Neither Celestia nor Luna could explain what happened to them during the eclipse. ‘Twas was so sudden, so powerful, and it was over as quickly as it had started. But something had called them, they just knew it. They couldn’t explain the feeling they had gotten but they followed it, soon finding themselves in a clearing a distance away from their hometowns. But there was nothing there to see when they arrived.

“What ho!” Celestia exclaimed upon meeting the unfamiliar pegasus filly. “Art thou lost, young one?”

“Nay,” Luna replied. “A strange magic brought me here. Pray tell, what about thee?”

“I was also drawn by a peculiar magic,” Celestia affirmed. “‘Twas the eclipse, I suppose, but I know not how.”

“I knowest thou not, never in my life hath I met you. Why us, I wonder? And what are we here for?” Luna questioned.

Suddenly, a bright light flashed before the two fillies, nearly blinding them. Once the light died and they regained their vision, they beheld an ethereal white pony standing before them. She was not a pegasus or a unicorn, but both! She was an alicorn!

Celestia immediately recognized the mare from her books and bowed. “The God Mother Gaia! ‘Tis the highest honor to behold thy presence!”

Luna sat in confusion and awe. She had heard about the God Mother, but had hardly believed in her. But now, here she was before her eyes. “Truly, thou art real?”

The mare smiled down at them, a gentle, motherly smile, and said in an utmost soothing voice. “Verily, it is I. But do not bow or stand in awe. Do not worship me as thy God. For behold, I am thy mother. And thou art my daughters.”

Celestia sat up, unable to change her awestruck expression, but Luna only scowled.

“Nay, that cannot be! For my mother was a wretched harlot named Amaryllis!”

Gaia cocked an irritated eyebrow. “That wretched harlot was me, child.”

Celestia turned to Luna, aghast. “How dare thou disrespect thy God Mother so?”

“Pray thee, Celestia, do not cause thy mother further discomfort,” Gaia reprimanded her.

“My sincerest apologies, my Go—er, my dearest mother,” Celestia blushed in embarrassment.

“But why? Why didst thou abandon me? Why didst thou leave me with such a wretched bastard?” Luna asked.

“I couldst not raise two fillies as the ruler of all creation. I left thy sires to raise thee until the time was right. I tried to choose them with the utmost care, but I chose thy sire in horrid taste, Luna,” she acknowledged to the scowling filly. “But presently, the time has come, which is why I brought thou here.”

“The eclipse was of thy doing?” Celestia inquired.

“Yea,” Gaia affirmed. “I grew weary of waiting to meet thee, hence I brought thou here myself. For I hath created thee, I hath watched thee grow, and now thou art prepared to take thy rightful place.”

“Rightful place?”

“As the rulers of Equestria. Thou shalt unite the ponies and rule with the grace that this land has long lacked. Celestia, thou shalt rule the sun. And Luna, thou shalt become the steward of the moon and the stars. I have the utmost faith in thou both,” Gaia smiled. “Now pray tell, art thou prepared to ascend?”

“Oh, it would be the greatest honor!” Celestia beamed.

“As ruler of this land, canst I banish my bastard sire for his crimes?” Luna asked.

Gaia chuckled. “Verily, thou mayest.”

Luna grinned. “It shall be my first decree!”

“There is much left to learn, my daughters. About thy land and each other, for thou art sisters,” Gaia brought them in for a hug, to their amazement. “I only hope that thou learn to adore each other as I adore thee, for there is no truer love.”