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// Prologue- A Belated Invitation 
// Story: The Starlit 
// by Tzelael 
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	The city of Canterlot puffed out clouds of smoke, many of the buildings damaged or even destroyed. Around each of the holes were workhorses on scaffolds repairing the damage from a battle that had occurred earlier with a massive army that was, thankfully, driven away by an event that was nothing short of miraculous. From a balcony on the palace, Princess Celestia surveyed her fair capital city, musing to herself over the ruined buildings and all the ponies laboring to put them back in working order. She sighed and shook her head, her luminescent hair rippling behind her as her eyes closed.

“What a mess...” She heaved a sigh from her chest as she turned around. She then stopped abruptly when a voice spoke to her from the end of the room.

“Yes, Princess... A mess that could have been avoided.”

Celestia narrowed her eyes at the voice’s source, a stallion standing behind the door in the shadows, grimacing at the familiarity of the smug tone that accompanied the declaration. She slowly trotted toward the figure, raising her head to be sure she was looking down upon him. She swallowed as she approached the stallion by the door, as though choking down the dread of this eventual meeting.

“I had a feeling you’d stop by to gloat,” Celestia said with a distaste that was seldom heard from her when she addressed anyone. “I hope that’s not the only reason you’re here, or else I might have to alert-”

“The guards? You know they wouldn’t catch me.”

“... The cleaning staff. There’d be quite a mess in here if you only came to brag.”

The stallion grunted at the comment, lifting a hoof and waving it defensively in front of him. “Fair enough, Princess... But no, I didn’t just come here to remind you that you need us and our services, or that sending us away was a stupid i-”

Celestia grit her teeth and spoke in the middle of his sentence, an uncharacteristic snapping quality to her voice as she spoke. “Get to the point.”

The stallion stopped when she spoke, clearing his throat and leaning back into the shadows as he started to speak again. “Ahem... This is about the recruit.”

“And how many times have I told you ‘No’...?”

“I think you know that things are different now.” He then pulled out an apple and took a loud CRUNCH out of it, chewing it for a few moments, then swallowing. “You saw what happened when you told her to use the Elements of Harmony. She was stopped by a crowd of giant shape-shifting flies, for goodness’ sake... Good thing that her brother and Princess Cadence actually loved each other, or we’d be in trouble.”

Celestia looked down and away, her stomach seeming to climb to the top of her throat. She knew he was right. The corners of her lips sank downward as her eyes closed, considering what he said for a moment.

“Even you have to admit now that she’s going to need more than the Elements of Harmony to deal with what’s to come... She’s going to need proper training, proper teaching, the kind that she can’t get at magic schools... The kind she’ll get with us.” The stallion continued driving his point home, irritation lining his voice as though having said the same thing over and over again, not to mention the slightest exhaustion of having to speak in such extensive sentences. Celestia sighed heavily, her eyes running up and down the stallion.

“Very well... I shall... Make her aware of your offer.”

“Good. You wo-”

“BUT. It will be with a few conditions attached to it.”

The stallion dropped the apple and stared at Celestia for a moment or two. “What?! What conditions are those?!”

Celestia walked toward the balcony. “You’ll know when she gets to you. I believe that concludes our meeting... You can go now.”

The stallion silenced himself... He picked up the apple and bowed before the Princess, concealing a grimace on his face, as though having to settle for a snack when he was looking for a feast. He turned for the door and slammed it behind him.

In the meantime, Celestia used her magic to bring a quill and parchment over to her, dipping the quill in Ink and writing across it...

“Dear Twilight Sparkle, My Most Faithful Student...”