Only a faint scratching permeated the silent stillness of the Canterlot Palace Library. Its source: a quill, which had been working erratically for well over an hour, dancing back and forth across a role of parchment. A faint purple light illuminated the table on which it toiled, which had gradually become more battleground than writing desk. The surface was littered with empty ink pots, lying on their sides like toppled buildings, and small piles of ash, which were the incinerated remains of unsatisfactory scrolls. In amongst this devastation lay the snapped corpses of its brethren, who had either been broken by their labours or fallen victim to the frustration of their master. The final quill, the last survivor of its unit, was granted a brief reprieve and levitated from the scribbled parchment, wrapped in a purple aura. Its master hesitated, seemingly unsure of how to proceed. After a small eternity hovering above the page, the quill again descended to conclude its work. Now however it moved far more slowly than it had previously, as if it was not wholly confident in what it was doing.

Forever your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

With this final inscription the purple unicorn, currently the library’s sole inhabitant, laid her quill to one side. As she deactivated her magic, Twilight found herself at once covered in pitch blackness. The night had snuck up and surrounded her as she wrestled with her thoughts, and now all the room was shadow. She did not bother to coax new light from her horn, but rather moved by memory to a nearby window, feeling the recognisable softness of rugs beneath her hooves and seeing the familiar shelves she passed in her mind’s eye. Her muzzle brushed against the heavy drapes shielding the panes and she drew them back, allowing the light of the moon to pierce the space. She bathed for a moment in the comforting glow, glancing upwards and receiving the reassuring looks of the stars as they watched her from on high. In the pattern of silver pinpricks painted across the black seas of the heavens she could see her love’s guiding hoof and from this she drew some strength. Next to the moon lay a small purple star, shining slightly brighter than the others in Luna’s tapestry, which reminded her of happier times in Canterlot.1

Twilight turned and returned to the desk. Seeing the final words she had written she felt the slight sting of tears at the corners of her vision. The purple unicorn did not want to choose between them, but she had no choice and would not abandon her Princess of the Night. Celestia had been her mentor and her guiding light since she had been a filly, but more than that the princess, in the common absence of her parents, had always been a motherly figure. To turn her back on the Sun was to turn her back on family and the vast majority of her life up until this point. In spite of this the bonds between her and Luna were forged of purest adamantine affections, which would not be broken even if all of Equestria had sought to tear them apart. She began to roll up the parchment, thinking on the apologies and explanations which made up its contents. These reflections brought a fresh threat of tears to her eyes, which this time succeeded in breaking forth as full blown streams down her face. This forced her to pause, almost collapsing entirely to weep into her forehooves. Again her mind went to Luna. She thought of her love’s embrace: the feeling of being surrounded by her wings, the warm softness of her coat and the sound of her heart beat as she nestled against her chest. Together they curled around one another, their backs to the world. Now once again strengthened, she used her magic to heat up a wax stick, letting its thick molten droplets fall onto the parchment. Finally she brought a stamp down onto the red coagulating fluid, sealing the scroll’s contents. She now made her way out of the library and into the palace, knowing that she would follow Luna even into the depths of Tartarus and beyond.

In contrast to the relative gloom of the library, the rest of the palace, burned with the yellow light thrown out by innumerable torches. The marble floors reflected the dancing brightness of the flames, excising shadows from the depths of every alcove and the height of every vaulted ceiling. Twilight moved quickly from chamber to chamber, trying in vain to stifle the clacking of her hooves which seemed to be amplified by the cold night air. In spite of her efforts at concealment she was still forced to pass by the imposing figures of the royal guard, but they paid her no heed. They saw only their princess’ favoured pupil and this made her heart weigh a little heavier in her chest. She passed a small antechamber, containing a round table encompassed by chairs, and was assaulted by memories of ten days previous. She was sat facing Rainbow Dash in Golden Oak Library, with Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rarity completing a circle around the building’s main table.

‘What do you all think of this?’ Rainbow said, pushing a leaflet into the centre of the table. The paper depicted a serious picture of Princess Luna, along with the words ‘Resist’ and ‘Join the New Lunar Republic’. At the time Twilight had thought Luna’s severe expression kind of cute. ‘I found this in the market,’ Rainbow continued, ‘and I’ve heard some of the weirder ponies around town going on about how Luna’s the “rightful ruler” and other stuff like she’s gonna take over Equestria.’

‘Such drivel!’ Rarity pouted in agreement. ‘It’s just a bunch of uncouth outcasts looking spoil things for the rest of us, just because they can’t fit in.’

This was followed by hush. Nopony else jumped in to concur the sentiments. Applejack and Fluttershy just looked down at their hooves, whilst even Pinkie Pie remained quiet and uncomfortably fidgeted. After several stretched moments Twilight chose to break the silence, saying: ‘we don’t know Luna’s side of this.’

‘What’d mean by that?’ Rainbow shot at her.

‘Well… just that Luna’s Celestia’s sister, so if she’s taking issue with her rule there must be good reasons.’

‘How can you say that?’ came another melodramatic volley from Rarity, ‘Celestia’s our Princess.’

‘So is Luna’ Twilight retorted.

‘You wouldn’t be saying that if you weren’t in bed with her!’ Rainbow returned, her voice beginning to gain an undercurrent of real anger, whose suddenness surprised all those present.

Applejack then entered the fray: ‘now sugar-cube Twi has a point.’

‘Don’t tell me you support this crap too!’ Rainbow said, rounding on the farmer.

‘No of course not,’ Applejack defended herself, ‘but Twi hasn’t said she supports this “New Lunar Republic” either and I don’t reckon that her little… “thing” with Luna is really gonna affect her opinions on important stuff like this.’

They all then looked expectantly at Twilight for an answer. But an answer was not forthcoming and she just looked straight back at them, knowing that her silence spoke volumes. Applejack’s unsympathetic comment, reducing all her feelings for Luna into a ‘little thing’, stung her deeply. Were all the group’s happy comments about the two of them being together just lies? What did they really think about their relationship? She felt trapped between betraying her best friends and betraying Luna, along with all the love she felt for her.

‘Bucking hell, you really are with the traitors aren’t you!’ Rainbow levelled the accusation with a glare, choosing not to wait for what would be an unnecessary answer anyway.

‘How can you support such rebellious nonsense,’ came Rarity’s voice, again in support of the blue pegasus, ‘particularly after all Celestia’s done for you?’

At this point Pinkie finally boiled over, her voice bursting loudly forth: ‘Shut up! Why the hay shouldn’t Twilight support Luna? They make each other happy and that’s all that really matters. Besides Dashie those “weird” ponies have a point.’ Pinkie had then gone on a long and only half intelligible rant about how Celestia was a ‘tyrant’, drawing attention to the facts that she had been sole ruler since anypony could remember, had chosen to banish her own sister to the moon rather than share power and had then created a yearly event celebrating this exile. Following this Pinkie collapsed back into her seat, gulping down air which she was desperately lacking.

As Pinkie had spoken her piece the look of anger written across Rainbow’s face had intensified into a barely repressed rage, which burned at the back of her eyes. Rarity, wearing are far more muted frown, then asked Fluttershy: ‘what about you dear, where do you stand in all this?’

‘Erm… well I…’ the pink-maned pegasus began slowly, ‘I… I don’t agree with either of you.’ They were all rather taken aback by this independent stance on the part of the timid mare. Fluttershy then continued: ‘it’s true that Celestia has been sole ruler for a long time, but she hasn’t done a bad job on the whole and why can’t she and Luna just get along anyway?’

‘Well for starters Luna is poisoned by ambition dear,’ Rarity sighed, ‘once a usurper, always a usurper.’

‘No, Shy’s right’ came the voice of Applejack again. ‘What’s important in Equestria is harmony, so we need both the princesses to…’

‘No we don’t!’ Rainbow scoffed, butting in. ‘Celestia raised and lowered both the sun and the moon for a thousand years. What do we have Luna to thank for? Oh yeah, now I remember: several attempted coups, of which this is just another example. Who would miss her?’

‘Shut the buck up!’ Twilight found herself screaming, finally pushed over the edge.

Silence then once again briefly descended, as all parties stared each other down. Rainbow and Rarity had been the first to leave, the pegasus muttering: ‘nothing but bucking traitors and fillyfoolers’ as she slammed the door. The other three had also gradually left the library as well, Fluttershy huddling close to Applejack as they stepped into the early evening outside, leaving Twilight alone.

She had been called back to Canterlot by Celestia the next day. Although nothing had been said on the subject an obvious shadow hung over the capital. Everywhere she looked there seemed to be an underlying tension. Luna had disappeared from the palace, her whereabouts unknown, leading Twilight to face a myriad of questions by royal advisors, members of the guard and even the Sun Princess herself. She had told them little. Although she was well aware of Luna’s feelings, she knew nothing of the any solid details or plans. Following this ordeal she had been ordered not to leave the city and to report any attempts by the Princess of the Night to contact her. As the days of her detention had passed the air of uncertainty had intensified. Increasing numbers of guards were seen patrolling the city’s streets, meanwhile the palace’s training grounds grew into a frantic mess of daily activity as masses of new conscripts were sworn in and began training, swelling the royal army’s ranks.

By now Twilight had reached the stairs of Celestia’s tower, but she remained locked in her thoughts of the past as she began her ascent. Days of virtual incarceration in the palace had passed by slowly, with no word from Luna. Previously whenever the two were apart the Lunar Princess would visit her in her dreams, but this time there had been nothing. That is until the night previous, when she had been greeted in the loneliness of her sleep by the reassuring sound of her love’s voice. Luna still had not been able to fully quieten the imperiousness of her accent, but Twilight found it comforting all the same. The two of them materialised on the grey expanse of the Moon’s surface and immediately embraced. ‘I’m so sorry…’ the dark alicorn began, before being silenced as their hug became a passionate kiss. When they had reluctantly chosen to separate they began to solemnly talk, striding in sync beside one another through the dust.

‘I’m so sorry,’ Luna repeated, ‘for all that I’ve put you through and all that may yet come.’

‘So I assume everypony’s suspicions are true?’ questioned Twilight, glancing to her side and seeing the cares and worries written across the princess’ face. Luna just nodded in response. ‘But why?’ she continued, the faintest hint of anger creeping into her voice.

If Luna noticed this undertone she certainly did not rise to it, but instead continued in her regretful tone: ‘There is a vast sickness in Equestria Twilight. Each night I watch over the dreams of the entire kingdom and increasingly what I see is a deep sadness stalking its edges. At the borders of every community our subjects dwell in loneliness, filled with regrets and crushing emptiness. These ponies lie beyond my sister’s gaze, living in darkness both day and night, and without change they will remain so. Tia only focuses upon mass order and harmony, refusing to see those left as outcasts. I want to alter this; I want to make a difference. I’ve begged her to see beyond her own light, but to no avail. Equally all she has seemed to hear in my pleas has been ambition and sedition, thinking I sought to de-stabilise the realm for my own ends. This is not her fault and I do not blame her. She has cared for Equestria for a long time; twice guarding against the threat I alone posed, not to mention the many others who have sought its ruination. I did not wish to stand against her, but whilst the absolute rule of the Sun continues all will continue to be either blinded or burnt by its bright illusions, which permit neither fault nor difference.’ At this point Luna paused, in both her words and steps, turning to face the unicorn beside her. ‘Do you understand Twilight?’ The words seemed to pain the alicorn saying them, coming out in a small strangled tone, as if even the concept of forcing this saddening decision on her marefriend cut her deeply. ‘I ask you this because for all the good I hope to achieve, it would mean nothing if in doing so I lose you.’

Twilight’s hooves reached the tower’s final steps and before her was the door to Celestia’s private chambers, along with a quartet of the royal bodyguard. They looked at her questioningly. ‘A letter for the princess’ she simply replied in answer, receiving nods from the guards who were well accustomed with her delivering reports of her research to her mentor at strange times. The commanding soldier accepted the scroll, placing it at the top of a stack of court papers on a table beside the door. He nodded again and gave a grin, as if to reassure her that the message would be Celestia’s priority tomorrow. Twilight just about managed to return the smile and turned back towards the stairs. She had delivered her final letter.

On the moon the two mares had just stood; grey dust swirling lightly around their hooves, one waiting for the other’s answer. Quiet descended as Twilight hesitated, her mind lying in turmoil: caught between an inner voice screaming at her to say ‘yes’ and another reminding her of who that meant turning away from. Luna’s face had taken on an entirely alien expression which she could not immediately identify, but after a second she recognised that the alicorn’s blue eyes were pleading with her. A painful tightness bit into Twilight’s chest as she realised Luna was begging her to understand, whilst the silence grew to become a crescendo and each moment of it stretched, seeming as infinite as the blackness of surrounding space. She could bear it no longer. ‘Yes Luna, I understand’ Twilight said simply, stepping forward into her princess’ embrace. As their lips met for a second time the bright lights of the stars burst forth all around them and a brighter glow erupted from the moon’s surface under their hooves. This brightness grew still further as they continued to kiss, engulfing everything in a pure silver light.

Her final task completed, Twilight made her way quickly out of the palace. Rather than the well-guarded front gate, she opened then slipped through a ground floor window and into the training grounds. This deserted sandy space stretched from the central keep to the outer curtain wall. Being almost entirely unguarded these parade grounds were the perfect place from which to teleport into Canterlot unseen. With a dim purple flash her horn transported her from her prison and she reappeared in a small alley filled with curio shops. The buildings either side of the street loomed high, their windows filled with innumerable unknown items, meaning that little of the night sky’s light reached the ground. Out of the shadows stepped a pair of ponies. One, a grey pegasus mare, she recognised from Ponyville as Ditzy Doo, who gave her a small smile as she moved into the half-light. The second wore an obscuring dark blue hooded cloak. When this was drawn back a pair of red eyes set in a grey and black striped head, which was topped by a similarly two-toned spikey mane, were revealed. The act of removing the hood displayed a set of serrated horseshoes on the pony’s forehooves. These brutal instruments had the opposite effect of Ditzy’s familiar little smile; making her uneasy at the thought of the violent purposes such jagged weapons were made for. Finally his voice revealed that he was a stallion, although his appearance did not make it immediately apparent.

‘Twilight Sparkle?’ the striped stallion asked. Twilight just nodded in response, not entirely sure of this unknown pony. There was a startling lack of feeling in either his voice or features, as if he were made of the same blank stones as the palace walls. ‘Good’ he continued, ‘Luna sent us to escort you. I think you already know Ditzy?’ Twilight again nodded, this time giving the light grey pegasus a smile as she did so, which was amiably returned. ‘Oh and erm… Luna sends her love’ he stammered, blushing slightly as he stumbled over this last part of the message. This was the first semblance of emotion she had seen to break through the fortifications of his face. He now turned to Ditzy and retrieved a second dark blue cloak from one of the saddlebags she was wearing. ‘Also this is for you’ he said simply, reaching out and extending the cloth to Twilight. As he passed the clothing to her, his face came more into the light, giving a better view of his eyes. Although they were crimson, therefore standing out against his dark aspect, at first glance they somehow seemed to be lacking in colour. Looking beyond this however, somewhere right at the back of his irises, she noticed a faint light. It was almost indistinguishable in the sea of red and the blackness of his pupils, but it was there, buried and yet still emitting a tiny trace of warmth. Realising she was staring at him she looked away, donned the cloak and then they both pulled their hoods up. ‘Let’s go’ he concluded and the three of them set forth.

They stepped from the shaded alley, the two grey ponies either side of Twilight, and into the streets of Canterlot, which in contrast were drenched in moonlight. The trio moved quickly, ducking every so often into alcoves or doorways when they met a patrol. Fortunately however there were remarkably few guards on the route they were taking. Twilight noticed the stallion was almost entirely focused on their surroundings, so took the opportunity to talk to Ditzy. ‘How’re you doing?’ she whispered.

‘I’m okay Twilight’ replied the grey pegasus.

At first conversation ranged through minor topics, like home and family, as if they were just out for a normal pleasant stroll. Ditzy talked at length about her filly Dinky, or rather ‘muffin’ as she nicknamed the young unicorn. In spite of its happy content, there was an unmistakable melancholy in all they said to one another.

‘By the way what’s his name?’ Twilight asked, gesturing towards the stallion, the question having just come to mind.

‘He doesn’t particularly like his name’ Ditzy replied with an unsure look.

‘Oh… so you don’t know?’

‘No I’m one of the few that does, it’s just…’ her unsynchronised yellow eyes independently looked to the distance as she chose her words. ‘A name is like a cutie mark you know. It’s personal to each of us, defining us but also defining how others see us. He doesn’t like his mark either for that matter.’ As Twilight listened to this much longer answer than she had been expecting, she looked to the stallion again. He seemed entirely unaware that they were speaking about him, rather being focused on the task at hoof. ‘That’s not to say he isn’t nice, ‘cause he really is, he’s just got quite a thick shell. If you take the time to look past those defences, you can catch a glimpse of the spark which lives inside. Equally if you see him smile, unlike so many other ponies, you’ll know he means it.’ Twilight now looked to the reflective expression which had formed on Ditzy’s face, as if she were in the midst of a memory, whilst she continued: ‘I don’t really want to say more Twilight, but if you give him the chance to let you in you’ll have somepony who’ll always fight your corner and never turn his back on you.’

The journey had passed quickly and they now reached the city’s outer limits. Here the path beneath their hooves became slightly rougher and stray pieces of rubbish were evident at its edges. The buildings too became more uniform, although this was the capital so they were not truly unpleasant, lacking the grandeur of central Canterlot. Also there were far fewer street lights, meaning that the only real illumination came from the night sky above. In the shadows of doorways and a few windows Twilight could see the outline of figures, watching their passage. From a side alley a small cream-coloured colt stepped gingerly forward, shivering in the cold evening air. This small pony nodded to them, giving a little smile and bringing his left forehoof to his chest so that the shoe looked akin to a crescent moon before his heart. His brown mane was unkempt and patches of dirt marred his coat. The two grey ponies immediately moved away from Twilight, Ditzy wrapping the foal in a hug, whilst the dark grey stallion reached another cloak from the saddle bags and placed it round its shoulders. Some words were spoken, but Twilight could not make them out, before the pair came back to her side, returning the colt’s initial hoof gesture as they did so. As they continued she looked back to see the small cream pony, now hooded and hidden under warm blue material, withdraw back into the darkness of the gutter. Turning the corner they had reached the first milestone of their labours, now being on the very edge of the city. A few more steps to freedom and then onwards to Luna.

‘Halt!’ came a familiar voice from behind the group.

Twilight froze, dreading the face she knew she would see when she turned around.

‘In the name of Celestia,’ the voice continued ‘turn and show your faces!’

The trio obeyed, the grey ponies flanking Twilight flexing their forelegs slightly in the anticipation of conflict. They now faced the glaring pink eyes of a bright blue pegasus, decked in the gold plates of a royal guard and with an equally golden set of spiked horseshoes; a match to those worn by the striped stallion at Twilight’s side. On the left of her chest plate a gilded insignia badge stood out, depicting a winged lightning bolt, meanwhile from beneath the mare’s armour flowed a mass of multi-coloured stripes which made up her mane and tail.

‘You two lower your hoods’ Rainbow Dash ordered.

Twilight and the stallion obeyed, whilst Ditzy remained motionless, like a coiled spring, waiting on her compatriots move.

‘Twi?’ Rainbow’s voice questioned, as her glower gave way to confused realisation.

The two sides just looked at one another, unsure of how they should react. The two former close friends stared into each other’s eyes, each searching for meaning in their counterpart’s gaze. Twilight knew not what Rainbow was seeing in her, but in the depths of the pegasus’ pink orbs she found a mix of unsure hurt. There was anger lying beneath this, but it seemed unable to break through the greater layers of sadness above. It felt like there was a great void between them, not the few steps across the cobblestones which existed in reality, but rather an ever deepening and widening crevasse. In her mind’s eye Twilight saw fires roaring at the bottom of this pit. As its jaws opened to hold them apart, it also threatened to extend below each of them, so as to draw them into its gaping maw. She opened her own mouth but no sound emerged, as if the dividing space were now a vacuum. Still their looks remained locked. Her eyes begged Rainbow’s for forgiveness, trying desperately to articulate her reasoning and regrets, whilst for the second time that evening her cheeks were stained a darker shade of lilac by trickles of tears.

‘Just go.’

The void was suddenly filled with the two words, as the loyal soldier turned away, returning to the depths of Canterlot. Twilight took a step forward, again opening her mouth without finding any words, but she faltered at the edge of the jagged canyon between them and could not move forward. The bright blue pegasus, who had once been her friend, disappeared as she rounded a corner without looking back.

Author's Note

References:
1) For All to See by Pearple Prose