In which Twilight finds a painting.
Twilight was enjoying her breakfast. Since she had moved to Ponyville her and Celestia haven't had too many chances to just spend time together. Once she had ascended to alicornhood, they had managed to arrange to have a breakfast a couple of times a month.
The topics varied as any conversation between friends tends to. Though this morning their chat kept veering towards paintings. This was in part due to Twilight's attention being frequently drawn to a new painting on the wall.
Normally there were just 2 hung up. One, usually dubbed "Diarchy" which showed Celestia and Luna looking regal. Although for a long time it was just a portrait of Celestia. The other was referred to as "Family" and currently showed the two sisters and Cadance. The later was supposed to be replaced with one that included Twilight, but the youngest alicorn keeps putting the sitting off.
Her aversion to doing the painting was due to the painters that Celestia usually gets to do them don't like her reading books while being painted. Another reason was that she felt a photograph would've been easier, either to frame or for the painter to use to work off of. However, Celestia and the painters refuse that idea stating that paintings just have more soul to them. An energy that they say would get lost if they worked off a photo.
Twilight's attention turned back to the new painting. It was rather simple, an apparently young Princess Luna, looking to the right while dressed in some armour and holding her chosen weapon next to herself.
Celestia smirked as she noticed the younger mare's eyes strayed to the wall once more.
"My sister should be joining us soon so you will be able to ask her about her portrait." Celestia said, taking a bite out of her omelette.
They returned to their breakfast while they waited for Luna to join them.
It wasn't long before the other alicorn entered the room. She sidled up to the table with a meal after being greeted by the two sitting there. Then she noticed the wall if the paintings.
"I see they hung up the painting I asked them to." Luna stated.
"Yes. I wanted to ask about it?" Twilight asked hesitantly.
"Not all that much to it. Just a portrait from long ago of me in my armour. Took forever to find it, it was stored away behind all of Celestia's." Luna replied.
"I'm just glad it survived. After I banished you, a lot of ponies tried to remove any trace of you from the castle. The archivists fought hard to place most of your stuff into storage. A few things did go missing, which I had the guard look for, and a coupe things did have to be replaced." Celestia said, her tone slight saddened by both the mention of her own actions, and those of the common pony.
"Well, I wanted to know why you didn't just get a new one made up." Twilight said, in a questioning way.
"I'm working on modernizing my armour somewhat as I have missed a millennium of stylistic changes. I do like the old styling so I might keep the look the same but use modern materials and techniques to forge it anew. Since I am still designing it, sorta, I didn't want to get a new painting done just yet." Luna explained.
"Okay." Twilight remarked before turning to finish off her pancakes.
"If I had the time I wouldn't tried to find Celestia's old armour portrait as well. It really does give a nice striking comparison to mine with the style and colours and that axe of hers." Luna said as a yawn escaped her.
Twilight paused at hearing that.
Having had Spike clear any plans she had had, Twilight delved into the Canterlot Archives section devoted to storing the royal paintings.
The first area of the room was for storing the main portrait of Celestia in the entryway. Since it was changed yearly there were just over a thousand. Since Celestia sits in the same pose for each one, only a few ponies actually notice the differences in them due to artist's techniques. An annual contest held amoungst the young painters of Equestria determines who gets to create it.
Twilight kept walking deeper into the storage room. Passing by shelves dedicated to different types of paintings as she looked for one that would contain Celestia in her armour.
Eventually she came to a shelf labelled 'Paintings, Celestia, Other'. Pulling one out her eyes went wide. She stared at the painting depicting her mentor in an intimate and erotic way for several minutes before the shock wore off and she returned it to the shelf. Shaking her head hoping to dislodge the image from her mind, Twilight's thoughts strayed to thinking how even though most ponies walk around without clothing, and the royal regalia don't cover that area, one doesn't really notice that particular part of other ponies. Considering Celestia's height puts it pretty much at eye level...
Twilight shook her head harder and spared a thought for the stallions who do nothing but follow behind Celestia all day.
Checking another painting on the shelf showed similar content, though with the older alicorn in a different pose. She determined that whoever labelled the shelf was trying to be discreet about it's nature.
Moving quickly past the slightly disturbingly large section, Twilight continued down the aisles.
Eventually she found a couple boxes marked 'Battle Paintings, Celestia' and felt she was close to her goal. Opening up one box and pulling the first painting out to examine it resulted in Twilight sitting in shock for a brief moment, though for different reasons than earlier. Seeing someone who holds peace in such high regard decked out in armour, fighting her way through an opposing army was difficult for her to comprehend.
As she looked through each piece she noted that they did vary in her armour's design. Either due to Celestia keeping it in date with style, or to the individual artist's flair. They also differed in showing the battles themselves. Some had Celestia standing before her own army staring down the enemy prior to battle, many showed the battle itself, plenty showed Celestia standing victorious, and a couple actually showed her army retreated and ceding defeat.
At the very back of the second box was what Twilight had been looking for. A portrait of a fairly young Celetia, wearing her armour and hefting her battleaxe while looking to the left.
Smiling at her success, the young mare resealed the boxes and carried the painting out.
Twilight sat back at the table in the small dining room she was in that morning. With her was a pony from the archives who was in charge of the paintings and their placement in the castle. They had just finished rearranging the portraits on the wall.
Not really noticing the time both were surprised when Celestia came in for her usual tea break. Giving them a smile she brewed herself some tea and offered to make some for her two guests.
While the archivist waved the offer off, Twilight accepted. Sitting down Celestia looked over the paintings on the wall.
"I should commend you on the placements." Celestia stated.
The archivist smiled before picking up the tag for the painting's artist, date, and other information as well as the wrapping the painting was stored in and left to get a small plaque made for it.
The paintings had been arranged so the Diarchy was sitting directly above Family, which had the two portraits sitting to the left and right. This gave whoever looked at the group the impression of the sisters guarding their family.
"We really need to get that middle painting redone." Celestia remarked.
"When Flurry Heart is old enough to sit still for the painting so all of us are in it." Twilight said as she sipped her tea, glad that she could spend a little more time with the older mare before heading home.
A conversation about the various paintings around the castle and in storage was struck up as they enjoyed their tea. After a few cups the two separated so Celestia could return to her royal duties.