//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: Dreams and Disasters // by Quillery //------------------------------// Dreams and Disasters By Quillery Prologue The Devious Designs of a Daytime Diarch And the Subsequent Scheming of a Serendipitous Sovereign It was rare that Celestia felt as bored as she did today. She sat within her private chambers, staring out her window over the calm summer afternoon. There was nothing she would prefer than to sit out on the balcony, maybe enjoy a cup of tea and watch her blessed sun pass over the mountains of Canterlot before she would lower it for her sister to begin the night. Anything to avoid going back to the mountain of paperwork that had somehow appeared around her desk. She sighed. As much as she tried to put it out of her mind, there was no escaping her duties. Treaties had to be signed; regulations had to be authorised. Such was the role of a princess. Even after Luna’s return, there only seemed to be more for her to do. Now, with two princesses, the Canterlot nobility had two ponies to bother. She slumped forward. Best to get this done now, she thought. She turned with great reluctance and moved towards her desk. Her horn glowed golden as a quill floated in front of her, ready to begin its task. The piles of papers and scrolls loomed over her, threatening to topple at the slightest provocation. She lifted the topmost pile from one of the spires and laid it on the marble desk in front of her. She groaned quietly as she read the documents. Tax amendments. Wonderful. I remember Luna enjoying calculations more than I. Perhaps I should let the accountants know... She giggled softly, scribbling her mark on the various paperwork. Celestia scribbled at the paperwork, quickly at first. As her eyes scanned the dozens of lines of information, her quill slowed, its strokes becoming stiffer. Each scratch of the plume mimicked a dull rhythm, up and down, left to right. A gentle grin formed in the corner of her mouth. Her eyes twitched as the quiet sound of scraping paper filled the air. Her mouth parted open as she hummed a single soothing note. It was followed by another, and another. A single scale rang through the chamber and descended into a simple melody. It carried with it the weight of a millennia of joy and happiness. The general public of Equestria may not have known the origins of the ancient song, but their beloved princess had known it for as long as she could remember. The room brightened from the music she quietly sang and made the quiet chamber feel happier from its harmony. She would need every shred of joy she could get her hooves on, for her days would be busy for weeks to come. A gentle breeze wafted in from the open window. Celestia could not help but pause her work to breathe in the summer smells wafting through the air into her chambers. From Vanhoover to Baltimare, the flowers of Equestria were among the most beautiful of the world. She would know, having travelled the distance of Equus many times in her long life. She leaned back to stare at the ceiling. It has been a long time since I’ve left the capital, let alone Equestria. Even a princess cannot get a day off these days. She heaved a heavy sigh as the brunt of her current reality hit her full force. Before she could return the quill to the desk, a sudden rustling sound snapped her attention upwards. She craned her head up at the tower of papers, eyes widened at the sight of the papers moving on their own. They tilted and weaved, almost toppling over. Celestia’s eyes darted in a panic. It was not her heavy sigh that threatened the pile: it was the wind. Her horn began to glow brightly as she slammed the window closed. One final gust of wind escaped into the room, rushing headlong towards Celestia, and her paperwork. Seeing no other alternative, she then moved her magical grip to the tower itself, holding each spire steady with its golden glow. The wind eventually subsided, ceasing its harassment. Celestia sighed and wiped a hoof across her forehead as she released her magic from the pile. The tower had ended its swaying and did not show any further signs of revolt. That was close. Far more exciting than a pile of paperwork needed to be. Content that her looming paperwork was no longer poised to strike out at her, she returned her attention to her work. She reached out with her magic to pull another document, when a loosened scroll rolled across the desk. Celestia stared at it a moment as it came to a stop just before her hooves. It was plain looking thing, the only remarkable thing about being the rainbow colored bow that held it closed. She plucked it from her desk and tugged at the ribbon, scanning the first few lines. Dear Princess Celestia, I used to think that I needed a specific type of pony to share my time with, one who loves the sky in the same way I do. What I found instead was somepony who made me appreciate it in a whole new way. For the first time in my life, I don’t feel completely alone in the love of the sky. While I’m not certain exactly what I found, or what it might lead to. Wherever it goes, I’m glad that I finally found it. Rainbow Dash Celestia was smiling as she reached the end of the letter. Ah yes, I remember. It has been a long time since I have received a tale of affection so strong as this. She closed her eyes, dwelling on the note. When she opened them again, she looked down at the note again. It was sitting on one of the smaller piles of paperwork. Sighing again, she set the letter aside and retrieved her quill. I’d better make some progress, or else I’ll never get this done! Picking up the quill again, she managed to find the will to at least complete most of it before she had to lower the sun for Luna. The quill barely touched the surface of the scrolls when the chamber doors slammed open. Her head twisted to face the door, spotting a glimpse of something pink before her vision was clouded in white. Celestia stumbled to the floor as wave upon wave of papers, scrolls and dockets flooded over her, intent to bury her, or worse. As the avalanche subsided, Celestia remained still within its confines. This isn’t so bad. Maybe I can claim the pile injured me, and I can avoid doing this for another week. Or better yet, the courts will see fit to abolish these decrees altogether, for their attempt on their princess’ life. She allowed herself the briefest of giggles when she felt the weight of the papers lifting off of her. Glimpses of light cut through the mound of paper as stacks were hastily lifted away, all caught in a bright blue glow. Celestia lifted her head, attempting to break free, only to nearly crash into the face of her savior. Her dark, purple eyes were filled with worry, as her horn glowed brightly in an effort to dig out the paper. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Aunt Celestia! Are you alright?” Enough of the bothersome papers had been removed to allow Celestia to stand. The sheaves of paper fell from her as she stood to her full height. At last she could see who had opened the door and knocked the papers over, as well as the one who was now trying to dig her out. She regarded the young alicorn before her with a stern glance, before shifting it into a welcoming smile. “I’m fine, Cadence. My day needed a bit of livening up anyways.” Cadence allowed herself to relax. She smiled up at her aunt, letting the faintest sigh of relief escape her lips. “Oh, good. I would hate to have my visit spoiled by burying you in papers.” Celestia blinked. “Visit?” She stared at where her desk once sat, now buried in papers. With a quick tug of her magic, she managed to yank out a small calandar from its depths. She scanned through, stopping on one specific page. “Was that today?” Cadence nodded. “Yes. If I’d known you were so busy, I would have postponed it a few days.” She indicated the pile with a jerk of her hoof. “I suppose I wasn’t sure that you would have returned so soon.” Celestia allowed the calendar to fall back into the pile, which seemed to absorb the paper greedily back into its mass. The two alicorns regarded the pile for a long, quiet while, before Celestia turned back to her guest, smiling. “I do believe I’ve at least a warranted a break to spend time with my favorite niece.” Cadence shot Celestia a confused look. “I’m your only niece.” “Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure of that. Have you heard Blueblood whine sometimes? You would swear that he were a filly in a colt’s body sometimes.” Laughter broke out in the regal chamber, as the two princesses navigated their way around the place that used to be Celestia's desk. “At least let me help you clean this up,” Cadence offered. “It will give us something to do while we wait for some tea.” Her horn began to glow again, picking up stacks of papers and stacking them neatly along the wall. “I suppose that is true.” Celestia joined in with her own magic, doubling the efforts to clean up the mess. The two alicorns made short work of the paper-filled monstrosity, stacking the hundreds of sheets against the wall. With each pile, though, Cadence’s expression began to sour. “I never knew you were so busy, Auntie.” “Oh, it’s nothing really. The year is usually this busy in the weeks right after the Summer Sun Celebration.” “What about Luna?” Celestia smirked. “Oh, I assure you, she gets her fill of paperwork, if not more. The shared weight of the diarchy allows the bureaucrats to put more stress on us, it seems.” “I guess I should be glad don’t have a place in the courts yet, huh?” Celestia opened her mouth to respond, but felt the crinkling of paper underneath her hooves. She glanced down, and saw that she had stepped on an unfurled scroll. She scooped it up in her magic. Her eyes widened as she recognized the letter from earlier, and breathed a quiet sigh of relief. “What’s that?” Cadence asked. Celestia jumped slightly, giving her niece a startled look. “O-oh, nothing! Just an old letter. It must have fallen from my desk in the mess.” Cadence cocked an eyebrow. “Oh really? Then you won’t mind if I... take it!” Before Celestia could react, Cadence’s magic had ripped the letter from her own. She giggled as she distanced herself from her aunt as she read the letter aloud. “Dear Princess Celestia. I used to think that I needed a specific type of pony to...” “W-wait!” Celestia pleaded. “That’s private!” Cadence trailed off, muttering the letter under her own breath. She fluttered her eyes from line to line at first, but her pace began to slow. Celestia’s breathing quickened and perspiration was beading on her forehead as Cadence read. Cadence looked up from the letter and met Celestia’s gaze with a raised eyebrow. “Rainbow Dash... isn’t that one of Twilight's friends?” “She is...” Celestia replied slowly. “Why is she sending you letters like this?” “Well, originally, Twilight used to send me weekly reports on what she learned about friendship from her time in Ponyville. Now, all of her friends occasionally send letters as well.” Cadence rolled up the letter, still floating it beside her. “This letter seems a bit more heartfelt to be merely friendship, Auntie.” Celestia chuckled. “Surely even you could agree that love is a special kind of friendship?” “Of course.” Cadence nodded. “So, who is she talking about?” “What do you mean?” “She mentions that she found something special in a certain somepony, but she doesn’t name who. Do you know?” Celestia’s eyes darted back and forth, her mind racing to come up with a suitable answer. “I-I’ve hazarded a few guesses, but it is not the place of a princess to pry into the lives of her ponies.” “Auntie...” Celestia’s eyes continued to search. She managed to finally control her manic hunt, eventually stealing a glance of a small picture frame. When she looked back to Cadence, she caught her following her gaze. She inhaled sharply as she moved towards the picture, but it was too late. Cadence had already snatched the frame and pulled it towards her. She held the frame in front of her eyes, which widened in shock as she examined it. She looked up at her aunt, spinning the picture around so Celestia could see. She was trying to hide her reaction, but the gaping mouth of her niece was enough to tell her she had failed. All she could do was stare at the evidence that had condemned her. It was an old picture. It’s edges had been worn from a life of affectionate attention. The bulk of the image was filled with a blurry shape of white. Celestia knew exactly what the image was: she knew what her own wing looked like, after all. However, it was the little spot of lavender that had tucked itself underneath the feathery mass that was the focus of the aged photo. She broke her stare from the picture back to Cadence. She was quiet, unblinking. “It’s Twilight? Rainbow Dash is talking about Twilight?” Celestia sighed wearily. She had been defeated. Never one to be able to keep a secret from her niece, she knew she had been bested. Cadence’s expression was sombre for a moment before she began to grin madly. She shrieked and squealed, hopping in circles around the room. “Oh how wonderful! Twilight in love! I can’t believe she hasn’t told me! She’s been sending me letters ever since the wedding, but she never mentioned anything like this.” “It’s because she doesn’t know.” Cadence stopped bouncing. Celestia was starting directly at her, her mood unphased. “What do you mean?” “Twilight has been sending me letters too, about how she has found a stronger friendship in Rainbow Dash. She tells me how they have grown to appreciate the skies together, and spending more time together as friends. She has made no mention of a new romantic relationship.” “You mean...” “It seems Miss Dash has not come clean with her feelings to the one it matters most.” “Oh...” Cadence’s ear’s wilted against her head, and she took a sudden interest in the floor. She scuffed the floor with her hooves. After a long pause, she swiftly lifted her head, eyes fiery and focused. “Well, that’s not good enough.” Celestia raised an eyebrow as Cadence began to pace across the room. “What do you mean?” “Unrequited love... It isn’t something I can allow. I have to do something!” “Do what? Love is something special between two ponies, not something for princesses to meddle with.” “I am the Princess of Love, Aunt Celestia. If you get to raise the sun, and Luna gets to raise the moon, then I should be able to do something about the matters of unrequited love. It’s a travesty! This is Twilight we’re talking about. Wouldn’t you want to do something for her?” Celestia sighed. “There is little I would not do for Twilight in a time of need, but this is something she needs to discover for herself. For us to work behind her back like this, for a crush we have no idea whether or not she reciprocates...” “Well, we can’t do nothing. There must be something...” The chamber quieted as the two alicorns stood in silence. Celestia walked over to Cadence, resting a hoof on her shoulder. “I know you mean well, Cadence, but this is a matter to be handled delicately. I know love is your domain, but Twilight is close to you as well as me. And furthermore—” “Um, your Highness?” Celestia stopped, and both princesses turned to the door. A bookish pegasus with thick set glasses stepped into the chamber warily. He fidgeted with his glasses and dipped into a lengthy bow. “Yes?” Celestia replied, her voice softening. The pegasus raised himself from the floor and produced a small envelope from underneath this wing. “Your Majesty, the Head Librarian has finished her yearly catalogue assessment as requested.” He presented the document in his hooves, and Celestia quickly picked it up with her magic. “Thank you, Mr. Bookend. I’ll see to this right away. We both know how impatient Miss Prose can be.” Bookend managed a weak smile, before bowing again and retreated from the room, closing the door behind him. Celestia opened the envelope, scanning its contents. “Well, that’s a first.” “What is?” Cadence asked. Celestia levitated the letter over, allowing Cadence to read it. “The Reign of Cranberry House, L’Histoire de Victoire... Are these books?” Celestia nodded. “Yes. Each year the Royal Library checks its stock compared to other Royal Libraries across the world. We all share our knowledge with the world, so we all keep each other in the loop with our catalogues. This is the first time I’ve seen the list so small.” “Across Equus? So you mean...” “Great Brayton, Prance... To name a few. I will have to send the royal couriers to handle the exchanges to ensure we get their books, and they get ours.” “Why don’t you just mail them back and forth?” “While I wouldn’t wish to say our mail service is fallible, mistakes happen. The International Community of Intellectuals place great value in these books, and many would consider the loss of them a severe insult. It’s just easier to have a trusted source handling the affair. I would even go as far to do it myself, were I not saddled with my duties.” “Can I do it?” Celestia laughed. “While I know you would love the experience, a bit of library experience is needed to handle the exchange.” “Aww,” Cadence pouted. She waved the note back into Celestia’s grip, and trotted over to the window. “Still, it would be a wonderful trip. To see the world. Prance alone would be so romantic. I bet Shin—” Cadence paused. Celestia heard a sharp inhale from the small alicorn, when she spun around on her hooves. She had a manic smile on her face, her eyes bright with wonder. “That’s it!” she shouted. Celestia cocked her eyebrows again. “What is?” “This list! The destinations! A trip of excitement, discovery, and romance! It’s perfect!” Celestia held her expression. “Perfect for what?” “For Twilight! Send her with Rainbow Dash to recover the books for you! Twilight is more than qualified to handle the book exchange, and it gives them an intimate experience for them to realise their feelings for each other. It’s beautiful!” Cadence’s smile grew impossibly large as she skipped with excitement. Celestia took a moment to compose herself, considering the thought. “So you are suggesting that I send my prized pupil and one of her friends that has confessed to having affection for said student, together, by themselves, on a trip across the world?” Cadence smiled brightly and nodded. “What about her other friends? The last time I sent Twilight tickets for the Grand Galloping Gala, she sent them back, saying she wouldn’t go without all her friends.” Cadence's smile faded, but only slightly. “That is a good point. But it’s hardly something we can’t solve.” “Solve how, pray tell?” “Don’t start talking like Aunt Luna, Auntie. Just a little modifications of some schedules.” Cadence grabbed a blank scroll from the pile of papers, and with a flick of a quill, she began to write. Celestia sighed and stood beside her niece, surveying what she was planning. “I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?” “Love is never something to regret, Auntie, unless you let it get away.”