Advance Warningby Jordan179ChaptersChapter 1: An Invitation Between SistersChapter 2: The Sisters Have An Entirely Reasonable Discussion Regarding Celestia's Proposed Course of ActionEpilogue: Towards Her MeetingChapter 1: An Invitation Between SistersChapter 1: An Invitation Between Sisters To any less than perfectly familiar with the ways of Celestia Sola Invicta, the Sun Princess and effective ruler of Equestia, for all that her Sister had been taking increasing control of military affairs during the last three years, resuming her role as Celestia's High Lady of War -- the message would have seemed simply an invitation to a casual dinner chat. To the recipient of that message, Princess Luna herself, who had known Celestia better than anypony else during one and a half of the two and a half millennia they had spent in their present Incarnation as Alicorn Ponies; and as Gravity had known Fusion for the over thirteen billion, eight hundred million years they had existed, since soon after this Multiverse had been born in the inconceivable eruption of the Big Bang; everything about the wording of that innocent-looking missive told her that Celestia wanted to consult with her regarding something about which Luna would very much not be happy. Indeed, it was likely that Celestia intended to do something which Luna would consider a very bad idea, and Celestia could not be stopped by any argument of which Luna was capable. Which meant that trouble was coming, and there was little Luna could do stop it. Luna said a very indelicate phrase in a dead language, one that had not been spoken in North Amareica for over three and a half thousand years. She only knew the phrase because Moondreamer had learned it over fifteen hundred years before Luna Selena Nyx had been born. She was certain that the phrase could be found somewhere within the vast (and still utterly-disorganized) Library of the Crystal Empire, recently returned from its millennial limbo along with the Crystal City in which it stood; but she doubted that anypony in Canterlot, save for her Sister and herself, actually knew the meaning of that specific phrase. She knew that Celestia knew the phrase because Moondreamer and Sundreamer had gotten drunk together sometime around the Year Of Megan 1970, which was to say some four thousand, thity-three years ago, and Moondreamer had taught it to Sundreamer -- and Celestia never forgot a good dirty phrase. Though Celestia would never use them openly in public, and usually in private only when she was drunk. Which was rare this incarnation, because Celestia was an Alicorn, and it took absurd amounts of alcoholic beverages to get an Alicorn more than slightly tipsy -- their powerful regenerative abilities neutalized alcohol almost as rapidly as they could consume it, something of which Fusion may not have grasped the implications when she designed the Alicorn Pony Incarnation. Sometimes, Luna could persuade her Sister to get drunk with her. Sometimes. The memories of drinking with Celestia made Luna smile, especially when she remembered some of the exceptionally-silly things Celestia had done -- and that they'd done together -- at times like that. Celestia could be so very merry when she relaxed, which had been an increasingly-rare thing after she founded the Realm, and especially these days, when they prepared to strengthen Equestria against the coming Shadow storm. Luna missed the happy times she and her Sister had enjoyed together, before they started to quarrel, a thousand and fifty or so years ago. She hoped that, when this current crisis was over, she and Celly could take a nice long vacation together. Maybe they could go incognito -- she could be a Pegasus, and Celestia a Unicorn. They'd done that kind of thing before, back before they'd started fighting. Her smile broadened as she considered the prospect of roaming the world again with Celestia, just the two of them together, as they had done back before, so many times, when they and the world were younger. Then her smile faded. She still had to confront Celestia over whatever potentially-catastrophic plan Celestia had conceived. And she geatly feared that -- after that conversation -- the last thing she would want to do with her was form a merry company and have a drinking-bout. Firming her resolve, Luna put on her best torc and some light sabatons, touched up her eyeshadow (Luna had always been partial to eyeshadow as beautifully-dramatic), and strode through the corridors of the Palace to the chambers of her Sister. She no longer felt nervous or out of place among the other Ponies; she had now had over three years to adapt to her Sister's new Equestria, and she knew that her Nocturnae loved her, and the others ... at least feared her, and would obey her to curry favor with her, or to please her Sister, which was as good as things usually got in upper-class Canterlot. It really hadn't been that much better over a millennium ago in the Time of Thrones, though of course this was not much of a comfort, given how those five centuries of her life had ended. Still, she had come all the way back; she knew that she played a vital role in the Realm, and had at least as much right to respect as anypony else in the Realm. Or, at least, that other Ponies made that assumption. Which, at the imperfect and frequently-superficial Incarnate Level, was often all that was required -- even though Luna, herself, knew better her own worth, or lack thereof. Whatever the true case, Luna reached her Sister's quarters without even emotional incident. concealing what she considererd her own great sins as the other Ponies she saw doubtless did their own far-lesser ones. Or possibly not so far-lesser; Luna was wise in the ways of Royal Courts, and knew that at least a few of those Ponies were criminous or disloyal to some degree. Thugh few would have engaged in betrayal as deep as Luna's own former acts had been -- because few would have ever had, or would ever have, Luna's opportunities in that regard, if for no better reason. Her Sister awaited her in her private parlor. Celestia's private parlor was part of her own suite of rooms, those which Celestia generally occupied alone, without even servants save when Celestia was absent or servants called for specifically. Despite her hedonism and the resultant luxury in which she liked to live, Celestia was no spoiled Princess, requiring the hooves of other Ponies to do every little thing for her; a thousand years of vagabond adventuring had cured her of any tendencies she might have developed in that direction. Luna of course knew why Celestia wanted to see her in such private circumstances. Her Sister obviously wanted to discuss her brilliant new plan where no other Pony ears might overhear them. Probably because it was something most other Ponies would like no better than would Luna. The private parlor was a pleasant, airy, and (of course) sunny chamber, positioned jutting out on the southern exposure midway up the Sun Tower. Big bay windows commanded a prospect of the whole Southern Vale of Avalon, and ensured that its occupant could directly see the daystar whenever it was over the horizon. Since its occupant could move that astronomical body through the Warp that Fusion and Gravity had placed on the Solar System almost four millennia ago, this was quite convenient for Celestia. Right now the Sun was lowering on the west-southwestern horizon, sinking over the White Tail Mountains and the Forest Foreverfree. From that direction, Luna thought, from the ruins of our old Castle, the Palace at Canterlot, and the city to its west, will look like a wonder-tale splendor of white and tinted marble, soft in the redding solar rays, soon to glow coolly in the descending beauty of twilight. And Twilight Sparkle herself will be bustling about her late-afternoon chores, in her tree-library. I wonder on what she ponders, right now? "Welcome, as always," said Celestia. "I'm very happy to see you this afternoon." She hugged and kissed Luna. Luna liked the affection, but her alarm grew. "I am glad to see you as well," said Luna, remembering to use the modern form. "What do you mean to do?" "Such suspicion," Celestia said, mock-sorrowfully. This was a dance whose steps they'd trodden together many, many times. Celestia knew what Luna was thinking, just as Luna knew what Celestia was thinking, and their telepathy was not even required for this. "Cannot you simply trust your big Sister?" "I trust her to always have some plan or another," Luna replied. "And to expect me to follow her in it." Celestia winced. Her ears drooped, her lip trembled. Her beautiful purple eyes looked very big and vulnerable. Luna immediately felt guilty, even while knowing what her Sister was doing. How does she do that? Luna wondered. It really shouldn't work on me, of all Ponies. "And -- to always love me," Luna allowed. "So I trust that this plan isn't too obviously fatal for me." "Oh, no," replied Celestia, immediately smiling. "I think you're one of the Ponies least at risk given this plan," she said. "Well, aside from the Alara Variation -- but that's quite a low-probability event, really negligible compared to the payoff. Normally, both of us are fairly safe from any serious harm in this plan." "You've been scrying the worldlines again," Luna accused her. "Looking for shortcuts." "You talk about this as if it were a bad thing," Celestia said airily. "Like lemon cake -- Sweet Cream's made a rather delicious one, it would be such a shame to let it go to waste." Her aura flickered, and she removed the golden covers from the dishes on the table. Next to it was a tub of ice, in which several bottles of wine rested. "And, oh look, those cress-and-pepper sandwiches on rye, just the way you like them, with the little sardines -- you first came to like fish in your seafaring days, didn't you?" An appetizing aroma wafted up from the table. "Well, yes," said Luna, her mouth watering. "'Tis bad to let good food go to waste." She knew that Celestia was manipulating her, and in foalishly-simple wise -- but the food did smell good, and it was bad to let it go to waste. It wasn't manipulation if you understood what was happening, was it? She sat down and dined with her sister. When they were done with the food, they started on the wine, and conversation became easier. "So," said Luna at last, "I know you have some sort of bright plan that will save the world and spread love and happiness everywhere and be the best thing since the invention of the bread-slicer. Only there's some very small chance that it will instead doom the world and damn everypony to lifelong suffering and be generally about as joyful as persistent festering smelly sores on our hindquarters. Have I the shape of things aright?" Celestia blinked. "In essence, yes," she admitted. "But not necessarily lifelong suffering -- and it's really not likely to fail. It's not as much of a gamble as you're making it sound." "So what do you want of me this time?" Luna asked. "Quest for some long-lost artifact? Cast a powerful and dangerous spell with you? Try to ally with some old enemy?" Celestia flinched imperceptibly -- imperceptibly to anypony save Luna, who had known her since their mutual birth. "Ah!" cried Luna in triumph. "We're seeking allies, now. Hmm, what would be both really wonderful if it worked and terrible if it didn't work? Try to regrow Squirk from one of his tentacles and recruit him into the Royal Navy? Invite Grogar over for tea and ask him nicely to ring the Bells of Tambelon on command? Hunt up Tirek from where-ever he's gotten to in the last year and tell him that his last banishment to Tartarus was all a mistake between best friends? Release Dissy from stone and play with him just like old times?" She was about to contiue, when she suddenly realized something. Celestia had blinked. "Thou art not!" Luna gasped, slipping back into Old Equestrian. "Thou canst not mean thus!" "I was going to tell you," grumbled Celestia, clearly annoyed at having been forced instead of allowed to reveal her plan. "Thou meanest to unleash Discord?! "Well ..." replied Celestia. "Yes." Author's Note Discord would never intentionally kill either of the Sisters, as he views them as his principal playmates in their new and greater version of the Princess Game -- whether he's playing the Hero or the Monster -- and his bestest best friends in this Draconequus Incarnation of Dissonance. This much did Dissy firmly fix in Discord's mind before being absorbed into the new gestalt. The Alara Variation refers to the scenario in Alara J Rogers' Elements of Opposition, where that dimension's Discord made a terrible mistake playing the Game which resulted in Celestia being tricked into killing Luna, with very bad consequences for Celestia and more than one Discord. Celestia's seen this possibility (as part of her precognitive attempt to find out what to avoid doing). Luna has absolutely no idea what her Sister is talking about, which is probably just as well for Luna's peace of mind. Incidentally, everyone should read Alara's Elements of Opposition. It's one of the best fics ever written for this fandom. In general, her Discord is one of the best versions ever done of that character, including the vanilla-canon version, and Discord's relationship with Celestia in all of her Last Draconequus stories simultaneously beautiful, hilarious and tragic. It's not consistent with the Shadow Wars Story Verse, but her concepts of them have in part informed mine. And that story in particular deserves a LOT more views. Chapter 2: The Sisters Have An Entirely Reasonable Discussion Regarding Celestia's Proposed Course of ActionChapter 2: The Sisters Have An Entirely Reasonable Discussion Regarding Celestia's Proposed Course of Action "Hast thou taken leave of thy senses?" Luna cried, her wings flaring. "Sister -- Discord is no friend! He is one of our worst foes! We barely did contain him the last time he got free!" "I know," said Celestia, "but --" "Thou didst see it in the Mirror Pool!" continued Luna. "I was with thee! The Dark World -- a thousand years of pain and suffering -- made worse because the monster drove our dear Twilight to madness!" "I sense a certain bias in that presentation of events," Celestia commented drily. "But yes, I am well aware of what might have happened had not Twilight Sparkle defeated Discord when first he broke loose." "Then how canst thou --?" Luna gasped. "That is what might have happened had Discord won when he broke loose," Celestia pointed out. "On his own accord, against our will, and ourselves unprepared. To set him free of our will, with him fully-aware that we chose to release him, and ourselves prepared to deal with him should he betray us --" "Should he?" asked Luna. She got up from her seat and paced rapidly back and forth in the room. "Sister, art thou even listening to thine own words? We are talking about Discord here. The destroyer of Paradise Estate, the wrecker of the world --" she leaned forward and glared into Celestia's eyes intently. "The slayer of our Most Beloved Teacher! The murderer of our mother!" Celestia visibly winced at that. "I know what he did," Celestia replied, her voice strained, eyes briefly downcast. "I was there too -- I can forget it no more than can you, Sister. But --" she raised her eyes and stared back into Luna's own. "-- to remember does not mean to hate forever. Sister, Discord was new-come into his own true Self. He was angry, confused, torn between the emotions he had learned as Dissy, and those he had inherited from his Cosmic Self in full spate of madness. He did not behave that badly before -- nor, in truth, after." "He terrorized the world for a thousand years!" shouted Luna. "He destroyed libraries, sacked cities, toppled ancient and noble civilizations! What do you mean, 'did not behave that badly?'" Celestia turned aside for a moment reinforced the scryshield and silence barrier on her suite, then returned her full attention to Luna. "I mean that -- despite his many and objectionable misdeeds -- he defended Ponykind." Luna opened her mouth again -- paused -- and thought for a moment. To an extent, her Sister was right. Celestia pressed her advantage. "What would Tirek had done if he had achieved such a complete victory? Or any of a number of other foes, though few of them got so close to final success. Discord actually did conquer the world -- or most of it, in any case, and what did he do with it?" "Tortured Ponies," replied Luna flatly. "To some extent, yes," allowed Celestia. "For the most part, though, he simply prevented the formation of any kingdoms larger than a city-state and its hinterland, and harassed even those at random. This created chaos, and opportunities for enemies of Ponykind -- whom he promptly destroyed when ever they attacked. He plainly throught of himself as the protector of Ponykind, Sister, not its enemy. He as much told us so, more than once, during his thousand-year reign." Luna considered the point. "What of the Sea Ponies, Sister? What of the Flutter Ponies? He destroyed all the Sea Ponies who did not take refuge in very distant waters or with other Cosmic beings; and the Flutter Ponies he outright Twisted, then hunted and slew them until the survivors were so terrified that they have hidden and renounced the rest of Ponykind. Were they not Ponies, as well?" "Yes," said Celestia. "They were Ponies as well. I do not deny his crimes, though I think he harmed the Sea Ponies less out of malice than carelessness. As for the Flutter Ponies -- they were always inherently very Lawful, being linked to the organization of the ecosystem itself. They are even more Lawful now, though it is a Law that has turned in on itself and for the benefit of its practicioners alone, and acknowledges no responsibility to any society larger than its own Hives. I do not think he could bear the presence of their Law ..." "Could not bear?" asked Luna, her vioce rising. "Could not bear? He committed genocide against an entire Kind because he found their existence annoying, and thou dost suddenly find this meet and proper? Is annoyance to now exculpate the most terrible crimes?" She began pacing again. "Well, Sister, I am annoyed by rather a lot of Ponies -- I never did abide fools and knaves well, as well thou knowest. May I then go forth and smite them with my gravity lances, or twist them into terrible forms, at mine own whim? Shall I now become a monster more destructive than ever was Nightmare Moon, and do so with thine own approval, because I am annoyed?" She glared at Celestia, and for all that her eyes were her own, free of any hint of the Nightmare, Celestia nonetheless briefly flinched at the expression in them. But Celestia quickly recovered her composure. "No," she said, "Obviously not. That would be insanity." "And letting Discord loose is not?" asked Luna. "Should he not be punished for his fell deeds?" "Sister," said Celestia. "We have left him encased in stone for more than a millennium and a half. That's not exactly just a gentle slap to the cannon." "True," allowed Luna. "But why should we be eager to release him just now? I am far from finished with my military reforms. The very same Flutter Ponies about which we spoke have attacked Equestria, and are a clear and present danger to the Realm. I am far from convinced that we have seen the last of Crimson Quartz, or rather what he has become. Beyond both of these threats the Shadows lurk, gathering to pounce upon us. These are perilous times, Sister." "All times are perilous," Celestia answered. "And -- consider this. If we can persuade Discord to become our friend once again, we will face the perils you have mentioned, and many more beside, with a powerful ally at our sides. If he uses his magic for good rather than evil, all Equestria -- all Ponykind -- may yet benefit from his birth." "Thou doth --" Luna's tone gentled. "You want to give him a chance at redemption." "Is that so wrong?" asked Celestia softly. "Nay," replied Luna. "But -- do not take this ill -- are you sure that you want to do this for the good of the Realm? Because you feel Discord should in justice be given another chance? Or -- is it because you once loved ..." "Sister," said Celestia, and her eyes were full of pain. "Please don't." "I am sorry," said Luna. "But you did love him." Celestia looked down at the richly-carpeted floor. "So," she said, in a tone almost too low to be heard, "did you." Luna felt a twinge of long-buried pain. "Yes," she admitted. "But he was your lover." "I am sorry ..." Celestia began, then stopped. "Was that so wrong?" "No," said Luna. "I was very selfish, back then. He had always been my best friend. I imagined he might become my mate -- my Consort. I did not ask him his intent, at any point. I simply wanted." She looked up at Celestia. "I am sorry." "I should have talked to you about it," countered Celestia. "I simply acted. I suspected your pain, but I did not want to talk to you about it, for it made me feel guilty." "We broke Dissy between us," Luna said sadly. "Like spoiled foals, fighting over a favorite toy." "You blame yourself too harshly," said Celestia, stretching forth her muzzle to gently caress her Sister's cheek. "He would have fallen in any case, overwhelmed by the incubus his Cosmic Self placed within him. And it was my fault Discord was Incarnated in the first place. Ever did I run, and ever did Discord run after, even on the Cosmic Level." "Had I been gentler with him," Luna said, "I might have been able to cushion the blow. I had begun Dream-walking ..." "I know," said Celestia. "But consider. You were young, and inexperienced in the use of your powers. That which was within him was Dissonance. Not the full power, but the personality, and new-maddened by consuming his brother. And Dissy ... poor dear Dissy was no match for his greater Self, even the reduced version of it that took him." "I was not a true and perfect friend to him, at the end," Luna said. "I was angry, I felt myself scorned." "You were but a maiden," Celestia said consolingly. "As was I, in everything but the precise physical sense of the word, and that only for the last few days before he went mad. We were scarcely more than fillies, back then. And neither of us has ever been perfect." "I was wrong, though," said Luna. Her eyes were filling with tears. "He did not scorn me. He did not even know how I felt! In his innnocence, he imagined that I would be happy that we would all become one family, with you his mate. And ... I should have been happy! But I was not." "We cannot control our own feelings," said Celestia. "Only how we act on them." "I acted wrongly," said Luna "I failed Dissy. I can never make that right. Not now -- not that he is gone." She looked at Celestia directly. "There are times," she said thickly, "when I still miss him." "Then let me try to save him!" said Celestia, urgently. "There is still hope --" "No!" replied Luna in alarm. "Sister, this is wishful thinking on thy -- on your part. Dissy was destroyed when the incubus took control. What rules now within him is not Dissy, not our old friend! Not your old love ..." "That is not entirely true," said Celestia. "Do you remember how Discord was whe he first awakened? Entirely hostile, utterly cruel. A casual killer." "Yes," replied Luna. "Which is why I know Dissy was subsumed. For Dissy was none of those things. He was kind ... loving ... compassionate ... our friend. That is why we loved him." "Luna --" said Celestia, fixing her in the gaze of those great purple eyes. "Was he like that at the end?" Luna thought on it a while. "No --" replied Luna at last. "No ... he changed over the millennium of his Age. He grew ... I do not know how to describe it. Nicer? More reasonable?" "More like the old Dissy?" suggested Celestia. Luna thought on that for a while. "No --" she said. "Not exactly. More like a different person. Someone in between Dissy and Discord." She thought a bit longer. "I always thought that he was just adapting to Incarnation -- things are never as simple down here as they are on the Cosmic Level." "What," asked Celestia, an obvious light of hope in her eyes, "what if, when Discord absorbed Dissy, he didn't completely destroy him? Instead, he absorbed large elements of his personality intact? And those remnants of Dissy have been, very slowly, transforming Discord into someone more like our old friend?" Luna considered the theory. "I suppose it is possible," Luna admitted. "Though I still think that your thoughts are colored by your wishes. You want to have Dissy back. We both would very much like that." "Three of us were born that year at Paradise Estate," said Celestia solemnly. "You, I and Dissy. In our youth, we were us three inseperable." Her mouth tightened. "First I lost Dissy. Then, fifteen hundred years later, I lost you. And over the next thousand years, I nearly lost myself -- more than once, I drifted toward Lone-Madness. It was a near-run thing." She looked directly at Luna. "Then, thanks to Twilight Sparkle, I got you back. And then, thanks to you and Twilight Sparkle, we were able to meet Discord's first mad spree when he broke loose, and imprison him again -- which gives us another chance. "Luna," continued Celestia, "I want both of you back. You -- and Dissy. All us three, friends again. That is my purpose." Luna felt a sinking feeling, and a certain rare pity for Celestia. "Sister," Luna said, "I would like that too. Who would not? But Dissy is gone, far beyond any hope of winning back. This new Discord -- perhaps he is not as evil as the old, but he is not as good as was Dissy. He is not our friend as was Dissy. And --" she continued, very gently, "he doesn't love you. That was obvious, from his rampage two years ago. If he is loosed again, he will simply wreak more harm, until -- if we are lucky -- we are able to turn him back to stone again. "Our sweet Dissy is gone for ever and ever," Luna concluded sadly. "You hope in vain, because you love him. 'Tis a good motive, but 'tis still not rational." Celestia thought about that for a moment. Then she asked. "Was Wind Whistler rational?" "What?" asked Luna. "Yes, of course Wind Whistler was rational. She was the most rational Pony that ever was born!" "She had hope for Dissy," Celestia said softly. "Even after the fall of Paradise Estate, the breaking of the Rainbow. She knew that she was doomed now, that the Undying would now age and perish like any other Ponies. But she told me once that she thought that Dissy was not entirely gone, that Discord was not wholly evil. That, in time, the good within him might triumph over the evil. She ... she did not hate him for what he had done. She said he was simply being ... naughty. That he would see sense in time." "She was the strongest and the best Pony I ever knew," commented Luna. "Her will ... her mind ... her heart ... I have never seen her like." "And may never again," agreed Celestia. "Luna -- if she had hope -- cannot we likewise?" "But she was wrong," Luna said bitterly. "She was brilliant, and rational, but even the brilliant and rational can err, and she did err then. And do not forget that in the end she fell to Discord." "I shall never forget," said Celestia. "I wish I could, but I cannot. Nor that our mother fell as well. And all our old friends are now dead because of his deeds. Sister, do you imagine my heart stone? Or worse, so gone in silly lust that I forget every hurt he did us? I may come to forgive, but that is not the same. Not at all the same." "Then ..." Luna was at a complete loss. "Then how can you even consider releasing him and somehow persuading him by kind words on your part that we should all again be friends?" "I do not consider that," replied Celestia. She stood up, walked to the window, looked southwestward to the end of the Vale of Avalon, where Ponyville sat spanning the river. "I shall not be the one to persuade him by kindness. I am, after all, not Kindness any more." "Wait ..." said Luna, "What do you mean to do, then?" And Celestia told her. Author's Note The Dark World is a reference to Alex Warlorn's dual-threaded long novel about the Second Age of Discord and the adventures of Shining Armor and Cadance on the World Tour -- Dark World/Shining Armor. The version of the origin of Discord I'm using comes from his shorter novel, Generation Transitions and Origins. Lest you imagine that this is all about Celestia and her superior wisdom teaching her more naive younger sister in the way things really are, you should keep in mind that each of the Royal Alicorn Sisters has her own bias here. Celestia has reasons to love, and Luna to hate, Discord that the other Sister does not -- but neither set of reasons are entirely rational ones. That's the peril of living at the Incarnate Level -- one can't entirely avoid getting mixed up in the messy business of the mortal world. Epilogue: Towards Her MeetingEpilogue: Towards Her Meeting Celestia explained her plan. And when she had done, Luna had to admit that, if one were to attempt anything so foolish as loosing Discord once again upon the world, Celestia had chosen just about the wisest way to carry out such folly. And the least selfish. For Luna saw that Celestia's plan would, indeed, be very unlikely to result in Celestia regaining Discord's love. His friendship, perhaps. But not his love. That was forever gone, and probably unrecoverable. Even if Dissy might be regained. Indeed, the plan would work best if Discord came to love another. When Celestia was done explaining, and Luna with more than a few trepidations assented to the plan, and made some suggestions as to their backup should the Elements fail of application -- Discord was, after all, neither weak nor stupid, though his playfulness had cost him the victory fifteen hundred and three years ago, and once again just two years ago -- when that was done, the Sisters sat together and watched the setting Sun, leaning companionably against each other, toasting Mimic and Wind Whistler and their other beloved dead who had once been Undying, especially poor confused Shady who, at the end, had been neither so weak nor so stupid as she had seemed. They had all been heroes, and Shady not the least among them. There was not enough wine to get them drunk. They were, after all, both Alicorns, and to get truly drunk they would have to down wine not by the bottle, but rather by the hogshead barrel. But, then, they didn't really want to get drunk. They just wanted to be together, to be Sisters, as they had been for over two thousand five hundred years, if you measured it one way, and over thirteen billion seven hundred million years, if you measured it the other. So they drank together, until all the wine was gone, and never got any farther into drunkeness than a comfortable warm glow, which in them was their regenerative factor neutralizing the alcohol. And they were happy, here together overlooking the world, and possibly the end of the world, if Celestia's plan went poorly. Even Luna was happy, because one cannot be the High Lady of War of a great Realm, without being aware that every plan carries with it some risk and cost of failure, especially down here at the Incarnate Level. Celestia set the Sun, and Luna raised the Moon, and they watched the Moon and stars together for a while. And then Celestia said to Luna, very gently. "I know this plan can fail. I always knew it could fail." "I knew you knew that," Luna replied. "I know that thou art no dunderhead." "If it fails," Celestia said, "then this part of our lives together may be about to end. Discord will probably not harm us, but he may harm those we love. He may drive them mad." "I know," said Luna. "And I see now that thou didst always know as well." "If I were you, dear Sister," Celestia said, "I would take care of any unfinished business you have, before -- well, you know." "I do," replied Luna. "I can think of some that I've been putting off a few years now." "Then do it," said Celestia. "I won't release him for some more days, and I'll tell you the exact date and time, of course, once I've finished my preparations. But -- don't put it off any more." "I won't," Luna promised. "I won't." "I must go to bed," said Celestia. "The wine seems to have made me sleepy." She smiled at her Sister. "Good night, Luna." "Until the morrow," replied Luna. Her Sister padded back toward her bedchamber. And Luna was once more alone. Now she stood in shadow, upon the branch of a tree overlooking the Golden Oak Library in Ponyville. It was a potentially-undignified position, but Luna feared no exposure, because she could almost entirely disappear into shadows at night, simply by willing it. It had been one of the very first of her powers to emerge. Not that I need worry regarding my dignity. I am a Ruling Princess of Equestria! I am the High Lady of War! I am ... not certain how to approach her. Her gaze was fixed upon the balcony, where Twilight Sparkle stood behind her telescope, gazing at the heavens. Little stargazer, Luna thought fondly. We've come a long way since I first saw you, looking up at the Moon, when I was still trapped there, ridden by a Night Shadow, poor mad Nightmare Moon. Now, you lead Celestia's current Champions. And I am restored to my rightful place at my Sister's side. Free of the Nightmare. Because of you. Oh, Twilight, if you do Ascend, and are my friend for another two and a half millennia, still it will not be time enough to pay you back for that great gift. Do you even suspect this? Probably not. Twilight Sparkle was remarkably humble, for a Pony with her great gifts, intellectual and magical. It was one of the reasons Luna loved her. And had loved her when Luna had been Moondreamer, and Twilight had been Dusk Skyshine. Twilight had looked at various objects during the course of the night, taking notes in her journal. Luna noticed that Twilight was now looking at the Moon, as she had been when Luna had first seen her, all those years past. It was nothing if not an opening. Luna took a deep breath, and teleported to Twilight's side. Twilight turned and did a little half-jump, gasping. “Oh!” In that moment of surprise, Luna found her utterly enchanting. “Greetings and well-met, Lady Twilight Sparkle,” said Luna. It was a beginning.
Chapter 1: An Invitation Between SistersChapter 1: An Invitation Between Sisters To any less than perfectly familiar with the ways of Celestia Sola Invicta, the Sun Princess and effective ruler of Equestia, for all that her Sister had been taking increasing control of military affairs during the last three years, resuming her role as Celestia's High Lady of War -- the message would have seemed simply an invitation to a casual dinner chat. To the recipient of that message, Princess Luna herself, who had known Celestia better than anypony else during one and a half of the two and a half millennia they had spent in their present Incarnation as Alicorn Ponies; and as Gravity had known Fusion for the over thirteen billion, eight hundred million years they had existed, since soon after this Multiverse had been born in the inconceivable eruption of the Big Bang; everything about the wording of that innocent-looking missive told her that Celestia wanted to consult with her regarding something about which Luna would very much not be happy. Indeed, it was likely that Celestia intended to do something which Luna would consider a very bad idea, and Celestia could not be stopped by any argument of which Luna was capable. Which meant that trouble was coming, and there was little Luna could do stop it. Luna said a very indelicate phrase in a dead language, one that had not been spoken in North Amareica for over three and a half thousand years. She only knew the phrase because Moondreamer had learned it over fifteen hundred years before Luna Selena Nyx had been born. She was certain that the phrase could be found somewhere within the vast (and still utterly-disorganized) Library of the Crystal Empire, recently returned from its millennial limbo along with the Crystal City in which it stood; but she doubted that anypony in Canterlot, save for her Sister and herself, actually knew the meaning of that specific phrase. She knew that Celestia knew the phrase because Moondreamer and Sundreamer had gotten drunk together sometime around the Year Of Megan 1970, which was to say some four thousand, thity-three years ago, and Moondreamer had taught it to Sundreamer -- and Celestia never forgot a good dirty phrase. Though Celestia would never use them openly in public, and usually in private only when she was drunk. Which was rare this incarnation, because Celestia was an Alicorn, and it took absurd amounts of alcoholic beverages to get an Alicorn more than slightly tipsy -- their powerful regenerative abilities neutalized alcohol almost as rapidly as they could consume it, something of which Fusion may not have grasped the implications when she designed the Alicorn Pony Incarnation. Sometimes, Luna could persuade her Sister to get drunk with her. Sometimes. The memories of drinking with Celestia made Luna smile, especially when she remembered some of the exceptionally-silly things Celestia had done -- and that they'd done together -- at times like that. Celestia could be so very merry when she relaxed, which had been an increasingly-rare thing after she founded the Realm, and especially these days, when they prepared to strengthen Equestria against the coming Shadow storm. Luna missed the happy times she and her Sister had enjoyed together, before they started to quarrel, a thousand and fifty or so years ago. She hoped that, when this current crisis was over, she and Celly could take a nice long vacation together. Maybe they could go incognito -- she could be a Pegasus, and Celestia a Unicorn. They'd done that kind of thing before, back before they'd started fighting. Her smile broadened as she considered the prospect of roaming the world again with Celestia, just the two of them together, as they had done back before, so many times, when they and the world were younger. Then her smile faded. She still had to confront Celestia over whatever potentially-catastrophic plan Celestia had conceived. And she geatly feared that -- after that conversation -- the last thing she would want to do with her was form a merry company and have a drinking-bout. Firming her resolve, Luna put on her best torc and some light sabatons, touched up her eyeshadow (Luna had always been partial to eyeshadow as beautifully-dramatic), and strode through the corridors of the Palace to the chambers of her Sister. She no longer felt nervous or out of place among the other Ponies; she had now had over three years to adapt to her Sister's new Equestria, and she knew that her Nocturnae loved her, and the others ... at least feared her, and would obey her to curry favor with her, or to please her Sister, which was as good as things usually got in upper-class Canterlot. It really hadn't been that much better over a millennium ago in the Time of Thrones, though of course this was not much of a comfort, given how those five centuries of her life had ended. Still, she had come all the way back; she knew that she played a vital role in the Realm, and had at least as much right to respect as anypony else in the Realm. Or, at least, that other Ponies made that assumption. Which, at the imperfect and frequently-superficial Incarnate Level, was often all that was required -- even though Luna, herself, knew better her own worth, or lack thereof. Whatever the true case, Luna reached her Sister's quarters without even emotional incident. concealing what she considererd her own great sins as the other Ponies she saw doubtless did their own far-lesser ones. Or possibly not so far-lesser; Luna was wise in the ways of Royal Courts, and knew that at least a few of those Ponies were criminous or disloyal to some degree. Thugh few would have engaged in betrayal as deep as Luna's own former acts had been -- because few would have ever had, or would ever have, Luna's opportunities in that regard, if for no better reason. Her Sister awaited her in her private parlor. Celestia's private parlor was part of her own suite of rooms, those which Celestia generally occupied alone, without even servants save when Celestia was absent or servants called for specifically. Despite her hedonism and the resultant luxury in which she liked to live, Celestia was no spoiled Princess, requiring the hooves of other Ponies to do every little thing for her; a thousand years of vagabond adventuring had cured her of any tendencies she might have developed in that direction. Luna of course knew why Celestia wanted to see her in such private circumstances. Her Sister obviously wanted to discuss her brilliant new plan where no other Pony ears might overhear them. Probably because it was something most other Ponies would like no better than would Luna. The private parlor was a pleasant, airy, and (of course) sunny chamber, positioned jutting out on the southern exposure midway up the Sun Tower. Big bay windows commanded a prospect of the whole Southern Vale of Avalon, and ensured that its occupant could directly see the daystar whenever it was over the horizon. Since its occupant could move that astronomical body through the Warp that Fusion and Gravity had placed on the Solar System almost four millennia ago, this was quite convenient for Celestia. Right now the Sun was lowering on the west-southwestern horizon, sinking over the White Tail Mountains and the Forest Foreverfree. From that direction, Luna thought, from the ruins of our old Castle, the Palace at Canterlot, and the city to its west, will look like a wonder-tale splendor of white and tinted marble, soft in the redding solar rays, soon to glow coolly in the descending beauty of twilight. And Twilight Sparkle herself will be bustling about her late-afternoon chores, in her tree-library. I wonder on what she ponders, right now? "Welcome, as always," said Celestia. "I'm very happy to see you this afternoon." She hugged and kissed Luna. Luna liked the affection, but her alarm grew. "I am glad to see you as well," said Luna, remembering to use the modern form. "What do you mean to do?" "Such suspicion," Celestia said, mock-sorrowfully. This was a dance whose steps they'd trodden together many, many times. Celestia knew what Luna was thinking, just as Luna knew what Celestia was thinking, and their telepathy was not even required for this. "Cannot you simply trust your big Sister?" "I trust her to always have some plan or another," Luna replied. "And to expect me to follow her in it." Celestia winced. Her ears drooped, her lip trembled. Her beautiful purple eyes looked very big and vulnerable. Luna immediately felt guilty, even while knowing what her Sister was doing. How does she do that? Luna wondered. It really shouldn't work on me, of all Ponies. "And -- to always love me," Luna allowed. "So I trust that this plan isn't too obviously fatal for me." "Oh, no," replied Celestia, immediately smiling. "I think you're one of the Ponies least at risk given this plan," she said. "Well, aside from the Alara Variation -- but that's quite a low-probability event, really negligible compared to the payoff. Normally, both of us are fairly safe from any serious harm in this plan." "You've been scrying the worldlines again," Luna accused her. "Looking for shortcuts." "You talk about this as if it were a bad thing," Celestia said airily. "Like lemon cake -- Sweet Cream's made a rather delicious one, it would be such a shame to let it go to waste." Her aura flickered, and she removed the golden covers from the dishes on the table. Next to it was a tub of ice, in which several bottles of wine rested. "And, oh look, those cress-and-pepper sandwiches on rye, just the way you like them, with the little sardines -- you first came to like fish in your seafaring days, didn't you?" An appetizing aroma wafted up from the table. "Well, yes," said Luna, her mouth watering. "'Tis bad to let good food go to waste." She knew that Celestia was manipulating her, and in foalishly-simple wise -- but the food did smell good, and it was bad to let it go to waste. It wasn't manipulation if you understood what was happening, was it? She sat down and dined with her sister. When they were done with the food, they started on the wine, and conversation became easier. "So," said Luna at last, "I know you have some sort of bright plan that will save the world and spread love and happiness everywhere and be the best thing since the invention of the bread-slicer. Only there's some very small chance that it will instead doom the world and damn everypony to lifelong suffering and be generally about as joyful as persistent festering smelly sores on our hindquarters. Have I the shape of things aright?" Celestia blinked. "In essence, yes," she admitted. "But not necessarily lifelong suffering -- and it's really not likely to fail. It's not as much of a gamble as you're making it sound." "So what do you want of me this time?" Luna asked. "Quest for some long-lost artifact? Cast a powerful and dangerous spell with you? Try to ally with some old enemy?" Celestia flinched imperceptibly -- imperceptibly to anypony save Luna, who had known her since their mutual birth. "Ah!" cried Luna in triumph. "We're seeking allies, now. Hmm, what would be both really wonderful if it worked and terrible if it didn't work? Try to regrow Squirk from one of his tentacles and recruit him into the Royal Navy? Invite Grogar over for tea and ask him nicely to ring the Bells of Tambelon on command? Hunt up Tirek from where-ever he's gotten to in the last year and tell him that his last banishment to Tartarus was all a mistake between best friends? Release Dissy from stone and play with him just like old times?" She was about to contiue, when she suddenly realized something. Celestia had blinked. "Thou art not!" Luna gasped, slipping back into Old Equestrian. "Thou canst not mean thus!" "I was going to tell you," grumbled Celestia, clearly annoyed at having been forced instead of allowed to reveal her plan. "Thou meanest to unleash Discord?! "Well ..." replied Celestia. "Yes." Author's Note Discord would never intentionally kill either of the Sisters, as he views them as his principal playmates in their new and greater version of the Princess Game -- whether he's playing the Hero or the Monster -- and his bestest best friends in this Draconequus Incarnation of Dissonance. This much did Dissy firmly fix in Discord's mind before being absorbed into the new gestalt. The Alara Variation refers to the scenario in Alara J Rogers' Elements of Opposition, where that dimension's Discord made a terrible mistake playing the Game which resulted in Celestia being tricked into killing Luna, with very bad consequences for Celestia and more than one Discord. Celestia's seen this possibility (as part of her precognitive attempt to find out what to avoid doing). Luna has absolutely no idea what her Sister is talking about, which is probably just as well for Luna's peace of mind. Incidentally, everyone should read Alara's Elements of Opposition. It's one of the best fics ever written for this fandom. In general, her Discord is one of the best versions ever done of that character, including the vanilla-canon version, and Discord's relationship with Celestia in all of her Last Draconequus stories simultaneously beautiful, hilarious and tragic. It's not consistent with the Shadow Wars Story Verse, but her concepts of them have in part informed mine. And that story in particular deserves a LOT more views.
Chapter 2: The Sisters Have An Entirely Reasonable Discussion Regarding Celestia's Proposed Course of ActionChapter 2: The Sisters Have An Entirely Reasonable Discussion Regarding Celestia's Proposed Course of Action "Hast thou taken leave of thy senses?" Luna cried, her wings flaring. "Sister -- Discord is no friend! He is one of our worst foes! We barely did contain him the last time he got free!" "I know," said Celestia, "but --" "Thou didst see it in the Mirror Pool!" continued Luna. "I was with thee! The Dark World -- a thousand years of pain and suffering -- made worse because the monster drove our dear Twilight to madness!" "I sense a certain bias in that presentation of events," Celestia commented drily. "But yes, I am well aware of what might have happened had not Twilight Sparkle defeated Discord when first he broke loose." "Then how canst thou --?" Luna gasped. "That is what might have happened had Discord won when he broke loose," Celestia pointed out. "On his own accord, against our will, and ourselves unprepared. To set him free of our will, with him fully-aware that we chose to release him, and ourselves prepared to deal with him should he betray us --" "Should he?" asked Luna. She got up from her seat and paced rapidly back and forth in the room. "Sister, art thou even listening to thine own words? We are talking about Discord here. The destroyer of Paradise Estate, the wrecker of the world --" she leaned forward and glared into Celestia's eyes intently. "The slayer of our Most Beloved Teacher! The murderer of our mother!" Celestia visibly winced at that. "I know what he did," Celestia replied, her voice strained, eyes briefly downcast. "I was there too -- I can forget it no more than can you, Sister. But --" she raised her eyes and stared back into Luna's own. "-- to remember does not mean to hate forever. Sister, Discord was new-come into his own true Self. He was angry, confused, torn between the emotions he had learned as Dissy, and those he had inherited from his Cosmic Self in full spate of madness. He did not behave that badly before -- nor, in truth, after." "He terrorized the world for a thousand years!" shouted Luna. "He destroyed libraries, sacked cities, toppled ancient and noble civilizations! What do you mean, 'did not behave that badly?'" Celestia turned aside for a moment reinforced the scryshield and silence barrier on her suite, then returned her full attention to Luna. "I mean that -- despite his many and objectionable misdeeds -- he defended Ponykind." Luna opened her mouth again -- paused -- and thought for a moment. To an extent, her Sister was right. Celestia pressed her advantage. "What would Tirek had done if he had achieved such a complete victory? Or any of a number of other foes, though few of them got so close to final success. Discord actually did conquer the world -- or most of it, in any case, and what did he do with it?" "Tortured Ponies," replied Luna flatly. "To some extent, yes," allowed Celestia. "For the most part, though, he simply prevented the formation of any kingdoms larger than a city-state and its hinterland, and harassed even those at random. This created chaos, and opportunities for enemies of Ponykind -- whom he promptly destroyed when ever they attacked. He plainly throught of himself as the protector of Ponykind, Sister, not its enemy. He as much told us so, more than once, during his thousand-year reign." Luna considered the point. "What of the Sea Ponies, Sister? What of the Flutter Ponies? He destroyed all the Sea Ponies who did not take refuge in very distant waters or with other Cosmic beings; and the Flutter Ponies he outright Twisted, then hunted and slew them until the survivors were so terrified that they have hidden and renounced the rest of Ponykind. Were they not Ponies, as well?" "Yes," said Celestia. "They were Ponies as well. I do not deny his crimes, though I think he harmed the Sea Ponies less out of malice than carelessness. As for the Flutter Ponies -- they were always inherently very Lawful, being linked to the organization of the ecosystem itself. They are even more Lawful now, though it is a Law that has turned in on itself and for the benefit of its practicioners alone, and acknowledges no responsibility to any society larger than its own Hives. I do not think he could bear the presence of their Law ..." "Could not bear?" asked Luna, her vioce rising. "Could not bear? He committed genocide against an entire Kind because he found their existence annoying, and thou dost suddenly find this meet and proper? Is annoyance to now exculpate the most terrible crimes?" She began pacing again. "Well, Sister, I am annoyed by rather a lot of Ponies -- I never did abide fools and knaves well, as well thou knowest. May I then go forth and smite them with my gravity lances, or twist them into terrible forms, at mine own whim? Shall I now become a monster more destructive than ever was Nightmare Moon, and do so with thine own approval, because I am annoyed?" She glared at Celestia, and for all that her eyes were her own, free of any hint of the Nightmare, Celestia nonetheless briefly flinched at the expression in them. But Celestia quickly recovered her composure. "No," she said, "Obviously not. That would be insanity." "And letting Discord loose is not?" asked Luna. "Should he not be punished for his fell deeds?" "Sister," said Celestia. "We have left him encased in stone for more than a millennium and a half. That's not exactly just a gentle slap to the cannon." "True," allowed Luna. "But why should we be eager to release him just now? I am far from finished with my military reforms. The very same Flutter Ponies about which we spoke have attacked Equestria, and are a clear and present danger to the Realm. I am far from convinced that we have seen the last of Crimson Quartz, or rather what he has become. Beyond both of these threats the Shadows lurk, gathering to pounce upon us. These are perilous times, Sister." "All times are perilous," Celestia answered. "And -- consider this. If we can persuade Discord to become our friend once again, we will face the perils you have mentioned, and many more beside, with a powerful ally at our sides. If he uses his magic for good rather than evil, all Equestria -- all Ponykind -- may yet benefit from his birth." "Thou doth --" Luna's tone gentled. "You want to give him a chance at redemption." "Is that so wrong?" asked Celestia softly. "Nay," replied Luna. "But -- do not take this ill -- are you sure that you want to do this for the good of the Realm? Because you feel Discord should in justice be given another chance? Or -- is it because you once loved ..." "Sister," said Celestia, and her eyes were full of pain. "Please don't." "I am sorry," said Luna. "But you did love him." Celestia looked down at the richly-carpeted floor. "So," she said, in a tone almost too low to be heard, "did you." Luna felt a twinge of long-buried pain. "Yes," she admitted. "But he was your lover." "I am sorry ..." Celestia began, then stopped. "Was that so wrong?" "No," said Luna. "I was very selfish, back then. He had always been my best friend. I imagined he might become my mate -- my Consort. I did not ask him his intent, at any point. I simply wanted." She looked up at Celestia. "I am sorry." "I should have talked to you about it," countered Celestia. "I simply acted. I suspected your pain, but I did not want to talk to you about it, for it made me feel guilty." "We broke Dissy between us," Luna said sadly. "Like spoiled foals, fighting over a favorite toy." "You blame yourself too harshly," said Celestia, stretching forth her muzzle to gently caress her Sister's cheek. "He would have fallen in any case, overwhelmed by the incubus his Cosmic Self placed within him. And it was my fault Discord was Incarnated in the first place. Ever did I run, and ever did Discord run after, even on the Cosmic Level." "Had I been gentler with him," Luna said, "I might have been able to cushion the blow. I had begun Dream-walking ..." "I know," said Celestia. "But consider. You were young, and inexperienced in the use of your powers. That which was within him was Dissonance. Not the full power, but the personality, and new-maddened by consuming his brother. And Dissy ... poor dear Dissy was no match for his greater Self, even the reduced version of it that took him." "I was not a true and perfect friend to him, at the end," Luna said. "I was angry, I felt myself scorned." "You were but a maiden," Celestia said consolingly. "As was I, in everything but the precise physical sense of the word, and that only for the last few days before he went mad. We were scarcely more than fillies, back then. And neither of us has ever been perfect." "I was wrong, though," said Luna. Her eyes were filling with tears. "He did not scorn me. He did not even know how I felt! In his innnocence, he imagined that I would be happy that we would all become one family, with you his mate. And ... I should have been happy! But I was not." "We cannot control our own feelings," said Celestia. "Only how we act on them." "I acted wrongly," said Luna "I failed Dissy. I can never make that right. Not now -- not that he is gone." She looked at Celestia directly. "There are times," she said thickly, "when I still miss him." "Then let me try to save him!" said Celestia, urgently. "There is still hope --" "No!" replied Luna in alarm. "Sister, this is wishful thinking on thy -- on your part. Dissy was destroyed when the incubus took control. What rules now within him is not Dissy, not our old friend! Not your old love ..." "That is not entirely true," said Celestia. "Do you remember how Discord was whe he first awakened? Entirely hostile, utterly cruel. A casual killer." "Yes," replied Luna. "Which is why I know Dissy was subsumed. For Dissy was none of those things. He was kind ... loving ... compassionate ... our friend. That is why we loved him." "Luna --" said Celestia, fixing her in the gaze of those great purple eyes. "Was he like that at the end?" Luna thought on it a while. "No --" replied Luna at last. "No ... he changed over the millennium of his Age. He grew ... I do not know how to describe it. Nicer? More reasonable?" "More like the old Dissy?" suggested Celestia. Luna thought on that for a while. "No --" she said. "Not exactly. More like a different person. Someone in between Dissy and Discord." She thought a bit longer. "I always thought that he was just adapting to Incarnation -- things are never as simple down here as they are on the Cosmic Level." "What," asked Celestia, an obvious light of hope in her eyes, "what if, when Discord absorbed Dissy, he didn't completely destroy him? Instead, he absorbed large elements of his personality intact? And those remnants of Dissy have been, very slowly, transforming Discord into someone more like our old friend?" Luna considered the theory. "I suppose it is possible," Luna admitted. "Though I still think that your thoughts are colored by your wishes. You want to have Dissy back. We both would very much like that." "Three of us were born that year at Paradise Estate," said Celestia solemnly. "You, I and Dissy. In our youth, we were us three inseperable." Her mouth tightened. "First I lost Dissy. Then, fifteen hundred years later, I lost you. And over the next thousand years, I nearly lost myself -- more than once, I drifted toward Lone-Madness. It was a near-run thing." She looked directly at Luna. "Then, thanks to Twilight Sparkle, I got you back. And then, thanks to you and Twilight Sparkle, we were able to meet Discord's first mad spree when he broke loose, and imprison him again -- which gives us another chance. "Luna," continued Celestia, "I want both of you back. You -- and Dissy. All us three, friends again. That is my purpose." Luna felt a sinking feeling, and a certain rare pity for Celestia. "Sister," Luna said, "I would like that too. Who would not? But Dissy is gone, far beyond any hope of winning back. This new Discord -- perhaps he is not as evil as the old, but he is not as good as was Dissy. He is not our friend as was Dissy. And --" she continued, very gently, "he doesn't love you. That was obvious, from his rampage two years ago. If he is loosed again, he will simply wreak more harm, until -- if we are lucky -- we are able to turn him back to stone again. "Our sweet Dissy is gone for ever and ever," Luna concluded sadly. "You hope in vain, because you love him. 'Tis a good motive, but 'tis still not rational." Celestia thought about that for a moment. Then she asked. "Was Wind Whistler rational?" "What?" asked Luna. "Yes, of course Wind Whistler was rational. She was the most rational Pony that ever was born!" "She had hope for Dissy," Celestia said softly. "Even after the fall of Paradise Estate, the breaking of the Rainbow. She knew that she was doomed now, that the Undying would now age and perish like any other Ponies. But she told me once that she thought that Dissy was not entirely gone, that Discord was not wholly evil. That, in time, the good within him might triumph over the evil. She ... she did not hate him for what he had done. She said he was simply being ... naughty. That he would see sense in time." "She was the strongest and the best Pony I ever knew," commented Luna. "Her will ... her mind ... her heart ... I have never seen her like." "And may never again," agreed Celestia. "Luna -- if she had hope -- cannot we likewise?" "But she was wrong," Luna said bitterly. "She was brilliant, and rational, but even the brilliant and rational can err, and she did err then. And do not forget that in the end she fell to Discord." "I shall never forget," said Celestia. "I wish I could, but I cannot. Nor that our mother fell as well. And all our old friends are now dead because of his deeds. Sister, do you imagine my heart stone? Or worse, so gone in silly lust that I forget every hurt he did us? I may come to forgive, but that is not the same. Not at all the same." "Then ..." Luna was at a complete loss. "Then how can you even consider releasing him and somehow persuading him by kind words on your part that we should all again be friends?" "I do not consider that," replied Celestia. She stood up, walked to the window, looked southwestward to the end of the Vale of Avalon, where Ponyville sat spanning the river. "I shall not be the one to persuade him by kindness. I am, after all, not Kindness any more." "Wait ..." said Luna, "What do you mean to do, then?" And Celestia told her. Author's Note The Dark World is a reference to Alex Warlorn's dual-threaded long novel about the Second Age of Discord and the adventures of Shining Armor and Cadance on the World Tour -- Dark World/Shining Armor. The version of the origin of Discord I'm using comes from his shorter novel, Generation Transitions and Origins. Lest you imagine that this is all about Celestia and her superior wisdom teaching her more naive younger sister in the way things really are, you should keep in mind that each of the Royal Alicorn Sisters has her own bias here. Celestia has reasons to love, and Luna to hate, Discord that the other Sister does not -- but neither set of reasons are entirely rational ones. That's the peril of living at the Incarnate Level -- one can't entirely avoid getting mixed up in the messy business of the mortal world.
Epilogue: Towards Her MeetingEpilogue: Towards Her Meeting Celestia explained her plan. And when she had done, Luna had to admit that, if one were to attempt anything so foolish as loosing Discord once again upon the world, Celestia had chosen just about the wisest way to carry out such folly. And the least selfish. For Luna saw that Celestia's plan would, indeed, be very unlikely to result in Celestia regaining Discord's love. His friendship, perhaps. But not his love. That was forever gone, and probably unrecoverable. Even if Dissy might be regained. Indeed, the plan would work best if Discord came to love another. When Celestia was done explaining, and Luna with more than a few trepidations assented to the plan, and made some suggestions as to their backup should the Elements fail of application -- Discord was, after all, neither weak nor stupid, though his playfulness had cost him the victory fifteen hundred and three years ago, and once again just two years ago -- when that was done, the Sisters sat together and watched the setting Sun, leaning companionably against each other, toasting Mimic and Wind Whistler and their other beloved dead who had once been Undying, especially poor confused Shady who, at the end, had been neither so weak nor so stupid as she had seemed. They had all been heroes, and Shady not the least among them. There was not enough wine to get them drunk. They were, after all, both Alicorns, and to get truly drunk they would have to down wine not by the bottle, but rather by the hogshead barrel. But, then, they didn't really want to get drunk. They just wanted to be together, to be Sisters, as they had been for over two thousand five hundred years, if you measured it one way, and over thirteen billion seven hundred million years, if you measured it the other. So they drank together, until all the wine was gone, and never got any farther into drunkeness than a comfortable warm glow, which in them was their regenerative factor neutralizing the alcohol. And they were happy, here together overlooking the world, and possibly the end of the world, if Celestia's plan went poorly. Even Luna was happy, because one cannot be the High Lady of War of a great Realm, without being aware that every plan carries with it some risk and cost of failure, especially down here at the Incarnate Level. Celestia set the Sun, and Luna raised the Moon, and they watched the Moon and stars together for a while. And then Celestia said to Luna, very gently. "I know this plan can fail. I always knew it could fail." "I knew you knew that," Luna replied. "I know that thou art no dunderhead." "If it fails," Celestia said, "then this part of our lives together may be about to end. Discord will probably not harm us, but he may harm those we love. He may drive them mad." "I know," said Luna. "And I see now that thou didst always know as well." "If I were you, dear Sister," Celestia said, "I would take care of any unfinished business you have, before -- well, you know." "I do," replied Luna. "I can think of some that I've been putting off a few years now." "Then do it," said Celestia. "I won't release him for some more days, and I'll tell you the exact date and time, of course, once I've finished my preparations. But -- don't put it off any more." "I won't," Luna promised. "I won't." "I must go to bed," said Celestia. "The wine seems to have made me sleepy." She smiled at her Sister. "Good night, Luna." "Until the morrow," replied Luna. Her Sister padded back toward her bedchamber. And Luna was once more alone. Now she stood in shadow, upon the branch of a tree overlooking the Golden Oak Library in Ponyville. It was a potentially-undignified position, but Luna feared no exposure, because she could almost entirely disappear into shadows at night, simply by willing it. It had been one of the very first of her powers to emerge. Not that I need worry regarding my dignity. I am a Ruling Princess of Equestria! I am the High Lady of War! I am ... not certain how to approach her. Her gaze was fixed upon the balcony, where Twilight Sparkle stood behind her telescope, gazing at the heavens. Little stargazer, Luna thought fondly. We've come a long way since I first saw you, looking up at the Moon, when I was still trapped there, ridden by a Night Shadow, poor mad Nightmare Moon. Now, you lead Celestia's current Champions. And I am restored to my rightful place at my Sister's side. Free of the Nightmare. Because of you. Oh, Twilight, if you do Ascend, and are my friend for another two and a half millennia, still it will not be time enough to pay you back for that great gift. Do you even suspect this? Probably not. Twilight Sparkle was remarkably humble, for a Pony with her great gifts, intellectual and magical. It was one of the reasons Luna loved her. And had loved her when Luna had been Moondreamer, and Twilight had been Dusk Skyshine. Twilight had looked at various objects during the course of the night, taking notes in her journal. Luna noticed that Twilight was now looking at the Moon, as she had been when Luna had first seen her, all those years past. It was nothing if not an opening. Luna took a deep breath, and teleported to Twilight's side. Twilight turned and did a little half-jump, gasping. “Oh!” In that moment of surprise, Luna found her utterly enchanting. “Greetings and well-met, Lady Twilight Sparkle,” said Luna. It was a beginning.
