Child of the Sun

by LordofPenAndPaper


Chapter II: Will of the Sun

"Y-yes, mother." I forced out as I rose to my hooves; an involuntary shiver went through my body, which caused my red-gold mane to tremble and shudder. The only thing I could do right now, I knew, was put on a brave face, so I did. Or, at least, I tried to.

"Good, The Daybreaker rose to Her hooves, standing up from the golden throne on which She had made her rest. She descended the stairs leading down from the tall throne, each step causing the golden horseshoes of Her regalia to land with a 'clink' on the next step down. Her mane and tail burned brightly, sweeping down as She moved, with the practised elegance of a huntress or a predator. Then She stood in front of me. The blistering heat stood like a pillar, radiating outwards from Her as Celestia glared down upon me—though there was a certain authoritative softness to it now. The Empress lowered herself to my eye-level, her slitted pupils level with mine. A shaky breath left my lungs as I stood there, stock-still and frozen--ironic, really--in front of Celestia. And so, we looked at each other, our eyes level as Her burning coals just... Stared into mine. A strange warmth grew at my temples--different and yet similar to the warmth Celestia naturally produced, as She stood there. In the darkness and Her blinding light, I did not see the red aura consuming Her horn as She watched; uncomfortably entranced by Her eyes as I was.

"Thou shalt be My Heir," Celestia declared eventually, raising Herself to Her full height--seeming satisfied with what She had seen within me. A shuddering breath escaped me as my limbs locked up, followed by another shaky breath, speaking not a word as I looked up at Her. Celestia just stood there, taking in the likely highly awkward sight before her: a blank-flank, terrified Alicorn who was supposed to be of Her flesh and blood. The Empress looked around, and a fire lighted in each of the hitherto unknown and regularly-placed sconces on the walls of the room.

The room that was revealed was one of white marble, a long, red (how surprising) carpet on the floor, leading from the tall golden doors through which I had entered, to the golden throne placed directly opposite--where the Empress and I were now located. The breath was taken from me as fire ignited in the sconces, illuminating brightly the room- though Celestia shone the brightest of all. "But before such times, My prince, I hath a gift for thee," She said, looking down upon me, Her red-gold, slitted eyes catching my gaze and holding it as I shrunk back, exposed in the bright light of the fires around the room, not to forget Her own. "For I hath little patience in many-fold areas, my son. Thine development is one: for this purpose..." Burgundy magic--​​​​​​Daybreaker's magic--engulfed my vision, and all went black.


I awoke in a strange place. Blue-white spotted patterns stretched across the sky; strange sparkling, shimmering lights covered everything I could see; things I had never seen before. It was beautiful, and yet an uncontrollable shiver went down my spine, my hairs standing on end as I wandered endlessly through this strange panorama: with each step I took, nothing seemed to change. There was no sound, not even a whisper, which made my strange new world spin as I tried, futilely, to move, to go anywhere.

"Dost thou find it beautiful, my Son?" Celestia approached behind me, swift strides crossing from nowhere in seconds where it had cost me an eternity to move. She yet shone with an inner light, but She seemed more gentle here than in the Imperial Palace.

"I do, Mother," I answered Her, looking up at the Empress as she came to rest in front of me, glaring down through Her red-gold eyes. Somewhere, I found the courage to somehow meet her gaze. The Solar Empress seemed content and allowed silence to flourish in... Where were we? Surely not Canterlot. I decided to ask: "Where are we, Mother?"

"The realm of dreams, my Prince. Here, I may demonstrate to thee thine potential. Potential that thee must refine." She stepped forward, touching Her horn to mine.