A Story To Tell

A Story To Tell

by

OrionSketch

Chapter One: "I Sense Something, Sister."

The day had not gone so smoothly as Celestia had hoped it would. When she had awoken that morning, a smile was on her face, the anticipation great. Now, not so much. The diplomatic negotiations with Gryphus had failed, meaning she had probably lost her chance to open up a few much-needed iron mines on the bird-creatures's soil. Not only that, but the day had been quite gloomy. The sun had been hidden behind a thick layer of dim, gray clouds, denying the planet and its ponies below their much-needed rays of sunlight.

Oh, and it had just started to rain. That was fantastic as well. So, Celestia sighed. She looked out over the rails of her balcony and over the marble and granite stretch of Canterlot. Her eyes searched the spires and towers, the flagpoles and roofs, trying desperately to find something interesting. But, alas, she had done this many times, but nothing had ever changed. This time was no exception. A new tower hadn't been put of for some time, nor a new flag, nor anything else.

Again, Celestia sighed. She left her quarters and, completely ignoring the light drizzle, sat on the cold, wet stone outside. She began to think.

Her royal duties for the day had been finished, so she had a few hours of precious free time all to herself. Why she was spending it like this?

"Sister? What is the matter?"

Despite the unexpectancy of her younger sister's arrival, Celestia didn't flinch.

Not looking at Luna, Celestia answered, saying, "Well, nothing really. I am just... Feeling a bit down today, it would seem."

"Oh? Did the negotiations go that well?"

Celestia snorted, amused.

"No, better."

Luna chuckled as she joined her sister on the balcony.

"Well, if its any consolation, I had a fantastic night overlooking a bunch of snoring, drooling, twitching ponies."

"Oh?"

"Indeed. Some ponies have the strangest dreams."

"Like what?"

"I had to save one of the nobles from an army of rabid books two nights ago."

Celestia chuckled lightly.

They began a companionable silence. Celestia eventually broke it, saying, "Really though, I'm just... bored."

Luna looked at her Elder sister with a skeptical eye.

"How is that even possible?"

"Well, I have to deal with the same things every day. Bickering nobles, angry Gryphons, criminals... I just wish something would change."

"You have Twilight."

The alabaster monarch smiled at the mention of her favorite student.

"Yes. Yes I do. But her coronation was five years ago. That kind of... Wore off."

"Well why not visit her? I don't think you've actually been able to sit and have a real chat with her for a very long time."

Luna's elder sister perked up at the idea.

"That... Is not a bad idea. Would you like to join me?"

"Eh, I'm not her teacher. Besides, I spoke with her just yesterday."

"Alright. Farewell, sister."

"You too, 'Tia."

Celestia smiled, though Luna couldn't see her anymore; It had been a while since her sister had used the nickname.

Just as the tall monarch was about to leave her room, she was stopped by a slight rumble in the ground.

Celestia frowned and called to the pony behind her.

"Luna? Did you hear that?"

Upon hearing no answer, Princess Celestia turned around and gasped.

"Luna!"

The Princess of the Night stood rigid, her eyes wide open and bloodshot. Her entire body trembled.

Celestia hurried over, her face furrowed deep in concern.

"Luna, what is the matter?"

"I sense something, sister."

"What? What is it?"

With a quivering foreleg, Luna raised her hoof and pointed high in the sky. Celestia's gaze followed and her own eyes widened. It was a blindingly bright streak of red light, flashing down to the ground as it left a heavy, billowing pillar of smoke in its wake. It hurtled down to earth, puncturing the clouds and turning any and all nearby drops of rain into steam on the way.

Both Princesses stood rooted to their spots as they watched this object fall down and vanish somewhere in the Royal Gardens. The ground shook with a massive heave, and  the rain faltered slightly. A massive cloud of smoke, dust, and dirt was thrown into the air, high enough for many ponies to see for miles.

Celestia and Luna turned and looked intensely into each other's eyes. Celestia nodded and they broke their gaze, sprinting out the room, down the hallway and towards the garden.

Captain Broadhoof of the Twenty-Second Regiment of the Her Majesty's Royal Solar Guard had, quite frankly, been quite surprised. After all, its not every day that a flaming rock from the sky slams into the ground not twenty feet from you. What's even worse is when that rock throws a large helping of dislodged dirt and grass onto you and the other guard with whom you are stationed.

"Wooooh~!"

"What the Tartarus?"

"Oww..."

Broadhoof poked out of the dirt, soon followed by his comrade, Private Black.

"What the Tartarus wast that?"

"Do I look like I'm 'sposed to know?"

Black raised his eyebrows. Then he frowned and traced the trail of destruction. His eyebrows raised higher and he said, "Look! It stopped," while he gestured with his hoof.

Broadhoof looked over and saw that, indeed, the projectile had stopped. But behind it was a large, long gouge in the lawn and hedges.

"Well, Celestia'll be 'appy 'bout that, won't she?"

"I'm sure she will."

After a few moments, Broadhoof sighed and said, "Well, up and at 'em; we better check that out."

Black groaned a bit, as if the dirt was comfortable-cause it was-and dug his out out. The pair lowered their spears, after digging them from the rubble, and advanced.

\

Princess Twilight Sparkle and her eyes were deep into another world. One filled with adventure, sacrifice, and heroes. The Princesses' eyes darted back and forth across the lines, gratefully absorbing each line of text, drinking in each highly-descriptive word describing Daring Do as the adventurous mare lept across a chasm, the rumbling boulders of an avalanche behind her falling into the darkness. Daring allowed herself a rest as she watched, with an amused look on her face, the large boulders tumble down and out of sight.

Daring took a breath and-

And the book was jolted of its spot on the desk, falling to the stone ground with a heavy thwump.

"Shoot!"

Twilight looked up from her table and looked around, trying, in vain, to source the rumbling that had interrupted her reading. Suddenly, Twilight winced as a bright light slowly emerged into her bedroom through the stained-glass window to her left. When the light became bearable, Twilight teleported over and scoured the outside area with her eyes. She saw the object just in time for it to slam heavily down into the gardens, scarring the landscape and lighting several of the hedges on fire. Twilight backed away from the window as a layer of dirt and torn grass thudded into the glass, taking her by surprise.

It slid down and away, back toward the ground and Twilight gaped. Was that a meteor? Her eyes beamed. Or something else! Maybe a relic from deep space? Perhaps a part of the moon! Maybe-

Twilight shook her head. She needed to get down there and see if anyone was hurt. Undoubtedly, Princess Celestia and Luna would be there as well, along with a few guards. Also, science...

Twilight, despite herself, squeed and dashed through the door where she promptly knocked into one of the servants.

"Oof!" he exclaimed as they tumbled.

Twilight blushed before she extracted herself from the pile. It was Regal Cloth.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Regal!"

"No, no, I assure you, the fault was mine; I should have been paying more attention."

"A-are you hurt."

"Not at all, your majesty."

Twilight, who was in a bit of a hurry, asked why he was there.

"I was sent here to check on you. Though it seems that you are alright, I will let you go."

"Okaythanksbye!"

Regal Cloth chuckled as he watched the Princess dash down the stairs. He frowned a bit and brushed some dust from the shoulder of his suit, afterwards traveling down the stairs.

He had a feeling that today was going to be an interesting day.