March 3rd, 1001 Domina Solaria
“Twilight, you’re thinking too much! You have to go with your instincts!”
Celestia, horn ablaze, gazes up into the dawning sky. Dark cobalts fade into lighter teals, then yellows, a hint of orange, and a band of red along the horizon. A perfect backdrop for watching the chromatically maned pegasus continue to teach her former student. Even as Twilight tends to get a little testy at her lack of progress.
“I’m trying! Does it look like I want to keep plummeting to my near death?”
“Well, since you keep doing it, I’m going to go with yes! Now move those wings!”
Luna, standing next to Celestia, rests her horn as her moon fades under the horizon, now only a small quarter of the sky anywhere close to her coat. She yawns, glad that her night and the second twenty four hour period of festivities is coming to a close.
“I’m tired! How would you feel if somepony was yelling at you all the time, not giving you a chance to rest, and berating your every mistake?!”
“What do you think being a Wonderbolt is like? Sunshine and roses? No! Now, if I really wanted to tire you out, I’d make you do hairpin turns! But, fortunate for you, you’ve managed to last a whole minute without tumbling out of the sky.”
“Really? Oh thank Celestia,” Twilight grunts out as she turns, focusing perhaps a little too much on the alicorn in question. She tucks her wings too early, flopping horn over hooves onto the royal balcony. Celestia merely raises her forelegs, allowing Twilight to tumble underneath her and into a set of cushions set against the wall seemingly for this exact occurrence. Celestia can’t help but smile, even seeing the tiniest hint of Luna’s muzzle curling upwards, as Twilight moans from her upside down position.
“Well, you’re definitely improving,” Rainbow Dash says as she lands next to the three alicorns, preening a wing to hide her disdain. “It’d be nice if I didn’t have to keep berating you to take your mind off of flying, but if that’s what I have to do?” Rainbow Dash sighs as she shakes her head, glancing towards Cadance’s tower. “You always fly a lot better when you’re climbing back up. You know, when you have some sort of objective in mind. We just need to work on the whole ‘hovering with nothing going on’ thing. We’ve got to find something that works for you.”
“Thanks for that, Rainbow,” Twilight says as she staggers to her hooves, stretching her wings. “You’re a true Friend. But you do tend to hit a little close to home.”
Rainbow Dash shrugs. “What can I say, I’m awesome at everything I do.” She walks over to Luna and Celestia, following their eyes far below. “What’cha looking at?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Luna replies harshly, casting a hoof towards the hundred or so undisguised changelings marshaling outside the train station. The railway supplies are already at the bottom of the mountain, and many are trading nuzzles with guardstallions also getting ready to leave.
“Don’t mind her,” Celestia says, nuzzling her Sister. “She’s just mad the problem she was working on got solved without her genius. But that’s what happens when several hundred unemployed workers show up on your doorstep, hat in hoof and looking for anything to do.”
“Her blasé command of ‘do whatever they want’ doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in us,” Luna retorts. “And you were sour too, given that none of them renounced Chrysalis’ leadership, or took banishment as an option.”
Celestia gravely nods. “Too true. Yet I hope in the coming year we will be able to come to a better understanding of each other, and convince more than a few that the Equestrian way of life is better than the life they had before.”
“Speaking of the impossible,” Cadance says as she walks onto the balcony. Twilight Sparkle leaps up, but her initial greeting is stifled by a harsh glare from the pink alicorn. “You may need to find a more permanent spot for our resident Queen. She’s turning my room into a new hive, complete with spawning chambers.” Cadance makes a face, sticking her tongue out. “And eggs. Far too many eggs.”
“Eggs?” Celestia asks, eyes narrowing. “And the foal?”
Cadance rolls her eyes, “Mine’s fine, thanks for asking. Hers is also doing well, and still a foal. Something about ‘changeling biology’ that I didn’t care to listen to.”
Rainbow Dash chuckles. “Hey, Twilight, maybe you should listen to Chrysalis talk about changeling biology while you practice. That’ll keep your mind off flying!”
Twilight considers for a few seconds, her face lighting up. “Hey, that’s a really great idea!” She starts hovering in the air, though she doesn’t seem to be doing it consciously. “It’s really important to get to know each other, and better understanding will lead to better friendship!” She looks ready to fly straight to the changeling’s window, despite it being covered by some sort of green material. “I could even ask Simple Eye once we get back to Ponyville.”
“I think she prefers Ocellus,” Rainbow Dash adds, “and I heard there are a couple others that revealed themselves. You could ask them, too.”
“A marvelous idea, Twilight, but perhaps we can wait a moment before preliminary testing.” Celestia winks as Twilight drops back down, a sheepish grin on the lavender alicorn. She turns to Cadance, her tone soft and reconciliatory. “Are you feeling better?”
Cadance sighs, letting out a deep breath. “Better, yes. Still not great.” She shakes her head, glancing towards her old room. “Being imprisoned in a dark cave for a week was not fun, and when I got out I was informed of a plan that, while I could have refused, would have thrown everything into jeopardy. I felt like I was forced into it, and even now I’m suffering the consequences.”
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry,” Twilight apologizes, offering Cadance a nuzzle the pink alicorn accepts. “If I thought I could get you a message and your input without Chrysalis noticing, I would have.”
Cadance nods. “I know. I guess I’m just frustrated with this whole thing.” She glares again at her old room. “And I didn’t even get to have a proper night with Shiny! Chrysalis just said, after my first and only time with Shiny, ‘You’re already pregnant, not like you can get more pregnant.’ And then proceeded to demonstrate that she can, apparently, get more pregnant. So now, on her command, Shiny’s pounding out a new changeling every chance he gets.” Cadance grits her teeth, a furious snort escaping. “About the only good thing I can say is that she's agreed to not stray outside the herd, despite wanting to ‘ramp up production’ - her Tartarus forsaken words, I can’t believe she cares so little for her young - though she did at least make the request for ‘variety’.” Cadance spits out the word, scowling.
Twilight seems none too pleased with the turn in the conversation, but that doesn’t stop Rainbow Dash from commenting. “Hey, if you’re worried about not getting some, then just have Shiny start with you.” Cadance raises an eyebrow, so Rainbow Dash motions back and forth with her left hoof, then swaps to her right. “You know.”
“Mating practices aside,” Celestia says, her tone indicating this particular conversation thread is over, “With regards to Chrysalis, perhaps you and Shining Armor will be able to make the move to the Crystal Empire earlier than originally hoped. I too am not enthusiastic with the idea of turning the upper levels of the castle into a spawning ground.”
“You’ll have to be the one to move her, because I’m not stepping one hoof in there.” Cadance drops her head low, her voice losing a bit of its edge. “I don’t know how Shiny does it, letting his love get drained like that over and over.”
“It’s a good thing he has such strong support backing him up, even if you don’t see eye to eye on this.” Twilight nuzzles Cadance, then raises her hooves. Cadance sighs, then grins, joining Twilight in their foalhood greeting.
“On a different note, I wanted to get each of your input.” Celestia strides to the edge of the balcony. “We have made some spectacular victories for Friendship in this last year, many of which I would never have thought possible. From rescuing my Sister, Luna, from the darkness of her own mind-” she smiles softly at her cobalt counterpart, Luna returning a faint smile of her own “-reacquiring the Element of Harmony; Twilight Sparkle ascending to the Princess of Friendship; using her newly found abilities, and those of her friends, to defeat King Sombra and save the Crystal Empire; and finally, convincing Queen Chrysalis and her changelings - an irredeemable creature if I ever thought there was one - to at the very least give Friendship a chance.”
“Are you suggesting…” starts Luna, fearful at finishing her thought. The others exchange nervous glances, more than a few gulps taken.
Celestia nods grimly, locating the sculpture gardens. “I’m afraid so. I speak of an opponent I thought equally as irreformable, whose very nature goes against all we ponies hold dear.” She takes a deep breath as everypony stands up a little straighter, mentally preparing themselves.
“I speak, of course, about Discord.”
Celestia winces, half expecting the draconequus to show up at the mere mention of his name. After a few strained seconds she lets her breath out in relief, the others doing the same.
“At least give us a few weeks of enjoying ourselves,” Cadance says bitterly, then muttering under her breath, “even if some of us get to enjoy that time more than others.”
“Of course,” Celestia says, ignoring the second remark. “I would not want us to go into this unprepared. Any suggestions at all as to what precautions we should take are welcomed, and you can be sure that I will be digging through the archives.”
“Can’t we make it, like, a year or something?” Rainbow Dash pats her belly. “Or two? Or, how about, like, ten years. I’d be good waiting ten years.”
“A lot can happen in ten years,” Twilight counters, shaking her head. “And I’m not talking about our Friendships breaking up, even if life does take us in different directions. Accidents are always possible, and there’s honestly no telling how this ‘alliance’ with Chrysalis will work out.”
Luna nods. “We could jeopardize this ‘alliance’ just as easily by allowing Chrysalis a potential enemy of her enemy. Even with her supposed change of heart, and declaring no information is classified and any questions answered to the best of their ability.”
“I haven’t even scratched the surface there!” Twilight exclaims, wings flapping again. “There’s so much we don’t know about them! And, maybe they have something that could help us!”
“Optimistic as ever,” Celestia says with a measured smile at Twilight, then a nod to her Sister. “And while our new friend might choose to betray us, she is currently still feeling the sting of defeat, and she will not wish to suffer that again. I do not wish to lose this momentum we have going, and I fear further delays will sap our resolve more rapidly than Discord himself.”
“You’ll still let us know well in advance, right?” Rainbow Dash asks, her voice resigned. “Because it sounds like this is happening whether we want it or not.” She glances tellingly at Cadance.
Celestia shakes her head with a slight frown. “I do not presume to command you in this matter. After all, the Elements of Harmony obey you, Rainbow Dash, not me. I trust your decision, though I might not agree with it. Ultimately, it will require each of your consents to unlock Discord from his stone prison. And, might I add, to return him to his prison should he break free.”
“All the more reason to make sure we do it right,” Twilight Sparkle says, nodding. Her stomach rumbles. "And with that, can we get some breakfast? I'm sure we're all a bit famished."