The Pre-Banishment Diaries

by Drunk Luna

Rating: teen
Tags: Sex, Profanity, Violence, Princess Celestia, Death, Anthology, Princess Luna, Drama, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 1057

The diaries of the royal sisters leading up to and following their parents’ deaths until right before Luna’s banishment.

Long ago, Equestria was ruled by King Cosmos and Queen Galaxia, two kind monarchs who loved their land so much that their devotion to Equestria ultimately left their two young daughters orphaned and alone.

The sisters’ most precious belongings were left behind when Nightmare Moon was banished. On the pages of two simple leather books that remained hidden in the Castle of the Two Sisters for millennia, the princesses describe in detail their happiest moments alongside the daily struggles of their adolescent years. They also express their deepest fears as they face the looming threat of war and the pain of losing their parents.

Celestia’s increasing indifference towards the pony who needs her the most serves as the catalyst for Luna’s heartbreaking descent into darkness as she continually pleads for her big sister’s love and attention. The growing tension between the sisters is documented through the eyes of the princesses themselves.

Published 2023-04-14 17:10:00 UTC
Last updated 2023-04-14 17:10:00 UTC

Celestia

4,255 years BNM (Before Nightmare Moon)

Dear diary,

Mother and Father are preparing for Hearth’s Warming Eve. The castle looks so pretty with its sparkly decorations. Father says he thinks it might snow this week! I really hope it does; we haven’t had a decent snowstorm in years. Lulu, the world’s biggest pessimist, says I shouldn’t get too excited because there’s only a slight chance of snow, but there’s a distinct, smoky scent that always precedes snow, and that scent is filling the air right now. Lulu loves the cold, but she doesn’t want to be disappointed if it doesn’t snow.

I’m sitting in our drawing room right now. Mother is making hot chocolate with marshmallows for us, and Lulu is napping on the couch next to me. Father went to his study to do some paperwork. He seemed really worried; I hope everything is all right. Mother says he’s just stressed about some diplomatic issues, but I have a gut feeling that something is wrong.

Lulu seems weirdly oblivious about my concerns. I think she’s just excited about the holidays. I can’t wait to show her the gift I got for her: A new dress for the New Year’s Eve Ball! It’ll be her first ball, so she’s really excited. I think I’m a little more excited than she is, though; Lightning Strike asked to escort me there! He is soooo handsome!

Luna

4,255 years BNM (before Nightmare Moon)

Dear diary,

It’s New Year’s Eve. Tia and I are so excited about the ball tonight. This party will be a sort of goodbye to our parents before they leave for their tour in a few days. We’ve come up with a little surprise for them: A traditional Equestrian dance. I wonder if they suspect anything?

I’m going to miss Mother and Papa so much. They’ve always taken us with them on royal tours, but this one seems different. Everypony is really nervous, and I don’t know why. I wish Tia would explain this to me. I think she might be hiding something. I’m so confused. Maybe I’m just overreacting.

Celestia

4,254 years BNM (before Nightmare Moon)

Dear diary,

Mother and Father say that we are on the precipice of war. Their diplomatic talks with the Appaloosans failed. They are trying to hide the truth from Lulu because they want to protect her, but they have already told me what to do if the Appaloosans storm the castle. Father has kept Lulu busy with moon-raising lessons. I’m scared. Everypony is acting so strange. Mother and Father keep telling us how much they love us, and that we will be all right. Mother sang me a song last night. They’re going to leave soon. I have to go and say goodbye now. Talk to you later, diary.

Celestia

4,255 years BNM (Before Nightmare Moon)

Dear diary,

Today, Lulu embarrassed me in front of that cute royal guard, Captain Thunderhoof. She told him about my obsession with cake and said that I will be bigger than the sun in ten years. I almost killed her! He looked over at me and smirked, and I could have died.

Mama and Papa always say that I’m supposed to be a good role model for Lulu, but it’s so hard to do that when she does such embarrassing stuff! This morning, during our magic lesson, she told Starswirl about my habit of sneaking into the castle kitchen for a slice of cake (okay, three slices, but who’s counting?) at four in the morning. Starswirl laughed and shook his head, then jumped straight into yet another hourlong lecture about how I am a growing filly and cake alone won’t give me the nutritional benefits I need. Lulu just sat at her desk and smirked at me the whole time, and when Starswirl finally finished talking, we had run out of class time. I knew that Lulu only did this to distract Starswirl because she didn’t do the homework that was due today, even though it was assigned over two weeks ago. Ugh, she drives me nuts! Little sisters are the worst sometimes.

Well, Mama and Papa are calling us for dinner, but as always, Lulu is nowhere to be found. She’s probably off in the woods getting dirty, as usual. Mama will have a fit when she sees how filthy Lulu’s coat probably looks, and I will use that as an opportunity for revenge. I will return later with further updates.

Luna

4,255 years BNM (Before Nightmare Moon)

Dear diary,

I had a great birthday! Mother and Papa gave me a beautiful necklace, and Tia surprised me with a copy of the spell book that I always stole from her room. Vanilla Bean, the best chef in the castle, made my favorite dessert, a triple chocolate cake with ganache filling and raspberry compote. I’m completely stuffed.

Tia made me feel a lot better about the fact that nopony in my class wanted to come to my birthday party, even though her party had at least fifty guests. She told me that it’s better to have a small group of friends than to have a bunch of friends who only like me because I’m a princess. Mother said I’m good at weeding out ponies who are fake; she told me I have something called “the gift of discernment,” whatever that means.

Starswirl says my moon-raising and constellation-forming lessons are going well. The moon is so heavy, though! Papa makes it look so easy to pull up into the sky; he doesn’t even break a sweat when he does it! Tia is already raising the sun all by herself. Sometimes I feel stupid because I can’t memorize spells as quickly as she can. I actually dropped the moon last night, and if Starswirl hadn’t been there, I could have caused a catastrophe. Raising the moon and reigning over dreams is such a massive responsibility, and I’m not sure if I can handle it. I mean, I know my cutie mark makes it pretty clear that my special talent is raising the moon and ruling the night, but the thought of being in charge of all of that is absolutely terrifying to me. I don’t know how Celestia is able to manage her role. Well, we’ll learn together, I guess.