Prologue-Forgotten Memories
It was a cool, autumn night in the land of Equestria, with the proud moon shining brightly high in the clear night skies; painting the landscape with its pale, but wondrous light. Even here, in the ever busy city of Canterlot, there was a certain beauty with the way the Equestrian capital seemed to radiate in the lunar light, even if it did go unappreciated by some of its citizens. For the rest of them, it couldn't be a more perfect night.
Princess Luna stood out on the balcony of Canterlot Castle, looking contently over the city, and admiring the work she did with the night sky. She lifted her gaze to the moon, closing her eyes and sighing contently as the brisk breeze blew over her. She cleared her mind, and focused her magic so that she could enter the Dreamscape, to perform her duty of dream walking, to comfort as many troubled dreams as she could for the night.
Upon entering the Dreamscape, Luna opened her eyes, taking a moment to admire the endless, starry space, and the varied, beautifully colored nebulae that could be seen in the distance, with rows upon rows of various doors that led to a pony's very dreams. She's seen this very sight hundreds, if not thousands, of times, yet it always seemed to amaze her as if it was her first time beholding its wondrous glory.
This was her favorite part of her duties, not only because of the view, but because it helped ease any tension that her subjects had of her. She got to shed her mask for a time, showing her more nurturing and compassionate side, which helped her build trust and good rapport with them. It was a welcome change compared to the fear ponies had of her from her time as Nightmare Moon. To be trusted, and welcomed was a far better feeling than being feared, and hated.
To Luna's surprise, there were few nightmares to deal with this night. The foals were all resting peacefully, without fear, and their parents, without worry. The few bad dreams that did come were mostly of ponies reading scary stories like Slendermare or Jason Vhoorhooves, and are now currently reading books like the Daring Doo series to ease their fears before returning to their slumber. Others were so frightened that they outright refused to fall asleep again, for fear of having another nightmare, a fact that always made her laugh a little. Had they more trust in her, she'd have gladly comforted them. As it stood, it was their choice to stay awake.
After helping ease the fears of the few ponies that needed it, Luna was ready to go back to the castle. As she was making her way back, she sensed another, more peculiar dream. It wasn't one of fear or dread. It wasn't even one of confusion, turmoil or happiness. It was one that she'd felt before, and one that she was sure her sister had felt for the millennium she was banished to the moon: Loss. Curious, she tracked the source of it, and to her surprise, she found a set of tall doors, painted white with a sun painted in the middle if it. She'd recognize this door anywhere... this dream belonged to none other than her sister.
A small sense of dread started to well within her heart, making her somewhat reluctant to step through. She hoped it wasn't what she thought it could be; that fateful night that she turned to Nightmare Moon, with Celestia being forced to use the Elements of Harmony on her, banishing her for one thousand years. She didn't want yet another reminder of her moment of weakness, anymore than Celestia did. However, it was her duty to help ease any and all ponies of their nightmares, more so if it was her sister that needed the help. She took a deep breath, steeling her nerves before entering the gateway of her sister's dream.
A bitterly cold gust of wind had cut through Luna's fur the moment she stepped in, making her shiver almost immediately. She had expected to find herself in the middle of the old palace she and Celestia had shared, but instead she found herself near the summit of some mountain in the middle of a snow storm of sorts. The sky was dark gray from the overcast, making it nigh impossible for her to determine the time of day. On top of that, the relentless cold winds blowing on her face made it difficult for her to see, coupled with the fact that she could only keep her eyes open in small slits, due to the snow stinging her eyes if she opened them any wider. She used her wings to shield her face as best as she could, even though she knew it would offer little protection against the winds.
Deciding not to linger for too long, she took the path that went further up the mountain, not entirely sure where it led, but she'd rather keep moving than to remain exposed to the elements. Along the way, something kept nagging at the back of her mind that the path seemed vaguely familiar; like she'd seen it before, but couldn't place her finger on it. With the winds picking up in intensity, she sped up as much as she could. Considering that the snow was already up to her calves with every step she took, it wasn't much faster at all, and her body was shivering all the more. Deciding she had enough of the cold, she lit up her horn, causing the storm to cease. She took a deep breath to get her bearings again, then continued on the path.
After a time she discovered a log cabin in the distance, with a light coming from the windows, and shadows moving from within. Luna stared at the structure for a time, a sense of familiarity steadily growing within her with each step she took, until it finally hit her like a ton of bricks, racing to the forefront of her mind: she and Celestia used to live here.
This wasn't just any normal dream. It was a memory. Soon, that sense of familiarity was replaced by confusion. She remembered these times to be one of her happiest memories during her youth. So why was Celestia's heart filled with such a profound sense of loss, as if somepony just ripped her heart out in front of her? Was she not happy as well? Was there something that wasn't revealed to her in this specific moment of time? What could possibly be plaguing her sister with this memory?
Luna quickened her pace towards her old home. There was a lot confusing her at the moment, and she had a gut feeling that her answers would come from within that cabin.
She crept up the stairs slowly, and silently made her way to the window, so she wouldn't alert Celestia to her presence just yet. Otherwise, she may not learn what was troubling her so. She peeked inside, and saw a hazel colored pegasus mare, wearing a yellow wool coat that matched her mane and a long brown skirt, standing over a kettle, stirring its contents. Luna's eyes widened, instantly recognizing her.
"Wow! That smells divine, Hazel Blossom," a stallion's voice complimented. A moment later, a tall, dark grey, earth pony stallion with a blue mane with white streaks in it walked into the kitchen. "Tia and Luna are going to love their first mug of your famous hot cocoa."
"Famous?" Hazel Blossom giggled. "You flatter me, Onyx. Such honeyed words can really get to a mare's head," she said as she tapped the spoon on the side of the kettle a few times, seemingly satisfied with the results her recipe. She grabbed three mugs, filling them with fresh, hot cocoa.
"Well, it's famous for me, and everypony else that's tried it," he chuckled. "And soon, you'll have two more enthusiasts."
It was then that Luna smelled rich chocolate and a hint of cinnamon, making her mouth water as the nostalgic scent brought back many happy memories that were shared with that very recipe. Oh, how she'd missed it for all these eons.
Her thoughts were cut short when she saw a filly Celestia in a pink nightgown walking into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes and yawning as if she just woke from a nap. She stretched her arms above her head, and gave her tiny wings a good stretch as well to work out the stiffness. "Hi, Ma. Hi, Pa."
"Well, good evening, Tia," Hazel Blossom said in a gentle, motherly tone. "Did we wake you?"
Celestia shook her head. "No, you didn't. I smelled something yummy!" she said happily, earning her a soft smile from her caregivers.
"Yes, your Ma made some hot cocoa. Be a dear and wake Luna as well. This will warm her right up," said Onyx. The young alicorn giggled, running off to the other room on the other end of the cabin to do as she was asked.
Hazel let out a sad sigh. "Such beautiful foals they are, Celestia and Luna. To think that their own mothers gave them up to us."
"Can you blame them? They are considered two of the very founders of Equestria, and the fact that the populace saw the foals as an abomination was already threatening to undo the peace they had just forged with our races," Onyx explained.
"I know..." she said sadly. "Isn't it ironic that they should seek us? The very 'abominations' they themselves publicly condemned?"
"It's a cruel irony indeed. But we Weavers have endured such harsh criticism and persecution since the dawn of our kind. After all, who better to raise outcasts than outcasts? They are not tainted with such bigoted views, or hatred. As such, it's up to us to teach them all differences should be treated with kindness and respect, rather than fear and hatred. To welcome others in the name of friendship, not aggression. Otherwise, the cycle will never break."
Weavers. It had been eons since Luna had heard of that now extinct class of ponies. Even to this day, it still had an ancient feel to it.
"I agree. I think they're destined to bring about greatness to this land, and will lead it to a bright future," Hazel Blossom said with a sense of pride.
Luna's eyes glossed over, hearing what her foster parents were saying to each other. She swallowed the lump she felt in her throat, slowly understanding why Celestia was feeling such a loss. However, she suspected there was more to it than just missing their caretakers. Before she could think further on the matter, she saw Celestia enter the kitchen again, holding her younger doppelganger's hand.
The filly Luna looked groggy, but smiled at her foster parents in greeting nonetheless, "Hewwo, Ma and Pa," she greeted.
"Hi, Luna. Come now, you two; have a seat and we can all share a mug of hot cocoa," Hazel said. The fillies happily sat in their places, waiting with eager anticipation to try this yummy-smelling treat.
Young Luna was the first to take an eager sip, and hissed in pain when she drank too quickly. "Hot, hot, hot!" she dismayed while fanning her mouth with her hand. "Why didn't anyponny tell me hot cucoo was hot?!"
Onyx felt bad for her, but couldn't help but let out a laugh. "I'm sorry, sweetie. It's pronounced hot cocoa and as the name implies, it's very hot."
Celestia, learning from Luna’s mistake, took a careful sip from her mug. As the hot, sweet liquid traveled down her throat, she had a surprised look on her face, looking back and forth between Hazel Blossom and Onyx. "Wow! This is really, really yummy!"
The filly Luna had a frown on her face, which quickly turned to curiosity when she saw her older sister's praise for the devilishly hot liquid. She once again grabbed her mug, and carefully, took a small sip this time. As soon as she swallowed her drink, she gasped in surprise. "Wow! This is the bestest dwink ever!"
Onyx smiled. "See? I told you they'd love it, Blossom. Your cocoa will be famous yet."
Luna looked on with a heavy heart as her lost family continued to drink their mugs for a time, smiling and laughing as each of them enjoyed one another's company. Unfortunately, it wouldn't last, as the sound of a stone shattering glass disrupted the tender moment.
"Get down!" Onyx ordered, pulling his wife and two fillies under the table.
"Onyx!" a particularly hateful voice from outside yelled. "You unholy abominations don't belong here! Go back to the pits of Tartarus where the lot of you belong!" A collective roar of agreement could be heard outside.
Onyx crawled to the shattered window to sneak a peek at what they were dealing with. Luna herself turned around, and saw an angry mob holding torches, clubs, knives, axes and improvised weapons such as pitchforks, tree branches and the like, being lead by a burly orange pegasus stallion. "It's Rapid Haze, and he's brought some followers with him this time. There's a lot of them. At least twenty, maybe thirty."
"Ma...I'm scared!" Celestia cried, holding an equally frightened, whimpering filly Luna closely. "Why are they so angry with us?"
"Because, they are fearful of what they don't understand, Tia. But don't worry, you and Luna did nothing to deserve this. They are just ignorant bigots," Hazel Blossom assured her in as comforting a voice as she could, despite the fact that she, herself, was trembling with fear.
"Rapid Haze!" Onyx yelled. "Take your mob and get off my land, or I will be forced to take action!"
"Empty threats from a coward stallion who hides behind his cursed harlot of a wife, and two demon children!" the hateful stallion spat back.
"This is your final warning! Begone!" Onyx responded. The Lunar Princess looked to see Onyx pull out a curious item, a feather pen that had small runes etched on the quill itself, and saw Hazel Blossom pull out a hand weeder, also adorned with runes along the gardening tool.
"Burn the house down, along with the abominations!" Rapid Haze yelled.
Upon hearing the order, Princess Luna saw Onyx jump out of the window with his quill in hand, just as the mob threw their torches towards them. The first thing she noticed was that the runes on his quill were glowing a pale blue. He then brought up his quill, and looked to be drawing something in the air. With every line he made, a trail of light followed as he quickly, but gracefully, moved his hand through the air, and formed a complete rune. The rune glowed brightly, and released a strong gust of wind that pushed the torches back, and extinguished their fires.
"He's using his black magic again!" a stallion from the mob yelled fearfully, causing some of them to lose their nerve.
Onyx walked down his steps, his eyes seeming to illuminate dully with each step he took towards the misguided group, causing them to back away the closer he got to them. He looked right in Rapid Haze's eyes. "I warn you again: Get off of my land. I won't hesitate to end each and every one of you if you continue to threaten my family and I. Or do you still think I speak empty threats?"
Luna saw the area beginning to ripple, signifying that her sister was finally waking up. With a flash of her horn, she exits the dream, and back into the castle.
It was still dark out, and by the position of the moon above, it was still quite a while before the sun was due to rise. She let out a shaky breath, her hands and legs trembling as the image of Celestia's dream was still fresh in her mind. Reasoning that if she was this shaken up by the memory dream, Celestia would be more so than she.
She raced back inside, ignoring the confused looks of her Night Guard as she whizzed past them, to seek out her sister. The hallways were filled with sounds of her hooves making contact with the marble floors, until finally, she found the doors that led to her sister's room.
Discarding her manners, she opened her door, and walked in to see Celestia visibly shaken. "Sister, I have seen your dream. Or rather, your memory," she said as she pulled her elder sister into an embrace.
Celestia returned the embrace, though she said nothing for a time, simply holding her, "...Luna, I've asked you not to come into my dreams," she stated.
"And you even expected me to listen?" Luna replied with smile. The sisters shared a laugh, seeming to be past the worst of the tension. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes, Lulu, I'm fine," Celestia replied, then let out a sad sigh. "I dream of them from time to time. Ma and Da were good ponies, and we were very fortunate to have had them during that time of turmoil."
Luna nodded. "Indeed we were. Were it not for them, we would not be where we are now. Them, and several other good ponies deserve our thanks, and we have given it to them."
Celestia's eyes glass over. "Not all of them," she corrected. "The Weavers met an untimely end over a thousand years ago because of me. It was a tragic loss that I could have prevented...an entire class of ponies gone in a fortnight."
Luna's ears were pinned back as she felt a lump on her throat. "You speak of the Purging, don't you?"
Celestia nodded in confirmation. "Yes. After all they've done for us, I wasn't able to protect them..."
"Tia, we've been over this before. It's not your fault. It was a senseless tragedy caused by ponies we trusted at the time. How could we have known what their intentions were?"
"Yes, I know. It's just that sometimes I wish I could let them know how sorry I am that things happened the way they did, if not prevent it altogether."
Luna reached for her sister's hand. "And I'm sure they would tell you the same thing I've been telling you all this time: that it's not your fault. They were a proud people, but they never once blamed you or I for their hardships."
Celestia gave her a sad smile. "Perhaps you're right, Luna. Thank you for this talk," she said, once again embracing her sister. "Though, part of me wonders how well they would have fared in this modern age. I wonder if they would have met the same hardships now as they did before."
"You should get some rest. It's almost time for your shift and I fully expect for you to be on time for breakfast this time," said Luna with a smirk. With that, the lunar princess headed out the door, making sure that the door closed behind her. She let out a sigh, walking down the hall as she lost herself in thought.
Part of her wished that there were some surviving Weavers, not just for the sake of preserving their class, but also for helping ease Celestia's guilt for what happened to their kind. It wasn't as though she harped on it all the time for the past millennium, but once in a while, it would hit her hard. Especially if she dreamed of their time as fillies.
***
In the Canterlot train station, a tall, dark grey earth pony stallion with a blue mane with white streaks in it approached the counter with a smile, catching the attention of the ticket mare. "Good morning, ma'am. How are you doing?" he politely asked.
"I'm fine, thank you," the mare responded. "Now, how can I help you?"
"I'd like to purchase three tickets for Ponyville please."
"Alright, one moment please." she replied, printing out the tickets. "That'll be thirty-five bits."
The stallion reached in the inner pocket of his overcoat, pulling out his bit bag to pay the mare. By sheer accident, he accidentally pulled out his golden astrolabe with it, causing it to stumble on the countertop towards the mare. "Oh, no. My apologies ma'am." he said as he placed the bits on the counter.
"It's alright, I got it," she said, picking the instrument up. What caught her eye wasn't the fact that it was made of gold, but rather that it seemed to have strange runes etched into it. She couldn't help but stare at them for a time, because it seemed so odd to her. However, she was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the stallion clear his throat. "Oh, sorry. It's just that your astrolabe is really nice."
"Thank you, I appreciate that. You have a pleasant day now," he responded, safely tucking the instrument in his inner pocket once more before walking away.
"Real smooth, Solstice," a burnt orange, pegasus stallion with a red mane teased. "Way to impress the mares with your clumsiness," he chuckled.
"Yeah, like you can do better, Sunrise Storm," a white earth pony filly with a stylized pale blue mane with white streaks in it retorted. "With the way you dress I'm not at all surprised that you can't get a mare to take you seriously!"
"What's wrong with the way I dress, Wintermoon?!" Storm asked defensively.
"That stupid yellow vest really isn't doing you any favors. Plus you're too cocky for most mares' tastes," she responded with absolute certainty in her voice.
"You're like, eight years old! How would you know what mares are into?! I've got source material that proves otherwise!" Sunrise growled.
"You know that Cosmarepolitan is full of hoopla, don't you?" Wintermoon deadpanned.
"I-I don't read Cosmarepolitan!" Sunrise denied with a blush steadily growing on his face.
"Alright, you two, that's quite enough," Solstice stated. "Sunrise, you're the her elder. Please do start acting more mature."
"You're not that much older than me, Solstice. You could stand to relax a little," Storm joked.
"He's still technically our guardian, Sunny, even if he isn't that much older than you. You still have to listen," Wintermoon teased, further irritating him.
"And I'm your older brother! You're supposed to listen to me!" Sunny growled.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you over all of the hoopla that comes out of your mouth," she giggled.
Solstice himself couldn't help but laugh at their little banter. "Come, our train is about to depart. We can get some rest once we're boarded," he said, leading them to their platform.
Sunrise yawned and stretched. "Sounds good. Who boards a train at this hour anyways? The sun isn't when up."
"Apparently we do," Wintermoon said with a hint of sarcasm.
"Moon! Cut it out already! You're being annoying!"
"Alright, alright, I'll tone it down. Besides, we wouldn't want to make the wrong impression with the Ponyville residents, right?"
"Well said, Wintermoon. You're certainly more mature than you let on," Solstice praised.
"I wonder...will we finally be settled once we move there? I'd like to at least stay in a place for more than a year at a time," Sunny said.
"I know. We'll just have to wait and see. It's remote, so maybe we can finally have the space and freedom to study our craft with no interference," Solstice said.
The three ponies entered the train, promptly taking their seats, as they waited for the train to depart. Although they each had their hopes for this town, they shared a common goal: to live in peace, without fear of persecution for being Weavers.
Author's Note
Big thanks to Tatsurou for all of help in getting this story started! Hope you all enjoyed!
A Rude Awakening
A cool, gentle breeze was blowing over the silent, dew filled hills as the moon was slowly setting in the early morning sky. The sun was marking its arrival with a faint purple light painting the horizon on the east, with its light steadily growing brighter on the peacefully silent countryside.
In the distance, the faint sounds of an inbound train's engine was disturbing the otherwise serene setting, much to the chagrin of the small animals that were in a peaceful slumber.
The same couldn't be said for the ponies on the train. For most of them, the steady sound of the train riding the tracks and the steady rhythm of the wind was more than enough to lull them to a very peaceful sleep. All except for one pony.
Solstice was sitting quietly reading a book in the train cabin, with Sunrise Storm and Wintermoon soundly asleep only a few feet away on their beds. With the curtains cracked open, a sliver of moonlight dimly illuminated a small portion of the cabin, but much to Solstice's dismay, the setting moon had shifted the light further away from him as he would have liked, thus robbing him of the light he needed to read his book.
With a sigh, he reached in his left inner coat pocket and produced a small pebble that had runes etched into it, and placed it on the edge of the window sill. He then pulled out his astrolabe, and turned the rete and rule until a few of the runes on it were aligned, giving off a dim glow as they were set; then he ran his index finger along the runes of the pebble until it was emitting a soft-glowing light. It was bright enough for him to read and illuminate part of the cabin, but dim enough to not disturb his two pupils.
Satisfied with the light, he continued to read his book, The Biography of Starswirl the Bearded. Though they practiced different disciplines of magic, Solstice drew great inspiration from the historical figure. It wasn't just his discovery of the hundreds of magic spells, but rather the way he was able to effectively teach and pass down the knowledge he acquired through his intense studies. To think that all these centuries later, ponies still learn much from his ways, and use him as an example to strive for academic and intellectual excellence, and also see him as a patron for magical instruction.
Though he's been teaching Sunrise Storm and Wintermoon the ways and history of the Weavers for the past few years, there was always a shred of doubt that lingered in the back of his mind about his teaching ability. There were always worries about his lessons being too boring, or too on the nose for their liking, and that he may not have explained enough of his material for them to truly grasp their concept as he hoped they would. No matter how many books he read on effective methods for teaching, he always felt like he was out of his element when he tried to employ those methods. Reading is one thing, but actually doing it is another as he's come to find out. He just hoped he would find his niche soon, so that he could be more effective in at area.
As important as the academic aspect was, it wasn't the only part of teaching that worried him so. He was also worried about how he would teach them lessons of life. As Storm told him before they boarded the train earlier, he was only a few years his elder, even if he was their legal guardian.
Solstice shook his head to rid himself of such unnecessary thoughts. He was here now, with them under his care. He would do what he had to do, and that's all there was to it. Worrying about all of his responsibilities, as numerous as they were, would do nothing but add unnecessary stress on him. He didn't have the luxury to question or doubt his current situation. He would just have to deal with it as best as he could.
Solstice looked at the two ponies before him, each of them sleeping without a care in the world. A soft smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he gazed upon their peaceful faces, a small sense of joy and pride welling within his heart. He couldn't fathom it nor explain it for the life of him, but that feeling strengthened his resolve to educate and prepare them for the world, and their heritage. But above all else, he wanted to ensure their happiness as well. For now, he had a rare opportunity for some leisure reading, and he wouldn't pass it up.
"Mares and gentlecolts, we will be arriving in Ponyville shortly. Please gather all of your luggage and thank you for choosing Canterlot Express!" the conductor announced over the intercom.
Wintermoon yawned and stretched her stiff muscles when she heard the announcement. She rubbed her eyes, "Hey, Solstice." she greeted.
"Ah, Wintermoon. Did you sleep well?" Solstice asked with a warm smile.
She nodded, "I had a nice dream. There were waffles. Lots and lots of waffles. And haybacon too. Some scrambled eggs may or may not have been in there as well, along with a big glass of apple cider."
Solstice chuckled, "I can take a hint, young lady. We'll all get some breakfast once we register at a hotel."
"You know, we could get breakfast before we register. I'm a growing filly, and I need to be nourished in a timely manner." she said with a wry smile.
"True, but then would you really want to carry around all of your luggage throughout town? Wouldn't you think that would be counterproductive?"
"I...guess you have a point." Wintermoon conceded, "I, myself, pack light, but Storm on the other hand..." she looks behind her to see several large, heavy-looking suitcases that were unceremoniously stuffed in a corner, "...packs about as much luggage as a stereotypical diva with the same level cleanliness as your typical stallion."
Solstice grinned and rolled his eyes, "Be a good filly and wash up, and make sure your brother does the same."
Wintermoon had a bemused expression on her face, "Do I have to?" Solstice gave her a stern look, "I mean waking Storm up."
"Yes, because I said so. I have to check on something and I won't be here in time to wake him up," Solstice answered as he slung his duffel bag over his shoulder, "Meet me at the front of the station, the both of you."
"Yes, sir. We will." she answered.
Satisfied with the answer, Solstice took a step out of the cabin, with Wintermoon stepping in the bathroom to wash her face. As she suspected, her brother remained sprawled on his bed, snoring away as he slept. A mischievous grin spread across her face as she leaned to her brother's ear, "Storm. It's time to get up." she whispered so quietly that no one could possibly hear her, not even from that distance. She then placed her hand on his shoulder to shake him, but it still didn't rouse him from his slumber.
Her mischievous smirk turned to an evil grin as she pulled out her paintbrush, with runes etched alongside it glowing a pale blue, and proceeded to Weave a rune. Once finished, the ambient energy crackled then popped, releasing a small bolt of lightning.
"AAHH!" the unfortunate, unsuspecting stallion screamed as the bolt of lightning struck him on the rump. As if the bolt itself wasn't enough, his pajama pants started smoking, causing him to enter a panicked frenzy to rid himself of his burning pants. He clumsily slid his thumbs underneath his waistband and slid out of them, but in his haste, he attempted to kick them off too soon, and tripped outside of their cabin.
Unfortunately for Sunrise Storm, all he was left with was his heart patterned boxers and a big burn hole on his right flank, surrounded by female onlookers. Judging from their faces, they didn't know of they should laugh or help the poor stallion.
They settled on the former, with Wintermoon clutching her belly and rolling over in laughter.
Author's Note
Alright! I know this chapter is really short, but I wanted to at least post a little something as an apology for the long wait. Anywho, expect a longer chapter next time! Thanks for reading!
