Spirits
Princess Luna stood outside a hedge grove in the Canterlot gardens with her sister and Discord. Celestia guided Luna into the grove through an arch. In the center of the grove on a stone table lay Terra, surrounded by flowers and warming candles; his eyes closed to the flickering light, his chest still, unmoving, he was dead. Luna realized this, she began to whimper and cry.
“No, no, no!” Luna cried out walking over to Terra.
Luna leaned against the stone and brushed her hoof across Terra’s cheek and his mane. She had lost her best friend that she loved most apart from her sister. He was there for her when she was a filly, there when they ruled the kingdom; he did what he could when she was banished, and he was there after her return. This is what happened, when he gave her all he could after she forced away his love, he gave his life.
“You didn’t tell me, but you knew. That’s why you smiled when I left. That’s why you told me how to find my father isn’t it?” Luna asked, whispering through her tears.
“I’m sorry sister, his last moments were peaceful and happy,” Celestia said, knowing no matter what she says nothing would comfort her sister at this time.
“I know, he wanted us to part happily one last time, since we parted so tragically before. To think at one time I was unsure whether I wanted him to return at all!” Luna cried.
“Luna, no part of this was ever your fault. Terra watched over you and I for centuries, he never wanted you to lose faith in yourself, and he believed in you; he did this because he was no regular pony remember?” Celestia asked.
“Yes I remember, he loved us as much as our father. The Alicorn of Harmony, not of flesh and blood, but of spirit and magic,” Luna said, wiping away tears.
“Terra may have been weak in body Luna but he was strong in heart, he is just a spirit now but he will always be among us,” Celestia said.
“We were so close sister, so close to having our family and friends back. You, me, Terra, even Orion; we were just missing Starswirl… and Mom,” Luna said with a stutter as she began to tear again.
“I know sister, and Dawn is a spirit among us as well,” Celestia said as she hugged her sister.
Deep down inside within Luna’s heart she felt it not having been broken, but rather filled with a stronger love for her friend than she had before. Luna went back to Terra and watched his now solid red/orange mane sway with a light breeze. Even the fiery effect had changed to a solid mane, for the magic within him had left with his life. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, and then promptly walked out of the grove.
“It is unfortunate really, even I considered him a friend, in the end,” Discord said.
“Given your history and tendencies I find that hard to believe,” Luna said plainly.
“I’m as surprised as you are,” Discord said, unfolding his arms and shrugging.
“Then why are you here?” Luna asked.
“I’m sure you’ve noticed by now dear princess that there are very few living specimens that actually know who your dearest Phoenix Prince was. Honestly I’d question why your ever dearest sister had a city of subjects mourn a creature they didn’t know in just a single night without telling you first,” Discord said conspicuously.
“Stay that snake tongue of yours Discord, lest it returns you to stone,” Luna said sharply.
Discord motioned that his lips were sealed and then meandered away. Discord had a point to make; Celestia had not sent a messenger to alert her of Terra’s death. She most likely knew he was in ill health as well. Organizing the city to mourn a prince they did not know was a show of her influence. Celestia had the faith and following of the kingdom, she was the true ruler. Luna is still barely accepted as so many had previously feared her very existence.
Luna leapt into the night air and flew onto the balcony of the wizard’s tower. She opened the pane doors and stepped into the study. A gust of wind blew in and waved some sheets covering the splintered desk that was moved to one side of the room. She sat in the center and looked at the mural on the ceiling. She used her magic to make the mural of the night sky rotate across the ceiling again and closed her eyes. She thought as far back as she could about Terra.
“What are you doing up at this hour?” Terra asked, his voice echoing in the stone hall of the old castle.
“I couldn’t sleep, I had a nightmare and Celestia’s sleeping,” filly Luna said, looking up at Terra with tired eyes and a blanket over her back.
“That’s alright Luna, what made your dream so scary?” Terra asked as he lifted her with magic and set her on his back.
“I was scared that daddy might never come home again, and that Celestia and I weren’t friends anymore, and we weren’t a family anymore,” Luna said holding onto her blanket.
“Your right, that is a scary dream,” Terra said as he opened the door to her bed chamber.
Celestia lay asleep in her own bed, tangled in her long solid pink mane. Terra couldn’t help but smile because graceful wasn’t exactly the word for it. He laid Luna into her own bed and she clung to her own little blanket and looked back up at Terra.
“I love my family, I don’t ever want to be alone Terra,” Luna said.
“Then I’ll make sure that you will always have a family Luna,” Terra said as he tucked Luna in.
“Promise?” Luna asked.
“I promise,” Terra said with a smile.
Luna opened her eyes to see the mural turning above her, she then looked back at the pane doors she entered. She could see the scrapes in the stone of the balcony shadowed by the moonlight. She closed her eyes and thought back again.
“So Starswirl has been teaching you spells?” Terra asked.
“He has, though I’m not sure I have the need to learn offensive spells,” Luna said, a young mare at this point.
“Defensive spells, the world hasn’t always been so kind to us in the past,” Starswirl said as he caught up with Luna.
“You will have to learn to defend yourself if you are to be a ruler of the kingdom,” Terra said.
“I thought you preferred peaceful methods Terra?” Luna asked.
“I do, however I also do whatever is necessary to maintain harmony,” Terra said.
“Even Orion preferred to settle things without the need to fight,” Starswirl said.
“Orion did what was necessary to protect the kingdom as well,” Terra said.
Luna opened her eyes, breathed deeply, exhaled, and closed her eyes again trying harder to concentrate.
“I enjoy sunsets in autumn, the colors of the sky blend with the colors of the earth,” Terra said, standing with Luna, a mare now, up on the ramparts of the castle.
“You love it when the sun sets? That makes me feel more appreciated Terra,” Luna said.
“Appreciated, why would you believe otherwise Luna?” Terra asked.
“The monsters’ attacks have become more frequent, and they attack at night. The citizens feel safe only during the day, they have become fearful of the night and there is naught I can do to change that,” Luna said sadly.
“Luna, you are loved by the kingdom, and your nights offer them the peace and rest they need. The presence of these monsters is unnatural, and they will be dealt with in time,” Terra said.
“There are always monsters to be dealt with,” Luna said.
“We do so accordingly, lest we become monsters ourselves,” Terra said, somewhat concerned about Luna.
Luna opened her eyes to see the moon directly outside the doors of the balcony. Her prison, a desolate and unforgiving wasteland of solitude; the thought made her shut her eyes quickly to get away, but it only brought her back.
“You were meant to spend eternity here, but I sacrificed a great portion of my magic to limit your sentence to one thousand years, and to see you,” Terra said, walking towards Nightmare in a dusty rock hallway on the moon.
“My sentencing is limited? Good, then I can return and exact my revenge on the world too good to love what I had given them!” Nightmare Moon declared.
“Luna I know it is still you. You wouldn’t have built a castle here that resembles home and lit it with magic if you weren’t,” Terra said.
“Luna is gone, you let her go, abandoned her!” Nightmare Moon yelled.
“I never would, and you know that. Why else would I be here? We love you,” Terra said.
“Lies, be gone with you! Leave me in my solitude liar, betrayer!” Nightmare Moon demanded.
“As you wish, Princess,” Terra said before he teleported.
“Princess? Terra, wait. No, no, no!” Nightmare Moon yelled as she blasted apart her castle, creating plumes of dust on the moon through her anger and sadness.
Luna opened her eyes and looked at the carved wood doors that opened to the stairs leading down to the castle. Just before the doors was a clean space on the floor where the portal had opened into the past. She looked down at the floor, closed her eyes once more, and began to cry.
“They call it the Grand Galloping Gala. A formal party held once a year in Canterlot,” Terra said, walking up to Luna standing along the side of the ballroom at the Gala.
“I find it difficult to remember any such celebration as this in the past,” Luna replied.
“It’s for fun, a luxury. Honestly it was rather bland before Celestia invited the Elements to crash, well, the formal part of the party. I’m rather glad they did, now there’s music, dancing, smiling faces and joyous laughter,” Terra said happily.
“Dancing! I can’t remember the last time I’d ever danced,” Luna said.
“Now you can. May I have this dance, Princess?” Terra asked with a short bow.
“You may,” Luna answered with a smile and followed Terra out onto the floor.
“Nothing fancy now, just a basic waltz. I’m as good a dancer as I am a flyer,” Terra said as they began to dance.
“I should be careful then, you’re a terrible flier. Do you remember when I chased you in the air over the forest, and bumped you out of the sky?” Luna asked.
“I do, I pretended to be hurt,” Terra said.
“I was worried! When I got down there though, you were rolling around in the grass like a puppy. I was so angry, but it was so funny I couldn’t help but laugh,” Luna said happily.
“I remember that, I could never outfly you,” Terra said as they continued to dance.
“That was a long time ago, when it was safe to be in the forest,” Luna said with a sigh.
“It’s alright Luna, you’re home now, with Celestia, and me,” Terra said.
“I missed everyone so much! I’m so sorry Terra, I’m so sorry,” Luna cried quietly, hugging Terra as they continued to dance.
Luna opened her eyes finally, she felt shaken, confused, worried. She walked over and pulled a sheet off of a tall mirror in the study. Looking at herself in the mirror she could see Nightmare Moon’s sharp eyes glaring back at her, yet she was crying. Through her sorrow however rose an ever growing anger. Terra had died from his injuries, he had gone to save lives and he died for it. Something had him beaten to near death, and trapped him in a magic box for over a thousand years unconscious. Her music box! Meant to be discovered and opened by her. If this creature sought to break her it had succeeded in demolishing her heart.
“Mark my words beast of darkness, I will have you pay for what you have done to my family, my home, and my heart!” Luna angrily vowed, glaring at herself in the mirror.