Manhunter 1: Twilight's Power

The night was abuzz with the sounds of the insects. Luna listened to their conversation and she trotted across the royal lawn. She chuckled to herself as she heard what was said.

Her older sister was asleep in the highest tower. Celestia was catching up on her sleep for the last one thousand years. She had had to stay awake 24/7 to protect both day and night. Sometimes Luna wondered whether her sister was actually glad to have her back or if she was just meant to take away some of the workload.

A sparkle in the grass took her attention. She went to check it out. It was a key. A golden key. The surface of it was carved artistically with intricate, runic symbols. A colbat blue light surrounded it and it floated up Luna's face.

Equestrian Dungeon

    "Doth we really have dungeon?" queried Luna.

She turned and cantered towards the Canterlot Palace. She made a beeline for the master bedroom. Celestia's bedroom. She knocked on the door. There was no answer. She knocked again. Still no answer.

She took a deep breath. “SISTER! OPEN THY DOOR!”

The door swung open.

“What is it Luna?” asked Celestia.

The key floated into view. Celestia used her horn to cast a ray of sunshine on it. She read the inscriptions and her eyes opened wide.

“Where did you find this?” she asked jumpily.

“In the royal gardens, but that doesn’t…”

Celestia cut her off by grabbing the key out of midair in her mouth. The door slammed shut.

Luna gasped at how rude her sister was. “Open thy door sister and explaineth to me the importance of thine key!”

Celestia did not open the door. Luna sighed and blinked once. The door clicked open.

Celestia was standing with her forehooves on the windowpane. Her head was half outside with the key still in her mouth. She dropped it and turned to Luna, shocked that she was standing behind her.

“How did you get in here?” she asked.

“’Tis called The Sisters’ Secrets developed by the younger sister of one Starswirl the Bearded,” Luna explained. “Why doth thou hide such secrets from me darling sister?”

“Luna,” Celestia said soothingly as she rested her head on her sister’s shoulder. “There are just some secrets that should be left alone.”

Luna pulled away from her and walked out of the room in a huff. She stormed down the stairs, black clouds trailing behind her. Everywhere her hooves stomped turned black and swirled with shadows. She unconsciously made her way down to the bowels of the palace. She was surprised when she came up against a solid concrete wall. She had decided to turn back and continue night patrol when she caught a glimpse of a small sun in the corner of the wall.

Now that she had noticed it, her sister's mark was like a billboard. Her eyes glowed white and her horn followed suit. A stream of white lightning burst from the tip of her horn and eradicated the wall. Behind it, she saw seven earth ponies all dressed in full armor.

"I'm sorry Princess but we have orders from your sister, the Honorable Princess Celestia, that you may not pass this point," said one.

For a moment, Luna was tempted to burn him out too, but she caught herself just in time. Her eyes returned to normal and she walked on ahead purposefully. The guards took shaky step forward but one evil stare from the Princess of the night had them cower away like fillies before an Ursa Minor.

At the end of the hall was a large golden door with several runic seals on it matching the ones on the key. There was a small keyhole in the center of the door and she did not have to guess what fit in there.

She blinked once but the Sisters' Secrets did not work. She placed a hoof on the door and wondered to herself What could there be that lies behind this door that mine sister would blatantly lie to mine face?

She felt an electric shock prick her hoof and she drew it back. She turned and trotted back to the stairs without a word. The guards stared after her and then looked at the door. Finally, they switched their gaze to the demolished wall. Celestia was not going to be happy about this.

Luna went to the third floor where the royal guards slept and knocked at one particular pony's door. The snow white unicorn opened his door.

"Goodnight Princess," he greeted groggily. "Is there yawn something I can do for you?"

She put her hooves at the side of his head and stared deep into his eyes. His pupils dilated as he fell under the spell of the Princess.

"What is your command?" he asked.

She let him go and turned toward her own room. She walked until she got to the end of the hallway when she twisted her head and said, "Manhunter." Then she was gone.