Malefic Bonds

by Razalon The Lizardman

Ancient Ascendant (Part 2)

“We will inform Our sister of thy request for a Court session immediately,” Celestia told Melody.

Melody bowed in respect, to which Emerald hastily followed her lead. “You have all of our thanks, your highness,” Melody replied.

Celestia nodded. “We trust thou rememberest where the guest chambers are located?” she asked her.

“Yes, your highness, I remember where they are located,” Melody replied. She began making way toward the castle’s front entrance. “Come along now, Emerald.”

The younger unicorn nodded and fell into line behind her mother. The two of them ascended the castle’s front steps and slipped inside, leaving the door open.

“Now, Solis,” Celestia said, turning around to her son, “let us info-”

Celestia cut herself off upon seeing the position her son was in; slumped over with his masked face buried in his hooves. Frowning in confusion, she approached Solis and knelt down before him.

“Is something the matter, Solis?” she asked him.

Solis did not respond, but he did lift his head up from behind his hooves. Celestia’s eyes widened in surprise upon seeing the tears streaming down his neck from underneath his mask.

“Solis!” she practically shouted. “Why art thou crying? Art thou hurt?” She made to inspect his body for signs of injury before a shake of Solis’ head dispelled her assumption.

“I am not hurt, mother,” he replied, though his tone was nothing but, “merely upset.”

“What reason wouldst thou have to be upset?” Celestia asked exasperatedly. “Your tuning spell worked flawlessly to repair Emerald Wind’s flute, for which she and her mother are wholly grateful.”

Solis did not respond again, and the tears streaming down his neck only increased in intensity. Seeing her son so upset for no apparent reason ate away at Celestia’s heart, and she almost felt like crying herself.

“Solis . . .” Celestia whispered as she used her magic to lift the mask away from her son’s face, revealing the pained expression underneath. “Please, tell Us what bothers thee.”

Solis scrunched up his face, making him look almost murderous, as he lifted his cloak and gestured with his head toward his flank. “My success means nothing!” he shouted.

Confused, Celestia turned her attention to his flank. It was not until a few moments after noticing it still lacked a Soul that she realized the reason for Solis’ despair, and she quickly wrapped a comforting wing around her son while he bawled his eyes out.

“There there, little sun,” she soothed. “Let the light of thine eyes purge thy spirit of despair.”

Celestia stayed with her son for a few minutes while he let loose every last tear his eyes contained. Every so often as he did so Celestia would nuzzle him affectionately, to which his choking sobs lessened in intensity. Eventually his eyes were spent and no more water flowed from them.

“Art thou feeling better now?” Celestia asked him.

Solis sniffled and nodded.

“Good.” Celestia smiled wryly as she unwrapped her wing from around Solis and stood up. “Now then, thou art saying, because thou remainst Soulless, that thy work crafting the tuning spell was for naught?”

Solis sighed and used a hoof to wipe away some dried tears from around his eyes. “I was so confident that I would receive a Soul for performing such an extraordinary feat as crafting a working spell without any access to unicorn magic myself.” He returned Celestia’s gaze and continued. “Truth be told, I also thought helping you and Luna reestablish ties with the Gryphon Nation and its allies would earn me a Soul, but I did not get upset then because I still had this to look forward to.”

He stomped his hoof in frustration before ending with, “Why can I not have a Soul to call mine own? Why!?”

Celestia looked upon her son with a mixture of emotions: pity, sorrow, confusion, and concern being the most prominent. The topic of Solis’ Soul was something Celestia had not paid much attention to since adopting him. While the nature of Souls was still shrouded in plenty of mystery, she had known that the best course of action was to wait for Solis’ to reveal itself. Only within the past few years did Celestia start to grow genuinely concerned for its continued absence, as no other pony in history had lived so long without receiving one as Solis. The fact that he was now fifteen years of age and still Soulless only added to that concern, and seeing Solis wallow in despair over still not having one only pained her extra.

Could it be that Solis hath no destiny? she thought.

Solis reclaimed his mask and put it on before trudging back toward the front door. “I shall be in my room,” he announced.

“What of Emerald and Melody’s Court session?” Celestia asked, surprised. “It starts as soon as We fetch Luna from her room.”

Solis did not reply and instead continued trudging toward the door. Celestia made to go after him, but stopped herself upon realizing her son was in no condition to sit through a Court session. She watched as he slipped inside and shut the door behind him, never once turning back to look at her. If he had, Solis would have seen the crestfallen look in Celestia’s eyes as she fought to hold back her own tears.

Celestia stood there for a few moments before sighing and charging her horn. With a flash, she teleported inside the castle, re-appearing outside the doorway to Luna’s room. She raised a hoof and lightly knocked a couple times on the door.

“Sister?” she called. “Art thou asleep yet?”

“Nay,” her sister’s voice replied from the other side, “but I was about to fall asleep when thou interruptedest me.”

Celestia giggled softly, which helped to cheer her up from what had just transpired outside. “May I come in, sister?” she asked.

An audible groan sounded before Luna replied with, “Thou mayst, assuming ‘tis for a sound reason.”

“I assure thee, Luna,” Celestia replied back, pushing in the doorlock, “it is.”

---

True to Melody’s word, the mother-daughter duo easily navigated the castle and found the guest room corridor.

“Their highnesses do know how to properly treat guests,” Melody mused as she and Emerald entered their selected room. “Though, ‘tis a pity these guest chambers are not more pleasing to the eye.”

Emerald only nodded in agreement for she was still preoccupied with marveling over the fantastic repair job Solis’ spell did to her flute, which she held aloft in her magic. The fact that it was an earth pony which created the spell used to repair it was especially amazing to the young unicorn. She, like all other foals, was led to believe each pony tribe’s magic could only be understood and studied by its respective ponies. Seeing a non-unicorn like Solis successfully craft a spell, much less a spell as ground-breaking as the one which repaired her flute, made her call into question many things she had learned throughout life.

So lost in thought was she, that Emerald failed to immediately realize her mother was speaking to her.

“Emerald!?”

The young unicorn was snapped from her thoughts by her mother’s loud exclamation, to which she reflexively swiveled her head around for a few moments in panic before settling her gaze onto Melody.

“Y-yes, mother?” she stuttered.

Melody’s mouth fell into a slight frown for a moment before she said, “I asked what thy new name will be after we are finished here?”

“Oh, well . . .” Emerald trailed off as she sheepishly rubbed the back of her head.

Melody frowned harder. “Is something the matter, Emerald?” she asked. Then she gave Emerald a furrowed gaze and continued with, “Thou hast decided on a new name, correct?”

Emerald shrunk a bit under her mother’s stare before standing tall and replying with, “I have selected a few for consideration, but . . .”

Melody arched an eyebrow. “Yes,” she said.

Emerald let out a breath she had not realized she was holding in with a sigh and replied with, “‘Twould be nice to hear the reasoning behind your and father’s decision to name me Emerald before I discard it for something else.” She looked down as memories of her father fought to bubble to the surface of her mind while she suppressed them as best she could.

Because Emerald was looking down, she failed to notice the agitated expression Melody wore in response to her statement.

She cannot let it go, can she? she thought.

The older mare was about to reply when a knock on their room’s door caught their attention.

“Yes!?” Melody called.

The door opened to reveal the armored form of Captain Tricolt. The Solar Guard Captain looked a tad tired, judging from the slight bags under his eyes, which were otherwise as stoic as Melody remembered them being from her previous visit.

He regarded the two mares for a moment before saying, “Their highnesses are ready to see you now.”

“Ah, excellent,” Melody replied and started after him. She turned back to Emerald and said, “Come, Emerald, let us follow her highness’ Guard Captain to the throne room.”

Taking a moment to compose herself, Emerald nodded and fell into line behind her mother and Tricolt. “So, mother,” she said, “why did you and-”

“That is quite enough, young lady,” Melody sternly cut her off as she exited the room, startling both her daughter and Tricolt. “And I wish not to hear another word from thee until we reach the throne room. Understand?"

Emerald’s expression soured as she glared hatefully at her mother’s backside. She wanted to scream and verbally chastise Melody right then and there, but restrained herself from doing so out of embarrassment for Captain Tricolt’s presence.

“Yes, mother,” she said dryly.

The group of three made their way through the castle toward the throne room. All the while they walked Melody would continuously point out every single difference in the castle’s design and decor compared to her previous visit that she saw. What made it annoying to Emerald, and Captain Tricolt to an extent, was that the older unicorn kept talking to them as if they already knew how the castle looked before. While Tricolt did indeed know of these changes, Emerald had not come with her mother during her first visit to the castle, so she was unfamiliar with everything Melody was stating as if it was common knowledge.

My mother is such an inconsiderate mule of a mare, Emerald thought to herself at least a few times during their trip.

After about ten minutes or so of walking, the three finally reached the double doors leading to the throne room. Following the same motif as the rest of the castle, the throne room doors’ doorlocks were designed to represent the royal sisters’ Souls; a sun symbol on the left and a moon symbol on the right.

“Their highnesses will see you now,” Captain Tricolt said. Stifling a yawn, the Solar Guard Captain used his magic to push in the doorlocks and open the doors.

“Thank you, captain,” Melody said before stepping inside.

“Yes, thank you,” Emerald said sourly, following her mother inside.

Captain Tricolt arched a brow in response to the younger unicorn’s tone of voice, but shrugged it off and closed the doors. He then began making way toward the Guard Barracks with the intention of waking his division up to replace the Lunar Guard for the day shift.

---

Celestia and Luna sat on their respective thrones waiting for Lady Melody and her daughter Emerald to arrive so they could begin the requested Court session. However, whereas the royal sisters typically made sure to present themselves to visitors as tall, regal, and authoritative, at the moment they were hardly any of the three. Both princesses wore a differing expression that spoke not of a powerful ruler who commanded respect, but a weakling pony who was ill-prepared to listen to a couple of ponies’ ramblings.

Princess Luna sat on her throne with a dull, tired expression. Bags adorned the space under her eyes and her posture was bent forward slightly, making it look like she was about to collapse onto the floor. Since she had been ready to fall asleep for the day when Celestia requested her presence, the lunar alicorn tried her hardest not to fall asleep on the spot and come across as inept to their visitors.

Celestia, on the other hoof, looked crestfallen. Thoughts of Solis and his reaction to remaining Soulless after the success of his tuning spell swam through her mind, eating away at her happiness like a spiritual parasite.

Solis . . . . . . nopony should be made to despair like thou didst, especially on their birthday.

The doors to the throne room opened, bringing Celestia out of her thoughts. She looked up to see Emerald and Melody Wind walk into the room and approach the sisters’ thrones. The two mares were quick to bow before them, though Emerald never once brought her gaze downward, instead keeping her head held high and gaze straight upward. She had an expression of annoyance etched clear as day upon her features.

“You may rise, Our subjects,” Luna stated drowsily. She took a moment to shake the sleep from her head, doing it quick so the two mares would not see her looking undignified.

“Thank you, your highness,” Melody replied, coming out of her bow and smiling up at the princesses. Emerald looked to them as well, but did not smile like her mother.

Luna nodded, adopting a stoic expression as she said, “Let us begin,” and turned to her sister. “Celestia?”

The solar alicorn hesitated, to which a heavy silence fell upon the room. Luna’s stoic expression dropped into one of concern as she waited for her sister to start the proceedings. Melody and Emerald both looked concerned as well when Celestia said nothing, instead letting her gaze travel downward with a solemn expression.

“Sister, what is the matter?” Luna asked finally. “We must begin this Court session immediately.”

Celestia shook her head and sighed. “I apologize, everypony,” she said, and stood up off of her throne, “but I am in no condition to attend this Court session.” She turned to Luna. “Sister, please hear their request yourself.”

All of Luna, Melody, and Emerald’s eyes widened in shock. “Sister, what is the meaning of this?” Luna asked, slightly accusatory.

Celestia sighed again and smiled wistfully at the lunar alicorn. “A mother’s work is never finished,” she replied.

Before Luna could ask what she meant by that, Celestia charged up her horn and initiated a teleport, disappearing in a flash of white light.

Princess Luna stared blankly at the spot where her sister had just been, trying to rationalize the solar alicorn’s decision to leave her alone with their guests. It was only after a few moments that she realized said guests were staring attentively at her. With a gulp that she hoped Melody and Emerald did not notice, Luna turned to the unicorns.

“Well then,” she said, a bead of cold sweat dropping from her forehead, “you may begin.”

Both Melody and Emerald stared blankly themselves at her for a few moments before snapping from their stupor. “Of course, your highness,” Melody said, to which Emerald slowly nodded in agreement.

For the next half hour Melody told Luna everything she had already told Celestia, as well as going into greater detail about why it was inherently beneficial that ponies be allowed to change their names. Luna listened with great interest all the while, even pulling herself out of her drowsy state near the middle of Melody’s petition. Melody even had a few words to say about a potential system of approval that ponies would have to pass before changing their name.

All the while Melody talked and Luna listened, however, Emerald stayed completely silent. There were a few times she was tempted to lay on her back and stare at the ceiling, but ultimately refrained from doing so out of respect to Princess Luna. She contented herself to observe the throne room’s decor until her mother finally finished speaking, upon which she fixated her attention on Princess Luna.

“We admit that Our interest in your petition is great, Miss Wind,” Luna said with a smile. “We are confident that Our sister is too, so thou mayst consider it granted in the near future.”

“Oh, thank you, your highness,” Melody beamed. She turned to Emerald. “Art thou excited, Emerald?”

The younger mare shrugged. “I suppose,” she muttered, not making eye contact with her mother.

Melody frowned. “Thou dost not sound enthusiastic.”

Emerald sighed. “Can we speak in private, mother?”

“Sure, I suppose,” Melody replied, and turned to Luna. “Thank you once again, your highness.”

Luna nodded, and watched as the two unicorns exited the throne room before charging up her horn and teleporting to her bedchambers, intent on resuming her sleep.

“What is on thy mind, Emerald?” Melody asked as the two stepped into the hallway.

Emerald turned to face her mother with a stern expression. “You already know, mother,” she replied.

“What do you-” Melody cut herself off when realization hit her, to which she groaned. “Emerald, must thou keep at this? We were successful in convincing their highnesses of the importance of our petition, so why dwell on the origin of your current name?”

Emerald stomped her hoof in aggravation. “Because it is who I am, mother!” she shouted, not caring who else heard her. “Never once have you revealed to me the origin of my name, and I refuse to discard it until I am told why exactly you and father would bestow upon me a name which, apparently, is so wrong for me!?”

Melody seriously considered admonishing her daughter for her horrid attitude in response, but a nagging voice in the back of her head, which she had all but ignored up until now, finally convinced her that revealing the truth to Emerald would give the younger mare enough reason to drop the issue and stop annoying her.

Before Melody could speak a sudden sensation in her nostrils caught her off guard. She briefly turned away from Emerald toward the nearest wall and blew a hard sneeze.

“I should have brought my rag,” Melody mumbled as she turned back to Emerald. “Very well, I will tell thee the origin of thy name.”

Emerald smiled. “Thank you, mother,” she replied happily.

Melody sighed in exasperation before starting. “The truth of the matter, Emerald, is that your name was not my decision, but rather your father’s.”

Emerald tilted her head in confusion. “What does that mean?”

Melody sighed and turned down the hallway. “I shall explain as we make way toward our room.”

Emerald nodded and fell into step alongside her mother.

“Thou wert a troublesome foal before birth, Emerald,” Melody continued. “Whereas foals must be birthed head first, thou triedest many times to enter the world the opposite way, which only made everypony’s work needlessly difficult.”

Emerald blushed as she stared straight ahead. “I am sorry, mother,” she weakly muttered, just barely loud enough for the older mare to hear her.

“Do not be,” Melody affirmed, her tone neutral. “All that matters is that thou wert birthed safely, but only because . . . because . . .” She trailed off.

“Mother?” Emerald said worriedly as they turned a corner. The sight of the inner gardens greeted them down the hallway.

Melody sighed. “Emerald, please understand when I speak this next part, that I hold no grudge against thee, nor do I regret birthing thee.” Seeing the worried and confused look in her daughter’s eyes almost made Melody reluctant to keep talking, but she pushed onward regardless. “Thy birth was the absolute worst experience I have ever endured.”

Emerald’s eyes widened in shock as she turned to Melody. “W-w-what do you m-m-mean, mother?” she stuttered.

The two of them crossed under the archway and entered the inner gardens. Melody shied her gaze away from both her daughter and Discord’s statue as she increased her pace a little so as to avoid having to stay near the latter for too long. A part of her felt like she was also running from Emerald, as if not wanting to continue the story of her birth any longer. The younger unicorn kept pace with her, though, so any such desires were fruitless in the end.

The two of them crossed under the adjacent archway after a few seconds, and they fell back into their previous pace. “Sorry,” Melody apologized, “where was I?”

Emerald looked to her with a frown. “You said my birth was the worst experience you had ever endured,” she replied in a hurt tone of voice, no doubt because of what exactly she had reminded her mother of saying.

“Right,” Melody said with a sigh. She took a moment to re-strengthen her resolve before continuing. “I spent a full two days' length of time in labor as a direct result of your stubbornness.”

Emerald’s expression turned to one of pure horror, and she lifted a hoof up to her mouth in shock as her breath caught in her throat.

“The entire ordeal brought me more pain than I could ever wish upon anypony,” Melody continued, unmindful of her daughter’s reaction. “Twas too much for me to bear, apparently, as I was told I fell unconscious halfway through the process, and remained so for another full day’s time afterward.”

Emerald choked out a sob. “Oh, mother, I am so sorry,” she cried.

“I said do not be,” Melody replied, a little more harshly than intended. “Thou art not to blame for my pain, young lady, as thou hadst no conscious thought prior to birth.” She turned to Emerald with a glower. “Dost thou understand?”

“I understand, mother,” Emerald replied. She wiped away a tear.

“Anyway,” Melody continued, returning her attention to in front of her, “with myself incapacitated, the task of naming thee fell squarely upon thy father.”

“Why did he choose the name ‘Emerald’?” the younger mare asked, having managed to recompose herself a bit.

“According to him, he likened thee to a ‘precious little emerald’ due to your green coat, and so decided to name thee such,” Melody replied. “He also said that had the doctor not asked for a name straight away, he would have waited for me to awaken before choosing one.”

“I see,” Emerald said, casting her eyes downward in thought. “And did you disapprove of his choice straight away?”

“At first I was merely upset that I was unable to join thy father in deciding on a name for thee, and this remained true for years afterward,” Melody answered. “Only after thy Soul appeared did I start growing concerned ponies would be led astray by thy name.”

By now they had reached the guest wing of the castle. As they passed by Solis’ room, the two mares could hear the sound of conversation from within. They continued on, however, not wanting to show disrespect to Princess Celestia and her son by eavesdropping on them.

“But now my concerns are lifted,” Melody continued with a bright smile, “now that their highnesses have agreed to our proposal.” She turned to Emerald with an expectant gaze, which the younger unicorn shrunk under. “So, hast thou decided on a name yet?”

Emerald stared blankly ahead in response. Then she looked downcast. Father . . .

“Emerald?”

“May I have some time to think it over?” she pleaded, not letting up on her downcast expression.

Melody smiled as she opened the door to their room. “Of course, take thy time,” she answered.

“Thanks, mother,” Emerald replied, depressed, and the mother-daughter pair stepped inside.

---

Celestia came out of her teleport in front of Solis’ room. After pondering for a brief moment what her son may be up to, Celestia pressed an ear against the door and listened. She heard nothing for a few moments, to which her concern for Solis rose in earnest before a soft rustling sound emanated from the room. Celestia stood up straight and raised a hoof to the door, giving it a fair knock.

No response. She knocked again. No response still.

“Solis!?” Celestia called out, a slight tinge of panic in her voice.

A sigh sounded from inside. “Yes, mother!?” Solis called back, sounding just as depressed as he did earlier.

Celestia let out a relieved sigh and replied back with, “May We enter!?”

Another depressed sigh. “You may enter!”

Celestia pushed in the doorlock and opened the door. Stepping inside, she found her son laying on his bed with an open book in front of him. Even from the door, Celestia could make out a few tears trickling down the young stallion’s face, some of which fell onto the books pages, staining them.

Celestia would have frowned at the sight had she not been so relieved to see Solis was okay. “What art thou reading this time?” she asked while approaching the bed.

Solis glanced up from the book. “What of Miss Melody and Emerald Wind?” he asked, ignoring her own question.

“Answer Our question first and We shall answer yours,” Celestia replied with a coy smile.

With a huff, Solis grabbed the book with his mouth and lifted it so Celestia could see as she reached the bed. The solar alicorn peered down at the pages, and raised a confused brow in response to seeing the contents.

“The Paleo-Pony Talent Disease outbreak?”

“Yes,” Solis said, then brought the book back down and resumed reading it.

Celestia’s confusion remained for several moments as she wondered why her son was reading about the ancient sickness. When realization struck her, Celestia sighed in exasperation as she used her magic to take the book away from Solis and bring it up out of his reach.

“What the-give it back!” Solis cried.

He made a jump for it, but to no avail as Celestia simply levitated it up higher out of his reach. She then closed the book and floated it over to the bookshelf, nestling it in its proper place.

“We understand how desperate thou art for a Soul.” Celestia turned to Solis with a furrowed gaze which made clear just how disappointed she was in her son. “However, seeking out the dreaded Talent Disease is not the answer to thy troubles. Are We understood?”

Solis remained unyielding for all of five seconds before slumping over with a sigh. “Yes, mother,” he replied.

Celestia’s expression brightened. “Good.”

Solis pounded the bed in frustration. “‘Tis not fair!” he cried. “Why must I be cursed to remain Soulless in spite of everything I have accomplished!?” He slammed his hooves down one final time before finally giving up and letting loose another torrent of tears. “What is my purpose in life?”

Celestia sat down on the bed and gently stroked Solis’ backside. “We truly wish the answer was readily apparent, Solis. Regardless, thou hast much to be proud of, both in helping Us re-forge ties with the Gryphon Nation and inventing what is essentially a new branch of magic study.” She regarded her son with a thoughtful smile as she continued. “Thou hast great potential to accomplish so much more, Solis, and a picture on thy flank is hardly required to tap into it.”

“I suppose that is true,” Solis said softly. He laid on the bed barrel-down with his head rested in his fore legs. In his eyes was a faraway look which clearly conveyed how lost in thought he was. Celestia continued stroking his backside, waiting to see if Solis would continue to speak. When it became clear he was finished, Celestia ceased stroking him and stood up from the bed. She looked down at the crimson stallion with thoughtful eyes, while an internal debate raged in her mind over her son’s future.

He can be trusted, that much is certain. But what if Equestria’s citizens react unfavorably if I follow through with it?

No, no, they trust Us. They must after all We have done to help them recover from Discord’s reign of chaos.

Mmm, Solis has grown so much these past five years, and shall soon come of age. Whether or not he chooses to remain here, We must respect his decision. And in case he doth decide to leave, at least he shall have the means to make use of his full potential without needing Our help.

Everything shall change today. Hopefully, it is for the better.

“Solis?”

The crimson stallion looked up to her. The sheets directly under his head were sopping wet and in need of a good wash. “Yes, mother?”

“We may, perhaps, have an answer for thy Soulless conundrum after all.”

Solis’ eyes widened in surprise and shock. “T-truly?”

“As We said, perhaps,” Celestia replied. “It is merely a theory, but a plausible one no doubt.” She began using a wing to wipe away her son’s teary face while continuing. “It may be possible the reason why thou remainst Soulless is because destiny has seen fit to let thee choose thine own.”

Solis frowned, this time out of confusion rather than sadness. “Choose mine own?”

“As I have stated many times previously, a pony’s Soul indicates where their talent lies,” Celestia said. She finished wiping Solis’ left eye clean and moved to the right one. “Naturally, a pony will embrace wholeheartedly that which makes them special, so they stick to their talent and think nothing of deviating from it.”

“Yes, that is true,” Solis said. “And how doth this apply to me?”

“It doth not,” Celestia answered, finishing with his right eye and retracting her wing. “Thou hast been bestowed with no clear indication of where thy talent lies, but not because you have none. Rather, thy talent is too far spread to symbolize in a single picture.”

Upon seeing the nonplussed look on Solis’ face in response, Celestia elaborated. “Thy cognitive skills are above average, is what We mean to say. Thou canst apply gained knowledge to solve most any problem which would leave most ponies utterly clueless as to the solution. There are ponies with talents in problem-solving, of course, and with Souls to indicate such. However, and this is one of many reasons why We are proud to call thee son, thou art gifted in problem-solving of multiple varieties.”

Solis arched a curious brow. “Multiple varieties?”

“Indeed,” Celestia replied with a nod. “Thy biggest accomplishments, helping establish ties with the Gryphon Nation and inventing the tuning spell, are indicative of thy talents in problem-solving for psyche anatomy and magical theory, respectively.”

“How many more are there?” Solis asked, his interest piqued. “And how could you know whether I am adept at any others besides those two?”

“More than We can recount,” Celestia replied with a cheeky smile. “And call it mother’s intuition that thy full potential has yet to be tapped into.”

“If you insist,” Solis replied. He began returning to his previous position of having his head rested in between his tucked in fore legs, but was halted by Celestia’s hoof underneath his chin. Looking up at his mother in confusion once again, Solis saw Celestia looking down at him with an expression that somehow mixed both stern-forthrightness and joy, though he could not tell which one was more prevalent.

“Speaking of which,” she said, her tone of voice every bit as happy and stern as her expression indicated, “We can grant thee the means by which to make use of thy true potential without needing to rely on Us for aid.”

Solis raised a curious brow. “I am confused, mother. What ‘means’ are you referring to?”

Celestia smiled. “Thou shalt see soon,” she answered. “Assuming, of course, that thou art willing to accept the responsibilities which shall be imparted unto thee as well.”

Solis only stared blankly for several moments, all the while mulling over everything he had just been told, his mind a chaotic maelstrom of questions and hesitance.

Could mother be implying she would grant me the ability to cast magic myself? Would that mean I shall become a unicorn if I accept these new responsibilities? How is that possible? And what would these responsibilities entail me doing should I choose to accept? Why must mother speak so cryptically about this decision of utmost importance?

Solis broke from his thoughts to stare wryly up at Celestia. Her face held the same serene, compassionate expression that Solis had seen a plethora of times over the last five years since she adopted him. It was the look of a mother who wanted her son to lead a happy life, and truly believed she knew what it would take for such to come to fruition. It was a look which Solis had long since realized meant Celestia loved him dearly, and would do anything to make sure the crimson stallion received all the love and compassion which he never had before she came into his life.

No, I cannot doubt her word, not after all she has done for me up until now. If she believes her offer will be beneficial to us both, then I shall put all my trust in her judgement.

“Mother,” he said, standing up straight and adopting a resolute expression, “I accept any and all responsibilities that may come attached to your offer.”

With a nod, Celestia lit up her horn. “We suggest thou keepest thine eyes shut,” she said, not breaking her smile.

With a nod himself, Solis shut his eyelids tight and waited for further instructions. A moment later he heard a loud popping sound, followed by a feeling of pressure coming in on all sides of his body, and finally ending with complete and utter silence. He stood there, unmoving and unblinking, curious about what Celestia had done but patiently awaiting further orders from her.

“Thou mayest open your eyes, little sun,” Celestia finally said with a soothing whisper.

Eager to see what Celestia had waiting for him, Solis obliged, and almost staggered back upon seeing where the two of them were. His bed chambers had been replaced by a star-filled scape that seemed to stretch to infinity, at least from what could be seen through the turquoise-colored atmosphere that enveloped the area where Celestia and Solis stood together.

A regular nighttime sky hung above their heads, but neither mother nor son glanced upward to see it. Solis’ attention kept shifting from the starry scape around them to Celestia, who stared thoughtfully at her son with a kind smile.

“Mother,” Solis finally said, “what is this?”

Celestia finally turned her attention to the starry scape around them, her features softening even more as she replied, almost too quietly for Solis to hear, “This is the start of thy destiny, Solis.”

Solis turned to Celestia with an exasperated frown. “I meant to ask where we are?”

Celestia merely shook her head slightly. “This is a very special place,” she replied. “Only We knew of it before now, and thou art now the third.”

Solis swept his gaze across the starry scape once more before looking to Celestia with a confused expression. “You said I would be granted the power to make full use of my talents by my lonesome,” he said. “How doth this place relate to such?”

“Thou shalt see son enough,” Celestia replied. She then pointed behind the crimson stallion. “However, there is something We must show thee before such.”

Solis turned to where Celestia was pointing and his eyes widened in surprise at what he saw. Floating in the air towards them, perfectly aligned with each other, were two rows of moving images featuring him, Celestia, Luna, and various other ponies. Solis’ surprise was short-lived, however, as he quickly recognized all the events playing out in each image: the first time he met both Celestia and Luna, his time studying politics under Rusty Quill, the pivotal meeting with King Cretan and Queen Ziz, his time visiting Equestria’s more historic settlements and meeting with their ponies, and many more.

Solis’ eyes flitted back and forth between both rows of images for several long moments, trying to make sense of the assorted memories, before realization hit and he turned back to Celestia, who was watching the images herself with an expression of pure, nostalgic bliss.

“This is a massive flashback spell, is it not?” he asked.

“It is,” Celestia answered with a nod, not tearing her gaze away from the row of memories.

“What is its purpose, mother?”

Celestia did not answer right away, instead continuing to eye each and every image which passed by with a content, happy expression. While waiting for an answer, Solis felt a sudden, and strange sensation in his hooves. Energy began coursing through his body, small at first, but eventually becoming so intense that the crimson stallion was afraid for his life. He was about to ask Celestia for help, but the solar alicorn chose that moment to answer his question.

“We have watched thee grow so much, Solis. As an earth pony, thou wert already quite strong in body, and the past five years have seen thee grow equally as strong in both mind and spirit. Thou hast overcome many hardships and challenges to accomplish feats greater than most ponies believe is outside the realm of possibility for an earth pony.”

The sensation in Solis’ body had spread to his barrel by now and was quickly rising through to his shoulders. The crimson stallion’s attention was divided between keeping his body standing up straight and listening to Celestia’s speech.

“Today marks the end of thy life as an earth pony, Solis. The power flowing through this realm is greater than that of Equestria’s natural magic, and it shall provide thee power matched only by Luna and myself.” Celestia paused for a moment, then finished by saying, “Happy birthday, my son.”

The energy which coursed through Solis’ body was too great to keep under control any longer, and Solis felt his hooves lift off the ground as it finally grabbed a hold of his entire being. The last thing he saw was Celestia’s smiling face before a bright white light engulfed his entire field of vision and he shut his eyes out of reflex.

Solis kept his eyes closed for several seconds, unsure whether opening them again would result in blindness. While waiting for Celestia to give him further instructions, he felt the energy coursing through his body coalesce into three areas on his body: on on either side of his back, and one on his forehead. After that, he felt a brief popping sound at each of these three points before he then felt himself lower to the ground. His hooves settled onto solid stone and he held his posture, quivering slightly from the experience.

“Thou mayst open thy eyes,” he heard Celestia say from in front of him.

Solis complied once again, slowly cracking both his eyes open to reveal Celestia’s smiling face looking down at him, at his forehead. Confused, Solis crossed his eyes upwards, and immediately noticed a pointed protrusion the same color of his coat at the top of his field of vision. It took Solis a few seconds to realize what he was staring at, but he eventually realized he was staring at a unicorn horn.

His horn.

The shock hit Solis like a ton of bricks, and he unwittingly unfurled the wings which now adorned his sides, doubling his shock and causing him to stagger backwards.

Celestia giggled at the display. “I expected this might come as a surprise to thee,” she admitted.

She used her magic to lift Solis back onto his hooves, who managed to recompose himself enough to notice they were in his room once again.

“So . . . I am now an alicorn?” Solis inquired. He reached a hoof up into his mane and felt it, frowning upon noticing it did not flail in an ethereal breeze like that of Celestia and Luna. "Why is my mane still normal?”

Celestia walked forward and draped a wing over Solis’ shoulder. “That is a matter for another time,” she answered. "Right now, thou must learn the responsibilities which come attached to the gift I have bestowed upon thee.”

Solis nodded. “Very well, what are they?”

“Thou art now a prince of Equestria, Solis,” Celestia explained. “With this new title comes an expectation that thou shalt rule alongside Luna and myself, with the goal of promoting peace and prosperity to Equestria’s citizens. Should Luna or I be unable to perform our royal duties for whatever reason, it shall fall upon thee to keep Equestria in order.” She smiled. “I believe this is a fair exchange for the ability to cast magic, as well as fly, correct?”

Solis nodded. “Yes, it is fair.” He glanced back up to his new horn and attempted to channel magic through it. A golden aura, the same color as his eyes, emanated from it for only a second before disappearing. Solis tried again, only to be met with the same result. “This is much harder than I assumed it would be.”

“Some practice is definitely in order,” Celestia replied. “Wouldst thou like to do so for the rest of today?”

Solis looked up to Celestia with a smirk. “Until the time for my surprise birthday celebration comes, yes I would, mother.”

Celestia’s jaw dropped. “H-how did-”

“Mother, you have given me one on my birthday for the past five years,” Solis interrupted, exasperated. “I am quite privy to them by now.”

Celestia stared wide-eyed at her son for a while before eventually reining in her stupor and letting out a small sigh. “I suppose it was easy to predict.”

Solis reached up and nuzzled Celestia’s cheek. “It is okay, mother,” he said happily, a small smile gracing his muzzle. “I appreciate it all the same.”

Celestia smiled and nuzzled him back. “My thanks to thee, son,” she whispered.

“Thank you, mother,” Solis replied, “for the best birthday gift possible.” He pointed to his horn.

“Well then,” Celestia said, “let us put it to use, shall we?”

Solis nodded, and Celestia began teaching her son the proper way to cast magic, all while the crimson alicorn struggled to contain his excitement over finally being able to cast magic by himself.

This is undoubtedly my best birthday ever.

Comments

[Luna Secret Stallion]

Intresting.

[F1utt3rShI]

This started sad but turned so heartwarming I just Cant express how amazing this story is. Great work as always, and cant wait to see what happens now that Solis is now a alicorn. Thank you so much for gracing us with this story. Best of luck

[Razalon The Lizardman]

4709631 Thank you so much for the kind words and encouragement. It means the world to me. Truly, it does.

[Scarheart]

He becomes Chrysalis, doesn't he? (I'm kidding)

Very good story. I look forward to the next chapter!

[Razalon The Lizardman]

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