“I see you finally decided to go ahead and break the sigils holding your polymorph together." Celestia yelps and jumps up from her spot on the remains of her shredded mattress to stand protectively above Spike. Seeing it was only her sister however Celestia lets out a shaky breath and sits back down while holding a paw over her chest. Luna's ability to break through her defensive wards and teleport directly into her room having been more than enough to scare the newly reformed dragoness. Taking just an extra moment to calm her fluttering heart Celestia carefully lowers herself back down to rewrap her body around Spike's sleeping form and then pulls him snuggly against her. Even as he sleeps Spike is quick to react and nestles himself closer into his mothers scales.

"I'm sorry Luna I -" Luna’s poorly stifled giggles make Celestia pause and look back to her sister. The dark alicorn's muzzle spilt into a wide grin, her shoulders heaving as she continued to try and keep her laughter quiet enough not to wake her nephew. Though more confused than angry with her sister Celestia still glared at Luna until the mare finally quieted down.

“I honestly forgot how much your scales puff up when you get scared Celestia… It’s good to see the real you again sister.” A small blush darkens the dragoness muzzle even as she frowns.

“To a point I agree Lulu, I just wish Spike felt the same way.” Unsure of what to really say to such a statement Luna ruffles her wings to try and expel some of her rising anxiety. After a few moments of contemplation Luna smiles softly and raises a hoof towards Spike.

“Seeing how he is currently clinging to you I’d say he took it well enough.” Celestia sighs and tilts her head to the side to better expose the deep cuts that still weeped and shimmered in the light from the hearth.

“He struck you with open claws!?” Celestia hisses a warning making Luna cringe. Splaying her ears back she clears her throat before speaking again in a much quieter voice. Unknown to either of the two sisters Spike cracked an eye open to look for the loud noise that woke him but quickly shut his eyes and pretended to be asleep when he saw his aunt approaching.

“Did he really?”

“He did…” Celestia rests her head back down next to Spikes and gently licks his cheek.

“Are you alright?” Luna moves to the edge of the bedding and sits. Reaching out with her hooves she lifts Celestia’s chin up to force her into looking at her and then delicately traces a hoof around the swollen area.

“It looks as though he only cut you deep enough to make you bleed. The swelling is a little concerning though." Celestia pulls her head away.

“I don't care, I deserve his hate." Luna quickly wraps her hooves around Celestia's head and pulls her into her chest. Celestia just closes her eyes as tears start to slowly drip down her cheeks.

"How can you say such a thing Tia? Why would you think that?" Shifting her weight around Celestia's turns enough to free her right arm from Spike and then uses it to pull Luna back to her. Knowing immediately what her sister was doing Luna didn't stop her sister from grabbing her and then shoving her into the now growing cuddle pile. Though not as soft as a pile of ponies, a dragon or Jötuun pile was much warmer, a fact that always made the Moon Goddess smile.

"He doesn't think that I wanted him, part of me is scared he's right. I was practically nonexistent in the beginning of his life, I only really showed up after his tenth winter. I just… he's so much like his father Luna. I look at him, the way he acts, his laugh, even the way he smirks and puffs out his chest when he thinks he's accomplished something. He has never even met his father and yet all I can see when I look at him is my Jörm…" The small smile that had grown on Luna's muzzle died a violent death as Celestia spoke.

"Tia…" Whipping at her tears Celestia tears another chunk of her once priceless sheets apart and uses it to blow her nose. After tossing the now extra ruined silk sheet into the hearth Celestia lays her head back down and sniffles.

"How can I claim to be his mother if I've been so distant his entire life until closer to your return. I tried to convince myself it would be easier if he only saw me as a guardian until I could reveal the truth. I thought there was no way he'd want to see me as his mother if I wasn't even the same species. I… I didn't want him to think I wouldn't love him the same way I would if he was a pony. I'm still scared he thinks that I resent him in some way because he believed he wasn't mine by blood." It was Luna's turn to sigh as she rested the side of her head against Celestia's.

"Blood means nothing and you know it Tia. You and I both know that OUR FATHER loved us, he was not just mine because of our shared blood. Before he changed he loved you more than life itself, granted there were times we went too far with our bickering and pranks and he would say hurtful things to us both. Yet that never stopped him from gifting you his namesake just as mother gifted her moon to me." Spike shifted slightly to try and get a better position to hear the sisters hushed words. Believing the young drake was still asleep both females quieted and waited for Spike to settle in again before resuming the conversation that Spike was now very much invested in.

"Blood only thickens when it is boiled." Luna clicks her tongue.

"I can't say I've heard that one before." Celestia shrugs softly and peers down at her son.

"It's something Fenrir said once. On nights I couldn't sleep I'd stay and watch your moon, a lot of the time even talking in the hopes that you'd somehow hear me. One night Fenrir decided to join me and after hearing me speak just said that. No prompts, no context to why, just said that blood only thickens when it boils. When I tried to ask what she meant she only bowed her head and muttered some prayer before leaving. I only understood what she meant much later during the hunts." Luna hums softly and finds her eyes drawn to the fire burning in the hearth.

"The so called 'Great Hunt'. I remember that well even though out of everything I wish that I could forget that the most." Celestia just nods slowly before continuing.

"I ended up fleeing with Jorm and his sisters. For good reason they didnt want me with them, but Jorm refused to listen to them. It was actually in an argument started after Hel and Fenrir tried to force me to leave that he first called me his mate. I was already crying before but I'm sure if I wasn't I would have burst into tears when he openly proclaimed his love for me to the only family he had left. Hel eventually came around but Fenrir… She only seemed to hate me more for it." Luna's ears perk and the devious grin she now sported did not go unnoticed by either Celestia or Spike as he chanced a quick peek.

"Let me guess Fenrir was vying for Jorm's affection too until the shameless whore that you are just swooped in and stole him away hmm?" Celestia snorted and coughed as she laughed. Her squeals of mirth finally allowed a true smile to grace her scaled lips for the first time in hours. Smiling just as wide Luna roughly smacked her sister's shoulder with her wing. Celestia shakes her head and after calming down enough roughly nuzzles her sister. Luckily enough for Spike both females seemed to temporarily forget about his presence and his shocked reaction to his mother being called a whore by his aunt went unnoticed.

"Considering how Jörm and I met you'd think that wouldn't you… No Luna, Fenrir ironically enough did not have her eye on any creature. In fact the idea of falling for another creature or even the most basic showings of affection terrified her. She was the only one of us to realize how dangerous it was to travel and flee with your loved ones." Luna flinches as memories of her forced participation in the hunt resurfaced. Bile bubbled up in her stomach, scorching her throat and leaving behind a horrid taste in her mouth.

"I remember when those orders were passed out. Many were against the orders but none spoke up until examples were brought forth for us to see how to properly draw out a Jötuun. Prisons were brought into the throne room first. Each maimed and tortured before being put on some display that would not only continue to harm them but had a kill ward on the back that would literally explode and send a shaft of wood through the spine and into their heart if their restraints were tampered with." Black wisps of smoke began to spill from Luna's eyes as she bared her now sharp teeth.

“Luna.” Barely a whisper, the dragoness' words are only heard by her son as Luna's rage continues to grow.

"Yet when hatchlings were brought out he laughed. Like it was the funniest joke in the damned world as those too young to understand such concepts as right or wrong had their scales stripped from their body and barbed pikes shoved through their rectum and out their breasts! That monster placed runes and wards so they could move the pike around organs and not kill the hatchlings. He wanted the hatchlings to scream so that others would come. He wanted mothers and fathers to come and see his -"

"Luna." Celestia's voice shook as much as her body did. In a volume that would typically only be heard spoken by the element of Kindness the Goddess of the sun cried. In her mind all she could see was her own hatching placed mercilessly on those pikes left for her to find. All the same Celestia's voice was loud enough the second time for the alicorn to hear and made her snap her mouth shut. Black smoke is blinked away and replaced by tears as Luna lights her horn and replenishes her illusion spell. Gently Celestia runs her snout against her sister's cheek.

"It's alright Luna." Luna lets out a deep breath and shudders. Slowly letting her boiling rage settle as she uses a breathing technique perfected by the only other alicorn she knew.

"How can it be alright Tia? If you had laid Spikes egg any earlier than -"

"I know… but I'm begging you to stop talking about it." Looking down at her nephew Luna gently strokes his spines with a hoof.

"I wish Spike could have met him as he was before he changed. He was such a kind and loving stallion." Celestia watched as Spike pushed up into Luna’s hoof as she stroked his scales. Leaning her head down to rest next to him she sighs.

"Tiamat often wondered what caused his change as well. She did have a rather convincing theory though." Luna brings her hood back and tucks it beneath her.

"You met Tiamat in your time with the Jötuun?" Humming Celestia nods her head.

"Well seeing how Jörm was not only one of her top generals but also an adopted son I would hope I'd meet her. Jörm did admit to me later on that he only introduced us to show me off to her. Apparently he wanted his mothers permission to court me." Luna giggles.

"Hadn't you both been violently sleeping together by then?" Celestia’s head shoots up to glare at her sister. Had she waited just a moment more however she would have locked eyes with her son as he started to silently choke and gasp for air.

"Jörm and I were not violent." Grinning coyly, Luna brings a wing out in front of her to examine her feathers.

"You literally slept with him the same day you were sent to kill him." Snarling Celestia lowered herself down to glare directly into her sister's eyes. Seeing that her attempts to make her sister laugh failed this time Luna sighs and concedes defeat by averting her eyes. Snorting a large puff of smoke into Luna’s face Celestia holds her glare for a moment longer before talking again.

"As I was saying Luna… Tiamat believed that when our father gifted the sun to me it left him vulnerable. It is the solar deities duty to not only host the power of the sun, but to use it to combat the ever encroaching darkness of the void. Solvictus may have been the most powerful being to ever hold the mantle of the sun, but he also held it for the longest.” Luna glares at her sister enough to make the much larger dragoness pull her head back before lowering her gaze in understanding.

“Do not say that name Celestia. We agreed to never speak his name again.” Celestia nods quickly.

“Right… I try not to speak on such topics because of slip ups like this. I’m sorry Luna.” Groaning Luna pushes herself over to her sister and nuzzles roughly into her scales.

“It does make me curious though. Why would Tiamat care about what happened to our father? He himself is responsible for the brutal murder of her young after she questioned his authority.” Celestia snorts a cloud of black smoke.

“It's almost funny how quickly that whole war started isn’t it?” Luna waves her hoof infront of her muzzle as her sister once again didn’t turn away before blasting her face with smog.

“What do you mean Tia?” Completely ignorant of her sister's plight Celestia continues.

“Of the countless races that lived together, the grand council, each and every god and goddess. Never once had there been even an inkling to the rising tensions between everyone. Without warning our father goes mad in the midst of a council meeting and massacres a young child tearing out their entrails and binding their mother to a stone with them.” Luna’s ears snap to her skull. Looking down she hisses slightly as various overly detailed memories flash in her head.

“I’m very familiar with what happened that day, Tia. We were both there.” Nodding her head Celestia turns to nuzzle into her sister. Luna in turn graciously accepts the affection.

“I know Luna, but that's just my point. We went to every council meeting since the day we could walk and not once had we seen even the smallest amount of anger or hostility between anyone until that day.” Pulling back from Celestia Luna sighs deeply and rubs at her eyes with a wing. Unsure if the topic of conversation or Celestia’s smoke is to blame for the heavy sting that now threatens her with tears.

“We were foals Tia. Besides, we spent most of the time playing with the other children that were dragged along by their parents.” Shifting his head even closer so he won’t miss anything Spike accidentally pushes his snout into his aunt's chest fluff. Looking down at her nephew Luna smiles and gently brushes her own snout against his.

“Luna. Do you even remember what Tiamat had said to our father that made him go mad? Because I do. It haunted my dreams throughout the war, first as lies spun by the enemy and then as the grim truth I never wanted to hear.” A frown quickly dominates Luna’s muzzle as she looks back to Celestia.

“I… No actually… I can’t remember. I swear I can recall everything that happened in horrid detail… I can’t seem to remember what happened before it though.” Celestia shifts her wings anxiously but manages to stop herself from flicking her tail after a moment of concentration.

“Tiamat came to the council that day after being gone for nearly four months. I think I only really remember because of how ecstatic I was. Every time she came she brought almost half a dozen hatchlings with her and after so long of not getting to play with another Jötuun I was beyond excited. I could play with them without holding back.” Luna lets a dry and humorless laugh leave her.

“That I can at least remember. You never did seem to keep your claws to yourself when we played.” Spike can’t help but wonder if that is the reason why he himself had so many issues making friends when younger. Had he been too rough and hurt the other foals?

“When Tiamat came to the council this time she brought with her two youngest hatchlings and a large sack that smelled of death.” Luna flinches. Vivid images of a young drake and her sharing a first kiss flooding her mind.

“Narvi and Vali…”

“Tiamat threw the sack onto the table to let dozens of severed heads roll across the table. One of each race and each still wearing scraps of armor that aligned them to various parties around the room. Then she just asked why. Tiamat, Jötuun Goddess of the first realm, leader of the oldest race to have ever walked the plains, asked why.” Tears start to fall down Luna’s muzzle.

Narvi didn’t deserve what they did… No one even knows what happened to Vali do they?

“The eggs…” Celestia nods once.

“Almost every single communal hatchery in her domain was attacked and all of the eggs smashed. Jörm told me that there were so many lost it was impossible to count the dead, but it was estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands.” A sudden gasp below makes Celestia sigh. Bringing her head down she looks to Spike as he tries desperately to pretend he is still sleeping.

“Spike.” Ignoring his mother, Spike tries to bury his muzzle in the sheets but isn’t quick enough to avoid her tongue as she licks at his brow. A startled squeak is all the confirmation that Celestia needs to know that her son is very much awake. Letting out a tired and defeated sigh the dragoness shifts her body more to the side and snakes her arms out to grasp Spike and pull him into her chest.

“How much of our talk did you hear Spike?” Embarrassed at being caught Spike sighs.

“All of it I think… I woke up when you yelled at each other.” Turning to glare at her sister, Luna looks away to the closest window and clicks her tongue.

“I’m not sure whether or not your wards are meant to let us see out of the windows or not sister, but either way I do believe it’s time for me to go.” Celestia snorts.

“Changing the subject will not save you sister…” Turning her head to look at the clock above the hearth Celestia Sighs.

“But you are correct.”

Rising from the bed she carefully maneuvers herself around her son and walks a few paces away before dipping into a low stretch. Her back pops in many places as she flexes and weakly flaps her wings a few times as Luna gets off of the mattress and does much the same.

“My wards are designed so that I can see out but others cannot look in. Either way you are right, we’ve spent the entire day here now. There isn’t a chance I can pawn my mantle off to you for one night, is there Lulu?” Rather than instantly denying the request like usual Luna turns back and looks to her nephew. Sighing she nods her head.

“I will lower your sun this night sister, but please do not ask this of me again in the near future. I do not like to lower your sun… It reminds me of things I’d rather forget.” Finishing up her stretches Luna trots to the door and tries to open it. Unsurprisingly it is locked thanks to Celestia’s wards and while rolling her eyes Luna lights her horn before vanishing. As soon as Luna is gone Celestia drops her head in exhaustion and slowly turns back towards her bed.

“I’m not in any trouble am I?” Celestia shakes her head as she steps back onto the bed and curls around Spike.

“No Spike, you are not in trouble. I don’t know why you would think that anyways. If anyone was to be at fault it would be Luna and I, even then what we talked about is not anything you aren’t allowed to know. I already told you some things, the rest that we talked about I would have had to tell you sooner or later regardless.” Spike frowns as he looks up at his mother and eventually turns away.

“I’m sorry I clawed you.” Leaning forward Celestia nuzzles into Spike's neck.

“It hurt, but I still feel like I deserved it. I should have been a better mother to you Spike. Rather than hide behind the illusion and let Twilight care for you I should have been there the moment your egg hatched and never left.” Spike leans into Celestia as she nuzzles him. Pushing back against her and forcing her scales to rub roughly against his own.

“I don’t know how to feel about it honestly. Somehow knowing that you are my real mom hurts… I used to dream about being an alicorn or even just a pony so that you could be my real mom. It's funny how now that I got what I’ve always wanted I’m just lost and angry. I don’t even know if I should be happy or mad.” Pulling back Celestia lets her head drop down to her paws. Spike however follows her and is quick to press his snout into the nape of her neck.

“What do we do now?” Smiling Celestia picks up her head and drapes it gently over Spike's shoulders.

“There is a lot to do. Between you and I, the throne, politics, Fenrir… For now though I think I’d like to just sit with you and try and right as many wrongs as I can. We can worry about the future later.”

Author's Note

A little bit darker with the references to the past in this chapter, however a lot of it was taken directly from the Norse Edda Lokasenna This Edda in particular is a bit strange however as it is actually believed by many to have been changed/edited by early Christianity to fit better into their own views.

Disclaimer
Please note this does not reflect my own beliefs and opinions. This is merely an observation made by historians over the years and is not a critique on any religion or beliefs.

*Coughs*

Anyways. As a criminally brief and over simplified version it is stated in the Edda that Loki goes around the mead hall and, for a lack of better words, calls out the other gods on their shit behavior. May it be their excessive sex, the drinking, fighting and violence... Long and short of it Loki pissed off the gods and after being chased around the hall a punishment was put forth.

This punishment was to have Váli (One of Loki's sons) be turned into a wolf and then kill and eat Nari (another of Loki's sons). At the end Nari's intestines are taken and used to tie Loki to a boulder as a venomous snake is held above him to drip is poision into his eyes. To the surprise of no one this upset Loki a bit and when he was free lead an army to Asgard shortly after to kick of Ragnarök.

That being said I can't wait to see you all in the next one. Until then