Alicornication
Chapter 1:First born Alicorn
Alicorns, one of the rarest and oldest races alive and yet no one knows a lot about them. Normally in Equestria there were three types of ponies, the Pegasus ponies who with their wings controls the weather. The Unicorns who with their horns have great prowess in magic, and then there’s the Earth ponies. While they lack wings and horns, they are more intune with nature than the other two. For as long as anypony could remember these three were the only types of ponies, but then came the two royal sisters who had both wings and a horn. They are called Alicorns, and are Equestria’s greatest mystery.
There are only three Alicorns alive today and two are over one thousand years old, the third it’s unknown but most guess she’s around half of a thousand years old, or just a little over a normal pony’s life cycle. They are the princesses Celestia, who controls and raises the sun to start the day, her younger sister Luna who controls the moon and brings forth the night, and then there’s Cadance. She’s the princess of the Crystal Empire, which consists of a unique firth race of ponies called Crystal. Their basically Earth Ponies but their bodies resembles crystals and are either bright or darker depending on their mood, Cadance can create the very thing that keeps their empire safe and peaceful, love.
To this day they are the only Alicorns alive, and even though it’s not really necessary some historians took it upon themselves to look into Alicorns. Their past, how they were before the royal sisters, whether or not they were born Alicorns or had used very advanced magic, and most importantly, who was the very first Alicorn. But they encountered a problem, while it is well known how Equestria was founded and how the royal sisters came into power, strangely sometime after Equestria’s founding and before Discord’s rule, all history records suddenly stopped for seemly a few thousand years.
Maybe even more depending on exactly how long ago was Equestria’s founding. This strange lost of history baffled everyone that tried to recover them, this was one of Equestria’s well known mysteries and it all started with a simple wanting to know who was the first Alicorn. To this day no one has solved the cause of the hidden history nor unlocked the Alicorn’s past, all they have are the three princesses who they themselves wonders the same mystery. Lucky for them however, they won’t need to search for much longer. But sometimes when the answers arrive, more questions arrive with it.
----------Present Day------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's been a few months to maybe a year after Nightmare Night had passed, and princess Luna is finally getting adjusted to Equestria in it’s present state. It was hard at first, extremely hard but thanks to Twilight Sparkle, she had finally made some friends and was finally being recognized for who she is and not what she was in the past. She even made a close friendship with a young colt named Pipsqueak, during Nightmare Night he was the first besides the Mane6 to really accept her. They had stayed in touch ever since that night and became pen pals, she had made friends over the last few months but none are as close as Pipsqueak.
Pinkie Pie had on occasions offered to throw her a big party so she could make even more friends, but she was too busy with her royal duties as it is. A thousand years is a long time so she had a lot to catch up on, planning and throwing a big party would only add more to her booked up schedule. In her spare time however she had started looking up on the history she had missed out on, she enjoyed reading them and hoped she wouldn’t miss out on anything else. Most recently she had just finished reading up on the feud between a Manehattan family and another family from Lost Pegasus, the feud started with a pony from each side getting into a big fight that resulted in broken bones and the lost of a loved one.
It lasted a few decades but ended when two ponies fell in love and died together, they knew their families would never approve and they would whether die together than be separated. It was such a tragic love story that a few decades later it was made into an actual play and then a book, Luna had seen the book on sale many times but never batted an eye at it. But knowing it was based on a real life event she now intends to buy it the next time she came across it, and hoped she’ll come across another like it.
*Knock---knock* somepony was at the door but Luna was so absorbed in her book titled Pony A History, Chapter twelve, the war between Pegasi and Earth ponies that she didn’t hear the knock.
"Miss Luna, are you there?" A guard asked after another knock.
"What is it? You know I don’t like being disturbed." Replied Luna, who eyes did not leave her book.
"Some ponies had found an old ruin, since Celestia is asleep we need you to go look into it. The guards there won’t say why just that it’s important that a princess arrive." The guard replied with a nervous sigh followed by a gulp.
Luna was irritated as she was busy enough as it is with her royal duties, only having a small window of relaxation. But now she had to go look at some old ruins, which she knows nothing about the subject which would take even more time away from her. What was so important a princess is needed? She didn’t feel like arguing and knew how cranky Celestia is when woken up, she recalled one time waking her up when they were little and the resulting flare had blinded her for a few days. With a sigh she laid her book down and walked to her door, using her magic to swing it open it with the guard saluting her on sight.
"Where are these ruins?" She asked wanting to go and get this over with so she could get back to her time off.
The guard bowed and told Luna to follow him, the ruins were quite far away so they wasted no time in heading over to it. As they flew through the sky Luna couldn’t help but stare at the night sky, it was bright with the moonlight and the stars were glowing beautifully. She loved it and wished others could see how beautiful it was too, or at least more often. Normally this thought would make her sad, but the wind was blowing softly this night and Luna could hear the sounds of various animals that were still awake. It sounded like music to her ears and it made her feel somewhat better.
It took little over an hour before they reached and landed at a small farm that was far outside of Canterlot, which confused Luna as she thought they were going to some ruins and not a farm.
“Why are we stopping here?” She asked one of her bat winged guards as she jumped out.
“This is the closest we can land, the ruins are up in that hill.” One of them answered pointing straight ahead.
Luna stared on ahead to where she was pointing and saw that the hill, that really didn’t look out of the ordinary, was covered in a construction site and that a lot of workers were still digging.
“Oh...well it’s within walking distance at least.” Luna calmly replied.
Not wanting to waste more time then she had too, Luna followed by her guards made their way towards the hill, but Luna couldn’t help but look over the farm as she walked through it. The farm looked like an everyday farm, the windmill spun in the wind very slowly, the farm animals are sound asleep and seemed to be snoring, and the farmer was sitting on his front porch. He was keeping a close eye on the guards, he seemed to be watching to make sure they don’t mess with anything. Luna chuckled this off as she moved on away from the farm, overlooking the shouting towards a guard who by mistake, knocked over a barrel spilling butter everywhere.
As Luna was looking over the hill her eyes were drawn to a guard coming towards her, as he got right in front her he bowed. "My princess thank you for coming on such short notice, the ruins the farmers found is up ahead." The guard explained.
"Very well, why must I be here to look at some old ruins anyways?" Luna asked looking up at the hill and noticing that the workers had stopped their digging, instead they just sat around talking as if it was their lunch break.
"I think you should just go and see for yourself." The guard replied before walking off.
Luna sighed and started to walk up the hill with her two guards following her, the sooner she got there the sooner she could leave she thought. Within a few minutes she arrived at the hill noticing the workers had dug a lot more than she had thought, she looked over them and everyone else that were all over the hill. What could these ruins have that so many guards are needed she wondered.
She walked towards an guard in an different armor then the rest which clarified he was a higher rank, and probably in charge, when he noticed her he turned and bowed to her. "My princess, sorry we asked you to come at such short noticed. But these ruins are---"
"I have no time for details, can you just show me them?" Luna interrupted.
The guard looked at Luna a little irritated, but nodded his head as he had no right to argue. "Very well, follow me." The guard turned around and took Luna around to the opposite side of the hill.
As they walked around the hill Luna thought on what they could’ve possibly had discovered, and nothing came close to what she saw on the other side of the hill. It was an odd door that looked very, very old. But the oldness wasn’t what caught Luna’s attention, she knew the type of stones it was crafted from. It was a very old type of stone that hadn’t been used since she and Celestia became princesses, it was even older than Discord himself which meant this door was made before or after he was in power.
"This is the entrance? It looks like it's made from the same stone used for the old castle centuries ago." Spoke Luna as she looked at the door, trying to remember the name of the stones but couldn’t remember.
"We can't open it, but the markings on it look very familiar. Can you perhaps read it?" Asked the guard, causing Luna's train of thought to come to an sudden halt.
Looking a bit closer she saw she in fact couldn’t, but does remember where she seen the markings before. They as well as the door looked an awfully like the door the elements are sealed in, just not in color. Closer inspection of the markings revealed a very faint line curved around them, connecting the markings to a small hole where an Unicorn’s horn could fit in. However despite common beliefs, only Alicorns have been known to actually open these doors. She wasn’t too sure how these magical doors work, but Luna looked at her horn thinking about the door at the castle which can only be open by Celestia, so could this door only be open by another Alicorn?
Thinking on that she does remembered reading one book about something that was similar to these doors, it was a long shot whether she could open it or not but she wanted to try. Luna lit her horn up and inserted it in the hole, thinking hard on the spell Celestia had used for her door. Almost instantly the door lit up in a light blue and Luna removed her horn immediately, more symbols had appeared on the door. The door gave a slight nudge, it seemed like it was about to decentrate with the amount of dust but it managed to slowly opened, revealing a staircase down into darkness.
"Y-You open it?" The guard asked in shock, unable to believe his eyes.
Luna didn't reply, she was stunned she was able to open the door so easily. She wondered what was inside so she started to head inside without really thinking of her safety, the guards however were and up to four had followed her. As there was no light to guide them it was pitch black, they couldn’t even see their own hooves so they walked with extreme caution.
"It's too dark my princess, we should wait until morning." Spoke a guard with the others agreeing.
Luna didn't want to wait until morning though, using her horn she summoned light and while it wasn't a lot, it at least made it easier to see. Luna would’ve questioned why the four guards weren’t using the same spell, but took noticed they were all Pegasi and couldn’t. About five minutes of walking downward Luna came to a door shaped hole, carved out of solid rock. Ducking under it while overlooking that the stairs went even further, she entered a small room. It was extremely dark so she strengthened her light, and told her guards to be quiet. Her light had revealed a throne in the center of the room, and she could faintly make out something sitting in it.
But before she could tell a guard to check it out, another guard had put his hoof on the wall in an attempt to squeeze through the others. As he was feeling around his hoof pushed something
that had triggered lights on the wall to flash on, instantly blinding everypony.
"W-What happen?!" Luna shouted, her eyes hurting from the sudden light and her wings did little to shield them.
It felt as if they were teleported on the sun’s surface but as soon as they had turned on, the pain had subsided. Able to open her eyes, Luna saw the room was in a beautiful light blue hue. The walls having lights running along them, making odd markings and symbols as they shifted and turn at different angles. Her eyes followed the lines trying to make out the markings, but a guard had poked her shoulder and tilted his head towards the throne. She could make it out as being carved from stone also, but similar to the type of stone the statutes from the castle’s gardens were made from.
Her eyes blinked as she stared at it, after a moment or two she walked forward wanting to see what was in it. Two of her guards who weren’t trying to make out the wall markings told her to be careful, but she ignored them. Walking around the throne she thought there was a pony in it, but she was wrong.
"An...statue?" Luna asked, getting the last two guards’ attention at last.
They were all in awe at how well the statue was crafted, it was of an pony wearing a robe with it's hood covering it's face. You could still see eyes which looked to be in pain, or anger. Luna walked closer placing a hoof on it, wondering what it was suppose to represent. As she looked over the statute she also wondered who it was, was it somepony that was once a hero? If that was the case why then were the eyes like that, could it be somepony bad? A strict ruler of a long since lost nation? A magical wizard that came before Starswirl? Luna wanted to know who this statue was of and why it was placed in a hidden tomb, as she continued to look it over she saw a small hole inserted on one of the arm rests.
"Hm...this looks like the opening on that door.." She said to herself.
Wondering it was like the door, she had the sudden idea this statue was hiding something. She had read a few books where some treasure was buried under a statue or even a tree, feeling excited she would find something she stuck her horn in it. As she did this a guard had took notice of the floor, the lights had left the wall and were converging on the statue. At first nothing seemed to have happen, everyone in the room looked at the statue as the lights started to flow under it. Then the unthinkable happen, Luna’s horn was jerked and her head bumped the statue. At the same time the lights had begun flowing up the statue, as if running through blood veins.
Luna pulled as hard as she could but her horn was stuck, it took the combined forces of all four guards before it she was able to free it. At the exact moment she was freed the room began shaking, panicking the guards had started to run out almost leaving Luna behind. She was almost in a trance, staring at the statue as if it was calling her name. Luckily a guard realized their mistake and all ran back to ger her.
"Come on princess! Before this place falls apart!" One cried out to Luna.
It wasn’t until getting slapped that she came to her senses, normally she would gave the guard the royal shout but instead thanked her. As they fled the room Luna couldn’t help but one more glance back, the room was shaking violently and had already started to crumble. Running up the stairs as fast as the five ponies could muster, barely avoiding to slip and fall as it was pitch black, they had just reached the entrance when---KABOOM---the entire farm shook as it felt like a bomb just went off. Luna and the guards were swung into the air and before they could open their wings---SPLAT---they hit the ground with such force they thought their bones had snapped.
Luna was sent rolling on impact and didn’t stop until she rammed back first into a tree, she screamed in such pain she swore her spine had indeed snapped. Right as she screamed it felt like another bomb went off, this one far more severe as the ground cracked apart with smoke emitting from underneath. The Earthquake was so large it could be felt from Canterlot possibly all the way to Appleloosa, it even woke Celestia from her nap as her room shook violently followed by the loud explosion that made her window light up as if fireworks shot off.
Jumping right out of bed she gasped at the sight outside her window, without wasting time she ran out her room shouting to have her carriage ready. Luna was in such pain by her airborne fall that she had to use a healing spell, it was that unbearable. Looking back towards to the hill, it was completely covered in smoke. She could hear cries of ponies all around her but couldn’t see them, still using the healing spell she attempted to stand up. It was difficult as it felt like she sprung more than one leg, turning the spell over to them to heal she gave a small shout.
She was relieved to hear ponies calling back and when she heard footsteps approaching, she had thought it was one of her guards following her voice. Squinting her eyes she could make out a shadow walking towards her, but it was taller than any of her guards. As she watched it walking closer, the smoke started to fade the closer the figure got, she gasped in shock at when she saw who it was. There right in front of her was a pony about the same size as Celestia, wearing a deep black robe with a messy mane sticking out from under the hood. It was the statue, brought to life right before her eyes.
As the figure walked closer she saw it had wings poking out of it’s back, Luna could also hear the commotion of ponies as they saw the figure. Finally enough smoke had vanished as everypony got a clear view of the pony, who looked them over until it’s eyes rested on Luna.
"Hello Alicorn." The figure spoke, the voice revealing it was a male. “I’m glad to see our race survived.”
Luna blinked a couple times trying to progress what she had just heard. "Our...race?" She asked in a voice that was almost a whisper.
Holding a hoof out to help her stand he says "Yes, our race was in an terrible war that almost wiped us out." and gave Luna a smile.
Luna was still trying to progress this as he helped her up, our race was in an war? That almost destroyed us? she was confused, if there was an war why wasn't there any records of it? Did it happen during the period that was lost? That’s the only reason Luna could explain it with, she was going to ask him why were you a statue which being honest she wasn’t completely surprised about that. She and Celestia once had turned Discord, a very dangerous Draconequus that can bend the very laws of nature, to stone once. She knew how to do it but it needed the Elements Of Harmony, the pony looked like he was about to answer but suddenly----
"Luna!" A voice cried out.
Luna looked to her left and saw her sister quickly running towards her and before she could even speak, was embraced in the tightest hug she was ever given.
"Oh my dear sister are you alright?!" Celestia asked, unaware Luna was still injured and her hug did little to help. "I saw the explosion, what happ---" Celestia stopped suddenly as she noticed the hooded pony.
"Ah another Alicorn, it's wonderful to see our race are still kicking around. I suppose you're wondering what just happen." The pony turned his eyes to the hill and then back at the princesses. "I was imprison as an statue for, well by the looks of it, quite some time."
He started to look around more, noticing whether quickly all the ponies were staring at him as if he was a ghost. "Heh, well I see the war wasn't lost if ponies are still alive." He spoke, Luna noticed that his tune was, almost irritated.
"Who are you and what are you talking about?" Asked Celestia, causing Luna to lose her train of thought again.
The hooded pony stared at Celestia looking confused, then looked happy. "I'll explain everything, but being encased in stone for so long, well my bones are whether stiff…” He pauses to stretch his legs, “I believe I owe my thanks to you, Luna? he lowered down and bowed his head.
"H-How do you..."
"Only an Alicorn with great power could have freed me. Now, are there more Alicorns around? I must know if our raced truly won." The hooded pony asked looking around at the ponies once more, it looked as if he was looking for something specific among them.
"Princess Cadance is the only other Alicorn besides my sister and me." Celestia replied after a few moments of silence, Luna was wondering what he meant by if our race won.
The hooded pony turned and Luna was almost certain that he was holding something back, "Ah, I see...Too bad. Our war wasn't a complete lost..“ Luna was just about to question him but he spoke interrupting her. “If you two are here, and if there’s a third, there is hope for our race yet." .
"You're an Alicorn?" Asked Celestia with an confused and curious expression, Luna simply shook her head slightly.
The hooded pony laughed, then lowered his head and removed his hood to reveal a horn. Celestia and Luna almost gasped, they thought they and Cadance were the only Alicorns but seems they were indeed wrong. Around them the commotion had grew louder:
He’s an Alicorn?
I thought Alicorns were only mares?
Dude that’s---
So there are more Alicorns! How old is he? A thousand? A few thousand how abo---
Where did he even come from?
Were some of the words Luna could make out, she was just about to ask those questions herself but it seemed like the hooded pony had read her mind.
"I, am the ruler of an empire from so many years ago. I fought to save the Alicorns, you two being here shows that my efforts were not in vain, and that our kind is not lost." The hooded pony explained.
"How can we trust you?" Luna asked, unsure they could trust somepony that had be a statue for who knows how many decades.
The hooded pony seemed to notice this, bowing his head again he says "I understand if you don't trust me, but I promise I won't hurt you. My name is Night." finally giving his name.
Celestia and Luna looked at eachother, then back at Night. "Um, if you are what you say you are, why aren't there any records of this war?" Asked Celestia.
"Maybe they were destroyed or no one wanted to remember, trust me...it was the biggest war Equestria ever had, at least that's what the people called it. Poor souls, they didn't deserved to be apart of it." Night explained, head still bowing.
"Equestria never had an war, has it sister?" Luna asked Celestia but before she could answer, Night had stood back up.
"I'll explain everything, but...I am weak from my stone encasement.” He again stretches his limbs, wings included. “May I ask that I find a place to rest? I need to catch up on this world." Night asked, looking from sister to sister.
They were reluctant at first but the two sisters agreed to take Night back to the castle, surrounded by a squad of guards. A few hours later Night, after safety precautions were put in place, entered the throne room with two guards on both sides leading him forward. He looked the room over surprised how large it was, he was also surprised by the amount of armed guards.
“Are all these ponies really necess----”
“Until we know whether or not you can be trusted,” Celestia interrupted him. “yes. They are necessary.”
With a wave of her horn Celestia made a chair appear in the center of the room, it was encrusted with many gems and another wave of her horn made it turn around.
"Heh, not to my liking much but, it'll do." Night said as he took the seat and used his own horn to turn it back. “Fine castle, it doesn’t look as strong as it could be though. I noticed a few weak points while I was wal-now don’t get alarmed ponies.” Night had noticed some of the guards had took offence and a few even stepped forward.
"You sound like you were studying the castle, why?”" Celestia asked, feeling uneasy by his comment.
Night gave a slight chuckle, "I am an emperor, it’s second nature to see holes in defences. There aren’t many, and as I’m sure, you hadn’t been attacked in quite a while.” again Celestia felt uneasy by his comment.
"Your were an emperor?" Luna asked surprised, she hadn’t met a emperor in over a thousand years. Even longer since she met a good one.
"My dear Luna, I am an emperor. But, my empire is over with, it seems.” Night looked down and then up, as if holding something in. “Now it's yours but as I am standing here before you, hehehe...there's an problem. My rights can't be taken unless I die, or if you die but---oh calm down, there’s like sixty of you and one of me.” He casted a stare over the guards and then back at the two sisters.
"Well---"
"Ha, don't worry I have no intentions on taking your kingdom over.” Night interrupted Celestia, who gave him an angry stare. “But, maybe we could make an deal?"
"An deal?" Luna asked taken aback. “How could you possibly---”
"Yes, as I was turned to stone so were my people. You did notice that staircase went even deeper, yes? If you could free them I'll be most grateful, and we'll leave to find an new land and start anew." Night explained, hoping they’ll at least think about it.
"You want us to find your people who might be trapped in stone, and free them? Are you mad!?” Shouted Luna, she can’t believe he would ask that as if he could already be trusted. “We might be freeing ponies that'll---"
"Luna, please calm down." Celestia interrupted Luna in a soft whisper.
"B-But...Fine." Luna replied looking away.
"If he is tricking us, our guards will step in. We know the risk of creatures being encased in stone could pose, with that in mind.” Celestia turned her attention back on Night. "Tell us about this war, and how you were turned to stone. Keep in mind,” she changed her tone to a more serious one that Luna, upon hearing took a sidestep away. “we will have historians record what you say and look into it. If our research turns up that you're lying, you'll be turned right bac---"
"Not very smart are you?" Night interrupted her.
"What did you just say?" Asked Luna, enraged by his remark as well as the surrounding guards.
"If I am lying, your research won't turn up anything as it'll be too late. Trust me, you don't wanna be so nice and forgiving, it costed me so many ponies. Good soldiers, but at alas...heheh, just act like what you are, an leader." After saying this more than enough started to move on him, but with a royal shout they backed off.
Celestia and Luna stared at each other, then back at Night. “So, what would a leader do in this situation? Just take you by your word and let you play all of us for fools?”
Night laughed as if he was watching two kids, "Hahaha, you two remind me of my apprentices, before they turned on me that was..." Night turned and looked out of a nearby window at the rising sun, clearly deep in thought.
“Remember Night,” Spoke Luna getting his attention back, but turned her’s to a group of five ponies. Four of whom were old while one looked quite young. “We’ll be looking up whatever you say. The first lie, and back to stone.”
“Have your historians look,” Night spoke as he stared at them, making the young one feel uneasy. “but if what you say about a huge chunk of history being missing, I dare say it’ll be near impossible. But try, who knows they might find something of use.”
Night took one more look around the room, almost as if he suddenly became uncomfortable and very alert. He took a deep breath, and went on while not making eye contact with either of them. "Now, this war became known as The Alicorn War, as Alicorns were the main reason it started. Some Alicorns were good, some went evil and tried to overthrow the rulers. I won't bore you with all the minor details, but I will tell you how it began. How I came to be emperor, the last hours of the war and...the fall of the Alicorn race."
Author's Note
If you wanna see the original version I wrote years ago, here is at my DA.
http://discourt.deviantart.com/art/Alicornication-chapter-1-294458950?q=gallery%3ADiscourt%2F26848566&qo=85
