Truth Behind Harmony

Celestia watched her sisters go, saying a silent prayer before turning around and heading to where Twilight and the others still waited. She walked through the door, Twilight and the others getting up as she did so, all of them looking nervous.

“Princess, how did everything go, is she alright?”

“I too am concerned for her,” said Rarity, “I mean whatever happened to the poor dear; she looked like she had been attacked.”

“Your concern is touching,” said Celestia, “but my sister is fine. She and Luna have left for her kingdom, and hopefully they will be back soon. However now I must ask all of you to come with me, for we have urgent matters which need to be discussed. And Twilight, I will also need you to write a letter for me.”

“Ok princess” Twilight said; pulling out a quill and parchment from her saddle bags as they walked.

“To Misses Lyra and Bon-Bon Heartstrings, I require your presence here in Canterlot regarding a matter of utmost importance, so I expect you here as soon, yours, Princess Celestia.”

“Okay done, but why do you want them here?”

“Yeah I don’t get it, what’s so special about those two,” asked Rainbow.

“They will be important for what needs to be done, right now however I must speak with you girls alone, preferably before they arrive.”

They followed Celestia back into her bed chambers, Celestia sitting down on her bed, beckoning the others to gather around. They all sat down, all of them looking at Celestia with questioning gazes as Celestia sighed; this was going to be a long night.

“Twilight, I know you and your friends probably have a lot of questions, but first I must ask you some of my own. First, how much do you know of the time before the events known as Hearths Warming Eve?”

“Well not much is really known, other than there had been many wars between the separate pony tribes before the shaky alliance was formed between all of them, at least till they were beset upon by windigos after they began to argue.”

“Correct, and what do you know about the lands outside of Equestria?”

“There is nothing out there; those lands were totally destroyed by the windigos long ago, there is nothing left but barren wastes.”

Celestia breathed a sigh of relief, and then looked at them all, her face turning grim. “I must ask you all now to swear that what I tell you never leaves this room, not until events have played their course.”

“Beg your pardon?” asked Applejack.

“I know this must seem strange, but what I am about to tell you could compromise the safety of the kingdom if it were to leave this room, now I need you to give me your word.”

The last words that left her lips were stern, almost akin to an order, which took everypony back a step, for they had never seen her like this.

“Princess, what’s going on?” asked Twilight, her eyes full of fear.

The Princess sighed, “Everything about our history, right up to the banishment of my sister Luna is all a fabricated lie.”

There was a defining ring of silence that fell across the room, all the ponies sharing the same shocked or confused looks on their faces at this statement, but Twilight looked like she had been hit by a brick wall. She mouthed words of protest, her eyes focused on Celestia as if she had just banished her from the kingdom, or had told her she had failed a test, for what she said could not be possible.

“…no…no princess you can’t be…”

Celestia cut her off, “Twilight what I speak is the truth, I along with my sisters have been rewriting history for the past millennia…to cover up mistakes and events from the past we felt too dangerous to be remembered by the world at large. Now before I go further I must have your word that none of what I have told you and am about to tell you will leave this room.”

They all stared at her for a long moment, their faces showing the shock and confusion due to this revelation, which in truth Celestia had never wished to share. Much of what had happened in the past she still blamed herself for, for she was the oldest of her sisters, she should have known better.

“Alright princess,” said Applejack, “if yah promise to explain what yah mean, I give mah word not to say a thing.”

“I always thought those history books felt like fiction,” said Pinkie.

“A what the hay I’m in,” said Rainbow.

“Ok…” whispered Fluttershy.

“I guess we really don’t have any choice do we,” said Rarity.

Celestia turned last to Twilight, whose face had gone from a look of shock, to a look of pure grim anger, and when she spoke, her voice shook as she tried to hold back said anger.

“All those stories you used to tell me, every single one of them, those were all lies, ALL OF THEM!”

Celestia felt a pang of guilt pierce her heart, the celestial leader could handle many things, but the look of pain and anguish on the face of the one she had tutored from filly hood was the most punishing thing she had ever experienced, for she had just taken this young mares childhood and smashed it to pieces within mere moments. Celestia hung her head in shame, for like in the past, she had stabbed another she had cared in the back, and also like in the past, it had been with kind words spoken into ears that had come to trust her.

“Not all of them my faithful…

“NO, YOU DON’T EVER GET TO CALL ME THAT AGAIN, NEVER AGAIN! NOW JUST TELL ME THE TRUTH!”

“Twilight, don’t yah think your being a bit…”

“SHUT UP!”

Twilight’s horn was flaring, her eyes had turned opaque and were glowing, and her cutie mark was glowing just as brightly as she stared at Celestia, her anger reaching the boiling point. She had been betrayed, betrayed by the one pony that she thought would never betray her, the one pony whom she had given everything to be with, everything.

Celestia looked up, tears drenching her face, but she found no forgiveness in Twilights glowing gaze.

“I will tell you the truth Twilight,” said Celestia through choked sobs, “once you have given me your word you won’t repeat what I tell you to anypony.”

Her voice cracked as she spoke, filled with tears that she knew she would haunt her for years to come. Twilight noticed this, slowly calming down as her eyes returning to normal, and her horn dimming along with her cutie mark. “Fine” she said, sitting down and keeping her cold glare on the princess.

Celestia wiped her eyes and composed herself; for she had a lot she needed to tell them, years’ worth of knowledge in fact, “I guess we should start at the beginning.”

Back at Ponyville, in a house on the outskirts of the town, two ponies were working in their basement as a letter materialized out of thin air. Lyra lifted up her welders mask, and then looked over to her marefriend as she grabbed the letter with her magic.

“Hey Bony, shut the generator down for a while, we got a letter.”

Bon-Bon looked up from her workstation, then walked over to the generator and flicked a switch, shutting of the generator and powering down her workstation. She then walked over to where Lyra stood; nuzzling up close to her so that she could read the letter. But once she was finished her brow furrowed in confusion, and she quickly turned toward Lyra before speaking.

“Wonder what the princess could want with us?”

“I’m not sure,” said Lyra, cupping her chin in a mechanical glove, taping it with one of her mechanical fingers before speaking. “You don’t think she…” she stopped herself, but gave Bon-Bon a knowing look.

Bon-Bon sighed, “I’ll go get the communicator and the hollow projector, and I suggest you take off your hands before we go, we don’t want another incident like last time now do we?”

She nipped Lyra’s ear as she left, causing Lyra to giggle as she began taking off her gloves. She got up, grabbing some equipment and putting it into her saddle bags, then joined Bon-Bon at the door, both making their way towards the train station on nervous hooves, hoping they were not in trouble.

Even through her anger, Twilight could not contain her amazement at the story Celestia had just told them. The idea that their world had been forged by one pony, an all-powerful pony of creation, was mind-boggling as it was contrary to everything the history books…she slowly cringed as she remembered, those books were all lies. She returned her attention to Celestia as she began speaking again, images floating above them as she began to explain.

“After my mother’s death, we all went our separate ways, save for me, Luna and Marmora, for Luna was still too young to be on her own, and Marmora wanted to make sure she was safe. I along with Luna and Marmora became silent observers, neutral parties that stayed out of the affairs of the kingdoms that began to rise, where as our other sisters sought out kingdoms of their own, as our mother had told them to do.”

More images surfaced, showing the one they knew as Fantasia finding some ponies that were struggling in the sun, and then watched as she cast a great spell, which made the sun turn silver as a new night fell over them all.

“The one you just met was Fantasia, a very loyal soul who went to a land that was filled with what you know as vamponies, who could not stand to be in the light of my sun. So to aid them, she cast a mighty spell, which turned the light of the sun silver like the moon, and allowed them to survive in a land that had originally been hostile to them. Thus the Land of Shadows was born.”

“Vamponies,” said Rarity skeptically, “but I always read that vamponies were violent creatures, with no sense of self whatsoever.”

“You’re thinking of feral vamponies Rarity,” said Twilight quickly, only to stop for a moment before turning toward Celestia once again. “Assuming ‘Genealogy and Vampony Divergence’ wasn’t one of the fabricated books?”

“No Twilight, that was not fabricated,” said Celestia, turning her gaze back up at the images, changing them so the focused on another of her sisters. Fluttershy screamed and ducked under her wings as a pony with claws and dragon wings soared over them, baring her serrated teeth as she flew alongside two full sized dragons.

“Ixen, the third youngest next to Luna, is of the race known as the Kirin…”

“Kirin, but she looks like that there Discord fella, doesn’t that mean she is a Draconeques?” asked Applejack.

“No Applejack, Discord is only one of two Draconequi, which in truth is a perversion of the Kirin species, but we will get to him later. Now as I was saying, Ixen went to a land dominated by dragons, and full of ponies like her, and with her power she was able to unite the two, becoming the leader of them and turning the once hostile land into what is now called the Empire of Fangs.”

Twilight watched as the images changed yet again, but before they could solidify, she coughed to get Celestia’s attention.

“Yes my…yes Twilight?” asked Celestia.

“I was just wondering before you continued, how many of you are there?”

“…There were nine of us originally…now there are only eight of us remaining.”

“Only eight,” asked Rainbow, “what happened to the other one?”

Celestia stopped for a moment, having to hold back tears as the memories flooded her mind. “She…she was killed long ago…” she said, her voice choking on each word as she spoke them.

Twilight put a hoof to her mouth in shock, while the others gasped behind her. Celestia could understand their shock, for she knew most of the citizens viewed her and her sister as gods, and therefore above such mortal ailments like death.

“…Killed, but how is that possible, how could anything kill somepony like you?” Twilight asked; her face full of confusion.

Celestia smiled mournfully, “Twilight, while we me may be immortal, we are not invincible. You all saw that at Princess Cadance’s wedding when I confronted Queen Chrysalis, and if she had but pressed her advantage, I to would have been killed. Now please let me continue, I have a few more images to show you before we retire tonight, then we can continue in the morning.”

They all nodded, and Celestia returned to the images above her. This time they formed under the oceans of the world as they fallowed a webbed mare whose wings looked like fins, and whose tail was like that of a fish.

“Siren Gale was one of those that decided to separate herself from the main body of sisters, though the path she chose she was well adapted for. It is her ponies who dictate how the waters of the sea behave, guided by her song.”

The images swam once more; focusing on a pony who looked like Celestia herself, except her main was pure white with sky-blue streaks running through it.

“Out of all of us, Anastasia was the most rambunctious of the lot. In fact in all my years of life I have never met a pony as obsessed with making other ponies happy then her, at least till I met you Pinkie Pie.”

Just as she said this the pony in the image began giggling madly as she clicked her hooves together, jumping around in a similar manner as Pinkie as a party cannon appeared behind her, firing confetti and other party favors.”

“Hey, that’s my party cannon!”

“Yes and no, however they are similar in their effect, but we are getting off topic. Anyways, through her travels she came upon a land that was full of ponies who could control the very elements around them, from the air they breathed to the water they drank, and through her laughter and good cheer she united their tribes, forming the Kingdom of Spires.”

She hesitated when she reached the next sister, for she knew this one out of them would be the hardest to understand out of all her siblings. The images formed, showing a blue alicorn with bull like horns working inside a lab, helping ponies with similar horns to build great machines the likes of which did not exist in Equestria.

“Now we come to Mercury, she was always the thinker and the questioner among us, always wanting to learn and invent, to build and create. It was due to this that she gravitated toward a group of ponies of similar mindset to her, and she along with this group began delving into the fields of science, merging it with magic to create a nation totally dedicated to technological and magical advancement, known as the Adeptest Republic.”

She began shifting the images again, and once they formed, Rarity cried out in joy at the sight.

“My word, she looks absolutely GORGEOUS!”

From her mane to her tail, to her coat and even to her hooves, the mares color continuously changed through all the colors of the spectrum, only her bright green eyes remained the same. She had fairy wings which fanned out from her back, and twin insect like antenna that sat beside her horn, complimenting her otherworldly nature.

“Princess…what is she; she doesn’t look like a normal pony.”

“Your right Twilight,” said Celestia, “Dreamstride isn’t normal, for she belongs to the race of ponies called the Fey, fairy like beings that used to live in the great forests the world. Dreamstride gathered them all in a strange place known as the Forest Le’Fey, a living wood where they could be protected from some of the wilder wilderness environments. Most of us are still unsure of how her people see her, but we know that whenever she gives the word, they follow.”

The images disappeared, and Celestia concentrated on the last set of images. But the moment that the images formed, Twilight leaped up, recognition etched in her face.

“That’s Princess Cadance!”

Celestia chuckled, “I’m not surprised you see the likeness, but this is not Cadence. This is Marmora Clairvoyance, Cadences mother.”

She paused as they all reacted, noting Twilights reaction in particular, for she knew how she would interpret it.

“Cadences mother, but when did she…?”

“A long time ago, none of us really know when. She remained by mine and Luna’s side, for she had wished to watch over us and make sure we were safe. Thus we became the silent observers of the world; the neutral party that kept the balance between the five kingdoms, at least till Marmora founded the Crystal Empire when she found the crystal ponies.”

The images faded, and Celestia breathed out a sigh, for it had been a trying experience, bring up images from so long ago.

“I suggest you all turn in for the night, a room has been prepared for you all, and we shall continue this tomorrow when we all are better rested.”

She then opened the door and watched them go, turning her back on the door and collapsing on the bed with a sob, calling forth old images as she heard the door close behind her.

Twilight followed the others outside the room, but soon stopped as the doors closed. She looked back, her anger finally abandoned and concern setting in. She had been very harsh with Celestia, and while she felt that she had been justified, was that really a good reason to hurt her so.

“Hey girls, you go on without me ok, I’m going to see if she is ok.”

“You sure about that Twilight, I mean you were pretty mad earlier.”

“Yeah…I’m sure,” said Twilight.

“Alright Twilight, we’ll see yoh back at the room,” said Applejack walking with the others as they went to the guest room.

Twilight turned back and opened the door slowly, walking into the room and seeing Celestia looking at several new images, her ears splayed against the back of her head in sadness. They showed Celestia running toward the balcony of her room as Marmora, injured and bleeding, landed there and stumbled, clutching a foal to her chest as though her life depended on it. She watched as the image of Celestia carried Marmora over to the bed, the blood trailing across the ground as they moved, not knowing what to do.

“She died in this very room,” said Celestia, startling Twilight. “It had happened several days after I had banished Luna to the moon, she…she had been missing for some time before that, and nopony knew where she was. She wouldn’t tell me where she had been, or what had happened, she just made me promise to take care of her foal for her.”

Celestia shook with contained sobs, the pain of the past washing over her as she curled up and cried. Twilight just stood there for a moment, and then she walked over, climbing onto the bed and resting against her mentor’s body, nuzzling her in comfort.

“Twilight…,” Celestia asked, feeling tears begin to fall from Twilights eyes.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry for yelling at you before,” said Twilight, sobs racking her body as she nuzzled into the princesses side. “I know you probably had your reasons to keep that information from us, but I was just so angry you lied to me, I…I thought that you didn’t trust me.”

Celestia draped a wing over her, bending down and nuzzling Twilight to try and comfort the poor mare. “Twilight you have nothing to be sorry for, I led you along with kind hearted lies that did nothing but appease the long growing gilt I have had to contain over the years. I am the one who should be sorry, for I never meant to hurt you, nor anypony for that matter,” she thought to herself, continuing to nuzzle her student to try and comfort her.

Twilight continued to cry as her mentor spoke reassuring words, offering solace to each other under the light of the full moon, for there was nothing else to do, now that the truth was out.

The rest of Twilight’s group made it to the room in one piece, everypony beginning to get things ready; all save for Rarity, who could not shake the many thoughts that had entered her head due to what Celestia had told them.

“I wonder why Celestia is choosing now of all times to tell us all this,” she said aloud, “I mean it all seems kind of sudden doesn’t it?”

“Ah know what yah mean Rare, Ah’m just worried about how long were gonna to be staying here, the farm can’t run itself.”

Rarity nodded at Applejack, knowing the earth ponies’ worries were the same as her own. She cupped her chin in her hoof however, pondering what all this could mean.

“It does make a lady wonder, is it possible Celestia intends us to meet with the rest of them,” Rarity asked aloud, turning toward her companions and noting their confusion.

“Huh, why the hay would she want to do that?”

“Well maybe Rare’s right Rainbow, ah mean think about it, first this whole business with the Crystal Empire, and now this long lost sibling shows up, forcing her to reveal the truth to us.”

“Oh that would be so awesome! We could throw a party for them and play games and all that other fun stuff. I didn’t know she had so many sisters, and they all look so cool and…”

Pinkie suddenly stopped talking as Applejack shoved a hoof in her mouth, crossing her forehooves in frustration at being denied her ramble.

“Hey does anyone know when Twilight is going to get here,” asked Rainbow, looking around the room as she spoke. “I mean she knows more about the Princess then any of us, maybe she could shed some light on this.”

“Um…I don’t think she‘ll be coming,” said Fluttershy, drawing everponies attention toward her as she spoke.

“Why whatever do you mean dear,” asked Rarity, turning to Fluttershy with a questioning glance.

“Well I…I think she will want to comfort the princess after yelling at her, because it probably was really hard for the princess to drag up all those memories from so long ago, knowing she had lied to about them for all these years, and Twilight would have seen that. Plus Twilight would have realized how harsh she had been, so she would of course want to apologize for that, oh and there is also the fact that Celestia is her marefriend so…”

They reacted all at once, Rarity, who had been sipping some tea; spat it out onto Rainbow Dashes surprised face. Pinkie, who had been laughing for no apparent reason, choked on her own laugh, and Applejack looked like she had been bucked in the face upon hearing Fluttershy’s words.

“Ok sugar cube, ah know ah can’t have heard that right, did you just say that Celestia is Twilight’s marefriend?”

“Yes I said that,” said Fluttershy in a matter of fact sort of way, calmer now then she had been before, “Twilight and Celestia are marefriends.”

The all just stared at her like she had lost her marbles, save Pinkie who just nodded, and then Rainbow Dash spoke up.

“But when the hell did that happened, I mean…they were always so…uhg this is making my head hurt?”

Fluttershy giggled at that, “They have been together long before she left for Ponyville, and they continued their relationship afterwards, you just knew her as Sunbeam then.”

“That was Sunbeam,” exclaimed Applejack, looking flustered as Fluttershy nodded.

“But…but dear,” piped in Rarity, “when did you ever find out such a scandalous thing?”

An uncommon grin formed on the yellow mares face, placing her chin onto her hooves as a dreamy expression masked her visage. “I found out during our double date, Both Celestia and Luna figured it wouldn’t due to hide the truth from ponies so close to them.”

Rarity fainted at this information, Rainbow Dash’s wings popped out of their own accord due to the images that had popped into her head, Pinkie Pie actually blushed, and Applejack’s nose started to bleed, this was too much for the poor farm ponies mind to handle.

“Yah…yah and Princess Luna,” asked the farm pony, wondering where all the sanity had gone from the world.

Fluttershy nodded, “mmhm; happened a while back, several months after her first Nightmare Night if I recall correctly.”

She then got up, heading for the door as Rainbow called out to her.

“Where the hay do you think you’re going,” asked Rainbow.

“To Luna’s room,” said Fluttershy with a faint grin, “I figure she will be coming back soon, and I want to surprise her.” She then opened the door, but then turned toward the group and spoke. “Oh and if you could please let me break the news to Twilight and Celestia that you guys know first, it will be easier for both of them if it comes from me, and the same goes for Luna.”

And with that she left the room, leaving the other ponies completely baffled as they tried to sort everything out.

“……ah think ah am just going to lie down, this is just too much tah handle right now.”

“Yeah…I’ll just get Rarity into the bed, gal actually fainted for once, hehe.”

Rainbow forced the laugh to try and quell all the images running through her head at breakneck speeds, lifting the unconscious mare into the bed with little effort before turning, seeing that Pinkie Pie was heading out the door as well.

“And where the hay are you going Pinkie?”

“Oh nowhere you need to know silly Dashie,” Pinkie Pie with a grin, “I just got some where I need to be at the moment.”

She to left, closing the door behind her, and Rainbow Dash just shook her head in confusion, lying down next to Rarity as Applejack climbed onto the bed as well. Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but feel that things were only going to get weirder from this point on, and with that thought she closed her eyes, letting her mind take her to the land of dreams, where things weren’t turning topsy turvey.