“Tia, are you sure leaving this to Twilight Sparkle is a good idea?” I ask my sister, with the aforementioned pony being due to arrive any moment now.
She looks down, contemplating before looking past the empty throne room at the door with a resolute nod. “Even if I were to second guess myself now, the letter has already been sent, and she is already on her way.”
I stare at the door for a moment before turning back to her. “Why her, if you don’t mind me asking? You currently have her studying friendship, do you not? Would this not impede that?”
She remains silent before speaking. “Simply put, nobody else is available. You are still readjusting to society and your duties to the kingdom, the dream realm, and your Crescents; plus, you’d be hard pressed to keep as close an eye on him as you’d like if you were occupied with such a task on top of your already existing obligations. Our other mages typically study in one school of magic, and I doubt they’d be particularly willing to assist in this endeavor; not that I blame them, nor would I force them to do so. I cannot do it because I have my own duties, and I doubt Null would want me to be the one doing it; He trusts me about as far as he can throw me.”
She takes a long breath before continuing. “Twilight studies all schools of magic, and has a good handle on the fundamentals of magic as a whole; not to mention is versed in the art of spellcraft. Simply put, she’s a prodigy, much like Starswirl was.” she titters to herself. “Had I not known any better, I’d say she was a descendant of his. Alas, Starswirl never made mention of having any children, nor has any made themselves known.”
I smile a bit at the reminder of Starswirl; a very dear friend to us both.
"If I recall, you two were pretty close, you sure you never had a child with him behind my back?" She giggles.
"Tia!" I exclaim, my wings flaring out in embarrassment and blood rushing to my face. "I did no such thing!" I huff. "We were close but not that close." She opens her mouth with a smirk, but I cut her off. "That's all there is to say about the topic." I say, readjusting my wings to rest against my back again.
She, for her part, breaks out into quiet laughter, to which I roll my eyes at.
Not long after, the throne room doors open, and the unicorn we've been expecting enters.
"Ah, Twilight Sparkle. I trust you are well?" I greet. She nods, watching my still laughing sister with curiosity. I follow her eyes and roll my own again, smacking my sister upside the head lightly with a wing. She recoils, having been in her own little world, and fixes me with a confused look. I simply point to her student with the wing I smacked her with, returning my sight back to said pony.
Twilight for her part seems to be mortified yet amused by the whole situation, but is keeping her composure fairly well.
"Ah, hello Twilight. I hope the trip over wasn't too much of an inconvenience?" Celestia asks, having regained control of her faculties.
She nods. "The train ride was fine, if a bit short notice. You mentioned it wasn't an emergency, but didn't give any details either; saying it was better to explain in person. What did you need me for, princess?" She asks with a tilt of her head.
"I need you to create a spell. This does not require your full attention, so don't let this task dictate your life; it's a bit of a project that will take time, and may or may not even be possible. Feel up to it?" She asks.
"Anything for you princess. What kind of spell? And what's it for?" Twilight smiles widely.
"I trust you remember Null." Her smile falters at the mention of him, but Celestia waves a hoof. "This is nothing bad, I assure you. A series of events has taken place, and as it turns out he has a sister. Said sister is here in Equestria with him."
One of her ears folds back in confusion along with a raised eyebrow. "She wasn't… Was she?"
I decide to join the conversation at this point. "Nothing of the sort, thankfully. No, she arrived not long ago due to similar circumstances as Null. She possesses the Right Eye, an apparent duality to Null's Left; which is how she came to be here."
"So… What kind of spell are you asking me to make? You're not asking me to find a way to restrain them, are you?" She asks worriedly.
"No. If it comes to that, I'll handle it myself; though a similar topic might come up. Null's sister, Kaia, has expressed a desire to go home. She came here through no means of her own much like her brother. We were hoping you could create a spell that could do just that." I explain.
She raises an eyebrow. "I… Suppose I could. You're right though, that would take a long time to do… if it's even possible…though, if their eyes brought them here, isn't it possible it would prevent them from leaving?"
Celestia answers for me. "That's the other topic; magic and eyes like that are not normal for their world, and would likely cause a commotion. Kaia has also expressed a bit of fear of her eye, and asked if it could be removed and replaced with a normal eye. I'm sure you can already piece together why that would be a touchy subject."
Twilight nods, then rubs her chin with a hoof, thinking and mumbling to herself. After a moment she nods to herself again. "I can work on this, but it will be slow going, not to mention difficult if they're going to be here in Canterlot; there's only so much I can do without them being available for tests and such. Though, why do you want me to work on this? Not that I mind, of course."
"Simply put, you're the only one available and willing. Myself and Luna are too occupied, and his public image isn't exactly the best. Kaia may not be him, but she's related to him, is the same species as him, and has an eye like his; It would not be difficult to imagine them treating her unfairly because of his actions. As ashamed as I am to admit about my citizens, even if some were willing, I can't rule out that they might try something." She takes a long breath, shuffling her wings on her back.
"As for them living here, would it be easier if they were easier to reach? In Ponyville perhaps?" I ask.
“It would be a major convenience, yes; though it probably wouldn’t be necessary right away. Lot’s of preliminary work to be done and all that.” she waves her hoof airily.
“Perhaps… but it would be better to get it out of the way sooner rather than later. Not to mention, Ponyville would probably be a less hostile environment than the castle grounds at the moment. A number of guards still haven’t forgiven Null’s actions; on top of the political nightmare the nobles are causing.” Celestia says.
“What have they had to say about Null?” Twilight asks with a tilt of her head.
“Oh, many things. Demands for him to be imprisoned, turned back to stone, sent to the moon, some even going so far as to suggest execution. Others have asked to duel him in some attempt to ‘restore honor to the crown’.” she explains with a sigh. “And that's only what they’ve said to us. Some of our eyes and ears within the social circles think some plan to eventually make an attempt on him if their complaints continue to fall of deaf ears.”
Twilight gains a look of concern on her face. “With all due respect princess, is it really a good idea to move them then? Wouldn’t the castle be safer?”
“As secure as the castle is, it is still technically a semi public facility. Coupled with the growing animosity among some of the staff, it would not be difficult to imagine some finding a way to slip inside. Moving them in secret would delay that, and actually make it easier for their guards to do their job. Ponyville is a more rural area, making any unsavory characters all the more easier to spot; it’s also easier to maneuver and fight out in the open than in narrow corridors where anyone could be helping.” I explain, then let out a sigh. “As much as I don’t want to distrust our staff, that's just the kind of attention Null has gained. Suffice it to say, he’s not the only ‘monster’ in Canterlot, either.”
“Well, it’s your decision at the end of the day, I guess. Though, somewhat off topic, could I meet this sister of his? I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t the least bit curious about their species.” she admits with a bashful smile.
I let out a breath of tension, and nod with a smile. “I’m sure it wouldn’t be a problem.”