The Secret of Her Past

by Nerdz

Prologue: The Music Box

The only sounds in the room were the quiet sobs emitting from the young mare sprawled on the oriental sofa. There was very little light in the room, a fireplace providing the only light. The mare's white coat was tear stained and matted, her aura-like mane fairing the same conditions. She tucked her wings tighter to her sides, flaring her horn to grab a blanket. She refused to rise from her spot, even to move closer to the fire, no matter how cold she got. She barely even opened her red-rimmed eyes when the door opened, preferring to pull the blanket over her eyes as if hiding from the outside light. She only came out when a gentle hoof was laid against her head.

She glanced up at the pony who had walked into the room, a light green Unicorn mare, her pale blue mane tied into a bun. The mare was in her late thirties. Most ponies knew her as Mrs. Smith, Black Smith's wife , yet she knew her as Mrs. Smith, her foalhood nanny.

"Celestia?" Mrs. Smith said gently

The said mare pulled the cover back slightly. "I didn't know you would be coming."

"I figured you could use someone with their head screwed on straight, and it appears I was right. I know it hurts, but it's been two weeks since you've left your room. It's not healthy."

"You don't know..." the younger mare whimpered "How could you possibly know what it's like to have...." she broke into sobs. The older mare sat next to the sofa, fore legs wrapped around her past charge, who buried her head into her past nanny's chest, tears staining the light green coat.

"Shh, it's alright. It'll get easier over time, but for now, just keep your chin up." Celestia sniffled, and Mrs. Smith levitated a handkerchief over to the younger mare. "Now, there's no need to hide in your room like a scared foal. You're a grown mare; you need to make the best of a bad situation."

"What good could possibly come from this?" Celestia waved a hoof dramatically. Mrs. Smith shrugged, standing up.

"That's what you need to find out! Now, get up."

"You always were very stubborn."

"I had to be to keep you in line."

Celestia sniffed, sitting up. "And strict."

The older mare chuckled, her skirts swishing as she walked towards the worn out saddle bags she'd left near the door. "Hey, now, tough love is still love." she opened the bags " By the way, I brought you something." She pulled out a leather-bound book and levitated it across the room. Half way across, the book changed auras, and Celestia brought the book closer to herself to examine it.

"What is it?" she asked.

"A diary. I figure writing it down will help." the younger mare nodded "Right then, I'll go see if I can scrounge up a decent meal for you." with that, Mrs. Smith left Celestia to herself. Celestia watched her past nanny leave the room, the glanced down at the book suspended in front of her. She sighed, forcing herself to her hooves before walking over to the desk on the other side of the room. Sitting down, she opened the book, lifted a quill and dipped it in the inkwell. She then let it move across the paper, letting the words flow along the page.

Dear Diary,

My name is Celestia Galaxianov, Solar Heir of Equestria. I was raised in the Canterlot Palace. When I turned eighteen, the age I am now, my parents, King Eclipse of the Night and Queen Sunniva of the Day, permitted me to move to Maris until the day I became Queen. I had been there for six months when winter rolled around, and I was returning home for Hearths Warming. I arrived on Hearths Warming Eve, just in time for the ball my family hosted each year.

She paused in her writing for a moment, letting the memories flow into her mind.

---

Celestia entered the palace ballroom. No one had yet noticed her arrival, apart from the few cousins and few members of non-related royalty she had bumped into. Sitting on her throne, she glanced about the large room, watching everypony dancing and talking. Every filly and mare with wings in the room, including herself, sported painted wings; a traditional part of formal wear, the paint was made with cloud and expensive dyes, so as not to harm or permanently color a mare's delicate feathers.

Presently, she saw two young colts, presumably princes from some other kingdom, fawning over two of her sisters, the fifteen-year-old twins, Princess Flora, of all things Green, and Princess Fauna, of the Animals.

I may sound biased, but they were beautiful. Their dresses, floor length skirts with a tight bodice and golden trim, were the same, apart from color. Flora's was a pale yellow to complement her lime coat, while Fauna's was a deep red against her purple coat. Flora's golden hair was tied into a tight braid, and Fauna's reddish-brown mane was tied into a high ponytail. They each had sparkling green eyes.

Two young colts, each in matching royal robes chased each other around the ballroom, raising havoc among the guests. Celestia merely laughed at her brother's antics.

My brothers, Stormy and Blaze, were running around, terrorizing everypony in the room. Blaze, red coat with an orange mane, was three and idolized Stormy, light grey with a black mane, who was five.

Soon, she caught the gaze of the pony she had been looking for. The pony was dancing wildly around her parents.

My father had put extra work into the sky that night, but no star burned brighter than Princess Luna, my youngest sister.

The eight-year-old filly grinned and waved at her sister. She ran around her father, going cross-eyed and sticking her tongue out at Celestia. Eclipse grabbed her from behind, holding her high and twirling her around.

"Papa!" she squealed, her crown falling from her head. He laughed, setting her down. Luna ran to Celestia, tripping over her midnight blue gown along the way. She grabbed something from her throne as she passed it. Upon reaching her sister, she gave her a crude, childish drawing of a foal sitting on a sofa. Celestia smiled, holding the drawing close to her chest, careful not to wrinkle it as she hugged Luna. Neither of them noticed the Unicorn colt sneaking from the kitchen, levitating an apple in front of himself. He watched the two in fascination

I loved each of my siblings, but Luna and I were closer to each other than we were to the others. She was the Lunar Heir, and we would one day rule Equestria together. She begged me not to return to Maris, as I expected she would, so I had a gift made for her to make the separation easier for both of us.

Celestia lit her horn, reaching into the pocket of her light pink dress. She pulled out a beautifully decorated box. Luna gasped in awe.

"For me?" she asked, reaching a hoof out to touch it "Is it a jewelry box?" They faintly heard somepony shout at someone behind them.

"Comet!" a butler shouted, dragging the colt towards a door "You belong in the kitchen!" Celestia pulled out a golden chain with a silver star-shaped charm hanging from it. She placed the star in a slot on the side of the box, turning it gently. It opened, two miniature ponies twirling to the calming instrumental emitting from the box. Luna squealed in excitement, recognizing the tune.

"It plays the the lullaby! The one you wrote for me!" Celestia nodded, placing the chain around her sister's neck.

"You can play it whenever you feel lonely, and pretend I'm singing it to you." Smiling, the elder began to sing.

"On the wind, across the sea, hear this song and remember," Luna joined in, the sisters harmonizing beautifully "Soon you'll be home with me. Once upon a December!" The girls laughed.

"Read what it says." Celestia gestured towards the charm. Luna used her magic to lift the charm so she could read the back.

"Together...." she squinted "in Maris." Luna gasped "Really!? Oh, Tia!" the filly leaped at her older sister, grasping her in a crushing hug. Both girls laughed.

---

Celestia smiled at the memory, but her face soon fell at what came next. She turned back to the page and continued to write.

But...we would never be together in Maris. A dark shadow had descended upon the house of the Galaxianovs. A Unicorn who had succumbed to the darkness of his heart. A stallion who I regret to say that I had been engaged to. His name was Sombra. He had worked as my father's assistant until he proposed to me. We thought he was a good stallion, but he was a fraud; power mad and dangerous. He tried to over throw my cousin, Princess Amore, and take over her kingdom, the Crystal Empire. He was foiled, banished, and the engagement was broken. Bent on his desire for revenge, he sold his soul for the power to destroy us. He became a literal pony of shadows.

---

Everypony parted as a dark stallion walked towards the royal family. Nopony noticed Comet returning from the kitchen, dropping the tray of food he'd been carrying. Eclipse stepped forward.

"How dare you return to the Palace?" he growled.

"But, I am your assistant!" Sombra jeered.

"Assistant? Ha! You're a traitor! Get out!"

"You think you can banish me so easily?" He gripped a black lantern around his neck with his magic "I banish you! All of you! With a curse. Heed my words, the entire Galaxianov shall die within the fortnight!" he smiled evilly, flashing his horn, then appearing next to Celestia. "Except for you, deary. You'll regret breaking the engagement, as you'll be the only survivor." With that he disappeared.

---

Celestia shuddered, remembering the stallion's threat, before continuing to write.

After that, the spark of his darkness was fanned into a monstrous flame that would destroy our lives forever.

---

Three days later, Sombra, using the power of his Lantern of Shadow, created an army; hundreds of ponies made of black crystals. He sent them to the palace, then sent shadow bats to unlock the gates. The army rushed into the courtyard, smashing everything in sight.

Inside the palace, ponies were frantic, running around, most still in their sleep wear, trying to escape.

"Hurry, everypony!" Eclipse yelled, ushering everyone down a hallway. Luna and Celestia ran alongside each other. Suddenly, Luna gasped and turned around.

"My music box!" she cried, running down a corridor. Celestia galloped after her.

"Luna! Come Back! Come back!" the girls raced into a playroom. Luna rushed to a doll house, shoving dolls aside to grab the music box. Celestia came up beside her, ushering her back towards the door. Suddenly, a door in the wall opened, and a colt rushed out.

"Hurry, this way, please, out the servants quarters!" he ushered them through the door, Luna dropping the box in the process.

"Sombra, they're getting away!" a crystal bat yelled from outside the window.

"But, my music bo-" Luna started. The colt shoved her.

"Go, now!" he slammed the door just as two crystallized stallions rushed into the room.

"Where are they, boy!?" one growled. Looking around, the foal grabbed an empty oil lantern and threw it at one of the stallions. The other rammed his hoof into the back of the colt's head, knocking him out cold.

---

"Run, Luna! Keep up with me, darling!" Celestia and Luna galloped underneath a bridge, running across the ice. There was a growl as Sombra threw himself off of the bridge, ice cracking under his weight. He grabbed Luna's back legs. The filly crashed onto the ice, her head snapping onto the ground. There was a loud crack, and her horn rolled to the side.

"Sombra!" Celestia yelled, trying to pry her sister from the Stallion of Shadow's grasp.

"Lemme go!" Luna sobbed, terrified "Please!"

"You'll never escape me, child!" he chuckled wickedly "Never!" Celestia stepped back, wings spread and eyes glowing white.

"Let. Her. Go.," she growled "NOW!" She fired a beam of light at Sombra. He was pushed into the air, flying far off into the direction of the Frozen North. Luna pulled herself onto her hooves. Her horn lay to the side, a scar and few drops of blood being the only indicator that it had ever been attached to her head.

"When my magic has built back up, I can grow you a new horn." Celestia promised "Sombra may be gone for now, but his army will be here any moment. We have to go. Run, Luna, and don't look back!"

---

The filly and mare neared the train station. Leaping onto the tracks, they ran after the train.

"Faster, Luna!" Celestia called out as she jumped onto the platform at the back of the caboose. She turned around, reaching a hoof out to her sister.

"Tia!" the filly yelled, running on three legs, reaching out to her sister.

"Take my hoof!" their hooves touched, and they held on for dear life "Hold on!"

"Don't let go!" Luna begged, running behind the train. Celestia tried to teleport her sister onto the train, but her magic had yet to replenish enough to cast any spell. It was so crowded that Luna could barely run, let alone try to fly. Both girls screamed as their hooves slipped. The ponies standing next to Celestia tried to help by reaching out in vain attempts to grab the filly.

"LUNA!" Celestia screamed in horror as her sister crashed onto the tracks. Her head made contact with the steel, her eyes rolling back into her head. Celestia tried to jump off the train, but someone grabbed her, pulling her back before she hurt herself. "Luna!" she wailed, tears streaming down her face.

---

Celestia cried silently as she wrote, tears staining the paper.

That was two weeks ago. So many lives were destroyed that night. I later found out that no one else in my family had even made it past the palace walls. What had always been...now gone forever. And the filly who did escape with me, I don't know what became of her. Oh Luna, my dear, sweet sister...I fear I'll never see her again.

Author's Note:

Hope everypony will enjoy this ponified version of one of history's greatest mysteries!

Comments

[ShadowblazeCR]

Alicorn=no.

[crystal_chaos]

Meh, I like the concept, but you need to change it some.

[Nerdz]

5410213 I'm not quite sure what you mean...

5410310 What do I need to change?

[Nerdz]

5410572 Niya is not Celestia, but she is not an OC either. At least, the character isn't, but the name is original. You might want to reread the description and story, then it should make more sense.

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

5410213 face it, alicorns are a race. we frankly don't know what happened in the past for there to be a limited number of them now. And this off the bat is an AU story and a complete AU so they can do anything here.

[Nerdz]

5412327 Glad it's making sense now! I think I understand what Shadow meant. Celestia and Luna's parents and siblings are alicorn OCs because, well, for now, we don't know if the princesses even have any family, but they died in prologue, so...ok maybe I don't know what they mean....

[Starlight Nova]

This sounds like it needs a crossover tag... Who is the pony in the story image?

[Nerdz]

5414099 the first pic is filly Luna, the second is Niya, the third I can't tell you because it will spoil later chapters. You'll just have to wait and see...

[TheRealCheeseSandwich]

I honestly LOVED it. I almost cried when Luna hit her head. I love dramatic stories like this and cant wait to see some more. ROCK ON NERDZ U RULE!!!