Preview Thingy

Just a short preview of the intro to this new novella’s first chapter. In the series’ timeline, (Series? How did it ever come to this point? God, someone shoot me now…) this story takes place between the vignettes ‘A Pressing Question’ and ‘The Great Escape’, roughly one week prior to Anon and Cel’s wedding.

The first chapter is a little slice-of-life reintroduction to our cast and setting, but don’t be fooled. The whole story isn’t SoL in the least, as you’ll see the real plot kick into gear in Chapter 2. Also, unlike ‘Exchange’, our main protagonist is primarily Celestia this time, hence the third person narration. We’ll get a really good glimpse into her thoughts, which I think will be fun!

Coming soon sometime in the year 2017+1, with the hardcover soon to follow.

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An unusually strong breeze flows through the bedroom window, causing its translucent snow-white curtains to billow for a moment before settling again. The joyful humming that once filled the room ceases, if only for a time, as its sole occupant finds her attention drawn to the sight. The curtains are gently pulled back and secured by their tassels, revealing the many striking petunias so carefully cultivated within the handmade planter that rests just outside the window. She leans forward to enjoy the sweet scent, only to pull away again to greet a familiar guest.

“You’re earlier than usual, little one. Expecting an eventful day?”

The emerald hummingbird answers with a happy chirp, darting from one flower to the next, closely followed by a new teal companion. Her eyes widen for a moment, and she smiles softly at the two.

“Ah, my apologies! I didn’t mean to interrupt your date.”

Another series of happy chirps tells her that all is forgiven, and she returns to the bed to resume her work. Again, joyful humming fills the room as the golden sheen of magic surrounds yet another shirt and pulls it into the air. The sleeves are neatly folded first, then the sides, and finally the middle, before the shirt is carefully placed within the open suitcase alongside the others. A gray hoodie is captured next, fluttering above the bed in the light breeze still flowing from the window, but she pauses before folding it as a myriad of sudden thoughts and considerations spring forth.

Is this too much? Even though they’ll soon be moving and adopting a new schedule, they’ll still be spending several days each week here at the cottage. It would be a shame if he suddenly ran out of clean shirts when he needed them because she packed too many. After all, it’s not like they can walk into a random store and buy extra clothes for him; everything has to be custom made and that takes time. And though spring is only a few days away now, the weather is still chilly in the mornings here, but it's starting to become warm in the afternoons, too. Did she leave any short sleeve shirts behind after the last trip? If not, she could possibly alter some existing long sleeve shirts, but on second thought, she’s allowed her admittedly very basic skills as a seamstress to languish for about 1,700 years or so… yes, it would definitely be prudent to practice on some fabric scraps first should it come to that. Maybe she could borrow some from—

Her train of thought is interrupted by the hoodie falling gently upon her head as her concentration over her magic wavers. It drapes over the bridge of her horn, covering her eyes, and as her vision is lost to the soft fabric, she can’t help but giggle at the thought of her own silliness.

“Oh my, what a thing to be so worried over.”

The hoodie slides down the side of her face, bringing the unmistakable scent of its owner as it moves, and with it a flood of happy memories and emotions that lightly dance and swirl within her chest. She catches it before it reaches the floor and pulls it close, marveling once again at the fantastic, improbable, joyous chain of events that somehow came together to lead her to this very moment in time.

Celestia, Herald of the Sun. Princess of the Day. Daughter of the Dawn. Secondborn of Those Who Came Before. Shepherd and Shaper of this World. Celestia, benevolent immortal ruler of ponykind, bearer of knowledge and wisdom formed from the triumphs and failures of a life lived for over 2,500 years… and here she is, standing in the bedroom of the little cottage she shares with her beloved human, fretting over whether he’ll be too warm or cold in the coming days as a result of her packing decisions.

She laughs again. What a thing to be worried over, indeed!

Her unusual giddiness prompts her two little guests, their morning meal finished, to flash her a curious glance. She merely smiles back at them and nods, wishing them a pleasant day, and together they flitter away toward the nearby hills which just barely conceal the town of Ponyville from the cottage’s view. She watches them for a while, daydreaming about all the things the diligent little ponies of the town must be doing right now. Some are no doubt at work, selling their wares or services suited to their talents. The younger ones are certainly in school, learning all about the bountiful land of Equestria they’ll one day inherit, as well as the wider world and its varied inhabitants…

But surely there are more than a few ponies tending to the homestead while their spouses and foals are away, doing everything they can to look after the needs of their family; to bring them comfort, warmth, and to show that they’re loved in ways big and small. Perhaps there’s even a mare out there right now who’s staring at an open suitcase just like her and carefully considering which suits and ties to pack for her husband’s upcoming business trip!

A mare just like her…

Again, she feels that familiar happiness surge through her, and she can’t help but express her joy, her lilting laughter mixing with the sound of the calm breeze. For so long, her duties and the weight of the decisions she had to make left her feeling disconnected on a certain level from her little ponies. To properly watch over the world for the past millennia, she had no choice but to stand above it. But while the perspective granted by her distance was necessary, it also blinded her to the little details of the lives of her subjects, especially as the years slipped by. Months would routinely pass in the blink of an eye as she moved from one critical project, crisis, or decree to the next, all for the sake of their wellbeing, yet still missing so much despite her best intentions.

But now, between her dear sister’s return, the exasperatingly refreshing humor of her newly-freed brother, the characteristic eagerness of her finest pupil, and the love and support of her precious human, she no longer has to remain alone and removed from the world. Ever since those harrowing yet amazing few months when she temporarily cast off her crown and set her life on a new, unfamiliar course, she’s been able to stand firmly upon the earth; to see and experience all the vivid colors she had long forgotten and know firsthoof how her little ponies live their lives.

Yes, somewhere beyond the hills there’s surely a mare just like her, neatly folding clothes for her beloved. And much like with her Anon, he may never notice the neat creases. He may never notice that each was folded with care instead of all at once with a single spell, or the lack of a lazily cast wrinkle-ward enchantment to save time that could be better spent elsewhere.

But that’s all right. He doesn’t have to. She wants to do this anyway, as it’s one of the ways she’s able to show her love for him.

Her eyes shine; the answer now apparent. It was so simple all along, and as with most things, she was overthinking it from the start. After all, if a time ever comes when her human is cold, she’ll find a way to keep him warm. Even excluding her powerful magic or her control over the source of the world’s warmth itself, any opportunity to pull him close was always welcome.

The neatly folded hoodie finds its place with the other clothes, on its way fluttering past the engagement band resting in the center of her simple necklace. She takes one last stock of everything there, at the same time trying to calm the ever-present feeling of anticipation in her chest, and uses a hoof to gently close the case, her task finished. And with a final glance out the window and an unspoken farewell to the unseen mare beyond the hills, she turns to leave, untying the tassels and allowing the curtains to resume their airy dance.