An Equestrian Rogue

A groggy Luna awoke from her slumber. Slowly the room began to fill itself in as blurry eyes tried to focus. A dimly lit den of the Princess of the Night that protected her from the harshness of her sister’s sun. Her sheets and bed were unsightly as she had apparently tossed and turned in this day’s slumber.

Then the events of her sleep hit her.

With a bolt she rose from her bed and began to adjust herself. She had royal duties to attend too, but those would need to wait. She had to make herself presentable. She was dutifully pushing the urge to just race to her sister in order to tell her what had transpired, but she was finishing her daily routine--yet another glorious day of tending to the court.

She took the time to wash herself, check her feathered wings, fix her mane, down a cup of coffee, dress herself in her usual garb, tend to Tiberius, make sure her alarm was off--it was two hours before she was scheduled to wake--and finally swing the door to her quarters open with a magical pull.

Two startled stallion guards immediately cut their conversation and went to attention with a salute.

Princess Luna looked at the two. She nodded to one. “You. Go inform Kibitz I’ve awoken and I am in need of a moment to speak with my sister alone.”

“Yes ma’am!” The stallion took off at a breakneck pace down the hallway.

“You! With me.”

The other stallion nodded. “Yes ma’am!” He had a quizzical look on his face for a moment as Luna passed him by, her pace quick and face filled with what he could label as ‘concerned determination’. The guardsman had to exert himself in order to keep up with the quick trot that Luna was making.

As they passed by other guards in the hall, several fell in behind her, each of them exchanging a few words in order to get a surmise of the situation. Though all of them were just as confused. None of them were about to challenge the Lunar of the diarchy and ask her what was occurring.

It was a matter of minutes at the brisk pace that she reached the throne room. Several dignitaries and noble ponies were looking at her with a questioning gaze, though they bowed and gave her the respect she deserved as she passed them by. Some had the gall to look rather opposed to being thrown out even though it was a good hour before the court saw the end of the day’s work. Those looks were quickly wiped clean from muzzles as the side-eyes glance of Princess Luna caught them. Though she said nothing, it was a look that they knew all too well. A mare with a mission and she wasn’t to be stopped.

The doors to the throne room swung open as the two unicorn guards led the way for Luna to enter.

On the dais, Princess Celestia sat as elegantly as always with soft eyes and a gentle smile. Beside her was Kibitz, a gray-haired male unicorn with bushy eyebrows, his mane and tail drawn back into a ponytail. On his body he wore a red coat, a gray caveat, and undersized glasses. Even his eyes were gray. His coat was more stand-out-ish as it was a pale gamboge. He stared at his watch a moment before gazing up to see Princess Luna. He stuffed it away and raised an eyebrow as she approached the dais.

The gentle tone of Celestia clearing her throat was enough to bring him from his questioning. “Oh! Yes. Terribly sorry, your Highness. I shall excuse myself.” With that, Kibitz bowed and backed away, stepping down from the dais. Once he was at a respectable distance, he turned and exited the throne room.

“So, Luna, what seems to be the pleasure of having you end my day early?” Celestia asked with a calm tone, one that was still in the throes of dealing with the rituals of the court.

“You sound almost displeased, Tia” Luna smirked, not hiding the snark.

Celestia let a soft giggle. “Not at all. You saved me from a very heated argument over property values and zoning laws. But it is rare to receive you like this. What’s the matter, Lulu?” Celestia stood and fluttered off the dais with a powerful flap of her majestic white-feathered wings that matched her pristine white coat. The aurora of colors that was her mane and tail fluttered in the gentle breeze as she took off and landed in front of her sister.

Luna let a sigh she didn’t know she was holding. “I was sleeping peacefully when I encountered a nightmare. And it wasn’t like I was looking for any to deal with. But this one was... obscured.”

Celestia let another chortle escape her. “Interrupting court for a nightmare you had? I thought you were a grown mare, Lulu.”

“Tia this is serious!” Luna exclaimed.

Celestia blinked and took a step back. “I see… Sorry, Luna. Just trying to lighten the mood as you always do.” She took that step forward to reclaim the distance she put between them, her voice resolute.

“Sorry. It was… not a pleasant way to wake up,” Luna shook her head, sending her swirling nebulous mane back and forth from the force. It flowed like an endless cosmic expanse, the opposite of her sisters. “This nightmare fought me. Or rather it was, as I said, obscured. It was there, but not tangible. I could peer into it, but details were foggy and confusing. It actively pushed back against me trying to enter it… And I’ve encountered this a few times before.”

Celestia gave her a quizzical eyebrow, wanting her to continue to explain.

Luna inhaled. “Assassins.”

The Solar of the diarchy tensed a moment, her wings shifting to open if only enough to brace herself against those words.

Luna saw her sister’s apprehension and continued on, “Certain items could be instilled with magical properties to ward anyone from prying into their dreams. This one wasn’t at full strength because I think the carrier of the item wasn’t in a deep enough sleep. Nor did the one having this nightmare seem fazed by the events. Usually a nightmare has bits and pieces that are twisted and contorted. Dreams come from memory, but usually details are lost... Not this one. It was as if it was just a memory in dream format, perfectly playing out. The subject of it simply going through the motions at will. And with a fervent struggle I managed to peer deep into it. The moment I did, however, it was gone. It was as if they felt my presence. As if they knew something was amiss.”

Celestia looked from her sister and approached one of the glass mosaics that filled the throne room. The still image of Cadence and Shining Armor at their wedding, prevailing over the changeling invasion was etched into the colorful glass. She looked out at the waning daylight. “So you believe you witnessed an assassin dreaming? One who has magic to fight against your magical influence in dreams and has the mental fortitude to know when it's been breached?”

The voice Luna heard was one filled with sorrow. No fear, no scheming, no survival instincts. It was pure sorrow upon hearing what her sister hypothesized.

“I do, Tia.” Luna said morosely, lowering her head toward the ground in a somber motion.

“Then we’ll need to prepare. We’ll need to inform Cadence, Shining Armor, and Twilight…” Celestia let a heavy sigh. “We can’t risk summoning them all to Canterlot, especially if we are the targets. We’ll also need to inform our allies and all of the brave ponies protecting our lands.”

Luna raised herself back up. “You think this assassin could target anyone or anywhere? Surely not!”

Celestia looked back to Luna and shook her head. “No, I do believe we are likely the targets--or that perhaps some noble or dignitary might be a target as well. But we can’t just assume that since we’re held in high regard… ”

The air around Celestia began to rise in temperature as her temper flared. “But I refuse to let this scoundrel hurt our citizens or our allies!” She stomped a hoof. “We just recently fought back the Storm King and I won’t suffer more victims!”

Celestia gave a snort. She then saw the heated air around her and quickly quelled her temper with a deep breath. “Sorry,” she muttered.

Luna sat back on her haunches and clapped her hooves together. “Brava, sister! Well said! You deserve to let some of that anger out!”

Celestia let a hint of red go across her cheeks. “You know I don’t for a reason. Same reason as you, Lulu. Anger and magic do not mix.”

Luna nodded sagely. “We know this very well.” She got back up and looked toward the throne room door. “Tia, a question.”

Celestia stepped back close to her sister. “Hmm?”

“Are you going to send a few guards to watch over Twilight and her school?”

Celestia smirked. “You say that like I might not already have them there.”

“Tia…” Luna’s tone drug out the vowels with concern.

“I’m kidding. I doubt she would enjoy having a few guards around her, and her friends are always at her side when she needs them…”

“And what if they are the targets as well?”

“Good point.” Celestia retorted with an exhausted sigh. “We may have too. Might as well send a small detachment to watch over Ponyville and Twilight.”

Luna nodded. “I’ll see it done. You should send a message to her post haste.”

Celestia looked back toward the door, following her sister's gaze. “I shall… Something wrong? You’ve been staring at the door…”

Luna seemed to come from her lucid trance. “Mm? Oh. Sorry.”

“Think they are already nearby?” Celestia questioned.

“No. The dream I found was haggard and weak. It seemed a far off echo. It, however, was still strong enough to be noticed,” Luna quickly dashed the sound of concern within Celestia’s voice. “Just can’t shake this feeling that something big is coming. And it’ll be… interesting.”

Celestia gave her a flat look. “You think there is an assassin out there and yet you think it will be interesting.”

“Certainly breaks up the routine, doesn’t it?” Luna gave a sly grin. One that chipped away at Celestia’s visage until she had her own little smile.

“That it does, Luna, that it does.” She responded with a lighthearted laugh.