by Hasbro
“Your ability to create waves on the shores of Monacolt has returned,” Celestia observed with a knowing smirk. Diamond didn’t have to tell Celestia that her talent had gone missing. Everypony knew.
“I can’t believe it.…” Diamond Waves shed a tear of joy. She wiped it away with her hoof. “I thought I’d lost my magical abilities. On top of the students not passing their exams and the impending doom of my kingdom, I was having an awful time.”
“But now you’re not. Everything is not always as it seems,” assured Celestia. “The ocean is deep. Just because there are no waves on the surface does not mean that things aren’t happening beneath. And that’s exactly what I was hoping to show you.” Princess Celestia stood tall, mane and tail glittering as her wet locks flowed into the wind. “Your magic is still within you.”
“I don’t understand.…” Diamond Waves shook her head. “What did you do?”
“What were you doing the moment your magic returned to you?” Celestia queried, raising a brow. “What were we doing?”
“Splashing in the water and—”
“Laughing,” Princess Celestia said. “You were having a great time, were you not?”
“Well, yes…” Duchess Diamond Waves wrinkled her nose. “What does that have to do with my magic? With anypony’s magic?”
“It has everything to do with it, dear friend.” Celestia smiled. She began to trot along the shore, and Diamond Waves took up next to her. “The problem that you’ve been having with yourself—with your talent of making waves in the ocean—is the exact same reason your students cannot complete their spells! You’re being too hard on them. They need to relax. It’s the only way to achieve great and powerful magic. It’s something I have proven in recent moons through my mentoring of Twilight Sparkle. She showed great promise as a student, but she only achieved her true magical potential when she learned to make friends and embrace communal amusement.”
“It can’t be as simple as that,” Diamond Waves said with a shiver.
“Why not?” Celestia stood up and closed her eyes. Pink magic glittered from her horn and enveloped the two ponies in a warm whirlwind of air until they were both completely dry. “You’re making things too hard on yourself.”
“You’re wrong,” Duchess Diamond Waves said, turning back to the ocean. Her jaw clenched. “The only reason I haven’t been able to create waves is because the attack on Monacolt is growing nearer. According to the Time Glass, everything is off. It’s not me.” As she spoke, the crashing waves of the sea grew smaller and smaller until they were back to the way they’d been before. The only noise was the sound of the seabirds above, cawing at one another and flapping their wings.
Diamond looked to Celestia with an irritated expression. “I asked you here to help prepare my students by teaching them, not playing around with them and having fun. I saw you with them today on the beach. That was supposed to be class time. If you don’t think you can respect that, Celie, well…”
“Well… what?” Celestia replied, using her most gentle tone.
Diamond sighed. “Well, then I think you should go back to Canterlot. I’ll take care of my students and my citizens from here.” The duchess turned on her hoof and galloped back toward the city, her words hanging heavy in the stillness of the silent ocean air.
“There she is!” a voice called out from above. “Your Highness!” It was Glimmering Shield, one of Celestia’s Royal Guard attendants. He soared down to the beach from the high cliff, wings outstretched. Golden Flight followed right behind him. As the two ponies’ hooves met the sand, they exchanged a worried look.
“My kinsponies,” Princess Celestia said with a bow. “Is there a problem?”
Glimmering Shield bowed back to her. “We’ve received a letter from Princesses Luna and Twilight Sparkle. There are also reports from the head of the Royal Guard and the mayor of Horseshoe Bay.” Golden Flight passed her the scrolls. “It’s the Carcinus, Princess. I’m afraid… there’s been another attack on Canterlot.”
A Letter from Home
Dear Princess Celestia,
By now, you’ve likely had word from the Royal Guard about the Carcinus entering Canterlot’s borders, but I assure you that there is no cause for alarm! Some of the citizens panicked when they saw a twenty-foot-tall crab walking toward the castle, that’s all. Princess Luna and I have the situation completely under control. She knows the Carcinus and is currently escorting him back to Horseshoe Bay.
I have studied these creatures extensively in many books, but I had to go to the library and refresh my knowledge on the subject. It is generally understood that despite their intimidating appearance Carcinus are quite gentle creatures; however, they do tend to get surly when ignored, which is exactly what happened in this case. The Carcinus was upset over some ponies that built new cottages right next to his cave on the beach and he tried to befriend them. Since Carcinus don’t speak pony, they thought he was attacking. Princess Luna is going to set it all straight and I am going to stay here and watch over Canterlot.
Since the Unicorn academy students had finished their exams for the moon and were just awaiting their results, I treated some of them to a reading from Star Swirl’s Seven Principles of Unicorn Magic: Third Edition, including some of the hoofnotes! I think they really enjoyed it! I also assigned them a solid summer reading list. You still do those, right? That was always my favorite part of school.
Hope everything is going well out there in Monacolt!
Sincerely,
(Still) Your Faithful Student-Princess Twilight Sparkle
Princess Celestia used her magic to close the scroll, placing it on the desk next to the reports from the Royal Guard and the mayor of Horseshoe Bay. Each of the messages had been different in tone—the mayor’s report was panicky and the Royal Guard’s report was rife with subtle requests for Celestia to return to Canterlot. But the one from her fellow princess was calm. She’d read Twilight Sparkle’s letter three times and still couldn’t find anything in it to show that Equestria was truly in danger.
If Luna was going to solve the Carcinus issue, then Equestria was in good hooves. Her younger sister had always had a special talent for talking with animals. Back when the two of them had first become princesses, Luna had even befriended a manticore named Melvin, as well as helped to solve the griffon disagreement. Celestia theorized that it was Luna’s ability to speak to ponies through dreams that had helped her to learn how to communicate in unconventional methods. She just saw things in a new way, a different light.
Princess Celestia gazed out the window of her lush guest quarters at the Monacolt Magic Academy. The moon hung high in the sky, bright as ever. Everything is fine, right, Luna? she wondered. Or shall I go back to Equestria? A soft knock came at the door, interrupting Celestia’s troubled thoughts.
When she opened it, nopony was there. But on the floor there was a shiny red apple. Celestia used her magic to pick it up and saw that there was a tiny note attached. In messy hoofwriting, it said:
Dear Princess Celestia,
Look! I did the apple spell you showed me on your first day! You are the best teacher ever.
Love, Rainy Air
Princess Celestia caught her reflection staring back at her on the surface of the apple. She hadn’t even realized she was smiling so wide. That settled it. There were still lessons being learned here in Monacolt, and she was going to be the one to teach them. Canterlot could wait just a little longer.
Nighttime Glass
The sounds of laughter and magic echoed from the dormitories and down the hallways of the Monacolt Magic Academy. Celestia wandered through the building, searching for Diamond Waves, but she was nowhere to be found. She’d looked for her friend all day, hoping to apologize for their little argument the previous night. But Celestia knew that her friend was quite stubborn and probably avoiding her. She hated to lose, to be proven wrong.
It was just like a certain instance long ago when Celestia was visiting Monacolt for a
summit with the Maretonians. The duchess had invited everypony down to the beach to play a traditional game. The goal was for each player to build a castle out of sand without using the aid of their magic, and the pony with the tallest castle won. Diamond Waves had boasted about her skills all evening, and sure enough, she impressed everypony with a beautiful sand tower complete with delicate turrets and a moat around the bottom. However, when the Duke of Maretonia sneezed, the thing came crashing down into a heap of glittering sand. Everypony laughed and after that, Diamond refused to ever play the game again.
The more Celestia thought about their current situation, the more she was surprised that Diamond Waves had ever even asked her to come help in the first place. But it didn’t matter. Princess Celestia wasn’t leaving Monacolt until she finished what she’d started. It was the only way to save the land and her friendship.
Later that night, Celestia dreamt of falling through a giant hourglass of golden sand. She landed softly on the bottom, but realized she was caught behind the glass, watching as Diamond Waves wandered around outside of it, calling out her name. When Princess Celestia tried to use her magic, the glass spun around. Suddenly, it stopped, and then Princess Luna was inside the glass, too! Next to her stood a gigantic red crab with huge claws. He waved at her. “Greetings, sister,” Luna said with a chuckle. “This is Carcinus. Sorry to come to you in a dream like this, I know how you hate it when I do that. I just thought it was easier than writing a letter.”
“It’s a welcome visit,” Princess Celestia replied as she embraced her sister. “Is everything all right?”
“I’m the one who should be asking you that question.” Luna raised her eyebrow and looking around at their hourglass-shaped cage. “Are you okay, sister?”
“Yes, of course I am.” Princess Celestia frowned. “I’m clearly only dreaming of the Time Glass because it is what plagues Duchess Diamond Waves. She believes that as soon as the sand runs out, a great attack will take place on her ponies and Monacolt.”
“This wouldn’t be the same Time Glass that King Nautilus had, would it?” Luna asked. She placed her hoof on the glass wall and looked to the engravings on the outside. “The one that was a gift from the griffon king Grover?”
“It very well could be,” Princess Celestia replied. Outside, she could still see the dream version of Diamond Waves in distress. “What do you know about this artifact?”
Luna smiled knowingly. “The sands of time will never run their course on it. It flows forever.”
“What would be the purpose of that, little sister?”
“It was a training tool designed to keep their Griffon Royal Guard ready to protect the kingdom at any time,” Luna continued. “It’s clever. The griffons realized that a guard at the ready was kept on his claws more than one who believed his kingdom to be safe. Thus, the illusion of an imminent attack.”
Celestia nodded, adding up the parts. “Diamond Waves must have misinterpreted the meaning of her father’s gift of the Time Glass and read it as her duty and destiny.”
“Does this mean your work here in Monacolt is finished?” Luna asked. Her face was hopeful, yet tired. “Now that you know the ponies will be safe?”
“No,” Princess Celestia looked back and forth from the Carcinus to Luna. “There’s only one way to show Diamond Waves that everypony here is truly safe. And that is to stage a fake attack.” Celestia trotted over the giant crab. “Once the duchess sees that her students can handle a dangerous situation on their own, it will prove to her that they are ready for her to let them go.”
“It sounds like it could work,” Luna agreed with a nod. Her blue mane sparkled beautifully against the swirling sand. “What do you have in mind?”
Celestia gestured to the Carcinus. “I don’t suppose you know any gigantic creatures that owe you a favor, do you?” The two sisters shared a smile, and then Princess Celestia woke up.
Failed Exams
The next morning, Princess Celestia entered the classroom to begin her lessons for the day, but there was nopony there. Her mind felt hazy, and she wondered for a moment if she was still dreaming. She touched her hoof to her face and felt the coolness of her hoofcuff against her cheek. It was definitely morning, and this was all happening for real. Perhaps the students were running late. She took a seat at the desk in the front of the room to wait for them and gather her thoughts.
Princess Luna had visited her last night. Princess Celestia didn’t usually like when Luna appeared in her dreams, as it felt invasive for somepony so close to her to be able to explore her subconscious mind. But the dream she’d had this time was productive. She had always suspected that there was something off about the Time Glass, and now she understood why. Soon, Duchess Diamond Waves would as well.
“Try it again!” Princess Celestia heard a faint voice say. She stood up and followed the sound, which grew louder as she approached the Mane Hall. “Everypony, let’s focus a little more, okay?”
It was the voice of Duchess Diamond Waves. Her blue mane and yellow hide shone bright across the dark hall. She was pacing back in forth in front of the students, who were all lined up in a perfect row against the wall facing her. In the middle of the room was a large tub of water. Ambrosia Breeze stood next to it, looking down at the ground. She seemed dejected.
“Come on, Ambrosia Breeze,” Diamond Waves encouraged. “Everypony says they saw you do it. I just really want to see, too!” The duchess held up a clipboard and a quill and stared down the young filly. “As soon as you show me the Water Bubble enchantment, you’ll be done.” Ambrosia shifted back and forth from hoof to hoof. She looked to her classmates and bit her magenta-colored lip. “I… can’t.”
“Look, students. I didn’t want to scare you, but I think you should know that—”
“I’m leaving soon,” Princess Celestia interrupted, trotting into the room. “And I shall have to say good-bye.”
“You will?” Rainy Air whimpered.
“Princess Celestia, please don’t go!” cried Sandy Shore.
“But what about the party on the beach we were planning?” Flora squeaked, flipping her teal mane away from her sad, sweet lavender face. “I already made hats.”
The tension was palpable, but Princess Celestia looked up to her friend’s face. “What do you say, Di?”
Diamond Waves looked like she couldn’t hold on to her stress any longer. She threw her hooves up in surrender. “Fine, students. Go and have your party on the beach with Princess Celestia.” Diamond Waves used her magic to clean up the basin of water. “We weren’t making progress, anyway. It’s no use.”
“Wow! Thank you, Headmistress!” The students lit up. “So cool!” They cantered back to their rooms to get their beach items. All except for Flora, who was only retrieving her elaborate hoof-made party hats.
“Sure,” Diamond Waves replied, cracking a fake smile. “Uh, have fun.” She took a look around the empty room. It looked even bigger with all the furniture pushed to the sides like it had been for the test. The duchess sighed, her face showing signs of defeat. She’d lost hope.
“Are you coming?” Princess Celestia asked. She used her magic to set all the tables and chairs straight with one jolt. “Down to the beach?”
“No.” Diamond Waves shook her head, overcome with emotion. “I have to go to my quarters and reread the prophecy. Maybe there’s a clue I’m missing that could predict when exactly the attack is going to happen. Then I’ll know how to prepare.”
Celestia trotted over to her friend and hugged her. “Relax and come with me. This will be over soon.”
“How do you know that?” Diamond Waves asked.
“Have you seen the Time Glass today?” Celestia raised her brows in mock terror. “The sands have near run out, Diamond. It is time to meet your destiny. Hurry up, it’s waiting.”
Attack on Monacolt
The two tall ponies tore through the streets of Monacolt, past the dockyards, and toward the wooden steps to the beachfront. Celestia l
ed the way, clearing the busy tourist hoof traffic. When they reached the cliffside, Princess Celestia finally took off, spreading her vast white wings. She soared through the air alongside the seagulls and landed on the soft sand right into the middle of the party. The duchess arrived a moment later, slightly frazzled and out of breath. She looked around the beach, expectant. The students were practically the only ponies in sight.
“What took you ponies so long?” Ambrosia Breeze, who was wearing a crown that looked just like Celestia’s, giggled. It was gold with three points and a large purple jewel in the center. “We’ve been waiting to start the castle game.”
“The castle game?” Duchess Diamond Waves asked.
“We build sand castles,” Rainy Air explained. He was wearing a black top hat. “No magic allowed, just hoofpower. The pony with the highest tower wins!”
“I know this game.…” Diamond shook her head as she met eyes with Celestia. “Princess Celestia and I used to play it when we were younger.”
“You did?” marveled Lemon Square as he straightened his Star Swirl the Bearded–style wizard hat. “Who won?”
“That’s not important,” Princess Celestia insisted. Her mane and tail flowed into a nearby in-progress sand castle. “What’s important is that we had fun—”
“Celestia always won,” Diamond Waves interrupted, turning toward the students and the back of the cliff, her body framed by the blue ocean. Her voice suddenly grew serious. “In fact, Celestia has always known better about everything. And why shouldn’t she—she’s a thousand moons old!” The duchess began to smile as the realization hit her. “Celie, what if you were right about me not having to worry? There might be no attack at all!”
“Attack?” Sandy Shore asked, scratching his short white mane. “Like the Muybridge?”