Of Sunlight and Pink Clouds

Chapter 1

The two young fillies, one white with a pastel pink mane and tail, the other a deep blue with a lighter blue mane and tail, were curled upon the marble floor, side by side listening to their mother talk of one of the many fables of the alicorns when a short brisk knock was heard at the door.

“Enter.” Their mother called as she stood and turned towards the door with a soft sigh of regret. The younger filly stood and immediately crowded around her mother’s legs. Their mother gently nuzzled the younger filly and laughed softly at the scowl on her other daughter’s face.

A unicorn pony, most likely a refugee from the other side of the mountains entered. He was wearing a sunny orange vest which conflicted horribly with his red coat. “Your Majesty the royal Queen Terra, a visitor from the Land of the Dragons has arrived.” The Queen nodded and an odd creature gracefully swept into the room.

Turning to her young children, she spoke, “Celestia, take your sister and attend your private lessons. The Ambassador and I must speak.” Queen Terra turned her emerald eyes on her elder daughter’s. The queen’s coat was much like her elder daughter’s, snow white, however unlike the young princess, her mane was a mixture of greens, all pastel and her talent mark was a circle of thorns surrounding a tree in full bloom.

Luna was still cowering behind their mother when Celestia gently nudged her towards the doors. Celestia was wary of the visitor, for her father had said to never trust a dragon, but she had to do as her mother requested. Celestia nudged Luna again and turned toward the door leading out. The filly’s cyan blue eyes showed a hint of fear, but also faintly of curiosity. With slight hesitation and a quick glance back at the Ambassador, Luna finally cantered after her sister. The Queen’s emerald eyes followed her children from the room and a faint green glow of magic appeared around her horn and the doors softly shut. They could barely hear their mother’s voice as she spoke to the ambassador.

“Tia, who was that strange pony?” the little filly asked her sister as they walked toward the library where their tutor in magic was waiting.

“I don’t know Luna, but he is not a pony, he is of the dragon’s kin, otherwise he would not be an ambassador for the Dragons.” Celestia’s magenta eyes held her sister’s as they stopped. “Maybe Sparkle Sight will know more.”

“Tia, when will Caelum return?” Luna looked down a hall and stopped. At the end of the hall was the stairway to the highest tower, the bedroom of their elder brother Caelum. Luna looked up to their older brother; he showed her many things that Celestia could not.

“Mother and Father say that Caelum is studying in the Crystal Empire. They say that the magic there is even more powerful than that of Father’s. But I think the real reason he is staying is because of the princess, I think her name is Crystalline.” Celestia said softly as she once again had to nudge her sister to move. They giggled as they imagined their bookish older brother trying to talk to a mare. They imagined the gangly youth that they remembered always muzzle deep in a thick book, walking up to a beautiful and graceful mare.

“Tia, is it true that the ponies that live there have coats and manes made of crystal?” Luna asked when they stopped giggling. “I want to have a crystal coat, and can you imagine what your mane would look like there? I bet it would be so pretty.” Luna squinted at her older sister imagining her standing tall with a crystal white coat, and a glistening pink mane.

Celestia giggled as she used her magic to open the door to the library. Their tutor was already there, pacing in front of a black board in irritation. His magic was holding a piece of chalk. He stopped turn to the board and furiously scribbled something; the sisters grimaced at the sound the chalk made as it dragged across the board. At the sound of the fillies hoof steps, he turned to them, his face set in a deep frown, his magic brought the stark white chalk above his horn. Celestia watched some of the dust from the chalk drift over his head, she stifled a giggle as he sneezed.

“There you are!” The dark purple unicorn shouted at them after he regained his composure from sneezing in front of his students. His white mane was unkempt and frizzled, and he had chalk dust across the left side of his cheek. The stallion’s cutie mark was four white sparks surrounding a telescope. He glared at the young sisters, his stone gray eyes watching like a hawk as they sat down behind their desks. “I have been waiting ages for you to come. Your mother, my Queen,” he sighed, “has requested that I teach you about Dragons, because apparently it seems we are to come to an agreement with them.” He said haughtily. Celestia sensed am intense dislike to the Dragons in his tone. She glanced over at her sister; Luna was happily humming to herself as she was drawing pictures using her magic to hold a stick of grey charcoal. Celestia wished she had the filly’s enthusiasm for art, but she didn’t possess the talent for it and Alicorns were supposed to be great artisans. Regardless of her lack of artistry, she preferred studies into more tangible things like creatures and magic, so unlike the boring lessons on arithmetic and constellations, she was interested in what her tutor had to say today.

“Dragons come in many different shapes and sizes, but there are at least three distinctive types of dragons, just like there are four different types of ponies, the Unicorn, Earth, and Pegasus and of course, the majestic race of Alicorns. With the Dragons, we have the Flying, Earth, and Sea, but of the Flying there are two small subcategories, just like how there are two types of Pegasus, the more common one we see, and the rare but shy Bat ponies. ” He looked at Luna who was sketching what looked like a bunch of dots connected by lines. He sighed and walked a bit closer to her. “Luna, are you paying attention?” he asked her as he rapped the desk hard with his hoof. Startled her magic fizzed out and the charcoal fell to the desk. She nodded and looked down at her charcoal; a small chuck had broken off of it and smudged her paper. Sparkle went back to his lecture, “Good, anyway as I was saying the Flying type has two subcategories, the Western and the Eastern. Now the Western type is the one we see most often, massive bulky beasts with large bat like wings and hard protective scales covering their entire body and the ability to breathe very hot fire. The Eastern type is smaller, but still larger than even a full grown Alicorn, they are thin and snake like with a head like that of a pony and some can even preform great magical feats.” Luna used her magic to lift the paper up and shake off the dust from the charcoal. Celestia turned back to her tutor, “The Ambassador is an Eastern type who can use magic; the Dragon Council agreed that one close to the size of an Alicorn and one that can perform magic were the best ones to reach a peaceful agreement. Any questions about what I just spoke about or questions based off of the topic?” Celestia nodded. “Yes?” Celestia glanced quickly at the blue filly, who was now using the smudge on her paper to finish her drawing, she looked back at Sparkle Sight.

“The Dragons, have they ever tried to reach an agreement before with us?” Celestia asked. Luna had resumed her humming as she finished her picture.

“That is a good question, but sadly the answer is no. However there has been many attempts by your father, my King, to establish an equal ground to come to some sort of agreement since the dragons commonly stop in pony lands to rest, sometimes even years while they napped, more often than not covering close towns and villages in a thick vile smoke that would block out the sun causing crops to wither and die.”

“The sun’s light blocked out? Crops die?” Celestia asked horrified. “That may have caused many a catastrophe and starved many ponies and creatures alike.” Luna looked up from her constellation drawing. She gazed at it with a frown, the charcoal frozen in midair and the tip of her tongue sticking out as she concentrated intensely. Finally the charcoal sprung forward and made a few rapid scratches across the paper then fell to the side, lifeless. With a happy squeal she lifted the paper up with her mouth to show her sister and froze her eyes wide as she spotted something behind Celestia.

Not noticing the younger sister’s face and used to Luna’s joy at her art, the old tutor continued, “It has yes, but it was never intentionally harmful. You see Dragons live long lives, not as long as Alicorns do, but they do not see time as we do, they,” their tutor was interrupted by Luna’s loud laughter. Annoyed at being interrupted the old stallion turned to the dark filly and was astonished to see an exact copy of Luna standing next to, well Luna.

“Luna?” Celestia asked. They both looked at her and smiled. “Which one is the real you?”

“I am Tia” the one on the right said as she picked up a drawing. The Luna on the left shimmered and transformed into the constellation Luna drew. Luna dropped the drawing again as she burst into laughter. Celestia giggled at her sister and looked closely at the constellation. Luna had drawn a manticore constellation this time. The constellation laughed then shimmered and transformed into Celestia. Celestia stepped back astonished at her twin. Luna giggled and rolled to her back kicking her legs as she fought for breath.

“Hello, I am Princess Celestia and this is Princess Luna. This is our tutor Sparkle Sight. I am pleased to meet you.” She said as she bowed gracefully as her parents had taught them. The false Celestia shimmered and turned into that odd creature from earlier.

He floated off the floor a few inches and twisted into a loop. He was a solid gray, and like the Zebras, his charcoal mane stood up straight and proud, and his pony like face smiled at them. He held a claw up to his chest and bowed to the princesses, “I am Ambassador Gaudium, and I am very pleased to meet you.”

Luna, not fully understanding etiquette, spoke out, “What are you?”

Celestia gasped, “Luna!”

“Oh no, it is quite alright.” He settled on the ground, standing on his back legs. He bent forward to get closer to the younger filly and said, “I am a special type of dragon, although I am an Eastern Dragon, I possess great magic ability in being able to transform not only myself but things around me, well as long as those things around me don’t also possess great magic. You see, I can transform into what I see or have seen, or I can make things disappear such as your master’s horn.” A quick touch of his claw on the purple unicorns head and in a soft pop his horn was gone. A gasp was heard from the fillies and an outraged shout was heard from Sparkle Sight. “And just as easily I can make it reappear again.” He touched the outraged stallion’s head and the horn popped back into existence. “I can even change the environment around me.” He closed his eyes and the bookcases warped into funny shapes and floated around. The ground below them turned soapy and Celestia slipped and fell onto her rump. Luna laughed as she fluttered above the ground. Sparkle Sight sighed as he attempted to use his considerable magic to return the floor to its original state, but failed. Gaudium laughed and with a wave of his claw, the library returned to normal. Sparkle Sight scowled, upset at the way the dragon had interrupted his lesson.

“I see our lessons are over. I will see you two tomorrow, at the same time.” He used his magic to pick up his books and stomped out of the library. The princesses laughed as Gaudium turned Sparkle Sight’s tail into cotton candy.

“Your mother, asked me to teach you about my kind and in turn I learn about yours, and seeing as I am a Dragon, I know a whole lot more than your tutor.” He snapped his fingers and a comfy looking chair appeared out of nowhere and he sat down. “So what do you want to know about dragons? Seriously, ask me anything.” He made a glass of chocolate milk appear and took a sip.

“How do you fly with no wings?” Luna asked before Celestia could speak.

“Magic.” He said simply. He waved his claw and the cup vanished.

“It’s kind of creepy.” Luna said, as she flapped her own wings. They had been growing stronger, soon their father will take her to the tallest tower to learn to fly, much like he did for Celestia. Celestia couldn’t wait for this momentous event to happen, but it most likely will be their mother who taught her as their father was busy.

“Luna!” Celestia gasped.

“It’s alright; the young dragons ask me as well. Did you know western dragons are not born with wings? In fact for the first 150 years of their life they must rely on their mother to carry them. Their wings develop slowly, first in thick scaly sacks on their back where the thin membranes of the wings are protected until they reach 100, then the wing sacks dry up and fall off, not unlike a snake shedding their skin. Most mothers save this skin as a memento of their reaching their flight stage.” He chuckled at seeing the fillies grimace. “Yes it is a bit disgusting but in my culture it is no different than saving your old baby crown or shoes, so back to my answer. It does take a few more years for the wings to become strong enough to support them in flight. About the age of 150, give or take a few years for the quicker and the slower ones, they actually manage to fly under their own power. My type of dragon however, learns to fly almost from the time they hatch; in fact there are numerous stories of hatchlings getting into trouble. The Eastern dragons possess magic and unlike the Alicorns, only a few of the dragons can actually harness their inborn magic after they reach their age of maturity. You see, I am a special type and of all the dragons I possess the most powerful magic. If it makes you uncomfortable, I can make some wings.” He smiled and a pair of dragon wings appeared on his back.

Luna looked at him as if she was looking at a sculpture. “I don’t think those wings work. Your scales are more feathery than, well scaly.”

He chuckled and turned the wings into a gray replica of theirs. He flapped them a couple of times and hovered above the ground. Luna eyed them critically then nodded, “Yes. Those will work.”

“Well, let us see,” he flapped over to Luna and circled her a few times. “Hmm, yes.” He touched her nose and her skin turned into a replica of the night sky. She shuddered as if his touch was cold. He sat back on his tail and clapped once. The stars started moving across her skin slowly.

“What? What did you do?” she asked as looked up him with a frown. She poked at him with a hoof and gasped at her color. “Oh wow.” She looked at her back leg and squealed, “I know this star pattern, oh and this one as well.” She gasped and said, “Got a new idea!” and dashed out of the library. Celestia listened as Luna’s hoof steps faded.

“It has been a while since I have seen Luna that happy.” Celestia said as she turned to look at Gaudium. “Ever since my elder brother Caelum went to study in the Crystal Kingdom Luna has been depressed and lonely. She and Caelum were closer than she and I. Caelum taught her all she knows of the night sky, something I cannot do.” Celestia looked down at her hooves. “I will admit I am a bit jealous of the relationship she has with our elder brother, but I share the closer bond with our father.”

“It seems that I may have come at the right time.” Gaudium said as he fluttered over to her and settled upon the ground to her left. “You see I use my gifts to spread laughter and cheer to all those around me. So I shall use my power to make laughter ring among these halls, for they are far to somber.” He bowed low to her and with a wave of his claw, a bunch of balloons the color of her mane. They all had laughing faces. They floated to the top of the ceiling and popped releasing a bunch of confetti. The confetti drifted slowly to the ground and transformed into hundreds of tiny ponies of all different types. Celestia watched the ponies scamper around the room before they vanished into a puff of rainbow colored smoke.

Celestia laughed and looked up at him, “What other magic can you preform?” Celestia asked him.

“My main abilities lay in transformation, so I can alter not only myself but what is around me.” He vanished and Celestia looked around for him wildly, her pink main flying about her head.

“Below you!” Gaudium’s laughter drew her to a spot close by on the ground. She could vaguely see his shape in the cobblestones on the ground. He moved among the stones and vanished again, reappearing in the hall on the other side of the door. “Well, come on. Your mother wishes to speak with you. It’s not urgent, but I don’t think we should wait around much longer.” He spoke curtly, a different tone than what he as using before. She was slightly taken aback by it. He hovered in the air above Celestia’s head. “Well are you going to keep her highness waiting?”

Slightly agitated at how he was treating her, after all she was a princess, Celestia trotted ahead of him towards the throne room where her mother was frequently found during the day, with her head held high. Above her she heard him chuckle as he flapped along. “I’ve noticed one thing different about you and your sister, compared to your mother,” Gaudium said as they passed the hall leading to Caelum’s room.

“And what is that?” Celestia asked him as she stopped. She was curious at what he was going to ask, and hoping it was appropriate conversation.

“Why is it that your mother’s mane and tail are like gossamer and Luna’s and yours are well, not.” Gaudium stated. He gently picked up a handful of her pink mane and looked at it closely.

Celestia stared at him for a second, not sure if he was serious or not. Finally after deciding he was indeed serious, after all she was supposed to teach him about ponies in exchange for his information on dragons, she answered. “It involves our magic. The more power we gain over it, the more our manes and tails change. Only the Alicorns with powerful magic capabilities can ever harness complete control over their magic. I’m still young. My mother however is not. She is in the prime of her life so her mane and tail are different than mine. She and my father are the most powerful and wisest of the Alicorns, it was why they were elected to lead our proud race. My father’s mane is even more beautiful than my mothers.”

“I think pink suits you, Princess.” Gaudium said when they reached the doors to the throne room. From the outside of the room, Celestia could hear the voice of her mother speaking to someone.

“Are you positive that was his message?” When Celestia opened the doors, her mother’s back was facing them and her green tinted magic was holding something up in front of her. Upon hearing the door open, the Queen turned to look back and she grinned when she noticed her daughter. While turning to fully face her foal, the scroll wrapped itself back up and gently landed upon an oaken table engraved with a border of leaves and thorns.

“My child,” the Queen said as she waved the unicorn pony she was talking to away. The bright red unicorn nimbly trotted past the princess while dipping for a quick bow on his way out.

“Yes mother?” Celestia asked her as she bowed her horn towards her mother.

“My daughter, your father and I think it is time you partake in some royal duties now that you have earned your Talent Mark. As it is right now with the war going on in the 3 equine lands, I have no time to show our guest around our castle nor do I have the time to teach him the ways of our people. The Ambassador has been requested to stay with our while negotiations are in effect, and with how long lived our races are, they can last for a long time. I have spoken to your tutor, Sparkle Sight and he has agreed that you have reached the age where you need to learn more outside the class room rather than inside. As of tomorrow you will be sitting in on council meetings and hearings with the general public with me. I will also expect you to present yourself with dignity and honor at all times. I do not want to see nor hear you acting like a foal anymore. You are a royal princess.”

“Yes mother.” She understood that this was to happen and although she wasn't excited over the prospect, a part of her wanted to learn more than her tutor could teach them, however one question remained on Celestia’s mind and she chose now to speak it, “What of Luna? She is not used to being alone.”

“Luna will understand and grow accustomed to the lack of your presence. Have no fear my child, you will still be permitted to act like a foal within the quarters you share with your sister.” The queen laughed as she dropped the serious tone of her voice and nuzzled her daughter. “I know this is all new for you and it may scare you at times, but your father and I need your help. Your unique gift has not been seen in our kind in millenniums. Do you know why our family was elected the leaders of the Equine?” Celestia shook her head and sat down, her ears fully erected towards her mother, as this was a story she wanted to hear. “A long time ago when this world was new, the sun and the moon rose and set without the aid of magic. The seasons changed from winter, to spring, to summer, to autumn and back to winter without the help of an Alicorn. Our ancestors were wingless and hornless and we possessed no inherent magical abilities. That all changed when something fell from the sky in a burst of fire. Fearful the small animals hid, fearless the Reptila approached the burning rock, for their kind thrived on warmth, ignoring the warning of the Equine. Our kind watched as they sunned themselves on the heat that radiated from the sparkling stone only a head’s width thick. In what seemed like a few days, they noticed that the Reptilia began changing; some sprouted wings and grew larger than the trees in the forest, and others grew fins and sought out water. The Equines watched in fascination at first, then in horror as they realized their friends were changing as well. Some of the Equines were growing feathered wings, others horns. It wasn’t until later that the wisest of the Equines realized that while we were all fascinated by the stone, we didn’t see the faint purple and black smoke that drifted across the land, transforming our peaceful home into a hostile environment.”

Her mother took a breath and continued, “It was then that the Equine found that they possessed magic and were able to combat the hostile environments around them. Slowly they drove back the forests and the monster that spawned there. The newly dubbed Unicorns who possessed a great deal of magic and special strengths soon found themselves transforming once again, this time into our Ancestral Alicorns. They alone possessed the power to drive back the evil that entrapped the land. Years later, they discovered that was not the last of their troubles for soon they found that the sun had stopped rising on the horizon and for 30 days and nights the Alicorns met in conference and tried to move it. It was one of a pair of young Alicorns, the children of two powerful Alicorns that moved the sun, granting him the power over the Sun, and his sister who gained control over the sister body, the Moon. They were the first to earn their talent marks, forever branding them custodians of the heavenly bodies of the Sun and Moon.”

The queen turned to look at the stained glass that depicted a white Alicorn stallion standing beneath the Sun, his horn ablaze and his wings spread wide. “This is my grandfather Phoebus.” She turned to a panel next to it, a pale silver Alicorn mare, head dipped low, her wings spread over her back and horn glowing with power, then moon reflected in the pool of water she looked into “This is my great aunt, Astrea.” She then turned to another panel depicting a dark purple Alicorn Stallion hovering over stars and an hourglass his wings were spread in flight and his horn glowed “This is your father’s grandfather, Sidius,” and she finally turned to the last portrait on this wall, a frail looking lilac Pegasus laying clouds “this is his grandmother, Atma.” She looked at Celestia again. “These were the first rulers of the Equine, chosen for their control over the elements, Phoebus over the sun, Astrea the Moon, Sidius time itself, and Atma who controlled the very weather. Their children, my mother and your father’s mother both depicted rare talents, my mother in communicating with other species and her mate, an earth pony, was powerful in earth magic. Your paternal grandfather was strong in sky magic, transforming clouds and bending weather to his will and his mate, an Alicorn who possessed no unique talent other than the true love and care of her people. The Unicorns, Pegasus and Earth ponies eventually ventured off, not living nearly as long as we do and formed their own kingdoms, which are now on the brink of war, that your father and I are trying to prevent.”

“Why have we not learned of this sooner?” Celestia asked her.

“Your father and I feel the unrest in the lands, me more so than him. We did not want to worry you needlessly, but the times have grown dire. There have been rumors in the Crystal Empire of a dark creature roaming the streets at night. A few ponies who have sought refuge with them have gone missing. Your brother and father are there to find out what is going on and why. However, he shall be returning home soon enough.” The queen glanced out of the window, “This weather is becoming unnatural and it is not within my power to quell it.”

“How is Caelum, so that I may tell Luna?” Celestia asked.

The queen smiled and laughed “That stallion has an eye for Princess Crystalline. We may soon be called to officiate a wedding.”

“That is great news! Wait till Luna hears of it!” Celestia said in excitement.

“Unfortunately if it comes down to that, he will be the next in line for the Crystal Empire’s throne. Which means we may not see him for a long while, that is, if we don’t visit him often.” Queen Terra picked up the scroll again and unrolled it. “Your father sent me this today, it tells me that he went into the Time Stream and saw events that cannot be changed. Events that involve you and Luna, I want you to be careful my child.” Celestia felt unease coming from her mother then, intense unease and noticed the many plants started wilting.

“I promise mother.” Celestia said and stood up, stretching her back legs and wings. “Can I tell Luna about brother?”

“You may.” She smiled slightly then, “I shall see you for dinner.” With that Celestia trotted out the door and down the hall to where her sister was sure to be, the astronomy wing.