The sun shone bright outside.
It shone even brighter inside and Sunshine didn't even have her sungoddess spell going.
"You know," I said and leaned my head against her shoulder from my place next to her on the couch, "We're about to find out if we were right or not."
Celestia nodded, "Is that not what you created Sanctuary for?"
"...Partly," I admitted, "Eventually. First I just wanted to see if I could, but then I realized what I might be able to use it for. That's why I named it Sanctuary. A Sanctuary for all of us to be able to get away from everypony else's expectations, if just a little bit."
"You do realize that the more ponies we invite, the less it's going to be like that," Celestia told me gently, wing brushing my back, "Even if it's just Twilights friends and ponies like that, they still look on us as alicorns first, ponies a distant second."
I smiled, possibly a bit smugly as I glanced up at her, "But I thought of that. And I'm working on an area where only alicorns can enter. A lush mountain peak with a small crystal clear lake. Nopony can walk, fly or even teleport inside the barrier unless they are an alicorn"
Celestia nodded before raising an eyebrow at me, "And ponies such as Sunset, Shining and Sunburst?"
I shrugged my wings a bit beneath hers, "Still working on it, but I think I can get it to allow ponies inside if they are touching an alicorn when crossing the barrier," I said, "Adding individual ponies should also be possible, but annoying. Especially if Cadance’s family keep growing."
Looking amused, Celestia smiled, "May I see it?"
"Not yet, still working on it," I said, "Another couple of weeks at least."
"I do have one request," Celestia said, nosing at my ear, "It rained last night and Sunset is right. Put in a roof somewhere."
I sighed, "Yeah, yeah," and leaned against her. Everypony's a critic. Rain wasn't even cold in the valley and nowhere near as thick as in Nocturnis.
We stayed like that for a while. I felt myself slowly drifting off to sleep despite myself. Everything was warm and bright. Both things make me sleepy. Blinking my eyes to stay awake, I rolled onto my back, looking up at her.
Celestia smiled, raising her wings as she looked down at me in turn, "You could sleep you know," she said, "It will make things easier when you return."
"I don't want to sleep, I want to look at you," I told her with a smile.
"You know, somepony could write a poem about this," Celestia said thoughtfully, "A bat in love with the sun."
"More like an epic," I corrected her, "No poem could ever do you justice, it will take pages after pages."
Her cheeks turned slightly red, "I thought you did that already in those books you wrote for me," she said.
"Maybe I should do another sequel."
"I think I would very much enjoy that," Celestia admitted before she poked me with her hoof, "And just so we are clear, none of those are ever getting published."
I grinned, "You have the only copies."
She nodded and folded her wings before looking down at me thoughtfully,"What are you thinking about now?”
I smiled a bit sadly, “...Wondering if we were right before or now. If this was the right thing or not,” I said, brushing my hoof along her wing.
“We’re going to find out, but I have had long distance relationships in the past, they are always difficult,” Celestia answered with a small smile, “And I believe your Sanctuary will help.”
“It sucks,” I answered with a small sigh, “I done it with Luna for years and… it really sucks. Dreams help, but it’s not the same. I made Sanctuary as real as possible, but… I’m not sure it’s the same either.”
Celestia smiled softly, “It is better than letters, Page.”
“True,” I admitted and smiled back up at her, “Are you sure you can’t come?”
She shook her head, “Not this time,” she said and frowned at me, “You did too much of a good job with your plan regarding Neighsay and I need to be here to capitalize on it.”
I sighed, “Well, I expected him to protest which would only increase the perception of it, but I didn’t expect him to rant and rave like that. I think I may actually been right.”
Celestia shook her head, “I think that’s a given, Page. But that’s up for the doctors to decide,” before she scowled, “And I still believe Tartarus should have been where he belonged for what he did.”
I could actually feel her wing growing hot ontop of me as I reached up to brushed my hoof along her side, “Calm, Sunshine.”
She sighed and lowered her head, touching her nose against mine, “I’m sorry, Page. But watching you like that…”
Celestia shuddered and shook her head.
I thought about seeing her like that. Or Luna. Twilight or Sunset. I had no idea what I would do, possibly go into pieces. And then have a lot less restraint when it comes to whomever hurt them.
“Page,” Celestia said gently, holding me closer, “Are you alright?”
It was only then I noticed I had been crying. Shaking my head, I pressed against her, “I… It just struck me that it could easily have been one of you. If he had… if he had just come to different conclusions…”
It could have been Twilight Or Sunset. Twilight is slightly smaller than me, that arrow could have… and Sunset is a unicorn.
Celestia shifted, wrapping her forelegs around me, warm wings slipping around me and holding me close as I clung to her.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered against her warm coat, “I’ll be more careful. I promise.”
“We always have to be, Page,” Celestia murmured softly against my mane, “We don’t age. But we are almost as easy to hurt as any pony for those that know how.”