Prologue
The Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters…
In bygone times, the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters was a fortress, a haven, a place of celebration, and a home. Its great towers and spires soared into the sky. Its walls sheltered inhabitants from the weather and danger; halls echoed with laughter and chatter. The furnishings of the castle were elaborate and elegant, serving to illuminate the glory of the structure. Tapestries decorated alcoves and chambers, statues of great Equestrians sat at every corner and paintings graced everyponies' eyes.
All that had changed since the imprisonment of Princess Luna.
The once-formidable walls now lay in ruins; her splendid magnificence was now burnt away by the war. The comfortable haven had no roofs to block the rain. The home once filled with so many fond memories was now scarred by overpowering, unspeakable recollections. The Everfree Forest, once the delightful, green backdrop for the castle, was now a refuge of monsters and a place feared by most ponies
A figure trotted through the ruins of the castle, her white coat barely visible under the layers of bandages. The echoes of her erratic hoofsteps rang through the castle walls. Her ethereal pink mane no longer sparkled. Her great white wings that used to strike awe into all were bandaged to her sides.
Princess Celestia, former co-ruler of Equestria and keeper of the sun, now sole ruler of Equestria and guardian of the sun and moon, raised her head to see the round, deactivated shells of the Elements of Harmony.
It was only two days prior that she used them to imprison her sister on the moon. Since then they had grown dormant. Now, a barely recovered Celestia stood in front of the pedestal of the elements, her eyes dry. The alicorn felt like crying, but was unable to shed any tears. Her only sister was now lost to her.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the approach of another pony. He was a turquoise unicorn stallion with a greying blue mane; a golden triangle was emblazoned on his flank. One of his grey eyes sported a gold-rimmed monocle.
“Your highness, given the extent of the damage to the castle, it will take an estimated ten years to repair the structure and another five years to furnish it,” spoke the pony.
“DUKE GOLDEN TRIANGLE, WHY DOST THOU INTERRUPT OUR MOURNING?” roared Celestia in full Royal voice. The old pony stood his ground against the verbal onslaught that was equally filled with anger and grief.
“Equestria cannot function without a capital; we must either restore this castle or build a new one,” said Golden Triangle calmly. Celestia’s frame tensed up imperceptibly and her wings fluttered slightly.
“Duke, how many years are needed to build a new castle?” asked the alicorn. The teal stallion bit the inside of his mouth and tapped his left rear hoof anxiously as Celestia’s questioning gaze settled onto him.
“We do not know how long it will take to build a new castle, your highness. It shalt depend on the design.” Celestia nodded and glanced at the moon for a short moment. Shortly after that she turned her gaze back onto Golden Triangle.
“This task is too great for even thee, Royal Architect of Equestria. Thou shalt need help in this endeavour. We shalt gather some of the greatest minds and artists in Equestria and from them we shalt choose a team that would build the new capital,” declared Celestia.
Golden Triangle nodded and knelt. While he was glad that he would not be taking on this burden by himself, the stallion knew the issues associated with gathering so many conflicting minds. Despite this, the old architect was glad that his sovereign was closer to her old self and that he was once again back to work.
“Thine wish is my command, Princess!" declared the unicorn.
Celestia nodded, satisfaction settling on her graceful features.
“Then listen to our request: Thou shalt declare a gathering to take place at the foot of Mount Canter. All ponies of the arts and construction are invited to attend. Announce that the gathering will be a display of arts and that there will be prizes,” said Celestia. Golden Triangle nodded dutifully as he noted everything down in his head.
“And how is this gathering related to how thou shalt choose the group, your highness?” asked the unicorn. To the duke’s unease, Celestia cryptically smiled.
"We shall choose and that is all thou needest to know. Now go forth Royal Architect!” ordered Celestia. With that Golden Triangle nodded and galloped off.
Author's Note: I know Luna referred to the use of the 'Royal We' as the 'Royal Canterlot Voice', which would mean Canterlot had been built when Luna was around, but it will make sense.