The Deepest Magic

Canterlot Palace
July 1, 11:06 PM

“I had a great time tonight, Sky. Thanks for bringing me along.”

“Who else would I have brought?”

Sky stood on the doorstep to Lily’s new home, still entranced by her amazing outfit. She had pulled her mane up into a bun and applied some sort of…something…to make it shine. Her tail was meticulously brushed and ran like silk from underneath her elegant green dress, which he had found out had been made by none other than Rarity. It complimented her hair and eyes almost perfectly. When Sky had first seen her, he had been rendered speechless for a solid three minutes.

“Well, you didn’t have to bring anypony,” Lily replied.

“Are you kidding?” Sky said, laughing. “THE Octavia approaches me out of the blue and offers me free tickets to one of her concerts as a way of saying ‘thank you’ for some small thing I did for her a few months ago, and I’m supposed to go by myself?” He shook his head, still chuckling. “That’s the makings of a date night if ever there was one.”

“Well, just the same, it was wonderful.” She pulled his bleach-white top hat off his head with her magic before leaning forward and giving him a gentle (and very much appreciated) kiss on the cheek. His face grew warm as the familiar sensation of blushing returned. Never gets old.

She pulled away at last and placed his hat back onto his head. She looked him over once, then proceeded to straighten his silken white bow tie adjust his matching coat. “Just because the concert’s over doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look your best.”

He arched an eyebrow as she worked. “You realize I’m taking this off once I’m back at the palace, right?”

She snorted softly and smiled but held her tongue. “There,” she said at last. “Now you’ll look nice on your way back.”

Sky merely rolled his eyes. “See you tomorrow?”

As her mouth widened into a smile, her eyelids fell ever-so-slightly, and to Sky, time itself seemed to stop. The stars went out and the lights of the city faded into nothingness as his whole attention was devoted to the lovely unicorn that stood before him.

“Of course,” she said. “Have a wonderful night.”

He felt his heart beat as the flow of time restarted. “Sweet dreams, princess,” he returned. He caught one last glimpse of her glistening smile as she entered her house to turn in for the night.

A surge of magic ran down his back and through his tail. His wings pressed outward against his coat, fueled by an insatiable excitement. He turned and began to head for the palace, mind racing with a million thoughts. I wonder if she can feel my emotions now? And if she can, what does she think of them?

His thoughts were interrupted by the intrusion of an unexpected voice coming from above him. “Princess? I do not seem to recall her coronation.”

His head jerked up in time to see none other than Princess Luna descend to the ground near him. “Princess Luna,” Sky regarded her with a bow. “It’s just a…thing…I call her…sometimes.” He glanced around nervously. “Were you looking for me?”

“I noticed you from the palace, and I thought you looked quite…dapper,” she said with a knowing grin. “Mind if I walk with you? I have been meaning to talk to you for some time.”

Sky gestured with his hoof. “Not at all, Princess. I would be honored to accompany you back to the palace.” As she began walking, he fell in beside her.

“You really do look quite dashing tonight,” Luna commented. “The top hat is a nice touch.”

“Thank you,” Sky replied. They passed a small, dim cottage on his right with a sign that read “SOLD” staked in the front lawn. “Octavia very graciously gave Lily and I tickets to attend her concert tonight. I had the suit and everything picked out, but I spotted the hat in a window a few days ago and just knew that I needed it. It just called to me.”

“You sound like a mare with too many bits,” Luna replied.

“It was a one-time thing,” he assured her. “What did you want to talk about?”

“Several things. Firstly, I wanted to thank you for returning the shards of Night Mare Moon to the Council. I must admit, I was unsettled to see them again, but I am pleased that they have been sealed away where they can no longer be put to evil use,” the princess explained.

“We were all surprised when Pinkie Pie found them,” Sky admitted. “But it matches up with what the Chimera told me, about how it was able to use the pieces left behind.”

Luna closed her eyes, though to Sky it appeared as though she were wincing in pain. “It may also answer a few questions we have, though there is no need to address those at this time.”

Sky involuntarily began to form a question, but he managed to stop it as Luna finished her statement. He quickly redirected the topic of conversation. “What else did you want to speak to me about?”

“You have been staying in the palace as your place of residence for over half a year now, correct?”

“Yes.” A light suddenly flicked on in a nearby window, drawing Sky’s gaze, though his train of thought was undisturbed. “I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it, but I’m very grateful for that. The hospitality of the palace has been…incredible.”

“Well, the Council has managed to find you a new place to live. It is not as lavish or grand as the palace, but it will be more of a home than a single room in a lonely wing of the palace.” She looked back over her shoulder in the direction of Lily’s home. “And I think you’ll like the location.”

Sky curiously followed Luna’s eyes back down the road…and suddenly realized the significance of the empty cottage they had passed not two minutes ago. “You mean…that’s going to be my home? But it says that it’s already sold.”

“Who do you think purchased it?” Luna asked smugly.

His eyes became the size of saucers. “Oh, you didn’t…”

“Sky Streak, whether you desire it or not, the ponies of Equestria, including the Council, all owe you a huge debt for your deeds. Consider this a small recompense for your courageous actions.”

He wanted to argue, but the look in Luna’s eye told him that the topic was closed for discussion. He sighed, conceding the point. “All right. The least I can say is thank you for this. And you’re right,” he added, peering back at the lights of Lily’s own home, “I do like the location.”

“Celestia and I thought you might.”

Another lit window caught Sky’s eye. The blinds were drawn back, granting him an unimpeded view of the interior of the house. Within, he spotted a tall mare with a flowing green and blue mane that reminded him of Princess Celestia. And barely visible over the window sill, Sky could make out the top of the head of a young filly. She was hopping around the mare excitedly as the elder bore a look of exasperation. Somepony appears to be up past their bedtime, Sky mused.

A long silence ensued, broken only by the soft clopping of Luna’s and Sky’s hooves on the cobblestone street. The night was bright in Canterlot, and only the brightest stars were visible through the glare of the many streetlamps. A warm breeze swept past them from behind, and Sky shifted uncomfortably. I don’t know if it was my stay in Polarmino or the dream I had, but I think I prefer the cold a bit more now.

“Sky,” Luna said abruptly, “how have you been holding up?”

His face was a mask of confusion as he turned to face her. “I’m sorry?”

She cleared her throat. “It has been nearly three months since you fought the Chimera.”

“Ah.” He pondered the question for a moment before giving a response. “Well, of course, it’s been on my mind. I know what it told me; about how there was that nest of hatred somewhere within Equestria.”

“And you believe that the Chimera was telling you the truth?” Luna asked, a measure of skepticism evident in her voice.

But Sky was undeterred. “I do. It had no reason to lie to me. What good would it have done to have lied about that? It would have merely been an empty threat.”

“But why would it tell you the truth? Wouldn’t that be in direct contrast to its own interests?”

Sky shrugged. “I don’t know, Your Highness,” he admitted. “But deep down, I just know that it’s true. And I can’t ignore the possibility, as reluctant as I am to accept it.”

He caught sight of Luna beaming at him. “What?” he asked innocently.

“I don’t know if you realize it, Sky,” Luna began, “but you’ve grown so much. You’re not a naïve young pegasus from Coltlanta anymore. You’re a full-grown stallion, and not just in body. You think for yourself, you’re observant and perceptive, and you’ve become wiser over this past year. You’ve made all of us very proud…your family, your friends, and the Council, too.”

“Well, that’s why you invited me to serve you in the first place,” he commented. “To help serve Equestria. And growing up is a big part of that, right?” He looked up from the road, anticipating a nod of agreement from the princess.

Instead, he was surprised to see the Lunar Princess looking disturbed and shaken. “Princess Luna? Is everything alright?”

She halted and faced him, her eyes wild. However, Sky felt compelled—or commanded, perhaps—to stare into the depths of her eyes, to the heart of her black pupils. And as he did so, he felt a question rise unbidden to his lips, though he was powerless to hold it back.

“Princess Luna, what’s the real answer? Why have you shown me so much attention over the past year?” he asked, though to him, the voice did not sound like his own.

Luna closed her eyes and let her head fall. For a split second, the world around Sky seemed to grow hazy and blurred, as though his vision was fading. But the event passed almost as quickly as it had arisen, and as he refocused, he saw Luna staring at him with glassy eyes.

“One thousand years ago, I knew another pony,” Luna began, her voice soft and quivering. “He was courageous and strong, and fiercely loyal. He was a pegasus, renowned for his skill in flight and his fearless deeds. He never backed down from a challenge.” A nostalgic smile rose to her face as she suddenly seemed to notice Sky no more. Her vision was given to another time. “What a sight he was.”

“And this is pertinent…how?” Sky asked.

Luna’s eyes refocused on him. A distinct look of sorrow was now evident on her face. “He was one of the few ponies that loved the night. He devoted himself to my service, which I gladly accepted…for a time. But it wasn’t enough. One pony wasn’t enough to satisfy my thirst to be appreciated. And as a result, I fell to the darkness and became Night Mare Moon. And that pegasus stood beside me, willing to do anything for me. And consumed by darkness, I commanded him to go and try and incite an uprising to begin a rebellion against my sister.”

Sky sat spellbound as Luna’s tragic story continued to unfold. “It was not long before my sister and I fought, and I was exiled to the moon. As for that pegasus…I do not know of his fate. I have yet to find the courage to ask my sister whatever became of him.

“That was a thousand years ago, Sky. I had been given a second chance. And I had been seeking ways to rectify the deeds of my past. And one fateful night, I happened to see you in Canterlot…and I recognized you. You are so much like him. Brave, strong, loyal, and defiant in the face of all odds. And when I saw you, I promised myself that I would honor his memory by helping you avoid his fate, whatever it may have been.”

Sky was suddenly aware that his mouth was hanging open. “You mean…you came to me that night out of a desire to make up for your mistakes to this other pony?”

“Perhaps I was naïve to believe that I could truly make up for my past sins by helping you, but even now, I believe that it was the right thing to do,” Luna said, sniffling as she held back her tears.

Sky grinned sheepishly as he fumbled around for the right words. “Princess Luna, I don’t think it was naïve at all. I think it shows that you are truly changed from who you were. You want to help those around you to make sure that their future is as full of hope and joy as you can offer. And if you were worried that I would be angry about the reason you came to me,” he continued, “don’t worry about that. I’m not upset. I’m actually quite honored to have been given the opportunities…as well as the attention,” he added with a wink.

“You are a comfort to me, Sky,” Luna said as she wiped her eyes.

He threw his head back and watched a shooting star flare across the sky. “I do what I can,” he said, shrugging and smiling calmly.

They resumed their walk for several more minutes in silence as the palace gates grew larger and larger as they approached. Sky’s thoughts were a mixture of emotions as he grasped the significance of what Luna had told him. He now knew the truth: he was the princess’ chance to redeem herself. And that responsibility was twofold: in order to ease the pain of Luna’s past, he would have to battle for all of Equestria’s future. The present had been secured: now he had to reconcile the past and future together.

Sounds like fun.

Finally, they arrived before the massive doors of the palace. On either side of the gate, the royal guards stood at perfect attention. As they spotted Luna, they bowed in unison. With a wave of her hoof, she directed them to rise. And as they noticed Sky (whose identity was apparently somewhat masked by his outfit), they snapped off a hasty salute. Sky merely rolled his eyes.

Luna looked at the blue pegasus again. “Well, Sky, are you ready for the future?”

Sky watched as the gate began to swing open. “Ready for it? I’m just going to let it come.”

He adjusted his top hat confidently as he began to walk with Luna into the bright halls of the palace. “It’s the future that needs to be ready for me.”

THE END

…for now.