The Secret of Her Past

by Nerdz

Chapter One: Rumor in Canterlot

It had been ten years since the death of the Galaxianov family. Celestia had returned to Maris, to work through her grief. In this time, a distant relative, Silk Stocking, had stepped forward to 'take care' of Canterlot, yet he was a stallion who cared only for his title, and Canterlot had quickly fallen on hard times. Snow was falling heavily on the capital city. Ponies all over the town were tightening scarves and jackets, trying to block out the relentless wind as they walked to where ever they were employed. Everywhere, stallions and mares alike clocked it, ready to start another day. Many began to sing.*

"Canterlot is gloomy!" a stallion lugging bags of grain sang out, starting up everypony else.

"Canterlot is bleak!" somepony else added.

"Ugh, you'd be crazy to stay here," a tourist snapped, heading for the train station, "even for a week!" Suddenly, it seemed that the whole city was singing with one breath.

"Oh, since their execution, our lives have been so grey! Thank goodness for the gossip that gets us through the day. Hey! Nopony ever forgot 'bout the rumor here in Canterlot. Have you heard what they're saying on the streets?" Everypony crowded around a newspaper stand, where a smiling stallion held up a paper, featuring a picture of one of the princesses on the front page.

"Though the king and queen did not survive, one daughter may be still alive!" he sang in a hushed tone, earning smiles from the crowd.

"Yes, the Princess Luna!" everypony sang out, before glancing worriedly up at the manor where Silk Stocking currently resided. It was no secret that he hoped that Princess Celestia wouldn't ever be returning to Canterlot. The newsie bit his lip before turning to the worried crowd.

"But, please, do not repeat!"

"It's a rumor, a legend, a mystery!" the crowds of ponies in the markets began to sing "Something whispered in an alleyway, or through a crack. It's a rumor that's part of our history!" A young mare dressed as a gypsy lifted a snow globe from her market stall, drawing a crowd.

"They say Princess Celestia will pay a royal sum," Suddenly, ponies grabbed at the snow globes, dropping bits in return. The globes featured a miniature statue of Princess Luna, modeled to look like she was mid flight. They each began to sing.

"To somepony who can bring her sister back!"

A very large cream-colored Unicorn stallion traversed the many shoppers. He wore a heavy read coat over a beige vest, and a thick brown hat. The hat's color matched his mane, which sported sideburns that wrapped around his face to form a mustache. His look was completed by round spectacles and a goatee. He trotted around the city square, seemingly looking for something.

"Psst, Lute! Over here!" the pony, Lute, turned towards the voice's origin, a dark blue Unicorn, much younger than himself, with a brown mane that fell into his eyes. The younger stallion wore a worn brown coat that was missing a few buttons. Lute grinned, hurrying over to him.

"Comet, there you are!" the two stallions whispered to each other for a few moments before trotting off back into the mobs of ponies crowding in the market. The ducked into a group of tents where merchants were trying to sell 'Galaxianov merchandise'.

"Two hundred bits for this painting!" a merchant started the singing back up again "It's Galaxianov, I swear!"

"Queen Sunniva's pajamas," a mare shouted, gesturing to some nightgowns "line up; buy the pair!" another stallion waved a hoof around a small purple saddle, decorated with various Moon phases.

"I got this saddle from the palace. It's lined with real fur!" Comet and Lute both lifted it with their magic, checking it over before singing themselves.

"It could be worth a fortune, if it belonged to her!" Comet tossed over a few bits before he and Lute entered an abandoned house in which they had taken up residence in. They began to pack suitcases.

"Well, Comet, I got us a theater."

"Everything's going like we planned; all we need is the girl! Just think, no more forging papers, or stolen goods! We got three tickets out of here. One for you," He tossed Lute an old shirt "one for me, and one for 'Princess Luna!'"

"Do you think we'll find the real Princess?"

"Nah, somepony just made this rumor up to snap Celestia out of her grief-induced stupor so she'd come back to knock Mr. High-And-Mighty off her throne." He laughed dryly "Lotta good that did; now she won't even start reconstruction on the palace until somebody finds Luna."

"But...there isn't even one part of you that thinks it's true?"

Comet rolled his eyes. "Maybe she is, maybe she ain't. All I know is that, either way, Celestia is offering a ten-million bit reward for her sister's safe return." at the promise of being rich, the con artist grinned before beginning to sing.

"It's the rumor, the legend, the mystery. It's the Princess Luna who will help us fly. You and I, friend, will go down in history!" he dug around in a drawer, pulling out a small purple box with black floral designs etched onto the surface "We'll find a mare to play the part, and we'll teach her what to say. Dress her up, and take her to Maree! Just imagine the reward Celestia's gonna pay! Who else could pull it off but you and me? We'll be rich!"

"We'll be rich!"

"We'll be out!"

"We'll be out!"

"And Canterlot will have some more to talk about!" the stallions sang at the same time, before rushing out into the busy market place. A few ponies were arguing over prices, but the main topic of conversation was the lost princess. Suddenly, the crowds again burst into song.

"No one ever forgot the rumor here in Canterlot! Have you heard? Friends, what do you suppose? A captivating mystery?"

Comet waved a hoof in the air. "The biggest con in history!"

"Yes, it's the Princess Luna!" everypony sang "Alive or dead!?" a brief pause "Who knows? Shh!"

---

Foals stood pressed against the windows of the top floor of the two-story building. The house was old and run-down. The the paint that hadn't yet peeled off of the sign at the front read 'Clementine Home for Foals'. They were all waving at the young mare outside, letting out various shouts of 'Bye, Niya!' and 'We'll miss you!' A second mare stood in front of the said mare, this one visibly much older. Everything about the hunched-over Earth Pony was bland, light grey coat and a shaggy darker grey mane. She wore an old beige dress and muddy boots.

"I got you a job at the potato farm. Follow the path until you get to the fork in the road. Go left-"

"Good bye!" the younger mare shouted, waving at the foals in the window.

"Are you listening!?" the elderly pony snapped.

"By everypony!" Niya lowered her hoof. The young Pegasus was a solid light blue, her hair an even lighter blue. Her bright eyes were turquoise. She wore ripped gloves, an old green coat with sleeves that came down too long over a tattered faded yellow dress that was a few sizes too big, and a long blue scarf. Her wings stuck out two crudely cut holes in the dress and coat. On her head, she wore a worn-out brown hat in which she had tucked her messy mane. She rolled her eyes before replying. "I'm listening, Miss Clementine."

"That's 'Lady Clementine' to you! You've been a thorn in my side since you were brought here." she snatched the younger mare by her scarf, pulling her towards the rusted iron gate "Acting like the Queen of Sheba, instead of the nameless no-account you are! For the past ten years, I've fed you, I've clothed you," she busied herself with getting the gate open, while Niya, having escaped from the scarf, mouthed each word the mare was saying. The young mare finished the sentence for Clementine.

"You've kept a roof over my head." The grey mare looked at her, still holding the scarf, before walking towards her.

"How is it that you haven't a clue as to who you were before you came to us, yet you can remember all that?" Niya reached a hoof down her collar, hooking her hoof around a golden chain and pulling out a silver, star-shaped charm that rested around her neck.

"Oh, but I do have a clue to-"

"Ack, yes yes, we all know!" Clementine snatched the charm, turning it over, reading the words burned into her memory while rolling her eyes "'Together in Maris' So, you want to go to Prance to find your family, yes?"

"Mmhmm." The younger mare nodded.

"Little miss Niya, it's time you take your place in life." she kicked the iron bars open, "In life and in line." walked behind Niya, "And be grateful, too!" and shoved her past through the gates. She threw the scarf at the surprised mare. "Together in Maris!" she said with a fake smile and a wave before slamming the gate shut in Niya's face. She walked buck up to the path, cackling. "And be grateful!" she shouted over her shoulder as she entered the orphanage.

Author's Note:

Okay, I need to set a few things straight. First off, the ponies in the cover art are not Alicorn oc's. The confusion over this was entirely my fault. To make the cover art, I used General Zoi's Pony Generator version three. Specifically V3 because it's the only version that offers a screenshot feature, since I can't take screenshots with my laptop. But, as stated in the description of the generator:

- Things this game does not have:
Any copyrighted mane (and matching tail) styles, which means no manes from the MLP show are in this game. This is because the new head turning features requires a lot more art, and I wasn't able to do that art for the copyrighted manes, so they weren't included.
- Cutie marks.
- Full body costumes, again because of the head turning

I tried to make the first look as much like filly Luna as I could. The second picture is of Niya, and third I cannot tell you because it will spoil later chapters.

Again, sorry for the confusion.

Also,
*Because it's MLP, and 50% of the show is singing.

Comments

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

okay, where's Luna's horn?

[Nerdz]

5453174
The answer to that is in the prologue...during the fight on the ice.

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

5454579 oh missed that. but why is Clemintine in the foster service if she can stand foals?

[Nerdz]

5454668 I suppose she doesn't really hate foals in general, she just saw Niya as bratty nuisance who didn't seem to know what Clementine saw as her place in life. But, I honestly don't know. Int the movie that this story is based off , Clem's counter part talked to Niya's counter part that way, so I took inspiration from there. Plus, in every movie I've ever seen or book I've ever read the foster parent/orphanage owner hated at least one if not all of the kids.