New Moon (My Little Pony)

04 (2/2) Morning Sun

Celestia's maids guided the officials to another room of the Castle to be served breakfast, leaving Celestia and her personal assistant alone at the throne. Celestia sighed and slouched back on her throne when the doors closed behind them.

"Don't you find it a tad cruel to give them hope," her assistant voiced. "Your approval on these matters always seem to take place in towns that, how should I say, are 'irrelevant'."

"They are here until the afternoon Spice. It would be depressing if I immediately denied them and hold them here, knowing they came for nothing."

"Well, the event does take place within a few months, so I guess you make excuses for the time being."

"My, aren't you brutal toward your Princess."

"I thought you said behind closed doors we are friends." He was right, Celestia did permit a close friendship between the two as she does with any pony that becomes her personal assistant. Celestia has granted Sunset Spice witness to sides of herself that may appall the mass of their refined Princess. But you can't expect her to hold tot that persona for an entire day, can you? She needs moments to breathe and let out her frustration. Which is particularly the reason she created the position in the first place.

Sunset Spice was very of his words when he started his role as Celestia's assistant. However, after years of exposing her rambunctious complains, silly antics such as her pranks, and her desire for sweets, the idealistic vision of his Princess was in a way shambled. But in exchange for that, he found sympathy with her which developed into a friendship that was secret to all her ponies. Now Spice has no qualms with speaking his mind to his Princess.

"The best I have," Celestia added to Spice's statement. She expected a smile from her assistant by her compliment but instead received a frown. "Is something the matter?"

"Princess, I can tell something is bothering you. You've never spaced out during a meeting like that before."

"I appreciate your concern. But trust me, I am fine."

"Then how do you explain last night?" Celestia sighed, knowing that her assistant was sure to bring that up at some point.

As Celestia dealt with before, the nights have been sad moments where she reflects on her decision from a long time ago. Last night, however, she was unable to repress her despair and bawled in tears moments after saying her goodbye to Spice for the night.

She had no idea where it came from, but now that she thinks about it, the very same to a minimal extent happened just recently. Was this a pattern? If so, then what purpose does this serve.

"Princess," Spice called to her when she delved into her thoughts for too long. "I'm right here if you want to talk about it."

"There's no need to concern yourself on the matter. It was simply a random outbreak of emotion."

"That's not a common thing Princess."

"True, for regular ponies."

"So you want to say it's common among Alicorns to randomly cry for no apparent reason."

"---" Celestia stove her sights from Spice, rather annoyed by having his assistant make her close to validate a silly lie. She wished he could drop on the matter. It's not like she actually understands it all herself.

It happened so suddenly, the unbridled anguish that took over her all at once. It was like finding out some pony important to her died. But that couldn't be the case because that pony is still on the moon.

Celestia let out a heavy sigh. Now she was thinking again of her little sister that hse unintentionally trapped on the moon for a thousand years.

"It's fine if you don't want to talk about it right now," Spice's voice was caring. "I don't want to force you. But just know my ears is always open to anything that worries you It's probable that may not have the answers you're looking for, but I'm certain you'll feel a lot better when you share it with some pony."

"I promise on the day I'm ready, I share everything." Which is most likely the day when her sister returns once the seal has run its course.

It won't be long from now when she comes back. And if that mysterious corruption still possesses her then she will have to find a different way to rid of it with the Elements of Harmony. But before that, she will have to find new wielders for each of them.

After her traumatic battle with her little sister, the Elements have no longer recognized her worthy of its power. Perhaps because in her heart she blames the Elements for what she did to her sister. How could she wield it if she could no longer trust herself with it?

But she couldn't find any way to reverse her sister's infection without the Elements. She could never find out what it was that ailed sister her to begin with. The only thing she knows would have any effect on her were the Elements. So she will have to place her faith in the ponies the Elements will recognize and hope they can do what Celestia could not.

They have to be somewhere in Equestria and she intends to find all of them before the day of her sister's return.