Chapter 1: An Invitation Between Sisters
To any less than perfectly familiar with the ways of Celestia Sola Invicta, the Sun Princess and effective ruler of Equestia, for all that her Sister had been taking increasing control of military affairs during the last three years, resuming her role as Celestia's High Lady of War -- the message would have seemed simply an invitation to a casual dinner chat. To the recipient of that message, Princess Luna herself, who had known Celestia better than anypony else during one and a half of the two and a half millennia they had spent in their present Incarnation as Alicorn Ponies; and as Gravity had known Fusion for the over thirteen billion, eight hundred million years they had existed, since soon after this Multiverse had been born in the inconceivable eruption of the Big Bang; everything about the wording of that innocent-looking missive told her that Celestia wanted to consult with her regarding something about which Luna would very much not be happy. Indeed, it was likely that Celestia intended to do something which Luna would consider a very bad idea, and Celestia could not be stopped by any argument of which Luna was capable.
Which meant that trouble was coming, and there was little Luna could do stop it.
Luna said a very indelicate phrase in a dead language, one that had not been spoken in North Amareica for over three and a half thousand years. She only knew the phrase because Moondreamer had learned it over fifteen hundred years before Luna Selena Nyx had been born. She was certain that the phrase could be found somewhere within the vast (and still utterly-disorganized) Library of the Crystal Empire, recently returned from its millennial limbo along with the Crystal City in which it stood; but she doubted that anypony in Canterlot, save for her Sister and herself, actually knew the meaning of that specific phrase.
She knew that Celestia knew the phrase because Moondreamer and Sundreamer had gotten drunk together sometime around the Year Of Megan 1970, which was to say some four thousand, thity-three years ago, and Moondreamer had taught it to Sundreamer -- and Celestia never forgot a good dirty phrase. Though Celestia would never use them openly in public, and usually in private only when she was drunk.
Which was rare this incarnation, because Celestia was an Alicorn, and it took absurd amounts of alcoholic beverages to get an Alicorn more than slightly tipsy -- their powerful regenerative abilities neutalized alcohol almost as rapidly as they could consume it, something of which Fusion may not have grasped the implications when she designed the Alicorn Pony Incarnation. Sometimes, Luna could persuade her Sister to get drunk with her. Sometimes.
The memories of drinking with Celestia made Luna smile, especially when she remembered some of the exceptionally-silly things Celestia had done -- and that they'd done together -- at times like that. Celestia could be so very merry when she relaxed, which had been an increasingly-rare thing after she founded the Realm, and especially these days, when they prepared to strengthen Equestria against the coming Shadow storm.
Luna missed the happy times she and her Sister had enjoyed together, before they started to quarrel, a thousand and fifty or so years ago. She hoped that, when this current crisis was over, she and Celly could take a nice long vacation together. Maybe they could go incognito -- she could be a Pegasus, and Celestia a Unicorn. They'd done that kind of thing before, back before they'd started fighting. Her smile broadened as she considered the prospect of roaming the world again with Celestia, just the two of them together, as they had done back before, so many times, when they and the world were younger.
Then her smile faded. She still had to confront Celestia over whatever potentially-catastrophic plan Celestia had conceived. And she geatly feared that -- after that conversation -- the last thing she would want to do with her was form a merry company and have a drinking-bout.
Firming her resolve, Luna put on her best torc and some light sabatons, touched up her eyeshadow (Luna had always been partial to eyeshadow as beautifully-dramatic), and strode through the corridors of the Palace to the chambers of her Sister. She no longer felt nervous or out of place among the other Ponies; she had now had over three years to adapt to her Sister's new Equestria, and she knew that her Nocturnae loved her, and the others ... at least feared her, and would obey her to curry favor with her, or to please her Sister, which was as good as things usually got in upper-class Canterlot.
It really hadn't been that much better over a millennium ago in the Time of Thrones, though of course this was not much of a comfort, given how those five centuries of her life had ended. Still, she had come all the way back; she knew that she played a vital role in the Realm, and had at least as much right to respect as anypony else in the Realm.
Or, at least, that other Ponies made that assumption. Which, at the imperfect and frequently-superficial Incarnate Level, was often all that was required -- even though Luna, herself, knew better her own worth, or lack thereof.
Whatever the true case, Luna reached her Sister's quarters without even emotional incident. concealing what she considererd her own great sins as the other Ponies she saw doubtless did their own far-lesser ones. Or possibly not so far-lesser; Luna was wise in the ways of Royal Courts, and knew that at least a few of those Ponies were criminous or disloyal to some degree. Thugh few would have engaged in betrayal as deep as Luna's own former acts had been -- because few would have ever had, or would ever have, Luna's opportunities in that regard, if for no better reason.
Her Sister awaited her in her private parlor.
Celestia's private parlor was part of her own suite of rooms, those which Celestia generally occupied alone, without even servants save when Celestia was absent or servants called for specifically. Despite her hedonism and the resultant luxury in which she liked to live, Celestia was no spoiled Princess, requiring the hooves of other Ponies to do every little thing for her; a thousand years of vagabond adventuring had cured her of any tendencies she might have developed in that direction.
Luna of course knew why Celestia wanted to see her in such private circumstances. Her Sister obviously wanted to discuss her brilliant new plan where no other Pony ears might overhear them.
Probably because it was something most other Ponies would like no better than would Luna.
The private parlor was a pleasant, airy, and (of course) sunny chamber, positioned jutting out on the southern exposure midway up the Sun Tower. Big bay windows commanded a prospect of the whole Southern Vale of Avalon, and ensured that its occupant could directly see the daystar whenever it was over the horizon. Since its occupant could move that astronomical body through the Warp that Fusion and Gravity had placed on the Solar System almost four millennia ago, this was quite convenient for Celestia.
Right now the Sun was lowering on the west-southwestern horizon, sinking over the White Tail Mountains and the Forest Foreverfree. From that direction, Luna thought, from the ruins of our old Castle, the Palace at Canterlot, and the city to its west, will look like a wonder-tale splendor of white and tinted marble, soft in the redding solar rays, soon to glow coolly in the descending beauty of twilight. And Twilight Sparkle herself will be bustling about her late-afternoon chores, in her tree-library. I wonder on what she ponders, right now?
"Welcome, as always," said Celestia. "I'm very happy to see you this afternoon." She hugged and kissed Luna.
Luna liked the affection, but her alarm grew.
"I am glad to see you as well," said Luna, remembering to use the modern form. "What do you mean to do?"
"Such suspicion," Celestia said, mock-sorrowfully. This was a dance whose steps they'd trodden together many, many times. Celestia knew what Luna was thinking, just as Luna knew what Celestia was thinking, and their telepathy was not even required for this. "Cannot you simply trust your big Sister?"
"I trust her to always have some plan or another," Luna replied. "And to expect me to follow her in it."
Celestia winced. Her ears drooped, her lip trembled. Her beautiful purple eyes looked very big and vulnerable.
Luna immediately felt guilty, even while knowing what her Sister was doing. How does she do that? Luna wondered. It really shouldn't work on me, of all Ponies.
"And -- to always love me," Luna allowed. "So I trust that this plan isn't too obviously fatal for me."
"Oh, no," replied Celestia, immediately smiling. "I think you're one of the Ponies least at risk given this plan," she said. "Well, aside from the Alara Variation -- but that's quite a low-probability event, really negligible compared to the payoff. Normally, both of us are fairly safe from any serious harm in this plan."
"You've been scrying the worldlines again," Luna accused her. "Looking for shortcuts."
"You talk about this as if it were a bad thing," Celestia said airily. "Like lemon cake -- Sweet Cream's made a rather delicious one, it would be such a shame to let it go to waste." Her aura flickered, and she removed the golden covers from the dishes on the table. Next to it was a tub of ice, in which several bottles of wine rested. "And, oh look, those cress-and-pepper sandwiches on rye, just the way you like them, with the little sardines -- you first came to like fish in your seafaring days, didn't you?" An appetizing aroma wafted up from the table.
"Well, yes," said Luna, her mouth watering. "'Tis bad to let good food go to waste." She knew that Celestia was manipulating her, and in foalishly-simple wise -- but the food did smell good, and it was bad to let it go to waste. It wasn't manipulation if you understood what was happening, was it?
She sat down and dined with her sister.
When they were done with the food, they started on the wine, and conversation became easier.
"So," said Luna at last, "I know you have some sort of bright plan that will save the world and spread love and happiness everywhere and be the best thing since the invention of the bread-slicer. Only there's some very small chance that it will instead doom the world and damn everypony to lifelong suffering and be generally about as joyful as persistent festering smelly sores on our hindquarters. Have I the shape of things aright?"
Celestia blinked. "In essence, yes," she admitted. "But not necessarily lifelong suffering -- and it's really not likely to fail. It's not as much of a gamble as you're making it sound."
"So what do you want of me this time?" Luna asked. "Quest for some long-lost artifact? Cast a powerful and dangerous spell with you? Try to ally with some old enemy?"
Celestia flinched imperceptibly -- imperceptibly to anypony save Luna, who had known her since their mutual birth.
"Ah!" cried Luna in triumph. "We're seeking allies, now. Hmm, what would be both really wonderful if it worked and terrible if it didn't work? Try to regrow Squirk from one of his tentacles and recruit him into the Royal Navy? Invite Grogar over for tea and ask him nicely to ring the Bells of Tambelon on command? Hunt up Tirek from where-ever he's gotten to in the last year and tell him that his last banishment to Tartarus was all a mistake between best friends? Release Dissy from stone and play with him just like old times?" She was about to contiue, when she suddenly realized something.
Celestia had blinked.
"Thou art not!" Luna gasped, slipping back into Old Equestrian. "Thou canst not mean thus!"
"I was going to tell you," grumbled Celestia, clearly annoyed at having been forced instead of allowed to reveal her plan.
"Thou meanest to unleash Discord?!
"Well ..." replied Celestia. "Yes."
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yet again you get a like and a track from me, Jordan. Still hoping to see some pick up/a sequel to post-traumatic, to see an advancement of the Twi/Luna relationship, at least to see the moment they make it official.
2 years down the pike, and A Meeting by Moonlight's still my favorite piece in the fandom. hell, it got me into fimfiction inthe first place.
7251022
I will eventually do more post Post-Traumatic (Season 5+ and post Show) Luna stories. One thing I still haven't done yet is a story set around "Do Princesses Dream of Electric Sheep" -- obviously, in the SWSV, that's an important moment in Luna's character development. And there's a lot which has to happen between anything I've shown in the Show Seasons era and the future of Twelfth Equestriad Interview.
I'm seriously honored to hear that you liked "A Meeting by Moonlight" that much. It was the first really good story I did for this fandom -- Trinity developed into something decent but was at first a rather incoherent notiono. It's in some ways the first really good story I did on the West Coast, since my East Coast writing days in the early 1990's. So I'm proud of it.
Thank you.
I've read and like some of your previous stories, and I really want to know, why are you writing this like an English lit professor?
Literally half of the story was Luna reminiscing about past adventures, in somehow the most boring tone I can imagine.
I don't know how else to put it, the general tone seems way off from something like, say, "Royal Business"
You brought up alarajrogers, have you read "not the hero" Discord is fighting against a human in Equestria, but the human is unconsciously twisting reality to make Discord his enemy, and that really, *really* pisses him off. Absolutely fantastic characterization.
7251127
I write different stories in somewhat different styles. This is a story essentially about Luna and Celestia's relationship as sisters, and very different hopes, fears and style (as we see, Luna's fundamentally pessimistic for all her flamboyant courage, while Celestia's optimistic -- which I think fits for Gravity and Fusion). It's true Slice of Life, in that the key event in it is Luna's decision to ... well, that happens in the second chapter so it's not up. But I think from its listed immediate sequel it's obvious what she decides to do, and from what Celestia just told her, why she decides to do it, just then. It's what she didn't want to do at the start of All The Way Back -- largely because she's afraid of rejection, which in turn is largely because she loathes herself, which in turn is because of ... well, it's not so much because of Nightmare Moon, as it is because of the sequence of events by which she first became corrupted.
Anyway, I'm still going to finish it.
7251133
Oh yes ... Not the Hero is a i example of taking someone else's silly premise (Human goes to Equestria and becomes the Ultimate Hero of Everything and Beloved By All He Wishes To Be Loved By) and showing how fundamentally horrible it would be if the whole world got twisted enough for it to happen. To the point where Discord, who at worst is an overly powerful and insufficiently mature being, is the hero by comparison with Anon. Ironically, this appears to be without Anon doing anything consciously-evil, though his love of cruel violence shows that he's not at all a nice guy, no matter what he imagines himself to be.
Everyone should read that story as well. I just thought I should credit Alara J Rogers for showing how Discord could accidentally kill something as powerful as Princess Luna without even meaning to do so. Understand, Alicorns are really hard to kill -- about the only thing that could accomplish it by accident would be another Alicorn.
You can see an example of just how hard I think Alicorns are to kill in All The Way Back, especially Chapter 11 "Battling."
Why do I imagine her as sounding like someone with her hand caught in the cookie jar?
I don't know why, but I love the idea of Celestia mentally curating a staggering collection of profanity across the eons.
Definite shades of the Tantibus and the guilt that led to its creation lurking in the narration. It'll be some time yet before Luna finishes forgiving herself.
Celestia referring to alternate worldlines by their authors feels very weird. (Especially that one, because as card game-laden as my imagination is, I can't help but think that the Alara Variation involves Discord splitting the universe into fifths.) It's certainly an effective way to distinguish the different possibilities, but I can't help but wonder where Celestia got the name.
Still, definitely looking forward to Celly's justification for letting out their old playmate, and all the ways she'll twist Lulu into accepting it.
7251443
I could very easily see Celestia accumulating this knowledge, and also feeling very inhibited against using it. Except when she really relaxes -- and maybe gets more than a little bit drunk. At times like that I could see her rattling it off triumphantly, and laughing gleefully at the feat.
Luna, for her part, is not particularly potty-mouthed, but sometimes she feels the need to relieve her emotions. Dead languages are useful for that purpose. I've already shown her doing something similar (though in affection rather than frustration) toward Twilight Sparkle in Post-Traumatic.
Yes ... Luna still feels horribly guilty about her past actions at this point. She's just gotten better at concealing her emotions, and of course she has serious work with which to distract herself from depression. This includes both her rebellion as Nightmare Moon -- and the things she did that led her to that point.
7251524
Same here, dear lady.
7251375
She can manipulate Luna, but Luna knows what she's doing. A Sister gets to know one well in over fifteen hundred years together.
Good stuff! but there are some spelling
It should be.
Then her smile faded. She still had to confront Celestia over whatever potentially-catastrophic plan her sister had conceived. And she greatly feared that -- after that conversation -- the last thing she would want to do with her was form a merry company and have a drinking-bout.
Firming her resolve, Luna put on her best torc and some light sabatons, touched up her eyeshadow (Luna had always been partial to eye-shadow as beautifully-dramatic), and strode through the corridors of the Palace to the chambers of her Sister.
7251443 Yes, but then she would be Solaria Invective, and it just doesn't flow as well.
I certainly agree with you about the excellence of Alarajrogers' work, but in the case of The Elements of Opposition, I must add a warning: it gets very dark. As such, in spite of its brilliance, it cannot be recommended to everyone, for the same reason A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) cannot be recommended to everyone.
I am not exaggerating: it really does get that dark. It is not for the young or the faint hearted.
On a different topic, I am quite enjoying this fic. I love the interactions here between the two sisters. I shall read on!
7251443
Blasphemy. It would be sevenths or seventeenths. Wizards of the Coast will be hearing from my lawyers, any decade now. :-)
It's pretty much a certainty that it couldn't happen here, because Cadance is Cadance and not Chrysalis, and presumably Luna and Cadance have already gotten to know each other. Chrysalis would have had no real knowledge of Luna, nor motivation to try to save her, but Cadance wields the specific weapon that can destroy Nightmare Moon's hold on Luna -- the power to make Luna feel that she is loved. It being her particular domain, she could probably outpower Discord's deharmonization, even if he were focusing on maintaining it, which he probably wasn't. Celestia + Cadance > Nightmare Moon, who was slightly more than a match for Celestia alone and could have mopped the floor with unicorn Twilight, and Cadance has magic specifically attuned to Nightmare Moon's weakness. So if Discord did try the same stunt, it wouldn't last. And three alicorns would have had a much better hope of purging the contamination that Discord introduced into the Elements than one alicorn did, particularly since Luna and Cadance are both more adept with Chaos than Celestia is (dreams and love are both chaotic; in your universe Luna is Gravity, and Gravity's not more chaotic than Fusion -- probably signficantly less so -- but in this incarnation Luna has power over dreams.)
But how does Celestia know my name?... Celestia, you're creepy. Stop stalking me. :-)
"neutalized" should be "neutralized".