The Wandering Moon

by KVFFour

Rating: teen
Tags: Romance, Princess Luna, Drama, Tragedy, Violence, Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 4993

Princess Luna accidentally spends a couple thousand years in exile. Time moves on without her.

Takes place (potentially) in the same continuity as Highfire's Great Big Mailventure.

Princess Luna is presumed dead. Her sister weeps. Her friends mourn. A nation searches.
This is not their story. Not entirely, anyways.
Instead, this is the story of what happens, when she returns.

Updates whenever I feel like I have something solid.

Published 2023-07-26 18:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2023-08-04 21:37:04 UTC

Exit Moon, Stage Rear.

Author's Note

Clearly the best way to finish a project is to start another one.

Almost submitted this one with the markdown format not converted properly. Oops.

Exit Moon, Stage Rear.

“…Luna, you look ridiculous.” The somewhat newly minted alicorn gave the lunar diarch a look. She shrugged in response, armor clacking mutely.

“Fie upon thine thoughts. If thou and thine dost not see Us as properly regal, then it is of no issue to Us.” The lunar diarch turned up her nose, affecting a haughty sniff. She held it for a few moments before returning to normal, grinning.

“Truly, thou must excuse Us. We have not been out in proper gear since the days of youngest Equestria.”

The rainbow maned pegasus shrugged from her cloud above her friend. “I mean, you look pretty awesome, not gonna lie. I’m still, like, 20% cooler, but you’re pretty close. Actually, maybe 15%?”

In response the alicorn only preened slightly, matching her gaze.

“…and why are you dressed in plate armor again?” Twilight sighed, resolving to go ahead even with the alicorn following with.

“Dear friend, ask yourself not why but instead, why not? Tis an opportunity for the ages! Adventure, excitement, laughter!” The glaive at her side whickered through the air triumphantly, before the butt of its shaft smacked into the floor with the faint keening of metal.

“…Luna, it’s a friendship problem. You’re ready to overthrow a government, not-”

“Tis better to be able to overcome than unable to do such the same, verily?” The grin remained, if anything it grew stronger.

The purple alicorn sighed, and privately wondered if Luna had been spending too much time around Pinkie. She certainly seemed much more incorrigible these days. Confidence was one thing, but even Rainbow wasn’t this self assured!

…usually.

Said pegasus made her Thinking face for a few moments, tilted her head this way and that, and nodded. “Yeah, that’s fair.”

===

It turns out with two alicorns spearheading a flight, and the most capable pegasus of an age if not moreso further juiced by having been dumped full of magic via sound barrier breaking magical explosion, flying is fast.

Obviously none of the three were trying to see what might come of two alicorns and a pegasus going supersonic at once, but it was useful for endurance. That said, Twilight for perhaps the third time gave the Lunar Diarch’s wingspan, and apparently infinite stamina, a jealous look for the fifth time in as many minutes.

‘That armor has to be helping her. Lightening charm, definitely. If that’s just full weight and she’s flying this carefree I’m going to figure out biomancy tomorrow.’ Quietly, she resolved to also learn better flying technique and then write a book on it for the next alicorn to ascend.

Later.

A hooftap snapped her out of her reverie. The alicorn made a gently surprised noise and glanced over to find a pegasus right beside her. “Yo, Twi, you don’t look so hot.”

“Huh? Oh. Uh, IIIIIII miiiight be pushing it? Kinda. Look, I know I haven’t been keeping up with cardio-” With some effort, she tried to sound nonchalant.

Rainbow gave her a look and she wilted slightly. “…is it really that obvious?”

“Yup. Alright, we’re setting down then. C’mon moonbutt, let’s take a break.” The pegasus somewhat lazily winged over and dove.

“…Moonbutt?” The blue alicorn arched her brow and stooped after a trailing rainbow streak.

===

“…and that’s how you get sunbutt and moonbutt.” The mare grinned, taking another bite of her bar as if to punctuate the point. They’d set up a temporary camp in a clearing. The forest was rather sparse, so it remained quite bright, especially as it was just after midday.

“…well, tis on the snout. For that We cannot fault We suppose.” Luna gave a gentle grin, and then smirked. “Rainbowbutt.”

Lavender hoof gently met lavender face.

“Aw, Twi, don’t be like that. Why didncha tell me Luna was like this? She’s great!”

“Oh? Pray tell young Dash, what was thy first thought of Us?” A mock accusing hoof pointed at Rainbow Dash.

The pegasus gave an easy shrug and grinned back. “Thought you were onea those court prancers. Ooh, lookit me, I have bits by the cartful and a stick up my-”

“Rainbow!” A twig bounced off the pegasus’ forehead.

The lunar regent chuckled, quietly clicking as she shifted positions on her mat. "Nay, nay, do let be, young Sparkle. Dash speaks truly. We have never seen more base caitiffs than in Our sister’s court!

After a moment’s thought, she added on. “…though perhaps she simply has not done her due diligence as thoroughly as We. Bah, her misfortune.”

“Heh. Good to know I was totally right. Rarity’s gonna flip when I tell her this. Anyways, uh… Oh, right!” The pegasus glanced back to Twilight.

“About your wings 'n stuff. You got tired pretty fast, I, uh…” The pegasus awkwardly scratched the back of her head.

“Look, you fly out there and suddenly cramp midair, I don’t wanna tell Celestia I damaged her favorite student slash almost daughter soooo…”

“We walk upon hoof now?” Carefully, Luna levitated the bar from Rainbow’s somewhat distracted grasp and took a middling bite. It tasted somewhat of cherry but mostly of apples and oats.

“Yeah. I remember, like, when I first really tried long distance stuff. Kicked my flank somethin fierce.”

“Alright then, but it’s… Maybe twice the time to get where we’re going? Depending on- stuff.” Twilight cut herself off, clearing her throat.

‘Gotta work on not starting the ramble. Caught myself at least.’

“Blast and misfortune, two alicorn warriors and a pegasus aspirant to the Air Army? Surely we are to perish in the grasp of this pleasant woodland!” The regent put her hooves on her cheeks, open mouthed in horror.

“The Wonderbolts ain’t an army though… I mean they’re, like, kinda military? But…” Rainbow wiggled her hoof uncertainly. “Also I’m in the Reserve, so…”

From the other side, purple eyes blinked and the mouth frowned. “Wait a second. I’m not a ‘warrior’, if an-”

“Fie upon that. You have bested Us in battle and after We rather soundly trounced Our sibling! That said, dear sister is perhaps… Out of practice? Twas markedly less even than it was in ages past.” Another thoughtful bite of the bar and here Rainbow finally noticed.

“Hey. I’m gonna let that slide cause you’re you and pretty cool.” A cyan hoof reached out, receiving a now much shorter brick of compacted and dried food. Rainbow ate the rest somewhat primly, and stood up, doing a few stretches.

Silence sat comfortably for a little while, as the quiet shuffles of flexing pegasus and resting alicorn blended with sporadic bird calls and forest ambience.

“So you interested?” The aspiring Wonderbolt cut her eyes at Twilight Sparkle, Princess and Equestrian Defender, who promptly spat out her water, spluttering and coughing.

“Wh-”

“Look, I saw you staring at Moonbutt’s wings for a solid five minutes at least. Like her wingspan? Or maybe you’re looking a little further back-” Rainbow cut off as the now mildly mortified mare magically muted her mouth.

“Rainbow Danger Dash! That-I-You-Princess Luna I’m so sorry-”

“Hmmm.” It’s known that if one is sufficiently skilled, one can give one’s gaze actual physical force. Here, the lunar princess carefully directed a light touch across wing and then flank. For good effect, she added a translucent highlight.

“I-” With that, Twilight properly began blushing.

“Huh.” Rainbow ate the last of her bar, swallowed, and then opened her damned mouth again.

“So, uh, Moonbutt, what’re your measurements? Rarity’s gonna need wed-”

===

Managing to avoid Twilight going apoplectic or fainting, as well as talking her down from punting her best friend into low Equus orbit, the princess sighed internally.

As the two of them bickered, she thought a little further about her actions, and winced. ‘Perhaps, Luna, twas a bridge too far. Poor Twilight is a good friend, but she be far from the mould Rainbow was struck from-’

“-I DIDN’T SAY NO TO HER!”

‘…what.’ The caravan of thought ground to a halt as she looked at a furiously red alicorn, then to an open mouthed pegasus, who promptly started to grin widely.

“…We think, to save the young princess from an untimely demise by utter embarrassment, it would be best to speed on from this.”

Rainbow looked marginally put out, but the grin remained. “Heh, sure. Twi looks like she’s about to explode.”

“…aaaaaaugh…” Between them, the most capable magician to date groaned and hid her face in feathers.

“Verily, We-” Something twitched at the edge of her senses. It wasn’t uncommon, a familiar feeling of magic, and quite a lot.

“Hold. Dost thou Sense that?” Blade drifted close, power trickling into her armor.

“…W-what-oh. Yeah. Yeah, that… Yeah I see it. Hang on.” A bolt of purple drifted into the undergrowth, searching, searching, and Twilight raised an eyebrow.

Unconsciously, Rainbow drifted into the air. “Alright, come on out! Try anything funny and we kick your flank!”

“Whoa, hey, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. It might just be somepony lost in the forest!” Twilight quickly trotted a little out ahead of the two of them.

“Yeah, but-”

“…No. No, We don’t believe tis a pony. Nor any other. Behind Us, Dash, Sparkle. And be wary.” Behind her, Rainbow and Twilight exchanged a look.

“C’mon Twi, we got this.” A cyan hoof patted the newly minted alicorn, and she nodded, taking a breath.

With a gentle push, their steps and movements were silenced, a faint purple sheen capering about their hooves. All three slipped through the trees and occasional shrub on foot, before all of a sudden, there was a… “Mausoleum?”

It was absurdly large, a faded gray with pure white stone marking some language or another. Simple, but tasteful.

‘Someone put cloaking magic on this, or there’s a generator further inside. Somepony didn’t want this place to get discovered easily…’

Twilight glanced at Luna, seeking recognition, finding only apprehension. Sighing, she took out the old reliable. “Back up, please.”

Obligingly, the two others did. Behind a quickly casted barrier, one extendable stick gently poked the stone.

Tak.

Nothing happened. With a shove, the doors soundlessly shifted inwards.

“…No enchantments besides a resistance to weathering. Doors open inwards… Luna, do you want to go first?” Twilight collapsed her rod, though she didn’t dismiss the barrier.

“Unto the breach then.” The younger princess stepped forward and gave a shove, blade at the ready.

Nothing. The doors swung open and her weapon’s glow bathed it all in a pale light, but there was just an empty room inside. It was of course, large as well, probably able to fit a few dozen ponies comfortably, but still quite empty. Experimentally, Luna tapped the butt of her weapon against the floor around the room.

Tak tak tak tonk. “Hmm.”

Another cursory search found the handle of a hatch. “Intriguing indeed. We would say tis a bit cliche, but…”

The back wall lit with blue lines, and abruptly Luna backed up, summoning a shield out of reflex, pushing power into her armor. “Sparkle, what dost thou make of this?”

“Some kind of rune network. It’s… I think it’s undoing-” Twilight cut off as the other walls suddenly flared to life. And then they apparently flew into the distance, the trio now standing in the entryway of a vast room, barely lit by weaponlight.

The hatch had grown to immense size, but more than that, the door had fallen in. It wasn’t built with the room, she realized.

There was a sharp crack, and suddenly in a fountain of stone shattering, something pierced up and out, before angling directly towards Luna-

SHPANG! A vibrating, iridescent lavender barrier ricocheted it towards the roof. As it went, a rainbow blur collided with it and rebounded away, resolving into a grimacing pegasus hovering next to them.

“Yowza! That thing’s tough! It’s like punching your castle but, like, a million times harder!” Rainbow shook out a hoof, muttering something rude under her breath.

“You okay Rainbow?” Twilight fired a blast and then spared a second to glance over, before glancing back and finding Luna…

Not in motion, but motion itself. The shining arcs of her weapon flashed through air and their apparent attacker, nicking it here and there, supplemented with bursts from her horn to try and pin it down. Luna herself practically walked midair, moving and dodging, spoiling half a dozen shots for the Element of Magic… ‘There!’

ZAK! And then it spun away, bleeding heavily, a dark red cutting through the air before… Disappearing. The alicorn dueling it made a few swipes where it was, but found nothing for her blade to bite. Grumbling, she settled for shouting an insult or two as she landed.

“Hmpf. Thou art a coward and a criminal! Come, strike at Us if thine heart has but a patch not yellowed!” Luna settled back on the ground, apparently completely unwinded.

“Maybe it’s just retreated for now. We don’t know what it could-”

One of the things Princess Luna had done was implant her helmet with a movement detector. In a short range around her, everything moving over a few meters per second became a target. This time, however, it was only enough to be early warning.

She whipped around just as her foe was fading back into visibility, power charging at it’s heart. Luna extrapolated. Her eyes widened, but she still acted.

“NO!” Metal sparked as hoofguards smashed into rock floor. The Lunar Diarch plowed into her friend redeemer, and rescuer, purple eyes meeting ones of deepest blue for just a moment-

===

“UNGH!” Alloy clashed against hard marble. The armor clad body of one lunar regent drove into a hard ground, savaging the feathers of one wing as it was dragged underneath against a thankfully quite smooth floor.

Halting breaths, shaky and pained, as the once leading edge of Equestria and it’s armies drew on old instincts and habit. The diarch rose with a grimace twisting her face, steam rising from the cracks of her armor as automatically summoned water evaporated behind the plating.

‘Come now Luna, your body has stood to worse. Thine armour is not melded to thine flesh as of yet, so-’ Pulling herself to all four legs, she took stock, magic reaching out to take up a ready position with her… Glaive…

Luna’s eyes widened just a little. ‘Gone? What-’

In the days it was forged, armor and arms were both built hardily. It did not benefit from some modern construction methods, but her Rising Crescent was an utter marvel of runework and smithy, a superb craft made by the old masters at the height of their craft, having inherited the legacy of the troubled centuries but also a burgeoning modernization.

To have it simply gone was… Well, if that was gone then by all rights she should’ve been on the floor, dead for at least the moment.

Of course for alicorns such things had a hard time staying.

Still, if it had entirely obliterated her weapon it should’ve also torn through body and limb without much more effort. Her barriers were down and armor mostly unquickened, which stung almost as much as her healing burns did; sloppy. A mistake that her old self would have rebuked her a dozen times over for, now nothing more than happenstance. ‘So be it, then. If naught else, tis a Better way to be awakened from mine…’

The surroundings finally clicked in. ‘Failings…’

“…chains and Tartarus.”

As she looked, it was nothing more than formless grey, almost like her dream nexus as she visited the various dalliances and flirtations of her charges’ sleeping minds. Still, there it was still a dream, with gentle floating specks of some glimmering thing, ethereal drifts and swirls passing by.

Here there was nothing.

Almost, anyways.

At this stage her senses were very much primed for battle, so when her spells tripped behind her and just to the right, she spun and smote her wouldbe ambusher. A perfect Five Meridians Blow impacted from memory, before her hooves followed up with two quick stabs, one through the heart and another through the throat.

The thing that she turned around upon in response to suddenly suffering what should’ve been a shattering strike to the magical tension points of any biological creature, flinched back from the impacts but didn’t suddenly dump it’s magic. Knife strikes didn’t do much either, the two jabs from her sidearm cutting it with ease but doing little else.

The princess leapt back, furrowing her brow. “Hmm. Have We not seen thine ilk before?”

The thing, for that was what it was, jittered and shook like it was about to explode or didn’t want to be shaped vaguely like a pony. There was a noise like a thousand stones snapping and then it kicked off the floor, upwards.

PAK! “…!”

Somewhere in her head the magic fed her it’s position though her eyes had lost track. A mind honed by decades of desperate battles clicked through several spells and then settled on a Moonbeam. Her horn lit and then there was a white flash.

CRACK! With a sound like thunder, it disappeared from magic and view.

“…” Her eyes darting to and fro, a few sigils resolving midair in preparation, Luna waited for it to drop out of cloak or flicker back into existence at the same place.

And waited.

And waited.

Her search spells found nothing.

Sporadic magical projectiles failed to connect with anything.

It was gone.

“Hmh. Disappointing! Why, if We knew that thou wouldst provide such a simple foe, We would have forgone magic entirely!”

No response.

“…oh come now. You cannot expect Us to believe tis as simple as thus. Thou were hidden in stone and locked away! A monster that shattered legions no doubt! Surely…” She trailed off.

Weakened, probably. No, almost certainly. It was not petrified but entrapped within who knew what, for whoever knew how long. And then she had blasted it with something that she’d felled dragons with.

“…hmm. Well then.” She sighed and moved on. Her surroundings, for instance, was more pertinent. Looking around, there was just… Gray.

Empty, uninhabited, gray, as far as the eye could see.

Unbidden, Princess Luna Argent Stellatris, Sword of Equestria, Grand Battlemaster, Nationforger, Dreamguard, felt a little anxiety creep up her spine.

Ten Thousand Years

Author's Note

still questionable
also why is this the most popular story anyways?
~~please like comment and subscribe for more epic content~~
do comment though
discussion generates faster chapterization.

Ten Thousand Years

Doctor’s Log

Physician: Blue Cloudy Skies

Patient: Luna Argent Stellatris

Princess Luna appears to be stable. It appears sustained cutoff from her standard thaumaturgical pathway has changed her basic elemental complex, but she still retains her connection, if not having bolstered it.

The former Princess Celestia has reported that the moon “felt relieved” when she returned. Cannot confirm, assuming under Elemental Doctrine (see Article 23 Equestrian Medical Law) to be factual.

At present, patient is healthy in all respects, but shows severe mental fatigue. Sustained asocialization has lead to very obvious psychogical failures, presumably as coping mechanisms. Interim personality Cosmo is a signature of disassociative identity disorder, obviously a defensive persona to allow for enhanced time passage and self recovery.

Cosmo identifies as female and shares the same basic traits as the Princess, physically at least. Speech pattern is semi typical, though dated and slightly stilted by the passage of time and underuse respectively.

Personality has a mildly cheerful and optimistic disposition, with a significant inclination towards the care of Luna and her general health state. Cosmo has been very cooperative and helpful thus far in this case, apparently having drawn from Luna’s knowledge of medicine.

===

With a thunderous splitting of glass, a vertical crack sheared in midair above a verdant green. The jagged fractal gray spike pierced into infinity, extending forever against the laws of perspective before closing just as quickly.

Staggering as she stepped out onto the now Treehouse of Friendship’s lawn, an armor clad Princess Luna returned, almost a hundred years later.

So overcome with absurd exhaustion and then the pained exhilaration of the moon’s connection being restored, she then promptly fainted onto the dirt.

===

The returned princess is a barrel of issues herself.

According to record, she has spoken a total of five words in the week we have had her in observation. Her speech is halting, stilted, and extremely damaged, presumably as a part of the long-term isolation and lack of use.

Cosmo claims that during her thousand year banishment, Nightmare Moon was active instead of her and therefore she was effectively asleep for much of the time as opposed to here wherein she spent a subjective period no smaller than ten thousand standard Equestrian years trapped in a form of subspace well.

In addition, at some point she appears to have discovered the rough amount of time that has passed, and as a result has further retreated into a state of profound grief, according to Psychonaut Tarsus. Recommendation of further treatment by the both of us with emphasis; I personally do not wish to see what might happen if an alicorn’s depression develops further.

===

Careful, painful, work. Conjuring from the magic of this world was difficult, it had solidified without use. Still, she would return. It was inevitable.

Runes carved into stone, lapping slowly at both her power and background magic to charge themselves. The shattered remains of a week’s failures were neatly placed into a shipping container nearby.

‘And then, We shall return in triumph! Our sister shall undoubtedly be overjoyed as We stride into her very court, tired but unconquered! And then We shall claim Spa-’ Carefully, she halted, and filed that thought with the rest of them, alongside any untoward feelings.

Definitely the latter.

When they refused to sit down she gave them another shove and then they left, grumbling perhaps but still they left.

Luna shook her head, sighing. There would be time for flights of fancy later, when she was out of this place.

===

For nine months, a world had searched. Five hundred of the brightest Equus had to offer bent their minds and efforts towards finding what had happened that fateful day. Griffonian mystics exchanged notes with Zebra shamans who referenced Pony theory, while Yak rituals boosted by Draconic funding peered the veil.

It availed them not, though magic advanced leaps and bounds.

For forty-one years, the sister whose sibling and been torn away grieved without recourse or screamed her rage against fate and its mockery. War and peace, rise and fall, it did not change her sorrow. Even as Twilight Sparkle ascended to the throne, and the solar alicorn became a nomad, it only ebbed away gently.

For fifty years, ten months, six days, and four hours, Celestia Aurum Stellatris had come to terms with the loss. On her own, with the sweat of her brow and might of her soul, she had created a careful, quiet monument to her lost sister. It was etched with silver and built of timelocked obsidian, stained blue, so that it might never come apart, placed in a clearing she etched into the world, and then left for visitors along a trail she blazed.

And then, she threw herself into the world. She would see it for both of them. She would tell her sister to the world and tell the world to her sister.

The shadow of her sun would become known, Luna would become a living memory and she would spread her legacy with the winds of legend! There would be no burial, such a thing would be a travesty! One last voyage for the sister Celestia had failed!

And, then, magic surged with absurd force one day.

The moon reacted for the first time in almost a century.

A certain connection slid back into place, singing with power.

The sky lit as a hypersonic alicorn shattered all airspeed records with contempt.

===

The blue alicorn took another drink. It was far from the best, but it was not swill. She had learned well enough to make better, at least, but at the moment barring the proper materials and mindset, this would do well enough.

If anything, the alcohol dulled the pain, and if she drank enough of it, she could perhaps coax herself into blissful unconscious for a little while yet. It was better than the alternative.

Five hundred, and eighty two failures. A blue hoof weakly beat at the ground.

Damning.

Maybe it was her skill. She was a good runeworker, but her understanding of the field was mostly to physical sciences, and the advanced theory had escaped her. ‘Twilight… Twilight was always better than We at such things.’

Still she refused the idea that this place was simply inescapable, that the story of Princess Luna would be ended with a question instead of exclamation. But her failure wasn’t helping.

'Perhaps,’ came the morbid thought, ‘We have been cut away from Our connection with the moon, and now We are doomed to run out of magic and slowly die a true death in this damned place.’

Other thoughts played around. ‘Worse fates could yet be. If We lose our way surely Our mind shall go with it. If Celestia finds a broken husk of… No.’

“Should it come to thus… We shall endeavor to pass with dignity.” With a grunt, Luna crawled into her makeshift bed and began the process of sleeping off another day of drinking.

As ever, her sleep was empty, and the dreamscape was beyond her.

===

Mere hours passed before Celestia impacted the landing of Ponyville General Hospital. The ground fused into glass, her landing site thankfully chosen away from anyone else, a former diarch galloped through the doors at full speed, running along walls and roof when someone was in her path.

She had no need for directions. Her mind knew.

The local guards posted didn’t even manage to raise their maces before she was through them and at her sister’s side. They then promptly vacated their posts so they could void their bowels someplace more appropriate.

Suspended within the healing field of a medical circle, was an armored alicorn not seen in over a century, shimmering silver and blue. Celestia stopped then, though. Her last memory of her sister was carefully curated and tucked away.

As her hoof slowly reached out, as if expecting an illusion that would shatter with the whim of some capricious villain, she whispered. “Oh, Luna… What happened to you?”

The timelost princess had apparently forgone self care for some time, or had done it very roughly. Parts of her coat were matted down, others more or less hacked into proper length. Her armor was scored and blasted over her chest, among other places, but little else married the old suit of plate.

More than that, though, the physicians had shaved away some of her coat to get at some injury or another, and there, the centerpiece was. A blossoming maze of silver.

“…” A thousand questions began a trial by combat in the solar diarch’s mind, as she gently set her head against her sister’s side, trying to keep every impulse at bay.

“…Ssshister?”

Slowly, haltingly, her muscles warring to look up in a snap and not come up at all in fear of shattering another dream, Celestia met eyes with her sibling for the first time in over a century.

“I-I… I am, here, Luna.” Her voice shook and threatened to shatter into a hundred pieces, but iron control held it together. Luna slowly nodded, and her expression softened, long disused muscles flexing as muscle memory was called up again.

“Excéllance.” And then, the lost sister blinked, and her sister shifted. The sunbearer started at the transition of a suddenly very animated mare, who carefully exited the medical circle and gave her a look almost bordering on panic.

“W-wait, I-I can explain-”

Kring! The old warblade came from its sheath, lit for the first time since the Turbulent Age. Celestia stared down this apparent interloper, this hijacker, her eyes murder, flits of orange flame sparking in her mane. “Do so. Immediately.”

“I-I am Cosmo, Luna made me to deal with everything while she slept back in the gray placepleasedonothitherIjustgotdonefixing-” The alicorn, who had cowered back and squeezed her eyes shut, opened one when she did not feel an enchanted sword clash against her body.

“…and what would ‘everything’ entail?” A dangerous edge buzzed in her voice, the floor beginning to warp under a burningly hot body.

===

Most worrying, however, is the indications of her having used her total form as a transformer. At the moment, her psychoreal form is massively distorted, after what Professor Board says was the use of her body and soul to withstand the immense sparking load to recast the portal.

For an easy analogy, imagine a deep well that narrows at the top. Throwing a rope and going down this well is simple enough, but going up requires precision and power. Or, in lieu of that, brute force.

It appears that her highness chose the latter and attempted to, while doing so, do some self improvement via essentially stoking her metaphysical self. The result is apparently that she has the potential to outstrip any measuring system of mage power, should she ever recover from whatever Tartarus she went through.

Not only is her physical form’s channel structure nearly obliterated, her spiritual pattern is radically altered and burned. I don’t have the credentials to describe in detail, for those with relevant experience consult Figure 9, and the accompanying report.

===

In the throne room of Canterlot, a lavender alicorn spat out her juice and gagged, a presence from so long ago coasting along the aether.