“Three cheers! Hip-hip!”
“Hurrah!”
“Hip-hip!”
“Hurrah!”
“Hip-hip!”
“Hurrah!”
A dozen unicorn horns lit up in harmony and let loose a flurry of fireworks. The night sky was dappled in greens, magentas and blues, the crowds below watching in awestruck delight. Thousands of ponies of every kind were gathered in a green field, the beautiful night sky looking down on them. It was the first time that any of them could remember seeing the stars or the moon: A pale, silver disk that glimmered in the air, entrancing them. They had barely believed it when they saw it. Its shape did not change, nor its colors on a whim. Its course across the sky was slow, calculated and even, not haphazard and chaotic. This was the symbol they had so desperately needed.
They were finally free.
The stage the multitudes were gathered around was hastily constructed, not meant for decadence or any amount of showiness. As odd as it was, Celestia believed that she preferred it that way.
At the center of the stage stood a stark white pony, unlike any of the others. Her coat held a sheen as radiant as the stars themselves, and her pink mane levitated above her shoulders and her back as if possessed by a strength all its own. On her hindquarters rested a cutie mark of the sun, flaring out and demonstrating its power. A long, pointed horn came from her forehead, and powerful wings rested at her sides. No one had a name for what she was, though an old term “alicorn,” that had lost its meaning to the ages was starting to be applied. She smiled sweetly at those below her, now her subjects.
This was the first sovereign of the reborn Equestria, Princess Celestia.
However, she was not alone on the stage. To her right stood another “alicorn,” slightly shorter, but with a stronger frame. Her coat was a dark indigo, as if it were made of the night itself. Where Celestia possessed a shining radiance to her coat, this mare possessed something else. It was something strange to see, yet wonderful all the same. The world itself seemed to warm and darken around her. Everything became more like the night, and yet even so shrouded they seemed to hold a different kind of glow. A pale, hinting shade of moonlight kissing their features and bringing them a step closer to perfection. Her mane was a shade lighter than her coat and listlessly waved in the air like the other alicorn’s. Tiny twinkles of starlight peeked through the hairs, winking at the crowds. Her cutie mark was black and white, the crescent moon resting in an inky blot of night sky. She was attempting to smile, but nerves were getting the best of her, ears struggling not to pin themselves back, and tail swishing erratically.
The second sovereign, Princess Luna.
It is not often that one could say a nation’s royalty was elected, but Equestria had been a special case. In theory, they could have created any system of government that they desired. Instead, they chose to hand power to their two greatest heroes, who had deposed their last “king”.
Discord, the embodiment of chaos and disharmony, the perpetrator of an obscene oppression of ponies, and the laws of reality themselves. Once a feared and godlike being, he was now nothing more than an inert statue, hidden where his disquieting visage would not cross a pony’s eyes. Behind the stage stood an ancient, gnarled forest called the Everfree. Once, it had been the seat of Discord’s power, his castle at its center. Though Luna and Celestia had defeated him, this place was forever tainted. The harmony the land had once known would never return to this place. But changed or the same, it belonged to the ponies again, and that was what mattered.
The celebrations had been going on since noon, with no sign of stopping. Bands were playing now, earth ponies topped with dozens of odd instruments playing a medley of heroic legends, smashed together and warped to fit the story that was being made on that day. Jugglers tossed flaming rings into the air, and bards told ancient, nearly-forgotten stories of friendship and warmth to an audience that was hearing them for the first time.
Sensing an opportunity, Celestia turned to her sister and nodded away from the stage. Luna understood, and the pair slipped away from the celebrations. They walked north, no light but their own to guide them.
The sisters stopped on a small hill, still in sight of the throng of partygoers, and watched on from a distance.
“I can scarcely believe it, sister,” Said Luna. “An actual party! No cruel pranks, no grotesque things disguised as gifts, and not a single thing has exploded!”
“YOWCH!” Somepony from the party cried as their fire-juggling routine went hooves-up.
There was a moment of stunned silence between the sisters before they burst into hysterical laughter.
“Perhaps you speak too soon, Luna?” asked her sister, wiping an amused tear from her eye.
“Ha! Oh, perhaps,” Luna admitted. “Still, it is an amazing thing. I have never seen our friends so happy.”
“Agreed,” Celestia replied. “but you did not look quite so happy as they did. Is something troubling you?”
Luna flexed her lips, trying to balance some unseen object on the tilting ledge, trying to shape her thoughts into words. “Sister, are we doing the right thing?”
Celestia raised an eyebrow. “What could you possibly mean by that?”
Luna puffed out her chest, taking a massive breath. She let it out slowly, through her nostrils. After a moment’s hesitation, she said, “I do not see the wisdom in granting unlimited power to anypony, when we have just ended a war to depose a creature for abusing that same power.”
“…I see.” Celestia nodded sagely, and sidled a bit closer, putting a wing around her little sister. It had always comforted her when they were young. “Do you worry that we’re not fit to rule? That we’ll end up like he did?”
“No, not us!” Luna insisted, flustered. Celestia frowned in a moment of sympathy.
The elder alicorn tutted at her little sister and shook her head. “Luna, you are nothing like that… beast. You would not have been chosen if you were. Do you still have the Elements with you?”
“Of course,” Luna replied. The Elements of Harmony were never far. Where they had come from, and what strength had possessed them, to best Discord himself, neither sister knew. But they belonged to them whatever the answer. Celestia’s horn lit up, a golden light gently conjuring a bubble of wavering light that solidified into three gems. One green, another blue, and the third a deep purple. The Elements of Kindness, Laughter, and Generosity.
Luna performed the same spell, and another three gems formed from her twilight-colored glow. The first was orange, the second crimson, and the third magenta. The Elements of Honesty, Loyalty, and Magic.
The six gems swirled together, suspended in the air in a hexagonal pattern. Celestia lifted up her sister’s chin to look straight at the Elements. “Look at that, Luna. If you will not listen to me, then let the Elements tell you what I already know: that you are the most loyal, truehearted and magical sister I could ever ask for. And you will make an excellent princess.”
Without warning, Celestia dove in and nuzzled up against the side of her sister’s face, and Luna struggled to keep her head away, snorting as she tried to hold back a laugh.
“That was awful!” she cried, her voice and body shaking with giggles.
“But you laughed, did you not?”
“I did no such thing!” Luna protested, scoffing haughtily. “I merely had a natural, bodily reaction to how utterly ridiculous your bad jokes are.”
“Well, you know what I think?” Celestia asked. She picked up her hoof and poked Luna’s muzzle with it. “I think your sense of humor is just as bad as mine, and you don’t want to admit it!”
The younger princess rubbed the affronted area tenderly, shooting a false glare at her sister as she re-settled herself.
“Besides,” Celestia added. “I meant it.”
Luna paused, mouth slightly agape. “…Really?” she whispered, voice trembling. The smile on her sister’s face said everything she needed to hear.
Luna looked up at the sky, admiring the moon. It was hers, now. “So, we are agreed on how to split the duties, sister?”
“Only if you are, Luna.” Celestia replied. “We both know what the night means to them.”
A devil during the day, but something every worse at night. Discord’s most horrifying nightmares came out only in darkness, enshrouded in shadows that seemed to amplify the terror and the sense of absolute wrong they projected. The instinctual response to the night, for a pony, was the run and hide in any shelter they could find. Both sisters suspected the only reason those present were out tonight was because so many of them were gathered in one place.
Celestia continued, “I would understand if those memories are not something you wish to be associated with.”
Luna raised a hoof, and silenced her sister. “I appreciate the concern. But I am aware of the challenges I face. If I’m to be the princess you say I will be, then I cannot run away from something as pathetic as bad memories. But more than that…”
She looked back at her cutie mark. “I think… the moon is meant to be mine.”
Celestia smiled at her sister, who beamed back and promised, “I will make the night something beautiful. Nopony will ever fear it again.”
“I know you will.”
“I know…”
“…NO!”
Celestia’s eyes shot open as if a cannon had just gone off in the room. The princess rose from her bed and held a hoof to her pounding heart. These walls were strange to her, and the bed unfamiliar, even as fragments of memory assured they were not. The princess cleared her thoughts. Be still, and think.
She remembered now. She had been sleeping, here in her chambers. She had been dreaming the dream again. Or, rather, she’d been remembering things in her sleep. She groaned, sliding off of her bed. Her head was pounding. She had been remembering her coronation, a year and a half ago, or so. But at the end, there had been… something else. She couldn’t remember what it was, no matter how hard she tried, but it hadn’t belonged where it cropped up. The dream was already slipping from her recollection, like it did every morning for the past month. Celestia groaned, but her grumblings held no intimidation for fleeting dreams.
A knock came at her door, and a guard peeked in. “Princess Celestia, are you all right?” he asked.
“Erm… yes,” The princess confirmed. “Why do you ask?”
“We heard screaming,” the guard explained, trying to halt his hoof from scraping at the floor. “and we were worried you had been harmed.”
Celestia’s white muzzle burned red with embarrassment, which she hid by turning away nonchalantly. “Ah, I see. Nothing to worry about, Captain. I was just… remembering something that I had nearly forgotten.”
The helmeted horse looked more confused than anything else, after that poor explanation. Still, he seemed to take Celestia at her word. “Very well, princess. Your entourage is here for your morning routine.”
Ah yes, the “joys” of royal life… the princess mused. On a whim, she called to the guard, saying “Send them away, if you would. I shall handle my own preparations for today.”
“As you wish, princess.”
The door finally shut, giving Celestia a little solitude. It came too late, though; the remnants of her dream were now scattered to the winds. She sighed and trudged into the washroom.
Her hooves clopped musically against the carefully-laid stone patterns, charmed to change with each passing day. Today, the princess paid no heed to the shape, which incidentally was a frog prince on a lily pad throne. Instead, she looked out of the little window in the wall. She had a grand view, seeing beyond the palatial home in which she now resided. Below her stretched the newly minted capital city of Equestria. It had been named Canterlot. The populace had been told it was an ancient word that translated to “Where We Run Free.” Celestia’s little secret was that it was just a bad pun. She’d found the name of a strange old kingdom named Camelot in a book, once, and it seemed right to appropriate it for Equestria’s use.
She submerged herself in a pool of crystal-clear water, a flash of her horn warming it to the perfect temperature. She opened up her wings and began to preen herself, going through a simple routine that she had come to perfect. Yet all the while, something tickled the back of her mind. Some forgotten tidbit. Maybe related to that dream, she wondered?.
Unsure of how to bring back the memory, Celestia decided that perhaps going over her daily routine was the way to go about it. Remember the normal, and figure out what’s abnormal.
She would wake up, get ready, and leave her room in more or less the same way every morning. Then she would have her breakfast, and spend the rest of the morning through late afternoon in the Day Court. She would then head to dinner, spend some time in her personal study, and end the day by lowering the sun. That was when the Night Court began.
She sighed, and grumbled to herself in a bit of carefully concealed frustration, the sort never to come out in public. The Night Court was defunct, pointless. Nopony ever had the patience to wait until the Night Court for their problems.
Of course, she couldn’t complain, she reminded herself. After all, she was the one who insisted it remain on the daily schedule.
Twenty minutes passed in the bath, carefully cleaning herself and making a presentable princess for her subjects. Coat washed, mane brushed, and teeth sparkling like gems, she left the bath and pulled several towels from the wall to dry herself with. She took the time to observe her image in a looking glass as the fluffy fabrics scrubbed the water away. Even after being drenched, her radiant pink mane and tail seemed to float weightlessly.
“Oh!” Maybe that was what she had forgotten. Her horn lit up as she cast her daily spell. From the root and down, the colors of her mane shifted from pink to a spectrum, a brilliant sky blue and a subtle green joining her natural hair color in a shifting pattern. Now almost completely her public self, she practiced a smile in the mirror. It looked natural, warm, and above all, royal. Perfect, she thought.
Stepping out of the washroom, she retrieved her regalia from its stand on the far side of the room. She didn’t do so much as break her step, each golden shoe slipping onto its respective hoof as it lifted from the floor in her stride. Her necklace, so large it could be mistaken for a piece of armor, clasped behind her neck and fitted itself to her chest. Finally, the crux of the outfit, her tiara, fit itself snugly onto her head. It was such a routine that Celestia did not return to the looking glass. She could tell by touch, the feeling of metal on her skin that everything was in its proper place.
Food, then, she decided. She was focusing on one thing at a time, hoping for some relief, but that tickling had not left her. Her mane hadn’t been what she had forgotten.
She stepped out of her chambers, still puzzling over it, passing the guards who stood at her doorway. They saluted, though she didn’t return any sort of gesture this morning. She was preoccupied. The hallway only had two ways to go. Halfway down the corridor, she could turn left and head for the Throne Room, or she could go straight on, into the other set of royal chambers. She chose to go left.
The palace was beautiful, the greatest artists and architects in Equestria responsible for its construction. They assured her that its glory would stretch above the highest mountaintops, to be seen and admired by ponies in every corner of the nation. The word “assured” was used, because it wasn’t finished yet. Only the main hall and the east wing were in an inhabitable state. The rest was being worked on daily. Even now, motes of dust and powdered marble were hanging in the air, slightly obscuring the world around the alicorn. It wasn’t a perfect home, she knew, but a change in location had been necessary. The temporary seat of power held too many bitter memories.
Far, far too many.
It was dusk, the orange sunlight nearly sucked from the sky. In the outside world, there was time still to enjoy the day. But in the Everfree Forest, the tall trees blocked out light far earlier than anywhere else in the surrounding countryside. This made for a curious sight. The officially designated Day Court lasted long into what seemed to be the night. Usually, at least. Today seemed to be a welcome reprieve.
The princesses were housed in the Everfree Keep, as a temporary arrangement. Much was to be decided on the future of the nation, and until that happened, they needed a place to sleep, and to manage the day-to-day dealings of their subjects.
This left a bitter taste in more ponies’ mouths than any would care to admit. Everfree Keep was the very place they had sacked from Discord. His own personal hall, rumored by some to be the last building standing from Old Equestria; a remnant from the first ponies to come to this land, long before the devilish creature had taken control. Many felt their skin crawl just walking in the place. Its bluish hue seemed otherworldly.
Dozens of guards were stationed in every conceivable location of the Main Hall. They were not there for anypony’s safety, especially not creatures as powerful as the princesses. They were there as a constant visual reminder: ponies ruled this place. Not him. Never him again.
Besides these guards, only four ponies were present in the hall at the time. Sitting on her throne was Princess Celestia, looking rather frustrated by the crease in her brow. By her side was a gray stallion, small and bony, his horn levitating a small scroll with the day’s issues written on it. They had reached the last item on this list: a formal audience with a baron by the name of Roseheart. He hailed from the northeast, and had a personal guard by his side. Celestia was trying to appear civil, though she was barely resisting the urge to glare at that bodyguard and catapult them from the keep.
That guard’s presence was an insult, and a vulgar one at that. To bring personal means of defense, be it a weapon or a soldier, quite clearly implied one did not find themselves safe in the royal hall. Such a level of distrust from a fellow pony sat like an acidic gob in Celestia’s gut. Their fledgling nation was barely on its feet, and already the nobles saw fit to scoff at the authority of the ones they insisted take command? She considered, for a moment, replacing him with someone with a little more respect. She caught the thought halfway through and tossed it away. If she abused her power like that, she would be no better than the fiend that came before her.
His complaint had been a meager one: a town from across a river bordering his territory had insisted it owed him no taxes, though he claimed that outlying sections of the town crossed into his domain. A simple look at the map had shown that the only buildings related to that town on his side of the river were watchposts belonging to the Equestrian Guard—a national group under the direct authority of the government. And Roseheart had no taxation rights over them. He didn’t seem all too pleased about her majesty’s decision, but he had no choice but to accept it. He bowed graciously.
“Very well, I shall collect no taxes from Hockleberry, henceforth.”
“Good,” Celestia stated. “Is there anything else that you require, Baron?”
“Mm, no, that will be all,” he told her, bowing once more. “We shall leave you to your rest now; good day, my queen.”
The air seemed to freeze over in cold as Celestia’s pupils shrank a little. It was imperceptible without being terribly close up, and she managed to disguise the anger with bored frustration. She stared quietly at him with unamused, half-lidded eyes. “I think you will find that I am no queen, Roseheart.”
The baron, for his part, seemed unfazed, and maintained his cool composure as he bowed his head once more. “Apologies, princess, it was a slip of the tongue… though, if I may ask?”
Celestia tried not to make her frustrated snort too obvious. She had an image to keep. “Of course.”
“What, precisely, differentiates you from a queen? A princess implies a higher authority, yet Equestria has none.”
Celestia calmed down, though only a little. As much as she hated to admit it when it came to Roseheart, that was a fair question.
The princess explained, “The difference, Roseheart, is that Equestria does not need a higher authority, such as a queen. A queen would be a monarch, sole ruler, and possess power that could not be opposed on many matters. Our last ‘monarch’ proved quite handily why Equestria needs no such thing as a monarch. My sister and I share our power and possess advisors and councilors. There is no sole ruler. Therefore, there is no queen.”
Judging by his eyes, Roseheart thought that a flimsy excuse. But that was Celestia’s reasoning. After a brief silence, Roseheart excused himself and left.
As soon as the shutting of the main doors announced his full departure, Celestia sank into her seat, sighing. “Masterstroke, why does it feel like these court days are getting longer?”
The little gray stallion fidgeted. “As it happens, princess, today’s court was significantly shorter than usual.”
Celestia sighed, shaking her head. “You cannot be serious. My word, these squabbles will take me long before age.”
The princess departed from the throne, making use of a hall directly to the right of it. It bent around, leading to a stone staircase that stretched up, along the side of the keep. At the top was a simple room, used as her and her sister’s shared chambers. Though, Celestia supposed that “switched-off” applied to the situation better than “shared”. It was time for her to sleep. Therefore, it was time for Luna to wake.
“Sister, are you up there?”
A flash of bluish light filled the room, replaced a moment later by Luna herself. “No,” She replied with a cheeky grin.
Celestia tittered, neatly failing at hiding her surprise at her sister’s teleportation. “You’re getting better at that!” She complimented. “I take it you’ve been working late nights in the library, then?”
“Of course!” Luna replied proudly. “We have long nights to partake of, sister; it only makes sense to wring as much productivity as possible from them.”
The elder alicorn gave a sly look at her sister, commenting “I see ‘we’ve’ also been working on ‘our’ silly accents.”
Luna blushed so deeply that her entire face seemed to be burning crimson. Her voice stammered trying to raise protest, managing only to dig herself in deeper. “I—ah, I mean we—blast, I mean, we mean we—wait—gaaah!”
Every botched attempt at saving herself only amused her sister further. Luna eventually gave up and bit down on her tongue. But by then it was far, far too late to save the blushing princess any embarrassment. Celestia had lost all control, leaning against a wall to prop herself up as her entire body shook with laughter, her eyes clamped shut and streaming tears. Luna’s ears folded back, and she sat as still as a scolded puppy. After a few moments, Celestia noted the silence and brought herself to a halt.
She noticed the hurt look on her sister’s face and frowned with her. “Oh, come off it, Luna, it was just a bit of teasing.” She tried to smile and brighten the mood, saying, “If the royal ‘we’ is that important to you, I shall not bring it up again.”
“It is not that it is important, necessarily.” Luna admitted. “It just seemed like a… royal thing to do. I have been reading a book from the library. It speaks of proper royal behavior.”
“Oh?” her sister asked, curiosity piqued. “What book might that be?”
“It is a red book, leather-bound, though I cannot read the title. I have never seen the language it seems to be from.”
“Hrm. Well, that is annoying. Do you know where it might be from?”
“Yes, and no,” Luna explained, most perplexingly. “I do not know where it was written, exactly, but it speaks of a place called ‘Camelot’.”
Celestia rested on her haunches, puzzling over the mysterious book being described to her. This wasn’t the first odd book the sisters had found in Discord’s library. They had decided that it shouldn’t be very surprising. It could hardly be imagined that a creature such as he would own a library, of all things, without making it a little interesting. They had found books that spoke as if factually on places, creatures and worlds they could scarcely imagine.
“Camelot. What an odd name. Do you suppose it means something?”
“I haven’t the faintest idea, dear sister.”
“Tell me then,” Celestia asked, changing the subject on a whim. “why would you need to copy a book on ‘royal’ etiquette?”
The dreaded blush returned, and Luna’s eyes deftly avoided her co-sovereign’s. After a moment’s hesitation, and a mischievous horn coming dangerously close to her flank for a prod, she spilled the dirt.
“If I may be honest, sister, I still have doubts that we chose correctly. To rule.”
Celestia smirked, quite nearly envious of her humble sister. “And you do not see, Luna, why that makes you so perfect for the task?”
Luna’s face flattened, and one ear fell back as she tried to make sense of that one. “No, quite frankly, I do not.”
“The greatest quality a leader can possess is to think like a subject,” Her sister explained. “For as long as I have known you, Luna, you have made it your mission to ensure every action you take was for the good of all ponies.”
She placed a hoof on her sister’s shoulder, and her face faltered for only a brief moment as she continued. “Though you may have acted… boldly, on occasion, you have always had good intentions at your core. That is certainly more than I can say for our predecessor. All you need do, sister, is follow your heart. It is wiser than you know.”
Luna smiled, chuckling a little at the corny, yet earnest, little phrases her sister could spin. “Thank you, Tia. I suppose, if you are here, Day Court has ended?”
“Yes, it has,” She confirmed. “Which means you may begin taking your audiences whenever you wish. In the meantime, I think I shall stop by the library, and see if I can locate this mysterious ‘Camelot’ book you spoke of. Then, off to bed.”
She leaned in and nuzzled the side of her sister’s face. “Good night, Luna.”
Celestia spread her wings, giving her an extra boost as she leaped up the stairs. She made it up the first flight and Luna had nearly exited the little chamber to make for the throne room before the other alicorn turned back. “Oh, and Luna?”
“Yes?”
A poof of golden smoke appeared before the younger sister’s eyes, leaving behind a tiara to match her coat. Celestia placed it in its proper spot, and teasingly commented, “You forgot your tiara.”
A second bound carried Celestia out of sight, leaving Luna all alone. She took that precious solitude and used it to let yet another blush die down before heading out. Masterstroke was still standing by the throne, staring at a piece of parchment quite intently. He barely noticed his princess coming in, but snapped to attention when he did.
“Er, your majesty!” he exclaimed, bowing to her. Luna returned the gesture, and slid into the throne she and her sibling shared.
“Greetings, Sir Masterstroke,” she said in a strong voice. She adjusted her posture, sitting upright and tall as she prepared herself. “We are ready to receive our audience for the Night Court.”
The secretary’s reaction was immediate; his head rising up a bit and body cringing. Luna recognized the action far too easily. She sunk lower into her seat, lowering her head to stare at the floor.
“Nopony has come?”
Masterstroke’s silence said everything she needed to hear.
“Very well.” She jutted her chest out, looking as strong as she could as she stepped off of her throne. Her elegance was measured and quite deliberate. With a final bow to her assistant, she swiftly left the throne room, calling back “If thou hast need of us, we may be found in the library.”
The library was an intimidating place, though no more so than the rest of the castle. For a place inhabited by Discord, it was fairly conservative in design. The prevailing color was absolutely green, be it dark or light. The walls, the shelves, the drapes and even the light itself seemed to be tainted by the color. Luna entered through the only door, which led into a narrow corridor between bookshelves to the center of the room. There, the only table belonging to the library could be found, with room to seat several individuals. The rest of the room belonged to the books. The ceiling, approximately twelve feet high, was scraping against the tops of the wide shelves, of which there numbered about forty, crammed in a criss-cross pattern and framing the walls, for good measure. It seemed to smell of malicious laughter, if such a thing were possible. Malicious laughter, and neglected and musty tomes.
At the center table sat Celestia, poring over a quartet of open volumes. She spotted Luna from the corner of her eye, smiling widely and waving to her. She smiled back at the more enthusiastic mare, albeit weakly, and approached.
“You are looking for Camelot the hard way then?” Luna asked.
“Skimming, mostly,” Celestia admitted. “Usually, there’s a table of contents that I may peruse, though these ones are particularly impenetrable.”
She gestured at the books she’d laid out, and indeed they were odd. They seemed to be written in an indecipherable system of brushed ink, forming alien patterns. Luna’s eyes spun just looking at them.
“Where in Equestria did he find these?” Luna questioned.
“I’m beginning to wonder if these came from Equestria at all,” Celestia mused. Or, at least she tried to, before squinting and rubbing the sides of her head.
“Art thou tired?” Luna asked, slipping into her accent again. Celestia nodded, regretfully.
“Today was particularly grating on me. I think I shall retire early.”
“In that case, I shall continue looking for that book. I am sure I shall find it somewhere around here.”
Her sister caught the implication quickly, and frowned. “No Night Court?”
Luna shook her head, the happiest face she could muster coming out a solid neutral. Celestia stood up and smiled reassuringly to her. “At the least, you will not be bored, with all this strange information.”
“That much is true,” Luna agreed, something closer to a smile on her lips now. She nodded to her sister, who left quietly. Now alone, the princess glared at the shelves encroaching around her. Where had she gone and left that book?
Every direction looked the same to her. This library had that effect, muddling directions and sense. Discord’s touch, quite clearly. Luna determined to herself that she would need to implement some sort of system to sort all of these shelves and books. But that was a task for the future. For the present she picked a direction and struck out that way, scanning every shelf for the red leather she remembered. She scanned one level of the shelf, then another, eyes shooting back and forth across the volumes as the swiftest of arrows.
It was not on this shelf. She moved on to the next down the line and repeated the process. It was not here either. She moved on again, then yet again, doing this seven times in total before something caught her eye.
It was not red leather. It was not red at all, and it certainly was not leather. The binding of this book was not any material she recognized at first glance, and the colors were as nonsensical, if not more so. A wide, vertical stripe of neon green ran down the spine of the tome, crisscrossed with horizontal maroon lines, and framed by two thinner vertical lines of black, with uneven splotches of white upon them. There was no title on the spine, only a large, seemingly engraved exclamation point.
It was not her goal, but it was simply too much to pass up. What the devil was this little book? Luna pulled it from the shelf and quickly brought it over to the table, setting it down and taking a seat to examine its front cover.
It was of a similar pattern as the binding, but there were three exclamation points on the front, even bolder and larger than the one on the side. They almost seemed to be carved out of wood, but the feel of book didn’t quite match that texture. It was closer to a metallic rubber, if such a thing made sense.
Luna opened the book, and looked at the first page.
Said first page was labeled “42”, and started mid-sentence. Something about a pony in a jungle and a jewel of some sort. It made no sense to her. Curious, and wondering if somepony had removed the first forty-one pages, the princess flipped to the next page and read it.
This page was number 1,570, and gave an in-depth look on the anatomy of reindeer. Luna’s eyes lingered on the page for a confusing moment, then moved to the opposite page. This one was clearly a story meant for foals, and the drawings were even simpler than said story.
“What kind of book is this?” Luna wondered, starting to flip the pages at a faster rate. No need to read them now. Vastly varied and out-of-order numbers flashed by alongside hundreds of different tales, pictures and fonts. She neared the end of the book, growing more frustrated with the impenetrable oddity by the second.
Her pace stopped immediately upon reaching one of the very last pages. Entirely blank, worn yellow by time itself. Something seemed different about this page. Something animated, intriguing.
That was when the ink blot appeared. Dabbed in the center of the page by no outside force, it suddenly swirled, forming large and ornate letters.
HELLO, PRINCESS.
Below the words sat two disturbing, piercing eyes that watched her with vicious curiosity. Luna felt her skin crawl, and ice shot up her spine.
“Discord,” She snarled between her teeth.
AW, YOU DO REMEMBER ME!
The eyes shifted to happier, almost goofy-looking things, but the princess’s expression was as violent as ever. “I suppose this was your idea of a prank, leaving a charmed book to trick ponies with.”
WHAAAAT? NO, NO PRANKS MY DEAR! I SOLEMNLY SWEAR ON MY HONOR AS THE GOD OF DISHARMONY! THE GENUINE ARTICLE, RIGHT HERE, AND AT YOUR SERVICE.
The eyes closed, and nodded in some mockery of a bow.
She despised the motion, coming from him. “So you’re an advanced charm, then, made to respond to the individual the same way you might.”
TELL YOURSELF WHATEVER YOU WISH, MY LITTLE PONY. BUT IF THAT’S THE CASE, WHAT’S THE FUNCTIONAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ME AND THE REAL DISCORD?
“The real Discord stopped talking quite some time ago.”
YEEEEAAAH… DON’T YOU THINK THAT WAS KINDA MEAN? C’MON, WE WERE HAVING FUN, RIGHT?
Luna’s coat was bristling with fury. “You enslave my kind, subject them to centuries of brutal oppression and torture, and have the GALL to—”
Her eyes opened a bit wider, and then closed. She took a deep breath, serenity returning to her.
WHAT’S THE MATTER? NO MORE SHOUTING?
Luna, even with her emotions commanding her to burn the book, managed to smile at it. Not in an entirely vicious way either. “You are most clever, Discord, I shall give you that. But your games will not work on me.”
Luna grabbed the book, slowly lifting it into the air and preparing to snap it shut.
WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! DON’T SHUT ME, PLEEEEEASE DON’T SHUT ME! IT GETS SO MUSTY IN HERE, I’LL BE GOOD!
The eyes looked prepared to cry a river, little ink tears falling from their corners.
Luna raised an eyebrow. She enjoyed hearing the sick creature beg a little more than she knew she ought to. “Oh?” she maliciously teased. She feigned closing the book, savoring the squeal of terror from the charmed remnant of the beast. “Tell me then, draconequus, why I should do anything but shove you in a dark, foul-smelling corner, to be forever forgotten?”
…I CAN BE GOOD COMPANY!
The eyes lit up brightly, and frantically hopped about, demanding attention.
“Because clearly, allowing you any form of freedom is in my best interests,” said Luna.
HONEST, THOUGH, I AM! THIS LITTLE BOOK, RIGHT HERE? JUST AN EXTRA-BODILY ASSERTION OF MY CONSCIOUSNESS. I’M COMPLETELY POWERLESS.
HERE, WATCH ME TURN YOUR HOOF INTO A CHICKEN.
The little eyes squinted, noiselessly exerting all of its effort as beads of sweat practically flew from them. After a moment the eyes opened, lidded and exhausted as they silently panted for breath. Little inky puffs of breath faded in and out below them.
SEE? I GOT NOTHIN’!
“You could mislead me quite easily like that,” Luna asserted. “Even if you speak the truth, I am well aware that you need no powers to harm. Your silver tongue is the stuff of legend, for better or worse. You are hardly the ideal conversational partner.”
WELL, IT’S A PAPER TONGUE NOW, SO NO WORRIES THERE. BESIDES, SURELY BAD CONVERSATION IS BETTER THAN NONE?
Luna’s ears pricked up, though she attempted to disguise the reaction. It was a fruitless endeavor.
AH, AH, I SAW THAT! DON’T TRY AND FOOL THIS OLD GOAT, I KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON IN MY OWN CASTLE. YOU’RE STARVING FOR A LITTLE CHIT-CHAT, WHAT WITH ALL THE NEGLECT YOUR COURT’S BEEN GETTING, EH?
“…How did you know that?”
I KNOW MANY THINGS.
The eyes seemed to spiral around, in a clownishly hypnotic manner.
BUT YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN, DON’T YOU? I’M LONELY—NOT TO MENTION BORED—SITTING AROUND, STILL AS A STATUE. AND YOU’RE LONELY, WITH YOUR PRISSY LITTLE SISTER HOGGING UP ALL THE FAME AND GLORY. WE’RE LIKE THE CHOSEN ONES OF PEN PALS!
“My sister has done no such thing!” Luna growled at Discord, Volume 1. The eyes rolled in disbelief.
OH, SHE HASN’T? THAT’S SAD, DEAR, TRULY SAD. I’M NOT AS BLIND TO YOUR SITUATION AS YOU ARE, AND I’M A BOOK.
CELESTIA’S DONE NOTHING BUT SOAK UP THE ATTENTION, WHILE YOU’VE GOTTEN TABLE SCRAPS. SHE SHOOTS THROUGH HER DAY COURT AT DOUBLE TIME, JUST TO LEAVE YOU WITH NOTHING WHEN NIGHT ROLLS AROUND. PONIES PRANCE AND FROLIC AROUND LIKE THE LITTLE STUPID THINGS THEY ARE THROUGH THE DAY, AND THEY TUCK AWAY TO COWER THROUGH THE NIGHT YOU TOIL TO BRING THEM. AND HAVE YOU HEARD WHAT THEY SAY TO HER? THEY DEMAND SHE MAKE HERSELF QUEEN.
A QUEEN, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? CONSOLIDATE HER POWER, AND LEAVE YOU TO ROT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
HOW RUDE CAN YOU EVEN GET?
“That is ENOUGH!” Luna shouted, her voice booming with the authority that a royal needed. The eyes nodded in approval. “My sister loves me dearly, and I her. She would never hurt me so. If there were some plot to install Celestia as queen, I think I might hear of it before a book. And you seem to have forgotten, night is a natural time of rest. My symphony rejuvenates, and gives my subjects strength to carry on through the coming day, and all the work that comes. I was well aware of my duties when I took them, and you shall not sway me so easily.”
OH, FINE.
The eyes narrowed at her.
I TRIED TO WARN YOU, SHOW YOU WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON. YOU’LL BE BACK, THOUGH. YOU’LL SEE FOR YOURSELF SOON ENOUGH.
“I highly doubt that.” Luna snapped the book shut. With a single flare of magic light, the book was placed back in its little corner of the world, and the princess left the library in a huff.
Tia would never do that to her.
Right?
The next few weeks passed by quickly. The number of cases in the Day Court seemed to triple over the daily average. This coincided with the beginning of construction to the northeast. Architects, scholars, artists, and thousands of manual laborers had been called in from every corner of Equestria to commence the construction of the young nation’s capital city. It was to be a beacon of art, commerce, and harmony for all to see and admire. Though it did not yet have a name, this combination of talents was leading to truly astounding concepts.
Celestia had been keeping close track of the construction, but Luna had other thoughts preying on her mind. She had kept searching the library, diligently. In her spare time, she had created a simplistic system to track books by their genre, sorting them onto shelves with others of their kind. The idea of a Court Librarian was rapidly starting to appeal to her.
But every moment spent in Everfree’s library was a moment in the same room as that cursed tome, still hiding in its corner. Luna had once felt at peace when in the middle of her studies. Now she felt on edge merely thinking about the room. She had contemplated informing her sister of the book but decided against it. It was harmless in its current state, and Celestia might have done something drastic from the shock of first hearing what she’d been told. Luna had yet to determine if tampering with the book might affect Discord’s true body in some manner.
No, for the present it was simply best to ignore the book. Though the princess found that difficult, at times. The Night Court remained empty, only a scant few peasants roaming in on odd nights to demand property rights over one animal or another. Even while patrolling the dreams of her subjects, she saw happy thoughts of bright sunlight, and cowering fear of the encroaching darkness.
That is only instinct, she would remind herself. How else would one react to the night, seeing the ways Discord perverted it? This is why I chose the night. I will change that instinct. I must.
Luna could not remember the last time a noble paid visit to her during her own hours. They preferred to appear in the Day Court, where the most ponies were available to see them.
Or perhaps because Tia is there?
The thought came without invitation on a dark night. There was no comfort on that evening in the halls, so Luna had moved to the exterior. A little flat spot on the northern turret was just about perfect for a stargazer with the means to reach it. If there were two things Luna could claim to possess in spades, they were a penchant for stargazing, and the means to do it. The blue stone was cold, and a little rough on her hindquarters, forcing her to stand when she came to the spot. It wasn’t any less beautiful for it. In every direction, the dappled greens of the Everfree stretched out like a grand city, colossal trees its towers and old deer trails its roads.
Up above, the stars were unhindered by any lights from below. A flowing, shimmering tapestry. Luna couldn’t imagine a more beautiful work of art if she tried. Is that hubris? she often asked herself. There’s nothing wrong admiring your work, right?
Those innocent little boasts weren’t in her head tonight. Only one heavy question, banging around her skull like a ram against a castle’s gates. Her hoof scraped along the rough stone, scratching out a simple rhythm to think along to.
No, that is absurd. What’s worse, it is unfair. Both to my sister, and to the nobles. Some of them may or may not be total ponces with the brains of foals, but that just further proves my point, correct?
She curled her lip, watching the silver crescent moon travel along its graceful arc. It comforted her on lonelier nights. Nights like this. The moon was peaceful, serene. It was certainly never burdened with the petty dealings of nobleponies.
All they care about is the favor they can curry from other nobles, and from me and my sister. The daytime is simply the best time to do that. Nothing personal. It is just politics.
She shifted the weight on her legs, and groaned. “Why does it feel personal?”
This was not her first night of stargazing ruined by a bitter thought at an inopportune time. When she’d finally forced past the worst of it her thoughts always drew back to the same place. The strange little book in the library. Discord. Even now, just the name was almost enough to send Luna into a conniption. Her hoof clacked against the stone as she attempted to shut out the name. If not the name, then the horrible images it brought to mind. She failed on both endeavors. How deeply had his words really stung?
I must stop lending credence to the words of maniacs. He knows nothing. His trick is to convince me that he truly does know something. Still. Even if his claims of a coup were false, he was certainly accurate on the favor of the nobles.
Luna realized what she was thinking, and scoffed. Truth from Discord, unintentional or otherwise? Absurd. Simply absurd.
On one day in particular, Celestia invited Luna to travel with her, out to the new capital. The plans had been finalized, and proper building was ready to begin. They just needed the approval of their beloved royals considering the monumental importance of their project. She was told that it was to be a party of sorts, lasting long through the night. Luna immediately accepted.
A carriage pulled by four earth pony guards trundled across a dirt path over green hills. The vehicle itself was of simple make: lacquered cherry wood and trimmed with scarlet paint. Inside, both royal sisters sat quietly, the elder examining the planned layout of the capital while Luna silently watched the countryside pass by her window.
The former sister was the first to start conversation. “I’ve been thinking about the capital.”
“Considering our destination, I would imagine so,” Luna retorted. Celestia gave a quick huff of laughter.
“Well, yes, but I meant the name. The workers have asked for us to name the city, you know.”
Luna was perplexed. “They have seen our names, yes?” she asked, referring to their blatantly obvious namesakes. “Surely they do not believe us the most clever at this sort of thing.”
Celestia shrugged. “I suppose, but who are we to question our royal duties?”
“Royalty,” Luna flatly answered. Celestia sputtered loudly that time, and was forced to clamp a hoof over her muzzle to stop laughing.
“Ah, true, sister. As I was saying, I’ve been thinking on a name… what do you think of Canterlot?”
Luna got the joke immediately, and a scandalous grin overtook her face. “Tia, you cur! The most important name to be given in Equestrian history, and you pick a pun?”
There was no shame in Celestia’s countenance, only malicious pride. “I shall make no apologies for art.”
Luna certainly did not disapprove, but she questioned the reaction their subjects would give. “Do you think they will buy it?”
Celestia dismissed the thought with a casual wave of her hoof. “We have access to an ancient library that none but ourselves may enter. We shall tell them it is some archaic term about freedom.”
The sly grin on Luna’s face was most accusatory. “So much for not abusing our power.”
Celestia blushed as she scrambled to defend herself. “I-it is not an abuse! Just a harmless little prank. Something we may laugh about now and again. No abuse, whatsoever.”
“If you are certain,” Luna teased. The princess of the night was in an especially playful mood today. This was because of her little plan. Ever since hearing of the event, she had been re-arranging the schedule of her nighttime patterns. No one but she was aware of it yet, but on this night the largest meteor shower in recorded history would be passing directly over the construction site. A little “thank you” gift to the workers.
The carriage stopped, signaling that they had reached the end of their journey. One of the carriage ponies pulled the door open from the outside, letting the sisters out to stretch their legs. The moment they were out of the stuffy vehicle, though, they were frozen in their tracks.
Far in the distance rose one of the largest mountains in the nation, and surrounding it was the foundation of the capital city. It had not truly struck either of the pair until now, that part of their new home would literally be jutting from a mountain. It was one thing to look at the plans, tuning out the gibberish of an excitable architect. To see the framework so closely was an awe-inspiring thought.
The sisters became aware of an entourage making their way towards them. A group of earth ponies, likely the ones in charge of the project. At their head was a squat, muscly brown stallion that went by the name of Keystone. He and then his followers bowed to the royalty, who kindly returned the gesture.
“Yoor majesties,” Keystone began in a gruff tone. His accent was all but indecipherable. “I kennut thankee enuff’fer kummin out ’is far fer uh simpuhl sayer-uh-mo-nee succha’ ’is.”
Celestia blinked a few times, frantically trying to sort out some actual words from that terrifying babble. “It… is no trouble, Sir Keystone. We could not imagine being anywhere else on such a momentous day.”
Keystone bowed again, graciously, and blushing a little from the compliment. “Well’n, effya dun’t mine, p’rups yee kin kumm an’ luck o’fer uh fyoo ’ings? Just, yee-no, foina-lies-ay-shun an’ all?”
The princess paused again, trying to look deep in thought as she sorted out his impossible dialect. “Er, yes, I suppose I can.”
The group immediately began walking away, and Celestia turned to follow. She turned back when she realized that, technically, only she had been asked to come. Luna remained standing by the carriage, a hint of hurt on her face that was overpowered by confusion. She was still going over Keystone’s speech, wondering if she had missed the part where she was asked for her assistance as well.
Celestia whispered to her, “Perhaps I shall handle this one, dear sister. I am afraid I must relegate to you the dread task of making sure tonight’s cider is up to our… royal standards?”
Luna got the hint at once, and after sharing a goodbye nuzzle with her sister trotted for the worker’s camp. One does not simply turn down an opportunity to shirk work for free cider.
So why did she still feel uneasy? What her sister had just done was a great service, saving her from both boring administration and the mind-fraying voice of Keystone. Even so, the words of the book echoed in her mind. The ponies had quite clearly only asked for Celestia. And Tia had been all too quick to go along with it…
“No,” she whispered to herself. She shook her head violently to dispel the thought. She should not go reinterpreting the kind acts of her sister. Even if her doubts were starting to make sense to her. She should enjoy the opportunity for leisure.
Not five minutes passed before she had found the stocks of drink, borrowing a barrel of cider for herself. She had moved to a distant corner of the outdoor picnic grounds, a table to be shared only by her and the magical elixir. The taste was just a little harsh, but that was the way Luna preferred it.
Nopony came to join her, but that was to be expected, she decided. For one, she was royalty. There is a certain unapproachability that comes with the position. Compounding that was her dubious position as princess of the night. Still a thing to be feared and mistrusted. But that did not bother her either, she assured herself. For these ponies, at least, that would change after tonight. They would see the same beauty in the night sky that she did. She allowed herself the type of smile she had reserved for foalhood and her private time. Just the thought of their wide eyes, enraptured by the passing meteors made her giddy.
When she first sat down, it was approximately three o’clock in the afternoon. Luna was patient, though. The princess was content to watch her smiling subjects share drinks, laughs, and more than a few raunchy jokes with one another. The time whiled away like this, and the barrel of cider gradually lost its contents. By the time dusk rolled around over half of it was gone, and Luna had made more than one frantic trip to the latrine. She was lounging on the bench she had taken for herself when a figure approached. Celestia smiled weakly as she admired the cider barrel.
“I do not suppose you saved some for your sister?” the white alicorn pleaded. Luna smiled and waved to a vacant seat, which Celestia gratefully took. A mug of cider was passed to her and downed in a single gulp.
“I take it you have had your fill of Keystone for the day, then?” Luna asked. The bags under her sister’s eyes seemed to worsen just at the mention of his name.
“I cannot decipher a single word he says,” The elder grumbled. “If he was not the best architect in Equestria, I would replace him in an instant.”
“But, he is.”
“He is.” Tia groaned and let her head plop down onto the table.
The pair shared a weak chuckle, at their own expense.
“I hope things have not been too boring for you, here?” Celestia asked. Luna shook her head politely.
“Not at all. In fact, when we return to the castle there is a story I need to share with you about a hat, a stump, and a rutting—”
The pair’s ears pricked up, catching a distant roll of thunder cut off Luna’s story. They looked to the west, where a bank of stormclouds had appeared. Both were quite certain that those clouds were not there earlier in the day. What was worse, they seemed to be making a beeline for them.
Luna felt something shattering in her chest.
“What is happening?” the lunar princess demanded. Celestia focused her eyes, and pointed towards a speck leading the storm.
“Someone approaches.”
It was a pegasus, green like the freshest apple, and flapping his wings furiously to stay ahead of the storm. As he approached, the sisters could make out his shrill voice calling out commands.
“Storm schedule swap! Everypony to shelter!”
“Storm?” Luna yelped, almost squeaking in surprise. There was no way. Not today.
The pegasus seemed to notice the princesses, and dove down towards them. He nearly flattened himself on the landing, rolling forward and doing a quick bow to the two of them.
“Y-your majesties!” he panted, quite clearly exhausted. “Lieutenant M-Maplewood, at your service! I-I’m afraid I need to ask you to, erp, get to shelter!”
“Calm yourself, Lieutenant,” said Celestia, her voice shifting into its most regal tones. “And then tell us what is happening here. No storms were scheduled for today.”
“Y-yes, your highness!” Maplewood stuttered, quite clearly terrified. “I’m very, very, very-very, VERY sorry—“
“Out with it,” demanded Luna, which elicited a squeal of surprise from the timid pegasus.
“R-right. Our weather teams, erm, misjudged our storms’ output for the season! They’ve been using modified algorithms from Discord’s reign, and they overestimated the endurance of natura plants. We’re short of scheduled rainfall, and if we don’t send an extra week’s worth of rain through, we’re risking a drought! The whole northern crop could fall th-through!”
Luna’s eyes were as wide as saucer plates, and she could swear her heart had stopped. Today of all days. That… wasn’t fair.
Celestia had shut her eyes, blocking out the world as she considered the options. She hummed a single, constant note as she let out a strong release of air. When she opened her eyes, there was a gracious sense of defeat in them.
“Very well, Lieutenant. We shall take our leave at once.”
Something clicked in the princess’ mind. Discord’s words were ringing in her head, though she now began to wonder if they were not her very own thoughts. How dare Celestia make this choice by herself? How dare she rob Luna of her chance to redeem the night?
The princess of the night stamped her foot. “No!” she commanded. The royal voice was in full effect. “We demand you avert this storm immediately!”
Maplewood looked like the tip of a sword was between his eyes. “B-b-but… we need to get this rain through!”
“Postpone it a day!” Luna countered.
“W-we can’t! If we don’t space out the rain, it’ll oversoak the soil!”
The timid pegasus was scared out of his wits. But Luna did not see that. In her fit of anger, all she saw was a pony telling her that her greatest chance to show the world that the night—that she—was not something to be feared, was being denied her. She leaned in, planning to make her next words very clear. Only Maplewood could see the change in her eyes, pupils narrowing to minuscule slits.
“We care NOT for thy petty excuses. Simply DO as thou art TOLD—”
“Luna!”
A hoof smacked the princess in the side, and Celestia closed in on her face. The slits were gone, and beneath the wrath of her sister the princess of the night felt like a filly again. Seeing a squabble he did not wish to be involved in, Maplewood quickly sped on his way to evacuate the other ponies.
“You shame us!” Celestia scolded, her voice harsh and angered. “What by the stars has become of you? You would doom our harvest for naught but a night?”
“Easy to say,” Luna replied bitterly. “when thou speakest with sole authority!”
Celestia’s words caught in her throat. All she was able to choke out was a confused “What?”
Luna’s expression would have been fierce, if not for the tears in her eyes.
“Our subjects hate me! Hate the night, they fear it like it is some sort of… monster! Tonight was my one chance to prove them wrong, and you would take it from me!”
“Luna…” Celestia began, her voice faltering and expression baffled. “I have no idea what you are talking about! Our subjects love you! I love you! Why would anypony hate you?”
Luna didn’t answer, silently seething as she tried to maintain her visage of rage. Despair was quickly winning out. Seeing an opportunity to defuse the situation, Celestia stepped closer, trying to put her wing around her sister. The smaller alicorn backed away.
“Sister, our duty is to our subjects. Surely whatever you’ve planned can wait one night? Maybe I could help—”
Luna wasn’t sure why, but that line struck something in her mind. Something very deep, and angry. She lunged forward, ears back and teeth bared, hoof dragging at the dirt beneath her.
“Stay AWAY from my night!” she commanded. “You have already taken enough for yourself!”
The younger sister turned and unfurled her wings, taking to the sky and flying south. Celestia galloped after her, calling her name to no avail. She was only a dot in the sky by the time her sister stopped. She could have caught up to her, but it would have been pointless. She stood alone in the field, the first drops of an evening rain beginning to fall.
“Luna…” she whispered, feeling a looming sense of danger, and horrible confusion.
That night, at Everfree Keep, Luna sat alone in the library. Her sister had yet to return, and most of their menagerie had followed them to the soon-to-be capital. The halls were awfully quiet; it seemed even the little mice that slept within the walls had left the brooding princess. She was staring at an empty table, a heavy weight in her chest. She had been processing the day, slowly, many times over. Reliving each moment of rage and sorrow. Could Celestia have been right?
Of course. She knew her sister was correct. It was more important that the crops be completed. But… she had tried so hard to create that meteor shower. So much effort, wasted, with not a tear shed by anypony. And Celestia had been so quick to step over their boundaries… tried to encroach on her own sister’s domain. She was merely trying to help, right? Trying to be a good sister. And yet it made sense, it all made too much sense right then.
Something clicked in her brain. A wheel turned, a lever was flipped. She looked straight down the aisle of books to her left. She remembered where she had hidden it. Gulping, already weighing the magnitude of her choice, she stood. She felt confused, alone. She had only ever been able to confide in her sister; she could hardly do that now. She could see only choice at that moment.
She retrieved the book, and flipped it open. The very first page was blank now, save for a pair of manically gleeful eyes.
WELCOME BACK, LUNA.
“A ‘pleasure’ to see you again, Roseheart.”
Celestia sat on her throne in Canterlot. The Day Court was in full swing, at approximately two-thirty in the afternoon. The breakfast she’d enjoyed was, truthfully, not enjoyable in any sense. She detested oatmeal, but the cooks were low on supplies and had little else available. A schedule for food delivery was still being worked out, Celestia understood that. But would keeping a few apples in reserve truly be so difficult?
What was more, that frustrating itch in her mind had not left for a single instant. All day, she had dealt with the infuriating little bit of uncertainty. Even as she settled territory disputes with the bison tribes, trade agreements with the griffons, and authorized a campaign to drive the wights from the Northern Reaches, some small part of her mind was dedicated to sorting out this mystery. She had forgotten something dear, something she knew she should never, ever forget.
She had considered it the worst part of her day until Roseheart had arrived, no less than a dozen other nobles in tow. She already knew what he was here for. He had come monthly with the same proposal, a new supporter or two every time. And every time, he was denied.
The baron bowed to her, and replied “The pleasure is mine, your majesty.”
Celestia nodded curtly. “State your business.”
Roseheart cleared his throat, an assistant opening up a scroll for him to read.
“Ah-ahem. The following parties: Dukes Cliffwheat, Marigold, and Dewdrop; Barons Cloud Skimmer, Nightingale, and Roseheart; Lords Sapphire Gem, Karat, and Misty Morning; and the esteemed Marquis Horizon, have signed the following petition in accordance with Article VII, Subsection C of the Equestrian Pact of Nobleponies, that our sole sovereign, Princess Celestia, be appointed Queen of Equestria. This collection of Nobles does so make this request for the best interest of this nation’s diplomatic standings with others, to present a unified and sovereign power.”
Celestia harrumphed, though tried not to let her sour mood show. The new face was the Marquis, and he would certainly be a problem. Lord of Manehattan, currently the only city in all of Equestria with a port capable of trade with the griffon nations across the sea. He was a very influential stallion, and this movement would only grow so long as he supported it. She would need to chat with him privately, and regain his trust. But that was a problem for a later date. For now, she needed a good excuse to rebuke these nobles, at least for the time being.
She believed she had an idea. Straightening her posture, and speaking in the most royal voice she could, her reply was as thus:
“If you will recall, esteemed mares and gentlecolts, that upon the founding of Equestria, my sister and I were appointed, by the citizens of our fair nation, princesses. In Equestrian history no title such as ‘queen’ has ever existed. In fact, the title of ‘princess’ is, by past example, an elected position. For Equestrian purposes, princess is the highest position in our government, and is a position which may be replaced, by the word of our legislature, should the current occupant or occupants be deemed unworthy of said position.”
That was a stone-faced dare, and every blanching noble in that hall knew it. She had cornered them. At least for today, she had forced the issue into whether Celestia was fit to rule. Though the ponies gathered may have had their own thoughts on how Celestia was handling the affairs of their nation, nopony wanted to be the sole rebel in the room. The nobles hoofed at the ground, nervous as they tried to recollect their wits. All except for Roseheart.
The Baron locked eyes with the Princess, an approving, conniving aspect in his stare. Though the others had only seen the bluff, it seemed that this pony in particular was more observant, and had spotted the real reason Celestia was so viciously maintaining the title of “princess”: if she would ever accept the position of queen, she would be accepting solitary rule over the nation, and fully consolidating her power. And she would never do that. Even now, in her heart, she would insist that she still shared power with…
That was it.
Celestia felt a weight lift from her. The itch dissipated, as what she had forgotten finally returned to her. Today was New Year’s Eve. The first that she would ever spend without her sister. A sudden rush of energy came upon her, and the princess rose from her throne.
“Thank you for your time today, everypony,” She began. “But in case we have forgotten, it is a momentous day. The countdown to a new year. All of you, please, go home. Be with your families tonight.”
In a single instant, Celestia had ended the Day Court prematurely, for the first time in its short lifespan. Though confused, the nobles had already been flabbergasted by their ruler's bluff. They had no willpower left to resist with, and meekly departed. The only one that turned back after his first few steps was Roseheart.
“Shall we see you at tonight’s festivities, your highness?”
“Of course,” Celestia told him. “It is my royal duty, after all.”
“Then… may I ask a more personal question?”
Celestia arched her brow, questioning his intent. He was standing some distance away from her throne now. The guards had escorted the others out, and the pair was alone in the hall, with whatever secrets they chose to divulge.
After a long pause, Celestia flatly said “You may.”
The baron approached, though didn’t close much of the gap before stopping again. He sounded strangely apprehensive of his words. Perhaps even worried, if Celestia could believe he was capable of such a reaction.
“You told us, specifically, to be with our families tonight,” Roseheart began. “And I assure you, we will do so. But, your highness… what will you do?”
The alicorn paused, as if frozen in mid-motion. Her face revealed none of her emotion, but for a long time no words were spoken, and that said enough of how seriously she was taking this question. The answer she finally gave was given flatly, and quite cryptically.
“I shall do the same, Baron.”
In some manner he could not explain, Roseheart believed he understood her intent. He bowed without another word, leaving the hall immediately after. Celestia had hours before the official celebrations began, and decided she knew precisely where to spend that time. She tried to keep her pace even, slow and regal as a princess should move, but it was difficult not to shift into a canter or even a full gallop.
She came up to the hall that led to her chambers. But now, she proceeded in the opposite direction. The door that met her was unlocked, and she gently opened it. The light from the hall slowly crept in, revealing a beautiful, circular room, made of indigos and midnight hues, with a ceiling dappled in a perfect recreation of the night sky.
At once a bittersweet sensation entered the room. But Celestia did not stop, feeling a sense of purpose that she had been lacking all day. She proceeded to an armoire. She threw it open, and found only a single article of clothing inside. It was a simple scarf, which she took down from the spot it hung from. She held it fully stretched out, examining its sheen. The same color as her sister’s coat, and her moon was lovingly stitched on the end.
She’d never even worn it.
The months after that passed by quickly and frantically, as if the world itself knew of some grand moment approaching and sped life itself on to meet it. The winter passed without incident, the new year coming and going with much fanfare that was still forgotten. The princesses made fewer public appearances in this time. Celestia spent many of her days dedicated to the construction of Canterlot, giving her personal input to many facets of the design.
Luna, on the other hand, read her book. She withdrew from the world. At first it was temporary. She had exploded at a commoner who was simply trying to do his job, and then at her own sister. She knew she had been wrong, but knew of no way to properly apologize. She had decided she would wait it out until tempers cooled.
But her temper never did. She continued to confide in the book. Discord, to his credit, listened intently to her every word, sharing his condolences. Sympathizing when she was certain nopony else would. In the first days, she would come to the book once, or twice a week. Before she had realized it, the chats had become daily things. She began to share other frustrations with it. Frustrations she had not even realized she had, until she had said them. It was as if all the things she had bottled away were finally coming to the surface. Someone was finally paying attention to them.
She began taking meals in the study, avoiding as much contact with her sibling as she could. No more would her twisting words confuse her. Luna knew her duties, and stuck to them diligently. She maintained her focus upon them all. Celestia would encroach on her territory no longer. The book was proud of her, and she of herself. Too long had she felt helpless under her elder’s shadow. The night was nothing to be feared, but neither was it something to fear anything else.
On a cold day, mid-February, a carriage to Canterlot arrived for Celestia. She would be making one final trip before they moved in, to ensure everything had been arranged to her tastes. She passed Luna by the gate, who was standing rigidly as she watched her leave.
Celestia worriedly tried to begin a conversation. “Will you be all right by yourself, Luna?”
“Oh, I shall be fine, sister.” She remarked with barely hidden scorn. “Do not let me trouble you or your work. Do let me know what decrees you’ve decided to make on our decorating when you return.”
Celestia knew she was being rebuked, and left silently. Luna immediately returned to the library, retrieving her book and turning to page 579, where her only friend waited for her.
WELL, DON'T YOU LOOK ESPECIALLY DOWN TODAY.
The eyes made a disappointed almost-frown. Luna exhaled, trying to maintain her composure.
“She has made another trip. Alone, to Canterlot. Clearly, I’m unfit to choose the pattern of the rugs.”
Suddenly, the eyes narrowed at her.
ALL RIGHT. YOU KNOW WHAT? THAT’S ENOUGH.
Luna felt a pain in her heart, bracing itself for yet another betrayal. “W-what?”
I’M SICK OF SEEING YOU SIT HERE AND MOPE AND THEN DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FOR YOURSELF!
The eyes made a motion that, somehow, seemed like flexing muscles.
IT’S TIME YOU TOOK ACTION. GOT A LITTLE MORE AGGRESSIVE THAN PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE!
Luna lurched back from the book, averting her. “B-but… I do not know what to do!”
HEY, THAT’S COOL, THAT’S COOL.
The eyes made a motion like a shoving, “relax” sort of gesture.
AS IT HAPPENS, I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THE SUBJECT FOR MYSELF. WATCHING YOU GLOOMY-GUS ABOUT, AND AS IT HAPPENS, I HAVE AN IDEA. A WAY TO MAKE THIS WHOOOOLE SITUATION GO AWAY. BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS BEFORE.
His words resonated with the princess more than Discord: A History could have ever known. She felt many things toward her sister, but above them all she wished she could wipe it all away. Return to before her doubts. Back when they still played, just happy with each other’s company. Luna decided at that moment that, if it were possible, then she would do whatever it took to bring that time back.
“What… must I do?”
WELL… THE ONLY WAY I KNOW HOW TO HELP… IS THE DIRECT APPROACH.
“Direct?”
THIS IS GONNA SOUND A LITTLE DRASTIC. YOU, AS THE PRINCESS, KNOW WHERE THEY’VE KEPT MY STATUE, RIGHT?
Luna, even in her desperation, recoiled at the thought. “I will NOT free you, no matter what you say!”
WHOA-HO, LET’S NOT BE HASTY! I WASN’T GONNA SAY ANYTHING ABOUT FREEING ME. LIKE I SAID, THIS IS ABOUT YOU TODAY, LITTLE PRINCESS.
BUT, YOU KNOW WHERE THEY KEEP MY BODY, RIGHT? WELL, WITHOUT FREEING ME—LET’S MAKE THAT CLEAR—I THINK I CAN LEND A LITTLE BIT OF THE OL’ JUICE TO YOU. REWRITE ANYTHING YOU WANT, HOWEVER YOU WANT. PUT THE OL’ CELESTY BACK THE WAY YOU REMEMBER HER. BEFORE… WHATEVER HAPPENED TO MAKE LIKE SHE IS NOW. ALL… POWER-GRABBY.
“…You believe this will work?”
ABSOLUTELY.
A pause. “What shall I do when I’ve found your statue?”
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TOUCH IT WITH YOUR HOOF…
AND OPEN YOUR MIND TO THE POSSIBILITIES.
In the dungeons beneath Everfree Keep, there was a cell that nopony ever entered. This was where Luna found herself, fifteen minutes after leaving the library. Her pace had been slower than she’d liked. Her skin was crawling and her teeth chattered. So many things could go wrong. But what was left, right then, that could go any worse?
If she could change things, then she would. As simple as that. Maybe she could make it so they had never taken power to begin with. Let someone else take the stress. They could live a quiet life, far from the machinations of nobles and diplomats. Nothing to drive them apart. That image was the thought that drove her as she voided the spell hiding the second half of the cell.
What looked like a wall faded away, leaving behind an alcove. Within it rested a single statue, of a creature unlike any other, smiling with deceptive glee. In some part of her mind, Luna was protesting. She knew the danger of what she was about to do. This was a mistake. But she had already made so very, very many mistakes. Her sister was wrong. Luna was never fit to rule.
She lifted her hoof. “Open your mind… to the possibilities.”
She touched the statue.
GOODBYE, PRINCESS.
Pain like a thousand spears pierced her mind, and she recoiled at once from the statue. A black, seeping magic coated her hoof and burned like fire a thousand-fold. The princess tried to scream, but did not feel her lips move. As her body floundered about, a numbness overtook her limbs, until she became aware that she was no longer in control of her own movements. The body that was once hers moved on its own, still hurting, still writhing in silent agony on the floor as the dark, liquid fire spread over her leg. It came to her chest, then shot across her body completely. She tried to stretch away her neck, anything to get away from what was coming for her.
There was no response. She had lost all muscle control, and her blurring vision could only catch the barest glimpses of the liquid sloshing up her coat, reaching her neck and slowly climbing up. Luna fell to the floor. The only thing she felt now was pain. She let out one final, piercing shriek in her own mind before she was silenced.
The body was still on the floor for some time. When it finally stood, something new was controlling it.
“No, no, no, Ursa Major goes further that way.”
The pegasus holding a paintbrush in her mouth sighed in exasperation, moving in the direction that her princess dictated. Celestia stood in a perfectly circular room, on top of fresh carpet that was the precise color of the twilight sky. Workers were moving furniture about to her orders, and multiple painters were consulting a star chart sprawled out on the ground.
It wasn’t hard to see the nerves straining the alicorn at that moment. Her thoughts were consumed by her sister, and the way she had spoken to her earlier that day. The way she’d spoken to her for the last several months, in fact. Her sister had been terribly cryptic about what troubled her, unwilling to explain what she meant by her accusations. But whatever her reasons were, Celestia was certain she was at fault.
Today had cemented the idea. Luna felt underappreciated? Was that it? She desperately hoped so. Celestia hoped this would make up for it, if only in the smallest manner. Her very own chambers, hoof-crafted to appeal to her tastes. And directly below it, connected by a ladder straight down, was the most expansive, luxurious personal study in all of Equestria. Star maps, telescopes, all manner of equipment for scanning the night skies. Every rare book that could be found in the nation, purchased and collected in a single spot. Many in had been donated. They came from nobleponies and commoners alike that Celestia had sought out, eager to impart a gift to one of their beloved princesses.
Celestia was certain this would show her sister. She was appreciated by her subjects and by her sister.
If only a perfect replica of the night sky weren’t so complicated.
“Everypony, take a break,” The princess announced. The workers tried not to sound too relieved as they scrambled for lunch.
Solitude upon her, Celestia stepped over the paint buckets, tarp, and other bits of debris in her path until she reached the far side of the room. An ornate glass door met her, which she gently opened. The princess stepped out onto a stone balcony, looking out over the world beneath her. It was late in the afternoon, and the descending sun painted the landscape in glorious orange and red hues. Below her, she could make out thousands of little multi-colored dots. Her subjects darted from project to project as they erected buildings where once only grass had been. Cobblestone streets were being laid, homes were forming from scratch, shops and gathering places that were once hazy dreams were suddenly coming to life.
She took a moment to admire that. She had always wondered what her subjects thought of her. As best as she had observed, it was something awe-inspiring. A step higher than they with power beyond their reckoning.
And yet she was so amazed by them. Their ability to come together and make so much out of nothing. To be standing in a castle upon the side of a mountain? In her eyes, that may well be grander than any spell she could ever conjure. That bond, the friendship between the ponies down there was something to be cherished.
She thought she had known that bond once, but lately it felt like it had been fading from her.
“Princess!”
The door slammed open behind her, and she rushed back into the room. A guard, out of breath and clearly mortified had just collapsed to the floor. Celestia came to his side, kneeling down by him.
“Soldier, calm yourself! What is the matter!”
“Your majesty!” the unicorn spluttered. “Emergency! Everfree!”
“Everfree?”
The Keep. Luna.
Celestia’s voice became more concerned. “Everfree? The castle? What has happened?”
The pony seemed scared just to utter the words that he did. “E-engulfed! The whole forest: engulfed!”
“Engulfed?!” Celestia gasped. “By what?”
The guard shook his head, shaking in terror. “We don’t know!”
A chill ran down Celestia’s spine. She knew of the secrets hidden beneath the Keep, and only one culprit seemed clear in her mind.
“Stay here, get yourself to a nurse. You have done well to inform me of this.”
She turned and began moving for the balcony. The soldier called after her, “Your majesty, where are you going?”
“To Everfree!”
With a single flap of her wings, Celestia took to the air, soaring above the fledgling city and circling back south. The power behind her body was beyond what even the fastest pegasus in Equestria could muster. She was the fastest flier of her nation, when pushed and with this furious power she charged through the darkening sky.
The land below passed by in a blur, clouds at her side going by as white flashes in her peripheral vision. Villages, towns, and little caravans were but specks. Her vision narrowed, until the only direction she could look was forward. A numb thought wondered if this was the fastest she had gone before. It was ignored. If it was, she would go faster still.
Many miles by the measure of her subjects was ten minutes to her. As she neared the edge of the forest, she opened up her wings and caught as much air as she could, slowing to a halt midair. Her jaw dropped as she was met by the scene.
A colossal black bubble, made of some inky, frothing and shifting material had encircled the entire Everfree Forest. It was as tall as a mountain, and if she had delayed her halt by just a few seconds, she may well have collided with it. She looked below, and at its edge she could see many golden dots. Her soldiers had already arrived on the scene.
She dived down to meet them, immediately catching the eye of her subjects, who cheered at her approach. At the rear of the vanguard she recognized one of her generals, and landed by his side. He saluted her immediately, then bowed. Celestia returned the bow. “General Shining Steel.”
The old white stallion smiled a tired smile at her. He spoke with a rough, experienced voice. “Thank goodness you’re here, your majesty. This… thing appeared here approximately an hour ago. Expanded from somewhere in the center of the forest, and coated the whole blasted place within minutes. Since then, nobody has gotten in or out.”
At the edge of the bubble, Celestia could see a full platoon of unicorns aiming their spells at the dark wall. They rebounded off of its surface as if they were cast by a foal.
“Not for lack of trying.”
The Princess nodded stoically. Inside, she was a nervous wreck. A dozen gruesome images were cycling through her mind as she imagined what had become of her sister. It only drove her further to get to the Keep. She asked the general, “Do we know what the bubble does?”
“Not a dang-nabbed clue, ma’am,” Shining Steel admitted. He scowled at his inky, shifting foe, and continued to speak. “It’s magic, we know that much. We don’t know if it’s alive or a spell, though, ’cause right now it’s rebuffed everything we’ve thrown at it. Scrying spells, identification spells, transmutation spells.”
“Have you tried going through?”
“Sam’s Apples, no!” the general yelled. “By my father’s griffon paramour, I barely allowed letting my ponies within fifty feet of that thing! Touching it is out of the question until we figure out what it is!”
That was no good to Celestia. She needed to get to the keep immediately, and playing investigator would only slow her down.
“In that case, General, I need you to back your soldiers up. I’ll try my hoof at breaking through.”
Shining Steel’s old eyes opened so wide that they were visible even under his busy white brows. He barely managed to sputter out a response. “Ba-wha—pardon my insubordination, ma’am, but that’s ab-so-lutely insane! Heaven knows what that thing’ll do to you!”
The princess smiled, confidence radiating from her. “I appreciate your concerns, general, but my sister is somewhere in that bubble. And I intend to find her.”
The General hesitated just long enough to take a deep, gravelly breath, before saluting her. “May swift winds carry you, your majesty.”
“And you.” The General barked out his orders, and the soldiers stepped away, leaving Celestia alone as she trotted towards the bubble. Spells were rotating through her mind. A shield spell would likely be too weak, and a spear veil would collapse before getting her through entirely.
She desperately wished that Luna were here. The Element of Magic belonged to her. She was the stronger spellcaster.
Celestia caught her thought and cast it aside. “There is no time for ifs or maybes,” she resolved. “My sister needs me.”
Her eyes caught a series of flashes around her. Three gold, and three blue. Six gems rotated around her, emanating light.
“The Elements?” she whispered. “Even Luna’s.”
Three of the flashes had been the color of her sister’s magic. Had she sent the Elements of Harmony to her? Whatever the case may be, if they were here then Celestia was needed more urgently than she had realized.
She set herself up for a straight shot, and charged. Her hoofbeats pounded against the dirt in a powerful rhythm. Around her, the Elements began to glow in many colors, shrouding her in their light.
She let out a yell, and collided with the wall. A pain like passing through fire engulfed her body in one moment, and in the next it was gone.
She came to a halt, breathing furiously, and opening her eyes. The Elements were gone. But she was on the other side. Behind her, the dark wall could be seen, fluctuating but as a whole, unmoving.
She took in her surroundings. This was Everfree’s border as she remembered it, but darker. It was as if the day had departed more quickly in this corner of the world. The blue nighttime air should have been relaxing, but something was off about this place. It made the hairs of the princess’s coat stand on end.
Above she could see stars, twinkling in a random pattern. These were not the constellations she knew. And there was no moon. The night sky seemed so… empty without it.
More than anything, Celestia felt confused. None of this made any sense. She had feared the return of Discord, but this was… different. It wasn’t his style. This was something new, and for some reason Celestia dreaded it far more than her old foe.
She flapped her wings, and returned to the air. The trees and winding paths would slow her down on hoof. All she was certain of was that if Luna was to be found anywhere, it was at the Keep. Celestia charged forward, ripping past the canopy of the Everfree Forest. As she moved further, deeper in, the world only seemed to grow darker. Life itself seemed to be squeezed out of this place. The alicorn’s heart began to tremble. She had never seen anything of this nature before.
Every new discovery made her fear for her sister more and more.
She knew the ways through the gnarled old forest well. She was close, now. The trees here were taller, but she could shoot straight over them to—
As she came to the clearing around Everfree Keep, Celestia ground to a halt, unwilling to believe what she saw. The old purple stone had crumbled, as if blown apart by some great force. Chunks of the castle were scattered about the area, some having knocked down entire clusters of trees. Only a single story remained standing. The princess’ hopes felt as if they had been dashed against a rock.
“No, no, no, no, no…”
She dropped to the ground, running on her legs as she scrambled for the castle. The gate had been blown to splinters. The inner door had not left a trace beyond smoking cinders. The main hall was exposed to the elements, the throne half-pounded. Celestia’s eyes darted from corner to corner, hoping to find some trace of her sister, hiding just out of sight from whatever had done this. The shadows fell strong and harsh, even in the darkness of this place.
Wait…
In the corner of her eye, she saw a shadow shift. Her body seized up with fear as she realized: it was behind her.
Her horn shined brightly, and in a flash of light she teleported to the far end of the hall, looking back where she had been. That spot that she’d stood in only moments before was engulfed in dark, writhing flames. Smoke poured from the spot, through which stepped a shadowy figure.
Eyes as ferocious as any beast rested in its face. It looked like a pony—an alicorn even, if it had been coated in living darkness. It wore armor, a blue like pale moonlight. Celestia’s eyes shot open wider still. She recognized that wafting, shimmering mane of twinkling stars, and the crescent moon upon the beast.
“…What are you?” she whispered.
The dark fiend grinned viciously. “I am Nightmare Moon. And I am your death, BETRAYER!”
A beam of black magic erupted from the thing’s horn. Celestia acted on instinct, and a bubble of golden light surrounded her. The beam enveloped the shield, and cracked it open in an instant. The thing that called itself Nightmare Moon smiled, but lost its glee quickly. Celestia was not within the bubble any longer, having relocated herself behind the thing.
Whatever that thing was, it was not her sister.
“Monster!” The princess hissed. “What have you done with Luna?!”
“She is DEAD, waiting for you in TARTARUS!” the beast roared back. Her eyes began to glow as her power built up. “GO MEET HER!”
The sides of Nightmare Moon shifted, and two limbs of darkness erupted from them. Celestia crafted a shield around herself, and the appendages rhythmically pounded against it. Cracks were already growing. The princess felt fear gripping her. She would not die. Not like this.
She cast another spell, and two massive golden hooves shot from her bubble. They caught the cudgels mid-swing, and in a single burst of light they both dissipated. But Celestia was hardly finished. A second spell was cast and summoned a long rope. It drew itself taut and swept across Nightmare Moon’s legs, flipping her into the air before tying itself and restraining her. The beast struggled against the rope, held in place by magic and Celestia’s force of will. The alicorn approached her captive, horn glowing as another spell was prepped.
She scowled at the creature. “I do not believe you. Now tell me what you have done to this place. What have you done with my sister?!”
The false alicorn sneered at her foe. “I have given this place the punishment it deserves: eternal night. Just as I shall give ALL Equestria, once I have killed you!”
“Why?!” Celestia demanded. “What has Equestria done to you?”
The question hit closer to home than the princess expected. An unexpected shock of deep pain shot through the creature’s eyes.
“They spurn the night, and cast all their fears upon it, as their scapegoat. If they hate the night so… then I shall choke them to death with it!”
Even as the beast spoke, Celestia’s heart broke. She recalled the words of her sister, those many months ago. In that instant, her will faltered, and Nightmare Moon surged in power. An eruption of darkness washed through the hall, obliterating the rope and tossing Celestia to the far end. She rolled along the ground, her body bruised and battered. Her body was numb, and when she came to a halt her bleary eyes stared vacantly at the horrible creature hovering above her.
“Luna… it really is you,” she murmured in despair.
“NO!” the beast replied. All its—her—face displayed was rage, yet tears seemed to be forming in her eyes. It nearly choked on the words, “Not anymore…”
Its clouded eyes focused again, and a beam shot from her horn. Celestia mustered herself, and rolled out of the way, struggling to her feet.
“Luna, what has happened to you?!” she screamed, even as the beast prepared another spell. Another beam shot towards the princess, and this time a golden mirror was conjured to stop it. The beam was reflected, striking a column off to the side. It shattered, and collapsed to dust.
“Please, let me help!”
The beast seem to grow only more hateful with the uttering of those words. Her mane and tail flared to double their size, and her eyes glowed white as a stormcloud ballooned to life between them. Lightning lashed out and scorched Celestia’s side. The princess countered with her own spell and summoned the wind. Cyclones in the shape of pegasi surrounded the cloud, lifting it up and away from the conflict, until they were entirely out of sight.
“You MOCK me!” Nightmare Moon bellowed, snorting and stamping a hoof into the stone beneath her. “All you and your ‘help’ has done is take! Taken my court! Taken the love of our subjects! My night is all I have left!”
Her sorrowful expression quickly soured to one of blinding, raw hatred. “And you shall NOT! TAKE! THAT!”
A thousand spikes, black as the night stretched from the tip of her horn. They ascended to the air and came down upon the princess like a barrage of arrows. Celestia erected a barrier above her and absorbed the blows. She shouted at the top of her lungs, the roar of the impacting projectiles nearly drowning her out.
“Our subjects love you dearly!” she pleaded. “As do I! Please, stop!”
“NEVER!” the monster shrieked. “I will not listen to your lies any longer! All you’ve ever wanted is to take the power for yourself!”
Celestia shook her head, heartbreak written plainly on her face and sweat dripping from her as the exertion of magic grew more difficult. “I just want my sister back!”
The barrier above her began to splinter and crack. It would shatter any moment.
“Luna, please!” the princess cried. “I’m sorry! I’ve failed you! Take the day, the sun, just please stop!”
Nightmare Moon advanced, cackling. “Oh, I shall take the sun, after I have taken your life! I shall take all of Equestria, and smother it in darkness!”
The spells clashing against one another finally erupted in a wave of light. When the blinding flash faded, Celestia remained standing, but only barely. Her legs quivered, her breath was faint, and her vision was beginning to blur.
Nightmare Moon approached, an evil grin splitting her face as she prepared the coup de grâce. Tears welled in the white alicorn’s eyes, her coat stained gray by soot and smoke.
“Please… Luna… I’m sorry. You’ll have whatever you want. Just stop, before it’s too late.”
“All I want,” Nightmare Moon hissed, “is your corpse.”
She fired her final blast, and Celestia clamped her eyes shut.
She only re-opened them when she heard her sister’s cries of disbelief.
“What?!”
The Elements of Harmony had returned, and circled through the air around the remaining princess, halting the corrupted creature’s spell. Celestia marveled at the sight, as the gems seemed to pulse with light. Nightmare Moon shook her head, backing away in disbelief, grief-stricken.
“You monster!” she screamed at Celestia. “You took my Elements?” In a flash, all her disbelief and hurt was funneled into her hatred, and her voice began to snarl as she spoke. “I HATE YOU! I’LL KILL YOU!”
She fired another blast, and another, and another still, but each spell was flicked away like the lightest feather. Celestia watched the effort, and with each passing moment and rebuked spell her heart hardened. There was nothing more she could do. She had tried, truly.
“I’m sorry, Luna.”
The gems stopped in their motion, rearranging themselves around the princess. Her entire body began to glow with a blinding white light. Nightmare Moon funneled all of her power into a beam, but could only watch in terror as it dissipated before the light. Her body began to tremble, backing away.
“W-what are you doing?!”
“What I must.”
White light poured from the alicorn’s eyes, and a beam every color of the rainbow erupted from the gems around her. It spun through the air, high above them, before arcing downwards. The beast below it only had a moment to scream before the power of the Elements swept her up in its current.
“NO!” It screamed. “Please! Stop! Sister!” It pleaded. Nightmare Moon desperately looked at the princess, begging for mercy that would not come. The creature felt itself being pulled away, high up into the air. It resisted and pulled as much as it could. An effort made far, far too late.
“I’m sorry..!”
Celestia heard not a monster’s voice, but her terrified little sister cry out before the rainbow show high into the air. It pierced the dark bubble high above, and flew further still.
The princess watching below fell to the floor, six inert stones smashing to the ground around her. A mortified breath left her. The creeping realization that she had made a horrible mistake.
“Luna..?”
The forest was silent. Not even the whistling of the wind approached the battered princess. Far above her, the hole left in the bubble began to spread, slowly dispersing the darkness. The night sky above as she remembered it greeted Celestia, with one key difference.
The pale, featureless moon was now marred by the dark shadow of the banished beast.
“Gather round, everyone! Gather round, the ball’s dropping in ten minutes!”
Canterlot Square, a cobblestone courtyard made of reds, whites, and other bright colors was already established as the prime place for celebration in the capital of Equestria. Thousands of ponies, some traveling from the far corners of the nation just to be there had assembled in the square on this New Year’s Eve. The cold night would have been harsh, and unforgiving if one were alone. But nopony was alone this night. Friends and family gathered around fire pits, roasting snacks over the crackling flames and sharing stories with one another. Some hadn’t seen each other this entire year, only gathering for this event.
It was a tight squeeze, but there was warmth in the air tonight, beyond the fire. They had made room for everyone. A metal pole dominated the center of the Square, and at its top was a ball loaded with firecrackers, confetti, and all manner of entertaining forms of explosion. Unicorn attendants had steadily lowered it over the last several hours, and now only a few precious moments stood between all those present and a brand new year.
From a distance, the princess watched her subjects. Celestia had been present when the sun still lingered in the sky. She had given a speech, spoke with subjects, and made her support known. But she had left soon enough.
She was out of sight, in the shadows, the multicolored mane her subjects had grown used to gone. Only a solid pink remained. Celestia turned away from the celebrations, walking into the abandoned streets.
The winter wind nipped at her, but she was not bothered. A dark blue scarf was wrapped around her neck, and kept her warm.
She could hear the clamor of her subjects far behind her as she marched up the streets. Her hoofsteps drummed out a simple pattern that relaxed her into a trance. Before she knew it, she stood at the base of her castle. The princess flexed her wings, and took to the air. The night air felt refreshing to her, and seemed to sweep her up of its own strength, carrying her to her tower. She came down upon the balcony of her chambers, and looked out over her home. Scaffolding and cranes could be spotted everywhere, bits of construction and work left by the wayside, just for one night. The world seemed frozen like this. As if time had just stopped for a single instant, so that all the ponies down in the streets could enjoy each other’s company.
Celestia was glad for that, but it was not for her. She looked up at the night sky, wistfully. Her only company was the moon.
“I’ve missed you,” She spoke to the night air. The moon above stood silently, a sentinel in the sky. The shadow on its surface almost seemed alive this night. Celestia felt very close to insanity. Speaking to a celestial body. But it felt good, and she continued to do it.
“It has been a hard year, sister. The griffons nearly declared war on us, and there have been avalanches in the north. The nobles are trying to force deals out of me. I… I found that book. The one you told me about. It is strange, and I do not understand it all. But I’ve been trying to follow its example, like you did.”
She let out a deep puff of air, watching the cloud blow from her nostrils. It hung loosely in the air, before wafting away with the breeze. Celestia tried to remain composed.
“I still do not understand it all. Why you did what you did. But I think I’m starting to. And I want you to know that I forgive you. I should have seen what was happening, done something. The fault is mine.”
She looked down into the city, at the crowd packed into the streets below her.
“They do not cower anymore, sister. These ponies have come from far and wide, tonight. Your night is a time of celebration, of family and friendship. They are not afraid.”
She looked down at the balcony she stood on.
“These weren’t in the blueprints, you know. I asked for them, across from each other like this. So we could watch the stars together.”
The moon was an inert object, and made no response. But Celestia hoped that somewhere on it, her sister could hear her.
“I’m sorry, Luna. I failed you. You probably can’t even hear me. But if you can… I’m trying to do better. Our subjects love your night; I do as well. I promise, I shall keep it as beautiful as you always dreamt it would be. It will be ready for you… when you come home.”
She could hear shouting coming from the Square now. The ball had nearly dropped, and the onlookers were counting down the final seconds.
“Twenty!”
“Nineteen!”
“Eighteen!”
“Seventeen!”
“Sixteen!”
“Fifteen!”
Celestia looked to the moon above, and smiled as tears trickled down her cheeks.
“It’s almost here.”
“Ten!”
“Nine!”
The princess quietly began to count down with the crowd.
“Seven!”
“Six!”
“Five!”
“Four!”
“Three!”
“Two!”
“One!”
An eruption of flashing lights, scattering confetti and the cacophonous cheers of the vast multitude came all at once. From rooftops all around, fireworks streaked into the frigid night air, painting the backdrop with every color in fantastic patterns. Crimson dragons soared through the sky, and blue pegasi swooped down low in formation. Bubbles flared in and out of life, and butterflies fluttered jovially among the stars.
But the grandest shape of all was the bulbous, pink heart that sprung to life above them all, so large in volume it could have held the entire Square in its form. Cheers and cries of awe came from below, ringing in the New Year.
And far from them all, Princess Celestia sat on her balcony, eyes caught between the moon and the gorgeous display. A bright smile sat gently on her face, and her wet eyes dropped a steady stream of tears to the stone below.
“Happy New Year, dear sister.”
