What Might Have Been: Celestia and Luna's Role Reversal

by Mystic Sunrise

Celestia, Lunar Goddess

As anypony who knew her well could tell you, Princess Celestia was not an evening pony. Nor did she like being woken up earlier than she needed to be to raise the moon.

Today though was an exception to the rule, and Celestia didn't mind in the end as she listened to Luna's story of all she missed. The two were taking a quick meal in the Royal Dining Hall before they handed off for the night.

Normally, Sunset Shimmer would be there with Princess Celestia. But Sunset had left with her family the day before for a week-long vacation in Baltimare, so now it was just the two of them.

"So somepony finally managed to hatch the egg?" Celestia asked, biting into a stack of pancakes.

Luna nodded. "I still don't know they did it. That egg was dead by all measures. How two hatchlings were birthed from it I don't understand either."

Celestia nodded. She too didn't get it, but there were many things about dragons they didn't know. "And where are the hatchlings now? You didn't send them home with Twilight and Starlight, did you?"

Luna rolled her eyes. "I didn't have a choice. The hatchlings wouldn't let go of them. I don't know if they see Twilight and Starlight as their mothers or not. But they would not be separated from them."

Celestia thought about this. It made sense, in a way. Since the fillies had hatched them, and they had been the first things they had seen, it would be no wonder the babies had imprinted on them.

But that raised another question. "Where are Twilight and Starlight now?"

Luna shook her head, embers from her mane and tail flying. "Twilight herself lives here in Canterlot. I sent her home with her family once we had worked out how she would be my student."

She looked out a nearby window. "Starlight on the other hoof lives in Sire's Hollow. And with it being so far away, I let her and her father stay in a guest room tonight. They didn't seem to mind."

She giggled. "From what I overheard, Firelight is over the moon about his daughter being the personal student of a princess. I believe Starlight was hoping I would send him home and let her stay here."

Celestia raised an eyebrow. She was used to overbearing parents, but nothing like what her sister was saying. That couldn't be right, could it? "That doesn't sound very nice of her."

Luna rolled her eyes. "You haven't met him yet. I understand fully where Starlight is coming from. He takes overbearing to a whole new level of awkwardness. And then some."

Celestia sighed as she took a sip of her coffee. Maybe it would make sense once she met the two of them. And she really did want to meet Starlight and Twilight. They sounded like fun ponies to be around.

Something else though was on her mind. "What was the explosion in the sky that triggered their Magic Flare? It wasn't what I think it was, was it?"

Luna sighed as she got a faraway look in her eyes. "Yes, Tia. It was a Sonic Rainboom. I saw the explosion myself. It had all the hallmarks of the legend."

Celestia didn't fully understand it. "But how? And who could have done it? Only a Pegasus could."

Luna nodded. "Indeed. There was talk of something big going on in Cloudsdale earlier today, but I haven't heard the full story yet. From what I do know, most of Equestria saw it happen in some form."

Celestia nodded. It made sense. "And Twilight and Starlight got their cutie marks at the same time as the Rainboom?"

Luna rolled her eyes. "Oh, like it's the weirdest cutie mark story we know Tia. Look at us. Nopony expected us to get the marks we did, and how we got them. Least of all Starswirl."

Celestia stuck her tongue out at her younger sister. "I remember it, fine Lulu. I certainly never expected to become what I have. I doubt you did either."

Luna shook her head, a sly grin coming to her face. "I remember how much fun you had trying to get the moon to work with you. Oh, the stories I could tell."

Celestia glared at her. "Need I remind you how much trouble you had with the sun? I had it rather easy."

The two of them shared a glare for a moment before both breaking into giggles. It was a common thing for them to bring this up every now and then. Neither really held any malice in it.

And it was true. Both had trouble in the beginning moving their respective celestial bodies. That first time might have been easy. But it was a hard task once that first time ended.

Even now though, Celestia remembered that night well.

***

Celestia and Luna shared a horrified look. Why hadn't Starswirl told them sooner this was happening to unicorns, to their teacher? And what could they do to help?

Starswirl's eyes brightened after a moment. As they all knew, alicorns possessed a level of magic far beyond anything a unicorn could ever hope to reach. Raising the sun and moon wouldn't hurt them. In fact, if myths were true, it would actually make them that much more powerful.

"Celestia, Luna. As princesses of Equestria, would the two of you be willing to be the new custodians of the sun and moon?" He asked.

Luna and Celestia shared a nervous look. He had never taught them how to do that! Now that he had no magic, he couldn't either.

Starswirl just smiled, guessing their thoughts. "I don't need to teach you how. You already know how."

That was all the two of them needed to hear. Giving each other an encouraging smile, Celestia and Luna spread their wings and took to the skies.

Not knowing how or why she knew, Celestia reached out with her magic, searching for the moon. To her surprise, and relief, she felt it reach out for her as well, looking for her magic.

Celestia admitted to herself that she was nervous. All her life, she had been more of a day pony, and Luna more of a night pony. Their names even suggested that, and they even looked like it when ponies thought about it.

No more, she thought. If it meant saving Equestria and her ponies, then she would sacrifice that part of herself. It was the right thing to do in the end.

As if feeling her thoughts, the moon's magic soon touched Celestias' own, mingling with her own, before interlocking with it so much it could not be undone. As she felt this, Celestia felt her horn glow with the moon's power.

As her horn ignited, Celestia turned and coaxed the moon back into its proper orbit around Equus. It was a magical feeling as she felt the heavenly body move into its proper orbit before it began to move again.

Celestia had never felt more amazing in her entire life like she had always been meant to do this. Opening her eyes as she landed, she saw that Luna now had the sun in glory as a cutie mark. She was grinning at her too. When Celestia looked at her flank, her eyes lit up.

On them was a crescent moon cutie mark, the black splotches around it standing out next to her white coat. It only confirmed what she had just done.

"Best. Day. Ever!" She thought with a huge grin.

Author's Note:

And that, ladies and germs, is that. The story is now done, and I'm happy with it. I took much longer to write this than I had hoped it would. But I'm happy.

Just to be clear, that is Princess Celestia in the new cover art. I actually like her canon look more than I do the one she has here, but this still works.

Now though, I have begun thinking of expanding this universe. There is just so much left unsaid after all of this. Much of the history we know still happened. Discord, Tirek, and the Crystal Empire.

But what about everything else? Plenty of things have changed that would change the history of Friendship is Magic as we know it.

Cover art for both Celestia and Luna was done by Orin331.

Comments

[Fury Assembly]

The only bad thing I found in this story is that it is very short.

[Mystic Sunrise]

10035972
Did you miss, or purposely ignore, the AN that said I might do more with this universe?

[LEGION55]

10036058
Still could've gone on longer. Also maybe you could put both the current pic and the old one side by side?

[Starlight Nova]

Can we also get a picture of what Celestia looks like in this story?

[Mystic Sunrise]

10036100
This was originally just supposed to be a look at how Celestia and Luna got their cutie marks in this universe, and that was it. Twilight and Starlight's test was an added bonus I did.

So just be happy it's as long as it is. As for putting them both together, I have no idea how to do it properly. If someone wants to do it, I'll be happy to add it.

[Mystic Sunrise]

10036120
... That is Celestia in the cover art. Best I can do.

[LEGION55]

10036128
Maybe ask someone on Da?

[Dxinsider]

the picture of Tia as the Moon princess is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!! the blue is so prefect for her.