The Luna Papersby CoffeeBeanChaptersNº 1Nº 2Nº 3N° 4N° 5Nº 6EPILOGUENº 1Cadance stared out at the evening sun as it dipped below the mountainous horizon line in the distance, its brilliant orange light igniting the clouds. After a time, she looked back into the room in which she sat, the quietness making her feel alone, despite being accompanied by her Auntie Luna, who sat at the far end of the superfluously sized, dark wood table that spanned nearly the whole room. Luna's horn pulsed with a magical aurora far different than what Cadance was accustomed to; instead of the normal azure light of magic was a slowly pulsing, occasionally waving aurora of pure black that faded into a mist as it expanded outward from her horn. Luna's eyes were locked with the documents before her, documents concealed by the many personal effects lining the area around her. Along with the standard types of writing supplies and papers were many different knickknacks, puzzles, time-wasters, and trinkets lying about with only minor organization in the radius of where she sat. The room had, a month prior, been one of many meeting rooms within Canterlot Castle's Administration wing, but Luna had commandeered the place as her study. The long, rectangular room had been decorated in the same fashion as Luna's personal quarters; deep blue walls, light blue highlights, perfectly polished hardwood floors, and the occasional moon symbol. It too held the token darkness her quarters did; no candles were ablaze in the room, leaving only the quickly waning sun to provide contrast. Cadance found amusement in Luna's decision to keep the room's table instead of replacing it with a proper desk. The extremely long table could comfortably accommodate thirty ponies, but now it simply served one. Though, Luna did make use of some of the table's spare room; at that far end where she sat were three other chairs, and before these chairs were different stacks of books, papers, and an occasional knickknack. Cadance could only assume these other piles of paper and chairs served as separate workplaces for different tasks. Celestia herself had three separate desks in her study. Other than cosmetics, the room hadn't changed all that much, save for the fact the two chandeliers hung over the table were never lit during the night and the many new bookshelves that had been added to the windowless right wall. Silence hung loudly in the study, the occasional creak of wood or mumble from Luna being the only sounds to ever break that quiet. With Celestia off to the Bridle Shores for a week's getaway, the entire castle felt a lot quieter. Celestia's cheerful, regal calls could almost always be heard from somewhere in the halls. Cadance stood up from one of two chairs at her end of the table, standing idle for a moment before gaining enough courage to make her way down the length of the room towards Luna. In the two months since her return, Cadance had only spent useful time with Luna two or three times. It wasn't for a lack of trying. Luna was simply a hard being to catch. Her nocturnality and the fact her room and study resigned in a part of the castle opposite of Cadance's, made seeing her anytime during the day impossible. Luna paid her no heed as she sat back down in one of the other chairs at that far end, her eyes still fixed on her papers and her horn still holding that strange aurora. Occasionally, instead of blinking, she would shut her eyes for a few seconds, her ears angling and twitching as if they were straining to pick up sound. "This'll be an interesting week." spoke Cadance in an attempt to spark conversation. "Aye." "A quiet one, as well." "Indeed." Cadance chuckled a little. "Auntie has quite the voice." Luna's lips formed a weak smile, her eyes never leaving her work. "Aye, she does. It would be almost unacceptable for a presence as large as hers to not accompany itself with grand volume." Cadance blinked, her internal cogs turning as she made sense of Luna's words. "So, do you plan on changing your sleep schedule at all so you can have more time with everypony around the castle?" Luna held her silence for a moment, but still, her work never paused and her eyes never diverged from the paper before her. "Nay... the night does require our stoking and tending. I shall, however, be mindful that noon of Wednesday is a parliament session, one that, as always, requires our... my presence." "Still working on modern Equestrian?" Luna sighed. "Aye." She groaned. "Yes." "I kinda like 'aye'. Though, the Royal 'we' thing can get confusing at times." "We... I know well. Many times I have had to explain my words further because of it." Cadance offered a smile. "You know... I don't mind all that much. If it's difficult for you to adjust your speech, then I don't mind if you speak... how you normally speak." "A kind proposition, but I shall decline. I have been making progress, I do not seek to stem it." The click of a door handle turning sounded off as a gray-coated stallion entered, Cadance locking eyes with this unknown Unicorn, his purely white magical aurora holding some papers. His deep orange eyes locked with Cadance's for but a moment as he passed behind her chair and to Luna's side, the documents in his magic being placed off to the side of what she currently worked on. Her hoof came up, rested upon the stack and rotated the topmost paper a little bit before coming back down to her haunches. "Thank you, Meadowlark." "Quite welcome, your Highness." With that, he bowed and began his departure, Cadance's eyes following him the entire time. As the door shut, Cadance looked back to Luna. "Who was that?" "Frolicsome Meadowlark." Cadance paused. "But... what's his title?" "He is my secretary." "I didn't know you had a secretary." "Most don't." Cadance fell silent again. She focused her attention to that strange aurora around Luna's horn, its pulsing darkness being something the eyes could not easily divert from. She too focused on the strange pattern her blink held and the randomly timed flick of her ears. She wanted to ask just exactly what she was doing, but refrained from doing so; it wasn't her business. That and Auntie Celestia had stated that Luna was a bit strange and hard to understand sometimes. Any regular pony stating such wouldn't be all too abnormal, but that statement coming from Auntie Celestia, somepony two thousand years old, was noteworthy. Cadance brought her eyes to the books and few papers she sat before, not touching or manipulating any of them as she browsed the titles. It appeared most of them were novels detailing Equestria's history. Auntie Celestia had mentioned many times that Luna had taken a heavy interest in history, as well as what arts the modern age brought. She spent quite a lot of time talking about Luna, in fact. "What time is it?" Luna remained quite for a moment, her eyes shutting, one ear folding down, and her head tilting. "7:45." Cadance sat up, looking at the many things before Luna to see there was indeed a small, wooden clock. In fact, there was several of them. Stranger than that was the fact Luna hadn't looked up to them. "In that case, I'm going to attend dinner before it gets too late." Cadance slid sideways off the chair, her hooves against the hardwood being the only sound in the room. She stood at the door for a moment, staring at the still silent and unmoving Luna. "Are... you going to get dinner, as well?" "Aye, soon." Cadance hummed, opening the door. "I'll see you in the dining hall?" Luna nodded. "Alright. Love you, auntie!" Luna remained in her state of mind, not looking up as Cadance exited, the door softly shutting behind her. "Auntie..." Only a few forks clinked against their plates in the dining hall. The Administration Wing was accommodated with its own hall for royalty and staff alike, that way one did not have to mingle with guests if they so chose not to. Many did, however, dine in the Guest hall, as it was far larger, substantially prettier, and catered to a larger palette. Auntie Celestia herself only dined in the Administration Wing hall if Luna chose to, which wasn't often. While Auntie Celestia preferred the Guest wing's hall for the smiles and looks of awe she received upon entering, Luna preferred neither hall, which was quite evident to Cadance. To her knowledge, Luna often placed a request with the chefs for her meals, remaining either in her study or quarters to have her meals. The two grand tables of the room currently received only a few of the Castle's personnel, the most noteworthy of them being Cadance and Luna, who sat together at the head of the table with the least occupants. If the place had been chosen by Cadance, the two would have taken a seat in the closest proximity to the greatest concentration of ponies. In fact, if the place had been chosen by Cadance, the two would have gone to the Guest hall. "Enjoying your meal?" Cadance asked as she took a bite of lasagna from her fork. Luna's ear flicked. "Quite." Cadance looked down to the plate before Luna. "What was food like back all those years ago?" "T'was blander. It seems every item contains some grand flavor now." Cadance hummed as she took another bite, leaning to the side and turning slightly to better face Luna. "What's your favorite food now-a-days?" Luna stopped chewing for a moment, her brow furrowing in thought. "I... do not know." "Well... what was the best thing you've eaten?" "The croissants the baker makes are good." Cadance's expression went more blank than it had already been. "Surely you like something other than croissants..." "They are my favorite part of waking up. Besides the coffee and eggs so kindly brought by my Frolicsome Meadowlark, the croissants are always wonderful." "Well, I guess your favorite food would be croissants." The conversation fell flat as Cadance failed to think of any further words, and Luna, of course, failed to contribute anything without being directly spoken to. The castle's nighttime halls were as they always were; quiet. Cadance's own soft hoofsteps barely echoed through the hall, the natural internal noise within her ears being louder than her movements. That rumbling noise was all she could focus on, and it had been all she could focus on when in Luna's presence. She had spent nearly two hours with her since Auntie Celestia's chariot departed, and the conversations she tried starting never went anywhere. As she walked back to the wing of the castle her quarters were located in Cadance couldn't shake the strange feeling of loneliness she felt. Neither could she shake the thought Luna didn't care for her all that much. She didn't have much reason to, but she could have at least looked up from her work when they had been talking. She had barely caught Luna's gaze when they were at dinner. "Hey, honey!" Cadance flipped on her hooves to see Shining Armor approaching, his decorative Captain's armor replaced with a less official gray officer's jacket. "Oh, goodness. It's good to see you, Shiney." The two met with a quick kiss. "Good to see you... as well. Something wrong?" Cadance sighed as she continued on, Shining trotting at her side. "I thought this week would be a good time for me to get to know Luna a bit better... but I don't think she wants to get to know me better." "What makes you say that?" "Well... she never really engages in conversation, and she didn't really seem that she cared all that much I was there." "Was she working?" "I- yeah, I guess she was. Her eyes were totally fixed on whatever she was writing." "Well, that might have been it; you were just interrupting her." "Whenever Auntie Celestia's working, and I go to her, she pays attention..." "Luna isn't Celestia, honey." Cadance scoffed. "I've noticed." Nº 2Cadance tiredly sipped at her morning coffee, her eyelids still heavy from waking so early. It was a little bit past 5 in the morning, and Shining, being a military stallion, was already up and rearing to go. When the two did keep each other company overnight, as opposed to staying in their respective quarters, Cadance would normally sleep past Shining's alarm, but this morning she planned on upholding his suggestion; persistence. It was hard to remember that Luna was nocturnal, and she had only been awake for an hour or so prior to Cadance's attempts at conversation. Now that it was later in Luna's day she hoped her mood would be better... if it had been poor in the first place. Reading emotion from the stoic Alicorn was difficult, if not impossible. Cadance's eyes were brought up from her coffee as Shining came up the spiral staircase from the bottom floor of the tower, his mane still a little damp from being in the shower. "You're not going back to sleep?" he asked, standing idly for a moment before continuing on to a somewhat short table in the round bedroom, upon the table being a coffee maker and the required amenities for preparing a proper brew. Cadance groaned. "No... I'm going to try catching Luna before she goes to sleep." "Good luck. I have no idea how her sleep schedule works." Cadance sipped at her coffee again as Shining walked over to her, sitting beside her at the edge of her large, almost pillow-like bed. The big, circular cushion had an ornate wooden frame surrounding its base, but it lacked the legs and headboard that would be on a standard bed. "Like I said, just keep talking with her. You may be her niece, but she doesn't know anything about you." "I know. Do you think she's mad that I've never really tried to connect with her before?" Shining chuckled, reaching around Cadance's waist to pull her close. "Honey, she's not mad at you! She acted the same way around me the first few times I tried casually talking with her." Cadance's gaze met Shining's for a moment, her smile showing some re-assurance. "Alright." A little nervous knot had formed in Cadance's stomach as she approached the ajar door of Luna's study. The dawn's sun had just barely peeked over the horizon to provide the halls with an even contrast rather than the bright columns of light that normally striped the halls once the sun was high enough to shine directly through the windows. Upon reaching the door, and hearing faint speech, Cadance poked her head inside, seeing Luna sat at one of the other chairs at her end of the desk flanked by her two personal guards, a somewhat large, rectangular document held up before the trio. Only a second later did both guards turn their heads towards her, their yellow, radiant, slit-pupil, eyes boring into hers. She noticed their fluff-topped ears flickering a tiny bit, Luna's quiet speech still continuing as she looked at the paper held before her. Cadance cleared her throat. "Auntie Luna?" She finally looked to her. "Oh, dear Cadance! Thou... you are up quite early." Sensing it was safe to do so, Cadance entered. "I wanted to spend some time with you before you went off to bed." Luna smiled, the document before her being brought down to where it was no longer visible to Cadance. "That is quite nice of you." "I figured... you know, I've known you for a while, but we haven't had the chance to actually have time together." "Indeed." Cadance pulled out the chair she had sat in the previous night, noticing the books were now stood on their ends in a row rather than stacked on their faces. "I'm... not intruding, am I? You were showing them something when I came in." Whatever document Luna did have, it had been rolled up and tied with some twine, preventing Cadance from seeing whatever it was. "Nay, I was making my closing statements." she explained, standing up and moving to the head of the desk, her two guards following and flanking her just as they had before. "What were you showing them? If you don't mind me asking." The leftmost guard's membranous wings gave a little flutter, drawing Cadance's attention to him temporarily. "Oh, a simple proposition." Cadance blinked, her eyes moving over the three pairs of eyes on her, their collective gaze seeming to push her down in her seat. "Well, I hope it goes over with whoever you submit it to." Luna's hoof raised, flicking at the corner of the table as she hummed in acknowledgment. A moment of silence passed before she looked up, Cadance noticing both her and her guard's ears twitch a tiny bit. "Thank you, Frolicsome," Luna stated, prompting Cadance to flip around in her chair to see the stallion approaching from the door, his white magic holding a tray that contained a small feast. Though, for some reason, what stood out most to Cadance were two fresh apples accompanying the drink, dessert, and large dinner. "The chef wants to know your opinion on the pecan pie. He says they've been toying around with the recipe, your Highness." Luna hummed as her magic working to clear away the few papers that occupied the desk before her. The tray came to rest before Luna, her magic taking the silver fork and cutting the very tip from the slice of pecan pie. She moaned upon taking the bite, quickly gathering more of the pie. Cadance couldn't help but notice how Luna's hoof still flicked at the edge of the table. "Tis wonderful! Tell the chef to not change a thing!" "Will do, Your Highness." Luna stopped his departure by tapping her hoof on the table. "One last thing." the rolled up document Luna and her guards had been viewing floated up, Luna's blue aurora around it being replaced by Frolicsome's white spell. He looked at the scroll a moment, nodding and continuing on for the door. "Uh, excuse me, Frolicsome Meadowlark..." called Cadance, again stopping his advance. "Yes?" "Could you have the chefs make me something for breakfast? Whatever they think of will do fine." "Of course." With those final words, and without further stoppages, Frolicsome continued on and left the study, leaving the door open. Silence returned as Luna ate her dinner... or breakfast; Cadance wasn't sure which name her meal would have. She couldn't help but let her eyes occasionally wander to the two guards flanking Luna; she had only ever seen them once before now, and that had merely been a glimpse. One of the two curious apples now floated from the tray, not moving to Luna's mouth, but to the leftmost guard's mouth, her aurora dropping off as his fangs clamped down on the fruit. Rather ungracefully, his head craned down a bit as his hoof came to meet the apple, his teeth slowly gnawing away at the fruit. After not too long only a thin core remained, which was knowingly taken from his open jaw by Luna's magic and fizzled out of existence. The same process repeated with the right guard, Cadance watching with a slight look of awe. With their meals complete the guards returned to their previous stances, Cadance keeping her eyes fixed in their direction. In perfect unison, Luna and her guards returned Cadance's gaze. Still, no words came from them. Not a single peep, mumble, nor whisper. Cadance cleared her throat. "I've never seen your guards around before, auntie." Luna hummed after taking a bite of mashed potatoes. "They are nocturnal." "Why weren't they here last night?" "They were." Cadance paused. "I mean... what you would consider morning... you know; when I was here before we went to get dinner?" "Aye." "But... they weren't here." "They were posted at the door." "T-They weren't at the door... auntie." "You did not look up." "They... do they have turrets they stand in above the door?" Luna shook her head, her fork delivering a healthy group of grilled asparagus to her waiting maw. Cadance stayed quiet a moment, anticipating a response, yet nothing came. She sighed quietly in defeat, sliding further into her chair. The morning had dragged on, and Cadance had stayed a fair time within Luna's study after finishing her breakfast. There wasn't much difference in Luna's attitude from last night to this morning; she still never began conversations, and she didn't say much when she was addressed. Her sentences were always kept short even if the question posed would benefit from a longer answer. Above all, she still never made much eye contact with Cadance. It was beginning to wear on her. To escape the silence of the study Cadance had ventured out into the calm morning halls of the castle in search of Shining; he hadn't told her of his day's plan before she had left her quarters, which meant searching for him would be a grand task. She had looked in the normal places; his office, the barracks, the Castle's war room, the flying field, but still, he was nowhere to be found. She had looped around the entire castle by this point, and was now nearly at the beginning of the Administration wing. Her pacing paused, however; as the corner of her eye caught something beyond the hall's windows within the small, square space of grass, trees, and flowers that occupied the negative space between the halls. It was Luna, and she sat in perfect stillness upon the grass. Her dark blue coat did a somewhat good job of concealing her in the sunless space, but one thing did stand out quite eerily; that same void aurora her horn had produced last night. Her eyes were closed, and her wings were wrapped around her body, concealing her legs. Cadance stared in an almost trance-like state as she approached the window, her mind now rampant with questions. Cadance yelped, jumping back as Luna teleported directly in front of her, her posture remaining totally unchanged. Her faintly glowing eyes, however; now glared into Cadance's, and her horn's voided, misty aurora faded away. "Meditation." Cadance stumbled over her own tongue a moment. "W-What?" "Meditation. Clearing the mind before sleep." reinstated Luna as her wings unfurled from her figure, causing a cold breeze to strike Cadance. "I-I didn't ask... what you were doing." Luna offered a small smile as she stood up, staring at Cadance a moment before turning and beginning off down the hall. "You do not know you did." Cadance stood frozen with confusion for a time before snapping to her senses, trotting to catch up to Luna. There was silence among the two for a moment as Cadance tried to think of something to say that didn't involve what had just happened. "So... you're going to sleep now?" Luna hummed, nodding only a little. Cadance looked at her a moment, noticing the ear not facing her lay flat against Luna's head. "You're... awfully quiet, auntie." "A pin drop seems quiet when beside thunderclaps." Cadance continued staring at Luna, her mouth hung open and brow furrowed in confusion, but slowly, her gears turned. "I... I'm not too talkative." Luna finally looked to Cadance, her other ear now standing up straight. "Neither am I." "I've noticed..." Cadance looked forward to see that they had reached the place where two halls met, that junction being where Luna's tower quarters was located. The two tall doors leading into the circular tower were completely jet black, and only one was marked with the same moon on Luna's flanks. "Well, I guess this is goodnight," Cadance spoke, standing idly as Luna opened each door simultaneously. "Nay; that comes in 10 hours." Cadance held her tongue a moment, Luna now standing in her doorway and looking to her. "Oh, I guess you're right. Good... morning, then." Luna smiled. "Indeed." "Love you, auntie." Luna's smile widened, her ear flicking and her front hooves doing a strange little tap. "I do love you, as well!" Cadance stood idly as Luna retreated into the darkness of her tower, the doors shutting softly. Nº 3Cadance came to a junction in the hall, pausing as Frolicsome Meadowlark came into view as he met the junction. She had been hoping, now that it was later in the evening, that Luna would be awake by now, but seeing Frolicsome carrying a tray of what was clearly breakfast dispelled any doubts. "Good evening, Meadowlark!" chimed Cadance as she trotted to his side. "Good Lunar morning to you, as well, Princess." he returned with a little smile. "Lunar morning?" "The evening is nothing more than a Lunar morning." Cadance hummed in thought. "I guess you're right. It is when Luna wakes up, after all." "I think more ponies should get used to saying 'Lunar morning'. In time, I think they will." Cadance held her tongue, processing that last part of his statement. She blinked, giving her head a tiny shake as if to dispel the thought that had cropped up. "I like the way it sounds, and it's a little different. Different can be good, sometimes." "Change and difference. Two things that many fear or detest." Internally, Cadance groaned. Even Auntie Luna's secretary was off. Finally, the two reached the hall in which Luna's study resigned, and as they approached Cadance finally understood where Luna's guards had been posted. High above the door to the study, on either side of it, hung the two guards by their tails, their legs folded to their bellies and their wings embracing their own figures, much how Luna's had done when she was in meditation. "Hello..." Cadance called to them, their gazes drawing to her. "Lunaz gritza." Cadance stopped dead in her tracks, Frolicsome continuing on towards the door without paying her pause much heed. "W-What?" "Lunaz gritza, Princess," spoke Frolicsome, drawing Cadance's attention to him. "It means 'Luna's graces' in their tongue." "They... don't speak Equestrian?" Frolicsome chuckled lightly as Cadance caught up, the two standing at the closed door of the study. "No. They speak some... ancient language native to the bat-ponies. Her Highness speaks it fluently, but I still can't understand a lick of it." As Frolicsome opened the door, Cadance remained idle as she stared directly up at the two, their gazes no longer resting with her. She gave a little 'hm' before entering the study, waiting idly by the door as she noticed Luna sitting at the head of the table, her attention, just as it had been the last evening, totally fixed on her work. Her horn's aurora was the same eerie void it had been that last time, as well as when she had been meditating. The pattern of her blinking was the same, as was the constant adjusting of her ears and occasional shuffle of her front hooves. As she began towards the book-laden work space her now usual seat occupied, her mind wandered as to what exactly that spell did. There seemed to be a correlation between its use and the need to concentrate/relax. "Thank you for breakfast, Frolicsome." spoke Luna as the tray was placed off to the side of the paper she focused on. "Of course, your Highness." If it were not for the distinctive orange glow the evening brought, Cadance would have thought that it truly was morning. This area of the castle was always quiet in the late hours of the day, and with the slightly drowsy look on Luna's face and the tray holding a breakfast fit for 3 ponies... or a Princess, it was easy to mistake the time. Cadance took interest in the fact that Frolicsome, after delivering the tray, had not departed as he normally would; instead, he moved to the side of the table opposite to where Cadance sat and had taken a seat in what was basically a second workspace. His attention now too turned to work, the papers he wrote upon not being visible to Cadance thanks to a wide, somewhat short wooden organizer drawer, its many little drawers holding what she could only assume to be different pieces of equipment for writing. "What are you working on, auntie?" Her ear flicked. "Words serve nay justice, and eyes are not to be brought upon it." Cadance's brow furrowed in confusion. "I can't see... whatever you're writing?" "Nay." Cadance couldn't shake the feeling of how... off everything was. How seemingly clandestine and secretive Auntie Luna acted. Again, she blinked and gave her head a tiny shake, removing the same thought that she had earlier. The paper Luna's attention seemed to always be focused on floated up from the table, the sound of a drawer opening from below the desk drawing Cadance's attention below to see that quite a few short cabinets had been placed around where she sat. From one of the drawers came a simple wooden dowel, maybe a half-hoof's length in diameter, and the paper was carefully wrapped around the dowel to form a tube. From elsewhere on the table came a stamp as well as a stick of light blue wax, which had its tip held a distance above the rolled paper as Luna's magic forced the wax to melt with a spell. A healthy dollop of wax was applied, the stamp was brought forth, rolled along the wax to seal the rolled paper, and then the dowel was removed to leave a perfectly rolled document. In a fluid motion, everything was returned back to its place, Cadance watching intently as the fresh document was moved under the desk and placed inside of the leftmost free-standing cabinet. From a separate cabinet, there came a new piece of paper, and Luna returned to her work. There was a moment of quiet as Cadance looked away from Luna to her secretary, who sat in front of her and, as Luna did, paid her no attention. Much like Luna, his posture gave off a tired slouch, and his eyes didn't seem as bright and as open as before. "Frolicsome Meadowlark... are you nocturnal, as well?" "Indeed. My job would be hard if I weren't." He paused, looking up to Cadance. "You've been wanting to spend more time with Her Highness... why not sleep during the day as we do? It'd certainly help in the future." "More ponies with our patterns of sleep would be preferable," commented Luna, drawing both Frolicsome's and Cadance's attention. "Things now are often lonely." Cadance's mind couldn't help but keep hanging on certain parts of their sentences. The seemingly hinting parts of their sentences. Clandestine and secretive... that feeling of off-ness only became worse. Frolicsome looked back to Cadance, smiling, "Besides; we have to even the odds against you day-dwellers somehow. Two Princesses of the night is a start!" he finished with a hearty laugh, Luna joining in with a jovial chuckle. That off-ness was now all she could feel. "I-I would... but tomorrow is Wednesday, a-and that's when that big Parliament gathering is." Her answer seemed to satisfy Frolicsome, his head bobbing in a nod for a moment before he returned to his work. "Auntie... I'm going to, eh, get some food. It is around dinner for me." Luna hummed, her wing doing that strange little ruffle again. With a little more haste than normal, Cadance got from her chair and made her way to the door, standing in the doorway for a moment as she looked at Luna and Frolicsome Meadowlark. "Love you... Auntie." Luna smiled, her eyes closing. "I share that same love, dear niece." "Have a good Lunar morning." chimed in Frolicsome afterward, smiling to Cadance. She cleared her throat. "Good Lunar morning to you... as well." Cadance had barely touched her meal. Her mind was still far too occupied placing puzzle pieces together and creating theories. Maybe it was wrong of her to feel how she did about Auntie Luna's actions. Maybe she was just a little odd and hard to understand. The Elements of Harmony had removed all of the evil that Nightmare Moon brought. It didn't make sense for her to be plotting some sort of revenge scheme. As she had done many times, Cadance shook her head, taking a deep breath as she stabbed her fork into her meal. While the optimist in her hoped that Auntie Luna and her secretary had been joking, or maybe hinting to something else, every other part of her saw trouble. She had always been a tad suspicious of her. Even after she had been saved by the Elements doubt rested in her mind that she was truly... 'good'. It was a horrible thing to think, and she the few times she had been around when Auntie Luna and Celestia were together they seemed happy enough. "Hey, honey!" Cadance yelped, her fork nearly flying out of her magic as she flipped around to see Shining standing a little bit behind her. "Oh... jeez, sorry; didn't mean to scare you." Cadance sighed, her gaze quickly meeting with a few guests around her that had looked to her because of her yelp. "You're alright, Shiney." "So, did you spend a little more time with her Highness today?" he inquired, his magic pulling out the unoccupied chair beside Cadance. "Yeah... I did." Shining's usual smile faded. "Did it not go well?" "No! No... it went fine, I guess. It's just..." Cadance groaned. "Shiney, this will sound ridiculous, but I think... maybe there's something up with Auntie Luna." "What do you mean?" Cadance held her tongue for a moment, looking into Shining's eyes before peering back down to her food. "I'm overthinking this, never mind. It's wrong of me to think she'd ever try it again." "You... think she's still evil or something?" "I did for a moment, yes. She's just... the way she and her secretary kept saying that I should become nocturnal like them." "That's a little odd..." Cadance's head darted up. "See!? I'm not just being paranoid, am I?" Shining groaned, tilting his head. "You probably are." "Well... what about when her secretary said; 'we've got to even the odds against you day-dwellers somehow. Two Princesses of the night is a start!'?" Shining's expression was now one of concern. "That's... a little odd, as well." "'A start'. He called it 'a start'." Shining was quiet a moment. "Look... just keep spending time with her. I have a really hard time believing that she's going to try and take over Equestria again, or something ridiculous." he finished, having his hooves in the air in exaggeration. "I do, too... but I don't want to see my Auntie Celestia pinned to the floor by some evil, cackling monster again." Shining leaned forward to get a better view of the somewhat traumatized look on Cadance's face. "Neither do I." N° 4Parliament day was always an exciting day. As of current, the session had been going on for a full hour, and the late morning sun gave the big, ornate space a grand warmth. Normally, when Parliament wasn't in session, the smallest peep in the tall-ceilinged, mostly windowless room echoed several times over, but with the many ponies now occupying the tall, hardwood grandstands, center table, and the 'Highness level', so named for it being both the tallest seating in the room as well as the bearer of the two grand thrones, speech echoed not. From the top row of the leftmost grandstand, Cadance occasionally brought her attention to Luna, who sat regally and silently upon her deep blue and silver throne, flanked by her guards. Still, her strange actions continued on, minus her horn's aurora. She would occasionally grind her hoof at her throne, flutter her wings, tap her back hoof, flick her ears, or close her eyes for quite some time. It looked as if she were impatient, tired, or bored, but for some reason, Cadance couldn't see either of those three being the case. She was certainly paying attention and she called out her vote when a motion was done being discussed. She even occasionally spoke with her guards, whispering them things that elicited either a snicker, nod, or shake of the head. Cadance brought her attention down to the on-going dialogue as a quick burst of laughter broke out. It made her happy to see so many ponies of different opinion gather in harmony and, for the most part, have a peaceful discussion. Parliament day never went without its fair share of arguments and berating. Even the high Princesses themselves weren't safe from that. There had been a few times Cadance had witnessed a House seat-holder or law-maker gain enough courage to take a jab at Auntie Celestia, who normally responded quickly and wittily enough to put them back in their place. All in good fun. Though, she had never once seen anypony gain the courage to directly engage Auntie Luna, which was primarily her own fault, as she didn't talk much during the sessions. It took Cadance quite a deal of courage to casually speak with Luna, she couldn't imagine how proud and confident one would have to be to attempt jabbing or joking at Luna. The courtyard of the Parliament building rumbled with the chatter of the great number of the day's attendees, many now continuing on down the yard's grand staircase to return to the castle. Cadance stood quietly by the leftmost set of three doors with a few House members as she waited for Auntie Luna, her ears occasionally tuning in on the chatter of the officially dressed stallions and mares around her. She noticed their attention turn to the interior of the building, moments later their poses dropping in a bow as Luna approached. Cadance poked her head inside, smiling at the always imposing and somewhat frightening trio that was Luna and her two guards. "Hey, Auntie." "Aye." Those who had bowed came upright as Luna continued on, Cadance fitting herself in between Luna and her right guard. Her hoofsteps seemed a little slower than usual, as did her guards. "Tired?" Cadance inquired as they made their way down the gradually sloped staircase. Luna gave off a soft groan, nodding. "Aye. Wide-eyed from Lunar morning's start." "I assume you're going to sleep when we get back?" Luna nodded, her wings spreading and giving a little flap to adjust her feathers, Cadance and the two guards following suit as they too spread their wings, taking to the air in a little formation. Curiously, Luna had not led her flight to the front gates of the castle, but to the tranquility of the grand castle gardens. They touched down at the center of a grassy clearing, surrounded on all sides by trees and other flora, most of the said flora providing enough cover to where one would have to be rather close to ground level to see the four. Beyond lay the castle proper, its dome-topped towers and grand, curving walls seeming more like a mountain that a structure. Of course, though, there was a mountain; a rather tall one upon which Canterlot itself was built, a mountain that peaked high into the purely blue noon sky. Cadance raised a brow as Luna dropped to her haunches, stretching and yawning before sliding to her stomach. "Are... you sleeping here? In the garden?" inquired Cadance. "Blue skies replace the ceiling of stars I do always rest beneath, covers and blankets fall on me as simple rays of sun..." Luna smiled, stretching her wings out and keeping them in that outstretched position. "Aye. I shall sleep here, in the garden." Cadance returned that smile. "Well, I hope you have sweet dreams." "Dreams... never sweet nor bitter, niece. Dreams are as they are." Luna's forelegs stretched out before her, crossing as she lay her chin upon them as if they were a pillow. Her eyes remained locked with the idly standing Cadance for a time before they were hidden away behind their lids. Finally, Cadance turned and began on her own way, looking over her shoulder. "Love you, auntie." Luna nuzzled herself further into her own hooves, seeming to hug Cadance's words. "I love you, too, dear niece." As Cadance made her departure past some of the high bushes and tree trunks her ears caught Luna's speech, though It was not Equestrian. She paused, looking over her shoulder again as Luna spoke a strange, quickly spoken language with rolled 'R's to her two guards. It had only been a short dialogue, one that most certainly meant 'join me', as the two guards, still flanking their commander, lay to their stomachs, the leftmost one rolling onto his side as he tucked his forelegs to his chest. That lying guard returned Luna's words, his deep, almost regal voice singing his strange tongue quietly and precisely. It was like music, yet far more beautiful in some ways. It was not like music in the ways music had rhythm, tempo, and beat, but now music tickled the ears and brought warmth to within. Somehow, that strange language had the same effect, and Cadance felt a little empty having not been gifted with more of it. She remained for a while, staring at the trio as they drifted off to sleep under the noon sun. A few calls from the many birds in the garden chimed out, their tunes that once sound so beautiful to her now seeming somewhat lackluster in lieu of the tongue Luna and her two guards, nay, friends shared. She had always seen Luna as a lonely creature, one purposefully isolating themselves for some unknown reason, but she now saw how wrong she had been in that assumption. Be it her guards, her secretary, or her absent sister, there was companionship in Luna's life. Cadance spread her wings, lifting off from the grassy patch she stood upon, hoping her previous day's assumptions and theories about her Auntie Luna were false. N° 5Something always seemed so incredibly different about the halls and rooms of the castle at night. The placidity of the air, the coolness of the stone, the sparkling stars and shining moon above, and the desaturated nature of the normally so grand and vibrant colors of every surface all culminated in bringing such a different life to things. The whites of marble and reds, pinks, and purples of the walls, carpets, and stained windows now appeared as varying hues of blue. The moon's pure blue light cast itself in beams so easy on the eyes and brought no warmth when one stood in them. More beautiful than the day? Quite possibly. Cadance certainly understood why Auntie Luna preferred the night. It was late by this time; the sun had set a while ago, and with the sun setting, Cadance hoped Luna would have woken from her slumber in the gardens. She thought it quite curious somepony of nocturnal nature would enjoy rays of sun so much; the few times she had seen into Luna's tower there seemed to be no light in the bottom two levels. It was certainly likely that top bedroom level was alive and vibrant with sunlight, her bed positioned to where a ray always shined upon her. That's what she imagined, at least. As Cadance drew closer to the junction that would lead to Luna's quarters her ears picked up on speech; not Luna's speech, however; it was a stallion, and shortly after speaking, she could just barely make out Luna's distinctive "aye". Cadance trotted to the corner, peeking her head around to see Luna, her two guards, secretary, and a... third guard. The third guard stood before the four and was totally indistinguishable from the two original guards who still flanked Luna. Cadance looked on curiously as this third guard investigated himself, his head turning back to look at his now spread membranous wings, and his hoof coming up as he rotated it, seeming to be quite pleased, judging by the smile on his face. "This is... strange." spoke the guard. "Aye, quite. Feel no pain or discomfort, do you?" "No, I feel totally normal, it's just strange to look like..." the guard looked up, sharing a glance with Luna's flanking guards. "them." Luna simply nodded. "It's so different." "Different is not bad, however." returned Luna. "No; your Majesty. This is actually pretty fitting, seeing as I'm already part of the night shift..." "Tis a good change?" He nodded, still looking over himself. "Does it come undone easily, your Highness?" Luna's horn ignited, surrounding this new guard in a blue aurora. His figure turned totally white, and after a crackling, zapping sound, the spell went away to leave a totally normal, white furred, gold armored, feathered winged Royal guard. He hummed. "So... would you have to do that to every single guard?" "Nay. I still must perfect the more automatic parts of the spell. Once the sun sets, you will appear as you once were." He hummed in acknowledgement. "Thou art... you are dismissed now, sir. I thank thee... you for your help." He bowed. "Happy to help, Your Highness. I wish you luck in the future, Your Highness." Luna offered a little smile, turning for the open door to her study. As silence came to reign over the halls once more the sound of Cadance's own thumping heart filled her ears. She ducked around the corner, hiding as she took a few deep breaths. In her mind pieces of everything she had heard over the past while began to fall together, and they painted the same picture over and over, no matter how many times she re-arranged them. She closed her eyes, letting her head droop as she took a breath. "You're working yourself up, Cady. Luna's not evil anymore. She's just... working on a new spell..." After gathering her thoughts, Cadance finally gained the courage to continue on down the hall towards the still open door of Luna's study. Before she could let herself listen in on their conversation she entered, drawing the attention of Luna and her three cohorts as soon as she walked in. "Hello, auntie," Cadance stated without her usual enthusiasm, pulling out one of two chairs at her end of the table. "Up late." returned Luna, her eyes still locked with Cadance's. Cadance half-forced a smile. "Just wanting to spend more time with you." Luna shared that smile, though hers seemed far more genuine. "Joy accompanies your constant showing. I wait intently when the chairs are absent of you." "R-Really? Have you actually enjoyed my constant visits?" Luna nodded. "Corners of this room once dark are bright when you sit and speak with me." Cadance felt her heart melt a little. "I-I'm... happy to hear that me being here has made you happy." The group turned their attention to the door as a quiet knock broke the conversation, Shining Armor's helmet adorned head peeking inside. "Permission to enter your study, Your Highness?" "Formality follows the sun behind the horizon, Captain." Luna smiled, leaning forward as both her wings gave a little ruffle. Shining bowed, walking inside as he assumed the answer to be yes. "I figured I could find you here, Cadance," he spoke, standing beside her chair. "If it's late and I'm not sleeping, I'll probably be here." Cadance paused a moment. "Did you need something?" "Wondering if you were going to retire soon." Shining leaned his shoulder against Cadance's side. "I didn't want to go to bed alone." The two shared a smile, Cadance moving her head close. "I don't, either. Your quarters, or mine?" "Oh, yours. Your bed is way better." "In that case, I'll be there soon. I'll give you some time to get that armor off." There was a little giggle between the two as Shining went on his way, Cadance watching him leave before turning back to Luna and her staff. "Your lover needs your attention a greater deal than I, niece." Luna waved her hoof towards Cadance. "Go off to fall a-slumber within his embrace." "Well... I wanted to spend a little-" "I will be here when you wake." Cadance held her gaze with Luna's for a moment before she looked at the two guards and secretary. "I guess you will." Cadance stood, making for the door. "Goodnight, Auntie. I love you." "I too, love you." "So, what else have you found out in your investigation?" inquired Shining with a smirk as Cadance dropped into bed beside him. "Wha- I'm not investigating anything! I haven't even asked Luna any questions!" "So this is all just based on assumptions...?" "All of what is just based on assumptions..." "You thinking she's still evil." Cadance grumbled in thought. "Not entirely. I... did see something really strange earlier." "Which was?" "She used some sort of spell to change the appearance of some guard to match her own. She was clearly testing it..." "Wait, which guard?" Cadance scoffed. "Everypony looks the same to me, honey; I have no clue." Shining hummed in thought. "Well, you are right about that being a little odd. I haven't heard a peep about her wanting to expand on her guard..." "Look... I'm not saying she is evil, or that she's going to try taking over when Celestia gets back from vacation... but something is up. I can feel it; it feels like something isn't right." Shining sighed as he snuggled further into bed, reaching his hoof around Cadance's chest. "I got the same feeling. We'll just... wait it out, I guess. If nothing happens, nothing happens. If something happens... then we... do something." Shining groaned. "I'm too tired to think about it." "Long day of yelling at recruits?" chuckled Cadance as she put her hoof on Shining's. "I have my drill instructors for that." Cadance went quiet for a second. "Sorry for worrying you about this whole thing." "Honey, there's no need to apologize. You think something's up, so you're telling me about it." "I just can't shake that feeling. I keep telling myself that I'm working myself up, but the second I do it seems I stumble upon something else. I dunno... am I being paranoid?" "I think you spend too much time around me. I'm always the one to scrutinize details." "These aren't details, though. She wants me to be nocturnal, she's figuring out how to transform guards' appearances, she won't tell me about the papers she works on; it just keeps building on itself!" Cadance let out an exhausted, annoyed sigh as she flopped her hoof against the bed in frustration. "You know, I haven't actually asked her any detailed questions. Maybe I should try that before making all of these assumptions." "What's been stopping you from doing that before?" "Fear. I can't just ask her 'Auntie, are you evil?' and I didn't want her to think I'm getting too nosey." "Fair enough." Cadance chuckled. "At least, if she does go crazy again, I'm on her good side." Nº 6Cadance's eyes opened, her vision being filled with the moonlit ceiling of her quarters. She stretched, rolling onto her back as she realized Shining's embrace was no longer around her. She peered over; he lay facing away from her, his hooves sprawled out before him. She smiled, rolling back onto her side. Beyond the open door to her tower's balcony lay the beautiful Equestrian countryside, the full moon casting a wonderful glow across everything. She stretched again, letting out a little moan. Sleep, for some reason, didn't call back to her. She lay idle for a moment, feeling more awake than she did after a proper night's sleep. A thought bounced into her mind; Auntie Luna was up right now. It was certainly late, so it was quite possible that she's finished a lot of her work by now. Now would be the perfect time to spend time with her; Cadance had always wondered what she does in the middle of the night, anyway. With that thought, Cadance carefully slid out of bed, her actions not disturbing Shining in the slightest. Curiously, no voices could be heard from Luna's study as she approached. As she neared the door, the reason was discovered; it was shut. From a distance it had been impossible to tell, that side of the hall had no windows, and the windows adjacent to that side were angled away from the low hanging moon. Without her natural sense of where everything was it would have been nearly impossible to navigate the halls without casting a torch spell or carrying a lantern. Cadance stepped up to the door, knocking gently a few times and waiting. No response came from within. She tried again to only get the same result. She looked up, seeing Luna's guards weren't hanging on their perches. After waiting a fair bit of time she finally decided to open the door to the study; slowly and carefully. The well-crafted door didn't make a peep as it allowed her inside, and as she stepped in, she found herself to be alone. The nearly pitch black room was absent of its staff. Making a little 'hm', Cadance continued on, bringing light to her horn as she stood at her end of the table for a moment. "The papers..." She whispered, feeling a little more awake. She closed the door to the study and began towards Luna's end of the desk, the white light from her horn revealing many different documents spread out around the work space. One in particular caught her eye; it was the 'proposition', still rolled up and tied with twine. With a knot in her stomach, she brought forth the paper, undoing its bow and unfurling it. It was confusing at first. It was an extremely well-drawn draft of a generic part of the castle hall, and in that hall stood one of her guards below a banner adorned with Luna's cutie mark. It was entirely in pencil, and the artistry behind it was impressive to say the least. If it had a splash of color, it would be almost life-like. At the top of the page, written not with pencil, but with an ink pen, was the text; 'fig. 2 Lunar Cycle'. "Figure 2... so where's 1?" Cadance looked around more, seeing no scroll of the same type lying within the room. She looked back to the document held in her magic, her mind suddenly dropping pieces into place. The moon-bearing banner and the guard below appearing as Luna's guards do. It was a plan for decorating the halls of the castle after she... takes over? There had to be more of a story behind this simple document. Cadance returned the paper back to its original arrangement and placed it back on the desk. Her mind now turned to that cabinet below Luna's desk; the leftmost one. She stood beside Luna's chair at the head of the table, crouching and shining her light below to see the arrangement of the several free-standing cabinets. Her breath caught as she opened the hinged door to that leftmost cabinet, and as it swung open, a healthy stack of scrolls revealed themselves. They were organized as a bee's honeycomb would be, minus the hexagonal aspect. As her magic was about to take the topmost scroll, she paused. Her mind conflicted with itself. This was a total and absolute invasion of the most cherished thing a pony can have; privacy. But, was it for the greater good? Was this invasion to reveal a plot, one she would have to assist in stopping? She took a deep breath. Forcing herself, she took that top scroll, and it tingled against her magic in a strange fashion. It slid loosely from the top of the pile before simply falling through her spell, leaving a tinge in her horn. A blue strobe broke the room, magic crackling as Luna materialized a mere hooflenght from Cadance. "Words serve nay justice, and eyes are not to be brought upon it." she spoke somewhat calmly, her expression a scowl and her ears flat with her head. Cadance stammered sounds that she hoped would eventually form a response, her heart pounding in her chest. "Why seek our recordings? Simple curiosity?" "I-I... I'm seeking an answer." Cadance returned firmly, standing up. Luna cocked her head, her gently glowing eyes narrowing. "Your dreams never speak mystery that requires answers... what do you truly seek?" Cadance shut her eyes, groaning in annoyance. She always talked about dreams. "I'm not looking for answers about dreams! I'm looking for the answer to my question; is my Auntie going to turn on the ones who love her and try to take Equestria for herself again!" Cadance felt bravado grow in her chest as she stared down Luna, steeling herself as she expected the worst. She waited for her to change form into Nightmare Moon; to start cackling, proclaiming her plans, and what she'll do to those who oppose her. What she got caused her bravado to fade. Luna's head lowered a bit, her ears remaining flat with her head and her angry scowl turning to what could only be described as a look of terror. "W-what?" She muttered. Cadance felt her heart hit the bottom of her chest. She was wrong in some way. That look told her that much. Luna's horn came alive in that eerie aura, her ears perking back up as she stared at Cadance. "Thy thoughts see us as her again... why? w-we are not... her anymore! I-I never was, and shall not be again!" Cadance stammered. "Y-You can see what I'm thinking!?" "So loudly, and so clearly, do we hear thy mind's images! Tell us, please, niece; w-why doth thee see us as bad?!" Panic took her mind from correcting her speech. Desperation and fear of herself and what she had been resonated through the glow of her eyes. Tears were beginning to well up. "L-Luna..." "We... I work hard to be good again." "Luna, I'm sorry... I-I misunderstood you horribly-" "What doth... do you not understand!? P-Please... you see me as the thing I detest the most... tell me why! History must not repeat! I-I do not feel like her again..." Luna stepped close to Cadance, her teary eyes glaring into Cadance's. "Why do you see me as her?!" "I thought you were trying to take over again because I misunderstood what you've been doing! I looked at your proposition, and it made me think it was plans for once you've taken over, and I saw you transform that guard, and I thought you were going to build an army! You and Frolicsome Meadowlark kept saying how I should be nocturnal, and kept hinting at the future!" Cadance paused to gather her breath, Luna's expression a little calmer. "I... I don't know what you're doing... but I thought it was bad." "My proposition... sister told me I should work on ways to make the night my own again... that is what my proposition is!" Luna's magic called the paper forth, quickly opening it. "At night, banners will fall from the heights, and my own guards can stand beneath them! The guard stands below the moon, and that lets those who pass by see in the night I am watching over them! I weaved spells that, once sister's sun passes, make our Royal guard appear as my two do! My two guards stand for the night in their appearance, a-and I wanted our Royal guard to do the same!" The paper was rolled back up, and Luna's pained eyes bore back at Cadance. "Evil lives not within me. Sister says so; and I am showing my ponies I am no longer here to bring fear." Luna grunted as Cadance came forward and pulled her into a strong hug. "Luna, I'm so sorry... I-I assumed too many things. The way you kept hinting with the nocturnal thing... I thought-" "We wished for your nocturnalility so you could ask me more questions." Those words drove a dagger into Cadance's heart. She hugged Luna tighter. "You ask me questions... nopony asks me questions." "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to hurt you, Luna." Luna whimpered, Cadance feeling her relax in her embrace. "I... still don't understand a lot of things, Luna. These strange scrolls under your desk... what are they?" inquired Cadance as she released her auntie, stepping back and letting Luna compose herself. "Recordings... if I understand my ponies, then they understand me. Sister says that." Her voice was strangely quiet and soft. Seeing somepony she loved in so much distress hurt Cadance to no end. "Recordings of what, though?" "Dreams." Cadance cocked her head back. "You... can see what ponies dream?" "You did not know such things?" "N-No, I had no clue! Auntie Celestia hasn't ever mentioned that to me!" Luna walked past Cadance towards her chair, sitting down. "When I sleep, frames of the mind show themselves to me. I protect them from nightmares... and when I do, I record them." Cadance looked to the scrolls inside the cabinet, now wishing a little less to actually see one. "I understand nightmares." "Well... what about that weird black aurora your magic sometimes makes?" "Passage. I enter sleep while waking. Therefore, while in the distance, I see what nightmares I remember. I can record them with accuracy." Cadance held her gaze with Luna's for a second before looking away, her mind still processing this information. "Thoughts and dreams are one together. They are no different. As I see dreams, I hear thoughts." "I had no clue you had the ability to do all of this..." "Many don't." Cadance looked down to the cabinet. "So... when I asked about these the first time around, why'd you say that you couldn't explain, and that I couldn't see them?" "Words serve nay justice, and still do not. You know but the surface. Layers upon layers to this exist, and words express nothing of how beautiful it all is. These recordings; I am trusted with them. They are not mine to behold, neither yours. They belong to who's mind created them." "Do you have any... recordings of my dreams?" Luna chuckled. "Thou- you are too happy for nightmares. No paper in this room holds the frames of your mind." "What about Shining Armor?" "Aye." Luna held up a hoof, anticipating Cadance's next words. "He may see it if he so chooses, and he may tell you of it. You may not behold it. Understand; the recordings are more than private. They are sacred." Cadance huffed. "This is all just... so strange." "Words serve nay justice." "Yeah, you're right about that." Again, Cadance looked away from Luna. "I... I'm sorry I ever thought you'd be evil again. You're just a little... hard to understand sometimes, Auntie." "My mind is not healthy, niece. Sister knows that. A mind doing such things as mine cannot be healthy." Luna smiled, her ear flicking. Luna laughed at the uneasy expression now on Cadance's face. "Unhealthy does not mean insane, dear niece. I am far from insanity." "I... never said you were insane." "You do not know that you did." "What, did you read my thoughts again?" "I read your expression. Words are but a formality, niece. One speaks more with themselves than they do their tongue." Cadance took a breath in, not quite knowing what to say next. "Uh, well... you aren't upset with me, are you?" Luna chuckled. "I do not get upset. You did not understand my sayings... that is understandable. Sister does understand me well, for she is as I am." "She... can see dreams, too?" Luna smiled, her hoof coming up from her seat and resting idly on the table. "Nay; she is different minded! Age as deep as hers is something one cannot walk through and leave unscathed." Cadance chuckled as she sat down at her usual place across from Luna. "I always thought Auntie Celestia was a little weird, as well." "An age old affliction of the mind affects you, young niece." returned Luna, her eyes closed and her wings half-spread. "And... that is?" "Fear of the unknown. Mask it how you will; tis fear none the less. You proclaim our sister to be weird, and imply I too am weird. You have made assumptions about my actions on this token, and in those assumptions, assumed me to be 'evil'. Fear of the unknown." Cadance stammered, feeling a little small in her seat. "W-Well, I mean, everything lined up real-" Luna held up her hoof, her eyes still closed and her wings still spread. "Fear of the unknown. You were afraid of me, aye?" "In a way... I suppose so." Luna nodded. "I... see what you mean, but how do I... not fear what I don't know?" Luna's eyes opened, her calm expression now a smile. "I am still yet to find out, dear niece." EPILOGUEUpon their thrones with Cadance standing between them, sat Luna and Celestia, the trio's gaze resting upon the sunset just beyond the open doors of the castle's throne room. Next to Luna's throne stood her secretary and two guards, who too looked out across the hall as they awaited the sun's departure. In the grand hall stood the usual number of stoic guards posted at their pillars, but only a keen eye would find anything new. Above them, hanging from brass chains, were a series of rolled banners, and from the corner of each banner, hung a brilliantly golden chord of silken rope, the rope being ended with an ornate knot and tassel. The other end of the banner was adorned with a similar feature, however, in their current state, that second rope was shorter, and out of reach without the use of magic. Luna's hooves tapped excitedly at the cushion of her throne as the sun finally passed the mountains in the distance, and without her input, the guards stationed below the banners were cloaked by an all-encompassing aurora of blue magic. The aurora faded, leaving every guard, including every other guard within the castle, with the exact appearance of her two personal protectors. She laughed, hopping from her throne and trotting to the edge of the platform her and her sister's thrones were stood upon. Cadance too smiled, watching Luna's expression light up brighter than she had ever seen it as the guards, in perfect unison, pulled at their ropes with their teeth, the banners above slowly scrolling to downward to reveal their deep blue fabric, and at their center, Luna's mark. Though, at the far end of the room, the group could see one guard tugging upon his rope with no avail. "Your Highness, mine is stuck!" he called, his voice echoing through the hall. Luna groaned. "Confounded machinery; this is not the first time it has given up conniptions!" Celestia let out a throaty chuckle as she watched her sister trotting down the stairs of the platform on her way to repair the banner. "It is your design, after all, sister." Luna scoffed, looking over her shoulder. "We shalt hear none of it! It functioned perfectly in my tests!" Again, Celestia laughed as Luna continued on. "Auntie, you mean to tell me that Luna designed... whatever mechanism controls the banner's raising and lowering?" inquired Cadance, looking up to Celestia, who despite being seated, was still far taller than she. "Of course. Luna is horribly intelligent. All of those puzzles on her desk are of her own design." "Wait, really?" Celestia nodded. "Indeed. That mind of hers has to do something to keep itself occupied," she explained, looking back out to Luna, who had removed the banner from its chains and was doing something with it on the floor. Cadance stared at her Auntie's gentle smile, the look in her eyes only speaking love. "I... had a great time with her while you were gone." "Oh, she told me. It's been a full two days since I got back, and I still haven't heard the end of 'the niece you have gifted me with is more than I could dream of'." Cadance blushed. "She enjoyed my company that much? I mean, I knew she had enjoyed it; she herself had said so..." "You have no clue, Cadance. Thank you, by the way, for opening your heart to her. I know she can be difficult to understand sometimes, but you; for the most part, looked beyond that." "What do you mean, 'for the most part'?" Celestia laughed. "You suspected her of being an evil tyrant." Cadance blushed again, hiding her face behind her curly mane. "She made it sound like she was planning something!" "She was planning something! Just not what you expected. There's a lesson to learn here, Cadance; don't make assumptions about somepony without the whole picture." "But... I had tons of evidence." Celestia stuttered for a second. "Well, then you should only confront somepony about something you suspect them of once you're totally positive." "Actually, she confronted me." Celestia groaned. "Cadance, I'm trying to teach you a lesson!" "I know! I know! I'm just saying... I already learned my lesson. Seeing her nearly cry drove your point home far before you made it." "I'm surprised she wasn't more upset with you. Luna is the sweetest pony I've ever known, and it haunts her that she ever let herself fall so far. It haunts her more than the worst nightmares you or I could ever dream up." Cadance's ears fell flat. "I know. I've never seen somepony look so... horrified before." Celestia hummed. "It's in the past, now, and you didn't cause any harm. Don't dwell on it. Be glad you were able to make her so happy. Trust me; she doesn't show it all that often, but she enjoys the company of others probably more than you do." Cadance looked back out into the hall as Luna's magic floated the banner back up to its chains, her words with the guard below unintelligible. She and Celestia watched as the guard tugged at the rope, this time, the banner properly extending. Luna's triumphant exclamation sang through the hall as she began back towards the throne platform. "Sister, I shall be going to ensure the rest of the banners have functioned properly! Art thou... are you going to join me?" Celestia rubbed her neck. "I... am a little worn out after today, and wanted to get some sleep." "No matter! Cadance shall be there to accompany me!" Celestia looked down to Cadance. "You're not going to bed soon?" "Actually, Auntie, I'm adjusting my sleep schedule to be nocturnal." Celestia rolled her eyes. "Great, now there's two of you!" Luna laughed as she trotted past, collecting her secretary and guards as she continued on past the thrones, Cadance following closely. "Indeed! Fret not, sister, for I shall not keep her forever!" Celestia looked past her throne as the group moved further into the castle proper, leaving Celestia totally alone. After a moment, the clap of hooves against marble came from a separate hall, bringing Celestia's head around to see Shining Armor approaching. "I thought I heard Cadance..." he stated plainly, now stood in the archway of the hall he had come from. "You did, my Captain. My sister stole her..." Shining looked worried. "What do you mean?" "Cadance has declared that she will now be nocturnal." Shining's face went blank. "What?" Celestia simply nodded. Shining's brows bobbed as he smirked. "Now, she won't be tired when I have to work late. I can get behind this..." Celestia let out a sound of disgust as she waved her hoof in his direction. "Oh, I don't want to hear about it! Keep it in the bedroom." "We always do, your Highness." With that, he bowed, trotting back down the hall he had originated from.
Nº 1Cadance stared out at the evening sun as it dipped below the mountainous horizon line in the distance, its brilliant orange light igniting the clouds. After a time, she looked back into the room in which she sat, the quietness making her feel alone, despite being accompanied by her Auntie Luna, who sat at the far end of the superfluously sized, dark wood table that spanned nearly the whole room. Luna's horn pulsed with a magical aurora far different than what Cadance was accustomed to; instead of the normal azure light of magic was a slowly pulsing, occasionally waving aurora of pure black that faded into a mist as it expanded outward from her horn. Luna's eyes were locked with the documents before her, documents concealed by the many personal effects lining the area around her. Along with the standard types of writing supplies and papers were many different knickknacks, puzzles, time-wasters, and trinkets lying about with only minor organization in the radius of where she sat. The room had, a month prior, been one of many meeting rooms within Canterlot Castle's Administration wing, but Luna had commandeered the place as her study. The long, rectangular room had been decorated in the same fashion as Luna's personal quarters; deep blue walls, light blue highlights, perfectly polished hardwood floors, and the occasional moon symbol. It too held the token darkness her quarters did; no candles were ablaze in the room, leaving only the quickly waning sun to provide contrast. Cadance found amusement in Luna's decision to keep the room's table instead of replacing it with a proper desk. The extremely long table could comfortably accommodate thirty ponies, but now it simply served one. Though, Luna did make use of some of the table's spare room; at that far end where she sat were three other chairs, and before these chairs were different stacks of books, papers, and an occasional knickknack. Cadance could only assume these other piles of paper and chairs served as separate workplaces for different tasks. Celestia herself had three separate desks in her study. Other than cosmetics, the room hadn't changed all that much, save for the fact the two chandeliers hung over the table were never lit during the night and the many new bookshelves that had been added to the windowless right wall. Silence hung loudly in the study, the occasional creak of wood or mumble from Luna being the only sounds to ever break that quiet. With Celestia off to the Bridle Shores for a week's getaway, the entire castle felt a lot quieter. Celestia's cheerful, regal calls could almost always be heard from somewhere in the halls. Cadance stood up from one of two chairs at her end of the table, standing idle for a moment before gaining enough courage to make her way down the length of the room towards Luna. In the two months since her return, Cadance had only spent useful time with Luna two or three times. It wasn't for a lack of trying. Luna was simply a hard being to catch. Her nocturnality and the fact her room and study resigned in a part of the castle opposite of Cadance's, made seeing her anytime during the day impossible. Luna paid her no heed as she sat back down in one of the other chairs at that far end, her eyes still fixed on her papers and her horn still holding that strange aurora. Occasionally, instead of blinking, she would shut her eyes for a few seconds, her ears angling and twitching as if they were straining to pick up sound. "This'll be an interesting week." spoke Cadance in an attempt to spark conversation. "Aye." "A quiet one, as well." "Indeed." Cadance chuckled a little. "Auntie has quite the voice." Luna's lips formed a weak smile, her eyes never leaving her work. "Aye, she does. It would be almost unacceptable for a presence as large as hers to not accompany itself with grand volume." Cadance blinked, her internal cogs turning as she made sense of Luna's words. "So, do you plan on changing your sleep schedule at all so you can have more time with everypony around the castle?" Luna held her silence for a moment, but still, her work never paused and her eyes never diverged from the paper before her. "Nay... the night does require our stoking and tending. I shall, however, be mindful that noon of Wednesday is a parliament session, one that, as always, requires our... my presence." "Still working on modern Equestrian?" Luna sighed. "Aye." She groaned. "Yes." "I kinda like 'aye'. Though, the Royal 'we' thing can get confusing at times." "We... I know well. Many times I have had to explain my words further because of it." Cadance offered a smile. "You know... I don't mind all that much. If it's difficult for you to adjust your speech, then I don't mind if you speak... how you normally speak." "A kind proposition, but I shall decline. I have been making progress, I do not seek to stem it." The click of a door handle turning sounded off as a gray-coated stallion entered, Cadance locking eyes with this unknown Unicorn, his purely white magical aurora holding some papers. His deep orange eyes locked with Cadance's for but a moment as he passed behind her chair and to Luna's side, the documents in his magic being placed off to the side of what she currently worked on. Her hoof came up, rested upon the stack and rotated the topmost paper a little bit before coming back down to her haunches. "Thank you, Meadowlark." "Quite welcome, your Highness." With that, he bowed and began his departure, Cadance's eyes following him the entire time. As the door shut, Cadance looked back to Luna. "Who was that?" "Frolicsome Meadowlark." Cadance paused. "But... what's his title?" "He is my secretary." "I didn't know you had a secretary." "Most don't." Cadance fell silent again. She focused her attention to that strange aurora around Luna's horn, its pulsing darkness being something the eyes could not easily divert from. She too focused on the strange pattern her blink held and the randomly timed flick of her ears. She wanted to ask just exactly what she was doing, but refrained from doing so; it wasn't her business. That and Auntie Celestia had stated that Luna was a bit strange and hard to understand sometimes. Any regular pony stating such wouldn't be all too abnormal, but that statement coming from Auntie Celestia, somepony two thousand years old, was noteworthy. Cadance brought her eyes to the books and few papers she sat before, not touching or manipulating any of them as she browsed the titles. It appeared most of them were novels detailing Equestria's history. Auntie Celestia had mentioned many times that Luna had taken a heavy interest in history, as well as what arts the modern age brought. She spent quite a lot of time talking about Luna, in fact. "What time is it?" Luna remained quite for a moment, her eyes shutting, one ear folding down, and her head tilting. "7:45." Cadance sat up, looking at the many things before Luna to see there was indeed a small, wooden clock. In fact, there was several of them. Stranger than that was the fact Luna hadn't looked up to them. "In that case, I'm going to attend dinner before it gets too late." Cadance slid sideways off the chair, her hooves against the hardwood being the only sound in the room. She stood at the door for a moment, staring at the still silent and unmoving Luna. "Are... you going to get dinner, as well?" "Aye, soon." Cadance hummed, opening the door. "I'll see you in the dining hall?" Luna nodded. "Alright. Love you, auntie!" Luna remained in her state of mind, not looking up as Cadance exited, the door softly shutting behind her. "Auntie..." Only a few forks clinked against their plates in the dining hall. The Administration Wing was accommodated with its own hall for royalty and staff alike, that way one did not have to mingle with guests if they so chose not to. Many did, however, dine in the Guest hall, as it was far larger, substantially prettier, and catered to a larger palette. Auntie Celestia herself only dined in the Administration Wing hall if Luna chose to, which wasn't often. While Auntie Celestia preferred the Guest wing's hall for the smiles and looks of awe she received upon entering, Luna preferred neither hall, which was quite evident to Cadance. To her knowledge, Luna often placed a request with the chefs for her meals, remaining either in her study or quarters to have her meals. The two grand tables of the room currently received only a few of the Castle's personnel, the most noteworthy of them being Cadance and Luna, who sat together at the head of the table with the least occupants. If the place had been chosen by Cadance, the two would have taken a seat in the closest proximity to the greatest concentration of ponies. In fact, if the place had been chosen by Cadance, the two would have gone to the Guest hall. "Enjoying your meal?" Cadance asked as she took a bite of lasagna from her fork. Luna's ear flicked. "Quite." Cadance looked down to the plate before Luna. "What was food like back all those years ago?" "T'was blander. It seems every item contains some grand flavor now." Cadance hummed as she took another bite, leaning to the side and turning slightly to better face Luna. "What's your favorite food now-a-days?" Luna stopped chewing for a moment, her brow furrowing in thought. "I... do not know." "Well... what was the best thing you've eaten?" "The croissants the baker makes are good." Cadance's expression went more blank than it had already been. "Surely you like something other than croissants..." "They are my favorite part of waking up. Besides the coffee and eggs so kindly brought by my Frolicsome Meadowlark, the croissants are always wonderful." "Well, I guess your favorite food would be croissants." The conversation fell flat as Cadance failed to think of any further words, and Luna, of course, failed to contribute anything without being directly spoken to. The castle's nighttime halls were as they always were; quiet. Cadance's own soft hoofsteps barely echoed through the hall, the natural internal noise within her ears being louder than her movements. That rumbling noise was all she could focus on, and it had been all she could focus on when in Luna's presence. She had spent nearly two hours with her since Auntie Celestia's chariot departed, and the conversations she tried starting never went anywhere. As she walked back to the wing of the castle her quarters were located in Cadance couldn't shake the strange feeling of loneliness she felt. Neither could she shake the thought Luna didn't care for her all that much. She didn't have much reason to, but she could have at least looked up from her work when they had been talking. She had barely caught Luna's gaze when they were at dinner. "Hey, honey!" Cadance flipped on her hooves to see Shining Armor approaching, his decorative Captain's armor replaced with a less official gray officer's jacket. "Oh, goodness. It's good to see you, Shiney." The two met with a quick kiss. "Good to see you... as well. Something wrong?" Cadance sighed as she continued on, Shining trotting at her side. "I thought this week would be a good time for me to get to know Luna a bit better... but I don't think she wants to get to know me better." "What makes you say that?" "Well... she never really engages in conversation, and she didn't really seem that she cared all that much I was there." "Was she working?" "I- yeah, I guess she was. Her eyes were totally fixed on whatever she was writing." "Well, that might have been it; you were just interrupting her." "Whenever Auntie Celestia's working, and I go to her, she pays attention..." "Luna isn't Celestia, honey." Cadance scoffed. "I've noticed."
Nº 2Cadance tiredly sipped at her morning coffee, her eyelids still heavy from waking so early. It was a little bit past 5 in the morning, and Shining, being a military stallion, was already up and rearing to go. When the two did keep each other company overnight, as opposed to staying in their respective quarters, Cadance would normally sleep past Shining's alarm, but this morning she planned on upholding his suggestion; persistence. It was hard to remember that Luna was nocturnal, and she had only been awake for an hour or so prior to Cadance's attempts at conversation. Now that it was later in Luna's day she hoped her mood would be better... if it had been poor in the first place. Reading emotion from the stoic Alicorn was difficult, if not impossible. Cadance's eyes were brought up from her coffee as Shining came up the spiral staircase from the bottom floor of the tower, his mane still a little damp from being in the shower. "You're not going back to sleep?" he asked, standing idly for a moment before continuing on to a somewhat short table in the round bedroom, upon the table being a coffee maker and the required amenities for preparing a proper brew. Cadance groaned. "No... I'm going to try catching Luna before she goes to sleep." "Good luck. I have no idea how her sleep schedule works." Cadance sipped at her coffee again as Shining walked over to her, sitting beside her at the edge of her large, almost pillow-like bed. The big, circular cushion had an ornate wooden frame surrounding its base, but it lacked the legs and headboard that would be on a standard bed. "Like I said, just keep talking with her. You may be her niece, but she doesn't know anything about you." "I know. Do you think she's mad that I've never really tried to connect with her before?" Shining chuckled, reaching around Cadance's waist to pull her close. "Honey, she's not mad at you! She acted the same way around me the first few times I tried casually talking with her." Cadance's gaze met Shining's for a moment, her smile showing some re-assurance. "Alright." A little nervous knot had formed in Cadance's stomach as she approached the ajar door of Luna's study. The dawn's sun had just barely peeked over the horizon to provide the halls with an even contrast rather than the bright columns of light that normally striped the halls once the sun was high enough to shine directly through the windows. Upon reaching the door, and hearing faint speech, Cadance poked her head inside, seeing Luna sat at one of the other chairs at her end of the desk flanked by her two personal guards, a somewhat large, rectangular document held up before the trio. Only a second later did both guards turn their heads towards her, their yellow, radiant, slit-pupil, eyes boring into hers. She noticed their fluff-topped ears flickering a tiny bit, Luna's quiet speech still continuing as she looked at the paper held before her. Cadance cleared her throat. "Auntie Luna?" She finally looked to her. "Oh, dear Cadance! Thou... you are up quite early." Sensing it was safe to do so, Cadance entered. "I wanted to spend some time with you before you went off to bed." Luna smiled, the document before her being brought down to where it was no longer visible to Cadance. "That is quite nice of you." "I figured... you know, I've known you for a while, but we haven't had the chance to actually have time together." "Indeed." Cadance pulled out the chair she had sat in the previous night, noticing the books were now stood on their ends in a row rather than stacked on their faces. "I'm... not intruding, am I? You were showing them something when I came in." Whatever document Luna did have, it had been rolled up and tied with some twine, preventing Cadance from seeing whatever it was. "Nay, I was making my closing statements." she explained, standing up and moving to the head of the desk, her two guards following and flanking her just as they had before. "What were you showing them? If you don't mind me asking." The leftmost guard's membranous wings gave a little flutter, drawing Cadance's attention to him temporarily. "Oh, a simple proposition." Cadance blinked, her eyes moving over the three pairs of eyes on her, their collective gaze seeming to push her down in her seat. "Well, I hope it goes over with whoever you submit it to." Luna's hoof raised, flicking at the corner of the table as she hummed in acknowledgment. A moment of silence passed before she looked up, Cadance noticing both her and her guard's ears twitch a tiny bit. "Thank you, Frolicsome," Luna stated, prompting Cadance to flip around in her chair to see the stallion approaching from the door, his white magic holding a tray that contained a small feast. Though, for some reason, what stood out most to Cadance were two fresh apples accompanying the drink, dessert, and large dinner. "The chef wants to know your opinion on the pecan pie. He says they've been toying around with the recipe, your Highness." Luna hummed as her magic working to clear away the few papers that occupied the desk before her. The tray came to rest before Luna, her magic taking the silver fork and cutting the very tip from the slice of pecan pie. She moaned upon taking the bite, quickly gathering more of the pie. Cadance couldn't help but notice how Luna's hoof still flicked at the edge of the table. "Tis wonderful! Tell the chef to not change a thing!" "Will do, Your Highness." Luna stopped his departure by tapping her hoof on the table. "One last thing." the rolled up document Luna and her guards had been viewing floated up, Luna's blue aurora around it being replaced by Frolicsome's white spell. He looked at the scroll a moment, nodding and continuing on for the door. "Uh, excuse me, Frolicsome Meadowlark..." called Cadance, again stopping his advance. "Yes?" "Could you have the chefs make me something for breakfast? Whatever they think of will do fine." "Of course." With those final words, and without further stoppages, Frolicsome continued on and left the study, leaving the door open. Silence returned as Luna ate her dinner... or breakfast; Cadance wasn't sure which name her meal would have. She couldn't help but let her eyes occasionally wander to the two guards flanking Luna; she had only ever seen them once before now, and that had merely been a glimpse. One of the two curious apples now floated from the tray, not moving to Luna's mouth, but to the leftmost guard's mouth, her aurora dropping off as his fangs clamped down on the fruit. Rather ungracefully, his head craned down a bit as his hoof came to meet the apple, his teeth slowly gnawing away at the fruit. After not too long only a thin core remained, which was knowingly taken from his open jaw by Luna's magic and fizzled out of existence. The same process repeated with the right guard, Cadance watching with a slight look of awe. With their meals complete the guards returned to their previous stances, Cadance keeping her eyes fixed in their direction. In perfect unison, Luna and her guards returned Cadance's gaze. Still, no words came from them. Not a single peep, mumble, nor whisper. Cadance cleared her throat. "I've never seen your guards around before, auntie." Luna hummed after taking a bite of mashed potatoes. "They are nocturnal." "Why weren't they here last night?" "They were." Cadance paused. "I mean... what you would consider morning... you know; when I was here before we went to get dinner?" "Aye." "But... they weren't here." "They were posted at the door." "T-They weren't at the door... auntie." "You did not look up." "They... do they have turrets they stand in above the door?" Luna shook her head, her fork delivering a healthy group of grilled asparagus to her waiting maw. Cadance stayed quiet a moment, anticipating a response, yet nothing came. She sighed quietly in defeat, sliding further into her chair. The morning had dragged on, and Cadance had stayed a fair time within Luna's study after finishing her breakfast. There wasn't much difference in Luna's attitude from last night to this morning; she still never began conversations, and she didn't say much when she was addressed. Her sentences were always kept short even if the question posed would benefit from a longer answer. Above all, she still never made much eye contact with Cadance. It was beginning to wear on her. To escape the silence of the study Cadance had ventured out into the calm morning halls of the castle in search of Shining; he hadn't told her of his day's plan before she had left her quarters, which meant searching for him would be a grand task. She had looked in the normal places; his office, the barracks, the Castle's war room, the flying field, but still, he was nowhere to be found. She had looped around the entire castle by this point, and was now nearly at the beginning of the Administration wing. Her pacing paused, however; as the corner of her eye caught something beyond the hall's windows within the small, square space of grass, trees, and flowers that occupied the negative space between the halls. It was Luna, and she sat in perfect stillness upon the grass. Her dark blue coat did a somewhat good job of concealing her in the sunless space, but one thing did stand out quite eerily; that same void aurora her horn had produced last night. Her eyes were closed, and her wings were wrapped around her body, concealing her legs. Cadance stared in an almost trance-like state as she approached the window, her mind now rampant with questions. Cadance yelped, jumping back as Luna teleported directly in front of her, her posture remaining totally unchanged. Her faintly glowing eyes, however; now glared into Cadance's, and her horn's voided, misty aurora faded away. "Meditation." Cadance stumbled over her own tongue a moment. "W-What?" "Meditation. Clearing the mind before sleep." reinstated Luna as her wings unfurled from her figure, causing a cold breeze to strike Cadance. "I-I didn't ask... what you were doing." Luna offered a small smile as she stood up, staring at Cadance a moment before turning and beginning off down the hall. "You do not know you did." Cadance stood frozen with confusion for a time before snapping to her senses, trotting to catch up to Luna. There was silence among the two for a moment as Cadance tried to think of something to say that didn't involve what had just happened. "So... you're going to sleep now?" Luna hummed, nodding only a little. Cadance looked at her a moment, noticing the ear not facing her lay flat against Luna's head. "You're... awfully quiet, auntie." "A pin drop seems quiet when beside thunderclaps." Cadance continued staring at Luna, her mouth hung open and brow furrowed in confusion, but slowly, her gears turned. "I... I'm not too talkative." Luna finally looked to Cadance, her other ear now standing up straight. "Neither am I." "I've noticed..." Cadance looked forward to see that they had reached the place where two halls met, that junction being where Luna's tower quarters was located. The two tall doors leading into the circular tower were completely jet black, and only one was marked with the same moon on Luna's flanks. "Well, I guess this is goodnight," Cadance spoke, standing idly as Luna opened each door simultaneously. "Nay; that comes in 10 hours." Cadance held her tongue a moment, Luna now standing in her doorway and looking to her. "Oh, I guess you're right. Good... morning, then." Luna smiled. "Indeed." "Love you, auntie." Luna's smile widened, her ear flicking and her front hooves doing a strange little tap. "I do love you, as well!" Cadance stood idly as Luna retreated into the darkness of her tower, the doors shutting softly.
Nº 3Cadance came to a junction in the hall, pausing as Frolicsome Meadowlark came into view as he met the junction. She had been hoping, now that it was later in the evening, that Luna would be awake by now, but seeing Frolicsome carrying a tray of what was clearly breakfast dispelled any doubts. "Good evening, Meadowlark!" chimed Cadance as she trotted to his side. "Good Lunar morning to you, as well, Princess." he returned with a little smile. "Lunar morning?" "The evening is nothing more than a Lunar morning." Cadance hummed in thought. "I guess you're right. It is when Luna wakes up, after all." "I think more ponies should get used to saying 'Lunar morning'. In time, I think they will." Cadance held her tongue, processing that last part of his statement. She blinked, giving her head a tiny shake as if to dispel the thought that had cropped up. "I like the way it sounds, and it's a little different. Different can be good, sometimes." "Change and difference. Two things that many fear or detest." Internally, Cadance groaned. Even Auntie Luna's secretary was off. Finally, the two reached the hall in which Luna's study resigned, and as they approached Cadance finally understood where Luna's guards had been posted. High above the door to the study, on either side of it, hung the two guards by their tails, their legs folded to their bellies and their wings embracing their own figures, much how Luna's had done when she was in meditation. "Hello..." Cadance called to them, their gazes drawing to her. "Lunaz gritza." Cadance stopped dead in her tracks, Frolicsome continuing on towards the door without paying her pause much heed. "W-What?" "Lunaz gritza, Princess," spoke Frolicsome, drawing Cadance's attention to him. "It means 'Luna's graces' in their tongue." "They... don't speak Equestrian?" Frolicsome chuckled lightly as Cadance caught up, the two standing at the closed door of the study. "No. They speak some... ancient language native to the bat-ponies. Her Highness speaks it fluently, but I still can't understand a lick of it." As Frolicsome opened the door, Cadance remained idle as she stared directly up at the two, their gazes no longer resting with her. She gave a little 'hm' before entering the study, waiting idly by the door as she noticed Luna sitting at the head of the table, her attention, just as it had been the last evening, totally fixed on her work. Her horn's aurora was the same eerie void it had been that last time, as well as when she had been meditating. The pattern of her blinking was the same, as was the constant adjusting of her ears and occasional shuffle of her front hooves. As she began towards the book-laden work space her now usual seat occupied, her mind wandered as to what exactly that spell did. There seemed to be a correlation between its use and the need to concentrate/relax. "Thank you for breakfast, Frolicsome." spoke Luna as the tray was placed off to the side of the paper she focused on. "Of course, your Highness." If it were not for the distinctive orange glow the evening brought, Cadance would have thought that it truly was morning. This area of the castle was always quiet in the late hours of the day, and with the slightly drowsy look on Luna's face and the tray holding a breakfast fit for 3 ponies... or a Princess, it was easy to mistake the time. Cadance took interest in the fact that Frolicsome, after delivering the tray, had not departed as he normally would; instead, he moved to the side of the table opposite to where Cadance sat and had taken a seat in what was basically a second workspace. His attention now too turned to work, the papers he wrote upon not being visible to Cadance thanks to a wide, somewhat short wooden organizer drawer, its many little drawers holding what she could only assume to be different pieces of equipment for writing. "What are you working on, auntie?" Her ear flicked. "Words serve nay justice, and eyes are not to be brought upon it." Cadance's brow furrowed in confusion. "I can't see... whatever you're writing?" "Nay." Cadance couldn't shake the feeling of how... off everything was. How seemingly clandestine and secretive Auntie Luna acted. Again, she blinked and gave her head a tiny shake, removing the same thought that she had earlier. The paper Luna's attention seemed to always be focused on floated up from the table, the sound of a drawer opening from below the desk drawing Cadance's attention below to see that quite a few short cabinets had been placed around where she sat. From one of the drawers came a simple wooden dowel, maybe a half-hoof's length in diameter, and the paper was carefully wrapped around the dowel to form a tube. From elsewhere on the table came a stamp as well as a stick of light blue wax, which had its tip held a distance above the rolled paper as Luna's magic forced the wax to melt with a spell. A healthy dollop of wax was applied, the stamp was brought forth, rolled along the wax to seal the rolled paper, and then the dowel was removed to leave a perfectly rolled document. In a fluid motion, everything was returned back to its place, Cadance watching intently as the fresh document was moved under the desk and placed inside of the leftmost free-standing cabinet. From a separate cabinet, there came a new piece of paper, and Luna returned to her work. There was a moment of quiet as Cadance looked away from Luna to her secretary, who sat in front of her and, as Luna did, paid her no attention. Much like Luna, his posture gave off a tired slouch, and his eyes didn't seem as bright and as open as before. "Frolicsome Meadowlark... are you nocturnal, as well?" "Indeed. My job would be hard if I weren't." He paused, looking up to Cadance. "You've been wanting to spend more time with Her Highness... why not sleep during the day as we do? It'd certainly help in the future." "More ponies with our patterns of sleep would be preferable," commented Luna, drawing both Frolicsome's and Cadance's attention. "Things now are often lonely." Cadance's mind couldn't help but keep hanging on certain parts of their sentences. The seemingly hinting parts of their sentences. Clandestine and secretive... that feeling of off-ness only became worse. Frolicsome looked back to Cadance, smiling, "Besides; we have to even the odds against you day-dwellers somehow. Two Princesses of the night is a start!" he finished with a hearty laugh, Luna joining in with a jovial chuckle. That off-ness was now all she could feel. "I-I would... but tomorrow is Wednesday, a-and that's when that big Parliament gathering is." Her answer seemed to satisfy Frolicsome, his head bobbing in a nod for a moment before he returned to his work. "Auntie... I'm going to, eh, get some food. It is around dinner for me." Luna hummed, her wing doing that strange little ruffle again. With a little more haste than normal, Cadance got from her chair and made her way to the door, standing in the doorway for a moment as she looked at Luna and Frolicsome Meadowlark. "Love you... Auntie." Luna smiled, her eyes closing. "I share that same love, dear niece." "Have a good Lunar morning." chimed in Frolicsome afterward, smiling to Cadance. She cleared her throat. "Good Lunar morning to you... as well." Cadance had barely touched her meal. Her mind was still far too occupied placing puzzle pieces together and creating theories. Maybe it was wrong of her to feel how she did about Auntie Luna's actions. Maybe she was just a little odd and hard to understand. The Elements of Harmony had removed all of the evil that Nightmare Moon brought. It didn't make sense for her to be plotting some sort of revenge scheme. As she had done many times, Cadance shook her head, taking a deep breath as she stabbed her fork into her meal. While the optimist in her hoped that Auntie Luna and her secretary had been joking, or maybe hinting to something else, every other part of her saw trouble. She had always been a tad suspicious of her. Even after she had been saved by the Elements doubt rested in her mind that she was truly... 'good'. It was a horrible thing to think, and she the few times she had been around when Auntie Luna and Celestia were together they seemed happy enough. "Hey, honey!" Cadance yelped, her fork nearly flying out of her magic as she flipped around to see Shining standing a little bit behind her. "Oh... jeez, sorry; didn't mean to scare you." Cadance sighed, her gaze quickly meeting with a few guests around her that had looked to her because of her yelp. "You're alright, Shiney." "So, did you spend a little more time with her Highness today?" he inquired, his magic pulling out the unoccupied chair beside Cadance. "Yeah... I did." Shining's usual smile faded. "Did it not go well?" "No! No... it went fine, I guess. It's just..." Cadance groaned. "Shiney, this will sound ridiculous, but I think... maybe there's something up with Auntie Luna." "What do you mean?" Cadance held her tongue for a moment, looking into Shining's eyes before peering back down to her food. "I'm overthinking this, never mind. It's wrong of me to think she'd ever try it again." "You... think she's still evil or something?" "I did for a moment, yes. She's just... the way she and her secretary kept saying that I should become nocturnal like them." "That's a little odd..." Cadance's head darted up. "See!? I'm not just being paranoid, am I?" Shining groaned, tilting his head. "You probably are." "Well... what about when her secretary said; 'we've got to even the odds against you day-dwellers somehow. Two Princesses of the night is a start!'?" Shining's expression was now one of concern. "That's... a little odd, as well." "'A start'. He called it 'a start'." Shining was quiet a moment. "Look... just keep spending time with her. I have a really hard time believing that she's going to try and take over Equestria again, or something ridiculous." he finished, having his hooves in the air in exaggeration. "I do, too... but I don't want to see my Auntie Celestia pinned to the floor by some evil, cackling monster again." Shining leaned forward to get a better view of the somewhat traumatized look on Cadance's face. "Neither do I."
N° 4Parliament day was always an exciting day. As of current, the session had been going on for a full hour, and the late morning sun gave the big, ornate space a grand warmth. Normally, when Parliament wasn't in session, the smallest peep in the tall-ceilinged, mostly windowless room echoed several times over, but with the many ponies now occupying the tall, hardwood grandstands, center table, and the 'Highness level', so named for it being both the tallest seating in the room as well as the bearer of the two grand thrones, speech echoed not. From the top row of the leftmost grandstand, Cadance occasionally brought her attention to Luna, who sat regally and silently upon her deep blue and silver throne, flanked by her guards. Still, her strange actions continued on, minus her horn's aurora. She would occasionally grind her hoof at her throne, flutter her wings, tap her back hoof, flick her ears, or close her eyes for quite some time. It looked as if she were impatient, tired, or bored, but for some reason, Cadance couldn't see either of those three being the case. She was certainly paying attention and she called out her vote when a motion was done being discussed. She even occasionally spoke with her guards, whispering them things that elicited either a snicker, nod, or shake of the head. Cadance brought her attention down to the on-going dialogue as a quick burst of laughter broke out. It made her happy to see so many ponies of different opinion gather in harmony and, for the most part, have a peaceful discussion. Parliament day never went without its fair share of arguments and berating. Even the high Princesses themselves weren't safe from that. There had been a few times Cadance had witnessed a House seat-holder or law-maker gain enough courage to take a jab at Auntie Celestia, who normally responded quickly and wittily enough to put them back in their place. All in good fun. Though, she had never once seen anypony gain the courage to directly engage Auntie Luna, which was primarily her own fault, as she didn't talk much during the sessions. It took Cadance quite a deal of courage to casually speak with Luna, she couldn't imagine how proud and confident one would have to be to attempt jabbing or joking at Luna. The courtyard of the Parliament building rumbled with the chatter of the great number of the day's attendees, many now continuing on down the yard's grand staircase to return to the castle. Cadance stood quietly by the leftmost set of three doors with a few House members as she waited for Auntie Luna, her ears occasionally tuning in on the chatter of the officially dressed stallions and mares around her. She noticed their attention turn to the interior of the building, moments later their poses dropping in a bow as Luna approached. Cadance poked her head inside, smiling at the always imposing and somewhat frightening trio that was Luna and her two guards. "Hey, Auntie." "Aye." Those who had bowed came upright as Luna continued on, Cadance fitting herself in between Luna and her right guard. Her hoofsteps seemed a little slower than usual, as did her guards. "Tired?" Cadance inquired as they made their way down the gradually sloped staircase. Luna gave off a soft groan, nodding. "Aye. Wide-eyed from Lunar morning's start." "I assume you're going to sleep when we get back?" Luna nodded, her wings spreading and giving a little flap to adjust her feathers, Cadance and the two guards following suit as they too spread their wings, taking to the air in a little formation. Curiously, Luna had not led her flight to the front gates of the castle, but to the tranquility of the grand castle gardens. They touched down at the center of a grassy clearing, surrounded on all sides by trees and other flora, most of the said flora providing enough cover to where one would have to be rather close to ground level to see the four. Beyond lay the castle proper, its dome-topped towers and grand, curving walls seeming more like a mountain that a structure. Of course, though, there was a mountain; a rather tall one upon which Canterlot itself was built, a mountain that peaked high into the purely blue noon sky. Cadance raised a brow as Luna dropped to her haunches, stretching and yawning before sliding to her stomach. "Are... you sleeping here? In the garden?" inquired Cadance. "Blue skies replace the ceiling of stars I do always rest beneath, covers and blankets fall on me as simple rays of sun..." Luna smiled, stretching her wings out and keeping them in that outstretched position. "Aye. I shall sleep here, in the garden." Cadance returned that smile. "Well, I hope you have sweet dreams." "Dreams... never sweet nor bitter, niece. Dreams are as they are." Luna's forelegs stretched out before her, crossing as she lay her chin upon them as if they were a pillow. Her eyes remained locked with the idly standing Cadance for a time before they were hidden away behind their lids. Finally, Cadance turned and began on her own way, looking over her shoulder. "Love you, auntie." Luna nuzzled herself further into her own hooves, seeming to hug Cadance's words. "I love you, too, dear niece." As Cadance made her departure past some of the high bushes and tree trunks her ears caught Luna's speech, though It was not Equestrian. She paused, looking over her shoulder again as Luna spoke a strange, quickly spoken language with rolled 'R's to her two guards. It had only been a short dialogue, one that most certainly meant 'join me', as the two guards, still flanking their commander, lay to their stomachs, the leftmost one rolling onto his side as he tucked his forelegs to his chest. That lying guard returned Luna's words, his deep, almost regal voice singing his strange tongue quietly and precisely. It was like music, yet far more beautiful in some ways. It was not like music in the ways music had rhythm, tempo, and beat, but now music tickled the ears and brought warmth to within. Somehow, that strange language had the same effect, and Cadance felt a little empty having not been gifted with more of it. She remained for a while, staring at the trio as they drifted off to sleep under the noon sun. A few calls from the many birds in the garden chimed out, their tunes that once sound so beautiful to her now seeming somewhat lackluster in lieu of the tongue Luna and her two guards, nay, friends shared. She had always seen Luna as a lonely creature, one purposefully isolating themselves for some unknown reason, but she now saw how wrong she had been in that assumption. Be it her guards, her secretary, or her absent sister, there was companionship in Luna's life. Cadance spread her wings, lifting off from the grassy patch she stood upon, hoping her previous day's assumptions and theories about her Auntie Luna were false.
N° 5Something always seemed so incredibly different about the halls and rooms of the castle at night. The placidity of the air, the coolness of the stone, the sparkling stars and shining moon above, and the desaturated nature of the normally so grand and vibrant colors of every surface all culminated in bringing such a different life to things. The whites of marble and reds, pinks, and purples of the walls, carpets, and stained windows now appeared as varying hues of blue. The moon's pure blue light cast itself in beams so easy on the eyes and brought no warmth when one stood in them. More beautiful than the day? Quite possibly. Cadance certainly understood why Auntie Luna preferred the night. It was late by this time; the sun had set a while ago, and with the sun setting, Cadance hoped Luna would have woken from her slumber in the gardens. She thought it quite curious somepony of nocturnal nature would enjoy rays of sun so much; the few times she had seen into Luna's tower there seemed to be no light in the bottom two levels. It was certainly likely that top bedroom level was alive and vibrant with sunlight, her bed positioned to where a ray always shined upon her. That's what she imagined, at least. As Cadance drew closer to the junction that would lead to Luna's quarters her ears picked up on speech; not Luna's speech, however; it was a stallion, and shortly after speaking, she could just barely make out Luna's distinctive "aye". Cadance trotted to the corner, peeking her head around to see Luna, her two guards, secretary, and a... third guard. The third guard stood before the four and was totally indistinguishable from the two original guards who still flanked Luna. Cadance looked on curiously as this third guard investigated himself, his head turning back to look at his now spread membranous wings, and his hoof coming up as he rotated it, seeming to be quite pleased, judging by the smile on his face. "This is... strange." spoke the guard. "Aye, quite. Feel no pain or discomfort, do you?" "No, I feel totally normal, it's just strange to look like..." the guard looked up, sharing a glance with Luna's flanking guards. "them." Luna simply nodded. "It's so different." "Different is not bad, however." returned Luna. "No; your Majesty. This is actually pretty fitting, seeing as I'm already part of the night shift..." "Tis a good change?" He nodded, still looking over himself. "Does it come undone easily, your Highness?" Luna's horn ignited, surrounding this new guard in a blue aurora. His figure turned totally white, and after a crackling, zapping sound, the spell went away to leave a totally normal, white furred, gold armored, feathered winged Royal guard. He hummed. "So... would you have to do that to every single guard?" "Nay. I still must perfect the more automatic parts of the spell. Once the sun sets, you will appear as you once were." He hummed in acknowledgement. "Thou art... you are dismissed now, sir. I thank thee... you for your help." He bowed. "Happy to help, Your Highness. I wish you luck in the future, Your Highness." Luna offered a little smile, turning for the open door to her study. As silence came to reign over the halls once more the sound of Cadance's own thumping heart filled her ears. She ducked around the corner, hiding as she took a few deep breaths. In her mind pieces of everything she had heard over the past while began to fall together, and they painted the same picture over and over, no matter how many times she re-arranged them. She closed her eyes, letting her head droop as she took a breath. "You're working yourself up, Cady. Luna's not evil anymore. She's just... working on a new spell..." After gathering her thoughts, Cadance finally gained the courage to continue on down the hall towards the still open door of Luna's study. Before she could let herself listen in on their conversation she entered, drawing the attention of Luna and her three cohorts as soon as she walked in. "Hello, auntie," Cadance stated without her usual enthusiasm, pulling out one of two chairs at her end of the table. "Up late." returned Luna, her eyes still locked with Cadance's. Cadance half-forced a smile. "Just wanting to spend more time with you." Luna shared that smile, though hers seemed far more genuine. "Joy accompanies your constant showing. I wait intently when the chairs are absent of you." "R-Really? Have you actually enjoyed my constant visits?" Luna nodded. "Corners of this room once dark are bright when you sit and speak with me." Cadance felt her heart melt a little. "I-I'm... happy to hear that me being here has made you happy." The group turned their attention to the door as a quiet knock broke the conversation, Shining Armor's helmet adorned head peeking inside. "Permission to enter your study, Your Highness?" "Formality follows the sun behind the horizon, Captain." Luna smiled, leaning forward as both her wings gave a little ruffle. Shining bowed, walking inside as he assumed the answer to be yes. "I figured I could find you here, Cadance," he spoke, standing beside her chair. "If it's late and I'm not sleeping, I'll probably be here." Cadance paused a moment. "Did you need something?" "Wondering if you were going to retire soon." Shining leaned his shoulder against Cadance's side. "I didn't want to go to bed alone." The two shared a smile, Cadance moving her head close. "I don't, either. Your quarters, or mine?" "Oh, yours. Your bed is way better." "In that case, I'll be there soon. I'll give you some time to get that armor off." There was a little giggle between the two as Shining went on his way, Cadance watching him leave before turning back to Luna and her staff. "Your lover needs your attention a greater deal than I, niece." Luna waved her hoof towards Cadance. "Go off to fall a-slumber within his embrace." "Well... I wanted to spend a little-" "I will be here when you wake." Cadance held her gaze with Luna's for a moment before she looked at the two guards and secretary. "I guess you will." Cadance stood, making for the door. "Goodnight, Auntie. I love you." "I too, love you." "So, what else have you found out in your investigation?" inquired Shining with a smirk as Cadance dropped into bed beside him. "Wha- I'm not investigating anything! I haven't even asked Luna any questions!" "So this is all just based on assumptions...?" "All of what is just based on assumptions..." "You thinking she's still evil." Cadance grumbled in thought. "Not entirely. I... did see something really strange earlier." "Which was?" "She used some sort of spell to change the appearance of some guard to match her own. She was clearly testing it..." "Wait, which guard?" Cadance scoffed. "Everypony looks the same to me, honey; I have no clue." Shining hummed in thought. "Well, you are right about that being a little odd. I haven't heard a peep about her wanting to expand on her guard..." "Look... I'm not saying she is evil, or that she's going to try taking over when Celestia gets back from vacation... but something is up. I can feel it; it feels like something isn't right." Shining sighed as he snuggled further into bed, reaching his hoof around Cadance's chest. "I got the same feeling. We'll just... wait it out, I guess. If nothing happens, nothing happens. If something happens... then we... do something." Shining groaned. "I'm too tired to think about it." "Long day of yelling at recruits?" chuckled Cadance as she put her hoof on Shining's. "I have my drill instructors for that." Cadance went quiet for a second. "Sorry for worrying you about this whole thing." "Honey, there's no need to apologize. You think something's up, so you're telling me about it." "I just can't shake that feeling. I keep telling myself that I'm working myself up, but the second I do it seems I stumble upon something else. I dunno... am I being paranoid?" "I think you spend too much time around me. I'm always the one to scrutinize details." "These aren't details, though. She wants me to be nocturnal, she's figuring out how to transform guards' appearances, she won't tell me about the papers she works on; it just keeps building on itself!" Cadance let out an exhausted, annoyed sigh as she flopped her hoof against the bed in frustration. "You know, I haven't actually asked her any detailed questions. Maybe I should try that before making all of these assumptions." "What's been stopping you from doing that before?" "Fear. I can't just ask her 'Auntie, are you evil?' and I didn't want her to think I'm getting too nosey." "Fair enough." Cadance chuckled. "At least, if she does go crazy again, I'm on her good side."
Nº 6Cadance's eyes opened, her vision being filled with the moonlit ceiling of her quarters. She stretched, rolling onto her back as she realized Shining's embrace was no longer around her. She peered over; he lay facing away from her, his hooves sprawled out before him. She smiled, rolling back onto her side. Beyond the open door to her tower's balcony lay the beautiful Equestrian countryside, the full moon casting a wonderful glow across everything. She stretched again, letting out a little moan. Sleep, for some reason, didn't call back to her. She lay idle for a moment, feeling more awake than she did after a proper night's sleep. A thought bounced into her mind; Auntie Luna was up right now. It was certainly late, so it was quite possible that she's finished a lot of her work by now. Now would be the perfect time to spend time with her; Cadance had always wondered what she does in the middle of the night, anyway. With that thought, Cadance carefully slid out of bed, her actions not disturbing Shining in the slightest. Curiously, no voices could be heard from Luna's study as she approached. As she neared the door, the reason was discovered; it was shut. From a distance it had been impossible to tell, that side of the hall had no windows, and the windows adjacent to that side were angled away from the low hanging moon. Without her natural sense of where everything was it would have been nearly impossible to navigate the halls without casting a torch spell or carrying a lantern. Cadance stepped up to the door, knocking gently a few times and waiting. No response came from within. She tried again to only get the same result. She looked up, seeing Luna's guards weren't hanging on their perches. After waiting a fair bit of time she finally decided to open the door to the study; slowly and carefully. The well-crafted door didn't make a peep as it allowed her inside, and as she stepped in, she found herself to be alone. The nearly pitch black room was absent of its staff. Making a little 'hm', Cadance continued on, bringing light to her horn as she stood at her end of the table for a moment. "The papers..." She whispered, feeling a little more awake. She closed the door to the study and began towards Luna's end of the desk, the white light from her horn revealing many different documents spread out around the work space. One in particular caught her eye; it was the 'proposition', still rolled up and tied with twine. With a knot in her stomach, she brought forth the paper, undoing its bow and unfurling it. It was confusing at first. It was an extremely well-drawn draft of a generic part of the castle hall, and in that hall stood one of her guards below a banner adorned with Luna's cutie mark. It was entirely in pencil, and the artistry behind it was impressive to say the least. If it had a splash of color, it would be almost life-like. At the top of the page, written not with pencil, but with an ink pen, was the text; 'fig. 2 Lunar Cycle'. "Figure 2... so where's 1?" Cadance looked around more, seeing no scroll of the same type lying within the room. She looked back to the document held in her magic, her mind suddenly dropping pieces into place. The moon-bearing banner and the guard below appearing as Luna's guards do. It was a plan for decorating the halls of the castle after she... takes over? There had to be more of a story behind this simple document. Cadance returned the paper back to its original arrangement and placed it back on the desk. Her mind now turned to that cabinet below Luna's desk; the leftmost one. She stood beside Luna's chair at the head of the table, crouching and shining her light below to see the arrangement of the several free-standing cabinets. Her breath caught as she opened the hinged door to that leftmost cabinet, and as it swung open, a healthy stack of scrolls revealed themselves. They were organized as a bee's honeycomb would be, minus the hexagonal aspect. As her magic was about to take the topmost scroll, she paused. Her mind conflicted with itself. This was a total and absolute invasion of the most cherished thing a pony can have; privacy. But, was it for the greater good? Was this invasion to reveal a plot, one she would have to assist in stopping? She took a deep breath. Forcing herself, she took that top scroll, and it tingled against her magic in a strange fashion. It slid loosely from the top of the pile before simply falling through her spell, leaving a tinge in her horn. A blue strobe broke the room, magic crackling as Luna materialized a mere hooflenght from Cadance. "Words serve nay justice, and eyes are not to be brought upon it." she spoke somewhat calmly, her expression a scowl and her ears flat with her head. Cadance stammered sounds that she hoped would eventually form a response, her heart pounding in her chest. "Why seek our recordings? Simple curiosity?" "I-I... I'm seeking an answer." Cadance returned firmly, standing up. Luna cocked her head, her gently glowing eyes narrowing. "Your dreams never speak mystery that requires answers... what do you truly seek?" Cadance shut her eyes, groaning in annoyance. She always talked about dreams. "I'm not looking for answers about dreams! I'm looking for the answer to my question; is my Auntie going to turn on the ones who love her and try to take Equestria for herself again!" Cadance felt bravado grow in her chest as she stared down Luna, steeling herself as she expected the worst. She waited for her to change form into Nightmare Moon; to start cackling, proclaiming her plans, and what she'll do to those who oppose her. What she got caused her bravado to fade. Luna's head lowered a bit, her ears remaining flat with her head and her angry scowl turning to what could only be described as a look of terror. "W-what?" She muttered. Cadance felt her heart hit the bottom of her chest. She was wrong in some way. That look told her that much. Luna's horn came alive in that eerie aura, her ears perking back up as she stared at Cadance. "Thy thoughts see us as her again... why? w-we are not... her anymore! I-I never was, and shall not be again!" Cadance stammered. "Y-You can see what I'm thinking!?" "So loudly, and so clearly, do we hear thy mind's images! Tell us, please, niece; w-why doth thee see us as bad?!" Panic took her mind from correcting her speech. Desperation and fear of herself and what she had been resonated through the glow of her eyes. Tears were beginning to well up. "L-Luna..." "We... I work hard to be good again." "Luna, I'm sorry... I-I misunderstood you horribly-" "What doth... do you not understand!? P-Please... you see me as the thing I detest the most... tell me why! History must not repeat! I-I do not feel like her again..." Luna stepped close to Cadance, her teary eyes glaring into Cadance's. "Why do you see me as her?!" "I thought you were trying to take over again because I misunderstood what you've been doing! I looked at your proposition, and it made me think it was plans for once you've taken over, and I saw you transform that guard, and I thought you were going to build an army! You and Frolicsome Meadowlark kept saying how I should be nocturnal, and kept hinting at the future!" Cadance paused to gather her breath, Luna's expression a little calmer. "I... I don't know what you're doing... but I thought it was bad." "My proposition... sister told me I should work on ways to make the night my own again... that is what my proposition is!" Luna's magic called the paper forth, quickly opening it. "At night, banners will fall from the heights, and my own guards can stand beneath them! The guard stands below the moon, and that lets those who pass by see in the night I am watching over them! I weaved spells that, once sister's sun passes, make our Royal guard appear as my two do! My two guards stand for the night in their appearance, a-and I wanted our Royal guard to do the same!" The paper was rolled back up, and Luna's pained eyes bore back at Cadance. "Evil lives not within me. Sister says so; and I am showing my ponies I am no longer here to bring fear." Luna grunted as Cadance came forward and pulled her into a strong hug. "Luna, I'm so sorry... I-I assumed too many things. The way you kept hinting with the nocturnal thing... I thought-" "We wished for your nocturnalility so you could ask me more questions." Those words drove a dagger into Cadance's heart. She hugged Luna tighter. "You ask me questions... nopony asks me questions." "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to hurt you, Luna." Luna whimpered, Cadance feeling her relax in her embrace. "I... still don't understand a lot of things, Luna. These strange scrolls under your desk... what are they?" inquired Cadance as she released her auntie, stepping back and letting Luna compose herself. "Recordings... if I understand my ponies, then they understand me. Sister says that." Her voice was strangely quiet and soft. Seeing somepony she loved in so much distress hurt Cadance to no end. "Recordings of what, though?" "Dreams." Cadance cocked her head back. "You... can see what ponies dream?" "You did not know such things?" "N-No, I had no clue! Auntie Celestia hasn't ever mentioned that to me!" Luna walked past Cadance towards her chair, sitting down. "When I sleep, frames of the mind show themselves to me. I protect them from nightmares... and when I do, I record them." Cadance looked to the scrolls inside the cabinet, now wishing a little less to actually see one. "I understand nightmares." "Well... what about that weird black aurora your magic sometimes makes?" "Passage. I enter sleep while waking. Therefore, while in the distance, I see what nightmares I remember. I can record them with accuracy." Cadance held her gaze with Luna's for a second before looking away, her mind still processing this information. "Thoughts and dreams are one together. They are no different. As I see dreams, I hear thoughts." "I had no clue you had the ability to do all of this..." "Many don't." Cadance looked down to the cabinet. "So... when I asked about these the first time around, why'd you say that you couldn't explain, and that I couldn't see them?" "Words serve nay justice, and still do not. You know but the surface. Layers upon layers to this exist, and words express nothing of how beautiful it all is. These recordings; I am trusted with them. They are not mine to behold, neither yours. They belong to who's mind created them." "Do you have any... recordings of my dreams?" Luna chuckled. "Thou- you are too happy for nightmares. No paper in this room holds the frames of your mind." "What about Shining Armor?" "Aye." Luna held up a hoof, anticipating Cadance's next words. "He may see it if he so chooses, and he may tell you of it. You may not behold it. Understand; the recordings are more than private. They are sacred." Cadance huffed. "This is all just... so strange." "Words serve nay justice." "Yeah, you're right about that." Again, Cadance looked away from Luna. "I... I'm sorry I ever thought you'd be evil again. You're just a little... hard to understand sometimes, Auntie." "My mind is not healthy, niece. Sister knows that. A mind doing such things as mine cannot be healthy." Luna smiled, her ear flicking. Luna laughed at the uneasy expression now on Cadance's face. "Unhealthy does not mean insane, dear niece. I am far from insanity." "I... never said you were insane." "You do not know that you did." "What, did you read my thoughts again?" "I read your expression. Words are but a formality, niece. One speaks more with themselves than they do their tongue." Cadance took a breath in, not quite knowing what to say next. "Uh, well... you aren't upset with me, are you?" Luna chuckled. "I do not get upset. You did not understand my sayings... that is understandable. Sister does understand me well, for she is as I am." "She... can see dreams, too?" Luna smiled, her hoof coming up from her seat and resting idly on the table. "Nay; she is different minded! Age as deep as hers is something one cannot walk through and leave unscathed." Cadance chuckled as she sat down at her usual place across from Luna. "I always thought Auntie Celestia was a little weird, as well." "An age old affliction of the mind affects you, young niece." returned Luna, her eyes closed and her wings half-spread. "And... that is?" "Fear of the unknown. Mask it how you will; tis fear none the less. You proclaim our sister to be weird, and imply I too am weird. You have made assumptions about my actions on this token, and in those assumptions, assumed me to be 'evil'. Fear of the unknown." Cadance stammered, feeling a little small in her seat. "W-Well, I mean, everything lined up real-" Luna held up her hoof, her eyes still closed and her wings still spread. "Fear of the unknown. You were afraid of me, aye?" "In a way... I suppose so." Luna nodded. "I... see what you mean, but how do I... not fear what I don't know?" Luna's eyes opened, her calm expression now a smile. "I am still yet to find out, dear niece."
EPILOGUEUpon their thrones with Cadance standing between them, sat Luna and Celestia, the trio's gaze resting upon the sunset just beyond the open doors of the castle's throne room. Next to Luna's throne stood her secretary and two guards, who too looked out across the hall as they awaited the sun's departure. In the grand hall stood the usual number of stoic guards posted at their pillars, but only a keen eye would find anything new. Above them, hanging from brass chains, were a series of rolled banners, and from the corner of each banner, hung a brilliantly golden chord of silken rope, the rope being ended with an ornate knot and tassel. The other end of the banner was adorned with a similar feature, however, in their current state, that second rope was shorter, and out of reach without the use of magic. Luna's hooves tapped excitedly at the cushion of her throne as the sun finally passed the mountains in the distance, and without her input, the guards stationed below the banners were cloaked by an all-encompassing aurora of blue magic. The aurora faded, leaving every guard, including every other guard within the castle, with the exact appearance of her two personal protectors. She laughed, hopping from her throne and trotting to the edge of the platform her and her sister's thrones were stood upon. Cadance too smiled, watching Luna's expression light up brighter than she had ever seen it as the guards, in perfect unison, pulled at their ropes with their teeth, the banners above slowly scrolling to downward to reveal their deep blue fabric, and at their center, Luna's mark. Though, at the far end of the room, the group could see one guard tugging upon his rope with no avail. "Your Highness, mine is stuck!" he called, his voice echoing through the hall. Luna groaned. "Confounded machinery; this is not the first time it has given up conniptions!" Celestia let out a throaty chuckle as she watched her sister trotting down the stairs of the platform on her way to repair the banner. "It is your design, after all, sister." Luna scoffed, looking over her shoulder. "We shalt hear none of it! It functioned perfectly in my tests!" Again, Celestia laughed as Luna continued on. "Auntie, you mean to tell me that Luna designed... whatever mechanism controls the banner's raising and lowering?" inquired Cadance, looking up to Celestia, who despite being seated, was still far taller than she. "Of course. Luna is horribly intelligent. All of those puzzles on her desk are of her own design." "Wait, really?" Celestia nodded. "Indeed. That mind of hers has to do something to keep itself occupied," she explained, looking back out to Luna, who had removed the banner from its chains and was doing something with it on the floor. Cadance stared at her Auntie's gentle smile, the look in her eyes only speaking love. "I... had a great time with her while you were gone." "Oh, she told me. It's been a full two days since I got back, and I still haven't heard the end of 'the niece you have gifted me with is more than I could dream of'." Cadance blushed. "She enjoyed my company that much? I mean, I knew she had enjoyed it; she herself had said so..." "You have no clue, Cadance. Thank you, by the way, for opening your heart to her. I know she can be difficult to understand sometimes, but you; for the most part, looked beyond that." "What do you mean, 'for the most part'?" Celestia laughed. "You suspected her of being an evil tyrant." Cadance blushed again, hiding her face behind her curly mane. "She made it sound like she was planning something!" "She was planning something! Just not what you expected. There's a lesson to learn here, Cadance; don't make assumptions about somepony without the whole picture." "But... I had tons of evidence." Celestia stuttered for a second. "Well, then you should only confront somepony about something you suspect them of once you're totally positive." "Actually, she confronted me." Celestia groaned. "Cadance, I'm trying to teach you a lesson!" "I know! I know! I'm just saying... I already learned my lesson. Seeing her nearly cry drove your point home far before you made it." "I'm surprised she wasn't more upset with you. Luna is the sweetest pony I've ever known, and it haunts her that she ever let herself fall so far. It haunts her more than the worst nightmares you or I could ever dream up." Cadance's ears fell flat. "I know. I've never seen somepony look so... horrified before." Celestia hummed. "It's in the past, now, and you didn't cause any harm. Don't dwell on it. Be glad you were able to make her so happy. Trust me; she doesn't show it all that often, but she enjoys the company of others probably more than you do." Cadance looked back out into the hall as Luna's magic floated the banner back up to its chains, her words with the guard below unintelligible. She and Celestia watched as the guard tugged at the rope, this time, the banner properly extending. Luna's triumphant exclamation sang through the hall as she began back towards the throne platform. "Sister, I shall be going to ensure the rest of the banners have functioned properly! Art thou... are you going to join me?" Celestia rubbed her neck. "I... am a little worn out after today, and wanted to get some sleep." "No matter! Cadance shall be there to accompany me!" Celestia looked down to Cadance. "You're not going to bed soon?" "Actually, Auntie, I'm adjusting my sleep schedule to be nocturnal." Celestia rolled her eyes. "Great, now there's two of you!" Luna laughed as she trotted past, collecting her secretary and guards as she continued on past the thrones, Cadance following closely. "Indeed! Fret not, sister, for I shall not keep her forever!" Celestia looked past her throne as the group moved further into the castle proper, leaving Celestia totally alone. After a moment, the clap of hooves against marble came from a separate hall, bringing Celestia's head around to see Shining Armor approaching. "I thought I heard Cadance..." he stated plainly, now stood in the archway of the hall he had come from. "You did, my Captain. My sister stole her..." Shining looked worried. "What do you mean?" "Cadance has declared that she will now be nocturnal." Shining's face went blank. "What?" Celestia simply nodded. Shining's brows bobbed as he smirked. "Now, she won't be tired when I have to work late. I can get behind this..." Celestia let out a sound of disgust as she waved her hoof in his direction. "Oh, I don't want to hear about it! Keep it in the bedroom." "We always do, your Highness." With that, he bowed, trotting back down the hall he had originated from.
