Title: Ascension Chapter 2 Author: Anonymous Pastebin link: http://pastebin.com/hFwNziwi First Edit: Friday 7th of June 2013 02:12:52 AM CDT Last Edit: Friday 7th of June 2013 02:12:52 AM CDT “What do you mean you won’t let us in?” Luna said with wide eyes, feebly shivering beside Celestia. The blizzard was raging now and biting at their hooves. Starswirl had sent them off without any prior preparation, and they had barely arrived on time.   “I don’t give a whiff about you little blank flanks,” the pegasus guard snorted at the sisters, “If you ain’t Starswirl the Bearded, you ain’t gonna be let in.”   “But Starswirl sent us!” Celestia shouted in response, glaring to meet the guard’s eyes. He only glared back, and the winds howled in the distance.   “You mean to tell me,” He said with a smirk, “That the greatest magical unicorn is sending two unimportant girls on a diplomatic meeting of the century?”   Celestia and Luna both turned to face each other in desperation. Their manes blew fiercely in the wind; pink and blue hairs whipped across their faces. In some ways they barely looked related at all. Celestia was light and Luna was dark. They were not particularly well-groomed either, and seemed quite out of place among all the others present. The guard would not be buying their story no matter how many times they showed him their worn invitation.   “Please sir,” Celestia said with a sob, “Can you find it in your heart to – to trust us?”   He eyed them with suspicion, steel grey eyes taking in their appearance. Commander Hurricane had strict orders not to let any unicorns slip in without an explicit invitation. They were bound to cause trouble or were planning something sinister. Orders were orders, and that was that. Yet he wondered.   “Listen, I’ll let you in,” Celestia and Luna perked up immediately, “But you gotta go hide on the sidelines. This never happened, you hear?”   Celestia thanked him profusely as Luna dove in for a hug. For just a second, it seemed the storm slowed in its brutal winds. It was probably just their imagination, though.   Upon entering the building they both stared in awe. Dozens of pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies sat high above the discussion table. The flags of each nation distinctly divided the races, yet they all seemed incredibly restless. Celestia realized that they had to move quickly to avoid being caught. Luna, already thinking ahead, motioned for her sister to join her in the shadows of a wooden structure. Celestia sneaked towards the frame and sat beside it. Hopefully everyone would be far too preoccupied with the negotiations to notice their trespassing.   The building creaked and rattled as the winds roared again and again. No wonder this negotiation was taking place – the storm was only getting worse. It had always been cold and unyielding in their lands, as they bordered the mysterious Crystal Mountains, but it seemed this storm had no end in sight.   Horns began to sound as the doors swung open. Celestia and Luna quickly glanced to one another before looking up to see their leader. Neither of the unicorns had ever seen royalty before, and yet there she stood – Princess Platinum. Her coat was a brilliant silver that glimmered in the dim candlelight. Her hair was a luscious mix of blues and light violets, with deep blue eyes that seemed to gleam like stars. Her build was light and lithe as she nobly stepped to the table and sat patiently. Celestia desperately wondered what it was like to be a Princess, to have so many look up to you and respect your every step. No one would doubt her or Luna ever again.   She ignored the Commander and the Chancellor. They seemed far too gaudy and bold, a stark contrast from the regal Princess that sat before them. Celestia had never felt more proud to be a unicorn at that moment, to belong to a tribe with such a respectful Princess leading them.   Her thoughts were shattered when the Princess opened her mouth.   The ruthless shouting match began. The three leaders’ voices were loud, unbearable and began to rattle the negotiations table. All those seated above began to stomp their hooves angrily. They growled in frustration as the winds roared in the distance. It seemed to rattle the hearts of all that were present. No one had actually heard a single word of the other, and there were certainly no negotiations on the problems at hand.   Commander Hurricane was the first to strike. He aimed to smack Princess Platinum, but missed. The unicorn guards descended to protect Her Majesty, but Celestia could not take it anymore. No longer caring if anyone saw her, she ran out of the building. Collapsing into the piling snow, she violently began to sob.   Luna swiftly followed her, confused and shaking. It was not long until others began to storm out as well. Not a single pony paid any mind to the grieving sisters. They were all far too focused on themselves to care.   “It’s alright sis,” Luna said teary-eyed, “We’ve got each other, right?”   Celestia lifted her head and looked to her sister. Her eyes were sullen and puffy, holding back the disappointment they both shared. They were both crying now. The tears were hot and stung their faces, a sharp contrast to the freezing air around them.   “Why do we have to fight, Luna?” Celestia asked in sorrow.   “Why do we have to hate each other? Everyone knows that if we don’t work together, this storm will never end,” She said dishearteningly.   “I don’t know Celestia, but I don’t like the Princess,” Luna said with a snort.   “Luna, don’t say that!” Celestia chided in response, although it was half-hearted at best. She could not say she appreciated the Princess, either.   “She’s a bully,” Luna said in response, “I don’t like bullies.”   Celestia finally had stopped crying. With a small smile, she dragged Luna in for a warm hug. Luna started to visibly cry in earnest, her face hidden from those that passed by. Luna always was more sensitive to how those saw her.   “We’ll get out of this mess,” Celestia said.   Celestia turned to stare up at the sky. She noticed that the sun just began to rise. No doubt the most talented unicorns were moving it across the sky. She did not know how it worked – only the brightest were allowed to be rigorously trained in the art of raising the sun. The moon was even more mysterious, although fewer ponies seemed to appreciate its cold exterior. Celestia appreciated both of them, though – she always had.   “Hey sis,” Luna said with a sniffle, “Do you think Starswirl will be mad that we didn’t stay the whole time?”   Celestia turned to look down at her sister.   “I’m sure he’ll understand,” she said. “He always does.”