//------------------------------// // Chapter 11 // Story: A Moon's Tale // by Dark0592 //------------------------------// Luna had originally registered for the sword, but decided to withdraw before the matches started so she was only in the joust. She felt odd, like a great weight had been lifted from her chest. She was able to focus and before the matches even started she said to the officials that she wouldn’t take the horse from those she unseated. Good thing too, out of the fifteen matches so far she had unseated ten of them. “I have a bad feeling about this last one…” Rarity said as she handed the lance off to Luna. “That lance has had much too much work put into it, I can tell even from here. That tip is not wood, it’s just painted over. Be wary, Luna, and make sure if he strikes you he doesn’t strike your head or your throat.” Rarity warned. Luna looked at him lowly. “I’ll see what I can find out.” Pinkie said and disappeared. “I’ve seen this knight when you were off the field, he lunges forwards at the last second in hopes of catching his opponent off guard before they can trade, normally causing the other knights’ aim to falter and glance off. Use that to your advantage.” Applejack said, patting Brynhildur as Luna lowered her visor. “Hey, look to the stands.” Dash said. The man with the flag stepped back as Twilight and Celestia entered the stands, Celestia stepping forward to speak. “Sorry I’m late, but a recent development left me a little busy and preoccupied. I will announce that the winner of this tournament will become eligible for the position of my Hand, and I put my favor in Sir Rose’s stead.” She announced. The crowd went wild and the other knight grinned as he closed his visor. “He’s a dirty fighter he is.” Spike said. Before the match started, though, Pinkie rushed back to Luna. “That guy was seen talking to an old guy in robes this morning, right before all that stuff happened with you. Methinks they’re in cahoots.” The energetic girl said rather seriously. “Noted, I’ll just have to finish this tournament in one blow.” Luna said, spurring Brynhildur as the flag dropped. Luna clearly saw it, the extended eye slit allowing her to see him aim for her left breast. If he would connect with his lunge then it would have the best chance of knocking her off of her horse. She ducked under his lance, surprising him, and smashing hers into his side. His lance glanced off ever so slightly, but Luna noticed something concerning about the thing. The glancing strike cracked the head of the lance. “The bastard tipped it, he’s trying to kill me. He’s not aiming for my center of mass, he’s aiming for my heart.” Luna said lowly as she traded her broken lance for a new one. “What? Call the inspectors then!” Rarity exclaimed, turning around. Luna shook her head. “It isn’t a knight who normally takes care of the lances, and they’re left unattended often. Pinkie, get to Celestia and tell her what’s happening. I’m going to do something very stupid and it’s probably really going to hurt so fetch Fluttershy.” Luna explained. They all gaped at her. “You can’t be serious?! Why would you take a hit like that?” Rarity exclaimed. “To see if he known his lance has been tampered with. I’ll see him to the ground first, though.” Luna said as the flag dropped and she spurred forward. Dash was already rushing into the back for Fluttershy as Pinkie was already whispering into Celestia’s ear. There were three sounds in quick succession that filled the stadium. First was the standard wood shattering against metal, second was the familiar sound of a heavy metal object hitting the ground. The last, though, was the sound of rending metal. The crowd roared in applause, but quickly quieted down to dead silence. Celestia had literally vaulted over the railing, Twilight screamed. Luna had the entire lance through her midsection, poking out of the back. The thing had been reinforced with steel and had a metal tip under the false head. Luna was spitting out blood, spattering the field, as it flowed from the rends in her armor and oozed out of the cracks and hinges. Celestia caught her as she fell off of Brynhildur, Fluttershy sprinting full speed down the track. “Luna, sister?” Celestia gasped as she practically ripped the helmet off. Luna was taking short, gasping breaths as she practically vomited a puddle of blood. Twilight was next to Celestia a second before Fluttershy, Rarity and the others were already trying to get the armor off. “Hold that thing still, we need to pull it out.” Applejack said lowly as she stood. They sat Luna up and Dash and Spitfire and Spike held the longer part of the lance as steady as possible. “This is really going to hurt, Luna.” The farmgirl warned before she quickly brought her foot down on the reinforced tip, snapping it off. Luna grunted in pain, and almost immediately yelled out as the girl kicked the now blunted end through. Fluttershy was instantly there as Rarity and Spike got the rest of the armor off. She was examining the wound and gently, but painfully, touching and moving and poking various places in and around it. “Am I dead?” Luna asked in a very pained laugh. “Not if I can help it, Dash I need you and Tank to go and get my supplies from the tent. Spitfire, I need you to clear the stands, this isn’t something people need to see. Spike, make a fire over here and start heating this up.” Fluttershy instructed, quickly tossing what looked like a metal spatula with a wooden handle towards the Draconian. “She’ll live?” Twilight and Celestia asked at the same time. Celestia was too surprised and horrified to cry, but tears were streaming freely down Twilight’s face. “Nothing important was hit, bit dying of blood loss is lethal with a wound this big. Rarity, I need you to close the wound in the back while I stitch the front here up best I can, once you’re done do your best to clean it and reheat it.” Fluttershy answered. Rarity looked horrified at what she was told to do, but she had learned not to question what Fluttershy said. Spike was already running to find water to clean it. “I’m sorry Luna, brace yourself.” Rarity said almost in a whisper. The sound and smell of searing flesh, as well as Luna’s yell of pain, filled the emptying stadium. Fluttershy had pulled the tunic and undershirt up to get at the wound, so Twilight and Celestia had to catch her when she fell back unconscious so the dirt of the track didn’t get in the wounds. The smaller hole in her back was now cauterized. A small contingent of guards showed up, in which Spitfire had taken the liberty to take command of in her Princess’ stead, and detained the unconscious knight that had wielded the tipped lance. Twilight slowly stroked Luna’s head as Fluttershy quickly and expertly cleaned and sewed the front of the wound. Dash returned with a large pack, in which Fluttershy quickly cleaned her hands with some of the water Spike brought and retrieved a series of jars and tubes and bandages. “I’ll give these to you when I’m done, they are to be replaced every morning and every night, you mix them together until they’re this color and when she’s conscious it will sting like salt, but it will heal quickly with it.” Fluttershy said to Twilight as she took a large gauze pad and mixed a concoction of medicinal products until it sported a light pink color and placed it over the wound. She proceeded to do the same with the back, the stuff making the gauze stick, and wrapped her in the bandages. Fluttershy stood up and wiped her hands clean once more and filled a smaller pack with bandages and some of the products and handed it to Twilight. “Thank you, so much Fluttershy.” Twilight said, calming down slightly as Luna’s breathing calmed. Celestia hadn’t said a thing as she watched, but once Fluttershy gave the ok she picked Luna up bridal style and turned towards where Shining was jogging up to them. “Captain, interrogate that knight and find the proof of Grumman’s involvement. If you find anything worth a death sentence then I will carry it out myself. Anything less is up to your own judgement.” Celestia said and placed Luna on Brynhildur. Twilight’s horse was lead in by Dash and Celestia mounted Brynhildur. They sped towards the palace. “What the hell happened?” Shining asked. --- “Banishment… It is acceptable.” Celestia said when Shining reported his findings and judgement. Luna was still unconscious on Celestia’s bed and she and Twilight tended to her. The council filed in as Shining bowed out. Grumman had bribed the knight, but the knight didn’t know what was so specia labout the lance he was given. He was given a few years in prison. “Princess, I still don’t know much of what’s going on but Grumman was not treacherous. He must have had a reason to want to kill this woman.” One of the councilmen said. “She is my sister, and the prophecy of the moon is about her…” Celestia started lowly. A voice finished for her, though, a voice Twilight recognized. “A prophecy that was misinterpreted and has since been reviewed and found to be as you say.” Zecora said, entering. “Ah, Zecora… I guess since you were under Grumman you will be taking his place.” One of the councilmen said. Zecora nodded and Celestia stood up. “I apologize, my friends, but I am too distraught to properly do my duties, I leave the realm in your hands for now. If you wish to know the whole story I recommend talking to Captain Armor and our friends from Ponyville.” She said. The council took that as their cue to leave and bowed out, leaving Celestia and Twilight with Luna once more. It wasn’t until the next morning when Luna regained consciousness, in pain yet comfortable at the same time. Twilight and Celestia were both snuggled up to her, careful to not agitate her wounds. She groaned, instantly waking the two up. “Luna!” They exclaimed. “Good… morning I assume…” She grumbled tiredly. “How are you feeling, Love?” Twilight asked. “Like shite, but I’ll manage. Come here.” Luna replied, smiling slightly as she sluggishly put an arm up. Twilight moved over so that Luna cupped her face and they kissed. “I thought I lost you…” Twilight said softly. “I’m harder to kill than that.” Luna said, sitting up with a groan. Celestia gently pulled her into an embrace, which she happily returned. “I guess you are my sister, Mother was known for leading the troops and coming back from injuries…” Celestia said. Luna chuckled. “How are the others?” She asked Twilight. “A bit better off than I am I would think.” Twilight said. Luna nodded and looked to Celestia. “So, what now? I almost died to win that tournament, I’m still up for the job.” She said. Celestia couldn’t help but chuckle slightly. “Well for now you rest and heal and when you’re back up to 100% I shall have a new hand at my side.” Celestia replied. Luna smiled and nodded. She looked out the window and thought of her father. “Before then our relation should probably be announced, and I wish to be wed in my armor instead of in bandages, so I have a feeling I’m going to be very bored for the next few weeks.” She said. “We’ll all be here to help ease it, Rarity and Spike and Belle are already repairing your armor. I know you’re a quick healer, it won’t be long.” Twilight said, leaning he head on Luna’s shoulder. “Speaking of that, when did either of you ask?” Celestia asked. “I did no more than a week ago. We were both drunk, but not drunk enough to forget. We had an actual discussion about it the morning after and decided to stay with it. Apparently I had even gotten rings.” Luna answered, finishing with a small laugh. Twilight pulled a small box out of a pocket and opened it to reveal two simple silver bands. “Simple and elegant, fitting I should think.” Celestia said with a smile. On closer examination, she realized there was a series of symbols carved around them. “They are in the Old Norse language, it means ‘Champion of night, thine heart is mine.’” Twilight said. “Mine says ‘Lady of Dawn, mine heart is yours.’” Luna said. Celestia chuckled and handed the box back, getting up from the bed. Luna proceeded to lean into Twilight, lying her head in the girl’s lap. “You look exhausted. I’ll get arrange the announcements, we’ll do it when you’re ready. For now, I think Twilight is ample company and guard for you.” Celestia said. Luna nodded and Twilight giggled. “And sister, I’m so glad you came here… I feel like it was a very good thing, even if you did nearly die.” She continued. “Only good has come from my near death experiences, it seems.” Luna snorted. Celestia held back a laugh and quickly kissed her on the forehead before walking to the door. “I’ve always wanted a sister, now I have one and I would go to tartarus and back to make sure you never left us.” She said, looking behind her shoulder at the door. “And I would rather go to tartarus than leave.” Luna replied with a smile. Celestia smiled back and nodded, leaving and gently closing the door. “Things are going to be very different very soon, I imagine.” Twilight said. Luna hummed in agreement as she faded into sleep. --- Epilogue “Oh come on now, Sister. You’ve only just recovered.” Celestia protested, the two of them in their full armor on their horses with lances in their hands. They were on opposite sides of the fence in the middle of Ponyville’s stadium. “It’s my wedding day, and I vowed to go against the winner of the tournament in our honor. I stand by it.” Luna retorted, flashing a grin as she closed her visor and went to her side. Dash ran forward with a flag and prepared to drop it as Celestia shrugged and went to hers. “Oh lord they’re really going to do it…” Twilight groaned, facepalming, on the sidelines. The crowd went wild. “Two immortalized champions of the lists, I wonder if Luna knows that her sister has never been unseated.” Pinkie started as the two prepared for the joust. “But Luna’s only ever lost a joust because she had been doing two or three events all day.” Rarity retorted as Dash dropped the flag. “That’s Celestia’s unbreakable form, Luna will have trouble not being unseated herself.” Spike said. “Luna adapts to her opponent’s form.” Spitfire said. They all cringed as the simultaneous sounds of wood shattering and heavy thumps echoed around the stadium. The crowd went wild as both Princess and Princess’ Hand groaned form where they lay sprawled next to each other on the ground. “A draw, again…” Celestia groaned. “At least it wasn’t because of a slip-up this time.” Luna wheezed, sitting up. Celestia sat up and punched her shoulder, making a clang on the light plate armor. “Whatever…” The Princess said, getting to her feet. They both cracked their bones and clasped hands as the crowd roared once more. “A first for everything it seems. Not only were the both of us unseated, but it’s the anniversary of you coming home and the day of your wedding.” Celestia said. Twilight walked over then, pulling their helmets off; arming caps and all. “If you’re done butting heads the feast is about to start, everyone who knows how to cook in the town put their skills to work for us and I won’t have you unconscious. I’m not above shoving food down your gullets.” The girl said sternly, but ended with a smile. The two armored women shrugged and started loosening the stuff as they walked towards the hall. “I love you, both of you.” Luna said, wrapping an arm around both of their shoulders. They agreed and returned the sentiment as they all held each other as they walked.