Some hours after Celestia and Luna had risen and set their parts of the heavens, Luna informed her sister that she would be away for the day, for she had to take care of something. Celestia had insisted on coming with her, more for the sake to escape a day of palace life, but Luna said this was something she wished to do by herself. Celestia, though annoyed she couldn't come with, respected her sisters wishes, for she did not want to cause her sister to feel inferior again, knowing that it had been such that had been a promising factor in transforming her sister into the dark mare she had been the last time, and was not intent and letting that happen again.
Celestia did decide to cancel all meetings today anyways, and made some time to go and see her former student Twilight in Ponyville, via teleportation, since it was the best way for her to travel, and the distance required little effort of her magic anyways. Of course, this meant Prince Blueblood would be left in charge til one of the two royal sisters, or his cousin or Twilight returned to the Castle, as was his right by birth. Luna's thought of Blueblood taking charge for a week would have been unsettling in her mind, but she would let a day, even if it wasn't a full day, slide, since they had done it before without severe consequences, only upsetting a few of Equestria's common charges at most.
She soon put her focus back making her way to see her friend Velvet. As she cantered up to the door, she felt that chill she had felt the night before move down her spine again. This was a little unnerving for her, but she needed to see Velvet now. She soon knocked on the door, and it was answered by her good friend. She was about to say her hellos when Velvet grabbed her hoof and pulled her inside as if she was trying to move Luna out of the path of a tumbling boulder.
"My apologies your highness. But I couldn't keep the door open long," Velvet said with nervousness.
"What? Why? Belay that, I'll ask about that in a little while dear. But I came here to speak with you," Luna replied.
"I had assumed as much when I saw you at the door, Princess Luna, but what about?" Velvet asked.
"It's about your spat you had with my sister the other day. I know you want to keep it private, but I need to know what you two were discussing. I had a dream last night that I feel may be connected to this conversation," Luna informed her, determined to get answers.
"Wait! You had the dream about them as well?" Velvet inquired.
"The bat ponies, yes. But you are avoiding the subject, tell me what this argument between you and my sister was about," Luna demanded.
Velvet sighed as she and Luna sat down on the couch, "Alright your highness. As you know, 1000 years ago, I went by Twilight Velvet Clover, but I was more commonly known as Clover the Clever in that particular age. I haven't even told Twilight or Shining this yet. Anyways, not long after Princess Celestia had to imprison you in the moon when you went dark, something terrible happened."
Luna had her ears focused forward as she listened in and Velvet continued, "The Bat Ponies were all of the sudden, being ousted. Everypony was treating them as if they were a threat to Equestria's way of life. That they were ponies only loyal to you. While it is true many of them looked up to you more then they did Celestia, I know that they would seek Celestia's advice if need be. But the word had reached the hierarchies of the nobles, and they had been easily influenced that the bat ponies were planning to lay siege to the land of Equestria and follow through with Nightmare Moon's plan to bring about eternal night. One of my good friends, and Firefly's cousin, Lynnette, had come to the capital that had resided near your old castle at the time, to reason with them. She requested to see Princess Celestia herself, knowing many of them were strong followers of Celestia more then they were of you, before the event of the Solar eclipse."
"Lynnette. Oh that bat pony did have a stubbornness about her, but she was a very good friend. I wish I hadn't lost control of my emotions so long ago. She probably hated me for that outburst that sent me away," Luna lamented, and began to tear up.
Velvet placed a hoof on her, "Princess, it was not your fault. Most of the bat ponies never even set foot in the capital before the event, mostly due to the attitudes of the no good nobles of the time that made them want to stay away from there. And it is the nobles' fault for what happened to you in my humble opinion. But to continue, the nobles had told her straight forward that Princess Celestia had no need for bat pony kind. Celestia was in too much grief to even stop what happened next. The nobles decreed that all bat ponies be exiled, and that any who attempted to return, would be thrown in the dungeon if they tried. Lynnette knew she was out matched. She couldn't just attack the nobles on the spot, for this would only gain them support from the already uneasy charges of Equestria, she felt it even might convince Celestia herself that bat ponies were under Nightmare Moon's spell. So, she left with her charges of the bat pony race, but not before she came to see me," Velvet said.
"She came to see you. What did she tell you before she left," Luna asked, insistant on finding out why so few bat ponies had returned to Equestria.
"She told me of the nobles treachery. And she also had stated she had seen why you had gone dark, and didn't blame you for any of it, and I whole heartily agreed. I was disgusted, and wanted to help her, but I would have been banished as well, and Celestia needed support she wouldn't be getting from the hierarchies. So, I did one last thing for her. I granted her the gift of immortality, as well as Firefly. Both left Equestria, and I never heard from them again in that era of our history. They vowed one day they would return, one way or another. When I started to see tiny little groups of bat ponies here again, I felt that they had come back. But I soon came to find out that things hadn't changed. Ponies of Equestria still see them as a threat, and Celestia has done nothing to settle the ponies fears down. I argued with her, saying she needed to lift the banishment of the bat ponies. They had never been a threat to begin with. Celestia agrees they are no threat, but to just let the bat ponies back in..... she feels that she, and you, would loose the trust of our subjects. Sometimes, I wish she would see what happens beyond the walls of Canterlot, but the opinions of the ponies here in Canterlot weigh on her decision heavily. She feels that this will invoke civil unrest Princess Luna," Velvet said.
"That's absurd. How could she think such a thing?" Luna spat. She was surprised to know Firefly and Lynette were still around. It was a shame Velvet's other friends didn't fair the same, but Velvet could only do so much. Applejack had definitely taken after her great-great grandmother, Applejack the first.
"That's what I said. But she won't listen to reason," Velvet replied.
Luna then sighed, "Then I fear that the nightmare is too great to be ignored. I need to inform my sister immediately of what is to come. If we don't find a solution, our friends will certainly be on their way with a show of force. And I don't think our guard is prepared for such a battle."
"I agree. I hope that Celestia listens. This will not end well if we don't find a solution," Velvet urged.
Luna gave her good friend a hug, which surprised the immortal unicorn, but she returned the gesture, and soon, Luna teleported out, having now understood why Velvet was hesitant to open her door. If word hadn't already spread through Equestira and reached Canterlot yet, it soon would. Luna wasn't sure if her dream from the night before was of that day, or if the bat ponies and Firefly and her cousin Lynette were already on the move into Equestria.