Chapter 1
Sitting atop her throne, Celestia tapped a forehoof against the golden dais. The soft click of metal upon metal echoed through the long hall. She blinked as she became aware of the sun streaming through the stained glass window on her left, the light casting its glow onto the floor and reflecting up into Celestia's right eye. In fact, if she were to lean a little further, the beam of light would hit her right in between the eyes, but not actually into them. She let herself frown that much deeper. Is this what I've been driven to?
Sighing, she turned to her right. “Sure Strike, what time is it?”
The royal guard looked toward Celestia for a mere moment before returning his blank gaze back to the massive doors ahead. “I apologize, my princess, but I am uncertain. If you wish, I could have one of the stallions check.”
“No no no. There is no need for that.” Celestia shifted on the cushion she was sitting on. “I am just... concerned.”
“I wouldn’t worry, my princess,” he said as he kept his stare forward. “The train is well guarded by many soldiers. I am most certain that it is simply running late. It wouldn’t be the first time the train was delayed.”
“Yes. Of course. That is most likely the case. Thank you, Sure Strike.” Celestia smiled, shifting again. “Your reassurances are most welcome.”
He nodded his head. “You are too kind, princess.”
I'll eat my slippers if he actually believed that one, Celestia thought to herself.
This was supposed to be a historical event that would change the nation for ages to come. A day to be remembered for centuries. Indeed, the paths of so many ponies in the land would be altered in many dramatic ways. In just a few minutes, Twilight was going to stroll through those massive oak doors with royal soldiers standing at attention and the setting sun beaming in. Here, amongst pomp and circumstance she would accept the first of many formal lessons on ruling over Equestria. Yet, this event was somewhat unfortunate. She and Luna decided to keep all of this subtle, most ponies never knowing importance of this day until it was well past. Alas, such is the nature of these things.
Granted, that was all assuming Twilight ever showed up in the first place. Even with her guards and thoughts to busy herself with, Celestia counted every second Twilight was not at her side. Her student's train was scheduled to have shown up almost an hour ago. It didn't take even half that time to get from the train station to the castle. What was holding her up? Did the guards at the front gate really go through the typical, absurd security hurdles with Twilight as they did with every other guest? If that was the case, there would be more than a few heads that would roll.
“My princess, do you require another cushion?” Sure Strike asked, looking at Celestia with somewhat narrowed eyes. “You appear to be quite... restless.”
Catching herself still fidgeting, Celestia quickly stopped and gave him one of her signature smiles. “No no. That will not be needed. I... was just trying to get comfortable. I think I found the spot though.”
“I would not worry about Princess Twilight, your Highness,” he reassured. “She will be perfectly fine.”
“Hmm?” Celestia cocked her head to the right. “Of course she will. Why would she not? As you said, the train is perfectly safe.”
“I was talking about her upcoming lessons. I heard they’d be quite difficult.”
“Oh! Well I am definitely not worried about that.” Celestia smiled and sighed. “If there is anything I know Twilight is good at, it is obsessively studying from books and scrolls. If anything, the importance of these lessons makes her more likely to take them to heart.” Sure Strike stood for a few moments, his mouth shut. Eventually, he simply nodded and turned back to the front of the hall.
Yes, the lessons that Twilight would partake in for the next two weeks would be some of the most important that she would have to learn, if some of the most mind numbing. If there was any shred of silver lining Twilight’s upcoming lessons, it was that there were sunny skies on the far end of it. After all the boring stuff of the first week, the rest of the teachings would be more of the dynamic and elastic functions of diplomacy. Celestia always felt that dealing with the various mayors, petitioners, foreign ambassadors, and even the occasional stressful military negotiations were the real fun in the job. Numbers always ended up being the same when you put them together—one and one always came up equaling two—but put two ponies in a room together and the outcome was always different. One day they would come to a peaceful agreement to both demilitarize their borders and engage in a long coexistence. The next they would both be locked up in the dungeon for dozens of counts of battery.
Celestia smiled. “Sure Strike.”
“Yes, your Highness?”
“If he is available, could you please invite Ambassador Steady Hoof over for lunch next month? I have not talked to him in far too long.”
“Ambassador Steady Hoof...” Sure Strike trailed off, tilting his head down to the floor a little. After a few seconds, he turned to Celestia and asked, “Isn't he the one that—”
“That was thrown into solitary for a week for headbutting that griffin diplomat and trying to bite your ear off three months ago, yes.”
“I... will send a message to him as soon as I can, your Highness.”
“Good.” Celestia closed her eyes and smiled wider. “He always was an interesting one. A little rough around the edges sure, but he always seemed to be able to get the job done when needed. That isn't even mentioning his—”
The main doors to the throne room were thrown open, startling Celestia's eyes open. Through the open doorway was the very pony that she was hoping to see. Celestia brought herself to her hooves and watched Twilight make her way through and into the marble-tiled throne room. Guards flanking the sides brought themselves to attention as Twilight walked down the red carpet leading straight to Celestia herself.
Yet, something was wrong. Instead of the excited, filly-like bounciness that she loved seeing from Twilight, Twilight had a much more subdued step. Her eyes were slightly narrowed, her mouth was formed into a scowl, and her wings were not spread wide in regality but folded tightly against her sides, twitching every so often. Something must have happened either on the train ride or the security checkpoint, for any worse of a mood and Twilight might literally be smoking out of her ears.
Still, Celestia's voice held onto its cheer as she greeted her close friend. “It is wonderful to see you, Twilight Spark—”
A burst of sound and colors in the form of horns, streamers, and circus animals suddenly announced the arrival of another pony. A very familiar and very pink pony. “Hiya, Princess Celestia!”
Celestia couldn't help but to rear her head back and scrunch up her brow tightly. “...And Pinkie Pie?”
Pinkie Pie hopped and skipped her way down the red carpet. It was only a few seconds of bouncing before she finally made it alongside Twilight, yet she never stopped her bounces. The leaps continuing, Celestia watched as the hops appeared to defy gravity, her body staying in the air much longer than should have been possible. Yet, that wasn't the reason Celestia's mouth was slightly agape. That reason was because she was wearing the most curious outfit, though calling it a costume would be much more appropriate. Pinkie had a pair of lavender cardboard cutouts that were tied to her sides with white ribbon, the paint globbing near the tips of the artificial wings. Affixed to her head via a thin black string, she wore a green and white striped party hat. However, instead of being placed on top of her head as it should have, she had the hat tied to her forehead, right where a unicorn's horn should be.
That is one of the more... creative alicorn costumes I have seen, Celestia thought to herself, her mouth still slightly opened.
Before Celestia could ask one of the many questions on her mind, Twilight cleared her throat. “Pinkie was in the library when Spike got your request. When she heard that you were inviting me to Canterlot to learn from you and Luna... well...”
“Alicorn party!” Pinkie squealed in excitement, a hop coinciding with the yell.
Twilight rolled her eyes before looking back at Celestia, her mouth pulled to one side. “She... kinda wanted to come along for, as she put it, 'some of the party action,' and wouldn't take no for an answer.”
“I see.” Celestia grinned as she looked at the yelling and hopping quasi-alicorn before her. “Pinkie Pie, you do realize that dressing up like an alicorn doesn't mean that you are an alicorn, right?”
Pinkie kept on hopping away. “Oh I know, but I couldn’t miss out on an alicorn party! Those never ever happen! I mean, how often do you and Luna and Twilight and Caddie dress up and everything for a party? That's why I decided to come as an alicorn! See, since I dressed up as one, it means I'm invited! Right?”
Celestia snickered. “Against that logic, I cannot help but to concede.”
“Yay!” Pinkie hopped over to Twilight and bonked her on the tip of her nose. “Told you!”
“But,” Celestia said as she held up a forehoof, cutting Pinkie’s celebration short, “we are sadly not having an alicorn party, Pinkie Pie.”
Pinkie stopped in mid-air, slowly coming back to the floor as her face froze. “You... you aren't?”
“Unfortunately, no. We are not having any parties.”
As soon as those words left her, the ribbons and strings keeping Pinkie's horn and wings attached to her body snapped. She didn't move as both clattered to the rug under her. “Aw, shoot.”
Twilight shook her head. “Told you.”
Again, Celestia snickered. Despite the plans she and Luna had for the two weeks with Twilight, Celestia couldn't help but to wish that Pinkie was the one that was right. Instead of going about the various ins and outs of ruling over a nation, the four of them—plus maybe a few choice guests—could all go to an “alicorn party,” with everypony dressing up in the best alicorn costumes that they could think of. It could even be some kind of contest, with the best costume getting some kind of prize. Granted Celestia, Luna, Twilight, and Cadence—if she was able to show—would most likely have to be barred from the contest. Granted, that sort of rule hadn’t stopped her from entering contests in the past, but she’d put the rule in place anyway. Sadly, all of that would have to wait for another day, for there was work to be done.
She turned away from Pinkie, talking to the mare who was actually supposed to be here. “Twilight, I am glad that you were able to make it on such short notice.”
Twilight gave a short bow before looking back up. Even after all these years, she still had the same wonder in her eyes as when she took up being Celestia's student so many years ago. “You know I would drop anything for you, Princess. I'm ready to learn everything you can show me.”
“Indeed, I am sure you are.” Celestia stepped down from the dais and walked up to Twilight. She leaned forward and gave Twilight a quick nuzzle against her cheek. Twilight eagerly returned it. “However, the instruction can wait until tomorrow. You have been traveling, and no student of mine is going to dive straight into her books without a good meal and a good night rest.”
Twilight pulled back from the affection. “But Princess!” she protested, “I'm ready now!”
“Oh, I am quite certain of that. However, I must insist.” Celestia rebutted, always keeping her gleeful grin fixed upon her face. Twilight always was prone to wanting to do as much as she could as fast as she could. It was the point where if she wasn't forced to sit down and relax every so often, Celestia was sure Twilight would go insane from the stress. At times, Celestia felt like she was more and more in charge of making sure Twilight had fun and relaxed in her life as opposed to actually trying to teach her anything. This was especially true considering how Twilight appeared to have made it her life goal to learn everything that had ever been printed ever.
Twilight's mouth worked itself, her forehooves stepping in place. “But... but...”
“Twi-Twi,” Pinkie interrupted. The excitable pony quickly bounced over to Twilight and gave the unicorn a little nudge. “Listen to Princess Celly Belly!”
For the second time since the two walked through those double doors, Celestia scrunched up her brows. Princess Celly-Belly?
“Alright, alright.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “I get it. I'll relax. But first thing in the morning, we're getting down to studying. Deal?”
Celestia nodded. “Deal. In the meantime, Pinkie Pie?”
Pinkie faced Celestia, beaming, “Yes?”
“If you like, I could have my personal chariot ready for you to go back to Ponyville in ten minutes.” She nodded. “Much more pleasant than waiting for the train and you would be back home in no time at all.”
“Oh... umm...” Pinkie's head dropped, her eyes turning downward. With a sigh, she muttered, “That'd be nice. Thank you.” Pinkie slowly took a one-eighty to face the door and made her way out of the room, hooves creating two grooves in the carpet. With each step, more and more of her pink mane and tail lost its bounce. The various pieces of Pinkie's costume that had fallen off of her earlier tangled themselves on her hooves, dragging across the carpet as Pinkie walked.
Oops. Time to backpedal. “Or, if you would rather, you could stay here in the castle while Luna teaches Twilight all of the more... scholarly tasks that she must learn.”
Pinkie's frown quickly turned upside down and she sprang back with a single hop. “I can!? Really!? Oh! Can I hang out with you the whole time? Huh?”
Twilight's head turned sharply. “Pinkie Pie! I think Celestia is too busy to entertain you.”
“Now now,” Celestia said. “Sadly, I do not think... actually, yes. We could do that.”
“Really!?” Pinkie leaped, doing a triple backflip. “Saw-weet! Just think, the two of us—princess and peasant, ruler and subject, big pony and little pony—crashing balls and galas until we pass out! Then, we do it again the next night!”
Celestia covered her mouth to stifle a small laugh. “Well, unfortunately I do not recall any balls or galas coming up anytime soon, but I am certain we could think of something to 'crash' while Twilight is up to her ears in her studies.”
Teeth showing, Pinkie cheered, “Yay for no studies! Yay for princess outing!”
Turning towards Twilight, Celestia nodded. “Now with that detail settled, how about we get something for dinner. Hmm? I am certain Luna is dying to see the two of you.”
“Ooh! Ooh! Luna's waiting for us too!?” Pinkie began hopping around in circles now. “I didn't get to say hi to her at Twi-Twi's 'I just saved Equestria for the millionth time' party!” Barely letting the words leave her mouth, Pinkie zipped along, leaving a cloud of dust and discarded cardboard appendages in her wake.
Smiling to each other, Twilight and Celestia walked side-by-side, making their way towards the dining room. “So Princess,” Twilight started, “You're not going to be the one teaching me?”
“Not this week, no,” Celestia said as she followed the dust trail Pinkie had left behind. Does Pinkie remember where the dining room is in the first place? “Like I hinted at before, Luna is going to teach you all of the stuff that is... well...”
“Tedious?” Twilight offered.
“...Mind-numbingly boring.”
“Ah.” Twilight rolled her head. “And what kind of stuff is involved in the ‘mind-numbingly boring’ section?”
Celestia shrugged. “You know, all things involving tax code, business law, and other busywork that I could use less of. Honestly, if I could, I would simply hire a ton of ponies just to deal with it all that garbage and forget all about it for good.”
“But that’s the sort of thing I like though! Numbers, numbers, and more numbers.” Twilight snickered and stuck out her tongue.
Celestia snorted. “A sad truth that I must live with every day of my life. How I failed you so much, I will never know.” Making a left turn down the hall, Celestia continued to follow the still lingering dust. “Still, I refuse to teach you those sort of things. Lucky for me, Luna was all too happy to volunteer in my stead. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance.”
Blinking from the dust, Twilight took a half step to the side. “Sorta like Pinkie jumped at the one from earlier?”
“I said jumped, not froliced.”
Twilight continued to laugh quietly. “Gotcha. Well, if Luna is teaching me those things, what are you going to be teaching me then?”
“Well, after you get a grasp of the paperwork, I’ll show you how to properly deal with all of the... well, for lack of a better term, pleading, begging, and downright repulsive ankle-biters that want everything you have, and then some.”
“I see...” Twilight muttered to herself, the mare losing the smile as she looked down at her hooves. Gazing down at her student, Celestia smiled at how much Twilight had changed since she left for Ponyville so long ago, and not just physically. The day before her student left, she was all about academics and books, completely shutting out everything else in her life—her family, Spike, and Celestia herself being the sole exceptions. In fact, Celestia was fairly certain that Twilight didn't have any friends before moving to Ponyville. Now, Twilight was a flower in full bloom. She had the most amazing friends and discovered that the magic of friendship could beat any curse that anypony could ever come up with.
Granted, that didn't mean Twilight wasn't completely obsessed with studying and research, and it definitely did not mean Celestia was going to turn down Twilight's inevitable offers to perform the majority of the crown's paperwork. Really, it would be rude of her to deny that opportunity to her most loyal and faithful of students.
Celestia was broken out of her thoughts when Twilight’s voice cut through. “So anyway, how have things in Canterlot been?”
“Oh, you know, the usual, with delegates from the surrounding kingdoms coming over and trying to swindle the cushion out from under my rump.” Celestia closed her eyes and let that smile on her face grow twice as large. “But there are a few stories that I cannot help but laugh at every time I remember them.”
“Like?”
Celestia opened her eyes to make sure that she didn't meet the door frame to the next hall. “Well, it started when the Lords of the Changeling Territories visited and wanted to discuss the trade imbalances between our nations. For context, this started around the time Chrysalis falsely proclaimed herself their leader and attacked us. See, the Territories felt that it was criminal that our ‘barbaric racism' after her invasion was allegedly destroying their domestic industry. Meanwhile, my ponies were insisting that it was nothing of the sort. Tensions started to mount, there was an accidental racial slur on Duke Sly Lips, one thing lead to another, and then...”
“...And then,” Celestia continued, Twilight's and her own laughter nearly derailing the entire story, “Discord figured that deciding where the border bridge was to be built was too boring a subject and the minotaurs were not properly dressed for court, so in the middle of their introductions he turned every single one of their hats into turnips!”
Considering the way Twilight's laughter erupted tenfold, Celestia saved a fair amount of tea by waiting to tell this story. “He... he did what!?”
“Turnips the size of pumpkins!”
Twilight shook her head. “How did that disaster go over?”
Celestia bit back her laughter. Barely. “Honestly? Either they did not realize it until after they left the castle or they did not want to risk offending me by calling me out on it. Either way, they spent the next hour and a half negotiating with the turnips on their heads!”
She and Twilight both burst out in laughter, Celestia herself shutting her eyes from the forming tears. How the two ponies didn't fall to the ground clutching their sides was a wonder. Instead, the two hobbled down the hallway, barely able to walk straight as they made their way to Twilight's and Pinkie's guest room.
After putting down the sun, she was ready to go to bed herself. It had been a trying day, and she felt every moment of it in her joints. If it wasn't for the sweet company that Twilight was gifting her, she was sure that she would've turned right around and made her way back towards her bedroom and into the blissful land of dreams. Instead, she was more than happy to visit with her student and talk about some of the more interesting and notable encounters she'd had in the past few weeks for a couple more minutes. All the while, Twilight was able to talk to her about all of the little things that had happened in Ponyville since Twilight’s coronation.
Alas, the hallway was only so long. Thus, at the end of her story, Twilight and Celestia stood before the guest room that her guests were to stay in. Smiling ever wider, Celestia thought back to all the little memories that were contained in Twilight's former room. It had been several years since Twilight studied directly under her, but during that time Twilight would spend almost all of her nights here in this very room doing whatever it is that she wanted. Most of those things involved book. Yet, the fondest of those memories were of when Twilight was young, the two of them laughing and playing the evening away until Twilight finally tired herself out, curled up against her side, and passed out.
“Anyway, Twilight, I will see you at breakfast tomorrow before you start your lessons,” Celestia informed as she nodded.
Twilight nodded as well. “Of course, Princess, I couldn't imagine—”
“Weee!”
Whatever Twilight was going to say was silenced with that squeal. Both alicorns turned to the room and saw a bouncing pink blur jumping from bed to bed, performing as many flips, spins, and other acrobatics as possible. The amount of athleticism that Pinkie was displaying in her little performance was quite impressive. Celestia wondered if she’d practiced such a routine every night. Regardless of the circumstances, the picture of Pinkie jumping on both beds, ruining the work that the castle maids had put into tidying up the room, was a sight to behold.
Twilight sunk her face into her hoof. Celestia's smile only grew.
“Every time I see her, I always forget how rambunctious and full of energy she is,” Celestia whispered as she watched the acrobatic display.
“You're telling me,” Twilight muttered back. She leaned up closer to Celestia. “You sure that you can handle Pinkie tomorrow?”
Celestia took her eyes off of the cartwheeling pony and gave Twilight the most reassuring grin that she could. “You act as though I never housed a bouncing bubbly pony in the castle before.”
Twilight's mouth opened for just a moment before she paused, a slight blush forming on her face. “I... I was just a filly back then.”
“My statement stands.”
Coughing a few times, Twilight shook her head. “Yes, well, like I said, I was a filly back then. This is completely different. Pinkie's not a child. She's—”
CRASH!
Celestia turned her head back toward the room and saw that Pinkie had overshot her last jump, landing on a now very much destroyed vase. Pinkie rubbed her head and looked at the two of them by the doorway. “Oopsie.”
“...she's a hoofful.”
Celestia giggled one last time and, with a yawn, turned around. “You worry too much, Twilight. I've been ruling over Equestria and all of its ponies for several millennia now. A few days with a single overly energetic pony shall be a welcome respite to the normal droll.”
With that, Celestia made her way away from the room. Still, she was able to make out the faint muttering of Twilight. “You have no idea.”
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This, is pure gold.
Next chapter!
Pairing Celly and Pinkie is something I have never seen before and I would LOVE to see how they function together.
Your opening chapter here, did a fantastic job in setting everything up.
Overly energetic Pinkie, even for her standards? Check!
Unusually open and spontaneous Celly? Check!
Twilight and Luna out of the way? Check!
Celly being over-confident? Check!
This is going to be great
Sweet another Celestia/Pinkie story. Those are always interesting especially when they try to understand each other. I am going to keep an eye on this.
Celly is REALLY going to be feeling her age. It's going to be epic!
I can't WAIT for the next chapter! This is going to freaking brilliant, I can already tell, so far so good.
Keep up the good work, I eagerly await the next chapter!
I will be tracking this.
Edit: I am now tracking this.
Edit 2: I have tracked this.
Those who have commented on this fic at this point, you are the best kind of people.
5629890 Aw! You're pure gold! Hope that you stick with this sucker!
5630694 You better! You follow me for a reason, ya shit! Oh, and why do I never see you on skype?
5631863 I hope it is. Either that, or I'll crash and burn.
5634712 WELL YOU BETTER LEARN HOW TO WAIT, SON!
5634764 Good.
Edit: Still Good.
Edit 2: Still very good.
I'm watching this carefully.
Watching... not reading until it's done. I've been burned too many times.
But... I dare to dream this may be completed one day. Godspeed brave author, from an enthusiastic Pinkie Pie fan.
Brilliant
5637947 You'll be happy to know that, quite literally, I have the entire thing written already. Some cleanup to do on the ending and minor edits to make throughout, but it's already entirely written. Besides, if you look at my story history, I've completed everything I've started! NO WORRIES!!
5638125 No you are!
5637085
lol Simply put I am rarely on Skype unless somebody prompts me to be on Skype. Heck the only reason why I have it in the first place was so I could have face to face conversations with my wife when we were in different states for about a year.
Very promising start, I shall look forward to the contination.
I broke my rule and read the first chapter. So far, so good. I do believe Celestia might be biting off more than she can chew... but maybe that's exactly what she wants.
5638201
That makes me excited!
I am certainly looking forward to more!
Just realized I never replied to a few people that came late. Apologies for that.
5642155 Good! You better! Or else!
5642215
When concerning Pinkie, that tends to be a running theme throughout any and all canon and fandom.
5661794 Yeah. I decided that instead of ending up in a situation where life punts me for fifty yards and I can't write much, I decided to go this route. And I'm excited you're excited! Let's be excited together!