Pirates of the Canterbbean: Revenge of the Rising Son

by Mcatnova

Chapter 2

"Beware the return of the Son." The message rolled over and over in Luna's mind. She remained the Royal Canterlot Library throughout the night searching book after book about Equestrian history. She poured herself over genealogies of the earth, pegasi and unicorn ponies, over ship building manifests looking for any name or clue that she could connect to this sketch. Frustrated at her wasted night, the deep blue alicorn threw the last book at the return cart causing the stacks to fly out in every direction. Realizing her outburst, Luna froze each book mid-air just before one smashed into a stained glass window of Starswirl the Bearded defeating an Ursa Major. Dejected she picked up the sketch and the map and with the head hung low, walked towards the exit leading back to the dormitory wing of the castle.

She was reminded, as she walked the white marble hallways, of the all the things she had missed over her thousand-year banishment. Tia's treaty with the Dragon Lord, the recognition of the Zebra's as a sovereign nation, each showing the benevolence and might of Equestria's past. She turned the final corner leading to her and Tia's room only to find her sister seated in front of a window just outside their door. But it didn't seem as if she was looking out, onto the palace grounds. Rather she had a forlorn expression as if she were staring at something lost within the panes of glass.

Almost inaudible, Luna could just hear Celestia say to herself "Oh Terran, you held such promise. Why did you let it consume you?"

Who was Tia talking to? Herself? Her sister never thought out loud so far as Luna knew

"You know why." Celestia continued, "And your recent actions have not changed my judgment. Unlike Luna there was not good left in you.

She was talking to someone! What magic is this? Luna's mind was racing to keep up with what she was witnessing.

"Do not involve them. They understood and were satisfied with my decision. You may do what you will where you are and throwing a tantrum like a spoiled foal will not shorten your punishment. Nightmare Moon was imprisoned for a thousand years bef..."

Luna felt an incredible surge of dark energy and before Celestia could finish her statement, it slammed against the window tossing the Princess of the Sun on her royal rump. Luna would have giggled had it not terrified her to see her sister pushed around with just mere energy. Luna had enough and rushed from her corner calling out "Tia, are you alright!?"

Celestia now noticing her sister, without knowing how long she was there or what she heard, played it off. "Oh Luna! I am sorry for making fun of you last night. Those parasprites are tricky devils. One just bumped into the window and startled me." Luna helped her larger sibling to her hooves. Once upright Celestia cut Luna off before a word was spoken with a rushed tone, "Oh my! I must hurry! The sunrise will be behind! I hate to put Equestria off schedule. See you this afternoon!" without ever looking at Luna she galloped off to the front exit to begin the day.

Simply fuming now, the entire castle vibrated as Luna stamped off to their room embedding hoof prints into the white marble at each step. The masons of Canterlot were never without work between Celestia’s pranks and Luna’s “moods”. Flumping onto her bed Luna rolled over staring at the fresco painting on the sky on their ceiling. “Why must Tia be so DIFFICULT? I have been in the dark literally for a thousand years! Now she banishes me there figuratively?!” Luna grabbed her pillow, and with her eyes shut tight, pressed it against her muzzle screaming into it in frustration. For any normal filly this would be an acceptable fashion to exert anger. Unfortunately the pillow of silk and pegasus feathers was no match for the “Royal Canterlot Voice”. Luna realized her error as she was once again staring at the ceiling as she felt down falling onto her and the rest of the room. “uuuuungh” was all she could muster before rolling onto her side and falling asleep.

“Do not be discouraged. He will return and you must be ready”

“Who are you?” Luna called out. “Where am I?” She looked around into the darkness surrounding her. She knew this place it was the Dreamscape. The plane where the thoughts of the ponies who slept took shape. Luna normally would only enter here, if a pony needed her help or upon request for an interpretation of a dream. But there was asleep. She had never entered the Dreamscape this way before. As she pondered her situation she noticed a pulsating ball light float around just above her.

“Terran is aware of your return and will try to turn you against your sister. Do not let him. Call upon Twilight and confront Celestia. She knows more than she lets on. You must stop Terran! *Gasp* I’ve spent too much time here; I must go.” With that the orb darted off into the distance.

“Wait! Come back! I have questions!” cried the Princess, but she could not follow. Her hooves were rooted to the spot and if for not that she would have fallen flat on her face. As she struggled against the invisible force binding her, she noticed the air begin to boil and ripple from behind. The darkness receded away from her and as the world around her was illuminated. What she saw terrified the alicorn. She was standing on a hill on the outskirts of Ponyville. The homes of her subjects along with the fields of Equestria were bathed in flames. The sky was not the normal pale blue but rather was filled with smoke, thick as a snoring dragon. The rivers that fed into Ponyville were actually boiling and, off in the distance, the mountain upon which Canterlot was built, stood cracked, the rubble of Castle heaped at its base. When she though she could not bear this nightmare anymore a graved voice roared around her “GET OUT”.

The entire Dreamscape shuddered with each syllable. The horror before her seemed to be ripped away as something threw her into the darkness.

Luna bolted up panting, her heart racing as if just sprinted the Running of the Leaves. “Tia’s warning be damned. I must contact Twilight Sparkle and we WILL get to the bottom of this.”