All Hail Lord Nebulae

"Thanks!" Bubbly Celestia said. She jumped up like the filly she was at the apple juice set before her by the unicorn.

"I thought she asked for fizzy apple cider, slave!" Lord Nebulae said with anger in his voice.

The black stallion's face literally went white. "I'm sorry sir, I'll fix it!" He said frightened. Sweet Celestia hated to see any pm y so frightened.

"It's quite alright, uncle, I rather like this style anyway." Tia said. The slave gave her a look of gratitude

"IT'S NOT WHAT YOU ORDERED AND THIS IMBECILE SHALL SPEND TWENTY LASHES AND A WEEK IN PRISON TO THINK ABOUT WHAT HE CAN DO BETTER!" Lord Nebulae proclaimed in the royal voice. The slave screened as two guards dragged him away.

"HELP ME!" His eyes pleaded to Tia as he was dragged of by the alicorn's magic. Celestia looked away. That slave, of all slaves, had a disease. It made him bleed horridly when he was cut. Lord Nebulae never let the lower species go to any doctors. All the unicorn could do was pray he didn't get cut. The twenty lashes cut deeply into his skin, causing major bleeding on a healthy pony. Less than twenty minutes later, innocent little Celestia went to see him. What she found was a bloody mess. Twenty long cuts lined his back. It looked as if all the blood in his body had been drained out of them. But yet, a small spark of life still remained in him.

"Help…" was all he managed to say.

Celestia threw the door opened magically. She ran into the cell and levitated the hurt unicorn onto the cell's cot. Tia didn't even hesitate in tearing her silk cape into strips of cloth for bandages. She didn't know very many healing spells, but she did know one for blood loss. She began with that spell as she tried to help the unicorn.

She magically summoned a needle and thread. She leapt onto the cot, careful not to touch the injured stallion's back. Slowly, she magically moved the torn flesh back in its proper place. She sewed it carefully together. Twenty times she repeated that. The guards ignored her pleas to help the dying pony.

"My names Celestia. What's yours?" She asked as she worked.

"Storm Cloud." He choked out.

"Well, Storm, I'm gonna do my best to fix you up!" Tia said, trying to sound more hopeful than she felt.

Finally, she finished with the stitching. She grimaced. Moving some pony's flesh was a disgusting feeling. She proceeded to tie the strips of what was once a cape around his cuts. She gently released her healing spell.

"AHHHHHH!" He shouted as pain over took him.

Celestia quickly turned on her spell

"Are you ok?" She asked. Deep down, she knew as soon as she released the spell, he would die. Tia already could hardly stand to maintain the only spell keeping this pony alive.

"Princess, look at my cutie-mark." He said. She looked and saw a blue cross (reference to authors insurgence company).

"I'm a medical pony. I know as soon as you lift yer spell, I'm a goner. That's ok. Let me go." He said

"I can't just let you die." She said.

Storm sighed, realizing this would be a long debate.

"Thank you." He said. He lit up his horn and cast a single spell. A spell that made the little princess's spell cease.

"NOO!"

Celestia woke with a start. She knew Luna had seen her nightmare and awakened her. Celestia has forbidden her little sister from actually entering her dreams. This was Celestia's way of hiding Equestria's true history from Luna. She approached the night sky and watched a nebulae for a few moments.

"Why did you of all ponies have to be my uncle?" She asked herself for the ten thousandth time.

a quiet knock aroused Celestia from her thoughts.

"Come in, Luna!" She said with a sigh.

The dark form of her sister entered the room.

"I saw you were having another nightmare, and I felt I should rouse you. You seemed rather upset." She said.

"That's Luna." Tia thought "always watching out for me, as I watch for her."

"Thank you, Lulu." Celestia said. "Let me tell you a story. It will calm my nerves."

"Yay! Tell my about uncle Nebulae. Please?!" Luna pleaded.

Ever since Luna had stumbled across that name, Luna had wanted to know all there was to know about their relative.  Tia didn't have the heart to tell her sister that their relative was a tyrant. She still thought that their father was a wise and kind stallion. Since the first lie about having a wise and kind uncle to this very night where she told another story, Celestia lied to her sister.

"One day, before you were born, mom and dad forgot my birthday." Celestia lied as she cuddled up close to her sister. "Not because they didn't care, but they were so awfully busy that it slipped my mind. But uncle Nebulae didn't forget. He took me for a hike up Equestria Mountain. We played together and looked at the scenery. It was breathtaking! He had the pegusi clear the sky, just for my special day. He also got me a gift. He himself went through all the trouble to capture a sunbeam, just for me! Alas, I lost it during the war. But at that moment, I felt like the luckiest pony in all of Equestria." Tia smiled at her imagined story. "Then Nebulae turned to me and said: 'Tia, someday you will rule Equestria. In that time, I pray that you'll be a sunbeam of hope to those who need it.'"

"I wish I knew Uncle Nebulae. He sounds so amazing." Lulu said.

Thankfully it was dark, so Luna didn't see Celestia role her eyes. "Come on, little sister, it is almost time for the dawn." Tia said as she stood and exited the room. Luna was close behind.