//------------------------------// // 1.- Birth and promise. // Story: Empress of the night: Childhood years. // by Fernando1717 //------------------------------// At the outside of Canterlot Town was seated the mansion of the Regal Family, any local would know the name of the famous family that along with their loyal companions, the Apple clan, founded the small community that now was in its way to become a full fledged city. A couple of centuries ago this prestigious family did its way here from Europe and settled in the land where they still reside in the present, but in the present the prestige and power of the Regals was more a legend that nothing else, the once prosperous family that was as numerous as the Apples was now reduce to only 3 members, one of them was just born. Many rumors said that somewhere in the time the family was cursed for whatever reason, members started to die too young, bad business diminished their fortune and the land that they owned was lost little by little. Indeed it would seem that the Regals were cursed specially in days like this one, a day were the joy of a new member been born was overshadowed by the passing of another, the patriarch of the family, Sol Regal could not bare the news that his beloved wife of 10 years Night Vail, pass away while giving birth to her second daughter, Luna, as the news were given he marched straight into the room where his wife was, only to find her resting peacefully in the hospital bed, her face wearing a sad smile, for a second Sol thought that this was a bad joke that Vail or someone else wanted to play on him, a sick joke that while retarded it was infinity times better that reality. But it wasn't a joke, as much as Sol did wanted it to be, his wife died of cardial arrest while in labor, the doctors quickly tried to revive her but finding it impossible they did the though choice of saving the baby instead, an so it was that Luna Regal, second daughter of Sol Regal was born the day her mother Night Vail left the living. Sol returned home alone, defeated, broken, empty, he didn't even took his daughter Celestia back with him, didn't even took a look at his new daughter, he was afraid, afraid of what would happen if he saw the baby. He was alone in his office back in his mansion, he asked the housekeeper not to be disturbed but the person who bursted through the door didn't care about that. "Here ya are ya overgrown fool! What's the matter with ya leaving like that!". Sol was slumped on his office chair with a bottle of some liquor in front of him, by the looks of it he has already downed half of the bottle. The sad man didn't even register the entrance of his long time friend and business partner, when he looks at her he just nod and reach out for the bottle but the intruder takes it away. "Are ya frigging kiddin me Sol? Drinkin? Right now? God above, if it wasn't because Ah need ya awake ah would puncha right in the guts ya moron!". "Granny please". "Don Granny me! Only family and friends can call me Granny and Ah am sure as hell ah don have friends that abandon their kin in the hospital to run away and get drunk, if Rusty was still alive he would tell ya the same!". Granny Smith said to the man spitting her husband's name. "Rusty?... How Smithy, how do you continue without him, how can I keep moving without Vail, how am I suppose to tell Celestia that her dear mother is gone and she won't come back, how do I tell her that her mother died while her sister lives, TELL ME!". Sol screamed the last words while his face cried with nonstop. Granny Smith felt a pang of sorrow remembering her own lost, Rusty Moonshine her crazy ass husband who was stupid enough to date her and crazy enough to marry her later, even so, Granny Smith wasn't going to fall in his game so she waited until Sol calmed down. "Ah can expend the rest of the day tellin you what to do but ya have two kids that can't, so either ye rise yer sorry ass of that chair and fo to them or ah will pick ya up myself and take ya there!". Sol knew better not to underestimate his old friend, Smith was a farmer to the bone and though enough to wrestle two men at the same time which he had witnessed. "I'm sorry Smithy... For Rusty and... for everything... You're right, my daughters need me, and I don't need this!". With a weak throw Sol launched the bottle to the wall but it broke still. "No problem friend, yer not alone, Night Vail would kick mah sorry arse if ah didn help ya with the munchkins, let's go, Sol... Yer daughters are waitin". Granny smiled sadly and hugged Sol, the two then went back to the hospital were the two little Regal girls awaited. *_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_* 4 year old Celestia waited in the hallway of the hospital, her father was missing and Celestia didn't know what happened with her mother of her new sister, she was nervous but not scared as she wasn't alone, to her side was Bright Mac, Granny Smith one and only son, Celestia knew the older boy well and they were playmates and friends. " don worry non Tia, ah am sure Ma is gonna get yer Dad over here in no time!". The boy exclaimed sure of himself. Celestia just nodded, her face contorted i doubt yet, not that she didn't believe it but somehow she felt cold, like something left her and she didn't know what or who, Bright Mac seemed to feel her stress and jumped off his chair with a plan. "Ah know! Why don we look for yer sister? She must be somewhere around right? We may even find yer ma too!". The desired effect was immediately shown when Celestia smiled and jumped off her chair too although with less control. "Yes! I want to see my sister!". "That's the spirit, yehaaaa!". "Hey quiet! This is an hospital!". "Mighty sorry ma'am". Bright winked and Celestia giggled watching the farmer boy antics. The two walked around the first floor collecting info about the whereabouts of the maternity wing and learned from an old nurse that it was in the second floor, she even took them there after some promises of fresh pick apples as thanks. Soon the kids were led to the hallway in from of the nursery where the babies were kept. "There is it, now then children, do not cause trouble and wait here for your parents. "Yes Ma'am". "Thank you Miss nurse". "You're welcome". The two kids approached the window but only Bright Mac was tall enough to see over the edge at the inside, Celestia tried reaching up by jumping but couldn't. "I want to see!". Bright Mac inspected around but found nothing that could help them with their high problem, seen his little friend sad was bad for Bright's heart, Celestia was his first friend that wasn't a family member, sure she was way younger that him but she was smart and funny to be around and she always had candy with her! Then an idea did its way inside the farmer's head. "Ah know what ta do, here jump up!". Bright Mac kneel down and gestured for Celestia to get on top of him, Celestia smiled and climbed up through her friend's back to reach higher. "Ya ok there Sugarcube?". "Ye-yes". Celestia answered, with her new improved high Celestia could see way beyond what she needed and started looking for any signs of her baby sister. It didn't took long for there were only a few newborns in the room, Celestia found the Regal name attached to one of the small cribs and knew that that was her sister. "Luna! I can see her Bright! I can see her!". "Alrighty!". Celestia saw with happiness a pair of little tanned arms reaching up and Celestia felt the need to run inside and touch the little hands, her moment was interrupted when a nurse entered the room, she talked with the nurse guarding the babies and the both went were baby Luna was. "Uh?". "Somethin wrong?". Asked the farmer boy sounding a bit tired from supporting the girl in his back. "They... Wait... They taking her! They are taking Luna!". "Wut?". "Haaaa!". In his surprise Bright Mac got up forgetting that Celestia was still using him as a stepping stool dropping the little girl in her backside. "Sorry Tia". "Ugh, I'm... I'm ok, wait We have to find my sister!". Celestia remembered as Bright help her back to her feet, the kids ran were the door to the nursery was but found the nurse long gone. "Over there!". Pointed Celestia to where a nurse was pushing a little cart, the duo called out to the nurse but they were scolded again for noisy and running in the hallway causing them to loose the nurse from their sight. Celestia became downcast again and Bright scratched the back of his head trying to think what would his Dad do in a case like this, he decided to simply wrap the girl in a tight hug and tell her that everything would be ok. *_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_* Inside room 214 Sol Regal watched his wife, her face just like last time, with a sad smile in her lips, the man thought that it would be different this time, that seen his wife like this will not shock him like before but he was wrong, an attack of tears and shakes force him to seat down but even now be could not accept reality. He took deep breaths, the tears never stopped but he tried to put his emotions under reins so that the next task wouldn't be so hard, with trembling hands Sol took the sheet that covered his wife and moved it to cover her face, not before giving ber one last kiss, after that Sol sat again an waited while the nurse brought his baby daughter, Granny Smith was looking for Celestia and her son. "Hello? May I come in?". A knock in the door follow it by the nurse asking permission brought Sol back to the here and now. "Yes, please go ahead". The nurse entered with the cart containing his daughter next to her. "The baby is sleep now but you can pick her up if you want to, i can show you how if you need". The nurse offered. "I... That's... That's ok, I'll let her rest for now". The nurse saw his face and understood that his decision was final, with one smile of condolence the retreated. Sol didn't move immediately to look her daughter using the same excuse he gave the nurse before but he knew sooner o later he had to do it, he pulled himself up from the chair and walked silently next to the little cart, the baby was tightly wrapped in a little bundle of cotton sheets, remembering that Night Vail knit a blanket for the baby he went where her belongings were kept and took it out, he displayed the handiwork in front of his eyes admiring how his wife created things with such love, that also brought the fresh pain of remembering that her body was just a few feet away but her soul wasn't even in this world. Taking the blanket Sol approached the cart one more time as he did it next to the baby Sol could see her now, her little face adorned with dark blue hair, her skin a bit darker that his own or Celestia's. Her name was more that earned " Luna". Sol told the sleeping angel, the name was chosen by Night Vail herself, Sol still could recall the moment she thought of the name. As if the little baby already recognized her own name Luna open her eyes and let out an instant yawn her dark blue orbs quickly scanning her surrounding then they zoomed in the magenta eyes of her father, in that instant something that was cracked and about to break already inside Sol burst couldn't hold it no more, Sol didn't know what it was but he feared that it was how his daughter looked like a perfect carbon copy of Night Vail. Sol retreated from the newborn as the little girl felt the sorrow of her father pass to her and stated crying with full and powerful lungs. Sol dropped next the bed where his wife still rested, hugging his knees and sobbing while his daughter continued calling for attention with her cry. The tired man never saw when Granny Smith and a nurse entered the room in hurry nor when Celestia did her way to her sleeping mother or when she started crying because she wouldn't wake up. His last impression was that of an enraged Smith shaking him to get a reaction out of him aside of his crying before finally losing her patience and slap him across the face, the strike was too strong and the man felt unconscious. *_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_* Smith Apple watched over the sleeping man, her dear friend who right now was a wreck of a person, she could understand him of course, she experienced the same when her husband passed away, ever since then the responsibility of the family farm and rise her only son fell completely and solemnly over her, she felt almost crushed by the weight of things during that time, it was thanks to her family and friends that she was able to pull herself up, friends like the man she slapped and was now there, logged in that bed, with a sigh Smith left him rest. Outside of the room she found Sol's daughter Celestia talking with her own son, neither noticed her so she left them be to check on the baby. "No... It's not... true...why...mom is... I don't want her gone". "Sorry Tia, when mah Pa left too ah didn wanted to believe it... It hurts, sometimes ah think he's callin me to work with him, ah take mah tools and run to the orchard to find him... but he's not there... Ma says that the pain will go little by little... that it would never go away completely because that's how we know we loved them but... it will ease... a bit at a time... Sorry Tia, ah am some dumb kid, sorry if ah don do a flickiry sense". "Thank you Bright and you are not dumb, I'm just too smart". Celestia teased with a smile, sad and tiny but a smile non the lest. "My mom wanted to take care of dad and Luna and me, but know I'll do it for her, I'll take care of Luna, I'll do it". "Ah know ya can Sugarcube! Yer four and yer pretty smart already so ah know ya can do it, Ma and I will help ya and when little Lulu grows up we three are gonna play together, right?". "Lulu?". Asked Celestia. "Uh? Yeah? Thought she may like it". "Lulu... Yes... Lulu sounds fine". "Celestia? Come here sweety". "Coming Granny!". Celestia went where Granny Smith called her. "Yer sister is awake, will ya like to see her?". "Yes!". Smith nodded and moved from the door to let the little girl inside, but blocked her son's path when he tried to follow. "Ma?". "Sorry Sugarcube but yer friend needs to do this alone, ya can see Luna after her". "Ok Ma...Ma, do ya think Mr Sol and Tia will be ok?". Smith hugged her son with one arm. "Don know for sure Bright, only thing we can do is stay close and offer help like we Apples always do, people say that the Regals are cursed and that the family will one day disappear". "Wut?". Smith only shook her head looking to the two Regal sister. "And ah always said that That's manure! Cos here when its look like it gonna get damn dark for them the sun and the moon always shine for brighter". Bright only nodded, not understanding what his mother means. Inside the room Celestia talked with her baby sister while the baby holds on of her fingers with her tiny hand. "And I'm going to show you everything and of you cry I'll give you kisses and hugs like... like mom use to do... I'll take care of you Lulu... For my mom I promise". Celestia sobbed for a while but then she felt a little tug in her hand and saw her baby sister smiling at her. Her heart still hurt a lot but like Bright told her, the pain would remind her that her mother existed and that she would always would remember her in the face of her sister.