Before the First

by foxfyre2

Chapter 18: Homeward Bound

“Welcome back, ladies. I trust you two now have everything sorted out among yourselves. Now Celestia, would you mind telling us what you have figured out about this blizzard? Before you went off with Luna, you appeared to have had an insight. What was it?”

“Yes, indeed I did. Gather around; I have a story to tell. In Canterlot where Luna and I rule, our subjects have been living in unrest. The families have been neglecting each other, much like how I was neglecting Luna. Each night they go to bed stressed by the storm and resentful of one another for lack of knowing where else to drop their tension. The storm never let up; rather it grew worse with time. Now I want you all to recall this night. We all met and at some point, or we all were at a point when the storm hushed, if not for a moment to allow a pervading thought to grow. When I first started my adventure into this forest, I found myself recalling a fond memory of Luna and I when we were fillies; how close we were. The storm quieted down during my remembrance.”

“When Sombra and I met, we were talking about family and the storm feigned a moment of stillness. I hadn’t really noticed it before, but do you really think that the storm could have a connection to us?”

“It does, and part of that is my fault.”

“Discord, what do you mean?”

“The fires, the frantic animals, the violent winds; they all came about when I threw my tantrum. I felt so hurt and abandoned by my brothers, sisters, and friends and thinking about them gave me too much grief. I looked out upon my land and saw the fear and destruction, and then I heard a scream. I remembered that you and Luna were in that mess and I felt ashamed. I didn’t want to hurt either of you.”

“Don’t you see, friends? We all come from vastly different lands, yet when we came together we found a peace in each other. We found comfort and acceptance!”

“But the storm is still going. What do you make of that, Sombra?”

“We may have found harmony among ourselves, but the ponies across this land still live in complaint of each other. Come, we must make haste to Canterlot!”
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So then the four companions traveled swiftly to the silver city sitting soundly on the side of a mountain. Discord was kind enough to show them the way, though not without first leading them through some poison yoke for a good laugh. After some mild discomfort and a slight lecture to Discord, they continued and reached the outskirts of Canterlot.

Celestia called out to the citizens and asked that they gather around the main square. “Citizens, subjects, friends, I have called you here today for a matter of great importance.” Celestia looked at all the tired and vexed faces. She then looked at Luna. “My sister will be the one to announce it. Luna, stand proud in front of your subjects. I believe that you of all ponies know best what to say.”

“Thank you, sister.” Luna stood out in front of the crowd and began. “My friends, each night I watch as families retire to their homes bitter and resentful. Families that were once whole and happy are now divided and distant. Children run around these streets alone and without support because their parents are too caught up in their own business to notice. Siblings bicker because they one feels inferior to the other. Neighbors avoid each other because they do not want to be seen in their bad humor, yet nopony is willing to be the first to spread kindness. Nopony wants to be the first to admit that they are going through hardships that I guarantee you that we are all going through. No family is perfect. My sister and I are a testament to that. For the longest time we have not been getting along, and only because I was too afraid to tell her how I was feeling. However, I did tell her, and it made things so much better. Look at us. This is not how we should be living. There is no reason to fear. We should be helping each other and comforting each other in this time of distress. Look at your neighbor, look at your friends, look at your family. See that we are all in this together, and together we can make a difference. Together we can survive this storm. Together as a family, we can do anything!”

The ponies all looked at one another. One small little colt stepped forth from the crowd and walked up to Luna. He looked her in the eyes and then wrapped his hooves around hers tightly. One by one, ponies began to walk up and hug her. Celestia, Discord, and Sombra joined in as well, and finally the entire town joined together. Friends were chatting, neighbors exchanging dearest wishes, and families holding each other closely.

Somepony then shouted, “Look, the sun is cracking through the storm! It is finally passing!” The whole town rejoiced and sang merry songs and danced in joy. Our four friends stood together and smiled at the friendly banter. Luna looked at her sister and said, “Thank you, sister, for everything. Now I do believe that you have someone that you need to talk with.” She nudged Celestia towards Discord and Luna took her leave with Sombra.

“Discord, I, um, I would like to tell you that… Would you care to join me in a dance?”

“My dear Celestia, I would love to.”

Luna and Sombra sat together and laughed merrily at the two. They, too, partook in a dance with the rest of the town and the festivities lasted long until sundown, at which point the ponies returned to their homes and families.

And so, old families were reunited, young ones were strengthened, and new ones were formed. Days later Sombra said his goodbyes, saying that he must return to his kingdom now that he had found what he was looking for. “I promise to return next winter. Until then, farewell my friends!”

Discord also insisted that he must return to his forest. “This is no place for a creature such as I. I would like to thank you, both of you, for giving me a family as amazing as this one.”

“When will I see you again?”

“When you need me, dear Celestia, I will be there for you. When you find yourself lonely, I will be there for you.”

“For a creature that claims to be the lord of chaos, you sure are sappy.”

Discord chuckled, “I’ll miss you, too, Luna.”

Celestia gave Discord a kiss on the cheek and said goodbye. She and Luna watched as he flew off towards the Everfree Forest. As for the two sisters, they remained behind with their nation. For many years, they ruled in harmony and each year, as promised, Sombra and Discord would return. Each year they would partake in the family festivities, because - as you all now know – family comes from all places and is always worth the effort.
The End
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“Soarin, that was such a great story!”

“Oh yes, I, um, quite enjoyed it.”

“But Soarin, I have a question. How did the peace of the families affect the storm?”

“Have you ever heard of ‘Windigos’?”

“Yes.”

“So have I. Anyways, there is a special magic that lives in the very soil of Equestria. It is in the trees and the ground and the sky above. It is a magic that lives in all of our hearts. It is a magic that we have the power to use for good or let it destroy us. It’s the magic of love.”

Author's Note:

I recently watched the Hearth’s Warming Eve episode and I realized something that should have been horribly obvious. My story is pretty much a copy of that episode! Therefore, instead of calling this an original story, I am just going to call it a tribute to the first Hearth’s Warming story. Also, I realized that my story makes only a little sense if you look at the history of Equestria but to that, I say “so what?” *Puts on cool glasses. Cue explosion*
I began writing this story as something fun for my facebook page (hence why the narrator is Soarin, for that is who I go by on my page). It is my first fanfic though I have had some experience in creative writing. I started writing this on December 4th and I am honestly surprised that I’ve been able to write a chapter nearly every day for a complete story of over 12,000 words! (I can barely write a 900 word report in two weeks).
Now for the story. I have always been a fan of bedtime stories and tall tales and over the summer, I would make up tales of knights and princesses to tell my girlfriend while I was away in another state. There is something nice about writing a simple story that gives a powerful message. It’s nice to write a story that is free from buried themes, complicated symbolism, and most other devices of esteemed literature. It’s nice to just sit back and enjoy a story for the story.
I hope you all enjoyed the story!

Comments

[pyropyro]

I liked this story, it made me smile...

[dovahkiin720]

So beautiful, the feels...

[Ice Star]

Still no Cthulhu. Why?