A year and a half later...
Canterlot, Celestia's private quarters
With the last of the summer sun on her back, Luna took a deep breath and knocked on the sunny emblem on her sister's ornate bedroom door.
"Enter."
The slow creak of the ancient door heralded Princess Luna's entrance into her sister's room. The lunar princess entered with care. The light blue mane that hung loosely around her shoulders was a sign of her undeveloped powers as an alicorn. Her recent freedom from her prison called Nightmare Moon had left her in a form that stood noticeably smaller than her sister too. The young looking mare was uncertain about the condition of her sister's current mood and so crept up to her with tepid steps.
"Thou hast summoned me, sister?"
"Yes, I did." Celestia nodded in reply. "Although I would call it something other than summons. You are my sister and a princess like me."
"We know." Luna slowly continued her slow approach toward her ever regal sister.
Instead of making further conversation, Princess Celestia turned to her window and gazed out across the land. The last rays of her sun were upon Equestria, as magnificent as the mare who stood watch.
The blue alicorn sidled up beside her sister and after a quick questioning glance at the near inanimate pony, she too turned her vision upon their land. Luna could feel the time for raising the moon was nearly upon her and quickly started to become restless. She wondered why her sister called for her at such a time when she had better things to do than simply watch the world go by.
More moments passed in silence and Luna itched to get moving, to do something.
"It's amazing, isn't it?" Celestia's voice broke the silence between the sisters.
"Yes. I guess..." Luna replied softly as she wondered where her older sibling was headed with their little meeting.
"I remember the days when we used to do this as a family. We dreamed of the future, what we could make of Equestria through friendship and love... yet not once did I think of just how beautiful it was at the time... how unique."
"We remember those days to 'Tia. Are not times better now than they were before?"
With a sigh, Celestia turned to her sister. "I wish I could say yes to you, little sister. A few months ago, I would have said yes without a second thought. However now... now I'm not so sure."
"What?" The lunar princess did a double take, carefully eyeing her sister. "Does thou mean all is not as right as it appears?"
"I do. There are forces at work, some friendly, while a few are not. They are out there, out in our beautiful domain. While I delight in the power of friendship and all others that exist for good, I worry that the darker powers may try something soon."
With a concerned look upon her muzzle, Luna turned to gaze out across the land. "Art thou certain? But everypony is at peace. Even the griffins appear quiet, despite the occasional incident. But- but this peace is a peace thou has protected for well over a thousand years... even from me."
"I know. We may soon need more than simply the Elements of Harmony to defend Equestria. Cadence's search for the Crystal Empire is going well, as are my guards' attempts at keeping the peace here."
"Does thou mean that at long last the Crystal Empire has been rediscovered?" Joy sparked inside Luna, she would love to see the Empire again.
"It may have been rediscovered, yes," Celestia confirmed.
"Is that why we have been called? To venture forth and seek out the hidden Empire?" Asked a now excited Luna.
"No. I have another small task for you. I have selected Cadence to be the Empire's ruler, should she succeed in releasing it from the spells that hide and bind it. I would have you seek out the part of the key that lives high in the mountains. I must know that it is still safe."
"As thou wishes. We understand." Luna's mood soured a little at the thought of so many days flight by herself out into the wilderness, yet she knew of the importance of the task. "And if it is safe?"
"Then all is well in Equestria for now. If it is gone... Then we must urgently seek to retrieve it. While you go about your tasks, I would have you to listen for any rumours. I am still hopeful that we will come out of this without Equestria passing through any darkness at all. I asked you to meet me here, in my room as it is private. More private than anywhere else and I do not wish for anypony else to bear witness to what may yet be something minor."
"Not as private as the time you and thy less than handsome prince dwelt in the castle of old. Those were the days we had to stay well away." A smug grin covered Luna's muzzle for a moment as she broke the darker mood, glad that their serious part of the meeting appeared to be over.
Upon being met with a stony look from her sister, Luna bowed her head. "Sorry... We-"
"All is fine. You have done nothing wrong." A white hoof lifted from the floor to rub the back of the night blue alicorn. "It was amazing while it lasted. Although, I can't ever recall you finding somepony special for yourself." A happy, encouraging grin covered the solar alicorn's face as she bumped flanks with her younger sibling.
"Why sister... Thou ought to be ashamed of thyself." With a huff Luna turned away, her muzzle pointed at the ceiling. "We simply cannot find a mare who takes our fancy. That is all."
"Oh yes. What sort of mare might my sister seek?" Celestia grinned lightly, glad for the change in topic.
"We are not sure" came the curt reply as Luna continued to pin her gaze upwards.
"I think I sense something here Lulu... are you sure you are telling the truth?"
A sparkling green eye darted briefly toward the sunny alicorn before it returned to its patch of ceiling.
"Or does my sister need to get out more? I can arrange a few days off if that is what you would like?" The pure white mare offered innocently.
"We are fine. Thou hast borne the load for the both of us for long enough. And alone too."
"I'm sure I can manage one or two more days. If you can tell me what kind of mare you seek... I might even be able to help you find somepony of interest."
Luna turned her gaze carefully back to her sister. "Thou always wishes to help us."
"I am your sister," Celestia continued to smile, doing her best to lighten the mood.
"Thou hast done enough," quietly insisted Luna.
"But I will always be willing to help, even if you don't want it." With this, Celestia moved in for a comforting nuzzle.
The light blue mare breathed a sigh of relief at the contact. A coy smile played across her muzzle for a few moments as she entertained thoughts of a certain young mare she had first spotted when she was still Nightmare Moon.
"We... might have somepony in mind... If the night court were to be suspended for one evening, we could fly out and visit this pony."
"Then it shall be suspended. But before your visit to this special mare, I ask that you venture out to check on the Talisman of Warbeak. I think a special somepony or even just a good friend will help you greatly. You have much to learn if you are to fully integrate back into society and rule alongside me. As much as I wish for you to do so, you still have many things to learn."
"Does a special somepony really make such a big difference to thy life?" Luna asked with uncertainty.
"Yes."
This caused Luna's cheeks to heat a little. She was thankful for the dark coat that prevented the blush from becoming visible to her sibling,
"Then why did thou never choose a new mate?"
This killed the mood for Celestia, but as her gaze became distant and her wings drooped she chose to answer the question all the same. "I still love him. Even though he is not with us now."
"He's in stone." Luna gave her sister a stony look to suit her comment.
"Yes..."
The light blue mare of the night shot her sister an incredulous look, "you want him out?"
The sunny alicorn continued to gaze longingly out the window "...Yes."
"Then why not just release him?!" The princess of the night felt almost ready to explode at her sister for not accomplishing the obvious already.
"Luna... I can't."
That shut the dark coated princess up.
Silence returned to the room once more. "We thought thou saith thou moved on after thy daughter disappeared...?"
"So did I." With that, Celestia turned and made her way across to her bed. "I remember my old bed fitted a draconequus rather well too." She softly padded the sheets for a moment, indicating the spot where the lord of chaos could join her. The sunny princess kicked off her gold shoes and slipped under the covers. Celestia lay as though the draconequus were in front of her, loosely in her grasp.
Luna looked on in shock as her sister gazed up at her from with the warm sheets. "That... that is too much information."
"No Luna. If I were to tell you what we did in bed... that would be too much information." Celestia smiled as repressed memories began to surface of the long nights spent with her special 'somepony.'
"Sometimes we wonder about thee, big sister..."
Celestia stretched out in bed, relishing the warm contact with the sheets, then she smiled up at her sister. "That is a good thing. I would hate to be as perfect as everypony thinks I am."
Luna slowly made her way toward the door. Now was the opportune moment to raise the moon, before her sister let slip with any more unwanted information about her past. Just before Luna was about to open the door with her magic she turned to face her sister for one last parting comment. "Shouldst we bring the statue to thy room, your highness?"
"Oh get out!" Celestia waved her sister away playfully.
"The offer still stands," replied Luna with a more sombre expression.
Once the door had closed, the princess of the day lay there for a small eternity, unable to move as her brain went for a trip down memory lane. Her stunning daughter, Chaotic Sunset and her wonderful yet unpredictable Discord. Both gone. Gone for so long that some days it was as if neither had ever existed anywhere but in her heart.
While her daughter was long gone, Celestia knew that it was remotely possible to free her ex-coltfriend. Yet she knew that if he were to be released now, there was no way she could able to ask him for forgiveness, or that he would accept her.
Celestia cast her mind to times gone by. Back to a time when they had parents. A time when the old castle in the Everfree was their home, the pride and joy of their budding country with its united pony tribes.
~Flashback~
Deep in the Everfree forest, far from the castle of the united pony tribes two young creatures cuddled under a tree. Nearby a still pond lay, calm and clear. Birds sang joyously all around, glad for the fine spring day.
A young pure white alicorn with a vibrant pink mane and a blare flank withdrew from the patchwork creature in front of her with a silly grin upon her face. "Why Discord, that kiss was amazing." Giggles followed the compliment and both young lovers blushed.
"Imagine if our parents could see us," Discord grinned back. "I bet my father could not even comprehend how delightfully chaotic this is! Sundance and Midnight Armor would have a fit!"
The giddy young alicorn fell against her lover and snuggled in close. "I know. But it feels so right."
"Mmmm. I think I know what you mean dear." Discord twirled his mustache with one clawed hand while he materialized a top hat in the other that he placed elegantly on his head.
Celestia giggled some more at his silly face and booped the top hat so it sunk lower to cover his eyes. Said eyes immediately slid half way up the hat to continue to admire the pretty young princess. With a grin, the trickster winked at his princess.
"Very good, Discord." Celestia impaled the hat with her long horn and flung it off the draconequus.
"Hey! My eyes!" Discord poofed out of existence, reappeared next to his hat and picked up his eyes. He brushed them off on his newly materialized shirt, blew on them then they reappeared on his face.
With a smirk on her muzzle, Celestia lit her horn and appeared behind Discord. Her fluffy pink mane flew into his face with a magical gust of wind.
"Is that better?"
"Mmmm. Tis like cotton candy in here." To back up his statement, Discord took a bite out of the pink mane.
Celestia flinched away in surprise as he took the rest of her mane off, swirled it around and held it out to her. "Would m'lady like a bite?"
With a giggle, Celestia leant forward and took a big taste. "You know, this could use a little extra something."
"You're right my dear!" Discord snapped his clawed hand, a chocolate milk cloud appeared above the couple. "How about this?" He reached up and squeezed some of the sweet drink out of the brown puff.
The pink cotton candy grew a chocolate swirl. Both teenaged creatures eyed it hungrily and quickly set about enjoying the fun sweet.
Celestia lay in her extra large bed in Canterlot, fidgeting with her mane as her mind continued to roam down memory lane. It was such a shame that relationships between the few draconequus and Alicorns had to eventually break down. If not for having his mind poisoned against her precious ponies, Celestia was sure that Discord would still be by her side, lighting up her day just like he used to. Before he had taken it too far, his chaos was well balanced by her order.
With a sigh, her mind drifted back to the early days...
~Flashback~
In the central courtyard of the castle, Celestia strode across toward her light grayish-blue sister with a gigantic grin upon her muzzle.
She thought she caught her fifteen years younger sister eyeing a couple of mares flanks as they wandered past on their way out. A more careful look at her younger sibling confirmed her thoughts.
"Like what thou see oh sister?"
The younger sister spun around as though she was caught doing something she wasn't supposed to. She pushed her azure mane out of her face and shot a warning look at her older sibling.
"Don't worry Lulu, thy secret is safe with me." Celestia smiled.
Luna strode off toward the castle's main inner entrance on the opposite side of the courtyard. Celestia was quick to follow her sister. The duo passed a pair of guards who bowed to them both as they entered.
"Whatever are our parents going to do with us?" Luna mused as they pushed on inside.
"What does thou mean?" Celestia inquired of her sister as they walked along a quiet hallway toward their quarters.
The younger princess shot her sister another look.
Celestia gave an awkward laugh, "what? I saw the way thou looked at those young mares."
Luna scowled at her sunny companion. She lit her horn and hurried inside her room.
"What? I did. I know thou never has looked upon a stallion that way." Celestia added as she entered her sister's own quarters and carefully closed the door behind the duo.
"Oh, and you have?" Luna seated herself upon her bed and gazed straight up at her older sister.
"Thou knowest about Discord and I. I could never so much as look at a pony that way."
A sudden smirk appeared upon Luna's lips. "Quite a pair, aren't we? Neither interested in any of the stallions who have quested for fair lady's hoof. While I seek an unnatural mate, thou has gone and topped us all with a creature far outside our own species."
"He gives wonderful cuddles." Celestia wriggled with delight. "It's been a whole year already... we still have no idea how to inform our parents though."
"Crazy young mare. They would react worse than if they discovered my unnatural preferences."
"Lulu." Celestia withdrew from her sister.
"Don't thou act that way, sister. Thou knowest we favour the wrong gender."
"Lulu... Tis not wrong to like ponies of the same gender. Tis just different that's all. After all, I think I can speak truthfully when I say love comes in all kinds of forms."
"Different?"
"Luna. Nothing can change the way I feel about Discord, he's unique. And I assure thee, I would very much like to marry him one day... I only hope you are lucky enough to find your own soulmate one day too, if thou doest, thou will see what I mean."
Luna grinned cunningly. "Well then... If thou should ever witness me kissing a mare, be sure to begin considering a date for my wedding."
Celestia giggled softly to herself. Her sister could be a funny one.
She wondered to herself, now that there was no longer a law against same-sex relationships, would her sister, at last, be so bold as to find herself a partner? And who was it that had caught her sister's eye? Was this mare friend material, or something more?
She shook her head slowly as the image of her sister kissing another mare came to mind. The mare in her mind was deep purple with no other noteworthy features. 'If ever that day were to come... I would love to plan Lulu's wedding.' Celestia smiled to herself.
The following day
Canterlot, Celestia's throne room
It was a peaceful morning in Canterlot, Celestia had enjoyed her morning ritual of ushering in the new day with her recently returned sister. Now here she sat on her throne, her exterior was as peaceful as ever. On the inside though, her mind was worried. She wondered if her scouts had any further encounters with the griffins. She also wondered what the minotaurs and yaks were up to with their recent reported sightings. Celestia withdrew from her shell at the sight of one of her royal guard entering.
"Princess, Spitfire from the Wonderbolt's seeks an audience with you," the armoured unicorn announced.
"Thank you, I am ready to receive her," Celestia replied.
The guard nodded then disappeared.
Spitfire bowed before her princess upon entering, "your highness."
"Rise Spitfire."
The leader of the Wonderbolts rose. A flicker of concern raced across her muzzle. "Our six-monthly meeting isn't for another few weeks. Is something wrong princess?"
"Correct." Celestia paused for a few moments to allow her reply to sink in. "It would appear that Relations with many of our neighbouring countries have become strained for one or another reason over the last few years. The griffins have antagonized many and incidents with their kind are on a slow rise. It appears that our treaty with them may soon fail. Some out there such as the minotaurs appear all too keen for a fight. I worry about the safety of my little ponies. That is where your team comes in. While my guard does their best to keep the cities and towns safe, I will need your speed and aerial skills to provide fast aid and protection on those who need it."
"You mean militarize the Wonderbolts?"
"Correct."
"That has not been done in hundreds of years," Spitfire mused. "I'm not sure everypony on my team will be keen on that idea."
"If war comes to our lands, they may not get the choice," Celestia replied sadly.
"War?" Spitfire could hardly believe what she was hearing.
"It saddens me to consider it, but yes." The noble mare sighed. "Ultimately, that is my concern. The griffins are up to something and we need able fliers to best their warriors in the skies. If there are any on your staff who do not wish to fight, then please, do not force them right now. I do not wish to cause ponies to panic."
"But if something happens and a war starts...?" Spitfire trailed off in a sort of question she wasn't sure she wanted to be answered.
"Then we shall require every able-bodied pony to defend our lands and the lives of those less able. General Bright Lance wishes to work alongside you. While your team will retain its independence, ultimately you shall find yourself under his command. Am I understood?"
"Understood." Spitfire nodded, resolutely. "I will speak to my team and prepare. You can count on us, Princess Celestia."
"Thank you, Spitfire. In three months I expect your team well equipped enough to combat a griffin raiding party."
"Then we had better get started." The captain of the Wonderbolts gave a brief bow then strode toward the throne room doors.
"Oh and Spitfire."
The Wonderbolt paused, her gaze once more on the alicorn, "yes Princess?"
"Please ensure that no creature outside of your team discovered your preparations. I do not wish to spark a war from fears of military action."
"Understood." With a final bow, Spitfire strode out of the throne room.
"Mmmm Pie..."
Soarin unleashed a mighty sigh of content as he lay back upon his cloud.
"You fatty, that's your third pie this week."
"Who are you calling fatty!?" Soarin put on a highly offended look. "I'll have you know, the duties of a Wonderbolt require all the energy I can get!"
"Is that why you're a little softer round the middle?" A grinning Spitfire wandered up alongside her companion and gave him a light jab in the rips.
"It's muscle."
Spitfire snorted. "Whatever you say, dear. I know who I'm working harder in tomorrow's training."
"Or work me harder in bed," Soarin grinned.
"I can do that too," Spitfire playfully shoved her husband.
"What did Celestia have to say?" Soarin asked.
The sunny mare sighed, "nothing good."
Concern ripped across her husband's muzzle. "What?"
"The Wonderbolts are to take back their station of martial duty. We need to start working on aerial reconnaissance, hit and run and build on the units swift response ability. We might have a lot of ponies who require quick aid. Oh, and we might find ourselves fighting griffin raiding parties."
"But we're not the royal guard."
"I know." Spitfire agreed, "but, it is our duty as the top unit of professional fliers in Equestria to also provide swift assistance in times of need."
"That's pretty serious. Did she tell you why?" Soarin sat up.
"Sort of. The griffins appear to be starting some shit and talking with them has failed."
"Then I guess I better eat all the pies I can now."
Spitfire snorted, "there will be none of that if we begin active mission work with a possible war on the horizon."
"Sounds like we need more 'bolts," the cornflower blue stallion mused.
"Tell me about it. I'll need us and Fleet to brush up on combat flying pronto so that we can teach the rest. The princess gave us three months to quietly mobilize."
"That's not much. But, it sounds like a plan," Soarin placed a quick kiss on his mare's lips. "Now," blue wings enveloped bright yellow and pulled the powerful mare down. "Quick cuddle then back to work."
Spitfire smirked at her husband and adjusted herself to better reciprocate the affection.