Princess Luna
Finding my sister's dream was quite simple. It stood out among the other dreams. It helped that she was an alicorn as well, to say nothing of the fact that I was very familiar with them. Having been around her for a few thousand years made it easy to locate her dreams, considering that most ponies didn't even live a century.
I stared at the door intently. The door was a rich mahogany and was inlaid with gold. It had a faint glow to it making the other doors appear dull and lackluster. As usual, I could not sense what she was dreaming about, but I had some idea of what it might be. Without visiting it, however, I would not know for sure. 'Twilight almost died because of your actions, sister...' I clenched my jaw shut and fought the urge to grind my teeth. 'You sent General Hoof after her, how could you possibly justify that?'
I growled at the door, my mind wondering over all of the possibilities of how I could start the conversation. The more direct approaches left me feeling more satisfied than beating around the bush. I used my magic and nearly ripped the door off its hinges. I strode into my sister's dream. I needed to have a word with her.
It took me a second to get my bearings, but I recognized where I was. It was Canterlot Castle, the same room where Twilight had been formally crowned a princess of Equestria. I could hear cheering and celebratory music. Memories of a happier time tempered my anger. I looked around longingly at the happy expressions of the ponies. It all looked so distant, even with the joy radiating from their smiles. It had been far, far too long since the ponies had peace. It left me longing for the days when none of this was happening. I let out a long sigh. Even with as bad as it all was, I took comfort in knowing they would have peace once more.
I steeled my resolve, then looked around. The crowd was massive, split into two large groups lining the aisle, where there was a vibrant red carpet. My sister, Twilight, Cadance, and my sister's dream version of myself were all on the raised platform. Twilight's friends were near the platform, but distinctly in the crowd. All of them wore simple yet elegant dresses which accented them perfectly. I smiled a little, remembering the scene myself. Rarity truly was a wonderous dressmaker.
My sister was talking to Twilight, and despite the cheer and celebration of the crowd, it seemed subdued and quiet. Celestia acted like they were the only ones there. I could not make out what my sister was saying, but both her and Twilight were smiling. Twilight nodded at every word my sister said, and just like that, the peace of the moment faded from me, leaving in its wake a deep-seated feeling of wrongness.
She was dreaming about the time when Twilight was hers, rather than her own mare. Back before Twilight truly came into being her own pony, when Twilight still thought of my sister as perfect. Twilight held every word my sister spoke close and took it to heart. My sister meant so much to her, and my sister knew it. It felt like a betrayal, and yet I couldn't hold that against her. Twilight still cared about Celestia, and Celestia never truly tried to hurt Twilight.
Until the war started.
I bared my teeth in disgust, then I strode through the crowd. No pony noticed me, and I walked right through them. Celestia was so busy talking to Twilight she didn't even notice my approach as I strode out onto the red carpet and approached her.
"You have done amazing things, Twilight. You truly deserve this... You have made me more proud than I thought possible," Celestia said in a soft voice.
She meant it. I slowed down a little, then stopped before the steps to the top of the platform and I looked over both of them.
"One day, you will make a great princess, Twilight," she continued. "You have already proven yourself worthy to be an alicorn, although it will be some time before you are truly prepared for the intricacies of governing," my sister explained in her calm, disarming voice. Twilight continued nodding, holding onto her words like a sacred text. It left a bitter taste in my mouth, it was almost sickening.
I took a deep breath, then I climbed the stairs. "You know she is worthy of all of this and more, sister," I stated firmly.
Celestia's smile disappeared. She glanced at me, then turned her head to face me. She didn't seem to know how to respond. For a minute in the dream, she just stood there, watching me. Her expression was blank, empty, and neutral. Eventually, she slowly turned around to face me. "Luna," she acknowledged calmly.
"Celestia," I replied.
She opened her mouth to speak. I cut her off. "You sent General Hoof after her?" I accosted. She didn't react. I wasn't sure if she would or not, but she continued to stand there. Instead of looking like a filly who her mother had reproached, she didn't react.
"You gave me no choice," she retorted calmly. Her mask of blankness faded. "You forced me to take drastic actions to try to reclaim her since my other options were all tied up with you," she accused.
"She. Is. Not. Yours," I said through gritted teeth.
Celestia's expression softened. She hesitantly tilted her head away from me and looked at Twilight. Twilight was no longer smiling, she looked at her almost indifferently, her expression seemed cooler and calculated, as if she had been wisened by war. My sister's jaw clenched. "She isn't," she relented. Her eyes darted over Twilight's features, then she looked back at me. "She is coming into her own now," she admitted.
I watched Celestia closely for a moment, then I slowly nodded in agreement. "She has nightmares about what happened," I said coolly.
Celestia's lips twitched into a grimace. "Luna, I did not want this. Your actions are destroying Equestria! Why can't you see that, sister?" she pleaded.
I ignored her. It didn't deserve a response. She was the one destroying Equestria, leaving Equestria vulnerable to foreign nations, letting monsters get away with crimes. She was supposed to protect ponies, and she had failed. "She had a nightmare before I came here. Do you want to know what happened?" I asked, making my voice have some sarcastic joy. "She was in his camp. Rainbow Dash and some of the Wonderbolts were there with her," I stated. I took a step forward. "They died," I said. I took another step and I punctuated every word with a step, moving closer to her, "One. By. One."
"And whose fault is that?" Celestia asked calmly. "The way I remember it, you decided to declare war on us," she said simply.
I snorted at her. "Don't you dare try to blame this on me," I warned. I took a moment to recompose myself, then I smiled. "Twilight didn't choose to stay with you, after all," I added.
"She's fighting both of us," Celestia acknowledged.
I snorted. "Oh, is this true, sister?" I asked. I laughed a little. "And yet, here we stand. I have not once made a move against Twilight, unlike you!" I couldn't help but laugh more at the situation. It brought me joy to see her so frazzled by my laughter, although at the same time, it hurt. She looked like she did when she saw me turning into Nightmare Moon. The joy turned bitter and I calmed down. "You almost killed her, Celestia. You say that you care about her, and yet because you sent General Hoof after her, she almost died. She has nightmares from it. She's had nightmares that you're going to kill her, and after what happened... she should," I stated. "And what if she had died, sister? Her blood would be on your hooves, and your hooves alone."
Celestia took a deep breath and puffed out her chest. "You cannot claim the high ground here, Luna," she warned. "You may not have fought Twilight yet, but we both know that..." she trailed off, pausing. For a single split second, her eyes drifted to the floor, then they shot back up at me, "If I fail, you will fight her, and she will fight you. But by that time, Equestria will already be doomed."
I met her gaze intently. "If Equestria is doomed, then it is not of my actions, sister, but of yours," I growled.
She stayed quiet and stared at me evenly.
I used my magic and left her dreamscape. As soon as I was gone, I took a deep breath, then I ripped my forehoof up and relentlessly struck the door that was my sister's dream. The door cracked, caved in, and then exploded into a spray of splinters. I breathed heavily as I watched the shattered fragments dissipate. It might have been an abuse of my power to disrupt her dream and wake her up, but it was satisfying.
I awoke breathing heavily, shuddering slightly from the turmoil left over from my encounters that night. I stared up at the black ceiling and clenched my jaw. What my sister had done left a bitter taste in my mouth, even after the dream ended. She had the audacity to claim the high ground, to say that she was the one who was right, that I was wrong, that I caused this mess, and that I should come crawling back to her, begging for forgiveness, despite her being the one who started all of this.
I took a deep breath, then ripped the blankets off of my bed with my magic. I growled and jumped iut of bed. She was blind. All she could see was that I was wrong, that I had caused this, and she wouldn't see it any other way. But of course, it wasn't anything new with her. A thousand years ago her ignorance drew my ire and led me to make the worst mistake of my life.
I clenched my eyes closed and focused on my breathing. I forced myself to take deep breaths and calmy exhale at length. I needed to be calm. It was night, my night. Ponies were counting on me. I had to protect and save them from Celestia's tyranny.
Celestia had taken care of Equestria during my absence, all on her own. She protected Equestria and brought it prosperity. The ponies were happy during her reign, and the world looked so completely different on my return. Perhaps my sister wasn't entirely in the wrong, then. Equestria was in a better state after one thousand years than it had been.
But even still, it did not forgive her transgressions against Twilight and me.
I walked over to the full body mirror, then looked at the silvery coating behind the glass. The soft moonlight coming through the closed window was just enough light to let me look at my own body. I was unadorned by my regalia, and both it and my tiara sat on the nightstand. My hooves were bare, unprotected by the shoes I would normally wear. My mane and tail flowed energetically, far more energetically than they should have. I did not look calm, despite my best efforts to calm myself.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I held the breath in for several seconds until my heartbeat slowed and I could feel my veins pulsing, then I released it and took another deep breath. I opened my eyes and let the breath out, then I turned towards the balcony.
I calmly approached the door and levitated my regalia and tiara over from the nightstand. I opened the door and donned my royal decor, then strode out onto the balcony. The cold night air nipped at my coat, but It was nothing compared to what it had been like on the moon. I endured that, and so the cold of Winter barely affected me. Other ponies, however, wouldn't be so unaffected.
My thoughts drifted back to Celestia, bringing a scowl to my face. My only solace was that Twilight controlled most of Equestria's weather capabilities. If she did not, ponies would suffer during winter even more than they already were.
I shook my head and lifted each of my hooves in turn, sliding my shoes on before I closed the door behind me. My guards wouldn't realize I had left, but that would not be a problem. I could protect myself against any would-be assassins, not that anypony would be foalish enough to try such a thing, especially in my own territory.
I shook my head and looked out across Vanhoover. The city was quiet and peaceful. The ponies slept peacefully, protected by my presence and my army. No harm would come to them on my watch, and soon, the same would be said of all Equestria.
I sighed and walked over to the railing, then propped myself up on it.
I inhaled, letting the cold air fill my lungs. In a way, it was invigorating and calming. Looking out over Vanhoover left me will a feeling of satisfaction and calmness. Even if my sister didn't appreciate me, at least there were ponies who appreciated me now, unlike before. I sighed a little and cast my gaze down at the street.
It was empty, but I wasn't surprised. Long ago, it would have bothered me, but not today. Ponies slept soundly during the night, they enjoyed their dreams and rested, undisturbed by the work and heat of the day. The night was never the same as the day.
I shook the thought aside and spread my wings, then beat them, taking flight. I flew off the balcony and ascended further into the air with each beat of my wings. There wasn't much around, although there were some of my guards on patrol. I lit my horn and cast a quick spell to help hide my presence in the night. Nopony would notice, nor be any wiser about my flight.
I looked down on Vanhoover. It glistened like a jewel. In a way, it was. Vanhoover was the jewel of my crown, my kingdom, which would grow to encompass all Equestria. And then Twilight would be by my side and we could ensure that ponies were happy and protected, that they could live their lives to the fullest. I smiled a little, then lazily flew over to a nearby cloud and landed.
The cloud had a little give and bounce to it, but it supported my weight as I stepped onto it. I stood there for a few seconds, then I sat down and looked up at the sky. As always, it was stunning, and as always, I was just one small part of it.
It all helped me forget about my earlier ire towards my sister, but it still lingered in the back of my mind, eating away at my peace. 'You could have killed her, Celestia... You sent him after her, what were you thinking?'
What had ran through her head when she decided to send him after Twilight? Did she forget who he was? Did she expect Twilight to be that much of a challenge that she needed to send him? Was she desperate? Did she expect his presence to be enough to make her give up without a fight?
I sighed softly and shook my head. The accursed thoughts wouldn't leave me alone. For some reason, they made me feel jittery. I was anxious. That realization made my lips twitch downward and my brow creased. I wasn't used to being anxious when it came to things of this nature. Being anxious for a battle, that I was familiar with, but being anxious over my sister sending General Hoof after Twilight? That I did not understand. Perhaps it was the knowledge that Twilight could have very well been killed by him. My sister could have killed Twilight with that decision. Her closest friend, her student, the pony who saved me from myself. It was a haunting thought.
I stood back up and stretched my wings out, then calmly stepped forward. I let myself fall off the cloud and just closed my eyes. I let the wind rush by my body, flowing through my feathers, coat, mane, and tail. After a couple of seconds, I extended my wings and gradually caught the wind, redirecting my flight and slowing. I shifted my weight and banked to the left, then I gradually descended to the streets below. I landed silently on the stone street and looked around.
Only a handful of ponies were out, and all of them wore the dark armor of my soldiers, which helped to hide them in the night. Martial law technically wasn't in effect in Vanhoover, so ponies could still be out after dark. In most cities in Equestria, it was still this way. Battles were being fought on the front lines, rather than through subterfuge, thus limiting the need for a curfew.
I frowned a bit. In hindsight, perhaps subterfuge would have been an excellent choice of strategy to deploy against my sister. Undermining her power would have been quite enjoyable. However, it would have been harder on the average pony. They wouldn't have the same security and safety.
Despite the lack of a curfew, most ponies still chose to stay inside at night. It was understandable, and because I could understand it, it didn't draw my ire like it would have so long ago. It also made things somewhat simpler for my soldiers patrolling the streets.
I looked around and folded my wings to my sides. 'Perhaps a walk will be more calming than a flight,' I mused.
I nodded once to myself in affirmation, then I turned to my right and headed down the street at a casual pace. It wasn't quite as nice as walking in a moonlit garden, but after the war was over, I would be able to rectify that problem. Until then, I would settle for walking the calm streets of my capital.
It was peaceful. It was how Equestria should be and would be after my victory over my sister. Twilight would be by my side, and Equestria would flourish under our rule. There wouldn't be any monster attacks, there wouldn't be any threats from other nations. Ponies would sleep soundly, protected by an unmatched military force, Twilight, and myself.
The thought left me smiling. Ponies would appreciate all we had done for them, all we had sacrificed in order to ensure peace and protection for them.
Most of the buildings I passed were dark and empty, their owners elsewhere or sleeping. It left the night still and quiet, however as I continued walking, I could make out one building with lights on. A tavern of sorts, it appeared. 'Perhaps a quick visit there would relieve my worries of Twilight?'
I mulled the idea over for a few seconds, then nodded. I continued walking at a calm pace, making my way towards the tavern. The noise grew in volume as I neared, but it wasn't as loud as such establishments had been in the past. I couldn't make out anything distinct over all of the voices, but I could hear hearty laughter.
Ponies were enjoying themselves, despite the evil of war. They were resilient.
I slowed as I approached the door, then I lifted a forehoof and pushed the door open. The pungent smell of alcohol and apples wafted out into the night air. My lips pulled up at the edges, forming a slight smile.
There was a variety of ponies present, ranging in builds, but the most common build was average, although there were a few bulkier stallions in the crowd. Unsurprisingly, the majority of the patrons were stallions. Their coats all varied in colors, and their manes and tails varied widely in style. A few of the stallions and a couple of the mares looked like they were passed out, laying haunched over their table with an empty mug beside them. A few others seemed to be struggling to remain conscious. At first nopony noticed me. I slowly stepped inside. A few heads turned, and their expressions blanked.
It took perhaps five seconds before everything went completely silent.
I shifted my weight on my hooves uncomfortably. I was used to having ponies watching me, I was a princess. I had given speeches before- speeches for celebration, speeches for rallying my troops. I had been the center of attention before as well. But while I was used to that, this felt different. The looks on their faces were wrong. They weren't happy, excited, or eager. Just blank, surprised, or afraid. I felt a shiver run down my spine at the last emotion I identified. I swallowed and licked my lips. "Please return to your prior activities," I said loud enough for the whole bar to hear. "I am-" I cautiously swept my gaze across the patrons, examining them cautiously, "-here to relax."
Most of the ponies continued to stare at me blankly, but a few of them reluctantly turned back to what they were doing before. Conversations which had been shouted above the rest of the noise were now in hushed whispers. The cheerful liveliness had faded. I stepped inside fully and closed the door behind me. I headed for the bar. A few ponies watched me, but most of them seemed to try to return to their prior engagement, even if it was much more reserved than it had been.
I approached the counter, and a couple ponies quickly paid, then got up and scampered for the door, walking as far away from me as possible. I glanced at them and they seemed to almost trip on their hooves as they realized I was watching. It all felt so wrong. I tried to shake the disillusionment away as I took a seat. The bar stools were quite small for me, but it could still support me, albeit a bit uncomfortably. My sister wouldn't have been able to use one, most likely.
The bartender reluctantly walked over to me. "P-Princess Luna," he greeted. I could almost see sweat rolling down his forehead. His lips were pulled up into a strained smile, but his jaw was clenched tightly. His legs shook. "W-what may I get for you?" he stuttered.
It had been quite a while since I had visited a tavern. The beverages had undoubtedly changed in my absence, and I hadn't really refamiliarized myself with them. "A drink, please. I am unfamiliar with the current beverages, so... you choose," I said.
His eyes widened, and for a second, his forced smile wavered. His entire body tensed up, and he stood there rigidly. I waved a hoof dismissively. "Relax, barkeep," I said calmly. "I am here to unwind..." I trailed off and grimaced. "I have had a trying night..."
"R-right," he replied. He hastily scurried away. I watched him levitate a small glass from a stack of glasses, then walk over to some sort of dispenser. He lifted a flat, triangular lever, and some golden-brown liquid poured out of it. After he filled it, he hastily returned. "Here you go, Princess," he said quickly, then hastily trotted away.
I frowned a bit but put it aside. I looked down at the glass. It was a little larger than my hoof. I levitated the glass up and took a short sip. I licked my lips and mulled over the flavor. It tasted of apples and alcohol. Compared to what I had been used to, it was weak, almost like it was watered down, or just apple juice with a slight dab of alcohol to it.
I lifted the glass and downed it in one go. A few of the stallions at the counter watched me down it. Out of the corner of my eye, I could make out hints of jealousy coming from them. I ignored it and smiled as I felt the cool yet warm liquid roll down my throat. I set the glass back on the table and took a deep breath. Surprisingly, the air smelt welcoming. I exhaled slowly, letting out a soft sigh.
I pushed the glass aside and glanced around idly. Ponies conversed in low voices, as if they were sharing secrets with one another. Several ponies nervously looked around, although as soon as they saw me glancing anywhere near their direction, they sat rigidly and quickly stared straight ahead.
I suppose, in all honesty, I couldn't blame them. It would be surprising, perhaps even shocking for one of them to go out for some drinks and for me to show up. It was still disappointing. It felt like none of them wanted me to be there, like I was just ruining their night. I looked down at the table and studied the wood.
The ponies who were out sleeping seemed to be enjoying the tavern the most since my arrival. The sound of snoring was actually louder than the idle conversations. It felt disappointing.
Hasty hoofsteps came from behind the counter, then a glass clanked against the table and slid into my vision. I looked up and smiled my thanks at the barkeep. He barely acknowledged it. The smile faded from my lips. I watched him for a few seconds, then I looked back at the glass. I levitated it in my magic and swirled it around a bit before taking another sip. I enjoyed feeling the cool, yet warm liquid roll down my throat. After I drank about half of the glass's contents, I pulled it back and resumed swirling the glass. I watched the brown fluid roll around. It had a certain charm to it. I glanced to my right, then to my left. I swiveled my ears around slightly, trying to avoid showing any signs of interest as I listened to some of the whispered conversations.
"I can't believe Princess Luna is here... what is she doing here?"
"I heard she threatened the mayor's life..."
"Just last night I had a dream Nightmare Moon came back... it-it was horrible! She tried to destroy Equestria and kill Princess Twilight! The princess barely managed to stop her!"
"I'm sorry about your brother..."
"Damn this war... he enlisted and now he's dead. The idiot thought Princess Luna was worth fighting for..."
"Princess Celestia needs to hurry up and get rid of Luna."
"Twilight'll get them both, just you wait..."
"And this whole war? It's just for show, isn't it? In the end, they're just all going to be happy and fine yet again, and nothing will have changed. Ponies have died, and then when they all make up and the war's over, who's going to have suffered and paid for their feud? Us! We're the ones dying, and then we're the ones suffering while they live lives of luxury! And after this is over, they'll probably just forgive each other and things will go back to how they were, despite all of the blood on their hooves!"
"Celestia's responsible for this war. I hope she gets what's coming to her."
"Twilight doesn't have it in her. Luna on the other hoof... If she wins, Celestia's probably as good as dead. I pray Twilight wins... Luna winning? I pray I don't live to see that."
"I just hope Luna doesn't kill Twilight..."
"I wouldn't put it past her. She tried to kill her sister before... killing the pony who stopped her from killing her sister the second time around is probably something she'll enjoy."
"I heard Princess Twilight's in the Crystal Empire right now..."
"I still can't believe they deposed Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor to pledge allegiance to Princess Twilight. They loved them, why would they do that?"
"They were helping Celestia, and the crystal ponies wanted to help Twilight. I heard a rumor that the reason is that back when Sombra was king, he'd execute ponies who were disloyal, so they developed a loyalty to their family... Prince Shining Armor is Twilight's brother, but he sided with Celestia over his own family... that had to have made them sour, if that rumor is true."
My blood felt like ice, and yet at the same time, it felt like it was boiling. It reminded me of what it was like on the moon. Everything seemed so quiet and distant. My muscles were tensed as I sat there rigidly. 'They... what? No, that... no... Why would they think... They think that...' The coldness permeating my body was a sharp contrast to the inferno that raged in my heart. They were all blind foals. They couldn't see that I was doing what was best for them, that I was fighting my own sister to protect them, that I was sending ponies to their deaths to preserve Equestria!
Something splattered my face, and I jerked back. Everything went silent. I blinked, then looked back at the glass, or what remained of it. Only a few shards continued to levitate, held tightly in my magic. I hesitantly looked down at the table. Most of the glass shattered and now adorned the counter. I inhaled deeply, and my body shuddered. I teleported a cloth and I wiped the fluid off of my muzzle with it.
In the silence, I heard a bit drop, then the scuffle of hooves as several ponies hastily headed for the door.
"P-Princess?" the barkeep asked.
I took another deep breath, then stiffly stood up. I teleported a bag of bits to the counter. There were enough bits to pay for my drink, the broken glass, and probably a couple of rounds for everypony remaining in the bar. "I... apologize for the mess," I said with forced calmness. "I..." I trailed off. He stared at me from where he stood, his legs trembling visibly. My chest tightened. "I... shall take my leave," I said at length.
I held myself in check, then strode for the door. Even with as rigidly and as practiced as I walked, trying to show no signs of any outward agitation, my approach made ponies dart away from the door as quickly as they could. I forced myself to avoid looking at them, despite feeling every eye focused entirely on me.
It hurt.
I came to a stop and glanced around. They were all afraid of me.
I closed my eyes, then pushed open the door with my forehoof. Without even thinking about it, my hooves carried me out into the night. I closed the door behind me with my magic, then opened my eyes. The cold air stung.
I teleported myself back to my chambers.