//------------------------------// // My Promise To The Sun (Edited By BS) // Story: The Humble Prince // by Lighting Ace //------------------------------// After fulfilling her daily routine of raising the sun, Princess Celestia was on her way to take a quick shower, don her royal regalia and begin her duties when a knock on the door caught her attention and prevented her from grabbing a towel as she turned to the door frame. "Auntie, is me, can I come in?" She heard from the other side, calming her down a little, although she was still curious as to why he was knocking on the door this early in the morning. Using her magic, she opened the door and let the prince in. "Good morning dear, what is it? Is there something you wish to tell me?" She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, and her curiosity increased once she noticed that he was carrying a saddlebag and was accompanied by Luna, who seemed as happy as he was. Though, Celestia could detect a hint of mischievousness behind Luna's smile. What are you plotting, sister? She questioned herself for a moment before speaking up. "Oh, and good morning to you too sister, I have to say I'm honestly surprised to see you here as well." "Never-mind me, sister, I'm just here as a spectator, of what is about to happen…and to avoid a murder, or perhaps a suicide?" She was quick to answer and question herself on what the right terms were as she invited herself to one of Celestia's pillows in the room where she didn't waste time sitting on it and watching the two closely, confusing Celestia even more. "What?" Before she could ask anything else, Blueblood cleared the air. "It's about the promise I made to you some months ago, auntie. A lot has happened, and we were forced to put it on hold, but I didn't forget, and I always keep my promises, which is why I left everything ready for today." He took a step closer and closed his eyes for what his aunt Luna warned him. "One whole day for just the two of us. Like a mommy and son day sort of thing." (Just as he promise way back at the ‘Plans At Sunset’ chapter)  "A mother/son…?" It took a moment for Celestia to recall, but she did. The memory of Blueblood making such a promise came floating back, and she responded with a growing eagerness. "A mother/ son day? Just for us?" "Yes" "All day long?" "A-yep" Before he could react, Celestia let out a screech so intense the windows of her room cracked, and she was in the process of doing the same to Blueblood's poor spine with a bear hug if not for the timely intervention of Luna, who teleported him away so he can regain his breath. "Told you she would do it" Luna looked at him in triumph as she extended her hoof, and Blueblood begrudgingly gave her 20 bits to settle their bet as Celestia recovered from her high, only for her eyes to grow wide in sudden concern. "But we can't. There is a lot that I still need to do today." "All taken care of auntie, your schedule is officially free for the day." "What of the documents that still need my signatures?" Celestia pointed out "Aunt Luna will cover for today in exchange for being here," Blueblood answered, and the princess in question nodded when looking at Celestia, keeping her mischievous smile. "My meetings?" She continued. "Aunt Pudding Head has got them covered, which delighted our dear guest's sister. It's not every day that one has the chance to speak with one of the three mares that birthed a nation," Luna casually replied. "Royal Court?" "That one I'm particularly proud of," Blueblood chuckled a little "It wasn't easy, but in the end, I managed to broker a deal with Princess Platinum so she would cover for you today." "Really? And what was the deal?" Celestia asked intrigued "Sorry, can't say, she wants to be a surprise" Blueblood shook his head and lifted a hoof. "But don't worry, it's nothing bad or weird. Let's just say I'm not the only one that still owes a promise to royalty." That was all Blueblood said, which only piqued Celestia's curiosity, but she ultimately decided to let it go. She wasn't about to question the opportunity of a day off when it presented itself and even less if it involved spending it with her nephew. Whatever deal he made with her aunt Platinum would have to be a future Blueblood problem. Before she could ask anything else, Blueblood spoke again and started searching for something in his saddlebag. "I also thought of a way for us not to draw too much attention. I wasn't sure if you would be ok with it, but after talking about it for a bit with aunt Luna, she told me that you had done this kind of thing before." Finding what he was looking for, he took out two changeling pendants and showed them to her. "She told me how you used to sneak out of the castle to fool around in the town as Sunshine Smiles, so I figured that we could use your persona in addition to adding a son to her story as the perfect disguise to pass off as an ordinary mother and child" He then looked away. "And it will let me have wings for the day at the same time." He whispered, and half mumbled, faking innocence, as he avoided eye contact with her. "What was that last part, dear?" The princess questioned, not sure if she understood what he said correctly. "Well, I mean, it would only make sense. If you are a pegasus and my mom, I'm supposed to be one too, right?" "Oh, sweetie, there is no need to go that far. Lots of pegasus mares have unicorn colts," Celestia replied, dismissing his reasoning. "But I want to have them" Blueblood looked down, dejected. "I want to know what it's like to have wings." "Oh, Blueblood, I understand that you want to know what it's like to fly," Celestia mentioned while spreading her wings for emphasis. "But just like a horn, the ability of flight takes more than just the simple flapping of wings. You require training, effort, and grace. Qualities that can't be learned overnight, and just covering one lesson will take you a whole day. Would you want to spend our entire day doing just that?" "No, I suppose not." He replied, still feeling down for not being able to fly. "I think you are jumping to conclusions a tad too quickly, dear sister," Luna interjected, gaining their attention. "Our nephew has proven to, again and again, to be a master of quick learning, particularly in the fields of magic, etiquette, and swordsmanship, the latter I can attest to personally." She listed off, placing her left hoof on her chest. "I say you should grant his wish, Tia. Let him experience what it is like to touch the skies." She said with a calm smile, perking up the prince's ears as he looked at her and then to Celestia in excitement and anticipation. Celestia sighed before looking at her sister, "Be that as it may, it's still too risky, Luna, my answer is no, and that is final. Now come on, sweetie, let me see that pendant." Celestia looked at Blueblood and captured one of the objects in her magic before levitating it to her. Luna shrugged. "Suit yourself. I just thought you would have liked to experience an event every mother dreams to have when having a child." The second she said that Celestia froze as her own ears perked up and left the talisman floating in mid-air as she slowly turned to face her. "Come again?" Her sister only smirked, knowing that she had Celestia's attention as she casually conjured a piece of paper for her to see that read Mommy and me, a free flying lesson at Cumulus plaza, Cloudsdale. Help your colt/filly explore the sky while bonding together. We wait for you mommies. To all interested, please fill in your information on the back of this pamphlet. Turning the document, Celestia saw a straightforward form to fill in with generic questions, who to contact if assistance is needed, names, any illness or conditions that needed to be declared, how long would you take the class, what time, the works. "Just as our nephew said, we talked about adding a foal into Sunshines backstory, but we never discussed how young said child is." "And Pudding Head and Flicker have been teaching me about meditation techniques, and I have been practicing auntie, I have more control while being a colt now," Blueblood confirmed with confidence, feeding more into Celestia's interest. "Indeed, since the chance of teaching magic had to wait until his adulthood, I thought you might like to try your hoof at a different kind of lesson with him as a child, one that you would treasure deeply, sister." Luna stood up and grasped the pamphlet in her magic. "But if you don't want to, that is ok. They also have nighttime lessons. I won't mind taking him myself if you don't like the idea." Luna began to slowly withdraw the pamphlet when suddenly Celestia yanked it back and glared at her sister. "Ok, I get it, you made your point." She exclaimed, holding the pamphlet like it was a national treasure. "Perhaps I was rash in my decision. I mean, it's not like we are going to be pushing him off a cliff right off the bat, right?" "But of course! That would be madness." Luna agreed with a nod. "And Blueblood has yet to see Cloudsdale, who has plenty of cloud heads for us to venture out and walk around on without raising suspicion." "My thoughts exactly," Luna repeated her agreement with this course of action. "Plus, to reach there, he would be clinging to you back the whole way." She added with a smirk, as she could see her sister's eyes dilate in realization for a brief moment before regaining control. "But of course, that would be only logical" Celestia nodded and then turned to Blueblood. "So that means I can be a pegasus!?" He asked expectantly as she smiled and nodded. "It sounds like an entertaining experience and will allow me the chance to show you more of our beautiful nation!" "Yes!" Thank you, thank you, thank you, auntie!" He chanted while hugging her leg, barely containing his excitement, "You are the kindest auntie, ever." "Aw, aren't you the sweetest?" Celestia patted his head before turning towards her bathroom. "Now give me a moment to clean myself, and then we will be off, dear. There is a whole mother/son day ahead of us, and I don't want to miss a single second of it!" She exclaimed, equally excited at the idea. It wasn't until she closed the door that Luna addressed the prince once more. "And that is how the equestrians play the power game among rulers. Did you get all that nephew?" she asked in a professional tone as he nodded. "Let us review in that case. When working on an agreement…" "…arguments are the kiss of death. You wish for a deal, not a declaration of war." Blueblood completed. "Very good, and to sway your targets…" "…always trick them into believing that they are in control; their pride and ego are your weapons, blind them with them. Stroke one or both, and if possible, make them believe that your idea becomes theirs or secretly works for them better." "Excellent, always remember: only dictators and idiots focus on themselves and their comfortable luxury life, a true ruler focuses on everyone's well being. You are not there to conquer or dominate. When entering the game, you are always seeking a peaceful solution. War only bleeds countries, and tension is an infection that must be avoided, purged, or otherwise removed. Never be blinded by anger and never underestimate your opponent." "I will remember it. Auntie, thank you. With this, now I understand how I should face those rulers." Blueblood said mostly to himself while looking at his hoof in determination before looking at her again. "Also, about the thing about being the kindest auntie…" "…say no more," Luna stopped him. "Unlike my sister, I don't require all that much in the way of praise. Do not worry. I don't feel offended whatsoever." She dismissed his concern with a shake of her head. "Is not that well…it's part of that too, but I thought I should clarify something." "Oh? And what is that?" Rather than answer, Blueblood decided to go to her and gave her a hug using his neck, much to her surprise. "Aunt Celestia might be the kindest aunt, but you are the coolest!" "Oh…ah, well thank you, nephew, that is kind of you to say." She tells expertly, hiding how inside his words touched her and returned the gesture as the hug lingered on. Once over, Blueblood closed his eyes and smiled, "And so far, you are also the most badass of the two, with how incredible you are with the sword." "I appreciate the praise, dear" She also smiled back and patted his head, "And it was a nice attempt. Others might have fallen for it, but not me. You are not going to skip ahead in your lessons," She casually replied, cutting straight to what he wanted. "Aw, come on!" Blueblood let go of his act. "I'm ready, auntie. Why don't we practice the advanced moves? Please, I want to know how to parry like you do!" She only laughed at his antics. "Tia was right. You are adorable when you pout. Patience, nephew, we will get there in time. For now, have fun. Today is going to be very special for you." Right on cue, Celestia exited the bathroom, drying herself with her towel and applying some sunlight on the fabric to speed up the process before leaving it hanging on a rack nearby. "Ok, all done. Are you ready, sweetie?" Celestia asked, eager to begin. "More than ever!" Blueblood put his pendant on and was about to start transforming when Celestia stopped him. "Good, but before we put on our disguises, allow me to assist you with yours. Rather than just reverting your age, you are changing into a completely different tribe. It's more complicated, and you need more finesse." She put on her pendant and pressed her hoof against Blueblood. "Now, just close your eyes, and clear your head." "Ok, auntie, don't give me small wings. I want to feel the wind beneath them!" He said in excitement as he closed his eyes Celestia chuckled and nodded, "I will see what I can do" She closed her eyes as well. Soon both pendants came to life as Celestia use her magic to aid in both of their transformations, enveloping them both in a sphere of white and golden light for a brief second before it vanished, revealing a new pair of ponies. For Celestia, her body shrank considerably until she was the standard pegasus height. A light yellow tone replaced her pearl white fur. Her wings were slightly larger than those of the average pegasus. Her cutie mark was replaced with that of the sun sporting a pair of sunglasses on it. Her eyes remained the same, and her horn was nowhere to be seen. Her majestic, wavy, and long multicolored mane and tail were now replaced by a regular light orange one, which curiously had ponytails in both. Her tail was combed and well-groomed while her main was slightly messy and spiked, two locks of her mane were tinted blue. For his part, Blueblood had regressed once more into the body of a colt. A pegasus colt this time from the pair of wings that he now sported. Which, per his request, were indeed slightly more developed than the average. He shared the same color pattern of fur as Celestia, probably to add evidence of them being related. His cutie mark had shrunk slightly and now had two clouds in front of it. His mane and tail were now an ocean blue and grown a bit longer. Most noticeably of all, just like Celestia, his horn was nowhere to been seen. "Did it work?" The prince questioned only to stop when he heard his voice having a higher pitch to it, and when checking himself in the mirror, he was able to see the result for himself, "It worked! I'm a pegasus!" "Indeed you are," Celestia approached him with a big grin. "You are an adorable little pegasus ready to fly" She baby talked to him, not realizing the mistake she just made. "That is right! I have wings now! I can fly! I can whoa…" In his excitement, he start flapping his wings rapidly, which instantly launched him into the air, where he promptly lost control and start to spiral out of control everywhere. "Calm down, dear, stop…Blueblood stop flapping your wings…no wait, raise your head, no, not that high, just stay still, dear!" Celestia tried to control the situation only to end up bouncing from one place to another, making a mess as Luna enjoyed the show with gusto. Oh, it was even better than I could have imagined. After having a good laugh and calming herself, she decided that she had gotten enough and used her horn to freeze Blueblood in mid-air before slowly putting him down where a panting Celestia was glaring at her. "You couldn't do that from the beginning?" "And deprive you of the greatest joys of being a mother?" Luna gasped in faux shock as she put her hoof on her chest for emphasis Relaxing, Celestia recovered her breath and smiled at her. "You knew this was gonna a happen, didn't you?" Dropping the act, Luna smiled back. "The very second Blueblood told me the idea." She sighed and chuckled while shaking her head. "Oh Luna, I swear I'm gonna a get you back, but for now, nothing can drop my mood." She returned her attention to Blueblood. "See what I meant, dear? Flying is not an easy thing either. You need focus and a clear head if you ever want to learn. Do you think you have what it takes?" Blueblood nodded in determination. "Completely, you have my full attention." "Good. In that case," She turned to her side and sat down, lowering her wings. "Climb up and hold tight, dear. There is a long flight ahead of us." He did as instructed, and once secure, Celestia stood up and looked at Luna. "We'll be back by the time I need to lower the sun." "Bye, auntie; see you later." "Go have fun, you two" Luna waved goodbye at the two as Celestia went into a little spring to gain momentum before extending her wings and taking to the air at a decent speed. Once gone, Luna turned around and prepared for the day ahead of her, nodding a couple of times. I let my sister and nephew have a day off to have fun. Indeed, I AM the coolest aunt. She reaffirmed to herself before exiting the room.