//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 // Story: Tears of a princess // by lightningflare1 //------------------------------// Tears of a Princess Shining Armour frowned while he was being led to the hospital, not to visit his sister but to visit one of his friends instead, Flash Sentry. The Pegasus stallion was discovered by two guardpony heading to their post. They saw him clinging to life, badly wounded with one of his wings ripped off. The wounded stallion was rushed to surgery and was currently in a coma, doctors unsure if he was going to ever wake up. "Who would attack Flash like this?" Shining asked turning to silver, "Did they take anything? Was it another attempt on royalty?" "Nothing was taken, sir" silver replied with both stallions looking down at Flash, who was currently hooked up to machines and wrapped in bandages. "Princess Twilight and Luna were.... having an argument. Princess Twilight stayed in the lunar bedroom with lunar bat ponies guarding. They didn’t report anything suspicious, aside for the princess crying before falling asleep. Princess Luna was seen flying out of the castle. We later found her and secured her safety. Princess Celestia was in her chambers with guards posted, no suspicious behaviour was reported. And of course, Princess Cadence was with you during the attack. So, we can safely rule out it was another attempt on the princesses." "Dammit! Silver! How could you allow not one, but two attacks happen within the castle!" Shining shouted glaring at the Pegasus. Silver looked down, bowing his head at his still commanding officer. Shining might not be a captain of the royal guards anymore, but he was royalty either way, and would have probably made general if he wasn’t. "Please forgive me, sir." silver said as he proceeded to bow some more. "This traitor is causing us a lot of problems" "That’s not an excuse!" the white stallion snap back, "You’re supposed to protect the princesses! Regardless of what occurs! I didn’t recommend you have our security breach!" "I understand, sir. I apologize... I will fix this. The ponies responsible will be punished for their crimes." silver responded unable to look into his superior in the eye. "The ponies who attacked my sister, are probably the same ponies who attacked Guard 1st class, Flash Sentry! He must have discovered something, and they tried to silence him. The moment Flash awakes, I want to be informed right away!" "Yes sir" silver replied sighing as Shining left the room. Luna sat at the dining room table, she stared at her empty plate. The princess of the night wasn’t doing too well, ever since her fight with her wife. Luna was having trouble sleeping, performing her royal duties, and her general activities. She was guilt-ridden, how could she slap Twilight like that?! No wonder, Twilight didn’t want to be with her anymore. "Sister?" Celestia sat up and gently placed a wing over the small alicorn, "Luna, we should talk about what happened." A large sigh left the lunar princess’s mouth, she looked up at her sister with tired bangs under her eyes. "I rather not, sister" "Luna." Celestia sternly said frowning slightly, "You haven’t been taking care of yourself for days, now. We’re going to talk about that fight, you had with Twilight." She sighed even more and nodded in defeat. Luna enjoyed putting up a fight with her sister and would sometimes win but something like this. She just wanted to get it over with, and nothing else. "Firstly, where is Twilight right now?" Celestia asked "She went to her castle.... you should tell Shining Armour," Luna replies staring blankly at the table. "I will but I’m more concern about you," Celestia said trying her best to comfort her sister. "This is the first time we fought.... we both said terrible things to each other.... being led by our emotions." The moon princess explained with a big sigh. "We said things.... which we knew would hurt the other. Deep down, I knew what I was saying would hurt Twilight, remembering what she has gone through, but I still said it. And Twilight was doing the same, she said I couldn’t understand what she’s going through. That foal was mine as well... I know it’s different for Twilight because she’s the one carrying it. But that foal was still mine...." "Sister, I'm so sorry for both of your lost. Grief, anger, and pain can cause ponies to do things out of nature. Both of you said terrible things, now both of you have to apologise." the solar princess explained and gave her sister a small nuzzle. "I slapped her, sister...." Luna whispered. She glanced down at her hoof, still remembering how her hoof made contact to Twilight’s cheek. The force she swung and the tingling sensation, she felt after she had forced Twilight to the ground. "I hit her.... because she told me, I couldn’t protect anypony. Not her.... or our foal...." "Luna, you know Twilight didn’t mean it, she only said that in anger," Celestia said wrapping her wing around her sister, giving her a well-needed hug. "I know she didn’t.... but it still hurts... I’m so scared. Is that how Twilight feels deep down? I mean.... she’s right. I couldn’t protect her or our foal" Luna sob quickly whipping away tears with her hoof. "Luna, you did everything you could to keep Twilight safe. What we’re facing right now; the traitor, the attacks, and Moneybags and his follows. Those are difficult challenges to face. You’re doing the best you can, and Twilight understands this. But there are things you or I, can’t predict or prevent. The traitor found a way to get rid of all the security measures you took. None of that is your fault.... if anything, it’s mine. That pony who betrayed us came from my royal guards, not yours. My own captain of the guards wasn’t aware of this pony betrayal, not yours. You shouldn’t be too hard on yourself for what has occurred. Twilight and you need to talk to each other and apologizes. Both of you are in pain and said things without thinking." "I don’t think Twilight wants to see me again," Luna whispered sniffing slightly. She took her napkin and did her best to clean up her teary face. "Why would you say that?" the elder princess asked. "Twilight said, to get out of her life.... and I said, I was happy too" Luna explained moving her gaze away. "Oh Luna, you should listen to your big sister," Celestia said with a soft chuckle. Luna looked up and smiled, she knew Twilight said those things in anger. But she just needed her big sister to remind her, to comfort her about it, and to be there for her in her time of need. "You know I usually don’t listen to you," she said embracing her sister tightly, "But I can make an exception." Celestia smiled as the two sisters embraced each other. "What am I going to do with you?" Twilight sighed as she flips through a page of her book. She was trying to get her mind off the fight she had with Luna. But was failing miserably. Once she has taken the time to calm down. The realization of what she had said hit her, and it hit her hard. She was the one who was selfish, only thinking about herself and no pony else. Of course, Luna would be hurt by the loss of the foal. She wasn’t the only one grieving, Luna was too. It was her foal too, and yet, Twilight was bold enough to accuse her wife of not understanding. Twilight deserved that slap to the face, bringing up her wife’s sensitive past was too much. "TWILIY!" Twilight jolt in surprise with her brother barging into the library. He quickly embraced his little sister, giving her a tight hug. "ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!" "Shining!" Cadence shouted running inside after him, "Twilight, thank Celestia you’re alright." "Shining, Cadence…. What are you doing here?" Twilight groan through her brother’s bear hug. "What do you mean, 'what are we doing here?!' You just got STABBED!" Shining yelled practically into his sister’s ear. Twilight frown pushing her brother away. Twilight rubbed her ears slightly, "Stop yelling, BBBFF." Shining gave a small pout, he quickly sat down on his flank and sighed. "Twilight, are you alright? You just got attacked and…. I wasn’t able to help you." "I’m alright, big brother," Twilight replied wrapping a wing around him, "The doctors said, I will make a full recovery with just some scars." "Still…." he whispered staring blankly at the floor. Well…. At least things turned out well in the end, Cadence thought, smiling at her sister in law. She walked over giving the purple mare a small hug, "Twilight, how are you? I mean…. Aside from your recovery?" "Doing well, I suppose…. Spike has been a great help lately." Twilight replied "Spike? Isn't Luna helping you? Is she too busy?" Cadence asked, naturally expecting the lunar princess to eagerly help her wife. I should have expected this…., Twilight thought staring down at her hooves, trying her best to hold back her tears. She felt a few tears quickly escape her hold, she quickly whips it away and hoped no pony noticed. "Twilight?" a soft voice called out. Cadence sat down next to her, "What happened with Luna?" "After the attack… Luna and I fought over my miscarriage." Twilight explained taking a deep breath, trying to stop her tears from overflowing. "MISCARRIAGE?!" Shining shouted before receiving a pink wing in the face. "Now is not the time!" Cadence snap at her husband, giving him a death glare to keep the stallion quiet. "Please continue, Twilight." "I was…. so… I wasn’t thinking…. and I yelled at her. I accused Luna of not understanding how I felt about the foal. I knew what I was saying was wrong…. I just wanted to yell at myself for what I was saying. I said…. Luna couldn’t even protect me or the foal…. Then I brought up her past as Nightmare Moon. So…. She hit me…. And I deserved it." Twilight explained taking a napkin from Cadence’s magical aura. "Twilight, I know losing a foal isn't easy," Cadence said ignoring Shining Armour’s shocked expression. "But I know, you two will get through this. What Luna and you said to each other wasn’t from the heart. You were both blinded by your emotions, your grief, your pain. That’s what was talking during that fight, not what you were feeling from the heart." "I…. I told…. Luna, she couldn’t protect me…. or the foal. Luna is in pain as much as me…. and yet, I said that to her…." Twilight said slamming her hoof against the table, "What kind of pony am I?! Why does Luna even love me! I cause her nothing but trouble! The curse was all my fault! I ignored Luna’s warnings and tried to get rid of the help she was trying to give me. And yet…. Luna still loves me…. For some reason." "Twilight, go back and apologies, alright? I’m the princess of love, I’ve seen many ponies in love with each other. And trust me when I’m saying this, Luna and you are meant for each other. The love you two share is strong. You two are facing a tiny bump in the road right now, but don’t underestimate the love you two share. Luna has waited over a thousand, no maybe two thousand years to find you. And now that she has found you, and you found her…. A little fight won't tear you two apart." Cadence explained smiling softly at her sister in law. Twilight smiled and embraced her tightly in her hooves. She whips away more tears, "Thank you, Cadence…. You have no idea how much… I needed to hear this." "That’s what sisters are for," Cadence said hugging her back "Oh! Right…. Twilight," Shining said taking a few moments to compose himself, trying to find the right words. How was he supposed to break the news, that one of his sister’s best friends was almost at death’s doors? "Just tell me, Shining," Twilight said "Flash…. Was suddenly attacked when he was heading to his post. The attackers escaped capture…. We believe it’s the same ponies, who had attacked you because they knew the layout of the castle. Doctors aren’t sure…. If he’ll make it, but I’m hopeful he will." Shining said giving his sister a reassuring smile. Twilight stared in utter shock; Flash was attacked for some unknown reason? Wait…. No, if Flash was attacked it was because he knew something. "It has to be Moneybags and his associates…… yeah! That must be it!" Twilight said shedding a few tears. "We suspecting Moneybags is behind this," he said placing his hoof around his sister, "Twilight, I know you don’t like being treating differently. I’m going to have Captain Crimson from the lunar guards to assign a protective detail. You’re never going to be alone without a royal guard present, do you understand me?" "There are already guardpony around the castle," Twilight said glancing at the lunar guard near the doorway. "Twilight, I don’t care! Luna and I would agree on this. I'm placing a personal guardponies around you twenty-four seven." He said giving his sister a stern glare. Twilight knew that glare her brother was giving her. Shining stared at her like that only twice in their entire lives. The first time was when she had broken a valuable collectible from his collection after she had broken into its protective case. The second time was when she disobeyed him and almost got hurt because of it. That stern glare of his, he meant business and there was no point on arguing with him about it. "Fine…. But I want to see Flash," Twilight said