Celestia Solaris Equine, Princess of the Sun and all Equestria, loved traveling through portals. She squealed like a little filly when going through one, because it felt just like the roller coasters the castle mechanics built in her youth. The portals made her dizzy, clumsy for a while, separated her from things, and were generally amazing.
She knew not to bother speaking. The portal would take away all the sound that came out of her mouth and whisk it away through the swirling rainbows around her. So she fell silently through, staring wide eyed at the colors around her. They never seemed to be more vibrant than within a portal, and this one was especially amazing. All too soon, the ride was over and Celestia fell with a small thump. Thankfully, she landed on soft grass - she’d had way too many accidents landing on rocks or, once, another pony.
Where… am… I… Celestia climbed out of the small hole in the ground and stared around at the dark green woods around her. Walking over to the trees and brushing through them, she found herself in a tiny village, with a small but stately castle in the middle of a circle of houses. A grin found its way onto her lips, and she almost ran out into the world before she stopped herself.
“My bags!” she exclaimed. “They must have landed in a different part of the forest…” Celestia unfurled her huge, ivory wings and flew under the canopy of trees, searching frantically for her bags and her phoenix.
“Philomena!” she called. “Philomeeena!”
After a couple calls, the scarlet bird came flying out of the underbrush solemnly and alighted on Celestia’s shoulder. “Philomena, there you are,” Celestia sighed in relief. “Come now, I must find my saddlebags.”
She hunted a little more but only found one small pack. It contained food and bits, enough to make it for a year for a regular pony. Celestia didn’t need much food; she was an alicorn, after all. They could keep their strength up for long periods of time without starving or dehydrating much.
“And anyway, I can find more things in the. . . the Empire!” Letting out an excited squeal, Celestia looked through the trees once more. “But first, a cloaking spell.”
A light illuminated Celestia’s small area, and pale blue magic streamed slowly over her body. When it disappeared, there was a new mare standing in delight, an earth pony the color of seafoam with a deep indigo mane flowing softly over her shoulders. Grabbing and levitating a mirror in front of her, Celestia studied her new form happily.
“Ocean Breeze,” she decided. “I’m now Ocean Breeze.”
On that note, she, with her saddlebag over her back and Philomena in the forest, pushed through the dense briars and entered the Crystal Empire, or how the Crystal Empire was in 43o BLR.
The sight of a new pony parting the leaves considerably shocked Sapphire Shine, who was on her way to buy some shells from the Crystal Market. However, she’d learned from her Pa, among other things, that she was to make ponies feel welcome, no matter what. That was the reason that, on that sunny blue afternoon, she thrust herself in front of the new mare, smiling widely.
“Hello there. I’m Miss Sapphire Shine, caretaker of the schoolhouse right there,” she pointed, “and I’d be honored to make your acquaintance. Your name?”
Thoroughly surprised, Celestia stopped. “Oh! I’m, um. . . Ocean Breeze. Yes, Ocean Breeze.” She let out a nervous little giggle.
“Don’t worry, Ocean. If I may call you that? Do you have somewhere to stay? If you follow me, I can get you a room. Do you have bits? It’s all right if you don’t, of course. Here. I’ll give you some bits! No trouble at all.”
Celestia gingerly accepted the small, silvery coins. “I forgot they looked like this. . .” she muttered to herself. The design of bits had changed substantially over the years, and she’d brought all kinds, from way back in 10,000 BNM, when she and Luna were only fillies, to her present day, Year 4, not knowing when she’d be going to.
“Not from here, then? Do you have a different style in your town?”
“Oh, I do. They, um, they’re pretty different. And in answer to your other question, I don’t have somewhere to stay-”
“Follow me, then.” Sapphire Shine darted away and Celestia followed, cantering as fast as she could to keep up with the nimble earth pony.
Seventy eight breathless steps later, the two were standing outside of a large, cedar made door belonging to a building on the outskirts of town. The sign above the door read “Cedar May’s Inn, Welcome!”
Sapphire thrust the door open and ushered Celestia inside. To her surprise, the inn was very nicely furnished and had an old timey sort of appeal, with plush velvet couches lining the walls and blue silk curtains pushed away from the glass windows. Ceramic vases holding delicate violets were on either side of a rose-red carpet leading to the reception desk.
“Gorgeous,” Celestia breathed in awe, hooves tapping softly on the carpet. “It’s so. . . quiet.”
“Oh, you like it!” The voice came from a young mare at the desk with a curled magenta mane and a pale lilac coat. “My name is Raspberry Fizz. I’m so happy you’re here! What’s your name?”
Celestia blinked. “Name. . . oh! Ocean Breeze. It’s very nice to meet you.”
Raspberry Fizz grinned, curls bouncing. “You too! Oh, and Miss Sapphire Shine. How wonderful to see you. Now, then, Ocean, you’ll be wanting a room? I’m sure 099 will be perfect.”
Celestia didn’t need to answer; Raspberry had already grabbed the keys and trotted out from behind the desk. “099. . .” Sapphire murmured to Celestia as they followed Raspberry out of the main room and into a long hallway lined with doors of all shapes and sizes. “I’ve never heard of anypony getting that room, and I know everypony who’s ever stayed here. Raspberry assigns rooms just by looking at the pony. She’s got a talent for this kinda thing and who’ll like which room, who the suites should go to, and even who sleeps in the stables out back.”
As Celestia was beginning a tiny nod, an elderly mare appeared from the shadows. “Raspberry,” the new addition said with a reproachful look, “I see you haven’t introduced our new guest to me yet?”
“Cedar! I thought you were out shopping! I was going to tell you about Ocean Breeze here as soon as you got back.”
“I see. Well, Ocean Breeze, I am Cedar May, and I am the founder and owner of this inn. A pleasure, dear.”
Cedar May had a dark copper coat and a short, snow white mane, which was expertly braided over the top of her head. “A pleasure,” Celestia said, shaking the smooth brown hoof.
“Well, you’d better go find your room, and I had better go out to the Market. I’ll see you later, Ocean Breeze.”
“Of course.” An odd cast of characters, Celestia thought, but very intriguing. I’ll see when I can visit the castle to find the source of Equestria’s troubles after I put my things away.
They walked for a little while longer down the old hall, the room numbers slowly progressing. Raspberry Fizz pointed out the dining room, the kitchen, the laundry room, and the bath rooms (“you do, of course, have the necessary bath things in your room, but the bath room is such a pleasure. Sort of like a spa, actually,” Raspberry had said when pointing out that last one.) “Here we are! Room 099!” Raspberry smiled proudly.
The group went into the room, which was quite large with an indigo/violet color scheme. The canopy bed was in the corner, a cedar wood table beside it, a writing desk with a pad of fine paper and a pen on the left side, and tiny candles all around. “I do hope everything will be all right,” Raspberry said nervously, watching Celestia surveying the room.
“It’s wonderful!” the princess cried, truly meaning it. Her room back home at the palace was beautiful, but it was very ornate and, well, royal. This would be a good change of pace.
“I’m very glad you think so. Is there anything else you’ll need before I go?” Raspberry asked.
“There’s just one thing.” Celestia licked her lips nervously. “Do you know if I could get an audience with Princess Amore tomorrow?”
Raspberry and Sapphire both looked shocked, but they quickly recovered. It was Sapphire who spoke up first. “Yes, um, yes, I think so. Of course you saw the castle on our way here, I’m sure you could find it all right. I’ll meet you there, hmm, tomorrow, at seven thirty? Morning time?”
“That would be perfectly fine.”
Sapphire gave a nod and a quick smile. “I’ll see you, then.”
Celestia nodded and watched the two walk out, backs a little bit hunched. She shrugged, and because traveling through the portal had exhausted her so, lay down. The sheets were oh so comfortable, and the pillow so light that she almost fell asleep right there, except that there was a slight tapping at her window.
“Huh?!” She jumped out of bed and opened the window, where Philomena was glaring at her. The bird cawed, as if to say how could you leave me out there? “I’m sorry. I got caught up in things, and I didn’t realize you weren’t with me,” Celestia apologized. “Are we all right?”
Philomena gave one more dismissive caw and flew into the room, sitting on Celestia’s bedpost. She started to preen her red and gold feathers, eyes fixed firmly on Celestia.
Celestia bent down to stroke the phoenix, closed the window, then climbed once more into the bed. “Good night, Philomena, and goodnight, Crystal Empire,” she whispered to the still room. “Tomorrow. . . the castle awaits, and with it, my answer for Equestria.”