“Finally! Land! We made it!” Celestia said to herself with a happy flap of her wings and a skip in her step.
There it was, Rikuma, at last. Bubbling with excitement, she leaned over the rails, looking at the harbor with her binoculars and magic.
“After two weeks on an airship, I’m just DYING to get out on solid land, wow! Ha ha ha! I forgot how much fun it is to travel.”
She put down the binoculars and put a hoof to her chin, asking herself, “When WAS the last time I got to go to a foreign land? I really need to get out more. Luna and I both could use a proper vacation.”
“Your Highness,” One of her servants broke into her monologue.
“What? Yes?”
“Would you like to get changed while you still have time?”
Looking down, Celestia realized she was still in her usual jewelry and shoes. For Equestria, that was normal, but for RIKUMA… that was disgraceful.
With a laugh, she nodded and said, “Of course, thank you.”
The harbor and capitol city of Kyotora was bustling with activity once more, as thousands of citizens gathered to watch the ornate, Equestrian vessel pull into the harbor.
Karam was with the Emperor, who was coming to greet the Princess of the Day.
Over the past few weeks, he’d arranged some trade agreements, learned more about the emperor, and even picked up some of the language so he could vaguely understand what creatures were saying around him. Though he still needed a translator, he at least had a bit on what was going on.
As the ship pulled into Kyotora’s harbor, Karam watched the process, fascinated by being on the greeting end of the arrival instead of the receiving end.
As the crowds watched, the flying ship breezed over the city's docks, pulling over a wide strip of water. Gradually it lowered straight down, until it could float on the water like an ordinary boat. After the crew double-checked everything, they lowered down a smaller boat, which Celestia glided down to, with her attendants. Then, the sailor ponies rowed the boat forward, until it met with a dock.
Karam’s sharp eyes picked out a lot of movement on board, and studied the make of the airship. It had a vast balloon carrying its weight, with many small fans on the edges to turn it and keep it steady in the air. He noted how the Equestrian banner flowed high above them all, catching the wind in a beautiful way.
Wind…
What would the sun think of the wind, he wondered.
Celestia was a creature of peace, which was ironic, considering how her nation had a habit of attracting the world's most deadly creatures. It was a puzzle to Karam, and he wondered if Celestia's reputation was a lie. Perhaps, deep inside, she was a warlord of old, like Karam. Perhaps THAT was how she established 'peace' across her land.
Perhaps Karam was thinking too much. Still, he needed to make a proper meeting with her, and ensure she had only positive thoughts of their allegiance. Nobeast wanted Equestria to turn on them. If Karam made one negative move, not only would Rikuma shut him out, but Equestria might kick him as well. He straightened up and took a deep breath to relax.
First off the boat came Celestia’s guards, who filed out and cleared a bit of the crowd for her, with some help from Emperor Umi’s guards.
Flying above the crowds, some Pegasi held trumpets and blew a fanfare for Celestia, who elegantly hopped onto the dock.
Once more, the crowds whispered and waited, the guards stood perfectly straight, everyone was in their best. For a moment, every second was like a pause in time. It was as if the whole world knew it was writing history. Evem the scents of the salty sea, the corner restaurants and their soy-tinted foods, and the perfumes that wafted in the air from the noble ladies all seemed to pause, paying close attention.
The whispers, the hoof-tapping, the armor-clinking, the seagulls crying, everything seemed to be recording it faithfully. Karam himself memorized this moment, and so did Celestia.
There she was.
At last, Celestia appeared at the top of the ramp, dressed in fine, purple and yellow robes, wearing her usual crown and jewelry with it. She held her wings up and behind herself, in a regal pose.
There she was.
The wind was always with Karam, but the sun was always with her. Its light was drawn to her, illuminating her pastel, multi-colored mane that flowed with a power of its own, defying the wind and gravity with a graceful wave.
On every jewel and gold piece of her regalia the sun sparkled, and on every bit of her pale pink, almost-white pelt, it glowed, lighting her up from numerous sides.
There she was.
Even the warlord of wind, Karam, forgot everything and took in the moment of her appearing. All his senses ceased paying attention to the scene and instead zoomed in on her, taking in every second of this moment of shared existence with her. Every piece of her seemed to be utter perfection and grace. She was not the sun's guardian, no, she WAS the sun. Bright, warm, and cheerful, she made all the nervous guards and citizens smile back and relax. Could this gentle giant truly be the one who once fight various monsters in her youth? Even though Karam saw photos of Celestia and drawings, he never knew how accurate they were. None, in fact, were close at all. None could capture the feeling of being near her. Something about the way she walked, held her head, smiled and held her wings carried a unique sense about her. She was the sun, indeed, and Karam suddenly felt like he was but a servant compared to her queenliness.
Abruptly, the wind that loved playing with his mane and tassels stopped, letting his mane fall flat.
His own hair in his eyes startled him and he blew it away with a magic breath from his nostrils. In a moment, his own hair resumed flowing in the wind, though it had no sparkles or warmth to it like Celestia. It was plain, black, and long. Even though Karam was decked out in fine, blue, black and silvery tack, with ornate tassels and sharp shoes, he felt like but a beggar.
He was annoyed with his own surprise, but he shrugged it off. After all, if Celestia could raise the sun itself, surely she was the descendant of a goddess. In this moment, the most important thing was not impressing Rikuma anymore, it was ensuring to not offend Celestia of Equestria.
It was fitting that he should feel beneath her... and yet... it angered him to be outdone by anybeast else, even if it WAS the descendant of a goddess! How DARE she be so--
A voice cut into his thoughts: it was his personal translator.
“Sire, the emperor wishes to know if you want to greet the princess alongside him.”
Immediately Karam put on his serious face and nodded in agreement.
Karam himself lifted up his wings in a regal pose and followed behind Emperor Umi, striding toward Celestia.
The closer they got, the more details Karam could pick out in her ornate dress, and the better he could see her coloration. On closer inspection, Celestia was a pale pink, and not white, and her eyes were a beautiful shade of pinkish purple, with just a touch of heterochromia in them, making them a gradient.
Again, she was smiling and nodding to many of the citizens nearby, as if they were her own.
At this point, Karam wondered if this was all an act, or if it was possible for a world leader to really be this gentle. Certainly, Karam knew how to smile and wave too, but he felt far more stiff and stern compared to this female.
Once again, he was outdone, not a mere ten seconds apart.
The nerve of this queen!
Why was she even a princess to begin with? That was a question he had to ask her. He simply had to know why an adult ruler refused to go by a proper, adult title.
No, no, he dare not offend the Princess of the Sun. Such a thing would surely bring death to his entire nation.
On Celestia’s end, her mind was filled with her own self talking.
OH, wow this is so amazing! It smells and sounds and feels so different. I LOVE IT! Oh bother, I forgot how itchy this dress gets on my canons. Ugh. Oh well, it’s temporary, and I can change later. Better not forget to wear clothes around here--everypony else is wearing clothes, after all.
Don’t want to freak out the locals, ha ha. Oh, wait, if they are Kirin, do they say 'everyKIRIN', or do they say 'everyBEAST', like in Saddle-Arabia?
Oh, look how cute the little Kirin children are! Oh, I just want to hug them.
They like me. Ha ha!
I must focus, really, Come on, Celestia, focus.
BUT THERE IS SO MUCH TO SEE!
No, focus. This is a serious day. We are going to take this calmly.
There’s the emperor, and… and.. Wait, is that the Malik of Saddle-Arabia!? So the rumors are true: he got the news first.
Well, obviously he did, since he arrived here first.
Oh I love his tack. I could totally wear something like that, with tassels all over and a long blanket. Looks comfy.
So it’s true: he DOES have a big scar on his cheek.
Well, of COURSE it’s true--who would lie about that?
His eyes… so serious… wow. Or maybe it’s his version of the permanent smile?
I think it works for him.
He certainly is tall--wow, I finally found somepony taller than I, ha ha.
Oh, oh, here they come. Stand up, smile, relax, bow.
Through translators, they all introduced themselves, and bowed to each other.
In time, they were heading back to the palace.
Celestia’s eyes darted all around the area, taking it in. From time to time she noticed Karam was staring at her, but for only a moment.
Why is he staring at me? Oh, right, we never met before! Of course. Our nations have been allied for decades but never officially met like this. We definitely need some tea together later. Definitely.
I just adore that tack. I really need to get something like that for myself.
He certainly is strong. Just look at those neck muscles.
It’s true: he IS a warrior, isn’t he?
Oh… is that the palace… oh… it’s beautiful….
In time she had her own tour, and all the while fought the urge to ask dozens of questions about the architecture and culture.
No, no, she had to keep it all in, yes. Keep it all in and save it for later.
FINALLY, she got a chance to speak with the emperor.
“Emperor Umi, I thank you so much for showing me your beautiful palace and allowing us to be here,” Celestia said as she picked up her cup of tea with her magic.
She sipped it, savoring the herbal flavor and complimenting it with, “And you make most excellent tea."
The emperor nodded, and allowed a moment for his golden mane to flow out of his face before saying, “And you, Sun Princess, have graced us all with your presence and sparkling laughter.”
Celestia laughed again, putting a hoof near to her jaw to cover it up a bit.
“I apologize for laughing; I cannot help but laugh when I’m excited. I hope our two nations can become good friends, and visit each other more.”
“I hope so as well,” Emperor Umi said with a small chuckle, “I am very curious about your nation, and how it has managed to have peace for over a thousand years, with very little trouble at all.”
“I myself wonder how we kept up peace for so long. Perhaps when you come, I can properly explain things.”
“I look forward to it,” Umi said with a nod, using his magic to pick up his own teacup and sip from it.
Celestia sipped her tea again, and then shifted her position. Certainly, eating at a table where she could lay on the floor was a different experience. She loved it.
“Do you have any questions for me?” Emperor Umi asked as he put down his tea.
Celestia’s eyes darted away and then back to the emperor as she debated something.
“Earlier… the Shogun… was he all right? He seemed tense,” She ventured, hoping to not offend him with such a question.
Umi stiffened slightly. To most creatures, it wouldn’t be noticeable, but to a royal who was used to putting on a mask… it was obvious.
“The daimyo have been giving him trouble lately,” Umi remarked as he looked away, sipping at his tea again.
Celestia nodded understandingly, but her sharp mind was at work. Was this an ordinary disagreement, or something far more sinister?
Umi and Celestia finished their teas, and then Umi’s servants showed Celestia to a room. Seeing the time, she realized it was nearing sunset.
“Emperor Umi, would you mind if I set the sun now? It’s just about time.”
The translator carried the message over, saying, “Yes, but he would like to watch, with his other guests and family.”
“Oh,” Celestia said with a bow, “I’d be honored!”
With that, the Emperor waved his lion-like tail to some servants nearby, chattering some orders out.
In a few minutes, all the servants, guests, and the royal house were gathered around Celestia on a balcony, where she scanned the skies, waiting for the twilight to thicken to just the right amount.
Once more, Karam watched. Although he knew Celestia’s special talent and destiny was moving the sun, it was hard to fathom such a thing happening.
Would she really do it?
Before his eyes, Celestia’s horn glowed with golden magic.
All the servants and onlookers hushed, watching as the princess concentrated hard.
There, it moved!
Under Celestia’s command, the sun DID move, lowering into the sky, tucking itself beneath the horizon.
On the other side of the world, Princess Luna moved the moon, pulling it up and high into the sky.
As soon as Celestia felt the sun was low enough, she ceased using her magic and relaxed.
Silently she turned around, studying everyone's faces.
Through a translator, the emperor said, “That was an incredible display! Thank you for doing us the honor. Will you allow us to watch the sunrise as well?”
“Of course!” Celestia said with a wide smile and a nod.
The emperor smiled back and waved his tail, dismissing the servants.
The others filed away, but Celestia hung back, watching the stars and moon high in the nighttime sky.
All these miles away, she knew her sister was taking care of Equestria, with Twilight’s help, but Celestia wished she could be there herself. For a moment, the excitement of travel wore off, and deep homesickness hit her. For weeks she'd been away, and her motherly heart ached in worry for her citizens and sister and student.
In time, she could tell Luna all about Rikuma, and maybe bring back some recipes for the cooks to make.
It’d be wonderful. For now, she couldn't be worried. She had political work to do.
Into her thoughts came the voice of Karam, who could speak Equestrian.
“Princess Celestia, may I speak?”
Startled a bit, she twitched her wings and turned around, “Yes? What is it?”
“I, too, was honored to watch your magic in work. The sun has been a bright symbol of hope for us, and seeing it controlled by one creature is quite marvelous,” Karam said with a wave of one wing.
She smiled her warm, soft smile at him and said, “Thank you. I’m so used to it that even I forget how incredible it is myself. I hear that you have quite the impressive power too, Al-Asif.”
That made him straighten up with a proud flair. He did his best to nod and offer her a firm, grateful smile.
“Then the mutual admiration between our nations increases,” Karam noted, “I find it strange that in all these decades of allegiance we never managed to meet muzzle-to-muzzle before now. That is a grave error on my part.
I hope we can visit each other properly one day.”
“Yes, I hope so too. I’d love to see your homeland. I hear it’s quite breathtaking,” Celestia said with a nod, her eyes lighting up at the thought of seeing another foreign land.
“I hear Equestria is equally breathtaking,” Karam said, a similar light in his own eyes, “We shall visit each other then. One day soon.”
She smiled wider and adjusted her posture quickly.
“Yes, soon.”
The two bowed to each other, and left.
Celestia was excited.
Today had been amazing!
Not only did she make a fantastic impression on the emperor, but she also got an invitation to Saddle-Arabia.
Karam himself was astounded.
His mind replayed all the moments of the day, taking them in and memorizing them… but all his memories zoomed in on Celestia.
Alas, one question bothered them both:
What was the shogun doing?