Princess Twilight Sparkle watched as Celestia rose into the air on her powerful white wings, her spiralled white horn shining with golden magic against the starry sky. Beside her, Luna lowered her dark head, her dark blue magic guiding the crescent moon down beneath the horizon.
Celestia lifted her head, and the sunlight began to spill over the eastern mountains, shepherding the darkness away to the west. When the sun was high in the sky and the last remnants of shadow had fled after the moon, she lowered herself back onto the balcony beside her sister and ex-student.
Luna politely bid them a good day before departing for her bedchamber, to rest in preparation for perusing the citizens' dreams that night.
Twilight smiled at Celestia; the white alicorn returned the gesture. Twilight was visiting Canterlot for a few days in order to learn the proper way to rule, as she would now be the primary ruler of Ponyville and the vicinity. Celestia was perfectly confident that Twilight would be a capable and just ruler; but in light of Twilight's concerns had agreed to offering some lessons.
"Princess..." Twilight asked tentatively.
"Please, Twilight, I have told you, you may address me simply as Celestia now. We are equals, after all."
"I'd hardly say that," Twilight muttered to herself, but not loud enough for Celestia to hear. "Anyway, um... Celestia... I was a little curious about something, and I wondered if you would answer my question."
"If I can help, I will," Celestia answered, focusing her pink eyes on the young alicorn.
"Well... I was a unicorn before I became a princess, and Cadence told me that she was a pegasus... I was wondering if you and Luna were born alicorns, and if you weren't, well, what species were you before your ascension?"
Celestia blinked. Twilight backed up immediately. "I'm sorry... if you don't want to tell me-"
"No, I understand your curiosity. In your place, I would have wondered the same. Well... you see, Twilight... while Luna and I have been alicorns for several thousand years, you are right in suspecting that we were not always that way. In fact, there are no recorded cases of ponies being born as alicorns. Luna and I have kept our heritage a secret, for good reason. However... I think you might be one of the few who will understand. If you want to know, I'll tell you."
"I do," Twilight said eagerly.
"As you wish." Celestia took a deep breath. "Now... Luna and I were born three years apart on the outskirts of a settlement, which over the years grew into the city known as Fillydelphia."
"Our parents were distant from the settlers, however, as their marriage was heavily frowned upon in those days. In fact, I fear that, though tolerance has grown under our rule, there are still those who would still spurn such a pairing. For you see... our mother was an earth pony, but our father... was a donkey."
Twilight's eyes grew wide. "You... you mean..."
"Yes, Twilight." Celestia nodded. "I was a mule before my ascension."
Twilight's eye twitched. "But- but you don't-"
"I don't look like a mule?" Celestia asked, slightly amused. "Well, when we ascended, the magic which flooded our bodies effectively transformed us into ponies... though the genetics remained. That is why neither Luna or I ever bore foals; we are unable to."
"But... but..."
Celestia lifted a hoof for quiet. "I know you have many questions, but let me tell my story first. Then you can ask all the questions you want."
"I was born an albino mule, with a white coat and mane and pink eyes which as you can see, I kept even after my ascension. I was also named Celestia by my parents; my colouring gave my parents the idea that I was some kind of angel, thus my name, which means heavenly. Luna followed three years later, with my father's dark brown coat and black mane and my mother's sapphire blue eyes. Her name, however, was Philomena, meaning 'lover of strength' from her sturdy little form as opposed to mine, which was always quite lanky.
She only changed her name after the ascension. She never really told me why, but she never protested when she found out I had named my pet phoenix after her when she returned from her banishment. I think maybe she just wanted to leave her old life behind entirely.
We grew up on the few acres of farmland my mother had inherited from her grandparents; helping our parents grow carrots and squashes. Mules, as you know, do not get cutie marks, so we could only look at our mother's- a bunch of carrots- and wonder about what the world had planned for us.
We seldom went into the nearby settlement; as Equestrian society shunned pony-donkey marriage, so they shunned the products of such a union; our infertility only cemented the belief that we were never meant to be. Understandably, upon our ascension Luna and I preached against this prejudice, and though it took a few years the ponies finally began to listen. It pleases me, and Luna too, to see mules and donkeys readily accepted in the modern society, though we still withhold our origins from the civilians for fear of those whose enmity and prejudice still smoulders within.
So we grew up out of sight and out of mind for our neighbours; our mother and father educated us on the ways of the world- explained that the ponies we occasionally saw flying over or pushing clouds around were the pegasi, who controlled the weather; when the sun rose and fell each day we were told that far away in a place called Canterlot, ponies with horns on their heads who wielded great magic worked in large groups to lift the sun into the sky.
But then, when I was 17 and Luna- or Philomena as she was then- was almost 14, these patterns fell out of sync. The night would last twice as long as it previously had, or the sun would rise and fall several times an hour. My mother, her face grave, would return from the town with news of a takeover in Canterlot- a dictator the likes of whom had never been seen before. Tales of his chaotic magic spreading across the land accompanied rumours of good and honest ponies corrupted, their coats turned to grey. Every day, terror and strife grew in Equestria."
"Discord!" Twilight exclaimed.
Celestia nodded. "Nopony knew where he sprung from, but it was said he was wicked through and through, the physical embodiment of all that Equestria opposed. And yet he had stormed into the capital one day, and by the next day he was in control. His reign would last several years, several terrible years for all those who experienced them."
"Eventually, the chaotic magic reached our little settlement. Without the magic of ponies within us, Philomena and I were spared its corrupting effects, as was our father, but eventually it got to our mother. Her vibrant reddish coat and yellow mane faded to grey one day, and then she moved about in a daze, all the enjoyment the farm had once held for her just gone. Shortly after, all of the carrots on the farm became parsnips, and the squashes became highly volatile; going too close to one would cause it to leap into the air and try to flatten you. Our father became stressed and grumpy; and finally, Philomena and I left the farm.
We weren't sure where to go, but we learned from a travelling zebra, who had also been unaffected by the chaotic magic, that a small group of ponies had managed to avoid the chaotic magic by hiding away in the Everfree Forest- even Discord's chaotic influence could not affect its untamed wilderness- and the group were seeking any recruits they could find, undiscriminating of species, in hopes of eventually storming Canterlot and knocking Discord from his throne.
Philomena and I joined with a small group of mules- their names, sadly, elude me now- and, trekking through the forest, eventually found the group, headed by a bold unicorn stallion- Blackthorn, I believe he was named- who had previously been part of the guard in Canterlot, and his deputy, a strong-willed earth pony mare named Prairie Rider. We were accepted with minimal fuss- it was surprising at the time, but I think we were just perceived as a welcome addition to the 'infantry' as it was. The camp, despite the fluctuating day and night, operated by treating the hours which had been night as such, and vice versa for the day.
By this point, I was 18 and Philomena 15; I was fully grown, with a long white mane, off-white coat and chipped hooves from our time on the road. Philomena bore similar scars, though her face was still round and foal-like. Every time I looked at her- and still, occasionally, when I see her now- I felt a pang to see our mother's eyes looking back at me. I had remained tall and lanky, while Philomena was still more robust but also taller. I hope I am not being vain when I say that we were fine figures of mules; our ears stood tall and upright and our eyes still shone with youth.
We would spend almost two years in the forest- word of the rebel group had to be passed quietly by wandering travellers, and so it took a while for enough fighters to assemble. Most of us were donkeys, mules or zebras, with a a few lucky uncorrupted ponies among us. Philomena and I made several friends among the donkeys and mules, and there were even a few ponies who would offer us a greeting as we passed. Philomena spent some time on the night shift in the medical site, helping to treat everything from colds to poisonous plant illnesses, learning remedies from the zebra healers. Her optimism and joking grew to be a delight among patients and healers alike, and she was not unknown to stay up all night comforting crying foals, sacrificing her sleep to watch over others.
I instead spent time trying to learn what the plans actually were for our invasion of Canterlot; by the time I was 20 I was growing concerned by the lack of action amongst the leaders. Time after time I asked for an audience with Blackthorn or Prairie Rider; time after time I was denied. Eventually, the guards grew irritated with my constant requests and arranged for me to meet with one of Prairie Rider's subordinates. A pegasus mare named Stormy Heights, she listened casually as I poured out my concerns and my desire for action, before telling me in a bored voice that she'd mention my concerns to Prairie Rider. I could see she had no intention of doing anything of the sort, and so I am ashamed to say I cracked.
I poured out my anger and disappointment to her, and when I was finished she was looking much more alert. Then, to my surprise, she summoned Prairie Rider.
Prairie was full of disdain when she saw me, but at Stormy Heights' urging she sat and listened to me for a few minutes, before stopping me with a hoof. She then did something which surprised me even more- she said quietly that she appreciated my honesty. She had seen for herself that some of the rebels were becoming restless with their inaction, and assured me that they would be taking action soon; possibly in around two months, the forces would all be trained enough to storm Canterlot.
She reminded me that, after all, we would only have one chance to take Canterlot. We had to be sure we were giving it our best shot. She did ask, though, that I refrain from spreading the news around too much; Blackthorn would not approve of her telling me such information. And I listened. Philomena was the only one I told.
Exploring the forest had become a favourite pastime for Philomena and I, until one day, straying further than normal from the rebel camp, we stumbled across a crumbling hut. It was deserted, and had been for many decades, from its appearance; however, inside we found a worn journal. Carefully turning the pages with our hooves, we read for several hours each day.
That journal belonged to a unicorn known as Clover the Clever, a student of Starswirl the Bearded. We knew both of these names- our mother had woven tales of Equestria's beginnings for us back on the farm. In the journal, we learnt of the strange artefacts known as the Elements of Harmony. It seemed even Clover the Clever herself, their creator, had not truly understood their purpose. Arriving on the last page, Philomena and I read the elderly Clover's shaky writing, where she professed to have hidden the mysterious gems near the hut where she had spent years studying them; she wrote in her final sentence that she hoped one day a worthy pony would find them and be able to solve their mystery.
At the time, we did not truly understand the significance of our discovery. We lamented that the journal, which had made such fascinating reading, was finished; however, it was Philomena who first suggested that we might look for these 'Elements'. At the very least they might be of interest to Blackthorn or the other unicorns at camp. So each day we went out and searched, digging at the ground until the dirt was caked on our coats or rummaging in bushes.
Our search yielded nothing for over a month, and we began to become discouraged. The date of our invasion of Canterlot was drawing near; Blackthorn sent pegasi to scout for the best way to approach the city. Over dinner one night, I overheard one pegasus, on his return, reporting nothing but an odd, shining tree several miles east; Blackthorn shrugged this off as merely Discord's trickery or more likely, another of the forest's oddities; but I was curious, at any rate.
I knew we would be gone a while, so I asked a couple of our friends to cover for us before heading off into the forest with Philomena, due east. We continued searching long into the night, until finally, when I was ready to drop with exhaustion, Philomena saw a dim glow from the south. We headed towards it and at last entered a clearing in which a beautiful tree stood. I do not think I need to describe it to you, since you have seen it with your own eyes. The Tree of Harmony. Of course, we did not know that was what it was at the time; we instead saw only a very beautiful tree, with five coloured gems set in its branches and a large star in the centre. Moving closer, we saw a sun and a moon emblazoned across the trunk.
As I looked up at that tree, I felt a tug I could not explain; and I could have sworn two of the gems sparkled in reply. After trying to pull free one of the lower gems, though, we were forced to admit defeat; it simply would not budge. As it was late, we lay down in the clearing to sleep, somehow sensing that the magic this tree possessed would keep the dark forces of the forest at bay.
That night, I dreamed.
***********************************************************
I saw the sun rise over the eastern horizon, and from out of its rays walked a pale grey, green-maned unicorn mare wearing a brown hooded cloak. She smiled at me with a tolerance and understanding which took me aback; no ponies had ever smiled at me without at least a hint of prejudice or pity in their eyes.
"Greetings, Celestia," she said. Her voice echoed in the vastness of the fields in which we stood.
"How- how do you know my name?" I asked. She just continued to smile warmly.
"I have been watching you and your sister, Celestia, and I have seen that you are not the average mules. The magic in you is stronger than in any other mules I have known; it has great potential, and with the help of the Elements of Harmony, I sense that it may burst forth."
"But I'm a mule," I told her, as if she had not already stated the fact. "I don't have any magic."
She just kept smiling. "All denizens of Equestria have magic, or at least the potential to possess it. Just because mules and donkeys do not have the magic ponies possess, this does not mean they are entirely devoid of it. After all, the zebra have their own blend of magic apart from that of the ponies- why shouldn't mules and donkeys possess that too?"
"But-"
"Just because you do not have a cutie mark, it does not mean you do not have a destiny. I know that something very special is in your future, Celestia; you just haven't yet had the opportunity to unlock it."
*******************************************************************
I jumped awake, and saw that Philomena had too. She looked at me, and then laughed. "Haha! Did you have a nightmare, Tia? You look like you've seen a ghost!"
I looked up at the tree and got to my hooves. "We should probably get back to camp," I murmured. The sun glinted on the gemstones as we left the clearing.
We were oddly silent on the way back to camp. I sensed there was something Philomena wasn't telling me, but I refrained from questioning her; after all, wasn't I keeping a secret from her?
A week later, we moved out on the way to Canterlot; the invasion was finally going ahead. Under the cover of the forest, we approached Canterlot, getting as close as we could before splitting into small groups. We would regroup in the city so as not to arouse suspicion by travelling as a large group.
Philomena and I travelled with two of our friends and a zebra medic; we passed a few small hamlets where grey ponies wandered aimlessly to and fro or barked like dogs, pegasi produced endless tornadoes or unicorns did battle with pop-guns. Eyes turned in our direction before turning disinterestedly away; this was a good omen for our arrival in Canterlot.
But of course, we were foolish to think that we had gone unnoticed. Discord had either got wind of our plan or just been overly precautious, as corrupted guards patrolled with rubber chickens as weapons; not so formidable to speak of but unfortunately squeaky so that any conflict could be heard from the other side of the castle and bring the other guards running.
And so, Blackthorn organised the oldest trick in the book- diversion tactics. He sent two small groups to cause distractions at the two main entrances while the rest of the rebel slipped in through a back way. And to my surprise, it actually worked.
Of course, once we were inside the castle Discord quickly redirected his guards to face us as well as turning the force of his own powers upon us; Blackthorn at the head of the column was the first to be corrupted and he immediately turned on Stormy Heights, who was right behind him.
I saw this and went sprinting through the crowd, knocking Blackthorn aside. Stormy Heights looked up at me in bemusement.
"You gave me a chance," I reminded her. "I owe you the same." I helped her up and she smiled; we fought back to back, battering the corrupted guards away.
Of course, in the mayhem I lost track of Philomena. I would catch glimpses of Discord darting about, occasionally picking up a rebel and watching them try to hit at him. His face was always amused, and with a sinking feeling I realised that though Stormy and I were holding our own, many of the rebels were falling. We were losing, and Discord knew it.
After ten minutes of intense fighting, Discord snapped his claws and everything went dark; he had switched it to night. Now we blundered around in the dark, not knowing if those we crashed into were friend or foe.
Suddenly, over the tumult I heard Philomena's voice, angry and defiant, and as my eyes adjusted to the dark I saw, in the dim moonlight, Discord holding her in his claw.
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear that," Discord said flatly, responding to whatever she'd said.
"I said, let me go!" She tried her best to hit at him with her hooves, but she couldn't reach or see properly, flailing in the dark.
"Ah ah ah," he tutted. "Stop that. Is that any way to speak to your ruler?"
"You..." Philomena grunted, still trying to free herself, "are not... my ruler!"
"Then who is?" Discord plucked the corrupted Blackthorn from the battle. "Him? Ha! He's just using you! If he had won the battle today, do you suppose his opinion on your kind would change? Let me tell you right now, and dispel any delusions you might have about that. To him, to the other ponies, you're just as bad as me- a mixture of creatures never meant to be combined. Now, I can get away with it because I'm so handsome, but you don't even have that going for you, do you? Maybe I should just leave it as night forever to spare you the shame of having others look upon your face."
Philomena stopped struggling, and I knew right then he had touched a nerve. To my surprise, though, instead of spontaneously combusting she grinned. "What? And deny everypony the sight of your beautiful face?"
Discord turned, narrowing her eyes at her. "I beg your pardon?"
"Oh, yes," Philomena cooed. "That beard is most becoming on you... and your tooth! I've never seen one so white!"
Just as I began to worry that she had completely lost her mind, I saw the reason for her flattery. A group of rebels had fought their way onto the balcony above Discord's head, and they were preparing to attack.
Discord was just looking confused, but it was at least a diversion. As I spotted them, however, so did a pair of corrupted pegasi across the hall, and they soared towards the balcony.
A few rebels tried to stop them, but even as unicorn magic took hold of the pegasi, one tossed his rubber chicken and it squeaked off the balustrade of the balcony. Discord turned and immediately saw the rebel group.
"Oh no you don't," he said, teleporting out of the way as two jumped for him in desperation. The ground below us turned to jelly, or some similar substance, and soon we were all splodging around in the viscous substance.
Discord shook Philomena crossly. "So! Trying to distract me, were you? Just for that, I think I will leave it as night forever. I find you pony types are easier to control when you can't see, though of course I'll have to wear these night-vision goggles to see all my wonderful chaos."
As he spoke, it grew even darker in the room as even the slight moonlight vanished. "That should do it," I heard Discord mutter before panic broke out. Crashes and shouts echoed throughout the room; I heard several ponies cry for help.
And, despite my own fear, it touched something in my heart. I used my large ears to collect the sound, homing in on the nearest cry. It was a young pegasus stallion; one of his wings was broken, he told me. Traversing the room with sound, I guided him to the entrance hall where a crude medical station had been set up by the medic zebras at the start of the battle, to treat any injuries as quickly as possible so that the wounded could hopefully return to battle.
Carrying a firefly lantern, one of the zebras shepherded the stallion away, and I headed back into the hall to search for more.
As I searched, however, I heard the crumbling of stone, and the crunch of collapsing castle wall. Screaming broke out on the eastern side of the hall, and I ran blindly towards it.
Near the wall, I tripped over a leg, and heard a yelp.
"Prairie Rider?" I asked.
"Oh, it's you," she replied. Around me, I could hear the splats as bits of wall hit the jelly. "Get out of the way before the wall falls on us. My back legs are trapped under a chunk of the wall already."
I felt for the rock; it was a substantial chunk, but not immovable. "Not until I've moved this rock."
"Don't be such a fool! I'm no use to the cause with two broken legs. Just get out of here, mule."
"Mule is right," I said. "I'm stubborn too. Now, this might hurt a little, but I need you to pull your legs out of the way when I lift the rock."
"Let me help," came a familiar voice.
"Philomena!" I said happily.
"Oh great, now there's two of them," Prairie moaned, but she did not try again to make us leave.
I planted my nose under the rock. "Three... two... one..."
Philomena and I heaved, and the rock lifted upwards. Prairie whimpered as she pulled her legs out of the way, but she did it. I let the rock go and it fell back down with a splat.
Prairie struggled onto her front hooves, and Philomena and I took up position on either side of her, supporting her shoulders.
Suddenly, I heard scraping as the wall crumbled more. It sounded as if the whole thing was falling down, bringing a slice of the ceiling with it.
Without thinking, I pushed Prairie forward, and felt Philomena do the same. She gave another yelp of pain as she landed a few feet away, and looked at me. "What are you doing?"
I pulled a hoof upwards to follow her, and felt a sinking feeling as the jelly pulled back. With the jelly's resistance, there was no way Philomena and I could get away before the ceiling crashed down. I felt a sprinkling of dust fall onto my nose. "Prairie, go!" I shouted. "Just get out of the way. The ceiling is going to collapse."
I heard shouting start up around me as I was overheard, and then bodies began to struggle past me. I shoved at a few of them, hoping to give them enough of a boost to get them out of danger.
"No," Philomena was suddenly shouting. "Prairie, don't!"
I strained my ears and was horrified to hear the sound of two hooves in jelly heading towards us, accompanied by the slither of her back legs dragging and small whimpers and groans of pain.
"You two... are the bravest, most stupid mules I ever met," she panted. "I am not letting you two die just to save a broken mare like me."
"Prairie, if you do this we'll all die! Just save yourself!" She ignored me, continuing stolidly on as the ceiling finally began to give way.
"Where would I be now if you two took that view on life?" I still could see nothing, but I could tell from her voice she was smiling.
I sighed, but smiled too. Philomena was still trying to persuade Prairie to go back, but as a few small chunks of ceiling bounced off my flank she stopped. I felt something brush my side; Prairie had reached us at last.
I felt her wrap a hoof around my foreleg and pull me a bit closer. I could hear Philomena breathing softly a few inches away; as there was a grinding crunch and the ceiling burst open, revealing a few stars, I closed my eyes and waited for the end.
Instead, I heard Philomena cry, "What in Equestria-"
There was a bright flash and I opened my eyes wide. Something was shining near my head; as I watched, another light joined it. I looked over at Prairie and Philomena's faces lit up, and saw three more lights hovering near my sister. I looked up and saw only a few stars shining through the gap in the ceiling; the falling rocks had either missed us, or been blocked by something.
My eyes adjusted, and I recognised the lights as the five gems from the Tree of Harmony. They drifted closer together, and I felt something rise inside.
As I watched in shock and slight fear, a golden swirl of magic burst from my chest. At the same time, Philomena gasped as a dark blue swirl left her body. The swirls mixed and combined, and as Prairie Rider reached out tentatively to touch it it blazed into brilliant light. When the light died down, a magenta six-pointed star gem hovered where the magic had been.
The six gems shone as they began to circle around us; Philomena and I rose into the air, through the hole in the ceiling, as Prairie Rider watched in awe from below. The gems flashed, and Philomena screamed as her eyes shone a brilliant white; I was transfixed, unable to move.
Dark blue magic poured from my sister's chest and I heard the pegasi who had flown up after us gasp as the moon began to move in the sky, sinking slowly towards the western horizon.
I never saw it complete its journey, however, as I felt a tremendous, almost painful rising of power inside me; I couldn't help crying out as it discharged. I dimly heard Philomena calling me, and then falling silent, as golden magic poured from me and light began to spread across the sky from the east.
As my vision faded, I saw the sun rise above the eastern horizon.
*********************************************************
Everything was darkness and cold. To this day, I have never felt so cold as I did then. It was as if every scrap of life and warmth was being drained from my body.
"Celestia," Clover greeted me.
I looked around in bewilderment. "Where am I? Where is Discord? Philomena?"
"Your sister is perfectly safe," Clover calmed me. "She is not far away. But this is your time. By using the magic within yourself to raise the sun, you have proven yourself, and now it is time for your new life to begin. Your destiny is calling."
I flopped my long ears down. "What's going to happen?"
"That is for you and your sister to discover," Clover replied. "Now it is time for you to fulfil your destiny."
Five other ponies appeared behind her, and Clover moved aside as two of them approached me.
One was an earth pony mare with a light brown coat and yellowish mane, while the other was smiling widely, an earth stallion with a chestnut mane, bright orange-yellow coat and a strange hat which almost looked like a dessert. They stopped in front of me.
"In the name of all earth ponies, I, Chancellor Puddinghead-" said the one with the strange hat.
"And I, Smart Cookie," the mare said.
"Bestow upon you, Celestia, the strength of the earth ponies." They bowed their heads together and a swirl of green magic appeared, moving to swirl in the air before me. I tried to move back, but found that I could neither move nor speak.
"With this gift, I give you humour. Use it to lighten the burdens of others and to lift spirits when despair threatens." Puddinghead beamed at me.
"With this gift, I give you truth," Smart Cookie said, more calmly. "Use it well, both with others and with yourself." She moved aside, and Puddinghead followed, still smiling. I watched, feeling rather apprehensive, as another pair moved forwards to take their place- a fierce-looking grey pegasus stallion in battle armour, and a pink-coated pegasus mare, who looked rather nervous.
The armoured stallion dipped his head. "In the name of all pegasi, I, Commander Hurricane-"
"And I, Private Pansy," the mare squeaked.
"Bestow upon you, Celestia, the power of the pegasi." A blue swirl of magic joined the green as the pair dipped their heads together.
"With this gift, I give you loyalty to what you know to be right," Hurricane said firmly. "Use it well to guide others in times of trouble."
"With this gift, I give you compassion," Pansy said gently. "Judge as much with your heart as with your mind." They moved aside.
Finally, Clover came towards me. Another unicorn mare, this one in regal robes with a white coat and silvery mane, joined her. She bowed her head to me, as did Clover. "In the name of all unicorns," the newcomer said regally, "I, Princess Platinum-"
"And I, Clover the Clever-"
"Bestow upon you, Celestia, the gift of the unicorns." They touched their horns together and a swirl of silver magic joined the blue and green.
"With this gift, I give you charity," Princess Platinum said, her head held high. "Use it well for those less fortunate."
Clover smiled at me. "With this gift, I give you mentoring," she said. "Use it well for those who look to you for guidance. And with this gift, I also give you hope. Even in the depths of the darkest night, it will be there, waiting for you."
The six ponies moved to stand in a semi-circle around me, then spoke in unison.
"We, the founders of Equestria, crown you Princess Celestia. Long may you live."
I was so surprised that I didn't notice the ball of magic moving towards me until it phased through my chest. The three different colours of magic began to swirl around me, and I began to rise into the air. The figures below slowly faded as the swirls of magic consumed my vision; there was a brilliant flash and I felt my body begin to change. I cannot even begin to describe the pain.
My legs lengthened and my ears shrunk; something pushed out of my forehead even as my muzzle shortened and I felt twin pains just behind my shoulders- I should think you know that pain, at least. But above all of this, I felt powerful; a strength I had never known filled my body as I felt myself sinking back to the ground.
*********************************************************
Eventually, I felt the ground beneath my hooves. My legs, though, were too weak to hold me and I collapsed to the ground. Trying to get up, I heard once more the sound of the battle around me. As I moved, though, a unicorn dashing past me stopped in his tracks to stare at me, awestruck.
"What the-" he began. "Here, let me help you, miss." I felt a hoof pull me upwards; I staggered on my hooves.
"Are you okay?" the stallion asked. I opened my eyes and was surprised to see that I towered over him.
"Yes, yes, I'm okay," I said, but my mouth just felt all wrong. What had happened to me? The weights behind my shoulders pulled at me, and I turned to see what they were. My mouth fell open at the sight of two large white wings, their tips trailing on the ground. I flexed my shoulders, and they fluttered. They were mine, really and truly mine. Beyond them, I saw something rippling, like a flag in the wind, and saw a striped, sparkling mass of pink, turquoise, cyan and sapphire. I moved, and realised it too was attached to me; it appeared to be my tail. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see another thing moving, of the same colours, and assessed that it must be my mane.
The stallion was still looking up at me curiously. "Ma'am? If you'll excuse me... what are you?"
"I- I don't know," I realised. "Now... this might sound a little strange, but could you... describe what I look like?"
"Amnesia," I heard him mutter under his breath before he looked back at me. "I can do better than that," he said. "I can fetch a mirror. Just... wait here..."
He dashed away. I looked around, and realised I was in a hastily improvised injury treatment station in the forest. Several ponies and donkeys lay unconscious (I hoped) against the opposite wall, while zebras ran back and forth with bandages and poultices, occasionally casting confused glances my way. But I had eyes for only one patient.
"Philomena!"
My sister lay prone on the ground a few metres away. Her eyes were closed, her breathing slow. As I watched, it slowly stopped.
"Philomena!" I cried. I touched her, flinching at the sight of my strange white hoof, but she didn't move. I lowered my head, nuzzled her face, still so young despite the battles she had seen.
I heard hoofsteps behind me as the unicorn arrived back. I turned and looked straight into- my own eyes.
They were still the same. Still the same pink. And surrounded by the same long face, long ears and slightly off-kilter teeth- the ones my father had loved. No wings. No porcelain white hooves. No flowing, multicoloured mane and tail. And yet... they were there. Turning around, I saw that the wings were still there. The tail still rippled slowly, despite the lack of wind. I looked back at the mirror. Back at the wings.
"Ma'am, are you sure you're okay?" the stallion asked. I snapped back into the world.
"Yes... but my sister... my sister, she's not breathing." The unicorn moved past me, looked down at Philomena. Tutted.
"Your sister?" He looked doubtfully at me.
"Yes," I said stolidly. "Is she... is she..."
He frowned, lifted her eyelid. I caught sight of her sapphire iris before the eye snapped shut. "She's not dead," he said slowly. "But she is... in some kind of coma. She's very cold, too; I'll fetch a blanket, if we can spare one."
He trotted away, leaving the mirror with me. I glanced at it again, narrowed my eyes. The mule in the mirror did the same. I began to wonder if I was somehow imagining the wings, but when I flexed the muscles in my shoulders again they lifted up a little. I focused, and managed to flap them once. I did not leave the ground, but I did feel some of my weight lift from my hooves. There was no doubt; they were real.
I looked back down at Philomena. She lay perfectly still. The unicorn showed no sign of returning with a blanket, so I huddled next to her, spread out a wing to partially cover her. I lowered my head onto my hooves and soon, I was asleep.
*********************************************************
Clover was alone now. She looked at me, then lowered her head. "Princess Celestia."
"Why do you call me that?" I asked. "What did you do to me? And Philomena... what's wrong with her?"
"I call you that because it is what you are, or at least what you will become. As for your sister, she is well, now," Clover said. "Even now she wakes and does not recognise you lying beside her. Even now, she looks into the mirror and tries to reconcile what she is seeing with the body she does not feel is her own."
"But...." I looked down. "What... what is this body? The mane is so strange... and the wings..."
"You also bear a horn," Clover informed me, "it spirals from your head, far longer and more powerful than any unicorn's. One day you will master the abilities you now possess, and raise the sun once more. It is your destiny, just as it is your sister's to govern the moon. Never forget that, and hold to the virtues which got you here, and you shall live long and prosper."
"But why can't I see the wings, and the horn, in the mirror?" I asked. "I just see... myself."
"You see yourself as the mule because that is what you choose to be on the inside," Clover said gently. "Only if you come to see yourself as an alicorn within will you be permitted to see the beauty others see on the surface. Your sister shall share this with you; for your sakes, however, I pray that you never look in the mirror and see a majestic alicorn gazing back, even if you live for a thousand millenia. For your only obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself."
*********************************************************
I woke suddenly. A hoof was poking me in the side. "Excuse me," Philomena's voice said. "Can you please tell me who you are?"
I stood up, and blinked in surprise. A dark blue pony mare stood before me. Two large feathered wings hung haphazardly from her back, and a long horn spiralled up from her forehead. Her mane and tail rippled just as mine did, but hers were dark blue like her coat, and looking closer I saw stars glittering in the blue. I locked eyes with her, and despite her looking totally different I knew her. I saw from the flash in her sapphire eyes that she knew me too.
"Philomena?" I asked, at the same time that she asked,
"Celestia?"
We learned later that the invasion had been unsuccessful; Discord and his army of corrupted ponies had overpowered the rebels after a ferocious battle- in the dark, as Discord had promptly banished the sun again after Philomena and I fell unconscious. The rebels had scattered far and wide; those taken prisoner were corrupted if they could be or thrown in the dungeons.
We also learned that it had been Stormy Heights and several rebels who had managed to get the Elements, Philomena and I out of the castle before we could be captured. Prairie Rider had been taken prisoner, and corrupted just like the others, but Stormy Heights had managed to escape and had kept an eye on us as we recovered. She had guarded the Elements while she waited for us to recover; she had been as shocked as all the other rebels to learn of our transformations- though for the record, she was the first to bow before us.
After that, we took the Elements and sought Discord out. He played around for a while, dodging us, but eventually he allowed us to catch up to satiate his curiosity; it proved to be his downfall. We used the Elements to turn him to stone.
After that, ponies all across Equestria were freed from corruption. They eagerly sent representatives to us to ask for our leadership; after I finally managed to raise the sun and shortly after, Philomena the moon, these requests were arriving almost every day. Eventually, the leaders all gathered and took a vote. I'm told the vote was unanimously in our favour.
We were crowned princesses of Equestria, and so our reign began. Our parents lived with us at the palace until their deaths, but despite our protests they refused to come forward as our parents. Stormy Heights and Prairie Rider founded the Royal Guard together, and both served us until we begged them to rest. Clover the Clever never again walked my dreams, but I know she still watches us- watches you too, I imagine, as another bearer of the Elements.
I have ruled for several millennia now, but I promise you that never once have I looked into the mirror and seen anything other than an albino mule looking back at me with wise pink eyes."
Celestia finished her story and Twilight stared at her in awe.
The younger alicorn looked at the elder with wonder and admiration. Celestia smiled.
Twilight got to her hooves. "Thank you for telling me all this, Celestia," she said in hushed tones. "May I- may I tell my friends about this?"
"Of course," Celestia nodded. "I see no reason why they should not know. Perhaps, if Luna agrees, I will share our story with all of Equestria at last. I think it's about time we stopped keeping secrets from our subjects. That's your lesson for today, Twilight; I expect an essay on my desk tomorrow by noon."
Twilight looked at the white alicorn, uncertain if she was being serious. Celestia laughed. "Not really, Twilight."
"Oh." Twilight sounded almost disappointed as she left. Celestia chuckled, then looked over at the mirror in the corner of the room.
An albino mule looked back, smiled, and winked.
Author's Note
βIt is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness.β
β Leo Tolstoy, The Kreutzer Sonata.
Thanks again to Admiral Biscuit for the idea.
I must emphasise that I took this prompt way too seriously; I got way too into writing this story before I could stop myself, and it pretty much ended up being my interpretation of how Celestia and Luna's ascension would have gone down in an alternate universe where they began life as mules.
Constructive criticism is always appreciated.
