Not the first

Something was going wrong. Luna and Celestia were sure of it. Sweat dripped from Luna's head as she concentrated on easing the moon, and assumed that Celestia was doing the same. They were raising the sun and moon for the summer eclipse, but something was interfering with Luna's and Celestia's power, feeling almost as if somepony else were taking control over the sun and moon. But that was impossible. Only Luna and Celestia had that power! But that didn't take away from what was happening.

"Sister!" Luna gasped. "What is happening?"

"I wish I knew!" Celestia said. "I don't know!" The sun and moon started slowing their ascent, reaching their peaks in the sky. Luna knew that she could not lose concentration. The moon shook slightly in the sky, and suddenly it all stopped. She was in complete control over the moon again. Luna frowned, and glanced at Celestia. Celestia was already looking at her.

"Has it stopped for you as well?" Luna asked. Celestia slowly nodded.

"This is strange," she said.

"Has this happened before?" Luna asked. Celestia nodded.

"Only once," she said. "It happened about 500 years after I banished....Nightmare Moon to the moon. I thought that it was because of either because of an imbalance, or because of something Nightmare Moon had done." Luna arched an eyebrow.

"An imbalance?" Luna asked. She looked at the mostly dark sky. "I have an idea."

"I was right," Luna said with a chill and glanced at Celestia. Both were on Luna's balcony, with Luna having just stopped looking through her telescope. "He's back."

"Who?" Celestia asked. Luna deadpaned.

"Really?" she asked. "Who? Who else?" Celestia frowned for a few seconds, before her face light up.

"Oh, him?" she asked. "How did I forget about him?"

"I suspect it has something to do with Nightmare Moon," Luna said. "Remember all the memory charms she used?" Celestia frowned.

"What memory charms?" she asked. Luna face palmed. "Right, those memory charms. Where is he?" Luna pointed to a spot near the moon.

"Next to the moon," she said. "Not close enough to get drawn in, but still there." Celestia looked at the night sky.

"I still don't see him," she said.

"That really bright star right next to the moon," Luna said, pointing to a spot near the moon. "That's it." Celestia let out a small gasp as she saw it.

"That's it?" she said. "Really? I thought it would be bigger." Luna sighed.

"That's because it's disguised," she said, rolling her eyes. "How much did Nightmare Moon cast that memory spell?" Celestia shrugged.

"I don't know, but that's not important," she said. "How do we contact him?"

"You don't contact him," a voice behind them said. Celestia and Luna gasped and spun around to see an alicorn. His fur was pure black with an occasional white spec, and he had and oddly glowing white mane, which was all over the place, like it was somewhere with no gravity. His eyes where completely black, with a swirling blacker vortex like thing in the middle. He had a slight smile on his face. "He contacts you."

"Orion!" Luna suddenly squeed as she flew at him and tackled him to the ground in a giant bear hug. Orion grunted as they fell to the ground. "You're back!"

"Yes, my back," he said. "Please get off before you injure it further." Luna rolled off his chest and stood up.

"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing back here?" Orion grinned and lifted an eyebrow.

"I could ask you the same thing," he said. "Last I knew, you were on the moon." Luna lowered her head.

"Yeah, that is a rather....complex situation," she said.

"The stars aided in your escape," Orion said. "That much I know. But what happened after that?"

"Well, you remember the Elements of Harmony?" Luna said. When Orion nodded, she continued. "They have new masters, and they were used on Nightmare Moon, to rid Equestria of her."

"And Equestria has accepted you back as one of its leaders?" Orion asked.

"Of course," Luna said. She opened her mouth to continue speaking, when galloping hoof clops were heard, and the door burst open.

"Luna! Celestia!" Twilight yelled as she came through. "Are you ok?" Luna and Celestia looked at each other, then at Orion, then at Twilight, who was staring in shock at Orion's wings and horn.

"You haven't told her yet, have you?" Luna asked. Celestia shook her head sadly.

"No," she said. "They've been gone for a thousand year, and none have resurfaced."

"None?" Luna asked. Celestia nodded.

"Of course some of them where imprisoned, but still, not one," Celestia said. She glanced at Twilight, who was staring at Celestia.

"Tell me what?" Twilight asked. She gestured at Orion. "And why is there another alicorn? I thought there were only 5?" Celestia sighed.

"Twilight, I should have told you this when you ascended," Celestia said. "You're not the first to ascend to alicorn-hood. Not by a long shot." Twilight looked at Orion.

"Wait, 5 alicorns?" Orion asked. "When I left, Cadence had just ascended."

"Was he the first?" Twilight asked.

"Ok, Orion was not the first to ascend, and yes, there are five puplicly know alicorns," Celestia said. "There is Twilight," she pointed at Twilight, "And Flurry Heart, who was born a few months ago."

"Orion?" Twilight said as Orion said "Twilight?"

"Let me guess, she controls the twilight?" Orion asked.

"No," Twilight said. "What do you rule over?"

"That's not important right know!" Luna said. "But what is important is that we have to find the others."

"There are others?" Twilight asked.

"A lot more," Celestia said. "Remember, I said you weren't the first to ascend by a long shot."

"Oh, yeah," Twilight said. "How many more ar-"

"About a dozen," Orion said.

"12 others?" Twilight gasped.

"That's what I just said," Orion said. Twilight frowned.

"Sorry to be blunt, but you're not very polite, are you?" she asked. Orion shrugged.

"Well, in the 1,000 years that I've been traveling through space alone, my sanity and social skills have probably declined," Orion said. "And I'll admit, I probably could've been nicer with all that, but this is important."

"It's ok, and I know this is important, but still, really?" Twilight said. "This is the first time I've heard that there are any other alicorns, much less 12!"

"Can we get back to the point?" Celestia said. "Twilight, Luna and I need to tell you about this, and then we need to go get the others."

"If they'll come," Luna said.

"They'll come," Celestia said. "Now, Twilight, this is what happened."