Age of Rebirth

Chapters

About the Royal Family
Chapter 1: Rise
Chapter 2: Feast
Verum

About the Royal Family

I believe that for General awareness it will not be superfluous to briefly get acquainted with the political situation in Equestria today. Let's start with the Royal family. For five centuries, the power in the country belongs to Luxemore III and his wife Stellaria Vetus.

Luxemore Gladium is the heir of the great Gladium family, lords of Equestria since the beginning of the age of Harmony, who came from the West and won the trust of all ponies, giving them protection from dragons. At that time they often raided the Central areas of Equestria, or rather the few mines around which the ponies established settlements, selling ore and precious stones to itinerant traders and caravans coming from all over the world. He Luximon III, named after his grandfather, Lucimara II, opened a large number of gold mines in the Central part of the continent, greatly enriching Ponyville, as well as assisted in the development of agriculture in these parts, was quite unusual ruler for the people. Since his father, Callistratus Gladium, had formed an Alliance with the griffins, and because of his frequent visits to Gryphonstone, he himself had become imbued with their culture, which was in its heyday at the time, this was reflected in his son. Luxemore also loved luxury and pretentiousness in the interior and clothing, often arranged lavish feasts and feasts with delicious food and drinks, spending a considerable share of the state Treasury on them, and often hunted in the surrounding forests of Canterlot, which caused the indignation of many ponies. Also among the books of the Royal library, he preferred a variety of historical Chronicles with beautiful and detailed descriptions of the exploits and battles, had his own collection of weapons of different peoples of Equestria, considered it his pride and showed all the ambassadors and relatives who visited his Palace over and over again. But, despite so unusual nurture with hand his father, Luximore liked Equestria and inherited nobility, wisdom and courage, and most importantly, sense of responsibility for its people, and was a good ruler according to ordinary ponies, and decent member of pedigree tree of Gladiums according to all their loved and close.

His appearance can be described by the nickname given to him as a child by his peers among the nobles and even ordinary peasants, with whom he did not shy away from playing, despite the condemnation of court servants and some relatives – Sun Shield. And, indeed, Lucimar was quite tall, of strong build, with white hair, a mane with strands of flowers of fire, bright blue eyes that betrayed him good-natured and caring kind and kuchinarai in the form of a sword with an orange crystal in Garda on a background eight-pointed star surrounded by flames. Although he often joked and smiled, at the same time his figure inspired confidence and a sense of security from any threat, and enemies, on the contrary, felt emanating from him the energy of superiority and persistence in their actions. And such a character played no small part in the famous battle of the Southern Wastes, where he valiantly defended the pilgrims from a pack of dragons that came from the southwest. After the battle, the battle-weary travelers refused to continue and, never reaching The Mackintosh Hills, organized a small settlement near the site of the battle that nearly killed them. The king and some of the unicorns quickly found a spring of water nearby, and the settlement soon became a small town, later called Appleusa, and the battle became known as 'Battle of Appleusa.' After these events Lucimara III, and nicknamed in the people Lucimara Brave.

***

Stellaria Vetus was a representative of a very ancient and mysterious family Vetus-leaders of the Thestrals and lords of Darkness. In 1172, the gathered Thestrals, led by Stellaria's father, Revercatus Vetus, marched from the Southeast and besieged Baltimare, threatening to burn It to the ground if the king did not recognize the Thestrals' legal rights throughout Equestria and allow them to be members of society like all ordinary ponies. Callistratus would have been glad to comply with the invaders' demands, but the ponies themselves disagreed. Until this not particularly beloved they "monsters" now have become instant hateful and abhorrent all sane ponies, which began to revile festralov on than light is worth and to blame their in all problems Equestria.

Despite this attitude, the Thestrals were honest with the king and did not commit atrocities in the captured city. On the contrary, throughout the five-month siege, they had not killed a single pony from Baltimare, willingly allowed canterlot ambassadors and even allowed residents to go for water and periodically distributed portions of food that they were able to grow in the vicinity of the city in a few weeks with the help of magic. All these factors helped the people of Baltimare to avoid famine and epidemic, so that the blockade became purely symbolic. The result of these events was the wedding Luxmore and Stellaria, which took place on the day of adoption of the law on the equality of pestrecov in society and sunrise Luxamore to the throne.

Thestrals rejoiced and rejoiced that the Darkness had given them such a gift, and thanked Callistratus cordially, bestowing upon him a large quantity of the magnificent Gryphon ornaments which they had obtained by searching the ancient temples. Nor did they forget Luximon, who was given as a dowry a rare weapon of the Thestrals, with strong war-charms, which made the latter indescribably delighted, and, swearing to protect the Thestrals as well as the rest of his people, gave a great feast, which ended in great loss to the state Treasury and two weeks malnutrition to the said people.

Soon Luximon and Stellaria were king and Queen. But the people, meanwhile, disliked Stellaria and began to wash her all bones. The peasants said that she ate the foals and sent her subjects to steal them, which was why they forbade the children to leave the house after sunset. Courtiers and nobles had said she was a spy, and now that Luximon ruled, She could take advantage of that and destroy Equestria to please the Thestrals with her husband's hooves. But, thanks to excellent intelligence and a good understanding of the problems of the country, Stellaria quickly won the trust of both, becoming a fully recognized Queen.

Brought up to be strict, she did not tolerate disorder and preferred restraint and refinement in everything. Never making hasty movements, through persistent training, her reality has turned into a beautiful, pre-conceived dance, where everything is calibrated to the millimeter, and the movements are accurate, like an unencumbered thought embodied in the action of the physical body with the help of an ephemeral substance called life. This was reflected in her appearance: she always wore fairly modest traditional dress of Thestrals, had long straight combed dark blue hair, white as snow, strands of hair, dark blue coat, cat's eye, like all pestrecov, and cutiemark purple crystal, which reflects the growing moon. Unlike her husband, she considered it savage to greet a lower-class pony, and often reminded Luxemore that He was extremely courteous to the servants, and it would be worth while to have a little Royal dignity.

But in spite of all his wife's reproaches, he loved Stellaria, and she loved him, which for a marriage of convenience was an incredible success. Being almost diametrically opposite personalities, they were able not only not to quarrel, but also to find a common language, and even become additions to each other. Where Luxemore was impulsive and straightforward, Stellaria found it easy to find a way out of a situation in which everyone got their way equally, without risk to both parties and others. Where, on the other hand, she did not see a peaceful way to resolve the conflict, Luxemore made decisions that left all the councillors, including Stellaria, speechless and speechless, decisions that were wise and measured and often worked as well as calm and safe negotiations, often lasting several years. Thanks to this symbiosis between Luximore and Stellaria, Equestria has long been the most authoritative, large and wealthy state on the planet, and it was the Equestrian Supreme court was Supreme not only in Equestria, but in General in any place on the continent and beyond the sea.

Chapter 1: Rise

August 27, 1674 (1). In the sky the moon was shining brightly, languidly observing all from the top down, keeping a mysterious silence. The cold white light shone on the marble walls of the Palace, and they seemed to move like a white ocean in time with the swaying trees in the garden. On the wide balcony of the tower stood Luximon and Stellaria and something he said quietly, and a little Celestia continued to silently observe the moon. She had never wanted to come up here before, but lately she had often been overcome by such a desire, which gave her parents reason to ask themselves: 'Is the time really come?'. And when this afternoon she was informed that today she will be able to climb the Solar Spire (2), she was all day in anticipation of this event. And now her soul exulted and enjoyed the sense of freedom that breathed from everywhere. She had been standing there for several minutes, and time seemed to have stopped for her. Finally, in the back approached her Luximon and Stellaria:

"Well, how?" asked with a smile Luximon.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Stellaria asked in response to her daughter's silence.

"Yes," She whispered softly.

"Well," smiled after her husband of Stellaria.

Looking up at the sky for another half-minute, he turned to his wife:

"Well, I guess it's time," he said quietly.

"All right," Stellaria said, turning to Celestia. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," She whispered even more softly, her voice trembling.

"Oh, come on. Don't worry," cheered her Luximon, adding: "I do only at the age of seventeen could do it."

"Luximon!" Stellaria hissed, looking at her husband with such fierce contempt, as if she wished with all her heart that he would sink into the ground so that no one would hear what he had just said.

"Ha, ha," said Luxemore, laughing softly, and he walked away and leaned his elbows on the marble railing of the balcony, smiling.

"Can I go now?" Stellaria asked softly, changing her tone.

"Uh-huh," Celestia said, and Stellaria stepped back slowly, not forgetting to give her husband another reproachful look.

In the meantime, Celestia had struck a steady pose and was slowly accumulating magic. At last her horn was enveloped in a thick layer of yellow glow, from which sparks sometimes flew. It was extremely difficult to hold this amount of magic, even though she had practiced it many times before. As she prepared, Stellaria stepped closer again and immediately shot a magic beam into the night sky. The moon began to fill with violet light, giving everything around a mystical look. When the translucent wave closed on the poles of the moon, it seemed to explode with magical light with an all-encompassing hum, as if it had burst from the dome of the sky, ready to crash down on the earth. But instead, she swam slowly to the West. Seeing this, Celestia pointed her horn to the East, and it lit up even more brightly, and the sparks began to fly even faster and more often than before. The moon had gone out of the sky, and it looked like a black ocean, with bright stars twinkling in it. Celestia was still concentrating, leaning toward the East, and Stellaria began to worry. She glanced at her husband, who stood behind her like a child, transfixed, watching the action unfold before him without a thought of helping his daughter. Stellaria jumped up to him and was about to say that he should probably raise the sun, but at the same time he smiled, not taking his eyes off the horizon, and whispered: "Look!". Stellaria whirled, and immediately a bright yellow wave swept across the Eastern sky with the same hum, and behind it the sun began to slowly emerge from the horizon, enveloped in a magical halo. Celestia continued to raise the luminary unflinchingly, pointing her horn in its direction, which looked like a fragment of a burning star that had fallen from the sky. The curled sun began to appear on her side like Golden threads. The light fell on the roofs of the houses, marking the beginning of a new day. When the sun was fully above the horizon and the halo around it was extinguished, the Curling sun flashed a Golden light and went out. Celestia sank to her trembling knees, and then fell to the cold marble with the first rays of the sun. When he awoke from the stupor, Luximon and Stellaria fearfully darted to the exhausted daughter:

"Jesus, what happened? Are you okay?" stress Luximon asked, trying to bring Celestia in herself.

"How do you feel?" the Queen asked calmly.

"Strange," she said.

Celestia got to her feet and looked down at her side. When she saw her cutie mark, she beamed and looked at Stellaria. The latter, noticing this, smiled in response: "Well, come on, you should sleep." Celestia did not argue, and Stellaria was about to escort her downstairs when she heard her husband cry out as he leaped from the balcony and flew across the sky: "My daughter has raised the sun!". Stellaria's face twisted in silent hysteria, and she shouted after him: "Idiot!". In response, the district resounded inextinguishable laughter Luximor, and indignation on the face of the Queen was replaced by a condescending smile. At last she went down the stairs with Celestia, who was chuckling softly as she looked up at the sky behind her.

***

An hour later, only the deaf did not hear about the significant event of this morning. Every self-respecting onlooker felt it his duty to discuss such an exciting topic with everyone with whom he could. As it was not long before the harvest season began, both the king and the common people decided to get all their remaining supplies from under the floor and spend them safely. At seven o'clock in canterlot, on The same spot as ten years ago, a table was set up, even larger and more beautiful than those at Celestia's birthdays before. From the ovens of the Royal kitchen smoke was continually pouring, carrying with it all sorts of aromas, giving everyone a reason to enjoy the anticipation of the evening Banquet even more. Meanwhile, by eleven o'clock all the most important guests, who had received personal invitations to the feast, had arrived at the castle, where they were able, in anticipation of the long-awaited holiday, to communicate with Luximor and Stellaria in person, although they were nobly disappointed that they could not meet the main culprit of the planned celebration. Little Celestia was fast asleep, not thinking about all the bustle that was happening behind the walls of her bedroom. While the cleaners were frantically scrubbing all around the huge table, praying not to miss any stain on the white marble, in the basement from side to side hysterically rushed cooks, dragging huge plates of delicious dishes and jugs of delicious drinks, cursing everyone and everything, while the chef to frenzy shouted at his young and inexperienced subordinates:

"You!" Salti Meath shouted, pointing at the lean pony.

"Yes!" White Cream said, stopping dead in his tracks.

"Where's the pie?" inquired of Mit.

"W-what kind of pie?" Cream asked fearfully.

"Cabbage pie!" the chef hissed.

"Cabbage pie? I think we've kneaded the dough, but we haven't set began on it yet," Cream said fearfully.

Meath's face began to curve slowly in indescribable anger, his eyes bloodshot, and his hooves dug deeper into the tile beneath him:

"No began? No began?! Are you crazy? He should have been ready ten minutes ago! If in half an hour I do not see a ready pie in front of me, I promise, I will personally cut off your heads!" he roared.

Glancing wildly around, his gaze lingering on a table not far away, he was about to seize the meat axe lying on it with his teeth, when suddenly it was enveloped in a green glow and soared into the air, and behind him a calm voice said: "Calm down, Meat," as the unicorn came out from behind him.

Asteriel Cereus had been an eminent physician and alchemist, Professor of biology, Minister of biomagic research, founder of the Equestrian Council of alchemists, and court physician for eight years. Despite the fact that he was no different from ordinary ponies in appearance, there was still something about him that made everyone whisper behind his back and watch him spellbound from around the corner. His story was vague, and few knew it, and even those could tell it only in General terms. Exactly she was known only to Asteriou and Stellaria, with whom he often communicated because of the similarity of their worldviews, trusted her and were not afraid to share intimate, and his sister Mary. What those to whom he ventured to reveal the secret of his appearance at court knew about him was that he had been born and lived with his parents and a younger sister, five years his Junior, in Vanhoover, and had been interested in alchemy, biology, and magic since childhood, and had wanted to go to Vanhoover University of Natural Sciences to study biology, but I couldn't.

Mit first turned to Asteriel, and then glared at the frightened boy, whose eyes already filled with tears, and shouted:

"Get to work, now!!!"

Cream, yelp, ran to another room, and Asterial shook his head again, covering her face with a hoof:

"Oh my God. Meat, have you forgotten how to communicate properly with a pony?"

"No, they just think that if I'm not over their heads, you can brazenly shirk from work!"

"I don't think you should be so nervous about it. All the same, guests are unlikely to quickly empty the entire table, and dishes will arrive as the meal progresses. One or two of the pie, delayed for twenty minutes, will not play a decisive role.

"You're partly right, but it still annoys me. Have you come to check it out again? Honestly, it hurts me a little. I've cooked and tasted so many dishes in so many years of my life that I can easily tell if there's something wrong with it," Meat said, glancing at Asteriel's shoulder bag.

"I tell you again that there are a great many poisons that do not change the taste, color, or smell of a dish and do not take effect for several hours," Asteriel explained.

"Oh, never mind! Well, then, maybe we should start with snacks?" asked the Meat.

"Perhaps." agreed Asterial.

After this they proceeded to another room, where there were already crackers, various cheeses, and everything else that was destined to be the first thing touched by hungry guests. Meat shouted at all are there, and Asterial started to check. The first thing he did was to look carefully at all the dishes, sniffed, but found nothing. Then he magically opened the bag, and from it flew with three dozen bubbles with colorful liquids and powders. Mith shuddered as usual, but Asteriel reminded him that he would neutralize all substances after the test, and He quickly calmed down. The test began. It reminded him of the few chemistry classes he'd had in high school that he'd miraculously been unable to skip. In the end, after an hour and a half, all the dishes were determined to be completely safe to eat, and Asteriel magically removed all traces of the reagents from them. Saying goodbye to Meat, Asteriel climbed the wooden stairs up, and, going out into the main hall of the Palace, came across Luxemore, who was talking about something with some stately pony as if the conversation had completely exhausted itself and needed a logical conclusion:

"Isn't that... Oh, hey, Asterial! I see you're done with the check." asked Luximon and quietly said goodbye to his companion.

"Hello, your Majesty," said Asterial with his head bowed to the floor.

"God, Astri, that's enough. We normally spoke literally in the morning. What's gotten into you?! I know manners and etiquette and all that, but by God, don't turn into my wife!" said Luximon. Asterial instantly got embarrassed and froze, wide-eyed, only nervously nervously looking around, wanting to fail under the earth.

"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Luximon, forcing Asterias even stronger blush. "Come on! What's wrong with that?"

"I told you... not to call me that," he said softly, his head bowed to the floor.

"All right, all right. Let's take a walk in the garden, I was just going to see how the work on the decorations is going."

"As you say," he said. "Acterial and awkward went Lucimore, still cautiously looking around at the guests around."

Gideon was one of the known members of the family Altieri. It was famous not only because of its proximity to the Royal dynasty, but also because of the many talented ponies that were its natives. A considerable proportion of famous musicians, singers, actors, artists were somehow connected with this family. And when Gideon was born, his parents were sure he would be great. No matter what, it will. Gideon was a rather odd pony, according to his friends. A little thin, he looked like a girl. The parting of his hair made it even more difficult to determine his sex at first glance. Gideon was always calm as long as no one bullied him. Gideon dreamed long and often. Dreams were always with him and gave him the strength to move on, which was extremely necessary for him in the hard life of a member of the elite. Gideon's temper was easy, but now he was beside himself. All day yesterday, his relatives had been running nervously around the mansion, furiously preparing for the "great" event. In the evening he tried on about two hundred different costumes and outfits before he could finally retire to his room. And today he had been woken at six in the morning, despite the fact that he had clearly heard that even the most important guests were to arrive at eleven, and had been 'properly dressed' for three hours. By nine o'clock he was so sick of his reflection that only the pain in his hooves and the general weariness kept Gideon from smashing the damned mirror. The servants, who were busy around him like ants, wanted to throw it all away as much as Gideon, but mistress Aryn Alteri often looked in the room, stopping any attempts to finish the work ahead of time. At last, when the landlady looked in again, they turned to her:

"All is ready, mistress Aryn."

"Wonderful!" she said, walking over to Gideon, who was already struggling to keep from falling to his knees.

"We did what you wanted. I hope you all like it?" the acolytes asked, trying to hide their desire to be in the coffin, so as not to feel pain all over their bodies.

"It's all right. You did well, gentlemen. Well, do you like it, Gidi?"

"Y-Yes," Gideon said.

"Lovely! Only here, probably, it is necessary to correct here…"

"No, that's too much! Everything! I'm done!" Gideon cried before his mother could finish.

"Gidi, what's wrong?" Aryn asked, startled.

"What happened? What happened?! You think that's okay? I'm a pony, not a doll! Dressing me up for three hours in a row is at least unhealthy!"

"But... But you said you liked it," Aryn said.

"Mom!" Gideon exclaimed, blushing like a tomato at the laughter of the servants behind him. "Y-Yes, I like it, but you have to be careful!"

"But…"

"No! Everything! I wash my hooves!"

"But Gi…"

"I'll see you at lunch, mom." Gideon shouted as he left the room.

The heavy oak door slammed shut, leaving lady Erin alone with the quietly giggling attendants.

Half an hour later, the Alteri family sat at a large table and quietly began to eat. Gideon tried to eat without getting soiled, while throwing reproachful glances in the direction of his mother, who was still trying to seize the moment to start a new dialogue with him. After dinner, Gideon retired to his room again, trying not to think about the still-aching hooves and the unpleasant aftertaste of his conversation with his mother. Part of him was still embarrassed by the fact that he liked to look good, despite the fact that it was considered normal in the family, and he overdid it just a little bit. He was embarrassed by it rather because of his peers. He might have been well received at school, but when he appeared in ordinary society, he was repeatedly pestered with sarcastic questions about his gender and appearance. He had learned to avoid conflict long ago, but it still hurt him, though not as much as it used to. And, when his mother tried to again do from him "ideal foal", he again subconsciously wanted to this, but partly continued resist. However, while he was thinking about it, it was time to leave. When he was ready, he got into one of the several carriages at the front of the estate, with his mother and his brother Vere. The only pony he really trusted, the one who knew him best. Unlike Gideon, Vere preferred not to show his abilities. He was quite friendly with Gideon, though he thought him a bit odd. Gideon same with childhood believed Vere their the best friend, after all precisely he in its time showed him magic illusions and at all played with him, not imposing etiquette and morality, and because sought to equal on him. But as time went on, their characters became more and more different, and the synchronicity of their thoughts was partially lost. But they still thought of each other as brothers, and it was nice to be around each other, even if Vere kept it a secret. As they rode, mistress Erin tried again to start a dialogue with Gideon, but he made it clear that he did not want to, and she did not insist. Gideon kept glancing at Vere, bored and staring out the window, thinking how huge this celebration must be if everyone was so excited. Of course, he remembered going to Celestia's ninth birthday party a year ago, but the excitement hadn't reached such heights then. It was strange to him that two such bright events as the heiress's jubilee and her rising of the sun should fall on the same day, but he did not think it necessary to think about it again. At last Canterlot appeared at the carriage window, towering majestically over all Equestria. The snow-white towers glittered in the bright sunlight like magnificent pearls. Soon the carriages passed through the Central arch and stopped at the staircase leading to the main landing in front of the Palace, on which already stood a huge table. The usual ponies were everywhere, clamoring for the guards to let them go, and looking enviously at all the members of the Alteri family. Finally, Gideon got out of the carriage and started up the marble steps, feeling chosen again and unable to tell whether he liked it or not.

Vincent came from a poor family in the South-East. He always looked unkempt, his hair was dusty, and his mane had never known a comb. He had few friends, for in spite of the abundance of the poor in Custer, they never came together for fear of the guards. One by one they were not noticed in the crowd, and the poor did not complain. As a rule, his whole day consisted of walking around the city and relentless petitions “apply for food." Always lived from hand to mouth, he looked at the rich with envy. Often in his head the question arose: "Why, while some drown in abundance and luxury, others are forced to beg in order to survive?"All these questions have fostered in Vincent a keen sense of justice and forced to look at the world through the prism of the grief of all the poor people of Equestria. Sitting in one of the taverns in the small town of Inel, seven kilometres from Canterlot, Vincent waited. At the moment the settlement was almost entirely deserted, for, having exhausted all the provisions, its inhabitants had moved towards the capital, in the hopeless hope that they would be admitted to the Banquet three hours before the appointed time. Vincent is only played on the hoof, and he didn't complain. It had been so long since he had seen canterlot that the desire to catch a glimpse of It made him want to start for safety. It was still a long time before the hour for the plan to begin, so after weighing the pros and cons, he headed for the door, leaving a couple of bits beside a full glass of Mead. Of course, it had been a long time since he had enjoyed anything sweet, but now he needed a sober mind as never before. Going to the cabman, he handed him a couple of bits and politely asked him to take him to Canterlot. He settled back in his seat and waited.
An hour later the towers of the Royal Palace rose before him. Saying good-bye to the driver, he descended to the cobbled street and walked along it, looking at the shop Windows and passers-by. All these rich nobles, who were talking to each other about something high and great, disgusted Vincent. The absence of dark corners worried him a little. Walking down the street during the day was unusual, and he was constantly drawn to the alleys, but he still continued to walk quietly, trying to distract himself with the beauty of the architecture of Canterlot. Gradually he began to take a peculiar pleasure in it. He hadn't seen much of the usual ponies in the past few months, and now he felt uneasy, as if he feared for his privacy with regard to the guests hanging around the main Palace square. They, in turn, were extremely sociable and, not at all embarrassed, showed a remarkable interest in Vincent, more and more annoying him with their attempts to bring him to talk. To get rid of the pursuit, he quickly slipped into the alley between the buildings and nervously looked around, slipped through the nearest door. When he opened it, dust motes swirled in front of him, and a bell tinkled. He paid no attention to the sign, but he knew from the large number of books that he was in a bookstore. The door closed, and everything was plunged into semi-darkness. Vincent looked out of the curtained window, and, not seeing the ponies near, was about to go out, when a faint voice called to him:

"Hello, how can I help you?" a pony with short turquoise hair, glasses, and yellow fur came out from behind the shelves.

"Hello. To be honest, I was about to leave..."

"Ah, well, then," said the shopkeeper, with a sad look on her face.

Seeing this, Vincent thought that he actually owed it to her to get rid of unwanted interlocutors. After all, it was easy for him to buy a couple of books, but then he would leave them with the rest of his belongings. He was bored on the way to Canterlot, too, and a couple of books would be useful on the next trip. Without opening the door, he turned and walked to the counter:

"Sorry, I just had a thought and forgot what I was looking for something..." she tried to justify Vincent.

"Oh... well, then, welcome to Orwin Books! I'm Benny Orwin, the owner of this bookstore. What can I do for you?"

"I'm going on a trip soon, and I'd like to pass the time with a book," Vincent said.

"I understand. I have many fascinating books, both old and new editions. Do you like the classics? Or historical manuscripts?"

"Can I have something modern?" Vincent asked, remembering that he had read most of the classic books he had enjoyed during his stay in Ponyville.

"Yes, of course. Give me a minute," Benny said, and began to climb the stairs and pick out books. "Basically, all the usual ponies sit in taverns or hang out on the streets in search of drinking buddies, asking the richer ponies for money."

"I prefer not to be like them."

"Quite reasonable. I, too, am extremely annoyed by all these drunks who are ready to bite each other's throats for a couple of bottles of not the best wine." said Benny contemptuously, and going down the stairs and putting the books near the counter, climbed a new ladder at another Cabinet and again began to search.

"I see the city is cheering for the evening."

"Of course! Two such great holidays in one day! Why is the city not supposed to rejoice? You're probably not from here if you don't know what's going on."

"That's right," Vincent said after a moment.

"It is strange to say this, but it is Princess Celestia's birthday, and it is she who has raised the sun that now shines upon us."

"Hmm, alright." Vincent and said thoughtfully.

Benny kept asking him questions, and Vincent, tired of trying to think of answers, just started saying Yes and no. Benny ignored him and kept asking, putting the stacks of books on the counter. Finally, she came down the stairs:

"All right. I guess that's all." Benny said, placing all the books she'd selected on the counter.

"Thank you," Vincent said.

As Vincent read the summary, he magically set aside the copies he liked. Eventually, he bought three books, and after saying goodbye to benny, he went outside. For another hour he paced Canterlot, watching his surroundings without emotion, as if he had lost the ability to experience anything. Soon he was walking out of the city, mentally trying to clear his mind. He had a long night ahead of him.

Author's Note

1 – Here and after dates from the unification of the Eastern, Central, Western kingdoms and the Crystal Empire and the formation of Equestria

2 – The highest of the towers of the Canterlot Palace, the ritual place of summoning the sun and moon.

Chapter 2: Feast

Chaos reigned at the foot of the Palace square. Guests struggled to break through the ranks of the guards to finally get to the long-awaited celebration. It was accompanied by such loud shouts that the sound carried to the very border of the city, and maybe even further. In parallel, you could hear the clatter of hooves on the shields of the guards, who desperately held the defense. It was like a reenactment of some historic battle. But, despite so fierce struggle, several meters higher, on Tiananmen quietly have walked with glasses guilt visitors, waging between themselves small talk with sense or without. Oddly enough, the king foresaw everything, and wisely prepared, surrounding the area with a soundproof magic dome.

Celestia still quietly dozed in his room until Stellaria Luximon friendly and talked with guests. Though Stellaria and was far from great feasts and happy holidays, to communicate with high-ranking pony to her was no less interesting than Luximon. Although, unlike her husband, she was extremely fastidious in choosing a companion, and her conversations were much more thorough. Luximon often went with Asteria and tested different parts of a guest route on readiness. According to Asteria check was necessary, and he somehow had to go somewhere. Luximon just constantly walked around and incessantly talking about the fact that finally a miracle happened, and everything is so great that words cannot express it. The fact that his daughter raised the sun made a huge impression on him. Even too large according to Stellaria and Asteria. He hadn't been this happy since Celestia's first birthday, and Stellaria was seriously worried about what Her husband might do this time.

She still remembered vividly how, after putting the newborn Celestia to bed and surrounding her room with a magical shield against light and sound, she had stepped out into the corridor and met a group of badly beaten servants. When asked about the appearance of all these bruises and abrasions servants did not want to answer. Realizing that she would not like the reason, she touched the horn to the forehead of one of the servants, and he instantly froze. A light came on at the end of the horn and went out. Stellaria took the horn from the servant's forehead and stared into space for a few seconds while the servant regained consciousness. Instantly she took a deep breath and shouted at the castle:

"Idiot!"

"My god, Your Majesty, please calm down!" one of the servants pleaded.

"Shut up!" Stellaria snarled and darted toward the stairs, turning into a translucent purple silhouette and disappearing with the swiftness of lightning. In a matter of seconds, she had descended to the basement entrance, flung open the door, and flown to the door leading to the infirmary. With one hard kick of her hoof, she opened the door and flew into a small room with beds and medical equipment at each of them.

"That's probably it…"

"Luximon!" Stellaria shouted again. On the face of Luximon and Nick froze in genuine horror. Nick the hour ran off to the side, and the king continued with fear to look at his wife.

"Honey, what's wrong?" asked Luximon maximum trying not to betray that she already knows the answer.

"Idiot! Do you even think with your head?" hysterically cried Stellaria, and, with magic standing in one of the cabinets a vase of flowers, threw it to the side Luximon.

"Wait!" exclaimed Luximon, as he dodged the projectile that was hurtling at him.

"Wait? Wait?! How dare you?!" Queen shouted, hurling a stool at her husband.

"Listen!" Luximon, realizing that from this shell he was not destined to escape, shoved a magic shield. The stool collided with a Golden translucent barrier and shattered into splinters. "I'll explain."

"I wonder how?!" Stellaria asked, sending the bedside table flying.

"Well ... Um... But after all I wanted to only celebrate celebration!" he desperately tried to come up with an excuse Luximon, continuing defense against attack from the dear wife.

"You wanted to celebrate? So you think getting drunk and beating up half the guests and servants is a celebration?"

"But…"

"But what? But what?! My god, five centuries passed, and brains have you so in sight and not added! It's your daughter's birthday, and you're still acting like a rabble!"

"How rabble? Enough to call them a rabble! What the hell do you think we are? Yes – we are alicorns! Yes – we are of the Royal family! But to call ordinary people rabble just because their manners are not so high-wildly! I believe that a ruler should be close and open to his people, otherwise it is not a ruler!" said Luximon, with a serious expression and firmness in his voice.

"You..." croaked Stellaria with a mad grin, while the person Luximon filled with genuine horror. "How you…"

"Honey, wait…"

"How dare you say that?!"

"Calm down, dar…"

"I'll grind you to powder!" from the horn of Stellaria began to crumble sparks, and she hurled lightning shield Luximon. Lightning bounced off the shield and slammed into the wall, leaving a black burn mark on it. "You are Luximon III Brave, heir to the Gladium dynasty, king of Equestria, saying such things! It is simply incomprehensible!"

"But." He could no longer speak. He did not answer Stellaria's repeated cries, using his last strength to maintain his shield. One of the lightning bolts had already struck the cloth screen, and it burned like a torch.

"You just..."

Captain Virgil Stellaria of the Royal guard and a score of other guards rushed into the room. The captain stared dumbfounded at the way Stellaria was about to hurl another bolt of lightning at Luximon, the way Nick was crouched in a corner, and the way everything around him burned red.

"Virgil? What happ..."

"Fire, your Majesty!" Virgil shouted in panic.

"What?" startled by this sudden revelation, Stellaria struggled for a second to realize that she was standing in a burning room. At this time, exhausted Luximon lowered the shield, and as she staggered, fell on the still burning area of the floor.

"Oh my god!" without a second's hesitation, Stellaria picked him and nick up with her magic and carried them to the entrance. Hurrying along the Palace square, the guards began to pump nick and Luximon. In a minute they were awake. They both knelt and looked back.

"The infirmary probably didn't save." Virgil sentenced.

"My lab!" Nick yelled, and at the same time there was a deafening explosion, and a huge column of multicolored fire and sparkling smoke rose into the air, and Nick again fell senseless on the cold marble floor.

***

Gideon walked with the rest of his family. Nobles and ponies of rank passed around him, smiling affably. Smiling back, he considered separating himself from the procession and strolling through the Royal gardens. Parents constantly started conversations with acquaintances to it and not so ponies. After about a quarter of an hour, lady Aryn finally noticed that Gideon was trudging along behind them, looking like a pony sent to the galleys. Looking around, she noticed a group of young ladies standing near the entrance to the main hall of the Palace and talking about something actively:

"Gidi…"

"What, mom?"

"Look over there," Mrs. Erin nodded in the direction of the company of flirty girls. "How do you like them?"

"What? Are you serious?" Gideon demanded.

"What happened? Are you afraid they won't like you?" asked the lady Alteri.

"No!"

"Or don't you like them? They look pretty good to me."

"No!"

"Well, why? Why don't you want to meet them?" protested Erin.

"Why are you always trying to set me up? I'm only sixteen years old!"

"Then why does Vere have a girlfriend? Yes, he was eighteen, but his first love had been at fifteen."

"But, uh, uh," Gideon said, while Vere laughed softly at the comicality of his brother's situation. It amused him that Gideon couldn't use the only argument he had, and also the reason for his resistance.

Unable to answer his mother, he pretended to go to the entrance. As soon as he was out of sight of his mother, he darted past a group of young noblewomen, praying that he would not be called. He stumbled into the great hall and tried to find someone to talk to. Looking around, he saw, as was meeting him Luximon and some ponies. They approached him and he greeted them:

"Oh! Hi Gideon."

"Your Majesty," Gideon bowed.

"Stellaria." turned to the companion of the king suddenly emerged from behind Gideon Stellaria.

"Yes, my Queen," they have a common Stellaria and went along with Stellaria to the exit of the Grand Hall, while Luximon again rolled her eyes, and Gideon was troubled by the fact that not had time to say hello with Stellaria.

"Well," said Luximon. "I suppose I'll have to talk to you now."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, your Majesty," Gideon said, bowing again.

"Not worry. Still Asterial and Stellaria too much suited to each other, not to allow them to start a conversation. So how old are you now?

"I turned sixteen this year, Your Majesty."

"Really? Sixteen? I didn't think a few years would pass so quickly. Don't think bad of me... it's just hard to keep track of time when you're over five hundred years old, ha ha ha.." laughed Luximon. "I remember you when you were little, when you first came with your family to Celestia's first birthday party.... There's no point in standing here.

"As saying."

Quite some time Gideon had a dialogue with Luximon, affecting everything from politics to taste snacks. Gideon proved to be an extremely interesting conversationalist, in his Majesty's opinion, and as a result it was decided that Gideon would take one of the seats closest to Luximon at the table. Such an impulsive decision embarrassed Gideon, because he knew that these places are always prepared for the most honored guests and members of the Royal families Gladium and Vetus. How much Gideon didn't ask Luximon, he was adamant. In the end, after such a long conversation with Luximon and ran up some butler:

"Your Majesty!"

"What happened?" asked Luximon.

"It's time to let the guests in!"

"Really? How quickly, however, time flies. Well, then... give the order to let everyone in! They must be waiting."

"As you wish, Your Majesty." said the servant, and departed.

"Come on, Gideon, the dishes won't eat themselves, haha!" laughed Luximon and a firm step walked to the square.

***

The guards panicked. Virgil did his best to encourage his army, which at its last gasp held the unabated onslaught of the turbulent people. Unlike the valiant fighters, hunger and thirst made the guests even stronger and more aggressive. Many of them suddenly discovered a talent for climbing, and, not paying attention to the risk of falling from a six-meter height and the cries of the guards, began to climb stubbornly on the marble walls that served as the basis of the square. The entire defense was on the verge of a complete collapse when a servant ran up to Virgil with a cry:

"Virgil! Virgil! King said…"

"Let the guests in!" Virgil shouted before the servant could finish.

The guards lowered their shields and fell to the ground. The crowd immediately rushed to the stairs, hiding their bodies from the sight of Virgil and the servant. Jumping quickly to one side, they searched frantically for the soldiers below. It was only when the noise and shouting had subsided a little, and the whole crowd had begun to fight for the best seats at the table, that they saw the shields lying motionless on the marble. Virgil, like the wind, flew down the stairs to the nearest shield and picked it up. One of the soldiers lay curled up beneath him. The commander tried to revive him, and breathed a sigh of relief when he finally opened his eyes. The rest of the fallen also began to rise to their feet. As a result, none of them were injured at all. Whether it was a result of the reaction of the fighters, pure luck or a real miracle – no one knew. At this time, upstairs, everything was going as it should. The guests, who had taken their places at the table, caught the envious glances of their comrades. Those who stood on their hooves restlessly pestered the ponies in front of them with requests for food and drink, the variety of which was even more startling than usual. On the tables were dishes, the sight of which made everyone's mouths gape, and wines, aged from a year to a hundred years. All this variety delighted the guests, causing them to gnaw at each other's throats, while at the other end of the table the dignitaries quietly continued their conversations, which did not have time to finish early. Gideon sat on the left hoof from Luximon and could not shake the feeling that he is not in his place. This was supported by the strange views of the Earls and members of the Royal families. Luximon drank Mead and continued fun to talk with Gideon. Suddenly Stellaria came to the second vacant throne and sat down quietly. Looking around, she noticed Gideon looking at him like something alien, appealed to Luximon:

"Luximon, who is that?"

"Huh? What? Ah! This is Gideon, my friend." King said before draining another mug of cider.

"Gideon Alteri? A member of the Alteri family? What was he doing here?"

"Come on! It's okay. My sister hasn't expressed a desire to come anyway, so why not give this place to a worthy pony?"

"You again... Never mind."

"I absolutely agree with you. Hey, Miley, get some more cider!" He waved a hoof at one of the servants running around the table, who took the empty jug and replaced it with a full one. "Isn't it a great feast, Gideon?"

"Of course, Your Majesty," he said.

"I hear you're a master of the illusion spell. Is that true?" asked Luximon.

"Not to say that perfectly…"

"Show us something!"

"Your Majesty, I…"

"It is the king's command!" said Luximon, making a mock-serious expression.

"As you say, Your Majesty."

"Attention, everyone! Now my close friend, Gideon Alteri, will show you the... um... Number."

Gideon was utterly taken aback by the announcement, and when all the faces within sight turned their gazes upon him, he fell into a stupor. Thinking feverishly of something to show the eager crowd, an idea came to him that was his own spell. Of course, he could conjure something simpler and more reliable, without putting himself at risk of hitting the dirt face. But something still made him go against common sense and logic. He stooped and a red light began to glow at the end of his horn. A second later, he snapped and turned into a burning Phoenix. He flapped his wings and flew over the table. After circling a few times over the heads of the stunned ponies, it soared upward, and when it was almost out of sight, it exploded into sparks of gold and silver, which formed a great sun and moon. When he opened his eyes, he saw that everyone in the room was looking up, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly everyone looked at him at the same time, and there were cheers and hooves everywhere. Gideon stood still for about five seconds, until he realized that it would not be over until he did something, and hurried to take his place beside the stricken king, not forgetting to bow politely. “It was great!” – enthusiastically exclaimed Luximon, and Stellaria nodded towards Gideon. He continued to look from Stellaria, who was again talking to asteriel, who was sitting next to him, to his family, who were sitting in the middle of the table talking to the other rich ponies. Aryn was always looking at him with pride, while Vere's lips said, “Poseur...” At the opposite end of the table the crush continued, and gradually the wave of hungry guests moved closer and closer to the middle of it, despite the servants, who, as best they could, tried to supply the common people with food and drink. All this was extremely alarming to everyone except the king, for he was already discussing with Gideon the latest supplies of Griffin jewelry and fabrics. Gideon might have been embarrassed by his situation, but it was a pleasure to talk to Luximon, especially since the tea the king offered him was delicious and helped him relax despite the turmoil around him. The noise at the other end of the table told of the growing discontent of the common ponies. In the end, the king made an attempt to get up from his rightful place, but was decisively stopped by Stellaria, who looked at him with the eyes of a pony, ready to kill him on the spot:

"Stellaria!"

"Sit down immediately, Luximon! You think I forgot what you did last time?"

"Ten years have passed!"

"You haven't grown wiser in five centuries, much less in ten years, so sit down, and don't you dare think of going there!"

"Gideon, well, at least you tell her."

"Don't you dare involve a member of the Alteri family!" Stellaria exclaimed.

"I think," Gideon began. "why not let His Majesty make a speech? I suppose this will distract the crowd while the servants bring in more treats."

"You see, my dear! Gideon's talking sense!" confirmed Luximon.

"All right, quick!" Stellaria said, and let him stand.

"Thank you for helping me out," He said, and stepped out onto the small marble pedestal behind the throne.

"Gideon," Stellaria said calmly. "It seems to me that something's bothering you. What's wrong?"

"No, nothing," Gideon said.

"Don't lie. I can see you're uncomfortable. Tell me what happened."

"I don't know how to explain it to you."

"Hmm," Stellaria said. "Judging by your talent, you are extremely sensitive to fluctuations in magical fields. I have to admit, I feel weird, too. I'm afraid your concern may be justified…"

"Friends!" started Luximon. "Today we are gathered here to celebrate a great event..."

***

Vincent walked through a thick grove of trees and wondered what would happen to him. Over his shoulder he carried a duffel bag full of equipment. His heart was pounding and his hooves were shaking. It was like a nightmare from which he could not find a way out. A cold wind blew in his face, rippling his mane and hood. Darkened. All-around slowly but surely into the darkness of the night, and to see anything was getting harder and harder. Vincent's heart was beating faster, and he was afraid. On the one hand, the fear of getting lost and not finding the estate, and therefore fail the task. On the other, fear of what might be waiting for him in the estate itself. So he went on for about a quarter of an hour, until he saw the light, and rushed as fast as he could into its bosom. Finally, Vincent stood in front of Alter's Manor. A very ancient and beautiful building was built about seven hundred and fifty years ago, and since then has undergone many changes. Now it was as magnificent as ever. Magic lanterns lit the cobbled paths that led through a large courtyard with green lawns. Lights were on in a small building off the estate, and there was singing and the clatter of glasses. The estate itself looked mysterious and inviting, like an ancient temple full of secrets and artifacts. Vincent took a shard of crystal from his bag and tossed it over the fence. It hit an invisible wall and bounced. In the air appeared divergent rings, if in water deserted a small pebble. Vincent rummaged in his bag again and pulled out an arrow and a folding bow. At the end of the arrow was a sharpened black stone that seemed to absorb the light around it. Drawing his bowstring with magic and placing an arrow on his bow, he aimed between the iron bars of the fence and fired into the ground behind him. Suddenly, a ring of blue sparks formed in the air. Vincent grinned and pulled out a cat-hook, tossed it over the fence, and climbed the rope to a stone pillar. Then he jumped down and took the arrow. Taking it like a torch, he walked through the shadows, taking every step with care. Now and then fields of sparks began to appear in front of him, and he had to go around them, putting the arrow forward. Five minutes later he was at the front door. Deciding not to risk it, he took out the cat-hook again and threw it through one of the Windows, having previously surrounded it with a barrier. The hook shattered the glass with a faint tinkle, and Vincent was pelted with shrapnel that flew through the sound barrier. Climbing inside, he looked around. Judging by the dresses and beautiful decorations, it was the mistress's room. The first thing Vincent did was to search all the cupboards and cabinets, eventually finding a pair of gold rings inlaid with various stones, and a beautiful silver necklace with large amethysts. Putting it all in his bag, he went out into the corridor and down the stairs. Still checking the space in front of him with his arrow, he reached the front hall. There was nothing of value there, so Vincent headed straight for the target, thinking that in case of escape it would be much more expedient to capture the most important object. Entering one of the doors, he found a room filled with paintings, music stands with yellowed music books and busts on stone stands.

Red eye, you say? Vincent asked himself. As he searched, he saw a small painting of a blood-red sun setting. Pushing it aside, he saw a depression in which was a small button. Without hesitation, Vincent pressed it, and behind him one of the walls slid inward and away. Vincent passed through the opening and saw a stone chamber, in which, on a marble pedestal, under a glass dome, lay a huge blue sapphire in the form of a tear. After examining it from all sides, he brought an arrow to the dome. No sparks appeared, so he removed the dome without fear and magically took the stone from its pedestal. He took a velvet box from his bag, put the stone in it, and put it back in the bag. Stepping out and pressing the button again, he closed the door and left the room. Now he was much calmer and easier inside, so he without much fuss began to inspect the house for the presence of everything that can be more expensive to sell. Rings, necklaces, gold – plated Cutlery, wallets with bits, inlaid combs and hairpins, home decorations and even silver lining on the magic torches-all flew into Vincent's bag, which, like a bottomless abyss, gladly absorbed what the owner threw into it. For a long time Vincent wandered around the estate, trying to find all the safes he could, breaking every lock he could reach. It wasn't hard for him, even if it was the first time he'd robbed an entire estate. His instincts were rarely wrong, especially since their location was easy to calculate, following the simple logic of a pony who wants to hide his bits from other people's hooves. All this gave Vincent considerable pleasure, so that he walked very loosely for a thief in someone else's house.

It's far from morning. he said, looking up at the moon, which was moving imperceptibly across the sky.

***

"And now I want to drink to all the equestrian people! To all my loyal subjects, serving the good of our country!" exclaimed Luximon.

"To Equestria!" crowd replied.

"Now I would like to say," Luximon began, but when he saw the change in their faces, he stopped. Gradually they all looked up at the sky behind him and fell silent with a frightened look. Looking blankly at the ponies around him, the king stopped talking, turned and saw Pegasus flying straight towards the square and clearly injured. Shuddering all over, he began to descend with the last of his strength and fell to the stone floor. Luximon, Stellaria, Gideon and Asterial at the same time run to him:

"What's wrong with him?" asked Stellaria looking at Asterias, who began to explore the Pegasus.

"Perforation of the right lung and abdomen, fracture of the fifth and sixth right ribs, internal hemorrhage, multiple grazes and bruises of moderate severity," Asteriel recited. The Pegasus's white fur was stained with blood, his orange mane was disheveled, and his turquoise eyes were filled with fear and pain.

"Oh my God!" whispered Luximon.

"Astariel?" suddenly cried the Pegasus.

"Yes... Finn? Jesus, Finn, what happened to you?" asked Asterial, who remembered the cheerful postman who was seen eight years ago.

"Phineas? It was you who came to the Palace, wasn't it?"

"Ha... Long this was... But now not about this..." quietly croaked Finn.

"What happened?" Stellaria asked.

"Your... your Majesty - I regret to inform you that this evening, at twenty-three minutes past seven, the enemy attacked our Western frontier and broke through the primary line."

"What? Who attacked?" freaked out and asked Luximon.

"It's... it's humans, your Majesty," said Phineas, with a look of horror in his eyes.

Verum

He walked for a long time without seeing what was before him...
There were angels at the gate to meet him, but he...
Blood stained the heavens, and angels fell at his feet, begging for heaven's mercy, but he refused...
And then said the voice, "Qui vult decipi, decipiatur."..
And the gloom enveloped all around, and not in forces go further, he fell...
And the voice said, " Vide, deceiver!". A torch lit and lit the heavens, showing the way out, but...
And he saw their dead bodies, stained with blood, and wept...

Down by the lake stood the angels, longing for salvation. They looked into the water in which sins were drowned...
The fire fell into the lake, and the water caught fire, illuminating their faces...
They looked at each other, hoping to understand. But no one knew...
He came begging the angels to forgive him, but the angels did not forgive him, but gave him a dagger and said, "Cut Off what you value."..
And he threw his soul into the burning lake, and it caught fire, purified. And the angels said, "We forgive you."
And hand in hand they entered the burning lake, and disappeared...

And when hope falls under the onslaught of lies and deception, in any case, the light will wake up, imprisoned by reason...
And the pure in soul shall be set free, and what was hidden in that garden shall be revealed unto them...
The heavens will fall to the earth, to the sound of the lyre, and he will appear in the world who will restore the souls of those who have lost it, and a voice from above will reply: "Omnia vincit amor et nos cedamus amori."
Shine a bright light, and fall before heaven, in redemption...