//------------------------------// // Eclipsed // Story: Journey of the Lesser Lights // by Chengar Qordath //------------------------------// The return to Equestria hadn’t quite gone the way I’d imagined. Princess Celestia had been waiting for us when we got back to the royal palace in Canterlot, and she’d immediately taken Luna back to her chambers for a private conversation. I had no idea what they were saying, but I’d caught one or two muffled bits of raised voices. Maybe it was just Luna accidently slipping into the Traditional Royal Canterlot Voice, and not the two of them arguing. Yeah, that was probably it. The two Solar Guards who normally sat outside Celestia’s quarters exchanged a look, then pointedly moved a bit further down the hall, out of earshot of the doors. I probably should’ve joined them, but I felt like I ought to stay close at hoof just in case Luna needed me. Besides ... this was kind of my mess too. I couldn’t just walk away because things were a bit awkward. While I was waiting, I spotted a familiar face walking down the corridor towards me. The armor was new (or rather, extremely old), but the skunk-striped mane was never gonna change. I waved listlessly to my sister. “Hey Storm. What’s up?” “Hello.” She settled down next to me. “We were in the area, and Her Highness heard you encountered some difficulty on your last mission. I thought you might like to see a friendly face in light of that.” “Right.” I shot a weak smirk her way. “So who were you planning on sending by to be the friendly face?” I caught a brief flicker of annoyance passing through her eyes, which helped my mood a bit. Messing with Skunky was always good for that. Storm sighed in that way she always did when she thought I was being stupid or unreasonable, and put a hoof on my shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Do you wish to talk about what happened?” I mentally groaned at her stupidly formal way of talking. Anypony else would’ve said something like ‘You wanna talk about it?’, but that sort of speech was just too common for Lady Skunk. Shadow, she got on my nerves sometimes. “What’s there to talk about? We failed.” “Failed?” Storm prompted. I grimaced and tried to come up with a good way to explain. Stupid Skunky getting all nosy and bugging me about stuff I really didn’t wanna talk about. “It’s nothing major. Princess Luna just didn’t get what we set out to get.” Skunky frowned at me, which made her look even more like a stinky rodent. “Nothing major, yet you are clearly out of sorts. How can I help?” “I don’t know.” I shot a look at the armor she was wearing. Shadow’s Armor. “I don’t suppose I could borrow that for a bit?” Skunky hesitated, then slowly shook her head. “When last you attempted to claim it, Shadow judged you unworthy.” I scoffed and rolled my eyes. “Yeah, well, from what I heard about it you only got to use it by exploiting a loophole. And didn’t your Princess Twilight change how the Armor decides who’s allowed to wear it since then?” The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. Things would’ve gone differently in Freeport if I’d had Shadow’s Armor. Hay, I could’ve made a difference, instead of just being stuck on the sidelines and then getting turned into a Shadow-damned hostage that Luna had to end up surrendering to keep safe. Sure, Skunky might’ve needed it once or twice, but while I’d been off fighting in Freeport she’d been sitting around helping her princess organize a basement. “You’re not the only one who needs it. What makes you so worthy all the time?” Instead of actually answering me, Storm just let out another one of those ‘My sister is being stupid’ sighs. “Star, can we not do this?” “Fine, fine,” I snapped. A second later I realized I was starting to sound way too pissed off at her, which just justified her treating me like I was being stupid and unreasonable. “Sorry. Things ... we had it. I had it. I had her back through the whole trip, but at the end of it she came back empty-hooved because of me. I let her down.” I groaned and told her the story. “We had to throw down with a group of Freeporters to get her relic back: a damn bug, a pegasus who says she used to be EIS, and one of the strongest unicorns I’ve ever seen. Like, she went hoof-to-hoof with Princess Luna and held her own for a few minutes. Luna was gonna win it, but then the bug and the spook took me hostage.” I grimaced, my head hanging at the memory. “Princess Luna stopped fighting, and we were pretty much kicked out of Freeport.” “How did you get captured?” Storm asked, wrapping a wing around me. I grunted, mostly annoyed at myself as I remembered it. “I was watching the fight. It was so stupid, but I mean, who could blame me? It’s not every day you see a princess throwing down with someone who’s almost in their weight class. I was so busy watching I let unknowns get close in an active combat zone, and...” I mimicked holding a knife to my own throat. “That was it. So much for making a good impression on my first big mission with the Princess.” Storm listened carefully, then asked another one of her probing questions. “And what prompted the Princess to go to Freeport and start a fight with these individuals over a relic?” “Because it belongs to her,” I answered simply. “Well, indirectly. It was looted from her friend’s tomb a few centuries ago by Nightmare cultists and then bounced around until a few Freeporters laid their own claim to it. Since the royal family Her Highness was friends with died out, the sword reverted to her.” Skunky focused in on the most awkward part of the story. “This blade was stolen by servants of Nightmare Moon? That ... does rather complicate the entire matter. Especially if she had any direct involvement in the matter.” I grimaced and reluctantly nodded. “She never said for sure one way or the other, but it sure sounded like they had help from her directly. They knew stuff that only she could’ve told them, unless it’s just an implausibly big coincidence.” I sighed and ran a hoof through my mane. “If I had to guess, it sounds like Princess Luna wanted to reclaim it to set things right as much as making sure they didn’t get to hold onto a really nice sword.” “Ah,” Storm said as if that explained everything. “So it was a matter of redemption.” “In part, yeah,” I agreed, my shoulders slumping as the full implications sank in. “So now I not only dropped the ball in the fight, I derailed her attempt to redeem herself.” Storm shook her head. “No, that is not the problem. I think you forgot one of the most important rules: it is a royal guard’s duty to protect her princess from any possible threat. Sometimes that includes protecting the princess from herself.” I frowned at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?” “I thought my remark clear enough,” Storm answered levelly. “From your description, your princess had her judgment compromised. There are few things that can undermine a pony’s judgement as much as guilt, and Princess Luna has no shortage of that.” I groaned and buried my face in my hooves. “Shadow, you sound like Dad. Look, even if you're right—and you’re not—that sword’s still a powerful relic that belongs to Princess Luna. She doesn’t need to be emotionally compromised or anything to want to take back something that belongs to her.” “True,” Skunky conceded. “However, it is equally possible that she was blinded by guilt over her actions as Nightmare Moon.” “She was fine,” I growled. “I’m the one who screwed up.” “I do not agree,” Skunky insisted. I’d had just about enough of her and her stupid opinions. “What would you know? You weren’t there! This is a little different than planning for a panic attack because the library’s books are all alphabetized instead of being sorted by the Royal Canterlot Library system! I know what I was doing, Storm, and I know what I saw!” Skunky crossed her forelegs over her chest. “Do not bring Princess Twilight into this. I was simply pointing out a number of relevant facts.” “No you’re not!” I snapped. “It’s just your opinion on a mission you weren’t there for with a princess you barely know! It’s not like I asked you for your stupid opinion anyway!” Storm groaned and ran a hoof down her face. “I did not come here to argue with you.” “No, just tell me how to do my job!” “Star, I was just trying to—” “I DON’T CARE!” I roared at her. “I don’t care what you’re trying to do, you’re not helping! You’re just being a big stupid skunk like always, so just take your armchair assessment and your skunk smell and your Chosen One armor and get the buck out of here already!” Skunky flinched back. “Very well.” She took a deep breath, then slowly got up and walked away. As Strom trotted out of the room, I noticed a midnight blue glow closing the doors behind her. I winced as I realized whose magic that had to be. Sure enough, when I turned around Princess Luna was standing in the doorway, looking me over with a faint frown. “Trouble with your sister, Lieutenant?” Oh horseapples. Had I really just yelled at Storm right in front of Princess Luna? Way to work on my already damaged reputation. “Oh. Um ... so you heard that?” The Princess sighed and took a seat next to me. “One of the issues with having spectacular hearing is that you often overhear conversations without even meaning to.” I slumped down on the bench, wishing there was some way to sink down through the floor so I could go back to my room and hide for a few years. Out of all the embarrassing things I could’ve done, getting into a fight with my sister right in front of Princess Luna was pretty close to the top of the list. “Oh. Um, sorry about that, Your Highness.” She leaned back against the wall, her eyes turning upwards. “It is quite alright. It was a private family matter between the two of you. I owe you an apology if anything, and for more than merely overhearing a conversation between siblings.” I wasn’t sure what to make of that. “What do you mean, Your Highness?” Princess Luna sighed heavily. “I must apologize for the events of the last few weeks. I dragged you into a situation that put you in no small amount of danger.” I shook my head. “You did what you thought was right, Princess.” “Perhaps, but evidently what I thought was right was not.” She scowled and grumbled under her breath. “As my sister was so ready to tell me.” I flinched at the confirmation of my fears. “Yeah, it uh ... well I wasn’t trying to listen in, but it sounded like there was a bit of a disagreement.” “That is one way to put it.” Luna let out an annoyed huff. “She took me to task for my actions in Freeport. She is ... most displeased with me.” She ran a hoof through her ethereal mane. “I will be losing my adventuring funds for some time to pay restitutions to Freeport for my actions. What is more, the Crowns are giving up any current or future claims to the blade of Silver Ankh—neigh, I fear it must be Chainbreaker now. We will save a bit of face on that front by getting Freeport to drop a few of their old claims regarding the actions of our pirate hunters centuries ago, but ‘tis far from an equal exchange.” She grimaced as her ears drooped. “Finally, my sister expects me to make an apology to Archon Sunset. In person. And it is to be sincere.” “Oh.” From the sound of things, Celestia had come down on her really hard. Sure, technically they were supposed to be equal rulers, but Celestia was still the older sister. Not to mention that the whole Nightmare Moon thing was still fresh enough in everypony’s memory that they felt better with Celestia having at least some authority over her sister.. “Um ... sorry, princess.” Luna sighed and shook her head. “No, she ... has a point. I let myself become too enthusiastic in my efforts to retrieve Chainbreaker. As loath as I am to admit it, I went too far. Breaking into a museum was not one of my wiser decisions.” I felt obligated to speak up in her defense. “You were just trying to recover something that belonged to you.” “So I told myself,” Luna murmured. “But look at what it caused me to do: attempted theft, lies, and assaulting a mare who is both the leader of a nation we seek to build ties with and whom my sister views as something of a surrogate daughter. As my sister put it, at some point in that chain of events I should have stopped to question whether I was truly making the right decision.” I bit my lip, wondering about a few of the messier details about our mission. “Um, about what that changeling magus said...” The Princess’s teeth clenched, and she let out a frustrated sigh. “There ... that is probably the truth.” She slowly rubbed the side of her head. “My memory of my time as Nightmare Moon is not always clear, especially when it comes to events so long ago. However, the facts align in such as a way as to suggest that it is likely I played some role in the theft. Indeed, for me to somehow be uninvolved raises far more questions than if I am the guilty party.” Damn. That’s what I’d been afraid of. Maybe Storm was right that I should’ve said something about it to her. Sure, I didn’t know that she’d been involved, but I’d had enough facts to at least ask the question. Shutting down that line of thought out of loyalty to my Princess had seemed like the right move at the time, but maybe if I had pushed her on it I would’ve kept this whole mess from happening. “Um ... I’m sorry, Princess.” “The fault does not lie with you, Lieutenant. I feared as much as soon as I learned of Hidden Facts’ involvement, and in hindsight I wonder if I subconsciously recalled my guilt from the very beginning. Regardless, it seems my attempts at atonement have only created a bigger mess.” She ran a hoof down her face. “The Archon is not the only one to whom I owe an apology; Silver Ankh’s spirit deserves to know the truth. I can only hope that hearing his sword became such a powerful symbol to an entire nation will grant him a measure of peace. If nothing else, he should be reassured to learn that his blade has not fallen into evil hooves.” “Yeah, that makes sense.” I was no expert on ghosts, but if the guy’s spirit was restless because his sword had been stolen, letting him know it was in good hooves should be enough to let him move on. From what little I knew about the topic ghosts were usually supposed to be hanging around because they had unfinished business, and once that business was taken care of they moved on to ... well, wherever it is ghosts go. Neither of us said anything for a while after that. When Luna finally broke the silence, it came with a slight shift in topic. “It is never easy to face one’s own mistakes. Many ponies would sooner die than admit that they were in the wrong. And the matter is not helped by my sister being the one pointing such things out. Even if she—no, especially when she is right. Though I believe you know that all too well.” Oh goodie, looks like the conversation was coming back around to me and Skunky. This would be fun. That said, when it came to dealing with big sisters... “Yeah, I get that.” Luna nodded gravely. “I was certain you would understand my feelings. If you will forgive me for making suggestions regarding your private life, I think you should make an effort to seek harmony with your sister.” I ran a hoof down my face. “Yeah, well, easier said than done.” “Something I know all too well,” Luna murmured. “My sister and I often do not see eye to eye. We love each other deeply, but we also have a way of irritating one another to the point of arguing over even the smallest of things. Though we are family, we are also very different ponies with very different worldviews. Normally that is but a minor inconvenience, but...” “Yeah, I know how that goes.” Skunky and I had always been very different. Hay, there’d been one or two times when I’d gone out of my way to be different from her. When Skunky got big into opera and classical music, I deliberately started playing rock and pop as much as I could just because it was the most un-opera music I could think of. When she started acting more and more polite and formal, I responded by getting super-casual. Not that I was deliberately changing myself just to be different from her, but ... I dunno. Mom would probably say it was just one of those weird sibling things. Luna cleared her throat. “Still, do not let your discord simmer. Such things can poison the relationship between the two of you if the minor quibbles grow too harsh or happen too often. It is normal for siblings to disagree with one another, but...” I groaned and rubbed the back of my neck. “Yeah, I don’t—I mean, Storm’s a big stupid ugly stinky skunk of a pony, but ... she’s still my sister.” Luna smiled and nodded. “Indeed so, and that last fact is far more important than all the previous ones. Family is one of the most precious things in the world. And ... sometimes we must do things we do not enjoy to maintain our families.” She fixed me with a rather pointed look. “Like apologize for things we have done.” I grunted, thinking back to how my last chat with my sister had gone. In hindsight, maybe I’d been a bit too hard on her. After all, she was trying to help in her own stiff judgement skunky way. And I’d been pretty nasty to her, mostly just because I was in a bad mood after how rotten the last few weeks had been. Which meant... “Dammit, I’m gonna have to apologize to Storm.” A faintly amused smile pulled at her lips. “In my experience, it is better to see the matter through than to let it linger, however unpleasant it might be in the short term. Like ripping off a bandage, as the modern phrase goes. There are worse fates than apologizing to one’s elder sister, even if it is a damnable one.” I grinned weakly. “I dunno about that. Apologizing to my big sister is pretty much a textbook case of a fate worse than death.” “Mmm, quite,” Luna murmured. “But do you want to answer to your parents for why you are not getting along with your big sister?” I groaned and flopped back on the bench. “I’m not ... It’s not like I’m not getting along with her. We just butt heads every once in a while. It’s not a big deal.” “Like me and my sister often do?” Luna prompted. “Exactly,” I agreed. Then I thought about it for a moment, and remembered exactly whose sibling dynamic I was comparing myself to. Especially when I was the younger sister who sometimes resented and felt overshadowed by her stupid popular overachiever of a big sister. “Oh. Um, that’s...” Luna regarded me with a knowing smile tinged with just a tiny bit of old pain. “As I said, discord between siblings can be a poison. Let too much of it seep in and fester and the results can be catastrophic. A few words spoken in anger might matter far more than you realize. Do not let one failed mission be what destroys the bond between the two of you.” Considering the terms she’d just put everything in, there was really only one answer I could give. “Will do, Princess.” Luna nodded, seemingly satisfied with my answer. “I hope my words have helped you in resolving your current troubles. That is one of a princess’s duties to their subjects.” “It’s been a big help, Your Highness.” I was about to go take care of that when I realized there was still one bit of unfinished business. “Sorry about messing up back in Freeport, Highness.” “Do not concern yourself with it.” Luna waved my words away. “Even if I had succeeded in taking Chainbreaker from the Archon, my sister doubtless would have insisted I return the sword at once in addition to the other conditions imposed upon me. And besides, the sword is naught but a construct of metal and magic, and far less valuable than the life of a single loyal guardpony.” “Thanks, princess.” I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders. “I won't let you down again.” “You did nothing of the sort,” Luna assured me. “It is I who failed you by placing you in the situation to begin with. It was a battle that never should have been fought, and as such there was no true way it could end in victory. And do not forget your contributions in other fields. Without your help I might never have found the sword to begin with, and you played no small part in helping me escape from that fiendish trap within Ankh’s tomb.” “I guess.” I grimaced and shook my head. “Still, I feel like I should’ve done more in the fight against those Freeporters.” “We all wish that we could do more than what we are capable of.” She placed a hoof on my shoulder. “I realize it can be difficult for my guards to stand aside when I battle a dangerous foe, but you were wise to stay out of the way. You lacked the strength to challenge the Archon directly, and in all honesty all you could have accomplished would be to burden me with the task of protecting you or limiting my options for attacking her.” “Yeah, that’s what they always say about Code Gold situations.” I slumped back down in my seat. “Still, feels wrong to sit it out. I mean, that Archon was just a normal unicorn and she kept pace with you.” A hint of a smirk played at Luna’s lips. “Though my pride compels me to point out that I was firmly winning our battle, her performance was ... respectable. That said, I do not think the Archon of Freeport and the former student of my sister qualifies as normal by the standards of unicorns. Judging by what my sister has told me of her she is a most unique mare indeed. And, if you will forgive me for saying so, one who is far more capable in battle than you.” I grimaced, but it’s not like I could argue the point. I knew when I was massively outclassed. “So I guess that means you’re not going to fire me or have me reassigned for failing this mission?” Luna snorted and shook her head. “I never once considered replacing you. Even if you insist upon taking a measure of the blame for our failure in Freeport, I am the last pony who should judge another harshly for a single failure. None of us are perfect. You have served me loyally throughout this affair, and I would be most pleased to have you continue in my service.” She shot me a rather pointed look. “I do hope you do not intend to request another assignment.” “The thought never crossed my mind,” I assured her. Luna was my princess now. Maybe she wasn’t a perfect one, but she was one I’d sworn to serve. I wasn’t going to step away from that lightly. Or at all. Well, not unless she turned into Nightmare Moon again. That would be kind of a dealbreaker. I cleared my throat, and tried to get back into being a proper royal guard. I might not be Storm, but I still had standards. “So ... was there anything you needed, Your Highness?” “Yes, could you retrieve some paper and my writing instruments.” She grimaced and confessed. “It seems I need to write a letter of apology to Archon Shimmer so that I can have the opportunity to apologize in person when she arrives in Canterlot. My sister invited her for an official state visit to smooth over any ... wrinkles my activities might have caused.” “Goodie.” I might have accepted that we weren’t one hundred percent in the right on our trip to Freeport, but that didn’t mean I had to like seeing the Freeporters again. Especially if I had another run-in with Strumming Heartstrings. Once had been bad enough, and I had a feeling she was kind of the pony who’d make a point of seeking me out while she was in the area. “Anything else, or is that it?” Luna frowned in thought for a moment, then shook her head. “Once you see to that, you are free for the rest of the day. I have been demanding quite a bit of your service lately. And, more importantly, I believe you need to have a talk with your sister.” “Right. That.” I sighed. “I don’t suppose you could send me off to do something less painful than apologize to Storm? Maybe send me to the dimension of torture demons?” “If you would prefer visiting their dimension to apologizing to your sister, proper torture demons would simply compel you to make the apology,” Luna pointed out dryly. “Hadn’t thought of that, but you’re probably right.” I sighed and mentally girded myself for the unpleasant awkwardness of admitting that for once Skunky had been right, and I’d been wrong. I suppose it wasn’t the worst thing I’d have to deal with. At least I knew I had a good princess backing me up if I ran into any trouble. A thought occurred to me. “I guess you had to apologize to Celestia, right?” Luna was silent for a long moment. “I can hardly ask one of my guards to do something that I am not willing to do myself.” She paused a moment, then added under her breath, “Eventually.” I tried to keep a straight face, but I’m nowhere near as stoic as Skunky. Then Luna snickered, and I lost it completely. That set her off as well, and soon the two of us were laughing like a pair of lunatics.