//------------------------------// // 9 Carol // Story: The Prelude, Illuminate the Shadows Book 1 // by SaphireTsuki //------------------------------// The ponies have their winter celebrations, and we have ours. The ponies call theirs Hearthswarming, celebrating the day when the three tribes established peace and drove the Wendigos from their new homeland, Equestria. We changelings celebrate a holiday called Afezeria Fhauri. In it we celebrate the blessings granted to us by nature, for unlike the ponies we do not control the weather. Oh, we could, it would be simple enough to do if we transformed into pegasi, but instead we celebrate the way that the world works. Our typical celebration consists of lighting candles about the hive, held aloft by only a few threads of silk, or on alcoves. The celebration lasts from the moment we begin lighting the candles until the dregs of the last one melt, during which we feast, sing, dance, and exchange presents. Decorations and traditions are up to each Hive, with some decorating the trees and others making a show of wearing red fur coats in front of the nymphs. The last candle is watched over by the Queen, and if it does not blow out until the last of the wax is melted, then the Hive is said to be in for a prosperous year. As opposed to the end of the year, this celebration is held in the middle of Winter, equidistant between Spring and Fall. SE 1015 That night everyone was present in the breakfast car, though the train had stopped for it's last refuel before their destination. They still had three to four days to go, but from this point on there were no more towns to stop in, and the train would run mostly by magic. Moonlight, unaware of this, just thought they were going to put extra cars on. Though they did have one more for more guards that was not the case, however. The dining car had several tables full, with the Bearers nearest their side of the train speaking about the trip, recent exploits, and generally reminiscing about different adventures that this one reminded them of. Luna and her guard sat on a table to the left of them, speaking on what Silent Gaze assumed was security given their body language. To the left of her, placing his table closest to his own car was King Thorax, and his relatively small contingent of reformed changeling guards. Silent Gaze had no idea what they were talking about, but it looked to be lessening the tension on the changelings' part. He and Moonlight, however, had picked a table in the middle of the car, sitting down with their plates held carefully in Moonlight's reddish-pink magic. She set it down on the table, visibly straining to keep it from just dropping. Once that was done the two sat down, allowing for the young princess and her Father to proceed to eat. Both began to eat their meal, fresh salad with still steaming garlic bread and a smattering of various vegetables, especially garbanzo beans, which Moonlight had wanted to try ever since reading about them a year ago. Father and daughter ate in silence for a few minutes, until both were about halfway finished with the food, at which point Silent asked her a question. "What was it like?" She looked up, meeting his eyes, before swallowing her bite. "It was great! I learned so much about the Conclave... thing. Did you know that they have all sorts of procedures for how to make a treaty? Like you have to give each other a gift of equal value at the start, apparently, to establish trust or-" His eyes continued to stare at her, so she swallowed. "Uhm, It's been so-so." He raised an eyebrow, and she looked down, playing with the plate before continuing, "Uhm, the princesses are being very accomodating. Miss Applejack, however, is open with her distrust. It's still better than Miss Rarity, though, she's," Moonlight paused, looking for the right way to word it, "I'm happy she's trying to hide it but... she finds me disgusting, to be honest." Her ears drooped, "At least some of them don't hate me." She would probably have continued, but instead he gave her a wing hug, nuzzling her behind the oversized wing. "You're a good kid. They'll see." She doubted she'd ever win over all of them, but she soaked up all of the love and let his certainty fill the space between them, forming to her senses a barrier between her and the knives of the others' emotions. The two, after they ate, returned to their car to stretch, and allow her to practice away from prying eyes. They went to sleep a few hours later, sharing a bed like when they were travelling the forest. A few days later, and they were approaching the untamed forests of the Western Expanse. Moonlight knew that this was the last day of train travel, and thus was packing the last of her and her father's things. After practicing for the majority of the time on the train, she had mostly gotten the hang of her changeling magic, a feat that had been considered by the unicorns to be astounding progress. She found, however, that the trick was in not focusing on the actual control of the magic, but just visualizing what she wanted it to do, just like her disguises. Then again, she'd not tried to cast actual magic, just lift things and move them. Anything else and she was worried that she would cause an accident, what with having only herself to teach magic. "I'll do the weapons," Her father said, stepping into the room calmly. "Go look at the observation car, I think you'll like this scene. It's something we'd never see in the forest." Moonlight turned to him, looking between what she was doing and Silent Gaze, before nodding and bolting out to the hall, the object she was holding, a few bits of cloth and some of their camp-making tools, thudding to the ground as she broke into flight, zipping down the halls. He chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. That was his Moonlight... but for now he had to finish packing. With a shrug he stretched his wings before getting to work. The observation car was simply furnished. Instead of lights or furniture, there was just an extremely soft carpet across the entire thing, and there were no walls in it. The entire care was covered in enchanted Everglass, a special kind of glass made of the finest sand gathered from deep inside Mt. Canterlot, far below the crystal caverns. It was melted using Celestia's own Solar Flames, shaped using Luna's Moonbeams, and enchanted by the best Lunar Empire guild members, making it far stronger than the average glass, allowing for some bending without losing its shape, and protection from shattering or discoloration by heat or cold. In fact, she could put her hoof directly on the glass in the middle of the Frozen North and never feel even the slightest chill from the window itself. Yet, there was a subtle current, as the runes allowed the air within and without to circulate without need for ventilation. It was a lost art, requiring at least two master craftsmares, both of which had an awe inspiring amount of control over their respective magics, and yet all but the knowledge that it was amazingly expensive and fancy was lost on the changeling who sat down within the pink-carpeted room. She was focused mostly on the rapidly passing snow-covered hills, looking this way and that for exactly what Silent had said was so amazing, only to see snow falling down, landing on the car, and then, without melting even slightly, dropping down. Not only that, but every once in a while one would be magnified by the glass car, so you could actually, were you fast enough, draw the snowflakes with your own hoof, or take a picture and have a record of some of the supposedly hoof-made snowflakes recorded. She was quite absorbed in them for a while, but snapped back to reality on hearing the hoofsteps of someone else. She turned, only to see Princess Luna. Moonlight, not wanting to risk being rude, scrambled to her hooves, only for the princess to wave her off, "Sit. We desire to join thee, not to drive thee from thine peace." Moonlight paused, mid adjustment, and fell over. She felt the Princess' magic grip her, setting her back into a straight position, which she immediately adjusted so she was sitting on the floor. "P-princess?" "We promised thee to share tales of Our past with thine mother. The time passed faster than We thought it would, and thus We must take this moment. Did not thine father speak of this?" She shook her head, surprise clear in her gaze. Luna sighed, "Really? That is... strange. Still, thou mayst consider it Our gift to thee. Alas, We lack the time for all the things We did with thine mother, but... We can speak of our first meeting." "That's great, but, uhm... what is with the... "mayst" and such words?" Luna coughed, looking to the side with a blush. "We... I slip into my original tongue, from time to time. Please, do not mind it, you need only remember that 'thou' and 'thine' are similar to 'you' and 'yours.'" Moonlight nodded, "Now, settle down, young one. I am going to speak of a night over a thousand years ago, where a single Alicorn ran from a fight with a sister just as foolish, only to find another who was lonely...." It was the middle of the night, and none but the Alicorn of the Night was found. Luna was yet young, flying down to the forest below. She was far from the castle, having lost sight of her destination when she used the teleportation array. It was not fair, her sister was always so perfect, nopony dared to scoff at her occasionally overhot day, yet when Luna was off on the phase of the moon, she was the one who was bad! T'was not her fault that the moon was harder to control, that it was so much less consistent, nor that the stars were so unruly at times. Where was she? This forest, it was dark. Nopony could live in it, could they? She landed smoothly, taking several composed steps forwards so as to not let the momentum fade, and flapped her wings once or twice to clear the ground near her, folding the wings with but a thought. The forest, she noted, beyond merely being dark was thick, even a few steps past where she landed the brush rubbed against her legs, and even her starry mane and tail had to find a way through the brambles and bushes. She heard the cries of owls, wolves, and the subtle sounds of the deep forest, her ears pricking this way and that. There was no sign of anypony, and she found herself alone. T'was a perfect haven. With a shake of her mane she made her way forward, looking for a clearing or stream, somewhere she could stretch her legs. Eventually, she crossed from around a bend, seeing the breathtaking view of a valley covered in trees, and saw somepony framed by the light of her moon. Curiosity struck, Luna began to walk over, calling out to the pony, "Greetings. Tis a fine night, no?" Immediately the ears of the other figure perked, swiveling, and then the figure's head swiveled to face her, revealing a black coat and red mane and eyes, with holes inside. "Mayst I know why thou art here?" She was calm, catching sight of a horn, and then wings, ah. Her guest was an Alicorn. "We hath sought solace. Luck hath brought Us hence, however. Mayst We ask thy name?" Luna, now approaching, noted holes in the figure's hoofs, and paused. "Thou art injured, doth thou require assistance?" Healing magic was not her forte, unfortunately, but she knew enough to wrap wounds. Ack, but she had no bandages, nor cloth to use. Would a conjuration suffice? "I am not injured, Pony. My name is Polaris." She stood, spreading her wings, holed and insectoid, "You, however, are." "Wait, Princess Luna?" The princess paused in her description of events, "Didn't ponies always hate changelings?" "Nay, twas not so." Luna spread one wing, brushing it against Moonlight's back in an affectionate way. "Tis such that I never knew of her kind. There had been but rumors, myths at times in places where once they had fed, but no more. She was the first changeling I met, I knew not enough to fear. It helps that I was always a curious pony, though." Luna bounded forward, irritation at her sister forgotten. This pony, why she was not a pony at all! "Thine coat? What hath happened to it? Thou art bald!" The changeling blinked, unable to answer the question, "Nay, tis not that which We wish to ask. Thy horn, tis twisted! These wings, they appear as those of an insect! Mayst We ask, if thou are not injured, why doth thou have holes upon thine hoofs? " She was answered with a laugh, one hoof smoothly rising to hold the stranger, nay Polaris', chest. "You... you art strange, young pony. Most of your kind, when they see us, they flee." Tears formed at her rose eyes, which Luna now saw were slitted, and were wiped with one hole riddled hoof. "Aye, tis a miracle most strange. Tell me, what is your name? I am most curious." Luna paused, before standing straighter than she had been before. "I am Princess Luna, of Equestria." Ah, no, she had forgotten the Royal Canterlot Voice! "I see! Then thou are the same as I?" Polaris buzzed her wings before continuing, "I am Princess Polaris, heir to the Starsung Hive, and I have always been curious about the ponies!" "That... seems a little idealistic?" Moonlight frowned up at the Alicorn, "Mother... the meeting between the two of you must have been worse than that." "Oh it was, there were arguments, of course, but the first time we met was special." Luna hummed for a moment, "Let me tell you something, little princess." Luna placed a hoof on the glass. "Some friendships are hard, they come with struggle, or after the arguments have been won, lost, or continued for far too long. Some, however, are far simpler... sometimes two ponies simply click, and they become friends for life. It is the belief of my sister and I that such friendships come from Harmony, for none should live without friends... but they may not know how to become such." "What does that have to do with Mother and you?" Her eyebrow rose in question, wings buzzing as a result. "Your mother and I clicked, you see." Her tail flicked to one side, a sound like crackling heard from it, "We argued after, but that introduction was, to us, all needed to form a lasting friendship. One which may have cost your people peace, but that is a tale for another time." Moonlight lowered her gaze to the hills passing them, focusing on one flake or another as she thought. Then, "Will... will you tell me more?" "Of course, little princess. Nopony should know so little of their family..." Carol- A song or hymn celebrating Christmas.