Life of Lyra

by Damaged


Chapter 8

Joyce had been to meet Princess Celestia twice now. This was her third time, and it seemed a pattern had been established. The nice Royal Guards had directed her to the garden, where Joyce found the ruler of Equestria sitting at an entrance to the garden maze.

"Good afternoon, Joyce." Princess Celestia beamed at the young mare approaching her. "I believe a thank-you is in order."

Surprised at the greeting, Joyce found her spot—it was rather obvious, what with the tea for two that was laid out—and nodded. "Yeah. Thank you for that pass, again. I sat the examination on Thursday, hoping I'd get my results back the next day, but it doesn't seem like I will find out until Monday."

"No, Joyce. I meant thank you. I don't know how you got word to your home, but my representative was approached by a young mare claiming to be aide to the Princess of Batstralia. I believe her name is Robin Robertson."

"It was a dream." Joyce had no reason to lie. Besides, she really liked the tea Princess Celestia served. "That seems to be a thing for bat ponies. It was really hard to do it here, though, but I managed to reach Dream Thunder and my filly." Tears welled up again at the thought of their meeting. "Sorry, Prin—Celestia."

It took every ounce of Princess Celestia's acumen to not gasp in shock. Dreams were a domain belonging to another alicorn—one she must not mention. "Dreams. You are not the only thing in Equestria that can walk dreams, Joyce. Be careful."

"What's wrong?" In just three meetings with Princess Celestia, Joyce could tell when Celestia was relaxed and calm, and when she was neutral.

"I cannot say. I'm sorry for that, but this secret is one I cannot reveal. My representative had only good things to say about the combined courtesy of the townsfolk. He mentioned this Dream Thunder you spoke of, and I believe her mother is the teacher there?" Princess Celestia poured the tea into two cups, her magic shimmering gold in the early afternoon light as it prepared their drinks.

"Dream Thunder is almost like another filly of mine. Candela and I—I don't know how to explain it. We both went through a very stressful time in our lives and came out of it together." Using her wing-claws, Joyce dried the tears on her cheeks and then lifted the tea. "Princess Screech was the name Robin gave to her—to Batstralia's—leader. Is that always going to be the case? Ponies and princesses?"

Princess Celestia laughed at the question, her worry about the earlier topic easing. "I can only speak from experience, of course, but it certainly seems so. When ponies are in a need of guidance beyond their own making, an alicorn will be created. It has always been so here. Equestria needed somepony to control the sun and moon, and we—I—ascended. Ponies gathered together too close, and their hearts grew sore with friction, and Princess Cadance ascended.

"The people of Batstralia were panicked and in need, and it seems magic has found a suitable alicorn for them. I may have to skip afternoon tea with you one week—I'm sure I'll have to visit this Princess Screech."

Struggling to process the wealth of information, Joyce noticed a tick—which was highly unusual for Princess Celestia's otherwise even tone. "You said 'we'?"

Princess Celestia jerked back as if stung. The one topic she couldn't let anypony broach, and Joyce had queried her about it. "Joyce Robertson, there are not a lot of things I will keep hidden from a friend such as you have become, but this is one of them. Please do not pursue this topic. I'm sorry, but there are things at work here that make this—"

Joyce interrupted Princess Celestia. She had seen the pain in the mare's face—real pain born of loss—and had gotten up to hug Celestia. "Maybe some other time, when it's safe to speak of it."

For the first time in almost a thousand years Celestia felt the slightest easing of her heartache. She let out a gasp and hugged Joyce back, somewhat surprised by how big the mare's wings were. Minutes passed, and when Princess Celestia finally drew back from Joyce, she could see dampness on one leathery wing. "I'm sorry. It's not just a sore topic, but a dangerous one. One way or another, in six years, you will know the truth of it."

The undisguised mystical feel of the prophecy was not lost on Joyce, and again she had to remind herself that in a land where magic was so casual it was taught in classes, there was going to be problems caused by magic. "I was amazed by how many ailments simple magic medicines can completely cure."

Smiling at the explicit change in topic, Princess Celestia lifted her tea and sipped at it. "From what I understand, most are simply magical shortcuts for established procedures." She might not be a doctor, but Princess Celestia had lived long enough to see amazing changes wrought on medicine.

"The curious thing is a lot of such things, from my knowledge of Earth problems, should be able to work on other things too. For instance, the common flu-b-gone should work just as well on non-magical plagues." Sipping her own tea, Joyce also found a slice of cake on a tray and soon nibbled on it.

Princess Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Batstralia was not magical before, correct?" When Joyce nodded to her, Celestia continued. "How did you deal with such ailments?"

"We injected anyone who wanted them with flu vaccine—a ways to boost people's immune system—but that only works for something we know is coming, and it still didn't actually stop anyone from getting sick. They would just have a very short flu encounter." Closing her eyes, Joyce savored the flavor of the wonderful tea cake.

"Such a thing could be helpful to a struggling nation's economy." Princess Celestia hid her smile behind the rim of her teacup.

"Let me see. Instantly relieves flu symptoms and must be taken when each new infection happens? Princess Celestia, finding a cure to the common cold is used as a joke on Earth, because nopony—nobody—thinks it can be done." Joyce realized, in that moment, how powerful any idea given to Princess Celestia could be. She had the power to mobilize an entire country to do things. She had soldiers, armies, and more magic than existed on Earth. "You would need to test the medication in magic-free environments, from what I heard most of Earth will stay that way."

"Medicine is such a wonderful gift. I know it would be a powerful bargaining chip later, but I'm sure a few gifts will help show I am serious about a friendly alliance. How is Lyra doing at home?" Princess Celestia asked, shifting the topic again.

"She is blossoming. I thought she was doing well when we first moved to Cowwarr, but seeing her practicing magic with her tutor earlier was a whole other side to my filly." Joyce was glad of the subject change, she preferred lighter topics. "Why did you invite her, back when she was Michael, to your school?"

"I don't know. I'll be honest, Joyce. I don't know what took me to invite her. Call it an urge, call it fate, or call it a hunch. I felt that Michael belonged here, and could feel there was much she—then he—could teach us." Celestia sipped the last of her tea and began refilling her cup from the enchanted teapot that never grew cold. "There's a lot of things I will never leave to chance, but when it comes to offering somepony a future that can only be bright? I am willing to cast the dice with that as many times as I can."

"Lyra came home particularly perky last night. She was meeting with a friend over lunch. I don't suppose Cadance told you if she played matchmaker?" Joyce asked.

Princess Celestia chuckled into her tea. "You found out about her little trick?"

Joyce nodded. "It's amazing the things librarians hear, and say if you ask them nicely. I heard Lyra murmur a name in her sleep—sleep a mother tried her hardest to ignore. Does the name Trixie Lulamoon ring any bells?"

"I'll speak to Cadance. But know that her power can only enhance a love already present. If she used her magic to bring Lyra and Trixie together, there was already a seed of love between them. What about yourself?" When Celestia asked Joyce the question, she was pleased to see Joyce blush a little.

The conundrum that was Tufts still caused Joyce to feel flighty and confused. "I-I'm spoken for. I think. It's complicated, but I think it's not. He'd move the world for me. He's not—and never was—human or pony. Where I come from, there aren't any intelligent creatures but humans."

"But there's a connection there?"

Joyce nodded once more. She had a hint that she'd be doing that a lot to Princess Celestia's insightful questions. "There is. I've met others—stallions—and it's nice to be appreciated, but I can't see them as anything but a pale reflection of him."

"This is something Cadance could help you with, you know."

The words surprised Joyce with their simplicity. She felt something—definitely something—for Tufts, and she had his words and deeds telling her he felt it back. It would be all too easy to ask Cadance for a nudge. "How would it feel?"

Joyce expected a lot of things from her question, but empty regret wasn't one of them. "I'm sorry if I overstepped. I didn't—"

"No. When I was younger, there were stallions around me, but they were teachers. They weren't my peers. Once a hundred years had passed, and I was doing the work I was born for, I was beyond what any stallion would dare approach. It got significantly worse over the years." There was no moment in the past millennium that Celestia wished she had some apple brandy for her tea more that right then.

Trying to think of a solution to Celestia's problem, Joyce couldn't find an opening. "Have you tried talking to Cadance about it?"

The shock of the question jerked Celestia's head up and ripped her from her melancholy. "What?"

"She is the alicorn of love, right? You suggested I talk to her myself just moments ago. Have you tried asking her for help?" Joyce asked.

"But she's—She's only just—" Princess Celestia snapped her mouth closed before she managed to finish a sentence and say something she'd regret. She downed her tea, and a small cake, and began pouring another cup. She waited—and so did Joyce—until the second cup was almost halfway through being drunk to continue. "It's seldom that anypony would tell me something that honest. You're right, though. This is within Cadance's unique sphere of power. Much as it isn't easy to contemplate asking a mare I am trying to teach humility for help, I think it will also be a good test. Thank you again, Joyce."

"If you can, I can. This is wonderful tea." Joyce could see real relief on Princess Celestia's face at the change in topic. She'd so missed having peers to talk to. Candela had filled the role when Joyce was in Cowwarr, but it wasn't until that exact moment that sitting and chatting with Celestia felt normal. So long as she doesn't suggest international relations that could quickly become policy, but everyone had something that you had to tip-toe around.

Princess Celestia beamed at the compliment. "Thank you. Did you like the cake?"

A hunch hit Joyce. She put some things together quickly and had to ask the next leap-of-insight question. "You baked it yourself?" She knew she'd guessed correctly when Celestia's smile looked like sunrise.

"I love baking and cooking. I particularly like sneaking into the castle kitchen and making snacks for the Guards and workers. They might enjoy their job, but that doesn't mean I can't make it a little better for them. And I like cooking for others." Sipping the last of her tea, Princess Celestia found the teapot empty when she tried to pour another.

"Now I know you need to meet my youngest. Her cutie mark is in preparing food." Lifting up her own cup, Joyce drank the last of her tea and made a soft sigh. "I find out tomorrow if I will be able to skip some time at school."

"Your time here is already paying dividends, for Equestria and Batstralia. I would never have thought to offer medicine research as a gift or trade commodity. I don't want you to feel that this is your only use to me, Joyce. There is some feeling about you, a hunch, that you have something big yet to do. And I genuinely enjoy your company." Cleaning up herself, Celestia couldn't shake the feeling that Joyce had a big part to play, and that Luna was involved. It was an easy connection, given the dream magic of both.

"I'll be honest about that, Celestia. I feel overwhelmed. To have an idea—not even an idea—spun into international politics feels—It feels daunting. What if I give you bad advice?" Joyce asked.

"Joyce, I have been doing this for a little while now. We have several bordering nations that we coexist with. Griffons, dragons, and even some more esoteric sub-races of ponies all trade and travel within Equestria. If you have advice, I am very happy to hear it, but I treat it only as advice." Princess Celestia levitated another of her little cakes up. "If I make the wrong decision based off advice, it is my decision, and I will accept the blame for it."

It was both rebuke and reassurance. Joyce wanted to feel more of the latter, but she had a tiny fraction of the former that had a loud voice. She finished her piece of cake before replying. "I'll try to keep from giving bad advice, all the same."

"The difference between you, Joyce Robertson, and one of my more official Royal Advisers, is that they promise not to give bad advice. I believe you more than I believe them." Princess Celestia unfolded her legs and stretched her wings as she stood up. "So. We both resolve to speak to Cadance about our problems?"

Jolted into a new topic, Joyce could do nothing else but nod. "Both of us."