Prologue: The Summer Sun Celebration

One thousand years of regret

Prologue: The Summer Sun Celebration

The long white horn started glowing in a soft golden light, shining in the light of the morning. It was time. The four white hooves, each wearing a gold shoe, walking on the marble ground, towards the gold statue representing the sun. Two white wings, wide openned, ready to beat strongly. Two purple eyes, looking far in front of her. A long pastel mane, flowing in the breeze. The trumpets announced her arrival, and great cheers could be heard from every direction. The mare walked, holding her head high, smiling peacefully. She felt her heart warm up when she saw all the happy faces, cheering at her, waiting for the moment. There was no need to wait. The horn glowed even brighter, she closed her eyes and beated hardly her wings, pulling her perfect body off of the ground, into the sky... The wind flew in her mane as she pulled her head high, pulling with her magic, the sun from behind the mountains, the star started going up, an orange silhouette moving in front of it. Finally, she let the magic exit her body and landed gracefully in front of the screaming and cheering crowd. This was the summer sun celebration, the longest day of the year, and Equestria's favourite feast. And it was up to her, to raise the sun and bring the bright and joyful day. This is how it felt to be admired by the the thousands of ponies all across the land, that's how it felt to be a princess, that's how it felt to be Princess Celestia...

The princess walked through the empty halls of Canterlot Palace, everypony was outside, celebrating the sun, Celestia was supposed to be with them, but she was worried. She stopped in front a big wooden door and knocked gently, then, she pushed open the door. To find a dark blue alicorn laying on the big bed, her face burried in a pile of pillows, her cyan mane forming a halo around her head.

"Luna..." Said Celestia, approaching the mare. "Are you alright?" The blue mare shoke her head, still hiding her face.

"Luna, what's happenning?" Asked the solar princess softly. Finally, Luna lifted her head, and looked at the princess with her blue eyes.

"You should know.." Mumbled the mare. "When you raise the sun, everypony cheers ans smiles, they all watch you, they're happy. When I raise the moon, there's only silence." The Lunar Princess paused. "Don't you see it sis?!"

"Luna, it's not because they don't watch you raise the moon that they don't love you. You're my sister, the co-ruler of Equestria, the princess of the night and the moon." Replied Celestia, trying to comfort her sister. "Now why don't you get up and-" She was interrupted by a small knock. An instant later, a small sound came from the other side of the door, then it was envelopped in a bright blue aura before slamming open. A pink filly stood there, her blonde, pink and purple mane falling all the way to the ground, and her purple eyes shining brightly. Her horn glowed a small blue aura, and her wings were flared open.

"Cadence, what are you doing here?" Asked Celestia.

"It's soon time for the sunset!" Exclaimed Cadence, bouncing around the room and shaking her small wings.

"Were coming, don't worry." Said Celestia. "Come Luna, why don't you come see the sunset too?"

Luna groaned and got off her bed. Quickly, she fixed her mane, placed on her tiara and necklace and stepped into her silver shoes. Then, the three princesses walked together in the halls, towards the gardens where the party happenned. All the faces turned around when the trumpets announced the arrival of Equestria's royalty. Luna gently nuzzled Cadence, and the filly zipped off through the crowd. When the two sisters arrived at the bottom of the marble podium, Celestia started walking up the steps, then she turned her head to see her sister standing at the bottom.

"Luna, why don't you come with me." Luna smiled and ran up next to her sister. All the talking stopped, and a big cheering started. Celestia lifted her hoof and spoke.

"And this is it my subjects, then end of another Summer Sun Celebration, another amazing party, but now, its time to finish the day and let the sun rest, for tomorrow will be another beautiful day!" A huge cheer came up. Celestia's horn glowed for the second time of the day and slowly brought down the sun. When it's last beams disappearred behind the mountains, all the ponies silenced, before cheering again.

"Thank you, thank you all." Said Celestia. "But now, i'd like to present you a special pony, a very important mare to me..." She turned to Luna and pushed her forward. "Meet her royal highness, the Lunar princess, ruler of the night, and my little sister...Princess Luna!" All the cheering stopped, making place to a confused silence.

"What?"

"The princess, she has a sister?"

"Luna?"

Questions fused from everywhere. Luna started to feel embarassed, she lowered down her head, Celestia saw her trouble and quickly tried to save the situation.

"And now my friends, let's experience together, the magic of the moonrise!" Said Celestia. "Go Luna, do it now." Whispered the white mare to her sister.

Luna breathed in strongly. Then, she walked forward, towards the hills of Canterlot, then turned to face the crowd. Just like her sister, she closed her eyes, sent in all of her power in her horn, wich glowed in a strong blue light. Then, openning her wings, she lifted herself into the sky, and used all of her power to pull the moon out. Finally, the white globe peaked from the horizon. Luna gained altitude, going up at the same time as the moon, her black silhouette distinctly showed in front of the moon. Then, she brought out the stars, wich, similar as fireflies, glowed in the midnight blue sky. Finally, as finale, she provoqued with her magic a rain of shooting stars to dash across the sky, the white sparkly tails leaving luminescent trails in the sky. Then, she slowly went back down, before landing. She stopped her magic and oppenned her eyes. She saw the crowd, standing, completely shocked. Then, they turned towards her. And to Luna's astonishment, they started to yell and boo at her. "What?" She said to herself. "I tought they would like this..." Then, without another look, she turned around and ran, not seeing where she was going, just trying to get as far as possible from that crowd, finally, she toke off and rose into the sky, tears streaming down her face.

Chapter 1: Memories

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"Luna!!!" Screamed Cadence. She ran out of the crowd and bolted into the night after her cousin. But before she could get any further, a halo of gold magic formed around her body, pulling her back down to the ground. As soon as she was free from the magic grasp she yelled. "Tia! We have to help her, she's sad."
Celestia looked at her cousin wich was now hovering in front of her eyes.
"Don't worry Cadence." Reassuringly said the white alicorn. "Give her some time, she'll come back."
The young alicorn went slowly back down, folding up her wings, her purple eyes as bright as ever.
"I hope you are right..."

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All Luna wanted was to go as far as possible. She flew quickly through the wind, letting it shake her blue mane around her face. She beated her wings strongly, getting as far as possible, from Canterlot, the palace, her sister, all these ponies that hated her. For who she was. They hated her for beeing the Princess of the Night, and for rising the moon and the stars every night. While she tought, she gracefully landed onto a small cloud, just big enough for her. She layed down, looking up into the sky, at the moon, the stars, everything that her parent's created together, in harmony... She felt her eyes get wet when she taught about her parents, Princess Galaxia and King Chronos. Both of them were loved from their subjects, they ruled peacefully, bringing the day and the night together and creating harmony all over their land, Equestria. Then one day, their lives changed, a filly was born, a royal filly, with a gleaming white coat, pink mane and bright purple eyes. Celestia. All three of them now ruled together, Galaxia teaching the young princess all about magic and history, while Chronos, her father, teached all about flight, the sun and the moon. Often, the ponies from Equestria could see the dark blue alicorn fly by, his white mane blowing in the wind, followed by an alabaster little alicorn, desperately trying to catch up onto her father.
Then, five years later, another filly arrived. Her coat the same color as the night, with a beautiful cyan mane and petrol eyes. Luna...
Now their family was complete. They ruled all four of them, the parents teaching the two sisters about everything in Equestria. But then, that faithful day. Galaxia discovered something, another tribe of ponies. There were already unicorns and earth ponies, but it seemed like another tribe hid, high in the sky, above the clouds, the pegasus ponies, a tribe of mighty warriors, ruled by a stallion named Hurricane, Commander Hurricane. He declared war to Equestria, hoping to gain more land for his subjects. All the pegasi attacked by hundreds Equestria, that's when Galaxia and Chronos to protect their subjects had to attack too. That next scene was known from everypony. Galaxia, Chronos, Celestia, Luna and two other ponies, Supernova and Spectra, flying up and using their magic, to create a strong power, that stopped the pegasi. That's how the Elements of Harmony were born. Each of the six ponies represented a different element...Honnesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty and Magic....
And finally, a pact was signed by Shooting Star, daughter of Commander Hurricane and the members of the Royal Family...
Then, a few years later, Galaxia's sister, Princess Amethyst, arrived in Canterlot, close to death, announcing that the Crystal Empire had been attacked and was now under King Sombra's control...she passed out not long after, leaving to Galaxia, her daughter, Mi Amore Cadenza, a tiny pink alicorn, with a beautiful blonde, purple and pink mane and bright purple eyes. Then Luna's parents had went to the Crystal Empire to try to stop King Sombra, but they were defeated and killed by him, that's how the three fillies were left alone to rule Equestria......
That was all Luna remembered of her fillyhood, she looked up and realised it was soon dawn. She stood up and elevated herself into the brightening sky. She closed her eyes, and let the magic flow through her whole body, to finally all gather at the tip of her horn, wich started glowing with the powerful blue aura, concentrating hard, Luna let the power go up into the sky and let the magic go up to the moon. When there was enough power, she started going down towards the ground, the moon going down at the same time. When the alicorn reached the ground, the moon was gone and the sky started changing colors, into a beautiful orange and pink as the sun slowly went up into the sky. Having nothing more to do, Luna went back into the sky and went back to the castle to go to bed.

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Celestia watched the sky as it started to loose its darkness. Luna, what are you doing? Suddenly, she noticed the moon starting to lower in the sky. The alabaster alicorn smiled and waited for the moon to disappear behind the mountains. When it did, she let her magic flow into her horn and started elevating herself in the sky, shooting gold beams of magic towards the sky. Behind her, the sun started coming up into the sky, she flew high, then let her magic flow back into her body, leaving now to the sun to continue its course in the sky. Then, she lifted Cadence, wich had fallen asleep, onto her back with her magic. She walked into the castle, her hoofsteps echoing in the empty halls. She turned her head on the left and saw a dark form approaching. A few instants later, Luna tumbled in by the window, sliding on the marble floor, before crashing into the wall on the other side of the hall.
"I'm back!" Said the alicorn while she shoke her wings.
"I was sure you would come back." Said Celestia. "You know, Cadence was really worried."
"I'm sorry to have worried her....and you." Said Luna, after a moment. "I had to go around a moment, to calm myself down, and I.." She was interrupted by her sister, wich placed a hoof over the princess's lips.
"I understand Luna, don't worry.." Reassuringly said Celestia, placing a wing over Luna's back. "Now, why don't you go to bed, you must be tired."
Luna smiled. "Thanks, Tia." She quickly hugged her sister then ran through the hall, letting lowering her flank until letting touch the ground and sliding on the marble floor. "By the way, I love these floors!"
Celestia smiled, feeling touched while she watched her sister slide down the hall and crash again into another wall.

Luna stumbled into her room, using her magic to remove her shoes, necklace and tiare, placing them neatly on her shelf. Then she climbed into her bed, and with one magical glow, closed the curtains and her eyes and quickly drifted into sleep.

Chapter 2: Cadence's destiny

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Luna...Dear little Luna...So naive, so peaceful...

"Aaah" Luna threw off the blankets, bolting upright in her bed. "Just a dream, but it was feeling so real.."
She could still clearly see the cloud of purple smoke dive towards her, catching her, choking her, imprisoning her until she faded away. She sighed, wiping of the sweat dripping from her forehead. She walked slowly to the big window, just in time to see the familiar silhouette elevate in the sky, a gold beam of magic emaning from the tip of her horn as it envelopped her whole body and made the sky glow in beautiful warm colors, slowly, the goddess descended from the burning sky, the sun lowering behind her wide wings.
"It is time."
Luna pushed open the window, standing on the side of the golden balcony. She spread out her wide wings, pulling herself in the darkening sky, she rose high, her horn glowing in a bright silver light, as the moon rised from behind the far mountains of the Frozen North. She accompanied the moon, as the sky changed to beautiful blue and purple colors. Finally, the young princess rised the stars and let the last bits of magic fade in the night as she flew away beating peacefully her wings in the cold air.
She gracefully landed in the middle of the silver trees of the Everfree forest, folding her wings against her body as her eyes shined bright in the darkness of the forest. She had always loved the forest, it's darkness, it's cold, she felt secure with all these trees, older then Gaïa herself. She walked slowly, savoring the silence, the sound of the twigs cracking under her hooves as she progressed through the branches. She turned her head as she saw an owl disappearing in the leaves that surrounded the alicorn. She smiled, admiring the beauty of the night. her night. When the moon reached the top of the sky, Luna stopped walking, sitting there on the ground, wrapping her cerulean tail around her body. She closed her eyes a few instants as the magic shot into the sky, where a shooting star dashed by.

Cadence walked slowly through the Grand Hall, escaping from her bedroom. She walked, the brightness of the moon shining through the windows as it created silver rivers on the red velvet carpets. The filly made her way through several halls until she arrived in the throne room. She quickly flew up the steps, taking place on her cousin's gold seat. Her horn glowed in an azure light as it made the ancient history book appear in front of her purple eyes. She flipped through the pages until she arrived on the page mentioning the Crystal Empire. She stroked the picture of her mother, Queen Amethyst.
"Oh Mother, please tell me what to do...I'll never save the Empire without you..." She sighed. "I don't even know what I am supposed to do."
"Cadence, what are you doing?" A peaceful voice came from next to her. She jumped in fright when she saw Celestia standing there.
"I just came here, hoping to find a way to save the Empire."
"But why are you thinking about it now?"
"Now that Mother is gone, the fate of the whole Empire rests on my shoulders, it is my royal duty to save my subjects..."
"I understand Cadence, but you are far too young to do this alone."
"I can at least try! It's the least I can do!" Shouted the filly, standing up. "I..."
"It's enough Cadence, go back to bed." Celestia walked out the room, the doors slamming shut behind her. The pink alicorn collapsed to her haunches, a single tear rolling down her cheek. It slipped off her fur to hit the ground with a melodic sound. A grasp of blue magic lifted it, Cadence looking at it. It had become a white crystal heart, clear and transparent, as pure as the princess's heart.
"I know what I need to do." She stood again, spreading her wings and taking off, her horn glowed as the stained glass in front of her broke, falling on the ground in thousands of multicolored glass shards. She flew towards the mountains, towards the Frozen North, towards the Crystal Empire, her home...

Luna stood up after a moment, stretching her long legs as she walked a little more...suddenly, she felt something, like a pang against her cheek. She bended towards the ground, catching the object in her magic. A small crystal heart, as small of a drop of dew on the rose petals in the royal gardens.
"Cadence..."
She quickly ran forwards, rising in the sky and flying back to the castle at great speed.
"Celestia! Where is Cadence?" Yelled Luna as she slammed open the door to Celestia's bedroom. The white alicorn rose her head.
"Last time I saw her, she was in the throne room, she was talking about saving the Crystal Ponies."
"Oh no.." Luna ran out the room, followed by her sister. They arrived together in the wide room.
"There!" Pointed the Lunar Princess, she showed the window on their left, it was broken, shards of glass laying on the ground, the moon reflecting through the broken pictures narrating the creation of this world. Outisde the window, they could see the mountains showing the beginning of the Frozen North.
"I think I know where she's going."
Luna was about to walk away when Celestia turned towards her.
"It's time, Luna."
"What do you mean?"
"It's time for Cadence to discover who she is on that journey, it's her destiny to go over there and accomplish her destiny."
"But it's too dangerous! She's just a filly!"
"So are you Luna, but it doesn't stop you from bringing day and night with me."
"We should go help her."
"Only if she needs it."
Luna walked to the broken window, rising herself in the sky, before flying towards the ground, the moon going down with her. As the sky started to change of colors, Celestia rose up, the Sun starting to rise behind her, she went down as well, landing next to her sister.
"She'll be okay, I promise." She said peacefully to the blue alicorn.
"I hope you are right my sister." answered the princess, before turning around and walking back in, without any other words.

1000 years of regret

by Firepegasus230

Prologue: The Summer Sun Celebration

Chapter 1: Memories

Chapter 2: Cadence's destiny