//------------------------------//
// Promises 
// Story: Into the Light 
// by Marcato 
//------------------------------//

Little hooves clattered against the smooth tiles of the floor in a rhythmic bounce as Celestia pranced from side to side, her newly appointed friend following close behind. “Sooooo… what brings you to the castle?” she asked. Luna kept pace with Cadance, the journal beside her enveloped in a sapphire aura.
Cadance looked around in confusion, scanning the halls as those tending to the castle stopped what they were doing to anxiously watch the alicorns passing by. “My wedding is coming up soon, and I’ve been planning to hold it here.”
Celestia whirled around, trotting backwards now as she took in a deep breath. “A wedding?? Oh, I’ve always wanted to see a wedding!” she said. “You’ll have to talk with my mother, though.”
Cadance winced, before putting on a nervous smile. “A-ah, yes! Your mother, haha… of course!”
Celestia tilted her head. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh, it’s nothing! I’ve just never met your mother before is all…” Cadance said, lowering her voice.
“Aww don’t worry! She’s very nice…” Celestia said as she turned around again, her eyes narrowed as she glanced back at her new friend. “When she’s around, at least…”
Cadance tilted her head, trotting forward to catch up with the filly. “When she’s around?”
Celestia cleared her throat. “Well, it’s just that… mother has been very busy. She was going to teach me some spells this morning, but she got called away.”
“Oh, I’m sorry…” Cadance said. 
Luna jumped forward to join them. “It’s okay! We can teach ourselves, right Tia?”
Celestia only frowned as she looked to the floor. Luna leaned in and the book hovered close to Celestia’s face. “Riiiight Tia?”
“Yes, Luna! I know!” Celestia shouted as she waved a hoof at the book, shooing it away.
Luna leaned back, appearing crestfallen as Celestia avoided her gaze. Cadance narrowed her eyes as she stepped between Luna and Celestia. “What kind of spells were you wanting to learn?”
Celestia blinked as she glanced up at the older alicorn. “W-well… lots of spells, but most are probably too advanced.”
“Like what?”
“Uh… teleportation?” Celestia said, looking up at the mare pleadingly.
Cadance let out a soft chuckle. “Yeah, that one is pretty advanced…” she admitted. “Any others?”
Celestia pursed her lips in a pout. “Well… I also want to learn how to control the weather like the pegasi do,” Celestia said. 
Cadance looked up to the ceiling. “Hmm… well, the pegasi use their wings, but with some wind spells, you could probably control the weather too.”
“That sounds easy!” Luna said. “We could learn those in no time!”
“Yeah, I guess…” Celestia mumbled as she lifted her head again. “But I want mother to teach us.”
Cadance looked down at the elder princess, her gaze soft and warm. “Tell you what… I’ll talk to her about it. Maybe I can take some of her work and give you some time with her.”
Celestia’s heart skipped, her eyes filling with life again at Cadance’s suggestion. “Really? You mean it?”
“Uhuh!” Cadance said. “And if she says no… I’ll teach you two myself, how does that sound?”
Celestia let out a huff as they stood before the throne room, the gigantic wooden doors towering far above them. She gave Cadance a reluctant nod, returning the older alicorn’s gentle smile. “Okay. Deal.”
Celestia raised her hoof and knocked on the door three times in a distinct rhythm, waiting patiently as the three royals waited for it to open. Fifteen seconds passed… then thirty, until - at last - the door began to creak open. 
The dim light shining through the curtains that veiled the windows did little to illuminate the main hall. At the end of a long red carpet sat Stella, her eyes filled with concern as the ponies entered. She said nothing at first, her mouth hanging open a touch as she stared at Cadance in what Celestia could only describe as dismay, before she cleared her throat and sat up straight. “A-ah, you must be Cadance,” Stella said.
Cadance smiled awkwardly as she trotted ahead of the princesses. “Yes, your majesty. I… was wondering if I could speak to you for a bit.”
Stella looked past her guest towards her foals, then back at Cadance. “You most certainly can. In fact, there is much we must discuss.”
Celestia trotted after Cadance as she approached the throne, Luna clip-clopping behind her. “Do you know her, mother?”
“I know of her,” Stella replied. “I am sorry, girls, can you please wait outside for a bit?”
Celestia narrowed her eyes as Luna turned around and began to make her exit. Celestia, however, held her ground for a moment, staring up at her mother in disbelief. “Why can’t I stay?”
Cadance stepped aside, her eyes darting between mother and daughter as Stella shook her head softly. “Cadance and I need to talk about something very important in private.”
Celestia looked at Cadance pleadingly, but the mare remained silent. The princess’s little heart began to beat in her chest with increasing furocity, but as she locked eyes with her mother, she only let out a disappointed sigh and turned around obediently. “Okay, fine…” she growled, failing to mask her frustration.
“H-hey, Celestia…” Cadance’s voice prompted the princess to look over her shoulder. “I’ll come right out after, okay?”
Stella raised an eyebrow at Cadance’s promise, but Celestia gave her a nod. “Okay.”
Luna was already in the hallway, watching her sister follow as her ears drooped. The wood creaked as the guards slowly closed the door once Celestia was beyond its frame, before it shut with a click.

What was only a few minutes felt like hours as the two princesses sat on the other side of the door while the castle caretakers strolled by, avoiding eye-contact with the fillies. Celestia paced back and forth, while Luna sat hunched over with the diary they had found, flipping a page every now and then.
“Ugh it’s been ages, now!” Celestia moaned as she stopped beside Luna. “How long are they gonna take?”
“I dunno,” Luna said with disinterest, her eyes still fixed on the book. “Mother talks a lot sometimes.”
Celestia rolled her eyes. “Move over, I’m joining you-”
But just as she said that, there was a click, and Celestia flinched as she quickly ran to where the door began to open. Much to her surprise, the pale coat of her mother was the first thing she saw, and she looked up to find Stella gazing down at her.
“Mother!” Celestia exclaimed, a smile spreading across her little face as she tried to look past the only partially-opened door. “Where is Cadance?”
“She has gone to speak with her fiance,” Stella replied, her voice low.
“Oh, okay,” the little princess said. “So, how did it go?”
Stella blinked. “How did it go?”
“Yeah! Y’know… your important private talk.”
Stella seemed to hold her breath, not moving an inch. “It was… ah, listen, Celestia…” The sparkle in the princess’s eyes faded as those dreaded words were spoken; words that heralded a stern talk. “She spoke with me about how you have felt lately, and… I am sorry that I have not been able to spend time with you. But you must understand...” 
Celestia began to shake her head slowly. “No… no, mother, I don’t understand. You used to always be around! And now you’re not. You’re always… always avoiding us, just like everypony else! D-did we do something wrong?”
“No! Oh my dear little sunshine, no. You have not done anything wrong,” Stella said as she stepped forward, lowering her head as she reached a hoof out to the little filly. Celestia reluctantly stepped in and nuzzled against her mother’s leg. “It is just… there is so much going on right now, and… I don’t want you two to get involved in it.”
“Well why not?” Celestia asked. “We’re princesses too… alicorns, just like you. Why can’t we help?”
Stella exhaled sharply. “It is… complicated. I truly wish I could explain it, sweetheart, but it is not something either of you can handle right now.”
“Can you at least tell us what it is?” Luna asked.
A silence fell upon the family as Stella looked past her daughters. Celestia could practically hear the gears turning in her mother’s head, a look of deep thought across the older alicorn’s face as she tried to find the right words to respond with.
“It is… something dangerous. I do not want to scare you two. I want to protect you,” she said. 
“But we can protect ourselves!” Celestia exclaimed, pulling away from her mother as her horn sparked. 
“Celestia, dear-”
“Cadance is gonna teach us magic, and then you won’t have to worry about us any more!” Celestia continued. “We want to help you… I want to help you! Please...”
Stella shook her head. “Cadance will not be teaching you magic.”
“Why not? She promised!”
“Because I-” Stella began to raise her voice, but stopped herself, taking a deep breath. “Because… I want to teach you magic.”
Celestia held her mother’s gaze, and for the first time in weeks Celestia could see sorrow behind those shining eyes. The golden aura enveloping her horn faded. “I… I don’t understand…”
Stella took in a deep breath as she closed her eyes, before kneeling down. “There are some things that I want saved for us to do together - as a family. Learning magic is one of them, as is reading stories.”
“B-but you never have time for either of those things anymore…”
Celestia’s mother nodded solemnly. “Yes, you are right… but I have an idea. I am going to make a special deal with you.”
“A special deal…?”
“Yes, a very special deal…” Stella said. “And this goes for you too, Luna.”
Luna scooched in, the two fillies nearly at eye-level with their mother as she knelt before them. “You two finish that book I gave you all on your own… and I will teach you everything you want to know about magic.”
Celestia’s heart swelled, her magenta eyes growing wide as Luna wiggled excitedly. But as her joy grew, so too did her doubt, the fire in her heart doused. “But you promised me we would learn magic today… how do I know you’ll keep your promise this time?”
Stella let out a soft chuckle. “Because by the time you finish that book… I think you will be ready to help me.”
“Wait… really??” Celestia squeaked, her ears perking up at the opportunity to help her mother. “How?”
“I think you may learn a thing or two from that book - some very… important things.”
Celestia was beyond curious, the fire reignited in her eyes. “You promise?”
Stella nodded confidently. “I promise, little sunshine. Cross my heart.”
Celestia beamed, a toothy grin escaping her lips as Stella stood tall again. “Now run along, you have got a book to finish!”
“Okay! C’mon, Luna!” Celestia shouted as she began running down the hall. Luna paused for a moment, looking up at her mother as if for approval, before letting out a giggle as she picked the journal up with her magic and began chasing after her big sister.
“Oh, and one more thing!” Stella called after them, the two princesses skidding to a halt against the tiled floor. “You two better take very good care of that diary,” she said with a smirk.
Celestia and Luna exchanged a guilty smile, before Luna nodded. “Don’t worry, mother, we will!”