Chapters Silver raindrops, golden clouds
It was an ordinary day in Twilight's castle. As usual, she was spending her afternoon organizing her library. However, she had taken a small break to read a book about the Equestrian royal family. Despite being Celestia's student, she had not as of yet studied her family history. As she flipped through the pages, she could tell by the rich, slightly musty scent that this book had remained hidden in the back of some forgotten bookshelf for a long time before coming to her. As she approached Celestia's generation, she smiled. Until now, she hadn't realized how interesting the Equestrian royal bloodlines were, twisting and branching gracefully like the roots of her old tree home. But when she reached Celestia's point of the page, she paused. Luna was not her only sibling. Besides having her sister, Luna, Celestia had two brothers. Twilight gasped as she read the names. Lord Gold Soul, her niece's owner, and the disgraced King Sombra. She put the book in her saddlebag and flew into the skies, setting her course for Canterlot.
Celestia sipped her tea gently, musing upon her day. She had been through some amusements in the Royal Diurnal Court, settling the fussing and grudges between nobles. Parliament had strongly advised against one of Luna's plans to extend the night by five minutes each cycle, and now here she was, drinking some vanilla camomile tea to soothe her nerves. After all, being a princess was hard work. Luna preferred coffee, but Celestia could never see the appeal in it. It was far too bitter for her tastes. A knock upon her door brushed these thoughts away, however. She opened the door, letting in her most faithful student and now fellow ruler, Twilight Sparkle. She smiled upon her, happy to see her once more.
"Why, if it isn't Twilight Sparkle! How can I help you?"
Twilight blushed and looked away, slightly nervous about her question. Maybe that book had been tucked away in a forgotten corner, shut tight, for a reason. Twilight took a deep breath. "I have something to ask you...
Celestia smiled even wider. "Of course, Twilight. Anything."
Twilight shook a tiny bit, looking at the ground. "Do you.. Have brothers?" She asked.
Celestia's eyes shot open in surprise as she was taken aback. "Well, you see, I... I..." She sighed. "How did you find out?"
Twilight held up her book. "It was in here, Celestia. Please... I need to know." Celestia examined the book.
"Ah, yes, the old genealogical records. I should have guessed you would find them eventually." She said coldly.
"So, it's true?" Twilight asked, shocked.
"Yes, I'm afraid it is. Gold Soul and Sombra are indeed my older brothers."
Twilight looked up at her at last. "Wait... Older brothers? Then why aren't they ruling over Equestria instead?" She asked, puzzled. Celestia sighed, thinking back upon the memories she had held back for so long, and began the tale.
Silver raindrops, golden clouds
Long ago, before the rule of Celestia and Luna, there ruled over the land of Equestria a king and queen, two alicorns who balanced each other well. King Saturn, a tall, proud stallion, was a lead-gray alicorn with a flowing green mane, with the alchemical symbol for the planet Saturn as his cutie mark His queen, Queen Arev, was a dazzlingly beautiful alicorn mare, with a sparkling white coat, more brilliant than any diamond. Her mane flowed with all of the colors of the sky, the sunset being the most prominent, with the tips of her wing feathers a stunning gradient of red and orange, and her unusually smooth, curved horn faded at the tip from white to sunset red. Her cutie mark was the alchemical symbol for the sun . Saturn truly loved and adored his beautiful queen, and together they raised four special little foals. The eldest, Prince Gold Soul was a strong, healthy light gray colt with his father's green mane, and his younger brother, Prince Sombra, was a leaden coated colt with his mother's curved horn. Gold Soul loved his younger brother, and often tried to play with him, but he would refuse his older brother's offers, preferring to study in the castle library. Gold Soul often wished for someone to play with. When his baby sister, Princess Celestia, arrived, he was overjoyed, and took great pains to care for his precious baby sister. When she got old enough, they would play together all day. When his new sister, Luna, was born, they both were delighted, caring for her as he had for Celestia. As they grew up together, they became fine stallions and mares, each a glorious sight to behold. One day, however, as he was strolling the countryside, Gold Soul met a young mare. She was a buttery yellow color, with a gently curled light blue mane. Her mane was held in place by a beautiful purple bow, and upon her face was a pair of light pink glasses, complimenting her lime green eyes very well. Her cutie mark was a flower, with a candy cane stem and rock candy petals in various colors. He walked up to her, blushing slightly.
"Hello, madam. What might your name be?"
The mare bowed before him. "Greetings, Prince Gold Soul. My name is Candy Flower. How might I aid your highness?"
Gold Soul laughed. "Oh, you don't have to be so formal. I just wanted to chat."
She looked up, startled. "Like... Friends?"
He smiled. "I suppose so."
Candy Flower smiled back. "Oh, how exciting! What do you want to do first?"
He blushed. "Well, you could show me your favorite places around the city. I apologize if I end up being a little coarse. I've never really had a friend before..."
Candy flower looked up at him and smiled. "Don't worry, I haven't either."
Silver raindrops, golden clouds
Sombra sat in the library, reading his new favorite book. He loved to stroke the soft, leathery green cover as he learned about the secrets of magic. Unbeknownst to him, this was an enchanted book, one that was possessed with a strong dark magic. The book would be an abhorrent object even without this quality, as it was bound in pony skin. The longer he read it, the more it corrupted his mind, turning him against those who loved him the most. He was not at all surprised to hear the sound of a portal opening and closing behind him. He turned around to see Ahuizotl standing behind him. He stood up before him, not at all intimidated by the demon's size. He looked him straight in the face.
"Have the documents been retrieved?" Sombra asked.
"Yes, my lord" Ahuizotl replied, smiling.
"And the mare has been set up?" Sombra inquired, giving Ahuizotl a piercing stare.
"Of course, my lord. She doesn't even know that she stole the documents, but the guard certainly does. I personally saw her kill three of them with a candlestick." He replied, chuckling slightly at the memory.
"Pregnant mares are always the strongest." Sombra said, smirking slightly himself. Soon, the mare would be put on trial and executed. The loss of his only friend would destroy Gold Soul, his big brother. If his brother didn't kill himself or leave the kingdom from the heartache, Sombra would have him assassinated personally. After that, there would be nothing between him and the throne of Equestria. Sombra smiled.
"Very good, Ahuizotl. You may leave now." He said, musing over what he would do as king. Ahuizotl smiled back, and vanished in an instant into his portal.
Silver raindrops, golden clouds
Candy Flower sat in her cottage, smiling upon her tiny new foal. The little filly was a light pink color, with her father's curly blue mane and strong wings. Candy Flower knew that her little girl would grow up to be a strong flyer. And in that moment, as the world welcomed her tiny child, moments after birth, she bestowed a name upon the little one, a name that this precious angel she now held would carry well. Storm Song. It suited the tiny pegasus well, her swirling blue mane mimicking the stormy curls of a rain cloud, bringing the sweet music of a spring shower to the world. However, unbeknownst to her, a very unfortunate occurrence for her was taking place in the palace.
Gold Soul walked into the throne room, feeling slightly anxious. His father almost never sent for him, especially in the throne room. He would usually just come find him. Whatever it was, it must have been serious. As he walked in, he gazed at the majestic beauty of the lunar throne room. He had always liked it, with the arching ceilings twenty or more feet above his head, embedded with diamonds in the shapes of the night's constellations. The large blue banners hung up beside the throne, hoof-stitched designs of the moon and some of the stars, were truly an impressive sight. He stood before his father's throne, waiting to hear what was so important. His father sat up straight as a poker, looking towards his son.
"Did you need something, Father?" Gold Soul asked, biting his lip just a little. His father inhaled sharply, which put Gold Soul even more on edge. He knew that meant his father was anxious too.
"Yes, my son. I'm afraid I need to ask you to do something very hard and painful, but it necessary for the good of all of Equestria." He said. Saturn knew that what he was about to ask his eldest son to do something horrible, but he didn't have much choice. He looked his son in the eyes, and inhaled again, knowing he was about to break the young stallion's heart.
"Some of our military's vital documents have been stolen. The thief also killed twenty of our personal royal guard. As a result, we cannot send our royal guard after this individual, for fear of losing too many lives. However, they have broken the law by stealing these documents, and also using forbidden dark magic to kill twenty strong stallions in the prime of their lives, and must be executed. However, you are the one stallion who can get to this pony without being killed. Gold Soul, you must find this pony, and deliver the killing blow yourself. You may do so however you see fit." Gold Soul puffed his chest up a little and saluted his father, as was traditional for his rank.
"I shall carry out your request to the best of my abilities. Who must I eliminate?" Gold Soul asked, feeling bad, but also furious over the deaths of his guard. What his father said next turned his whole world on its head.
"Your best friend, Candy Flower."
Silver raindrops, golden clouds
Gold Soul walked to his friend Candy Flower's house, his heart heavy as he plodded along the path. His father had put the most heart-wrenching of tasks upon his shoulders, and he had no idea what to do. He was torn between his loyalty to his country, and the loyalty he felt to his dearest friend. He cared for her deeply, but she had betrayed the crown of Equestria. What could he do in the face of something like that? He was so lost in his mind, that he nearly bumped into somepony. And by sheer bad luck, it just so happened to be his friend, Candy Flower. She giggled at his clumsiness, and poked him playfully with a hoof.
"Hey, Goldie! What's up!" She said with her characteristic bubbly charm. On any other day, it would have been a simple enough question to answer for the honest young prince, but on today, of all days, when the fate of his country and his friend was hanging heavy in the balance, he paused for a split second at the question. However, he managed to come up with a quick lie to put her mind at ease.
"Fine, and you?" He said, his heart racing as he tried to stay calm. She bounced where she stood, delighted for some reason that Gold Soul couldn't comprehend right now.
"It's great! I have some amazing news for you!" She said, practically bursting with excitement. Gold faked a smile and looked down into his dearest and only friend's eyes.
"Well, why don't we go to our favorite spot to talk about it?" He said.
"Ok!" She said, smiling as she walked beside him.
Before long, they were at the place he had mentioned. It was a gorgeous cliff top, where you could see the Wilds of Equestria sprawling across the land. Candy Flower stood beside Gold Soul, taking in the view, her soft, flowing mane looking absolutely stunning in the sunset. She looked back at Gold Soul, a beautiful smile upon her face.
"So, what's the news?" Gold said, looking over to her. She bounced in place, more excited than ever.
"I've decided that you should be my baby's uncle!" She said, smiling brightly. Gold Soul blinked, startled by her words.
"Wait, what?" He said, taken quite aback. She giggled and hugged him tight.
"You'd be a perfect uncle for my baby. You're like the big brother I never had, and I want my best friend by my side with me always, and my baby deserves that feeling you give me whenever we spend time together." She said. Gold Soul's eyes watered a little from her sweet words, and he thought back upon everything they had done together, on how she had always been there for him, how they had always been there for each other, how much he cared about her... In that moment, he made his decision, and forever sealed the twisting knot of fate. He hugged her close to his body, a tear running down his face.
"I don't deserve to be loved so much." He said.
And with that, he pushed her off the cliff.
He would never forget the sound of her screams as she fell, or the... Pink mist... from her dead body when it finally hit the ground. The thing that stuck most in his mind, however, was her expression as she fell, looking up at him with a look of complete horror and betrayal. But there was nothing that could be done, and he knew that what he had done was for the good of all of Equestria. He trembled where he stood, looking down to what remained of his beloved friend, and cried out to the heavens, tears streaming down his face. He fell to the ground on top of the cliff, and sobbed into the grass, knowing that he would never have as dear a friend as her again. About an hour later, he stood, spread his wings, and flew towards the woodlands ahead, swearing to never return.
Silver raindrops, golden clouds
Big Brother is Watching You
Sombra sat in the castle library, chuckling to himself. His plan had worked perfectly. His brother had been missing for three months, which left Sombra the heir to the throne, as his sisters were younger than himself and couldn't claim it themselves. His mother and father had been heartbroken over the loss of their son, and king Saturn seemed extremely upset about the tragic turn of events. He had barely come out of his room, leaving the bereaved queen to do much of her husband's royal duties. Everything was falling into place perfectly. He heard the familiar sound of a portal opening behind him, and turned to see Ahuizotl standing before him. He smiled and walked up to the demon, who he considered his only friend besides his books, especially the green one that had helped him summon this exotic creature in the first place. Ahuizotl seemed happy to see him too, and sat down in front of the young alicorn prince.
"How goes things, my lord?" Ahuizotl asked, smiling upon Sombra as he sat in front of him. Sombra smiled back, shifting his wings as he got comfortable.
"Quite well, Ahuizotl, but please, call me Sombra." he said with a chuckle. The large blue demon chuckled back, and looked down at him.
"Well, I didn't come just to chat. I need something of you, young prince." He said. Sombra laughed.
"Why, anything for such a loyal friend! What can I do for you, Ahuizotl?" He asked, eager to make him happy.
"Well, you wish to become the king of Equestria, correct?" Ahuizotl said. Sombra smiled, thinking of the power he would gain in that office.
"Of course! And thanks to the death of my useless, soft-hearted older brother, now I shall be!" He said, putting slight emphasis on the slurs towards his elder sibling.
"Well, not necessarily, princeling." Ahuizotl said. "You see, your brother is still alive, but he will not return to civilization for quite some time. Killing his dearest friend has broken the young stallion's heart, you see, and he has put himself in exile within the woodlands of Western Equestria."
"What does it matter, then? My fool of a brother is out of the way anyway. Nothing stands in the way of my rightful place on the throne. Nopony will stand in my way now that he is out of the picture." At that statement, Ahuizotl grinned in a way that Sombra didn't quite like.
"Unless you know something more, Ahuizotl? Is there something you have failed to bring to my attention?" Sombra said, gazing upon him cautiously.
"Oh, nothing like that! It's just a matter of my payment, that's all!" Ahuizotl said with a laugh. Sombra glared at him.
"Well, what do you want? Gold? Jewels? A virgin mare? Those seem like things you would enjoy." Sombra said, giving him a skeptical look. Ahuizotl only laughed harder.
"Oh, no no no! I need nothing as extravagant as that!" He said, rolling on the floor with laughter.
"Well, what do you require then? Don't waste my time, fool!" Sombra snapped, his patience wearing thin. Ahuizotl sat back up and looked at him.
"I simply require something of importance to you, a part of who you are... Like your wings." Ahuizotl said.
"What use have you for my wings?" Sombra asked, puzzled.
"They make you an alicorn prince, Sombra dear. They're a key part of your identity. Without them, what are you?"
Sombra glared at the ground, turning his back on the demon. Suddenly, he spun back around, a bolt of strong dark magic shooting from his horn.
"A stronger wielder of the dark arts than you could ever dream of becoming, you cur!" He cried out, hitting the intruder hard. Ahuizotl got up in a flash, however, and grabbed Sombra.
"Ah, but that is where you are so very wrong..." Ahuizotl said with a chuckle.
Nopony heard Sombra's screams from the library that day.
Silver raindrops, golden clouds
Celestia soared through the sky, her large, light pink wings a magnificent sight to behold. Her battle armor shone like the sun as she flew, making the mare herself look both powerfully intimidating and alluringly beautiful. Her sister Luna flew alongside her, her indigo wings contrasting starkly with the landscape below. Underneath the pair, a massive army of Equestrian rebels, trained as quickly as possible by what remained of the royal guard, galloped madly across the countryside, their hooves thundering out across the land as they charged boldly forward. Behind the two sisters in the sky, pegasi warriors flew along, their wings spreading out wide as they flew, unfurling into a rainbow of glory. The army wasn't the best trained, but they were many, they were proud, and they were ready to reclaim their homeland. Celestia looked forward to the citadel they were advancing upon, its crystaline towers soaring high as the crystal ponies living within slaved away under their new tyrant, her brother Sombra. She thought back upon the events of the past few months, and wondered if there was some way it all could have been stopped.
About three months before, Sombra had taken the throne after the unexpected disappearance of Gold Soul, the eldest prince and future king, and the assassinations of the king and queen. He had cracked down upon his people, forcing them to work like slaves for the crown. Changelings had also arrived as slavers, rounding up the citizens as he looked on. He had been sitting in his new throneroom, the one of his father, when his two sisters approached him.
"Brother, we have come to you to discuss an important matter" Celestia said, looking cold and formal, not kind and gentle as she had when they were younger. Sombra looked down upon his sisters, seeing their stern expressions.
"Oh? And what might that be, dear sisters of mine? Have you come to congratulate me, perhaps?" He said mockingly. Luna looked up at him coldly, rustling her feathers as she shifted her wings.
"No, dear brother. We have come to discuss the state of our kingdom." She said, trying to remain calm. The way he was treating the citizens had infuriated her completely. Sombra hissed, glaring down at her.
"My kingdom, little sister. Do not so easily forget that."
"Well, we don't think you deserve it!" Luna burst out, unable to contain her rage. Celestia put a gentle hoof on her back.
"Easy, sister. All will be right soon" she turned back to her brother. "Our younger sister is correct. You have shown yourself unfit to be king, Sombra. Step down, or face the consequences." Sombra stood up, infuriated.
"You think you can dethrone me?!? You are but a helpless mare! Your only uses are foalbearing and domestic affairs! What do you know of politics?!? I earned my throne, unlike our soft, simple older brother, Gold. He only cared for peace and friendship, but I have found something stronger... Fear. By harnessing fear, I have gotten what I wanted, what I deserve, and I won't just hand it over to some hare-brained mare!" He raged, tossing his royal robes to the ground and revealing his wingless state for the first time. Celestia and Luna gasped in horror at the sight.
"Oh, dear brother... What have you done?" Celestia said, almost in a whisper. Sombra laughed, but is was not the laugh of the big brother she had known and loved for so long. It was dark, deep, cold, and empty, much like his heart had now become.
"From the power of fear, I have gained my fondest dream... And can plunge you into your worst nightmare." he said, his horn glowing and sparking brightly with dark arcane energy. The sisters found themselves engulfed in magic, then suddenly they were thrown into their darkest fears.
Celestia shook her head, flinging away the thoughts of the horrors she had experienced. She knew that her lost brother would never hurt her, would never touch her that way... He had loved her too much to even dream of committing such atrocities. Luna looked over to her sister.
"Do not fear, Celestia. Our royal brother would never have done such a thing." she said. She already knew what her sister's nightmare had been, as they had told each other what had happened. Celestia smiled and looked back to her.
"And your fear shall never pass either, dear sister. Your magic will always be safe with you." She replied. Luna looked away, faking a smile. She had told her sister that her nightmare had been about her losing her alicorn magic, but that wasn't quite true. But there was no time to ponder this, for they had arrived at the borders of the city.
The battle for Equestria was about to begin.
Silver raindrops, golden clouds
Gold Soul spent much time with Candy Flower after that. They would go to the market of her little village home, and he would occasionally show her around his home, smiling as she gazed in awe upon the wonders inside the palace. Unbeknownst to him, his brother, Sombra, would often gaze upon them from the shadows. He envied his elder brother, since he had never discovered the secret to friendship himself. He immersed himself into his studies, pouring his soul into his work. No matter how many books he read, he could never find the answer. His mother and father both tried to pull him out from his self-made prison of books, but they failed each time. In the end, he refused to leave the library. He hid himself from his distraught parents, even going so far as to sleep among the bookshelves, his only friends. In the end, his parents gave up, having his meals sent to the library. The longer he stayed in the library, the more depressed he became. As the young prince slipped further into madness, he read nearly every single book in the library. One day, however, he found a secret book, hidden away behind a forgotten door in the library. It had a soft, minky green cover, with a lock of a similar hue. However, it wasn't locked. As he opened it, a light green tinge came to his eyes, and he smiled. At last, he had found his friend.
Silver raindrops, golden clouds
Candy Flower was trotting along a dark woodland path, enjoying the cool breeze that toyed with her mane. The young mare would often walk along this path, soaking in the calm, peaceful nature of the forest, because this particular path led to the castle. The animals within had gotten used to her, and would even sometimes accompany her on her stroll. She didn't mind, and had even befriended a few. Sometimes, she thought she was beginning to understand how they spoke to each other. She smiled, and thought back to her reason for her walk. She had been wed a few months prior to the herbalist in her village, Sprout Sparks. Their wedding had been beautiful, and had quite a decent amount of ponies attending thanks to her friend, Prince Gold Soul. Any event he attended often ended up becoming an affluent occasion, whether he tried to make it one or not. Even though he had been somewhat sheltered when they met due to almost never leaving the castle, he managed in social situations with decent success, and the wedding had gone without a hitch. Recently, however, a new development had unfolded. She and Sprout Sparks had been quite the happy couple, and they had recently discovered that she was pregnant with their first foal! They were both incredibly excited, and Candy Flower was eager to share the news with her friend. She sighed, and thought of all the wonderful times she and her baby would share. She came out of her daydreamy fog, however, when she ran into a tree. She looked around, and realized that she had no idea where she was. She was startled by an eerie chuckle from the shadows.
"Who is it?" She called out, immediately taking a defensive stance. "Show yourself!"
The voice chuckled again as a hand went over her head, and she suddenly was thrown into a hypnotic trance. Ahuizotl smiled and laughed again, amused by the suddenly placent, obedient mare, ready to do his bidding. "There, there, it'll be all over soon. Now then, I need you to go get a special document from the castle's military archives. Can you do that for old Ahuizotl?
Candy Flower gazed off into the distance, seemingly zombified and completely unaware of her actions in her trance. "Mm-hm."
