The Life and Lies of Princess Celestia- Chapter 4
We will now skip forward to a point in time when Celestia and Luna are two years of age.
Julianne awoke early that morning to the sounds of fillies snoring. She had to stifle her chuckle so as not to wake them. She always found foals' snoring funny for some reason. She removed her hoof from her mouth and sat up silently. She stretched her hooves over her head and unfurled her wings before wiping the sleep from her eyes. Then she climbed out of bed and once more over the sleeping foals who had slept in her room that night. She then made her way out of her room and stepped into the hallway. She turned to her right and continued down the steps and turned left when she had reached the foot of the stairs. She walked passed the window, but stopped and reversed her course when she noticed there was somepony outside. She walked up to the window and looked outside, seeing the filly that sat on the porch steps and staring at the sky. Julianne walked over to the door that led outside, which stood to her right, and opened it by taking the doorknob in her teeth and pulling it open. The filly didn't even turn around to look at her; in fact, she made no movements whatsoever.
"Celestia?" Julianne asked. It was only then that the filly seemed to notice Julianne's presence. Her ears perked up and she turned her head to look over her right shoulder at Julianne.
"Hi, Julie." Celestia said to her. Her voice was adorable and it warmed Julianne's heart to hear it.
"What are you doing out here?" Julianne asked her.
"I was watching the sun rise," Celestia replied simply. It was her favorite activity, and each morning she snuck out of the house to watch it. Julianne had never caught her, as she always went back inside before Julianne woke up.
"How are you up this early?" Julianne asked in confusion. Celestia turned to face her and smiled warmly. Her mane and tail blew in the breeze, and she seemed to almost glow.
"I don't know, I just feel like I need to get up and watch the sun." She replied. Julianne stared at her. This was very strange behavior, very strange behavior indeed. Celestia continued to smile warmly at her. "Is everything okay Miss Julie?" She asked.
"Yes, everything's fine. Why don't you come inside and help me prepare breakfast?" Julianne replied.
"Okay!" Celestia said and jumped to her hooves, eagerly following Julianne into the house.
Later that day, noon had come and the foals were enjoying their day in the sunshine. Julianne watched as the fillies laughed and played together. Celestia was one of the most popular of the foals, having many friends that liked to play with her. Luna, on the other hand, had only a handful of friends, but they were close to her and loyal. Celestia spread her wings and soared into the air, gliding only about ten feet from the ground, but still impressing everypony who watched her. Luna looked up at Celestia and smiled at her, happy for her sister. She too spread her wings and soared into the air, joining her sister in a fantastic aerial display. It was no wonder the other foals liked them so much, they were always the life of the party. Julianne had noticed that these fillies weren't like the others in the sense that they have both wings and a horn, whereas the others had only one or the other, or neither. Could this be the blessing that the Queen had written about? No, they had those wings and horns since birth, there was something else, something that hadn't been revealed yet.
"Hoi! Julianne! Why don't you join us?" Celestia called out to her. Julianne was shaken from her daze and looked up to the fillies who hovered next to one another. She smiled.
"Sorry, not today." Julianne declined.
"Oh come on, it's our birthdays today!" Celestia said as she began to fly around again. This caught Julianne by surprise.
"Who's birthdays did you say it was?" She asked, trying to make sure she had heard the filly right.
"Mine and Luna's!" She replied with glee.
"I'm sorry, but how do you know that?" Julianne asked. Celestia shrugged.
"I dunno, I just feel like it is, you know what I mean?" She replied. Julianne sat in silence for a second, watching the filly fly around the sky, but not really observing what was going on. Her mind had shut off, for she was thinking about the mysteries of these two fillies. There was something different about them, not just in their anatomy, but rather, something in their personalities as well. There was a certain air of mystery that floated about them, one that Julianne wished more than once she could dispell with answers. She had tried talking to them about their past, but they never remembered anything past the orphanage. They came to her sometimes in the middle of the night, crying because they had seen two figures in their dreams. Julianne had wondered more than once if these figures they spoke of were their parents, but she dismissed the idea every time. Now, Celestia was telling her that it was their birthday, and yet, how could she possibly know that? She hadn't said a thing about it before, though she was very capable of speech by the point of her first birthday. Julianne resolved right then and there to figure out the mysteries behind these girls.
Finally, Julianne shrugged and spread her wings, joining them in the air. She felt the wind pass between her feathers, a feeling she enjoyed very much. She hovered next to Luna and they both nodded at one another, then soaring about after her sister. Celestia noticed she was being followed and let out a giggle before starting to soar about in seemingly random patterns. It was obvious that Celestia expected them to follow her, and that they did. Julianne and Luna flew in perfect synchronism with one another, mimicking Celestia's aerial movements with such accuracy, you would think they had practiced it a thousand times before. The foals on the ground looked on and laughed and cheered, enjoying the show. Celestia flew about this way and that, enjoying herself and giggling all the while. Julianne and Luna followed her, having just as much fun and giggling just as much.
After a few hours, the endurance of both Luna and Celestia ran out and they were forced to land, still giggling. They were panting, but they managed to force out their giggles in between breaths. Julianne also landed, not nearly as exhausted as the other two, but still exhausted nonetheless. The foals cheered and stomped their hooves on the ground in applause. Celestia and Luna took a bow, and Julianne did likewise. When the applause died down, Julianne kindly asked them all to head inside for lunch. The foals gladly went inside, but Julianne called for Luna and Celestia to hang back for a second or two. Luna and Celestia gladly stayed with Julianne, avoiding the mass herd of foals storming into the house.
"What is it Miss Julie?" Celestia asked in that adorable voice of hers. Julianne first looked around to make sure that is was just the three of them. When she had made sure that they were the only ones, she turned back to the girls.
"I'd like to show you two something very important tonight, if you're willing." She said.
"Really? What is it?" Celestia and Luna asked simultaneously.
"You'll see. Just be waiting for me outside of your room at eight o' clock, okay?"
"Okay!" They both said again. Julianne smiled and ushered them both back into the house.
Later that night, Luna and Celestia were in their pajama's (as ponies don't walk around naked, like a certain show would lead viewers to believe) and waiting anxiously for Julianne to meet them outside of their room. Celestia bounced up and down eagerly as they waited outside of their room. The hallway was dark and everypony else was sleeping.
"What time is it, Luna?" Celestia asked.
"It's 7:53." Luna responded, knowing exactly what time it was no matter where she was; though this only happened at night. During the day, she had no clue what time it was. Celestia didn't have this power, neither during the day nor at night. With that said, Celestia also had a power that Luna did not possess. This was, of course, the ability to know exactly what the date was. She would always be able to say what day it was in year without even thinking about it.
"Good evening, girls." The voice of Julianne said amidst the darkness of the hallway. A single window let moonlight into the hallway, and that light had yet to reach Julianne's body. Luna and Celestia watched eagerly as their caretaker stepped into the moonlight. The two fillies were astonished at how wonderful their caretaker looked in the moonlight. Her skin was caramel in color, and her eyes were a brilliant shade of blue. Her mane was silvery and the moonlight reflected lustrously off of the long hairs that hung down beautifully toward the ground. She wore an excellent white dress that became slightly translucent toward the flank and her half-moon bifocals that shone in the moonlight.
"So what's the surprise?" Celestia asked eagerly. Julianne chuckled.
"You'll find out. Follow me," Julianne replied. The fillies nodded and followed her down the hallway, past her room (which was vacant for the night), and down the stairs. When they had reached the door, Julianne looked behind her at the two fillies. They stared up at her with sparkling eyes and she questioned whether or not this was a good idea. She heaved a sigh and pulled open the door, stepping through and waiting for the two girls to follow her outside before shutting it again. She took the lead once more and lead them off of the porch and toward the path that led into the heart of town.
The night air was chilly and seemed to cling to Julianne's skin through her thin dress. She glanced over her shoulder at Celestia and Luna and saw that they didn't seem to be uncomfortable at all. Maybe it was just Julianne's nerves that were getting to her. She looked forward again, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She let it out slowly and shakily, a white fog appearing before her as she did so. They walked through the dark night and finally reached the heart of Canterlot. Buildings with dark windows stood on either side of them, seeming to impose a sense of eeriness. They turned a corner and a street lamp lit up, the sudden burst of light causing them to jump. They all looked at each other and laughed, the mood growing more comfortable. Julianne turned back around and continued to lead them to the outskirts of Canterlot.
I hope I'm not making a huge mistake, She thought to herself in worry. They emerged from the heart of Canterlot and walked down a dirt path that lead to what she was about to show them. Julianne could see the dark remains of the house from where she was, and wondered if the girls were seeing it as well. Eventually, when they were less than a hundred yards from the house, she stopped and turned around to face the girls.
"Celestia, Luna. The building behind me is what I wanted to show you. I think you're both ready to see it." She said. The two fillies eagerly tried to sneak a peak at whatever it was that they were being showed. With a nervous sigh, Julianne stepped aside and the two fillies ran forward a few paces to look at the building.
Celestia was excited to finally see what Julie was trying to show her. As Julie stepped aside she and her sister ran forward a few feet and tried to see the building in the darkness. Celestia's eyes fell upon a building that looked like it had been a house. She saw that some portions of the wood were darker than others, though she still couldn't make out much of it. Then, her eyes widened and her pupils dialated and she sank to her knees as if she were in some sort of trance. Julie and Luna both looked at her, but she didn't move. She began to tremble, softly at first, then increasingly more violent as time went on. Her breathing became frantic and sweat poured from her pores. The world before her eyes transformed from a cold, peaceful night to a blazing fire. She saw smoke rising into the air in pillars from the house that now looked like a full house. The windows had shattered and flames poured from the empty squares. She could hear voices, a mare's and a stallion's, both frightened, both loud and clear in her ears.
"Milly!" She heard the stallion shout.
Milly... Celestia thought. Tears began to well up in her eyes. Then, she saw a stallion running toward the door, a section of the roof collapsing on top of him and crushing the lower half of his body. She saw two fillies drop to the cool grass just twenty yards from the house. She heard the whole speech that the stallion gave, and began to cry.
"D-daddy..." She cried. Then she realized who Milly was and began to cry even harder.
"M-mommy!" She cried. She wanted to look away, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene. Tears flowed from her eyes in a constant stream that never stopped. The world became darker and the night air stung her skin. She kept repeating the same two words: mommy... daddy... It was all she could do. She continued to cry as hard as she could, her nose starting to run as well. She sniffled and let out a scream. It was a heartbreaking scream, the one of a heartbroken filly discovering for the first time ever that her parents were dead. Then, the scene suddenly stopped. Her vision snapped back to the cold, dark night. The flames were gone. So was her father's body, and half of the building. Celestia still wasn't able to move. Tears continued to flow down her cheeks and her breath came in ragged bursts. It was a few minutes before she could feel Julie shaking her. She slowly turned her head to look up into Julie's eyes. Julie's face was awash with concern.
"J-Julie..." Celestia said. Julie pulled her close and stroked her mane.
"Shh, it's alright Celestia," Julie said to her.
"M-mommy... D-daddy..." Celestia said with her face turned to one side and pressed against Julie's chest.
"Shh," Julie urged her as she continued to stroke Celestia's mane. Luna stood behind them, confused as to what was going on.
When Julianne stepped aside and the two fillies ran forward to observe the house, she heard a sharp intake of breath from one of them. She turned around quickly and found Celestia on her knees, shaking uncontrollably. She quickly ran over to her, looking into her eyes and calling her name. Celestia didn't respond. She didn't even look away from the house. Tears were streaming down her cheeks in a constant stream. Her breathing was ragged and rapid. She kept repeating the same two words over and over again; and these two words seemed to worry both Julianne and Luna the most.
"What's happening to her, Julie?" Luna asked worriedly.
"I don't know," Julianne replied. Then, Celestia let out a scream that made Julianne's mane stand on end. Celestia continued this behaviour for several more minutes before she finally looked up at Julliane, who was shaking her. Julianne pulled Celestia into her chest and stroked her mane, trying to calm the still trembling filly down. Luna walked up beside Julliane and looked first at her sister, then up at Julliane.
"Julie, is she gonna be okay?" Luna asked. Julianne nodded, though she wasn't so sure herself. After a few seconds, Celestia began to tremble less and less, and her breathing began to come more smoothly.
"What happened to her?" Luna asked. Julianne took her eyes off of Celestia for a moment and looked at Luna, who was deeply concerned for her sister.
"I'll tell you when you're older," Julianne replied. Luna stared into Julianne's eyes for a few seconds, but she seemed to understand and nodded. Julianne helped Celestia to her hooves and wiped the tears from the filly's eyes with her feathers.
"It'll be alright, Celestia. Come on, let's get you two in bed." She said. Celestia nodded, still staring at the ground and sniffling. The three of them spread their wings nearly simultaneously and took flight.
They flew through the night air, the cold wind blowing through their feathers. The cold wind also stung Celestia's eyes as they flew, but it gradually became less and less painful. Julianne kept to herself the entire trip home. She cursed herself for having put Celestia through that, but something else caught her attention. Why hadn't Luna had the same reaction? They had both seen the house, she was sure, but what made Celestia burst into tears and instantly cry out for her mommy and daddy? Did she something that Luna hadn't? These questions filled her mind so entirely that she nearly forgot to land in front of the orphanage. She descended and Celestia and Luna followed behind her. They all three landed and Julianne walked up the three stairs to the porch and held the door open for Luna and Celestia, letting them walk through before she entered behind them and shut the door.
She led them up the stairs and toward their room; well, leading them wasn't the term she would've used. She followed them up the stairs and to their room, where she opened the door for them and let them inside. She stood in the doorway as she watched them climb into their beds, pulling the covers over themselves using their magic.
"Good night Celestia. Good night Luna." She said to both of them in turn.
"Good night Miss Julie," They said at the same time. She blew them both kisses before turning and shutting the door behind her. When the door was closed, she leaned against it and heaved a heavy sigh, sliding down the door and sobbing. How could she have done that to Celestia? What was she thinking? She cursed herself repeatedly in her mind. She was supposed to be taking care of them, yet she had led them to their parents' burned down house. After a few minutes she managed to calm herself down. She shook her head and used the back of her hoof to wipe the tears from her eyes. She took a few more deep breaths before standing up and walking back to her room. She opened the door and climbed into her warm bed, covering herself with the warm blanket before falling asleep.