Calling Out
by Jonathan “KnightMysterio” Spires
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Royal throne room...
Canterot...
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On the dual throne, sitting on the throne of the Sun, sat a beautiful white alicorn. Her elegant wings stretched as she gently twisted her neck from side to side to work out the kinks. Once she was comfortable again, she turned to her servant, the aged Kibitz. “That took longer than expected...” Celestia said, referring to her last meeting. “Is there anything more?”
The old seneschal looked through the notes for today's meetings. “Hm... Only one, your highness. A young mare named Moondancer.”
“Send her in,” Celestia said, smiling. Kibitz nodded to the guards, who opened the wide doors leading into the throne room. On the other side of the door was a terrified-looking young unicorn mare with creme-colored skin and a red mane with purple highlights. She had bushy eyebrows beneath her thick glasses, and Celestia couldn't escape the feeling that she reminded her of someone she knew...
Moondancer stared at Princess Celestia, her hooves refusing to move. She had come here to confront her, to talk to her about an issue that had been bothering her for quite some time. But now that she was standing before her, she felt VERY aware that this was one of the most powerful beings in the land. A mare who could, if she was so inclined, vaporize her on the spot.
Celestia could sense the young mare's fear, and chuckled, lifting her up in her magical aura and bringing her forward a little, Moondancer letting out a squeak. “I won't hurt you, my little pony. No matter what you say, I will not get mad at you,” Celestia said.
Moondancer gulped nervously, and stepped into the throne room. You can do this, she said to herself. You've been getting your argument together for weeks now. Plus, you know that she's not the domineering, easily insulted type. Twilight said so.
...The same Twilight who forgot you existed for years before apologizing. Who apparently cast a Want-It Need-It Spell on her old childhood toy of all things to try and CREATE a friendship problem to solve, said a most unhelpful part of Moondancer's brain. She gulped nervously.
Celestia quirked her head to the side, worried for Moondancer. “Would some tea help? Or sweets?” She motioned to Kibitz, who nodded and went to retrieve both.
“P-P-Princess Celestia, I am h-h-here to question you on wh-why...” Moondancer stammered.
“Guards, leave us,” Celestia said, startling everyone.
“Your Majesty?” one guard asked, worried.
Celestia sighed. “It is quite obvious now that she wishes to question my judgment on a matter that affects her personally. I would have her do so in comfort.”
The guards traded worried looks, but nodded. “Very well... We'll be right outside if you need us, your Majesty,” the second guard said, the two heading out of the throne room and closing the doors behind them.
Once they were gone, Celestia nodded. “There,” she said, taking off her crown. “Now, it's just two mares talking instead of princess and subject. What can I do for you?”
The unicorn fidgeted for a long moment. The solitude wasn't actually helping. “I... I wanted to talk to you about Twilight Sparkle,” Moondancer said.
Celestia smiled. “One of my favorite topics,” she said.
“I can understand that,” Moondancer said. “Considering how much you've manipulated her life.”
Celestia blinked.
Moondancer took a deep breath. “You've... You've been manipulating her life from day one, Celestia. I've been talking with her... and you've chosen her path for her. You've put her on a track that you built, you've picked her friends for her, you've never given her a chance to choose for herself!”
Celestia quirked her head to the side. “...Who are you again?” she asked.
Moondancer's ears drooped. “I... I'm Moondancer,” she said. “One of Twilight's friends from Canterlot.”
Celestia frowned, looking thoughtful for a moment. After a moment, she brightened. “Oh! You're THAT Moondancer!” she said, looking relieved. “Whew. Thought I was going senile for a moment.” She smiled at the nervous, fidgeting unicorn. “Firstly, let me apologize to you.”
Moondancer blinked. “For what?”
“If I had known that Twilight had actual friends during her time as my student, then I definitely would have pushed her to go to your party,” Celestia said, nuzzling Moondancer and making her squeak.
“But... wait...” Moondancer stammered. “What about the Bearers?”
“Lovely mares, one and all. What about them?” Celestia asked.
“Didn't... Didn't you arrange it so that Twilight HAD to make friends with them?” Moondancer asked. “Guided Twilight to her proper place?”
Celestia sighed. “I know it seems like that, and yes, there were five special fillies there for Twilight to befriend... But it didn't have to be those specific five.”
“I... I don't understand,” Moondancer asked.
“I have the gift of prophecy,” Celestia said. “But it's not the most accurate thing. I was told that in a thousand years, the stars would aid in my sister's escape from the moon. And that a guiding light, a shining star who would make great and glorious changes to Equestria, with the help of her five friends, would be the ones to save her.”
Moondancer frowned. “But... You never got specific names...”
Celestia shook her head. “No. For all I know, it could have been you and the others from Canterlot. You, Minuette, Lemon Hearts, Twinkleshine, Lyra... You could have been the Elements of Harmony,” she said, smiling.
Moondancer's eyes went starry for a moment. Her, as an Element Bearer... She shook her head, shaking off the fantasy. “But... All evidence indicates that you've been directly manipulating Twilight's life...”
Celestia sighed. “You're half right,” she said. “I was pushing Twilight down a certain path... at first...” She looked into the distance, a thoughtful look crossing her face. “I wanted so desperately for her to make friends. Not just because it would be good for her, would help her grow as a pony... but because she needed to have at least five other ponies willing to stand with her.” She sighed. “But I was scared...”
Moondancer blinked. “Scared? Why would you be scared?”
Celestia grinned sadly. “Because I had already lost another student because of my foolishness, my poor choices driving her away,” she said. “And I'm afraid I have only myself to blame for that.”
Moondancer blinked, remembering something. “Wait, I remember a Sunset Shimmer. She was always so arrogant, so condescending towards the underclassponies...”
Celestia nodded. “And because I was so proud of her, of her accomplishments, I let her get away with more than I should have.” She looked ashamed. “And then her cutie mark appeared... and it wasn't the right mark...”
Moondancer gave Celestia a baffled look. “I... The right mark... what do you mean?”
Celestia stood up. “Let me show you something,” she said, her horn flaring as she teleported herself and Moondancer out of the castle. Kibitz entered just as they vanished, pulling a cart with tea and snacks on it. He shrugged, patiently waiting for his mistress's return.
Celestia and Moondancer reappeared in front of the Tree of Harmony. Moondancer blinked, clearing her vision and adjusting to the darkness. Celestia gestured to the Tree with a wing. “This... is the Tree of Harmony. The Pillars of Equestria planted a seed of hope, one that grew into this crystalline beauty. The birthplace of the Elements of Harmony.”
Moondancer gasped, staring reverently at the Tree as she slowly approached it. It was glowing white in the darkness, radiating pure Harmony. She felt... at peace around it. As if nothing could ever be wrong. And then she noticed the marks...
Celestia's cutie mark. Luna's. And Twilight Sparkle's.
“Oh my gosh,” Moondancer said softly, caressing the cluster of stars with her hoof. “'The stars will aid in her escape...'”
“Sunset Shimmer's mark was different,” Celestia said. “I was so sure that she would have been the one to save my sister... And when it became clear she wasn't, I was unable to hide my disappointment. And that drove her away.” The alicorn sighed. “We've reconciled since then, thank Faust, but ever since Sunset ran off, I've been unable to forgive myself for how I treated her...”
Moondancer turned to Celestia, the implications hitting her. “So with Twilight...”
“Yes, Moondancer. I guided her,” Celestia said, nodding. “As best I could. And I admit, I deliberately pushed her along several different paths. One that I nearly screwed up because I got scared...”
Moondancer frowned. “What do you mean?”
“My greatest, most paralyzing fear... is of being alone,” Celestia said. “I knew, from the vague prophecy, that Twilight needed to be in the Ponyville area on the day of Nightmare Moon's return. I knew that she needed to have five friends. But I was so scared of being alone, I was unwilling to let her go. So I kept her in Canterlot, unsure of how to deal with all her bad habits and obsessiveness.” She chuckled bitterly. “Some mother-figure I make... I wish...” Celestia shook her head. “I wish I had realized that you five were Twilight's friends. If so, I would have encouraged that friendship, and set you all to Ponyville at the same time. There would have been accusations of unicorn favoritism, to be sure, but I've dealt with worse...”
Moondancer smiled sadly. “She never mentioned us at all, did she?” she asked.
“The only thing Twilight ever talked about during that time was her lessons,” Celestia said. “No talk of friends, only of what she learned. She was so excited, and so eager to learn... And yet still, I was on the verge of giving up on her when I sent her to Ponyville...”
“You tried to force the issue,” Moondancer said, understanding.
“It was a gambit,” Celestia admitted. “A 'hail mary,' if I'm using the hoofball term right. If Twilight made friends, she'd awaken the Elements and free my sister from Nightmare Moon. If not...”
“Then Eternal Night...” Moondancer said softly.
“At best,” Celestia said, chuckling nervously, “there would be a reversed day/night cycle. If Nightmare Moon chose to go for a TRUE Eternal Night, then this half of the world would have frozen to death.”
Moondancer squeaked.
Celestia nodded. “No sun, means no warmth. One side of the planet fries, the other turns into a frozen field of death...” she said.
“I withdraw my complaint,” Moondancer squeaked. “Yaaay for Puppetlight Marionette.”
Celestia chuckled, pulling the terrified unicorn over with a wing, hugging her until she stopped shaking, letting her motherly warmth comfort her. “It's okay, Moondancer,” she said. “I am not mad. You were right to call me out. It's just that in this instance, I agree with you. I should have given Twilight more freedom as a child, not let my own fears and regrets over losing Sunset influence how I taught her.”
Moondancer looked up at her. “You're really not mad?” she asked softly.
Celestia nuzzled her. “I wish more ponies would have your courage,” she said. “I make mistakes. I need somepony to call me out on them.” She giggled. “You're actually a little braver than Twilight.”
Moondancer blushed, shaking her head. “Me? No, no...” she said. “I could never face some of the things she faces...”
“One never knows until one tries,” Celestia said. “And you are braver. My attempt to act in the recent play for my 'Oneiversary' didn't go well. And Twilight refused to say anything for fear of offending me...”
“I remember that... You were going to act in it?” Moondancer asked, fascinated.
Celestia sighed. “It's always been a dream of mine to star in a play,” she said wistfully. “When Twilight said that she was making a play to honor my one-thousand, one-hundred and eleventh year and wanted me to be in it, I was ecstatic...” Her expression turned briefly bitter. “But as it turns out, for all my ability to scheme and manipulate... I can't act worth beans.”
Moondancer giggled before she could stop herself. “It can't be that bad,” she said.
“Ooooh, yes it can...” Celestia muttered. She sighed, smiling, and nuzzled Moondancer again. “But it all worked out in the end, as you saw.”
Moondancer nodded, looking down at the floor. “I guess... Everything turned out for the best then, even with what you did...”
“I could have done better,” Celestia said. “You were right to call me out on my flaws, on my mistakes. And I honor you for that. It is my hope that if we meet again, it can be under friendlier circumstances.”
Moondancer blushed. “You'd... You'd meet with me as a friend?”
“Indeed,” Celestia said, grinning warmly. “Now come. I'm sure Kibitz is starting to worry about us. We can enjoy tea and snacks and end the night just chatting with one another.”
Celestia's horn flared, the two mares vanishing from the chamber of the Tree, which pulsed quietly in response. All was well.
THE END
Author's Note
All characters are copyrighted to their original owners. If you like what you see, please support me on Patreon or with a one time Paypal donation! Every little bit helps.
A commissioned piece for Alex Warlorn.
