All Good Things

by Wheller

Prologue

All Good Things
Prologue

When you were growing up, did your mother and father ever tell you the story of how Twilight Sparkle and her five best friends defeated the evil Nightmare Moon and restored balance and harmony to Equestria? At least for a little while? It’s been a long time since then, by my reckoning a hundred and four years. Things have changed a lot since then. I look down upon Equestria to find it has become radically altered from what I remember; not all for the better, but most of it.

It’s been a very long time since Twilight Sparkle defeated Nightmare Moon, but the story has lived on to this day as the stuff of legend. No one believes anymore that a princess raised the sun each day. I cannot say that I blame them, considering what happened, what I can tell you though is this: there are a lot of things that happened back then that you don’t know about - that no one knows about - because Twilight Sparkle and her best friends worked very hard to insure that the truth would remain hidden.

But I know. I remember it plain as day, if you will pardon the pun.

I remember when he first walked into my throne room in Canterlot and I named him Baron Ponyville. I remember when the Everfree Forest burned. You all don’t, because it didn’t happen this time around. You don’t know what happened the first time Twilight Sparkle and her friends defeated Nightmare Moon and restored harmony to Equestria, but I know. I can tell you if you like.

I want to warn you though, what I am about to say may shock you; you may be appalled at the actions that were taken on all sides. You have every right to be, because no one - not even I - did the right thing.

You’re still here; I suppose that means you’re interested. Well, sit down then, and let me tell you a story of how things unfolded the first time around. All I ask of you is this: everything that I am about to tell you will sound outrageous, and will go against what you have been taught. I ask you to leave your preconceived notions at the door, listen to my story with an open mind, because I assure you. Every word that I say, no matter how grand, no matter how strange, no matter how outrageous it may sound, is absolutely true.

Oh, how I wish it wasn’t.

…

I suppose if I’m going to tell you how things unfolded on the first time around, I should speak to you a bit about my little sister. Oh Luna, I am so sorry for everything that happened to you.

Princess Luna is an oddity; anyone who was alive one hundred and four years ago will remember that, to be certain. I myself have to question where she picked up that habit in her speech, because she did not do that the first time. The story of how all our troubles began the first time around started thirteen months to the day after she had returned to us, and I made the greatest mistake that I could have ever made in my entire life. I sent her away.

‘Tia…’ Princess Luna said with a frown as she brushed her short blue mane out of her eyes.

‘Don’t you “Tia” me, little sister; your full power has yet to return. There is something in your heart that is keeping you from reaching your full potential. Twilight Sparkle will help you to find out what that is, once you regain your power, we can rule together as we did before,’ I had said simply, offering my sister a reassuring smile.

That was the first lie.

Princess Luna let out a sigh, but nodded her head in agreement. ‘You are right, of course, as you always are,’ she said as she turned away from me, and stepped into the sky chariot waiting to take her away from Canterlot and to Ponyville.

‘Don’t worry,’ I said reassuringly. ‘Twilight Sparkle is a master of studying magic, she will help you to regain your full power, and once you do, you’ll be ready to take up your rightful place by my side, once more.’ I offered my sister a pleasant smile as I motioned for the two of my pegasi guard to take her away to Ponyville to stay with Twilight Sparkle.

As I watched them ascend into the bright blue sky, getting smaller and smaller as they flew away towards the west, a thought popped into my head. I let out a sigh of disappointment.

‘Luna, I’m only doing what is best for you’, I said quietly to myself as I turned and trotted back inside the castle. That was the second lie.

‘Princess Celestia?’ a voice called from down the corridor. I turned my head towards it as I walked.

‘Princess Cadence,’ I said, nodding my head.

If there was anyone who was overlooked during this time, it would have to have been Princess Cadence. Truly speaking she wasn’t really a princess, not anymore, anyway. Not one of Equestria, in any case. Princess Cadence was descended of the last Crystal Emperor, a thousand years ago, the royal family of the Crystal Empire fled across the ocean, where they would found the Crown D’Arago… but that is a story for another time.

‘Has Princess Luna already gone? Am I too late?’ Cadence asked between laboured breaths. It sounded as if she had galloped half way across the castle.

I merely nodded my head in affirmation. ‘Yes, you just missed her, unfortunately,’ I added with a frown. ‘She has gone to see Twilight Sparkle in Ponyville.’

‘Is this a good idea?’ Cadence asked with a frown.

‘Yes, it will do her some good to get out of the castle,’ I said with a nod. That was the third lie.

Cadence nodded her head in agreement. ‘You’re right, of course… I just wonder if she’s ready for it,’ Cadence added with worry in her voice.

‘Luna will be fine,’ I said simply. That was the fourth lie. I have learned something about myself over the many years that I’ve lived. I am very, very good at lying.

…

You want to know something? I’ve had a lot of time to think, here, by myself. I will say this about being damned to an eternal purgatory: it gives you a lot of free time to reflect on your actions. I used to not think it was my fault, but the more I think about it? The more I discover just how wrong I was. I wish I had figured that out long ago. I guess I’ve grown up a lot. Heh, that’s funny, three thousand, three hundred and forty three years of living, and I’ve grown up more in the one hundred years since my death. I really do hope that you all can appreciate the irony of that. I just wanted to keep everypony safe and happy; I failed them and became my own worst nightmare.

I just want you all to know, that Luna is not at fault for what she did. I am.

Comments

[ColdGoldLazarus]

Ooh, nice opening!

Not much to say yet, as it's just beginning, but this sounds fairly promising so far.