//------------------------------//
// Prologue-Ill Written Checks 
// Story: The Magic and Mysteries of Friendship 
// by The Stainmore Phoenix 
//------------------------------//



Celestia paced in the conference room in Canterlot Castle in agitation, muttering under her breath. Things didn’t look too good for the main ruler of Equestria. She had to banish Discord, the overall Lord of Chaos; Tirek, the close minded; the overlord of all discontent in the Crystal Empire, Sombra, and her own sister who became a monster. 


Right now, her mind was clouded with different thoughts and her heart was clogged up with different emotions-Anger, hurt, loss and so on down the list.

However, she was starting feel like there was no one for her to lean on. No relative or older sibling. As she continued her agitated pacing, there came a knock at the door.

“Come in!” she called, her mind too far lost in the sea of her thoughts.

Two Alicorns stepped in. One was the same exact height as Celestia, with a dark red coat, no mane, a fiery orange tail and the same dark red color for his eyes. His horn was the same length as Celestia’s. On his flank was a strange looking thing called a Semaphore Signal, set at a position called “Danger”.

He wore a dark tan trench coat and had a concerned look on his continence.

Standing beside him was another Alicorn. The same build as the dark red one, but roughly half the height of the dark red one. He had sea green eyes, bright red coat, fiery orange mane and tail. He wore a lime green pocket vest. On his flank was a sleeping dragon surrounded by a lime green flame aura.

“Dragonstorm and Dangersignal, thank you for appearing on such sort short notice,” she said. “I have summoned you because you two have experience in burning bridges.”

“Ah, you want to know what to do because you ended up making out some ill written checks,” Dangersignal said.

“Correct,” she said. “Normally, I know what to do, but in this situation, I am the one in need of advice.”

The two male Alicorns looked at each other. Their boss, the mainstay princess of the Sun and ruler of Equestria was asking them, simple Plain Clothes Alicorn Guards for advice, then again, they had more experience in making ponies angry. Celestia read their faces and noticed that they were not best pleased at this prospect.

“Look, Princess, me and Dangersignal don’t mean to be sharp tongued, but this is your own doing. At the moment of banishing your little sister, you knew that it was right, in order to protect your loyal subjects,” Dragonstorm said. “We can’t fix your problem without the other pony involved being here.”

Celestia’s eyes widened, tears starting to trickle down her cheeks. She wanted to know how to fix her mistakes right now. The looks on Dangersignal and Dragonstorm’s faces told her that there was no immediate fix that they could supply her.

Dangersignal walked over to Celestia and let her cry on his shoulder. He comforted her in the same way he comforted his younger brother when they heard that their parents and baby sister were killed in a railway accident. Celestia could feel the warmth of his soothing growl, which told her that she could let her feelings flow. 

Dragonstorm left to take up guard duties, while Dangersignal stayed with Celestia. He did all he could and was able to explain why he couldn’t instantly fix the problems between her and Luna.

“You mean, I have to ask for her forgiveness?” Celestia asked, as Dangersignal wiped a tear away from the Princess’s eye.

“Correct,” he said. “Also, you need to let her know that while the other ponies may not like her or like what she has to offer, that you’ll be there for her. If you want, I can tell you something.”

“Please,” Celestia whispered.

“Your sibling is your closest friend and ally,” the Alicorn said. “Meaning you have somepony to constantly lean on when things get rough.”

Celestia smiled and asked him about Discord, Tirek and Sombra. Dangersignal looked at her.

“Discord, I don’t know about; Tirek and Sombra, too far gone. There maybe a chance that Sombra may change, but I doubt it. He too has some ill written checks,” Dangersignal said. “Tirek has way too many ill written checks and there is just no hope.”

“Why do you say that you don’t know about Discord?” Celestia asked.

“Because he doesn’t have any ill written checks, or even ill intentions,” Dangersignal said. “At least that’s my impression upon first inspection. Nopony will know the truth unless we can have a simple chat. That’s what matters the most right now-the truth.”

“The truth,” Celestia repeated in a hurt whisper. She glanced at Dangersignal, who gave her a comforting smile and placed his wings gently around her head, and let her sink her face into his chest and cry.

“Your confused and it hurts,” he said. “I’ve been down that path before. Having somepony to lean on helps.”

Celestia thanked him and after he dried her tears, he looked at her and offered to stand guard outside her door or if she wanted to, he’d be willing to stay the night with her to make her feel like she had an anchor in the troubled seas of confusion. She said that she’d be fine and that he should return to his duties.

“Shining Armor’ll want to know what kept you longer than your brother,” she said. “I suggest…”

“I already have a line to give him, I was staying behind to help you catch up on backdated letters and acting as a stand in professor to Twilight Sparkle,” he said. “Of course she doesn’t know it’s me.”

Celestia grinned and thanked the guard, who turned after smiling and marched out. After carefully shutting the door, he smiled again and quick marched out to the grounds to take up his usual sky patrol. After all, Celestia wasn’t the only one with ill written checks waiting to be cashed.

The dark red Alicorn sighed and let his mind play back to something that he told Luna some time before she became Nightmare Moon.

“On my honor, Princess Luna, bringer of the night and rest, I shall see to it that you come to no ill harm.”

The words played over and over, each time the phrase repeated, a sharp knife, held by irony, stabbed into his conscious and his heart. The pain brought tears to his eyes. He promised to keep Luna from ill harm and yet, it befell her.

Some days later, Celestia called the two guards into her chambers, where she said that they had done admirably as guards and it was time for them to move beyond being guards. They agreed and after having their goods packed, they left for Ponyville and for the continuation of the books that each of them were writing-The books that followed their lives.