Flyt

So long had she hungered for the touch of another living thing, for a millennia had she had only herself to talk to.  This had been the Lunar sovereign’s punishment for the pain she had inflicted on her own people.

Luna had long awaited this specific full moon; it marked the second year since she had returned to her country, and to her sister.

Usually by this time she would be sitting on her dark throne, governing over the night court but tonight however, she chose to linger far longer than she should have.

The indigo alicorn sat upon her balcony, studying the heavens with the eyes of a professional.  She had fashioned many night skies but this would be her finest, a thin dusting of stars across the horizon that gave out to the darkness of space and then the moon shining in all its glory.

The dark princess let out a soft curse as she observed an obstinate shape that refused to be removed from the surface of her beautiful orb; she scrubbed furiously at its surface with her magic but to no avail. The shadowy shape still remained, blemishing her brilliance.

A soft sigh arose from behind Luna, causing the cobalt alicorn to turn to the source of the noise.  Behind her sat the elegant form of her pale sister, Celestia.

The lighter of the two leaned in closer to her sister and fellow ruler, placing her muzzle near the other’s ear.

“Look closer, dear sister,” Celestia advised. “There is more to it than meets the eye.”  Begrudgingly, Luna lowered her spyglass and centred it on the moon.

The shape of a strangely familiar Pegasus interested the princess, the pony moved with such grace and litheness that she appeared to be suspended in mid-air like the stars themselves.   A fine silver pelt shifted over the mare’s athletic body, leaving a trail pale light that streaked behind her as she flew.  Her mane and tail consisted of a mist of deepest sapphire that steamed behind her and mingled with the soft light of the night.  Golden chains snaked around the mare’s delicate frame and emphasised the slightness of her body.

The Pegasus sliced through the air like a knife, twisting and turning in an intricate dance of precision. She curved upwards with a swiftness that was unearthly, irregularly diving and rising.

Luna gaped as the mare climbed higher into the sky, revealing that she was pursued by an armed Thestral that flew with lethal accuracy.

The mare dived to the left in a dizzying corkscrew as the stallion swung his sword in a silver arch, the blade slid over the Pegasus’ own in a spark of light.  In a flash the two moved into perfectly balanced motion again, the slight reprieve forgotten in the haste of battle.

In a twisting move, the pair spiralled upwards and clashed weapons again, driving the two apart once more. Like passion starved lovers the ponies charged again, this time drawing close and then halting to engage in combat.

The stallion swung his sword in deadly lunges, whereas the mare only lifted her blade to deflect or redirect the blow.

With many twists and turns the two came to meet each other with equal speed and force, rebounding and then continuing.

The mare took a carefully measured lunge that slashed through the soft folds of the bat-pony’s wings, slowing him considerably.  The Pegasus fell backwards at an alarming speed in an attempt to avoid the Thestral’s wild swings.

In a silvery streak of light she plummeted towards the earth.  The mare extended her wings and curved her spine, throwing back her head as a look of pure ecstasy flooded her face.   Her eyelids fluttered and her wings faltered, as was the way with pegasi she had been overcome by the exhilaration of flight.  In a mass of feathers and fur, the pale pony tumbled towards the quickly approaching earth, unaware of her predicament.

With a blood curdling yell, the dark stallion dove after her with his sword drawn.

Faster than the mortal eye could see, the pegasi threw out her wings and rose upwards.  As she passed the stallion she reached out and embraced him, folding her forehooves around his shoulders and holding him tightly to her chest. The two struggled against each other, but the mare proved stronger and the Thestral was forced to drop his sword.

The blade tumbled end over end, catching the light and momentarily blinding Luna as it fell towards earth.

When the Princess regained her vision she gasped.

“Celestia, he’ll kill her!”

“Watch closer Lulu,” Celestia instructed, “And please be quiet.”

The silver mare held the stallion with his arms pinned to his sides, her face clouded with sadness. Gently, she placed a kiss on the Thestral’s forehead before letting him slide from her arms.

As he fell, the dark stallion reached out and drew his rival’s sword from its scabbard by her side.  A cry of fury left the Thestral lips as he plummeted towards the ground. With a wild swing of his stolen blade, he slashed along the Pegasus’ shoulder and down her side, leaving a shallow wound.

The mare closed her eyes as her wings folded, and she too began to fall.  Scarlet droplets of lifeblood seeped from her wound and tainted her pelt a glistening red and left glistening flecks of blood to be carried on the wind.  Small speckles of the liquid hit the castle, creating a million tiny red specks.

As she descended past the stallion, who had opened his torn wings in an attempt to halt his fall, she reached out and caught one of his hooves.  Gently, she drew him to herself, reaching up to touch his cheek before spreading her wings.

With a pained cry the half-conscious mare soared upwards, holding the stallion as if the world was trying to tear them apart.   As the two embraced they faded, the mares silver form holding the semi-transparent silhouette of the dark stallion being the last thing visible before they disappeared completely.

Luna gave a quiet sniff before turning to look at the sobbing form of her sister.

“Celestia?  W-what was that?”  Luna reached out a wing to her sister and folded her into an hug.

“I’m sorry sister, I did not think that it would affect me so much,” Celestia gave her sister a little half smile before lowering her head to look at her hooves, “I guess I was wrong.”

“What!  You planned this?” Luna scowled at her sister, “I can’t believe….”

“Please sister, do not be angry at me,” Celestia’s soft voice broke through Luna’s wall of anger, “I did not mean to alarm you. I did not show you last year for fear that you would not have been ready,” the pale mare smiled sadly, “It is a Princess’s duties to hear the stories of those who have passed on.  I settle political assassinations and such whilst you attend matters of passion and heart. ‘Tis a sad responsibility to hear stories of both love and anger, especially the tale of the fair Lady Silver and her dark lover.  But you shall not be allowed to be ignorant of this burden no longer, I beg you sister to accept your duty.”

Luna nodded silently, her pale face still frowning.

“I will on one condition.  What were their names?  I wish to write a balled in memory of their romantic tale as a warning for our little ponies.”

“Her name was Beautiful Silver and she loved Raven dearly, she came to me a week before this happened and begged me to marry them, if only I’d heeded her pleas,” Celestia sighed, “Oh Luna, sometimes I wonder if I had just done things differently….   if Equestia would be a better place.”

Luna stood and pulled her sister up as well.

“Come sister, we shall have hot cocoa in the library and then summon my scribe to take notes,”  Luna led Celestia away from the window before turning back one more time to view the magnificence of her moon and the beauty of her night. Sighing, she followed her sister and disappeared into the depths of the castle.

Many years later a book was published; it was titled ‘Flyt’ and was a bestseller.  When Luna was asked what inspired her to write such a novel she answered, “I simply looked up at the stars and asked them for their reminiscences.  They answered with this ballad and graced me with the memories of the two ponies. Through this I wrote my masterpiece, and through this I found piece of mind among my night.”