Conversations between Fausticorn and Princess Celestia
By Nova Force
Chapter 1
In the land of Equestria, Canterlot was the shining capital city on a mountainside. Within the city was the Royal Castle, complete with ivory towers with golden spires. This castle was where the co-rulers of Equestria dwelt: the Princesses Celestia and Luna. Aside from their regal pedigree, these two princesses were indeed rare ponies, for they were each a Pegasus-Unicorn. Most ponies were either one or the other (or sometimes Earth ponies), but never both. This meant they possessed both the gifts of flight and magic through the use of their wings and horns. Pegasus-Unicorns were indeed a part of an exclusive club.
On this particular day, Princess Celestia was sitting at her throne awaiting a visit from her loyal and most faithful student, the unicorn Twilight Sparkle. She had written to the princess requesting an audience with her. Under normal circumstances Celestia would refuse, but she had a soft spot for Twilight. At the end of the throne room, the entrance doors opened and a little purple unicorn trotted through.
"Princess Celestia! I'm so happy to see you!" Twilight said.
The princess smiled upon seeing her star pupil. "Yes, it's good to see you too, Twilight Sparkle. I hope your journey from Ponyville was met with ease."
Twilight made her way to the front steps of the throne. "No problems this time."
Celestia rose from her chair and stepped down to meet Twilight. The two ponies hugged before Celestia gestured for them to walk over outside to one of the nearby balconies. "I received your letter asking to meet with me. What is it that I may help you with today?"
Once outside on the balcony, Twilight took a moment to absorb the magnificent view of Equestria. "Princess Celestia," she began, "I've been studying friendship in Ponyville. I've learned so much, but I'm afraid I'm neglecting my other studies. With all the adventures I go through almost daily, I just don't have the kind of time like I used to have when I was here in Canterlot."
Celestia tilted her head. "I knew when I sent you to Ponyville that your other studies would not make as much progress."
Twilight looked up at her with regret. "That's just it though. I haven't made any progress on my other studies!" When she finished her sentence, Twilight hung her head in shame.
Never one to enjoy seeing her student distraught, Celestia lowered her head to meet Twilight's eyelevel. "It's alright, Twilight Sparkle. Learning to prioritize takes some ponies a lifetime to master. The good news is that you're not one of those. In time you will learn how to balance your time to accommodate your needs."
Twilight lifted her head back to its normal position. Reassurance from the princess was worth its weight in gold. "Thank you, princess." She then bit her lower lip as if she were holding back something else on her mind. "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"
Celestia nodded. "Of course you can. What is it you would like to know?"
"Where did everything come from?"
The princess raised her eyebrow at such a blunt, yet profound question. Instead of giving Twilight an answer, she simply stood still while her tail and mane flowed naturally in motion. "What do you mean by 'everything'?" she said.
Twilight sat down and stretched out her arms as she spoke. "I mean everything. Equestria, the stars, all the ponies in the world," she hesitated before she locked eyes with the princess. "But more importantly, you."
Confusion washed over Celestia's face. "Me?"
Having not received a direct refusal to answer her questions, Twilight spoke faster. "Yes! In all of my Equestrian history books there are references to you, but none of them give any satisfying answers as to where you came from and how you got here." The tone in Twilight's voice turned frantic. "But that's not all! Why do bad things happen to good ponies? Why are we here? What's the point of it all?"
Celestia stamped her front hooves like a judge pounding a gavel to attain order in the court. Twilight immediately fell silent as her mentor spoke calmly. "I appreciate your curiosity, my faithful student. Unfortunately, I'm not able to answer these questions for you at this time."
Twilight did not even try to hide her disappointment. "Why not?"
The princess remained poised in her answer. "A lot of what you're asking me cannot be answered so easily. I'm terribly sorry. I know that's a very unsatisfying answer, but it is the truth." Before she became too apologetic, Princess Celestia harkened back to an earlier letter from Twilight. "I do recall receiving a letter from you detailing how you're willing to believe in what you don't fully understand. I believe your friend Pinkie Pie and her 'Pinkie Sense' taught you that."
There was no way Twilight would ever forget that whole "Pinkie Sense" episode. Her frustration drove her literally to burst into flames. "Yes, I remember, but I think that there is a difference between your origins and the 'Pinkie Sense'. One is a skill, or a talent, or whatever, and the other is history. Surely there exists some documentation of your birth. I would think being the co-ruler of Equestria automatically makes you a historical figure."
Princess Celestia laughed. "You are indeed a wonder, Twilight Sparkle. I admire your determination. I'll tell you what. Please return to Ponyville and continue studying the magic of friendship." She paused as her attitude shifted in seriousness. "I need to talk with somepony."
Twilight could sense the gravitas in Celestia's voice. "Who?"
"That's not your concern. But we can talk more about this when I return. I promise this will be worth the wait."
"Alright, princess, if you say so." Twilight knew when to challenge Celestia. This was not one of those times.
Twilight left the castle grounds and returned to her hot-air balloon that she used for traveling in Equestria. When Princess Celestia knew that her faithful student was completely removed from the Canterlot vicinity, she made her way to her personal chamber. Two royal guards stood sentinel outside of the entrance. Celestia greeted them as she always did, but she added a request. "Please make sure no pony under any circumstance enters through this door."
The guards spoke in unison, "Yes, your highness."
When Celestia entered her room, she made sure the door was closed tightly. For what she was about to do, no pony could bear witness. She closed her eyes and entered into a deep concentration. At first nothing happened, but Celestia's horn began to give off a golden glow. She extended her wings to give her body balance because she was performing the kind of powerful magic that mere unicorns were incapable of doing. The room began to shake with a force growing stronger by the second. The guards on the outside, however, remained unmoved in their positions. Orders were orders.
Suddenly a bright light ripped open in front of Celestia and formed into a large circle. When the portal appeared, the quaking stopped. She took a deep breath before entering into a realm outside of Equestria.
When she stepped over onto the other side, she turned around and used her magic to close the portal. I want no pony following me. Once the portal was gone, she turned around and marched forward. The environment around her was something of a dimensional limbo. Even though there was no solid ground beneath her hooves, she was able to walk casually as if there was. Her wings remained tucked in by her sides.
After walking for some time, the princess stopped and closed her eyes. Once again, she entered went into a meditative state, but this time her horn did not glow with magic. Instead, she focused her mental energy. Please, I need to speak with you. When she opened her eyes, she finally encountered the one for whom she sought.
"Welcome, my little pony," said Fausticorn.