The Successors: Chapter 1

It was nighttime in Canterlot, but the sky was ablaze with light.  The moon glowed white against an inky backdrop dotted with countless silvery pinpoints, bathing the sleeping city in a cool, pallid glow.  The Royal Palace was specially imposing, its pale spires and turrets shining with reflected moonlight and casting long deep shadows over the surrounding cityscape.  Silence and stillness ruled the night air, and only the occasional sound of wind disturbed the tranquility of the late hour.  Though guards stood at every gate and outer doorway, the palace grounds were devoid of any movement and lay cloaked in the castle's great shadow.

Within the palace, a lone pony trotted quietly down a dim hallway.  She was lean and tall, winged and horned, and clad in the regalia of an Equestrian princess.  Her coat was as white as radiant moonlight, and her long flowing mane and tail as black as a starless midnight, and on each flank she bore the symbol of a pale blue moon, slightly waning.  She walked in silence, hearing only the sound of her silver shoes as they clacked softly on the marble floor.

At length she came to a stop before a large, arched set of double doors.  Turning to face it, she lowered her head and closed her dark blue eyes in concentration.  "Come on," she muttered softly to the doors.  "Open.  It's not that difficult."  At her command, her horn started to glow with a bluish light.  A similar glow appeared around the archway, but it was faint and flickered like a dying flame.

More power was brought into focus, and the glow intensified.  She was exhausted mentally, her magical stamina utterly spent from hours and hours of rigorous training.  Still she refused to give up; if she couldn't open a simple doorway just because she was a little tired, what chance had she of ever mastering the arcane arts?

At last the glow faded altogether, dying out of its own accord.  She was simply too worn out to perform even so easy a feat of magic as opening a door, and this realization caused her heart to sink.  Even after so much training, the simplest of spells still required tremendous effort and concentration.  At times she feared she may never get the hang of spellcasting and this worried her terribly: how would anypony in Equestria respect her authority as the new princess if she couldn't even use her own horn properly? She made up her mind to step up her practice regimen in the coming weeks. But now, at this moment, she was just too tired to try any harder.

Sighing in defeat, she pushed the doors open with a hoof and stepped through into the royal throne room.

"Princess Aurora!  You've returned!"

The princess started, but then relaxed once she saw who had called her name.  He was a unicorn, gray-coated and maned, with a bushy white moustache on his snout and a monocle perched upon his left eye.  He smiled at her, or at least seemed to smile, for his moustache obscured his mouth completely.

"Oh.  Hello, Glass Eye," she greeted her advisor.  "I wasn't expecting to find anypony here at this hour…well, anypony other than my sister, at least."

"I've simply been awaiting your return, Princess," he explained.  "May I ask how your magic training went?"

A shadow passed over Aurora's face.  "It was…." Her mind scrabbled to find the proper word.  "…frustrating.  But no more so than usual.  Lord Stargazer tells me I'm making progress."

"And I'm sure you can trust his word on that matter.  If it's not too much to say, your highness, I believe you are most fortunate that the University board selected him as your teacher.  There is no finer scholar of the arcane arts in all of Equestria."

"I know, I know.  He said that himself…too many times for me to count," said Aurora, muttering that last bit under her breath.  Glass Eye merely continued to smile.

She glanced about the room.  Her silvery-white throne stood on a raised dais of marble at the far end, and just beside it sat another throne, gilded and seated with deep red cushions.  Both seats were empty.   "Has my sister returned from flight training yet?" she asked, turning back to Glass Eye.

"She has, your highness," he answered her.  "Princess Corona arrived not more than an hour ago.  She was very tired, and left for her bedchambers to take a nap.  She asked that I awaken her when you return."

"That won't be necessary," said Aurora.  "I'll go and see her myself."  She turned and made for the door once again.  Already she could feel fatigue tugging at her eyelids.  Though she was grateful that the Arcane University and Cloudsdale Flight Academy had found tutors for her and her sister, this late-night course schedule was beginning to wear on them both.  It sounded like Corona had the right idea: a quick nap before dawn would be downright heavenly after so long and frustrating a night of training.  By now the night was far too old for Aurora to get any sleep – indeed, by the clock it was almost dawn – but at least seeing her sister again would bring her some peace of mind.

"If I may trouble you for just a moment longer, Princess," Glass Eye called out, "there is an issue about which I'd like to speak with you first."

"Issue?"  Aurora stopped in her tracks and turned back to look at her advisor.  "What sort of an issue?"

"A matter of royal duty, your highness," he explained.  "I spoke with the advisory council earlier tonight.  As I'm sure you know, we have been handling most of the, shall we say, grunt-work of keeping the nation afloat during this transitional period."

"Of course.  And I truly do appreciate that," said Aurora, speaking sincerely.  Were it not for Glass Eye and his peers, she and her sister would never have been able to maintain their position on the Equestrian throne.  Many of Celestia and Luna's old advisors had volunteered to work with them, and to manage the more complex political issues that arose while the new princesses learned to use their horns and wings.

"It's no trouble at all, your highness," Glass Eye assured her.  "The interest of the entire nation is at stake, and we are all glad to help you however we can.  But, given how busy we've been renegotiating our treaty with the Griffon Kingdom, certain internal matters have regrettably fallen by the wayside.  As such, the council seems to be in agreement: it is time that you and Princess Corona begin taking on some governing duties of your own."

"Of our own?" echoed the princess.  "What sort of duties are you talking about?"

"Rather important ones, in this case."  His horn glowed pale gray, and with his magic he summoned a scroll.  "Just yesterday the palace mailroom received this: a compiled list of complaints and concerns from a small town called Ponyville.  They've been receiving such letters from many small towns as of late – all of Equestria wishes to know that their new government is looking after their interests, but the one from Ponyville was particularly troubling.  The council thought that you and your sister ought to handle it personally."

"Why is that?"

"As a test of your leadership abilities, mostly.  They want to know if you'll be ready to run the country once your training is finished.  After all, there's more to being a princess than just being skilled flyers and magicians."

"Of course," agreed Aurora.  "That sounds like a fine idea.  I'm certain we can…that we…we…."

A long and sudden yawn disrupted her train of thought; her exhaustion was at last starting to make itself known.  "Err…on second thought," she began sheepishly, "do you think this could wait until later today?  I'm in no shape to deal with anything right now – I think I'll go to bed just after sunrise, and we can discuss it after I've had some rest."

"Certainly, your highness.  But I must press that this issue cannot wait indefinitely.  It is not only a test of your abilities.  Ponyville's problems are genuine, and need to be dealt with in a timely manner."

"I understand," the princess assured him.  "And I really do care.  But their problems will never be dealt with if I can't get some sleep."

Glass Eye "smiled" at her once more.  "Very well.  Then I wish you a good morning, princess."

"Good morning to you too, Glass Eye."

She left the throne room, quietly making her way up the long and winding torch-lit staircase to the uppermost tower of the palace, where she and Corona's bedchambers were located.  Just outside Corona's door she stopped; it briefly crossed her mind to try and open this door by magic, but she thought better of it.  She was far too tired, and such an attempt would be doomed to failure anyway.  Instead she simply pushed open the door with a hoof.

A great yellow mass filled her field of vision the instant she set foot inside.

"Blue!  You're back!"  Aurora felt her sister's forelegs wrap themselves around her in a warm embrace.  After a tight squeeze, Corona stepped back and looked her in the eye.  She was slightly shorter than her twin sister, golden-maned, and her coat was a faint, soft yellow color.  Her face was bright and her voice cheery, though her eyes were slightly bloodshot.  "Come on in!"

"Hello, Summer," said Aurora, smiling warmly.  More than anything, it was nice to hear somepony calling her by her own name, not "your highness," or "Princess Aurora."  Here, she was just Blue Moon, sister of Summer Sun, and nothing more.  It was something that she shared only with her sister.  Their names were all that they had left of their old lives, and Aurora never wanted to let that go.

"I'm surprised to see you up and about," she said to Corona.  "Glass Eye told me that you were taking a nap."

"I tried taking one, but I just couldn't sleep.  I guess I was a little anxious, waiting for you to get back," Corona replied, her tone of voice darkening ever so slightly.  "You were gone a lot longer than usual tonight.  But I'm glad you're back now!"

"I'm glad to be back, too," Aurora said as she stepped into the room.  It was a beautiful and spacious bedchamber, with rounded walls and a huge circular bed positioned neatly against the far wall.  The bed was overspread by a white coverlet upon which was emblazoned a yellow sun with eight pointed orange rays.  It had been tailor-made by the finest quilt-makers in Canterlot to match the new sun princess's Cutie Mark.  Her gleaming fire-orange regalia rested by a dresser on the opposite wall from the bed.

Corona continued to beam at her sister.  "So how was magic training?" she asked, her voice once again bright and cheery.

"Training was miserable," Aurora replied.  She strode wearily to Corona's bed and threw herself across it, her long dark mane spilling over its opposite end.  "And Stargazer was insufferable, as always.  I could probably handle his high standards if he weren't quite so critical.  It's as if he expects me to be as good at magic as he is."

"Well, he's kind of got a point, doesn't he?" said Corona.  She crawled up onto the bed herself and lay at Aurora's side.  "I mean sure, he's the best magician in the world, but you're a princess!  You've got more power in that horn of yours than he could even dream of!  All you need now is a little more training, right?"

Aurora rolled over onto her stomach, scowling fiercely.  "Lord Stargazer is a Canterlot noble.  If he's the finest magician in the world, it's only because he was born into a family wealthy enough to send him to the best schools, and buy him the best books, and to set him up at the best university.  He didn't have to earn his status as the 'world's greatest magician.'  It's been handed to him on a silver platter practically since foalhood.  I have to start from scratch: no experience, no prior training, no instinct.  He shouldn't treat me like a failure just because I'm not as good as he is.  Once he gets around to teaching you, I'm sure you'll understand."

Corona fell silent, seemingly unable to come up with a response.  For a few moments the two sisters simply sat in mildly uncomfortable quiet, broken at last when Aurora spoke up again out of the blue.

"How did your flying lessons go?"

"Um…awesome!  Yeah, they were great," Corona answered.  "I, uh…well, I'm still having trouble taking off…and staying airborne…and, uh…landing…."

There was a short pause.

"Okay, so I'm not really doing all that great," Corona continued, her voice suddenly sullen.  "But I'm trying, Blue Moon, I really am.  It's just that there's a lot of studying involved, see?  Flight mechanics and musculature diagrams and air resistance…so many things to think about all at once.  It's a lot more complicated than just flapping my wings."

"I know, I know," Aurora assured her.  She lowered her head ashamedly.  "Flight training isn't going very well for me, either.  I haven't gotten off the ground in over a week."  She frowned, and Corona frowned with her.  Then she remembered that they had a job to do.  Sitting herself up, she rolled off of the bed and rose to her hooves.  "Well, are you ready for the sunrise?"

"You bet I am!" replied Corona.  The sun princess used her own magic to draw back the curtains and open the long glass doors which led to her balcony, and together they stepped outside.

The view from their balcony was splendid.  From the high tower they could see all of Equestria unfolding far below them: moonlit mountains, wide rivers shimmering with reflected starlight, vast, grassy plains and dark woods stretching out in all directions as far as the eye could see.  The moon hung solemnly over the scene, waiting to be put to rest so that the sun might rise in its place.

As one, both sisters closed their eyes in concentration.  Aurora summoned her willpower and her horn began to glow soft blue.  Though she couldn't see it, she could sense Corona doing the same just beside her.  Her sister's magic radiated like warmth from a hearth, and from it Aurora drew strength for herself.  Energy flowed in harmony between the two as they brought their magic into focus.

Mentally they reached out, spanning the length of the sky with their will.  Each began to feel a tremendous weight straining upon her hold, but kept it under their control by using one another's magical willpower as counterbalances.  The weight shifted between them, falling and rising in turn, and soon it settled into what felt like a comfortable resting position.  After that, they both felt the weight diminish, and suddenly it seemed to lift itself from them entirely.

Aurora opened her eyes.  The sky above her head was now a soft blue, and at the very edge of her vision a faint line of glowing orange peeked over the horizon, silhouetting the distant mountains and casting bold shadows across the landscape.  The moon had vanished, and the sun had now begun its long climb across the sky.

Corona stood blinking by her side.  "Did…did I do a good job?" she asked, her voice weak and worn-out.

"Of course," Aurora replied.  "You always do."

"T-thanks."  She took a step back and stumbled slightly.  "I'm…I'm feelin' kinda tired…."

A realization crept slowly into Aurora's mind, accompanied by a tinge of guilt.  Raising the sun was a difficult feat of magic, and Aurora had been so exhausted herself that she had allowed most of that burden to fall onto her sister.  It was no wonder she suddenly seemed so drained.

"It's all right, Summer," she said, softly and caringly.  She walked to Corona's side, giving her a body to lean against.  "Let's get you to bed, okay?"

"M'kay," Corona mumbled.  Already her eyes were half-closed, and sleep was beginning to take hold of her.

Carefully, Aurora led her unsteady sister back to bed, pausing only to shut the door behind them and draw the curtains over it.  She pulled down the sheets and comforter and Corona crawled beneath them, resting her golden head against her pillow and wriggling into a comfortable position.  As Aurora pulled the sheets back up to her neck, Corona began to speak again.

"D'you think…" she said softly, already half-asleep.  "D'you think Celestia 'n Luna would be proud of us?"

A sad smile came to Aurora's lips.  "Of course they would, Summer," she answered just as quietly.  "I know they would."

Corona's only reply was a gentle smile, and a mumbled "G'night, sis."

"Good night, Summer," said Aurora, not bothering to remind her that it was actually morning.  For a few seconds she merely stood and waited for another response, but one never came; Corona was already fast asleep.  The dark-maned princess leaned in and softly nuzzled her cheek.  "Sleep tight, sister."

After that, Aurora crept quietly from the room.  She crossed the hall to her own bedroom.  It was modeled much like her sister's, but with the color scheme altered to reflect her own Cutie Mark.  After taking a moment to remove her regalia, she walked to her bedside and pulled back the covers.  For a pony so exhausted, the blank white linen looked like a cloudy heaven.  She crawled beneath the sheets, laid her head on her soft blue pillow, and fell at once into a sound slumber.

She dreamed of home.