Antares knew what would come, as the god of war he knew exactly what to prepare Luna for. Luna as the goddess of the moon and darkness in turn taught her brother how to bend the shadows to hide his movements both visibly and audibly.
Celestia spent her days learning how to run a nation so that their parents could retire. Luna and Antares spent theirs very differently, they spent their days training for the battle they knew would come.
One night Luna was walking through the halls to the cell she had been sleeping in for ten years, when she was grabbed from behind and dragged into a soundproof chamber. Not surprisingly her parents had caught wind of her training with Antares, and they decided to put her back in her place. That’s what they were counting on, Antares and Luna both knew that Luna had to be abused in order for Celestia to believe it, Antares had done everything he possibly could to find another way, but it was all for naught. Luna was ready for it, she knew what had to happen.
Vulcan and Gaea weren’t aware of the two young alicorns cloaked in shadow in the corner of the room. Antares and Celestia both watched the proceedings, Antares in anger, and Celestia in horror. But none of them saw the small group of three peasants observing through the window their eyes wide in horror.
At this point Luna could hold in a scream under the pain of death, and worse. Luna only grunted in pain when the blows came from both hooves and whip. It wasn’t until the whip was used to channel lightning that she finally screamed, the lightning she had dealt with before but the shock it delivered still overwhelmed her nerves. The beating continued for some time, until Luna lay there on the floor her breathing heavy and barely conscious.
Vulcan wrapped up his whip and hung it on a wall hook then left with Gaea. That was when Antares dropped the shadow cloak spell and rushed to Lunas side with Celestia, that was also when the three peasants watching left, looks of absolute rage in their eyes. No ruler should do that, especially not to their own children.
“Wait,” Nightmare said, “Why cant I stop this? What are you doing?!”
Celestia rushed to Lunas side and tears fell, “Luna?”
“Hello sister,” She said weakly.
“That is why we brought you here sister,” Antares said to Celestia, “So that you can see who our parents really are.”
Antares has spat out the word “Parents,” with a look of absolute hatred in his eyes.
“Luna,” Celestia sobbed, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Would you have believed me sister?” Luna questioned, “Would you have believed that your beloved father beat your sister until she could barely walk?”
Celestia choked on sobs, how had she not realized? Luna was her sister for ponies sake, she should have found out long ago. Luna stood up on shaky legs, then with Antares help limped out of the room. Celestia followed them, out into the gardens, out of the city and into the forest. There they soon found a hillside cave and took shelter in it. Antares lit a fire and began preparing herbs for Lunas wounds.
“What can we do?” Celestia asked.
“I was going to fight them,” Luna awnsered, “I would end the pain one way or another.”
“Hush Luna,” Antares said, “You need rest right now.”
Antares then took out a powder of herbs and blew them into Lunas face, Luna collapsed and began a dreamless sleep. Antares sat next to her and put his wing over her protectively, he nuzzled her once then rose. He went over to a spot by the front of the cave and took out his Trottish Claymore and began sharpening the two handed sword. Celestia looked at the forty seven inch blade, it had to weigh some fifteen-twenty pounds.
“You think that violence is what will solve this?” Celestia asked.
“The time for reasoning is over,” Antares said, “This has been happening for Lunas entire life, you cant reason with ponies like them.”
Celestia knew he was right, what she had seen, it wasn’t right. She didn’t want to believe that the parents that had been so kind to her were only making Lunas life a misery. Still, she had seen it happen.
“Go to sleep sister,” Antares told her, “I will take first watch, and when the dawn comes we will face mother and father. They will pay for every one of Lunas tears with their own blood.”
Celestia had to agree, so she lay next to Luna and put her wing around her bandaged sister and slept.
*****
Luna sat up in bed, as she did every night. This time the guard was standing in the doorway, a look of honest concern on his face. He approached her cautiously, Luna looked at him through tears trying to blink them out. The guard reached her bed and spoke to her.
“Are you well Princess?” He asked.
“Yes,” Luna said, “I’m fine.”
“Princess,” He said gently, “You are a horrible liar. Is there anything I can do to help?”
Luna looked at him curiously, “What is your name?”
“Polaris ma’am.”
“Well, I thank you for your concern but there really is nothing to worry about. Return to your post.”
“Yes princess.”
So the guard left and closed the door behind him, he wasn’t so sure that there was nothing to worry about. When Polaris left Luna quickly cast a muffling spell and sobbed into her hooves, this time in grief. Why did he do it, why did he go in? He would still be here if he didn’t feel so angry. Luna could have stopped him, she should have stopped him. She felt that it was her fault he was gone. Gone where? Where was he, he wasn’t dead she knew that much. But he wasn’t here, and he wasn’t where she had looked, so where was he?