A Study on Alicorns: Cause and Effect

by Jaelommiss


Chapter Six – Sun

Chapter Six – Sun

Twilight expected she would again be waiting a while before her next, and final, interview. Celestia would be next, she assumed. This was the one that worried her the most. While Celestia was her first and closest friend, she was also her teacher. Twilight did her best to remain still while waiting, but her forehooves fidgeted slightly, the only visible sign of the anxiety that tormented her.

Unlike before, the door opened within a few minutes. As expected, the Sun princess stepped out from the shadowy room beyond the doorway. Closing the door gently behind her (using her golden magic), the white alicorn walked over to her large chair behind the table and sat down. She rested her elbows on the wooden surface and stared at her student over her hooves. Twilight felt that she being analyzed by her teacher. It was far worse than waiting alone.

The two of them sat there for what felt like an eternity, one watching intently, the other doing her best not to move. Eventually the younger of the two shifted slightly in her seat to take her weight off of her thoroughly crushed tail.

As if this movement was some sort of signal, the larger pony started talking, “Here we are. The oldest alicorn and potentially the youngest alicorn. The others spoke highly of you. Mostly.”
Twilight was not sure if that made her more or less comfortable. “Mostly?” she questioned, unsure what else to say.

“One of them, and I will not say who, is still undecided. She will be listening in on our conversation.” Twilight gulped nervously and her mentor gave her a reassuring smile. “Just be yourself. I am confident that you will convince her.”

Celestia lowered her hooves until they rested horizontal on the table, “Now then, onto business, Twilight. I am here to explain the history of the spell, and to answer any remaining questions you may have. Are you ready?”

“Yes, Celestia.” Could she have answered otherwise?

“Good. As I am sure you are aware, Luna and I were among the first ponies to settle Equestria. I used to be the unicorn Clover the Clever, the first bearer of the element of magic, although we have not yet gotten there. Yes, Twilight?” The unicorn’s hoof was waving in the air to gain her attention.

“If you were Clover the Clever, and Luna was your mentor, does that make her –”

“Starswirl the Bearded, yes. After returning from Ponyville during Nightmare Night she commented on your choice of costume.” Twilight blushed madly and stammered out something that ended up sounding like ‘MEEP!’. Her teacher tried to reassure her. “Think of it this way: imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. She was not mad at you. In fact, I think she was glad to have been remembered.” The way that Twilight looked down at the floor suggested that it did not help.

Celestia continued undaunted by her ashamed pupil, “As I said, we were the first to come to Equestria. I should really amend that to the first ponies to come to Equestria. There were already inhabitants here.  Dragons ruled the skies and mountains while changelings dwelt in the ground and under the hills. Despite the abundance of resources, neither were happy to see a new civilization moving in. We sent for the rest of our kind shortly after arriving and seeing the riches in Equestria.”

“What happened? With the dragons. I already know how you conquered the changelings.” Twilight’s confidence had returned and she risked a question.

Celestia switched over to a more authoritative tone, usually reserved for speeches and long monologues. “What always happens when territory is at stake. We fought. Within a month we had a firm stronghold on the ground and had buried many of the changeling tribes. Earth ponies fought them on the ground, pegasi in the sky. Unicorns would collapse hives and prevent them from resurfacing. In short, we dominated them. After a time we left them alone, excluding of course their occasional raids.”

“The dragons, however, presented a much greater challenge. It took many pegasi to challenge them in the air, and the earth ponies were entirely useless. Some unicorns could fight the dragons, but unlike changelings dragons had magic of their own. It is much more primal and they have less control over it, but it was far more powerful than our own. It would only be a matter of time until both our races were reduced to ash in the wind.”

“The changelings had been unable to communicate with us. They spoke a different language to us and we were content with wiping them aside. On the other hoof, the dragons spoke the same language as us. Out of necessity we sent ambassadors to negotiate the end of conflict. They came back severely wounded or not at all. We tried again and this time none returned.”

“The final time I went myself. I ventured alone through treacherous passes and over rocky mountains. I had to regularly avoid dragon patrols who might fancy a roast pony dinner. It took weeks, but eventually I arrived at their main nest, a hollowed mountain where they dwelt. Under cover of night I snuck inside and navigated their caves as best I could. I mentally mapped my path in case I was discovered, although I knew that I had little chance of survival if I were found.”

“After hours of wandering dark tunnels I came across what appeared to be their king’s throne chamber. It was abandoned, likely due to the late hour. I slipped inside and took cover in a stony alcove to wait ‘til morning. A couple hours later sunlight pierced small cracks in the ceiling that served as windows. It had been designed that dawn would make pillars of light flank the pathway between the main doors and the jewel-encrusted throne. Their king entered during this time with only a couple guards as an escort. Knowing that more dragons would come later, I ventured from the alcove that sheltered me and alerted them to my presence.”

“As expected, the guards reacted quickly and violently, incorrectly assuming that I was an assassin. I stunned them with my magic long enough to let their king know I meant no harm and was there to talk. That day I managed to negotiate a temporary ceasefire and a small area in the sky for the pegasi. Shortly after we exchanged ambassadors and slowly tensions between our races fell. Myself and the five ponies that led our kind worked together to bring peace. Other than isolated conflicts, fighting was done within our first year in Equestria.  All hostilities ended in less than five years. By the end of our first decade we had peace treaties signed and trade was flourishing between us.”

“The king recognized our efforts in ending what would otherwise have become a horrible war. He gifted us with the Elements of Harmony to show his appreciation. In private he taught me of a powerful spell that bound his people, the same spell that you are here to learn today. He guided my efforts and helped me refine the spell until it was fit for use on ponies. Originally we intended to Change the other five founders of Equestria, however it became clear that it would not work on anypony other than the caster, much unlike the original spell that was over the dragons. Regardless, I cast the spell and Changed into the first alicorn using the power of the Element of Magic. The king of dragons and I remain close friends to this day.”

Celestia ended her speech both surprised and impressed that her student had stay quiet for its entirety. The blissful silence that followed did not last long, however.

The ever inquisitive Twilight was full of questions and eventually burst, “So this king of the dragons is how you get eggs for your students? What’s he like? Does Spike know? What else did they teach you? How did they get the Elements of Harmony?” Twilight stopped to take a breath.

“Yes, he supplies eggs for some of my students. You will meet him in time if you decide to Change. Spike doesn’t know yet, hence his quest to learn who he is. You already have a book full of what they taught me. And I don’t know how they got the Elements. I imagine they either found them while harvesting gems or created them. When I said I would answer your questions I meant one at a time, not all at once.”

Twilight opened her mouth to speak before closing it again and letting Celestia talk. “I will not fill you in on everything that has happened since then. It would take far too long to recount thousands of years of equine history. I will, however, give you some key points of what happened after. After Changing, I continued in my six-way rule of Equestria. During this time Starswirl Changed into Luna and joined our ranks. As time went on the others aged and succumbed to time, leaving the pair of us alone in ruling the ponies of Equestria. Another alicorn was created a couple hundred years later, a male this time.”

“By this time myself and Luna were getting bored. A new alicorn was an exciting change, but not for long. We decided upon a game of strength and wits.”

“The game,” Twilight filled in.

Celestia nodded her white head, “Yes, Twilight. It was a public three-way magical duel, winner keeps Equestria. Ponies came from all around to watch. We struggled for days against one another. If not for magical wards placed over the spectators more than a few would have been killed or worse. Regardless, they stayed to watch and cheer for their chosen team. In the end both myself and Luna fell to the new alicorn and departed from the land, vowing that we would return. It became an annual event for us to fight each other. After a few dozen matches, and all three of us controlling Equestria for a time, we decided to expand the game. Our contest would span years and much more closely resemble a real war. At one point I led a dragon legion against Luna.”

“The death toll rose significantly, but what were mortals but the playthings of gods? For that was what we had become. I controlled the sun itself, Luna the moon. The land fell under control of our colleague. Over time our attacks became increasingly sparse, but of greater magnitude.  Eventually the dragons stepped in the lay down official rules to prevent loss of innocent life, spanning from rules of engagement to integrating new alicorns into the game.” After a few seconds, “Was there anything else, Twilight?”

Twilight thought carefully for a minute. Eventually, “What will happen to my friends in Ponyville if I Change? Will I still know them?”

“That’s up to you. And them. Luna and I chose new names when we Changed. Chrysalis did not. None of us look like we used to, but we still act and behave like we did as unicorns, albeit with far greater experience in life to draw upon. Should you attempt something foolish, such as trying to dethrone me, you might find yourself banished for far longer than their natural lives. Even if you stay with them, they will die and you will live on. I gave you Spike so that you would not be completely alone when this happens, although the grief will still be terrible for you. Despite your best intentions, they might disown you for your choice. Cadence lost her friends when she Changed. They simply could not accept her as an alicorn. Anything else?”

“A few weeks back I had an encounter with a strange magical artifact. The Alicorn Amulet. Where did it come from? What does it have to do with alicorns?” asked Twilight.

Celestia hesitated before answering. “I’m not sure, Twilight. It was here before I regained the throne. If I had to guess, I would assume another alicorn created it as a plot to overthrow the last ruler.”

Celestia stood up from the chair she was sitting on. “I am going to speak with the others. Please wait here until we come to a decision.” Celestia’s colourful tail disappeared the door a heartbeat before it clanged shut.