//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4 
// Story: Moonbound 
// by Warmblood 
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	The door swung open as she raised a hoof to knock. The pony holding it smiled, as if appreciating an inside joke. His frame was lean but muscular. The style of a pony used to hard work and travel. His coat’s ocean blue hue served as an excellent complement for his violet eyes and dark mane. Rivulets of black hair fell across his neck in disordered fashion. Perpetually tangled, his mane often gave him the appearance of a ruffian.
“Well good evening, Princess!” He cocked his head to one side, looking her over. “Little damp out isn’t it?”
“You know bloody well it is!” She didn’t wait for permission. Instead she impatiently dashed through the door. She had a very strong desire to shake off the water that had soaked her on the way over. The flight from Canterlot castle to a rather obscure street in the city was short, but she hadn’t anticipated the sudden burst of pounding rain that had overtaken her. About halfway through she began cursing herself for not even casually asking somepony about the weather forecasted tonight. 
She brushed by Orion’s side, shedding some of the water onto his coat.
Orion chuckled, closed the door behind her with a quick glance out towards the rain-slicked street. He turned to the completely drenched Princess in his parlor. 
“You’re dripping on my floor, you know.” He observed, wry smile on his face.
Luna shot him an exasperated look, willing him to shut his mouth this instant. He was right though, her midnight coat was soaked, and where water dripped down the hair stood out in little spikes. Her starlight mane was not immune to moisture either. It clung to the sides of her neck and some unruly strands had fallen in front of her eyes.
She shook her head, trying to get her uncooperative mane back into place so she could see again. Droplets of water flew around her head. She shivered, suddenly feeling rather chilly. Orion didn’t keep his house very warm, she observed. She glanced at Orion, questioning whether he was going to do anything or if he planned to just let her sit here soaking. Given his goofball smile and stare, she thought the latter.
“I say, are you mocking your royal Princess?”
“Wouldn’t never think of it.”
“Then get over here you big dummy!” She said, her façade of regality quickly dispensed with.
She embraced him with a fierce hug, her legs wrapped tightly around his neck. He returned the gesture, fortunately a little more gently. The chill left her, as did much of her tension and pent up frustration gathered over a season spent locked away in Canterlot. In his arms, she let go of the walls she maintained in Canterlot. She dropped the pretense of the royal Princess and was simply a pony with the one she loved. Although they liked to tease each other, there was no need for false facades with Orion.
“Your hair is in my face.” Luna mumbled.
“Sorry” Orion replied.
“You really should cut it shorter.”
“I distinctly remember you said it looked good like this.”
“How many years ago was that?”
Orion grunted. “A few.”
“Well then, you must be misremembering my words.” Luna said. Orion didn’t say anything, he just squeezed her tighter. After a moment she spoke up again.
“So where have you been the past four months?”
“Around Fillydelphia, mostly. They’ve had good weather. Big crop this year. I worked for this older couple, they needed help bringing in the harvest. They were really nice folks, and very welcoming too. Wish you could have met them.”
“Hmm.” Luna replied, relaxing against Orion’s chest. He was so warm. And soft.
“Eh, you’re gonna have to stop hugging me if you ever want to dry off. I’ve got some big towels in the other room. I’ll fetch em if you let go.” Reluctantly Luna complied and let Orion go. She snickered as he looked down and noticed the large patch of his coat that had soaked through from holding Luna. He sighed. “I guess I’ll get one for myself too.” He winked at Luna before he turned towards a room towards the back of the townhouse.
Luna looked around. She noted that the windows were properly shuttered, nodded approvingly. The rest of the room was sparsely furnished, a few chairs, a larger dining table and a smaller end table, both crudely made by Canterlot standards. Several still featured a light feathering of dust. They hadn’t been used yet this visit. All in all, it wasn’t exactly a home, but it was a house, and that was enough.
The house was not overly large. Too large or opulent brought too many questions. Its construction was the usual wood frame and shingle roof, a popular style for the past fifty years. He had an upstairs neighbor, but she knew the pony that lived there was an elderly mare who didn’t go out very often. All in all, it blended in very well to the neighborhood. Luna had picked this one out as a nice quiet place right near the end of a small side street. Not many ponies came this way unless they lived here, or happened to be visiting someone they knew. As far as Luna was concerned, that was for the best.
Orion reentered with some towels slung across his neck. He grabbed the tip of one with his mouth, offered it to Luna. A light blue glow enveloped the fabric as she used her magic to bring it over and start drying off. Now that she was inside, safely away from prying eyes, she ought to be able to use her magic.
“So,” She said, toweling off her neck. “How is Equestria away from Canterlot? It seems like ages since I’ve had a chance to travel.” What she really meant was since her parents had left. It was a day of mixed emotions, about twelve years ago now. She felt, deep down inside, that they weren’t really gone. That thought however, did not ease their passing. Nor did it relieve her of the deep sadness she felt after her parents were gone. For months she staggered along, bearing the burden of her new responsibilities to Equestria, and struggling to find something to put her faith in.
Then, Orion returned to her life. And here he remained, looking at her quizzically. He had finished drying himself and had set the towel on the brim of a wing-backed chair. She had thought she would never see him again after what happened at the summer house. 
“Whatcha thinking about?” He asked her.
“My parents, I guess.”
He nodded. He understood her thoughts on the matter quite well, having spent many nights with her as she worked through her pain over her parent’s departure. It had helped her so much to simply talk about it, to open up to someone about her feelings. Orion never seemed to get tired of listening to her, although it was hard for him to offer her more than just platitudes and folk wisdom he had learned from his own upbringing. Nevertheless, one day she just started feeling better. Light returned to her world, and the pain left her. Not all at once perhaps, but eventually.
“You’ve missed a spot.” Orion told her, smirking. “Here, allow me.” He grabbed his towel with his mouth, the goofiness of which made Luna snicker. His “help” felt suspiciously like a shoulder rub, but she wasn’t about to complain.
He had been there for her. He comforted her. She loved him, although she had been aware of that in some form since the summer she first met him as a filly. It was only later that she learned how to express her feelings for him.
“Orion?”
“Yes?”
“My coat’s dry. Eh, more or less, anyway.” Luna said. She let the towel drift over to what she guessed was a laundry hamper. 
“That’s good” He said. The blue stallion sidled up against Luna’s side. He nuzzled her neck with his soft nose. She leaned into him, enjoying the attention. He put a leg around her, kissed her lightly, on her check. Luna giggled like a filly. Orion drew her muzzle towards his, kissed her, she responded in kind. 
“I’ve missed you!” Luna said.
“Missed you too.” Orion replied, somewhat deeply involved in the kiss at the moment. 

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Princess Luna flew in the pre-dawn twilight, towards the dusky silhouetted spires of Canterlot. Her mind jumped this way and that, each minor detail of her return relentlessly examined. She had to get back before her sister would be up, she needed to take the route that would best conceal her in the shadow of the castle. Of course, she didn’t believe that her exit could be concealed completely. Some pony was bound to notice. But so long as that pony didn’t tell Celestia, she could avoid her sister’s notice. 
The Princess of the Moon took steps to ensure this. Over the past ten years she carefully cultivated her relationship with some of the royal guards. A remark here, a compliment there, helped sway them to her side. They helped keep her secret. She also left traces of an alibi, an urgent trip here or there, as a backup in case someone mentioned her absence to her sister Celestia.
Luna sighted the double window she had left open the night before. The northern side of the castle received less of the morning sun. The shadows there were more than enough to conceal her from all but the most hawkish observer. It was one of the rooms with a panoramic window that could be fully opened onto a small terrace that jutted from the wall. Landing there was tricky, but it was conveniently close to the observatory wing, allowing quick access to her normal nighttime workspace. Thankfully, the windows remained ajar.
The Princess swooped in, flared her wings to bleed off speed, and executed a perfect entry through the window. She allowed herself a moment to appreciate her own ability. Then she saw the other figures in the room. Her hooves screeched across the stone floor, all four legs outstretched to bring her to a halt. She shuddered to a stop before the interloper.
“Sister, we need to talk.” Celestia’s presence seemed to fill the room. Every corner stood illuminated by the glow of the iridescent halo that framed the Sun Princess.
Squinting in the brilliant light, the Moon Princess tried to adopt a look of innocence, cast a wish to powers unknown that her sister had only discovered her absence, not her whereabouts. 
“Celly!” Luna squeaked. “You surprised me. I was just getting back from a little flight to…” Celestia cut her off.
“Enough, Luna.” Her expression was in Luna’s experience, unusually severe. “I know what you’ve been up to.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“Don’t lie to me Luna. Your alibi is worthless. I’ve had you followed for some time.”
“You had somepony follow me? What… How could you do this? There’s supposed to be a bond between us! A trust!”
“The last time I trusted you was long ago, little sister. I wish I had it in me to trust you now, but your actions speak for themselves. You’ve gotten too close, you’ve forgotten who you are. In the end, you will only get yourself hurt. I can’t just stand by and let it happen!”
“It’s my business! My life! You have no right!”
“Don’t you remember what father said? Our business is Equestria’s business. Our health is Equestria’s health. And we were warned, sister! Our parents warned us about getting too close to mortal ponies! Nothing good can come of it. Apparently that lesson didn’t sink in to your addled mind. They should have sent that colt away. Far away. He was bound to cause trouble.”
“Cause trouble! Is that what you think? I love him!”
“Of course he’s trouble. Heavens above, have you forgotten what happened the first time you knew each other? You jumped off a cliff trying to save him from his own stupidity! You could have both been killed just by the fall!”
“But we weren’t!”
“So? You could’ve drowned if I wasn’t there to save you two! I brought help! I helped drag you two to shore!”
“Because you followed us! You didn’t trust me even when we were fillies.”
“Was I wrong? Look, what I’m trying to tell you is that he’s bad for you. He nearly got you both killed with his stupid, self-destructive attitude. And now it’s rubbing off on you. Can’t you see that?”
“That was twenty years ago. We were just dumb foals. He’s different now. Besides, it’s my life, and if I want to see him, I will!”
“No, no, no, you’re not listening!” Celestia sighed. “It’s not just about you. It’s for the good of everypony. The good of Equestria! You have to stop this madness before it consumes you. Please! I’ll help you. I can be there for you. Always, not just for a few years, but our entire lives. Please, come back to reason, just listen to me!”
Princess Luna stood without a flicker of an eyelash. When she spoke, she spoke soft as the sigh of a breeze through distant trees. “I see.” She said. 
“You do? Good, good, I knew you would! Let’s just…”
“I SEE!” Luna’s voice boomed across the room. It struck Celestia like a blow. She thought she had succeeded. She thought she had stopped the madness. “It’s YOU! It’s all YOU! You want to take him away from me! You have no right. Tell me, dear sister, when did your heart shrivel and die? When did your thoughts turn dark? Love, care, passion, when did you start to hate these things?”
“No! That’s not me, that’s not what I want at all! Just calm down and we can talk about…”
“SILENCE!” Luna’s voice rang out sudden and violent as the breaking of glass. 
Somehow it seemed there was something in the world that had shattered too. Harmony was dead. The element of discord struck like a viper. In place of harmony a new feeling emerged. Uncertainty, doubt, distrust. It was the feeling of suspicion. It had spread between the sisters, and now boiled to the surface like molten tar.
“I can stand this place no longer. It is a falsehood. Caring? You do not possess it. Love? You do not want it. You’ve barred the gates to passion of any sort. My soul cannot live without it. I bid you farewell, dear sister.” 
Luna turned her back to her sister, who struggled for words under the spell of Luna’s tirade. The Princess of the Moon held her head high as she galloped out the open window and spread her wings in the early morning sun. 
The wind beneath her wings and the fresh, crisp air she tasted ranked among the most refreshing things she had ever experienced. To her, it was a new beginning.
To Princess Celestia, left behind, staring out at the sister she had once known, it was the ending of something formerly beautiful, now destroyed.

The malaise that began in that room did not stop at the boundary of Canterlot. By nightfall, the news had emerged. The royal sisters had split, and the land stood divided. Nine royal guards disappeared under cover of night. They were seen accompanying the Night Princess out of the city.  Another pony, which witnesses described as a lanky blue pegasus, went with them.
Some ponies favored Princess Celestia, others, although far fewer, favored Princess Luna. The older Princess had been the more visible of the two, and the public knew her to be a capable ruler. At the moment though, it was a matter of concern, of speculation and debate, not of fear. That would only come later. At that time there was still hope that there could be reconciliation between the sisters, and that Equestria could be whole again.

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“Where is the Element of Loyalty?”
“You mean Rainbow Dash? She’s getting breakfast.” Applejack answers.
“Good. Thank you.”
“Is everything okay, Princess? You look worried.”
“Worried? No, everything is fine. I’m not worried.”
Celestia reasons that there is no compelling argument to tell the others more than they need to know. To them, everything is proceeding as planned. She senses it though. The turmoil in Twilight’s mind screams out like the clashing of mismatched gears. Celestia senses uncertainty, she senses doubt. Those emotions are familiar to her. She remembers, even after, or perhaps because of, a millennium of regrets. If Twilight is at that point in Luna’s memories, it means two things, Celestia concludes. 
First, Twilight was not careful enough. She had fallen deep into one of Luna’s strongest memories. Perhaps it was inevitable that this would happen. Hope had suggested to the Princess the naïve thought that Twilight might not blunder into the dark times, the strong, turbulent memories she knew Luna possessed. 
Second, given the lack of any communication from Twilight to this point, it seems likely that Twilight is trapped in a memory, perhaps unaware that she is Twilight Sparkle, not the Princess of the Moon. This could be particularly dangerous now. She needs to be reminded who she is if at all possible, and at the very least, be reminded that she must stay loyal to Princess Celestia, not past-Luna.
Of course Celestia worries. Those events turned her own sister against her. Would they do the same to Twilight? She wonders, but finds no concrete answer. It may depend on how much she sees. How much she learns.
She encounters Rainbow Dash a short time later, in the hallway.
“The food’s great, Princess! You must have one awesome chef!” Rainbow Dash exclaims, patting her belly. 
“Yes, she is very talented.  Rainbow Dash, I may need your help.”
“Really? How can I help? I’ll do whatever you need me to do! Can I do a Sonic Rainboom?”
“Well, I guess I was thinking more along the lines of helping Twilight. She may need your aid right now. She needs to remember the strength of her bonds to her friends. You’re the Element of Loyalty, do… whatever it is you usually do.” Rainbow Dash looks puzzled.
“Oooo-kay” She says.
Celestia smiles, shrugs. “Just talk to her, be with her. It makes a difference.”
“Alright, will do! You can count on me!”
Celestia hopes so. She knows better than anypony else the magic of the Elements of Harmony, but even she cannot predict Twilight and her sister’s fate. She will do what she can, but only time will tell. Meanwhile, ponies all over Equestria  grow restless. The moonless night frightens the common ponies. It was as if a companion all had known for their entire life had left them, leaving behind the impression of a black hole in the night sky. The black night better conceals those nocturnal predators that stalk the night. The ponies want something done. Celestia’s spell to break through the moon’s wards is not yet ready. It will require a few more days before she can attempt a direct intervention. But moving the moon is not her real concern. 
Princess Luna still lies in bed, her power growing steadily weaker. She might endure long enough for Celestia to reach the moon, but what good would it do without knowing the source of her sickness? Celestia feels lost, alone and helpless. She places her hope in her student Twilight. She stands the best, perhaps last chance to save Luna. 

End Part 4