Post by Mal on Sept 18, 2014 12:15:08 GMT -5
Princess Night found herself wandering through the well-tended gardens beneath the golden light of the sun. She should have gone to bed by now, she knew, but it felt better to walk, to do something. Certainly a trip through the gardens would allow her to work off this extra energy? The dark alicorn strode quietly along the worn dirt paths, admiring the view daylight granted her, and the varied scents of those flowers still in bloom. Luna did not linger for long to smell them, pushing on for the edge of the gardens where the entire land waited for her gaze.
Celes was there already- evidently lost in thought as her eyes were directed out over the lands below, but they did not see them. Following the quashing of Vortex, Equestria was safe again... but for how long? Threats seemed to linger around every corner... How long would it be before something even worse came along? Her ears tilted back as she then caught her pondering straying into dangerously negative territory, and a light shiver down her spine helped to snap her back to the real world when her wings twitched and ruffled under the influence. She stretched them out either side of her and then folded them back again, now bothering to pay the view below some actual notice. Still in her own mind, however, she had yet to note the sound of her sister's approach.
Princess Night wound her way through the past few trees that grew between her and the open air. The path eventually ended at the white marble paving, beyond which curved out the balcony. It took her a moment to register that somepony was already there: her sister, her pale coat nearly escaping her eyes against the marble railing. Luna paused for a moment, surprised to find Celestia out here of all places. "Sister?" She spoke up as she ventured towards the older alicorn's left side. "Have you also desired to escape the confines of the castle?"
Celes's attention moved, but her line of sight did not. Only the swerve of her ears atop her head was any indication that she'd heard Luna at all. She answered only with a calm but audible inhale, then inevitably followed by a relaxed sort of sigh. While her initial thought was to question why the younger was still awake, the conversation had already started and so the admittedly fruitless question was cast aside in order to respond to the one posed to her. "It did seem such a waste to spend a lovely day indoors. There were few petitioners this morning, and most of their concerns were allayed easily enough." So basically, she had nothing better to do. "I suppose I do also enjoy the open space... as it seems you have come to do?" She finally broke her set gaze and looked to her left to where Luna approached. "Maybe we ought to renovate the castle," she added with a small laugh at the thought. "Or just move the throne over here..."
Princess Night listened to her sister's gentle voice as she responded and smiled faintly. "'Twould be most pleasant to be in the open than being trapped inside like caged birds." The lunar princess said initially before addressing the query. "I have. I felt too restless to succumb easily to sleep. I suppose I will withdraw eventually, but for now, it seemed good to escape another day's repetitive cycle." Luna seated herself once this was said, ruffling her wings as she considered her sister. "How have you been faring? You seem to be doing much better since the sun's return."
Celes seemed to be seriously considering ordering some manner of open-air installation in the throne room, but then just stepping outside every so often seemed like a far less complicated solution to the problem didn't it? Still, a pony could dream. Celestia glanced off again, vaguely skyward, as Luna mentioned the warm light source streaming down upon them from on high. She then looked back to Luna and nodded. "Better, yes." Though being inside still made her antsy. She'd gotten more than tired of the castle's interior while she was confined within due to her condition at the time. "It's well that the day has resumed its ordered place. As greatly as I appreciate the beauty of your night, I fear I will never understand the fascination of those who would do Equestria harm in trying poorly to replicate it... and in permanence." She stood up then, if only to stretch out her legs before sitting down again. "But this is something I've been thinking about at length," she conceded. "With recent events. Just how safe are our little ponies?" Her brow furrowed in evident concern. "How have we been so blind to evils lurking right under our snouts?" It wasn't like Celestia to over-worry, but there sure did seem to be a lot of bad shit clumped all together in such a short time passed.
Princess Night sat in a contemplative silence as Celestia spoke of the recent danger, a near mirror image of what she had done so long ago. She felt a pang of regret, but she quashed it. That was over now, and this time it had simply been a pony who'd been lead astray to be a puppet. Luna frowned at the decorative railing. "I am not sure. I imagine Equestria is a thing of envy among those with dark and greedy hearts, for it is a great source of love and light. As is the Crystal Empire." The alicorn shook her head and looked back up to Celestia's face. "Of Vortex, I have been spending time in length with him and I believe I have finally gotten him to see the truth, and the error of his ways, stubborn as he is. It seemed his parents, who were responsible for such dark teachings passed to him, apparently worshipped the tales spun of Nightmare Moon. Yet I do not believe this will be a problem again."
Celes's expression remained grim. Luna's words were not comforting, but undoubtedly true. "Let us hope we should always be in a position to protect it from such darkness, and to guide those who might listen from their darkened path." Her expression lightened some. "You seem to have taken a few under your wing as of late," she noted then. "Maybe it's time I think about once more doing the same." She hummed at this, stood up, and abruptly started for the path back to the castle. "But please, dear sister, don't let me keep you from your rest. I should resume tending to that awful mountain of parchment that never seems to see fit to shrink." She'd stop long enough to offer Luna an affectionate sort of headbutt, and then continue walking back.
Princess Night made clear her agreement with a nod, smiling the same faint smile as Celestia spoke of those she'd been caring for. The mention of her elder taking on a new student surprised her, however. Should she really be? After all, Princess Twilight was no longer Celestia's student since her ascension. "It sounds like a wonderful idea. It will certainly give you something else to do.. Perhaps some time I can help you with those tiresome scrolls." Luna replied as she stood and returned the headbutt in kind. The lunar princess wouldn't be far behind her sister's heels, then, on the way to the castle, and to finally sleep.
Celes was there already- evidently lost in thought as her eyes were directed out over the lands below, but they did not see them. Following the quashing of Vortex, Equestria was safe again... but for how long? Threats seemed to linger around every corner... How long would it be before something even worse came along? Her ears tilted back as she then caught her pondering straying into dangerously negative territory, and a light shiver down her spine helped to snap her back to the real world when her wings twitched and ruffled under the influence. She stretched them out either side of her and then folded them back again, now bothering to pay the view below some actual notice. Still in her own mind, however, she had yet to note the sound of her sister's approach.
Princess Night wound her way through the past few trees that grew between her and the open air. The path eventually ended at the white marble paving, beyond which curved out the balcony. It took her a moment to register that somepony was already there: her sister, her pale coat nearly escaping her eyes against the marble railing. Luna paused for a moment, surprised to find Celestia out here of all places. "Sister?" She spoke up as she ventured towards the older alicorn's left side. "Have you also desired to escape the confines of the castle?"
Celes's attention moved, but her line of sight did not. Only the swerve of her ears atop her head was any indication that she'd heard Luna at all. She answered only with a calm but audible inhale, then inevitably followed by a relaxed sort of sigh. While her initial thought was to question why the younger was still awake, the conversation had already started and so the admittedly fruitless question was cast aside in order to respond to the one posed to her. "It did seem such a waste to spend a lovely day indoors. There were few petitioners this morning, and most of their concerns were allayed easily enough." So basically, she had nothing better to do. "I suppose I do also enjoy the open space... as it seems you have come to do?" She finally broke her set gaze and looked to her left to where Luna approached. "Maybe we ought to renovate the castle," she added with a small laugh at the thought. "Or just move the throne over here..."
Princess Night listened to her sister's gentle voice as she responded and smiled faintly. "'Twould be most pleasant to be in the open than being trapped inside like caged birds." The lunar princess said initially before addressing the query. "I have. I felt too restless to succumb easily to sleep. I suppose I will withdraw eventually, but for now, it seemed good to escape another day's repetitive cycle." Luna seated herself once this was said, ruffling her wings as she considered her sister. "How have you been faring? You seem to be doing much better since the sun's return."
Celes seemed to be seriously considering ordering some manner of open-air installation in the throne room, but then just stepping outside every so often seemed like a far less complicated solution to the problem didn't it? Still, a pony could dream. Celestia glanced off again, vaguely skyward, as Luna mentioned the warm light source streaming down upon them from on high. She then looked back to Luna and nodded. "Better, yes." Though being inside still made her antsy. She'd gotten more than tired of the castle's interior while she was confined within due to her condition at the time. "It's well that the day has resumed its ordered place. As greatly as I appreciate the beauty of your night, I fear I will never understand the fascination of those who would do Equestria harm in trying poorly to replicate it... and in permanence." She stood up then, if only to stretch out her legs before sitting down again. "But this is something I've been thinking about at length," she conceded. "With recent events. Just how safe are our little ponies?" Her brow furrowed in evident concern. "How have we been so blind to evils lurking right under our snouts?" It wasn't like Celestia to over-worry, but there sure did seem to be a lot of bad shit clumped all together in such a short time passed.
Princess Night sat in a contemplative silence as Celestia spoke of the recent danger, a near mirror image of what she had done so long ago. She felt a pang of regret, but she quashed it. That was over now, and this time it had simply been a pony who'd been lead astray to be a puppet. Luna frowned at the decorative railing. "I am not sure. I imagine Equestria is a thing of envy among those with dark and greedy hearts, for it is a great source of love and light. As is the Crystal Empire." The alicorn shook her head and looked back up to Celestia's face. "Of Vortex, I have been spending time in length with him and I believe I have finally gotten him to see the truth, and the error of his ways, stubborn as he is. It seemed his parents, who were responsible for such dark teachings passed to him, apparently worshipped the tales spun of Nightmare Moon. Yet I do not believe this will be a problem again."
Celes's expression remained grim. Luna's words were not comforting, but undoubtedly true. "Let us hope we should always be in a position to protect it from such darkness, and to guide those who might listen from their darkened path." Her expression lightened some. "You seem to have taken a few under your wing as of late," she noted then. "Maybe it's time I think about once more doing the same." She hummed at this, stood up, and abruptly started for the path back to the castle. "But please, dear sister, don't let me keep you from your rest. I should resume tending to that awful mountain of parchment that never seems to see fit to shrink." She'd stop long enough to offer Luna an affectionate sort of headbutt, and then continue walking back.
Princess Night made clear her agreement with a nod, smiling the same faint smile as Celestia spoke of those she'd been caring for. The mention of her elder taking on a new student surprised her, however. Should she really be? After all, Princess Twilight was no longer Celestia's student since her ascension. "It sounds like a wonderful idea. It will certainly give you something else to do.. Perhaps some time I can help you with those tiresome scrolls." Luna replied as she stood and returned the headbutt in kind. The lunar princess wouldn't be far behind her sister's heels, then, on the way to the castle, and to finally sleep.
End.