The Beginning of Harmony

Celestia followed the guard down the long corridor. The sound of their hooves clicked against the cold marble floor and echoed through the hall. The scent of polished wood and burning candles filled the wide hallway, and reached up to the top of the high vaulted ceilings.

At last, they arrived at their destination, where two massive doors blocked their entry. The guards stationed in front of the doors cast disapproving looks before they strained to generate enough magical force to move the heavy doors.

As the doors finally swung open, Celestia was met with a rush of cool, stale air which carried the faint tang of aged stone from the throne room. Her eyes fell upon her parents, Prince Apollo and Princess Selena, who sat regally on their thrones, their eyes locked on Celestia.

Celestia stepped into the throne room. The usually bustling activity of dignitaries, merchants, and elites was absent, replaced by an uncomfortable quietude. Luna and Star Swirl were already present, and stood solemnly before the thrones. Her mother and father glared down at them from their elevated seats as Celestia approached. The sound of her hoofsteps against the stone floor broke the silence and echoed in the vast chamber. She trotted with an uneven and uncomfortable gait, and finally came to a stop beside her sister. Luna seemed almost oblivious to her presence, as she stared blankly ahead, lost in her own thoughts.

Their parents stared down at them for what were only moments but felt like hours. Luna felt the nervousness welling up inside her, their glares cut through her like rigid knives.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, her father Apollo broke the silence. "Do you think we're stupid?"

Three heads shook in synchronicity, all wanted to give the right answer but were too afraid to speak.

"We knew that you had all left the castle almost immediately after you had snuck Luna out of her bedroom window" his tone was dripped with a firm anger as he retained his poise. "We opted to not immediately bring you back as we feared causing a commotion would play out terribly. We felt in all likelihood you would simply return on your own accord." He stated as he walked down the steps of the thrown, and stood firmly in front of Star Swirl.

Apollo, with his midnight-blue fur, towered half a head above Star Swirl. This height difference was accentuated further as Star Swirl shrank under Apollo's intense gaze, as he did his best to appear smaller and avoid eye contact. Star Swirl felt a sharp, magical tug as Apollo’s aura pulled his face up to meet the taller unicorn’s piercing green eyes. “What do you have to say for yourself?” Apollo demanded, his voice cut through the air with an edge of anger. Star Swirl opened his mouth to respond, but Apollo cut him off. “You present yourself as an exceptionally powerful unicorn, yet you fail to notice a dozen guards trailing you and my daughters for hours!” Apollo’s voice rose, each word punctuated with frustration as he spat the accusations with fervor.

“You are not their friend,” Apollo declared, his voice cold and unwavering. “You are merely a unicorn who happened to be born with an unusually large amount of magic. Your almost masochistic drive to study magic has earned you a place of responsibility. That’s why I assigned you as my daughters' protective consort." He paused, his eyes narrowed as he scrutinized Star Swirl. “However, I am now questioning my own judgment. Your actions have revealed that you are too young and inexperienced to fulfill such a crucial role effectively.”

“I’m so—sorry,” Star Swirl managed to stammer, his usual playful demeanor gave way to an expression of deep discomfort, a rare and somber side of him that emerged under the pressure.

"It's not his fault" interjected Celestia, her voice steady as she stepped forward, "it was my idea to sneak Luna out."

Her mother Selena finally spoke up, her voice tinged with frustration. “Your choices skills weren’t exactly exemplary either.” She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, the weight of the conversation evident in her posture. “You are well aware of our command for Luna to not leave the castle, and yet you allowed her to go anyway,” she continued pointedly. “We need to keep her here, where she can be…”

“But why?” Luna shouted, her voice echoed with frustration as she faced a stunned Selena. “I hate being locked in the castle all the time. I can’t live my life, I can’t learn about the world except from books, and my only two friends…” She paused to catch her breath, her eyes brimmed with emotion. “…are my sister and my teacher!”

The room fell silent for a moment. Their parents exchanged glances, their stern expressions softening as they shared a quiet understanding. Finally, Apollo spoke up, his voice carried a note of sincerity. “I’m sorry,” he said, pausing for several seconds as he collected his thoughts. The sudden stillness caught Luna, Star Swirl, and Celestia off guard. “We hate this too. We desperately want to let you leave the castle, but we know it’s not possible at this time.”

Luna stepped forward, which caused the guard to the right of the thrown to flinch slightly at the sudden movement towards the prince. However, he quickly reconsidered and returned to his relaxed posture. “If you know all this,” Luna asked, her voice shifted from anger to a softer sadness, “then why won’t you let me leave the castle?”

“Because you’re a Pegasus,” Selena stated bluntly. All the other ponies’ heads snapped in her direction. “The relations between the Unicorn and Pegasus tribes have grown increasingly strained over the past decades, and now we have almost no communication at all.” She let out a heavy sigh, the weight of her words palpable. “Our people have become more hostile and fearful towards Pegasi, and we worry that you might actually be attacked by our own ponies” The room fell silent once more, but this time the stillness was deeper; heavy with the gravity of her revelations.

Luna looked up at her mother, her eyes reflected a small, sorrowful tremor. “Am I the reason the relations between the tribes have broken down?”

Her father immediately responded, “No.” He took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts before continuing. “The relations between our people and the Pegasi have been deteriorating for decades, long before you were even born. The climate has shifted; the weather has grown colder year after year. The Pegasi blame us for using magic to make the whether worse, while our people blame the Pegasi for failing to control the weather. Both tribes are frustrated with the Earth Ponies for their worsening crop yields. However it's likely that nopony is at fault.” He paused to carefully consider his next words. “I’ll be honest: your birth did accelerate this tension,” he said, as he watched Luna’s eyes widen in shock. “But this outcome was always inevitable, regardless of whether you were born a Pegasus or a Unicorn.”

"Why haven't you tried to improve relationships with the other races then?" Asked Luna, a small hint of irritation in her voice.

“We have,” Apollo responded sharply, his voice tinged with frustration. “Your mother and I have been the primary force trying to reach out to the other tribes because of you, Luna.” Luna’s expression turned to one of shock. “But despite our efforts, we have been unsuccessful. Each attempt has only increased their suspicion toward us,” he continued, his tone heavy with defeat.

The room fell silent for a moment before Apollo spoke again, his voice carried a note of deep regret. “I’m sincerely sorry for this, Luna. We will continue to strive to make you accepted in society, but until then, we cannot allow you to leave the castle.” His words were laden with obvious sorrow, each one underscoring the weight of the situation.

Tears welled up in Luna’s eyes as she buried her face in the crook of her front leg to seek some form of comfort.

He stood in place, silent for what felt like an interminable stretch. All eyes were locked on him as all present waited for his next command. “Star Swirl?” he said, his deep voice carried a commanding authority to the young unicorn.

Star Swirl nodded and stood at attention, his posture militaristic as Apollo addressed him. “We handpicked you because we recognized your talent and potential,” Apollo continued, his gaze was piercing as he glared down at the shorter stallion. “Prove me wrong again, and you’ll be demoted. Your primary role as our magic advisor is to guard my daughters. Do you understand?”

Star Swirl did his best to maintain a stoic expression despite the cacophony of emotions that raged inside of him. "Yes sir" he responded quietly.

Selena offered a half-smile, her eyes softened with sincerity. “Please know that we love you immensely, Luna, and we are always working to fix things.” She looked away from Luna, her voice tinged with resolve. “We will resolve this eventually, I promise.”

Apollo nodded, his expression firm. “Guard, escort all three of them to their quarters.” The guard, who had been only half-listening to the conversation, perked up at the command. He nodded in acknowledgment as he stepped forward. With a nod of his head, he gestured for Luna, Star Swirl, and Celestia to follow.

The three followed closely behind the guard their gaits in unison. As Luna stepped through the large double doors of the throne room, she glanced back at her parents. Apollo had resumed his seat, his posture rigid. Both parents sat in somber silence, their heads bowed in quiet contemplation.

"Luna?" Asked Celestia from down the hall as all three ponies had stopped to wait for her.

She took one last look back at her parents before she trotted along side Celestia.

"Mom is lying about her promise" whispered Celestia, her voice low and troubled.

"I know" replied Luna softly.