I don't know when the last time you were on your way to meet royalty was, but it's terrifying. I didn't know what I was being summoned for, but I was hoping it wasn't because of the damage to the old dining room. Even on guard pay, I didn't have the bits to pay for that. My escort was completely oblivious to my inner turmoil.
Or getting a kick out of it.
Either way, he brought me to a stop in front of the pair of large, gilded doors that lead into the center of power of the nation. There are no words to describe the vast array of feelings coursing through me. I didn't belong here, but here I was. The mare on the far side of this door had no reason to speak to me, but she'd summoned me. I was a small-town earth pony and I had no right to be within the same room as an alicorn.
My escort opened the door and ushered me in.
I found myself in a massive room, its ceiling reaching up further than anything I'd ever seen before. At its apex, it arched toward a mural of the alicorns that ruled us circling one another with the expanses of night and day accompanying them. The walls were lined with crystal-crafted windows depicting powerful moment in Equestria's history, ranging from the first unification of the tribes to the accomplishments of the Bearers.
Across the marble floor from where I stood, a single path of red carpet drew my eyes forward to the rising platform that held the twin thrones of the Sun and Moon.
Then there was her.
I froze at the sight of the alicorn mare that had ruled Equestria for longer than most of my family line had been alive. Framed by the aurora colors of her mystical mane, her pristine white coat gleamed with an inner light. Golden regalia shifted slightly as she lifted her head to look across the room toward me. Her magenta eyes pierced through me, seeing into the depths of my soul.
All I could do in the presence of Princess Celestia, Alicorn of the Sun, Sol Invictus was have the dumbest thought to ever run through my mind.
...Lucky... don't fart....
If I'd been wearing armor at that moment, I'm sure that it would have been rattling together as I moved. The room was empty, the true Day Court having ended hours ago, so there was nothing to draw her attention away from me as I approached. The already massive room felt gargantuan in size; it took forever to reach the base of the steps.
I looked up at her in awe and she stared down at me with an amused understanding. It finally clicked just where I was and who was in front of me and I almost biffed it trying to bow. Her laughter had a musical quality to it, making it seem like she was about to burst into song, “Rise, my little pony.” she spoke.
It wasn't a command, but I couldn't imagine not doing exactly as she said. I rose to my hooves, looking up at her as I swallowed, “Lucky Signs, reporting as requested, your majesty.” I stated mechanically.
“So you are,” her tone carried a hint of mischief, “but is that why you're here?” I blinked, feeling for all the world that my answer to that question meant far more than it should. I was never good at riddles and my confusion must have shown on my face as she let out a small chuckle, rising from her seat.
Every fiber of my being told me that I shouldn't be any closer to her, but I couldn't step away as she descended to stand in front of me. I felt my heart skip several beats as she leaned down, looking into my eyes, “Relax.”
The word rippled through me like a shockwave and I felt an unseen weight lift from my shoulders. The otherworldly quality of the mare in front of me diminished slightly, allowing me to breathe normally again. I found myself stammering out an apology, “I-I'm sorry, your highness, I just...”
“Never believed that you would stand in that spot? That you would trade words with me? You are not the first to feel overwhelmed and you won't be the last. Take a moment and calm yourself. Then we may talk.” Her assuring smile was more powerful than any weapon or fear and, for a moment, I forgot anything was wrong as I took a deep breath.
When I was finally composed enough not to be an awestruck mess, she settled down in front of me. I found it strange that she didn't go back to her comfy looking throne, but I wasn't in a position to question her. I sat as well, unintentionally breathing in the soft wisp of vanilla scent she gave off.
“I heard that you managed to convince Feral Storm to break her silence. You have my congratulations.” Celestia broke the silence.
“Uhm... thank you, your highness,” I responded, “if... if it's alright for me to ask, what's going to happen to her?”
The matronly smile I was gifted spoke of pride, “I'm glad that you are concerned for her. Sometimes, I see things that make me wonder if we've truly learned unity at all. Don't worry, she'll be receiving counseling to help her move forward.”
I let out a sigh of relief. She may have tried to kill me, but I was getting to the point where ponies that had tried that were getting too numerous to count. I just hoped that whatever propaganda Sunslayer had fed her could be worked through. That brought up a question though.
“Your highness,” she quirked a brow at me, prompting me to continue, “as much as I disagree with her philosophy... I was just wondering... why do you spare your enemies. Surely some of them are just... beyond Harmony?”
She stiffened and I feared that I'd overstepped my bounds. It only lasted a moment as I watched the immortal alicorn let out a tired sigh, “Why do I spare them, Lucky? Let me ask you a question in counter: would you spare me if you held the power to bring me low?”
I was caught of guard by the question, “Uhm... I don't see myself ever being able to do that...”
“Is that so,” she asked with a sad smile, “you believe that I am unbreakable? That I can not be brought to heel by mortal means... if only that were true.” With a deft motion, she kicked one of her gilded shoes off and turned her hoof so that I could see the bottom. Staining the otherwise immaculate surface was a simple scar.
As I gazed at it in confusion, she spoke, “Perhaps I can not die by age or disease, but I still bleed like you. In truth, Lucky Signs, you stand in a position to be the pony that could end me. It's true that I was a warrior-princess before I was just a princess. In combat, there are few than can match me without an outside source of power. However, it would only take one strike to wound me mortally. One lucky strike.” she emphasized to me.
I suddenly found myself looking at my hooves intently. It was such a ludicrous notion to think that I could ever slay an alicorn, but the more I thought about her words, the more I realized the hint of truth in them. Perhaps not me, but somepony with a similar talent who was stronger and more skilled than me...
The image of standing over a broken princess nearly made me wretch.
She caught the sound and pointed her hoof at me, “That. That emotion right there is why I choose to spare my foes, Lucky. Because the thought of taking their life is so foreign, so disgusting to me that I can not. Death is a means of disharmony, Lucky. Even Discord, in all of his chaos, never meant for anypony to die. To him, it was just a joke and he acted like a foal. So, like a foal, my sister and I put him in time-out.”
I couldn't fight the smirk or chortle at the thought of the god of chaos sitting on a stool in a corner. Celestia took this as a sign to continue, “Now look at him. While he may not be everypony's idea of a perfect citizen, he stands at our side. If that isn't enough, then consider this Lucky: what greater weapon is there than to turn an enemy to your cause? To use their own knowledge against them?”
Hey, I wasn't going to argue with a mare that might have known my many-great's grandfather. It did help the strange knot of indecision to settle in my chest. I looked up at Princess Celestia with a sudden thought, “I feel that there's a reason we're having this conversation...”
She laughed, the musical quality of it still present, before turning her gaze upon me once more, “A tug of destiny, perhaps? Or coindidence. Or perhaps I just had to see the stallion that had my sister so confused,” another titter, “whatever the reason, Lucky, we most likely won't truly understand it until everything is said and done.”
I rubbed the back of my head, “I was never good at riddles, your majesty...” I admitted sheepishly.
“Who said that I was giving you a riddle? It's almost like you think that I can see the future.” I shivered lightly at the thought. A princess that could see the future? She'd have quite the place in the HERD because she would probably be far more powerful than most of the Seers.
“...If I could,” she said in a conspiratorial whisper, “I'd recommend getting plenty of rest tonight. Tomorrow might be bringing the next step with it.” As I was dismissed from her presence, I couldn't help but feel like I'd been duped...