The Student and the Sun

by Ponycletian


5.1: A Rather Merry Morning(take 2)

*Note: given the mixed response to, and my own misgivings about, my first fifth chapter, this is meant to take place instead of "Lonely at the Top". Be sure to read the actual author's note for more information.

        When Princess Celestia woke the next morning to raise the Sun, she found herself feeling far more refreshed than she had any right to be. She, Luna, and Twilight had been up until nearly one in the morning, and it had taken her longer than usual to fall asleep afterwards. Even though she had gotten less sleep than she was accustomed to, it felt like half the weight of the Kingdom had been lifted from her back, and she was amazed at the difference it made.

        She used her magic to raise the Sun over the horizon, and marveled at the unfamiliar sensation of happiness that the familiar act brought her. It wasn’t often that she actually looked forward to beginning her day, since it usually consisted exclusively of work, and such things as she did look forward to tended to be small islands of pleasure in a sea of monotony, but not today. Despite her earlier commitment to remain in Canterlot, she was determined to leave the dreary confines of the castle, feeling that it would be a tremendous waste to spend what little time she had off hovering over Luna’s shoulder. If she was going to trust Luna to be her equal, then she didn’t need to remain behind, ready to intercede at a moments notice. Luna could contact her magically, so she felt that she was risking little by physically removing herself from Canterlot.

        She walked happily down the stairs from her bedchamber into her solar where she started to make preparations to travel. She saw that Philomena was awake and looking at her with interest. Celestia smiled brightly as the phoenix flew over to her and landed on the wing that she extended to receive her. “Good morning Philomena.” The phoenix leant in and nuzzled her cheek kindly, crooning gently. “I’m happy to see you too,” she assured with a giggle.

        Philomena, who was one of the few living things to have seen her at ease, seemed surprised by her present, almost carefree, behavior. “I know you’re curious, but I would appreciate it if you would do me a favor.” Philomena looked back with cautious interest. “It’s nothing that you need worry about, Philomena,” she said reassuringly. “I was just hoping that I could convince you to check and see if Twilight is awake. I don’t expect her to be up yet, given the late hour at which we separated, yet it is possible.” She thought she saw a mischievous gleam in Philomena’s eye, but it was quickly suppressed, if she hadn’t simply imagined it. It was early, she hadn’t slept as much as she was used to, and she couldn’t think of any reason why Philomena would want to mess with Twilight, so she just ignored it.

        Philomena jumped to her back, and using her wings, wrapped her in a warm embrace before flying towards the door, which Celestia opened for her. Smiling brightly, she walked over to her desk and pulled out the necessary materials to write several letters. If she was going to leave Canterlot for a day off, then she didn’t want to be accompanied by guards. However, Shining Armor would have a fit if she tried to convince him to simply allow her to fly off unescorted, unannounced, and without having given the guard time to at least ensure that her destination was secure. Outside of an emergency, like the one that had threatened Ponyville when Twilight had gone slightly crazy, she wouldn’t normally consider simply leaving without informing her Guard Captain, yet that was what she was preparing to do.

        The first letter she prepared was one to Luna, informing her that she would be spending the day outside Canterlot with Twilight. It was vague, since she had no definite plans other than that she wanted to leave, and assured Luna that she had confidence in her judgement, and said that Luna could contact her if she needed help. She signed it informally, sealed it, and placed it on the desk from which she had removed the writing materials. The next letter was a more formal letter to Shining Armor, informing him that she was leaving Canterlot, did not require an escort, and would return before the start of court the next day. She would have ordered that he not attempt to pursue her, yet she knew that to do so would likely push him to insubordination, so she didn’t bother. When she was finished, she signed it, using her full title, sealed it, and set it aside next to the first. Having prepared the letters which she would send immediately before leaving to avoid any reprisals, she looked to a stack of newspapers which she had delivered daily.

        Levitating the entire stack, most of which were saturday’s issues, she relocated herself to a spot before this room’s fireplace. She lay down on the soft carpet and began to scan the papers for any announcements of events or other attractions that she thought might be fun to attend. She hadn’t been reading long before she heard the sound of wings in the hall outside, followed quickly by the sound of her door opening. She turned to look, and was surprised to see Philomena alighting proudly upon a disheveled looking Twilight’s back. Wings fanning upwards, framing her student’s head with her brilliant plumage, with her head held high, and eyes that were positively brimming with delight. Celestia felt a hint of annoyance, because whenever Philomena looked this pleased with herself, it usually signified that she had pulled some kind of prank on somepony, and given Twilight’s completely bedraggled appearance, it seemed that Twilight was the unlucky somepony.

        “Good morning Twilight,” she said warmly. “I hope that Philomena here didn’t wake you. I thought that it was clear that I only wanted her to check if you were awake, not actually wake you,” she said, casting a mildly chiding look at her pet. Philomena reacted to her rebuke by furling her wings, and acting hurt, as if she hadn’t done anything wrong.

        Celestia was surprised when Twilight next spoke, saying, “it’s okay, Celestia. I wasn’t awake, but I’m glad that Philomena woke me.” she hesitated before continuing in a nervous voice, eyes averted. “And... I might have been partly responsible for this.” Philomena nodded her agreement, looking at her with a look of exaggerated innocence.

        “Very well, my faithful student,” she said with a sigh. “Normally I might inquire further, but since it appears that the two of you have settled your differences, I don’t think that I need to involve myself.” She grew slightly serious for a moment, asking, “you have settled things, haven’t you?” When each of them nodded, her face brightened. “Good.”

        “Now that you are here, Twilight, maybe you can help me with something.”

        Twilight smiled brightly, saying enthusiastically, “I’d be happy to help in any way I can.”

        Still smiling, Celestia said, “I thought as much.” She gestured for Twilight to come nearer, levitating several of the newspapers into her line of vision. “I was just looking for anything going on outside of Canterlot that might be a fun way to spend the day, and I thought that you might know of something.”

        Both Philomena and Twilight looked surprised to learn that she wished to leave Canterlot. Philomena knew that such acts of spontaneity rarely ever occurred, and Twilight had been led to expect that the weekend would be spent at the castle. “You see, Twilight, that after our conversation last night with Princess Luna, I started to examine my behavior where Luna was concerned, and I discovered several things. One such discovery was that, when I examined my motives for staying in Canterlot, although there were some legitimate concerns, I was mainly unwilling to leave Luna alone. If I am going to truly accept her as my equal, then I am going to have to trust her and her judgement, which was something I wasn’t willing to do.”

        Twilight smiled and nodded, saying, “I bet this will make Princess Luna very happy. Have you told her yet?”

        “No, and I won’t until it is time to leave, else there will be no escaping the royal guards. Besides,” she said with a playful smile, “she is still adjusting to her new diurnal schedule, and needs the rest.” Twilight tilted her head in confusion at her statement, causing Celestia to laugh at her student’s perplexed expression. “I’m sure that you, of all ponies, Twilight, know just how protective your brother can be, and if he knew that I was planning to leave Canterlot unescorted, he might try to arrest me for endangering the life of the Princess.” She laughed again at the thought, but Twilight only chuckled half-heartedly, likely because she knew that despite Celestia’s jovial demeanor, she was only half joking about her brother. Celestia knew that she was lucky to have such devoted, capable, and selfless guards who would gladly sacrifice both their lives, and their jobs, to ensure her safety. She decided to also explain her statement about Luna, since she thought that Twilight might find the historical information interesting.

        And,” she said, sobering slightly. “So far as Luna’s schedule is concerned, she used to be nocturnal, and would host a night court similar to my own day court.”

        Twilight started to brighten up, the final vestiges of sleep falling away. “Is she going to start doing that again once she is more familiar with holding court?”

        “No,” Celestia responded calmly. “It was something that we discussed when she asked to handle court on the weekends. We both agreed that the practice had become antiquated, and was partly responsible for the rise of Night Mare Moon.” She knew that Twilight was unaware of the nature of the transformation undergone by Luna, and Celestia had no intention of telling her, for it was up to Luna to decide how much to tell others, and who those others were. Ignoring the look of confusion Twilight gave her, she continued, “the practice had only started because, during the war with Discord, it had been important that one of us be ready to respond to any of his antics at any time, and it had seemed reasonable that I guard the day, and she the night.” She remained carefully neutral. “However, after Discord’s defeat, we maintained the practice, but ponies, who are diurnal by nature, slowly stopped attending night court, preferring to work during the day.”

        Twilight, never one to give up on acquiring new information, asked, “what does the dwindling attendance at night court have to do with Night Mare Moon?”

        Celestia frowned, not with anger, but to indicate that this line of inquiry was not to be pursued. “If you want to know about Night Mare Moon, then you shall have to speak with Luna, for such details are not mine to divulge, not even to you, my faithful student.”

        Twilight looked dejected at her answer, but recovered quickly. “Okay Celestia,” she said before pausing briefly. “I think I might have an idea of what we can do today, if you’re interested.”

        Celestia smiled, glad to change the topic. She looked at Twilight expectantly. “Well, in Ponyville, there is the Sisterhooves Social being held today at Sweet Apple Acres.” Celestia felt that the event sounded familiar, but she couldn’t recall any specific details.

        “That sounds interesting, but, from the name, it sounds like it is meant for sisters, of which you have none, and mine is otherwise occupied.”

        Twilight sounded slightly discouraged by her comment, so Celestia reassured her, saying, “I’m not saying no, Twilight. I should have to hear more before making any decision, but it just sounded like something that you need to have a sister at hoof for.”

        Some of Twilight’s eagerness returned at this, and she continued. “It is more like a fair, or that’s how Applejack described it to me. There are games, events, and freshly made apple products for sale, but the main event is a race in which pairs of sisters try to overcome obstacles before each other, and the first pair to complete them all and cross the finish line wins.”

        Celestia smiled slyly, having thought of a small joke she could play. “This does sound interesting, but I have a few questions.” Twilight simply nodded. “First, do you have to register in advance to participate in the race?” she asked seriously.

        Twilight seemed surprised by this question, and responded uncertainly, saying, “I’m not sure, Celestia. I think you might because I know that some of the obstacles require preparation in advance, but they might have prepared extra for a last minute entry. It’s what I would do,” she added almost as an afterthought.

        Pleased that Twilight didn’t appear to have noticed the set up, she asked, “and, my faithful and most trusted student, how would you feel about managing court today?” The panicked look on Twilight’s face was worth more to her than all the gold in the coffers.

        “WHAT?” Twilight shouted. “Oh, no, no, no. I couldn’t Princess, I mean... I’d have no idea what to do.” She looked around frantically. “I’m not certain of the reception protocols, and I haven’t even finished my studies of Equestrian contract law.” She ran to a bookshelf and started hastily scanning titles. “I’d need to go to the library and study, but I’m not sure that there would be enough time.” Celestia could hardly keep from crying with laughter. She knew she shouldn’t have sprung this on Twilight, but the opportunity was just too perfect to pass up.

        “No, Twilight, that’s okay,” she said in a voice full of barely restrained mirth. “I was hoping that you could cover for Luna, but if you don’t feel you are ready, then we shall just have to wait until next year.” This stopped Twilight in her tracks.

        “Next Year?” she asked, clearly lost.

        “Well, it is an annual event, isn’t it?” she asked the oblivious Twilight.

        “Yes,” she offered hesitantly, “but what happens next year?”

        “Next year, I think that Luna and I shall have to enter, for it sounds like fun.” She tried not to laugh too loudly at the stunned look on Twilight’s face as she most likely considered what the race would be like if everypony had to compete against both Princesses of Equestria. Celestia knew that it was little more than a whimsical wish, since many ponies would consider it to be almost sacrilegious to even attempt to beat them, but that didn’t prevent Twilight from imagining the admittedly amusing scenario.

        Apparently, this proposition was so ludicrous that Twilight finally began to realize that this entire exchange had basically been a big joke at her expense. She smiled sheepishly, asking, “you didn’t really want me to hold court, did you?” Celestia’s smile was warm and comforting, and she shook her head lightly, to Twilight’s clear relief.

        “Especially not with your mane like that. I don’t suppose that Philomena gave you time to brush it.”

        Twilight blushed and shook her head, which made Celestia laugh lightly. “Then come with me,” she said, rising from the carpet. “I have brushes that you can use upstairs, and it wouldn’t do for you to return to Ponyville looking like that, now would it.”

        “No, I suppose not,” Twilight responded in a calmer voice. “It might just kill Rarity if she saw my mane like this.” She heard Twilight chuckle quietly as she started to follow Celestia up the stairs that led to her bedroom, through which the bathroom was accessed.

        “Speaking of your friends,” she said politely, “will any of them be participating in today’s activities?”

        “Yep. Applejack and her younger sister, Applebloom, who compete every year. And there is a chance that Rarity and her younger sister Sweetie Belle, who is staying with Rarity this week, will compete, but I don’t think it’s very likely.”

        “Really?” she asked. “It sounds like a wonderful way to spend time with one’s sister.”

        “Yes, but Rarity prefers that her activities be a little less messy, and they weren’t getting along too well before I left.”

        “That’s a pity,” she said with genuine sorrow. “From personal experience, I can attest to just how unpleasant conflicts between sisters can be.”

        Twilight had been distracted enough, talking about her friends, not to notice when they walked through her bedroom, but upon entering the bathroom, Twilight’s jaw dropped, forcing Celestia to stifle another round of giggles at her student’s expense. “Here we are, Twilight. Feel free to use anything you need to get ready.” Celestia smiled kindly and spread a wing for Philomena to land on. Phoenix in tow, she left the room and closed the door behind her.