Celestia

by Arad

Let Me Tell You A Story...

“...and that was when--” the gray-coated and white-maned unicorn in a security guard uniform stopped mid-sentence and turned back to the child that was following behind him. “Is something wrong? I do hope I’m not boring you with my little story.”

The child shifted his stance, but quickly shook his head. “No, sir! It’s just that it feels like we’ve been walking for hours. Could we maybe take a break?”

The unicorn tilted his head to the side to consider the point before nodding. “I suppose that’s not too unreasonable a request, and we are at a good place for an intermission.” The unicorn’s horn flashed and a bar stool appeared beside the child. Despite its horridly bent legs, the stool didn’t wobble for a moment as the child took the hint and hopped up onto it. Once the child was comfortable, he continued, “Now then, how about a different story while you rest your legs? Do you know the story of Hearth’s Warming Eve?”

A skeptical look entered the child’s face. “Of course I have, I don’t know if there’s anyone who hasn’t.”

“Do you really know the story?” the guard asked with a note of surprise.

“Yeah.”

“Do you really know the story?” the guard asked again.

“I’ve heard what the exchange students told me at school…”

“Do you reeeeaaaaaaa--” the guard started to ask again, but a flat look from the child stopped him. “What are the basics of the story you know? The three pony tribes didn’t get along, which brought the wrath of the Windigos and the winter upon them, then the Windigos were defeated only when the three tribes discovered the fires of friendship shortly thereafter, correct?”

“That’s right, yeah,” came the instant reply.

“Mhm,” the unicorn nodded. “Do you know anything about Queen Solaria?”

“No, sir,” the child answered with less certainty.

“Well then! This story starts with the illustrious Queen Solaria, and the day she made peace with the dragons…”

Comments

[Asheram]

! Solaria! Holy buckeroni!

[Alpha Church]

This story starts with the illustrious Queen Solaria, and the day she made peace with the dragons…

Call it a hunch, but I think she opened that dragon / pony peace summit with this line.

i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab302/Church0/TyrantCelestiathinksyoureadorable_zps28502e2f.png

Just a hunch.

[resonance]

Since you're basically my favorite author on the site, I'll read everything you publish. But I don't understand the necessity of setting it in the stardust universe.

[Always Breakfast]

That guard is going to leave Tommy with a lifetime of nightmares. Poor kid just wanted to know about some stained-glass windows, and now he's hearing about a bloody alien invasion and that the foundation of Equestrian civilization is a lie sugarcoating some kind of behind-the-scenes slaughter.

[thatguy45]

5665636 sigh, just like the origin story of every country ever.

[Katamariguy]

5667460 Yeah. The way they told it to me as a kid, the American Revolution was some kind of merry tea party.

[BenRG]

You know what that story summary reminds me of? Something a certain Doctor said: "I've lived many lives and worn many faces; some I'm more proud of than others but there is one life that I've tried very, very hard to forget."

[AppleTank]

Arad, you said there were clues here.
I... maybe see it?

[Titan Commander Sebaste]

Rereading this after all these months, still impressed by it

[Jane_Shadow]

I made myself read both Stardust and Mente Materia before I let myself open this. It took me a week of constant reading. Are the child and guard the same as in MM? Red Eyes(a description, not a name) and Tommy?