Eighteen Years Ago
Celestia gazed at the moon she had sent into the sky only moments ago. Her gazed was fixed on the Mare in the Moon. She sighed and tried to let go of the terrible loneliness. Luna had been right in some ways, the night was beautiful. Weary and knowing morning would come early for her, Celestia cast one last glance at the moon and headed into the castle to rest.
“Princess! The expedition is back!” The guard running towards her and shouting startled Celestian momentarily. “The professor asked to see you immediately.”
“Professor Emeritus always asks to see me immediately.” Princess Celestia hadn’t expected him to do so this late, however. And the expedition was back early, nearly a whole month early. Perhaps she would see him now.
“I know Princess, but this time…” The guard’s eyes were wide and his pupils tiny. His harsh breathing was not the result of a long run. There was something more. Professor Emeritus was probably making threats to ruin ponies’ careers again.
“Alright I will see Professor Emeritus” Celestia’s light footsteps barely echoed in the hall, and were hardly audible next to the guards heavy clomping. He changed pace and looked over his shoulder. Celestia wondered what he could have seen, or what the Professor said.
Soon they were in the meeting room where Professor Emeritus was waiting. The Professor’s nose was buried in a basket on the floor, lined with blankets and deep enough that Celestia could see in. Celestia knew that the Professor was overprotective of his finds, but he’d never hidden, or coddled, them before.
“Is this what you found at the ruins?” She asked. Professor Emeritus lifted his head out of the basket, nodded his head and sighed. His mane was out of order, and his usual sweater vest foregone, he was still in his expedition gear.
“Yes Princess. This discovery was incredibly unexpected.” He looked back over at the basket. “In fact, if I had not found it myself I would call it a hoax, that it was impossible.”
“You have discovered many things of an impossible nature, Professor Emeritus.” Celestia walked closer to the basket on the floor. “I am surprised to see that this one has you so nervous.”
“ut you see, she couldn’t have gotten into the chamber. It was sealed with an ancient magic that took me three days to translate and replicate, and then another four days to undo!”
“She?” Celestia looked down into the basket now, and pulled back the blanket covering the discovery. No priceless artifact or ancient tome lay under the covering, but something far more precious: a tiny newborn foal.