I'M NOT YOUR SISTER
~BICO
“I’m not your sister.”
The Princess of the Night looked incredulous. “Are you… trying to tell me I’m adopted?”
“No, no!” Celestia said, waving her hooves dismissively. “That is, I wouldn’t know if you were, anyway, but that’s not what I’m talking about, Luna.”
“Then… what are you talking about?” Luna asked.
“Well… how to put this?" Celestia tapped her gilded hoof against her chin in thought. "How old are you, Luna?”
“I don’t see how—”
“Just… answer the question,” Celestia said.
Luna screwed up her eyes. “Well… over a millennium, I suppose. Almost as much as you.”
“No,” Celestia said. “I mean… how old were you when you were… sent to the moon?”
Luna went blank. “I… I think I was pretty young. Not quite six.”
“And Celestia?”
“You’re three years my senior, ‘Tia!” Luna said. “You would never let me forget it.”
Celestia’s expression became softer. “Luna… if that’s true… what makes you think you’re immortal?”
“Wh-what?” Luna said, her voice cracking.
“Luna, follow me,” Celestia said, turning and putting a hoof on a bust and turning it to the left. The bookshelf slowly opened to reveal a hallway down which the two alicorns walked. They descended several stairways similarly hidden behind what seemed to be solid walls until they reach a cavernous room dominated by paintings, statues, and shelves upon shelves of books.
“What is this place?” Luna asked, marveling at the innumerable books. “It’s glorious!”
“This is the secret Royal Library of the Solar Dynasty,” Celestia said. “It holds all the knowledge and wisdom of the twenty Princess Celestias before me. Those paintings on the walls depict each of my predecessors as well. This,” she walked to the largest painting of white alicorn with a flowing pastel rainbow mane glaring down at them with an intimidating expression. “Is your sister. Your true sister, Celestia I.”
Luna stared at the painting, and then back at the living Celestia before her. She then looked back at the painting and then back at Celestia. “You have the same coat and mane, but…”
“I know,” Celestia said. “The spell is such that, aside from the transition to alicorn, merely… gives you a dye job. One’s facial features and other distinctive traits generally remain recognizable. We try to choose successors who look similar in most cases, and we take precautions to ensure nopony gets a good look at us the first year or so of our reigns. You’d be surprised how easily ponies forget the little details. One look at the mane and the coat and the cutie mark and they accept it.”
The small, blue alicorn looked around the room at the various paintings and saw that it was true. Each Celestia had the same broad features, but each was distinct; some more than others. "Is... is that a stallion?"
"Mmm," Celestia murmured. "Yes, that was in the 600s, a wild century from all accounts. I do believe Celestia XI was a bit... um... chemically modified when she decided on that one. On the other hand, few had the gall to ever check the Prince... ess, and those who did certainly never dared say anything. She had a bit of a temper... and a strange fascination with bananas from all reports."
Luna decided to let that go, and sighed. “Alright, so let's say everypony somehow overlooked the change in features of each generation, but how did I mistake you for my sister, then?” Luna said. “I mean… my sister!”
“Well, as I said,” Celestia explained. “It’s easy for ponies to forget the details after awhile. You had one thousand years for your memories to fade. It’s not as if you can record your sister’s image in your mind like a photograph, no matter how you loved her.”
“Alright,” Luna said. “Let’s assume you’re telling the truth and not playing some cruel joke on me again. I am still alive. If we’re not truly long lived, why am I still here after one thousand years!”
Celestia shook her head. “Luna… the spell your sister—Celestia I—used was designed to keep you alive so that you would be able to carry out your… full sentence. And carry it out fully conscious.” She lowered her head. “Your sister was very angry with you… and very sadistic, it seems.”
“’Tia!” Luna said. “What are you saying? You weren’t… well… you are certainly a bit more lenient and cool headed than you were before, but…” She shook her head. “No. You’re my sister. This is just another one of your pranks. After all, you control the Heavens! Nopony else could do that.”
“Luna, do you remember the condition Equestria was in just before you were banished?” Celestia said.
“Well, it was only a year after we destroyed Discord with the Elements of Harmony,” Luna said. “The ponies of Equestria had been broken by Discord, but we were rebuilding not just the land but the lost skills of Our little ponies. The earth ponies were beginning to learn how to harvest crops, though it was kinda trial and error, especially with the Breezies... change. The pegasi were having trouble with the weather, but my young student seemed to have a knack for it…”
“Yes,” Celestia said. “She became instrumental in the rediscovery of the rainbow manufacturing process.”
Luna smiled fondly. “Yeah… she was only a year younger than I was, and we got along so well. I really miss her, but I’m glad she reached her potential.”
“More than you know,” Celestia said. She waved a hoof. “Go on.”
“Ah… yes… well, we really wanted to teach the unicorns what we knew about magic,” Luna said. “With Discord around, magic had practically ceased to have meaning. At the time I was banished we had managed to teach some of them how to levitate objects and some basic protection spells…”
“But not how to control the sun, moon, and stars as they had in the past,” Celestia said.
Luna paused to consider. “No… your student was really bright, and learned the basics of celestial magic.”
“But she was the only one,” Celestia said. “And she couldn’t do it alone. It takes a whole herd of unicorns working together to do what one alicorn can.”
“So…” Luna said hesitantly.
Celestia sighed and turned her back to Luna, obviously distressed. “Luna… this may be hard for you to hear, but… using all the Elements of Harmony together as she did put too much strain on Celestia I’s body and mind. She died only days after you were banished.”
“What?” Luna said with alarm. “But how…”
“How did the sun rise in the morning if she was dead and only one unicorn knew how to raise the sun and moon and stars?” Celestia finished for her. “It’s simple, Luna. She made a new alicorn. One in her image who would carry on her name.” She gestured to another painting. “Celestia II. Look closely.”
Luna did, and her eyes widened as she saw a distinctive scar running down that Celestia’s face. “That scar… it’s the same as Chromia Flash’s!” She hung her head. “I remember… she tried to stop me when I became Nightmare Moon. I struck her with my horn and gave that scar to her.”
Celestia nodded. “You also gutted Celestia’s student. She didn’t die, but in the condition she was in at the time, she was unable to undergo the transfer. Celestia chose your student to become her successor so that together with Dusk Shadow they could continue to move the heavens.”
“And… nopony ever taught the unicorns how to move the heavens?” Luna asked.
“Well, they tried,” Celestia said. “And many learned, but after so long not having to do their duty, they no longer wanted to anymore. And, honestly, I think Celestia II figured it was a fair trade raising the sun and moon if she got to be ruler of the country. It’s not such a bad job, really.”
Luna smiled at the painting of Celestia II—known to her as Chromia. It was difficult to deny the truth, now. “Alright, I believe you. Even my sister wouldn’t go to all this trouble to pull one over on me… I don’t think.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner,” Celestia said. “But you were just so… so cute! I couldn’t bear to see your heart break, especially in front of Twilight Sparkle and her friends.”
“This… ‘Twilight’,” Luna said. “She is your student? She knew about me?”
“Yes,” Celestia said. “She’s a bit of an egghead.” She giggled into her hoof. “Don’t let her know I said that. I honestly didn’t know you were going to show up. I mean, I’d studied the library and heard the story. Celestia XX warned me that you might return during my reign, but… well, it seemed so fantastic. I certainly didn’t expect them to find the Elements of Harmony!”
“So…” Luna said. “When you told her to make friends… you really weren’t aware that was the key to defeating me?”
“Came as a complete shock,” Celestia said. “But I couldn’t let my Faithful Student know that, could I?”
“Does… does she know?” Luna asked. “About you? She knew of me, yet she seemed as surprised as her friends when she learned that I was… or thought I was your sister.”
Celestia looked sheepish. “I’m afraid she does. She’s one of only a handful of ponies who knows. After all, I’m training her to take over for me one day. Fortunately she caught on to what was going on and played along.”
“So… I guess I’ll have to get someone to replace me one day, too,” Luna said. “Why can’t I have Twilight Sparkle? She reminds me of myself at that age. You could have that rainbow-maned one. Don’t you think you’d have a closer match?”
“Oh,” Celestia said, her face falling. “Well, I’m afraid a replacement has already been found. Though I have to say I was quite a bit like Rainbow Dash in my day.”
“How do you already have a replacement?” Luna asked, shocked.
Celestia turned away. “Well, you see, it wasn’t known whether or not you would be… um… cured or not. Celestia I’s original plan apparently called for us to wait a little while after you escaped and perform a power transference spell when you were at your weakest so that we might have the power of the Princess of the Night once more under the control of Equestria.”
“I… see…” Luna said, her heart breaking all over again knowing of her real sister’s plans for her. “But… what do you mean by my ‘weakest’? Why would you think I would be weaker if you just waited?”
“Well, that’s the thing, Dear,” she turned back to her with tears in her eyes. “The Elements… they sustained you while you were trapped by them, but they couldn't stop your aging. According to Princess Celestia I’s calculations, once you were freed it wouldn't take long for you to feel the effects of your age creeping up on you. By day's end, assuming you were not subject to a power transfer spell, you would die… of natural causes.”
“But…” Luna said, stunned. “But the Elements of Harmony would have… have fixed that, right? My sister didn’t take that into account!”
“I’d hoped, Luna,” Celestia said, shaking her head. “But I had a scan done on you when we got back to Canterlot. Not only that... it's already started showing.” She levitated a small mirror and let Luna look into it. While she looked generally the same as she did, there were obvious crows feet forming around her eyes and her coat appeared to be washed out. "I'm afraid you'll be dust by the top of the hour."
“So… what can we do?” Luna asked, panic creeping into her voice.
Celestia hung her head. “I’m… I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do.”
Luna’s eyes began to water as she reflected on her life—long in years and short in experience. Could it really end like this? No, it couldn’t be true. She lifted her hoof and watched as it shook uncontrollably. Was that just her fear or was it her old age taking hold? “Tia,” she said. “I don’t—”
“Sister!” a voice bellowed through the library. “We see that Thou hast brought Us visitors!”
“Wh-what was that?” Luna exclaimed.
Celestia sighed. “I’m… I’m afraid that is the mare who was meant to replace you.” She turned and regarded a unicorn that was somewhat larger than Luna with a darker blue coat and a flowing indigo mane, who walked in from the shadows. “She… is my sister. Moon Chaser.”
“Wh-what?” Luna said.
“When Celestia XX chose me,” Celestia explained. “She also did something unprecedented and chose my younger sister as a replacement for Nightma— I mean you, Luna. She took the legend a little more seriously than I did, you see, and she wanted someone to be prepared to take your place. She also figured it would be best to have a biological younger sibling to the current Princess Celestia take that role. I was just happy that I didn't have to hide my identity from my own flesh and blood.”
“Buh,” Luna replied.
“We were raised here!” Moon Chaser shouted. “We studied everything there was to know about life one thousand years ago. ‘Tis how We learned to speak in the proper Royal Canterlot Voice!”
“The… the Canterlot Voice?” Luna said. “But I don’t speak like that! That style of speaking went out of vogue before I was even born!”
“I’m… afraid we only had Old Equestrian poetry to go off of,” Celestia said. “I always thought it was a bit purple, even for ancient times.”
“Do you want to be Our friend?” Moon Chaser asked, grabbing Luna up into a hug.
“Uhh,” Luna said awkwardly.
“As you might imagine, she was also raised in almost complete solitude, which has rather stunted her… social development,” Celestia said.
“I see,” Luna said. “Ponies may not have appreciated my night, but I at least knew how to make friends. That’s how we used the Elements of Harmony in the first place to defeat Discord.”
“Dost Thou not like Us?” Moon Chaser asked, tears in her eyes. She looked up at her sister. “Brights, We do not think she likest Us!”
“No, no!” Luna said. “You… you seem nice. Um… but… listen, how is this supposed to work? She can’t just… replace me, can she? I mean, a lot of ponies saw me. I don’t look anything like that. I don’t act anything like that.”
“I admit, we’ll have our work cut out for us,” Celestia said. “But I figure we can just keep her out of sight until next season and nopony will notice.”
“We desire to go as Princess Luna for Nightmare Night!” Moon Chaser shouted.
Luna looked up at Celestia with watering eyes. “C-Celestia… will it hurt?”
“Which part, the transference or the dying?” Celestia asked.
Luna looked away uncomfortably.
“Oh…” Celestia said, suddenly feeling rather awkward. “Well… no, of course it won’t hurt. We’ve improved on the original techniques quite a bit. Much of your knowledge and experience will be transferred as well.”
“So…” Luna said hesitantly. “It’ll be like… I’m still alive, but in a new body?”
“Uhh,” Celestia began.
“’Tis nothing like that at all!” Moon Chaser bellowed.
“Sister…” Celestia muttered. “I should have had you study tact.” She addressed the thousand year old princess. “You, yourself, will not continue, but your knowledge will live on, just as the knowledge and wisdom of the Celestias before me live on.”
“And if it fails to take, Celestia I left us all of thy diaries!” Moon Chaser roared.
“You… you read my diaries?” Luna asked, blushing fiercely.
“We thought thy observances of Discord’s eclectic flank to be most illuminating!” Moon Chaser howled.
Luna’s face became almost black as her capillaries filled to bursting beneath her skin. “Alright, I think I’m ready to die, now.”
“We should do this very soon,” Celestia conceded. “But before we do this… I do hope I gave you a joyous last day, Luna.”
Luna smiled at the pony who so resembled her sister. “I… I’ve never been happier than I was today.”
Celestia beamed. “I’m happy to hear that. I’m only sorry that it was all I could do.”
“No,” Luna said, touching Celestia’s leg with her hoof. “It was wonderful, and I wouldn’t have my last day be anything else.”
Celestia nodded, and motioned Luna and Moon Chaser to approach each other. They inclined their horns toward each other, and Celestia’s horn began to glow as she cast the transference spell. Luna and Moon Chaser’s horns also began to glow and their magical auras came together. Luna’s purple aura began to mix with Moon Chaser’s pale yellow aura and began to blend. After a few seconds, a single aura surrounded the both of them, and then began to retract into Moon Chaser’s. The unicorn began to grow, grunting and groaning with pain as she did, and a pegasus’ wings began to emerge from her sides. Her full-moon and telescope cutie mark shifted to resemble Luna's. Once the transference was complete, Luna collapsed.
“I’m… I’m so tired…” Luna gasped.
“Luna,” Celestia said softly, gathering the young pony in her forelegs. “Shhh, Luna, it’s going to be alright.”
“Celestia…” Luna wheezed. “I’m so sorry… I wish I had never been so jealous. Now… now, I’ll never have that time with my sister back. Now… my sister will always hate me for what I’ve done.”
“No, Luna,” Celestia said, her eyes watering as she felt the small alicorn’s heartbeat slowing. “No, your sister doesn’t hate you. Your… your sister is right here, and she loves you very much. I love you very much.”
Luna’s eyes were unfocused now, and she smiled faintly. “Sister… I… love you… too. I never stopped… loving you.” She struggled to reach up and kissed Celestia on the cheek. Then she sighed heavily and her body relaxed, never to inhale again.
After a few minutes, Celestia lay Luna on the cold stone floor and wiped her eyes. She turned to her sister, who was now radiant with the full power of an alicorn. “Princess Luna II. Please prepare the tomb for Princess Luna I. The one next to her sister.”
“Of cou—” Luna’s outburst cut off as the princess’ eyes seemed to glaze over for a moment, and then she snapped out of it, more sober than before. “Of… course, Sister.” She levitated her predecessor’s corpse with care and made her way toward the entrance to the Royal Mausoleum. The painting of Princess Celestia I caught her eye and she slowed to a stop, taking in the portrait with an uncommon interest. She also looked at the portrait of Celestia’s successor, her eyes tracing the scar on the Princess' face as an even more uncommon melancholy seemed to weigh on her.
“Luna!” Celestia said, concerned at her sister’s uncharacteristic distraction. She had lived and studied here for so long, after all, she rarely noticed the portraits of the former princesses of Equestria. Had Luna I's fate awakened some kind of self-reflection in the new Princess of the Night? "Ah..." Celestia was overcome with an unfamiliar emotion of uncertainty. "I'm... I'm sorry I snapped, Luna."
Without taking her eyes off of the paintings, Luna said with the most somber voice Celestia had heard from her, “We forgive you… Sister.” For a moment, Celestia wasn’t quite sure which sister it was to whom she was speaking.
End.
