Chapter 1
To any other pony today was just any other day but Princess Luna, sole ruler of Equestria for a thousand years new otherwise. Today was the anniversary of the day she lost her family, and every year on this day she reads the only thing she has to remember them by, a letter. This letter was found at the site of the incident. So, just like every other year she opens the letter and reads….
"Hello
To whomever it was that found this story. Now that you have all I ask is that you give to my sister after you read it, the identity of whom should be made clear by the end of my story.
Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Prince Astrum Lord of the Stars and this is the story of how I fell from grace. Now I know what you are thinking “How do I know you are telling the truth”. Well the only way I can convince you is to tell you my story and let you be the judge.
I suppose I should start at the very beginning.
The oldest memories I have are of playing in the castle with my twin sister Celestia, or as Luna and I called her Tia. We were inseparable as kids, constantly playing and getting into trouble. As we got older that changed though, Tia became more and more serious especially after Luna was born when we were ten years old. It was around then that Tia and I learned about our special talents, hers was to raise the sun mine to make the stars appear in the night sky.
Then when Luna reached the age of ten it was discovered the she could raise and lower the moon. After all three of us found our talents Tia started getting allot more attention from everyone in the castle because, since she raised the sun she would be the defacto ruler when we grew up. I was fine with this because I don't have the right personality to rule a country but, sadly, this made Luna jealous but it also made Tia really nervous. So it was then we decided to rule as a team when the time came so the pressure would be evenly distributed between the three of us.
After our parents were killed in the battle of the Crystal Empire we stood together against King Sombra and after a long fought battle Sombra, as he was dying, he cursed the crystal empire, all its residents and himself to be stuck in that moment. As he did this we can only hope he died in the process. As we were heading back to the crystal empire we sent word to the greatest unicorn wizard in all of Equestria, Star Swirl the Bearded, to try and figure out a way to undo Sombra’s curse
After we got back home we stuck to the deal we made, of course by this time Tia and I are twenty-three and Luna is thirteen. We had many years of peace. For the most part we got along well but over the years of working closely together I grew closer to my younger sister, since we both have power over the night. We would spend time pulling pranks on the staff and Tia, nothing mean just good fun. Sometimes we would go around the kingdom at night and see this land we ruled over, because as kids we weren’t allowed to leave the castle grounds for “our protection” as the old mare who took care of us would say. Sometimes, when we didn’t feel like exploring Equestria, we would play jokes on Tia.
One night when we were out we met the most interesting creature we had ever seen, he called himself Discord, but he appeared to be injured badly from some battle. As soon as we met him I got the feeling that we shouldn’t trust him, but we couldn’t just leave him there to die so Luna and I, using magic of course, carried him back to the castle to get him the medical help he needs. When we got back to the castle everyone was losing their minds with worry about Luna and I because we had been gone so long, That Discord fellow is heavier then he looks. After we got the top medical ponies in the capitol to work on him, we had to explain to Tia what happened. As you can probably guess she was not too happy but was understanding of why we had to help him.
It took the Doctors a couple days to find and fix every problem they could in Discord. After Discord was fixed up the doctors told him to stay in bed for a few days to make sure everything heals properly. For the next few days I came by to check on him once a day, on the third day I asked one of the doctors if anyone had been to see him, she told me that my sister Tia has been spending several hours a day with him. I asked if Luna had come to visit him and she told me that his only visitors are myself and Tia. I thanked her and asked that she keep me updated on how long my Tia would visit with him, because as I stated before I didn’t trust him. Later that same day I asked Luna her thoughts on Discord, and she told me she also felt he couldn’t be trusted.
After this revelation I was even more nervous about him talking with Tia. After a couple more days I found out that she had been spending even more time than before with him so I decided to ask her about it. When I did she got defensive and lashed out at me. I was, understandably, shocked that she reacted this way. I mean we weren’t as close as when we were kids but……. We are still twins and that has to count for something! Doesn’t it? After I got over the shock of Tia’s reaction, I asked again what did she discuss with him. With this second asking she got angrier then before, and when she did I noticed her eyes started to glow with a green light, but as quickly as it came the light was gone. This time she ordered me to drop it and I, deciding that then was not the appropriate time for this, did as she asked but I made a mental note to talk this over with Luna that night.
After our nightly ritual Luna and I talked, and after I told everything that had happened she told me that she had noticed Tia acting strange as well, mumbling to herself, and other strange things. After that talk we decided to spy on Discord from outside the window of his privet room. When we got there we heard him talking with Tia. Luna almost gasped but I held one front hoof up to my mouth indicating for her to not make any noise as we listened to their conversation. The conversation started out innocent enough but as we listened we heard Discord tell Tia not to trust, that we wanted to over through her and rule ourselves. The way he said these words…. I felt magic in his words, powerful magic. The kind that, if it was directed at you, you would fall victim too without much fight. With these magic infused words he convinced our sister to turn on us. As we listened I saw Lunas eyes well up with tears and I felt mine do the same. Luckily for us Tia left pretty quickly after that, so we used the opportunity to get into Discord’s room and confront him.
We burst into the room and found him sitting in a chair as if waiting for us. When he spoke to us he told us he knew we were their but he didn’t want to spoil our “fun” as he called it. After that it took all my power not to try and tear him apart right then ,but I knew that if I did that Tia would be lost forever, so I told Discord he wouldn’t get away with what he had done to Tia. Then Luna and I flew out the window into the night, as we did this we heard him laughing, that laugh will haunt me for the rest of my days. After we put, what I felt was, enough distance between us and the castle we stopped to make a plan. We knew we had to get Our Tia back from that monster. We talked it over and decided to go to Star Swirl the Bearded for help, and after a little rest we took off for Star swirls house.
We got to Star Swirls house by the next morning, and as I told him what had been happening I let Luna sleep for a couple hours. As I told the old unicorn the story he grew more and more worried. When I finished he told me he had a theory on who, or should I say what, Discord is. Star swirl told me that he, based on my story, is almost certain This Discord we have been dealing with is THE Discord. He could tell by the confused look on my face that I had no idea what he was talking about, so he went over to one of his many bookshelves and got what had to be the oldest book in history, the spine was cracked from repeated use and the pages were so aged they may have been part of the first batch ever made by pony kind. He brought the book over to the desk and, as I looked over his shoulder, opened it to a page that a drawing of the creature that had brainwashed Tia on it.
When I saw the picture I gasped and Star Swirl looked at me knowingly and nodded like he understood. Then I concentrated on the words on the page. As I read them my heart climbed up into my throat making hard to swallow. I could hardly believe my eyes, this creature Luna and I had helped was the embodiment of chaos. After I finished reading I stood there in shock trying to think of a way to save my sisters from this evil.
After what seemed like an eternity I finally got the courage to ask Star Swirl how do we stop Discord and get our sister back. The old unicorn thought for a moment then ran to another bookshelf and got another book and in this one he showed me something called the Elements of Harmony, and with them we can vanquish any evil. Hearing this got me excited, but then a very important question dawned on me. What happens if we use them on Discord but Tia is still under his spell? The old unicorn was quiet for a few moments then told that if that is the case you must try and talk her down but if you can’t you must use the Elements on her too.
Hearing that brought tears to my eyes, and I cried. After I was able to compose myself again I asked him if he could help us do this, and he said he would. After this I woke up Luna and told her everything we talked about, leaving out the part about using the Elements on Tia. We packed supplies for the trip and we, Luna and Star Swirl and myself, set off to find the Elements.
After a couple days of searching, we found the location of the Elements. A place called the Everfree Forest, which is by this small town called Ponyville. When we got there we walked to the center of the forest we found a pit and within the pit we found an odd looking tree. When we walked up to it I noticed the tree radiated a similar power to Discords but I felt like the opposite of his. As we stood there Star Swirl consulted his boo on how to get the Elements, but somehow I “knew” that if I touched to trunk I would get what I needed, so I did.
At first nothing happened then the ground shook, then different parts of the tree itself opened like doors and six gems came out of the tree each gem a different color. As we were getting ready to leave we heard two familiar laughs, one belonging to our dear sister Tia, and the other belonging to the monster that stole her from us. Discord was the first to speak say, how he told her we would betray her and that we were going to use the Elements to depose her. Before he could say more I Tried to tell Tia the real plan, about how we are going to use them on Discord not her and how he is distorting her mind, but I couldn’t get through to her.
Luna and I exchanged looks and we nodded, knowing what needed to be done. Somehow we just knew, like the Elements were telling us how to use them. We stood together facing Discord, and all of a sudden the elements started floating around us spinning faster and faster until we started floating without even lifting a feather. When the elements became a rainbow colored blur around us an actual rainbow shot out of the elements and towards discord, when it hit him he started writhing in pain then as quickly as it started it stopped in a puff of smoke, and when the smoke cleared there was a statue of Discord and it looked like it was in pain too, but we quickly realized that the statue actually was Discord. The element turned him into a statue.
After this we looked around for Tia, then we found her on the ground right under where she was. She was unconscious. As I tried to wake her up I hoped beyond hope that she was herself again. Sadly this was not to be. As soon as she came to she attacked me. She started shooting spells wildly. As Tia and I fought I tried to get through to her, to bring her back, but nothing I tried worked. I then knew what I had to do so I locked eyes with Star Swirl hoping he would understand, and he did. As soon as we brock eye contact he grabbed Luna and got her out of there so she wouldn’t have to see this happen. As we fought I noticed that Discords influence had given her more power than usual, so I knew this would be a tough fight but it was one I had to win.
I kept getting hit by her magic I could feel my life slipping fast so I knew I had no choice I used the elements on Tia, and you should know doing this was the hardest thing I have ever done. As the elements spun this time I thought about saving her, sending her somewhere she could become her old self again. As I though this I got the feeling the elements were listening. Because this time when the rainbow hit it took Tia up into the sky and they both disappeared. I don’t know where she went but I hope she can return to her old self and come home. After this I turn to follow Star Swirl and Luna but I take one maybe two steps and collapse. As I try to stand up I realize that I can’t, my body won’t let me. And as I lay there I start to concentrate all the power I have left into a last hope to save my life, and in a flash of blinding light I transform myself into a constellation in the night sky.
I know this is a lot for you to believe, but please delivery this to Princess Luna in the Capital. I hope you do and I ask that if you aren’t Luna please stop reading here.
Now Luna I wanted to tell how sorry I am that I left you alone, please forgive me. Also I used up a lot of energy getting this letter to Equestria but I will continue to regain my strength so that I can rejoin you, and Tia hopefully someday,
I love you little Sister
Your big Brother Astrum."
After reading the letter for what had to be the millionth time in the thousand years since that day the princess of the night folded the letter and placed on her bedside table. "huh" she thought to herself "it has been exactly one thousand years since that day, i wonder..." with that thought there was a knock at the door. This being her private chambers it could be any one of only a few ponies who would be knocking on her door so early in the morning and she thought she knew who it was. As the second knocks sounded she said "You may enter". As the door opened the princess said, assuaging that it was her longtime student and friend Twilight Sparkle, "Now Twilight i gave you the day off shouldn't you be sleeping in today, after all it is 7:00 in the morning."
But it was not Twilight as she had thought but Twilight's brother Shinning Armor ho was also the Captain of the guard who entered the room. " I apologize princess but i am not my sister." after a short pause shinning Armor continued " I do however have very important information that you will find very interesting."
"What happened, did something happen at the site?" asked a very excited princess.
" Yes your majesty. A stallion fitting the description of your brother appeared there overnight. When I discovered him at dawn I immediately got the doctors to take him to the medical tent and then came here to tell you."
Suddenly very nervous, the princess asked " Is he alright? Was he hurt badly when you found him?"
"Not badly princess, but when i found him he was unconscious but seemed to be fine except for some minor surface injuries,and when the doctors got there the confirmed my thoughts. But I still wanted the doctors to watch him until we got back."
"Thank you Captain I appreciate your diligence in this matter. Now i want you to tell your sister this and tell her to pack and meet meat the airship dock as soon as possible." princess Luna said.
"Um...about that. on my way here i ran into Twily and she got me to tell her everything, she can be very persuasive, I am very sorry princess" said a very red and very embarrassed Shinning Armor.
"Ha ha ha"laughed Luna "do not worry yourself Captain i am not upset, your sister has a way of getting what she wants in a way that even I don't fully understand, now go tell her to pack and meet me at the airship dock as soon as possible"
"Yes ma'am" Shinning Armor said with a small smile and a salute.
After getting herself ready Luna made her way to the Airship dock ready for what was to come.