Whole New World

Whole New World
Chapter 24
Epilogue (Sorta)

Princess Celestia gazed at the night sky that hung above her with her magenta eyes as she rested on a wooden bench in a secluded area of the Canterlot Royal Gardens. The princess of the sun had always enjoyed the way her sister arranged the stars and moon that drifted lazily through the sky and no matter how much she tried Celestia couldn’t match her sister’s skill.

Celestia's pastel mane endlessly flowed around her long white furred neck and her tail drifted along with it, equal parts cobalt, green, cerulean blue and pink. Her white coat shined in the night, and her massive wings were tucked against her back comfortably. The long white horn that jutted out of her forehead seemed to break her mane as water would break on rock.

After a content sigh Celestia shifter her gaze back to the gardens around her. A cobblestone path snaked its way past the bench, and six foot tall hedges flanked the trail as if they were walls protecting it. The bench that the princess of the sun rested upon was situated in a nook that sprouted off of the path, and was carved into the ridged hedge.

Celestia had always preferred this part of the gardens, especially this late in the autumn season. The hedges held a simplified beauty in the way there were trimmed, and, with the large amount of magic that had secreted into the soil from living near the princesses, had lived for literally hundreds of generations of ponies. Other than her sister these plants were the only other living thing that rivaled Celestia in age.

Celestia’s gaze was about to drift back to the stars above when the sound of wing beats reached her ears. The princess of the sun climbed off of the bench and stretched her long legs as the wing beats grew closer. Celestia looked to her right just as her sister landed gracefully on the cobblestone path, her light blue, ornate horse shoes making a slight clop as the hit the ground. After pulling her large wings in against her navy blue body Luna moved towards her sister.

The lunar princess was shorter than Celestia, her black crown not as ornate as her sisters gold one and the crest that rested upon her chest was made of cloth instead of the jewel incrusted necklace Celestia carried around her neck. Despite these less regal features the navy blue alicorn walked with a confidence that showed her right to be the princess of the night, even if the flowing mane and tail that matched the sky or deep blue calm eyes wasn't enough.

Luna walked up to her sister’s side, and gave Celestia a curt node before the two alicorns began to walk side by side down the cobblestone path towards their destination. Earlier that day a message had been brought before the two regal sisters, but not one from their country or even their plane of existence for that matter. The letter had come from the avatars of themselves they had sent to watch over the humanity many, many years ago.

The message told of a man named Daniel who had succeeded in stopping the avatar of Discord before he further corrupted the human’s plane. This was joyous news indeed, but something had struck Celestia amiss. She knew Discord, and from all of that expertise screamed one thing. That this little struggle was yet complete, and that the prince of chaos had many other means to get out of his prison just waiting in the shadows.

Celestia and Luna walked down the garden path for several minutes, their hooves echoing in the still night, before they reached their destination. The hedge walls expanded in front of them to create a circle with the entrance being the only break in the perfectly round clearing. A single stone statue of a draconequus rested in the middle of the open area sitting on a small platform surrounded by several different types of colorful flowers which had closed their pedals for the night. The moonlight cast a ghastly shadow over the face of the being trapped in stone, and illuminated the outline of the statue in its dull glow.

Celestia and Luna moved undaunted up to the statue, and as they neared the shadows began to fade and the statue’s features could be seen. A look of pure shock dominated the being’s face, and his arms were outstretched in front of him as he tried to ward off the attack that put him in this state. Celestia looked deeply into the stone eyes of the being before letting out a sad sigh. Luna heard her sister, but decided to make nothing of it.

Without another word Celestia tipped her horn towards the statue and pressed the tip lightly in the center of the being’s chest. The sun princess closed her eyes and reached a tendril of magic into the statue. For a few seconds Celestia felt nothing except emptiness until a hand of dark magic reached out and grabbed the probe. The sun princess felt the claw begin to syphon her energy, but she had prepared for this and broke contact off with the tendril allowing it to be consumed by the hand.

As Celestia opened her eyes she could hear the sound of a baritone laugh echo in the back of her head, and the sound shook her to the bone. The sun princess jumped when she felt a wing spread across her back, and she turned he head to see that Luna had moved up beside her sister to comfort her. Celestia returned her gaze to the statue and looked up to the face of the being.

She had felt him, had felt Discord’s presence. This was to be expected, but there was still something off about the sensation. Celestia came to the conclusion that he was, in fact, still not whole. The sun princess turned to her sister, sadness present on her face.

“What is the matter Tia? Did Daniel not succeed?” Luna asked, her voice filled with hope that her assumptions were false.

“No Lulu, Daniel has succeeded, but there is still something missing from him.”

Celestia shifted her gaze back to the statue.

“What are we to do Tia?” Luna’s voice was filled with a little fear at the prospect of Discord’s third return.

“We must put all of our faith in Daniel, and hope that he can stop him again.”

Celestia’s eyes moved away from the statue and up into the sky as if she could send her hope and faith to the man named Daniel. Luna followed her gaze, and the two sisters became lost in the night sky. After an unknown amount of time Celestia moved away from her sister, turned and began to walk away.

“I hope your faith is well placed Tia.” Luna said quietly as she hesitated to follower her sister.

Celestia stopped walking, but did not turn to look at Luna.

“So do I Lulu, so do I.”

With that Celestia unfurled her wings and with a mighty stroke downwards lifted into the air. Luna quickly turned around and followed her sister’s lead. The two princesses soared through the sky toward Canterlot Castle, their minds full of worry and hope that the actions of the human named Daniel would protect them and their realm from destruction they themselves could not.

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I would like to dedicate this fan fiction to my father, who shall go by the name Gaius Solidus. He has always been there for me no matter the case, a rock to cling onto when the world around me raged like a tornado.

My father has recently received a bone marrow transplant to reverse the damage the cancer known as Leukemia has done to his body, and I have seen his steady and caring façade crumble under the strain.

I hope that when he reads this fic that he feels pride in his son, a pride that even in one of his darkest hours I can keep going despite the lack of his presence. A feeling of joy that even as he fights on without me next to him I have the will to create, to enjoy the things I love despite the worry I feel.

I pray that he sees the best of him in me, and that I have become part of the rock that holds him down as his world crumbles around him. I love you dad, and I want you to know that every day I hope that I have made you smile and feel proud of the young adult I have become. Please stay well, and listen to mom so you can come home soon.

I love you dad, with my entire heart and soul and everything my words are worth. No matter what, you will be my anchor to happiness and nothing will never ever change that.

Thanks for reading friends
The sequel, Same Old Fight is now up.
Click >HERE< to get there before everyone else.
That is all
Kthanxbai