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// 3 Heartbreak and Redemption 
// Story: Luna's First True Love 
// by Bronyxy 
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The chosen Royal Guards flew north that morning with orders to learn what they could.  Good reconnaissance was vital and these hoofpicked pegasi would be the eyes and ears of the Princesses, pivotal in determining what course of action was to be followed.

The day passed and the time of their return fell due, then past due, then night descended.  Fires were lit to help guide the pegasi back if they had got lost, but although a vigil was maintained through the night, no word was received.  Luna spent the night scanning for the dreams of the specific guards, but even she couldn’t trace them at all.

Something was now definitely wrong and Celestia summoned all Royal Guards to warn them of impending hostile action, although what form that would take was unknown.  She stopped short of alerting the populace at large as she didn’t want to create a panic, but behind the scenes everything was on alert.

Another contingent of Royal Guards was despatched with orders to send back a pair of pegasi each half hour so that if they were to be ambushed, then the distance of the threat would be known to the nearest half hour’s flying time.  As pairs of pegasi returned, intelligence specialists plotted the positions on a map at which they would have turned back.  Progress was good, but once the flight had reached the perimeters of the Crystal Empire, all word was lost once more.  The only unusual observation noted by the last ponies to return was a possible sighting of dark clouds one of them believed he may have seen in the distance, but no further details were available.  It was all too intangible.

The only pony capable of doing anything to see what was going on in the Crystal Empire was Luna in the dream realm.  Once she arose in the evening, Celestia briefed her of developments and both agreed it was time for Luna to travel further north to help her gain clearer insight.  She flew as far north as the intelligence specialists decreed to be safe and strained her magical abilities as hard as she could all night long, utterly exhausted by the time that dawn broke.

Come the morning, Luna was still a long way north and had to summon from her reserves of strength the energy to fly back to the castle, and kept going only by berating herself throughout the entire journey for not having made better progress at her allotted task.  She would have to meet with her sister and tell her that once again she had got no further, despite her best efforts.

Her head hung down with exhaustion as she made her way automatically across the courtyard toward the Royal Balcony when her path was blocked.  She looked up and recognised the pink pony before her and stared in surprise:
“Peach Blossom how nice to see you.”
“It’s me isn’t it? “retorted her marefriend, turning on her sharply.
“What?” asked Luna, startled.
“Just because I didn’t give in the first time we met, you play your way into my affections, then drop me once you got what you wanted!” she raged “Why didn’t you just have the decency to end it?  Or are you that shallow?”
“No, Peach Blossom” Luna beseeched “You have got it all wrong.  I want to be with you now more than ever.”
“Oh really?” continued the tirade “I haven’t noticed you making any attempt to get in contact.  Honestly, that’s the most shallow lie I’ve ever heard – even from you!”
“Please … no … just listen …”
“No, you listen!  It’s over!  Go find yourself another conquest – one who doesn’t stupidly fall in love with you!”

With that, Peach Blossom turned on her heel and ran off crying, leaving Luna utterly desolate. She hadn’t been lying; she really did need her marefriend more than ever.  The weight of her responsibility was crushing her and she desperately needed a friendly face, somepony whose feelings ran deeper than just a passing playmate.  Suddenly she realised, now that Peach Blossom had stormed out of her life, how much she had really meant.

Without warning, she felt a lump rising in her throat and her legs started to shake; tears welled up in her eyes and she collapsed in the middle of the courtyard, sobbing for the loss of something she didn’t even know she had won.  She covered her eyes with her forehooves and cried so piteously that even Cerberus down in Tartarus gave a mournful whine in sympathy.

“Luna, Luna darling” whispered a familiar voice beside her as body continued trembling, her tears still flowing uncontrollably “Let me help.”
She felt a comforting wing spread across her and the warmth of a sisterly hug as Celestia lay down beside her in full view of everypony in the filling courtyard.  The hurt her sister felt cut into her like a knife and she didn’t care that other ponies were watching; this was her sister and she loved her more than anypony.

Guards came down to move onlookers and bystanders away, giving the Royal Sisters as much privacy as could be reasonably afforded in the middle of a public thoroughfare, but none who saw the two sisters could be unmoved by the heartrending sight as Luna’s heart shattered into a thousand tiny fragments.

Celestia made no attempt to stop her sister’s agonised outpouring, but held her close and waited until the tears had finished of their own accord.  She said nothing, for there were no words that could have conveyed her feeling of shared desolation or the love she felt for her sister in her vulnerability.

“Thank you, Sister” she whispered once the lump in her throat deigned to return her power of speech and she propped herself up onto her still shaking legs, leaning heavily into Celestia for support.  The two walked off into the castle together, flanked by Royal Guards who were only able to maintain their professional detachment through sheer self-discipline, each forcing back tears of their own and praying inwardly that they wouldn’t be called upon to speak for any reason lest their voices broke.

Celestia put her sister to bed and left her to sleep off her heartache.  On one level, she needed Luna to probe the threat that was clearly forming in the Crystal Empire, but on the other hoof, she was her sister suffering the worst heartbreak in hundreds of years.  She left Luna’s bedchamber and headed for the throne room, whereupon she summoned the Clerk of the Court requesting he find out the address and current movements of one Peach Blossom of her sister’s acquaintance.

In the hiatus, Celestia summoned her advisers to discuss options for addressing the problems emanating from the Crystal Empire.  Facts were few, the discussion brief; it all boiled down to two options; either ‘wait and see’, which could allow the defending forces opportunity to build their strength, or alternatively mount a decisive attack immediately with the strongest fighters and the most powerful magic.

Whilst it was possible that there was a perfectly innocent explanation for the strange sequence of events unfolding to the north, there were no voices around the table who thought that recent events were likely to be benign.  Brave fighters they had, but strong magic called for both Princesses on top form, and that meant Luna being in a happier place.  Although she had no desire to entangle herself in her sister’s love life, this was now a matter of security for the whole of Equestria and had to be resolved happily.  Why had Luna chosen now to fall in love and get her heart broken?  Celestia just shook her head at the appalling coincidence.

The meeting was closed with actions on all present to prepare a task force, but still to keep it under wraps; they all had quite enough problems to deal with without adding more.  As the last papers were being shuffled away, the Clerk entered with positive information about Peach Blossom.  Immediately upon receiving the news, Celestia ordered a chariot and bade one of the young Pages from the Court attend with the Clerk and herself.

As their destination was not far, the chariot stayed firmly on the road, drawing admiring glances and friendly waves wherever they went.  The Clerk provided a series of directions to the two charioteers and then finally announced that they had arrived at her destination.  Those onlookers who had waved at the chariot as they expected it to go past simply gawped as it came unexpectedly to a stop by the side of the road and an immaculately dressed Page stepped out followed by the Sun Princess herself.  She gave a smile and wave and then fell in behind the Page as the young colt approach the front door and knocked politely.

After a moment or two, the door opened and a pink unicorn with yellow mane looked out to see a young colt in fine formal attire stood in front of her.
“Do I have the honour of addressing the Mistress Peach Blossom?” he enquired.
She looked at him a little askance.  Both his demeanour and his presentation gave away the fact that he was from the Court, and that was where Luna lived.  She initially expected trickery, but he did look very sweet and she couldn’t help but crack a smile.
“Yes, young Sir” she replied, “You do.”
“Then please allow me to introduce Her Royal Majesty, the Mare of Morning, Princess Celestia of Equestria, Protector of the Realm, Ruler of the Solar Court, Bringer of the Dawn, Empress of the Sun, and Diarch of the Day.”
The Page stood aside, and Peach Blossom saw Princess Celestia walking slowly up the path to her house.  Her pupils shrank to pinheads, her jaw fell open and her mind focused upon all the minutiae that screamed at her in that moment, all shouting that they were not ready for inspection by the most powerful alicorn in Equestria.  By instinct she bowed her head as the gears within it span round, all refusing to engage with one another.

“Good morning Peach Blossom.”
The pink pony raised her head slowly until she was looking directly into Celestia’s lilac eyes, which were at the same time both immediately welcoming yet equally intimidating.  She felt shivers running through her body and trembled involuntarily the further she raised her head.
“Good morning, Princess” she stammered out.
“What a lovely house you have here.  Shall we go inside?”
Unable to resist, she acquiesced in spite of the impression she felt the poor condition of her housework would deliver.

Once the door was closed and the Page returned to the chariot, Celestia held the undivided attention of her hostess.
“I apologise for the lack of notice for my visit, but I wanted to meet the mare who stole the heart of my sister.”
“Oh, I see what this is about” retorted Peach Blossom, shaking off her defensive demeanour as so much magic dust.
“No, I don’t think you do” said Celestia “You see, what happened between you is my fault, not my sister’s.”
Her hostess just eyed her sceptically.
“If I may talk with you in confidence” she continued “I have demanded my sister’s attention during the night time realm as there is something I need her to do for the good of all Equestria, and only she can do it.  She accepted willingly out of duty of course, but I knew her heart lay with you and it pained me to place such a burden on her.  She harbours strong feelings for you, and I beseech you not to judge her in haste for what I have demanded of her.  If you must direct your anger against somepony, then it deserves to be me.”

Peach Blossom was speechless.  The most powerful pony in Equestria had not just stepped in to defend her sister, but also accepted the responsibility onto her own shoulders; not a display of power, but a gesture of humility.
“I have treated her badly” whispered Luna’s marefriend “I must make amends.”
“As must I” said Celestia “And I know a way we can both make good on our actions.  Are you free today?”
“Yes, Princess” she replied.
“Then come with me and we will see if we can start to put things right.”

When the two mares left the house, they saw that a crowd had gathered around the Royal chariot.  Upon seeing the Princess emerge, the Clerk immediately barked for a path to be made through the onlookers for her and the Page announced her again by her full formal title.  Peach Blossom wilted a little under the attention of neighbours and passers-by alike and watched as Celestia boarded the chariot, then graciously accepted an outstretched hoof from the Clerk as she followed in her hoofsteps.  With everypony aboard, the chariot pulled away and sped off for the castle.

Once at the castle, Celestia showed her guest to a room set up as a studio and introduced her to the Royal Artist in Residence.
“I think a gift of your portrait painted by the finest artist in Equestria should provide my sister with a tangible affirmation of your love, don’t you think?”
Peach Blossom was taken aback, and then considered what a thoughtful gift Celestia was offering as a goodwill gesture.
“Thank you, Princess,” she affirmed “That would be lovely.”
The regal alicorn proffered her apologies and then turned to attend to matters of State, her mind eased that she had put in train events that would bring Luna and her marefriend back together again and still leave her sister free to exercise her much needed talents across the night time realm as concerns about the Crystal Empire continued to grow.


***


Luna came down at sunset to fulfil her duties.  She looked as if she had barely slept, and the tear streaks down her muzzle betrayed why; immortality afforded no defence against heartbreak.

“Good evening Sister” she managed, although it clearly felt anything but good for her.
“Good evening Luna” greeted Celestia warmly “I have a surprise for you.”
“Forgive me if I withhold my enthusiasm” moped Luna dejectedly.
Celestia beckoned a uniformed waitress over who presented her sister with a silver tray atop which rested a silver cloche which she removed in front of Luna.  The heartbroken Princess did not look up but levitated the contents in her magic and placed it absent-mindedly on the table in front of her, expecting it to be a dish of food.  Instead she saw a crisply folded piece of pink paper which she opened and read simply ‘I’m sorry’.

Luna looked up at the waitress for the first time and saw a familiar pair of deep blue eyes complementing a pink coat and yellow mane.  Her mouth fell open and she stood weakly, both shocked and happy, pausing just for a moment before throwing her forehooves round Peach Blossom and holding her tight, crying tears of happiness, tears mirrored by her marefriend.

Celestia retired silently leaving the two lovers alone to make up in their own time.