//------------------------------//
// Nº 7: ACT 1 
// Story: My Only Sunshine 
// by CoffeeBean 
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Act 1




"What we could eat was wonderful, dear Chef. The salad was of such grand flavor and texture, that sandwich graced our tongue with more flavor than any other we hath tasted, and these green beans, much like the ones prepared by thy skilled hoof a day ago, art cooked to perfection. Thy title is truly earned."

Cold Cut gave a hearty giggle, waving her hoof in dismissal. "Oh, Princess Celestia! Yer too kind!"

Celestia shook her head. "We art not. Our praise is much deserved, and very sincere."

"Oh, well, I'm just glad tha' ya liked it! It's a shame yer still not feelin' good, if ya were, I'da brough' some dessert."

Celestia smiled, "We art quite glad thee did not. We thank thee for thy concern."

"Eh, woul' ya like me to take yer plate?"

"Aye; we art done."

With that, Cold Cut lifted the plate, which still sat with quite some food left, from the carpet before Celestia and turned for the kitchen entrance. Celestia looked over to Iris, who stood almost at attention as a guard would some distance to her side by the table.

"Iris, we wish for thee to do something."

Iris' horn began glowing as she re-cast her spell to block sound from leaking into the hall. "Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Find us a saddle bag; preferably one of good size. It's style doth not matter."

Iris raised a brow. "May I ask why, Your Majesty? That's a bit of an odd request."

"For... Philomena. Something to make her travel with us a little more comfortable."

Philomena chirped, cocking her head at Celestia.

"Oh, aye; thy talons sometimes jab us."

Philomena gave a low squawk, seemingly upset. Without a departing word, Iris turned for the exit as she dropped her spell, causing Celestia to rap her hoof hard against the floor. Iris turned to see Celestia shake her head, aiming her hoof back towards the door. It took a moment’s pause for Iris to understand the signal, and she nodded as her horn re-cast the soundproofing spell, turning back and walking to her previous place by the table.

“We art not done with thee, or Chef Cold Cut.” Celestia brought her gaze to Philomena, who was currently occupied with preening herself. “Dear Philomena, bring thyself.”

In compliance, she dropped from her perch atop the table, slowing her descent with a few hard flaps and hobbling to Celestia, who brought the Phoenix close and nuzzled her.

Celestia brought her voice to a whisper. “Thy talons hath never once hurt us. T’was fabrication.”

As the little embrace broke, Philomena peeped in relief, her beak seeming to form a smile.

“Ah, well, I didn’ know if ya wouldn’ wan’ it er not, but I brough’ ya some nice, hot tea. I hope ya like it sweet, ‘cause I used honey instea’ of sugar to make it smooth!” chimed Cold Cut as she re-appeared through the kitchen entrance, her magic holding a steaming mug, a little spoon too being held in her aura as it stirred the brew.

“Oh! Of course, such a drink sounds wonderful!” Cold Cut placed the mug before Celestia, who eyed the vessel before looking back to the Chef. “We do like our treats sweet. Thank thee, dear Chef.”

“Oh, I quite like it when ya call me tha’, Princess Celestia”

“You two get along quite well.” commented Iris.

Celestia smiled. “Aye, we do indeed.”

“Wha’s not to like abou’ Princess Celestia? 

Iris suddenly felt the weight of both their gazes, Celestia and the Chef seeming to look to her in anticipation of an answer.

“I-uh, well, she did call me a rodent the first night she had been back.”

Cold Cut laughed, looking down to Celestia. “Did ya really?”

“Aye. We were… very unhappy during that time.”

“Well, ya should apologize to Iris! She’s far from a rodent.”

Celestia blushed nervously, looking to Iris. “We do apologize for our previously scathing nature… we felt quite horrible after we hadst been so rude to both thyself and those around us that day, but we were never given chance to express our displeasure in our own actions.”

“That… was a very sincere apology for something so minor, Your Majesty.” 

“Minor, t’was not. We set a precedence that day for how our person should be looked upon, and we did not create a good image. That said, the guards always seemed cheerful and genial towards us, despite the fact we represent a threat to their known and most likely preferred way of life.”

Iris scrunched her nose in one direction, a corner of her mouth raising as she gave a little sound of disagreement. “While you were a little rude, you did show everypony that you meant business, and that you demanded respect. Some of the guards were apprehensive about approaching you after you completely shot down Corporal High Night.”

“High Night; be that the name of the guard we snapped at in the dining hall?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“If thy presence is ever met with his, do give him our apologies.”

“Understood, Your Majesty.”

Celestia looked at Iris for a moment. “Thou may call us by our proper name as our dear Chef does, if thee doth so wish.”

“You’d like me to call you ‘Princess Celestia’?”

“Aye.”

Iris smiled. “Understood, Princess Celestia. Uh, do you want me to get that bag for you now?”

“Nay, we still need thy spell.” Celestia looked to the Chef. “Dear Chef; we would like for thee to bring us a substantial quantity of food that is fit for travel and shalt stay good for some time.”

Cold Cut raised a brow. “Odd request, Princess Celestia, but I’ll see wha’ I can dig up.”

“Lovely.”

As the Chef departed, Iris looked back to Celestia. “Princess Celestia, do you mind me asking why you need food?”

“One would perish without it.”

Iris chuckled. “I meant why you need your own supply.”

“We shalt stock our kitchen with it.”

Iris paused. "You wanted the food to be fit for travel."

Celestia looked over to Iris. "Aye, we did."

She paused again. "You've got something planned, don't you?"

"Nay, we simply wish to have our own stock of victuals. We hath a kitchen, why not use it? The bag we requested from thee shalt too be used in the carrying of our items; hence our request for them to be of easy transport."

"You said the bag was for Philomena, you never said it was for carrying food."

Celestia's eyes narrowed. "Thou art tenacious."

"Yes, I am. It's my job to question the actions of my superiors."

"We art not a ruler."

"Within my lifetime, you will be."

Celestia looked away. "We hope to be. Mind thee... we wish to not be the sole ruler. Our sister belongs at our side, and we belong at hers, but we do not know whether to think our once loving, young-minded sister still lives within the traitor."

"I agree with you when you say that she isn't normal. There's something different making her tick."

Celestia looked back, perking up. "Thou do think so? Doth thee believe something could be done to... to make her as she was in our past?"

Iris shifted on her front hooves. "I, don't quite know. I'm not really an expert in magic, and things of the sort. But... I do think the sister you once loved hasn't left as you think she has. Miss Moon fancies herself as a toughie, but she's horribly soft once you get to know her. You instantly bring out the soft side of her unlike anypony I've ever seen. I think tonight was maybe the second time I've ever seen her cry."

"I had to dig pretty deep into the pantry to fin' wha' ya were lookin' fer, but I think I got some things tha'll make ya quite happy!" called Chef Cold Cut as she re-entered the dining room, many different items floating in her magic; two stacks of multi-colored cylinders catching Celestia's eye almost instantly.

"The tubes, what be they?" 

"Oh, I got two baguettes, some-"

Celestia smiled. "We know what bread is. We mean the two stacks of tubes held by thy spell."

"The cans of soup?"

Celestia raised a brow. "They... contain soup?"

"O'course; they're cans. Do... ya not know wha' a 'can' is?"

"Nay... there art many things in this world new to us."

"Well, ya use this little twisty thing here." the Chef's spell held up an unknown device and took one of the 'cans' from the stack. "And ya set it on here like this, give it a few twists until it goes all'th way aroun'." much to Celestia's surprise the shiny, clearly metallic top of the can came off with ease to reveal that a creamy potato soup was inside the vessel. "And ya got soup!"

Celestia blinked at the can, then moving her sight to the Chef. "And this can be consumed?"

"Ya gotta heat it up first, but yeah."

"Wha... we-"

"I know, it's pretty darn cool, innit?"

"Aye... 'darn cool'."

The Chef chuckled heartily, looking back to the other items she had brought. "Anywho, I got ya a good collection of different canned soups, some canned green beans, which, if ya'd like, I can show ya how to make 'em real nice, the two baguettes and some jelly and butter in case ya'd like to make some toast."

"How long would this much food last us?"

"Ya don' really eat a lo', do ya?"

"Nay... not currently."

"Well, I got ya 10 cans of soup, and 2 cans of green beans... so I'd say a good week. So, where are ya plannin' on runnin' off to?"

Celestia frowned. "We art not 'running off' to anywhere."

The Chef laughed. "Aye, an' I'm no' a chef! Come on, where do ya plan on goin'?"

Celestia sighed, her gaze going from the chef to Iris, then back. "We... plan on returning to our old home. Our dreams take us there, and we hath hallucinated of being home... something calls us there. Be it our shattered magic, damaged mind, or a simple longing of the past, we need to be there once more."

"Yer quite the rebellious spirit, ya know tha'? Fer bein' a Princess, it seems like ya don' quite enjoy following the norm."

Celestia chuckled. "Our younger years prove thy words. We were the one to set standards, yet we never followed them. We were the one to create laws, yet we often disobeyed our own decrees. We hath never been told what to do or how to do it, nor hath we ever enjoyed having others tell us how to live. Fought many battles, we hath, for our own freedom, be it against the God of Chaos Discord, the tyrant King Sombra, that spawn of Tartarus Tirek, or any other. Now, it seems we fight against our own blood and heart for freedom. Something we never conceived possible. Maybe we art a fool for thinking the relationship once shared with our sister to be impenetrable."

"Ya don' have to fight her, Princess Celestia. Like I said, ya jus' need t'be a little patient, tha's all."

"Like it or not, dear Chef, this is a fight. One that shalt not be won with magic as they have been in the past. We... hath nay idea how this fight shalt be fought or won."

"This fight will be won when you raise the sun, Princess Celestia." spoke Iris.

"We think the sun's rising shalt only be the start. We still know not how the ponies of this world feel towards the sun. They hath been ignorant of it's blinding light and heat for a full 700 years."

"From what I've heard around the castle, it's about 50/50. Some would like it know what the sun feels like, others think it would ruin the world. If... I were totally honest, Princess Celestia, I'd say I'm a little fearful of what might happen when you raise the sun. Magic works a lot differently within the earth, and I know that light magic, which is what you use and what the sun provides, isn't very active anymore. What if the sun comes up, and it causes crops to die? I-I don't really think it will, but, these are concerns lots of us have, especially as a Nocturn."

"The sun is what causes crops to flourish, not die."

"I understand that fully, but things are different now. And, once again, as a Nocturn I'm a little concerned about how... bright the sun would be. My eyes are pretty sensitive to bright lights, like your lantern... as much as I'd love to know what the day time was like, it seems like it would be really bright."

"Thou speak for thy kind when thou say so, correct?"

"Yes."

Celestia sighed. "The day was something the Nocturn lived with many years ago, why can they not live with it again? Thy kind is only 20 percent of Equestria's total population, what about the other 80 percent?"

"While we aren't by any means a majority, Nocturn hold nearly every high-ranking position in the Government and Military. Every single male Nocturn is part of the Royal Equestrian Guard in some form or fashion, and a fair percentage of females are part of the Guard as reservists. Nocturn are a ruling minority, and... I don't mean to sound disrespectful at all, Princess, but I don't think it would be smart of you to disregard how we Nocturn view things."

Celestia held her silence for a moment, her gaze remaining locked with Iris' for a time before moving away as she thought. 

"If... thy kind were to truly see me as a threat to their homes and their way of life, they would not hesitate to take action, would they?"

"No, Princess. We wouldn't. That's how we Nocturn are. We're... like you in a sense. We've never let anything stand in the way of what we see as being right, and we've never let anything hold us from freedom."

"Aye; like us, thou art. Iris, be very honest; if the sun were to rise right now, would the Nocturn form against us?"

Iris looked a little surprised. "I-I, well... I don't think so. If the sun being up caused problems, certainly, but if it simply brought light and warmth... I don't think so."

"Thou do realize that the sun is only temporary, aye?"

Iris raised a brow. "What... do you mean?"

"We mean that the sun does not remain at the sky's highest point for eternity. The sun and moon work in harmony, shedding equal amounts of light and dark, warmth and chill. Thy kind shalt still have the night to live under; the day would be when thou shalt sleep, much as it were 700 years ago."

"I... fail to see your point."

"We feel those around us forget that is how the world would be. The day would not be permanent, nor would the night."

Iris remained quiet for a second. "I know... and I think I see what you're trying to say; the day coming back wouldn't have enough time to kill crops or be damaging in any way."

"Aye."

Iris sighed. "The only real way we'd all ever know what the day returning would be like is if the day returned. The point I was trying to make, Princess, was that you should make sure you're very certain bringing the sun back would be good for the nation, and in all actuality, good for yourself."

"We appreciate thy concern." Celestia chuckled lightly. "Thou hath done an exceptional job of questioning thy superiors."

Iris smiled. "Thank you, Princess."

"Can I put all this food down now? My horn's gettin' tired..." complained Chef Cold Cut, who had been standing idly by for quite some time now.

"Aye, thou shalt release thy cargo. Iris, thou too shalt depart to find us a bag."

Iris bowed. "Right away, Princess Celestia."

Chef Cold Cut watched for a moment as Iris quit her spell and exited from the little private hall. "So, would ya like fer me to show ya how to cook up these green beans?"

"Now?"

"Why not? There's a kitchen right behind me, an' I can give ya some spices an' things to use when ya cook 'em."

Celestia smiled a she got to her hooves, "Aye, we shalt take thy offer. Never apt in the culinary arts, we were."




Celestia watched with intrigue as a heavy looking pot filled about a quarter full with water clanged to the stovetop, Chef Cold Cut's magic now opening one of the pockets down her black chef's coat to retrieve something totally foreign. The strange items was clearly made of paper and filled with sticks topped by some sort of red material.

"What be held in thy magic?" inquired Celestia as she leaned closer, eyeing the booklet.

"Oh, goodness me, tha's right! Yer a little unfamiliar with things aroun' here. Well, ya got quite the kick out of the soup cans; this here's gonna blow yer mind."

With a grin the Chef's magic pulled one of the sticks free, turning the booklet over and quickly striking the red material of the stick against a brown strip on the back of the booklet. Celestia gasped as the end of the stick burst to flame, the Chef moving the now burning stick beneath the pan to bring forth even more flame. With a woosh, a purely blue flame came to life in a circle around the bottom of the pan, the entire process causing Celestia's jaw to drop as she looked on it total disbelief.

"If thou keep performing these tricks, we shalt have conniptions." commented Celestia, shaking her head. 

"Pretty cool, innit?"

"Quite the opposite; flame is not cool." returned Celestia as she turned away, heading for the door that led to the private dining room. "Philomena! Come hither! We hath incredible sights for thee!" 

A squawk came from the room, moments later Philomena landed before the entrance, Celestia lifting her friend from the floor to her back as she stepped back in.

"Chef, demonstrate thy trick once again."

"Oh, alrighty." 

A second stick was ripped from the booklet, one of four knobs along the back of the stove was turned a bit, and the stick was struck, ignited, and brought to the circular burner; pure blue flame sprouting up just as it had before. Celestia giggled, looking back to Philomena, who's head was cocked to the side.

"Incredible, aye?"

Philomena shook her head.

"Nay? Hast... thou been witness to these things before?"

Philomena gave a little chirp as she nodded.

"We forget thy presence has been within the castle for the past 700 years... we too shalt assume the cans are not amusing to thee?"

Philomena nodded, eliciting a hum from Celestia.

"No matter; Chef, please continue."

"Alrighty, wha' yer gonna do first is get this water here to a nice boil... which'll take some time." the Chef's magic brought over the already opened can of green beans. "When it's boilin', we'll drop the beans in for just a few minutes to blanch them, tha'll keep em nice and crisp just how ya like 'em."

"How long shall we wait for the water to boil?"

The Chef looked to the already steaming water. "Not too lon', I don't think. So, eh, since yer gonna be withou' a stove like this, I'll lend ya a pot and pan... and some cutlery. Ya know how to build a fire, right?" 

"Of course. We hath spent many-a-night before a roaring fire we hath constructed."

Philomena squawked, Celestia looking back to her. "Aye, and fires thou hast lit for us."

"How long have you and Philomena been together?" 

Celestia sighed in thought, cocking her head. "We... goodness. Quite some time. She hath been our companion for most of our life. When ages get past two thousand years, one begins to forget dates and numbers." Celestia chuckled. "We should estimate our time together being a fair 2000 years. We art older than that number, and Philomena made our acquaintance when we were only 400."

Chef shook her head. "Wha's it like bein' tha' old?"

Celestia paused in thought. "It is... strange. Frightening. Knowing thou shalt not have a calm end, and knowing thou shalt outlast thy friends. Thou art lucky; thou shalt end of old age, surrounded by those held closest to the heart. We, and... her, our ends will be in battle. Or so we two believe. We know not if we do have finite life. Maybe this sickness ailing us is a sudden old age taking its grip."

Chef offered a hum in response as she turned her attention back to the now boiling water. "Right, now; we'll drop the green beans in." The can floated up and its contents were emptied into the water with a splash. "And, we'll add a little bit 'o salt, an' let em cook."

"We thank thee for offering thy knowledge to us. Food is something we quite dearly missed... despite it now being a burden."

"How's food a burden?"

"Our stomach hast rejected every meal we have had."

Chef's eyebrows raised a little, "Aye... I can see tha' bein' a burden."

Celestia offered a somewhat false smile. "Matters not. We hath dealt with it till this point, we shalt continue dealing with it."

"Ya shouldn' have to dread eatin' 'cause you'll throw it back up... nopony shoul' have to."

"It is something we live with. As we stated; matters not."

"I do think it matters, though, Princess Celestia. Honestly... I'm beginnin' to become a little mad at Her Highness won' just help ya through this by givin' yer magic back."

"We too were under the impression she was intentionally keeping us without power, but a moment ago she made a very verbose claim that she did not know how to return our powers."

Chef's eyes went wide with disbelief. "What? Tha' doesn' make a shred 'o sense to me, Celestia. I think she lied to ya."

"We art still quite undecided if she spoke truth or lie."

"I don' believe her. She's got control over the entire nation, but she can' figure ou' how to give you back yer magic?" Chef shook her head. "I don' believe her."

Celestia sighed. "We think her words were truthful. We think her implications that she possessed control over our magic before were lies. She is scared; tis very visible in her speech, movement, and gaze. Scared of us. Scared of how we shalt react to her advances and decisions... something we find quite odd. Why be fearful of us? We pose no more threat to her or this nation than a termite."

"Yer quite the imposing figure, I'd give ya tha'."

Chef turned around to take the boiling pot of green beans from the stove, moving to a large basin where a metal strainer sat, the pot's steaming contents quickly being dropped into the strainer. 

"Now comes the fun part." her magic lifted the strainer, jossling it side to side to remain most of the remaining water. "And, just to give 'em a li'l more flavor, we'll drop these into a pan with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper." 

Her magic worked quickly to follow the steps her words had laid out, the pan now being placed on the still lit burner, a dash of olive oil being swirled into the pan, the beans added, and followed with a pinch of salt and a two twists from a long, wooden device that seemed to magically produce pepper groundings.

"Wha- what was that machine? Bring it hither." inquired Celestia as she leaned closer, Chef's magic complying as the pepper grinder came back from the counter to Celestia's own spells.

"Ya jus' twist this li'l thingy up here, an' it turns a, well... twisty kind'a thing in the middle with the pepper corns, and it makes pepper dust!"

Celestia's magic repeated the steps, the wooden machine emanating a grinding, almost crunching sound as its internal mechanics worked, fine black dust falling from its end to the floor.

"Such a device is commonplace?"

"Oh, aye. There's a lo' of machines and devices now-a-days. I-I guess I've never really stopped to consider how amazing some o' this stuff really is."

"Amazing, indeed."

Chef took the pepper grinder back and turned her attention to the now sizzling beans in the pan, her magic taking the handle to shuffle them about. 

"Well, anywho; jus' give these a nice li'l searin' in the pan, make sure they get nicely coated with the oil and the pepper and wha'not, and you'll have yerself some right nice green beans!"

"Seems like quite a many steps to replicate..."

Chef paused. remembering the situation Celestia would soon be in. 

"You've got a point. Eh, well... for how you'll be prepin' things... I'd just blanch them, salt them, and call it good. They'll still be quite tasty. Heck, if ya absolutely had to, ya can jus' eat 'em out of the can."

Celestia's nose scrunched. "We shalt cook them. Raw, wet green beans do not sound appealing."

Chef's magic flipped the pan about some more. "No, they do not."

A knocking brought the duo's attention up to see Iris standing at the doorway, her hoof raised from knocking on the door frame and a fairly utilitarian looking saddlebag held in her teeth. Her hoof moved to take one of the bag's straps as she held it up.

"Princess; your saddlebag."

Celestia's magic freed the bag and levitated it the short distance across the kitchen past Chef. "Wonderful! We thank thee, Iris."

"Of course, Princess." 

"Alrighty! I'd say these are done!" chimed in Chef as she lifted the pan up, tilting its contents onto a plate she had prepped earlier. 

"Were you two in here cooking together?" 

"Aye!" "Aye." 

Iris looked across the smiling chef and Princess before her as she chuckled. "Well, I'm glad to see you're enjoying yourself with something, Princess Celestia."

Celestia hummed, nodding happily.

"Oi, Iris, have ya had anythin' to eat today?" inquired Chef as she dropped a fork to the plate of freshly cooked green beans, holding it up to her."

"Not since breakfast... I am getting hungry."

"Perfect opportunity, then!"

Iris smiled as she held out her hoof to receive the fairly large portion of green beans. "Princess Celestia, if you don't mind; I'll make my way to the proper dining hall."

"Thou art excused. We hath nay tasks for thee, and such a wonderful serving of beans seems to us an apt reward for thy gracious service!"

Iris chuckled as she turned around to head back through the door of the little private hall.

"I quite like her. She's nice." commented Chef as she began to clean up the few things she had used in preparing the beans.

"Aye, she is a good soul. Understands us better than our own blood, and she hath been of great help to us more than once. We do truly feel poorly for having called her a rodent."

Chef laughed as she turned on the sink to wash out the pot and pan she had used. "At least ya gave her a heart-felt apology!" the water turned off, Chef now looking at the bag still held in Celestia's magic. "Now, what do say we start gettin' ya packed?"