That laugh. I hate that laugh. I hate it so very much. It is a reminder of failure. Of our failure to stop a madstallion. But worse, it is a reminder that I lost a friend.
I should have known better, really, than to have been grazing out there, all by myself. The Crystal empire might have returned, but with it returned the perils of a landscape carved by a stallion who had lost his mind. Worm holes, gravity wells, paradoxes, and a plethora of other unstable singularities marred the landscape, artifacts of a vicious war of attrition. The worst of these were the time warps that dotted the region. We’ve lost perhaps three dozen innocent mares and stallions to these twisted traps over the four years since the empire’s return. We made a concerted to disarm and disable those we could confront, and seal off or at least mark those we couldn’t, but the empire extends a long way, even into the frozen snowdrifts surrounding it. And today, one of those warping passageways of time had gotten the better of me.
Negotiations. I hate negotiations. Celestia says it’s part of being a civilized nation. I say it’s part of growing soft. Let Celly pull puppetstrings from the shadows; I am a mare of action.
“Luna, my ponies are happy. I’ve given them order. A sense of purpose. Productivity is through the roof! My, it’s been going up for eleven straight quarters! Surely that is something to be proud of, is it not? I’m making a name for myself. We the Crystal ponies are making a name for ourselves. Other nations are taking notice. Why, the northern Griffithstan alliance sent us two delegates just last week. They wanted our help in putting down a rebellion. ‘Of course!’ I said. In exchange for certain favors, of course. Luna, I’m a wheeling and dealing stallion, and this country is going places!”
“Luna,” Sombra said, sobering up, “You run your country, and I’ll run mine. Capiche?”
“No Sombra, I’m… I’m afraid this is our last goodbye as--as friends.”
Oh, well, hey Luna, you’re pretty cool, really. I’m glad I got to know you. Much cooler than your uptight sister. Stay frosty, okay
“I’ll do my best,” I reassured him. “Now, the spell?”
He would never admit it, but I think he was crying as he fired up his horn. Dark bubbling magic of sky blue and lime green flowed around us, and his eyes lit up like the sun. There was a crack of thunder, and there I was, in the middle of a snow storm… utterly alone.
There is but one mare with enough power to send me back home. Unfortunately she is my sister, and she believes me to be on the moon right now
...To be continued
When you lower the sun and raise the moon in the sparkle of twilight, remember, it’s going to be okay.
