The Truth: An alternate-world 'Truth or Dare' tale

by SFC Ponycron

Chapter Eight: Admitting Anguish

The Truth
Chapter Eight

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Celestia strode up to her younger sister as the Princess of the Night scanned the starry skies.

“Welcome, Sister,” Luna said formally. “Did you sleep well?”

Celestia nodded with her trademark small smile. “Mm-hmm,” she replied. Luna stepped back, allowing her older sister to take her place at the edge of the balcony. Celestia closed her eyes and lifted her head, feeling the immense energies of her magic thrum from the bottom of her hooves all the way to the tip of her horn. The stars slowly seemed to fade and at the eastern end of the horizon, the sky slowly began to brighten from a deep, royal blue to a powdery lavender.

Luna felt a small thrill of awe. Her sister had allowed her to resume her duties and create her works of glimmering art in the deep blue canvas of the night sky years ago, but watching as her sister gently (and to her, respectfully) let the stars flicker away and summoned the morning with gentleness and precision never ceased to amaze her.

As she scanned the horizon, she thought she saw something out of the corner of her eye. She looked to the west, and what looked like a sparkling and swirling green flame seemed to lazily close in on them. Very odd, she thought. It's only daybreak. Which one of the Elements of Harmony would wake up Spike just to send a letter at this hour?

The swirling green flame, which seemed larger than usual to Luna, floated in the air in front of Luna and her sister. It closed in on itself, turning into a shimmering green orb, and with a barely audible ‘pop’ and a small flash of light, six scrolls appeared in its place, falling to their feet with barely a rustle.

Celestia let out a small breath as she finished casting the transition spell from night to day. “There we go,” she said. She turned to her sister and saw the scrolls at her feet. “What are these?”

“I don’t know,” Luna replied. “They came through Spike’s dragon fire, though, so it must be from Twilight Sparkle or one of her friends.”

“Mm,” was Celestia’s vague reply. Luna levitated a scroll up to her face with her magic and broke the seal. The letter unfurled and she read the script, which was in rather neat hornwriting.

Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,

Six years ago, on the night I was born, I lost my father because somepony threatened to tell either one of you that he was having a relationship with my mother and five other mares. My father told me, in a message left to me and my half-brothers and half-sisters, that he knew that other ponies thought it was wrong, but he loved my mother, and the mothers of my brothers and sisters, equally. He loved them all enough to have me and my brothers and sisters. He also loved my mother and her friends so much that he spared them the pain of watching him being taken away by the Lunar Guard and being banished to the moon the night we were born and had them sleep before he agreed to be taken away.

Luna reeled a little in surprise. She shook her head after a moment and resumed reading.

A week and a half ago, an older filly called me a foal of a stud and that my father didn’t want me, which is why he went away. My mother told me that that wasn’t true, that my father wasn’t what the older filly claimed he was (Mother allowed me to write that word only once on the condition that I apologize in this letter for using it, so I’m sorry for writing it), and that he loved me very much. Since that afternoon, I have barely seen my mother smile. Even my half-brother Silver Streamer has barely seen his mother smile, and she’s my aunt Pinkie Pie. My other brothers and sisters are worried about their mothers, too, and there’s only one thing that can make them happy again.

I want my father back. My mother wants my father back, her friends want the father of their children back, and my brothers and sisters want their father back. You are the only ones that can bring my father home to us.

My other brothers and sisters have written their own letters. I asked Uncle Spike to send them all to you with mine.

Please, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. I want my father to come home.

Sincerely,

Ruby Dawn
Daughter of Twilight Sparkle and Red Zircon

“She’s incredibly well-read and eloquent for a foal of only six,” Luna said after a stunned moment of silence.

“She’s very much like her mother, that Ruby Dawn,” Celestia replied with a sad smile. “At least she has Twilight, her siblings and her mother’s friends.”

“I always wondered why I never saw Twilight and her friends the night he was banished,” Luna said. “I know they would have tried to stop it.”

“They would have, if I know Twilight and her friends,” Celestia said with a sad smile. “It would have caused no end of scandal regarding Twilight and the others, and I’m sure he didn’t want that.”

Luna closed her eyes and sighed. “Celly,” she said, shifting from her regal bearing. “You told Red Zircon that our hooves would be tied if somepony found out about his relationship with Twilight and the others. Somepony did.”

Celestia nodded slowly. “I know, Luna. You did what you had to do. You and I both know that it was unavoidable.”

She hung her head. “I didn’t approve of his relationship then, I’ll admit that, and even with children involved, I still question it now. That was why I stormed off when the three of us shared a meal. I couldn’t stand to hear any more of it. Polyamorous practice hasn’t been talked of in...” She trailed off, unable to remember.

“It was some time after I had to send you away, Luna,” Celestia replied. She looked away with shame. “I was the last one to pursue such a relationship.”

Luna’s gaze shot up to meet her sister’s. “What?”

Celestia nodded solemnly. “After I had to banish you, I felt so...broken, so alone. The Bearers of the Elements of Harmony at the time, they...” She turned away. “...They remained in Canterlot, in the castle, for a while after. They knew that I would need a shoulder to cry on, that I would need help to move forward from what we had done. They each spent time with me and I got to know them, not just as the Bearers of the Elements, but as ponies themselves, each with their different interests, wants, needs, strengths and weaknesses. Likewise, they saw me not just as a Princess, but my own pony with my own interests, my own wants...” She shut her eyes. “...My own needs and my own strengths and weaknesses.”

“What did...?”

“We kept our relationship quiet as best we could, but it wasn’t for long.” She grinned to herself. “I will give Red Zircon that. My relationship lasted for eight months before I was found out.” Celestia turned to her sister. “There were many false articles that scandalized my relationship with the Bearers, claimed that I was keeping them close, or that I had them under a spell, ready to use at a moment’s notice should anypony doubt me in any fashion.

“Needless to say, things were...tumultuous after that.” She hung her head in shame. “I gained the nickname ‘Molestia’ from some of the more passionate hard-liners that were against my union with the Bearers of the Elements. They may have been full-grown mares and stallions, but compared to me, they were just young fillies and colts.”

“What did you do?”

“The only thing I could,” Celestia replied. “I personally wiped their memories of our relationship in front of the entire city. I made them forget that I needed them on a personal and emotional level...” Celestia failed to hide the fact that she was fighting back tears. “...That I loved them as equally as they loved me.”

“That’s why you condoned Red Zircon’s relationship with the Elements of Harmony.” It was more a statement than a question.

Celestia nodded. “Red Zircon told me himself that after that initial night on Twilight’s birthday that he kept to himself for a good while and drove himself to exhaustion and sickness just weighing the factors of having a relationship with Twilight and her friends. I asked Twilight on one of her visits here to Canterlot if that was true, and she did say it was.” Celestia let out a small laugh. “Believe it or not, it was Fluttershy that gave him a strict talking-to about taking care of himself.”

Luna chanced a smile, though it faded quickly. “Is what I did a mistake, Celly? I mean, he is a father after all, and no foal should ever go through their childhood not knowing their father.” She sighed. “All the same, the entire town wanted him gone. Many ponies cheered when his accuser called for banishment.”

“Are you sure the entire town wanted him gone?” Celestia asked.

“I’m fairly sure.”

“Luna, I want you to send a letter to Twilight Sparkle, asking her, her friends, their children, and everypony in Ponyville that supported Red Zircon and his relationship to come to Canterlot in two days’ time,” Celestia said gently. “As well, I would like you to send a letter to Fancy Pants and ask him to summon everypony that supported Red Zircon and his relationship here in Canterlot to come to the palace in two days’ time. You’ll be surprised at how many ponies only wished happiness for a single stallion.”

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Author's Notes: Well, this story is nearing its end. I find it fitting that Father's Day weekend is coming up. Hmm...should I bring Red back or not?

One final thing: IF I decide to bring back Red Zircon (this is completely hypothetical, I don't want to spoil anything) and write a 'Clop With Content' installment, drop a comment with whom you feel should be the first mare (or mares, maximum of two) to intimately welcome him home (Octavia and Vinyl Scratch are included). You have eight mares to choose from, and the top two get to be reunited, if you will, with Red...again, if I decide to bring him home. I know I'm going to Hell for teasing you all, but the more threats and comments I get, the more I know that people are enjoying this story. Cheers, everypony!

Comments

[ShadowBreeze]

Please bring him BACK!!!!!!!

[Jet Howitzer]

I'd really like to see him come back, but only if we become him again. I find that bringing back a character that we 'are', but not letting us take on our role as being him would be weird.

I say:
Bring Red back.
And for the intimate welcome? Twilight. I thought that you did her character very well in the first part, and I'd like to see where you can take it with a more meaningful situation.

Whatever you do I like this story. And I hope to see much more in this universe that you have created.

[SFC Ponycron]

742639

Rest assured, Howitzer, that should he come back, I will be returning to a second-person perspective.

So far, one vote for ! Anypony else?

[Stryker12324]

Come on everypony! Chant with me!

BRING HIM BACK! BRING HIM BACK! BRING HIM BACK! (repeat infinite times)

And WHEN you bring him back, make it Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle. Please? They're my favorite shipping pair so I would be very happy and grateful.

[Stryker12324]

742639 Dude, you can't just do Twilight. Anything with Twilight has to have Rainbow involved.

[Bronyhood of steel]

Everypony Let's briny our boy home

[SFC Ponycron]

745026

Forgot to cast your vote, dawg.

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So, two votes for Twi, one for Dash. Hmm...need moar feedback. Doesn't seem to be any competition so far...

[Bronyhood of steel]

746341 twilight

[SFC Ponycron]

770714

Polyamory isn't unheard of, and I did have a couple of friends that were in such a relationship. I, for one, was all for it. I mean, it made all parties involved happy, and all parties involved had the same level of respect and trust for each other as those in a regular monogamous relationship, so I didn't (and still don't) see any reason to give them any grief. I wonder, though, how you mean in that this story makes my original story more realistic.

770756

Good to know that somepony thought that I executed the synch-up well. I wasn't sure if I did.

770880

She said 'Damn him' because Red Zircon (Vinyl Scratch's ex-coltfriend in my story) brought Scratch to tears, even after they broke up and still remained friends. Tavi also had the feels, but she was also a little peeved.

770971

It's still in consideration right now. If it comes down to it, I'll just add a separate link to a Google Doc for anypony that wants to read it. For now, though, you're the one vote for non-clop.