The sunrays made the dust of the books visible. Rows of tall bookshelves reaching to the ceiling populated the room. Sections were of different colors—one part of the room had a green floor, another had a red floor, still another had a blue floor and so went the tradition. The silence was deafening—the lone hoofsteps of the Princess of the Day stood out among the absence of sound.
The Princess smiled as she levitated a book from off the shelf. It had a prominent place—this was clean while the books beside it were dirty and unkempt.
"'The History of Changelings. The Twenty-eighth Edition. They're trying to catch up with everything, aren't they?"
The Princess sat on a chair at a wooden table inside a section where there were other such tables with such chairs. The rest of them were empty.
The turning of the pages with her magic pierced the silence.
On display were paragraphs and various illustrations and pictures. Some of them were pictures of the changelings' old looks—dark colors, blue eyes, and broken legs. Others were pictures of their new looks—vibrant colors, bright eyes, and full bodies.
She saw the smiles on their faces.
Celestia smiled, too.
Her eyes kept trailing the words.
It was still a silent place. Only the sound of her turning of the pages was made. Not so far off from her, there was a pony with glasses watching her from behind the counter. She didn't have a frown nor a smile—she just looked at her.
Celestia looked up from her book. "How's it going?"
"Oh, it's, uh, going swell!" the mare said with panic—eyes going here and there, hastily adjusting her glasses, and glancing at the stack of books beside her. "Nothing too unusual or weird happening here, Princess!" She even saluted her.
Celestia giggled. "You don't have to do that." A second of silence. "Thanks for letting me come here again."
"With pleasure, Princess!" the mare responded with an accent of delightful enthusiasm.
Celestia looked upon her sleeping sister.
She was lying down on her crescent bed, head rested on the pillow. A small table beside her bed had an alarm clock. Her four purple bed slippers were on the blue rug on the dark blue floor.
The windows were closed with their red and purple curtains. The walls were blue and purple. Decorating the room were soft lights on what looked like trees where the leaves were the lights.
"You've had a busy night, Luna," Celestia said, approaching her and then sitting beside the bed, becoming level with her. "Have a good day, sister."
Then, she went out past the open diamond-studded blue door.
"Pinkie Pie has, uh, sent you a letter," a guard in uniform armor said in his deep voice, running through the hallway with gasps for air as he neared the Princess. He held out a pink scroll as he ran.
Celestia levitated the letter with her magic. Then, she opened it.
Confetti exploded on her face. A few balloons went out from it.
She laughed a little.
Then, she read the letter.
The guard finally reached the Princess and went on bowed knee.
Celestia noted the guard. "Oh, you don't have to do that."
"My apologies, Princess," the guard said, quickly standing up with no change of his face towards a certain emotion.
Celestia went back to reading the letter.
The guard stood there, watching the Princess read.
Celestia's eyes moved slowly then hurriedly went back to one side of page to return to going slowly across the page again.
The guard waited as he just stood there, keeping guard.
"She has ordered a royal request for more confetti, huh? For a very big party?" She placed a hoof on her chin as she looked up, thinking. "Well, who's being invited to the party?"
The guard kept watching her, not saying a word.
Then, Celestia magically closed the pink scroll, grabbed it with a hoof, and hoofed it to the guard. "Tell the party delivery ponies to make a shipment of confetti to Ponyville."
"How many boxes of confetti, Princess?"
"About ten will do."
"Affirmative." He saluted the Princess and hurried out the hallway.
The crowd cheered as the Princess approached the only obstacle between everypony outside and the door that led to a sweet-smelling experience inside—a ribbon. The ribbon only went the width of the door—nothing more and nothing less.
She looked at the hatted owner of the bakery. "What happened to the ribbon?" she said, smiling.
The smile on the owner's face dampened, although it did not completely go away. "I didn't want to waste money on the initial celebration." Then, she grinned.
Celestia chuckled. "That's a good mindset." She glanced at the several ponies outside who had stopped their cheeing although kept on smiling. "And, with an extravaganza or not, you have your friends to encourage you and help you to the very end. Is that not right?"
The owner nodded quickly. "Yes, Princess!" Then, she looked at her friends. "She likes it!"
The crowd roared their cheers again.
The Princess chuckled again as she levitated a pair of scissors and cut the ribbon.
The ponies made one final loud, boisterious cheer that rocked the street and caused more than a few passing ponies to turn their heads around. Then, they entered the bakery as the owner ushered them inside with sweet greetings and a hoof wave.
The owner then looked at Celestia who was just standing there, watching the ponies enter with looks of joy. "Princess, you can eat here!"
"It's alright," the Princess said. "I am content with just seeing you happy."
Celestia, in her chariot pulled by a few royal pegasi guards in their armor, flew past the clouds, through the clouds. The wind was fast. The speed was great. The pegasi flapped their wings as they trudged on, passing by miles and miles of fertile greenland with the occasional town or two.
Then, the fields of grass slowly became barren deserts of dry ground. Settler towns such as Appleloosa went by quickly with the railroad coming into and out of view every so often.
Finally, the desert gave way to lush land once again—a thick forest, and then a growing land of many different plants.
A few changelings spotted the approaching chariot. One hurried to the hive.
The chariot slowed down, the pegasi slowing the pace of their flight. They finally landed on the dirt path close to the hive's entrance.
"I appreciate the regular visits, Princess Celestia!" Thorax said jitterly as he walked with her through the hive with its rocky structures covered in beautiful greenery whether it's moss, vine, bushes, or another kind of plant. "You Princesses always keep visiting us to check on how well we're doing. I don't know if I said it before, but you're very nice!"
"And why shouldn't we? I want to make sure that you are progressing well and we have lots of resources to help you with. All you need to do is ask."
"Thanks for reassuring me, Princess!" Thorax said.
"You don't have to call me that," Celestia said. "You're a king now, Thorax, so you don't need to refer to me as Princess all the time."
Thorax nodded. "OK. I understand. Now, what can I do for you? You're here, so what do you want? We have some changeling food right here being prepared! Or, maybe you want to participate in the arts and crafts time? We're about to start that! Or, you can see the actors prepare for their play later tonight. If you want to stay longer, we're fine with you being a part of the audience, Celestia!"
"As much as I would love to watch your play," Celestia replied, "I have other matters to attend to later."
"Oh, I see," Thorax said, his smile diminishing a little. But, he regained his full smile. "So, what can you do here?"
"Nothing specific," Celestia said as she looked around, seeing the plentiful plant decorations on the walls and on the floor; some changelings were setting up some new ones. "I'll do what fits my fancy."
The sun was now high—noontime with its magnified heat and clarity. As the pegasi flew again in the sky, Celestia looked down on the green landscape.
"Another fruitful time with the changelings," Celestia blurted out. "Understanding their situation more clearly—that's the goal, isn't it?" She looked back, her eyes towards the blue distance yonder covered in clouds. "They're still young and they still have much to learn about friendship. They still have that optimistic eagerness ever since that fateful day." The smile on her face grew. "A beautiful thing, isn't it?"
Then, she gasped and covered her mouth. "I'm talking to myself, am I not?" She giggled, still covering her mouth. "Looks like that time where we had our cutie marks and our jobs switched isn't going to go away for a long time."
The cake on the long royal table was the lonely food on its platter. It was a simple cake—white frosting and chocolate base. No fruits or any other kind of toppings—just a cake with frosting.
Celestia levitated a fork and a knife and sliced herself a large portion and gently put it on her plate.
She looked around in the room.
There were the guards at their respective posts near the doors. They were watching her with blank stares. Besides them and herself, there was no one in the room.
The silence was thick.
She slowly cut a morself for herself and munched on it, chewing it. She gulped it down.
"This is what happens on a slow day," Celestia said, looking at the plate of cake in front of her.
The doors opened.
Celestia looked behind her. "Luna!"
Luna, with her droopy and tired face, greeted her sister with an attempt at a proper smile. "Good afternoon, sister!" she said, somewhat forcing a happy tone into her words. "How is your work for the day so far?"
"Not that bad," Celestia replied. "Had a few openings for some businesses in Canterlot, went to Winsome Falls and talked to some of the tourists there, and visited the Changeling Kingdom—or, as they want to call it now, the Changeling Hive—to see what they're doing."
"And, it went successfully?" Luna asked, walking towards her and taking a seat beside her, sitting on it.
"Yes, it did," Celestia answered. Then, she had a curious smile on her face. "Why are you up so early, Luna? You know you don't have to attend lunch."
"I have decided on a whim to spend even just a few minutes with you during your work hours," Luna said, her smile becoming more genuine. "I shall then go back to sleep."
Celestia chuckled at that. "Do you want some cake?" With her fork and knife, she cut out another large portion and placed it on another plate which she levitated to her sister. She smiled throughout the whole ordeal.
"I do not see why it would hurt to indulge," Luna said as she levitated her own fork and knife and took a bite.
"Princess Celestia!" Twilight Sparkle said as she ran towards her and hugged her.
Celestia hugged back in the hallway under the green light of the tall windows accompanied by the crystal walls and the royal carpet on the floor.
"I didn't expect you to be here!" Twilight said. She levitated the scattered books that were on the floor. "I was just in another research frenzy! Who knew that research about rocks was even more interesting after school? There was Maud, yes, but, boy, was she right about how exciting rocks can be as a subject of study!"
Celestia blinked; she looked slightly perplexed yet quickly put on her mild smile. "And, from the looks of it, you seem to have your friends studying with you." She gestured a hoof towards the open doors and the room behind it.
Twilight looked behind her.
Her friends—Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Spike, and Starlight Glimmer, along with a reluctant Trixie—were at the crystal table which was decorated with rocks of various sorts.
"I have come just to pay a visit," Celestia said. "I've managed to squeeze some free time in between two important things."
"Oh, that would be great!" Twilight said as she hurried towards the door. "Why don't you join in?" Then, she stopped right in her tracks. "Oops! Why did I almsot forget?" She turned around to face her. "I should've asked if you were actually interested in it! I shouldn't be forcing you to activities, you being my former mentor and teacher and all—ha-ha-ha-ha!"
Rainbow Dash, way back in the room, looked at Celestia and rotated a hoof beside her head while making a funny face. She then pointed at Twilight while maintaining that silly look.
Celestia giggled. "Only a little chat, Twilight."
The sun was now setting in the orange and yellow sky. The clouds were a plenty yet not too much to fog the atmosphere. Several pegasi were on the move, a few directing the rest and pointing to various spots in the sky as their followers and subordinates obeyed their instructions and moved certain clouds to certain places.
Celestia looked up at the busy work in the sky. She was standing on the balcony.
A door opened.
Celestia looked back. "Luna! You seem well-rested tonight."
Luna nodded, her face now fuller. "I am ready for the duty of the night, sister."
Celestia smiled.
Luna walked past the bed and into the outside on the balcony to her sister's side.
Their horns glowed.
The sun finally set behind the horizon. The sky darkened from its bright orange yellow to its dark purple blue. The stars twinkled into view as the moon rose and shone its soft light onto the land.
The two Princesses opened their eyes.
They looked at each other.
"Now, it is time for you to rest," Luna said.
She placed a hoof on Celestia's shoulder.
A moment of silence passed between the sisters. Behind them was the night sky and the bright city of Canterlot with its royal buildings and its many lights.
"Good night, sister."
"And good night to you, sister."
And Celestia left the room.
As Celestia walked past the many tall windows that gave a concerted and connected view of the city, she looked on through the window. "I wonder if I should introduce to Thorax cake?" she asked. "I guess he already tried it. Princess Cadance threw a few parties with him invited when he was still living in the Crystal Empire. Who wouldn't have cake in a party, anyway?"
She kept on walking.
"It's not like that every leader has to eat cake," Celestia said. "But, it's only an opinion that I want. Only an opinion from Thorax about cake. Nothing more and nothing less. It's nothing serious, nothing too bad." Then, she giggled again. "What am I saying? I'm just like Luna again!"
She then went to the end of the hallway and opened the door.