• Published 16th Apr 2012
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Hooves, Plush, and Magic: The Untold Tales - Harry Leferts



This is the place for side stories, origin tales and plot bunnies for my fic: "The Wizard and the Lonely Princess". So come on in,

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Celestia's Story Part Six

Disclaimer: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is owned by Hasbro and Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling.

'Dearest Luna...' - Celestia's writing translated from Early Modern Equish
"[Who's there?]"- Draconic
"[That would be me..." - Draco Invictus speaking in Draconic


Night ponies...

Dearest Journal, I have heard of that name, though I had dismissed them as having been nothing more then hearsay and rumour. And yet, here I was, injured most gravely but in the care of said night ponies. Descendants of my sister's former Night Guard. While I recovered, I spoke with them at great length. After many conversations, I managed to gather together pieces of the story regarding their ancestors.

I remember that day long ago when I had been told that my own Generals had ordered the Night Guard to be disbanded in disgrace. They were stripped of more then their armor as the magical transformation and abilities that my sister had given to the members of the Guard was also taken. Needless to say, I was most... displeased. I had heard though some had escaped with their enchantments intact and, years later, I was saved by a number from an assassination attempt.

Part of me can't help but think on how we created the idea for the enchantments, which could explain much in regards to how the night ponies have come about. Before Discord appeared and when my sister and I were but advisors, we travelled to the far off Crystal Empire. We wished to examine a artifact which had been found in some nearby old ruins. To this day, I do not know to whom the ruins belonged to though a part of me suspects they had belonged to ancient, long dead alicorns. Yes, I realize that it sounds arrogant of me to say such, dear Journal, but some of the writing resembled much of what I remember mother and father using.

However, it was what would become known as the 'Crystal Heart' that caught our attention the most. After much examination and experimentation with the Heart, Starswirl as well as Clover discovered that they could connect ponies to it. Said connection would empower the Heart through their positive emotions and create a zone of habitability in the area. A zone that with many centuries might expand and allow for ponies to settle in the old lands once more as it drove out the influence of the windigos. But the connection had another effect, it changed those ponies who became connected to it for even a little time. They would become beings of living crystal. It was truly a sight to behold...

Strangely though, it seemed that over the decades or centuries, those ponies who lived there became permanently changed. They became the so-called "Crystal Ponies". Neither Luna nor I could come up with an explanation as to how such an occurrence had happened. The best theory that we had was that the magical field affected them due to long term exposure as well as exposure in the womb. But we could never be sure, which was why when a mare left our Guards to start a family, the spells we used would be removed. It wasn't until after Discord was defeated that we perfected the process we had invented, which drew power from our respective celestial bodies through out own magic. As such, it changed those of our Guard who underwent it.

In my Guard, their coats would brighten and shine as if lit from within by a brilliant light. Their eyes also changed which allowed them to see in the brightest of glares with no problem. They could even stare into the sun if they wished with no harm while their gazes became sharp like an eagle's. Even their body heat changed and made them so much warmer to the touch. So to, did their voices change as it became warm and inviting when at peace, but burning and scalding when angered.

My sister's Guard, however, became more suited to the night. Their coats darkened and dulled as did their manes. The pupils in their eyes became slits and they gained what I have been told is called 'Eyeshine', which allows them to see better in darkness. In addition, their ears became larger and more fluffy to better capture sounds as their sense of smell increased along with two fangs in their mouths. But among the pegasus portion, the transformation was far more impressive. Their wings changed from the normal feathered forms to wings like those of a bat or dragon. All in all, it gave them a bit of an unnerving appearance which worked when they needed to intimidate. When I asked my sister, she admitted that in her case she had mixed in a bit of the trait spell using vampire fruit bats as a basis which gave to give them instincts to help them survive in the night.

But when my Generals moved to strip them of their magic, it seems that several hundred had managed to escape and regroup with the magic on them being still intact. Due to what happened though, they did not have the spells removed when they started families wherever it was they had hidden themselves. Somehow though, the traits were passed from mother to foals and they looked like and had the traits of their Night Guard parents. They believed this to be a sign of sorts from my sister, that they were to continue to be the Guardians of the Night as they had sworn to her when they had sworn to her when they became Night Guards.

I believe that this shows that mine and my sister's theories in regards to how the crystal ponies came about were correct. The magic must have affected the developing foals within their mothers and created a new tribe. So, too, did the same happen with the Night Guard members who fled into the wilderness. I will admit that there is part of me that is quite... proud, in a sense, that thanks to my sister new tribes came into the world. Not one, but three as each "Normal" tribe now has a "Night Pony" equivalent.

However, once I had been healed, they were about to leave. I stopped them at the last moment asked them of a boon. That boon was of a way to contact them so that I could give them assistance in their duties to the best of my ability. After all, I have my own network of spies and informants and it would greatly enhance the protection that Equestria needs to combine our efforts, if only secretly.

They did not agree then, but told me to wait and they would let me know their reply...


It has been nearly a year, dear Journal. Though some may have despaired, it passed in the blink of an eye for me. Then last night, I heard a sound and entered my sitting area within my quarters to find a "Bat pony". He wished to tell me that their council had come to a decision after much debate. Said decision was that they would give me a way to contact them as needed and that if I had any questions at that moment, I could ask him. None of the questions, of course, were where they had hidden themselves away. No, they might trust me a little, but not that much.

My questions though had to deal with something else.

Over the year that I had waited, I remembered that there was much in regards to these "Night Ponies". I gathered up what information that I could using clones and the like while going over my own materials. It was... most interesting I must admit. From my understanding, the rumors first started just after the now named Century of Strife. Many of those who had seen the Night Guard before they were disbanded were long dead from either old age or the wars and diseases that ravaged the land during the Century of Strife. So sightings of those with the enchantments of the old Night Guard were considered strange, otherworldly even. Especially since they happened at night.

Even I must admit, some of the stories were strange. Some claimed that the night ponies would sneak into homes late at night and exchange infants there for their own. They called the infants "Changelings". Or they replaced the loved ones without one knowing unless they get caught, in which case they would become insect-like equine beings that appeared like corrupted alicorns. I doubt very much if those rumors are true as the magic needed to maintain such a disguise is beyond all but the most powerful of unicorns or alicorns. And if there was another alicorn, or even a tribe, I would know from their magic.

The rest of the stories ran from the plausible to the unbelievable. Such as the one where foals lost in the wilds would be rescued by the night ponies and lead back to civilization, sometimes with them being rescued directly from the jaws of monsters. It was not just foals either as sometimes lost travellers stated that they owed their lives to them. However, there were those that were truly unbelievable. For example, that gathered in isolated glades, glens, valleys, and mountain tops at night. And there, under the stars and moon, they would celebrate the night away.

Sometimes an unwary traveller might stumble upon them and get caught up in their parties and play, dance, and sing as they drank and ate the night ponies' food. What would seem like hours would pass as they had fun, but were in fact days, weeks, months, and years. Having tracked down some of the ponies in the tales though, I found that oftentimes they would fall asleep from drink partway through the night and awaken in the day. Even if they looked around, they would find no other signs of the previous night's celebrations except for them feeling filled and slightly drunk or hung-over.

Now, with an actual night pony in front of me, I could ask. And when I did, he seemed surprised for a moment before he started to laugh. It seems that the stories did contain a kernel of truth after all. For example, they have rescued those lost in the wilderness and then lead them back to civilization. After all, it is their sworn duty as the Night Guard to protect all those in Equestria.

What had brought a tear to my eyes though, was what they told me about their celebrations.

As with me, they had believed they had failed Luna, their Princess. They wondered long and hard about whether there had been anything that they could have done to have prevented her fall and transformation into Nightmare Moon. After some time, they realized, as I had, it was because her night truly was unappreciated. It was then that they decided to change it. No more would the night just be time for rest and work, but also one for fun and laughter. And so they often celebrate under the moon and stars. Gatherings, galas, parties, and feasts! Or they get together in small groups and carouse the night away telling stories, singing songs, and so forth.

It was not just the normal holidays that they held celebrations for either. Oh, like any other they celebrated Hearts and Hooves "Night" as they called it, as well as Hearth's Warming, End of Summer, and so on. But they also brought back my sister's holiday, the one that was just for her as the Summer Sun Celebration was my holiday. which I had believed to have been lost forever in everyponies minds but my own. On the longest night of the year in the depths of winter, they would gather together for a truly stupendous time for the Winter Moon Festival. According to them, where they lived it would be celebrated for days at a time. It is their belief that she might look down upon them from the moon and smile in happiness.

Oh, Luna... part of me only wishes that this was true. But when you return you should rejoice as you and your night are unappreciated no more! These ponies, who owe so much to you both love and adore you and the night! I will admit though, that from the descriptions that I am hoping that perhaps one day I might be allowed to observe and participate in them... perhaps even sing the old songs about your various lives lived and tell the old tales...


Dearest Journal, it has been four centuries now, four lonely centuries without my beloved youngest sister. I still perform my nightly duties including singing a lullaby to my sister. Strangely, since the time when attempted to teleport to the moon, I have been visited at times by her Generals. Never for very long, mind you. A few minutes at the very most is what occurs. They have told me that I should wait for my sister to be returned to me, but I will not. There must be some way for me to do so... but how remains the question.

However, sadly it seems that such any more research shall have to wait. For war is once more upon the horizon and ready to arrive in Equestria. And it seems that it has to do with the Griffin Clans that call the northeastern mountains and offshore islands home. No, my dearest Journal, they are not the ones bringing war to us for they are as much victims as we are.

I had always wondered you know... I knew about the griffin slaves which had fled into the mountains when their masters, the Royal Gryphons, were killed. But when my sister arrived a century later, she found far too many in the northeastern mountains. From what she had told me, the slaves had met another, larger group of griffins. These had come from a far off land beyond the Eastern Sea. They had been driven into the sea by another tribe of griffins in their homeland and sailed west across the sea to flee their fate. Eventually, they came across a large, mountainous archipelago off our eastern shore where they settled. After a time, they spread to the northeastern coast. There, they met the fleeing griffin slaves.

Now it seems that the old enemy tribe has found them and Equestria. Upon my desk lay two scrolls. One is from the High Thane of the Griffin Clans and the other is from the Night Guard. According to the Thane, the other griffins arrived upon their shores in massive sailing vessels. At first, they had assumed that contact would be peaceful, but soon the other group attacked them. They had long wondered where their enemies had fled and now they found them. For the past three years, they have been fighting each other...

But now things have changed. Just three months ago, these "Bittish" griffins captured the southern islands. From there, they have raided Equestrian coastal towns. From what my spymasters have uncovered as has the Night Guard, the Bittish griffins believe that Equestria will fall before them and then they can encircle the Griffin Clans. In fact, they have dismissed any possibility that I raise the sun and moon.

I aim to prove them wrong on all counts.

Upon the morrow, I plan to send courier to the High Thane with word that I shall support him. Equestria shall march to war...


I have some good news, with both our combined forces, both us and the Griffin Clans managed to kick the Bittish off the islands that they have captured for the most part. From what I have been told, it will take a month at least for one of their ships to return to their homeland, after which they will gather more troops. This gives us time to prepare though. Time that I am going to put to good use.

Having considered that they most commonly raided along the sea coast, I have already given the order that we shall fortify our coasts. Two of the major forts under construction are Fort Manehatten upon the island of the same name and the Fort of Baltimare on Horseshoe Bay. Those are easily the two most important port areas on our seaboard and therefore should be protected against pirates. With those two areas secured, it means that the next part of the plan shall go much easier then it would otherwise...

Equestria shall build a navy.

While some of our airships could manage for offense, I need them to cover more of the coast as needed. So I have told the shipbuilders to begin planning and designing ships capable of fighting. We have some luck that Silverbeak, the High Thane, is willing to send builders of his own in order to help. Between the two of us, we might manage it...


We managed to repel another attack on Manehatten. The fortifications there worked perfectly against the attack as expected. However, while we have held, and so, too, have our griffin allies. It's honestly rather strange when one thinks about it. Just a few decades ago, we were borderline hostile toward them and them us. But while I would not call our relationship that of "Friends" quite yet, there is a camaraderie of shared spilled blood, Equestrian and Griffin Clan. And that is fine for right now in my book.

At the same time, though, not all is good news. The Bittish Griffins have taken the Northeastern Mountains. While they have not fully conquered them, they have landed large amounts of troops there. Troops who have begun to spread out and dug in. In the future, we hope to dislodge them but at the moment, the naval battles are more important. That said, I have sent the current version of "Captain Sunny Days Skies" to the northeastern front.

I am highly unsurprised that it seems that she has become respected by our griffin allies there. Now, whether that is because she's competent in battle, or a mad mare, I do not know and cannot decide. One truly has to wonder how it is that every time I make one of these clones, they turn out that way...

There is also a report I received from my Day Guard. A group of their scouts had been tracking some of the enemy griffins as they made their way to Equestria across the wilderness. Said enemies stopped for the night just before the borders and camped. The scouts had sent back one of their number to warn the local garrison commander while the rest stayed behind. They kept an eye on the camp all night, but in the morning there was no activity. By the time the sun rose to midday, they snuck into the camp to make a rather gruesome discovery...

All of the griffins had been killed in the night. Some were even killed in their beds while they had slept. Thankfully for them, they did not test the food or drink as those turned out to have been poisoned. It would be a mystery, except I have an idea as to whom is responsible...

I believe that I shall ask the Night Guard at their next contact if I can send a cask of my finest wine to be shared among whichever group of theirs was responsible. What had occurred now makes the issue of why so few groups make it to our border through the wilderness or why the prisoners we take speak of monsters in the night. The Night Guard was always rather sneaky and seem to have become even more so over the centuries...


With the continued naval harassment, I have decided to go along with one of my advisors' ideas. Dearest Journal, it is rather simple, though it pains me to do so. The idea is to issue forth royal contracts whereupon sailors and fisherponies can use their own ships to attack the enemy ones. Whatever they capture from the ships will have one-quarter given to the crown with the rest split among the captain and the crew. If they capture a ship, they can also keep it. They shall be legal pirates of a sort, operating for the betterment of Equestria.

However, I softly weep inside as I know many of those who take the charters will never return to our shores and may instead find themselves in an eternal rest at the bottom of the sea. Young ponies and others who will become victims to the cannons, arrows, and the like of the enemy griffins. Lives cut so short just to give us breathing room...

One of these 'Privateers' is a former personal student of mine, Sunshine Waters. Her father was a fisherpony and she has grown up around the sea before I took her under my wing. Just four months ago she set out with her crew. Her particular field of magic deals with weather manipulation spells and water influencing spells. Quite good at it, though her favored tactic is to create a giant, thick fog bank as she comes in. While I have not seen her except for when she received her charter, I am quite proud of her though I do worry...


The war is over after six years, for now at least. Both sides have retreated from the field of battle for now and hopefully that will last. There are two reasons for this it seems. One is that the Bittish are currently in a war with a pony nation named Prance. While the Griffin Clans were their ancestral enemies, it seems that the Prench and them have been knocking horns for centuries. The other reason is due to Sunshine Waters.

During one of her raids, she managed to get a hold of some of the nautical maps used by the Bittish before they could destroy them. Because of that, she was able to track down where the Bittish Isles were and, after having confirmed it was accurate, she gathered together a small fleet of privateers. Sunshine then used those ships to attack the Bittish in their own waters. They had thought that her fleet were our navy and due to the shock of having been attacked in their own lands, along with their problems with the Prench, they decided to sue for peace.

Not much has changed though in regards to the peace agreement. Neither I nor the griffin High Thane believe that it will last. In fact, we fully expect that as soon as things calm down between Prance and them, the Bittish will return once more. And I will note that we will be ready and waiting for them.

Yes, by "We" I mean Equestria and the Griffin Clans, dear Journal. Our shared defense has forged strengthened ties between us. Ties that will likely in the future come into good use by both of us. In fact, just this morn I returned to Canterlot after having signed an agreement with the High Thane. Said agreement states that if one is attacked from another nation, then the other will come to its defense.

All of that alone would be reason enough to be happy. The war is over, one of my former personal students has cemented herself into history, and the bonds between Equestria and the Griffin Clans have never been stronger. Yes, all that would be more than enough reason to be happy... However, I have another reason to be happy, dearest Journal.

I have come up with a way to possibly see Luna.

Strangely enough, it came from diamond dog raiders. During the war, there was this one pack that kept raiding places, especially small frontier forts. Normally, that would not raise much of an eyebrow as the Bittish often used to harass us. No, what was certainly not normal was that said forts had shields based on those used by the rebels during the Century of Strife, much modified of course. They often struck at night and overwhelmed the garrisons there before they burnt it to the ground. It was... frustrating and puzzling.

Then they had the bad luck to strike at a fort where Sunny had been staying. It was their big mistake as she managed to rally the Guard to her and then drove them back. As it turned out, they had been tunneling along the bottom edge of the shield until they got deep enough that it ended. Then they would tunnel up at an angle and come out from below the fort. If it was not for the fact that they had killed my little ponies, I would likely be much more impressed with them for the sheer brilliance of the move.

With that said, they reminded me of something and how it could work against the shield the Elements have placed around the moon. I am talking about the Rings of Gothlamog. Said rings are not much to look at since they are only large enough to fit a hoof through. But what makes them amazing is that you can transport items instantly between them, no matter how far apart they are. According to Starswirl, may he rest peacefully in the Summerlands, they dug "Below" our plane of existence. I remember him telling me that reality rests in a series of layers, or "Planes" as he called them. Teleportation only skims along the top most while the rings went much deeper.

And through his research, he said that he had found a way to travel between worlds. Later on, near the end of his life before his disappearance, he crafted a magical mirror which could travel to another world. A world without magic... the thought of which makes me shudder at the thought. But, I do need to travel to another world, just one on my plane of existence. I believe that if I was to make a tunnel that went "Deep" enough down through these layers, then I could bypass the shield around the moon entirely. Thus, allowing me to see dear Luna...

Thankfully, I still have all his notes he had made in the archives under lock and key. Not much information about the mirror, but more than enough to make a base upon. Sadly, I doubt that it would be enough to make this plan work... alone that is. But there is another source of information that I can turn to if she is yet alive. I had found out that she had gained the rings when she had taken out a bunch of bandits and thieves who had stolen them. More then that, she has spent a long time studying them and so has much knowledge on them which I will need.

It seems, dear Journal, that I shall have to pay a very old acquaintance a visit and see if she yet lives. Hopefully, this will be one sleeping dragon who will not mind much..."


Celestia slowly made her way through the massive cave carved underground on the edge of the Everfree. Finally, she reached the end of the tunnel and stopped at a solid wall. For a brief moment, the alicorn looked around before she frowned and called out in draconic, the language of dragons. "[GARNET? WHERE ARE YOU?]"

A few seconds later she froze as the biggest eyeball she had ever seen opened up in front of her. So huge was it, her body was smaller then the pupil. And then it pulled away to reveal that the "Wall" had been in fact the face of a sleeping dragon before it spoke, its voice like a landslide. "[Celestia... It has been a long time...]"

With sure movements, Celestia walked out so that she could fully see the draco invictus in front of her. There was a frown as she looked around for something only not to see it. "[Where is-]"

The dragon cut her off with a swipe of her hand, easily able to crush entire groups of buildings beneath it. However, Celestia could see her glance at a corner and when she did as well, she noticed a massive and nearly unmoving form seemingly merged with the rock. "[Gone... he slipped into the Final Slumber two decades ago and I will soon join him... Now, what is it that you want.]"

Having given a saddened look at the ancient dragon, Celestia took a deep breath as she saw the lights glint off her scaled, lavender hide. "[I have come to ask for some help from you...]" When she saw the narrowed eyes, she got down on her forelegs and bowed her head. "[I beg of you, please...]"

When she heard the huff and felt the smoke billow around her, she looked up to see an amused look on Garnet's muzzle. "[Good... seems that you have finally learned some humility and become the alicorn that I once called friend again...]" Her next words caused Celestia to flinch and hang her head. "[I am only saddened that it took, from what I have heard, the loss of your sister to her banishment.]" A moment later, the tip of one of the dragoness' talons came down and gently raised her head. "[I did miss you all these years, my old friend... and I am glad that you have finally come here, at the twilight of my life.]"

As she blinked back tears, Celestia softly nuzzled the claw before she spoke, her voice breaking. "[And I am thankful for that...]" Then the dragoness asked her what she needed and after she took a breath, Celestia began to tell her. Once she was finished, she looked up to see the massive dragoness silent with her eyes close. "[Garnet?]"

Both eyes opened and stared down at her as they searched her own. Finally, she nodded. "[I do indeed have the knowledge that you are looking for, Celestia. I studied the gates for many centuries, unravelling their magics... but such a knowledge comes with a price from me, you must understand...]"

Her back straightened, Celestia stared at her defiantly. "[Then I shall pay it! Anything to reunite with my sister once more!]"

However, a moment later she flinched as Garnet blew a gust of smoke at her, the wind having nearly knocked her off her hooves. "[Do not make promises such as that without knowing what the price is, Celestia Dawnstar. Just be thankful that my price is not a large one...]" Her talon glowed for a moment before an egg that was light lavender with darker spots on it. Before Celestia could say anything though, Garnet spoke up. "[Yes... this is my egg, mine and Dark Spire's. Before you even ask, I researched long and hard to find a way for us to have hatchlings though one of us could not. And just twenty years ago, I created the spell that allowed this little miracle to occur... But he slipped into the Final Slumber soon after and I can feel it coming upon myself. Part of my price is this... Take care of him and have him raised among you ponies. I wish for him to have a happy life and you ponies are the best bet for that as once I slip into the Final Slumber, I will be unable to take care of him.]"

Celestia took a step forward with curiosity on her face. "[And the rest of your price?]"

For a moment, Celestia could see pure pain on the dragoness' face before she got her answer why afterward. "[Until he is an adult, do not tell him who his parents are, it is too dangerous for both him and Equestria otherwise...]" When she noticed that Celestia was about to say something, she growled. "[No! There are reasons why, Celestia. Reasons that you do not know of which have to do with other dragons... if they found out about who his parents were, they would stop at nothing to kill him, even if it meant destroying most of Equestria in the process. He would be a threat to them as an adult.]"

Her eyes wide, the Princess of the Day frowned. "[But... why would they do such a thing? And how could he be a threat as an adult?]"

There was silence before Garnet sighed. "[I sometimes forget... that for all Luna and yourself are quite old, there is much that you do not know, especially about dragons...]" She gestured for Celestia to sit, which she did. "[A dragon passes on a portion of their power to their offspring. Not much! Just one third of each parent's power will be inherited by their hatchling. And before you ask, there are two reasons why each generation does not become more and more powerful... one, is that most dragons have hatchlings when they're young adults, before they begin to grow into their full potential. Which means that the dragons don't truly grow very powerful anymore. The other...]" Garnet trailed off before she shook it off. "[The other is cultural. To prevent a truly powerful dragon from being born, dragons beyond a certain age are forbidden from mating and having a hatchling. If they are just old, they are... discouraged, from having one. Older then that, and they will find themselves and any hatchling killed by the others. Even if it means coming as a giant flight of many dragons including Great Wyrms and destroying all in their path.]"

Silent, Celestia looked down at the egg and blinked. "[And because your egg is the result of two draco invicti mating, then it would be...]"

Slowly, the dragoness nodded. "[He shall grow to be powerful beyond belief. I suspect that when he becomes an adult, he would be able to defeat dragons far more powerful then himself with ease. And as he grows older still?]" There was a roll of her shoulders as she shrugged. "[That is another reason for him to be raised among the ponies. He would absorb your morals and much... nicer, mannerisms. It shall help him not become like... others have, when given such power.]" For a brief moment, Garnet's eyes gazed far into the past to another time. "[Both myself and Dark Spire still remember the village of ponies we took under our wing and protected from others... they may have moved elsewhere with the village itself being no more, but they were our family in more ways then other dragons were... And it is my fondest hope that my young one will grow in a similar environment. Perhaps he'll become a protector of ponies like his parents...]"

As she held the egg gently, Celestia sighed. "[Garnet, I swear that I shall follow your wishes.]"

However, the mother dragoness leaned down and once more Celestia could taste the power in the air from the massive and ancient being before her. "[Not good enough Celestia... swear that you will care for him. SWEAR UPON BOTH YOUR PARENTS AND LUNA'S NAME!]"

With a gulp, Celestia took a breath. "[I, Celestia Dawnstar hereby do solemnly swear to follow Garnet Star's directions. I swear upon the graves of my parents and upon my sister, Luna's, name.]"

Silence descended upon the cave before Garnet pulled away and gestured at a wall, part of it moving to form an entrance as if the rock was nothing but clay. "[The knowledge that you seek is within there, Celestia. Use it wisely... But before anything else, know that I hope that if my hatchling shows signs of being a dragon mage, that when he is ready and can both read and speak the language of dragons, that you gift him my spellbooks...]"

Before Celestia's wide eyes, Garnet slowly sank to the floor, her huge bulk laid out. "[Ga-Garnet? What is wrong?!]"

All Garnet did was to smile at her gently before she looked toward her egg, her voice barely a whisper and carried a great tiredness and happiness. "[I have felt the Final Slumber coming upon me for the past few years, Celestia... But I have held out far longer... then a normal dragon could have... for my egg. And now? Now... that he shall be safe and shall be raised with love... and care... I find myself unable to fight it anymore... I am only sad... that I shall never see him hatch or grow...]" She gave a small shake as her eyes slowly closed to the sight of the grief-stricken Celestia. "[Do not cry my friend... I have lived so long... this is like going to sleep after a very, very long day... And I will soon be with Dark Spire and hear his voice and feel his love... in a place other... then my memories...]" Her chest gave a shudder as her eyes fully closed. "[Perhaps I shall see you... again... some day, my old friend...]"

Through the tears that streamed down her cheeks, Celestia flew down with the egg secure in her magic before she trotted up and gave her oldest living friend outside of Luna a nuzzle as she tried to speak past the lump in her throat. "[Per... perhaps we shall, someday...]"

While her lips curled upward, Garnet let out a sigh. "[If he ever asks about his parents... while you will keep who we are... secret... tell him... tell him that we loved him very much and are sorry... we weren't there but in spirit... and that we will always... watch over... him...]"

And with that, Garnet Star, the greatest and most knowledgeable dragon mage ever seen by Equestria, friend to Celestia, slipped into the Final Slumber from which she would never awake. A smile upon her muzzle knowing that her final duty was done and her most precious treasure was safe. Said treasure was cradled close to Celestia as she softly cried in the dark cave...

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Dearest Journal, it has been more then a few centuries since Garnet slipped into her final slumber. It is something that happens to draco invicti where their fires slowly flicker and die. After that, their bodies petrify and become one with the rock their legends say they were born from, their blood crystallizing within their bodies. Beside me, in a hot stone lined crate, is her egg. It strangely has not hatched through some of my research has told me that is nothing to worry about. Due to it needing infusions of magic in order to incubate, I have used it to test the power of the unicorns coming into my school. The egg itself is never in danger, that I have made sure of.

It may have been centuries since her death, and Equestria has gone through good times and bad. Over the centuries, we have had more wars with the Bittish Isles, though the last was decades ago and it seems the world has become... while not exactly peaceful, quiet perhaps. And Equestria has grown to become the largest and most powerful nation in the world. I wonder how Luna will react to that... or how other things have changed.

One of the two biggest is that, though it was a lot of work, ponies now adore her night. They have what are called "Night Clubs" where they gather and party into the night. In disguise, I have gone to some of these and they are quite fun. There are also groups who gather to gaze through telescopes and wonder about the universe above them. Poets, theatre, songs, novels... all these about the night. Now the night is nothing to fear any longer. Though I do hope that she never finds out about a group of children's stories or realizes that I was the one who authored and are somewhat based them off her. They're about a princess on the moon and her adventures. She never did like the nickname of 'Woona' after all, no matter how cute her expression was...

The other is that foul night called "Nightmare Night". That was a rather large amount of work to steer ponies toward what it is now over the years. Where once it was a night of fear and anger, now it has softened. Ponies and others still use it to frighten, but it is also a night of fun and pranks with foals running around in costumes to gather up candy and other treats. Even the Night Guard like it, if only because of it being the one night a year that they can freely mingle with the average citizen of Equestria and not stand out. After all, most just assume that they're good costumes.

Speaking of the Night Guard, for the past century I have been invited some of their gatherings and celebrations. In particular the Winter Moon Celebration where I dress up as my sister and raise the moon in her honor. However, I cannot wait until she returns for her to perform the action. It is my hope that my plans come to fruition for when she returns in about seventeen years. At the moment, I am attempting to push my current personal student, Sunset Shimmer, toward making friends so that she can learn the magic of friendship and awaken the Elements of Harmony. If one whose actions were not as tarnished as my own does so, and uses them, then it should bring back my sister. And she may become an alicorn herself.

Yes, an alicorn. For years I had thought that one would need to be born one due to what I suspect was my parents' and uncle's plan in regard to the tribes. But just a year ago, I felt a pull to go to the astral realm and found there a pink pegasus. Her name was Mi Amore Cadenza, though she goes by the name of Cadence. Still feeling the need to perform an action, I did so and she transformed into an alicorn! Her special talent, it seems, is love. Remarkable and since she needed a powerful magical artifact and to master a form of magic when it was used, I suspect I know how to allow another to ascend. I found an unfinished spell in a book of Starswirl's during my research. If one were to complete it who knows of the magic of friendship, along with the Elements of Harmony being used, then they should ascend to alicornhood. I think that will be Sunset.

However, that is not all the good news that I have.

I have finally completed my greatest work. With this, I can finally create my gateway to the moon after centuries of work and research. Already, I have gathered the materials I needed and built this end of the gateway. Said gateway goes deeper then I had originally planned, to the depths that Starswirl's mirror goes, but it is not supposed to connect to another dimension. Rather, it will connect to the moon and, with any luck, I shall step out onto its surface to greet and speak with my sister.

That is not to say that I will not be prepared though since it could be the Nightmare I meet, still in control of my sister's body. If so, I will use a spell of my own creation which knocks the soul controlling a body out of it for a time. Casting it upon Nightmare Moon should banish her from Luna's body long enough for me to speak with her. To power the spell, not only will I use magic storing crystals, but also I will take the risk and connect with the sun and draw some power from it. I did learn from the last time though and set up a way to bleed off the excess energies. Within two months, during the summer months, I shall create a clone to take my place and then perform the spell...


For several moments, Celestia just laid there on what seemed like a stone floor of some sort before her eyes slowly opened . 'Ugh... what happened...' She tried her best to ignore the smell of ozone in the air along with the feeling of every inch of her fur standing on end. It didn't help matters that her skin itched from the magic in the air. Meanwhile, the alicorn went back over the events that had landed her here. 'I had done the spell and then...'

Suddenly, her eyes popped open in surprise before she shut them tightly as she remembered. The spell had worked and worked its way through the lower layers of reality until it reached the point where it ascended toward the moon. But just before it connected, the barrier the Elements had set up struck and shredded the end of the spell. Like a snake with its head cut off, the spell flailed around in the interdimensional spaces it was in, despite Celestia having tried her best to stop it. Then... 'Then the spell hit something and connected... another tunnel, but without a destination? What kind of idiot would do something like that...'

A sigh then escaped her. 'Well... besides myself apparently... Oh, Luna... I am so sorry...' It was then that she heard something and her ears tilted toward the sound. The sound that Celestia recognized as that of a body shifting and fabric as it slid across stone. '... I'm not alone...'

She opened her eyes and spotted the source at the same time the creature spotted her. "... Bloody fucking hell... Did I have my sister's boyfriend's special brownies again...!?"

Author's Note:

Part two of three for this update.