The Gift of Life

by hell00001

Chapter 1: Luna

The Gift of Life
Chapter 1: Luna

“Celestia… Celestiaaaa?” echoed a rather shrill voice down one of the halls of Everfree Castle. Princess Celestia looked up from her hiding spot with her large eyes through the thin darkness that surrounded her. She giggled when she heard the mare's footsteps making their way through the corridors.

Celestia was regularly playing hide and go seek with Meadow Free, as it usually meant she could get out of doing distasteful things for a while longer. Even if it was a relatively simple game the sheer size of Everfree Castle made finding a white filly alicorn all the more difficult for an earth pony maid. The games could last for hours upon hours until finally Celestia would cramp up and try to find a new spot to hide in if it only meant she could stretch her legs. She heard hoofsteps approach.

“Celestiaaaaa! We really need to get moving today. It is a big day for your whole family” said Meadow Free. Her hoofsteps were growing closer.

Celestia wrinkled nose from the dust inside the ancient vase. It smelled of musk and the old ponies on the High Unicorn Council, and she held her hooves up to her nose when more dust started to tickle the inside of her nostril. The added contact, however, only spurred the irritation onwards, and in no time Celestia opened her mouth wide and sneezed.

“AHHCHOO! Aww, ewwww,” Celestia's voice echoed loudly inside of the vase.

The lid to the vase opened up and Celestia looked straight up at the face of a castle maid. The maid wore a small smile of amusement, and said, “Oh look at you, Celestia. You sneezed, and got boogers all over your hooves and your chin. Come on, bath time, let’s go.”

“Aw, come on Miss Meadow Free! Can we play some more at least?” Celestia whined, lifting herself up to peer out of vase. Mucus stained her hooves and her cheeks, and Celestia winced when some of the mucus slid under her hooves when they were propped up on the edge of the vase's lid. "I don't want to take a bath yet."

“We are already behind schedule young filly," Meadow Free said. "Your father wants you ready and looking as nice as you can. You know how the press can be.”

Celestia looked at her hooves and allowed herself to be picked up and put on top of Meadow Free’s back. She rode on top of Meadow Free as they made their way back to Celestia's room.

"Aren't you excited?" Meadow Free asked, a little squeal present in her voice. "Your sister is supposed to arrive today."

Celestia smiled a small, genuine smile, and lightly bit down on Meadow Free's mane.

"Just imagine," Meadow Free continued, ignoring Celestia as she bit her hair more, "another alicorn princess running around the castle, causing trouble and creating a huge ruckus amongst the guards. Oh, I wonder what she'll look like, or what she'll grow up to be. What will her cutie mark look like?"

"And I'll have another friend to play with!" Celestia squeed.

"Yes, and all the more reason to make a good first impression. You're coat is practically as dark as your father's now with your shenanigans from today."

Celestia giggled, and stopped playing with Meadow Free's hair, and said, "I guess you're right. I do need a bath."

Meadow Free stopped, and looked back and Celestia with a sly smile.

"What?" She asked sarcastically. "Princess Celestia actually agrees with me that she needs a bath? This is going down into the history books."

Celestia giggled, and her and Meadow Free fell silent for a time as they both continued their way back to Celestia's room.

"Meadow Free?" Celestia asked.

"Yes, Celestia?"

"Why does the press need to be present when my sister is born?"

Meadow Free sighed, and she slowed her walk before she spoke, "It's the unfortunate backlash of being part of royalty, Celestia. Alicorns are scarce, and for one to be born is perhaps something a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for most ponies. The only alicorns to exist in history are your parents, so the citizens of Equestria are genuinely interested in there now being a fourth alicorn coming into existence."

"But wouldn't watching my sister be boring?" Celestia asked. "I heard from my mother that when I was born, all I did was eat, sleep, and poop."

Meadow Free giggled, and said, "Yes, yes, well, the press aren't entirely interested in actually watching your sister, per say. They are more interested in your parents, and probably how they came to creating your sister."

The pair reached Celestia’s personal bathroom shortly and Meadow Free gently set Celestia down on a towel that was already laid out. The filly looked up at her personal maid and smiled.

"You're very pretty, Meadow Free," Celestia said.

Meadow Free was small for an earth pony with a light and very soft green coat. Her hair was white and very curly while there were strands of a pale grey randomly twirling through her mane and tail. She had a floppy ear as well from when she a blood clotting problem in her ear from when she was a filly about Celestia’s age. On Meadow Free’s flank there were three yellow flowers arranged in a triangle pattern.

"Oh, stop flattering me, you silly filly." Meadow Free said, blushing. “Alright, so let’s get the water turned on…”

Meadow Free twisted a knob and water started to fill the tub very slowly. The maid turned back to look at Celestia and gave another smile of amusement. She sat down on her haunches and looked at the little filly alicorn in front of her.

"You're a very pretty pony, too," Meadow Free said.

"Not as pretty as you!" Celestia replied.

“Maybe right now, but we'll fix that,” Meadow Free turned back to the bath tub and turned the water off, checking the temperature to make sure she was satisfied with it. When she was satisfied she turned back to Celestia, picked her up, and plopped her in the water with a chuckle. Celestia glared at her.

“You are so cute when you’re angry.” Meadow Free chuckled.

“I am not!” Celestia pouted.

Meadow Free reached over to the shampoo and soap and set them on the ground next to her. She then picked up a bucket next to the bath tub and collected water to be used to pour over Celestia. Celestia closed her eyes as she felt the water run down her face.

“Do you have a sister Miss Meadow Free?” Celestia asked.

“It just so happens that I do.” Meadow Free finished pouring the water over Celestia, and grabbed the shampoo bottle, squeezing its contents onto a brush and started to scrub Celestia's back. “Her name is Justice Free. She works as a detective for Everfree’s police force. She looks very similar to me except that her hair is straight and black instead of white and grey like mine is.”

“Are you the older sister?”

“Actually, no. I am the younger sister between the two of us. She is a few years older than I am. That never stopped her from playing with me however. I remember when she used to tie a really large sheet around her neck, and pulled me throughout our entire house. I would be laughing and screaming whenever we pulled around a corner really fast on our wooden floors. I always asked for more when we were done. Always.”

Meadow Free poured some more water over Celestia to rinse her body off, before grabbing some of the conditioner for her pink and brightly colored mane. While Meadow Free was applying the conditioner, Celestia asked, “Miss Meadow Free, do you know my sister’s name?”

“I’m afraid I do not, Celestia. Your mother and father didn’t want anypony knowing what her name was going to be before she was born. Knowing your parents, it is probably something really pretty and appropriate.” Meadow Free replied as she nodded at Celestia’s flank.

Because Celestia was born an alicorn, she already had a cutie mark on her flank. When an alicorn is born they are given power over a cosmological force that their parents used to have control over. In this case Celestia was born with powers over the sun and could raise and lower the sun at will when she had received the proper training. Until then, every day Celestia had to relinquish some of her energy so that her parents may raise and lower the sun for her.

When Meadow Free had finished scrubbing out the remainder of the conditioner from Celestia’s mane and tail, she rinsed her body one more time, and then took her out of the water to dry. Celestia was dried fast due to her small stature, and in no time was the little princess sitting in front of her maid getting groomed. Celestia watched as slowly her mane and tail were groomed until they were wavy and flawless and beautiful.

When Meadow Free started to groom and shine Celestia’s coat, the filly asked “Miss Meadow Free?”

“Yes Celestia?”

“Do you think I will make a good sister?”

Without so much as pausing Celestia’s grooming, the maid replied “I have no doubt you will make a great sister.”

~~~

A set of slow and steady hoofsteps filled the halls of Everfree castle, while being accompanied by a set of faster and lighter hoofsteps. The two sounds bounced off of the walls in a disorganized fashion, and penetrated the stillness of the air that had befallen the castle. A well-groomed and pretty Celestia followed alongside her maid at a brisk trot, while the maid kept her own walk at a slow enough pace for Celestia to keep pace. The two rounded a corner and started to walk down another hall.

“Alright Celestia, we are almost there. Just one more corner.” Meadow Free said.

Celestia slowed her trot to a walk, and Meadow Free slowly came to a stop in front of Celestia and gave her a quizzical look.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"I'm a little nervous," Celestia said quietly.

"Aw, how could you be nervous?" Meadow Free asked as she lay herself down in front of Celestia.

"Do you think my sister will like me? Or think I am a good sister? What if she is scared of me?"

"Don't be silly, Celesita. I'm sure your sister will love you."

"But, at all of the parties my mother has taken me to become friends with other foals, all of the other foals would always stare at me strangely. I think they were afraid of me."

Meadow Free leaned forward to nuzzle Celestia on the cheek, and said, "That's because they don't know how wonderful of a filly you are. Your sister will be new to the world, and I bet she will be curious to know what kind of a sister you are."

Celestia returned the nuzzle and smiled.

"Good," Meadow Free said, rising to her hooves, "let's resume our trek."

The two rounded the corner at the end of the castle hall, and the Celestia saw her father standing outside of the room where her mother was staying. Celestia saw that her father was dashing and handsome. His coat was the color of a shimmering sapphire while his wings, when extended fully, were three times the size as any pegasus’s wings. His mane and tail were waves of deep purple hair that could flow just enough in the wind to have any mare falling head over hooves for him. He was adorned in a heavy chest plate of dulled steel with an orb of swirling, purple energy fixed in the center. His horn was the same length of any other unicorn’s horned and was always kept very sharp. On his flank was a cutie mark of a twinkling star with a few dots swirling around it. He extended his wings slightly when he saw Celestia and Meadow Free and beckoned them over.

When the two ponies approached, King Sol folded his wings back up again and lowered his head until the two ponies had finally reached them. Before Celestia could greet her father, Sol held a hoof to his lips. “Shhh, your sister was born just a little over an hour ago. She is sleeping right now.”

“Is it okay if I go in, Daddy?” Celestia asked, looking up at her enormous father.

Sol lowered his head again to rub his neck against his daughter’s, and then kissed her gently on the forehead before responding, “Of course you may. Here, let’s go in together. Your mother is so excited for you to see your sister.”

“What is her name?”

Her father held up a hoof and waved it back and forth lazily, and said, “I think your mother wants to tell you that.” He then looked over to a guard who had taken up post on one side of the door. “Stand guard and make sure nopony is allowed in besides High General Bright.”

“Yes sir!” the guard replied.

After Sol had given the guard a gentle pat on the back, Celestia, Sol, and Meadow Free all entered the birthing room together, and gently let the door shut behind them. When Celestia turned to look at the bed where her mother was laying, she was surprised to see how worn out her mother looked. Her mother’s coat was still the shimmering and gentle color of a morning sunrise although it was noticeably dampened and dirtied from sweat. Her mane was also a mess of tangles from the usual straight and flowing purple and deep orange hair she usually had. Her mother’s hooves faded to the same color orange as the roots of her hair and her tail had the same color palette as her mane. Her wings were also large, not near as large as her husband’s, and were the same color of her body except for the tips which were orange. Her horn was three times the length of any unicorn’s horn and was also regularly sharpened. On her flank was a swirling spiral galaxy. Her bright orange eyes were focused entirely on the mass of towels she was holding in her hooves. She still looked more beautiful than ever.

Celestia and Sol approached the bed, Sol keeping his eyes entirely focused on the mass of towels as well. When the two reached the edge of the bed, Celestia’s father reached down and picked her up so she could get on top of the bed. When she was safely on the bed, Celestia slowly sat down on her haunches and looked at Galactica smiling face. It was a face filled with joy and satisfaction. Just by looking at her mother, Celestia couldn’t help herself begin to grow a smile as well.

Queen Galactica turned her head so she could look at Celestia with her soft eyes. “Hi Celestia. Would you like to meet your sister?”

Princess Celestia looked over at the towels that were in her mother’s hooves, and then looked back at her mother’s face. She gave a nod. Her eyes started to widen as her mother turned the towels around to reveal the face of a dark blue alicorn filly. Her eyes were closed, and she had her mouth open in a cute yet comical fashion, allowing her to give a slight snore. Celestia got to her hooves, and took a few steps forward until her face was close to her sister’s.

The blue alicorn yawned and started to stir. Taken aback by the sudden motion, Celestia jumped back a little and crouched down to make herself look small. She was still looking at her sister when the little filly slowly opened her eyes, and stared back at Celestia. There came a deep and gentle chuckle from her father that was standing next to her.

“Looks like the new kid is awake. She nearly startled Celestia off of the bed.” Sol chuckled as he placed his head next to Celestia. Celestia stood back up as Galactica turned the filly back towards her and gazed upon her new daughter again with pride.

“She is so beautiful, wouldn’t you agree Celestia?” Galactica gently asked.

Celestia carefully walked along her mother’s side and sat down when she could have a good look of the alicorn filly. She gazed a little longer at her, and slowly formed a smile on her lips. “Yes, she is beautiful mother.” she said as she poked herself under Galactica’s foreleg and nuzzled against her side so she could be closer to her sister.

“Mother?”

“Yes, Celestia?”

“What is her name?”

Galactica turned her head and smiled warmly at her daughter before turning back to look at the delicate alicorn filly that lay resting in her hooves.

“Her name is Luna.”

Comments

[CubicGaming]

“Galactica turned her head and smiled warmly at her daughter before turning back to look at the delicate alicorn filly that lay resting her hands.

That could use some work. In a few places. To start with, the quotation mark shouldn't be at the begining. At the end it should also be "resting in her hooves.", instead of "resting her hands.". Other then that, pretty good!

[hell00001]

1347343 Oopsie. Writing at night after a long day with classes will do that to you haha. I'm not even a big fan of the whole Lyra-Hands deal. All fixed! Thanks.

[CubicGaming]

1347377
No problem!

[The Princess Rarity]

I puked a rainbow at the cuteness Baby Luna is so bucking adorable, according to your amazing prediction.

[AtTheCrimsonFckr]

1615631 two best sisters play