The Princess of Night in the City of Light

Luna sat across from the queen as she helped Vivienne through the paperwork, the queen's reading glasses pinched on her beak to keep them in place. Tiberius was nestled cozily on Vivienne's back, right between her wings. The only sounds were pens scribbling across paper and the ticking of the clock. With a sip of her coffee, the alicorn stared at one particular paper in front of her before she flipped through the others it was attached with. She slipped it over to Vivienne while the queen was in the middle of handling another paper.

The hen glanced up at the pony then to the paper. Her brow raised slightly before she nodded and signed it.

"Their range is rather short," Luna pointed out.

"They are also more mobile and hit harder as well. They can shoot and be out of there before anyone is aware. Think of them more as a means to punch a hole for a rapid breakthrough."

"Hmm. Given the explosive yields they could perhaps take out armored vehicles easily as well."

Vivienne smiled. "Like, perhaps, tanks."

"We will need to do more field tests on them for moving targets in that case."

"I shall see to it, we need every possible advantage."

There was a knock on the door and Vivienne affirmed they could come in. Spike walked in carrying a tray with two hayburgers, hayfries, and two soft drinks for Luna and Vivienne and some berries and an uncracked egg for Tiberius. The opossum sniffed at the air and gently climbed off of Vivienne's back and onto her desk as his little plate was set for him.

"I added some beef stock to the hay to give it a more meaty flavor for you, your majesty."

"Oh please, Spike, just call me Vivienne. Thank you, you are such a good helper. If only more of my little griffons and ponies were so diligent!"

Spike beamed proudly at the praise and bowed before he left as the three went to eating.

"I can't believe she beat you, auntie!" Flurry said from the sidelines.

Luna blew some of her sweat-slick mane from her face to look at the smug grin of the queen across from her. "It has been some time since I practiced my dueling, Flurry."

"And it is important for a queen to practice her bladework, little one. Shall we go again, my Lune?" Vivienne did a little flourish with her blade. "As before, the first strike is yours."

Luna took a step back to fix her mane before they put their protective masks back on and got into position. The pair circled each other carefully, Luna's blade carefully settled in her mouth, Vivienne's grasped by her talons. Differences alone in sword style would have favored a griffon, and had so far. Vivienne's defenses were tested by Luna giving preliminary pokes, the griffon deftly deflecting.

"Ah ah ah, you did this before, my Lune! Please, do not be predictable. It is unbecoming, you must always keep your opponent on their-" she then squawked in surprise as Luna began a brutal assault, her blade whistling in the air as she thrust forward over and over with an additional swing here and there to keep Vivienne on the defense

The queen staggered backwards as she felt Luna's blade tap at her repeatedly while the alicorn called out each point through the hilt in her mouth. Luna then reared back to give one final swing down when Vivienne lunged, tapping the blunted end of her own sword across the alicorn's barrel. The princess nickered in shock at the blunt strikes and stumbled back under the assault.

When it was finally over Vivienne raised her mask over her face and smirked. "Two nothing, my Lune. There is no shame in losing to one as beautiful as I!"

Luna let out a little snort and pawed at the ground a bit as she slowly took off the protective gear. "Your skills are very impressive indeed," she complimented in a terse tone.

Vivienne's wings tightened up against her back as she smiled. "Ah, perhaps Flurry would like a go?"

Before Luna could say a thing in protest Flurry was already by her side, her large wings buzzing in anticipation. "Daddy taught me a little bit, can I auntie, please?"

Luna closed her eyes and nodded. "I do not see why not."

The alicorn filly was dressed in protective gear for her size, the gymnasium well stocked for all sorts. Flurry took up her own sword in her magic and gave it a few swings.

“Flurry, we use our mouths when dueling with another without magic,” Luna gently reminded. “It’s cheating otherwise.”

“Okay auntie,” Flurry said with reluctance as she brought the hit up to her mouth and gripped it. She tested the balance of the sparring blade in her teeth carefully before she looked up to Vivienne with a smile.

"Ready when you are!" she slurred out around the hilt.

Vivienne pulled her protective mask down. "I shall go easy on you."

Flurry nodded as Vivienne gingerly pressed in for a poke, more out of not wanting to hurt the filly than anything. Then Flurry exploded into a whirlwind. The queen squawked in surprise as blunt steel came whipping about and she slowly backed away to keep on the defensive until an opening could be used. The small alicorn's size was a disadvantage in most senses, and Vivienne saw a wide opening that she thrust for.

Flurry countered by twisting out of the way and slamming the flat of her sword right into Vivienne's wrist. Another squawk and her blade dropped to the ground. Before she could yield Flurry did a couple more strikes to ensure that she was properly disarmed.

"Flurry!" Luna snapped, "enough!"

The shout caused Flurry to stumble on her hooves and fell to the ground while Vivienne carefully backed away. As the hen cradled her aching wrist she looked at the two alicorns.

"Perhaps that is enough for today."

Luna helped Flurry out of her gear and the little alicorn ran off to go find Spike and Tiberius. Vivienne let out a pained hiss as she gripped at her wrist.

"What in Tartarus was that?! She damn near broke my wrist! I know you said before that Flurry was strong but I thought that was just with magic!"

Luna bit her lip. "I did too. It has been centuries, Vivi, I forgot how strong an alicorn can be even as a foal."

The queen gently massaged her wrist. "I defeated you twice, not without some difficulty, and yet that little filly just exploded into a ball of violence!"

"She has a perilous future ahead of her if battle is to be her talent."

"I had not considered that." Vivienne began to gingerly take off her own protective gear. "To have your life dictated by a mark upon you until the end of your days..."

"It is what we are good at, not necessarily our destiny. I control the moon, that will always be part of me, but that is not my destiny." Luna's horn flared as she assisted Vivienne.

"Were you destined to become princess?" Vivienne asked in honest curiosity.

Luna shrugged. "The cutie marks of myself, my sister, and Twilight were on the Tree of Harmony. Celestia and I were born alicorns, along with little Flurry. Cadance and Twilight ascended. Perhaps, if Star Swirl and the others had not vanished they would have set up something for Equestria. Alas, it was up to my sister and I to unify the disparate kingdoms and save the ponies from Discord."

"Thrust into a responsibility you perhaps did not want?"

The mare looked away. "There was no one else to do what was necessary... But Celestia and I do not talk about those days."

"Forgive me for bringing it up... and for irritating you earlier."

Luna flicked her tail. "I have not been able to fight personally as well as I used to, but again, nothing I wish to dwell on. Is your wrist feeling any better?"

Vivienne nodded as she held it up for her to look at. "I will try to not use it strenuously for a while. I suppose I will need more of your help with the paperwork. Ah, risk of injury is an occupational hazard. A trip to my personal physician shall see to it."

Luna looked at Flurry as the pair sat in the filly's room with Tiberius being snuggled fiercely by the younger. As she looked down to her niece the pink pony tried to avoid looking back.

"Did you mean to hurt Vivienne?"

Flurry hugged Tiberius tighter.

"Flurry, please talk to me."

"...Yes." She shifted uncomfortably at the confession and kept her eyes down.

"Why?"

Flurry bit her lip and Tiberius squeaked as she squeezed him with trembling limbs. "I never get to see you anymore. Spike's always busy with his stuff too. I only see you at dinner!"

"Flurry," Luna's voice was stern, "It is wrong to hurt someone like that!"

"I-I know!" the filly blubbered out as she closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face. "I know and I did it anyway!"

As Flurry sobbed Luna let out a weary sigh. "You know you must tell her and apologize."

Flurry wiped at her face with a hoof. "I-I'm not sorry."

She stared dumbfounded at her niece. "You are not...?"

"No, and I won't ever be!"

Luna stood up and turned away from the filly. "I am disappointed in you Flurry. You are supposed to be better than that. This is not how a Princess acts."

"A Princess shouldn’t run away either."

Luna froze at those words for a moment before she stiffly walked out of the room collided with Spike. The dragon fell back with a grunt while she was unfazed. He looked up to her and rubbed the back of his head.

"Should I get ice cream...?"

"No. She does not deserve any such," Luna said in a shaky tone.

"Are you okay Princess?"

"I-I would very much like to be alone, Spike."

There was a loud rapping on her door. "Luna?" Vivienne asked through the wood, "May I come in?"

"No," Luna replied as she rolled over onto her belly to stare listlessly out the window.

"I had a talk with Flurry."

Luna’s horn flared and the door unlocked. Vivienne walked inside and shut it behind her.

"I have been monopolizing your time."

Luna rolled over onto her back to look at Vivienne upside down. "Such a mess of things I have made."

"No, a mess that we have made," the hen said as she sat on the bed next to Luna. "I have been so enamored in the courtship of an alicorn princess that I neglected to allow you time for your other responsibilities. To your family, to your ponies."

Gently she laid a hoof on Vivienne's thigh. "It has been too long since someone sought me out as you have, Huntress. Since my return potential suitors were not honest, and far more devious in design than you. If they even cared about me at all as anything besides being Celestia's younger sister."

Vivienne gently stroked the blunt sides of her talons along Luna's foreleg slowly. "I think, perhaps, it is time for you to return to New Mareland."

Luna gave a slow nod. "Some more time with Flurry would be good for her, I know all too well how loneliness and envy turn out..."

She felt a gentle squeeze on her leg. "Would you like for me to stay with you tonight?"

"Please."

Luna was about to speak when Celestia disappeared in a flash. Bewildered, she turned to see Vivienne dressed as a general of an older time during her banishment. She stood there dumbfounded, even as dream constructs fought in the far distance.

Vivienne raised a brow. “You seem confused.”

“I- Well, yes. I have been worried about her. Did you two converse for long?”

The queen nodded. “A brief time, yes. She clearly wanted to see me. Oh, why do you look surprised?”

Luna blinked. “Celestia is not well versed in dream magic, I thought she would have stumbled into your dream by mistake. She came here on purpose?”

Vivienne glanced out to the battlefield. “Indeed. She sought to make sure her feelings were clear. That I should stay away from you, and that there will be consequences should I hurt you.”

Luna’s confusion shifted to annoyance. She pawed at the ground and let out a snort. “She did what?!”

Vivienne came close and embraced her. "Calm, calm. Your sister meant well, but I took care of it. Besides, did you not enter my dreams unbidden before?"

"I did it to help you!" Luna said as she pulled away with a frown. "I did not do it to intimidate you!"

Vivienne smiled warmly. "As I said, I had it well taken care of. Your sister has made many mistakes, no?"

"You did not say anything too vicious, did you?"

The hen shrugged. "I just mentioned all the hurt she had piled upon you. Then you appeared and she fled, but I could have driven her off on my own."

Luna's ears pinned back. "That was quite cruel of you. What did you tell her?"

"She said that we barely knew each other, I reminded her you two had each other for a century when that happened."

"Vivienne! How dare you bring that up with her!" Luna scolded.

Vivienne snarled and in a brief moment her dream visage mirrored her ancestor's. "She comes into my dream unbidden, making demands of me, I can say whatever the fuck I want! Whether it be her neglect that led you to turn into Nightmare Moon or her inability to act that led to the loss of Equestria I will gladly remind her of what she has done wrong when my sanctity is violated!"

Luna snorted and pawed at the ground. "It was not my sister alone responsible for those things, Vivienne. Never bring them up so flippantly.."

There was a sharp sting as Vivienne firmly jabbed a talon into Luna's chest. "You know I strike right to the heart when it matters! Was I to just trade minor barbs until you showed up to condemn her actions? I do not run and hide when I am challenged!"

Luna smacked the talons away. "Yes! You don't drudge up the past like that, especially when you weren't involved in those events in the first place! Celestia neglected me but it was I who made the choice to give in to my envy and hate! Equestria was lost because she was worried about doing what I did, and because I was too ignorant, too stupid, of how to fight modern wars! It's the whole crux of why I'm here with you in the first place!"

Vivienne snorted and turned away. "Of course, she is your sister and you two had been apart for so long. It only makes sense to side with her."

A hoof smacked hard against the ground. "What she did was wrong and not something so easily forgiven, especially when she intended to intimidate you, but that still doesn't excuse your own words!"

The queen looked over her shoulder with an icy gaze.

"Don't give me that look," Luna said with hurt in her voice. "Please Vivi, let's talk things out." She stepped up to stand beside Vivienne at the sight of the battle before them.

"Perhaps it would be best if you left for Sunset sooner rather than later," Vivienne's tense tone smacked Luna with the weight of it.

The princess stiffened up. Her jaw worked but no words came out. In a whirl of magic she vanished from the dream, a trickle of silver tears in her wake.

Vivienne blinked at the left behind stars glittering, and then she was standing amongst rubble. Another blink, and she was at the top of Trinity Hill, the temples in ruins. The heat of the fires burning her beautiful city did nothing to unfreeze her heart from the fear that gripped it. A familiar shadow loomed over her, and as she looked up she could see the evil leer of the long dead emperor, his right eye utterly ruined.