My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
"The Birth of Harmony"
Prologue - The Present
Celestia sighed and tossed another letter casually aside with her horn, one of dozens littering the thrown room now. Every one from the representatives of the Equestrian settlements over the "shambles" she made of this years Grand Galloping Gala.
She had no desire to upset her citizens, and she knew as well as they did that everpony had enjoyed the antics of her protege and her friends. But appearances had to be maintained. Appearances, facades, all she had, all she knew for a thousand years, but not anymore.
Laughter errupted from the main floor of the chamber, she looked to the small group gathered there. Luna giggled again as she yet again stumped Twilight Sparkle at their chess game, they had been playing for hours now and neither was determined to give up, Twilights muzzle screwed up in concentration, her horn lightly aglow as the piece she held floated above the board.
The others were laughing louder now as Pinkie Pie did another impression, one of the "outraged" patrons from the Gala, who had (after the others had left of course) thanked Celestia for the best night out in years.
It was the happiest she had known the Royal Court to be in generations, it was the happiest she had been for countless years. She had her little sister back at her side, and nothing was going to take her away again. Maybe she had been taking her royal prerogative too far of late, pushing the limits of her station, but she wanted Equestria to share in her joy.
Luna reared on her hind legs and whooped loudly as her Queen floated casually to the board and leaned to knock Twilights King over. Celestia watched with pride as Twilight laughed too and hugged Luna, the weight of a thousand years sliding from her shoulders for a moment as the others joined them, the sound of their revelry filling the chamber.
But nothing could ever purge the memories she had lived with, the burden she carried, in caring for the thousands of Ponies throughout the land alone. Her smile faded as her glance passed over the enormous stained glass effigies of glass set around the halls, telling a story few Ponies even knew, that most didn't even believe. Fanciful stories from ages past, but she knew better, she had lived it.
"The Birth of Harmony"
Prologue - The Present
Celestia sighed and tossed another letter casually aside with her horn, one of dozens littering the thrown room now. Every one from the representatives of the Equestrian settlements over the "shambles" she made of this years Grand Galloping Gala.
She had no desire to upset her citizens, and she knew as well as they did that everpony had enjoyed the antics of her protege and her friends. But appearances had to be maintained. Appearances, facades, all she had, all she knew for a thousand years, but not anymore.
Laughter errupted from the main floor of the chamber, she looked to the small group gathered there. Luna giggled again as she yet again stumped Twilight Sparkle at their chess game, they had been playing for hours now and neither was determined to give up, Twilights muzzle screwed up in concentration, her horn lightly aglow as the piece she held floated above the board.
The others were laughing louder now as Pinkie Pie did another impression, one of the "outraged" patrons from the Gala, who had (after the others had left of course) thanked Celestia for the best night out in years.
It was the happiest she had known the Royal Court to be in generations, it was the happiest she had been for countless years. She had her little sister back at her side, and nothing was going to take her away again. Maybe she had been taking her royal prerogative too far of late, pushing the limits of her station, but she wanted Equestria to share in her joy.
Luna reared on her hind legs and whooped loudly as her Queen floated casually to the board and leaned to knock Twilights King over. Celestia watched with pride as Twilight laughed too and hugged Luna, the weight of a thousand years sliding from her shoulders for a moment as the others joined them, the sound of their revelry filling the chamber.
But nothing could ever purge the memories she had lived with, the burden she carried, in caring for the thousands of Ponies throughout the land alone. Her smile faded as her glance passed over the enormous stained glass effigies of glass set around the halls, telling a story few Ponies even knew, that most didn't even believe. Fanciful stories from ages past, but she knew better, she had lived it.
More than a thousand years past...
Rain soaked the ground as Celestia returned to her hovel in the outskirts of the village, Luna was already asleep in the far room. She tossed the rain soaked cloak aside and shook her mane out, gleaming white like her sisters.
The meeting had gone well, nopony had suspected anything, and so far they hadn't encountered the curfew enforcers. But so far their group had grown little, they had too few allies to make a difference, but if something was not done soon, there would be too few of them left to it to matter.
She shook the last of the droplets from her face and wandered to the fire, floating some wood into the old grate and using a small flame spell to ignite it, the room was soon aglow with heat and warmth again.
Luna stirred from her sleep and stretched, noticing her sisters return and the fire now well alight.
"Did you find anything?" She asked after a long pause.
"Maybe." Celestia replied, staring absently into the flames.
Luna rose from her makeshift bed and settled at Celestia's side, the two of equal height and build, the same shock of long white hair, only their fur told them apart. Celestia's fur the same white, Luna's a deep purple, seeminging to blend into the shadows that remained.
"What was it?" Luna asked
"A Unicorn, a powerful one." Celestia replied, her voice more hopeful.
"Powerful enough?"
"No, at least not on her own." Celestia turned to her sister, the look of fear in her eyes draining her resolve further "but with help, and time, maybe."
"He won't give us time." Luna said, turning away from the fire and walked slowly to her bed.
"We don't have any choice, we aren't strong enough alone."
"If mother and father were here-"
"Well they're not!" Celestia retorted, turning to her sister, wings astride. Luna cowered back into her bed and turned her back. Celestia calmed herself and went to her sister, curling beside her. "I'm sorry. I miss them too, but they can't help us."
"I know." Luna mumbled and curled in closer to Celestia, nodding off again. "What's her name?" She asked, half asleep already.
"Harmony" Celestia said softly, extending her wing across her sister as they drifted off to sleep by the firelight.
The meeting had gone well, nopony had suspected anything, and so far they hadn't encountered the curfew enforcers. But so far their group had grown little, they had too few allies to make a difference, but if something was not done soon, there would be too few of them left to it to matter.
She shook the last of the droplets from her face and wandered to the fire, floating some wood into the old grate and using a small flame spell to ignite it, the room was soon aglow with heat and warmth again.
Luna stirred from her sleep and stretched, noticing her sisters return and the fire now well alight.
"Did you find anything?" She asked after a long pause.
"Maybe." Celestia replied, staring absently into the flames.
Luna rose from her makeshift bed and settled at Celestia's side, the two of equal height and build, the same shock of long white hair, only their fur told them apart. Celestia's fur the same white, Luna's a deep purple, seeminging to blend into the shadows that remained.
"What was it?" Luna asked
"A Unicorn, a powerful one." Celestia replied, her voice more hopeful.
"Powerful enough?"
"No, at least not on her own." Celestia turned to her sister, the look of fear in her eyes draining her resolve further "but with help, and time, maybe."
"He won't give us time." Luna said, turning away from the fire and walked slowly to her bed.
"We don't have any choice, we aren't strong enough alone."
"If mother and father were here-"
"Well they're not!" Celestia retorted, turning to her sister, wings astride. Luna cowered back into her bed and turned her back. Celestia calmed herself and went to her sister, curling beside her. "I'm sorry. I miss them too, but they can't help us."
"I know." Luna mumbled and curled in closer to Celestia, nodding off again. "What's her name?" She asked, half asleep already.
"Harmony" Celestia said softly, extending her wing across her sister as they drifted off to sleep by the firelight.
