Beneath Star Filled Skies

by Mystic Mystery

Rating: teen
Tags: Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Princess Luna, Original Character, King Sombra, Tragedy, Princess Celestia
Length: 5770

Luna Asks Twilight for her help to bring back a Lost friend

Deep beneath the Crystal Empire lay the catacombs. Within them The excavates found something. its discovery let to Luna wasting no time in travailing there, even forgetting her duties in the process.
What they found was the crystallized body of the stallion that had once been her friend. She held a hope that the spell that made him that way could be undone, yet it would not be easy. The unfortunate situation being He was far more adept at the breaking of spells than she.
His grim-war remained.. it may help. Yet She couldn't read it. so that leaved only one pony she knew that could.
Twilight.

Twiight must read it and find a way, yet first, he left a way to share his memories and life so others dont make his same mistakes.

History unfolds for her and is told in the most unromantic way possible.. from the eyes of a pony who's sword often dripped in the blood of his fellow ponies..

No mater the shadows of the darkest day.
At your side, is where I shall stay.
And though we part, with the suns early rise,
We will meet again beneath star filled skies.
by
Mystic Mystery

(Cover art by KatOtter )

Published 2017-04-28 12:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2017-04-28 12:30:01 UTC

Chapter 1, Focus LUNA!!

Chapter 1, Focus LUNA!!

Original by Scribbler.
Adapted by Mystic Mystery
Edited by Daniel J.

Celestia flared her wings and set down on the crystal balcony. Her golden shoes barely made a noise, as if too cowed to actually follow physics and break the silence that seemed to have fallen over the place. She felt the tingle in the air; a kind of tension, like many breaths being held as many ponies waited for someone to tell them what was going on.

Someone like her.

It was always her who told others what was happening; always her who saw the bigger picture and endured the frightened gasps when the truth was bad. Being a ruler meant you kept your happiness close and your sorrows closer, the better to shield your ponies from the hurts of life.

Cadence was waiting at the Prench window. Briefly they touched noses, a courteous bit of affection that spoke far more than words could.

“Thank you for coming so quickly, Auntie.”

“Where is she?” Celestia asked softly.

“In the catacombs. We couldn’t move her. She … she set up a shielding spell to keep us out.”

Celestia nodded, expression carefully neutral. “Take me to her.”

It didn’t matter that Cadence was a princess with her own Empire now. Celestia’s quiet authority chimed the old chime in her niece and Cadence ceded to the order without protest that it was an order. Celestia noted this and filed it away as something to speak to Cadence about later. Rulers needed to be careful about who saw them being ruled themselves.

Guards stood aside, servants melting away into side rooms and alcoves as they passed by. Celestia knew she was imposing but wondered absently which alicorn they were most reverent of. More than one eye followed Cadence with the kind of awed wonder usually reserved for a goddess.

The two alicorns trotted down long hallways and through rooms with such ornate vaulted ceilings that even Celestia was impressed. Stained glass windows were her favorite decoration at home but these put her whole receiving chamber to shame. Intricate patterns wove in an out in a calculated dance of color, light and shadow that made her want to stop and study them even when she knew she should not. The power of the beauty here was staggering.
The Crystal Empire had always been renowned for its architecture. Millennia ago, they had hoarded their secrets and allowed nopony outside their lands to learn how they created such magnificent splendour from solid crystal. Their insular nature had been their downfall, since they interacted so rarely with the outside world that nopony knew what Sombra had wrought here until it was too late.

The crystal ponies had paid a high price for their self-interest. Celestia hoped the second chance they had been granted would result in a more open international policy. Judging by the number who had emigrated to Canterlot, she had faith they would not repeat the mistakes of the past.

Shining Armour was at his post on the last door. Magic prickled along Celestia’s shoulders, making her hackles rise involuntarily. The doors muffled it, infused as they were in magic of their own, but still the tang of alicorn spell casting suffused the air. She shook off the feelings as Shining bowed to her.

“At ease. You’re not my Royal Guard Captain anymore, Shining Armour.”

“Apologies, your Majesty. The whole prince thing is still new to me.” He rose, nuzzling Cadence warmly.

“Is she still inside?” Celestia asked.

His face contorted for a moment before he could hide it. “Yes, your Majesty. She is. She … hasn’t come out since Wednesday.”

Celestia was aghast. “But that was two days ago!” Alicorns could slow their metabolism at will in times of crisis, but dehydration affected them as much as any mortal pony.

“We made sure to leave food and water beside her shield,” Shining Armour explained.

“Sometimes she takes it. Sometimes she doesn’t. Mostly she just sits and … well, stares.”

“She used to talk,” Cadence added. “First to us, then to herself, we thought, but ...” She bit her lip before continuing. “She stopped after a while. It’s like we’re not even there anymore.”

Celestia’s chest clenched. She ruffled her feathers. “Take me to her.” She arched her neck. “Please.”

Nodding, Shining gestured to a pair of Crystal Guards, who pulled open the heavy double doors. A winding, rough-hewn staircase spiralled away into blackness pierced only by sconces in the walls. The crystal surface beneath Celestia’s hooves became coarse as she stepped forward. Her shoes crunched and squeaked slightly. It was not jagged enough to cut through the enchanted metal, but anyone without wings would have to mind not to slip or they would be badly gashed. She lit her horn for extra light, bathing everything in a soft golden glow.

Shining Armour and Cadence followed as she began her descent. Part of her wanted to shoo them away, but she allowed them to accompany her, as much for their benefit as for her own. They bade the guards remain behind and soon the only thing cutting through the silence was the sound of three sets of hoofsteps.

The shadows peeled back against Celestia’s magic. It was quite some time before the bottom of the cave loomed up from the darkness. Large shapes glistened in the ever-widening circle of her light like something on an ocean floor; ancient and raw, they pulsed with magic only a few ponies in the world knew how to use. One such pony had met a horrible end only a thousand or so years ago during that war, though by rights he should have died a few thousand years prior. There would have been much less pain if he had.

The catacombs stretched out in all directions but Celestia immediately knew which way to go. She recognized her sister’s magic as easily as she would her own and sped up to reach her. Cadence and Shining Armour struggled to keep up with her longer stride but she did not slow for them. She faltered only when the pale blue iridescence of Luna’s shield spell came into view.

A figure sat in the middle of the radiant half-globe. Luna’s mane and tail billowed like always, but something about her was diminished. She seemed smaller than Celestia remembered, even though she had spoken to her only a few days prior. Luna had been smiling then, pleased at the rising popularity of the Night Court amongst the Equestrian citizens. That had been before the letter arrived from the Crystal Empire about the strange discovery beneath the Crystal Castle and she had teleported herself out of Canterlot without Celestia’s knowledge, causing uproar when night failed to come and she was nowhere to be found.

“Luna?”

Luna did not turn.

“Sister, please.”

Still, she did not move.

“We tried calling her. We even tried yelling at her. She never responds,” Shining Armour explained.

Celestia was not deterred. “Luna, let me in. let me in right now or I will break this spell myself and come to you whether you like it or not.” The authority of the Sun Princess fell away, relinquishing itself to the authority of a big sister.

A big sister who knew her little sister was in pain.

A big sister who wasn’t sure she could heal it, but was determined to try anyway.

The shield spelled flickered just long enough to indicate Luna had heard her. Then it died.

Celestia stepped through the crystalline outcroppings, choosing a place that looked least uncomfortable to sit down. Next to her, Luna continued to stare upwards as if still alone. The silence between them was heavy as air before a storm. Celestia wondered whether she should be the one to break it. She was grateful to Cadence and Shining Armour for keeping back. This was a private matter. She would explain it to them later – they deserved some answers – but for now all that mattered was Luna and the focus of her baleful stare.

“Sister –”

“He was here all this time.” Luna’s voice sounded crackly from disuse and possibly dehydration. Her eyes were red and puffy but dry. She clearly had not been resting properly. “The catacombs did not vanish with the rest of the palace. They were buried here, under the snow. He was here … buried here alone … for all this time.”

“Luna, I –”

“I do not know how to free him, sister. I have tried as many spells as I am able but … none have worked and … and I am frightened that if I try more powerful magic I may …. I may hurt … even k-kill …” Her words dissolved into pained heaving, as if just trying to say them caused her pain.

Celestia spread one wing and used it to draw her sister close. She was reminded of times when they were young and she had performed the same gesture to help cut knees or stubbed noses feel less painful. A wing-hug could not heal a broken heart, however.

The unicorn stallion locked in the chunk of crystal before them stared out, though she would wager he could not see them. His prison was as ageless as the cavern around them: cold, beautiful and cruel. It was an ignoble fate for a pony who had saved her sister’s life.

Celestia could feel his magic pulsing faintly at the center of the crystal, but the secrets of crystal magic had been another thing the Empire hoarded during its heyday. She suspected most had disappeared with Sombra himself. The irony was too awful: by defeating the despot, Twilight and her friends may have taken away the only means Luna had to reunite with the pony who had loved her when it seemed to her that everyone else favored her sister.

Loved her enough to take the blast of crystal magic meant for her.

Loved her enough to endure a living death.

Loved her enough to leave her all alone.

Loved her enough that the loss of him had allowed her sorrow to eat away at her and Nightmare Moon had seeped into the corrosive loneliness left behind.

“He once gave me a paperweight of a moth encased inside a crystal ball,” Luna whispered. “He had come here, to the Empire, especially to purchase it for me as a token on my birthday. I thought it a terrible gift. I was always so foul-tempered back then. I thought he was calling me a moth to your a beautiful butterfly, so I smashed it in a rage. Do you know what he did? He picked up every single shard with his telekinesis and spent a month putting it back together. When he gave it to me again, I didn’t understand. It was uglier than ever, all covered in cracks so one could not see the moth inside anymore. He told me that imperfection is beauty and to love someone’s imperfections is to love them fully. I … I didn’t understand. I sent him away. I was hurt. And then … I wanted the crystal to be whole again. I didn’t want it to be imperfect. It seemed so important at the time. I was so … so stupid. S-so I came here to the Empire, to have one of the artisans work their magic upon it. Sombra heard that I was here and must have thought I was spying on him … he sent an … assassin …” Her eyes closed. Her lashes were spiked with moisture. “Mystic had followed to watch over me. If it weren’t for him, I … I would fallen then and there. He always gave everything for us.. W-we have to do something for him.”

“We will take him back to Equestria with us,” Celestia murmured. “Whatever happens, Luna, we will find a way to save him. I promise.”

It was not a promise she knew she could keep, and therefore it was a cruel promise to make, but Celestia made it anyway.

Luna finally stopped staring at the stallion, buried her face in her big sister’s wing and sobbed out a pain over a thousand years old.

***

What now? Luna pondered as she paced back and forth for yet another hour as she stared yet again at the statue. Is crystalline facets shone brilliantly in the rising moon, despite its general dull gray color.

The plinth it sat on made the already taller than average figure tower over her.

Now that this was in her position, she was unsure on how to proceed.

Despite their magical prowess, neither she nor her sister had been able to weaken the spell that resided on his statue. Crystal magic was difficult at the best of times, and her own skills with it where sadly inept.

There was maybe one speck of hope. He had left behind one crucial item: a journal.

A twinge of sorrow tugged at Luna. If only He were here, He would be able to guide her in this, but He...

“Focus Luna,” she shocked herself by saying that out loud. She must get a hold of herself. Dwelling on the past will not change the present in the slightest. But if only-NO! She mustn’t allow herself to be swallowed by that type of thinking. The matter at hoof is what she must focus on.

The journal- arguably one of the most powerful artifacts in Equestria. Containing all his own extensive work and knowledge, not to mention the not so small bit of knowledge she and her sister had added to it themselves. It would be shocking if that tomb contained nothing to guide her on this.

Yet due to his efforts to safeguard it, and his mastery in enchantments, not even she nor Celestia could access its wisdom.

“I must find somepony to handle it in my sted,” She spoke out loud. Her pacing stopped in favor of facing the statue. “Yet to whom can I trust such a dangerous treasure.” She spoke as if asking the statue for advice.

It obviously stayed silent. Though without any help the answer presented it rather easily.

Twilight.

Twilight has been through so much already. Surely she was more than capable. Twilight her self has proven she is worthy time and time again. Yet, would she help her with this? Especially after how poorly she has treated the little pony.

A twinge of unease filled Luna. Twilight might grow to know far more than Luna hoped for. Though, after what He had risked for her, she could certainly risk the truth about her and her sister coming to light.

“You will be Free once more my friend.” She held her gaze on the statue for a few heartbeats before turning to head back to the castle. There was a letter she needed to send.

Author's Note

Scribbler Wrote a great deal of this. in fact much of it is Cruel beauty. i altered it and edited it. then added some after words.
Thanks Scribbler, for telling me this story is not shit.

Chapter 2. Cold Tears

Chapter 2. Cold Tears

Original by me.
edited by Daniel J.

One of the straps needed to be tighter on this left side. Twilight gave a sigh as she whipped her purple mane out of her face and back to its normal place. Her magic tightened up the rebellious strap. Some pones might say that one strap out of sixteen holding a statue on a cart being loose was nothing to worry about. That several hours getting everything just right was a tad excessive.

Those ponies did not have Princess Luna watching the back of their head like a Mother dragon watching her brood.

Most would wonder why this statue meant so much, or why they couldn't just use magic. Twilight would have been one of them not four weeks ago. Those were nicer times. True- monsters and various catastrophes seemed to inexplicably fall out of the sky rather often. Still, her and her friends could handle them all.

What she could not handle was this sudden anxiety she felt. Deep in her heart she was not sure if her plan would work. As Luna circled to examine the straps, looking grim and tired, Twilight decided that voicing this particular concern would not be a good idea.

Once the statue was definitely secured to the reinforced cart, and said cart enchanted to not bounce or jostle, to Luna's high standards. The guards began pulling it to take it to the castle laboratory. To anyone else, it was a gray crystal statue of a stallion waring old style armor. It resembled to most an old memorial for guards or war horses.

After a month spent in Canterlot, Twilight knew better. Taking a step forward, she began to follow the cart inside, Hoping to finish what had been an exhausting month.

***

Four weeks prior

Twilight was accustomed to having letters come to her from the princesses. Used to the way they would uproot her and send her on a quest were the fate of Equestria hangs in the balance. It had almost become a matter of everyday life. What she was not used to, was the unyielding secrecy of this one.

Luna was not one to make idle requests. So When the letter came on the princesses personal, not royal stationary, let alone it not appearing via Twilight's ever-faithful assistant spike, asking for extreme discretion as she makes her way to the castle alone. Twilight took this vary seriously, even for her.

Taking a breath as she stepped out onto the lantern-lit Canterlot station platform brought not only oxygen, but a flood of memories. The air in Canterlot teamed with a buzz of magic as it always did. This Always made her feel alive and ready for anything. It also reminded her of the smell of old books and late nights spent in fascination as Celestia guided her in new ideals and depths of magic she never thought possible.

Driving these memories from her mind, Twilight took a path, So often her hooves fell along it, she mused it could be walked in her sleep. Over the wide main road to the castle. It seemed odd to see such a normally busy thoroughfare now abandoned. Far from anything exciting, this time any way.

At this late hour the streets were nearly devoid of city life. Unlike Lost Pegasus or Manehatten, Canterlot did sleep. Now empty of the furtive looks and often outright gawking, the walk was very pleasant for Equestria’s newest princess.

Turning the last corner offered a wide and unobstructed view of the castle. The wide open sky behind and, in some places, below it. The curves of the arches, peaks of the towers, and glistening marble walls silhouetted across a full moon. Dark blue sky making every light in the arched windows stand out. The castle seemed to glow from within, as if the two who rule from its gold and silver thrones lit it with there very presence.

Splendor. Not a word Twilight used often, yet one that simply fit.

Making her way down the cobblestone path, she passed a lone guard on patrol. In dipping her head in response to his salute, her gaze was drawn to a portable news stand. The yellow unicorn stallion was packing up. Only a few brightly colored magazines where left. One cover in particular caught her attention.

Her own face drawn as a maniacal cartoon character standing on two corpses. This brought a visceral response as her magic levitated it to read properly. Her wings flaring ever so lightly. Ever sense she had become an alicorn and by extent a princess, the tabloids had been making many many stories about her. Few of them were positive, though some were at least amusing. This one though..

It followed a familiar line about how after her defeat of Tirek she would rise to rule all with an iron hoof. Honestly she wished they would go back to the previous story. Her being the illegitimate star-child of Princess Celestia, who was trained from a young age to conduct covert assassinations of foreign leaders.

Princess Celestia liked bringing it up at random intervals by calling her star assassin. Not the most creative nickname when you think about it. Celestia may be amazing, but you simply can't expect amazing all the time, despite Rainbowdash's sincerer attempt to the contrary.

Placing the magazine back she left the news stand behind. No need to keep Luna waiting.

She made her way through the open doors of the castle, flanked by two rows of nearly identical and stone statuesque guards.

Elegant finery decorated many of the walls, alcoves, nooks, and niches. Her own castle was sparsely decorated in the few places with anything at all. Even though her friends spent a long day decorating it, the difference was still staggering. For now she liked how it was, far more personal and much more comfortable than a looming fortress. Also, without the legions of guards that somehow covered every corner and entrance. She was still free. Free to study as she wished. Free to help all who need it. And free to sleep in on an occasional lazy Sunday morning when the fancy struck her.

Checking the throne room was first on her list, she had brought a list after all. Luna often held night court so it was a safe bet. Yet the throne room was eerily dark and quiet tonight. Most importantly, distinctly lacking any immortal night-princesses. The brilliant stained glass windows along the walls were dim. The usually prismatic colors now seemed to be painted in hues of gray. The stars on the other side bright enough to shine through, providing the only illumination in the vast hall. Their twinkling, shifting colors the only light for the vibrant glass tonight.

Luna's absence was rather surprising. Twilight resumed her trek through the castle, continuing the search for Luna. All the while the list of places Luna wasn't was quickly growing, as the list of place she was stayed at a constant zero.

Twilight was absent-mindedly fanning herself with a wing as she spotted the garden.

I never noticed how stuffy some of these rooms are. I should tell Celestia in the morning. Maybe they’ll put some actual ventilation in this ancient palace.

She chuckled to herself as she thought of a series of pegasi stationed in the castle, paid big bits simply to flap their wings all day.

The Elite Fanners of Equestria. ‘Only the best of the best of the best of the Wonderbolts are picked from across the nation.’ Silly filly! She thought in her distracted monologue. I can’t let myself lose track of the task at hoof. Her eyes stopped their scan as they set upon the garden. Why not look here?

Why not? Luna wasn't in her room, her balcony, or any other obvious place. Might as well take a look. Twilight had even checked every section of the massive library, admittedly she didn’t mind that to much.

As she walked among the garden’s paths, she observed that most of the flowers were closed. Without the rainbow of color splashing the bushes, the normally luscious greenery looked rather dull and abandoned, like those of the Everfree Forest. The night really did make things seem vastly different.

This was the last place she would think to look. If this was fruitless as well, she'd have to ask a guard. Theeeeeen so much for secrecy, she thought.

Deciding to entertain a whim, she stopped to examine the plaque on a new statue.

We will meet again,

beneath star filled skies

She had just begun to take in its expertly carved and etched features, when the flowers around its base drew her attention. Pale white flowers were in bloom around it, obscuring the plinth bellow the stallion. Their strong scent could be smelled without stooping low. Reminding Twilight of mint or cinnamon, it refreshed her head and reawakened her mind. She noted the seven petals that hung low as the throat aimed at the moon.

Is it my imagination. Or do they glow, just a little?

“Those Are Moon lilies.”

Twilight shot up what felt like fifty hooves in the air, her wings flaring wide and holding her for a few moments as she spun wearily. Suddenly feeling thankful for being outside with no ceiling to hit her head on.

Out of the darkness a flowing nebula seemed to approached her. Bright blue-green eyes appeared out of the night moments later. As Twilight's heart rate settled back down and her hooves found soft grass, her mind caught back up with her conclusions. She dipped her head in a bow.

“The year has long passed since you have to bow to me Twilight Sparkle.” A fragile smile lit up Luna's already breath taking features. It faded rather quickly though, returning to her normal somber countenance.

It was always intimidating, speaking with Luna. She was far from mean; there was nothing to fear from her. Rather, she was far more withdrawn and more than a little direct in her speech. Also, their first impressions were...inauspicious at best. It made relations a bit strained at times.

Shoving this from her mind Twilight finally replied, “Good night Princess, what was it you wanted with me?”

Luna gazed at the statute for a moment before responding. This made it draw Twilight’s gaze once more. It was, as far as she could tell, a stallion about as tall as Luna. Standing with hooves spread in a sturdy stance. His head turned to the side, facing the two mares beneath the plinth. The horn cresting his head stretched far above him. A hood fell over his shoulders, Just as his long mane flowed as if in a wind. clad in a robe-like jacket that bellowed beneath his armor. The armor itself was a design she had never seen before. All of this in gray crystal with interweaving vanes of white spreading out from its pure white horn. It projected a harsh feeling, cold and grim, staring out with blank, determined eyes. Most akin to a sullen war memorial compared to the cheerful blue crystal and vibrant flowers that pervaded rest of the garden. It stood out as a band saw would in a classical piece by Bethoofen.

“This is what brings you here.” Her voice had hushed dramatically, yet each syllable was still enunciated with the utmost care and precision.

More than a little nonplussed, Twilight asked, “If your asking my advice on its placement, It seems rather out of place. Though I'm not much of a decorator. Perhaps if I get rarity-”

“No.”

It was not a yell; nor was it scolding. It was but a simple syllable, yet one that stole the breath from Twilight's lungs. The shear power of speech Luna possessed was incredible. Centuries upon centuries of rule had given her a power to silence a crowd with but a word. Saying Twilight envied her would not be straying far from he truth.

“It is far, far more complicated than that, I'm afraid...” Her words trailed off with a sigh. “To start from the beginning will take several hours simply to cover the basics.”

“I Have no where else to go. We have the time.” Twilight retorted matter-of-factly.

For a few eternal moments Luna said nothing. The air felt frozen, as if unwilling to move without the princess's say. Not a single dare disturb the silence.

“For now I will give but a taste of a life, a life long sense lost.” She paused. “Kingdoms come and go. With them, cities rise and cities fall. As do generations and the bloodlines of ponies.. My sister and I were the only constant this world had for thousands of years. Almost.”

“Almost?” Twilight could not resist asking.

Nodding, Luna continued. “Remember Twilight Sparkle, my sister and I were not always like we are today. We too where once small, and from the time I was small there was one other. A bright and curious unicorn colt. Together we grew, learning much from my sister. With his presence, the long nights alone were not as lonely.” She paused for a moment. “Despite never using the word at the time, friend is what he was.” She stepped closer to the statue. Her eyes glistened just a little more than normal.

“He was there through the darkest of times, without complaint. Then suddenly after centuries of companionship, he was gone.” Her eyes closed remorsefully.

A thousand questions instantly erupted in Twilight’s mind. Centuries? As in more then one? That was the mane one. Though despite that revelation, Luna did not give Twilight time to ask any of them.

“Thanks to my weakness, he ended up as what you see here. That is why I have summoned you here,” she finished abruptly, turning to Twilight.

Stunned for a minute, Twilight stammered. She still was overwhelmed with the onslaught of questions filling her mind.

“What am I supposed to do?” Twilight looked at the statue and suddenly gasped in realization. He ended up like this? This wasn't a war memorial, or something built in memory of this stallion. It was that stallion! Considering all she has been through something like this shouldn’t have been that shocking. She and her friends had already turned discord to stone and back: this wasn't much different.

Still, she knew virtually nothing of crystal magic. Could he even be brought back after all those years? A mental shudder ran through Twilight at the thought of voicing that to Luna. Better keep that idea silent, She concluded.

“My sister and I have done all we can at the moment. So I need you to read a book.” Luna replied at last. Twilight looked up with confusion and a little disappointment. “But not just any book.” Without warning. there was a burst of white and blue flame next to Luna's horn. It somehow seemed to burn in reverse.

Twilight’s head spun as she tried to fathom such a thing. Gradually, a scuffed leather-bound book appearing as the flame spread. Not a single burn lay upon it when the spell finished.

Awe ran through Twilight's entire being. “What sort of magic was that?”

“One of his later spells.” Luna enveloped the strange tomb in her magic, and then gently brought it to rest between them. She gave a flick of one of her ears in momentary uncomfort. “That is his grimoire, It has been held in his own magical made dimension. Though I am able to draw it out, am unfortunately unable to read it, so I had no need to recall it till now.”

“Why can't you read it?” In wrapping her own magic field around it Twilight nearly dropped the precious object. It was very heavy despite its small size. She was unsure of what to expecting, but it didn't feel right. It was thin, maybe three pages between it's hard covers.

“Look at the first page and you shall see for yourself.”

So she did. The first page had a single blue line written in vary elegant script. With many loops and long tails. Twilight peered at the words and read:

Only those found worthy by the moon and sun shall read what lies within

That was it. Answering the unspoken question Luna said, “I cannot find myself worthy. Therefore I need you to read and search through his spells for anything and everything that may help.”

“Help? How can he help more than your own magic?”

“I am no master when it comes to breaking spells or enchantments. He had a great deal more talent with that area of magic than I,” Luna turned to head back to the castle. “You will find a room ready and waiting in the east tower. Tell no pony, and do not leave the grimorie unattended for any reason.”

“But there is nothing in it.”

“There will be. Goodnight Twilight Sparkle.” She stopped and turned back. “Twilight, one final message. I know our relationship has not been one to invite confidences. I have been reluctant to trust you. Often doing little more then Question your competence. So with this I hope to show how much I have grown to appreciate what you can do. Although this is something different entirely.” Luna paused for a few moments before continuing. A single tear rolling down her cheek. A sign of emotion the rest of her somber and resolute appearance made no mention of. “Know I am asking, not as Princess of the Night, but as Luna. Somepony who would really like to apologize to a very good friend.” On that note she turned and seemed to vanish in the darkness, despite the bright full moon.

Glancing at the thin bits of worn brown leather told her nothing more. Not even the name of the Author. She looked at the statue as if expecting the gray mouth to open and give answers to all of her questions. His face was smooth. Could he really be centuries old? “What have I gotten myself in to?” Twilight asked desperately. The cold crystal gave her no answers.

Author's Note

This fic is long in the making. I tend to be rather picky, so i end up rewriting things again and again. Hopefully it manages to be serviceable, and enjoyable. (totally not an after thought)
the third chapter is waiting for an edit at the moment.

I Started this over two years ago, the original ideas of it shifted a great deal over time, from a love story to a grim-dark. Now its a little bit of every things it once was. Its been a fun trip and i hope some of you enjoy it as much as i did thinking about this.

Also i have a song to start out what i intended to be a sort of sound track. it sets the mood for atleast one charicter and if i had skills other than almost wrighting coherently, id likely cover them as sutch but.. I cant, and havent, so if posable suport the artists please. i haent to like thease songs.

the first is.
Let It Die
by, starset
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJtBYAKBByk

thank you all. leave a comment if you wanna know anything important or you spot a problem. i can take it.

and so.
Though we part with the suns early rise,
we will meet again beneath star filled skies.