Chapter 3: Princess perspective
Princess Luna sighed in relief as the pressure from the foreign magic dimmed down more and more. Following Twilight's lead she kept sending her magic to the unicorn Sunset Shimmer. The yellow pony glowed brightly in the magic of four alicorns and many other unicorns and yet she was able to control and direct it perfectly. Luna smiled, hoping that she'd get a chance to find out more about her once this was all stood through.
Sunset Shimmer was too focused on her spell to notice the cheering of the ponies around her. Although not all of them could see the blue threatening mist return to the world it belonged, they noticed the obvious: No more quakes to shake their city and their homes.
Luna noticed the spell slowing down and taking a stop at some point, though it didn't feel finished yet. She watched Sunset Shimmer with concern in her heart and saw the confident unicorn's stance fall apart, despair filling her features and tears her eyes. She still managed to perform the spell and when she reached out for her magic again, Luna once more offered her all she could. The unicorn cried as she sealed the spell with a burst of powerful alicorn magic, and then released the leftover magic. This caused a bright flash and a shock-wave spreading out from her through the room, taking all the ponies present by surprise.
Almost all of them. Luna, thanks to her constant training, managed to catch herself with a flap of her wings before she was thrown at the closest wall. Her magic flared as she tried to catch as many ponies around her in the dark blue glow then set them down carefully again. The ponies smiled thankfully to her and she nodded, then turned her attention to her sister.
Princess Celestia hadn't been as lucky, her taller form and the little room giving her not enough time to catch herself. Like Luna though, she had spread her wings and prevented the ponies around her to hit the wall as she did. Standing up and accepting the thanks from the ponies, the tall white alicorn stepped up towards her sister.
Luna returned her gaze with concern. Not about her being hurt, she knew her sister could take a hit and be well. Luna was concerned about the feelings she knew boiled in her sister's mind right now. Fear, worry and most prominent guilt. The sisters had been good at reading each others thoughts and feelings with only looking into each others eyes before, but ever since they had switched their cutie marks for a day, the connection only became stronger. Luna knew what her sister was worried about and what caused the burning guilt. She, like Celestia, looked back at the unicorn who had just saved them all.
They had talked about Celestia taking Sunset Shimmer as a student and what the sudden break of that relationship meant to the alicorn. Luna sighed and closed her eyes. It had been one of the reasons the portal was transferred to Canterlot in the first place. One, to give Princess Twilight a chance to show them her progress in her work during the Princess Summit. But she and Luna also had intended to invite Sunset Shimmer back to Canterlot for a visit and the opportunity to talk with her former mentor. Twilight had told Luna about Sunset's worries and they both wanted to give the two ponies a chance for a start or at least sort out whatever tension was still left unsettled. They had not told Celestia about their plan, but Luna knew it would help her sister deal with the guilt she carried inside her.
She had gone through this earlier, after Luna had been returned not only from the banishment on the moon but also her reformation and the defeat of Nightmare Moon. They had spent long hours, days and nights, talking and crying or just sitting next to each other, finding comfort in their sister's presence. She had wished for Celestia to receive the same chance with her runaway student as well. After all that's been happening to herself and all the kindness she received, Luna would do all she can to give anypony who deserved it their second chances as well.
But with all this mess now, she feared she might not be capable of doing so anymore.
She looked up again when Sunset, after a minute or two of just staring ahead, broke out into sobbing and crying, heart-braking sounds filling the room. Within a blink, Twilight was at her side and knelt down beside her, carefully wrapping a wing around the unicorn. Sunset clinged almost desperately on her and buried her face against her neck. Cadence walked up and took a seat at Sunset's other side, wrapping a pink wing with purple tips around her as well and carefully leaning down to touch her shoulder with her head in a silent support as the small unicorn shivered and cried in what seemed inconsolable sobs.
Luna's first instinct was to rush at her side as well, but she only took a step forward when she realized that Twilight Sparkle's would help the unicorn more than her own right now. She promised herself to be there for her at a later point and instead focused on the other pony in the room who desperately needed help.
Her sister had taken a step forward as well but hesitated and practically radiated insecurity at this point. Luna understood why. Her sister had spent so many hours worrying, thinking of what to say, finding the right words, but now the moment was there so suddenly and she didn't feel like she could face it. Luna nodded and took a step to her sister. She needed more time right now, and there were still things to do. Turning to the other ponies who started at the crying unicorn right now, she spoke up, banishing all concerns from her voice for now.
“My little ponies! You have all been very brave today in the face of an unknown threat on our world. Each of you offered all the help you could. Let it be know that today, Equestria was not only saved by the Princesses and a very talented unicorn, but by no small regards by each and everyone of you as well!”
She smiled at bowed her head deeply at the ponies present and they all returned the bow with small smiles, but most of them faded quickly when they looked back at Sunset and the two Princesses trying to comfort her. Celestia had used Luna's speech to compose herself again and stood beside her sister, smiling and bowing to her subjects as well.
“My sister and I thank you all, from the bottom of our hearts. Not only the brave unicorns who helped with their magic, but also the ponies who supported them and us with their presence and encouragement. Harmony has never been stronger in Equestria than today!”
Again the ponies cheered but with more conviction this time. Luna smiled and knew that after a rule of thousand years by Celestia, her sister's words had a lot more impact on them than her own. She was a princess nevertheless and as such had to help them face the problems that still lay ahead of them.
“The crises has been solved, but the damage has been down. The earthquakes took their toll on our city and maybe even on all of Equestria. There are still ponies out there who need help, all our help. We still do not know the full degree of destruction.”
Luna turned to her sister and Celestia nodded for her to continue.
“My sister will check the castle for any signs of damage, but for now it seems like the safest place in Canterlot. Please help her and help anypony you find who might be injured or scared. Tell everypony you find to gather at the throne room. We will decide what to do next once we are sure everypony is safe.”
She turned to one of the pegasus guards,
“Captain, you and your pegasi will accompany me to town. There's been a lot of fear and destruction and we will make sure to support in any way we can.”
The guard saluted with her wings and turned around to gather all his best flyers. Luna turned back to her sister who gave her a thankful smile for not only giving her time to compose, but also facing the problems ahead accordingly.
Celestia turned to the ponies still watching her,
“Let's help out tired unicorn friends to get to the throne room so they can get a well earned rest. We will them check all the wings in the castle. I'm counting on your help, everypony!”
Celestia and Luna looked back at Twilight and Cadence, hopefully giving them the time they needed as well and pulling poor Sunset Shimmer out of the center of attention for now.
As all the ponies left the room, the unicorns leaning heavily on their earth pony friends, Celestia addressed one of them.
“Dusty! Would you please stay here and make sure Princess Twilight and Princess Cadence are not disturbed by anypony. Don't let anypony in before they and Sunset are ready to come out.”
“Yes, your highness.”
The tan earth pony bowed and took her place at the door again. Luna exchanged one more look with her sister, both giving the other the strength and support they needed to face the aftermath of this disaster. Then, Luna turned to the pegasi guards waiting for her and with a nod, they took flight through one of the large windows in the hallway.
Luna hovered above the castle and looked at the city of Canterlot. She could see ponies running around in every street in many levels of fear and distress. She frowned when she saw almost a dozen of buildings had fallen in from the quakes. She was especially worried about one big building in the center. With a powerful flap of her wings, she headed straight for Canterlot Hospital.