Chapters
It is better to be feared than loved if you cannot be both.
Niccolo Machiavelli
It was late. Luna was resting in her makeshift chambers of the war camp stationed in the Smokey Mountains. The sounds of battle echoed in the distance. Luna, however, did not care. Just a few minutes prior, a thestral guard from the empire had snuck in to deliver a message. She eagerly accepted the rolled parchment bearing the crown prince’s seal. She held the piece of parchment in her magic. Taking great care not to rip any part of the thin material, she opened it and found a dark blue scale. Holding both in her magic, she read,
My beloved Luna,
Time is short. Let us flee from all this carnage and hatred, for I can no longer wonder if this will be our last letter, or if we will face one another in battle. The thought of losing thee would be the death of my soul. So I ask thee to meet me in our secret place. I love thee, Luna, and pray thou wilst agree.
With all my love.
Luna closed the letter, holding it and the scale close to her heart. From a desk that was in the corner of the tent, she levitated a quill and some parchment. She wrote back,
My dearest love,
I accept. I would give up the world to be in your hooves, without worrying, again. I will pack my things tonight and wait for you there.
Forever yours,
Luna
Luna spread her wing and plucked a single feather. She placed it delicately in the parchment and rolled it up. She place a dab of wax on the edge of the roll and pressed it firmly with the butt end of her seal, ensuring the secrecy of the message was left to the imperial guards’ knowledge only.
“Ensure this goes straight to the prince as soon as possible.” she said, entrusting the scroll to the thestral.
“Aye, of course, my lady.” The thestral bowed in respect and flew off without a sound.
Luna gathered her things in her saddlebags and quietly snuck out ten minutes later. She headed to the west.
***
Once she arrived at the designated spot, Luna set her saddle bags to one side. She sat facing the way that her love always came, smiling the whole time. She started humming, imagining the life they would have, wondering how many foals they would have so far from here. Time seemed to move so slowly as the moon inched across the sky and the night grew late. Luna began to worry. Soon the sun was rising in the east, the pull of the moon waiting to be set behind her tugging on her magic. Her heart sank as he had not come; had he been delayed by somepony? Had one of her sister’s soldiers hurt him--or worse, captured him? Luna thought panicking.
Making it back to camp revealed the startling truth. The Equestrian war camp was packing up. When she asked a passing guard about it, he smiled and said, “Yes, Your Highness, the empire sank beneath the waves in a sheer stroke of luck.”
“What dost thou mean, sunk?” she asked tentatively.
“We won the war, Your Highness! The empire sunk underneath a huge wave last night. Nopony knows why,” he said, obvious cheer in his voice.
Luna stopped. Her world was falling to pieces in her mind. On the outside, the guard could see her staring blankly at him. “Th… that’s good news,” she replied, walking off. Pure shock had stopped her from crying inwardly, but when she made it to the forest, reality hit her like a knife in the gut. She fell to her haunches and began crying. She knew in her mind that she would never see him again. Her heart broke that day, and she was never the same again.
The Empire Returns
Starswirl's hooves squished in the wet sand as he walked along the northern shore. Waves lapped against his hooves as the tide gently kissed the beach. All seemed right with the world, and it felt at peace. He had been on a steady journey from the city the modern crown called Vanhoover to a small fishing village called Tall Tale. As he walked along, leaving cloven hoofprints in the sand, the ground began to rumble. The waves became more erratic as they slid away from shore. Starswirl felt an odd energy in the air making his horn ache.
“By Celestia, whatever could this be?!”
A bright light shone from below the waves, growing ever brighter as a powerful force parted the water. The tip of a marble tower peeked out from the water, causing a multitude of waterspouts to rise from the surface. A voice [full of power and authority] rang out over the land. Starswirl recognised the song, he watched on with concerned fear as more marble spires broke through the erratic waves. Seeing it now, Starswirl prepared his horn for a long-distance teleport.
“I must warn the princesses, lest the end come sooner than we imagined.”
***
Starswirl's horn charge died down as he reached his destination. Opening his eyes, he looked at his surroundings. He stood outside the doors to the Canterlot Castle throne room. Looking to the guards, he said, “I have urgent business. I must speak to the princesses! Please let me through.” The guards crossed their spears in distress, since they did not know who Starswirl was.
With the doors opening, the guards on Starswirl's side of the door stopped and looked to their princesses with questioning eyes. “Guards, that unicorn is our good friend. Please let him in; we have been expecting him,” Celestia said with a warm smile.
The guards pulled back their spears and motioned for Starswirl to enter the throne room. Starswirl, who was heated due to the urgency, raced up to the thrones, desperation filling his features. Out of breath, he gasped for air for a moment before speaking, “Our terrible and ancient foe has risen from the waves! I have heard the singing of their emperor and seen the spires of their towers.”
Both princesses looked to one another, it was Luna who had the most reserved look upon her muzzle. Celestia, on the other hoof, had a look of great worry, seeming to understanding the meaning of his words.
Luna spoke up, cutting her sister off before she spoke. “Are you sure of this, Starswirl?”
“As sure as the day I saw it last, and heard that horrific melody. We must ready our forces at once!”
“No, I believe we need to gather more knowledge first. Let us send diplomats and not jump headlong into a battle that could be avoided,” Luna spoke out, which made Celestia and Starswirl pause in thought.
“Normally I would agree, Sister, but shouldn't we at least order the guard to come to arms on the off chance that you could be wrong?” Celestia asked, implying that she did not entirely trust her younger sister’s judgment.
“I trust you as monarchs whom I have taught in the past. While I agree with Celestia, my recent lessons with her dear pupil Princess Twilight Sparkle have allowed me to see the wisdom of Luna’s plan. I believe diplomacy should be our first stepping stone in greeting the empire. But I don’t think we should ignore Celestia’s concern--she could be right, and it would be wise to prepare ahead of time,” Starswirl said.
The sisters looked to each other, embarrassed to be caught arguing by their oldest friend.
“Sister, we should send for Twilight, Cadence and Shining Armor before we make our final decision,” Luna spoke up, breaking the uncomfortable but momentary silence.
“Yes, they should be part of this decision,” Celestia said. She turned to a nearby guard. “Send word to Twilight, as well as Cadence and Shining Armor, to come to Canterlot post haste.”
Not much later in Ponyville Castle, Spike began gagging. Twilight looked to him, not expecting a letter from Celestia. She too had felt the magical disturbance and felt strange quakes over the past few hours. Concern adorned her features as Spike finished burping up the official letter. Within green flames, a scroll appeared, bound by Celestia’s seal.
Twilight unrolled the scroll without delay. Twilight, come at once to Canterlot, and bring your friends, including Starlight Glimmer. There are urgent matters we must attend to; it is important that you come posthaste. Princess Celestia
“Spike! We’ll need to get everypony and head to Canterlot! The fate of Equestria hangs in the balance!” Twilight yelled to the purple dragon.
***
A few hours later, the group of ponies and one dragon stepped off the train and were rushing into Canterlot Castle. The guards at the great doors to the throne room barely had time to open them before Twilight barged past, spewing her newest freakout about Celestia's letter.
“Princesses! What’s going on? Are the changelings invading, has Tirek returned, or Sombra, or, or, or has Discord gone back to his old ways?”
Celestia and Luna facehoofed for a second before shaking their heads and Luna saying, “Sister, I told you not to make it sound so dire.”
“Hmf, I didn't, sister; I tried to make it urgent without arousing panic. It's not my fault Twilight takes things out of proportion,” Celestia argued back, not bothering to look at the Princess of Friendship; Twilight’s eye was twitching, and she had a messy mane and manic grin on her muzzle.
“You were sayin’, yer majesties?” Applejack said after clearing her throat. Celestia and Luna looked at each other and blinked.
“I can ensure you those are not the reasons, Twilight; it is the matter of the Atlantean Empire,” Celestia said, regaining her royal composure. “While we do intend to discuss this with you, we must wait still for Cadence and your brother.”
“WHAT!” Pinkie said in outburst.
“But…” Luna attempted to say, but Pinkie interrupted, throwing up a hoof.
“Wait wait!” Pinkie proceeded to pull a steaming hot cup of tea from her mane and took a drink, then spitting it out almost as quickly as she gulped it down. “THE ATLANTEAN EMPIRE!”
“Wait, I thought the Atlanteans destroyed themselves over a thousand years ago?” Starlight asked, ignoring Pinkie Pie’s outburst.
“Indeed, Starlight, we thought so as well. But it seems that they are far from it, considering what Starswirl has told us thus far,” Luna said, answering her.
“Wait, what the hay is this Atlantean Empire?” Rainbow Dash said, butting into the conversation.
Twilight groaned at Rainbow Dash’s ignorance before answering. “It is an ancient empire ruled by sirens that once tried to conquer Equestria.”
“Oh.”
“But darling, surely there was a reason for this aggression, and no doubt it was a misunderstanding. Nevertheless we should at least try to make contact,” Rarity spoke up.
“Yes, as per Luna’s suggestion, this is what we intend to do first; however, I believe it is necessary to talk this over with Cadence and Shining Armor before we go forward with any course of action. In the meantime, let's get you settled in for the night, as they won't arrive until tomorrow.”
***
The crystal train pulled into Canterlot Station with a screeching halt. Guards lined the door as they exited first to provide protection from onlookers. Cadence and Shining Armor stepped off the train. They then made their way to the castle to meet with the princesses.
Cadence entered in a calm manner as always. Shining seemed calm but was dressed in full armor with his helm at his side aloft in his magic. Cadence curtsied before the twin crowns and greeted them with a seriousness in her tone underlined with happy notes at seeing her aunts again. “Greetings Luna, Celestia. While I’d love to chat, from your letter I’m sure we have much more pressing matters to attend to.”
“Yes, let us join Twilight and her friends in the meeting room.”
***
The doors opened to the meeting room, Cadence, Celestia, Luna and Shining Armor entered. Twilight, who was looking toward the door, jumped up to greet her sister-in-law in their traditional way.
“Sunshine, Sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” Both mares laughed before resolving themselves to the more serious aspect of the situation at hoof.
“Twilight, dear, would you like to begin by telling everyone about your encounter with the sirens, please?” Celestia said while passing out tea to everypony present. The group included herself, Luna, Twilight, Cadence, Shining Armor, Starswirl, Starlight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Spike.
“Well, from what I know from when I encountered them, they are cunning and will use any means to achieve their goals. As the name suggests, they would sing to create chaos and disharmony. Starswirl would know better, seeing as he and the Pillars faced them many years ago. When we faced them in the other world, we broke their crystals, and as far as I can tell from Sunset they have not been seen since. So I would suggest we ready our forces and not allow them to gain sway over anypony.”
“Wait, so we are just going to assume the worst and not even try to be diplomatic?” Starlight interjected.
“My thoughts as well, Starlight,” Luna said.
Shining Armor was in deep thought for a moment before he spoke up. “It would be best to avoid conflict, but do we need to make it clear we will fight if necessary?” he said before turning to Celestia.
“It is my intention to increase the guard; however, with Luna’s suggestion it would be foalish to seem as if we plan to attack first.”
“Thank you, sister. It seems we have all come to an agreement, then. Should we make a royal decree announcing the increase in guards but not hostilities?”
Alerting the guard of their decision, Celestia sent word to the palace staff asking them to all join in the throne room for the announcement to the ponies of Canterlot.
“Welcome, my little ponies. As I am sure you are aware, a new civilization has appeared in the North Luna ocean off the costs of Vanhoover and Tall Tale; do not be alarmed. For Luna and I, with the support of the Princess of Friendship and the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony as well as the Crystal Empire, have come to an agreement to increase guards but send a diplomat to gauge the new land. Until such time, all relations between them and us will be diplomatic. You need not worry. That is all.”
A guard moved carefully through the crowd of ponies until he came to stand by the princesses, leaning over to whisper to Luna, “Princess, there is a strange unicorn at the gate who claims to have been sent by… um, some place called the Atlantean Empire as a messenger. He wishes an audience with you and Princess Celestia. Should we allow him passage?”
Luna quickly got the attention of her sister, while the guard waited for them to converse. “Sister, a messenger from the empire claims to be at the gates and seeks an audience with us.”
***
All in the room were silent as a unicorn stallion dressed in fine silk was led to the rulers of Equestria, the royal guards that escorted watching him closely. The unicorn didn’t bow as he neared Celestia. “Greetings, Queen Celestia. I am Golden Valor, emissary to the empire. I come with word from my lord, His Majesty Primarch Sovereign, Emperor of Atlantis and the Lemurian territories, Defender of the Empire, Master of the Seas, and Lord to Thestrals.”
“I beg your pardon, but I am Princess Celestia. I, along with my sister, rule Equestria. What is it you require of us?”
The oddly slender and tall unicorn simply smiled. “My lord wishes to offer the olive branch, seeing no need to fight wars long past.”
The Crown Prince
“That is good news.” Celestia looked around at the room, noticing the odd stares and nosy quills scratching on notebooks. She said, “Let us move to a meeting room to discuss diplomatic relations.”
With the announcement of the decree finished and their move to a meeting room not far behind the thrones, Celestia and Luna along with the other two princesses sat patiently waiting for the golden unicorn to speak.
“On behalf of the empire, it is my lord’s wish to send his beloved son, Crown Prince Luminous Sovereign, as a diplomat to discuss treaties and land rights.” Luna’s ears perked up at mention the prince's name.
Luna spoke in place of her sister to hide her interest in the prince, saying, “When dost thou intend to announce his arrival?”
Golden Valor replied, “Within one week’s time.”
Celestia speaking up concluded, “Very well then. Golden Valor, we shall expect your prince to arrive in a week’s time, and we look forward to his visit.”
Luminous had forgotten how bright the sun was. The cool air felt good against his scales. Seated next to him to his right was his most trusted knight, Sir Phoenix. Golden Valor, the one who had delivered the message from his father to Princess Celestia a week ago, was seated to his left. The lush green countryside flew by, until the city of Canterlot came into view ahead of them.
It was a most odd city built on the side of mountain; it seemed as if it would come crashing down at any moment. A tap came at the side of the sky carriage. “My lord, we should be arriving soon,” Vindex said.
With a simple nod, Luminous acknowledged her. Preparing himself for the landing, he eagerly awaited meeting his new neighbors.
***
The sky carriage landed at the front gate of Canterlot City. He could hear the loud crowds cheering excitedly. At the front gate stood a purple mare lavished in a beautiful gown and adorned in shiny regalia. The carriage came to a slow stop.
Golden Valor was the first to step out of the carriage. The crowds seemingly died slightly as the anticipation of the next event caught their attention. “It is my great honor to introduce his highness Crown Prince Luminous Sovereign, heir to the Atlantean Throne,” he announced, before his prince stepped out of the carriage, followed closely by Sir Phoenix. The crowd fell silent when Luminous finally stepped out of the carriage.
Luminous knew that Sir Phoenix would no doubt be scanning the crowd as they walked to the purple alicorn. They slowly made their way down the lines of ponies; some were in silent awe, however most seemed to fear him. A few foals hid under their mother’s legs as he passed. To reassure them when he saw them he put on a gentle face letting them know he was not as scary as he appeared.
“Greetings, I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship,” Twilight said with a slight bow.
“Thank you for greeting me, Princess Twilight Sparkle. I am to assume you are Princess Celestia’s daughter?” Luminous asked, smiling.
Twilight blushed in astonishment, folding her ears back before answering, “Oh, no. While I’m flattered, I am not her daughter. I earned my wings; I was not born with them.”
“Forgive me, Your Highness, I did not realize.”
“No need to apologize, it is a common misconception about me.” Twilight replied, “Now shall we head up to the castle?”
Luminous listened as Twilight pointed out all manner of buildings and places as they walked the half-mile to the castle; however, he didn’t speak himself, as he was busy taking in the sights and sounds and smells of the new surroundings. The walk seemed shorter than he realized, as they arrived at the castle before he knew it. They turned and waved to the crowd as they stepped into the building.
Within was who he assumed to be Princess Celestia, who stood a bit shorter than his father. The last he saw her she sported a light mane and tail. She looked quite different from her former shorter self. Next to her was a pony he had once known, the dark and beautiful alicorn, Princess Luna. He was surprised to see she had not changed as much, only growing taller and more powerful as her mane reflected the night sky. Luna stood wide-eyed, seemingly unable to believe who was in front of her. “Greetings, it a pleasure to see you again, Prince Luminous Sovereign.” she paused debating whether or not to re-introduce herself, ultimately deciding formalities demanded it and continued. “I am Princess Celestia, and this is-”
“Princess Luna.” Luminous took Luna’s hoof in his and kissed it. He looked into her teal eyes passing and understanding to her as those around them gasped.
Luna blushed, unable or unwilling to explain to them that she knew the prince far better than she let on.
Princess Celestia shook her head for a few a minutes, seemingly lost in thought pertaining to the sight before her. Finally she spoke. “Am I to understand you remember my sister?”
“As I remember the stars in her beautiful night sky, or the cool sea breeze from long ago,” Luminous replied, smiling a devilishly handsome smile only at Luna as he spoke.
“I trust you had an enjoyable tour through the city?” Celestia said, trying to change the subject to distract herself from the awkward silence that had formed, as the other two princesses present could no longer speak.
Luminous pulled away from Luna to face Celestia calmly, neutrality replacing his features almost as if they whole scene had never happened, “Yes, your city was very lovely. I quite enjoyed how much your civilization has grown over the last thousand years. I didn't expect it to be full of so much life and color,” he replied.
“Good. I am glad you enjoyed it and found our fair capital to be so interesting. Shall we move to the meeting room to begin negotiations?”
“It would be my pleasure,” he replied.
With the meeting ending and the ponies in the room watching as the two diarchs and the siren signed the treaty, Luna spoke. “Prince Luminous, since you're staying with us for the next week, allow me to show you to your room.”
“Thank you, Your Highness. It would be most appreciated,” Luminous replied.
She led the prince out of the room. She looked to him as they walked down the halls expecting an answer; when she did not get one, she spoke up. “Would you please explain yourself? I am at a loss regarding your behaviour from earlier.”
“What is there to say? I needed to gain an advantage by throwing you off, so I took a page from Soul’s book.” His features showed no warmth or feeling. There was only coldness in his blue-silver eyes, which made Luna’s heart sink.
“What do you mean? Do you not remember what transpired between us all those years ago?” she pleaded as a single tear rolled down her cheek. “I thought for a moment that you had done what you did to tell me you regretted not showing up that night.”
“I recall very well, but as you said in your letter, our duty is to our subjects--you to Equestria, and I to my father and empire. Or am I wrong in this assumption?” Luminous replied. Pain flashed in his eyes for just a moment, but soon it was replaced by an even colder look. “I...I care not for you any longer, or for your lies.”
“No! I waited for you! I waited ‘til dawn for you!” Luna’s voice cracked and the tears flowed freely down her cheeks in a desperate attempt to defend herself.
Luminous could hear the tears in her voice. He could feel her pain but dared not look at her, as his heart would leave him. The four guards that followed behind them dared not speak up, for they knew that this was not the time; only one paid any mind to what was happening. “I’m sorry Luna, but this is how it must be.”
Luna stopped, her heart breaking. All the memories from before rushed back to her; she shook her head in an attempt to regain her composure and called for a guard to come to her. “I cannot continue to lead you to your room; I must attend to other duties. This guard will show you the way. May your visit be a pleasant one.” All feeling had dropped out of her voice.
Both parties walked off. When the prince was out of sight, Luna ran to her room almost flying through the halls. Bursting through the doors, not caring if they slammed behind her, she fell on her bed crying.
Luminous heard Luna’s hoofsteps echo in the the distance, ~I’m sorry, Luna, I really am,~ he thought to himself. Once he was within the bedchambers given to him, he set aside his belongings, taking out a single aged navy-blue feather. He held it to his chest as he looked out the window.
He noticed Sir Phoenix was the only one of his guard that was within the room. He was the only one who cared for him. Phoenix was his closest friend, often at times taking on a fatherly aspect. This warmed Luminous’s heart, but the pain of what he had done to Luna kept his mood downtrodden.
“You’re hiding your pain again; don’t even try to tell me otherwise. I may be a fool next to you, but I also know you well enough to know when you’re in pain,” Sir Phoenix spoke out.
“It is but an old wound that need not worry you. It’s just I didn’t think I’d ever see her again.” Luminous put the feather back in his bag for safekeeping, never looking toward Phoenix. “I loved her once.”
“Aye, I thought as much. In fact, it seems you still do, and if I had to bet from what I’ve seen, she still loves you,” Phoenix replied, encouraging Luminous to continue speaking.
“I do not! All I hold for her is hate!” Luminous shouted.
Phoenix at one time would have feared his prince yelling. “That is a lie and you know it,” he replied without any fear. “Tell me the truth.”
“Leave me!” Luminous commanded.
Phoenix shook his head and did as ordered.
Hearing their princess crying in her chambers, the guards outside her door worried.
“Should we see if she is ok?”
“No I don’t think she would want us to do that.”
“Then what would you have us do? She obviously needs consoling.”
Just then, Twilight passed by and overheard the loud crying and the guards’ distress. “I'm sorry for eavesdropping. With the crying, I could not help but worry.” she paused “Do you know what is going on?”
“We’re not sure, when she came back she just barged in her room crying.” the first guard said.
“If you know of a way to help her, please do what you can. We hate to see our princess in pain.” the second guard said concerned.
“Yes, I will go talk to her, if nothing else, it should at least calm her down.” Twilight reassured them.
“Thank you Princess.” They said in unison opening the doors slightly.
***
Luna heard her doors creak open. “Who is there?” she asked, her eyes puffy and red when she turned to look at the intruder.
“It is just me, Twilight. I came to see if you were alright. I heard you crying and your guards were concerned, so I came to offer my ears.”
“I do not wish to talk, Twilight, but I appreciate the gesture,” Luna replied, getting up.
“I understand, Luna, but it’s not good to bottle it up. I won’t force you to talk, but I'm here if you need me.”
“Thank you. It's not like I want to bottle it up--I want to talk about it--but you would not understand.”
“Oh, how so? Does this have anything to do with the prince’s actions from earlier?”
Luna looked at Twilight and fell to the floor crying again. “Yes, I… I don’t know how to explain it.”
“Well, for starters, how about you explain how he knows you?”
Luna wiped the tears from her cheeks with a hoof. “We met before my banishment. Our kingdom was new, and we had just made contact with Atlantis. It was our first visit to the fishing village of Tall Tale, the first stop before we entered their city. I had gone out in the town to talk to the villagers. As I made my way to the beach, I saw him. He was so handsome. His dark blue scales and shining silver mane were enchanting.” Luna paused.
Twilight noticed the dreamy look in her eyes but said nothing, allowing the night princess to continue.
“I was too afraid to approach him, yet little did I know that only a day later I would meet him. He was to greet us at the diplomatic negotiations. When I sat across from him, I couldn’t help but be distracted. Thankfully, my sister was there to keep things going. Later that evening, before returning to Tall Tale, he came to talk to me. He said, ‘Greetings, I am Luminous. I noticed you earlier at the beach, then again at our talks, and thought that an angel had fallen from the heavens.’” Luna paused to laugh. Twilight laughed as well, if not for anything more than how cheesy it was.
“Astonished as I was, I only laughed at him, I recall him being downhearted after that. He blushed bright red, and rushed way. I ran after him apologizing. ‘Wait!’ I said, calling out. ‘I didn't mean to laugh; I couldn’t help myself.’ He turned around, and we talked. We talked for hours that night. After that, our friendship grew, and over time, we fell in love. When the war broke out, we were forced to meet in secret. One night he wrote me a letter; I recall it saying, ‘Luna, let’s run away together and never look back. I love you and I want us never again to be apart.’ I replied to him, and I set out to meet him. It was that very night that the empire disappeared. I did not know. I waited till dawn. When he did not come, I assumed the worst. After that I never saw him again.”
“Wait, then how do you feel now? I mean, this seems like you should be overjoyed--he's your long lost love.”
“Yes, I was overjoyed at first. I offered to take him to his room, and we talked.” Tearing up, she continued, “He told me he made that show of affection to throw me off and gauge my feelings for him. He never truly believed me. He said he no longer loved me and didn't want to rekindle what we once had.”
“Do you honestly think that's true? I mean, how was he acting when he said that?”
“At first he sounded hurt and sorry, then he turned cold and angry. After that, I couldn't be around him anymore, so I left.”
“Now I know for a fact from watching you and Celestia that he could have just put on his mask to push you away. Give him time; you two might come to at least be friends again.”
“Maybe..” Luna said, standing and crawling back into bed. “I have to attend to my duties tonight so I need to sleep,” Luna said on the verge of passing out.
“Alright, then I'll leave you to it. I hope you at least feel a little better.”
“Not perfect, but better than I was, thank you, Twilight.”
The sun was low in the sky and the night would soon be upon him, which was what Phoenix had been waiting for. “Vendix, make sure our prince gets his meal; I have something to look into.” That said, he left the room.
Once in the hall, two thoughts struck him: one, he had no idea where he was going; and two, he wasn’t sure if it was wise to ask an Equestrian Guard. So he wandered for a bit until he spotted a thestral guard. He hoped that their shared blood would help allow him the courage to ask for directions. He walked over to the the guard and asked, “Good sir, I was hoping you could tell me where I may find Princess Luna. I have a message for her.”
The Night Guard thought for a moment. “Well, at this time, she would be raising the moon, but I would be happy to give her the message for you.”
“Prince Luminous made it clear that it was for her ears only,” he replied.
The Night Guard bit his lip. “I understand. She would be on top the tower of the moon, which you can reach by going down the hall and taking a right. You’ll need to exit at the first double doors you find and fly up there.”
Phoenix nodded. “Thank you, good sir.” It didn’t take him long to find his way, and then to find Princess Luna. He watched as the silvery orb rose slowly into the sky and the stars slowly appeared in the night sky. He could see Luna’s horn was aglow with pure power, a kind he had only seen a few times.
Once the moon was in the sky, he dared to speak. “Your Highness, may I have a word?” he asked.
“Who is asking, you or your prince?” Luna replied.
“My prince doesn’t know I’m here. In truth, I worry for him.” Phoenix walked closer. “I know what happened between you two, and I know you may believe that my lord has sent me to vex you. But I assure you that is not the case.”
“You sound sincere, but how do I know you are not lying to me? For all I know, you could just be here to tell me again he doesn't want to see me.”
“Aye, I could. I could even give you honeyed words and sweeter lies than you could imagine. No, I’m here for my lord’s wellbeing. He has been acting off ever since he saw you today; at first, it seemed good, but then... you know.”
“Then tell me, little pony, what does he feel for me, since you seem to know?” Luna’s face was inches from his own, her eyes glowing bright teal as they filled with power and anger.
Phoenix didn’t flinch at her display. “Simple. Hurt. Betrayal. But even if he can lie to himself, I know my lord, and he loves you. He was crying when he walked away; only one who truly knows him could tell.”
“Then why is it you that comes before me, and not he? Is he not strong enough to face me himself?” Luna’s anger showed in her fur: Phoenix could see her fur getting darker and fangs protruding from her lips. Her mane seemed to reflect the night sky.
“I’ll regret saying this, but my lord is a stubborn fool, and he has a good dose of pride. So believe me or don’t, I care not, but when I saw a blue feather in his belongings, I knew who it belonged to.” Phoenix reached into his armor pocket and pulled out a dirty old feather.
Luna paused, all show of intimidation gone. Her coat returned to normal, as well as her eyes. “He has my feather?” Luna reached out with her hooves to touch the feather.
“Always. I did often wonder what mare won his heart, but I never could figure it out ‘til I saw you, as there are no pegasi within the empire.” Phoenix gave her the feather. “If you care for him, I’m sure he’ll get a new one.”
A tear slid down her cheek as she held the feather close to her chest. “Then what would you suggest I do? I can’t very well bring this back to him--he would wonder where I got it. It's clearly older than my current feathers.” She noticed the charred edges.
Phoenix laughed a bit. “Aye, and I doubt I could sneak the old one back in. But I suggest you find the reason why he feels this way. Things are not as they appear.” At that, he stood and began to depart. “Also, maybe try your intimidation tactic on him--you might find you get an interesting reaction. If you are wondering why it didn’t work on me, you haven’t seen my emperor angry yet.”
All throughout the night, Luna thought about Luminous and her conversation with his advisor, Sir Phoenix. ~I wonder if I should try to get in his dreams?~ she thought as she sat down.
Meditating on the floor, Luna opened her mind to think of Luminous. Pouring her magic into the spell, she entered his dream. There sitting in front of her with their backs turned, she saw herself and Luminous sitting in old Equestria. The houses below them spread out and dated. The moon hung midway through the sky, and she could see their hooves intertwined. They gazed deeply into each other's eyes before dipping into a passionate kiss. Luna turned away embarrassed as she watched the dream version of herself kissing Luminous. Her cheeks flushed red, and she almost left, but the dream changed. Her surroundings changed from the peace of the moonlit night to a dark room, the walls lined with books. There was a roaring fireplace to her back and a tall window to her left. In front of her she saw a desk littered with books and parchment. His back was turned, but she could feel his sadness and fear. When she moved around to get a better look at was causing it, she saw a blurry scroll on his desk. He was holding a pristine blue feather in his hooves. Suddenly he slammed a hoof on the desk and threw the letter into the fire. Watching the letter burn, she wondered what it could have said to make him so upset until he threw the feather in the fire as well. It charred a bit before he fumbled in front of the heat of the fire and pulled it out with a hoof. She could see tears falling down his face. He carefully wrapped the feather in a cloth and put it in his armor. The first and only thing she heard him say in the dream was, “I love you, Luna. I hope you’re happy with your choice.”
The earth shook with a force that Luna had never felt before; books and scrolls fell to the ground, and the whole city seemed to scream in fear. Luminous rushed over to the window that faced the sea. Dark clouds gathered over the city, and a wave that reached to the very heavens cast its shadow of death over Atlantis. “Raise the shield!” A powerful voice echoed with great power. Luminous rushed out of his room. The dream ended, and there was darkness all around her. She stood very still, thinking for a moment. ~Is it possible that this was the night I waited for him? What did he mean by my choice? I chose him. So why was he so upset? I must know, and I must know soon. Something's not right here.~ Luna woke to find herself sweating; she was still in her spot on the floor. Before her was a tray of pancakes. She looked to the sky and saw it was morning. Her moon was just on the edge of the sky. She knew it was time to set the moon to make way for dawn.
“Wow, this took me the rest of the night? It seemed so short.” She looked down at the tray and smiled. “Celestia must have come in to talk to me while I was in the dream.” She stood, grabbed the tray in her magic, and placed it on her desk. Walking to the balcony doors, she stepped outside. The cool morning breeze cleared her thoughts, and she proceeded to set the moon.
Luminous shot up, his hooves shaking and mind racing. The feeling of loss was heavy on his heart, the memory of the wave still fresh in his mind. He had thought that dream would no longer vex him, that he would no longer have fond memories of Luna. “My lord, is everything alright?” Vindex asked, once Luminous had calmed himself a bit.
“Aye, just an old memory,” Luminous replied. He noticed that Vindex and Sir Titan being the only two of his four guards awake. Sir Phoenix was sitting in a chair sleeping, and Lady Poppy hung from a beam on the ceiling, happily asleep. He could hear her soft, content mutters. He turned to Sir Phoenix and draped a blanket over him. Standing and clearing his thoughts, he continued, “Best to let them rest. What's on my agenda for today?”
“Well, there's gathering more insight on the workings of this kingdom, which your father requested a full report on.” Vindex spoke in a hushed tone. “Other than that, a few requests from Duke Valor and Duke Noctis, involving what kind of weapons, armor and technology they possess.” She then coughed a bit. “And your brother asked if you could, um, say how the mares looked.”
Luminous facehoofed. “I absolutely will not ‘find out what mares look like’ in the kingdom. If my brother wants to know, you may tell him to find out for himself.” ~That little pervert. Honestly, couldn't he be a bit more reserved.~
“Very good, my lord. I'll Inform him when we return.” ~Though I wish I didn't have to. I hate being near that pervert; he always undresses me with his eyes.~ She shuddered for a moment before regaining her composure.
The prince nodded in understanding, then he turned and rummaged through his bag, looking for the case that contained the feather. Finding it, he opened it. When he saw the feather missing, he softly closed it and looked up and around the room. His eyes glowed in the pre-dawn light, and a deep shadow made him look menacing. He eyed all his guards, feeling a bit of anger building, but calmly asked, “Vindex, did any of you leave the room last night?”
“Aye, Sir Phoenix left for a bit,” she replied.
“Do you happen to know where my feather is? It seems to be missing today,” luminous asked.
Vindex bit her lip and look toward her fellow guards before turning back to face her lord. “Well, I hate to be a rat, but after you fell asleep, I saw Sir Phoenix rummaging through your bag. He seemed to leave in a hurry after that. He didn't return for quite awhile.”
“I see,” Luminous replied, glancing at the sleeping guard. He dressed in a simple cotton shirt and left the room without a word. Vindex followed as best she could, but the prince was too quick, as his long legs made it too hard for her to keep up with.
He stopped at the end of the hall next to one of the maids walking past. He towered over the poor pony. “You, tell me where I can find Princess Luna.” He paused for a second, waiting for the shaking pony to answer. “NOW!”
Shaking, the mare answered, “Sh-sh-she is in he-her ch-chambers. Sh-she just set the mo-moon. I-I can lead you th-there.”
“Good, take me there at once!” he said. He began to calm down, but the strict urgency in his voice did not.
Luna prepared herself for bed; she had just stepped out of the bath and changed into a sheer silver robe. The edges were of Rarity’s design. It was adorned silk and small symbols of the moon. She sat down on her bed when suddenly a loud urgent knock pounded on her door.
“Princess Luna, I must have a word with you,” said the voice on the other side of the door. She knew it instantly. Not bothering to change, she calmly walked over the door and opened it.
“How may I help you, Prince Luminous? I am just about to lay down for the day.”
Luminous’ eyes were full of anger until he looked upon her. It melted into embarrassment, and he turned his head away, blushing. “I..I came to talk to about something.” He coughed a bit, trying hard to not let his eyes wander back to her beauty as she stood there.
“What is it you need to talk to me about?” she replied, noticing his distracted blush.
He looked to the two guards at the door. “May I... come in? I prefer to talk in private.”
“You may, though I wish I had known sooner you wished to talk.” She used a hoof to close her robe though it did nothing to make her more modest.
After he entered the room he closed the door, and stood in silence for a moment. “I was hoping you could return what Sir Phoenix took from me. I would assume he brought it to you.”
“Oh you mean this?” she said, holding a charred feather in her magic. “This is mine. Why ever should I return it you?” She scowled for a moment. “This symbolizes a pony’s promise to love, yet last you said, and I quote, ‘I care not for you any longer, or for your lies.’ As far as I am concerned, you don’t deserve this back.”
His ears and head fell in sadness. “Please,” was all he could reply.
“That does not tell me why you want it.” Slowly her fur became darker and her eyes glowed teal in anger.
“I can’t explain, just that I need it back,” he replied.
Luna’s mane turned a smokey purple and fangs protruded from her lips. She stepped forward putting a hoof under his chin. “If you can not tell me what you want it for, then you shall suffer knowing it is forever mine.” Her eyes flashed.
When he looked upon her, his eyes widened with fear. It almost seemed that she had grown taller. “What is happening to you?” His voice showed great concern.
She dropped his head, stepping back so the faint light silhouetted her figure. “Oh, you mean this?” she asked, gesturing to herself. Flaring her wings, she said, “This is what happened to me when you disappeared.” She stamped a hoof, leaving a crack in the marble floor. “This is what caused me to be banished for a thousand years on the moon.” She leaned in just inches from his face to emphasize her point. “This is my nightmare, Nightmare Moon!” She smiled, the faint light glinting off her fangs.
His eyes were full of fear, but not for his well-being. He couldn’t believe that the mare he found so beautiful could turn into something so frightening. “I..I’m sorry.” He shrunk back. “I didn’t know.”
Luna growled, “Of course you wouldn’t know. I suffered after you left. No one loved my nights or me. I became a monster.” Hot tears of rage fell down her face.
He looked down again. “You said you didn’t want to be with me, and that our kingdoms mattered more.” He looked at the crack on the floor where her hoof had been. “I wanted to be with you.” He looked up into her eyes. “After we sunk, my subjects longed to see the night sky.”
“I did not! I waited until dawn for you! When I returned, you and the empire were gone. All that I was told was that a huge wave had swept you and your kingdom away!” Luna screamed at him in pain.
He said nothing for a bit, just looked at her crying, wishing to comfort her. Then he spoke again. “Your letter said otherwise, and you ripped my heart out. Then I lost…”
“I sent a reply to you that very night. In it, I wrote to you saying yes, I wanted to run away with you, so I waited at our spot.” A memory flashed in her mind from his dream. “And what do you mean you lost? What did you lose?” She wasn’t yelling anymore, just hurt, though her features did not change.
He didn’t speak but tears fell from his eyes. “You and my mother.”
Luna visibly shrunk as her features returned to normal. “What do you mean you lost your mother? Is Empress Nightsong no longer alive?”
“Alive or dead aren’t the right words, more like… It’s complicated to explain; you would have to see it for yourself,” he said, shaking his head.
“So then why? Why tell me you didn't feel for me anymore if that's how you felt then--and apparently still feel now, according to that dream…” She cut herself off, putting a hoof to her mouth.
Luna tapped her hooves together, embarrassed. “I, uh, I wanted to see how you were doing last night, so I entered your dreams and saw…” She didn't want to tell him he saw them kiss. Her embarrassment became more apparent as she felt her cheeks flush red-hot.
He looked blankly at her. “Saw what?” he asked, recalling his dreams from the night prior.
Luna fell on her haunches, once again tapping her hooves, her face glowing red through her dark fur. “When I entered your dream, I saw you and a version of myself kissing.” She paused and cleared her throat. “Then I saw you toss a piece of parchment into a fire and heard a loud rumble. After that you went to the window where there was a huge wave and left. Then the dream went dark.” She didn't feel it necessary to touch on her concerns or give him full details.
“I should be angry,” he said, getting to his full height. “Yet, I’m not. I feel nothing… not a single shred of doubt about my responsibility remains.”
Luna stood and turned to face the window. “If that is how you really feel, then why bother with getting your feather back? What's the point?” She sighed. “It should have no meaning to you anymore.”
“It keeps me pony.” He sighed, reaching out to give a comforting hoof, but stopped short of touching her. “It reminds me of love lost, but also reminds me I have a duty… and that…” he trailed off.
“You know, I had something you gave me once--I think it was one of your scales.” She looked distantly out the window, staring at nothing. “I lost it when I was banished, yet I still stay pony, and I don’t lose my cool anymore. So why do you need it? What is the real reason?”
He looked away, “Without it I have no reason to feel for this kingdom, or another’s, for that matter.” He sighed.
“So in other words, you’re saying it keeps you sane. You make it sound like if you didn't and just let yourself not ‘be pony,’ that Equestria would be in danger,” she said, turning and glaring at him.
He didn’t speak, just looked sorrowfully into her eyes. Dread was held within his blue-silver eyes.
Luna sighed after a full minute of waiting for him to speak. “Fine, if that is how you want it, you may have the stupid feather. It’s just trash now. It means nothing to me.” She handed it to him before moving towards the door. “I am very tired; please leave.”
He held the feather for a moment, “This feather is the only reason… the only reason that I stood up to…” He shook his head as he started to leave. “Nevermind.”
“You can’t seem to tell me the truth, so why should I care? Just get out of my room.” Luna huffed and magically opened the door.
He left without a word.
The day seemed to go on forever. He watched the royal guards training, and he studied how the kingdom was run, taking notes along the way. Sometimes he would compare notes with Golden Valor, who had been doing much the same work. The feather rested within his tunic, reminding him to see the ponies as living beings, not just objects. It reminded him to care.
Phoenix had been searching high and low for his lord, but this place was strange. Halls seemed to lead nowhere, and rooms stretched on without end. After opening a door, he stumbled into the library. At the heart of the library sat Princess Twilight with books all around her. Seeing no other pony and no sign of his lord, Phoenix walked up to the her and looked at the books she was reading. ‘History of Lemuria’ was among the pile of books.
Twilight jumped. “What do you mean? Is this not a good account of its history?” she stood up, getting close to his muzzle. “Are there other books that have better information?”
Phoenix laughed. “Well, there are the ones she wrote, plus the records of the war, and of course you could always ask her yourself should you get the chance to visit our empire. I’m sure Dowager Queen Aurora Borealis would be glad to recall when Lemuria was young. It's my understanding she spends a lot of time in the library within the palace.”
“THERE IS A LIBRARY!!!” Twilight shouted in his face with excitement.
He shook his head. “Um, you do know my empire is far older than your kingdom, right?” he asked with a laugh. “Of course we have a library.” He recalled what he wanted to ask her. “Oh, have you seen my lord?”
Twilight thought for a minute. “I believe I saw him in the garden. I can take you to him if you want.”
“That would be of great help; this place is a maze,” he joked.
“Yes, it certainly is. I remember getting lost in these halls myself when I was a filly,” she said, walking to the door.
Phoenix followed and thought of yesterday. “How is Princess Luna doing? She seemed disheartened.”
Twilight recalled their talk from the previous night. “Well, I can’t speak for her current status, but when I last talked to her, she was very upset. I managed to comfort her, though.”
“Very good. I’m sorry if my lord caused any harm.” Phoenix wondered if that was part of the reason Luna listened to him. “You know, I could see if my lord would allow you to return with us. It could be a great idea to meet our emperor if we are to be allies someday.”
“Would you! Oh, that would be fantastic. Though I must say, Luna does feel greatly for him. What he did when he greeted her yesterday was very cruel.”
“Aye, I will not dispute that. He has never done something like that before; most of the time, he is reserved, even going so far as to stand up for us scoundrels.”
Twilight smiled. Eventually they came to a pair of glass doors. Twilight stopped. “Here is the garden. If you need any more help finding your way, let a guard know, and they will be happy to show you.”
He gave a slight bow before heading into the garden.
It was the final night of the prince's stay in Equestria. He was to leave in the morning. He, his guards and the princesses were all seated at a large dining table to eat. The meal was all vegetarian. He disliked the choice of food, seeing as he greatly missed the savory taste of fish. He was seated directly across from Luna. She would not meet his gaze and would not speak back to him. Idle chatter had flowed through the room since the meal began, and he had attempted to talk to her with no avail.
“It has been brought to my attention that somepony from Equestria should meet my father and see the greatness of Atlantis.” Luminous looked across the table toward Celestia and the other princesses. “I would be honored to extend a personal invite to Princess Twilight Sparkle.” He smiled for a minute. “Sir Phoenix mentioned to me earlier that you just love books. I thought it would be a good opportunity for you to learn about our culture.”
Twilight looked to Celestia, an eager grin on her face. “Please, may I go? I promise to do my best.”
Celestia pondered the invite for a moment, then sighed. “I suppose you can go; however, on one condition. Please take Luna with you. I trust you to be a good diplomat, but Luna has more experience. I want you to have someone there if you need it.”
Luna gasped, jerking her head toward her sister. ~How could she do that?! If only I could explain to her how uncomfortable this makes me.~ She cleared her throat. “It would be my pleasure to accompany Twilight to the empire, sister.” ~If only to smooth things over.~
“Very good. We leave in the morning,” Luminous said, smiling.
It was mid-morning, the sun was bright, and Luna was tired. Over the last couple of weeks, she had been forced to stay up later than usual. As she and Twilight traveled to the empire, she had resigned herself to staying up all day yesterday to change her sleep schedule. She never slept well at night; as such, her sleep was restless. In the distance, she saw the city. It looked very different from when she last saw it. The once-pure white marble walls had now turned the shade of aged parchment. Greenery seemed to cover much of the old walls. Places that her memory told her were once dry now had deep pools of water. Large dark shapes of unknown fish passed to and fro in several of the large pools. Large ships were docked along the sides of the city, as smaller vessels moved back and forth to their destinations. Just past the edge of the city, farmland and orchards surrounded sparsely-positioned homes. Beyond that, a ringed wall of marble marked the next section. It was filled with closely-packed homes and merchant shops. Stalls and tents cluttered many of the busier places. Beyond that was another ringed wall of marble. Standing with lush green beauty were larger, more decorated houses. They had gardens and canals of water. Beyond that at the heart of the city stood the Imperial Palace. It was elevated above the rest. Tall spires of gold and silver kissed the sky. Ancient high marble walls formed a ring around it, and the towers of the wall were crowned in gold. Within the walls at the foot of the palace were small but lavish homes. Gardens with lush green trees and plants choked every bit of available space. There were deep pools and rushing streams of water.
Passing above the streets in a royal sky carriage, Luna spotted soldiers parading and crowds cheering them on. Across from her sat the ever-elegant white unicorn mare, Rarity, who was gazing out the window. The sounds of a quill scratching on parchment came from Luna’s side; glancing over, she found that Twilight was busy writing.
“Twilight, what are you doing?” Luna asked.
“Oh, just taking some notes. Why do you suppose they are parading?”
“Could be for any reason. You should ask Prince Luminous when we set down.”
“I will have to do that. Still not talking to him, I take it?” Twilight replied.
Rarity’s ears perked up but she said nothing.
“No, I am not, and I don’t see why I should. It's not like he is ever going to feel that way for me again.”
“You know there is no better way to mend your friendship than talking to him,” Twilight gently urged her.
“I’m sorry to butt in, but just so I understand this, darling, would you mind explaining?” Rarity interjected.
“Long story short: a thousand years ago, give or take a little, I was in love with the prince. We had planned to run away together. Through a bit of a misunderstanding, on the night he was supposed to meet me, his city sunk under a massive wave.”
“Oh darling, I'm so sorry. It sounds like you two deeply cared for each other. I can understand how meeting him now would be difficult for you.”
The sky carriage slowly came to a stop within the imperial courtyard, countless guards and onlookers watching as it landed. Luna was the first to step out of the royal sky carriage, she was greeted by the sight of the emperor. His stature was great, his scales were golden in color, and he was adorned with bright silver armor. Blue gems lined the sides of the beast plate with a larger one in the center, and wavelike grooves ran along the breast plate and bracers.
“Princess Luna, when last I saw you, you were not much older than a filly.” His gaze fell upon Twilight, “And this must be the Princess Twilight Sparkle; I must say, you’re smaller than I imagined,” he said as he looked down upon her.
Twilight squeaked but cleared her throat. “I’m only the newest princess, not counting my niece.”
“Ah, so there are four of you alicorns now,” the emperor stated.
“Oh no, there are five of us: Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and myself you have met. Princess Cadence is the ruler of the Crystal Empire, and Princess Flurry Heart is her daughter. My brother is her father.”
“Is this Princess Cadence a descendant of my friend the Good King Sombra?” The emperor asked.
Twilight and Luna shared a glance before Twilight spoke. “No, King Sombra is deceased. He came to possess a great power, and it consumed him. It drove him into darkness and made him mad with power. He drove his people into slavery. It's only been a few years since the empire returned. Its been gone just as long as yours has. It needed a princess, so my sister-in-law was given it to rule.”
“A shame to know my good friend ended in that way,” the emperor said, pondering the fact. “Who is this white pony next to you? I was not informed of her arrival.”
Twilight glanced at Rarity, then back to the emperor. “This is my good friend and the Bearer of the Element of Generosity, Miss Rarity.”
“Very well. I’ll have another room readied, but tell me, what is her purpose for coming?”
Rarity was the one to speak up. “I wish to learn about culture and customs. Your empire has been gone for so long that I wanted to jump at the opportunity to explore it. The culture here from what I have seen is just marvelous.”
“Very well, I will have my oldest daughter show you around.” The emperor said then to Luna, “I will have somepony show you to your guest chamber; you seem ready to pass out.”
Luna swayed on her hooves. “Yes, thank you.”
“My emperor, it would be my pleasure to do so,” Sir Phoenix spoke up.
The Emperor looked toward the knight. “Very well. They will be staying in the east wing, next to the library,” he told Phoenix.
Twilight’s ears perked up. “Since we are going to be next to the library, may I have permission to visit it and read up on your culture?”
“That’s why I have placed you there. Tomorrow I will be showing you around the city myself.” The emperor looked toward his son. “I wish to see you in my study.”
Phoenix stood near Luna. She looked very tired. He noticed bags under her eyes and her heavy hoofsteps as she followed. He led her through the main gates and into the eastern garden. “I figure for your benefit we could walk this way so you don’t have to put on a show for any pony we might run into.”
“Thank you; I appreciate the gesture,” Luna graciously replied.
Bright red and yellow flowers dotted the path. An elegant siren statue stood near the entrance: a depiction of Empress Nightsong that Primarch had carved himself. As they walked further down the path, the flowers started deepening in color, reflecting shades of the the night sky: nightshade, night sky petunias, rare blue roses, and much more.
Phoenix stopped in front of a large rock that had nothing but moon flowers around it. “Say, could you read this plaque for me?”
Luna lazily looked down to focus on the words. “‘To the Love of My Life. May our souls forever be one.’” She stared at it for a long moment. “Ok, what about it? It’s sweet poetry, but I don’t understand. Why did you bring me here?”
“Just thought you would like the flowers, and it is a nice little plaque,” Phoenix replied.
Luna looked more closely at the flowers around it. She noticed the beautiful white flowers and the strong pleasing aroma they gave off. “These are moon flowers, my favorite.”
“Oh, I know,” Phoenix replied.
“I would ask how you know, but I'm going to guess it’s because you spend a lot of time with Luminous. Again, I ask: why bring me here?”
“Luminous had it commissioned many years ago. When I asked why, he simply told me, ‘So I never forget the love of my life.’”
“But he has made it clear he doesn't feel that way for me anymore. So once more I ask, why bring me here?”
Phoenix shook his head. “Mighty odd that he came here before we left for Canterlot, and he will no doubt be here tonight,” he replied. “Just thought you may like to see it.”
Luna pondered his words. “How can I trust you? You could just be telling me this to make me think he cares for me.”
“Aye, I could very well be lying. In fact, I could even be part of some game to hurt you even more. The thing is, that would hurt my lord just as much if not more. So believe what you will; don’t take my word for it. Maybe you should see for yourself tonight.”
Luna thought about his words as they continued walking.
Soon they stood in front of the room, and Phoenix opened the door. “Please enjoy your night princess. I will see you tomorrow at the winter banquet.”
Luna could hear a sweet, sorrowful tune echoing softly through out the garden. Small clusters of fireflies floated around her dancing on the wind. The sea breeze brought salty scents that mingled with the garden flowers. She slowly walked to the spot Phoenix had shown her. She was in her element. The cold night air calmed her nerves. Her moon shone brightly above her, giving her the confidence to do as he had suggested. She walked as quietly as she could. The sound of the music was louder now. She turned the corner at the sight of moon flowers and saw Luminous sitting next to the plaque humming softly. She listened for a moment longer before speaking up. “I remember that song, though I never recall you humming it before.”
“Thou shouldst be careful sneaking around in the dark; I might think thou art a spy,” Luminous replied, not turning to face her. “As for my lack of singing, I… I no longer can.” He sighed, still facing away from her.
“What a shame, I would have loved to hear it again.” Her voice had a touch of truth and sorrow.
He lowered his head. “I would ask what brought you here at this time, but I have a sneaking suspicion Sir Phoenix had something to do with it.”
Luna moved closer to him, leaning over to sniff a particularly beautiful moon flower. “‘Tis possible, however, I am the princess of the night and I could have simply wished to stroll amid the garden. It's quite lovely. I especially love these moon flowers.”
Luminous shook his head. “I planted them for that reason. I take it you’ve seen the plaque?”
“Oh yes, I saw it on my way to my chambers earlier today. It’s awfully sweet; I would be lying if I said it didn’t strike a heartstring. It’s beautiful, thank you.”
He sat there, not saying a word. A bit of moonlight shone off a single tear that ran down his face.
Luna caught his face; without thinking, she reached over with a hoof and caught the tear. When she pulled her hoof back, she realised what she had done and blushed. “I'm sorry, I don’t know what came over me just now.” She turned her head away and looked at the moon.
“Don’t be. I would have done the same if it was you.” He sighed, finally facing her.
“I see..” She paused for a minute, thinking. “This is hard for me to admit, and I am embarrassed to say it.” She took a deep breath. “I still really like you, and I want us to be friends, if we can’t be more.”
He looked to one of the moon flowers. “I… I can’t.” Tears started to roll down his cheeks, and he brought his hooves to cover his face.
Luna moved closer, her sadness evident. “Then at least allow me one thing?”
“I would give you the very heavens if you wished for it.” He paused, sniffing. “But I can’t, I can’t.”
“At least allow me this.” She took his chin in a hoof and gently kissed his lips. “I never did get to say goodbye,” she said, pulling just enough away to look in his eyes before standing.
“It would have been kinder to put a knife through my heart,” Luminous replied. “At least then I could have died happy.”
Luna jolted, whipping around and smacking a hoof directly in his face. “YOU THINK IT’S KINDER? I love you, I always have, and this is how you treat my goodbye? By wishing you were dead? Don’t you think I wanted to die when I found out your city sunk all those years ago? So don’t you dare say that again!” Luna screamed as hot, angry tears flowed down her face.
He rubbed the side of his face and looked up in shock. “Do you not think I want to say I love you?! Did you not walk in my dreams, did you not think there is a reason Sir Phoenix keeps going behind my back? I can’t because our love would be torn apart if our nations ever went to war. What would I do? Who would I be loyal to?” He put a hoof over his mouth.
Luna’s eyes widened. “What are you implying? Are you afraid we are going to go to war?”
He looked her dead in the eyes, tears pouring from his own. “No, Just... What if we find ourselves on opposite sides of a war, what if our lands found no common ground, and one of us was forced to… to kill the other?”
Luna visibly softened. “If there is anything I have learned since returning to Equestria, it is that love and light are the most powerful form of magic. It wouldn’t matter to me if our countries went to war, because I would have you. Our love could bring us together. Back then, I didn’t know that, and I was a fool. I should have seen our love as a solution to the war, but I didn’t. Instead I agreed to run away so that I didn’t have to face my sister and your father and explain how I felt.” Luna paused, reaching a hoof out to stroke his cheek where she had smacked him. “Love can do anything if you believe.”
He touched her hoof with his own. “I… I want to believe you. I want things to end like the stories my mother told me. But what if it doesn’t work? What if they’re wrong?” he said, looking at her.
Luna sat back down, this time reaching out to hug him. “That's just it, Lumi, they are ‘what if’s;’ the future could hold anything. The joy of going through life is experiencing it with a loved one by your side; you fight through hardships and play through peace. It's the ups and downs that bring you closer together.”
He had a look of shock and glanced down for a moment. “When did you become so wise? Back then, you were so foalish.”
Luna briefly contemplated smacking him again, but thought better of it. “I became wise when I lost you, spent a thousand years on the moon and met Twilight.”
“Could you allow me to give some thought to the matter? I have many things to ponder.” He weakly smiled.
“I could allow that, on one condition,” she said, smiling.
“What would that be?” he asked.
“You tell me how you lost your voice. Oh, and this isn’t a condition, but also allow me to sit out here for a bit. Being in a different country is easier if I am out at night.”
He laughed a bit at the last part. “Of course you may.” He then took on a sorrowful expression. “As to your question, it has a simple answer: you took it when I lost you.”
Luna playfully started patting herself down. “Nope, I don’t have it. I must have given it back when I kissed you.”
He laughed. “Mayhap you did, but it may take me sometime to learn to use it again.”
“Well, when you want to practice and need an audience, do let me know. I'd gladly listen,” she said, nuzzling him. “I missed you. Please don’t disappear again. I'd hate to lose my closest friend.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” He then looked down. “Just, stay safe. I couldn’t live if something happened to you.”
“You know I will; nothing's going to touch this powerful alicorn.” She smiled, kissing his cheek.
He reached out with both hooves and touched her on the muzzle. “Doesn’t seem that hard to me.” He then squished her cheeks. “In fact you feel a lot like a plushie to me,” he joked.
Luna’s face turned bright red. “Um, can you stop doing that, please,” she said through smooshed cheeks.
He continued his assault. “I don’t know, this is kind of fun.” She playfully pushed him, laughing.
Luna was content to sit out there and chat with him all night. They enjoyed each other's company as they chatted about things they missed in the time they had been apart.
On a balcony overlooking the garden, a certain princess watched the two with malice in her eyes. “You will not have him again. I can’t let you hurt my brother like you did so long ago.” Not wishing to watch them any longer, she stormed off.
Twilight awoke to the sun shining in her face. Instinctively, she looked down for Spike, her number-one assistant, only to remember he was not there. Frowning briefly, she stood up. She yawned, stretched, and put on a simple but regal gown Rarity had made for her. Rarity had insisted she wear proper clothes becoming of her status while in the empire. She felt her tummy growl and remembered she hadn’t eaten last night. She had been too held up in the library to eat. The books she’d read had her hungry for knowledge, and she’d forgotten about her true hunger. Deciding to find something to eat, she headed out of her room.
***
Twilight had walked a good deal before she broke down and found a guard to ask him the way. “Excuse me, where might the kitchen be?”
“Of course, Your Highness, it's just a little further down on your left. Just follow your nose; they should still be serving breakfast right about now.”
“Okay, thank you,” Twilight said, smiling.
Reaching the kitchen, she walked in. The smell of pancakes and waffles reminded her of Spike’s cooking in the morning. She missed her little dragon and wished she could have brought him. Twilight grabbed a plate and picked a seat near a window.
“Greetings, Princess Twilight Sparkle. May I join you?” the emperor asked, looking down at her.
“Of course, Your Majesty,” Twilight said, looking up.
He moved to seat himself in front of her. “How has the world been in the past thousand years?” he said, asking curiously.
“Well, that depends on what you want to know,” Twilight replied.
“Tell me about the recent happenings of your kingdom; seems so long to go without some kind of action.” He paused, thinking. “As I recall, it was still plagued with monsters, but it doesn't seem that way now.”
“Well, we have had quite the assortment of happenings, there was the attack of Nightmare Moon, then Discord and of course we had the changelings; you already know about Sombra, after that we had Tirek.
“A nightmare! A mighty foe indeed! However did you overcome such a beast?” he asked.
“That’s an easy one: through the power of friendship.”
“Through friendship? I have seen cohorts be cut down and towns burn with just one nightmare. How could you befriend a beast?”
“That ‘beast’ was the Lunar Diarch, Princess Luna.”
“What do you mean? Nightmares use possession and mind games to gain their goals. A pony can’t become a nightmare, only host one.”
“I am unsure of how the nightmare came to be part of Luna; only when she returned did we free her.”
“The only way to free the pony is to kill them. By what means did you manage to banish the nightmare?” He paused. “When faced with a beast like that, we sirens would use hearts to sing sounds of death, in the hopes that the soul of the possessed would find peace.”
“Wait, what is the siren's heart? You make it sound like a tool.”
He tapped the crystal on his chest. “This would be the siren's heart; it’s what empowers our voices,” he replied. “Now tell me, how does friendship cast out a nightmare?”
“Well, in Equestria, there are relics called the Elements of Harmony. Ponies who represent those elements are able to spread friendship and light, healing those who are lost to darkness.”
The emperor smiled. “Then those are indeed relics of great power. Can simply anyone use them?”
Twilight hesitated; she wasn’t entirely sure, and his questioned seem odd. “The Elements are linked to the ponies they choose; only ponies that truly embody the attributes that make up the Elements can use them.”
The emperor seemed to grow larger. “Then there must have been many over the past years who have used them?”
“No, Luna and Celestia were the last ponies to use them before my friends and I found them. It was only through my friendship with my friends that I was able to find and harness them. Before that, they were lost to the wilds of everfree for a thousand years.”
Seeming content with their talk, he looked at her plate. “I see you finished your meal. Would you like to see our great city now, or do you feel the need to have another plate?”
“No thank you, I would like to see the city now.”
A knock at her chamber door woke Luna from her sleep. Stretching and yawning, she called out to answer, “Who is it?”
“It’s us, darling: Rarity and Twilight. The prince’s guard Vindex is here as well. We came to help you get ready for the banquet.”
Luna thought for a moment. She couldn’t recall being informed about a banquet. Then again, she did recall being quite tired the day they had arrived. “Come in.”
The three mares gently pushed the door open, entering. Rarity carried with her three gowns; Vindex had already dressed in hers. Luna blinked. “Whenever did you have time to make these?”
“Oh, darling, I have had these made for awhile. I had a hunch we might need them, so I packed them.” Rarity smiled. “A proper mare is always prepared.”
Luna admired the mare for her studious attention to detail. Standing, she walked in to the bathroom to freshen up. She could hear the mares on the other side of the door talking about makeup and hairstyles. It had been awhile since she last attended a formal event, and she inwardly danced with joy. An idea danced in her head, and she wondered if it was right to voice it to the mares. Walking out of the bathroom, she cleared her throat to ask, “Ladies, would it be wrong of me to ask Luminous to meet me in the garden prior to the banquet?”
“Well, I could get him to the garden; just know that Sir Phoenix and the other guards would have to be there, as to not make it obvious that you two are… well, you get my point,” Vindex said, speaking up.
“Would you do that for me? I really just want to see the garden for a bit.”
“Of course, I understand,” Vindex replied. She winked at her before dipping her head and leaving.
Rarity squealed in delight. “Ooh, so you two have made amends, I take it?”
“Well, not entirely, but I did voice my feelings,” Luna said, blushing.
“So what does this mean, then?” Twilight asked.
Luna had to think of how to properly respond. She recalled the night prior and what Luminous had said: ~Allow me to give some thought to the matter? I have many things to ponder.~ The words echoed in her mind. “I think I would have to say that he is open to the idea of courting me but hasn’t decided. I get the feeling something is holding him back.”
“Well, that's a start, darling, but you should still be careful. Don’t let it get out of hoof.”
“Ah, the ever-wise Rarity, of course. I would never let that happen.”
Rarity smiled back. “Now, darling, it's time to get you dressed.”
***
Luna stood in front of a full-length mirror. She wore a form-fitting black gown that was adorned with a large moonstone in front. Along the sides and back of the dress, it sparkled, representing the night sky. She turned and looked at her train, which sported a large full moon made of white fabric that glittered in the lights of her room. Turning again to look at the mirror, she noticed her mane was pinned back with a string of polished moonstones. Closing an eye, she saw that Rarity had applied glittering light blue eyeshadow to accent her beautiful coat. Atop her head was a variation of her normal regalia: it still had the onyx coloration, but it now sported a full-moon-shaped moonstone. Turning to them, she said, “Thank you, Rarity, for the lovely dress; out of all the ones you have made for me in the past, this is by far my favorite.”
“You’re welcome, princess. I’m glad you like it. Since we are also done getting ready, we will see you at the banquet.”
“Yes, of course,” Luna said, exiting after the two mares. She watched them as they took the main hall to the banquet. She turned the opposite way and headed for the garden.
“How Father wears this kind of armor all the time is beyond me,” Luminous said, looking to Sir Phoenix.
“Well, it looks fetching on you; when was the last time you wore this armor? It took me some time to polish it.”
Luminous stood dressed in platinum armor. His breastplate had the same waves engraved on it that his father’s did. Bright diamonds were inlaid along the the waves, and at the center was a large diamond that was clouded and dim. On his shoulder guards were crescent moons.
“Come now, surely I’ve worn it a few times in the past thousand years.” He tried to recall when he had actually last worn it. “Okay, I get the point; it's been a long time.”
“I’m sure your father will be glad to see you in it, as well as your grandmother.” He gave a smile. “I bet this has to do with a certain alicorn princess.”
Luminous blushed and cleared his throat. “While I know you would assume that, and that could very well be true, this is the first time we have had foreign dignitaries visit the empire, and it’s only proper that I dress the part.”
“Sure, we’ll go with that.” Phoenix shook his head.
“Excuse me, Your Highness. I bear a message from Princess Luna,” Vindex said after appearing from an open window.
“Luna? What did she say?” Luminous asked eagerly.
The thestral mare smiled. “She asks that you meet her in the garden instead of her room.”
“Then I should not keep her; I am to be her escort, after all. Though, do me a favor?”
“Aye, what can I do for you?” she replied.
Addressing all of them instead of just her he said, “I know it’s proper to have you four escort us to the banquet, but I would like you to keep your distance in the garden.”
“Of course, my lord,” they all replied in unison.
“Thank you,” he said, departing his room for the garden.
***
Entering the garden, he noticed Luna, who was standing by the moonflowers. She was as beautiful as her night sky. She put her bright moon above to shame. He strolled up to her and did a half bow. “Good evening, my lady. May I say, you look lovely tonight.” He looked again. “Though you seem to be missing one tiny detail.” He picked a particularly rare form of moon flowers and placed it in her mane.
Luna jumped, startled for a second. Putting a hoof to her mane, she felt the flower next to her ear. She turned to face him. “Thank you, good sir, you impress me with your armor. Though I never recall your heartstone being so dingy.”
He looked to the diamond on his chest. “It’s nothing; it has just lost it shine with age.” Luminous forced a smile.
“Now I know that to be a lie! Your father's stone is bright and bold, yet he is quite old,” she said, eyeing him. “Pray tell, what is the real reason?”
He covered the diamond with his hoof and sighed, suddenly downcast. “I lost my voice when I lost you. So after that day, it slowly grew dim. ” He looked to the moon flowers. “In fact, I have kept it hidden; this is the first time ponies will see my heart in a thousand years.”
“So now that I’m back, why don’t you have your voice anymore?” she asked, touching the hoof that covered his heart.
He looked into her beautiful teal eyes. “Just that the wound is still healing, is all.” He knew he could not speak the whole truth of what he knew.
“How can I help it heal?” she asked, touching her hoof to his cheek.
He smiled, putting a hoof on her neck and leaning in and whispered, “Like this.” He kissed her deeply.
Luna’s eyes went wide briefly before she fell into his embrace and enjoyed the touch of his lips to hers.
Luminous pulled away from her. He looked into her eyes again. He felt her love and looked to his heart. Slowly the radiance returned, but it was still far from its former brilliance. “Hope that wasn’t too brash.”
Luna shook her head, eyes dazed. “Uh, no, I..” Her legs crumpled beneath her, and she fell into him.
“Easy now. Can’t have you fainting on us,” he said, looking at her with a forlorn fondness.
Luna stayed silent for a moment, just relishing his hooves around her, then a thought struck her. “Does this mean you're now open to the prospect of courting?” She stood on shaky legs, looking in his eyes.
He stood there for sometime, looking into her eyes, his heart and mind at war over how to reply. “Never was I not open to it, just that I have something that I will need to tell you soon if we formally announced it to the world.”
“You would openly announce your feelings for me? I expected the prospect of courting, but I thought you felt reserved about coming out with our relationship.” She paused, thinking. “I thought you were worried about being separated if we ever went to war.”
He gave a weak smile and stared sorrowfully into her eyes before turning to face the lit windows of the palace. “We should be going before ponies start to wonder where we are,” he said, slightly forlorn. “Just think of the scandal,” he joked, starting to walk away.
Luna used her magic to hold him in place. “Tell me what are you hiding,” she said with a darkening tone.
His eyes went wide as he felt himself being dragged back magically. “You… you would hate me if I told you the truth,” he replied. His heart and mind warred with each other.
“You would only garner my hate if you told me that this whole time you have been playing my heart; anything else I can look past.” She moved him closer to her, making him face her with her magic.
He glanced down. “You know that I would never do anything like that to you, as my heart would be black if that was the case. So please stop the act--I know you will not hurt me.”
She pondered his words, softening but not quite releasing him. “Tell me then, please.” she pleaded with him.
His loyalty fought him as he spoke. “M-my f-father…” Every word was heavy, and tears welled at his eyes. “H-he plans…” He stopped, unable to speak.
“He plans what? I could never hate you, so please just tell me,” she said, touching a hoof to his cheek.
He forced the words from his mouth. “Come spring, our armies will invade Equestria, and if Celestia fights him, he will make an an example of both of you.” He paused, unable to continue as the image of Luna being killed crossed his mind.
Luna let go of him and hugged him. “Lumi, I love you! Even if we went to war, I know that what happened last time won’t happen again.” She paused. “How would he make an example of us?” she asked carefully.
“Be… beheaded and placed at the gates of Canterlot for all to see. To show that not even alicorns can stand against us.” He cried into her shoulder.
“Oh, Lumi, I think I understand now, you needn’t be afraid of that. While your fears are relevant, it's a long way off. There's still time before that happens; a solution will arise.” She paused, trying to find the right words. She pulled her experience with dream walking to continue. “Love is powerful, and at times it can drive ponies to do stupid things, but it can also heal.”
His heart told him that she spoke true, yet he had seen how powerful his father was. then he thought back to his mother, who was encased in crystal, and realization hit him. “Don’t confront my father; give me time to speak with him. I need to gain my grandmother’s support before I try.”
She held him away from her. “Does this mean you accept me?” she said with a spark of hope in her eyes.
He nodded. “Aye, just keep it a secret for now…” He paused, as thought hit him. “Twilight knows, doesn’t she?”
Luna looked away. “Yes, and Rarity…”
He looked to where his knights were standing then said to Luna. “You mustn't tell them about what could happen, as I fear that it could provoke my father to act sooner.”
Luna looked back to him. “Of course. I trust you to do what you feel is needed.” She nuzzled him, then leaned in to kiss him again, joy on her features.
A bright glow filled the space around them; when they broke apart to watch, the diamond on his chest was as radiant as the day they had first met. He felt his song return to him. “Seems my heart won in the end.” He weakly smiled. “We should get to the banquet before it seems suspicious.”
Luna nuzzled him again, kissing him lightly.
Twilight stood outside the door to the banquet hall with Rarity. “Where are they? She should have been here by now.”
“Settle down, darling; they are probably just catching up. They will be along soon,” Rarity reassured her.
“Yes, you’re right.” Something caught her eye, and she saw them turn the corner. “Oh, and look! There they are.”
“Twilight, good evening! I'm sorry to keep you waiting.” Luna looked down at her purple friend. She nudged Luminous.
He looked to the pair and shook his head. “Aye, good evening. I trust you both have been enjoying your stay.”
“Yes, we have, thank you,” Twilight said.
“Indeed, but I have the feeling Princess Luna has enjoyed hers more,” Rarity said, eyeing the pair and noticing how close they were.
Luna blushed and rubbed a hoof along her forehoof, stepping away from Luminous slightly. “Yes, Lumi has made my stay quite enjoyable.” She cupped a hoof over her mouth when she realised what she said.
“Lumi? You mean Prince lover siren over there,” Rarity teased her, smiling.
“Oh, yes, you should have seen them in the garden. It was quite the spectacle,” the other mare guard, Poppy, chimed in.
Luna’s head whipped around to stare at the guard before turning back and waving it off. “He just accepted my offer to court. Nothing more.”
Luminous glared at Poppy, then turned to address the mares. “Um, wait, you can’t tell anypony, we need some time to...” He paused, trying to find the right words. “Come out with our relationship.”
Twilight eyed the pair. “I’m happy for you. However, if you’re trying to keep it a secret, it's not a good idea to be around each other in the banquet hall.”
The prince looked in thought for a moment. “Princess Twilight has a point; it may be best if we split up,” he said.
“Good idea. We don’t need any drama tonight,” Luna said, thinking back to the earlier events.
“Alright then, should we enter?” Twilight asked.
“That we should,” Luminous replied.
***
Entering first were Luminous and Luna; behind them were Vindex and Titan, who acted as their guards. They were followed by Twilight and Rarity, with Sir Phoenix and Poppy bringing up the rear. “Introducing His Highness Crowned Prince Luminous Sovereign, Heir to the Atlantean Throne, escorting Her Highness Princess Luna, Lunar Diarch of Equestria.” They bowed to each other, then the pair parted ways as they entered.
“Introducing Her Highness Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria, Princess of Friendship, accompanied by the Bearer of the Element of Generosity, Miss Rarity.”
Twilight and Rarity entered together. She noticed Luna standing off to the side waiting for her. “Luna, were you waiting for me?” Twilight asked her as she came down the stairs into the lavish hall, while Rarity went her separate way to mingle.
“You could say that. I figured it would be best if I was with you so that I didn’t find myself going to luminous. Call it...” She paused. “...call it my way of keeping myself under control.”
“I understand--can’t have you making it too obvious, with his father seated right over there.” She point across the room to the far wall. “I had a talk with him earlier today.”
“Oh, what did you two talk about?” Luna asked.
“Oh, he just wanted to know about Nightmare Moon. Did you know there are other nightmares?” Twilight replied.
Hmm, that's odd. But yes, I knew there were others. They now live in the dreams of ponies,” Luna said, interested.
Twilight thought more on the talk from earlier. “Also, I learned about the siren’s heart. Did you know that if their heart is broken, they can no longer sing?”
“Yes, I was aware, but why would he tell you that?” Luna asked, worried.
Twilight took note of the worry in her voice. “Well he asked how we... defeated you. He only knew of one way to cleanse nightmares from a host, so I told him...” Her eye widened as she fully understood. “...about the Elements of Harmony. And how they work.”
Luna’s face hardened. She dragged the purple mare out of the room to a side hall. “You did what?!.”
Twilight shrunk back at Luna’s tone. “He asked about the Elements. I only told them that my friends and i can use them.”
“You foal, he was fishing for information. You should have kept your mouth shut; now he knows that we have a powerful relic,” Luna growled.
“But I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong, it not like he wouldn’t have learned about it sooner or later.” Twilight repealed.
“No, he wouldn’t have. What do you suppose could happen if he decides he wants that power for himself?” Luna asked the quivering mare.
Twilight looked fearfully at Luna. “But I thought...”
“You thought wrong. He would take you and your friends into custody to use you for his wishes. You need to learn to be more careful. It's not as bad as you think, but what I'm saying has some ring of truth to it. The next time you are around him keep your secrets more guarded.” She paused to breathe, visibly calming down. “Did you tell him anything else?”
“No, but I thought we were here to ensure an alliance. I mean, you and Luminous seem to be close, so why would his father seek to make war?” she replied.
“It's not that. Politics are complicated: even if that is our goal, you can not assume that it will work out. We don’t tell the griffins about our military secrets, so why would we tell the empire? Do you understand what i'm getting at?”
“I understand. I’m sorry.” She nodded.
Luna reached over and hugged the purple mare. “Twilight, I commend your effort to make friends, but please have some restraint. This isn’t Equestria, so you have to be careful.”
Twilight nuzzled her.
Luna released her, happy for the young mare’s affection. “So, how do you feel about fish? I find it quite delicious.”
The banquet had been going well. Luminous’ father was watching the merriment, and Twilight had his grandmother’s ear. His siblings were chatting with one another. Luna had shot more than a few glares toward his father.
Luminous glaced toward the main floor and to the ponies happily dancing. He smiled. ~Well, may as well have a dance with Luna. If nothing else, we could keep it formal to show diplomacy.~ He got up and moved over to Luna. “Would you honor me with a dance, Princess Luna?” he asked, winking at her as he bowed.
Luna smiled. “Of course, it would be my pleasure, Prince Luminous,” she said, curtsying.
The pair went to the center of the room; more than a few nobles took note. Luminous knew this was a strange sight for many, as he had never done anything like this before. He stood and bowed to her, and she did the same. Listening to the music, they began dancing. “How is your night going, my lady?” he asked, noting that their conversation was being overheard.
“It’s going wonderfully, and yours?”
“Quite well indeed. It seems you’re enjoying your stay here. Princess Twilight seems to be enjoying a rather deep conversation with my grandmother,” he said as he took a quick glance over to his grandmother.
“My stay has been wonderful and pleasant. Your city is lively during the festival.” She looked toward the dowager queen, earning a polite nod. “I agree, Princess Twilight is definitely enjoying herself. They must be having a conversation on history. I have never seen Twilight as happy as she is now.”
“Very much so. I did note how Princess Twilight seemed to find our customs of eating fish strange. Tell me, do the ponies of Equestria not eat fish?” he asked. He wished he could dance closer to her, but he knew many eyes were upon them and that his father was no doubt watching.
“Only the pegasi and thestrals, who need the protein. We alicorns don’t use our wings as much, so it's not too common for us to eat it,” Luna replied.
“So how about yourself? You seemed to enjoy the meal,” he asked
“I dine with my thestral guards on occasion, and I have found I quite like the flavor. It’s quite good cooked with dragon fire as well.”
He smiled. “I could understand that. Should we return to our seats?” he asked.
“While I am enjoying the sudden company of Your Highness, I do believe you may be right.” She wished she could voice how she really felt to him.
“Aye, the night is still young,” he replied. It was then he took note of his sister shooting daggers at him. Bowing to her, he left her to walk over and greet his sister.
“Something the matter, sister? You seem tense,” he asked calmly.
“I’m fine, though I would like a word with you in the courtyard.”
***
Lemuria led him to the courtyard. Luminous felt a tinge of fear: had his sister seen him and Luna? “What is it you need to talk about?”
“You’re a fool,” she said, turning to glare at him. “Did you honestly think you could get away with courting that mare? You know of father’s plans.”
“If we what, brother? Do you honestly think Father can be swayed? Does that mare even love you? She left you a thousand years ago; who's to say she won’t do it again?”
“Enough! Father will listen, this war can be avoided, and aye, she loves me!” He looked his sister in the eyes.
Taken aback, Lemuria replied, “She loves you? How would you know? She could just being playing you like she did then.”
Luminous pointed at his heart. “Do you see this? Do you know how long it was dim, why I haven’t sung for over a thousand years? No, she loves me as dearly as I love her.” He raised his voice a bit. “Also, there was more at play to that event that broke us apart.”
“You mean to say she took your voice? Why didn’t you tell me?” She paused. “What more was at play?”
“We both recall very different letters: when we planned to run away the night the city sunk, we planned to leave that blasted war behind!” He paused. “So don’t you dare try to tell me she’s using me.”
Lemuria stepped back; she had never seen her brother act like this. “You really love her, don’t you.”
“As much as Father loves Mother.” He looked her dead in the eyes. “So what are you going to do?”
She thought for a minute. “What are your future plans with her?” She paused. “Answer me that first.”
Luminous had no doubts as he answered, “I will marry her if she will have me, have foals with her and have her ruling by my side one day.”
Lemuria looked at her brother. Her eyes widened, then softened. “If that is how you feel, then I will stand with you; however, should I see her hurt you, I will not hesitate to take her out.”
“You will not harm one hair on her body! I do not care if she cuts my heart out, you will do her no harm. Is that clear?” he commanded.
“I understand, but that won’t stop me from having a very lengthy talk with her,” she replied.
“Fine, have your talk, but if I find out you harmed her in any way...” He paused. “I will not think twice about taking her side.”
“I understand, so then I must ask. If you can not change Father’s mind, where will you stand: with her, or with us?”
“I-I...” He looked away. “I pray that it will not come to that.”
She squinted her eyes at him. “I pray your idea works,” she said, walking away.
He looked up at his lover’s moon. ~I’m going to need to speak to Mother.~
The banquet was at an end. All but the Thestral nobles had retired for the night. Luna glanced around for Luminous and spotted him talking with his grandmother. From their faces, she could see they were having a delightful conversation. Then looking around for Twilight, she spotted her walking out of the hall.
“Twilight!” she called out. Twilight turned around. “What are your plans now?” Twilight yawned.
“I was thinking of bedding down for the night; we leave tomorrow. You can come hang out with me for a little bit, though I think Rarity and I are going to sit and chat as well.”
“I see. I must decline. I would like to go and change, and I thought about dreamwalking tonight,” Luna replied. ~I'm lying, of course, but I’m sure she knows that. I just don’t want the nobles to overhear my plans in the garden.~
“Alright then, have a good night,” Twilight said, smiling before walking away.
***
The walk to her room seemed a bit longer with nopony to talk to. As she neared, she took note that the door was open. ~I don’t recall leaving my door open. I’d best be on my guard.~
“Good evening, Princess Luna. I had hoped you would come back here first. I wish to have a word with you.”
If Luna found the encounter unsettling, she did not let it be seen. “I understand, Princess Lemuria. What is it you wish to talk about?”
Lemuria simply eyed her. “I had a most interesting conversation with my brother. So I must wonder, what game are you playing?”
“I would assume you know, then.” Luna eyed her. “I am playing no game. If it is a question of love, I don’t doubt mine. My love for him is endless.”
“Oh, is that so. Then tell me what secrets he has told you, as I know a few.”
“I know we are to go to war in the spring, but that will not stop me like it did a thousand years ago. This war can be avoided.”
A bit of anger in Lemuria’s eyes told Luna a great deal. “Then surely you wouldn’t mind telling me your plans for the future, then?”
Luna answered without hesitation, a determined look in her eye. “If he would ask me, I’d give him my hoof in a heartbeat. I want to have his foals and rule by his side. I love him.”
“I would stand with him, no matter the cost. Love can change the hearts of many. Ponies do stupid things for love, and I am no exception.”
With a sigh, Lemuria spoke. “Does that mean you would also stand as a daughter of the empire?”
Luna thought carefully. “I love Luminous; I am loyal to my heart. I pray it never comes to that.” She paused. “Are you going to tell your father I know of your invasion plans?”
“My brother made it clear that I will do you no harm, and thus telling my father would be doing that.” Lemuria shook her head. “I do have one thing to ask of you. Please, if you truly do love him, don’t make him choose between you and the empire. Simply join us, and I’m sure Father will spare your sister and fewer will die.”
Luna pondered her words. “While I see the point behind your words, I would also ask you the same: don’t force your brother to choose his country over his love.” She paused. “I would never ask him to, as I would hope he would never ask me.”
Lemuria looked away as she got up. “He already has chosen.”
Luna’s eyes widened, but she quickly stifled her recognition. “Please have a good night, princess.”
“Just be sure he doesn't get his fool head knocked off.”
“I assure you, I would be a foalish mare to allow him that.”
Lemuria nodded. “Just be careful. The walls have many ears, and there’s always a snake around somewhere.”
Luna nodded, seeing the princess out. Luna closed the door, then looked at herself in the mirror. “A shame to take it off, but I want to be comfortable.” She slipped out of her dress and took off her jewelry. She opted to wear a sheer wrap and walked out of her room, heading down to the garden.
***
Luna strolled into the garden and walked directly to the hidden spot that contained the moon flowers. When she rounded the corner, she saw Luminous sitting with his back turned. She could see that he had changed out of his armor and into a simple cotton tunic. “Hello, Lumi. I had hoped to find you here.”
“Did my sister have her talk with you?” he asked, not turning.
“Yes. I did have a few things to ask you,” she said.
“Go on, ask. I have no secrets from you.” He turned to face her.
She blushed, opting to sit down, and asked, “Well, for starters, she asked me my future plans with you. I told her that I would want to start a life with you. Did she ask you the same question?”
“Aye, she did,” he replied.
“May I know your view?” she asked, worry creeping in her voice.
He smiled a bit, taking a small cloth from his pocket and giving it to her. “Here, the answer.”
Luna took it in her magic. Unwrapping it, she found a blue iridescent scale. She looked to him, wide-eyed. “You mean…” She trailed off.
He nodded and smiled at her.
Luna unfolded a wing and plucked a feather. She reached over and said with happy tears, “Here, to replace the old one.”
He took the feather and held it close before looking sorrowfully toward the palace. “Go ahead, ask your next question, for I fear I know what it is.”
Luna breathed. She was so happy, but the question that she was to ask would really test her heart. “I would never make you choose, so please answer true: if you can not change your father’s mind, what are you going to do?”
“I… I would tell my mother farewell and hope she could reach him, as I could never make you choose as I have. I love my empire and my family, but I can’t trade my love for you to make them happy.”
He looked lovingly into her eyes even as tears fell from his, “My home is with you, wherever you may go. I know I will have to face my father soon. I just pray that he will hear me, otherwise I’m going to have to face him on the battlefield.”
Luna turned to him. “Are you sure this is how you feel?”
He leaned in and kissed her gently. “Was that response clear enough for you?”
She snuggled him closely, her shawl slipping from her shoulders. She laid her head on his hooves.
He laid his head on hers. “You know, you’re still soft,” he whispered.
Luna giggled. “I know, just don’t smoosh my face again.” She smiled and closed her eyes. For the first time, she felt able to sleep at night.
Author's Note
I hope everyone been enjoying the story so far.
Luna woke to find the sun already in the sky, her moon long since set. The rays of light peeked through her window. She looked around confused. ~Celestia must have set my moon, but how did I get here? I don’t remember falling asleep, let alone coming back to my room.~ She slid out from under the covers and walked to the window. Seeing the height of the sun still quite low, she went to her bathroom to freshen up. As she walked out of her bathroom, she heard a knock at the door.
“Princess Luna, are you awake?” she heard Twilight say from outside the door.
“Yes, come in,” Luna replied.
Twilight opened the door. “Good morning, Princess. It's almost time to leave; have you packed yet?”
“No, I haven’t. I just woke up.”
“Just woke up? But I thought you had issues sleeping at night.”
Luna blinked. “You know, I normally do. I don’t even recall falling asleep. Last I remember was visiting the garden to see Lumi, and then I woke up here.”
“But I thought you were going to dreamwalk; that's what you told me in the--”
Luna shook her head. “I told you that for the benefit of the nobles overhearing,” she replied. “I went to see Lumi.” Luna looked around for her scale. She found it on her night stand with a note.
Twilight sighed. “I figured, but what’s that?”
“This is his promise; as for the note, I’m not sure yet. Let me read it,” she said, opening the note.
My dearest Luna,
You fell asleep in my hooves last night, so I carried you to your room. In case I do not get to see you before the send-off to give you my proper goodbye, know that I love you and that I will see you soon. With or without my father’s approval.
Forever yours,
Lumi
Luna blushed, looking to her purple friend. “He just wrote me a sweet goodbye in case I can’t see him before the send-off.”
“Well, I’m not sure that will be the case. I thought I saw him in the garden when I passed.” Twilight winked. “In any case, the send-off is in an hour. I just came to see if you were ready.” Twilight smiled.
“Thank you, I'll be sure to be there.” With that, Luna watched Twilight leave. She turned and brought out her saddle bags. As she gathered her things, she looked around the room. “I don’t believe I'm missing anything.” Nodding, she walked out of the room.
***
Luna walked into the garden, carrying her saddle bags. Under her wing, she held Luminous’ scale and the note he wrote her. She headed straight for the moon flowers. Turning the corner, she saw him resting in the grass. “Good morning.”
“And to you, my dear. Did you sleep well?” he asked, getting up to greet her.
She nuzzled him. “Yes I did--so well, in fact, my sister had to set my moon. I haven’t slept that well at night for as long as I can remember. I also received your letter; turns out we did get the chance to meet.”
“That is good to hear. Once you have gone, I’ll speak to my grandmother.”
She frowned. “I was hoping you would have some small talk before you got serious...” She sighed. “But good, I hope it will work.”
“Forgive me, but I thought you should know,.” he replied.
She put a hoof on his shoulder. “I understand, though I do have a question.” She eyed him mischievously.
“Oh, just a couple of things. First, where is my feather? And second, what did you mean by proper goodbye?” she grinned.
“Close to my heart, but I don’t see my scale on you,” he replied. “As for the proper goodbye, I don’t know. What did you want?”
Luna blushed. “It’s under my wing until I get home to put it on a chain.” She paused and looked away, her face hot. “I...I imagined a kiss at least.” She put a hoof behind her head.
“Than you shall have one! Anything else, my lady?” he asked, eyeing her with a large grin.
“I couldn’t think of anything else--” she blushed “--at least nothing you could do that would be better than that.”
“Well, I could think of a few, but my brother’s ideas are a bit more above and beyond.” He blushed.
Luna’s ears perked then folded back. She pushed him gently with a hoof. “We aren’t even married! That would be a bit much.”
He looked up at the sky. “We could be married one day, unlike my brother, who sired twelve noble houses without being married.”
She folded her ears back, scowling. “I don’t think I want to know that story. But would you really marry me one day?”
“Would I? I don’t know.” He looked down at her, smiling. “There is that whole Nightmare thing.”
She scowled at him. “The Nightmare and I have an understanding, though it would make for an interesting conversation if you met her when we weren’t mad. You didn’t answer me, though. Would you marry me?”
“Very true.” He topped his chin. “Let me think, well…”
Luna frowned. “You wouldn’t?” She almost cried.
He laughed a bit, then leaned in and kissed her.
Luna flinched but enjoyed the kiss. “While it made me feel better, I don’t think was the answer.”
He smiled. “You’ll just have to wait and find out then, silly mare.”
“I guess I will.” She leaned in to kiss him again. “I’m going to miss you when I leave.”
“I know, you could always walk in my dreams, but maybe let me know when you are.”
Luna rolled her eyes. “Right, like I'm gonna let you get away with kissing a dream version of me,” she smiled, half-joking.
“For the love of Sovereign, would you two get a room!” Poppy’s voice called out from a bit away.
Luna’s ears folded back. Blushing, she looked at Luminous. “I guess that's our cue to wrap this up.”
He looked to his guard. “Unless you want her making jokes the rest of our lives.” He laughed. “But you are right. We better wrap this up.”
“Well, what did you have in mind?”
Luna was dizzy for a moment. She braced herself on his shoulder and nodded.
He laughed. “Easy now. We don’t need a repeat of last night.” he said, looking down at her. “Shall we be on our way? It’s not like I can’t walk with you. After all, you are our guest.”
Luna smiled. “That I am. I would be delighted to have you walk with me.”
***
Luna and Luminous approached the platform where the Equestrian sky carriage waited. In front of it stood Twilight and Rarity, while to one side the emperor waited with a few guards. Luna moved to join her friends as Luminous joined his father.
If Twilight was bothered by it, she didn’t make any indication. Luna simply shook her head. “Yes, I would have like to stay longer. I have enjoyed my visit here, but alas, I have many things to catch up on in my kingdom.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself, princess; please do come back and visit us again.” He smiled, showing his fangs.
Luna noticed the subtle hint of hostility in his smile. “Thank you,” she said, climbing into the carriage. Waving, the carriage took off headed for Canterlot.
Luminous felt a pit in his stomach as he entered his grandmother’s study, where she sat by the hearth reading. “I was wondering when you would stop by,” Aurora said, not needing to turn to know who had entered.
He sighed and said, “I take it you know?” as he walked over to the hearth.
Aurora turned to him, a flat look on her face. “I’m old, not blind. I know a mare in love when I see one.”
He sat on the chair next to her. “Then you know what I’m here to ask?” he replied.
“Indeed I do, but my answer depends on what you want me to do.”
“I need your support to talk to Father; he will not listen to me, which I’m sure you well know, but maybe both of us...” He sighed, trailing off.
“My son, there is only so much power I hold. While I can be there to support you, I cannot tell him to listen. What your father is going to say will most certainly test you; my question to you is, are you prepared?”
“As much as I’m going to be.” He looked at the fire. “What would Grandfather have done?”
“Your grandfather was a very different siren from your father; he was kinder and more open to unity. I’m not sure he would have done anything different than you.”
“What do you mean by that?” he asked.
She looked at him. “I know how you feel: if your father disagrees, you will stand with her, won’t you?”
“Aye, I will.” He paused. “Do you think I’m doing the right thing?”
She put a hoof on his shoulder. “You’re following your heart. My daughter would be proud to have you as her son. Your father is stubborn. While I hate to lose you, I understand; I wouldn’t want you to be apart from her. When I lost your grandfather, I was never the same.”
“Do you think Father will kill me?” he asked, worried.
She looked downcast. “I cannot say for sure. I know he loves you. I don’t think he would go that far.”
“What do you think of Luna?” he asked.
She smiled. “She is a lovely, smart mare. I can see her passion for you, and it also seems she has brought back your heart,” she said, pointing to the now-radiant diamond.
He looked in shock. “How long have you known?”
She laughed. “I'm no fool; I can tell when a siren can’t sing. Not to mention I did see you get it back as I passed by the garden last night.”
He rubbed the back of his head. “Right.” He laughed a bit. “I think I will tell Mother goodbye just in case.”
She smiled sadly. “That would be good. I am going to miss you.”
He hugged his grandmother. “I’m going to miss you, too, but I have to do this. As you and I both know Father will not stop until he get what he wants.” He sighed.
She squeezed him tight. “I love you, my son. Please always remember that.”
“I will,” he said, standing and walked away.
***
The room Luminous entered was covered from floor to ceiling in crystal. In the center of the room was a large floating statue shaped like a siren. “Mother, I wish to speak with you,” he said aloud.
The statue’s eyes flashed, and he heard her respond in his mind, “Hello, darling. What brings you here? I have not seen you for a few weeks.”
He forced a smile. “I’ve been busy as of late, and I’m in love.”
“Oh? Who is the lucky siren?”
He laughed a bit. “Well, she's not a siren.”
He felt her warmth in his mind as she spoke. “Then who is the lucky mare?”
“Do you recall Princess Luna?” he asked.
“Indeed I do. She was the dark blue alicorn mare you had a thing for before the accident, right?”
He looked more than a little shocked. ~Has she known the whole time?~ he thought before responding. “Aye. Thing is, I’m about to do something really foalish.” He sighed.
“What could that be, my son?”
He looked down. “I’m more than likely going to commit high treason, which is why I’m here to say my goodbye.” He wished he could hug his mother one last time.
“You’re going to tell your father, aren't you?” She filled his mind with warmth. “I understand, my son; I can tell you love that mare.”
He nodded, “Aye, that I am. I really love Luna, and I am hoping to stop the war. I’m unsure what he is going to do.” He sighed. “I’m sorry, Mother, but I have to go.”
She almost seemed to cry in his mind. “May my light and love be with you.”
He gave her a smile as he left the room. “I’ll see you soon.”
Primarch sat at his desk; like normal, he refused to take on a pony form. His tail was curled under him as he went through battle plans and strategies. Around him was a mildly lit room, with a bookcase to his left and a fireplace to his right. At his back was a large window that overlooked the city. From there he could see the stretch of water that had gone from being called the North Luna Ocean to the North Luna Strait. What once was an empty patch of water he now had control over. The little stretch of water that was left had become the border between his city and his future prize.
The doors opened, and Primarch watched as Luminous entered, his eyes fixed upon him. Never had his son been so bold as to come here without reason. Primarch turned back to his work; he needed to gain control psychologically, and he knew the best way to do so was to make his son wait till he had finished his work to start the conversation. “Father, we need to talk!” Luminous said with as much authority as he could no doubt summon. His son’s eyes were fixed on the scroll he was writing, and his resolve didn’t seem to waiver.
After five minutes, he acknowledged his son. “What about? There are a great many things we could talk about.”
He saw Luminous took a deep breath. “Father, you’re not going to like it, but it is very important to me, so I wish for you to hear me out.”
“I’m already aware that your brother has been messing around with the nobles again. If that is what you have come to discuss, I’m not interested. You are the crown prince, so I honestly don’t care what he does,” he replied. As far as Primarch cared, Soul could father as many bastards as he wanted, as they would no doubt have their uses in the future. Once he had gained the power needed to free Nightsong and claimed his prize, he would need more lords to govern over the new territories.
Luminous looked at him in disgust. “I am not here to discuss my lecherous brother.” He paused, thinking. “I’m here to discuss my future with in this empire.”
Primarch gave his son his full attention, suddenly interested in what he had to say. “Well then, speak.”
“Father, I care for this empire, as it is my home, so please, if you care about Mother, please hear me out.”
His eyes darkened. “Speak now, since you have brought your mother into this.”
Luminous looked determined; Primarch could see his son had been thinking about how to approach him for a long time. “Father, I want you to forget the war. I am in love with the Lunar Diarch of Equestria, Princess Luna. There are better ways to free Mother than stealing their power. We could enlist their help instead.”
He raised himself to his full height and moved to tower over his son. “I had never thought that you would be swayed by a mare simply raising her tail and waving her flank in front of you. I had hoped you would have a bit more self-control then your brother does.” Primarch placed both his hooves on his son’s shoulders, “This is the only way to ensure the future of the empire. Your mother will be freed, and all will fear us as they once did.”
Luminous backed away from him. “No, Father, that is not the only way. I have spoken with her, and she believes there are better ways to free Mother; there is love and friendship. If it is the future of the empire you're worried about, know that it will be ensured by our offspring, I love Luna, and I will marry her. I want her to have my foals and for them to grow up in both the empire and Equestria as we become one nation.”
Primarch looked his son dead in the eyes. “You are still young and foalish; you have not yet learned the lessons I have.” He paused; maybe he would end this foolishness if he offered him that mare. He thought before continuing “If you want that mare so bad, than do your duty, and she will be your prize, as it would no doubt make it easier to ensure the loyalty of our new lands.”
Luminous looked angered by his comment. “Luna is no prize! I will not take her as a victory in war; I will stand with her in our new empire as we work together to make this land a better place. You can not sway me with that. I want to end this peacefully. The lessons you think I need to learn can be learned without shedding blood. I seek to rule with respect, not fear.”
Primarch stood there for sometime eyeing his son; he was both angry and impressed. Even if his son was being lead astray by the honeyed words of this alicorn, he seemed to have thought it through. He knew his next words could end this debate. “I’ll make this simple: follow my plan, and I’ll allow her to live, or I’ll make you watch as end her life.”
Luminous seemed even angrier than before, it was almost as if he was fuming. Primarch could see his son fighting with himself. “NO! I will not stand idly by and take Luna as a prize while you destroy her kingdom, her family, and her home, so I give you a choice! Trust in love and light and work out a way to free Mother peacefully, as she would no doubt want you to do, or lose a son. If you will not listen, then I will go and protect the love of my life and fight against you in the upcoming war.”
“Is that so? Tell me, then, what happens when this ‘love and light’ brings enemies to our doors, when they speak openly of spineless sirens. When our armies no longer cause them to fear, will they stay their hooves when they take your foals--will they allow Luna to remain unharmed?”
Luminous could not hold it in any longer. “There won’t be enemies that are like that. You sound like a tyrant! Why must you make everypony below you out to be weaker? The empire Luna and I could build could double the strength, honor and power of this one. She is not a weak mare by any means. I will not have you disrespect her like that. So what if we are faced with war in our future? At least I will stand by her knowing that our love will make us strong. Not too long ago, you thought the same; has Mother's accident caused you to lose sight of the love she spread throughout the kingdom? Have you become so blind to the kindness she used to even make half these ponies loyal to you?”
Primarch fought the urge to strike his son. “If I had used all the means at my hooves, then she would have not needed to offer her life to save our empire. So tell me, then: would you not use all your power to ensure that Luna doesn’t share that fate?”
“Had you listened to her, and had I trusted my gut and met with Luna, Mother would not have had the accident. She would be safe, and we could have prospered in the empire we built together. You are a fool if you think defending Mother with violence is the only answer. To answer your question, aye, I probably would have. In the past, Luna has helped me to see that there are far better ways of growing in power and strength than violence. I had hoped you would have seen that.” Luminous turned away from him. “Mother would be ashamed of you right now. In fact, I am ashamed to call you my father. You are just a stubborn old fool.”
Primarch’s anger boiled over. “I hereby banish you! Let us see how long this notion lasts once you have to live with it. Let us see what this princess will do once you are no longer of any use.”
“Again, Father, you’re just a stubborn old fool; you’re too blind to see that Luna is not like you. She won’t be rid of me when I am no longer to her liking. That will never happen because she loves me. Unlike you. That's fine--banish me--but when we stand on the battlefield winning, I will prove my point.” Primarch watched as his son left his study. He contemplated calling the guards to capture him but decided against it. ~Let's see just how right you are, son.~
He rushed toward his room; he needed to pack quickly. His father no doubt had called for him to be placed in the dungeon. He pushed open the door to his room and found his guards sitting by an open window. Each of then had a set of full saddlebags strapped to their backs. “What are you four doing? This is my punishment, not yours; you needn’t come with me,” he said.
Vindex spoke next. “My lord, we have been with you for a long time; if you honestly think we are going to let you go to Equestria alone, you’re crazy, we are loyal to nopony but you.” They all stood and crossed a hoof over their hearts, bowing.
Luminous glanced at them one at a time and found no sign of doubt on their faces. “You know it will mean you cannot return here--and if we lose, then it’s our deaths?” he asked.
It was Sir Phoenix who spoke next. “We know and understand fully. Like Vindex said, we are loyal only to you. Where you go, we go.” He paused. “There isn’t much time; we need to leave.”
Luminous looked at them with respect. “But I need to pack first.”
“Oh, you mean this bag? We’ve already got that covered.” Poppy spoke up next.
He rolled his eyes. “Of course you did,” he replied, taking his true form--which floated a mere foot off the ground. Putting his saddle bags on, he jumped out the window and into the night sky.
Luna had returned home with a pleasant ride in the carriage. She had greeted her sister and reported the events in the empire. She was sure to leave out her discovery about the war and her recent change in status. Twilight and Rarity had returned home on the evening train, and she had eaten a delightful dinner with her sister. She walked into her room and took off her regalia. “Ah.. I think I will go take a bath. I missed my huge jetted tub.” She walked into her bathroom and started to fill the tub. Above the bath a mural of her moon made out of gems decorated the wall. It was surrounded with onyx and tiny diamonds. It looked like the night sky had somehow been moved to her bathroom. Pulling a towel from a rack on the wall, she set it on the edge. She then pulled oils and salts to fill the tub with a relaxing scent that would soothe her muscles. She stepped into the hot water and sighed as she relaxed into its steaming waters. Suddenly, she heard a loud knocking sound.
“Who could that be so late at night?” she said. “Maybe if I just ignore it, they will just go away, and I can stay in my bath.”
The sound came again, more urgently.
This time, she noticed it was not at her door. Standing, she dried herself with her towel and put it over her mane. She grabbed a sheer robe from the closet and walked out of the bathroom. The knock came again; she turned her head to look at the direction of the sound. Outside her balcony door was Luminous and his four guards. Surprised, she rushed over and opened the door.
“What are you doing here? When you said ‘soon,’ I didn’t think it would be in the same day!” His shivering form and chattering teeth told her he had flown all the way from his home.
“Father had me banished when I talked to him,” he replied, giving an apologetic smile.
“Come in; you need to get warmed up! Guards, you guys can go into the study and warm up by the fire. I want to speak to Luminous alone.” All of them zipped past her and crammed into the study to get the warmth they wanted. The door closed behind them.
Luminous, still shivering, said, “Hey, what about me?”
Luna smiled. “Lucky for you, I have a hot bath drawn. You can go warm up in there, and when you’re done we can talk.” She pointed to the cracked door by her bed.
“But I think we really ought to inform your sister first,” he replied.
Luna gave him a look that said it all. “Get your butt in the water,” she said, pushing him into the bathroom, all the way to the edge of the tub.
“But, but the war--it could start any minute!”
“What, with thick snow on the ground? Sure. You’re stalling. Get in the water before I get in myself and drag you in behind me.”
“But we can’t delay,” he said.
Luna gritted her teeth. “That’s it, you’re going in!” She shoved him in with a splash as she used her magic to remove his saddlebags. Taking off her towel, she placed it all on the counter behind her. She left her robe on and sat down next to him outside the tub.
He started to get out of the water. “No I really think we need to speak to your sister at once. She needs to ready the defence of your kingdom.”
She grabbed him in her magic and shoved him back down. She then removed her robe and got in behind him. She grabbed a sponge and soap and began to wash his back. “You’re not getting out of this! I know you’re worried about my kingdom’s defences, but I assure you, your father is not so stupid as to send an army in the middle of winter. So calm down and warm up.”
He turned to her. “But this is...” His face reddened as he realized she was in the tub with him.
Luna watched as his face changed to match the roses that were on the counter next to them. “Oh, you’re fine, it’s just a bath. Not like we don’t walk around without clothes on, anyway,” she said, scrubbing his head and neck next.
“I know that, just…” He paused. “Seems a bit much, don’t you think?”
“Well, if you’re all soapy, you have to stay in the bath to rinse off, right? So in other words, to get you to warm up, I had to start washing you. I had wonderful water, too: it had nice oils, and it was perfect for soaking.”
He turned to get up. “No, I really think we should talk with your sister at once.”
“Oh, no you don’t! Sit your butt back down,” she said, grabbing him in her magic. She leaned on his back. “Look, I know it’s urgent, but she is asleep; it can wait until morning. Please just relax,” she pleaded.
He sighed. “You’re not going to give up, are you?”
She wrapped her hooves around his back to prove the point. “If it bothers you, I will leave, but please stay and warm up. I don’t want you to get sick,” she said, releasing him from her magic.
“No, it’s fine! It’s nice having you here, however weird that sounds.” Turning, he put his hooves around her. “Plus, I’m sure it would look most odd if we both showed up in this state.”
She giggled. “Indeed it would.” she sighed. “I’m sorry about your father.” She looked down at her hooves.
“Don’t be.” He held her closer, no doubt enjoying the warmth. “Just let me hold you for a bit, and maybe you can tell me about this Nightmare Moon thing.”
She laughed. “Uh, that's an interesting story. Are you sure you want to know?”
“Wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t sure,” he replied.
“Ok, well, after we’re clean, I will tell you, my way,” Luna said, grinning.
“Oh? What way would that be?” he asked.
“Well, you know that I dream walk, right?” she asked.
“Aye, but what does that have to do with it?”
“I’m going to take you into a dreamscape and show you from my point of view. Come relive those dark nights with me before I became her.”
“Fine, but are you sure you simply can’t tell me with words?”
“It’s hard.” She moved away from him. “What happened in those days can’t really be explained with words. It’s better you see it.”
“Very well, but shouldn’t we get out of the tub first? I think I’m warmed up.” He smiled.
“Sure, but you need to clean the soap off you first. If you go to the middle, it’s deeper there. Just dunk under the water.”
“Did I smell horrible? You seemed to get that soap rather fast,” he joked.
“No!” She blushed. “I told you it was to keep you in the tub.” She moved to the center and dunked to rinse the soap off her body and hair.
He watched her as she did. His cheeks flushed red; he couldn’t believe he was here right now.
Luna came up and breathed. She then stood up using her magic to grab a new towel from the rack on the wall. “I suppose since you're staying, I should get you a mat to lay on.”
“That would be a good idea, unless you want me sleeping in your bed?” he replied. “Not that I would mind.”
Luna blushed, snapping her head around. “I wouldn’t mind, but that might make your guards think we are…” She turned her head back, blushing harder.
He dipped under the water and came back up. “Oh, trust me, Poppy has already thought that, and Vindex isn’t far behind her. In fact, I’m sure they are already making bets and coming up with things to tease us about.” He laughed.
Luna dropped one of the towels. She bent down to put her head in her hooves. “O Celestia… please tell me if you sleep in my bed that won’t happen…”
He went red. “No! I mean I would just lay next to you. I wouldn’t do that unless you consented.” He turned his head away, blushing beet red.
Luna visibly relaxed. “That's good to know, it's one thing to take a bath cause we don’t wear clothes but it's another to consent to that before marriage. I don’t mind you sleeping next to me.” She took a deep breath. “Well, I'm never going to get this out of my head. Might as well just move on to telling you about my past.” She tossed a towel at him and walked out of the bathroom.
“So where are my knights sleeping?!” he asked, chasing after her.
She stopped. “I’ll leave them to the study; it would be awkward if they saw us in the dreamscape.”
“That seems best. Just know Poppy’s going to pop in at some point,” he replied.
“I’ll make note of that.” She walked over to the door and opened it. “Guards, I do not wished to be disturbed. If my sister comes by, just tell her I’ll see her soon. I am going to go into the dreamscape.”
Luminous found himself in a black world, there were no sights sounds or smells, just emptiness. After a few minutes he found himself in a tent, around him were makeshift lodgings and a desk. He could see that he was putting things into a saddle bag marked with moon cutie mark. He thought to himself for a minute realizing that his dream was not his own. He watched as his dark blue hooves walked over to the desk, there on the desk was a letter and a scale, in his magic he picked up the scale and put it into the bag. Then he picked up the piece of parchment and rolled it up. Moving over to the tent opening he found himself in a small field.
The field was dark and little could be seen, he could feel joy as he sat there and waited for what he assumed was the dream version of himself. After some time her heard himself sigh and look up at the sky, he could see that the moon had moved to almost setting, he wondered how long he had been there. Suddenly he felt and heard a loud rumble, it occurred to him as he stood with the dream point of view he was in that this was the night his city sunk. As he moved to pace around the clearing he felt the worry in the back of his mind. Soon after he could feel himself take flight. The dream went dark for a few seconds and when it appeared again he found himself watching a war camp pack up and leave. By this time he could tell the moon was nearly set and the sun was just rising. He watched as he found himself silently confronting a pony dressed in armor, he could see the ponies lips were moving but heard nothing. Soon he found himself in the woods on the edge of camp.
Tears rolled down his face as he laid under thick trees, everything seemed grey and dark as the world carshed around him, till a hoof rubbed his back. “Is something wrong?” a ghostly voiced eoched asking.
Not even caring to look at to who the voice belonged to he replied in a mare’s voice. “Leave me alone.”
“Are you sure?” the ghostly voice asked again.
He covered his eyes with his hooves, “not unless you have the power to give life to the dead.”
“It is with in my power but are you sure that’s what you want?”
“Yes! Please bring him back.” he replied turning to the ghostly black figure.
“The one you wish to see again can not come back he is beyond my reach, what then would you have me do?”
“Nothing, you are of no help if i can not see him again!” he found himself saying.
“Come now, I have much more power than that, perhaps I can do something else?”
He looked down at the ground, “Just leave me alone spirit.”
“I'm far more than a spirit, but if that is what you wish I shall leave you be.” the ghostly mare said disappearing from his field of view.
***
He found himself in a dark room, the architecture was gothic. He found himself looking around the room. The room was finely decorated with moons and was dark. He felt content but sad. He moved to look out the window, in the small town below were old equestrian houses with simplistic design. He felt him sigh sadly. He could see it was dark out but not a single pony was around. He looked out over an empty courtyard, under a beautiful night sky. Loneliness gripped his heart and he tried a away in anger, “Do our subjects not care! Do they love truly only love the day.”
He threw himself on the bed and started to cry a bit, till he heard the ghostly voice. “Little one what wrong?”
“Nobody will come out and play in my beautiful night. I can’t enter their dreams because they are scared of me. I’m so alone.”
The ghostly pony sat on the bed, “Well I for one find it the most lovely part of day, too bad you can’t make other see the beauty of night, the glory of the stars and the moon. The sweet coolness of the darkness.”
He looked at the ghostly pony, “You do?”
“But of course little one, it’s calm. The world is at rest, and all seems right within the darkness.” the ghostly pony started to to rub his back.
“I used to know a pony that made me happy, he would always love my nights. Now my sister just brags about how the ponies adore her.”
“Is he the one you wanted me to bring back?”
“Yes, I miss him so much, I love him with all my heart. If he were here now we would be cuddled together under my stars and id be happy and i wouldn’t feel so alone.” he felt the sadness in his voice and felt tears run down his cheeks as he started crying again.
“I could be your friend,” the ghostly figure offered, “And together we could make ponies adore your night.”
“How would you do that?” he said.
The ghostly pony smiled, “All they would need to see if the beauty of the night, so what if your sister didn’t rise the sun for the whole day?”
“Do you really think just a day would do it? I have tried to make the night last longer but still they never come out, its like if its dark they stay indoors.”
“Surely they would need to come out for food at some point?”
“Your right, but what if they don’t?”
The ghostly voice become all the more sweet and tender, “We could simply make the night last forever,”
“We could? But what about the plants and animals, wouldn’t they die?”
A smile come to the ghostly pony, “Come now together we could change their forms and needs,” she paused, “After all the moon is the source of all arcane magic.
“Your right, so then what should you have me do? I can’t make them adore me just by not setting the moon. My sister could easily set the moon herself.”
“Oh, but what if you were the only princess of equestria?” he paused again, “Maybe with all this once you had power over both the sun and moon you could bring him back?”
“But he is under the waves he is probably long gone.” he said sadly.
“Then take the power you need from me, together we could rule this land, together we can make the ponies adore you just as he did. You will never feel alone again.” The ghostly pony smiled warmly, “Who knows once we have gain enough power then we could bend the rules of life and death to our will.”
“Alright, let’s do it.” he paused “but first I must see my sister, I want her to see me take over the land and steal all her adoring ponies for myself.”
***
He saw himself enter the gothic style throne room of the castle he found himself in. there at the end of the room he saw celestia. She had a pink mane and tail, it did not move of its own accord as he knew it to do now. He could see her talking but could not hear her. Her features were troubled as he found himself walking on to a ledge above the thrones. He could see that the sun was out and feel his magic reaching for the moon as he pulled in in the air. As he fell he heard himself scream as the darkness of the shadow surrounded him.
***
The dream was dark once more, his surrounds were cold and lifeless, he felt a magical hold on him weakening before he appeared in a room that was decorated with modern style. Outside he could feel that the moon was still in the sky he seemed to be waiting for something. Suddenly he saw celestia appear before him, he saw her face light up in surprise. With a strong cast of magic from himself she disappeared.
***
The dream around him changed again and he found six mares two of which he knew. They all worse strange gems. He saw them float in the air and with a bright rainbow colored flash he felt the shadow that had engulfed him meld into him. The dream went dark and his eyes fluttered open. Sitting in front of him was luna.
His mind was racing, had that been all true, had Luna left anything out? Was that ghost the nightmare, it had to be. No other spirit would speak in that, with words like honey and lies as that, and did the nightmare know he wasn’t dead? He contemplated the dream and looked to luna asking. “Luna, is all of what I saw true?
“Indeed it is all true.”
A few tears ran down his face, “I wish I had seen your feather as a sign something wasn’t right, I’m so sorry I left you all alone.” he said looking at the ceiling.
“It’s alright, all that matters is I have you back. Plus I should have been stronger than I was.” she said downcast.
He looked at her and said, “you are the strongest mare i know, never think otherwise. I love you luna.
Luna smiled at Luminous as he laid there. “You can sleep in my bed. I have to lower the moon and go have breakfast with my sister. If I don’t, she is going to come here, and then we will have a problem.”
Sleepy, he tried to get up. “Should I join you? I mean, I did have to speak to her.”
She touched a hoof to his cheek. “No, when you wake up and bathe, we can go visit her. You’re all sweaty and tired.” At that thought, she looked down at herself, seeing beads of sweat down her body. “I have to bathe before I go.”
“Why am I sweaty?” he asked, “And I’m fine just let me get up.”
“No, I told you this would happen--being in the dream scape tires you greatly. Your mind can’t handle the forced mind magic. You’re sweaty because your body has to compensate for the lack of consciousness while in the dreamscape, or you’ll die; it's part of how I developed the spell.”
He looked fearfully up. “Then you should rest as well! I would die if I lost you.” He sat up.
She yawned. “My body is used to it: I walk in dreams nearly every night fighting nightmares. By this point, I’m usually going to my sister. She and I have breakfast, and I come back here to pass out.”
“Then help me. It seems I can’t stand up right now,” he said.
Luna giggled. She used her magic to pull back her covers, then she picked him up and laid him in bed. “I guess it's my turn to kiss you good night.”
“Wait, what about you?” he asked, yawning. “This is your bed.”
“I don’t mind. I’ll come back and lay next to you.”
“True.” He closed his eyes. “Why is this bed so soft? Almost as soft as you.”
Luna facehoofed. “It’s a cloud bed; they invented them some time before I returned. I had one placed in here because I sleep better on it. By the way, I’m not that soft.”
Snoring was her answer. At that, she leaned down to kiss him and walked into her bathroom. The water was still in the tub from earlier. She pulled the plug and grabbed a wash cloth. “I don’t have the time to take a full bath; I need to lower the moon,” she said as she wiped herself down with the magic-imbued cloth. Walking out, she faced the balcony and lowered her moon. “I mustn't forget my regalia,” she said, putting them on as she walked out of her room.
***
Luna walked tiredly to the private dinning hall her sister always met her in. The smell of pancakes filled her nose, and her tummy growled in response.
“Ah, morning, sister. I trust your night went well?” Celestia smiled as she looked up to greet her sister.
“It was busy, but I had a good night.” She smiled, a slight bounce in her tired steps as she walked to her seat.
“You seem cheery this morning,” Celestia said, taking note of her sister’s slight bounce and smile.
“Yes, I guess I am.”
“Well, may I ask why?” Celestia asked.
Luna contemplated the thought. “Something good happened in a dream I walked in.”
“Must have been something great; mind telling me?”
Luna got serious all of a sudden. “I can’t, not yet at least. You will have to wait till we both announce it.”
Celestia blinked, “We?”
“That is correct, sister. We prefer to come to you together.”
Celestia looked worried. “Who is this ‘we?’ You said it was a dream.”
“Someone I met so very long ago has contacted me again.”
“Sister, tell me please. Quit avoiding it,” Celestia said.
“If I do, you must not get angry and understand that an explanation will be given later tonight when we do come before you together. Can you promise not to overreact?”
“Very well, it's not Discord, right?”
Luna dropped her fork from her magic. “Do you really think I would walk in his chaotic dreams?”
“Fair point. Well, is this ‘we’ a stallion or mare?”
“The ‘we’ is a he, but no stallion. He is…” She thought of how to reveal what Lumi was without saying what he was. “He is not a pony,” she said, picking up her fork and continuing to eat her food.
“Well, I look forward to meeting this mystery... stallion?” Celestia said. “I take it I will see him tonight?”
“Yes, you will. I want to rest up first,” Luna replied, about done with her meal.
Celestia smiled. “Of course, but if he makes you this happy then I’m sure we will get along fine.”
“Yes, I certainly hope so,” Luna said, smiling. Luna finished her plate and went to leave. “Sister, this is going to be a weird question. But do you think I’m as soft as cloud?”
Celestia blinked. “What do you mean?”
“Oh it's just something he does that makes me really wonder. He started by telling me I’m as soft as a plushie.”
“Well, I suppose I could say he was cheering me up and…” She thought of how to explain him smushing her cheeks. “Uh, well, he kinda smushed my cheeks and said I was really soft…”
“I suppose you could be, but sister, this seems like something I don’t need to know,” Celestia said.
“Well, I could just ask him, but I doubt I would get a straight answer. In any case, sister, the chat was nice, as was breakfast. I am going to retire now; I will see you tonight.” She started walking out again then turned. “By the way, thank you for allowing me to sleep the other night. I was tired from the banquet the empire had.”
“Any time, sister. Good night.”
***
Luna walked into her room; her steps were heavy with sleep. She looked to Lumi in her bed and to the too- bright sun that filled the room. Reaching out with her magic, she drew the curtains. She went to the study and cracked the door; inside, she saw four sleeping forms. Gently, she closed the door. Taking off her regalia, she climbed under the covers and snuggled up to Luminous before drifting off to sleep.
As Luna entered their personal dining room, she smelled carrot soup and fresh bread. She thought it smart to leave Luminous outside the room until she greeted her sister. “Good evening, sister,” Luna said, noticing three plates on the table instead of just two.
“And to you as well.” Celestia’s eyes fell onto the scale around Luna’s neck. “So where is this mystery guest of yours?”
“He is waiting outside the room,” she said, a little hesitant.
Luna went back to the door and opened it. As she turned back around to introduce Luminous to her sister, she found her dumbstruck. “I..I was not expecting that.” Her eyes fell on the feathers. “Why does he have your feathers? What is going on?” Celestia asked.
Luna looked to Luminous. “Do you want to tell her, or should I?”
“Well, Your Highness, I may have started courting your sister,” he said.
Luna saw her sister’s mouth drop open. “Wow, I’m not sure what to say.” She paused. “I’m happy for you, too, but when did you two get together?”
“Well, before the empire sank, but that’s a long story. Now, do you want the bad news?” he asked.
“What is the bad news?” she eyed him suspiciously.
“Well for starters, my father is going to invade in spring, and I may be charged with high treason, oh and we have four other ponies who will be charged with it in Luna’s study.”
Celestia shook her head trying to figure out when he arrived. “Ok, that’s quite the news but I must ask when ever did you arrive? It can’t have been too long ago, luna only returned yesterday.
Luna jumped and turned beet red earning her sisters quizzical eye.
“Last night, Luna and I shared a bath, then shared her bed till I was well rested, oh and then we cleaned up and come here.” he said.
Luna punched him in the arm, “thats not how it went, please don’t take what he said the wrong way, he arrived last night I let him take a bath and he fell asleep in my bed, I dream walked and then slept on my own.”
“Why lie my dear nothing happened.” he replied.
Celestia looked back and forth between the two, “im not sure I should have been told all that, my sister is a grown mare and can do as she pleases… in that department.” she shook her head. “What's this about an invasion and why should I believe you?” she asked a sudden serious tone replacing her confused one.
“Why would I lie, my father wants the artifacts you call the Elements of Harmony, and no doubt to claim new land for the empire, oh and to bring my mother back.” he replied.
Celestia looked at luna who shook her head, “How do you know of the elements?”
“Oh Princess Twilight told him when she was having breakfast with my father, before he showed her the city.”
Celestia looked concerned for a moment, she took out a quil and a some parchment. She wrote something and then sent it off in her magic. “So, where do you fit in to all this?” her voice taking a dangerous tone.
He looked to Luna, before turning back to Celestia, “Simple I’m going to help you stop my father.”
“How can I trust you, just because you are courting my sister does not mean i’m going to outright trust you.”
“Wise, but seems you have two options, one is to throw me in chains or worse and lose to my father, or two allow me to help you and trust in my love and loyalty to Luna.” He smiled toward Luna.
Celestia pondered it a moment, “how would you help us if I decided to trust you and my sister in this matter.”
“I know how my father trained his armies, who leads what legions, the plans and tactics they use, but by all means disregard me, and what say you Luna?” he said.
Luna looked between them, addressing her sister, “While you may think I say this because of my relations to luminous I can assure you that what he says is true, he will be executed if he returns to his father. I love him.”
Celestia thought on how to properly word what she said next, “I trust you luna, but I need time to ponder this matter. As for the matter of your guards prince luminous, I can have rooms prepared for them. I take it your not going to need one?”
Luna blushed waiting for him to respond.
“That would be fitting as each of them gave up everything to follow me. As for the other part, I did find Luna’s room quite comfortable, I think I’ll stay there. as long as she doesn’t mind that is.”
Luna blushed but cleared her throat “I don’t mind him staying with me, thank you for considering this. It really means a lot to me to see you so accepting of my courting choice.”
