Cutie Mark Confusion

by Sky Blue CMC

Chapter II: Nightmares and Daydreams

In my dream, a pony who fit Vivian's description emerged in my sight... every bit as beautiful as my adoptive sister described her. I knew that this pony was Lucilia, the pony that Vivian said wanted to speak with me. I let her voice soothe my ears as she spoke softly and told me of her history. Apparently, she was what was known as the first Princess of Light, back in the Pre-Celestial era... when Equestria was first founded. The newest Princess of Light was in fact not Celestia, but her latest graduate student, Sundance Glimmer. I knew that Sundance was talented, but... a princess? She's only 23, for Pony's sake!

"Excuse me... princess?" I asked Lucilia. "I know a thing or two about princesses... and most of them who are alive are alicorns."

"Sundance is one of the few exceptions to that rule..." Lucilia explained. "And another one is a promising young filly named Golden Shine. Celestia's even considering letting her sister Luna teach a young pony related to Golden Shine after the inevitable end of her dark reign as Nightmare Moon. In five to seven years' time, she will get her chance to ask. But that's not the reason I wished to speak with you, Meteora. Vivian has told you who I am, right? Her imaginary friend? That was a lie I told her, because the truth is something only a Changeling like yourself or an Aurora Spirit like myself could understand."

"Excuse me..." I asked. "A what spirit? Aurora has been dead since before my grandmother's grandmother was born! Her six spirits were all Changelings in life and gods and goddesses in their afterlife... but that's just an old ponytale! Aurora only had one spirit, not six!"

"One spirit, you might say... divided into parts." Lucilia explained. "One for each of the six main senses: Sight, Sound, Scent, Touch, Taste, and Thought. As Princess of Light, I represent Sight, guiding lost creatures in their dreams in Luna's absence. Orion represents Touch, as his has always been an emotional existence. Zel represents Scent, being the apothecary that she is. Clarice represents Sound, lyrically ungifted though she may be, her wisdom is always worthy of a sage. And lastly, Gloria represents Taste, for she alone knows what it takes to enrich the tongue with pure flavour."

"What about Thought?" I asked. "Who represents that?"

"That would be difficult to explain. The wielder of the main sense changes with time... but as of now, you know him as Draco... Prince of Fire."

"I thought Nicholas..." I paused before correcting myself." ...I mean Discord was the Prince of Fire. Are you telling me that he lied to me and stole the Ring of Fire from its rightful bearer?"

"Well... yes and no." Lucilia answered. "Yes, he lied to you... but no... he didn't steal the ring from its rightful owner. He asked Draco for the ring, and Draco obliged. He became the rightful bearer... until he relinquished that right of his to you... in vain."

"The 'vain' part was my fault." I told Lucilia. "I thought Discord and my sister could be happy together... but it turned out to be a lie. Yes, Chryssi did love him, and he loved her... but Changeling Queens aren't legally allowed to have mates, since they, unlike other Changelings, can reproduce asexually. She didn't have the heart to tell him... and he repaid her by making sure she didn't have a heart at all."

"You needn't tell me such things, princess." Lucilia told me. There was some loss of the sweetness in her voice with that last word, as if she meant it sarcastically and rudely. "I know when someone of my stature like yourself, deprived of the very thing that gave her her title, feigns regret and apologizes empty-heartedly."

"Really? Your 'stature' huh?" I asked, legitimately confused at this sudden lack of humility. "That's not exactly a word I'd expect to hear from an Aurora Spirit... if that's what you really are. For all I know, you could be Discord in disguise again... trying to crush my heart like my sister's was crushed."

Lucilia spread out her wings and revealed a single feather coloured differently from the rest. It was coloured lavender and indigo, like the colour of the sky at twilight... just after the sun sets. That was the colour of the coat of Aurora's firstborn, Lucilia Flash. "I was named after the pony who gifted me with this feather... and chosen by that pony's mother, Aurora, to be her first apprentice. I hope you understand now that what I've been saying is the truth: I am an Aurora Spirit."

"Forgive me for being so blind, Lulu." I said, trying my best to look and sound pitiable. "I'm sorry I accused you of not being something you are."

"Don't call me Lulu, Meteora." Lucilia's stern voice returned to shatter my eardrums. "Only the ones who believe I'm imaginary call me that. If you must give me a nickname, call me Lia."

"Princess Lia..." I said to myself... and to Lucilia. "Where have I heard that one before? Certainly not Princess Leia, commander of the Stellar Rebellion and long term servant of Aurora Glimmer? I know she's not the same Aurora, but you do sound an awful lot like one of her servants. I'm also well aware of the differences between a servant and an apprentice, so don't try to tell me I don't know what I'm talking about."

"If you know the difference, you should know that Leia was neither of those." Lucilia's vocal charm had suddenly been shattered beyond repair. "She was a disciple... a student. Nothing more, nothing less. Understood?"

With newfound fear of this seemingly lovely individual plaguing my very heart and bones, I shivered uncontrollably and nodded, unable to respond with even a single word.

"Very good... then farewell and good morrow, sister Sky." Lucilia regained her not-so-permanently lost charm in her voice and added "And may the Stars forever light thy path!" to her sentence. She gave me a light kiss on the forehead and my fear vanished in an instant. I awoke immediately, confused and broken but alive and reborn. It's as if whatever Lucilia gave me in her words killed me... and whatever she gave me with her kiss revived me.

With this newfound respect for life in tow, I looked into the mirror of my cloud home. I saw my true form for the first time in over three hundred and seventy years. My Changeling form... which I thought was lost forever when I put on the ring. Lia must have removed the ring with something that happened in that dream. I thought to myself. But whether it was the kiss or the speech I have yet to learn.

Author's Note:

I hope Ink Rose is fine with me using her OC Sundance Glimmer as Starly's mom in my story... I probably should have asked her first.

Aurora Glimmer is what Starlight Glimmer was going to be called, before they realised that they can't use a Disney Princess's name without paying a royalty. (pun intended) Since I'm not trying to turn a profit, I'm allowed to use whatever famous names I want... without paying a cent. I wanted to make her a distant ancestor of Starly's, so I did. She's her great great great great great great great great grandmother's fourth cousin twice removed.

I know that the cheeapters have been getting shorter, but I promise that the next one will have at least 2k words... OK?