The Last Scribe of Muse Prologue: End of an Era
The Last Scribe of Muse
Rogue Shadow Winterborn
(Cosmic Star)
This is dedicated to those who read that had or are going through the hell of being different from everyone else and punished for it. Though we may all seem we are 100% flawless, we aren't. You shouldn't be ashamed of who you are, flaws and all. It just makes you 20% cooler when you do!
Those who helped me along the way and to my friends Neo Solus, Silver Star, Terk, and I'm sure I'm forgetting other names. If I am, I'm sorry! Thank you for proof reading it for me and encouraging me to actually continue on with this.
This is also dedicated to those who had pushed me through the hard times and continue to support me and what I enjoy doing. I thank you.
~ Rogue Shadow (Cosmic Star)
The cold winter night in Canterlot just happened to be the most chilling temperature in centuries. Both a young gardener and guard were making their rounds. The young gardener was trying to protect the plants of what little wasn't already dead by the wind's chill. The guard was making his rounds, locking all the gates so that no pony would have to freeze to death in the cold while trying to protect the ruler of all Equestria. Still, even in the deafening wind, they heard a cry among the gates from a shadow trying their hardest to get in. Who would in the name of Celestia try to get in the castle at this time of the year, in a storm no less? Those who wanted the princess dead wouldn't even dare try in this weather; they would be dead by morning. The guard went to check it out in case of some pony being stupid enough to try such a thing. The gardener and guard met up at the gate, looking at each other, and were shocked at what they saw.
A wise voice came out of the wind, startling the two ponies as it spoke, "Why is there alicorn magic in the air?"
"Princess Celestia!" The female unicorn addresses the alicorn with surprise.
"Easy Lily Blossom and Sol, I just sensed another alicorn's magic and thought I would come personally check it out." The sun princess said, shivering in the cold wind.
Breaking through the wind once more was the noise of a foal. Celestia pin-points the sound, and the lump in the snow next to it, her eyes filled with tears when she realized what it was. Sol and Lily see what their leader sees and both gasp. What could have caused this? More so, why is a princess, and what it would appear to be a foal, doing here of all places? Was there something going on and they didn't know about it?
Princess Celestia quickly picked up the foal from the deadly snow with her warm magic and levitates it over to the couple. "Take the foal inside the castle as quickly and quietly as you can. Don't let any pony see it. I will come and see you when I am ready. I have a personal matter to attend to with this…"
Lily Blossom looked at Celestia with a bit of concern about the sudden urgency in the sun Goddess' voice. Whatever it was, it had to be important to if a royal princess was lying at the castle gates. She was a young mare, but knew better than to stick her nose where it didn't belong, especially in matters that her husband, Solus, was informed about. The young mare didn't know much about the world outside of the Canterlot walls but, by the looks of it, she didn't want to. The pony had a filly of her own and a husband to look out for without having to add more on her plate with her full time job as the lead Gardener.
Once inside, the three and the foal were in Celestia's private quarters. This was a serious deal; none of them knew what was going on. Celestia, for one, looked really shocked to see one of her own out there laying on the ground. Confirmed 'dead' on the scene when they arrived, every pony could see the princess was holding back her tears to put on a brave face for her confused staff. Lily Blossom was glad she still had her only child's foal items still stored away in case, for Solus and she would need them again. She never thought that they would be used to serve a purpose for a baby Alicorn.
As Lily was preparing the young princess to be warmer, and get the obvious newborn set up with better dressings other than a simple blanket, she sighed, wondering to herself, "Why would a princess, whom no pony even heard of, come to Canterlot of all places? And why come with a newborn that's only a few days old at best…? It's just so strange."
As Lily was getting the fussy foal out of the wet blanket and into something more warmer despite the shrieking and wriggling of the little one, she noticed something different.
"Love, you might want to look at this." Lily looked over to Solus, almost in a hurried tone.
The old Pegasus guard captain looked in shock, almost disbelieving it. "We need to tell the Princess at once."
"I already know my little ponies; I already know." Celestia said in a hushed tone, her guard down.
The two looked at their princess with a very confused look, "How… did." They both said in unison.
The millennia-old mare looked at her two best servants with a stern face. "What I am about to tell you will not leave this room and if it does, it will be a matter of not your lives' stake, but every ponies' in this empire."
The two nodded. Sol, knowing that this is serious business since it requires it to be kept secret, stood attentively. Lily meekly nodded, not understanding what she has to do with this exactly. Celestia looked over at the foal that was resting peacefully now, despite being frozen earlier.
"The Princess you came across was not dead, at least when you found her. Just in the nick of time, too, for she was at Death's door. You see, they are from the fallen empire called, Muse. How do I know it's fallen? If the acting ruler has fled then that means the empire will crumble if it hasn't already. She risked her life, and her foal's life, to get here for a chance that her newborn would survive. The Muse Princess was way beyond the point of saving when we got there…"
Sol spoke up, "Permission to speak freely, your highness?"
Princess Celestia nodded. "Granted Sol, what it is?"
"If there was an empire in trouble, why couldn't we have interjected? I mean we could have saved it before it came to this. The fall of an empire is not good for Equestria, Princess Celestia!" Sol belted out to the point Celestia was sure half of her kingdom could hear her Guard Captain.
Still, Celestia didn't flinch or raise her voice. She nodded, agreeing with her loyal Captain, "You have very great points, Captain Solus Flare. It's a shame your actions would come 400 years too late. It might have saved us from this current situation."
The old war stallion blinked and then sighed. "You tried to help, didn't you?"
"I lost over hundreds of my sister's and my own guards when she was still here with us, before Nightmare Moon showed up." Celestia sighed as she got up and walked around the room.
Lily spoke up finally. "Princess, this doesn't help us with our current problem, the foal. She is… I don't know what we should do with her!"
Celestia looked up to the moon, sighing. "She's the last line of a royal tradition. The Muse Empire was a proud and creative place once, known for their music and writings. They were mostly composed of poets of olden times, though now they are lost in time. I doubt very few pieces of their work have survived through the few hundred years of lies, torture, and fires. The point is this foal is to remain here."
Sol sighed. He had heard horror stories through his times of being in war. "The stories were the mares were made to do unspeakable things and sold off to whatever pony wanted them for a good price as slaves. Foals, if allowed to live, were put to work often working to death, if not tortured beforehand. The royal family's guards were killed off one by one until…"
"The prince gave his life to give his one child a chance at a life that neither he, nor his wife, would ever have. The stories are true Sol, they are very true." The sun princess whispered.
"Before she passed in the gardens, telling me the stories of why she was here, she gave me this…" Celestia pulled out a note with dried blood on it.
Celestia quietly read it out loud to Solus and Lily:
"Dear sweet sisters,
My kingdom has fallen in shambles. I know you could do nothing in the end and I'm sorry for the lives that were taken from you and your subjects in our war so long ago. We lost not only them, but everything. I feel horrible for their loss was only in vain for they fought so hard for what they believed in. I don't blame you, but now I'm in exile. My new born foal has no name; I did not have time to give her one. She won't remember where she was born, the place that is now overrun with the vile that corrupted my peace. He was a high ranking guard in my military. No, I don't want my daughter groomed and primed to retake my throne.
The empire is better off like the Crystal Empire forgotten with time and one of legend. Some things need to be forgotten and I'm more than willing to do this with my own kingdom. I don't want the shame on you, Luna, or my special little angel. I know she'll want to know about her past, myself, and her father, but please, whatever you do, don't tell her where it is. It's only fair she knows about her heritage for it will come naturally to her with age but when she is old and mature enough. I don't want her youth ruined by such tragedy as mine once was. I won't be around much longer; this note is in case I die from my wounds. They are fatal and please, my dear sisters, don't bother reviving me. You need your magic for your own empire. My time is done here; I have served my purpose.
Please do whatever you can to keep my little one safe from harm. I want her to experience life as I couldn't ever do so while I was alive. As for her title, she will still be a princess, but I don't want her announced to the world before she is mature enough to handle it. I know it will be hard, considering I have a feeling she'd be quite a hand full. She was a real pain in the stomach at times, while I was carrying her. I can only imagine what she'll be like as she grows older and learns to talk. I'd love to be around to see her grow but… I'm simply too weak to carry on. Also, I'm sure you already know she is… a bit different.
Please keep her safe she is in your care now, Celestia and Luna. My powers were drained keeping her alive against the cold; it was the last thing I could do for her. She is the voice of what I have left behind as silent as she may be. The music she will produce will ring out across for years to come. Please keep your promise to give her the melody of the legacy we used to be known for.
I'm sorry it had to come to this, dear sister. I wish it were on better terms; I really do. Please don't grieve over my husband and I, for we are free now. We will watch over her in the spirit world as much as we can. Please do what you can for her.
Forever with you in spirit,
Melodies Charm and Harmony Scribe"
A sob escaped Celestia finally breaking down no longer able to hold her composure. The foal started crying as well being suddenly awoken by the noise. Lily Blossom levitated the wrapped up bundle and set her next to Celestia. Instinctively the foal quieted down and nuzzled up to the sun goddess much to Celestia's surprise. Lily just giggled at her highness with a soft smile.
"She thinks you are mother Princess." Lily spoke up giggling softly.
Celestia looked up silent tears still in her eyes choked out, "It seems so."
"Princess Celestia," Lily spoke up and got a brave face on, "if it's not too much trouble. I wouldn't mind helping out with the young foal in my off time or when you are busy with your duties."
Celestia nodded smiling at the idea, "I agree."
Sol spoke up by clearing his throat first, "Princess I notice hearing sisters. What did Princess Melodies Charm mean by that if you don't mind me asking?"
"You mean you don't know?"
Both of them shook their heads confused.
"Long ago, I had a sister Princess Luna. She was my younger sister and my co-ruler of the land. She ruled the night, and I ruled the day… in the olden days ponies feared the night. They loved the sun and the daylight, my younger sister hated that she was feared. She protected ponies in their dreams from nightmares… until she became one herself. Nightmare Moon was born out of the jealous of my younger sister had for me and the love our subjects love for the daylight. I didn't see it until I was too late. … It was my doing for her jealousy but I still banished her to the moon for 1000 years. I regret it, but it was to protect the kingdom." Celestia sighed nuzzling the little foal.
"Basically," Sol said, "you didn't tell the foal's mother about your sister and you see this foal as some sort of second chance?"
Celestia nodded, "I guess in a way yes. Hopefully to right the wrong I did to my sister. I also didn't tell the foal's mother because she had been through enough, she didn't need to know that in her last moments. I hope one day Luna will come back to me and her and Music Scribe could relate in some ways."
"Music… Scribe?" Sol and Lily said in unison.
"Yes, since she's to be the last princess in a line of the Muse Empire and the sole voice of an empire in this modern time. It's only fair I give her a name that suited." Celestia concluded.
Lily looked worried and questioned as nicely as she could, "Princess, what if she doesn't live up to it? I mean that's a lot to live up to especially for such a small foal."
Celestia looked to the moon and smiled a bittersweet smile, "She'll be whatever she wants no matter what. I just know she'll be the best at what she'll do. We can only guide and protect her for so long, until the day she is meant to be shown for who she is. We will do everything we can to succeed in my sister's wish, that's an order… but also a request to keep her safe while we still can."
Both nodded, knowing that this would change their lives forever. They didn't know how much until much later in Music Scribe's unique life how greatly affected they would be by her and she would be affected by them.
15 Page RogueShadow Winterborn (Cosmic Star)