Lost to the Sands

Phase 1

In the vast, seemingly endless and nearly empty expanse of outer space, there is a single, small, green and blue planet. It sits among thousands of its cousins in the cosmos, standing out with its one unique characteristic; there is life upon it. On this small yet vibrant planet, which contains many continents and thousands of miles of inhabitable land, there is one nation named Equestria. Within the expansive and diverse population of this largest nation, there exists a single city perched on a mountaintop, known as Canterlot. The largest city in the nation, and the capital, it hosts a single, impressive castle.

In the center of this madness and mayhem, standing as a small, seemingly insignificant speck amongst the vast universe, is a single pony. Her name is Celestia; Princess of Equestria and immortal Goddess of the Sun.

From her place within the halls of Canterlot Castle, she controls not only the nation of Equestria, but much of the rest of the planet through sheer influence and leadership, as well as the very sun itself. Ponies everywhere look up to and revere her, as do many other denizens of the world. She is seen as a figure of guidance and a beacon of hope, a pony that one can look up to in times of trouble or despair.

She is the head of government for the nation, as well as for the city of Canterlot itself. And, being the most powerful nation and city in the whole world, is able to help other nations and peoples grow and prosper alongside. Through sheer hard work and determination, Celestia has helped guide Equestria, and the rest of the lands, out of the dark ages and into an era of prosperity and happiness.

However on some days, especially days like today, only one thing seemed to ring true in Celestia's mind.

She was a very busy pony.

"Your Highness?"

Celestia looked up from the mountain of paperwork occupying the desk in her office and glanced to the doorway. A white unicorn stallion wearing glasses with thick frames and carrying a clipboard was glancing in at her. She smiled at the pony, who was one of her many assistants, and replied, "Yes?"

"The Minister of Education has requested your audience," he answered in a professional tone.

The Princess' radiant smile fell into a small frown. "She has? Why?"

"She said she had something fairly urgent to discuss with you about the upcoming school year and that she'd like to speak with you at your earliest convenience."

Celestia returned her gaze to the desk. Two tall stacks of paper sat upon it, surrounded by various other papers, each one filled to the brim with complex writing and diagrams. She had just sat down only moments ago, having finally found free time to look over the newly proposed budgets. It was only 1 o'clock in the afternoon, but her day had already been packed full of meetings with ministers and government workers.

Shaking her head and putting on a smile, she rose from her seat and walked towards the doorway. "Of course. I will see her now."

The stallion nodded and replied, "Very good. I shall escort you then, Your Highness."

It was a fairly short walk through the glorious hallways of Canterlot Castle to get to the wing housing the Ministry of Education. The Princess made this journey, accompanied by her escort. A small sigh escaped her lips as they walked. It had been an extremely busy day today, even from the very beginning, and this meeting was threatening to make it even longer and busier. Her schedule was usually packed enough as it was.

However, Celestia was a hard worker at heart. If somepony needed her help, she would always do her best to give them the assistance they desired. A pony in her position could easily delegate others to do her work for her, but that was not the kind of leader she wished to be. A part of her philosophy was to dive into any problem and try to fix it with her own hooves. She had always felt that doing so made her a more approachable and caring ruler, while also giving her the satisfaction of actually accomplishing her goals.

This did, however, make her very, very busy.

"Here we are, your highness." The two ponies stopped before a door marked with a distinctive green symbol on the front. They had passed through a door with a larger, identical symbol earlier, and said symbol could be seen all around. It was the mark of the Ministry of Education.

Celestia turned to the pony beside and gave him a warm smile. "Thank you, Pocketwatch."

The stallion gave a short bow to her before turning and walking away.

The Princess then raised her hoof and gave the door a push. She leaned her head inside and regarded the purple pony seated at the large desk occupying the room beyond. "You wished to see me, Shooting Star?"

The mare looked up from her work, startled. Her eyes widened when she saw who was standing in the doorway. "Oh! Your Highness! I wasn't expecting you to come all the way out to my office. I- I would've happily come to see you."

Celestia smiled and held up her hoof. "Ah, no need to worry. It was my pleasure." Shooting Star was new to her job, having been recently elected after her incumbent had retired. Most of the other ministry members and government workers were used to Celestia coming to them instead of vice versa. The Princess believed that it was important to leave her stuffy office and be out and about in the castle as often as she could.

"Now then," she spoke, stepping towards the mare's desk, "what was it you wanted to discuss?"

"Oh!" Shooting Star sifted through the papers on her desk before finding a stack held together with a heavy staple and presenting it to the Princess. "This was just dropped on my desk this morning. It is a thorough report written and researched by our ministry, and it outlines how students have fared in Equestrian schools for the year of 2010." She flipped forward a few pages. "Now, as you can see by these graphs…"

Celestia sat and patiently listened to Shooting Star as she expressed concerns about the average grades of Equestria's students, the amount of available teachers, and the budget being allocated to building new schools and repairing older ones. Celestia remained quiet for the most part, listening intently and offering short comments when she had something to contribute.

The two conversed for a little over an hour. Shooting Star had lots to say about the state of Equestria's education system and had many ideas for how it could be improved. She definitely had some valid concerns and interesting ideas, and so Celestia gave her full attention as the mare spoke.

"…I realize that this might necessitate an adjustment of the federal budget, but the children are our future and we need to do everything we can to help them," Shooting Star said in conclusion.

Celestia nodded her head. "I understand your concerns, Shooting Star," she spoke, "Perhaps you can finalize a plan or draft up a new way to spend what current budget we allocate for you, and I'll do my best to integrate it. Although I will definitely see if it's at all possible to provide the Ministry of Education with more funding."

Shooting Star smiled. "Thank you, Your Highness. I promise that any money given to us will not be wasted."

The Princess chuckled. "I trust you, Shooting Star. Have a good day."

Ten minutes later and Celestia was back in her study, staring at the two large stacks of paper before her once again. The proposed budgets had not moved or magically worked on themselves while she'd been gone. She glanced up at the clock. Only an hour remained before dinner time. Hopefully, as long as nopony else interrupted her, she would be done with this in time to attend.

She levitated the first paper off of the stack on the right. These were two very different proposals about how Equestria was to use its funds in the upcoming year, and Celestia was supposed to choose between them. However, she was determined to find a middle ground between the two, using the pros and eliminating the cons of both. It was a lot more work, but she was willing to put in overtime if it would help her country prosper and flourish.

She sighed and put on a determined face. "Let's get to work then…"

Celestia toiled away for the entire hour, pouring over the two proposals. She carefully scrutinized and analyzed them, taking out a separate roll of parchment to create a pros and cons table. Her mind was focused and her determination was strong as she worked. She refused to pay attention to anything else in the world around her, focusing solely on the work before her so that she could get it done, and get it done well.

She probably would've lost track of time and continued working had her clock not chimed. Her task very nearly completed, she glanced at it and saw that it was dinnertime. Smiling in anticipation, Celestia neatly stacked the proposals back into their original piles and set aside all of her work for later. She was very close to finishing it, but it was time for dinner with Luna. The rest would have to wait.

Standing up from her desk, she trotted towards the door. Before she could open it, however, somepony on the other side knocked.



***



In the grand banquet hall there were two tables. One, occupying most of the room, was very long and seated up to 50 ponies at once. At each end of the table was an ornately decorated throne; one in yellows and one in deep blues. It was studded with gems and surrounded by intricately designed chairs, fitting in with the motif of the rest of the hall. The hall itself was decorated with paintings and murals along most of its walls, depicting various stunning scenes from Equestrian history, and beautifully designed pillars and statues sitting along the walls and corners.

The other table, however, was much smaller and simpler. At most it could probably fit four ponies, although it was never used for that many. In fact, it was currently occupied by a single pony.

Young Princess Luna sat at the table with a frown on her face. A large, mouth-watering meal of tomato bisque, a salad filled with delicious ingredients, steamed bread and a small cake for dessert sat before her. It was extremely tantalizing and it was driving her crazy, despite the fact that the bisque and bread were now ice-cold and the cake was getting dry.

The doors at the back of the room popped open and a dark blue unicorn stuck his head out. When he saw the Princess sitting at the table he muttered under his breath and stepped out, carrying behind him with his magic an exact replica of the meal currently on the table. The only difference being the visible wisps of steam. Working with expert speed and precision, the unicorn swiftly removed the cold meal from the table and replaced it with the fresh one in the span of only ten seconds.

Luna sighed and stared at the hot, steaming dinner. That had been the fourth time the chefs had re-made the meal and replaced it. Nearly fifty minutes had gone by since Luna had sat down, and she was absolutely starving.

However, no matter how loudly her stomach growled and no matter how much it ached, she refused to touch her dinner until Celestia arrived. Looking at the clock, though, Luna was just about ready to give up.

After a few more minutes of utter silence, the doors of the dining hall finally burst open. A very weary Celestia cantered in. "Hello, Luna," she spoke tiredly, "I'm so sorry to have missed dinner, but something suddenly came up." She turned her head towards the kitchen. "Pepper Spice?"

Hearing his name, the unicorn poked his head back out. "Yes, Your Highness?"

"To go, please."

"Of course, Your Highness."

Luna's face fell and her wings drooped. "You're not even going to stay?"

Celestia returned her gaze to Luna and gave her a sad smile. "I am sorry, dear sister, but I simply don't have the time. I'm due to finish my assessment of the budget and then I have to meet with the Ministry of Finance, and…" She trailed off. "This was the only free time I had, and I'm so sorry to have missed it."

Luna gave an empty sigh and turned her gaze to the floor. "What happened this time?" she asked, a hint of bitterness in her voice.

Her older sister let out an exasperated huff. "There was another Parasprite outbreak. They arrived with absolutely no warning in Dusty Hoof; that small village out in the middle of the dry plains. They ate all of the village's crops and, to make matters worse, their water tower. Dusty Hoof was already struggling financially as it was, so this is bad. I had to immediately come up with a plan of support for them. I worked as hard as I could, Luna, but it was a lot of work."

"I know…" Luna muttered, "I know you're busy. It's just…this is the third time this week that you've missed dinner." She turned her gaze up to her older sister and said, "This is the only time out of the whole day that we really get to talk and spend time with each other. This is supposed to be our time."

Celestia frowned. Luna was right; breakfast was spent with the entire royal family and some of Canterlot's highest elite, and both sisters' busy schedules kept them occupied for the rest of the day. An hour together at dinner was all they got.

"I was hoping we could talk about…" Luna continued, "Well, you know…about me. I thought you could give me more advice about modern Equestrian life. I still need some help, Celestia. I'm not yet fitting in, and I want to do my part and help out, but…"

The Princess shook her head sadly and extended one of her glorious wings, wrapping her younger sister in a warm hug. The smaller blue alicorn with her short, sky-blue mane nuzzled her big sister in the embrace. "I'm sorry, Luna. Really, I truly am. If there was something I could do, believe me, I'd do it. But the world's not perfect, and neither am I. I can try my best, but in the end, that's all I can do."

Luna just stared at the floor.

Celestia nuzzled her affectionately. "Enjoy your dinner, Luna. It looks delicious. I promise we'll spend some quality time together soon."

Luna gave a small smile and nuzzled her sister back. "All right, Tia…"

Celestia gave her a small kiss on the forehead before standing up to leave. "I love you, Luna."

"I love you too…"

"Okay. I'll see you soon."  Celestia then turned to leave, looking forward to the hot meal she'd get to enjoy in her room. She frowned as she left, though. Luna was right to feel dejected; the two hadn't spent much time together in the past few months, and Celestia's attendance at dinner had been less than perfect. She shook her head, saying to herself, It's out of my hooves. I'm simply too busy.

Five minutes later and she was back in her office, facing down the two imposing budget proposals. Only a dozen or so pages remained in each stack, and an impressive set of diagrams and tables was evolving on a third set of papers between them. Despite the long, arduous process, Celestia was growing more and more confident that she'd successfully captured most of the pros and eliminated most of the cons. Her own proposal was going to be spectacular.

Another long hour passed, during which Celestia was eventually able to say with finality that she was satisfied with her work on the budget. She had then personally delivered it to the Ministry of Finance, after which she'd set the sun. As darkness began to shroud the land and her sister, elsewhere, raised the moon, Celestia returned to her study and took a look at her schedule.

Her expression fell slightly as she realized that she still had one more duty to perform today, after which it would be time for her to go to sleep. Fatigue was beginning to set in already, but it was nothing that Celestia couldn't handle. She'd been through many busy days in the past; it was simply part of the job.

Still, she put on a determined face. "Let's get this done…"



***



Finally, after a long day of work, Celestia lay her head down upon her pillow. Her golden shoes, necklace and crown were resting on her dresser nearby and her body was tucked warmly underneath blankets adorned with depictions of the sun.

"Ahh..." she breathed, grateful that she was finally able to relax. Her stamina was ultimately running out, and so laying cosily in her bed was absolutely heavenly. Celestia smiled as she got comfortable. The satisfaction of a day's work well done was washing over her, and the warm embrace of her covers was only adding to the pleasure.

Her eyes opened slightly and she gazed out the window of her bedroom. The calming, silvery glow of her sister's moon was shining through. Seeing it made her frown as thoughts of today's dinner returned to her.

She let out a small sigh, feeling bad about what had happened. Though she tried to tell herself that it wasn't her fault and she had simply been too busy doing her duties, she couldn't help but have sympathy for her younger sister. Celestia understood quite clearly what she was feeling.

"I need to make it up to her…"

So, Celestia decided, right then and there, that she would find a way to set aside some time tomorrow just to spend with her sister. To make up for missing so many dinners, she would not only show up to tomorrow's dinner, but would also make sure she was able to enjoy quality time alone with her sister as well.

It wasn't going to be easy to completely revise her schedule. She would probably have to alter her agendas for multiple days in advance, moving around duties and meetings in order to accommodate time with her sister, but it would be worth it.

Giving a small smile, Celestia began to fall asleep.



***



"Your Highness, I'm not sure we're going to be able to move that."

"Well, we're going to have to, so make it happen, Time Piece."

Celestia was getting frustrated with her royal agenda-keeper. The mare was proving to be extremely hesitant and reluctant to change anything about her perfectly constructed schedule.

"Your Highness…"

"Time Piece, this is very important to me. I wish to spend some time with my dear sister. I miss her and I can tell that she misses me. This is only one change I wish to make."

"But…"

"Make…this…happen."

Time Piece groaned and returned to flipping through The Princess' agenda. There was silence in the room for a few minutes as Time Piece gazed over the timetables, making a series of notes on a clipboard as she did. Celestia sat and waited patiently.

Eventually, Time Piece spoke up again. "Okay…Your Highness, I think I have a solution. If the mayor of Manehatten is willing to reschedule, then I'll be able to find you an hour and a half of free time at 2:30 in the afternoon. Is that acceptable?"

Celestia responded with a glowing smile. "That is perfect, Time Piece. Thank you. And I'm sure that the mayor won't mind; she and I go way back."

"Very well, Your Highness. I shall inform you if anything changes."

"Excellent. Thank you, Time Piece. You are dismissed."

The pegasus pony nodded and immediately departed.

Celestia grinned in satisfaction. "Perfect…" she whispered to herself. This was sure to make up for yesterday, and perhaps even the past month. Today, they would be able to have two and a half hours together if dinner were included. Luna was sure to be quite pleased when she found out.

The Princess then lit up her horn and levitated her morning brief over to her. It was a single sheet of paper she received each and every morning that briefly outlined the status of the nation and brought her up to date on current events. She read over it, seeing that things were going fairly well today. The relief efforts for the parasprite-ravaged village were already making an impact, there were no major crimes or emergencies occurring anywhere, and Celestia's newly proposed budget was already being approved by many Ministry members.

Satisfied, she replaced the brief on her desk and was about to step out and make her way to the dining hall for breakfast when something caught her eye. Turning back, she saw a wisp of green flame phase through her window and make its way towards her. It stopped before her, spiralled for a few moments, and then formed into a neatly tied scroll, which she caught with her magic.

She smiled, holding the letter from Twilight Sparkle. "Ah, my faithful student, what a wonderful way to brighten my morning," she spoke.

Not long ago, she had sent her personal student and protégé, Twilight Sparkle, to Ponyville, hoping she'd make some friends and learn about the magic of friendship. The young unicorn had been quite successful in both of these endeavours, and now routinely sent Celestia reports on what she'd learned.

Twilight's letters always brought a smile to The Princess' face. It was always so heart-warming to read about how much fun Twilight was having and seeing what she'd learned. Glancing at the clock, Celestia saw that she was still a few minutes early for breakfast and decided that she had enough time to read it. Using her magic, she removed the ribbon and unrolled the scroll.



Dear Princess Celestia,

Today I learned an important lesson about helping your friends. If a friend is asking you for help or assistance then it is your duty as their friend to help them out to the best of your ability. No matter what the issue, no matter what the solution, not helping out your friends is a quick way to lose them.

This past week, my friend Rainbow Dash had a problem that, honestly, I wasn't sure I’d be able to do anything about. I was almost positive that, despite my best efforts, I wasn't going to be any help. But that didn't mean I was going to ignore her and let her fend for herself. Even just being there for your friends is sometimes all the help they'll need.

Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.



Celestia looked up from the letter and smiled. "What an excellent lesson," she said, reflecting on her student's words. It was always a pleasure to Celestia to see just how much Twilight was learning and just how successfully she was making new friends. Each and every letter showed real progress, and Celestia could not have been prouder.

She returned her gaze to the scroll, seeing that something else was written near the bottom. She began to read it.



P.S.

On a less formal note, I would like to ask you something, Princess. Would you like to stop by the Ponyville Library some time? I've been doing a lot of academic studying lately. Maybe we could have an all-night study session, just like we used to? Any day of the week is fine for me.

Just let me know. I'll be here.



Celestia placed the letter down on her desk, a mix of heart-warming and sadness on her face. "Oh, Twilight…" she whispered, "You know I'd love to, but…" She punctuated her thought by looking at the clock again. Seeing that she was running out of free time, she quickly grabbed a quill and a fresh sheet of parchment from her desk and levitated them behind her as she stood and walked out the door. The alicorn moved through the halls heading towards breakfast in the dining hall, writing on the parchment as she did so.



My faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.

Once again, your report outlines an excellent lesson about friendship. You have done outstanding work yet again, and I couldn't be more proud of you.

As to your request, I'm afraid I must decline. I am simply far too busy, and have no free time whatsoever in the next seven days. I offer my apologies. I know that we haven't had a lot of time to spend together as of late, but it's simply out of my control.

I look forward to hearing from you again, and I shall try my best to find some free time to come visit you soon.

Princess Celestia.



The Princess sighed wistfully. Ever since she had sent Twilight to Ponyville, the two had been seeing less and less of each other. Celestia's schedule had picked up, and the distance was simply too much of a factor. She definitely missed seeing her star pupil, and could tell that Twilight missed her as well.

As she reached the dining hall, she lit up her horn and engulfed the rolled up parchment in green flames, which flew down the hallway and out of sight. Putting on a bright, regal smile, Celestia pushed open the doors to the dining hall and entered, right on time. Everypony else was just getting to their seats. They all took a moment to bow to their Princess as she entered, and remained that way until Celestia commanded them to rise.

As she passed by Luna, who was seated at one end of the long, rectangular table, her sister gave her a warm smile. "Thank you so much!" the younger alicorn spoke as Celestia passed by, headed for her seat at the opposite end.

The Princess smiled back at her sister and said, "My pleasure, Luna."



***



Somewhere within the castle walls, there was a large, highly presentable room with windows looking out across the city, shining floors and pristinely polished golden columns and highlights, and a large, round table. It was regarded as one of the most important places in the whole castle, and the level of security surrounding it reflected this. It was the room Princess Celestia used solely for meetings with foreign diplomats and leaders of other nations, and it was always kept in tip-top shape. Celestia was no fool, and realized the importance of making a good impression upon others in high power, and so the room was decorated lavishly and cleaned every single day.

The large griffon standing in this room had to admit that he was impressed. He stood tall, white feathers with red highlights on his chest and eyes, deep brown wings and a sunny-brown backside. He wore a heavy military jacket, covered with an almost ridiculous amount of medals and honours. Despite beginning to show signs of his age, the griffon stood proud, wearing a confident smile.

The large doors to the room slowly opened, the griffon turning to face them, and a royal guard dressed in gold armour stepped through. "Presenting Her Royal Highness of Equestria, Princess Celestia." The griffon grinned as, moments later, the tall, impressive form of Celestia herself walked through the door and into the room.

She was noticeably irritated and was almost glaring at the griffon. She approached him with a huff and stared down at him. The griffon did not falter or shrink back, gazing back up at the Princess bravely. "Ah, so good to see you, Your Highness," he spoke in a rough, but powerful voice, "So glad you could take this opportunity to speak with me."

Celestia stared at him in silence for a moment before she eventually gave a groan heavy with frustration. "This had better be important, Lord Razor Wing. I had to cancel something very important to make this last-minute meeting with you work."

As the two took their places around the table, Celestia drooped her wings and gazed downward. She whispered something quiet, under her breath, that the griffon did not hear.

"Sorry, Luna…"

"Princess Celestia, I assure you, this is most important," Lord Razor Wing said with a sly grin that irked the alicorn.

Celestia stared disapprovingly at him. The two were seated two places away from each other around the large table in the grand meeting room. The only other occupants were Celestia's two personal guards standing at the ready near the door. Before them on the table was a map of the world that was kept in the room at all times.

The two stared at one another. Razor Wing had dropped his smirk and replaced it with a cold, calculating look. Despite this, however, he still somehow appeared smug and haughty. He held his sharp talons clasped together before him, resting his elbows on the table and seemingly revelling in the awkward silence.

Celestia continued to stare at him, a hint of contempt eking into her expression. The griffon's utterly untimely, unannounced arrival had completely ruined her plans to spend time with Luna. Obviously, the Lord seated before her had absolutely no knowledge of this; it had clearly not been his intent to ruin such an important event. Regardless of these facts, Celestia felt a certain undeserved loathing for the creature that was seated near her.

"I have a very tight schedule, Lord Razor Wing," Celestia spoke, trying to maintain a level of neutral professionalism in her voice, "so if there are no objections from you, I propose we skip formalities and get down to the business of why you're here."

Razor Wing chuckled. "Of course, Your Highness." He then proceeded to gesture with his talon to the map that was before them; specifically to Equestria's extreme north. "Behold our two nations," he spoke with grandeur, as if reciting a carefully rehearsed speech, "The glorious nation of Equestria, and the proud Kingdom of the Griffons."

Celestia followed his talon and let her gaze rest upon a jagged line that represented the border between the two nations.

"Though the focus of much fighting and many disagreements, not the least of which being the war between our two nations," Razor Wing continued, "it has nonetheless been shaped and moulded by peace between griffons and ponies."

Celestia looked back up at him, nearly cocking an eyebrow at his grandiose behaviour. "Yes, I'm well aware of the history," she spoke, "After the war ended, a quick border was drawn up between the two nations which was slowly changed and amended in the following years to serve both nations' interests."

Razor Wing flashed her a grin. "Ah, yes. That is precisely why I'm here, in fact." He then reached into a pocket on his outfit and retrieved a black permanent marker, which he uncapped. He then leaned over the table before him, bringing the marker down and tracing a thick line across the map.

Celestia blinked. She couldn't recall having given the griffon permission to deface their map, much less permanently alter it. Ultimately it was of no consequence as they had many more maps stored elsewhere, but she couldn't help feel a little taken aback.

The line he drew followed the existing border fairly closely, but there were a few locations where it deviated. Celestia stared at what he'd done in an absolute lack of comprehension. "What is this?"

"This," he spoke matter-of-factly, "was the state of our border before the war."

Celestia gazed back down at the line, a faint recognition dawning on her.

"As you can see, there are a few key differences," he continued to say, "There was the small griffon village of Kral that burned down and was rebuilt by ponies. We graciously awarded it to you. Conversely, yet likewise, we built a new settlement on pony land during the war which was awarded to us. Most deviations are due to agreements like this, with which both sides are happy with."

Celestia jumped slightly as Razor Wing suddenly slammed his talon onto the table, pointing one of his claws to a particular, relatively small deviation in the line. "But this, Your Majesty, is why I am here today."

She gazed at where he was pointing. The other deviations she had recognized, but this one was unknown to her. It was so small, nearly unnoticeable. It was basically a long, thin triangle of land that was in Equestria now, but Razor Wing's drawing of the old border showed that it used to be Griffon territory.

"This," Razor Wing proclaimed, "is the only remaining piece of land that had shifted during the war that has not yet been accounted for. Today, the glorious Griffon Kingdom seeks to rectify this."

Celestia did not look at him. She kept her gaze on the defaced map. "This?" she questioned, "It's very small. How much area does this location contain?"

"It is approximately 290 square miles."

Celestia pursed her lips. "That's hardly anything worth fighting over…You're sure your drawing of the original border is accurate?"

"I assure you, Your Highness. To my understanding, ponies captured a much larger portion of our land, and then we managed to reclaim most of it. The war ended before the border could be set exactly where it once was. however."

"I see…" Celestia paused. She leaned in, glancing closer at the map. "What's in this area exactly? I see that it's near the city of Anchorhoof."

Razor Wing reached into his pocket again and said, "I can answer that, Your Highness. In preparation for this meeting, we commissioned an aerial photograph be taken of the area. As you can see, it is untouched nature."

Celestia looked up and saw that Razor Wing was holding a photograph out towards her. She picked it up with her magic and gazed at it. A few marks had been made on it, showing the existing and original borders. As Razor Wing had said, the area was mostly filled with trees and grasslands. She closely studied the image.

"We are aware of how busy you are," Razor Wing was continuing, "and so we hope to make this as painless as possible for both parties. Since the area is relatively small, we believe that, should this land be handed over to us, it would be very simple and without much trouble."

Though she was listening to him, Celestia kept her eyes on the photograph.

"A delegation is currently staying at the Griffon Embassy in Canterlot, so if you could find the time fairly soon to-"

"There!"

Razor Wing blinked. "I…beg your pardon?"

Celestia placed the photograph on the table and leaned down, pointing to a particular spot on it with her horn. "Right there. There's a collection of houses."

Razor Wing leaned in and inspected the photograph for himself. "Ah yes…" he muttered after a minute, "So there is."

"This land is not uninhabited, and at the moment I am not aware of who its inhabitants are. Unless you can provide these answers, then we will get nothing accomplished today. If the Griffon Kingdom is serious about reclaiming this land, then I will send out a party to examine it and find out who lives there."

"Your Highness-"

"Until then, I'm afraid nothing more can be done. We cannot discuss the exchange of lands without knowing whether ponies or griffons live there."

Razor Wing's gaze hardened slightly, but his tone remained the same. "Princess Celestia, I assure you, the Griffon Kingdom is very serious about this. This is land that was once ours, and as we see no reason to award it to you, as we have done so graciously in the past, we desire to reclaim it.

"Now then, if you're concerned about its inhabitants, then you can worry no more. I'll simply contact the griffons in Anchorhoof and have them scout the land. If you so desire, they can be accompanied by pony officials."

Celestia stared at him, carefully considering what he had said to her. She stole a glance at the nearby clock on the wall. The time was ticking away, and if this meeting were carried into a full discussion of territory transfer, it would eat up hours of her time and could possibly spill into the next few days.

"Do we have your cooperation, Princess Celestia?"

Luna was waiting for her, probably wondering where her big sister was. Celestia had been called to see Razor Wing so suddenly that she hadn't even had time to alert Luna. An image of her little sister's heartbroken face assaulted her mind, pleading with her to tell this griffon to come back at a better time, and make sure to call ahead in the future.

But as her gaze returned to the hardened, imposing griffon, her mind quickly returned to a state of thinking diplomatically. Blowing off the Griffon Lord would be terrible for international relations and would reflect badly upon Equestria as a nation, not to mention herself as a leader. Though Razor Wing's visit was indeed unannounced, it would do the Princess better to prove her ability to problem-solve and keep a calm mind by entertaining his endeavours.

Keeping relations between nations is extremely important, she told herself, especially with the Griffon Kingdom.

"Very well, Lord Razor Wing. If they are able to, I will see your delegation at once and we will discuss this matter."

Razor Wing grinned. "Excellent! I assure you, Princess, we will make this as quick and painless as possible. We are not here to make enemies, only to strengthen the bond between friends."

Celestia nodded. "And we cherish that bond, Your Lordship. Your friendship with us is very important, and we value it highly."

Razor Wing stood up, bowed, and took his leave, heading out to fetch his delegation. Celestia let out a small sigh and stared out the window at the afternoon sky.



***



The clock on the wall chimed eleven times.

Luna yawned, the rays of the late morning sun shining through the window of her study and bathing her in a pleasing warmth. She used her magic to close the book in front of her; an in-depth guide to modern politics. Her bookmark stuck out of the top, resting about a quarter of the way through the thick tome. Beside the book rested a sheet of parchment covered in notes and a great deal of question marks.

Luna groaned, her weary eyes and heavy frown a clear indication of how dismal she felt. She picked herself up and stretched her limbs and wings, having been sitting studying for quite a while at this point. A cloud of gloominess hung over her as she tidied up her workplace.

Three weeks ago, Celestia had suddenly cancelled an engagement to spend some quality time with her, and her mood had been dark ever since. She had tried many times to see if Celestia would be able to spend any time with her, but the answer had always been the same; her older sister was simply far too busy.

Her frustration was momentarily abated when she heard somepony knock on the door. When she trotted over and opened it, she found the smiling, if somewhat weary, face of her sister greeting her on the other side.

"Hello, Luna. How are you this fine morning?" she greeted in a pleasant voice.

"Sister! I was not expecting to see you."

Celestia glanced away. "Yes. I know we have not been seeing as much of each other as of late…"

Luna paused before saying, "I have not seen you for eleven days. All of my inquiries were met with the simple statement that you were otherwise occupied."

Celestia gave a sad smile, returning her gaze to the younger alicorn. "I'm sorry Luna, truly I am. As a ruler of Equestria, things tend to pop unexpectedly from time to time. One of the skills a Princess needs to have is the ability to think on the fly and to solve problems before they arise."

As the word "skills" was spoken, Luna frowned slightly.

"But," Celestia continued, her expression lighting up, "I have some good news. I've just discovered that I now have 40 minutes of free time. I cannot think of anything I would like to do more than to spend them with you, dear sister."

Luna's eyes widened. "Really…?" she said quietly, "A-are you sure? There's no griffons hiding in your study or anything?"

Celestia chuckled. "I'm quite sure, Luna."

The younger alicorn smiled warmly. "I…Thank you, Tia. I would really like that."

"I know we haven't been spending as much time together as you might have hoped, Luna. It's not something I'm happy about. If I could, I would spend every waking minute with you." Celestia gave Luna an understanding gaze. "But I'm here now, so let's not waste time. I thought we might take a nice, peaceful walk through the gardens."

"Okay! That sounds nice, Tia," Luna replied, nodding.

"I believe there were some things you wished to discuss with me?" Celestia said, turning away from the doorway and beckoning for her sister to follow her.

"Yeah! I've been reading all about modern life and politics, but it's a little overwhelming! I was hoping you could help me out."

Celestia nodded, still smiling brightly. "Of course, Luna. I'll do everything I can to assist you."

Beaming, Luna quickly trotted to her side and they both began to walk through the halls of the castle.



***



The warm midday sunlight was basking over the gardens of Canterlot Castle, bringing bright, vibrant colours to the many beautiful plants and flowers, as well as warming the two ponies walking along the garden's paths. Celestia's smile was wide as she let the wonderful, golden rays cascade over her. The air was crisp and clean, the aroma of the flowers was wonderful, and she was so happy to finally be spending time with her dear sister.

Luna also had a bright smile on her face as she trotted next to her big sister. The two had been having a relaxing walk for the last half hour, talking about many subjects. Luna had voiced some questions about how modern politics worked, and with Celestia's assistance she came to understand some of them a lot better. She had also requested of her sister some advice on how to fit in with ponies, having mostly remained in hiding from the public eye since her return. Again, some inspiring words from Celestia did wonders for Luna, and made her smile grow even more.

Time was beginning to run thin, and in ten minutes Celestia would have to depart. She couldn't help but cast anxious glances at the sun to keep updated on exactly what time it was.

"I don't know, Tia…It's difficult to see where to start. A few months ago, almost everypony thought I was a character in an old fairy tale. I know that adjusting to change takes time, but I'm not exactly sure how to do it right."

"I know it seems difficult, Luna," Celestia replied in a motherly tone, "but you can trust me when I say that in time, ponies everywhere will love you. That's a promise."

Luna gave a small smile. "I know, but…"

"You know, Nightmare Night is coming next month. You were the one who started that holiday in the first place. That may be a fun and enjoyable way to interact with ponies."

Luna paused and considered what Celestia had said. "Hmm…Maybe. Has the holiday remained the same over the years?"

Celestia shrugged. "More or less."

"It might work, but…To be completely honest, Tia? I'm nervous."

Stopping in the path, Celestia turned to Luna and gave her a comforting gaze. "Now Luna, there's nothing to be afraid about." She extended one of her immense wings and gave Luna a cozy embrace with it. "You're my sister, you're no longer Nightmare Moon, and if I'm not mistaken, you love this nation and want to do everything you can to help it. Ponies are going to love you, Luna. It will take time, yes, but with a little patience, they'll all come around."

"You really think so?" Luna asked quietly.

"I know so," Celestia replied, and it made Luna smile.

Continuing their trot through the gardens, the conversation continued. "You've been coming along quite nicely, Luna. You're serving Equestria well in the duties I've given you."

Luna grinned. "All I want to do, sis, is to do my part to make Equestria a better place."

"I'm so happy to hear that, Luna. Before long you'll be at my side, ruling this nation and guiding the ponies into a brighter future."

Luna chuckled. "Yeah. But first I have to get the hang of things. Government has gotten really complex in the last thousand years…"

Celestia gave a wistful sigh. "Indeed, it has…"

"I know it would be foolish to try to lead Equestria without a proper understanding of politics, and so I must continue to study. The world is a much more complicated place in 2010." Luna glanced up at the sky, a hopeful look upon her face. "With any luck, it should not take much longer."

Celestia gave her sister a quick, loving nuzzle. "Don't fret, Luna. You'll get the hang of things. I believe in you."

Luna continued to gaze up at the sky as they walked. There was silence for a moment before she said, "Tia? Do you ever…miss the old days? Back before everything happened?"

Celestia gazed at her, a muddled mix of emotions across her face. "I…I suppose I do, Luna. Things were definitely simpler back then."

"And we spent so much time together," Luna continued, a hint of sadness in her voice, "Back then, we'd have time to play games every day, yet we could still rule Equestria successfully. We'd play hide and seek in the castle, or toss a ball back and forth. We used to drive the guards crazy…"

A wave of nostalgia came over Celestia, and she chuckled. "Yes…We used to have so much fun…"

"Do you remember the lullaby?"

This made Celestia stop in her tracks and gaze at Luna. "The lullaby I sang to you when you were a little foal?"

Luna giggled bashfully. "Yeah…"

Celestia gave a bittersweet smile, "I'm not sure I do, Luna. It's been centuries since I've sung that song. If you gave me some time, I might remember some of it, but…"

"I loved that song so much. Especially when you sang it, sis."

Celestia paused. "You're right, Luna. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to go back to a time like that." She gave Luna another warm hug with her wing. "But you can't fight progress, and you can't turn back the clock. We just have to make the best of what the present offers to us."

Luna nodded. "I know…"

"And though we may not spend as much quality time together as we once did, you can always remember that I love you, and I'll always be there if you really need me."

"I love you too, Tia."

"All right," Celestia continued, glancing to the sky, "We should begin heading back. I'm afraid I must meet with Lord Razor Wing once again."

"Okay, sis," Luna said, trotting forward with Celestia at her side. "Is everything going well with the griffons?"

"For the most part, yes. I've gotten them to see that even such a small transfer of land is a huge deal, and that it would affect maaa-whoaa…" Celestia had to suddenly steady herself. A wave of dizziness had suddenly hit her, sending her off balance and nearly toppling her over. She planted her hooves firmly on the ground, trying to focus her vision.

"Tia?" Luna gasped, immediately concerned, "Are you okay?"

"Oh…" Celestia said, shaking her head, "Yes, I'm fine. I just got a bit dizzy for a moment there." She blinked her eyes and stared ahead, finding that her symptoms had disappeared and she once again felt normal.

"Are you sure?"

Celestia nodded. "Yes, I'm okay, Luna. I'm probably just worn out," she said, punctuating her remark with a light chuckle.

"Okay…" Luna said, a hint of uncertainty hanging in her voice.

They continued their canter forward, with Celestia picking up where she'd left off. "Anyway, they understand that it's a big deal and are working co-operatively with us to ensure that no ponies are displaced by anything we do. Griffons can be hard-headed sometimes, but they're still guhhh…."

Another, powerful wave of dizziness and disorientation overcame Celestia, sending her careening off to the side. She was barely able to shift her hooves and prevent herself from falling over.

"Tia?!" Luna was speaking loudly now, immense concern displayed across her face, "Tia, something's wrong. Tell me what's wrong!"

"I…" Celestia muttered, almost finding it difficult to speak, "I don't know…" Her eyes fell closed and her head drooped. For a moment, she fell forward in complete darkness before she snapped her eyes open and righted herself. The world around her was beginning to lose focus quickly. "I just feel…I…"

"Tia?! Tia, do you need help? Do you need a medic?"

Celestia's eyelids now felt extremely heavy, and kept trying to close of their own accord. Her head and body felt weighted, and it felt as if gravity were three times as strong. She was constantly replanting her hooves on the path, trying to steady herself and keep from toppling over. "I feel so…tired…" she muttered.

"Tia!!" Luna shouted, concern replaced with panic, "Tia, stay awake! Here, lean on me!" She rushed forward and tried to brace herself against the unsteady alicorn. "H-Help!! Somepony help! Something's wrong with Celestia!!"

The world around Celestia was growing dim, and she was losing the battle to keep her eyes open. A powerful feeling of exhaustion was overcoming her, numbing her muscles and making it difficult to stand or move. "I'm just…" She was quickly losing the stamina to fight to stay awake. "So…tired…" Her back legs buckled and she fell to her haunches.

"Tia!! Stay awake, Tia!"

Fatigue was clouding Celestia's mind. She barely felt the weight of the other alicorn beside her, trying to hold her up. The world continued to disappear from her view. Only faint shapes and dim light remained visible through eyes that were barley open. "Luna, I…" She could barely talk and could no longer move.

"Tia!!!"

Luna's frantic scream was barely heard. The entire world was drifting away. The last of Celestia's strength was finally sapped away, and she collapsed to the ground. Somepony screamed. Celestia gave one final attempt to keep her eyes open, but she couldn't see anything any more.

Powerful sleep overcame her.