• Published 8th Feb 2013
  • 4,603 Views, 65 Comments

The Sun may Rise, but the Daughter reigns. - Hipster Pony Raven Horn



Celestia has a secret in her past, one she has tried to push to the shadows. But Discord takes a quick visit after his reform, and ends up opening old wounds.

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Tales of Twilight

The time for my beloved sister’s return is drawing closer. Just a few short years… I feel that the only way to help her is by showing her the light and breaking her free of the darkness that has ensnared her. I have searched, but all the books in Canterlot have no spell that would be strong enough even if I myself were to cast it. I have even scoured over Starswirl’s personal grimoire, thinking that perhaps in there something would appear to me, but the only spell with that kind of potential is unfinished. However, there might just be hope. Earlier today I took on a personal student, Twilight Sparkle. She was attempting to gain entry to my school for gifted unicorns, and from the accounts of the judges she wasn’t doing that great of a job at it.

However when an extremely rare Sonic Rainboom appeared in the sky, I watched as a burst of magical energy came from the testing room, and a giant dragon head broke the roof. When I investigated I found that the chaos was caused by none other than this little filly. The poor girl was terrified that I was going to be mad, but when I offered her a position as my personal student she went wild. To add to her excitement she also gained her cutie mark. I recall when Luna got her cutie mark. Despite what many historians might say regarding our roles in moving celestial bodies, Luna’s talent is not moving the moon. It is dream diving, a strange but wonderful magical talent that I eagerly await for her to be able to use upon her return. Luna was so excited, she said now we could play twice as long because we could play while we slept. It wasn’t long before we realised the strain it had on her, and that she wouldn’t be able to do it for long at her age. Still, she was able to sculpt my dreams enough just once to make me feel like I was a real filly.

Later on she managed to discover how to bottle dreams, allowing them to be relived at a later time. Such a feat had never been replicated since her banishment, even by the most accomplished of Dream Delvers. She even bottled me that dream she made of me as a real filly for a gift. It is the most precious gift my sister has ever given to me, and I won’t let any harm come to it. I don’t feel I need it anymore anyway, I see that joy, that innocence, when I look at Twilight Sparkle. The care, freeness, I am jealous to be honest. Over one thousand years I have ruled this country, nearly all that time I have done it alone. Twilight seemed so confident and honoured to have been chosen when I spoke with her.

Even though I have made numerous tough choices, gained wisdom of ages, and knowledge vast as the sea, I have never been so confident. I have kept the facade up that I am the omnipotent omniscient ruler of Equestria in a, quite possibly futile, attempt to keep those ponies who rely on me feeling safe and confidant in my ability. That is all that is keeping me going anymore, is that sense of responsibility. Just like my dad taught me, stallions need to be able to shoulder tough responsibility and appear strong at all times. Though I’m not a stallion anymore, I’m a mare. The Princess Celestia. I shall keep searching for a way to save my sister upon her return, though something tells me this Twilight Sparkle just might be the key. Please Luna, wait for me. I’ll figure this out. I’ll find some way to get you back, and then I’ll finally be able to protect you and give you everything you could ever want. Please, just a few more years.

-Excerpt from Celestia’s Diary Vol 197


I was alone in my study, enjoying a cup of some of my favourite tea. A nice blend of Rosemary and Thyme, with just a hint of Jasmine. My work for the day was essentially done, having set the whole day aside for taking care of the sun. Most ponies don’t realise that Luna and myself had very little to do with the raising and lowering of the sun. Just some maintenance here and there to make sure that they didn’t do anything crazy, but otherwise they mostly just kept on doing what they did best and spinning across the sky.

A polite knock came on my study door. ‘Come in,’ I said with a fair idea as to who this pony was. A purple unicorn slowly opened my study door. I smiled as my student, Twilight Sparkle, entered the room looking as though I was going to chop her head off or something.

‘Princess? Is something wrong? You said that I should come as quickly as possible. Did I fail something? Do I need to write more reports? Do I-?’ I held up my hoof with a small smile on my face. The stream of questions stopped, leaving Twilight only able to look worried in silence. It was of course just like her to expect the worst.

‘No, nothing of that nature. Twilight my student, I merely wish to speak with you for a while.’ Twilight blinked, then a smile crossed her face. It was as if our years apart had not happened, and we were just having one of our afternoons together. Just the two of us, sitting and talking. My student lay down across from me, grasping the teacup in her magic as I poured her a cup.

‘Thank you for the tea.’ Twilight smiled, taking a sip. ‘It’s most delicious, as it always is.’ I nodded, deciding to simply listen to Twilight for a while before speaking my mind. It warmed my heart as Twilight started on talking about all the things she learnt recently. Her talks about the wondrous sights she’s seen, the fascinating spells she’s discovered, they made me both so happy and so sorrowful.

‘Princess? Is something wrong?’ Twilight asked, causing me to blink a moment. I had become so lost in my mixed feelings that I must have lost concentration on the conversation. Something of my inner thoughts of what I was preparing to tell her must have leaked upon my face, as Twilight’s look of concern from earlier had returned.

‘No, no nothing is wrong,’ I said before smiling and taking a sip from my cup. ‘Though I do have a question for you Twilight.’ My student immediately straightened up, leaning closer so not to miss anything. ‘What makes a mare a mare?’

Twilight cocked her head in confusion. I had not asked her a question on some strange magic, or even anything that she could immidiately pull up some fact from some obscure book she had been perusing recently. A few moments of silence passed as I could feel my own heart beat in anticipation and nervousness. I knew her answer wouldn’t be directed at me, but some part of me felt that she was judging me as she thought. Her answer came slowly, and I worked hard not to show my anxiety on my face. ‘What makes a mare a mare? I guess… I guess how she sees herself right? Isn’t that some basic philosophy? We are only who we think we are, right?’

I nodded, somehow hearing those familiar words coming from Twilight made them seem all the more real to me. Still, clarification would always be good. Ambiguous words could always be twisted around, as my past dealings with beings such as Discord, or even my own sister, had shown me so clearly. ‘So, you are saying that a mare is more than just what her body is, right?’

Twilight frowned, clearly trying to wrap her head around the problem that seemed to just elude her. ‘I’m not sure what you’re trying to get at Princess, but yes. A mare can be short, tall, fat, thin, purple, pink, blue, yellow, white. None of these things change the fact that she is a mare, right?’ I nodded again, too nervous to speak. I was afraid that if I said anything I’d give away who I really was, and that Twilight would hate me forever. Twilight waited for a moment for a response, but when I failed to she continued. ‘A mare is only what she thinks about herself; if she thinks good of herself, then she is a confidant mare. Isn’t that right? I mean, it’s nice to hear that you’re a good mare from outside, but so long as you know you are good, you are. Right?’

‘Twilight, you’re rambling a bit. Allow me to focus your thoughts for a moment.’ Twilight straightened up, looking at me with such intensity that I could have sworn that she could see through all the spells that I had created with Luna over a thousand years ago. Everything I had done to make myself look like a mare, so that I could possibly have a moment of happiness. ‘What would you say to a mare, who claims she is a mare and truly believes that she is one, but otherwise has the body of a stallion?’

My nerves shot through the roof, this was the moment of truth. Whatever Twilight said, that would be the final word of it. I didn’t want to admit it to myself, but Twilight’s words would either confirm everything I had hoped for not only her but myself, or shattered everything that I had thought and revealed that everything I had built upon was nothing more than an elaborate web of lies that I had crafted to make myself feel better. ‘I suppose I would say hello to her,’ Twilight said, frowning a bit. ‘I’m not sure what else I’d say to her, I mean it’d be a bit strange but mares come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, so why not looking like a stallion? Princess? PRINCESS!’ Twilight dropped the teacup she had been keeping hovering mid-air, spilling its contents on the rug beneath us. She rushed to my side as tears flowed freely down my face. Twilight would never know the service she had just performed for me, she’d never be able to understand just how much her words meant to me. The joy, the happiness, the peace. ‘PRINCESS! Is everything alright? Should I get the guards? Should I get Luna? Is there something I can do? Anything?’

‘Nothings wrong Twilight,’ I said, using my wings to wipe my tears. I could actually feel myself shaking as Twilight wavered close. ‘Actually, I feel so happy right now. I’ll tell you everything later. Right now, just know that you have done so much for me.’ I pulled Twilight close with my forehooves. She was so much like the daughter that I always wanted to have, but could never have had.

‘Ok Princess… Ok…’ Twilight hugged me back as I held her close. I was just me, no matter who I was born as, or anything in my past. It didn’t make me any less of a mare. I finally felt something that I never thought I’d ever be able to feel. Complete.

Author's Note:

Well... it's been a while since I updated this hasn't it? Yeah... yeah... yeah... even worse when you consider that this chapter has been sitting half-finished since the last chapter was updated. All that I needed to do was edit it, which I've since done so enjoy! Also, feels. THE FEELS! That could just be me though.