The Royal Conference Room-a tall, majestic room, with columns rising parallel to the grand windows overlooking the valleys below the mountain. Sitting at the long, cold elliptical marble table was Princess Celestia, with her top advisers, military generals, and key nobility and royalty. These important figures were muttering amongst themselves, speaking of politics, international relations, and the other things that could be expected to be spoken of from ponies of their social standing. Celestia rapped her golden hoof-shoes against the floor gently but firmly, gaining the attention of the little ponies in front of her.
"You are all aware of the occurrence that took place in the skies of Equestria tonight. Every pony from Vanhoover to Baltimare saw the shower of stars that took place tonight, and they will all be asking questions. I'm sure you all have questions as well. But before I answer any of them, you need to know one thing."
Celestia took an old banner in her magic from a Royal Guard, and placed it in the middle of the table. She unfurled it, showing the design to all those who looked upon it.
The outline of an alicorn on the left, raising the moon. Another alicorn in the center, raising the sun. And a final alicorn on the right, raising the stars.
"There are those of you who know of this third alicorn, and those of you who have just found out about him right now. He is an ancient prince as old as Princess Luna and I. His domain was the stars, and all that lay beyond it. This is the pony that caused this supernatural occurrence tonight. Are there any questions?"
The table was silent, with some ponies looking to be deep in thought, others staring at the banner and back at Princess Celestia with wide eyes. Finally, after a minute of this, Commander Spitfire raised her hoof, looking to Celestia.
"Yes, Commander?"
"Does this alicorn pose a threat to Canterlot or any other populated area in Equestria?" she asked, with a commanding tone in her voice, eyes frowning.
"In my sister's attempt to bring him to the Castle, he attacked a squad of Royal Guards, and when engaged in duel with Princess Luna, destroyed a street intersection, shattering windows and blowing trees down. There were no fatalities, but injuries were reported at the scene and my sister is currently being attended to in the royal infirmary. I don't believe he has evil intentions, rather a strong sense of self-defense. The possibility does linger however, that he is a fallen alicorn, but usually any fallen alicorn changes shape, such as Nightmare Moon and Nightmare Star. So once again, I do not believe he has fallen to evil."
"So potentially anypony who engages him or attempts to could be in harm's way?" General Brazen Fire asked.
"Yes. However, unless there is a large military presence, or a strong subduing force, I do not believe ponies will be anxious to engage him. This is an alicorn as large as I, and who has millennia of magical experience."
"Do we know how he thinks, how he works?" Brazen Fire asked, a lieutenant scribbling down notes.
"He is strong, and has a strategic, brilliant mind. He knows magic that has been forbidden, or was lost to the ages centuries ago. He has extreme mental training, and usually won't let anyone know what doesn't need to be known. He is constantly trying to do what is best for others, and will always defend ponies. And this is where his weakness is."
Princess Cadence and her husband, Captain Shining Armor, sat next to Princess Celestia, hanging onto her every word. Princess Cadence spoke up, asking in a questioning tone, "So his weakness is...love?"
"Yes and no. When I last knew him, he lived in fear, always afraid that he was doing something wrong, that he wouldn't be able to help everyone. These thoughts hurt him, and I'm afraid that it could have a part in his disappearance millennia ago. He's a perfectionist in an imperfect world."
"Were you and Auntie Luna related to him?" Cadence asked.
"No, but we might as well have been. In the Tri-Alicorn era, the three of us ruled with the same benevolence that is so well reflected in my sister and I, as well as you and Princess Twilight today. But when not attending to royal duties, we were the best of friends, and when faced with crisis and war, when the three of us were of the same mindset, we were near unstoppable. When he left..."
Princess Celestia paused, her eyes closed and lips pursed tight in a thin line.
"...the world turned upside down. My sister and I were in despair, as was most of Equestria. Ponies all over searched for him for decades, hoping to bring him back to the throne. Their attempts were in vain, as were my sister's and I."
"Wait a minute-where is he?" Shining Armor asked in an urgent tone, a concerned look in his eyes.
"After his duel with my sister, he took flight, flying away from Canterlot in a southwestern direction. He took a rare form of flight, commonly known as a Sonic Rainboom."
"I thought Rainbow Dash was the only pony in Equestria who was able to pull off a Rainboom." Commander Spitfire said. "That's one of the reasons she's higher up in our Reserve program."
Alicorns have the possession of pegasus flight, but more concentrated, which allows us to reach speeds like that with more ease than a regular pegasus. An alicorn actually created the Sonic Rainboom, as well as another type of flight. The other type of flight is known as Star Flight, which when a pony reaches that speed, creates a magical aura around them, resembling a shooting star. He has mastered this form of flight, and it has been confirmed that he went into it in his escape from Canterlot."
"I'm sorry-but do you mind telling us what the hay this prince's name is?" Data Quill, Princess Celestia's deputy adviser spoke up, with an impatient voice.
"Certainly, Data Quill. My apologies. His name is Midnight Star."
"Ok, so how do we want to go about informing the public that Prince Midnight has returned?" Rough Draft, Celestia's Director of Public Relations asked, scribbling down notes on a small notepad.
"Whether we inform the public of him or not, the rumors will grow. Many ponies were in the vicinity of the duel, and at least saw a pony that could defeat a Princess, which makes him appear dangerous and evil. We have to address this in a way that doesn't give him a bad image. This could cause havoc later in the future if we do not."
"Very well, Your Majesty. I will have a copy of the rough draft on your desk within 24 hours." Rough Draft replied, maintaining eye contact with his notepad.
"Thank you, Rough Draft. Are there any more questions?" Celestia asked, looking at the ponies around the table.
Her question was met with silence and glances around the table from other ponies, looking for a hoof raised or a mouth opening to speak. None of these was seen.
"Very well. Thank you all for coming. Meeting adjourned." Celestia rapped her hoofshoe on the floor.
One thing many ponies who haven't been in a meeting with ponies of this status, is that when the Princess ends a meeting, no one really starts to leave for a good two or three hours. They would move away from the table, granted, but Princess Celestia always made sure to have the room booked for another 4 hours after the meeting was supposed to end.
Sure enough, the attendees were all gathered in groups, discussing all the things you could expect of aristocrats and nobles. City happenings, politics, economics, and of course...themselves. There was only one pony who wasn't in a group, and that was Princess Cadence. She had been walking around the room, politely greeting everyone who approached her, but not staying long enough to engage in conversation. She was thinking. Thinking about an occurrence that had come to pass during the meeting. Cadence had felt something coming, an emotion of a type, coming from Princess Celestia. She was pretty sure she knew what it was, but she had to confirm her suspicion. She walked over to Princess Celestia's group, from which a large amount of laughter was emitting.
"Auntie, may I please speak with you?"
"Certainly, Princess Cadence. If you'll excuse me mares and gentlecolts, I must speak with my dear niece." Princess Celestia walked away from the group of nobles she was conversing with, who went back to their conversations which each other after bowing their head in respect. She walked with Cadence to another, more secluded part of the conference room.
"How can I help you, Cadence?" Celestia asked, a gentle smile on her face.
"So, when I say this, I'm talking just about you not you and Auntie Luna. What was YOUR relationship with Midnight?"
Cadence immediately began to observe every feeling that flew through Celestia's mind and face. Her face revealed nothing, but there was a rush through her eyes. Windows to the soul after all.
The rush of feelings was something she would later look back on, and think one thing...'How did I not get drunk off that?'
'Love, acceptance, playfulness, hope, arousal...well Auntie, he was certainly a special friend wasn't he?'
"Princess Cadence, are you trying to imply something?" Princess Celestia asked, suspicion crawling into he eyes, a single eyebrow raising.
"No. At least I wasn't, until that burst of feelings. Auntie, you may claim that he was simply your best friend, but I thought that we agreed to never lie to each other. Who was he to you?"
"He...we were lovers." Celestia bowed her head down, eyes closed. "The love we had for each other filled our hearts. Even after he left, I yearned for him. I spent many a night crying in my room, looking up at the stars, begging for him to return. In the days since his departure, I still haven't taken on a new lover. Not even during estrus..." Celestia said, face turning red at the last sentence.
"Yeah, I picked up on that," Cadence said, blushing heavily as she remembered the more...passionate thoughts and feelings that went through Celestia's head. "Do you still...love him?"
"Well..."
Just as Celestia began to to speak, she stopped. Her thoughts went to another pony, someone who should've been here, or at least responded to her desperate letter saying that she was en route.
"Cadence, where's Twilight?" Celestia raised her head, looking around the room with wide eyes.
"No, don't change the subject. Do you love-"
"No, seriously, where is Twilight? She hasn't responded to my letter, and she isn't here." Celestia cut her off, the intensity of her tone growing with every word spoken.
"She's probably bringing her friends, and you know Twilight. She'll do whatever it takes to get here ASAP. I promise you, she's probably aboard the Canterlot train."
"Very well. Cadence, I will discuss my feelings for Midnight later, when all of us are present. Understood?" Celestia said, raising her head high and turning back to walk to the nobles.
"Yes, Auntie. Have a good evening."
The two princesses departed from each other's company, heading back into the midst of the conference room.