Love and Power: A New Dawn

In Canterlot Luna and Gray Wings were sitting down to supper when Flash Sentry came running into the dining hall. Luna glared at him and asked, "Where is my sister? Where is Celestia?"

Flash Sentry replied, "Well I went and knocked on the door to the library for over twenty minutes but there was no answer. I ran into one of Twilight's friends but she said that nopony had seen a trace of Twilight or Celestia."

Luna asked, "Did you go and look for her elsewhere? Did you go see if she was with one of Twilight's other friends or maybe at that sweets shop she likes so much?"

Flash Sentry replied, "Look, I said that her friend told me that she hadn't seen a trace of either one of them."

Luna asked, "Just because she hadn't seen her didn't mean that one of her other friends hadn't seen her. Did that not cross your mind?"

Flash replied, "Well no, it didn't. I'm sorry, looking for her just skipped my mind."

Luna slammed her hoof on the ground and shouted, "YOU KNOW WHAT, I THINK THAT BOTH OF THEM ARE UP TO SOMETHING."

Gray Wings asked, "Do you think they might be trying to come up with a plan to depose you?"

Luna replied, "They could be. They are very close and I could see Twilight manipulating her to want to do that. I can sense it in her actions that she wants a spot up here on the throne in Canterlot."

Flash interrupted, "Your Majesty, I don't think Twilight is like that. I don't think she would be ready for those kinds of responsibilities anyway."

Luna rolled her eyes and asked, "Flash, don't you see how she acts? Didn't you see how clingy she was to Celestia once she was crowned princess? Didn't you see how her hugging my sister almost made her and her friends miss the train?"

Gray Wings asked, "You don't think Twilight has special feelings for your sister do you? You know as in feelings of love?"

Luna sat there stunned for a minute. The very thought of Twilight and Celestia becoming each other's special someponies just didn't seem like a rational reason to Luna but she decided not to rule it out.

Luna replied, "Well I wouldn't think so. If anything like that was to be the case it would probably be Twilight just manipulating her into thinking she did for the sole reason to usurp the throne. For all we know Twilight could be wanting to learn a spell of some sort to remove BOTH my sister and I from the throne. She is to be watched like a hawk at all times from this point forward."

Luna looked over at Gray Wings and added, "Come on, let's go and do that task I was talking about earlier."

Flash asked, "Your Majesty, what do you want me to do if Celestia was to come home?"

Luna replied, "Keep her distracted and go do me a favor right now. Take that picture of Twilight Sparkle out of her room. Once she does get home I want her sleeping at night, not staring at it thinking who knows what. Come on Gray Wings, let's go."

Gray Wings nodded and the two headed up to the archives. Gray Wings asked, "What part of the archives has the most ancient scrolls and books in it?"

Luna replied, "They are right through this door. I think I know the spell to unlock it but I'm not completely sure."

Luna put her hoof on the door and was able to just push it in. Gray Wings saw this and said, "Wow your Majesty! It looks like Celestia forgot to lock this the last time she was in here!"

Luna replied, "Yep, this just made my life easier. Let's go on in. I think we should start with the most ancient books and scrolls first."

They started to look through the ancient materials and after an hour Gray Wings found something. He said, "Your Majesty, I think I have found something important. It mentions royal duties and it says something about unexcused absences and abdication of the throne."

Luna replied, "Good. Let me take a look at it."

Luna levitated the book to herself and began to read. She got a huge smile on her face when she got halfway down a page in the middle of the book. She said, "Ok, this could lead to me becoming Queen. Royal rule 1.11.106a: I, Queen Galaxia, mother of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, do command, it shall be the royal duty of Celestia to raise and lower the sun and for Luna to raise and lower the moon. Ok, on to rule 1.11.106b, while there are times that a princess can not do her royal duties, such as in times of illness, times of banishment or times of being gone on official business, the other princess shall handle both duties. On to 1.11.106c, however, if a princess is gone on unofficial business and fails to do her royal duties for fourteen (14) consecutive days, on the morning of the fifteenth (15th) day when the other princess does the absent one's duty, she shall declare the absent one has abdicated the throne and she shall declare herself Queen. On to 1.11.106d, the new Queen is to transform two (2) unicorns into Alicorns and make them princesses. On to 1.11.106e. She is to take control of both royal guards and if the absent one returns, the royal guards are to greet her with spears and forbid her to return. On to 1.11.106f, the new queen is to banish the one who abdicated to a place of her choosing."

Gray Wings smiled and asked, "So if Celestia doesn't return until after the two weeks are up you would become Queen of Equestria?"

Luna replied, "Yes, I would become Queen of Equestria and since you are the captain of the Lunar Royal Guard, you would become the captain of both guards, since the Lunar Guard would then become the primary guard. We better get downstairs. We have a patrol of the Everfree Forest to start before too long."

Once they returned to the throne room a worried Flash Sentry saw that Luna was in an extremely good mood. He asked, "Your Majesty, how can you have such a huge smile on your face when your sister is missing?"

Luna replied, "Oh I just found some important information up in the archives. I'm sure Celestia is fine. If she doesn't get back after sunrise tomorrow, regardless of how tired I am, I will go look for her. I have a feeling I know where she is."

Flash Sentry asked, "Where do you think that is?"

Luna replied, "I can not disclose that information. That is to be known by me and me alone at this point. You hold down the fort, Gray Wings and I have a patrol of the Everfree Forest to do."

Flash Sentry just sighed as he watched Luna and Gray Wings head off towards the Everfree Forest. He has an odd feeling that Luna has found information that she can use against Celestia but doesn't know what to do about it.