My Little Pony Friendship is Magic
Through the Ages - The Regal Sisters' Stories
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EONS AGO
Little Celestia gently pushed at one of the great doors, which despite its size, turned with a tiny, stretched creak. With a little hesitation, the young Alicorn quietly slip through the gap and into the dimly lit chamber.
Her parents' bedroom, like the rest of the palace, was immense – Celestia could barely make out the roof that hung high above her, nor could she really see the pillars and ornate carvings that decorated the walls in the distant corners of the room.
One thing was very visible, though - A mighty tapestry that was hung on the far end, an artwork older than many stars, showing against a black background, two Alicorns golden and dark blue, standing side by side, bringing harmony over multitude of colorful worlds woven right below them.
It was a room certainly befit that of gods, as the Alicorns are, such was their power. It was said that a long time ago, when her father was young, his parents created the palace's outline with but a thought. What filled and was built in it was left to the family's whims and needs, and the suggestions of their subjects from the innumerable worlds of their domain, over the eons. Every art, every furniture, every pillar and wall was awe inspiring, mighty and majestic, to make the palace a worthy home for beings so important to balance and harmony in the universe, like her parents.
But Celestia didn't came into the bed-chamber to be in awe. She slept here, after all, with her parents when she was just a little filly less than a few hundreds years old. Even after she had gotten her own wing of the palace, she still came here often when she wanted to be in her solar mother's radiant warmth, or to rest on her father's cool, billowing mane of twinkling stars and night essence.
She was here to see something specific, a special something which is now resting on her parents' mighty bed, hidden away in the drapes of great tapestries and bed-curtains descending from the ceiling.
Quickly slipping past the curtains, she found the object of want: a basket, sitting atop a mattress made of the finest Alicorn feathers her parents had shed over countless millennia, a symbol of their love and devotion. The basket was tiny little thing in contrast to everything in this room, and yet it was the most special thing there is.
Almost squealing in delight, Celestia peaked into the little basket in her mother's bedroom, and her heart melted at what she saw.
Inside the basket, resting on a soft little pillow, was their family's newest bundle of joy: a healthy Alicorn baby. She was born only a week ago.
The pregnancy was completely unexpected, and a dangerous one too. The family had anxiously hoped that both mother and child would live through the birth. Strong and determine Celestia's mother was, the goddess had vowed she would endure any pain, even comparable to that of being locked in a star for a thousand years, as long as the child lived.
The threads of fates had been generous to them, they both did.
They said Luna was the most beautiful Alicorn princess they ever seen, and Celestia definitely agreed. It was as her father described her: Luna's skin was smooth, but unlike Celestia's alabaster hue, it was colored in indigo, like the enchanting darkness of the early Night. Her tiny mane and tail run around her back in coils and curls. Her face, eyes closed in sleep, radiated a soothing tranquility.
Celestia's father had told her not to enter the chamber, for the young filly was still young, and like her mother, she was not suppose to see her now, so as to not disturb her serene rest. But with father taking her exhausted mother out for a stroll, and such a wonderful opportunity presenting itself, Celestia simply couldn't control herself any longer; she had a little sister, a little filly like herself. This she had got to see. Being grounded later would be all worth it.
Unfortunately, it looked like her entrance had awoken Luna. The Alicorn filly opened her green eyes to find the two excited pink eyes of Celestia staring at her. The little fill was shy, shrinking back at first, and for a moment Celestia worried that she had scared her.
But then, Luna saw the calmness and loving grin on Celestia's face, and smiled. By the stars, those eyes were so large, so pure, and so beautiful. Luna was adorable.
Celestia's grin widen as little Luna touched her pink mane with her hoof. She only lived for dozens of centuries, but she had never felt so happy in her life. She looked like her when she was young – so little and fragile. It was love at first sight.
Silently and unconsciously, Celestia vowed in her heart she would care protect her as long as they remain on this plane.
She knew that together, all will be well.
THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO
Princess Celestia finished the last line on the story she was reading, flipping the last page over on the book before her, floating in the air with a golden aura like the glow of her horn. Beside her, Princess Luna tucked her legs in, leaning softly on her side, her eyes closed and fast asleep.
The last few months had been hectic. Although they had seen their parents at work for over thousands of years, watching and learning as they did, the business of ruling was something they never expected to be so challenging. Though compared to the filaments and planes that formed father and mothers' domain, being regents of a young world around a sun in a quiet little corner of a galaxy paled in comparison.
Of course, they were on familiar ground – long ago she and Luna had spent literally centuries to help those that dwell upon this world to defeat the previous evil ruler of the place, a spirit of chaos named Discord, who had turned the world into a nightmarish realm of madness where logic had no hold. Together, they restored harmony back to the lands the best they could, though some scars, such as the frozen cycle of day and light, remains unfixable. Nevertheless, the dwellers, especially the ponies, mortal creatures capable of a little magic that happened to share resemblance with them, knew of the sisters, and are grateful.
When they had left the first time, they thought they would never see this world again, but it seemed the cosmos had other plans for them.
They were still too young. Celestia was barely out of foalhood, a teenager by all definitions, while Luna was barely a foal herself. They were never meant to rule so early, but when they chance upon the world once more, months ago, to see the ponies, who had found the realm of Equestria, being torn apart by war and suffering, and disharmony threatening to return, they knew they had to step out of the shadows and act, taking the throne empty since Discord's fall. Already they found themselves overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work at running the state.
With their power, both Luna and Celestia had now fully mastered the ways at moving the Moon and the Sun, an art the Unicorn tribe of the ponies, the previous bringers of day and night, had lost during the collapse of their civilization. The sisters' Cutie Marks showed off their achievements, and they had bring back proper day and night to Equestria since. They had also busied themselves reworked the entire system of governance from the ground up.
The fighting and anarchy had stopped. Things were getting better again, and harmony reigned once more. The ponies had never been happier.
Now, at long last, they had time to relax.
Luna couldn't sleep today, still tense from the events of yesterday, when she filled the night skies with brand new constellations. Due to Discord's reality warping reign, the light from distant stars couldn't reach Equestria, as they found out, leaving the night dull and void. Princess Luna, being the bearer of his father's essence of the Night, was perfect for the role to restore the night sky and being the regent of the Night.
Already, she had found a fondness for the stars she put on the night sky, and the Moon which she raises. But it will be a long time before she would get used to it, like Celestia did. She didn't know how she could take to bed tonight, let alone prepare for tomorrow's night. She just hoped that the ponies would adore the night until then.
Celestia had read her a story, and quietly Luna found herself finally dozing off at her side. Celestia saw her tucking her mane and hoofs in, and noted the big, luna Cutie Marks showing prominently at her flanks. By her parents, Luna grew up so fast. But even then she still looked so young, and fragile.
She still remembered her promise – she will love and look after her, always, one she hope she will always be able to live up to. Yet somehow, as she looked upon the night sky, her sister's stars blinking brilliantly like gems on a black crystal wall, she knew that no matter how bad things get, they would always have one another.
She's confident that, in the end, all will be well.
ONE THOUSAND YEARS AGO
Nightmare Moon could only scream, voice laced with pure wrath and hatred, as the Elements' power enveloped her completely in a swirling maelstrom of colorful light. Then, with a thunderous roar, the cocoon of magic rocketed upwards, to its pre-determined destination, hanging ominously above the world.
All Celestia could do was to silently watch, as the energies transformed the Moon into a prison, the dark spots of her sister's vile corruption begin to fester upon its surface, morphing into a sinister Alicorn shadow, showing to the whole world where the terrible presence that had tried to plunge the world into darkness now reside, perhaps for eternity.
The Long Night was over.
Yet Celestia did not feel triumph.
She looked on, her heart shattered with grief; tears of un-parallel purity began streaming down to her cheeks, dripping upon her pink mane at the tips where other colors of maturity are beginning to show.
She began to cry.
She promised she would love her and always look after her. And yet, right now, as she stood with the crown of the Element of Magic on her head, and the other Elements of Harmony floating to the ground around her, having lost their connection to true love and friendship, Celestia knew she had failed, and so utterly too.
She knew it was her fault, and bitterly so, that she was unaware of how much her sister felt un-apprieciated and unloved, having been ignored along with her enchanting and beautiful night, while she had received all her subjects' praises for her rule and her bright and wonderful day.
She knew it was her fault that she could not see the darkness that had corrupted Luna. Foalishly she had allowed all that bitterness, resentment and hatred that Luna felt for her and their subjects to fester before her oblivious eyes, until it consumed her, and motivated her to try and use black magic to try and depose Celestia. But instead of power, it only caused her to fall prey to a dark and evil influence that had turned her from a sweet benevolent princess to a mad, evil goddess.
It was her fault that because her heart was too weak, too unwilling to oppose Nightmare Moon out of fear of hurting Luna inside her, that she was unable to stand up to her now mad sister earlier, and had let her sow terror across the land, and try to bring forth eternal night. She even had the gall to let the land starve and freeze, unable to save more ponies from suffering and death until her soul could stand no more.
It was her fault too because she had let herself be consumed with guilt and reluctance, such that it left her weaken and broken after she had finally defeated Nightmare Moon, so that she could not banish the shadow, but only to imprison it. It was with her own bare hoofs that she had banish Princess Luna to somewhere her sister could no longer be able to hurt anypony else.
Now, because of her, her sister is now trapped upon the Moon with the monster she had become.
And Celestia may never be able to see her sister again.
Celestia did not feel triumph. There was no victory here. What is there for her to celebrate? How could anypony bear losing somepony they love so much?
At last, overwhelmed with sadness, she let herself release the sorrow welling up in her, all in one go. She felt her wings lowered beside her, her head dipping to the ground, and she wept quietly. Across the land, the air echoed with jubilant chants and celebration from those who survived the reign of the Night.
Far, far away, the first rays of Sunlight appear once more above the horizon. For everypony except one sorrowful Princess, all will be well once more.
PRESENT
It had been a thousand years. Seven more nights, and it would be over.
She had endured a thousand years alone, ruling over the land and maintaining balance in her kingdom. Without Princess Luna to rule alongside her, she had taken charge of both the Day and Night, and had done so for so long now entire generations of her little ponies had lived and passed on without ever knowing that her sister even existed, accepting that she was the arbiter of harmony in the world, much to her chargin.
Her reign was marked by a golden age of peace and harmony that was never seen on this world before. She had weathered through countless hardship and turmoil with only her steel will and fair benevolence. She was confident in her rule, strong in her convictions, soft in her mercy and warm like the Sun with her love.
But in rare and desperate times, when she let doubt and anxiety weaken her, she only had herself to hold onto. Though she always managed to recover, deep down, she remained so hollow and lonely without her little sister by her side.
But this is about to change.
Princess Celestia eventually learned that the spell she had cast would not last forever. In a thousand years, the stars will align and aid the Mare of the Moon in her escape, and the bitter and spiteful Alicorn goddess would return to bring Eternal Night once more.
But Princess Luna would come back with it.
When Celestia look deep into herself, into her memories, many were either fond or terrible. But of them all, the best had always been that of the day she looked into the basket, and see her sister for the first time. Every time she remembered that day, she felt warmth and love coursing through her body.
She loved Luna, she missed Luna deeply, and she would do anything to break her out of that shell of spite and anger, and get her back.
Luna. Oh how wonderful! Now was the chance she prayed to her parents for the last one thousand years to have.
She had spent a thousand years preparing for her return. Now the plan had reached its final stages. She had made plans to arrange the best student she ever had, Twilight, to move to Ponyville. There, she would most likely to meet new friends, and with them, she would be able to use the most powerful magic Ponykind ever discovered, the one which she and Luna use to triumph over Discord.
Twilight Sparkle reminded her so much of Luna, and partly because of this she loved her. She had almost become in a way a surrogate mother to her for most of her life. In many ways, she felt Luna was always at her side whenever Twilight Sparkle was with her.
Celestia believed in her student, believed in the power she hold that comes with her special talent at magic, and and she is confident that Twilight and her friends, whoever they will be, would be ones who could access the Elements of Harmony that she lost connection to so long ago. They would be able to defeat Nightmare Moon, and bring her sister back. Things would be right again.
There was more to this of course: Twilight and her friends would be the first mortal ponies to be able to use the Elements of Harmony. It was inevitable, in a sense – She and Luna were never meant to spend their eternal lives ruling the humble lands of Equestria. It was to earn the needed experience, all in preparation for their real, greater roles ahead of them.
Eventually, the time will come that her parents, having grown weary of their place, would pass on their duties to them. She and Luna would eventually take their parents' place upon the thrones, to rule their domain across the stars and spatial realms, while their parents, like many Alicorns had done before, would depart to new places far and beyond, where they will experience new things, and bring harmony and peace, as they had always done.
Someday, like so many of her mortal friends and subjects, they will be gone. But Celestia knew the harmony and magic of friendship that Equestria enjoys and built on won't last long without protection, and the forces of disharmony may return to bring back suffering to her world.
Her subjects would learn to defend the harmony she had protected for so long. Having lost her connection, it was fitting that they take up the task. With any luck, one day, when it was time for her and her sister to return home, and take the mantle of her family like their parents before them, their subjects in Equestria would learn to stand for themselves. Just like she had for a thousand years. Twilight and her friends would be the start.
For Princess Celestia, this wonderful thought was not important – it was not meant to happen any time soon. Right now, all she could think of right now was what she would want to say to Luna, when she is restored. She wanted to tell her how sorry she was for failing to be there for her when she needed her reassurances. She wanted to express how much she missed her. She wanted to embrace her with her Alicorn wings and hold her by her side, both knowing how deeply they love one another…
There was a quiet, respectful knock on the bedchamber door behind her. Celestia sighed. The time had come for her to raise the Sun again.
Her horn glowed, and with quickness and grace she put on her tiara and her breastplate, and trotted down to her bedchamber entrance.
Before she leaves, she looked back at the tapestry that hung on their wall. It was an ancient treasure, a masterpiece well preserved, so to ensure it remained pristine, even after a thousand years. It depicted her and Luna, when they were younger, standing side by side, bringing harmony to Equestria.
She smiled, and much as she tries to suppress it, her eyes becoming teary.
They were always meant to rule together, to support and care for one another, never to stand alone. But soon they will have the comfort and company of one another once more, as it was always meant to be.
Nodding to herself, she turned and left for the balcony.
All will be well.
