Chapter 1
Princess Celestia sat in her personal office a few hours before sunrise. She was working on a little pet project of hers. Being an immortal Alicorn, she’d had countless projects, hobbies and interests; usually picking up a different one every couple of decades.
This one, she was happy to note had lasted over 50 years to date.
She was tracing the linage of THE royal family. Attempting to do so at any rate but still succeeding better than the Canterlot University history professors.
Many ponies in the past tried to trace the royal linage from its earliest records, but many records were lost through the ages leaving large gaps in history.
Of course, being an Alicorn and able to bend the forces of time and space to her will helped her to a great degree where other ponies have failed.
It had been a trivial spur decision driven by curiosity that led her to tracing the linage of THE royal family. Some ponies might think such a thing would have more importance to a Diarchy ruled by Princesses, but the reason it wasn’t was due to several contributing factors.
One of which was that she was only 4,320 years old and had been ruling Equestria for 4.304 of those years. Luna was 3,017 years old and had ruled for 2,303 years. Mi Amore Cadenza was 522 years old and had only begun to help in the ruling of Equestria. Twilight had only taken the first step into Alicorn-hood.
None of these four ponies were members of the royal family. This was the reason that all current royalty were given the title of Princess or Prince. Oh, there was no question that they were royalty; just no of the main line. They were royalty by rite of Ascension as per ancient Equestrian Law.
So in truth, she and the other Alicorns were more stewards than anything, but the loss of the royal family made the distinction moot.
Before she ascended, the heavens needed to be controlled in order to maintain balance over the world and required teams of hundreds of Unicorns combining their magic to do so. Before that, thousands of years before her birth, in the Elysian Fields across the Crystal Mountains, lay the ancient and forgotten Kingdom of Equs.
It had been ruled by the Alicorns: King Solum who controlled the heavens, and Queen Faust who ruled the Earth and its seasons.
‘It was curious to note that Solum would fall into myth when Faust would later become deified after death and worshiped as the mother of all ponies.’
Then everything changed when the Griffin nation attacked.
A united front of Griffins and Minotaurs allied and broke treaty, attacking the Kingdom of Equs in force, leading with a direct attack on the capitol would lead to the death of the royal family.
Alicorns, while immortal, were in truth only so in the smallest sense of the word. They were powerful and extremely long lived, but they were not impervious to harm and could die just as any other being could.
King Solum and Queen Faust were the earliest recorded Alicorns, though others are suspected of having existed before them. It was their death that sent the Kingdom and all ponies into a dark age.
Still, while the King and Queen was dead, in life they had sired many, many children; unicorn, pegasus and earth pony alike. Alas, most of said family is said to have been killed with them in the first stage of the war. Any survivors went into hiding for fear of assassination and were not heard from again.
This is speculated to the main reason for the split of the three tribes. Arguments began over the remaining nobles about who should rule. The remaining unicorn families grouped together, since without an Alicorn to do the job, it took a hundred unicorns to move the sun and moon about.
The reclaiming of the throne by rightful heir was abandoned and thought impossible since without a physical heir (and a way to prove it) they had no way to tracing the family line.
Celestia would be born a few thousand years later; only a few centuries after the unification of the three tribes and by rite, named
Princess of New Equs, later to be named Equestria.
With the emergence of the first Alicorn since the King and Queen’s death, all pretense of finding the rightful heir was dropped by all save a few curious scholars. 1300 years later Luna would ascend and assist her in moving the heavens. (It was a very little known fact that she and Luna were not of blood relations. They were sisters in name and choice.)
Even today, without a blood heir with which to trace the line via spells, still required records of ponies that no longer existed, assuming ancient ponies even kept birth records. The only other conceivable way to trace the family would require magic that was all but impossible for unicorns to cast.
Good thing Celestia created the spell.
She cast the spell, allowing her to peer into the past without directly affecting it. Theoretically that is. Even if it did how would she know? History would change and reflect said changes back to the future and insuring the creation of her spell to make said change.
She wrote down names and places she saw onto a piece of parchment into a carefully mapped family tree. The spell only briefly touching the lives of the departed, and if working correctly would continue until a living heir was found. If there wasn’t an heir the spell would stop just as abruptly.
Of course, the other main reason it failed to matter was that, even if an heir was found, (assuming the line didn’t die out) they would be King or Queen in name only since nothing short of an Alicorn could control the great powers.
Well… that or a team of trained unicorns. Something she should really consider in case anything happened again like with the Tree of Harmony.
The Tree of Harmony. Her thoughts veered. Although much of it was still veiled in mystery, it was believed to be Mother Faust’s last gift to the Earth before she was killed. She wondered why King Solum never did anything similar…
The quiet of the room brought her thoughts back to the present as she realized that the spell had become stable while she waited for it to change.
It was stable?
She looked down to where the enchanted quill had been writing down the rediscovered family lineage of generations. She almost recast the spell when she understood why it stopped.
It was complete.
She had done it.
There at the bottom of the most recent piece of parchment lay the current branch of the tree.
“I did it.” She whispered to herself in shock. “An heir is found.”
“Huh.”
Well, curiosity satisfied she could ignore it and continue onto her next fancy…
Or…
A smile spread across her face and a great look of mischief filled her eyes. She could ‘rustle the jimmies’ of the Canterlot Nobles.
Gathering the parchment on her desk that traced the family line… and the twenty filing cabinets full of parchment that preluded them floating behind her, she approached her office door. How should she do this?
Brute Force!
A golden shoed hoof slammed the doors open, startling the guards into a panic before they dropped back down into a quick salute.
“Awaken the Council immediately. Have them adjourn in the throne room by the hour. Tell Luna to cancel the Night Court and meet me post haste in the Room of Holding. Take these papers and these cabinets to the throne room and guard them with your life.”
It took the guards a moment for all of the orders to process before snapping to attention. They would need a few more guards to help move the cabinets as well. “Yes Princess!”
She continued to walk down the hallway while the two guards ran off to do as commanded. A pair of Luna’s Night Guards fell into precession behind her as she crossed an intersection of hallway.
A few minutes later of walking and she stopped at a seemingly random portrait. Lighting up her aura, she pressed her horn to a corner of the portrait and the wall swung silently inward to a secret passage.
By the uncertain expression of the two guards, neither of the two knew about the passage. Something she would probably be hearing about from the Captain later saying something about how it needed a guard guarding the ‘oh so important’ door. It must be important because it must be a secret. Really how did her guards expect to keep secrets when they had obvious guards guarding the secret?
“Sister!” Luna came running down the hall with two more guards behind her and panting as all three slid to a stop. “What is the emergency?”
Should she tell Luna what she has planned?
Nah.
She silently entered the secret passage with Luna beside her down a long and winding stairwell. She wanted to wait a few minutes before answering in order to build up a proper amount of tension.
“The King has been found.”
Luna stumbled to a stop as they reached the bottom of the stairs. “T- The King?” She stammered and her eyes grew very large. “The rightful heir to the throne?”
One of the guards blinked. “I didn’t know he was lost.”
A loud clang filled the stairwell as one of the other guards smacked him in the helmet.
Celestia had to fight the urge to laugh as she stepped up to a large silver door only a few feet away from the stairs. She placed her horn to the center of the door and looked expectantly at her sister. “Luna? If you would please?”
Coming out of her stupor, Luna placed her horn alongside her sister’s and the door vanished with a flare of light.
Whatever treasure the guards expected to see, Celestia could tell they were disappointed. It was a small bare room with only a stone pedestal at its center. Sitting on the pedestal was a simple tarnished looking gold crown with a single small emerald at its apex. Lifting it with her magic, she kept it levitated between herself and Luna. “Do not touch it with your hooves. By ancient law the crown may only be touched with express permission.”
The return trip was made in silence as the two Princesses and four lunar guards left the secret passage and made their way to the throne room.
As the great doors were opened, it was seen that the council had already assembled; many of the ponies in bath robes and mussed hair as they murmured quietly at the strange emergency meeting.
They quieted at their approach though Celestia ignored them for the moment. Presentation is everything after all. Like a delicate piece of glass, she placed the crown on the throne. She turned to face the council. “The King has been found.”
Murmurs began amongst the council.
“An heir to the throne of Equs and the true ruler of Equestria.”
Murmurs increased in volume but she would hear none of it. This was going to be too good! “Prepare the Coronation.”
She addressed the Captain of the Guard. “Captain Longbow, I want two full battalions of guards and a Company of your best soldiers. I want one battalion patrolling the outskirts of Ponyville, another battalion patrolling the town. The Company I want surrounding Sweet Apple Acres. I expect the town and the surrounding area to be secure by sunrise.”
Celestia turned to her sister. “Luna, please notify Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and use whatever means necessary to bring her here post haste.”
Luna sped out of the room.
She turned to the rest of her subjects who were apparently still in shock. “Well?” She asked. This was enough to send them all into a mass panic of obeyed orders.
It was nice to have something exciting happening without the fate of Equestria being threatened.
0987654321
McIntosh Apple, also called Big Mac. Truthfully it was spelled ‘Macintosh’ on his birth certificate because his Pappy (and some web sites) didn’t know the difference between a computer and a fruit. His Pappy wasn’t stupid. He just didn’t know the difference between the one word and the other.
He’d gotten up before sunrise as he did every morning. After a minute of looking at his cutie mark and wondering if there was a McIntosh Apple out there somewhere with a computer cutie mark with the same dilemma.
He started the coffee. AJ followed him and started on breakfast for Granny and Apple Bloom while he helped himself to an apple and a coffee.
After a few cups of Joe to get the blood going, he hooked his yoke round his neck and stepped out on the porch just as the sun began to rise.
He’d seen a lot of strange things over the past few years in Ponyville ever since his sis helped defeat Nightmare Moon.
This could be bad.
The house was surrounded by Royal Guards, all of which were thankfully facing away from the house with their swords and spears.
The entire population of Ponyville looked to be standing in the orchard around the house looking just as sleepy and confused as he was. This was good. It meant whatever was going on now was unlikely to be his fault.
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were both standing at the foot of the porch waiting expectantly.
“Luna?” Celestia looked to her sister. “Royal Voice if you would, please.”
Luna looked very pleased by this and turned to the confused towns ponies. “THE KING IS DEAD! LONG LIVE THE KING!”
The Princesses bowed. The guards bowed with them. The town’s ponies saw their ruling diarchy bowing and quickly followed weather they knew what was going on or not.
Big Mac blinked. “Wut?”
0987654321
Big Mac Blinked. “Wut?”
Ever since the odd proclamation by Princess Luna, everything had become a bit of a blur to his mind. He had vague recollections of being taken into a carriage with his family to Canterlot…
Since then he’d somehow been fitted with a dark green cape with thick white trim, his yoke replaced with a great necklace bearing the crest of Equestria and white gold shoes adorning his hooves.
He was also sitting in Princess Celestia’s throne.
To his right, Apple Bloom was dressed in a blue gown and was jumping up and down with excited exclamations of “I’m a Princess!”
Applejack was dressed in a yellow gown with her hair braided and was also grinning like a loon. She was writing in a notebook and he could hear mumbling about royal decrees and apples.
Grannysmith looked to be taking everything best and in stride if you looked at the calm expression on her face. That is, if you were to ignore the map in her hooves and the grid work she was drawing to expand Sweet Apple Acres to the outlaying fields surrounding the mountain capital.
The Throne Room was full of ponies and guards and griffins and minotaur and cows and goats and donkeys and zebras and every pony and everyone was bowing to him and-
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna marched up to him, both of the levitating a crown between the two of them. Luna seemed to be vibrating with excitement along with most of the room while Celestia maintained her calm demeanor.
They stopped at the foot of the throne, and Celestia took an extra step up beside him holding the crown over his head.
“Wut?” He asked.
Celestia bowed until she was level with his sight and smirked mischievously. “You haven’t really been all that with us these past few hours, have you?” She spoke softly so as not to be over heard.
She nodded and gave him the highlights. “You Prince Macintosh are the true heir to the Kingdom Equs and the rightful ruler of Equestria. You are about to be the first King Equestria has had in over 7,000 years.”
“Wut?” He panicked.
She snorted in amusement. “Don’t worry. You’re the King. Unless you actually want legislative power, then the position will be largely ornamental seeing as most of your lands remain in the frozen tundra of the north and your crown is all that remains of your regalia.”
The crown moved to float just above his ears. “In short, since you are an Earth pony and have no means of moving the heavens of the earth, by this evening you can go right back home to the farm if you wish.”
“Wut?” Relief and comprehension dawned in his eyes.
Celestia shrugged guiltily, though the look in her eyes said that she was feeling anything but. “Lucky for you, but don’t worry. As per ancient law, nothing short of you ascending into an Alicorn will give you any true authoritative power if you don’t wish it.”
The crown fell to his head.
The emerald in the crown flared bright enough to make everyone shield their eyes.
And when they opened them…
Eeyup.
King Macintosh had gained a pair of wings, a horn, about six inches in height and a crown emblazoned partially across his cutie mark.
“Wut?” He went back to panicking.
“Wut?” Celestia echoed stupidly. She looked over to Luna for an explanation, only to remember that she’d never explained the joke to any pony else.
Luna shrugged. “All hail the King?”
“ALL HAIL THE KING!”
“ALL HAIL THE KING!” The assembled ponies and guards boomed within the hall, which echoed and carried out throughout the castle and into the streets.
Suddenly, the joke lost its punchline.
Princess Twilight bounced up and down next to the throne excitedly. “Oh, we are going to have so much fun teaching you magic!”
“Wut?”
“Coronation party! Woo-hoo!” Pinkie Pie bellowed over the room with several shots of her party cannon.
“I will begin creating your new royal wardrobe for you, your Highness.” Rarity pranced away awash in a storm of fabrics.
Rainbow Dash floated just off his shoulder. “Hey Big Mac, since we’re friends and all, I was wondering if you’d spot me the Wonderbolts for a few days for a little personal training?
An unheard soft spoken exclamation of “Yay…” was lost to the crowds.
Luna stepped up to her still dazed sister. “With the coronation completed, we should immediately seek an arranged marriage and work to secure an heir to the throne. “Shall you marry him or shall I?”
“Wut?” Now Celestia began to panic.
Princess Mi Amore Cadenza smiled and skipped away. “I’ll begin arranging the wedding!”
“Wut?”
A FEW DAYS LATER…
Princess (for now at least) Luna and Celestia stood next to King Macintosh on the balcony overlooking Canterlot and the now Kingdom of Equestria.
Luna gestured with a hoof to the horizon where Celestia was setting the sun. “And now, gently raise the moon over the horizon, just as I showed you.”
King Mac looked cross eyed up at his horn and then back to the horizon with uncertainty.
Luna smiled and placed a wing over his back in comfort. “If it helps, try using a visual queue to help guide the magic. Perhaps something physical, like how my sister sometimes extends her wings when raising the sun.”
“Somethin’ physical…” He muttered in though. The only physical thing he could think of was bucking trees…
He turned his back to the sky and kicked one of his hind legs into the air.
A muffled ‘boom’ filled the air…
… And the moon shot into the sky like a cannonball, continuing until it was only a little speck amidst the stars.
Luna buckled down laughing to the floor, holding her sides in amused hysteria.
Big Mac looked over his shoulder to where the moon should have been in the sky. “Oops.”
Celestia sighed. “I’m going to bed. Try not to crash the moon into the planet when you bring it back.”