Royal Beginnings

So the days began. When she awoke in the evenings, she would spend a moment reading Twilight’s latest scroll, then spend the night with Luna, going over grammar, syntax and teaching her the history of Equestria in the time since she was imprisoned. It was so easy teaching Luna, she picked up languages as naturally as a duck took to water. It was often heartbreaking to teach her the history that had happened in her absence. Politics had changed from purely being run by the monarchs to various incarnations of political advisory bodies before settling on what it was now, run by multiple government departments that reported to Celestia each quarter. Luna wept when she learned of the Battle of the Skies, where the Griffons had invaded Equestria seeking riches and territory at the perceived weakness of a single Princess, only to be rebuffed by the newly formed Earth, Pegasi and Unicorn military contingents. Many ponies had lost their lives, but they had prevailed and cemented themselves as a military force to be reckoned with, even without both Goddesses at the helm. She delighted in the advances of medicine and music, rejoicing and dancing around her room when Apple Harvest procured a few records to play for her. Luna never forgot the Thestrals though, sitting patiently as Apple told her of their exile, their struggles, how they had to learn their own medical knowledge as the advances in medicine were denied to them.

Apple was surprised herself at how much she knew about Thestral history, she had collected more than even she was aware of. Where her memory failed, Luna coaxed the words from her using dream magic, showing Apple how to navigate the twists in her own memory to find the truth. Luna dutifully wrote down everything Apple could recall, often pausing to simply hold Apple as she cried over generations of trauma and loss. Luna didn't talk of her time on the moon, simply stating that she would rather wait until she was caught up on all she had missed before delving into those dark memories.

Weeks into this routine, Luna had recovered enough magic to step into the dream realm for the first time. She had asked Apple to remain with her, though she could not follow her into the dream world. Apple watched as Luna brushed aside her pale blue mane, settling into a comfortable position and closing her eyes. Her horn lit up in a soft glow, and her body faded to be almost translucent. Apple sat with her, enjoying the cool breeze from the window. Nightmare Night was approaching, and the nights were getting long and chilly. She relaxed, reflecting on the past few weeks. Luna had been everything she had hoped, and completely unexpected. She was friendly, vulnerable, at times mysterious and ancient. She had given Apple a home in the castle, and they had grown incredibly close. Luna seemed to revel in every triumph of Apple’s, feel every sorrow, almost as a mother would. It was odd, but far from unpleasant. Apple’s mind started to wander when suddenly Luna’s eyes opened with a jerk, and she gasped and shuddered, her body returning with great shivers.

“Your Grace! What happened?” Apple quickly grabbed a blanket, bundling Luna up as the shivers wracked her body.

“Oh Tia, oh my word what have you done…” Luna moaned, tears running down her face.

She lay there sobbing and shaking, Apple stroking her mane. Apple was almost overwhelmed by the waves of grief rolling off Luna, feeling tears that werent her own run down her cheeks, wetting her fur. “Your Grace?”

Luna stood. “Wait for me here, young Apple Harvest. I must see my sister.”

She strode past Apple, her form seeming to shift and ripple between her usual small shape and the shame of a larger, more imposing alicorn. Apple stood, worried and concerned. Luna rarely gave orders, and would never order her to stay behind like this. “Your Grace-” she entreatied, only for Luna to cast a sharp eye towards her.

“You must remain here. What I am about to do will endanger the entire castle, but it must be done. The enchantments over this room will keep you as safe as possible until I call upon you again.” with those last ominous words, Luna dissolved into a cloud of darkness and it flew away down the hall. Endanger the entire castle? Apple chewed her hoof. This was Luna, there was no trace of the Nightmare, what could she possibly be doing?

Apple paced around the room, desperately wanting to run to Luna but knowing she couldn't disobey a direct order. She was powerless, trapped.

A commotion on the lawn pulled her to the window, multiple solar guards were shouting and running towards Celestia’s wing of the castle, where bright lances of silver were flashing in the window of what Apple could only assume was Celestia’s room. They thought Celestia was under attack! The window shattered, and Celestia’s pale form was hurled through the glass. Her great wings unfurled, and she attempted to fly away from the castle, only for Luna’s small blue form to fly out of the window and land on top of her. The alicorns fought against each other, teeth gnashing and magic zapping in the air. Apple leaned as far as she could out the window without leaving the room, watching with her hooves pressed against her mouth in horror. Luna was attacking Celestia relentlessly, seeming to be trying to get in a position to tear at her mane. She couldn't hear much more than the screams of the guards, but she could feel Luna’s emotions, grief, sadness and so much fear it was breathtaking.

The battle seemed to stretch on for hours, but Apple knew it had been scant minutes. The guards were assembling below the fighting pair, clearly gearing up to cast a spell to contain Luna. Apple wanted to scream at them that Luna was only trying to help, but even she wasn't entirely sure what was going on. Her emotions did not match the horrific scene unfolding before her eyes. Apple’s heart thudded in her chest, the stench of magic roiling in her lungs, tangy and metallic.

Luna seemed to finally gain the upper hoof, gripping Celestia’s horn in her mouth. Apple could only watch in horror as Luna viciously twisted her head, and with a loud crack Celestia fell limp, dropping like a stone. Luna tried to flap hard to slow their descent, but they still hit the ground hard enough to leave a deep crater. Shouts and screams came from the guard as thick magic nets immediately fell over the pair, wrapping around Luna and separating her from Celestia who lay unmoving in the moonlight. Luna didn't fight the guards, allowing them to contain her; the guards spread out below, hauling Luna across the lawn as mages ran to Celestia’s still form, healing spells crackling in the night. Shaking, Apple stepped down from the window. To everypony’s eyes she had just seen Luna attack Celestia and break her neck, but it didn't make any sense. Luna had no bloodlust, no rage, only sorrow and compassion. She hadn't been trying to kill Celestia at all. Apple had to get to her before Raven did, and had to protect Luna. She had to find the truth.

She opened the door, not stepping out of the room. The guard across the hall looked startled, clearly the fight outside had not reached the main castle yet.

“Luna has attacked Celestia and is on her way to the dungeon.” Apple said as calmly as she could. “I am an accomplice in this attack. You must take me into custody immediately.”

The guard gaped at her, clearly uncomprehending.

“Your monarch lays unconscious on the lawn, mages are fighting to save her life. Move, soldier!” Apple snapped impatiently.

The guard finally seemed to get it, pulling out hoofcuffs from his pouch and clicking them into place. She felt a strap fall across her wings, painfully binding them to her sides, and she finally began to move towards the dungeon, trotting as fast as she could with manacles on her hooves. The guard hurried to keep up, shouting orders at those in their way. She could feel Luna, and Luna began to pull Apple towards her, guiding her hooves through the castle.

By now the castle was awake, ponies clamouring left and right and running around, reacting to the attack on their Princess. Apple could hear the commotion, albeit muffled. The dungeons were dark, but not unpleasant. Clearly Celestia didn't believe in depriving ponies of the basic comforts. Apple was placed in a cell adjacent to Luna’s dark form, entangled in magical ropes and a magic dampening ring on her horn.

“Your Grace?” Apple sank to her knees, reaching a hoof through the bars.

“Apple Harvest.” Luna’s voice was muffled. “I have a task for you.”

“Anything, Your Grace.” Apple swallowed. “What happened?”

Luna freed a wing from the ropes, reaching it across the cells and touching Apple’s hoof with it. “I need to break an amulet, but I am not strong enough. I need your magic. I am sorry to ask this of you, young Apple. It must be broken now, before dawn. Please, will you help me?”

Apple gasped, then bit her lip. Channeling her inherent magic into another pony would usually kill that pony, and potentially kill herself. She had to trust that Luna wouldn't ask it of her unless it was dire, she had to trust the mare she had gotten to know over the past few weeks. Apple nodded, looking around for the guard.

“They cannot hear us, and perceive us only to be laying in our cells.” Luna grunted, moving closer to the bars. “They have forgotten much if they think a dampening ring has any effect on an alicorn.”

Apple braced herself, biting the soft base of her hoof, her fangs sinking deep enough to draw blood. “My life for yours, Your Grace.” She held out her hoof, her blood welling in the moonlight.

“I hope it won't come to that.” Luna said softly, touching her own hoof to Apple’s bloody one. Soft ribbons of moonlight wrapped around their hooves, glowing bright and silver. Apple’s magic was pulled into the light, a painless but peculiar feeling. It rippled up Luna’s leg, veins of liquid silver sinking into her fur. Luna dropped something metallic from her mouth onto the floor, her wings flaring in the moonlight that now enveloped her whole body. Apple could feel herself growing weaker as her magic left her body, her hoof falling to the floor as her magic flowed freely across into the alicorn now. Luna's form rippled then changed, her body growing. Her mane shifted from a small blue bob into ripples of pure starlight, beautiful motes of light twinkling and winking as it blew in unseen cosmic winds. Luna’s horn lengthened, and soon before Apple stood now the tiny blue alicorn she had grown to know, but an imposing goddess of the night. Gentle blue eyes looked sorrowfully down at her before turning their gaze on the amulet on the floor before them. Apple sank to the floor, her cutie mark disappearing along with her magic. She wouldn't have much longer, and instead she drank in the visage of Luna returned, her stellar power flowing around her. Rearing up, Luna’s beautiful face twisted in a snarl, her mighty hooves landing on the amulet with her own guttural shout of a spell that Apple had never heard before. The amulet shattered on the floor, releasing magic in a thick blast that shoved Apple’s limp form into the corner. Magical beings she could barely perceive rushed around her, their mouths forming soundless words that Apple instinctively knew she must not understand for her own sanity. Luna gave another shout, blue magic twisted with silver roiling around the room. Shrieking, the magical beings disappeared, sucked into her horn. Magic flowed around her as Apple tried to see what was happening, but her vision faded into darkness, and she succumbed to the waiting sleep.