Binding the Sun

by keithsterling

Chapter 1

3:00 pm in Royal family living room of the Canterlot Royal palace, capital city of Equestria.

It’s a quiet afternoon in the City of Canterlot. After finishing her afternoon court duties, Princess Celestia Silverlight lies on top of a rug in the living room of the Royal Palace. Her golden horseshoes have been replaced with a comfy pair of robin egg blue terry cloth slippers that feel wonderful upon her sore hooves. A cozy, robin egg blue robe wraps around her Alicorn figure while her collar and gold tiara adorn a bust of a unicorn head on a nearby shelf. Celestia lifts her front hoof up and chuckles softly as her light purple eyes shine with pleasure.

She is not alone. In the living room on top of a cozy blanket, in the warm light of her mother’s sun sleeping soundly was her one year old unicorn filly daughter, Princess Blueberry Swirl Silverlight. Her tiny front hoof is locked firmly in her mouth. As she continues looking around the room, lying on a large rug drawing and coloring with his auntie Princess Luna was her 5 year old unicorn colt and her only son Prince Somnus Silverlight. Celestia should be jealous of the special relationship her son has with her sister, but she’s not, she is overjoyed that her sister found a pony that, most likely, will remain at her side for his entire life and protect her when she needs it.

Sitting in one corner of the room, at a small desk, doing her homework was Celestia’s rather disagreeable 14 years old unicorn, mare, daughter Princess Aurora Silverlight. Since the death of her father Prince Justice Silverlight, the relationship between her and her oldest has become a bit strained. But Princess Celestia refuses to let the rife between her and her oldest daughter get any bigger, because she has a plan for her to be the next sun princess and take over her rule when she’s ready.

A moment later Celestia’s attention is drawn back to Luna who was standing in front of a closet in the room, removing her own robe and slippers. After putting her princess’s belongings back on, she walks over to Somnus and gestures with her head for him to get on her back. A look of delight crosses the little colt’s face as he tries to scramble up onto his laying down alicorn aunt’s back. After two failed attempts, Luna caught the little colt in her wing; using it like a hand she deposits him on her back. She stood back up and walked towards the door, before opening it, she uses her magic to obtain a ball from a nearby toy box.

“Tia, I promise Somnus I would take him to the park to play for a while. so that is what I’m doing.” Luna explains floating the ball to Somnus so he can hold it for her,

“Go ahead Luna, It looks like Blueberry is waking up and I have to feed her. so go ahead take Somnus to the park. Just keep an eyes on him and be back before sunset.” Celestia explains as her eyes widen with alarm as Blueberry gets to her hooves and runs.

“I will, Tia and I’ll keep an eye on my little Somnus, see you later, Tia, we are off to the park to play, say bye to your mother, Somnus.” Luna explains as Somnus waves good bye to his mother as she takes flight.

“Blueberry!” Celestia exclaims as her little filly runs right into a nearby wall and burst into tears as she sits on the ground.

Quickly Celestia stands up and walks over to Blueberry. She uses her magic to lift her filly up into her front hoof and hold her, while she rubs her back with her other hoof.

The touch of her mother’s hoof makes Blueberry stop crying as her tiny horn begins to glow with a dark blue magic aura. A dark blue bubble forms around a pink colored pacifier lying on the blanket she was sleeping on. Blueberry’s first attempt to float the pacifier to herself failed as it bonked the back of her mother’s head. After the pacifier bonks Celestia’s head it ends up right between her four golden horseshoes. Not wanting to give-up on getting her pacifier, this time her bubble forms around her pacifier and all four of her mother’s gold horseshoes. As the pacifier and horseshoes come flying towards Blueberry, a yellow bubble forms around the shoes stopping them from hitting Blueberry and hurting her. Celestia sighs in relief as she gently puts her horseshoes back on the ground. She rubs her snout onto Blueberry’s lighter blue tummy that makes her giggle.

“You are one troublesome little unicorn filly. Miss. Blueberry Swirl Silverlight but you know what, you are my troublesome little unicorn filly and nothing is going to change that, Mama loves her little princess. Yes she does, Yes she does.” Celestia said motherly rubbing her snout again onto Blueberry’s tummy causing her to drop the pacifier out of her mouth. But instead of crying, she looks into her mother’s light purple eyes.

“Mama...mama...mama...mama.” Blueberry repeats in her tiny voice as Celestia’s eyes moist with joy.

“Uh...oh.” Blueberry exclaims in her tiny voice as tears splash on her tiny face from her mother, who has a gleeful smile across her snout.

*Ggggrowl*

“Uh...oh.”Blueberry exclaims again in her tiny voice as Celestia blushes when her stomach growls.

“Uh...oh is right Blueberry, what do you say about a mother and baby snack?” Celestia inquires setting Blueberry back onto the ground as Celestia opens the door into the hallway.

Before Celestia knew what had happened Blueberry runs out of the room as she gives chase. At a flower pot in the hallway, Blueberry stops and looks for her mother behind her. When she doesn’t see her mother, she sits on the ground and begins to cry.

“Stop crying Blueberry, mama is right here.” Celestia said with a soothing voice as she lands and folds her wings on her side.

“You were a scared little filly it’s ok I was scared too. I lost my little princess don’t worry, Blueberry mama will always come to look for her little princess.” Celestia said in a reassuring voice as she floated Blueberry onto her back with her yellow magic aura before continuing on their way to the palace kitchen for a snack.

3:30 pm Canterlot City Park, capital city of Equestria

The Canterlot City Park is a huge green space in the center of Canterlot that breaks-up the hard stone façades of the many buildings surrounding it. Ponies from every level of society can be found walking around enjoying this green public place. The park is kept green by the Canterlot Public Works Department. Somewhere in the park, with two trees side by side with an opening in the middle of them on either end of the clearing was a weary Princess Luna. Even being the younger sister of Celestia didn’t help her to keep up with a five year old colt nephew. Her dark purple pelt was stained with grass along with her silver horseshoes and black collar. Twigs, leaves and small flowers decorate her messy flowing dark blue mane and tail.

“Come on Somnus! Thou will not beat me! I will stop your ball this time!” Luna challenges as Somnus runs at full speed from the opposite side of a clearing kicking the ball in front of him. At the sweet spot, Somnus pulls his front leg back and kicks the ball as hard as he can. The ball screams towards Luna. She dives towards it and the ball passes right under the outstretch Alicorn. It goes between the two trees she was standing in front of, scoring the winning point off his auntie.

As she comes to rest on the ground, Somnus trots over to her and sits down on the soft grass in front of her. His horn begins to glow with a dark blue magic aura as he begins to remove the twigs, leaves and small flowers out of her mane for her. A cheerful expression appears on Luna’s face as she lifts her head up. Before he knew what happened, she seizes him and nuzzles him with her snout for a while. His cheeks were red from the nuzzling as it tickled him when she finished. She stands up and floats her saddlebags back onto her back.

“Somnus, would thou like to stop for some ice cream before we head back home? Auntie’s treat.” Luna inquires as she looks through her saddlebags to make sure she has her money pouch with her, finding it in her left saddlebag,

“Yes, Auntie, yes.” Somnus said excited jumping up and down,

“Shall we go Somnus?” Luna inquires as Somnus remembers his ball that he kicked into the bushes behind Luna,

“Be right back Auntie, don’t want to lose my ball.” Somnus says as Luna watches him run into the bushes to get his ball before they leave the park. A moment later a fearful scream is heard from Somnus. Luna makes a quick turn and runs into the bushes, just in time to see a big earth pony stallion with a sack on his back running towards the exit of the park. Luna gives chase through the park on foot till she remembers she can fly. She leaps into the sky and glides over the head of the earth pony stallion and lands in front of the exit to the park.

The earth pony stallion skids to a stop and does a quick about face towards the other exit. Before he can get anywhere, a blue magic hand grabs onto the back of his sack. A tug of war begins which lasts for quite a while, until there’s a loud rip and the sack tears open, dumping Somnus onto the grass, holding his ball between his front hooves. Luna quickly straddles Somnus to protect him. Not wanting to take on a vexed Alicorn princess protecting a colt, the earth pony stallion decides to cut his losses and run away before the city watch arrives to arrest him for the attempted kidnapping of Equestrian Royalty. With the earth pony well out of view, Luna sighs with relief.

“Somnus, please say something. so I know you are ok.” Luna worried as she nudges Somnus with her hoof a few times trying to get him to answer her,

“Come on Somnus it’s not funny, don’t do this to me, know how much I care about you. Just say Auntie to me Somnus , Please.” Luna getting more worried the longer Somnus doesn’t answer her as she continues to nudge Somnus with her hoof, until.

“Auntie, pleases take me back to mother, I want my mother, I want to go back to mother and home.” Somnus said with fear in his voice as he begins to tremble,

“Yes, Somnus I think that’s a great idea, let’s take you to your mother and I’ll tell her what happened. Come on, get on my back again.” Luna says in a soothing and reassuring voice as Somnus climbs on her back.

She spreads her wings and, once again, takes to the sky. It only takes her a few moments to fly back to the Royal Palace. Once back inside the walls of the Royal Palace, Luna lands and Somnus jumps off her back. He makes a beeline to his mother, Princess Celestia, who is working in her office at this time with Blueberry in her playpen.

“Luna what happened? I have never seen Somnus this scared before? He refuses to let me go. till I reassure him that no pony would snatch him from the palace.” Celestia explains a bit puzzled with what just happened,

“Sister, may we speak outside away from the foals.” Luna asked not wanting to upset Somnus again,

“Sure Luna, let me just check on Blueberry really fast.” Celestia explains quickly checking on Blueberry in the playpen, before following Luna into the hallway outside the office,

“So what happened to Somnus, Luna?” Celestia inquires,

“Some pony tried to pony nap Somnus. After we finished playing in the park, he went to get his ball out of the bushes.” Luna explains lifting her hoof up in front of her,

“What?!” Celestia said her face glazed with shock,

“Who was it?” Celestia inquired,

“I don’t know sister, my main concern was with the safety of Somnus and getting him back from the pony that snatched him, I didn’t ask who he was or why he did it.” Luna explains,

“That’s fine sister, I am just happy you were there when he needed you. Thank you for saving my son.” Celestia said thankfully as she hugs Luna and she returns the hug.

“But still Luna, .this worries me. Was it an isolated incident or is someone trying to pony nap the royal family? if they are trying to pony nap my children. .which one of my babies is next to be taken? What would happen to them if they succeeded?” Celestia struggles to control the quavering in her voice as tears begin forming in her eyes,

“Celestia stop that (pointing her hoof at Celestia) your children need their mother to be strong for them or they will not feel safe anywhere not even here in the palace. You must protect these children of yours. They are the future for both of us and I will not let anything happen to them.” Luna says encouraging as she spotted a light blue eye looking through a crack in the door into the hall.

“Anyway, I think Somnus is still a bit shaken, go hug that colt. The touch of his mother should lessen his fear and reassure him, he is safe in the palace.” Luna suggest as Celestia shakes her head and uses her magic to open the door.

4:00 pm the streets of Canterlot two blocks from Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.

Walking back to the Canterlot Royal Palace after finding out, she aced several of her magic tests she had to take to move up to the next level of schooling was Celestia’s elder daughter Princess Aurora Silverlight.

‘ Thank mother’s light. if I didn’t ace those magic tests. I couldn’t live down the shame of the failure, being the daughter of the supervisor of the school’ Aurora thought not paying attention to her surroundings.

Suddenly she’s jumped by several earth ponies’ thugs who quickly bind her with a magic rope; a chill runs up Aurora’s spine not knowing what these ponies are going to do to her. Tears begin to well up in her light blue eyes as she’s blindfolded and carried which felt like forever as the memories of her family begin to form in her head.

‘I am so sorry mother for being so cold towards you. It’s been so hard with father’s death. I know you are hurting too and I haven’t helped you at all. .No Aurora, you can’t think like that. You still have time to make-up with your mother, Celestia. but I can’t do that if I am giving-up now.’ Aurora thought determined. Slowly she begins to use her unicorn magic to carefully untie her ropes from around her hoofs. When her legs are free, she quietly gets to her hoofs.

“The Princess is getting away!” an earth pony thug screams as Aurora bowls over any thug blocking her from the door,

Outside the door, the blood drains from Aurora’s face as she finds herself in the maze of a back alley that crisscrosses Canterlot in every direction. She quickly picks a direction and runs down it with the thugs in hot pursuit of her. Along the way Aurora calls for help and knocks over barrels and boxes in an attempt to slow them down. The thug’s chase her at the same time dodging the doors that suddenly open and close in front of her from both sides of the alley. Aurora’s face brightens upon seeing an exit from the back alleys onto the main streets of Canterlot. Her face changes from joy to fear as a small group of thugs block her way out.

Suddenly her horn glows in a dark blue aura. She disappears and reappears behind the thugs on the main street. Without a second thought, she figures out where she is and turns in the direction of the royal palace. Walking out of the palace kitchen, floating a hot teapot in her yellow bubble was Princess Celestia. Aurora busts through the main doors into the palace and runs into her mother knocking her on her back as she catches the hot teapot in her bubble again. With a sigh of relief, Celestia sets the hot teapot on a nearby table and gets back to her hooves. Celestia looks at her daughter. She can swear that she can see her daughter’s heart pounding out of her chest.

“Aurora dear, what is wrong? You are shaking like a leaf?” Celestia inquires concerned for her daughter’s well being,

“Did something happen to you, Aurora? Please, baby, tells me what happened.” Celestia said running her hoof through Aurora’s mane tenderly and lovingly,

“Mommy, they tried to pony nap me. why would someone try to take me?” Aurora said with fear in her voice as tears begin forming in her blue eyes, she wraps her shaking front hoofs around her mother to be reassured of her being safe back in the hoofs of her mother,

“They tried to do what?!” Celestia exclaimed as she swallowed a lump in her throat, soon her fear bubbled-up once again.

The memory is still fresh in this Alicorn mind of her son almost being snatched out of the park by some pony.

“Baby please calm yourself, as long as you are here in the palace. I promise no pony will ever take you away from me, they will have to kill me before I’ll let them take you from me.” Celestia said very confident as Aurora’s eyes widen with alarm,

“Mommy no. don’t give up your life for me. if they come for me I will go willingly, papa is gone. I do not want to lose you too mama.” Aurora said as she dissolves into tears wrapping her front hoofs tightly around her mother,

“It’s ok baby. I will not leave you for a very very long time. Besides, I want to see my great, great, grandchildren take over from their own mother and see how Equestria will change under their rule. It would be the greatest gift that this long living alicorn could achieve a dynasty of good hearted Equestrian Royalty. who cares about the ponies they rule.” Celestia comments,