//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: When Harmony Reigns // by Static Shock //------------------------------// Celestia returned her mother’s smile. "I thought you might, Harmony. I mean... Mother." "Can I speak to you for a moment, Celestia?" Luna interrupted angrily. Celestia sighed, regarding her sister with a look nothing short of annoyance. "If you must, Luna." "Outside?" Luna almost yelled. Celestia turned to her mother, who had been waiting patiently, her face expressionless. "We'll only be a moment, Mother," she said, before leading the way to the door. Luna followed in silence as the two of them left the room, leaving Harmony to return to her book. Immediately after Celestia closed the door behind her, Luna spoke up once again. “You had better start explaining yourself, Celestia. What on Equestria possessed you to just hand her the throne like that?” "Is that a threat, Luna?" Celestia asked. Luna remained quiet, content to let her sister think whatever she wanted to. "We've done her wrong," Celestia continued, "...and I felt that we needed to make it up to her. Besides, she technically already was the queen, so no harm done." "No harm done, Celestia? Really? Had it ever occurred to you that Harmony might not have been aware that she was the queen this whole time?" "Explain her introduction, then." "I... I don't know! It doesn't matter, you can't just hand over the throne like that!" "Oh, would you give up, Luna? Harmony is perfectly sane, she's our mother, and the throne is her place." "The throne was her place. She abandoned it." "But not voluntarily, Luna. We've discussed this already. Harmony is going to take my place on the throne, and that's final. If you can't bring yourself to trust her right now, you're just going to have to force yourself to accept my decision." "What of the book she was reading?" Luna asked, refusing to budge. "So, she was reading a book. Really, Luna? Even you and I have been reading, lately. You've no reason to suspect anything." “Not just a book, Celestia. The book. She was studying the book you found in the library, the book from which we got the first hint of Harmony’s past. Didn't you notice?” "Honestly, Luna, I can't blame her for that. She claimed to have avoided making any records; of course she's curious about what we managed to find." Luna's frown deepened. "There are still things Harmony hasn't explained, Celestia. Do you really think now is an appropriate time to hand over the throne?" "I want her to know we trust her. This is the best way to do that." "Is it really, Celestia?" "Maybe we should ask Twilight?" "Hmm? What does she have to do with this?" Luna asked, her expression softening. "Do you not recall that you yourself told me that perhaps I should ask my student for some... advice?” “I... suppose...” Luna said, reluctantly. “Well, then it seems you and I have an appointment, Luna. I’ll ask her to come over as soon as possible.” Mere hours later, the two sisters were both being scolded by Celestia’s student, Twilight Sparkle. It seemed that being wary of your own family is not something ponies normally do. “You handed over the throne?!” Twilight asked, dumbstruck. Celestia had just finished explaining to her student how Luna and she had felt about her mother not too long ago. Both Celestia and Luna stared at their hooves in shame, obviously uncomfortable. Though they had never had parents, and weren’t really sure about what having a mother was all about, they knew that being suspicious of one’s own parents was something one didn’t tend to do. Or... they did now. “I mean, I can understand that you wanted to make amends with your mother, but handing over the throne?!” Twilight continued to rage. "This isn't just your position you're giving up, it's the rule of a kingdom!" Once again, both Celestia and Luna remained silent. It was a rare occasion for Twilight to get so caught up in a rant that she actually started yelling at the royal sisters, and the princesses both felt like they more or less deserved it. Twilight continued her ranting, unperturbed. Her respect for the princess usually prevented her from being too outspoken towards Celestia or her sister. Today, however, was an exception. The lavender unicorn had been almost yelling at the princesses for a solid twelve minutes, judging by a nearby clock, and there seemed to be no end. “I guess... you really do still have a lot to learn about parents," Twilight sighed, defeated. "I thought better of you, both of you... as anypony else would have done. Quite frankly, you ought to be ashamed of yourself.” Celestia looked up at this. It was one thing for her student to give her advice, it was another entirely to have her very own accomplice almost offend her. “I am saying this as a friend, Twilight, not royalty, but mind your words. I would rather you not insult me. Simply asking for your assistance should be evidence enough that I regret my actions, and I want to make it up to our mother.” Twilight frowned. “I suppose it is, Princess.” They were making little progress. Luna still seemed to have some trouble with the fact that she was to blindly accept her mother’s behavior, no matter her previous suspicions. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves," Luna interrupted. "The ceremony is still a long time away, I should hope. A new queen is not something to be taken lightly, in particular after a millennium without one. We need a feast, and feasts take time to prepare.” “True, but the castle’s staff is working on the preparations already, I hope. Even with the feast being as grand as it will be, preparations won’t take very long. The main problem is going to be picking a day for the ceremony.” “I'll ask Harmony if she favors any day in particular, but if she doesn’t, we’ll just perform the ceremony on the next possible occasion,” Celestia said. Twilight couldn't help but smile at this sudden trust Celestia had in her mother. “It's sudden, I think we all agree on that. But seeing as we know she's really Harmony, I think this is a step in the right direction. At least in terms of getting closer with her," she nodded. “Let’s not forget that I never really took the throne in the first place, Twilight. I remained a princess, leaving the throne to be claimed for elder members of the royal family of Canterlot. This was never my intention, though. I was simply waiting for a fitting king, I suppose.” “Romance, Celestia? You? Not that that’s a bad thing! I’m just... surprised!” Twilight smiled at the princess, who had started blushing as she spoke her last sentence. Romance was apparently not something Celestia had paid very much attention to, and now that the subject had come up, Twilight realized that she had never even considered that Celestia might one day marry. “That, Twilight, is not something we are discussing right now,” Celestia said, trying to regain a serious expression. “In any case, I think we’ve talked enough, for today. I have preparations to supervise, and you... well, that’s up to you, isn’t it?” Twilight frowned, but made no objections. “I suppose, Princess. Perhaps we’ll get to talk some more before the ceremony? I feel like you’re already well on your way, and not a lot more needs to be discussed. That said, you need to get rid of these thoughts about Harmony being part of something more than she’s letting us know. She’s your mother, and technically has been the queen this whole time. She never officially stepped down from the throne, and nopony ever took it from her. The ceremony really is just a way for the ponies of Equestria to learn of her arrival, as you know, and queens are to be treated with a certain measure of respect.” With that, Twilight turned towards the door, leaving the princesses with a lot to think about. Celestia, however, had other things to do than ponder her mother’s behavior and how to react to it. Preparations were already being made for the coronation, and Celestia needed to be present. Though she had never actually taken the throne, Celestia had at one point been the only member of the royal family still known to be alive. As such, the ponies of Equestria had come to see her as their ruler, despite her keeping the title of Princess, rather than assuming that of Queen. Harmony’s behavior had changed, and Celestia had only seen her near the gardens a few more times. The princess still thought it odd that her mother would give the statue so much attention, but had been more or less forced to admit that the others had a point. Her own determination to trust Harmony only served to weaken her doubt, and eventually she managed to convince herself, even despite Luna's claims to the contrary. Remorse made sense, considering the conditions Harmony had left the kingdom in. With Twilight now no longer berating her, Celestia was free to go and find her mother. Harmony was never easy to find, seeing as she usually spent her days walking around the castle grounds. As such, it took Celestia a solid hour and a half before she finally found her mother. She was staring at one of the many paintings that hung in the halls of Canterlot. The painting didn’t seem familiar to Celestia, but then she had never paid them much mind. Having spent enough time studying her mother from a distance, Celestia decided to approach. She had promised herself and Harmony to stop doing that, and her spying wouldn’t serve to advance Twilight’s lessons. “Ah, Harmony. There you are.” “Hmm?” Harmony mumbled, turning to face the source of the disturbance. “Oh, Celestia. What is it you need?” “Nothing big. I just wanted to know if you prefer any specific date for the coronation.” “We suppose that we’ll want as many ponies as possible to be able to attend, so perhaps a Sunday is the best choice. We’re in no hurry to assume such an important position, but there’s no point in waiting either. Does the upcoming Sunday sound agreeable?” “Of course, Mother. Preparations will be ready this Friday, so you can always have the ceremony take place sooner, if you want to.” “That won’t be necessary. Tell us, are you preparing a feast, as well?” “Well, of course. It’s the coronation of the first queen of Equestria in a thousand years.” “Cancel it," she said blankly. With considerable effort, Celestia managed to contain her reaction. “Cancel it?” she gasped. "Are you sure?" She nodded. “We do not want a feast in our honor. To do so is to waste food our subjects might need.” “You realize that we can afford to... squander some of our supplies, don’t you? The kingdom has been doing well.” “But it might not always, and stockpiled supplies could prove useful in the future. We do not want a feast.” “If... you say so, Harmony. I'll tell the kitchen staff not to bother preparing a feast. Anything else you would like?” “The stage. Where is it being built?” “The central courtyard of Canterlot Castle. Seeing as you picked a Sunday for the ceremony, everypony should have enough time to travel to Canterlot, should they wish to attend.” “Good. In that case, we have no further requests. Preparations may continue as planned,” Harmony said, turning to stare at the painting she had been admiring almost the very instant she finished her sentence. Celestia left her mother to ponder the artwork while she herself decided to drop by the kitchen, to share the news. The head chef almost seemed disappointed, while Celestia could have sworn that she’d heard some of the lesser cooks let out sighs of relief. Sunday arrived swiftly, and the stage in the castle courtyard had been assembled. Ponies had already started flooding into the courtyard. The rumors of a new queen had spread quickly, as expected, but many of the ponies in the courtyard were skeptical. Equestria hadn’t had a queen for the last millennium, why should it need one now? Celestia and Luna were both waiting for Harmony, in the throne room of Canterlot. Harmony had kept them waiting for well over half an hour so far, and the sisters were growing impatient. “Exactly what is taking her so long?” Luna asked as she paced the room. “I don’t know, Luna, but I think she knows to make haste. A coronation is not to be taken lightly, in particular your own.” "All the more reason to be on time, I should think..." Minutes crept by without any sign of Harmony. Luna was just about to complain once again when one of the many sets of doors in the throne room opened, revealing Harmony. The soon-to-be queen looked remarkably normal, for such a momentous event. Her mane had been combed as usual, and she wore no jewellery or clothing. She looked like she did every day. Luna frowned the very second she saw her mother. With the amount of time Harmony had spent preparing, Luna had been expecting something more than... nothing. “Is that really all you’re wearing?” she asked. “Nothing? What exactly took you so long, in that case?” “If you must know, we were reading.” “Reading? You were reading, while you ought to be crowned queen of Equestria this very moment?” “Yes, Luna. Would you also like to know what we had for breakfast, today? You seem particularly interested in the insignificant events in our life.” “It’s the day of your coronation, and you were reading?” Celestia interrupted, not giving her sister a chance to respond. “We weren’t aware of the fact that reading is a crime. Perhaps you should inform us of the changes you’ve made in our absence in greater detail?” “Very funny," Luna said. "But thanks to your... reading, we need to hurry. You’re late.” “A queen can hardly be late for her own crowning ceremony.” “If Harmony wishes to dress like that for her coronation, she should be allowed to, Luna,” Celestia said. “I quite like it, actually. It sends a message of a rule of simplicity.” “Maybe so,” Luna said. “But you’re the first queen in over a thousand years, Harmony. Wouldn’t you agree that wearing nothing is somewhat... underwhelming?” “On the contrary, Luna. Our ponies wish to see us, so that is what we’ll show them.” “Enough idle chatter," Celestia smiled. "Equestria is waiting for you, Harmony. It’s time for you to take your crown.” Harmony nodded, and walked up to her two daughters. The three of them exchanged glances, then each turned towards the main entrance of the throne room. Just outside of those two, massive doors would be a crowd of hundreds, each and every one of them eager to catch even so much as a glimpse of their new queen. Harmony took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for the crowd she was about to face. Celestia and Luna each used their magic to open one of the giant doors that made up the main entrance to the throne room. The two doors slowly parted, and Harmony was instantly greeted by a beam of sunlight, temporarily blinding her. Her vision was obscured by light, leaving Harmony only able to guess at the number of ponies that had come to witness the ceremony. The cheering, however, was all too obvious. Hundreds of ponies could be heard, each one even more surprised than the last one. Harmony took a second to admire her surroundings, letting her eyes adjust. The Canterlot courtyard was filled to the brim with ponies. More of them could be heard from outside the courtyard, although Harmony had a hard time imagining how they’d all fit there. The courtyard itself had been decorated generously. Banners, streamers, and all other kinds of decorations had been hung up around the stage, all of them either red or white, as if to augment Harmony's own colors. The stage itself was a simple wooden one, constructed with care, yet also with haste. Pegasus ponies were flying in the sky, all of them staying away from the stage itself. Royal guards hovered above the stage, making sure that nopony came too close to Harmony. Another row of guards stood in front of the stage, each of them vigilant as ever. Harmony nodded as she regarded the crowd, smiling as she walked onto the stage. Then, out of nowhere, the crowd went silent. The silence caught Harmony off guard, and she looked around in confusion before realizing that her subjects were waiting for her to speak. Once more she stepped forward, and cleared her throat. Luna stood to her left, slightly further to the back. Celestia did the same, but to Harmony’s right. A few more cheers erupting from the crowd as each of them took their place, and the three of them stood there for a moment, waiting for the cheering to end. When the crowd finally fell silent, Harmony spoke loudly, and with authority. “Citizens of Canterlot, Equestrians. It is with great please that announce our return. Our name is Harmony, and it has been too long since we've stood before you." She paused to let the crowd resume their cheering. They gladly obliged. "It's been brought to our attention that many of you have forgotten us. This is as we expected; we have not made ourselves easy to remember. Our daughter was a wise and just ruler, and it brings us much joy to be able to relieve her from her position; one she never should have had to take in the first place," Harmony continued, glancing back to her daughters as she spoke. "As our first act as queen, we shall bring to this land something that it has long needed. We shall bring harmony to every earth pony, every unicorn, and every pegasus. But do not fret, other citizens. The griffins, the zebras, and even the mules shall receive our gifts as well. We shall bring harmony to all the land, and there will be peace under our rule.” Harmony finished her speech, and the crowd resumed its cheering once more. Celestia and Luna found the speech to be a tad awkward, however. The kingdom was doing fine, so what would Harmony change? The moment was interrupted by Harmony. “Celestia, would you do us a favor?” Celestia stepped forward, to be able to understand her mother over the cheering crowd. “Of course, Mother. What is it?” “We want you to move the sun to its zenith.” “But that’s not supposed to happen for another few hours, at least!” Celestia cried, shocked by the breach of protocol. “We are aware of this, but the ceremony needs something to make it a little more commemorative, don’t you agree? We think that having the sun at the exact center of its course would be a nice way to symbolize the harmony we intend to bring. Don’t you agree?” Unsure of what to say, the princess decided that perhaps Harmony needed trust, that time. “I... suppose,” she responded. “We’re glad you agree," Harmony smiled. "Now, would you please go to raise the sun even further, then?” “Of course,” Celestia said, bowing her head. Celestia turned to leave, but caught a glimpse of Luna before she left. The latter didn’t seem to approve of Celestia’s decision, for she wore a frown much like the one she had been wearing when she left Harmony’s room the day she first woke up. Not too long after Celestia left her sister and mother on the stage, a bright flash could be seen atop the highest tower of the castle. None of the ponies in the crowd seemed to notice, but Luna and Harmony had been waiting for it. Following the flash, the sun slowly started moving. Harmony watched patiently as the sun made its way to its zenith, and stayed there. Most ponies simply cheered. The sun was much too bright to look at directly, so most of them cared little. A few, however, seemed unsure of what to think. Luna was among these few, looking almost worried about what had happened. The crowd returned its attention to Harmony, as she began a second part of her speech. “Behold, my subjects, the first act of many to come. The sun is at its zenith, representing the harmony which we hope to soon bring to this land.” Celestia returned not too long after Harmony finished her speech, and gave Luna a nervous glance. Equestria was at peace, so what was there for Harmony to do? “Now then, Celestia... We do believe you have something we ought to be wearing?” Harmony smiled. “Something you ought... Oh! My crown!” Celestia closed her eyes and lowered her head, allowing Harmony to levitate the crown her daughter was wearing off of her head. The crown floated gently through the air, enveloped in a bright red aura, before landing softly atop Harmony’s head. “Thank you, Celestia,” Harmony said, slightly raising her voice to make herself heard over the cheering crowd. “No need for thanks, Your Majesty. It was only my duty.” “Please, call us Mother. Or at least Harmony.” “Very well, Mother," Celestia smiled. Celestia and Luna both turned to leave, intending to let Harmony enjoy her crowd. “Celestia, wait.” Celestia turned once again, this time curious as to what her mother wanted of her. “...Mother?” “I’m afraid that you still have some things to attend to, Celestia.” “Now?” “Well, no. We’d rather spend the day with you, actually. Luna still doesn’t seem too accepting, but you don’t seem to have any problems with our presence.” Luna shot her mother an angry glare, but was interrupted by her sister just as she was about to voice her thoughts. “Spend the day with me?” Celestia asked. “That is what we asked, isn’t it? It is our opinion that you’ve been trying to get to know more of us, rather than getting to know us, and that’s something we’d like to change.” “Well... I don’t see why not. Luna, do we have anything else planned, for today?” “I... don’t think so, Celestia.” “Well then, that’s settled,” Harmony said. “But... you have ponies to care for, Harmony! It’s the day of your coronation! You should be celebrating with your new subjects!” “Our subjects won’t be going anywhere,” Harmony laughed. “I... suppose not. That still leaves us one problem though, Harmony. What would you like to do?” “Perhaps... you could explain our duties to us?” “You haven't studied them?!” “Well, not in great detail, no. We've been rather occupied getting used to the castle.” Luna’s frown deepened. “I suppose that I could do that... I didn’t really have anything else planned for today,” Celestia said. “Wonderful!” Harmony smiled. "When can we start?” “You want to start as soon as possible? You're sure you don't want to celebrate?” “Why would such a thing be necessary? We’d much rather be a effective leader than a festive one.” “I... suppose that’s a more sensible thing to do. What would you like to know more about?” “Everything.” “Everything?” “Please,” Harmony nodded. “You do realize how long this is going to take, right?” “Not too long, we think. The basics are already there, all you need to do is brief us on what’s changed.” Celestia simply kept quiet, considering what she’d have to explain to Harmony, and what she’d probably already know. “So... shall we begin?” Harmony asked. Celestia paused for thought, then nodded. “I don't see why not. But... what about Luna?” “Luna can entertain herself for a while. She must have developed quite the talent for it in our absence.” Another angry glare from the younger of the two sisters. Harmony paid her no mind. “How did you...?” Luna hissed. “How did we... what? Surely Celestia must have been too busy to entertain you, at times.” Celestia frowned, mimicking her sister’s expression. “Well, yes.” “Then Luna should be fine. Shall we begin our lessons?” Celestia nodded, and the two of them left the stage, leaving the still roaring crowd somewhat surprised. Luna was left, still wearing her frown, to decide on something to do by herself. Moments later, Celestia and Harmony had retreated to Harmony’s room. They were sitting opposite one another, Celestia simply trying not to focus on Harmony whilst Harmony herself was looking for some easy way to start the conversation. “So, what have we missed?” “Excuse me?” “The changes. Obviously, some things must have changed since our departure. We’d like for you to explain what those things are, and how they’ve changed.” “Well... Did you know about Winter Wrap Up?” “The annual cleaning of the snow? Yes, we know of it.” “Hmm,” Celestia said, putting a hoof to her chin in thought. “Is that really all that’s changed?” “Do you know of Nightmare Night?” “Nightmare Night? No, we’re not familiar with this event.” “Good. Well, not good, but... you understand.” Harmony nodded once, indicating that she wanted Celestia to get on with her explanation. “Nightmare Night is an annual event, in which the younger ponies dress up as all kinds of things and go out to collect candy from the adults.” “Collect candy? It’s just given to them, free of charge?” “Well, yes. Most older ponies have foals of their own, so it really doesn’t matter too much.” “What an odd tradition...” The two of them kept talking for hours, discussing every detail of some of Equestria’s traditions, as well as some of the tasks Harmony would have to fulfill as the new ruler of Equestria. Harmony was often surprised by some of the apparently odd traditions Equestria had gained in her absence, while Celestia was in turn surprised at Harmony not being familiar with some of Equestria’s oldest legends and traditions. “Is that really all we have to do? Try to fulfill our subjects’ requests?” Harmony asked. “Well, yes. That’s your only major daily task. You have several other weekly duties, but I’ve already explained those.” “Just one more thing, Celestia?” “Yes, Harmony?” Celestia asked, yawning. “You seem tired.” “I am. What was it you wanted to ask?” “No question. We just wanted to tell you that you look tired. Perhaps you should rest.” “But the sun is still up...” “So the sun dictates your life now. does it? Go to sleep, Celestia. We’ll wake you up when it’s time to lower the sun.” Celestia felt another yawn coming up, but stifled it. “If you say so, Harmony. You know where to find me, I trust?” “We do.” “See you soon, then.” Harmony simply nodded in response, and watched her daughter leave. Celestia went straight for her chambers. She found it odd that she was tired at this time of day. The sun was still at its zenith, so there really was no reason for her to go to bed, other than a lack of sleep. Perhaps, she thought, the lack of sleep surrounding Harmony's arrival was getting to her at last. The princess shoved the thoughts aside as she entered her chambers; they’d do her no good while she was trying to rest. she climbed onto her bed, trying her very best to keep her mind blank after so many hours of conversation. Sleep took over almost as soon as her head hit her pillow.