Chapter 24: Be
Even though I knew mostly how a teleportation spell worked, I wasn’t keen on utilising it just to get into Star Swirl’s tower. Instead, I used a variation of the Sticky Spider’s Spell on our hands, feet and hooves and we scaled up the side of his tower with considerable gusto. Celestia was the only one not very keen of climbing the tower, Luna and I were eager to get started.
The spell worked in alternating patterns of left hand, right leg and then trading places, so it was a slow progression as we crab-walked up the side of the tower. In case we fell, Luna could glide quite easily but for some reason, Celestia wasn’t quite at ease with leaping from heights, yet.
“Are you alright, Celly?” I gave her an encouraging smile. Celestia nodded at me, but I spotted her hooves shaking slightly. I gently drew her in so that we were positioned next to each other.
I leant in as far as my neck could stretch. The wind whipped around us and some of my hair strayed into my face. I shook my head to get rid of the annoying strands. Celestia’s jaw wobbled as she stiffened. Her wings were pinned to her sides. Gently, I lifted a free hand and petted her mane.
“It’s alright Celly, we’ll get through this. Just relax now," I cooed, I gently pried her off the structure, snapping a couple of times to disable the spell and to fix myself to the tower.
“Quickly, on my back," I urged and Celestia clung to my neck like a koala. I nudged her with the back of my head. “Hey, no worries just stay there, we’ll get there in time.”
“Harmony!” Luna cried, she was already a few lengths ahead of us. “What’s taking so long?”
“It’s okay Luna, I’ve got Celestia, we’re just coming up now," I called back. Luna shot Celestia an annoyed look.
“Big sis is always afraid of heights but she likes flying, what’s up with that? She’s even scared of manticores!” Luna cajoled, she crabbed to the side as I clambered up to her height.
“Now, Luna everypony has something they’re afraid of. Aren’t you afraid of anything?”
Luna shook her head and grinned proudly.
“See, I can talk to manticores and she can’t. I’m not afraid of heights and the dark.”
I could feel the grip around my neck tighten.
“Luna, it’s not a good idea to be so boastful, you could hurt somepony’s feelings.”
Luna snorted. “Who could I hurt?”
I levelled a slightly stern gaze to Luna. “You might hurt Celestia’s feelings.”
Luna tossed her head and glared at me. “Celestia this! Celestia that! I can do the same things that my sister can! Why doesn’t anypony see that?! I hate her! I hate you!”
She suddenly clambered up the tower and I was forced to chase after her. I pulled myself up, ignoring the burning sensation building in my arms and legs. My breath came ragged and short. That alicorn had amazing strength. It took me a while, but eventually I caught up again.
“Luna!” I called out. “Luna stop! Please!”
Luna slowed down as I got closer again. She turned her head away when I caught up but I could see dark stains on her fur where tears had fallen.
“Oh Luna," I said, reaching over. She swatted my hand away.
“No! Just stay away! You’re the same! You’re all the same! I thought you’d be different," she choked out. “But you’re the same.”
I felt a stab of guilt pierce through my heart.
“I’m sorry Luna.” I reached out again. This time she stiffened when I put my hand on her mane, but at least she didn’t shy away.
“Luna, no pony thinks less of you when they might be worried about Celestia. You’re a brave soul. A rare soul.” I gave her a proud smile. “You’ve grown up to be an exemplary example of an alicorn." I glanced back at Celestia. “Your sister is the only one you have, though. Are you sure you want to give up on her?”
I sighed. “I don’t like talking about my world but I suppose here is a good a time as any. Perhaps a moral tale will interest you? Yes?”
The wind whipped shrilly as I began my tale. It was a poor place to tell it but this was something important.
“A long, long time ago there was nothing but deep water and high lands. It was hot, it was humid, but it was teeming with life. From the great waters came the first land dwellers. They walked upon the land and breathed the air. It was fine, they thought. This was good. So they explored further in. They became different. Some of them travelled much further than the others. They grew apart from their brothers and sisters. They became much more than they were. Some of the animals liked to keep their cold blood, as reminiscent of their time in the water. Some grew as warm as the land they trodden on. The cold blooded ones grew powerful, they ruled the land. Then one day, disaster struck and they were no more. It was now the time of the warm bloods. The warm bloods were cunning, they expanded and some of them with hands like mine decided that they would stand, unlike their predecessors. They stood, they walked and they used their hands to grasp tools to build and to create. These were my ancestors. On my world our species is split into many, many groups. Some, because of land. Some, because of belief. Some, because of language. Some, because of the colour of their skin.”
I paused and took a deep breath.
“We fought against each other. We railed against each other in hate. We thought the other weak because they were different. The strong prevailed and the weak suffered. After all that, we were just left with the taste of ashes in our mouth, the bitterness lasting us generations into the future.
“Do you know why we fought? So you know why we hated each other?”
Luna shook her head. I lowered my head in shame.
“It’s because we forgot. We forgot that we were once one and the same. That life all came from the same place. We all share the same essence in a beautiful web of life. Whether you like to believe that this tale of origins is true, it is a fact that we are not so different you and I. You know what I like about this world? It was you.”
Luna looked surprised. “Me?”
I patted her on the head gently. “Both of you. You welcomed me when I arrived in Equestria. I was angry, I was lost, I admit… I was a little scared. It all got better when I met you two and Discord.”
And Cadence. I thought but I stifled it.
“I just-“ I swallowed. “I just don’t want you to lose sight of what is important. The strong should help the weak. The hate should give way to tolerance. We should all remember that at the core, we’re all the same.”
At that Luna slowly nodded. Guilt and regret warred across her features.
“I’m sorry Harmony, sister, I didn’t mean what I said," she spoke in a soft voice. I barely heard it over the rising wind, but I smiled in appreciation.
Celestia piped up from behind me. “I’m so sorry Luna! I didn’t know that you felt that way. Will you forgive me?” I felt a small patter of moisture on the back of my neck.
Luna shook her head. “There’s nothing to forgive, sister. I was jealous, you were so loved… I just- I wanted to feel that.”
I nudged Luna with my elbow. “Oh what? My love not good enough for you?”
Luna broke out into a small giggle. “No, I need a thousand times more from you.”
“Oh just you wait, Luna. I’m going to convert Love into Tickles and you’re going to get it straight after I get Discord.”
Luna stuck out her tongue. “Just you try," she teased, edging upwards.
A thunderous boom echoed in the air.
“What the? Has a storm been scheduled today?” I shouted out.
“No, Mother told us a storm wasn’t scheduled this week," Celestia answered instead.
I frowned. “Where did that storm come from?” I pondered out loud.
Another thunderous crack reverberated through the air.
“Forget it! Quick, up! Up! Up the tower!” I yelled.
With no need for further encouragement. Luna and I scrambled up the tower with Celestia clinging onto my back for dear life.
Muscles protesting, we managed to clamber in through the window just as the rain started pelting down.
“Woo! Made it!” I cheered as Luna shook herself like a dog. “Woah Luna, watch the spray!” She gave me a sheepish look and I laughed it off. Hefting Celestia, I gently put her down on the ground.
Star Swirl didn’t even bother to look up. He was scribbling on a parchment next to candlelight.
“You missed Discord," he muttered, waving a hoof at a small desk positioned against a window. He was right, Discord’s usual study desk was empty.
Star Swirl finally stretched then eyed me as I approached.
“I daresay, he’s a lot better than you at teleporting," he commented wryly as I sagged. That tower climb had been for nothing.
“Points for the Spider’s Spell," he chuckled as he levitated another scroll and unfurled it. “Ultimately unwieldy and useless, but marks for style there.”
I rolled my eyes and turned to Luna.
“Remember how I said I would tickle you after Discord?” I asked mildly. I took a few steps forward.
Luna gulped audibly and backed away, only to stumble as she bumped into a small table.
“Yes! You said you’d tickle me after Discord!”
I smiled my most evil grin.
“I lied.”