Plans Change

by Quill Scratch

Behind Closed Doors

Chapter 3
Behind Closed Doors

As dusk approached Celestia stood on the porch of the throne room, looking out over Equestria. Despite the pink film that coloured her view she could make out the landmarks of her kingdom: the Everfree Forest, its dark and gloomy canopy covering a great part of her land, broken only by the few rivers that criss-crossed the woods and the large clearing around her old castle; the distant city of Manehattan, its towering buildings and statues just tiny points on the horizon; the Northern border, recognisable even from here by the icy, snow-topped mountains, beyond which Celestia knew the vanished Crystal Empire had once stood proud. But, as always, Celestia found her eyes coming to rest on Ponyville, one of the small, unremarkable towns that lay in the shadow of Canterlot mountain. It was not a nationwide landmark, nor a place that most outside it would consider important, but to Celestia it was the most important town in Equestria, for it was where her student worked and where the bearers of the Elements lived.

She couldn't quite make out the Library, hidden as the tree was between the many nearby buildings. She could see the Town Hall, though, in its own little clearing in the middle of town. If she remembered rightly Twilight would be there now, discussing with the mayor her changes to the plans for next year's Winter Wrap-Up, despite having only finished that year’s Wrap-up a month prior. That was Twilight, alright; her mind a chaotic mess of tangential thoughts, always working on whichever project took her fancy no matter how practical or useful it would be at the time. Celestia fondly remembered when, barely older than a filly, Twilight had spent days working on a heating spell, despite Equestria being in the middle of a heatwave that had lasted two months.

Celestia closed her eyes and remembered, as she often did, the times she had spent tutoring Twilight in magic. It wasn't that she was obsessed, exactly, more that she had a very personal, vested interest in Twilight's progress. That was how she rationalised it, anyway, although Celestia knew that she had always bordered on the obsessive. It didn’t really matter to Celestia, though; she was too lost in thought to care about her own issues. She could see the young filly before her, eyes sweeping around as she drank in the sights and sounds around her, widening as her lips stretched in a blinding grin. She could see the shivers almost drain out of Twilight’s legs, her nervousness vanishing in the onset of joy and wonder. Celestia beckoned the filly forwards with a tilt of her head and Twilight almost ran to her side, staring out of the balcony at the wide plains of Equestria.

Twilight’s excitement on her first day as her student was not, as Celestia had initially thought, something which would fade with time; even now Twilight would still make her smile with almost maternal pride as she faced each new discovery with the same enthusiasm and sense of wonder that had so enraptured her on that day. It took a great deal of thought for Celestia not to see that filly before her every time she watched Twilight make a new discovery, or find a part of magical history she considered particularly intriguing (though where Twilight was concerned, Celestia mused, there were few parts of magical history that were not worthy of her utmost attention).

There was a light tapping of hooves on the terrace, the gentle whisper of a curtain closing behind her. Celestia didn't turn her head; she didn't need to.

"Good evening, sister," she greeted plainly. She heard Luna reach her position by her side; she felt the light touch of a few strands of her star-filled hair blowing into her coat. Luna took a deep breath.

"Good evening," she replied. "Has the day been well?"

"As well as ever," Celestia answered, opening her eyes and smiling at Luna. “Manehattan teachers are still protesting the changes we’ve made to the curriculum; they’re afraid to teach the history of Nightmare Moon at all, though your blessing might help allay their fears. The Royal Guard brought me up to date on the current plans for security; I’ve asked that they take you through it tonight.” Luna sighed and her head dropped slightly; Celestia gave her an affectionate nudge and smile. “Cadence dropped by, too.”

“Wedding preparations?” Luna asked, rolling her eyes at Celestia’s small nod. “For goodness’ sake, Celestia, how hard is it to plan a wedding?”

“When the bride is confined for security reasons to Canterlot but does not want a Canterlot wedding, dear sister, a wedding can be very difficult to plan.” Luna’s eyes widened at this, briefly, before her lips settled into a smirk.

“And here I thought Celestia, the wise and powerful ruler of all the land, was capable of knowing what kind of wedding would best suit one of her own family.” Celestia gave Luna a withering look; since Luna had returned, she had relentlessly teased Celestia about how their subjects had practically deified her. Initially it had worried Celestia, but Luna had soon reassured her that she wasn’t jealous of that; she wanted to remember her own fallibility, she’d said, and could hardly do that with all the ponies of the land worshipping her as an all-powerful deity. Still, Celestia knew that Luna could not be truly happy whilst she remained for some the only Princess and for others the more important of the two sisters.

“My job would have been easier had you agreed to help, Luna.” Turning her head, Luna smirked and stuck her tongue out cheekily at Celestia who grinned in response, both out of genuine fondness and her pride at her sister’s recovery. Luna might want to be left alone to find her own way into society, but Celestia couldn’t help but be impressed by how quickly Luna was readjusting to her place in society; she had watched as her sister visibly became more comfortable in her own skin over the months since her return and simply couldn’t be more proud of her.

Celestia closed her eyes again and stretched out her wings, giving Luna a small retaliatory flick with her wingtip as she did so. Ignoring Luna’s muttering, she focused her mind on the sun, as she did each morning and night, wrapping tendrils of magic around it until she had it securely in her grasp, feeling the gentle resistance from the shield that encased the city. She tugged, pulling the sun down towards the horizon, flapping her wings as it resisted her pull. She rose until she felt the sun resist no more and a gentle downwards push sent it below the horizon. She felt Luna’s magic reaching out behind her as her sister’s wings flapped to pull the moon up; she gently lowered herself and opened her eyes, watching Luna rise into the air, the relaxed smile on her face lit by the deep blue glow around her horn.

Celestia turned her attention from Luna to the sky, watching as the moon rose and feeling Luna’s magic stretch out in tendrils through the void, weaving into a net that became a canvas for her art. She smiled as the first stars began to blink above her, held mesmerised by the constellations that formed above her head. Even before Nightmare Moon, Celestia had always loved Luna’s night - she always felt, perhaps selfishly, that each moonrise was a private show, just for her. Even tinted pink and obscured by Shining’s protection, there was something beautiful about Luna’s night that she had never managed to match during that lonely millennia: when Celestia decorated the night sky, it was a technically good work, but it lacked the artistry with which Luna approached it.

“Do you like it?” Luna asked, quietly, and Celestia realised with a jolt that she’d been so caught up in her reminiscing and her enjoyment of the stars that she’d not noticed Luna finish. She smiled.

“I always do, Luna,” she smiled at Luna’s narrowed eyes, knowing full well that Luna had always wanted detailed feedback. She chuckled a little. “Orion’s brighter.”

“And a little higher than usual,” Luna replied, biting her lip. “I wouldn’t usually move it around but I wanted to try and see if I could draw some attention away from Canterborous. I was considering making Sirius brighter, but-“

“Luna, it’s beautiful,” Celestia interrupted, placing her hoof against Luna’s lips to quieten her before she got panicky, worrying over whether another choice would have been better. “And this is the first time this month that I’ve hardly noticed Canterborous as you formed the night, so it worked.” Celestia removed her hoof and Luna breathed a small sigh of relief.

Celestia stretched out a wing and wrapped it around Luna, pulling her into her side and giving her a small nuzzle, closing her eyes. Luna leant her head against Celestia’s neck, breathing slowly and calmly, and for a while there was nothing but the two of them relaxing in each other’s company.

“Do you need any help with the wedding preparations?” Luna asked softly.

“I could do with your thoughts on an idea I’d had,” Celestia admitted. Luna stood up straight at that and cocked her head to one side. “Cadence basically told me that she was disappointed with everyone I’d chosen for her wedding preparations. What would be your thoughts on replacing them with Twilight and her friends?” Luna frowned and looked down in thought. After a moment one corner of her mouth tugged upwards and, as she thought more and more, her slight smile spread into a wide-eyed grin.

“So not only would Cadence get a wedding such as she desires, but Canterlot would also have the protection of the elements were an attack to coincide with the day Shining Armor’s shield would be at its weakest?” Luna exhaled sharply, a sound that was almost a laugh. “Tia, that’s brilliant, even for you.” Celestia rolled her eyes.

“It’s better than nothing,” she corrected, “but there are still some issues. Where would we keep the elements during the stay? If the elements stay in their current location, they might not be able to reach them on time; if they hold them themselves they could be stolen much more easily. And what if they themselves are defeated before they can use the elements? But then if we give them the elements and send them away from Canterlot we might not be able to get word to them on time and then they-”

Celestia’s mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. For years she had worn a mask when dealing with her subjects, a mask that required her to at the very least feign unwavering confidence in all her decisions as well as remaining calm and authoritative in all her interactions with adults. Since Luna’s return she finally had somepony she could be herself around and the two of them often found themselves spending an hour at sunrise and sunset just talking, with no pretences and no masks. But Celestia had spent a thousand years with nopony to trust with her worries and doubts about her own decisions, not without having to maintain that mask of calmness where there was none.

Now Celestia found that without her mask every worry came flowing out and her words ran faster and faster, building momentum and her thoughts losing any sense of control and order they might have had, becoming a mass of fear and confusion. When Luna placed her hoof softly against Celestia’s lips, forcing her to stop blurting her worries out, she took a few moments to register what had happened. She blinked.

“Tia,” Luna’s voice was firm but not angry and Celestia’s thoughts calmed slightly at the sound, “all you have said is true. But Canterlot is in danger and any scheme we create to protect it will have its weaknesses. Security is about weighing the danger and taking a risk. So we are going to calmly discuss what might go wrong with each possible positioning of the elements and decide upon the least risky solution, okay?” Celestia nodded. She felt as if Luna’s words were little more than a dam that held back the flood of thoughts and though she felt measurably calmer her mind almost seemed empty in comparison. She inhaled and exhaled slowly, feeling her heart pounding and sending a violent, rapid pulse through her body; she could feel it get weaker and weaker with each breath, calming itself.

“Very well,” she said when she felt she was calm enough to continue. “Should we start with the current situation?” Luna nodded in agreement, smiling softly.

“The elements are here in Canterlot, and those who can wield them are not. Furthermore, only you can open their vault.” Luna bit her lip. “I hope you don’t mind my saying, Tia, but I’m not convinced this is a good plan even in times of peace.”

Celestia processed these words, not quite sure what to make of them. She couldn’t see any problem with the current security arrangements in times of peace: the elements could not possibly be stolen unless somepony as powerful as Discord were to try. Seeing as there was no real security that could protect from Discord and beings of his power, save simply not letting them know where the elements were to keep them searching, this system seemed almost foolproof.

“I don’t quite see why,” Celestia admitted. “After all, nopony could possibly steal them-“

“And if they are needed following your incapacitation due to a surprise attack, what are we supposed to do? Teleport you out and wait for you to recover whilst our enemies use an unprecedented opportunity to attack Equestria while she is unguarded?” Luna scoffed. “At the very least, Twilight Sparkle should be given the power to open that room, too.”

“You suggest Twilight but not yourself?” Celestia questioned, surprised. Luna usually would never hesitate to call her out if she felt she was not being given equal responsibilities. Luna lowered her head in shame.

“I think it wise that I am not given access to the one thing that can stop me if I were to…” Luna trailed off, turning away from Celestia to face out over the balcony. The wind was picking up; her mane and tail, usually a flowing wave, was being blown to one side, strands within it pulling out of their magical curve. The stars within it began to flicker out as single, azure hairs blew across them. Celestia caught sight of her own hair in the corner of her eye doing the same, strands of pink criss-crossing the pastel rainbow.

Pushing the thought from her mind, Celestia walked over to stand by Luna’s side. She gave Luna a gentle nudge to the side with her wing but Luna didn’t react, simply staring out into Equestria. After a moment’s silence, she spoke.

“Look, Tia. Just look at them. There’s an entire country out there, full of ponies who look to us for their safety and protection. We’re not just their leaders; we’re meant to be there to help them, to keep them safe and happy. I forgot that, once, and in my jealousy I could have hurt so many of them.”

“You didn’t-“

“But I could have,” Luna interrupted, turning to look Celestia right in the eyes, her face contorted with anger. Celestia had to work not to recoil in shock, remaining calm for Luna’s sake. “I could have hurt them and, so long as they love you and your day more than me and my night, that makes me a threat. It is my duty to protect Equestria from threats, thus it is my duty to protect Equestria from myself.” What began as anger-fuelled speech, loud and passionate, had dwindled to a quiet, resigned admission.

Celestia wrapped a foreleg around Luna’s shoulders and pulled her sister tight against her. They hadn’t hugged like this since they were children, their wings too small to hug each other with. A wing-hug was more formal and, for sisters who had grown up behind the stoic masks of leadership, the only contact they could have in public. But now they were alone Celestia just needed to hug Luna, to hold her close and to feel her wrapped up safe in her forelegs. She needed Luna to know that she was safe, that she was loved. Luna responded in kind, pulling Celestia closer into her, her breath and body shaking.

“Thank you, Tia,” she whispered after a minute. Celestia gave her an affectionate nudge and untangled herself.

“You’re welcome,” she replied. “You’re right that Twilight Sparkle should have access to the vault; I’ll transfer the ability to open it from me to her on her next visit.” Luna looked up at her and frowned; Celestia smiled. “If my sister isn’t going to have access to that vault, then neither am I. It’s not as if either of us can use the elements now, anyway.”

Luna shook her head rapidly, stopping her grin from spreading too wide and clearing her head. There was business to discuss.

“That is a very sensible plan,” she said, barely controlling her smile. “But I would strongly suggest that, as Canterlot is currently in danger, the elements be given to Twilight and her friends for safekeeping. After all, we cannot afford to have them waste time in an emergency trying to fetch the elements.” Celestia nodded.

“The only issue I can see with that is the possibility of their being stolen,” she replied, “and I think Twilight and her friends are more than capable of looking after the elements, so that could be the less risky approach.”

“Which leaves only one thing to be decided,” Luna added. “Do we bring the six of them to Canterlot for the wedding or do we send the elements to them?” Celestia frowned and began to consider the options, listing in her head their merits and their flaws, but Luna interrupted her thoughts. “Is it even our decision to make?”

“Whose decision would it be?” Celestia replied, confused. Why would they delegate such an important decision for the safety of Equestria?

“Sister,” Luna explained carefully, “I can see no more benefit to choosing one of those options over the other; does that not mean that this is a choice for Twilight Sparkle herself?” Celestia opened her mouth to reply, then stopped and frowned again. She closed her mouth and thought for a moment.

“That’s definitely the best solution,” she replied, slowly, smiling as a warm feeling of pride spread through her chest. She’d missed Luna’s ability to step back from a situation and think outside the box, something she herself found difficult. “I shall write to Twilight at once and ask for a meeting with her, as soon as she can arrive. Is midday suitable for your schedule?”

“Absolutely,” Luna answered, turning with Celestia from the porch and walking back into the throne room. She took her seat on the throne and smiled at Celestia. “Thank you for letting me tag along, sister.”

“You won’t be tagging along, Luna,” Celestia replied, stopping just as she reached the great throne room doors and nodding to the guards as they pulled them open. “You’re as much of a part of this as I am.” Smiling, Celestia turned down the corridor towards her bedroom, leaving Luna grinning like a foal behind her, and began planning an invitation in her head.

Dear Twilight,

I am sure you are as excited as I am for the upcoming wedding in Canterlot...