Chapters [Author’s note: This story is going to be split into fairly short chapters, it’s my first real attempt at writing pony fics, so please please please critique! ]
Princess Celestia stared at the mare one final time before she would be forced to send her off. She had a look of tranquility upon her that Celestia had never seen in all the eighty years she had known her. No doubt it would have been a welcome expression on any of her other little ponies, but on Twilight Sparkle it was alien. According to her friends she hardly allowed herself time to stay calm, especially while the Princess was nearby. The lavender coated mare had her flaws, but it would never be said that Twilight was idle.
The color of Twilight’s mane faded to grey long ago as Celestia watched her most faithful student grow old, while Celestia and her sister Princess Luna stayed eternally youthful. That had to be the most horrifying side effect of being unaging; watching and growing to love each new generation of ponies, knowing that one day their frail forms would give out and they too would leave the world.
This was to be the sixth time Celestia and Luna both left their posts to attend a funeral. First was Rainbow Dash, the youngest to go. Her spark gave out almost exactly forty years before Twilight’s, but Celestia still vividly remembered nearly every detail.
The Wonderbolts were assigned to fly at her funeral and hers alone. It was the least Celestia could have given the mare for all of the times she saved Equestria at the cost of her own well being. In the end that was her demise, as she gave her life to save a turtle. A turtle that, according to Twilight and her friends, Rainbow Dash at first considered nothing more than a pest. Once upon a time he saved her life after a day of being treated like little more than a mere annoyance, and that memory was burned into Rainbow Dash’s soul. Years and years later she responded in kind, at the cost of the one thing she had to give.
After the Wonderbolts had finished their show, Spitfire set her own uniform (well cared for during the mare’s years of retirement) on Dash’s coffin and formally inducted her into the Wonderbolts. Her closest friends and fellow Elements of Harmony each gave goodbyes in their own ways. Her own student began with—
“Tia?” Princess Luna began, concern filling her voice. It was obvious by the other ponies’ stares that Celestia had been lost in thought for several minutes at least.
“I’m fine, Sister,” Celestia told her fellow Princess, making sure to speak loudly enough to dispel the fears of her Children as well. Celestia looked to the podium along with the other visitors, and was shocked to find the Element of Laughter up on the stage, patiently waiting for the excitement to end before beginning her speech.
Are you alright, sister? Luna asked Celestia via their as-old-as-time telepathy spell. Neither required the use of their horns to speak with one another any longer, so the spell was a blessing at a time like this, when Celestia needed a distraction from Pinkie.
I’ll be fine, Luna. I was just caught up in my memories again, Celestia ‘said’, dismissing her sibling’s concern. She really would be okay; it wasn’t like they were happening in public often. And even Luna would have to admit that it was good to honor the heroes that didn’t live to be thousands of years old by keeping their memories alive.
Celestia was suddenly hit by the urge to visit the memory of Rarity’s funeral (which had to be one of the most expensive good-byes in the history of Equestria), but Luna’s gaze kept Celestia in the present. It wouldn’t have to be long, just a few seconds. A comparison, nothing more. Nopony would even notice I was gone. It occurred to Celestia too late that she had broadcasted those thoughts to her sister, whose expression bordered terrified a moment after ‘hearing’ that.
Celestia, we’re talking after we get back to the castle. No excuses. If a thought could be produce emotion like speaking, Luna’s would be stern and worrisome. She was once again the concerned mother figure that hadn’t existed since Dawn…
Celestia refused to speak, to even think for a moment of the horrible pain her sister had felt on that day. It was the only thing that kept the sisters from becoming totally whole again, but Celestia understood why. To be forced to watch something so wonderful, so perfect, so alive die in front of you…
Celestia opened her eyes to find that Pinkie had left the stage and was replaced by Luna, who had a look that said ‘get over here.’ Celestia hurried out of her chair and up the steps to stand beside her younger sister, who was obviously preparing to speak.
“I recognize each and every one of you.” Luna began, wasting no time after Celestia stood beside her. “Some are the oldest friends of this mare, those who have known her since her first few days in Ponyville,” Luna had been looking at Pinkie Pie (who seemed to have dozed off), Lyra Heartstrings, and Applebloom, the only three ponies from Twilight’s first week in that town that could attend the funeral. “Some of you she had known even longer, perhaps from foalhood?” Luna never looked behind her, but Celestia felt knew who her sister was talking about.
“But how you know Twilight Sparkle matters little…”
Hours later, after Twilight was buried beside her friends (excluding Applejack, who was buried with her family near Sweet Apple Acres), Celestia and Luna were in Luna’s solar with an eerie silence keeping them apart. Physically neither was moving, aside from their never-idle manes flowing in a nonexistent wind. Mentally however, both mares were fighting a war.
Celestia wanted to be left to her memories, a simple enough request that Luna refused her. In any other case Luna would have eventually conceded and allowed to elder sister freedom to do what she needed to do, more often than not it would aid Equestria in the process. For some reason Luna would not allow Celestia this simple freedom, and all Celestia could ask was why .
I can’t tell you! Between her pained expression and the way she rushed to answer, it was obviously either the question or the fight itself was destroying Luna.
Why? Still Celestia persisted, not feeling the emotional pain of her sister.
You can’t know, Tia! Luna responded, still in obvious agony.
Why?
I cannot tell!
Why? Why why why why why why WHY?!? Celestia’s grip on everything but Luna’s secret vanished; her only motivation was learning what was so awful about reliving her memories. The older sister pushed on Luna’s mind with all her power, wanting the answer, needing it.
“BECAUSE IT MADE NIGHTMARE MOON!” Luna screamed, her voice shaking the air around them. Mere seconds later the mare finally broke, her emotional, mental, and even physical strength leaving her as those words reached the ears of every pony, zebra, griffon, or anything else within the castle grounds. She held on a short time longer in agony before—for the first time in over half a century—losing all of her strength and falling unconscious.
Celestia was asleep after another day lowering the sun from their location in the mountaintop town of Canterlot. It was a prosperous town; thanks to the Earth ponies almost nopony was starving, and the Pegasus ponies made sure the weather was deathly cold only for a few months in the year. The Unicorns, however, were the most blessed. Princess Luna herself had a Unicorn student; rumors even spoke of the student becoming her eventual replacement. Nearly every single pony with a horn was vibrating with excitement at the chance of the Unicorns becoming the dominant tribe.
No matter how well off or excited those other ponies were however, Princess Luna had the metaphorical prize for happiest pony in Equestria. She was given all the perks of ruling a kingdom whilst her sister did much of the work, she had every day from sunrise to sunset to do whatever she willed, and had a genius son and student that she had full custody of.
Luna was convinced that it was impossible for anything to go wrong.
*****
Celestia recovered from her shocked state in time to watch several ponies she couldn’t recognize carry Luna away. Had her younger sister really taken that much damage from the argument, or was it just a ploy to keep Celestia from visiting her memories? It wasn’t beyond Luna’s capabilities or resources to fake an injury like that, but if so why did her pain seem so sincere?
Thoughts of that nature filled the eldest sister’s mind as her body went into auto-pilot and led the mare to her own bedroom. Servants, bystanders, and soldiers all noticed the strange emptiness in Celestia’s expression, but she couldn’t care less. All she wanted to do was stamp out her sister’s possible lies.
In a little over two hours Celestia was inside of the Lunar Guard captain’s quarters, almost entirely convinced that her sister’s outburst was nothing more than a ruse to keep Celestia from being happy in her memories. He wasn’t inside, so Celestia looked around his room to see what kind of stallion this Guard Captain was.
On one side of the room he had a modestly sized bed with an unpainted and barren nightstand beside it, a small chess table covered with various pictures (as opposed to the expected chess pieces), and a ‘naked’ mannequin likely used to host the stallion’s armor during off hours, but on the other all he had was a single paper being held on the wall with a nail.
It didn’t take a genius to understand what the gigantically lettered title ‘Lunar guard schedules’ meant, and if age counted towards intelligence then Celestia was far more than a genius.
Names and timestamps were crammed into the paper, surprising Celestia with the sheer number of guards under the command of Luna. The minuscule size of the words required the captain to have better than perfect vision to read each and every name of the soldiers in Luna’s small army.
Small army…
Small army…
Those two words remained in Celestia’s mind for several moments, desperate for her full attention. She almost didn’t notice when a slender white coated mare in full Lunar armor entered the captain’s quarters, obviously shocked to find a Princess in the room.
“Princess Celestia? Shouldn’t you be—“
“Minding my own business? I would be if there wasn’t a faction plotting to overthrow me.” Celestia blatantly told the mare, now understanding the she was the guard captain. It made the most sense; Luna generally favored mares in power over stallions, and upon further inspection the mannequin was crafted to match the shape of a mare, not a stallion.
The mare’s expression changed from shock to fear to anger to confusion within seconds, obviously conflicted on what to say. Was she herself an integral part of the plot or did she believe Celestia to be insane? It was obvious the mare was loyal to Luna, so it couldn’t be too far fetched to conclude that she wanted Luna to rule alone. It took several incriminatingly silent seconds for the mare to form a pitiful response. “I… I don’t know what to say, Your Grace.”
Celestia laughed at the mares’ poor attempt to defend herself. “You could start by coming up with better lies. You know exactly what to say to me.” Every one of the Princess’ words was seeping anger at the mare’s feigned innocence and confusion; it was far too obvious that she wanted nothing more than the rightful ruler overthrown. “I will not punish you, so long as you tell me who else is involved in your conspiracy.” Celestia told the mare moments later, with a much more patient tone. She didn’t need the mare terrified.
Yet
“Your grace, I swear to you¬¬¬ that I have no knowledge of any plot against you. If I did you or Luna would have heard about it long ago.” She sounded sincere in what she spoke, but many beings had the ability to blatantly lie whilst making one believe their every word, Changelings were living examples of that.
“Liar!” Celestia yelled, obviously frightening the mare with her outburst. “Who do you hide? Tell me now or you will be submitted to the agony of being burned alive every second of every day until you give me their names!”
“I know nothing, Your Highness! All I know is what is spoken of in rumors! Rumors about you and Luna being in disagreement with one another!” The threat seemed to have struck true enough to destroy any resistance the mare had, to Celestia’s relief. She hadn’t used torture since the days when murder and treason were common, before even Nightmare Moon.
Celestia thanked the mare and left the room, making good on her promise not to punish the mare. Part of her mind was impressed at the titles the terrified mare gave her. ‘Your Grace’ hadn’t been used in hundreds of years. That was far too long for royalty like—
Her thoughts were utterly frozen by the horrifying sight of the sunrise, one that, for the first time since she and her sister rose to power, was not under Celestia’s full control.
“Why is the sun rising without me?” She demanded of the nearest guard, who stood protecting the barracks from intruders (the barracks themselves, not the Lunar captain’s quarters).
“P-P-Princess L-L-Luna could not find you, so she took it upon herself to raise it.” The guard stammered, obviously shocked to be called upon by an angry Celestia.
Without a word the Princess flew toward the Sunrise Gardens, where Luna would no doubt be resting from the treasonous task of both ending the night and beginning the day.
“Hello… sister.” Luna told Celestia as she arrived, covered in sweat and barely able to breath.
“Luna, I thought you were injured from our argument.” Celestia stated in a neutral and curious tone, not wanting to reveal what she learned to Luna until the time was best.
“You’d be surprised at the amount of… strength I have when our citizens need us.” The younger sister said, already sounding like she was gaining her breath back.
“You didn’t call to me for help? I would have come.”
“Your mind was closed off; I could not send even one word to you.” Luna countered, her excuse not making complete sense; neither sister had ever closed their minds to one another.
“You know that is a lie as much as I do, and even if it wasn’t why did you not send ponies to search for me?” Celestia confronted her sister, undermining her weak excuses all at once.
“I did, I sent both Lunar and Solar guards off to look for you, but I am likely on of the first ponies to see you since our argument.” Luna answered, likely feeling proud of herself for skillfully maneuvering around the first part of her sister’s accusation.
After noticing her evasion Celestia grew furious with her sister once again, and let it all out that she knew of the treason in her next response. “If this was a last resort as you say it was, if you truly were doing your duty, then answer me this: Why, sister, are there almost twice as many Lunar guards as there are Solar? Why do you refuse to allow me to visit my memories? Why are you awake and healthy mere hours after I broke you? Why did it take threats of torture before your guard captain gave me any answers to my questions? And finally, what wrong have I done to you to force you to overthrow me?”
…
…
…
Seconds passed in utter silence as even the world itself seemed to go completely still, waiting for a response.
…
…
…
Seconds became minutes, and the world visibly resumed its routine, but the Sunrise Gardens were still. No leaves fell, no wind blew, no animals moved. Everyone waited for Luna.
“I…” Tears fell from Luna’s teal colored eyes to be absorbed into the dirt below, and still no response was made.
“That’s what I thought.” Celestia said triumphantly. “We shall decide on your punishment tomorrow when I have gathered the Elements of Harmony.” She turned away from her sister and left the gardens, feeling only the taste of victory.
Author's Note
Well here's chapter two, completed just 15 minutes before my personal deadline.
This is the only time I'm remotely confident in my abilities to write passed a second part, so please tell me what I did right and/or wrong.
There are several capitalization errors, I'm well aware. I confused myself so much during the capitalization that I eventually just gave up on making it all even. Sorry for the inconvenience!
Luna sat brooding on her balcony, bathing in a mix of physical sunlight and mental despair. Her sister was gone, replaced by the paranoid creature that had guards ‘escort’ Luna to her tower after their meeting in the Garden.
I was doing you a favor. You had lost a pony you raised as your own flesh and blood. I understood what it was like to lose the one you loved most, how it could mentally destroy anyone, even us. I knew how you felt better than anypony, yet you saw me as naught more than an opportunist wanting to take full control of the throne. It hurt me when you accused me of once again trying to take Equestria over, so much that I couldn’t form the simplest words to defend myself.
Mentally Luna took a breather; sending a message of this length was difficult enough, but due to recent events something impossible to normal Unicorns was nearly as ungraspable for even the several millennia-old princess. Not to mention the fact that she would need to keep the message ‘out there’ until she was positive Celestia had received it, another daunting task. Luna waited several minutes so she could be positive she had the strength, and continued.
You didn’t believe I was capable of being healthy so soon after your mental assault on me, but you forget that both of us are immortal. You know we can store energy over our never ending lifetimes. Your attack was damaging, but duty forced me to dip into my reserves so our citizens did not need to worry about the lack of a sun.
I have so many Lunar guards because the night is not nearly as safe as the day, despite our best efforts to keep both the nocturnal and diurnal citizens protected. I wish things could be different, but—
Her message was interrupted by the high pitched creaking noise of her wooden door, obviously signaling that somepony had just entered the room. Believing her message to be explanatory enough, she 'sent' it.
“Princess Luna,” The stallion began as he came closer to the balcony, “My brothers and I are here to escort you to your trial, if you are ready.”
Did pouting and telepathy truly pass the six hours that quickly? A quick look at the sun’s (now) midday position told that mare that several hours indeed had to have passed without her noticing. For half a moment Luna feared that she had indulged in her memories again, but the logical part of her mind assured her that forgetting the memories were viewed would have been impossible, and the terror dissipated.
She didn’t need to become addicted again; it was difficult enough being cured the first time.
It took her a moment to realize that the guard was standing at attention, waiting in silence for the Princess’ answer.
“I do not know if I will ever be ready, but I will face my judgment all the same.” Luna told him with a blend of determination and finality in her voice as she began her first steps to the throne room.
*****
It was midday for the ponies of the mountain town of Canterlot, and the vast majority of them were out eating lunch with their friends or families. Merriment was in the air for the entire town… Excluding the two princesses looking down upon them from a cold, stone tower.
“He is responsible, bold, and smarter than most colts his age. I do not understand what frightens you so, little sister.” Celestia reassured Luna in her usual motherly tone.
“It is not for Dawn I fear, I know he will one day grow to replace me on the throne, and honestly I look forward to the break.” The younger mare sighed, wondering how to word where she placed her true fears. “It is… Difficult to explain, sister. My night apprentice, he wants more and more to be given to him, he orders our workers around like slaves, and once I think he used his magic to harm another pony.” Luna stopped there, not feeling the need to explain further.
“You could dismiss him from the apprenticeship.” Celestia told Luna after a moment of thinking. Her tone said that she wasn’t judging Luna, just being a compassionate sister, but all the same Luna felt like this was some secret test of Celestia to study Luna’s character.
“Why do you suggest that so quickly? Do you not think talking to him would work?” Luna asked, growing more suspicious of Celestia’s extreme idea.
“I assumed you already broached the subject with him.” She replied, her tone shifting to completely neutral.
Luna flushed with embarrassment at that realization. Of course talking to him should have worked, why had she not done that to begin with? “Thank you, sister.” Luna said as she left with a rush, wanting to speak with Sombra as soon as she could.
*****
Princess Luna had no idea where her four-guard escort was taking her or why she was being given a trial in the first place. Did Celestia really have to embarrass her sister, her only family, like that? It was either an ingenious or immature decision, but Luna couldn’t tell which reason the creature in her sister’s body would have chosen.
How Luna came to that conclusion she couldn’t tell, other than the gut feeling telling her that Celestia was dead. She wanted to grieve, to leave Equestria to its own devices whilst she flooded the world with tears for her fallen sister, but she couldn’t. The creature-that-was-Celestia would be left to control Equestria if Luna surrendered, and Luna wasn’t going to let that happen as long as she drew breath. The memories of the chaos that came from Celestia allowing Nightmare Moon to reign free still haunted Luna.
Before she could do much more thinking Luna caught a guard giving her an odd, almost confused, glance. He immediately stopped inspecting her after their eyes met and reddened a little, obviously embarrassed. Before either of them could say anything however, one of his squadmates butted in, “It looks like little Summer has a crush!” The two guard ponies not involved in the joke stomped and threw their heads up, laughing as the one called Summer blushed even more.
“It’s rude to mock your friends like that.” Luna said simply, with no idea why she felt the need to speak up. It didn’t help (or hurt) her trial in any way, all it did was waste time. Why interact with others when her fate was already decided?
Her outburst was met with tense silence from the guards, all of which wore a look of shock on their separate faces. It was as though she was some sort of outsider who was never expected to interact with others. It was a reception she hadn’t received since her visit to a Manehattan orphanage over fifty years ago, and that was likely from the awe they felt from meeting an actual princess, which was a rare occurrence in and of itself. Needless to say it was a reception she despised.
The silence went on unbroken, and the group began moving to their destination again. Luna wanted to say more, but the cold and calculating part of her brain was in command, and it didn’t care for emotions if they wasted time. She had to agree with herself, though. It was better to get the embarrassment of a trial over with.
*****
“Are you sure about this? It isn’t like our training sessions, this is the real thing. You could get hurt,” Princess Luna warned Dawn as he prepared for a journey to the Crystal Empire. It was a simple task; all he had to do was check on Sombra, who hadn’t written to anyone since leaving for the Empire. All the same Luna was fearful for her son. It was a long and cold journey north, filled with possibilities of death or getting lost.
“Princess, I promise I can handle myself, you taught me well enough to at least get there and back in one piece.” Her son said reassuringly.
Her son the modest and mature apprentice.
Her son the model citizen.
Her son who didn’t even know his heritage.
Her son who had no clue that he was going to rule Equestria.
Her son.
Luna wanted to cry. She was sending him to fix a mess she made, a mess that didn’t have to exist had she simply taught Sombra her telepathy spell. They wouldn’t have had to rely on a flimsy letter making it through the northern wastes to get to Equestria, and Dawn wouldn’t have to risk his life.
“Thank you Dawn.” Luna said as she hugged him, fighting back tears. Sounding almost needy, she asked, “You’ll be back as soon as things are fixed, right?”
“Of course.” He said as she released him, obviously a bit surprised by how attached she seemed. “I promise to be back as soon as I know Sombra is in good shape, alright?”
*****
The Royal Plaza was the same as it always had been: same stone grey floor, same bright red carpet leading up a staircase, same paint for the walls, the exact same banners honoring past heroes, even the silence. The biggest difference was that the hall was filled with ponies, most of which wearing the same exact expressions.
Hate. Fear. Confusion.
From the rich on the second floor to the commoners on the first, every pony in the room seemed to want her dead or banished. What had Celestia told them while Luna was stuck in the tower?
Luna felt herself falter a moment after feeling the stares of everyone in the room, whether it was the message to Celestia still on hold or simply being overwhelmed by the sheer amount of hate she received Luna could not tell. Her sign of weakness didn’t go unnoticed, and some began to mock her, breaking the tense silence of the room. Eventually more joined the mocking, and more, until the room was filled with nothing but words born of anger and disgust.
It wasn’t long before Celestia entered the room, silencing everyone the moment she entered. The eyes left Luna, if only for a moment. It was her sister’s turn in the spotlight.
Celestia said nothing as she climbed down the stairs and past the nobles (all of which were bowing), nor did her mouth move after she stood a mere two feet in front of Luna. All she did was stare.
As Luna looked into the eyes of what used to be her sister, she saw nothing but hatred. It wasn’t just meant for Luna, though. This husk of her sister only wanted one thing.
It wanted to watch the world burn.
Author's Note
I apologize for taking this long. A lot has happened to me recently, and I just had to put this to the side. I would like to thank Krampus, Thought Bubbles, and OddDreams for prereading for me. This was a long journey for very little product, and I thank you all for suffering through it with me.
Thanks to everyone for reading, and have an amazing holiday season!
