//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Binding the Sun // by keithsterling //------------------------------// 9:30 pm the evening of that same day, the Royal Nursery, Canterlot Royal Palace, Royal Ward, City of Canterlot ,Capital city of Equestria. Sleeping soundly in her crib with the moonlight from her aunt’s moon was Princess Blueberry. After a full day of playing, the worn-out unicorn filly was placed in her bed by her mother Princess Celestia to sleep through the night. Quietly the window looking out onto the royal garden opens and in enters a pony dressed from head to hoof in black. The pony carefully wraps the unicorn filly in her own blanket and lifts her out of her crib, before exiting the same way it came in. A few moments later, the door to the royal nursery was opened by Celestia who’s horn glowed with a very soft light. She quietly tip toes over to the crib making sure not to wake her baby up. She shines her light into the crib; the blood drained from her face when Blueberry was nowhere to be found. A cold breeze blows through the open window of the royal nursery, without a second thought, Celestia leaps through the window into the royal garden. From the upmost balcony of the palace Princess Luna spots a light moving chaotically in the darkness below. Fearing it was some pony trying to, once again, snatch Somnus, Luna leaps off her balcony and glides down into the darkness below. “Halt!” Luna yells her voice booms as her own light illuminates the figure moving chaotically about the darkness. “Celestia, what are you doing out here at this time?” Luna inquiries as her light fell on the wild-eyed Celestia feverishly searching every nook and cranny of the royal garden with the light from her horn. “She’s gone!” Celestia yells in shocked panic that catches Luna completely by surprise. After recovering her hearing, Luna grabs hold of the panicked Celestia with her blue magic aura and lifts her off her hooves and turns her around towards her. “Celestia? Who is gone?” Luna inquiries a bit puzzled “Blueberry!” Celestia screams with fear in her voice as a sudden spurt of adrenaline courses through Luna’s body. She drops Celestia and makes a beeline towards the window of the royal nursery. In the royal nursery, Luna’s heart drops seeing the unoccupied crib of her niece Blueberry. A feeling of a cold fist closes over her heart. “No...no...the most innocent of pony has been taken from the hoofs of her loving mother this isn’t right.” Luna said heartbroken as she floats the framed photo taken at Canterlot City hospital after the birth of her second niece Blueberry Swirl Silverlight, when Celestia allowed Luna to be the first to hold the newborn unicorn filly in her hoofs. ‘I feel all the bad things that happened to me through the years melt away instantly when I picked up Celestia’s newborn unicorn filly and she cooed at me. As I look at the newborn filly’s cute little face, fear didn’t look back at me. What looked back was curiosity. I wanted to learn who this alicorn mare that held her in her hoofs was something this alicorn mare would be more than happy to teach’ Luna thought setting the framed photo back on the shelf in the nursery. “Who would take an innocent pony from her family? Only a pony with no heart would?” Luna said fiercely 9:00 pm, guest cottage on the grounds of Night Rose Stable, Noble Ward, City of Canterlot, Capital City of Equestria. The guest cottage of the Night Rose Stable is a single story Ponyville designed summer cottage located on the grounds of the Night Rose Estate. The cottage has two bedrooms, living room and kitchen together with a single private entrance on to the grounds. Pacing back and forth in the living room was an older light blue unicorn mare with a black mane and tail, streaked with gray hair. A pair of black rim glasses adorns her face; with a white diamond cutie mark on her flank. This old unicorn mare was Gem Cutter Night, an old foe of both Princess Celestia and Prince Justice Silverlight. Many years earlier, Gem Cutter ran a very successful jewelry making business in the Noble Ward of Canterlot selling her gem creations to the elite of the elite in Canterlot. Even Princess Celestia owned several of her beautiful gem designs. With success came resentment from the other jewelry maker in Canterlot. A vile rumor spread through her elite customer’s base that she was using poor quality gems to make her gem creations and sell them at exalted prices. To nip this rumor in the bud, Princess Celestia quickly dispatches her most trusted and honest royal investigator Justice Silverlight to investigate the rumors and put them down. After several months of diligent investigating, Justice concluded that every single rumor was not true. But the damage was done, Gem Cutter’s business collapsed around her. Unable to recover, she blamed both Justice and Celestia for her business collapsing and left Canterlot in disgrace never to be heard from again. Some years later, a rash of kidnappings started in Ponyville involving four of the main six, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Applejack. Family members or friend were pony napped forcing them to pay for their safe return. At that time the friendship between Celestia and Justice became strained when fake rumors of him betraying Celestia landed Justice in the palace dungeon for a month by Celestia’s own hoof. After being cleared, Justice never again spoke to Celestia, till the discovery that Gem Cutter was the pony behind the crime. The two friends reconciled their differences and once again became an unstoppable team and put an end to Gem Cutter’s crime. “Twice those two ponies stopped me, but with the death of the Royal investigator Justice Silverlight or should I say, Prince Justice Silverlight husband of Princess Celestia Silverlight. I can finally have my vengeance. It’s too bad that Justice will not suffer like that Princess but I must thank him, he left his wife with three perfect gem stones for the taking.” Gem Cutter said coldly floating three perfect gemstones in the air with a white and pink tinted magic aura. “First, that green emerald her son Prince Somnus Silverlight, If not for that interfering Princess Luna this gem would be in my hoofs. but she saved him from my pony.” Gem Cutter said sourly placing the emerald back into the jewelry box in front of her. “Second, that blue garnet, her oldest daughter Princess Aurora Silverlight. if not for those unruly thugs that I had to hire to pony nap her and letting her escape, that gem would be in my hoofs.” Gem Cutter said hotly placing the blue garnet back into the jewelry box in front of her. “But I have the most precious of all gemstones. The deep crimson red ruby, her little princess, Princess Blueberry Swirl Silverlight. How much I would relish watching that all powerful Alicorn princess break down knowing she will never see her precious little filly again. As she breaks down so does her land.” Gem cutter said wickedly closing the Jewel box and placing the ruby on top of it. A moment later, the pony, dressed from head to hoof in black arrive carrying Celestia’s baby unicorn filly in her pink blanket. He reaches up and rips the hood off revealing a russet brown earth pony with a black mane and tail. He stares at Gem Cutter with his eyes seething and guilt-ridden look. “Here’s the little Princess! Now pay me Gem Cutter for the job! I have hit a new low! even for me! Pony napping a mother’s baby filly from its own nursery!” The earth pony stallion said indignantly snatching the bag of gems out of the air and forcefully kicks the door open to leave. Outside the cottage, the earth pony spots a nearby barrel and tosses the bag into it. When the earth pony is out of sight, the bag of gems float out of the barrel and back inside the cottage to its rightful owner. While after midnight, two trains arrive at the same time at the Canterlot train station. The first train belongs to the Crystal Empire and the second train belongs to Ponyville. On the main platform of the station the two Alicorns meet, forgoing their normal greeting. With the hug done, the two Alicorns run out of the station down the quiet and well lit streets of Canterlot to the Royal palace. Back at the palace on her balcony, a heartbroken Princess Luna lays. Normally she enjoys all the work she puts into painting her night sky, but this night her heart is no longer into painting it. The pony napping of Princess Blueberry Swirl Silverlight has left an empty spot in her heart that will not be filled till the unicorn filly is returned unhurt to her mother’s hoofs. “Auntie! auntie are you up here?” A small voice calls; having trouble climbing up to the last step was Somnus wearing his favorite pajamas floating a blanket and a Luna plush toy with him. Luna stands-up and walks over to the staircase. She uses her magic to lift Somnus onto her balcony. “Somnus what are you doing up at this time? You know small colts should be in bed.” Luna comments as she secretly is happy to have some company up on her balcony so she is not alone. “I am sorry, Auntie. I can’t sleep, when is my little sister coming home? When mommy is sad her singing is so sad.” Somnus comments as Luna gasps returning to her place lying on the balcony. Soon the little colt snuggles up in between her front legs and Luna begins to sing a lullaby to him. As she reaches the last verse of the lullaby, she looks down at Somnus, who’s fast asleep in between her legs. “Hopefully your little sister will be home soon and your mother will be back to being happy again, my little Somnus.” Luna said softly as she uses her magic to wrap Somnus up with his blanket so he will not be lying on the cool stone of her balcony. A moment later Luna kisses Somnus softly on the top of his horn. “Sweet dreams, my little Somnus. Your dark angel will watch you.” Luna said softly and lovingly causing a shooting star to fall from the night sky with her magic. In the foyer of the Royal palace, Princess Aurora Silverlight waits for the arrival of Princess Twilight Sparkle and her Cousin Princess Cadence. The front doors of the palace open and the two princesses enter. Earlier, after learning that her baby sister Blueberry was pony napped, Aurora sent letters to both Twilight and Cadence asking them to come to Canterlot as soon as they can. “Cousin, why did you ask me to come?” Cadence looks at Aurora, “I need your help cousin Cadence. I know how to use the spell to raise mother’s sun, but since I am not designated a Princess of Equestria. I can’t rule in mother’s place and Luna sleeps during that time.” Aurora explains as Cadence and Twilight blink with surprise. “Rule in the place of the Princess? What happened to the Princess?” Twilight inquires looking puzzled, “Earlier this evening Princess Blueberry Swirl Silverlight was pony napped from her crib in the royal nursery and it was a devastating blow to mother. As of right now, she is unfit to rule Equestria till her baby is returned.” Aurora explains as the two princess’s chests become heavy. “I see Cousin Aurora, it will be my honor to rule for Celestia, till she’s able to return as the rightful ruler of Equestria.” Cadence comments as Aurora walks up to Cadence and hugs her, “What about me, Aurora?” Twilight inquires, “I still have several magic tests to take before my final class placement in mother’s school for Gifted Unicorns as I said Luna will be sleeping during that time. so I need some pony to keep an eye on both mother and Prince Somnus while I am taking my placement tests at the school.” Aurora explains as Twilight hears snickers coming from Cadence standing next to her. “What’s so funny sister-in-law?” Twilight inquires bitterly, “Oh nothing, sister-in-law. I would just like to remind you there’s more to being a good foal-sitter than just watching a foal. it’s a lot harder than I make it look, when I was foal-sitting you Twilight.” Cadence comments as she walks toward the guest bed chambers to get some rest for tomorrow. 9:00 am, the following morning, Celestia’s bed chamber, Private living area Canterlot Royal Palace, Royal Ward, City of Canterlot Lying in bed with dark shadows around her eyes was Celestia. She so much wanted the whole incident to be nothing but a cruel joke played on her by some pony. Any minute now her precious little filly will be returned to her none the worse for wear. But when it doesn’t, her eyes mist over and once again she begins to cry. A moment later the door to Celestia’s bed chamber is opened by her oldest daughter princess Aurora. Since the pony napping of her baby sister Blueberry, Aurora has taken on more responsibility of the designated Princess of Equestria with the blessings of her Auntie Princess Luna, her cousin Princess Cadence and family friend Princess Twilight Sparkle. “Mommy, please come back to us, we need our mother, we need our Princess, there’s only so much I can do with only the name Princess of Equestria.” Aurora explains as she kisses her mother on the cheek before turning and walking out of the bed chamber to head to school before she’s late. As the bed chamber door closes slowly, Celestia rolls out of her bed and walks over to the fireplace in the center wall of her chamber. She sits down in front of it and looks up at a painting she had made of her and her husband standing beside this very fireplace it hangs above. ‘I am not much of a mother, wife or Princess,I am sorry my beloved. With you gone, I have lost that confidence that I had when you were alive, you always encouraged me to trust my own judgment and supported my decision no matter how bad it was. Now some pony has pony napped our precious baby filly and I don’t know what to do. If I ever needed your guidance my beloved now is the time.’ Celestia thought as the sound of laughter attracts her attention to her balcony. She walks out onto it, which overlooks the royal garden. Below in the royal garden playing in a small patch of grass surround by bushes was Somnus. His foal sitter was Princess Twilight Sparkle the newest princess and Celestia’s ex-faithful student. Twilight looks right at home taking care of Celestia’s little son. Until she accidentally kicks the ball too hard and it rolled into the bushes behind him. Somnus’s knees begin to quake as he looks at the bushes where his ball went. Twilight walks up behind Somnus and begins to talk to him. Wanting to know what Twilight was telling Somnus, Celestia quietly glides down to the royal garden and hides in the bushes to listen. “Your sister told me what happened in the park yesterday no one is going to snatch you from the palace garden while I am watching you, Prince.” Twilight said confidently as Somnus stays behind Twilight’s front legs, “The palace is not safe Twilight they’re going to get me. No pony can keep me from being snatched again .not even my mommy.” Somnus’s voice breaks as Celestia’s ears drop upon hearing that her son doesn’t feel safe at the palace, ‘What have I done? I did just what Luna told me not to do I made the Canterlot Royal Palace feel unsafe for my precious children a mother is not suppose to make her home feel unsafe to her children her home should be the safest it can be, a place where her children can feel her love and protection all year long. Celestia you foolish pony. You lost sight of what was important to you, your children.’ Celestia thought as she skirted along the outside of the royal garden till she reached the bush that Somnus’s ball rolled into, a moment later the bushes begin to rustle as Somnus’ eyes widen in alarm. “Mommy!” Somnus exclaims excited as his mother walks out of the bushes floating his ball with her. The little colt runs up to her and stops in front of her as she rubs her cheek against his side. “I am sorry Somnus. Mommy was not herself. .But I am better now remember this, I am your mother and a very protective Alicorn these walls around you will protect you and I will protect you. no one is ever going to snatch you again from me that I promise. My dear little Somnus.” Celestia said comforting as she kisses Somnus on his cheek.