Be Anon.
Human extraordinaire, the two-legged wonder of Equestria. You are looking up at some of the newfound artifacts from the castle in the everfree forest. The objects lining the walls of the castle's viewing hall. But something catches your attention.
Your eyes drift up to a giant and shimmering tapestry. The fabric shining in the light creeping from the stained glass windows of Canterlot Castle's walls. Upon this tapestry you see an elegant and thin depiction of an alicorn. The alicorn is seen rearing up, her hooves bent at the knees, her wings flaring out proudly and the intricate design of a woven sun behind her head in the far distance.An alicorn that looks kinda familiar. But there is one thing that sticks out to you. Besides the very familiar sun that was blazened on the ponies flank. Why was this mare's hair a different color?
Your hand drifts to your chin as you rub it in thought. The art style was reminiscent of medieval art of earth, the princess seeming to be part of a fairy tale or legend. The pink mane and tail though, is what had you transfixed. Celestia's hair has always been its soft rainbow pastel colors for eons right? Was this tapestry an actual historical account of her? Or was it some pony artisans' attempt at his own design of the princess?
A gentle knock on wood was heard behind you. And a soft clearing of the throat. The dulcet tones of a female pony reached your ears and brought you to your senses.
“Anonymous? I guess Twilight was correct that I’d find you here.”
A soft giggle would make you fully turn around. The white sea foam fur and magenta eyes of Princess Celestia herself is what meets your gaze. You finally turn to the alicorn and give a soft smile.
“Twilight was indeed right. My inner Indiana Jones couldn’t help but check out all these cool historic items.” Your famous movie character reference from Earth is totally lost on the princess for sure.
The pony princess gives a knowing smirk and approaches you.
“Well these items aren’t truly historic artifacts, just things from my past and my sisters I wasn’t ready to part with. Memories are all I have left when it comes to what I've lived through.”
As Celestia stopped in front of you, you see her gazing behind you at the other objects in the room. Her hair is still softly blowing in the unseen wind that always carries her locks of hair. Almost like water shimmering in the bright light of the sun on a summer day. As you lost yourself in thought, you noticed something again. The pink hue of Celestia's mane, wait a minute! You look back at the tapestry and then back to the princess. Her attention is now fixated on you again.
“Is something the matter anon?”
She says with a small hint of confusion in her voice. Seeing the green eyed human now looking back at her with his pupils a bit more shrunken. A finger gently pointing towards the pink strand of her mane and then back to the tapestry.
“Is…this supposed to be you Cel? I don’t think it’s correct if it is. But you do have a strand of hair colored just like the tapestries.”
You say with a bit of an incredulous tone, the tapestry mocking you as if saying this isn’t real and you must be mistaken. You are on the hunt for the truth though, Celestia would probably hold the answers to this question once and for all. The mare before you looks at your pointed finger, drifting her eyes down to her mane and then back to the tapestry.
“I don’t know what you mean Anon. That is indeed me.”
Celestia says matter of factly. She can’t be serious right? You begin to hope that the princess isn’t trying to mess with you, being that she has on some occasions, like the time she told you that Luna's mark was due to a spilled ink pot she sat in as a filly. You learned the real reason, from the confused night princess herself when she noticed you trying to poke at her flank. The mark stayed as dark as ever on her moon crested backside. You raise your eyebrow at the solar princess before you.
“Now Cel, what did I tell you about trying to pull the wool over my eyes again? That can’t seriously be you right? It’s almost like a different pony on that woven fabric.”
The mare cocked her head to the side, a soft lidded expression adorning her face as she stared at you, thinking you must be the one pulling her leg.
“No I assure you, that is me, I can…”
She says as her words died in her throat for a moment. Her eyes drifting to the side, her head angled downwards slightly. The change of her tone picked up by your ears.
“You can do what Celestia?”
The solar princess seemed to be in thought as she looked back up at you. Her smile now is a thin line across her muzzle. Her eyes staring into yours. A soft sigh escapes her as she closes her eyes and opens them up again.
“Can you promise me something Anon?”
The mare says with a slight worried edge tickling at her words. You sense it and then focus on her fully.
“A-anything Cel, what's up?”
The princess, the familiar stoic and motherly visage of Equestria, is gently rubbing her leg with one of her hooves. Nervous energy is felt through the air between you two. The mare looking at you again.
“I have a secret that most scholars of the land don’t know about. My…appearance hasn’t always been the way ponies see me now. My sister is the only one alive that knows what I look like. This…”
She says as she gently waves a hoof over her chest, mane and her face.
“...Is my magic affecting my form. The magic of the sun, the elements of harmony, has changed me over time, my duty, my calling has morphed me into this new…colorful visage.” The solar diarch gives a soft frown. “I have wondered why it happened. But I think it’s just a side effect. Nopony has seen me in my natural state for generations. I can…show you if you wish to see?”
The princess offers as she looks at you hopefully. She looks like she's looking through you, this secret that she is willing to part with, hanging heavy on her heart. Her eyes are looking longingly, hoping to hear an answer from you.
You release a breath that you've been holding on for quite some time. The seriousness of the conversation makes you seem nervous for some reason. This is your friend Anon, you scold yourself, Celestia is needing some solace. You should at least give it to her, especially if she's kind of begging you to with her gorgeous eyes.
“I would be honored to Cel. I honestly thought you've always looked this way.”
The solar mare smiled and turned on her hooves. She looked over her shoulder at you.
“Follow me to my chambers Anon, I can demonstrate there. For more privacy and comfortable surroundings.”
She says with a small titter. You eagerly follow behind the monarch as you both make your way up the long stairway to Celestia's private quarters. The golden doors swing open to reveal the homey room.
Soft lines of filigree are lining the wallpaper of the room. Painted lines like gently swaying vines growing from a garden. A soft but crackling fire, surrounded by golden bars of a hearth, seated within a stone and marble housing. The fire had a soft warmth and orange glow reaching across the carpet in front of it. Large and plush pillows adorn the floor of the room, an inkwell and quill sat near a stack of papers near one of the cushions. At the far end of the room is a glass door covered by a long veil-like curtain that leads to Celestia's private balcony. A giant king sized bed covered with the same veil of curtains surrounding it. The princess gives a soft sigh as she takes her place against a cushion on the floor. Gently laying down, her eyes looking at you to join her.
“Please make yourself at home Anon.”
You approach the reclining mare as she sits and watches you. You take a seat near her and facing her front. Your eyes glancing about but still returning to the princess's gaze. She gently pulls off her peytral from her neck, the golden neck armor gently laid to the side. She then looks at you.
“For this to work I need you to remove my crown Anon. Just gently lay your hands upon it And repeat these words.
For duty, lie, and honor kept.
May you be released from your honors sect, for no mere creature accept.
For no power, thee shall sought
For the colors of your heart, will Be brought. The sanctity of your station will be for nought.
For come what may, oh honored sway.
Look upon thee and say, tomorrow shall bring another day.”
The words echo in your head like a poem. A transcribed word of promises that the princess must have heard so many years ago. Years that must be distant memories. The soft smile on her face is keeping you transfixed but you do as she says. Your hands gently touching the metal of the crown, your mouth uttering the words of the princesses vow given to her. As you do, you gently remove her tiara from her head.
The effect you see is almost unbelievable. The soft colors of her mane are slowly draining out of her locks. The only color taking their place is the familiar pink hue. Slowly inching its way towards the base of her head. The pink becomes more vibrant and sparkly in the glow of the fireplace. Her mane stops flowing in the magical unseen wind. The strands of hair gently hanging loose to the side of her head. Her tail is also laying on the floor and splaying out like ribbons.
The strawberry mane depicted in that tapestry. It was indeed real and right in front of you.
The magic continues to leave her mane, then across her face. Soft little dots of freckles appear on Celestia's cheeks and near the bridge of her snout. Sun kissed freckles also could be fitting for the solar princess.
The princess let's lose a breath she's been holding. Her eyes gently open as she gives a soft coo of response. The magic leaves her body almost like a weight being pulled off her shoulders. Her soft magenta iris’s looking back into your eyes. The princess…no mare in front of you looks so…captivating. Like a field of sunflowers adorning summer Plains as far as the eye can see. A youthful and energetic pony mare is sitting in front of you. The only signs of age being the small creases under her eyes.
The sight before you. Leaves you awestruck.
II.
Silence fills the room of the study. Soft wind was rolling the curtains near the open door of the tower balcony. The slow drift of the evening sun was alighting the rear walls of the bedroom and study interior. The air was quiet and light in the distance between the doors of the room. Your eyes saw all of these background pieces as they flowed together behind the figure in front of you.
You felt a tightness in your chest as you realized you had stopped breathing entirely.
The mythical alicorn princess Celestia or at least from what you could feel. Is still her. Just the name of the princess seems to ring in your mind. Celestia. A name that rings in your ears like wind chimes on a summer morning. You find yourself lost in those deep pools of magenta. The iris staring back at you and reflecting the surprise on your face within her orbs. A modest looking mare who carried an air of elegance and firm determination. Her determination betrays her soft face and eyes. A mare who has been through multiple lifetimes of struggle, but has smiled through it all to the best of her ability. Her soft wrinkles near her eyes and cheeks from a face well worn in the happiest moments in her life. Lunas return most likely being a new crease under those wise eyes.
The mare adjusts herself slightly as she gives a soft clear of her throat. The eyes staring into your own are hidden behind her eyelid for just a moment as she blinks.
“A-anon, is something wrong?” Celestia says quietly. A tinge of worry dancing around the edges of her words.
You try your best to stop staring at her, but you seem to be lost in the moment. Her strawberry strands of pink shining hair are gently swaying at the ends. The strands almost like instrument strings as they twinkle in the sunlight peering into the room. A cool breeze is softly blowing into the room through one of her open windows making her hair softly ruffle a tiny bit in areas. Your tongue feels dry in your mouth as you take a small swallow to coat your arid mouth.
With a small breath you build your resolve to answer, Celestia speaks up first. “I’m terribly sorry. I didn’t mean to…To.” A small stutter hits the princess out of nowhere. “I just wanted to prove to you that the artifacts weren't telling a lie. This is how I l-look.” The princess sighs a little wearily. Her wings have slightly ruffled and laid themselves softly on the carpeted floor. “I’m sorry if this has changed your outlook I c-can...”
You gently lay a hand over one of her hooves. Celestia’s body gives a small jump but instantly calms down as you were just gently reaching to her. The soft curls of her fetlock felt soft in your fingers. Her firm hoof and the cushion-like pad a pillow touching your palm. The warmth filling your hand as you look back at her.
“Celly, you’re extravagant.” You say with a smile. Looking at her with a genuine response.
The princess turns as pink as her mane and tail. The blush creeped up her muzzle and cheeks. Her eyes widened at your words, her mouth opening slightly. The words caught in her throat for only a moment. Her hoove pressed gently back into your palm and then it gently felt like she wanted to pull away.
Your chest feels slightly heavy from the downturn in the air.
“...you can’t mean that.” She says with a somber tone. Her eyes are searching your face. She's looking for something. Anything in your eyes that could be telling her something was off. Your eyes drift to her cheeks where the soft dapples of her freckles adorn her muzzle and cheeks. A youthful trait hidden by the princesses magical coat of many colors. “You aren’t…angry at my appearance?”
Wait…Celestia thinks you were angry? Why would she think that?
“Celly, what do you mean? Of course I'm not angry. What in the world would make you think that?” You say. Your eyes scan her face as she did yours just before. Surprised the princess would even say something like that.
The princess furrows her brow, closes her eyes and grits her teeth slightly. Without opening her eyes she sighs as she releases the clench on her mouth. “I just…remember how ponies used to look at me. In the early days. Before I ascended the role of princess. Me and Luna were seen as different. Of course I didn’t take any of those comments to heart…I was very boisterous in my younger years.” She says with a sad flex of her eyebrows. Strands of her pink mane gently dangling down and over part of her left eye. “I hurt my sister so many times with my words. How she wasn’t as pretty as me or desired…Which was never true, but I still felt as if I was the reason for her downfall.” Tears were slowly forming in the corners of her eyes. The misty liquid building up.
She gave a soft hiccup as she felt the emotions in her chest begin to rise. “I wanted her to be loved, I tried so hard to remind her of that. I was afraid of losing her when she got pulled in by that dimensional doorway she made. I almost…lost her forever. All because of me and my selfish outlook. Sutors lined up to date the rainbow and white alicorn of their dreams when my princess vow changed me.” She idly looked over to a mirror near her dresser. “I did at one time…desire such things. I do feel weary of those who see me like I was. That i’ve not…changed. When all I wanted was to protect the ones I loved.”
Her mane gently covers her eye again as she looks at you. “I felt so blind. So…So…So blinded by my own light that I shone. That my own birth given colors were just reminders of the pony I once was.” Tears gently trickled down her cheeks and down onto her legs. Her eyes closed with a soft clench as she tried to hide her face from you.
You looked at her with sorrow. The beautiful princess of the sun, crying before you about her past. A past long since forgotten to time. A time that she just wanted to be away from.The memories she mentioned that she couldn’t get rid of are the ones that are connected to her old self. The real version of herself under that rainbow facade. The pink princess of legend.
You decided to act. You reach forward, letting go of her hoof and gently cupping her face in your hands. The tears sliding over the curve of your palms and thumbs. Her eyes opened a little as she gave more soft hiccups and quiet cries. Celestia looked at you in return, through the tears staining her eyes.
“Celestia. Celly, don’t cry, it's ok.” You say to her, your own heart swelling seeing her cry. You hated seeing pretty mares cry. You slide on your knees gently and wipe her tears off her face, bringing yourself in to hug the princess gently to your body. Your hands wrapping around her head and neck in a protective embrace. Her hooves gently slid around and wrapped around your back, her face buried in your chest. Her warm breath washed over you as she cried softly against you. “If anything you are still the Celestia I know.”
The princess’s ears gently flicked as she had them pressed to her head.
“The golden rays of the sun cannot match the golden heart that resides in you.” You say to her while gently petting her head. Your fingers run softly through the normal strands of pink hair you wrapped yourself into. The texture is soft and comforting. You release a soft sigh. “A princess who was struggling with her own identity in a new land. Being told it was your destiny to lead these ponies who sought after you.” You say to her quietly. Hands stroking her mane and head. “Twilight has told me plenty of stories from books about you. I’m sorry you had to suffer alone with these thoughts Celly.”
The alicorn against your chest gently rises her head upwards. Her eyes meet yours as she takes a few small breaths.
“...I can’t thank you enough Anon. I was so worried you would be like the others who’ve passed on my legacy. I know you can’t understand the full story from books but… Especially the royal canterlot noble families. Their families have seen my rise to the throne and diluted all the rumors about my personality.”
Celestia takes another long deep breath as she centers herself. Your hand stops the rubs on her head. You gently pull back a little to look at her in your arms. She continues to look at your eyes again. Tears staining her cheeks. “...I want to show them what I look like. But I'm worried they won't accept me.”
“Celestia. None of the what if's.” You say gently holding her face. Your eyes bear into hers with conviction. “If I've known anything to be true around here. In magical horsey land. The ponies do really love you Celestia. Especially now.”
Your hands gently massage her cheeks in comfort. “I know how you said memories are all you have?”You say to her.
“Y-Yes. They are really the only thing that stands the test of time with alicorns.” She says, her eyes looking behind you at a painting of her wrapping a wing around Luna's side.
“Well I can tell you, you've made plenty of good ones with the ponies you've helped protect. Show them your true colors as it were. Living up to your vow.”
You say giving a soft chuckle of mirth. “And to answer a question I'm sure is rattling around in that pretty head of yours. I do accept you Celly. All of you, your faults and your triumphs. I'm blessed to have you as a friend.”
Celestia was silent but her mouth was slightly agape. Her cheeks now slowly warm up into a soft pink hue. Tears began to stream down her face again. “No-nonny…I can't.. thank you enough. For putting my fears to bed.”
The princess sniffled and smiled at you. Her muzzle leaning in close to your cheek. Her soft lips suddenly kissed your face. Her muzzle stayed there as you felt her warm soft lips on your bare skin. A moment passes as she let's go of the kiss on your face. Your cheeks return the favor by turning the same bright pink hue.
You look at each other, smiling like childhood friends who've not seen each other in years. The friendship turning into a crush over the years being apart. Celestia though has been by your side the entire time. Giving you a home in a foreign land of talking equine.
So you decide to return the favor.
Gently clasping her face again, you close your eyes. Slowly and gently kiss her lips. The kiss was warm and soft as pillows warmed by love alone. Your hands enjoying her soft cheeks as she gave a soft muffled coo from your returned kiss. Another moment passes as you both break the kiss. The strawberry maned mare is a teary mess. A wonderfully happy mess of emotions that you wouldn't mind getting to know more.
“Hey Celly?” You quietly inquire.
“Yes Nonny?” She returns in a soft whisper.
“Want to go out to eat with your original look? Could be something to spice up the gossip train?”
Celestia gives a soft snort and smiles. “Well that won't be the only thing. Being that the princess of the sun has been courted? Asked by her closest friend out on a dinner date?” she says with a loving smirk.
“Of all the ponies, I think you are my only choice of date. Because I want her to feel special, all of her. Regardless of what other ponies think.” You say with a wide grin.
Celestia rises up and stands back. Her mane dangling here and there as it bounces from her movement. Her hoof gently leaning down to you. Your hand grasps her hoof gently as you rise to meet her. The sun has slowly been going down during your heartfelt talk. The sun's colors are radiating reds and oranges, the night sky slowly injecting it's radiance around it.
“Then let us prepare for our date nonny. I look forward to what ponies will think of my birth colors after all this time.” She says as she begins to walk to her dresser.
You watch her approach the dresser and pull out a brush with her magic. The brush combed through the long ribbon-like locks of hair. “It's gonna be a smash I think. They might not realize it's you without looking at your butt or your tiara maybe.”
You hear her stop combing for a moment to look at your reflection in her dresser mirror. Her eyes locking onto you. “You don't think they would stare would they?” she says with a blush.
You smirk softly. “Well I know I will be.~” A pillow suddenly plaps against your face. The magical golden aura leaving it as it drops to the floor. “Hey! You're beautiful! Sunbutt and all miss princess.” You say as you see her giggling.
“Just save that flirting for later Anon, or else you might cause a scene you joker.” She says with a smile.
“Oh I can tell this night is gonna be fun. What time do you wanna meet downstairs Celly?” You say as you turn to her chamber door.
“An hour should suffice. My natural mane is much more easier to maintain.” She says. A long full look at her hair as she gently ties a band around the end. A long braid of pink hair now laying by her shoulders.
With a quick turn of the knob you open her private chamber door.
“Hey Celly?” you say to her.
“Hmm?” She answers.
“I love you. You pretty mare.”
It takes a moment for her to gather her thoughts. She smiles softly at you as she turns from the dresser mirror. “I love you too Nonny. A Lot more than you know.” She says with a tilt of her head, her lips curled into a gentle and genuine smile.
You give her a wink as you leave her chambers. The night air was slowly drifting in. The sun was drifting down past the mountains as you heard Celestia's magic from behind her door.
Down and down towards the castle, the night sky was alight in the sparks of stars. The moon drifting slowly in the sky above Canterlot. The sun leaving a flash of light as you could have sworn the reflection of the sun gave a heart shaped wink behind the mountains. It most likely could have been your imagination, but leaving your mind to wander is a dangerous thing. Now that Celestia, goddess of the sun, ruler of Equestria, now loves you. Only for the acceptance you wanted to return to her. For giving you a chance. So you're going to give Celestia, not the princess, the mare, a chance too.
END
