Celestia’s Tiny Student

Chapter 4

Stargazing

Eight years before Nightmare Moon's return

It had been five years since Celestia took Twilight Sparkle up as her faithful student.

In that time, Brave Blade had easily tracked down Rainbow Dash, the pegasus filly who had created the Sonic Rainboom. She had created it during an impromptu racing event and had earned her cutie mark soon after. Her involvement in the whole event, however, was obscured behind the wonder of the event itself. It was not easy to convince the filly to keep it quiet, but Rainbow Dash was quickly compliant when Fluttershy was mentioned.

The whole situation with Fluttershy had shocked Celestia. Perhaps it was assumed that all pegasi enrolled at the academy could fly, but that was little excuse for the lack of safety measures that nearly led to the death of the pegasus filly, who was nudged off the safety of her cloud by a speeding Rainbow Dash. Fortunately and quite remarkably, she had been saved by a passing cloud of butterflies and had earned her cutie mark soon after the Rainboom.

Fancy Pants had managed to track down a unicorn filly by the name of Rarity, who had gone missing a day before the Rainboom, having given a quick shout to her parents about destiny while being dragged away by her glowing horn. She had returned the late afternoon after the Rainboom with an unexplained massive stock of gemstones that she used to beautify the costumes used in the pageant the next day.

Fancy Pants had also received word from Manehatten that concerned a young farm filly named Applejack. The upper-class Orange family had lamented Applejack’s sudden conviction to return to Sweet Apple Acres soon after the Rainboom, where her cutie mark had appeared.

There was still one possible Element missing, but there was still eight more years left to find it. At the moment, the other four possible bearers had already settled or had prepared to settle in Ponyville. Rarity had been absolutely entranced by the Carousel Boutique, which was left to her rural family after retirement of a fashionista relative. Fluttershy had expressed her desire to settle near a forest filled with critters and Celestia had quietly provided a nice, cheap cottage next to the Everfree forest where the old castle crumbled away. To her parents’ surprise, Rainbow Dash was prepared to leave with Fluttershy on the day of her birthday, deciding that flight school had little else to teach her, and was already building her own cloud house with spare materials from her temporary internship at the weather factory. Applejack was already living at the edge of Ponyville and needed no intervention. Twilight, of course, was right with Celestia and could be sent to Ponyville whenever she wished, and with her resources, it would be easy to gather the bearers in Ponyville even if they eventually decided not to settle there.

It was not the most honest thing, Celestia knew, to manipulate her subjects like this, but if the Elements had already chosen them, they would need to be together. She just needed to make sure that they were together by the time Luna returned.

Nightmare Moon herself would be strong and experienced in combat, but with the resources of Equestria, Celestia would have no issues taking her down. The problem lay within defeating Nightmare Moon without hurting her sister inside, and since Nightmare Moon would never accept defeat, such a task was indeed formidable.

It was a gamble to rely on being able to activate the Elements of Harmony again, but if there was a chance that it could end the conflict without Luna or anypony else getting hurt, it was a gamble worth taking.

Celestia, as usual, was the first to wake, quietly stretching out the kinks in her back before lighting the darkness of the night with her horn. She looked at her faithful student curled up on the pillow next to her.

It still bothered her that she was forced to keep her student tiny. Even after so long, Twilight was still unable to withhold her surges whenever she overexerted her magic and as a result, she had to remain at her size, hidden away from any other ponies her own age.

Celestia turned on the lights and next cast her daily protection spell on Twilight with her magic before nudging the pillow on which her student rested. "Rise and shine, my little Sparkle."

Twilight woke with a quiet, “Shmerrr.” She yawned before straightening up and turning to face her mentor. “Good morning, Princess!”

Celestia gave a warm grin to her student when a quick rapping on the chamber’s doors drew their attention. She gave a quick, “You may enter,” and the doors slowly opened with a glow of magic, allowing a few servants bearing breakfast and tea to enter, accompanied by a professional Steel Blade and a yawning Overwatch. The servants each left their offerings on the endtable, giving a quick nod before retreating back to the kitchens. The two guards took their posts at the door following a short acknowledgement of the Princess and a polite bow.

Twilight wasted no time levitating the teapot and a pair of cups. “Tea, Princess?” she asked cheerfully, determined to take every opportunity to practice her magic.

Celestia gave a nod, watching as Twilight slowly poured the tea. None of this was beyond her ability, but Twilight had proven consistently that she wanted to do everything she could to help out and this was no exception. She allowed the teacup to get close enough to touch with a hoof before taking it up in her own magic and taking a sip.

The princess set her teacup down with a slight rattle as she surveyed the rest of the table. The castle’s kitchen had prepared a wide variety of foods, ranging from a deceptively simple hay sandwich to an elaborate cake that should never be eaten at breakfast. Ever. If there was a reason that Celestia may have put on a few pounds over the centuries, it would have mostly been the kitchen staff’s fault for waging war on her with delectables. It would not have been very sporting of her if she did not have a taste or two or three of everything they had cooked up.

Celestia cut out a suitably small enough to be considered restrained but still large enough to be enjoyed slice of cake and began eating as Twilight, who had moved onto the table itself, levitated her own small piece of food to eat. It was unnecessary for the kitchens staff to cook for two ponies since Twilight needed little more than an fiftieth of what normal ponies needed, and the princess was more than willing to share.

The moment Celestia levitated another piece of cake over. Twilight had levitated over a large cup of tea before carefully and deliberately tilting it so she could take a sip herself. It was a far cry from a few years back, when the cup itself would spill half of its contents on its way to her and the other half when she tried to drink from it. It was good progress, but Twilight needed to be challenged, and the teacup held little else for her to benefit from.

Celestia finished her breakfast, setting an empty teacup down as she lowered her head beside Twilight. “It’s time to raise the sun. Would you like to watch?” she asked, already knowing the answer to her question. Twilight gave a quick nod before clambering onto Celestia's head, ducking and dodging as the Royal Accouterments floated into position and taking her place behind her mentor’s crown.

Twilight had always been impressed by the Princess' graceful gait, even more so since she had begun to ride on her head. There was not even the slightest bump as Celestia strode purposefully to her traditional spot for the sunrise, even with the addition of one last piece of cake floating in her magical field behind her as she walked.

It seemed to take a little longer than usual for the princess to get situated, finishing off the last of the cake and positioning herself in the direction of the glowing moon. The dark patches on the celestial orb looked darker this morning as Twilight stared in fascination, engrossed in the soft flow of her mentor's power. Ever so slowly, the moon slipped below the horizon, seeming somewhat reluctant in its journey, but once it had been put to rest, Twilight turned to the other horizon in anticipation.

The sun surged up in a blaze of warm light, making Twilight suck in a breath despite herself. Despite having seen the process every day for the last few years, it still brought an infectious excitement to her heart as well as a string of excited babble every time.

Celestia paid little attention to her student’s praise as she looked to the horizon where the moon had disappeared. She lingered there on the balcony for a few more seconds before slowly turning to walk back to her chambers.

“It appears that our time for today is nearly over,” Celestia announced to her exhausted student, “I will have to go attend to my royal duties now, but if you wish to go anywhere today, just tell me now and I will have your guards escort you.”

The hour of magical weight training felt like it had lasted a lot longer than it actually had and Twilight was already exhausted, though she had managed to lift more than sixty times her weight before surging, a new record for the moment. It was as good a reason as any to bend the rules a bit.

Celestia gave Twilight a nod. “Of course you can, but be careful though. I’m sure your two guards will help keep you safe, but they won’t be able to protect you from everything. He may have good intentions, but he’s still a young dragon and unaware of his own strength.” Spike had been able to visit fairly often now, much to Twilight’s delight, and at the age of five, Spike was a fair bit more careful than when he was an infant drake. It was yet another friend for Twilight to have, a rarity since she needed to be kept isolated from the dangers of the world.

Twilight nodded energetically. “No problem, Princess! I’ll be careful,” she offered before plopping back in exhaustion.

Celestia gave a warm smile, levitating Twilight over to her pillow. “I’m sure you will, but for now, you need to rest from your training. I will ask the guards to summon Spike, so take care and enjoy yourself,” she said gently before departing, leaving her student alone with her two guards.

A light rapping on the door sounded, drawing Twilight’s attention. Steel Blade opened the door, revealing a pair of guards outside, Spike sitting happily on the back of one of them. After a round of formalities, Spike happily hopped to the ground, scurrying into the bedchamber as Steel Blade moved aside to grant him access.

"H-hi Twilith!" exclaimed Spike. The young drake did not take long to begin learning Equestrian, though he was advancing at a somewhat slower pace than young foals his age. It was assumed that since dragons lived to a longer age, draconic development also advanced at a slower pace, and although Spike had difficulties with language, Twilight understood him easily.

"Hey Spike! C’mon, wanna come read with me?" Twilight asked excitedly, sitting up on her pillow.

"Susss-sure" Spike slurred a bit, already attempting to climb up onto the bed. Twilight wished she could help him up with her magic. His diminutive size was betrayed by his scales’ combined weight. Spike was nearly thirty kilograms, which was extremely close to Twilight’s weight limit before she triggered a surge. It did not help that her magical reserves were now low, almost completely drained by her training. The issue was neatly solved, however, when Overwatch lightly levitated Spike up, placing him next to Twilight.

"Thank you, but could you please pass me that book over there?" Twilight asked, pointing to a book on a nearby table.

Overwatch looked to where she was pointing and levitated the book in question over. It was a colorful book filled with various foal-friendly tales and myths, perfect material to teach the young drake.

Twilight thanked the guard as the book was propped up in front of her and Spike. Though her magic was weakened, she still had no problems turning the light paper of the pages. "Okay Spike, say Equestria," she ordered softly to Spike, showing the baby dragon a drawing from the book. It was a beautiful hoof-drawn rendition of the country with the name “EQUESTRIA” written in large, flowing script at the top.

"Ee-coo-est-ia," Spike sounded the word out slowly, trying to make sense of Twilight’s teachings. Unsatisfied, Twilight prompted him to try again.

"Ee-que-stra," Spike repeated, looking at Twilight, still unsure as to whether he got it correct this time.

Twilight smiled. "Very good Spike." His pronunciation was not quite perfect yet, but it was good to encourage him, and Spike loved her for it. His caretakers had taken to trying to teach him the language, but they seemed distant and distrustful, more interested in studying him than teaching him.

The guards returned to their spots around the door. This was not the first time Twilight had given Spike lessons in reading and writing and if the pattern continues, this session was going to last a few hours. They gave a collective sigh, but managed to smile warmly at the scene in front of them. This was going to be a long day.

Celestia finished with her duties late into the day, but had unfortunately gotten no word on the last Element Bearer, who she had surmised to be the Bearer of Laughter after looking through the files on the other bearers. Despite the best efforts of her agents, none of the organizations related to entertainment had reported any strange events following the Rainboom, and Celestia was running out of ideas of where to look. Her thoughts ended as the two guards opened the door to her chambers to allow her entrance.

"You're back, Princess!" Twilight exclaimed cheerfully, looking up from the book she was reading, "How was your day?" She was surrounded by books that were for foals far below her current age and Celestia quickly deduced what had occurred in her absence.

"My day? Nothing special, my faithful student," Celestia answered, looking as disinterested as she felt. "I signed a few good ideas into play, politely rejected several bad ideas, and spent a while talking with nobles."

Not that I am complaining too much. An uneventful day means that Equestria is peaceful and that my ponies are happy, though those nobles could do with a bit of shaping up. Elite of Canterlot, my flank. The vast majority of them are arrogant and useless, but with the immense influence that bits can get them, all I can do is make sure that they don’t try to pass any stupid laws. She sighed. Keeping with the feudal system all those centuries ago had been a remarkably bad idea.

At least I have Fancy Pants. He’s been able to help out immensely on the nobility front and thankfully, his popularity could sway anypony to his side, whether he’s aware of it or not.

"Oh. That’s disappointing," Twilight noted with a frown, but quickly cheered up. "Maybe we can have some fun together?"

Celestia smiled genuinely. "That sounds like a wonderful idea, but let me raise the moon first," Celestia explained, picking up Twilight as she walked over to her balcony.

Outside, Celestia raised her horn and prepared to set the sun, making place for the moon to raise in all it’s glory. It wasn't quite her element to be doing her sister's job, but daily practice over pretty much the last millennium had given her plenty of experience, and the moon moved smoothly to its rightful position in the sky.

"Wonderful, isn't it?" Twilight asked. She caught Celestia's attention and pointed a hoof upwards, "Your night sky is so wonderful. The stars are so bright and though ponies see them every night, there’s so much still unknown about them. I found an astronomy book about the constellations and though there were many things I didn’t understand, I’m sure that when I grow up, I’ll be able to learn everything about the night sky and the constellations that you’ve made." Twilight smiled, continuing to gaze up at the night sky.

Celestia gave a weak smile, thankful that her student could not see her face easily from her perch. I am so sorry, sister. I’ve succeeded too well in keeping you a secret from the ponies that would hate and fear you and now my faithful student has praised me for your work, even though I haven't changed it in the slightest since the day of your banishment.

But it needed to be done. No one would have ever seen you as anything other than a monster if the story of the Mare in the Moon was thought of as anything but a fairy tale. Please, forgive me. Forgive me for being so blind. You’ve done so much for Equestria, from protecting it from monsters that lurk in the darkness, to bringing about a beautiful, serene night to allow it to rest, yet our subjects...

I had done nothing when you needed me the most and I failed to realize it until it was too late. Celestia lost herself in her thoughts, gazing at the moon, hoping that her thoughts would travel to her sister so far away.

In the end, I am still unable to correct this mistake, having to resort to using a filly to help redeem myself. She will have to be my means to an end, and all I can do is make her happy and prepare her for what is to come. Celestia’s eyes watered, but another smile soon worked its way onto her muzzle.

I’m sure you’ll have much to talk about with my faithful student. She seems quite interested in your art, Luna. I’ll see you soon. She turned to re-enter her chambers when a voice stopped her.

“Could we stay out here for a little longer?” Twilight asked. She was trying to look down into Celestia’s eyes, “We could read that complicated book about constellations together.”

Celestia turned to stare at the unused telescope next to her on the balcony, disuse and dust tarnishing its once former beauty. A moment passed before she swept it into position, calling for a guard to bring her the astronomy book that Twilight had mentioned.

Celestia's Tiny Student

by CommanderX5

Ch4 - Stargazing