> Tales from the desk of the Lunar Court > by Amber flicker > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prologue > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A long, long time ago, the land Equestria was ruled by two princesses. The first, eldest, was named Celestial. Her mane a pale rose hue, streaked with the colours of springtime, her coat cloud white. She was warm, her most treasured element Kindness. She was the bringer of dawn, and she shone as brightly as the heavenly body she represented. The second, young Lunar. She was born in a years' time after that of her sister. Her coat was the shade of midnight, and her mane baby blanket blue, eyes bright with starlight. Her favoured element was Loyalty. She brought light to the dark with her moon, and had the voice of a lullaby. They were Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, respectively. A decade into their benevolent reign, Celestia and Luna attended the Summit of Gaia, a gathering of the highest leaders of each race living on their world. It was meant to be a peaceful time to forget whatever conflict they were facing, and as such any evil deed was forbidden. It was the worst summit there had ever been and perhaps the worst there shall ever be, for the Changling queen Graphtis brought a power of darkness with her. She cursed the young alicorn Celestial, remaking her into everything she could become. Malevolent, merciless, a tyrant. Luna was forced to banish her sister with the very thing bonding them. She use the elements of Harmony to send her to the sun. She blamed herself for all of it, thinking if she had only paid more attention, her beloved sister would still be here. The elements separated from their connection with her, not because her sister was gone, but because Luna's soul was broken and she would not accept friendship into her heart. She was crowned as only monarch of Equestria, Queen. One thing led to another, and the planet was launched into a thousand year war not more than two years later. It began with only changlings and ponies, but the dragons soon sided with the changling hives. The crystal ponies died off while the Nocturnes thrived, all because of a single disaster. A trillion lives lost over one curse, and the weight of it all upon the Queen's shoulders. A thousand years passed, and Celestia returned. However, the elements being no longer functional, she roamed free, cursed, teaming up with the opposing side of the war. Lunar, desperate to get away, accidentally open a portal to the Equestria we know. There she finally feels the glow of friendship again when she makes a multitude of new friends. The most faithful of these insist on getting her sister back to her, when she finally lets it slip that her world is warring. The Operation Sunrise ensues, a search for the element bearers is set in motion. After many trials Celestia is cured of her curse and the war is finally over after so long. The ponies welcome the Dawn bringer back with open hooves and the heroes of the land are rewarded. Equestria is being rebuilt, a new world. Luna continues to visit the other side of the portal, now with Celestia coming occasionally. But with all this, what's a poor mare of the royal council to do? Detail stories, obviously... > Tempus > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Praeteritum Tempus Tale of the Mare of Time Lore rewritten by Radium praemonstrator of the Era of Eclipse, appointed by Queen Lunar, may she reign for the ages... There was once a city of stone and iron, and it was Praeterium Tempus, for the first queen so called it. It was a city of unicorns. It came to pass that a mare was with foal. She birthed twins, unheard of in this region, and both mare unicorns. She named the first Minuette, for she came first at the exact proposed time, and she called the other Colgate, for her mane was striped as such. As the two foals grew, they were blessed with magical talents that no pony could compare to. They, afraid, locked them away. For they could not understand nor control the powers the twins wielded... Yet, two years after this, war was declared on them. The Gryffons, while not magical, had weapons the likes of which none had seen. The Temperians were losing quickly, and so they tried the only thing they could. They set the two time mages loose. Help us, they said. And they tried to, all the conventional ways, but even their matched power could not win. As the city fell, they knew somehow what they had to do. Perhaps it was the first queen of old guiding them, with her prophecy. The mares channeled their powers together, the very ones they'd been locked away for. A fusion occurred. They were as one, wings resting on her back, tall and proud. She was a queen. Mane and tail ablaze and eyes glowing in a wash of golden light, they declared the safety of the city unto the gryffons. She did all that was left. The city was captured in the gold as it spread like a star in the sky. They say it is lost to time. > To whom it may concern... > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Letter does NOT pass inspection Send to nearest bitchy noble Incinerate. To whom it may concern, We do not approve of the recent events pertaining to the ending of the war. It comes to my attention that you have allowed this traitor to retake her pre-banishment position of leadership facing no consequence. She cannot be trusted! You have been compromised, my Queen, and this must not continue. We will do anything to save you from her trickery! You must fight it, Highness! Furthermore, you allied with a changling and a dragon hybrid to do this, the very things we've battled for so long! This simply proves my point. Respond whenever you can in secrecy, out plan must not be revealed to the witch. We apologize for letting it go so far... Sunset > The Summit > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Summit always had brightly coloured décor, warm fires lighting the shady areas, and many friendly ponies and other creatures to tend to the 'importants.' And usually, Celestia would smile back, thank them, and be overall... Well, herself. It was usually so inviting. Today everything was just a blur of loud sound and intense colour. She wasn't sure why she felt so off, but from past experience it didn't mean anything good. Something was horribly wrong. But nothing bad should happen, it was The summit. No violence could happen on this day, it was forbidden. Weapons weren't even allowed inside the gates. Something soft bumped into her side, a detached sorry mumbled. Luna. Maybe she was just being paranoid, and this being her sister's first Summit was the source of her worries. She always worried about Luna. With their parents gone she'd taken most of the mothering role in the younger's life. Nothing could go wrong. > Rising > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A low rumble growled from deep beneath the frozen ground none too far from the Aerial Empire. It wasn't loud, not at first. As the sound grew the ground began to shake along with it. If anyone had been there, they would have been very worried. But no one was, who would be out so far where it was so cold and desolate? Thin cracks formed on the ice, seeming to come from a single, non-existent point. The breaking sound almost as loud as the rumble until it drowned it out completely, the frozen earth splitting in giant spider-web like cracks, ice shattered. A sharp point now protruded from the center of it all, rising slowly but surely, ornate designs covering slim, sharply tapered towers. It's sparkle radiant against the ice, which before looked sparkly... Compared to the ascending crystal spires it was dull, lifeless. Beams of light reflected off the palace, rainbows gleaming from each pane of crystal. A final push and the palace was free of the ground. Silence. The door snapped open, a carnation coloured unicorn the only one there. The only one who knew what happened at the location. The frigid air blew her long turquoise mane, but she pushed it back into place in a periwinkle aura. She stepped into the light, glimmering just as much as the palace did- she was also crystalline. A smile crossed her face. "Time to welcome the Empire home, Equestria."