Author's Note

Hey all, I know it's been a couple years since I posted something, especially a story this long. As I said in the description, this is one that I've been writing and re-writing this for a while, I actually started back in March of 2020. Yeah...

Hopefully the next story won't take as long to complete, as I feel I've found my footing with the new setting and characters. As with a few of my previous stories, I took some inspiration from actual historical events to help flesh things out. It's an alternate universe, and while certain events from the show will play out as they did normally, there's bound to be some changes.

I'll be honest here, I think things turned out well, but there's that part of me that always worries it's not nearly as good as I think it is, or that I've lost my 'touch', if I ever had such a thing to begin with... I suppose what I'm trying to say is that there's a part of me that hesitated to post this, a part of me that said it'd never be good enough, that I should take everything I'd written and toss it all out, or that I should stop writing entirely.

The past couple years have been hard, and I suppose this is all a round about way of me getting to the point of this little blurb.

I'd like to dedicate this story to my readers... Really, if it weren't for you guys I probably would've given up writing a long time ago, and I honestly don't know what my life would be like now, were that the case... Learning how put my thoughts down on paper has helped me get through some very dark times, and I just wanted to thank all of you in advance for taking the time to read this story. I don't know how many of you are out there, but some of the comments I've received on my previous stories have been truly touching, and they're still the reason I do what I do. But that's enough out of me...

I hope you all enjoy what's to come, and as always I look forward to reading your comments. Thank you again.

-The Boss

Chapter 1

Presiding over night throughout Equestria never failed to please Princess Luna, the glistening splendor of the stars coupled with the soft pale light of the moon had a beauty all their own. Each evening her tapestry spread over the land for all to see, and even if most slept through it, she knew there were those that gazed upon her work as the art she intended it to be. Constellations forming the faces of great heroes and mythical creatures, distant nebulae adjusted so that their color could be more clearly distinguished. She would've loved to make some alterations to the regal display that night, perhaps influence a comet to streak past...

As it was, however, Luna sat atop her throne. It was a magnificent thing, carved from a single massive slab of obsidian, and recently restored to its rightful place the grand throne room of Canterlot Castle. It was just as comfortable as the day it had arrived as a gift from the Thestral Imperium over a thousand years ago. A symbolic pledge of fealty to the 'Queen of the Night', whomever resided in it would be the 'Empress' of the Imperium... That had been a time, in Luna's opinion, where a throne held far more meaning. Unfortunately, it seemed the uncreatively named Obsidian Throne's importance had been lost to all but the historians of the world, following Luna's banishment. At least it could still grant the Princess a cozy place from which to reign over the room and hear her next petitioner. Even as she focused on the task at hand, her mind and eyes couldn't help but wander to the sky that lay just beyond the stained glass windows.

It was a particularly calm evening, with few petitioners to draw Luna's attention from her thoughts and personal ruminations. There had been a time not long ago where she and her sister had been mortal foes, yet as evidenced by her current task they had managed to work out their differences, albeit with the aid of a particularly precocious librarian. Now she ruled beside her sister, returned to her rightful place as one of the most powerful people in the country. It wasn't as pleasant as it had been before the Nightmare War, and often times Luna felt like there was something missing from her life... A few melancholy memories wafted through her mind, of faces and places long past, but they were just as quickly waved away.

The sad truth was there was little else for Luna to do in Equestria. One thousand years in exile, hardly a blink of an eye to a being such as her, and yet at the same time as epic in scope as any mortal might imagine. Her return and reformation had taken place just over a year before, an even more miniscule period, certainly not long enough to revel in the splendor of her birthright as co-ruler of Equestria. Entitlement was a trait she found most detestable, and yet it too found purchase within her own heart. She was 'entitled' to the throne because her Sister had so decreed it, as any member of the Royal Family could. Royal Family wasn't really the right term, she felt, as aside from her and her sister, only Prince Blueblood and Celestia's recently adopted niece made up the entity known colloquially as 'The Crown'. These thoughts resulted in her expression becoming an almost perpetual frown, and coupled with the rigors of actual rule it was rare if the Princess ever cracked so much as a smirk.

For the poor man that had come before her that night, it must've been a most intimidating visage. He stood before the throne, dressed modestly, nervously taking in the cavernous marble throne room. The impressive banners hung unfurled overhead, the distant lights of Canterlot glittering beyond stained glass windows. One of Celestia's stranger aesthetic choices, certainly, but one that Luna rather liked... She took her eyes from the window and looked at the man, who seemed to flinch when directly examined. Inwardly Luna sighed, it would likely take a great deal of time for her subjects to forgive her actions as Nightmare Moon, and likely even longer to forget. She had her supporters, of course, but as far as she knew their numbers were few.

"You are Hearthstone, correct?" Luna inquired, breaking the silence, to which the man rapidly nodded. Sweat was virtually pouring from his forehead, and given the cool air of the throne room, the Princess could only deduce that stress was the source of his glistening skin. "The reason you have listed for coming before the throne pertains to a legal preceding?" Once again the man nodded, averting his eyes. "Why bring such a matter before the Crown? Are there not suitable attorneys within the city?"

"The matter is a tad odd, your highness." Hearthstone stated uneasily, wringing his hands while trying to look at anything but the Princess. "I install and repair chimneys, and I was contracted to do a job for a Mister Jet Set." Luna's frown only deepened at the mention of the name, the affluent Jet Set had a habit of creating legal webs so complex they would've been impressive... If not for their headache inducing nature. Hearthstone could only bear to look at his own feet. "His wording of the contract seemed clear enough at the time, but it was just vague enough that... Well..."

"He intends not to pay you." Luna concluded for him, Hearthstone nodded once again. "And you are unable to find legal council within Canterlot because mister Jet Set has been a client of virtually every lawyer in the city at one point or another, correct?" Surprised, Hearthstone's eyes met with Luna's for the first time. This wasn't the first time such a thing had happened, Jet Set had the money to hire every attorney he wanted at least once. It wasn't because he needed that many lawyers, but rather to keep others from turning them against him. Keeping them on retainer ensured there would always be a conflict of interest, according to modern Equestrian law... "I shall assign a special magistrate to mediate the dispute. You need not worry about their loyalties, they will answer only to the Crown."

"Thank you, your highness..." Hearthstone said graciously, bowing his head. "I appreciate you taking the trouble to hear me out at such a late hour."

"No trouble at all, Mister Hearthstone." Luna responded with a small note of warmth. "You may take your leave, the details and date of the preceding will be delivered to you shortly. If I might suggest, choose your clients more carefully in the future?" Hearthstone nodded once more, bowing his head before turning to make his way away from the throne. Luna watched him for a few moments, inwardly seething at the thought of the unbelievably annoying trend established by Jet Set. More and more the would-be plutocrats of Canterlot thought themselves above the law, it was only a matter of time before the Crown would need to step in and show them just who really held the power, those with the interests of the people at heart. For now, however, her duties for the night had all but come to an end. Hearthstone was the last of her petitioners, and once he'd filed out of the room the Princess had little more reason to remain upon her throne. Rising gracefully from the polished chair, Luna straightened the lines of her navy blue gown and descended the steps, flanked on both sides by the ceremonially armored forms of her Lunar Marines that lined the walls.

Luna had just a few precious minutes to visit her private kitchen, fix herself a midnight meal, and retire to her chambers to take on her most treasured duty of all... Safeguarding the dreams of Equestria's citizens. Fate, unfortunately, would have other plans for her that night. As Luna reached the exit reserved for royal use, she couldn't help but notice a lack of the usual moonlight that streamed in through the nearby windows. Looking outside, it was apparent this had come about as a result of a thick blanket of clouds. Making her way out of the throne room, Luna turned left in the narrow hallway beyond, out onto a balcony that sat above one of the castle's exterior courtyards. The only light that remained now was that from glittering skyscrapers and dull golden street lamps, as if every star in the heavens had abruptly ceased to be. No such weather event was scheduled for that night, and the clouds carried with them an oppressive foreboding presence. Looming menacingly above the city, not even the faintest glow of Luna's moon could be seen.

Then, in a brilliant flash of light, the darkness was shattered. Luna stared with silent fascination as a bolt of lightning lanced down, striking upon the castle gardens to the west. It was unlike any lightning she'd ever seen before, carrying with it a coloration she could only describe as 'metallic' in nature. The clap of thunder that followed rang with such a force it was a wonder windows throughout the city didn't shatter, and it would later be recorded as the single loudest burst of thunder to ever strike Equestria's capitol. Luna's wings flared on her back whilst magic glowed softly to life in her palms, which followed a sense of unease that coursed through her being. The sense of foreboding grew more pronounced as Luna watched the bolt of lightning somehow sustain itself, carrying on for a good twenty seconds, before dissipating just as abruptly as it had appeared.

Taking to the sky, Luna could already hear the beginnings of the Castle Garrison's response. Alarms and calls to arms sounded throughout the Castle, her Lunar Corps would be the first to spring into action. Celestia would undoubtedly be along shortly, but for now it fell to Luna to deal with whatever new threat had come to menace Equestria. In the space of thirty seconds Luna arrived at the site, from the air she could see a large circle had been scorched into the ground. It was nearly fifty feet across, illuminated by a wreath of roiling orange flames.

Luna observed figures moving in the firelight, accompanied by growls and the clatter of steel. Her palms glowed brighter as magic coiled around her body. Where once her gown had been, now came the weight and heft of darkened armor. Its surface swirled with wild patterns of light and dark steel, as Damascus steel was want to do. Despite its beautiful exterior, the armor had served Luna as recently as her return from exile, though in that context against her Sister's emissaries... The woman shook her head as she landed with a grunt. Standing at the edge of the circle, she watched the figures within with minor trepidation. What lay before her, violently shifting with speed and brutality, was a struggle the likes of which Luna hadn't seen since the darkest days of the Nightmare War.

At the center of the fray was a vaguely feminine form, clad in battered bronzed armor and helmet, wielding a sword that radiated golden light. Cowering on the ground behind her was a smaller form, likely that of a child, which the woman seemed to be going out of her way to keep from the gnashing teeth of her assailants. Attacking the lone warrior were two vaguely humanoid beasts, covered in chitinous armor and dribbling fluorescent green slobber from betwixt their savage jaws. Each movement was visceral, and what little of their muscles Luna could see twitched and coiled like writhing pits of snakes. They were horrendous things to gaze upon, even in the dim firelight, announcing their cruel nature in the way they stalked and snarled.

Luna narrowed her eyes and attempted to step over the flaming barrier, but was repulsed backwards with a surprising amount of arcane force. A pulse of golden energy extended from where she'd attempted to cross, revealing a near invisible dome over the circular battleground. Nearly falling onto her rear, Luna could do nothing but watch the fire lit fight within. The warrior brought her sword down on one of the creatures, which raised its arm defensively to block the blow. Luna wished she'd looked away, cringing as the arm was cleaved clean off, earning an ear splitting shriek from the wretch as it staggered backwards. Chitin and vile glowing green sludge poured forth from the wound with the speed of a busted fire hydrant, each pulse of the beast's heart coating the ground in quarts of the viscous ichor.

The Warrior had little time to celebrate her success, however, as she was suddenly jumped from her left by the second beast. Snarling with a reverberating deep tone, it extended its clawed arm to reveal razor sharp talons before thrusting them effortlessly into the woman's gut. They penetrated the armor with a terrible whine of buckling metal, which resulted in a scream of pain from the woman. This act of barbarism was almost as hard to watch as the amputation of the first creature's arm, as if what Luna had seen hadn't been enough.

The child, it was obvious now it was indeed a child, possibly a teenager, let out a scream that shook Luna to her core. Not since a night a great many centuries ago, when her own Mother and Father had perished, had she heard so much condensed into but a single sound. Despair, fear, anguish, and desperation... In that instance, it'd been her own voice to ring out. She tried once more to enter, but she was evidently powerless to breach the barrier of magic. Luna could only watch in muted horror as the child attempted to rise to her apparent caretaker's defense. The Warrior roared something in a language Luna had never heard before, or rather, a dialect of sorts. It was obviously some form of Draconic, a language with which she was quite familiar, but beyond that she was lost for its meaning. The child, heeding that strange and unknowable order, instead scrambled several feet away from the conflict.

To Luna's surprise, the bronze clad fighter grabbed the second creature by the shoulder and pulled herself further onto the talons embedded in her abdomen. At this, Luna suddenly went very pale. What madness could have possessed the warrior to further injure herself, especially in what was obviously so painful a manner? Even at this distance, the Princess could hear the agonized gasps of the Warrior emanating from beneath her helmet. Her reasoning, however, soon became all too clear. Equally surprised by the act of self mutilation, the beast had little time to react when the woman raised her sword and cut its snarling head from its body. Or, rather... Hacked. For the chitin was so thick about its neck that it took three mighty slashes before the beast was fully decapitated.

The headless corpse crumpled to the ground, twitching and spurting glowing green ooze upon the darkened soil. Blood gushed from the Warrior's abdominal wound as the talon was pulled free, yet somehow she managed to remain on her feet. Visibly struggling against her injuries, the warrior staggered towards the creature whom she'd mutilated before. In one fell swoop, Luna watched the warrior plunge her radiant sword into the creature's body, which spasmed for but a moment before falling completely still. With that, the flaming barrier started to fade. The woman afterward drew the sword from the corpse and jabbed it into the ground, using it to support her weight as the child scrambled towards her side, once again speaking in that language Luna could not understand.

The Princess once more attempted to step over the barrier, this time managing to force her way through the flames as the spell apparently dissipated, leaving a ring of strange runes scribed upon the ground. Seeing the girl desperately clinging to the wounded form, the Princess broke into a sprint. The shock and horror she knew the poor youth endured once again had a direct line to the depths of her soul, and she became overwhelmed by a desire to bring an end to the existential pain Luna knew was soon to come. Armor clattering loudly, heart thundering in her ears, she covered ground at speeds no mortal could match before skidding to a stop just short of the barely kneeling form. The Warrior apparently heard Luna coming, as she went about weakly pushing the child behind her. Wheeling around and prying the sword from the ground, with trembling hands, she leveled the blade at Luna.

Through the slit in the helmet, the Princess could see a mix of fear and desperation glinting in the woman's faintly glowing eyes. Once again the warrior shouted, clearly biting through her anguish, and it was clear to see a girl in dirt and blood speckled clothing huddled behind her. Luna held her arms out cautiously, trying to appear nonthreatening, she could hardly blame the woman before her for such hostility given what had just transpired. Whether it was from an approach of open non-hostility, or merely the result of the mortal wound in the woman's abdomen, the sword clattered to the ground. It's owner, unable to support the weight of her own battered body any longer, fell moments later. She landed and rolled onto her back, chest rising in short agonized gasps. It was evident from the amount of blood, and other less mentionable viscera dragged through the wound by the creature's talon, that no amount of emergency magic or medical treatment could stave off the inevitable specter of death.

The girl, desperately searching for any means to help, appeared absolutely beside herself. Luna approached the fallen figure and the frantic child, listening somberly as the girl could do little more than openly sob and cry out in that unknown tongue. The warrior spoke in an ever weakening voice, and the child responded in excited utterances between gasps of sorrow. The glow of the warrior's sword gradually faded to nothing, in those brief moments Luna caught sight of strange runes etched along its length. Once again, though she couldn't discern their meaning, they were obviously an archaic dialect of Draconic origin. There would be time to examine them in greater detail later, as there were far more pressing matters on Luna's mind. Kneeling beside the dying Warrior, the girl reached over and with fumbling movements removed the battered helmet.

The woman beneath the helmet had an ovular face, her sweat soaked skin bearing marked resemblance to a bronze statue... Warm almond brown hair flowed past her shoulders, the ends of which appeared frayed and even burned in some instances. The faintly glowing almond shaped eyes stared with remarkable intensity at Luna, as if peering into the deepest depths of her being. She was beautiful, with remarkably rounded features for someone that fought with such ferocity.

Luna took a few steps forward, the girl recoiling in obvious fright, only for the woman to weakly shake her head and speak further. Little more than a whisper by now... Struggling to so much as even turn her head, the fallen warrior brought a trembling hand up to the girl's tear soaked cheek in an effort to brush away some of the soot, though this did little more than smudge the thin gray powder with crimson blood. With a trembling finger, the warrior spoke and pointed at the sword on the ground. What followed was a short bout of violent coughing, sending blood and spittle forth from her lips. The girl, apparently acting on the woman's instructions, hesitantly lifted the blade.

"I mean you no harm..." Luna said softly, maintaining as non-threatening a stance as possible. The girl didn't understand her, obviously, and so she held the blade shakily in her own defense. The frightened girl looked to the dying woman, who only nodded with what little strength remained as the last of her vitality continued to drain away. Luna took a few steps closer, at this point the girl looked at her with less fear...

The girl had wide golden eyes that visibly glowed like those of the Warrior, and in them Luna could see an ocean of grief and terror that at once again struck at the Princess's very soul. No more than five feet tall, likely in her mid to late-teenage years, she could only stare up at what to her was an unknown stranger with flowing starry hair. It was apparent from her own rich bronzed skin, remarkably similar facial features, hair, and eye color that the warrior likely was the child's mother... Indeed, she'd certainly fought with motherly abandon against whatever those the foul smelling beasts had been. The dying woman looked at the Luna, then pointed at the girl, then once more to Luna. For one final time the warrior spoke weakly, choking out those words that Luna simply couldn't comprehend... Yet, to her, their meaning was all too clear. A final declaration of love from mother to child, there could have been no other explanation, and a plea... A plea to help her daughter.

The girl leaned down, hugging the woman as tightly as she could, the tears running in muddy streaks through the soot upon her face. With herculean effort, the warrior raised her head and planted a kiss on the girl's cheek. That would prove her last act, for she could draw breath no longer. In muted silence the woman's head lolled back, her eyes wide open, yet her chest completely still. A heart wrenching wail arose from the throat of that small huddled form beside the freshly dead body, conveying emotions of such weight that they transcended language itself. Disbelief, realization, sorrow and finally unspeakable grief. The girl frantically shook the unmoving warrior with cries that pierced the night, as if the act would coax the woman back into life. Luna knew all too well that would do little... Overwhelmed by the scene her eyes beheld, Luna swiftly moved to the child and crouched beside her.

"You are going to be okay..." The Princess soothed, a myriad of emotions running through her head. There was the faintest sense of being outside of her own body, as she was sure this was likely how she'd looked when told of her own parents' demise. Yet for all the terrible familiarity she found, there was an even greater part of her that knew not how to respond. Acting without thought, likely the result of some previously forgotten maternal instinct, Luna opened her arms and embraced the sobbing girl as gently as she could. The girl didn't resist or pull away, and so the Princess did her best to provide whatever meager comfort was possible. "You are safe now."

The distant clatter of boots on pave stones signaled the arrival of the Lunar Corps, though she wished they had only come a few minutes sooner. Whether they could've rendered aid in the fight or not was unlikely, given the strange barrier that had kept even Luna from interfering, but it would have at least been a response with something more... Substantial. The Princess looked towards the sky, watching the clouds gradually part, once again casting the light of the moon far across the land. Against the pale white disc she could also see the faint glow of Celestia's magic, and sure enough her sister landed a few moments later, adorned in her own shining golden armor. The sudden arrival apparently caught the child off guard, as she quickly buried her face into Luna's shoulder.

"Sister..." Luna quietly spoke, unsure of how best to calm the wailing child held in her arms. Celestia took stock of the desolated portion of the gardens with uncertainty, grimacing at the sight of two dead creatures and the deceased mother. Written upon her face was that unspoken question, one that Luna herself was unclear as to how she should answer. Just what had happened was both obvious and mysterious. Yes, a battle had been waged, but the nature of that battle remained unknown... "It appears these three were mid combat before their arrival... The child's mother is..." Luna trailed off, patting the girl on the back. "You are alright... Shh..."

"I'd sensed a change in the Arcane Barrier, but..." Celestia stated, kneeling across from Luna before looking at the child. The girl instinctively clung tighter to Luna with considerably force, a matter that seemed most peculiar given her limited stature. Given that she'd heard the mother speaking what seemed a form of Draconic, however, the added strength wasn't entirely out of the question. She was small by typical Equestrian standards, and virtually miniscule compared to other Drakes of similar age, assuming that was indeed what she was. "Where did she come from?"

"She was with this woman..." Luna looked to the dead woman, only to avert her eyes as she could not bear to look at such a grisly scene for more than a few seconds at a time. "My guess is she is... Was... The child's mother." Celestia sighed with the revelation, but ultimately didn't disagree. Biting her lower lip, it seemed that the ever implacable Princess of the Sun was being effected much in the way Luna had been. The sobs of children were something she was not used to, especially such intense cries of grief, and Luna suspected it brought into stark realization just how complacent perhaps Celestia had become with the 'Modern Peace' of the world. "I know not if the child is in good health, but she seems..." Luna stopped once again as the child shuddered against her. "Shh... Shh... You are safe..." The Princess glanced back at her sister. "She seems unable to understand Equestrian, rather a form of Draconic, though I cannot translate..."

"I don't recognize the spell that brought them here off hand." Celestia stated, holding a hand off to the side to signal the approaching marines that they were quite alright. Her palm glowed with golden energy, which she waved cautiously over the child, who in turn shrunk fearfully closer to Luna. Her eyes widened in shock and uncertainty, which at once set Luna on edge. Few things in the arcane arts could take Celestia by surprise, and those that did tended not to be of a pleasant sort. "These are beings not of our realm, Luna. At least... Not initially. The residual magic I can sense indicates this appears to be a botched teleportation from... Somewhere else." She looked at the twitching creatures, somehow still spurting their foul smelling ooze into the charred grass. "Likely cast in a panic."

"Do you think there will be more?" Luna asked cautiously, holding the child in her arms as her cries gradually began to calm. She had no illusions that it was because the girl felt better, likely it was rather a mix of exhaustion, both emotional and physical. Celestia shook her head, holding a glowing palm out towards the sky whilst settling her eyes on the sword that lay on the ground.

"I'm warding the barrier to inform me if any spells such as this emerge again, though I can't speak to its effectiveness. In the unlikely event more come, we might get some warning, or not." Celestia explained, lowering her arm and kneeling to pick up the sword. Grabbing hold of the hilt, the Princess attempted to lift, but was surprised when the sword refused to budge. Luna, still holding the child, watched with mild curiosity... The child had seemed perfectly capable of lifting the blade. "I don't understand..."

"Please, stop crying..." Luna soothed gently as she could, raising one hand and drawing a bit of magic into her palm. "Look at the light..." The child's attention was briefly drawn from the ground, her eyes staring at the ball of magic in surprised alarm. Luna rarely used spells to calm the emotions of others, it seemed an improper use of power to bend someone's feelings to her will, but in this case, the child was barely coming out of complete hysterics. That served to help no one, least of all the child... To Luna's surprise, the girl's glowing golden eyes gradually shifted in hue, taking on a cerulean shade much like her own, even after the glow in Luna's palm abruptly dissipated... "Sister, something has changed..." Celestia stopped trying to lift the blade, rapidly rising to examine the child for herself. "Did my magic harm her?"

"No, Luna..." Celestia assured, her palm glowing faintly as she waved it near the girl. While no longer in complete emotional destruction, the girl nonetheless seemed ill fond of having such things in close proximity. Regardless of apparent discomfort, however, there was little that could be done to avoid it. Some spells just required a closer arcane analysis... "Her magical signature isn't like anything I've seen before. It seems Draconic in nature, but it is morphing in a way that seems..." The Princess trailed off, her eyes suddenly widening with fascination. "It appears to be shifting to emulate your own. Luna, this may seem odd, but I think she's imprinting on you."

"Imprinting on me? As in... Wolves, or ducklings? That sort of imprinting?" Luna's voice carried with it understandable surprise, after all few beings could 'morph' their arcane signatures, few 'good' things at any rate. That it was shifting to match Luna's added an entirely new element to the mix... Children were known to share similar arcane signatures to their parents, typically that of the Mother's. Here was a child, not Luna's by blood, and yet beginning to share a feature thought limited to the scope of genetics. Meager as study of that scientific field was... Celestia could apparently see the wheels turning in her sister's head, she too likely understood the enormity of what was transpiring before their eyes. Not wanting to disturb the girl any further, the elder sister opted to only nod. "What should I do?"

"Normally, I'd say it would be best to send her to an orphanage." Celestia stated solemnly, her eyes turning towards the unmoving sword on the ground. For Luna, the word 'orphanage' could only conjure images of a time one thousand years past. Squalid conditions, cruel caretakers and detestable levels of oversight... Or lack thereof. She knew much had changed in those thousand years, but not nearly enough for her liking. The thought of sending the child that so desperately clung to her into a place as cold and unfeeling as the bureaucratic hellscape that was the care of the state was simply inconceivable. "Given the unusual circumstances of her arrival, her shifting magic signature, and her apparent inability to understand us... I think it would be best if she stayed with a member of the Mage's College, perhaps Dean Velvet. We can observe her more closely, perhaps unearth some knowledge on the nature of where she came from."

"She is not some lab rat to be poked and prodded!" Luna suddenly snapped, apparently taking Celestia by surprise. Indeed the harshness with which she'd spoken even took her off guard, but what Celestia proposed would surely be equally as damaging to the girl's mental health. Perhaps, Luna thought, it was some well of emotion left untapped throughout the centuries... The smoldering residue of the moment her own parents had departed the mortal coil, and her powerlessness to do anything about it, or any number of the countless dreams of family she'd given up on long ago. Reining in the unforeseen outrage, a frown gradually spreading over her lips, Luna shook her head. "I apologize... Twilight Velvet is a fine Mage, Sister, but... We cannot foist upon her a child of unknown origin and pray for the best. It is unfair to her, and unfair to the child..." She considered for a moment, that was really all the time she needed...

"No, sister... I will adopt her." Luna stated solemnly, once more it seemed Celestia was speechless. Luna took a deep breath through her nostrils, then gazed downwards at the tear stricken face. The girl stared up at her, eyes bleary and red, filled with an anguish that Luna felt all too familiar with. There were worse people to adopt a child, worse lives the child could live than becoming the daughter of a Princess. She looked at the still corpse of the fallen mother, taking in just how hard the woman had fought to defend the child now safely nestled in Luna's arms. That sort of sacrifice, that devotion, was something Luna simply couldn't ignore... Placing the child anywhere else would, in her eyes, dishonor all that the dead woman had fought for.

"Alright..." Celestia agreed after what must've seemed an eternity of minutes, Luna embraced the girl more gently. "I'll do all I can to help you, Luna, but she will be your daughter." At the uttering of these words, Luna and Celestia's eyes were both drawn to the sword laying upon the ground. The runes that had gone dark before now held a brilliant glow, this time taking on a distinctly violet hue. Their meaning as to how they pertained to the child remained unknown, but hopefully with proper study and research, something could soon be revealed...