Apprentices to Different Masters
The sound of pattering hooves approaching the doorway to her private study caused the mare to look up from the piles of paperwork poised to either side of her on the burnished mahogany desk.
The sun was no longer streaming in obliquely through the windows as it had been when she had started earlier that morning, but now it was around midday and the sun’s warming rays beat straight down, making the room look a lot darker. She had been at it far too long, she suddenly realised with a tired sigh, and although she did not encourage interruptions, her unannounced visitor would at least provide the opportunity for a welcome break.
A pink maned alabaster filly burst through the doorway, clearly with something she wanted to get off her chest.
“Mommy, I don’t think Lulu loves me anymore!” she whimpered, staring up sorrowfully at her mother through soft lilac eyes, “I want to play with her, but she keeps saying she wants a nap. She never used to be like this; why doesn’t she want to play with me anymore? Have I upset her? Is she alright?”
Having released the volley of questions, she suddenly noticed that a part of her mane had fallen across her face, and extended one side of her bottom lip, blowing upwards in an attempt to try and clear the few errant pink strands away from her eyes. Her actions were more comical than effective, making her mother chuckle softly, before she got up from the desk and came round to meet her daughter, extending a maternal forehoof to brush the wayward mane back to a semblance of tidiness.
Disengaging her mind from the affairs of State that had consumed her morning, the regal mare turned her thoughts to the innocent lilac eyes that were waiting expectantly for an answer.
“Have you ever noticed when you stay up late how your sister seems to get more awake?”
“Um, yes. I suppose so” replied her daughter, leaning her head in and closing her eyes to accept a gentle stroking from her mother, “Lulu does seem to like playing pranks on me when I get sleepy.”
“So, she’s a bit like you when you get up in the morning?” came the reply.
The filly did not answer immediately, but instead closed her eyes in sublime delight, sighing contentedly at the delicate touch. She rocked her head slightly backwards and forwards, then round in small circles manoeuvring the point of her mother’s hoof to just the right spot between her ears, where it placated an invisible itch that her mother somehow knew, through the unspoken magic of maternal intuition, needed her attention.
“Um … what was that again …?” she asked dreamily.
“You, Celestia, like to play pranks when you get up, don’t you?”
“Maybe occasionally …” she answered a little guiltily, feeling suddenly caught in the spotlight, a soft pink colouration spreading slowly but inexorably across her muzzle.
“Make yourself comfortable” the mare invited, kneeling down beside her, “And I’ll tell you a story.”
In response, she tucked her forelegs underneath her and snuggled down, looking expectantly up into her mother’s eyes, eagerly anticipating the prospect of some quality time together.
“Do you like winter?”
“Yes, Mommy”
“Can you tell me why?”
“I like playing in the snow and ice skating, and having all my friends round when we have parties during the long nights …”
Her mother chuckled softly and let the outpouring of happy memories continue before she interrupted, “What about summer?”
“Oh, I like that too because of the long days, and all the pretty flowers, and the baby animals …”
“And if you could only ever have one of these seasons, which other would you choose to banish?”
Celestia wrinkled her muzzle in concentration and opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it again, clearly rethinking the answer she was about to give. As the silence continued, the look on her face changed from being merely quizzical, to becoming more vexed as she pondered whether she could ever truly be happy losing either one.
“I don’t know, Mommy” she said at last, “I can’t choose. What is the right answer?”
Her mother smiled back softly and replied, “There is no right answer. You see, the two rely on each other. The land has to rest over winter to bring forth new life in the summer; we could not thrive if both did not work together in harmony.”
“That makes sense” pondered Celestia, still wearing a look that said she didn’t quite understand where this was going.
“When you were born, there was an alignment of stars and planets, the like of which has never been seen before. Naturally, we were concerned as to whether this was a good omen or a bad one, and if so, what we needed to do about it. Fortunately, the Royal Court was blessed to have the services of the most gifted unicorn for many generations …”
“That would be Star Swirl, wouldn’t it Mommy?” Celestia chipped in.
“Yes, the very same tutor you and Luna have now. He reassured us that this sign was the foreshadowing of a great and positive event, and that it would involve the two of you. Although he tried hard, he was unable to find out what it could be, but it was exactly one year later at your first birthdays that a clue to the prophecy was finally revealed.”
“What was it?” Celestia asked in rapt attention.
“Well, it was dusk on the day of your birthday celebrations. Star Swirl suddenly froze in the middle of the party and his eyes went white. A stream of magic flowed from his mouth and swirled around him as he stood up on his hind legs …”
“What happened then?” gasped Celestia raising a forehoof to cover her gaping mouth.
“We were all worried how big the ball of magic would grow and hoped that Star Swirl would be able to keep it from doing any harm, so stood back to give him space” continued her mother, “But before it got out of control, it separated out into two streams, one gold and one silver, each directed to one of his outstretched forehooves, where they built in strength before finally shooting out like lightning bolts.”
“Where did they go?”
“Can you not guess?” replied her mother with a cheeky wrinkle forming on her muzzle.
“Tell me …” said Celestia tentatively, eager to know, yet equally scared about what the answer may contain.
“The silver one went off to join with Luna and the gold one came to you. Star Swirl later told us that in that moment, the sun and the moon reached out through him to claim two champions to protect all the creatures that call this land home.”
Celestia froze spellbound, her eyes as big as saucers, trying to imagine the scene and what the prophecy meant to her.
“You see” continued her mother with a wistful look in her eyes, “When you were younger, you were free to make friends with each other and learn to appreciate the world around you. In this way, you could both grow to understand the importance of how the opposite forces around us relate to one another and provide balance across all things. You can now see that although your futures will take you on different paths, how the two of you will come to carry equal responsibility for the future of ponykind.”
“Does this mean we aren’t going to be able to play together anymore?” she asked, bottom lip drooping into a sad pout.
“It means that your relationship with your sister will slowly change into one less physical and more spiritual. You will still love each other, but in a different way …”
“But I like it the way it is, the way it’s always been …” Celestia asserted, tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes.
“The moon has chosen your sister and calls to her in the same way as the sun has chosen you. She cannot help but be drawn to follow, and this means she is starting to find her home in the night as you have already found yours in the day.
“But” Celestia protested, “That does mean I won’t see her again …”
“No, not at all” her mother reassured, “It just means that as she starts to work on her studies at night and you focus on yours during the day, you will come to appreciate the time you can share at dawn and dusk, when sun and moon are at the same strength.”
Celestia looked up quizzically, so her mother provided a further ounce of comfort, “But that won’t happen just yet. For now, just be patient as your sister will need to take naps around midday; how do you think it would feel being woken to play at midnight?”
“That’s fair … I suppose” she acquiesced, “But what is this good thing we are going to do?”
“It is difficult to see how you will be able to fulfil your destiny at the moment” said her mother sadly, “Given that the three tribes seem to be at war with each other. But perhaps in time they will come to see that peace is better for everypony, and then we may have a clearer view.”
“I hope so” said Celestia, “Wars between ponies are silly. We’re all the same, well, except perhaps for wings and horns.”
“I agree” said her mother, “However the fates decide that your future is to unfold, you can be sure that you will not be walking that path alone; your sister will be by your side to support you, as I'm sure you will be there to support her."
A gentle clip clopping of hooves from the doorway caused them both to turn their heads to see a sleepy looking Luna coming to join them.
“What’s going on?” she asked drowsily, “Are you still sad because I fell asleep, Tia?”
Their mother looked at Celestia and said nothing, but waited for her reaction.
“No, not at all Lulu” she replied, “I was just telling Mom how lucky I am to have such a great little sister.”
Luna smiled sleepily and opened her mouth in a wide yawn before laying down next to her sister, leaning into her soft fur and closing her eyes with a contented smile on her face. In less than a minute, Celestia heard her little sister’s breathing turn into a soft snuffling sound and knew she was asleep again.
Celestia turned her head just enough to give her sister a gentle kiss, then closed her eyes and nuzzled softly into her too.
“Yes” thought their mother, her pride evident in her gentle smile, “Whatever the future holds, you will be facing it together.”