Celestia opened the doors to the room, she wanted to see this strange alicorn for herself. She had been alerted to a strange alicorn making his way toward canterlot by a royal scout, she had decided to see who it was before she let Luna know. She walked in and stopped cold in her tracks when she saw who it was. She smiled.
“Brother!” She exclaimed pulling him into a hug, “Where in Equestria have you been?”
“In the old castle,” he replied in his usual Trottish accent. “In some tomb as though I were dead. Some ponies found me and woke me up, my thanks to them, and when I got up out of the coffin they ran away. I suppose they were frightened.”
“Well its good to have you back, Luna will be ecstatic.” Celestia giggled.
The guards in the room looked confused. They looked between their sun princess and the strange alicorn in front of them with the oversized longsword on his back.
“Your majesty, I mean no offense but who is this pony? We hardly know where he came from much less who he is.” A corporal asked.
“Corporal this is my brother Antares, he means no one any harm.”
“Well besides that fussock we called a father. Where is he by the way? I have something he’s had a long time coming.” Antares said with a scowl.
“He’s long gone.” Celestia assured, “You need to see Luna, she’s been having a rough time lately and seeing you alive and well might help with that.”
Luna had been seeing Polaris in the gardens often once her duties were finished, she even found him waiting there for her at times. This confused but filled her with joy, she enjoyed his company and he hers but she still didn’t see why he would behave in the way he was. He wasn’t hostile as most were, he wasn’t neutral that was certain, he acted friendly sometimes a little beyond that. An occasional tease here or there that made Luna blush, but nothing more than that. She had grown to see him as a close friend, at least consciously, what her inner mind thought she had no idea.
She was heading for bed after another night spent talking with him when she found her door unlocked. She reached under her left wing with her right hoof and grabbed the hilt of the tanto knife she had there. She used magic to open the door and seized the one just inside, she threw him onto the wall with her knife pressed to his throat, and his dirk pressed against her stomach.
“It’s nice to see you too sister.” Antares said smiling. “I see you haven’t forgotten a thing about fighting.”
“Brother, sorry I...” Luna began, pulling the tanto away from her brothers throat.
“Don’t be sorry, that was impressive.” He said to her pulling her into a hug and almost crushing her ribs.
“Need... breath.” Luna wheezed in his death hug.
He put her down, “I hear you’ve been in a rough patch lately, what’s going on?”
“Well, its just, memories.” Luna said to him. “You know the miasma father conjured to possess me?”
Antares nodded.
“It succeeded, and before its hold could be broken I had to be banished along with it. I spent one thousand years on my own moon with no one but that blasted Nightmare for company. I came back still possessed but six mares managed to weild the elements and separate me from her. Then when I came back, I was accepted, but I was alone, and the Nightmare never truly left.” Luna said to him, knowing for a fact that he could be trusted. “It tortured me in my sleep, it still does. I dont know what can be done.”
“Well, to destroy a demon, you must first destroy its master.”
Luna looked up at him, horror in her eyes, “Vulcan?”
Antares nodded. “I’m afraid so. We must find and kill father before we can kill this demon.”
“So thats what was wrong.”
Both heads turned to see Polaris standing in the doorway.
“Polaris? What are you doing here?” Luna asked.
“I was on my way to the barracks, I heard a commotion in your chambers, and I came to make sure you were safe.” He explained. “Luna, I had no idea. Why didn’t you tell me, or your sister? We could have helped.”
“My friend, Luna’s pain runs far deeper than a demon who gives her bad dreams. It runs far deeper than you can know. Both of our parents hated Luna, for one reason or another, it isn’t clear. And I don’t believe it is my place to tell you. If Luna believes you should know, then she will tell you. But I cannot, it would not be right. Ah, this can be discussed later, you must be tired sister, we’ll let ye sleep.”
So Antares ushered Polaris out and followed, closing the door behind him. Polaris turned to leave, but Antares seized his foreleg.
“I saw the way ye looked at her.” He said, “Do not, screw it up. If you do, you will be begging for death.”
Polaris kept his voice calm, despite his heart switching from blood to adrenalin in a matter of seconds. “I dont plan to. I love her, Antares, you can threaten me all you want but it wont effect anything. I will do what I can to make sure she is happy, even if it costs me my life.”
Polaris pulled away from Antares and began walking away. However, he was sure he heard “I hope so.”