Investigations
Twilight could no longer hear Luna’s hoofsteps.
At last, she dropped the invisibility spell. Even though she knew what has coming next, she wasn’t prepared. She couldn’t be. Her features contorted in silent agony as the hours finally caught up to her and the time she had borrowed had to be paid for in pure torment – with usurious interest. Bolts of pain shot out from her horn and spread through her entire body. She lay still, her breaths ragged and difficult. Slowly, she recovered.
She had maintained the spell for far longer than was recommended. Or safe. But she had made it. Right under Luna’s nose, in her chariot, Twilight had stowed away, and was now... wherever it was that Luna had gone to. As the pain subsided, fears and doubts again found ample room to grow in the young unicorn’s mind. She was following Luna; spying on her; stalking her. Without Luna’s knowledge, without Celestia’s knowledge, and certainly without any approval from anypony.
Lying there in Luna’s gothic chariot, she thought back to the events of the last twenty-four hours. It had started so innocently.
Her evening tea-time with Princess Celestia had ran long; the hours forgotten as both teacher and pupil had pushed aside thoughts of sleep in favour of each other’s company. Twilight adored spending time with her mentor; her normal urge to keep to her own well-planned schedule had been obliterated utterly. When each, successively longer, chiming of the clock elicited no rebuke from the Solar Princess, Twilight would be the last pony to attempt to press the matter.
It had been near midnight when the innocuous event had occurred. Princess Luna had rapped on the door gently, and after a polite but firm refusal to join the pair, had delivered a simple piece of information to her sister: Luna would not be present in Canterlot the following night; she would leave immediately after raising the moon, and would not return until the sunrise.
Then, Luna had bidden the two ponies a good-night and left to attend to her business.
Celestia had been unperturbed by the occurrence, but a tiny seed of doubt had been planted in Twilight’s mind. Luna had not revealed the reason for her departure. Her sister had seen no reason to ask; as she had later explained to Twilight, Luna was her own pony and could do whatever she wished, and more importantly, Celestia trusted her.
The events of the disastrous near-marriage of Twilight’s brother to a changeling queen had left her with two important lessons. Firstly, the explicit one delivered by her mentor: Trust your feelings. Secondly, the one she had intuited herself: Don’t throw around wild accusations. She had taken both lessons to heart. The reasoned, logical result of those two ideas had provided her the inescapable course of action to take:
Investigate.
What she had learned was nothing less than disturbing. A favour from Shining Armor in the form of some seemingly idle questioning of Luna’s night guards had revealed Luna’s destination: Starlight Hollow, a small insular community in the Unicorn Mountains. A chance interception of a letter to Luna from said community, signed by a one “Noctua”, had informed her that a “ritual” of some kind would be taking place there, that all preparations for it were complete, and that the ponies there were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Princess of the Night so that she might oversee it.
Twilight had been rightly surprised that a small mountain village would be so welcoming to the nocturnal royal, especially considering how hard Luna had had to work to gain even a measure of acceptance in Ponyville last Nightmare Night. Spurred by curiosity and a growing feeling of dread in her gut, Twilight had researched the history of Starlight Hollow.
To her shock, she had discovered that community had been the last stronghold of Nightmare Worshippers; ponies who had remained loyal to Nightmare Moon after her banishment over a millennium ago. Even as the true story of Nightmare Moon had become corrupted into a mere foals’ tale over the centuries that followed, the citizens of Starlight Hollow had continued to consider the Mare in the Moon to be their rightful ruler, and diligently awaited her return.
They had also made blood sacrifices.
There were seventy confirmed, recorded cases of ponies’ lives being snuffed out as part of magic rituals designed to grant Nightmare Moon power, to free her from her prison. The true number of such cases was suspected to be well into the hundreds. The last confirmed instance had been over two hundred years ago, but rumours abounded. The citizens of Starlight Hollow were secretive. They denied that such barbarism still existed amongst them, yet whispers of continued blood sacrifices were heard all the way up to the present day.
In the here and now, Twilight peeked out from the chariot. Luna’s bat-winged pegasi guards stood with practiced, perfect stillness, still chained to the vehicle. They had not seemed to notice her, likely helped by the sound of gentle wind rustling the leaves of nearby trees and grasses that drowned out her breathing. Twilight took in her surroundings.
This couldn’t be Starlight Hollow, or, at least, not the town itself. The chariot had landed on a wide, curving path through a forest. Twilight could see only some hundred-odd yards down the curve in either direction. The full moon shone brightly from above, but the canopy of trees shrouded the wood in darkness, evoking unpleasant memories of the Everfree and Nightmare Moon’s extended night.
She heard hoofsteps.
The unicorn immediately shrunk herself into the rear of the carriage. After about a minute, two ponies passed by. They didn’t see her. She saw them.
They both wore black cloaks, hiding their bodies almost completely underneath simple, dark cloth. Their faces were not covered, but a hood pulled forward over each pony’s head buried their countenance in shadow, leaving only the tip of the muzzle visible.
“Praise be to her Dark Majesty.”
It took a second for Twilight to recognise that one of the ponies was speaking to Luna’s guards. What happened next stunned her.
The guard replied.
“And the aegis of night keep us all.”
The two ponies moved on. Soon another cloaked pony came, though this one said nothing, merely offering the guards a simple nod before continuing down the path. Then two more ponies, again silent. Then three; a pair with a foal.
“Hello,” the child said uncertainly.
“Hello,” a guard replied.
“Is our Princess really here?” the young one asked in wonderment.
“Yes. Don’t keep her waiting.” There was a smile audible in the voice.
Twilight had seen enough. It was clear that Luna’s guards were to remain here – wherever “here” was. Luna had gone down the path, as had eight black-clad ponies. Whatever was going to happen, it was going to happen there.
The purple unicorn’s magic reserves were still quite low, but this conjuration spell was a straightforward one, and could be performed very efficiently by a skilled user. She stepped forward down the path, facing low so that her new black hood concealed her face. The guards turned suspiciously toward her.
Oh, great job, Twilight, she chided herself internally, they didn’t hear any hoofsteps. You just appeared out of nowhere to them. Why, that’s not suspicious at all.
“Uh... praise be to her Dark Majesty,” she intoned, hoping the words didn’t sound as forced or panicked as they actually were.
“And the aegis of night keep us all,” one of the stallions replied with a respectful tilt of his head.
Twilight walked down the path, thinking. She had seen a foal, with two ponies who were presumably parents. They couldn’t be headed to a blood sacrifice ritual. Children would never be allowed to see such things. Or would they?
She shook her head.
No, this had to be something innocent. A prayer ceremony, to ask the moon for a bountiful harvest?
It’s almost winter, her mind reminded her, the harvests are over.
Some sort of candlelight vigil, perhaps. A funeral or a wake? Not for a pony who had been killed, but merely one who had died naturally after a long and fulfilling life. That certainly would make sense. The black cloaks, the largely silent nature of the ponies. And for those who truly appreciated Luna’s night, midnight under a full moon would be a perfect time to honour the dead.
But murder? Surely not. Even Nightmare Moon only desired eternal night; she did not demand ponies’ lives. And Luna was not Nightmare Moon. The Princess of the Night was perhaps a bit rash; quick to take offense and not familiar with modern customs. But she wasn’t evil.
Blood sacrifices were made to her. It’s in the history books, Twilight’s mind spoke.
The last instance was over two centuries ago. There was no living pony in Equestria who had even seen such a thing. None who had ever even known a pony who had seen one.
But the rumours.
Rumours were not fact. Besides, Luna was free now. What the Nightmare Worshippers had hoped to do had already come to pass. Even if the rituals had continued up until her escape, there was surely no reason for them to occur now.
The thirst for power is never quenched. It only grows stronger the more it is indulged.
She heard those words in Celestia’s voice, exactly as she had heard them spoken by her mentor years ago.
As she continued to silently argue with herself, the path opened up to a large clearing in the forest, and Twilight’s mind turned away from its internal struggle to focus on the new environment.
There were ponies here: some two dozen of them; not more than thirty. All of them wore the same black cloaks. Almost all were adults, but the purple unicorn spotted two foals, dressed much like their older counterparts, conversing quietly at the edge of the field.
In fact, all the ponies who were speaking were doing so very softly; in low murmurs and whispers. The effect was undeniably eerie, but so far nothing heinous appeared to be happening. Luna’s large frame made her easy to spot amongst the crowd. The Princess of the Night would converse briefly with an individual pony or a small group, before moving on to the next. Unlike the other ponies, she wasn’t wearing a cloak, making do with her typical crown, gorget, and armoured boots. She had been wearing a cloak in the chariot, but had apparently discarded it – possibly into a flock of bats as she had once done in Ponyville. Twilight briefly wondered what symbolism or significance there was in an unclothed royal surrounded by caped commoners.
She resisted the urge to approach Luna for fear of being discovered, and instead wandered through the small crowd. If it was expected for ponies to greet the Princess upon arrival, it was all the better that she not make herself noticeable, and blend in anonymously as best she could. Her destination was the source of an orange glow on the far side, which she suspected was some kind of fire; torches or candles, most likely. She made no haste, however, hoping to glean some more information as she passed.
The conversations, spoken in hushed tones as if they were secrets, proved to be stunningly mundane. A mare spoke to another about her son’s mediocre performance in school. Two stallions were complaining about the rise in the price of milk and eggs. Another was congratulating himself on finally finishing the addition on his house, all by himself. Another mare was discussing the proper pronunciation of the word “route”. Twilight wondered if they might be speaking in some kind of code, but quickly dismissed the notion as ridiculous.
Her target was in sight now. It was a large, stone platform, some twenty yards across one side. The rock appeared to be a single piece, and carved into a flat, rectangular shape, its top surface above the ground at about the height of a standing adult pony’s cutie mark. There were no notable marking or engravings, at least on the edge that was visible to Twilight, but two opposite sides of it were lined with lit candles.
Black candles.
In the centre of the dais – she had decided that’s what it was – sat one, lone pony. She wore no cloak, giving the purple mare a good view of her forest-green coat and light-grey mane. Her cutie mark appeared to be a sprig of wheat, or some similar plant. She was facing away and to the right, from Twilight’s perspective, and her mane fell in a way that made the expression on her face unreadable. A young adult, she was an Earth pony, and that fact brought to Twilight’s attention something that she had missed earlier; all the ponies she had gotten a solid look at had been unicorns. She couldn’t decide whether this was meaningful or mere coincidence.
“Look at her. She’s crying.”
The voice belonged to a stallion standing a few feet away, who was observing the green mare much like Twilight was.
“So? Let her cry,” a cloaked mare beside him replied dismissively.
“She’s scared.”
“And you wouldn’t be?”
“I say she’s going to run.”
The stallion got a swift – and, judging by his reaction, painful – kick to his shin.
“Don’t say that!” the mare hissed. “She’s not going to run. Not with the Princess here. She knows better. Besides–” Her tone shifted abruptly to a calm, measured one. “–there’s really no running from something like this. You can’t escape it. It’s... inescapable.”
“Hmmm.” The stallion nodded with a wry smile. “Just like my life with you. I fell in love, couldn’t run away from it, now we’re together and I keep getting inescapably kicked in the shins.”
“It’s about to happen again,” she warned.
“I love you.”
“Ugh. You would be a lot easier to love if you didn’t constantly say stupid things.”
“Well maybe I should just shut up then.”
The mare gasped. “This is the best night ever!” With a roll of the eyes from him and a grin from her, their discussion ended.
Twilight’s attention turned back to the green pony. Her face was still hidden from view, but every once in a while, a small shudder would appear in her shoulders. It definitely seemed like she might be crying. But about what?
She’s the sacrifice, the thought popped into the unicorn’s head.
In her study of blood rituals, she had discovered that while some sacrifices had been brutally killed against their will, just as many had been willing participants. For Nightmare Worshippers, to die for their dark ruler was considered a duty and an honour. Is this what this was? Was this mare willing to die for Luna? Or was she being coerced? Or some terrible combination where she was forcing herself into it?
Or there’s no sacrifice at all and I’m just not understanding what’s going on.
Twilight approached the dais and moved along its edge to the right, hoping to get a better view of the Earth pony. Perhaps seeing her expression would answer some questions. She certainly didn’t dare interrogate her directly. It seemed that even stepping on the dais was not permitted, and even if it was, it would surely draw unwanted attention. Then she saw it.
A tear fell from the green mare’s cheek, and landed on the stone below. The purple unicorn froze. Slowly, she craned her neck upward. The shallow angle of her vision had caused the markings to escape her notice before, but when she looked to the spot the tear had impacted, she saw them. Lifting her head as high as she could, she processed the image.
A pentagram, drawn in what appeared to be white chalk. Surrounding it, a circle, some fifteen feet in diameter. Surrounding it, writing, made in ancient, magic runes and extending around its whole circumference. Finally, the whole arrangement was enclosed in yet another circle. The green pony was sitting near the centre of the five-pointed star, and, if the borders of the dais were used as reference, in the near-left quadrant of the inner circle.
The runes were difficult to decipher; a situation not helped by the non-optimal view Twilight had of them. Her magic studies had focussed on modern, functional spells. Ancient magical transcription had never held her interest for the simple reason that it was considered obsolete. Still, she knew just enough to discern the overarching theme in the inscription. It was a transmutation design; a magical “recipe” of sorts. Something was going to be used up in order to create something else.
The symbols describing the end result were utterly alien to her, aside from the suggestion that it was a thing of great power, value, and importance. She did, however recognise two of the runes that formed the “ingredients” of the spell. One was simply “pony”, in its adjectival sense. The other, she knew, could be translated in one of two ways. She was uncertain which presented the more frightening option.
“Life”.
Or “Soul”.
All at once, she became aware that Luna was standing in front of her on the dais, not more than a few yards away. Twilight managed, somehow, to contain the frightened gasp that by all rights should have escaped her immediately. Likewise, she was able to suppress the trembling that her body yearned desperately to engage in. She could do nothing about her heart, which she suspected was now beating loudly enough to be heard by anypony nearby. Instead, she concentrated on remaining stock still, hoping against hope that her cloak provided enough of a cover to allow her to escape the Princess’ recognition.
To her immense relief, Luna was not looking at her, but at the crying pony. From her vantage point, Twilight could still not see the green mare’s expression as Luna gently placed a hoof under her chin, lifted her head, and smiled.
“You’ll do just fine,” she said knowingly, before walking away.
Doing her best to calm her galloping heart, Twilight followed behind stealthily. At the periphery of the gathering Luna approached another mare; this one a dark blue unicorn with a medium-length light-blue mane and a cutie mark of a stellar constellation resembling an owl. She had no cloak, nor any other form of dress, which, including Luna and the green pony in the pentagram, brought the count of unclothed ponies to three. Despite her sticking out like a sore hoof, nopony seemed to be paying her any attention. The unicorn’s horn was active, and before her levitated a large, gleaming, silver, and wickedly-sharp knife.
The instrument’s ornate grip was decorated with several dark, red-speckled stones; Twilight’s brief foray into the study of geology allowed her to surmise they were heliotropes; known more commonly as bloodstones. Enveloped in the dark blue magic aura of its handler, the knife stabbed and cut the air in slow, steady motions.
“Well, that’s a rather poor technique,” Luna observed. “Surely you have done this before?”
The blue pony was only mildly startled by the presence of the Dark Princess. “Yes, of course I have,” she answered quickly, tuning to face her. The knife floated uncertainly between them. “It’s just...” She sighed heavily. “I– I’m nervous, my Princess.”
A regal hoof laid itself on her shoulder. “There is no shame in admitting that,” Luna explained. “No matter what anypony may have told you, the truth is that you are about to end a life. Even aware of the rewards it will yield, you would be a poor excuse for a pony if the thought did not give you some pause.”
Twilight’s stomach felt like it had dropped out from under her as she listened. Cold sweat was beginning to drip down her coat.
Luna cocked her head and stepped back a pace. “If you would prefer, you can give the knife to me. I can perform the final deed.”
The blue unicorn’s eyes widened. “I– uh... No. That’s fine. I mean, it would be an honour, and if you wish, then of course, but–” she tripped over her words, almost dropping the knife in the process. “I mean, I would prefer to follow tradition, if that’s alright with you, Dark Majesty.”
A warm smile and a gentle nod was the response. “Of course.” Luna continued to stare at the wobbling blade. “But, perhaps you will allow me to hold onto it until the time comes. We would not want any accidents during the ritual.”
“Oh, yes! Thank you, Princess.”
The knife was passed from the unicorn’s grip to Luna’s, where a flash of teleportation magic sent it... somewhere, for the time being.
Twilight’s heart had been calmed as much as it could be – which is to say, not very much. She now became aware that her breaths were coming far too loudly. Smartly discarding the idea of simply holding her breath, which would very probably lead to unconsciousness, she merely turned herself aside in the hope this would make her lungs less audible. She could no longer see Luna, but the blue unicorn was still barely visible in the corner of her eye.
There was pause before she spoke again. “I’ve witnessed this ritual before, but...” She hesitated.
“But this is different,” Luna finished for her.
“Em is my best friend,” the blue pony said as she indicated with her nose in the direction of the pentagram, where the green one was still sitting. “We’ve known each other since we were foals. It feels like I can tell what she’s thinking just by looking at her. She always had the most beautiful smile, but now she’s crying, and trying to be strong, and it’s because of all this, because of me. I don’t want to hurt her, and... and I know this is it, and I’m confused... and I’m afraid.”
“It is alright to feel this way,” Luna assured her.
“My best friend... since we were foals... all these years.” The unicorn’s eyes glistened, threatening to release tears at a moment’s notice.
“The connection you share will only make the magic of the offering more potent.”
“I know. I just don’t know if I have the strength to go through with it.”
Luna now re-entered Twilight’s field of view as she once again placed a hoof on the blue pony’s shoulder. “My child, I have observed this ritual hundreds of times. I have seen it tainted by those who were unready or unworthy of its power. But believe me when I tell you: I can see in your eyes that you will not fail. When you stand inside that circle, you will find all the strength you need, and more.”
The Princess stepped back once again.
“Do you need a while longer?”
“No,” the unicorn replied, emboldened. “I’m ready now. I won’t make her wait for this any longer.”
“Very well.”
With those words, the two ponies made their way toward the pentagram. Cloaked figures silently gave way as they passed.
Twilight’s thoughts thrashed about inside her head. A part of her demanded that she leave right now, and report this whole sickening event to Celestia. It was the only moral course of action. But another immediately countered with the fact that she had planned no way to get out of this place. You stupid foal, she berated herself. The last, lingering shreds of denial sounded within her, trying to convince her that she had misheard, misread, or misunderstood. Such evil could not actually be taking place under Luna’s supervision; it had to be a mistake. Another part – a twisted sense of curiosity – actually begged her to stay and see this ritual to its conclusion. Horrifying though it was, it presented an opportunity for learning; a knowledge kept hidden from the rest of the world.
With a solid plan of action not just out of reach, but completely out of sight, she moved to the centre of the crowd; a useless and failed compromise between having a clear view of the three ponies now at the pentagram and having a clear escape path away from them.
The whole gathering had gone silent. Eerily, not even the sound of any nocturnal wildlife was perceptible. The quietude was so pervasive that Twilight could easily hear the soft, concerned whisper of the blue unicorn as she entered the circle and looked to her green friend. “Please don’t cry, Em. I promise I’ll make it quick.”
Luna stood just outside the edge of the markings, across from the dark congregation. The two ponies within were facing each other; the blue one standing to Luna’s left and the crowd’s right; vice-versa for the Earth pony called Em, who was still seated where she had been since Twilight’s arrival.
Luna spoke, notably not making use of her Royal Canterlot Voice, but still perfectly audible in the silence.
“The ritual is about to begin. All of you have been invited and trusted to witness its power; consider it a great privilege. Remember, however, that anypony who is not directly involved in the life offering should remain silent, so as not to disrupt the ritual. If anypony objects to what is about to transpire, your time to speak is now.”
The last words reminded Twilight of a wedding; the celebrant inviting those gathered to speak if they knew of a reason why the couple before them should not be married. She had not been there to hear those words when her brother had almost become the husband of a devious Changeling queen, instead of the true love of his life. She hadn’t had her chance to formally object then, though she had managed to stop the wedding just in time.
Now she was being given a chance. She could speak up, state aloud how wrong sacrificing a living pony was, and perhaps save a life. But could she, really? What would happen if she were to make her presence known? Would anypony listen to her? Would she even be allowed to leave, once they knew of her? If they were willing to kill one of their own, what would stop them from doing so to a hostile outsider? Could she possibly use her magic to fight off all these ponies? Could she fight off Luna herself?
These questions stung her mind. Their obvious answers stung even more.
No, she decided, I can’t do anything. If I’m captured, there will be nothing to stop this from happening over and over again. I have to stay quiet, make it back to Canterlot, and report this to Princess Celestia. I’m not being cowardly, I’m being logical. It’s the only way.
She looked towards the pony whose life was about to end.
One life. I can’t save this one, but I can save others. I just have to keep it together, just a little longer.
She shifted herself slightly forward and to the right. From this position, she could clearly see all three ponies involved in the ritual. Luna leaned her head down, her horn making contact with the inscribed outer circle. Magic flowed into the markings. The pentagram, the runes, and the two circles began to glow a pale silvery-white, clearly illuminating the two smaller ponies and casting a ghoulish shadow above Luna’s muzzle even as it highlighted her chest and neck when she raised herself back up. Twilight’s eyes shot upward and she confirmed her suspicion: The glow was moonlight; the same colour and radiance as the orb hanging in the sky above.
With a nod from Luna, the green Earth pony slid her forehooves forward, lowering her front half to the ground. She was lying flat on her belly now, forelegs stretched toward the blue unicorn, who looked on with wide eyes and slightly-open, trembling lips. Twilight expected either the unicorn or Luna to speak next, but to her surprise, it was Em who began talking; her soft, almost childlike voice delivering her words with a decidedly un-childlike gravitas.
“Tonight, in the light of the moon and in the witness of our Dark Princess, I offer to you my life. I beg you to take my body, my mind, and my soul. I give myself over to you as your property, to strengthen and sustain you, in this life and the next, until the stars burn out.”
The other pony’s voice cracked as she gave her response. “I accept your gift.”
And suddenly, it was she that was lying down; her green friend having risen to her hooves.
The blue unicorn continued speaking from her new position. “In exchange, I offer you my life. I beg you to take my mind, my body, and my soul. I give myself to you as your property, to strengthen and sustain you, in this life and the next, until the stars burn out.”
Tears rolled freely down Em’s smiling face. “I accept your gift,” she choked out.
Soft murmurs of approval sounded from the crowd as the unicorn stood up, and the two ponies gazed into each other’s eyes. Em had to quickly wipe the moisture away from hers.
Luna extended her wings, immediately quieting the gathering. With a benevolent smile, and a voice loud but gentle, she began her speech.
“On this night, the two of you choose to end your lives. Together, you begin a new, joined one; stronger and better than the ones you sacrifice. Your souls are no longer your own, but are now intertwined and inseparable, and never again will they be alone. May your nights and days in this world be numerous. May the stars guide you fortuitously down the path that lies before you. May your joys be many and your sufferings few. And may the strength of your union serve as inspiration and hope to those around you.
“I am the Princess of the Night, but I stand before you humbled and weak; a mere witness to your glory. For in all of ponydom, there is no magic greater, nor a force more powerful, than the love of two ponies for each other.”
A single tear slid down Luna’s muzzle as she gazed at the pair before her. For their part, they saw only each other.
“Emerald Fields, Noctua Windsong, you may seal your bond.”
They all but jumped into their embrace, joining their lips in a kiss that could, even from a distance, be felt as much as seen. They weren’t looking at anything now, their eyes shut tight as they tasted of each other, desperately yet somehow so very gently. Forelegs wrapped around neck and through mane, as each pony claimed her prize.
The pentagram and its surrounding inscriptions exploded in a bright flash around them, sending a column of light into the sky. For a moment, the brightness in the field rivalled that of daytime. The moon found herself eclipsed – ironically not by a shadow, but by brilliance of her own kind that so perfectly outshone hers. The sky lit up with dozens of bursts of lunar fireworks that left behind large, glowing flakes, which then descended lazily to the ground. The effect was like a luminescent snowfall.
Emerald and Noctua broke their kiss, only to immediately throw themselves into a second. Luna giggled at the sight. The inscriptions at their hooves were gone now, but their bodies were still illuminated by the glowing fragments slowly making their way downward. Luna extended her neck, eagerly catching one on the tip of her nose. A large, contented smile drew itself upon her face.
Twilight’s mind was a shattered mess. She hadn’t realised the moment when the silence of the crowd had been broken – probably around the time of the first kiss – but the ponies surrounding her were now freely talking and laughing. She looked around and noted that some of them were extending their hooves to catch the falling particles. A few had removed the hoods of their cloaks, allowing the glowing things to make contact on their faces or manes, eliciting smiles or even small, happy gasps when they did. A couple of foals decided to catch the flakes with their tongues. Their initial reaction was similar, though they quickly wrinkled up their noses and spat, with the simple excuse of “It tastes like chalk!”
A snowflake of light descended toward Twilight Sparkle. She faced upward, allowing it to land smoothly on her forehead, just below her horn. In the instant it touched her, the shattered pieces of her mind were reformed, and every part of her felt and understood.
The feeling was as unmistakable as it was fleeting. It was surrender, and it was strength. It was trust. It was joy. It was, at once, hunger and satiety. It was caring. It was hope. It was safety. It was desire and it was contentment. It was honesty. It was loyalty. It was generosity and kindness and laughter.
It was love, and it was magic.
At last, Twilight smiled. She had been so foalish. How could she have thought so poorly of Luna? How could she have assumed the worst of the ponies of Starlight Hollow? Why had she ignored that part within her that kept asking her to reconsider what she was seeing?
This was no blood sacrifice. There was no victim. Two ponies had found happiness in each other. There would be no blood spilled on this night.
There was a small flash of magic near Luna.
The ornate silver knife levitated in her grip.
“And now,” she said, “tradition demands that we celebrate by indulging ourselves in certain base, carnal desires. An occasion such as this does not come every night. I implore you to leave behind any feelings of guilt, and give in to your hunger.” She grinned. “I freely admit that I will not be holding myself back. And heavens help anypony who carries news of this deed to my sister.” The last sentence had a sinister tone, though her grin never faded.
The Dark Princess transferred the knife to the unicorn beside her.
“As is the custom,” she continued, tilting her head toward the blue pony, “Noctua will cut the first slice of the cake.”
Twilight’s ears perked up.
“There’s cake?!”
Two dozen pairs of eyes instantly turned in her direction. She hadn’t meant to say that so loudly. Or at all. There were a few shocked gasps. Luna was staring wide-eyed and open-mouthed.
“Twilight Sparkle?!”
Oh fiddlesticks.
Violations
“Twilight Sparkle?!” Luna blinked rapidly several times, as if the mare she was looking at were something stuck in her eye that could be thus cleared. For the first time the unicorn had ever seen, she appeared to be at a loss for words. “Wha– what are you doing here?!”
Besides the Princess’, Twilight could see an unnerving number of shocked faces staring her way. She was certain there were many more behind her as well. Her mind searched for acceptable explanations to give, but her imagination had apparently gone into some kind of seizure and was throwing up only fractured images of wedding cake. She was left to speak the words she had desperately hoped to avoid: The truth.
“I... uh... I followed you here, Your Majesty.”
More gasps. Luna kept blinking. “You... what?!”
The purple unicorn was certain the question was not borne from the lunar Princess’ poor hearing, and decided against repeating herself.
“Why?!”
“I...” Twilight started.
It’s okay, it’s not a big deal, her mind offered the comforting lie. So you crashed a wedding... and stalked the co-ruler of Equestria... But she’ll forgive you! It’ll be fine. It’ll all be fine!
“I was curious.” Not a lie; I’m not lying to the Princess! “I wanted to see where you were going.” Just being economical with the truth; no need to bore her with the details.
Were the faces around her becoming less stunned and more angry, or was it just her imagination? No; that part of her was still weakly tossing up confectionery.
Luna exhaled loudly as she closed her eyes and faced the ground. “Twilight,” she said wearily, “do you have any idea what you’ve just done?”
“I’m really sorry, Princess Luna!” Those words, at least, were easy to say. Almost as if some subconscious thought process had been practising them for her all night. “I didn’t mean to pry into your business, but when you said you’d be gone, and you didn’t say where, and I just wanted to know, to... to...” She stopped herself before admitting her real motivation. Her imagination was very much comatose at this point. The truth stared mockingly into her eyes.
The royal pony pre-empted her confession. “My feelings are of no consequence!” Luna was definitely angry now. Were her eyes starting to glow? “Do you understand what this is?” She waved a hoof toward Emerald and Noctua. The former pony’s jaw was still hanging open, while her eyes were wide as saucers. The latter, however, was gritting her teeth and glaring daggers at the purple unicorn.
“A... a wedding?” Twilight volunteered timidly. “I know I wasn’t invited, and I’m really sorry to you, too,” she addressed the couple. “Congratulations, by the way!” she added with a mirthless chuckle.
Luna’s eyes were closed again, and a rather ominous cloud formation was taking shape above her, blocking out the light of the moon. When she spoke, it was obvious she was using significant effort to keep her voice in check. “No, Twilight Sparkle. A wedding, as you know it, can be a very public affair, with a great many casual acquaintances or even strangers in attendance,” she explained, gaining somewhat greater control of her tone as she went. “What you have seen tonight descends from a much different tradition. The joining of these two ponies may well be public knowledge, but the ritual of life offering... it is a very private; a profoundly intimate moment. Only the most trusted of friends and family are permitted to witness it.”
The unicorn noted that the ponies around her now appeared to be not so much angry as outright furious with her.
“For a stranger to see it...” Luna continued, “is an extreme violation; something akin to rape.”
Twilight felt all the blood leave her face. Her stomach, for the second time tonight, fell away into some abyss. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes.
Luna waited patiently for her words to sink in. The clouds above were dissipating, and the Princess’ anger had given way to an anguished sadness and... something else. Was it guilt?
“I...” Twilight squeaked in a manner very befitting of a certain shy pegasus friend of hers, “I didn’t know.” She turned to the surrounding crowd, then back to the two ponies on the dais. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t understand what this was... I didn’t...”
“I know,” Luna interrupted with a loud sigh, “and this is partly my fault as well. I should have been more vigilant when coming here.”
“It’s not your fault, Princess,” Noctua suddenly broke in, “she’s the interloper.”
The large pony nodded solemnly. “Yes. This is a very unfortunate situation for all involved. Still, it falls to me to make redress.” She looked straight into Twilight’s eyes. Almost apologetically. “Seize her.”
Before the purple unicorn could even register the meaning of the last command, a dozen hooves were upon her, pinning her forcefully and painfully to the ground.
“She is skilled with magic,” Luna warned, “Suppress it.”
As if taking the suggestion, Twilight instinctively channeled energy into her horn. Her magical reserves had not yet replenished to anywhere near normal levels, but panic was, as always, a fantastic motivator.
It was too late. A half-dozen unicorns were already at work, blocking any way for her to cast a spell. Even her innate teleportation had no hope of working. Physical struggle was proving to be just as hopeless. She felt her cloak being ripped from her body. Her vision was unfocussed, but she could hear Luna approaching.
“Twilight Sparkle,” the Princess said with a profoundly sorrowful tone, “Believe me when I say that I am sorry for what I must do. I know your actions were borne of ignorance, not malice. Still, the laws of this ritual cannot be ignored. You have witnessed something your eyes had no right to see. You will pay restitution with your own body.”
Twilight finally managed to look up, and immediately regretted the decision to do so. Luna was standing only two steps away, and in her magical grip levitated a knife. Unlike the ornate, silver device she had held minutes earlier, this knife was a plain, utilitarian thing; a simple medium-length steel blade and a plain wooden handle. It looked like it had been pulled at random from some kitchen drawer. To the unicorn, it was the scariest thing she had ever seen.
Her heart threatened to shatter her ribcage. “N– no... Princess...” she gasped the words through a series of panicked breaths.
“Please, Twilight Sparkle, don’t make this difficult. Try to show some dignity. It is the least you can do.”
“I’m so sorry! I won’t tell anypony what I saw here, I swear! Please, I beg you, please forgive me!”
Luna shook her head sadly. “I cannot grant you absolution. This is their night.” Luna again indicated Emerald and Noctua. “They are the only ones who can.”
“Can– can I speak to them?” Twilight asked through her tears.
“They are under no obligation to listen.”
At least it wasn’t a “no”.
“Please,” struggling against her captors, the unicorn turned her head to the pair, “please. I didn’t mean to ruin this night for you. I shouldn’t have come here. I was wrong, but I didn’t know. I never meant to hurt anypony. I’m... I’m happy for you.” She smiled, and the genuineness of it surprised even herself. “You deserved this night for yourselves and I took that away. I’m so sorry that I hurt you. I wish so much that I could take it back. Please, please, forgive me?”
Noctua eyed her skeptically as she pressed her tongue firmly into the side of her mouth. Emerald’s expression was unreadable, though she seemed to be blushing. After a moment, she walked up to her blue friend, and whispered something in her ear. Noctua looked at her quizzically, and whispered back. A few more back-and-forth exchanges took place as Twilight waited, her heart refusing to slow down. Luna’s knife still hung in the air, the blade pointed menacingly her way, only a couple of feet away.
After what seemed like an eternity, but was likely no more than a minute, the two ponies approached.
“What you did was terrible,” Noctua addressed the purple unicorn, “You violated our most private and special moment. You’ve hurt us, in ways you probably don’t even understand.” She sighed. “But you didn’t mean to do it. At the end of the night, it was an accident. Em doesn’t believe that you’re a bad pony, and... I don’t either. We still think this might be the happiest night of our lives, but not if we end it by making a new enemy. So...” She looked to the green mare beside her, who nodded. “We accept your apology.”
Both ponies smiled at Twilight. She felt herself relax, and her stressed heart paced itself as she did her best to smile back. It was easier than she might have expected.
Noctua took a deep, cleansing breath, looked at Em, then gave quick nod to Luna. “Cut her,” she instructed.
Every muscle in Twilight’s body snapped taut, while her eyes went so wide they could be aptly compared not to saucers, but to dinner plates.
“Don’t worry, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said softly, “I promise I’ll make it quick.”
The blade came towards her. The unicorn’s mind went blank as she felt the first slice.
