Worthy of the Sun

"You will never hold the solar crown," the ancient equinoid declared, seated in his stone throne; he did not flinch as the cold mountain air blew through his white mane and beard, and against his faded, yellow coat, and he did not yield; not for dragons, not for demons, and certainly not for spoilt brats.

The ivory mare with a golden mane standing before him at the foot of his throne was livid; dressed in the finest furs to be found within Equestria as befit a mare of her status, and possessed of a beauty that more than a few stallions claimed would be eternal, she was not accustomed to hearing no.

"What do you mean, I will never hold the solar crown?" she demanded, casting decorum to the cold wind and raising her voice to shout at the ancient creature before her. "I am Princess Radiance Blueblood of Equestria!" she declared, stamping her finely-shod hoof upon the hard-packed snow. "I have travelled far across the land of Equestria, travelled further than most ponies would journey in a lifetime, and for what? For you to deny me what is rightfully mine?"

"You are not worthy," the old sun king.

"How am I not worthy?!" Radiance exclaimed angrily. "I have been chosen by prophecy to inherit the power of the sun!" She spun around and glared at her entourage. "Puddinghat! Tell him!"

"Mmm," an ancient stallion croaked; his once-pink coat faded, the former Chancellor and leader of the earth ponies bobbed his head up and down in thought. "I did see a vision," he admitted, his voice barely carrying over the icy wind. "But if the old King says you aren't worthy…" Puddinghat shrugged. "I've been wrong before…"

Radiance looked like she wanted to tear somepony's mane out; not hers, because that would be an overly cruel slight against the world to deprive the world of hair like hers, but somepony's. She gestured at Puddinghat as she turned back to the old sun king.

"Would he see a vision if it were not true?" Radiance reasoned. "Not once has one of his visions failed to come to pass in one way or another! I am destined to control the power of the sun!"

"Clover didn't grow wings like I predicted," Puddinghat corrected.

"So you got one out of the thousands of predictions you've made wrong," Radiance exclaimed, looking back at Puddinghat. "What are the odds you were wrong about me? Prophecy is on my side!"

"Prophecy does not a worthy inheritor make," the old sun king rumbled. "You will never hold the solar crown."

Radiance snorted angrily. "Won't I? Soldiers!"

"Your highness!" the soldiers shouted, stepping forward and readying their lances as one.

"Take that crown for your Princess!" Radiance declared.

Suddenly, the cold wind died out, and the sunlight intensified; the warmth of the sun restored strength to the numbed limbs of the ponies atop the mountain, and it froze them in their tracks.

"You who would order those that hold no loyalty for you except for your coin," the old sun king growled, brilliant eyes glowing dangerously between his bushy beard and furrowed brow. "You who would order your men to march to their deaths…" the old sun king leaned forward, looming over Radiance. "You will never hold the solar crown."

Radiance's legs shook as she felt true, undeniable power, and with her mouth dry, took an involuntary step back.

"I will have that crown," she declared, stepping back and pointing a shaking hoof at the old sun king.

"You are not worthy," the old sun king said, sitting back; as his back settled into the worn contours of the throne, the wind returned and the sunlight faded, the ancient regent of the sun back to normal.

"Then I shall return, and demonstrate my worth," Radiance said. "The power of the sun will be mine, it is my destiny!"

"As long as you seek this power," the old sun king said, "you will never be worthy."

Radiance took a deep breath, and demonstrating the first trace of princess-like behaviour that day, held her tongue, instead opting to spin around, fur coat billowing in the wind, and storm off towards the pass.

"Come on!" she demanded. "Let's go! We're done here!"

And as the rest of her entourage quickly gathered their equipment and began to make their way down the narrow path behind their princess, she made a silent vow.

For now.