//------------------------------// // Winter Solstice // Story: The Life I Once Had // by Smithawits //------------------------------// PLEASE NOTE: There will be several instances in this story where Luna will have a flashback about a particular event. Flashbacks will be indicated by four, centered asterisks (*). This should help you figure out when Luna is having a flashback, and when she is back in reality. Please enjoy! A lone wolf silently crept in the ankle deep snow, sniffing the ground trying to find any kind of scent. After a few minutes of searching, the wolf suddenly perked its ears up and lifted its head towards the clear, night sky. Up in the sky, it saw a long chariot being pulled by two pegasi guards, silhouetted against the sky; the chariot quickly and silently dashed across the sky. As it passed, the wolf let out a howl that traveled all throughout the frozen landscape. The chariot was colored a midnight blue, with stars decorating the sides; it was carrying one tall pony who was wearing a black hooded cloak that completely covered her body; the pony's name was Princess Luna. Luna looked over to her right and pointed towards a long valley a few hundred feet away. The guards looked over and turned towards the valley. As they approached the valley, they started to descend towards the ground; slowly coming into view. Their coats were gray and they wore light blue, plated body armor; two black chains connected their armor to the chariot. Their eyes were yellow and their pupils were almost animal like; their faces had a stern, determined expression. At seventy feet from the ground, the guards started flapping their dark blue, bat-like wings at a slower pace. At fifty feet, they stopped flapping their wings and simply held them out as they rapidly glided from the sky. At thirty feet, they lowered their legs; they braced for impact should something go wrong. At ten feet, they started galloping in the air; ready to land. With a stumble and a near fall, the guards landed on the slippery terrain and continued galloping; the chariot landed with a loud thud which caused Luna to stumble, however she soon regained her balance.  Slowly but surely, the guards and chariot started to slow. Eventually, they slowed to a brisk trot, easily pulling the chariot and its precious cargo. The valley continued going straight for a quarter of a mile before making a wide turn to the right. It then angled left slightly before finally ending. The guards followed this path until the valley completely opened up to reveal a hidden kingdom built on a frozen hill. The guards slowed to a walk and then stopped about twenty feet from the main gate. As the chariot rolled to a stop, they unhooked themselves and walked towards the main gate. Luna remained seated on the chariot and looked at gateway; her mind started to fade away to the past. * * * * Princess Celestia stepped off of her chariot with an excited smile on her face and her pink mane blowing gently in the wind. She turned around and gently grabbed Princess Luna’s hoof. “Watch your step,” Celestia said in a motherly way. “Tia,” Luna complained, “I can’t watch anything with this blindfold on! Can you please tell me what is going on?” “Just hang on, you’ll see in a second.” Celestia moved her younger sister into position. “Are you ready?” she asked. “Of course! I’ve been ready about thirty seconds after you put this thing on!” “Okay then….take off the blindfold!” Celestia said, hardly able to contain herself. Luna sat down and used her forehooves to slide the blindfold off of her eyes, which then fell to the ground as she opened her eyes. What she saw in front of her was breathtaking. Luna stood in front of a massive stone archway, which was connected to an equally massive stone wall traveling around a city. Several torches decorated the sides and top; a thick, iron gateway was resting firmly on the ground, blocking entrance into the city. Several guards who were stationed on the archway couldn’t help but smile as they saw Luna’s eyes grow wide and her jaw slowly drop. “Woah…” was all Luna could say. “It is pretty impressive isn’t it?” Celestia said. “So what is this? Another kingdom you had built?” “It is.” “Very impressive! But how are you going to rule two kingdoms at once?” “Oh, well, I’ve thought about that and I came up with the best solution I could think of; I’m not going to rule over two kingdoms. I'm staying at Canterlot.” “But if you're going to be at Canterlot-” Luna looked back at the gate “-who’s going to rule here?” A huge smile came across Celestia’s mouth as she excitedly whispered, “you are.” It took a few seconds for Luna to fully realize what her sister had just said as she continued to stare up at the towering archway. Suddenly, it hit her. “W-what did you just say?” Luna asked as she turned to face her sister. “You heard me! You are going to rule this kingdom; I had this place built specifically for you.” Luna felt her heart beat faster and faster as her excitement grew. Unable to contain herself any longer, she started giggling and jumping up and down in a circle singing, “I get my own kiiiingdom! I get my own kiiingdom!” “Luna,” Celestia interrupted. Luna stopped jumping and looked at her sister, “Yes?” “I know it isn’t for some time still, but let me tell you now: Happy Birthday.” Luna giggled like a schoolfilly as she embraced her sister in a tight hug. “Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!” Luna let go, and then started to jump around again, throwing all proper princess behavior out the window. “I just can’t believe that I finally have my own kingdom!” “Well you know, it’s not officially done yet; this place still needs a name, but you can think about that while you get ready for your coronation,” Celestia said smiling at her sister. Luna stopped jumping and looked at Celestia with wide eyes, “m-my…coronation? But we already had that remember? A long time ago back in Canterlot.” “In Canterlot, yes but here your subjects are going to want to remember and celebrate when their princess officially came to power.” To say that Luna was overjoyed is an understatement. She quickly ran over to Celestia and gave the biggest hug she could give. Celestia returned the affection by wrapping her left foreleg around Luna’s back. A few seconds later, Luna broke the hug and looked back at the gate, “So can we go in?” “You tell me, this is your kingdom after all; you tell the guards to open the gates.” Luna looked up to see several guards smiling down at her, ready and excited to obey her command at a moment’s notice. All she needed to do was speak. “O-open the gate,” Luna said in a quiet voice. Celestia leaned down and whispered in Luna’s ear, “louder.” Luna cleared her throat, “Open the gate!” Without another moment to spare, the guards disappeared and several shouts could be heard, repeating Luna’s command. Soon after Luna spoke, the gate in front of the two sisters let out a moan and shook. With loud, multiple clangs, the gate slowly lifted up, then dropped an inch with a loud thud; it then rose up higher, and then dropped another inch. This continued until only the bottom parts of the gate showed at the top of the archway. As soon as everything had settled down, Luna immediately grabbed her sister’s forehoof and ran through the gateway. Celestia had to hold her crown steady as she found herself being pulled through the city by her younger sister. Together, the two ran towards the castle, forgetting that either one could simply fly and/or teleport there. The guards on the archway couldn’t help but smile and laugh as they reflected on how excited their soon-to-be-princess was. Some of the guards even held their hoof to their chest and pretended to have a heart attack on how adorable Luna was being. This only made the guards laugh some more. * * * * Luna blinked a few times as her mind rushed back to reality. Her two guards had just reached the gate as she stepped off her chariot and made her way to the archway; which had multiple cracks in the structure, and was frozen over. The once thick iron gateway now lay rusted at an awkward diagonal position in the archway, allowing Luna and her two guards to slip through with a little effort. Luna stood staring down the main street with a guard flanking both sides of her. Together, they slowly walked down the street, looking at their surroundings. Everything was dead. The only source of light came from the full moon which hung high in the sky. Multiple structures that were once beautiful homes to all kinds of ponies were now collapsed and frozen under snow and thick ice. A cold, arctic wind blew throughout the city causing hanging signs to squeak, shutters to gently tap against walls, and wooden beams to creak. The three came across to what looked like the last sturdy structure in the entire city, aside from the castle itself. The sign on the front was barely readable thanks to thousands of years of torment by the unforgiving ice, but Luna knew what it was called: ‘The Pony’s Pub.’ One of her guards pushed against the door, but it wouldn’t budge. He then backed up and turned around. BANG! He bucked the door with one hind leg, but again, it wouldn’t budge. BANG! He bucked it again, this time with his two hind legs which made the door start to give way. BANG! The door splintered and cracked and allowed some of the moonlight to shine inside the dark lobby. BANG! With one final kick, the door broke in two; the half still connected to the wall on rusty hinges grinded open, while the other half fell to the floor with a loud thud, stirring dust and snow into the air. The guard entered the pub, followed by Luna, then the other guard. It took a while, but their eyes eventually adjusted to the darkness. The entire interior was twisted and warped from wind and melted snow. Some chairs were overturned while others were upside down on a table. It almost looked as though the previous owner had closed up one night and didn’t bother ever opening back up. “You two wait here,” Luna said as her horn lit up. Two dry, thick logs, and a flint and steel appeared in front of her; the logs floated to the fireplace, while the flint and steel floated to one of her guards, who grabbed it in his hoof. “I’m going to take a walk,” she then turned and headed out the door. She was already outside when one of her guards approached her from behind. “Your highness, are you sure you will be alright? We can come with you.” “No thank you, I will be fine. You two stay here and stay warm.” The guard bowed and retreated back into the pub; Luna turned and walked towards the center of the city. The first guard inside had just started the fire as the second guard walked in. For the first time in thousands of years, a warm, inviting fire filled one of the town’s pubs. The second guard walked up and sat next to his comrade; a shiver went up both of their spines as heat hit their bodies for the first time since arriving in this frozen wasteland. “Do you think she will be alright?” the guard on the left asked. “What do you mean?” the right guard replied. “Princess Luna; this place is where it happened. Do you think she will be alright?” “I think so; she probably just needs some time to herself.” “I hope you’re right.” Meanwhile, Princess Luna arrived at the center of the city. The shadow of the massive, Gothic-like castle covered over the entire circle. She looked up at a balcony on the castle, which overlooked the center of town; once again, she felt her mind wander. * * * * The entire city had gathered into the circular center of the town. The large pit, that would normally have held stacks of wood for a bonfire, was emptied and covered with a flat stone to make room for more ponies for this memorial event. Banners, streamers, balloons and other decorations were all set up and scattered around the town; all of them having the picture of a crescent moon against a dark blue background. The city glowed like a beacon light as every torch and lantern had been lit for this special occasion. The city could be seen for miles around. Row after row of tables had been set up in the town center; all of them filled with all kinds of food: from loaves of hot bread, to a vast array of cheeses; from steamed vegetables, to a beautifully assortment of fruit. The most important part, of course, were the stacks of barrels filled to the brink with the best kind of beer and ale from all over Equestria. Even with all of this food ready to be eaten, nopony would eat a bite until the coronation was finished. Because the city was in the arctic zone, Celestia had put an enchantment on the food that kept it deliciously warm for hours after it was made. While nopony on the ground saw it, a curtain blocking a window next to the balcony moved slightly, and an extremely nervous Princess Luna peeked through. “Oh dear…” Luna said to herself. “There are a lot of ponies down there…” Luna gulped a lump down her throat and walked towards the fireplace in her bedroom. She stared at the flames popping and hissing at her. She looked absolutely beautiful in the dim light. Her light blue mane was bundled into many elegant curls with black and dark blue gems clipped into her mane. She was wearing a light blue, glitter-like eye shadow that sparkled in the light whenever she closed her eyes. A diamond necklace, that had a white crescent moon at the center, rested comfortably against her chest. She wore a dark blue silk dress, decorated with stars, and crescent moons; a black silk sash draped over her right shoulder, it then seemed to melt into her dress around her hip and combine with the rest of the colors at the bottom near her hooves. “I don’t think I can go through with this…” “Now what makes you say that?” Celestia said with a smile as she walked into Luna’s room. Celestia looked just as beautiful as her sister. She was wearing a cream colored dress with a golden sash draped around her left shoulder. She wore a pearl necklace with a golden sun attached to the center. Her pink mane was also made into elegant curls; however instead of having gems clipped into her mane, Celestia’s head adorned a deep purple crown that had a golden frame. Luna walked back to the window and peeked out again. “I mean just look out there Tia; all those eyes watching me, silently judging me, expecting me to slip or stumble.” Celestia walked over, shut the curtain, and gently turned Luna’s face to hers, “That is only your nerves talking. Once the coronation gets started, everything will fall into place.” “But why wasn’t I this nervous back at Canterlot?” “You were at home; you recognized practically everypony that stood underneath the balcony. This is a new town, filled with new ponies who you don’t know.” Luna turned from her sister, “Tia, that last part didn’t make me feel any better.” “Sorry,” Celestia said with a light laugh. “W-what if I forget parts of my speech. What will I do then?” “Just speak from your heart; that’s all they want to hear.” Luna looked at the floor, unconvinced. “Here,” Celestia said, “I found this in Canterlot just before we left. Maybe this will help cheer you up a little.” Celestia open her left wing and levitated an old, small, alicorn ragdoll that was hidden underneath. It was made of simple cloth, stitched together with black string. It had a worn out mane and tail, two black button eyes and a gentle smile carefully stitched for its mouth. It looked as though it should belong to a foal living in poverty much less than two royal princesses. The limp doll floated over towards Luna; its neck, wings, and legs dangled freely in the air. “Hey, I remember this!” Luna said with a smile while looking at the doll. “What did we call her? Princess um…” “Princess Galaxia.” “That’s right! Princess Galaxia, the princess of the universe, ruler of the stars!" After a brief pause, Luna spoke again, "oh wow does this bring back memories. Remember when we made her?” “How could I forget? It was just a few days after you successfully raised the moon for the first time and got your cutie mark. You couldn’t have been much older than a filly.” Luna rolled Galaxia around in her hoof and sighed, “and just look at me now; getting ready to rule over my very own kingdom.” Luna held Galaxia tight against her chest as she hugged the doll. “Where did all that time go?” Celestia walked next to Luna and sat down next to her. “They went by too fast,” she then wrapped her right wing around Luna. “But I wouldn’t have traded those years for anything.” They both leaned on each other and closed their eyes; sitting in silence and enjoying each other’s company. Eventually, Celestia broke the silence. “Feel better?” “I do. Thank you Tia.” The two sat in each other’s embrace for what seemed like hours. Luna felt a bittersweet feeling rise in her as she heard trumpets outside sound, and the crowd cheer. “That’s my que,” Celestia said as she stood up. “Remember, wait until I call you. I’ll help you if you need it.” Luna nodded and watched her sister step outside; she was immediately received with an enormous cheer from the crowd below. Luna, with Galaxia in hoof, once again walked to the curtain and peeked outside the window; every eye was on Celestia, watching every elegant and graceful move she made as she spoke. While Luna still felt nervous, she also felt an increase of excitement build up in her as well. Finally, the big moment came. Celestia stepped to her side next to a pedestal, which had a red pillow with a white cloth on top. “Without further to do, allow me to introduce to you your princess, Princess Luna!” The crowd instantly cheered as loud as they could. Inside, Luna gave Galaxia one final tight hug, and then tucked her underneath her left wing. She then stepped out and walked to the edge of the balcony. The crowd cheered even louder than before; some of the ponies were jumping up and down while others were stomping the forelegs. Some were twirling noisemakers, while others were shouting at the top of their lungs. It was some time before they calmed down long enough to listen what their princess was going to say. Once they were all quiet, Luna spoke. “I um…-” Luna laughed nervously “-I had a speech all ready for this moment; but as soon as I stepped out and saw how happy and excited you all are…well…I think I'm just going to speak from the heart real quick.” Celestia raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly. “I want to thank you all for accepting me here into this wonderful city. I have never come across a city that is so relaxed and easygoing, yet dedicated and hardworking at the same time. I promise to lead you all to the best of my ability; to interact and spend time with you. I can honestly say that I am just as excited to be here as you all are; and I am looking forward to the many years ahead.” Luna then turned to Celestia and kneeled. Celestia’s horn glowed with a bright yellow aura as she used her magic to take off the white cloth on the pillow to reveal a beautiful crown. The crown was silver with many loops and twirls decorating the side and getting smaller the farther they traveled around towards the back of the crown. At the front was a small oval that had black and dark blue gems decorating the edges. Hovering just in front of the oval was a tiny, brightly glowing crescent moon with tiny stars that twinkled in random areas around it. The moon itself was made from a Solar Stone. A Solar Stone is the rarest and most beautiful stone in Equestria, as it is not only able to emit its own light, like the sun, but it is also able to defy gravity. Celestia levitated the crown in front of her, and gently placed it on Luna’s head. It was a perfect fit. The crowd cheered and whistled as Luna rose to her hooves. Before the crowd could get out of control though, Celestia raised a hoof to silence the crowd. “When I had this place built” –Celestia began- “I purposefully left out a name. I have left the task of naming this city to Princess Luna.” Celestia turned to her sister. “Well Luna? Have you decided on a name?” “I have. I have thought long and hard about this and have decided that the name of this city shall be…” Luna paused to add dramatic effect. Everypony in the crowd was leaning over so far, they were all about to fall over. “Winter Solstice!” The crowd cheered and stomped their hooves as confetti and fireworks shot off into the sky. * * * * Luna snapped back to reality and looked around the center of the town. Part of her was expecting to see a citizen or some form of pony life, but the other half soon reminded her that nopony was going to be here, and that she was alone. She let her head hang a little as she walked towards the castle.