The Magic of Friendship

by Darkswirl

Rating: everyone
Tags: Tragedy, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Sad, Other, Princess Celestia
Length: 2566

Celestia banishes Luna and struggles to cope with her loss.

(Prequel to my series 'The Elements of Harmony') Luna is gone, Celestia is a wreck, and Equestria is falling into a darkness that was supposed to be stopped with Nightmare Moon's banishment. How will Celestia cope with the only pony who has survived the years with her being banished? Will our beloved Princess of the Sun ever recover from her loss, and can a certain five star general help her to do that?

Published 2012-08-15 07:44:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-08-15 07:44:01 UTC

Notification

"Princess Celestia?" a voice called from behind the heavy wooden doors to the princess's bed chambers.

She barely heard the noise through the violent storm outside, and made no attempt to open the door.

Instead, she let the knocking continue as she buried her snout further into her pillows and blankets.

"Princess Celestia, you cannot hide in there forever; you have responsibilities. And quite frankly, you're scaring all of us." the voice continued.

Celestia threw a pillow ineffectively at the door, making it soar halfway across the room before softly colliding with the floor.

Reluctantly, the Sun Goddess struggled to her hooves and opened the door a bit.

"My, how beautiful you look today." The pony responded with a soft, sly smile.

"Stow it, High General. What do you need?" Celestia asked, unamused as she backed away from the door to hide her unkempt mane and bloodshot eyes.

Pushing open the door and shutting it behind him, High General Starshine stood alongside his princess as she glared at the thunderstorm raging on outside.

"Princess..." Starshine began, looking up to his ruler curiously; a hint of worry in his emerald eyes. "Why have you been hiding in your room for the past two days? Why did you disappear for two, and where the buck is your sister?".

Celestia continued glaring out the opened window as a few raindrops managed to splash against her snout.

She didn't care about the rain. She didn't care about her duties. She didn't care about her subjects.

No, she did care for her subjects. She just...She just couldn't guide them anymore; at least not like this.

"Princess?" Starshine questioned, breaking into her thoughts.

"Luna is gone, general. She attempted to overthrow me and was banished." Celestia replied coldly, stepping away from the window and climbing into her bed again.

General Starshine stood at the window, his eyes following the princess as he stood frozen in shock.

He was dumbstruck. He had no idea what to say. He just stood there, staring with that stupid look before slowly trotting out in disbelief.

Celestia snorted as he walked out.

-

"She's been in her room all day today and yesterday. What do you think is going on?" a guard whispered to his guard-mate as they stood at their posts in the hallway.

General Starshine hid his disapproval as he caught on to what was being said.

Rather than confront them on the matter and risk spilling personal information, General Starshine continued trotting towards the large wooden doors at the end of the hall as the storm continued to rage outside.

It had been four and a half days since Celestia first went missing, and the storm had started after day two.

Nopony knew where it came from or why it was so fierce, but General Starshine had his theories.

"Princess Celestia, as your highest ranking general I demand to speak with you at once. You have been holed up in your room for four and a half days doing nothing while a storm threatens Equestria and-" the general boomed before stopping as the door slowly swung open.

Swallowing the rest of his words nervously, Starshine trotted into the room and shut the door behind him.

"Would you like to repeat any of that, general?" Celestia whispered from behind him, glaring intensely into his coat.

General Starshine resisted the urge to squeal like a little school filly and turned to face his menacing ruler.

"As a matter of fact, yes, I would. Equestria cannot survive as it has without a ruler, but the only ruler here is too depressed to help her people when they need it the most. Have you taken a look outside recently?" the general said defiantly.

"I am quite aware of the large storm on my doorstep, general." Celestia spat.

"Then you're also aware that three towns have been destroyed already from the storm? Or that crops are being torn from the ground by the wind or drowned in water? Perhaps you've also heard that several of your guard have deserted their posts because of the storm and their leaders absence?" Starshine shot back, his hooves planted firmly into the marble as he challenged a goddess.

Celestia stood her ground even firmer, offering an unamused glare with one eyebrow raised. "Perhaps you are not fully aware of what transpired in those first two days of my absence."

Celestia locked the door with her magic and took steps forward, forcing her general back into a corner as her voice filled the room. "I was betrayed by the only pony who has ever been close to me! I was imprisoned and taunted by my very own sister because she believed ponies like you didn't appreciate her! I was forced to hear her screams of terror as I banished her myself to her beautiful moon! Take a moment to think before you accuse me of not doing my job, general! I have lived two thousand years as it is; sixteen and a half generations of your family! I have fought in countless wars to protect my little ponies and lost countless stallions and mares to time!".

By the time Celestia had finished, a certain five star general lay cowering on his back.

He had fought in wars as well and watched those under his command torn to shreds and burned alive in the battles against the dragons, but he finally had something to add to his empty list of things that scared the manure out of him. Celestia's rage was saved for those very few that threatened Equestria or its inhabitants, and the general was the first in a long while to experience that much power in ones emotions and voice.

"Get out of my room, get out of my castle, and get out of Canterlot, general! I hereby relieve you of your command; Permanently." Celestia ordered.

Responsibilities

"I'm glad you're doing this, Princess." General Starshine whispered as he and Celestia stood behind a thick stage curtain.

"I'm doing what I must, General." she replied; her voice plain and unemotional.

Only her eyes betrayed her pain and sadness.

As the crowd beyond the curtain began to die down from boredom, Celestia made her calm and elegant entrance.

"My little ponies..." Celestia began.

"There she is!"

"It's the high-tailed princess!"

"Where have you been while we've been suffering?!"

Celestia was taken back by the harshness in their tones.

She understood that they were angry with her incompetence, but their snouts practically dripped with vile hatred as if it were some form of sickness.

"Please, let me explain-" Celestia started desperately before she was pelted by a rotten tomato.

"This is what we've had to eat for the past two days because of this storm!"

After the first rotten food-thing splattered against her mane, three royal pegasi guards flew in close to protect their ruler from further harassment while a band of royal unicorn guards wet through the crowd to round up the trouble makers.

The guards were met with protest from the entire crowd and were barred from entering as more and more ponies began through rotten food towards the stage.

Celestia was loosing her patience and her cool.

Sensing this, Starshine galloped onstage and attempted to make his voice heard over the roaring crowd.

But he would not be heard over Celestia, who suddenly let her magic flare; binding everypony's snout shut and their hooves together.

"SILENCE!" she ordered, using the Royal Canterlot Voice so that she could be heard over the storm outside.

Letting her tail and ears twitch in anger while her horn glowed, Celestia began her speech.

"I understand that everypony is upset with me, and they should be. I have fled from my duties and let this storm blow out of control, and for that I sincerely apologize. However, there is reason for my actions; albeit a poor reason: Five days ago, my sister requested my presence in the Everfree Forest at her castle. Unbeknownst to me, I was trotting into a trap." Celestia said, pausing to catch her breath and let her rage subside.

Releasing everypony from their binds, she continued sadly.

"Luna was under the impression that nopony appreciated her beautiful night. This is somewhat true, as you all have expressed some degree of fear when out late at night or even simply in the presence of Princess Luna. Her rage and jealousy fueled something that took control of her body so that she could have her revenge and make everypony appreciate her hard work as you all do mine. I was imprisoned for two days before I managed to escape my sister's castle, but I couldn't just leave her like that; that horrible creature she had become out of rage. And so I returned, wielding the Elements of Harmony, with a plan to free her from the entity. But it appears as though she submitted willingly and I could not free her, so instead I was forced to banish her. This storm began as soon as Luna was gone, although I only noticed it later. I have been hiding out of depression and fear, but I realize I cannot do so any longer. Equestria needs a ruler. Equestria needs somepony to look up to in times of need such as this one. I do not know how to stop this storm, my little ponies, but rest assured I will not rest until I do." Celestia explained, standing proudly and causing everypony to stare at her with wonder and amazement.

This certainly wasn't the princess they had all imagined that was holed up in her comfy little castle while the rest of Equestria was being torn apart.

This was a pony they could trust and depend on.

This was a leader that ponies would die for.

This was a ruler that ponies needed.

With the acceptance of her responsibility, the storm outside began to grow fainter and fainter as it quickly faded into nothingness...

Turmoil

"Sister, please do not make me do this..." Celestia begged, fighting back tears as the Elements of Harmony swirled around her.

Nightmare Moon let out a triumphant, evil laugh and stood glaring. "Oh Celestia, haven't you learned anything?! I am more powerful than you have ever been! Do you honestly believe your precious elements can defeat me?"

Celestia choked back tears as the elements began spinning around her faster and faster until they were a rainbow blurr.

Nightmare Moon's smile suddenly grew wary as she lifted a hoof and reeled back into a defensive stance.

"I'm so sorry, little sister..." Celestia whispered as a tear ran through her fur and off of her cheek; the rainbow blurr suddenly shooting up from the circle and arching down towards Nightmare Moon, who screamed in terror as a whirlwind of color consumed her before it shot off towards the moon.

As Nightmare Moon's screams died away, Celestia felt herself greatly weakened.

Collapsing to the ground and burying her face in her hooves, she barely noticed the Elements of Harmony clatter to the ground; losing their color, because Celestia had lost her only friend.

-

A terrible storm spread out across Equestria, pouring down and soaking anything in its path.

Ponies somewhat panicked, especially the weather teams since they didn't create this or even know where it came from.

Princess Celestia took no notice of the heavy downpour as she slowly trotted out of the Everfree Forest, her head low in depression and heading anywhere but that awful place.

When Luna turned herself over to the Nightmare, she called for her older sister and set up a trap. A trap that an unsuspecting Celestia trotted happily into.

After two days of imprisonment from her younger sister, Celestia managed to summon enough power to teleport herself out of Luna's Moon Castle and back to Canterlot; gathering the Elements of Harmony and returning to confront her sister.

Hardly anypony aside from a few royal guards even knew what had happened.

And yet there she was: the ruler of Equestria, the Goddess, the Sun Raiser, and the Peacemaker. But to her, these titles bestowed upon her for her deeds meant nothing any longer due to her broken heart.

She had no energy left to be angry at herself for not seeing how hurt Luna had grown over the years. She had no energy to be angry at Luna for her treason and betrayal. It was somewhat of a surprise that she had the energy to even continue walking.

She didn't know what drove her on, but she could quickly feel it fading as she slunk deeper into depression.

Insubordination

"G-General, you can't go in there!" a guard called out as Starshine trotted past him and towards the royal bed chambers.

Starshine ignored the guard as he started to explain the punishment, as Starshine had been relieved of his command.

But Starshine could care less for politics and the military anymore. Equestria hadn't seen a war in over forty years and he had a duty to protect his people from anything; even an incompetent princess.

Pinning the guard against the wall and threatening to have him excommunicated from Equestria, the general successfully got him to shut his snout and continue guarding his post as if nothing had happened.

"I hope you're happy with that little stunt you pulled, Celestia. Nearly half of the remaining guard just quit after they heard you fired me. I'm a very popular pony, you know." Starshine said irritatedly as he stood outside the door, not even bothering to knock.

"Must I remind you the punishment for this, general? Technically you are trespassing and this could be considered an attack on royalty." Celestia said irritatedly through the door.

"Everypony keeps telling me that, but I haven't heard one pony address me without using my rank." Starshine said with a smirk.

Celestia hesitated before reluctantly opening the door, glaring once more at the smiling pony in front of her.

"Permission to enter?" he asked.

"Denied." Celestia answered quickly.

"Princess...I apologize for my outburst yesterday and I understand your emotions, but Equestria is in a chaos that would put Discord to shame. Something needs to be done and you're the only pony who can do anything about it. We've lost three pegasus teams after they tried clearing the skies and one weather patrol team is in the hospital after they tried to do the same." Starshine begged.

Celestia's eyes clouded in pain as she held her glare, fighting with herself on what to do. Part of her wanted nothing to do with any other pony anymore. She just wanted to cry and hope her sister learned her lesson before she returned.

And yet another part of her realized how foolish and inconsiderate she was being.

General Starshine had done nothing but try and help her using various yet subtle methods. And he was right; Equestria did need her right now.

"Princess, you haven't raised the sun in five whole days. You and I both know that an alicorn goddess looses their power if they don't do their job within seven days. You have two more before Equestria crumbles." the general whispered; a slight, begging tone coming from his voice.

The general and the princess stood in the doorway, staring silently as Celestia's head churned.

Closing her eyes in decision, she then open them slowly...