The Discovery That Changed Everything
The Discovery That Changed Everything
"And checkmate. I win again Lulu." Celestia said to her sister.
"Quite. Looks like my loss has been tripled. Huzzah." Luna replied emotionlessly as she starred out the window with a distant look.
"Is something the matter Luna? You seem distracted."
Sighing, Luna sank back into her chair. It's been a little over a month since she returned from her banishment, and since then Luna has slowly begun to reintegrate herself into society. If you didn't mind the constant wave of fear and distrust she got every time she went outside, it wasn't so bad. To relieve some of her stress, every afternoon she and Celestia would sit down and just enjoy each others company. On most days it helps, however recently it's effects seemed to lessen and Luna seemed more distracted and distressed as ever; and that only served to worry Celestia greatly.
"It's nothing, I was just... Thinking."
"About what? Luna, you know you can tell me anything."
"I said it's nothing." Luna replied in a more stern tone. "I going to my room, don't worry I'll be back to raise the moon in time. Thanks for the game Celly."
Just before she could leave, she was forced back into her chair by a very serious Celestia. "Luna, the last time you kept saying "it's nothing" to me, you almost brought Equestria into an eternal night." Celestia sighed and releases Luna from her magic. "Look Luna, I made the mistake of leaving you to face your inner struggles alone once. I'm not making the same mistake twice. I'm not losing you again."
Luna just looked out the window again. "Celestia... How long has it been since we had children?" Celestia wasn't expecting that question. "...Over a thousand years. Maybe a little longer. Is that what's troubling you Luna? That could be easily changed you know. I know of a few guards who-"
"That's not the problem! Luna interrupted Celestia with her Canterlot voice. She calmed herself down before speaking again. "I'm sorry. However going back to what I said, that isn't the problem. I'm not looking for companionship. I... I want to have a child Celestia. I want to have that feeling again, the feeling when you hold your foal in your hooves. When you play with them. When they finally say their first words. No sister, while companionship would be nice it's not what I want. What I want is a foal to call my own again. Whenever we were in a relationship, having a foal was the highlight for me."
"Then why not adopt?"
"Only to watch them slowly age into nothing while you look like you haven't aged a day. No thanks."
"Well what else can you do Luna? From how I see it you only have three choices, one, have one of your own. Two, adopt. And three, don't have one at all."
"And there's my problem. Don't you think I already know that? (Sigh) Why is fate so cruel. Why can't we bear offspring like ourselves?"
"I don't have an answer for that Luna. It's just the way things are. I... I myself feel the same way."
"Then why not help me find a way?"
"You think I haven't tried Luna? Since your banishment I've been so lonely, on more than one occasion I would even adopt a foal from the orphanage. Unfortunately it only hurt more when I see them die of old age, or grow up to be spoiled nobles. I mean look at Blueblood. I've looked extensively for any way for us to give birth to an alicorn and found none. There is no way for us to have that Luna."
Just before both princesses could feel sorry for each other, a guard burst through the door.
"Your highness, we have detected a large amount of unstable magic coming from the border of the badlands."
"Send a few guards to investigate." Said Celestia after a moment to compose herself.
"We already have princess. Captain Shining Armor is with them. The energy's signal led us to an old fortress."
"What did you find." Questioned Luna.
"The report says that the fortress was filled with slavers, they were able to apprehend most of them minus a few strugglers and rescue the slaves."
"And the power surge? Where did it come from?"
"You would never believe me your highness."
"That remains to be seen. You may speak freely, what did you find?"
The guard swallowed hard. "I..it was a foal. An... Alicorn foal.
Liberation
Liberation
Location: The Badlands
"Break through that barrier! The unstable magic grows stronger each second!" Shouted Shining Armor to his troops as they tried fruitlessly to break through a thick wall of navy blue magic.
"We can't sir! The barrier is two strong! We need to evacuate everypony immediately." Shouted one guard.
"I agree sir! We can't risk all these evacuees' lives for-" another continued before he was interrupted by a blinding light. After a moment to recover, there in the center of the light were the two princesses themselves, Princess Celestia and Luna. At the sight of the two monarchs, all the guards bowed down in respect before Shining stood up and spoke.
"Princesses, what are-"
"Discussions later captain, we heard your report." Luna said.
"Are you certain? Is an alicorn foal the cause of all of this?" Celestia added.
"See for yourself your highness." Shining said as he pointed at the barrier. True to his word, behind the barrier appeared to be the outline of a small foal on the ground. They could not make the looks out fully but they could make out a horn and something on the foal's back. "We have thrown everything we had at it but it only seems to get stronger. I'm sorry to say this your majesty, but at this rate the magic in the foal will become too much to handle. We may have to leave the foal to save the rest of the civilians."
Both alicorns didn't even listen to Shining as they walked closer and closer to the barrier before effortlessly walking through it.
"Princess!"
Inside the Barrier
After a moment, both princesses fazed through the other side of the barrier.
"That barrier was powerful, even more so than Shining Armor's. luckily such shields are ineffective against us right sister?" Celestia said but received no answer. "Luna?" She turned around and saw her sister's shocked face.
"Look." Was all her sister said while pointing. When she finally turned to look, her face mirrored her sister's.
On the floor was a small alicorn foal, from the look of the face it was a filly. However that wasn't what shocked the sisters, it was the condition of the said foal. Her white coat was dirty and full of cuts and bruises and her wings were tattered and look like they have never been preened before. The foal's navy blue mane was long and unkept but all that wasn't anything compared to the foals face. On her face was the look of pure fear with a few tears in them. All in all the foal looked so weak and helpless.
"Please... Don't hurt me." she said in a weak and dry voice.
The sight broke the siblings hearts the more they looked, and they couldn't take anymore.
"Calm yourself little one. We are not here to harm you." Celestia said in the most calming voice she could, however it didn't seemed to work.
"I don't believe you. Whenever somepony comes here they always hurt me. Always. How do I know your not going to hurt me too?" She responded.
The Celestia was mortified, sure ponies would get a little violent, but never so much as to hurt foals. Before she could speak Luna approached the foal.
As a response the foal curled herself up as much as she could and started shake in fear, however Luna didn't stop. Once in font of the shaking child she did the only thing she could think of... She lowered herself down and brought the foal into her forelegs as she softly nuzzled her. The foal's eyes shot open and started to weakly struggle in Luna's grip but Luna didn't budge. After another moment of struggle the foal started to stop and instead started to cry into Luna's barrel. Slowly but surely the barrier started to lower until it was fully gone. Almost immediately, Shining Armor and the guard rushed forward only to be stopped and hushed by Celestia, who then pointed to the crying pair of alicorns.
Slowly the foal raised her face to Luna while Luna looked down at the foal, both with tears in their eyes.
"W...who are you?" Asked the foal.
Luna smiled and answered, "My name is Luna, the other one like me there is Celestia, my sister. We're here to help you. Don't worry, no pony else will hurt you, we promise."
The foal's face became one of shock before turning into one of happiness. Slowly she started to fade into unconsciousness with a peaceful smile on her face before saying a few last words.
"Thank you."
