Chapter 16

The Real Hero

Celestia, Luna, and Night Shade immerged from the forest expecting to see The Defiler and Nimph but with adrenalin still flowing through their bodies, they hadn't notice that they were both gone.

“Sister, Where did she go?" asked Luna, looking around for any signs of either of them. "Where is The Defiler?”

“I don’t believe it,” exclaimed Celestia coughing. “She did it…She did it!”

“Yeah? But where is she now?" said Luna, starting to get worried. "Where’s mom?”

“I’m here Luna,” came Star Bright's voice as she flew over and nuzzled her husband.

“I think, the counter spell is behind that,” said Night Shade walking over to the symbol in the ground to examine it. “This is very strong magic. Very dark too. How could she have known how to cast such a powerful spell?”

“Star Swirl…” said Celestia out loud.

“What was that?” asked Night Shade.

“Star Swirl,” repeated Celestia. “Nimph told us that she was Star Swirl the Bearded’s apprentice. I guess she wasn’t lying after all.”

“I see,” said Night Shade glancing back at the symbol. “So the old caster did know his way around dark magic after all.”

“Night Shade, it isn’t over yet!” said Star Bright noting the forest fire behind them.

“Right, now how do we put out this much fire?” quested Night Shade also looking at the fire.

“Your Highnesses!” shouted a voice approaching them.

Snap Shot came swooping down to meet them and when he landed he bowed, panting as he said between breaths; “We have… A way… To put out… The fire!”

“There’s no time to loose Snap Shot! Show us!” Night Shade said urgently.

Snap Shot nodded to him and pointed his hoof up in the direction of the castle. Teleporting their way back to the city, the royal family followed Snap Shot to where the rest of the Canterlot guards and the citizens stood. They were gathered around a deep line they had made. It spread from where they stood to the edge of the cliff.

“There’s more of that nearing the top of the mountain your majesties!” said Snap Shot looking important. “Nimph told us where to start digging and by the end of it, we came up with this!”

“And this will help in what way?” asked Night Shade.

“That’s where you come in, we need somepony to release the water up there!”

He pointed his hoof up at the peak of the mountain where the lake was.

“Do that and let the trail we dug do the rest!”

Wanting to waste no more time, the Alicorns teleported to the top of the mountain where they reappeared by the edge of the cliff. Celestia reached the lake first and tried to remember what she and her sister had learned about casting water spells. Night Shade and Star Bright looked over the edge to see the path made for them by the ponies of Canterlot. Star Bright flew around the peek finding spots that would be ideal to release the water trapped within the mountain. Finding a spot, her horn glowed and she began to tare away at the rocky shell. Water began to leak from the cracks being made and soon a hole was made! Water came pouring out and flowed down the mountain becoming a small waterfall. Celestia and Luna approached the lake and focused their magic. Together, they began to control the lake’s surface as a wall of water shot up and staid stationary.

“Where do you want us to drop it dad?” asked Luna through gritted teeth.

“Over here!” said Night Shade lifting himself off the ground and guided his daughters to the mountain’s ledge. “Ok. A little more! Good!”

Celestia and Luna released their spell and not a moment too soon either. The wall of water came crashing down and spread across the mountain’s peak! The trial led the gallons of water down the mountain and just as planned, the guards saw the newly formed river come into sight crashing into the hole they had made. It quickly filled up and the rest of the path that had been made led the rising water right over the cliff and fell down to the forest grounds below. Another large bubble of water floated passed them as the Alicorn guiding it came to a stop at the burnt ground at the mouth of the forest. Star Bright released her spell and the body of water came crashing to the ground and spread across the forest putting out the fire! The rest of the ponies that were once hiding underground came out to lend a helping hoof! Pegasi flew to their queen and formed rain clouds that covered the expansion of the forest fire. Hopping on the newly formed moist clouds, the winged ponies made rain fall down on the flames below. Once the fire was extinguished the Pegasus congratulated each other and the rest of the ponies in the city cheered in celebration! The river formed from the mountains had made a large waterfall over the edge of the cities cliff. Making sure that the river staid flowing, Celestia and Luna carved away a trail for the lake to follow at the top of the peak. When they landed in the city, their friends who cried out in delight embraced them.

“You did it Celestia!” boomed Wind Chime. “You did it!”

“Nice going you two!” said Tick smiling broadly.

“Yeah, never doubted you for a moment!” said Tock winking.

“Lets not forget who helped the guards with making the river!” said Black Wood proudly. “We earth ponies are very useful when it comes to stuff like that!”

“Your right about that!” said Snap Shot coming into view from the crowd. “We couldn’t have done it without you guys!”

The overcast lifted and the Pegasus ponies along with Star Bright flew back to the cheering ponies of Canterlot. Celestia and Luna made way past the crowd and flung themselves at their parents. Realizing what they have done a little too late, they let them go and stood proudly looking up at them. Blushing slightly Celestia cleared her throat and tried to act more restrictive as a princess.

“Princess Celestia,” said Star Bright warmly to her oldest daughter.

“Princess…” repeated Tick with a knowing smile.

Luna grinned sheepishly as she and her sister were met with smiles and grateful bows from the Royal Guard and the city’s inhabitants…

“Wow!” said a white unicorn filly in aw. “What happened next?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” said a yellow filly sitting next to her. “Princess Celestia and Luna became Princesses of Equestria after that!”

“Indeed they did!” boomed Oliver closing the ancient book which page was now on the next chapter in the two sister’s lives. The crowd that grew in the day began to talk amongst each other. Some of the older ponies were dabbing their eyes with tissues while others were paying so much attention to the story that they hadn’t realized that it had finished. Celestia and Luna looked at Oliver, giving him a kind nod of appreciation.

“But Oliver, what ever happened to Nimph after that?” asked an earth pony from the crowd. “Did Princess Celestia or Luna find a way to bring her back?”

“Allas no,” said Oliver sadly. “Poor Nimph, like Princess Beatrix had sacrificed herself to make sure The Defiler stayed in his prison.”

“That poor child,” said a mare from the crowd. “I hope she and her family are ok.”

“They are,” said Princess Celestia reassuringly.

At once all heads turned to her and her sister.

“It was hard for us to tell them what had happened, but it had to be done. At the time Rose didn’t understand why her aunt had left them and her parents weren’t sure how to brake the news to her.”

“She did find out right?” asked Twilight her ears down and expression worried.

“I suspected that she caught on or had suspected what had happened to Nimph, but at the time I didn’t know how to tell Rose what had become of her aunt so I said; and if my memory is right, “Don’t worry, where ever your aunt is, she won’t be alone.”

“The story you all have heard before may have stated that my sister and I were the ones that saved Equestria,” began Luna. “But that was only with Discord and Sombra. I can assure you all that the real hero of that night wasn’t us. It was Nimph. It was all her…”

Luna felt tears form in her eyes as the memory of the unicorn sent a wave of pity and sadness through her.

“There, there, Luna,” said Celestia wrapping a wing around her little sister. “She will at long last be recognized as a hero. We owe her that much.”

“What about the rest of the ponies Nimph met on her travels?” asked Applejack.

“They were hard to find as it turned out!” answered Oliver. “I can tell you that the writer of this book must of had quite a job on his hooves when he took the assignment! It took him a while to persuade each of them to tell him what they knew, what they remembered. But at long last he had gathered enough information from each pony and was ready to begin the story of the two sisters!”

“We can’t thank you enough for doing this Oliver,” said Celestia appreciatively.

“Think nothing of it your majesty!” said Oliver bowing his head.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in silence as Ponyville had obviously a lot of thinking to go through. After all, until just recently a forgotten hero of Equestria was revealed to them. Celestia and Luna brought the ancient book back to their castle where it would be placed on its very own stool in the library so that any one could find and read it if they wished to do so. Celestia and Luna then decided to go below the castle to the place where their journey to becoming Princesses began. In the darkened room the fountain laid undisturbed. Stained glass windows covering the wall showed the past rulers of Equestria. They smiled up at the two Alicorns they recognized as their parents. Finally they came to one window in particular and bowed their heads in respect to it.

“You were recognized today,” Luna said as she straightened herself up.

The two sisters looked up at the art before them. It showed a burning forest and in the sky an orange unicorn with her eyes closed, arms held out and a black dragon glaring down at her.

“It took some time, but at long last you will be known for what you did,” said Celestia finally coming up from her bow, “And we promise you will be remembered for great things, not the bad.”

“I wish the glass could be up there with the rest of them,” said Luna frowning.

“So do I sister,” said Celestai in agreement. “Maybe, it still can. I'll send a letter to an old friend and see what he can do about it.”

“Yes, I think that would be the best thing to do,” said Luna smiling.

The two gave one last bow to their parent’s before they left. The isolated room that had once felt cold and gloomy for some time didn’t appear that way anymore.

“Now, y’all be sure to come and visit again!” said Granny Smith to the two stallions boarding the train early the next day.

“Of course Ms. Smith,” said Oliver taking her hoof and kissing it.

The old green mare blushed and giggled.

“You still got it yah old kidder,”

“And don’t you forget it neither!” said Oliver happily. “Well, come along Berry!”

“R… Right,” said Berry who had been quiet for the remainder of their time spent in Ponyville.

They waved goodbye to the apple family from their car and once the train was reaching its final remaining minutes until it arrived in Manehattan, Oliver asked his son why he had been so quiet. Berry simply shrugged and thought long and hard about what he had just witnessed his father do in Ponyville. Their family had been the protectors of the Princesses’ book for ages. Passing on from one generation to the next. Each time, the eldest child would tell the story to their children and then they would do the same with their offspring and the family tradition remained… It would remain.

“Dad I need to know something,” said Berry suddenly.

“Go ahead,” said Oliver putting down a magazine he was reading.

“Why did our family keep the book? I mean, why did we continue to tell the story even though nopony else would know about it until now? I always thought it was just a bed time story, you know a myth, a fairytale even.”

Oliver sat up and smiled at his son.

“Berry, a good story rather it be fiction or not deserves to be told. And just like any other story it deserves to live on no matter how few know about it. And in time if luck may have it, the story’s existence will grow.”

Berry didn’t have anything to say to that and he sat back in his seat pondering about what he had just heard. His family for as long as he could remember, had always kept the story of the two Princesses with them. Even though they were the only ones apart from Celestia and Luna to know about it, they were responsible for keeping their story alive. Keeping their story alive… Suddenly Berry understood and saw the knowing smile his father was giving him. Once Berry had dropped his dad off at his house and made his way back to his own, he knew what had to be done.

“Berry!” his wife greeted him with a kiss. “How was it? Your dad didn’t cause too much trouble with her highnesses I hope?”

“No, of course not. Actually, the Princesses were very pleased to see him.”

When he had finished telling his wife what his father had brought to the Princesses, she stared open mouthed at him.

“Really?" she questioned curiously. "I thought you told me that the book was nothing but an overly extensive fairytale.”

“Yyyyes, I thought so too at one point,” said Berry sheepishly. “Is Key Lime around?”

“She’s upstairs painting,” his wife said, still wondering why her husband had this change of heart about the old book. “But, what do you mean you thought so too?”

“It’s a long story,” said Berry truthfully. “But I think I can tell you all about it within a few nights or so.”

And with that, he hurried upstairs to find his daughter working on a painting she had already sketched out and was about to add on paint. She turned when the bedroom door opened and she met her father’s eyes.

“Hi dad,” she said smiling at him before returning to her work. “Did grandpa give the book back to the Princesses?”

“Yeah, he did,” said Berry walking over to look at the artwork his daughter was making. “I hear that you wanted your mother or myself to tell you story.”

“That’s right, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to, I’ll understand if you think mom’s the best at telling them.”

“You know what,” said Berry thoughtfully. “I think I might know just the story to tell both you and your mother.”

Key Lime looked at her father perplexed as to what he could have in mind to tell them. Her first thought was some great achievement his baseball team made or even more practical, a short conversation about how his trip to Ponyville went. Intrigued none-the-less Key Lime wondered what he had in mind. That night after dinner and talking about how his father introduced him to the Apple family, Berry sat his family down on the couch and prepared to tell them all the beginning tale of The Two Sisters.

“Before I begin ladies,” Berry said in a would be mysterious manner. “Are you familiar with the story of the two Princesses of Equestria?”

“Yes,” said his wife. “We do know the story of Princess Celestia and Luna. Key Lime has already heard about it at school and last night I told her the story of “The Mare In The Moon.”

“Well, my dear,” began Berry grinning at her. “What if I were to tell you two that I knew a story that you haven’t heard of just yet?”

“You Mean there’s more?” asked Key Lime looking excited.

“Oh yes, there’s more. What if I were to tell you two that I know of a book that has not just the tale of “The Mare In The Moon” but it also has the story of how Celestia and Luna became Princesses of Equestria?”

“But dad, I thought the book in our school’s library had already told us everything there is to know about Princess Celestia and Luna?” said Key Lime curiously.

Berry smiled at his daughter and remembered the words his father had told a just as curious Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“Ah, well, this story you won’t find in any of your library books...”

Author's Notes:

And that concludes the first in the trilogy of "Princesses of Equestria"! I hope you all enjoyed reading, There will be more stories to come, although, they will be mini stories until I'm ready to tackle another long story like this one or the next part of the (What if story arc.)
So until next time guys, thanks so much for sticking with the story until the end or just dropping by to read one chapter! :)