Centuries later, while Celestia was basking in the gentle breeze of the flickering dawn, it occurred to her suddenly that the night was over when the entanglement between her and the sun arose.
It was night, and a rather peaceful, tranquil night. A night long before the imperishable darkness brought by Nightmare Moon, a night long before the Alicorn taking the throne of Equestria, and a night long before ponies from different races could finally reach a true state of harmony.
Star Swirl the Bearded looked through the marble arch, staring into the gloomy night sky. It was a fairly well-crafted gloomy sky, dark and ominous enough to deliver just the right amount of dread without trying too hard. What he did find impressive was the fact that it should be the middle of the afternoon.
“Stupid.” A senile female voice could be heard in one end of the granite hall. It belonged to the monarch of the unicorn tribe, Princess Platinum. “As far as I'm concerned, that mare must be executed immediately!
The voice did not disturb Star Swirl’s stargazing. He squinted, focusing his attention on area in particular. Most other scholars would have needed a telescope or something similar to recognise the constellations, but Star Swirl was no ordinary scholar. The wise unicorn recognised the Ursa Minor and the Big Dipper in the sphere. The unicorn jailed in the dungeon had been caught by the royal guards after they’d sensed a star spell altering the sky. Its magical power had altered the constellations in the night sky, enlarging the distance between the Ursa Minor and the Big Dipper, shifting the positions of several bright stars around, causing chaos in the horoscope. Though this may have seemed to be a harmless prank, it actually violated the Equestrian law. Anypony who is not a member of the Star Council had no right to release any star spell into the sky. Any offender would be subject to extreme penalties. The lucky ones would simply be put to death.
He soon felt his attention drawn back from the sky and towards the meeting. The hall was illuminated by beeswax candles, with attendants bustling about replacing burnt out ones and trying very hard not to be noticed. The emergency conference had lasted from before dawn to late afternoon, so long that the candelabras and the floor were covered with melted wax. Star Swirl was with sixteen other masters of the Star Council, standing in the area between the Observatory and the Sacrificial Altar. Standing slightly above them was Princess Platinum. The aged unicorn, despite almost being a senior citizen by this point, still looked young and beautiful to the casual observer. One more practised would notice a certain fragility to her limbs, a subtle tremor that hinted at her true age. It would not be wise to point that fact out in front of her. These seventeen unicorns are also known as the Seventeen Blazing Suns, who host the replacement of the sun and the moon every day.
“That is correct, Your Majesty. For a crime such as this, we must sentence her to something truly horrific. I suggest that we not only kill her but also string her up on the rack and stretch her until her limbs break and begs for mercy.” The patriarch in front of the other sixteen masters intoned. There were five patriarchs wearing orange amongst the group. These were the ponies who were in charge of moving the sun and the moon.While the other eleven were certainly revered, these patriarchs were held in considerably higher regard.
“Dismember her. Show the public the proper ending of a traitor.” Commented another master.
Star Swirl turned his gaze back to the ground, sighing to himself. What possessed that filly to perform such a blasphemous act? A unicorn with such a powerful natural gift in magic could have done much to improve her community. If she truly wanted to wreck havoc, she could have unleashed much destruction before the guards could stop her. Ergo, she does not simply want to stir up trouble. But if she had noble goals, why would she do something so minor that had such severe penalties? Eventually, as he thought of these questions, the prophet found the prisoner more and more intriguing.
“Your Majesty, and Your Excellencies,” Star Swirl broke in, “It might be a little bit overhasty to draw such a conclusion in such a short time.”
The other ponies immediately stopped talking and paid heed to Star Swirl's words. Star Swirl wore scarlet robes, which marked him as the prophet for the Council. His status was just beneath that of the patriarch. Annoyed by the interruption, Princess Platinum directed her attention to the prophet.
“Prophet Star Swirl, how would you suggest we handle this situation?” She asked coldly. “Young as that mare is, she is no ordinary prisoner. She is the devil incarnate.” Princess Platinum said firmly.
“There’s no denying that she did move the Ursa Minor for six mil,” Star Swirl replied unhurriedly.
Platinum flicked her ears back in annoyance. “Which is such an inferior trick that even a babbling filly would see through it.”
“Yes, Her grasp of the spell is like a leaky tub, with clumsy skill and poor, perfunctory technique. However, it’s already a huge project to adjust Taurus, Norst and rulers of the zodiac, let alone the Ursa Minor.” Star Swirl paused for a moment, the crowd watching with rapt attention.
“Not only did she do this, but she also did it in such a short time that the guards almost missed her. What I am attempting to convey is that if we can make use of her skill, she would be a great asset.”
Every pony looked at each other speechlessly. Princess Platinum frowned in disgust.
‘She is notably anxious,’ Star Swirl noted. ‘She would never accept this proposal if not cornered.’
Star Swirl did not intend to kill the prisoner, at least for the moment. He regarded that mare named Celestia as a curious puzzle and nothing more. She might gain acceptance from the unicorn tribe, get admission to a magic school and perhaps even become one of the masters of the Blazing Suns herself, with universal achievements in a number of years.
But that would only happen if she was taught how to apply her natural gifts, as opposed to simply being tortured to death.
“Now, I shall say it will not hurt if we do so. Prophet Star Swirl, I am placing you in charge of the mare. You are now solely responsible for this affair.” Princess Platinum ordered. “Besides, you should have known that I show no patience with these sleazy barbarians. Once you find there is no need for her existence, ”
She stomped her hoof, hard enough to crack the stone. The sound reverberated around the room, echoing a sense of finality.
“Kill her at once.”