//------------------------------//
// Sun Marked 
// Story: The Beginning 
// by fallen starr 
//------------------------------//

Celestia blearily opened her eyes. The stars twinkled at her as she looked out the window. She nudged the sleeping filly beside her, though indistinguishable noises and a dark hoof waving in her face was all she got. Sighing to herself, she nudged the filly again. "Lulu, come on. It is time to raise the sun. We must begin training."

The younger filly sat up. "Can't I just help with the moon?" she whined even as she climbed out of their shared bed. 

Celestia furrowed her brow. "It is our duty, as it is the duty of every unicorn that lives so close to Canterlot." Her anger disappeared quickly as her younger sister yawned. "Come. I will carry you."

Luna climbed onto Celesita's back, pressing her face into the pink mane. "I wish you had wings, Celly. You could just fly us then."

Celestia giggled. "You know nopony has both wings and a horn. Why, what would we even call them?" 

The pair had made it out of the small house and walked down the steep mountain trail. The wind was cold and biting, as it often turned before the winter months were to set in. Feeling her little sister shivering, Celestia cast a protective shield to block the wind.

"Thanks, Celly," Luna said. It didn't take long for the shivering to stop. "How long until we get there?"

"Just a few more minutes. Can't you see the village?"

Luna was fully awake now. She gazed up at the stars, mesmerized by their beauty. She had even named a few of the brightest, though the only pony she told was her sister. She always hated being sent to bed so early. She knew it was so she would wake early enough to raise the sun, but the night was her favorite time. Night made a pony think.

"Can you walk now?" Celestia asked. They were entering the city proper. The gate was up to let the unicorns through. She stopped and lowered her body closer to the ground. "You never told me what you would name a pony with both a horn and wings."

"Well," Luna said, looking at the ground. "It would have the strength of an earth pony too. That way, it could just be called an all-corn, because it has it all."

"All-corn, hmm? That sounds good to me," Celestia said. 

They joined the large group of unicorns who were in the center of the town. The King and Queen stepped forward. "IT IS TIME!" The King pronounced. Luna and Celestia both folded their ears down to lessen the loudness of the Royal Canterlot Voice. "LET US RAISE THE SUN!"

All the unicorns focused their magic on the sun as it slowly rose across the horizon. Celestia pulled with all her might, ignoring the burning in her flank. She would have a sore muscle for the rest of the day, she was certain.

Finally, the sun was up. She sat on the ground, ignoring the pile of dust that rose around her as she caught her breath. The sun would make its way around Equestria and somehow back to the east, where it would wait to be raised the next morning and charged with enough magic to make the trip again.

"Celly," Luna said in amazement, "you've done it."

"What?" Celestia looked at her little sister, who pointed to her flank.

"You're cutie mark. You've got it."

It was there, on her flank. Celestia's eyes widened in amazement. The sun, bright and yellow, was there. It shined against her white fur. "What's it mean?" Celestia asked. "The sun can't be a talent. The sun simply is."

The sisters sat there for a moment, simply looking at the new mark. Other ponies walked around them, a few grumbling about the fillies not getting out of the way.

An older unicorn mare stopped next to the fillies. "What seems to be the problem, my little ponies?" Her voice was fully of warmth as she looked down at them. Celestia and Luna simply looked up at her, mouths gaping. "Well now, I can't help if you don't tell me." 

"C-Cutie Mark," Celestia managed to stammer out.  

"Hmm?" The older mare's eyes found Celestia's flank. "Oh my. This is…astounding. The sun for a cutie mark…" The older mare moved her gaze to Celstia's face. "It seems you have a very special destiny ahead of you, child." With that, she left. 

Celestia looked at Luna, shaking her head. "I don't…I don't want it Lulu. I want a normal mark, like everypony else. I don't even know what this means. We were just raising the sun with everypony else." Celstia started as she felt Luna nuzzle her. 

"I think your mark is beautiful, Celly. Like that lady said, it makes you special."  

Celestia smiled. Not saying a word, the sisters stood and began their trek back home. They walked out of the city and through the small village outside of the gates. "Why do we have to live so far away?" Luna asked as they passed the last house in the village. "I hate walking so far every day."

"I know, " Celestia said quietly. "Since mother and father are…away now, we have to. Otherwise we would end up in a foal's house."

"That might not be so bad." Luna looked up at her sister thoughtfully. "There would be ponies to take care of us then."

"No." Celestia's face darkened. "Those places are bad, Lulu. You're never going to one. They don't feed you or school you. If you get sick they don't care. They are not the place for you." Taking a deep breath, Celestia stopped and looked at the younger filly. "That is why it is very important we act like we still have our parents. No one can find out."

Luna looked a little confused, but she nodded. "Okay."

Celestia walked through the open doorway of the shack she had made. There wasn't much to it–a single room with hay covered by a blanked on one side and a small place to cook food on the other— but to the sisters it was home. 

"Okay. You need to go into the wild field and find some breakfast for yourself, and bring some back for dinner. I'll go back to the village and see if I can find some work." Celestia sighed. There wasn't much work to be had in the village for a filly, especially one without a Cutie Mark.

She looked back at her flank and scoffed. The sun. What a useless Cutie Mark to have. She and Luna parted ways once they left their home. Once Luna was out of sight, Celestia galloped into town. She walked into shop after shop, even going to the blacksmiths, but no one needed the help of a simple filly. 

Evening found her sitting on the edge of a shop's porch. Tears streamed down her face. She looked up at the sun, cursing the bright ball of light. If it wasn't for it, she could have gotten a proper Cutie Mark. She could have had a Cutie Mark that would feed and protect her sister. Instead, she had the sun on her flank. She had never felt so useless.

She wasn't paying attention to her surroundings, so when a hoof touched her shoulder, she jumped. A Royal Guard stood, looking down at her. She could only see his eyes from behind the black helmet, but the orange was soft and kind looking. "Why are you crying, filly?"

She tensed, unsure of how to answer. "I just…miss…my sister." She looked around evasively. If the guard found out, it would be to the foal's house. 

"And where is your sister?" 

She swallowed. "Um…playing."

"Hmm…well, I noticed your Cutie Mark. Care to tell me about it?"

She looked around, but there was no escape. There was a guard down the street behind and ahead of her. She hung her head, accepting defeat. "I got it this morning while we were all raising the sun."

"Yes, I heard. Can you take me to your mother and father? I need to discuss something with them." 

Celestia's eyes widened. "Umm…of course…they're over here…" She laughed uneasily as stood and started walking toward the edge of the village. She had to think of something to get away from the guard before he realized she wasn't leading him to her parents. They walked pass the guard who had been standing behind her. She sighed in relief when he didn't follow. 

The guard was quiet during the walk. She kept looking up at him, but his gaze never strayed from straight ahead. She turned down an alleyway and smiled. "Almost there," she said. Just ahead on the right." The guard took the bait and stepped ahead of her.

She turned began running. Her heart was beating fast, but she hoped she could out run the guard and make it back to Luna. She should have been home by now to fetch her younger sister so they could practice their magic.

"Hey!" the guard called when he realized what was happening. "Stop!"

Celestia ran with all her might. They had already been close to the edge of town, and by the time she passed the last house in the village, the guard had stopped chasing her, but she hadn't stopped her gallop. Celestia only stopped when she made through the door way. She gasped for breath as she sat. Luna looked wide eyes at her sister as she offered a ladle full of water. Ignoring the water, Celestia grabbed Luna into a tight hug. 

"What happened?" Luna asked.

"Guard asked for our parents," Celestia said, still gasping for air. "Oh my stars. I think we're going to have to leave and find a different village, Lulu. Come on. Let's get our things."

"Now? But it's already past midday. It will be well past nightfall before we reach another village." 

Celestia nodded her head. "I know. We can't stay here. They'll find us Lulu. And then it's to the foal's house." Finally accepting the ladle of water, Celestia drank greedily. Luna watched with worried eyes as her sister gathered what few possessions they had and put them into a threadbare saddlebag. "Do you have dolly?"

Luna held up a stuffed ragdoll. "She doesn't want to leave. She wants to stay here in our home. This is where her hooves were stitched and where she wants to stay." 

"Oh, Lulu," Celestia said softly, setting the saddlebag down and gathering her sister into a hug. "I know you want to stay. I do, too. It just isn't safe anymore." Celestia pulled back and looking directly into the younger filly’s eyes. Luna nodded. "Now, come along." She picked up the saddle bag again, looking around one last time. The megar stores of food, the thin blanket, and their kettle, ladle, and water pot were all packed away. With a sigh, Celestia opened the door, looking out to the browning grass of the field. 

Celestia felt a pair of hooves around her as she walked out the door, and her sister's screams let her know somepony had her as well. "Celly!"One of the guards from earlier had the filly by the barrel. "Celly! "

"Lulu!" Celestia bucked and thrashed, but the guard pony would not let go. "Get off of me. My sister needs me." 

"Celly!" The guard pony that had her sister was walking away. 

"No! Lulu!" Her efforts to escape doubled before somepony held her in a telekinetic grip. 

"General, sir." The guard pony had a deep voice as he addressed the officer.  Celestia could see the guard pony salute and stand at attention.

"At ease." The general looked at Celestia. "Yes, you are the one. Come along." They walked a short way, the officer keeping Celestia bound to him by a magical force. They met the guard who had Luna. The young filly was crying, trying to pull away from the guard who had captured her.

"Lulu," Celestia cried, again trying to escape and get to her sister. 

The guard smiled. "Release the young one." Before anyone could move, Luna was next to Celestia and bound to the officer. Ignoring the other ponies, Celestia checked to make sure her sister was okay. "Thank you, guards,” the general said, as way of dismissal. The officer watched them leave before turning to the sisters. They sat in silence for nearly five minutes. The guard seemed to be waiting for the sisters to say something, but they didn’t speak. Celestia held her sister close, glaring at the officer whenever she looked at him, but she whispered comforts to Luna as the filly calmed.

"Normally, I would ask to speak to your parents, but it seems you have been orphaned," he finally said in a gentle tone.

Celestia stood, moving protectively in front of Luna. "We won't go. We aren't going to a foal's house. We'll just run away." Her nostrils flared and she narrowed her eyes. 

The officer looked at Celestia for a moment.  With a small shake of his head, he said, "No, you aren't going to a foal's house. You are going to the castle. The King and Queen wish to speak to you."

"The…castle?" Celestia said, eyes wide. She sat, surprised. "Why? We’re noponies.”

"All will be explained there. It would have been much easier had you not put up a fight.” The guard chose to ignore Celestia’s scoff.  “Is there anything from that…house you'll need?"

"No, we have everything," Luna offered. She smiled up at Celestia. "We're going to the castle. Isn't this so exciting?"

Celestia sighed. "I suppose." Pushing a stray bit of mane out of Luna's face, she smiled. "Do you want me to carry you? It’s an awfully long walk."

Luna nodded and climbed onto Celestia's back as she had just that morning. She wrapped her hooves around Celestia's neck and snuggled into her mane. With a sigh, Celestia set out at a trot next to the officer. He didn’t use magic to keep her bound, but she knew better than to try to run.

Try as she might, Celestia could not think of why the King and Queen themselves would want to see them. While Luna had fallen asleep, she looked over at the guard. "What did we do wrong? I've never stolen. We always do our duty to raise the sun and moon. We've done what we're supposed to do." She swallowed, afraid. “We’re good ponies.” 

"Nothing.” The guard gave what she supposed was meant to be a reassuring smile. “You are not in trouble, young one. The king has interest in your Cutie Mark."

Celestia swallowed and looked at the ground. She had heard rumors of the king taking common mares off the street for…things, but she had never expected her to be one of them. "I see,” she said quietly. Getting a Cutie Mark was the sign that a pony was growing up, after all, and ready to leave childhood behind. She dreaded the day Luna would have to leave behind her the happiness of youth. She breathed in and out quickly as the current situation caught up with her.  “And why does he want Lulu. She is much too young for such things." She couldn’t stop her voice from quavering as she said the last few words, or the tears that had decided to spring to her eyes.

The officer gave her a curious look, stopping and looking at her properly. "Such things as what?" He looked expectantly, but Celestia could not force herself to speak the words. She turned her face, but he could still see the tears. "What do you fear, young one?" His tone was gentler this time. 

With a couple deep breaths and swallowing the lump in her throat, Celestia answered, her voice not above a whisper. "The King has many mares, does he not? Just as the Queen has her stallions?"

The officer's face softened. "Celly, is that your name?" 

"Celestia."

"Ah. Celestia." He picked up a foreleg and reached out to her, before thinking better of it. Instead, he took a breath. "Celestia, the King and Queen are faithful to each other. There are no others. No mares or stallions or anything. And you are barely out of fillyhood yourself.” With a sigh, he shook his head. “The king has a very important matter to discuss with you. When I said he had interest in you cutie mark, I meant exactly that." The guard paused for a moment before nodding to himself. "There was a prophecy, long ago when our nations combined and Equestria was formed. A prophecy about the mare with the sun mark. No one knew what it meant, until we heard of you."

Celestia looked back at her Cutie Mark before nodding. "Lead the way." She contemplated what the officer had said as they walked. Obviously, an important pony had seen her mark yesterday, but the unicorns were numerous and with the other ponies out and about, there was no way for her to know how the news had reached Royal ears.

The rest of the trip to the castle was in silence. The officer offered to carry Luna, but even without the no he received, he could tell he shouldn’t have asked. Instead, he walked calmly, glancing at Celestia and Luna every few moments, slowing his pace when he saw Celestia was tiring. Just as they were walking under the gates, Celestia woke Luna. The young filly sighed as she raised her head. "It's beautiful," she whispered as they walked toward the doors. "Celly, it's really the castle. The real one."

Celestia chuckled. "Yes, it is, Lulu." The courtyard was the same on where choice unicorns were allowed to stand as the raising and lowering ceremonies were performed. 

The passed by guard ponies, their armor sparkling in the setting sun, as the doors opened, revealing a large room. Celestia looked around in amazement, her mouth agape. Candles adorned the walls, giving off enough light to see into every corner. The ceiling was so high Celestia was certain the blue was the sky. The floor had been shined to show her reflection as they walked. She looked at her dirt covered feet and suddenly felt every bit of her peasantry. 

Luna pressed her head closer to Celestia’s, her eyes on the stairs ahead of them. Celestia followed her gaze and saw the King and Queen. Celestia lowered herself hastily as Luna dismounted, and both fillies quickly fell to their feet in a bow. "Rise, young ones," the Kings booming voice called out. It might not have been the Royal Canterlot Voice, but he was still loud enough to cause Luna’s ears to pull back.

Stealing a glance at Luna, Celestia rose. The King and Queen began walking, and the officer motioned for them to follow, though he remained where he had been. They followed the King and Queen up the stairs and through corridor. The path seemed a maze to Celestia, but she stayed close. Finally, they arrived in a room with four chairs. Luna happily jumped into one.

"Luna, get down. You do not sit before the King and Queen have." Celestia’s admonishments earned her a scowl, but she was more worried about not being thrown into the dungeon.

The wide-eyed filly jumped out of the seat. The Queen smiled at the sisters. "It is alright, dear. Have a seat, both of you." 

Celestia incline her head before she took the seat next to her sister. She watched the King and Queen carefully, afraid of making the wrong move. She knew very little of the proper way to interact with any sort of nobility, other than being polite. 

Finally, the King spoke. "How long have you had that mark?"

"J-Just today, your highness." She winced as her voice shook, but it couldn't be helped. 

"What do your parents think?" he asked.

"Our parents died in the new season," Luna answered. "I think it's beautiful though." She looked at her sister, admiration shining through her eyes.

"Indeed, it is," the Queen answered. "I am sorry for your lose. It does make our offer easier though."

Celestia hesitated. "Offer?"

The King nodded as the Queen spoke. "There was a prophecy, nearly three hundred years ago." The Queen closed her eyes and spoke, nearly as if reading a fairy tale. "The Mares with Marks of Sun and Moon will come and with them they will bring the Sun and the Moon's eternal cycling." Opening her eyes, the Queen smiled. "We aren't entirely sure what it means, but you do have the mark of the sun. We only need to wait for the Mare of the Moon to come. Until then, we would like for you to stay here, in the castle. You will be well cared for and schooled, of course."

Celestia looked at her younger sister, biting her lip. That all sounded so wonderful, to be able to live in the grandure of the castle. A glance at her sister showed the foal shared her excitement, but none of her worry. "And Luna?"

"You will not be separated, if that is what you fear. She is welcome to stay and have the same provided for her,” the King said. “The prophetess has given many predictions, all of which have been proven true. We have been preparing for this situation for quite a while.”

Celestia smiled and looked at her sister again. They would have food, and proper schooling, and a real roof over their heads. Luna nodded enthusiastically.  "I'll stay."



"I can't believe you said that, Luna," Celesita said as they were escorted down the hall.

"I am hungry. They said they would care for us." Luna looked at her older sister, shrugging. "Now we can eat. Besides, they laughed."

Celestia smiled, unable to be cross with her . "True." They stopped in front of a set of large doors. Celestia's eyes widened as she saw the large table. Her sister ran forward to sit in a chair while Celestia stood, stunned. 

"Come on, Celly. Aren't you hungry?" Celestia shook her head as she ran over to her sister. The pair giggled at the grandeur of it all before settling on sitting across from each other at the end of the table. Then they noticed the most important aspect. "Where's the food?"

"I don't know, Lulu." Celestia looked around. "Maybe the guard brought us to the wrong room?"

She was about to find someone to ask when a different set of doors opened and the King and Queen walked in. The royal pair took the seats next to the sisters, the Queen next to Celestia and the King next to Luna. "Are you ready?" the King asked the dark blue filly.

"Oh yes. I haven't eaten anything since breakfast."

Celestia frowned. "I told you to eat lunch before coming back."

"Grass gets boring," Luna said, her voice low, looking down at her plate. "Besides, you didn't eat anything."

"I—That's beside the point, Lulu. You need to eat and stay healthy." Celestia kept a concerned eye on her sister, forgetting the King and Queen entirely for a moment. “I don’t get you enough as it is. Don’t skip meals.”

Celestia noticed movement as the King and Queen share a concerned look, but neither of them said a word. She wanted to apologize for the outburst, but she wasn’t sure what to say. Not a moment later, yet another set of doors opened as four silver platters were brought out and uncovered. The serving ponies placed the plates down and pulled the lids away. The sisters gasped.

Abandoning all thought of manners, the sisters seemed to attack the food. Roasted carrots, grilled onions, and a variety of other things. Luna and Celestia cleaned their plates in a matter of minutes, their parent's lessons on manners finally kicking in to stop them from licking the plates spotless.

Celesita grinned at her sister, who grinned back. It was nice to have a hot meal in their bellies that didn't consist of grass and water. "That was amazing," Luna said. 

"Yes, thank you."

The King chuckled, patting Luna on the back. “I am glad you liked it,” he said. The King and Queen continued to eat.  Celestia glanced at the Queen's plate. She hadn't even ate half of her food. Celestia swallowed, feeling slightly ashamed. 

She should have paced herself. What sort of ponies was she presenting her and her sister to be? Certainly not the kind who deserved to stay in the castle. "I'm sorry," she said, eyes trained on the table. 

"For what? Eating." The Queen put a hoof across Celestia's shoulders, and she tensed. "Don't be." Celestia looked up at the smiling Queen. "I am sorry you were so hungry in our land. It should not have been that way. We have foals houses for that very reason.

"Celly is always hungry," Luna said quietly.

"Lulu." Celestia threw her sister a warning glance, but Luna ignored it. 

"She acts like she isn't, but I can tell. She always gives me the most when we get good food. She doesn't eat anything but dinner either. She thinks I don't notice, but I do." Luna looked at the King and Queen. 

Celestia shook her head "You need to eat more." She looked at her sister, at the ribs she that were visible, at how she was smaller than a foal her age should be.  "A foal your ages shouldn't be so thin. You need it to help you grow."

“Well, if we’d gone to a foal’s house, like I wanted to, then—“

“No!” Celestia stamped her hoof onto the table. “I’ve told you before, Luna, we’re better off on our own than in one of those places.”

"Girls," the Queen said, bringing their attention back before Luna could reply. "You need to never worry about having a meal again." She looked between the sisters and shook her head. "And maybe I should venture out of the castle more often and ensure our foals are being treated correctly."


After that conversation, the sisters were shown to the bathing chambers. The guard pony tried to show them to separate rooms, but Celestia insisted they share one. "Luna is still a young filly, she may need help. I would prefer her help be me."

After that, the guard had allowed them to share a washing room. Celestia walked over to the washing tub that was built into the ground. It was already full of water, and there were several soap cakes lying around. "Okay Lulu, ready for a nice warm bath?"

The filly giggled as she and Celestia stepped into the tub. "This feels so good," Luna said. She held her nose and dunked her head. "Do you think we could wash every day here? In water this warm?"

"I believe so," Celestia said as she levitated a cake of soap over. "Now come here, I need to make sure your mane and coat get clean before you play too much." 

"Aww," Luna pouted, but she still scooted closer to her sister. Celestia worked the soap into a lather before applying it to her sister. "Will you sing to me? Like you normally do?"

Celestia smiled. "Of course." Settling on a song, Celestia sang the words softly to her younger sister. The younger mare bobbed her head in time with the song, even joining in on the chorus. "And that ends out happy, happy song," she sang as she rinsed the last of the soap from Luna's coat. "And you're all clean too."

Luna giggled before plunging her head under the water again. Celestia shook her head and smiled at her sister as she set about cleaning her own body. After she was finished, she stepped out. "Okay Luna, time to dry off now."

"Okay," she sighed, following Celestia. "Water was getting cold anyway."

Celestia picked up a thick white towel and began drying her sister's coat of excess water. Luna yawned loudly as Celestia dried herself. "I wonder where we will sleep," Celestia said. "I bet the beds are made out of clouds."

"Really? Oh, that would be lovely. To sleep on a cloud." Luna smiled. "Just floating along under the stars."

Celestia laughed. "Or to nap with the sun as your blanket." She sighed before ridding her mind of the thoughts with a shake. "Come, I'm sure the guard is worried about us by now, we've taken so long."

Luna giggled again as she followed her sister. "I am tired, Celly."

"I know, sweetie. It has been an eventful day." Celestia pushed open the door to find the guard gone. No one was in the corridor at all. "Hmm…I guess we are to find our own way." She looked back at her sister with a shrug.

"Celly, will you carry me?" Luna looked up at her sister pleadingly. "I'm just so sleepy," she said, covering her mouth with a hoof as she yawned. 

Celestia smiled and nodded. "Come on, then, sleepy head." 

With Luna securely on Celesita’s back, they wondered the halls for a while. Celestia was hesitant to open any doors, but she would check in as they passed through the corridors. Finally, they made it to a staircase. It was well worn, though still very clean. She thought it was strange that she had not ran across anypony, but she continued to walk. No one seemed to be on that floor, and most of the doors were locked. "What are we going to do?" Luna asked.

Celestia looked around the hall. "I don't know…" She bit her lip. They had made it to the end of yet another corridor with no sign of anypony. Perhaps she should have stayed by the baths. She sighed and looked out the window. "Hey, Lulu, want to go onto the balcony?"

"Yeah!" The filly wiggled in excitement, leaning her head forward with Celestia’s. “It’s already dark out, so we can see the stars!”

Celestia opened the door and allowed her sister to climb from her back before stepping out with her. Most of the town lights were out now, the stars and the moon the only source of light. "Aww, we missed the moon raising." Luna looked around. “I hadn’t thought of that.

"We can go tomorrow," Celestia said, letting Luna off her back to run around the small expanse of the balcony. "And every other night for the rest of our lives. The moon will always need rising."

While her sister was stargazing, Celestia turned to go inside and see if she could find a guard. It was strange for none to be on that floor. She turned the handle and pulled, but the door wouldn't move. "Oh no."

"What?" Luna asked, turning to look at Celestia.

"We seem to be locked out." To show, she wiggled the door handle again, though it didn’t move. 

Seemingly unworried, Luna turned back to look at the stars. "Oh, okay. So, can we sleep out here then?"

Celestia smiled. "We don't have a choice."

Luna curled up into her sleeping position and smiled at her sister. "Aren't you going to lay down too?" Celestia nodded, and curled herself around Luna so the foal would be warmer.  After they had snuggled comfortably together, Luna sighed. "Will you sing me a lullaby?" Her voice was muffled by sleep.

"Which one?" Celestia asked.

"The one mama used to sing. My favorite one. Mama used to say her mama sang that to her when she was a filly." 

Luna closed her eyes and smiled as Celestia began singing. 

"Moonlight… starlight…darkness falls,
From the shadows owls call,
All these shall be yours one day
'Til then, sleep. 
Dream the night away."

Celestia smiled at Luna, leaning her head down to kiss the sleeping filly’s her forehead. "Goodnight, Lulu."