"Your majesty, are you sure you wish to rest her?" asked the royal guard, as he and his co-pilot began to set the royal coach down near a forest.
"Yes, here is fine, don't worry, I'll only be a couple minutes," Said Princess Celestia, as she exited the coach and had begun her stroll in the forest.
She didn't take any guards with her, she wanted to be alone. She had been constantly stressed with all the different problems she was facing. Sunset Shimmers, a filly who had recently become her new star pupil has not been interacting very well with the other fillies (although Celestia has tried to tell her how important it is to make friends), has had to deal with a parasprite infestation in Cloudsdale, the sun had been attacked by a mysterious creature but had luckily been saved by the doctor and his gray pegasus assistant (now she had to go through the exhausting process of healing the sun), and to add it all up she still had to do all of her normal princess duties such as keep every pony safe, deal with taxes, run court, etc. etc.
She had just left a meeting in Ponyville and was returning to Canterlot before they flew over a forest (not Everfree forest, a different and safer one), and with everything going on in her life, she wanted to just relax and take a stroll in the forest before she had to return to Canterlot.
She had been in this forest before, so she knew where to go. She had been walking for a good fifteen minutes, relaxing, listening to the birds chirp and the leaves whoosh as the wind flowed past them. Eventually, the path she was taking would take her back to the royal coach thus ending her relaxation time. Deciding that she wanted a little more time to relax, she took a separate path, one that she hadn't take before.
This path was different from the rest of the forest. The path had not been paved with stone like the rest of the forest paths were, this one was a dirt path. Also, this part of the forest was thicker, and darker.
She continued her stroll before being startled by a sudden noise. Off the path and into the bushes she heard what sounded like a crying foul. Curious, she began to investigate. She approached the bushes and used her magic to move them. She was surprised at what she saw.
In the bushes was a foul, or at least, it seemed like it was a foal. She didn't know what it was. It cried like a foal, yet it didn't look like one. It had no hooves, no fur, no tail, it was pink but not any shade of pink she had ever seen before. She had never seen such a creature before and thought that this was probably an endangered species, one she had never seen before. Yet, how is that possible, she's been alive for over a thousand years, she knows all of the species both endangered and not, or, does she?
"Hello! Is anyone there?" she called out, hoping to find out if the parents were around. No response came.
She looked down at the screaming child and levitated him up with her magic, placing him in her legs.
"Hush now child, everything will be fine" she said to the child gently as she began to gently rock the child in her legs.
He looked up into Celestias eyes and slowly began to calm down. He then rested his head into Celestias chest and drifted into a nap.
"There's no need to fear, I'll help you find your parents," she said to the resting child.
The child was to young to rest on her back by himself, so Celestia used her magic to keep him balanced on her back as she made her way back to the coach.
As she was approaching the coach, she heard the sound of galloping heading her way. The two guards were heading down the path as fast as they could to the princess. They approached her, gasping for air.
"Your highness! You were gone for so long! We were worried something might have-"
"Shhh!" Celestia interrupted, silencing the guard. "You'll wake him," said Celestia, pointing at the child. "Wake who? Your highness?" asked the guard as he looked upon the sleeping child.
The guard looked at the princess with confusion. "Princess, what is that thing?" he asked, staring at the child.
The princess looked at the guard sternly. "he is a 'child', and I would appreciate it if you not call him a 'thing' ," said the princess. "Yes of course! My apology's princess!" said the guard, bowing as he apologized.
"I found him in the bushes back in the deeper end of the forest. I'm taking him with me to the castle until I can find his parents," said Celestia, as she and the guards began to walk back out of the forest and into the coach.
"Are you sure that's wise princess? I've never seen anything like him before, what if he's dangerous?" asked the guard, as he was helping the princess and the child into the coach.
"I see your concern but there is no need to worry. He's a baby, he can do me no harm," said the princess, smiling to the child.
The guard looked at the child concerned, but turned away and attached the royal coach's saddle to himself, his partner doing the same.
He and his co-pilot then extended their wings and began making their return back to Canterlot castle.