As the sun set over Canterlot, Twilight Sparkle’s careful reorganisation of the Ponyville Library – the third that week – was interrupted by Spike hurrying in.
“Sorry to interrupt, Twilight, but it’s the letter you’ve been waiting for.”
“The one from the Princess?”
“Yeah, and I think she likes the idea!”
Twilight snatched the letter from Spike’s claws, unrolling the parchment with her magic as it floated up to her eyes. She quickly skimmed the letter, then read it again, taking in every word. A smile slowly spread across her lips as she reached the bottom. With a sudden burst of action, she turned and ran out the door.
“Come on, Spike, we’ve got some big news for the girls.”
~
“Ah don’t get it” complained Applejack. “We already share everything anyways, so where’s the point?”
“Really, darling, I’d have thought that was obvious – in fact, I’d have thought you would have been the first pony to see the point, even before I would.”
Applejack glared at the white mare. “And what’s that supposed to mean? D’you think Ah’m slow, or what?”
Rarity smirked for a moment, before catching herself and turning it into an understanding smile.
“Not at all. You’re one of the most open ponies I know, and you’ve made a point of being open with us since that… Incident with the rodeo, so I can see how it may not be as obvious to you as I first thought. I thought you would see the point first because of Apple Bloom. Certainly, when I heard the idea, my first thought was of Sweetie Belle.”
“Um…”
Understanding dawned on Rainbow Dash, who interrupted the meek yellow Pegasus at the end of the table. “Oh yeah, I get it. Remember when Scootaloo rushed your sister all around town trying to find me a few seasons back?”
Twilight smiled at the memory. “That’s exactly why I thought of this, Rainbow Dash. When the Crusaders wanted to learn more about Cutie Marks, they came to each of us in turn and asked for our stories. And when the five of us heard your story, we realised that even we didn’t know all we could have about how we got our Cutie Marks. We never tried to hide the knowledge from each other, but it simply never occurred to us to ask.”
“Ah get it. Sometimes there’re things we could learn from somepony, but they’d never tell us. Not because it’s a secret, but just because we might not get round to it, or we might take it for granted.”
“Um…” Fluttershy tried again, but this time it was Pinkie Pie who spoke over her.
“Well, I think it’s a super idea, Twilight! I bet everypony in town has stories they can share, and I always like to learn more about my friends, which means learning more about everything since everypony’s my friend! I’d be happy to help out however I can. Ooh, I know! We want as many ponies there as possible, right? Well, I’ll throw a super-special first-night party, and invite everypony to come along!”
Twilight smiled to herself, half-shaking her head as Pinkie started worrying about what flavour of cake would be most appropriate for this, and whether or not she had enough funpowder for her party cannon.
“Actually, Pinkie, I don’t think a party is the best way for us to get this started. Remember, there’s no point with us going ahead with this unless everypony who chooses to come can hear what’s going on. And your parties aren’t exactly conducive to an environment where ponies feel able to share.”
“They aren’t conduwha to the huh?”
“Um…”
“Oh, for Celestia’s sake. Yer parties are loud, Pinkie. They’re too loud for ponies to hear themselves think, let alone hear other ponies.”
“Applejack’s right. Your parties are wonderful, but that’s not what this calls for. Fluttershy, did you have something you wanted to ask?”
Fluttershy started at Twilight suddenly calling her out.
“It’s nothing important, Twilight. I was just wondering, um, I mean I like the idea of ponies sharing stories, and I guess we’ve had a lot of things we can share, what with the hydra and the manticore and the… dragons and everything, but…”
“What is it? Let me know if I’ve missed anything, and I’ll make sure I include it.”
“Well, I just thought, is it really necessary to have the stage and the spotlight?”
~
Rarity still wasn’t entirely sure how Twilight had managed to talk her into holding the inaugural evening at Carousel Boutique.
“We can’t hold it at the town hall, the structure’s still not entirely a hundred per cent since Derpy’s accident last week. The library’s main hall isn’t large enough, not if we get the turnout we’re hoping for, and Sugarcube Corner would be a very bad idea until Pumpkin Cake is over her little… phase. Your Boutique is really the only place in town large enough for us to hold this event. Besides, surely you’d appreciate the free advertising?”
Ah yes, that was it…
~
“So you haven’t told any of them about the plan?”
Twilight smiled happily as she double-checked her “Lists to double-check” list, confirming that she had indeed done everything she needed to before the big show.
“That’s right, Spike. I know that all my friends will be there, regardless of what I say, and I think that this will be a nice surprise for them. If I told them, the whole night would be stilted, and that would defeat the purpose. But this way, I know that pretty much all of Ponyville will show up by the end, and that should get people talking.”
“All right, Twilight. We told people to show up at seven, right?”
“Yes, half an hour after sundown. Speaking of which, there is one more thing I need to do before it starts. Could you take a letter?”
~
Apart from Twilight Sparkle, who had organised the evening, the first ponies to arrive were Applejack, Big Macintosh, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, who set themselves up with Sweetie Belle right in front of the makeshift stage. Pinkie Pie was next, shortly followed by Fluttershy just as the sun went down.
Over the next half hour, another half a dozen ponies showed up, some of which Rarity knew but most of which were no more than a face in the crowd. She definitely knew Golden Harvest (who had pointedly sat as far away from Applejack as possible) and of course Mayor Mare, but she wasn’t really sure on the rest of the audience. Finally, almost exactly half an hour after sundown, Rainbow Dash burst into the boutique, apparently trying to be as late as possible without actually being late.
All in all, there couldn’t have been more than about fifteen ponies in the shop, which made Rarity a little uncertain why precisely the library wasn’t sufficient for the audience. However, she had promised Twilight that she would help out, and dimmed the lighting with an almost-unconscious magical nudge before focusing a spotlight onto the curtains at the back of the stage.
Right on cue, Twilight walked out, smiling happily.
~
“Good evening, everypony. I know I’ve spoken about this evening with all of you, but I’m not sure that I’ve explained all the details.
“Every pony has their own stories to tell, and normally we would only tell them to our friends. It’s perfectly natural that you wouldn’t want everypony knowing everything that was going on in your life. But it’s also natural that when a pony makes a mistake or learns something, other ponies can learn from the story.
“Some time ago, I spent some time with three young fillies who wanted nothing more than to learn. I told them a story of when I was young, and thought nothing of it. Later that same day, those same three fillies were told a story by one of my best friends. They weren’t the only ponies to learn something that day; I learned as much, if not more, about myself from my friend’s story.
“It is the nature of the world that what one pony does affects other ponies. In the words of the famous philosopher Jondun the Meditator, ‘No mare is an island, entire of itself’ and so it is that by sharing these stories, we may find all of us enriched. This is why I arranged this evening, to give ponies the opportunity to share their experiences in an open environment.
“I intend to run this evening every week for the foreseeable future, and I hope that this evening will encourage you all to think about what stories you may be able to tell that would share a lesson you’ve learned. But don’t think that these evenings are going to just be about soul-searching stories of self-discovery; without your memories, none of you would be you, so every one of your memories, no matter how small, can offer an insight into life.”
Looking out into the audience, Twilight could see that they were getting restless with her little speech. Rainbow Dash in particular had her eyes half-closed, and falling fast, and Scootaloo was talking with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, more or less ignoring the speech.
Internally, Twilight smiled, though she was careful to keep her face neutral. She had deliberately written a slightly longer speech than she would have done normally, knowing full well the effect it would have; she felt sure that the best way to leave a good impression, under the circumstances, would be to let the audience drift away slightly before sharply tugging them back in.
“As tonight is our first night, I know none of you will have stories prepared. Some of you may be able to tell a story offhoof, but I want tonight to be a bit special, so I have asked an old friend of mine to get things going.”
That got their interest. Time to reel them in.
“Mares and gentlecolts, please show your appreciation for tonight’s special guest: Princess Celestia”
At Twilight’s words, I part the curtains with my magic, blinking for a moment in the glare of the Element of Generosity’s spotlight. It may sound ironic, but I am actually very sensitive to the basic light spells – the light has an unpleasant starkness to it.
I walk to the front of the stage, noting the awe on every face I see. I wish I could say that I don’t like it, but on some level I do, and it’s not like I can’t avoid those looks whenever I want. I look over the ponies who’ve decided to show up- Twilight and her friends, of course, the foals from my niece’s wedding, and a few other faces I vaguely recognise. Plus one other Pegasus I couldn’t miss. I wonder if anyone else recognises her?
Twilight’s looking at me expectantly. She’s waiting for me to talk, to fill the awed silence, but I know how these things go far better than she does. I want to gauge the crowd’s mood before I decide exactly which of my prepared stories to tell.
Sure enough, after a pause that feels far longer than it is, the noise in the audience starts. But it’s not what I would normally expect – I’m used to a susurrus of surreptitious whispers, not a single pony standing up and talking straight to me, much less an orange filly with under-developed wings.
“Um, ‘scuse me Princess. Can you tell us how you got your Cutie Mark?”
… Well, that certainly narrows it down.
“My Cutie Mark? Of course I can, my little pony. It happened over two thousand years ago, but some memories are never lost. This was in the days before Equestria, when I was no more in charge of the sun than my sister was in charge of the stars. In those days, the Earth Ponies were in charge of the ground, just as they are now, and the Pegasi were in charge of the clouds, just as they are now.
“However, back then there were Unicorns in charge of the sun and the stars – a council, each represented by different animals. There were twelve in total, each represented by a different animal – the Rat, the Monkey, the Dog, the Pig, the Snake, the Ox, the Rabbit, the Rooster, the Tiger, the Goat, and my master, who was represented by the most lauded symbol of all, the Pony.”
Twilight frowns as I list these symbols. I got careless, allowed myself to get sucked into the story with unnecessary details, even this early. I can’t let it show, but it’s a reminder that I must consider my every word – even I can be foolish sometimes. I have to distract her before she interrupts, but thankfully I know exactly how to do that.
“Some of you may have heard of my master. He has his own wing at the Canterlot Archives, and my sister has told me that someone in this room dressed up as him last Nightmare Night..?”
Bingo. That got her attention.
“In truth, he was not my direct master – none of the Council had fillies for apprentices in those days. Nonetheless, he was the Master of a group of scholars, some of whom had apprentices, and I was an assistant to one of those Unicorns. Please remember, I would have been no more than ten or eleven at the time.”
I am always amazed at the effect a white lie can have. I was actually just seven at the time, but I remember Twilight mentioning something about a group of fillies who were self-conscious about not having their Cutie Marks at nine, so there’s no harm in letting them think I got mine when I was older than they are now. Sure enough, the orange filly who spoke to me earlier broke out in a small grin when I said that. I guess she’s one of them…
“I was living with my teachers back then, but I maintained regular contact with my sister – I would send her a letter with my magic whenever I could, and she would occasionally fly up to the school to see me. It was in one of these letters that I briefly mentioned an interesting problem I had seen my masters discussing. I won’t bore you with the details, but it dealt not just with the Sun and the Stars, but also with how they interacted with weather systems and farming.
“Now, I knew nothing of those subjects back then – no Unicorn did – so I thought that my sister might be able to shed some light, as it were, as she was working with the head council of Pegasi. Sure enough, she had a flash of insight that helped us figure the problem out. I went first to the scholar I had heard discussing the problem, but he flew into a rage when he found out it had taken correspondence with the council of Pegasi to solve the issue. I was threatened with expulsion – and believe me, for a filly my age, that was a terrifying prospect.”
It might be just me, but I’m pretty sure Twilight muttered something to herself at that. Something about “not just for a filly…”
“I was scared, I don’t deny it. I panicked, and went straight to Starswirl himself to make my case. He listened to me carefully, and asked that I present my case to him with my sister – and the scholar. So there we were, my sister and I, arguing a technical argument many years ahead of our level, with some of the most powerful Unicorns in the world looking down at us from their desks. But our argument was good, and the solution we had figured out was extremely persuasive, although radical.
“After the debate, Starswirl called the both of us into his office. He smiled at us kindly, and thanked us both for solving the problem. It turns out that until then, the problem was considered impossible, but we had figured out a solution that allowed the Unicorns, Pegasi and Earth Ponies to produce harvests larger than ever before. My heart swelled with pride, and I am sure that my sister felt just the same.
“As we realized just what we had done, Starswirl looked at us, and said ‘Your sister has acted as a shining beacon in the darkness of our knowledge, and you yourself have forced the issue through the barriers in the way to enlighten my students. And I can see that these actions truly represent who you are, as will you if you examine your flanks.’
“My sister raised her wing, revealing her Cutie Mark, a shining beacon in the darkness – a single star on the black night sky. I turned to check my own flank, and saw a cloud, parted by a single sunbeam. My heart swelled, knowing what my special talent is, to bring truth and clarity to those who need it even through the most difficult of obstacles.”
“Wait a moment, Princess. Ah’m pretty sure Ah ain’t blind, and Ah can see your Cutie Mark clear as day. It’s an eight-pointed sun, not sunbeams partin’ clouds.”
I had expected this, and know exactly what to do. I smile, arching an eyebrow at her, and then I concentrate carefully on myself, forming a picture in my eye of who I used to be. I haven’t performed this magic in public before, only ever using it when I needed a way to escape the public eye. I can feel myself shrinking and remember what it's like to be a normal pony again, even if it is just for a single evening.
The crowd gasped. I opened my eyes. In front of me was a crowd of ponies the same size as me. In front of them, a white Unicorn with pink hair and a sunbeam-through-clouds Cutie Mark. Only two ponies seems to understand, and every other pony in the room is clearly amazed, some of them talking in an excited whisper to each other, others staring at me with gaping mouths. I freely admit that I have no idea why the Bearer of Laughter is just taking this in her stride.
"Good evening, my new friends. My name is Beamshine. This is who I was before I became Princess – before I became Celestia.”
It’s strange. Never before have I revealed this secret to anypony save Luna. No-one else has ever known that Beamshine is actually Celestia, and yet I just revealed my secret to at least fifty ponies, some of whom I have never even met. And yet, it feels… right. I feel almost at home here.
Twilight must see how weird this feels. She nods to a few faces in the crowd, then walks onto the stage along with the other Bearers and a grey-haired, tan mare I recognise as the Mayor.
“I know it can’t have been easy revealing your secret to us, Prin- Beamshine. But I want you to know that if you ever want to get away from it all, if you want to escape from the royal court for an evening or a weekend, just come on over and we will be happy to just be friends.”
I hug Twilight – feels strange to hug someone the same size as me for a change – and before I know it, I’ve been pulled into a group hug with all the Bearers. As we pull apart, I make eye contact with a midnight-blue Pegasus with a smile on her face. I know exactly why – after all, the story about the other cutie mark is far less happy, least of all for her.
