Flor d'Luna Noire

by Ducky911

Chapter Three

*Another thank you goes out to Mister Morden and AzureKaRyu for their help with inspiration and proof reading. And a big shout out to ScriptScrolls for giving me the inspiration to get off my lazy butt and finish the chapter. Thanks guys.*

Flor d'Luna Noire

Chapter Three:

“Unghh…”

Light streamed into the cracks in Twilight’s eyelids. She didn’t particularly like this sudden infiltration and the problem was soon remedied with a pillow to the face. But, that wasn’t the only stimulus to prompt her awakening. There was a repetitive jabbing at her side. It didn’t hurt necessarily, but it was uncomfortable nonetheless.

“… up Twilight!” an unknown voice sounded out in a very exasperated tone.

Twilight finally found the energy to roll over and look at her attacker. She pulled the pillow down below her eyes and was met with the face of a very irate purple and green dragon.

“… Mphike?” Twilight managed to voice through her pillow. She closed one eye as the light of the early morning found her. It was not quite dawn, but it was light enough to cause discomfort to a newly wakened pony.

“It’s about time!” Spike exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air and rolling his eyes. “You haven’t taken that long to wake up since after your run in with Discord. Jeez!”

“Sorry… What’s the problem Spike?” Twilight asked groggily, finally removing the pillow from her face. Without warning she was suddenly pulled from her bed, a sharp yelp escaping her throat as a purple claw dragged her out by her hoof. She landed hard on the cold wooden floor and simply lay there dazed. A sharp tapping drew her attention away from the sudden change in atmosphere and she looked up to see her number one assistant with arms folded and his foot thumping the floor.

“Are you going to get up now?” Spike questioned, annoyance saturating every syllable. Twilight simply nodded and pulled herself up to her hooves. She shook her head to clear it, not that it helped at all, and followed Spike as he turned towards the stairs and descended into the kitchen with Twilight trailing at a distance.

At the bottom of the steps she stopped and looked for where Spike had gone as he had set off at a much quicker pace than Twilight’s newly woken body could manage. It didn’t take long for her to find him. He stood next to the kitchen table glaring back at Twilight pointing to the obvious object of his displeasure.

Luna sat in a chair with her head face down on the table, snoring in very unprincess-like fashion with her arms dangling off the edge. Twilight shoved a hoof to her mouth to stifle her foalish giggle. Twilight also noticed that directly in front of Luna’s face was a book that Twilight recognized as The History of Equestria: Circa 2350 N.S.C. – Present.

Well I guess it would make sense if she’s still trying to catch up. She disappeared around 2150 of the New Solar Calendar.

Twilight heard a sharp rapping that pulled her from her thoughts about how silly Luna looked and her particular choice of late night reading. She turned to face Spike who again had his arms crossed and was tapping his foot against the floor, his claws creating the distinct clacking sound as they impacted with the oak boards beneath him.

“What???” Twilight whispered with as much force as she dared to drive into her question without waking Luna.

“Why is SHE here?” Spike demanded with no regard for the sleeping pony at the table.

“Spike she’s asleep! Will you please keep it down?” Twilight replied urgently keeping her voice low.

“Not until you tell me why she’s – Whoaoomf!” Spike never got the chance to complete his statement. Twilight simultaneously levitated her assistant away from the table and placed a muffling spell over him. She took him into a side room where she catalogued her books and set him back down. She did not however, lift the Hush Spell she had cast. Spike furrowed his brow in response and made emphatic motions towards his mouth, but she paid no attention.

“She is here, Spike, on direct orders from Princess Celestia!” Twilight stated firmly, attempting to keep the increasing rise in her temper from entering her voice. “And furthermore, she is a Princess! She doesn’t need a reason to be asleep in the PUBLIC library! It’s her country for Celestia’s sake!”

Spike’s eyes grew wide at her quiet outburst, then he lowered his gaze to the floor while placing his hands behind his back and began kicking at the wood beneath his feet. Satisfied with the reaction, Twilight lifted her spell.

“And stop kicking the floor, you know how many planks Applejack had to replace last year because of that.” Twilight scolded. Spike quickly stopped in response.

“Okay, okay… I’m sorry,” he mumbled, regaining his disgruntled disposition as Twilight’s voice lowered. “Why did she have to stay here though?”

“Because Celestia asked me to let her,” Twilight said sternly, staring down her friend.

“I... I just don’t trust her… You know what she did…” Spike grumbled and averted his eyes.

“Don’t even start this with me young wyrm!” Twilight growled with the fire of a mother addressing her little ones. “You saw for yourself that she is a changed pony on Nightmare Night! I trust her and I expect for you to do the same! She has shown incredible strength by coming back here with her head held high and she is my friend! Now start acting like a proper young dragon or so help me I will transmute you into a frog! Now go on before I start practicing now!”

At this last statement Spike’s eyes shown with a brief glint of worry, but he quickly regained his resolve. “Fine… But don’t expect me to do her any favors…” He then turned around and walked out of the room with his head bowed and arms crossed, tail swishing agitatedly through the air. Twilight waited until he was out of the room before softening her gaze and letting herself loosen up. She sighed and lowered her head.

She had never scolded Spike like that before, or at least not that harshly. She had only ever come close when he got so jealous of Owlowiscious. That was something her mother would have done but she certainly didn’t mean to treat Spike like he was her child, or a child at all for that matter. She had just gotten so angry. She knew the pain Luna experienced from ponies all across Equestria who had the same mindset, and she would certainly not have Spike treating her as such. Regardless, she made up her mind to apologize to him before exiting the room for herself.

“Umm… I do not mean to intrude, but is everything alright?” Twilight jumped at the voice that emanated from the library’s atrium. She looked for the source of the noise and found a blue pony with her mane slightly tousled, rubbing her head and looking bleary eyed in her direction.

“Luna is this going to become a habit?” Twilight answered unsteadily with a chuckle after she remembered to breathe.

“To what are you referring Twilight?” Luna asked, placing her hoof down and cocking her head slightly in confusion.

“Oh nevermind…” Twilight answered, laughing at being scared half to death twice now by the alicorn before her. “Did you sleep well Princess?”

“Luna,” the blue mare corrected with a wink and a smile as she straightened her mane with a toss. “And although I had thought it impossible, yes. In fact I did.”

“Well I can’t imagine that you were all that comfortable, what with your face on the table and the snoring,” Twilight teased winking and smiling right back. Luna, however, looked appalled.

“I do not snore!” She exclaimed, denying Twilight’s absurd allegation.

“Oh yes you do!” Twilight pressed while shooting her a mischievous grin. “Although it may have been because your nose was getting splinters!”

Luna gasped and raised a fetlock in horror. Rarity could not have done it better herself. Twilight couldn’t help herself and began laughing hysterically at the Princess.

“My first rest through the night in centuries and you poke fun at me!” Luna whined after lowering her hoof and looking down in shame as she realized that Twilight was not lying in jest as she had previously thought.

“Oh Luna,” Twilight replied with a giggle after recomposing herself. “Don’t worry your secret is safe with me.”

“Besides, it was actually kind of cute,” Twilight finished, flashing a smile at the alicorn before trotting off to the kitchen. “Anyway, how about some breakfast?”

Twilight didn’t notice Luna’s reddening face or how she opened and closed her mouth a few times before finding her voice, making her look very much like a trout Fluttershy had nursed back to health a few months previously. Luna finally took hold of herself and replied with a simple “Uh… Yes. That would be wonderful.”

________________________________________________________________________________

The smell of sizzling sweet potato pancakes and hay fries soon wafted throughout the library as Twilight went about her task of preparing the mares’ meal for the morning. Luna sat at a slender cherry table now, as opposed to the bulky oak she had fallen asleep on earlier, and she was doing everything she could to keep her saliva inside her mouth as the scent of the cooking made it water more with each passing moment.

“Twilight?” the Princess asked, attempting to keep her eyes from wandering repeatedly back to the food that was being prepared. She had not eaten since Celestia revealed her condition a few weeks ago. She did not need food, being that she was an immortal alicorn, but still, she would not deny a well cooked meal if one were to come along.

“Mmm?” Twilight responded, caught up in making sure the food did not burn.

“You did promise that we would take our leave at dawn,” Luna reminded her. “And it fast approaches.”

Twilight looked out her window at the horizon, which was now a picturesque blending of orange, pink, and yellow forming an oily painting in the sky above.

“I know,” Twilight replied with a sigh as she swiftly removed the now cooked pancakes from the skillet in which she was preparing them. “As soon as we eat we should go and grab my friends.”

Twilight placed the pancakes on the plates that were waiting patiently to receive them. Luna told her which syrup she preferred and one plate was levitated over to the table where she sat. Twilight then walked over and sat across from Luna anticipating her response both to her statement and to her cooking.

“Yes… I suppose that would be prudent. Tia would not be pleased if I arrived back without the Elements,” Luna said before taking a small bite of her pancake. She had to stop herself from rolling her eyes upwards in response to the delectable taste of Twilight’s cooking. Instead she looked at Twilight and gave a slight nod and a genuine smile. Twilight, now satisfied, started on her own meal in return.

“It’s nice that you’re actually thinking things through today,” Twilight said with a bit of a prodding tone after she swallowed her own food. Luna huffed and gave Twilight a look of annoyance that took centuries to perfect and made even her sister stop cold. It proved effective as Twilight immediately looked away and went back to eating. Luna internally chuckled at this reaction and even allowed a hint of a smile to make its way to her face.

The two mares soon finished their breakfast and began to clean up. Twilight scooped up the plates and settled them gently into the cabinets after Luna used her magic to clean them, leaving the two to figure out their next move.

“Well I guess we should make a list to figure out what we are going to do,” Twilight offered, breaking the silence that had settled between them after the task of cleaning was accomplished.

“Would it not be more effective if we simply began our day?” Luna asked with a raise of her brow.

“No! Lists are the epitome of efficiency!” Twilight responded passionately. She raised her hooves to emphasize her point, eyes widening with urgency. Clearly Luna was supposed to agree, to which she smiled and cocked her head to the window. Twilight followed the motion and saw the sun creeping over the horizon.

“Well… We are in a hurry…” She mumbled after placing her hooves back on the floor and looking down.

“Regardless…” Luna began before levitating a small mirror in front of the unicorn. Twilight immediately figured out the message and responded by bolting up the stairs to her room. Luna couldn’t control the laugh that sprang from within her at the sight of Twilight realizing her mane was all tangles and frizz the entire morning. Fortunately being a princess had its perks in that department.

“That’s too bad!” Luna called after her. “I was beginning to become quite fond of your new style!”

Something that sounded quite close to a ‘shut up’ made its way back down to the princess causing her to laugh again. Luna sat down again at the table and began to contemplate what was to come of the day before them. If they succeeded in gathering the Elements by midday, she could travel ahead of the train and be in Canterlot again immediately. She welcomed the distraction that Twilight had given her for the time being, but time was short and they needed to prepare.

Still in the back of her mind were the questions Luna had over the flower she had found the night before and Twilight’s charts. She wondered about the young mare that had taken an unexpectedly important role in her life. She truly was a marvel and a problematic pony to figure out. She knew she wanted to prod her over the information, but sadly there was just no time for that level of discussion.

Luna looked toward the sun that was now so close to breaking away from the horizon. The Earth offered it beautiful displays of soft colors, kissing it with mountains, begging it not to leave. But alas, Luna knew it must to do its duty, just as the she had to.

How is it that you still have the strength, Sister?

Luna had subconsciously lowered the moon close to an hour earlier. She wished she had been awake. She was always a little rough if she wasn’t. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like if she was in Celestia’s state, however. The years that separated the two once again displayed themselves in both wisdom and power as they always had, and Luna couldn’t help but admire her sister for her persistence through struggle and pain.

Stay strong, Sister. I’m coming.

A single tear rolled down Luna’s cheek before she turned away from the window and made her way back to the table that had been her bed for the night. She didn’t bother wiping it away as she again picked through some more of the obscure history of Equestria that she had occupied herself with previously. Some magical theory here or there, the occasional weather breakthroughs or political movement, small changes to Equestrian law that she had not previously come across; all were irrelevant. Luna was interested in much more minute details than these. And what she found was indeed troubling.

But before she could mull the information over, she heard a gentle trotting as Twilight descended at last from her room and muttering something or other about a particular 'damn princess' and her 'sassy attitude.' Luna smiled at her friend who glared back as she took a seat across from her. Luna noticed her mane had much improved, looking more like the Twilight bob than the bunch of cotton candy that it had been previously. She also thought she smelled a slight amount of lavender perfume, the same amount that Celestia would wear on a daily basis: just enough to give off a hint of the aroma, but so little that one would not even realize it was there unless they concentrated. She smiled at the habit that Twilight had obviously picked up from her sister. They were indeed very much alike, though Twilight would never recognize how.

“Well that is much better,” Luna said looking over Twilight approvingly. She simply huffed in response and continued to glare. Luna simply stared back, gentle smile not faltering in the least. The stare held for a very long time before Twilight could not hold it anymore. She began to giggle while trying to hold it in, but this only made her giggle more. Soon she was in a full fit of laughter with Luna giggling along with her.

“That… May be the worst… My mane has ever looked!” Twilight gasped out.

“Well at least it is now in a manageable shape,” Luna replied through her laughs that were much more controlled. She then saw a purple shape enter the room, and from what she could tell, try to avoid notice, but Luna’s gaze was hard to escape.

“Good morning Spike!” she called out to the young dragon as he was about to round the corner to the stairs. He stopped dead in his tracks, one claw lifted off the ground as he looked for the source of the sound. He looked not unlike a colt caught in the act of eating an extra cookie.

“Oh, uh, morning princess…” he responded after regaining his bearings.

“Did you sleep well? I hope I was not an unwelcome guest and that my snoring did not wake you,” Luna replied amiably while shooting Twilight a look, to which she seemed to grumble.

“Well, I guess it wasn’t bad,” Spike mumbled, intentionally avoiding the statement following Luna's question.

“Why don’t you join us?” Luna asked with a smile. Spike began walking over slowly, as if resisting the urge to bolt, and took a seat at the table.

“I think we have time for a quick catch up before we are off. Right Twilight?” Twilight made no move to agree and instead seemed to be slowly gravitating her face to her hooves. She had overheard some of Twilight's reprimanding previously and sincerely wished to clear the air between the dragon and herself.

“Yes, well. I have heard dragons quite like gems….” Luna continued mysteriously. At the mention of gems Spike seemed much more keen to be active in the conversation.

“Well, I won’t say no to a good ruby or two,” he replied, looking Luna in the eyes for the first time.

“Well I seem to have brought a large and very rare sapphire with me that I am not quite sure I can burden myself with on the journey back to Canterlot. Would you happen to be interested in taking it off my hooves?” Luna inquired.

“Boy would I!” Spike exclaimed, nearly jumping out of his seat in excitement. He then seemed to catch himself before slumping in his seat with his arms crossed, a look of skepticism overriding his features before continuing.

“Ok. What’s the catch?” he asked Luna, who was unsure why he would phrase his skepticism in such a way. She shot a questioning look at Twilight before she drew on her magic and pulled a sapphire from the castle storeroom into the space above the table. Spike began drooling as he gazed upon the gem’s brilliance, all misgivings forgotten. Even Twilight stared in disbelief at the sheer size of the stone that would have made even Rarity swoon.

“There is no ‘catch’, as you say. Simply a gift from one friend to another,” Luna responded, putting on her most sincere smile while levitating the sapphire into the dragon’s claws.

“Well gee, thanks Princess!” the dragon exclaimed, licking his lips at his prize.

“Ok Spike, Luna and I have to get going,” Twilight stated suddenly, standing up from the table and giving Luna a thankful look. “Ready to go Princess?”

“Luna,” the alicorn corrected for the second time that morning before rising from the table herself. “And yes. Quite ready.”

Twilight gave an apologetic smile in response to her forgetfulness, and turned towards the stairs, her horn giving off a soft lavender glow. In moments, two bulging saddlebags settled themselves over her haunches and she nodded at Luna who gave a raised eyebrow at the bags.

“Just thought I’d pack while I was fixing my mane,” Twilight said matter of factly before turning towards the door.

“Spike, please don’t let me come home to a disaster,” she added, reaching down to embrace her young friend. He grumbled something about trusting him more before she released him and he went on his way. Luna thought she even heard something along the lines of 'maybe she’s not that bad' before he retreated up the stairs to enjoy his new delicacy.

“Ok Luna, let’s hit the trail,” Twilight stated, turning to the alicorn and giving her a nervous smile before starting for the door.

“Indeed, let’s,” Luna responded, a frown settling over her features as she turned towards the door as well. As a last thought, Luna snatched the book that she had been reading from the table and teleported it to her quarters in the castle for further study upon her arrival hopefully later that day. She then followed Twilight out the door, one thought echoing in her mind.

I’m coming, Sister.

________________________________________________________________________________

Twilight walked slowly out into the streets of Ponyville, taking in the solemn beauty of the winter morning. The buildings all stood in rows, their facades forming welcoming boundaries for the dirt roads that wound between them. They enticed the eyes with their painted wooden exteriors of cream, overhangs of vibrant hues, and thatched straw roofs. Not a single one looked uninviting in the whole town. Between the shelters, ponies were already out and about, even at this hour hurrying to and fro from various engagements. The weather ponies were already out gathering the clouds that were ordered for the dusting that blanketed the town over the previous night. The mail ponies flew through the buildings delivering various envelopes and packages to their recipients. And though it was not the stunning beauty that the landscape offered the night before, the scene still had an air of grace about it.

Twilight breathed deeply in the crisp air of the morning, letting the cold fill her lungs to remove any trace of weariness from her early rise. She emptied them slowly, the condensation forming a wispy cloud in front of her. Luna stepped up next to her and they simply stood in place taking in the morning around them for a moment, the vapors from their breath mingling together with each exhalation.

Twilight stole a glance at the alicorn standing next to her. She marveled at the sheer power that the princess exuded from her form. She was a wall of slender muscle that was held in a purely majestic frame. She had no doubt that she could go hoof to hoof with the strongest earth pony in Equestria and could even match Rainbow Dash’s aerial proficiency, if not leave them both in the dust. She was astounded by the fact that she could switch from a soft and caring friend to the commanding figure that stood before her now. She was so used to the matronly demeanor of Celestia that the pony at her side seemed almost foreign and yet familiar at the same time.

The alicorn then stepped off toward the square, drawing Twilight from her musings. She followed silently, thankful that the sun had warmed the atmosphere in the town from the chill that had settled in previously. Somehow the journey from her doorstep had brought their mission back to the forefront of her mind. She recalled Luna’s behavior and revelation last night and now wished to gather her friends with all haste and so she matched the quick pace that Luna had set.

“Twilight,” Luna broke the silence while casting a look over her shoulder at the unicorn and causing Twilight’s ears to perk up. Luna continued after gaining a nod of acknowledgement. “If my memory holds fast, your friends Applejack and Fluttershy live somewhat close to each other on the outskirts of town?”

“Yes, just near the entrance to the Everfree,” Twilight responded, trotting up to once again be side by side with the alicorn. “You might have seen Fluttershy’s cottage when you were flying over to me and you can’t have missed all the apple trees.”

“I believe I did pass over it,” Luna replied, turning back to the road. “I would like to start with those two before doubling back. I have a feeling they will need the most time to come to an agreement, so while they decide we can make rounds to the others.”

“Well I’m sure Fluttershy will come in the end,” Twilight began while turning a corner through the streets of Ponyville toward their now set destination, her face set in a thoughtful expression. “I think you’re right about Applejack though. She will need some time to mull it over.”

“I just wished to give your friend Fluttershy time to prepare,” Luna stated, turning to look at Twilight. “She seems like one that needs to mentally steel herself before something such as this comes to bear. Not to mention it might take a few minutes for her to accept that I am the one to accompany you, considering our most recent encounter.”

“Well, I guess you’re right…” Twilight replied as she lowered her face to the ground. “You didn’t exactly part on the best of terms.”

“Indeed…” Luna added.

Twilight looked up as they passed from the now lively town into the hills where she and Luna’s emotional battleground had been the night before. Only now, it looked as if a great conflict had indeed been fought over the land for the rights to hold as much snow as possible by the young fillies and colts who now took refuge in various snow forts that dotted the landscape here and there. A smile rose in Twilight’s face as she gazed across the rolling waves of snow and the grass that had been relieved of its icy burden. The young ones were in such a state of bliss that she couldn’t help but join in the elation that permeated the morning. Across the field there were snowball fights and snowponies all shared by giggling foals bundled in warm attire that were out early before school. They revelled in the winter morning, taking in as much of it as possible before being shuffled to the schoolhouse by insistent parents. She turned to Luna who seemed to be sharing in the infectious joy, as she had a grin settled onto her features as well.

The two continued down the winding path that had since been cleared of snowfall by early morning patrols of the Weather Brigade until on the right the characteristic white picket fence that encircled Sweet Apple Acres rose to greet them. Behind the fence vast fields of naked apple trees grew towards the sky bare of their fruit as it had been harvested earlier in the year and the weather was still too cold to provide for the recycling of the red orbs. They walked on to the large arch that welcomed them into the property and began the journey to the front steps of the large red farmhouse that was Applejack’s home.

“Twilight! Over here!” a voice called from off to the right, near the tree line. Twilight and Luna both turned to see a very tired Applejack pulling a wagon filled with medium to large sized branches that had obviously fallen from the winter weary trees from which the pony had emerged. She pulled the cart near to her house and unloaded the burden into an even larger pile of the timber.

“Would you perhaps like assistance?” Luna spoke up from beside Twilight.

“Oh Princess! I didn’t even see you there,” Applejack responded after jumping slightly at the foreign voice.

"Get used to it AJ," Twilight stated with a chuckle, earning a glare from the mare next to her.

“Actually, you caught me at a good time. I was just finishing up. That there is the last of the firewood that we brought up for the winter. Me and Applebloom were gathering those sticks all day yesterday. I just got up a little early to finish the job,” Applejack answered with a proud smile, nodding at the large pile at the base of the house.

“Well I mean to say I gathered the wood and Applebloom jumped around like a flea on a gorged dog,” the orange pony added with a scowl at the sticks. “Anyway, why are you two up and about at this hour?”

“We wished to inquire a favor of you, if you don’t mind,” Luna replied calmly stepping forward with a slight bow of her head.

“Oh sure,” Applejack piped up, back to her cheery mood. “Although I must say, I don’t get inquiries from princesses on a daily basis. Usually I’m the one doing the corresponding and such, what with the letters and all.”

“Well it is a bit of a special request,” Luna stated, her formal manner not receding in the least. “I don’t suppose we could discuss it indoors? It may not be a conversation of haste.”

“I don’t see why not,” Applejack said, putting the wagon in its rightful place under an overhang on the side of the large home. “Y’all will just have to keep your voices down. Applebloom is off to school already, but Big Mac is sick and Granny Smith is still sleeping. I’d rather not disturb them. They get cranky if I do.”

“I think we can do that,” Twilight said, smirking as she realized the request for low volume was aimed at Luna. The last time Applejack had seen her at length, she had tended to speak with the power of one of Vinyl’s subs.

“Alrighty then,” Applejack said, casting a wary look at Luna before trotting off to the welcoming doors of her abode. Twilight and Luna followed close behind, not wishing to stay in the cold longer than was necessary.

They entered into the kitchen and were immediately overwhelmed by the pleasant smell of baked apple goods that always filled the comfortable room. The light green interior was shining in the light of the early morning, the cedar table cleared of the plates and silverware that had occupied it for the orange mare and her young sister’s breakfast. The oven was still warm from the preparation of their meals and a pot sat atop a burner above the appliance and was filled with simmering carrot soup, the smell of which mingled with the sweet air of the apple treats that had already been devoured.

“Pardon me,” Applejack stated as she stepped over to stir the concoction with a wooden spoon that was poking out of the delectably smelling liquid. She made to pour some of her creation into a small wooden bowl before stepping away from the stove and putting out the flames below the pot. “I’ll just need to take this up to Big Mac. Then I’ll be free for listening to whatever it is you girls need.”

With that, she set the bowl on a tray with a silver spoon from one of the drawers near the sink and set off further into the house. Twilight heard her hoofsteps fade as she ascended the stairs in the living room to the upper level of the farmhouse. She looked about at the cluttered cabinets that rose above a neat countertop near the stove and the hastily discarded winter wear that rested near the entryway that Applebloom had probably shed before departing for school. Winona was looking up at the two mares from a small bed that lay at the door into the living room, panting in delight at the visitors. Twilight smiled and moved over to her and gave a quick rub before returning to Luna’s side.

“I do hope her brother will overcome his illness with haste,” Luna stated, a look of concern marring her features. “She will not want to leave him in such a condition.”

“Well I’m not sure that’s the biggest of our worries,” Twilight replied, a thoughtful frown settling on her face, remembering Applejack’s stunt two years before of putting the work that needed to be done before even her own health. “She doesn’t like leaving the farm at all, what with the load of things to do around here. I don’t know how she does it.”

Luna simply affirmed her musings with a hum of acknowledgement before they heard Applejack descending the flight of stairs that led to the bedrooms of the house. “Alright y’all. Get in here. If we’re gonna talk we might as well do it in comfort.”

With that, Luna and Twilight walked through the doorway to the living room followed by a now perfectly awake Winona who immediately hopped into the rocking chair that was normally inhabited by Granny Smith. The other two simply stood there observing their surroundings for a brief moment as Applejack took a seat in one of the chairs near the mantle that held a pleasantly crackling fire in its midst. She motioned for the two to take a seat at a couch that sat opposite the fireplace before leaning back and taking a deep breath, allowing her muscles to relax in the warmth. The two mares left standing walked slowly around to the olive couch before settling down themselves in the welcoming atmosphere of the Apple’s home.

“So what did you girls need?” Applejack asked, getting straight to the point as usual. She had leaned forward and was looking from one to the other, her inquiry leaking from her words to her features as she questioned them.

“My sister requires assistance,” Luna began, looking the earth pony directly in the eyes. “She is not well and we are requesting that you join us in remedying the situation.”

“Assistance?” Applejack asked looking at Twilight for further explanation and allowing a hoof to wander and rub at her mane in confusion.

“Celestia is dying, Applejack,” Twilight replied solemnly, earning a wide eyed and shocked expression from the mare opposite her. “All I know is that she sent me a letter that asked me to bring the girls to Canterlot so she could explain what is going on.”

“Wha..? How is she dying?” Applejack inquired, shooting Luna a baffled look.

“I cannot say for sure,” Luna answered, her voice barely more than a whisper. “I have my suspicions, but only she knows the true reason. She would not tell me. She insisted that I leave her and come find you all.”

“Well course I’m willing to help!” Applejack cried, searching from one pony to another, disbelief clear on her face. “A trip to Canterlot ain’t anything I can’t handle.”

“I’m afraid it may very well be more than a simple trip to Canterlot,” Luna stated, her voice back to a regular volume. Twilight looked to Luna questioningly. She had not been told this particular detail, though she had expected something was amiss from the letter. “If my fears are correct, then this may be a very long and arduous venture. I must warn you if you are to accompany us that there will be much more involved in this journey than a mere check-up, even if my mind betrays the truth.”

“What do you mean Luna?” Twilight asked, looking almost as befuddled as Applejack now.

“Celestia has her ways about her Twilight. One of those is avoiding issues involving her well being until absolutely necessary and alicorns do not fall under the weather just because of mere sickness,” Luna responded gravely. “Whatever is causing my sister to fade from this world is much more than what a mere visit or rest can mend. She would not be sending me here if she did not think it could be handled on her own and especially not if she herself were not afraid that it would affect all of Equestria in a devastating fashion.”

“Well I don’t mean to be rude or nothing,” Applejack interrupted, looking down at the ground as she drew the brown stetson that was her trademark from atop her head. “But what are we supposed to do about it? Couldn’t you just handle it? I mean I know we are the bearers of the Elements and all that, but we’re just regular ponies. If you two can’t fix it, what makes you think we can?”

“And besides,” the orange mare continued after an uncomfortable silence, looking Luna in the eyes, a sad expression now consuming her usually hardened features. “I can’t just up and leave for a journey or what such thing. I got a farm to run! I just can’t see how if you and Celestia couldn’t stop it, we can…”

“I don’t know either Applejack,” Twilight piped up, looking at her friend fighting the tears that were forming in her eyes. “But if Celestia called for us, then she obviously thinks we can do some good.”

“Well I know that, but I mean, she also thought we could do something about the changelings too,” Applejack muttered, sinking low in her seat. “And just look at how dandy a job we did against them.”

“I am aware that you girls feel like you did not accomplish anything in the fight for the castle,” Luna said, looking each young mare over with the eye of a caring protector. “You did indeed make a difference. I was monitoring the dreams and thoughts of ponies throughout the city, in a very loose fashion mind you, making sure that no intentions of ill will were harbored against the royal couple. Unfortunately the changelings slipped by my watch as I was only concerned with the inhabitants of Equestria. I immediately broke off from my meditative state when the attack came. Thanks to you girls, enough of their numbers were taken out that they could not concentrate on the rest of the city. You saved countless ponies with your actions. If not for you, the horde would have spread throughout the city and laid waste to it. You allowed me time to evacuate what areas I could before Shining Armor was able to repel them.”

Luna paused for a deep breath before continuing. “Listen carefully. Never underestimate yourselves and likewise never overestimate my sister and I. Though we are powerful, we have our limits. If either of us had been at full strength, the changelings would have been little threat. As it stands, I am still at but a fraction of my full potential since coming back from the void that was Nightmare Moon and Celestia has obviously been ailing for quite some time.”

“So that’s why she lost to Chrysallis…” Twilight mumbled, averting her eyes away from Luna as she said it.

“That is my belief, yes,” Luna stated simply in return.

“Well that still don’t help me when it comes to the farm…” Applejack said softly.

“I will send attendants to your farm and pay them from the Royal Treasury,” Luna replied. “They will heed the every word of whomever you wish to be in charge while you are gone.”

“I don’t know, Princess…” Applejack responded, a hint of distrust in her voice.

“They are kind and competent ponies, I assure you,” Luna added, noting the worry in the others voice. “And you need not provide for them in your home. I will send for a temporary shelter to be erected up the road and send them with everything they will need while staying here.”

“Well that is quite generous, but…” Applejack was cut off as Twilight got to her feet, tears streaming down her face.

“Please Applejack,” Twilight begged her friend, staring her down with an urgent look in her eyes. “I can’t lose her! And if she thinks you can help, we need you!”

Luna placed a reassuring hoof on Twilight’s back as Applejack looked on speechless. Eventually the mare swallowed and nodded in agreement and Twilight collapsed back onto the couch, sobbing quietly as the reality struck her like a bell, ringing out sorrow through her heart.

“I’ll come Twilight,” Applejack promised, rising from her chair and gathering her friend in a hug. Luna stood and walked to the window and began surveying the land, careful not to let the other two see the tears in her own eyes. Twilight sniffed and drew back from the hug after she had ceased her trembling. She looked into Applejack’s eyes and the pony gave her a sincere look as she again nodded and let a sad smile form on her face before going in for another quick reassuring embrace.

“I hope you guys weren’t planning on leaving me out of this!” a high-pitched voice yelled from the main entrance to the house. Everyone staggered and turned to see a cyan mare with a rainbow mane step into the house, a fire in her eyes and a look of solidarity melded onto her features. She looked at the two mares sharing in their embrace and to the alicorn standing at the window and walked slowly into the house before giving them a grin that showed her daring and proud nature in one shift of her expression. “I mean how can you go an adventure to save our princess and leave the most awesome pony behind?”

“Rainbow!” Applejack yelled, after catching herself from the scare that Rainbow Dash had caused her. “Why can’t you ever be subtle about anything?”

“Well it was kinda hard to nap in your tree with all the commotion,” the pegasus shot back with a smirk.

“And besides, you guys seemed a little down. Nothing like a rainbow in the morning to brighten up your day,” she continued, with a swish of her tail and an arrogant fling of her mane.

“My hero,” Applejack mumbled sarcastically with a dramatic rolling of the eyes before she turned back to Twilight. “Are you gonna be ok sugarcube?”

“Yeah,” Twilight answered honestly. “I’ll be fine. It’s good to know I won’t be having to find a way up to Rainbow's house now anyway.”

Luna coughed, drawing the attention away from the newcomer before commenting for herself on the situation. “Well I assume then that you heard everything?” she asked of Rainbow Dash.

“I heard what I needed to,” Rainbow said with a shrug. “Celestia’s dying. Long journey. Believe in yourself. I think I got it.”

Now it was Twilight’s turn to intervene. "How can you be so nonchalant about this Rainbow?” she shouted angrily looking over at the pegasus. For the first time Rainbow's demeanor shifted to one of a much more serious nature.

"I understand how you must be feeling Twilight, and you too Luna," Dash responded, shifting her eyes to look at both ponies. "But, as I'm sure our Princess has already told you, being depressed isn't going to help. If Celestia kicks the bucket, then we will have ourselves some problems. But until then, we have to do as she says and go kick whoever's butt we need to to get her back in shape. Even if she only needs us to gather some stupid flowers of course we are all going. She has shown us just as much hospitality and kindness as she has you. Yes it's sad and if we fail we'll all be miserable, but that's the point! That's why we have to win! Failure is not an option. And it never hurts to have high spirits when you're planning for victory!"

With that Rainbow winked at the three shocked ponies before her and gave Twilight and Luna a reassuring nod.

"Well I wouldn't've expected that from you Dash," Applejack said, breaking the silence as Luna and Twilight still stared dumbfounded.

"Well it's still nothing compared to what you're going to get from Pinkie Pie if you keep those looks on your faces," Rainbow added with a laugh. She then walked over to Twilight and gave her a hug along with a quick noogie for good measure, causing the purple mare to recoil but add a soft 'thank you' in response to the pep talk.

She is right of course, Twilight thought to herself as she admired the wisdom of her normally reckless friend. A laugh and the strength of these girls are going to be the only ways to stay sane until I know Celestia is safe again...

“Well I guess we better head off to Fluttershy’s now,” Twilight said quietly, looking around at her friends. “Applejack will you be ready to leave later today?”

“I think so,” Applejack stated, looking up at the ceiling caught in her musings. “I just gotta tell my brother and he can let Applebloom know when she gets back from school. While y’all are talking to Fluttershy, I should have time to gather my things and make my plans for when I’m gone.”

Twilight looked over at Rainbow Dash now. “Of course I’ll be ready. I’m getting bored around here anyway,” the cyan mare stated with a yawn. “Could use another nap though. But it sounds like you guys need some help. How about while you go over to Fluttershy’s I go grab Pinky and we can meet at Rarity’s?”

“Actually, scratch that, Pinkie’s probably already prepared for something like this…” she continued, scratching her head thoughtfully. “I’ll head over and tell Rarity so she can pack. Celestia only knows that will take all day…”

At this everyone nodded and grumbled in agreement.

“So it’s settled,” Luna stated coolly, walking into the midst of the three friends’ circle. “We will gather the others and meet at Miss Pie’s place of residence.” The others nodded in affirmation and all made for the front door.

“Well I’ll see you ponies later,” Rainbow said when they made it out of the house with a mock salute. “I’ve got a diva to kick into gear.” And with that she took off, leaving a colorful streak trailing after her towards Ponyville.

“Is she always so brash?” Luna asked, head cocked to the side in wonderment. This earned a chuckle and a ‘yes’ from the other two before Twilight and Luna said their goodbyes and headed down the path to rejoin the road to Fluttershy’s cottage.

“Well two down,” Twilight said as they trotted towards the small house of her most quiet friend. Her hoofsteps felt lighter as the load of convincing Applejack rose from her shoulders and as a result of Rainbow's uplifting words. Luna hummed in agreement and kept quiet most of the way down to the cottage. Twilight thought she knew why. Fluttershy had not exactly reacted well to seeing her last time on Nightmare Night.

Please don’t freak out too much Fluttershy… Twilight thought to herself as the cottage came into view, the exact definition of picturesque nestled next to the forest. The small fence that surrounded the property was topped with snow and along its length the occasional vibrantly colored bird sang to the wind, spreading its wondrous music through the chilly morning. The chicken coups were closed up for the early part of the day, giving the chickens more insulation so as to keep them warm, and here and there the occasional woodland animal would scurry through the snow, eager to find solace from the cold. The cottage itself was serene as the sun’s light poured over the land and caused the ice crystals that had settled atop the green boughs that served as the dwelling’s cieling to sparkle and shine. Likewise, the narrow river that ran around the front of the cottage was iced over and glinted in the sunlight. The birds in the birdhouses that dangled from the small trees that dotted the homestead peeked out on occasion to add their songs to the others on the fence line, creating a wave of delightful aural stimulation. Before they crested the land bridge over the frozen stream, Luna stopped in her tracks and looked at Twilight for a moment.

“I think…” she began, looking thoughtfully down at the unicorn before her. “I think that it would be best if perhaps you handled the greetings while I wait here. I will await your signal that will tell me when it is safe to approach…”

Twilight shrugged in response before continuing on to the door of the cottage. It was probably a smart move, she thought, and it made sense to ease Fluttershy into the encounter. She moved to the oak portal and rapped on it a few times with her hoof before she made it known that it was indeed Twilight who was knocking. It only took a moment before the door creaked open but a crack, and a shy yellow pegasus with light pink hair peeked out of the entry to affirm the identity of the mare before her.

“Oh, hello Twilight,” Fluttershy said softly with a smile, opening the door wider for her friend. “It’s very nice to see you.”

“It’s good to see you too Fluttershy,” Twilight said genuinely, smiling back at the demure pony. “Do you mind if we talk for a minute?”

“Oh, um, sure,” Fluttershy replied quietly, motioning inwardly to her home. “Would you like to come in? I just put a pot of tea over the fire. It should be ready soon, I think.”

“Actually I have someone else with me too who would also like to talk to you,” Twilight said, a little unsure of how the yellow mare would take the news of Luna’s proximity.

“Oh, well who is that?” Fluttershy asked attempting to look around Twilight to which the unicorn put a stop by moving along with the pegasus.

“Well… You see…” Twilight muttered, unsure of how to tell her friend that Luna was just at the edge of her home. “Princess Luna has come to ask a favor of you…”

Fluttershy squeaked and lowered herself immediately to the floor. She began trembling as her eyes widened in terror. Twilight silently wished that someone else had been the only pony in Ponyville not to have reconciled their view of Luna on Nightmare Night.

“Fluttershy! She won’t hurt you!” Twilight tried to explain to the pegasus shaking at her feet. “She is not Nightmare Moon anymore and she needs our help!”

“Why d-does she n-need my help?” Fluttershy asked as she shut her eyes and her hooves crept over her head.

“She needs all of us!” Twilight stated, grabbing the mare and bringing her back up to eye level and staring her down. “Equestria is in danger and she needs all of the girls! Applejack and Rainbow Dash have already agreed to help and we need you too!”

Fluttershy slowly regained composure enough to say ok. Twilight knew she was using all of her will to pull herself together to face Luna again. Fluttershy had come a long way since they had first met. If her friends needed her then she would toughen up for the long haul, and this happened to be one such time. Twilight then whistled at Luna to come up to the house, earning a flinch from the pegasus that now sat in the doorway shaking, eyes closed, and taking deep breaths to calm herself.

“Good morning, Miss Fluttershy,” Luna said in as soft a voice as she could manage. Fluttershy opened her eyes slowly to look up at the princess who put on a very soft and genuine smile at their meeting.

“H-hello,” the pegasus squeaked out before shutting her eyes again. Luna reached out with a wing to brush the mare’s hair from her face and then pressed her face gently upward.

“Open your eyes my friend,” Luna commanded softly, her voice as sweet as the birds’ morning song. “I will not hurt you. I promise.”

Fluttershy reopened her eyes, straining against her fears to achieve the feat. She was met again not with the eyes of a murderous psychopath but with the serene and kind face of a princess wishing to make up for past wrongdoings.

“I am very sorry for scaring you the last time I saw you,” Luna said, looking down in shame and letting her wing return to her side. “I was not aware of your shy nature and I apologize for causing you any stress. I simply wished to learn from you and become your friend much as Twilight is my friend and you hers.”

This simple act of heart felt apology had Fluttershy turned on a dime, for if there was anything she could not stand for it was a hurting creature, on the inside or out, and Luna was no exception. Therefore it was no surprise to Twilight that she was immediately up and smiling at Luna in sympathy, if not a bit indirectly.

“Um, Luna?” she asked quietly glancing away as she did so. “Would you, uh, maybe like some tea? And perhaps, if it’s ok with you, to be my friend?”

Luna looked up at the pegasus in shock at the sudden change and looked to Twilight for confirmation. Twilight simply smiled and nodded at the princess who turned back to Fluttershy and repeated the gesture. With that, the two companions followed their friend into the cottage for a conversation over tea.

When she entered, Twilight was immediately struck by just how clean the humble abode was. Normally there was a clutter of beds and various supplies for helping all of Fluttershy’s woodland friends, but now the place was spotless aside from a set of saddlebags that were packed to the brim and placed next to the door. The bed was made, the couch and all of its cushions in order, and even Angel’s bed seemed less ruffled than usual.

“Hey Fluttershy?” Twilight inquired, still staring around the place and confused at the transformation. “Were you going somewhere?”

“Oh, um, yes.” Fluttershy said shyly, as she poured three cups of pumpkin spice tea for her visitors and herself. “Or, well, maybe. If you’ll have me, that is.”

“Huh?” Twilight blurted out as a steaming cup was set in front of her. “If we’ll have you?”

“Well, yes,” Fluttershy stated after giving Luna her own cup from which she now sipped appreciatively. “You see, my friend was flying by Applejack’s house when he stopped to pick at some seed on the ground and he, um, overheard that something was wrong. So then he decided to listen for a little bit and, well, he flew back here to tell me that you were coming to get me. He didn’t recognize one of the voices though and I guess that it was you Luna...”

“You aren’t mad at him are you?” she finished, looking at Twilight with an urgent expression. “I hope not, he wasn’t trying to be rude or anything. He just wanted to help…”

“No, no,” Twilight chuckled looking over at Luna who smiled back. “Actually he made our day easier. We just keep getting lucky breaks this morning.”

“Well, that’s good,” Fluttershy responded genuinely before sipping at her own tea and looking from one pony to the other to make sure they weren’t angry.

“So you’re all ready to go?” Twilight asked.

“Um, yes I think so,” Fluttershy replied with a soft smile. “I wasn’t sure at first, but since most of my friends are hibernating now, I think it will be ok and Angel helped me pick up while I packed. Oh but I do hope I won’t be an inconvenience...”

“I’m sure you will be just fine,” Luna stated with a giggle that earned a blush from the pegasus. “You have heart and that is what we require. Would you like to join us on our way back to Ponyville?”

“Oh yes. That sounds nice,” Fluttershy answered, setting her empty cup down and rising to gather her bags.

“We’re going back to Sugarcube Corner to meet up with the other girls,” Twilight explained. “Applejack will be there and hopefully Rainbow has Rarity on board. We’ll explain everything to Pinkie when we get there.”

Fluttershy nodded as she put on her saddlebags and the other two rose to their feet. They walked outside as Fluttershy said goodbye to Angel, who had been sleeping before the bird had come to warn the mare, and was now very grumpy at the disturbance. When she was done she shut the door and they began the trek back to Ponyville. The time passed quickly as the three chatted amiably on the road and before they knew it the town rose before them and not long after they stood in front of the bakery that Pinkie called home.

“Hey y’all!” a familiar voice called and they all turned to see Applejack galloping up the road to meet them. When she arrived in front of the shop, she and Fluttershy exchanged a hug and pleasantries and then they waited on the other two to show up. They passed the time by talking and laughing about this subject or that, never straying so far as to mention the reason for their meeting. It wasn’t long before a familiar ‘yoo hoo’ sounded as a white mare with a flowing purple mane and pink scarf rounded a corner and hailed the group of friends.

“It’s wonderful to see you all!” Rarity exclaimed as she pranced up to meet them. “It is a lovely day for traveling if I do say so myself. I finally get to wear this new scarf and in Canterlot of all places! But I am very sorry to hear about your sister and you can be sure I will do anything I can to help.”

Rarity then rushed over to Luna and gave her a quick hug, causing the princess to freeze in shock. After she pulled away, Rarity flashed a sincere smile at both the alicorn and Twilight, who both returned the gesture before rejoining the others.

“Um Rarity? Where’s Rainbow Dash?” Applejack asked the new arrival, a puzzled look plain on her face.

“Hmm? Oh, she was right behind me,” Rarity said motioning to her rear carelessly with a hoof. “She agreed to carry my luggage.”

“Well, rest in peace Rainbow,” Fluttershy giggled, which stirred the others to laughter and earned a huff from Rarity. It took little time for a cyan pegasus to round the corner from which Rarity had appeared. Only this particular pony was sweating and straining under the weight of at least a dozen well sized luggage bags that were obviously stuffed with the white unicorn’s apparel. At this the laughter from the group simply got louder until Luna mercifully levitated the load from Rainbow’s back.

“Twelve blocks,” Rainbow panted, as she finally made it to the rest of her friends. “Twelve blocks she made me carry those!”

“Well, a lady can never be caught unprepared!” Rarity pouted. “And of course a lady mustn’t sweat!”

“I for one am just glad you both could-“ Twilight was immediately cut off as a pink blur shot from the front doors of the shop in town and bowled her over. Everyone stared awestruck at the sudden attacker. Twilight couldn’t move or feel her legs, and if that wasn’t bad enough, the pony that now sat atop her chest was looking all around and spouting off words at a rate that rivaled Rainbow’s fastest flights.

“Oh my gosh, Twilight! I was coming down the stairs and then I saw you all and I thought ‘Hey! Those are my friends!’ and then I noticed that you all looked like you were going somewhere and so I thought ‘I should go somewhere too!’ but I didn’t know where to go but then I thought ‘I’ll just go with them!’ so I packed my bags and raced out here and now I’m telling you all this! Isn’t it just the most exciting thing ever? It is for me! I’m so excited I could throw a party just because of how excited I am! Do you want-Whoah!” Pinkie Pie cried as Twilight threw the earth pony off of herself. “Ooo! That was fun! Do it again! Oh and by the way, where are we going?”

Everyone burst into laughter, even Twilight who had been quite shaken by the impact. When everyone gained control of themselves however, it was Luna who spoke up to answer the question with a chuckle.

“Why don’t we explain on the way, shall we?”

Comments

[Atlas_Nebula]

Dreamwalking is now canon.
Not that you would care about that, but it's still pretty cool.

[Ducky911]

1771850 It is interesting. I enjoyed the fact they acknowledged her role in dreams. But now I wonder if Celestia can appear to someone in consciousness without actually being there... It seems interesting. New fic idea!

[Atlas_Nebula]

1772152 So many fic ideas just from that one scene!

[ScriptScrolls]

1772152 Well the Trojans always respected Apollo because he saw everything, so while I doubt Celestia can randomly peer into the minds of conscious ponies, it wouldn't surprise me to learn that she can see everything outdoors.

[Archvile]

hm... not sure about this story, it kinda bothers me that so many of these stories is like the princesses requesting a service and then they have to barge to get them to do it? this isn't a democracy... even in the show whenever they say something everyone just does it without question, even to fight discord, nightmare moon and so on...
on a more personal note, i'm a little bored with the slow pace at places, like you use far to much time to describe tiny unnecessary things, which just feels like it drags out the story... but i don't say it's wrong, many people like stuff like that, i'm just not one of them.
honestly the only reason i even read this is because of the promised twiluna ship which is my OTP. but credit is where credit is due and you write quite well, at least i think so.

[Ducky911]

1782882 I can't tell you how much I appreciate getting constructive criticism. I know that the whole Luna requesting thing might not be totally accurate, but I like to think that there is a request rather than a demand as that is how I would like to get the information. And the pace will pick up considerably soon. I just like to take my time. Thank you for the comment. I really do appreciate it.

[Al-36m]

Sometimes it felt as though Luna asked them about the trip for cough pills.
Celestia. Is. Dying. I think it may be even more important than Discord and others.
But despite that I like how it goes. The scene with Luna and Twilight in the library was really nice.

[Johannes Gutenpress]

Spike mumbled, intentionally avoiding the second part of Luna’s query.

You do realise that the first part was the one that was ignored, right? As seen in this:

“Did you sleep well? I hope I was not an unwelcome guest and that my snoring did not wake you,” Luna replied

I do not say this to be rude, but it does seem a bit out of place to find such an error, especially compared to the otherwise wonderfully constructed prose. Aside from that, I love what I have seen from this story so far, and eagerly await how it shall turn out.

[Bulder]

Is this dead? Cuz the author is hasn't been online for like three months

[Poco]

Here's hoping you'll come back to this someday

[TheLastBrunnenG]

Ducky, you might never read this. I don't even know if you're still in the fandom. In any event, I enjoyed the setup you've got here, and if you ever come back to us, I'll be eagerly awaiting more chapters of this. Good stuff!

[Ducky911]

Ok. So. I was thinking the other day when I finished season 4 that I hate loose ends. So I've decided to come back to this. Here's hoping nearly two years in college honed my writing abilities in something other than history... But anyway I was really digging what I had going so I'm going to put as much into this as when I first started writing it. Time might be a bit of a problem but I have made up my mind just in case anyone out there still wants to read it. Thanks to all of you who commented while I was away and 3574085 thank you. I read your comment and that's pretty much what made me decide to finish it.

[TheLastBrunnenG]

4528104
Success! Now that I know you're alive, I'll definitely give this a re-read.

[Ducky911]

4528892 Well thank you kindly. I wanna get at least two chapters in first before posting again and I'll probably rewrite the third because I'm not quite happy with it. But after that there will definitely be some updates.

[Ducky911]

4531930 So many embarrassing mistakes... I'm glad I'm getting the chance to go back over all of this and fix it. And thank you so much for your attentive eyes. I just edited chapter 1. When I was rereading it I couldn't help but feel like it was from a Stephen King novel about MLP. It is VERBOSE haha. Maybe it's just the no nonsense history major research paper style coming out but I was surprised I elaborated so much. Not sure if it's good or bad though.

[GjallarFox]

This is beautiful and I love it and I demand more of it even though the 150 weeks since the last comment is highly discouraging...

</3 DarqFox