Prologue: Equestria (edited)

In the realm of Statera on the land called Equestria

    We find Princess Celestia, an alicorn mare with a white coat, a mane and tail with hues of blue, green and pink flowing in an unseen wind, the mark of the sun on her flank, wearing a crown, a golden peytral with a lilac gem and decorated horseshoes.

    She was having dinner with her sister, Princess Luna, an alicorn mare with a dark blue coat and a mane and tail that bears a resemblance to the night skies with shimmering stars, also wearing her royal regalia.

    These two are the diarchs, the royal sisters, the ruling princesses of this magical and magnificent land called Equestria.

    They are having a meal together, which is only possible at dinner and breakfast, -at dawn and dusk respectively- because of their opposing schedules with one awake and ruling during the day and the other during the night. Because of their sturdier physiology as alicorns they could stay awake for more than a week, but that would leave them in a very bad mood. Nopony likes to stay awake for longer than they have to. So they meet when they are about to trade places, only occasionally staying awake for more than a day.

    Celestia was observing Luna. She is adapting well to modern times. Just last month she came back from spending Nightmare Night in Ponyville with the Elements of Harmony. Luna was also getting better with modern speech, only slipping to the old Equestrian when she is too upset, angry or surprised to notice, but she is getting better.

    At least Luna has made some friends and she was being accepted by her subjects, but she still has a long way to go to recover from her thousand year banishment to the moon. A banishment that she caused.

    Celestia, despite what her little ponies think, has flaws and she always had a bit of arrogance, but she hides it well. It was this attitude that made her ignore the signs of Luna’s emotional distress. She always brushed off her worries by saying something like, “They will come to appreciate you and your night” or “They need to prepare for the next day”, while she basked in the love of their subjects. It was only when Luna’s repressed feelings reached the boiling point that she felt the consequences of her actions, -or inaction in this case-, not only on herself but on a loved one.

    She looked back at her life, reevaluating herself. Her first humbling experience was when she saw and understood the mortality of those around her as she and Luna watched their mothers and half-siblings age and die. But at least they lived good and long lives. That was the first time she realized that Luna would be at her side for the rest of her life. Her long -possibly eternal life. Her second and third humbling experiences were her and Luna’s defeat by King Sombra and Discord, but she rationalized that their powers were unnatural and that's why it took both princesses to stop them. But her most humbling experience was Luna’s banishment. In her hubris she wanted her problems go away and the elements made it so. Maybe the elements punished both of them with a thousand years of loneliness.

    For the first time in life she felt alone, even around her subjects. But their lives faded and she remained ruling alone. That was the first time she truly felt the weight of her crown.

    Luna was the only family she had on this world, but when Cadence ascended she felt hope. Maybe she and Luna were not as alone as they thought. She adopted the young alicorn to show Luna that they could have a family again.

    While they both loved their father, he has duties in a distant realm, only coming to visit once every three or four centuries, and couldn't stay for long. The only two times he stayed for an extended period of time were on her foalhood and later during Luna's. Besides, the last time she saw him was before Luna’s banishment.

    Trying not to dwell on such thoughts, she remembered that Twilight’s birthday was yesterday and Celestia allowed her and her friends to use the ballroom. They wanted to use the courtyard, but Fancy Pants already had it reserved for one of his high society parties.

    She was glad to have her sister back, and with her pupil’s potential -and Cadence’s possible wedding-, to have a family again. It would certainly help Luna.

    Unknown to her, she and Luna are about to meet a very peculiar member of their extended family.

At Asgard Dungeon

    Locked in his cell, behind the energy walls that were supposed to nullify his magic sat Loki, feeling that things are about to get interesting. He smiled as the guards came with chains to escort him to his trial.