//------------------------------//
// 8 - The Princess 
// Story: The Crescent Pact 
// by Chromentazol 
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"Okay... Deep breaths. In..."

Aphelion was sitting on a comfortable chair, on one of the castle's balconies. In front of him, there was a simple table covered with various pastries, snacks and drinks. On the opposite side of the table, there was another chair, similar to his although somewhat bigger.

"...And out," he said as he exhaled, feeling the air leaving his lungs. Somehow, this moment was the most stressful thing he did in the past few days. Aphelion focused on his breathing, feeling himself calm down with each breathing exercise... Though not that much.

Feeling a warm breeze wash over him, Aphelion turned towards his left, taking in the view. The balcony was facing towards the outside of Canterlot, overlooking the beautiful forests, hills and cliffs that surrounded the capital. If he focused hard enough, Aphelion could also barely see his father's manor hidden within the forest, though it looked like an abandoned ruin from this point of view. He felt uneasy as he looked in the manor's general direction, leading to Aphelion turning his head back towards the door leading to the balcony. It was opened, revealing a large great hall containing many long tables. Aphelion assumed this was the place where nobles and dignitaries would be invited to when staying in the castle. A maid passed in front of the doors as Aphelion was looking towards the inside, their gaze meeting each other in awkward silence.

"Princess Celestia will be arriving shortly," the maid said with a small bow, treating Aphelion as a royal guest instead of a prisoner. "We apologize for the delay."

"Oh, no, it's fine. You can tell her she can take all the time she needs!" he replied, forcing a smile. Seeing the maid depart with a somewhat confused look, Aphelion decided to learn royal etiquette in the future if he has the opportunity. Grabbing a cup with his aura, Aphelion made it float to his lips. The cup shook slightly in the air, the magical energy holding it wavering. While Aphelion's physical condition had improved since the previous day, he still felt weak and exhausted. The bed in his cell also certainly didn't help, as it was more akin to a wooden board barely covered in hay than to an actual bed. When Aphelion was brought in front of that table, on the balcony, and told that Princess Celestia herself had arranged for a private lunch with him to 'discuss recent affairs', the young unicorn felt incredibly out of place. Ever since stepping into Canterlot, Aphelion kept getting whiplashed by everything he saw and experienced. He hoped for less surprises in the near future, though Aphelion knew that more were to come soon.

His train of thought was broken by the sound of hoofsteps approaching. Looking up, he saw a tall, lanky alicorn with a floating multicolored mane. Princess Celestia stopped at the balcony's entrance and observed Aphelion for a moment, a faint smirk on her lips. "Good afternoon, Aphelion."

His whole body tensed up as his anxiety skyrocketed. Princess Celestia was standing right in front of him. The Celestia he had spent his entire life despising. The one he was hoping to take down, one day. While his faith in the Crescent Pact had wavered, Aphelion still felt residual animosity for Equestria's ruler. He thought he would've been able to talk to her, but as years' worth of memories and dogma came flooding back in his mind, Aphelion began feeling dizzy. His entire body was hyper focused on Celestia's presence, the rest of the world blurring together in a maelstrom of colors. In his head, a conflict had suddenly erupted. A part of him wanted to attack Celestia, right here and now, to make his father proud and to serve the Crescent Pact. It wanted to tear down this tyrannical ruler who caused so much pain in the world. Another part of him fought back these impulses, desperate to ask her so many questions about herself, about the Pact, about the world. It desired nothing but the truth, to be freed from the shackles of blind faith.

As Aphelion stood there silently, his mouth agape and his body faintly shaking, Celestia calmly stepped forward and sat down in front of him. She could see the stallion's inner turmoil. "I do not come as an enemy, but as a friend, Aphelion. I simply wish to talk to you. Would that be fine with you?"

Aphelion took a moment to get his bearings, breathing deeply as he did so. Managing to put his violent impulses down, he spoke up with a shaky voice. "I don't know if I'm fine with it, but I want to talk."

She smiled. "I am glad to hear that. How are you feeling, Aphelion?"

"I am feeling... A lot of things, right now."

"I see. Have you slept well?"

"No. I've been spending the night in a cell. Not the most comfortable of arrangements."

"I suppose not," she chuckled. "I do wish to apologize for this situation. Though, you must admit, you were the one who put himself in that cell."

"Guess so. I take it you've heard of... The incident, your highness?" Aphelion spoke, with sarcasm on the last two words.

"I did. Captain Shining Armor briefed me on the details of your escapade through the castle. Also, you may just call me Celestia."

"Right. So, what is there to talk about... Celestia? I've already told all I know about the heist."

"Indeed, what to talk about," she simply said while floating a pastry towards her mouth. Taking a small bite, she looked in wonder at the slice of cake in front of him. "Let's start with this, then. Have you tried the food? It is simply wonderful."

Raising an eyebrow, Aphelion looked at the table. "Uh... No, I haven't. I guess I was too worked up to eat," he replied, visibly confused. Was this really what Celestia wished to talk about?

"You should try some of it, then. I am quite proud of my royal chefs and cooks."

Unsure of how to respond, Aphelion hesitantly grabbed a slice of cherry pie then took a bite. He expected to regret immediately doing so, as he picked at random without considering his hatred for sweet food, but as the pie met his taste buds, Aphelion was surprised to discover that the pie was delicious. He took another bite, much quicker than the last one, and practically devoured the slice in front of him. Hearing a soft chuckle, he looked up to see an amused Celestia staring at him. As he ate, Aphelion forgot he was in the presence of a literal princess and gave up all his good manners. Feeling a light blush appear, he looked to the side. "It's alright, I guess."

"You have to admit this is more than 'alright', my dear."

"Ehh... I'd give it a seven out of then on a good day."

"Oh, really? And what would qualify as a ten, then, Mister food critic?" Celestia replied with a grin, enjoying this burgeoning friendship.

"If you really want to know, nothing beats a simple, expertly done croissant. No need for fruits, or ridiculous amounts of sugar. Sometimes, less is more."

"Well, I have to admit, this is quite surprising, Aphelion."

"How so?"

"I didn't take you to be the boring type," Celestia retorted smugly.

"Boring?!" Aphelion yelled, faking outrage. "I'll have you know, Miss Celestia, that only the unrefined bunch would consider a croissant to be boring. And I thought you were a mare of good taste," he scoffed while exaggerating a noble accent. The two of them laughed, Aphelion feeling much more at ease. Celestia's ruse to calm the young stallion being successful, she decided to lead the conversation towards more important topics.

"On a more important note, Aphelion, I wish to talk to you about your... Affiliation with a certain group. Do you feel comfortable enough to broach this subject with me?"

"Well, it's not like I have a choice, do I?"

"Actually, you do. If you do not wish to talk about it, I will not force you to."

Thinking for a moment, Aphelion looked at Celestia directly in the eyes. "I... Don't know if I'm comfortable talking about the Pact. What I do know, however, is that I want..." he stopped, unsure of how to formulate his sentence.

"Yes?"

"...I want answers. And I won't get these answers by remaining silent."

"I see. Let me start by asking you about what led to your arrival in Canterlot. Could you tell me what exactly brought you here?"

"Sure. My father received a letter from our leader, an old stallion named Purple Comet. In this letter, I was given the task of coming into Canterlot to make a trade with some other ponies. And before you ask, no, I don't know what I was trading."

"And the letter said that you specifically had to take care of this trade," Celestia added. Her tone indicated that this wasn't a question, but a simple statement. Aphelion was slightly confused.

"Uh... Yes, exactly. Purple Comet gave this mission to me specifically. How... How do you know?" Aphelion asked with a puzzled look on his face.

Taking a deep breath, Celestia braced herself for what she was going to say. "I will tell you, but only if you promise to listen to me until I am finished. And please, do keep in mind that I acted with your best interest in mind."

Feeling anxious, Aphelion nodded. Celestia sighed. "The letter from Purple Comet originally called for your father, Apogée, to take on this mission. However, we intercepted the letter before it reached your manor and altered it, calling you into Canterlot instead."

"Wh... What?!"

"Please, just listen to me," Celestia's voice was calm and soothing. "We have made this decision because I hoped that leaving your manor and interacting with the outside world would help you see the truth about the Crescent Pact."

Aphelion looked down, with a blank stare. This time, Celestia was unable to read his emotions, unsure of how her revelation affected the young stallion. "I know this is a lot to take in, but this is the truth. I... Knew about you, Aphelion, and your situation. I thought that you were owed a chance to experience the world for yourself, even if just for a moment. We did not expect things to go off the rails so quickly, however."

Looking back up at Celestia, Aphelion simply showed an inquisitive glare. Celestia continued. "Our original plan was to let you come into Canterlot, accomplish the trade and intercept you as you left the capital, simply asking you for a meeting. We did not expect these two mares to rope you into a heist inside the royal castle."

Mulling over everything he just heard, Aphelion spoke up, his voice strangely calm. "...You keep saying 'we'. I'm guessing that red pegasus was in on it?"

"Yes. Steady Travels. He is an asset of the crown. He was the one who intercepted the original letter and brought it to me."

"Was your plan really just... Letting me walk unsupervised in Canterlot for an afternoon? What if I had bad intentions?"

"I knew you were a smart pony, and that seeing the normal city life would nudge you towards the truth. I did not want to capture you and to force you to change your mind. The only one that can do that is yourself, Aphelion. I simply wanted to give you the opportunity to start this process."

"What if it didn't work?"

"Then you would have simply gone home and went on with your life."

Silence fell on the balcony, as Celestia waited for Aphelion's questions. After a long minute of thinking, he stared directly in Celestia's eyes, Aphelion's gaze showing no animosity, but confusion instead. The princess also noticed a hint of gratitude in his eyes.

"Why me?"

"As I said, we knew about your position. For the past few weeks, at every dawn and every sunset, I could see you observing me raise the sun and the moon. I must admit, at first, I felt uncomfortable with having a telescope pointed directly at my window," breaking eye contact, Aphelion looked to the side, embarrassed. "But, as the days passed and as I learned more about you thanks to Steady Travels, I began to feel..."

"Pity?"

"Not quite. I felt ashamed of myself. Because of my failure at taking the Crescent Pact once and for all 200 years ago, innocent ponies had their lives stolen by the hooves of these... Insurrectionists. I wanted to give to those ponies a chance at a normal life that was robbed from them, and you were the first pony I thought of."

"This... Doesn't make any sense. I was born into the Pact, sure, but so was my father. He was also robbed of a normal life, as you said. Why, then, trick me into Canterlot instead of him?"

"Unfortunately, we knew your father's beliefs were set too deeply in stone to ever change. You yourself should know that your father is quite the fanatical member."

While Aphelion agreed, something still didn't add up with Celestia's explanation. He knew she was hiding the real reason from him, but Aphelion understood that he would not learn the true reason on that balcony. "Okay."

"...Okay?" Celestia repeated. "Are you really 'okay' with this?"

"Sure. It's a bit unconventional, but that's one way to de-radicalize a pony."

"I... Honestly did not expect you to take this revelation so calmly," her face showed genuine surprise. She had expected him to yell and to scream upon learning he had been tricked, or to show any signs of anger, but Aphelion was strangely calm.

"I mean, sure, it's a lot to take in, but I'm not going to be mad at you for trying to give me a second shot at life."

"I am glad to hear that," she smiled.

"But I have to ask... What's next, then? I'm still a prisoner, so this second chance is already off to a great start."

"Yes, actually, that is another subject I was hoping to discuss with you. If you are up for it, we may have a task for you that would absolve you of your crimes."

Perking up, Aphelion became very attentive. "I'm listening."

"We still need to find the two mares that tricked you into your infiltration. Steady Travels would like to work with you to capture Sandstorm and Misty Step."

"Wait, he wants to work with me? Isn't he a sort of... Royal spy? I'll surely get in his way, won't I?"

"He seems to value your innate magical talent. Furthermore, you interacted with these two mares. You could be a great help to him."

"Why doesn't the guard take care of it?"

"Most of Steady's missions are... Classified. Besides, I would prefer to keep the guards in the castle during the celebrations."

Their discussion was cut short by a flash of green light, as a scroll appeared in a burst of flame in front of Celestia. Grabbing it with her aura and unfurling it, she began to read it quietly. Raising an eyebrow, Aphelion looked in confusion.

"I am afraid I have some important business to attend to. I must know, are you ready to take this offer, Aphelion?"

"Yes. I'll work with Steady. I do have a score to settle with those two mares..."

"Very well. Then, consider yourself freed from your cell," she turned her head towards the inside of the palace. "Glaze?"

Upon hearing her name being called, a green earth pony mare entered the balcony. "Yes, your highness?"

"Would you mind taking our guest to his room?"

"Of course, Princess Celestia."

Looking back and forth between the two, Aphelion asked: "Wait, I still have some other questions. About your raising of the sun, I noticed-"

"I am sorry, Aphelion, but as I said, I have urgent business to attend to. We can pick up this conversation at a later date, though I will be busy for the rest of the week as I am needed in Ponyville."

"Ponyville?"

"A small town relatively nearby. For this year's Summer Sun Celebration, I will be needed there. We can talk once I am back."

"Uh... Sure," Aphelion replied. Standing up from his seat and stretching, he began following the maid. "Well, thank you for the talk, Celestia. I appreciated it."

With a simple nod, Celestia watched as Aphelion and Glaze left for the guest room. Once they were both out of earshot, she sighed, a single tear running down her face. Flying down from a hidden alcove on the roof, Steady Travels landed next to Celestia. As he awkwardly patted her back, he spoke up. "Couldn't bring yourself to tell him, could you?"

"No. When I saw him react so well to our subterfuge, I... I couldn't bring myself to ruin his mood. I was afraid of ruining everything by antagonizing myself."

"s'Alright, princess. You'll get other opportunities."

"Thank you, Steady. Though, the longer I wait, the worse it will be for me... And for him."

"Maybe he'll take it well? He seems pretty easy-going."

"I doubt him learning that I am directly responsible for his mother's death would go as well as it did today."

Unsure of what to say, Steady looked down before beginning to fly again. "I'm sorry, princess. I'm not good with that stuff."

"It's alright, Steady. I appreciate your efforts. Go back to your work, now. I wish to be alone for a moment."

With a nod, Steady flew away, leaving Celestia with her own thoughts.