Well, hopefully with the busyness of 2015 behind us, we can begin a new year of us being disappointingly inconsistent!

I actually forgot which day we start these on, so... Sunday! Next prompt will be released on Sunday. For those of you unfamiliar with how these work, or have forgotten, prompt threads are threads where you can post a short story (or a long one if you so wish) in the comments. If you've gone so far as to actually write and publish a story based on the prompt, feel free to link to it here!

The only real rule is that there can be no NSFW in the comments and no linkage to NSFW stuff. This is simply because the group isn't marked as NSFW. Think of the children! Die kleiner Kinder!

Today's Prompt is:

Sun being a bit of an important subject in MLP. In most universes, you can kind of take the sun for granted, but apparently when you give a character free reign to do whatever they please with a celestial body and fanfic writers begin to take advantage of this. Odd, that.

Write away, and do try to have fun!

Huzzah! New Contest! Hope I can come up with something new...

4959787 Whatever happened to die große Kinder?
My story was originally going to be just something short that I could post in the comments, but, ah, then rugs began speaking and it became somewhat longer. As such, I will attempt to publish it. I'll get back to you when it comes through.

4959787 Alrighty! Story up at this link.

4963219 Hey, no problem. It's been tough managing these along with everything else, but I intend to keep them running.

4959787 I came up with something. It's um... well, see for yourself, folks.

That’s An Awful Lot of Buildup

***

Celestia was sitting in the meeting hall, her advisers and ministers alternately prattling or squabbling. Magnanimously, she sat at the head of the long marble table, her smile unmoving and her wings folded neatly to her sides. When she desired silence or expressed her opinion on a matter, she had merely to spread those wings and the gentle sound of them unfurling would be enough to cause the chatter to cease.

For now, she wanted them to get out what they had to say, so she let them talk. She had her own ideas, of course, but the dozen or so Canterlot elite had to feel like they’d had their say or else they’d leave feeling unsatisfied and bitter. And she did indeed listen to them, for a good ruler tried to consider all sides. But just the same, this topic was dragging on more than usual and she had to focus to avoid a yawn.

“I say that Canterlot University needs an increase to its funding!”

“And I say the public’s bits would be better spent on improving roadways!”

“How can you deny the young a quality education?!”

“You mean how can I deny those overpaid professors another increase in to their inflated salaries?”

“Harumph!”

“How dare you harumph me! I will not be harumphed!”

I’ve been doing this for over a thousand years, Celestia said to herself. Harumph after harumph. I remember when the word ‘harumph’ meant something…

Her mind started to drift. She’d rather be relaxing with a book, or hearing Philomena serenade her with a melody, or just enjoying a simple cup of tea with Luna. Anywhere but here, really. These funding meetings always left her feeling so much pressure. Pressure…

Suddenly she realized she really did feel pressure, but not of the sort she’d been thinking of.

Oh no. Not now! I’ll just ignore it...

Her smile remained frozen in place and outwardly gave no clue to the sudden internal storm that was brewing.

It’s all right, she told herself. Surely they must be winding down. They’re this close to an agreement.

“12%?! You must be mad! I would never agree to more than a 4% increase in the budget!”

“What?! That’s not even enough to afford the cobblestones!”

Or not. She managed not to sigh, but she did shift slightly on her cushion, drawing only a momentary glance from a nearby minister.

Still, I can manage. I just need to hold it in. I’ll--erk!

Her expression slipped and she winced slightly before returning to her default look of high-minded regalty.

Holy me what did I eat?! She went back to the previous day’s events. Apples and bananas with bran muffins for breakfast. Cabbage with artichokes and some cauliflower for lunch. And at the start of the meeting someone had passed out a plate of deviled eggs.

Oh no. I will never hear the end of this if I let this slip. I just have to maintain my concentration!

“Don’t tell me you know better than I in this matter, you old windbag!”

It’s okay, it’s okay, just maintain…

“Well, I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but I think I have proven my own worth to Her Majesty before!”

He courteously bowed to her and she managed to avoid chuckling and she nodded back politely.

Just fine… I’m doing all right, I just need to keep seated like this… Just keep trying not to laugh...

“That may be so,” said the distinguished lady from Trottingham, “but I can’t believe even a tightwad like you would withhold a farthing!”

“Well! Aren’t you a cheeky one?”

Are they trying to do this on purpose?! Oh no, I’m losing it! I’m going to start laughing and that will be it! They’ll start calling me ‘Princess Gaslestia!’ Or ‘Her Royal Hiney!’

She started to sweat. All these ponies crowded together and shouting at each other was making the tiny room was just making her even more uncomfortable. She could feel their body heat radiating out and she even began to feel faint, so she repositioned herself where she sat.

“And furthermore,” a unicorn mare was saying, “I… um, pardon me, but does it seem particularly hot in here today?” She levitated a hanky and mopped her brow. “Could we perhaps get some water or take a break?”

“Oh, you’d like to take a break so you can avoid agreeing… agreeing… wow, actually, it is pretty hot in here.” The stallion who spoke loosened his collar. “Ugh… b-but that doesn’t mean we can take a break! Not until you’ve accepted my terms!”

Celestia grit her teeth and shut her eyes. She couldn’t take this any longer. She would just tap her hoof on the table and call for a recess. Surely then she could slip out for a little privacy.

“Well at least let’s close the drapes!” the mare shot back. “It’s so bright outside today that it’s practically blinding!”

“Fine, fine! I’ll do it myself if that will make you happy!” The stallion got up and went to the window. Then he froze, his jaw dropping open. “Oh… oh no…”

The others saw him as he backed away, his eyes wide in horror. Many stood up and even Celestia rose to her hooves. They went to the windows and saw what had so filled him with terror.

The Sun. The life-giving bright orb in the sky that nourished the earth below was directly overhead, showing that it was high noon. But now that orb loomed large, taking up ten times as much room in the sky. The swollen and massive star was bathing the land below with an ominous orange glow and the intense heat was like an oven. The screams of all the Canterlot citizens was now audible and they could even see ponies in the streets as they ran around in a crazed panic, looking for protection.

Oh no, Celestia groaned to herself. I must stop this! There’s no choice now! I must--

“Your Majesty!” one of the ministers cried, falling at her feet. “The sun… your sun! It looks as though it’s about to burst! Is there nothing you can do?!” The others likewise began to clamor about her, some begging, some even crying, and all of them supplicating her to do something to save them.

Celestia raised a hoof, calling for their silence. “There… indeed there is something I can do.” She swallowed. Even in the heat, she felt her cheeks burn.

“Then please, you must do it immediately, Your Highness! If there is some ritual, then we will assist you!”

Celestia bowed her head. Well, there is no other choice now. Hopefully in another century, everypony will have forgotten about this…

The doors to the meeting hall burst open. They all turned to stare and saw that Princess Luna was standing there, her eyes wide and her expression tense. “Sister!” she shouted. “What are you… oh.” She looked to Celestia and then to the gathered ministers and advisors. She saw the strained, shifty-eyed look on Celestia’s face and understood in an instant.

“All of you, leave immediately!” Luna shouted. “There is a, um, a ritual that my sister and I must perform!”

They all stared blankly at her. Luna grit her teeth.

“I SAID NOW!” she bellowed, using the Canterlot Voice.

That did the trick. They all ran out of the room, practically knocking each other out of the way to do so. Luna slammed the door behind them and put her hoof to her forehead.

“Really now, Celestia,” Luna sighed. “I understand preserving one’s dignity, but holding it in for this long? This is just like when you were dating that Saddle Arabian prince and you caused that drought--”

“Luna!” Celestia snapped. “C-could you please just leave and make sure nopony is listening at the door.”

Luna let a smug smile spread across her face and sat down on the floor. “Oh, I think not. This will make for some excellent blackmail next time you try to steal the last piece of cake at a banquet.”

A vein bulged in Celestia’s head.

“I’m waiting,” Luna said.

Celestia sighed. “Very well then,” she said. She lowered her head, spread her back legs slightly, and…

***

The tales of the Day of Looming Sun were told for centuries to come. Eyewitnesses all proclaimed that the sun, grown giant and terrifying, threatened to roast the planet below. As ponies all held their loved ones and bid them goodbye one last time, the morning star suddenly began to shrink, as if deflating in the same manner as a balloon, until it was at last its normal size.

Ponies from all over paid tribute to Princess Celestia for saving them. She made a speech telling everypony that it had been a natural occurrence of a buildup of stellar gas which, enigmatically, Luna added was nothing to be ashamed of.

For some reason, that event occurred at the same time as a mysterious occurrence at the Royal Palace. For reasons nopony was certain of, the Royal Meeting Hall was found with its walls blown out, as if by some forceful explosion, and servants and guards of the castle alike all reported hearing some strange, reverberant sound which echoed throughout the walls and shook the palace from the top of its parapets down to its very foundations.

Luckily for the Royal Sisters, none of this was ever connected to the fact that, from that point onward, Luna always seemed to get the very last slice of cake at every formal dinner for the next hundred years.

Well, there it is. Whaddya think folks?