War of Tolerance

Equestria rests in a state of calmness, assaulted only by the usual wild animal
rampage or infestation of Parasprites or other small nuisances.

But when a new Alicorn comes to be met by Twilight Sparkle and her friends in the Everfree Forest,
what he has to say alters the course of Equestria's very existence from that moment on.

*Note: This story and title belongs to me. The character known as "Morning Dew" also belongs to me.
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic belongs to Hasbro and was created by Lauren Faust.
Please don't steal my character or storyline based on the cartoon show My Little Pony. Thank you!

I would love to know what you all think... I know this forum is very slow, but... It's worth a shot.

Prologue

“You can do it, my little pony.”

“It’s difficult.”

“Nopony said it would be easy. Magic is never easy. But this is your power, and your power alone. You have to master it.”

Morning Dew sighed. He glared at the sky, squinting against the glaring blue of his mother’s beautiful midmorning. No clouds were in the sky, but he was trying to change that. With his mother at his side, he closed his bi-colored eyes and focused. He willed a big, white cloud to appear, appear at his will and move to where he wanted it to. He envisioned it, a pillow floating of its own accord, lighter than air. It took a lot of energy, but when he opened his eyes, a thin, wispy thing had defaced the perfect sky. It looked more like fog, but a little thicker. With a light smile, he glanced up at his mother. Her dawn-colored eyes were aglow with admiration for her young filly. “Very good, my son.” She said. “Your father will be proud.”

Morning Dew looked back at his cloud. It was too weak to sustain life for very long, and blew away when he flicked his head to the side and forced a gust of wind into it. It went past the sun, darkening the balcony for a moment, taking the glitter away from his mother’s crown. She looked back at him from under her mane. It was white, fading into pale amber and varying shades purple, signifying dawn. Her coat was a beautiful white. “With your power, you will control the movement of the heavens.” She lowered her head, nuzzling her son affectionately. Morning Dew sighed, a small smile on his face. His mane and tail, though short for his age, were longer than average. They were a series of faded tones of dark gray, light gray, white, and pale blue. His pelt was a very pale blue, fading to gray as it went down. Together, they resembled the sky and various clouds.

***

Morning Dew rounded a corner and came face to face with his younger sister. Celestia’s pink mane fell over her face, and she blew it back and glared at her older brother as though accusing him of disturbing her. But Morning had never been partial to the glares his little sister threw. She seemed to give them to everyone. When he tried to go around her, she blocked his path. There, she stood with hooves set, smiling up at him.

“Mother and Father said I’m to have the power over the sun.” She stated. “They said you have too much power, and being the first born, you have to give up some of it to the second born.”

“I’ve no bother with that, sister.” Morning said. “You have potential. You will be great, I know, and harness the power of the sun well.”

“Of course I will!” Celestia flicked her tail and raised her nose. “Simply because you’re the first born hardly means you’re the strongest of your siblings!” She snorted, stepping past Morning Dew and trotting down the hall, her hooves clopping loudly on the marble. Morning turned to watch her depart, eyes characteristically half-closed. In the light of the fading sun through the window beside him, his eyes glittered. One was a two-toned blue that signified night. The other was a red-orange mix that resembled the setting sun. “You know, sister... You mustn’t be so bitter. Share your kindness.”

“Kindness gets one nowhere!” Celestia’s voice was high. She stopped and looked back.

“Then where will you be when Mother and Father give their positions to us? You must be kind to the others, the ponies who look up to the royal bloodline.”

“It’s easy to pretend. Easy to fool the little ponies’ concepts of who is good and who is bad. After a while, they deal with what they have to, because it will not soon change.” With that, she stalked off. As her hoofbeats faded, Morning Dew felt a cold shiver run down his back and settle in the pit of his stomach. He feared she would always be that way. A mean mare, easily seen as a kind, benevolent leader when placed in the shoes of their parents, but in reality a bitter, impatient thing, holding herself in higher regard than anyone else in Equestria. Perhaps, he thought, moving on his own path, she harbored an anger for not having as much power as Morning Dew himself, who didn’t even want the power he had.

***

“Luna, my little Luna.” Their mother rested before the fire in bed, smiling brightly at their newest member. Their father, a dark Alicorn that seemed to be made up of the night sky itself, with eyes of dark purple, stood beside Morning Dew. Celestia stared unblinkingly ahead. Her mane and tail were starting to fade from pink to a series of other colors. Their mother sighed, looking toward them with a tired smile before returning her lavender gaze on her new foal daughter of dark blue pelt and light blue mane and tail. “Our Luna. She shall have the moon, the night. Celestia, my dear little pony, you will have the sun and the day. And Morning Dew, our only son, you will have the weather, the rain and clouds and wind. Together you will rule, some day.”

“Together?” Celestia repeated, snapping out of her stiff daze. Morning Dew could sense a note of resentment in her voice, but it wasn’t caught by their mother or father.

“Yes, my little filly.” Their father spoke up. “One cannot rule by oneself. Equestria is far too large. Your powers correspond with one another. Day, night, and weather.”

“And who will be the first ruler when... that time comes?” Celestia asked. She was staring at Luna through narrowed eyes. Between her mother’s hooves, the young foal was sleeping peacefully.

“Why, the eldest of course.” Their mother said. “Morning Dew.”
Celestia glanced up at her brother, a burning expression cast his way. He had closed his eyes.

***

The time had come. Morning Dew stood between Celestia and Luna, his flank blank between a sun and a crevice moon. Their mother and father both lay side by side in their bed, a glow from the fireplace casting upon them. Their father’s coat, dotted everywhere with star-like white spots, soaked up that light like the night sky. Their mother’s cast it back off in a brilliant shine. But their eyes were faded.

“Our time is short.” Their father said. His voice was weak, and he forced every word a little harder than he used to. “And your time has come. Morning Dew, you will come next as ruler of Equestria. You will do well.”

“We will watch over you forever.” Their mother whispered. Her spirit was wavering faster than their father’s. “From the face of the sun and moon, we will never leave you.”

Luna stepped forward. “I love you, Mother. Father. I will do my most, and I will never let you down! My moon will rise every night without fail.”

“Mother and Father.” Celestia peered at them, one purple eye hidden beneath her multi-colored mane. “I’ll not forget you. The sun will live on and bring the day without fail.”

Morning Dew sighed. He bowed his head, touching the floor with his horn. “My rain and clarity will be your heart and soul.” He said. “My wind will see you on to your final destination.” He closed his eyes, shielding him from their final breaths. With a moment’s pause, he summoned a gust of wind to wind into the open window, shifting the fire in the fireplace and seeing their parents off with a sweet scent of flowers. But he couldn’t look at them. A gasp escaped him, and tears threatened to fall. Without a word to his sisters, he galloped to the window, leaping out into the open air.

They were at the top of the tallest tower. Morning Dew’s mane whipped around him, the cold night air stinging his eyes and bringing more tears. The ground was far below, and could have been gone completely. He opened his wings, letting the air catch them and slow his fall a bit. Lifting his head, he started gliding far away. His sisters were not following, he could sense that. They knew he never wanted to take over as ruler of Equestria. Not even under the threat of Celestia taking over instead. But their youngest sister might be able to keep her under control, at least a bit. Morning Dew hoped so, anyway.

He felt anger mix in with the worry, the sorrow. Anger at having left, but he didn’t have the strength to turn around. He sped through the nighttime sky, lowering himself to graze the tops of the trees of the Everfree Forest. He had so much power. He didn’t want that power. He hated having control over the sun, the moon, and the weather. Even if his sisters took over a third, that didn’t diminish the strength of those he already possessed.

Silently he landed in a small clearing. The grass was darker than usual, the trees oddly large and gnarled. He wouldn’t have need to use his power over the sun and moon as long as he stayed in the forest. He would simply master his weather control.

***

He woke a little later than his usual time, expecting the trees to be alight with the morning sun. It was never late, nor was he. Shaking his shades-of-gray mane out of his eyes, he raised himself up and came out of the abandoned castle he had come across. That night he had slept in the doorway, staring out at the trees in the mist and the bridge he decided to build not long ago, in the rare chance somepony would ever venture his way. But only animals ever did, not that he cursed it. He loved animals. But what drew him out was not his sudden start out of sleep. It was still dark. Luna had not lowered the moon, and perhaps for a disastrous reason.

Before he could reach the forest’s edge, a burst of pure white and pale yellow light exploded from in front of him. By the time he reached the wide expanse of grassy land outside the forest, he saw the moon become altered, the silhouette of a horse imprinted upon it.

A gasp escaped him. Luna’s presence, which was always with him, had vanished, but Celestia’s remained. His addled mind could only reach one conclusion: Luna had been altered by Celestia. She had lost her mind, become bitter for having the lesser of the elements, if only for a moment. Celestia had banished her to the moon. As his mind raced, the dawn came. It lightened the sky, pushing the moon away. For a moment, Morning Dew let his power run wild and dark clouds formed over the forest, but nowhere else. Celestia had done the worst possible thing. And without trying to compromise? Without giving Luna a chance to voice her thoughts? Or give the anger time to pass? Morning Dew had no idea, but he didn’t like what had happened.

Silently, as rain started to fall over the Everfree Forest, Morning Dew backed himself into the shade of the trees."

Chapter I

Fluttershy walked lightly, as she always did. Her head was bowed, taking away from her height, and it allowed her mane to fall over half her face. She let Rainbow Dash speed ahead of her, wings swishing through the air as they closed in on Rarity, who at that time was standing outside Sugarcube Corner. They reached the white unicorn at the same time, though, as Dash decided to do some midair tricks, looping about a few times. “Hey, Rarity!” Dash landed with a thud in front of her, and Rarity stepped back to avoid the puff of dirt that huffed up from the road. “Me, Fluttershy, and Twilight are going to the Everfree Forest to see Zecora. You wanna come?”

Rarity turned her nose up. “Ugh! You know how much I hate that place, Rainbow Dash. It’s absolutely filthy, and my coat is perfectly clean! For now.” She glared at the ground, as though it were trying to ruin her perfectly-groomed coat on purpose. “But give Zecora my best, I have orders to fill!”

Rainbow Dash snickered as Fluttershy went forward. “Oh, but Rarity. Zecora said she would have some gems for you to include in your new clothing line.”

About to turn, Rarity paused. Fluttershy and Dash could tell she was thinking, her gaze drifting for a moment as she considered what she would rather do. “Oh, dear, you know I wouldn’t pass up the opportunity! But I’m just so far behind already.” She sighed. “But, er, if you would be so kind as to get those gems for me while you’re there, I would be so grateful!”

“Of course we will, Rarity.” Fluttershy nodded once. “And we promise to be back before long.”

“Thank you so much, Fluttershy!” Rarity gave a grin, spinning around. “Don’t rush now, dears!” With that, she took off at a gallop down the road.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, but had a smile on her face. “Well, c’mon, Fluttershy. Twi’s waiting for us!” She unfurled her wings and lifted off, and Fluttershy hurried to keep up. Together they flew low over Ponyville, joined or passed sometimes by other pegasi, hurrying over clouds. Dash took extra measures to do a few more tricks, weaving between the taller buildings. They flew lower over Sweet Apple Acres, waving to Applejack and Applebloom as they roamed the orchards. The small road that led past the the orchards was below, and when the dark trees of the Everfree forest came into view, the pegasi landed to walk the rest of the way. Even at that distance, they could see the clouds above the forest moving on their own.

Twilight Sparkle rushed to meet them. Spike was on her back. “Hey, girls!” She said happily. “Ready to go?”

“Sure am!” Dash nodded once. Twilight glanced at Fluttershy.

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about me.” She said, her soft voice holding a note of confidence rarely heard. “I’m... Er, I’m not quite as afraid of this forest as I used to be.”

“That’s great, Fluttershy!” Spike leaped to the ground. “I love to see you conquering your fears!”

Fluttershy smiled softly, following her friends as they led the way into the forest.

Morning Dew could hear them, so familiar were their voices. A soft one, barely audible, mixing in with a confident one and a loud, rebellious one. Then another, a male, but young, one he’d never heard before. He recognized the majority, though, as three of the six who had come to the ruined castle he called home, to retrieve the elements of harmony. His youngest sister, still seething at being sealed away in her moon for a thousand years, had never even known Morning Dew was near, nor had the young ponies that returned his beloved sister back to normal. And yet, Celestia decided to play the hero as well, putting on one of her kinder masks. She had so long fooled the young purple pony known as Twilight Sparkle. It burned in him to know she could do such a thing.

Standing just inside the forest itself, hidden behind a mass of trees just off the path, he considered what to do. As the ponies and the baby dragon approached, he stepped out into the open, in front of the mares, blocking their path.

Fluttershy gasped, using Dash and Twilight as a shield and hiding behind them, shrunk down to where only the top of her hair could be seen. They froze, staring up at the tall horse with their mouths agape. Rainbow Dash was only put off for a moment. She stepped forward. “Hey, who are you? Why’d you get in our way?”

Morning Dew paused for a moment, mouth open to speak but no words escaping. He recognized the cyan and rainbow-colored pony as Rainbow Dash, and the timid yellow and pink one as Fluttershy. Their leader, standing to the front, was a purple one he recognized as being called Twilight Sparkle. “Hey, I’ll ask again!” Dash stepped forward. “Who are you?”

At that he cleared his throat and locked his legs. “My name is Morning Dew.”

“I’ve never seen you around before,” Twilight said. “Where do you come from?”

Morning Dew sighed. The shadow of a painful smile flashed across his face. “I come from Canterlot. But the Everfree Forest is where I make my home. I’ve lived here... almost forever. And I’ve been waiting for you to come back. You three, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, and Fluttershy, and your other three friends.”

“How’d you know their names?” Spike asked in awe. He stepped away from Twilight to get a better look at the horse.

“I was present when they used the elements of harmony to turn my little sister back to normal.” Morning Dew’s voice became very low when he spoke, a slip of the tongue bringing disbelieving stares to the faces of the young mares before him, even that of Fluttershy.

“Y... Your... S-sister...?” She stammered. “L-Luna...?”

“No way!” Dash stamped her foot. “You aren’t related to the princesses!”

“How do you know, my little pony?” Morning Dew unfurled his wings, presenting them to the ponies for the first time. Their jaws dropped.

“An... An Alicorn!?” Spike gasped. “Just like the princesses! But there aren’t any references to you in the legends.”

“Maybe that’s because he’s not an alicorn! He’s not related to the princesses!” Dash took a defensive stance. “He’s an illusion cast by the forest!”

“I’ve never heard of that before, Dash.” Twilight stepped forward, leaving Fluttershy to sit in a ball beside Spike. “Besides, he’s too real to be an illusion. Are you really related to the princesses?”

“Absolutely, Twilight. I watched you travel the Everfree Forest, working together to get to my castle, where the elements of harmony resided. I watched you return my dear little sister to her original form, and I was so thankful.”

“Then why didn’t you come out and say anything!?” Rainbow Dash cocked her head to the side. “This seems awfully... awfully fishy to me!”

“Yes, I know I should have made my presence known, but...” He looked around. “Er, this is a bit of a long story. Shall we make ourselves comfortable in a different area?”

“Sure, right over here!” Dash leapt off the path and sat on a particularly springy patch of grass. “I’m not going anywhere in the forest with you!”

“Understandable, and admirable.” Morning Dew sat at the base of a tree as Twilight pushed Fluttershy off the path and Spike joined Dash. “You are a group of very good friends, I could tell both then and now.”

“T-thank you...” Fluttershy’s voice was so quiet they had to lean in to hear. Morning Dew smiled. “Er...” She struggled to find the words. “Why... I mean... Why aren’t you... mentioned... at all? I-in the old stories... I mean...?”

“Ah, such a good question.” Morning Dew sighed, closing his eyes as his mind raced back. “I’m the eldest of the royal siblings. As the eldest, I was given the power over sun, moon, and weather. But, since at that time, my mother controlled the sun and my father controlled the moon, I was to control the weather. The pegasi didn’t always control it, after all. When Celestia was born, she was to be given the power over the sun. Luna didn’t come along until much later, at which time it was decided she would control the moon. But, being the eldest, I was to take the throne at our parents’ passing.”

“And you didn’t?” Twilight asked.

“No. I... I couldn’t. I just couldn’t. I fled from Canterlot that night, and made a home here, in the Everfree Forest. But I regret giving Celestia the throne every day. Despite our ruling together, the eldest is to take on the greatest responsibility. When I left, that role was given to her.”

“But Celestia’s a great ruler!” Rainbow Dash sat up from her spot and glared at Morning Dew. “You trying to say she’s not?”

“I’m not trying to say it.” Morning Dew turned his eyes on her, in a stare so intense it made the young mare shrink back and sit next to Fluttershy. “I am saying it. Celestia, ever since she was competent to her power, started becoming blinded and mean. She and I used to be the closest of friends, not only siblings. She looked up to me as a young sibling would, but after Mother and Father gave her power over the sun, she... just became terrible.”

“I’ve never seen that side of her.” Spike said. “Me and Twilight’s been living in Canterlot for... most of our lives! Well, me for all my life...”

“And I’ve been around her the most.” Twilight interjected. “I would’ve seen something!”

“No, Twilight, you wouldn’t have. She’s a master of lies, putting on a mask of kindness and care around those who need to look up to her, who she needs to trust her. I’m sure you recall the legend of when she used the elements of harmony to seal Luna in the moon?”

“She needed to do that.” Dash spat. “Luna was crazy!”

“Oh, my dear pony. Luna didn’t go insane on her own. Celestia certainly helped it along. She became bitter because Celestia belittled her lovely night. She wanted to show Equestria what her night could be, I imagine.”

“No. Celestia tried to reason with her.” Twilight shook her head and stared at the ground. She didn’t want to listen to what this strange Alicorn had to say. But she couldn’t bring herself to stop him from speaking:

“You don’t know that for sure. What you know is what you read in the legends and stories, what you’ve been told. History is written by the victors. They twist facts, and with age, some things are completely forgotten.”

“Like you...?” Fluttershy spoke up, her voice cracking a bit.

“No. I was never mentioned because I ran away. They wiped me from existence. But now you know why the weather in the Everfree Forest changes by itself.”

“Because you live here. And that’s your main objective.” Twilight stated.

“Precisely. Ah, ever the smart pony, Twilight Sparkle.”

“I don’t buy this for a second!” Dash stood. “You must just be against Celestia!”

“No, Rainbow Dash. I tried so hard to keep Celestia good. Oh, I tried so hard. But she became clouded. Do you never wonder why Luna is not seen more often? Celestia keeps Luna in the palace. She desires control. When she is around her subjects, she puts on a mask of smiles and keeps their minds at ease. I’ve seen her for who she really is. Soon, Celestia will desire full control. If she snaps, she will be a greater force than Luna to be reckoned with. But of course, if you don’t believe me, I’ll sit back and watch your lives go up in flames. Everything you know now? That will be changed for the worst.”

“Yeah, right.” Rainbow turned her back on him, swishing her multi-colored tail in defiance. “I’ve never seen Celestia like that.”

“No one has.” Morning Dew stood and stepped in front of Rainbow. “But if you don’t believe me, I can take you there.”

“Where?” Spike asked.

“To Canterlot. I’ve been a few times. I can take you to the palace, and show you how Celestia treats Luna, her guards, and everyone underneath her when she thinks no one is looking.”

A silence fell over them. Only Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had wings to join Morning Dew. Twilight looked up at him, into his oddly-colored eyes. “Fluttershy and Dash can go.”

“No!” Dash’s magenta eyes widened in shock. “You can’t actually believe this, Twi!?”

“I believe in what’s shown to me, what can be proven. But since I can’t join you, You’ll just---”

“Hold on now, Twilight Sparkle. You can join us.” Morning Dew bent down to her level. “Just climb up, I can carry you.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.” Morning Dew lowered himself, and Twilight moved under his wing, lifting herself up. “Hold on, now.” She did, wrapping her forelegs around Morning Dew’s neck.

“Can’t believe we’re doing this.” Rainbow Dash sighed, spreading her wings.

“Well, Rainbow Dash... It’s the best thing to do.” Fluttershy noted.

“Right.” Twilight looked down to Spike. “You go on back to Ponyville, Spike. Get Applejack, Pinkie and Rarity and tell them to get to my place, it’s urgent.”

“You can count on me!” Spike saluted, leaping onto the path and taking off. Dash watched him leave, then rolled her eyes.

“This better not be a waste of time.” She growled. Twilight gave her a glare from her perch as Morning Dew lifted his large wings, taking off from the ground. Dash and Fluttershy lifted to join him, avoiding the lowermost branches of the eerie trees above. Fluttershy was last, and as she struggled to gain momentum to fly alongside Dash, she noticed something strange about Morning Dew none of them had noticed while on the ground. His flank was covered slightly by Twilight’s hoof, but she could tell nothing was there.

“E-excuse me, Morning Dew...?” She fell in pace beside the tall horse and tried to speak above the whistling wind. “Er, i-if you don’t mind... c-could I ask... why don’t you have a cutie mark?”

Morning Dew glanced back. He could see Dash looking around, and Twilight shifted a bit, but for fear of falling didn’t bother letting her curiosity get the better of her. “You have to be passionate about your power, to receive the mark that defines you. In the terms of the royal family, that is. Celestia found a love of the power of the sun, and reveled in raising it every morning and lowering it every night. And Luna adored the mystery of the moon, the night, and loved to see her beautiful moon rise in the evening. I never particularly wanted any power, I wanted to be a simple earth pony, or a simple unicorn or Pegasus. But I never found joy in my power. Of course I loved the rain, especially, but being the one to control the rain didn’t appeal to me. So I never got a mark of any kind.”

“That’s... so sad.” Fluttershy whispered. Her voice was lost on the wind and no one heard. Rainbow’s gaze had softened a bit, though.

They were halfway to Canterlot before Twilight could open her eyes. She had been many times in the air, but never so freely, feeling at any moment she could slip off Morning Dew’s back and plummet to the earth. She had no doubt Morning Dew could certainly out-fly her friends if she did, but the fear was still there and forced her to keep a tight grasp on the Alicorn’s neck.

So high above Equestria, the air was a bit cooler. Twilight had to open her eyes then, and watch those ponies she used to know but never befriended. She had never had the time for such things, or so she thought. So many missed opportunities were carried with every Pegasus, unicorn, and earth pony she recognized. They glided quietly over the pointed buildings, staying out of sight from the other ponies below and dodging the guards of the palace as they approached, lifting themselves on air drifts past windows. Rooms, hallways, all seemed empty save for the occasional guard on patrol. Dash took to flying a little faster than Morning Dew, and when she looked back, he seemed forlorn.

When they reached Princess Celestia’s bedroom, they paused. Celestia was there, and so was Luna. The window was open, allowing the small group to hear the heated conversation:

“Sister. All I’m asking for is one day.” Luna’s voice was low, much lower than the young ponies had ever heard. “One day, where you don’t raise the sun. Just so the ponies can see the beauty of the night.”

“I’m not sure what’s gotten into you, Luna.” Celestia muttered. It was a tone Twilight had never heard her teacher use, a flat tone, devoid of any kindness or warmth. “You know what the night does. It’s a time for sleep, a time where things stop growing. If I give you a day, you will take more.”

“No! I’m not like that anymore!” Luna stamped her foot, and that sudden show of anger sent Celestia forward, cornering her younger sister with a sinister glare in her purple eyes. “I’m not.” Luna whispered.

“You ruined your chance a thousand years ago, Luna! You destroyed my faith in you.” With that, Celestia turned her back on her sister. “I’m not giving you another chance to do now what you did then.”

“You won’t even allow me to prove that I’ve changed. How can I make a new impression on the ponies if you never allow me out of Canterlot other than for the Nightmare Night festival?”

“Because you aren’t allowed. How many times must I tell you?”

“Then... Won’t you let the ponies know that I’m no longer somepony to be feared?” Luna’s voice gave away just how hopeful she was, and Celestia caught it.

“No. Why would I do that? To let you off easily?”

“D... Don’t you think... the thousand-year exile was... p-punishment enough?” From their position, the ponies outside could see Luna’s face. It had fallen, and there were tears in her eyes.

“Absolutely not. Now leave.” Celestia pointed to the door. “I don’t want to hear of your foolish little ideas anymore.”

Luna stared at the floor. “Morning Dew wouldn’t be this way.” She muttered. Twilight could feel him twitch at the mention of his name.

Celestia stomped her hooves, bringing Luna’s gaze up in surprise. “Luna! I’ve told you to never speak of him! He abandoned you, my dear, as he abandoned me. He didn’t want his power, and now nopony knows he exists. For all we know he died long ago, and will never come back. Now leave me! Leave! I’ve gained power through the years, little sister, I can easily send you back to your prison without the elements of harmony!”

She shoved Luna with her muzzle, pushing her toward the door. Luna huffed as she left, her head hung low. She hardly avoided a guard as he stepped into the room. “Is all well, Princess?” He asked.

“Everything is fine. Leave me be.” The guard bowed low, stepping out. Celestia shook her head and breathed deeply, moving to the center of the room. When she turned to the window, her gaze fell on a beautiful sunset.

Fluttershy trailed tears behind her as she followed the others to the ground around the outskirts of the Everfree Forest. When they landed, Twilight hurried to her. “Fluttershy, what’s wrong?” She nuzzled her comfortingly.

“It’s... s-so terrible...” Fluttershy’s voice was broken, so low it was difficult to hear as she hugged Twilight. “C-Celestia... She... w-was so mean... Luna... She doesn’t deserve to... to be yelled at... l-like that...” She gasped, wiping the tears away. “A-and I never thought... Celestia would be... be that way.”

“Ponies, I’m so sorry you had to see that.” Morning Dew said. “Celestia has always been that way, but not where others could see. She’s gotten so bad, much worse over the years.”

“I... I just can’t believe it.” Rainbow Dash shook her head, making her mane fall into her rose-colored eyes. “Celestia, bad? Mean? Abusive...?”

“I’ve never see that before.” Twilight said over Fluttershy’s shoulder. “All my time spent with her and she never acted like that.”

“I fear for the state of Equestria if Celestia is allowed to continue as ruler.” Morning Dew said. “But I was never able to gather the courage to make my presence known, for fear of being cast out as a liar, or conspiracy theorist. But now that you’ve witnessed a small amount of Celestia’s cruelty, perhaps you can help me.”

Dash narrowed her eyes. “Help you do what?”

“I want you to join me in taking control of Canterlot’s rule. I was a fool back then, and I never should have given Celestia the power I did. Now I can make it right. But I need help.”

Dash stepped forward. She hardly came up to his chest, but her gaze was determined, outweighing her size. “Why would we? You might just run off again!”

“I made a mistake. And I’ve learned from it. I can make right what I did wrong so long ago, now that I have the chance. After all, you gave Luna a chance, didn’t you?”

Twilight nodded, setting aside the sniffling Fluttershy to approach Morning Dew. “Of course! And we intend to give you a chance too, right Dash?” She nudged her friend, who, though she didn’t look at Morning Dew directly, nodded slowly. “That’s why I had Spike get the others over to the library! But, er...” She studied their acquaintance for a moment. “How will you get through town without drawing attention?”

Morning Dew’s horn started glowing a pale silvery-gray, and he turned toward the forest just paces away from where they stood. A stormy-gray cloak with lighter gray fringe flew out, flapping in the wind it made, and secured itself around Morning Dew’s body. “It’s not much.” He said. “But it will allow me to pass as a unicorn.”

“You’re still pretty tall. Not exactly subtle.” Dash noted.

“Exactly. So we can’t lose any time.” Twilight started off. “The girls are probably at the library waiting for us. Fluttershy, you and Rainbow fly ahead and let them know we’re coming?”

“Of course, Twilight.” Fluttershy was calmer now, her eyes mostly clear, and she and Dash spread their wings. For a moment Morning Dew watched them depart, vanishing against the blue sky. Twilight looked to her companion as they started off.

Chapter II

“I’m sure you know the rest of the girls.” Twilight said, trying desperately to lift the mood a bit.

“Yes, I do.” Morning Dew managed a small smile and nod, glancing down to her. “I remember Applejack, the element of Honesty, an orange earth pony. And Pinkie Pie, whose name describes her very well, a pink earth pony with the element of Laughter. And Rarity, a white unicorn, whose element is Generosity. Pegasus Fluttershy, the element of Kindness, which I saw very well earlier. Pegasus Rainbow Dash, her element being Loyalty. And you, Twilight Sparkle, the element of Magic, which bring the elements together.”

Twilight nodded. “Yes.” She paused, watching the trees thin as they returned to Ponyville. “Morning Dew...”

“Yes?”

“What are we going to do? What plan do you have in mind, I mean?”

“I’m not sure, honestly. Celestia is adamant about keeping her position as ruler of Equestria, there is no doubt about that. I’ve seen it before. And you saw as well, did you not? Luna isn’t allowed a bit of free will, except to wander the palace and be let out of Canterlot on certain occasions.”

“I know. It’s... terrible.”

“How does it make you feel?”

Twilight looked up to Morning Dew, discovering his bi-colored eyes trained on her.

“It makes me feel... Angry.”

“At whom?”

“At... Princess Celestia! For lying to me! Me and everypony else! And... For treating Luna the way she does! Like she isn’t as important as Celestia. I... I thought she was better than that. I thought she...” Twilight bit her tongue, forcing back tears as the weight of the situation came crashing down on her at last. “And I’m angry at myself, for believing what lies she must have told me in the past, and for being so blind.”

“It’s not your fault, Twilight Sparkle. Celestia has been lying for well over fifteen hundred years, she is a perfect facade.” He lowered his voice as they passed other ponies. But he noticed some casting odd glances their way, mostly to him. “And over the years, as I’ve checked back in Canterlot over and over, Celestia has been getting worse and worse. I didn’t know what to do, since if I confronted her immediately, I would have been detained, possibly killed. I didn’t want that to happen. I’m the only one who knows about her true self who, in Celestia’s eyes, doesn’t even exist anymore.”

“You’re very noble. You don’t have to do this, you know.”

“I certainly do. If I don’t, something may happen that could have been prevented. But I don’t think...”

“What?” Twilight looked up, purple eyes wide with worry.

“... I don’t think a war can be avoided.”

“War...” Twilight whispered the word. It was cold on her tongue, heavy with reality. When she opened her mouth to speak again, she glanced forward and realized they had made it to the library. “Oh, here we are.” She stepped toward the huge tree, to the door in the middle, and pushed it open, entering first when Morning Dew nodded to her. As soon as she entered, however, she was blindsided by a streak of pink and bouncing hair. Pinkie Pie had tackled her, sending them rolling until Twilight was on her back staring into intent blue eyes.

“I heard you met an Alicorn!” She cried. “And he’s related to the princesses!”

“Get off me, Pinkie!” Twilight pushed her away, standing on unsteady hooves. “So I guess Dash and Fluttershy told you?” She looked around, finding Morning Dew had entered and closed the door. With all eyes turned on him, he lifted off the tattered old cloak to reveal his wings. Rarity gasped.

“Oh, dear!” She put a hoof to her mouth in shock. “I simply don’t believe it! A long-lost relation to Princess Celestia and Luna?”

“Don’t mention Celestia anymore.” Dash spat, crossing her forelegs where she sat beneath a bookcase.

“Why? What’s wrong?” Applejack asked, her green eyes narrowed. “What’s eaten’ ya?”

“Um... M-Morning Dew... showed us something...” Fluttershy struggled for the words. “We... We went to C-Canterlot, and...”

“Oh, Fluttershy, what is it?” Rarity urged.

Fluttershy bit her lip, taking in a deep breath. “Princess Celestia is a mean, horrible thing! She yelled at Luna for no reason! She doesn’t listen to her, and she abuses her guards! She’s a liar and a fraud and a terrible princess!” She couldn’t stop once she spoke, her voice high and breathy, and only when she stuffed her hooves in her mouth could she muffle her words. But Pinkie, Applejack, Spike, and Rarity were staring at her with jaws unhinged.

Applejack was the first to recover. Shaking her head, she stepped toward Morning Dew. “Ah don’t understand.” She said. “Celestia can’t be that way.”

“She’s such a sweet princess!” Spike interjected. “I’ve never seen her like that!”

“None of us have.” Dash said. “But when we saw her in Canterlot...” She stopped, and gritted her teeth. “She doesn’t deserve to be princess!”

“I’m with ya!” Pinkie bounced in place. “She’s so... Two-faced!”

“Hold on now, gals and guys.” Applejack raised a hoof to quell the rising storm. “Y’all can’t just take the word of somepony ya just met.”

“Applejack.” Twilight muttered. “Morning Dew showed us first-hand what Celestia is really like out of prying eyes.”

“A-and how she treated Luna...” Fluttershy whispered. “It can’t stand. We... We can’t just let her keep doing this. It’s not right.”

“I agree one-hundred percent!” Rarity exclaimed. “It’s simply not right. We must do something!”

“I think we already know what has to be done.” Twilight said. The others turned their gazes on her, but she was focused on Morning Dew, who shook his head.

“Twilight Sparkle. I don’t think the others, especially those in town, will want to do this.”

“When they’re shown the truth, they will.”

“What? Do what?” Dash pushed.

“Go to war.”

Spike let out a faint laugh. “Are... You serious? War!? Against Celestia!?”

“Um... I don’t think...” Fluttershy was shaking. “W-war... It’s... such a final decision...” She glanced at the others. Rarity and Applejack stood side by side, both in a solemn silence. Pinkie Pie was sitting sprawled on the floor by Spike, her gaze faraway but thoughtful. Rainbow Dash was the only one to move in the following silence.

“Yes!” She leapt up. “We can’t let Celestia think she’s getting away with all this! We can’t give her that!” She looked at Morning Dew. “We have to get the town into this. We can’t just wing it!”

“I... I agree.” Rarity said at last. “This shall not be! We have to spread the word through Ponyville.”

“But.. What about Celestia?” Applejack asked. “She’ll be one tough fighter.”

“No.” Morning Dew said. “Celestia will not put herself in direct line of danger. I doubt she would leave Canterlot itself, unless it were absolutely necessary.”

The ponies looked at one another. Spike stared straight ahead, at Morning Dew, with a distance in his gaze. Dash nodded quickly. “Then it’s settled.” She said. “We’ll start...”

“A revolution!” Twilight cried. “We’ll stop this once and for all, and Morning Dew can take Celestia’s place as ruler of Equestria.”

Morning Dew gasped. His mind’s eye was filled with moments of his past, before he fled. His fear of taking the place of his parents, having their power, being looked up to by so many others, all of Equestria. The fear he felt as he took flight into the night settled as an icy shell around his heart.

“Morning Dew? You all right?” Applejack asked.

He shook himself out of his thoughts. “Indeed. I was just... lost in the past. Ponies, I need you and...” He squinted at Spike.

“Spike.” He affirmed.

“Very good. I need you all to spread the word through Ponyville. We need all the ponies here in Ponyville to come into the Everfree Forest. Assure them it’s safe, and to meet where you first found the Elements of Harmony. It’s absolutely urgent.”

“Okey dokey!.” Pinkie exclaimed. “But what time?”

“Hm... Midnight. We need young and old to be present, to at least hear what is to be said.”

“Then what?” Fluttershy asked.

“I’m not sure. But I do know one thing...” Morning Dew looked toward the door. “I’ll not run again. And I’ll bring with us somepony who can confirm what I’m saying.”

“What about us!?” Rarity asked.

“You, of course. But you’ve not experienced Celestia’s attitude first-hand like Luna.”

“You’re bringing Luna?” Twilight asked. “How will you get her out of Canterlot?”

“A simple cloaking spell will hide us from any guards outside the palace walls, but I know how to get inside without being seen.”

“We ain’t gonna let you down!” Applejack stated. The other ponies agreed together in a single voice.

Morning Dew smiled. “I’m glad you trust me. I’ll do my best not to disappoint.” He looked out the window nearby. “Seems like Celestia’s sun is down now. I’ll go get Luna and we will await your arrival at the castle.” He turned with a nod to the ponies and dragon, tossing his discarded cloak back over his back before he left. The ponies remained in silence for a moment.

“Girls...” Rarity said at last. “Do... do you really think we can trust him?”

“Of course we can!” Applejack said. “I believe him! He’s got trustworthy... and... weird... eyes!”

“Yeah!” Pinkie rushed to the door. “And we got ponies to round up! C’mon, we’re bunin’ moonlight!” She led the others outside, into the street.

***

Twilight’s protective barrier let a pale pinkish-purple glow resonate through the path to the old castle. Moonlight caught it at odd angles sometimes, letting the glow fall in random patterns on the faces and pelts of the remaining ponies as they joined the rest of the town in the entrance way of the castle, where the six friends had first found the Elements of Harmony. Morning Dew was there, waiting with Luna just behind a pile of broken column. Quiet, apprehensive chatter ran its way through the crowd of gathered ponies, questions running through their minds. Pinkie and Dash had been stationed at the beginning and end of the old, reinforced bridge that led past the gorge, and Fluttershy and Rarity stayed with the main group of ponies to keep them calm and reassure that their questions would soon be answered. as Twilight deactivated the barrier, the group filed into the castle and took their stances in the middle of the entrance way. A hall stretched above them, where Morning Dew and Luna resided. The gaze of the ponies traveled upward as the six friends asked for their silence.

Morning Dew gazed on the wide-eyed ponies. There were those old, young, and everywhere in between. Pegasi, unicorns, and earth-pony alike rested on tired hooves, wondering what had disturbed their sleep to bring them so far from their comfort zone.

“I’m sorry, ponies, for calling you to this place so late.” Morning Dew said. “But recent revelations have insisted that this cannot wait another moment. You will not know me, but my name is Morning Dew. I’m the eldest of the royal siblings, coming before Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. I once controlled the day, the night, and the weather itself.”

He looked around. The ponies were whispering among one another, wide-eyed and almost disbelieving. But the alicorn’s appearance couldn’t be ignored. “Unfortunately,” he continued, “when our parents left us, I was to take on greatest responsibility and be the ruler of Equestria. I wasn’t prepared, nor did I have the state of mind, to take on that role, so like a coward, I ran away. My existence was wiped from the legends, and Pegasus ponies were put in charge of controlling the weather. I made my home in the Everfree Forest, here in this very castle, which is why the weather changes by itself and the animals can take care of themselves.”

The six friends stood on one of the staircases to the left, leading up to the walkway. Their gazes were bright and intent, watching the reactions of the others assembled. “I come now, before all of you,” Morning Dew sighed, “with grim news. The princess Celestia, the ruler of Equestria, and the alicorn you look up to every day, is a fraud. Her dark heart is hidden by a facade of kindness and tolerance, but in reality, she is a mean and impatient thing.”

Resounding gasps moved in waves through the crowd. The six friends went to join Morning Dew in case he needed others to back him up. He shifted his wings nervously. “I know you possibly don’t believe me.” He continued, regaining their attention, “but I’ve brought along somepony who can confirm these accusations and affirm that they aren’t lies. Luna, my little sister...” He looked around and nodded to her. “Please come out.”

The ponies below craned their necks to see around the pile of stone. Luna’s two-toned, flowing blue mane appeared, the rest of her right behind, and she turned soft, yet intent eyes on the ponies below. “My friends.” She bowed as the ponies pressed their noses into the stone floor. “Please stand. I wish to speak with you on equal terms. Formalities are no issue in this pressing time.” She smiled faintly as the ponies returned to their hooves. “Now then, young ones, I know you have questions. We shall quickly answer them, and take away any doubt you have about Celestia. My eldest sibling Morning Dew rescued me from my confines of our palace in Canterlot just hours ago. Have you ever wondered why you don’t see me more than simply one night? On Nightmare Night?”

The gathering nodded and looked to one another, whispering their thoughts and accepting Luna’s words as odd. “My dears.” Luna continued. “Celestia is a mean, heartless thing. With her age, she has learned. She can so effortlessly fool you young ones into believing anything, and can hide her impatience and distaste with a simple mask and a few false words. When I was born, her bitterness peaked, and she always took her frustrations out on me. She thinks I’m the weak sister, for my moon, she says, is no more than a lifeless rock in the sky. I didn’t just decide to bring about eternal night. I wanted to teach my sister a lesson. I wanted her to hear me out. But she used her power over the Elements of Harmony to seal me away.”

The ponies spoke among themselves again. “Wait!” One pony, one with a green pelt and a brown mane and tail raised her foreleg as though she were in a classroom. “Don’t you have any other proof? Anything solid? Y’know, other than just your word?” She shrunk back into the group. “I... I mean, I can’t ignore what you said, especially not from Luna, but... It’d be nice to see what you mean.”

Morning Dew and Luna bent down, placing the tip of their horns on the ground. Their spell was a memory spell, something that would share their long-gone remnants of the past with the ponies present. It flew in waves over the crowd, filling their heads with images they never before saw. Images of two alicorns of great beauty, one the tones of dawn and one the deep blue and black of night. Images of the sun rising, the moon falling, the stars appearing and vanishing. A young, pink-haired Celestia frolicked about with her older brother through the labyrinth outside the palace and in the gardens. A young Luna, her wings underdeveloped and very small, struggled to let them lift her off the ground, Morning Dew coaching her along. Standing with Celestia, they practiced their powers with their mother and father.

With the rising of the sun, Celestia’s cutie mark appeared. Luna was smiling as widely as their parents. One evening, as Luna lowered the moon to make way for dawn, the slivered moon and dark blue backdrop appeared on her flank. Her eyes sparkled. Morning Dew rested on tired, long legs outside in the rain. His blank flank was hidden momentarily by his gray-scale tail as it swished and blew in the wind. Luna stood beside her sister inside, watching from the window as he stood alone. When Luna looked at her sister, she glared and stalked away.

The memories were taken over by Celestia’s voice, harsh and dry. Her gaze was mean, her body language stiff and assertive. Memories flashed by the eyes of every pony present, her abusive nature, her lies and words that stung the hearts of everyone she spoke to. As Luna and Celestia grew, their fights, most often started by Celestia, grew increasingly violent and angry. Until Luna’s sanity frayed to the point that she fell into an uncontrollable rage at her sister, and refused to lower the moon when dawn arrived.

The realities of the memories shared with the ponies had rendered most to tears, others to shaking their heads in disbelief, and some staring at the ground in a solemn silence. The six friends, resting behind both alicorn siblings, had been exposed to the memories as well. Applejack was comforting a sobbing Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash had a look of pure disgust and anger on her face. Rarity and Twilight Sparkle were shaking their heads. Pinkie Pie’s mane and tail had lost their fluff and rested beside her as she stared in a blank sadness at what passed before her eyes. Luna and Morning Dew held their heads low for a moment, allowing the spell to fade easily.

When the shared memories left the minds of the gathered ponies, scattered anger-filled voices rose. “Celestia’s a liar!?” One voice called out. “And we’ve followed her so long! So long! How could she be like this?”

“She doesn’t deserve to be princess!” Someone else cried. “A prince or princess must be kind to all, and she’s a hateful thing! She doesn’t even deserve our kindness!”

Morning Dew put a hoof down, its sound exploding over the voices and quieting them. “Now, everypony.” He said. “I know you’re angry. But we have a much more pressing matter on our hooves. For over a thousand years I’ve watched Celestia become more violent and bitter. She has much more influence than Luna ever had. If something isn’t done, I’m sure she will be overcome with the bitterness and anger that consumes her now, and... something terrible will happen.”

“We’ve got to take Celestia down!” Pinkie leapt forward. “We can’t let her lie to us anymore! She’s a liar and a meanie and cheater and she shouldn’t be up there just-a laughing at us! We---!”

“Pinkie Pie!” Morning Dew bent down and moved her back, but her influential words had already caused a flare of agreement from those present.

“Come now, ponies.” Luna said, quelling the storm. “We all want the same thing. But it takes a lot of planning. Your little town isn’t large enough to make a difference, we must expand our knowledge, take it to larger towns and cities. Cloudsdale to begin with, the pegasi will be especially helpful in our endeavors. Fillydelphia will be very helpful, it’s a large city and if we can convince the majority of the ponies there to side with us, we will have an ideal army to stand against Celestia and those on her side.”

The ponies below agreed readily. “I thank you for your time.” Morning Dew said. “It’s late now, ponies. Luna must soon return to Canterlot, to avoid suspicion on Celestia’s part. Tomorrow I will take this group---” he nodded to the six friends behind him “---and take to Cloudsdale to spread the word.” He looked to Twilight. “My dear, won’t you lead these ponies back to town safely?”

“Of course.” Twilight started down the stairs and moved past the others. Their energy down, the entire group followed without much conversation among them. As they left, Luna and Morning Dew turned to the rest of them.

“Luna.” Rarity said. “It’s been a while.”

“Indeed it has.” Luna said. “I’ve not been out of the palace in ages.”

“I still just... don’t believe this.” Dash growled. “I mean, I do, but I don’t. We’ve trusted her so long. And what we saw just didn’t seem like the Celestia we know. It’s not right.”

“It certainly isn’t.” Morning Dew said. “I’m sorry Luna and I had to show you that.”

“Oh, it’s no problem.” Applejack said. “We’d rather have that. We don’t wanna be left out in the cold, eh?” She looked at the others, who nodded in agreement.

“Even so.” Morning Dew said with a sigh. He looked to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, whose eyes were clear and her gaze oddly determined. “We have to get Cloudsdale informed of a visit. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, can the two of you focus on that tomorrow morning? We need you both to spread the word, quietly, that there is to be a meeting from the royals tomorrow afternoon and we need everypony present. It’s a dire situation that must immediately be addressed. Can you do it?”

“Of course.” Fluttershy said. “We won’t let you down, will we, Dash?”

“No way!” Dash stated definitely.

“But hold on, now.” Rarity said. “How will you get Luna out during the day? Surely Celestia will be suspicious, no?”

“Celestia doesn’t pay attention to me as long as I’m not bothering her.” Luna said. “She thinks she knows everywhere I am. And since I’ve always spent all my time in my room, other than to come out for food, she’ll simply assume I’m locked away moping.”

“That’s terrible!” Pinkie said. “Well, don’t worry, Luna! You won’t have to do that anymore soon!”

Luna and Morning Dew looked to one another, smiling. “Come now, ponies.” Morning Dew said, nudging them along. “It’s best we follow Twilight Sparkle back to town.”

Leaving the castle, the ponies walked among Morning Dew. Luna had used her magic to teleport back to her lonely room in the Canterlot palace. Twilight had already led the ponies out of sight. “So, Morning Dew.” Applejack spoke, hurrying to join the alicorn at his side. “Where you gonna stay at?”

“Well, I thought I’d---”

“Oh, you can stay with me!” Fluttershy gasped, leaping forward. “I don’t live with anypony else, and I’d love to learn more about you!”

“Er, I suppose. As long as I wouldn’t impose.”

“No, no, of course not! It would be my pleasure, and you would be much closer to town that way.”

Morning Dew smiled and nodded. His young friends were so eager to help, yet he worried for them. If he knew Celestia, and he certainly did, she would stop at nothing to obliterate any opposition.