//------------------------------// // Chapter 22: Starting off well // Story: Shield and Shadow Part 1: Rise and Fall // by LucidReverie //------------------------------// Air. Spring Mist let out a long sigh. He stood in his quarters, preparing himself for his first meeting with the Princesses. He would deliver the reports, then give a presentation if necessary. Mist looked himself over in a shiny bronze mirror. His scholar’s robes fit well and the semi-formal sash added a flair of authority to the outfit. A long night of reading the notes and reports given to him by his fellow scholars was behind him, and he was beginning the new night with his first official meeting. Mist felt confident – his conversations with his fellow scholars had gone well. He had learned much about the nightly living of his colleagues, and what each of their specializations were: Brilliant Bloom, Astronomical Theories; Honey Sweetroll, Relative Phenomena; Copper Sun, Invention and manufacturing; then there were Star Streak and Fresh Tulip, Navigation and Starmaps; and Garden Grown, Archiving. Mist had found it an interesting experience learning about the ponies he lived with, and what it meant exactly to be a member of the astronomy tower. The door to his chambers opened, and Caramel Tart stepped into the room. She wore a soft, concerned smile on her face. The kind of smile a parent gives a child to reassure them that whatever test they face, they will be fine. She walked over to Mist and straightened out his sash. “Are you ready, Mist?” she asked calmly. Mist sighed. “I think so. I mean, I know the information, and I know the delivery. I just don’t know if I’ll do well.” Caramel Tart looked him right in the eye. “Spring Mist, you will do well. Because you love what you do and you love the Princesses. And it’ll be just like any other time you’ve seen them. Get in, get talking, get out.” Mist chuckled wanly, “If anything, I would want this to be very unlike the last few times I’ve spoken to them. I swear, I leave those conversations so confused I can barely tell which way is up.” “Aye, but you recover. And you learn. And one of those conversations led to this position right here. So count your lucky stars, son.” “I only have the one. The one that got me here.” Caramel Tart laughed. “Indeed, you do. And not many ponies can say that.” “No, I suppose not, but still… I am worried.” “Of course you are. A little worry never hurt anypony. Just do what you have to do. But start now because you are almost late.” Mist Looked at Caramel Tart, who was standing at the door, gesturing for him to leave. He grabbed his saddlebags, filled with important files, with his magic, fitting them on as he bolted out the door. Caramel Tart called after him, “Good luck! Remember what I told you!” “Thank you, Caramel Tart!” he called back, winding down the stairs. Mist galloped out of the door of the astronomy tower and cut through The Arc to the castle. He reached the large doors that lead to the entrance hall. Two guards stood at the doors, a white pegasus and a grey unicorn. Mist paused before he approached the door, only to be stopped by the pair of guardsponies. “Halt,” one of the guards said, “state your business.” Mist cleared his throat, remembering what Caramel Tart had told him to say, “Scholar Spring Mist, appointment with the desk of Their Majesties Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.” The guards looked to each other, then nodded. The horn of the unicorn glowed with a green shimmer, the door glowing similarly as it opened. Mist smiled at the guards. “Thank you sers. Have a fine evening.” He walked through the doors, enjoying the slight change in the guards’ demeanors after the offer of good will. He trotted into the entrance hall and was immediately greeted by an older pony -- yellow, with a slightly greying orange mane, wearing a white collar and a blue necktie. He regarded Mist with a look of general indifference. “Ser Spring Mist, I presume,” he said with a slightly haughty accent, “This way.” He began walking through a side door, bidding Mist follow. Obliging, Mist was lead into a dim passageway that stretched for quite a distance. It took a few minutes before they finally reached a door to what Mist presumed was his place of meeting. Why do we always meet in little side rooms? Would it kill us to use the throne room or any other more convenient room just once? As if the pony had heard his thoughts, he piped up with a statement, “Their Majesties wish to spend more time away from the throne room. As such, they will make use of the many meeting rooms throughout the castle. Wait inside.” He opened the door for Mist to enter. The room inside was brighter than the passage, and Mist could see the long wooden table in the center of the room. The door closed behind him, and Mist took in his surroundings – the room was almost identical to the other rooms he had been in in the last week or so. Other than the table and the eight chairs situated around it, there was only one object in the room: a painting hanging on the wall behind the head of the table. Mist walked over to the painting, never really taking his eyes off of it. It was a painting of Princess Celestia, standing on a balcony, overlooking a large crowd of ponies, all gazing up at her. Mist instantly recognized the city below: Everfree. Mist wasn’t certain of what the event was, exactly, but it did look familiar. And the painting wasn’t old at all, in fact. It seemed quite fresh, painted in the last few months, even. Mist poured himself into the details. It was a simple work, but it managed to capture the essence of the Princess fairly well, though nothing like the radiance of the real thing. What was really captured well was the crowd’s adoration. Everypony was looking up at the Princess, awe and love etched on their faces. They seemed to be in more detail than anything else in the painting, as if the artist had been focusing on them instead of the Princess. Mist looked at the painting with great interest, enjoying the way the artist wove a tale with the paint. “That was the first Summer Sun Celebration. A few months ago” came a voice from behind Mist, startling him, “It’s difficult to tell sometimes.” Mist turned and saw Princess Celestia standing in the doorway in all her radiance, and she answered the question as to why he recognized the event in the painting. Without the slightest thought, Mist responded casually, “I thought it looked familiar.” Princess Celestia cocked her head, wearing a slight smile, “Are we now that friendly, Ser Mist?” Mist realized his lapse in judgment and immediately prostrated himself, frantically uttering apologies to the Princess. She cut him off quickly however. “Please, Spring Mist. There is no harm. I would hope that one day you should become that friendly with my sister and I.” “Forgive me, Princess. But it will take a while to warm up to that idea.” “Well, all I ask is that you treat us like friends when in private, but like your Princesses when in public. Now come closer.” Mist obliged, uncertain of just what was happening. “Just relax, and don’t fight.” Mist was becoming worried about just what was going to happen that might cause him to fight, but he soon saw that Princess Celestia’s horn had begun to glow. Mist felt a tugging sensation as the room around him faded away and was rapidly replaced with another room. This one was warmer in tone, cozier, homey. Mist swayed a bit, his head rushing, his vision blurred. He steadied himself and shook his head, realizing that he was now in Princess Celestia’s personal study. “Apologies for doing that to you, but it was the fastest way here,” Princess Celestia said with concern. “No matter, Princess. First time teleporting. Could never really pull it off, myself.” “Well, a pony’s magic does usually pertain only to their special talent, so it’s not surprising that you could never do it. But, if I recall correctly, you are fairly proficient with shield spells and shadow magic. And not terrible with telekinesis, either.” “I can’t believe you remember that. Surely there are other, more important things to focus on than some examination an arbitrary pony took years ago.” “Oh, I remember it all. You had such a look of hope in your eyes. And in that second test, you showed enough confidence in yourself to carry out the task without fear.” “Well, I must admit that I was terrified. Even after you revealed that it was faked, I was still shaken a bit.” “Either way, you still did it. It was a shame that you could only be at the school for a brief period of time. And further still that you were not accepted into the Royal Guard. I feel Equestria lost something on those days, and only now will it be getting it back. And I’m sorry Mist, I really am.” Mist was stunned at the Princess’s candor. She was being very open, very casual, speaking as if to an old friend. It was still very new to Mist, and he had to divert the conversation in a safer, more comfortable direction. Remembering the reason for his presence, he pulled out the reports. “Thank you, Princess. You flatter me. But on the topic of my current work, I have the compiled reports from every scholar in the astronomy tower.” Princess Celestia nodded slightly. “Ah, of course. I can take those.” She wrapped them in her magic, and with a flash of her horn, they disappeared. “Very well, Princess. What do you require of me?” Mist asked, hoping either to leave or give a presentation. “I would have you talk with me about your current position.” “Yes, Princess?” “Please, sit.” Two large cushions appeared, Princess Celestia taking up one while offering the other to Mist. Gingerly, he sat down. “What do you wish to discuss, Princess?” “I trust that your conversation with my sister went well?” “I- yes, Princess. I’d like to think so.” “Think so? I can tell you without a doubt. She told me nothing of the conversation – I’m afraid she rarely shares anything with me anymore – but I could see that something had pleased her. I hadn’t seen a smile like that in a long time.” Mist was incredulous. “Really? I remember her doing a lot of crying. It shames me to admit, but I seem to have developed a talent for upsetting her.” “You, and everypony else. As I said, she is in a bad way, and everypony upsets her. She swings between most moods as often as a pony blinks. But you have now shown a possible other talent: making her happy. And that is no easy feat. Upsetting her? Easy as breathing. Making her smile? Something even I struggle at.” “Princess, I hardly think I make Princess Luna happy.” “Well, there is really only one way to determine if this is a singular miracle, or indeed a potential pattern.” “Oh, Princess?” “Yes. You must simply spend more time with her. Be a friend, a confidant, somepony she can trust. And you can start right now.” Mist looked in the direction she was motioning: Outside, on a balcony just across a gap in the towers, stood Princess Luna, gazing out into the night. Mist looked back to Princess Celestia, who simply nodded her head. Mist stood, feeling coerced into making a choice. Princess Celestia offered nothing but a reassuring smile. “Wait. How do I get over there?” Princess Celestia laughed. “I find that when I desperately want something enough, the universe itself seems to move in my favor.” “Yes, but you have the ability to move the sun. It’s no surprise that you would be closely connected to the rest of the universe.” “See, there. Now you are treating me like a friend. Refreshing, is it not?” Mist blushed and the Princess continued, “But trust me. The universe favors those who dream and act.” Her horn glowed, and she disappeared in a flash of light. Mist was alone in the study. He walked over to the doorway onto the connecting balcony and opened it with his magic. He stepped outside and looked out towards Princess Luna’s balcony, where she still stood. She was so graceful, so lovely in the starlight. Mist shook his head wildly, clearing out any unduly thoughts. He still had to figure out how to get over to Princess Luna’s tower. As the thought flashed through his mind, a long stream of dim light poured out of the balcony, connecting directly to his destination. Thank you universe, but it seems a little thin and weakly done… Mist touched the light and found it solid. The walk across would be short, and his entrance dramatic. Mist sighed at the nonsense that was that moment and took his first steps across the gap. Won’t this be fun, Mist?