Post by Mal on Nov 13, 2013 17:35:23 GMT -5
Mi Amore. With her kingdom but a train ride away from the designated lands of 'Equestria' - the technicality of the Crystal Empire having effectively fallen into Equestrian control by her becoming leader could be debated upon at another time - it hadn't taken long for news of Celestia's absence to travel there. At first it had been tiny whispers among visitors, but soon even her own crystal ponies had taken to the rumor mill like diamond dogs to the scent of rare gems... It was at this point that the princess had decided to get herself involved. Was something happening in Canterlot? If so, why had she not been informed? These and other questions had been circling in her mind for many hours by the time she'd flown into the sprawling castle town. Taking the train or calling for a chariot would have created too much of a fuss for a personal matter, and what good were wings if she never used them anyhow? Despite the growing feeling of tiredness in her wings, she kept on until she reached the castle. The guards took little issue in her proceeding directly to the throne room in search of one of her aunts. Maybe then she would get some answers as to what the hay was going on.
Princess Night found herself back in the throne room of Canterlot's castle, pouring over numerous documents. They had been Celestia's responsibility, but with her sister ill, it had fallen upon her shoulders. She almost wished it didn't, for she felt her attention waning more and more from the scrolls. The lunar princess almost found herself wishing it was Nightmare Night again, where everypony- even herself- had had fun with the games, pranks and scares. That day had put her doubts of it to rest, as nothing had gone wrong this year, but it had already passed Equestria by. Time had moved on, and she was back in a place that was the source of all her current stress: doing her sister's job and her own, and keeping Celestia's illness a secret from all. What the citizens thought of her, with Celestia's disappearance, she hardly wanted to know. Her thoughts trailing again, Luna released a sigh and lowered the scroll to rub at her temple with a hoof. As she did so, the tall double doors that sat at the throne room's other end opened. In stepped her bubbly pink niece, Cadance. This was a welcome distraction, for sure, but it only brought up a question. Had her niece sent a letter saying she was coming to visit? She might have, Luna could have only forgotten reading it amongst all the other things. The dark alicorn peered at the younger, curious nonetheless. "It is a pleasure to see you again, Cadance." Luna greeted, "What brings you back to Canterlot?"
Mi Amore made an effort to smile in spite of the hole of worry that her thoughts had gnawed on her way to Canterlot. "Aunty Luna!" she returned cheerfully, trotting toward the throne to sit before it. "I hope I haven't come at a bad time." A pause taken as the question of what she was doing here came up. Just as well, because she'd probably have launched straight into business anyway. The princess took a moment to eye the guards standing by, then peered back at Luna. "Maybe this would be better discussed without company?" she mused aloud. "Because I've been hearing the most awful rumors..." She frowned in obvious concern, waiting to see what Luna thought.
Princess Night. The corners of the alicorn's mouth quirked up in a small smile at her calling and shook her head. "Of course not! You are not interrupting anything. I am glad you are here, I have been looking forward to a distraction for some time now." She replied as she turned back to her scroll, rolling it up with her magic. As it was set aside with the others, Luna rose from the throne, but the mention of rumors stopped her halfway down the ramp that lead to it. One of the thoughts she'd just had earlier, it was out in the air now. It was probably a sign she ought to look into them, if her niece was as concerned. Luna, too, glanced at the guards and dismissed them from the room. Only until the double doors had shut behind the armored stallions did she turn back to Cadance. "So, what have you heard?"
Mi Amore's ears fell when the guards were indeed dismissed. That wasn't a good sign, was it? She too watched them leave and only afterwards looked back to Luna. "Something's happened to Celestia," she said in a way that both sounded like a disheartened realisation and a statement of what she'd been hearing. "Nopony can seem to decide what exactly... but it's true, isn't it?" Tell her it wasn't true. "That's why you've been seen raising the sun, and why nopony has seen mane nor tail of her in weeks." Ponies talked, and big news like this tended to spread like wildfire. "What's happened to her, aunty Luna?" By now her voice was little better than that of a filly, clear in heartfelt worry for those she considered family.
Princess Night listened to her niece talk, a thin sliver of horror growing in her chest as she gleaned what Equestria's citizens had assumed from those few sentences. They had assumed that something bad had happened to Celestia and that Luna had, what.. ? Took over, maybe? The dark alicorn stood in silence as she thought over this news. There was also the matter of what she could tell Cadance. What she should tell her. Cadance was her niece, after all, she could trust her with the truth and its secret, couldn't she? Luna bit her lip, torn between decisions.. but, she couldn't let Cadance think she'd actually done something. "Celestia is.. fine. I mean, she is still alive." Luna began nervously, but with a sigh she finally relented. "She is ill! I have been forced to keep it a secret, in fear somepony or something would view it as a weakness and attack Equestria." It was out now. She had told someone, and while she felt a little better for it, she hoped the word would not spread any farther than her niece.
Mi Amore wasn't sure what to think of the nervous response. Still alive? That could mean anything! What followed it as an explanation seemed to be in stark contrast. Even demigod figures were susceptible to illness, right? The way Luna spoke made it sound bigger than what her exact words suggested, but Cadance wasn't at all sure what to make of it. Hmm... "Haven't you sent for a doctor?" she asked after some thought. If it was a secret, that meant she was the first one to truly know about it. Celestia had been fighting the sickness all alone so far! "They are already bound to confidence by their profession, so I don't think I'd be worried about them fueling the rumors." Luna's choice to keep it completely secret was an odd one, unless there was something that Cadance was missing here.
Princess Night was worried now how Cadance would respond to this, or would she only assume her aunt was lying? The dark princess hoped that it was not so and focused onto the question at hand. "I have.. I have only had two doctors look at her, but so far neither of them can figure out what she is sick with." The moon princess frowned, her ears lying back against the starry aura of her mane. "It is worrisome. Neither they or I have any idea what she is sick with, or where she may have caught it."
Princess Night found herself back in the throne room of Canterlot's castle, pouring over numerous documents. They had been Celestia's responsibility, but with her sister ill, it had fallen upon her shoulders. She almost wished it didn't, for she felt her attention waning more and more from the scrolls. The lunar princess almost found herself wishing it was Nightmare Night again, where everypony- even herself- had had fun with the games, pranks and scares. That day had put her doubts of it to rest, as nothing had gone wrong this year, but it had already passed Equestria by. Time had moved on, and she was back in a place that was the source of all her current stress: doing her sister's job and her own, and keeping Celestia's illness a secret from all. What the citizens thought of her, with Celestia's disappearance, she hardly wanted to know. Her thoughts trailing again, Luna released a sigh and lowered the scroll to rub at her temple with a hoof. As she did so, the tall double doors that sat at the throne room's other end opened. In stepped her bubbly pink niece, Cadance. This was a welcome distraction, for sure, but it only brought up a question. Had her niece sent a letter saying she was coming to visit? She might have, Luna could have only forgotten reading it amongst all the other things. The dark alicorn peered at the younger, curious nonetheless. "It is a pleasure to see you again, Cadance." Luna greeted, "What brings you back to Canterlot?"
Mi Amore made an effort to smile in spite of the hole of worry that her thoughts had gnawed on her way to Canterlot. "Aunty Luna!" she returned cheerfully, trotting toward the throne to sit before it. "I hope I haven't come at a bad time." A pause taken as the question of what she was doing here came up. Just as well, because she'd probably have launched straight into business anyway. The princess took a moment to eye the guards standing by, then peered back at Luna. "Maybe this would be better discussed without company?" she mused aloud. "Because I've been hearing the most awful rumors..." She frowned in obvious concern, waiting to see what Luna thought.
Princess Night. The corners of the alicorn's mouth quirked up in a small smile at her calling and shook her head. "Of course not! You are not interrupting anything. I am glad you are here, I have been looking forward to a distraction for some time now." She replied as she turned back to her scroll, rolling it up with her magic. As it was set aside with the others, Luna rose from the throne, but the mention of rumors stopped her halfway down the ramp that lead to it. One of the thoughts she'd just had earlier, it was out in the air now. It was probably a sign she ought to look into them, if her niece was as concerned. Luna, too, glanced at the guards and dismissed them from the room. Only until the double doors had shut behind the armored stallions did she turn back to Cadance. "So, what have you heard?"
Mi Amore's ears fell when the guards were indeed dismissed. That wasn't a good sign, was it? She too watched them leave and only afterwards looked back to Luna. "Something's happened to Celestia," she said in a way that both sounded like a disheartened realisation and a statement of what she'd been hearing. "Nopony can seem to decide what exactly... but it's true, isn't it?" Tell her it wasn't true. "That's why you've been seen raising the sun, and why nopony has seen mane nor tail of her in weeks." Ponies talked, and big news like this tended to spread like wildfire. "What's happened to her, aunty Luna?" By now her voice was little better than that of a filly, clear in heartfelt worry for those she considered family.
Princess Night listened to her niece talk, a thin sliver of horror growing in her chest as she gleaned what Equestria's citizens had assumed from those few sentences. They had assumed that something bad had happened to Celestia and that Luna had, what.. ? Took over, maybe? The dark alicorn stood in silence as she thought over this news. There was also the matter of what she could tell Cadance. What she should tell her. Cadance was her niece, after all, she could trust her with the truth and its secret, couldn't she? Luna bit her lip, torn between decisions.. but, she couldn't let Cadance think she'd actually done something. "Celestia is.. fine. I mean, she is still alive." Luna began nervously, but with a sigh she finally relented. "She is ill! I have been forced to keep it a secret, in fear somepony or something would view it as a weakness and attack Equestria." It was out now. She had told someone, and while she felt a little better for it, she hoped the word would not spread any farther than her niece.
Mi Amore wasn't sure what to think of the nervous response. Still alive? That could mean anything! What followed it as an explanation seemed to be in stark contrast. Even demigod figures were susceptible to illness, right? The way Luna spoke made it sound bigger than what her exact words suggested, but Cadance wasn't at all sure what to make of it. Hmm... "Haven't you sent for a doctor?" she asked after some thought. If it was a secret, that meant she was the first one to truly know about it. Celestia had been fighting the sickness all alone so far! "They are already bound to confidence by their profession, so I don't think I'd be worried about them fueling the rumors." Luna's choice to keep it completely secret was an odd one, unless there was something that Cadance was missing here.
Princess Night was worried now how Cadance would respond to this, or would she only assume her aunt was lying? The dark princess hoped that it was not so and focused onto the question at hand. "I have.. I have only had two doctors look at her, but so far neither of them can figure out what she is sick with." The moon princess frowned, her ears lying back against the starry aura of her mane. "It is worrisome. Neither they or I have any idea what she is sick with, or where she may have caught it."
(To Be Continued)