//-------------------------------------------------------// Celestia's Memories -by PrincessDashie- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// Memories //-------------------------------------------------------// Memories My Spectrum Sky.  Oh how I dearly recall that day when I brought you into this world.  It was the happiest day of my life.  My first memories of you were in the Canterlot infirmary birthing center.  16 hours you had me in labor and yet, I wouldn't trade it for the world.  As soon as the nurse handed you to me, I fell in love instantly.  Gazing into your ruby eyes, I found peace.  Seeing your rainbow colored mane, I knew you would do great things one day. I brought you home the next day.  Every one of my personal attendants were astounded by you.  It's amazing really... you spent more time being cuddled by my attendants and guards than even I did.  No one cared that you weren't a Unicorn, in everypony's eyes, you were the epitome of perfection. It wasn't until a few months later that some began to see problems with your genealogy.  They began to have thoughts that you were not in fact my own child.  This was all their ignorance, for it is rare but not impossible for an Alicorn to bear a Pegasus as it's offspring.  It wasn't much longer until I began receiving threats directed towards you and I, and... the thoughts of you being overthrown from your throne one day upset me so much. I had to find a way to raise you, and at the same time keep you out of harms way.  What I did, was perhaps the biggest mistake of my life.  The following week I brought you into Cloudsdale.  Your birth father, Lightning Storm, was my best friend for quite a few years, and he gladly allowed you to live with him.  How foolish was I though? I visited you every day for the next 18 months, drawing heavy criticism towards myself.  Even with you living with your father, I continued to receive threats, this time... aimed towards me.  They said if I couldn't do my job and rule my kingdom as I had for almost 1500 years previously, then they would remove me from my throne and hand it to somepony who could. I ultimately feared the possibility of this happening so I had to make a choice as a ruler.  I chose to leave you with your father, and continue on ruling my kingdom.  If I couldn't raise you directly, then the next best thing I could do was to watch over you from afar and keep the world you live in safe.  To ensure that this would work, I instructed him to rename you.  Your new name, was Rainbow Dash. Watching you from afar was saddening yet, I hung tough, watching the young filly I gave birth to, find her place in the world.  A few years passed and I met Twilight Sparkle.  Overtime I grew to love this young filly and I took her under my wing as if she were my own daughter.  Sadly, the pain I felt grew less, and over time... I failed to keep watch over you. One day, I received a letter from your father that you had run away.  He didn't know where you were going, but I immediately dispatched the Cloudsdale and Canterlot royal guards to search for you.  Perhaps, if I had kept watch over you, this wouldn't have happened. Two more years passed and I learned that you had been living in Ponyville, searching for your mother yet, the whole time you never knew her identity.  As I sent Twilight on her friendship mission, I compiled a list of ponies for her to seek out, the first... being you my daughter, although I must admit she ran into Pinkie Pie, and came across your future wife's apple farm first. Through her time in Ponyville, I was granted chances to meet you without divulging the truth of your past.  Through the Summer Sun Celebration I was able to meet you face to face for the first time since the day I left you.  When you became a bearer of an Element of Harmony, I knew then that I would most definitely reveal to you your origins, one day. I watched you propose to your marefriend.  Then I asked to preside over your ceremony, to which you agreed.  Watching you walk down the aisle, with your fiancee in tow, I had to try so hard to hold myself back.  That moment, was when I originally wished to tell you of your origins.  The next time, was at the 1500th ruling year ball.  You were beautiful, dancing with your wife. When we were attacked that night, I told you to take Applejack and run.  This was... my biggest mistake.  I should have known that Shooting Star and Buster Cloud would come after you once more.  Once you had escaped, the fighting in the Palace died.  I immediately took flight searching for you, but I was too late.  I gained sight of you just as you had made impact on the ground.  Upon reaching you, Shooting Star and Buster Cloud escaped at the sight on my presence. I teleported us to the Canterlot infirmary, where I learned of the choice you would soon have to make.  You were much like me, my daughter.  You chose to give up your life for the benefit of you foal.  I'm glad I was given the opportunity to finally tell you, who I really was.  Looking back I realized that it was terrible of me to wait until you were on your death bed: to tell you I was your mother.  But... you smiled as I held you.  And you told me... to hold you... until the very end, to which I did.  They saved your foal, and... and I held you after that surgery.  I held you as they removed your life support.  I held you, as your breathing stopped, and your heartbeat died. I made a lot of mistakes my daughter.  Perhaps if I had not given you up, none of this would have happened, but... perhaps you would not have met your wife either.  I look up at the stained glass window I had made every night, watching the image of you and your wife at the ball, kissing in the palace foyer. I will forever love you, my daughter, Spectrum Sky... Rainbow Dash. I will most definitely see you again.