An Equestrian Freedom

by FullMetalFurbee

Chapter 15: Many Centuries Ago

An energetic foal tore down the hallways of Everfree Castle. His silver wings flapped excitedly as he ran from hall to hall. “Luna!” he yelled. “Luna, mom and dad are away! Let's go outside!”

He grinned to himself as the idea of sweet freedom spurred him along. There was nothing he loved more than exploring the gardens with his sisters, despite Celestia's semi-frequent grumpiness. He arrived at the ornate door to Luna's room. With no hesitation, he shoved it open and edged inside. His walk stealthy and his eye ever watchful, he scrutinized his sister's dwelling. “Luuuuna... where are you?” he called.

The room was circular in nature. To the left were Luna's bed and dresser, to the right was her study desk. Directly north was an enormous window that offered an unfiltered view into the brilliant evening sky. He took a moment to gaze up at the observatory. A blanket of glimmering stars spanned the darkening pink sky. The view was nothing less than captivating.

Out of nowhere, a lurking form lunged from behind the bed and tackled the unsuspecting colt. “Gotcha!”

“Aah! Luna!” he yelled with a giggle. “You snuck up on me!”

“Well, you're not very sneaky. What are you doing in here, Gaius?” the dark blue filly asked.

“Mom and dad won't get home until after midnight. Only the maids and guards are here. Let's go outside. I heard there's supposed to be a meteor shower!”

“Hmm...” Luna tapped her chin. “Alright.”

“Let's see if Celestia will come with us and let us use her telescope.”

“I don't know, Gaius. I think she's studying. She might get angry if we bother her while she's reading.”

“She's always studying!” Gaius protested. “Plus, we have the whole castle to ourselves right now! Nothing is stopping us.”

“It's worth a shot.”

The two exited the room and chased each other down the hall. On they ran, after the eldest sister. Gaius gritted his teeth and willed himself to sprint faster.

“Slow down!” cried Luna. She lagged behind her brother. “You're too fast!”

The silver colt looked behind him and spat his tongue out. “No, you're just too slow!”

Their hoofsteps echoed loudly throughout the abandoned corridors. As long as a maid didn't catch them and send them scurrying off to their rooms, the world was their oyster. It wasn't often that the King and Queen had business to deal with that required lengthy traveling.

Gaius slowed and graciously allowed for his sister to catch up. The two rounded a marble corner and found themselves at Celestia's room. Luna approached and banged on the door. “Celestia! Come watch the sunset with us!”

A pink glow enveloped the door and opened it magically. Inside sat a little Celestia, reading an old book. “I'm studying my spells right now, you two. Maybe tomorrow.”

Gaius stamped his hoof. “But sister! Mom and dad are away and we won't get in trouble for running and rough housing! ”

“Oh really?” asked the white unicorn.

Luna nodded happily. “Yeah! On top of that, Gaius says there's supposed to be a meteor shower. We were wondering if we could use your telescope for just a little.”

“I don't know,” Celestia said. “You two aren't very careful. What if something happened to it?”

Gaius whined. “We'll be careful! We won't let anything happen to it! Right, Luna?”

The filly nodded. “Yeah! We know how much it means to you. Please?”

Celestia didn't look up from her book. “Fine. You two had better hope nothing happens to it, though.”

“Yes!” whooped Gaius. “Thank you Celestia!” He flapped his wings and took flight. “Where is it? I'll bring it down.”

Celestia magically opened her closet and levitated the high-end telescope down to her siblings. “No need. Just be careful. Once I finish reading about this spell, I might come outside and join you. Where are you going?”

“Only outside to the garden. It's really beautiful today!” Luna explained.

“Alright then,” said Celestia. “Have fun.”

Luna and Gaius thanked her, then went about transporting the heavy tool outside. Gaius flew up to the top of the instrument and strained to lift it. The massive metal frame refused to budge. Luna added her magic to the mix, and with her help, the telescope hovered. The two siblings huffed and puffed and carefully maneuvered the thing down the snaking marble halls. When at last they came upon the double doors leading outside, they paused for a brief moment in hopes of recuperating.

Little Luna rested against a wall. “That takes a lot of magic. Jeez.”

Gaius on the other hand, shook off the fatigue like it was nothing. “Magic is magic. At least you don't have to use your muscles. Are you ready to get this done?”

“I don't know how you have so much energy,” Luna wondered aloud. “Maybe it's just because you're a boy. Give me a second. Magic doesn't just 'come back.'”

The silver foal groaned impatiently. “When I get my horn one day, I'm gonna show you how easy it is.”

Luna spat her tongue out. “Yeah right. Like you have any idea. Alright, let's get this thing through the door.”

They took their positions and executed one final push. The warm summer dusk fell softly upon them as they navigated to a proper patch of grass. The sun's light still leaked up into the evening sky, painting beautiful swaths of dark pink and yellow across their field of view. The siblings set the telescope down and sat against it, gazing up.

“How many other ponies do you think are looking at this same sky right now?” Gaius asked.

“Probably a lot,” Luna theorized. “How many ponies do you think have ever sat down and just took a moment to watch the sunset?

“Probably a lot, too. I like it. It's relaxing.”

Gaius trotted over to the eyepiece of the telescope and tampered with the dials. He spent a minute fine tuning the instrument.

“What are you looking at?” Luna asked.

“The moon,” he said.

Luna looked at the great disk in the sky. “You know,” she said, “mom and dad say that I'll be in charge of the moon one day.”

Gaius giggled. “Oh yeah? What are you going to do with it? Make it clean your room?”

“Oh hah hah,” Luna said sarcastically. “I'll make it crash into your room. How do you like that?”

He blew a raspberry at her.

“They say Celestia will control the sun, too,” she added.

“What do I get?” whined Gaius. “The grass?”

Luna shrugged and laid on her back. “I dunno. You'll get something. Maybe the stars? You could make drawings with them.”

“That might be fun,” he said while still peering into the telescope. “I could draw anything with them. Even a sun or moon of my own.”

Luna watched her brother pointing the monstrous looking glass all over the sky. “You're a stargazer aren't you?”

Gaius backed away from the eyepiece. “I guess so. You want a turn?”

“Yeah!” She traded places with him and looked into the telescope. “Everything is so clear up there. I want to explore space some day. I want to see what it's like on the moon. They say it's made out of cheese.”

“That's stupid,” argued Gaius.

“What? That the moon is made out of cheese?”

“No,” he scoffed. “Ponies can't survive in space. Duh.”

“I'll find a way,” she challenged. “Just you watch me.”

Gaius trotted away from the telescope. “Hey, I'm gonna see if Celestia is coming yet.”

“It's only been a few minutes,” Luna said.

“I don't care. I want her to see the sky before it gets dark!” he proclaimed. He trotted up the grassy hill back into the castle. Luna remained at the telescope and kept careful watch over the sky. Gaius spotted Celestia fairly quickly after heading indoors. She was walking toward him.

“Yay! You're coming!” Gaius exclaimed.

“I might as well,” Celestia said rather passively.

Gaius could tell she was in one of her moods again. Her voice was flat. “Are you okay?” he asked. “Does your head hurt?”

“A little,” Celestia answered.

He waited until she passed him and then joined her side. “You should get one of the maids to give you some headache medicine. That's what it's there for.”

“I know that,” she snapped. “I would have already taken some if I thought I needed it.”

Gaius pouted. “Sheesh. I was just trying to help. I hate it when you read that book. It always makes you like this.”

“Like what?” she asked in annoyance.

“I dunno, mean I guess. You always get mean after you 'study' that book.”

“I do not!” Celestia cried as if on trial. “Reading a book can't change how you feel.”

“Yeah but, that book does,” Gaius pointed out. “You're not even supposed to read that book. Mom and dad would be mad if they knew you were reading it.”

Celestia stopped walking and shot her brother an enraged look. “Don't you dare tell mom and dad!”

Gaius flinched. “I'm not! I'm not! Jeez! I didn't even say that!”

“Good,” Celestia growled at him. “You better not tell, or else!”

“Stop being mean!” Gaius yelled. He felt himself about to cry and blushed because of it. “Stop bullying me! I will tell mom and dad that you're being mean again!”

Celestia advanced upon him and squeezed his shoulder painfully. “Swear you won't tell about the book! Right now!”

He started to cry pitifully. “Get off of me, Celestia! I didn't do anything to you! Stop it!”

“Not until you swear you won't tell!” she shouted.

“Luna!” Gaius wailed down the hallway. “Celestia is bullying me! Help me!”

Celestia shoved her brother against the wall. “No! It's just you and me! Luna isn't listening!”

“Get away from me!” he screamed wildly. He barred his teeth in anger and fear. “Get away from me or I – I'll hit you!”

Celestia's eyes narrowed and she smiled darkly at the challenge. “You can't hit me. You wouldn't dare.” She squeezed his shoulder again.

He blubbered pitifully under her wrath.

“Look at you. You're a mess,” she said. “Swear that you won't tell mom and dad about the book and I'll let you go! It's that simple!”

“I said get away from me!” he shrieked loudly. He thrust his hoof up and uppercut Celestia's chin. She fell backward onto the floor. Gaius shivered in fear as he watched her. “I'm sorry...” he whispered.

Celestia stood up. She reached into her mouth and pulled out a tooth. “You made me bleed.”

“I'm sorry...” Gaius whimpered. “Y-you were being mean!”

“You shouldn't have done that,” said Celestia. She slowly walked up to him again.

Gaius was hysterical. “L-Luna! H-help!” he cried.

Celestia summoned her magic. “I told you she can't hear you!” She zapped Gaius with a thick black bolt. He felt his body locking in place. He couldn't turn his head. He couldn't speak. He couldn't blink. A translucent black aura snaked around his body and ruthlessly chained him in place.

A gleeful laugh escaped from Celestia. “That's the newest spell I learned!” she announced with a sense of pride. “You're paralyzed!” She then proceeded to ready another spell. Gaius only watched as a dark aura radiated from his sister's eyes. She lowered her head and tenderly touched her horn to his forehead. In that moment, his blood ran cold. He would have been wracked with shivers if his muscles could move. He felt every ounce of warmth leaving his body. His heart was beating so fast that he thought he might pass out.

When Celestia was finally done with her curse, she kissed Gaius' forehead and whispered in his ear, “Now you'll never become an alicorn.”