An interview with the Princess
Perking his quill, Paper Prose raised an eyebrow at the princess seated across from him, arching an eyebrow to punctuate his question.
"Princess, are you ready to begin?" He asked softly. Celestia heaved a sigh that Prose could have sworn would move the heavens themselves.
"As ready as anypony can be for something like this, I suppose..." Her tone was melancholy, the sort of low sadness that would have broken a lesser pony's heart. Giving a slight nod, the star reporter for the Canterlot Observer set quill to paper and began...
BREAKING NEWS! INTERVIEW WITH THE PRINCESS!
In a chance interview with Canterlot royalty, our very own Paper Prose was allowed the opportunity of a lifetime. On the evening of July 6th, 7443, Princess Celestia agreed to a chance interview with press sources all across Equestria about the recent crisis that nearly swept the nation by storm. The Canterlot Observer has the inside fix on the entire interview, and has released the notes for all to read, faster than any other news publication. In response to what was quickly developing to be a national crisis, Princess Celestia promised to answer any and all questions regarding the rumor of a fourth alicorn, said to be related to the Royal Equestrian Family. The alicorn, who sources indicate waStory continued on 4A->
Twilight Sparkle heaved a sigh and lifted the pages with a thin thread of magic, rolling her eyes as the paper settled open on the target page. "Honestly," She huffed. "This is why I hate periodicals..."
"What was that, Twi?" Spike called from below.
"Oh nothing, just reading the paper." Spike padded up the stairs onto the balcony Twilight was seated on.
"Really? I thought you hated papers."
"Oh, I do, don't get me wrong. But when I went to go pick up breakfast this morning, I spotted this headline. I just had to investigate." Spike lifted a corner of the paper to read the cover.
"Wow, really? As much as you hated papers, I'd have figured Princess Celestia would hate them more."
"I know, right?" Twilight said, smiling up at the adolescent dragon. "I need a drink if I'm going to keep reading. Why don't you catch up, and I'll read the rest out loud for you?" Twilight quickly went down the stairs, pouring a glass of hay juice as fast as she dared without spilling. Putting the bottle back in the fridge, she rejoined Spike, who appeared to be reading the last lines of the header. Printed underneath it was a picture of the Princess, seated across from what looked to be a dozen reporters with notepads, with even more cameraponies in the background.
"Interesting. Here, go on and read for me, then." Twilight took the extended paper and hovered it in the air before her, flipping pages to where she wanted to be.
"Ahem. So..."
s seen walking freely through the Canterlot gardens on July 2nd. The source of the rumor, Garden Pony Earthen Hedge, was working in the Canterlot garden on the afternoon of the 2nd when he saw what appeared to be an alicorn walking freely about through the Princess' private garden. Reportedly, Earthen Hedge confronted the individual, and was assaulted by a visage so dark and terrifying he left screaming. Witnesses report Earthen Hedge was yelling incoherently and causing quite a stir among the palace staff. It was then Princess Celestia intervened, and explained it was her brother out for his quarter-century stroll. More hysteria followed as word began spreading about a fourth alicorn, related to the princesses, and the situation quickly grew out of hoof as authorities with the Royal Canterlotian Guard were unable to bring order to rioting hordes of ponies filling the streets of Canterlot. Princess Celestia reportedly cast a spell calming everypony involved, explaining she would reveal all in an interview with the press within the next few days. What follows is said interview.
Q: "Paper Prose for the Canterlot Observer, asking a forum of questions submitted by authorities, my fellow members of the press, and concerned citizens across Equestria. Princess, rumor has it this fourth alicorn is related to you and Princess Luna. Is that true?"
A: "Indeed, the rumors on that front are true. Dark Conquest, the 'fourth' alicorn spotted that afternoon, was indeed brother to Princess Luna and myself. I will say now, however, that despite his appearance, our brother means Equestria no harm. There was a point in time when our world was held in his hooves, and very nearly succumbed to the madness our brother holds deep within himself. However, this is something Princess Luna and I have well in hoof, and while it was a threat thousands upon thousands of years ago, it is no longer a concern today."
Q: "You said your brother, Dark Conquest, once meant Equestria, and indeed, the entire world harm. How so?"
A: "It is a rather long and somewhat depressing story long ago in Equestria's history, so for the sake of the article I will attempt to keep this short as possible." The Princess appears to be collecting her thoughts at this time. "Dark Conquest is a member of the Royal Equestrian Family, an order that has ruled all of Equestria and long, long ago, helped shape the world into what it is today. Originally, there were two members of this family. King Chronos and Queen Gaia. Together, they breathed life into the world and used powerful magic beyond comprehension of even myself. There were several key elements to the world still missing, however, so they created the eldest brother and sister known to the Royal Family. Prince Solaris, and Princess Luminescence. They were the third and fourth alicorns.
"Time passed and as the world grew, more and more members of the Royal Family were created or born of the romance between all members present. As popular scientific theory goes to show, inbreeding yields offspring that are prone to genetic defects. However, since they are alicorns, and the most powerful amongst all the Royal Family, King Chronos and Queen Gaia would oversee pregnancies and creations. However, the seventeenth alicorn, a mare named Princess Rose, was a very talented liar and used her own powerful magic to conceal her pregnancy at the hoof of the fifth alicorn, Prince Tobias. She bore a child, my brother, Prince Dark Conquest. King Chronos quickly learned of it, but by the time he was able to discover the location of Princess Rose, Dark Conquest was fully-grown and his own magic in place. King Chronos was powerful, but he could not change that which he had wrought with his own magic after it had set. He tried everything possible, but could not change Dark Conquest's destructive ways. Seeing his failure, the other Royal Family members lost heart and gave up on stopping Dark Conquest.
"Alone, my brother raged across the land, unchecked and unheeded, destroying everything in his madness. It was myself and Princess Luna who finally stopped our brother, quelled his destructive tendencies, and locked him away in the caverns deep beneath where Canterlot now lays. King Chronos, seeing the two of us succeed where he himself had failed, granted my sister and I rulership over a new land, Equestria, and instructed the two of us to foster a land full of peace and happiness, to offset the madness my brother still battles with to this day."
Q: "My goodness, that's an awfully dark story... I trust everything turned out okay, as Equestria, and indeed the entire world, still stands?"
A: "Dark as it is, every cloud has silver lining. As any Pegasus will agree with me, it's quite tasty. Dark Conquest remains locked beneath the caverns, but King Chrona tasked me with not only keeping the world safe from his madness, but attempting to cure him of it as well. As such, we agree to let Dark Conquest walk the castle gardens once every quarter century, to get some fresh air and see the good in the world. A world he nearly destroyed. Over the millenia, Dark Conquest is but a shadow of his former self, a echo of the madness that once tainted his every movement. He enjoys poetry, crunchy hay fries, and hoofbiscus flowers."
Q: "An interesting development! But, the general public still only believes the existence of three alicorns. Yourself, Princess Luna, and the recently wed Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. Exactly how many members of the Royal Equestrian Family are there? And what do they do, respectively?"
A: "All-in-all, there are Twenty-three members of the Royal Equestrian Family. And, hard as this may be to absorb, we are all tasked with one monumental quest or another. I suppose I should list them in order, then..." Princess Celestia listed every known member of the Royal Equestrian Family, the list is included in the table below.
Twilight flicked a gaze to a table of names and tasks listed beneath the article, which she noted was sadly coming to a close. Less than half to go.
"What do they all do?" Spike asked, piping up from his seat opposite Twilight at the table. Twilight took a sip of hay juice and opened her mouth to start listing them off, but just adjusted so she and Spike could read together.
"Here, it's this table down here... It looks like it's just their order of birth or creation, and their task... If they have one..." She said, tapping the paper with a hoof.
1. King Chronos- Unknown
2. Queen Gaia- Unkown
3. Solaris- Sun
4. Luminescence- Moon
5. Tobias- Knowledge
6. Melancholy- Sadness
7. Ephemira- Magic
8. Brittany- Kindness
9. Polly- Laughter
10. Jacob- Loyalty
11. Michael- Honesty
12. William- Generosity
13. Comitatus- Brotherhood/Sisterhood
14. Sophos- Strength
15. Imoheen- Mischief
16. Aqua- Water
17. Rose- Secrecy
18. Dark Conquest- Madness/Hatred
19. Celestia- Sun Escort
20. Luna- Star Escort
21. Mi Amore Cadenza (Cadence)- Love
22. Ebbon- Unknown
23. Unknown- Unknown
"Isn't that something?" Spike mused once they finished reading over all the Royal Family members and their duties. "Some of them are kind of vague, though... It says Celestia's duty is 'Sun Escort,' what d'you think that means?" Twilight nibbled her bottom lip in thought.
"I'm not sure. Hang, on there's more. Ahem."
Q: "That's a very long list. I'm sure nopony was expecting so many members of the Royal Family. Is there a reason this information hadn't been made available before?"
A: "Alas, Princess Luna and I are somewhat ashamed of our family... You see, there are several members who thrive on conflict and enjoy making lives miserable in general. That, and the secret of Dark Conquest, well... We tried to keep it secret, but everypony deserves to know how the world was created, I suppose."
Q: "You mentioned your duty was 'Sun Escort' and Luna's was 'Moon Escort.' While Solaris' merely said 'Sun' and Luminescence's was 'Moon.' That, and six of the princes and princesses were labeled as the same elements of harmony that have been wielded to protect Euqestria in the past. Is there an explanation for all this?"
A: "Your question is an excellent one. Each alicorn represents a powerful form of magic, or some timeless part of the world that has been around since the beginning of time. Now, this may be hard to grasp, but alicorns come in all different forms. Some, not as obvious as others. To answer the first portion of your question, I will say this much. Prince Solaris is TECHNICALLY the sun. Princess Luminescence is TECHNICALLY the moon. Solaris and I were close, so in addition to safeguarding Equestria, I assist him across the sky. Luna and Luminescence were good friends, so Luna helps her rise at night and light the land while Solaris and I sleep. My three aunts and three uncles stand for the Elements of Harmony themselves. Every time somepony laughs, Polly is strengthened. Every act of kindness keeps Brittany alive. Loyalty keeps Jacob's heart beating strong, and Michael thrives in truth. Acts of generosity are what keep William alive and sane. Ephemira, the eldest of those six siblings, is alive in every pulse and breath of magic that fills the whole of the world, and ties them all together into the Elements of Harmony."
Q: "That's very surprising, indeed... There was that, and the last two you mentioned, Prince Ebbon, and your unkown sister, what do they do?"
A: "Ebbon is a fledgling alicorn, recently born six short centuries ago. Speculation has it he was created to tame the dragons, but I cannot say for sure. As for my little sister, well... I do not know her name or her task yet, so I cannot say. Just know that Princess Luna, Princess Cadence and myself are the three youngest of the entire Royal Family. Mind you, each of us has weathered at least six millenia. Myself, well... I turn 7,552 in a month. By Equestrian standards, mind you... King Chronos... We don't have a number for how old he is."
Q: "I see. Well, this entire interview has been truly insightful, Princess. However, the fear is still in everypony's minds... You are certain that Equestria is in no danger?"
A: "I can assure the press, and all of my faithful subjects, Dark Conquest is no threat to Equestria or our way of life. In fact, in another two decades, I would hope the next gardener would be courageous enough to strike up a conversation with my elder brother."
"Is that it?" Spike asked as Twilight turned the page and scanned the other assorted stories.
"I guess so..." Huffing, she closed the paper and left it on the table as she stretched. "That was certainly... Interesting." She muttered, cracking her neck.
"I'll say! I never would have imagined there were other princes and princesses! I wonder why we never get to see them..."
"Well, as the story said, Spike." Twilight ruffled his head spines playfully, laughing as he swatted at her hoof. "The other princes and princesses might not exist in the form we think they do. Think about it." She lifted the paper with magic and hovered the periodical in front of his face. "You just saw Princess Ephemira. And if I'm not mistaken, every time you take a bath, you're surrounded by Princess Aqua." She sniffed the air and crunched her muzzle at what she discovered.
"Oh, no... Don't tell me..."
"Smells like some little dragon needs to visit Princess Aqua as is." Spike groaned and slid off the stool he had been sitting on. "Come on, baby dragon. Go take a bath then help me out with my letter to the princess."
"Aww... Do I hafta?" She nudged him with a hoof, smiling at the sad look she got in return.
"'Fraid so, little guy." Spike trudged off as Twilight turned to look back at the paper. One though kept nagging her, though...
Secrecy? Sadness? Mischief? Madness? Just how safe IS Equestria?
