Author: psychicscubadiver
Editor: Silentcarto
Proofreader: Coandco
Story Image by: Silentcarto

Disclaimer: I don’t own Firefly or My Little Pony, that is Joss Whedon and Hasbro, respectively. This is a fanfiction that portrays MLP characters in a ‘Verse very clearly based on Firefly. Shake well and enjoy.

Prologue: Once Upon a Time...

Long ago there was a magical land named Equestria. It was an amazing place where everything was perfect. The sun always shone, crops always prospered and everypony was happy. This land was ruled by two immortal Alicorn Princesses: Celestia, the bringer of the sun, and Luna, the ruler of the moon. Under their care and wisdom, ponies grew numerous.

Too numerous. In a short time, the prosperous cities were overcrowded and when gleaming new metropolises were raised they filled up even more quickly. Equus, their planet, groaned under the weight of so many souls, unable to support such numbers forever. Content in their happy lives, the ponies didn’t even realize until it was too late.

Politicians proposed everything from regulating births to strict rationing and government control, but none of their plans would work quickly enough. There was too little time left. The situation seemed hopeless, but it was the dreamers, the ponies that many considered mad, who saved them all. They dreamed of worlds beyond their own, new planets full of promise. Many laughed at such fantasies, but the Princess of the Night listened. Alone she sailed into the void, protected by magic beyond that of any mortal pony.

She could not go far, as both she and her sister were bound to Equus, but her sight was keen and at the very edge of her vision she spied them: empty and waiting planets; worlds where more ponies could prosper. She returned triumphant, and every factory and forge in the land bent its efforts toward building vessels that could travel between the stars.

The task was not an easy one, but the ponies were hard workers and they gave this project their all. The Princesses used Alicorn magic, the strongest magic in all of Equestria, to lay the enchantments that powered each starcraft. Millions of ponies and a great assortment of other species boarded the ships, preparing themselves for the new lives that awaited them.

The farewell was tearful, for it would take nearly a century to complete the trip and none of the ponies sleeping in their great ships would ever be able to return to the world of their birth. But nonetheless, the brave pilgrims launched into the unknown, trusting their spells to guide them. It was much later, though it seemed like no time at all to the waking crews, that they had arrived. Colonization of the inner planets was swift, though eventually civilization reached the worlds of the Outer Rim as well.

And then war erupted between the Inner Worlds and the Outer Planets! Space battles with giant dreadnoughts shooting lasers! Pew pew pew! Pew pew pew! And the brave hero Shining Armor leading troops to victory amid cheering crowds! Yay, yay!

………

Twilight put down the book and frowned at her adopted younger sister. “Pinkie, if you want me to read you a bedtime story, please don’t interrupt. Though,” she said with a grumble, “you could have chosen something better than a romanticized history like this. I can’t believe they print such nonsense about the Princesses.”

Pinkie cocked her head curiously her bright curls springing all around. “Huh? What do you mean, Twilight? Everybody knows that Celestia and Luna were the only reason the colony ships were launched.”

Twilight nodded, her brow still furrowed. “I’m not denying that, I’m referring to how often ponies deify them. Equestria really was traditionally ruled by two Princesses. One held the Day Court and the other ruled at night. They’re referenced in historical texts going back centuries. But immortality is just a myth. As Prim Pen wrote, it’s most likely that whenever a pony ascends the throne, they take the name ‘Celestia’ or ‘Luna’ to continue that illusion. The Princess is dead, long live the Princess.”

“What about−” Pinkie tried to say, but her older sister was in full lecture mode now.

“And the story that both the Princesses are tied to Equus is just a clever explanation for why they can’t ever appear in the Confederation, protecting the mythos built around them from being disproven. In fact−”

“Oh really?” Pinkie asked, her eyebrows bouncing up and down almost as much as the rambunctious filly it was attached to. “And what about how they raised the sun and moon, defeated the lord of chaos, and all the other stories about them?”

Twilight snorted. “Legends grow up around all historical figures. Surely, you don’t believe that Gorge Washer weighed ten tons, ate steel for breakfast, and could shoot a pony from three thousand yards away?” Twilight asked. Pinkie giggled, which made her older sister sigh. “Maybe you do. I’m not trying to be mean, but you understand celestial mechanics even better than I do. Solar systems are heliocentric, not geocentric. Raising the sun is impossible.”

Pinkie’s pout said otherwise, and Twilight could practically hear the ingenious little wheels spinning in her head as Pinkie began to calculate how to form a system that could let Princess Celestia raise the sun.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather hear an article from Scientific Quarterly?” Twilight offered, shutting the book Pinkie had picked out.

Pinkie stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry, mathematics momentarily forgotten. “No way! Those are boring. Besides, their stories are skewed due to a need to capture interest among their subscribers. If you check the journals in which the original studies are published, you’ll find that very few are as conclusive as they are presented in SQ.”

Twilight rolled her eyes, “All right you little genius, would you like me to read you some abstracts from a journal? They certainly help me get to sleep.”

That caused a fit of giggling between the two sisters and the old book was set aside. After their laughter wound down, Pinkie’s mood turned somber and her normally poofy mane seemed to flatten. “Do you think Shining gets to read books before bed at Officer Candidate School?”

Twilight tried to continue smiling, but the reminder of their elder brother’s absence made her cheerful front difficult to maintain. “Maybe, but he has more important things to worry about.”

“But everybody says the war’s almost over. Won’t they let Shining go once that happens?”

Twilight sighed. “I hope so, but either way, you need to get to bed, little miss. We’ve both got school in the morning.”

Pinkie gave a short salute. “Okie dokie, Dr. Sparkle,” she said before wiggling herself back under the covers.

Twilight smiled and leaned down to nuzzle her sister, giving her a small kiss on one cheek. “I’m not a doctor just yet; I’ve still got to pass the licensing exam and complete my residency. But you know what? I’m certain that someday you’ll be something even greater than a plain, old doctor. Goodnight Pinkie. I love you.”

Pinkie yawned like the adorable little filly she was and snuggled deeper into her comfy bed. “Love you too.”

Twilight paused at the door and turned out the light. She would have liked to have gone to bed herself, but there was still too much to do. Ever since their parents had died in the line of duty, she had been the one in charge of the household. Shining was terrible with finances, and though Pinkie was more capable than her age would suggest, Twilight couldn’t bear forcing her sister to slog through that kind of paperwork.

With a sigh she set to work, sorting through bills and other junk. It looked like the usual fare, or so she thought until something caught her eye. At first she thought it was a brochure, but closer examination showed it to be an invitation, and a personalized one at that, for the entrance exam to a private school.

Blue Sun Academy? Twilight thought, trying to remember if she had ever heard the name before. The invitation touted various awards and accomplishments the school had achieved, claiming that the Academy was the place for gifted colts and fillies. The top ten percent of the testing class were even given a full scholarship.

Twilight stared at the small slip of paper for a long time. She knew that Pinkie wasn’t being properly challenged, even though she attended the best private school in New Canterlot. And there was only so much Twilight could do to keep her interested. This seemed to offer the perfect solution. Even though they were hardly hurting for money, the chance for Pinkie to get a full scholarship – Twilight was certain she’d be in the top one percent of any class, much less ten – was a nice incentive, too. The only hitch was that the school was off planet, and Pinkie would have to live there until she graduated. Twilight knew she couldn’t go without her sister for so long. She balled the letter up to toss it in the trash.

The garbage can was right next to her. It would have been easy to throw the paper away, but Twilight stopped. She was being selfish, wanting to keep Pinkie all to herself. They could still exchange letters, and this would give Pinkie the chance to finally spread her wings, so to speak.

Twilight carefully un-crumpled the invitation and began reading it again. Pinkie could decide for herself whether or not she wanted to go, and Twilight would support whatever decision her sister made. Nodding to herself, Twilight pulled out her organizer and marked the date of the test. Regardless of her own feelings, Pinkie deserved the benefits this school could offer her. Twilight had to do what was best for her little sister, after all.