//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: The Goddess // Story: The Goddess Inside Us All // by That_G3_Obsessive //------------------------------// As I trotted to the castle, the Elements floating behind me, I looked back at my friends. The ponies were grinning, chatting, and looking at the window displays in the store fronts. Nopony could tell that we were on urgent business with the princess. Since our fight, Rainbow and I had kept a tense silence all the way from the train station. None of our friends asked us about it, which was good, because I don't think that I could talk about it without getting super angry about Rainbow pushing me off the balcony. Rainbow just told me that she wouldn't have pushed me if I wasn't such a wimp. Well, excuse me if I don't feel like plummeting to my death. Anyway, we walked up to the castle doors. I pushed them open with my magic, nodding at the guards that flanked the doorway, and strode inside. The castle is majestic. There is no other way to describe it. As the great columns and arches spread above you, it is all you can do not to look up and gape. [And no, Applejack, I am not overdoing it with the description. That's how I feel every time I go in there.] The throne room doors are the most beautiful doors I have ever laid eyes on. They are engraved with swirling patterns that circle around the great gems inlaid in the polished wood. And the centerpiece is a great ruby cut in half and set in the crack where the two oak doors meet. Now even Rarity is saying I'm overdoing the description. [C'mon, guys, I don't interrupt this much when you're telling the story.] Anyway, as I rapped one of my hooves against the doors, I heard Celestia behind them. "Come in," she said in a warm, welcoming tone. As we strode through the throne room, coming to a stop at the thrones, Celestia's face morphed into a frown. "You brought your friends?" she asked in a flat monotone. "Y-yes," I stammered. "We figured that whatever you wanted was important, like the Crystal Empire, and you needed all of the Elements--" I shut my mouth as Celestia raised her hoof for silence. "I need to speak with you, and it is important, but may I ask your friends to leave the room for a few moments while Princess Twilight and I speak alone about something?" The alicorn smiled warmly at the other ponies, but they looked miffed all the same. "Well then, Princess." Rainbow almost spat out the words at me. [Oh, don't try to take the microphone now, Rainbow. It's my turn.] "I guess we'll be leaving. Come on, girls!" she strode out of the room with my other friends, and then slammed the doors. It tore my heart to see her so angry at me. Celestia raised an eyebrow. I could see in her eyes that she was curious about what was going on, but she didn't want to ask. "It was nothing, Princess," I sighed. "We just had a little, er, disagreement about something." She nodded. "Keep your friends close, Twilight," she said wistfully. "So, Princess Celestia," I ventured. "What was that you wanted to talk about?" "Ah, yes," she snapped back from Memoryland as I awaited her answer. "I have one last lesson for you--a history lesson." "You mean about the three pony tribes? The age where Discord ruled Equestria? King Sombra's rule over the Crystal Empire?" I inquired. I love history lessons! Pinkie says that that makes me sound like a nerd. I guess it does... Anyway, Celestia shook her head. "Before either of those. This is a lesson on the time nopony but Luna, Discord, and I know about, as we are the only survivors from that time. It was when Luna and I were just young fillies. A very, very long time ago. "It was during the Draconiquus War, when the world was ruled by alicorns, much like Luna and I. They were everywhere, but most are dead now. They were all killed off by the draconiqi, Discord's ancestors. He was a baby then, a foal. We were ignorant and naive to the war raging around us, as our mother and father kept us safe in the castle. The same castle in which the Elements of Harmony were hidden. "There weren't many alicorns at that time. There never were. The only alicorns that I remember coming to the castle at all were six noble alicorns. My mother and father, Imperia and Astros, were the rulers of the world at the time. These ponies were their guards, you might say. They were all killed in the draconiqi invasion. "But alicorn spirits are different then regular ponies'. Since alicorns live extremely long, though not forever, their souls last even longer. After an alicorn body dies, their spirits carry on, in a different host body. They insert the perfect host they find right when they are born, and affect the way the pony looks, acts, and even the race of host pony. Most of the time, these hosts don't even know that they have a deity inside them. "Hosting an alicorn can even give the host the opportunity to become an alicorn themselves. And only a true alicorn from the ancient days can tell if somepony is a host," Celestia finished. "Oh," was all I could say. How do you expect me to react to a story like that? "One more thing." The princess's face was stony. "More?" I asked in wonder. "I have sensed an alicorn host." She looked down at me gravely, as if she was saying I am going to send you to save Equestria again. "W-what?" I stammered. A host for an alicorn soul? "And they are standing in this very room." Celestia's eyes dared me to try and guess who it was. "Standing here? But there's nopony here but..." I trailed off as I realized what she was saying. "Y-you mean..." I staggered back, holding my head with my hooves. "No, no no no!" I shouted. "That's right, Twilight." Celestia looked down at me with those calm, pink eyes. "You are hosting an alicorn. You are a goddess."