//------------------------------// // Luzear // Story: Remember the Moon // by Leviathan //------------------------------// After the events of the previous Night I had poured myself into my books. I did not want to face whatever personal issues I had. Not yet, anyways. I did not want to ask myself the question I most feared: was I to blame for my own exclusion from Equestria? I was studying through my selection of literature, trying to unravel the secrets of modern mathematics. The subject had managed to make incredible strides in my absence. Through the work of several gifted ponies such as Alimedes and Ponarrchus new forms of mathematics have been discovered, ponyometry, trigoponyetry, algebray, being several notable examples. While these mathematicians may have been geniuses when it came to numbers, they were not so adept at naming said fields. I mean everything was just named for a really bad pun the creator happened to like. Except statistics. Thank heavens Clover the Clever was straight-forward. As I was gently clicking away on my abacus and concentrating on learning these new things, and forgetting old things, I became oblivious to my surroundings. I did not notice the small white pony creeping towards me. As I was completing my computations the pony’s hoof was inching forward, ready to grab me. “Hi.” I flew out of my seat and practically crashed into the ceiling. “WHERE HAVE COME FROM AND WHY HAVE YOU INTRUDED UPON US!?!” Strong emotions such as fright bring out my Royal Canterlot Voice. After all, it makes me seem more imposing. As soon as I saw the cowering form of Rainfall below me I regretted using the voice. “Oh, I did not mean to scare you, young one. Perhaps in the future you should not creep upon me as you did.” Rainfall still hung low to the ground. “Sorry Princess. I thought it would get your attention. I guess it worked a little too well...” She wouldn’t meet my gaze. “Will you please forgive me?” I looked at her large sorrowful eyes and cowering form and sighed. It is rather difficult to stay angry at such a pitiful sight. Then I noticed something else. Something I had not noticed before. Her coat was disheveled, her mane bunching up wildly, her skin was unable to hide her ribcage, everything about her seemed to point towards a lack of proper care. I would have to investigate this matter thoroughly. I narrowed my eyes and replied, “Of course. It would not be befitting of me to bear anger or contempt over such a minor inconvenience. No matter how slightly inconvenient it is! And trust me when I say, that was very, very, slightly inconvenient. Unforgivably so, in fact.” Rainfall had a blank look on her face. “I think that might have been nonsense Princess.” “Nonsense!?! I never speak nonsense!!! Well, hardly never, anyways.” All I received from Rainfall was a confused look. Did nopony understand gibberish anymore? “Anyways, how has your life faired thus far, young Rainfall?” “Oh, I’ve been okay I guess.” She seemed to be a bit reserved about the subject. “Can you continue telling me the story now, Princess?” “Very well. As I was saying yesterday...” ___ I was awakened by one of Celestia’s personal messengers the morning after discovering the lens. He bore the symbol of the sun upon the crest which adorned his shoulder. He had a look of pride in his eyes as he stood before me, preparing to deliver his message. “Ahem.” He cleared his throat. “The Royal Princess, Princess Celestia, the Bringer of Light, the Goddess of the Sun, Righteous Embodiment of all Things Good, The Candle of Equestria, The-” “Please get to the point. I have to raise the Moon at some point during the day.” While I did hate being interrupted I had no problem doing the interrupting. The messenger looked slightly annoyed but nodded. “Princess Celestia wishes that you would join her in the council chambers immediately.” “Fine then. That will be all.” The messenger hesitated a moment as if waiting for something. I rolled my eyes and said, “Good job, by the way.” The messenger puffed out his chest, bowed and trotted away. As I groomed myself to appear presentable I noticed the lens sitting upon my nightstand. It felt as if it was calling to me, urging me to come closer towards its energy. The entire time I spent preparing myself I did not let my gaze stray from the item. It seemed so small, so frail, yet it held so much raw power. There were more important matters to attend to first, though. I exited my room and flew to the council chambers. I did not want to walk, the idea of it made my hooves ache. I had spent my entire Night crowding hordes of monsters into a forest, after all. I walked into the council chamber to find it empty except for Celestia and I. I gave her a nod “Hello Celestia. I received your message. What is it you wished to discuss?” “Good day Luna! I hope you slept well. I need a favor.” She gave me a warm and welcoming smile which I returned. “And this favor is?” “I need you to travel to Mount. Carebina in the Everfree Forest. There have been several reports of a dragon nesting in the mountain. The residents of the nearby village don’t feel they’re able to handle it. I have to hold another council session-” She rolled her eyes with that last statement. “-and that means I am unable to tend to the situation myself. It is quite important that this issue be dealt with as rural villages are having a hard time growing their crops. Thus, I am asking you to please handle it.” I raised an eyebrow. “Diplomacy is not exactly my strong point, Celestia. You know that better than anypony.” She gave me a long extended sigh. “I realize that, but there is just no way around it. You can take any of my advisors with you. It could even improve your public image a little. Not to sound rude or anything, but you aren’t exactly held in a high esteem in the public eye.” I scoffed. It was not as if I was unaware of how the public viewed me. It irritated me to no end that she would bring this up. That she would abuse an insecurity absolutely baffled me. She, The Goddess of the Sun, would attack her own sister’s vulnerabilities. “Fine then. I shall depart today, alone. I shall get the dragon to leave. I shall use diplomacy. I shall be back. I shall help Equestria. And I will do this all during the day. Because, in case you do not remember, I am nocturnal. Now if you’ll excuse me I must be on my way.” I was absolutely furious. I stomped out of the room before Celestia could speak. I marched out of Canterlot castle and took to the skies at a speed that only an alicorn could maintain. I soared over Canterlot and just kept flying. I planned on dispatching the threat quickly, coming back to the castle, and taking a nap. It would not be an easy feat convincing a dragon to leave it’s nest. They are notorious for their greed and stubbornness. The only chance I had at persuading it would have to be through trickery. If it was clever that may lead to an issue, though. They have been known to love gemstones, perhaps a trade could be made. This seemed the most likely course of action. Although, that could just give rise to more greed, provoking the beast to attack me. What a dreadful thought. I decided it would be best to not formulate a plan until having a chance to sum up my opponent. From what I knew about dragons, they were not a particularly nasty race, nor were they particularly kind. They tended to be solitary in nature. As I neared the area surrounding the mountain my vision began to be obscured by a thick, black haze. It was too difficult to navigate my way through it by flight and I was forced to land. The view from ground level was quite astonishing. The atmosphere suggested it was nighttime when in reality it was only midday. An overwhelming aroma of burned flesh made it’s way through the breeze, causing irritation to my nose. My eyes watered, making it hard to tell where the mountain was. I passed by what appeared to be a crop field. Or at least what was left of it. Most of the vegetation had been charred and suffocated by the haze, and the dead plants only served to lay there uselessly. There were a few houses around the field, although I did not see any ponies nearby. They were most likely hiding away, hoping for the smog to clear soon. I stumbled along, unsure of what direction I was heading in or where it would lead me. I did my best to keep my senses alert and watched carefully. I expected to arrive at my destination soon enough. After all, how hard would it be to find a mountain surrounded by dense forestry? The smog was slowly dampening my senses; I could feel my vision failing and my nose burning. The lack of oxygen in the air caused my breaths to come out short and shallow. My brain was beginning to lose function and my mind seemed distant and far away. I kept walking though. I was determined to reach my goal. That was until I walked face-first into a tree. The arboreal tower snapped me out of my dream-like state. It and the slight clearing of the haze. I recomposed myself and swept my gaze across my surroundings. On every side of me there were vast amounts of trees. I must have been in the Everfree forest. The haze cleared out a bit within the woods, enough to allow me to breath at least. The trees seemed different. They were not the tall and solid oak trees I had grown up around. No these trees were atrocious. Their branches twisted downwards in a formation of gnarled twigs making it appear as if they were prepared to grab you at any moment. The wooden rings on their outer layer were warped and perverted giving one an impression of insane and twisted hatred. The leaves on the trees were all darkened shades of gray and black contributing to the already terrifying presence. The vast number of them evoked a feeling of loneliness, of weakness. They caused one to feel surrounded, even. These trees were representations of depravity and a corruption of beauty. In short, these trees were evil. This forest was evil. Or, at least, that is how it appeared. My smoke ridden mind could not properly think, it could do nothing but retard me. I felt fear. And I ran. And ran. And ran. I ran until my legs were at risk to give way beneath me. I fell to the ground exhausted from my fear, the lack of oxygen, and the dashing. “Oh dear sister, why? Why would you send me to die?” I did not have my wits about me. Even though the smog had thinned out some within the forest, it had not very much. I was splayed on the ground struck by fits of coughing, hardly able to breathe. Then something rather extraordinary happened. The hazy veil lifted before my eyes. My breathing started to regulate, and I could feel my sanity starting to retake it’s position within my mind. I started to get up wondering where I was. It was obvious from the dense woodlands I was somewhere within Everfree. A place I had never been to, though. I was in a clearing of some sort and there were ruins ahead of me. I could not see Mount. Carebina through the thick foliage so decided to backtrack. I scanned the ground looking for traces of the path I took, footprints, broken twigs, anything. To my great surprise I found no visible traces that the forest had been disturbed. Which is impossible. How could I, in my almost comatose mindset, blundering through the woods, not leave a trail. Seeing there was not a way to backtrack I decided it would be best to keep on. It would not serve me well to take to the skies and try to find my location considering how hard it was to see through the cloud of noxious gases. Speaking of which, where was this cloud? Why had the haze cleared? Why was this small area spared the agony that others faced? What made this place special? What is this place I was in? All of the factors plus my infinite curiosity led me to believe I only had two ways to get through this situation. “I could either A: Sit in this clearing waiting for help or B: Enter these ruins.” As I weighted the two it became increasingly obvious that Plan B was far superior to Plan A. I stared at the ruins for a moment. They didn’t appear large from what I could see of them now but that could quickly change. The Gothic architecture suggests that the ruins were built sometime ago. However, even with the marble and stones apparent age they showed little evidence of weathering. This was probably due to the thick vegetation protecting them. That is what I told myself, anyways. I approached the large entrance door cautiously, unsure what type of magic or traps lay before me. Opening the large doors revealed a set of stone stairs that descended downwards into the dirt. I walk down the stairs slowly. Absolutely nothing went awry. My night-vision prevented me from slipping and other such accidents while enclosed in the relaxing embrace of the shadows. Continuing downwards revealed a small hallway which appeared to lead to a set of stairs going upwards. I raised my eyebrow. What point was there in descending only to ascend moments later? I concluded that it was a measure to keep whatever lay ahead secret. I ascended the stairs only to come upon a set of doors. Repetition is key I suppose. Upon opening the doors I beheld quite the sight. In front of me stood a most unexpected sight. I stared at...it...a moment before realizing where I was. There in front of me was... ___ “Well that seems like a good stopping point. Good day Rainfall.” I smiled inwardly awaiting the young mare’s reaction. I highly doubted she would approve of my story interruption. “Wait, What!?! You can’t stop now. It’s RUDE to stop on a CLIFFHANGER.” She yelled at such a volume that the librarian had to shush her. I gave a small, dignified laugh and stated clearly, “I was merely joking, Rainfall. You should handle your emotions a bit better.” She merely stared at me with another blank expression. I took it to mean ‘What?’ My bit of mirth was short lived as I took in her state once again. Her figure spoke of frailty. She still seemed disheveled and weak. Her eyes were curious and happy, but also sad and injured. I would have to actually investigate the matter soon. I gave a small cough. “Now then. As I was saying. There in front of me was... ___ ...Mount Carebina. It towered before me. The sight of it wasn’t the perplexing part of the situation. What truly baffled me was how I had gotten there. To my knowledge (which is rather vast) there was not any kind of entryway/ruins around the base of the mountain. So what exactly had I entered? I whipped around expecting some kind of witchery to be the root of this phenomenon. That which lay before me, or rather that which did not, was peculiar to say the least. The ruins which I had strayed through disappeared. It had not been an illusion either. It had been there and now it was gone. I could not believe the sight before me. How could something just disappear without any sort of traces that it had been there in the first place. It had to be some kind of a hallucination. Yes, a hallucination created by the smog and the toxins it had infected me with. Just the smog. Or maybe something much grander was in effect. Either way I had other duties right now. I looked at the craggy edifice, in all of it’s might and mass. It billowed puffs of menacing black fog that drained the life out of the air around me. My eyes began to water once again and my throat became scratchy. I looked for a way to reach the peak of the mountain, figuring that the dragon would be nesting at the top. I knew it would be faster to fly to the summit, but the cloud made it impossible. I racked my brain trying to think of spells that could aid me. A simple spell could be used to redirect the wind momentarily, but it would take some concentration to keep it steadily clearing my path. And I did not want to risk alerting the dragon to soon. Perhaps I could ignite the haze, as it seemed to hold quite a few combustable substances. No, that would probably harm the surrounding countryside. Vegetation and conflagrations do not mix well. Not to mention the resounding effects of a widespread explosion. An adept bubble shield could be used to cover me and keep toxins out of my lungs, while I simultaneously cast a purification spell to keep the oxygen inside the air-pocket from dying out. This seemed the most viable solution and most appropriate considering the need for moderate stealth. I cast the twin spells and began to fly upwards taking care to always stay in view of the mountain-side. It was fortunate I had decided not to bring any support, as it would have made traversing the mountain near impossible. With the use of the twin spells the flight went surprisingly well. The spells themselves were simple enough as well. Perhaps once I was back in Canterlot this could be expounded upon, maybe enough to create some sort of toxin ventilating technology. Coming closer to the apex brought a distinct sound to my ears. The sound seemed to originate from within the mountain and came off at irregular intervals. Every so often it would be followed by a small tremor. The sound was deep and harsh, akin to that of a pained growl. From what I could tell it had only been about ninety seconds to reach the crest. I climbed over it and looked down. Within the mountain a large crater had been dug, or, more accurately, ripped open. It appeared as if something had crashed into the mountain and created a gargantuan hole. It was not hard to figure out would could be the cause of the hole. In the middle of the rift was a sizable creature, draconic in nature. It had large red-violet scales covering the length of it’s hide. They bristled with every breath it took, reflecting the light of the sun (well they would have if you could actually have seen the sun). The brute’s stomach was incrusted with a number of jewels and priceless baubles. Spikes alined the spine of the dragon, each one the size of an earth pony. The animal had a small overbite, though they could have been small by draconic proportions. The teeth jutted out over it’s jaw, each one devilishly long and serrated. I shuddered knowing that I would most likely be fighting this demon. I began to steadily hover towards the dragon, awaiting a miracle to take place. As I came closer I noticed something, though. There was a long gash running from the base of its neck down to the abdomen. Bits of rock were scattered about, some deep inside the wound itself. The dragon had managed to smash into the mountain. He must have collided with the summit after a failed attempt at flying. The dragon appeared to be suffering greatly. It’s breathing was rapid and irregular and it’s limbs rested at it’s side unable to do anything. This was beginning to look more like a job for a coroner than a princess. I felt pity for the beast. Even one so mighty as it could not fight nature. I thought of a proper way to address the dragon, assuming it could understand me. How do you go about addressing death, exactly? I gave a cough and said in my booming Royal Canterlot Voice, “Excuse us, but why hath thou trespassed upon our land: the fair Equestria?” The beast’s yes shot open and it searched for the source of the noise. The freezing gaze finally settled upon me. “I did not expect to be visiting your land, and I apologize if my ‘visitare’ has upset you.” “Be that as it may, thy presence hath disturbed our subjects. Crops and settlements have not been able to grow due to thy exhalation. We wish for thee to leave without dispute, but we are prepared to defend our land if need be.” I gave a confident look to the beast to make my message understood. Even though I realized he would not live much longer I played the part of the foal as to gauge whether or not there was any reason to help this creature (Hey, Celestia was the element of kindness, not me!). He let loose a gruff noise which sounded as if it was a chuckle. “Non aestuare. I shall not breath here much longer.” There was no sorrow in his voice, only acceptance. The factual tone of his voice...it aroused pity from me. I suppose I was more empathetic than I realized. It didn’t make much sense as to why a being so dominant and awesome would accept such a fate. “That is quite unfortunate. Is there anything we can do to ease thy suffering?” My more reasonable side said not to offer anything to a species known to be greedy. “Non agunt quasi. I am no foal, dear Princess Luna. Through my death your ‘Equestria’ shall survive.” I flinched. I had not told him my name. “How do you know my name?” My voice was far less piteous now. “Draconigenus sum. Do you know much about my species? I don’t suppose you would, no one truly does. There are very few who don’t fear us, and very few in the future who won’t. Perhaps you’re willing to learn Princess Luna?” His eyes locked onto mine and I could see the wisdom clear in them. I hesitated for a moment, still curious as to how he knew my name. He must have sensed my hesitation. “Indulgere me. Let an ancient being feel worthy of his own grave!” He coughed. “F-f-fine. pass unto us thy knowledge.” I gave a curt bow. “And please inform us of how you are privilege to our name.” I was wary of the large beast. He could still pose a threat, even in his weakened condition. He smiled weakly. “Forte est spes tamen. Dragons are an archaic race, one that have existed for longer than even you ponies can remember. So little is truly known of them. The creatures of this world are too scared by our visage to even begin to know us. We could teach your kind so much, yet you avoid us. Even in death you fear me Luna! And I have to ask why? Ad quot punctom?” It was a difficult question. I could say it was because of all the stories I had heard as filly or that it was because of their imposing nature. But in truth there is only one reason. “We fear the knowledge in thine possession. Thy race is only known by the maturity it possesses and the veil of mystery that shrouds it. If thine knowledge is as powerful as we fear than it could shake the foundations of our country. But if we study the ways of others we can learn from the mistakes of others. We need to be open to change while respecting the past.” His smile grew. “Utinam te melius noris. You’re quite intelligent, and courageous to have approached me in the first place. I think I shall teach you about myself, or rather, my race. I am draco emisarrius, or dragon. Dragons are the concealed historians of the world, we perch upon a place and watch it grow. We watch it from the day it rises to the day it falls.-” “Wait, is that why you were here?” I asked inquisitively. “Valde bona, Luna! Very good!” His frame shivered in pain at the exclamation. I took a step forward to comfort him. He stopped me before I could however. “No, that is quite alright my dear. Yes, I have watched Equestria grow and change over the years and kept my presence unknown. In it is not the first civilization that I have gazed upon, but it is the one I am most proud of. I have watched the ponies here grow and create a government. Your kind valued their relationships with each other above all else, and it payed off. Through the countless disasters that have befallen Equestria throughout the ages, it has still survived.” He seized up in another coughing fit before returning to his tale. “Nothing seemed to be able to stop you ponies. Not hate, nor strife, nor drought, nor starvation, nor threat of invasion. Through it all Equestria survived. In the dozens of places I have watched, never have any other countries shown the strength of character that you Equestrians possess. There are always a few flaws though.” I glanced at him with an expression of suspicion as to his last comment. He ignored me and continued on. “A government had been set up with your mother and father leading it. They were unique in the sense that they were both quite powerful ponies. Your mother was a pegasus with strong earth-pony lineage and your father was a unicorn. They were gifted with enchanted regalia that granted them long life. Regalia that your sister and you still dawn to this day. Approximately a millennium into their rule your sister and you were born. You were born alicorns with inherit abilities that made you quite powerful.” “A millennium? Is your info infallible? I have always been told that my sister and I had been birthed by the Moon and the sun.” The dragon wore a grave look for a minute before continuing, “Tu, pauper rei. Shortly after your birth your mother fell ill. She did not last a month. It drove your father mad. He began to research the darker side of magic in attempts at trying to find a way to revive your mother. This caused quite the strain on his mental capacity, naturally, leading him to abandon his duties to Equestria. Without his guidance order began to fall apart in the kingdom. The council did not take kindly to this and they elected to dethrone him, more as an act of mercy than as an act of hatred. They offered him board in the castle but your father would not accept. However, They feared that if he were to be left on his own he would be problematic so they attempted to assassinate him at the senate on the Rides of March. Your father narrowly escaped being slaughtered. He fled from the castle, leaving you and Celestia behind to be raised without him. Quam tristis. The council decided it would be best to raise you two under false pretenses to ensure the powers you possessed were put to good uses.” My jaw had dropped to the ground in astonishment. I could not even utilize my vocabulary after hearing that. I swallowed my tongue and asked, “Where did he go? What happened next?” “Patientia. We shall reach that, eventually. You two were being raised by the council under the pretense that you were divinity. Immortal divinity. Eventually you two reached an age were you were able to practice your skills. You outclassed Celestia in magic ability, but her diplomacy was simply sublime. Neither of you knew you could control the sun and Moon until Celestia and you reached adolescence. That was when the council asked you two to attempt to perform the deed in hopes that you would succeed.” “Yes, that is correct. More than a decade ago they implored us to perform this feat. It was their hope that we could help create an ideal equilibrium between day and Night.” What did that have to do with anything though? He gave a lengthy sigh and looked at me somberly. “Res sunt vix adeo factorum innocens. They wanted power, Luna. They wanted you two to be able to manipulate the sun and Moon, the day and Night, light and darkness. They wanted to use you and your sisters powers to take over the surrounding nations. The council did not want the peaceful nation of Equestria, no, they wished to rule the world under one empire. They lusted for power! They almost succeeded with their plan had it not been for one major disturbance.” His form was racked by another fit of coughing. The timeline he had laid out for me meant that disturbance could only be one thing. Since there was only one disturbance worth noting in the past thirty years. “Wait, are thou implying that Discords’ appearance helped Equestria?” It seemed Discord may have vanquished a problem after all. He smiled. “Luculentam mi, splendidi! In a way it was the appearance of Discord, but it was more so the actions of your father. He had been in hiding for a decade, trying to find a way to prevent the council from achieving their goal of world domination. He had watched you and Celestia age and did his best to make sure the council did not use you for their nefarious purposes nor corrupt your innocence. He did not want your names attached to the council’s plot. In fact he did not want it to be known that Equestria had ever been at the mercy of people as vile as the council. He saw what threatened Equestria and racked his brain for years trying to think of a way to, literally, save the world. In his insanity and blind love for Equestria and your sister and you he saw only one solution. He knew an ancient spell, one that the world had not seen for many generations. It was a spell, or more accurately a ritual, that when performed transformed the user. It transfigured them into a powerful being, but at a price. It required that the user release his soul, his essence, and let it be modified. In other words it meant that the caster’s mortal form would perish.” “Our father killed himself? For the good of Equestria?” It was already a big enough shock to learn I had a father but to learn that he had taken his own life in an attempt to save Equestria. Well, it was quite a lot to take in. And it was not as if this dragon would lie to me. It was on its deathbed! He gave me a sympathetic stare before continuing. “Sic mi Luna. He executed the ritual and sacrificed himself. In his insane and love-ridden mind he believed he could bring the council down and give power to your sister and you.” “What if he was unable to control himself? Did he have a plan in that event?” Did Discord have my father fooled as well? “He felt so much pride in his daughters, Luna of the Moon, and Celestia of the Sun. He trusted that you two could stop whatever he became if the need arose. He trusted you to do the right thing.” My heart ached. My heart ached for a pony I had never even met. I wish I had been given a chance to meet one who held such values and had been willing to make such sacrifices. He had given his body up to become a lich, knowing full-well that he would be destroyed in the process. He loved Celestia, Equestria, and I so much that he was willing to die for it. I shed a tear and simply said, “Ah.” “Est Licuit Luna. He gave up his life because he knew you and Celestia did not need him. Do not cry.” The giant beast gave me a reassuring look. “His form slowly morphed into of relation to mine, only much smaller. He held the appearance of a lizard and all sort of other beasts in one form. He became a draconqeuus.” I looked up. Only one draconqeuus had been in Equestria in our time. It could not be though. It should not be. It was simply inane. A fantasy. “Are you implying that o-our-no, are you implying that my father was Discord!?!” He merely stared at me. “Aperi cor tuum ad scientam. Your father could not choose what he became. The ritual did not allow such a thing. It was simply thrust upon him. He transformed into the being you know as Discord, who bore an entirely different personality than that of your father. Discord was a being from the ether who held one goal at heart, a goal to ensue chaos where ever he went. To him Equestria and the world were playthings; the toys of children that were his to mold.” I collapsed upon the ground. My father, who had such a noble goal at heart, was transfigured into Discord. He was the cause of all the strife of the past times, yet he was my father. One who only moments ago had seemed so virtuous and strong-willed now appeared in the distorted form of cruelty and psychopathy. “Equestria non reliquit patrem tuum. Your father would not abandon you so easily though. He had influence over Discord. He could not directly control what he had become but he could nag it. Your father knew he couldn’t stop Discord so he saw it as the next best thing. When Discord first appeared do you remember what he did?” I thought for a moment. “He disbanded the Equestrian government!” Had that been my father? The dragon chuckled. “Tantaque perseverantia. Even in non-existence your father worked towards saving Equestria. His success did come back to haunt him, though. While that meant that the council could no longer plot it also meant that Discord had complete control. But as I said earlier your father trusted you and Celestia. He trusted that you two would stop Discord; the vile mongrel he had become.” “Celestia and I trained for quite some time in preparation to battle Discord. We beat Discord and managed to banish him to a prison of stone after a time of fighting.” I realized that my companion likely knew this, but I did not want to play the role of the incompetent student in our conversation. He coughed. His voice came out in a ragged tone. “Fiducia eius non fuit abhorrentes. Yes you stopped him. You had quite the conversation with him before his banishment, though.” My gaze fell to the ground. So he knew about that... “Vos iduicari non potest super Sententia, Luna. We all feel, my dear. I shall not judge you upon your conversation with the draconqeuus. What you make of that conversation is what truly matters, Luna.” He coughed. “You and Celestia began reforming the government as it had been before, but the people of Equestria begged Celestia and you to lead and guide them. Celestia listened to their plight and created a new government where the council held less power and she and you led Equestria.” I seethed in anger for a moment. “No, they begged Celestia, not Celestia and I to lead. My people cared nothing for me. They do not respect me!” My voice was loud, booming even. I had kept those emotions bottled up for so long. So long that it was a miracle I had not burst. The dragon blinked and it seemed as if a tear glistened on his cheek. “Non est, quia non indigemus. That does not make you insignificant, Luna. Your sister was always the diplomat Is it truly so hard to believe that Equestria would take to her presence more than yours? Your father loved his country even when it abandoned him, perhaps you should hold yourself to the same standard. Non debent obligari.” My eyes locked onto the dragons and a thought crossed my mind. My duty was to Equestria, not to their loyalty. “You are right...” He chuckled through the pain of his wound.. “Humilitas enim pulchrum, non? Do not lose your values my dearest princess. I have watched your cultivation and it would be a shame to watch you depart from this world. Do not think for a moment that you do not matter. As long as there is but one historian, nothing is forgotten. Historiam spectantium obonoxia.” He quivered and his whole form shook in agony. Another fit of coughing was followed by his shallow and irregular breaths. I took a step forward and laid against him. I did not want something such as this beast to perish in all of it’s magnificence and wisdom. “What can I do to help you? What must I do!?!” I stared at him, eyes pleading. He gave a sad smile. “Speciosa misericordia, non pereat in te fiat. When you look upon me you feel empathy. Do not lose this quality. I shall pass on soon and you may mourn me; but do not ever think that I am gone. I’ve watched you since birth and I shall not cease to do so after death.” “This is not fair. I can help you. Please let me help you!” I tasted something warm and salty. I was crying. The tears ran down my cheeks matting my swarthy coat. “Omnis res habet tempore suo. Death is merely the midpoint of my journey.” Another cough racked his form. “You have already helped this old wyvern enough. You have allowed him to pass on his knowledge of history to another. All I need now is for you to remember it. Embrace it. Learn from it. If you can promise me that I shall die happy.” “I-I-I promise. You taught me so much yet you have not even told me your name. Please tell me just one thing before you pass. Who are you?” I hadn’t known this dragon for long but I felt a connection to him. I did not want Equestria to be ignorant of his existence. Not when he was so well informed about ours. It would nit be right. The dragon inhaled deeply and mustered his remaining strength to give out one last verse. “Sed ego praeterita referuntur. I record history, I do not live it. It would be best if I was kept in hidden to the world, Luna. If you truly want to know, however, I shall tell you. And only you.” I nodded, not understanding but respecting his wish for privacy. “Optime tunc. I am known as Luzear the Ancient Tongue.” He coughed and a spurt a blood erupted from his throat. I wrapped my hooves around one of his talons. I only was only able to manage to get half-way around it, though. “Luzear, I shall not forget you or our conversation anytime soon. Rest now historian, rest quietly.” I felt his breaths become more and more irregular and shallow. He gave a pained gasp and gargled out a few final words. “There is still one thing I must say Princess of the Night. You will have a choice in the near future. What you do will affect Equestria for a great deal of time, so I beseech you to choose wisely.” He let out another cough and another spurt of blood. “Most importantly you must know that you are not alone. You shall never be alone as long as history survives. Remember the Moon, dear Luna. Memento Luna.” The familiar words struck a blow to my psyche. His body quivered for a moment creating a tremor. His breaths came out as short gasps as if clutching for air then ceased. His silvery eyes glazed over and a cloud, not unlike the haze, filled his pupils. He lay there ever so still. Luzear the Ancient Tongue died that day and my happiness perished with him. My happiness perished with a creature I had only known for twenty minutes. It must sound so peculiar, yet, then it seemed so reasonable. Even now I feel lasting scars from Luzear. Luzear’s body began to transfigure itself. A light started to form around the base of his tail and it wrapped around his body slowly. It did this until it fully enveloped his form in an aura of cold light. It started to recede down the length of his form once again leaving whatever part of him it had come in contact with encased in crystal. No not encased. It was turning his anatomy into crystal. I simply stared as Luzear was morphing into a crystal representation of his form. This would explain why nopony was ever able to get their hands on the body of a dragon. Their bodies transmuted into some crystalline substance, a change in their entire anatomy. Eventually he was just a jeweled shell of his living being. I lay against his figure and sobbed. I sobbed for my father. I sobbed for Equestria. I sobbed for Luzear. I sobbed for my subjects. I sobbed for myself. I laid there for the day, not willing to face the world. I just laid on my crystalized memorial and wept for the world. Such an inexplicable sorrow was mine to bear. Here I was lying, shedding tears over a creature that I known for only a few short hours. What possessed me to do so? Why did I cry for Luzear, or rather, why did I feel pain for him? I did not want to grieve over him, yet I could not help but feel so hollow without his conscious present. I believe it was then that I locked my heart away, trying to keep it from pain and sorrow. It was then that I chose to do anything to hide from the pain. Perhaps even become something I was not. ___ Rainfall sat across from me, gazing at me with an expression of mingled sympathy and sorrow. She placed her hoof over mine reassuringly and said, “It’s okay, Princess Luna. That was all so long ago.” She gave me a melancholy smile which did little to ease my inner demons. “I-I think that is enough for today, Rainfall.” Reminiscing is not a pleasant experience for me. It hurts to meditate upon the past, especially when you’re a part of it. Rainfall stared at me for a moment, bearing an expression of confusion. “But it’s still pretty early. I won’t be mad if you keep going.” I suppose that even empathy could not extinguish the curiosity of a foal. It might have been due to my innate ability to mask my emotions or it could be the young pony’s lust for knowledge. “True, but it is not easy for me to relate things of such a personal and painful nature to others.” “Then why are you telling me?” Her question was innocent enough. As well as a valid one. I thought out a reply. My past provided the inspiration I needed to inform Rainfall. “History shouldn’t be swept away. No matter how much it hurts, no matter what it means, history should never be concealed. It should be cherished, it should be noticed, it should be acknowledged. History is not a story meant to entertain, no, it is a past lifetime meant to inform. We have to embrace it, love it, and, most importantly, learn from it. So no matter how much sorrow and anguish I feel, no matter what is happening to those close to me, I shall never deny history from the legions of the intrigued. To do otherwise would not only be offensive to the people of Equestria, but to a dear friend of mine.” Rainfall looked at me for a moment. She was hanging on every one of my words, contemplating what I meant. Her pace of breath quickened as she listened to me and I could not help but notice each of her ribs protruding, almost completely exposed under her skin. She bit her lip and looked as if she was about to say something, but decided against it and instead said, “I see. I-I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then, Princess Luna.” I watched her get up and leave the library without a single book under her arm. I did not wait to follow her. I got out of my seat, determined to find out the small filly’s secret. As I left the library hot on her trail I commanded a guard to tell my sister that I could not raise the Moon tonight. I crept through the castle until I saw her stop in the soup kitchen. Was that her secret? Being among the destitute? No it had to be more than that. Even in Equestria there were poor people, it was hardly something to feel ashamed of. I took her brief stop to cast a transfiguration spell that would disguise me. I turned my rain cloak inside-out and pulled it over my form. I walked into the kitchen cautiously to see if I made any heads turn. No one noticed me, so the disguise was working. I had lost sight of my target, though. I searched the poverty-stricken sea trying to make out Rainfall. It was difficult spotting somepony so small in such a vast array of ponies. My gaze finally locked onto her. She was sitting in the corner of the room with her back to the wall, eating the meager amount of food served to her. I walked towards a table far enough away from her so that she would not notice me, but close enough so that I could keep a trained eye on her. She sat there, eating gradually, for what seemed like hours. She sat in silence with a look of lassitude evident upon her features. Eventually she concluded her refection and quietly brought her tray to a designated station. She kept half a roll. She walked out of the kitchen and off of the castle grounds while I followed silently behind her, taking care not to draw her attention. She increased the speed of her pace when we entered Canterlot. She turned many a corner and crossed several paths, with a very determined trot. She seemed quite confident in her navigational abilities. Eventually we reached the eastern edge of Canterlot. Nothing laid outside the walls except Paradise Grove. She could not possibly be heading there could she? No it was far to dangerous for her to enter it alone. Undaunted, Rainfall simply walked into Paradis Grove. I had to withhold a gasp. I followed her path through the forest closely, worried about here well-being. She had not taken one of the designated paths into the forest yet her hoofsteps were steady. The surrounding nature did not bear any marks that Rainfall had faltered in her route, either. She seemed to know exactly where she was going and how to get there. Eventually her hoofprints disappeared into a large brush. I forced my way through the brush blindly hoping I was on the right track. I ended up finding myself in some sort of clearing. I looked around to gather my bearings and saw Rainfall’s hoofprints once again. Apparently she navigated the terrain much better than I. I followed the trail of prints with my gaze and let my eyes rest upon an opening in the trees, a glade. I went through and came upon a marvel that would be hard to match. Rainfall sat on a the ground ahead of me, hovering over a pony who was was splayed upon the ground in an unnaturally inanimate fashion. Rainfall had her hoof on the motionless pony and was shedding tears that soaked through her white coat and hit the ground, decomposing into nutrients for the hungry terrain. The glade was eerily quiet and flat with a few odd-standing arboreal entities here and there. Vines hung off of them seeming to grasp at the ground. The pony Rainfall leaned on was a unicorn, who very much resembled the filly. Her coat was a luminescent white that caused the light that shined on it to refract. Her mane was a flowing vessel of azure. It flowed down the length of her form gently, giving the illusion that it was alive. I approached Rainfall stealthily until I stood near her. I assumed the mare was akin to Rainfall and I opened my mouth to speak to the young filly, who was still unaware of my presence. “Rainfall...” The filly gasped and turned around unable to shield her tears from my view. “Pr-pr-Princess Luna! What are you doing here!?! Why are you dressed like that?” “You seemed in pain, Rainfall. I came here to check on you. I became worried when I spotted you heading into Everfree Forest. Why are you here? Who is this mare?” Rainfall turned away, tears glistening on her cheeks. “She’s my mother.” Rainfall had to hold back her sobs to form coherent sentences. “I’m so sorry Rainfall. I understand the pain you feel, but you cannot stay out here. It is far to dangerous a place for someone as young as you to be.” Rainfall gave me a dejected glare. “Y-you don’t understand. I can’t leave. I can’t just leave her here! She needs me. That’s what she tells me.” She sobbed once again. “I don’t understand dear. Why can’t you leave?” A cold cill passed up the length of my spine and the grass bent in a aberrant breeze. “That would be because of me.”