//------------------------------// // Confrontation and Revelation // Story: The Second Age of Equestria : Whispers in the Night // by 404 Mercy //------------------------------// Chapter 2 Confrontation and Revelation First Year of the Diarchy of the Second Age of Equestria Canterlot Royal Solar Chamber  Celestia de les Jour Celestia reclined regally on the lounge in her study. A book in her hooves and a steaming cup of tea in her magic. The light from the fireplace threw flickering shadows across the red leather padded walls, and soft cherry wood furniture. A large grandfather clock in a corner chimed softly. Twelve long deep bongs. The noise bringing Celestia from her near meditative state. She sighed softly, marking her page in the book before setting it down. Rolling her neck to work out a crick, the solar alicorn made her way to the balcony. Sipping at the last dregs of her tea, she admired her sisters handiwork this night. Beautiful, as always Lulu. I could never quite get it right. The moon was never as bright for me, and the stars were always uncooperative. Just one of many reasons I missed you so much. She sighed again as the last of the tea was downed. Celestia briefly considered asking Luna to join her tonight that they might bond a little, but she banished the idea. Luna was still reclusive, still … awkward around everypony. An unintended effect of the Elements. They were not supposed to block that much. Deciding she would like another cup of tea, Celestia left her room and headed for the kitchens. Miss Flowers will unlikely be happy. But that poor mare works too hard. I can get my own cup of tea every now and then. Maybe I can even swing by Court and see how Luna is faring. As she turned the corner, lost in her own thoughts, she missed the guard rushing up to her door. * Captain Silent Watcher was worried, very worried. He had been assigned to protect Luna since her return. But more importantly he had been taken aside by Celestia herself, and instructed (under what he assumed was pain of death given the severity) that he was to inform her of anything unusual happening to Luna. In particular, she mentioned strange magic. And tonight, both had happened. The Lunar Princess had seemed distracted and pained all through court, which she then ended and fled to her chambers, from which now he could observe strange light flaring form under the door. Not to mention the very strange magic he could detect pouring from a source directly in the room’s center. All of which was very bad, and very unusual considering the room had hundreds of wards to prevent, light, sound, and magic from entering or exiting. He and the remaining guards were clustered around the doors, a runner having been sent to find Celestia, with worried looks. The two other unicorns present had looks of wonder on their face, no doubt from the magic lashing out at their senses. He himself was having a hard time concentrating on anything thing else. He was a fairly strong and very competent spell caster. He had even been present years ago on one of the rare occasions Celestia had tried to alter the stars. But in all of his life he had never felt magic as strange, nor as powerful as what was hitting him. All he could think of to describe the magic’s feel, was that it was harmonious. He was roused from his thoughts as the runner returned, minus an alicorn. “Private! Where is Celestia? This is urgent!” He barked. The runner stopped and dropped to his knees wheezing slightly. “I couldn’t *wheeze* find her captain, she wasn’t in her chambers or in the throne room. Her head maid Flowers hasn’t seen her in a few hours either.” Watcher frowned, this was not good. This was exactly what Celestia had warned him about, and now she was nowhere to be found. He snorted in frustration before turning to the rest of the squad. “All of you! GO! Now. Find Celestia, tell her the topic we discussed is happening NOW.” The ponies scattered, some taking wing, others running, one hobbling and wheezing, all vacating the hall. Once the final pony rounded the corner Watcher turned toward the source of the disturbance. He could no longer see any light, and the magic was slowly fading. But he still felt the tremendous fear of the unknown as he approached the door. What magic could possibly affect an alicorn? Cause this much concern to Celestia? Break through THAT many wards? He wasn’t sure. But he knew it was unlikely something he should be messing with. Something he should wait for Celestia to deal with. Something that he was TOLD by Celestia not to meddle with. That being said he was already half way through the door. The room was pitch black. Not an iota of illumination seeping in through the open windows and door. Watcher took a tentative step into the room, his eyes opened to their fullest extent trying to locate the cause of the disturbance. The magic of which he could feel ebbing to a stop. Still unable to peer through the shadow, the captain lit up his horn. A decision he immediately regretted as his magic touched the residual flow, igniting it. Reacting to his desire for light the powerful magic lit up the entire room in a bright flash spanning the spectrum. The afterburn of which left him blinded. His senses returned from the overload one by one. First his mana, allowing him to “see” that the unknown magic was all but gone. Second his sight, which despite the dim light, allowed him to see the princess curled up on the rug in a ball. And lastly came his hearing, to the heart wrenching sound of weeping. Painful, mournful, weeping. * Celestia's trip to the kitchens had proven fruitful. As she had been able to grab her tea, and a slice of cake. Something her servants would not have allowed on her diet. But she was a princess, she could have a sweet after sundown if she wanted to. Despite this logic, she decided it was in her best interest to eat it now, and reduce the risk of being caught. Stuffing the entire delicate pink pastry into her mouth proved to be near disastrous as a sudden shout nearly caused her to choke on the gargantuan bite. “Princess! Princess Celestia!” The pony shouted charging down the corridor. “I- *cough* *hack*- am not eating cake!” She spluttered around the remains of the cake. The guard pony came to a stop in front of her, wearing a quizzical expression. “Um, what about cake now?” “Nothing” She replied entirely non convincingly, grinding the remains of the slice into crumbs on the carpet with her hoof. The pegasus shifted in his armor, before shaking his head and speaking again in haste. “Princess, I’ve just come from your sisters chambers, something very strange is going on. Captain Watcher sent me to find you, to tell you that the topic you discussed with him is happening.” Celestia's blood ran cold. She knew it had been a long shot that the spell would break, and had only informed Watcher because she knew he would only react as so in the real scenario. But if he was sending for her, then there was no doubt. “You said my sister’s chambers, yes?” The pony nodded “Please stand aside then.” The pegasus pressed up against the wall, and in an instant Celestia’s wings were spread wide, and she was rocketing off down the hall. * Watcher cautiously approached the huddled mass of the lunar princess. Not entirely sure how to proceed. He ran a critical eye over her, and noted with a sigh of relief, that there was no sign of physical damage. Igniting his horn and sending a pulse in her direction, he also noted that her magical aura appeared unmolested. This of course was a problem because now he had no idea why she was crying. Arriving at her side, he carefully placed a hoof on her shoulder before speaking. “Princess? Luna? Are you alright?” Not exactly the most eloquent thing he’d ever said to a weeping mare, but he was a guard not a therapist. He thought that perhaps she had not heard him, and was about to speak again when she placed her hoof over his. “Y-yes. No-o … we art not sure … Why? Why would Tia withhold this? My child. My poor sweet baby.” The sobbing resumed. It was heart wrenching. He didn’t know what she was on about, but he had to help her. “Luna? What child? What are you talking about? Are you okay? Can I do anything for you?” Luna was about to respond when a cry shook the room. She dropped her head to the floor, clutching at her horn in agony. “Princess! Are you okay?! Please, talk to me! What can I do?” Watcher was beside himself with worry. Thugs, assassins, drunkards. Those he could deal with. But to stand by his lieges side while she was in such agony, and be unable to help. Wash crushing on the most primal level. Luna cringed again in pain before cracking an eye at him. “The-erhm journal. On m-ahh-my desk. Bring it. Quickly.” The unicorn jumped up at her command and rushed to the desk. He searched across its surface, looking under pages and books but he could find no journal. He turned back to her. “Princess, I do not see a journal here, are you sure this is where you had it?” She tried to speak but she closed her mouth again almost as soon as she opened it, convulsing in pain. The alicorn mastered herself long enough to raise a hoof and point at the drawer in the desk before the pain sent her back down. Watcher followed the direction of her hoof to the bottommost drawer. He grabbed the ring with his magic and attempted to open it but it wouldn’t budge. Looking closer he saw the small lock built in. Resuming the search of the desktop resulted in no key. Pressed for time, and cringing in time with every moan from the princess he ripped the drawer clean out of the desk, breaking the lock in the process. Laying snugly in it however, was a small black leather bound journal. Watcher lifted the book out and rushed it to the princess. * Luna was in more pain than she could have imagined possible. Her skin was being burnt and ripped from her body simultaneously. Her bones were shattering and boiling to liquid. And her horn was being driven through her skull. But she focused through the pain. On the vision she had just witnessed even as it attempted to flee. She focused on the feeling of peace she had roaming those familiar halls. The undeniable attraction to the unknown grey pony. To the overwhelming pride and love looking at the face of Ca- Her thought was interrupted and nearly lost as a hoof was placed on her shoulder. While the pain seemed to lessen at the contact, so did the clarity of the memory. She was dimly aware of the pony beside her talking, and of her own rambling response, but all of her concentration was on the fleeting images. The harder she concentrated however the more pain she experienced. But it was worth it. She had to remember, had to know. Something like this could not be forgotten, had to be remembered … The journal, we must add it to the journal.  “The-erhm journal. On m-ahh-my desk. Bring it. Quickly.” More pain. So much pain. She was losing consciousness. And then everything would be for not. Have to hold on. Will. Not. Forget. This. She was again shaken from her reprieve by the light blue unicorn, this time however, he was waving her journal in front of her face. She attempted to grab it with magic, but the pain persuaded her to use her hooves. Taking a pen form the binding, she turned to an empty page. The alicorn quickly scribbled down every scrap of information from the vision she could remember just as a bout of nausea forced her eyes close and her head down. She grit her teeth and hissed out another command for her helper. “Eessh-quickly. Put it back. Put it back and come help me.” Cracking an eye she could see the unicorn pushing the drawer haphazardly back into the desk. Light flared in her mind causing the princess eyes closed again. But sensing his presence again at her side she issued her final command. “Ca-cannot hold on much longer. Please, take me to the infirmary. Please...” Blackness took her and blissful relief descended. * Celestia had always been one for modesty. Never the pony to show off, or even push herself to her fullest extent. All of this was the farthest from her mind as she tore through the halls of Canterlot castle, breaking at least one sound barrier. And startling quite a few ponies on her path to the royal chambers. I must get her back under control. If she has broken through enough for notice by other ponies then she is nearly free entirely. I will have to use the elements again. Must get Twilight and her friends here as soon as possible. All of this was going through her mind as she reached the final corridor at nearly twice the speed of sound. Flaring her wings in front of her sisters door, and breaking every window in a two thousand foot radius in the process, she dropped to the ground. Celestia rushed into Luna’s chambers to find them empty. Well, not entirely. She could feel the lingering effects of the magic of Harmony. But no alicorn. But definitely something. Not quite as noticeable, but still distinguishable. Traces of magic from another unicorn. Captain Watcher. She frowned at the discovery. You were under strict orders not to interfere if it came to this. It seems your chivalry has outweighed your duty. I hope for your sake you are ignorant of what has truly come to pass this night. She turned and strode from the room. Just as two pegasus came winging around the corner to meet her. “Princess Celestia, we are to inform you that Luna has been taken to the infirmary. Do-” The mare was cut off as once again Celestia took wing. * Captain Watcher was extremely confused. First the cryptic instructions and warning from Celestia. Then Luna’s fit. And now she was mumbling about fillies and betrayal as the doctors examined her. Then there was the troubling matter of what he’d seen her writing in her journal. It would appear Luna is under the impression that Cadence is her daughter. Which is impossible. Right? Luna was banished a thousand years ago. And Cadence is what... nine hundred and so? Oh. Oh no. This cannot be good. There was a brief sound like a hurricane outside the door, which quickly swung wide to admit the Solar Alicorn. She stopped in the threshold and gazed around the room. “All of you, out. Now. Captain Watcher, the door if you would.” The doctors and nurses all looked skeptical, one even looked like he was about to argue the point. But a quick glance at the look on Celestia's face bid them all farewell. As the last pony left the room, Watcher closed the door. He turned back to the room to see Celestia standing over Luna’s unconscious form with her horn glowing. The unicorn cleared his throat politely before speaking. “Princess? Will she be okay?” Celestia finished her spell on Luna, before turning and observing him. “Did my sister say anything to you? Did you see anything?” Watcher shifted a little uneasily under her penetrating gaze. “Uhm, yes my princess. She did, and I did.” A small frown worked its way onto her otherwise blank face. “What, exactly, did you see and hear?” “Uh, well. First there was that really strange magic emanating from the princess. It was like nothing I had ever felt before. It was like a tangible sense of tranquility. An-and then it just kind of, shut off. And then Luna was there, and she was crying. So I tried to comfort her. To find out what had happened. But she was going on about something about betrayal. And a filly. She kept saying she had lost her filly. And she was in so much pain so I brought her here. Princess, is what she said true? Did Luna have a child?” Celestia’s frown slowly disappeared. But the look of complete distaste that replaced it, sent shivers down his spine. There was a stir of motion from the bed as Luna tried to rise. But a quick spell from Celestia sent her back down. And Watcher could only look on in horror as the princess of the day turned her horn on him. “Captain Silent Watcher, you were given explicit orders on how to perform your duties. You were told, that under no circumstances were you to interact with Luna should this incident occur. You have failed at your word, and your Princess. And as such you shall be relieved of duty.” The unicorn backed into the wall as Celestia continued to advance. He tried to sputter to his defense. “B-but I couldn’t leave her there! She ne-” “SILENCE.” The royal Canterlot Voice bombarded his ear drums. “You were told not to intervene. You would have been better off not knowing. But as the Elements of Harmony do not work on a mortal being. There is only one way to insure this slight, this knowledge. Does not go awry. Captain Silent Watcher, as Princess of Equestria, and lord of the sun, I hereby condemn you to stone, for eternity.” * There was a brilliant flash and a scream was cut short. The Royal Gardens had gained a new occupant. A new occupant, that while sealed, was not entirely incapacitated. A factor of which a certain draconequus, would no doubt be exploiting.