Setting Fire to the Sky

by Violetta Strings

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Sweetie Belle, Princess Luna, Rarity, Princess Celestia
Length: 3282

Sweetie Belle can't sleep, so Rarity tells her a story.

When Sweetie can't sleep, Rarity decides to tell her a story. A story about how Celestia and Luna made the ponies of Equestria, and how they came to rule as sisters side by side.

Published 2014-07-19 03:50:02 UTC
Last updated 2014-07-19 03:50:02 UTC

Sleepless Nights

The world was quiet. Night had descended upon the town of Ponyville like a soft, downy blanket. Life had slowly ground to a halt when the sun began to set, and many of the ponies now slept soundly, dreaming of impossible things.

Many stayed awake to enjoy the nightlife in their own innocent, and risque ways. Clubs pumped out basslines like factories churned out products, and the districts which had embraced club life totally were wide awake.

There was one filly on the other side of town who was awake for a different reason, plagued with bouts of sleeplessness, or sleep-filled nightmares. She stared up at her ceiling, wary of closing her eyes, and her ears flicked at each shadow and sound from the outside.

To the child’s imagination, the creaking of a settling room became a monster creeping in the darkness beyond her bedroom door. The rustling of the wind running through the leaves outside became the sinister machinations of a ghost in her room.

The squealing of an animal outside made her jump up suddenly. The following sounds of scampering paws right outside her window did not help her fear.

It’s fine… she told herself. It’s just… Opal probably got left outside, or something…

Silence fell once more. She would much rather have had the noises than nothing but the deep silence of nighttime.

She shook herself off and turned over, facing the door to her room. She heard the creaking of floorboards and closed her eyes tightly. Her door slowly creeped open and her ears splayed back, her muscles tensed…

“Sweetie?”

…until she opened her eyes at the sound of her sister’s whisper. She looked up and, sure enough, there she was, magic providing light illumination for the filly to see her face.

“I thought I heard you moving about. You were supposed to be asleep hours ago!” she lightly chided.

Sweetie Belle sat up and sighed gently, rubbing her eyes. “I’m sorry, sis. I just… can’t sleep.” She averted her gaze to the window, peering outside.

Rarity stepped into the room proper and shut the door behind her, trotting over to the bed and sitting on the edge. “Nightmares again?” she asked gently

Sweetie turned, her mouth open to deny it, until she sighed once more and turned her head back around.

“Yeah.”

Rarity nodded and smiled, and Sweetie quickly flung her head back to face her sister.

“Not always, though!” she protested. “Sometimes I just can’t sleep!”

Rarity laughed knowingly, placing a hoof around her sister’s shoulders. “You know, dear, being afraid isn't always a bad thing,” she said, moving her hoof soothingly down the young filly's back.

Sweetie remained silent. Rarity wracked her brain for some way to make her sister feel better. She smiled widely as she thought of something.

"Sweetie?" she asked to get the young unicorn's attention.

"What?" she asked apprehensively.

Rarity smiled. "How about I tell you a story?" the older sibling asked, and Sweetie cocked her head to the side.

“A story? About what?” she asked, and Rarity thought for a minute. She suddenly beamed as she thought of the perfect one.

“About Celestia and Luna,” she stated simply, and Sweetie’s ears, and eyes, perked up.

“Okay!”

From Sunlight born she was,
And carried light throughout the day.
For harmony and strength she faced,
The Darkness in her way.

To her was gifted Sunlight,
And the love that hence it brought,
And though at times she buckled
Under weight of battles lost,

Never faltered she nor ever
Turned she from the fray.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Although from darkness she was born
And in her heart it dwelled,
Never a gentler soul was found
From Earth to heaven’s Knells.

Her sister; from the darkness came
And it was in her care,
For together peace they sowed
And harmony they both did share.

The stars and moon were her divines
And keep them she did well.

An explosion of light marked the start of the dawn. The sun crested the sharp peaks of the mountains to the east slowly, as ever it did. Celestia stood upon a hilltop and watched, horn aglow with magic. She smiled to herself as the sun continued its lazy arch above the horizon, rays of light extending like fingers to caress the ground below.

Celestia’s smile turned into a wry grin. Today she was going to have fun.

She flapped her wings once and ascended a few feet into the air. Her wings outstretched and she kept motionless, adrift at the mercy only of her own will to stay there. She closed her eyes, horn still aglow as the first rays of sun were gripped under her control.

And with them, she began to dance.

Her wings flapped wide, her hooves stretched out before her and spun around, taking her with it. Her body arched in lithe pirouettes, and with her the light moves as well. Rays of orange and yellows entwined with oranges and reds reflected off clouds.

A canvas. That’s what she pictured. And her dance threw paint on the blankness left behind by the darkness of night. Her dance soon reached a crescendo, and, with a delicate jeté she blended the last of the rays with the blues of the normal sky, and landed.

Her mane was chaotic, wafting in an invisible breeze in every direction. Her chest rose and fell with sharp breaths as she surveyed her work with great pride. Each of the cloud’s underbellies was painted red, with orange behind it that faded to gold the closer to the sun it came. Blue ribbons interspersed throughout held the promise of a clear, sunny day.

The celestial orb continued its ascent, leaving a muted reflection of her work behind. The sun set on the other side of the world.

“Fine work as is the norm, dear sister,” came a voice from behind her. Without even turning she knew who it was.

“Thank you, Luna,” Celestia said with a smile, breathing in the fresh morning air before turning. There stood her sister, mane sparkling like a sea of diamonds.

“It will be time for us to paint the sky with night again soon,” she commented, walking over to stand by Celestia’s side.

Celestia blinked and smiled. “Soon? It’s only just dawn,” she stated.

Luna simply shrugged. “A day is no long time to wait,” she said dismissively. Celestia, somewhat taken aback, walked forward slightly to catch her sister’s eyes.

“Neither is it merely nothing. Something is troubling you, Luna. I see it in your eyes.” She stepped in front of her little sister and smiled gently, the same smile she would come to wear countless times over in her long, long life.

“It is just… we raise the moon and the sun, paint the skies, and yet… who sees it? The beasts? They care nothing for such things. Driven by instinct. We do thankless work—” she began a tirade, only to be interrupted by her wiser sister, who herself had considered this before Luna.

“That is how it must be, Luna,” she stated gently. “We cannot expect thanks for tasks that must be done. It is not our place.”

“Then why must we paint the skies so beautifully, only to have it ignored by every soul in this plane?” she asked sullenly, kicking at the dirt. Celestia sighed and turned back to looking over the rolling hills, the vast green forests, teeming with life.

“Luna, I think I know why you wish for other beings.” She walked a few paces before turning her head, gazing at her sister. “You desire companionship, yes? Other than myself. You desire beings who think complex thoughts to teach, to nurture. To lead,” she continued.

Luna nodded her head in earnest. “Every living thing desires companionship. What there is to be found in sisterhood aside, there is not much of that to be found here,” Luna stated dejectedly. Celestia smiled to herself and lay a hoof on her sister’s shoulder, horn aglow with radiant light.

“Then we shall remedy that. Together.” She stepped back and plucked an alabaster feather from her wings, laying it into the dirt. A mound of clay was formed next to the feather. Luna approached cautiously, simply watching the scene unfold.

Although her sister could not see her, she sensed Luna’s reaction all the same.

“I have also desired these things, but we must agree before we do this.” With that, she discharged a ball of light and fire that came to rest beside of the clay.

“Agree to what, sister?” Luna asked, coming to stand on the other side of the three items.

“That we may not try to interfere with their will to be free. Agreed?” She held out a hoof, to which Luna shook hesitantly.

“Agreed.”

Celestia beamed widely and stepped back, motioning to the items. Luna looked down, then at her sister, confused for a scarce minute. As she suddenly realised what her sister was planning, she ever so gently plucked a feather, formed a clay mound, and left a ball of silver starlight and blackness next to the ones laid and made by Celestia.. The white Alicorn gripped all three with her magic and muttered a few words to herself.

The magic balls coalesced into the form of a pony. It sprouted a horn from its head, and dropped to the ground.

Next were the feathers. They were, likewise, gripped in magic before combined to form the first Pegasus. It too dropped to the ground.

Next, Celestia took the clay into her hooves and began to sculpt the form of a pony without wings, nor horn, and left it there, molded into the dirt.

Luna had begun to curiously poke at the forms of the ponies. “Why are they so still?” She fretted, and Celestia simply smiled.

“They are asleep. Come, Luna, there is work to be done…”

Rarity finished her story as she finished tucking the young filly in. Sweetie Belle listened with rapt attention as the story finished.

"Well, what happened next?" Sweetie asked, her eyes wide with wonder in the way that only a child could really pull off. Rarity smiled at her as she tucked the remaining blankets down the side of the bed properly, smoothing out the creases with delicate touches of her hooves.

"Well," she began. "The ponies formed tribes. They did their best with what they had, the unicorns raised the sun and the moon, with a little help from the ever-watchful Princesses of course,” she winked and Sweetie giggled. “The Pegasi controlled the weather,” she continued, “and the Earth Ponies farmed and supplied food." She sat back down besides the young filly's bed as she spoke.

"I'm sure you know the story of Hearth's Warming?" she asked, and Sweetie rolled her eyes. Rarity chuckled to herself gently.

"Just making sure. Anyway, after that whole debacle, Discord came into play. Summoned to Equestria by the chaos the ponies caused with their conflicts, he wanted to rule them and make Equestria his new Chaos Capital..."

"But the Princesses beat him!" Sweetie exclaimed joyfully, and Rarity nodded.

"Indeed they did, And all the other villains that dared threaten Equestria under their rule." The older unicorn leaned forward and smiled at the young filly. "And when they could finally get some peace, they were properly crowned."

"Then what happened?" Sweetie asked, hungry for more of the tale. Rarity's smile widened and she dropped her voice to a whisper.

"Then they rose the sun and moon for a ceremony. The first sunrise, and solar eclipse, of Equestrian history."

The ponies gathered below the podium and watched in awe at the spectacle unfolding. Celestia and Luna stood atop the stage, horns aglow with magic. For this ceremony, every kingdom’s delegates had gathered to observe the official crowning of the two new Princesses.

They were far from disappointed.

Celestia’s sun arced through the sky with ribbons of gold, orange, and crimson red like gashes in a great fabric. From the other horizon, the moon trailed muted silver and specks of stars that were quickly chased away by the light of the blazing star.

The Princesses focused all their efforts into this showing of their power and authority. One part shock and awe, three parts showing off.

Within an hour the two celestial bodies had almost aligned. Ponies, griffons, dragons and changelings shielded their eyes to observe the union. The edge of the moon touched the sun and began to obscure it, shrouding the lands in partial darkness as it moved.

“This day,” Celestia started, gathering the attention of all. “You bear witness to two new Princesses making a pledge. This power was entrusted to us, and we keep it reverently. This union today is a promise, a promise to you all.”

Luna stepped forward to the podium and took over the speech.

“A promise,” she continued where her sister left off, “that we shall rule Equestria, not with tyranny or oppression, but with benevolence. And, we shall do it together.”

The pair smiled at each other before lifting their hooves, the moon finally covered all of the Sun, and a great cheer rose from the crowd.

“Now that the officialties are dealt with, let the revelries begin!” she called forth in a shout, and the cheer rose in pitch. Mugs of mead were held aloft and the Princesses sat on the stage and stared up at their work. The pair exchanged a glance, each conveying the same thing.

They were both nervous.

“Afraid to actually rule, sister?” Celestia jibed, and Luna feigned offense, placing a hoof on her chest.

“Why of all the dishonors to accuse me of! Is it no so that thou art nervous too?” she quipped back, and Celestia chuckled to herself, smirking and shrugging her shoulders.

“Maybe. This is new to all of us. We created life, and now we have to rule them. Let us hope we can only do as well as Mother and Father,” she stared up into the sky, or rather, through it, and Luna followed her gaze dutifully. Luna’s hoof wrapped around Celestia’s comfortingly, drawing the elder sister’s gaze.

“Together, dearest sister.”

A nod. “Together.”

Sweetie smiled and yawned. Rarity took that as her cue to stand up.

“Right, now go to sleep,” she gently admonished Sweetie furrowed her brow and did her best to keep her heavy eyelids open.

“But what if I get scared again?” she asked worriedly, pulling the covers up around her chin. Rarity gave her a soft smile, sitting back down for a few seconds.

“You know, the Princesses were scared too. You know what they did?” she said gently, and Sweetie shook her head simply, her hooves still gripping the covers

“What?” she asked, and Rarity reached forward to grasp Sweetie’s hoof, placing her other hoof atop it comfortingly.

“They faced it together,” she said. “As sisters.”

They shared a smile.

“I’ll stay here for tonight,” Rarity said. “But remember, Celestia will always raise the sun." With that, she leaned forward and planted a kiss on Sweetie’s forehead, pulling back just in time to see her sister’s eyes close.

She smiled and let the hoof go, staying true to her word and sitting by the bedside.

Gazing out the window, she gave a silent thanks to the princesses, and asked Luna to watch over her sister’s dreams.

Away in Canterlot, the Princess of the Night smiled to herself.

“Fair dreams tonight, Luna?” a voice behind her asked, and she did not need to turn to know who it was.

“And hello to you too dearest sister,” Luna said back. She was acutely aware of Celestia walking up beside her and staring at the Dreamscape Luna had cast.

While she was initially opposed to the idea of spying on pony’s dreams, Luna had assured her that it was simply to keep track of Nightmares. Luna thought it part of her duty, and found neither pleasure nor pain in doing it.

“It always amazes me how you can see into a pony’s desires and not get…” she trailed off, shuddering to herself.

“Those dreams,” Luna said quickly, “are kept private. Where they belong. Should any be detected by the spell they are not projected. Only normal dreams, and in some occasions nightmares are monitored here,” she assured. Celestia nodded and continued to gaze at the swirling mass of dark blue clouds.

“I trust you don’t take interest in my dreamtime trysts,” Celestia jovially said.

Luna was quick to dispel the notion. “If you ever had them I might,” she turned her head to Celestia with a smirk.

Celestia shook her head with an almost imperceptible blush. “Somehow I do not find that assuring.”

Silence filled the room, save for the faint sounds of a magic spell displaying the dreams of those that slept.

“How are the Elements?” Celestia asked, trying to sift through the Dreamscape in the way her sister could so effortlessly.

Luna focused on five images of the Element’s dreams. “Peaceful,” she stated. “All but one.”

“Which one?” Celestia suddenly became worried.

Luna quickly did a count of those that were there. “Generosity,” she concluded. “From what I gather from her sister’s dreams, Generosity comforted her and promised to stay with her all night.”

Celestia smiled and stilled her worried thoughts with a well practiced sigh.“True to her element I see,” she commented almost idly.

“Yes,” Luna agreed. “She also told the story of how we came to rule Equestria.”

A silence hung in the air. it would have been awkward had the subject matter of the conversation prior been. Celestia hung her head before staring forward again, through the spell.

Memories began to pour into both of their heads. Fond ones of times immemorial, and painful ones of those which they wish were forgotten.

Celestia remembered the fear she had felt when banishing Luna. The unscalable mountain of fear that accompanied the knowledge that she would spend a thousand years alone as the sole ruler of Equestria.

She remembered the sadness of how the ponies viewed her mistakes as acts of heroism; how they viewed her sister with fear instead of the love she rightly deserved.

And the hatred she felt for herself facing that day after day.

More so, she remembered never saying sorry.

“I never got to say,” she almost whispered, Luna turned her head, confused. “I am sorry,” Celestia finished.

“For what?” Luna inquired, and the elder sister gave a look that conveyed a thousand-year guilt. And suddenly, Luna knew.

“For everything,” Celestia said simply.

A silence once again fell. One that was palpable this time. Freezing even the magic spell broadcasting dreams, it settled like a suffocating blanket.

Until a soft voice spoke up from the dark cerulean mare.

“I forgive you, dear sister,” she said softly. Celestia breathed a sigh of relief she hadn't realized she had been holding for 1000 years.

Luna dispelled the Dreamscape, as the soft light of dawn was cresting the horizon. She often stayed up all night to watch dreams, and often she would fall asleep halfway through her charge. But today it seemed she would stay to watch the sunrise as she would have done 1000 years ago.

Celestia was about to light her horn and assume direct control over the sunrise, when Luna looked down and took her sister’s hoof in hers. Celestia faltered, looked at her sister, and smiled, as it brought back memories of so long ago.

“Together?” she asked, and Celestia chuckled, smiling at her warmly.

She nodded.

“Together.”

Author's Note

This is a one shot. Iunno what else to say.