Herald of the Night
Chapter One: Walking in the Dark
Luna gracefully made her way down the hall at a brisk walk while Twilight trotted after her, shorter legs attempting to keep up with the Princess' longer ones. Taking a left turn and continuing down a second hall, the blue alicorn began to speak. "What you said earlier was true. The bridges between my kingdom and Equus have long since decayed or been sealed by my Celestia in the thousand years since I saw her last. But this is not the only, final way to travel hence from my kingdom. There are... other ways. Secret ways. Cracks in the wall, as it were. That a mouse might fit through."
Luna stopped for a moment, pausing before looking down at Twilight, who was making use of the momentary reprieve from the brisk pace to catch her breath, "Not that you are a mouse, Twilight Sparkle. Far from it. But my my sister might not think that I might allow one of my precious ponies to wander into potentially hostile lands, if she's anything like I remember."
To be honest, Luna wasn't sure how Celestia would have changed after all these years. The Alicorn of the Night wouldn't be the first to admit it, but she, herself, had changed in the millennium since the two Princess had gone through a particularly vicious falling-out. Centuries of caring for the few - yet steadily increasing in number- ponies under her rule had softened her rough, jagged edges that had once severed the ties between herself and her Solar counterpart. Shaking her head to clear it, ethereal mane blowing in the non-existent wind, Luna continued on.
Twilight opened her mouth to inquire something, but Luna was already moving again, prompting the lavender unicorn to once more take up her quick pace. Left. Right. Left. Right. Right. Left. Ever down, down, down. Twilight wasn't sure where they were going, them having, a while back, left her well-trod paths in the castle. The only thing she was sure of was that they were going down.
"Princess? If I may ask...?" Twilight began, looking curiously up at the alicorn that she was following, moving easily with long strides.
"Ask what, Twilight Sparkle? Where we are going, perhaps?"
"Umm... yes. I've never been in this part of the castle before..." Twilight said, looking around at the growing gloom. Torches that had once regularly been ensconced upon the walls were now less frequent and burning less brightly. A gentle flow of magic illuminated the horn upon her brow to assist her in seeing where they were going and preventing the embarrassment of tripping over one's own hooves or - perish the thought - Luna's silver-clad ones.
"We left the castle twelve turns and a staircase ago, my little pony. We are now in the Old City. The original home of my Lunar Ponies before we expanded outwards and built Luminus atop our origins. Forgotten to most, remembered only by the dead and myself... And now, you, for however briefly before you depart." Luna said with a kind, patient smile, "I do not expect you will see them again, unless you choose to revisit these dusty corridors upon your return. There is a wealth of archaeological knowledge down here in the Deep, but I doubt you'll want to brave the dark. It is less comforting than the Stars that you are so fond of and the void in which they shine."
"Oh, I see..." Twilight said, plodding along on in silence for a few moments, "What are we looking for?"
"You seek answers. I seek forgiveness. Perhaps a little redemption. But to answer your question literally, we are seeking the Old Gate. The original point upon which I arrived here on my Moon." Luna remarked, looking around a passage, her horn flashing to light the torches along a passage ahead before turning herself to lead the way down the hall, "The gates through which I brought my followers may have been sealed, but the Old Gate may still have enough magic in it to slip a unicorn in through, with some encouragement on my part."
Luna halted as they arrived at the end of a long hallway. A door, darker than ebony and inlaid with intricate silver etchings, blocked their path. Placing a hoof on the door and squaring her stance to brace herself, the alicorn brushed her horn along the seal. A faint glow arose along the ancient carvings until the door glowed so brightly that its intensity seemed to be competing with the surrounding gloom that sought to swallow everything. The door pulsed with this light and then, with a hiss and clank that echoed down the hallways, creaked open. Then, turning to Twilight, Luna said in the gentlest voice she could muster, "Now... please don't panic..."