Luna walked into her chamber, exhausted. "Sister, it is time for you to raise the sun. We have lowered the moon for you already."
Her voice echoed in the silent chamber, empty save for the princess of the night. "Sister? Tia? Where have thou gone?"
Silence. Not that there could have been any answer, for there was nothing else capable of speech in the room.
Luna was surprised, but this wasn't too unusual. It had happened once or twice before, that her sister had fallen asleep in another room instead of going to their shared bedchamber, but she had woken up in time to raise the sun, luckily.
Ah, she should wake up soon, if she hasn't already. Luna figured as she floated her crown and shoes to the floor by her bedside. The princess took a glance at the night sky outside the open window. There was no reason to panic. Celestia was okay. But why did she have such a bad feeling in her stomach, like something was terribly wrong?
Argh, how could I have done this again? I'm lucky last time nopony noticed and my dignity was saved, but now I have to raise the sun, and somepony's sure to find out. Ugh! Celestia paced back and forth by the doorway out of the castle's basement, shaking her head in frustration. Well, at least I'm safe and not hurt, she thought, trying to be optimistic.
How could she have even locked herself in? She didn't remember closing it behind her, but maybe her memory was just failing on her. Celestia flopped onto the cold ground to wait it out. Surely she would be found and let out soon.
A few minutes passed, and still nothing. Those minutes turned to hours, and soon the scheduled day was nearly over. The sun princess banged on the door with her hooves, hoping somepony was there to hear her, but there was only silence.
The same silence in Luna's room as she awoke at the usual time that she had to raise the moon. She stretched, and saw the bed next to hers still empty. If Celestia had already lowered the sun, she would have woken her sister afterwards. The blue alicorn began to freak out.
The guards! They should know what happened to my sister! Luna reasoned. The Solar Guards stay with Celestia all the time, they should know if something was wrong.
With barely a moment's hesitation, Luna burst out the door and ran down the hall, completely forgetting to raise the moon.
By now, Celestia had given up hope. She leaned against the door, tired and hoarse from yelling and kicking at the door. It was an empty hope to think that anypony could come save her now. It had been well over 12 hours now, with no food and no rest. With the last bit of energy left in her, she lifted a golden shoe-clad hoof to strike the metal door. It barely made a sound.
The princess closed her eyes.
Meanwhile in the rest of Equestria, Ponyville to be exact, everything was in chaos. It had been nighttime for nearly 24 hours, and once the ponies had awaken and seen the darkness, they, of course, freaked out.
Shouts of "Where is the princess?" and "What's going on?" were all to be heard in the usually peaceful town. Everypony was panicking, especially Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy. Twilight was nowhere to be seen! They thought that some evil force must have taken them both, and were really worried.
Rarity responded by fainting. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were talking hurriedly in hushed tones. Fluttershy was shivering in a dark corner as Pinkie Pie's hair deflated. They each had their own ways of coping with this assumption that their friend could be in danger, hurt, or worse--dead.
However, there was nothing to be done. Panicking brought nothing. What they didn't know was that Twilight was actually perfectly safe and unhurt. What they didn't know, they didn't want to know...
Chapter 1: All That She Was
She was honest.
She never told a lie, and was known to never keep secrets if it was important to her subjects.
"Luna, you know I would never lie to you. You know I wouldn't hide it if I really was! Trust me." she whispered.
"I can't believe that until I prove it." A flash of light, and the both nearly fell. When it faded, nothing was changed.
"I told the truth, dear sister." This made Luna smile...
She was loyal.
She wouldn't give up her land or her subjects for anything, anything at all.
"No means NO. I said no, and I would like you to leave me alone with the matter now."
"Oh, you know you want my offer. You'd love to accept it. How about for enslaving all the ponies in Equestria, as long as you just give me their love?" the raspy voice of none other than Queen Chrysalis bargained.
"I wouldn't give up my subjects for all the power in the universe." With that, the changeling queen was banished...
She was kind.
She didn't hurt any creature intentionally, not even those dark of heart.
"Discord. You have done a terrible deed trying to regain the power of Equestria for your own chaotic purposes."
"I regret nothing, but don't kill me." the once powerful spirit of chaos and disharmony now cowered before the stronger being.
"I wouldn't kill you or even hurt you. Just remember what you did, and never come back." she entrapped Discord in stone once more with a glow of her powerful magic...
She was funny.
She told jokes and pulled pranks just as any other pony would.
She took a sip of tea.
The baker rushed by and refilled the teacup.
She took another sip and the same thing happened.
The third time, she faked a sip and the baker attempted to fill it, only to make the tea dribble down the sides of the cup and onto the table. "Gotcha." she whispered, smiling...
She was generous.
She donated to needy ponies and helped those who needed it.
"Can you help me, Princess?" a moan drifted up from the alley behind her, causing her to turn in surprise to see a near-dead, filthy pony laying against a wall.
"Oh!" she ran to the pony, an earth pony stallion, and hefted him onto her back, carrying him back to the castle, which was a quick trip for Celestia, with her wings. There, she let him bathe, rest, and eat.
"Oh thank you, thank you. I am eternally grateful, your highness." he bowed.
"It was nothing, really..."
She was magic.
She honed the most powerful magic in all of Equestria, possibly in all of everywhere.
"Sister, I have lowered the moon." Luna sighed in exhaustion. "It is time."
With a glow of her horn, the sun raised to the sky...
