Chapter Two
Five years later, Songbird was now older and more experienced with magic, but she still felt empty. She missed her mother very much, now her aunt had taken over the job of raising the moon as well as the sun.
Songbird stepped out into the palace gardens one night and looked up at the moon.
Her mother was still there. Songbird dreaded to think on what it was like for her mother.
She wondered if her mother was lonely up there.
She decided to sing the lullaby she had sung to her every night. Lighting up her horn, she made the stars twinkle with the tune.
Song: (Constant as the stars Above)
Songbird finished the song with a tear, suddenly a light appeared. Songbird looked around and when she spied her flank, she gasped.
On her flank was a picture of a single blue angel wing and a silver treble clef in the middle. It was her cutie mark.
Songbird cheered in joy, but then she realised that her mother wasn't there to congratulate her. She looked up at the moon.
"Mommy, I got my cutie mark today. Can you see me?" she asked, letting the tears fall down her face. Songbird took one last look at the Mare on the Moon, before running back inside to show her Aunt.
Celestia was trilled, her niece had gotten her cutie mark.
Now it was official on what Songbirds job as a princess was. To make the stars twinkle every night and let everypony know of the love and comfort the night gives them.
Celestia also claimed that it was also Songbirds job the grant the ponies wishes.
"You're sweet voice will bring forth love and comfort to ponies. You will teach them how to forgive each other. And when a pony makes a wish upon a star, you have the power to grant it." she said, with wisdom.
Songbird hugged her aunt. "Auntie, will I need to study magic?" she asked.
"Yes, my little pony. You will have to study more spells, if you want to for fill your destiny."
Songbird beamed, she was going to make her mother proud.
"When do I start, Auntie Tia?"
Songbird sat in the pile of books, she had to memorise every spell off by heart.
The ten year old filly groaned and slumped the book down on her desk.
She picked up a picture of her and her family, it was taken the day when she learned how to fly. She was sitting on her mothers lap, hugging Pixie Starlight. Her aunt was standing just behind them, smiling. They were such a happy family back then.
Songbird held back tears when she saw how happy they were. She didn't understand why her mother had turned evil. She looked so happy in the photo. Songbird then levitated another book from the shelf.
It was the family album. Songbird used her magic to flip through the pages.
On the first page were pictures of her mother and aunt when they were fillies.
There was a big picture in the centre, it was of her mother and aunt, sitting on their thrones. Standing next to them were Songbirds grandparents, Cosmos and Galaxia. They had passed on to the stars long before she was born.
The next page was of her mother when she was 10 months pregnant. Prior those 10 months, Luna had prayed to Polaris. He was a male alicorn who lived in the sky. His spirit was present as the bright and shiny, North Star.
Polaris granted Luna's wish for a child of her very own. He gave her a special star fruit which had the ability to grant ones dearest wish. As a result of eating the fruit, Luna fell pregnant.
The next page was of her when she was born, she was swaddled into a cream colour blanket and her mother was holding her close to her chest, sweating and crying. Celestia was standing next to them, tears of joy were flowing down her cheeks.
Songbird awed at herself, she was such a cutie.
The next page were pictures of her, learning to walk, talk and playing with her family. Her favourite picture was of her getting her head stuck in the bars of her crib, she laughed at how she managed to do that. The next page was just her and mother, flying through the sky.
Songbird was sitting on her mothers back, Luna was showing her all the stars and constellations. Her mother had told her that, that night was when she said her first word 'star'.
Songbird missed her mother so much, she wanted her to come home.
(Flashback)
"Tia! Come quick!" hollered Luna, holding a seven month old Songbird in her hooves. Celestia came sprinting around the corner, startling the guards.
"What is it?! What's wrong?!" she cried, still trying to catch her breath. Luna beamed like her sisters sun. "Songbird said her first word, 'Star'!"
Celestias faced lit up, like a Hearths Warming Tree. "She did!"
"Come on baby, say it again." "Star!" said Songbird, pointing to the stars outside. Celestia could not contain her joy. "My baby niece can talk!" she said, picking up Songbird and spinning her around. Songbird laughed as her aunt put her lips to her tummy and did a raspberry.
Luna giggled and started to tickle her baby. Songbird squirmed under her mother and aunts hooves. The filly then took her family by surprise and jumped onto them, tickling them. Soon there was a family tickle fight against adults and a filly.
(Flashback)
Songbird flipped through some more pages, she found a picture of her at her first birthday.
The guests were all covered in cake as Songbird had randomly started a cake fight that day. The filly chuckled to herself. She was such a silly filly.
The next page were of her mother and aunt, standing next to a stone statue of a creature made of different animal parts. It was Discord, the Lord of Chaos, and Celestia and Luna had just turned him to stone for reeking havoc and chaos across Equestria.
Songbird was three at the time of Discords reign of chaos. She thought he was funny and the cotton candy clouds with chocolate milk rain were the best. She still kept one cloud in a secret space under her bed. She and Discord would play hide and seek together. She saw him as a big brother or father that she never had. That all changed when her mother saw Discord tickling her and thought he was attacking her. Her room had a window that looked out into the garden, she could still see Discords statue, cold, stiff and alone. She missed him too and would sometimes visit his statue on dark nights.
She thought it was wrong to turn someone to stone. Discord had no one to talk to or turn to, except her. He told Songbird that he came from a far away land, but that land was destroyed by a Windigo snow storm. His parents were lost, as was the rest of his kind. Only Discord escaped. He admitted that he wanted Equestria to look like his home land, which is why he started causing chaos. He looked so cold and alone now.
She wondered if that's how her mother felt, up there in the moon. Her aunt and mother had used the Elements of Harmony to turn Discord to stone. She slammed her hoof on her desk, hot tears welled up in her eyes. Those were the same talismans that her aunt had used to blast her mother to the moon. Why did her aunt try not to reason with her and Discord, instead of making them suffer a fate worse than death.
She found herself crying again.
"Mommy, why aren't you here to comfort me. I-I-I just want to know why you did what you did," Songbird closed the album and got into bed, cuddling her doll to her chest.
"We were so happy back then, why would you do this to yourself. I believe that every creature has a heart, they just don't see it. I know that you would never do this, because nopony is born evil."
"I love you Mommy, no matter what." she said, before falling into a deep sleep.
Far above the night sky, a lunar alicorn wept. The tears wouldn't stop flowing and the pain would not heal. She had been taken from her daughter. Luna cursed herself for being such a fool to believe those things that were told to her. She held her head up and started to sing her grief out in a lullaby.
How my deeds pain me as time stretches long,
How could I have hurt them this way,
So rest easy now, this punishments mine,
The weight of my crime is my own,
But into this stillness,
I'll bring you a song,
And I will watch over you,
Don't cry now my child,
I'm here now my child,
I'll carry you softly to sleep,
Once did a pony who gleamed like the moon,
Look out on her kingdom and sigh,
Dejected, she cried "Surely no pony will,"
"Ever love me or my daughter at will,"
So great was her pain,
She rose in rebellion,
Against those who cared for her most,
She the let the demon, fall on those she ruled,
And threatened to grip them in permanent cold,
Lullay Star Princess,
Goodnight daughter mine,
Rest now in my lights embrace,
May this sweet lullaby,
Reach you in dreams and ease you this passage of days,
May my apologies, find you this night,
And may, my guilt in cline,
Songbird I still love you more than you know,
Forgive me for being so blind,
Soon did her sister,
Do what was demanded,
And gave to the moonlight her due,
Breaking the filly's heart,
She saved her ponies,
And banished her as a wise ruler should do,
But such is the weight of this sorrow my daughter,
I only wanted the best for you,
May you forgive me that foolishness mine,
And live on with no weight upon your soul,
Lullay Star Princess,
Goodnight daughter mine,
Rest now in my lights embrace,
May this sweet lullaby,
Reach you in dreams and ease you this passage of days,
May my apologies, find you this night,
And may, my guilt in cline,
Songbird I still love you more than you know,
May troubles be far from your mind,
And forgive me for being so blind,
This space now before us,
Empty and forlorn
I never wished this fate,
And earn the ponies hate,
May my crimes be pardoned,
Swiftly fast I pray,
I love you,
I miss you,
All these miles away,
May all your dreams be,
Sweet tonight,
Safe upon your bed of starlight,
And know not of sadness,
Pain nor care,
And when I dream I'll fly away,
To see you there,
Sleep,
Sleep,
Sleep,
Luna couldn't control it anymore and screamed. "SONGBIRD!!!"