Celestial and Luminescent
Crap I just shined this damn armour too.... It was definitely not Wrath's most professional thought in combat and certainly not the most useful that he could have had considering the circumstances, but still it was annoying that so much work was going to waste. And hell there were worse things that he could be focused on like what it looked like he was fighting. He was in a hideous mass of wings and hooves fighting for his life and the damn things didn't even have the decency to look like what they actually were, it was just odds that kept him from actually hitting his best friend and partner. Too many enemies and not enough friends around him, he was in the middle of a massive furball bigger than any he had ever been in before and considering what the Night Guard did that was saying something. Cuts with the blades hidden on his wings kept back some of the doppelgänger, kicks and headbutts took others out of the fight, facing mirrors of himself and his best friend, Wrath fought out of duty to what it looked like was trying to kill him.
It was his duty damn it.
Vengeance had been with him back in the academy.... damn did that feel like a long time ago. He had a wife and foal back home and Wrath was not going to make either of them cry. The tight loop he pulled to get away from a rather close bite cut his wings though the wings of two enemies and he hardly had the time to see them dive out of control before his field of vision was blocked by a wall of enemies.... he assumed.
Damn there must be more than a hundred here. He took another swing dodging, ducking, weaving. He found his whole life centered in this moment. He didn't know how much longer he would last, too many... too much work..... He fought on.
It was his duty.
He struck the face of the pony he was there to protect. Too small. And if I can touch it it's not her. He told himself the dozenth time since this fight had started. I wasn't able to touch her when we spared she would never get hit by a kick like that. A blue mane fell from his view and he was right back to work punching himself in the face that should not feel as good as it does, if he survived this he might need to see that therapist about his rather poor self image, fighting himself was pretty cathartic though.... Huh I need to spend more time at the gym too it's been only 15 minutes of non stop fighting and I should really be better prepared. He certainly wasn't ready for what came next.
A voice loud enough to crack stone echoed like thunder all around him calling words he hoped he would never hear again and had never expected to hear in the first place.
"NIGHT GUARD! OMEGA 13!"
The Night Guard hadn't been body guards in his life time, and hadn't been for 40 generations before. The only reason that he knew the tactical doctrine was that he had studied it less than a year before when he got this post. The order frightened him. He could not put out the instinctive desire to follow the order, the voice and the pony behind it demanded loyalty on a subconscious level, but omega 13....
It was a simple combat doctrine, and one he had hoped to never hear. “Attempt to move away from all friendly units. Engage in combat only with forces that attack you. Once clear approach friendly forces only if units identity can be confirmed. Remain evasive and alert until all clear is given and confirmed.” The pegasus's wings twitched trying to follow the order even as his heart hurt, he was being told to bug out but it was his duty to guard her....
Vengeance was always the more level headed of the two and, Wrath always thought, the better soldier. “Confirm Omega 13!” Thank the Sisters Venge knows what he's doing. It must have been one of these Changeling bastards, she would never give that order. The confirmation will have...
"CONFIRM OMEGA 13! FIREWIND!"
The exact right code phrase....Oh shit. It was no longer time to be contemplating an order. Wrath was going to be in the middle of a ball of chattering ugly in a minute with his number on it. He spotted the closest spot of blank sky and bolted... Feeling like a traitor the whole time.
It was his duty, he told himself as he quickly got out of the edge of the fight and when he checked to see how many had followed he didn't see anything. He slowed and looked back, he saw a single Vengeance flying out of a now rapidly shrinking ball of “ponies” She's still in there, she just tried to save...
Lightning struck down from the clear blue sky into the centre of the writhing limbs and wings, and for the first time in more than a thousand years, the moon danced.
She danced with a partner, a blade that flickered around her body. It was a rounded off razor spinning around her body rotating around her neck flicking out to the edge of a hoof as she would spin. It looked as though lightning and quicksilver were flowing from her horn striking the changelings that came for her. She whipped her head directing the living quicksilver weapon that reached and grabbed twisting in impossible ways electrocuting those it gripped and throwing them bodily into their fellows. She span and bucked in time with music that only she could hear, the blade flashing around her body.... No flash was the wrong word, almost the exact opposite of that. Where the blade cut froze, but more than that the blade cut through light itself, a shadow that could not be seen through dashed along the line of the cut as a physical presence. Despite the Blessing of the Sisters Wrath was swallowed by the darkness created by the blade and could not see his own hoof in front of his face in the instant that it passed over him. And as his enchanted eyes readjusted to having light again he saw that it was all over. Frozen, cut, unconscious and smoking more than ten dozen changelings fell to the ground far below. And what he hoped was Vengence was coming over to him.
“Shadow.”
"Uh oh. What's the countersign!?! Uh beam? I think... Is that right? I swear I'm not a changeling.” Vengence flew over and bopped him on the head, silently flapping his leathery wings.
“Yeah it's you. Your head's still hollow and you can't remember 5 words. No matter how much you try.”
Once he was able to push his friends hoof off of him and give him his best glare he thought back to the fight they were in less than half a minute before. “Did you think we would make it out of there?”
Vengeance looked over some of his cuts and bruises nothing too deep but certainly enough to slow them down sooner rather than later. “No. I really didn't. I.... I was starting to think about last words.” They had faced down a full grown dragon in the past and Wrath had never seen Vengeance this affected. He was certain that he saw his normally stoic friends forehooves shaking.... Wrath hadn't had time to be scared in the fight but he checked the cuts and bites on himself, the pile of changelings below them, and his partner, who on certain occasions Wrath had made jokes about being a machine in the past, totally shaken.... He had never been as scared in his life, fortunately friends can really be your rock when lost at sea.
“Time to get back to work. Probable primary subject spotted, making contact.” Vengeance moved towards Luna and Wrath followed close behind. “Lightning.”
“Crash,” her blade had disappeared but the whip that she had been using was now wrapped around her mid-section like a belt. “Come. You will have to gather as much of the guard as you can and do as quick a sweep as you can..... and I'll have to make sure Chrysalis doesn't come back.”
“Are we expecting the changelings to leave soon?” Wrath was afraid this was going to become a siege. Hiding in the castle constantly checking everypony, continual paranoia until everything fell apart, but her confidence gave him hope.
Her eyes looked down to the audience hall and seemed to notice something. “They'll be gone in just a couple minutes. You get the guards together and make a sweep of the castle no need to bother Shining Armor on his wedding day. Now go. I have to catch that bitch on her way out and give her her gift for being kind enough to come to the wedding.”
***
The second wedding went off beautifully.... Or so we were told. Celestia thanked us personally for looking after Luna and seeing to organizing the guard after the attack. Luna told us to take the credit which I can tell is still chafing Vengeance as we escort Luna through the castle.
“I still say they should have waited for you before they started the reception.”
“I certainly would not have delayed them, I am surprised I was able to make it back to see the first dance after catching Chrysalis on her way out.” Luna was still smiling as we step out onto one of the battlements of the castle where several guards come to attention. “You may fire when ready Commander. The newlyweds are on their way to the honeymoon.”
The Commander simply saluted and gave the order and as we turn to walk away from the artillery team. The fireworks spiraled into the night sky, just brief slashes of light to the ponies below I glance back in time to spot a heart shaped explosion and shake my head. The Princesses are right of course, ponies need to be distracted from thoughts of the invasion. It just feels kinda ridiculous while I've got bruises stiffening up and all these bandages on.
As we head to the Tower of the Moon I notice Luna's smile falter, “Did you enjoy the party Princess?”
“Oh yes it was quite a nice party. Of course anything's better than the Grand Galloping Gala, too damn formal for my taste.....” What was left of her smile turned sly, “Speaking of formalities.... We have stood together in combat you two certainly have the right to just call me by name alone.”
“Of course Princess. We'll keep that in mind Princess.” We had quite a bit of practice saying that in unison and as usual it got a laugh out of her.
“I was merely curious Princess it looked like you were holding yourself back.”
“Well yes it may not have been the Gala but still We decided that my type of dancing is not 'fit for polite company.' Prudes....”
Luna dancing.... I had never seen something as beautiful and horrifying. Her speed, strength, grace.... it was perfection and I could only stand as mute witness. Vengeance and I had only gotten in the way.... Best to just get rid of us, not much use to somepony of her skills.
We were silent as we approach Luna's chambers and finally she stops and casts a questioning gaze at us. “Something wrong?”
Vengeance finally said what had been keeping him quiet all evening, “I am sorry Princess our service was entirely inadequate today. We... We failed in our duty.” I saw Vengeance starting to look out the window of the tower, as I looked down at my hooves... Neither of us could look at our beloved Princess.
“You did very well my little ponies, you stood by my side in impossible odds and followed orders when they were given. I could ask no more of anypony in the Shadow Guard. I am very proud of you.”
“We ran.” I spat out as I brought my eyes up to meet hers, “You.... We weren't able to help you and we had to run.”
“Yes you did. You ran like scared little foals.” She smiled so soothingly at us I couldn't keep a smile from my face, “And I could not be more proud of you. There are times I'm going to need you to do things you aren't comfortable with and very often that will be abandoning me. Should I lead Our armies again in a full battle I may send you away to engage enemy commanders while I stand where the fighting is fiercest. You must be willing to leave me to my foalish decisions no matter how you feel.... My sister and I are used to being alone with such burdens....” though Her face had darkened during her speech a sly grin came to her face very quickly “.... My sister is alone....” Vengeance and I knew better than to interrupt Luna's scheming and so we just glance at each other slightly worried about what might come of our Princesses prank when it was directed at her sister.
It was now a full grin on her face when she seemed to get together her plans and turn her attention back to us. “Consider yourselves at liberty, I know you had delayed a leave in the face of the pre-wedding threat. So consider yourselves off for two weeks.” She held up a hoof to stop an argument that we were to shocked to give anyway. “I'm sure that the castle guard is more than sufficient also Smiles and Meadowlark are available for any travel I need. Now I need to go check security in the Tower of the Sun.... and the old observatory.... ” Vengeance and I looked at each other rather confused as the Night Princess fairly skipped back down the hall away from us. Silently we decided that it was best to leave before we got caught up in whatever silly plan our Great Lunar Goddess had got into her head.
***
A Princesses work was never done. Once she had returned from her... “errand” Luna sat in her study and began going through her paperwork. It was while going through the legal wording on a particularly tricky request that she noticed that she had been joined by somepony, and considering what she had been up to less than an hour ago there really was no question about who it could be.
A few moments of feigned ignorance before, “Ah-hem” a quite polite interruption.
“Oh hello 'Tia, finally ran out of foreign dignitaries to greet?” When last she had seen her sister it had been in at the official royal party with a giant cue of important well wishers. Now though as she looked she saw her sisters usual benign smile had a bit too much actual humour behind it like she was waiting for the punchline of a joke..... Or visualizing how to torture somepony who was really annoying her.
“Yes I was finally able to break away from the party, it may have gone faster if you had stayed... instead you left early. And I was left to be tortured until almost everypony I had wanted to speak to had left.”
“It probably didn't help that everypony who we know was involved in the wedding and probably exhausted after putting together two in a day. I am honestly sorry I left you to the wolves like that, but even with the night court out of session this evening I feel I'm hardly making a dent. An entire night just going through paper work and I'll probably still be a month behind.”
“I certainly know the feeling,” her smile wavered as she looked at the pile beside the Moon Princess, but it came back as she half turned away from her sister. “Well I shall leave you to it... Though I feel I am forgetting why I came here... Ah yes, there happens to be somepony in my bed.” A royal eyebrow went up as she looked at her sister expectantly.
“Oh well,” Lunas surprise was written all over her face, “that is awfully forward of them. I have to be impressed with such a bold and courageous move.”
“I might feel the same, it's hard to think that though when my visitor is snoring quite adorably. I would think that pure adrenalin and nerves would keep them awake if they had just crept in.”
“Well it is quite late perhaps they were so tired after such a busy day they had laid down to rest their eyes and fell asleep instead.”
“Luna, you know how well warded my chambers are. And then the normal guards....”
“Yes all the more impressive, that they had the skill to get in. Magically powerful, intelligent, inquisitive and very confident you have to tell me who your little pony paramour is....”
While she was able to maintain her coy smile, Luna fought with all her life not to laugh at her sisters now very unamused face. “Luna why is my personal student asleep in my bed?”
“Well it seems to me she...”
“Luna!”
“Sigh,”she said to her buzzkill of a sister. “Well I thought after you had had such a long and trying day and what with the way those changelings captured you, you might need some company for the night dear sister.”
The sincerity of her sister brought a much put upon sigh to Celesias lips, “And so you decided that you would teleport Twilight into my bed without either of our consent?”
“Tia I am shocked that you would think I wouldn't ask her! You are my only true family and I would never set you up without finding out your suitors intentions.” Even while acting offended Luna's eyes were firmly focused on her sisters reaction.
“Oh?” Thousands of years of royal encounters had hardened Celestia's poker face considerably but against her sister it was still almost useless. “Twilight actually said?”
Luna couldn't hide her smile as her sister trailed off this was just so cute. “Well she may have been asleep at the time but she was quite clear about her desires.”
The Night Princess's admission brought back Celestia's focus. “Luna did you let Twilight know that it was actually you and not just a dream?”
“I do not see how you can call it just a dream. But you may be right that it... Slipped my mind.” Celestia's frustration was very noticeable. Luna waved away her offence like it was nothing to be worried about “Come now it's not like it's anything I hadn't seen before.”
Celestia's eyes widened “Have you been spying on our dreams?”
“Spying has such a sense of malice attached to it.....”
“Good night Luna. Twilight is going back to her own room.” Celestia sighed as she turned to leave.
“Oh please no!” Luna's cry jarred her sister as she tried to walk away.
“What?” the sun princess was totally confused by the dire sounding plea.
“Sister it was very entertaining watching the 'will they won't they' back and forth and you two really are adorable trying to act like you're not into each other, but it's getting old.” Celestia blushed at the stern tone her sister was taking with her. “I say this in the name of all of Twilights friends, all the guards, all the members of court, all the citizens of Canterlot and Ponyville, and as the Princess of the Night..... Screw her and get it over with so we don't have to be tortured with your constant flirting.”
“We will deal with it in our own time Luna.” The day had taken it's toll on the solar alicorn and some of her age showed on her face. “Now I am tired and I want to get to sleep so promise me that you will not teleport anypony into my bed without my permission.”
“I promise sister.” Luna sighed
“Goodnight then.” The royal sisters embraced a little longer than they normally did.
“You are sure you are well 'Tia? You might want to think about keeping Twilight a few hours...”
“Oh quiet you.”
***
Luna was sitting upon the south facing terrace looking over the west edge as the moon sunk toward the horizon, it was her tendency in the early morning to come here and set the moon in the company of her sister. She had arrived a little early this morning and her walk though the lonely silent halls had sent her mind through old memories. Long opulent halls of polished stone, thick carpets, patrolling guards... It was all so familiar and then so wrong. A thousand years had brought so many changes, the polished stone was just a bit too regular to be natural, the carpets design so different from anything she had seen in her old life, armour thinner but sturdier on all of the guards thanks to metalworking advances..... And then there's just the design of the building itself.
The Night Princess stared at the glorious edifice of Canterlot Castle, the castle gleamed even in the silver light of her moon. The high towers that overlook of the plains below and the overhanging castle grounds were truly glorious, and she was not sure that she would ever be used to it. Her gaze swept down the stones placed perfectly down all the way to where they hung over the lower mountains peaks and out down to the lower plains spreading below... and sighed.
“Is there something the matter Luna?” The lunar princess smiled wistfully at her sisters question.
“I'm thinking about home I suppose.”
“Oh,” Celestia moved next to her little sister wrapping the younger alicorn in a wing. “I'm sorry about that. After the incident it was just too hard to think about rebuilding.”
“The old palace took the brunt of that fight.” Giving a sly smile to her sister as she leaned against the white mare.
“So much of it wasn't even in this dimension any more after that....” She shook her head. “I had to apologize to several extraplanar beings for masonry falling on them..... and then I didn't really have anypony to share a palace with so it's not nearly as fun.”
Well isn't that a suspicious smile. “I know 'Tia this is a glorious place but I think it's just thinking about everything that's different.... A thousand years all gone by and I find myself with no home trying to build friendships and after far too long I am finally able to communicate with other ponies normally.... most of the time.”
Both sisters softly laughed at the memory of the last time Luna had dipped back into the 'Royal Canterlot Voice' “Poor Shining Armor looked like he was going to piss himself.”
“That poor colt would never survive in my Shadow Guard.” A light smack from her sisters hoof made Luna decide to keep the conversation light “I must say you are a little later than usual. So while I was observing 'modern' Equestrian architecture what were you up to?”
“Ah yes, well it's an interesting story...” The solar diarch moved to the other side of the terrace staring out east Luna barely saw the smile spreading across her face as she turned away. “You see after I left you I went to my room to sleep alone....” The sisters horns glowed in the pre-dawn shadows. One let the night make way for the coming of the others dawn. As the light spread across the land Luna looked over at the glorious dawn and her glorious sister. The goddess of the sun looked at her with eyes full of accusation but even an ancient alicorn with generations of political experience could not keep the smile from her lips, “but you see I was late because I woke up in somepony else’s bed this morning.”
Author's Note
Just a set up for the world and the sisters the way I want to write them. Nothing to ground breaking but really I'm not trying to break the mold here. Hopefully you enjoy it and I'll be setting up more about the setting, the way I do it soon.
Oh jeeze I almost forgot to give a shout out to Whirly Willow's ask blog. Some of her old posts are what inspired my version of the world and of course Wrath and Vengeance are her characters their names are used with utmost respect. Check her out if you haven't.
http://askwhirlyandthenightguards.tumblr.com/
See you space pony....
Celestial and Luminescent
It was late in the afternoon the sun was hanging low in the sky still hours from the coming of Luna's night. And still she was awake. Though the castle servants were on duty all through the night even before the night court restarted (though the night shift had been massively increased in size since then) it was still only the best that make the “Royal Dinner.” As much as Luna hated the capitol letters in that statement she could not fault the chefs for their skills.... though she could not say the same for their over inflated egos.
She was in her room preparing for the evening and recovering from an almost too good meal when it happened.
****
He arrived in the late afternoon. The Day Guard unicorns at the gate mostly saw him as he approached. The dark orange sun cast harsh shadows from the buildings as the ponies of Canterlot walked totally unaware of the figure that strode toward the open castle gates. His shape was mostly obscured and fractured, every step seemed to spread him like a monochromatic prism and even when his image was as solid as it would get it was still like looking at a mirage. The highly trained and shielded minds of the unicorns of the Day Guard tried to make their eyes focus on the creature, constantly finding their eyes and minds sliding off of the thing as it approached. They were shocked when it passed them and even more shocked to find that they had been watching it for almost 3 minutes.
As it entered the grounds of Canterlot Castle the creature finally seemed to stabilize, taking a form and true mass in the material plane. Clacks of the creatures steps could now be heard echoing the shockingly quiet courtyard.
****
“Captain Armor! Something's approaching the gates!”
Shining Armor spoke to his second in command as he vaulted the desk, “What's the situation Major Pax?”
“It started approaching down the High Street I couldn't make out what it is, just a general smoky form moving toward the gate.”
“Illusion magic?” Shining Armor asked as they moved quickly through the halls.
“Not like anything that I've seen before,” and that was a wide variety of spells as Pax trained Day Guard cadets in seeing through illusions. “The pegasi guard I was talking to couldn't even see it, and the unicorns were able to see it barely and couldn't seem to remember seeing it when they weren't looking at it.”
****
“Princess something is approaching the front gate.”
“Something?”
“Yes Ma’am” a dark blue eye brow rose while the Lunar Goddess regarded the bat winged and armoured pegasus for a second “.... Oh, sorry Princess the target is bipedal approximately six feet tall. At last contact it was walking toward the front gate and Day Guard doesn't seem to be responding to it. Aside from appearing to have the same body configuration as a minotaur except shorter and less built up in it's upper torso we really couldn't see what it is, it was like trying to look through water at the thing.”
Just as Wrath was finishing his report Vengeance entered the room “All Shadow Guard forces in the castle have been alerted.”
*****
“Inter-dimensional teleportation?”
Shining Armor gathered several guards who seemed to have no idea that anything was going on as they moved through the castle. “My sister was looking into more efficient teleportation spell design, seeing if going through dimensions with no sense of space would be easier. Not at all shockingly it didn't work but her experiments showed something that sounds like this.”
They came out on to the ramparts of above the front courtyard, “'As the item or creature comes though the veil between worlds only those who are magically inclined can view it and the amount of magic the creature controls determines how easily they can perceive the item.'” Captain Armor quoted the paper as he studied the creature that was still walking through the streets and it stepped under the gate arch into the castle itself. “Spread out on the inner wall, nopony takes any provocative action unless it attacks first. Understood?”
“Yes sir.” His guard were well drilled in diplomatic situations with new species and he trusted them to keep their cool. The creature stepped into the courtyard and resolved itself into a solid figure as Shining Armor cantered down the stairs to the grounds and began to approach the creature that slowed and stopped as it reached the centre of the yard.
*****
“Has anyone thought to inform my sister?”
“I would think that would be the purview of the Day Guard Ma'am.”
*****
It was one of her favourite part of the day or it had been since the last month when Celestia, no matter how much she wanted to strangle her sister, had been set up with her favoured student. She was laying on the pillows in her room, with a fire crackling soothingly beside her, sipping tea and writing a letter. Since she and the young mare had been set up, and had in fact woken up in the same bed, she had begun writing every evening to her new young lover. Even thinking of the young mare as her lover was causing her to giggle like a school filly and she was very careful of when she allowed herself to think the mare's name. It was amazing to her how foalish she seemed to herself. How she couldn't even think the name Twilight Sparkle, and oh wow feel that blush... It had been far too long since she had been in a relationship of any kind, but as a creature that had lived a very long time Celestia knew that it was better to enjoy and savour these feelings.
As she wrote her letter to her distant marefriend with a big goofy smile on her face she hoped that the weekend when the filly would visit would come quickly she was unaware of and unconcerned about what was happening outside. And hoped that all the world would let her keep these warm feelings as long as she could.
****
Shining Armor approached the creature with invisible shields up against anything that he could think of, just because the thing wasn't aggressive yet didn't mean that it wasn't hostile. He stopped several feet away from the creature before he spoke to it.
“I am Shining Armor Captain of the Canterlot Guard. In the name of the Most Regal and Divine Sisters I ask who you are and what are your intentions?” He spoke loud enough that the fillies and colts on the walls could hear his words, as a Officer Cadet in the Guard he had learned that it was best when you encountered unknown species and cultures to make sure there was a record and the best way to do that was to make sure others heard what you said. This was both so that other ponies could enter it into reports to corroborate your story, and also if the culture or species turned out to be hostile there would be more people who could hopefully survive and report back.
The creature was silent as it regarded him with eyes too small for it's head that gave it a certain intensity and looked around the courtyard. It seemed to make eye contact with each guard on the wall as it turned in a slow circle. The creature seemed to nod in an approving way with what seemed like a gentle smile, as it looked back at him. Then the creature spoke loudly without moving what should be it's mouth. The voice spoke directly into the minds of all the ponies present and all those in the castle.
“With the greatest of respect, I come seeking audience with the Sisters of the Sun and the Moon.”
*****
“I'm not sure I like this Princess.”
“Come now, how can you be worried about meeting with a creature that none of the guard can identify, with extreme psionic and magical powers? Ha! It's like you are concerned about my well being or some such.”
“Quite hilarious Princess but for something like that wouldn't I need to be your guard or something? That's just ludicrous.”
As the Lunar Princess and guard waited in the antechamber of the audience hall they watched the Day Guard running back and forth trying to be useful. But before Luna was able to further her jest she spotted her sister, and the Day Watch Captain.
“Approximately six feet tall bipedal creature less developed upper body than a minotaur seems to be clothed over the majority of it's body, flat muzzle with very small eyes Princess.” Shining Armor still looked upset that he was reduced to describing the thing physically. “I still have no idea how it got through all the wards we have up in the castle that you could hear it.”
“Well we shall have to ask it,” Celestia's voice soft and calming voice carried across the hall and implicitly welcomed Luna into the conversation, but still maintained a slight motherly chiding for the newest member of the Extended Royal family, “in the mean time it would likely be for the best if we knew what it was we were dealing with.”
“Well it appears to be a human Princess.” Two Unicorns showed up from the stairs that lead up to the Lunar balcony, one in Night Guard armour and the one who spoke in dark robes.
“I thought you two had already left for Fortress Tarturus?” Luna smirked as she cast a sidelong glance at her two soldiers and away from the rather flustered looking master of the Day Watch.
“We were going to Princess but Cite here couldn't leave before he packed up the whole Canterlot Library.” The armoured pony nodded his head toward the scholarly pony at his side.
“Please it was just my personal library, though I will admit that I let it get a bit out of control while on my stay here. And as though you have any room to speak after all the time I've had to waste while you polished your armour.”
“Please save us your lovers spat, you two. Kiss and make up.”
The older stallion rolled his eyes “Oh please Princess he is far to young for me, I'm no cradle robber.”
“Far Cite,” Celestia finally interjected getting the robed unicorns attention. “You were saying that our visitor is a human?”
“Oh no Princess it almost certainly is not, though it is human shaped.” The scholar became more serious as he turned to Luna and began his report. “The creature is extremely powerful, I may go so far as to say unmeasurable. Though it does not have a godhead like yourselves my Princesses the creature has some form of power like divinity behind it. In all my time studying I have never encountered this type of power. Though that may be from what little I could actually read off the creature, it seems to be throwing out some form of interference like it's trying to stop any type of magic scanning.”
“It's putting out so much power it's actually fatiguing being in the same room as that thing.” the armoured unicorn from the Earth Pony Night Guard spoke up cutting off his companion before the start of the magical frequency and sympathetic harmonics discussion Cite had inflicted on him while observing the creature.
“Barricade's right Princess,” Shining Armor added “I'm having to rotate out the guards in there, I'm starting to worry I'm going to run out of guards to keep watch on it.”
“Well then it sounds like we should see to our guest.” Celestia moved to join her sister.
“Yes before your Day Guard faints off their hooves.” Luna chided her new in-law relative.
“Luna no need to be snide.” Celestia turned to her Guard Captain, “If you would be so kind as to announce us Shining.”
Shining Armor had a lot to say about what was going on... so much in fact all that came out was a series of half syllables as he saw the counter argument to each statement reflected in the motherly smile of the solar princess. In the end all he could do was sigh out his agreement as he left the room.
“At some point we're going to have to ease off the teasing of that poor colt.”
“Oh come now it's not hurting him.” Luna smiled at her sister as they readied themselves to meet their inter-dimensional visitor, “ready 'Tia?”
“Of course Lulu.” Luna's eye twitched at the use of her least favourite nickname but her response was shockingly serious.
“I'm not sure we should be so impatient to get to this meeting....”
“Yes... those ripples among the other material planes.... Something was happening out there.” Luna looked over at her sister as the solar goddess contemplated the infinite breadth of realities outside of their own that the sisters had locked away oh so long ago.
“What's that dark spot on your fore-hoof?”
“What dark spot?” Celestia walked into the grand chamber which fortunately stalled any questions about the ink stain on her leg or the letter she was writing.... Specifically an 'i'...... and certainly not an 'i' with a hearted dot no matter what Luna liked to claim.
*****
As Luna followed her sister into the audience hall, she saw the human shaped creature, it was a he, with his back to the sisters door. Her eyes slid off of him as she took in the whole of the room instincts taking over. Always know what the perceived threat is doing but do not focus on it so closely you lose track of your surroundings. She first followed the direction he seemed to be looking, eye flashing over Day Guard ponies who were well trained but still clear to the lunar goddess. They were still and stone faced but the tension they carried in their bodies told her all she needed to know about the power the man was putting out. In her peripheral vision she caught the energy rippling over and enveloping her sister as she passed the threshold. Her eyes continued past the guards and saw the great stained glass windows, they seemed to dance with electricity as the man seemed to probe and test the magic that had forged them. She felt a sympathetic twinge through the aether currents as the magic seemed to read and analyse the wards that she had put in place in an instant and then move on.
As her eyes and magic took in the full room, she scanned whoever he was and saw that he was doing the same thing. As she passed the threshold she spread her magic over the whole chamber reading the currents of the aether she tested, probed, and pushed at the magical field he was putting out. She found it hard to grab a hold of. She focused and shifted her magical senses around the power and then relaxed to try another tack... and found her magic meshing with the man's.
Take advantage of any opening and gather all information you can. She worked her magic through his field now that it seemed welcome there. She watched as Celestia extended her own magic around the room to shield her guards from the “man's” scans and learned about the magic their guest was using. He slowly started changing the flow and frequency of his magic. I am being handed information by this creature. Celestia changed her own magic and then he changed his, over and over, faster and faster they travelled through the magic spectra, and Luna searched through the layers of magic with them. He is trying to teach me something, she wasn't sure what but it was certainly true. It walked her through the steps of the first change but each move was faster and performed with more shortcuts, but he never moved in a way her magic analysis couldn't keep up with. She finished the 10 foot walk from the doors to their platform at the front of the hall taking her place at her sisters right. And was instantly distracted.
“The Royal Sisters of Equestria, Celestia Princess of the Sun and Luna Princess of the Moon.” Unaware of the game of magical keep away being played by the creature and the solar princess Shining Armor announced the sisters.... making Luna's eye flicker to him for the briefest of instants which apparently was all the time the creature needed to move. Her eyes came back to the creature cursing herself that she didn't see him move. It had been a few thousand years since she had seen a human, and even more since she had been able to face a warrior she wanted to see the creature move and the speed he had just displayed showed that she was right to want to watch him.
“Stars damn it,” her mumbled curse attracted the eye of her sister who gave her a bit of a smile. They looked down on the man. His head low, one hand on the ground and one resting on one knee as he knelt before the sisters. His magic field no longer searching but instead giving off insistent power. Luna pushed back at the power as she sensed her sister holding her shield over her guards, it was their way. She was surprised though to find she actually discovered something from her pushing. He was powerful almost with no limit, almost, it was a fragile strength. She could tell that he was limited not in energy but in will. As she thought about that her sister arched an eyebrow at their visitor who seemed to notice without looking up at her.
“Celestia Glorious Sun, Luna Sublime Moon.” His real voice deep and strong, but Luna thought it had a slightly flat tone, “I thank you your kindness in seeing me with such little forewarning. Scholars, who remember your names beyond the veil between worlds, know not a fraction of your greatness oh Immortal Sisters.”
“We greet you traveller in the name of Equestria.” The solar deity spoke with a guarded tone as she regarded their guest, “Your praise is welcome but unnecessary, please be at ease. Rise and tell Us what brings you to Our realm.”
Author's Note
Long delayed and for no good reason here's my second chapter. There are some things hinted here that I will be expanding on in my next couple stories and if anyone complains about Pax being a major I both love you and must tell you to calm down it makes sense (I'll show you how later). Anyone reading I have to say I love you too,
See you space pony....
