Kissed by fire

The princesses found themselves in a long white hallway, countless doors lined the walls all shut to them. For a moment they were tempted to break one down as they walked down the metaphysical corridor. the sound of some pony playing the violin could be heard its haunting melody echoing strangely around the royal pair, like a siren song they followed it to a door that stood ajar, pushing through first Luna found the sounds origin, a dark grey alicorn foal with a black and red mane and tail sat on her haunches before a roaring fireplace her back to them. The flames seemed to be weeping at the young filly's tune, the violin was far too big for her but she hugged it close as she finished her piece.

Loud voices could be heard coming from an adjacent room over the roaring of the fire.

"So what Magnus?! You're going to raise her... here?!"

The argument was muffled but still filled the silence within the room,

"She is still my daughter!" another voice shouted back this one deep and gruff, the filly's eyes filled with happiness as the continued to hold her violin tight to her chest.

"No she isn't you fool! She is an abomination!" Celestia winced at the terrible words filtering through the wall a small fire of anger began to burn in her chest.

The filly turned to them "you shouldn't be here" her voice had the high pitch of youth her golden eyes r burned with the light of the fire, tears glistened on her cheeks. Celestia moved past her sister and sat down next to the foal, her maternal instincts kicking in "What's you name little one?" she asked with a warm smile, she could sense Luna rolling her eyes at her behind her back.

"Oh I'm Alexa and this..." she softened as she cradled her violin "...Is Aurora" the instrument was a dark ebony with silver strings that glittered in the fire light Celestia took a moment to marvel at its beauty.

"She is what she is Aegis; Alexa is my mistake and my responsibility"

"So you would parade your shame in front of the entire conclave! What do you think the Queen will do when she finds out Magnus? And she will find out be certain of that"

"Do what you must Aegis, now get out of my house" Magnus growled

The scene dissolved into nothingness before the two princesses only to be almost immediately replaced by a new memory.

FireMane strode through the vaulted halls of the celestial palace with unnatural speed. She had not been here for nearly five centuries and it could have been another five for all she cared, but she had been summoned to stand before the conclave and like a good alicorn FireMane had dropped everything and came. She let loose another snort of frustration as she pushed through another set of doors flanked by two stone golems, their eyes glowing in their stone faces.

Her sixth sense told her something was wrong; there should be more ponies around even the royal praetorians weren't at their posts.

She entered the conclave chamber armoured hooves clacking against the marble floor. The room was like an amphitheatre petitioners would stand in the middle and argue their cases before the gathered assembly, judged by ten alicorn nobles with the queen presiding. The hall was unnaturally empty only the ten high seats were occupied; the queen also was conspicuous by her absence.

"The conclave recognizes second praetorian Alexa FireMane!" a voice rang out, the assembled nobles snapped their eyes on her with superior sneers on their faces 'I hate them, and they hate me' Alexa mused to herself as she took up her position in the centre of the room barding clinking softly.

"FireMane!" one of the nobles, a light pink alicorn mare with matching mane called out "Here you are in the hallowed celestial halls, and you come before us with freshly bloodied steel " the mare shot at her drawing murmurs of agreement from the others, FireMane looked down she had clean forgotten about her armour, it was practically her second skin 'at least two days old' she thought inspecting the small trains that marred her chest plate 'hardly fresh'

"I came from a war my lady, and I intend to return there as quickly as possible" Fireman stated simply, more mutterings.

"We shall see about that" the pink mare replied snidely

"You are to cease all your operations in the equestrian plane, while this conclave judges you on the charges that have been brought against you"

This time a white alicorn addressed her, his golden mane marked him out as a Nimbus or lord of the court. FireMane could feel a familiar anger burning in her gut, 'Aegis' her mind whispered venomously.

"I answer only to the queen Nimbus, you have over stepped your bounds in this matter."  She argued gesturing to the empty throne. "And what are these charges levelled against me, I have..."

FireMane was cut off by another shrill proclamation from the pink noble "The charge is treason Abomination!"  It took all of Alexa's discipline not to lunge at the mare and rip out her throat, she instead let loose a fanged snarl that seemed to startle the nag into silence.

"You have been accused of abusing the queen's favour and gorging yourself upon the suffering of others in this... personal crusade of yours" the nimbus continued his gaze severe. "You will be held until a decision is reached by this conclave in the absence of our queen"

"You can't be serious..." Alexa said shocked, such a move was unheard of, never in history had the queen not presided over a case "I demand to be judged in the presence of our sovereign!"  She shouted as golems began to fill the room there stone feet stamping out a solemn beat. "request...denied" a smile filtered across the Nimbuses face, several of the other alicorns began to stamp there hooves in approval adding to the tempo "Seize her" Aegis called lazily to the golems, who immediately rushed at her.

Joan slowly came to; she could not yet open her eyes the light blinding her even through her closed lids. Joan could feel the soft silk of sheets and a mattress; they must have brought her back to her room then. She could sense that she was not alone, her ears picking up the soft breathing of another pony. Her throat burned "water" she croaked out, almost immediately a chalice was being pressed to her lips. Joan latched onto it with her large front teeth keeping it in place as she greedily gulped down mouthfuls of soothing water. Using her great feathery wings to shield herself from the worst of the glare Fire mane opened her eyes fully. Princess Luna knelt beside her wearing a worried smile.

"How long was I out for princess?" Joan asked

"About twenty three hours, and please just call me Luna " she said in a much gentler voice than Joan had ever heard from the night princess. she opened her mouth to say something but seemed to think better of it and closed it again ,Joan raised an eyebrow at Luna as a silent invitation for her to speak.

"What happened next... Joan" the princess asked hesitantly, Joan laughed weakly

"Well, were did we get up to?....."

"You had just been grabbed by some golems" she replied quickly her curiosity getting the better of her

Joan sat up wiping the last of the sleep before continuing her story "I actually managed to escape before they could actually grab me, thanks in no small part to StarBorn"

seeing Luna's confused look Joan elaborated "StarBorn is my sword , a blade of flame and of ghost steel, I  forged in the heart of Celestia's sun many centuries ago. It could phase through any material or simply cut through it with its ethereal edge. Suffices to say it made short work of those golems."

FireMane erupted in a ball of molten fire, incinerating any of the golems that had got too close before summoning her sword StarBorn She sliced at the remaining golems spilling there magical essence like blood. The other alicorns either fled from the hall or like Aegis flew into the fray summoning their own weapons, she knew she couldn't win she was outnumbered, and more and more golems were pouring into the hall. Nimbus threw his spear at her, it glanced off her armour he quickly followed it up with a blast of his magic, FireMane parried his blast with one of her own while simultaneously decapitating another charging golem. Deftly dogging a vicious slash from another alicorn she spread her wings, Firemane drew from her vast reserves of magic to form herself into a living flaming comet. Smashing past her would be captors and obliterating anything foolish enough to get in her way, she raced back down the corridor she had come from blazing fire in her wake.

Joan was once more alone in her quarters; Luna had left without a word after her story. The day past slowly as the sun began its slow decent a familiar curt knock on her door broke her meditations and an irritable Captain Stone entered,

"Ah Captain..." Joan began light heartedly

"Her majesty princess Celestia has summoned you, get dressed you have five minutes" He cut in his serious blue eyes brooked no argument, Just behind him a whole squad of royal guards waited outside her room. Realising it would be pointless to argue, and more than a little intrigued Joan nodded and hurried to put on her regalia.