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       #Post#: 462--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Glory Bound Redux
       By: Princess Celestia Date: January 7, 2014, 10:50 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Well, maybe... was Celestia's thoughts in response to Honey's
       doubts over whether there was a five-stringed violin readily
       available in the castle. Truth be told, the Princess was fairly
       certain that there was at least one of almost every kind of
       instrument stored there, instruments and the sounds helped
       musicians express themselves being an important cultural item
       that deserved being collected and preserved. Chances actually
       were that, if they took the time to search around hard enough,
       they could probably find the appropriate variant of violin for
       the mare, finding instruments already having been on Celestia's
       mind as she didn't really expect Richtor to be carrying a piano
       on his back, though it would most likely take time. Time
       Celestia didn't want to subtract from their date.
       Unfortunately, without an audition, the Princess couldn't even
       begin to make a personal recommendation for them to play at the
       blan- er, rather, "grandest" party of the year. She could pass
       them off to the same ponies most others had to go through in
       order to throw their names into the hat, which often found its
       way into a furnace because a group of nobles wanted one pony
       from the start, but even then it would, of course, probably take
       them months as everything crawled along at a snails pace. She
       wondered if it would even be worth it to send then there at all,
       the Princess having seen talented ponies she would have greatly
       enjoyed seeing at the Galla being brushed aside by those
       organizing it in the past and having their hopes dashed because
       of already made up minds.
       "I understand." She said, nodding, "Perhaps you should prepare
       for both the open auditions," a joke to the organizers of the
       event that only existed because she insisted that everypony have
       a chance, "and the appointment auditions. I'm sure that you,
       Richtor, shouldn't have much trouble getting one of the latter
       and you can both perform together when your time comes." Maybe,
       if she was lucky, Celestia could even attend such an audition
       herself if the organizers would remember to alert her this time
       and the stars aligned and allowed her the free time to do so.
       Should pass the idea by Luna next time she saw her.
       "What I do in my off time is probably rather underwhelming
       compared to what some may expect." Celestia went on to answer
       the questions asked of her. "It's the same as anypony really:
       reading, spending time with family, trying to find time to see
       the new show that's been having all the critics rave, etcetera
       etcetera. I do greatly enjoy visiting my School for Gifted
       Unicorns whenever I have the chance too. Spending time with my
       students there is one of my favorite things to do, and I always
       look forward to seeing them."
       At Richtor's invitation to join them, Celestia was leaning
       towards the negative, already having begun to feel like she may
       have stepped into and derailed their date a bit with her
       presence. Still, the stallion was correct in his assumption,
       there being plenty of things in the castle that most visitors
       overlooked when given the option of simply seeing the well
       talked about and better advertised sights. "I wouldn't mind
       walking with you for a short while," she said, deciding that a
       few more minutes of showing off her castle may allow for them to
       see some nice things without intruding much further on their
       time together and causing their night to be all about her,
       "though, if we hear voices coming down the hall don't be
       surprised if you see me duck behind a potted plant. It is a
       little bit past my bedtime after all." She joked with a small
       chuckle.
       #Post#: 502--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Glory Bound Redux
       By: Honey Dew Date: January 9, 2014, 8:42 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Honey nodded in agreement with Richtor's statement that waiting
       would give them time to prepare. Then, as Richtor returned the
       nuzzle she gave a moment ago, a slight, involuntary blush
       colored her cheeks as she returned a small, bashful smile in
       response, gaze averted coyly for a moment. Why did that feel so
       nice? It was hard to think such a simple gesture could feel so
       alluring. While she was growing up, she could never understand
       why her sister and her coltfriend did that so much, but now...
       now that she'd actually experienced it...
       She recovered slightly as Celestia responded, telling them about
       what she did in her free time... Which was surprisingly simple.
       Strangely, the simple answer she gave only made Honey want to
       get to know her more, despite her being their immortal ruler. It
       made her seem infinitely more approachable, like it was possible
       that one could actually befriend her. The glowing goddess seemed
       more like a pony with a very intriguing mane and horn-wing combo
       than some all-powerful being. She was, of course, still somepony
       that commanded all the respect in the world... but she was more
       than that. With these thoughts, Honey visibly relaxed a little
       bit more in Celestia's presence, now wondering what else she
       could ask the mare to get her to stay with them as long as she
       could manage.
       Honey smiled lightly at Celestia's joke about being up past her
       bedtime, even if she was a little disheartened. It wasn't all
       that late into the evening, but Honey supposed she did have to
       get the rest she needed to wake up feeling refreshed in the
       morning... "If we hear voices coming down the hall, I suppose
       we'll just have to find other routes to take. We can use Richtor
       as a distraction to escape," she teased, stepping a little bit
       closer to hook one of her hooves around his. "Oh, and while I'm
       thinking about it, Richtor... That dance I was about to offer;
       we'll have to take a raincheck and do that when we win our spot
       at that gala." She offered another slight smile to Richtor
       before looking back to Celestia.
       "I wouldn't mind talking with you as long as possible...
       Celestia," Honey said a little hesitantly, hoping there would be
       no offense at her addressing her princess without any sort of
       title. "Richtor and I have all the time in the world to make a
       memory or two before turning in for the night. For now, I think
       I'd like to get as much out of this opportunity as possible, if
       I may be so selfishly bold. The idea of getting to know my
       princess better is a very enticing prospect. Of course, the same
       goes for you if you have questions for either of us. I can't
       speak for Richtor, but I'd gladly answer anything you might wish
       to know," she continued, not quite realizing the arrogance her
       words might portray. I have one request though, Celestia... The
       royal garden. I have always wanted to see it ever since I saw
       pictures of it... Could you perhaps show us a hidden secret or
       two there, if there are any?"
       #Post#: 562--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Glory Bound Redux
       By: Richtor Keyes Date: January 12, 2014, 5:40 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       "Ah, the School for Gifted Unicorns," Richtor repeated, smiling
       as he began to drown some of the more negative memories that
       were beginning to resurface by the mere mention of that school's
       name... Richtor never really had any problem with the school in
       of itself. In fact, his own mother and father tried to sign him
       up for a test of admittance, but back then, Richtor was
       extraordinarily stubborn about the use of magic and refused to
       take the test. What bothered him, however, was when his peers
       used the school as a tool to lord over him as if it somehow made
       him inferior. While he was still somewhat hard-headed with his
       magical aptitude, Richtor was pretty sure that he could have
       aced that test with flying colors if he really wanted to... But
       then he would have never discovered the joy of music, so in a
       way, he had made the correct choice. The stallion shook off the
       idea and returned to the previous subject...
       The open auditions were brutal enough... Richtor had barely
       scraped by the judges in the piano category, and apparently they
       were being nice, according to several of the other players.
       Generous or not, Richtor didn't make it past the second rung of
       the "real" auditions, or the "appointment" auditions, as
       Celestia had put it. He had planned on coming back in a few
       years to try again, but after listening to Honey and her
       incredible violin performance, he knew that they could possibly
       have a shot this year. Richtor smiled at the thought, but not
       because of the potential performance at the Gala... He smiled
       because regardless if they achieved their goal, he would still
       be performing alongside the talented Honey Dew. And the very
       idea made him a very happy stallion indeed.
       Etcetera, Etcetera... Richtor blinked... "Was that a King and I
       reference?" He was unsure if Celestia did that on purpose or
       not, but it certainly deserved a chuckle. The stallion then
       turned his attention to Honey as she spoke in return, nodding
       alongside her various statements. "I'd gladly answer anything as
       well," he added, giving a playful nudge to Honey now that's
       she's loosened up again. "And I'll agree to that raincheck,
       however, I may cash it in much earlier, because then we could
       have a second dance at the Gala.~ Oh, and if you want to use me
       as a distraction, then I'd have to run home and fetch my
       Nightmare Night costume."
       Richtor turned his head and paused in thought, attempting to
       recollect his bearing within the castle. He knew his way back to
       the front, but he wasn't quite sure where the gardens were in
       correlation to the ballroom. Was it the other pathway? No...
       That lead to the library... How about the-- no, that was one of
       the studies... He thought... "Um... Problem. I don't quite
       remember where the Royal Garden is located. Wasn't it somewhere
       along this hallway here?"
       #Post#: 817--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Glory Bound Redux
       By: Princess Celestia Date: January 27, 2014, 11:36 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Celestia only smiled a little wider at the mention of
       referencing The King and I while the informal way of addressing
       her from Honey Dew went without any correction or negative
       comment. Again, she was off duty, and its not like she was in
       the middle of a busy court or anything, so why not let them
       relax some more? However, the idea of Celestia herself being
       able to relax further became more difficult to believe after
       both of the visiting ponies expressed interest in visiting the
       Royal Gardens, the princess needing to actually catch herself
       before allowing a small worried grimace from making an
       appearance on her otherwise pleasantly warm face. Of course they
       wanted to see the gardens, she couldn't blame them as she
       herself had wanted to visit such a spot before deciding it best
       to skip it on her own personal tour of the grounds. But...
       surely they couldn't still be put their bickering, right? They
       must have gotten sleepy from all their arguing and gone off to
       nap somewhere by now, or so Celestia hoped as she made a small
       gesture with her hoof in the direction of the ballroom doors.
       "The gardens are actually just down the hall. I passed them just
       before finding you two in here, actually. Come, I'll show you
       the way." She nods for them to follow before turning to lead the
       way to what she was hoping would be the now abandoned but still
       beautiful section of the castle they hoped to see. She didn't
       think she was actually going to have to hide behind a plant
       tonight when shed made that joke, but now it was seeming more
       and more likely... Not wanting to spend the walk down the halls
       in silence as she wondered what the two might think should she
       suddenly vanish at the sounds of ponies arguing over inches, she
       decided to take up their offer of answering questions asked of
       them, though the first and most obvious one that came to mind
       should have been seen as inevitable.
       "You know, its not often that ponies are allowed to carry
       weapons when visiting the castle," she began looking back to the
       two and glancing at the blade carried by the mare, "especially
       after this past year we've had. How did you two manage to get
       that sword of yours past the guards without being tackled to the
       ground? I can say I'm actually rather surprised you managed
       seeing how I once witnessed a stallion be given a hard time over
       trying to bring in 'unauthorized silverware' in the form of a
       box of spoons and forks, so being so openly armed is an odd
       sight around here these days."
       #Post#: 1178--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Glory Bound Redux
       By: Honey Dew Date: February 10, 2014, 9:32 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       At Celestia's mention that the gardens were nearby, Honey's ears
       perked up in intrigue,  not having quite realized that they were
       so close. Lucky that Celestia had been along to help them out,
       then. If not, she wasn't sure how much time they might have
       spent trying to just find that one place. She didn't say
       anything about showing them any of the garden's secrets,
       though... Not that it was important, it was just something she
       really would've enjoyed looking into. As Celestia moved to lead
       the way through the castle, Honey removed the leg from around
       Richtor's and nuzzled him gently before following behind
       Celestia towards the gardens.
       To her slight surprise, the conversation was then moved to Honey
       and how she'd ever managed to get a weapon inside of the castle,
       causing her to smile a bit as she turned her black-eyed gaze
       back to it for a moment. "I... Believe I may have made the guard
       at the front door feel... awkward. A Samareai's blade is just as
       a part of them as a horn or wings are to a unicorn or pegasus,
       so I professed my hesitation in giving over my weapon. Then I
       bowed to it when I removed it, and that's when the guard offered
       to allow me to carry it inside, with the compromise that he cast
       a spell on it that would sound an alarm were the blade removed
       from its sheathe, which will apparently go away upon leaving the
       castle.
       "As for the fans, they're my preferred weapons. They're
       graceful, easy to use, and go well with any combination of
       fighting styles. They work well for feints and misdirection,
       too. My mast--mother," she corrected herself, shaking her head
       slightly at the slip of her tongue. "Told me that I gained an
       affinity for them rather quickly. I trained with a number of
       weapons, but the only other one I came close to picking up was
       the wakizashi..." She looked wistful for a moment before
       remembering where she was and that she'd said much more than she
       intended to, resulting in her clearing her throat. "Regardless,
       as I told the guard up front, my weapons are for protecting
       those in need, not for terrorizing ponies."
       She then looked over to Richtor, smiling to him faintly as she
       spoke quietly to him. "If you believe we'll have enough time for
       you to cash in that raincheck, Richtor, then I'll gladly do so
       with you. I'm willing to stay as long as you're willing, and as
       long as we're allowed. Just let me know what the plan is, okay?"
       she asked, substituting a hug for another nuzzle to his neck
       before turning her attention to Celestia once more. "When you
       say 'especially after this past year we've had', what exactly do
       you mean, Miss Celestia? I have heard rumors about some of the
       things that have happened in this place, but I thought some of
       them were really just rumors..."
       #Post#: 1403--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Glory Bound Redux
       By: Richtor Keyes Date: February 17, 2014, 5:42 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       "There's only really once instance that I can clearly recall,
       and that was the Royal Wedding," Richtor followed up, now
       wearing a slight frown that crept along his features. "And that
       was only because I saw it first-hoof. Those black buggers.
       Changers or whatever they called themselves. I can still hear
       that protective bubble being broken, shattering like glass as
       they poured in..." The stallion shook his head, trying to force
       a smile. He was traveling home from practice when it all
       happened. Everything broke into utter chaos at that moment, but
       Richtor and a few other stallions and mares teamed up and
       attempted to restore some kind of order. Richtor was no fighter,
       as he had said before, but he would have liked to think that
       their efforts saved everypony in that area. If there was one
       thing he absolutely could not stand, it was somepony, or
       something, in this case, preying upon the defenseless. "But
       let's not dwell on such things. The important thing is that
       nopony was hurt. Besides, we have majesty and beauty all around
       us.~" Richtor gave a small nudge to Honey Dew as he made that
       comment, now wearing a sincere grin.
       "As far as our dance goes Hon, we'll see about what time it is
       when we're done sight-seeing." Richtor shortened her name on
       purpose to see how she would react. He'd been playing around
       with it in his head for some time, and he liked the way it
       sounded. It was only until just then that he had decided to say
       it, fearing a negative reaction. "My parents don't mind if I
       stay out, just as long as I check in every so often. If
       anything, we could always come back another night if we run out
       of time."
       Richtor then turned his gaze towards Celestia, growing a bit
       more comfortable as they traveled along the hallway. Princess or
       not, she seemed every bit as relateable as Luna. Her very
       presence was astounding, yet one could talk casually to her like
       an old friend. "We appreciate your company, Celestia. And thanks
       for taking the time to show us the way. This castle is just so
       darned big it's hard to remember where everything is." He
       chuckled to himself, following lightly alongside Honey Dew.
       #Post#: 1424--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Glory Bound Redux
       By: Princess Celestia Date: February 18, 2014, 9:35 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Honey Dew managed to make one of the guards in the castle feel
       awkward? Now that was something Celestia wish she had been able
       to see. Even with an alarm set over it the sight of an armed
       visitor was a rare one at the castle, so however their talk with
       the guard had gone must have been something to see... That sword
       was obviously very important to this mare though. The idea of an
       individual becoming attached to a favored weapon to the point of
       viewing it as an extension of themselves wasn't too rare when
       one thought about it, but her explaining that she had in fact
       gone so far as to bow to it made it clear that she saw it as
       much more important than that. Celestia listened as Honey went
       on to explain the other weapons she either carried or has
       trained with, Celestia not having asked for such an elaboration
       but not minding the branching of the conversation as it easily
       prevented them from walking in silence.
       Samareai, hm? Celestia took another moment to try and digest the
       name in her mind. Hmm... They sounded like heavily armed and
       highly trained warriors with an interest in protecting those in
       need. Sounded nice at first, but she wouldn't form a full
       opinion on them without learning, or possibly remembering if she
       was lucky, everything she could first. Maybe she could ask Honey
       more about it, or just pass the name off to Pen and have her see
       what the library could offer on them? Surely they'd have
       something sitting on those shelves and possibly gathering dust
       that could shed some light.
       The continued shows of affection between the two guests to the
       castle brought some extra warmth to Celestia's smile, the
       princess finding it to be sweet and also feeling glad that they
       were comfortable enough around her that they didn't try to hide
       it. The warmth faded however when Honey asked about the past
       year, Richtor then stepping up to explain one of the most
       recent, important and biggest examples of the troubles they'd
       had to deal with during those months. "Changelings." Celestia
       corrected, her mind jumping back to the wedding the invading
       force of shapeshifters had attacked during. Memories of how shed
       failed to protect her ponies against Queen Chrysalis, been hung
       upside down in a cocoon and forced to watch everything start the
       situation only grow worse, and how she hadn't listened when her
       faithful student had tried to expose the behavior of the
       disguised changeling queen briefly flooded to the front of her
       mind, this all being expressed with a small frown that replaced
       her smile. "I agree," she concurred with Richtor and his urging
       for them not to dwell, "that is not something that's terribly
       appropriate to think about on a night like this."
       The continued affection between the mare and stallion following
       her was able to remedy her momentary drop in mood as Celestia
       replaced her frown with another easy smile. The comment over how
       difficult it could he to remember where things were around the
       castle was... mostly lost on Celestia, her having lived there
       since its original construction but still having to deal with
       the occasional renovations here and there that would mix up the
       floor plan a touch. "Thank you for allowing me to tag along,"
       she lightly replied as they began to approach a set of doors,
       both of which bearing large and beautifully crafted glass
       windows that allowed for a view of the outside, "though I doubt
       it would have taken you all that long to find what you were
       looking for without my help. As I promised, the gardens were
       only a quick walk down this hall after all."
       To prove it her claim, Celestia opened doors they'd found, the
       view waiting beyond proving to be very much worth their time as
       the gardens greeted them. The smell was delightful, fresh and
       sweet, and while most of the flowers had closed their petals for
       the night, many other more nocturnal varieties looked to almost
       glow under the moonlight, a few rarer plants actually doing just
       that as they gave off ambient blue and purple light. Hedges and
       bushes were masterfully trimmed into detailed and beautiful
       depictions of life, them almost being enough to fool a pony into
       believing they were the real thing when viewed in the dark or at
       a distance as well as actually seeming to occasionally shift
       their poses or even reposition themselves whenever nopony was
       looking their way. The winding pathway leading from the doorway
       the three ponies stood at snaked its way forth, around and
       deeper into the gardens, it serving as a kind of inanimate tour
       guide for those who wished to enjoy the sights it would take
       them to, Celestia stepping out and onto it as she took a long
       deep breath of the cool night air through her nose, savoring its
       flavor before turning back to speak to the others. "Was there
       anything specific you were hoping to see out here tonight?" She
       asked, the soft and constant billowing of her multicolored mane
       and tail adding to the scene around her, "Perhaps our maze or
       the area where we keep the statues?"
       #Post#: 1820--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Glory Bound Redux
       By: Honey Dew Date: March 21, 2014, 5:00 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Honey kept her ears perked up as she listened to Richtor talk
       about one of the things that had happened in the previous
       year--the changeling invasion she had only heard about through
       word of mouth in her time spent travelling Equestria. It sounded
       like an awful time, and something that sounded like it could've
       been traumatizing to some ponies. However, as both Richtor and
       Celestia suggested they not speak about subjects such as that
       one, she nodded in agreement, and gave something of a coy smile
       at Richtor's pass at her, obviously not missing that his majesty
       and beauty comment was directed toward her.
       She then gave another nod of acknowledgement when Richtor said
       they should wait to see what time it was before worrying about
       the dance, her not really reacting much to the shortening of her
       name. She followed his gaze toward Celestia after that and
       smiled to her when Richtor thanked her for interacting with
       them. "It still has been very pleasant to be conversing with you
       like this, Celestia. Not every pony can say they've had the
       opportunity to speak with their princess in a fashion such as
       this one, and I for one count myself to be very lucky to have
       had the chance," she followed up after Celestia thanked them for
       allowing her to 'tag along'.
       Those words were then followed by her turning her gaze to the
       garden that the doors opened up to, her jaw instantly dropping
       as her eyes widened. Stunned, she stepped forward into the
       moonlight and towards some of the flowers that glowed under the
       same light. Upon reaching one of these flowers she rose a hoof
       to it and stared in awe before sniffing it, then finally
       shifting her gaze elsewhere, still just as awestruck. "Oh
       Richtor... It's beautiful..." she breathed to him, almost
       seeming reluctant to break the serene silence with words. "I've
       never seen anything like this before..." Her gaze moved to
       Celestia afterwards, still looking just as awestruck as if the
       princess herself had taken on her own mysterious quality just by
       entering the garden. "There wasn't really anything specific I
       wanted to see, no... I just wanted to see the garden's beauty
       for myself, and I must say it's vastly surpassed all of my
       expectations. As for what I'd like to see... I'm not sure. I'd
       like to see what secrets the maze had while I have the best tour
       guide I could possibly, but I can only imagine what kind of
       statues and their history might be here... We probably really
       only have time for one, too--if that. What do you think, Rich?"
       she asked as she chose to gently lean against him.
       #Post#: 2502--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Glory Bound Redux
       By: Richtor Keyes Date: May 2, 2014, 2:43 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Richtor fell utterly silent as the doors swung slowly open
       before them, leaving the white stallion completely motionless as
       waves of blue, violet, and silvery moonlight flooded the
       hallway... He hadn't taken but one step into the garden before
       he fell completely in love with the scenery; the vibrant colors,
       sweet air, and enchanting aroma were nearly enough to bring him
       at a complete standstill. In fact, if it weren't for Honey Dew
       stepping gingerly forward into the incandescent moonlight,
       Richtor might not have moved at all. The curious stallion stuck
       close to the mare as he craned his head back and forth, paying
       special attention to the more violet flowers that seemed to
       bloom in patches at regular intervals.  Now -that- is a flower,
       he mused to himself, bending down to examine one more closely.
       He was halfway tempted to pick one up and tuck it under Honey
       Dew's mane... if it weren't for the one that was already there.
       Richtor mused to himself for a moment, leaning in towards Honey
       Dew as she spoke, nodding quietly in agreement to her comment of
       the garden's beauty. For a moment, Richtor's eyes wandered
       outside the patches of flora and decorations until he set his
       gaze upon the various hedges, noting their unique shape and
       variety as their personalities seemed to spring to life. The
       garden was truly a masterpiece, and Richtor couldn't help but
       agree that its sheer beauty vastly surpassed all of his
       expectations as well. The stallion had caught little glimpses of
       the garden in the past, but what he had seen paled in comparison
       to what he experienced now.
       Celestia's suggestions stumped Richtor for a moment; the
       possibility of either locations would be fruitful, especially
       with Princess Celestia as their guide. As Honey Dew leaned in on
       him, Richtor wrapped a single hoof around her back and leaned
       into her as well. Without a second thought, the hum of magic
       could be heard as the stallion picked one of the vibrant, violet
       flowers from an inconspicuous patch that was growing near them
       and presented it to Honey Dew. Maybe she'd wear two? Or tuck one
       of them at the base of her tail? Regardless, it would certainly
       be quite the gift; a memento to remember the gardens by. Richtor
       smiled shyly, wondering if that would be going too overboard.
       "Personally, I could certainly go for histroy," Richtor replied,
       now looking at Celestia with a beaming smile. "We could walk the
       maze the next time we decide to stop by. It would be like a
       mini-adventure.~"
       #Post#: 2604--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Glory Bound Redux
       By: Princess Celestia Date: May 10, 2014, 11:02 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Celestia patiently waited as the two ponies tried to decide
       where they wanted to go that night, the Princess understanding
       that it can sometimes be a bit overwhelming for those who didn't
       have the luxury of being able to see the gardens as regularly as
       she could. Well, semi-regularly at least. Still all depended on
       her schedule after all, and sometimes shed be so busy that it
       would deny her any chance of getting to take a walk here and
       relax for quite some time, which would mean, almost humorously
       at times, that even she would sometimes be surprised by
       something new in her gardens that would decide to reveal itself
       during her visits.
       Having an easier time keeping her eyes focused on a single thing
       than her guests seemed to be - something that earned a quiet but
       melodic chuckle from her as she found their reaction to the
       grounds to be rather pleasant - Celestia watched them as she
       kept one ear angled towards the touring pair and the other
       swiveling a bit in slight worry of picking up the sound of a
       nearby quarrel between windbags. No sign of them yet... Maybe
       they did go home like shed wanted them to? Maybe they actually
       realized that they're squabble over a tiny tiny amount of land
       was not in the least bit important and was probably born purely
       out of bitter opinions and boredom? Perhaps... perhaps they even
       reconciled and realized they'd be happier as friends rather than
       rivals?
       Ha! That'll be the day...
       While it was easier to keep her eyes from wandering, Celestia
       was not actually entirely immune, the occasional brightly
       colored and almost iridescent butterfly flittering its way
       between the beds of flowers demanding that she spare them at the
       least a short glance as they went about their simple business.
       The fireflies going about their own tour of the shaped bushes
       and hedges, many of which ha ing seemed to already taken
       initiative toward changing their poses and even swapping places,
       illuminating the scene along with the glowing flora as it all
       mingled into almost being a picture one would find in a story
       book.
       "A stallion of history, Richtor?" Celestia asked once a decision
       on their next destination was made, the princess turning herself
       to her left so as to begin leading the way once they were
       finished taking in their current surroundings, "I'll admit I
       haven't taken the time to walk the grounds of the statue garden
       in some time. That section is becoming unfortunately less
       popular these days with how it seems to only get traffic from
       the occasional group of school fillies and colts visiting on
       field trips, and its becoming even more neglected now that one
       of its more important statues are gone, so its nice to see
       somepony showing an interest in the lessons it can provide. I
       would also recommend you try the maze when you've got a solid
       block of hours to dedicate to it. Sometimes it can be a bit more
       than a "mini"-adventure." She added, smile deepening a touch as
       she recalled a certain afternoon shed spent with her sister
       after shed returned home where all the decisions of which way to
       go were left up to Luna. They got home at around Celestia's
       bedtime.
       The statues weren't too much of a trot, and the path leading
       there would have plenty of what was on display already, so
       Celestia was in no hurry to go, allowing the others all the time
       they desired to linger as she both waited for them to be ready
       to move on and begin following.
       "Are either of you two well educated on the many talented
       sculptors our country has been blessed with over these last few
       centuries? Or will I be having the pleasure of informing you of
       a few tonight?"
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