//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Into the Light // Story: Legacy of the Sun // by IceColt //------------------------------// "When Discord was in Equestria's land let my people go! Oppressed so hard they could not stand let my people go! Go Down, Celest, Way down in Equestria’s land; tell old Astrodeo To let his people go!"                 - Old ponies' worker's song "Your Highness, this is most unorthodox! We must beg you to reconsider!" A sigh trembled on Celestia’s tongue, but she persisted on not letting it slip. It was, after all, the reaction she had expected. Instead, she stood up from her throne and rose up to her full height, unfurling her wings as she stared down at the mob of nobles in front of her with an icy flame in her eyes. The furor immediately hushed to a hasty murmur and then died down completely, as the elites of Canterlot were silenced by their Princess' unrelenting gaze. "I will not debate this subject any further. My decision is final," she declared, closing her sentence with a forceful stomp on the smooth marble floor. The nobles, clearly unused to such resistance when voicing their opinions, shied a few steps away, several of them barely able to keep from trembling. Celestia furrowed her brow. Although her forceful rebuttal had caused the reaction, it didn't seem like this fear resulted from respect towards her. No, there was a different kind of disquiet haunting the spacious throne room. Their self-righteous indignation stripped from them, the nobles only seemed to have anxiety left in them as they quietly whispered to each other, occasionally one of them shooting a quick glance in Celestia's direction. Finally, after several moments of quietly debating, silence fell over the nobles, and an elderly mare stepped out of the mob. Her face was a mask of pharisaic pride, but it was only a mask nonetheless. Beneath it, Celestia could see the unease dominating the mare' every motion. Shortly, the female unicorn cleared her throat and began to speak. "Princess Celestia, far be it from us to question your entire suggestion. We take no issue with the Summer Sun Celebration being held in Ponyville for the second time in a row, and most certainly we don’t object to your proposal to let your pupil, Twilight Sparkle, take part in the organization of the festival. All of these are perfectly fine decisions, but..." At this point the noble unicorn stopped, surveyed the throne room with a furtive glance, and then looked at Celestia again, her voice brought down almost to a whisper. "...but letting her take part in the festivities?" Now a sigh did escape from Celestia’s lips. It was as she had thought. Of course some of the nobles would be disturbed by the possibility of Luna taking part in the Summer Sun Celebration. They only remembered Nightmare Moon, the mare who had threatened their precious, comfortable lives. Quieting them by using the bludgeon of royal authority would not work here. Fortunately for her, Celestia was not a one-trick-pony. Slowly settling her wings on her sides again, the piercing stare of Celestia's eyes melted into a soft gaze as she smiled at the noble mare. "I understand you are troubled by this, but trust me when I say there is no reason for fear. My sister is far from returning to her previous state, and of course I will always be present to shield my loyal subjects from any harm," she explained in a soft, calm voice with which she was far more comfortable than her previous commanding tone. Of course, few of the nobles seemed convinced by her affirmation that they had nothing to fear from Luna, but her promise to protect them from any danger seemed to calm them down. Yet there was still many uneasy expressions as they bowed before her and took their leave. Their unsatisfied murmurs echoed through the throne room while Celestia watched them slowly walk through the elongated hall. Finally, the massive double doors closed behind them and Celestia found herself alone in the throne room. Another sigh slipped from her lips.  Well, that was done... for now. She’d better make sure that Luna would watch her steps very carefully. Nobles, no matter what era, never take kindly to change. Celestia could sing a song or two about that. Speaking of the past, there was one more issue that needed attending. A dark expression clouded her face as she set out to tackle the second, and far more difficult, problem with this Summer Sun Celebration. She had already asked herself several times if this was the best decision and even now the question wouldn't stop echoing in her head, more frequently the closer she came to her goal. Yet she pressed on, locking her turmoil deep inside, trying to regain her calm appearance. Normally, confidence would’ve come to her easily. Today was different. Very different. "Your Highness!" Those sharp, yet respectful words snapped Celestia out of her trance. Slightly confused, she looked around, only to see what she always did. Before her stood a wooden door, its simplicity out of place for Canterlot Castle. It was small and crooked, the hinges were rusty and its only embellishments were signs of age. Nopony would’ve anticipated finding such and old and rustic thing to find in the highest chamber in the outermost tower of the castle. The Royal Guards flanking the door saluted Celestia. Slight surprise snuck into their stern expressions at the sight of their flustered ruler. Regaining her composure, Celestia greeted the guards with a friendly smile. "At ease, soldiers," she answered, allowing the two stallions to enter a comfortable position. She quickly suppressed the desire to ask of any unusual happenings, chiding herself for relapsing into old habits. Instead, she gave each of them one more nod and turned towards the plain wooden door. Doubts and questions gnawed furiously at her determination, trying everything to make her waver, but Celestia persisted, took a deep breath, and entered the chamber. The room looked as it always did. The room might have once been spacious, but layers of dust told that this had been ages ago. Several large shelves lined the walls, reaching to the ceiling, bristling with books of all topics. Some were so high that an intricate system of ladders twined throughout the room, which ensured that one was always capable of reaching even the most impossibly placed book. Most of these ladders served as extension of the shelves at the same time, holding books, tomes and scrolls upon their staves. Quite a few of them were filled to their last spot, scripts springing from them upon the ground. They paved almost the entire floor, save for a few spots that allowed to navigate the room without stepping on writings. The late afternoon sun etched the intricate latticework of the windows upon the chamber, the long shadowy fingers grasping at the towering shelves, veiling with shades what lay beneath their silhouettes. Unaffected by the half-light, a stallion sat hunched over the writing desk in a corner. He was so intently focused on his reading that he apparently had not noticed Celestia. His long blonde mane was shot through with traces of grey, betraying the onset of age, its disheveled state contrasted by his cleanly shaven cheeks and neatly trimmed goatee. His grizzled features were belied by the keen glint in his eyes. His judgemental gaze wandered the pages, more as if he sought to find flaws than gain knowledge. Celestia stood silently at the entrance, waiting for a reaction that did not come. Thick silence permeated the room, until Celestia coughed loudly, demanding his attention. “Is something wrong with your throat, Your Highness?” Irritation flickered in Celestia’s eyes. He never made this easy. “I’m fine, thank you, Stone Quill,” she answered with exacting politeness and a civil smile. Stone Quill ended the exchange with a grunt. Silence slowly settled again, but when Celestia remained in the room, Stone Quill gave a sigh and closed the book. “Alright, what brings you up this tower this time, Celestia?” A smile formed on Celestia’s lips. She was the ruler of all of Equestria, raised the sun and was beloved by her subjects. However, even her most faithful student could not give her that what she sometimes desired in a dialogue partner: absolutely no fear towards her title and position. “It couldn’t be that I just desire somepony to talk to?” The elderly unicorn snorted in disbelief. “And for that, you came all the way up to my chamber? There is no way you can make me believe that, your Highness,” Stone Quill said, eyeing her skeptically. “You know me far too well, Stone Quill,” she replied, before dropping her smile. Unfortunately, she didn’t have time for the usual small talk. Stone Quill’s skeptical expression was replaced by one of cautious curiosity. Clearly, something was different. “You may have noticed that there is more unrest than usual in the palace,” Celestia began. Stone Quill nodded. “The Summer Sun Celebration.” “Exactly. And since my sister has returned to us, I have decided to let her partake in the Summer Sun Celebration at my side.” Stone Quill simply nodded in acknowledgement where the nobles had responded with fearful objections. “Yes, after the Changeling invasion, the ponies should enjoy seeing their rulers so up close for a change. But what does this have to do with me?” There it was. The question she had feared. Celestia breathed deeply. “I want you to take part in the organization.” If the silence had settled like a gentle feather before, now it fell over them like a heavy curtain. Stone Quill’s face was hidden by the shadows. At last, he spoke. “Why?” Was all he said. It was all she expected, and all she feared. “It is time to bury our differences once and for all,” the ruler of Equestria replied. The shifting light revealed his expression of disbelief. “Bury our differences? Celestia, this goes far beyond what can be called mere ‘differences’ nor can they be easily ‘buried’. Do you even remember why I am here in the first place?” “So you want to be locked inside the castle here, after all these years? Would you desire that from me, if I was in your place?” Stone Quill’s expression grew dark. “You know exactly what I would have done if our roles had been reversed. There would only have been one thing to bury.” Celestia did not shy at the threatening words. She knew they did not come of anger. Only regret. “What you would have done. It’s in the past now, Stone Quill. And this will have an end at this Summer Sun Celebration!” “Is this an order from my Queen?” Anger flashed in Celestia’s eyes. “It is a declaration from the chosen ruler of the ponies of Equestria.” There was little left in her voice of Equestria’s gentle matriarch when she spoke, her tone more reminiscent of a determined ruler. “Again with those delusional ideas of yours…” Stone Quill murmured, averting his eyes. Celestia didn’t respond. There was no more room for discussion, only decision. At last, Stone Quill sighed and looked at Celestia. “Fine. If that is what you want me to do, I will do it.” At these words, Celestia’s stern expression vanished, replaced by a warm smile. “Thank you, Stone Quill. Trust me, you won’t regret it,” she assured him. As she turned around and walked out of the door, only a pony with a keen eye and years of familiarity with the Princess would have noticed the slight spring in her step. Stone Quill, on the other hoof, remained motionless. A dark expression crept over his face as Celestia’s steps vanished in the distance. “Maybe I won’t, but what about you, Celestia?” he murmured to himself. The book on the table lit up with magic and hovered through the room, towards its destined place on one of the shelves. A single ray of sunlight illuminated the cover: The Sun, The Moon, and The Tyranny - The Failings of our Self Righteous Ruler. “What about you?”