have been chances, maybe, but then again they would have entailed letting somepony in.’ The filly in her possessive hug shifted, arching her back as she stretched out and then nuzzling back into the white fur before her contented form, drawing Celestia’s eyes. Why was the purple unicorn here, given access to a library of priceless tomes to which innumerable scholars in contrast had been denied, and in turn why did she have her own chamber set aside in the palace if required? Twilight was the Sun’s star pupil, already gifted beyond measure and surely destined for greatness, but in the all too frequent and prolonged absences of her “true” parents there seemed to be far more than simply that between her and her mentor. The student was not the teacher’s foal, nor she a mother although she was frequently interpreted as symbolically such by her subjects. They did however share this bond in kind, Celestia herself feeling all the protectiveness and pride to rival any mum, both of which shone as she carried her most precious charge the last few steps in their journey, her magic drawing wide a final doorway as they passed through it. Inside, the star covered quilting of a bed (most prominent of the lushly furnished room’s features) opened at the monarch’s approach and then rolled back up instantly in place, snuggly enfolding the small unicorn set down within them, head laid lightly against its copious pillows. Despite the care with which she was placed, Twilight still seemed to notice the change in state on impulse, whining faintly as she rolled about trying to get back to her previous level of comfort. To this Celestia found herself quietly shushing the agitated filly, hoof going to soothingly stroke straight the pink and lilac stripes of the little one’s mane as she did so. In return to these soft attentions the unicorn again relaxed, melting back into contentment, and (after taking a few indulgent moments more) allowing her mentor to turn away in departure. ‘Princess?’ Celestia froze, the tiny timid voice managing despite its size to root her in place before spinning her on the spot, a pair of shining violet irises peering out at her from a cocoon of blankets, half-lidded by fatigue. ‘What time is it?’ the voice continued, fighting through a yawn as its owner rubbed her eyes in speaking. ‘Late’ Celestia answered, warmth in tone blunting the directness of her speech, ‘you dozed off in the library.’ ‘Oh… sorry.’ Guilt flared in Twilight’s voice alongside an embarrassed hue across her cheeks. In reply the princess merely shook her head with a smile, there being no need for the apology, let alone there being generally nothing that Celestia could be able to hold blame against her pupil for. ‘It is however definitely time you got some real rest though.’ ‘I know but… please could you read me a story first, just to get me back to sleep? The sedative effects of the spoken word are well documented’ she added factually, to her teacher’s amusement. ‘Of course’ Celestia again nodded, it being questionable whether she was capable of refusing the puppy-eyed face before her even if she had wanted to. ‘Which one would you like?’ A purple glow bubbled up from amongst the bed’s cushions, illuminating its tired but resistant occupant, moving to clumsily search about the contents of a shelf recessed to one side. Having made its selection this aura struggled to pull forth a large book until a golden magic moved to help, lifting up the tome’s burden and re-righting those others shifted in the search. ‘Okay, settle yourself down.’ Initially Twilight seemed to defy her mentor, instead shuffling about further as she dived amongst her bedding. After this however she resurfaced with the object she sought, the partially moth-eaten and single button eyed shape of Smarty Pants, now clutched in her hooves as she nestled herself back at the top of her covers, both she and her soft toy companion peeking out expectantly. Celestia meanwhile drew to her a pair of beanbags into which she happily sprawled, making herself comfortable as she rose the chosen story up in front of her. ‘Once upon a time…’ --- ‘…the end.’ The Princess of the Sun concluded her performance, closing shut and laying aside her script to the sound of heavy breathing interspersed with the occasional faint snore from her audience. This was no insult, but rather a deep form of compliment, marking a trust and relaxed normality between them. Celestia now finally found herself yawning, at last enamoured with the idea of bed. She did not however have any want to move from where she was, so instead stretched out further across the dense floor cushions at her back, summoning forth a blanket to drape her form. In the morning she could figure out anything which might come of this decision, for now though she was content. As her tired eyes began to flutter closed, the princess absently took a last look at the sleeping unicorn just above her on the bed, as if instinctively checking on her a final time. The alicorn’s foresight could only show her so much, but from what could be discerned the gifted filly’s future was aglow. Exactly how bright Twilight would shine was unclear, how far she would go and how much she would achieve, but whatever the fates might hold Celestia’s mind was made up. As it stood she had two failures marked marring against her name, the second a clear mirror to the vast potential lying beside her in the room, both by far eclipsing anything else she may have achieved. There would not be a third. She would be there to give this one every opportunity to fly far and she would be there to support her no matter how distant this flight became because… because there was nothing else that she wanted more.