Mama Luna
Chapter 1
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Twilight bounced around her castle’s main room, giggling like a school filly.
“Twilight, would you take it easy?” Spike chuckled, rolling his eyes as he watched his adoptive mother zipping around the room, reminding him alarmingly of Pinkie Pie. “It’s not like this’s the first time the princesses have come for a visit.”
“But it is the first time their just visiting, Spike,” the Alicorn said, stopping and turning to him with a wide smile. “The last, and first time they visited was right after the castle first grew after we defeated Tirek and that was more of a party than anything else.”
“Hey! What’s wrong with a party?”
“Gah!” both cried, startled by the pink party pony who’d suddenly popped out of the nearest flowerpot.
“Pinkie?” Twilight asked, her eyebrow raised, whilst Spike was struggling not to have a heart attack. “Well, nothing. I was just saying it’s nice to have the princesses over for a friendly visit. Just a nice get together.”
Pinkie’s frown disappeared, replaced with her usually bubbly smile. “Oki doki loki.”
She dropped back into the flowerpot, replacing the daisies on top.
Twilight glanced at Spike, who’d managed to calm down. They shrugged, turning back to the door—
“Oh, yeah! Can’t forget these!”
“GAH!” Twilight leaped into the air, while Spike dropped to the ground, unconscious. “Pinkie!”
Said pink pony was putting down a saddlebag in front of the pot, her grin never fading. “My ears got itchy, before my tail went all floppy and my eyes crossed.”
Before Twilight could question what that combo of the Pinkie Sense meant, the always unusual pony dropped back into the flowerpot.
Twilight went over and lifted the dirt from within with her magic. Nothing... yet that did not calm her.
Sighing, she replaced the soil and plants, before going over to Spike and shaking her head. Despite how long they’d known the party pony, it seemed sometimes Spike just wasn’t prepared for her sudden arrivals. Not that she was one to talk, blushing as she looked at the hoof-shaped dents in the ceiling where she’d leaped to.
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Spike awoke a little before the princesses arrived, the three Alicorns greeting each other with a formal bow, before giggling.
“I must admit,” Luna said as she and Celestia walked inside, “I am a bit curious about your castle, Twilight Sparkle. I hear you moved all the books from our old one to hear?”
Twilight nodded, her cheeks reddening a little. “Well, while your castle has protected them for over a thousand years, I didn’t think it right, leaving all that knowledge out there in the forest. This way, ponies can come and read them whenever they wish.”
Celestia nodded. “Very good. Now, I was wondering if—?”
“Hi, Twilight!”
The Alicorns and dragon turned to see three fillies bounding in the still open front door, followed by a mulberry coloured mare wearing a sheepish and apologetic smile.
“Hello, Twilight,” she said, before her eyes widened at the sight of the other princesses and bowed. “Your Highnesses.”
Luna shook her head whilst Celestia gave a light chuckle. “There is no need for such formalities, dear Cheerilee. We are merely visiting a friend. All pretenses of princesshood do not apply during our time here.”
Cheerilee stood up, her sheepish grin still in place. “O-of course, Prin— I mean, Luna.”
Twilight chuckled. “So, Cheerille, what can I help you and the girls with?” she asked, knowing the Crusaders were involved in this.
The Earth Pony’s smile became normal. “Well, the girls are doing a group project for school, in which I am helping them. They were wondering if they could look through your library and find a subjected they’d like to do”
Twilight’s smile warmed. “Of course. The library’s open to everypony. Feel free to search as long as you like.”
She nodded her thanks, then went after the three excitable fillies to make sure they didn’t cause any damage to the castle on their way to the library, Spike hurrying after her, saying he’d help Cheerilee keep them in check.
Twilight looked to the princesses and smiled. “Well, shall we?”
They nodded and followed her to Twilight’s personal study... which was basically her bedroom. One thing you couldn’t say about Twilight was she couldn’t find a way to make a room multi-functional.
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“Tia!” Luna whined as Celestia told a very embarrassing tale from when they were fillies.
“Oh, the look on her face,” the white Alicorn chuckled, Twilight giggling along with her. “It was too priceless. Oh, if only cameras had been invented at the time. It was too cute and expression.”
“If I had been the older sister I could be the one embarrassing you with such tales,” Luna grumbled.
“Foals are always cute,” Twilight agreed with the white Alicorn, levitating her cup to her lips to enjoy the rose-jasmine blend she had prepared especially for this meeting.
As she her lips touched the rim, however, Twilight noticed a look flashing across Luna’s expression. It was mournful one; similar to what she’d seen the dark Alicorn wearing right after her freeing from Nightmare Moon, during her first Nightmare Night and recently during the incident with the Tantabus and how Luna had still been blaming herself.
Yet, there was something different about this expression. Something she couldn’t place, yet that put it in a different category than the other times.
Lowering her teacup, she looked to the Princess of the Night. “Luna?”
The Alicorn started, looking up, her face turning into a clearly forced small smile. “Yes, Twilight Sparkle?”
Twilight’s brows narrowed into a slight frown, though her face showed only concern. “Is something wrong?”
Luna closed her eyes, before opening them again. “No, Twilight Sparkle. There is nothing wrong. We were just... thinking.”
Okay, something was definitely wrong. Luna only slipped into the royal “We” nowadays when something was plaguing her mind, something hurtful.
“Luna?” Celestia turned to her little sister, worry appearing in her eyes.
“Luna, you can be open with us,” Twilight ushered, leaning out a hoof to take the other’s. “We want to help.”
“There is nothing to be helped,” Luna said, a bit sharply, causing Twilight to recoil a little. Luna stood, looking around. “Where might I find the lavatory?”
“Uh, second room to the right?” Twilight hesitated.
Luna nodded, then walked out.
As soon as she was certain the Alicorn was out of earshot, she turned to Celestia . “Princess, what was that all about?”
“I... think I know,” Celestia sighed, her eyes downcast.
Twilight sat back. “Well?”
Celestia sighed again, before looking to the younger Alicorn. “Twilight, have you never wondered why neither Luna, nor myself have any descendants?”
Twilight was about to answer, but paused, going over the question. Now that she thought about it, never in any of her studies had she come across any documents suggesting a child had been conceived by either the Day or Night princesses. They only had nieces (of which she now was one, since becoming an Alicorn) and nephews, some of whom she’d met and honestly wished she never would again, knowing full-well another meeting was inevitable.
“I... no, princess,” she said slowly, surprised by her answer herself. “I... did you ever have children, you or Luna?”
Celestia closed her eyes, a sadness passing over her. “Yes. However, that was a long, long time ago, when we weren’t Alicorns, nor were we princesses.” She looked to Twilight, nostalgia in her eyes. “I only ever had the one child, myself. Robin. He was a darling little colt, but too nervous for his own good, much like your friend, Fluttershy.”
Twilight had a sudden image of a butter-yellow stallion with Fluttershy Cutie Mark hiding behind Celestia as mares came towards him and blushed, while giggling at the image her mind had conjured up.
Celestia expression saddened again. “Sadly, during the Windigos’ winter, he passed away. The cold became too much for him. I was with him in his last moments.”
Twilight stood and moved over to her teacher and leaned against her, nuzzling her neck. “I’m sorry, princess.”
Celestia shook her head. “Don’t be, Twilight. We had many happy times together. While I would love to hold him again, I would not change a moment of our past.”
“And... Luna?” Twilight asked, hesitantly.
Celestia expression saddened once more as she looked down. “Luna... was both more fortunate and worse off than I when it came to her offspring. He daughter, Moonshine, barely survived the Windigos and, after Luna and I became Alicorns and took rule, Moonshine felt immense pressure as a princess’s child. She died of a tumour caused by stress twelve years after we took rule.”
Celestia paused for a long time, during which Twilight continued to comfort the older Alicorn.
When Celestia continued, Twilight could just pick out a sob hidden within. “Luna took Moonshine’s passing far worse than I did Robin’s. She shied away for many months, only coming out of her room to raise and lower the moon and to have meals.
Eventually, she got over Moonshine’s death and tried to move on. She found a very sweet Theastral pony named Shadow. The two courted for a while, before Luna gave birth to the first Alicorn Theastral.”
Twilight’s head shot up, her eyes wide. “An Alicorn Theastral? How...? How come I’ve never heard of them til now?”
Celestia smile sagged once again as she looked down. “This was during the time when Griffins and ponies were at great odds, Twilight. Shadow went off to fight in the war. He died in battle. Night Wind, as Luna named her daughter, suffered at the claws of an assassin sent by the current Griffin lord, meant to take out Luna. When he found Night Wind asleep in her bassinette...”
Twilight shivered, her face going slightly green.
Celestia nodded. “One of the reasons the griffins do not fight us is they saw what Luna was capable of that night. I still have nightmares about it, myself.”
Twilight gulped. “And... after Night Wind...?”
Celestia shook her head. “Not too long after, King Grover found the Eye of Borius and took rule of the land, making peace as best he could with Equestria.”
Twilight looked down. “I feel a “but” coming.”
Celestia nodded. “But, despite his best efforts, there were still griffins who did not wish to live peacefully with Equestria. And, to make things more complicated, Luna held deep loathing towards the entire griffins race for the death of her child.”
Twilight nodded. She could understand Luna’s feelings on the matter. If somepony had done that to Spike, she reasoned she’d have felt the same way.
Celestia gave a slight smile. “That changed, however, when she met Lilicon.”
Twilight blinked, frowning. “Who?”
Celestia chuckled. “He was Grovers youngest cousin. When he came to Canterlot to speak with Luna and myself, he was blown away by Luna’s very being. As you can imagine, though, Luna didn’t feel the same way.”
“I wouldn’t either,” the lavender Alicorn agreed.
Celestia gave a sly smile. “Not at first, anyway. He was very persistent, constantly trying to win her affections with every method he could, both griffin and pony.”
Twilight giggled, thinking about Spike always trying to get Rarity’s attention. She guessed Lilicon had been a very similar way.
Celestia closed her eyes, looking content. “It took a long while, but, after seeing him selflessly defend a group of fillies from a rogue griffin who’d foalnapped them, becoming injured in the process, but buying enough item for the guards to arrive, Luna gave him a chance.”
Twilight gave a warm smile. “Did it work out between them?”
Celestia’s smile became both sad and happy at once. “Yes. Their first child looked like Luna, had she been born a griffin. They named him Night Shadow, in honour of her first love and her second child.”
Twilight sighed. “I feel another “but” coming along.”
Celestia nodded. “When troubles arose in Griffinstone, Lilicon went ot go aid his brother’s son, Grover having been killed by assasins in his sleep. At the time, Luna was pregnant with their second child...”
Tears welled in the sun goddess’ eyes as she looked away.
Twilight’s heart tensed, not sure if she wanted to hear what happened next, but unable to tell Celestia to stop, either.
“Despite my warnings, Luna went to Griffinstone. She was due in just two months, yet she refused to leave Lilicon on his own. Night Shadow stayed behind with me, worrying for his mother and father.” Celestia sobbed, her voice choking. “Lilicon was killed defending the Grove’s son and, if trying to save him, Luna was injured as well. She survived, obviously, but... her child...”
Twilight wrapped a wing around what she could of the larger Alicorn as tears ran down her own face.
“She didn’t make it. She died within Luna’s womb and... Luna became incapable of having children ever again.”
Twilight eyes’ widened in both horror and confusion. “But, couldn’t the doctor’s have healed her?”
Celestia shook her head. “Medical magic and science were too newborn at the time. And, by the time medicine was advanced enough, Luna was on the moon. And, no, Twilight, it cannot help her now. By the time she returned, the damage had become permanent.”
Twilight looked down, uncertain how to respond. After some time, she found the will to speak again. “And... Night Shadow?”
Celestia wiped her eyes on her fetlocks. “He grieved for the loss of his father and baby sister. He and Luna became much closer after that. But, as time wore on, as it always does, he aged, while Luna remained the same. Too broken by his loses was he, that he never found a mate, neither among griffins, nor ponies. After his passing, Luna became very isolated. You know where that story leads.”
Twilight nodded, staring down at her hooves. All this time and she’d never thought to ask and yet, she was sure it wouldn’t have been right to in the first place. All that grief Luna held within, even before Nightmare Moon. Twilight was sure she could never be strong enough as Luna to bear all that, and yet still move on.
After several long moments, Twilight stood and looked to the princess. “Maybe we she go and see how the Crusaders are doing. Poor Cheerilee’s probably panicking about them ruining my library.”
Celestia chuckled and followed Twilight down the halls towards the lavender mare’s library. As they entered, they heard Sweetie Belle talking.
“... Rarity would love a spell that keep her completion smooth and silky.”
“Ah dunno, Sweetie,” Apple Bloom’s voice said, sounding worried. “Remember when Spike thought it was okay t’ just use a spell without thinkin’?”
“Yeah,” Scootaloo said, sounding anxious. “I’m still trying to get the image of Rainbow Dash in that dress out of my head.”
Twilight would have laughed at Scootaloo’s words, expect the sudden realization to which day they were talking about caused her worry. She hadn’t gone through all the books yet. There was a chance one spell might be dangerous. They were over a thousand years old, after all.
“Seriously,” Spike’s anxious voice joined the din. “I learned my lesson that day. You really shouldn’t mess with spells you don’t know, Sweetie!”
Hurrying around the corner, Celestia right behind her, Twilight gasped as Sweetie Belle’s horn shone with her green aura, her fellow Crusaders having backed up far away in worry, Spike in between the two.
Cheerilee was hurrying towards the unicorn filly, her eyes wide with panic.
As the spell's energies reached the two Alicorns, they felt just as panicked. Whatever spell this was, it wasn’t just some spell for the completion.
Celestia moved faster than Twilight, though the younger Alicorn was only a short distance away as the white Alicorn rushed to stop the young filly.
Just as Cheerilee reached Sweetie, the spell reached its zenith and released, enveloping the three older ponies.
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Luna trotted back towards Twilight’s room, trying her best not to let her thoughts move towards her children. She had had a long time on the moon to finally be at peace with the loss of her offspring, but it didn’t make the pain hurt any less.
She could not blame Twilight for speaking as she had. She did not know of the dark Alicorn’s past. None save Celestia truly knew of those days, though griffins probably still held some of it in their history somewhere.
As she neared the room, her horn twinged with a powerful spell. She stopped, her hoof hovering above the door. Something about the spell was familiar... and worrisome.
She couldn’t quite remember why it felt familiar, but she was certain it could not be a good thing.
Changing her course, Luna hurried down the corridor, following the magical energies of the spell. It was leading to Twilight’s library. Cheerilee and the Crusaders were in there!
She sped up, leaping into the air and extending her wings; inwardly grateful Twilight’s castle had corridors big enough for this to be possible.
She reached the library, just as a blinding white flash erupted from it. For the split-second before the light became so bright it forced her to close her eyes, Celestia could see the silhouettes of three ponies, two Alicorns, one Earth Pony.
When the light faded, she hurried inside, looking around. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were crawling out from under a pile of books, Spike with them. Sweetie Belle was standing in the middle of the room, holding a hoof to her head, her eyes spinning.
However, what caught Luna’s attention and caused her breath to catch in her throat, were the other three ponies. One was a filly with a lavender coat, dark blue mane and tail with a pink stripe through them both.
The second was a pure-white filly, maybe two of three-years-old, with a pink mane and tail, while the third was a small, mulberry foal, maybe a few months old at best, with a mane and tail of pink and white.
However, several things about these three young ponies worried Luna greatly. The first was the older two fillies had both wings and a horn. The second, the white filly’s pink mane and tail were moving in an ethereal wind. Finally, the sun Cutie Mark on the white filly’s flank and the six-pointed, purple star surrounded by five smaller white ones on the lavender filly were all too familiar to the Moon Princess.
All three fillies looked to her, the oldest and youngest of the three, moving their mouths, the oldest as if confused, before they spoke.
“Mama?”
Luna’s eyes bugled. “What in Equestria is going on?!”
Author's Note
Eeyep. Good question, Luna?
Got this idea ages ago, when i found the blog i've linked in the decription, but hadn't been able to get around to at least this chapter til now.
Hope you enjoyed the extra backstory i gave to Luna and Celestia past from before Discord.
And before you ask, NO. If you read the description i make it clear Luna merely becomes celestia's older sister. Whether she becoemes Twi and Cheerilee's mother, on the other hoof...?
Now, i won't be able to do anymore until thursday due to work, but i've a lot more fics to get out of my head. then, i can finally return to the ones i've been putting off for so long.
Hope you liked this and , til next time, later everypony.
