Camaraderie is Sorcery

by FireOfTheNorth

Chapter 0:13 - The Younger Sister

Chapter 0:13 – The Younger Sister
Year ¿1239? of the 2^nd Age

Luna nervously reviewed her preparations, securing a paper down with a hoof as it started to float away. She snatched at a pearl as it rolled across the table before her in the opposite direction as the room pitched. The ship whose cabin she was in climbed and descended waves that rocked in ways that they never had before Discord had taken over. It was an absolute miracle that Celestia and Luna had found a ship at all, given how the last twelve centuries had reinforced that sailing was far too dangerous to even be attempted. As mad as the captain was, he probably would have refused had he known Luna was a sorceress, not to mention what she was planning. Sometimes she thought that what she was planning was insane as well. Celestia was convinced that the teenager was ready to become an alicorn, so that was what Luna would be doing, undertaking a dangerous ritual likely to kill her that she felt entirely unprepared for. She hastily swept the notes, arcane materials, and ancient tome into her saddlebags as a series of raps sounded on the cabin door.

“We’re in as close as we can get, miss,” the captain told her as he poked his head into the cabin, the fronds that grew from it waving and seeking out the edges of the doorframe.

“Thank you,” Luna told him and followed him up onto the ship’s deck.

As the ship crested a wave, she was able to look down upon the island to which she’d asked to be taken. It was a mostly bare bit of rock, apart from a few scraggly overgrown bushes, that thrusted out of the sea. It was illuminated by floating orange clouds that hovered over it, to no purpose anypony had ever been able to discover. Their light was reflected in the small lake at the island’s center, though even from this distance, Luna could tell that the reflections didn’t quite line up.

“Thank you,” Luna told the captain again before diving over the ship’s railing.

The water seemed to churn even more violently as she swam toward the island, and when she looked back, she could see the ship had been turned all the way around in place, not something the crew could have managed in so short a time. As she floated over another wave, the water suddenly turned to ice around her. She began to panic but quickly remembered an appropriate incantation, and heat blasted out from her, melting the ice. She could hear cries from the ship behind her as the crew realized they had had a sorceress in their company. Well, now the secret’s out. Luna heaved herself out of the water and skipped her way across its surface to the island, only falling through a couple times. Once she was on the island, Celestia descended out of the sky to land next to her.

“Are you ready?” the elder sister asked as she furled her wings.

“Yes … no. Are you certain that I am ready to become an alicorn?” Luna asked.

“Yes, you are ready,” Celestia said as she trotted alongside her sister.

“But I haven’t even done an age spell yet,” Luna protested, “No alicorn before has attempted alicornification without slowing their aging first. Maybe I should focus on that instead.”

“Just because Yliiena and Nostracom—”

“And you,” Luna cut in.

“And me,” Celestia admitted, “Did age spells before alicornification doesn’t mean that it’s necessary. Nothing about the ritual requires that your age already be extended.”

“I don’t know, ‘Tia,” Luna said nervously as they reached the top of the island, “How can I know if I’m ready?”

“You must be ready,” Celestia said, “Discord’s grip on this world must be unclasped, and I cannot do it alone. I’m sure he already knows of us, and he won’t tolerate us plotting against him forever. You will become an alicorn because you must.”

Luna looked down at her hooves worriedly.

“You can do it,” Celestia said, trying to comfort her, “I will be nearby.” But not so near that the ritual could tear me apart. Not even an alicorn is safe from such magic, at least not theoretically. Never before have two alicorns lived at the same time.

Celestia lifted off and soared up through the glowing clouds before winging her way to a safe distance. On the island, she could see Luna reluctantly begin her preparations. Her choice for where to ascend had been odd, as was her decision to do it at night. Of course, every alicorn’s ritual was different, and this was what Luna had wanted. The younger pony threw her materials for the ritual into the lake, some of them floating, some sinking to the bottom, and a pattern began to emerge. Once she was satisfied with it, Luna trotted out across the surface of the water, conscientiously careful not to fall through and spoil her preparations.

Shimmering lights began to jump across the lake’s surface as she commenced the ritual. The glow from the clouds above her began to pulse in time as she built up power, drifting to clear space over her head. Luna began to levitate as magic swirled around her, the water of the lake rising into a cyclone around her. A pillar of water and magic shot up into the sky as Luna was transformed, the bright light shining from her body making the night’s skies shine brightly as well. Celestia watched in amazement at her sister as she became an alicorn. It all seems so easy for her. Discord doesn’t stand a chance.

Comments

[TasermonsPartner]

Huh, so it's really just a spell with no real per-requisits other than the user be powerful with magic? Or perhaps the intent behind the user of the spell (to overthrow Discord) had a hand in allowing the magic to transform the user? But if it is just a spell, then that means practically anyone with sufficient power could use it.

Once she was on the island, Celestia descended out of the sky to land next to her.

Umm, why didn't Celestia just carry/fly her sister to the island?

[LS3] [JS4] The younger pony

Hmm, these links don't go anywhere except back to the top of the page?