Mistakes Were Made / Lost Elements

Far and away from the trials and tribulations of Mike and his guests, Princess Luna, keeper of the night and mistress of dreams pondered upon what she had learned during her brief interaction with the, “human.” As she made her way through the polished marble halls lost in thought, she was abruptly pulled from her reverie by the sound of shouting. Increasing her slow pace to a trot she made her way towards the apparent source of the noise. As she neared, she began to recognize the voice that had broken the peace of the night. Her trot broke into a gallop.

“What do you mean, ‘more’ have gone missing’!? How!?”

“I-I’m sorry your majesty! We don’t know! More and more ponies are disappearing by the day.”

Luna erupted into the throne room to see something she had thought impossible. Her sister, Celestia, normally the more calm and patient of the pair bearing down on a hapless earth pony stallion. Her sister had born herself up to her full height. Her expression was one of mixed helpless rage, loss and fear. Celestia’s mane, normally a soft mix of pastel colored hues matching the colors of the aurora, was now tinted with shades of deep red mimicking the colors of a blood sunrise. The stallion before her was a bespectacled figure of slight frame with a dark grey coat. He possessed an earth toned mane with a quill and inkwell as a cutie mark. At his precise moment the stallion bore a look of fear mixed with sorrow as he shied away from his ruler.

“Sister! What is the meaning of this cacophony?”

“I’m sorry Luna. Th-“

“I understand that you are upset over the loss of your student and the other elements. You must calm yourself sister. If anything is to be done, this incessant shouting will not help.”

Luna turned her head to the beleaguered stallion currently standing before her enraged and disheartened sister.

“You, you say more have gone missing?”

“Y-yes your majesty.”

“I have just come across information that may aid in the recovery of those who have been taken. Summon somepony gifted in the art of teleportation magics. We shall require their expertise if we are to recover our subjects.

“A-at once your majesty.”

With a short bow, the stallion turned tail and fled the chamber. Flinging the doors open as he galloped away, he rounded a corner and was lost to sight. His galloping hoofbeats could be heard for several tense moments in the silence of the palace. Luna kept her eyes on the doors to the chamber until the sounds of his retreat had long since faded. With a sift sigh, the doors were surrounded by a nimbus of magic as the Princess of the night closed them before turning to her kin.

“Tia… I know you are upset, but, as the saying goes, we should not ‘kill the messenger.’”

“I know. Never in all my years have I felt this helpless. My little ponies are disappearing. More and more by the day are lost. The spells used to steal them away are completely foreign. There is no trace as to where they have been taken. Our remaining subjects are beginning to panic. I had summoned the elements in an effort to ask their help, and they were taken. My most faithful student, and her friends, possibly the last hope for us, are gone, lost like the rest. I-I don’t know what to do…”

Celestia’s voice faltered towards the end. Her student had had no clue why she had been summoned. Now, she, as well as her friends, were gone. In the weeks since that had transpired, others had gone missing. A minimum of one pony a week had simply vanished. Some had been alone in their homes. Others had been in full view of the public, one even on a stage for all to see. One moment they were there. The next, they were simply gone. No trace was left. Anything that they bore or had been wearing was simply gone with them. There was no flash of light and no sound. One moment they were there, and the next, they had vanished.

“Sister. I understand. Take heart though, for I have good news. I have found Twilight.”

Celestia looked up in shock at her younger sister, her expression now one of hope.

“What?”

Luna nodded as she spoke, “She is safe. She is in the care of a most strange creature. They are well beyond the borders of Equestria, and even this world. Somehow they are in another place entirely. They seem to have all of the abilities they possessed while here though, if a bit muted by the air of the world in which they have found themselves.”

“Creature?”

“Yes. We searched the lights of the Aether attempting to find any of those who had been lost. While there, somehow, a great beacon from a place beyond reckoning flared. It was brighter than even your beautiful sun. The mind that held such dreams was that of a creature that had come in contact with your student and her friends. He calls himself a, ‘human.’”

“A what?”

“A human, sister. His world knows nothing of magic. Your student and her friends, have apparently been transformed into creatures like he. Though, thankfully, they retained their abilities.”

“You made contact with this creature? Why not Twilight? I thought that impossible. Are you not only able to contact those of royal blood beyond the borders of our kingdom? Is this creature a ruler amongst his kind”

“I was unable to reach Twilight. His mind blinded us to those around him. In time, we are confident that Twilight may be contacted. As to the creature's lineage, we thought so. Apparently it would seem that he is of no form of royalty. His personal history shows him to be of a working class. His mark, though, is unlike any I have ever seen.”

“He has a mark? How? I thought you said that he was something called a human? Do they bear marks as well?”

Luna raised a hoof to her chin in thought for a moment.

“No, not that are visible to the eye at least. He seemed confused when I asked about it.”

“You spoke with him?”

“Yes. The creature detected my presence and took control of the dreamscape. It was only with his permission that I was able to see into his past.”

“Took control? How is this possible?”

Luna, unsure of how to respond, remained silent for a moment.

“Perhaps, it is best that you should walk with us.”

“What you have to say can be said here sister.”

“Tia, that is not what We mean. Upon the next moonrise, we will come for you. In order to truly understand, you must walk with us.”

Celestia's expression at this emphasis was one of shock. This idea was one that was utterly foreign to her. Though she had once ruled both night and day for a millenia while her sister was imprisoned, this, among all the abilities that she and her sister possessed, was the one that Luna alone was capable of.

“You mean-?”

“Yes.”