The Mare who Sold the World

by CodenameOne

One: We Passed Upon the Stair

Author's Note:

Welcome all! This is a prequel to my story Peace Fighter, and takes place about two years before the events of Peace Fighter.

Please note that since this is a prequel there are GIGANTIC spoilers for Peace Fighter. It makes sense, logically, to read this story first, because it establishes the premise of the original story, but doing so will undoubtedly kill some of the original story's suspense.

Truth.

It was a dangerous, frightening, thing. One that could destroy entire civilizations, and uproot entire cultures and doctrines. it was a simple word, that evoked many a complex thing in any one who heard or read of it. It was said that there were three sides to every story; two belonging to the individuals involved, and the third being the truth.

It could also be skewed and twisted, or in the most extreme of cases; hidden.

Of this last part Princess Celestia and her sister had the most experience in, having lived countless millennium and seeing the rise and fall of an equal number of civilizations and species, yet always remaining. For thousands of years they have searched and created, struggling to find a balance, a species they could rule that did not end up destroying itself. But still they have not succeeded.

"Almost, this time. Almost" Celestia uttered in a breath, her words but a whisper but easily picked up by her sister, who sat at her side. Princess Luna turned her head to face her dearest sister, a cold indifference to the reality they now lived in. Celestia met her sister's gaze, finding within the midnight blue of her sister's gaze a fiery loyalty and love, and more than a trace of sociopathy for all save for Celestia.

"There'll be a next time, sister. There's always a next time for us" Luna commented, justified in her assertion, for Celestia could not dispel the notion. Still, unlike her sister, Celestia could not help but feel a pity and sense of disappointment over the coming end, even though they would survive it, and indeed had endured countless endings. Celestia grew tired of searching and creating, and longed to finally find a perfect planet and perfect iteration of their race to lord over for the rest of eternity. The Alicorn condition was a curious thing, as they alone were immortal among all other known life in the universe. To rule one race, one planet for literally the rest of eternity was something most would find incredibly boring, but yet still did Celestia long for it, for it would finally bring her peace.

"Of course, Lulu" was all Celestia had to offer in reply.

There would always be a next time for them, but in six years the sun would go out, and any and all possible futures for Equestria would cease, along with it and all of its inhabitants.

Except for the Princesses.

"Preparations will be need to be made, starting with the elimination of the ponies who made this discovery" Luna started, "as well as an inspection of My Heaven."

"My Heaven" Celestia said with a sigh, immersing herself in thought. My Heaven was a memento from their last conquest, and was the key to them escaping Equestria alive. A thousand year-old spaceship, still as fresh and functional as the day Celestia and Luna stole it from an alien race they had previously visited, known as the Haro. It was a mighty, magnificent vessel, capable of producing tremendous amounts of power, and capable of projecting tremendous amounts of power. In truth, it terrified the Princesses, but there was no alternative if they wished to continue their lives.

"If it were not for the sun going out we would've gotten it right this time, my sister" Celestia said. "We finally had it! We finally created the perfect iteration of our race, and it will all be erased in six years. All our effort, our planning, our careful manipulating... Naught."

"This cycle was over when we failed to kill the Leviathan of the Haro, and when he corrupted me. Still he lives, and that is a grave mistake. Did you never realize his very existence threatened this iteration, and indeed our very existence? Yet you never killed him, even after what he did to me. To US, dearest sister" Luna exclaimed.

"You forgot how formidable he was; he was nigh unstoppable!" Celestia protested.

"We killed thousands of his kind when we stole My Heaven from their race, he should have not been a problem for us to handle. But yes, I do remember how powerful he was. Still is, since he still lives, and we stole My Heaven from him and his race over a thousand years ago" Luna stated, turning her gaze from Celestia to idly watch the night sky.

"Do you ever regret the loss of previous iterations of our race, Tia? Do you ever experience nostalgia for them? I do. Well, I do not regret the loss of previous iterations, but I do feel nostalgia for some of them and the experiences we had with them. The seaponies we made for the water world, the ones we created while adrift in space back on the ship we had before My Heaven, the Starglimmer's Dream... Hah! Remember how we changed our roles and title for each one? Like when we made the camel-pony hybrids and carried ourselves as Pharaohs?" Luna said, breaking her usual form and cracking a smile. "I remember the warm nights on that desert planet, the glow from the torches in our city reflecting off the smooth sandstone... That one was my favorite... Of course we lost that iteration to drought and lack of water around 10,000 years after we created it, which was a pretty short run, but still it was my favorite."

"I still kick myself for that one. How could we have been so stupid as to try and create life where it could not survive? It was a ludicrous notion, but yet still did we try..." Celestia reflected, wistfully staring at the stars. "Do you think us arrogant, sister dearest? Do you think we think we are infallible? Full of hubris?"

Luna instantly launched into her ideological fervor. "We are GODS, Tia. WE make the rules. Earth and Sky should bend to OUR will!" the darker Alicorn adamantly declared.

"That's just is, Lulu; they don't bend to our will! We don't control our respective heavenly bodies. I do not control the sun, nor you the moon. That is why this iteration is doomed!" Celestia hissed, being sure to keep her voice under control lest another hear her words.

"I figured the advanced technology we created would save them, but evidently fate had other plans in mind for us..." Luna seethed, on edge. "We make the rules... NOT fate! That is NOT how it should be!!"

"Calm yourself, sister. I know you have always passionately believed in the ideology our parents instilled in us, but I have accepted the natural order of things. Now I just want to one day finally get it right, and settle down. I figure in a few months, after we've certified My Heaven for travel and silenced the ponies who discovered that our sun is going out we'll leave. You know we'll need to archive this iteration for study, too, sister" Celestia said.

"Great. T'was always my favorite part of the end of an iteration, archiving them" Luna deadpanned, her voice thick with sarcasm. "Why do you insist on still archiving them? To suffer? To remember all their names so that they may keep you awake at night?"

"You know the reason, sister; to study the iteration and compare it with past iterations, to see if there's some kind of connection, so that we may put a stop to this endless search" Celestia explained, turning from the balcony with her sister in tow, the two retiring to bed.

"It matters very little to me whether we continue the cycle or find a solution; you know I will always be at your side, my sister dearest" Luna said, Celestia once again seeing the fierce loyalty and love in Luna's eyes. Their bond was older than time itself, and more than a little unorthodox. It was a bond they alone shared.

Celestia paused just short of her bedroom door, Luna staying her hooves as well. They looked into each other's eyes for but a moment, a sort of vacuum encompassing their existence that shut out all conscious and subconscious recognition of the material plane. In this moment all that the two could see was each other, and all their feelings and emotions lain threadbare for the other to see.

It was at this moment Celestia started with a sudden realization, and reality came rushing back to her.

"Sister! What of Princess Cadance? What shall we do with her?" Celestia asked, Luna tilting her head with a look of 'O' on her face. "She is one of us, is she not? She is an Alicorn! Should we not take her with us? Perhaps if she studies the iterations she will see some pattern that we cannot, and offer input that will put an end to this search."

"I question her resolve. She is but a whelp, not even 1,000 years old. She possesses not the wisdom we do, or the cold, calculating logic that justifies our way of thinking. She could not possibly understand the 'why' of the cycle" Luna declared.

"She may not, but she will. She shares our blood, sister. It stands to reason that she will share our ideology, that she will come to understood the true nature of things, as we have. If not, well, there's always arsenic" Celestia jested darkly, a great leer on her face.

"Sister!" Luna exclaimed, an incredulous smile of shock displayed across her features. "Such dark thoughts are my domain! It is I should offer such things as alternatives to our problems" the younger sister stated.

Celestia laughed, a hoof on Luna's shoulder. "But of course, dearest" Celestia started, her gaze turning to the door. "Must you go so quickly, my beloved sister? Surely you could stay for but another hour. Or perhaps...all night?" Celestia questioned, piquing her brow. Luna was taken aback, a light red coming to her cheeks.

"I would love nothing more, dearest, but I'm afraid I can not this night. Official matters call for my attention, and I must heed. Another time, sister" Luna said, turning to head for Celestia's door.

"I await with bated breath, sister dearest" Celestia whispered.