The mare in the moon... Known as a "pony-tale" about the battle of the two sisters. About how the sun princess, ruled a new era of her brightest kingdom, taking responsibility over sun and moon. A thousand years has passed since then ... As i share this story about those days, breaking my promise of silence ... not as a character, but as an observer.
It all starts as everyone knew how the story would finish: A prison for one, a burden for other. The Princess of the Sun land hooves on the ground along with six glowing stones. Both slowly consumed by the darkness of that sky.
The silence of the nighted day, only stopped by the wind which fluttered the leaves of trees. A full moon showing its new splendor... quiet... immobile... yet a still living... millennial prison.
A whispered sniff could be heard followed by two small snap on the ground. Her face starring at the moon with eyes soaked in tears. Asking herself repeatedly ... “why ?” along with the sister's name. Wondering what could possibly have been the cause of such lunacy, while falling to her own knees... crying.
Once more, she stood up... lines of tears flowing across her face and no smile but a serious expression can be seen, judging by the trembling corners of her lips and then... I swear I’ve never heard such a thunderous scream. Suddenly, A powerful sphere force which debased the short grass below the hooves. Neither I’ve ever seen a pack of timber-wolves fleeing so fast.
She sighed... The horn started to gleam a whitish shade, adorning each of the six stones. Gently gathering them and after a last look at the moon, she walks back into the castle. Passing through the stone entry arch, shuffling her own steps, reeling to the castle library.
Once at the library and lifting her head a little. Entering with eyes closed, as if she knew all the place by heart, walking to a long wooden table with two chairs on each end. Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t notice as her tilted one of the chairs, revealing a secret entrance behind the bookshelves. Inside was a personal chamber, telling by the high comfort pillows and royal adornments.
The Sun Princess magically placed each stone at a time in her personal saddlebag. I could tell that by the yellow and white tones with a star and some purple adornments in the clasp. If you're wondering why this is important, it’s because the way she sadly stared at a blue saddlebag with white and purple moons and a diamond clasp next to her own.
Taking course to the exit, I noticed how her footsteps changed. No longer muddling, but precisely avoiding some steps: "probably booby traps" - sounded in my mind while we move forward. Makes me wonder why the princesses dwell alone in that place. I simply can't tell.
Stepping outside the castle, I followed her straight towards a cliff, located in front of the stronghold. While approaching the declivity, she closed her eyes and her horn gleamed again. The ground was slightly shaking and increasingly wide rectangles were being formed over it: one after another, until the end of the abyss. After gently laying the hoof on the first step, keeping her gracious and elegant stance, the Princess began her descent over the newly formed stairs.
At the bottom, a great cave could be seen inside the cliff's own rock formation. A timid glare emerged from the depths of the den. Inside there was some small, slightly rounded, rocky protuberances, plants and flowers adorned the grotto sides. Deeper in the center, stood a great shining tree. its crystal form in all of its existence resembled a star, for the way the branches extended almost to the ceiling. This branches were holding small vines which hanged even more round crystals. The tree's long trunk had a sun and, right below it, a crescent moon inscribed. Its roots could be clearly seen, wrapped by some small rocks.
Then, the Princess approached the divine tree, collecting the stones from her saddlebag and returning them to the branches in specific places. She bowed before the tree and, while sitting on the ground, she said:
“Great tree of harmony. I’m thankful f’r all protection thou hast offer'd to us but... this time ... the cost hath been too high ... even f'r me. ” - she spoke while placing one hoof on the chest.
“Please betoken me what I shouldst doth. bewray me how to reverse this...
not wish to be alone... not again...
I just want mine little sister back. ”
Before I could even think of easing her torment and tell that she wasn't alone, a great light shone from the tree. The same stones were revealed, floating in the air, but this time involved in transparent orbs like glass. Each one, with their respective colors, landed in front the Princess. Thus, she opened her eyes and sees all spheres together, while small silhouettes emerged from them.
The first almost brought a tear to her eyes: the green stone revealed the silhouette of a pony holding a filly which had a missing spot in the shape of a throbbing heart. The red sphere showed the form of a smiling pony, surrounded by other constantly appearing smiling faces. The orange one presented a sitting pony offering a coin to another skinny one, which was shuddering retracted. The yellow was displaying a pony, with an imposing military stance, carrying another in its back. The blue stone revealed a pony, apparently with eyes closed, with a hole in the shape of a diamond on its throat. The purple one was holding the Princess attention: it was the silhouette of a pulsating sphere, but the shape within it resembled a pony in fetal position.
She nodded in agreement, saying: "I understand". After she reverenced in appreciation ... a crack sound ... resonated from the stones location. The Princess watched, startled, while rock layers were forming in place of the transparent spheres, until they became opaque ... gray ... then solid and lifeless. Taken by silence, she returned the stones to her saddlebag, which swelled with the new heavier load.
Back to the formed stairway. Several questions about what happened resounded in my head, but what really bothered me was seeing her walking one hoof at time, with entrained hoofsteps due to excessive weight in the baggage.
- her efforts seemed unending on that nighted day.
Crossing by the castle halls, the sound of her steps echoed through the walls of the empty corridors. Reaching the throne room, a great stone pedestal, resembling a giant planetarium model, stood on the center of the hall. After catching her breath, the Princess began to unload the stones from the saddlebag and place them in their respective places. I could notice that she chose the stone that took her attention to be the last one out. She magically inserted it in a spherical structure in the center.
Everything seemed done. Her body suddenly staggered, with trembling legs and eyes half closed - apparently reaching her exhaustion limit. I risked asking her if she shouldn't rest... Puckering her eyes and with a slight head shake yet without an answer. - Of course... there was still work to be done. She brought her hoof in front of her mouth, giving a slight and pleasant yawn.
Walking through the castle and climbing some tower stairways, we arrived, apparently, in her royal chambers. A wonderful single canopy bed with simple ornaments and long legs supporting the cover in exquisite fabric - a room appropriate for royalty, indeed. Then, a crimson flying creature, with orange feathers in its ends, approached swooping. Her highness raised one front knee which, in turn, served as a landing spot for her gorgeous pet. The Princess saluted the majestic bird, tenderly caressing its face with her own for some moments:
“It’s good to see you too Philomena. ”
“This castle proves to be unsafe f'r us. We will move to Canterlot at once. ”- the Princess said, while laying the pet at the border of the soft bed.
She began to gather some scrolls, taken from a drawer in a nightstand, some supplies from another and store them in the saddlebag. While I was contemplating the bird tilting its head, with a visage of doubt, some whistles sounded from the beak, immobilizing the actions of its owner for instants.
“it’s just... necessary” – she answered in a weary tone and returned to her accoutrements.
The bird, now in silence, seems to no longer question her master decisions, raising flight through the window, while the Princess left from the entrance door.
once again, galloping back to the exit of the castle. I was waiting for the princess opt by the teleport, so I noticed her horn billiards intensely in accumulation of great magic. however... a sudden stop while getting to the outside. she looked at the sky like rethinking what she'll do. Then taking a deep breath, opened her graceful wings in sudden and leaping high into a single flapping. in a few moments she was side by side with her pet, in way to their new home.
Canterlot ... home of the unicorns and a safe place for earth-ponys. – presuming a whole nighted day has passed since then. Screams of panic could be heard by distance, coming from a huge village surrounding the castle walls. As I approached the city, I could see those yelling earth ponies, galloping from one side to the other frightened by the sudden dark sky. Guards shook heads in amazement without answers for everything that was happening. i was getting close to them when ...
“ HALT ! Who goes there?! ” - two guards pointed their spears to my direction. drawing attention from the others ones.
I looked backwards to come across a creature that emerged from the top of a hill, shrouded by shadows due to the brightness of the moon on the background. its eyes was glowed intensely and Suddenly opening a par of big wings. Making the guards shaking their legs and the others ponies crouch on the ground in fear. Then the creature starts flapping wings and flying just a bit above the ground. A strong glare appeared on the horizon, blinding everyone for a brief moment, adorning the creature with the light and revealing the sun princess that was hidden by the shadows.
The sun showed up once more from behind the moon. Smiles, relief and joy at that moment when the princess rises the sun. I’ve never saw the beauty by my own eyes before, still I knew what would happen next. As the princesses moved the sunrise, showing not being a treat , then she closed her eyes thinking “it is done” ... falling ... landing by her side and sliding downhill. Everpony spooked by that, ran to her aid in which she loses the luster of her horn and falling ... into deep sleep.
The attention of the moment was no longer related to the beautiful and bright sunrise, but for the tiara rolling down the hill next to the fallen princess. When the first guard approaches placing ears close to her, then facing back to the others afterwards:
“ She still breathing !! ” - yelled, while more guards were arriving next to them , surrounding both.
The atmosphere at that moment became tense with the worried villagers gathering around the shocking scene. Question after question, curious about the situation and all that was happened on that awkward day. A higher ranked guard arrived. - I assumed, judging by his different colored armor – and gave his orders:
“Control the villagers ! D-5, C-8 ! MOVE, MOVE !“
Five pegasi guards equipped with half-metal plates like shields cut in half, tufted with an old pegasus symbol on their respective wings, swooped down. They stand between crowd and princess, taking in to a V formation, putting their half-wing-shield in front of their own faces. A cowcatcher-wall has been formed and startled some of the nearest subjects. Meanwhile, eight other ponies carrying a bunch of clouds under their wings, arrived and placed them beneath the Sun Princess till she smoothly started to float. All guards began to trot forward, muttering “ONE, TWO” rhythmically, making their own path between the villagers without touching them.
The guards surrounding the stretcher-cloud couldn’t hide the fact that it contained the Sun Princess asleep. Even them were frightened of what happened and were looking at each other, asking wordless questions about it. I was following the convoy in its way to the castle when a soft voice retained my attention saying:
“it’s princess Luna there ? Is she with them ?”
I turned back to see a light cyan Pegasus in the middle of the earth-ponies crowd. I stopped for a moment to observe her, since she was kind of familiar to me. Her white mane was long with blue stripes and curly ends. She was sadly looking far away to the horizon but I knew somehow, that she was looking to the guards direction and even beyond... worried. When I realized that I was lagging behind, I turned to follow the route to the princess but couldn't stop thinking of "who was she ?"
The princess was taken to some kind of improvised military camp.Strange ... The place was situated in the outskirts of the castle wall, containing several grouped tents and a row of guards surrounding all like a living wall. I walked around , looking for where they lead the Princess … till I came across a tent with a red-cross symbol. I took a peek inside but no luck : nothing but empty stretchers … Not a single soul in sight. After a few steps back from there, a few ponies pass near me in a hurry, all using nurse vail caps. I followed them up to the correct location where other ponies leave from the inside the tent talking to each other.
“she is only in deep sleep. let thy highness rest till she gather strength again.” -said the great sister to the others that recently arrived. After that she and some guards come out from inside the tent.
I took the liberty of entering the tent inhabited only by the Sun Princess. As expected, she was lying under the sheet upon the clouds that kept her floating like a comfortable bed. The interior accommodated various, hastily arranged, objects: medical kits, folded blankets and several types of supplies, such as fruits placed in baskets. I walked next to her, watching her slowly breathing. For a few seconds, I didn't notice her expression changing, painfully twisting. Squinting and struggling under the sheet, engaged with something in a dream. I started to get worried and... got even closer. Seeing her horn glowing during sleep, I foolishly touched it and... a strong light surrounded me, which made me shut my eyelids... I could hear sounds of blades clashing each other, a wind whispering into my ears and rumble noises all around. I carefully opened my eyes, afraid of what I might see. I came across with a griffon staring at me while his claws were holding a blade in front of me – “No doubt that I am witnessing the same as the Princess's eyes are...”. My heart shuddered in despair as well, like we were sharing the same feeling of unrest determination. From behind that... beyond that battlefield… a shadow quickly approached, surrounding everything and leaving nothing but a pitch black.
The Sun Princess roughly woke up, rising, yet sitting on the cloud and knock me down on the floor … panting and scared. She rubbed her eyes a little and recovered herself from the shock. While I lifted from my fall, a brief sound of something falling catch our attention. A little earth-pony wearing a nurse cap tried to sneak from the entry, trying to take some fruits from the baskets. It didn't take long until she realized that the Princess of the Sun was awake and staring at her, so she quickly turned around, facing the Princess. Hiding what she took on her back, clearly expressing a surprised face:
"Your Highness ! T-t-thou art awake.” - said the little pony, with trembling lips. Taking a deep breath to recover herself. The Princess answered:
“Thou aren’t a true nurse, art thou?” - speaking while rubbing her eyes a bit more and giving a pleasant yawn.
“ W-w-why doest thou say that?”
The Sun princess then smile, tilting her head slightly and said :
“Thy cap is inside out.”
That little pony open her moth in shock, dropping all the fruit she was holding and immediately she bowed from where she was standing. The Sun Princess rose from it and took a few steps towards the earthpony, which was muttering some regrets with a weeping voice. The little one's cap was taken by your Highness's hoof. Flipping it to the correct side and putting it back on the pony's head, she said:
“Arise, my little pony. Thou committened me no harm.”
The Princess placed one of her own hoofs on the top of the pony's head to no answer... only a trembling subject, with sealed eyes, in fear. Next, she took a pomegranate from the floor and placed in front of the pony's face, hoping to relieve the feelings of that pony.
"Takest it. It's yours."
Once taking confidence to open her eyes again, the earth-pony watched that pomegranate hold by a royal hoof, made a wide smile appear to her own face. Grabbing that fruit as fast she could, carefully embracing it next to her face and brushing against her own cheek.
"Aaawwww thank thee! Thank thee, merciful Princess! Thank thee so much, divine Celestia."
A tender smile along with a look of sorrow were formed on the expression of the Sun Princess.
"What is the title of thy personage, little one ?" - The Princess asked.
"Is Bright Canvas, mine liege." - Responded after getting up and rubbing her eyes, wiping some of the tears.
While the earthpony was recovering from the shock for a moment, the Sun Princess's countenance turned into worry. Like me, we probably asked ourselves the same thing - "what could be happening to this place to bring such fear in the outskirts of Canterlot? "
"Forgiveth me but I must be going"
The Sun Princess suddenly changed her stance, showing determination in her eyes, and walked towards the way out. Once outside, she strongly opened her majestic wings, making a loud snap with the wind, oscillating the air around and getting the attention of all near ponies. One by one, ponies and guards stood on their knees in instants
Walking through the path, made by bowed subjects, the Sun Princess kept her steps right back to a regal posture on the way to the Castle gate. I stood at the tent's entrance, watching the whole event, when suddenly Bright Canvas passed through me in a hurry, carrying all the fruit she could while taking advantage of the distraction from the others. Going along with this suggestion, I started to follow the Princess.
Once the entrance gate wasn't far from us, I hastened on my way ahead, leaving the camp and approaching the crowd of villagers. The sight became a pleasant one: watching all those ponies bowing for every inch that I approached to them, giving me the impression of being a gesture of respect directed to myself. Reaching the gates before the Princess herself, I noticed two guards arguing in whispers.
“What shoulde we doe now? The Prince said no one was allowed to pass the great gate”
An answer came in a hurry. “Thou really wantest to holdback the royalty it self ?!” (avatar or in person)
As the princess approached the gates, the grid lifted gradually and both guards were frozen static. while crossing, she stops for a moment speaking in a low tone.
“Doe not hold thy breath, you two. It may cause headaches.”
then she steps forward toward the castle.
Both guards looked each other after the royal reproof and then closing the grid once more. Walking a few more steps before relaxing a little from the royal stance, the Sun Princess slowed for each time her steps forward through the beautiful white paving of worked stones. Looking around from the inside the walls … empty … not a single life from all the mansions that someday could have been residence for some unicorn. Suddenly, she stop walking, staring perplexed to the fountain ahead. It was actually a pretty fountain with a few small ponies lifting jars that expelled water to the center in which was a pedestal with a standing a statue of a creature with a long body but with part of other source of animals as their own limbs…“the draconequus.” I thought to myself, while the Princess slowly approaches the fountain.
“Discord..." she stops, staring at the statue. " i'm doeth not knoweth how you ended up thither. It seems that the Prince Blazing Shield hast some explanation to doeth". Seconds later, she slowly closes her eyes, nodding off a bit, however quickly recovering in surprise." I must hurry"
Walking again in direction to the castle. I followed the sun princess, from a distance this time, looking worried about the change in her behavior. Her steps was dragged and weary most certain for not having a healthy sleep for probable two days straight.( for quite some time)
When reaching the front entrance of the castle, I look up to see the magnitude of that fortification made with old gray stones. Awaiting the Princess climbing a few steps to the front door. She took a deep breath and went back to her royal posture. Opening hastily both of the doors, she was faced of what could be possible all unicorns in Equestria. Every single one standing in the little space they had in the entrance hall, astonish by the outrageous entrance from your majesty. As expected they all bowed after short spook was passed, trying to squeeze as much as they could, making a path for the sun princess to get trough. The velvety red carpet appearing free to pass by it. through the long corridor, I could realize the big difference of fine worked garb from each unicorn, at least most of them, also notice the sudden change among citizens in to guards who also filled further rooms along the corridor, in a more organized and uniformed way.
One door in particular tied my attention because I was heavily guarded by several armored guards in front. "this should be the throne room" I thought while the princess approached in the same rhythm as before.
...