Lost to the Sands

by GigaBowser

Phase 9

Phase 9

"Luna…"

…

"…Where are you?"

…

"Wh…What's going to happen?"

…

"What's going to happen to the ponies?"

…

"What…What will I find on the other side…?"

…

"Will there even be anything left?"

…

"……I miss you…"

***

Celestia's eyes gently fluttered open. She felt a familiar groggy sensation, and her vision was blurred. She blinked her eyes and tried to kick-start her sluggish mind. She moaned lightly.

Something was beeping. She winced and shut her eyes again. The beeping sound was incredibly annoying because of its fairly high pitch, but it was also helping her wake up. When she opened her eyes again, her vision was coming in more clearly.

She saw silver. That was it; plain and simple. Her field of vision was filled with silver. Looking more closely, she slowly was able to pick out corners and edges, and saw where the floor, roof and walls were. It was a room that was completely silver and featureless. There was not a single thing in this room that she could see except for silver.

She blinked in confusion. Something looked off. Something felt off too. As she tilted her head slightly, trying to gain a sense of perspective, she realized what it was. She wasn't laying down. She was looking at this room from an upright, vertical position. She tried to tilt her head down, but was met with a painfully familiar clink as her horn connected with something. Another translucent barrier, no doubt.

She still felt very groggy and woozy, and so was not prepared at all when there was another loud beep, followed by a whoosh sound. One moment, the barrier was there, and in the next moment it was open.

She was greeted with fresh-smelling air. She was also greeted with gravity. Before she could even realize what had happened, she began to pitch forward. She was only able to flail her front hooves around and cry out in surprise before she connected painfully with the ground below.

Celestia let out a long, low moan of pain. That loud beeping was still going off, and so many parts of her body were in pain. Worst of all was her muzzle, which was throbbing horribly. She moaned again and tried to move her stiff muscles. Everything hurt, and she just wanted to lie there.

Begrudgingly, she tried to stand up. She groaned as she poured what little strength she had into her left hoof, raising it up and planting it on the silver, metal floor.

Thunk!

Then, she raised up her right hoof and planted it on the metal floor as well.

Claang!

Celestia froze. Her eyes shot open wide. Whatever train of thought had been running through her head came to a screeching halt. Slowly, she shifted herself up into a sitting position, keeping her gaze affixed firmly ahead. Once she was sitting upright, she slowly turned her head downwards and brought her right hoof up into her field of vision.

What she saw was not her right hoof. Instead, she saw a shiny metallic appendage in the shape of her right hoof. It was connected at her knee, creating a stark difference between her off-white fur and the very reflective metal.

She stared. She blinked. She remained completely silent for a few seconds.

Then, she screamed. She cried out in shrill, horrified terror, staring wide-eyed at the metal appendage. Her heart beat rapidly, she found it difficult to breathe, and she began to tremble. And she continued to scream.

She scrambled with her other hooves, backing away along the metal floor. However, the metallic hoof simply followed her. She couldn't get away from it. Celestia couldn't handle this. She couldn't process this. She held the hoof as far away from her as she possibly could and simply began to cry.

She had no idea how long she'd remained like that, sitting and weeping with her trembling hoof outstretched. Eventually, there was yet another different beeping sound, followed by a strange shimmering sound. Celestia turned her head and noticed that an opening had appeared where there had been smooth, solid wall before. Two ponies stepped through, gazing at her in concern.

In her fragile state of mind, she could only look at them in shock. Her eyes widened even further as she stared, jaw agape. These ponies were wearing full jumpsuits that were coloured a slightly darker shade of silver than the walls. It covered every part of their body except for their head, almost seeming like a second skin. Their tails couldn't be seen; they were concealed inside of the suit and reduced to a silvery nub on their rear ends.

On their heads they both wore a device that connected to the right side of their forehead. It was extremely small and discrete, and almost looked like a piercing. It projected a coloured transparent square field before the ponies' right eyes. One had a red square, and one had a blue one.

What confused and somehow frightened Celestia was that there were no markings on these suits. The ponies were pure silver except for their heads. Her metal hoof was still very fresh in her mind, and so seeing these ponies made her think of only one thing. They looked like metal ponies.

Celestia panicked. She tried to back up further, only finding a wall behind her. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly as she heaved and gasped, trying and struggling to draw in fresh air. The ponies followed after her, looking down with what appeared to be genuine concern.

The one with a blue field before his eye opened his mouth to speak. What came out, in all honesty, sounded like complete gibberish. Celestia stared at him in confusion. It almost sounded like she was listening to a corrupted magical recording of his voice. She couldn't even process it in her brain. It didn't sound like a language at all.

She was still breathing heavily and was still panicking, unable to think straight. The other pony, who appeared to be a female unicorn, stepped forward gingerly. She lit up her horn with magic and retrieved something from somewhere on her body. It was some sort of round device that had two points coming out of it. She said something in her strange tongue, something short and calming, and began to approach Celestia with the device.

She winced and held up both of her hooves, even the metal one, to try to ward off the advancing pony.

The unicorn paused and tried to gaze at her compassionately. She held up one of her hooves and moved it gently through the air, trying to tell the panicking princess to 'Calm down.'

Celestia's chest still rose and fell with her heavy breathing, and sweat and tears were flowing from her face. Everything about her was a mess, especially inside of her head. Now, this pony wanted her to calm down? She was about to lose her mind!

The unicorn took another step forward, holding the device towards her. Celestia, likewise, inched her head back in fear. Both ponies paused. Then, the unicorn used her magic to bring the device back to her and up to the side of her head. She fiddled with it for a moment before she managed to attach it just below her left ear. She held her hoof up to it to emphasize that it didn't hurt.

Celestia gazed at her, still skeptical, but feeling a little more calm.

The unicorn effortlessly removed the device from her own head and again began to bring it towards Celestia's. Backed into a corner with absolutely nowhere else to go, the alicorn simply shut her eyes, grit her teeth, and prepared herself for the worst.

She felt the device attach to her head. It felt like nothing. I was almost like a small bandage, though a little heavier and more rigid. It caused no ill effects, internally or externally, and didn't seem to do anything at all.

She let out the breath she'd been holding in and opened her eyes, panting heavily. She was still trembling profusely and gazing timidly at the other ponies like a frightened foal. The unicorn was still gazing down at her in concern.

"Can you hear me?" she spoke.

Celestia gasped. Had she just heard that right? Equestrian? Had this pony just spoken…Equestrian?

"Your Highness?" the pony continued, "Are you all right?"

"I…" Celestia squeaked, her voice catching in her throat, "Y-yes…"

"Are you hurt? You seem panicked."

Celestia shifted her position, intending to rise herself into a sitting position. When her right hoof connected with the floor, it made another loud metal-on-metal sound and she was suddenly reminded of why she had become so panicked in the first place. She screamed again and held her metal hoof away from her, shivering and staring at it.

"Ah!" the unicorn mare piped up, seeing the problem, "Princess-"

"Wh-What is this thing?!" Celestia screamed, her voice reaching a fevered pitch that was not often heard.

"Princess, wait! Please! Calm down"

Celestia gave a few sputtering, crying gasps.

"Princess, it's okay!"

She gazed up at the unicorn mare, her eyes full of tears.

"It's okay! Really! It's just…an artificial hoof."

Celestia stared at her. She had heard her words and understood them, yet she was only filled with questions and still more pure fear. "Wh- Wh-" She heaved heavy breaths as she tried to talk, "Why…is this…thing on me…?"

The mare glanced away awkwardly. "Well," she said slowly, "a lot of things happened while you were asleep."

"Unfortunately, during your slumber," the male pony interjected, causing Celestia to gasp and remember that he was still there, "there was an accident. You lost one of your hooves."

Celestia's blood ran cold. She felt her heart skip a beat. "My…my…" She began shivering even more, her eyes trailing down to the metal object attached to her foreleg.

"So," the male continued, "we grafted this artificial hoof onto you."

Celestia couldn't breathe. She nearly began to hyperventilate as she stared at the foreign object that was now somehow attached to her. The terrifying idea that she was now missing one of her limbs assaulted her mind, leaving her with gruesome images of how she might have lost it.

"But Princess! Don't worry! It's okay!" the mare said reassuringly, taking a step forward. Celestia still jerked away from her involuntarily, so the mare paused. "It's completely safe, and it's actually kind of neat. See? I have one too."

Celestia watched as the mare lit up her horn and grasped a part of her outfit that was near her right flank. After a moment of fiddling, some invisible seam came loose and the garment fell to the floor, revealing not only her right hind leg, but also her cutie mark. Celestia gazed at the smiling flowers on her flank for a moment before looking at the mare's leg.

It looked completely normal. Nothing about it seemed unusual. It was a standard rear pony leg with light blue fur. The mare smiled knowingly at Celestia's confusion and lifted her leg off the ground. When she brought it back down rather forcibly, it made a very familiar clanging sound.

Her leg was definitely made of metal.

The mare chuckled. "It looks real, doesn't it? They can put camouflaging designs on it to make it look like you don't have an artificial leg at all."

Celestia stared for a few more moments before she returned her gaze to her own hoof. Upon seeing the metal limb, a powerful shiver ran through her body. However, she tried to remain calm and slowly tried to move her hoof around. She was pleasantly surprised to see that it responded to her movements rather well. It bent and flexed at the joint quite fluidly, and she couldn't feel any loss of movement whatsoever.

She placed it on the floor again, and her intrigued face fell into a grimace. No matter how real it seemed, she still couldn't feel anything with it. The sensation was incredibly unnerving.

"You see?" the mare said, "It's okay."

Celestia slowly turned her gaze upwards and looked at the two ponies. "I…" she began, feeling incredibly lost and vulnerable. Now that her panic had abated, thousands of questions were flooding her mind, and she didn't quite know where to begin.

The stallion grinned and fell into a bow. "It is wonderful to see you again, Your Highness. We're glad that you're all right."

The mare also bowed and then looked up and smiled brightly. "Welcome, Celestia, to the year 8998."

Celestia's head began to spin. She planted her hooves firmly on the ground to prevent herself from toppling over. She stared blankly ahead in abject disbelief. Nearly seven thousand years from where she had once been. Seven thousand years had passed by in barely the blink of an eye. She shivered again for entirely new reasons.

"We understand that this is very difficult for you, Your Highness," the mare spoke in a kind voice, "and so we will help you through this awakening period. We have been tasked by Princess Luna to answer any questions you may have and-"

Celestia shot her head up quick as the wind. "Luna!!" she exclaimed, startling the other two ponies. "Where's Luna?! Is she okay? Is she alive?"

The mare smiled. "Not to worry, Your Highness. Princess Luna is alive and well. I'm sure she will be very happy to see you once-"

"Take me to her," Celestia stated.

The mare paused, her mouth hanging open for a moment. "Are you sure you're okay, Your Highness? Do you need anything from us? We will be happy to answer any questions or concerns you may-"

"I don't care," Celestia interrupted, not caring how rude she sounded, "I need to see her right now. I need to make sure she's…she's okay."

"Your Highness," the stallion interjected, "Princess Luna is very busy. She is aware that you are awake, but-"

"Just take me to her," Celestia said bluntly, "This is as important to her as it is to me." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Luna had put off everything in her schedule to spend time with her the previous times that she'd woken up. She was sure nothing would be different about this time.

For so long, she had been left wondering if Luna was even still alive. Simply hearing that she was here was wonderful news, but she wouldn't be able to relax until she was able to actually see her.

The stallion nodded. "Okay, Your Highness. I'll see what I can do." He then appeared to do nothing more than stand still. Celestia was confused for a moment, before she noticed that the transparent field before his eye was changing colours. He was moving his eyes around at a fairly notable pace. The mare wasn't doing anything more than smiling and waiting patiently, so this stallion had to be doing something.

Her confusion was forgotten when the stallion spoke up. "Okay, Your Highness. She wants to see you to. Please come with me." He then walked over to the wall on the opposite side of the room and stood waiting.

Celestia slowly got to her hooves, her stiff joins proving difficult to move. She nearly toppled over when she put all of her weight onto the metal hoof, but quickly caught herself. She took a moment to try walking with the hoof. In all honesty, it didn't feel half bad. It almost felt natural, and the hoof was both sturdy and responsive. It still gave her the sensation, however, that her right hoof was stepping on a cloud each time she set it down, which felt incredibly unusual.

Once she was used to walking with the hoof, she wasted no time in following the stallion. The mare followed behind her. Her mind was truly focused on this one task that she needed to complete. She didn't care about how these ponies were dressed, how strange even this single room looked, or why they were speaking Equestrian. She didn't think about how the world was faring, or what had happened since she'd been gone. She didn't even care what year it was.

She just needed to see Luna.

Once Celestia was standing next to the stallion, he turned and faced the wall. He stood there for a few moments, and Celestia noticed that the field in front of his eye turned green. A moment later, the wall seemed to split apart and form a seam where there had most certainly not been one before. She gazed in astonishment as a portion of the wall before her shimmered and then completely disappeared into thin air. A small room with a pony-sized circular device stood beyond.

"Please step inside, Your Highness," the stallion spoke, "This will take you to Princess Luna. Remain calm; it is completely safe."

Celestia felt a moment's trepidation, but she shook it off quickly and fearlessly stepped into the relatively small room. She had to duck her head slightly to avoid hitting the top of the device. Once inside, she turned and faced the other ponies again. "One moment please," the stallion said.

Having to wait gave her mind a moment to cool off and slow down. "Thank you both very much," she said to them, remembering her sense of etiquette, "Thank you for helping me through this and…stopping me from panicking."

The mare smiled. "It is our duty, Your Highness. We are happy to do it."

"What are your names?" Celestia asked.

"Oh!" the mare perked up, "I'm-"

"Preparations complete. Transport initiated," the stallion spoke.

Celestia barely had a chance to turn her eyes to him before her vision was filled with a white, milky haze. She gasped in shock as the world around her disappeared, being replaced with this misty, white endlessness. Her heart began to beat frantically again as she felt panic approaching. What was happening?! Where was she?

Remain calm; it is completely safe. The stallion's words echoed in her mind. All she could do was take a deep breath and hope that he was telling the truth.

It only lasted a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. Eventually, the milky haze faded away, and an entirely new environment filled her vision. She could still see the same circular device in her peripheral vision, but she was in a whole new room now. It was larger, and it was actually furnished. She saw a few desktop terminals on a desk, a few chairs and an array of screens, most of which were blank. The walls and floor were still made of the shiny, silver metal.

There was no doorway to be seen, and only now was Celestia realizing that the room she had woken up in hadn't had any doors either. The door through which the two ponies had entered, as well as the one she had exited through, had both appeared on the walls from seemingly nowhere. There was an area on the wall of this room that looked blank, as if a door should go there. She focused her vision on that spot.

As if on cue, a seam appeared on the wall, and a part of it shimmered and vanished from sight, leaving a fairly large opening in the wall. Celestia marvelled at the amazing technology on display here, but only for a brief moment. Through the door stepped a pony, and all of her previous thoughts were forgotten.

"LUNA!!!"

In seconds, Celetia had flown across the room and tackled Luna to the floor in the adjoining room, smothering her in a tight hug. She was laughing and crying at the same time, nuzzling her sister and squeezing her as tightly as she could. She cried out her sister's name a few more times, unable to contain the sheer joy she felt.

"Ack…Celestia…" Luna murmured, smiling but wincing slightly, "Careful with that hoof of yours…"

"Ah! Right, sorry!" Celestia said, stepping back and allowing Luna to get to her hooves. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No, I'm fine," Luna replied. Now that she was standing, she smiled warmly. "Celestia…It is truly wonderful to see you again after all these years.

Celestia was staring in awe at the pony before her. She hadn't noticed it before, but she could see now that Luna too was wearing a jumpsuit that covered all but her head. It was coloured identically to her coat, and even had a sewn-on depiction of her cutie mark. There were a number of devices around her front hooves, each with lights and screens. There was a device in her ear, a device near the side of her jaw bone, and even something akin to a metal ring wrapped around her horn. Her wings were tucked at her sides, but Celestia could see that there was some sort of technology on them too. Some sort of metal lining along the wrists of the wings.

But none of this compared to the most stunning and most obvious feature of Luna.

"You're…You're taller than me…" Celestia mumbled.

Luna frowned and blinked for a moment, and then giggled light-heartedly. "Heh…Yes, I suppose I am now."

Celestia marvelled at this for only a moment before her brain restarted and all of her questions and emotions returned to her in full force. "Luna!" she exclaimed, "I'm so glad you're okay! I thought you were dead!"

Luna closed her eyes and smiled. "No need to worry, Celestia. I'm quite well."

"Wh-where were you? The last time I was around, you…you were missing! Nopon- Nobody knew where you where!"

Luna sighed and frowned heavily. "I…I know, Celestia. I was…gone for a long while." She paused and heaved another sigh. "I'm…I'm sorry for making you worry."

Celestia gave her a heartfelt smile. "I'm just so happy to see you're okay! I…I really thought you were gone forever."

Luna smiled sadly. "I…Thank you, Celestia. That…means a lot to me."

Their eyes met and they smiled at one another, and then moved in for a warm embrace. They remained together like this for a few moments, each simply happy to be in the others' company.

"I'm so happy you're safe," Celestia murmured happily.

"I'm glad you're well too, Celestia," Luna replied.

"What happened, Luna?" the smaller, yet older, alicorn said as she moved away from the embrace.

Luna glanced away. "I…" she began. It was easy to see that she was experiencing pains from the past and remembering darker times. "Celestia, that war was…It was the wrath of the gods," she continued sombrely, "It was the hardest, most terrifying thing I've ever been through in my life."

Celestia frowned, but sat silently and listened as her sister spoke.

"The Griffons were ruthless and cruel. They fought to the death and spared no expense to make ponykind suffer. They were relentless. They were brutal and horrifying. And worst of all…I had to face it on my own. We had a choice to either submit to their demands or fight back.

"My choice was made for me.

"We fought as valiantly as we could. The ponies were brave and strong, and willing to fight for their country. We could never overcome the griffons, but we managed to keep them at bay. Oftentimes, battles would end in a stalemate, and for a while it seemed the war would end that way too…"

Celestia noticed a shiver pass through her sister's body. She knew what was coming next.

"Then…" Luna continued in a quiet voice, "Then they…they dropped their weapon on Canterlot…" She had to pause for a while before she was able to continue. "I survived, but so many ponies lost their lives…Many died simply trying to save me. Equestria was never the same since then…"

Luna lowered her head and shut her eyes. "It was my decision to stand and fight in Canterlot. It was by my hoof that those ponies remained there and were decimated. I noticed the griffons retreating and I didn't find it unusual. I saw them carrying in something unfamiliar, and I gave the order to stand strong instead of to flee."

She shook her head. "It was a battle in a brutal war. I know now that I can't blame myself for things that went wrong during such a turmoil-filled time, but…back then, I wasn't the pony I am today.

"The bombing of Canterlot haunted me for months and years to come. Since that fateful day, every decision I made was hasty, poorly planned, or just plain wrong. I was trying so hard to keep any other ponies from pointlessly losing their lives. Obviously, as we were at war, these efforts were constantly in vain. I was filled with so much stress, I was beginning to lose my mind. The griffons began winning more and more, encroaching on our land and exerting their dominance."

Luna paused, staring straight ahead emotionlessly. "One day, I realized that we had lost. Battles were still being fought, but victory was a futile dream at this point. One way or another, the griffons would win. The only thought that was in my mind was that it was all my fault. I was at fault for destroying Canterlot and losing Equestria. I was at fault for letting so many ponies die.

"I was about to go insane…so I had to leave…"

The room fell silent. Luna held her head low solemnly.

"Where did you go?" Celestia asked in a quiet voice.

Luna sighed. "The moon," she stated simply.

Celestia arched her eyebrows in surprise.

"I stayed on the moon for…I think it was a little more than 150 years." She turned her head to Celestia. "I do hope you understand, sister. My mind was so far gone at that point that I would've done more harm than good if put into a leadership role." She closed her eyes. "I just needed to be…alone for a while."

Celestia processed this information. 150 years alone and secluded on the moon. While certainly not a millennium, it was still quite a significant amount of time. She had been there while Luna had been gone. She had seen the devastation of the land and the turmoil that the ponies were going through, but she also knew that things had gone downhill even while Luna had been around. From what her sister was telling her, she could understand the kind of mental breakdown she was going through. She knew what that felt like all too well.

Celestia smiled warmly. "As long as you're safe, Luna. I'm just happy to see you again, and I understand what you had to do."

Luna brought her head back up and smiled demurely. "Thank you, Celestia."

Celestia's eyes were then drawn to the room around her, which she honestly hadn't been paying attention to until now. The same silvery metal covered the walls, floor and ceiling. There was a much larger workstation in the corner with an array of video screens. Some were filled with information, while others displayed video feed of something. Truly, the largest thing in the room was this workstation's desk, which nearly spanned the length of two perpendicular walls.

Besides this, there was some sort of large, cylindrical device against one of the walls. It looked like a tube, but it looked fairly complex and confusing. Celestia had no idea what its purpose might be.

In fact, other than a few small tables and metallic objects, there was nothing else to see in the room. Most of Celestia's view was filled with blank, silver walls. As she observed this, the memory of what had happened a few minutes ago returned to her, where the mare had opened a door in the wall from seemingly nowhere. Perhaps there was more hidden away behind the walls.

She was star struck by what she saw in this small room alone, and even a little frightened. "Wow, Luna, it…" she murmured, "it looks like you've come a long way since I've been gone."

"Indeed we have," Luna replied with a nod.

"So…Are things okay now? Are the ponies okay?" Celestia was utterly floored by the huge contrast she saw between this era and the one she had just been in previously.

Luna nodded and smiled. "Yes, Celestia, the ponies are safe and our society is thriving."

A hopeful look found its way onto Celestia's face. "You mean…?"

"Yes. What you see around you is all the work of the ponies. We have returned from our dark times and are once again the successful society you once knew, Celestia."

Her smile grew immensely. "That's wonderful, Luna! Oh, that's so amazing!"

Luna chuckled brightly at her sister's reaction. "Yes, the ponies were facing difficult times when you were last here," she said, continuing her history lesson, "but that soon changed. In the year 5774 of the Equestrian calendar, the ponies began to revolt. They began to rise up…

"…and once again, they began to succeed."

Celestia sat in silence, completely captivated by her sister's story.

"Though I was on the moon, I could still see what was happening on the planet below. I saw the ponies' revolution. I saw a burning passion slowly begin to reignite within them. For so long, it looked like the griffons' tyrannical reign was going to last forever.

"The tides quickly began to shift. At first, I cast my glance away in fear, not wishing to see any more slaughtering. But…when I turned back and looked again, I saw something remarkable. They were fighting back, they were rising up, and they were emerging victorious. It wasn't easy, and still many lives were being lost, but I saw in the ponies a bravery that I hadn't seen in a long time.

"It was thanks to this newfound vigour of the ponies that I was able to find the strength to return. A second war erupted, but it was much, much shorter. Before long, ponies had emerged victorious and Equestria had been reborn."

Celestia was still gazing up at Luna in awe. "Wow…" she murmured, "That's incredible."

Luna smiled sadly. "I know war is not the most desirable option, but I feel that we came through the second war relatively unscathed. And look where we are now, sister!"

Celestia nodded. "This is amazing, Luna. I've barely seen this new world, and already I'm at a loss for words. I don't even know where to begin." A thought suddenly occurred to her. "Oh! What's this thing?" she asked, pointing to the device the mare had attached to her head.

"Oh, that's a translation device," Luna replied, "So you can understand us."

Celestia blinked. "Understand you…? But you're speaking Equestrian…Aren't you?"

Luna shook her head slowly. "Sister, I'm afraid the Equestrian language died a few centuries ago and has fallen into complete disuse. A new language has evolved that the ponies now speak."

"You mean…You're not speaking Equestrian right now?"

"No, Celestia. It only sounds like I'm speaking Equestrian because of that device we gave you. It's also allowing us to understand you."

Celestia's jaw fell slightly. "You…don't speak…?"

Luna shook her head again. "It has been so many long years since I've spoken in Equestrian. I have long since forgotten."

The older alicorn sat still on the floor, staring in silence as she processed this information. "I…I can't believe it…"

Luna smiled sadly. "You must remember, sister. I have not seen you in almost 4500 years. Things…have changed."

Celestia remained silent for another moment. "I…I suppose you're right." She had her head held down as she said this, and her gaze fell upon her right hoof. A small shiver passed through her body.

"And…" she spoke with a slight tremble, "W-what happened to my hoof?"

Luna grimaced. "Oh, Celestia…I hope that wasn't too much of a shock for you." She sighed before continuing. "Ever since you fell asleep in the pony reserve, it had always been their top priority to keep your sleeping form safe. But…as you can imagine, they had very limited resources. The underground bunker they constructed for you was quite ambitious, but…Once the battles started raging, things became unstable and your safe haven wasn't so safe any more."

Celestia gulped. "The bunker caved in?" she ventured a guess.

Luna nodded. "As soon as the griffons had been fought off, they furiously got to work digging you out. With all of them working so hard, it wasn't long before they got you to safety. Er, well…most of you."

An icy chill ran through her spine.

"Despite the accident, though, the ponies managed to keep you out of the griffons' claws for the whole war. They were so very dedicated to you, Celestia."

She smiled softly. "I'm so very grateful to them…I wish I could thank every one of them. I wish I could have been there to fight alongside them." She turned to Luna. "Thank you for not giving up, Luna. Thank you for remaining strong."

Luna smiled. "Of course, Celestia."

Her eyes drifted up to Luna's horn, and she was suddenly reminded of her own horn. Gasping, she raised her hooves up and tried to touch it. She found a long, thin protrusion that felt quite whole and unbroken. After feeling it for a few moments, Celestia was certain that the entire length of her horn was there.

"This…This is real, right?" she asked, thinking of her metal hoof.

Luna chuckled lightly. "Yes, your horn grew back completely. It's perfectly healthy now."

Celestia gazed around the room and picked out a small box of some sort. She focused magic into her horn and cast the familiar spell of telekinesis. A golden glow appeared around the box and, seconds later, it lifted into the air, following her whims. An immense feeling of relief flooded through her.

"Oh thank heavens…" she murmured, overjoyed to have her horn and her magic back.

"I'm glad to see you happy, sister," Luna said, drawing Celestia's focus back to her.

"I…It's truly not fair that you've had to endure this all by yourself," Celestia spoke, "I would give anything to have been there with you. How are your ruling duties going? Are you…still having difficulty? If there's anything I can do to-"

"Celestia," Luna interjected.

She stopped talking and gazed at Luna, seeing that her sister was wearing a sad, empathetic smile.

"Celestia, I've…come to accept that you're…not going to be here for very long. We've done this many times before, haven't we? Long talks in my personal chamber that always just end with such terrible emotions and many tears." Luna paused, then gazed down at her sister with an imploring smile. "Perhaps this time we could spend what little time we have together…being happy? Let's just…enjoy this short gift that we've been given."

The now-smaller alicorn sat still, digesting her sister's words. She thought back to all the previous times she had woken up, and Luna was right. Each one had been filled with heartbreak and so many tears. Every time, she felt hope that she wouldn't fall asleep again, and every time she was disappointed. She felt a small stab in her heart as she came to this realization, but she swallowed the pain and silently accepted the truth.

This was going to keep happening, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Celestia smiled. "You're right, Luna. We should enjoy this time that we have together, so that's what we're going to do."

Luna smiled as well. "I'm glad you feel that way, Celestia. I would love nothing more than to simply be with you and smile with you, dear sister."

It hurt a little bit, truth be told, but Celestia felt a little more at peace with herself now. She had spent every past waking moment fretting and worrying about what would happen next. She had been terrified of these unusual sleeping spells, but she now knew that she simply had to accept that nothing could be done. A realization was quickly coming to her that she truly ought to spend what little time she had left enjoying herself.

It was a bittersweet feeling, but she tried to ignore the pain.

"What should we do, Celestia?" Luna asked.

"Hmmm…" Celestia considered the question for a moment. "I'd like to see Equestria's culture, Luna. I want to see the city and interact with the ponies. From what it sounds like, Equestria is thriving and successful now."

Luna nodded. "You are not wrong about that. Equestria has re-entered a glorious age and the ponies are flourishing."

Celestia grinned and got to her hooves. "It sounds so amazing. I wish to see all there is to see about this new, wonderful age."

"Very well, Celestia," Luna cheerfully replied, "That sounds like a grand idea. Follow me and I'll show you around."

Celestia cantered over to stand at her sister's side and was immediately hit with a mind-boggling sensation. Never before had she stood next to Luna as the smaller pony. Her entire life, she had always looked down to see her sister standing beside her. This new perspective was messing with her head.

"Wow…" she murmured, "You're…all grown up, Luna."

Luna simply responded to this with a smile. They both then made their way to one of those empty spots on the wall that Celestia had noticed earlier. She glanced up at Luna to see what she would do. The tall alicorn winked her right eye quickly, which brought up her own transparent screen before her vision.

"What are those things?" Celestia asked, getting the feeling that she'd be asking that question a lot during the course of the day.

Luna didn't glance down as she answered, instead facing ahead while the screen changed colours. "It's an interface device. It's hooked up to most electronic devices by a wireless signal. It tints my field of vision and if I look at something that can be interacted with, such as the door in front of us, symbols will show up allowing me to choose my course of action."

Celestia was about to ask how Luna could control anything with a simple screen, but then she noticed that Luna's eyes were constantly moving as she talked. Their movements matched up with the changing of the screen's colours. "You…control it with your eyes?"

"Yes. I simply focus my vision on the command I wish to utilize." A moment later, another doorway appeared in the wall before them. A hallway was revealed beyond.

"Wow…" was all Celestia could say.

She followed her larger, younger sister as the two trotted down the hallway. It was all made of the same silvery metal; walls, roof and floor. Luna informed her that it was called 'chrome' and was a plentiful and reliable building material during this time. Apparently most all buildings were made with it.

As they exited the hallway and found themselves in a more open hallway, they came across a few other ponies, all wearing similar jumpsuits. The ponies all greeted her warmly, bidding her a good morning and expressing how wonderful it was to see her. Celestia got the feeling that this was like an extremely rare treat to these ponies and they were all trying their hardest to curb their enthusiasm.

One hallway later, the two were standing before a large wall, where Celestia assumed a door would soon be appearing. "Through here," Luna spoke to her, "Lies Canterlot."

Celestia faltered for a moment upon hearing this. "Wait, already?" she asked, "We only walked through three hallways…"

Luna chuckled and replied, "My domicile is much smaller than the huge castles we used to live in."

"Is it?"

Celestia could say no more, however, for at that moment the door opened. A very bright beam of sunlight shone through, and beyond it lay a true spectacle. Celestia's jaw hung loose as she stepped through the doorway and into the air, beholding the city she saw spread before her.

Blocks. The city was made of blocks.

Completely covering the slightly hilly landscape, which was most definitely not Canterlot Mountain, was an array of silver coloured, perfectly cubic blocks. She was at a loss for words and could only stare at the bizarre sight. There were gentle rolling hills, a few isolated trees and a small cliff off to the left side, and completely covering this landscape was an array of silver blocks. They rose and fell with the topography, creating an uneven, rigid, yet somehow flowing curve of straight, uniform edges.

Celestia could find no better way to describe it than to say somepony had dropped a huge collection of silver dice across the land.

Luna grinned, seeing her sister's bewilderment. "Welcome to Canterlot, dear sister. Welcome…to the 90th century."

"I…" Celestia mumbled, completely unsure of what to say. She remained silent for a moment, drinking in this unusual landscape, before finally asking "Wh-What is this?"

Luna chuckled. "This is our city, Celestia. These are our homes and workplaces. Every cube that you see is either someone's house or a place of business."

"R-really?!"

She nodded. "Yes, Celestia. If there is one thing that can be said about this day and age, it is that efficiency is key. Equestria is thriving, dear sister, and our efficient and proficient lifestyle is to thank for this."

Celestia began to slowly trot down the path in front of her towards some of these silver blocks. As she gazed closely at them, she noticed that each one had a space set aside for a doorway, a window, and each had a number attached. "These…are houses?" she asked, incredulous.

"Indeed," Luna replied, stepping up to match her stride, "At current date, we have a population of around 25 million ponies. This allows everypony to live together comfortably."

Celestia did a double take. "25 million?!" she blurted out. She was floored. She couldn't have heard that right. Canterlot during her time had barely surpassed a population of 25 thousand ponies. How could so many ponies be living in one place, and where did they all come from?

And yet, looking out across the sea of cubes, Celestia somehow found that she understood. If this were a population of 25 million, it didn't seem to cover an absurdly large amount of area. It was barely double the size of Canterlot, and Canterlot was at the top of a thin mountain. If one were to squeeze 25 million ponies into an area this size, efficiency would definitely need to be considered.

"This is Canterlot?" Celestia asked as the two began to trot down a path that seemed to be the main road. It was, almost surprisingly, not made of chrome, but rather some thick mixture of gravel that was packed down tightly and glossed over. It had a thick, black colour.

"Yes, this is the new city of Canterlot," Luna replied, "As our new nation began to grow, we decided to name our capital after the city you knew that once stood atop the mountain."

"Where are we right now?" Celestia asked.

"We are in the south-eastern region of the continent, near where south-central Equestria was during your time."

The two came upon some of the cubic houses. Glancing back over her shoulder, Celestia beheld the building they had just exited from. While it was larger, it was almost the same. It was rectangular, and was only maybe three times as large as the houses. Her mind boggled at the thought; Luna lives in a rectangle.

They were alone on the street at the moment. The area was still slightly dark and tinted orange with the early morning. Celestia glanced in the direction of the sun's rays, but she couldn't see her celestial body. It was hidden behind a moderately-sized hill filled with cubes.

So many identical cubes.

"Would you like to see inside one of the houses?" Luna asked, recapturing Celestia's attention.

"Inside?"

Luna grinned. "I'm sure we could find a homeowner who wouldn't mind giving you a small tour."

Celestia considered this and then nodded. "Um, sure…Okay."

"Very well," Luna replied, "It is not too early in the morning, so ponies should be awake."

The two trotted towards the nearest cube. When they stepped up to it, Celestia was clearly able to see where the door would appear once it opened. Her mind was getting used to picking these spots out. Luna didn't knock on the door. Instead, she brought up her transparent-eye-screen, which Celestia had been informed was called a "scouter". Luna stood still for a few moments, then closed her scouter and waited.

"What did you do?" Celestia asked.

"I sent a visitation request into the home's interface. The residents will see an icon indicating that we're waiting outside on some of the screens inside. It doesn't make any noise, so it will not disturb them."

"I see."

"It also notifies them specifically when it is myself making the request, so as to not be a complete surprise."

Celestia chuckled. They waited by the blank wall for a few moments, and then there was a shimmer and part of the wall disappeared. On the other side stood a teal-blue pony with a light, orange mane. He was an earth pony and he was wearing the same jumpsuit that everypony else was wearing. Suddenly, Celestia was starting to feel like the odd one out.

He gave a simple smile as he gazed up at his Princess. "Good morning, Princess Luna," he greeted her, falling into a quick, but respectful bow, "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Hello, young sir," Luna replied, "I have a very special guest with me today; my sister Celestia has awoken from her slumber."

The stallion looked up and took notice of the other alicorn. "Oh wow! Princess Celestia, what an honour to see you! I am humbled. This is truly remarkable."

Celestia smiled at the pony. It was wonderful to see his face brighten like that at the sight of her. "Hello sir," she greeted him, "I trust you are doing well today?"

"Yes, yes! I am faring well," the stallion replied. He then turned to Luna and spoke, "What can a simple stallion like myself do for the two most wonderful Princesses?"

Celestia noticed that the two of them were speaking in a peculiar way. In fact, it was difficult at first for her to discern exactly why it was so peculiar. This manner of speech was common back in her era, but as she'd been thrust forward in time, the Equestrian language had changed, been reshaped, and become more lax. To hear these two talk like this almost felt like a step back in time.

It was at this point that she had to remind herself that neither of them were speaking Equestrian. She was hearing all of their speech through the translation device she was wearing. She didn't pretend to understand how it worked, but came to the assumption that the language must have been much different than Equestrian, and this was being reflected in its translation.

All in all, it still felt quite peculiar.

"Celestia would like to see our culture," Luna said in reply to the stallion's inquiry, "May we step inside your home and give her a look around?"

The stallion smiled. "Of course, Your Highness. Of course. I would be honoured."

"Excellent," Luna replied, "Thank you, sir."

"Thank you very much," Celestia added.

The stallion stepped aside, allowing the two to enter his house. Once inside, Celestia found herself in a moderately-sized room with the familiar chrome walls, ceiling and floor. Besides the window, which was currently closed, the room contained a comfortable-looking couch, a fairly large piece of furniture that resembled a credenza or wardrobe, a shelf containing a small assortment of objects, and a bright light on the roof.

Celestia paused, glancing at all the room had to offer. It was remarkably plain.

"What do you think, Celestia?" Luna enquired.

"Well, I…

"It is the result of years and years of dedicated thought, planning and hard work."

"This…isn't all there is, right?"

"Ah, no. Of course not." Luna addressed the stallion. "Sir, would you mind opening the other doors?"

"Sure, Your Highness," he replied. He then trotted across the room to the wall opposite the front door and brought up a scouter of his own. It cycled through various colours for a moment before three doors shimmered into appearance on the wall. At the inviting hoof of both ponies, Celestia trotted towards them.

Beyond the leftmost door was a room filled with small, unusual looking appliances. She was informed that it was the kitchen and, upon a further glance, she was able to pick out the stove and refrigerator. It was fairly small, but not terribly so. It seemed like a pony would have plenty of room to cook things in there. Though, she was left wondering what function all the appliances performed.

The central door held a small, simple washroom with toilet, sink and shower. Nothing was unusual except for the shower, which didn't seem to have a shower head.

Finally, behind the rightmost door, there was a small room with a bed. That was it; there was nothing more inside the room except a bed and a window. It was almost the size of a closet.

"I see," Celestia said upon seeing the three rooms, "Is there any more?"

"That is all, Celestia," Luna replied, "I know you are used to much more lavish homes from your previous time period, but we ponies are more careful in our usage of space now."

Celestia couldn't help but frown. "I…but, it's…so small…" Celestia murmured. The entire house was only about half as large as the average household in Canterlot or Ponyville. It definitely did not contain more than a single storey, and there didn't seem to be any basement. This was it; only four rooms.

"Small, Your Highness?" the stallion spoke up, "I do not believe it is small. It perfectly suits my every need."

Celestia made to respond, but then paused and gave that statement some thought. She glanced around the house as she did. Food, bed, facilities and security; they were all here. These were what a pony needed to survive.

"I suppose you're right," she uttered, slowly coming to accept what she was seeing. "But," she continued, facing the stallion, "do you ever wish for something bigger?"

The stallion tilted his head. "Bigger?"

Luna stepped in. "Celestia, by law no houses may be any larger than this. The uniform 'cube' shape and size allows houses to be easily planned, easily built, and easily accessed, and ensures that we do not overcrowd the city."

"Oh…" Celestia muttered, "How…interesting."

"Shall we depart?" Luna asked her, and Celestia nodded in response. "Thank you for your time, sir," she then said to the stallion.

"It was my pleasure," he responded.

"Yes, thank you very much!" Celestia said with a smile.

A few moments later, the two were on the street again. Celestia saw a few ponies walking the streets now. She smiled and waved to them.

"May I see another house?" Celestia asked. Not only had that stallion's house been small, but it had been incredibly plain. She hoped to see something a little more unique in another pony's house.

"Certainly, Celestia," Luna replied.

Celestia took a quick glance at her surroundings. She saw how the houses stacked on top of one another. Compact stairways were installed, allowing access to some of the higher cubes. "How about that one?" she said, pointing her hoof at a house that sat four levels up. It was on a slight hill, but was also stacked upon two other houses.

"Sure. Follow me," Luna spread her wings and quickly took to the air. Celestia also unfurled her wings, but had to pause before taking off. Once again, her wings felt stiff and aching. Her extended periods of sleep were not being kind to her extra appendages.

After a quick stretch, she caught up to her sister. They approached the higher house and alighted on the stairway leading up to the chrome wall. She looked down and saw how the stairway carefully avoided the "door area" of the house below it. She couldn't help but be impressed by the design.

Luna lit up her scouter again, and soon the door to this house opened as well. This time, an orange pegasus mare stepped out. A scene similar to the one before played out, with the pony bowing to both princesses and happily granting access into her home.

"Thank you very much, miss," Celestia said as she followed her sister through the door.

"It's an honour to meet you, Your Highness," the mare responded.

Celestia smiled at the mare as she entered the house. Her smile melted away as she saw what was inside. Her jaw fell slightly as she stood still, staring at a sight that she couldn't quite believe.

It was the same. The house was exactly the same as the last one had been. Luna had the mare open the same three doors, and the same three rooms were revealed beyond. Even the bed had the same blankets.

"I…I…" Celestia stammered. What was this? Was this a coincidence?

"What's wrong, Celestia?" Luna asked.

"It's…the same, Luna…" she murmured.

Luna chuckled. "Yes. Yes it is, Celestia."

"Are they all the same?"

Luna glanced upwards and considered the question. "There are a few small deviations here and there, but for the most part, our streamlined schematic has been followed as closely as possible."

Celestia couldn't believe this. There was a hint of pride in her sister's voice. Was she happy that all of the houses were the same? "But…" she stammered, confused. This couldn't be right. They couldn't all be the same. "But…"

The mare tilted her head. "Is…there something you do not like about my house, Your Highness?" she asked.

She turned to her. "I…Well, no…" she muttered, trying to find her words, "There's nothing wrong with it. It's just…" Celestia paused and glanced around at the shiny, bare walls. She looked at the furniture that filled the room; a chair, a sofa, a rug, some sort of box off to the side, a dresser. They were all the same objects that were within the stallion's home. "Don't you…? I mean, this is your home," she continued, "Doesn't it bother you that it's…the same as all the others?"

The mare stood for a moment, and then frowned. "Erm…forgive me, Your Highness," she responded, "I don't mean to sound entitled, but this house is owned by me. As such, I expect it to have the same level of quality as all the others. If mine is not the same as anypony else's, then there is a problem."

Celestia was silent as she digested this. She glanced around at the house once again. Well, she thought, quality assurance is one thing, but… Then, however, she paused. The more she looked at the relatively small living space, the more she came to a sobering realization.

There was no room here for customization. There wasn't enough space for this mare to do much of anything to make this living space her own. Much of the floorspace was occupied with furniture, and if anything else were added, it would make getting around difficult. There certainly wasn't any space in any of the adjoining rooms to add anything.

The walls were fairly bare, but Celestia had seen how the doors seemed to appear from nowhere on the wall. She got the feeling that these chrome walls held more properties within them, and so things like pictures could not be hung from them. Simply thinking about these weird walls made her shiver slightly.

Then, she thought about the outside of the buildings and, at first, thought that the outer walls were a perfect place for customization. Then, however, she remembered how one accessed this particular house; stairs had been built onto the house below it. The outer walls needed to be kept free of clutter in case any stairs needed to be built.

"I…I suppose you're right," she murmured, slowly coming to accept this strange, new aspect of this futuristic world.

The mare tried smiling at her. "I hope you like it, Your Highness," she said, "I know this must be a little strange for you."

Celestia sat down. She faced the mare and looked into her eyes. "How do you like this house?" she asked.

"It's perfect," she responded, "It has everything I need."

Celestia considered this. The mare's smile seemed real enough. When one got down to it, life's necessities were truly more important than one's desires. Even back in her own time, she had always put the highest focus into making sure her entire country was fed and sheltered. Though extravagant, her castle could have been even larger than it had been, but she had chosen to consider everypony's needs first.

"I suppose that's a good thing," she said, finally allowing herself to smile.

The mare beamed. "It's wonderful to see you, Your Highness. I feel like a really lucky pony."

"It's nice to meet you too, miss. I'm glad to hear that you're happy here."

"Yes, I'm quite satisfied."

"Do you live here by yourself?" Celestia asked.

"Yes I do."

"I see. You don't have a partner?"

"Oh, I don't know about that…Maybe if I work hard…"

"I suppose that would be for the best…" Celestia murmured, glancing at the house again. She couldn't imagine how any more than a single pony could live in a house like this. Perhaps another house would be built on top?

"Wow…" she heard the mare utter softly. Returning her gaze to the other pony, she saw that the mare was gazing at her cutie mark.

"Oh!" the mare exclaimed, "Oh, I'm sorry, Your Highness. I didn't mean to stare."

Celestia smiled. "It's quite all right."

"It's just…It really is the sun. I've heard stories and seen images, but it's really amazing to see a cutie mark like yours for real."

Celestia chuckled. "I'm glad you like it." She tilted her head and gazed at the mare's flanks. "I just wish I could see yours."

"Oh," the mare said turning around to gaze at her own flanks, covered by the silver jumpsuit, "My cutie mark is of a cute little rainy cloud." She glanced back at the Princess and smiled. "I've always liked it."

"Aw, how adorable," Celestia cooed. "So, tell me a little bit about yourself. What do you do for a living?"

The pegasus appeared to be confused by the question. "Um…" she muttered, "I…work on the weather team." She proceeded to tilt her head slightly.

Celestia was somewhat perplexed by the mare's odd reaction, but chose to ignore it. "That sounds nice. The weather team is a very exciting job…or at least it was the last time I saw it. I trust it still is?"

The mare nodded. "Yes. Yes it is."

"Do you enjoy your job?"

"I can say that I do, Your Highness. It's very enjoyable and very rewarding."

"And what is your-"

The two were interrupted by a fairly loud beep. They both turned their heads towards the source, which happened to be Luna. The tall alicorn's scouter flashed a few colours for a moment, and she then turned her gaze to Celestia. "I am needed," she spoke, "Celestia, would you accompany me outside, please?"

"Oh," she replied, "Oh, certainly." She then turned back to the pegasus mare and spoke as she stood up. "Thank you very much for allowing me into your home. It was wonderful to meet you."

"It was wonderful to meet you too, Your Highness. Have a nice day!"

"Thank you! You too!"

A few moments later, both alicorns had departed from the house and flown down to the street below. A few more ponies were out and about now, keeping a respectful distance, but gazing in awe and reverence.

"My presence is required back at the royal residence," she spoke succinctly, "I apologize, Celestia, but some duties I cannot avoid."

"It's okay, I understand," Celestia replied, "Perhaps I could continue to explore the city while you're busy?"

Luna pondered this for a moment. "Hmm, yes. I suppose that is acceptable. Hold on for a moment." She then closed her eyes and lit up her horn. Celestia realized that this was the first time she had seen Luna using magic. Every task up to this point had been performed with the scouter. Luna's horn glowed for a few moments, and then there was a flash. When the light dissipated, a second scouter was hovering before her in Luna's telekinetic grip. "Here, take this."

Celestia grabbed it with her own magic.

"This is one of the scouters we have in reserve for temporary visitors to the city. It has less functionality than a resident's, but it should still prove useful to you."

"Oh, okay. Thanks," Celestia replied. She levitated the device up to her head and tried to attach it in the same way that her sister's was attached. It took a bit of fiddling, but eventually the device was resting on her ear and positioned in front of her eye. The screen was transparent, but then Luna told her to push the button on the side to activate it.

Once Celestia had pushed the button with her hoof, she nearly reeled back in surprise. Her vision was instantly filled with images of boxes, labels and buttons. What appeared to be nametags were attached to every pony she saw, including Luna. Squares were drawn around things of interest, such as the areas on houses where doors would appear. At first, it was incredibly disorienting.

"Don't be alarmed," Luna said to her, "It's perfectly safe. I've set it on simple mode, meaning that some more advanced commands are disabled. Remember, to interact with something, just focus on it with your vision."

"I…" Celestia mumbled. She turned her eye towards Luna. The 'nametag' lit up and more information appeared under it. A box also appeared around her sister and a few rectangles with commands appeared next to it.

"I can't read any of this…"

Luna appeared confused for a moment, but then frowned. "Oh yes, that's right. Your translation device only applies to spoken word, not written. Unfortunately, the interface is written in New Equestrian."

Celestia was finally getting used to the interface, her confusion and dizziness ebbing away. As she continued to focus her gaze on different things, she quickly became used to what things looked like through the lens of the scanner. She tried to avoid gazing at any of the commands, though, as she wasn't sure what any of them did.

"Don’t' worry about accidentally doing anything," Luna continued, "To activate a command, you must have your vision trained on it for two full seconds." The same, loud beeping rang through the air once again. "I must leave, Celestia. I'm sorry. Perhaps you could ask one of the residents to teach you the basics."

Celestia nodded, causing many boxes to appear, disappear and re-appear, disorienting her slightly. "Okay, Luna. That sounds like a good idea. I'd like to interact with the locals anyway."

"Excellent," Luna replied, "I can also track you with that scouter, so I'll know where to find you. However, those reserve scouters' range only extends to the city limits, so you should not leave the city. Otherwise, you might get lost."

"Okay, Luna."

"I'll see you soon, Celestia. I'll try not to be too long." Luna then extended her wings and beat them downward, propelling herself into the air. In a short moment, she took off and flew towards the slightly larger building that was her home.

Celestia turned around so that she was facing towards the center of the city. The scouter's interface was very complex, but she was quickly getting a feel for it. She didn't know what most of the words said, but she was beginning to see patterns and could make educated guesses.

Every time she looked at a home's doorway, three commands popped up. The second option was in red, while the other two were not. She made the assumption that the first command was the same one that Luna had used; sending a request into the household to let the residents know that somepony was outside. She then deduced that the second, red option was some sort of urgent version of the former command. It was probably a way to let the residents know that they were needed outside immediately.

All in all, it was incredibly impressive. She had never seen anything even close to this before in her life. She found herself enthralled by simply wandering around the town and looking at different things, seeing what the scouter would do next.

In fact, she was so enthralled by the device that she wasn't quite paying attention to what she was doing. Many ponies waved to her or bowed, but went completely unnoticed by the fascinated princess. A few even had to step out of the way, lest they be run over.

It wasn't long before something happened. With a cry of surprise, the world before her flew upwards and she came crashing down to the ground.

Groaning, she pulled herself up into a sitting position. She shook her head and opened her eyes. Luckily, the scouter didn't seem to be damaged. She, on the other hand, was aching from the tumble. Glancing back, she saw what she had tripped over. It was a medium-sized silver pipe that lay partially buried in the ground, running across the road.

"Are you okay?" she heard a voice ask.

Rubbing her aching head, she turned to the source of the voice. "Yeah, I'm okay."

The ponies, two stallions and a mare, had gathered around her, and were all looking at her in concern. She was barely able to see boxes on all of their scouters which, she assumed, were trained on her.

"I just tripped," she continued, "I'm fine."

One of the stallions, a unicorn, grinned. "That's good, Your Highness. It would have been awful to see you hurt."

Celestia chuckled. "I was too busy looking at my scouter," she said as she got to her hooves.

"Oh!" the other stallion, an earth pony, perked up, "Do you need some help with it?"

"Uh, sure…" Celestia replied, trying to think of specific things to ask. "How do you…? Is there some way to make it so the labels and things don't show up? Such as, when I'm talking to another pony and I want to focus on them and not my scouter."

"Yes, there is Your Highness," the earth pony explained, "It's the little icon in the bottom right. In the very corner of your vision."

Celestia searched the interface for a moment before she found what she was looking for. Recalling her sister's instructions, she kept her vision trained on the small icon for a full two seconds. Then, the scouter's field changed from yellow to clear, freeing up her vision and getting rid of the labels and squares. She could still see a few icons, including the one she had just used, but her vision was a lot clearer.

"Ah, I see. Thank you, sir," she said with a smile.

"It's my pleasure, Your Highness. And, might I add, what a wonder it is to see you." The three ponies took this moment to bow before her.

"Thank you, my ponies," she said as they rose back up, "It's so wonderful to see Equestria like this. Everything seems so perfect and happy."

"What you perceive is correct, Your Highness," the mare, another earth pony, said, "Our civilization is thriving and life in Equestria is good."

"There is no war, there is no strife," the unicorn chimed in, "There is hardly any crime, there is little pollution, and our technological advancements are pushing forward every day."

"Ponies everywhere work together and strive for the best possible future," the male earth pony added, "We do our jobs, working hard, and then everypony reaps the benefits."

Celestia gazed at the three ponies. They were all smiling up at her with sparkles in their eyes. They all wore the same scouters and full-body jump suits. A small frown came to her. "Are those outfits comfortable?" she asked.

The mare glanced back at herself. "Oh, yes. These suits are cool and comfortable. They're very sleek and you get used to wearing them very quickly."

"But now I can't see your cutie marks," Celestia continued.

The mare gave a small laugh. "I suppose you're right. It's just a design choice, really. It's not terribly important."

Celestia frowned. She could go on for days questioning these ponies about their attire, but all it really boiled down to a constantly changing idea of fashion. Luna herself had looked drastically different in each era that Celestia had seen her in.

This simply must have been the way of the future.

"I see. So how are all of you today?" she said, changing the subject.

"Erm…" the mare faltered.

"What?"

"I am sorry. It just felt a little unusual to hear 'how are you?' coming from…you."

Celestia blinked. "Really? Why so?"

"Well," the unicorn said, "We're all still a little star-struck to see you, Your Highness." He paused and then added, "You're like a legend to us."

After a moment of silence, Celestia found herself chuckling. "I suppose I understand where you're coming from," she said, "It has been quite a long time since anypony has seen me at all." Speaking those words gave her a twinge of sadness, but she pushed it away and tried to focus on the positives. She gazed down at the ponies' smiling faces and instantly felt better. "So, how are you?"

"Actually," the earth pony stallion replied, beginning to turn around, "I would really love to talk to you, Your Highness, but I need to get to work soon. I'm sorry, but…"

"Oh wonderful!" Celestia brightened up, "May I accompany you?"

"Really? Are you sure?" he replied.

"Of course! I would love to continue chatting with you. Are you two working now as well?" she continued, addressing the other two ponies.

They shook their heads. "No, I do not have to work until later in the day."

"Myself as well."

Celestia's smile grew. "Would you like to join us?"

A few minutes later, the group of four were trotting down the main road of the city, passing by the hundreds and hundreds of perfectly cubical houses. At first, the three ponies seemed intrigued by the fact that the fabled Sleeping Princess was simply trotting along with them, but they quickly grew comfortable with the circumstances.

"So where do you work?" Celestia asked the earth pony whom they were following.

"I work in construction," he replied, "I'm an architect, and I help plan out the construction of these houses.

"Oh, how interesting!" Celestia replied, "Do you enjoy your work?"

The stallion didn't reply right away. "Umm…'Enjoy', Your Highness? I'm afraid that might not be the correct word."

She frowned. "You don't like your job?"

The stallion shrugged. "Not particularly. It does tend to get a little repetitive and dull, unfortunately."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

"It tends to be the most difficult part of my day, but it must be done."

Celestia paused and then asked him, "Have you ever considered looking for another job?"

The three ponies all stopped walking and stared up at her. They were giving her perplexed gazes. She too stopped and gazed back at them. "What?"

"Wh…What do you mean…?" the stallion said slowly, "What do you mean, 'another job'?"

Celestia blinked. Her brain was stalling. Such was the kind of question she never expected to hear and, thus, did not immediately have a concrete answer for. "Uhm…" she murmured in response, "I mean, if you don't like your job, you could just quit and get a new one."

"But…" the stallion replied, "my cutie mark is for designing, Your Highness. It's a mark of blueprints."

"Why does that matter? That doesn't mean you have to keep a job you don't like. It's your choice, isn't it?"

The three ponies glanced at each other, sharing confused glances.

Celestia paused, her stomach sinking slightly. "I-Isn't it…?"

"Your Highness…" the mare spoke slowly, and it was clear from her tone of voice that she couldn't believe that Celestia did not know this, "a pony's job is decided by their cutie mark. You can't just…change it."

Celestia's mind skipped a gear for a moment. "I- What…?"

The mare gestured to the unicorn stallion. "When he got his designing cutie mark, the city assigned him his job and that's what he's been doing ever since. Why would he change his job if he can't change his cutie mark?"

The princess opened her mouth to respond, but found she had no words. What had she just said? Celestia couldn't believe it. She had to be misunderstanding this somehow.

"You mean…" Celestia spoke slowly, "that once a pony gets their cutie mark…they get assigned a job based on their mark? And they have that job for their whole lives?"

The three ponies nodded.

"Are…you serious?"

"Well, it makes sense, doesn't it Your Highness?" the earth pony stallion asked, "It's the job a pony's going to be the best at, right?"

"Well, yes, but…" Celestia fumbled, unable to complete her thought. She tried to make sense of this new information, but she found herself unable to grasp it. Jobs for life because of a cutie mark? How could that be? A pony's cutie mark didn't have to run their life. She could think of many examples of ponies whose jobs were not related to their cutie mark, at least not directly.

Rarity's special talent had been finding gems, but she owned a fashion store. She didn't work in a mine unearthing gems for a living. Pinkie Pie worked in a bakery, but her special talent was throwing parties and bringing happiness. She wasn't a party planner or a clown of some kind.

"Is…this true for just this city, or…?"

The mare shook her head. "No, all of Equestria follows this law."

"How long has this been happening?"

The mare seemed surprised by the question. "Um, well as long as anypony can remember. Why? Has it not always been this way?"

Celestia was floored. This was completely beyond her grasp. It seemed ridiculous. It sounded like a joke. "So…" she spoke, "if a pony, one day, gets a cutie mark of, say, a shield then-"

"They would be placed on the security team, yes," the mare finished for her.

Celestia shook her head. "He has no choice at all in the matter? That's his job, no ifs, ands or buts?"

The three ponies nodded.

"And he's going to be doing that job for the rest of his life?"

"Well…" the earth pony stallion said, scratching his head, "if he ends up doing a poor job, then he'll get fired. Then he can get a new job if he proves himself adept enough at something else. But, that doesn't happen very often. Not many ponies can get fired from a job they're born to do."

Celestia sat down. She held her head. Born to do. It all sounded so wrong to her. These ponies were talking about pre-destiny and living exclusively by one's cutie mark. Just because a pony has a cutie mark of something doesn't mean it's what they're born to do and only what they're born to do.

True, their argument had some validity. A pony doing a job related to their cutie mark would be bound to succeed. But, that didn't mean it was the best job for them to do. Things didn't always work in such a black and white way.

And yet, here she was, being told that every single pony was bound by this apparent practice of having a job assigned to them based on their cutie mark.

"Your Highness…?" the unicorn stallion said in a concerned voice, "Are you all right…?"

She gazed down at them. "Oh…Yes, I'm fine. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you." She paused and sighed. "I'm just finding this a little difficult to take in. Things were not done like this at all during my time."

The ponies glanced at each other in surprise.

"But…" Celestia said wistfully, "I suppose it's not my position to complain or argue. This is a different time, a different culture. I just have to accept that things are done differently now. Perhaps it's for the better? I truly don't know."

"Your Highness," the mare spoke whimsically, "It's so easy to forget that you came from such a far-off time, especially when we see you with that scouter and your prosthetic hoof."

Celestia glanced down at her metal hoof and shivered. "Well, regardless," she said, pushing her uneasiness away, "thank you all for helping me learn more about this new pony culture." Her ears perked up as a thought suddenly came to her. "Oh my goodness, I just realized…I never asked your names. Oh, you'll have to pardon me. It's been a long day already."

She was met with tilted heads and perplexed expressions, and instantly a whole new feeling of dread could be felt in the pit of her stomach.

"Names?" the mare spoke inquisitively, "Your Highness, only you and your sister have names."

"Yes. We don't use names," the unicorn concurred.

Celestia was silent.

"My identification is 45DP3X," the mare continued, "Perhaps that is what you meant?"

"Mine is HH5D89," the unicorn spoke.

"And mine is 12A0OV," the other stallion concluded.

Celestia stared at the three ponies in utter disbelief, her jaw hanging open slightly. All three of them had genuine, innocent gazes.

"N-" she muttered, trying to form words, "None of you…have…names?"

They all shook their heads.

"Nopony has a name?"

They shook their heads again.

Celestia began to quiver slightly. She rose to her feet and shook her head. "I- I'm sorry…" she murmured, "It was nice meeting you, but…" She felt slightly dizzy as she began to quickly trot away. "I need some…I need to think…"

The three ponies stared after their Princess as she quickly departed from the scene.

***

Celestia found herself wandering through the town. She trotted aimlessly, following roads and pathways without knowing where they led. The ponies of the city, in their silver jumpsuits and wearing their scouters, all waved hello to her or bowed respectfully, but she barely paid them any more than a passing acknowledgement.

Her mind was going wild, working overtime just to comprehend this new information she had just discovered. Jobs decided based on cutie marks? No names? Identification numbers?! What kind of world was this?

She had been walking for almost fifteen minutes, simply thinking. She couldn't understand it. She was having difficulty accepting it. Just how had it come to be that the very idea of names had been discarded? Where was a pony's identity? What happened to individuality? She had 'knocked' on the doors of three other houses, and had found exactly the same interior three times over. The template had been followed to the very smallest detail.

As she walked, looking through her scouter, she noticed that the labels that appeared over ponies' heads bore these same, six-digit ID's. But, that's all they were to her; random combinations of numbers and letters. They didn't mean anything to her, and she couldn't understand how they could mean anything to anypony else.

As she walked, she found herself approaching a fairly open area. It was a circular, paved area with a few trees and garden beds. The houses that surrounded it were all singularly stacked; no extra houses were built on top of any of them. It was clear to her that this area had been built specifically as a gathering place of sorts for pedestrians. She drew parallels to village squares from her time.

At the far end of this area, three young foals were running around. They were all earth ponies, coloured in various earth tones, and none of them had cutie marks. She knew this because, surprisingly, they were not wearing silver jumpsuits. As she watched from afar, she saw them laughing, playing and having fun. They seemed to be having the time of their lives.

She saw a mare sitting off to the side, watching them closely. She was a parent or caregiver no doubt. Celestia found herself gravitating towards her.

"Oh!" the mare exclaimed as she turned and saw who was approaching, "Oh my goodness! Good morning, Your Highness!" She fell into a quick bow and then was back on her hooves, gazing up at the princess in wonder. "I'd heard you were awake, but I didn't think I'd actually get to meet you! It's so wonderful to see you!"

Celestia offered her a small smile. "Good morning, young miss. How are you today?"

"I am doing quite well!" the mare enthusiastically replied, "Thank you so much for asking! And how are you faring?"

She sighed softly. "I…I'm a little troubled, to tell you the truth," she said, taking a seat beside the mare, "This strange new world is so much different from everything I've known. Ponykind has come such a long way, and I feel like I've been left behind."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," the mare spoke empathetically, sitting down as well, "Have things really changed that much since you were last around?"

"Yes, they have…" Celestia murmured.

The two silently gazed out at the three children, laughing and playing on the streets. They were having too much fun to notice their tall alicorn guest.

"Are any of them yours?" Celestia asked after a moment of quiet.

"Yes. The light brown colt with the black mane."

Celestia had to stop herself from asking the mare what her son's name was. "Are those his friends?"

The mare giggled lightly. "Yes, those are his two best friends in the whole world. They're nearly inseparable."

Celestia continued to watch them for a few moments, reflecting over the huge smiles on their faces and just how much fun they were having. The mare's son, in particular, looked like he could've been the happiest colt in the whole world. Though they too had scouters and wore silvery clothing on their hooves and around their torsos, she could see their genuine love of adventure and thirst for fun. They were just the same as any colts from her own time.

"They seem to be having a good time," she said quietly.

The mother sighed wistfully. "I envy them…I remember how much fun I had, way back before I got my cutie mark. That seems like so long ago…"

A small dagger embedded itself in Celestia's heart. "Oh…What…" she spoke slowly, "What's your cutie mark?"

The mare looked up at her and smiled. "I am an educator. I help these young foals learn about the world around them."

"That…sounds nice," Celestia replied. She had noticed how the mare had answered with her job instead of with a description of her cutie mark.

"Yes, a pony's best time is when they're young. They have no job yet, and have all the time in the world to have fun. They have no responsibilities yet! The whole world is open to them."

Celestia tried to smile, but there was a heavy feeling in her stomach. "Y-yeah…"

A few more moments of silence passed as they watched the colts play.

"So you were given your job as a teacher as soon as you got your cutie mark?"

The mare nodded. "Well, not right away. I had to attend a couple months of training."

"Right…" Celestia murmured.

The pony beside her frowned. "You seem upset about something, Your Highness. Is everything all right?"

"…"

Celestia didn't reply. She was lost in a sea of thoughts. She watched the colts romp and play, imagining how blissfully unaware they were that their lives were soon going to be decided for them. How long until their freedom expired? How long until they began to lose everything that gave them an identity?

"Okay, bye!"

"Bye! See you later!"

She heard the shouts of the colts and shook herself out of her stupor. Two of the colts were waving as they departed down a side street. The third colt, the mare's son, was currently trotting towards them.

"Hi mom!" he chirped, "Who's thi-" He then proceeded to gasp rather loudly as he stared at the tall alicorn. "Wh-…Whoa!!! Princess Celestia? Are…Are you really Princess Celestia??"

The alicorn smiled. She couldn't help it. This colt was adorable.

"Son, do not be rude to Her Highness," his mother spoke in a gentle, but scolding tone, "Address her properly."

The colt's eyes widened and he immediately fell into a bow. "Forgive me, Your Highness," he spoke to the ground, "but…are you really, um, Your Highness?"

"Yes, of course I am," she tittered, "How are you doing, my little pony?"

"Wow! I- I'm doing great! This is so cool! I can't believe I'm actually talking to you!"

Celestia gazed down at the colt in amusement. He was still bowing and staring at the ground. "You can get up now, young one."

The colt quickly got to his hooves and resumed staring up at the princess in wonder. "Wow…" he murmured, "You are so awesome!"

Again, she couldn't help but smile. There was something about this young colt's innocence and wonder that warmed parts of her heart that had been damaged recently. Looking down at him, she could almost see once-familiar faces that were now long gone. For a brief moment, the colt's fur changed to a purple hue in her mind's eye.

"I didn't know you had a metal hoof! That's so cool!"

"Son!!"

"Oh, right. Sorry! It's just so cool to meet you!"

Celestia closed her eyes for a moment and simply breathed. Then, she turned her gaze down upon the colt and gave him a warm smile. "It's wonderful to meet you too, little one," she spoke to him, "I've been exploring your world and learning so much about Equestria in this era. It's all so strange to me. In fact, I'll be completely honest with you; it's a little frightening."

"Really??" the colt asked in surprise.

Celestia nodded. "But I truly am having a wonderful time during my…stay here. And do you know why?"

The colt shook his head.

"It's because of ponies like you. Ponies like your mother, and your friends. You are all so wonderful, and it warms my heart to see you."

He giggled. "You're wonderful too, Your Highness! Mom always told me that Princess Celestia was asleep in Luna's place and that nopony knew when she would take up. I never ever thought I'd actually get to talk to you!"

"Well, I'm glad I could brighten your day."

The young pony smiled giddily and looked to his mother. "Mom! Mom, it's Princess Celestia! Isn't this awesome??"

"Yes dear, I know. We're very lucky ponies, you and I."

"I…I…" the colt gestured wildly, trying to convey something that his words simply could not, "I just don't even know what to say! This is like the best day ever!"

Celestia chuckled.

"Can…Can I see your wings?"

She paused for a minute upon hearing the request, but then smiled and unfurled her wings, extending them to their full length. She smiled as the colt's eyes lit up even more, sparkling like stars in the night sky.

"Whoaaaa…." he murmured.

Again, she chuckled at his response.

"They're really pretty, Your Highness!"

"Aw. Thank you!"

"I think pegasus ponies are really cool, even though they don't really fly that much. I wish I could fly. Having wings must be so neat. I only have one pegasus friend, and I always ask him to show me his wings. It annoys him sometimes. Haha!"

She smiled and watched as he rambled on, as young foals often did.

Suddenly, the colt gasped quite loudly. "Oh! Oh my gosh! Mom? Do you think I could…I mean, could I…Um…" He then fell silent, but Celestia noticed that his scouter had changed colour. A moment later, his mother's changed to the same colour and her eyes moved back and forth, as if reading something.

"Well, son," she replied out loud, "you can go ahead and ask her if you want. She's probably very busy, though."

Celestia gazed at the colt in confusion. "Hm? You want to ask me something?"

"Um, sort of…" the colt mumbled as he gazed at the ground and scuffed it with his hoof. "I was just wondering, if…um…" He paused.

"Go ahead, little one. You can ask me anything," she said in a reassuring voice.

"Um, Your Highness?" he muttered, "Do you think…you could letmeflyonyourback?"

Celestia blinked, then she broke out in a brilliant, golden smile. "Of course! I would be more than happy to give you a ride!" She could see the colt's mind imploding as she lowered herself to the ground and tucked in her wings. She gave him an inviting glance and gestured towards her back.

"R-r-r-really?!"

"Sure! I can see how much it would mean to you."

"Really really?! Can I really go, mom?"

The mare stepped into Celestia's vision. "Are you sure, Your Highness? You don't have to do this if you're too busy."

Celestia chuckled. "Nonsense! It would be my pleasure!"

"Well, all right," the mare said, turning her attention to her son, "You hold on tight and listen to whatever Princess Celestia says to you, okay?"

The colt leapt probably ten feet in the air. "Yaaaaay!!! Oh my gosh! Thank you! Thank you so much, Your Highness!!"

"It's my pleasure, little one."

The colt quickly scrambled onto Celestia's back, settling himself into a secure and comfortable position. Celestia stood up and extended her wings, and a few seconds later they had left the ground behind them. In a matter of seconds, she climbed high into the air above the city, hovering just below the clouds.

The little pony had been making wonder-filled joyous noises the entire time. Now, as Celestia began to fly in small circles above the village, he was gasping in amazement. "Whoa! Whoa, whoa! We're so high up!"

Celestia smiled. "Do you like it?"

"It's amazing!! This is so awesome! Thank you so much!"

"I'm glad to hear you're having fun."

From this new vantage point, the princess was able to see the city much more clearly. She saw below her a cascading sea of silver, spreading out like a blocky splotch of paint on canvas. Roads and pathways leaked through the splotch like veins, almost giving it the appearance of a cell.

"Ooh!" the colt piped up, extending his hoof, "There's where I live! Right down there!"

Celestia followed his hoof, though it didn't help her much. All she could discern was a general area of silver blocks that looked no different than any other group of silver blocks. She began to wonder how ponies found their way around this place.

Hovering in place, she turned herself around. Her altitude dipped slightly and she had to correct herself. The added weight of her metal hoof was throwing her off. She frowned as she regained her balance.

She gazed up at the building where Luna lived and where she had woken up. From above, she could see that it was a tad larger than she had originally thought, though it was still extremely small when compared to a grandiose castle.

"Wow…So this is what it feels like to be a pegasus?"

Celestia turned back to the colt and gave him a grin. "It truly is a wonderful feeling," she said to him.

"We're really high!"

"Are you afraid?"

"No! Not at all!"

Celestia chuckled. "That's good!" She then beat her wings and propelled herself through the air some more, drawing out whoops and cheers from the pony on her back. She circled around the city some more, letting the wind rush through her mane and simply letting the experience of flight speak for itself.

"Whoa…" the colt muttered as Celestia began to slow once again, "You can see the whole city from here!"

Celestia paused to once again behold the spectacle of the strange, futuristic city. As she gazed, her eyes were drawn to the area surrounding the city. From her current location, just above where she had taken off, she saw green spreading out before her. There was a moderately-sized ravine leading away from the city, and trees were growing all around on either side of it. This side of the city was almost completely flanked by the forest.

One thing stood out to her, however. Just beside the ravine, about half a mile outside the city, there was a large building sitting alone in a clearing. It was almost as big as Luna's residence was and seemed firmly built. Notably, it didn't seem to be built out of metal. From her distant viewpoint, Celestia guessed that it was made of stone. Three smokestacks sat on top of the building, each expelling a stream of black clouds.

"Little one?" she spoke up, grabbing the colt's attention, "What is that building down there?"

She felt movement as the pony repositioned himself on her back and gazed out in the direction she had indicated. "Oh," he replied, "that's the factory where they make all the food."

"A factory for food?"

"Yeah. I think one of my friend's dad works there. We get almost all of our food from there."

"Really?" Celestia replied, incredulous, "All of your food?"

"Mhm! Pretty much everything except water."

Celestia continued to gaze, intrigued, at the building. It stood out to her in many ways. It was far separated from the rest of the city, it wasn't made of metal, it seemed to be producing pollution…

"Do you know anything else about it?" Celestia enquired.

"Nah, not really. Every city's got one, though."

"Hmm…"

***

Not much later, Celestia found herself galloping along. She had returned the colt to his mother and had bid the two a fond farewell. The young pony had been so excited to tell his mother all about the amazing ride he'd just received, and his mother was ever so gracious to her for providing her son with such a wonderful experience.

After the two had left, she had made her way along a roadway to a small cliff that overlooked the ravine. From there, she had gotten a slightly better look at the factory. It looked even stranger than it had from the air.

Now, she was trotting quickly through the grass. A large, rocky ravine was flowing to her right, trees were to her left, and tall smokestacks were approaching in front of her.

Her curiosity had gotten the better of her and she had left the city behind. Glancing back, she could still easily see the small cliff she had been standing on not a few minutes before. This 'food factory' wasn't very far outside of the city. She surely wouldn't get lost out here. In fact, she guessed that she'd still be able to see parts of the city from the factory. It wouldn't be that big of a deal.

After passing a few more trees, she finally came upon the clearing that housed the large building. She stood on the edge, gazing at the enormous structure that stood before her. She had been correct; it was built from mostly stone. It was not cubical in shape and almost seemed similar to a factory from her time. She was facing a brick wall, and on it were a series of windows and a heavy-set metal door. To the far right, she saw an area that seemed to be set up for loading things in and out of the factory.

Gazing upwards, she saw the three gigantic smokestacks on top of the building. None of them were expelling and overly large amount of noxious clouds into the air, but black wisps were still coming out. Gazing back down, she saw that something was written along the side of the building in big letters. She couldn't read it, but she guessed that it was the name of the establishment.

Fuelled by her curiosity, she crossed the grassy field, not caring if anypony saw her, and quickly approached the building. Nopony seemed to be around, in any case. She picked a window at random, approached it, and held her head up high so as to gaze into it.

Inside, she saw a very cluttered, but somehow organized arrangement of both machinery and plant life. She saw all sorts of fruit plants growing; strawberries, watermelons, and small trees with apples and oranges on them. She saw some sort of tall mechanism filled with dirt that had many carrot stalks peeking out from it. The more she gazed, the more fruits and vegetables she saw.

"Wow…" she murmured, marvelling at the concise, compact way these ponies seemed to grow food. It was a fairly small room, but there was an extremely large amount of produce being grown there, and none of it looked sickly or unripe. She made a mental note to find out if she could see this room up close.

She sidled herself over to the next window and looked inside of that one as well. Her eyes shot open and her jaw fell, eliciting a loud gasp. What she saw in this room was something entirely different.

It was a large room, divided into many aisles. Lined along every wall and along every aisle were hundreds upon thousands of cages. They were stacked atop each other right up to the ceiling, filling in any possible available space. The cages were miniscule, small so as to be as space efficient as possible. And crammed into each one of these tiny cages was a single chicken.

Celestia couldn't believe what she was seeing. These cages were barely big enough to hold these chickens. They had little room to move and she could see that it was impossible for them to completely turn around. The cages were made of metal, and the only padding the chickens got was a small amount of straw. A few cages even seemed to be lacking this one single commodity.

Her eyes roamed around the room, trying desperately to figure out just what was going on in this place. Then, she caught sight of something on the far end of the room; something being piled into a container.

Eggs.

She could see it clearly now. This was an egg-farming room. These chickens, which she now noticed were all hens, were being stuck into these small cages just so they could produce more eggs. These were battery cages, a practice she had outlawed even before her sister had become Nightmare Moon.

Even so, she had never seen egg farming on a scale like this. This was mind-blowing. She continued looking at the hens. Their feathers were scruffy and many of them held their heads low. She could see that they were suffering. She could see that these were horrible, unacceptable living conditions. This was animal cruelty! Celestia was shivering. She was horrified.

"Celestia!"

The alicorn nearly jumped out of her skin. Whipping around to look behind her, she found herself staring up at a very displeased Luna.

"I told you not to leave the city."