Eden
Celestia arched her back, stretching and groaning in the comforting warmth of her morning sun as it slowly peeked over the mountainous surroundings. The tall fjords that flanked Sol Point's wide, gently moving river still fell in the shade, as their angle didn't allow the sun to strike them directly. The big eastern face of the Sol Point estate, however; shined brilliantly in her morning sun, its white walls, dark wood trim, wide windows, and peaked roofs being a fairly grand departure from the home Celestia had known for a thousand years. Canterlot Castle, so far from where she now stood, was a boisterous, proclaiming building, showing off the nation's strength and wealth.
Unlike the massive Canterlot Castle, Sol Point's grand size was not to be flashy, but for simple comfort. Celestia stood two-fold taller than any other pony in Equestria, her lengthy horn adding to that size considerably. The halls, doorways, and windows of Sol Point were scaled up to fit her size, as was the furniture in her study and bedroom, however; all of the furniture within the other areas of the estate were crafted to accommodate the standard pony.
Like a starling in the nest of a crow, the staff seemed inadequate when going about their business within the high ceilings and tall doorways of Sol Point. Celestia, however; felt perfectly at home. Even now, a full week after arriving in the estate, the staff made comments on how they felt tiny in the home. She assured them that after some time things would come to feel normal. If she were to be honest, things still didn't feel totally normal for her, either. It was slightly jarring being the head of the nation one day then... nothing the next.
Those who had been closest to her gained the greatest reward any pony could ask for; the opportunity to become permanent staff in the estate. Much to her pleasure, and a bit to her surprise, all of those Celestia had invited to take the positions accepted with mirth. Raven Inkwell, who had served as her secretary since before Luna's return, Chef Tea Leaf and her team of cooks; Pan Sear and Flip, Tremor and Clean Sweep, a young married couple that had been part of Canterlot's cleaning staff for quite some time now, and lastly, Mint and his lovely marefriend Vesper, who had met each other a number of years back after becoming gardeners in one of the many grand gardens around Canterlot Castle, were the ones she had grown closest to, and was overjoyed that they had all agreed to live with her until they wished to retire.
Unlike Celestia's situation, the change of location did not mean a change of job; they all still did what they had done within the confines of Canterlot Castle, but the main difference was not with the content of their jobs, but with how they were allowed to do their jobs. Celestia had an odd set of rules for them to follow; they were the polar opposite of what they had all been expected to do while working at Canterlot Castle. The staff was to never rush, worry, or stress over their work. There were no deadlines for when things must be done; as long as they were done, things were fine. One would think with such rules that, after a time, the staff would become lazy and take advantage of this system.
In Celestia's eyes, she could only see the opposite. She had seen staff become lazy over time because they had lost interest with their work. If the staff is never over-worked, stressed, or worried, then they are happy. When ponies are happy, they work better. Secondly, motivation came in the form of very healthy paychecks for their full-time commitment. Third to that was the fact that Sol Point was not just Celestia's home, it was theirs, as well. Every staff member ate from the same table, relaxed by the same fireplace, read from the same library, played in the same river, and slept under the same roof. If they slacked and did not do their job, then by default they hurt themselves as well as those around them.
"Good morning, Celestia." croaked the tired voice of Raven, causing Celestia to turn around to see her secretary standing in the wide open, boisterously sized double doors of the entry hall.
She had clearly just woken up; her white fur was ruffled in places, her brown mane tangled and frazzled, and her black-frame glasses didn't rest on her muzzle.
"Sleep well, Raven?"
She nodded, moaning tiredly as she came up beside Celestia. "As always."
From the smooth stone platform they stood upon spanned a welcoming, gently sloping staircase as if the home were to see regular travel, and before that staircase lay the estate's expansive gardens, which currently still remained in the shade. The surrounding trees meant the early hours of the morning could be spent without the heat of the sun, leaving the air crisp and cool, dew still glimmering on the leaves of the many, many plants that provided the estate with its own supply for fresh veggies and fruits.
From many rows of plants appeared half of a mint-colored stallion, his head doing a quick flip to throw his pale gray mane from his face as he used a hoof to wipe sweat from his brow.
"Good morning, dear Mint!" chimed Celestia, waving to the gardener.
"Oh, good morning to you, Celestia... and Raven!"
Vesper, a violet-furred mare with curly black hair, now too popped up not too far from Mint. "Hey, Celestia!"
"Getting an early start to pulling weeds and plucking fruits?"
"Yep!" "As always!" they returned.
Celestia smiled. "Best to work while it's still cool out, hm?"
"Oh yeah, doing this mid-day wouldn't be fun." returned Vesper.
"Are there any fresh strawberries over there?" called Raven, bringing Celestia's attention to her.
"Yeah, tons. Want one?"
Raven smiled. "Yes, I do. Toss the best one you can find over here!"
Vesper crouched below the thick foliage, remaining for only a moment before coming back up and hurling a strawberry in Raven's direction. With flawless precision, Raven's magic caught the red berry, eliciting a giggle from Celestia as she chomped down on the fruit.
"Thank you!"
"Anytime, Raven!"
With that, Raven turned for the open front doors, Celestia following as she waved goodbye to the gardeners. As they entered the entry hall, Celestia paused, drawing her gaze upward into the impressive space. Being the only place in the estate to span all three floors, the entry hall served as a way of getting to the second and third floors via a large, quite grand spiraling staircase of black, shiny cast-iron. Each floor had its own balcony within the hall which provided both a way of getting from the stairs to the halls of the floors as well as a wonderful place to stand in the morning and look out across the garden and valley. The eastern face of the entry hall was almost entirely window, four huge panes allowing a nearly unobstructed view.
Looking down from the impressive space she watched Raven continuing on into the main room, Celestia's pace quickening to a trot as she caught up with her friend. The estate's main room lived up to its title, as it took up nearly all of the first floor, only the kitchen and fairly massive food pantry occupying space on the ground level. When coming down the hall into the first part of the main room, the living room, one was greeted by a wide-mouthed fireplace flanked by two massive windows off to the right, soft carpets, wide couches, and white lounging cushions. Directly ahead stood two glass doors which led out to a wide porch, those two doors currently opened to let the breeze through. To the left, separated from the living room by a few plain support pillars, was the dining room, its huge, dark wood table stretching from one side of the room to the other. Each side of the table was equipped with five chairs, and at the table's head, rather than a grand throne or ornately carved seat, was a simple white cushion for Celestia to sit upon during mealtime.
Lastly, even further to the left of the dining room, was the kitchen. It was cut off by a proper wall, but this wall came with a wide, open window for food to be served through and to allow the other members of staff easy access to the various brewing machines that stood on the counter. Past this open window, standing before one of two stoves, was Chef Tea Leaf, her status as head chef marked by her sleek black chef's jacket. As Raven and Celestia entered the main room, she turned to address them, a smile dawning on her expression.
"Oh! Good morning! Breakfast'll be done soon, your High-"
Tea's words caught in her throat. Her clay-brown cheeks flushed red, Celestia giving a gentle chuckle at Chef's little blunder.
"Old habits die hard, dear Chef."
Tea smiled. "That, they do. Still got a bit of adjusting to do, ya know?"
Celestia nodded as she came to the head of the table, sitting on her cushion. "We all do. Even I'm not accustomed to this life as of yet."
At Sol Point, three words had been forbidden; 'Highness', 'Majesty', and 'Princess'. At Sol Point, Celestia was Celestia; she was not Princess Celestia or Her Highness. She was a pony, just like her staff. The long horn and grand, swan-like wings gracing her body were no longer symbols of superiority. She did not look down upon them, despite being twice their height. The fact she still retained every power within the government she once held did not mean she was their leader or ruler. For the first time in her life, she was an equal to those around her.
"Would you like your morning tea?" inquired Raven, looking over her shoulder as she now stood before the tea brewing pot.
"Oh, of course."
The tea brewer got the most use out of any machine in the kitchen besides the stand mixer and the oven. While everypony in the estate enjoyed a cup of coffee in the morning, the tea brewer was used all throughout the day. Luna's jokes that Celestia ran off of pure sunlight and twelve gallons of herbal tea sweetened with honey weren't too hyperbolic.
"Got any special requests this morning, Celly?" Chimed the ever cheerful voice of Flip.
A cheery, spry young Unicorn, Flip was the youngest member of the staff, and had been at Chef Tea Leaf's side for a fair two years now. Her incredibly curly blonde mane and tail always seemed to shimmer in whatever light shined upon them, and her pale blue fur reminded Celestia of how Luna's fur had once been.
"Not this morning, I'm afraid. The creative juices aren't flowing."
The third cook, Pan Sear, poked her head around the wall, her deep orange eyes gleaming against her purely white fur and mane. "Well, you should get them going again. Those apple dumplings you came up with the other day were incredible."
The sharp clink of metal on porcelain cut the air for a moment as Raven trotted from the brewing machines to Celestia, her magic stirring the cup of tea held in her aurora.
"Thanks, Raven." smiled Celestia as she accepted the steamy brew, taking a sip before looking back to Pan Sear. "They were indeed wonderful, but only because of the expert execution of the pastries by Flip."
Flip waved her hoof, blushing. "Oh, I'm just doing my job."
In many ways the filly was similar to Twilight's delightful friend Pinkie Pie. While Flip bounced a lot less and adhered to the laws of physics a lot more, she still spoke with the same mannerisms and cheery tone. Curly hair, high-pitched voices, adorable smiles, and skilled pastry chefs; one would think they were related. Pan Sear, on the other hoof, stood at the other end of the spectrum. She was a fair bit older than Flip, and always seemed far more... stoic. It was a Luna-type stoic. A gentle smile, calm eyes, and soft speech. Celestia was beginning to see why she had chosen her staff; they were familiar.
"Ah, but you are doing your job very well. Maybe this evening I'll sit down and brainstorm ideas. Creative confections have always been a favorite of mine." returned Celestia as she took another sip of tea.
"I'd like to see you come up with something crazier than the peanut butter and jelly hayburger." added Chef Tea, looking over her shoulder.
"That was a million-bit idea. If you ever open another restaurant, I'll be disappointed if I don't see it on the menu."
Tea snorted out a little laugh. "Oh, if I do, it'll be on there."
While Chef Tea Leaf was extremely skilled in her craft, she had a quality Celestia valued greatly; dedication. It had been a while since she had encountered somepony so horribly dedicated and tenacious in what they want to do. Her life story was quite a mouthful. Moving from Fillydelphia to Prance, getting her chef's certifications, then moving back Fillydelphia, then moving again to Canterlot where she attended schooling at Canterlot University for a Business Masters, then moving on to open two failed restaurants, then three successful ones, then leaving her kitchen and securing a job as the Castle's head chef. She had packed more life into twenty years than Celestia had into a hundred.
"I smell food."
Celestia looked up to see Clean Sweep, a brown-furred, gold-maned Pegasus. She instantly noticed that Tremor wasn't at her side. Thus far, the two were inseparable.
"Where's that husband of yours?" Celestia asked.
Clean sat herself down at the table. "Lazy wings is still in bed."
That brought a smile to Celestia's face. The staff had her encouragement to sleep in as long as their work wasn't effected, and thus far, only a few had actually followed that suggestion. To the surprise of everypony in the room a flash of blue light ignited from Celestia's horn, a stack of papers from Equestria's new head; Luna, appearing before where Celestia sat at the table. Along with the documents, sitting alone atop the stack, was a rolled up parchment closed by Luna's personal seal; a pale blue wax stamp with the depiction of an Alicorn at its center.
While Celestia was certainly retired, she wasn't up for the idea of relinquishing all of her duties. She had, essentially, slid into the seat Luna once occupied; second in command. She retained every power she once held and could return to Canterlot at any time if she wished. What Sol Point had given her was freedom. The bills and propositions that once consumed her being were now methods of keeping current with the times and dodging the clutches of boredom.
"Do you want me to take those to the study?" Raven asked.
Celestia nodded, handing the stack and personal letter off to Raven's magic. As she departed down the short hall leading out of the main room, she passed a tired looking Tremor, whose blue mane and white fur were in a state similar to hers; messy and disheveled.
"Ah, I see you've decided to join us for breakfast," Celestia called with a smile.
"Hey, honey!" Chimed Clean Sweep as she pulled the chair beside her out, allowing Tremor to drag himself into it.
"Mh, good morning."
The two shared a little kiss.
"Breakfast'll be done in 5!" Tea leaned through the kitchen window. "Somepony should go tell Mint and Vesper, they always take forever cleaning up."
Celestia stood from her cushion, bringing her tea with her. "I'll be back with them shortly."
As she went from the dining room down the hall Raven returned from the third floor, trotting her way down the staircase.
"Breakfast is in 5." plainly informed Celestia, sipping her brew after speaking.
Raven let out a little gasp of excitement. "Oh, good! I'm starving."
Through the wide open front doors Celestia stepped, standing just on the fringe of the stairs as she peered out across the garden, the sun now high enough to shine past the tall oaks off at the far end of the garden.
"Oh, dear Mint and Vesper! Breakfast is on in 5 minutes!" Celestia called out with a bit of song in her voice.
From both sides of the expansive garden peeked Mint and Vesper's heads.
"Oh, cool! Thanks, Celestia!" "Thanks for letting us know!" came their simultaneous responses.
Celestia tipped her head to them, turning back for the doors. As she came further and further into the estate the scent of breakfast became more potent, and as she rounded the corner of the hall, she was met with a full spread of delicious food placed at the center of the big dining room table. Her mouth watered as she trotted to her cushion, replacing her cup of tea with the fork and knife beside her plate.
French toast, pancakes, waffles, scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, strawberry and maple syrup, fruit salad, toast, croissants, danishes, biscuits, butter, and homemade peach jam. Her front hooves rubbed together in anticipation. She looked up to the three chefs, who sat together at the right side of the table with Raven, who naturally sat closest to Celestia.
"Another incredible meal, dear chefs." she spoke with a smack of her lips, her magic working to bring many different items to her plate.
"Thank you, Celestia." "Thanks, Celly!" "You're very welcome."
Celestia gave them a warm smile as she dug into her breakfast.
The tip of a quill dipped into the puddle of ink within the jar beside one of the many documents and bills sent by Luna in the early morning, Celestia signing her name in perfect, beautifully calligraphic text before setting the paper with the 'done' stack, moving on to the next. The evening sun radiated through the curtains of the westerly facing windows of the study, lighting the room with a blissful orange glow. The study, which was technically the fourth floor, stood proudly at the corner of the estate and served as a place where one could observe the entire valley. All four walls of the square room were adorned with large pane windows, each window taking up much of the wall space while providing a most wonderful view.
The study was much more than just an office for Celestia, it was a place where her staff could come to write, read, paint, watch the sun set, listen to music from the phonograph, or enjoy themselves by the fireplace. It was referred to as 'her study' only as a formality. Just as the library, study, and even the whole estate were said to be 'hers', they were truly 'theirs'. The staff were welcome within every corner of the estate, save for her bed quarters.
Currently, at the far end of the room in the leftmost corner, Raven sat comfortably in an armchair before the extinguished fireplace, her eyes focused on her novel. The room was totally quiet, as neither of the mares had decided to play one of the many, many records Celestia had dragged along with her.
The library of music, same with the estate's library of books on the second floor, held one trait that separated them from the collection of books and music she had kept in her quarters within Canterlot Castle; every book was a book she had never curled up with, and every record was a piece her ears had never been witness to. It was a choice that, thus far, she was pleased with, as she had recently finished a novel that she would have never considered reading and she had discovered a new album and genre that she was quite fond of.
As she signed another bill, her eyes glazed over the still rolled up letter her sister had sent; the first personal letter Luna had sent since Celestia's retirement. She found herself having a hard time undoing the wax seal and unfurling the scroll to discover what had been inked within. Every time her eyes snapped to it, the shadow of guilt that hung over her happiness cast its darkness, if only for a split second. Despite a departure party that left her heart warmer than the sun, she still felt guilty that she had left her sister, student, and niece behind, despite the fact that Twilight and Cadance had been off with their own tasks for quite some years now. Sighing and gathering her courage, she embraced the scroll with her magic, gently undoing its wax seal and unfurling it.
Dear Celestia.
I shan't bother trudging over the ever-so customary 'I miss you', as I know that, in your infinite wisdom, you are mostly likely able to ascertain that I do indeed miss you. In place, I wish to extend words I feel I didn't quite properly speak the morning of your leaving. I have never, in my long time of life, been happier for you. Knowing you now live under the kind veils of joy and relaxation makes my heart calmer than I could possibly express through writing. Since eternities beginning I have feared for what the future may hold for you. I feared what may come of you in the face of the seemingly insurmountable foes we have dueled in the past. Now, I know you are happy, calm, and without the stresses of this ever exciting occupation that you call 'being a Princess'.
As your sister, and simply being who I am, I understand your mind clouds itself with the vile creature that is guilt. Ask yourself this; what is there to feel guilty over? I assume it to be the fact myself and our family are not standing close by as we once were, but I assure you, we are there. No distance can separate our hearts, for love is the only thing to transcend the vastness of space and remain intact. I know well.
Be free. Be happy. Don't eat too many cakes.
Love, Luna, and every soul beneath the sun you bring up in the morning.
The scroll fell from Celestia's magic, a shuddering gasp breaking the quiet air tears dripped down her cheeks. Through blurred vision she looked at the scroll, the corner of her hoof held in her teeth as she tried, and failed, to suppress her crying. She looked up to Raven for only a moment, that moment being long enough for her to see the concern in her secretary's eyes.
"What... what's the matter?"
Celestia took a deep breath, drying her eyes with her hoof as she sat up a little straighter. "I-I... I'm simply getting a little emotional over my sister's letter."
Raven stared for a moment. She observed something that if Celestia had caught another doing she would have scolded them for; hiding emotion.
"You're still acting like a Princess. Hiding your tears."
Celestia's breath caught as she looked back up to Raven. "Old habits die hard..."
There was a short laugh shared between the two as Celestia looked back down to the letter, her magic holding it out straight as she skimmed the text, sniffling as she let her tears return.
"What did she say that made you so emotional?"
Celestia chuckled, wiping her eyes as she tried composing herself. "'L-Love is the only thing to transcend the vastness of space and remain intact. I know well.'"
Her eyes shut hard, tears gleaming in the evening sun as they rolled down her pure, white cheeks.
"You're still upset about what you had to do to all those years back..."
A quick nod brought Raven to her hooves, her book being left behind as she walked to Celestia's side.
"'At Sol Point, there will be happiness'." quoted Raven, bringing Celestia's gaze to her, "You don't seem too happy."
Celestia let out a stifled laugh. "I am happy... happier than I've ever been. These, for the most part, are tears of happiness."
"For the most part?"
Celestia sniffled, looking back at the letter. "For the most part."
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This reminds me of 'Dusk Falls ' with the isolated setting and friendly servents attending to a very modest Celestia.
8092068 Dusk Falls... ain't that by Norris?
If so, always wanted to read it, but never have. Also, thanks for showing interest. I hope to see you around for when I release updates!
8092117 It is! And I do plan to stick around.
who did the art?
8092283 Rain Gear.
8092117 It sucks don't read it. Plus the author is a huge jerk.
8092396 Yeah, what a huge dick. I heard he eats children
8092117 I read Dusk Falls maybe a year ago, it's a really good story I recommend you read it.
8092462 It looks real good, problem is I have a hard time finding the time to sit down and read big things.
Have you read the first chapter yet, by the way? It always makes me happy seeing you around.
8092467 I'd say this is an interesting story, looking foward to see how Discord come into play.
Wait, how did this get downvotes? Unless those are more for the premise than the actual story...
8092574 It's premise, I'm quite sure. People are quite picky with their OTP's.
That cover art is actually more explicit than it appears.
8092601 This was originally going to have a sex scene. Also its good clickbait.
8092607 When I looked at the cover art I was like "wait a minute, I remember seeing that image before" so yeah. I know this story is not going to have a sex scene cuz it has an E rating.
I might suggest em-dashes around Luna, instead?
Ah, a nice, relaxing retirement...oh wait, Discord is in this.
I'd just like to say I'm trying very hard to contain my excitement for I am doing school.
ialreadylovethisstorysomuchandijustagghugh
8093347
stick around, my friend, for it only gets better from here. I hate to plug my page like this, but you could give me a watch to find out when updates occur. I'm publishing new chapters every two days
I like what you have so far.
Im keen to see some Discord
As a side thingie, do you have a link to that cover art?
8094145 I don't, and I'm currently at work... so that totally negates any chance I'll provide a link.
Also, thanks for the comment, like, and fave! Chapter 2 will be released tomorrow, and with chapter 2 comes Discord.
8094152 ooooh, things will get fun then
*cough*orig01.deviantart.net/9ee9/f/2017/103/7/0/2017_04_13_192027_1280x800_scrot_by_fluffysam1212-db5p3la.png *cough*
8094313 WHOA WHAT
WHEN
DID THAT
WHAT
HOLY FUCK-A-ROONI
WE DID IT REDDIT. IT WAS THERE FOR A SPLIT SECOND BUT IT DON'T MATTER! Thank you for spotting this, I would have never known...
I swear I just saw a new chapter uploaded, read it, and then reloaded the page and it was gone. What.
8096320 Yeah... I'm dicking around with these stupid chapters. For some reason, when I publish a new one, it doesn't show the story in the updated section. Apologies; I'll just repost them.