The Secret Journal of Princess Celestia

by Jonny Manz

Rating: everyone
Tags: Sad, Princess Celestia, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 6241

A chronicle of the times between the end of the first Journal of the Two Sisters and the return of Nightmare Moon, as chronicled by the Princess of the Sun herself.

We all know the story of Nightmare Moon, her return, and her reformation back into Princess Luna. We also know the story of the early days of Princesses Celestia and Luna presiding over Equestria. We have even seen bits and pieces of their lives during the early years of Equestria.

However, never has there been as complete a record of that transitory time. Written by the Princess of the Sun herself, and recently uncovered by Princess Twilight Sparkle, this journal gives insight into the time spanning the end of the original Journal of the Two Sisters and Nightmare Moon's return - including the time during Luna's banishment, and Twilight herself being accepted as the Princess's personal student - from the perspective of the one pony there to witness it all.

Published 2018-03-04 07:30:06 UTC
Last updated 2018-03-04 07:30:06 UTC

A Journal to the Past

Dear Diary,

Today we got a visit from a young filly named Radiant Hope.

I wish the visit were under more favorable circumstances, but alas, it seems the Crystal Empire is under threat – a new evil has reared his head. Hard to believe that it is Radiant Hope’s friend, Sombra. She told me that he discovered his true nature – that he was not, in fact, a pony, but rather an umbrum, a species of shadow creatures who are the polar opposite of the Crystal Ponies inhabiting the Crystal Empire. He had stolen the Crystal Heart, and turned the princess guarding that region, Princess Amore, into blackened crystal, shattering her and scattering the pieces to all corners of the Earth. When she had left to come and alert us, Sombra was enslaving the Crystal Pony populace to dig up the umbrum from their underground prison.

We rushed to the Crystal Empire as quick as could be. When we arrived, it appeared Sombra was expecting us, for his composure did not waver, and, in fact, his smile seemed to grow, his fangs glinting in the sickly green glow of the dark magic.

“Ah, Royal Pony Sisters, so good of you to finally arrive!” The venom dripped from his every word.

Stalling. “In the name of Equestria,” Luna began –

“We hereby banish you to the Arctic Wastes of the Frozen North for your crimes against ponykind!” I finished. As an aside, we make such a good duo.

“Well, fine – you are indeed more powerful than I. However, do you think I was unprepared for this eventuality?”

We could not afford to wait – if the umbrum army was unleashed, there was no telling how muchdamage might be done to the Crystal Empire and, indeed, likely the rest of Equestria as well.

Unfortunately, it appears the spell Sombra had cast over the Empire caused it, as well as the citizenry still enchained within, to disappear along with him.

When we had to return to break the news to Radiant Hope, she was devastated – understandable. We consoled her as best we could, and offered to take her in as a student – a magic such as hers is something to be nurtured, to draw out the greatest potential from it. All we can do now is wait, and hope that eventually some semblance of normalcy, of happiness, can be returned to her life.

I do not know if it was because I had been thinking about the friend she had to betray, in addition to the life she was cursed to leave behind, but I felt like embracing Luna a little extra today, to remind myself that she is still here, by my side.

Celestia

Dear Diary,

Today I was asked about my past by Radiant Hope. I suppose it is understandable – when one is on the track to a certain position, they naturally seek out knowledge from those already in said position. She was eager also to learn about Alicorns, as Luna and I were the first two she had ever seen. As I told her our story, and some of what I knew about my tribe’s past, she watched in awe, her eyes as wide as dinner saucers, not daring to make a sound – perhaps in fear of disrupting my cadence as I recounted the story. I do so love it when ponies are curious like that at that age – they remind me of myself. Never satisfied with the knowledge they’ve got, always thirsty for more.

As I write this entry, I realize that nowhere have either of us recorded our pasts beyond when we became princesses of Equestria at Star Swirl’s request. I will now strive to enter this into the record, for not doing so would be committing a great injustice against our ancestors.

Growing up, I always remember the stories that my parents would tell my sister and I (and frankly sometimes just me – I was always more interested than my sister in such things) that long ago, three ponies from the three different tribes came together in friendship, in spite of the animosity shared by the other members of each of the three tribes. The outpouring of light and love from them was said to be as beautiful as the beauty of the sunrise, sunset, moon, and stars all put together.

One day, the accumulated light and love began to morph, and take shape. Soon, the figure of a pony emerged! To their astonishment, this pony had features of all the tribes! There was the horn of a unicorn, the wings of a Pegasus, and the overall build of an Earth pony. It was the first Alicorn – Caelia.

At first, the ponies cowered in fear before the magnificent figure standing before them, but then she spoke to them. “Do not be afraid, for I am but a reflection of your shared love and friendship. If you follow me, I will lead you to a land where there is no more hatred, no more animosity, only the friendship you have demonstrated between one another.” Her voice is said to have been as gentle as a warm summer’s breeze, but authoritative enough to cause even the flighty Pegasus to stop from trembling. Additionally, her countenance demonstrated the dichotomy of Alicorn-kind – the strength to protect those dear, and the softness to provide them with love and warmth.

It should come as no wonder that the three chose right then and there to follow her. She spread her wings wide, the feathers glistening in the sun, dug into the Earth, her hooves finding purchase, and shot a magical beam from her horn. When it met the three, they found themselves transforming into Alicorns themselves!

The four of them went on to be the founding members of the Alicorn tribe.

At this point of the story, Hope asked where the Alicorns went and why they were so mysterious – after all, we were the first Alicorns she had ever met, which meant there was a good chance the rest of the Crystal Empire had never seen one. When she asks questions like that, it fills my heart with warmth and pride, I would like to note.

I went on to explain that the original Alicorns had gone to live far away from the other three pony tribes, to not be influenced by their constant squabbling. After all, being that they represented the best of the other three tribes, they were an ideal for the others to strive to, a blessed kind.

And I will never forget the way my mother described the blessings conferred upon the Alicorns. She always said that we lived with the blessings of the sun, its warm rays caressing us and filling our hearts with warmth, so that we might be able to truly love one another, and also illuminating the path ahead of us, so we might never stray from the straight-and-narrow. The sun would also act as our protector, its fiery wrath brought to bear against any who would wish to destroy us, or what we stand for. She would also tell us about living with the blessings of the moon and stars above, their soft light allowing us to see all things in a new way, and their silvery glow granting a haunting beauty to the world. The moon would also protect us from those unworthy of seeing us, by playing tricks on their eyes, causing them to see things that aren’t there, fooling them into experiencing a danger not present.

I paused for a moment after this, realizing the starstuck expression across Hope’s face. I was probably smiling myself.

I realize now that I forgot to tell her about our pasts, specifically, but she seemed satisfied at where I left off, so I decided not to press the issue.

Celestia

Dear Diary,

I noticed Hope looking particularly glum today during her magic lesson. I glanced at the calendar, and it seemed to confirm my suspicion – today was the day that the Crystal Faire would have fallen on.

When I asked her about it, she admitted it was partially that – but also it reminded her of the regret she felt for betraying her closest friend, even if it was the right thing to do.

She must have seen my flinch at the word “regret” because she then asked me if I had any regrets.

I decided I could tell her about an incident that took place between me and Luna, back when we were undergoing magical training with Star Swirl. I would often tease her as my aptitude for magic was higher than hers, and I would master spells while she lagged behind.

I thought that my teasing was all in good fun, a good-natured sisterly teasing, and I suppose I could explain it away by saying that I was young, and didn’t know any better. But I know that’s all that would be – an excuse, and, especially for somepony who would become a leader in Equestria, it was unacceptable.

Anyway, eventually my teasing pushed her to attempt a spell that even I was unable to do – a dimensional doorway. To my great surprise, she accomplished it – unfortunately, waiting on the other side were creatures – foul demons, who offered to help temper the darkness within her, allow her to embrace it, and wield it as a weapon. Before she could get away, they snatched her up.

Star Swirl and I were able to retrieve her, and keep her from falling to that inner darkness, but the lesson he taught to me has stuck with me. He taught me that true strength is treating weakness with compassion and understanding, not ridicule. Additionally, he taught me that I should treat Luna with more compassion, or else I might one day lose her emotionally, and might not be able to get her back.

I do like to think that I have improved in my treatment of Luna, that I will not lose her emotionally. If that day is the biggest regret I ever have involving my sister, then I think I have done well.

Celestia

Dear Diary,

Terrible news today – when I awoke, I discovered that Hope had gone missing. She must have escaped sometime during the night, while Luna was busy governing the dream realm.

Luna and I flew to where the Crystal Empire once was, even as far as the Arctic Wastes, to see if we might be able to find her, but alas, it was for naught.

What could have driven Hope to do such a thing? Was it her guilt over the entire affair with Sombra? Her regret over not realizing his true nature sooner?

-Celestia

Dear Diary,

Today as Luna and I were heading back toward our castle - though it will not be our castle for too much longer, as there is one under construction at a new site – we’ve decided on the name “Canterlot” for the new capital of Equestria. Apologies for the aside.

Anyway, we had been visiting our friends in the zebra land for some time, having stopped by there on the way back to our castle in the Everfree Forest. We were getting ready to leave, but they stopped me, saying they needed to tell me something. I was about to get Luna’s attention, but they said what they were about to tell me was for my ears only. I was suspicious but decided I should go along with it – after all, they’re our friends.

They told me that their shamans had a vision, that would affect not only the zebra lands, but indeed Equestria and all other lands as well. They expressed it as a rhyme:

Over the world, a deep darkness will soon fall

And to stop it, you need make a difficult call

What could that mean? That makes me worried – but I know that with Luna and Star Swirl by my side, we can handle anything this world might throw at us!
- Celestia

Dear Diary,

Today, Luna and I defeated a great evil which had infested Equestria: the spirit of chaos, Discord! At every step of the way, we had to deal with his chaotic traps. At one point, we almost drowned in a lake of chocolate pudding! Luckily for us, we have quite the sweet tooth (especially me, if I’m going to be perfectly honest!) and were able to successfully eat our way out of the delicious prison.

We marched our way to Discord, who had settled in an uninhabited portion of land next to the Everfree Forest. He taunted us, saying that there was no way we could defeat him, as well as stealing my tail right out from behind me. Apparently, he truly believed that, as up until we blasted him with the Elements of Harmony, he could do nothing but laugh at our serious expressions.

Oh, that’s right! I forgot to mention! We discovered that the Tree of Harmony had seemingly borne “fruit”, in the form of 6 gems absolutely radiating with magical power! Ever since we had earned our cutie marks, we had felt a special connection with the Tree, and it seemed to call out to us, telling us that this was what we could use to defeat Discord. Even without the Elements, the magic contained within the Tree is powerful and should be sufficient to protect Equestria.

Anyway, we used the Elements, together, to turn Discord into stone, freezing him in a grotesque laughing position, and restoring Equestria to harmony.

However, something he said to us has caused me to wonder whenever I think about it. He said something about our “perfect harmony” being “perfectly sickening” – but that’s not the part that concerns me; no, I’d expect a spirit of chaos to be disgusted by a concept such as harmony. It was what he said about the fact that he couldn’t wait until the disharmony grew between us.

At first, I thought it was just something he said to try and get under our skin, mess with us – that is his modus operandi, after all – but something about the way he said it, or something – I wish I knew what – has me feeling quite uneasy whenever I think about it. Could it truly be a portent of the future?

Celestia

Dear Diary,

Luna has been getting more and more distant lately, and I can’t figure out why. Whenever I try to bring it up with her, she brushes it off, or deflects and says that everything is fine.

I have been spending more time with Star Swirl of late. He seems convinced that everything will work itself out in the end, but I am not so sure. Still, it’s a comforting thought.

Also, I have been visiting a parallel world lately – I have struck up a friendship with an alternate universe’s Sombra, who is actually a kind and benevolent king in that realm! Who would have thought?

Still, though, it’s nice to have somepony to talk to, who I feel truly understands me, and who I can be open with. This sort of bond – I used to enjoy with Luna. I can only attempt to restore that bond to its former glory. I suppose it’s true what they say – you never know what you truly have until it’s lost, and while Luna is not lost yet, I fear that possibility may become a reality.

I truly wish I had somepony to open up to in my realm, and not just the way I open up to the servants here (when I can at least kind of drop my brave face and relax a little), but really open up on a deeply personal level – and be understood. I feel I should clarify that, as I can be that open with Star Swirl – he has known me the longest of anypony around this place, aside from Luna – but I’m starting to feel that he does not truly understand friendship, or close interpersonal relationships of the sort. He is always so brusque and distant, even when I can tell he means well.

I do hope very much that I can get my sister back.

Dear Diary,

Today, I feel that we have lost Star Swirl. It appears the group he had gathered – I believe he said they called themselves the Pillars of Equestria? – has vanished. It has been months since anypony last saw any of them – and while it’s not unusual for him to disappear for weeks at a time, this is far longer than any time in the past. A noble sacrifice, for the good of Equestria, I’m certain. I wish I could have met them more than the one time he brought them to see both Luna and I. From the way that he would talk about them, it sounded like he was certainly fond of them, or at least that was the impression I got. I couldn’t tell whether they were friends or not, though it sounded like Star Swirl was able to be a bit more open with them than even with me. I suppose saving the world together does that (he had told me about their escapade banishing the sirens to an alternate world, just as a note).

I have heard that the villain they were battling was called the “Pony of Shadows” – some of the group seemed to talk as though they knew the pony it was before? I think the name was something like Styvian, or Stygian – something beginning with an “S”. Some in the group seemed hopeful that they could restore him – especially the one named Somnambula, I believe - but Star Swirl said that there was no such entity anymore – only the Pony of Shadows. I suppose it should not come as a surprise that Star Swirl’s reaction was such – for all his wisdom, his thinking does seem to tend towards black-and-white, right-and-wrong, as if everything in life is only a dichotomy.
As for Luna… well, she seemed like she was beginning to open up to me, but was it genuine? I must put down, for the record, I am a terrible sister – I have begun carrying the Elements of Harmony with me everywhere I go. I cannot shake the feeling that the darkness Luna was exposed to in that alternate world has taken root in her heart, and I want to be prepared to cure her of it, should it ever envelop her. I feel certain that I would be able to – or at least, that’s what I keep telling myself.

Hm, what to do? Perhaps I should go visit Melvin and the zebras whenever my royal schedule allows for it – though who knows when that might be?

Dear Diary
I can’t face them – all I can do now is raise and lower the sun and moon. What I did was right for Equestria – but why does it feel so wrong? Even the thought of having to look at another pony makes me nauseous. It’s already been a week! I know I must face them eventually.

I know what those zebras were talking about – oh, my dear sister Luna, how could I have been so blind? Why could I not have been stronger, to free you from the control that demon exerted over your soul?

Dear Diary,

It has been a month since … well, it has been a month. I have started to open up to other ponies again, and I have been better able to put on a brave face. I know that it’s what Equestria needs, but is that what being a good protector is? Just putting on a mask for the outside world, while inside you desperately try to slake the aching of your heart?

I had heard talk of an emotion ponies experience when there is a great loss in their lives – grief. I remember wondering whether it was grief when the royal pastrieter retired, or whenever Philomeena would enter the end portion of one of her lives, but now I realize I could not have been farther from the reality, the gravity, of true grief.

I now understand what true grief is, to feel pushed out from your place under the sun, the beams no longer lovingly stroking your face but instead imparting a deep and searing wrath, a light shed on the deepest and darkest corners of your mind, illuminating all your past misdeeds and mistakes. And oh, the moon – its beams no longer gleefully playing tricks on your eyes or casting its ephemeral silvery glow upon the Earth, but rather mocking you for your blindness of the plight right next to you.

And the worst part is… both are absolutely right. I have no one to blame for this situation but myself.
The only solace I can take is that our battle was waged in our old castle, and not here in Canterlot, so at the very least, no innocents were hurt, and I don’t have to be reminded of my failure by my surroundings.

Dear Diary,

I have been keeping busy of late, as I find the less time I have alone with my thoughts, the better. This is not just because of the guilt, but also because apparently, I have developed the habit of talking to myself oftentimes when I feel alone. This was, thankfully, brought to my attention by a royal guard who happened to be within earshot of me.
I suppose guilt does not fade as fast as one would like it to – which is to be expected. That is almost certainly why I started talking to myself (I even caught myself doing it earlier today!), in addition to why I’ve started hoping to see Luna appear in my dreams, even if I know it’s futile. How cruel dreams can be – it seems as though everything is alright once again, Luna by my side, presiding over Equestria as we were meant to – and then the kick to the haunches is delivered in the form of waking up. Sometimes I’ll wake up and my cheeks will be stained with tears, sometimes it will be a sense of dread filling my innards.

I must make sure I do not accidentally start crying while I’m in public.

Goodness, what a random thought to close out this entry.

But not so random as noting how my past few entries, I have not signed – perhaps because unconsciously I realize there’s no need for it now?

Dear Diary,

I went and saw Melvin today. It had been a few years or so since I – no, wait, we – last saw Melvin. Being busy overseeing the construction of a new castle, and indeed, a new city, took up a lot of free time, and then there are the royal duties to consider. Plus, there is the fact that with the different aging of Alicorns, years can sometimes seem like mere months, or even weeks, but I digress. I had been spending a lot of my free time in the past couple months brushing up on my manticore – not only because it would be necessary to hold a conversation with him, but also because I felt it was a way I could keep Luna in my heart (after all, it came naturally to her).

Of course, when I flew there, the first questions he asked – after the customary greeting, mind you – were about Luna, and why she wasn’t with me. If I hadn’t been standing right in front of him, I might have facehoofed right then and there – of course he would ask that! The last time I visited him was with Luna!

There was no easy way to do this, so I decided to just tell him as bluntly – yet gently – as I could.

When I had finished telling him about it, I saw the tears welling up in his eyes – I couldn’t blame him. I went on to explain how Luna had succumbed to the darkness inside her, and threatened to plunge the world into eternal night, as well as the reasoning behind such a drastic move.

I had a thought that I should go hug him – after all, Luna was his best friend. However, I was shocked to find him coming over to hug me – but it was what he said next that really got to me.

He talked about his younger brother, and how he had moved across the world. He then mentioned how he hadn’t heard from his brother in years, and although he was able to make other friends amongst the manticores, he still felt a loneliness inside, because of how close he was with his brother. He then told me that he couldn’t imagine what it must be like for me, not only having to do what I did, but then also having royal duties to the ponies of Equestria, having to keep up an appearance of strength.
It was nice, being able to talk with someone who understood. It was also nice to be able to drop my guard, not that I think I would have been able to stop the tears from streaming down my face.

Dear Diary,

Has it really been 200 years since my last entry? My goodness, I suppose I have been feeling stronger – or I’ve been busy – or there was nothing to write about?

However, it is unfortunate that this event was needed to convince me to pick up my quill again – today was Melvin’s funeral. Both he and I truly hoped he might live long enough to see her again, but it was not meant to be. Manticores typically only live to be around 100-150 years of age, so the fact that Melvin lived to be well above 200 is a true testament to his hardiness, as well as his desire to see Luna again.

I was able to convince the zebras to assist with his funeral – I have remained in contact with them, thankfully - though unfortunately, I was unable to track down his brother or any other manticores. The breeze blowing through the Everfree Forest was so lovely that day; as the rain started to fall, I couldn’t help but feel it was so beautiful. It may sound strange, coming from a being tasked with raising the sun (and, for now, the moon), but I love the rain, whenever the Pegasi decide to schedule storms (I may or may not have used my influence over the council to get the rain scheduled a little more frequently).

The soft gray pall that settles over everything and the scent of newly-wetted Earth are great, to be sure, but I think that my favorite part about the rain is that it allows me to mourn without appearing weak.

Dear Diary,

Wow, two days in a row.

Anyway, I suppose I was still feeling sensitive from yesterday, but I was discussing the upcoming court with my assistant, Raven. I had been wondering aloud whether I should perhaps hold a night court, as well, as had been done in the days before. I remember our exchange after that:

“I don’t doubt that you would be able to accomplish it, Your Majesty, but are you certain that it would not have an adverse effect on your health?”

“Yes, that is a good point, Raven. Hmmm, if only my sister were here…”

“Who?”

I could feel a shocked look creep onto my face, because I saw a blush grow across Raven’s. She stammered out an apology, “1,000 pardons for speaking out of turn, Your Highness!”

And that’s when it hit me – I was the only pony left still alive from the time of my sister’s banishment! “Oh, no, it’s quite alright, my assistant.” I then proceeded to explain to her about Luna and all that had happened.

“Nightmare Moon? But I thought that was just an old mare’s tale!” Raven immediately clasped her hooves over her mouth after saying that, realizing she had spoken out of turn again.

“Yes, I suspect there are many ponies that feel that way – I doubt that even the descendants of those alive when Luna ruled by my side are still alive…” I trailed off, trying to keep the hurt I was feeling inside from reaching my voice. I’m not sure why, but the fact that only Nightmare Moon was being remembered, and not my little sister, probably had something to do with it. Or it could be perhaps because in that moment, I realized that I, myself, was forgetting my sister, walling off the pain in the past.

I will record the following, so I never forget.

Her name was Luna, but I was often fond of calling her Lulu. I’ve never written that down anywhere, as I always felt it was better to be a bit more formal in my writings, but remembering the journal the two of us kept together, back in those halcyon days of endless sunshine and moonlight, she would often call me by nickname, “Celie”.

She used to love to pull pranks – she was always the fun-loving one. Perhaps I could give that a try, introduce some levity into this life.

She would enter into ponies’ dreams in order to make sure they were not experiencing nightmares. I should try to see if I can develop a counterpart to that spell, see if I can’t perform some semblance of that task, even if it’s not as powerful or effective as Lulu’s native night magic.

There, even by just doing that, so I can help to remind myself of what she was like as a pony, it feels like a weight has been lifted from my back, and I feel just a bit more like myself. I hadn’t noticed, but I was slowly starting to shut out my emotions, all of them, just to be able to better deal with the pain.

I realize now (and frankly, I’m a little ashamed it took me this long to learn this lesson) that although the close bonds one has with their family can wrap themselves around one’s heart, and cut deeper than anything else in the world, they are also what makes life truly worth living. Without them, one might as well be a soulless magical automaton.

Oh, Lulu, if you do return one day, I will be sure to greet you with open hooves.

Dear Diary,

I have decided that I will journal in this journal once every 100 years, at the very least, on the anniversary of Luna’s banishment, in order to make sure there will always be a permanent record of her, particularly when she returns.
Well, it’s still “if”, I suppose, but I have been hearing talk lately of a prophecy, that on the longest day of the 1,000th year, the stars will aid in the escape of the Mare in the Moon (which, as I should note, is what ponies have taken to calling my sister). Could there be a way then to heal the darkness from my sister?

Dear Diary,

600 years to go until the 1,000th year of her banishment.

I should also note that I have finally crafted a spell to enter the dream realm, and at least influence ponies’ dreams indirectly. I certainly did not realize how difficult it would be to create magic without the assistance of a truly gifted unicorn such as Star Swirl. It makes me wonder if I perhaps took him for granted as well.

Dear Diary,

Now 500.
I have decided to propose a holiday to celebrate my sister – Nightmare Night, perhaps to make her not such a scary legend.

Dear Diary,

400 now.

The Nightmare Night celebrations are quite grand – I was able to attend one this year. Well, in disguise… and I kind of snuck out. I certainly hope Raven the 18th doesn’t ever read this journal.

Dear Diary,

Only 300 years are left before the prophecy will be put to the test.

I’m not sure why, but I remembered Radiant Hope today, and how much fun it was to teach her in the art of magic. I decided to begin the process of putting together a school for gifted unicorns. Not just because of the altruistic reasoning that knowledge for knowledge’s sake is a noble pursuit, but also to perhaps see if, when the time comes, there might be a student (or indeed, lineage, if he or she comes well before the time of my sister’s return) worthy to stand by my side, and help me to heal my sister’s fractured soul.

Dear Diary,

200 years to go now.

Oh Lulu, if only you could have made it back to see Melvin one last time…

Dear Diary,

Now but a single century separates me from a potential reunion with my sister.

The school has truly grown in prestige – there are some truly great mages arising from its ranks. However, I have not come across the one yet.

Dear Diary,

60 years separate the present from the prophecy.

A shadowy beast attacked Canterlot, but a brave mare named Inkwell stood by my side, and helped me to defeat them. While I don’t feel that she is the one, either, I still think she deserves recognition. Thus, I have asked her to join on as an instructor at the School for Gifted Unicorns.

Dear Diary,

Exciting news! I feel I may have found the pony!
Her name is Sunset Shimmer and she shows an incredible aptitude for magic! Even her name makes me hopeful. She aces every test her instructors put out for her, so I have decided to take her on as my personal student.

Dear Diary,

I fear a darkness is growing inside Sunset Shimmer – her greed and lust for power are making her look less and less likely as the one. I must attempt to rein her in, before it is too late.

Dear Diary,

I have failed yet again. That mirror proved to be too tempting for her – I can only pray that one day, she comes back. I was unable to stop the darkness growing in her.

She felt she had surpassed even me, but she was just the foolish student of a foolish teacher. She surpassed nothing, but only proved how little we both knew.

Dear Diary,
Do I dare to hope again? I observed the magical test of a little filly named Twilight Sparkle from a distance – her magic went haywire and I had to step in to stop it. When I saw her cutie mark, I was taken aback. That was the same mark as on the Tree of Harmony! Was this a sign? I knew then and there that she would be my new protégé.

Dear Diary,

Twilight is as close to as perfect a student as I could have asked for – except for her lack of friendship with any other ponies her age.

I realize now I might need to send her away to unlock her true potential…

With that in mind, I visited Ponyville today, and while conversing with Mayor Mare, I noticed 5 ponies that seemed to be good friends. The Tree of Harmony seemed to reach out to me at that point. Could it be that these 5, in addition to Twilight, are key to restoring my sister? Well, there are 6 Elements…

Would it be manipulation if I sent her there to make friends, but did so with an ulterior motive?

At this point, I am beyond caring – future Celestia can worry about that. Equestria just needs my sister back. I need my sister back.

Author's Note

Alrighty then, this was an attempt to wrangle together as much of the history between the Journal of the Two Sisters and the first episode as I could - including incorporating as much as the comics as I could (not a particularly easy task when they seem to clearly contradict themselves at times - especially with Star Swirl and the whole timing of when exactly he vanished - ugh).

Ah well, I feel this was more often fun than it was not. While this story is intended to be able to stand on its own, in terms of self-contained continuity, it is also intended as a counterpart piece to something much larger that will be coming some time later. All I can say is, I had better get off my lazy bum and write it sometime before 8 years have passed. :twilightblush:

Also, this is a somewhat abridged version for now (wanted to keep the word count right around 6k) - perhaps in the future I can edit this and insert what I cut out for word count (for instance, perhaps some entries for Luna - if I can figure out how to make them work in the story :rainbowlaugh:)