I awoke to the sound of the door opening and closing. “Hello, Tia,” Luna’s voice replied. I guess it would be Auntie Luna now, I thought whimsically.
“Luna,” Celestia (Mother, I mentally amended) greeted
.
“How is Mythic?”
“Sleeping like an angel,” Mother replied, giving my head a gentle stroke. I felt Auntie Luna lean over to get a better look at me. Figuring this would be the best chance I had to learn anything about this place, I kept still and hoped they would still think I was asleep.
“He’s beautiful,” Luna whispered almost cooing, “he looks just like you.”
“I think he favors his father more than I,” Mother whispered, her voice thick with emotion. Luna must have noticed.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, Lulu. It would probably help to talk about it.”
I heard Auntie Luna shift her posture, probably to a sitting one. Would they sit on chairs like we did on my old world? I thought.
Not wanting to miss anything, I pushed those thoughts aside and listened.
After a noticeable pause, Luna spoke again.
“Who was he? You never spoke of him much.”
I felt Celestia smile a bit. I wasn’t sure how I knew, but I knew. “His name was Golden Sword,” she replied after a moment.
“Was he that white unicorn stallion with that nervous habit of rubbing his scratching his ears and a sandy blonde mane? The one you made Minister of Magic?”
Mother chuckled quietly at Auntie Luna’s description. “That was him.”
“How did you two meet?”
“How did we meet or when did we fall in love?”
“The former, Tia,” Luna replied, failing to hide her own amusement.
“When I became aware of him, he was a only magical theorist with unshakeable determination and ideas for the future. When he applied for the position of Minister of Magic, the only trait he had in his favor was the fact that he had no ties with Canterlot’s elite.”
“So he caught your attention right away?” Auntie Luna asked with a hint of smugness in her voice.
“Of course,” Mother answered unashamedly, “You know what topic he chose to discuss with the selection board? The effects natural magic has on the world.”
“He actually chose to discuss, to a magical board no less, that if ponies didn’t take care of the natural processes of the world, then magic would do it itself?” Luna asked incredulously.
“He did,” Celestia said, with no small amount of pride, “even using the fact that you and I do not constantly use our magic to move the sun and moon as an example.”
“And the board didn’t manage to refute him?”
“He managed to dismantle every argument the board put against him, even going so far to state that he could find irrefutable proof given more time. However, what truly struck me as remarkable was the fact that he presented it with so much enthusiasm and determination. It was like watching Twilight learning a new spell.” They both shared a giggle at that. Who was this Twilight that they were talking about? Making a mental note to explore further into this, I continued to listen.
“Naturally, the board labeled the matter ‘Under-analysis’ and swept it under the table. They only agreed to his appointment because nopony else was half as brilliant as he.”
“So how did you know that...?” Luna let the question hang in the air.
“He was my special somepony?” Mother asked. Luna must have nodded because Mother spoke again. “At the time, I didn’t. When it happened, he was discussing the advantages of enchanting horseshoes with permanent cloudwalking spells to boost tourism for cloud cities.”
“That would appeal you, Tia,” Luna replied teasingly.
“It wasn’t my fault that you couldn’t keep up in ‘Magical Application’ class,” Celestia retorted.
“Moving on,” Luna prompted.
“Well, when we had finished for the night, I had accidentally knocked the tray holding the tea over. When we both extended our magic to catch the tray and our eyes met, the entire world seemed to fade away. When I stared into his golden eyes, I realized that
there was nothing else in the world I wanted to do. Then I realized that every feeling I had towards up until that point had been love.”
“Oh, Tia,” Luna replied her voice breaking slightly, “that is so romantic!”
“When I realized that he loved me too, it was the happiest moment of my life.”
“Do NOT leave out any details!” Luna replied, excitedly but quietly.
Much to my own surprise, I also found interest in this topic. If I have a father, then where is he?I wondered. I quieted my thoughts, intent upon finding out.
“Well, I had asked him if he had ever been in love before. He told me he had, but he could never have a relationship with her. When I asked him why, he told me it was because she was important and probably wouldn’t give him a chance anyway. He looked so nervous it was absolutely adorable!
“When I asked him if she was pretty, he told me, ‘She’s like the sunrise in the morning.’ When he realized what he had said, he blushed in embarrassment. When I asked him if it was me, I will never forget what he told me.
“‘It's true, Your Highness,’ he said, ‘I love you. I love everything about you: your compassion in court with all of your subjects, not just the nobles, how your eyes sparkle like jewels during the late part of day court, how you inspire passion wherever you go. It was the reason I became a minister. You gave me hope that even a nobody like me could be important. And when you asked me here for private discussions, I felt excited because I got to spend time alone with you. So yes! I LOVE YOU, PRINCESS CELESTIA!’
“When he said all that, I was shocked. In all my years of ruling Equestria, nopony had ever said those words to me nor with such conviction. If that wasn’t a confession of love, then nothing is. What I didn’t expect were the next words out of his mouth."
“‘And now you probably never want to see me again,’ he said with resignation in his voice, ‘so, I bid you farewell, Your Highness.’ It wasn’t until he started to walk to the door that what he had said finally hit me."
“‘Wait!’ I cried after him, causing him to stop in his tracks. ‘You can’t go...because...I love you too.’ When I saw him turn around, his eyes and mouth wide with shock, I found I couldn’t stop talking. ‘Yes, I love you. I love the way your confidence and the way it projects onto others; I love the way you speak, both in court and in private; I love the way your golden eyes shine like the sun. You make me feel more important than I am when you visit me for these private sessions. And I don’t care what others will think of it. I
love you and I don't care who knows about it!’
“After I said that, I felt lighter. It was as though a tremendous weight had been lifted, one that I hadn’t even known was there until it was gone. Although, even though I had said it and had meant every word of it, it still didn’t feel like it was enough. Acting more on instinct than anything else, I reached my hoof forward and pulled him into a kiss. Any trace of surprise that he had melted into bliss as he relaxed and returned the kiss. Eventually, our need for air surpassed our need for intimacy. But, it didn’t matter: this was love and we both knew it.”
“What happened after that?” Luna asked, obviously excited at hearing this.
“After some stammering about calling me by my name, we spent the entire night in each other’s company.”
Auntie Luna sighed contently. “How could you keep something like that a secret?”
“It wasn’t easy,” Mother admitted, “I had no desire to keep it secret, but he feared the political consequences that such a relationship could cause. In the end, I consented because as long as we were together, it didn’t matter.”
Silence stretched between them for several moments before Luna spoke again. “So, what happened to him?”
At this question, the room seemed a bit cooler. “Luna,” Mother replied, “if it’s all the same to you, I’d just as soon not talk on that.”
I heard Luna rise and walk over to Mother. “When you’re ready,” she replied quietly, “In the meantime, you should probably get back to sleep. You and Mythic have a big day tomorrow.” With that said, she left the room.
I heard Mother lean closer to the crib and nuzzle me a softly. “Don’t worry, little Mythic Light,” she whispered, “I will always protect you, no matter what. You are my life’s treasure and I will make sure you are safe, warm, and loved.” I felt her presence move, but not before I felt a drop of liquid on my face.
After a minute or so, I heard relaxed breathing coming from where she laid. I stood up on my hind legs, using her bed to help keep
my balance, while I looked at her. She seemed smaller somehow, more vulnerable.
I was sure of one thing: she helped me when I needed it and I wanted to help her. The only problem was with the execution of this feat. I wasn’t even sure how I was gonna reach her. Feeling slight movement at my sides, I glared irritably at the intrusion. I facepalmed myself mentally, neglecting to remember my wings.
How do you work these things? I thought vainly. In my old world, I never had to learn how to use wings due to never having them. Oh, well. There’s always a first time.
Focusing all my willpower together, I tried to force myself to move my new appendages. When I felt them move, I closed my eyes and willed them to move faster. I was starting to get tired before I felt the crib beneath me fall away. I just kept focusing on moving my wings until I was certain that I make it to the bed.
That was until I felt my wings give out and started plummeting towards earth. Bracing myself for impact, I felt myself land with a soft whump. Opening my eyes, I noticed I made it on the bed. Grinning at my good fortune, I slowly made my way up the bed to Mother’s head.
When I got there, I couldn’t help but notice the trails of slightly damp fur around her eyes. She seems so lonely, I thought sympathetically, just like I was. Feeling a state of kinship, I began to nuzzle her just as she had with me earlier. She opened her eyes to look at me and smiled softly. She wrapped her fetlock around me, pulling me into her body for a hug. She even went a step further and wrapped a wing around me, slightly tickling me with her feathers. I nuzzled into her side, feeling both of us relax enough to fall asleep.
I woke up in Mothers arms, finding her still asleep. As much as I wanted to stretch myself a little, I loathed to wake her up. Fortunately, the situation resolved itself when she opened her eyes and smiled down at me.
“Hello, my little foal. Did you sleep well?”
When I smiled my answer at her, she nuzzled me causing me to giggle. A soft knock interrupted the silence and a nurse appeared at the door.
“Good morning, Your Highness,” she said softly, “I’m pleased to say that after running both your and your foal’s charts, there have been no complications. You can both leave the hospital when you are ready. Princess Luna has taken care of most of the paperwork and and the royal guard is ready to escort you.”
“Thank you. Would you send them in, please?”
The nurse bowed as she left the room. Mother kissed my forehead as she placed me down on the bed. After a short knock on the door, two strong stallions wearing sturdy and well made armor entered the room carrying a decent-sized chest between them.
“Your Majesty,” one of them said in a deep strong voice that matched his appearance, “we took the liberty of bringing your regalia with us.”
“And the new item I requested?”
“Finished last night, Your Majesty. We’ve included it along with your regalia.”
“Thank you. Would you excuse us while we prepare?”
They both bowed to us as they left the room.
“Stay there, sweetie. After Mommy puts on her regalia, she’ll put yours on.”
Any thoughts I had were interrupted as Mother rose from the bed and walked over to the chest. This being the first time I’ve seen my new mother fully, the first thing I noticed that she looked remarkably like the deity figure that brought me here in the first place. Running a close second was the fact that she was very beautiful. Her coat was as pure white as freshly fallen snow with a long, flowing, multi-coloured mane. However, what stood out the most the sun tattoo on her flank.
“Looking at Mommy’s cutie mark, are we?” she asked, startling me a little. She smiled though and continued. “Well, a cutie mark is the symbol of what makes everypony special. My cutie mark represents my status as ruler of the day and the princess of the sun. I wonder what your cutie mark will be.”
So I get a cutie mark, I thought. Guess that makes sense, if Mother and the other ponies get them.
“I’m done, darling,” she said, turning to me, “Now, how about we do yours next?”
I saw that her regalia consisted of a golden tiara with a jewel the same colour as her striking eyes inset in the center. She wore a gorget that matched her tiara perfectly along with golden shoes that complimented the ensemble perfectly. Seeing her in her full regalia not only made her look more beautiful than she was, but also made her look every bit the ruler that she was.
From the box the guard had brought in earlier, she lifted a small circular crown. It was made of gold, much like hers, but had a topaz inset in the center instead.
“I had it made especially for you,” she replied, placing the crown gently upon my head. I noticed a faint glow coming from it as Mother’s grip on the crown released. “The jewel has been enchant so it glows when it rests upon the head of a true ruler. You will meet the ponies that helped make it. Perhaps I am prejudiced, but I think it suits you. It also goes very well with your eyes. Now, would you like to get out of this stuffy hospital and go outside?”
Eager to see the world outside the windows, I nodded emphatically. Being a bit too eager with my nodding, the crown I wore slipped and fell over my eyes. Mother chuckled as she lifted it back to its original resting spot. “Shall we then?” she asked, lifting me onto her back and left the room. In addition to the guards from earlier, Auntie Luna was there along with a white stallion with a horn in his forehead wearing regal purple armor.
“Hello, sister,” Auntie Luna replied smiling.
“Luna,” Mother replied, nodding. “Mythic, this is your Aunt Luna, You met her earlier, remember.”
I smiled and nodded that I did. Before anyone could say anything further, a few flashes from outside interrupted the meeting. Upon seeing that, Mother sighed.
“It seems as though our citizens are ready to greet us,” Mother replied, looking as though she wanted to be anywhere else.
“Don’t worry, Princess,” the unicorn stated, “The Royal Guard will see that no harm befalls you or the Prince.”
“I have no fear of that, Shining Armor,” Mother replied smiling again, “but, do relax. This is a joyous day. Mythic Light, this is Shining Armor. He’s Captain of the Royal Guard, Prince of the Crystal Empire, and your uncle. Uncle Shiny, say hello to my son.”
He shifted uncomfortably at the mention of the name ‘Shiny,’ but smiled as he approached anyway. Getting a better look at him, I could see why he was the captain, he was tall and well built, the other guards giving him a wide berth out of respect. However, in spite of that, he seemed like a really friendly guy. I could tell that by the goofy smile he had on his face.
“Hello, Prince Mythic,” he said, bowing slightly.
I smiled back at him, my crown slipping back over my eyes. He put it back, smiling sympathetically. “Just between us, I never got use to the crown put on my head either,” he whispered, adding a wink. Right then, I discovered that I liked him.
Uncle Shining turned back to Mother. “We should get going, Your Majesty.”
“Of course. Lead on, Captain.”
As we walked, I noticed that guards lined the hallways. As we, they saluted their armor catching the gleam of the sun as they moved. Uncle Shining’s purple armor didn’t though.
Why is his armor purple when the others have shiny gold? I thought. Realizing what had just passed through my head, I blinked. WHY DO I KEEP HAVING THESE STUPIDLY SIMPLE THOUGHTS?! IT’S LIKE I’M A CHILD! Blinking again, I looked at my small legs. I guess I just answered my own question, didn’t I?
Walking out of the hospital, the brightness of the light stung my eyes hey met. After my eyes adjusted, I was immediately assaulted by the tremendous roar of applause and the flashing of many lights. Although Mother used her wings to shield me from the flashes, the noise of the cheering caused me to bury my head in her mane in an attempt to muffle it.
I had seen many royal ceremonies in my old life. Normally, they were grand events like the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth or weddings. This however surpassed them all. Comparing the two worlds, what I was hearing here made the applause from the old world sound like an army of crickets chirping.
I guess this was due to the fact that aside from being celebrities, the royalty of my old world didn’t do much of anything aside from the odd charity event or sports demonstration. Here, however, the royal family seemed to be a pretty big deal. And now, I was a part of it. I tried to bury my face deeper in her mane.
The funny thing was I never really had any problems with stage fright, but this kind of attention was something else. It was almost too much for me to bear. Before I could cry at the sheer helplessness of it, Mother turned to comfort me murmuring gently that everything would be alright. I relaxed a little, but still remained in Mother’s mane.
Eventually, the noise died down and I sneaked a peek out of Mother’s mane. She had apparently refolded her wings allowing me a good look at the populace and they at me. I saw that entire crowd consisted mostly of ponies, each one of them smiling at me as though I had appeared simultaneously in a basket full of newborn kittens. Realizing that they were all looking at me, I buried head back in Mother’s mane. This action elicited a general reaction of ‘aww’s’, cooing, and the occasional remark like: ‘He’s so adorable.’, ‘Looking at his eyes is like looking at two golden suns.’, and ‘I really like his mane!’
Daring another peek, I noticed that we were in a some kind of city. The buildings in it were monstrously tall, or at least they seemed that way seeing as how the smaller structures were at least four storeys tall. It was a grand city that seemed to shine a brilliant white. It had all the hallmark characteristics of a fantasy city, including plenty of purple pointed towers and regal medieval building designs.
As I had another look at the ponies in the crowd, I noticed that this world was not only a lot more colourful than my previous one, but it had extended to its inhabitants as well. They were all sorts of colours, each with a different color and styled mane. Some of them had horns and some had wings, but none of them had both aside from me, Mother, and Auntie Luna. Looking around further, I noticed I was wrong as I saw two more ponies with horns and wings approach: one was lavender and the other pink.
As they approached, i managed to get a better look at them. The pink one was taller and had purple, pink, and yellow toned mane and tail. The lavender one was slightly smaller and had a deep violet mane and tail with a pink and purple stripe running down the center of them. When the guards let them through, I knew they were important.
“My dearest Cadance and Twilight,” Mother said, “may I present my child, Mythic Light. Mythic, allow me to introduce to you your Aunties Twilight Sparkle and Mi Amore Cadenza.”
The two of them bowed their heads politely. I cocked my head to the side, wondering why I had so many aunties suddenly. In my old life, I only had one and now I have three.
“Don’t bother with my full name, little Mythic,” the pink one said, “Just call me Cadance. Everypony else in our family does.”
I nodded in reply, uncertain I could even remember, let alone pronounce, mi amowotsit cahoosit.
Auntie Cadance beamed at me. “Might I say that you are very dashing for a young foal?”
I felt myself blush at her compliment, it being the first time I was sincerely called ‘dashing’ from one of my aunts. Most of the time, compliments like that were used to hide the fact that I needed a haircut or something like that.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Mythic,” said Auntie Twilight, “I’m looking forward to the day when you are ready to learn spells.”
Briefly, I wondered what this pony was talking about. Then I remembered the moment in the hospital when I discovered that magic was real here. Remembering that, the prospect of learning to do stuff with magic not only sounded fun; it sounded awesome!
“Ready to meet Equestria, Mythic?” Mother asked. I looked out at the ponies and nodded hesitantly, gulping as I did. Mother then approached a podium set up near the hospital entrance, the rest of the royal family surrounding her.
“My dear little ponies,” Mother announced to the crowd, “today marks a very special occasion, not just for myself, but for all of Equestria. It was long thought that Alicorns were never meant to bear children. However, today, I am proud to present my son as an example that all things are possible. He is the beacon of hope that new generations will be able to share the peace and wisdom that we enjoy.”
When it hit me that she was talking about me, I felt a cold solid weight hit me in the stomach. In my old world, I was lucky if someone greeted me in passing. Here though, I was considered their hope of the future. When I saw the way that the crowd listened to Mother in awe, I hid my face back in her mane.
“Fillies and gentlecolts, I present to you my son, Mythic Light!” I felt her turn so that her side faced the crowd. I don’t know if it was because my child-like instincts were kicking in again or if the realization that I was in a world that was completely alien to my own came to me, but I was terrified. Vainly, I tried to bury my face deeper into her mane.
“There’s no reason to be scared, my little foal,” Mother whispered soothingly, “You are surrounded by ponies who will love you, support you, and defend you. And, as soon as we are done here, we can head home to the castle.”
Hearing those words, l felt myself relax. When I peeked out of her mane, I found my mother smiling at me fondly in a way that only mothers could manage. As much as I didn’t want to be here, I didn’t want to let Mother down when she was counting on me either. And, I had to admit, I was excited at the prospect of exploring the castle I would be living in. Summoning every ounce of courage I had, I pulled myself out to face the crowd.
The silence was so thick you could have cut it with a knife and served it on plates. I could feel as every pair of eyes in the crowd met my own. After the initial wave of panic hit me, the crowd entire crowd rallied into a cheer that assaulted my ears again. It was as though every important figure in the history of ever had appeared instead of me. The pressure of the noise and the situation getting to me, I hid back in mother’s mane. The crowd quieted into a second round of collective ‘aww’s’ that managed to be even louder than the first. I felt the soothing touch of Mother’s nuzzling as she said the words, “I’m proud of you, son.”
My discomfort forgotten, I looked out of her mane to see her eyes looking at me proudly glistening with tears. Feeling so touched at these words, I nuzzled her back smiling and not caring who was watching. I didn’t even flinch at the noise when a chant rose from the crowd.
“LONG LIVE PRINCESS CELESTIA!! LONG LIVE PRINCE MYTHIC LIGHT!!”