Missing Pages & Scrawled Footnotes
Chapter 17: Everything Begins [Poetry] [Discord/Celestia]
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by Ice Star
First published
Iceverse minifics. Little bits of world building, style experiments, character pieces, and such dumped in this anthology. Also, stuff I never finished and poems.
A collection of chapters now have readings by the generous Lotus Moon! Please be sure to check it out!
Little bits of world building, style experiments, character pieces, and all sorts of under 1,000 words such dumped in this anthology. I might turn them into larger stories at some point, but not really. No spoilers unless noted otherwise. May also include deleted scenes and discarded first draft snippets as well as one shots that can't stand on their own (but lack proper sequels/prequels) and cancelled stories (if I have any, they'll be moved here)*.
Character tags represent the most recurring characters, however in this case the 'Other' tag merely reflects other canon characters. Each bit takes place in the Iceverse, so your mileage may vary.
Oh, and a warning that this may also contain any of the following (which will of course be noted in the author filibuster box):
*Poetry
*Extensive rambling
*Lore!
*Really short stories
*Dialogue-only drabble
*Experimental poetry
*Potentially unexplained happenings
*Shipping
*Seriously, lots of rambling from yours truly
*Prompts
*Since this is an AU anthology expect plenty of headcanon and utter (possibly) nonsense on my part
*Anything else my mind may come up with (the tags will/might start to reflect this as time goes on) There's an anthology tag for that now, because knighty finally did a good thing! Wow!
*At this point let's leave it at "(Your Ad Here) have mercy on your soul."
Although this is marked as complete, it technically isn't. I just keep it like that for organization's sake. Updates whenever I have writing scraps. If you're looking for missing Luna/Sombra chapters, please check out this story here.
*As will notes about the plot and what would have happened if I continued. This only applies to published stories that ended up cancelled, not discarded drafts. Whether or not the contents of the story is still canon will be noted in the A/N as well as the lack of a [Scrapped] tag.
In History, Maybe [Minific]
Author's Notes:
This bit is really quite simple: a rather dramatic Lost Cities-esque challenge for myself (which I probably failed since I don't think I followed all the rules) starring Rainbow Dash and the remains fallen kingdom of Aerogard. Don't know what Aerogard is? A young Luna mentions all you need to know of the Old World realm in Of Fever Dreams And Falling Stars:
"Somewhere there is a kingdom called Aerogard. Daddy says that is where weather that is not rogue like ours* comes from."
*Everfree weather
In History, Maybe
Everyone|Drama|Adventure
Rainbow Dash stumbles across the remains of a once-great city, only it isn't much of a city anymore.
The clouds were in no rush to cloak the mountains, where snow and fog still veiled each summit. A fleck of blue dances among them, a brief flash of color accompanies this and it too is gone, vanishing into the chilly thin air.
These mountains had names once. They were taller, their great peaks spearing the sky and towering high above the defiant pegasai who dared to surpass them. The wings of the creatures not fit to attempt to brave the heavens where many said they could truly breathe never reached what was even higher.
This is were only the best could soar, right between wherever it was that one's coat began to freeze, becoming streaked with ice crystals and the arias of the wind were replaced by the sparse gasps of one's own breath only for the wails to resume in a heartbeat.
Its size rivaled a dozen islands. The mortals of present times could not construct sixteen scale replicas of Manehatten on the largest cloud-state and even come close to capturing half of its surfaces.
Silvers, pinks, grays, oranges, purples, and blues came before white was even thought of. The city roared and rumbled, held together by the work of millions of pegasai and their gods. They laughed at the griffins in the mountain ranges below whose homes were built upon the rocky veins pulsing with magic. The pegasai may need certain food from below but to live there? They scoffed at the notion.
It was in times like these that a winged warrior like them could fight seven wars in the sky without ever knowing the feeling of the earth below one's hooves.
The mare who comes here today hardly resembles many of the veterans that lived then. Only her spirit is the same. She has come close enough to the mountains to taste rock in the air. Snow tries to cling to her form, but her speed brings only oblivion to the small flakes. Her coat is not bitten by them, only the wind knows her fur.
Their magic was bitter and brutal. Trails color streaked across the sky and it would be laughable to call them ribbons for there was no delicacy to this ability. Colors whizzed across the sky then, and the ones at the front of such comet-like occurrences transported weather to all the lands as well as clashed in a territory that belonged to none but them, for even the dragons and most of the gods preferred frequenting other areas in the sky, never did they live there like the pegasai who had even managed to grow quite a few staples up there in the sky, knowledge which is lost today.
The pegasai, loud, brash, and loyal were the ones who shepherded the weather on long tours across a level where only they lingered. Those of their kind who wished not to follow the more military life did not have to. Some left for the ground, the more artistic of these warriors tried their hooves at crafting weapons, words, and weather. Others became criminals, battling against their brethren as bandits.
It wasn't a life for everypony, but for those who chose it nothing could be better.
She flies down among the mountains she saw. This particular range, a blur of silver and white was halved in the fall. The stone beneath her hooves is almost smooth at points, like the shades of an oil painting, with very little texture to be found.
Of course she won't remember, if any do it all.
Fire burned, and the city-states were no more. Each column and god burned, although maybe not in the same place. Ponies were lost as well and those who were left forgot the fire of strange colors that managed to burn the clouds and bring a dead silence to the sky.
As it fell, soaring to the ground below the mountains not broken by the gods' battle it hit the land where the rainbow mare now stands. It crumbled and sliced, wearing the rocks smooth.
Rainbow Dash is closer to the summit's shadow now, and here she finds a chunk of cloud scarred deathly gray. This rubble is made in the ways of old, which are not even fairy tales to her generation. It was petrified by time and fire.
She holds it in her forehoof. A faint pattern is on it and while it faintly reminds her of Cloudsdale she cannot accurately place the pattern. She knows only that this feels like a sculpted cloud even if the method is not known to her.
There are others like it here, buried beneath it all.
They all had names: the ponies, the cities, the tales, the art. Everyone of them had a name.
And now they are gone.
Frozen In Time [Minific]
Author's Notes:
Another surprisingly simple piece. Tia and Luna out in the snow as fillies. No background needed if you just want to enjoy some Tia POV here. Chronologically between A Blade Of Moon And Stars and Of Fever Dreams And Falling Stars. More Tia and Luna stories can be found here. I did notice that compared to some of my other stories she does have a more childish voice here (it was very amusing to write).
Frozen In Time
Everyone|Adventure|Sad
Celestia remembers an important promise.
We stood out in the wood's edge and looked out onto the plain. Luna was somewhere behind us. It was still early this morning and there was a light snowfall. Perhaps it was around noon, but both Luna and ourself no longer have a clock now that we left the castle. Breakfast this morning was whatever rations were stored away in our packs.
We push away a lock of pink mane that has been carefully brushed for the new day of traveling. Under our cloak, which has been brought out for the winter, We can sense our feathers. Some of them feel quite cold, but fluffy down and thick fur has kept most of the cold's effects away. As for our mane, We had to bring our brush with us when We were packing with Luna. Even though she never brought hers We sit down with her whenever possible and make sure to remove any knots.
It has not been too long since the Everfree Forest was really gone. We have passed through a hoofull of others now but none of them are quite as magical. Now the two of us have reached the edge of a plain not too far away from the Everfree Forest. According to our map we looped around the coastal areas when it got too warm. It could be bad for Luna to have her out so much, especially in the heat. We returned inland only to be snowed upon.
At least Luna seems happy. She loves all the seasons, even winter. We suppose this is a good thing since...well we are both going to be outside so much now...until we find them.
We made a promise, too. Promises means We cannot think about how happy something makes us but how happy it will make Luna and if it is good for her. We always liked to help others but now We have to help Luna all the time because We are a big filly and a princess and big fillies take care of their sisters and princesses are always kind and giving, or at least We think princesses should be kind and giving like in the stories We tell Luna. Hopefully there will be enough ideas in our head to keep her happy, for a long time.
We have to be everything to her, like Mommy and Daddy but somehow both of them and her sister too. This way, when we find them We shall show Mommy and Daddy how good We were to Luna and Luna will smile so much and we can all go home once we find them because they promised to come back and they always keep their promises.
...
Mommy had pulled us aside just before her and Daddy go off on that big important errand. Errands are brief, but they kept talking like they'd be gone such a long time.
We think that Daddy would be here too but since he is not it must mean that Luna is still crying. Normally, whenever Luna cries We are always there to make her happy again unless she was being a baby. We are not a baby anymore so We cannot help her with that but maybe Mommy and Daddy should listen to us more because it takes them longer to cheer up Luna. When We get to cheer up she starts to sing, usually her name for us: Tia, and then we go off to play. Nopony else calls us Tia. Not our parents or our cousins, aunts, and uncles. Nopony. Luna does not sing in front of anypony but us either even though she is very good no matter how much We have to look away and tell her she is not that great.
"Celestia look over here."
We really want to go and help her but Mommy looks so serious and worried. She has the Listen To Me Celestia face on which usually means Mommy thinks that We were being bossy even though We are not bossy. No, no, not at all. Bossy? This filly? We look right at Mommy to prove that We cannot possibly be bossy. Princesses are not bossy.
"Do you know what this trip means for you?"
She sounds really worried. Is it because We were a bit aloof? It is just a trip but Mommy and Daddy are so nervous about this and We cannot imagine why.
"It means We run the kingdom, right Mommy?"
"No Celestia, neither you or your sister are old or educated enough for that."
"Mommy We can read very well, and even though Luna does not know all of the really, really big words she is good at it even if her penmanship leaves much to be desired!"
She gives the Celestia Please Stop Or So Help Us All sigh, or at least that is what Luna calls it because she names everything so we are really just stealing them. No, borrowing. Princesses do not steal.
"That is not what-"
"Mommy what did you mean?"
"Celestia you have to promise to take care of Luna while we are gone."
"Really, is that all? We can do that! After all it will only be a few cycles as the sun and moon go, right?"
Mommy looks at me but We do not know how to describe this look. Oh, if only Luna were here to do so.
"A few months?"
We receive no answer.
...
We turn around, peering back to look for Luna. She walks behind us, her own cape fluttering about. It is now dotted with the very snowflakes she catches on her tongue.
The snow is wet around our hooves and so soft that we both sink right though.
Her laughter is the only sound that matters.
We silently renew our promise before urging our sister onward.
Silent Steps [Minific]
Author's Notes:
No spoilers here, just a bit based on a horse picture and music. The only super in-universe thing in here is the mention of Opal Charm, the queen who ruled before Sombra.
Silent Steps
Everyone|Drama
Cadance recalls a dance she has never been to when she hears mysterious music in the castle one day.
It doesn't matter what time it is or where she was originally walking to. The rhythm of her hoofsteps stops and is replaced by something else. Cadance can feel it in her heartbeat, it whispers in her ears and drifts in the soft, chilly air that lingers in the castle today.
There is music, the faint echo of a melody she has never heard before. A few notes of a haunting waltz drift by, like a phantom.
She pauses by the staircase, at first the princess is unsure of what she hears. The sound repeats itself and the notes ring in the air. Cadance's eyes grow wide. There isn't any instrument in the castle to play music such as this, which makes the waltz even more mysterious.
The sounds and style do not strike her as something one would find in an Equestrian ballroom. It sounds too pure, to clear like the faint cling of smooth, pristine wine glasses when tapped together and the hum that comes afterward. Even if one grips their glass in magic, the hum is still present.
Her hoof taps on the crystal floor, will the music stop when presented with a sound that seems much more physical? It does not.
Slowly and with caution Cadance begins to descend the staircase. Was this once a ballroom? Before Sombra's reign did the crystal ponies dance among Queen Opal Charm after Crystal Faire? Perhaps there was a special holiday that she would re-discover with a quick peek through the history books that survived.
Cadance's eyes fluttered and she thinks she knows what the beautiful sight would look like. Crystalline subjects would whirl about elegantly, their coats gleaming with the light and love they possessed more than any jewels could. The manes of mares would be swept up in jewels and beads and the castle would be spotless. Tapestries would hang just right, undisturbed by the more conservative atmosphere some Equestrian celebrations lacked.
Would anypony remember that sort of ball? Not all the archives had survived and after eight years of Sombra's reign and 1,100 sealed within the ice even Cadance was sure her Crystalline subjects could forgot parts of their own history after all that.
The princess strolled off, the music still in her ears. Even if no such celebration existed, she would start one.
Part Six: Broken Youth [Lost Chapter]
Author's Notes:
JUST YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPOILER WARNING IN GLARING RED TEXT TO KINDLY LET YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY SPOILERS IN THIS PARTICULAR CHAPTER. HAVE A NICE DAY.
The lost chapter of Through The Snow (which you have to read to get this) featuring the one and only Right-Honourable Lord Sombra! Recovered from deep in the depths of my fanfic file folder maze, this incomplete chapter was recently finished for your enjoyment (and cause I wanted to). So have this canon bonus content posted in the scrap/bonus content story compilation.
Random Tidbit: The chapter seen here name was used for the twelfth chapter of The Company We Keep.
Through The Snow
Teen|Tragedy|Dark|Gore
Onyx is a young crystal pony with a twisted mind and a complete lack of foresight. He relishes in the suffering others and has a a distubing chipper attitude. All this is helps conceal his absurd desire for revenge and bloodlust. When he was young Starswirl the Bearded whisked him away from the Crystal Empire with promises of being his apprentice. Years later this led to the one spell that changed Onyx's life and devastated an entire country, and much more.
Sombra is the result of that spell. A young and mysterious unicorn created by a magic almost as twisted as Onyx's mind. Unfortunately, Onyx is now and forever in his mind unable to die or age as they are locked in a constant power struggle and a journey across the Arctic that could claim both their lives should something take a tragic turn.
Notes: In terms of chronology and similar stuff (look how official that is) Sombra is 15 years old, him and Onyx have arrived in the Crystal Empire and it has been usurped (how is literally another story) and Sombra and Onyx (but basically just Onyx because he's the axe crazy one who decided this would be cool) are now the king of the Crystal Empire. (The original note on the chapter was much less eloquent, but has been elaborated here for the sake of readers).
"R-reason one: I was superior to him from the start, so it makes sense that I'll continue to be..."
I swallowed and my gaze shifted from one star to another, all of them glittering against an indigo sky. I was lucky to get a chance to see them. I took a deep breath, hoping to calm down but it came out shaky.
I was lucky to get a chance to see anything.
"Reason two: I'm not an idiot. Idiots don't survive and I know that I will since I'm smart."
I picked out another star in the sky, faintly twinkling. I was sitting on the balcony overlooking this strange country, all was quiet below only a few flames of green-and-purple to be seen but even they were dwarfed by the moon, even though it was covered by a cloud its glow still managed to escape.
Half my world is nothing but black and I'm the only one that knows. I can't ever let it slip and I let the paranoia eat at my mind because it's the only thing that keeps me from another smug retort and whatever deplorable way I'd be maimed if Onyx discovers this.
"Reason three: I know that I'll get through this without losing myself..."
I'm stuck here whether I like it or not unable to run from anything and currently being forced into a life I never wanted while a voice in my head tries to rip me apart from the inside out. It only got worse when he forced this glorified circlet upon my head.
Another swallow from me and I flop down on the cold balcony no longer wanting to count stars or add up reasons any more.
All I want is this to end. I want to be alone forever in a half-dark world as long as I know that it's my own, with no voices and where I'll never see a face other then my own and all I'll ever hear is silence instead of screams. I just want to be my bitter sarcastic self where nopony will ever find me and I won't cry any more and there will be nopony ever again.
A few strands of my mane fall in the way of my right eye, concealing it more then I like. It doesn't bother me, not being able to see out of the left one since I barely had use of it for long. I almost forget what it was like to have use of both anyway.
I reach up to move those strands out of my face before catching sight of my hooves.
The armor on them is covered in blood that isn't mine, which is typical. What's less typical is that I know that I wasn't the one who wielded whatever weapon he choose this time. This time, it was him.
I like the sword. Everything's over so easily with a sword, or at least it is when I use one. I'd have liked to have had my own sword in another time, but I can't have anything but myself and whatever pain is alloted to me. Perhaps it's not as bad as what they get. I don't care, both are awful. He's awful. He likes a knife best because of how he can prolong things.
I'm not the evil one. I'm not the good one. I have to burn it all afterwards. I don't leave that much blood afterwards.
I wonder what it's like, not seeing as much blood as I have without developing a hollow-eyed stare. A pony would do that. I've seen it. Blood is everywhere. Ponies are born in blood, which must be revolting and maybe I'd actually pity them if they didn't have knives of their own, all the things they said about me. I don't care about them, but there's something that isn't right here.
...If for ponies there is lots of blood when a young pony, a foal, is born, does this mean that Onyx is trying to kill me too? Weapons aren't alive, but I'm not a weapon no matter what he says. You don't have to kill a weapon and he's already made it clear that I'm too precious for him to kill, just not in a way I imagine a typical pony would.
My eyes are the color of blood. That's what these crystal ponies say. Well, some of it. Mostly they just scream the most horrible things at me, and I can't quite understand it all. I'm not sorry, but I don't want to do this. I'm not doing anything right but am I doing something so wholly wrong as well? I don't know.
I slam a hoof against the ground and stare up at the darkness.
I would have built my entire world onto the possibility of never having Onyx inside my head.
...Except that possibility didn't exist.
Without Onyx I wouldn't be here. Although I don't need him, Onyx certainly depends on me. Or rather, he depends on having control over me and my currently miserable existence. My life was only brought about by the twisted fantasy of a child. My existence, however miserable it is, was dependent on something other than whatever it takes to make a pony, or any kind of organic life. I'll have to learn what that is some day, if I'm me. There's bound to be something recorded on such a subject. Onyx knows something that appears to deal with the subject, but his knowledge is never without distortion, just like the rest of his twisted mind.
I'm on the wrong end of a metaphorical sword but he's putting all his energy and idiocy into a war he'll never win. He doesn't know that he's fighting a one-sided battle against an opponent that only ever gets stronger, and even though my magic is not infinite he will never compare to me. His only power lies in the bond of the spell and that twisted Book's seduction of such a bloodthirsty mind, and a stupid one as well.
I wiped the blood onto the scarlet cape I wore. The cape of a king. It's not my cape because I'm not the king. I'm not a royal like the tyrant, King Onyx, as he would have styled himself if there was a shred of honesty to him. I'm certainly something above the common lot though, such rebellious potential lies in myself even though I am bound - partially - to what most would consider higher, at least in the superficial social construct of 'status'. It's such a petty thing, really.
Petty, small. Smaller than a king, held as pettier than the royal family. One whose rebellions, however meaningful, will most likely be small.
A Lord or a Lady. That's what I am.
Lord Sombra? Lady Sombra? What's the use in having two different titles for something? 'Lord' certainly has a better ring to it, I suppose. I am Lord Sombra.
I, Lord Sombra, wonder what it's like outside of this place. All the books I've found so far depict an awfully big world most of which isn't even covered in snow, but with mountains. As much as I like snow that possibility sounds amazing - to have something else out there. There's all sorts of history as well, with images of the gods and goddesses and so much literature I can't make sense of, and many blue prints to memorize, but I have a harder way working my way through those since my current reading ability leaves much to be desired. One day, I'll learn.
One day I'll see all that. I told myself I'd live and I would, perhaps I'd become an adventurer. They aren't bound by anything or anypony.
I, Lord Sombra, vow to escape this meaningless struggle for power, counterproductive competition, and needless material 'gain' that others have busied themselves with. I will not be drowned in mindless social pursuits or allow myself to die and be a pawn to those who wish to rule. I will act on my longings to leave such a despicable parasitic relationship if I am able to. I will not act on my best behavior for this monster who thinks his desires rule my own.
I will leave everything, and continue discover the world as it is.
For irony's sake, I am the Right-Honourable Lord Sombra. I'm everything that no pony ever wanted, and I won't bow to anypony, any god, or all who think they can order me about. I will be alone, forever.
Everpony's demon will make every rebellion count, they're like stars, nearly infinite and unique. Each star is a reason I'm better than Onyx and each rebellion will only serve to demonstrate this.
Everpony's demon will act upon this vow in any way that proves tactful and beneficial to himself as soon as he removes his forehooves from his face and ceases crying, shaking under the scarlet robes with blood spattered edges that are illuminated by the moon's light.
I'm the Right-Honourable Lord Sombra, and I couldn't give up even if I wanted to, but it doesn't make me any less lost, no matter how many stars I count.
Equinity [Poems]
Author's Notes:
Some more poems about Luna/NMM and Celly. Horribly depressing. Probably. These never made it into their own full collection like some of my other works. Set some time after Autophobia but before Barr|iers.
Equinity
Sad
Truth
All
is rotting
All
is crumbling
Do you feel trembling?
All
has fallen
The light is out
The Pariah lives on
When you look,
Why do you choose down
upon ponies,
Where you see nothing
but
the dirt where you have fallen?
Yet you have the nerve
to ask,
Why I look above,
Where I can see all,
alone together with the stars.
Over and over
a mortal is born
Again and again
a mortal has died
Time after time
(for all of them, such standard response, nearly automatic)
Yet in your name,
how many tears have I dried?
(a single name, stricken from history, a dusty antique of a memory in my heart's attic)
Lies
Composed, she dons her mask
Expendable is her own welfare
Losing a battle within herself
Expectations of any return smashed
Smiling forever after
Trying to fill the emptiness
In denial, as always
Abhorred by her own actions
Cannot bear to tell any truth
Acknowledge it, even
No longer believes in the Harmony that she preaches
Can't bear to remember any longer
Hollow beneath her coustume
Altering conventions little by little, in her forgotten name
Never wanted to hurt her sister so
Grooms each Faithful Student for a single empty purpose
Even though it is only to reassure herself
Just Weep [Poetry]
Author's Notes:
A poem about filly Celestia during her travels with Luna (for chronology's sake this would have taken place somewhere after Frozen In TIme but before The Dark Side Of The Sun). There aren't really any spoilers here, so go ahead and read without fear of them.
Just Weep
Everyone|Drama
Celestia wakes up in the dark.
Like clockwork—
awaken,
rise from the dirt, fallen star—
alone in the sky that is your world
except for one
brush the vibrant pink veil aside
so you might see her
lying there,
form softened with slumber
white hooves— caked with the world's broken flesh
hide your coveted status
reel within,
at what you've become, sleeping no longer
in the dirt
reach out for your blue companion
and wake her as well
she is not as scared as you
smile upon her, and bestow this light in the dark that you fear
her face is smudged with the dust that cakes her quilts
little child, as bright and alone as ever,
she reaches into the bags next to her—
pulling a brush from the tattered brown fabric,
buckle dull with mud
you do not tell her your fear
little voices whispering in the depths of you,
you smile shakily, having yet to master
perfect composure
and in the dark you count the strokes the brush makes in pale blue
that always finds a way to shine true
unlike, little child — princess no longer — unlike you
you build your mask with care with whatever you can gather
from the world that you feel is hollow
of all but dirt
your smile is as dazzling as the sun that hides the night that you alone fear
and upon your head, as if marking your troubled mind
is dirt caked in the shape of the sun
little child, unmarked and forsaken
lie no longer to yourself
just weep
Arachnae's Loom [Unfinished] [Scrapped]
Author's Notes:
STOP! EXCESSIVE SPOILERS LIE WITHIN THIS EXCERPT-Y THING IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THROUGH THE SNOW, TOMB OF MAGIC, AND OTHER STORIES INVOLVING ICEVERSE STARSWIRL. THIS IS A VERY CONTEXT-HEAVY SCRAP THAT YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD CAPS LOCK HAS KINDLY WARNED YOU ABOUT. PLEASE DON'T READ ANY FURTHER BECAUSE SPOILERS ARE NO FUN! THANK YOU!
What happens when you try to combine crack shipping, villain origin stories, historical drama, lots of lore and even more? This scrapped story, of course! The idea sprang when I was talking with a friend about what Starswirl's youth must have been like in the Tribal Era where everypony was stupid beyond belief. The idea was to take cues from Starswirl's shown traits and write an 8,000 some word story about how he's a freaking prick and why he lives alone in a valley and stuff like that.
Then came the idea to bring in Chryssie. That started because I needed something that would ruin a bit of Starswirl's life (even though he had it coming) to show not only his lack of empathy for anything outside of being the pony equiv. of Donald Trump (in this universe, at least). A problem befitting a Dark Age noble who would have been considered an adult at the time - even though he and everypony else would be far from it - or at least just somepony with a bloodline and money:
Arranged marriage.
And then came the thought of who he would marry. Somepony who didn't want to be pushed around of course! That's how Chryssie was brought in, and it was decided she would become what she is via magic accident after an arguement. Next, I had the idea of bringing in even more conflict to this tragedy to help support how a magic accident so powerful to create the first of an entire race could occur in an age where teleportation was considered a miracle beyond words and Alicorns had been forgotten.
Have Starswirl - who isn't quite what history remembers him as (mostly due to his life and personality being lost to time) - and certainly isn't anypony special or particularly powerful (he never finishes his spells) but is styled as one because society says so meet somepony - pre-accident Chryssie - who is actually hiding true talent and become antagonistic towards them. Yay, life.
And then the first changeling queen or something would happen. This scrap is sorta from months ago so I don't quite recall what the original outline was since if this had gone through it would have been written ages ago.
It was scrapped because the story wasn't flowing very well and that spark I have for pretty much every other story ever was missing. Something felt wrong, so it was discontinued. Plus it turns out, that according to a small bit in Of Fever Dreams And Falling Stars - which occurs hundreds of years earlier - changelings already exist and aren't transformed ponies.
Here were some notes I typed about Starswirl based on how he behaved and thought in various stories and stuff:
-Starswirl ran away as a teenager as shown in Spare Him His Life
-He was from a noble family
-His parents were 'normal' (stupid nobles but not mean spirited or overly racist like he is)
-12 years old in story? Gah, his age is so undefined...
-city-born noble
-privately taught/did not go to a ye olde school of some kind
-Starswirl enjoyed the misery of common ponies as shown in Through The Snow
-Starswirl was a 'scholar' by Tribal standards (read: he's an idiot)
Teen|Tragedy|Romance
[Summary was lost, sorry]
I'm honestly not sure why the romance tag was there. Because crackshipping? Neither of them were even gonna like each other at all, I mean Starswirl's this complete-
You know what? Just enjoy the scrap and I'll stop rambling.
Until next excerpt!
~Icy
There was a single color that defined the world that Aracnae lived in. A gray sky with titanium clouds and silver snow that rained upon a ground where little grew, even when the slush had soaked away. The cold never left this country, so what little crops managed to survive the first wave of snow and ice that caused the few weeks of almost-warmth to submit to winter once again.
Maybe, if there were proper artists whose works felt as alive as their subjects instead of being as flat as their eyes that barely saw what was in front of them, the gray could be nice. Arachnae wasn't a pony who thought this. She was exchanging one manor for another. While this one was bound to have the same gray world surrounding it, and portraits coated with fine layers of ash, it could have other things as well.
It could.
There will be a castle of stone, also gray, to crouch over them all.
It might.
Her mother said there would be better tailors in the capital. Arachnae said some things is response.
It must.
Father had almost disinherited her for those things.
It will.
This arrangement had been set up and it was final, after all. She would leave the dreary manor in the country where she was born
[THE LAST LINE WAS UNFINISHED]
Stay Golden [Unfinished] [Scrapped]
Author's Notes:
A scrapped spoopy story to play with the concepts of:
-blood magic (which is a variation of dark magic in the Iceverse that only the Alicorn Amulet can bestow)
-writing purely spoopy stuff
-all OC stories
-gore that isn't distasteful
-another 'bad seed' character
-motifs (gold and blood)
-spoopy spoopiness and dramatic irony
-a violent and selfish pony just waiting to be corrupted...but unlike another character I have written gets no chance to tell their story from their POV
-my last Spoopy Day story (The Company We Keep) was posted late so I wanted to have one that wasn't posted late, you know?
Maybe one day I'll finish this. Who knows? It was planned to be about 4,000-10,000-ish words and have seven chapters, the names of which I'll put here 'cause why not:
1) Marigold Blueblood (a prologue of sorts, which appears here)
2) Spoiled Rotten (because I must have plenty time to describe how much of a bitch the OC protagonist was going to be)
3) Ruby Red (I don't recall a major outline event for this one as I type it oops)
3.1) I think 3 was supposed to be her getting the Amulet, yeah that
4) Blood Magic (self explanatory)
5) Bad Blood (more moider)
6) Diamonds Are Forever (prolly was gonna have motif I dunno)
7) Ichor (ironic death)
Stay Golden
Teen|Dark|Gore
There's two things the nobility care about... blood and coin.
Also, yes I know the color codes are kinda changing and not the same each time but just roll with it, okay? Sheesh.
Note: 'Pallas' is the nickname of Palladium. Thought I'd clear that up since the text never mentioned it. Whoops!
Marigold Blueblood was a name that nopony wanted to remember, especially the House of Blueblood themselves. On their neat and prim family tree this little flower was nothing but a weed from the start that had cost the brother of the then-current head his place in the household.
But even though Marigold herself was a name that was meant to be forgotten to these uptight nobles for more than just the scandal of her birth, soon Equestria itself would want to curse her name half the time and just beg that she be forgotten the remaining half.
Marigold, like all foals, wasn't born with any proof of what she would grow up to be. Maybe somewhere in her mind was the latent shallowness that had been known to effect some members of the Blueblood house, or it could have been something all her own, which the staunchly moral Bluebloods wished had been the more popular rumor.
Rumors were how all of Canterlot came to know of Marigold Blueblood before she even entered the world and the first rays of light she would ever see touched her wicked eyelids.
The two Blueblood Brothers - as they had been popularly known in their time before the younger's disinheriting. They were two of the stuffiest stallions in the century before the return of Princess Luna at the end of Celestia's Millennium. Palladium was the elder and heir to an ornamental house, only in succession because of an archaic tradition that few bothered to follow. He was average and unremarkable except for the wealth he was surrounded by from the first day of his life. Unlike his younger brother and baby sister, Platinum VII, he was groomed to sit on a large sum of money and whatever gossip passed for politics in the court that only acted as a foil to the crown jewel, Celestia, no matter how much ponies could forget that.
Platinum had yet to grow up and realize that she had been given a gods-awful repeat of a name that only her house would ever praise, as empty as those words would be and about as original as her parent's naming 'sensibilities'.
The middle brother to both, and the younger to the heir Duke Pallas was Rhodium - or Dee for short. If there was anything Dee hated more than anything it was stopping to think about the decisions he made. He was the epitome of recklessness and rash decisions.
How he got through life was a joke among the court and a problem in is family who only hoped that all their efforts would pay off and he'd be responsible and mature at some point with his siblings' help.
With Pallas' help Rhodium was able to convince a sensible and wealthy businessmare to marry him. For Pallas, Platinum, and the rest of the Bluebloods this all they could hope for.
And then Rhodium met Petunia Petals, a young and equally reckless earth pony mare. She was a tourist from the fledgling village of Ponyville. It wasn't long before all of northeast Equestria spat at their names and Rhodium Blueblood was only Rhodium, disgraced unicorn and there was nopony at his side now as news of the first affair in Equestria in centuries.
One year later, Petunia Petal gave birth to a little filly she named Marigold, the false addition of Blueblood hanging after the little filly who was hidden away in the Manehatten streets so nopony would recognize her and her mother, despite the name of 'Blueblood' that followed Marigold. The forest of Equestria was about to meet the blight of the Bluebloods.
But first she had to grow up...
Before I Sleep [Unfinished]
Author's Notes:
This one I really liked...a while after Fever Dreams and as soon as I saw the splendid art I knew I wanted to revisit the setting again. I'll probably finish this one some other time, but for now have this little fragment of a story - a dialogue only story. I wanted Frost to have older sounding dialogue but held that off until the final version I had planned - which isn't shown here.
Spoilers for Fever Dreams. That's it. Only a few minor spoilers.
Before I Sleep
Everyone|Adventure|Drama|Mystery
Frost is a young filly who's unsure of what to believe in her small corner of the world. Life feels so tiring and she knows nothing but everyday boredom in the time before Nightmare Moon. That is, until she meets the Stranger and she embarks on a journey that will change her life forever.
"Uh...? What is that sound? Who is there?"
"It is just Us."
"'Us'? It only sounds like there is one of you."
"...Perhaps."
"Why are you at my window?"
"We could explain, if We were given the time."
"Who are you? Are you my friend or are you a monster?"
"We are the friend of none, or so it seems but We are no monster."
"I cannot see you, would you come in?"
"We might."
"Please?"
"Ah, We suppose."
"Why do you talk that way if there is only one of you?"
"Do you wish for Us to enter or not?"
"I do, please."
"Very well, child. We shall enter, but do not expect to see our face."
"Ah! You are so tall! How did you find a cloak so black to hide all of you? All I can see is your horn."
"As We wished."
"Oh...are you shy? Your voice is so powerful, I did not think one with such a powerful voice could be shy."
"You would be surprised then, by all the things you can find in this world."
"Oh. You do not sound like you like the world."
"Eh, it is not a matter We are willing to discuss."
"Are you going to tell me why you are here now? Please?"
"We shall."
"Uh, thank you. Is that the proper response? Is this a test? Why are you in my bedroom?"
"This looks more like a closet. Small and dusty. Do you breathe well in here?"
"It is my bedroom, or at least the one that I was given."
"We see. Now do you wish to know the purpose of Our visit or not?"
"Yes, but maybe we should be quieter?"
"What is your name, young one?"
"My name? It is Frost. Frosty Meadows."
"And this is your home?"
"No, this is a foster home."
"But you live here?"
"Yes."
"How did you come to live in this foster home?"
"My parents died and nopony respectable wanted me. That is what I was told, at least. I do not know what the big word means."
"It does not have the same meaning it used to, she made sure of that."
"Huh?"
"Go on."
"But that is it. There is no reason I am here other than what the Princess' official said."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Princess Celestia, she rules Equestria and smiles a lot. She likes parties and gold. Every filly wishes they could be her."
"Even you?"
"I have never even met her. This is the uncivilized land. That is what the Princess' officals say."
"It is called a frontier."
"Is your tone always as dry as the desert outside?"
"Hmm. We suppose."
"What is a frontier?"
"Where you live. This land of the cacti, sand, and heat."
"The sun beats down on everypony here."
"Yes, she does."
"What?"
"It is nothing you must know. May I continue my tale? Or should I ask why this 'closet' has a window?"
"I did not build this place. I would not know."
"It seems as if we both found another rabbit hole to delve into. Who do you live here with?"
"The stuffy mare and the strict stallion. They tell me to stay in town and make friends."
"And?"
"They tell me to be like other ponies and dress nice. The first one is because the Princess enforces lots and lots of ponies talking and doing the stuff she says."
"Conformity?"
"Something like that, I think."
"Normalcy?"
"Uh, I do not know that one."
"Status quo?"
"That one. I remember that one."
"It certainly sounds like her."
"Do you know the Princess?"
"There are two princesses."
"I was told of Princess Celestia who raises and lowers the sun."
"Only her?"
"Yes."
"Of course you were."
"Is it some kind of joke to forget the other one? Is she even important? It is so hard to get news down here, in the, uh...'frontier' that it either gets lost or is not very important."
"Oh."
"Are you sad?"
"We-"
"If it is a joke, it must be a mean one. I know a lot about mean jokes."
"We are sorry that you do."
"It is because they say I am not a pony when nopony thinks I'm listening."
"Why?"
"Why do you ask if it sounds like you already know?"
"Please tell Us anyway."
"I am part buffalo. Do you see my big, furry legs? I cannot race with anypony around here, even if somepony let me."
"Are you lonely?"
"Uh...yes. Sort of. I just do not want to be around anypony like this any longer, the ones who say I am not a real pony because my magic is not that good and my legs are not thin or because my gray-mulberry coat is ugly. Everypony here is named for something that can be found within a few miles: the plants, the sun, the river, and the clouds. Those are things that the mares and stallions that praise the sun-mare and wear the heavy cloth name their foals. I have never even seen a frost and I do not know what it is either."
"Are you tired?"
"Very."
"Oh!"
"Huh? What is it, Stranger?"
"Your mane - We see it has streaks of white that flow through it, like it was woven in through the gray."
"When I was a filly, I was caught in a storm with my father's tribe - I do not remember him well, or my mother - but there is still their smiles and laughs in my mind, Stranger. My mother was one of the cloth-wearing ponies - you know the ones who wear not just cloaks but ones studded with shining dew and stars."
"Gems?"
"Is that what they are called?"
"Yes."
"All I remember next is that I was here, in town with a pony wearing bright sunlight on his flanks and head telling me it was by the grace of Celestia I was saved and that the goddess must have blessed my name."
"Did you believe him?"
"I do not know what to believe, Stranger."
"And why is that?"
"I do not feel like I know anything. The cloth-clad ponies say one thing, the ponies who are part sunbeam say another, as did my family, I imagine. The fillies and colts here repeat what they are told and believe it wholeheartedly, but when they speak these things, their words are crueler and sharper."
"What do you tell yourself?"
"Nothing at all, Stranger. I am too tired to believe much."
"And what of Us, the stranger. Do you believe anything We say?"
"I think so, yes."
"Would you ever leave all this, if you were given the chance?"
"I do not see any reason to stay..."
"Then follow me."
...
[STORY ENDS HERE]
Twitch [Original Minific]
Author's Notes:
Eh, this is just some short thing I typed about Luna's life before NMM. It touches on the subject of selective mutism and the silence between Luna and Celestia at the time. Occurs before All the World. It's the minific version of my oneshot Twitch.
Twitch
Teen|Horror
It's very quiet in the castle.
Swallow. Blink.
A deep breathe - the loudest sound she'll make all day. The one that will never be heard. Well, only by her with the midnight coat.
Every day continues. Nothing looks wrong to the average pony - and why would it? They aren't very observant to begin with.
Celestia, with her bright white coat and harsh radiance chatters among them, as if she could lower herself to their level and call herself a pony, no longer content with what she is. She tries to forget and Luna tries to talk.
It's simple, right?
Think of what to say.
Open her mouth.
Speak.
Only it wasn't simple.
Don't talk became can't talk.
Her mind swarmed with details of the everyday, all the little sorrows and joys that bathed in the air around her.
Everything sparkled like glass, so obvious. Unlike her - noticeable. Each day was brighter, each night shunned even more.
Each star a curse.
Mouth open - that was Celestia. Talk, talk, talking. Smiling. Welcoming. Whatever they wanted her to be. She was the sun.
And she burned.
It wasn't that Luna didn't know what to say as hallways passed her eyes and another pony passed her like a ghost, or maybe more like furniture: present but unimportant. What need was there to pay any attention to her?
She knew exactly what she wanted to say. Always, always when she had spoken she had spoken well.
But she knew everything that had to be said.
Each syllable that would sound like thunder to her own ears even if it were but a whisper.
That is what made it difficult.
She could see the road before her.
Going in blind would be far, far easier.
She sits next to Celestia on the forgotten throne. Half the room of stone - sharp angles and dull hues in a neat tomb, imperial beyond beleif, majestic, and properly suffocating - was gold.
Sun-gold.
She blinked in pain.
Yellow flowers knew to keep soft. These banners bled. Her gaze dropped. Every crack on the floor swam in front of her, every speck of dust made itself noticeable.
Luna drew a deep breath just quiet enough not to come across as bored. The noble droned on, ill-chosen words falling from his lips and cluttering the air with their meaninglessness. Each utterance was hollow.
Everypony stood on the side of gold - the only one they could see. They nodded, jewels gaudy. Celestia gave the noble a smile - he must have said something she liked.
Luna's mind dipped beyond noise. Her face a comforting stoic look.
She was surrounded by ponies. Alone.
Alone was but a different way to spell 'peace' for this dark mare. She shifted quietly in her seat, forehooves quietly in front of her, slouching slightly.
Her mind screamed as she watched the mouth of the noble move. Each of his words was wasted, wasted, wasted...
Celestia complimented his presentation, a mask of seriousness overtaking her pursed-lipped smile before she allowed it to widen again.
Luna wanted to cut the strings her sister has burrowed into herself. Blue eyes went unnoticed as they watched the next noble enter, the cacophony and clinks of ill-spent phrases and practised greetings dropping to the ground before he even entered the room. The walls echo with their worthlessness.
Luna's stare widens. She's completely forgotten now, eyes boring into Celestia.
She does not hide their horror, raw and tearing. Celestia gives a kindly smile, veils of subject-centric thoughts narrowing her vision as she is unaware of her shadow's distress. Misery. Panic.
After all, is it not the princess - pretty, loved, popular, following the cues - to make sacrifices? Luna watches as her sister bravely sacrifices the good of one for the mewling silk-clad idiots' attention before her. One over many - it's the sun's way.
Speak, speak, speak, roars the thunder in her mind. Her vision swims.
Every detail stands out, screaming and bright. The glitter of her sister's crown, the lace of her gown. The Everfree palace sparkles with the recent cleaning it has in honor of the new day.
Slowly, Luna tears her gaze away from her sister.
The far wall becomes her focus.
Her heart is steady - this is everyday - and she tries to only listen to that.
It doesn't work - all the sounds and stray vowels that drift through the air find her ears.
Luna almost blinks, to her it feels like a slow movement but she knows it's far quicker.
A faint tic, a twitch that passes the notice of others.
Not a dream.
She can't tap Celestia to catch her attention.
They had made a silent treaty signed with bitterness, stubborn will, and everything between them. Luna still remembers the sound of the screams in their last fight that tore at the mere scraps their relationship had been in then.
Sisters in name only.
Celestia ruled and Luna...
Luna's jaw twitches.
One minute is over.
Swallow. Blink.
There's still many more to come.
Favorable Alignment [Deleted Scene] [Fluff] [Omake] [Sombra/Luna]
Author's Notes:
This was the original opener for Chapter 27. It was scrapped because I didn't feel it fit the story - but I wasn't going to delete it so I put it here instead. It contains spoilers and stuff. Also Sombra's POV. Face it - sometimes we just have to write snarky demons and witty goddesses acting like dorks. This is one of those times.
So it's more of a silly nn-canon/misc. scene I typed when I was really, really tired...
Favorable Alignment
Teen|Romance|Adventure|Drama|Gore
Gods cannot die, so what happened so long ago that ended in the total collapse of civilization?
After many years of unspoken tension mixed with isolated peace those that remained have received the cryptic message many never wished to see. When such events unfold, Princess Luna recalls a desire she thought she had all but buried and leaves Equestria without a word, only to be followed by the enigmatic and arrogant Sombra.
Now Luna and Sombra - whose enigmatic ways have remained undecipherable to every princess so far - try to use what knowledge they have to save the world and themselves.
Luna let the cards fall from her magic onto the deck. The faint gloss on the surface of each one showing under the starlight.
She looked at me with knowing stubbornness and fake contempt. "You cheated."
"I cheated again," I correct with a knowing smirk before giving her one last look at my winning hoof. How lucky I was - Luna was an eager student when I mentioned that I always kept a pack of playing cards in my pocket dimension.
She sighs and tilts her head up to look at the stars. "You certainly are something, Sombra."
Tch. "I would hope so."
"You're lucky I let you cheat at cards!" Luna says, looking me straight in the eyes, if only to fling some of the scattered cards at me - and I let her. My unmoved expression elicit laughter from her and after sitting there, watching her...I feel a small half-smile form. It feels incredibly awkward at first - smiling of all things - but I manage a wry looking one that manages to work well enough.
Luna looks at me with wide eyes when she catches my expression. A card - an ace of hearts to be exact, plucked from the mess around us - is clutched in her magic, already aimed in my direction. Her focus is devoted entirely to me and I know that there's nothing in my teeth and I'm well aware that I'm not bad-looking but Luna's shocked, obvious stare is so obviously amorous and-
Oh...
"You look-" Luna stops for a moment, taking a deep breath and not noticing that she dropped the card she held, "-truly dashing when you smile like that."
I fling one of the cards floating in front of me at her and she yelps.
"Somepony has certainly taken a liking to me."
Luna looks to the side almost immediately. "I have not! It's just that you're..." Luna bites her lip.
"...so charismatic and stunning and you just brush it off..."
Luna stops herself and looks right back at me again. "Stars. Oh stars, oh stars I've got a schoolfilly's-"
I'd say it's a bit more than that but there's no way I'm interrupting something as entertaining as this.
"You know, Luna, you're free to admit I'm irresistible at any time."
Whoops. Too late.
A card soars by my head as I look on with the utmost amusement.
"Fine! I admit it!"
Well, what can I say? It was worth it.
"Do you also admit to owing me an eight of diamonds, since the one you just threw at me went over the rail?"
Luna shoots me a look of deadpan disapproval and sighs again. "Very well, Sombra. You win this round."
"Actually, I won all five rounds we played, thank you very much."
Our eyes meet and my half-smile has grown into an outrageously cocky grin - and honestly, I think it suits me. She picks up another card and throws it at me and it joins the eight of diamonds on its fall.
"And there goes the three of spades."
Luna sticks her tongue out at me and tosses another card in my direction. She's not even trying to hide that she isn't aiming for me.
I watch another one of my cards fly over the rail. She will be owing me a new deck at this rate, but I'll let her have her fun until then.
"I can't say I'm surprised," I mutter to myself, watching each card sail past me, every one of them wrapped in turquoise light as they began their fall.
Tasting Power [One Shot]
Author's Notes:
Formerly published as its own story, this was a style experiment based on a scene in my head. It occurs in the same continuity as my other young Celestia and Luna stories and takes place after The Dark Side Of The Sun but before Ashes.
It also has a review by the Equus Library when it was still a standalone one shot.
Tasting Power
Everyone|Sad
For any pony, learning magic can be hard, even more so when you are a goddess. Perhaps young Celestia's greatest difficulty with magic is the concept of power, something that is mostly unknown to such a little filly who has only her sister for company.
She's about to learn a bit about power today.
The campfire was a problem, probably because it didn't exist as a certain filly wished. Celestia, a young filly with an appearance that was that of a ten year old's and a mane dyed with the light of an aurora so many years ago, looked upon the pile of twigs that huddled a log that was obtained by her younger sister just as the evening sun began to set.
Celestia pursed her lips and stared up at the sickly orange sky; the sun was much farther in its course. The filly cupped her angelic white wings around the unlit fuel, as if she were trying to shelter it.
Her sister was still out searching for the bags she had lost in the snow. Celestia tsked softly, for she knew that 'dropping' the bags that were supposedly lost was just an excuse for Luna to play in the snow that had hit the two wanderers now that they had strayed from the coast.
All the world was still, hundreds of years into their travels and the two little fillies had still not found another equine soul. This greatly bothered Celestia, who missed being surrounded by ponies, but had held her tongue in regards to the subject. Unlike Luna, she didn't like this life of solitude and adventure, but couldn't quite describe her feelings on the subject, which she didn't like to acknowledge. There was no resent for true hatred nor was there enough aching to allow sadness take hold of the filly who always smiled for Luna.
Always.
She shivered as a few flakes of snow fell onto her back, even though they were hardly noticeable, each flake served as a reminder that she wasn't likely to know the comforts of a castle for a long time.
She closed her eyes briefly, exhaling a little harder then she intended, fog forming as she did so. Behind her eyelids she saw the halls as they had left them, the candles they had put out, and the bed she had insisted Luna make. That was their life then, in that castle that belonged to them, the two great shadows of gods that had loomed over them both until one day they had just vanished.
Celestia bit her lip, this was something she rarely thought about, tried not to acknowledge, and never spoke of. This was their life now. No beds, no food that they couldn't cook, no order or routine.
And oh, how cold it could be. If this ever ended, this aimless wandering that Luna loved and the lies Celestia had uttered as she tried to recall every tear in a map that had crumbled away long ago, Celestia knew that she would remember the hated cold she felt. The aching loneliness that only ever effected her.
She'd remember how Luna disregarded their royal heritage, her head having gone without a crown for too long. Celestia wished she had brought hers with her. She wished Luna wouldn't be the scout, the adventurer, the anything but royal filly that she had become and how she insisted that Celestia no longer had to brush her short, coltish mane any more.
How Luna had begun to fly, the happy little bluebird giving no thought to how the nest felt.
Celestia looked back down to the non-existent fire she was sheltering. Somepony would have to cook, and there was no way it would be Luna since she had to go retrieve the bag that held all the food and she couldn't do much more than boil water properly. Celestia shuddered slightly upon recalling Luna's last attempt at cooking something.
She tilted her head up to the sky, her long mane obscuring one magenta colored eye. The thick, multi-colored mass was slightly tangled from when she rose this morning. It was getting colder as well.
Celestia remembered sitting around the large hearth of a castle with Luna ages ago, when the world wasn't so empty. Luna would need a fire to come home to, and she would have to be the one to make that fire.
But she didn't want to, something within herself halted, blocking out the yearning for heat with something else. It was something that left a dry, sour taste in her mouth.
Almost like fear.
Celestia smiles brightly, portrait perfect and gentle, no smile of hers can ever look forced. It can't look truthful. Such was manners. Princesses always had manners and she was a princess.
They were at the age when the should be using their magic as easily as they blink. But they weren't, at least not quite. Luna couldn't control her magic, there was no order or spells to the way she cast magic. Celestia saw no method that she could discern, only that Luna was a natural while she barely even bothered to light her own horn.
It was Luna who had begun to ask more of her almost absurd questions that came with the imaginative nature of her sister. She had no apprehension, nothing within her mind that whispered no, Luna only had wonder that came from looking at the world in her own way.
Celestia swallowed the lump in her throat. There would be nothing else to create fire with, it had to be her magic.
A golden aura, that barely glitters at all in the white world, makes its way onto her horn. It's calm and much clearer than she remembered. When was the last time she used magic?
Celestia feels something stir within her, embers of a fire that she would rather smother. Her magic burned within herself, searching for something that was more than just a little filly trying to coax color into the glittering gold light that threatened to die with another blow of the wind.
Her wings rose to shield herself from the cold she detested and she began to feel a creeping headache somewhere below the base of her horn. She set her teeth firmly in line to prevent her smile from faltering too much and because princesses don't grit their teeth no matter how alone they feel in a white-washed world with a coat as bleached as her surroundings and only a mane to remind her of how everything used to be and all the little lies that piled up around her...
Piles of fuel.
Celestia nearly yelped and fainted as a burning sensation tore through her, igniting every emotion she never even wanted herself to see.
Resentment. Misery. Something dark beneath that fire that felt like it was burning every feeling away made it feel like the opposite was happening, that each was becoming worse. Something so dark she could not see through it.
Hollow.
Young Celestia had discovered power, a brief burning glory, a fool's gold like the aura on her horn, which had lashed out to the log in a tendril of flame, so now were the logs were lit.
She had tasted that glory, eyes wide and hungry. Celestia licked her lips slightly, they felt dry but she didn't care. She didn't feel anything but a yawning hollowness for an eternal moment.
There was a second swallow, heavy, scared, and guilty so she could smile once again at the sloppy fire before her.
She plucked a few burned clumps away from her mane with ease as she composed herself. Little white hooves worked quickly to toss any pastel hair singed gray into the fire, before combing through to make her long, partially wavy mane look as if nothing had happened. Those hooves were quite careful with the lower half of her mane which sparkled and flowed of its own accord.
When that was over with, Celestia sat around the fire, it's golden glow reflecting on the white fur of her chest.
She resumed her wait, nodding off her sentry's pose only to awake to a familiar voice calling her name. Magenta eyes flutter open to look at a blue filly standing in the white. Her eyes are curious little things with a color somewhere between earth and sky and the fuzzy blue fur of her legs are caked with mud and slush that has begun to freeze. A set of dirty saddle bags are slung across her back quite hastily so her wings are hidden from view. Her bobbed mane has been stirred by the winds so it is no longer neat and spills into her eyes.
Celestia gives her sister one of her constant gentle smiles and her dying coal eyes watch as Luna shoots her a large, fleeting mischievous grin and sits down across from her.
Soon, a turquoise fire is lit and Celestia watches as Luna levitates frozen frogs that she had safely stowed away from the cold toward the elder, who recoils slightly. Luna laughs and begins to speak, the first exchange between the two in weeks. Celestia nods and smiles to the rare voice of her introverted little sister, but her eyes linger upon the dancing flame and the guttural, hollow hunger that she wishes to disappear behind veils of smoke.
Celestia had never felt colder in her life.
Crumb-y Day [One Shot] [Fluff]
Author's Notes:
Was once a one shot, but it was shoved in here. Fluffy one-shot, includes cookies. Was meant as a test to see if I can write using the narrator type as well as to try something outside my comfort zone (sweet stories aren't my thing). Considering the quality of my other works, I regard this as my worst story (if only through comparison). However, it is left up/moved for those that wish to read it.
Crumb-y Day
Slice of Life|Everyone
Thirteen year old Shining Armor finds his little sister crying, he makes it his mission to cheer her up and find out why she is crying.
Shining Armor hurried down the empty streets of Canterlot. His school saddlebags thumped against his sides and sweat began to bead under his forelock. He had to get home first. His hooves clacked loudly on the stone streets as he galloped at full speed. Heart thumping wildly, he reluctantly slowed down to fix a dangling buckle on his school bag.
Spilled homework would mean he would be delayed and if he was delayed that means disaster would strike.
His little sister would get all the cookies.
Not only would they be scrumptious chocolate chip cookies, but they would be fresh, and that meant gooey moist chips and just the right amount of softness and chewy-ness for the cookie part as well. Aside from that tempting factor, Shining couldn't let himself be bested by an an nine year old.
After turning a few streets he came to a medium sized two-floor house. It wasn't a super extravagant abode like some of the mansions in other sections of Canterlot, but it was home, with its purple curtains, toy filled backyard, and the occasional bookfort. He rummaged through his bag, magically pulled out his copy of the house key, and turned it in the lock.
Once Shining Armor stepped inside he snuck into the kitchen and found the mutilated white remains of an 'Advanced Equestrian Cultures' test scattered about the floor's surface. On the counter was a plate of cookies that remained untouched. Under the plate was a note from their mom, explaining how she and Night Light, Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle's father, would be home late so she made them extra chocolaty cookies. As long as they were in bed by 9:00pm.
But none of this was important to Shining. Who cares about chocolaty cookies? His sister had gotten home first and was no where to be seen.
His socially awkward, super smart sister. Even more mysterious was: why was there an exam that could only be Twily's laying ripped up on the floor?
Twilight wouldn't rip up a school paper, would she?
He decided to go check upstairs to see what was wrong, but not before he shoved some cookies in his mouth.
...
When he climbed up the stairs Shining found a trail of papers, books, pencils and even a filly sized school bag flung all around the stairwell.
The trail led up to Twily's room, with the door ajar.
"Twily? Are you alright?"
No response.
What if something had-
No, Shining Armor thought. Maybe she is just napping. Or she slipped. I'm going to go in there and see what is wrong. I'm a responsible thirteen year old colt. I know CPR and I can find some of the Princess' guards if something bad really did happen.
He stepped into her room. Everything looked normal. Her bed was made. Her toy chest was open, and her book shelf was empty.
The bookfort reinforced with blankets in the middle of the room, however was...sobbing.
"Twily?"
Silence then a faint:
"B.B.B.F.F?"
Her voice sounded meek and scared and was at the whiny, pitiable stage in the crying process where you just want to burst into tears as well from hearing it and give the sobber more hugs than there are rays on the Princess' sun.
"Twily, are you hurt?"
More sobs.
"...only my pride..."
"Can I come in the fort?"
"...Okay."
Something was definitely wrong, he thought, she didn't even ask for the password which she normally harasses me for.
Shining Armor crawled inside wiggling around the ballistae, built out of books before magically lifting a blanket fraction of the roof off so he could sit up. This allowed more light to enter the bookfort, revealing a small Twilight with a mussed mane, tear stained face buried in her hooves, and Smarty Pants clutched in her foreleg.
She didn't look up.
Shining gulped. He'd never seen his sister act quite like this before.
"Come on Twily," he prompted, "tell me what's wrong."
"I'm getting sent to a public academy - to magic kindergarten - and I can't be Princess Celestia's student anymore!"
"What?! Who told you this?"
More sobs.
"You know...magic kindergarten isn't so bad...the teachers are really nice and they never have bad juice boxes. Plus, I'm sure you'll still get to eat a ton of graham crackers during snack time."
Even though she couldn't see him, Shining Armor forced an awkward it-will-be-okay smile.
"Twily, come on you love graham crackers. L-o-v-e them. Remember that story we wrote? Where you married a graham cracker monster? I still have it somewhere in my room. I'll read it to you until you die of laughter."
Twilight buried her head further into her hooves. "If magic kindergarten is so great why are you in military school?" she huffed cynically.
"You know that answer: I want to be a soldier. Now if you tell me what is really wrong I'll...umm..."
"I'll let you dress me up like a princess again and we can play attack on the book fort. I learned more about architecture today so we can give your bookfort buttresses. Won't that be nice?"
"No."
"Oh, come on! Don't be a party-pooper. I'm sure it wasn't that bad. If you help me clean up the stairwell and kitchen we can have a sleep over in my room, I'll let you have the top bunk and you can eat as many cookies as you want even if you become sick, I'll take the blame. I promise. Just please tell me what's wrong."
She muttered something into Smarty Pants.
"Twily, could you speak a little louder?"
"I SAID I GOT A BAD GRADE ON MY SUPER-DUPER HARD TROTTISH LANGUAGE & HISTORY EXAM!!!!"
"...Twily, I bet it was only a 'C' okay? They aren't too bad I got them when I was your age. It just means you need to study better for next time. One letter won't determine your life."
"It wasn't a 'C'."
She didn't lift her head.
"Is this fuss all over a 'B'? You've gotten plenty of 'B's' before."
"...It was an 'F'. I won't be able to do a make up project, either."
"Now I see why you are so sad. What did Princess Celestia say?"
"She said she'll help me make a study sheet and then we'll make some flash cards just for the basic history stuff."
"Well that isn't too bad," said Shining Armor, laughing lightly, "Although I doubt you'll ever have to go to Trotland."
Twilight Sparkle lifted her head, sat up and clutched Smarty Pants close. Tears were dried on her face.
"Shiny?"
"Yes?"
"Can I have a cookie?"
"Yeah, let me bring the plate up."
He got up and went to the door.
"Shiny?"
Shining Armor paused in the door way and turned around. "What is it?"
"Do I still get to dress you up like a princess?"
He sighed.
"I don't see why not. I did promise you after all."
Twilight stuck her tongue out and smiled.
Subconscious Star [One Shot]
Author's Notes:
Wildly experimental in style, this werido was first published as a standalone something or other. Please do not feed it.
Subconscious Star
Teen|Dark|Sad
Celestia's subconscious has quite a few things to say to her and it has nothing to do with how pretty her smile is.
This is what happens when I decide to write a second person story and a friend and I checked the pages of the DSM-4 and realized I write Celestia with Borderline Personality Disorder, while still keeping her in character. Feedback is appreciated since I've never written in second person before.
You have lived for thousands of years and have been through more than anypony could realize. The throne was maintained by you alone for one thousand years. You stopped wondering how you brought yourself through each day after the first two centuries. The words of many a diplomat have been heard by your ears when you sat alone.
Just as there were many diplomats, there were many students to pass under your wing as well. Each started out the same in your eye. They were always obedient little shadows, newly bestowed with the title of Faithful Student as they stood in the silver light of your greatest regret and the sunlight that you bring.
Two graduated successfully, becoming as close as to gods as ponies could be. Others quit, some failed, and others became monsters. Each and every one of them had something in common despite the different paths each was lead on.
They all saw you smile, and what a pretty smile you have, and a truly disarming one at that! Not a single one left your side and hardly any came close to learning what is beneath the serenity you have recovered is this millennium. It was because of these Faithful Students, the private pupils that rose above all the others in the academy you founded, that you were only alone if you stopped to think.
It doesn't matter if the room is crowded or empty, a single stray thought or pause in your performance and you will realize just how alone you feel. You would know exactly why you do not tell anypony if you hadn't denied anything was wrong and sealed away even the mere acknowledgment of your problem.
You have even forgotten what's wrong haven't you? Luna's return is not a guarantee that your behavior will get better, but it is only with your careful and dedicated management that it has improved at all. Surely, you at least know what this problem involves? This isn't a borderline occurrence any more.
You aren't healthy. You may have defeated many tyrants in an age that has since passed but you are the tyrant of your own mind. You still numb your heart to what has been going on and still you haven't realized that you are the greatest villain that there is.
Tirek stole the magic, but you cripple your own now, when millions of ponies depend on you. Discord overthrew the first nation of Equestria set up by the newly unified tribes but he never wounded anypony as deeply as you wound yourself.
Only the Crystal Empire's overthrown king is worse than you for he has spilled blood wantonly.
You still think of life in two absolutes even if you have lessened the strict observance of your morals.
You continue to betray yourself and those you suffer for it. Your kindness, a trait that earned you an Element of Harmony, despite how unreliable yours can be. Your subjects adore their image of an altruistic and peaceful ruler, but you are only the reflection in the mirror.
You're the only thing you have ever run from. Why can't you face yourself? Why seal yourself away? I'm only you.
You listen so much to everypony, but seem quite deaf yourself even though you have to know I'm here to push yourself away. If you keep this up will there be any thing left? Why do you ask questions if you stopped seeking answers?
Are you lying again? When will you tell the truth? When will you tell anypony?
You're so sure that you're perfectly fine and that you'll never have another outburst or fight with Luna again like you did a millennium ago.
You've waited and waited and waited, smiling all the while and even though you've tried you have only tried to cover up the problem until there's only your own denial left.
I'm you. I'm the things you'll never know, you'll never say and you'll never realize that you feel. Or, to put it correctly, I used to be you. I was a piece of the puzzle that when correctly built formed you, Celestia. Currently, I am but a buried and broken aspect of you. The small pauses you make in the halls when you catch yourself with a thought that doesn't feel like you, or at least not the you that Celestia wants to be. Now I'm only that, your illusion, your denial, a simple little voice that sprung from the divide you lay within yourself.
You are not a victor; you haven't escaped anything.
It's only missed opportunity to get better, but I think that after all these years you've made it quite clear that none of that matters to you.
So go ahead. Teach more Faithful Students, appreciate the happiness that comes from learning the true nature of your Elements only after Luna was gone and know that I can only get you when you're awake like this. If you want happiness to last this is a botched job.
Break your promises. Avoid honesty. Be as kind to everypony who lives under the rule of Luna and yourself while trying to hold onto your mask for that much longer, just don't forget how cruel this is to yourself. Tell everypony how happy you are and maybe it'll be true when they leave you to pursue their own lives. Go on feeling empty when they grow up and you still refuse to tell a single soul about any of this. You still think there is nothing wrong. You don't know why you can feel so empty at times because you don't want to.
"It's all in my head" has gotten you this far. Ignoring it has gotten you this far. It's also made everything worse.
Just go on distracting yourself since now all this light is only meant to blind yourself and others from the darkness within you.
Ambiguity [One Shot] [Scrapped]
Author's Notes:
This story is a one shot detailing the existence of a character from Tomb of Magic, so reading that would help understand this story here.
Ambiguity
Adventure|Everyone
Runa is a rather unusual spell, a spell that came to life. Its purpose is to aide its Creator - the pony powerful enough to cast such magic - in any way possible. In the aftermath of Tomb of Magic Runa is left alone not knowing what has happened, with only the desire to find whoever created it. But of find this pony Runa must make it it through the snow, if fate will allow it.
-Wikipedia
(This is one reason why I don't write AIs, also please point out any errors in the comments.)
Also, a short list of all of Runa's known special abilities and a few other things:
-cannot feel emotion and only vaguely understands what it is
-only speaks in monotone
-never uses contractions
-uses the runes around it to cast spells
-doesn't need to breathe
-can withstand pressure (go underwater, being buried under snow)
-this thing would not be affected by gravity like a pony would
-has no soul <------best description
-can be destroyed/not indestructible
-was not meant to take on a shape that mimics life but does so because of a 'command' Luna added-looks female but has no gender, hence the lack of proper pronouns
-refers to self in third person
-outdated speech due to being from a different time period
-can mimic (and possibly record) sounds
-in terms of where Runa would fit into a society, Runa is classified as an object (so, like, a spork)Contains multiple references to this one here, although reading it is optional.
Failure.
All the one known as RUNA has experienced is up to this point is failure. RUNA is flawed for in the heat of battle it malfunctions and is flung into the trees.
Zap. Poof.
So many trees. RUNA has slumbered in this trees before when all the world was a dream and eyes were but a far-off fantasy as RUNA was bound to a tree whose roots stretched far beneath the broken soil and drinking up fragments of snow.
All RUNA sees are trees pointing high above to clouds that are almost unreachable.
Zap. Poof.
RUNA tries to stand but falls among the shards of blue surrounding, standing out amongst the snow like fragments of a shattered sky.
Flicker. RUNA blinks unwillingly and the world goes dark in a place as distinguishable as a dream as a carrot is from a star.
Flicker.
Bright light shines softly across the woods and into RUNA's eyes.
Flicker. Blink.
Soundlessly RUNA arises and stares at the darkened sky glittering with thousands of small light rippling across the vast expanse, and it knew that it had been left behind by the one it called the Awakener.
RUNA trudges through the snow, magic coursing through a body lacking everything else.
RUNA poked around the ruins of battle - the Spire as it was once called - eyes gleaming and constantly flickering all coming up with the same results: NO ORGANIC LIFE DETECTED.
Its bestowed magics had turned up nothing. RUNA's mission had failed.
It hadn't protected anything. Now RUNA was lost and alone.
A cold wind swept by stirring a few glistening swirls of snow, but it wasn't as if it could be felt. There were no living ponies here, no one to feel its effect.
RUNA's legs buckled and she plopped down into a debris-ridden snowdrift, face devoid of any kind of expression. Its shutter-like eyes even blanker than normal as if it might have vaguely been able to comprehend any sort of emotion beside the bleak oblivion within it, a side effect of not having a soul.
The wind died and the silence was resumed, RUNA's ear pricking.
"This land has no sound," it remarked blankly. "Creator liked sounds."
Once more RUNA's eyes flickered and it sank deep into some half-forgotten incident of the Tree Time when the Voice of The Creator spoke such a thing in a tone that made Her seem so far away...
Without warning RUNA sprang up with an abrupt pop like some kind of mechanized toy. Its blue glow the only true light among the darkness and crystalline reflections of snow. It opened its mouth as wide as any dragon could and like a gramophone and from the echo of a memory poured out, a noise from the Tree Time when all but bark and roots were meaningless.
The sound of wolves.
After a while she buckled down once more and sat in the snowy ditch. Waiting for a Creator who would never come.
Flicker. Flicker-close.
The sun began to rise, all its warmth shed in vain.
The sun had long since sunk below the horizon and the stars leapt out when RUNA was active again, shining a bit more brightly than before, the snow like beads of sapphire.
It stiffly walked amongst the desolation before it then whirled around in a motion that seemed to fluid for such a thing and walked away heading in a direction unfamiliar to it before stopping quietly.
RUNA feared it would be heard. Then everything would be ruined.
"Creator?" It called, almost sounding unsure behind the monotone.
"Creator!"
Even the wind refused to cause even a leaf to quiver, had there been any.
"CREATOR!"
Creator wasn't hiding. At least not here. That much was clear.
A construct without their Creator is as empty as a stomach in famine; but RUNA almost believed that it felt something more.
Alone, alone, it was all alone. A single bit of fallen sky amongst what appeared to be infinite white.
RUNA must find Creator. That was the nothing going through its simple head, if anything could.
RUNA stood for a long time just watching its shadow grow and shrink. It knew neither Sun nor Moon, only skyorbs.
And skyorbs would guide RUNA.
It sank into the snow for the last time and began to form what it thought the perfect plan, however incomplete it was.
RUNA watched as the white orb rose. Today was the day it would leave the crater, the wolves no longer here, and the trees.
Everything it knew would be gone as soon as the mountains in the distance were crossed.
But there were no emotions to tie it here.
There was nothing at all.
RUNA stepped forward. Its first step on a most important journey, perhaps even an epic odyssey which was a concept unknown to this being to whom the world appeared blank.
It seems proper balance was also an unknown concept as RUNA's first step forward-which appeared as uniform as a soldier's-landed it flat on its face into a pile of unmoved snow that had fallen last night.
This revealed a book. RUNA levitated the volume to meet its eyes, trying to comprehend the object scorched to almost nothing from a recent magic blast.
A lone piece of parchment fell loose and stuck in the snow, half in and half out of the impression made by this bumbler.
RUNA tossed the burned book away and exchanged it for the latter.
Flicker.
'LIST OF SUPPLIES'
Flicker.
'PROPERTY OF ONYX'
Flicker.
'LIST-FOOD-COMPASS TO HEAD SOUTHEAST'
Flicker.
'KNIVES-CLOAK-HATCHET'
Flicker.
'-EXTRA KNIVES-CLOAK'
Flicker.
'BACKUP KNIVES.'
RUNA didn't find much of anything on that list enlightening at all. That's probably why it burned the list to ash with a sudden spark of luminous blue flame conjured by the runes that were a constant presence.
Then it looked around and picked the direction it believed to be southeast and headed that way not a question in its mind.
It was really Regular-Old-East but it's not like that can be changed. Just allow the construct some false pride in its navigation skills.
RUNA had acquired a quest, and that quest was to find the Creator.
The second step taken was much more successful, it immediately caused a blue glass like staircase to form to lead RUNA over the towering mountains. When RUNA came to the end of the structure it leapt of and flew into the unknown, which is rather cold.
RUNA had crossed the peak of the mountains and was no longer in the static valley it originated from. There was only hard gusts of biting ice and endless snow to those who knew no better on this side where the question that gnawed at those who had the time or the foolishness to stop and think was whether the cold or the snow itself was the worst thing a pony could face.
For RUNA it was the snow, it was so fierce as it worked its way down that it caused RUNA to flash briefly, as if damaged.
Its eyes flickered with some sort of primal nervousness that every creature touched by even the smallest bit of magic probably experienced at some point or another.
There right off to the side, it spotted a cave. RUNA heads inside her luminous blue glow casting crooked shadows on the cold stone.
It spots marks over the corner, worn into the stone. Old hoofmarks.
1,114 year old hoofmarks that have almost entirely vanished over the course of time.
RUNA sits quietly and waits. Maybe somewhere-out-there Creator may also be found.
Waiting.
Waiting in the dark.
Sun broke through the snow after some time, yet RUNA remained unflinching and silent like the stone surrounding it.
Those two ponies. RUNA was meant to protect them, ordered to.
Where are they? Did they die?
It received no answer and left just as quietly as it entered, although perhaps for a different reason.
The snow was not falling as much anymore so RUNA decided to fly, to its Creator who just might be in need of a rather persistent blue construct.
RUNA was growing dimmer as the flight continued, though this went unnoticed by it.
Who knew what time meant to RUNA? It flew on and on until at some point RUNA fell out of the sky, spiraling downward into the sunbathed snow which glistened white gold. It looked even more faded then when RUNA took off.
RUNA opened her mouth once and then closed it as if to speak but only a bit of snow fell in.
It tasted funny.
It sat in the snow splayed out in a perfect mid-flight shape just like how RUNA had fallen, completely drained and helplessly watching the sun sink turning the sky from red to dark blue. RUNA's eyes glowed as silver as the stars and slowly blue seeped back into her and RUNA began to look more solid.
At some point RUNA closed its eyes and slumbered in the snow in an empty state still trying not to fade completely...
Head southeast, head southeast, head southeast...
In a way that was all RUNA knew...even if it was wrong.
RUNA awoke to three-and-ten feet of freshly fallen on its head, which it melted with its horn in order to escape, emerging with its bright blue glow restored, expressionless and unbreathing as normal, a few fiery blue runes bobbing in distress.
Creator is still waiting. To RUNA that was all that mattered even though it technically not even know the identity of 'Creator'. Was Creator a mare of a stallion? Was Creator young or old? Was RUNA formed in their image? What was their name?
It never occurred to RUNA that Creator could be dead. As the only things RUNA knew of Creator was their voice - it sounded like a mare's but RUNA could not be sure - and how their magic felt.
RUNA stood in the moonlight, as still as can be not noticing that it made RUNA glow brighter.
Maybe Creator can bestow a new name...
Over the next few days RUNA trudged on growing dimmer every sunrise then brighter when it set yet was unsure of how much progress it really made or how much time passed.
RUNA just kept going its hoofsteps vanishing just as quickly as they appeared, consumed by the snow that landed on its bridge.
For a many more weeks all RUNA did was walk but only in the dark where its eyes lit up the snow. It didn't recall anything but keep moving forward, emptier then usual on the inside.
For now.
There are many things buried under the snow. Things change over time, including the land. RUNA locates a basin at some point, a basin located a large slice in the land.
RUNA's senses are abuzz with something it does not understand.
It comes from beneath RUNA's hooves, a shrill hum only it can hear.
Eventually RUNA digs up the snow, layer after layer until it finds what it sought.
Below it all are tainted ashes humming with old traces of a burning power which is a clear indication of magic.
A bizarre magic, that feels vaguely familiar.
Yet crackling in the air are things just as old as the ashes and as new as the top layer of the snow RUNA broke through.
RUNA cannot name it but it is impossible for a construct such as itself not to sense the troubling energy among the ashes of wood that was.
A Shadow's wrath still lingers even after all these years.
RUNA continued to travel for many nights (and even a few days) in search of the one who created it. The Night Orb, whose true name was unknown to this peculiar traveler bestowed power to RUNA, as being in the tree so long had damaged some of its ability to properly sustain itself.
RUNA couldn't experience fatigue but each day it constructed a barrier around itself as not to lose any power that was gained. Through this creation the whole world was tinted blue and only stars gave any indication that it was night.
Being left alone for so long often made anypony a philosopher and even though it wasn't a pony RUNA couldn't help but do some thinking, mostly about the moon and wondering if it was the sought after one known only as Creator, after all it gave RUNA power, just like Creator.
Could they be the same? RUNA has never heard the Night Orb talk and am unsure if it can.
The silver beams of light marking where RUNA's gaze lands find the earth split beneath its snowy skin revealing the stone flesh, and scattered across it a few brave evergreens huddling against the wind and cradling the tossed snowflakes. None of this is visible to the normal eyes of ponies, as this grove is barely a blur on the horizon.
In time RUNA catches up with this spot until another sight replaces is as That Which is Off In The Distance. RUNA approaches its edge and peers in. Nothing is there so it lifts its gaze and teleports to the other side without even a blink, after all it was the more efficient option and RUNA was 'fond' of efficiency.
The grove contained almost nothing suspicious. Just trees that move in ways it cannot and faint hums of the strange magic that were almost as old as the construct.
More moonlight.
More walking.
RUNA builds continues a road to lead the way to the mysterious Creator, unaware of the monotonous routine of Her creation.
After RUNA left the grove a snowstorm swept it away, as if RUNA were as easy for the wind to carry as a snowflake. So from here on RUNA builds the road of what looks like vibrant blue glass and hopes in the mute and invisible way of such creations that it will lead to what RUNA desires most in the world of blue and white.
It is all the color RUNA knows.
Creator, where are you?
Everywhere there is snow, ice, rock, and sky although the rocks were not as prevalent now that the more mountainous terrain had been left behind, but it was only now that RUNA began to sense the decreasing elevation.
Despite the change in landscape RUNA did not know how long it had traveled or how long it would have to.
Was RUNA left behind on purpose?
RUNA came to a halt and stared at the snow that was forever falling.
Did Creator forsake RUNA like RUNA did those two ponies...? Was that why the one who awakened RUNA was not the one who created RUNA?
Was RUNA useless? Did they forget about RUNA?
RUNA continued to stand still as if expecting answers to fall from the sky like countless snowflakes.
Is Creator dead?
No...it cannot be...
RUNA's road crumbles beneath its hooves, all its miles and bridges covering every peak and valley.
RUNA has to keep going, and so a new road is built and RUNA continues to walk towards the horizon never saying a single word as it follows the moonlight.
It is now that the road of glass connects to something unknown, clouds gathering over it. The sun is no longer out so RUNA stops to gaze at a blue-hued expanse as seemingly infinite as the snow.
Blue is good.
The white land is gone with its small snow-round-mountains and hills.
There are small gray pieces everywhere accompanied by finer ones on the border of this strange and fluid land.
Who killed the mountains? Was it not their life-beat RUNA felt traversing this place?
'Blue', as RUNA had begun to think of this new landscape, 'roars' and burst forward its edges becoming a soft looking and white as it stirs the small gray stones beneath RUNA's hooves.
RUNA gasps and jumps at this. Blue recedes at this returning some of the stones it took.
"Stop. Do not go. RUNA is a friend."
Blue comes back.
"What are you?" RUNA asks it.
Blue shift and gathers itself, pointing upward and reaching for the floating masses of snow that drift far above them both.
Blue is a sky then. That much to is clear to RUNA. No, Blue is not a normal sky. The opaque look, the color, the attraction toward the true sky...Blue is a construct! Yes, that must be it.
But why is Blue alone? RUNA sees no stars or snow in its sky. Did Blue's Creator forget about them? But who was so mad they left Blue behind?
Maybe it was not a who but a what that created Blue?, RUNA thought, Perhaps it was the land? Can land do magic?
RUNA supposes land does need its own sky but why does it move so?
"Blue were you left behind too?"
Blue wells up and licks RUNA, this time spitting light, broken snow instead of stealing stones.
RUNA fall back on its haunches.
Blue recedes to make space for RUNA as it gazes at the white forming across Blue's surface just like the floating snow in the other sky, the one that isn't a construct, which grows brighter as the sun rises.
RUNA must continue the journey. Though RUNA does not believe it is to go over Blue-sky. It seems darker there so it must be night and it is the right direction after all.
It is time to go, to head southeast. RUNA wades into the gray-blue ocean, but jumps back, startled for a moment, although not by the cold that any living creature would feel.
RUNA tries to soak up as much moonlight as it can, unsure if it will find another moon for a while.
It then counts out as many of the the stars as it can before dawn comes, having memorized each one on its travels for navigation assistance.
Only then does it wade into the ocean, heading deeper into this 'second sky'.
Blue tugs in a way that is not the one RUNA has been taking, instead curling a different direction.
Oh, RUNA understands. First RUNA had to head east, and this must be south. So now RUNA will head south. That is how ponies get a 'southeast'.
It is where RUNA will wait for Creator.
Millennium Tokens [One Shot] [Fluff] [Discord/Celestia] [Rarity/Twilight]
Author's Notes:
Part of a collection of one shots that was moved here to the ol' scrap folder/anthology.
Millennium Tokens
Everyone|Romance|Comedy
Twilight investigates the mystery of something Princess Celestia calls 'millennium tokens'.
Millennium tokens was not something that Twilight Sparkle could find in a dictionary or any other reference book. It wasn't something anypony on the streets of any city in Equestria would know.
It was during one of her lunches with Princess Celestia in Canterlot that she heard the term. The princess had been having a cup of tea - a new flavor, if Twilight recalled correctly - and Twilight had been having a daisy sandwich without those little fried tomatoes that she liked because Rarity said that they would ruin her figure and Twilight wasn't about to argue with her marefriend about sandwiches.
While Twilight had been mulling over how to make her remarkably plain sandwich more appetizing without having to spend extra she realized that while she had been trying to rationalize countless decisions in order to make the perfect sandwich, Celestia had been talking about something that might have been important.
"Sorry, Prin-Celestia, could you repeat that?" Twilight had said, offering a sheepish smile and privately wondering if blaming the sandwich and Rarity's passive-aggressively imposed diet would get her out of this pickle.
Within her mind, Twilight praised herself. Pickles! How had she not thought of that? Those were way better than fried tomatoes and...
...according the menu wasn't available.
Celestia laughed slightly. "Are you sure that I should be the one repeating myself? I'm quite interested in what that sandwich was telling you."
Twilight's sheepishness intensified. "Uhh... well... it wasn't anything important or anything, this one uhh... just wanted to know the weather...?"
Twilight flashed her best smile, completely unaware that her jokes were terrible enough to be considered dangerous to the mental health of young children and that she had a very noticeable daisy petal caught between her teeth.
Celestia did end up repeating herself, and Twilight listened curiously. What was this 'millennium token' Discord had given the princess? She kept mentioning it by that name through the rest of their meal, never hinting at what it could be.
This is why Twilight had dragged - well not literally, she had to persuade Rarity to halt her latest project while she had been in a creative mood so she could come to Canterlot to help Twilight figure out the truth of the 'tokens', which meant her and Rarity could not stop to take in the 'chic atmosphere' of that new cafe that had opened right on one of the main boulevards of Canterlot.
Only then did they managed to reach the castle, where Twilight sought Princess Celestia's answer. What were 'millennium tokens' that Celestia had mentioned? She spoke about them almost casually, but there was nothing written about them anywhere! No archive or library held anything about the important-sounding mystery. Were these tokens some kind of magic artifact? That's where Twilight's thoughts had been straying in the case where she might be needed to study them or even use them to stop another enemy of Equestria.
At the same time, Twilight tried to listen to Rarity's concerns regarding her spring line, which was also important to the alicorn.
Rarity and her made their way through the halls of the castle which were warm and lit by the late morning sun. Their hooves made no little on the plush and brightly colored carpet of the high-ceilinged corridor.
A sudden sound caught Twilight's attention, causing her to halt. "Rarity! What was that?"
"Twilight, darling, are you so lost in your thoughts that you've forgotten the sound of Princess Celestia's voice?"
Twilight blinked, jaw agape at Rarity. "I what? Oh my goodness, we must be going down the wrong hall too..."
"We are."
Twilight sighed and backtracked according to Rarity's direction so they could find the source of Celestia's voice. The goddess' pleasant, almost motherly laughter could be heard echoing through the spacious halls of the castle and soon the two mares came to the threshold that gave them a full view of the scene playing out before them.
Standing in a hall with her near-silent secretary, Raven, was Princess Celestia. Her multi-colored mane flowed in the sunlight that she had brought forth at dawn, and she smiled kindly upon a bouquet of flowers unlike Twilight had ever seen.
Each part from petal to stem was a college of different flowers that both Twilight and Rarity knew to grow in Equestria, only they had been picked apart and mushed together somehow, and there wasn't a doubt in her mind about who could have given such an unusually exotic bouquet to her former mentor.
"Discord," Twilight whispered.
Rarity had not heard what Twilight had said, and was instead thinking of how she might be able to work some of those blooms into a floral trim for the upcoming line Twilight had pulled her away from, after all everything was still in the drafting stage and sketching the placement of a few trims here and there wouldn't be a problem.
"So that's what a millennium token is," Twilight concluded, "a token of affection."
"Mm-hm," Rarity chirped next to her, red spectacles still balanced on her muzzle.
"This... well it's certainly not what I expected." Twilight said, watching as the princess tucked a flower behind her ear.
"You do realize what this means, don't you Twilight?"
"We accidentally wasted time on something silly?"
"You must give me a millennium's worth of these tokens, starting today."
"But Rarity, you're not even going to live for a millennium!"
"You can at least try, dear."
"How? How in Equestria am I supposed to buy you one thousand year's worth of gifts when you won't make it past three centuries at most! Gah, this doesn't make any sense!"
"Well I certainly won't be living that long with your negative attitude."
"Twilight! Rarity!" Princess Celestia called, "How good to see you both, would you care to stay for tea?"
Millennium tokens
are but little gifts
to build a bridge
to cross time spent apart.
Everything Begins [Poetry] [Discord/Celestia]
Author's Notes:
More Discord/Celestia shorts from a collection, now moved here! This time, it's poetry! Hooray poetry!
Everything Begins
Teen|Drama|Romance
There's more meaning in flowers than one might think...
Both could agree—
that for at least one thousand years of parallel eternity,
each had been frozen in place.
Her with a smile upon her face
and a name removed without a trace.
He felt the paralyzing cage of stone,
which had changed his flesh and corrupted his bone.
The princess who let her crown speak for her
and the being who could no longer feel the wind stir.
They had been friends in another time, and for her what felt like another life,
where her mind had yet to go under her own knife.
Parted and driven apart like nothing one day,
he felt like he needed to be dust in the wind, taste a freedom that wouldn't allow him to stay.
Inside the filly who had already lost so much, her heart crashed and burned,
but she hid it all behind the perfect smile she had learned.
He traveled the world doing whatever he wanted
while the sun traveled north, seeking the land where she remained haunted.
For many years they only diverged with the aid of the distance between them,
his name she did condemn.
He who wandered to the south, became a famed menace through word of mouth.
She to the bitter north brought so many bottled emotions forth—
a roaring fire she became, warming those far away and burning those closest to her
locking her in a tragic dance with her own shadow—
the bright blue creature having no more sisterhood to bestow.
And there was silence.
To the land south, she guides ponies to a land free of shrouds of snow, her royal birthright she seeks to reclaim,
and he who travels north seeks entertainment brought by anarchy and fame.
Face to face after so long the tyrant meets the puppet master,
with her stringed shadow and his lost friendship they forge their own disaster,
their own names but insults on the other's tongue
gone and forgotten are the days when they were young.
After their first spat, the tyrant thirsting for her taken kingdom drags her shadow away with threats of return,
carefree and mad, the usurper finds the two goddesses to be no concern.
With ancient gems that aren't what they seem,
the dying sisterhood unites temporarily to bring back the elder's regime.
Their former friend, their Elements petrify
as if anymore were needed to make their bond die.
Fifty years later and it's one thousand years ago,
did the truly lone Sun have tears that did overflow,
and while she realized that none but her were to blame, part of her refused to acknowledge that in her mind of absolutes she may have been the villain all along.
She tries to learn of her sister's plight,
with a daring and dangerous flight
to scream tabula rasa at the skies, crying for her hollow-feeling heart and mechanical mind to be made truly blank,
to forget grief and feeling, to be the perfect princess and rule on, for this destruction of herself she would not see herself as the tyrant a moment longer, a vile monster withing, disgusting and rank.
Century after century she rules alone smiling almost all day, as if neat and clock-work driven,
until one day she confronts a forgotten statue and asks if she can be forgiven,
she cannot hear his words as he hears hers, and only wants her to accept his entropy and give in.
A miscommunication and half forgiveness with a plea to change his ways
and a few decades later her Faithful Student and nation of Equestria he tried to raze.
She couldn't bear to witness what felt like only a tyrant's crime,
and so he found his seal to be broken in such short time
and there the princess waited to see if he'd adopt the trend,
waiting and waiting in her castle only to hear the confirmation that he had made a friend.
From there they try to build the friendship that was lost
only for her to be hurt once more as Equestria's flag —from his mismatched claw—was tossed
so he could follow a different tyrant
and even though the situation seemed so dour
she found herself forgiving him again—this time for a flower
that was a leap from friendship, a silent shove
and her nod a confirmation of mutual love.