The Sweetest Rose

by Drunk Luna

Chapter One

Rose felt her legs shake slightly as she traversed the hallway toward Canterlot Castle’s throne room, the sound of her hooves echoing from the marble floor to the cathedral-like ceiling of the impossibly long hallway. Imposing portraits of the princesses stared down from the walls and made the light purple unicorn shiver. A part of Rose wanted to turn and run in the opposite direction, but the young unicorn also felt a pressing urge to continue forward, as if her destiny beckoned from the other side of the heavy mahogany doors at the end of the hallway. What am I doing here? she wondered for the thousandth time as she stared in awe at the majesty of the castle's foyer. Finally, she reached the huge double doors; the door on the left was decorated with an ornate carving of a crescent moon, while the door on the right was decorated with a carving of the sun. Moonlight flooded the foyer through the stained glass windows, coating everything in a ghostly white glow. Rose took one final, deep breath, set her jaw determinedly, and lifted the large brass knocker.

"Enter," a regal voice boomed. Two uniformed Lunar Guards opened the doors, revealing a massive room with two large thrones situated in the front. Princess Luna sat on the throne on the right, her mane and tail sparkling brilliantly with stars. Rose almost fell to her knees, overwhelmed by the princess of the night's utter magnificence. The alicorn sat proudly, her horn and obsidian crown glinting in the moonlight over which she ruled. Her glossy coat shone, and her large wings rested, slightly untucked, at her sides.

"Rise, young one." Luna's voice was slightly softer but no less commanding. "State your name."

"I am Rose Heart, Your Majesty," the unicorn replied.

"Pray tell, Rose Heart, for what reason are you attending my night court?" Luna asked.

"Princess Luna," Rose began, forcing herself to relax, "I have come to ask for the privilege of studying under your tutelage. I have always been interested in your dream realm, and I would love to learn from you. I know a lot of ponies flock to be Princess Celestia's students, and I'm not sure how many have asked you to teach them, but it would be the greatest honor of my life if you decided to take me under your wing as your protégée." Luna raised her eyebrows and regarded Rose skeptically.

"Tell me why you have waited until now to approach me if you have always taken such a keen interest in dreams," the princess said. "You are certainly not the first pony to approach me and ask for my guidance, and you will not be the last. I have turned down many, many ponies who have begged to study under me, simply because they had no discipline, work ethic, nor dedication. If you truly wish to learn from me, Rose Heart, you must understand that I am a fair but incredibly strict teacher. I am not my sister; she is far, far too lenient in my opinion. If you truly believe that your magical abilities are uniquely strong, and if you are willing to work harder than you have ever worked before in your life, then I will test your skills; if you lack discipline, then I suggest that you see yourself out at once." Her tone was stern, but Rose maintained eye contact.

"I am the hardest worker you will ever meet," Rose assured Luna. "I'm smart, I learn fast, and I am an exceptionally hard worker. I only waited until now to seek your guidance because my parents died in a fatal accident six months ago. After their deaths, I threw myself into my studies, desperate to make them proud, to be the pony that they always believed I could be. Magic became my safe place, a distraction from my grief. It was incredibly therapeutic for me. I know you're probably wondering why I didn't seek out Princess Celestia instead of you, and the simple reason is because I have always related more to you. I have always felt like an outcast, constantly overshadowed by everyone, hiding in the shadows. I have never felt comfortable in a crowd. You've always been there for me, Princess Luna. After my mother died, I had so many nightmares and lost so much sleep, but you were always there to protect me from every bad dream. You allowed me to hide under your wing and cry while my dad drank himself to death. You were my safe place, Princess, and I only desire to learn from you now." Luna's eyes softened.

"Rose," Luna said gently, "I, too, lost my parents when I was very young. I am so, so sorry that you have had to endure such a terrible loss. I remember your nightmares. I must tell you, however, that I will not allow just anypony to study magic with me. Why don't you show me what you can do? Are you skilled in weather manipulation?" When Rose nodded, Luna lifted her chin slightly.

"Here is your test, Rose Heart," the princess said. "If you pass, you will officially be my student; if you fail, I will send you on your way. You will freeze everything I throw at you; that is, you will literally turn it to ice. Think fast!" Luna blasted a torrent of water from her horn, hurling it straight towards Rose's head. Instinctively, Rose sent her own blast of magic, which froze the rushing water in midair. Luna conjured a stronger ball of water, throwing it with more force this time. Rose instinctively turned the ball to ice, splitting it in half with the sheer force of her power. Luna looked at the young unicorn, subtly impressed.

"You will now manipulate the weather," Luna commanded. "I will create a blizzard, and you will calm it." She conjured a brutal snowstorm that whitened Rose's entire field of vision, momentarily disorienting the purple unicorn. Rose shivered as she was pelted with ice, snow, and hail that stung her face and made her eyes water, while at the same time somehow, a dry, miserable cold stabbed at her entire body. The unicorn glared and charged her horn, sending forth a fiery bolt of magic that instantly calmed the relentless storm, clearing the sky and transforming her surroundings into a warm, green meadow. When Rose turned around, she saw Luna staring at her, dumbfounded.

"How did you do that?" the Princess of the Night gasped, her eyes wide. "Your weather manipulation abilities are usually only possessed by highly skilled alicorns. It takes years of training to learn how to control those abilities. Who trained you?" Luna's eyes narrowed.

"Nopony trained me," Rose replied honestly. "I've just... always been able to do it. I don't have any alicorn lineage that I know about. I didn't even know it was that difficult to manipulate the weather. Sooo... will you train me to help you in the dream realm? I've always wanted to help ponies in whatever way I can, and I just have a strong feeling that I will be a great assistant to you."

"All right, Rose Heart," Luna sighed, fighting to conceal a smile, "but before I agree to teach you, I must warn you about the dream realm: If you want to assist me, you need to understand that dreams hold secrets that may disturb you or even scar you for life. It takes an extraordinary amount of mental strength to take on my duties; personally, I think my job is much, much more difficult than my sister's, because many of my duties are known only to me. I hope you understand this."

"I do, Princess," Rose assured her. "I promise to approach everything with a completely open mind; I only want to learn."

"Good," Luna said with a little nod. "Your first lesson shall begin now."