//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: I Wasn’t There to Catch You // by Supernova08 //------------------------------// The soft clink of golden horseshoes echoed throughout the halls. A white alicorn, slender legs, majestic wings, and a glorious sun cutie mark, was making her way towards a balcony. However, this was no ordinary balcony. No, this was the balcony in which the mighty princess of the sun raised her divine celestial being. Gracing the land with its light and warmth. Across from this balcony was a similar one made for the princess of the moon, who in turn gave the land starlight. Chasing away the creatures of the dark seeking to harm their beloved subjects. It was a wonderful morning and she had decided to take the liberty of sleeping in instead of waking up early like she normally would as a nice change of pace. Celestia opened the doors to the balcony, cool air rushing into the much warmer hallway. Her regalia shimmered under the moonlight, the reflection of light creating small sparkles on the ground. Her purple irises lit up as she admired the moon in all of its beauty. In Celestia’s opinion, the night was so much more appealing than the day. First of all, she didn’t have to work during the night, and second, it was so much more interesting to look at; you could search for hours and hours and you would still find more constellations. Not only that but the amount of work her sister put into every night was phenomenal. Just because the night was a creation of her sister did she love it all the more. She couldn’t imagine a life without Luna. Celestia had been overjoyed when her sibling returned, Luna was her other half, her missing puzzle piece. Without her she was never as whole as she wanted to be, she knew what it felt like already when her sister had been banished and was going to make sure it never happened again. Unfortunately, recent events had forced her to take on more work and she had been unable to spend time with Luna in the past couple of months. The only few times she had spent with the pony she held dear was when her sister had given her multiple of her personal belongings. It had surprised her that Luna had given her prized possessions she usually kept to herself but she didn’t think much of it due to being preoccupied with work. A hint of regret hit her as she remembered how distracted she had been, she had barely even greeted her sister when she entered. Luna had given her a gift and she hadn’t even acknowledged her presence! What kind of sister was she? Even after Luna had given her so many gifts the past month she still hadn’t had the time to stop by and say thank you. Celestia forced down the feeling, she had to focus on raising the sun. A bit of excitement brushed her as she remembered that she would soon see her sister on the other balcony. Her anticipation grew as the time to lower the moon neared. Sunrises and sunsets were special to her in a way that it was the time in which both the sun and the moon were in the sky together. She liked the thought that the two beings were equal, just like her and Luna. Seeing her sister was also a sweet part of the deal.  Celestia’s heart pounded, just a couple more minutes and she would see her sister. Three to be exact before Luna usually arrived. There was always that glowing excitement that she gained before seeing her sister, having been away from Luna for so long helped Celestia appreciate any little moment she managed to see her. Dawn and dusk, the designated times it was certain they would see each other was no exception. One minute passed by… Celestia smiled at the memory of her sister opening her first-ever heartswarming gift back at home. She could still see the grin on Luna’s face when she received a new telescope. Two minutes passed by… Celestia closed her eyes and inhaled, taking in the fresh morning air. It was relaxing, calming any worries and halting her excitement for but a second before it came back at full force. Three minutes passed by… Luna was late, for only a minute, but this was unusual since Luna was always on time for moonrise and moonset. Celestia, being the overprotective big sister she was, began to get slightly nervous, however, since it was only a minute she composed herself. Ten minutes later… Something was very wrong, not only did Luna not show up, but the moon hadn’t even moved an inch. Now the sunrise was late. None of that mattered to Celestia anyway as she was now even more worried than before. She had a feeling in her gut that something was off, and now was determined to find out what it was. Quickly, she burst open the balcony doors and galloped towards the lunar wing. Servants and guards watched in confusion as their ruler ran through the hallways. Many tried to stop her but such efforts were futile. All thoughts of being a princess and keeping up appearances disappeared as the only thing on Celestia’s mind was that something had happened to her baby sister. What if a villain had kidnapped her? She herself had recently been captured by Queen Chrysalis so it would not be surprising. The scent of the lavender flowers Luna put up every night tickled Celestia's nose as she entered the darker halls of the wing. The luxurious heavy drapes swayed by the rush of air caused by the galloping alicorn and the sound of her hooves pounding along the floor bounced throughout the castle, startling ponies into thinking there was a stampede. Luna’s chamber doors exploded open in a burst of golden light. A frantic alicorn, mane in her eyes and tiara crooked, looked within. “LUNA! Are you alright?” Celestia paused. There was nopony to be seen. A couple of navy blue feathers but that was about it. She slowly walked into the room, it was dark save for a few burning candles. Lighting her horn to give her extra vision, she spotted a familiar black tiara sitting on the blankets of Luna’s bed. It gleamed mysteriously by the candlelight, giving Celestia an uneasy feeling. Next to the tiara was a note. Celestia’s heart rate increased, her breathing grew heavy and the sensation in her gut spread farther and further through her body. She slowly levitated the note closer, fearing the worst. It could be a ransom note, or something worse. She didn’t want to read the contents yet she forced herself to. For Luna, she thought. Celestia scanned the letter. Her eyes widened. No, this couldn’t be! She read the letter over and over again. It was definitely Luna’s hoofwriting. Just one more time! She looked at the bottom, Luna’s signature in curvy dark blue letters was the same as always. No, she couldn’t believe it, No, she didn’t want to believe it. Her little sister could not have possibly written a sui-. “Your Majesty!” A guard shouted, bringing Celestia out of her stunned daze. He had a sorrowful but stern expression on his face. “One of the castle gardeners has found the deceased body of Princess Luna!” It took a few moments for the princess to register the dreadful words. How could this have happened!? Her eyes wide, a single tear rolled down a white cheek, hitting the floor with an audible plop. She shook her head. “No, no, no!” The glass of her restraint broke, water spilled out and her senses stopped functioning. There was a ringing in Celestia’s ears as her heart, along with her world, shattered into a million pieces.