Luna's First True Love

Chapters

1 A Good Vintage
2 Make A Wish
3 Heartbreak and Redemption
4 The Final Assault

1 A Good Vintage

Peace reigned over the newly formed Equestria. The peace that had been brokered between Clover the Clever, Smart Cookie and Private Pansy had been holding for many generations, and year on year those bonds had only grown stronger as marriages blossomed between the tribes. The ancient animosities that existed since the dawn of recorded history and had been perpetuated by the likes of Commander Hurricane, Princess Platinum and Chancellor Puddinghead had been consigned to history, as even the Windigos had been relegated into mere legend to be retold every Hearth’s Warming Eve.

The two leaders who had emerged to preside over the new era of prosperity ruled well, but were still both coming to terms with their immortality, a fact of their lives that they both addressed in different ways. The younger sister revelled in her eternal youth and developed a reputation as a party girl, flitting from one shallow encounter to another with an endless stream of willing playmates. The older sister however, was much more contemplative in outlook and had entered into a number of lifetime relationships, all of which had inevitably ended up in a graveside farewell whilst she herself had not aged a day.

The older sister was a consummate writer and thinker, and the more perceptive politician of the two, so gravitated to the role of protecting Equestria by day, where the threats that arose were typically those which had to be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue. The younger sister had a much greater flair for the artistic and displayed her talents to all across the vast expanse of the night sky. Indeed, she had adopted the night as her realm and every night defended Equestria in its sleep, both from monsters of the darkness and the torment of their own dreams. Thus, the two sisters worked in an endless cycle to defend Ponykind through day and night as the Yin and the Yan; equal yet opposed, a paradigm respected on the flag of Equestria to this day.

For all their obvious differences, the two were the closest of friends, each always looking out for the other as nopony else could, even though they only usually ever met every sunrise and sunset. Sometimes they would pair up in each other’s realm if there was a particularly challenging threat or if one needed the company of the other as sometimes everypony does, because even immortal alicorns still have feelings.

Their reign had not been without incident and they had tackled a number of serious threats from those who would seek to disrupt the idyllic existence of their subjects. Most recently, they had stood together in facing down a draconequus who threatened to invoke disorder and chaos throughout the land. He now stood ossified in stone as a statue in the sculpture garden, serving as a warning to those who may consider the Princesses a soft touch. They were not, and had proven to all that they would stop at nothing to protect the ponies of Equestria.

It was during this time that Luna, the blue coated younger sister found herself taking a break from her duties and partying hard at the Castle of the Two Sisters with likeminded ponies, drawn principally from the younger members of the Court and their friends. This particular event was an informal dance where two popular bands were taking it in turns to play sets of the most contemporary music while some of the audience danced, some listened, and others looked for an opportunity to seek a little intimate companionship with a new or established partner in one of the many private rooms nearby.

The kitchen staff had laid on a good spread and ensured that supplies of wine and cider would not run low. This was far from the white coated older sibling’s idea of fun, but she endorsed her sister’s indulgence, whilst dreading the clean-up bill that would inevitably land in her in tray a few days later.

Luna had long ago discovered that immortality did not bring with it any immunity against intoxication and was loudly regaling a group of friends and admirers one of her stories, comedically embellished for good effect and acting out scenes with caricatured accentuation to raise a laugh. She was the centre of attention and she knew it, casting her eye around whilst telling her stories to see who was paying her most rapt attention and shortlisting those most starry eyed and most attractive for possible conquest later on. She was in her element.

It was already fairly well on into the party and the guests had all been indulging. Luna was acting out her story about an unusual new recruit to the Wonderbolts with just a little too much theatrical flair for her alcohol content, and a bottle she held seemed to be on the point of turning into an unguided projectile when a stream of pink magical aura reached out to grab it. As the bottle suddenly froze in space, Luna turned abruptly in mid flow to see what was happening and overbalanced, falling onto the ground with the bottle still levitated safely above her.

Everypony gasped at the spectacle of the Princess sprawled unceremoniously on the floor and rushed forward to attend to her and pick her up. Fully anaesthetised with her sum of her earlier indulgence, she didn’t feel a thing, but broke out in a raucous laugh at her predicament. Although nervous glances were exchanged all round, the party resumed and Luna’s friendly gaze fell upon the source of the magical pink aura that still held the bottle aloft.

Far from being intimidated by Luna’s focused gaze, the pink unicorn just looked back and raised an eyebrow.
“It would have been a shame to have wasted such a good vintage” she said casually with a smile starting to form across her lips.
“Thank you” replied Luna “I guess I was getting a little carried away.”
“Sorry I cut off your story” replied the pink mare with no hint of being unsettled in the presence of one of the two most powerful alicorns in Equestria “But I should very much like to hear what happened when the giraffe finally got into the Wonderbolts flight suit …”

Here was somepony different from the usual crop of sycophants and fawners, and Luna was immediately intrigued, suddenly discarding her brash, unreserved persona for one of rapt attention in this new acquaintance. She was pretty, but unremarkable with her pink coat and yellow mane, but she had a spark of character that shone through her deep blue eyes, radiating a different type of beauty that she had rarely encountered. She wanted to learn more, but in an environment that she could control on a one to one basis, an environment that encouraged intimacy.

“I have a fine collection of rare artworks if you would be interested” Luna said by way of invitation.
“I think I can manage to fit it into my calendar” replied the unicorn with a coquettish grin.
Luna liked what she saw, and the two mares turned to walk side by side through the revellers towards the main doors.

Their hoofsteps echoed more loudly as the sound of the party gradually dissipated into the distance until the thick stone walls absorbed it completely, leaving the two mares alone. Two guards stood smartly to attention by either side of a well-built wooden door that led to her private chambers.
“Shall we?” said Luna opening the door with her magic and the pink mare entered, taking in the sumptuous beauty of the period décor.

Once inside and with the door closed behind them, Luna led her guest into her bedchamber and mounted the bed, reclining languidly as she surveyed her prey like a spider in its web.
“I missed your name” she whispered.
“My name is Peach Blossom, Princess”
“Oh, we can dispense with such formality now, don’t you think?”
“Why did you invite me here” she asked.
If Luna felt irritated by the question, she didn’t show it. The aching in her loins told her exactly why she had invited Peach Blossom into her bedchamber, but she was prepared to play a waiting game, if that’s what it took.
“I admired your pluck. You didn’t demean yourself to me when I fell; anypony else would have. You have a quality about you that I find refreshing and would rather like to get to know you better.”
“Do you intend to seduce me?”
“Well, that rather depends on you” Luna replied, unused to being put into a position where she had to work for her pleasure. She stroked her fur and gently tossed her mane back, shooting a sensual glance towards Peach Blossom. It was very clear that she was available.
“There’s a particularly beautiful mural on the ceiling” she prompted “Come to me.”
Peach Blossom had now received a direct order from the Princess, even though it had been issued at a whisper, it could still be interpreted as a command.
“Much as I desire you Princess, you could have had any one of the others around you, and I don’t doubt that each one would have succumbed to you in an instant, but I’m not like that. I respect you for your good work, the way you selflessly protect Equestria, and I believe I could be good for you.”

Luna felt the prospect of easy gratification slipping through her hooves, but although this frustrated her, she was intrigued. What had she meant by ‘I could be good for you’? To compound the issue, the pink unicorn was clearly unmoved by the spread laid out before her; she couldn’t remember ever having been turned down before by a stallion or a mare, but somehow felt strangely unable to banish her for the affront. There was some annoying quality that endeared her and she couldn’t put her hoof on it.

Peach Blossom knew she was playing a game that could result in either acceptance or rejection and forced herself not to let her eyes wander over Luna’s perfect form, lest she weaken in her resolve. She had a longer-term goal in mind, and if successful there would be plenty of opportunity to submit to her desires on other occasions, but for now she had to show the Princess that she couldn’t always have what she wanted, whenever she wanted it.

“Princess, do you have any of your artwork in here?” she enquired breaking the deadlock “I’ve seen your artistry upon the night sky, but believe you to be talented on many more media besides.”
This carefully crafted request allowed Luna to get off the bed without losing face and indulge her greatest passion, her creativity, to an appreciative audience, appealing to her mind rather than her body.

Still reeling inwardly at her rejection, she rose and realigned herself to entertain her guest with her artwork, showing off a side to her that nopony had ever seen before. Although still feeling an unrequited desire for physical satisfaction, her enthusiasm was soon absorbed in displaying a much more unseen and far more intimate side of herself represented through her portraits, landscapes and even wood carving.

The two got on famously with each other until Luna had to announce that it was time for her to attend to the duties of her office. As she was being shown out, Peach Blossom turned to the Princess and planted a kiss unexpectedly on her lips. Before Luna could respond, the kiss had ended and the pink mare had pulled away leaving her hostess startled.
“Thank you for a lovely time Princess. I hope we may continue on another occasion.”
Luna was surprised, and rendered temporarily speechless, responding only with an astonished, albeit lame “Of course.”

With that, the two mares parted, each to consider in their own ways what had happened during their time together and both looking forward to meeting up again soon.

2 Make A Wish

When next she was free, Luna took the opportunity to enquire after Peach Blossom and extend her an invitation for the next evening, requesting an RSVP, more to satisfy her nerves than for any desire of observing protocol. She need not have worried, for she received word back by return, and the answer was yes!

Before going to bed, she set in train a number of arrangements for the forthcoming dusk, all checked and double-checked, and then went to bed happy, dreaming beautiful dreams as her sister’s sun traversed overhead.

She rose late afternoon, a pitter-patter of anticipation running through her body. She couldn’t help but smile at anything and everything as she groomed herself and got ready for a special evening. Quite why Peach Blossom was having such an effect on her, she had no idea, but there was no doubting she was now feeling nerves like those she had experienced on her first date so many centuries ago. Indeed, she held out such high hopes for the evening as both a meeting of minds as well as just bodies, that it could almost be considered her first date as nopony had ever got this close to her before.

Looking resplendent and with her head held high, Luna left her private chambers with a song in her heart and a smile on her lips. Her first task was to send word to the kitchen to confirm her request was ready and then set off to the throne room to meet with Celestia. The guards snapped to attention and Luna gave them each a dazzling ‘thank you’ as she proceeded through into the presence of the Sun Princess.

“Good afternoon Sister” greeted Luna warmly as she approached the twin thrones across the sumptuous purple carpet with interlocked sun and moon motif in gold at its centre. Celestia looked up and smiled warmly at the arrival of her sister as the courtiers in attendance parted and a petitioner moved aside, furling up a scroll from which he had been entreaticing the Princess, bowing reverently.

“Good afternoon Luna” she replied, “You’re looking in especially high spirits today.”
“As well I should Sister” then repeating wistfully “As well I should …”
Snapping herself from her reverie, she continued “Are you able to brief me on the events of the day at this hour so I may proceed with my plans for the night?”
“Of course” confirmed Celestia, raising her head and issuing the decree “Court is dismissed!”

The throne room cleared itself of couriers, courtesans and petitioners, the last to leave being two guards who checked that the princesses were alone before exiting and taking their places either side of the door.
“Are you excited Luna?” asked Celestia, assuming the role not only of sister, but mother too.
“Like you cannot imagine” bubbled the younger sister “I shall not shirk in my responsibilities, but for once will share some of the time with somepony with whom I seek, shall we say, closer relations.”
“You mean to say that you haven’t yet wooed her?” asked Celestia raising an eyebrow.
“Yes, I know Sister. I am clearly losing my touch” she self-deprecated “But yet there is something about her that I find most attractive, some appeal that transcends fleshly delights.”
“I never thought I would hear such words from you, dear Luna”
“Perhaps I am ready for a steady relationship at last?”
“Now let’s not rush to conclusions, shall we?” teased Celestia with a knowing smile.
“Perhaps, but then again perhaps not” reflected Luna “But I am happy to play this game for now at least, and see where it leads.”

Both sisters shared a quiet moment together, each contemplating the unexpected turn of events in Luna’s personal life, what the bond of sisterhood meant to them and how much they loved each other. The bond was strong and nothing could ever break it, of that they were both certain.

“Nothing of immediate concern has happened today Luna, but I am hearing a few reports of possible disquiet within the Crystal Empire. I doubt if its anything much, but it may pay to keep an eye open in that direction, just in case. Other than that, it’s all pretty routine.”
“Thank you, Sister. It wold be easier if I was to conduct my dream walking from further north, nearer to the Crystal Empire, but as you say there is nothing more than the odd rumour, I shall not make such a journey tonight.”
“Now, run along and enjoy your date” instructed Celestia.
Luna felt an imperceptible blush as she was being reassured by a caring mother figure, like a filly on her first date. Yet, her sister wasn’t intrusive, just being supportive.
“I love you Celestia” she said, facing her sister “Thank you.”
“You’re most welcome” said the Sun Princess, bidding her farewell.

Nothing could ever tear the closeness of this bond apart, least of all some unsubstantiated rumours from way up north.

Luna next went down to the kitchens to pick up a pair of saddle bags and after checking herself once more in the mirror set off to the agreed rendezvous next to the fountain in the courtyard. The afternoon sun cast a glow of rich golden hues over the castle’s stonework while the passage of shadow crept relentlessly over the cobbles, separating the scene into two distinct worlds. In a few hours, she knew that darkness would have won, only to be pushed back into retreat once more with the arrival of the morning sun once the cycle repeated itself as it had every day since the castle had been built.

She marvelled at how the first settlers from all three tribes had met here hundreds of years ago and that their unity had been cemented at this very point as the first action of the new Equestria, an achievement recognised by the building of this castle and making it the seat of power; an honour held unbroken to this date.

Looking around, Luna could not see any sign of a pink pony and her heart sank. She rechecked the hour and confirmed that she was on time, her heart fearing that maybe she had misjudged her new marefriend and made a total fool of herself. Her trepidation increased, the fear of rejection rising within her making her legs shake just a little, not enough for anypony else to notice, but enough to sap her self-confidence with each hoofstep she made. Perhaps she had been delayed; perhaps something serious had happened to her, or perhaps she wasn’t coming, perhaps she had never meant to come and would dine out for years to come telling stories about how she had duped the weak-minded Princess, perhaps …?

Her hoofsteps became slower and slower as she wrestled with her self-doubt and decided to walk around the fountain, just in case she would find a pink pony on the other side waiting for her as arranged. She hoped and prayed she hadn’t been stood up as she slowly rounded the ornate stone fountain, and beheld Peach Blossom sat on the edge, rocking her rear legs idly in the warmth of the sun’s dying rays. Luna’s pace picked up and the spring returned to her step instantly as she offered a silent thank you to whichever deity had been responsible for making this eagerly anticipated meeting happen.

“Good afternoon Peach Blossom” she announced and her date looked up, a smile spreading across her face.
“Princess Luna!” she replied, “I didn’t know if you would come.”
“Why should I not?”
“Well … I wasn’t sure if I fitted the mould of your ideal date.”
“I gave my word” replied Luna simply “And I like you.”
The two exchanged a brief nuzzle, then Luna said “I have something special planned for this evening if you would like. Please climb on my back.”
Then as an afterthought she added “You have flown before – right?”

Not waiting for an answer, she lowered her haunches and Peach Blossom climbed on, careful not to trip on the saddle bags, then Luna pounced and beat her large wings majestically, propelling them straight up into the air. Her passenger trembled as they lifted off over the castle walls and she gained her first ever aerial view of the castle with the Everfree beyond. She gasped as each wingbeat carried them higher until she could see as far as Ponyville, then Luna banked and set course over the Everfree once again.
“It is beautiful, is it not?” asked Luna casually.
“Oh my! It’s amazing!” gasped her passenger, completely overawed and holding on tightly.

The flight was not long, and before she knew it, they were descending towards a large clearing in the forest below, then skimming over the tops of trees as the Princess came in to land, raising her wings at the optimal time to touch down gently, giving the impression of a well-practiced and effortless feat.

Peach Blossom dismounted, positively bubbling with excitement as Luna removed her saddle bags in her magic and opened them, finding in one a blanket and in the other a hamper. She laid out the blanket and they both proceeded to lay out a spread of Luna’s favourite treats and then she moved onto the blanket, sitting on it in a posture of polished refinement rather than the wanton availability that she had done last time they had met.
“Please come and join me; I do not bite” she prompted, then adding mischievously “Well, not hard anyway.”

Peach Blossom paused for just a moment before coming to sit next to her Princess, as if weighing up whether to or not. She realised she was being silly and should trust her hostess as they were in the Everfree, it would be dark soon and she didn’t know the way back, so her die was already cast.

Luna levitated a bottle of wine from one of the saddle bags and passed it over, picking up two glasses.
“Do you recognise the vintage?” she asked coyly.
“Yes” replied Peach Blossom “I do believe it is the same as the one I rescued from your grasp at the party, you know, just before you fell over.”
The two mares giggled as the wine was opened.
“A toast?” enquired the pink pony in a tone that reflected both expectation and hesitancy, a little nervous at what the personal price of this extravagance may be.
“To the night” said Luna, raising her glass.
“To the night” concurred Peach Blossom, relieved.

They tucked in to the marvellous hamper that had been lovingly prepared to the highest standards of al fresco haute cuisine, sharing anecdotes and relaxing in each other’s company. The sun was low now and Luna rose, beckoning her date to follow.
“I will show you something that very few beyond Celestia and myself have ever seen. I believe superstition says that you may make a wish at this time if you would like.”

Peach Blossom froze in expectation and prepared herself, watching avidly. Just as the sun dipped below the horizon, a blue aura spread from Luna’s horn, seemingly reaching out beyond the very limits of Equestria itself. Then, tentatively, the moon peeked above the horizon as Luna focused hard on her task, holding it in her magic. To one side, she heard a gasp of admiration and allowed herself a smile of satisfaction. Next, the sun settled down to sleep and Luna’s aura pulled the moon up into the sky, aware that her reticent date was now close by her side.

“I trust you made a wish” she commented, turning to meet the starstruck eyes of her overawed date.
“Princess …” she started “You did that?”
“Yes. A duty I repeat every dusk and every dawn. It’s like unicorn magic, but much stronger, for I am at one with the moon as Celestia is at one with the sun; they are extensions of ourselves and they are our responsibility.”

Seeing her date’s open mouth and wide eyes, she continued “Sometimes the moon can be naughty, just like a petulant foal, but tonight it was very well behaved and my task was easy. Now the moon has risen it is time to decorate the night sky; our fun has only just started.”
“Please continue” confirmed Peach Blossom, still awestruck by what she had seen. Yes, she knew this is what Luna did, but seeing it first hoof was an entire revelation to her.

The Princess of the Night set about bringing out the constellations one at a time, each time directing her date’s gaze to the appropriate corner of the sky to show her what she was doing.
“There!” she said at last “That looks complete now.”
The pink pony lay down on the blanket on her back so that she could take in the entire nocturnal vista.
“It’s so beautiful” she croaked, a lump in her throat stopping her being able to speak any more intelligibly “I don’t have the words to describe …”
“There is no need” said Luna “Just enjoy the display.”
“Princess …” she started uncertainly, feeling that the time was now right “Come down next to me … please.”
She did, and the two ponies shared their first intimate moments together, under the most spectacular sky that the night had seen for a long time; even the moon seemed to smile down on them.

Once her date was finally spent, she curled up and went to sleep on the blanket under the stars. Luna packed away the picnic hamper, leaving out only the wine and then wrapped the blanket over the pink pony, tucking her in lest she catch a chill.

Affairs in order, she now set about fulfilling her nocturnal obligations and ascended into a transcendental state to begin her work. Celestia had been right; there was very little beyond the routine and mundane going on most everywhere; except for in the north. Something was wrong. There were very few bad dreams, but then again there were just very few dreams at all. It was as if they were being blocked. It was only that Celestia had tipped her off that she even decided to look more closely, but now she was definitely starting to form the conclusion that something was not right in the furthest reaches of the Crystal Empire.

The more she focused, the more a picture of dark clouds seemed to form, coupled with an image of demonic eyes. This surely could not be a literal image, but one that was figurative, standing as a metaphor for something else; clouds did not have eyes after all. The more she looked, the more she picked up on a sense of spreading fear and unease, but it was the small number of dreams from such a large population that made the scenario all the more frightening. What was happening to the Crystal Ponies?

Having probed and learned as much as she could, she set about helping other ponies across Equestria with their petty domestic concerns until it was time to set the moon to sleep. She allowed herself to drift out of her higher state and gently shook the figure wrapped in the picnic blanket. In response she received an incoherent string of unintelligible words then watched as a pink head was raised towards her, eyes slowly focusing as Peach Blossom awoke to see her Princess looking down at her.
“Good morning. I trust you slept well?”
“Oh Princess, I love you” responded the half-awake unicorn “But it’s still the middle of the night.”
“I can change that right now if you would like to watch.”
At this, Peach Blossom drew back the blanket and rose a little unsteadily to behold the setting of the moon as its place was taken by Celestia’s sun. When the first warming rays streaked down from the heavens, they alighted tentatively on the tops of the trees, then gradually gained in confidence as light spilled into the domain of the receding night.

“Come, we must go now” said Luna refitting her saddle bags and inviting her date to mount her once more. Peach Blossom’s head was soon cleared of the fog of sleep as she saw the sunrise from high up in the sky, the magic transformation rolling over the ground, foreshortening the last hiding places of the night minute by minute.

The castle looked harshly omnipotent under the rising sun, and Luna circled fully round before lining up her approach to bring them back into the courtyard where their adventure had started yesterday afternoon. She made delicate wing adjustments, correcting her trim against the slight updraughts that came off the castle walls in the gentle morning breeze, and skimmed over the battlements to drop effortlessly onto the cobbles of the courtyard below.

“Now I must leave you” said Luna “But I hope I may have the pleasure of meeting with you again?”
In response, her marefriend leaned forward and gave her a passionate kiss.
“I’ll be ready for you” she whispered, gently running her forehoof through the spangled dark blue mane.
“Farewell Peach Blossom” whispered Luna and the two parted; the pink pony to catch up on her sleep, while the alicorn was to be the bearer of troubling news to her sister.

***

“… So in conclusion Sister, I believe your information to be correct; something appears to be wrong within the Crystal Empire.”
“Very well. Thank you, Luna; I believe we should despatch a contingent of pegasi from the Royal Guard to perform a reconnaissance of the area and report back their findings. At least that way we will know what, if anything, we are facing.”
“Agreed Sister. Let us despatch them this day.”

With the actions from the night now addressed as fully as they could be, Celestia’s thoughts turned to lighter matters.
“So do tell” she enquired “How was your date?”
“Most satisfactory Sister” replied Luna “I returned her this morning safely to the castle.”
“The look on your face tells me you were successful last night” teased Celestia.
“Sister!” admonished Luna in pretend shock “A lady never tells.”
“Good to see you haven’t lost your touch after all” reassured her older sister with a wicked smile on her face.
“Honestly … I have no privacy” she joked in response.

3 Heartbreak and Redemption

The chosen Royal Guards flew north that morning with orders to learn what they could. Good reconnaissance was vital and these hoofpicked pegasi would be the eyes and ears of the Princesses, pivotal in determining what course of action was to be followed.

The day passed and the time of their return fell due, then past due, then night descended. Fires were lit to help guide the pegasi back if they had got lost, but although a vigil was maintained through the night, no word was received. Luna spent the night scanning for the dreams of the specific guards, but even she couldn’t trace them at all.

Something was now definitely wrong and Celestia summoned all Royal Guards to warn them of impending hostile action, although what form that would take was unknown. She stopped short of alerting the populace at large as she didn’t want to create a panic, but behind the scenes everything was on alert.

Another contingent of Royal Guards was despatched with orders to send back a pair of pegasi each half hour so that if they were to be ambushed, then the distance of the threat would be known to the nearest half hour’s flying time. As pairs of pegasi returned, intelligence specialists plotted the positions on a map at which they would have turned back. Progress was good, but once the flight had reached the perimeters of the Crystal Empire, all word was lost once more. The only unusual observation noted by the last ponies to return was a possible sighting of dark clouds one of them believed he may have seen in the distance, but no further details were available. It was all too intangible.

The only pony capable of doing anything to see what was going on in the Crystal Empire was Luna in the dream realm. Once she arose in the evening, Celestia briefed her of developments and both agreed it was time for Luna to travel further north to help her gain clearer insight. She flew as far north as the intelligence specialists decreed to be safe and strained her magical abilities as hard as she could all night long, utterly exhausted by the time that dawn broke.

Come the morning, Luna was still a long way north and had to summon from her reserves of strength the energy to fly back to the castle, and kept going only by berating herself throughout the entire journey for not having made better progress at her allotted task. She would have to meet with her sister and tell her that once again she had got no further, despite her best efforts.

Her head hung down with exhaustion as she made her way automatically across the courtyard toward the Royal Balcony when her path was blocked. She looked up and recognised the pink pony before her and stared in surprise:
“Peach Blossom how nice to see you.”
“It’s me isn’t it? “retorted her marefriend, turning on her sharply.
“What?” asked Luna, startled.
“Just because I didn’t give in the first time we met, you play your way into my affections, then drop me once you got what you wanted!” she raged “Why didn’t you just have the decency to end it? Or are you that shallow?”
“No, Peach Blossom” Luna beseeched “You have got it all wrong. I want to be with you now more than ever.”
“Oh really?” continued the tirade “I haven’t noticed you making any attempt to get in contact. Honestly, that’s the most shallow lie I’ve ever heard – even from you!”
“Please … no … just listen …”
“No, you listen! It’s over! Go find yourself another conquest – one who doesn’t stupidly fall in love with you!”

With that, Peach Blossom turned on her heel and ran off crying, leaving Luna utterly desolate. She hadn’t been lying; she really did need her marefriend more than ever. The weight of her responsibility was crushing her and she desperately needed a friendly face, somepony whose feelings ran deeper than just a passing playmate. Suddenly she realised, now that Peach Blossom had stormed out of her life, how much she had really meant.

Without warning, she felt a lump rising in her throat and her legs started to shake; tears welled up in her eyes and she collapsed in the middle of the courtyard, sobbing for the loss of something she didn’t even know she had won. She covered her eyes with her forehooves and cried so piteously that even Cerberus down in Tartarus gave a mournful whine in sympathy.

“Luna, Luna darling” whispered a familiar voice beside her as her body continued trembling, her tears still flowing uncontrollably “Let me help.”
She felt a comforting wing spread across her and the warmth of a sisterly hug as Celestia lay down beside her in full view of everypony in the filling courtyard. The hurt her sister felt cut into her like a knife and she didn’t care that other ponies were watching; this was her sister and she loved her more than anypony.

Guards came down to move onlookers and bystanders away, giving the Royal Sisters as much privacy as could be reasonably afforded in the middle of a public thoroughfare, but none who saw the two sisters could be unmoved by the heartrending sight as Luna’s heart shattered into a thousand tiny fragments.

Celestia made no attempt to stop her sister’s agonised outpouring, but held her close and waited until the tears had finished of their own accord. She said nothing, for there were no words that could have conveyed her feeling of shared desolation or the love she felt for her sister in her vulnerability.

“Thank you, Sister” she whispered once the lump in her throat deigned to return her power of speech and she propped herself up onto her still shaking legs, leaning heavily into Celestia for support. The two walked off into the castle together, flanked by Royal Guards who were only able to maintain their professional detachment through sheer self-discipline, each forcing back tears of their own and praying inwardly that they wouldn’t be called upon to speak for any reason lest their voices broke.

Celestia put her sister to bed and left her to sleep off her heartache. On one level, she needed Luna to probe the threat that was clearly forming in the Crystal Empire, but on the other hoof, she was her sister suffering the worst heartbreak in hundreds of years. She left Luna’s bedchamber and headed for the throne room, whereupon she summoned the Clerk of the Court requesting he find out the address and current movements of one Peach Blossom of her sister’s acquaintance.

In the hiatus, Celestia summoned her advisers to discuss options for addressing the problems emanating from the Crystal Empire. Facts were few, the discussion brief; it all boiled down to two options; either ‘wait and see’, which could allow the defending forces opportunity to build their strength, or alternatively mount a decisive attack immediately with the strongest fighters and the most powerful magic.

Whilst it was possible that there was a perfectly innocent explanation for the strange sequence of events unfolding to the north, there were no voices around the table who thought that recent events were likely to be benign. Brave fighters they had, but strong magic called for both Princesses on top form, and that meant Luna being in a happier place. Although she had no desire to entangle herself in her sister’s love life, this was now a matter of security for the whole of Equestria and had to be resolved happily. Why had Luna chosen now to fall in love and get her heart broken? Celestia just shook her head at the appalling coincidence.

The meeting was closed with actions on all present to prepare a task force, but still to keep it under wraps; they all had quite enough problems to deal with without adding more. As the last papers were being shuffled away, the Clerk entered with positive information about Peach Blossom. Immediately upon receiving the news, Celestia ordered a chariot and bade one of the young Pages from the Court attend with the Clerk and herself.

As their destination was not far, the chariot stayed firmly on the road, drawing admiring glances and friendly waves wherever they went. The Clerk provided a series of directions to the two charioteers and then finally announced that they had arrived at her destination. Those onlookers who had waved at the chariot as they expected it to go past simply gawped as it came unexpectedly to a stop by the side of the road and an immaculately dressed Page stepped out followed by the Sun Princess herself. She gave a smile and wave and then fell in behind the Page as the young colt approach the front door and knocked politely.

After a moment or two, the door opened and a pink unicorn with yellow mane looked out to see a young colt in fine formal attire stood in front of her.
“Do I have the honour of addressing the Mistress Peach Blossom?” he enquired.
She looked at him a little askance. Both his demeanour and his presentation gave away the fact that he was from the Court, and that was where Luna lived. She initially expected trickery, but he did look very sweet and she couldn’t help but crack a smile.
“Yes, young Sir” she replied, “You do.”
“Then please allow me to introduce Her Royal Majesty, the Mare of Morning, Princess Celestia of Equestria, Protector of the Realm, Ruler of the Solar Court, Bringer of the Dawn, Empress of the Sun, and Diarch of the Day.”
The Page stood aside, and Peach Blossom saw Princess Celestia walking slowly up the path to her house. Her pupils shrank to pinheads, her jaw fell open and her mind focused upon all the minutiae that screamed at her in that moment, all shouting that they were not ready for inspection by the most powerful alicorn in Equestria. By instinct she bowed her head as the gears within it span round, all refusing to engage with one another.

“Good morning Peach Blossom.”
The pink pony raised her head slowly until she was looking directly into Celestia’s lilac eyes, which were at the same time both immediately welcoming yet equally intimidating. She felt shivers running through her body and trembled involuntarily the further she raised her head.
“Good morning, Princess” she stammered out.
“What a lovely house you have here. Shall we go inside?”
Unable to resist, she acquiesced in spite of the impression she felt the poor condition of her housework would deliver.

Once the door was closed and the Page returned to the chariot, Celestia held the undivided attention of her hostess.
“I apologise for the lack of notice for my visit, but I wanted to meet the mare who stole the heart of my sister.”
“Oh, I see what this is about” retorted Peach Blossom, shaking off her defensive demeanour as so much magic dust.
“No, I don’t think you do” said Celestia “You see, what happened between you is my fault, not my sister’s.”
Her hostess just eyed her sceptically.
“If I may talk with you in confidence” she continued “I have demanded my sister’s attention during the night time realm as there is something I need her to do for the good of all Equestria, and only she can do it. She accepted willingly out of duty of course, but I knew her heart lay with you and it pained me to place such a burden on her. She harbours strong feelings for you, and I beseech you not to judge her in haste for what I have demanded of her. If you must direct your anger against somepony, then it deserves to be me.”

Peach Blossom was speechless. The most powerful pony in Equestria had not just stepped in to defend her sister, but also accepted the responsibility onto her own shoulders; not a display of power, but a gesture of humility.
“I have treated her badly” whispered Luna’s marefriend “I must make amends.”
“As must I” said Celestia “And I know a way we can both make good on our actions. Are you free today?”
“Yes, Princess” she replied.
“Then come with me and we will see if we can start to put things right.”

When the two mares left the house, they saw that a crowd had gathered around the Royal chariot. Upon seeing the Princess emerge, the Clerk immediately barked for a path to be made through the onlookers for her and the Page announced her again by her full formal title. Peach Blossom wilted a little under the attention of neighbours and passers-by alike and watched as Celestia boarded the chariot, then graciously accepted an outstretched hoof from the Clerk as she followed in her hoofsteps. With everypony aboard, the chariot pulled away and sped off for the castle.

Once at the castle, Celestia showed her guest to a room set up as a studio and introduced her to the Royal Artist in Residence.
“I think a gift of your portrait painted by the finest artist in Equestria should provide my sister with a tangible affirmation of your love, don’t you think?”
Peach Blossom was taken aback, and then considered what a thoughtful gift Celestia was offering as a goodwill gesture.
“Thank you, Princess,” she affirmed “That would be lovely.”
The regal alicorn proffered her apologies and then turned to attend to matters of State, her mind eased that she had put in train events that would bring Luna and her marefriend back together again and still leave her sister free to exercise her much needed talents across the night time realm as concerns about the Crystal Empire continued to grow.

***

Luna came down at sunset to fulfil her duties. She looked as if she had barely slept, and the tear streaks down her muzzle betrayed why; immortality afforded no defence against heartbreak.

“Good evening Sister” she managed, although it clearly felt anything but good for her.
“Good evening Luna” greeted Celestia warmly “I have a surprise for you.”
“Forgive me if I withhold my enthusiasm” moped Luna dejectedly.
Celestia beckoned a uniformed waitress over who presented her sister with a silver tray atop which rested a silver cloche which she removed in front of Luna. The heartbroken Princess did not look up but levitated the contents in her magic and placed it absent-mindedly on the table in front of her, expecting it to be a dish of food. Instead she saw a crisply folded piece of pink paper which she opened and read simply ‘I’m sorry’.

Luna looked up at the waitress for the first time and saw a familiar pair of deep blue eyes complementing a pink coat and yellow mane. Her mouth fell open and she stood weakly, both shocked and happy, pausing just for a moment before throwing her forehooves round Peach Blossom and holding her tight, crying tears of happiness, tears mirrored by her marefriend.

Celestia retired silently leaving the two lovers alone to make up in their own time.

4 The Final Assault

Two alicorns stood at the Crystal Field surrounding the last refuge of the defeated King Sombra who was walled up in his fortress.

The battle had been longer and bloodier than either sister had expected, but through the commitment of their armed forces and good leadership, Celestia and Luna now stood surveying the portentous bastion where Sombra would be forced to make his last stand.

Both alicorns had true loves at home, Peach Blossom having been brought in to the Royal Court years ago. Luna spent as much time with her as she could, but her marefriend had come to understand the pressures of responsibility that the Princesses bore, and had never doubted Luna ever again; in fact, they were held up as a symbol of devotion.

The end of the struggle was now at hoof, but complacency could not be accommodated. Sombra was a wily operator and had gone out of his way to make the anticipated final assault as difficult as possible. His two principal defences were the Crystal Field, which was impassable to anypony on hoof, and a magical barrier that invaded the minds of anypony who got too close, such as pegasi, who could fly over the Crystal Field, but had no magic of their own to defend themselves against this most cruel of spells.

With earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi equally unable to advance, the obligation to administer the coup de grâce fell to the two alicorns alone.

Dressed in full battle armour, the two sisters took final stock of their options and agreed that the time of final reckoning had come.

Luna sprang into the air followed closely by her sister, their magic blocking Sombra’s mind destroying spell and aimed resolutely towards the fortress; side by side, as they had always been. They aimed for a high gothic window and smashed through together, Luna with her magical sword drawn and Celestia with her enchanted bardiche, a brutal looking pole arm. Ahead of them stood Sombra, resplendent in a regal red cloak trimmed with ermine and covering his battle armour. He stared at his dual nemesis with a confident smirk, his horn aglow and his red eyes gleaming a look of defiant disdain.

The sisters attacked and as the dust of the first assault was settling, Sombra mounted his counter-attack, enchanted weapons and magical forces clashing in his fight for survival, yet despite being outnumbered and his fate hanging by their actions, he remained unsettlingly sanguine. His evil laugh echoed around the room as wounds he received healed without even leaving so much as a scratch, toying with his attackers, taking his time to wear them down in a battle he believed they could never win, relishing in their futility.

After a barrage of sustained intense physical assault, Luna was incapacitated and Sombra saw his chance to divide and conquer; to pick off the white mare without interference from her sister. Celestia fought bravely but in the midst of battle, he withdrew and regrouped, turning himself into a projection from Luna’s near future; an all-black alicorn, eyes burning with the most pure form of evil. The Sun Princess was shocked by the twisted travesty that he had projected, made all the more frightening by the intuitive realisation that this would come to pass. While her senses were still reeling that the sister she loved so dearly could transform into an omnipotent being of such wickedness, Sombra struck and Celestia fell, smouldering purple smoke trailing from her eyes through which she had been served his evil vision.

Luna freed herself and came to rejoin the fight with unwavering resolve, eager to finish the job they had started as a pair. Always the more agile of the two sisters, she found her swiftness amplified by her renewed fervour, rounding her attack on Sombra seemingly from all sides at once.

As each successive attack and counter-attack was launched and blocked, it was clear that neither was prepared to give ground, so as they stared each other down ready for the next engagement, he summoned shards of black crystals to rise from the floor and encircle her. Now she was imprisoned, he was free to unleash his distorted narrative and twist her mind too; sowing the seeds of dissonance in her relationship with her sister, teasing her and tempting her to enjoy a future of shared tyranny with him.

Luna had heard enough and focused her magic onto shattering the black crystals of her prison and charged in to attack once more, only to be hit by one of Sombra’s dark spells. But, instead of succumbing as he had hoped, Luna rang out an evil laugh that made the blood in his veins turn to ice:
“You have sought your power from darkness and consider its realm to be your friend. Do not fool yourself into believing this gift has given you mastery over them; these powers you trifle with are those into which I was born and course through my very existence. Who do you think stands up to the unleashed forces of darkness alone every night?”

For the first time since the two sisters had confronted him, Sombra was now genuinely scared. If Luna was right, then the sum of all the dark power he had amassed paled into insignificance against that which Luna wielded. It suddenly dawned on him that he may have underestimated the blue mare, and by challenging her, had embarked on a fight he could not hope to win.

“You are nothing. You are insignificant next to them; next to me! Your tyranny has unleashed fear across the land, but you lack the insight to understand what is the meaning of real terror. And now I will show you!”
“Who are you ...?” he croaked in fright.
“I am your worst nightmare.”
With that, Luna struck the terrified tyrant down.

***

Although the army returned having deposed King Sombra, the victory was marred by the magical disappearance of the Crystal Empire. The battle was over, but other than the peace dividend, there was no victory to celebrate. Luna did not speak of what happened between her and Sombra, but over time, the seeds of discontent he had sown in her mind took root and blossomed.

Celestia too was wary of the image shown to her by Sombra and became mistrustful of her sister, checking up on her to see if the reality she had been confronted with was in danger of being played out. The more she pried, the more Luna felt hounded and the more the discontent flourished, the closeness of the relationship between the two sisters crumbling amidst increasingly bitter arguments, which only served to show each that their fears of the other were well founded.

Peach Blossom still loved Luna deeply, but Luna knew that Celestia was spying on them even in her closest moments, so created a bedroom in her magic within the fabric of the castle, but only accessible to herself. Another could enter with her and would be free to leave, but could never re-enter without her permission. This became their refuge, the only place in Equestria where Luna felt safe. This was also the best place to display a beautiful oil painting of her marefriend that she had been given as a gift near the beginning of their courtship and allowed her to relive the loving moments they had shared even when she was not around and Luna needed some space for reflection.

Even with the unquestioning love of her marefriend and the sanctity of her refuge, there came a point one fateful night when this was no longer enough and Peach Blossom was not there to restrain Luna’s resentment as it finally spilled over. Sombra’s work had finally come to fruition and Luna challenged Celestia under the guise of her evil alter-ego, Nightmare Moon. Anger clouded her judgement and Celestia’s cooler head prevailed, banishing her to the moon for her sins, a story that has been passed down ever since as established Equestria lore.

With time on her hooves to allow the desire for revenge to burn a hole in her soul, she still held on to one happy thought that kept her sane during her incarceration, Peach Blossom, the love of her life; her one true love. It was her she missed the most and knew that when or indeed if she ever returned, she would probably be long dead, but she still clung to hope throughout the silent isolation of her cold imprisonment.

On the face of the moon, a new feature began to emerge year on year, that of a dark tear stain rolling down from the eye of an alicorn who would not return for a thousand years.

“Peach Blossom, I love you.”