Honor Lost
Luna groaned in pain, she opened her eyes confused as to how she got where she was. Her vision was blurry and her eyes watery so she blinked a bit to clear her vision. As she looked around she saw the ruins of what was once her home, the windows shattered and vines growing on the stone that was cracked with age. She looked at the ground around her as she rose to her hooves and saw shards of what looked to have once been a pony. Then it all came back to her the way she betrayed her ponies, the very ones she swore with her honor to protect.
Luna was jolted completely awake by this realization, her honor was left in tatters thanks to actions of her own. She looked at the ground ahead of her and found the six ponies that freed her stirring. The purple unicorn was the first up, she looked directly at Luna. Luna responded by backing away and disappearing in the shadows of the far corner before slipping out of the chamber via a side door.
Then the sun rose and for the first time in a millennium, Luna heard her elder sisters voice. It shattered her already fragile heart. Her sister, the one she betrayed, was there in the room she just left. Should she turn back? Should she beg forgiveness?
No! Luna steeled herself. Forgiveness must be earned. She must redeem her honor and earn her sisters, and equestria’s, forgiveness. She would earn her place in their poverty, and slowly earn her way to citizenship. And the one pony she knew she had to face was in the room behind her. But it wasn’t time, she had not earned that right, nor did she have the strength to face her.
Luna moved to the lower levels of the castle, where some equipment was waiting for her. She walked along dark stone corridors and down dark stone staircases. Soon she reached the place where her equipment was stored and walked in through the heavy ebony door. Inside she gazed upon the armor she wore during the nine crusades.
The armor was that of a heavy knight, a complex set of plates meant to protect the wearer from the greatest damage. The overcoat was that of a white field with a black cross in the middle. Over that was a white cloak that had no hood, and on the left side where the front leg would be was a black cross. The only odd thing was the helm, it had no visor like that of most suits of armor from the age. The helm was made from the same materiel, which is to say very thick steel, but it was shaped very differently. It had two large cheek plates and a long nose guard and on the top a horsehair. (Later age Corinthian helm and Teutonic armor). There was a large round shield made of solid steel and its design matched that of the overcoat, white with a black cross in the middle. And next to the stand was a large broadsword that would hack through the heaviest of armor.
All of these were enchanted with Lunas most potent magic, to never fall into disrepair and never dull in the case of the sword as well as to never shatter. No one had been able to do her much harm in this armor, and she had never fallen to an enemy before her betrayal. Her broadsword eternally sharp and unbreakable, her armor near impenetrable, and her hoof unwavering.
She donned the armor and belted on her broadsword then put on the cloak. It had been a thousand years since the crusades, no one would recognize the colors and think it a coat of arms. She left the shield where it lay, she would have no real need for it and it would only slow her down. Before she left she found a quill and parchment, and began to write.
Princess Celestia
I write to you hoping that you will understand my position. I will not remain in the nation I betrayed, and I wont return until the honor I lost I have restored. I wont be anywhere that you can find me easily, but if you do I will not resist the sentence I deserve. If ever you find me, end my life as should have been the sentence all those years ago. I will accept the punishment you dicided on centuries ago and remain in exile until I have earned the privilege of returning home.I dont think that will ever happen, and even if it does I will never regain the privilege to call you sister again.
the traitor Luna
Back in ponyvill the villagers were celebrating the defeat of nightmare moon, all but one pony. Celestia sat on the edge of town looking at the ruins with her heart heavy. She felt tears threaten to break from her eyes and she sighed in despair. She never noticed the lavender unicorn come up behind her, and see her moist eyes.
“Princess?” Twilight asked genuinely concerned.
Celestia turned suddenly to see her standing there, “Oh, Twilight. I’m sorry, I was lost in thought. What can I help you with?”
“It seems to be you that needs help.” Twilight said. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Celestia said trying to regain her composure, “Nothing at all.”
“You dont seem to be good at lying princess,” Twilight said, “You look ready to cry. Tell me what’s wrong.”
“It’s nothing that can be helped now,” Celestia said. “I just miss someone, thats all.”
“Was it that blue alicorn?”
“You’ve seen Luna?!” Celestia said suddenly.
“So thats her name.” Twilight said. “I saw her back away into the corner of the room we fought nightmare moon in.”
“So she’s alive,” Celestia said with hope in her voice.
“Who is she?”
“She is Princess Luna of Equestria, and my younger sister.”
That piece of information nearly struck Twilight dumb. Her brain moving faster than any computer ever could she began to think.
“Your... Younger sister?” Twilight asked.
Celestia nodded.
“We...we have to look for her.” Twilight said with a great resolve in her voice. “We have to find her. She could be vital to Equestria. Where can I find information on her?”
“I have a few history books on her. One of them is written quite casually as though it were a conversation with friends but it has most of the history in one book and it is almost exactly accurate. There are a few holes but the other books and I can fill those in.” Celestia said to Twilight. “I will send you those books as soon as possible. You should inform your friends of this. In the meantime I will have your brother and princess Cadence search the castle in the forest for any clues.”
So both teacher and student walked away with a new purpose. Twilight was excited and curious, whereas Celestia felt a new sense of hope flood into her. She could see her younger sister again... and not the one that was betrayed.
A casual history of the badass princess pt 1
Twilight waited impatiently in the golden oak library for her friends to arrive. Celestia had sent her the books with details on Princess Luna and Twilight wanted her friends around when she read them. She had been pacing for two minutes before the door opened and her friends walked in. They did not say anything, they just stood there, waiting for Twilight to make the first move.
“Hello everypony.” Twilight said. “Princess Celestia has given me a few books detailing her sister, whom we are currently looking for. One she said was written casually but had the most accurate information. That is the one I plan to read from.”
“Well then what are we waiting for?” Rainbow said, “I want to get to finding Luna and giving her a peice of my mind.”
“While a few would agree with you, that wouldn’t be the best idea.” Twilight said. “As it turns out Princess Luna has had a violent life and has slaughtered countless enemies with far more skill in combat then you do Rainbow. Who’s to say she would spare you?”
Rainbow moved to argue but then thinks it over.
“Now, without further ado, I will begin.”
Introduction and the early years
Princess Luna, bringer of the moon, voice of the heavens and dark one. All of these she is know by and much more. Princess Luna gives the word badass a run for its money. She has single hoofedly toppled the once mighty griffin empire and brought the once great crystal empire to its knees without ever really wanting to. She lead all nine crusades against the changling hordes and conquered the great kings of the Minotaurs realm. She quite literally defeated the world.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Both of our beloved princesses came from rather humble beginnings. Both were earth ponies born on a wheat farm in the northern griffin empire. The griffins at this time had control of the entire equestrian continent and their empire was cruel to its conquered races. The griffins would come once every five years and take young children from their homes to work as slaves in their cities. Luna was one such pony.
Taken from her family at the age of four and assigned to work in the coldest reaches of the empire as a farm pony. In these communities the slaves were kept in the same building with barracks right next to it. The entire plantation was guarded by griffins that would severely punish anyone who fell behind. During this time Luna was witness and often subject to the most vile and hideous of tortures the griffins had developed. For ten years she lived like that, working and suffering for the griffins benefit and pleasure.
When she was fourteen one of the guards were going to kill a mare she had befriended who’s name is lost to time and known only to Luna. It was harvesting season and so Luna took the scythe she held and struck the guard with the blade, and decapitated him. Soon she was fighting all of the guards and the rest of those imprisoned with her began fighting with their scythes and sickles while defeating the bewildered griffins.
Luna had emmediatly taken charge and had those who were assigned to repair and replacement for tools modify the scythes so that the blades protruded from the top like a spear head. With these new “war scythes” Luna had managed to make an army of the slaves there. Those who were too young to fight helped with minor construction and farming. They built a tower on one corner of the barracks and took some bows from the slain griffins. Once all of the harvest was done they stored the food and began constructing a small fort. It consisted of a palisade that surrounded the two buildings with towers on every corner.
A replacement guard arrived a few days later and were not aware of the restisting slaves so they were ambushed upon entry of the fort. One managed to escape and bring the news to the emperor of the griffins, who sent a small detachment to kill the group Luna was now leading. Luna had developed a way of fighting as a unit instead of fighting as single warriors. She drilled herself and her subjects on many ways to fight in different situations. One of the most common things they used was the spearwall formation, it consisted of tightly packed ponies holding out their spear or scythe to create a wall of blades.
Using this training the group defeated the detachment with little difficulty then moved to take the nearby work camp and liberated it. Luna gave them the same training and her army grew. Luna and her army continued like this for the next two years, attacking and liberating works camps and training the ones old enough to fight. Soon Luna’s garrison turned into a legion, with weapons and armor that were uniform and well made.
The griffins never believed they would face such a threat. They sent a legion of equal strength to kill Luna and her rebellion. Luna had positioned one third of her troops in a narrow pass and the rest traveled the long way around to the other side and outflanked the griffins. The griffins had no idea what was happening and were soon crushed. Thirty two of them surrendered.
The griffins sent a messenger saying that they could keep the lands they had conquered, if they ceased their advance into the griffin empire. As a response Luna cut off the messengers wings and her troops executed half of the prisoners they had. Luna did not say a word, but the message was clear, dont ask for mercy when you have shown none.
At this point the legionaries began to call Luna queen despite her protests. And several defectors from the work camps that were yet to be liberated in the south arrived and were given training. This continued for six years, when Luna turned twenty two, and her legion had multiplied into nine legions. Each with respective generals that were unquestionably loyal to her.