She could not stop staring. Near frozen in her state pondering the implications of this. It was impossible, but there it was. The Oracle stone still emitting the image of all of equestria, and above the center of the capital, not her caste mark, nor any of the other five. It was none other than Starlight’s caste mark.
She wanted to scream in confusion, beat the Oracle stone and demand answers, she wanted to know what in all of the world this meant, she wanted to know so much, but there she stood, pointing in disbelief with her mouth open. Spyke bit firmly on her finger to try and get at the very least a change in her reaction. But alas she simply remained staring, pointing, and generally standing there in shock.
“I know right?.. This has never happened before, does it meant that I share fate with you and the other five? Or does it mean that the Oracle stone and the elements simply send whoever is needed? Or maybe I am some sort of exception! Oh this is exciting!”
“I’m sure she is happy for you… this has got to be her secret happy face or something….” Spyke did his best to not just laugh. But this actually got a reaction.
Shaking slightly Twilight’s power surged slightly and her wings appeared for just a moment before going dormant again. She enjoyed the ability to hide them, made less people stare and let her sit down with her back in a chair more often. However, she was not quite over shock of the situation. Not only was someone not fated into the elements being called by the oracle stone, but the caste mark was literally orbiting not the capital itself, but Canterlot’s royal palace. Only two people actually lived there. She hoped and prayed that this was a call to someone who ‘worked’ there and not literally one or both of the only two people in the material universe that actually LIVED there. “So...sorry.. I.. um I really don’t know how to react without possibly being offensive… ahem… WHAT THE LIVING HELL?!?”
“I.. well um.. Thanks I guess. But…” Starlight understood the reaction but still it didn’t make the action feel any better. “The Oracle stone hasn’t ever sent the wrong person before has it? Or to the wrong place?”
Twilight sighed and as Spyke came to bite her hand again she quickly banished him. “No… but… I have no idea, maybe when you altered the stone to allow yourself the ability to go into the past you hard wired yourself into the magical programing. I… I honestly Have no idea what to make of it, but if the stone says you then I guess it needs to be you. However, if you haven't noticed…. The implication here is a bit… well this could be bad. VERY bad…. I need to come with you… no…but… wait… no…” Twilight clenched her eyes shut and pressed her temples. “The stone called you and only you, I… I can't go… but I need to! But I can't!”
“Twilight!... Don’t banish Spyke next time, I think you might have needed his bite. If you keep on like this you might need a book upside your head, calm down. The Oracle stone is intertwined with fate itself, it is in a sense a material piece of fate that exists here to guide the heroes it has chosen. I fully agree, it's weird that it is calling me, but for the love of all that is holy stop acting like the world is ending or that I am going to bring about the bloody end times ok? I know why you are concerned and I share that fear, but have a little bit of faith in me please, it's kinda… rude what you are doing right now…”
One generous helping of palm to face later and some short breathing exercises Twilight helped Starlight pack and sent her on her way. However, nothing could have prepared her for the mission ahead..
Standing before the arch mage and her sister was not always as easy as it sounded, this was one of those times. Most in the royal palace had been conditioned and warded to prevent accidental injury, but it was very well known that excessively high levels of power were not always easy to control. A superpowered magical being could accidentally fry someone who was too close if their emotions were not kept in check. Starlight was not currently warded so she could plainly feel the power flowing off of Luna. The Umbramancer was most likely unintentionally releasing a steady flow of exceedingly powerful magic. Cold and tingly, the most obvious in the room to someone who was not warded against it by natural wards in the castle.
But regardless to how obvious the darkness magic was, it did not quite drown out the slow and steady flow of solar magic flowing off of the arch mage. She was suffering a very slight agitation and despite how well she hid it, it was rather obvious.
“How interesting!.. I never thought it would work like that, then again you have a fair amount of experience with binding magic and did get involved with the oracle stone, it might have picked up on you… or perhaps you really are just fated to be involved… but alas, I don’t think we can help you. I can’t see a problem we cannot handle, is that not correct my dear sister?”
Even without the power flow that could have literally injured Starlight if she got too close, she could read the rolling eyes with no effort. “Yes sister…. Everything is just…. Perfect….”
“Crap…”
The Archage and her sister were both clearly suffering through something, but much like those who were warded from feeling potential magical backlash, the two sisters were simply too powerful to see the dangerous overflow as anything but magical static beyond their notice. It was at this moment, sitting down at the table before what was clearly a masterfully crafted meal prepared literally from the hands of the same thousand year monarch. A woman who could kill the entire world with a single spell, the being who chucked the literal sun around as a profession.
Taking a single bite was like being floating through clouds for a century. The food was more than just masterfully crafted. Thankfully she did not need to say anything, especially considering that the level of skill was portrayed on poor Starlight’s face.
“I do hope you like it, I always am served and never am I ever given the chance to just do things on my own. I mean what is the point of living for thousands of years if everyone wants to take your every step and experience life for you?” Celestia smiled happily, a little blush at the silent praise that was Starlight’s facial features in reaction to the taste of the meal.
Twilight had told her before during their studies in philosophy. Eventually, being treated like a God can become boring and one may find themselves desiring simply to be valued as a person instead of as a God. “I… I had no idea…” Starlight nearly choked just trying to keep herself from scarfing the rest of the meal down. At the moment she needed to just get to the bottom of this without offending the God princess who apparently was just trying to be appreciated as a person at the moment. “This…. Its just… its…”
“Well I did not live thousands of years for nothing… Honestly the hardest part of all of this is getting the royal chefs to leave the kitchen long enough for me to just be able to do the work on my own…”
Starlight could easily read the smile. Celestia had done many many things in her life, most of which she was borderline worshiped for. It might have been a little petty, but Celestia was cooking in order to be appreciated for something unique to her, appreciated for being who she was not necessarily ‘what’ she was.
About to open her mouth and speak again in hopes of learning more, Starlight instead fell silent as the door popped open with a rather un-regal shove. In strode Luna, If she was to be honest, Starlight would say that the princess looked like she had just served on the front lines of a war for a month. But for the sake of keeping her tongue the young mage decided to remain silent. If Luna was feeling anything close to the way she looked, it might really be a death sentence to mention it, completely unrelated to the fact that she was royalty.
Eternal life did not mean immunity to stress. Starlight’s mind took note of it and she put on her best smile as Celestia pushed a full plate out towards Luna who passed by it as if she did not notice at all. Instead she popped under the shelves on the far wall and came back out with a small cask under her arm. She glanced only for a short moment at Celestia before the night princess rubbed the dark circles under her eyes and popped the cork taking a rather unhealthy looking, and sounding few gulps of the honey mead. Another glance and she left the room with the cask to her lips.
“But honestly, most of the time skills worth achieving are not quite enjoyed by those you want to enjoy them... “ Celestia huffed and pushed the plate from the table into the trash. Starlight’s heart wrenched and she nearly blew a blood vessel, mostly from seeing such master crafted food go to waste, but also from seeing what to her was such an easily understood desire going unnoticed. But again, she knew full well that she needed to be delicate with this one.
“.... Seriously?... is it really that simple?” Twilight’s image fluttered and flickered over the communication gemstone.
“Yes I think so, remember telling me that she sometimes misses being treated like a person? Being valued for who she is instead of what?.... Well think about it, who should understand that more than someone who also lives it?” Starlight sighed, She knew that the stone did not need to send her for this. Anyone with half a brain and that did not have a thousand years of desensitization could have figured this out. She needed to know why the Oracle stone sent her.
“Ok… so you just have to find a way to let Luna see the problem…”
“Not so fast… we need to know more, there is a reason that Luna apparently decides to drink herself to sleep instead of eat the best food in the world. I need to know that reason, then we can address the situation from there.”
Twilight’s image nodded after some thought. “Ok… that sounds good, you let me know the moment you need my help, I can be there in an instant!”
“Thank you, but honestly Twilight, the Stone sent me, not you… I don’t want to sound rude or ungrateful. I want to know why it sent me too. I have to have faith that the stone sent me because I was needed. Something unique to me is required to get this done. Neither of us know why… we just have to find out. Now… I have to spend the night with Luna and find out her side of things. I just hope I don’t end up nursing a keg of honey mead too…”
“Yeah… that would be a problem… Ok, I will hold back. You do you… Fate chose you and now you have to do what fate has designed.”
They both nodded and the image flickered out. Starlight sighed and with a short moment of deep breaths she strode out the door knowing that sleep would have to wait. There was an Umbramancer holding up the night for her and time was running short.
Oil poured from the alchemy set into the braziers, the smoke was like honey and wild lilies.
“You make it yourself?..” Starlight stared at Luna who smiled warmly, much more so than Celestia, clearly she was not the most used to such praise and it had a much more obvious effect on her.
“It’s nothing special really… anyone who practiced under Starswirl the Bearded knew at least this much. It's not even really a potion. It's just a scented oil that aids in sleep and adds a very nice effect to the moonlight… take a look.” She pointed out from a nearby balcony. Starlight Glimmer took a few steps out, enjoying the clash of fresh air against the fragrance of the oil, but she was utterly shaken to her core at the beauty of the haze. It was more than just an aurora borealis. This was like staring at a nebula so close you could reach out and touch it, so close you could smell it. It was so calming and entrancing she did not even notice that she had been uprooted and taken into the sky by Luna. Placed on the roof of the palace she vaguely looked over in time to see the princess close her eyes and open her mouth. What came out was beyond description, beyond her capability to even put to words. The voice was stunning. Even this alone justified the far too often used analogy of suggesting her as a litteral Goddess.
Only when Lua had stopped could Starlight bring herself to wipe the tears from her eyes. And stare speechlessly at the woman.
“Sorry… I forget the effect on mortals… a thousand years of practice alone on the moon tends to make the song a little…. Sorrowful. But it is a part of my magic. To soothe and care for those who sleep in the kingdom…”
Starlight could see it, it was why she was so good at comforting others in such a sensitive time. It was often said in the books she read, ‘The loneliest people are the most eager to reach out, the saddest people smile the brightest, and those who have hurt the most are always the kindest to others’ She knew from her timeless pondering after her pained revelations that this was not to make up for the darkness. These traits appeared in those people because they understood the pain brought by such feelings and they never wanted anyone to suffer the way that they did. This was the source of her magic in the song she sang.
Luna nodded calmly still blushing and Starlight was about to speak when a loud cackling laugh punched through the air. The stuffy, high society sort of fake everything laugh, and with it came the softer and much more well practiced fake laugh of the arch mage. Starlight could see them walking just out into the gardens. Celestia clearly was not enjoying herself but was putting a lot of effort into making these obnoxious nobles think that she was enjoying it. But worst of all was their hefty wards their guards threw over them. Nobles paid their personal guards a lot of money for daily wards that could potentially save them from an assassination attempt. However, these wards pushed away the oils from the air and polluted the night’s aura with magical static. Perhaps they were unaware but still it was a travesty.
Suddenly Starlight could feel it. It was harder this time, the wards on the palace had been wearing off on her as was intended by those who placed them. But she had not been in Canterlot long enough to get the full effect, so she nearly jumped in pain as the magical overflow of Luna’s barely contained anger singed Starlight’s backside. “Ah…. I see….Crap….”
“Be very careful Starlight…” Twilight was doing her best to at least pretend she was calm. And she was failing, but she did get the message across. “The last time there was conflict between the sisters it was a full on war that ended the lives of thousands and nearly ended the lives of millions more… I know the Stone sent you but… just… just be careful. If you fail, it’s more than just a little feud or bloodshed. Even a small problem between two so close and so powerful can fester and lead up to something horrible ending in brutal deaths of thousands…”
Starlight glared at her through the image projection crystal. “.... Thanks… you remind me so much of how I should keep my cool and not freak out about the possible problems…”
“Oh… sorry.. Yeah I’m a worrier, knowing the facts is always important to me, and this is just one thing I can’t really not worry about.”
“Well, I can respect that… but I am over here dealing with it, I could go without you freaking me out…. So yeah please keep that in mind.” Starlight sighed exhaustively laying back in her bed.
“Just… make sure you don’t… you know…”
Starlight looked up from her pillow and grumbled, quickly shutting off the communication before laying back down and letting out an explosive sigh. “The stone sent me, is it testing me or was I needed?... Goodness I really hope it’s not testing me…”
She rolled over pulling her blankets up as she drifted off in her hopes, worries, and plans.
“Seriously… over a thousand years of skill went into this, I feel… a little guilty just eating it…” She looked over the meal on her plate. Not only was it masterfully crafted, it appeared to have a fair amount of magical effort put into it. Magically creating a new balance for flavors and textures. As far as an art, the arch mage’s cooking was the apex of finesse and beauty.
“Oh nonsense, it kinda loses its luster when I have done it so many times and it’s become so easy to do… I am just overjoyed that someone actually is willing to eat it.” Celestia smiled happily.
They shared a happy smile as they began to eat, but starlight stopped as soon as the door opened with a loud clash.
“Oh! Sister, come as usually I made breakfast…” With a masterful wave of her hand the plate and all its contents zoomed over to Luna who did not give it another look. Quickly she just stepped past it as Celestia sighed and tossed it in the garbage as was the norm.
A cask of honey mead flew from its spot and impacted Luna’s hand nearly taking the door to the pantry off in the action. Though Luna appeared to hardly even notice as she tugged at the cork.
“Oh… um.. Ok you are both here… here goes nothing… whew… um.. Luna… Celestia?”
Celestia turned giving her fullest of attention to Starlight, and Luna gave a very tired but slightly curious glance.
“Ok… um… I really don’t know how to go about this so I respectfully request your patience…” She nervously looked up, Luna did not so much as flinch and Celestia gave a calming happy smile. “Ok… um… you know how the Oracle stone sends Twilight and her friends off to various lands where problems are building, as if it is trying to keep the balance of harmony in the land?...”
“Of course…” Celestia happily responded and Luna only gave a weak nod.
“Well… Um as you know it sent me… here… and I finally found out why…”
“Oh… that is great. I love these sorts of developments, What has the Oracle stone chosen you for?..”
“Um… well… you see… I have found a problem, and um… do to some rather interesting and unique circumstances you two just haven’t seen it… but… the problem that I was sent here to fix… it’s… um… it’s between you… both of you.”
Both immortal demigodesses of magic looked directly at Starlight with a rather intense glare. “Excuse me?” They both said at once, and both sounding rather angry.
“Now hear me out… please. It’s a little complicated. Just … stick with me here please… umm… well you see, Celestia… Luna, you might not have noticed but, Celestia is feeling a little lonely and unappreciated… she takes time out of her day which is usually jam packed, just to practice her skills to try and make life a little easier for you… and Celestia…. Luna in turn is trying to pour everything she has into the night, and you um… don’t really notice, in fact all the socializing with dignitaries kinda interrupts the finer parts of her work. It's a lot more than it sounds really. You both are kinda…. Pissing each other off and what might be a little aggravation can lead into some pretty serious discontent and eventually a very serious problem…”
“Wait… what?” Luna rubbed her eyes before glaring at Starlight. “The stupid rock sent you because I don’t want to eat food with my sister when all I need is a drink and some bloody sleep?”
“It’s more than that sister!” Celestia stepped forward pushing a finger in Luna’s face. “I have to spend all day EVERY day with a bunch of loonies who think Im some sort of God ‘gracing’ them… THEM! I have to spend all day every day for the past thousand years with a bunch of simpletons who were born into power and only care about status! I work my rear off and smile the whole damned time. Then when I finally have some time to myself, I want to do something special for the ONLY PERSON ON THIS WORLD WHO GETS ME! And you… YOU!... you just prefer to drink yourself to sleep rather than even start to take interest in the only person who could possibly get YOU!”
“Whoa!... um.. Lets just” Starlight began as she stepped between them but was teleported five feet back as Luna heaved up in front of Celestia.
“YOU?.. You get me? You NEVER understood me. I spend a thousand years alone, all I wanted and all I want is to be appreciated for who I am and what I do! Maybe instead of cooking you could take some time to just appreciate all I do instead of partying all day, smiling, waving, and being loved by EVERYONE!”
“Loved by those fools? Are you mad?” The two stood inches away shouting into each other’s faces.
“Whoa!! Ok… lets calm down… ju… just a little...” Starlight was beginning to panic. It looked like the two were going to fight. With power on that level, a fight would likely level the palace. Not to mention the resulting genocide that would occur when the city got mixed up in a fight between two Goddesses. “The Oracle stone sent me to fix this… please, this means that literally fate decreed it will be a problem for the kingdom if I do not. And I was sent because I ‘can’ fix it.”
Starlight stepped forward but was pushed off her feet and into a corner, not intentionally but rather the power flowing off the two was starting to become rather intense. She was rather fortunate that the wards in the palace had successfully aligned her with the magical powers, otherwise she would probably be burned to death in the corner instead of just stuffed there. She struggled to her feet as Celestia yelled again. “You get nice peace and quiet, doing what you were literally BORN to do without anyone bugging you. I work my butt off and all I am hoping to do is be a part of your life! But noooooo that is just too much to ask someone who does close to NOTHING ALL NIGHT!”
Her mind raced and she began to panic. She could not stop them, at least not directly. “Why the hell did the Oracle stone choose me? Why couldn’t Twilight be here messing up or… or… the Stone chose me… something about me… that the others could not do…. Oh hell I really hope this is not a terrible choice…”
Magic exploded from her as she took in the essences of the two Goddesses like a lasso over their power. She was not nearly powerful enough to house them inside herself, but not so powerless as to not be able to influence the vast sea of power flowing inside the two Goddesses. Pulling the power through her own soul she tied them off, binding them to each other and then to herself. With a quick yank of the magical threads their caste marks let out a blinding flash and forcefully swapped into each other.
It was one of the very few things that she and only she could do. If the stone sent her and only her for a reason then perhaps it's because the stone needed her to use this very ability. She let out a smile knowing that there was a job that badly needed to be done and they would not be able to avoid doing it, but they would only be able to do each other’s job. This way they could see why and how they did what they both did and get a new perspective on it.
She froze and her smile instantly flicked and died like a candle that had an ocean dropped on it. It felt like her heart did the exact same thing as well. They were staring at her, and as the saying goes. If looks could kill.
“WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?” Celestia boomed. Her magic was swapped out and worked differently so instead of fumbling around and possibly destroying something with it she seized Starlight by the shoulders giving her a firm shake.
“Oh right… that’s… that's not something to do to.. Um.. the Goddesses…”
Author's Note
Ok, so I have no editor and I really don't care. This is me 'Deponifying' one of the latest episodes into a fantasy genre in theme of Didjargo's amazing My little Mages set up.
Sure if I get the desire to Ill do some editing and such. but in the mean time go ahead and enjoy it.
