The princess of the stars

by Floralmare

Rating: teen
Tags: Main 6, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe, Princess Luna, Original Character, Cutie Mark Crusaders, Adventure, Princess Celestia, Slice of Life
Length: 7085

Princess Luna returned but not alone. With her came a filly. An alicorn filly who can control the stars.

Princess Luna returned not alone but with her came a filly. An alicorn filly who can control the stars. Can the Royal Sisters take care of her? Or will her powes be too much for them. Their problems don't end there. An ancient evil comes to haunt the moon princess and her daughter. Can they make it pass the problems. Or will a mother's past destroy a daughter's future?

Published 2018-12-30 14:40:01 UTC
Last updated 2019-01-28 11:30:03 UTC

1 The begining

The castle of The Royal Pony sisters.
One minute after the defeat of Nightmare Moon

Twilight and her friends had won. Nightmare Moon was defeated and the sun rose again bathing the ruins in light.

"Is everypony alright?" Twilight asked in worry.

"Yes." a choir of approval came. Twilight relaxed. Everypony was safe. She got up and noticed a golden tiara with a six-pointed star-shaped gem on her head. She immedeatly reconized it as the Element of Magic. She scanned the room and saw her friends getting up. All of them had a golden necklace with their respective cutie marks shown as a gemstone in the middle.

"Geee Twilight I thought you were saying a lot of hooey but it seems we do represent the elements of friendship!" Applejack said in amazment.

"Indeed you do." Added a voice in an echo.

Before them was an alabaster mare with a flowing mane and tail and both wings and a horn. It was their ruler, Princess Celestia.

"Princess Celestia!" shouted Twilight happily and rushed to hug her mentor. Celestia leaned in the embrace.

"Good job Twilight Sparkle. I knew you could do it."

"But Princess I don't understand. What did I do?" Twilight asked in surprise.

"You unleashed your full potential. I too saw the signs of Nightmare Moon and I knew it was you who had the magic inside to defeat her. You only had to open your heart to firendship." Princess Celestia said "Now if only somepony elese could do
that." she added somewhat sadly.

She faced towards the place where Nightmare Moon used to be. Now there was a small (by Celestia's look) alicorn with a dark blue coat and light blue mane.

"Princess Luna."

The mare opened her blue eyes and looked up,when she saw Princess Celestia walk toward her her eyes went to the ground again.

"It has been a millennial since I've seen you like this. it's time to put the diffrences behind us. Will you accept my friendship little sister?"

Twilight and her friends gasped.

Luna looked to the ground again and then hugged Celestia repeating "I'm sorry." all the timeCelestia leaned into the embrace to. Suddenly they heard a wail.

The Princesses broke the hug and looked down. On the ground there was a small filly. She had a beautiful purple coat and a pink mane with a black line cutting in the middle. She had both a horn and wings. Her wings started purple but in the end they were pink. In short she was adorable.

Princess Luna picked her up. The filly stopped crying and opened her eyes witch caused Luna to gasp in shock. They weren't only one color. They looked like the galaxy.There also were some dots glittering witch she easily recognised as the stars. During that time Celestia had come to see the filly too, but she was too shocked.

"Where did she come from? And how is she an alicorn too?" Celestia asked Luna.

"Ummmm I think I have an idea." Luna said in a low voice.

"What really? So tell me."

"Wellllllllll a thousand years ago I was pregnant and didn't tell you." Luna said with her eyes on the ground

"WHAT?"Celestia's voice rang in shock and surprise.

The shout scared the filly and she began to cry. Celestia instantly was sorry about scaring her.

"Shhhh I'm sorry. I did not want to scare you." Celestia said in a low sweet tone. It worked it's magic as the filly stopped crying and looked at Celestia with curiosity. She started to raise her front hooves in Celestia's direction.

"I think she wants you to hold her." Luna said awing. it was an adorable look. Celestia took the filly in her hooves as the filly smiled. It only made her look more adorable.

"Awwwwwwwwwwwww" six voices were heard at the same time. Both Luna and Celestia blushed in embarrasment. They had completly forgotten about them.

"She's adorable but where did she come from?" Twilight asked her mentor.

"She's Luna's daughter and my niece"

"WHAT?"Twilight shouted in surprise.

"Sister what are we going to name her?"Celestia asked her sister.

Luna took the filly on her hooves and stared at her while she stared back.She thought for a moment.

"I don't know. Let me think."Luna thought for a moment as she stared at her daughter's eyes. Suddenly a small star passed in her eyes. A sooting star one of the rarest stars ever. She smiled. She knew what to name her.

"I think I'll call you Shooting Star." She said. Shooting Star started laughing.

"She approves too." Celestia said with a laugh. Suddenly Shooting Star sneezed and a blast of magic shot from her horn leaving a new hole to the ceiling. Everypony in the room stared at her in shock. She then laid her head in Luna's fur fell asleep.

Celestia was the only one trying not to giggle. She failed horribly

"My my, your daughter is quite a hoofful Luna." Celestia said in between her giggling.

"Yea yea keep laughing beacuse you're going to help me too." Her laughter died down in an instant.

"Hey guys it's time for a party." Pinkie came out of nowhere startling the princesses.

"What for?" Luna asked in shock.

"A 'Welcome back to Equestria Princess Luna' and a 'Yay Princess Luna is a mother' party." Pinkie said in one breath as it explained everything and then leaving the castle surprising the alicorns.

"How did she-" Luna started but Applejack cut her.

"Trust us your highness don't ask." Applejack said. The others (exept Twilight) nodded in agreement.

"Applejack you can't speak to the princesses of Equestria in such a disrespectful way!!" Twilight said terrified at how disrespectful her friend was being.

She stopped however when Princess Celestia started laughing."Oh Twilight there is no need for such formalities when we are alone."

"I-I-I don't want to interrupt anything but should we not get out of the forest.Only if you want to of course" Fluttershy said in her shy and quiet tone.

"She is right we might not want to attract any wild animals. Let's go back to Ponyville.I beleve me,my sister and niece have a party to attend" Celestia said.

All of Ponyville was filled with streamers balloons and all kinds of decorations.

"Now that was fast.She only left 5 minutes ago."Celestia said.

"Actually this is slow and small by Pinkie standards your highness."Rainbow said.
The Royal Sisters laughed.

'I don't know this Pinkie very well but she probably is quite fun to have around' Princess Luna thought to herself.

She looked at Shooting Star who woke up from the noise staring at the place with curiosity. She stared at how some ponies were walking and then looked at her own hooves. She started to squirm wanting to be let down. Luna saw that so she stopped and put her down in a sitting position. Shooting fell on her stomach and put her hooves to the ground and tried to get up.

"Tia" Luna said catching her sister's attention.
She stopped too and saw her niece trying to get up only to fall back down. Finally after what seemed to be the hundredth time she got up and didn't fall. All the others had stopped too seeing the little filly trying to stand (even Pinkie who had somehow appeared).

Then she put one of her front hooves forward and then the other and started to walk although a bit whoobly.Luna and all the others gasped. 'My little star's first steps.' Luna thought strangely felling like crying.

"Whoah she already started to walk."Twilight said amazed.

"Isn't it a bit strange. I mean most ponies can barely walk in their later months let alone in their first day?"Celestia asked to nopony in particular.

"I don't know or care.What is important is that my little star can walk" Luna said picking up her daughter and nuzzling her.

"Now let's get back to this party"Pinkie pie said while confetti fell from ................ somewhere.

Unknown location
A few hours after Shooting star was born

"Sir one of our scouts from Ponylille has an urgent report."a unicorn mare with a black coat and red mane and tail.She had a sparkling horn as her cutie mark. She came through the door in a gallop to the pony in the other side of the desk.The stallion was a pegasus with a grey coat and a yellow mane.His cutie mark was three storm clouds.

"Bring him in Sun Eclipse"the stallion said.

The mare known as Sun Eclipse bowed and went through the door.He didn't have to wait long as another pony came he had a brown coat and a silvery mane.He came through the door and bowed.

"What important news did you have for me?"the stallion said.

"Sir I just witnessed the return of Nightmare Moon just like you said. She declared eternal night and dissapered. Princess Celestia's personal student who had confronted Nightmare Moon went after her with five other mares who are from the town. They went after her in the Everfree Forest so I couldn't follow them. I waited. A few minutes later a big blast was heard from the ruins and the sun rose again. A few more minutes passed and a mare who had gone with Miss Twilight came out of the forest and started rambling about throwing a party. I waited for a bit longer and then the rest of the mares came out but they weren't alone. With them was Princess Celestia herself and another mare who I didn't recognise. She had a blue coat and mane and tail. She also had both wings and a horn. She semmed to be carrying a newborn foal. She stopped suddenly and put the foal on the ground. After that the rest covered her and I could not see what was happening. I went to the train station and immediately came here to report." The stallion finished his report and bowed again.

The stallion behind the desk was looking at the stallion lost in thoughts.

"An alicorn mare with a blue coat and mane. I think I have heard about something like this in the legends of the Order. Sun Eclipse" he called and after a few moments the mare came in and bowed.

"You called Sir?" She said in a calm voice.

"Yes. Please escort this stallion back to the train station and send here all of the books about the legends of the Order. He said. Both ponies gafe one final bow and left him alone to his thoughts.

'I know I have heard about her somewhere.' He repeated to himself over and over again. Some time passed until there was a knock on the door. Sun Eclipse walked in.

"Sir the books you requested." She said showing two huge tomes. She left them in his desk.

"Tank you. You may go now." She left anb he started reading. Nothing. He passed to the second book and found what he needed.

'Aha here it is. Oh I had heard about her. A demon from the depths of Tartarus bound in her wish for eternal night disguised as the Sun Princesses sister. She is deceving and cruel and should be avoided at all costs. There weresome rumors about the demon expecting a foal but they were never confirmed. It is advised to exercise caution and any followers should be hunted down and killed. For the good of Equestria. '

He finished reading worried. 'We should be careful. Dangerous times are coming.'

Author's Note

This is my first story and I don't have much experience with writing stories. Corrections and advices are welcome and I hope you enjoy.:twilightsmile:

Next chapter:There isn't a GORE tag in this story for no reason:pinkiecrazy:

2 Trouble in the Royal famiy

Canterlot Castle throne room.
One week after Shooting Star was born

Celestia sighed heavily. Today she was going to announce to everpony that her sister Princess Luna is going to be the Co-ruler of Equestria and that Shooting Star was her biological niece and her sister's daughter. She didn't mind the press conferences, but she was going to have a hard time with the Nobles. Over the centuries she had worked hard to slowly and carefully strip them of their power and creating the new Parlament. She also had removed some of the ancient customs of Nobility like child engagement. She was grateful for that otherwise the requests for engagement with her niece would probably have reached the Sun.

Princess Luna felt her sister's worry, and put a comforting wing around her shoulder.

"Tia don't worry about it. Everything is going to be alright. "

"I'm not worried about the press but rather the Nobles. Not only for you but also for Shooting Star. They are not going to take it lightly that she's going to inherit the throne. "Celestia sighed.

"Then I hope she sneezes again so that they know what's waiting for them." Luna said with a laugh. It did it's work as Celestia giggled to.

They looked down at one of Luna's front hoof. There little Shooting Star was hiding. During the week since she was born she had learned how to walk properly and could say only a few words. She was also a bit shy so she always hid behind her mother or aunt.

"Mommy why I go there?" She tried to say. She had a wonderful clear and musical voice.

"Because you have to see them. When you get older you can help us with them. You do like to help us right my little star?" Luna said to her daughter quietly. Shooting Star nodded and came out.

A few minutes passed and a guard came and said "Your majesties the reporters are ready for you."

"Very well we are comming." The guard bowed and left. Celestia sighed again.

"Well it's now or never." She said and all three of them walked in the throne room.

The throne room was full of reporters and the Nobles. You could tell them apart as the Nobles kept their heads high and had an air of arrogance and self-importance. When The Royal Sisters entered everypony bowed. Celestia nodded to everypony and they rose. She cleared her throat.

"Fillies and gentlecolts I am here to reveal a great secret since the time of Nightmare Moon. "She let the words sink in before continuing "There have been many legends over the centuries but they were never confirmed. They spoke of a sister I had over a thousand years ago. I'm here to confirm it. I have a younger sister." The crowd gasped in shock and some of the Nobles shouted "What??"

Celestia raised a hoof for silence, and the room fell silent.

"My sister,Princess Luna is the princess of the night. A thousand years ago ponies didn't appreciate the night like now and avoided her. I beleved it would be better but over the decades ot only got worse. Twenty years before Nightmare Moon an Order rose. They called themselves the Order of The Sun and worshipped me as a goodness but completely shadowed my sister. Some of them went as far as to call her a demon and persecuted anypony who thought night was good.

"Finally she couldn't take it anymore. She snapped. That is what led to the creation of Nightmare Moon. We battled and I was forced to banish her to the moon for a thousand years. After that I confronted the Order and denounced them.

"One week ago Nightmare Moon returned but was stopped by my personal student and five ponies from the town of Ponyville and my sister returned and she will join me once more as the Princess of the night and as Co-ruler of Equestria."

Muttering filled the room and a reporter raised a hoof signaling he wanted to ask something.

"Yes you may speak."Celestia said to the reporter as the room fell silent again.

"Princess if the mare on your right is Princess Luna then who os the foal standing next to her?" Said the reporter indicating Shooting Star. Everypony(exept Celestia and Luna of course) stared at the little filly causing her to cringe uncomfortably and hiding a little under her mother's leg.

"Yes there was a detail before Nightmare Moon a thousand years ago. The fact that my sister was expecting a foal." Another gasp of shock and another shout from the Nobles. Another pony had a question.

"Princess Celestia if the filly is her daughter then does that make her the direct heir of the Equestrian throne?"

"Yes. Her full name is Princess Shooting Star Of Equestria. She will be the ruler of Equestria should the situation that me and my sister pass on,wich in on itself is highly unlikely. Yes you may speak" she isndicates to another pony.

"If Princess Luna was expecting since a thousand years ago then how is it possible that the young Princess is still a little older than a newborn?" This time Luna replied.

"Because she wasn't born before my banishment and the spell that bound me to the moon also stopped the aging process. The years might catch up I don't know that can only be told by time."

"Princess can you confirm the identity of the father?"

"Yes my sister was married to the Captain of the Night Guard at the time. He died in the line of duty a few weeks before Nightmare Moon from a mantichore attack." Celestia said.

"Princess Luna why did you hid your pregnancy from the public a millennial ago?"

"Because of the Order that persecuted me and my followers were still at large and I didn't want to give them more reasons to hate me than they alredy did."

"Princess Celestia you said that this Order worshipped you as a diety but you said it was false. Does that mean you're not a goodness?"

"No neither me nor Luna nor Shooting Star are goodnesses. The only differences we have from normal ponies are our longer lives and the fact that we have all ponies' races abilities."

And so it went on for some hours. Both reporters and the Nobles asked questions about the young Princess,Princess Luna and this Order that caused so much trouble. When they finished it was well past lunchtime. They went to the dining room to get some late lunch.

"Wow I thought that the questions would never end." Celestia said with a sigh. Luna nodded.

"Me too. By the way Tia I wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?" Celestia asked.

"Why did you lie saing that I was marred?"

"Because I was afraid what would have happened if they found out the truth. You have gone through enough." Celestia said.

"As always you're thoughtful but next time please let me know before you say things like that for me. "

"Deal. By the way, who is her real father?" Celestia asked Luna.

"I can't tell you, but you did know him." Luna said to her sister.

Celestia thought for a moment. Luna at that time didn't stay around stallions exept for.......

"Wait. You don't mean him right?" Celestia asked Luna looking terrified. Luna nodded.

"Then let's hope that they never find out otherwise we're going to have more problems than now."

Shooting Star's room.
Three months after her birth.

It had been three months since she was born. Only three months, but it felt like three years. She had learned how to talk properly and had memoriesd the most important routes around the Castle. Her mother had also taught her how to read wich was surprisingly easy. The only problem was her shyness. She was always escorted by a guard but she never left the castle grounds.

Right now she was in her room fast asleep. Her bedroom was quite nice. The walls and ceiling were panited a midnight blue and the ceiling had additional decorations. There were stars painted and a cresent moon wich were enchanted to glow lightly in the dark. Two of the walls were lined with bookshelves filled to the brim with books both fiction and non-fiction. In a corner of the room was a huge bed. The sheets were a beautiful lavender that faded in one side orange then red on the other midnight blue and dark blue.

It was a quiet night. Or so they thought. Nopony saw two shadows one carrying the other. They landed on Shooting Star's room balcony and tried to open it. It was locked. Luckily for them the other pony was a unicorn and used his magic to open the door. They walked towards the bed their target clear.

Unfortunately for them, they tripped over some books and fell on the ground making a big noise. The noise woke her up and noticed the stallions. She yelped back and lit her horn a lavender color not even knowing what spell she casted. Before she could do anything more, one of the stallions had gotten up and with blinding speed he was face to face with her. He put one of his front hoof to her mouth and the other to her horn who gave a small sizzle and want out. She was terrified.

"Don't worry you filthy demon. We'll send you back to the depths of Tartarus were you belong." he said to her quietly while the other took out two knives. The sight of them made her pale white .

'Please somepony help me.' she thought as tears streamed from her eyes.

Luna hummed as she walked through the castle hallways. The effects of the Elements finally wore of and she could return to her duties (the Elements had drained her from almost all of her magic).

She stopped on a window and looked at the night sky. Celestia hadn't moved one star ever since she was banished. Suddenly a strange feeling came to her. Like somepony whispering in her ear asking for help. She knew the voice. It was her daughter's voice. She couldn't believe it. It was impossible for her to have herd her daughter.

Just to be safe she went to her daughter's room. She opened the door and saw the two stallions with knives pointed at Shooting Star. Her rage was growing with every second she watched her daughter's terrified look.

She lit her horn, her rage and hate only fueled her magic, and she fired a beam straight at the stallion pinning her daughter. The beam hit before he even turned his head. The strength of the spell sent him straight for the wall and you could hear the cracks as his bones broke. Shooting Star now free backed in a corner terrified. Luna after she made sure her daughter was ok ,looked back at the stallions. He one she had thrown across the room was getting back up. Apparently she hadn't thrown him hard enough.

"YOU DARE THREATEN MY DAUGHTER?" she bellowed in the Royal Canterlot Voice making everyponies ears ring.

She fired another beam but was met with a magic shield but it was clear that it was cracking. The other one got up and tried to pounce at Luna from up. Luna charged a teleportation spell and popped a few meters from where she was standing. She shot a stun spell at the unicorn who had just lowered his shield and wasn't able to stop this spell. The pegasus was far closer now so Luna simply turned and bucked him straight in the chest and sent him flying in the other side of the room. She saw her daughter who was staring at her. She was scared and Luna didn't balme her.

"Star-"she began but never finished as the pegasus again had gotten up and pounced on Luna when her back was turned. He started banging on the base of the horn leaving her dazed.

Shooting Star only watched in shock and surprisingly she felt a bubbling anger rising. 'He attacked when mom's back was turned.' as he continued, she wanted to help but didn't know what to do.

'Perhaps I can help.' She jumped. That voice came out of nowhere. It sounded like hers but more mature. It took a moment for her to understand she was the only one that heard it.

'Who are you?'
'You can call me friend of some sort. I can help you take down the pony threatening you and your mother if you want to.'
'Do it.' Shooting Star said in an instant.
'Very well, but I warn you, I am not responsible for the consequences.'
'I don't care-"she said the rest out loud but in a whisper.
"Just save mother."

The mysterious pony didn't reply but she could feel her loosing control of her body like something or rather someone had taken it over. She saw black wisps going around her body before everything went black.

This didn't go unnoticed. Both the stallion and Luna noticed it. He was distracted so she took the opportunity and bucked him straight in the chest and got him of her. She got up and looked at her daughter in horror.

She grew in height so much she could stand a head above Celestia. Dark purple armor appeared on her hooves a headpiece and a chestpiece.
Her coat turned a dark grey so dark it looked black and her mane went full on black and now flowed in a non-existing wind. She smiled showing fangs and opened her eyes. They had changed too. Instead of the usual galaxy-like they were a deep lavender and her pupils had become slits.

Luna took several steps back terrified. She knew what happened, but was completely shocked. Her daughter could turn in a Nightmare too. 'Mabye a piece of her fell in Star's soul when she took me over.'This was the only logical explaing she could think of why it happened. This aside the only thing she could do for now was gain as much distance from her as possible. She did so just in time as she lit her horn a black color as she sent a bolt of magic straight for the stallion who barely avoided getting hit.

He aimed to the window wanting to escape but they were blocked by the same black magic.

"Now now. You can't just leave like that now can you after all the trouble to get in." She said. Even her voice had changed. Not only was it mature but it felt more malicious.

He stallion not having a choice went straight for her. She merely let him. When he was close enough,she turned around and bucked him straight up. He slammed so hard the ceiling cracked and fell with the same strength. This time he tried to get up,but his hooves didn't obey. They were bended in awkward angles and he was coughing blood. He gave her another terrified look before he passed out. She snorted felling unsatisfied.

'They were seriously a challenge for Luna?' she thought.

Suddenly she had a feeling like magic comming towards her. She turned around and raised a shield just in time to catch a golden beam.

'Apparently Lulu's stun spells are not what they used to be.'

She kept the shield for a bit longer before concentrating it in the center towards the beam turning it into a beam herself. The black beam seamed to gain the advantage. It went closer and closer until. ..

"CRACK!!!" the black beam broke his horn clean of. He fell to the ground screaming in agony as a pool of blood fell from the place where his horn was. She walked right to him her face ice cold.

'I should finish this.' the Nightmare thought her horn lit.

Darkness. That was the first thing Shooting Star noticed. Many questions came to her.
'Where am I?
What am I doing here?
What happened?'

Forward came a light. She walked towards it and saw what was happening. She saw herself looking down at one of the stallions that had attacked her. His horn was broken of and blood was coming out of the place where his horn should have been. Then she heard the same voice that said she would help her.

'I should finish this.' The voice said. Star understood what she ment. She was going to kill him. She was going to use her body and this disgusted her. She had to stop this. Not knowing what to do,she ran towards the light. Just before she touched it a jelly-like barrier blocked her and sent her flying back. Somerthing was stopping her but she wasn't goning to give up. She tried again and again but every time she was sent flying back.

Finally she noticed something strange. It looked like the barrier was fading. She jumped at the opportunity head on. Finally the barrier broke and let her road clear. She had to stop this.

While Shooting Star was fighting to regain her body back the Nightmare was finishing the spell. Luna could only watch in horror. From personal experience she knew better than to get between them. It would be nothing short of suicide.

But the shocks seemed to never end this night. Just when the Nightmare was finished she did something Luna never thought that would happen. She grasped her head in pain and stumbled back her horn went out. Luna's jaw almost reached the floor in shock. Dark wisps were going away from her daughter's body. Her coat turned back to the usual purple and her mane became pink with a black stripe again. Her eyes shifted to their normal look and she was shrinking but she looked older than before.(1)

Luna jumped and rushed to hug her daughter. Faust knew how worried she was. She felt her daughter shaking. She looked at the stallion who was still bleeding and sighed. She had half a mind to simply let him bleed out but she knew better than that. She shot a statis spell on him. This would keep him alive at least until they could get him to prison.

They stayed like that for a bit longer before Luna felt something wet on her shoulder. She looked down and saw Shooting had begun crying. She nuzzled her trying to comfort her daughter.

"I'm sorry mom. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do it. I didn't want to hurt them so much." She said still crying.

"It's okay my little star. You couldn't do anything. You managed to stop from killing him and that's something great. Don't worry. Now dry your tears. We need to take these two to prison." Luna said to her.

She nodded and used a hoof to dry her tears.

"Now let's wake up your aunt."

Celestia was running down the hallways of the castle. She just got news about what was happening in Shooting Star's bedroom. The second she had gotten the report all traces of sleep were gone and she was out of her bedroom. She made one more turn before she saw Luna comming towards her.

She let out a sigh of relief when she saw she was holding Shooting Star on one hoof, apparently asleep, but she also noticed the unconscious stallions hovering behind her. One of them was dripping blood on the top of his head. It took her a moment to understand that the stallion was a unicorn who has had his horn broken of.

"Luna, Shooting are you okay?" Celestia asked them.

"Yes we are fine but I think we should discuss where you and your guards were while Shooting was almost killed." Luna said to her sister.

"I'm sorry for not being there but did you really had to break his horn?" Celestia asked indicating the stallion. Luna winced as she remembered what really happened.

"That's a story for another time. We need to take these two to either prison or hospital. They both got pretty banged up. Oh and I think that the maids won't be happy with the mess in my daughter's room." That was an understatment to a ridiculous degree. When they left the room it looked less like a room and more of a war zone.

Celestia shuddered but she could only imagine how bad it was.

Fortunately she was saved by the need to reply by the guards comming with a gallop. They stopped panting slightly but still managed to bow. Celestia took the stallions on her magic and put them down.

"Take these two away. Treat their wounds and make sure they're stable. Then get them to prison. Tell Capitan Armor me and my sister will be there to explain shortly." The guards gave another bow and took the stallions away.

"Now what happened? Why were they hurt that badly?" Celestia asked Luna.

"Well it's a bit complicated. Even I don't understand it very well. Basically I didn't do that to them." Luna said.

"But then who did that?" Celestia asked.

"That's the complicated part. Long story short Star did that." Luna said to her shocked sister.

"B-but how?" Celestia tried to say completely shocked.

"Apparently she was like me more than we thought. She turned into a Nightmare." She said in a solemn tone. Celestia's jaw hit the floor.

"SHE WHAT?" She almost shrieked.

"Shhhhh Tia. You're gonna wake her up." Luna pleaded to her sister. Celestia took a a deep breath and calmed down.

"How?" Celestia asked.

"I don't know very well, but she needs to be able to control it. Her power is far greater than we thought. She barely needed power to break that stallion's horn clean of." Luna explained.

"But how can she do it? How can we teach her to control a power that can't be controlled?" Celestia asked.

"She should learn not to rely on the Nightmare to deal with problems. Those two were the first but I'm sure they're not the last and you know that too. She should be able to defend herself." She explained.

"Are you suggesting we should teach her how to fight? You understand the danger. If she learns how to fight and even accidentally unleashes the Nightmare then not even the Elements could stop her." Celestia protested.

"You're underestimating my daughter sister. Her willpower is greater than mine was even after I returned. The Nightmare clearly wanted to kill those two and was very close but she managed to stop her and get control of her body. I think she would understand if we explained it to her. She is quite smart."

"Yes but-" Celestia tried to say before looking at her niece. She did want Shooting to be able to defend herself but it felt wrong to make an innocent filly learn fighting at such a young age especially against ponies who hated her just for being born. As she looked at Shooting her face blossomed into a small smile for the first time all night.

"At least one good thing happened tonight." She said softly as she pointed a hoof at her flank. Luna raised an eyebrow as she looked down and smiled herself. A cutie mark rested on her flank. It was an image of three silver stars.

"You're right sister. At least one good thing happened tonight. But my point still stands. She needs to defend herself." Luna said to her sister.

"Very well. Now let's go meet Shinning Armor. He can make the preparations for this. I'm too tired to think about that along with everything else." Celestia sighed.

"Very well then." They started walking. "You know Tia I've been thinking about something."

"What is it?"

"How did those two stallions get in the castle grounds and into my daughter's room without detection? I don't doubt your guards but isn't it peculiar."

"I don't know but we can discuss it with Shinning Armor. Why do you ask?" Celestia asked Luna.

"Maybe it's time to gather my old guards again. It could help the Royal Guard because it would be entirely seperate from it and it would give me some peace of mind knowing that ponies from the Order aren't going to put knives at my daughter's throat in the middle of the night again."

They took a turn and were getting near the guard barracks. Celestia thought for a moment. Luna had a point. Having an entire Guard helping at nights could help ease work rather than organising the entire night shift. But something elese registered from what Luna said.

"How do you know it was the Order sister?" She asked.

"Come on sister. How many ponies that want me,my daughter and my night gone are there? Don't act as if I don't know about it. I've seen the reports. There are many who don't want me ruling by your side." Luna said as they were getting closer to Captain Armor's office.

"You're probably right but it's a scary thought that they might still be at large even after a thousand years. I lost you once I don't want to loose you again especially because of them." Celestia said stomping a hoof so hard on the ground the floor cracked.

"Tia calm down. Star is still asleep." Celestia winced. She had completly forgotten about her.

"Come on let's meet with Shinning Armor and get this over. It's certain that we won't get anymore sleep tonight." Celestia said. Luna nodded.

"I agree."

Saying that Shinning Armor wasn't happy to be woken up in the middle of the night would be the understatment of the century. He was groaning and turning around in his bed clearly not wanting to get up even though the knock on his door was growing more rapid by the second. Finally he gave up and got out of bed. He used his magic to tame his mane and tail and got his armor and opened the door to the guards who had woken him.

"What time do you call this Private? You better have a good excuse." Shinning Armor said giving a harsh glare the guard. He gave a salute.

"Princess Celestia ordered us to bring two prisoners. They had attempted to assassin Princess Shooting Star. Her highness said she was coming with her sister to explain shortly." He quickly reported. The Captain's eyes widened.

"HOW AND WHY IN TARTARUS DID TWO PONIES GET IN CASTLE GROUNDS, BREAK INTO A PRINCESS' ROOM AND TRY TO ASSASIN HER AND I AM NOTIFIED AFTER IT HAPPENED?" His impression of the Royal Canterlot Voice was amazingly good but the poor private was reduced to quivering mess on the floor.

"W-w-we were notified a bit befoe it happened and we went straight to Princess Celestia. She ran off and when we caught up she was with Princess Luna in the hallway. She gave us the ponies who had broken in and said to notify you sir and that they are comming to explain shortly." The private finished his report hastily. Shinning Armor sighed.

"Very well then. Dismissed private. Get some sleep." He said to him after he calmed down. The guard gave another salute and went to his barrack to get some well-earned sleep. If only Shinning could follow him and get some rest.

He let out another sigh and went to his office.

"So no disrespect your highneses but it's not easy to belive that one filly-alicorn or not-had that kind of power." Shinning Armor said after hearing the story from the alicorns. Princess Celestia had never minded formalities when they were alone. They kept it only when on public. They hadn't left the details. They also told him about the way it was solved.

"We wouldn't have liked for her to have that kind of power on the first place but I don't think we can do anything about it. Though I don't understand why it's so unbelievable especially to you since your sister's talent is literally raw magic." Celestia said.

"I think we can discuss it another time. What are we going to tell the public. This story is bound to leak. You know that is completely impossible to keep a secret this big in the castle for more than a week." Shinning said.

"Then let's tell them the truth." Both Shinning and Luna stared at Celestia as if she had grown a second head.

"Are you mad sister? Yeah let's go and tell a public whose half already hates me and my daughter that she can turn into a creature that can destroy half of Equestria just by lighting her horn." Luna said sarcasm was dripping at the end of the sentence.

"Then alter the story. Make it look like you summoned the guards while trying to protect your daughter. The stallions put up such a hard fight so they were forced to take drastic measures without killing them." Celestia explained. They both thought for a moment.

"It could work but nopony even the rest of the staff shouldn't know the truth. Even if it started as a rumor it would take just that for others to start investigations. Then it would be a matter of time they found out about it."

"I agree. Also we should make preparations for my niece's lessons. No matter how much I hate it you're right sister. She needs to learn to defend herself. I want the guard to teach her. Battle magic, flight techniques everything she needs to know." Celestia said. Shinning Armor nodded.

"Understood your highness. I will start preparitions immediately. I will make sure she is taught by the best of the guards." He said his guard habits slipped back even though the princesses didn't mind it when they were alone.

"Very well then. I don't think we have anything else to discuss. It's almost time to raise the Sun are you comming sister?" Celestia asked rising from her seat.

"You go forward. I am going to discuss the idea about my guard then I am going to put Star to bed." Celestia nodded and left.

(Author's note: I'm skipping the rest of the conversation since this chapter has dragged on for long enough.)

Author's Note

(1) it'll be important for the next few chapters.

Sorry for the delay. This chapter went longer than I thought and believe it or not I wanted to make it longer. I'll explain everything that happened on the next chapter.