//------------------------------// // Tales in the Forest // Story: The God Empress of Ponykind // by iowaforever //------------------------------// Tales in the Forest Trees had begun to overrun the land, forcing Celestia, Luna and Philomena to move into a cave. The damp environment did slow Her work, but Luna was fascinated by the cave, wandering around inside using Philomena as her guide/ torch. She would ask questions, lots of questions, and Celestia had to draw from Her vast knowledge to satiate the filly’s appetite for knowledge. What also drew Her attention was Luna’s imagination; the filly would wander off for a minute or two before returning with some wild tale about all the animals she had seen during her life, sometimes creating new ones out of the blue. She spoke of fantastic creatures that lived on a small island to the south (which was named in a language she invented). She told tales of other ponies living with these creatures, and how all of them worked together and fought the “evil powers of evil” (One story sounded eerily similar to the destruction of Sondheim V, but She passed it off as coincidence). Now that there was larger and more dangerous fauna inhabiting the land, She had to go out periodically to make sure everything was running smoothly. Her armor and power sword helped immensely, and most creatures were hesitant to attack once their comrades were bisected by the golden avatar of death. Usually the treks were long, and She would pack some extra supplies to keep Her going (She did not necessarily have to eat, but having something to chew on was always welcome). She was about to head out when something small, blue and fuzzy latched on to Her leg. “Tia!” Luna chirped, squeezing as tight as possible. “Can I go with you?” “No.” Celestia said, trying to move with Luna hanging off Her leg. “But Tia, I wanna see all the animals and stuff! Please, can I go with you?” Luna let go of Celestia's leg, but continued to follow after Her. “No, Luna. The forest is dangerous for a little filly like you, and you’ll just slow me down.” “No I won’t, and you’re all shiny and stuff so you can protect us!” “My answer is still no.” “Please? Please can I go? I’ll be good.” Luna gave a small pout, trying her best to win her sister over. “No.” “Pleeeeeease?” Celestia looked down at Luna, the younger pony’s eyes huge and sparkling, before sighing. “Fine, but stay close and don’t wander-” “Yay!” Luna latched on to Celestia’s leg once more. “I have the bestest big sister in the world!” Celestia sighed again and stepped out into the forest, Luna letting go and walking after Her. “So, you you ever see anything really amazing when you do all your walking around and stuff?” “Everything here is amazing, Luna.” Celestia stopped by a small patch of ferns. “Every single organism, specifically engineered to my design, unique in structure and function. Not even the greatest geneticists of my old home could imagine something like this.” She continued walking, Luna scampering along beside Her. “Cuz you were really smart and they weren’t!” “There are varying degrees of intelligence, Luna; I could be ‘smart’ in one thing, but be a mere apprentice in another.” Luna paused for a moment, eyebrow raised in confusion. “Like...?” “Well... That will have to be a story for another time.” this got a disappointed groan from Luna as the two ponies walked on. Their progress was slow (Luna’s wings being too small for flight and her legs still being stubby), and Celestia found Herself having to wait for Her sister to catch up. They exited the forest and entered a field, small ferns and shrubs substituting for grass. Their presence startled a herd of small bipedal reptiles, who shrieked and darted off towards the woods at the other end of the field, much to Luna’s amusement. “Why did you make them so weird looking?” she said between giggles. “‘Weird’? They’re graceful animals.” “No, they’re weird; they have those skinny legs and tiny heads and they run around like birds. Why didn’t you make them birds since they look like birds?” “Every organism has it’s own niche; some designs just happen to work well in multiple niches.” Celestia continued on before Luna circled around in front of Her. “Can you teach me some of those things?” “When you’re older, Luna.” “But I want to learn now!” “Be patient, sister; you’re still young, and still growing. I need to know you are mature enough to handle genetics.” “I am mature.” “Says the filly that replaced Philomena’s bedding with mud.” Luna’s cheeks flushed red and she glared at Celestia. “Come on now, we’re wasting time.” Celestia continued walking, Luna following behind Her. A few more minutes of walking, Luna started whining. “Tia, I’m hungry.” “Then eat.” “But there’s nothing to eat.” Celestia sighed and turned to face Her sister. “We are herbivores and we are in a forest; you can eat whatever you like. Here,” Her horn lit up and a soft yellow glow enveloped a few ferns. “Eat this.” “Okay.” Luna walked over at the ferns and began to nip at the leaves. “Eat faster.” “Don’t rush me!” Luna snapped before she continued to nip at the ferns. When she was finished, the two continued walking before Luna complained again. “Tia, I have to go to the bathroom.” “There’s a tree over there; go behind that.” “It’s too small...” Celestia let out a frustrated sigh. “The shrub next to it should be fine.” Luna grumbled and ducked behind the bush. There was a pause before Luna shrieked. “Tia! There’s a snake looking at me!” the filly cried. Celestia's ears perked up a little. Snakes were not much of a threat to Her, but Luna was still young, relatively speaking, and not as strong as She was. “What does it look like?” there was a pause. “It’s all green and snake-y!” I thought I taught her how to describe animals better than that... Perhaps I missed something. “That kind of snake won’t hurt you.” “Yes it will!” “Luna stop complaining and go to the bathroom!” another groan from Luna, and soon the filly returned to Celestia’s side. They walked on before Luna spoke again. “Tia, I’m tired.” Wonderful. “You shouldn’t have spent all last night playing with Philomena.” “Not that kind of tired. My legs hurt... Can I ride on your back?” “No.” “But Tiaaaa...” “Fine...” Celestia sighed and kneeled down. Luna clambered onto Her back and took up position between Her wings. Another few minutes past before Luna spoke again. “Tia, I’m bored.” Celestia tried Her best not to give Luna too intense a glare. “Why did you come with me in the first place?” She asked. “I wanted to spend time with my big sister, but you’re only looking at the scenery and stuff. Can you tell me a story?” That’s new, Celestia thought. She’s never asked for a story before. “Um, I suppose I could.” “Yay!" Luna's mood improved instantly, and had she been standing on solid ground she most likely would have been bouncing with joy. "Can you tell me a story from where you were before I was here?” “Well, most of those stories aren’t very pleasant...” Celestia started, but Luna would not be denied. “I want a story!” “Fine, fine.” Celestia stepped over a fallen tree and began Her story. “Once there was a man-” “A what?” “A... pony, a colt.” “What’s a colt?” Luna asked. “It’s a male pony.” “Why aren’t there any around here?” “Because the world is not ready for them. Now hush.” Celestia and Luna walked out into another field while the elder sister continued. “Once there was a colt, and he was an odd sort; clever, but not the best in his studies. Personally, I don’t think he ever gave himself enough credit, but even with my powers and position I could never really tell. Anyway, I always found it amusing to watch him, since it allowed me some peace from my daily troubles.” “Like?” “I tell you when you’re older.” “Why do I always have to wait until I’m older?” Luna asked, her whining becoming apparent once again. “Because you are still young and innocent. Now, as I was saying, this colt and his friend were assigned to a group of other ponies who didn’t really get along. You see, it was his job to make sure that they worked together in harmony, and without him the other ponies would have hurt each other. There were a few issues, but eventually he managed to make everyone get along.” “This isn’t going to be one of those big talks on harmony and stuff like last week, right?” “If you behave, then no it won’t be.” Celestia leapt over a ravine, using Her wings to glide the rest of the way. Luna dug her hooves into Celestia’s back and hung on for dear life as the two landed, Celestia’s heavy armor clattering with the impact. “Don’t do that again!” the filly yelped, strengthening her grip on her sister’s back. “Aw, I thought you used to love that.” “Well, I was really little and we didn’t go so high. Can you finish the story now?” “Of course." Celestia made sure that Luna was secure before continuing her journey. "Anyway, he and his new friends were on their way to this planet that was being threatened by the Tau, a species that loved peace and harmony but only on their terms.” “What were those?” “Tau society was divided into several rigid castes. No one could move from their caste, so innovation or ambition was stifled. And, if you did not join the Tau willingly, they would come to your home and force you to join.” “That’s not very nice.” “No, it wasn’t." Celestia neglected to mention that She had never fought against the Tau, and that She saw them as a lesser evil than many of the threats She had faced, but continued on regardless. "Anyway, the planet the colt and his friends arrived on was considering joining the Tau, and tensions were running high. He settled down for a bit, met up with a few other friends, and met a very nice young mare who worked for the Inquisition.” “The inqua-what-now?” “The Inquisition," Celestia turned Her head to look at Luna. "They went around and looked for ponies that might want to do evil things and hurt other ponies.” “Oh.” “Now, things were going okay until one of the diplomats was hurt. The Tau and the ponies started arguing and soon a big fight started, but it wasn’t either side's fault.” “But-” “Let me finish. You see there was a third group, one that nopony had seen. They called themselves Genestealers, and they wanted to call their masters to the planet so they could consume it. Getting rid of the Tau and the ponies was just the quickest way to leave the planet defenseless. “Now, the colt and his friends went underground to get rid of the Genestealers while the Tau and other ponies battled the Genestealers in the city-” “But I thought ponies didn’t like the Tau.” “Yes, but Genestealers are worse; they care neither for friendship or harmony, only that their masters eat and consume biomass. They can’t be reasoned with or bribed, only purged. Well, there was a fight and the colt’s friend was hurt, but he and the mare from the Inquisition fought back and killed the Genestealer’s leader. The Tau and the colt’s other friends got rid of the remaining forces, he was declared a hero, and both sides went on their way.” there was a long pause before Luna spoke. “That’s it?” “I could give you a more detailed explanation, but I was distracted and did not see all of it. Now, there was another pony that I was able to pay more attention to.” “What was that like?” “Well, he was a brilliant commander placed in charge of a group of light infantry. One day, he-” Celestia stopped, Her ear flicking to one side. “He what? What did he do?” “Luna, be quiet for a moment.” Luna stopped talking and watched as her sister looked around. The forest was quiet, with only a few insects buzzing around. Celestia swiveled Her head around again, slowly using Her telekinesis to draw Her sword. “Luna, I want you to jump off my back and get beneath my legs; you should be safe there while I-” Celestia never finished before something green tackled Her, knocking Luna into a bush. Celestia twisted around as claws raked against Her armor, the creature trying desperately to break through. With a roar She swung Her right foreleg, catching Her attacker in the side and knocking it away. She stood back up and activated the sword. “Luna!” “Here I am!” Luna said, galloping out of the bush and next to her older sister. As the little filly ran to Celestia, more of their attackers came out of the forest. They were not exactly tall, the largest only coming up to Celestia’s chest, and they were covered in green feathers. They had clawed hands and feet, with the second toe-claw being larger than the others, and they hissed at the two sisters, revealing jaws filled with razor-sharp teeth. Celestia raised Her sword, energy crackling as She swung upward, and She pulled Luna closer to Her. “Don’t worry, Luna. I’ll keep you safe.” Celestia swung the sword around, trying to intimidate the attackers. The beasts skirted around Her and circled, trying to find a weak point from which to attack. “Come now,” She said to the circling animals. “Your attempt at surprise has failed. Come and try to claim your prize.” One of the smaller ones hissed and leapt forward, claws outstretched. Celestia whipped around and swung, Her sword slicing through the air. She struck the attacker in the side with the flat of Her blade, the energy field shocking the creature and causing it to yelp in surprise. As that one fell to the ground, a second darted forward at Luna, jaws snapping shut only a few inches from the filly’s flank. Celestia kicked out, Her armor-covered leg snapping the predator in half and knocking it against a tree. There was another snarl as two more leapt at Her; She swung the sword around and stabbed one, but the second landed on top of Her and knocked Her down. The creature lunged at Her neck, but managed to only clamp onto Her collar. She brought Her hooves up and slammed them together, crushing the body of Her attacker before pitching it to one side. As She pulled Herself back up, another predator leapt onto Her side. She felt a sting of pain as the creature bit into Her wing, crimson blood running down Her armor. With a grunt of pain She threw Herself to the ground and rolled, Her armored bulk crushing Her attacker and leaving a large red smear on Her. She stood and turned, just as the last attacker leapt at Luna. Celestia reached out with the Warp and yanked Luna away, the predator crashing to the ground confused as to where its meal went. As it stood back up, Celestia rushed forward and tackled it, knocking it against a tree and pinning it with a hoof. It hissed at Her before She plunged the sword down its throat, twisted and pulled up, the blade passing through flesh and bone easily. The fight was over, and Luna was safe. She deactivated the power sword and attached it to the clamp on Her blood-stained side. “Tia!” Luna cried, rushing over to her sister. “You’re hurt.” “I know.” Celestia looked back at Her mangled wing. None of the flesh had been ripped away, but it was covered in deep wounds, turning Her snowy white coat a disgusting pink color. “I’ve survived worse. I’ll just dress it once we get back and it should heal in a few weeks. Are you injured?” Celestia picked Luna up in Her hooves and examined the filly. Her mane was tangled and her wings were twitching, but other than a small gash on her flank she was unharmed. She placed Her sister on Her back and turned towards where She had come. “Come on, we’ve had enough surveying for today.” ... “Is that why your right wing is less fuzzy than the other?” Twilight asked. “I’m sorry?” Celestia asked, pausing from her story. “Your right wing is less fuzzy and the fur’s a little shorter. Is it because you got bit there?” Celestia looked over at her wing. Sure enough, the fur on her wing was slightly shorter than the other. Foals; always the ones with the sharpest eyesight. “No, the wounds from that fight healed a long time ago." she said as she turned back to Twilight. "I don’t even think I have any scars left over from that era.” “Wait, that happened to you more than once?” Twilight’s eyes doubled in size from shock. “Yes; it was a very dangerous time for me and my sister, even with my powers. It didn’t actually stabilize until a few million years later, but-” “Wait, a few million years? How old are you?” “Twilight, you know you shouldn’t ask ponies that.” Cadance said, lightly flicking Twilight with her wing. “No, it’s okay. I don’t mind.” Celestia smiled and looked away. “By my last guess, I am four billion, six hundred million, forty-eight thousand and seven years, five months and twenty two days old, give or take a century. I may even be older, but since the candles on my birthday cake would qualify it as a Weapon of Mass Destruction anyway I don’t really care.” Twilight’s mouth dropped open, the little filly barely breathing. “Wha... how?” “Around the dawn of humanity, there existed several of their number called shamans, powerful psykers with great control over the Warp. They learned about the growing power of the Chaos Gods, and to fight back thousands sacrificed their lives to pool their energies into one concentrated being: me. Also, I guess my trip through the Warp on my way here further extended my life.” Celestia fluffed out her wings once more. “Try not to think about it too much or you’ll hurt your brain. I promise to explain it to you once you’re older.” “Okay.” “Now, Luna didn’t venture very far after that incident, but she was still very curious about how the world worked. Several times I found her trying to sneak into the genetics lab to make something, but I think she got bored of that after awhile. I have to say, it was a fairly peaceful existence...”