Libel strode through the halls of the castle as if she belonged there. Did she not? She was given authority; even if it was under slightly untrue pretenses. Perhaps she would write that article. The chances were not not that high, she admitted to herself, but she'd never know without having a look.
Her eyes wandered as she took in the stained glass windows. Many of the tables set before pillars had smaller works of art, as often a painting on a wall as it was some sculpture or similar work that one could admire on the way past. Was one of them his? She couldn't be certain.
Had it been that long since she last saw any of his art? What had his style grown into? Surely he had evolved and grown as her own work had. Sure, she had liked words, even back then... but her work was foalish, as befit a foal. She saw circular stairs and began to ascend them, always moving firmly.
She ignored the maids and other ponies she passed. They were not what she was there for, and it would hurt her chances if she were to care about them. A reporter on the case would not, so she could not. Two stories higher she climbed, her wings itching as she went. Were she allowed to just fly there directly, the trip would have already concluded. Alas, propriety.
There it was. A plaque beside the door announced the room beyond it to be 'Records'. The door was open. Good. She had been forbidden from opening any, though she had been ready to knock if need be. She slowed her pace to a casual walk and moved through the open door into the room. It was a large thing, with no less than five ponies reading or scribing. All of those present were unicorns, save one.
She was an earth pony in the back with the biggest pile of books around her. She also appeared to be very old, with big glasses on her snout that she peered through as she read something, mumbling softly to herself.
"Can I help you?" A much younger male unicorn asked with a faint tilt of the head. "You don't appear to be a regular."
"Libelous Word," spoke the elder in the back. "Of the known Word family. Beware, she can live up to the first name, but does not make it a habit." The elder sat up, adjusting her glasses. "And she has little reason to be here."
Libel stiffened. She had been seen through that easily?! "I was hoping to get a fact or two about the art in the palace, then I'll be out of everyone's mane. Might you spare the time?" She wasn't entirely sure if she should address the elder or the younger one. The elder had already returned to what she was reading, and he was looking at her, so she went with him.
He looked around a moment before a book flew in, only to be caught in his magic. "Thanks." He nodded towards the elder that wasn't looking at him. "What did you want to know?" He set the grand tome down and carefully opened it.
"I heard a relatively young artist got their work posted here." She rolled a hoof. "Name of Color Splash? Can you verify that, for a start?"
"Color Splash..." His horn glowed as he flipped through the book carefully. "Color... Splash... Mmm..." He was almost to the end of the great tome, flipping quickly. "We have a lot of art pieces in the palace. Record Checker could tell you exactly how many, but she's busy."
Libel glanced at the elder. Was she Record Checker? "That's quite alright. I'm more interested in how the new and old art is being used together to create a unique experience."
"Ah, hmm..." He was just a few pages from the end and a hoof came down just beside the book. "Here we are! On display, Hall 24, the spring noon atrium."
Libel's brows rose. It was good to be a princess and have such a specific room for such a specific time. "Any other details about it?"
"It was donated." Libel felt a frown coming on. "By a castle worker." Her frown eased. "They thought the princess would be cheered by it. I guess they were right, since it's still there." He shrugged softly. "Did you want to see it? It's not spring, so the room isn't in use." He climbed to his hooves. "I'll have to go with you though. You're not allowed to just walk in there without an appointment."
He turned and dipped his head towards the elder. "Is it alright if I take her?"
She responded without looking up, "you may wish to let her answer before you offer, but I have no objection."
Libel smiled gently at the unicorn. "I'd be delighted." She backed up and waved for the door. "After you. Have you seen it before?"
"Oh, no. I suppose I should look at it too." He trotted past her, leading the way down the hallway. "Do you, um, write things, about ponies?"
"I'm an editor," flatly corrected Libel. "Speaking of that, was that Record Checker?"
"One and only." He nodded with certainty, weaving through the halls with familiarity. "She's amazing, and busy. Usually both at the same time. We do our best to take the pressure off of her." He peeked over his shoulder. "If you're an editor, why are you, uh... here?"
Libel coughed softly, realizing her error. "Just because I am hired as an editor doesn't mean I never perform any other function." She had written articles before, and likely would in the future. "Are you much of an art fan?"
"Um, a little?" He turned down a narrow hallway, leading her along. "I have a few paintings... I kinda got them because I thought it'd, um... make me look more, you know, refined."
Libel had to smile. Faux-regal. It was a popular sentiment, especially among the lower born that wanted to live up to the fine examples of ponies around them. "Did you find any meaning in them?"
"One of them, uh, not really. It's... nothing but lines... The other one though..." He paused in his steps. "I really like that one. It's a portrait, a landscape of a summer day. It's away from the city, from civilization, from ponies... Just butterflies and birds and a squirrel... It's... I glance at it every morning." He sighed softly with appreciation. "That one I like. Uh, how about you?"
"I prefer pony portraits." She nodded softly as she walked. "When an artist can truly capture a pony's essence, that is a marvelous thing, especially when it's a pony worth marveling. It's an immortality, in a way. It may outlive you for some time, for other ponies to see and remember."
"Wow... Uh, here we are." He nodded to the two guards standing watch. "She's with me. We're just looking at a painting in there." He pointed inside past the closed door.
The guards nodded as one. The right one had an eye on Libel. "Please refrain from touching anything or moving anything. The princess has specific requirements for the position of all of her things."
"Of course." She nodded lightly. "I will touch only with my eyes and take only with my notes." She waggled the notepad held in her wing.
That seemed to satisfy them, and one opened the door for the two.
She advanced swiftly, trotting past the record keeping pony. The room drew her breath away. It was open-roofed, as befit an atrium, allowing the sun to spill in at an angle. "No wonder it's called the noon atrium..." She could only imagine how splendid it was when the sun was directly over their heads. Even at the angle, the effect was wonderful, bathing the room and its artifacts, bidding them to glitter and shine with the light.
He easily caught up with her stunned form. "Isn't it great? Celestia has a great sense of aesthetics, and encourages others to develop theirs. She didn't, you know, design this herself, but it was her bits and encouragement that made it come into being." He turned in place. "Now where is it... There." He pointed to the wall to the side of the table, not on either end of it.
There it hung. It was a portrait of a pony. That pony was Princess Celestia. She was not standing regally. She was surrounded by other ponies. They were all tiny ponies, foals, with big eyes and bright smiles. They swarmed her and she sat among them, laughing. It was a gentle and sweet picture of the princess taking time to be with her smallest subjects.
Several of them were climbing on top of her, with one making good efforts to scale her long neck. Everyone in the painting looked happy to be there, or simply determined in the case of the brave climber. It was... warm, and... Not what Libel expected when one would have told her a picture of Celestia awaited. And yet, it was there. It was there right in Celestia's sitting room, where she could be meeting with other important ponies. It was tacit admission that she agreed with the sentiments in the picture. She was a mother.
"Are you alright?"
Libel blinked, looking to the record keeping stallion. "Why would I not be alright?"
"You were staring, um... It is a nice piece." He nodded at it. "Really reminds you how nice the princess is... I wonder if he'd do one of Princess Luna? I mean... Not that I could afford to commission an artist. Anyone good enough to get their art here must be super expensive."
That raised a question. "You mentioned it was donated. Any idea how much the pony who obtained it originally paid for it?"
He shook his head quickly. "That isn't a mandatory question when someone donated a piece of art. We just need to know when, where, and how they came to have it, and that information was clearly filled out."
Libel smiled. "There's a hint. Where was it obtained?"
"From the artist's home." He nodded softly. "I remember that."
That could mean several things, or nothing. A truly well-to-do artist would have things in art shows and museums and other prestigious places. On the other hoof, if he was popular enough, he could expect worthy ponies to come to him and demand that right. The mystery was still there. She looked at the piece briefly. If nothing... he was talented. She smiled a little, wondering a moment if ever she could be captured so grandly. Even with all the foals, it was clear that Celestia was in charge, a mother, not a babysitter. A grand and powerful presence.
Color tapped at the ground lightly. No call had come that day. Had he been stood up? Was she just busy? Was he waiting for nothing? He refused to give up that quickly. She was his friend! That had become so clear when they started talking. Even if nothing else ever happened, he wanted to reignite that. He wanted her back, as a friend.
They knew each other, from their foalhood days, and understood each other. He had started to wonder what her life was, since then. What was her average day like. What made her laugh, or cry. What made her groan in frustration or cheer in celebration. He wanted to know, and to share his own life with her. Even if romance never happened, he wanted his old friend back.
"Hello!" Derpy sat down across from him. "You look like you're thinking about something super serious. Everything alright?"
There was another pony he was growing to like having as a friend. "Anypony ever mention you're nice to have around?"
Her wings shot out as she burst into merry giggles. "You're so nice! Hey, um... Can you draw another picture?" She leaned forward. "I always wanted to see what I'd look like, doing a sonic rainboom."