Harmony Unbound

by Saturni_Rose

Rating: teen
Tags: Nightmare Moon, Princess Luna, Comedy, Adventure, Violence, Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, Main 6, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe
Length: 56132

A reimagined Elements of Harmony in an AU where Luna stumbles into being FiM's protagonist, in Twilight's stead.

Luna has fallen back to Equestria. And, to her shock, she is no longer Nightmare Moon. Perhaps this is her second chance at life. Will she find it, wandering aimlessly into the nearby town? What will the new ponies she meets think? Can she truly hide among them, disguised as one of their own? Well, perhaps, with a little help from some new friends, as she leaves behind her crown, to run away from her past that haunts her.

But can you ever truly escape the monster you've become?

Published 2018-08-16 05:10:01 UTC
Last updated 2018-08-24 23:23:27 UTC

Part 2: Rediscovering that same crater.

What followed thereafter was an otherwise fantastic day for Louise Moonshadow. She gorged herself near to the point of sickness upon fried foods. Then came these Wonderbolts Rainbow had been talking up the whole time. And right as Dash commented on them being even a second late, three blue blurs rushed by.

“Whoa, yeah!” cheered Rainbow, her rainbow locks fraying out beside her.

“They’re so fast.” Louise pinned her roughspun cloak to herself, lest the winds whipped by their speed whisk it away.

Their formations tightened in, and scattered out again in the blink of an eye. Then together, they rolled through the clouds, shaping them into nimble spirals. Louise could only gape at the spectacle.

“I know,” said Rainbow in admiration. “Pretty cool, right?”

They leaned back in their seats once more, as the show came to an end, still mesmerised. And Dash had been the second pony to use that word. It had such a smooth ring to it. “Cool,” Louise repeated.

“I really hope to join them someday.”

Louise glanced in her direction. “Why don’t you, then?”

Rainbow looked about, reaffirming the others were distracted by the tail end of the show. “I’m still learning, ok?”

“And I think you’re very good.” Fluttershy nestled into the seat beside her and leaned across to Louise. “Ever since we were little fillies, Rainbow has always had quite the talent for flying.”

“May I see?” Louise inquired hopefully.

Rainbow began to formulate some excuse. Surely she couldn’t do her stunts right then and there, after the Wonderbolts themselves had just gone. What a hard act to follow.

“Ooh, everypony?” Rarity inadvertently intervened. “The band is about to set up across the way.”

“Why don’t we all head over yonder?” agreed Applejack with a shrug. “Could be fun.”

Pinkie practically begged Louise. “C’mon, c’mon! Let’s cut a rug!”

“I haven’t any shears?” complained the very confused unicorn, reluctant to follow along. “Also, that sounds rude?”

Eventually, they coaxed Louise into approaching the band. The music they played was so alien to her. All she could give was the vague attempt at dancing. Sore and uncertain legs wobbled underneath her, but there was always one of the girls at her side to keep her going. It was, she had to admit, actually fun. Though, exhausting.

However, all of this, she found herself remembering, was happening to a pony she was not. Or rather, now was? Yet although this thought bubbled up once more, here and there, her new friends whisked her away from it time and again. Little did they know.

A whole hour passed in a blur of whirling to new melodies. Louise collapsed into a disheveled mess back on the bench, equal parts panting and laughing. Then the music began to wind down; it was high time the band took a break. So the others took this chance to do the same. And yet, Pinkie wasn’t satisfied.

“C’mon girls,” she bubbled, “what do you say we have some fun?”

“Wait,” Rainbow implored, “hold on, hold up. What are you talking about?”

“Fun,” she said simply.

“Right?”

“Having it.”

“We… aren’t already?”

“Already what?”

Rainbow rolled her eyes, but Pinkie just blinked at her.

“Having fun! We’re already having fun.”

A chuckle or two heard over her shoulder only flustered Dash all the more.

“Oh right, we are! But I meant…” she trailed off, grabbing onto Louise and pulling her up and out of her chair. Pinkie continued, dragging one very confused, but too-tired-to-fight-back unicorn along: “Fun games!” And off they went.

Rainbow Dash turned in silence, to her pegasus pal, Fluttershy, with a grimace. Here, she hoped to find some sympathy for her plight, some understanding for her struggle, some comfort for her frustration. What she received instead was a timid smile.

“I like games,” Fluttershy softly told Rainbow.

“Yeah,” Rainbow sighed, defeated. “Me too. Let’s go.”

Before she went to catch up, Rainbow remembered the other two fillies, still resting on a bench nearby after dancing too much.

“AJ, Rare,” she called out, “you gals want in on games?”

The two glanced at each other, then back to Dash.

“You girls go on ahead, dear,” Rarity batted her eyelashes.

“We’ll catch up with ya later,” Applejack assured.

“Suit yourselves,” said Rainbow, dashing off to regroup with Louise and Fluttershy.

When the cloud of dust had settled, Louise found herself in front of an odd machine, and one very eager Pinkie Pie. It had a sloped lane of polished wood, with a sudden incline at the end. And past the ramshackle ramp was a back end lined with various sized hoops of steel, complete with holes.

Though, in truth, to an outsider, the holes actually made it seem incomplete.

Pinkie was nonetheless excited.

“Well at least you’re excited.”

“I am,” Pinkie admitted.

She was.

“You said we were going to play games?”

“Uh huh!”

“Step right up, ladies,” called the mare in charge of this booth. She tipped a straw boater’s hat to them and waved a hoof over a few odd stacks of smooth balls, about the size of an orange each. “One bit, three balls. Three chances to win!”

“Win?”

“Win,” Pinkie shouted, excitedly.

About this time, Rainbow and Fluttershy caught up.

“You win?” Rainbow gave Louise a pat on the shoulder.

“Not yet,” assured Pinkie, “but she’s going to.”

“Win what, what am I winning?”

Louise felt anxious, the pressures to perform now weighing down upon her. It was like Luna’s first moon rising, so, so very long ago.

No, she told herself, Luna did those things, and I am Louise. Louise Moonshadow.

Louise wiped a bead of sweat from her brow, the game not having even started.

“You okay, Lou?” Rainbow Dash noticed.

“We’re here,” Fluttershy shushed, “your friends are here.”

“Tell you what, stranger,” the game host announced with a pleasant little smile, “first one’s on the house.”

A single ball was bestowed upon Louise. They were a good deal heavier than they looked, given their size. She surmised it must be some stone or other, worked into a perfect sphere with an immaculately smooth surface.

“Simply roll the ball along the track and up the ramp, aiming for the rings. Sink the smallest ring at the top, and win the grand prize!”

Beside her table for rolling was a small booth full and covered with increasingly large dolls resembling cute and colorful variations of different animals. The one she called grand, however, hung with care with the largest of its compatriots, was a massive sheep. It was bigger than her head, pink with black, and incredibly soft looking. It beamed down upon her with carefully stitched eyes of shimmering blue thread.

Simply put, it was adorable.

Louise braced herself, and hurled the ball along its path. It whirled over the lacquered wood, and flew up and over the ramp. There was a palpable thud as it collided with the backboard, touching not a single hoop.

She drooped, dejected.

“Here,” came a grin, followed by a Rainbow, “lemme show ya how.”

Rainbow Dash deftly set one coin upon the counter, and gathered three balls. In one cocksure gesture, she threw each one with next to no delay between shots. They moved so fast, one might think they’d catch fire.

Thunk-clunk-ting!

The closest she’d gotten was the top lip of the middle ring. A snicker came from the side lines, and her cheeks went pink.

“That was just a warm up!”

“It’s okay, Rainbow,” Fluttershy assured.

“It was, though.”

She set another coin down and tried again. This time around she actually aimed, rolling just one at a time. The first two collided with the highest rung, to no avail. And the final ball, well it sailed in at a bad angle, clipping the inside and bouncing out.

Teeth clenched, Dash coughed up one more bit. And after a mere nine attempts, she finally sunk one perfect. With one triumphant “Yes!” she lept high into the air with one solid flap of her wings. And once back down from cloud nine, it was time to claim her prize.

Louise looked on with held breath as her pointing hoof scanned over the very one she coveted. She sighed though, as the hovering hoof passed it by in favor of a little green dragon. This was passed to Rainbow, then to Fluttershy, who could only gasp.

“A baby dragon! Aw, I always wanted to see a baby dragon.”

Somewhere in this, while the chaos subsided, Pinkie found Louise’s gaze. She gave her a knowing look.

“You want the little lamby, don’t you?” Pinkie leaned in, quirking her brows.

“I haven’t any money.”

“I’ll win it for you,” Pinkie said with a wink.

“Really?” Her eyes lit up “I would cherish it always.”

“What are friends for?” She placed a coin on the counter.

Five coins later, Pinkie wiped the sweat from her brow, took a breath, and reached out for the fifteenth ball. At her shoulder tugged Louise, her frown quivering.

“This is too much, Pinkie.” She pleaded. “I can’t stand to see all that money spent on me, it’s simply too much.”

“But that was my last bit for playing games. This has to be it. I want to win you that little lamby lamb so you’ll have it to remember this day always and think back on it and laugh at all the good memories everytime you see it and…”

She had to take another breath, but Louise didn’t let her continue.

“That’s very sweet, and I appreciate you. But I don’t need a memento to cherish my memories of today.” She gestured over at their pegasi friends, both currently unsure if they should intervene. “You girls have already done plenty that I’ll remember until I’m old and gray.”

“There’s already a silver streak,” Rainbow pointed out.

“There’ll be more gray,” Louise retorted with a snort.

“How old are you, anyway?”

“Hey,” Pinkie absentmindedly interrupted, much to Dash’s chagrin, “you’re right, Louise. I don’t need to get you some cute little stuffed animal to prove my part in making this your best first day in Ponyville ever.” And with that, she began to wander off with her friends, head held high.

“Um,” called out the game runner, “can I get that last ball back?”

“Oh,” giggled Pinkie, looking down to realize she was still holding it. “Right.”

When she tossed it over her shoulder without another care or thought in the world, the mare in charge of this game lept out to catch it. With herself outstretched, it bounced from one hoof, then the other. She tried another swipe at it, which sent it sailing even higher over her own shoulder with a click. It hit the zenith of the wooden ramp with a clack. And amazingly, despite any odds and even some logic, it bounced once more at the perfect angle, hitting the lid of the grand prize ring, rolled around its circumference, and fell through with a thunk.

The four girls had been well on their way, but the howling laughter pulled their heads back around. There, in the dust, lay the mare on her side, scooping up her hat and what was left of her composure. Pinkie rushed over.

“Ah, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t hit you, did I?”

“No, no. You just accidentally made the shot of the century.”

“Oh, well, thank you.” She let her back onto the ground, and started to leave again. Then she thought about it. “Wait, I did?”

“My boss would probably get so mad, because technically there was interference. But it was too good not to count.” She picked up and rushed over to the prize booth. “C’mon, c’mon. Pick your prize before he makes his rounds.”

Pinkie Pie beamed brighter than Louise had seen so far. She was also too tired to question how this came to be. It also helps that the adorable lamb that caught her eye was now hers. So instead, she graciously accepted this most wonderful gift.

Louise’s cheeks encroached upon her eyes which glittered like bright red stars in the night sky. She softly placed a tiny kiss upon Pinkie’s forehead from on high, who could only stutter out a “Shucks.”

“And that’s when I scoffed. ‘Tch, I’m better off not aiming at all.’ Then I threw it over my shoulder, cool as a cucumber. Whoosh, through the air, and ker-plunk. I got it right in, without even trying.”

Pinkie Pie took a bow before her bemused crowd of friends. Rainbow snickered.

“Pinkie, you got it by accident.”

“Well, yeah, I was gonna tell them that, duh.” Pinkie gave Dash a playful jab on the shoulder. “But, well, you know. It was a very cool accident.”

“Anyway,” Rainbow announced with a playful roll of the eyes, “we’re gonna go hit up more games. AJ, Rares. Come get in on this.” She beckoned them on.

Rarity smoothly strode on up beside Louise, flicking at her roughspun.

“I think it’s about time I did something about this cloak of yours, Louise.”

“And to be honest,” Applejack admitted, “iffin’ I tagged along, things’d just turn into a contest between you and me, Dash. You know. Like it always does.”

“I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about,” Rainbow told her. Facetiously. “Sounds to me like you just don’t want me to whoop ya like last time.”

“Rainbow, we each won half the contests that day.” AJ smirked, though incredulously.

“Tch, but I won the last contest of the day.” Rainbow smiled, rather mischievously. If one didn’t know better, they might assume she aimed to rile Applejack up. And if one did know better, they’d see that was, in fact, exactly what she was doing.

Here, Rarity took hold of AJ’s shoulder. All it took was one whisper about composure, and Applejack maintained hers.

“Nice try, Dash. Besides,” AJ chuckled, “I wanted to get to know our new friend.”

She gave Louise a sardonic, almost knowing look that shook her to her very core. But the shade from the now waning sun cast by her hat hid that darkened face from most of the others. Here and now, Louise sensed what felt like a spark of tension between them. In her heart, she felt that distrust. Her hoof picked up and set down a little further away. Then another. Every impulse shouted at her to flee.

She knows, shouted the little voice in her head, she knows and she’s going to oust us and we’ll be banished anew! Flee thou ungraceful fool of a mare, lest ye be stricken down once more… But Luna’s legs wouldn’t take Louise away.

Pinkie almost toppled Louise over with a borderline aggressive hug.

“I’m gonna keep playing but I’m gonna miss you new best friend!”

“Aw, Pinkie. I’ll… I’ll miss you too. Most certainly.” Louise hoisted Pinkie and squeezed her tight, sharing with her a good laugh as they spun around a couple times, just because.

I shan’t flee when I know such love and warmth from on high via an amazingly good friend, like that which I’ve ne’er known.

With fond farewells past and gone, Rarity and Applejack escorted Louise along.

“Not to pry,” Rarity assured very sweetly, “but I’m most curious about your accent, dear.” With a spark from her horn, the key turned in its aura.

“Same here,” Applejack concurred as Rarity ushered them in.

“Oh, well, I’m from Canterlot. I spent a good deal of time there.”

Rarity wandered off to get the lights, while AJ found a rather dramatic looking sofa nearby to lounge upon.

“What’d you get up to there?” Applejack hung her hat and sprawled across the velvet very comfortably with a sigh.

Somewhere in the back, Rarity threw a switch, and the studio lights came on with a flash. Louise blinked several times, then a good few more for extra measure. When her vision settled, she remained blinded by the slew of pink and purple that made up a spick and span interior. At the focal point of the vaulted ceiling stood a singular platform by many a mirror and curtain.

“A-astronomy.” She set the pink lamb down, and it almost disappeared into the background.

“I just need to fetch a few supplies from upstairs, be back in a flash.” Rarity hurried along past them and up she went, leaving the two of them. Alone.

“Astronomy, huh?” AJ quirked one brow.

“I erm, focused on the moon. Lunar studies, you know.”

“Hence the cutie mark, I take it.”

“Yes, precisely.” She’d almost forgotten about that.

Applejack waited for that purple tail of Rarity’s to swish past the walling and asked rather pointedly: “So what was that before about having some kinda issue with royalty?”

“Oh.” Louise turned with a gulp.

“Hey now girl, no pressure. You don’t have to talk about it if it’s too painful. Though, hoo boy, I bet it’s a wild story.”

“Heh, to be sure.” Louise nervously feigned a laugh over her shoulder. Her smile didn’t last long. “Listen, Applejack, I’ve fallen fast in love with all of you girls, really I have.”

“But?”

“But I’m not ready to share that tale. It’s much too… personal. And bordering on traumatic.”

Applejack pondered her for a little while, a nonplussed look upon her face.

“Hmm,” she grunted, “I ain’t judgin’ ya, Louise. Though I’ve half a mind that you might be hidin’ something from me, and I am hardly ever wrong on my hunches.” Applejack stretched out on the couch. “But I ain’t about to pressure ya none. So don’t sweat it. You can tell me if, and/or when you are plum good and ready, hear?”

“Crystal clear. Thanks, for, well, you know, understanding, AJ.” Louise chafed one ankle against the other, but Rarity was coming back now.

Wind whipping at her blouse, Rarity rushed to the ground floor in a tizzy. Close behind she floated a box along, which upon landing, she promptly set down near a mirror and lights.

“Louise, come, come. I was stricken with inspiration and I simply must capitalize.”

Louise ambled over to meet her.

“Well hey now, what happened to a simple cloak?” Applejack rolled over to see with a chuckle.

“Aw hush you. It’s still going to be relatively simple. Any further commentary from the peanut gallery and I’ll have to ask you to leave my humble boutique, post haste.” Rarity turned up her nose. “Oh you can set that old thing anywhere, by the way, Louise, dearest. Yes come along now, maybe somebody here will appreciate me.” She stared ice cold daggers at AJ.

“Ha ha, aw you know I’m just funnin’ with ya, Rare.”

Louise had removed her burlap amidst their banter, though clung to it like a child and their blanket.

“You’re absolutely certain about this, Rarity?”

“My goodness, Louise, yes, it’s fine. I promise.” She took the makeshift cape and set it gently upon the counter. “And if you’re unsatisfied with the results, I will personally guarantee a refund of your original article of anonymity.” Rarity gave her a wink. “Fair?”

“More than fair,” Louise told her softly, head drooping.

Rarity lifted her chin, and their eyes met. Louise felt a closeness for a moment, before realizing she was fetching a tape measure to stretch underneath her. From there, she got everything she needed to get started.

“I was inspired by your cutie mark, which I caught a look at earlier when we were all dancing about. Do hope I’m not coming off as too fresh, by the way.”

“Oh, no, you’re fine.” Please don’t feel wings, please don’t feel wings. A cold sweat ran down Louise’s brow.

“The imagery of a dark and broody night, darkened further still by oppressive cloud cover, it’s very moody.” Rarity set aside the tape, noticing neither wing nor bead of sweat in her vigor, pulling not one, but two tall bolts of cloth from her supplies. “Now don’t give me that look, it’s not like woolen cloth is hard to come by.”

Dyed fabric isn’t hard to come by?

“But I’d thought, a top layer of this one,” she said, presenting the darker of the two grays, “like a storm cloud. But the interior will be this one.” It was very nearly white, seeming only dimmer compared to her alabaster coat. “With a subtle fold-over to create a trim.”

Louise simply blinked at her.

“Well don’t you see? The theme is silver linings to even the darkest clouds. Plus it’ll bring out the silver streak in your hair beautifully, I should think.”

“Oh, oh! I see now. Wow, Rarity, that’s rather clever.”

“Oh posh.” Rarity covered her assured smile. “Thank you, darling.”

Applejack awoke from a snooze, a couple hours later. The sun was sinking outside, light fading to orange as it peered in through the windows. When she looked over, Rarity was just finishing up, cleaning up a few seams here and there.

“Wow, Rare, that’s some good work as usual. Sorry I kinda dozed off on ya.”

“Oh it’s quite alright, AJ. I know this isn’t the most interesting thing in the world to you. I certainly wouldn’t have minded having you on hoof and lucid for a little feedback, but Louise here has been splendid about that.”

“Thank you, but I’m no expert.”

“Mayhaps not, but I can tell you’ve posed to have clothing made for you before. You grow more mysterious by the hour, darling. What ever could you be hiding from us your friends, dear?” Rarity feigned a pained expression, hobbling over like she might collapse. This got a laugh out of AJ in the corner.

“D’aw leave her be, hon,” Applejack dismissed with a wave. “She can share with us when she’s ready. Ain’t that right, Louise?” She winked.

“R-right.”

“Hmph, sorry if I seemed like I was pressuring you darling. Such things can wait. For now, I want to finish this off right. But somehow I’m struggling to think of the right little something to add.”

Louise turned about, lifting one corner, then the other. She lifted the hood and told Rarity it seemed more than fine to her.

“Well it’s done, yes, but it could use a signature finishing touch. But, ah, hold on that’s it. Your eyes, they practically glow through the shade of the hood. What bold contrast, crimson in the dark, yes, I think I have just the thing.”

Louise sighed, looking on as Rarity went rummaging around in several drawers, tossing aside spools, needles, and the odd bits and ends; a little glitter here, shiny ribbon there.

“You needn’t go to such trouble for me.”

“Meaning you no, offense, Louise my dear, but at this point, this is just as much for me as it is you. What I have in mind will make this perfect in my eyes, so I simply must… oh goodness, where is it?” She tapped at her chin a moment, before a flash of inspiration struck. Rushing over to a highly specific drawer, she practically flung it open.

Louise was presented with a crimson chord.

“Something to bring out those eyes,” Rarity told her, panting just a little bit. “Here, here, allow me.”

It was thick as rope, but soft to the touch. Rarity tied a solid, immovable sort of knot on either end. Then she lifted the hood on Louise, and wrapped it tenderly around. Here she made a looser knot, giving her neck more than enough room to breathe. For good measure, though, she brought the hood down and ran a brush through her hair. Content, she spun Louise around for the mirror.

Louise gaped at herself for the first time. It did match her new image near perfectly. As she drew up the hood, the shade covered her eyes, and the chord created a bold underline to frame her sharp face.

“P-pretty,” she stammered at herself, before turning. “Rarity, this is marvelous.”

“Darling please, do go on.”

“She means that, too,” chimed in Applejack with a smirk.

“And you’re really, very certain this elegant cloak is mine? I, well, can’t I repay you somehow, in any way at all?”

“My goodness,” Rarity relented, “if you’re so concerned with compensating me, your lovely, dearest friend, Rarity, think of it this way. In working on this, I’ve gained inspiration!” Her eyes practically saw stars, glinting in the afternoon sun as she whirled around.

“You have?” Louise exchanged a rather uninformed shrug with Applejack from the couch.

“I could extend the theme of this cloak, silver linings and clouds and what have you now, to an entire line! And just like this easy little chord,” she went on, pawing at it like a kitten, “I could accentuate each piece with a different color. Like a rainbow after the rain, further driving home the theme of positivity after negativity.”

“A whole series of outfits to invoke the feeling of the rain passing, and light shining anew. Oh, I think I really like that idea, Rarity.” Louise gave her a confident nod, taking the hood back down again.

“And I’ve you to thank for it, dear. I’m so very glad we’re newfound friends. Listen here now,” she insisted, taking her hoof and walking her over to the main counter, “I know you’re new in town. So please, do me the pleasure, here let me fetch my schedule,” Rarity rambled, brushing papers off a large book.

“Schedule?”

“So I can let you know what days I’ll be in town and free. We simply must do tea or brunch, you and I. Oh, and Applejack, why don’t you join us?”

Applejack rolled off the red velvet, smoothed down her main where she’d dozed, and regathered her hat. Out of respect for Rarity, of course, she didn’t wear it in the boutique. Hat etiquette and all that, apparently.

“Sure,” AJ shrugged, “yeah, that sounds nice.”

“Aw heck,” sighed Rarity, “why don’t we invite the others, see how many of us all we can get together. We can even make it a lunch in place of brunch, so Rainbow can show up on time.”

The three of them shared a little laugh at that one.

“So,” Rarity continued, “I’ll just need to know where you’re staying, Louise, and I can come hash out some plans with you.”

Realization struck Louise like a tumbling castle wall of stone and mortar.

“Oh…”

Rarity and Applejack caught each other out of the corners of their eyes.

“Somethin’ wrong there, sugarcube?”

“Ah, I’m sorry to worry you, Applejack, and you, Rarity.” Louise rubbed at the back of her neck. “It’s just, well, this is my first day here, and I haven’t anywhere to stay.”

“Why, that’s hardly an issue,” chirped Rarity. “Even with the holiday, there ought to be a room free in a nearby inn. I could even help you look, since we’re all through here.”

Louise chewed on her lower lip for a moment, and the pair grew worried all over again.

“But you don’t have two bits to rub together, huh?” Applejack leaned in, prodding for a verbal answer, and got none.

Louise hung her head and let it sway side to side. This wouldn’t do.

“There’s lots of space here in the boutique,” suggested Rarity.

“You’ve already done so much for me.” Louise wouldn’t hear it.

“Nonsense, it wouldn’t be any bother at all!”

“I just couldn’t.”

“Th-there’s even a spare room upstairs. Except, oh wait, I cleared it out for Sweetie Belle earlier… Oh, she’s my little sister, you see. But, well, hmm.”

“Well shoot,” Applejack cut in, “what about stayin’ with my family over at Sweet Apple Acres? Everypony else’ll be gone by now, so you won’t get to meet the extended family. But there’s still-”

“Please, stop it, I just…” Louise felt the nice fabric of her new cloak once more. “You girls have already done so much. Too much. I can’t feed off your kindness like this.” Her head drooped again. But then her ear perked. It was a laugh.

“Applejack…” Rarity nudged at her with big sad eyes, turning to Louise’s raising head with a nervous smile.

“Now uh,” she started, unflinching, “see, that’s where you’re wrong, Louise. I ain’t done jack for ya, so this is my first favor.” AJ leaned in with a flash of that toothy, confident grin. “And iffin’ you’re worried about payin’ it back some, you’re more than welcome to sweat it out in the fields and orchards, hear?”

“This I swear,” Louise pronounced again, “I shall fill a dozen baskets to the brim with apples. Then I shall… w-what was that term for corn again?”

“Shuckin’ it?”

“Yes, shucking. I shall shuck corn until the sun sets anew.”

“Ha, that’s mighty fine, Louise.” Applejack traded a laugh with her brother as she spread fresh linens across the mattress. “But as Rarity might say, ‘Why darling, to shuck the corn is nary the same as to pick said corn.’ Hey thanks again for movin’ those old boxes back out, Mac.”

“Yup.” Big Mac nodded. “Ma’am.” He bowed his head to Louise, and left them to the spare room, disappearing down the hall.

“Stallion of few words, I see.”

“That he is. Anyway,” AJ continued, clicking the dust from her hooves, “there’ll be plenty of time tomorrow to talk about what needs doin’ round the farm. For now, get comfortable. Dinner’s on in about 30 minutes. And hey.” She stopped at the door frame, peering back. “You stay as long as you need, you hear me? We’ll treat you like family, and help you stand back up on your own four legs.” She turned back around, yet hesitated, lingering a moment for no reason in particular. “I mean that, now.”

All other impulse and instinct left Louise behind. Whatever uncertainty or animosity she felt before, she shoved aside as she threw herself around one very surprised workhorse.

“Thank you,” Louise told her, the words slow, dark, and sweet, like molasses. “Thank you so very much, Applejack.”

“Shucks…” AJ beamed, despite herself. “Ain’t nothin’ for a friend.” She pat Louise on the shoulder and broke free to take her leave.

Louise, finally alone, set up her lamb doll, stowed her new cloak, and at long last felt something resembling comfort. Enshrouding herself in the sheets of this freshly made bed, she thought, perhaps, she might somehow doze a small while. But rest did not come for the weary and uncertain. Nevertheless, warmth embraced her; she found herself smiling a little smile, so taken aback by the kindness and love she’d been shown this day.

Somewhere at the back of her head, Luna cried out that this was what she had wanted all that time ago, all along. A single tear formed at the corner of her eye, but she held together. Deep beyond the gaze of her mind’s eye, Louise pushed Luna away.

In short time, the bell called for dinner. At the table, she met AJ’s little sister, Applebloom, who had what seemed like a thousand questions about astronomy. She said she’d possibly considered perhaps getting into astronomy, maybe. Louise gave her a little laugh and tousled that reddish-violet hair, being sure to mind her adorable pink bow.

“It seems you haven’t found your talent, so it could yet lie amongst the stars beyond the cloudy night skies.” Louise billowed one hoof while sparking a flourish of lights with her horn.

“Wowzers!” Applebloom’s little ombre eyes lit up at the illusion. As it faded, though, they darkened again. “But what if it doesn’t? I mean, I dunno, sometimes I’m scared I ain’t never gonna be good at nothin’ at all.”

“Aw, Applebloom.” AJ aimed to step in, but the family matron called for help in the kitchen. Her worry settled somewhat when Louise gave her an assuring nod. Off she went, hoping her sister had been left in good company.

“Little ‘Bloom, do you fear the unknown?”

“Hmm, I guess there is something scary ‘bout not knowing where you’re gonna like, end up? Ya know?”

More than you could ever imagine, she thought, conjuring up a miniature night sky, speckled with twinkling little stars.

“True,” she said, swirling the tiny stars around, “there is fear in uncertainty, to be sure. Never knowing what next obstacle lurks around the nearest shadow drenched corner.”

“This a speech you memorized?” Applebloom tilted her head.

“Hush… Ahem, for there is, er, well, oh, a silver lining to every cloud, yes.” Louise made a note to thank Rarity for the inspiration later. “And if you keep going, you’ll find the light in that darkness.” Here, a bright, full moon filled the minor illusion. “But only if you keep going, that is.”

Applebloom pursed her lips, staring after the disappearing vision that had been conjured before her. She thought and perplexed and pondered. After a solid second, she finally nodded.

“I think I totally and fully understand exactly what you mean, miss Louise,” she said with confidence, and a smile, gaining back one in kind.

She did not, actually, understand to that extent. But somewhere in that head of hers, the basic concept stuck a landing.

“Then I’m sure you’ll get your cutie mark one day very soon, little one.” Louise beamed with pride as dinner was served.

The meal went on. A blur of flavors, small talk, and flickering lantern light battling against the dimming skies washed passed Louise’s senses. Granny Smith was pleasantly amicable, and Louise practically had to hold herself back from throwing herself at her feet in prostration. Nevertheless, she managed to thank her and all the rest of the Apple family probably a collective half-dozen times by the time they offered dessert.

For the food.

For the bed.

For the roof.

For the chance to finally reclaim her life; to stand on all four hooves, grab ahold of her doomed destiny, and put the crumbling ruins back together again.

Applebloom remarked she was a little melodramatic, so Applejack snapped at her with a warning about rudeness. And though flushed, Louise told her she was impressed at the vocabulary of one so young. Then Applebloom’s face met a happy medium of lighting up with pride, and the darkening sorrow for her lack of tact.

All else considered, Louise made a pretty okay first impression. An hour or so was whiled away in the common area, with even more various questions and answers about astronomy. Luna pat herself on the back for picking a good fib.

Skies of blackish blues were met with yawns. Granny Smith decided it was time the Apple family turned in for the evening. Louise didn’t notice at first, her gaze fixed upon the nearly full moon. For a moment, the room was empty. It was just her and the glowing circle in the night sky. That’s when she felt a touch on her shoulder.

“You can stay up a little longer,” Applejack reassured her as their eyes met.

She looks so different without the hat.

“Most folk don’t wake up as early as we do, so it might take a li’l getting used to.”

“I understand,” Louise said flatly.

“I won’t hold it against ya none if you’re late on your first day.” AJ tried to get a smile, laughing a little nervously at the extremely plain look she was on the receiving end of.

“No, I think I’ll sleep. In truth, I’ve been restless a long time.”

Applejack lingered a moment longer as the tall unicorn she was suddenly very aware she’d invited into her home got up and walked away. Knowing very little about her, she followed her previous gaze, hoping to learn even a bit.

It was the moon. Big deal. Her being an astronomer, staring at heavenly bodies only made sense. What didn’t though was the odd feeling that something was off about it. Something Applejack couldn’t quite pin down. Maybe it was the craters? They did seem a little different. But didn’t they always as the moon rotated?

Eventually, Applejack gave up her quest and retired for the evening like the rest.

Heavenly slumber took its sweet time for Louise, all alone in a stranger’s bed in a house that were both simply quaint compared to the daunting halls and satin sheets of Luna’s youth. Even as minutes in the dark turned into an hour, Luna… no, no, Louise tossed and turned. It was Louise whose eyes grew weary as she failed to pass out. That’s right.

Even as those heavy eyelids finally sealed away the reddening curse of bloodshot, a painfully familiar voice wrenched them right back open. It was a voice-

“That voice.”

A voice she knew so well it ached her to her core. Luna’s stomach tied in knots and her mouth grew dry. She dared not raise her head from this pillow.

Not that she needed to. The entity cast its shadow over her, across the room, and upon the wall opposite her. In that way, their faces met once again, and the voice spoke up, more lucid now.

“Lying to everyone again? When will you learn?”

A chill ran down Luna’s spine. Her voice…

“Your voice. No.”

“My voice?” The shadowy head tilted to one side, and the billowing mass of airy hair floated along. “You mean our voice.”

It was true. Luna knew it was true, but she didn’t want to accept it. She squeezed her head under the pillow, but still its visage would not dissipate.

“I’m not you,” she cried. “I’m nothing like you.”

Here, the figure stepped forward, Luna wincing as it did. She could feel the hot breath billow across the back of her neck. She shuddered.

“Give it a rest. We are one and the same. Come now, it’s time to make them suffer for how they’ve hurt us.”

“No. I won’t.” Luna tried to close her eyes. They wouldn’t, she couldn’t, she didn’t understand. She flinched again as the figure grew in both size and anger as it loomed further over her.

“Do you not still feel the pain? Oh, you weak little foal!” It quickly swept claws of that same shadowy energy Luna knew too well across her back.

Luna yelped, her back arching as a hot sting dulled to a feeling both warm and wet as her blood soaked into the torn sheets. It finally drew her attention with welling tears and grit teeth. The figure? It was her. A darker, even more haughty and smug, monstrous version of Luna glowered over her. This was the persona she had donned so long ago: Nightmare Moon.

“The only pain I still bear in my breast is the anguish of regret. And my hate for them? All of them?” She snarled, spitting in Moon’s face. “I now feel for you!”

Moon grimaced, wiping the gob from her black-as-night snout and the nasal guard of her blue-steel helm. A similar blueness in those eyes pierced Luna where she lay, narrowing to a shrewd glare.

Luna thought back, very briefly, bemused to her early observation about Rarity and looks that could kill. Her attention came back quickly enough though; she turned her head as Moon’s horn pierced harder than her gaze, sending pillow feathers into the air.

Rusty hind legs tucked in quick as they could while Moon was stuck, and shoved. Moon went sailing across the room, all wind gone from her, into the wall, denting in the wooden panels with a splintering crunch. Seizing the opportunity, Luna propped up and let fly a volley of magic missiles from her horn.

Like a cat, Moon lept to a low dive, letting the several bolts of light arc right over her as she pivoted around on her front hooves. One after the other, her rear hooves heavily cracked across Luna’s chin and jaw, sending her spit flying involuntarily this time.

Luna dizzily fell over the edge of the bed, slamming to the floor. It was already over when the ribboned bedsheets fluttered over her. Her nightmare blocked her dazed view of the ceiling. Everything grew dark, dark, and darker still.

“You’re coming with me. We’ll be whole again. It’s what we deserve. It’s what we want.”

“No,” she begged, sputtering meekly, “please no. I’m not you. I’m nothing like you!”

There came a light pouring in from the opening door.

“What in tarnation is going on in here?”

“Applejack stay back, she’s dangerous!”

AJ stared at this heaving unicorn on her floor, long and hard, her brow furrowed. She wasn’t quite sure what to say to that, setting the oil lamp on a hook nearby.

“Louise? Who’s dangerous? There’s nopony here, ‘sides you and me, girl.”

She was right. The room was empty and still, save for the two of them. A deathly silence washed over them as Luna took in the utter lack of damages done to pillows, sheets, walls, and least of all, her back or face.

Louise’s pupils shrank from newfound light, and she started hyperventilating as her eyes darted all around the room, looking for her, any sign at all. She was here, she knew it. The only reality that seemed consistent was the blurring at the corners of her eyes as she sniffled. But Nightmare couldn’t have been a common nightmare.

“I’d just heard you crying out in your sleep? Somethin’ about not being somepony else? Then a thud and, and… Louise?”

Louise brushed cold sweat from her brow with a gulp, standing up to amble around the room. She shakily started knocking over furniture to search the shadows for any visitors who might be hiding in them. After the third chair and before completely turning the entire bed over, AJ pulled on her, nearly shouting after her. Louise’s wobbling knees gave out and she collapsed into her grasp.

That’s when it all came out.

“I’m so sorry, for this, for everything.” She hugged Applejack tightly as she could, openly sobbing on her shoulder.

“Whoa, ok now, there, there?” AJ pat the convulsing unicorn for posterity, though she felt no less confused than she did a moment ago. “It’s alright. Promise.” Her shoulder continued getting soaked. “It… was just a couple chairs.”

“N-not just the chairs. I’m sorry for the trouble. The ponies I hu-u-urt. Moon and stars aboooove, I’m s-s-sorry, bahhhhhhh.” She hiccupped for air. “I, guh, I only wanted to f-feel as loved as her! Is that s-s-so wrong? I’m sorry f-for wanting love, for feeling hate, for becoming…”

Frayed wings splayed out before Applejack, an almost navy cerulean hue to the feathers that tickled her hugging hooves. Her eyes went wide as she realized she was not hugging Louise anymore, but somepony entirely new. The stranger shuddered in her hold, taking a deep breath, trying to calm down.

“Louise?”

“Most of all, to you specifically…” As she pulled away, tears still streamed from her teal eyes, and glowing wisps of mane like the night sky wafted behind her. “I’m sorry. To you, and all my new friends. Because that’s not my name.”

By the light of an oil lamp and a few candles, Applejack scrunched up her face in the pits of her hooves propped up by the table.

“I can’t believe we fed royalty commoner food,” she muffled, pouting.

“AJ that’s not really-”

“And I can’t believe we gave you peasant accommodations.” Applejack covered her eyes.

“That’s not the point.” Luna blew on the hot tea. “Ah, besides, listen to you. ‘Accommodations,’ you and Applebloom both, you’re pretty eloquent, honest.” She took a sip. “Hardly the bumpkin peasant you suddenly think you are, now that you know.”

“I bought a thesaurus to impress Rarity.”

“Snrk, really?”

Applejack slumped further from her, grumpily turning the other way.

“Aw, no, no. I think it’s… sweet, that you want to better yourself for your friend.” She watched Applejack rub her temples.

“A dang ol’ storybook for foals come to life just gal palled me, unbelievable.”

“I’m… what does that phrase mean? What? Why are you laughing so wryly?”

“Hoo boy, Celestia give me strength.” AJ pushed herself from the table. “Ok. Luna?”

“Yes, AJ?”

“I appreciate your honesty.” Applejack observed a smile which faded as she continued. “Even if I’m mighty disheartened it only came about on account of a traumatic nightmare breaking your will.”

“Ok. That’s fair. Yes.” She couldn’t make eye contact, going for the cup of tea again to distract herself. The tea was sweeter than this scolding.

“All’s forgiven, though.” Surprisingly, to both of them, really, Applejack went over and hugged her again. “C’mere, ya big royal lug. I trust ya didn’t mean nothin’ by it.”

“R-right,” Luna admitted. “I was scared everypony would only know me as the monster I became back then. I couldn’t face them. I…” She brushed her eye, lest she shed more tears. “I couldn’t face myself, and the awful things I’d done.” Despite her best efforts, a single tear rolled down her cheek and ran off, dripping into tea. She pushed the mug away.

“Alright,” AJ announced, clicking her hooves together, “that’s enough moping and dwelling on the past for one night. C’mon, your majesty. Let’s go get some sleep.”

Luna protested that she not call her that, asking if she saw a crown. But she came along all the same. A big first day of work lay ahead of her, after all.

“First thing in the morning, we’re headin’ on into town, and we’re gonna have a li’l chat with all our friends.”

Luna stopped following.

“AJ, no, I can’t.”

“Whaddya mean you can’t?” Applejack lightly stamped the first or second step at the base of the stairs she aimed to climb.

“I’m not ready, Applejack. I’m not ready to face them.” Luna brushed her shins together. “You know, as my true self. B-besides, I really liked being Louise. Ponies like Louise. Louise has friends, Applejack, friends who care about her, who… who love her.” She sighed. “I don’t want to give that up yet.”

Applejack came back down to meet her, scowling. Then she felt just a little silly, since she was only at eye level with her when two steps higher. She tried her hardest not to let on.

“Luna could have all of that, just as easily.” AJ poked her chest for emphasis. “You don’t have to give up a dang thing. But that’s just it, they’re your friends, girl. Ya love ‘em, don’tcha?”

Luna had to nod.

“Then you owe ‘em the truth, purely outta respect. If nothin’ else, Pinkie Pie especially deserves to hear the truth. She was the first and best friend you made today.”

“You’re right, you’re right.” Luna’s head sank. “First thing in the morning, we’ll head into town, and tell them all the truth. Starting with my best friend.”

“Mornin’ to ya, fillies. Wings look nice, Louise.” Granny Smith jauntily hit the landing and kept on past them.

Luna gawked, wide-eyed after her. She shared a silent, but no less panicked exchange with Applejack before whispering the incantations as fast as she could manage.

“Say wait just a tic.” Granny Smith froze in place, hoof still holding the lever to an already open front door. “Louise didn’t have no wings. Somethin’ funny’s a-goin’ on round here.” She spun about and her jaw hung loose.

“Heh, uh, what’s funny, Granny?”

“Yes, yes, we’d love a good joke this fine morning, Mrs. Smith.”

Louise and Applejack both had one hoof over the other’s shoulder, teeth flashing in totally-not-nervous smiles, just as chummy as they could be.

“Huh,” gaped Granny, blinking her wrinkle ridden eyes several times, “must’ve been a trick o’ the eyes. ‘S awful dark an’ all.” The stress melted away from the three of them and Granny beckoned with glee. “Always nice to see fillies up nice and early, bright eyed, bushy tailed, and ready to get to work.”

“Should I tell her how old I am,” Louise asked. “I’m definitely an adult.”

“Pish posh, you’re both just a couple li’l fillies from the perspective o’ these ol’ bones right ‘chere.”

“You’d be surprised,” Applejack mumbled under her grandmother’s cackling.

“Huh, whazzat, dear?”

“I said now hold on, Granny.” AJ led them out onto the porch, scanning the Eastern horizon like she’d done so many times before. “Look here. Nary a light on the horizon.” She chuckled. “All three of us are up way too early.” She started back in through the door. “C’mon, y’all, let’s get an extra hour at least.”

“Now you jus’ wait one gosh darned minute, miss bossy hat.”

The party halted, Louise and Applejack searching each other for an understanding of that peculiar insult.

“I done been gettin’ up at the crack o’ dawn since afore you was born, Applejack.” Granny Smith stamped one hoof. “Ain’t no way in Equestria it is not, in fact, six o’ the clock riiiiiiiiight abouuuuuuut… now!”

One second later, deeper within the Apple family home, a chime droned. Then another. The chimes rang on until six in total had tolled. As the grandfather clock stopped, a summer night’s breeze whipped around the trio; Louise and AJ’s chins came loose. Granny Smith eased back onto her haunches, crossing her forelegs with awfully smug satisfaction.

But then she thought about it.

Turning about, it was clear the clouds were sparse at best. As if answering this thought, one even moved aside, blocking a quarter of the moon no longer. That’s when it hit them; the moon hung in the sky exactly where it had at the end of dinner last night. Somehow, it hadn’t budged.

“The sun,” posited Luna, wondering where it was.

Applejack glared at Louise. “You’d better know what’s going on… Hey!”

Louise’s red eyes were aglow with moonlight. She remained despondent as AJ nudged her several times. Her jaw clenched, and her nostrils flared, taking in a long drawn breath.

“Applejack?” Louise’s head stayed craned while her red, red eyes flashed over to her orange friend. “I need a map. Tell me you have a map.”

A salt and pepper shaker went tumbling to one side as Applejack unfurled their only regional map in the entire Apple estate across the dining room table. Her superstitious lime-colored grandmother hurriedly pinched some of the loose salt between chipped old hooves and flung it over the left side of her shawled shoulder.

“Granny, look out.”

“It’s bad luck!” Granny Smith scooped up both shakers and spitefully slammed them onto a nearby counter before her granddaughter and her odd friend could cause anymore trouble. Little did she know.

Heavy steps clambered down the stairs to finally join them. Young Applebloom limply lied across Mac’s haunches, dozing even as he tromped along into the kitchen. Some vague attempt was made to lift her head and brush frayed bangs out of her sleepy eyes. What they beheld was their new guest shining magic light over a map of the countryside, and rather frantically.

“Mm, wha’s uh, what’s goin’ on? Where’s breakfast? We heard the chimes earlier but it’s still so dark outside.”

“Ugh, where is it?” Louise ignored her. “It’s been so long since I’ve been there, I…”

“C’mon, ease up now, girl.” AJ pat her shoulder. “What’re you looking for, anyhow?”

Further inquiry was interrupted by Granny, whisking Mac and Applebloom along to insist they help her start breakfast, and leave those two alone. What Applebloom heard even as they moved along into the kitchen made her all the more curious. But she was far too sleepy to fight back.

“A castle,” Louise told her as the others left them. “A very old castle.”

“You mean the one where you-” Applejack silenced herself, lest the others hear her one room over. Luna followed her gaze and simply nodded.

“That would be the one, yes.” She returned her tiny orb of magic light to a massive swathe of land on the paper. “If I’m correct, it should be somewhere in this region. But there’s no way I can pinpoint it in all of this land.” She rubbed her temples, her frustration flaring up her disguised hair a bit.

“Oh!” Applejack poked her ribs, bringing those locks back down. “Sorry ‘bout that. But what if we had some older maps? Would that help?”

“It would be marked on older maps, yes.” Louise rubbed at her chin. “Why, do you know where we can get some old maps?”

“Town hall might have some in their records, in Ponyville.”

“Then we’ve no time to lose.” Louise stood with conviction, taller and with her head held higher than Applejack had seen her since meeting. “After all this time, I’m going to finally make this right.”

In a rush, the duo donned their cloak and hat, respectively, and threw together a couple packs of basic supplies. Rope, pitons, a pair of bedrolls, and a few rolled off paper sacks they’d quickly filled with peanuts, raisins, apples, and some hard old biscuits left over from two breakfasts ago.

Granny Smith pleaded with them to stay put, citing a nearly done fresh breakfast awaiting them, if they could just stay here for the next ten minutes. But Applejack wasn’t having it, and Louise insisted. They had to at least investigate.

“At least take somethin’ to hol’ ya over!” Granny Smith scooped up some slices of bread sizzling in a skillet, butter-side down. She flung them with haste, which Louise netted using magic from her horn, and divided between herself and Applejack.

“Hey,” protested Applebloom, waving a metal flipper at them, “I worked hard on that toast.”

“My thanks, little chef,” Louise cooed, setting to crunching the crispiest crust first.

“Don’t worry, li’l sis,” Applejack reassured, “we’ll be back by noon, and we can all have a great big lunch together. Love ya, okay?” She kissed her unimpressed forehead.

Fond farewells were bid all around, and out Applejack went in a trot, dragging along Louise who scarfed the second half of her first piece of toast, stowing the other piece. They got some distance from the house before Louise managed to choke down the most burnt toast of the lot. With her throat clear, she grabbed Applejack’s attention, slowing from a gallop to a jog, to a trot.

“Wait,” she called out, “wait.”

“Wait for what? We’re kinda in a hurry here.” Applejack hopped from side to side, antsy to dash into town quick as possible.

“Exactly.”

Louise’s cape jumped, billowing out behind her as the loose hood fluttered from shoulder to shoulder. All the dust that kicked up outlined Luna’s invisible wings, spanning out wide and proud. Applejack lowered her braced shin and grinned like a giddy little filly who just arrived at the big city fair, ready to sail through the air in the most intense roller coaster around.

Part 3: Gaze long into the shadow of the crevices you tried to abandon.

A great long line of dust billowed up like so much smoke, waking in the trail where Luna had skidded in for a landing. Off her back slid Applejack, tumbling to the outskirts ground on clunky hooves. Calmly though, Luna redrew her hood and withdrew her other piece of toast, biting with a crunch.

Applejack righted herself, adjusting her hat, and shook out the rest of the shakes that had seem to come with suddenly being reintroduced to firm ground. Suffice it to say, the ride was a little rougher than she anticipated, making her glad she didn’t eat her toast before setting off. She too got out the toast her little sister had made, chomping on both pieces at once. Perhaps it was the adrenaline that had made her so ravenous suddenly.

“So uh, you gonna head on into town lookin’ like that, still?” AJ vaguely gestured at all of Luna’s Louise look, and grabbed another mouthful to chew on both toast and Luna’s response at the same time.

“Well,” Luna told her, rather flatly, “to be fair, I do have a lot of the same… visual distinctions as the monster who is currently causing all this. You see my dilemma?”

“Monster?”

“You said I was in a storybook, no? Then surely everyone still recalls the horrid visage of Nightmare Moon.” Luna glanced down the empty street. “We have the same hair and eyes, so somepony might mistake me for her.

“Mm.” Applejack gulped the huge bite and the truth of it. “Guess you’re right. Might be best to stay Louise for now and come clean later. Ya know, when we can actually show ‘em all you and Nightmare Moon are not both one singular monster that’ll bring about famine to all Equestria and what have you.”

“Thanks,” Luna said, the sarcasm practically dripping off her fangs like so much venom.

“Oh wow, I just now got why my joke about kicking monsters outta town bothered you so much. Haha, oh my gosh, I am so sorry. Wow.” Applejack tried to laugh it off, holding her hoof to her forehead.

“Applejack, please.”

“Aw, I’m just ribbin’ ya.” AJ illustrated by actually nudging her ribs, before tossing the last pieces of toast in her mouth.

“Can we just go now?”

Mouth still full, Applejack led on, passing by small cottages too far out to be considered apart of the town proper and any more than just outskirts. Here and there, shutters swung open to reveal confused ponies wondering both where the sun was and who these two were sprinting past their yards in the dark. But eventually, dirt roads turned to gravel, and then into cobblestone.

“We coulda landed a bit closer, ya know.”

“And how do you think it would look to the already confused crowd to see a unicorn fly with no wings?”

“Crowd?”

A few minutes more, and Luna proved to be right. Whatever small band of ponies that rose with the sun defiantly refused to pay no mind to the lack of its presence on the Eastern horizon. And any ruckus they had made awoke others that wouldn’t normally be up this early, in the march toward town hall, hoping their appointed local societal leaders might offer up some insight on the issue.

From what the duo could gather, this mayor by the name of Mare, had done what she could to placate the crowd. Up on the platform, she stood before them, grayish white hair still frazzled from rushing out of bed.

“Listen, everypony, please. I’m just as confused as all of you are!” She stamped the planks several times, demanding attention and silence from the crowd, who all seemed to finally humor her. “I don’t know what troubles the capital might be facing that our noble leader, Celestia, hasn’t been able to raise the sun today. But the important thing right now is to remain calm.”

“A plan,” somepony cried out, “we’ve got to have a plan.”

Miss Mare stamped again to hush the newfound bickering to another murmur.

“For the time being, I’ve sent one of our postal pegasi off to Canterlot, to get news on the situation fast as they can. We’ll know what’s going on as soon as she gets back!”

“Wish I was up sooner,” came a voice, drawing Applejack and Luna away from the heat of the growing crowd. “I’m definitely way faster than whoever they sent.” She landed next to them, softly, with a yawn.

“Dash? You’re up mighty early.”

“Ha, funny, AJ.” Rainbow glared at her, but tried to move on. “It’s supposed to be my day off from storm guard duty, so yeah,” she said, rolling her eyes, failing to move on. “I was gonna sleep in. Anyway, all this fuss kinda woke me up. Hey, by the way, Louise. Nice to see ya again.” She smiled.

“Oh, hello, Rainbow.” Luna almost forgot to respond to that name.

“What are we supposed to do until then?” cried a mare at Mare.

“Everypony please, remain calm.”

Mayor Mare’s stamps were not enough this time. The crowd clamored on. Inquiries came in like a tidal wave, crashing against her about protection, supplies, and monsters lurking in this newfound darkness.

Luna stepped forth, inserting herself into the middle of the crowd, ignoring the confused protests of Rainbow Dash and Applejack. A couple incantations, and magic sparked off her horn. She took a deep breath.

“Siiiiiiiiiiileeeeeeeeeeeeence!”

Deafened by the minor projecting spell, all eyes flew to her. Nearby, any ponies still asleep leaned out windows and doorways at last. Luna sighed.

“Give your leader a moment to propose the plan you demand she offer. In troubled times like this, panic leads to chaos, and from chaos, destruction is born. Calmer minds prevail, so we must breathe, and stick together.”

The clamor died down to whispers and mutterance. The mayor seized her opportunity with an “Ahem.”

“I’ve lived in Ponyville all my life. I understand your concerns about safety, but our humble town has no walls because we’ve never needed them, for lack of bandits and brigands. So for the time being, all concerned ponies may gather friends and family in the town square, where barricades will be erected and defended by our city guards. Tents from yesterday’s festivities will be set up again for temporary shelter. Mares, foals, and the infirmed will be kept in the walls of town hall. I’ve already sent scouts to take stock on our grain and water stores, and gather volunteers for defenses if needed. Alright, everypony, let’s move!”

Thunder spread out from hooves hammering the cement in every other direction as ponies hurried home to gather sleeping friends, family, and whatever supplies they could carry. Various deputies rushed in and out of town hall with said tents, while others still ran through the city streets with bells to alert those still unaware. And above the dispersing storm of dozens of separate stampedes, the mayor locked this stranger in place from over the top of her nose with a tiny smirk.

“You have my thanks, miss. Whoever you are.” Mayor Mare went to greet her from a more common ground. The solid possibility of simply jumping down from her stage crossed her mind, but her old knees balked at the very notion.

“It was the very least I could do, I assure you.” Luna made sure her hood stayed right where it was, peering past the hem as miss Mare held a rather dignified air all the way down the steps along the side of the platform.

“I know all my citizens, but I don’t know you.” Shrewd seeming at first, she held out her hoof. “I’m mayor Mare. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, stranger.”

“Louise Moonshadow,” Luna told her, lying. They shook hooves as AJ and Rainbow caught up to flank her.

“Wow,” Rainbow mused, “I haven’t seen this side of you, Louise.”

“You don’t know the half of it,” AJ muttered dryly.

“Well,” Luna told Rainbow as Louise, quickly brushing past Applejack’s snide little comment, “sometimes you just have to step in and help a situation. Even if it means shouting at it, you know?” She poked her cheek and stuck out her tongue. Pinkie Pie had done this, after delivering a punchline at one point. It got a chuckle from Rainbow, while Mare and AJ stared rather blankly, but she decided it was victory enough.

“If there’s nothing else you needed,” Mare announced, monotonic.

“Oh,” Applejack replied, pushing forward, taking off her hat to bow her head. “Mayor Mare, we know you’re awful busy with everything, but my pal Louise and I had a rather pressing question for ya. Ain’t that right, Louise?”

“Right,” agreed Luna, leaving Rainbow completely in the dark, now figuratively as well as literally. “We need to know if you have any older maps of the local countryside surrounding Ponyville. I have reason to believe the ancestral home of Equestria’s own Luna and Celestia is relatively nearby, I’m just not sure where.”

“Now is not exactly the best time for an historical dig, you understand.” Her head fell back and she screwed up her face at Luna, quirking one brow.

“I-it’s just, I think it could house artifacts pertaining to the current, um, ahem.” Luna gestured at the lack of sunlight. “The predicament we’re in?”

“And how do you know about all this, miss Moonshadow? Are you a scholar?” Mare leveled her gaze and adjusted her pointed glasses. The chain dangling from their corners rattled.

“Y-yes,” Luna lied, wearing the face of a liar, with details that were themselves lies.

“Huh,” noted Rainbow, “I would’ve guessed astronomy or something, given the cutie mark.”

“Ha,” Luna fake-laughed, “yeah, I get that a lot.”

“Afraid I can’t help you, Louise,” Mare interjected, shaking her head. “All the records kept in town hall are about Ponyville itself. Any maps, however old, are all going to be about the land allocation, building layouts, street designation, that sort of thing.”

Luna and Applejack thanked her anyway and made to leave and take Rainbow with them. But mayor Mare called back to them before they could get more than a step away and start discussing fallback plans.

“However, come to think of it, there is that dusty old library I still haven’t found a keeper for.” From around her neck, Mare retrieved a ring of many keys rolling on a sturdy chain of gold. She ran a silvery key all the way around the ring, passing it off to Luna directly. “Louise, you’re one I think I can really trust. You take this, and you search that library. I can’t say for certain you’ll find all you’re looking for there, but if it’s anywhere, it’ll be there.” She sent them off with a wink. “Good luck!”

“Somepony want to fill me in, here?” Rainbow Dash, though unclear on what Luna knew about the sun not rising, followed nevertheless.

“We’re headin’ to the library. Or weren’t you paying no dang attention, girl?”

The trio rounded a corner, picking back up to a trot after the slow down.

“Ok, first of all, AJ, it’s ‘weren’t you paying any attention?’ Second, whoa look out.”

A narrow pass was made all the slimmer by a few parked carts. Rather than falling into a line to dart between them, Dash hopped into the air, flying overhead. She sped up, sailing directly over Applejack to continue arguing with her.

“Second, yeah, I caught the bit about the library. I was there too. What I’m asking here is uh, ya know, how it is we’re going to solve our sun problem by heading to a library that hasn’t been open for a month to look at some musty old maps of the green hillsides out past the suburbs!”

“Fluttershy,” said Applejack.

“Fluttershy?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Rainbow?” asked Fluttershy.

The two fliers promptly collided in the air, careening everything but gracefully into some hedges. Out of said hedges flew a couple pigeons, a few crows, and one very confused flamingo.

“Wait,” Fluttershy pleaded, trying to disentangle herself from leafy branches and one sky blue pegasus. “C-come back. Oh. Ow.” She flopped over on the ground, rolling onto her side to stretch out her wings and rub her back. “How am I going to protect all the nearby critters from down here?”

“Oof.” Rainbow Dash fell down beside her.

“Oh! Hello, Rainbow. Fancy meeting you here. Heheh.” She propped up on one hoof.

Rainbow picked herself up, then Fluttershy. “You’re adorable and all, Fluttershy. But that was a terrible crash. And I don’t crash.” She crossed her hooves as AJ and Louise caught up.

“Awful sorry,” Applejack told them, dusting off Fluttershy. “Tried to warn ya, but I guess I wasn’t quite fast enough.”

“Hi, AJ, it’s ok. Hello to you too, Louise. Nice to see you again.”

“Right?” affirmed Rainbow, cozying up to her again. “It is really nice to see her again, isn’t it? Oh, Flutters, you shoulda seen it. A few minutes back, she calmed this entire crowd by shouting at them, and, oh wait right, what’re you doing out here?”

“That’s right,” mewled Fluttershy, covering her concerned little mouth with her hoof. “The sun hasn’t risen this morning, and it’s, well, um, kind of freaking me out. I wanted to gather all the nearby fauna and keep them safe in my cottage just outside of town.” Fluttershy stumbled as they walked along, wincing with worry.

“Ah, I’ve got you.” Luna hunched down to catch her on her shoulder, hoisting her onto her back. “Why don’t you let me do the walking for the both of us? That was quite a spill.”

“Gosh, thank you, tall friend, heheh.” Fluttershy adjusted her legs, hoping to keep both of them comfortable as possible.

“Think nothing of it. Rainbow, what about you? You alright to walk for now?” Luna craned her head around to look behind them.

“Oh,” groaned Dash, hopping off Applejack’s shoulder to hide a limp, “y-yeah. Totally. For sure.” She already started huffing and puffing to keep pace, mentally begging the leader to turn back the other way. Which she finally did.

“AJ, there’s a fork in the path, which way?”

“Hang a left, and we’ll be there in five minutes.”

That’s when another group came from the right. Two stallions and a mare. The stallions were a bit bulkier, and weighed down with simple chainmail hauberks that rattled as they walked. Their shins, shoulders, and collars were held in place with metal plates. And on their heads they wore simple conical helmets for charging.

The mare however, was a unicorn in some sort of regalia. She wore a red coat with gold fastens, and black leather boots with tight laced chords for marching and hiking great distance. Atop her purple mane pulled back in so many perfect ringlets was nary a helmet, but a wide black hat with one brim folded on her left, in which sat two ostrich feathers dyed red and purple. And on her right side, most peculiar of all, hung a long and narrow sword with a swirling swept hilt to protect one’s hand.

Only, she had no hand, but hooves like any other pony.

“The clamor came from over that way, my lady.” One of the two guards pointed down the path they’d just come from for his officer.

“Just a moment, boys. Mayhaps this lot has seen where the trouble lies.” She bid her guards on to intercede Luna and the others. “I say, you there.”

“Good evening,” said the other guard as the two stepped up, blocking the view of their officer, shrewdly taking in the sight of them from under the brim of her hat. “Sorry to bother you folk, but we heard some kind of crash over that way just a moment ago, and wondered if you might’ve seen what happened?”

“Oh, dear, this is, well it’s so embarrassing.” Fluttershy yanked on Luna’s hood to hide her face.

“Aw, Fluttershy. It’s quite alright, accidents happen.” Luna returned her view to the curious guard, solemnly, hair now free from said hood to loosely tumble to one side. “You must forgive her, please. She’s a little mortified because that crash was her and her friend, Rainbow Dash.”

“I don’t crash,” cried Dash from the side, perking Luna’s ears quite a bit. “I’m the best flier in Equestria, ya hear?” She drew Luna’s gaze, fumes seemingly steaming off her reddening face, presenting a pout to end all pouts. “I do not crash.”

The two guard observed one another out of the most suspicious corners of their respective eyes. They pressed a little harder, before Luna could puzzle out a response to the bruised ego.

“You gals are being just a might bit shifty, if ya don’t mind my saying so.”

“Yeah, was there a crash, or wasn’t there?”

Rainbow didn’t get the opportunity to deny it any further; an incredibly haughty cackle put her to shame and silence all at once. The guards’ officer seemed to have gone completely manic. She parted the two of them, who dutifully stepped aside as she came forth. And as she arrived, she released a long, contented sigh of delight, pleasure, and above all, amusement.

“Afraid the story checks out, boys. The only thing Rainbow Dash has a harder time swallowing than sour tart is her own stubborn pride. Isn’t that right, my dear?” Rarity finally tipped her hat skyward, revealing the regal geodes she called eyes.

Surprise only struck three of the four fillies, however.

“Hey, Rare,” Applejack said, leaning to one side and smirking. “Nice outfit.”

“AJ, darling, look!” Rarity struck a pose, tall and imposing as she could. She was not very much of either of those things. “I’m in the volunteer militia,” she said, boldly. “I aim to keep Ponyville safe from whatsoever lurks in this mysterious and magical darkness!”

“Yeah, ok, that’s nice. We need you instead though, so…” AJ pulled her head to one side, already taking the first steps along the break in the path. “C’mon now.”

“Oh. Alright then.” She went to join her friends, but turned in place. “Sorry I won’t be joining you after all, boys. Take care, Stoneheart. You too, Horace.”

“Shoot, I was looking forward to the company on our morning rounds,” lamented one; if this one was Stoneheart or Horace, Rarity’s friends knew not. They also didn’t care, already moving on down the break in the path.

“It was a pleasure all the same, miss Rarity. Good hunting out there.”

“Mm, yes, and you too. I shall be rather cross with you two if I can’t find either still in one piece after all this, mark my words. Ta ta for now.” Rarity swept her hat off her head, bowing so deeply she might whiff of the nearby rosebuds. “Oh, roses!” So she did, taking a deep breath and plucking the first bloom, prettily as she pleased, to pin on her lapel with a bobby. Then she cantered off on airy steps to rejoin her original troupe.

Rainbow gave her no greeting, utterly flustered.

“Hello, Rarity. I like your hat.” Fluttershy waved from Luna’s back, where it seemed she would remain until their arrival.

Officer Rarity thanked her kindly, but hurried to the front of the pack when Luna chimed in, eyeing her with a piercing red gaze over the shoulder, nary a hood to hide behind. Several questions were in order, from one party to the other. Applejack stayed with Rainbow in the back, though, doling out directions when needed.

“What of your sister?”

“Other guards I’ve befriended with my brief comradery escorted her to the square. I’m told that’s our defensive position if things take a turn for the worse. Not that I actually fret for that. Honestly, these guard ponies are so dramatic.”

Somewhere off in the back, the comedic stylings of the reunion tour one night only stand up duo, the Dashing Apple Power Hour, wickedly chided that last audacious comment to appease a very nonexistent crowd. Rarity paid no mind to snickering jocks, but let them have their little fun, all the same.

“I tell you, we’re all going to look rather silly for all the armor and barricades, if it all just turns out Celestia overslept or something.” Rarity sniffed her new rose again, looking out over the babbling stream they were now crossing, and wistfully so. “Even royalty is due one bad day, now and again.”

You’re telling me, Luna griped to herself.

The oh so merry quintet crested a hill. Rising above its zenith from below at the foot of the steady slope, the branches of a massive tree partially obstructed the horizon, upon which still sat no sun. Moonlight filtered through the waving leaves like the sun to a murky lakebed, washing the wooden planks affixed to it here and there in a very dull glow. From the rear guard, it was announced: this was it. And not a light shone through any of the windows, their panes already accruing a fine layer of dust.

“The library is built into a hollowed greatwood?”

“So now it’s your turn, darling,” demanded Rarity as Luna turned the key with a heavy click.

In strode the party, wrinkling up their noses at the faint must of air beginning to stagnate. Rarity and Luna launched a couple orbs of magic into a few corners to light the way, as the other girls set to pushing open a few windows here and there, in hopes of a few fresh breezes.

“What exactly is it, might I ask, we’re doing here?”

“That’s what I was saying earlier,” chimed in Dash.

“We went over that, Rainbow,” scolded AJ. “You were there when we talked to the mayor. Same as me and Lu-”

“Yeah ok I got that part,” Rainbow interrupted, her hoof inadvertently stopping one accidental confession when pressed hastily to Applejack’s word hole. “Locate castle because artifact, sun rise again, yadda yadda. What I’m asking is A), how does Louise know so much about all this?” From AJ’s mouth, she pointed her hoof, as if accusing her of something.

“Oh, well, you know.” Luna kicked a dust bunny aside. “I’ve read books,” she said, like a liar.

“Astrologist, and a history buff, eh? Quite the scholar you are, Louise.” Rarity nodded.

“Yeah,” concurred Fluttershy, resting on the nearby stairs, “you must have read a lot of books.”

“Yes.” Luna spat the next lie out quick, desperate to move on.

“Ok. Two.”

“B,” corrected Applejack.

“B.”

“Or not to be,” broke in Rarity, for no real rhyme or reason, “that is the question.” She stared around the room at all the eyes staring back. “Aw come now, nopony at all?”

“Naw,” imparted Applejack, tight-mouthed. “We got it, hon. It was just a bit obvious of a reference is all, ya know?” She twiddled her hooves together as she watched Rarity puff up.

“I’ve no idea whether to be impressed or offended that my Applejack just told me my playful reference to classical theater was too obvious to be enjoyed.”

In a huff, Rarity grew even more offended as Applejack informed her that the Bard’s work was actually considered by many at the time to be bawdy, lowbrow comedy. Rarity brought up the possibility of juvenoia, while also suggesting a certain amount of elitism amongst art critics of the period, preventing them from enjoying a good thing simply because “the unwashed masses of plebian serfs” happened to like it. Rainbow stared on in utter dismay, but could not allow Applejack to further concede a certain amount of classism affecting the social standing of historical work within the context of the past.

“Rah!” she screeched, leaping between the two ponies suddenly become philosophical art historians. “Enough! My second question was just gonna be about what gosh darned artifacts Louise was even looking for, ugh.”

“Aw, Rainbow,” cooed Fluttershy, softly setting down beside her to pat her back. “I’m sure our friends didn’t mean to leave you behind in their discourse over classic plays.”

“Wha, no. I’m mad I got interrupted, again, and for two entire minutes over this old hat nerd talk. It was rude.” She crossed her hooves and sat back against the wall. “Also I never cared for the Bard, anyhow. Building your entire narrative to work in iambic pentameter is like building a house out of waffles; it’s impressive, sure. But that doesn’t make it a sound structure to work with, especially for longer periods of time.”

They all just sort of gawked at her for a moment. She, however, grumpily pondered at the dimly lit ceiling. “Yo, Louise? You wanna answer me?”

Luna already had several books splayed out on a table in the corner. When a few skimmed pages of one failed to provide the answer sought, her hoof pushed it aside to scrape another one near. And on she went, flipping papers, eyes peeled to hone in on certain keywords, deaf to the growling and grinding teeth and Fluttershy trying to calm her riled up pegasus friend.

None could ignore the sudden squeak though. In through the door they’d very carelessly left hanging open bounced a red rubber ball. It held all attention on it, as it rolled to a steady stop a few feet in. But all of them looked up at the empty doorway as the sound of desperate chasing hoofsteps followed after it down the hillside path. Applejack, being the closest to the very open door, tensed every muscle in all four legs. Her hoof twitched in place on the floorboard. Should she close it?

Poofy, bouncy, airy magenta hair entered the frame before the pony.

“Aw where’d it go?” she asked as the others breathed a synchronized sigh of relief. “Oh! Hey, gals, it’s me. Pinkie Pie!”

It was Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie explained that as she rushed around town, trying to figure out what was going on, her rubber clown nose slipped from her person, rolling down the above hill, bouncing into the library through the open door.

“Yeah, that tracks,” remarked Applejack.

They caught her up to speed, she complimented Luna’s so called scholarly pursuits, and Rainbow took control again. So Luna finally relinquished; “The Elements of Harmony, Rainbow.” She rubbed her temple. “That’s what I’m looking for. Even after the regal sisters abandoned their ancestral home, which I hypothesize to be nearby, Celestia and Luna kept them hidden away in the old castle in secrecy. In hopes that nopony would ever be able to find them and use them against Equestria.”

“Well, ok, but you have to admit, that’s a lot of highly specific information. You got some names to those sources?”

“Rainbow,” rasped Luna, slowly cantering over to her, watched uneasily in doing so by the others. “I’m begging you. I will drop to my knees.” Her cloak fluttered after her as she did just that. Acute dust settled in a tiny thin ring around. Their eyes locked in the pale moon’s light. “I want to fix this, I want the sun to rise on Equestria once more. I promise you, I promise each of you, to tell you everything I know, why I know it, and all very soon. Honestly. But for right now, I am begging for your trust in me. Please.”

Teeth clamped down on Dash’s waivering lip as her quivering brows quirked, so wayward was this unicorn she’d known all of a day. These were all forces beyond her control, and her new friend knew so much of what she was talking about, or so it seemed. Choices were limited.

“Ok. Stand up, Louise. I trust you, alright? I don’t know how to fix the sun, but you seem to have some kind of idea.” She hoisted Luna back to her hooves. “So just point me in the right direction.”

“Could it be in this book here?” Pinkie Pie thrust the tome between them. “Equestrian Folklore. It was filed under E! Though I didn’t see any with ‘element’ in the title.”

“Well, perhaps if it has a section on the elements.” Luna gave her a little smile of encouragement as she flipped through the pages. She didn’t expect anything, and started to move past her.

“It does!”

It did.

The nearest table sufficed, as all six gathered around to pore over the pages. This was their first clue, and their eyes drank in the words like parched fish. But instead of a foreword of the section, concerning the actual origin of the elements themselves, it began with an old mare’s yarn, spun a thousand times to foals by the light of a fireside or wood burning stove.

Rarity sidled up next to Luna, and began to recite:

“ONCE upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria…”

Luna protested with false intentions. “Can we skip this part?”

“Aw, but I love a good story. Here, I can get us past it really fast.” Pinkie Pie squeezed in, taking over the monologue. Luna could not stop her once she got started.

“There were two regal sisters, who ruled together, and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the eldest used her unicorn powers to raise the sun at dawn; the younger brought out the moon to begin the night. Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects, all the different types of ponies.”

Luna’s breathing became uneasy.

“But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The ponies relished and played in the day her elder sister brought forth, but shunned and slept through her beautiful night. One fateful day, the younger unicorn refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn. The elder sister tried to reason with her, but the bitterness in the young one's heart had transformed her into a wicked mare of darkness: Nightmare Moon.”

Her ears folded back and her knees began to shake. Her eyes felt weary.

“She vowed that she would shroud the land in eternal night. Reluctantly, the elder sister harnessed the most powerful magic known to ponydom: the Elements of Harmony. Using the magic of the Elements of Harmony, she defeated her younger sister, and banished her permanently in the moon.”

No, no, no, please make it stop. The knot in her stomach grew more and more taut.

“The elder sister took on responsibility for both sun and moon. And harmony has been maintained in Equestria for generations since.”

With all eyes on the page, not one of them could’ve missed the soft plop of one tear, and then another. Hanging, uncertain jaws gawked all around, all of them deathly silent. The only interruption in the hush was another couple drops running off onto the words, blurring them like Luna wished she could. She drew an unsteady breath through flaring nostrils, staring down at the increasingly hazy story. Her brow furrowed, her teeth clenched, and she hated herself so very, very much right now.

And right about here, Applejack gulped, deeply regretting letting her curiosity get the better of her.

“You stupid girl. Let your envy get the better of you.” Sniff.

“Um. Louise? Are you alright?” Fluttershy winced as Luna answered with a raucous, facetious guffaw.

“Ha! Ha, ha. I’m fine.” Sniffle. One hoof dragged like a slug across her cheek, leaving a smearing of tears like a its slimy trail. “But I’ve had enough of this fairy tale for foals.” The book went flying, arcing for the ground.

Rainbow Dash yanked Fluttershy, dodging the errant literature for the two of them. She snorted in Luna’s direction. “Hey watch it! What is your problem?”

As she tried to move in, though, Luna slammed the table. “The horrible, evil sister got what she deserved, didn’t she?”

Wide, confused eyes got all the wider around her, swiveling to meet one another then going back again. Applejack made to intervene, but she pushed away from the table. Rarity easily stepped aside, frowning all the while.

“I just… I need some air. Alone!”

Each hoofstep was deafeningly heavy on the thick wooden floor. And yet, held high as her head may have been, it sank. Tightening eyes wrung more tears still, and her head bobbed with a choked little hiccup.

“Stupid girl,” she said again, her shoulders bouncing with a sob. Through the tears, she couldn’t count the steps at the entrance, and neither could she remember. One hoof slipped over the edge of the second step, and she tumbled forth the rest of the way with a yelp.

There Luna lied, choking up with a now further shattered confidence. She stayed on her side in the dirt, where she felt she belonged. The moon on high taunted her with this incessant glow, now a constant reminder of her failings and imperfection and rage. A faulty princess, fallen from grace, crying on the ground.

As above her, in the doorframe, appeared five worried faces, she paid them no mind. They retreated into the shadows of the old library, to chatter amongst themselves. She loosely picked up one word in three, not bothering to ponder respective source.

“... alright?”

“... gotta…”

“... cried…”

“... princess?”

“... really?”

“... really.”

Idle back and forth went on within as a pair of pink manes flanked her on either side. They pushed and pulled respectively, until she sat vaguely upright. And limply, she didn’t stop them. There they sat, quiet for a few moments. But eventually and quite pensively, Pinkie Pie pulled Luna into a hug. Again, Luna didn’t fight back or push or pull or do really anything about it at all; she was there only physically.

“I feel so really dreadfully awful. You asked us not to read the story. But I went ahead and did it anyway.” She ran a brush through Luna’s fake hair. It reacted like the real thing well enough. “My parents always told me I was too excitable. That I tend to barrel on ahead without thinking things through. And it always causes trouble.” Now it was her turn to hiccup.

Luna rubbed her eyes and peered up. Pinkie was crying too. From the right, Fluttershy slid in closer, their sides getting warm together, and stretched her left wing like a soft blanket over her and Pinkie’s backs. She blinked away a few more drops, feeling rather cozy.

“And now,” Pinkie went on, “I’ve gone and hurt my newest, most bestest friend in all Equestria. I-I’m the real stupid girl, here, Luna. I’m so, so sorry.” She kissed her forehead and tried to dust off her cloak. A dense, all-encompassing pit opened up in Luna’s heart.

“Oh dear, Pinkie, no. No, I’m the one who’s sorry.” She sat up to look her in the eye. “I’m sorry to all you girls. For lying to you all. For shouting.” Turning to Fluttershy, she gently swept some of those silky pink strands aside. Beneath were uncertain teal gems glimmering back at her. “And I am really, really sorry about the book.”

“It’s alright. We kind of made you relive something that must’ve been pretty traumatic for you.” Fluttershy took hold of that hoof as it fled her, Luna sucking in the air through her teeth. “I am honestly a little hurt you took it out on us, but I guess this has all been pretty hard for you.” Oh so tenderly, she pat Luna’s hoof. “Do you want to talk about it? Who knows, it might make you feel a little better to get it all out.” She considered the moon, and the lack of a mare’s profile. “You don’t have to, though. If you don’t want to. Ok?”

What little Fluttershy had to offer her up, she gave in a most cordial little look. Luna took a deep, long breath, and let it out.

“I messed up,” she blurted. “You know? I really, truly made a complete mess of things. I hurt a lot of ponies, some of whom I did care about at the time. Most of all, my sister. I loved her so very dearly, really I did.” With a sigh, Luna looked out over the horizon, noting right about where the sun ought to be by now.

“But,” she went on, “I also envied her deeply. She was the more beautiful elder sister everyone else seemed to adore so much more. I wanted to feel that too, that much in the story is true.” Her view drifted back along the dirt. “So I struck a deal with an otherworldly denizen, and became a monster. It all fell apart from there. One night, I… I confronted Celestia.”

Concerned, but hanging onto every word, Fluttershy and Pinkie urged her on. “What happened,” they pleaded, “what did you do?”

“At first, she told me I was being completely silly, you know. ‘Come now, little sister. Of course everypony loves you as they love me. They just… show it in different ways. If nothing else, I love you. I love you very much.’ And well,” Luna chuckled dryly, “that just heated my rage to a frothing boil.” Luna threw her hooves out, miming a shove. “So I shoved her over a balcony.”

“But she can fly,” posited Pinkie.

Luna grimaced. “I sort of broke the stone railing on said balcony when I did.”

“Oh. I see.”

“We fought. Briefly. As Nightmare Moon, I was stronger. Hence why she couldn’t overpower me and raise the sun the next day, you see. Anyway, in our altercation, well, um, I sort of left her battered and bruised under a broken statue of the two of us.” This part was a little hard to swallow. “For emphasis, I may have set her stone head before her, and, well, crushed it.”

“Yeesh.”

“Yikes.”

“Yeah. It was pretty bad. Anyway, she teleported to our old castle, to retrieve the Elements. The next day, barely able to stand, for the broken bones, she tried to reason with me again.” She shuddered. “I-I told her I was about to kill her… so, out came the Elements of Harmony, and the rest is history.” The words hung on the air like an utter lack of breeze, defiant in their finality; their very weight seemed to press down on Luna, dense and suffocating, silencing her. Slowly though, she blinked, and kept on breathing anyway. That was that.

“And how do you feel? Right now? About it all?” Fluttershy pulled in her two friends under her wing, squeezing them harder.

“A completely uncertain amount of time whirled past me in a world that left me behind, like watching the living area in your home over a thousand days in the span of a minute through a filthy window. And now it’s a historical hoofnote in the form of a foal’s tale meant to teach them how to behave themselves.” She scuffed the ground, pulling at her cheek with the other hoof. “That upsets me. Quite a lot, actually. But I guess it’s only fitting” she relented. “As I regret everything I’d done as Nightmare.”

Luna’s newfound friends squeezed her even tighter. “That is understandable,” agreed Fluttershy.

“That dumb story doesn’t matter!” Pinkie Pie pulled on Luna’s chin. “You’ve apologized and suffered enough!”

The two more gangly and timid of this trio looked at her, unsure of how to respond. “Pinkie?”

“The past is in the past, Luna. It can’t hurt you because I’m not going to let it. This is my promise to you, as your new best friend. Understand?”

“I’m… yes, I think I really do.” Luna finally smiled again. “Thank you so much. I’m thankful for all of you. For everything.” She threw a hoof over each of them.

“Ok good, because I smelled the biscuits in your saddle bag, and I’m really hungry.” Pinkie smiled so pleadingly, she practically squeaked. And Luna couldn’t help but snicker.

“Alright then.” From her pack, she produced a portion of the rations she’d divied up with Applejack, offering Fluttershy to take of it as well.

Disguiseless, Luna rejoined the others in the library. In tow she brought along Pinkie and Fluttershy, who cheerily munched on leftover biscuits and boiled peanuts respectively. Applejack had already told the others, as she suspected, so her navy coat and teal eyes that shimmered like a tropical bay, well, they came as no surprise.

Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash tepidly removed their snouts from the various books they’d been skimming, still in search of Luna’s answer. The hush between them went on as they silently wondered who among them would go first. And Rainbow, never one for second place, put her best hoof forward.

“Look, Luna is it? I just wanna say, for what it’s worth, I get it. I totally understand what it’s like, wanting to be the best. I also get carried away in my competitive nature, sometimes. So. Yeah.” She avoided eye contact the best she could, the entire time. “I’m still with you.”

“Thank you, Rainbow. That really means a lot to me.” To Luna’s surprise, Rainbow gave her a hug. A very quick one, of course, zooming back over to find another book to search. She appreciated it all the same. Next up, sashayed Rarity. She flicked at the crimson chord dangling round Luna’s throat from the cloak.

“This is a travesty. Now it doesn’t match!”

“Rarity!” Applejack said no more. She didn’t need to, as her look alone scolded like a thousand disapproving parents.

“Right,” Rarity lamented, “not the point. But listen, darling. You came to me a pauper, and now here you are a princess. But believe you me, I’d have still made a cloak to warm your nights all the same. Status aside, you were in need, and we’re all friends here.” She came around for a side hug, patting Luna’s shoulder. “Do me a favor, though, love? Next time, pose in your true colors, would you? Good color play is key to fashion.”

“Heh. Can do, Rarity.”

Applejack took her hat off. “I know it wasn’t my secret to reveal, but I figured only the honest to goodness truth could explain the waterworks. Besides, doesn’t it feel better now, being out in the open?”

“It actually does. And you’re all my friends, you deserved to know. I can’t thank all of you enough for your love and support. What are you-oh, no, it’s fine we don’t have to-”

Luna wheezed ever so slightly as four ponies gathered around her, warmly squeezing her. Then a fifth, Rainbow reluctantly joining the group hug at the nodding behest of Pinkie Pie. Between wings and hooves, Luna stretched out as much as she could to hold them each in return. Cozily, the moment stayed. Luna elicited a few giggles as she took advantage of being the tallest, craning her head about to kiss every forehead or cheek she could reach.

“Right!” Applejack clicked her hooves together, as if to adjourn the love. “We all love each other, it’s beautiful, but there’s still a castle to find.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow shouted after her.

They all ambled off in different directions, to fumble through yet more shelves for any information. Pinkie took Luna by the hoof and brought her over to the table they’d gathered around. Upon it, she very apologetically replaced the book from which she’d read, hurting her so. Luna smiled at her with an “It’s ok,” trying to move on. That’s when she spotted the pages the book had landed upon when thrown.

“Girls!” she gasped. “Come look.”

Sure enough, it was a map of the Everfree, the very forest Luna had originally dropped into when falling back to Equestria. Within the mass of fading green ink, a section was sanctioned off by a black circle, scratched into the very paper it seemed. Here, explained the blurb, in this general area of these now old and haunted woods, it was believed, Celestia and Luna grew up in a mossy castle of ancient stones.

Applejack unrolled her map of local countryside, and between the six of them, they coordinated a recreation. And that, they announced proudly, was where to look. Each of three fliers was assigned a non-flyer to carry. Climbing up and over wall and tree alike was the fastest way possible. Luna took Pinkie, Rainbow took Applejack, and Fluttershy took Rarity.

Wings flayed out, and the trio of duos took to the skies.

As the trees rushed by below, so close she could reach down to feel leaves wash underhoof like solid green waves of ocean blue, Applejack figured it might be now roughly about nine or ten in the morning. It seemed her promise to little sister about being back in time for lunch was definitely not going to come through.

Under any other circumstance, the cool night air, the cloudless sky, the positively romantic warm glow of full moon’s light, it all would have been so pleasant. Being an early riser, Applejack didn’t see too many nights like this. It was almost nice enough to make her forget about it all; the planting and tilling back home, the fact her new friend was the lost princess from ages ago, and that Equestria was due a cold, slow demise without the rising sun.

Yeah. It was almost pretty nice.

“Yo, AJ, come on back down to Equestria with me, huh?” Rainbow Dash swooped to skim a few of the trees in the Everfree.

“Whoa, take her easy, Dash. I’m here, ok? Just thinkin’ about some things.”

“Yeah?” She put a little distance between themselves and the pack. Out front, their conversation wouldn’t be picked up by the others. “Like what?”

“Well, I mean, it’s crazy right? Pinkie Pie befriends this soft spoken unicorn. Then boom, it turns out she’s a myth come to life, a princess no less, and now we’re rushing off in some potentially dangerous magical quest to save the land. Doesn’t any of that bother you? Not even a little?”

“I think it’s exciting.” Rainbow fluttered her wings, then spread them out wide, sailing along in a smooth little glide, slowly inching treeward. “But hey, I get it. One fancy pony in your life was already enough to drive you mad, now here’s an even fancier one.”

Not that Rainbow could see it, but Applejack curled up her lip as far back as it could twist. “Ugh, kh, psh,” she scoffed, sputtering. “Grow up, Dash. It is definitely not like that.” Rainbow Dash went wild with laughter underneath her, picking up the pace again as she began to skim leaves.

“Oh, I wish I could see your face.” She turned about best as she could, trying desperately to catch a glimpse, giggling all the while.

“Eyes up front, girl. You tryin’ to crash again?”

Rainbow started to say something. It was going to be some smart quip or other. But all that came out was “oof,” cutting off her playful laugh. A dark figure had launched upright out of the wood, hammering her in the gut. All forward momentum halted in the blink of an eye, and Rainbow sailed upward involuntarily, sending Applejack lurching over her friend’s shoulder, tumbling, disappearing into the billowing sea of leaves.

Luna and Fluttershy came to a stop, hovering in shock as they watched Dash spinning up through the air, desperate to regain control after the ambush. And there, landing gently across the top of the rolling, watery surface of leaves, it was her: Nightmare Moon, flashing a toothy, satisfied grin.

“Two down,” she teased. Somewhere off behind her, Rainbow descended in an uneasy, spiraling glide, clutching her stomach, in tears.

“I can’t fight her,” Luna announced with a weak voice, already sinking out of the air as her body froze.

“Not while carrying me,” Pinkie convinced her, hopping off when a sturdy enough branch came within jumping distance. “I’ll go check on AJ! You’ve got this!”

“You take her head on,” Rarity shouted, “distract her.”

“I’m n-nervous, Rarity,” Fluttershy told her rider, shaking.

“Oh yes, I know, dear. Me too. You don’t have to fight if you’re scared. Let’s sail above her, far out of harm’s way. Luna’s the real powerhouse here, no doubt. But I’m certain if we work together, we can take her.” She held on tight as Fluttershy reluctantly climbed, smiling nervously, but smiling all the same.

Lights beamed into existence across the way, tightening all of Luna’s muscles. She scanned the nearby landscape, frantic for something, anything she could use. Her darting eyes found a boulder of decent size, and a dull blue glow from her horn latched onto it. As she twirled her head about, all her hair falling to one side, it rocketed up just in time to catch the entire volley of magic missiles. The boulder turned to pebbles before it could even start falling back to the earth.

Branches all around her bowed in reverence, though from a stiff breeze, or the sheer force with which Luna took off, it was unclear. No more, it was decided. No more hiding or fleeing from this problem in her life. Watching friends at risk all over again was simply too much. It was time to face her demons.

Horn first!

Moon had started to say something, probably about finally getting the fight she expected. But Luna had arrived too fast, cutting her short as she braced and leaned her head a little to the left. That piercing horn scraped the gorget of her blue-enameled armor, saving her neck for now. What it didn’t protect though was all the air in her escaping as the two zoomed off in the other direction.

Luna curled herself up, tucking her legs, and kicking Moon as they swooped by a perfectly nice tree. She destroyed it with the monster of her creation. And with her wings, she hit the air to spin herself in place, taking aim with her horn, to return the favor that had been meant for her friends. Her nightmare from before became reality, as her own slew of magic bolts went hurtling toward Nightmare.

More than half a dozen silver streaks slammed Moon as she tried to recover. Yet her armor yielded not a single dent while she became airborne once more on those leathery black wings; they were wings like that of a bat. Or rather, a dragon. Which was fitting enough, because a tiny red bolt from her horn set her jaws aglow upon approach.

Luna barely ducked away as the hot orange flames fanned out all around. She let herself fall between the branches as they set alight. A babbling stream nearby gave her just what she needed. When she shot it, a swirling whirlpool launched skyward to meet the would be forest fire, scaring it off with an angry hiss. The smoke impeded her vision somewhat, giving her little time to react as several moon-white bolts arced through at her.

She weaved through the trees, mindful of the cracking of splinters behind her as she breached the canopy once more, only to be greeted by a left hoof to the jaw. In this way, the elegant, magic royalty devolved into a braying scrap in the sky. It was little good though, as Moon’s armor was simply too durable for a head-to-head confrontation.

That’s about when two shards of ice big as javelins shattered across Moon’s back. And when she turned to face their origin, the unicorn and pegasus she’d forgotten about sat some ten yards above her. Luna took this opportunity to leave melee range, nursing a stinging sensation above her brow.

Moon was not amused, waiting for the second volley. She spun in the air away from one javelin, then latched onto the next with her horn. With a violent, malicious flick of her head, the ice stake bolted right back at them. Fluttershy froze in place, before the cold point would even reach its target.

“Fluttershy?” Rarity shouted, but she was completely despondent. So she took matter into her own hooves. She squeezed Fluttershy tight, kicking her wings, and yanked to the side. The two of them tilted over, narrowly dodging the frozen projectile. But her grip wasn’t solid enough.

“Rarity, no!” Fluttershy panicked as she righted herself, following where her passenger had slipped over one side. She immediately began to sail after her, fast as she could.

Below the more delicate falling ponies, Moon hovered where she stayed, projecting a shield as Luna lashed at her newly enraged. She copied that little flame breath spell, yet the blaze quickly burned from a meager orange ember to white hot. Beads of sweat formed under the lifted visor of her helm while she defended against the heated fury.

“If I’m going down,” Rarity spouted, the wind whistling through her ringlets whipping behind her as she plummeted, “it’s with a fight!” Energy arced from her horn to the handle of her elegant thrusting sword, azure as her eyes. The steel greeted the world with a flash. Rarity raised, then dipped her head, her hat flying off in the other direction as her sword followed the motions of the wielder.

Even though the sword tip smashed down onto Moon’s back like a hammer which meted metal over anvil, the crushing blow still merely dented her armor. As luck would have it though, the force of the blow made her reel, scraping the motion of the attack to one side and tearing into her right wing.

Nightmare Moon screeched into the night’s sky, echoing across canopy and canyon alike, tears welling up in her draconic eyes. With one solid lash of her remaining wing, she spiraled off in the other direction, narrowly avoiding being landed upon by attacker as well as weapon. Rarity zoomed past her, mid twist, followed by a few errant rose petals. She managed a glide, barely, falling to meet ground faster than desired.

In a fraction of the second she had, Luna decided it was best to let her go, to address the falling unicorn problem. She scraped off treetops, rushing over the proverbial dark teal sea before her friend could drown beneath its waves lapping in the cold summer night winds. But she would not make it in time, nor would Fluttershy; Rarity was due for a dip. Mind racing, her horn sparked, ready for a spell, any spell at all that might save her.

A pale blue figure staggered through the leaves, meeting Rarity halfway, and the two of them briefly splashed between the trees. Gasps turned into sighs as the two breached again, unsteady as they were. It was none other than Rainbow Dash, wheezing and sinking.

“C’mon,” she huffed. “AJ and Pinkie are this way,” she puffed, nodding to beckon.

“I can’t believe that worked!” yelped Rarity, shaking like a twig in the wind in Rainbow’s grasp. “Oh my good golly gosh,” she gasped, latching onto Dash, “thank you so, so, so much Rainbow Dash.”

“Don’t hug,” hissed Rainbow. “Ribs hurt.”

“Ah! I’m so sorry!”

“I’m sorry too,” Fluttershy meekly said, flying alongside.

“There, there,” assured Rarity. “You did the best you could, darling. And we all came out alright. Hey, look at me. You did fine.”

“Y-yeah,” labored Rainbow in agreement. “I’m just sorry I didn’t see her coming. Otherwise I coulda definitely outflown her. Then we’d see who’s boss.” She coughed. “But you did great out there, ok, champ?”

“Ok. Thanks, you two.” Fluttershy seemed unconvinced, but moved on.

Luna followed, somewhat idly. She gazed to the North, the East, the West, and everything in between. Nightmare was gone, and where to, none could say. If nothing else, at the very least, they now knew the beast could be hurt.

When they landed in the small, circular clearing, this trio of freshly blooded combatants found Applejack hobbling back from drinking of the nearby stream. Apparently the water had a rather stony mineral taste she didn’t care for. “Bleh.” Pinkie helped her along.

“Applejack!” Rarity lept from a relieved Rainbow, dashing over to AJ. They embraced. “I thought you were gone. How’d you make the fall?”

Shaken from her tumble through the sky herself, AJ pointed up and over at a nearby tree. Her lasso was latched onto a higher branch, though tangled through a few lower ones. “I barely managed it, truth be told. Ugly landing, too.” Her gaze fell to a miniature crater, the impact doubtless created by falling back first, from which she was still quite winded. “Can somepony get m-my hat?”

Fluttershy rested the hat upon her head after plucking from a high up branch near the rope. The rope itself, she then set to disentangling. Rarity’s hat, however, was a completely different story. She told the others not to fret, though. Though it would be expensive and a tad difficult to replace, there were certainly more pressing matters at hand.

Such as “Luna, your head, it’s bleeding.” Pinkie Pie practically tossed Applejack aside, abandoning her for the newest, bestest friend in her life.

“My what now?” Rubbing with her shin, sure enough, resulted in a red smear. “Hm, must have happened when I had locked hooves with her.”

Skrrrrrrrrrt!

“Rarity? Your nice red coat.” Luna looked on, dismayed as Rarity’s telekinesis tore a long section off the coat.

“I can make another, but we need to staunch the flow.” She rushed in, hearing not another word as she wrapped it tight around Luna’s forehead. Taking stock, she tore and salvaged scraps off her coat to cover various scrapes and bruises, until she had not but remnants of red tassles, dangling off brass clasps and buttons, and one red rose. “I’m just glad nopony’s hurt any worse. Otherwise, I’d surely fall ill.” She grimaced, likely imagining the worst case scenario.

Applejack stowed the brass in her bag for her as Pinkie helped tie the makeshift bandages. The rose however, Rarity pinned behind Luna’s ear. Luna looked at her rather funnily at first, but she chuckled when the response she got back was a pleasant smile. “It suits you. Though, white roses would surely work better.”

All in all, her coat now covered Rainbow’s ribs, Luna’s forehead and left shoulder, and a few of Applejack’s knees. Rarity kept her boots on, though, as they were actually made for hiking. Which, it looked like that’d be what they were about to start doing from her on. She threw the harness for her scabbard back on and reconvened with the others.

“There’s no time to waste,” Luna announced after reconsulting the map. “She landed somewhere out ahead of us. And she’s hurt, but not dead yet. So let’s get going, and everypony keep your eyes out.” She rolled it away into her pack, snorting with newfound vigor. “No more ambushes.”

Part 4: Sit within its epicenter, pondering your actions and regrets.

Luna had led them on for thirty minutes, a silent sentinel in the woods. Every few seconds, her eyes changed positions; look left, look right, look forward. As they began again, Pinkie came into view. She caught the surveying eyes, smiling up at her.

“Hey,” squeaked Pinkie in a hushed little whisper, “I just want you know, that I’m proud of you, Luna. I mean, I know we haven’t won yet, but you still did really great back there. You faced your fears.” She beamed so brightly, she might just blind Luna on this darkened path.

“Eyes forward, Pinkie. We can’t let her sneak up on us again.” After another search, Luna found Pinkie looking off, dejected. And perhaps she had even rasped an apology, just then, but it flew by on the wind. Luna sighed. “Mm, I’m sorry, Pinkie. I’m stressed out right now. My friends are hurt. Some of them… could have died back there.”

“Heh, I get it.” Pinkie’s smile meekly returned, but she kept her gaze forward. “And you blame yourself, because you created Nightmare Moon. I know.”

“Well,” grumbled Luna, “yes. It is my fault, in the end. All the wrong that I’ve done has come back to haunt me.”

“Yeah, and what about any of the good stuff you’ve ever done?” No longer could Pinkie stare at trees; her gaze fixed on Luna’s face. “Hmm?”

Luna finally turned to face her, hardly minding where her hooves fell. “Pinkie?”

“C’mon, work with me here. What can I do to put a smile back on your face? Huh?”

Luna had to really ponder that. She glanced forward again, looking out for the beast. “Help me slay my past.”

“Typical. You can’t even acknowledge that you, the right-now-better you, lunged in between them and her.”

Now that demanded her attention once more. “I-”

“You put yourself in harm’s way to stop Rarity and Fluttershy from being blasted out of the sky. I’m no expert, but I’d say that makes up for a lot. You hear me, Luna? A lot.”

Luna didn’t know quite what to say. Her head drooped a tad as she minded some gnarled roots and branches. There was quiet, maybe a couple whispers behind them. She didn’t care. Her left wing found its way over Pinkie’s haunches, pulling her in close.

“I’m sorry,” Pinkie droned. “I shouldn’t snap at you. I don’t always handle serious situations well, and-”

“Thank you, Pinkie. You are my very best friend in all of Equestria.” They leaned upon each other, getting quiet again along the trail. No whispers came again from the party they led. Whatever tension that sped up their heart rates eased, and their beats and breathing steadied. Luna could’ve stayed that way for a century.

That’s when a noise ahead broke through all solitude.

Without a word, Luna pointed out heavy, shadow-bearing trees. The six of them scattered. Some thirty yards on, lumbering into a gap between trees were, well… more trees. Three, no, four of them, with gnarled, ashen bark peeling off at their pale white joints. They had claws grasping about in the dark, mossy vines turned tendril, and inky black eyes in the center of their trunks, with glowing blue, draconic irises.

Luna figured the shadow had spread her corrupting powers. She beckoned Fluttershy from a few paces over. Fluttershy, at first, shook her head, so she beckoned again. This time, more forcefully.

“Pinkie,” Luna began, hushed, “bring me Rarity. And be ready to run.” Fluttershy arrived, crawling along in the dirt to stay low. Luna studied the branches while she awaited command. “Fluttershy, you see the base of that branch there, the thickest one? Fetch Applejack’s rope and tie it off there. Drop it for the runner.”

“What are those?” Rarity crept along in the darkest shadows she could find, hoping her alabaster coat would catch no light.

“Possibly corrupted trees. They could even be treents. Either way, she has control of them.”

“What’s the plan?” asked Pinkie, ducking behind a bush nearby as they peered their way again.

Luna pointed out Fluttershy hiding amongst the leaves, tying off the rope and waiting. “Pinkie, you’re currently the fittest one here.”

“How do you know I’m not?” rasped Rarity.

“I need you with me. We’re going to lay a magic rune under the rope. I saw earlier, you seem to know a little ice magic?”

“Oh ho, crystals are my specialty. Look.” She pointed at her flank.

Realization struck Luna, as she had not yet actually seen Rarity’s cutie mark. Or taken that much of a mental note of the others’ either, to think on it. Right then, though, the three blue diamond shapes inspired confidence.

“Excellent. Pinkie, you go get their attention. Draw them toward us. Rarity and I will spring a rune under the rope, and Fluttershy will drop it for you as you approach. Jump and grab the rope, and you should be able to clear the rune, letting the lot of them get caught in our little ice trap.”

On Luna’s signal, Pinkie Pie merrily skipped down along the trail. Halfway to them, she puckered up and blew, whistling for attention. All unnatural, blue tree eyes were on her. “Hey, what’s worse?” she called out. “Your bite, or your bark?!”

One took a single stomp forth, a panel under its eye unhinging to reveal gnashing sharp, wooden teeth, the sap flying off the bark as it roared.

Giggling, she turned about on a single jaunty hoof, and made way for the four sets of tromping roots. Clutching claws and lashing vines reached and swiped out toward her. Then a rope tumbled out of the trees. Pinkie leapt. Yet she didn’t quite make it. A vine raveled itself around her and squeezed, raking her into the grasp of the lead tree.

Luna and Rarity quietly panicked from the brush. They were in the circle, but they couldn’t catch Pinkie in the spell. Luna desperately took the second they all gathered round to inspect the rope to fire another spell. Her whisper projected itself across the way, to where Applejack and Rainbow Dash were hiding. “Get Pinkie away from the spell, quick, go.”

All of the wooden creatures turned toward the sound of the rustling, before they could notice Fluttershy holding her breath above. A pair of ponies both orange and blue thundered onto the path. AJ and Rainbow bolted for the leader before they could react, jumping together. AJ kicked its trunk while Rainbow lept higher for a flying tackle.

Then they scrambled back to their hooves, scattering away in different directions as a glowing circle lit up around the rest of them. Two horns sparked it from the brush, and a flash of light encased them in a disjointed prison of random ice formations. Their possessed eyes seemed to be all they could move, letting out muffled little screeches of pure frustration.

The remaining tree scrambled away, ducking between its inanimate brethren, Pinkie still gripped in its mighty claw. “Wuh oh,” she lurched, watching her friends beginning to shrink away. “I-is this about the offensive tree person joke, because I’m sorry.”

“Pinkie!” Luna hastily jerked toward Rarity, very nearly batting her face with her long horn by mistake. “Rarity! More ice! Teleport! Let’s go!”

“Wha-” It was too late. Rarity got caught up in a bright flash emanating from Luna, and suddenly the two of them appeared out in front of the stampeding tree. Ice, Rarity thought. She found some already slick mud between them and the beast. Ah. Perfect.

Luna gave her space and bolted left, then right again. Anything to steer the creature back onto the forward path. As it tried to veer off again, she blasted a normal tree to wood chips with the classic tried and true magic missiles. So now instead, the tree gave up, and picked up speed, hoping to bowl right over them.

And then the muck froze over, thanks to Rarity.

When all the momentum built up transferred to a thick tree limb on a surface with far less friction, the tree toppled over, falling back and sliding forth. Pinkie sailed up and through the air, her back hooves just scuffing a nearby branch at the zenith of her arc. The bump rotated her though, allowing her to put her hind legs out to greet the incoming ground.

Luna was already rushing her way, fast as her wings would carry her. But Pinkie and the ground reunited first. Her back hooves hit, sending her body lurching forth. She caught on herself on her fore hooves. Rather than try to halt all her speed at once though, she used the forward motion to kick her back hooves up and over, twisting on one hoof, turning a pratfall into a stunning cartwheel.

Fluttering wings landed Luna beside her as Pinkie stuck her own landing, throwing her hooves into the sky. “Tada!”

Luna clicked her own hooves together. “Where’d you learn acrobatics like that?”

“Oh, well,” Pinkie snorted, “I did some cheerleading in school. Briefly.”

“Wow, I have no idea what that is, but that was impressive.” Luna peered over her shoulder, remembering the treent. Rarity was just putting the finishing touches on another tomb of ice.

All the girls crested the hill above them, cheering. Applejack rushed over and mussed up Pinkie’s already messed up mane. Hooves bumped from pony to pony in congratulations. The plan worked perfectly, albeit with a little improvisation. Luna stepped into the middle of them, flashing them a brazen smile.

“Good job, everypony. Now let’s be off, quick. Before they’ve a chance to thaw.”

And they all cantered off after her. Somewhere down the line, Luna remarked that Pinkie Pie almost ruined the trap.

“How?” she asked.

“My snickering almost gave away our position.”

To this, Pinkie only offered a shrug and stuck out her tongue.

“Really, though. I’m glad you’re alright. I’m sorry I put you into that dangerous position.”

“Well, we were all sort of in danger. I guess it was just somepony else’s turn to be on the frontline.” She beamed, trying to reassure Luna she was ok. “By the way, it’s your turn next, and you’ve gotta top my cartwheels.”

“Haha, fair enough.”

During their wandering banter, and before she forgot, Luna took note of each pony’s cutie mark. Rainbow Dash had a bolt jolting out of a cloud, comprised of the three primary colors: red, yellow, blue. Pinkie Pie had two blue balloons flanking one of yellow. Fluttershy’s, three butterflies with pink wings. Applejack, that one was easy; three apples. Simple enough. Now, she also knew about Rarity’s. And hers, she could paint from memory; a white crescent moon glowing out of a splotchy, inky black shadow.

Fitting, she thought, almost laughing again.

Long after the tree monsters had been left behind, Luna halted them before a raging river. With it not being so wide, normally fording it would be the quickest option, especially with weaker and injured fliers among them. But the rapids seemed a little too violent, frothing into white foam. Together they pondered, Luna ultimately figuring the only option might be a few extra trips up and over.

“Wait,” pressed Fluttershy, stepping forth, “something doesn’t seem quite right. Look further downstream.” She pointed out what looked like a flailing purple something or other.

“That a tail?” asked Rainbow, squinting. It was true, the others didn’t know what it was.

“Mmhmm, I think so. Based on the scales, size, and fin structure, I think it could very well be a great psychic river serpent. Not only are they sapient, they’re usually peaceful enough toward other sentient life. Something must be very wrong here.”

The question of time came up, but Fluttershy was convinced this had something to do with Nightmare Moon. So cautiously, they hiked upstream, constantly peering up at the opening in the sky, as well as over their shoulders. The trip took less than a minute, but they knew they’d arrived when Fluttershy threw her hooves to her mouth.

“Oh my goodness!” she gasped, trotting off ahead before they could tell her not to.

There, gaping at them from a reddening sandy shore, was a great big purple head which could chomp any of theirs off in a single bite. It was lizard-like, with a little amphibian influence, and had long whiskers like a catfish. Luckily for the beast that owned it, it was still attached. Unluckily however, it was pinned in place. Just visible on the one side was the hilt of none other than Rarity’s missing sword.

“Ponies go away!” angrily bellowed a voice from nowhere in particular. They surmised the gasping purple serpent was the origin. He was psychic, after all. “A pony came earlier, with eyes like a dragon. She stabbed me.” He snarled at them, bleeding out a little more as he screwed up his orange eyes at them. They were utterly featureless. “I want nothing to do with ponies.”

“You poor thing,” decried Fluttershy, looking past the bared maw with many a row of teeth. “Oh if only I had my supplies.” She spun about. “Quick, we have to help him.”

With Fluttershy’s help, Rainbow found leaves appropriate for a poultice quick as she could. Applejack cleaned away the dirt in the raging waters and set to grinding them against a rock under her hooves for lack of mortar or pestle. A little prayer of thanks escaped her for years of farm work strengthening her legs to crush it to as fine a paste as she could manage.

“We’ll need something to hold it in place.” Fluttershy looked about, somewhat frantic.

Rarity and Luna traded a knowing look nearby. They knew it had to be done. Luna tossed aside her crimson chord, plucked the small metal clasp of her cloak, and threw it to the ground. She stretched it out as long as she could, rolling it up, ready to tie.

Fluttershy gently stroked the serpent’s face, shushing and cooing the growling beast. “We’ll help with the pain in just a moment. You ready, Rarity?”

“Egads, I think I feel faint. There’s just s-so much.”

“Stay with me, Rarity,” commanded Fluttershy, with a bit more authority in her voice. Not that she meant to seem bossy, but time was of the essence.

“Normally you’re supposed to say that to the patient, not the nurse!” She gulped. “Ok, ok, here goes.” The blue energy connected her horn to sword handle once more, though now gingerly as she could manage. Unlike before.

Ssk!

The blade shot out, and the serpent bellowed, ringing in each of their heads in unison with the very real roar that echoed from its toothy maw. Said teeth then clamped down, and hard, on Fluttershy’s leg. She cried out, and all five of her friends took a step forth. But she held the other one out to stop them instead.

“W-wrap up the poultice on both sides. Hurry, bef-fore he bleeds out!” Tears of pain began streaming from her eyes and a couple red trickles eased over the exposed portion of her leg. They all hesitated, so she shouted at them harder. “N-now! Do it now!”

Applejack and Rainbow Dash hurriedly plugged his wounds, and Luna covered both sides, knotting and double-knotting her cloak around his neck to soak the blood and keep the poultice in place. Rarity quickly passed off the stained blade to Luna before she grew completely ill. All breathed easier as too did the monster’s own panting slow and shallow. He let go of Fluttershy’s hoof. Rainbow rushed over, cupping her leg.

“Fluttershy! Here,” she cried, “take my bandage. I w-wasn’t bleeding, I’m just bruised.” The red cloth wrapped around her reddening shin and thigh several times, and Luna helped her tie it off tight.

“I wanted my sword back,” despaired Rarity, shaking her head. “But not like this. Never like this.” She fumbled around in Applejack’s saddlebag, desperate for whatever scraps she could wipe away the guilt she felt for losing the weapon in the first place.

“You gonna be ok?” asked Applejack. “How’s your stomach.”

“Doing flips, but it shall subside, so long as I continue looking away.

“Look,” pointed Pinkie.

In all the chaos, none had noticed the settling rapids as the serpent slipped beneath the surface. That’s when a pair of blank orange eyes peered up from just below the red tendrils diffusing out and off in the dark blue currents. The five put themselves between him and Fluttershy, and now it was their turn to bare teeth. But Fluttershy skipped over the five on her wings, putting herself between them and him. She spread her wings out wide.

“Listen, everypony,” she told them. “He could have torn my leg out of the socket if he wanted to, but he didn’t. He lashed out because he was scared, and in pain.”

All went calm as water drained over the sides of a huge purple head. Fluttershy wiped away her tears, turning with a smile. And the big, sorry head drearily nuzzled her shoulder under one wing. His big orange eyes closed.

“I’m sorry, pony.” His psychic voice bellowed no longer as he chittered calmly in her embrace. “A haze of pain drives one mad.”

“It’s okay,” Fluttershy cooed. “Feeling better now?”

“I will live, thanks to you, and shall always remember this. Even if the draconic pony was very different than you are.”

“We are different because she is our mortal enemy.” Luna stepped up beside Fluttershy even as the serpent raised up to loom over them. “If you could tell us what happened after she attacked you, which way she went, anything at all would be helpful.” The head swiveled, its whiskers jostling as his orange eyes narrowed, considering her.

“It is difficult to see such things when sideways on the riverside, gasping for water.” His growls almost sounded like a chuckle as Luna looked somewhat embarrassed. “But I will help you another way. Stop the white one from cleaning my blood off that weapon.”

All heads spun around, eyeing Rarity, raising a hoof to her blade. “What? I-it felt wrong to leave it on there. I-I mean, it’s a weapon, but…” She levitated it before her eyes, really pondering the reddened blade with big sad eyes. A drip fell slow before her. “Any good weapon should never have innocent blood on it.” Her brows furrowed.

“Well said, white pony.” The serpent chittered and clicked, approaching her. “Now watch.” The ends of his whiskers lit up, like little pink polyps. This energy washed over the blade anew, hardening the blood dry, seemingly anodizing it. When he withdrew his whiskers, it shined like a red metal, possibly even emitting an extremely faint glow.

“Oh my gosh,” rasped Rarity, enraptured. “It’s positively haunting. Why, whatever did you do, mister serpent?”

“Psychic energy flows through my veins, which I can weaponize if needed. I merely extended that to blood that happens to be outside my veins. Any foe wounded with this metal may now possibly be stricken dumb. As it will attack the mind, as well as the body.”

“May I have your name? Mine’s Rarity.” She finally returned her blade to its scabbard.

“You may call me Magnet.”

“Heh, it matches your attractive personality, if you don’t mind my saying so.”

Laughter rang out in a mix of octaves; one seemingly squeaky and high, the other low, each “ha” a throaty growl. Looking over, the others found Pinkie doubled over, while above them Magnet the serpent chortled through all his gnashing teeth.

“What?” begged Pinkie. “It was a good one.”

“Agreed, pink pony,” chittered Magnet.

“This, though,” continued Rarity, “dear Magnet, shall forever be my prized possession, and I shall treasure it always. Thank you so much.”

“Yes, thank you for this gift, though I would’ve helped you, regardless.” Fluttershy and Rarity bowed their heads. Magnet bowed back.

“And I promise I will never forget you, Fluttershy, and you Rarity, and your other pony friends for saving my life. Thank you.”

Magnet started to disappear, but was sheepishly called back. They still needed to head North, and not all of them could fly over the river. Smiles were nervous all around as Fluttershy was gingerly pushed forward to ask for passage across. Magnet could only laugh, in that bizarre, throaty way once more. His whiskers lit up with psychic energies once more.

The waters frothed and lashed once more, growing higher and higher. It was then, they realized, the raging river was not from his writhing body. But rather his mind lashing out in his struggle. For now his powers created a tunnel of the water flow lifting high above the riverbed. If all of them could not pass over the water, then he would send them through under it.

“Here, and think nothing of it. Now go, little ponies. Go and defeat this draconic pony.”

After another while still, the ponies finally entered a clearing. The slow realization dawned upon Luna, unlike the sun thus far, that this section of wood had started feeling somewhat familiar. The major discernable difference, though, was the long since tidings of overgrowth begun near her ancestral home. There were yet more trees, densely and randomly cluttering the fields abound.

Before the six of them rose into view an incredibly old castle. It had but one tower left standing upright, and a good portion of walling had descended into the ever growing pile of rubble, all slick black and mossy stones, slanting rightward. If one beheld not but the front-facing ramparts, they might perhaps fool themselves there was a sound structure here.

But there was not.

A positively gargantuan entryway rose some four or five ponies high, perhaps at one point quite defiant of visitation. Now, it mourned the the loss of the left side door from rust that had long ago poisoned its beloved, which lay sprawled across the stoop and steps, in several pieces, broken where its iron bands had split upon the fall. The sibling fared little better, long since turned sickly green with mold and rot which slowly ate away at it from the inside.

Down from the main gate stretched a path of once clean white stepping stones, tightly knit together into a cohesive path, into and around a wide courtyard area. In the center of which, against all odds, still stood an immaculate recreation of a great minotaur warrior, titan-like in size. The stone emulated scraps of armor, while gripped in the hands were an iron spear and hoplite.

“Thank goodness,” said Luna, relieved as she led on. “The guardian is still here.”

To the confused looks she got, Luna explained that Celestia and her created the golem they saw before them, to guard their hiding place for the Elements of Harmony. Only she and her sister knew they were stowed away here in secrecy. “And he,” she pointed, “was an extra assurance.”

He made no motion, but his eyes lit up. “Princess Luna. You’ve not been back in some time.”

“I know, Thebius. It’s been too long.” The others stayed back, preferring to let Luna converse with the talking statue.

“When last Celestia replaced the Elements, she was hurt, and very distraught. She is not with you?”

“Not today, Thebius. But I do need to retrieve the Elements of Harmony myself this time, if that’s alright.”

“You are one of the regal sisters,” he boomed with the amount of playful deadpan you can only achieve if your face literally doesn’t move. “You may always pass, of course. And what of your guests? Am I to trust them, or shall they be gone?” Dust scattered from his shoulders, threatening to move any second now.

“No, no. I trust them with my life.” Luna looked back, and though a little battered, her five new friends beamed back at her with pride. She smiled back, wide and happy as she could.

“Very well, princess. They may pass with you. This time.” His eyes flashed. As some of the small ponies beneath him gulped, he let out a single dry, stony laugh. “That was merely in jest. Any companion to the regal sisters is always welcome.”

As they moved past, Pinkie trotted along up to Luna’s side. “He called that a joke?” she whispered behind his back. “The only thing funny about him is his name. I mean, come on, Thebius?”

Luna snickered, and whispered back. “Don’t look at me. Celestia named him.” The two of them laughed along to the daunting entrance, the rest in tow. “This is it, girls,” she announced, halting at the steps. Solemnly, she turned about. “We’re worse for ware, but we’ve made it. There’ll be no turning back once we enter these hallowed halls.”

“I’m with you, my princess.” Rarity stepped forth, head held high, presenting arms.

Luna shook her head, dissenting before others could repeat the call of princess. “No,” she simply told them. “I’ve long since more than likely forsaken my title of royalty. And even if I still held it, and a crown still yet sat upon my skull, I don’t want that to be the reason you’d all stay by my side.”

Pinkie approached her, nuzzling under her chin. “How about sticking to you like glue because we’re best friends?”

“Here-here,” called Rarity, “fair enough. Nary shall I follow some princess onto adventure, but a friend I cherish.”

“Hey,” added Rainbow, “if I get to fight more monsters and save the day again, then I can’t wait to spend more time with my new pal.”

“I’ve had enough excitement to last me a lifetime,” complained Fluttershy. “But you’re very pleasant, Luna, and I’d love to have you over tea sometime.”

“I’d very much enjoy that,” Luna admitted.

Applejack took the first step, then the second, beginning their conquest of the stairs. From there, she was finally at eye level with Luna as she spoke. “Whatever the future holds, when all’s said and done, you can always call on me to give you a hoof.” She extended it out toward her, and Luna rose to meet it, clicking hers together with Applejack’s.

The six of them entered, with newfound solidarity, following in the steps of royalty which had long since faded from these stairs. Luna took the helm, peering in through the lack of a left gate. Within, the brief antechamber easily surrendered its space to a long foyer, some hundred yards maybe, leading to a wide, wide set of stairs to to whisk ponies to the very heights of society.

The ascent to upper crust, however, was denied to them by far, as most of the ceiling had fallen in, littering the steps with the remnants of stone and mortar. No light spell was necessary, as the moon filled the room sufficiently without those pesky old bricks to keep it out. Of course, they didn’t need the stairs, nor the rotting doors that lined either wall across to their left or right. Luna made straight for the odd art piece in the center, illuminated by invasive moonlight.

Upon a sturdy cylindrical base spun a series of crooked metal arms; five of them to be precise. Each held on one end a sphere of stone and a block of iron. They jostled, ever so slightly in the wind, but spun about, slow as snails, always perfectly balanced. And on the center post, rising above them all, the sixth and final sphere of stone.

“Those are the Elements of Harmony?” Rainbow was unimpressed. They were just pushing in past the antechamber, still fifty yards away.

“Not looking like much was part of the ruse.” Luna figured it was time for a brief refresher on ancient magical artifacts. She was more than forty yards away when she started pointing them out. “They are the Elements of Harmony, as each represents a powerful, important aspect of pony kind, which aids us in living, as the name suggests, harmoniously.”

“Ugh, are we learning?”

“Learning about the artifacts we’re about to use to save Equestria?” chided Rarity.

“I think it’s neat. What are these aspects?” pleaded Applejack.

Thirty yards away.

“Honesty. Kindness. Laughter. Generosity. And Loyalty.” Luna noted the globe at the top. “And the spark that binds them all, the catalyst with which their power is cast forth… Magic.”

Twenty. Luna continued.

“It takes a very powerful caster to use the Elements because of this. My sister and I are two of very few who’ve ever been able to. But we feared that risk was too great to not hide them away when we fled to make our new capital in Canterlot.”

Ten.

“Why? What happened here that you had to leave?” Beleaguered as Fluttershy was, she was still quite a curious pony.

“Mayhaps that’s a story for another time. This day has involved enough of my traumas, I’m afraid.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“It’s quite alright, Fluttershy.”

Five. Luna already prepped her horn to remove them from the installation, when something bumped her from the side, shoving her over.

“Luna!” was all Pinkie had time to scream, before a light encircled her.

As Luna slid along the bricks, she watched on in horror as the flashing light faded to reveal Pinkie Pie trapped by risen columns of ice. Merely a portion of her head stuck out, pleading cries scraping through the clicking of shivering teeth. Luna jumped to her hooves. “Protect her!”

The five of them formed a circle around Pinkie, peering, searching, glaring, and otherwise looking into every darkened corner they could see. But Nightmare Moon was nowhere to be found. Aside from Pinkie’s teeth, the foyer was unnaturally quiet.

“Oh gosh, oh gosh,” panted Fluttershy. “Rarity, w-what do I do, I’m scared again. O-oh no, I’m crying.” She rubbed at her eyes, still desperate for air. “S-s-somepony help, I can’t see her if I’m c-crying.”

“I-it’s ok, dear. Remember what aunt Rarity told you before.” Her horn pulled the sword as her eyes kept darting around. “You don’t have to fight her. Let us take her on.”

Luna thought back to her speech from earlier, about difficult times calling for calm voices and leadership. Of course, it’s much easier to tell ponies you need those things than to enact it yourself. She gulped and took a deep breath.

“Rainbow, see to Fluttershy. Rarity, you’re our guard. Applejack and I will get Pinkie Pie out of this.”

Affirmation came from all around her. Rarity departed the group, swiveling her head about, pointing her sword at the everpresent nothing that threatened her. Rainbow Dash cradled Fluttershy, trying to calm her. And Luna herself turned about, producing a floating flame just beyond the tip of her horn. She told Applejack to get ready to kick the columns of ice as she weakened them.

And then laughter began echoing through the hall, bouncing off the vaulted ceilings. Rarity investigated harder, grimacing, desperate to seek its origin. Applejack frantically set to bucking the first column, at least freeing Pinkie’s head.

“She’s everywhere, how can we fight her now? I’m not ready to die, Rainbow.” Fluttershy buried her face in Dash’s embrace.

“Don’t worry, it’s just a trick, Flutters. And nopony’s gonna die on my watch.” Rainbow pat her and looked back. “Rarity’s gonna get her with that awesome magic sword.”

“Just as soon as I find her.” Rarity circumpathed the the Elements, giving them a wide berth.

Pinkie coughed, her head free, shivering. Her left eye, where the ice had frozen over it completely, wouldn't open. “L-L-Luna,” she stammered, “y-your sh-sh-sh-shad-dow.”

The warming flame Luna held in the air was the brightest thing in the room. From the angle, the yellow glow threw her shadow long and tall against the far wall. But only when she peered over her shoulder did she notice it moving on its own. And when the shadow realized it’d been found out, well, a big, silly grin spread across its featureless face. The laughter rang out once more as Nightmare Moon slid out of Luna’s shadow.

“Thanks for getting me inside, Luna.” Nightmare Moon’s tone was as smug as it was venomous. “Shame about the pink one taking your place though. How long does it take for hypothermia to set in again? Ten minutes? Five?”

Luna left the flame behind, standing tall to face her. She set her hooves in a wide stance and spread out her wings. “You are going to pay most dearly for that.”

“It is you who shall pay,” spat Moon, flashing her own remaining wing in frustration. “You abandoned me, Luna. And now I am not but your pain and anguish and bitterness; it all hurts so much.”

“Fie then, monster, and I shall end your misery!”

“Ah, but you said it yourself, Luna. You cannot fight me.” She flinched not as Rarity steadily began to approach.

“Perhaps I'm not strong enough to stop you, but he might be.” Luna smiled mischievously.

“He?” Moon blinked.

“Monster in the castle!” rang out in the hall, deafening. All heads flipped with swishing hair, save Luna who already knew. Behind them all, in the courtyard, the huge statued minotaur guard burst to life, ready to do his job. Thebius dashed for the gate on heavy hooves.

Applejack desperately kicked yet more ice away, fast as she could as the steps grew louder and louder. Rarity leapt forth, sword first, but Nightmare Moon dove under her. With a flick, Rarity went hurtling through the air, into an old tapestry of Luna and Celestia, tainted with spiders’ webbings. And when Moon pointed her horn, the old cloth constricted around her like a snake.

As Rarity aimed, exceedingly careful with the tip of her sword, to separate the sticky, tightening fabric, Moon took this opportunity to bash in a nearby door. “I still know where the armory is,” she pleasantly announced, firing her horn into the dark. Out from the inky shadows climbed and clambered worn, rusted suits of armor, marching of their own accord. The advantage in numbers was waning.

That's when Thebius crashed through the remaining gate, much to the sorrow of the drooping portal. Bricks and stones clattered to the floor like pelting hail as he arrived on thundering hooves in a shower of dust. His glowing white eyes scorned Nightmare Moon and her little growing army.

Hopping over the ponies, he slid into a widening stance, easily still ten entire feet away from his target, shield held in front, and thrust his spear from around the defensive edge. Moon refused to be there to be stabbed, however, vanishing in an imploding ball of light. The force of his spear breaking the stone flooring, though, sent rubble and a nearby armor suit flying out through the air. A quick gloss over of the foyer revealed that his target had fled through the opening in the roof, in the far right corner at the back of the ceiling.

“Let’s take this outside,” called Nightmare Moon out to him. She hopped out of view.

Great big, hammering hooves cratered the ground in which Thebius strode. He vaulted up the steps and bounded through, breaking yet more of the ceiling along the way. “You who are not welcome, shall vacate, post haste,” he demanded, disappearing from view along the rear ramparts.

Applejack finally cracked the last of the ice, so Luna tossed her flame to singe away the tightened cloth around Rarity. And with the primary threat gone, Fluttershy rejoined their ranks. The six of them together again, they braced at the approaching armors, ready for a brawl. A growing light gathered upon Luna’s horn. As she prepped, she quickly glanced around her at the gritted teeth and tensed muscles.

This was going to be fun.

But then a block of stone fell from above, over by the stairs. Then another. Suddenly, an avalanche of brick crumbled inward, crashing to the ground and filling in the rear half of the grand hall. Smashing to the ground amongst all the rubble was Thebius, plummeting with all the grace of a boulder rolling over a cliffside. The force reverberated through what remained of the hall, shaking dust off every tapestry in sight.

The light from Luna’s horn faded, briefly.

Somewhere above head, they all heard a boom. Another stony object slowly crept into view through the newfound hole. Luna’s eyes went wide. It was the the remaining castle tower. So she pulled all her friends back, throwing out a barrier of magic up as quick as she could. Peering over her shoulder while huddling down, she saw Thebius struggling to stand, just in time for the castle he’d fallen through to now fall on him.

There was another crash, which ached them to their bones, then a huge gray gust, like a storm wind raging over them. Then it were as though the storm’s eye had passed over them, suddenly quiet in the time they’d blinked their own. Luna’s barrier had barely held, fading as the lot of them stood and dusted off. And once they assessed each of them was alright, they considered Thebius, of whom they spied not but a limp hand of stone sticking out. In the chaos, his huge iron shield slid some feet away from where he’d once gripped it.

Upon the pile, light popped into existence, to be swiftly replaced with Nightmare Moon. She stood, so above it all, head held high. Out from the rubble squirmed her minions, clattering towards her foes once more. The battle lines were drawn. In the center, still intact, lay the Elements of Harmony, steadily balancing around one another in everlasting, graceful orbit.

“Pinkie, are you still cold?” Luna didn’t turn to ask. She kept her eyes locked with Moon’s as both sides awaited the first move.

“K-kinda,” Pinkie had to admit.

“Take Fluttershy, then, find a room to hide in together. Neither of you intervene if you don’t have to. Keep each other safe.” Before getting an affirmative, she moved on. “Rainbow, you and I will hit her high. Rarity, try to climb the hill to her. Applejack, can you keep those animated suits of armor off her?”

“Sure as sunshine, pal.”

Behind Luna, Applejack threw her hat off to the side and withdrew her lasso. Rarity hovered her sword close as she put herself shoulder to shoulder with AJ. Pinkie gathered Fluttershy, standing on pins and needles, hooves itching to dash. Rainbow stepped up with Luna, stretching her wings and rolling her head to loosen up. Luna opened her wings and called out a single utterance, loud and clear: “Go!”

Dash lived up to her name, turning into a blue streak across the air. Luna lagged behind, watching a desperate barrage of magic missiles stream past Rainbow as she bolted left, then right, and left again. Pinkie and Fluttershy leaned upon one another as they barrelled through a doorway on the right side of the hall. And around the left flank, Applejack escorted Rarity to meet the armor head on.

With a flick and a twitch of her head, Applejack snatched out a suit’s leg from underneath it, sending odd bits of metal clattering to the ground. And as one made to charge Rarity, AJ threw her shoulder into its side, tumbling it across floor, scattering to pieces. She wound up again, hopping into a pivot round her front hooves, bucking another where its face would be, had it one. Instead, a very dented helmet arced straight into a column that once propped up the second floor overhang. The impact chipped the old stone.

As Rarity danced around the metal crushing carnage, Rainbow circled the beast, zooming in to knock her off her balance as soon as she regained it. Overhead, frustrated spells flew off into the walls while Rarity began to ascend the loose stones. Footing fell away quick, so a slow caution was necessary. Even still, she tried to take her time in a hurry. Eventually, she and her sword would reach the foul monster for another go.

Seizing the opportunity, Luna fell back to the Elements, dutifully plucking one portion of Harmony off the artistic display, the bars losing balancing and clanging to the cold floor, being sure to duck the errant fireball or what have you. A chuckle escaped her as she plucked four, and then five. It was all going so well. She set them down on the floor, gently, grinning; grinning because she was about to finally win. Eagerly, she hopped back into the air and reached out for the sixth and final piece. With the Element of magic, she’d spark the rest that were hidden away in these granit orbs, and blast Nightmare back to her namesake.

“Enough!” howled Moon. When Rainbow came back around, she faced her, dipping her horn, ready to catch her in the most unpleasant way.

“Whoa, yikes!” It was too late completely adjust her course. Rainbow tucked one wing, swerving into a spiral to avoid impalement. To which, her would be target merely smirked.

Nightmare lept straight up, flicking her one good wing to spin in place as she pulled in her legs. And right as Rainbow sailed by her, her rear legs flew out together, forming a hammer, and Dash’s unfortunate passing jaw, the anvil. An unsettling crack rang out, and Rainbow shot right down the side of the hill upon which Moon was queen.

When Luna’s ears perked up, her hoof was mere inches from the final piece. She peered over her shoulder, asking for Dash, just in time to be pelted with a dozen little magic arrows. All wind left her as they knocked her backward, tumbling out of the air. She hit the ground with a thud and rolled over once to a sickening stop. Dizziness claimed her as she started struggling to rise.

“So predictable,” Nightmare told the blue one over the side of her hill. “Your mind can’t seem to match your body’s speed.” She leaned back toward Luna. “And as for y-”

Rarity’s thrust upon reaching the heights narrowly missed that snide throat, cutting off her little speech. “What,” she asked, winding back for another lunge, “no more witty repartee?” She swept to trip, and Nightmare hopped over the blade. She spun it about in the same step and momentum, stabbing forth, and Moon leaned in to catch a glancing blow off her armor. The enamel scraped off with a spark, blue dust flying into the air off the red blade.

Nightmare let her step into another pathetic strike. She darted to the right, avoiding the weapon and going for the wielder. Deftly, she hooked her hoof behind Rarity’s lunging leg and heavily yanked it. Here at the top, at this awkward angle, Rarity fell chin first into the bricks, biting her tongue. Her concentration broken, the jolt of mana severed between herself and her weapon, which rolled down the side, out of sight somewhere.

With tears already flooding her vision, and the taste of blood in her mouth, Rarity pushed herself up. But she hardly had time to wince, as Moon was upon her already, bracing her hooves upon her side. Just as she’d regained her balance, Rarity lost it again, and rolled off over the stones in the opposite direction her weapon had.

“Rarity!” Applejack kicked in another chestplate and dashed up to the rubble pile. Standing at its base, she whipped her lasso as Moon started descending upon them. Just like she’d done so many times before, she expertly snagged a shin, right where she wanted.

Nightmare Moon stopped dead in her tracks, lifting her hoof to consider the rope upon it. “You’re joking.” The rope pulled taut. “You are joking, right?” She yanked, and several spirals of the bound hemp slipped through Applejack’s teeth.

AJ looped the rope around her hoof and yanked anew. “Oh no you don’t, girl. Get over here!”

Nightmare Moon, for the first time this entire night, did what was asked of her. She charged down the hill at Applejack, looking on with malice and glee as she over-exerted on loose rope and fumbled backwards. There would be no recovery, of course. As AJ turned over beneath her, she kicked her toward the loose armor, throwing another spell upon it.

This time, rather than attacking her, Applejack found a suit donned upon her. She stood, suddenly more confident with the added protection. “What’s this, huh? You wantin’ a fair fight against me?” But as she stepped forth, another layer of metal threw itself onto her, then another. With several hauberks of rattling chain, many plates upon her chest, and yet another helmet landing on her head, Applejack fell to her knees before Moon, unable to lift all the weight.

“No,” Moon told her simply, and with a smile.

When Luna’s vision recovered and the ringing in her ears faded, she found Pinkie Pie before her, hoisting her up and trying to hobble away with her. “Where’s Fluttershy?” she asked her. The decimated entrance came into view, slowly turning into the crumbling exit. Even as she received no answer, Luna limped along with her anyway.

Then a wall of flame threw them apart. Over the licking tongues of yellow and orange, Luna watched Pinkie try to run past the edge, to get around to her. A line stretched into a curve, and then again as she dashed the other way, and once more when she turned about. The fire had become like a snake, tightening, constricting her where she stood.

Luna made one final effort to confront the source of this torture, flapping her shaking wings at the burdening weight around her. Her body felt heavy, and refused more than a sluggish pace into the air as she aimed herself. But Applejack’s rope seemed to come alive, hopping into the air between her and Moon. Her wings burned, chafing rope enwrapping them tightly to her sides. The landing was uneasy, her knees already weak, as she scraped forth a few feet her hooves which felt as though they might crack from the abuse.

Even still she would not cooperate, taking one loathsome, sluggish step toward her foe after the other. But then the balancing bars of the art installation attacked her also. She fell beneath them as they clattered down upon her, bending and twisting and turning. Her hooves tucked into her body, deathly uncomfortable.

“No,” Luna pleaded, the call falling upon deaf ears. Before her craning head and twisting eyes, she watched, utterly helpless, as Moon shot some sort of aura over the Elements she’d gathered. Pressure built upon them, as though the very air was getting denser. The balls of stone cracked. One webbing of dry cracks turned into many, and so on, until they crumbled completely, whiling away to not but dust. In this way, once mighty artifacts of ancient magic, disappeared between the tiles to be tread upon.

Moon leaned her head to the left, walking over to Luna lying before her. Her horn snatched hold of the sixth and final Element, that of magic. It sailed dutifully through the air, obeying her horn’s command. A soft click of stone meeting stone placed it before Luna’s very eyes. Nightmare victoriously glowered over her.

“Say, Luna? Remember our fight with Celestia?” Moon placed her hooves upon the sphere, tapping it as if to inspect the quality of its craftsmanship. Beneath her, Luna did not respond, but merely struggled against her restraints.

“And,” Moon continued, “do you recall the statues of us and her we broke? Because I do. I especially loved the part where we took the cold, marble replica of Celestia’s head, and…” Nightmare hopped into the air and came down hard, crushing the final Element to bits. “Smashed it!” Errant pieces of ancient artifact scattered everywhere, even showering the beaten princess. And above this distraught pony, Moon softly chuckled. “I also distinctly recall that was entirely your idea, too.”

“It was,” Luna quietly admitted. A single tear rolled upon her cheek. “I wanted, so badly to hurt her. To feel the way I did…”

Moon rubbed that lone tear away. “Look at you. I hardly recognize you, Luna.” A beam zapped her and before all to see, Luna looked as Louise once more. “Or should I say ‘Louise?’ Just some timid scholar who’s gotten her friends all in over their heads. Pathetic.”

Horror flashed anew in Luna’s false eyes of crimson. Still completely trapped where she was, she looked on, utterly helpless, as Nightmare marched rightward, approaching the ring of Fire that trapped Pinkie Pie.

“Wow,” mused Pinkie as she arrived, “and I thought I was bad when I got upset.”

Nightmare Moon stopped dead in her tracks. “I beg your pardon?”

“Then beg, haha!” Pinkie’s laugh was as dry as the roasting flames that encircled her.

Moon’s draconic eyes narrowed. Her mouth of razor sharp teeth hung, slightly ajar as a door in need of a gentle push, uncertain. “I think I find you actually rather loathsome. How does Luna stomach you?”

“I mean, hey, I get it. You’ve been hurt. So now you lash out, all aggressive and angry, so nopony can ever hurt you like that again.” Pinkie matched her, stare for stare, rattling on with surprising confidence.

“What are you doing?” asked both Louise and Moon, very nearly simultaneous in bewilderment.

“But can you like, chill out a bit? You’re so edgy, I’m getting flesh wounds just staring at you.” Pinkie offered no explanation, merely another little giggle as Moon grew more confused.

“Edgy?” She looked at the joining plates of her armor. “What, like, my armor? Is my armor sharp, I don’t get it.”

“Well that’s one thing Luna has over you, then. A sense of humor.”

“Actually,” chimed in Louise, “I don’t think I get it either.”

Pinkie gawked at her. “Wow, Luna, I’ve got to get you caught up on culture at some-”

“Okay,” declared Moon, “that’s enough.” Straight-faced, she grabbed Pinkie Pie by the mane with her telekinesis. She yanked her out and down, inching her face toward the dancing flames.

“T-tough crowd!” Pinkie struggled, groaning as the hairs tore from her scalp when she fought the pull.

“No,” pleaded Luna. “No, stop it. Moon, stop, stop!”

“Shouting won’t help her, Luna,” posited Moon. “You know this.” She returned to her work.

“Fie, monster!” Luna spat, rattling on the ground as she scuffled in her binds.

“Temper, Luna.”

Luna breathed faster, heaving as a few of Pinkie’s hairs singed, twisting up into gnarled black curls. She grit her teeth then shout again, but it kept on. And in her desperation, she gave up. “Fine,” she sighed. “I’ll give you what you want.” She bit her lip.

Nightmare blew out the embers starting in Pinkie’s mane and released her hold. “And what,” she asked, slowly, deliberately, steadily returning her gaze to Luna, “pray tell, might that be?” A coy little smile shone at the beaten princess.

“I’ll rejoin you. We’ll be whole again. Just please, leave her alone. Leave all of my friends out of this, and I’ll do whatever you ask of me.” Luna hid away her false red eyes in shame, her head falling to rest upon the floor. Here she was again, lying on the ground. Would that she had stayed there the other morning.

“Luna,” called out Pinkie as she watched Moon saunter over to her. “Don’t do this, Luna.”

“Yeah,” groaned Applejack, still trying to push herself to her hooves. “You’re so much better than this. We can still get out of this, together.”

“That’s right,” coughed Rainbow Dash. She was nursing quite the bruise, limping along with Rarity, the two trying their best to lean upon one another. She winced as they stumbled forth, the swollen side of her face stinging fiercely. “Ride or die!” she spat, brow wrinkling with rage.

“Here, here,” murmured Rarity, trembling. She glanced skyward, whispering a tiny prayer. Her eyes rushed back to the scene, lest anyone notice. “W-we believe in you… Luna.”

“Enough,” grieved Luna. She peered around at the saddening faces. “We’re beaten, ok? You two can barely stand over there.” She gestured as best she could, then closed her eyes, unable to return the gaze of any of her friends. “Listen. I love all of you girls so much. You’re the best friends I could’ve asked for. Especially you, Pinkie Pie.”

“Aw. Luna.” Pinkie Pie sniffled. She turned away, hiding her drooping head.

“Please let me do this for you girls. This way, nopony will be hurt any further. Especially not poor, sweet Fluttershy.” And that was when Luna figured out she still didn’t see her. From her spot on the ground, and with limited movement, she looked left. Then right. No sign of her.

“Don’t bother looking for that other one,” insisted Moon. “She’s probably off in a corner crying again. Let’s get this over with.”

Luna looked up at Moon. The darkness was already beginning to wash over her, just like it did so long ago. Her eyelids felt heavy, sinking as she readied herself for a long sleep. But then she saw her. Rarity’s darting eyes were not in the name of some voiceless plea, but glancing up at the second floor balcony. Crawling along the right side and peaking periodically over the railing was none other than Fluttershy. In her teeth, she clenched Rarity’s fallen sword. And the fury in her eyes, Luna found both foreign and frightening.

Yellow wings spread out wide, a proverbial dawn in the night sky. The daffodil hued speck washed across the black-then-gray backdrop of sky and ceiling. Then she dove. Screeching hot like a phoenix, Fluttershy descended upon Moon, talons at the ready.

Nightmare Moon buckled in on herself all at once when a pair of hooves crashed between her shoulder blades. And though armored she was, the shock still transferred through, shaking her to her core as her knees gave out completely. She and Fluttershy both crashed to the ground, the sword spinning out and clattering to the ground some couple feet away from the chaos.

“Leave her alone!” cried out Fluttershy before her attention swiftly flew back to the blade. “Somepony, quick! The sword!”

Rainbow and Rarity both made a made dash and a dive while Luna reached out with her horn’s magic from where she lied. Her teal aura met Rarity’s cobalt, and Dash put her hoof behind it too. And just as Moon tumbled over, tossing Fluttershy off and away, the trio sent the blade forth with all their combined might. Nightmare was just then in the midst of trying to roll back over. The puncturing point found the gap under her left foreleg, and sunk in to the hilt with a sickening hiss, scraping between rerebrace and pauldron both.

“Oh,” gasped Moon, “oh Gods no.” She grimaced, feeling the black ichor escaping her body. Enraged, she aimed her horn. The sparks of magic glowed, but fizzled away. She looked at the fading energies in terror, and the panic set in. A trail of foul, black ooze followed her vague attempt at a crawl with one hoof.

“You think you’ve won?” Moon begged of them through labored breaths. “I am a noncorporeal nightmare entity from the dark side of the moon, given form by pain and bitterness.” She bumped into the base that once held the Elements of Harmony. “O-only powerful artifacts of magic can truly kill me. I’ll…” She coughed and heaved, drooling up her shadowy blood. “I can regenerate from this. Y-you can’t get rid of me without those Elements of Harmony! A-and I’ve already destroyed them… You’ve still lost, all of you!”

The armors sloped off Applejack, and the flames around Pinkie Pie faded to cinders. Fluttershy picked up Rarity and Rainbow off the floor. Together, they bent the bars holding Luna, and unraveled the rope around her. Luna looked among the cheery, victorious faces, and she realized something.

“The ironic thing is, all my new friends sort of represent the Elements themselves.” She chuckled when they all asked her how. So in no particular order, she answered. “Applejack helped me realize that facing my problems honestly can help me move past them, and that your friends deserve the truth, no matter how ugly. She represents the Element of Honesty.”

Suddenly, the granite powder from the destroyed Elements came to life, slithering like a long snake of dust upon them. Just as panic began to set in all except Luna, it transmogrified with a white flash before their very eyes, becoming a golden necklace with an orange gem at Applejack’s throat. It took on the shape, oddly enough, of an apple.

“No matter how much I pleaded, Rarity would not hear of me rejecting a cloak made for me, purely out of a giving heart. Even if she tried to justify it to everypony, including herself, her gift makes her a perfect fit for the Element of Generosity.”

Another set of stone became another gilded collar, embedded in which set a purple gem in a diamond cut.

“In the face of uncertainty, and perhaps even danger and adversity, Rainbow Dash promised to stick by my side, through thick and thin. I came to her a stranger, but my conviction earned her allegiance. She is the Element of Loyalty.”

Rainbow Dash earned herself a red gem in the shape of a lightning bolt.

“Our mission was of great import. But Fluttershy realized that so too was the fate of that serpent you stabbed. Both back there, and here and now, when she struck you down, she showed me that despite her fears, her heart is overwhelmingly full of love. She is the Element of Kindness.”

Fluttershy’s necklace held a pink stone carved like a butterfly.

“And Pinkie Pie.” Luna regarded her fondly. “She helped me to finally laugh again, after so long. And I really, really needed that, more than anything in all Equestria. She is my very best friend. And come now this one’s easy, she’s the Element of Laughter.”

Moon coughed and spat. “Bloody fool. You’re missing one Element still. Guess you should have befriended more ponies, haha.”

“Please,” scoffed Luna, rolling her eyes. “I’m a centuries old alicorn wizard. If I can’t provide a spark of Magic, frankly, I don’t know a pony who can.”

Sure enough, the stones Moon had stomped rose into the air. They swirled around Luna’s pleased head, forming not neckwear of any kind, but instead a tiara. High above her crown, held in place with sweeping, curled supports, a white gem formed a crescent moon. A little light connected Luna’s gem and horn, and that light spread across each gemstone. Bright light filled all six surprised sets of eyes, forming a judgemental spotlight upon the reeling monster.

“And thus, I refute thee,” sentenced Luna. Punishment was meted out, the luminous jurors unleashing a conjoined, beaming ray, bright with every color in a rainbow. The blast cracked their accused like thunder, reverberating throughout the crumbling castle. Any other loose bricks nearby rumbled out of place.

The beam and the gleam faded. Vision came back to them, in order to behold empty blue armor, out of which filtered ash, piling like sands in an hourglass. And that hour was clearly up, as was indicated by newfound rays of sunshine forming columns upon them through openings in the roof. Rarity retrieved her red sword, easily enough, and remarked about how nice it was to have the blue skies back. “What I don’t understand, though, is how you knew that would work. Luna?”

Luna didn’t respond at first. She ambled over, loose on her legs. From the ground she plucked that old helmet of hers, turning it over this way and that on her hoof which had finally steadied. “Take it from me, girls. Ancient magical artifacts tend to have a mind of their own.” A weight pressed against her.

“I’m so proud of you!” professed Pinkie, nuzzling deep into her shoulder as she squeezed tighter and tighter.

“Oof. While I appreciate you, Pinkie-”

“You’re my best friend.” Pinkie Pie pulled away from her hug to blot out her teary eyes. “I love you.”

“We… oh. I love you too, Pinkie.” Luna leaned down, impressing a tiny peck upon Pinkie’s forehead, gently sweeping aside a few singed hairs. “But I feel we really ought to be thanking Fluttershy more than anything.”

Living up to her namesake, Fluttershy shied away from all the proud faces. “Well, I mean, it’s just that, you know…”

“It’s ok,” quipped Rainbow, sidling up to nudge her. “Take your time.”

“She hurt everyone I love. And she was going to take our new friend away.” She pointed to Luna. “I w-was so scared we were… going to lose you.” Blink as she may, the tears welled up regardless.

“Aw, don’t cry. I’m fine now, thanks to you.” Luna cupped her cheek.

Rarity and Rainbow flanked Fluttershy in another hug.

“You were great!”

“You did wonderfully, darling.”

“I’m right proud of you,” announced Applejack as she approached. She fiddled with her fancy necklace. “But, about these though? Are we like, literally the Elements of Harmony? The six of us, together?” Her hoof gestured in a circle around at the lot of them.

Luna pursed up at the thought. “I think it is rather more that we are able to channel them, being that we each represent one of the Elements, nearly to the letter.”

“And they fit us right back,” giggled Pinkie.

“Mine is rather cute,” posited Fluttershy.

“I’m already planning several outfits around mine,” Rarity declared.

“Apples ain’t really orange,” complained AJ, replacing her hat. “But then again, I am. So, I guess it suits me just fine.”

“Ok, they are pretty cool, alright,” Rainbow had to admit. “But what’re we gonna do now? Ponyville is kind of a long hike back from here.” Her ears perked up to a thud. She returned her view from the disheveled entrance.

Luna rolled over onto her back, stretching out her hooves, then lied down. A long, wistful sigh escaped her, and she cared not about her new crown tumbling to the side. “Forget Ponyville,” she mewled. “I’m tired. Let’s, I don’t know, let’s just all take a nap. Right here.”

Pinkie Pie nestled down beside her, stretching out like a yawning kitten. Fluttershy plopped down on Luna’s other side, tucking her wings in comfortably so. With a chuckle, Applejack sat down next to Pinkie and beckoned Rarity. Rarity gave in, and she and AJ leaned their heads together, remarking briefly on the heavy bags under each other’s eyes. And Rainbow, reluctant at first, shrugged, and joined them; she settled in next to Fluttershy, completing the circle. A long quiet set over them, calm finally breaking the chaos they’d known this entire day.

“Say.” Pinkie Pie couldn’t help breaking the silence. “Anypony else uncomfortable?” She perked up to giggles from the circle around her.

“Alright,” Luna admitted, “perhaps setting down to nap on the cold, stone floor was not my best idea today.” She propped her chin up on one hoof. “All the other ones were real winners though, right?” She snickered.

“Totally,” Rainbow joined in. “And no offense, Luna, but your castle is kind of a deathtrap, ha. Maybe we should take this someplace else.”

Luna scooped up the crown, setting it back upon her head. “Another good point, haha. Ahem.” She stood up tall, raising her nose up high. “I, princess Luna, hereby call upon this roundtable for a vote. All in favor of moving the nap pile, post haste, say ‘aye.’”

“Aye,” rang out around, followed by more loose laughter.

“The ayes have it then. Meeting adjourned.” With a smile upon her face, Luna led her limping friends onward for the yard.

But then a voice called out from behind the lot of them. One Luna had never before heard in all her long life, yet still it commanded them with utmost authority in tone and cadence. When she turned about, a total stranger of an alicorn fluttered down to the floor through the expanded opening Thebius had left.

“What in Equestra happened here?” Her coat was lavender. Her eyes gleamed like sugilite. Her mane was simply styled, falling straightforwardly over one shoulder; largely, it was a navy-esque shade of purple, centered with one streak of violet, and another of magenta. If ever there were a pony put more beautifully together out of fewer colors, Luna determined it was her.

To Luna’s surprise, all five of her friends threw themselves into a bow before her. That’s when she noticed the silver circlet dotted with a few polished quartz of rosy pink hue. Being royalty herself, after all, Luna felt no obligation to bow. Not that the pretty purple stranger made any comment on the fact.

“Applejack,” Luna whispered when the bowing ceased. “I have literally no idea who that pony is.”

Applejack stared at her blankly, starting to ask how. “Oh,” she realized, “wait, yeah, that makes sense. Wow, Pinkie was right, we’ve got to catch you up on a lot.”

“Ah!” squeaked Pinkie Pie in excitement, fumbling before their new guest. “Princess Twilight Sparkle, it is such an honor to meet you!”

“Well,” mused AJ, peering nonplussed over, “that answers that much for ya.”

“I was so sad when I heard I’d missed my chance yesterday morning at the Summer Sun Celebration.”

“Charmed, certainly. Miss?”

She stood a few inches taller than Pinkie. Luna still had a whole head’s worth of height on her, horns not included.

“I’m Pinkie Pie! My friends just call me Pinkie for short. Hey, come meet my friends.” She pushed Fluttershy forth, much to her chagrin.

“H-hello again.”

“Again?”

“Ohhhhh, I remember you.” A smile bent upon Twilight’s face. “I didn’t get the chance to say so yesterday, but your choir of birds was positively charming.”

Fluttershy warmed up. While she and Twilight talked about the singing birds, listing them off by their full, scientific titles, and going so far as to note distinctive beaks and crests and plumage, Applejack pulled Luna aside. It was time to play some quick up to speed while they had a moment.

“Ok, so, some time back, I was a might too little to fully remember it, but queen Celestia-”

“Queen?” asked Luna, taken aback.

“Oh, right, yeah. She’s uh, kinda always had the title of queen, long as I remember anyway.” AJ shrugged.

Luna sighed. “I’ll address that later. Please continue.”

“Alright. So, Celestia rose key individuals she felt exemplified excellence in some aspect of pony philosophy or other.”

“Wait, hold on, there’s more?” Luna grimaced.

“Afraid so, sugarcube. She turned ‘em into alicorns, and well, now that I think about it, each of them is kinda like some sort of expansion on the Elements of Harmony.”

“How so?”

“Well Twilight over there is like, the princess of Scholarly Pursuit, I think? As uh, I’m sure you can tell, now that she’s over there bringing up some dead language.”

“She’s… very smart, yes.” Luna shook her head. “But I don’t understand. What is Celestia’s ultimate goal?” Before her, Applejack could merely shrug. But their moment was up. Twilight, the scholarly princess, approached her.

“I love your tiara. It’s way nicer than my headwear, heheh.” Twilight sighed. “Truth be told, I wouldn’t even wear this thing if I didn’t have to.”

“Then don’t?” Luna blinked in the pause between them. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to speak so bluntly. Honestly, I think the circlet really suits you. It’s pretty. But, well, I think you’d be plenty pretty without it.”

“Heh, gosh, thank you.” Twilight laughed nervously, scanning the room to avoid eye contact. “Ahem, but, yes, you don’t have to flatter me just because I’m a princess, you know. Anyway, well, ah, that’s enough of that.” She scratched at the back of her neck. “I take it that’s the Element of Magic upon your head?”

“That it is,” admitted Luna, solemnly.

“Mind filling me in everything that happened here tonight? Or, rather, I guess it’s today now. Sorry, do please go on.”

Luna took a deep breath, running all the important basics through her head. Everything vividly flashed across her eyelids. Then she opened her eyes, wide like window shutters unlatching to meet a new day. “It all began yesterday morning, when I arrived in Ponyville…”

Epilogue: You're home now.

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Part 1: Leaving the crater of your past.

The moon sat high above the world, as if expectant. For though the ponies had covered the hall with streamers and ribbons of the prettiest colors and flashiest materials, it glowered over them. Was it envy, felt amongst those dark spots cratering white? Anger? Or sadness?

These thoughts and emotions swirled as it began to wane in the late night sky. And from just the right angle, certain stars finally disappeared behind it, all heavenly bodies in a perfect little line. And with a flash of light, hardly noticed through the windows by party goers, the equine visage disappeared, leaving not but a glowing white circle.

And that’s when a strange, and very funny thing happened. The Summer Sun Celebration… went along just fine.

The sun rose, right on cue, and the ponies cheered all throughout the hall. The longest day of summer had begun. Many a snack and good time were had, shared with and among friends. And a very special princess honored the humble town with her presence, in the first light of the morn.

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of this very same humble town, out past the cottages with their wooden sides and roofs of thatch, the warm orange glow awoke the the trees of the Everfree, which only ever occasionally swayed gently in a brisk wind.

But this was summer. Breezes were soft, and the trees still. Yet within, ruddy light bled through the canopy, causing a single creature to stir. A dark and brooding creature it was, and feared with good reason. At one such time, it had threatened all the land and every denizin therein with a doom most certain.

Eyes clenched with great pain, and a bellowing groan escaped the monster. Then those eyes flung open like the shutters of one of those cottages back in town, with nearly the same excitement and urgency.

“I’m… home?” Her voice was soft at first, and trepid. She pulled herself up, head darting this way and that. “I can hardly believe it.”

A shadow followed her along as she crept in ambling strides on wobbling knees. From atop a hill, she could just peer down through the edge of the tree line. There sat those cottages, shutters having been flung wide open to greet the holiday. Not that she knew it was indeed a holiday today, let alone what day it was.

“I’m home.” A faint smile eased across her face with a whisper. “I’m home!” Excitement transformed the whisper to a shout, albeit a small one stricken with the crack of a dry throat. Nevertheless, the tall and stocky, foreboding, dark, and otherwise intimidating-looking creature picked her legs up into a trot.

Halfway down the hill, she quit, skidding to a halt. The smile was gone, and her eyes vacant, glossing over.

Clambering back up and over the hill, she found a still pond nearby. Just enough light shattered the dark of the under-canopy. She reflected. Sad, sorry teal eyes looked back at her. And that coat, well it never really stuck out in the dark.

Wind weaved her soft fleece like a midnight ocean breeze, reflecting that dark blue like the pond did before her very eyes. And with the faint wind came the aimless aura she called a mane. A more vibrant navy blue, spotted with glowing specks, it was like looking up into the night sky. Such powerful hair was a sign of the stores of arcane energy coursing through her.

It was also what made her a very recognizable monster to foals across the land.

“I can’t go back like this,” she convinced herself. “Can I even go back at all, after everything I’ve done?”

Her eyes met their match in the pond, as if her aqua self knew something she didn’t.

But she didn’t.

Ripples echoed across the water with another breeze, destroying that image of herself. And that, she felt, was exactly what she felt she ought to do.

She closed her eyes to picture herself again, only different. Slightly different though, for the closer the facade is to the truth, the easier it is to maintain. A glow began at her horn, then slowly spread.

“Thou art no changeling, Luna. This won’t be simple. A major illusion spell,” she whispered, “combine it with long-lasting.” Her brow furrowed as she mouthed the incantation, turning her imagined self real.

Midnight faded and her coat became a dusk plum. Her mark resembling a crescent moon in a black mist became a new moon mildly obscured by gray clouds. And her so-called hair coalesced into true strands of ink, streaked with spun silver, swept over to one side, with her tail following suit.

With spell cast, at last she opened her eyes again. And again, she found herself in the pond. Or rather, she found some other pony there in her stead. A pony she neither recognized nor loved.

“The eyes…”

They were purple.

“Hm.” She squinted at them, humming and pondering, pursing her lips to one side. She had liked the idea of purple eyes, but wasn’t so sure looking at them now.

“Purple on purple, it seems rather drab.”

So she recast the spell.

“Ah,” she sighed contently. They were red now, which she decided was a very bold and eye-catching contrast, and didn’t at all stick out rather awkwardly with nothing else on her new visage to compliment. “I think I like that.”

Satisfied, she at last was off. She spread her wings and set flight, headed into town.

“Wait.”

Luna realized with a start that unicorns didn’t have wings, and pegasi didn’t have horns. Only the royal sisters had both, and that was a very long time ago. She landed, realizing she needed to pick one.

“Oh. What’s more important that I could access right away without breaking the illusion?”

The wind through the trees offered no guidance as Luna bit her lip, desperately weighing the benefits of magic vs flying. A quick getaway in any direction needed is undoubtedly quite the boon, but in the end, she felt magic would offer greater versatility to her new persona. So with a final addition to the illusion, a newfound tall and stocky unicorn wandered into town.

An unrecognized and unloved unicorn wandered aimlessly into town, mumbling something to herself about sore hooves this, and missing flying that. Long, gangly legs somewhat made up for the shamble pace her muscles seemed to keep. Luna had to admit, she was stricken with a weakness she hadn’t known in some time. The growing pangs in her guts seemed to be getting all the worse.

And that’s when she spotted it.

Sitting in an idle thoroughfare, propped by the crossroads, sat an untended cart. Though a tarp of roughspun had been thrown over it, the sheen of a crisp apple glinted in the morning dew. Red meeting red, she eyed the apple with such gleeful desire, she felt she might cry.

“This street seems empty enough,” she convinced herself in a hush, her ears folding back. Perhaps the ponies of this new day and age awoke later in the morn. “Y-yes, that must be it. Why else would this quaint row of cottages remain so still?”

Luna kept the clicks of her hooves along the cobble quiet as she could manage. Cloven and hooved creatures certainly never were known for their proficiency with stealth. Perhaps such a feature of their physicality lead them to a more direct and confrontational attitude? Not that this stopped Luna. She sighed with that realization, tugging the apple out from underneath.

A sort of contempt pried into her mind, seeing this apple skin with new eyes. In a way, she envied the more simple and straightforward life this fruit had led. It grew on a tree limb over a season, was plucked the next, and now here it was. Groomed for a purpose, and ready to fulfill.

No, she thought. That’s not right.

“Th-this apple, it never had any agency all its own. It has known neither grandeur, nor the delusions thereof. Nary was there an opportunity for the apple to diverge from the path handed unto it.” She raised it for a better view, catching a single beam of light piercing this new forest of brick and stone and mortar. “Not like m-bah!”

The apple tumbled across the dusty stones as Luna tensed up.

“Whoa, sorry there. Didn’t mean to startle ya.”

A grayish stallion approached with a pinkish filly in tow. They had strange devices dangling idly from their necks, the likes of which Luna had never seen. He spoke again.

“Y’see, the wife and I, we’re from out of town, ya know?”

“Right,” chimed the filly, “this here is my handsome Mason. And me? Why I’m Harley.”

“Mm,” Luna stammered with a curt nod, “r-right.”

“And well,” Mason went on, “we were just wondering if you’d any idea where the festival was. I can’t seem to find the blasted place on this here map.”

“He’s good with stone, terrible with maps.” Harley leaned in as if she were whispering. She wasn’t.

“D’aw now, she didn’t need to know that, hon.”

“I’m sorry darling, really I am. But it’s simply and dreadfully true.” That coy smile implied she wasn’t sorry. Really she wasn't.

“Huh! You’re lucky you’re so gosh darn cute, ya know?” Mason reached out and ruffled his wife’s reddish mane, getting a giggle out of her. Or perhaps she was laughing at her own playfulness, who’s to say. “I tell ya, it’s just a shame one of us isn’t a pegasus. We could just hop on up, and fly right over the whole town till we found it.”

“I…” Luna peered back at her now invisible wings. Just in case they’d suddenly stopped being invisible. Which they hadn’t. “I wouldn’t know about that… either.” She cleared her throat. “And, to meet your inquiry, I’m most afraid I too know not of this festival. Terribly sorry.” Beads of sweat began to form across her forehead.

“Oh, so you’re from outta town too?”

“Why she simply must be. Such a refined manner of speech, she must be from high society.” Harley’s gaze honed in as she nudged Mason. “Ooh, ooh, don’t tell me, darling. I’m a wizard when it comes to accents.”

“I-I mustn't-”

“Canterlot! You must be from Canterlot.” Harley nodded, very certain of her very correct guess. She beamed with pride when the timid unicorn sheepishly nodded after a moment.

“Originally, yes.”

“Good job, hon.” Mason tapped the wheel of the fruit stand. “Say though, miss, uh, sorry to keep takin’ up your time like this. But were you about to open up here?”

“Open? The cart?”

“We haven’t seen an open food stand all morning, ya know? And we’re a tad peckish.”

“Oh but darling,” interjected Harley, “there shall be plenty of food at hoof once we find the festival.”

“Aw I know, hon, but-”

The tarp flew off with a flourish.

“I’d be elated to sell you an apple and send you both on your way. Lest we waste any additional time that could be spent locating the festivities.” Luna put on her best smile, yet in her mind she was shouting with frustration. She just wanted to be left alone, and the longer they stuck around, the more they might realize she looks like a certain somepony.

“Great! How much?”

By the sun and moon above, whyyyyyyyyyyyyy?

“A-ah, ahem, uh, one… coin?”

“A single bit? Top notch! Thought for sure you’d gouge the prices for tourists. Oop, meaning ya no offense.” Mason tossed the contents of his saddle bag and placed a single coin on the cart. After he took his pick, husband and wife turned about face, and marched off.

“Thanks for opening for us, darling.” Harley looked back over her shoulder at this anxious purple girl. “It was such a pleasure meeting you, really.” Though her smile was warm, she wasn’t sure if the one she received in return was cold or simply nervous.

“Same goes for me, ya know,” Mason muttered between bites.

“Please, please, the pleasure was all mine! And welcome to…” Wait, what is this place called? Oh sun and moon above, why why why… “O-our humble city!”

Luna sighed with relief utmost after the encounter was over, and the couple out of sight.

“An entire gold piece for but a single apple?!” She threw herself onto the cart to look closer at the coin. “Has our currency truly lost all value?” She turned it over, astonished. “Oh. This is some alloy mixture or other. Mayhaps some bronze or brass. Cheaper, more standard currency? Most intriguing.” She blinked a moment.

“Speech patterns,” Luna pondered, “they seem more simplistic among the common folk. Mm, ‘twould be best I adapt, lest I betray my facade, and my identity become known.” There came a pause. Luna scrutinized her entire last statement. “‘I’d… best adapt. Or else somepony might find out.’ Yes that seemed about right.”

With a groan, she realized she was still wildly hungry. It went against her every instinct, now that she’d collected herself, to steal from a humble produce merchant. In her hay day, she’d lived a life of luxury and excess. As a princess, she always dined well, with her sister, amongst halls of marble columns, the tables lined with silver platters.

Yet here she now was. A commonplace apple might cause her more pain than she felt even now, but the needs of her body screamed louder than that of her honor. As she trotted down a nearby alley, hoping to escape any other strangers, she made a silent and solemn vow. One day, soon as she was capable, she’d find this merchant, and pay them double, no, triple this apple’s worth.

“This I swear.”

She bit down with a desperate crunch. It was the sweetest, most delicious thing she ever seemed to recall tasting. Bitter tears ran down her cheeks.

An apple core tumbled across a dusty road, out among celebrating ponies. The main street was a wash of colorful coats and lustrous manes, all swirling about. It would seem Luna had stumbled upon the festivities those two from earlier were referring to. Somewhere at the back of her head, she hoped they found it.

Curiosity got the better of her, and she wandered out onto the scene a step, thinking she might by some chance see the traveling couple. She also couldn’t help but wonder what the music and good times were all about.

Then came a gasp.

Luna turned to affix her widened eyes upon a pink pony, mouth agape, staring right at her. It was clear. She’d been found out.

“I don’t recognize you,” this pink one called out before the gangly unicorn could fully turn to flee.

Oh thank goodness, Luna sighed to herself.

“Oh, I am… I’m new.”

That was the best she had.

“Wowie! A new pony in Ponyville! I knew you had to be new. I know everypony, and I mean everypony, you know? Because I know. Except you! You I don’t know, because I knew, this pony looked new, and that pony is you.” She took her hoof with hers and shook it around as though she were whisking cake batter. “I’m Pinkie Pie,” blurted Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie didn’t appreciate “blurted” being the word used there, as it sounded much ruder than she intended. But she came to understand that the narration was focused more on the perspective of this stranger who doesn’t know her very well, and let it go.

“I’m Lu-” Luna began before taking back her hoof, with which she covered her mouth. It was almost a bad case of hoof in mouth disease, as it were.

“Gee,” Pinkie giggled, “talk about a bad case of hoof in mouth disease.” She laughed. The laughter came, despite Pinkie having no idea where she even came up with that one.

“Hey though,” she continued, “no need to be shy.” She took Luna by the shoulder, shielding her from the thrum of the crowd. “If you’re not ready for a big, noisy event like this, that’s ok. I know a pegasus like you, come to think of it. You should totally meet her. She’s a real sweetheart. Sweet like… like?”

Pinkie’s puzzler turned and churned, but no analogy came to mind. Then a stray slice of cake hit the ground beside them with a splat.

“Yeah! Sweet like cake!”

“Sorry, Pinkie,” called a blue blur whizzing overhead.

“I’m Louise.” Luna had taken this entire time Pinkie was blathering to name her new persona. “Louise Moonshadow. I-” Pinkie was eating the cake.

“What,” she gulped, “five second rule!” She dipped her head for another bite. “Okay, it’s been six seconds now, no more of that, hehe.”

It was then this Pie named Pinkie reached behind the side of the building and produced a highly conveniently placed broom and dustpan. Luna hadn’t the foggiest as to how she knew those were there, but nonetheless admired her keeping what she presumed to be her hometown clean, despite the raucous nature of the large gathering.

Though, come to think of it, she did approach this backstreet via an angle from which she could’ve spotted them beforehand. But knowing they’d still be there? That part vexes me even so.

“Ah,” Pinkie teased, sweeping up the apple core as well. “Looks like somepony was hungry.”

Luna still was.

“Oh, well, I’m not anymore,” Luna lied through her teeth, looking off elsewhere.

“Nonsense, why not come get some grub? And hey, the snack tables are a lot quieter at any party, since all the mouths are chewing.” Pinkie gave her a tiny nudge.

“B-but I haven’t any money on me.”

“The mayor pays any caterers at big town functions like this, silly.” She threw a hoof over Louise’s shoulder and started pulling her out to the crowd. “C’mooooooooooooon.”

“No!” Luna pulled back in shock. All she could picture was the laughter turning to ire, and smiles fading to scowls. How could they not hate her, after how selfish and destructive she’d been? Her breaths grew short.

And though weak with hunger, she was still much bigger and a good deal stronger than her new friend. Her backward march dragged all extra hooves in tow, kicking up a small cloud of dust.

“I’m,” Luna began as it settled and she did too, “I’m sorry. But I cannot do this. I can’t go out there and eat and celebrate. I can’t have fun with those ponies out there. I simply can’t.” She sunk to her knees. “I don’t deserve it.”

In all this commotion, Pinkie’s smile had now finally gone away for the first time since Luna had laid eyes on her. The very sight seemed somehow wrong, but Luna threw it onto the pile of all the unhappiness she’d caused before. Defeated, she let her eyes wander along the dirt, where she felt she belonged.

“Hey.” Pinkie reached out and gently lifted her chin, locking eyes.

“Pinkie, don’t.”

“Everypony deserves to have fun and laugh.”

“Even a monster such as I?”

Pinkie Pie produced a clown nose and placed it upon Luna’s snout with a squeak.

“Everypony.” Pinkie gave it another push and giggled. “And you’re no monster. From where I can see, you’re a lost and lonely unicorn. If anything, you could use a laugh most of all. And maybe a friend?” She offered her hoof.

“Hold on,” Luna said after a moment, staring at the red ball on her nose. “I’m still trying to figure out where you got this from.”

“Hahaha, well it got stuck in my poofy mane earlier.” She batted the springy magenta mess as proof of concept. “Guess I know why now.” She beamed with a sweet grin so big, she had to close her eyes to make room on her cheeks to smile more.

“It’s a tad silly, isn’t it?” Luna gave it one last chance, squeezing it against her nostrils. She decided she still didn’t care for it. Modern comedy was lost on her. It made her yearn for thespians spouting witty retorts and clever wordplay.

Just then another (and likely the same) blue blur flashed by overhead with another “Whoops.” Whereupon a small tin plate of key lime fell right on Pinkie’s head. Ms. Pie was spattered, smattered, and otherwise splattered with… pie.

“Snrk.” Luna snorted, holding back as Pinkie blinked in feigned dismay.

“Great,” she postured, “now my messy mane is even more messed up.”

A high giggle escaped Luna despite herself, growing into a hearty chortle. When she wiped away a single tear, she caught Pinkie smirking down upon her with a knowing smile. And deep inside she admitted to herself that physical comedy could never go out of style.

“Ah,” Luna sighed, “you are right. I did need that. Thank you.”

“Anything for a laugh!”

“Come now, you couldn’t have possibly predicted that.” Luna stood up and brushed off the dust. “Not twice, at least.”

“I’m the luckiest pony in Equestria,” Pinkie told her simply with a shrug. “Sometimes, things show up right when I need them.” There, as though to make her point, she reached past Louise and pulled a dry rag off a nearby crate, and set to wiping her face.

Was that always there? It had to be…

“Anyway,” Pinkie went on, somewhat cleaner now, “how about that festival food? C’mon, you can even wear your cape.”

“My wh-oh my gosh.”

It was the tarp from before. She’d thrown it over her haunches to distract that married couple earlier, and completely forgotten about it. Luna bit her lip, mentally adding to the debt she owed this poor random merchant pony.

“And,” cooed Pinkie, “if you wear it like… this!” She pulled it up and over Louise’s head, yanking a short cord of rope off that same crate and tying it round the base of her neck. “Tada! A nifty hooded cloak. Now your cool, brooding face can be obscured so that less ponies bother you.”

Luna caught a faded glimpse of herself in a dark window. It worked well enough.

“Cool?”

A faded Pinkie showed up beside her.

“For sure! I love your gothic, sophisticated air. It’s very cool.”

Luna pulled the hood so as to catch only one eye, somewhat obscured, looking directly back at her.

“Cool,” she affirmed.

Out in the square, by town hall, stood a jumbled arrangement of tables, only some of which had benches placed behind, in front of, and beside. Round these square tables set up with less comfort in mind, strode catering ponies hither and thither, to feed those resting between playing games, dancing to street music, and browsing local artists’ craft.

And onto the scene stepped a not-so-confident unicorn in a hood.

Pinkie Pie escorted Louise personally, bounding along beside her. And whensoever those big red eyes would go wandering, she’d draw them in with a smile. In response, she’d get a wavering smile back, and Louise’s pace would brighten a bit. Her demeanor too, somewhat.

Odd a duo as they were, they went fairly unnoticed, being ushered through what one might generously call something resembling a line. The wait wasn’t terribly long, thankfully. Soon enough, they approached a serving table helmed by an orange pony, with green eyes, and a hairnet holding her blond hair neatly in place.

“Howdy, Pinkie Pie.” She eyed the stranger acting as Pinkie’s reluctant plus one. “Well you’re a mighty tall drink o’ water. This a new friend, Pinkie?” She turned back to Pinkie, waiting for an answer.

“Friend?” Luna wasn’t too sure about that.

“You bet.” Pinkie was. “She’s from out of town and this is her first Summer Sun Celebration.”

So that’s what this festival is called

“She’s a little nervous, though, so be nice.”

“Nervous?” The orange pony looked her up and down. “Shoot, ain’t nothin’ to be scared of round here. ‘Less you’re some kinda monster, that is. Then I’d have to kick your tail outta town myself.” She grinned up at her with a wink, waiting for a laugh. But none came. So she cleared her throat.

“Ahem, uh, anyhow,” she went on, “I’m Applejack. Pleasure to make your acquaintance!”

“Louise Moonshadow,” Luna told her plainly, staring rather blankly. “Don’t worry. I’m not a monster. I promise.”

One might have expected a smile to follow that. Or a laugh, or a chuckle, a giggle, chortle, or basically any sign at all that it was a joke. But the look on Luna’s persona’s face was too busy looking concerned that she might actually get kicked out of town. Whether literally or not, made her no less upset to think of.

“Right…” Applejack gave her a nervous laugh. She spotted Pinkie out of the corner of her eye, shaking her head at her, with a minor grimace. But when this Louise character looked over her shoulder, Pinkie quit.

“Say, now that introductions are out of the way,” Pinkie exclaimed, rather loudly, stepping forward right away, “how about some food? Sound good, Louise? Let’s have two orders of apple fritters, two fries, two cups of apple juice. Oh and did you want anything, Louise?”

“Hm?” Luna blinked for a second. “Oh, oh I understand. You’re asking for two meals, because there’s two of us, but then implied it was all for you! Ha, that’s rather clever.”

“Why thank you.” Pinkie bowed in return of a lauded performance, as always. “For real though, AJ, we’ll each take a fritter, fries, and juice, please.”

“Sure thing, sunshine. Sound good to you Louise?”

Luna frowned a moment.

“I’m sorry, but… what are fries? And fritters?”

Pinkie and AJ stared at her agape.

“You really ain’t from around here, are ya?”

Luna simply shook her head.

“Hoo boy, this I gotta see. I love watching ponies taste my fritters for the first time. Granny taught me the recipe. Hey, Mac?”

“Yup?” A stout red stallion approached from the next serving table over.

“Mornin’ rush is over. Mind holdin’ down the fort while I catch up with my friends here?”

Friends? Everypony keeps saying that.

“Nope,” Mac assented with a confident smile. He nodded at the stranger. “Ma’am.”

“Oh, charmed.” Luna nodded back, unsure what to make of him. His eyes were green as his Applejack’s, and his hair a ruddy orange. But what really stuck out was his stature; he was every bit as tall as her, which was no small feat in itself. And on top of that, he was near twice as thick, built like a house of the very brick his coat’s pigment almost matched.

“This here’s my brother, Macintosh, eldest of us Apple family younguns.” AJ threw one hoof over his shoulder. “Thanks, bro.”

She hurriedly threw together three plates of fritters and fries, and poured three cups of apple juice. And with a whip and a lash, the hairnet went into a box, and AJ put on a tan hat with a wide brim.

“Let’s go, gals,” Pinkie said, rather giddy.

Applejack threw herself over the table in one bound. As the dust settled around the impact of her hooves, she fluffed her blond mane with a sigh. The shackle that was the restricting net gone, she was a free pony now. She gathered up her tray, and followed along in a liberated stride.

Pinkie bounded to the head of the trio. Meanwhile, Luna levitated her tray along with a spell, and dashed off to catch up. Not long after, Pinkie led them to a somewhat out of the way lone bench, with no sitters to keep it company.

“Here we go,” Pinkie invited. “Bit out of the way where less ponies will interrupt us.” This, she said, aiming her gaze specifically at Louise. “Plus,” she grinned, “we have a good view of the band on the other side of the square. We can watch ponies dance and be impressed or second-hoof embarrassed. Either way will be fun.”

No sooner had the trio settled had Pinkie started eating.

“What,” she asked, muffled by a mouthful of fried festival food. “Mm hungry.”

Luna exchanged a glance with Applejack, and they gave each other a brief chuckle.

A light breeze hung on the air. Music wafted over the sluggish, heavy summer wind. Luna caught the sun still fairly low in the morning sky, peeking at her from over some thatch. With an idle sip from her tankard, her mind wandered.

She thought of her sister, and the castle in Canterlot. When her gulp went down, she also pushed down those thoughts. Her eyes found nothing in particular off in the distance to latch onto. That music suddenly seemed so distant, and she felt alone.

“So how’d you two meet?”

“I’m sorry?” Luna craned her head, looking Applejack in the eyes.

“You know. How did you and Pinkie become friends? As in, when and where did this happen, anyhow?” Applejack ate some fries while waiting for reply.

“This morning!” While leaning over Louise’s lap to interject, Pinkie Pie bit down on two lonely fries, stealing them away with a playful munching face.

“Well,” began Luna, adjusting Pinkie into a more proper upright posture with an off hoof, not even looking back, “it is true, that we did meet this morning. Shortly after sunrise. Pinkie found me wandering alone in a dark alleyway.” She paused a moment. “That’s not as bad as it sounds. I was simply… lost.”

“And I found her,” Pinkie proudly told AJ from across her lap. She flashed Louise a smile, as if acknowledging how she wasn’t entering her personal space or eating any of her food this time.

“She’s the one who coaxed me out. To be perfectly honest, I’m a tad nervous, being out here, with so many other ponies.”

“Hmm,” mused Applejack, “why’s that? You not like crowds or somethin’?”

“Y-yes, that’s it exactly.”

Here, Applejack gave her a very shrewd look. Louise met it with a nervous smile.

“Awful quick to take the first suggestion I offer. What’s up?”

“Why, whatever do you mean, Applejack?” She actually didn’t know what that phrase meant. It was driving her mad. And Pinkie seemed to be reading her mind.

“‘What’s up’ is a phrase meant to shorthand inquiry regarding one’s current status or otherwise the various and vague state of affairs.”

“Oh…” That was the most eloquent she’d ever heard her speak. Then Luna nearly fell out of her seat as a hoof landed gently on her shoulder. “Eh?”

“Whoa now, girl, it’s okay. I ain’t tryin’ to spook ya.” Applejack steadied Louise’s tray and cooed. “I just want you to be honest with me, that’s all. We’re all friends here.”

“Friends?”

“Well sure! Ain’t we, Pinkie?”

“Yup,” chimed Pinkie, placing her hoof on the opposite shoulder from AJ.

“See? We’re just lookin’ out for you. And if you don’t wanna talk about it as of yet, well that’d be fine and dandy too.”

“AJ runs the local apple farm, you know? She really knows about an honest day’s work, yuk-yuk-yuk!” Again, Pinkie was the only one proud of that wordplay.

Honesty, Luna thought to herself. These mares are showing me kindness like I can scarcely recall. Perhaps I owe it to them. She bit her lip.

“I… had a bad falling out of sorts with my sister. I envied the praise she got. I wanted that too, to feel that loved and adored.” Mouths hung agape around her, but Luna pressed on. “In my selfish rage, I hurt a lot of ponies. A lot of ponies I cared about very much.” Her gaze faltered, and her head sunk.

“I was a real monster.” She turned to Applejack, the sorrow of her heart welling up in those big red fake eyes. “Suppose it’s time to make good on that promise, Applejack, and kick me out of town.” She made a motion to stand, but these two here refused.

“W-wait, don’t go.” Pinkie looked as though she might cry. It still looked wrong; such sadness should not exist in such an exuberant filly.

“Hang on there, sugarcube.” Applejack was much firmer. “First off, I appreciate the sincerity, and I’m downright honored you trust us that much.” She took off her hat and put a hoof on Louise’s knee, keeping her in place. “What you’re carrying around is mighty heavy, for sure. But you can’t beat yourself up over it forever.”

“Mm.” Luna hardly responded. Their eyes were locked, but she wasn’t truly looking at her.

“You’re only equine, you know? You make mistakes like anypony else.”

“Yeah,” Pinkie assured. “And whoever you were in the past, it doesn’t matter so much now. We like you for who you are.” Pinkie hugged Louise.

Taken aback, Luna sheepishly pat Pinkie’s back. Then Applejack pressed into her other side, deftly setting aside their food. She looked from one to the other, then back again. Heat rose into her cheeks, and the steam bubbled over those lower eyelids. Try as she might, she couldn’t blink it away fast enough.

“Ah,” Luna choked, “wha…” She brushed at her eye. “Y-you girls are so nice.” She held back a sob. In a way, this was like the very attention she’d wanted so long ago.

“See?” Pinkie squeezed just a little bit tighter. “This is what friends are for. Now aren’t you glad you made a couple?”

“Yes,” she admitted after a moment. “Yes, I am.”

“Oh my.” A daffodil yellow pegasus approached. From a distance. Behind her cornflower blue friend. She peeked over the wing she was borrowing, looking on with big teal eyes. “I hope we aren’t interrupting something important.” Stray locks of primrose pink hair fell across her face, hiding her further.

The bolder, sky blue pegasus ahead of her took back her wing and looked the scene up and down with reddish violet eyes. A grin cracked her befuddlement.

“Sorry to interrupt the sappy love fest, you two.” She flipped her rainbow hair and made a beeline for the unicorn between Applejack and Pinkie Pie. “Name’s Rainbow Dash. Who the hay are you?” Dash put one hoof forward, and that grin exuded a self-assured confidence which hushed those around her.

Luna wasn’t really sure what to make of this brash blue girl. She thought briefly of the confection-dropping blue blur from earlier, but didn’t think that hard about it.

“Louise Moonshadow.” She firmly put her hoof against Rainbow’s. Luna finished drying her eye and spotted the yellow gal still hiding behind this newcomer. “And who might you be?” Part of her felt a tad nervous, recognizing that look of fear all too well.

“Ha, this is my long time friend Fluttershy. Tell ya the truth, I think she’s a little intimidated by you.” Dash turned about and coaxed her forward.

“Understandable.”

That didn’t help.

“Don’t worry, Flutters,” Pinkie announced, “we’re feeding her so she won’t bite you.” That received a light chuckle from a couple of the girls, and Pinkie herself snorted as she giggled.

“She’s certainly earned some of my trust,” Applejack added.

“Remember the cake-sweet pegasus I told you about earlier, Louise?” Pinkie nudged Louise. “This is her, ah, I’m so happy you two get to meet. Fluttershy, this is Louise, she’s my brand new friend. I mean, I only met her just this morning when I found her skulking around a dark alley between empty and abandoned houses, and I taught her how to wear her cape like a hood to hide her face. Almost kinda like a disguise, come to think of it. But, well, anyway,” Pinkie continued, but was hushed.

“Pinkie. Please. You’re making me sound like a monster…”

“Ooh, right. Ex-nay on the onster-may. Sorry, Louise.”

“It’s alright.”

“I’m…” Fluttershy trailed off when all eyes turned onto her. “I’m sorry, you’re just, well, very tall. And brooding. Sorry.” She tried to hide back behind a bemused Rainbow.

“Yeahhhhhhh,” Rainbow mused, scratching at the back of her head, “the crowd out here isn’t exactly helping.” She glanced around at the occasional boisterous pony partying hither or thither.

“It’s true,” she sighed. “I was hoping to have my birds sing to usher the princess, then head home.”

Luna almost choked on a mouthful of fries. All eyes turned on her. Four sets, eight eyes fixed her in place as she coughed. She activated her horn to levitate her cup up to her lips, but another spasm ruined her concentration. The tankard fell to the dirt, spilling half its worth in juice at the hooves of these pegasi.

“Whoa, you okay, sugarcube?” Applejack pat her back. A strange feeling hit her, and a befuddled look took over her face. She started to say something, but the ruckus went on without her.

“Guess she’s excited about the princess being here,” suggested Pinkie.

No, you ninnies, Luna thought to herself. I can’t be here, I can’t see her. Not now.

Then Fluttershy leapt forth. She pulled Louise forth and rubbed her back.

“You’re okay, cough it out. Take a deep breath through your nose now. That’s it.”

Luna did as she was told.

“Try and clear your throat. Breathe again.”

“Ah,” Luna panted.

“There you go. All better?”

“Much. Thank you, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy beamed.

“Heh. I thought you were intimidated by me.” Luna gave her a weak smile.

“Oh, well, I was.” Fluttershy fiddled with the empty cup by her hoof. “But you needed help. So, ah, I helped you.” She peered over the dust to avoid eye contact, and those pink locks fell over one eye again.

“Way to go, Flutters! You practically saved her life, haha.” Dash brought her in close.

“Yeah, you’re a hero,” chimed Pinkie.

“Whew, I’m just glad she’s okay,” added Applejack.

My goodness, Luna thought, pulling a hoof against her chest. She looked around at the relief that she was alright. I’ve stumbled upon the sweetest ponies in all of Equestria. Then her mind returned to thoughts of the princess. Celestia. Her mind raced, recalling the anger, the fighting, and her defeat. And all the scars she left on the way out.

There was still simply no way she could face her, disguise or no.

“Listen,” she began, “you girls have been lovely, really. But I’m afraid I must go.” She stood and stepped past the pegasi.

“Hrm? What’s the matter, you scared of the princess or something?” Rainbow Dash began to follow, right as Louise stopped and craned her head to face her.

“Yes,” Luna told her bluntly, “I don’t do well with royalty.”

“Huh, why,” Applejack inquired, trotting up alongside Dash.

Luna bit her lip. She contemplated turning about and galloping off.

“Doesn’t matter,” Rainbow interrupted with a sly grin, “because she’s already gone.”

“Wait. What?” Luna began to come back.

“Awwwwwww,” called Pinkie, “really?”

“I’m sorry, Pinkie Pie. But it’s true.” Fluttershy held Pinkie by her saddened shoulder. “She rose the sun for the opening ceremony. After a few pictures and autographs, though, she got in her chariot and started back to Canterlot.”

“See? No worries.” Rainbow moved to take Louise under her wing. It didn’t work out, because she was much shorter, but she didn’t let on. “C’mon back. Take a load off. Chat a while.”

“Ooh,” Pinkie gasped, suddenly over missing out on meeting the princess, “does that mean Louise will stay then?!”

“First, let’s get her another drink.” Rainbow started dragging her table-ward.

Luna was surprised at how strong she was.

“I’ll come with you.” Fluttershy caught up. She flashed a pleasant smile up at Luna.

“So,” Rainbow said, taking some fries off Mac’s hooves, “Pinkie found you this morning, and now she’s treating you like her best friend?”

“That appears to be the long and short of it, yes,” Luna replied. She gingerly accepted the new tankard of juice. “Thank you, erm. Macintosh, yes?”

“Yup,” Mac nodded.

“But,” interjected Fluttershy, “he is rather stout, so we all call him ‘Big Mac’ around here. He um, won’t correct you, though. He can be a bit shy. L-like me.” She gave a nervous little laugh, and Mac chuckled alongside her.

“Heh, yup.” He went about his work, letting the three mares off with another nod.

“Anyway,” Dash continued, “yeah. That does sound like Pinkie Pie.”

Together, they walked back toward their bench. Luna found herself flanked on both sides.

“She’s just about the friendliest gal I know. Always such a hoot.” Fluttershy eagerly bit into a fritter. “Mm, but she did seem to dote on you. If she likes you, then you must be good.” She beamed up at her.

“Well,” Luna told her, “she certainly spoke highly of you. I’d say you’re just as sweet as she said you’d be.”

“R-really.” Fluttershy’s cheeks flushed pink, and she tried to hide them away behind her wing.

“Aw, c’mon, Shy.” Rainbow craned her head round the front of their tall companion. “It’s true, you’re a total sweetheart.” She turned to Louise. “She looks after a lot of local wildlife, ya know. She’s always enjoyed caring for critters. Other ponies, too.”

“Have you two known each other long?”

“Oh, me and Shy go way back. Isn’t that right?”

“Ah, yes. We both grew up in Cloudsdale.”

Just then, Fluttershy bumped into something as the trio was passing by. She hadn’t noticed it, having hidden her face away. The thing in question, though, was another pony.

“Oh, my gosh, I am just so, so sorry, sir.”

He was of a reddish-purple persuasion, and on the tall side. And upon seeing Fluttershy, his grimace turned into what almost resembled a hungry, confident gaze.

“Well,” he crooned, “aren’t you just about the cutest little thing I ever did see. Whaddya say you and me ditch these other two fillies here?”

“O-oh,” Fluttershy backed up against Louise, “well, um, you see, the thing about that is, what I mean to say is… I’d… rather not?”

“Aw c’mon. Don’t be like that, baby.”

“Hey!” Rainbow stomped one hoof. “She’s not interested, pal. Get lost.”

“The little lady can speak for herself, don’t you think?”

“Look, you cad.” Luna held out one hoof, keeping Dash from lunging at this fellow. “She can speak for herself, and she said no the first time. You don’t get to ask a second time.”

He sized up with her, just barely unable to look at her eye-to-eye. It could’ve very well been he was gritting his teeth over just now realizing how much shorter he was than her, even when standing upright.

“Listen here, vampire queen,” he began. But she threw her drink on him.

He recoiled, falling over onto his side and into the dust. Yet funnily, he remained conspicuously dry.

Above him, Luna had suspended all the liquid mid-spill in a magical aura. She replaced every drop back into the cup, which she then gave to Dash.

“Would you like to try again?” Her brows were quirked and she gave unto him a most peculiar little smile.

“Bah,” he muttered, pulling himself up and away. “This ain't worth my time.”

Rainbow gave a meager hoot and a minor holler as he fled the scene.

“Well,” she rasped with a nudge, “you are officially the coolest unicorn I hang out with.”

“Hang out?” Luna pondered, taking back her cup. “We are hanging out?”

“Heck yeah, and we should totally hang out more! Whaddya say, Flutters?”

“Oh yes, I'd like that. Sorry you had to stick up for me, though. I just don't handle situations like that very well.” Fluttershy brushed the hair out of her face.

“It's quite alright.” Luna led them onward, head held the highest it had been all day. “Though you could stand to be firmer, a no is best shown more respect than that.” She gave unto her the warmest smile she could muster. “At any rate, I'd happily do it again, for you, Fluttershy. For any of you, really.”

“You mean that?”

“Of course. In my brief time here today, you four girls have been wonderful to me. To think you'd show such kindness, and me an utter stranger. Why, I think that's a thing of beauty.”

“You talk fancy.” Rainbow sounded unimpressed.

Right, Luna reminded herself, wincing, simpler.

“I like it though!”

Oh.

“Gotta admit, sometimes I feel kinda like a hick.”

Fluttershy covered her mouth, while Luna looked on somewhat surprised.

“A hick?”

“Don’t say that, Rainbow!”

“But it’s true, though” Rainbow protested. “How’m I ever going to get the chance to show the Wonderbolts my stuff, living out here in the sticks?”

“I thought you said you loved it here in Ponyville.”

Luna looked between them, stopping the argument from developing further.

“I’m sorry,” she interjected, “truly I am. But… what is a Wonderbolt?”

Two sets of eyes, now grown large as saucers, held her locked in place. The trio stopped walking all together, now stiff as boards. Or rather, two stiff boards, and one now anxiously shaking. Luna gulped.

“You really haven’t heard of them?” Fluttershy blinked at her, more surprised than incredulous. “Well, I suppose not everyone has to,” she went on, but Rainbow stepped in.

“What do you mean you haven’t heard of the Wonderbolts? They’re the Wonderbolts! Only the most amazing stunt flying team, like, well, ever!” She pointed out a banner hanging from a nearby street pole. “Look, that’s them, with their sleek blue and yellow flight suits.”

“Ah,” Luna affirmed, following her gaze, “I see. And you, um, wish to fly with them?”

“It’s all she’s ever wanted, ever since we were just little fillies growing up together in Cloudsdale.” Fluttershy leaned her head against Rainbow, nuzzling just under her chin. Her locks fell to one side again, but she got the smile she was aiming for, and a chuckle too.

“Well, yes,” Rainbow admitted. “It’s a lifelong dream of mine.”

Luna considered her from a more personal perspective now. Her expression softened greatly.

“You know, Rainbow,” she told her softly, “I too know what it’s like crave something, to really want it.”

“Oh yeah, Louise?”

Just then, that new name hit Luna like running headfirst into a wall. But she recovered, best as she could.

“Oh yes.” She reached out a hoof and took her shoulder. “I think this is a dream you should follow, Rainbow Dash.”

“You haven’t seen me fly yet, girl.” Rainbow laughed. “Still, I appreciate it.”

Fluttershy’s eyes darted between them, a glowing smile growing on her. The others noticed and smiled back, which only made her beam all the brighter.

Upon return of the merry trio, Luna happened upon a stranger, who occupied her seat. She had been talking to Pinkie and AJ, as though she knew them, but seemed to forget them both when Luna came into view.

“Oh my, is that her now?” She rose.

Her voice rang out above the clamor as she prepared a dedicated sashay. Said voice was smooth like silk, yet very commanding of one’s attention. As she stood, she flourished her pristine mane. Those lustrous locks were divine, luscious and full, gleaming in the morning sun like a sparkling little geode of broody amethyst.

Draped over her marble white coat was a faintly aquamarine blouse, the collar of which hung loose with stretched frills to catch any breeze it could in the summer heat. And dangling there by her heart on a silver chain was a cut stone of perhaps sugilite; not quite as dark in hue as her ringlets of hair, but royal in its purple tone all the same. And a scarf of a near perfect match to her shirt wrapped round the back of her head.

As she approached Luna, singling her out between Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, she lowered a set of glasses with an onyx-like sheen. Those eyes were perfect sapphire gems that burned a hole right through Luna’s chest. If looks could stop a beating heart, this mare would surely have slain entire villages.

And a laugh very nearly escaped, because Luna had known literal royalty with less class and grace and dignity than she who now stood before her.

“I’m Rarity,” she practically cooed. “Charmed, to be sure. I’ve already heard a great deal about you.” She peeked over her shoulder. “I’m so happy our little Pinkie has made a new friend.”

“Well, she is very good at that,” Fluttershy chimed in.

“True,” Rarity admitted. She set those glasses upon her horn, and craned her head to better look this fellow unicorn up and down. “But somehow I think this one is going to stick.” She sounded very certain, and the look on this Louise in front of her only affirmed her all the more.

“Hey wait,” Pinkie called from the side, “what’s that supposed to mean? And since when am I everyone’s ‘little’ Pinkie?”

“You're the youngest,” AJ told her.

“I am?”

“Yes,” AJ laughed, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “Pinkie, we have almost this exact conversation like, once a year.”

“Oh yeah…” Pinkie sheepishly sipped from her tankard as a giggle arose from the peanut gallery. Only this time, she’d gotten a laugh unintentionally.

“Please don’t worry, darling,” Rarity apologized to Pinkie. “I only meant that all the friends you make aren’t as close as we five all are. But I’ve a premonition, and I’m rarely wrong in these, mind.” She began to circle round this newcomer, pulling at her cloak.

Luna turned about to face her again, taking back them hem of her roughspun.

“This one,” Rarity nodded, “she’s going to be something really quite special.” She beamed. “What was your name again, darling?”

“L-Louise.” She shrank back in her spreading lie. “Louise Moonshadow.” With a glance over at the bench, looking for support, she saw Rainbow already seated, in her seat of course, already with a face full of fries.

She almost seemed to be enjoying the show.

“Well, Louise, and please do forgive me if I’m being rude, but this cloak simply will not do.”

“My cloak?”

“This coarse cloth doesn’t befit a beauty such as you.” Rarity reached up and pushed back the hood. “And this uncertain shade, undecided if it’s a hue of brown or gray, well it does nothing to compliment your palette.”

Luna turned some black locks to one side. She still wasn’t quite used to them herself. Before she could put together any kind of response though, Rarity sat beside her and stretched her hooves apart, as though spreading an invisible measure. But her touch was dangerously close to feeling those very real invisible wings.

“My palette?” Luna gulped, pulling away again.

“Mm, yes, I’m thinking black maybe. Black matches everything.”

“Um,” Fluttershy coughed, “excuse me, Rarity.”

“But that might be a tad redundant, and swallow up that hair.”

“Rarity?”

“Perhaps something silvery, to match those few streaks.”

“Rarity!”

“So sorry, Fluttershy, what were you saying?” She blinked out of her daze.

“I just feel that Louise seems a bit uncomfortable right now. I think she might not want to be touched.”

Rarity’s eyes went wide and she drew her hooves away.

“Goodness me, I’m so very sorry.” She stood a step back, and bowed her head. “Why I get so ahead of myself sometimes. Are you alright, Louise? Not too cross with me, I hope.”

Luna simply blinked, slowly.

“No, I’m… fine.” She turned back to the last pegasus left standing. “Looks like you were the one sticking up for me, this time, haha. I guess we’ll call it even?”

Fluttershy nodded with a contented smile.

“At any rate,” Luna continued, “I was simply confused. You spoke as though you meant to clothe me, Rarity. I was rather taken aback by that, is all.”

In truth, it was something she was all too familiar with. As royalty in her past life, tailors fought like savage beasts just for the honor to even wait in line for a commission from her or her sister. But that was Luna. Louise, however, was rich neither in blood nor purse.

And then Rarity nodded her head. So Luna shook hers.

“Oh, oh no. I couldn’t accept something like that.” She pulled on her hood once more. “I-I haven’t a coin to my name. I couldn’t pay you for your work.”

“It shan’t be a problem.” Rarity gestured at the others. “We’re all friends here, and I don’t mind the occasional favor for a friend.”

There was that word again.

“We’ve only just met.”

“Any friend of Pinkie’s ought to be at least a solid acquaintance of mine.”

Luna locked eyes with Rarity, stooping a tad to do so. This was a contest of wills she was losing, easily. Again.

“Please. I already owe certain ponies so much. I can’t be indebted to you as well, Rarity. You seem too nice a mare for that.”

Rarity scrutinized her, pouting.

“Darling, we’re talking a single cloak of one solid color. Perhaps I’m being a bit generous, but you’re certainly overselling it.”

“...”

“Now, now, chin up, dear. There’s a girl.”

“You’re absolutely certain?”

“I am indeed.” She chuckled. “There's no need to be so dramatic.”

Applejack burst with a roar of laughter, nearly falling out of her seat. Perhaps less a roar, and more a growl, but Rarity was nonplussed all the same.

“Pff, ah hahaha! Oh, that’s rich, comin’ from you, hon.” AJ wiped away a tear. “Whew.”

“I beg your pardon, dear?”

“Er uh, meanin’ ya no offense, hon. But you are definitely the most dramatic one here.”

“Ugh! I most certainly am not.” Rarity stamped one hoof and looked around for any kind or reassurance right about now. Of which she received none. “Am I?”

Some suddenly very sheepish ponies meekly admitted that it might be possible, that it could potentially be the case, perhaps if they were being perfectly truthful. And all the while, Luna looked on, dismayed.

“Sometimes,” Luna began, “having a flair for drama, so to speak, can help one to seize passion in life. And Rarity, I can tell, you have a lot of passion for what you do.”

Pride washed over her anew, and Rarity told Louise simply and with a smirk: “If you’re hoping for even more free clothes, it’ll take a lot more than that.”

And as all settled down, Applejack suddenly realized a long forgotten aim.

“Oh yeah, Louise!”

“Hmm?”

“You still ain’t tried my fritters.”

Five colorful voices rang out displeased, and demanded satisfaction.

“Alright, alright. Here now.”

Five new friends watched on with bated breath as Luna, former member of the royal sisters who ruled over all Equestria, softly bit down on an apple fritter.

“Oh my,” she said with a gulp.

It was rich. Richer than most desserts she could scarcely recall dining upon in the castle halls of her youth. Such sweet, decadent things she’d long since given up. Perhaps it was, she convinced herself, a necessary part of growing up and accepting responsibility. Of which, she and her sister had shared much.

But, she realized with a start and another bite, that was Luna. Louise didn’t have that life at all. Why, Louise could have whatever life she headed toward. All around her, Louise had practically stumbled into one new friend after another today. Louise was eating fried desserts and straw-cut potatoes, for fun, with nary a governing worry.

Maybe being Louise wasn’t so bad.

“Well?” Applejack held out for approval.

“It’s good. It’s…” Louise ate another bite. “It’s all so good.”

Louise smiled, and cheers were had. Finally, the future looked bright.

Part 5: You may leave it now. It is behind you, and yet, in a way, always with you. Even still, you'll move on, with time.

Author's Note

And that's that. At the tail end of last year, a conversation with an old friend of mine sparked this idea. He put the thought in my head, and I said "that could make a neat AU fic." He agreed, and encouraged me to write it. So I set out to do just that, thinking I'd fill maybe 20 pages worth of story, or maybe hit 15k words, max.

It ended up much, much longer...

Now here it is, the last chapter. I've also made a few alterations to parts 2, 3, and 4 as well, and I'm overall a little happier with where the story is now. And all I can really say is thanks so much for the feedback I've gotten so far. If you've enjoyed it so far and said so, you have no idea how happy you've made me.

I'm gonna give this chapter a couple more passes when I'm less tired. I was just so excited to be done and share it. So, here it is.

Part 5: You may leave it now. It is behind you, and yet, in a way, always with you. Even still, you'll move on, with time.

Princess Twilight Sparkle listened intently, nodding every once in a while to spur a continuation. She heard tell of how Luna came to meet all her new friends, and spent an inspiring day getting to know them. Then came the tale of Luna’s nightmare of being attacked directly by Moon herself. After that was the realization she back in spades, and the rush to find this castle’s location. The library, she was told, held the answer, thanks to mayor Mare.

“Oh,” Twilight mused. “I met mayor Mare, actually. Well, rather, I’d already met her, but I saw her, you know, again? Anyway, she told me to keep an eye out for you gals. She was a little worried.”

“That’s awfully nice of her,” Luna admitted.

“Yeah, she’s a peach. Sorry though, please continue?”

Luna went on, all about their perilous trek across the Everfree. She weaved the yarn about fighting Moon in the forest, escaping her animated tree minions, and saving the serpent she’d stabbed. Finally, she told of the confrontation here, and how Moon had beaten them all, but that she regretfully discounted Fluttershy. And while she’d been stunned, the Elements of Harmony came back, in a way. Thus did Twilight’s gaze finally cast across the floor to land upon the loose pile of armor and ash.

“Oh dear. I see.” Twilight covered her mouth.

“It is a gruesome sight, I suppose. But it had to be done,” declared Luna, with utmost certainty and finality on the matter. In truth, she was completely, utterly elated. Though, it would be rather inappropriate to display that right about now.

“I understand.” Twilight rose back to her hooves, and spread her wings. “You’ve given me a lot to think about. I’d better report back to queen Celestia now.” She started away, but hesitated. “Are you girls ok, by the way? I can swing back by Ponyville first, if you’d like, and, well, let them know where you all are?”

Luna blinked at her for a moment. She looked around at the makeshift bandages, the bruised faces, the little smears of red, the hurt ribs. Simply hiking back the way they’d come wasn’t impossible. But neither would it be swift, nor terribly safe.

“I think that sounds like a good idea, yes. Thank you so much, princess.” Luna began to wave her off, then waved her back. “Oh, wait. Don’t you want to take the Elements back to Celestia? This place doesn’t seem the best hiding spot anymore.”

Twilight beamed up at her with a knowing smile. “It looks to me like they’ve chosen new wielders. Farewell for now, miss Moonshadow.”

“Goodbye, princess Sparkle.” Luna watched her disappear in a pink blast of light, not but faint glitters of magic trailing in her wake. And at first, the name slipped right past her, and she turned to head along, all eyes on her, waiting for the latch to click. “Wait, wait. Moonshadow?”

All five friends breathed again, relieved. Luna looked herself over, still very much disguised in Moon’s illusion. Her outward appearance was that of her scholarly unicorn persona, Louise Moonshadow, and this was who she met with newfound royalty as. A confounded groan escaped her as she devolved into a sluggish crawl. She dispelled the illusion and turned toward her friends, mouth tight and straight.

“Whatever the implication of that, can we deal with it tomorrow? I’m tired. Anypony else tired? I’m so tired.” Her head bowed in earnest exhaustion.

Around her, Luna received faint giggles and nods. So out they went. It was at long last a gorgeous sunny summer’s day. Warmth washed over the six of them anew, and they breathed easy once more. A spot, quite a good many yards away from the crumbling castle, mind, had the softest grass, and a single tree for shade. The six of them settled down around the wide old oak, all nestling on one shoulder or another. Steadily, they all dozed off, the bright sun watching over them carefully.

All six fillies still slept peacefully, when a small band of pegasus ponies from Ponyville set down in the courtyard which was slowly being overtaken by trees, over the generations. They spread out, weaving through the encroaching trees. When one stumbled upon Luna and her friends, the others were called. A brief confusion fell over them at the sight of Luna herself. Certainly she resembled a particular princess in an old mare’s tale for foals?

Hardly did it matter, though. These ponies had injuries that needed looking at. And the Everfree was an expansive and dangerous place. They had to be helped out of this place. So the pegasi laid them out and buckled them into tethered harnesses. None of them awoke in the process, and the pegasi remarked on how exhausting their venture must have been. Little did they know.

Luna stirred, slightly. Her dozing teal eyes watched the castle sink away in the depths of the trees that would one day reclaim that dark place. She blinked, and the canopy green sea of leaves rushed underneath her in reverse. A trembling, happy thought crossed her mind about going back from whence she came, and she passed out all over again.

When next Luna’s eyes opened, she was sprawled unceremoniously across a bed in a stifling room. To one side rose a curtain of a peculiar, sterile shade of muted blue. On the other side, she found her new crown on a bedside table, waiting for her. And past that, a wall, with an open window. A little idle clamor wafted in past the panes.

The loose sheets were no problem at all, seemingly kicked off in her slumber, and Luna pushed up and over to the window. Leaning on the sill, she absorbed the warmth of the waning sun, glad to have it back. And she was proud to be responsible for its return rather than its disappearance for once. Below her second floor point of view, citizens of Ponyville rushed about town, trying to hurry back to their normal, everyday lives. She remained there a little while, drinking in the scene in silence.

“Oh, good,” came a voice, “you’re awake.”

Luna found mayor Mare approaching her corner bed with a nurse in tow. And somewhere behind the two of them, Pinkie Pie waved with a weak smile. The nurse asked to check her vitals while Mare talked to her, and Luna acquiesced, lying back down.

“You gave me quite a scare when my rescue team said they’d brought back a completely different pony than who both I, and the princess, described talking to. ‘Louise,’ was it? Or shall I call you Luna instead now?” Mare gave her a teasing, yet no less shrewd look.

Luna gulped, adjusting her neck to be checked for a pulse. “I’m very sorry for lying to you, and everypony. It was never my intention, but I was so scared of being mistaken for… her.”

“Originally, I felt, you know, she lied to me about who she was, why she knew things, her intentions. How am I to believe her now, in this story of being a separate entity to Nightmare Moon? I mean, can you blame me? I’ve the ponies of my town to think about.”

“I understand completely,” sighed Luna as the nurse checked the bandages around her head. “I’ll leave your town be, first thing in the morning. I’ll gather up and be gone at sunrise.” The nurse left her, defeated, to mark notes on the clipboard at the foot of her bed.

“Now, now, let’s not be too hasty. I just wanted you to understand how you’ve made me feel, here. So that we have an understanding, you know?” Mare chuckled slightly, bringing Pinkie forth. “I talked to this one extensively, though. Pinkie Pie is the friendliest filly in this entire town. She told me every detail, and I believe her at her word. If she trusts you, then so do I.”

Luna looked from Mare to Pinkie’s little smile of hopeful confidence. “I can stay, then?” She gasped as an elated Pinkie threw herself across her lap.

“It would be an honor. Come meet me after your release, and we’ll talk.”

“We’d like to keep her and a couple of her friends overnight, if that’s alright,” pleasantly interjected the nurse with pink hair. He replaced the clipboard.

“Tomorrow morning it is. We’ll chat over breakfast, I know a great place for hash browns.” Mare jauntily pivoted about, pleased as punch. “Just come by my office in town hall, early as you can, princess.”

“Wait,” pleaded Luna. “Don’t call me… I mean, I’m pretty sure I’ve given up my claim to royalty, you see. So just ‘Luna,’ for now, if you please. Sorry.”

“Oh,” mused Mare over her shoulder. “Very well, then. Though I’m sure once Celestia hears her little sister is back, she’ll gladly reinstate your status and title. I bet we’ll get the good news straight from Canterlot right as we sit down to breakfast.” She gave her a wink. “Oh, and feel free to bring your friends. Ta for now, Luna.”

With Mare gone and the nurse’s permission, Pinkie led Luna around the hospital. Pinkie explained that she and Applejack were hurt the least, so they’re not in beds. Also that Applejack went home now that it was well past noon, and her family ought to know she was still in one piece. Miss Pie herself, however, was checked for any lingering signs of hypothermia, given her time on ice.

They found the rest in a room almost entirely to themselves. Among the lot of them, Rarity’s jacket scraps had been replaced with proper ribbons of white gauze. In addition, Rainbow and Rarity both had thick strands of bandaging around their chests. Luckily nothing was broken, but both had bruising around their ribs. As well as ice packs being held in place there, Rainbow also had one covering a nasty purple swelling on the left side of her jaw. Moon had kicked her pretty hard.

A unicorn nurse came around to rotate the ice packs, such that neither of them would get cold burns, taking them away to be refrozen. She remarked that Dash was lucky her jaw wasn’t shattered, and reminded Rarity not to eat anything too salty or acidic for the next day or two, lest her bitten tongue flare up with pain. With a couple pills passed to the two of them from her cart, she began to move on.

“And you,” the nurse scolded Luna. “You were brought in, napping. Don’t you know how dangerous it is to go to sleep with a head injury? If you’d been concussed, you might not have woken up. You had all your friends worried to death, young lady.”

Luna wasn’t about to correct that she was definitely much older, and instead apologized to her and all her friends. She thought briefly of Applejack’s grandmother, remembering this same line of thought crossing her mind when talking to her as well. It all faded from her mind though, as the nurse took her leave of them.

The afternoon whiled away with the five of them lounging around the room. During this, they caught Luna up as best they could on modern culture. Rarity flipped through a fashion magazine she’d plucked from the waiting room. Pinkie Pie tried her best to describe modern music. Fluttershy gushed, saying she loved her favorite band also. Rainbow rolled her eyes, saying they were too “pop,” whatever that meant.

Eventually, Applejack came back to check on them, and ended up joining the pow wow. The conversation washed over modern novels, moving picture shows, all things culture. Rarity even named some stunning leading stallion or other she felt just like, when she had descended upon Nightmare Moon with her sword. In fact, it was there by her bedside. She’d surely strike a dashing pose, but the nurse might scold her.

Laughs were had, but then someone made a joke about family members, and a hush befell them. Given Luna’s history, they felt it best to perhaps avoid the topic of family for the time being. Luna merely shook her head, proudly boasting she aimed to go see her sister tomorrow after meeting with mayor Mare. So Fluttershy vented about her lazy brother, and Rainbow lamented the overbearing nature of her parents.

Pinkie Pie, frankly, couldn’t relate to that entire half of the room. She loved all her sisters, especially Maud. Applejack concurred, although, cousin Braeburn did get on her nerves sometimes. And Rarity, why she absolutely adored her little sister, Sweetie Belle. In fact, she asked Applejack if she couldn’t perchance pick her up from the guards she’d befriended earlier that morning? Applejack assured her Applebloom would love a sleepover.

“Oh, thank you so much, dear. You know I wouldn’t ask this of you if I wasn’t bedridden ‘till morning. I’ll zip right over to the farm and take her off your hooves, first thing in the morning.”

“That reminds me,” Luna told them, “Mare says you’re all welcome to join the two of us for our breakfast meeting.”

“That sounds great,” agreed Applejack. “In that case then, why don’t I bring Sweetie to you, and she can eat with all of us. Heck, I’ll ask Applebloom if wants to come too. She was a might bit upset with me for being gone longer than I promised. Can’t say I blame her, though.”

“Take it from me, Applejack. You must take care of that younger sister of yours.” Luna pointed a hoof right at herself. “I’d say I’m quite the cautionary tale, after all.” Around her rose a nervous laughter, the only sincere snicker coming from Rarity and Pinkie Pie. She didn’t care though; she owned that self-depreciative joke, wearing a smile.

“Anyhow,” Applejack went on, “I’m sure she’d love to meet you, Luna. The real you, that is.” She got up from the cushioned bench and strode across the room to her. “I’d better head out and get Sweetie Belle before the sun sets, but Luna? I just wanted to say real quick, that I’m right proud of you. Ok?”

“Oh. Thank you, Applejack. That really means a lot to me.”

Applejack said her goodbyes for now, hugging any ponies capable of doing so. There were smiles all around, and the room calmed down once more. The conversation, steadily over time, became more idle. And as the sun began to set, one pony took notice that Luna wasn’t exactly talking with them anymore, so much as listening to more banter over the legitimacy of various bands she’d never heard of. So Pinkie went over and set down on the floor beneath the bench Luna lounged across.

“How are you feeling?” she asked of her. “You know, about all of this?”

Luna pondered the answer to that for a good little while. “I guess I must say the Elements attuning to us is an interesting development. More to the point, though, as I’m sure that’s not what you meant; I’m really quite ready to put all this behind me, and move on with my life.” She nodded, affirming it herself.

“I’m really glad,” assured Pinkie. “Then we can take that frown and spin it around.” She grinned ear-to-ear.

“Applejack was right, dear,” doted Rarity. “We’re all really, very proud of the progress you’ve made.”

“You’re ready for the next stage of your life,” Fluttershy soothed. “And if you need us, we’ll be behind you, every step of the way.”

“Yeah,” agreed Rainbow, “especially if it means Fluttershy will tackle more monsters so Rarity can stab ‘em.” Rainbow peered around at the judgemental stares. “What? That was pretty hype, all I’m saying.”

Luna just chuckled. “We stabbed her, Rainbow. And we defeated her. Together. And together, I’ll wager we could accomplish anything.”

“Even talking to your sister?” inquired Rarity. “I fully support you trying to reconnect with her, but if I’m being honest? I think that ought to be between you and her.” She looked away and chewed on her lip. “Much as I’d like to meet the queen.”

“We can still be on hoof nearby, in case she needs us, though.” Fluttershy assured her, “If things don’t work out, we can always give you plenty of shoulder to lean on.” She gave a pleasant little smile.

“And if she tries to sass you,” Rainbow boasted, pointing, “you just pass her off to me. And I’ll give her one o’ these!” She twisted about, smacking her hoof into her pillow. Regret instantly shot across her face. She grasped at the bandaging around her chest. “Oh, ow. That was a bad idea.”

“Heheh, Rainbow. Please don’t fight my sister.” Luna shook her head, laughing. But then her face straightened, teasing with an assured smirk: “You’d lose.”

Pinkie spoke up, preventing Rainbow from arguing against that put down. “I’ve only known Luna for a day and a half. But if Celestia ever said or did anything to hurt her again, well…” As she spoke, her eyes seem to count the floor tiles, and her hoof traced along the grit between them. “I’d never be able to forgive her. Even if she is a queen.” Hush took over after her, but she paid no mind to the pensive looks.

“Pinkie?” inquired Luna.

“Just remember what I told you before, Luna. You are not your past mistakes.”

Luna looked down at her, and she up at her. A synergy was felt, crackling as blue eyes locked with blue eyes. Her face was fierce, as it was determined to let her know that she meant it. A smile broke out between them. “I understand. Thank you.”

“Good. Now riddle me this, dear Luna. Why did the princess cross the road?” she said, setting up for a truly lame punchline.

That night, after saying goodbye to her friends, goodbye to Pinkie, and goodbye to Pinkie an extra time from the second story window, Luna lied motionless in her hospital bed. The fullness of the moon outside her window had just begun to wane. It all felt truly over. It was done. Her eyes drifted to the new crown, its crescent moon sparkling lightly in the pale glow of the heavenly body it was seemingly modeled after.

While staring at the ceiling, Luna realized how much lighter her breathing was. Like a great, invisible weight was gone from her. In a way, Pinkie was completely right. She was practically a brand new pony. Turning over, Luna thought of the morrow, and meeting with Mare and… Celestia. After all this time, she would see Celestia again. Hope filled her heart as she turned in bed, getting nice and truly comfortable for the first time in ages. She couldn’t wait to reconnect with her first real friend.

The next sunrise came, thankfully uneventful. Luna and all her friends were discharged, easily enough, with a little extra advice on the way out. Waiting on the hospital’s patio for them were Pinkie, Applejack, and the two little sisters. Applebloom said hello again, while Rarity pushed forth Sweetie Belle for her to meet, though only after giving her a good reunion hug.

Sweetie was light like her older sister, and her curling, wavy hair had a near even split of lavender purple, and primrose pink. And her eyes were the exact shade of green that spring itself felt: light and airy and soft. Those very eyes of breezy green went wide, practically sparkling in the morning sun.

“Wow!” Sweetie hopped right on up to Luna, hovering right around knee-height to her. She had to lean her head way back to be able to look up to her from so close. “I can’t believe I’m getting to meet a princess.” She practically danced in place.

Luna started to correct her, but she called for someone else. “Scootaloo, get up here. Come meet the princess, this is so cool.”

Applebloom joined her, leaning against Luna’s leg, like a cowpoke resting upon a fence post, relaxing after a long day. “Yup, that’s right. I know a princess.”

Sweetie started firing questions like a volley of arrows, so plentiful as to blot out the sun, about Luna’s favorite item of any and every category she could think of. An orange head with reddish-violet hair poked up with a yawn. She came about, rubbing at the corner of her eyes and stretching out her tiny little wings.

“Who’s a what now? Did Twilight come back to town?” Scootaloo didn’t have to look around long before her mauve eyes landed upon the incredibly tall navy blue alicorn. She buzzed over in a meek hover. “H-hi,” she gaped and stammered. “What are you princess of?”

“Oh, good question,” beamed Sweetie Belle.

“Li’l Bloom and Sweetie really wanted to swing by and grab their friend, Scoots,” explained Applejack. “Don’t worry none, her aunt said it was ok. Hope you don’t mind havin’ to entertain an entire third child.” She started to laugh, but to her surprise, Luna was already hugging the young pegasus to her chest.

“These children are precious, Applejack, and don’t you ever forget that.” Luna giggled as Bloom and Sweetie bounced before her, each requesting a turn.

“Cute as this is, can we go?” asked Rainbow. “I’m starving over here.”

“But Rainbow, I thought for sure you’d relate to this sleepy little pegasus, since you also struggle waking up early.” Luna’s look was impossibly innocent, and Scootaloo stifled snickers in her cradling hoof.

Pinkie let out a huge gasp. “Luna-made-a-joke-I’m-so-proud-ah!”

“I’ll let you have that one, moon girl.” Rainbow leaned in close, smiling wryly. “This time. Welcome to the group dynamic.” She hit her shoulder and began down the steps.

“Fair enough.” Luna lowered herself to the patio floorboards. “Climb on, girls, and let’s be off. I’m hungry too, truth be told.”

By now, Luna actually started feeling somewhat familiar with these city streets. Enough for them to maybe even start feeling like home. But in entertaining three cute kids and their endless curiosity, having a guide lead the way still helped.

“I really am quite honored you three wanted to meet me. But I have to be honest with you. I’m not sure I’m a princess anymore.”

“Well I didn’t even know you were here,” admitted Scootaloo. “I just came for a free breakfast.” Applebloom nudged her and pouted. “Uh, and to hang out with my friends, of course, heheh.”

“How are you not a princess, though?” asked Sweetie. “You’re an alicorn, right?”

“Yes, that is true,” Luna conceded, glancing over her shoulder, being sure to balance the three of them the best she could. They were just a might heavier than she anticipated. “I’m still royalty by blood, as anyone can see. But I may not have the title, conferring a right to rule.”

“Nobility is a tricky thicket to navigate, like that.” Rarity nodded alongside her.

“But you don’t need a crown to be our friend,” assured Fluttershy with a smile.

“Fluttershy.” Rainbow leaned across, in front of Luna. “She does have a crown. It’s the Element of Magic. She’s wearing it right now.”

Luna’s cheeks warmed up. “I didn’t have a bag to stow it in,” she said, embarrassed.

“So if you have the blood, and you have the crown, how come you don’t have… the right?” Scootaloo scratched her head.

“Long ago, I ruled alongside my sister. But we had a bit of a falling out.” Her vision faded along the cobbles passing under her.

“Is that why your head is bandaged?” asked Sweetie.

“It wasn’t there yesterday when I saw ya last,” confirmed Applebloom.

“No, no. I fought my sister a long time ago.” Luna peered over her shoulder with a smirk. “Yesterday I fought a monster. And won.” Their little eyes filled with awe and wonderment.

“And I helped!” Pinkie proudly announced.

“We all did,” cut in Rainbow.

“So who’s your sister?” asked the trio on Luna’s back. “Is it Twilight?” asked Sweetie.

“Is it Cadence?” guessed Scootaloo.

“Wait, c’mon girls, it’s obvious.” Applebloom was sure she had this one. “It’s Sunset.”

“I-I’m…” began Luna, flabbergasted. “I’m sorry, I don’t know any of them. Just how many princesses are there, now? Are there yet still more I should know about?” When she got no immediate answer, she glared back. The three young fillies had tightened up their grimacing mouths, and their brows quaked at the sight of her. Luna sighed. “I’m so sorry, girls. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

Applejack came around. “Want me to carry you for a little while, Bloom?”

Fluttershy and Pinkie offered to take the other two, since Rarity and Rainbow were told not to carry too much for a while. Yet even still, the girls refused.

“Miss Luna?” spoke up Sweetie first. “Are you ok?”

“I suppose I’m still a little shaken from fighting monsters yesterday. But, oh, I can’t lie to you three. You’re too cute.” Luna’s smile returned, but faded once more, and quickly. “The truth is, I’ve been gone a long time. It used to just be me, and my sister. Together, we were the only two alicorns at the time. And we each agreed to hold the title of ‘princess,’ because neither of us would be queen, so to speak; we thought of that title as a sole ruler. But we were an inseparable duo for quite some time.”

“Then what happened?” urged Scootaloo.

“We fought, and she cast me out. Oh, however, due note that it was entirely my fault.” Luna was quick to add that in, just in case.

“I wouldn’t say entirely,” insisted Pinkie.

“Even still, it was my fault.” Luna huffed, refusing to have this argument right now.

Pinkie conceded. For now.

Luna continued: “Now she holds the title of queen, like she’s moved on. Like she’s sure I’ll stay out of the picture. Worse yet, all these other, newer princesses I’ve never heard of, it just… feels hard to not think I’ve been replaced.” Her head would’ve dropped, but Pinkie didn’t let it. She nestled in under her, holding her chin up. “Thank you, Pinkie.” Then a set of small hooves wrapped around her neck.

“Th-that’s the saddest story I’ve ever heard!” Scootaloo held her tight. “You’ve gotta go talk to her and make up.”

“So much for not bein’ a softy,” teased Applebloom. “Eh, Sweetie?” When she looked behind her, Sweetie too was on the verge of tears.

“Shut up,” Scootaloo quelled.

“I-I couldn’t imagine what I’d do if Rarity ever tried to replace me,” trembled Sweetie.

Rarity sidled along next to Luna, and nuzzled her sister. “I’d never do that, darling. You are the crown jewel of my life, and I love you with all my heart.” She kissed her sisters cheek, and the flow of tears ceased. “Though I agree with Scootaloo, Luna. You should reconvene with your sister.”

“Rarity’s right,” agreed Applejack. She doted on Applebloom in the center. “Family is mightily important, if you ask me.”

“My brother may get on my nerves, but I still love him.” Fluttershy smiled along.

“Same goes for my parents,” Rainbow begrudgingly added. “I should write to them.”

“And hey,” added Pinkie, “if it doesn’t work out, you can come meet my sisters back home! I bet you and Maud would get along super well.”

The sprawling gathering of nine fillies entered into the square, spreading across its cobbles not entirely unlike water. Just across the way sat town hall, now a calmer scene than the past couple days. Luna was in the midst of thanking them all, and remarking on the maturity of the young girls she carried, when a bell tolled for her. A pegasus crier hovered along, some few yards away, jostling the bell round his neck with a free hoof.

“Here ye, here ye!” he cried to passers by. “We’ve just gotten word from Canterlot on high! The queen mourns the death of her sister! Luna’s ashes were found at their ancestral home, smote by brave warriors!” He saw another group to harass. “You lot, have you heard the news? I say again: princess Luna is dead! Long live the princess!”

“Luna’s a ghost?” chattered Sweetie Belle, trying to clamber down. But she was up higher than she realized; Luna was quite tall.

“She’s not a ghost,” scoffed Scootaloo. “How would we be sitting on her? Duh.”

“W-well, I don’t know how ghosts work.”

“Have either of you ever even met a ghost before?” asked Applebloom flatly.

“No,” said Sweetie, “which is why I don’t know how they work.”

“Have you ever met one?” Scootaloo chided her incredulously.

Applebloom simply crossed her hooves and held her head high. “Yes,” she declared with all the fake confidence in the world.

“Y’all. That’s enough.” Applejack passed the kids by and went to Luna. “Remember what you said, about the implication or whatever, of Twilight seeing your disguise and not you? I think this may have somethin’ to do with that.”

Luna sank, plopping disgracefully into the stone of the square. Sweetie Belle tumbled off her to the side, halfway dragging Applebloom who’d been holding onto her. “Moon and stars above.” Her gaze locked onto the horizon, looking past every single one of her friends, yet absolutely nothing at all. “She thinks I’m dead. My sister thinks I’m actually dead, and it’s all my fault.”

“Miss Luna?” Scootaloo poked her shoulder as all others gathered around.

“I’ve been so stupid,” she muttered. “I should’ve known better than to think an illusion spell that strong would fade just because Moon was gone. I should’ve noticed, why didn’t I notice, why didn’t I say something to Twilight?”

Was it even her illusion? she thought to herself. Or was I being too frightened to own up to everything, yet again?

Luna screwed up her eyes, closing them tight. The voices of her friends and the little ones whose company she’d been very much enjoying all but faded away as her ears folded back. With gritted teeth and considerable effort, images of the maps she’d pored over recently came unto her mind’s eye. Incantations crossed her lips.

“Wait, no!”

A friend called out to her. Perhaps it was Pinkie Pie, but another pony who understood magic better pushed her back. Probably Rarity. Intense sparks sizzled her horn, and a white flash imploded upon her. The lights crackled and fizzled out, and Luna found herself in familiar skies, spreading her wings to catch the wind as her legs fell loosely out from under her.

But then a few weights that shouldn’t have been there sloped off her sides, falling through the air, toward the cliffside keep below. And they were screaming.

Luna’s heart sized up with paralyzing terror. It was the girls. She lashed the air behind her without another word. This would not and could not be like yesterday, when she let Rarity slip past her. Her wings sliced the air as fast and hard as she could manage.

Applebloom eased between her hooves, and then Sweetie. Scootaloo bought her a precious few seconds by slowing her descent with her tiny wings, drifting down toward a gilded onion dome, topping a tall castle tower.

Scootaloo crooked her hoof around the needle that scratched the sky, but slipped more and more as it blossomed out into a rounder shape. She kicked in vain, inching closer and closer to the downward slope of the bulb. But right as she slid over the edge, she tumbled right into Luna’s embrace. She was snugly squeezed between her two friends and Luna’s deathly tightening grip.

Panting, Luna found the nearest battlement or rampart to set down on. She was much too frazzled to parse the difference. High winds rushed over Canterlot castle, tossing her panicked hair of starlight behind her as she fretted over them. They trembled before her, hardly able to stand.

“Girls,” she quivered. “I am so, so sorry.” She rubbed her bandaged temple, straining. “I should have focused more on my spell radius, I’m sorry.” With a thud, she let herself fall to her side before them, covering up her head. “I messed up, again. I just keep screwing everything up.”

A long quiet transpired. Wind whipping through the gaps in the wall’s defensive crust was the only other noise, besides a similar one escaping the girls desperately catching their collective breath. And only after an airy little while with no talking under the morning sun, did everyone’s legs stop shaking.

Applebloom pushed Luna’s hoof aside, peering into those eyes. “Miss Luna, are you ok?”

“Are you gonna cry?” asked Scootaloo, before being nudged by Sweetie Belle.

“What she means is she’s also very concerned about you.” Sweetie pulled her in closer, much to Scootaloo’s chagrin. “Isn’t that right, girls?”

“No.” Luna sat up to overlook them. “No, I’m not alright. My sister thinks I’m dead, and I accidentally dragged you girls along in coming to see her. A-and you almost…” She covered her mouth. She couldn’t say it. She knew the words well, but they wouldn’t pass her tongue.

Sweetie reached up and pulled the hoof away from Luna’s lips. “It’s ok,” she softly insisted. “That didn’t happen. You caught us.”

“Speak for yourself,” interrupted Scootaloo. “I was scared for my life!”

“Scootaloo!” grumbled Sweetie through gritted teeth.

Scootaloo pushed past her, looking Luna face to face, and batted her eyelashes. “Maybe I’d start to feel better with another hug?”

At first Luna merely gaped at her. When she pieced together an understanding, she finally relaxed. She even managed a stifled little snicker, shaking her head in disbelief. “You three really are precious.” She gladly gave into the demand of a hug, holding Scootaloo softly against her shoulder under one wing.

Scootaloo beamed smugly over at a rather nonplussed Sweetie Belle. Applebloom had been peeking over the castle wall they were on, stretching herself up against it as tall as she could get. Her big pink bow jostled and bounced in the gust that swept up and over. Rooves spread out before them like tiles on a floor, ending with great white walls ringing the city below. And over to the West, opposite the still climbing sun, the huge white ring encased a cliff face, capping an open-ended fall off into the open air, and nothing else beyond to save you. This view brought up some still rather fresh memories, though, so Applebloom sat back down.

“I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say we’re in Canterlot?” Bloom turned to Luna and got a nod. “Specifically, the castle where your sister lives?” She got another nod.

“I wanted to see my sister right away. But this has gone poorly, I need to get you girls back home.” Luna stood up, setting Scootaloo back down.

“Aw, I wanted to see the city,” complained Sweetie.

“Yeah, not really the important thing right now,” berated Applebloom.

“You’re right,” Sweetie moped.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Scootaloo pulled on Luna and pointed out the heavy oak door on the tower attached to their particular wall. “We’ve come all this way. We’re right here. Why not go ahead and go talk to her?”

Flimsy attempts at protest were made. But Luna soon found herself descending stairs at their behest. The trio vaguely tried to lead her at first, before realizing as soon as they pooled out into the corridor below, that they were completely and utterly lost. So Luna stepped forth, noting that despite a few decor changes and the odd renovation, she’d know exactly how to arrive upon the throne room. Surely Celestia would be waiting there, to field appeals.

But Celestia was not there, nor did any of the seemingly dozen or so princesses Luna had heard of very recently substitute in, sitting the throne in her absence. In fact, about then was when she noticed the upper floors in general seemed fairly abandoned. An errant guard or two had noticed her from afar, but did nothing. She did also notice, however, none wore their helmets.

Luna figured perhaps this was the respect owed to her supposed death. It stood to reason then, if the queen had cleared the throne room, and official period of mourning put into effect… “She must be in her bedroom.” She knew where that was too, and started to beckon the girls. They’d already trotted up to the dias, asking to have a seat at the top with their pleading eyes.

She reluctantly made her way over to them. Along the hall, she found herself flanked by stained glass panes, showering her in colorful light. Each tall panel stretching up to meet the ceiling depicted another piece of Luna’s story with her sister. There was their crowning, when Equestria became theirs to rule. They’d sworn, then and there, neither would be the queen, but each a princess who’d share the power of rule. White faded to blue.

Then purple highlights wriggled past her eyes. There was the corrupted unicorn king to the north. Sombra refused to yield the coveted Crystal Empire, and the entire land vanished at his command. She and Celestia had only wanted nothing more to liberate the crystal ponies out of the ironclad rule.

Red washed over her completely. It was Tirek, the great behemoth of a centaur, drained of his stolen magic and banished beyond the gates of Tartarus. She and Celestia summoned forth the mighty hellhound Cerberus to be his eternal guard. Aggressive and starved for power, his escape would be disastrous.

Rainbows covered her in sparkles of every color. The Elements of Harmony once more, in their original forms. Together, she wielded them with Celestia, bringing down their wrath upon the ancient agent of chaos himself, Discord. Honestly, that one was far more frustrating than it was a threat to her life. Still, she enjoyed every moment of watching him turn to stone.

Funny how the Elements worked, doing exactly what was completely necessary to a given foe. They reared up again, as a sea of dark, swirling blues threatened to swallow Luna up completely. The last thing she wanted reminding of was her nightmare form being exiled to the moon by Celestia. Yet still she could not escape it.

The next few events commemorated in colorful glass panes, Luna did not recognize. They presumably came in her undesired departure. She watched the crowning of two princesses she did not recognize, and one she did. More importantly though, she came to realize these were no longer about the story of Celestia and herself. Rather, this had become the story of Celestia, and Celestia alone. Her actions. Her decisions.

That’s why the lack of a second throne stung so bitterly. This lone chair of command signaled that a single ruler would utter word of law. She’d missed so much. The world moving on without her, perhaps she could handle. But her sister doing the same, she still hadn’t come to grips with.

“I think it best we not, girls. It seems there is only room for one pony up there.”

Luna led three disappointed fillies through yet more of the castle. At the end of a sky bridge, connecting the tallest tower, lay two doors prefaced by two guards. They too wore no helmets, and had long black shrouds of mourning cotton covering up their gilded armor. Upon the approach of an odd alicorn they’d never seen around the castle, followed by a short trail of even shorter fillies, the two exchanged a look.

“Halt.” They stepped forth in unison, standing tall. “Who goes there?”

Luna figured these must be highly trusted guards. She looked from one to the other. Both pegasi, one pink, and the other blue. Their manes had been cropped, and whatever trimmed tails they had were engulfed in regalia and respect for the dead. Respect Luna aimed to capitalize on.

“I think we can just about see the exterior of the throne hall from here,” she said, gesturing over one shoulder. “Anything seem familiar?”

The pink one approached the edge of open air, leaning to look over the paned glass they’d left behind. Luna watched her face go from puzzling, to confused, to studious, to completely dumbstruck. Her mouth hung open, utterly uncertain of what to say when she peered from Luna both on the architecture as well as standing before her.

These two guards huddled into hush whispers, discussing what to do next. Somewhere down below, another castle guard spoke to one wearing enameled purple armor. If he was earth pony, unicorn, or pegasus, it was hard to say from up here. An unmistakable detail, however, was his pale head being swallowed by his helmet before he rushed off into the nearest door into the castle proper. Luna decided to worry about that later.

“Ok,” said the blue one. “We’ll take you girls in to meet the queen.”

Luna had to quell the growing excitement behind her. “If it’s alright with everypony, I haven’t seen my sister in a very long time. Also, she thinks I’m dead. I’d like to speak to her alone.” She pat the disheartened girls. “I’m sorry, little ones. I promise, when we’re friends again, I’ll try my best to get my big sister to meet the three of you. For now, would you mind staying with these two nice guards? If they don’t mind, that is.” Luna smiled rather nervously before all five of them.

The pink guard took one look at Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. “Princess, these three are absolutely precious, and we’d love to.”

Luna didn’t bother questioning the moniker. The crown on her head didn’t help. Instead she rose to the doors, which the blue guard pushed in for her. The entrance faded into a dark, dark room. “My queen,” called the blue guard from here, “you have a guest.”

Just like so many years ago, Luna swallowed all her anxiety, and let the shadows take her in. The doors pulled closed behind her, shutting off one of the only open sources of light within. All around the tall, circular room, curtains were drawn over every window, and not a single wall-sconce was lit. For now, Luna merely had to think on how she remembered the layout being.

Halfway across, on far left and right side walls, matching steps would be spiraling round to meet, forming a platform on the far end, opposite entrance. Underneath the platform, as she recalled, was a desk with a few odd shelves for books and what have you. Upon this rise, though, was where Celestia slept in silk sheets, softer than even satin. Funny, even when sleeping or lounging, Celestia still rose above it all.

Splitting the curtains by the bed, a thin, tall beam of light pierced the dark. Luna could make out the silhouette of Celestia’s head upon a pillow of goose down, and the subtle glow of her massive, four-tone mane. Oddly, she wore no crown, but Luna soon noticed why. Following her sister’s gaze, she spied an end table, covered with candles of every blue hue, washing an old portrait of her with warmth.

“I must apologize,” Celestia droned, “and do hope you won’t be terribly offended if I don’t get up. I haven’t had it in me to leave the bed since yesterday, and I am sorry for that. But I’ve just lost my dear sister once more, you see. A-and for the last time.” Those last few words came out raw, Celestia seemingly on the verge of strangling upon their very utterance.

Luna chewed on those words for a long little while, saying nothing. Their taste was that of cake left out for days on end, dry and descended upon by flies. She gulped all the same, speaking up, despite the growing pit in her stomach. “That’s what I came to talk to you about.”

Celestia’s ears perked up at her voice. Something about it was eerily familiar, so she turned her view from the portrait of her sister, to the very real visage of her sister, which was totally obscured by the lack of light. The only glint she caught was that of the crown.

“That crown,” Celestia began, recognition in her voice, fanning the hopes of Luna beneath her. “You must be Louise Moonshadow.”

Luna’s heart sank once more, and she frowned. One hoof faltered back, then another; her retreat further into the shadow was unwitting and uncalled for. She tried to speak up, but the words would not come. This wasn’t right.

“Twilight told me about you, how you seemed to be attuned to that piece of the Element of Harmony you’re wearing now. Listen.” Celestia’s head found its way back to the pillow, and her magenta eyes, subtly glowing in the dark, grilled Luna unbeknownst. “If you’re here to talk about that, I want you to know, I’m not mad at you.”

Luna couldn’t breathe. This wasn’t happening. What should she say? She had to stop this.

“You, and your friends, merely acted in self defense. It can’t be helped if she was beyond saving after all this time. I’m… very upset to have lost my sister, it’s true. But that’s not your fault.”

Her desperate teal eyes scanned the darkened room. There, on the desk, across the way, was a candelabra by which to do late night study. Sparks flicked from her horn, and the tall candles came to life. Slowly, she drifted it across the room toward her.

“If anything,” moped Celestia, blistering forth without addressing the newfound light, “it’s my fault. Would that I’d been a better sister, none of this would’ve happened in the first place. Had I done more to care for Luna, and taken her plight seriously instead of berating her, belittling her…”

Fate eluded Luna once more, prolonging this torture. Just before the candles could illuminate the situation, Celestia turned and covered her eyes away. Even in the dark and even from the glance, Luna could tell she’d been crying, and was about to manage more tears even now. She was likely to swallow her own tongue.

“I was so horrible to her. My own little sister, who meant the world to me, and I let her become the monster you had to put down.”

“I put down the monster!” Luna could stand no more, shouting for her sister’s attention. “With the help of my friends, yes, it’s true. But what Twilight didn’t realize is that those wonderful ponies also saved me.”

Celestia propped up, confounded by this ardent pony. By the time she noticed that coat was navy blue, and not a plum purple as Twilight had told her, whatever offended response she had ready faded into the tense air between them. She looked from Luna lit by candles, to the dour old portrait of Luna lit by candles. Her cheeks became glistening streams in the dim light of tiny flames.

“Celestia,” Luna said, stepping forth. But she stopped. Above her, Celestia’s face twisted in anguish, rather than misery, and her teeth ground together. Her head sank, and her shoulders visibly shook against the backdrop of the thin bright ray of the tiny opening in her curtain.

“How dare you.” Her words wavered even more than her convulsing body, layered with a proverbial thick, poisonous ichor that would kill with aggressive certainty.

The pit in Luna’s stomach opened up, and any and all hope and happiness she’d regained these last few days seemed to drain right through, like refuse into a cistern to be whisked away forever by the waterflow. “W-what?”

“Here I am, in mourning, and I bare my heart and soul to you, and you put on an illusion to look like my dead sister?”

“Wait,” began Luna, but she flinched when Celestia smacked the headboard.

“Did you think seeing her face again on you would bring me comfort? That it would make me happy?”

“No, I-”

“Get out, right now, before I do something we’ll both regret!”

“B-but-”

“I said out!” Celestia flicked her horn, and a serving set, complete with tray, pot, and a few loose cups, all sailed across the room. Porcelain shattered to the floor, and the tray knocked the candles out of Luna’s magic grasp. Darkness overtook her again.

Silenced by the rant, Luna watched her sister reach for the comfort of her pillow once more, muffling choking sobs. Luna reached up her trembling hoof, but light pooled in anew behind her. The blue guard stepped in, starting to inquire what the noise had been. But Luna didn’t answer, because she couldn’t. Rather, she brushed past her back into waiting sunlight of the warm summer’s day. Sunlight brought on by her sister, in fact. Then, why did she feel so cold?

The tears welled up, but somehow didn’t flow. Luna swallowed her grief, proposing to herself it was perhaps she’d cried as much as she could cry these last few days. Or maybe this exact pain felt all too familiar. She steadied her breathing once more, letting go of her stomach. There was no real wound there, out from which none of her life’s essence would spill. And whatever hurt there was, it was inflicted so long ago. Not remained but scars.

“Petra,” called the blue guard, closing the door behind her. The pink guard set one of the girls down beside her and approached her and Luna.

“What’s going on, Nimbus?” Petra hopped to one side as the girls pushed in around them.

“Miss Luna?” Applebloom was bereft.

“What happened?” Scootaloo was confused.

“What about your sister?” Sweetie Belle was disheartened.

“Girls,” Luna wearily began as she blinked away the tears, “we should leave. Petra, was it, and Nimbus? I really appreciate you two.”

“She was sobbing even louder than yesterday,” Nimbus said.

“What happened in there?” Petra asked.

“Celestia, she…” In truth, Luna didn’t want to say. She wanted anything but the continuation of this conversation. But all these glossy sets of eyes were torture. “She thinks I’m an illusion of myself that I put on to torment her.” Luna grimaced.

“What?!” spouted Sweetie.

“That’s plain ol’ crazy talk,” insisted Applebloom.

“You gotta go back in there and set the record straight,” demanded Scootaloo.

Petra and Nimbus set themselves in front of Luna, nodding in unison. “You’re sisters,” Petra cried. “You should make up,” Nimbus pleaded. These two seemed even more likely to cry over this than Luna herself.

“I’m grateful you all seem to care so much about our relationship.” Luna moved to step past, getting as far away from Celestia’s door as she could right now. “But I’ve done enough harm for one day. I’d rather leave well enough alone, for one day.”

“B-but,” stammered Sweetie, walking after her. “You’ve read your story, haven’t you? The one about how Celestia banished you?”

“I know it all too well.” Luna kept walking.

“I always hated that story!” shouted Applebloom, running up alongside Sweetie.

“It sucks,” complained Scootaloo, joining them. “There’s no happy ending!”

Luna stopped in her path as Sweetie Belle jumped out in front of her. “Don’t you see, Luna? This is your chance to write a new, happier ending to that dusty old story. Don’t you want that?”

The trio formed up in front of her, and Luna looked from one watery set of eyes to another. A pleasant little smile formed on her face, and she leaned down, lowering herself to them. One after the other, she planted a soft kiss upon each forehead. They looked up in confusion at her beaming face.

“Of course I want a happy ending to that sad, old story, girls. And I’m so honored you believe in my reaching out to take it. But in life, happy endings are a bit more complicated than that. Celestia and I, we have a bit of bad blood, and we’re both very emotional right now. I think the healthy thing to do for now is give her some space.”

Sweetie stammered, trying to process. “B-but…”

“There, there, don’t fret over me. Once we’ve had time to heal from this, I promise you three, I’ll come back to her one day. I’ll make amends, and show her how much I love her still, despite all of this.” Luna regarded the tower looming behind her.

This placated them for now, reluctantly giving into the trip back home surely to come, with sorrowful tones. Luna’s ears perked to another sad noise, though, and against her best instincts, she peered over her shoulder, back toward Celestia’s door. Petra and Nimbus had produced kerchiefs from unseen pockets, and were wiping at their eyes to dry them.

“Come back any time,” pleaded Nimbus.

“Yeah, we’ll get you a meeting with your sister right away,” assured Petra.

“Thanks, you two. I’ll remember this, always.” Luna bowed greatly with all the gratitude she could.

But then the doors on the other end of the skybridge burst open from the main portion of the castle. Standing in the settling dust was a burly white unicorn, with blue eyes and purple armor trimmed with gilded edges. A swirling plume bounced fluffily along behind the helmet in twirls of sky and cobalt blues. In the crest at the centerpiece of his chest plate was a six-sided magenta star, which was at least vaguely familiar.

And rattling beside one shoulder was the hilt of a sword, a broader one than Luna had seen Rarity equip, though not quite as long. Blue aura coated the grip of the blade, easing it out in a flash of brass-colored metal. Had his weapon been steel, it must’ve been coated in a thin, decorative layer of brass or gold. Though, Luna had heard of expert smiths treating iron and steel to alter their very hue.

“Ah ha, Nightmare Moon!” he accused, striking a pose. “My entire career as head of the queensguard has prepared me for this very moment.”

Luna looked him up and down. “I’m sorry, who are you?”

He chuckled in response, widening his stance, and placing his weapon into a high guard position. “My friends call me Shin for short. But you will address me as captain Shining Armor. Now have at you!”

“Yeah, alright, I’m not calling you that. In fact, I’m worried your parents may have projected their own inadequacies upon you a little aggressively, Shin. Are you ok?”

He lunged. “You don’t get to call me that!”

Luna leaned to the right, watching the blade thrust past her cheek, far to the left. The girls all ducked behind her in a panic. And somewhere cluttering and clattering behind her, Petra and Nimbus were plucking up their helmets, trying to throw them on in a hurry. From there, Shin twitched, pushing the forward momentum. The hilt danced right, and the blade whirled left, from his perspective. The cutting edge was on course for the right side nape of Luna’s neck.

“Captain Shin, stop!” yelped Petra, shielding the kids from the havoc. She let go of the held breath as Luna deftly ducked the high sweep.

“Stop attacking Nightmare Moon,” he derided dryly. He stepped in closer with a vertical swing, which Luna sidestepped, to his frustration. “Yeah, that’s a great idea.”

Luna moved in while he was moderately distracted, and shoulder checked him. As his footing fumbled very slightly underneath him, she clicked their horns together, surging his telekinetic grip, causing his sword to hit the floor with a clang. “You ought not speak in a real fight. Now, though, we can-”

Armor tapped her with his horn, zapping her with a miniature jolt of lightning. Her hair stood on end as she jerked back. Nimbus called out to them: “She’s not Nightmare Moon, Shin. Leave her alone.”

“Then what’s with the kidnapped foals?” He tackled her against the railing. Between Armor and his armor, the weight was crushing, and the air left her. He rose. She fell.

“What?” questioned Sweetie Belle, slipped through Petra’s grip.

“We ain’t kidnapped,” called after Applebloom, shaking her hoof, “dummy.”

“She’s our friend!” Scootaloo buzzed through the air on her tiny wings.

The sword began to lift once more, so Sweetie and Scootaloo trounced the flat side of the blade, clinking metal back to stone with their little hooves. And as Shin approached them to inquire what it was they thought they were doing, Luna seized her chance to slip over the rail, taking flight. Shin turned to the sound of beating wings on the winds. She spat glob of blood deep into the expansive, open air, now rising above him. The morning sun burned a heavenly ring all around her at her back, practically smoldering her feathers to smoke and ember, so blinding was this eclipse.

“You want a monster to fight so badly?” Luna cried out, drowning in the light that burned and engulfed her. “Fine, you overly aggressive nitwit. I’ll give you one!”

Shin shielded his eyes, struggling to look at her. He half-expected her to make everything darker, that the sun would sink right out of the heavens, and the moon would clamber up to greet them like a starved beast, screeching for their flesh. And yet, things became brighter. It were as though the sun itself grew wider, the wiggling tendrils of light rays spreading further and further out. And that’s when he realized, with a start.

Luna fully expected this Shining Armor fellow to shrink before her, to concede. That’s when she’d call off her assault. But instead, he smirked, boldly stepping up to face the largest volley she may have ever conjured, as though fully insisting on calling her bluff. A great magic bubble, blue as his eyes, swallowed up the entire sky bridge beneath her.

“Now you’ll learn!” he howled. “Armor is a fitting name! My protection spells never falter, beast!”

A single magic missile, paler than any cloud, and brighter than any star in the night’s sky, sailed forth, sending Luna into a maddening panic. One became several, several became dozens, dozens became a hundred. The number had seemed so fitting, and she was completely ready to fade them out of existence before they could make contact. The truth was, she didn’t want to fight this stallion. But things got out of hoof, as all things in her life seemed to, and his magic expanded out to meet hers.

Shin feigned a yawn of disinterest as his bubble held a rigid form, neither wavering nor breaking with the impact of a hundred aural bolts. His look turned to that of an awfully smug equine while Luna pondered her next move. “Face it, Moon. You can’t beat me.”

Luna had to bite her tongue and grit her teeth. The last one who told her that was the very monster she’d created. That overwhelming feeling that she might be right crept right back into her head. Every raging instinct told her to prove him wrong, and to make it hurt.

But calmer minds prevail.

Luna drew several long, deep breaths. She eased the beating of her wings, allowing herself down to his level. A clash of crackling blue on blue occured when their eyes met, his determined, and hers, relinquishing as she dipped through the fading bubble. Her hooves softly set back down onto the bridge with subtle little clicks. “Perhaps you’re right.”

Shining took one bold step toward her after the other, helmed head held high. His sword found its way back by his side, as the girls were being held back and protected by Petra and Nimbus. He moved, gleeful to clash with the mighty monster Moon once more.

“What in all Equestria is going on here?” came a familiar voice. A lavender alicorn rose up and over the bridge, and landed between Luna and Shin. “Honestly, Shin. I leave the castle to take a break for breakfast, with some highly important dignitaries from Griffstone, I might add, and you’re up here firing off spells?”

“I was fighting a dangerous-”

“Celestia is in there, grieving! You couldn’t take this somewhere else? What is the matter with you?!”

Despite her petite stature, and coming half a head shy of meeting him eye-to-eye, Luna sensed a genuine fear of Twilight in this head of the queensguard. If not of her directly, then the phobia definitely lied nestled somewhere within the embrace of her disappointment. Normally, one might ask what a princess is to a knight sworn to a queen. But what is a princess, but one step removed from a queen? One step ready to stride to a queen’s side, and rat him out for some failure in his duty or other.

Luna hid away in the backdrop of their argument, taking her chance to gather her three young wards. She thanked Petra and Nimbus again for caring for her charges, telling them it was high time they’d left. The young trio climbed onto the sitting alicorn’s back, and the duo relented a farewell, lamenting there wasn’t more they could do.

For the second time that day, lines dividing regions of greens and grays and browns flashed across Luna’s focusing eyes as she shut them tight. She kept her incantations quiet, hoping to attract little attention. Little good did it do, though, for after a time, the increasingly incandescent nature of her horn overpowered whatever petty disagreements lay dormant between the two figures clad in purple. “Hold on tight, girls,” Luna muttered.

“Outta my way, Twily! She’s gonna get away!” He tried to muscle past.

“Pet names, really? Real mature, Sh-oh, oh shoot, wait!” She desperately tried to keep him from entering into the spell radius, and winding up who knows where.

Somewhere above Luna, a third voice called out to her. “Wait!” it cried too, stricken as though through gravel, sounding quite strained. But she had no time left to find its source. She and the girls all disappeared, leaving this very desperate figure to meekly demand her return of the thin air where she’d been. “Come back,” they groaned, crying into the open skies, “come back…”

With a flash of light, and a clap of thunder, Luna spread her wings, catching herself and three young fillies with a stiff hover. They found themselves one high jump away from tickling clouds, settling above the familiar paneled and thatch rooftops of Ponyville. And this time, no little girls had to be rescued from the carelessness of a certain midnight blue pony.

“Don’t worry,” Sweetie Belle assured Luna, “we’ll leave out the part where you dropped us and had to save us from becoming flat filly flapjacks.” She smiled rather cheerily, given the gravity of her avoided fate.

“Maybe you two,” insisted Scootaloo, “but I had that completely under control.”

Applebloom just looked at her over her shoulder, one brow quirked. “Yeah, that definitely didn’t happen, and you know it.”

“And I won’t tell your sister the part about jumping onto a sword on my behalf,” Luna proposed, moving on. “Agreed?”

“Agreed,” the trio said in unison, all chuckling together.

Back in the square, older sisters Applejack and Rarity expressed worlds of relief when they spotted Luna returning. Something of a crowd had gathered, and lo and behold, the mayor herself was there, with a few assistants. Rainbow Dash zoomed in, landing alongside Luna as she gently set down. Fluttershy eased the girls back onto firm ground, whereupon they all hugged their newest, and tallest friend. Luna felt rather bashful when they did.

And above all clamor and worry fading away like the steam of brief rain off sun-baked cobblestone, one pony rushed through who had been missing Luna most. “Luna!”

“Pinkie P-oof!” Luna stumbled back as Pinkie threw herself upon her, holding on as if to never let her go again.

“I’m never letting you go again!”

“Yeah,” drawled out Applejack, real slow, “it was kinda a struggle to keep her from rushing down to the station to catch the next train to Canterlot.”

“I’m going to pretend to know what that means now.” Luna blinked at her but returned her view back to the poofy pink pony now stuck to her like glue.

“Oh, right. Guess we’ll get to that later.” AJ pat Applebloom on the back. “Good to have you back too, munchkin. We were all real worried.”

“Indeed,” cheered Rarity, scooping up little Sweetie Belle.

Scootaloo had none there to hold or stand close to; she ambled along. So Fluttershy took her under wing, and Rainbow followed suit. “And of course we were concerned for you, too, Scootaloo,” Fluttershy cooed.

“Yeah, plus, your aunt would be super mad at us,” quipped Dash, “and I sorta need a favor from her next week.” She grinned and mussed Scootaloo’s hair. “Hey, c’mon, I’m just kidding, kiddo.”

Despite all the ponies talking over each other all around her, Luna felt somehow rather alone in the world, save for Pinkie. Mare was talking to her assistants, Applejack and Rarity were looking after their sisters, and Rainbow and Fluttershy brought Scootaloo back into the little circle of friends so happy to see each other again after her little outburst. But of course, she’s had a lot of outbursts in her life, and they all seemed to cause suffering to those she cared about.

Her mind wandered back to Celestia, and how she had hurt her all over again. It occurred to her, that the voice calling out for her right before leaving might have been her, high up in some window of her tower. She could almost picture her big sister, limp across the sill of stone, crying out for little sister to come back. Her eyes searched the skies, as if she might appear there as Luna had. But no new light appeared beside the sun.

“Pinkie?” Luna held her close. “Would you really have gone all the way to Canterlot yourself to check up on me?”

“Even if I had to hike all the way there, silly. Luckily, I know a few hitchhiking tricks. Wagon trains love good jokes, ya know.”

“Thank you, Pinkie. You really are very wonderful.” Luna kissed her forehead before letting go. She decided she’d best explain herself. And though nervous at first, Pinkie playfully wriggling in under her wing brought her smile back, even if tenuously so.

Mayor Mare approached their gathering. “Your friends came and got me after you disappeared. I’m guessing this has something to do with the news that came in this morning from Canterlot?”

“That it does,” Luna confirmed, and Mare simply shook her head.

“Afraid I didn’t hear about it until our town crier got to you first. I’m terribly sorry about that. I’ve already sent a message to see about getting that story redacted. Though it sounds like you may have tried something similar yourself?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

Luna told them she just had to see Celestia right away, and accidentally involved the little sisters of the group, for which she apologized again. “They certainly kept me excellent company, though.” The young trio beamed, remarking that it was actually quite fun to see the castle. They especially enjoyed the nice guards they met.

“Yeah, except that one guy,” remarked Scootaloo.

“He was a total jerk to Luna!” Sweetie was still livid.

“What was his name again? Shin, or something?” Applebloom got puzzling looks from the adults all around her, who turned to Luna for clarification.

“I may have had a mild altercation with the head of the queensguard,” she admitted rather sheepishly. “He thought I was still my monstrous alter ego. Went by Shining Armor.”

Rarity gaped. “You went hoof to hoof with the purple sentinel?”

“Think I heard o’ that guy,” chimed Applejack beside her, “supposed to be a real tough customer.”

The little fillies came to her aid, claiming she was totally winning. But Luna wasn’t having it. “Now girls, it would have been better had we not come to blows in the first place. We’re adults, and I should have tried harder to talk it out with him.” They became a tad dejected. “Don’t look so glum. It’s just that, between the sword and the sorcery, somepony could have gotten hurt. Never be afraid to de-escalate a tense situation. Trust me on this.”

The hardest and most important part of the story came next. In a hushed tone, Luna spoke of the darkened tower, and her bereft sister within. The words trembled as they came, about how Celestia had mistaken her not for Luna herself, but some cruel, or misguided illusion of Luna. Her friends hung on every struggling verse, as Luna relayed she was then yelled at and told to leave, and that Celestia still probably thinks she’s dead, even now.

Such a statement hung heavy on the air, buzzing with nervous stares. Luna placed her hoof headlong into the thickening tension, trying to whisk it away. She told them that it was alright, that she didn’t begrudge her sister jumping to a nasty conclusion while drowning in her own sorrows. “Celestia simply… needs a little time to heal. From her perspective, she’s lost me twice, you know? I’ll go back to her another day.”

Somewhere at her shoulder, Luna felt a tremble. Dare she look? Helpless, wandering eyes peered at the pink pony under her wing. From under her makeshift cape of dark blue feathers, Pinkie drooped her head, and Luna could just distinguish a rather clenched jaw. She had to say something. But Mare inadvertently prevented this intervention.

“Well, Luna, that could neatly tie into what I wanted to talk to you about today. That is, if you still wanted to have our meeting. Over breakfast for everypony, on me, of course.”

“We’d love to!” chimed up Pinkie with a big smile, every bit as chipper as when Luna had first met her. Agreement struck all around.

“Aw yeah,” cheered Rainbow, “I’m starved! Saving Equestria is hungry work.”

“Now I know it wasn’t my place to invite them,” Applejack said to Mare, hat humbly at her chest, “but is it alright if the younguns tag along?”

“Not to worry, Applejack,” soothed Rarity. “I’ve plenty of money on hoof to cover our little sisters, and their friend, if need be.”

Mayor Mare sheepishly scratched at her neck. “That would be kind of you, actually. I have enough on me just for you girls, I’m sorry.”

“Well,” fussed Applejack as they began along, “I didn’t know how private this meeting between you and Luna was meant to be. Like, if it was about anythin’ particularly sensitive. But yeah, come to think of it, paying for the girls was an issue too. Good catch, Rarity.”

“Anytime, darling.” Rarity gave her a wink.

Mare chuckled. “Not to worry, AJ. The only thing personal we’ll be talking about is the diner I like the most. Come on, gals, let’s go!”

The proposal was presented, over buttered slabs of toast, towers of flapjacks and waffles stacked up high, and clumped patties of the fried frays of potatoes. Mare suggested that if Luna was stepping down from claim to a royal title, even if at least for now, that she become a librarian. The very library they’d been so keen to find yesterday still had no one to run it. The stairwell they had paid little mind yesterday even led to a loft.

Mayor Mare adjusted her snug cravat and dabbed her mouth with a napkin. “I know this must be a huge step down from the lifestyle you’re used to.”

Luna pondered the hashbrowns. “Considering how I currently have nothing, anything at all seems generous. You’re really sure I could simply live there?”

Rarity spoke up over the din. “Good luck getting her to accept anything right away, miss Mare. It’s like pulling teeth with this one.”

“Well,” chuckled Mare, “the library is a public service, offered by and paid for by the city. A rent-free roof over one’s head is an incentive. Utilities would be covered, but you’d have to still take care of getting your own food and furnishing. Oh, and I won’t lie. The salary is a tad modest.” She returned to her plate for another bite.

Luna looked rather nonplussed, chewing on rich waffles. She thought about it, with a gulp. “Would it be possible at all to negotiate an advance? I haven’t any money at all, with which to stock the loft with a bed or any groceries.”

“How’s a princess got no money?” asked a confounded Applebloom, turning around in the booth behind them.

“Yeah,” chimed in Scootaloo, “who conned you outta that deal?”

“Probably her sister,” Sweetie Belle answered thoughtfully.

Across them, Applejack huffed. “You three hush up. You’re bein’ mighty insensitive.”

“I don’t see why not.” Mare laughed off the girls.

“Tut-tut,” defied Rarity, pinning her very assured hoof into the subject, “no, that won’t do.”

“What’s wrong, Rarity?” Fluttershy asked her. It was a tad hard to hear her.

“Yeah,” quirked Rainbow Dash, “do you like, not want Luna to get paid?”

“Nonsense.” Rarity took a quick sip from her glass of orange juice, eyeing Rainbow incredulously. “I was just going to suggest we take Luna out onto the town, and that we help her gather every little bit and bob she needs to start her new life here.” She smiled across the table at Luna.

“Seconded!” cheered Pinkie, almost knocking Luna over as she excitedly bounded in her seat. “I can throw a housewarming party!”

Approval rang out all around Luna. Chatter washed over her about which shops they looked forward to perusing. A mattress and sheets from here, a desk and end table from there, bread from the local bazaar; a minor debate broke out about which vendor each of them got their bread from, which turned into a disagreement about which bread was best; white, wheat, rye, etc.

Luna could only smile. Her smile became a snicker, then a chuckle, and gradually she was howling with laughter. Here they all were, the ponies who had fought to the death with the demon of her painful past, now embroiled in a petty dispute over bread. “Thank you.” It was all she could manage to say. She beamed, already feeling herself leaving behind the fresh trauma of the day. “Thank you all so much, for everything.”

The moon rose high anew, that night, no longer full via the creeping shadow looking to claim her, slowly but surely. Within a few weeks, the darkened new moon would take her place. But back within the realm of Equestria, the new Luna bid her fond farewells to all her friends who’d made this the coziest housewarming she’d ever attended. Even if it was also the only housewarming she’d ever been to.

Applejack and Rarity had left first, needing to return the young ones to their homes at a decent hour. Bloom, Sweetie, and Scoots refused to leave, though, until they’d gotten the biggest hug of the day from their new favorite princess. Luna chided them for calling her that, but embraced them all the same. Luna remarked that she worried she'd invoke not but fear in the children of Ponyville when she arrived. But here instead she found warm admiration.

Fluttershy was next to leave, citing the animals in her care, especially one spoiled little bunny in particular. She loved him though, even if he was a bit of a brat. Rainbow Dash decided to escort her, since her cottage was some ways off. Luna hugged Fluttershy as well, and bumped hooves with Rainbow.

Out the door next was mayor Mare, after passing off the keys to her latest, and, according to her at least, most distinguished resident. She’d be by in the morning, to walk Luna through the various paperwork. Book organization systems, asset acquisition, monthly supply requests, that sort of thing. Though, Luna felt that after helping run a kingdom, she ought to be plenty capable of looking after a library.

Then there was not but Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie, she lingered, offering to help dust the shelves, organize the books, anything else to stick around. But the hour was growing late by the minute. So Luna had to convince her she’d be fine alone tonight. Even still, Pinkie clung to her by the door, almost refusing to say goodbye.

“If you need me, any hour of any day, you come to the bakery where I work, you hear me, Luna? Sugarcube Corner is super not far from here, ok?”

“Thank you, Pinkie. Maybe I’ll come visit if I can find time for a break.”

“I’d really like that.” Pinkie smiled up at her, and she smiled back down. Then Pinkie bat her long eyelashes as Luna got closer.

“Goodnight, Pinkie Pie. You will be missed, even if it is but a single day that separates us.” Luna leaned down and softly kissed Pinkie’s forehead, beaming as she giggled.

The toll of sweetness had been paid in full. Fitting for a pony who worked at an establishment called “Sugarcube Corner.” Either way, Pinkie bid Luna one giddy ta for the night, and bounded out. So Luna sighed, letting the silence finally wash over her anew. She clicked the lights on her way up to her new room, lighting the candles when she got there.

A subtle smirk passed Luna’s lips, when she looked at her new bed again. She recalled the briefly lived argument over the color of sheets they ought to get. Rainbow and Rarity clashed for a minute about the complimenting plum comforter, or the much cooler blue. Eventually, though, Pinkie had come forth with, what else, but pink. A soft and delicate sort of pink, that her little lamby doll practically disappeared into when she looked at it.

Luna ambled over to the window, pushing it open. She leaned over the sill and threshold both, propping up on the mighty branch of the huge tree she now called home. Her wistful gaze drank in the townscape below, many a light going out for the night, while still others stayed on to keep her company. And perhaps it somehow paled in comparison to the countless stars in the night sky she’d once personally brought forth. But that was a past long behind her now, and one she might not ever go back to.

And the ambivalent truth? Luna was fine with that.

There’d be no more high expectations of royal rule, only for her to live in another’s long, ever-reaching shadow. She could be her own pony. Perhaps a quiet life as a librarian wasn’t the loftiest desire she’d ever held, but somehow it now seemed so pleasant. But the morning would no doubt come knocking soon, with sister’s rising sun. So Luna began to recede from her window perch.

That’s when a voice called out to her. “Ah, there you are.”

Luna faced skyward, taken aback as a familiar lavender alicorn set down upon the branch outside her window. And, to top it off, she had a guest. Clinging to her back was, oddly enough, a purple dragon with a soft and chubby green underbelly.

Somewhere floating in the back of her head, Luna amused herself, remembering her comment about her own use of too much purple in her previous disguise. This, however, she kept to herself. Besides, Twilight pulled it off rather nicely, actually.

“Why, princess Sparkle. To what do I owe the pleasure?” Luna bowed her head, as she recalled was the due respect to royalty. Or at least it was, when she herself was once royal.

“Well, I meant to be out your way sooner. It’s just, there was a lot to do at the castle. Although,” Twilight chuckled, only semi nervously, “I’m sure you know all about that, don’t you, Luna?” Then her nervous smile became a much more assured one. “But of course, you weren’t Luna when we first met.”

Luna skittishly blinked up at her. “Figured that out, have you?”

All confidence faded from Twilight, her smile easing into a much more embarrassed, sheepish little grin. “I’ll admit, it took me a little time, even if it does seem a tad obvious in hindsight.”

“I’ll say,” chimed in her small dragon companion, beginning to list off clues on his little clawed fingers. “A name like Moonshadow, knowing exactly where to find the Elements of Harmony, that the Elements transformed to match each respective pony’s cutie mark, and hers just so happened to be a crescent moon.”

“Ha ha, ok, Spike. I get it. Thank you.”

“Please,” mused Luna, trying not to laugh, “why don’t you two come in, out of the cold night air?”

They gladly accepted the offer, ducking in through the window. Twilight gingerly set down on her hooves after a quick flap of her wings. As her head looked over one side of the room, Spike’s searched the other. He hopped off her back and into the chair by Luna’s new desk, spinning it about to lounge vaguely in their direction. Just in case he had to half-heartedly participate in the conversation.

“Ooh,” mused Twilight, “I didn’t know there was a loft. It’s cozy.” She offered a warm little smile, which Luna returned in kind with a nod.

“My friends certainly helped it feel like home. I could thank them for a hundred days, and it won’t feel it’s enough for their kindness.” Luna fondly regarded the new furnishing, doting on the pleasant overall color scheme. With pink sheets set in stone, other pieces were picked from blue and purple paint, patterning a nice swatch of compliments.

“Wait.” Twilight peered over at her shoulder, finding the steps behind the cracked door. Down that way lie many a book. And it clicked. “You get to live in the library?” The name of Sparkle almost became rather literal as her eyes lit up.

“Oh boy, here we go.” Spike steeped his hands, bemused.

“Oh my gosh! That sounds like, I don’t know, the most fun thing ever? Could you imagine, picking whatever books you liked on your way up at night? Luna, you’re so lucky!” Giddily, she giggled, but calmed down when she noticed that while Luna agreed, she definitely didn’t match her enthusiasm.

“Come on, Twi. You know that’s not why we’re here. You can fantasize about moving your room to above the archives later.”

“My,” Luna chuckled, “he’s rather… witty, for an assistant.” She noticed he seemed rather pleased with himself at that.

“I suppose I do spoil him a bit,” Twilight admitted, sauntering over to him. Mild and meek protests squeaked out of him as she scooped him up into a tight hug.“But I just can’t help myself. I love my little Spike, heheh.”

Though embarrassed in front of the new alicorn in his life, Spike gave in, squeezing her back, his thick little arm folding under her wing. “Ok, ok, I love you too, Twilight. B-but you’re gonna ruin my reputation.”

“You can’t act tough in front of me, young man.” Playful as she was, she let him go anyway, with a sigh, her smile fading. “You’re completely right, though. We are here for something else. Something much more important.”

Luna’s heart sank in her chest when those purple eyes which shone like sugilite met her own irises of turquoise sheen. “Er, what do you mean?”

“I came to deliver a couple of apologies,” she announced solemnly. Twilight followed Luna’s gaze, dipping her head to keep her eyes. “Luna? You ok?”

Luna picked herself back up. “Yes, yes. I’m fine, sorry. Do go on.”

“Well, the first is from my brother. He’s very sorry for thinking you were still Nightmare Moon.”

Luna’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Captain Armor is your brother?” It clicked, why his crest had seemed so familiar. The six-sided magenta star was a dead ringer for Twilight’s own cutie mark, save a slight change in shape.

“Heh, yeah. Why else do you think a thick-headed stallion like that would listen to me at all when I got in his face back there?” The two of them snickered.

“Don’t sell yourself short, Twi.” Spike wagged his finger at her, wearing a knowing face. “You can be pretty intimidating, when you’re mad.”

Twilight went deathly silent. She blushed and refused to acknowledge the accusation or even look toward its origin. “Ahem. Anyway, yes. Shin didn’t realize you’d somehow broken free of Moon, so to speak. He very much apologizes for attacking you on false pretense.” She bowed her head so deeply, her circlet might very well slip.

“I suppose it’s really quite alright.” Luna shrugged, feeling sheepish and guilty herself. “I admit, I let my temper flare up this morning as well. I shouldn’t have lashed at him either. Tell him next time you see him that all is forgiven, and that I’m sorry too.”

“That’s great,” Twilight said. That smile returned, briefly. But, surely enough, it faded away once more, dust on the winds of what else she had to say. “Speaking of siblings, though…”

“Oh.” That was all Luna could manage. “Right.”

Twilight took a deep breath. This next part was going to be the hardest. “Celestia wants you to know-”

“No, you know what, hold on.” Luna lifted one hoof, defiant. She frowned, cupping her cheek.

Princess Sparkle tripped over every word she’d prepared. “I… sorry, what’s wrong?”

“This is meant to be an apology, yes?”

“Well…” Twilight shared an uncertain glance with Spike. “Yes.”

Luna paced over to the bed, plopping down on the edge of her new mattress. It was softly quilted, but firm where it needed to be. Perhaps the sheets were not as smooth as the satin or silk she fondly recalled sleeping on. And perhaps she had merely enough room to roll over but once, compared to the bed twice this wide that was once in her room in the castle. But that was back in Canterlot, where Celestia was. And Celesta was still there now, and hadn’t come herself.

“How can I accept an apology from her if she can’t even face me?”

Twilight fidgeted her wings. “With all due respect, Luna, I don’t think that’s entirely fair.” She looked to Spike; he was chewing his claws and ardently refused to get involved with this. “If nothing else, would you trust me? I saw her myself, and she was so mortified, she could barely speak. She really does regret what she’s done to you, honest.”

Luna sat patiently, letting the princess finish her piece before responding. “You want to talk about ‘fair,’ and ‘what’s been done to me?’ Fine, let’s chat.” She pointed toward the door. “If you go down those stairs, you’ll find a book on a table, wherein my mistakes have been immortalized.”

“Oh. That tale.” Twilight grimaced.

“You know the one, then?” Luna bit her lip. “I… don’t doubt my sister likely does regret her actions this day. But I come back, after I don’t know how long, and my most heinous regret is given a permanent fixture in Equestrian mythos. Yet she can’t even pass along a written missive with you, that I can formulate even the vaguest notion that she still cares about me?”

Twilight stared at her, words catching in her throat, heart beating faster. Spike tugged on her tail, thumbing toward the window, desperate to leave her be. And when Luna saw their discomfort, and that tiny hint of fear, she covered her mouth, blinking away the start of tears at the corners of her eyes.

“I’m so sorry,” she meekly professed. “None of this is your fault, Twilight. I shouldn’t take it out on you. Turns out, I’m pretty bad about that lately.” Luna sighed, drooping her head.

Twilight ambled over to her side. “Mind if I sit here next to you?”

“Go right ahead.”

“Can I share another story with you, actually?” she timidly asked, easing onto the bed next to her.

Luna peered her way, intrigued. “How do you mean?”

“Well, really, what I mean is, I want to share the version of the story not printed in books. The one they don’t like to retell.”

She scrutinized this new princess where she sat. “Go on.”

Twilight began to weave the tale: “The story goes, that after banishing her sister, princess Celestia cried for a hundred nights. At every sunset, she’d become nigh inconsolable, because she had to raise the prison in which she’d sentenced her own sister. The shadowy silhouette upon the moon’s surface taunted her so.”

Luna pursed her lips a tad. “You’ve rehearsed this, haven’t you?”

“Only a little,” Twilight timidly admitted, smirking. “May I continue?”

“You may.”

“Her most trusted companion, Starswirl the Bearded, had to stop her. One evening, after raising the moon, he found her in the courtyard. She had gathered the Elements of Harmony, very much intending to use them on the moon. Anything at all to have her sister back. He explained to her that she was now bound to the heavenly body, and only destroying a bound object can free a prisoner of their sentence early.”

“That would mean…”

“Right.” Twilight nodded at what Luna hinted at. “She would have to obliterate the moon out of the very sky. And do you know what Celestia said to him?”

Luna shook her head, uncertain. “No?”

“That it would be worth it to have her sister back. But, as they say, calmer heads prevail. After cooling off a bit, she hid away the Elements, vowing she would try to never, ever use them again if she didn’t absolutely have to. The hope was that never again would a punishment so heavily outweigh a crime. And, well, after that is originally where the whole ‘peace for generations’ line came in. The rest, you know.”

Luna said nothing at first, flopping over onto her side. She stayed that way for what felt like an age and a half, Twilight looking over her, somewhat puzzled. “And why is that not the version of the story they print in books?”

Twilight laid herself down, opposite Luna. “Because, you see… crying, it isn’t very pretty. There’s an ugliness to it, and ponies get uncomfortable. The story in its fullness, the ending is so bitter.”

“It isn’t now?” scoffed Luna, rolling her eyes.

“The modern ending is bittersweet. Doubling down on the hurt feelings, the bitterness and anguish, it’s all so hard to swallow, you know?”

“Think of who you’re telling, heh.” Luna looked away, but met their eyes again. “And how do you know all of this?”

Twilight propped up, cupping her chin. “Celestia was my mentor for a time. And, well, still is, I suppose. I wouldn’t say we’re the closest ponies in the world, but she’s shared a few of her more…” She tapped her lip, thinking of how to put it. “More personal stories. But, well, you trust me, don’t you? That I wouldn’t make all of this up to convince you?”

Luna sat up. She blinked slowly, parsing all of this out in her head. “I trust you. And I believe you when you say this is true. It’s just…”

“Go on, Luna. You can talk to me.”

Luna fidgeted one wing, uncomfortable. “I get that all of this has hurt my sister too, and I get that she regrets hurting me this morning.” She ran her eyes across the floorboards, fiddling her hooves together. “But I’ve still lost a lot of time, you know? And I feel like… I need…”

Twilight placed one hoof on Luna’s, drawing in her eyes. “I’m all ears.” But then she considered her hoof contact. “Ah, well, I mean…” She withdrew the touch. “Am I doing this right? I’m sorry, I, well, don’t get out much.”

“Heh. No, no, you’re doing just fine.” Luna placed her hoof on the withdrawn one. “And I really appreciate you being honest with me.”

“G-great, good, I’m glad.” Twilight’s cheeks threatened to flush pink, her smile getting increasingly apprehensive by the second. “Please, though, you were saying?”

“I think I still need for my sister to meet me halfway.” Luna’s reassuring grin sagged at her cheeks. “I’m willing to wait for her. However long it takes, and I’ll embrace her the day she’s ready meet with me. Face to face.” Her eyes grew sadder, but remained certain. “Not a moment sooner. Ok?”

Twilight closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. Her heart calmed in her chest as her lungs filled with fresh air. When ready, she looked Luna in the eyes once again. “Ok, Luna. I understand.” A weak smile revived itself upon her lip. “I’m sure once new wounds settle, Celestia will come right over. In fact, I bet she’ll be so excited to have you back in her life, that she’ll be over within the week.”

“I’d really like that. Oh, and can you give her one last thing for me?”

“Yeah, I’m not carrying any gifts.” Spike put his claws out in distress, as though the emotions of this exchange were themselves burden enough upon him. In truth, the two alicorns had nearly forgotten him.

“Well,” simpered Luna, “luckily, this shall be extraordinarily light. And Twilight can carry it for you.”

“Feel free to ignore him,” snickered Twilight. “I’ll take this for you, whatever it may be.”

“A simple reminder of the love I still bear my sister.” She leaned over and quickly pecked Twilight’s unsuspecting cheek, smiling fondly.

Twilight’s eyes went wide, and her cheeks nearly went fully magenta, like so many cute little bunches of tiny yarrow flowers, their puny blooms sprouting to meet the warm summer day. Her cheeks too, felt very warm. She blinked a couple times, turning to view one very bemused Luna.

“Well,” she stammered, “uh, I don’t think it will hold, y-you know, quite the same… coming from me, that is.”

At first, Spike’s drooping jaw nearly scraped the floor. But the look on Twilight’s face was priceless. He covered up his mouth, stifling his garish and quite youthfully high giggle. That, Twilight noticed, and decided this had all been enough for one night.

“Wow would you look at the time this has been fun but I’m sure you’ve been through a lot these last few days so we’re just gonna let you rest ok have a nice night bye!” Before another word could be said by any other creature in the room, Twilight scooped up Spike and hopped through the window they’d come in from. And when Luna went to the frame to watch after them, they glimmered out of the black sky with a bright magenta spark.

And that was that. Luna was all alone. She drew the window closed, and walked over to bed in silence, snuffing out her candles when she got there. Now all her vision was graciously granted by the rays of the moon, which hauntingly crept across her floorboards, nipping at the backs of her hooves along the way. When she sat back down on the edge of the bed, to notice her pale pursuer, she drew the curtains. Darkness enveloped her, but the moon couldn’t get her anymore.

It was over. It was all finally over. And now all there was to do was wait. Her chest felt light and airy, although, not quite as feathery as she’d hoped. When a sigh escaped her, she knew she’d be pondering if she’d made the right decision for some little while. Perhaps it had felt right in the moment, but now, she found herself a little uncertain. Maybe she could teleport back, and throw her hooves around her big sister after all.

No. That wouldn’t do. Rainbow, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and especially Pinkie Pie, they had all given so much these past few days, that she might have this second chance, to make her own way in life. And she aimed to take it. She may yet hold a crown, gilded and bejeweled with her insignia, no less. But she hoped to never wear a crown in an official capacity ever again. She was taking this chance her friends had offered her, and holding onto it for dear life. It just felt right.

Going back now, to cry on Celestia’s already tear-soaked shoulder, it would be like giving up. Giving in and going back to big sister on begging knees for her old life back. And did she really need her old life? Did she even want it anymore? And what if having Celestia back in her life once more meant taking that life back with her?

Luna put these thoughts to rest as she turned over, pulling the pink sheets up to her neck with a yawn. Tomorrow was to be a big day. The first of many, she hoped, in this new life of hers. Her nestling nose found the soft primrose pink lamb doll with sparkling blue eyes. A smile crossed her lips, remembering the absurd nature by which this adorable keepsake had become her own. “Oh, Pinkie,” she whispered, bemused, hugging it to her cheek.

And for the first time, in a long time, sleep found Luna rather easily. No feverish fugue state, her essence stretched in a shadowy form across the face of the moon. No nightmares left to haunt her. And no passing out from the exhaustion of hard-won battles. Only sweet, gentle slumber...