The Darkest Day of Her Life

by Muddy Waters

Chapter Four

Smoky Nights woke with the rising moon. Her body still ached and her thoughts still swam through a slowly dissipating haze, but even being trapped in her stone hadn’t changed her natural body clock. She climbed carefully out of the bed Celestia had had prepared for her and crept into the bathroom to draw a bath. She didn’t wait for the water to fill it. Instead she climbed in and stuck her head under the tap. Dust and fragments of stone still clung to her and it felt heavenly to finally wash it away. In fact, everything felt fantastic. The simple fact that she was able to feel made her sigh with delight. She swirled the rising water with her hoof and treasured even that small movement.

The water cooled far too quickly for her taste. When she finally stepped out of the tub water streamed from her coat and made a spreading puddle on the floor. She shook off as much as she could before throwing a few towels on a dry part of the floor and rolling on them. It wasn’t an efficient method of drying herself off, but it was too much fun not to try. She couldn’t have been more disappointed when she heard some pony knocking on her door.

Smoky answered the door still dripping and with her mane sticking out in all directions.

“Good evening, Smoky Nights,” the guard on the other side said, smiling politely and trying very hard not to let his eyes wander from hers, “Princess Luna would like to speak with you, if you’re feeling well enough.”

“Is her study still at the end of the end of the west wing?” Smoky asked.

“Yes, miss,”

“Please tell her I’ll be there in a few minutes, once I’m cleaned up.”

“Will do,”

The guard bowed and trotted away in one smooth motion. Smoky went back to the bathroom to fix her mane and roll a few more times over the towels. The long walk to the west wing was chilly after the steam that filled the bathroom, though she barely noticed. The basic layout seemed to be exactly what she remembered, but the style and decorations had changed. Even the view out of the windows was drastically different. The small, neat homes of the past had been replaced with opulent buildings that towered over streets paved with perfectly cut stones. Looking down on it Smoky could barely recognise anything beyond the castle grounds. Even the layout had changed.

A pair of guards walking down the hall paused when they noticed Smoky leaning up against the window panes. One of them coughed to get her attention.

“Are you lost, Miss Nights?” he asked politely.

Smoky backed away from the window, flushed. “Oh, no, everything’s just changed so much and I got a bit distracted,” She paused, and squinted at the pair. For a moment the pale blue stallion and his red companion turned pure white in their golden armour. “You know me?”

“Princess Celestia briefed us all on your arrival,” the red mare replied with a cheery smile, “she said you might get a little turned around. Can we show you around?”

Smoky glanced from the guards to the expensive view and then down the glittering hall. “I suppose you should. Luna’s study is likely to be nowhere near I remember it.”

“Don’t worry, it’s just down here a little way,”

The mare practically pranced past, humming a tune Smoky didn’t recognise. The stallion fell into step with Smoky at a more sedate pace. Smoky peered at his armour as they walked, comparing it with old memories of what the guards used to wear. He did his best to pretend he didn’t notice at first, until she reached out to touch his shoulder plate. He sidestepped out of reach with a nervous but polite smile.

“Ah, sorry,” Smoky said, forcing a laugh, “I was just wondering if they still used the same paint on your armour. It used to glow in certain light.”

He looked uncertainly at his golden shoes. “I’ve never noticed a glow before,”

“Here we are!” the red mare called out suddenly, presenting an imposing door with a wave of her hoof. She knocked twice, bowed low, and pushed the door open before anyone inside had a chance to answer. “It was lovely to meet you, Miss Nights.”

The mare bounced away back down the hall, her companion hurrying after.

Smoky approached the door and stepped inside slowly, wide eyed as she caught sight of the familiar glow of dozens of stars. Unlike every other piece of Canterlot she had seen Luna’s rooms were exactly as they had looked a thousand years ago, except for one thing. The alicorn standing near the balcony doors didn’t appear happy to see her at all.

“Come in, Smoky,” Luna said firmly.

The pegasus obeyed without hesitation. She closed the door carefully behind her and kept her eyes lowered as she turned back to face the princess. The scar on her chest felt almost like it was burning under Luna’s gaze. For a long time she heard only the tap of hooves on the carpet as Luna paced back and forth. The effort to stay still was exhausting.

“I am entirely at a loss for what to say to you,” the princess said finally, pausing in front of the pegasus. She lifted Smoky’s head gently with her hoof and smiled down at her. “But I am glad to have you with me again. I missed you terribly.”

Smoky sighed with relief and sagged on her weak legs. “Can I continue my studies with you, then?”

Luna tilted her head to the side. “From what I understand you studied quite extensively while I was… gone. Surely you don’t still need my guidance.”

“I was concentrating on time spells then. They would have been useful if I could cast them, but honestly I think I’ve forgotten most of them by now.”

“Then I have no choice but to continue where we left off,”

Smoky hugged her impulsively. She felt Luna flinch back, just for a moment. When she pulled back she looked down at the ugly black scar that had come between them and forced a laugh. “I guess I should take Rarity’s advice about a scarf.”

Guilt flashed over Luna’s face. She took a step back.

“Smoky, I-”

Her student interrupted without hesitation.

“It wasn’t you.” Smoky said it with such assurance that Luna was taken aback. She tried to speak again, and wasn’t given the chance. “And there’s nothing left to say about any of it. You said so yourself.”

Luna sat down, breathed deep, and said, “Yes, I did.” She glanced one last time at the ugly black scar before meeting Smoky’s eyes squarely. “If I remember correctly, we last spoke about these colours you can see when unicorns use their magic. Is that still true?”

Smoky settled into a comfortable position and relaxed into the familiar setting. She crossed her forelegs loosely in front of her, the better to hide the scar, and did her best to immerse herself and her mentor in the new topic. Her memories continued to slip and slide out of her grasp far too often, but she was too happy to be frustrated with herself. All was right in her world again.