Chapter I: Discovery

My mother use to tell me a story about how a foal like no other was found in the snow. How it was so different. The two princesses took the little foal in and gave it a home, a name, and an identity but did not know what exactly the foal was. Mom said it was the child of a taboo relationship, something that was not meant to be. She told me how every pony hated her because of what she was. That she shouldn't exist  but I didn't get it. The lights that I would watch dancing in the sky every night before I went to bed was so beautiful. Mom said it came from that foal. She said that no pony was able to copy or mimic the wonderful piece of artwork in the sky. Not even the princesses. I wondered how something so beautiful can come from some pony so hated but than she taught me a lesson I would never forget.

The cold blizzard blew hard on top of the alicorn sisters of new. The silence of the night and the drifting of clouds in the sky was a silent symbol to their despair. Celestia, ruler of Equestria, clothed in golden armor, stared down at her wounded sister as she lied on the white ground breathing heavily. Celestia was lost in thought and words as she tried to make out the events that unfolded only a short time before hand. The last thing she remembered was being in Canterlot enjoying her beautiful day before out of no where two ponies galloped up towards her and stated the bad news that would change everything.

Celestia enjoyed a quiet day at home free of her daily work of being princess with her sister, Luna, being a night pony, enjoying her day resting in bed. It wasn't long before hand, just a few weeks ago, she was introduced to the Crystal Empire's king and his new found apprentice. She and her sister came there after being invited by the king himself to a dinner party and since the king hardly if ever, showed himself in public, even to royalty, it was a chance opportunity. Sombra, the dark and grey colored unicorn pony sat across the table from the two alicorn sisters. He was shy but enjoyed talking about magic and it's arts. Luna on the other hand could care less on what the dark coated colt had to say but Celestia seemed intrigued by the boy's curiosity. Sombra was an orphan who was taken in by the king after realizing his great potential in becoming a great future wizard.

Not only was Celestia and Luna introduced to the king and his apprentice but his newlywed wife as will and the news of their expectant daughter. Little did she thought however, that the joy would be greatly short lived. News of any type traveled quickly through the wind. News of what was happening in the Crystal Empire did not take long to spread to Canterlot and then through Everfree forest where the two royal sisters lived. Two representatives of the king and the royal family managed to escape the savage rampage of a certain pony and give word to the two princesses. Sombra, the shy and simple colt who Celestia and Luna just met, was behind the recent spring and gossip of the news surrounding the Crystal Empire. Sombra, was allowed to read any books present in the Crystal Empire's library but the books on dark magic was strictly forbidden and was hidden away. Sombra, however, believed that he could tame the dark magic and when he found out that there where books present in the library containing such forbidden practices, he jumped onto the opportunity.

Unfortunately, dark magic is nearly, if not, impossible to tame. It is easy to use and requires little knowledge or practice earning it the old nickname of 'Lazy magic' and can do things, such as grant wealth, that no such magic should be allowed to do. But it is because of this reason why it is forbidden. It takes over the user and they become obsessed with it. It is like a lover, a drug, that once hooked, the victim is unable to run away. Sombra attempts at trying to tame this magic only costed him, not just his sanity, but also the life of the ponies present during his time of rampage on the castle.

Celestia and Luna, upon receiving the terrible news of what had happened put their heads down in silent prayer as their eyes filled with tears. Sombra had the entire empire under his controlled by the time news of the slaughter of the royal family reached their ears. They had to plan their attack swiftly and carefully if they so wished to have a chance. In the dead of Luna's night, the full moon held high and armed with the elements of harmony and armor, they made their attack. When victory seemed in reach of the twin sisters it ran away before they were able to catch it. Sombra was short of being a fool and hardly, if ever doubted his enemies. Alicorns at that. Before the two sisters arrived to face them, knowing that they would come, he casted an unknown spell on the entirety of the empire. As the waged on, in a blink of an eye, it was gone. Sombra, the ponies, the empire, it was gone.

Only the echoed, wicked laughter of Sombra in the cold wind was all that remained as it took away their last bit of hope. The king was dead, the queen and her newborn daughter no where to be found, and all the ponies were gone. To where, only the suspect knew.

Celestia stared at her injured sister who had an open gash on her right hind leg that was clearly infected with dark magic. They could not stay out here forever. Soon, it would be time for the sun to rise and the bad news will have to be delivered to the public. Celestia nudged her sister to stand but all she got in return was a hefty groan of pain.

"Luna? Please sister, I know that you are hurt but please she try to at least get up." Celestia said trying to encourage her sister to stand. "Wh-what did we do wrong? What did we do wrong!?" Luna repeated in unbelief. "Luna, we did all that we could."

"If we did all that we could than we should have won!" Celestia peeled her eyes at her sister's pained  voice. "Luna, all fights, all battles, all wars, will not end in complete victory."

Luna gritted her teeth and tried to stand on her legs. "Luna, please be care-"

"Leave me be! I am able to handle my own being!" Luna managed to stand on her four legs before finally giving up in strength and collapsing in the snow. Celestia gently nudged at her sister again. "Luna, the crystal empire may be gone but there are many others who need our guidance. Let's focus on them right now."

Luna looked up at her sister, still trying to get up, from the corner of her eye. "You mean to just forget about them? Forget about all the innocents that suffered at the hands of the that tyrant?"

"We cannot stumble constantly on the stone of the crystal empire being gone. Sombra's last words was that of a promise to return. I am just as pained at the lost as you are." Celestia gently rubbed her sisters head in a sign of affection and reassurance. "But we must continue on with running the kingdom. We cannot let our emotions get in the way of running our land but most of all there are ponies who need us and we need them. Come, let us go. It will soon be time for daylight." Celestia helped he sister to stand and keep her balance. Celestia lifted her left wing over her sister. "Let us go, we need to go back to the castle. Staying out here will not be good for your health." Celestia leaped into the air and her sister did the same. They will fly home and nothing will prepare themselves for the announcement they will eventually have to make . Under the cool rays of Luna's moon and the bottom cover of white stillness they made their way home with Celestia hoping that the day can wait.

As Celestia and Luna flew through the dark cover of night Luna's thoughts were filled with anger and rage still ever pondering why they didn't win the fight. Celestia simply tried not to think about the events as they were too painful but anger did burn at her heart. She too wanted to make Sombra pay for what he had done but another side of her wanted to forgive and feel pity for the young colt. Celestia looked up to her sisters moon and wished it could be night forever but life needs the sun and sadly that is a wish that won't happen with certainty. As they flew, Celestia eyes glanced over to an odd sight from the bottom of her eye.

She looked down to see what seemed like scattered bark of something. Perhaps a household? Celestia wasn't sure but she wanted to know as something told her to check it out. "Luna, come here for a sec."

"What is it sister?"

"Follow me."

Celestia led her sister down to where the sight of her curiosity was. Celestia walked up towards the wood and stepped back upon realization of what it was. "Luna, these are timberwolves."

"Timberwolves!? Here? In the north?"

"Timberwolves are present anywhere there are woods or forests. The pine forests of the Crystal Empire does not excuse that. Though I must say they are rare."

Luna stepped closer to the timber wolves and noticed how some of them where greatly torn and battered as if a wild beast were hunting them down. One was frozen solid. It was cold enough for a pony to feel the shivers but not enough that a pony, let alone a timber wolf, one without flesh, to simply freeze. Luna noticed how another was crushed from the side and how the last one, the one Celestia was looking at, seemed to have been crushed to death too but it was present through out what was seemingly, still it's body. "Sister." Luna spoke. "It would seem that they have met a violent death."

"It does appear that way but the one over there, a few feet from us, is frozen solid. Is a pony behind this?"

"Now that is a good question to ask. It's cold but not cold enough for that to happen. It's literally frozen in a block of ice."

"Perhaps a pony did do this Luna."

"I don't know sister. The wounds seem quite fresh not to mention there are blood stains present on them that too are quite fresh."

"One of the representatives that came to deliver us the news was a unicorn. Perhaps they were attacked on the way here?" Celestia asked.

"They were covered in scars..." Celestia stared back at the timber wolves remains before looking back to Luna. "How odd...come Luna, let's go."

As Celestia and Luna continued their flight,  Luna felt a surge of pain go through her leg. She immediately flinched and let out a pained sound. She fell to the ground.  "Luna!" Celestia shouted. Celestia flew down towards her sister and swooped her back underneath her sister's stomach to catch her.  "Luna, are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine. Thank you."

"Let's sit you down somewhere." They were a fair distance from where the Crystal Empire once stood and were only about an hour or two from home. Celestia glanced over the land and saw a small, lowland hill present with a cave. She'll stop there and let Luna rest up before continuing home. Celestia, with Luna on her back, flew down in front of the cave and walked her and her sister inside away from the frigid blizzard. It had calm down some but was still aggressive enough to make a pony lose their way. "Rest up here for a bit sister. We will continue once your pain has passed."

Luna limped toward's her resting spot but noticed a rounded figure in the distance. She limped towards it using the magic of her horn to light up the cave. It was a pony and it was curled up around something. Luna called her sister over who horn was glowing as well to light up the dark cave. It was a mare who had to be just slightly smaller than Celestia herself but bigger in size and weight. The figure she was curled around over was a small foal who had to be a newborn. Closer inspection revealed that it was a female.   The mare, presumably it's mother, was badly injured and no life seemed to be present. Bite marks and large gashes were present on the mare's body. Luna, upon realizing the marks could not help but think about what they saw an hour back with their encounter with the mutilated timber wolves.

"Celestia, do you think the timber wolves we saw a while back-"

"Are behind this?" Celestia finished.

"Yes."

"There is a possibility but then we still have the frozen timber wolf to answer too which doesn't rule out the possibility that one of the representatives of the Crystal Empire that came to see us wasn't attack either."

"I guess you do have a point. The foal seems to only have been just born." Luna and Celestia closer inspected the foal and the mare. The foal was white coated and it's fur was way thicker than an average pony. It seemed even thicker than the ponies who were accustomed to the extreme snowy weather of the north so long ago. It's mane was long and silky and was a beautiful deep ocean blue in color that reached down beyond it's back. Celestia could have sworn it glittered whenever she blinked. One thing that could not have been unnoticed was the fact that the foal lacked a tail. While this was abnormal in foals and ponies alike it was a common abnormality that was present enough to not come at a surprise.

The mother, on the other hand, was what caught the princesses interest. The mother was a single color all around. A ghostly blue with a mane that constantly flowed like the wind or as if she was underneath water. Strange markings were present above her eyes and when Luna opened an eye up carefully they were as white as the snow.

"Sister, I don't think this is your typical pony."

"I'm with you on that note."

"What type of pony is she? Is she one at all? I see that she has no wings or horn."

"I can't say for sure. She reminds me of the ponies of ancient times but there are not much information I know on them. The mother, whatever she may be, earth pony or not, does not seem to hold any sign of life I am afraid. The foal, however, is breathing and has a horn. The mother probably died of her wounds."

The foal slept soundly in it's mother's fur. It was not injured but dirtied with the blood stains of it's owner.

"So the foal is a unicorn? What do we do sister? Do we leave it here knowing naught of what may happen?

"Too leave our kind, nonetheless a foal, is far below a princess. Does a princess not do what's right even in times of not knowing the situation?"

"Sister, we now naught of the foal or the mother. Ar-Are you sure?"

Celestia looked to her sister and gave her a gentle smile of reassurance. "I am very sure, Luna." When Luna was finally able to regain her strength, Celestia went over to the foal and levitated it onto her back gently as to not wake it up. Luna and Celestia continued their flight back to Canterlot. One could not help but wonder if the reason Celestia and Luna saved the foal and spared it of it's fate was to ease themselves of their suffering and pain. To make up for the loss of the empire, the king and so on. Whatever it was now was simple. To return home safely and move on. Little did the princesses know that as they were departing, wooden wolves looked at them with eyes keened on the pure white foal lying on Celestia's back.

Celestia and Luna made their way back to the castle safe and soundly. Sneaking into the top tower's window as too not disturb any pony. Luna checked the foal on Celestia's back and with relief, the foal was still asleep and breathing softly. Celestia departed for her bedchambers and Luna did the same but this time with the foal. Celestia entered her room and removed the battle armored from herself. Her bedchamber clearly reflected her very theme as princess of the day. The ceiling was decorated with clouds and doves, the carpet was shades of a reddish orange color, and her canopy bed was decorated with a blanket littered with embellished sun's with the curtains of the bed clamped together with sun shaped clips. After removing her armor, Celestia sat in front of her white vanity and levitated a brush over to her and begun to brush her hair.

Not to far from her a certain bird let out a huff of fire from it's beak. Celestia glanced over to the golden cage. "Why hello Philomena." Celestia said with a smile. "Missed me?" The bird only jerked it's head to the left in disapproval. Celestia trotted over to where Philomena was and opened the cage. Philomena flew out and landed on top of Celestia's vanity. Celestia walked back and continued brushing her ever flowing mane and looked at the clock on her wall. It was 3:00 am and was only a few more hours left before the sun had to rise. Celestia sat down her brush and galloped over to her bed where she flopped down onto. She lit the fireplace using her magic and burned the other candles out. She would have went to check on Luna but long tired she drifted off to sleep. Knowing that the day that comes will be soon.

Luna was long from tired and walking on her injured leg just wasn't an option. Luna had walked to the maid keeper's office where the linens of the castle was kept and took some blankets to set them aside for the foal that she and Celestia had found. When she made it back to her bedchambers, she sat down the blankets and made a comfy bed on the floor for the foal who was lying on the bed still asleep. Luna levitated the foal over to the make shift bed and got upon her own. Luna's bedchamber was no different form Celestia's but had much more detail. The ceiling was decorated with all phases of the moon and constellations throughout the seasons.

The carpet was printed with bats and a silver outline to coat the rug. Her bed too was a canopy and the blanket was embellished with moon's and the curtains of the bed clamped shut with star shaped clips. Truly fitting for the princess of the night. Luna glanced over to the foal and could not help but be mesmerized by the strange foal. Her pure white coat reminded her of her sister's and it wasn't everyday that you saw a foal born without a tail. Luna was a nocturnal pony and her entire pattern of sleeping during day and waking during the night would be put out of order but it could not be helped. Tomorrow was going to be rough with the deliverance of the bad news.