Prologue: A New Home
Princess Celestia shuffled through the Sultan letter. How cruel can one get?! She thought dejectedly.
“General… Shalim was it?”
The pony in front of her simply replied with a nod and a bow, “In your language it means bringer of the evening star, my lady.”
Celestia took a closer look at the pony in front of her, scars littered almost every part of his body, most notably are his lost eye and front right hoof. Yet his stance shows no opening for a surprise attack, a sign that a great warrior stands in front of her. She couldn't help but admire the warrior within the earth pony despite his groveling.
Celestia took another look at the letter. Dear Princess Celestia, Bringer of the sun. The letter started, Celestia didn't need to read the four page letter again, so she skimmed through the vain pleasantries of the Sultan of Saddle Arabia to reach the content of the letter.
I have sent before you an asylum seeker, the Sultan stated, he is a general from a nearby land that has been exiled with his family from his homeland, the Phoenix mountains, and has been seeking refuge ever since.
Bile returned to the princess’s mouth as she re-read the other part. Don’t be fooled Princess, the General known as Shalim with his wife Hera are no friends to anyone. I was forced to throw them out of Saddle Arabia and into the wilds you call the Badlands. And I am appalled that they managed to find their way to your doorsteps. I would urge you to do the same and send him even further, perhaps the frozen north would suit a criminal like him and his ilk.
Celestia couldn't handle that damned letter anymore. With a blast of her magic, she watched merrily as the ashes floated away. To condemn children to their death just for the sins of their parents, her thoughts darkened again, how far some places in this world have fallen.
“I doubt that letter says anything good about me.” The General stated stoically.
Celestia thought for a moment, “It mentioned you had a wife,” to the naked eye, the General remained emotionless, to Celestia however, he was holding back tears. “What happened to her?”
“Died,” only Celestia noticed the choking in his voice, “shortly after giving birth to this fellow.” With a swift motion of his right stomp, the sack that was on his back parted ways revealing a sleeping baby foal.
The foal, whose coat was darker than that of his father, gave a heartedly yawn, then squinted his beautiful golden eyes before rolling in his sack to continue his nap.
The shock of seeing a foal so young left an even bitterer taste in Celestia, It wasn’t enough for a filly to have to suffer like that, now this. Celestia's eyes traced to the filly standing next to her father, considering her age, the filly’s stance is even more impressive than that of her parent, covering the corners of his blind side like a hawk, ready for evasion or attack at a moment’s notice.
“How did he survive the Badlands?” asked one of the attendants.
The father’s voice became suddenly cheerful, “He wouldn’t have made it if it wasn’t for her help.” He pointed his head toward his daughter who beamed with pride in return.
Well, that explains her cutie mark, Celestia noticed the steel spear, sword and bow on top of a shield, a warrior’s cutie mark. More like a survivor’s cutie mark. Celestia have seen enough of those to know the rarity of a diversified cutie mark, and the skill that accompany it, adaptation.
“It must have been tough, fleeing Saddle Arabia and crossing the Badlands until you reached one of our military posts.”
“It was harder than fleeing the Phoenix Mountains I admit,” The cheerfulness in the general’s voice was gone again, “With Hera being pregnant.”
“If I might ask, why were you exiled in the first place?” Celestia finally asked the golden question that rested on everypony’s mind since the appearance of the general a few days ago.
The general took a deep breath, “As you have guessed I was a commander in the army of my homeland. However, I had different views over the wars my leadership were waging, some said they were disconcerting? I guess that is the proper word for it.” He thought back for a moment, trying to make sure the correctness of his vocabulary. “It all started when I took a mare from an enemy nation in exchange for a peace agreement. Then my constant objections over the role my leadership assigned to me.”
“Why did you stay in your position if you did not like what you were doing?” Celestia asked curiously.
“I did so because some pony needed to speak up, voice the concern of those who wanted peace, and I couldn't do that under any other position, I am of common birth after all, no one would listen to me if I have done anything else.”
“It’s rare to find a warrior who is against war,” Celestia commented, “But if you had such unfavorable views why did they leave you in your post?”
“Because I win wars, my lady.” The general straightened his pose, “I am so good at it that some battles I won while relying simply on my reputation, if nothing else.”
That explain the language the Sultan used, “Then what happened?”
The general gave a heavy sigh, “I was tasked to free the city of Tyr from rebel forces, however when I reached the city, I discovered that the rebels have taken its citizen hostages. Stallions, Mares, Foals, Everypony. So I devised a plan that prioritized the extraction of the citizens above all else. The plan however did not go at all. Half the city was massacred, along with a full regiment of my soldiers, I lost my eye. And the leader of the rebellion escaped. Even though it was a victory, it was a costly one. I was trialed soon after, I was stripped from my position, my reputation was tarnished, I was forced to flee my hometown toward neighboring Saddle Arabia.”
“And Saddle Arabia?”
The general grunted, “The moment I stepped there I was greeted by the rebel leader, it turns out he had important connections there. He offered me a chance to lead the rebellion into victory. I declined, I wanted to retire, to raise a family without the shadow of war. I told him that and we parted ways. At first he left us alone, and we started to build back new lives in Saddle Arabia far from the wars of the Phoenix Mountains. That peace did not last, when his rebellion failed a second time, he blamed it on me for not joining him. The following night my house was attacked by the Sultan’s assassins, I fended them off but I lost a hoof. Then we took flight the same night toward Equestria.”
Celestia sat there for a moment. Trying to process what she has been told, “Your equish is good regardless of the few mistakes.” She finally commented.
“Thank you,” the general gave a bow, “Hera thought it is a good idea to learn, she was better at it than I however.”
Celestia shifted uncomfortably on her throne knowingly what was coming next. “So what exactly do you want from me?”
The general shifted uncomfortably, then gave an obeisance, “I wish that you’d keep my children safe.” He finally pleaded.
“Patéras, den.” The filly protested, only to have her father shush her with a stern look.
“My kids bear no sins, why should they be punished for mine.” He then glanced at Celestia with pleading eyes, “I beg you. I don’t care what you do with me. Please let my foals live in peace.”
A moment of suffocating silence passed in the court, was immediately broken when the foal shifted uncomfortably in his sack and started whining. The general simply shifted his bearing and took his son with his stomp trying to cradle him back to sleep, but to no avail.
Celestia sat back on her throne, watching the exchange between father and children. His kids care for their father’s pride more than their well being. And yet he will put everything aside for their safety. Her secretary cleared her throat, “Have you decided what to do with them?” She whispered in her ear.
Celestia looked back at her secretary, “What do you think I should do?”
“I think you should give him what he wants and send him away,” Celestia glared at her assistant for a short while, “I mean look at him, he’s scary even when he grovels.”
With a chuckle Celestia stood up, “Kibitz, take a letter.”
With that, her secretary stood attention, paper and quill levitated and ready. Celestia nodded then spoke. “Dear Sultan Ibrahim. I am grateful for your warning and your concern over my nation, however the general you call Shalim had died earlier today due to internal injuries he sustained from his trip.”
Hearing this, the general motioned to his daughter to hide further under his shadow, both stallion and filly raised their guard as their posture shifted to defensive, the foal started to cry. Celestia only regarded their skepticism with amusement.
“I will be burying him next to his wife, his daughter, and his unborn son in unmarked graves in the Badland, so there will be no need for you to come and send their bodies to their homeland… Did you finish it?”
Kibitz gave her a nod. “Then send it to the Sultan.”
“Princess, what is the meaning of this?” The general asked in alarm as he readied himself for a fight or flight situation.
“It will be less likely for assassins to come after you if they think you are dead.” Celestia affirmed with a warm smile. She then walked toward the general, and with a small motion she gestured toward the foal on the general’s back, “May I?” she asked. The general gave a hesitant nod.
Upon sensing the hold of the sun princess’s magic surrounding him, the foal stopped crying then regarded his new situation with intrigue as he screamed with glee upon seeing Celestia’s face up close.
Celestia cooed as the foal stretched his hooves jovially toward her, uttering absolute gibberish in his happiness of being out of a sack and into her warm telepathic embrace.
“You never told me his name.” she then stated.
“His mother wanted to call him Helios, which means bringer of the sun.”
Celestia regarded what the general have said, “Does that mean that I am Helios in your language?”
“No, no, Helios means the act of bringing the sun, not the pony behind it.” He quickly corrected, hoping to have not offended anyone.
“I can see why she would name him that.” Celestia remarked as she looked deeply into the foal’s eyes, yellow golden pupil shining through a black coated foal, like the sun that rise to end the night. “If I kept your original name, the big bad ponies will know I lied to them and would probably want to hurt you.” She told the foal who simply shrugged and returned to patting his nose. “Sun Light,” she then concluded, “I think it’s a perfect new name. Wouldn’t you agree?”
The general only nodded, a new name for a new life, he thought.
Celestia then returned the foal back to his father’s embrace and turned her attention to the young filly, standing in her father’s shadow, “And you, young one, what is your name?”
The filly regarded the alicorn with incredulity, then turned to her father for guidance, “synechíso.” Her father encouraged her.
“Artemis.” The young filly finally spoke, “moon chase, means.”
Celestia looked at the general, “I’m sorry, her equish is a lot worse than mine, she will understand what you’re saying however.”
“It’s alright then.” Celestia assured, before regarding the young filly, unlike her father and brother dark coats, her coat is of soft silver, must be her mother’s color, coupled with deep blue eyes like her father’s, like Luna’s eyes. She understood what her name meant simply from looking at her eyes pointed, “From now on, you are Moon Chaser.”
Artemis pointed at herself and repeated, “Moon Chaser.”
Celestia gave her an affirming nod. “There is someone I want you to meet, Moon Chaser.” Celestia gestured to one of her guards, “Her name is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, but she’ll insist you call her Cadance. And like you she is new around here, not a month ago she became an alicorn. I think you two can become great friends. Do you understand what I am saying?”
Artemis nodded, “Me, friends, Cadenza?”
“That is very good," Celestia gave the filly a little pat on the head, "have fun.”
Now known as Moon Chaser, Artemis looked up to her father who gave her a small nudge. Reluctantly, she followed the guard outside of the courtroom, all the while peering back at her father who smiled at her in return.
“Thank you, princess this means a lot to me…”
“There is still the issue of what to do with you, general Shalim.” Celestia affirmed as she retook her position on the throne. “Or whomever you are since general Shalim is dead.” She replied teasingly.
“What do you mean, Princess?”
“I have always believed that the best way to judge a stallion is to see how he treats his kids. And from what I saw from you today, you are willing to put everything on the line to offer them a peaceful life. But you were too willing to give them away just so you can keep running.”
The general jumped at the accusation, “I have no choice but to keep running. If I remain here, they will come and they will harm them, and I will not stand for that to happen.”
Celestia remained as passive as possible, “what if you were given a choice? What if you were allowed to stay with them without endangering their safety, would you take it?”
The general regarded the Princess, then looked down at the foal in his hoof who smiled upon seeing his father, “I would never leave their side, even after heaven's fall.” He replied as he gave his child a playful nuzzle.
“Evening Star.”
The general broke his cuddle and regarded the princess who only gave a playful smile, “You told me the meaning of your name is bringer of the evening star, correct?” He gave her a nod, “then like your kids, you will change your name to that of its meaning. You are now Evening Star.”
“I accept the name you gave me.”
“Well then, Evening Star, would you like to be my security councilor? I think your history as a previous general will serve you well in protecting Equestria and its citizen from harm.”
“I’ll serve you until the day I die.” The general, now known as Evening Star, gave a final bow as Celestia walked in front of him.
“And Evening, if you ever think of betraying me, or mistreat your kids or…”
“Shall I be cursed for eternity.” Evening Star interrupted. His gaze filled with determination and renewed hope.
“Good, then come with me, I’ll explain your new duties while we prepare for your accommodations.” Satisfied with his answer, Celestia took the lead while Evening Star followed toward his life.
