Hey everycreature! What's up!?

So had this idea for awhile after the episode, Horse Play, at the very beginning when Celestia mentions that her friends used to put on plays, but Celestia was always too busy with her magic lessons (Most likely with Starswirl) to be a part in them herself, but wishing she was…

So, I would like to explore that past in this little one shot…

(Celestia's POV)

"Oh, uh, forgive me for getting so excited. It's just, when I was a filly, my friends often put on plays." I sighed as I remembered when I was little… "It was so wonderful. Everypony coming together to create a magical experience to share with others. I've always believed theater brings out the best in us and forges a special bond of friendship."

"I didn't know you used to act!" Twilight, my best student, grasped as I never told her about this.

"Oh, not me. I was always too busy with my magic lessons to be part of any plays myself. But still, it's something I always wished I could experience…" My mind went back all those years ago…

Over 1,000 years ago…

I was currently in the palace in Canterlot, the sun shining and the birds singing, how I wished I could be outside, but I had to stay inside. For being a little princess meant that I had a lot of learning to do once it was time for me to take my shared throne with my younger sister, Luna. One of the things I had to learn was magic and my teacher was the wizard Starswirl, oh did I mention that I'm an alicorn? One of the only two so far in Equestria, the other, of course, being my sister Luna, so we were put under heavy protection, in case Equestria's enemies would want to use our power to take over.

Sometimes I wished I could be born a earth, unicorn, or pegasus, so I could enjoy what my few friends and all the other young fillies of Equestria could enjoy. My times of fun were few and far in between and when I did, I had to be escorted by a few royal guards. Sometimes it felt like I was a free prisoner, confined to the vast insides of the royal palace.

One of the things I wished I could enjoy, rather than learn magic or how to greet visiting dignitaries was to have a part in the plays my friends would set up, for their friends or at school. Often, when I had a chance to look out the windows of the palace, I could sometimes see my friends prepare their plays and then do the show. I longed to join them and forget that I was a princess as I imagined myself having fun for once without worrying about anything else, but that was only a dream and my imagination.

One day during magic lessons, I was in a room with many windows, my teacher Starswirl showing Luna how to correctly teleport something. I was waiting for Starswirl to come back to me, when I saw my friends outside set up a little puppet show, looking back to my teacher and Luna, I quietly trotted to the closet window to my friends and watched as they had their fun, laughing and smiling.

"Celestia, what are you doing?" Starswirl's voice came up behind me as I jumped a little and turn around to see my teacher right behind me.

"Nothing…" I replied, but Starswirl saw my friends.

"There is no time for that kind of nonsense, now come, it's your turn to practice." Starswirl said sternly and I obeyed as I sighed, taking a second look at my friends before returning to my lessons.

It was torture, to have this barrier between my princess life and freedom from it, to have it separate what I could be and what I had to be in the future. To have it in view and yet not in reach was very difficult for me.

Later, during the late evening time, shortly before it would be time for me to lower the sun so my sister can raise the moon, I was in my bedroom in the palace, trying to finish an essay I owned for Starswirl, I was already a bit behind in turning it in so I had to finish it without delay. I was in the middle of writing, using my magic to use the quill when a knock came on my window, it was a couple of my friends, Daisy and Joy. I put down the quill and opened the window to speak with them.

"Hey Tia, we're just about to start our new play at school, why don't you come and see it?" Joy suggested, but I couldn't.

"I'm sorry Joy, but I have an overdue essay to get done, Starswirl's a very strict teacher, I'm already in trouble for not turning in this paper." I answered, sighing as my friends were disappointed.

"But it's opening night for it and we want all our friends there, can't you take a little time to see it?" Daisy pleaded with a sad tone.

"I'm sorry, I wish I could, I promise I'll try to catch it the next night, okay?" I put on my best smile for my friends so to keep them happy and hopeful.

"Alright…" Both of my friends replied, before turning away with their heads hung low.

I wish it was the normal filly that spoke for me, but it was my princess part that answered my friends' request. I closed the window and went back to work and while finishing up the essay, I found a tear stain on the parchment, followed by more. So I used a drying spell before drying my eyes itself before rolling up the essay, ready to turn it in tomorrow. With that done, it was time for my final duty as a little princess, lowering the sun, before turning in for a good night's sleep, if you could call it that.

As I slept, I dreamed about how much fun my friends had acting out the play for all who came to it, everyone except for me. I could imagine that they were looking for me in the audience, to see me enjoying it and laughing alongside the audience. I could see their disappointed and sad faces underneath their acting when they couldn't find me.

And all throughout the night I just kept crying very lightly against my pillows and saying sorry to my friends over and over again…

Back to the Present…

"And you still can! Princess Celestia, we would be honored if you would be the star of our play!" Twilight making my dreams true.

I was surprised, even thought I did want to have a chance to be in a play, I wasn't sure, I had no time to have that kind of experience with my friends. I actually had a hard time deciding whether or not to say yes or no to Twilight's offer, but she was the very first one since I was little to give me the opportunity to enjoy what I didn't have when I was a filly.

To play or not to play was the question that went through my mind as Twilight continued to try to persuade me…

And you all know what happens in the rest of the episode!

I was actually debating whether or not to finish the scene in the throne room, but again we all know what happens!

See everycreature later!