A Dance Between the Sun and the Voice in Her Head

by MistOverMoon

Chapter Two - Preparation

The next day began as it always did. Celestia rose to the night and walked out to her balcony to raise the sun. With her wings spread wide and horn glowing with a brilliant gold hue, Celestia wrapped her power around the brilliant sun and rose it into the sky. Unlike the moon, the sun was easier to raise for her.

Celestia nearly groaned as she flexed her frayed magic reserves. A thousand years of both raising the sun and moon had nearly stretched her magic thin. At the moment she could scarcely beat a changeling queen. Still, despite it all, the sun would rise today as well. Tomorrow might be different story. She had faith in Twilight, hopefully eternal night would not come to pass.

With her most important task done for the day it was time for the mountain of smaller ones. She stood taller, and then looked in the mirror. As always, she looked like she just got mauled by Cerberus. Her multicolored pastel mane consisting of pink, turquoise, cobalt, and cerulean colors was haggard and twisted together into knots. Even now it tried to sway with the fragments of her power in an unseen breeze, which created a scene much like a tattered battle standard.

After a moment of staring into her magenta eyes with dark bags beneath them the color of tar, Celestia rang a small gold colored bell by her bedside. A few seconds later there was a knock at the door.

"Permission to enter your majesty?"

"Permission granted, Raven." Celestia said.

A moment later the door opened, and a crowd of mares walked in. There were at least four maids who quickly set to work untangling her mane and applying powder over her eyebags. One brought up a stool to reach the top of her head and quickly began brushing. Celestia winced but said nothing as they strangled the tangled mane into submission. Raven, a mare with a white coat and dark brown mane closed the door behind her. Immediately she held up a clipboard and withdrew the pencil which was behind her ear.

"Would you like to hear the schedule your majesty?" Raven adjusted her glasses as they glinted in the morning light.

"I told you to stop calling me that in private. Especially in the morning, I'm going to be hearing that all day." Celestia gave her a gentle smile which turned into a wince as her hair was pulled.

"Of course, princess."

"That one as well." Celestia said.

"Very well... Celestia... the brilliant sun." Raven coughed.

"Let me hear the schedule then." Celestia sighed.

"Beginning at 6:30AM with the sunrise. 7:00AM is breakfast. 7:30AM is your personal response to letters from the populace. 8:00AM begins day court which lasts until 1:00PM. 1:00PM to 2:00PM is your break which includes lunch. 2:00PM to 5:00PM are for documents you need to sign as well as general managing. 5:00PM to 6:00PM is dinnertime. After dinner you will need to head to Ponyville for the Summer Sun Celebration. Unfortunately, governmental review and night court will have to be canceled."

"What about the shipments?" Celestia already felt tired at the day ahead but kept her voice full of energy.

"The shipments have been sent out to farms across Equestria." Raven noted.

Celestia felt a great weight be lifted off her shoulders. Ever since she had banished her sister, she had been working on imbedding the power of her sun into small stones. It was draining to create them, but it would be worth it if she really did get sealed into the sun. Each stone had the power to emit daylight, hopefully in the case of eternal night it would be enough to nourish crops. It was not ideal, but it was something.

"What about Twilight? Did she make it safely to Ponyville?"

"The carriage is prepared for her. She will most likely leave soon." Raven said.

"Wonderful as always Raven." Celestia stood, her fur brushed and her mane waving. Upon her head was her golden crown and around her neck her royal regalia. Her mane drifted in an unseen wind, filled with magical energy. The bags beneath her eyes were hidden beneath a layer of practically invisible makeup and a hint of illusion magic. "Thank you for the help my little ponies."

"Our pleasure princess!" The maids evacuated the room in the next second. They were quite quick on their hooves; it was part of the reason Celestia hired them.

"I need to see Twilight off, I'm afraid that I can't attend breakfast." Celestia towered over Raven and was careful not the bump into her as she exited the room.

"I will have a slice of cake sent to your study while you respond to the letters." Raven scribbled on her notebook.

"You know me too well, Raven." Celestia smiled. The thought of cake immediately made her feel better. There was no food as good as cake in this world.

"If you ask me, maybe you should go for some greens instead." Void snickered in her mind. "The flanks are getting a little... robust."

Immediately Celestia froze. The light smile on her face immediately turned to a frown at the voice and her mane whipped as if in a windstorm.

"Something wrong your majesty?" Raven looked up at her.

"Nothing Raven, just had a thought." Celestia forced herself to calm down, her mane returning to a gentle breeze. "Let us head to the carriage."

"Of course, your majesty."

Void just had to ruin her mood again. The stallion was insufferable, and the greatest day of her life would be when he was gone from her head. She couldn't even respond back in public without seeming like she was going insane.

Celestia knew the pristine white halls of the palace like the back of her hoof. It was because of this that she found herself at the castle gate in moments. The golden carriage was already prepared and waiting. The two guards that pulled the carriage didn't even glance in her direction as she arrived. They were well trained.

Twilight sat next to the carriage practically biting her hooves. Spike was next to her with his arms folded as he gave her a disgruntled look. Even as Celestia approached she could hear Twilight's murmuring.

"Heading off soon my most faithful student?" Celestia stepped into the daylight at the front gate.

"Princess Celestia?!" Twilight jumped into the air at her voice.

"That would be me." Celestia hummed, stifling a laugh. It always felt good to have a little mischief.

"What are you doing here?" Spike asked. In his hand was half of a gem, it seems he has been snacking.

"Spike! Show some respect." Twilight said.

"It's quite all right Twilight. I just wanted to see off my student and her reliable assistant." Celestia said with a smile.

"T-that's me!" Spike puffed up his chest with pride.

"Princess, you didn't need to see me off. I got everything under control!" Twilight chuckled with a nervous laugh her eyes drifting to the ground.

"I am sure you do. Remember, you're not just there to oversee the celebration, make sure to make some friends!" Celestia said. "That is what is most important."

"B-But what about the book I found? Nightmare Moon is going to return tonight! Shouldn't we be coming up with a plan to stop her?" Twilight jumped to her feet. "The world will be covered in eternal night by a wicked mare of darkness!"

"I told you not to worry too much about that book, Twilight." Celestia sighed, it hurt to beat around the truth in such a way, but it was necessary. If she told Twilight everything about the situation then any relationships she made would be forced and at the most vital moment the elements would not bond to Twilight. "Even if it was true, there is nothing that we can do in such a short time."

"I guess you're right." Twilight's head drooped.

"Don't be so down Twilight. Your theories have always been exceptional, no matter what they always seem to hold a grain of truth." Celestia said. "Now, do not wait much longer. Sometimes you have to be the first one to extend the hoof of friendship!"

"Yes princess!" Twilight hopped onto the carriage and dragged Spike with her. "I will not wait a moment longer!"

"Hey!" Spike shouted as he was grabbed. "Watch the dorsal fin!"

"I'm ready! Let's get going!" Twilight shouted with a maniacal glint in her eyes.

In nothing more than a moment the stallions pulling the carriage started running. The carriage took off with the sounds of Spike's yelling growing fainter with each second. Celestia found herself standing alone in front of the gate. That was until the clack of a pencil reminded her of Raven's presence.

"Do you think I did the right thing?" Celestia wondered aloud. "Sending her to Ponyville?"

"I think you made the best decision with what you were given." Raven said. "Mothers and teachers across Equestria ask themselves the same question every day."

"I just hope she will still speak to me. What if she doesn't want to talk to me anymore after meeting friends?"

"I am sure that she will still speak to you princess, she adores you."

"I just hope she is alright." Celestia looked to the blue sky, thinking of what was to come.

Of course, Celestia knew that Raven did not know what she really was asking about. To send your student out for the first time was one thing, to send them out against an angered Nightmare Moon was another. Despite it all Celestia was hoping that Nightmare Moon would not hurt her student or her new friends, after all the one she truly despised was her.

"It is time for the letters your majesty." Raven knocked her pencil on her clipboard.

"Of course." Celestia sighed. "I will be up in my study, also, please double the portion of cake sent up."

"As you wish your majesty." Raven bowed lightly and walked away.

"Sure you need that? I'm mean, I'm not complaining about a larger sun cutie mark but still-" Void's voice crawled its way into her mind once again.

"Shut your indignant mouth, Void." Celestia murmured as she walked to her study. "I will have my cake and you will be silent."

"Then maybe we can talk about what you just did? I mean, sending your student to face your dear sister? I know that you are grooming her to be Equestria's next ruler, but that seems like a little much for such a little pony."

"It had to be done." Celestia said beneath her breath as she walked the halls. "She is more than prepared for the task ahead."

"They are all just pieces of your board, aren't they? You have been moving that piece up the board for a while now. You are going to promote that pawn to queen and then dump all of your responsibilities onto her when you retire. I admit, the plan is sinister enough to nearly bring me to tears."

"She is not a pawn. None of my ponies are pawns." Celestia resisted the urge to stomp in anger. "If anything, you are the only pawn here. I could play this game for an eternity."

"Your right, I'm just a pawn in your game. I always have been." Void trailed off, his voice low and beaten. "I'm never going to be free, am I? I'm never going to be by your side. I am never going to feel the warmth of your sun ever again."

"Not if I can help it." Celestia's heart nearly softened. She had to remind herself it was just another one of his games. "The only place you will see is Tartarus."

Void did not respond the rest of her way to her study. No guards bothered her as she walked. She took a moment to look out one of the glass windows looking out over her kingdom. Green grew as far as the eye could see and, in the distance, if she looked hard enough, she could see Ponyville. Twilight was not just a pawn in her game, she was her faithful and beloved student. Nothing Void could say would change that.

She wished she could tell Twilight about Void; the mare was brilliant and could probably come up with something to help her. Yet, she knew where Void's power stemmed from. With every soul that knew of Void's existence his power would grow. It was unexplainable how it worked but it was proven. The last time she had told someone, Void's whispers had nearly drowned out her own thoughts. She had to wipe that part of the unfortunate mare's memory with a spell steeped in dark magic. It had not been her brightest moment.

Celestia stepped into her office and sat down in front of her desk. Even if she had to face her sister today there was no excuse to put off the duties the kingdom required. Her horn glowed and a stack of letters floated to her desk. She opened one and began reading.

One of her duties was to listen to the woes of her subjects. This task took up most of her day through a combination of letters and day court. Day court often consisted of listening to her subjects personally. For now, she would attend to the letters which was another way to reach her.

The first few letters were nothing of real note, an ask for tax breaks and a request for the guard to be sent to some far-off town. She wrote her responses, letting them know that guards would be on the way and putting the tax break into consideration. It was when she was halfway through the stack of letters that a letter really stood out to her.

The letter was from a merchant. It spoke of a triangular red and dark metal amulet. At first, she thought it was another "historic artifact" but as she read, she grew more concerned. The merchant spoke of receiving it from a few adventurers who raided an ancient temple. Apparently, it made ponies around it uneasy. The whole thing sounded like dark magic.

"Sounds like my kind of item." Void hummed in her mind.

"You are always quick to return." Celestia said.

"I have a knack for it I do admit. So, what are you going to do? Wait for another evil to fester into a problem again? You are quite good at postponing things instead of taking care of them."

"I do not blow things off as you say, I do what is needed." Celestia said.

"I'm sure your sister would agree."

Celestia took the quill in her magic and put pen to paper. Despite her budding irritation at Void, she said nothing and instead began to write. If she was banished to the sun this night, then she could do nothing about the amulet. Within moments she had a response written and sent it off with a flare of magic.

"Bury it? What kind of advice is that?"

"It is what I have available to me at the moment. I cannot have it sent to the palace if Nightmare Moon wins, an artifact of mysterious origin could prove catastrophic to my little ponies in the hooves of a tyrant." Celestia said. "If I come back tonight then I will handle it."

"Once again, pushing something off to handle later. You never change, do you?"

"You never change either." Celestia said.

"Touche."

The door to her study opened revealing one of the kitchen staff. She noticed the large slice of pink-frosted cake and practically began salivating. That was just what she needed. If she was going to be banished to the sun, then she should at least have some cake before she was starved of food for a thousand years. The thought of Luna suffering through such a fate caused a pang in her heart.

Today would be the day her plans would be tested. It would be the day that would decide if she could get her sister back, the day she would see if her sister still loved her. The thought of it going any other way made her heart ache. She wouldn't blame Luna if she never forgave her. Banishing her for a thousand years... it was the only choice she had but it was not one that was ideal. Celestia could only hope that everything would turn out okay. All her hopes rested on Twilight.

"Princess, one slice of cake, double portion." The stallion who brought the cake stood rigid as a stone pillar. Few knew of her love of cake with the kitchen staff being the main exceptions. It was simply not a regal thing to enjoy cake, so she made sure the information didn't leave the palace.

"Thank you, Frosted Sprinkle." Celestia said with a gentle smile.

"It was my pleasure princess." Frosted Sprinkle bowed as he exited. It was such a low bow that Celestia was surprised he wasn't scraping the ground on his way out.

"You can walk, I don't mind."

"O-Of course princess." Frosted Sprinkle jumped to his feet and quickly walked out as if on peg legs. She had to hold in very much not regal giggle at the sight.

Celestia turned to her cake. Just before she was about to dig into that delicious strawberry frosted delight, she stopped.

"Not a word." Celestia growled.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

While today might be her last day on Equestria, Celestia was just glad that she could see her sister one more time. To look at the only family she had left. As far back as she could remember it had always been just the two of them. They had made a promise together all those years ago. Immortality was forever, and they would spend it together until the end of time. She could only hope they could reconcile. She loved her little ponies with all her heart, but her sister always held the largest portion.

Also, she was glad for the cake.

Comments

[4ussie]

Can't wait to see what will happen next!

[CosmicPony]

The description remind me of the Sentry(Marvel). Is he the inspiration?

[MistOverMoon]

11862491
I didn't really have a particular character inspiration. I just came up with the idea randomly. Thanks for commenting!