//------------------------------// // The Dreams of a Mourning Princess // Story: Stellar Council // by PizzaculousPony //------------------------------// Twilight Capella Sparkle, Council HQ, Day and twenty hours into Eternal Night Twilight sneaked into the Head Quarters, something that was made more difficult when her companions were either motion sick or extremely excited to enter. Nevertheless, she managed to enter through the main entrances without anyone finding out. She wasn't trying to avoid her aunt, her aunt's student, her aunt's student's friends and her cousin, she just didn't want to get lectured for leaving them behind. Twilight looked back at her friends and helped Orion down the rest of the steps while Lilly was gawking at...the walls. Twilight let out a tired groan and turned back to the hallway that led to the bedrooms, then she stopped in her tracks looking at the entrance. There standing with a very disappointed frown was her aunt, Celestia, and next to her was a very pissed off Sunset Shimmer. She looked back at her two companions and chuckled nervously. They came up to her side and from there things went south. Orion bowed respectfully at Princess Celestia but otherwise did not say or do anything. Lilly on the other hoof just stared at her not even bothering to nod her head causing Orion to nudge her and Sunset to glare. Twilight sighed and looked back to her aunt and friend. "Auntie, Sunset." She addressed them politely. "May I present my two companions, Orion and-" "Bow to Princess Celestia." Sunset said as she turned to glare at Lilly. ''She lifts the sun every day and is the most powerful pony there is so you WILL show respect." Sunset lit her horn with magic. Lilly just raised an eyebrow and Orion got up, not turning his gaze from Sunset, his face was serious a big difference from his care free persona. Twilight and Celestia looked at each other with concern. Celestia turned to her student and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Give it a rest Sunset-" "But-!" "LEAVE. IT. SUNSET SHIMMER." Celestia scolded, Sunset slowly nodded her head and looked at the ground even though the tension still remained in the room. "-and this is Night Lilly. She saved me from some Thestral Scouts in the forest." Twilight continued her earlier introduction. Celestia nodded and turned to her two companions. "Yes it's a pleasure to meet you Miss Night, you too Orion." "Likewise Auntie Celly." He smirked at her and she stared blankly at him. "And here I thought you had lost your sense of humor. But we're getting off track." Her face turned serious again and she looked at Twilight who flinched slightly. Seeing this, Lilly placed herself slightly in the middle of both of them ready to intercept any attack done by Celestia. "Yes Auntie? What seems to be the problem?'' Twilight asked in faux innocence. She also stepped in front of Lilly so that they would be facing each other without somepony in the middle. She looked at Orion and used her eyes to discretely motion towards Lilly. Orion nodded slightly and did the same Lilly did to them to her. "You did not only go against my wishes and leave ALONE you also froze-'' "Crystalized" Twilight corrected. "-Crystalized my protege!" Celestia finished and pointed at Sunset who flinched. Twilight turned to Sunset and shot her a glare that basically screamed 'snitch'. She then turned to Celestia again and explained. "I apologize for that, but I needed to reach Aploosa-" "Appleloosa" It was Celestia who interrupted this time. "-Appleloosa as soon as possible! Auntie, if I don't hurry, my stars will dim and eventually die in a week! I have a WEEK to re-awaken the Elements of Harmony and bring mother back to lower the moon and make way for the day!" "No pressure...." Sunset mumbled under her breath, earning another glare from Orion. Celestia was taken aback by Twilight's declaration and sighed sadly, suddenly her façade fell and her mood became depressed. Twilight caught this and flinched. 'That is never good...' She turned to Sunset with a concerned face. "Sunset, would you mind stepping out of the room?'' "Sure Princess..." After Sunset left the room Twilight added a sound-proof spell around the room to avoid any eavesdropping, not that she distrusted Sunset, she just didn't trust the other nobles that took up residence in her Head-Quarters. She took in a deep breath, readying herself for the bad news. "Auntie, what happened?" Celestia took her time to regain her voice and to collect her thoughts thinking how to put it. "Twilight...Have you looked at the stars recently?'' Twilight's mind went into overdrive, without letting Celestia continue, she lit up her horn and expanded her conscious out of her body and towards the sky. HE body materialized in a midnight blue void. Little foals and fillies also materialized almost immediately. Two older foals, a colt and a filly came running towards her with distressed frowns. "Mistress!" They called out to her. The rest of the star children went and hugged her. When they pulled apart, Twilight spoke up. "Capella, North Star, please tell me what's wrong... What stars are unaccounted for?" Cappella and North Star Looked at each other before Cappella cleared her throat and looking timidly up a Twilight. "...The entirety of the Leo Guild..." She squeaked. "WHAT?!...H-H-How?!...When?..." Twilight's eyes started filling with tears and their tracks stained her lavender coat. She fell to the 'floor'. All of the star children began running to her side and hugging her comforting her. "Leo..." She croaked out. They stayed like that for a while until Twilight could catch her voice, she turned to Cappella again and asked. "...How?" "We...We don't know...But we have theories! You see Mistress, apparently, before Sir Starswirl the Bearded disappeared into limbo, he found a way to actually hurt star beasts with a magical artifact. Since star beasts are made from stars as well as the Sky Lords' cores. Somepony must have found his notes and recreated the artifact to be able to 'kill' stars." "But...How did I not sense it with my magic?" Twilight asked, shedding more tears. "I believe North Star is more qualified to answer that." Cappella nodded to North Star who cleared his throat and stepped up next to Cappella. "Indeed I can, you see Mistress, you're magic reserves were cut off temporarily by the Elements, when you forced them open it may have damaged your ability to sense us and our well-being temporarily." North Star came up to Twilight and hugged her muzzle with his tiny hooves. "It wasn't your fault Mistress. You couldn't have done anything to stop this, and neither could we." Twilight sighed, her tears began being more scares but they still came out. "I know North Star, and thank you...All of you. I-I need to head back, I've been gone long enough and I still need to inform Orion and Auntie about...This." Hundreds if of little heads nodded in agreement, some faces were sad for the lose of their comrades and some were trying to lift the spirits of their Mistress by giving encouraging smiles. As Twilights spirit started to descend again, she could now tell the painful lack of Leo's constellation . Twilight came back to her senses to see a very worried looking Orion and Lilly and a sad Celestia. Although it now looked more like pity towards Twilight...And she hated it. Twilight brought a hoof to her face, it was still very wet and stained from all the crying. She always suspected that her body also had physical reactions while she was up in the skies and this confirmed her theory, but she didn't have the strength to be happy, not after what happened. She looked at the waiting eyes of her friends and family and worked up the courage and voice to speak. "Leo...was...killed." For a moment the room was silent, her friend's faces were a mix of confusion, fear and in Orion's case, sadness. Even her aunt's ever perfect façade faltered and seemed surprised. "I-It's not funny Twi...That...He can't be..." Orion's eyes filled with tears once again, but instead of his tears of joy from earlier that day, these were filled with deep sorrow and pain for the loss of his friend and brother. Twilight ran to comfort him in a similar fashion her stars had done to her. Then Lilly too joined the group hug spreading her wings and encasing her two crying friends. Celestia tried approaching them and opening her mouth to speak but her words came off silent when caught by a glare from Lilly. She ended up having to sit there and look as her niece was comforted by her basically brother and an instinct-driven Thestral that didn't let her close to try and help. Celestia Invictus, Council HQ, At That Moment, 'Thestral instincts are sometimes extreme but this? I haven't seen one so "aggressive" in a long time. It probably has to do with Twilight being Luna's daughter. Sometimes I wonder why Luna created those instincts to such lengths to protect Twilight. Not that she doesn't deserve it mind me! It's just that she sacrificed her subject's rights to decision in doing so... ' Celestia sighed, she looked back at the scene before her, specifically to Lilly with sadness. She remembered the moment she found out what Luna had done. It was before her descent into madness by the curse, maybe a few months before. They were in the old castle, Everfree City was currently booming with activity and Equestria was prospering without much problems. Luna had come up to her with a big smile on her face and had interrupted Day Court, something that was very unexpected of her since she was a 'hardcore night owl'. "Sister!" Celestia could hear Luna's happy voice clearly in her head. "We have found the most wondrous thing! Our subjects, the Thestrals have an instinct deep within their spirits to serve the current Night Regent, or in our case Night Regents! " The scene in Celestia's head shifted, she was now in front on Luna, she was explaining her recent discoveries concerning her Thestrals subjects. She too was happy for her until Luna continued. "And so, deer sister, we have managed to increase their instincts to incredible sizes! They will now go into something resembling a trance, all just to protect us! Isn't it wonderful? What magic can do nowadays is truly a sight to behold! " "Sister, what art thou thinking?!" Celestia heard herself screaming. "Thou art sacrificing our subjects WILL in thy persoute for knowledge!" "It is for our protection! Hath thou forgotten about that cursed shaman that hath cursed us and our daughter?! She needs as much protection as possible! How can thou be so selfish to deny her of her subjects' love and adoration through their oaths?!" "Of course she deserves that! But thou cannot simply control them or take advantage of them because of their natures!" Their argument had ended in Luna flying away in anger, and Celestia conducting her own research on Thestrals and curses making her find out about the Shaman's curse failure and it's possession of Luna, but by then it was too late to reverse it in anyway other than the Elements of Harmony. Celestia sighed for what seemed like the umpteenth time and brought her mind to the present again. She saw two mourning ponies and a Thestral resting her wings on both of them. Twilight and Orion had finished crying and melted into the group hug. They sat in silence just looking at the ground, their eyes red from crying. Celestia got up making them look at her. She looked down and wore her best smile although it still seemed sad. She opened the door to the chamber with her magic and said to them. "I'll have somepony prepare you a room. I'll also have them desert the hallway towards your bedroom so you have all the privacy you'll need... It's truly a pleasure meeting you Miss Night." "Lilly" The Thestral mare said before Celestia left. She turned around to face the mare and smiled. "Then you can call me Celestia" Celestia walked out and gently closed the door behind her leaving the others inside and left to fulfill what she set out to do. Twilight Capella Sparkle, Council HQ, At That Moment, Twilight sniffed and wiped away her tears with her hoof and did the same to Orion. She turned to Lilly with a grateful smile. "T-Thanks Lilly..." Orion looked up to her too and managed to croak out. "Ye-Yeah thank you...You really didn't need to." Lilly shrugged with a kind smile. "You guys are right, I didn't have to. BUT I wanted to. That's just how I am, I see somepony sad and I just have to comfort them, no matter how much time it takes me." Twilight chuckled lightly but ended up coughing. She yawned and stretched, suddenly her exhaustion became very apparent. "Well...I don't know about you but I'm exhausted...." Twilight lit up her horn and opened the door, as Celestia promised, the hallway was empty except for an awkward looking Sunset Shimmer standing next to the door. She stammered for a moment before composing herself and coughing into her hoof to clear her throat. "I-Uh....I wanted to apologize to Lilly and-" "Apology accepted Sunbutt!" Lilly responded with her bubblely mood coming back, which lifted the Twilight's and Orion's spirits. "S-Sunbutt?! That's my new nickname? Really Fang-Mouth?" Sunset retorted. "It doesn't have the same ring to it as Sunbutt. So, why else are you here? Not that I don't mind." Lilly said with a shrug. "I'm also here to show you guys to your bedroom." Sunset said looking at Twilight strangely but deciding not to voice any concerns she had. "Aren't we using my room?" Twilight asked. "Uhh...Yes, but Princess Celestia made some 'modifications' to the room." Twilight looked troubled, her tastes and her Auntie's didn't exactly match. "...What did she do?" "You'll see!" 'Wow...' Was all Twilight thought as she gazed at her improved room. Her Auntie normally had no skills in figuring out what she liked in the past, but this time? Her room was 'slightly' bigger, the worn out stone bricks that composed the room were now clean and smooth, they were painted in a dark lavender tone. The floor's wood was magically repaired and painted in a dark blue-ish/purple-ish hue. The room was lighted by torches placed in a way they gave the room an uniform orange glow. A circular queen sized bed sat to the right, it's back against the wall. A lavender rug with Twilight's cutie mark was embroidered on it laid in the middle of the room. To the left, was a big dark wooden desk with sufficient quills and paper. 'I wonder where Auntie got those.' There were two doors next to her bed, which she assumed to be her closet and bathroom. Twilight stood speechless for a moment before shaking her head and re-organizing her thoughts. She looked back to Sunset who was looking at her nervously. Twilight saw something else in her though, anxiety. Why would she be anxious? Then it clicked, Sunset had done this, not Celestia. Twilight smiled at Sunset. "I know you did this, Sunset." She commented with a bright smile. "I must say it is a wondrous job. Did you do this yourself?" "You really like it?" Sunset beamed and when Twilight nodded she got even more excited. "No, my friends helped out, specially Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Rarity helped me design it, Applejack helped assemble and paint it and Rainbow helped get us the resources." "That is so kind of them, although I have to ask...Why?" Twilight inquired. "Well...They wanted it to be kind of a thank you gift. For allowing their little sisters and, in Applejack's case her whole family." Sunset explained to Twilight who winced. "Even after I offended you in the throne room and disgraced you by leaving you behind?" Twilight prodded looking slightly sheepish. Sunset chuckled slightly. "heh, Yup! To them you saved their families from certain doom. And for that they feel like they're forever in your debt." "I-I-I don't..." Twilight stammered but was cut off by Sunset before she could continue. "Oh I wouldn't worry too much about that. I'll leave you guys alone now. Good night!" "'Night Sunbutt!" Lilly chimed in and waved with a hoof. Sunset was going to retort but Orion closed the door before they could start throwing insults at each other. Twilight unceremoniously walked over to her bed and threw herself unto it she scooted over to the right side and pointed with her wings towards door to the left of the room that was well hidden at first sight. She turned to her friends and spoke. "I'm really tired, in there is another room for my personal guests, there are two beds, I would suggest getting some rest. Tomorrow..err...Tomorrow night?...Tonight? Doesn't matter just..." She yawned deeply and closed her eyes and laid her head on the pillow. "Wake me up so we can continue our search." "O-Of course Twi. Good night." Orion opened the door Twilight had pointed to and stepped in holding the door open for Lilly to step through. "'Night Princess! Sweet dreams!" Lilly joyfully said before slipping into the side room and closing the door behind her. Twilights felt her consciousness slip away as she fell asleep. When Twilight opened her eyes she wasn't in her room. She was in a plaza, in the middle was a fountain with a statue of two adult alicorns, a little alicorn filly and a incredibly tall unicorn with a bulky build. She recognized it as Everfree City's centre. Of in a distance and the sea of colorful ponies she spotted two familiar figures coming her way. When they neared the fountain Twilight recognized them as her mother and...Herself? A filly Twilight walked happily beside her mother. Mini Twilight walked through Everfree City until she reached what Twilight recognized as her favorite gardens. They looked over the hill that led to the castle and looked over he city and her subjects. Mini Twilight struggled to get up on a bench that was nearby. Mini Twilight was helped up onto the bench by her mother. Suddenly, the sky darkened and the moon replaced the sun but Twilight didn't notice. The midnight alicorn came up to Mini Twilight and sat on the bench with her. They were looking at the stars that felt...different for some reason. Twilight smiled and looked at the mare towering beside the small filly. Twilight remembered all the nights spending time with Luna star gazing and learning all about them. "Mother, how doest the stars work?" Mini Twilight asked. "I'm afraid I do not understand my little star." Luna responded with a kind and patient voice. "If I shalt rule over them some day, shouldn't I know everything about them?" When her mother nodded, mini Twilight continued. "So how do they work? Act? Can they love? Can they make friends? Alliances?" Her mother chuckled. "Please, calm yourself my little star. It will take a while to explain everything but you always were an excellent listener." She brought her hoof to her throat and cleared it. ''Listen then, my child. The stars are very peculiar, they allow us to cast spell, we borrow their power through our wellsprings and use it to bend magic to our will. But, they art sentient just like us. They art like little children, Capella and North Star who will become your future advisors art more mature then the rest, like prodigies children." Luna looked down to check if mini Twilight was still listening. "Sooo...Mother art Capella and North Star like you and Auntie 'Tia? Like...Princesses?'' Luna chuckled lightly. "No, it will be up to you to be like us but up there. Anyways, back to your earlier questions, I believe you have been too close to nobles, asking about alliances." Luna looked at mini Twilight with a small smile and had to contain herself when she saw her pouting. "Hehe. You see, my little star, they can. Their alliances art called Guilds-" "Like the Mages Guild? Or the Astronomers Guild? Or...Maybe-" Mini Twilight's rant was stopped by a midnight blue hoof on her mouth. "Star Guilds art different. Ponies, even the astronomers who should know better, know them as constellations." "OooOooh! That explains a lot mother!" "Yes, alliances between guilds art called families, each family has a representative constellations and they ask us to choose one of our ponies to represent them in the mortal plain." "Like Pisces, Andromeda, Aries, Orion and Leo?" "Yes, exactly like them. Alliance representatives art called Sky Lords." "That's amazing! But...Wouldn't you need to find a new representative every time they...Leave the mortal plain?" Mini Twilight's mood went down and she looked at the ground. Twilight winced at the question, suddenly a pang of sadness went through her but she couldn't remember why. "Oh,no,no,no. Thanks to our blessing, they're connected to the stars they represent so as long as they're alive so art the stars, and as long as their stars are alive they art too." "So they can't die?!" Mini Twilight asked with a huge smile. Twilight's ears perked up and she paid close attention, looking at the scene with pleading eyes. "I won't lie to you, they can be killed, but it would take immense levels of magic. Enough to snuff out all of the stars' life reserves. But rest assure nopony has enough magic to do so in the present day." Luna smiled down at Twilight and she smiled back. Luna nuzzled mini Twilight and pushed her towards her friends to play. Twilight jolted awake, she was gasping for air and shivered slightly. After calming herself she looked around, she noticed she wasn't lying in her bed, and she wasn't in her room either. Instead she was...In the sky? It was a place similar to the void where she and her stars met but it was more light. Instead of being it's normal midnight blue it was a teal hue fading into light blue. "Twily? That you?'' A familiar voice called from behind her. Twilight turned around so fast her mane temporarily blinded her. When her hair cleared she saw a tan earth pony stallion with a white mane and tail. His mane was neatly pushed back and brushed, his tail was neatly brushed and long. He had a big smile and a few tears in the corner of his eyes and he was staring at her in shock. "Leo?!" Twilight galloped over and hugged him tightly. "I thought you were dead!" Leo nuzzled Twilight lightly and she felt a few tears stain her coat. "Heh...I did but I refused to go before seeing my little sister again." He pulled away from the hug. "I can't believe you're finally back, the others will be thrilled! I'm sure Orion already knows and that you're probably with hi back in the real world." "Where are we exactly?'' Twilight asked looking around and wiping a tear away with a hoof. "Am I still dreaming?" "Heh nope! Me and a friend of mine, to whom I trusted our secret, helped me copy my conscious into something similar to the dream realm." He chuckled and poked Twilight's horn with his hoof. "Y'know she's a really talented unicorn kinda reminds me of you." "Hold on, does this mean that I can see whenever I want?!" Twilight beamed. "Ummm..No, not yet. You see, you need an specific spell to access this plain. Only she has the spell so when you wake up you won't be able to find me before...Y'know, find her." "Oh..." Twilight drooped. "So... I am dreaming" "Hey! Y'know that ain't true! And y'know I'm not that patient. Listen Twi, you are not dreaming! Now, before you wake up remember to find my friend so we can speak again." "Y-Yes of course, I'll do it after we defeat Nightmare Moon and-" "Nightmare Moon? Umm...Sorry Twi but I don't follow, my conscious got copied...Err let me calculate...3 years ago? I don't know anything about the outside world, that's all dead Leo's information.'' "Oh...Mother got turned into a wicked mare by a shaman's failed curse. You already know she was imprisoned on the moon. Well...She returned, defeated me and Auntie Celestia and then brought forth Eternal Night. We must use the Elements of Harmony to hopefully heal her and bring her back." "...Wow." He deadpanned. The world around them started fading into white. Leo's eyes widened and he grabbed Twilight tightly into a bear hug. "You're waking up! Find Starlight, our village was to the north east of old Everfree City...I love you little sis...Good luck! "I-I love you too-" Twilight was cut off by the world they were in fading into white completely, as she woke up from her sleep.