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// Chapter 3: Night at the roof (v1.2) 
// Story: The Endless Citadel 
// by Archvile 
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Author’s note:
Yeah… sorry about the length of the chapter : / please don’t hit me! ;_; It’ll never happen again, I swear it!

The story:
Celestia was furious! Never in her life had she been insulted and looked down upon like this before! The captain of their escort had insulted her and so had the sovereign empress. She was so angry that she hadn’t even yet noticed the surroundings she and Luna now found themselves in.

It was a large room and unlike Nightmare Moon’s throne room it had actual walls. From the loft hang long purple banners with a sun in the middle with a crescent moon around it, almost as if it was protecting the sun from harm, which Luna thought was really cute because in a way she was always there to lighten Celestia whenever she was down. The circumference of the banners was a bright golden yellow, looking very majestic. The floor was covered in fine dark marble, obviously the empress were into the darker colors, which Luna found a bit odd thinking back to where Nightmare Moon told Luna that she liked her chocolate white and creamy.

Luna was stunned by the absolutely fascinating chamber that she would assume Nightmare Moon had prepared for them, and if that was the case she sure had her own ideas of how the celestial princesses would furnish their own castle and bed chambers. Luna looked towards her sister, whom looked like she was about to explode into a billion tiny Celestias. Luna giggled a little at the thought of having such a vast number of Celestia running around on the floor in miniature version. But her smile turned into a frown as she confronted Celestia. “What do we do?” She asked her older sister.

“To be fairly honest.” Celestia replied as she shacked her head a bit to clear it of the blood that had risen to it. “As much as I would hate to say it; I don’t really see that we have much else choice than to agree to this so called marriage.” Celestia sat down on the floor, looking aimlessly in front of her while she thought.

The celestial princesses sat around for almost an hour chatting a bit back and forth about how they could perhaps escape their current fate, but no solution came. But then suddenly a loud knock rang though the chamber, they both looked up and towards where they assumed the sound had come from and noticed a large wooden door. Another knock rang though the room and the sisters rose from the floor, looking at each other. Celestia’s face had an expression that asked Luna wheater they should open the door or not and Luna set back a expression of her own telling her that would be the normal thing to do, then Celestia waved her hoof towards to door signaling for Luna to do the honor at which Luna just rolled her eyes at she made a firm bow and aimed one of her hoofs towards the door; more or less saying ‘after you your highness’. Celestia just signed and then they both moved towards the door.

As soon as Luna and Celestia had just barely opened the wooden door they slowly stuck out their heads out into a dark corridor which seemed to have neither floor nor walls, they slowly looked around as if afraid of a wild beast might jump them and bite their heads off as they looked out. But much to their relief they only found the lavender mare outside their door standing on nothing, they both signed in unity as the lavender quickly made a deep bow in front of them.

“Good evening,” Was all Twilight said with her head facing the floor, not really sure how to address true royalties.

“Oh, hello there.” Celestia mumbled as a somewhat stupid reply, being the best she could come up with at the given time. She was a bit shocked as to how courteous she could be with a mentor such as Nightmare Moon. “Twilight Sparkle was it?” She asked the lavender mare.

“Yes your grace!” Twilight yelped a little too loudly, being very excited to be in the presences of the celestial sisters, goddesses; especially the lunar one, the creator of the wonders night, which she was so found of. Not that Nightmare Moon wasn’t a goddess herself but the connection they had to each other was almost like that of a mother and her daughter, so she had no fear in her heart for the dark empress whom she dearly love. “May I borrow the lunar princess for the evening?” Twilight asked the solar princess as humbled as she could as she looked at Luna who just looked dumbfounded back at her; probably being a bit puzzled by what she wanted from her all of a sudden. Celestia on the other hand now seemed to have become lost in thought as her gaze dropped to the lavender legs.

Luna was quickly to catch what was probably going in her sister’s head. Luna knew that Celestia was both older and much more experienced than her, but she was her own pony and she didn’t like it when Celestia decided for her what to do and not to do, even if she only meant the best for her. “I’ll allow this.” Luna told Twilight like she was some sort of spoiled princess, who was given all in her life that she wanted.

“Are you sure?” Celestia said with a worried look.

Luna was a bit taken aback by this, perhaps this wasn’t the best of ideas she had, particularly with the face her sister worn, but she wouldn’t lose face to neither Celestia nor the usurper’s so called prodigy. “I’ll be fine sister.” She said. “I’m a big pony now.” She teased at her sister who now worn a soft smile but still with a worried look.
“Please come back soon.” Celestia said.

“I’ll, don’t worry about me so much.” Luna smiled at her dear sister.

“Very good.” Twilight sparkle said breaking the emotional moment between the two alicorns. “If you would please be so kind to stand beside me then.” She offered the lunar princess. Luna wrinkled her nose a little at this, not really sure as to why she had to stand next to her, but none the less she did as told and walked over to Twilight, almost brushing her. A teleportation circle formed under them and they vanished, leaving behind Celestia at the door.

“Please be safe.” Celestia whispered softly into the darkness.

-

Luna suddenly found herself gasping for air, was she being strangled?! No matter how hard she tried to breath hardly no air came to her, but after a little she slowly began to breath. She took deep and slow breaths to control the volume of H2O, the air was just incredible thin she noticed, which was why she felt like he was being strangled. She looked around herself and noticed no clouds above her, she then looked the sides where she saw clouds beneath her, Twilight had apperently teleported them to the very roof top of the so called 'endless' citadel.

Luna noticed that the sun was slowly making its decent. Her sister had probably realized the time as Luna and Twilight had left her and thus removing the sun to make space for the night and Luna’s moon.

“I knew you would adapt quickly, you’re an alicorn after all.” Twilight said in a mocking tone.

Luna said nothing but she was a bit confused by Twilight’s demeanor. At first she seemed to respect her and her sister a lot, almost to the point of fearing them, but now it was almost as if she was trying to deprive her; like some sort of jealousy had overtaken the prodigy. She seemed just as socially awkward as Luna is, most likely not having a lot of friends if any. She probably only clung to Nightmare Moon much like how Luna always clung herself to her sister, she didn’t really have any she would consider friends and she didn’t really dare to make any as they would all just passed away as she would live on forever and ever, which would leave the poor lunar princess heartbroken, but then again her heart was already breaking from the loneliness, only her sister held its pieces together.

“Could you rise the moon? I’ve always wanted to see how it is really done.” Twilight asked in a superficially way, breaking Luna’s path of thought.

So Twilight had only lured her out because she was curious to see how Luna rose the moon each night? Luna became a little bitter at the thought, but nonetheless she did it anyway, she had never before refused to rise her moon and she sure as hay wouldn’t do now either. Also it was her job after all and it was time of the day for the moon to come forth anyhoof. So Luna closed her eyes and focused her magic for a moment as her alicorn horn began to glow a dark purple and the moon then slowly crept over the borders of the world as several of her brightest stars began to shine, much stronger than normal thought, how high into the sky were they really?

Twilight stood beside her with her mouth open, stunned, amazed and deep in thought at the sight. To be able to do so much with such ease, that was truly something that only a goddess could do. She had always been amazed by the thought that her mentor was the source of all dreams, both good and bad. But having the power to create things like the sun, the moon and the billion of stars was also truly amazing on a whole different scale. Even though she herself was suppose to be some sort of unicorn genius, her magic power were still nothing compared to that of an alicorn; no matter how hard she would study, no matter how much she would train she would always be a shadow compared to an alicorn. She was both angry and bitter at the thought, why did they have to be born with so much when she had been born with so little? Why was life so unfair and cruel, that those alicorns had been given all while someone like her who had been born merely a unicorn. Her thoughts went to Von Slemmer for a moment; he had been born the lowest, he probably cursed his birth even more than she did, but he on the other hoof had went to the extremes and had became something between a demon and a pony. Was either of them not deserving of the same favors that an alicorn had?

Luna stared at Twilight, she seemed lost in her stars, it had been nearly quarter since she had risen the moon and yet the mare had said nothing since. She looked deep in thought but so was Luna, this whole thing just seemed really out of place; as if there was no plan what so ever and perhaps there wasn’t one. She coughed trying to remind Twilight of her presence but when Twilight didn’t react Luna gave the other mare a small push with her rump, having not moved from her side since they got there.

Twilight snapped back to reality as she noticed herself falling to the side like she was some sort of cardboard blown over by the wind, she landed on the hard cold iron roof of the citadel with a small stump. “Oh my, are you okay?” She heard the lunar princess ask her. “I’m so terrible sorry! I didn’t mean to knock you over like that! Did I really use that much force?” The princess continued sounding a little scared of what Twilight’s reaction might became to her sudden assault.

“I’m fine.” Twilight muttered, angrier at herself than Luna that she could be knocked over like that from hardly nothing, she felt rather stupid at the moment.

Luna offered Twilight a hoof at which Twilight looked at with great suspicious, as if Luna was some sort of scorpion that would strike her and kill her the moment she would show weakness and accept her kindness. But nonetheless after a minute or so she took the offer and Luna helped Twilight to stand up once more.

“Sorry.” Twilight said all of a sudden, almost kicking the air out of Luna in sheer surprise. “I know it isn’t your fault that this has happened, I had no idea that she would force us into a marriage.” Twilight said softly, with a hint of uncertainty in her voice. “I’m not really sure why the empress desided upon this, all she told me when I asked was that it was for the greater good and that it would ensure our power.” She looked to the side. “I know I probably shouldn’t tell you these things, as of right now you’re still considered an enemy of the entire ponysty. Von Slemmer would have my head if he knew I’ve talked with you about this, but luckily; out here he has no power.“

Luna was taken aback by Twilight sudden openness with her. Her thoughts went to Von Slemmer; what was his exact role in all of this? She wondered. Truly she felt a wicked aura around the empress, but not necessarily an evil one, more like a misguided one, a spirit lead astray. But she was cerious about who this Von Slemmer really was, so she asked the prodigy with sincere curiosity: “What kind of pony is Von Slemmer?”

“Like the empress said, the baron is the technology minister of the ponysty, but she left out that he is also the head of the Overwatch; our intelligence agency.” Twilight told her. “He is a dreadful stallion whom rules with fear and dread. The only reason he is allowed the position that he now possess is because he is the best of the best of what he does best.”
“Which is?” Luna asked, not really sure she wanted to know the answer by the tone that Twilight held around this head figure of the Overwatch.

“To keep ponies in check and make sure they stay obedient to the empress and the ponysty.” Twilight answered her. “He is a venomous snake that tries to buy him self’s favors from the empress at every possible opening.”

Luna looked thoughtful for a moment, she really wanted to know more but she could feel on Twilight that there was much more behind the baron that she would let her know.

“But no matter.” Twilight quickly added, only reassuring Luna’s suspicion. “The true reason I came to your room was to apologize on the behalf of my sovereign empress for forcing you onto me. As much as I disagree with her I can understand her reasoning; the influence that the ponysty would gain from having their ruler married to even just one of the celestial sisters is a powerful signal for all of Equestria to behold, but both of them? That’s like saying that the ponysty now rules the night and day.”

“So, the reasons Nightmare Moon forces me and my sister to marry the two of you is to ensure your power?” Luna asked Twilight who simply nodded at her question; telling her that she was correct.

“Both to ensure our influence over the many houses that makes up for the entire ponysty, but also for the rest of Equestria to behold the might of the ponysty.” Twilight told Luna.

“So, how did you get mixed into all of this?” Luna asked Twilight.

Twilight’s eyes went white for a moment as horrible memories crept back into her mind, most which she had tried to forget but was unable to let go of. “That’s a long story.” Was all she said, looking at the metal she stood upon. Then she looked back into the skies; now it was truly night, most of the stars had come forth from the hiding and the moon could now be seen fully. “Such beauty.” She mumbled to her selves, not really meaning to let the lunar princess hear it, whom in turn turned to face the night sky.

“Thank you.” Luna said in a happy tone, for the first time feeling at least some joy after she and her sister had reached the mega-techno-city of the ponysty.

Twilight blushed a little as she just realized by what Luna had said; that she apparently had just said one of her thoughts out loud for everypony to hear. “Back in the day, it was all that I had and by watching its beauty I was allowed dream, dreams of wonder and hope which was the only thing that made me to cling onto life even though it was a living nightmare.” Twilight told Luna all of a sudden, stunning the poor mare. Twilight couldn’t quite put her hoof on why she kept being so honest to the lunar princess. A silly thought entered her head that was against all that she really believed in; that maybe this forced marriage was fate and that Luna was truly her one true soul mate. Twilight shacked her head, now that was indeed a silly thought, wasn’t it? 

“You were once a slave weren’t you?” Luna asked the lavender mare.

“What makes you think I was a slave?” Twilight asked her back surprised and curious.

“The noble selfishness in your eyes, your commitment to the serves of something greater than yourself; the ponysty and your empress.” Luna replied.

“I don’t see commitment as slavery.” Twilight said with a little anger in her voice.

“I’m not saying that it always is, but when it comes at the cost of yourself; then it’s almost the same.” Luna said with a caring tone. “I should know.” She added, thinking of the loneliness she always had to endure by the path she had chosen as being her sisters shadow.

“In that case.” Twilight told Luna firmly. “I’ve rather be a slave to the one who saved me from my past than to be a slave to them.”

“Who?” Luna mildly asked, being really interested in the other mare’s suspicious past.
“The ones that…” Twilight trailed off.

Luna just looked at Twilight’s obvious pained face. “I can see you are bearing a heavy burden. Let me help you carry it with you Twilight.” Luna told Twilight as she smiled softly.

“I was a WHORE! OKAY?!” Twilight cried out with a broken heart stunning the other mare by the out of nowhere snap. “I was a slave who was rented out for use…” She trailed off as she began to sob.

“I’m so sorry Twilight, I didn’t know.” Said a shocked lunar princess, she had been able to feel her tormented heart but she had no idea it was this deep, being raped as a filly, having her innocence stolen like that. “If I had known, I would have come for you. No pony deserves a life like that.”

This was too much for Twilight to handle, those soft kind heartwarming words from Luna that showed nothing but kindness and care made Twilight cry loudly, wishing that someone would just striped her of this pain.

Luna looked at the crying mare with a broken heart, she knew deep inside of her that the empress’s prodigy could really use a hug right about now, but Luna wasn’t sure if it was her place to do so, but as she kept looking at the poor mare crying she couldn’t help but to embrace her and hug her deeply.

Twilight was a little surprised at the sudden embrace she now found herself in. She automatable buried her head into the other mare’s mane and returned the deep hug she was given as she continued to cry. Normally she would never have cried in front of another, she had her pride and her dignity but right now Twilight didn’t care, nothing really mattered much to her at this very moment. She had been strong for so long, holding it all in, not even letting it out in the presences of the one she trusted her life and dreams to.

Luna just held onto the crying lavender mare, feeling her troubled soul trying to find its place in the grand scheme of life, trying desperately to escape its tormented past.

After some time Twilight had stopped sobbing and slowly redrew from their embrace as she looked towards the night sky. “A few years ago Nightmare Moon aproced me when I was a slave; she granted me the power of vengeance over those that had misused me, but she also warned me that I might come to regret my decision. But I was too angry to listen, too much hate and misery made up for my thoughts as I gave them their just reward.” The lavender mare told Luna. “Though I still think they were let off to easily and I still believe that what I did was right, but even so I now know what she meant when she said I would regret it, because I soon after realized that in some way I was no different than them, I too had fallen; with my hoofs socked in their blood.” She held her hoofs up as she looked at them, picturing them running with blood as they had some years ago. “I have lived almost all of my life with nothing more making me go on than my dreams of happier times and of cause me dreadful lust for revenge. I guess that some things can only be taught though ones action and its consequences.” She signed. “But with all that said I still own you my thanks; it was only because of your beautiful nights that I was ever allowed to dream of something better, of something greater; than my miserable life as a slave.” She returned her gaze to Luna once more as she carried on. “Ever since I heard about you; the one that made the stars I’ve wanted to meet you and thank you. I’m sorry for my behavior, but as much as I adore your work I’m still jealous of you, you who lucky being born an alicorn and thus becoming a goddess while I had to suffer a life of misery and yet I still know that you are not to blame for this and either am I, but still my heart cannot seem to accept that is simply how the mystery of life works; some are lucky and others are not, and it is not determined by fate nor destiny.” She finally finished off.

Luna just stood there watching her, her mind racing over the things she had just told her. That sure was a lot of information to take in all at once and to process. But before she could find out what to say; Twilight spoke once more.

“After I had become free from slavery I felt a joy unlike any other I had ever felt, even beyond that I felt in my dreams. But as I stood there all of the pieces slowly began to fall together.” She said as she sat down on top of the cold irony floor that made the very rooftop of the ‘endless’ citadel. “But that joy faded with the realization that I had ended the one responsible for my sorrow and with that I was still left with a bitter and painful past but now I no longer had a future, I no longer had my source for vengeance, I had lost my one and only true purpose for living.” Twilight dried her eyes with her hoof as fresh tears had begun to form, but she continued her story nonetheless. “True enough I had my dreams, but they seemed so far away and impossible to reach, after all; they are only dreams. But then Night- I mean the empress.” The prodigy cut herself short. “She offered me to aid her in her quest to pursuit ‘the greater good’. I agreed and then I became her apprentice and she became my mentor, I then had a purpose even though it was not my own. But that was good enough for me, or at least that is what I thought. I lived to serve her and her ambitions, but it hasn’t really brought me any happiness since then. So it’s just like you said Luna, I still remain a slave. Only difference is that this time I decided whom to serve.” Twilight finished off with a sad look on her face, but still a small smile crossed her lips.

Luna sat down beside the lavender mare, it had been quite a bit to take in for the lunar princess. “I’m not really sure what to say.” Luna tried, honestly not really sure what to tell Twilight. After all their lives couldn’t really be compared, well not beside that they both were slaves; each in their own way and to their own cause.

Twilight just looked at Luna and gave her a small soft smile as she went on. “A little while after I had become Nightmare Moon’s student, we were approached by a spiteful being; the baron. He offered himself and his service to Nightmare Moon as well as an ancient artifact.”

“An ancient artifact?” Luna asked puzzled, interrupting Twilight’s monologue.

Twilight just smiled at Luna, she had no idea. “You sitting on it.” She told Luna with a small giggle.
“The citadel?!” Luna asked surprised.

“Yup.” Twilight said all knowingly. “But it wasn’t always like this; the artifact Von Slemmer presented to us; were a little metal rocklike object that one could hold in a pocket. When he showed it to us; me and my teacher thought little of it, but when Von Slemmer demonstrated some of its awesome powers we were baffled, and we all saw it had much much more potential, probably even more than the baron had ever thought, but then again; maybe he knew exactly what could be gained from it and that he just didn’t have what it took to unlock its secrets on his own.”

“Where did he get it from?” The lunar princess asked.

“He only told us that he gained it from the demon which he fought and devoured while he was trapped inside a cave by an avalanche, deep within the griffin’s mountain empire. And that is all I know.” 

Luna looked thoughtful for a moment before she asked: “Why don’t you find out the truth?” She asked Luna with questionable eyebrow, she really did wonder how they could become allies and then know nothing of each other’s pasts.
“Well…” Twilight slowly began. “We all sort of agreed on that none of us were to happy with our past and wanted to put it behind us, so out lives kind of started from that moment.”

“I see…” Was all that Luna said, certainly not content with the answer she had been given.

Twilight on the other hand once more continued the story from where Luna had interrupted her before. “Even to this very day I still don’t think we have fully understood what the stone or rather what the citadel can truly do, but more importantly there is one thing that keeps worrying me; the baron seems to have some sort of unnatural connection to it, even before we started to experiment on it. Whenever me or Nightmare Moon has to use its powers we use our own magic to utilize it, but the baron whom possess no magical powers whatsoever; merely uses his thoughts to make use of the citadel. But anyhoof, after we had tirelessly worked on the stone for a long time we decided to use its power to conquer the mightiest of the ponysty houses, where we planted the stone and thus the citadel sprang forth and then they surrendered as the saw only a fragment of the power it can muster.”

Luna looked a little shocked at this, which Twilight noticed.

“It’s not like that; we managed to pull it off even without a single casualty. The plan was to show our power to the other houses so they would come to us in seek of protection instead of being foolish enough to oppose us.” Twilight tried to reassure the celestial princess. “Though I have to admit I don’t really like the idea that we have to rule with power and fear, but both Nightmare Moon and Von Slemmer says that there is currently no other way and that it is for the greater good of all that we do it, though I remain a bit sceptical about that, but it have proven to be efficient enough, but for longer lasting effect I can’t really say.”

Luna sat there deep in thought, she and her sister ruled their ponydom with love, respect and understanding. Sure enough the idea seems naïve and could easily be abused but so far their rule hadn’t backfired. But Luna would rather see the ponydom break apart than to see her subjects quiver in fear at the mere mention of her name or her sisters.

“Which reminds me.” Twilight suddenly said “The reason I brought you outside, well besides watching your night sky that is.” She stopped for a moment, as if trying to find the right words. “Well, because it has come to my attention that everything that happens within the citadel; Von Slemmer somehow knows of. I’ve already tested this little theory of mine and I can say with 82 % accuracy that all that is said and done; Von Slemmer will know of. In a way his unnatural connection to the stone makes me a god inside the citadel, a place where his powers cannot be rivaled, not even by the empress. So that is the main reason that I brought you out here, so we could talk in private.” The prodigy said as she again looked towards the stars, they were all now visible as it had truly become nighttime. “But I’ve already said much more than I really had wanted to.” She then told Luna with a smile, breaking her gaze from the stars.

Luna just looked at her smiling softly, but inside her head her thoughts were running at top capacity. She wasn’t entirely sure what to think of all of this she had just learnt, but not wanting to stop talking to the lavender mare she told Twilight that: “It would seem that you’ve have lived quite the life, I’m sorry but I won’t be able to impress you much with my boring life story.” Luna said, thinking back a little she frowned as she could see some of her own words could be understood natively by the past that Twilight have lived though, but she didn’t show Luna any sign of being hurt by her words, on the contrary; as Twilight laid her head on Luna’s shoulder.

Twilight rested her head on Luna’s shoulder. “Sometime I would love to hear about your boring alicorn life.” Twilight said with a sleepy sugar sweet voice. “And thanks for listening.” Was all Twilight got to say before she drifted off into sleep, under Luna’s star full night sky that suddenly just became somewhat brighter.

Luna just smiled as she softly warped one of her wings around the sleeping lavender mare, pulling her closer to keep her warm and conformable. Maybe marriage a mare such as Twilight Sparkle wouldn’t be the worst thing that she had been forced to doing in her millenniums of living; was all she got to think of before she too fell asleep, resting her head on Twilight’s.

Auther’s note:
The first part of this chapter felt rather rushed, which I didn’t mean to. It might have something to do with that I had nothing planned ahead for this chapter, unlike I had with my 2nd chapter (which is still my fav chapter so far), I’ll probably change that in the future and plan ahead before writing. But I still hope that you have enjoyed my work even though it might have been a bit rushed at some places :|

FYI: This story will be paused for some time (maybe until January) as I really want to write a Luna x Twilight Xmas story before Christmas Eve and I also have an exam I really should read up on, but after all that I’ll continue this story once more, I promise! I hope ye all are okay with that :3 Also the next chapter will be about Nightmare Moon and Celestia, look forward to it my dear readers!

So until next time, please enjoy and comment! <3