Chapter 1: Dreams
Luna woke up screaming and backing away into a corner. Her mane a disheveled mess, her coat matted and covered in cold sweat, and her eyes bloodshot. She kept screaming out for the beast to stop, but there was no beast.
“It’s ok Luna, I’m right here.” Celestia hushed her younger sister.
“NO! Stay away from me... STAY AWAY FROM ME!” She cried out with all her might. Celestia calmly walked over to her sister as she curled up defenselessly into the corner, desperately trying to merge with the wall behind her.
“It’s ok Luna. Look,” Celestia took her hoof and gently turned her face to meet with her eyes, “See, there is no monster here. It’s me, Tia.”
Hyperventilating, Luna took in her surroundings. She was back in her room. Her bookshelves teeming with ancient knowledge and wisdom, the still burning fireplace, and the curtains hanging over the massive windows leading to the balcony. There were Documents and treaties spread all around her abacus on the floor next to some cushions. She was in her royal chambers. Calming down, she turned back to her sister...
“Tia...” She sniffled.
“That’s right Luna, I’m right here.” Luna lungs forward and wraps her arms round her sister in a tight embrace.
“I thought I lost you.” She replied in between sobs, “The big black beast... tearing you apart... blood everywhere... PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME!” She cried out and hugged her older sister harder.
“You dreamed about that time didn’t you?” Luna nodded her head and sniffled, “It’s just a bad dream, Luna. See look,” She lifts her sister’s head to meet her eyes, "I'm here, I'm right here with you. And I'll be here with you day and night, sun and rain, until the stars themselves gutter out. I promise." Luna smiled.
Behind Celestia were a few of the day and night guards. Their expressions mixed and uncertain. Their thoughts were on her. They had never seen their princess act in such a manner before. Just then two ponies came barreling into the room...
“Your Majesties!” He came to a stop several feet away from the two alicorns, “We heard screaming and we came as fast as we could. Is everything alright?”
“Auntie, is everything ok? Is anypony hurt?” Celestia just smiled and let a small laugh.
“Yes, everything is alright Shining Armor, and no Cadence, nopony is hurt. Luna just had a very bad dream. I will take care of things here. I’m sorry you all woke up at this late hour. You all may return to your chambers.” Shining Armor, Cadence, and the few Lunar Knights and a couple Solar Guards bowed and made their way out of the room, shutting the doors behind them.
“Luna, how long have these dream haunted you? Even after a few thousand years you are still having these dreams.” She thought about it, “They never stopped have they?” Luna just shook her head. Celestia sighed.
“It’s ok Luna. Dreams pass in time. As long as I am here, those dreams mean nothing. I will always be here for you.” Celestia continued to comfort her sister. It helped by lessening the pain, but the scars will always be there and will never heal. They say that scars will heal over time, not these scars. Even after thousands of years they are still fresh, constantly opening up and bleeding.
‘How could I make her feel better... Oh I know!’ Celestia slowly broke the embrace.
“Wait right here Luna, I’ll be right back.”
“O-ok...” Luna sniffled.
Celestia slowly got up and went to her room. She ran to her walk in closet and rummaged through its contents, ‘Now where did I put... Aha!’ She pulled out a long hard case. She opened the lid to see that it’s package is safe. With a satisfied sigh she closed it and carried it over to Luna’s room. She never moved from that spot.
“Luna, why don’t you come over and sit down over here while I get set up, ok?” With another sniffled she nodded and sat across from her sister, her head still hung low to the floor. Luna smiled and opened the case again. She then lifted the old antique out of its case, a nicely preserved, two thousand year old cello.
She set it down on its side next to a chair and went back to get her bow. There were a variety to choose from, but she eventually settled on the bow an old friend gave her, a simple, yet elegant, black bow. She tightened it carefully to make sure that she didn’t over tighten it. As she did, old memories came rushing back to her. She remembered how he was so precise and over obsessive about how to tighten a bow.
That was an understatement. They spent full days practicing how to tighten the bow properly and the right amount. Something about curvature and tension, but then he just settled on how it felt to the player.
She rosined her bow carefully and generously, making sure that there is an even amount all along the hairs.
When she was finally done, she sat on the chair and positioned the cello in between her legs. She tuned the strings to their designated pitch from highest string to lowest, A, D, G, and C. ‘Ah, perfectly in tune. Now let’s see if I still remember how to play...’
She closed her eyes and remembered one of her sister’s favorite songs.
She played it out. With each passing note she remembered all of the good time they had together. Her family and her friends. Their laughs and their fights. It all came out. Luna could feel it too.
She listened to the song, one of her many favorites from them. It calmed her nerves all the bad dream and memories slowly washed away.
When the song was finished, they both smiled.
“Thank you Tia. That was beautiful.”
“That’s what sisters are for.” She set her cello down and laid down next to her older sister.
“Tia?” Luna mumbled. As she was able to quiet down.
“Yes Luna?” She replied.
“I miss them. All of them. I really wish they were here right now.” Celestia chuckled and gave her sister a playful jab.
“Oh Lulu, you’re such a baby sometimes.” She then sighed, “I miss them too Luna. I miss them too.”
“Tia?”
“Yes Luna?”
"Do you ever wonder if we'll ever see them again?” Celestia never expected that.
From what she remembered of them, they were the best friends a friends could ask for. They joked and laughed, they taught us many things, and they were always there for them. No matter how deep in trouble they were, or any of them were, they would always step in and help us. They lifted us up to more than what we could ever be, but they were mortal...
“Luna... I don’t think they will come back. Yes, they have been gone for long spans of time,” She remembered that night, that very night she banished her own sister to the moon, “But because of us, they will never come back. I’m so sorry Luna.”
“I know Tia, but it’s not our fault alone. We lied to each other, stole from each other, and we tore each other apart and yet, they stayed with us through it all. They tried to lead us down the right path, but we ignored and rejected them.” She got up from her corner and moved to her balcony. She sat down on the cold marble and looked to the stars.
“Even though we did all those things to them, I know that they’re still out there, somewhere where they are needed most.” She let her head drop, “I just only wish that our family would be together again, and now that they are gone, that day will never come.”
“That’s where you are wrong Luna.” Luna looked up at her sister, confused, but she saw the look on her face. Her eyes are filled with a righteous anger, “Have you already forgotten what they taught us? Have you ever thought that you are giving up too soon? Luna, we have all of eternity to live in this world provided that almost nothing can kill us, but time separated from them only makes things worse.” Celestia walked over to her sister and took a seat right beside her.
“Perseverance. One of the many things that they had taught us. They had persevered through it all Luna. From the beginning to the very end. That is how we should live our lives. If we ever want our family to be together again, we will have to fight for it, and prove to them that they all have made a grave mistake. Just as we have.”
“Do you really think we can do that?” Luna asks.
“Yes, I do my dear sister.” She looked over the horizon. Dark shades of red and orange started to appear.
“Now go to bed Luna,” Luna hesitated.
“But what about the moon?” Celestia gave her a warm smile.
“I’ll lower the moon for tonight. Just get some rest and remember, I’m right here if you ever need me.” Luna smiled.
“Thank you Tia.” With that she was off to bed.
With her horn alight, she lowered the moon to make way for the sun.
Twilight yawned loudly and looked over to her side. Below her was her number one assistant, Spike, still sound asleep. The whole scene reminded her of how a little filly or colt would be sleeping, curled and cuddled underneath a layer of a soft, warm blanket. His face was one of peace and serenity. She smiled at the sight and looked at the clock. It read 7:03 in the morning. Looking to the calendar next to it, it read May 13, 1001 C.E. ‘Wow. Still can’t believe that the Grand Galloping Gala was a week ago! I honestly thought that we messed it up, but Princess Celestia said that we actually made it fun! But I feel kind of bad: Princess Luna couldn’t show up.’
She shook her head to block out the thought and stretched out her limbs. With a simple sigh, she got out of her bed, ‘I’m so glad that I took some time off.’ She looked around her old apartment in Canterlot. It felt good to be back in her old home. She looked back at Spike to see if he had woken up. Much to her surprise he was still sound asleep, snoring away like there is no tomorrow. ‘Well, time to make breakfast, since Spike is still asleep… I think I’ll make myself something special today.’
With a smile, she crawled out of her bed and trotted down the stairs to the kitchen. When she arrived, she brought out the usual pancake mix and put some into a bowl. She then added other ingredients to the mix and stirred. After it reached the right consistency, she went back into the pantry. ‘Let’s see here… where does he keep the… Aha!’ she brought out a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips. She added in a good amount and resumed to stir the mix, careful to not over mix it while trying to equally mix in the chocolate chips.
She then went over to the cupboard next to the refrigerator and scanned through its contents. ‘4 inch skillet, no… 5 inch, no… no… no, no ,no… 9 inch stainless steel skillet. Perfect!’ Her horn lit up with a soft hue of lavender and grasped the frying pan. With skillet in her telepathic grasp and readied pancake mix, she turned on the stove and placed the pan right on top. Once the pan got hot enough, she carefully poured the batter onto the pan, just enough to cover the bottom. While that was left to cook, she thought of other things that she could treat herself with.
Her face lit up and she went to the fridge. ‘Hmm… maybe I should make something for Spike too.’ Rummaging through its contents, she found what she was looking for under Spike’s stash of Aqualites. She took out the gems and there it was… Hay Bacon Strips.
She turned back to the stove and flipped the pancake, nice and golden brown. She turned on another burner and added another skillet. With the pan hot, she placed 3 hay bacon strips… ‘Well… I guess a couple more wouldn’t hurt anypony would it?’ then added a few more onto the pan. She then cut the Aqualites with her magic and placed them in a bowl.
After about another 5 minutes, breakfast was done right as the little baby dragon walked down the stairs, the aroma awakening him from his slumber. His mouth was dripping with saliva as he smelled the scent of freshly cut Aqualites, one of his favorites.
“Good morning Twilight.” He said with a smile, happy to see that he didn’t have to make breakfast.
“Good morning Spike!” she replied. “Did you sleep well?”
He nodded his head, “Yeah, I guess. How about you?”
“Yeah. I slept like a foal.” She set the last of the food onto the table and sat herself in her usual chair.
After they started their meal, Spike asked, “So since we don’t have anything to do today… what are we going to do?”
Twilight swallowed before talking, “Well, I was thinking of just doing some reading for today. How about you just take the day off to do whatever you want to do?” She took another bite out of her warm chocolate chip pancake. She closed her eyes and savored the taste of the warm and fluffy texture and flavor of the pancake while contrasted with the melted, gooey-goodness of the sweet chocolate chips. Such bliss.
Spike thought to himself. ‘Time off… Well since I have nothing to do today I guess I could…’ then an idea popped into his head.
“I think I’ll go out and help out Donut Joe. It’s been a while since we hung out together.”
“Alright, just be sure to be back before it gets dark.” Twilight said after she swallowed another piece of her breakfast.
“Ok! I gotta go and get ready!” He walked out of the room and into the closet to get his ‘work clothes’.
She took a bite out of her hay bacon strips savoring the crispy, salty goodness, ‘Hmm… what should I read today? Mathematics? How about the mysteries behind Quantum Magic theory?’ When Spike came down looking clean and polished, an idea popped into her head.
“Spike, can you find a book on Equestrian history? Any book on that subject would do just fine.” Spike gave a little nod and entered into the library in search of the book of Twilight’s interest. She finished off her breakfast with a cold glass of orange juice. The ice-cold, liquid running smoothly down her throat giving her the shivers after she downed the glass. ‘Ah, now that’s the stuff!’
Spike came back into the kitchen with a book in hand. Twilight levitated the book out of his hands and read the title,
‘Myth and Misnomer: A Study of Ancient Prophecy and Records... ’
“Thanks Spike!” She said to him as he went out the door. She set the plates and silverware into the sink. When she was done, she went back to the library to get her saddlebag. With the book placed neatly in the bag, she walked out of her library and looked for a spot to read.
For the most part, the search for the perfect spot to read went uneventfully. She walked along the familiar streets from her foalhood. Here and there, she saw some of her old friends. She stopped to talk to them, catching up on what’s new or just to say hello. She continued her walk down the streets of Canterlot until she came across a park. The same park that she used to go to when she studied under Princess Celestia.
There is tree that created enough shade for her to lie on the ground comfortably. A small pond and a river sat next to it, running along through the rest of the park. As she settled down, the sound of birds chirping their morning songs filled her ears along with the rushing water of the small river nearby. Relaxed, she took out her book and started to read.
Time passed as she enveloped herself in the book. It started off about how Discord came into power and how the princesses defeated him. It was all relatively familiar to her, until she spotted a reference she’d never heard before. Under chapter 7: “Lesser Known and Unsubstantiated Figures” there was a lone entry to something called a Titan.
"The Titans appear only in the earliest pony works, dating back to the pre-monarchy period. They are depicted on stone tablets as black, hulking figures, with rigid angles like statues or armor. After the banishment of Nightmare Moon, all such records cease, and the Titans are never again mentioned except in second hoof repetitions of earlier legends."
‘Hmm, that’s strange. Why have I never heard of them before. Maybe there is something in the library that would help me.’ She packed up her belongings and trotted back to her apartment. Along the way, the curiosity of her discovery nagged at her. Twilight considered herself a fairly well read pony, so it was strange to find a gap in her knowledge. Then again, when Spike had asked about dragons, she'd never realized how little was written on the subject. How much of the world was she blissfully unaware of? As these thoughts ran through her head, she arrived at her front door, fumbling for her keys. When she opened...
“Princess Celestia!” Sitting on her cushions reading a book was none other than Princess Celestia herself. She glanced up from her book and looked at Twilight meeting her with a smile of her own.
“Well hello my faithful student. I’m not intruding am I?” She asked, already knowing the answer to it.
Twilight shook her head, “No no no! Not at all! Well, may I ask why you are here, exactly.” She said with a sheepish smile.
Celestia closed the book and levitated it over to its rightful place back on the shelf, “Well, I am here to ask a favor from you and your friends.”
“Oh! Sure! Anything Princess!” She said with a smile.
“It is about my sister, Luna. She has been very... ill lately.” Her face dropped into a frown, her face becoming very sullen.
“What do you mean by that Princess?” She asked cocking her head to one side.
“She has been having these dreams lately, nightmares really, and it is taking a toll on her both physically and mentally.” The regal Princess lifted her head, “Which is why I want to throw a party for her tomorrow night. Not a party of two but a party with the ponies that care for her. Twilight Sparkle, will you and your friends help me?”
“Why of course!” She said. Her face beaming with a smile that would cut her face in half. “That is a wonderful idea! We would be honored to organize the party with you!”
“Thank you, Twilight. You don’t know how much this means to me.” The white alicorn said with a smile. She walked over and nuzzled her protege getting the same gesture in return.
“Oh, it’s nothing really. When should I send for my friends?”
“Tomorrow morning. They will have to whole day to prepare. I want this to be the best party she has ever had. It will take some time to plan it all out. And I am sure that a certain pink pony will know just what to do.” She said with a smile as she remembered all of the little pink earth pony’s shenanigans.
“I will Princess. Oh this is so exciting! I’m one hundred percent positive that this will cheer Princess Luna right up!” She trotted in place, hardly able to keep her excitement from escaping.
“Thank you Twilight. Now if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment to get to.” She started to walk to the door.
“Oh, wait. I almost forgot, I have been meaning to ask you about something..” She said snapping out of her excitement.
“Yes, what is it Twilight?”
“Well, I have been reading an old history book about ancient Equestria and I came across something strange. They are the six dark figures that helped you dethrone Discord and help banish Nightmare Moon. I have never read anything else on them before. I was wondering, well, if you can tell me who they were and what they are.”
Celestia thought about it, “Have a seat Twilight.” She told her student and she obediently obliged. “Before I tell you anything, you must swear to never speak of it to anypony nor can you write any of this information down. This information is very important.” Her expression was stern. It was made known that this is not something she tells anypony.
“I... I swear Princess Celestia.” Celestia then closed all the doors, windows, and any other openings before magically soundproofing the room. By the time she finished, Twilight was noticeably on edge, watching her mentor as she took a seat.
“Where to begin... As far as the history book says, they have been here ever since the time of Discords defeat, but they have been here for much longer than that.”
“How long have you known them?” Twilight asked.
“I have known them for as long as I can remember, though, they would leave for long spans of time. But they always thought about us. They were... our greatest friends.” She sighed, remembering all that they have been through together.
“They always protected us and Equestria, no, our whole world from danger. This is how we still have connections with the other nations, though they are small and running short, still connections nonetheless.”
“Where are they now your majesty?”
Her expression saddened and her head fell, “They are gone.”
“I’m so sorry Princess, I didn’t know...”
“It’s alright Twilight. While they were here, they brought happiness to all of us.” She then chuckled to herself.
“What’s so funny your majesty?”
“I remembered how they had an uncanny talent for music.” With that, she undid her spell and reopened all the windows to let the breeze in.
“That is all the time I have for you my student. I will send for your friends tonight after dinner.” She walked out to the balcony, “Get some rest my faithful student. You and your friends have a big day tomorrow.”
“I will Princess, and thank you for telling me all this.” She said from the balcony doors.
“You’re welcome Twilight.” In a flash she was gone.
Special thanks to:
Kriegor
SilentRunning
Menelaus Redz
NATOstrike
And a very special thanks to:
Between Lines
“Marron!”
Chapter 3: Anomaly
Location: Unknown
Date May 14, 1001 C.E.
Time: 10:47pm
“Private log two thirty-seven. May fourteenth, ten o’one C.E. ten forty-seven pm. Ever since Night Runner Two’s last encounter with Whiskey Delta, reports from cities surrounding Everfree concerning the ‘strange, black beasts’ have increased. Specifically Appleloosa, Dodge City, and Ponyville. Some reports even go as far as Baltimare and Las Pegasus. Speculations have been made saying that the ‘black beasts’ are very large diamond dogs or other races pertaining to the canine and/or feline families.
I called another Summit meeting and confirmed that the diamond dogs had nothing to do with it and that they too have been receiving reports with the same description, some being bigger than others. Upon further investigation, we have concluded that The Dark Scrolls, in fact, have returned. If they have spread into the other nations, then it is only a matter of time before they strike, but it is still too early to tell if they plan on infecting.
We have enacted safety protocols thirty-one and forty-seven. With them in place, we can prevent the viruses from spreading, but the ones first infected will not be so fortunate, which brings me to my next topic. We have completed the two hundred seventy-first set of vaccines. The virus is constantly going under metamorphosis, but through this new set, we have now found a pattern, nearly undetectable without closer examinations, that we can use to potentially predict the next form of the virus. Further tests are being conducted to confirm the patterns.
In other news, our forces have at least doubled since the last century. With this, we can now send more soldiers to the borders. We are losing too many of them due to misallocation of resources, but that can now be rearranged. The Nations must not be–”
The alicorn was interrupted by a hurried knock. He sighs and puts his logbook into the draw to his right. He straightens his posture and clears his throat.
“Come in.” He said. An earth pony, clad in black and gray armor, scurries into the office, “Peace, my friend, what seems to be the problem?”
“Sir, you are needed in the central command. Something big has come up.”
“Very well.” He got up from his desk. “Lead the way.” The two left the office and went down the hallways. As soon as the alicorn stepped out of the room, he was hit with a tingling sensation in his horn.
‘What is going on?’ He thought to himself. ‘This feeling... have I felt this sometime before?’ He quickly removed the thought from his mind and trotted to the command center. The massive double doors swung open and revealed a whole network of ponies running left and right.
“Commander on deck!” An earth pony to his right shouted out. All activity in the room abruptly stopped and everypony snapped to attention.
“At ease.” He commanded. They all resumed their previous tasks.
“Commander!” A unicorn hurried up to them and gave a quick salute. “The unicorns in tower B are sensing massive energy and magical fluxuations all around the Nations, majority of them are concentrated overhead. We haven’t had this amount of electromagnetic and magical disturbances at once ever since...” The pony stops and gulps. “Ever since her–” He was cut off short by another pony in the room with binoculars pointed out the window.
“Sir, the fluctuations have merged together! Something, or rather, some things have emerged from the anomaly and are falling at a considerable rate.” Then his mouth dropped, “Shit! Brace for impact!”
Location: Canterlot
Date: May 14, 1001 C.E.
Time: 8:31pm
Quiet hoofsteps echoed throughout the great halls of Canterlot palace as Princess Celestia, giver of day and guardian of harmony, walked towards her beloved sister's living quarters. As she cantered through the halls, she slowed slightly to admire the statues and stained-glass windows decorating the elegant walls of the palace. To her right there were beautifully crafted images of herself, each one regal and poise, donated by artists over the long course of her rule. To her left there were far newer pieces, not of herself, yet they numbered almost as many as the others. Each one stood just as grand and shined just as brightly, and every single one was dedicated to her little sister. This simple fact brought a smile to Celestia's face. Her little ponies had accepted young Luna so quickly and enthusiastically after a chance to get to know her that Celestia's concerns about re-ingratiating Luna into society had been quickly proved excessive and unnecessary. Ponies across Equestria now loved the night and it's princess just as much as they did the day.
But her smile quickly faded away. Yes, her sister has gotten all of the love and support from Equestria just how she always wanted, but she didn’t seem to be enjoying it at all. In fact, she has been separating herself from them.She spent most of her time outside of sessions of night court locked in her room. A good number of court scribes and guards had reported that they noticed her attention drifting and sometimes she would just look lost.
Could it be simply that she had been assigned to many duties and that they were stressing her out? Or could it be something more? Celestia knew that she could handle it. Though, it had been getting more difficult to resolve disputes between the nations as of late. The tensions that were building between them were piling on fast then she could manage. She feared that things would become worse before they became better. Gryphos wanted more land, Draconia was doing nothing to stop their young ones from crossing the borders, Changeling forces are growing, and the Diamond Dogs have gone into the pony-trafficking market, kidnapping ponies left and right. Relations with Zebrica are wearing thin and pony colonies are facing raids around the clock. She trotted up a flight of stairs.
When she reached the top, she sighed. Then there are the lands beyond the Nations. The Nations have agreed to guard the outer border of this inner sanctum, but what point is it to protect something that is corrupting itself? Ponies began to commit crimes such as stealing, treason, and worst of all, murdering other ponies. What has the world she strived to build become? She shook her head as she turned into another corridor.
She needed to focus at the task at hoof. Her sister hasn’t come out of her room for a couple of days now. Could be locking herself in her room because of her night terrors. They have been getting worse by the day. She would scream in the middle of the day and won’t stop until the dream is over. She tried her best to to cheer her little sister up, but it would only last for a couple hours. She would often fall into depression and cry herself to sleep.
‘I hope I’m making the right choice. Would she like it? What if she doesn’t? What would she do then?’ She stopped in front her sister’s chambers. The guards saw their princess approach and straightened up. The bags under their eyes and the faltering posture expressed nothing but exhaustion. When she was in close proximity of the doors, they bowed and stepped aside to let their princess through. She walked towards the black stained mahogany doors but stopped right in front of the guards.
"Guards.”
“Yes, your Majesty?” The younger guard flinch and tense up, but the other, much older guard retained his stoic expression.
“You are excused. Take some time off to relax.” The younger one was about to turn down the offer, “And that is an order, young one. You both may go.” They both turned and made their final bows before making their way back to the barracks. When they were out of sight, Celestia took in a deep breath and knocked on the door.
“Luna? Luna, it’s me, Tia. Can I come in?” She didn’t get a response. She knocks a second time. “Luna, I’m coming in.” With her magic she slowly turned the handle of the dark mahogany doors. “Luna?” She said as she peered into her sister’s room.
The room is dark and cold. She blinked a couple times to readjust to the sudden change in lighting. The curtains are opened, letting the soft, luminescent light of the moon shine on the floor. The only other light source is the fireplace. It’s soft flames produced a warm light, illuminating only a small fraction of the waiting room. Seeing that her sister was nowhere in sight, she ventured up the stairs and into her bedroom.
“Luna, I just want to talk.” The room remained silent. Only the small crackles of the burning wood were audible. She made her way to her sister’s bedroom door and stopped. The faint sounds of music came from her room. She sighed and opened the doors.
The room is just like the waiting room; dark and cold. Majority of the furniture had been removed to be repaired which left the unkempt bed of her younger sister, who seemed to not be in bed. looking around, she saw an old record player. When she listened more carefully, she immediately recognized the tune. It is the tender melodies of Beethooven’s Moonlight Sonata. She smile, she knew Luna would like that particular piece.
When she shifted her view, she saw a trail of water. She followed it with her eyes until she saw the dripping dark alicorn sitting next to her open windows, the curtains flowing in the soft breeze of the night. She sat there gazing into the endless ocean of stars. The light of the moon shined on her sister’s coat, creating a soft blue glow around her.
Celestia sighed and went to fetch a towel. With towel in her magical grip, she levitated it over sister. Luna jumped a little but didn’t move much due to her sister drying her coat.
“Bah! Sister, leave me be!” She cried out. Celestia only sighed.
“You really shouldn’t be walking around while you are soaking wet. You could catch a cold.” She replied weakly.
“Sister, I appreciate your kindness, but we both know that alicorns can’t get sick.” After Celestia had dried her sister’s hair, Luna shook her head and turned to her sister.
“Yes I know.” She sighed. “I just want you to be safe.”
“Ugh, Tia!” She yelped as her sister frantically rubbed the towel on her head again. “I’m not a foal any more! I am old enough to take care of myself!” She grumbled from under the towel as she tried to remove the abomination.
“I know, Luna.” After she finished, Celestia went to her sister’s dresser and took out her brush. “But to me, you will always be my baby sister.” She said while brushing she sister’s ethereal mane.
“What do you want Tia?” Luna asks in an annoyed tone. “You rarely ever come to see me in my room, and I doubt it is for mere chit-chat.”
“Well... I have noticed that you seemed to be... preoccupied with a lot of things lately, with all of your new, royal duties and all.”
“Yes. What about it?” Luna asks.
“Well, I was wondering if you would like to take the night off and spend some time together.. I think that it would be good for you to take a break.” She replies.
“I guess I could. What do you have in mind?” She asks with a little more excitement.
“To start, we could go for a walk in the Palace. It would just be the two of us so we can talk about anything you wish to talk about.” Luna thinks for a moment. “Then we could go to the gardens. It has been a while since you have seen the gardens hasn’t it?”
“Yes, it has. Do we still have the Night Gardens? I would like to see the nocte flores again.” Celestia smiles.
“Of course! We could walk to the gardens and figure out what to do from there.” With a smile, Luna answered.
“That would be wonderful Tia. When should we go?” After stroking the brush through her sisters mane one last time, she set it down.
“We could go right now. The nocte flores would bloom soon and we wouldn’t want to miss that.” With her new found energy, Luna shot up to her hooves.
“Then what are we waiting for Tia? Let’s go!” She skipped happily towards her door but stopped abruptly and turned to her dresser. “Oh wait! Let me get changed first!” She put on her royal regalia and her shoes. She looked in the mirror trying to make herself more presentable if anypony were to be around. It’s not right for a Princess to go around without her royal regalia.
“Ready!” She said with a beaming smile. Celestia giggled from her sister’s excitement. Luna happily trotted out of her room with a skip in her step. She hummed a familiar happy tune to herself. Celestia followed suit.
They walked through the grand halls of the palace, their voices echoing throughout. The excited and jovial Luna bounced from artwork to artwork asking her sister what each one was and what it meant. After all, she did miss a thousand years worth of history.
“Oh, oh, what’s this one Tia?” She asks standing next to a battered suit of armor.
“Well, that particular piece was found by archeologists in 785 C.E. It once belonged to a fierce warrior called Thundercald the Great. During the 500’s, he and his army went around the world freeing ponies from griffins and dragons.” Celestia told her sister with a smile. Her sister moved on to the next piece, only to find another hallway, but this one had a set of double door leading to the gardens outside.
With a smile, she galloped away towards the doors and opened them. She galloped out into the garden, stopping in the middle of a clearing. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The scent of flours and the night breeze tingled her senses. She opened her eyes to see the wonders of the garden. All the flowers that blossomed and flourished in the sun have turned into buds, but that didn’t stop her from smiling. The nocte flores are about to blossom.
One by one, the nocte flores started to bloom. In the soft, gentle light of the full moon, the flowers gave off their luminescent glows ranging from all the colors of the night. Dark and light hues of blue and purple littered the gardens with few bright yellows and whites, lighting some of it in the more concentrated areas. With the aid of the full moon, the dull and lifeless garden lit up in a beautiful display like the night sky itself.
Luna sighed at the sight. She trotted up to one of the flower beds and sat down next to it. With her hoof, she gently lifted up a small, blue flower. She stared at it intently, then she sighed. Celestia picked up a hint of sadness from it.
“Why don’t the griffins and dragons have to be so cruel to us? Even now, they are killing our kind and trespassing into our territory.” She said. “And it’s not just them either. It’s the same with the other countries too, Tia. Everything seems to be falling apart after Mom and Dad...” She started to tear up. “ I just... Tia I...”
“Oh Luna.” Celestia wrapped her wing around her sister, pulling her into a warm, sisterly embrace. “I wish they were here too.”
“Why did they leave us like this? They said they would always be here for us, but look at us now.” She nuzzled her head into her sister’s chest. “We are barely holding the Nations together. The world they tried so hard to build is slipping right through our hooves. At this rate, harmony would no longer exist.”
“There is still hope Luna. We just need more time. That’s all.” But Celestia knew that there was no time. The time they had ran out long ago.
“But what happens when time runs out? What will happen to everything, everything that Mom, Dad, and everypony else had worked so hard for?”
“I don’t know, but I know one thing.” She took her hoof and raised her sister’s head to meet her’s. Luna’s eyes met hers. “We should cherish every moment we have now and keep those moments in our hearts... Which reminds me.” Celestia get up onto her hooves and helps her sister up. “I have something for you inside, something that you might like.” Luna’s eyes brightened tenfold. He shoulders no longer sagged and a small smile made its way across her muzzle.
“Really? What is it?” She asks.
“You’ll see.” She said as she trotted back towards the palace.
“Aw, Tia. What is it?” Luna whined, yearning to know what her sister had in store for her.
They went back through the double doors they came out of, but instead of going back the way they came, Celestia made a turn towards a bigger part of the palace. Luna cocked her head to the side, ‘Where is Tia going?’ She thought to herself. She followed her sister nonetheless, too excited to linger on the thought.
Luna trotted right beside her older sister, taking in this moment as they navigated their way through the grand halls. Whenever Luna was with her sister, she felt secure and at peace. She is the best, loving, and caring sister she could ever ask for. The warmth of her embrace felt like the way their mother used to hold them. Their mother. She remembers very little of her mother, but Celestia says that she loved her very much, more than the others. That kind of made them jealous of her.
Luna remembered the older times with the whole family. They would all sit together, laugh together, and even play together. She remembered her older brothers and sisters were so nice to her. She looked to Celestia and remembered how jealous she would be because Luna would get all the attention, after all, she is the youngest of the seven. She remembered more of her foalhood days, but they are cut short when Luna bumps into Celestia.
Shaking her head, focusing on the real world, they stopped at one of the large, outdoor ballrooms that had its own garden. This part of the palace had the option of becoming an outdoor room or an indoor room. All the lights are off leaving Luna in the dark with nothing but the light of the moon to help her see. Even with the moonlight, she couldn’t see anything. All the walls are dark and there isn’t a pony in sight...
‘Wait, where did she go?’ She thought, frantically looking left and right, up and down for her beloved sister.
“Tia! Tiiiiiiaaaaa, where are you!” She called out. “This is not funny, Tia! Where did you go?” She was about to call for the third time, but just then, all the lights burst to life.
“SURPRISE!”
“GAH!” I shielded my eyes with my wing and winced at the sudden change in the lighting and volume of noise. There was nothing but painful buzzing in my ears. But when I thought that the noise level couldn’t get any worse, another voice, much higher in pitch, drowned out the buzzing... somehow.
“SURPRISE! Are you surprised Princess? Huh? Huh? Are you, cause we spent the whole day just to–” Then the voice suddenly stopped. Thank Faust!
“Pinkie, I told you we should have just used the candle lights!” Is that Twilight? “She’s probably blind and will never see again! Don’t you know that her eyes are not accustomed to the bright lights as we are?” Well at least somepony thinks about those kind of things. I could hear other ponies bickering and fighting about if this or that happened. Simple worst-case-scenarios my sister’s protege is well known for. Good to know that my hearing came back.
“Luna are you alright?” Tia asked.
“Yeah, I’m ok Tia, Just give me some time to readjust.” She gave me a small nod and walked off towards her student and her friends.
I slowly lowered my wing so that my eyes could adjust, slowly. Very slowly. I blinked a few times to see if it would help. It did, but after adjusting to the brightness, my poor eyes were assaulted by the bright colors of the rainbow. Everywhere, bright shades, almost neon, of reds, oranges, yellows, greens, blues and purples. Everything was just so, bright. What is with these ponies and bright things?
I look around the ballroom. Now that I look at it, there are no walls with windows. They are all just columns that hold up the roof. It has skylights that let the moon’s light flow into the ballroom. I always liked that, and the columns. Ponies could easily go into the large, open gardens or step out onto the flat that extended out into it. But the more I think about it, the decorations and the amount of effort put into this room is to be used for a party.
“Well duh. I wouldn’t spend all that time and confetti just for any pony. Princess Luna deserves the bestest of parties and normal, boring old candle lighting is just boring!” A party meant for me...
“You did all of this for me?” I asked, getting the attention from all of the ponies in the ballroom, or party room as for the occasion.
“Well, duh! Who else do you think this party is for, silly?” The pink earth pony said with a beaming smile.
“Pinkie!” A white unicorn yells from across the room. “You can’t go around and call Princess Luna silly!” Then she rambled on and on about proper etiquette and mannerisms.
“Is this true?” I asked Tia.
“Yes, it is. This is all for you my little sister.” This can not be real. There is no way that these ponies would throw a party just for me, but can they?
“But why? What did I do to deserve this, all of this?” I asked, motioning towards the party.
“Well, you have been working really hard to help me run all of Equestria.” She nudges my shoulder. “I just thought that you could use a break and have some fun... You do know what it means to have fun, right?” She asked me, jokingly. I give a little snort.
“Well, of course I do!” I brought my hoof to my chest, trying to look offended. “Who do you think I am? You are talking to the Queen of–aaagh!” All of a sudden, there was a sharp pain in my head. It died down for a bit, but it didn’t completely go away.
“Luna! Are you alright?” My sister asked, giving me a concerned look.
“Yes, I’m alright. Just a slight headache, is all. Must have been from all the bright ligh–AAAGH!” The pain came back but with even more power than before, but this pain, it is different from what normal pain would feel like. It felt like... panic? I concentrated on my magic and created a telekinetic link to the one celestial body in my charge. The moon.
‘Luna, what is troubling you?’ She responded by lessening the pain, but the impending panic is still there. She told me that something is coming, and something big.
‘Something big is coming? I don’t get it Luna.’ She groaned and told me to go outside.
I broke the link and opened my eyes. I find myself being cradled by Tia.
“What is happening Luna? What did she say?” Tia asked. I try to get up, but I struggled to stand straight. As soon as I take a step, my legs give out on me. I shut my eyes and braced myself for impact, but I never thought that the ground is soft. I open my eyes to see Tia at my side helping me keep myself up.
“Thank you Tia. Can you help me get outside?” She gives me a nod and we trot out into the gardens with Tia helping me every step of the way.
We go out onto the flat that extends out into the gardens. I look around to see what she was talking about. I look through the sky and all around us. I couldn’t find anything that is out of the ordinary. I sigh angrily and glare at her. There is nothing out here that would signify anything “big” coming to Equestria, but that quickly changed.
I felt an odd sensation throughout my horn. This feeling, this is some very powerful magic. I look to my left and right to see anything change physically, but I find that all the unicorns look terrified, like as if they have seen a ghost. Pegasi quivered in fear and even the earth ponies are feeling a little angsty. Whatever this is, it has some very powerful unicorn magic, or am I mistaken?
As the intensity of the magical fluctuation increased, it started to feel more and more like... Alicorn magic. But that can’t be right. There is not a single alicorn in the world that could attain this amount of power.
Over the Everfree Forest, a giant mass of clouds swirled and grew, lightning arced across the sky. Wild energy radiated from its epicenter, creating massive amounts of electrical charge. In the eye of the storm, a small ball of energy grew and grew. Growing larger, it started sucking in magical energies from its surroundings. Wild birds took flight and land animals scurried out of the forest as the very ground beneath them disappeared into magical energy. She was right. Something is coming, something big.
“Luna.” Tia called as she stared at the sight. “What exactly did she say?”
“She said that something very big is coming, but I don’t know what.” Just then, the mass of magical and electrical burst, expanding into a large circle. I felt a tearing sensation in my chest, like as if my heart ripped open. It hurt, but it wasn’t painful. The sensation felt incredibly uncomfortable.
When I thought that this couldn’t get any worse, I sensed several spikes of energy coming from the anomaly. Falling from it at remarkable speeds are several large objects heading straight for the Everfree Forest. I couldn’t focus on the objects. They were falling way too fast.
In several concussive booms, they crashed into the forest, sending dirt and tree roots into the air. The anomaly in the sky dissipated leaving heavy storm clouds and electrical discharges rippling across the sky
“Princesses!” Twilight calls out as she and her friends gallop towards us. “What in Equestria was that?”
“Could it be some brutish cult of over zealous unicorns?” The white unicorn asked.
“Or could it be somethin’ from the Everfree Forest?” The orange earth pony asked.
“Or is could be another alicorn!” Pinkie said excitedly. Every pony in the courtyard stared at her. “What? You might never know when you might the the chance to throw a party to welcome an alicorn to Equestria.” The girls disreguarded the Pinkie’s comment and went on arguing about what could have caused the strange anomaly. With a cough and a nod, Tia pulled me aside.
“What do you think of this, sister?”
“I don’t know, but I think that Pinkie has a better idea as of what caused it. No cult of unicorns and certainly not something in the Everfree Forest can pull something like that off. Even if they could, they would only have enough magical power to sustain the storm. I felt magical and electrical energies coming from that storm. I don’t think that anything, other than a really powerful alicorn, can create that much electrical energy and sustain it for that long. Not even an army of pegasi could have done that.”
“But Luna, how could an alicorn do all that? You know that alicorn magic along can only sustain a third of that storm.”
“Then what do you think Tia? What could you possibly think of that could even come close to creating a storm like that?”
“Something along the lines of a cult who are in the forest with an alicorn.”
“What?”
“Do you remember when our friends were still here? They made an organization that would help protect the Nations at the borders..”
“Where are you going with this Tia?”
“The organization is made up of all the nations best scientists and soldiers. They have dragons, gryphons, changelings, diamond dogs, and ponies. They all answer to one pony and one pony alone.” Then it clicked.
“Wait you don’t think that he did all of this... do you?”
“Yes, I do.” She looks out towards the forest. “I think that it’s time we payed our older brother a visit.”
Special thanks to
Kriegor
Between Lines
TheHumanMKII
SilentRunning