//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Nobles and Commoners // Story: Moon and Magic // by Phoenix Nebula //------------------------------// Moon and Magic Chapter 4: Nobles and Commoners [6 years earlier; The Moon Kingdom] “Mommy, what do princesses do?” a young Twilight asked her mother. Luna looked down at her daughter, who was sitting next to her on the balcony overlooking the palace grounds. Luna hummed in thought as she turned her head to look up to the planet they orbited. She thought about the question for a few moments, trying to decide how to answer it, eventually responding with some uncertainty. “Well… we do a lot of things, really. My sister and I both protected Equestria using our magic to get rid of threats. In the early days of Equestria, we were always leading armies to protect our new nation. As time went on and we established ourselves, war became rarer, and we opened up trade, beginning a transition into a diplomacy focused nation. We started to write laws and implemented them. At least that was how we did it in the earlier years. As Equestria grew, we began to appoint ponies to certain positions to make it easier for us, though that usually just added more things we had to account for. We were also the bringers of day and night, and consequently were central to the maintaining of harmony,” she explained. “Wow!… Will I do that someday?” Twilight asked her mother, who hid her concern behind a caring smile. I hope so, my little star. I could not hope for anything more. “Someday you will. I know you will do great things one day, Twilight. I see so much potential in you, and someday, you’ll be a great princess.” “So will you teach me to be a good princess?” Twilight asked again with excitement in her voice. Luna chuckled at her daughter’s antics, always amused by her eager to learn attitude, and as a result, she was always willing to teach. “Yes, of course, I will, I’ll teach how to use your magic to protect ponies, I’ll teach you to rule with respect and confidence. I’ll teach you to be the best princess you can be.” Twilight began to hop up and down in excitement electing a laugh out of her mother. “Can you teach me now? Can you please?!” she begged. Luna could only smile in response. “Very well. Why don’t we begin with how to act around others?...” Twilight walked through the halls of Canterlot Castle alone, a rare sight for a place so filled with guards, so the average onlooker might find it strange, but in reality, it was precisely what the mare wanted. She wanted to find her own way through the castle, that and she had heard there was a vast library, and she might run off to find it on her own. Considering no one followed after her she assumed that no one was concerned. Besides, she could take care of herself, mostly due to her mother’s lessons. Twilight hummed happily as she cataloged and drew up a mental map of the castle's halls. She was honestly impressed with how intricate the castle was laid out, leading her to believe it was designed this way so that anyone trying to take the castle would have a hard time navigating it, and thus slowing down their advancements. It was something Twilight could appreciate, since she preferred to outsmart her opponents rather than use brute force, though those two things weren't mutually exclusive. Although she never was able to beat her mother at her strategy games, Luna has admitted that she has never gone easy on Twilight. The young pony may not be an alicorn, but she was no pushover either, and that was proven to be a good thing too, moments later in her search for the library. Thankfully, she was paying attention or she might’ve actually collided with them. The pony himself also noticed her and stopped to regard her, flipping his golden mane flamboyantly before speaking. “Greetings,” he started. “May I inquire who you may be? I do not believe I have met you before,” he asked plainly. Twilight was put off slightly by his lack of enthusiasm, or any emotion for that matter, but not wanting to be rude and remembering her mother’s teachings, she stood up straight and replied kindly. “My name is Twilight Sparkle, it is a pleasure to meet you,” she said with a slight bow of her head. Instead of returning the gesture the stallion raised an eyebrow. “Twilight Sparkle? I am not aware of any noble house called Sparkle,” he stated with mild suspicion. Twilight gave the white stallion a confused look. What does noble house have to do with anything? She questioned silently but replied to the pony nonetheless. “Uh, I’m not part of a noble house, I am the daughter of Princess Luna, so I guess I’m technically from the House of the Sun and Moon?” she explained. The stallion’s look of suspicion was in full effect now, clearly displaying his disbelief. “You’re clearly lying, we only have one princess, and that’s my Aunt Celestia. Also, there is no house of the sun and moon, it’s just the House of the Sun,” he stated matter of factly with a haughty expression on his muzzle. Twilight furrowed her brow at the stallion’s tone and attitude, but decided to not reply in kind, instead opting to explain the situation to him. “I’m telling the truth. You just haven't been informed of her return.” “Return?” “Yes, she has returned from her banishment.” “If she is a princess and an alicorn, she must have been banished for a very long time for me to have never heard of her,” he stated in a condescending tone. Twilight wasn’t sure if she could avoid mentioning that Luna was Nightmare Moon, but she didn’t have much other option other than walk away and that would be rude. “Yes, almost a thousand years.” “Now I know you’re lying, you're likely just a commoner trying to leech off the princess,” Twilight could only feel offended, but tried her best not to show it, and continued to refute his statements. “I’m not lying; my mother has been on the moon for almost a thousand years.” Yeah, I definitely sound crazy saying it out loud, she lamented, and the golden-maned stallion seemed to agree, scoffing at the words. “You are a really bad liar. I suggest you leave the castle before I call the guards or throw you out myself,” he stated before sticking his muzzle in the air. Okay, I’m done being nice, Twilight thought, having run out of patience. “No, I’m going to the library. You may not believe me, but I have no true reason to deal with your attitude anymore,” she said, calling him out. The pony gasped and looked greatly offended, almost to an exaggerated degree. “How dare you speak to me in such a manner. I am Prince Blueblood! I am the highest born noble, and you are subordinate to me; a mere common mare. Now leave before I make you!” he commanded, ending with a firm stomp on the ground. Twilight just glared at him, uncaring. “Like I said; I’m going to the library, so have an awfully nice day,” she stated before she began to walk in the direction she had initially been going. She hadn't made it more than three paces before she felt herself wrapped in someone else’s magic, a thin blue haze descending over her vision. “No, you’re not. I’m taking you to the front gate. Commoners do not belong in the castle,” he stated it as if it were an indisputable fact. Twilight, however, wasn’t having any of it. With a flash of her horn, she easily dispelled the magical grip holding her, turning around and fixing Blueblood with a withering glare. He seemed unfazed by it and just gave her an annoyed expression. “You are really trying my patience now, little filly.” He spoke as if he were talking down to a belligerent foal, with a displeased look accompanying it. “You’re the one acting like a child,” she countered, continuing, “I’m just minding my own business, trying to find the library, and here you are talking down to me and grabbing me with your magic in an attempt to throw me out of the castle. I’ve been trying to be polite this entire time, and you have been nothing but a pain in the flank. I suggest you leave me to go on my way and stop bothering me;!I’d rather not hurt you.” Blueblood just stared at her with his mouth ajar, gathering himself a moment later as his face turned red with anger. “How dare you speak to me in such a manner! I am a prince - you will respect me!” he yelled, lighting his horn. Once more Twilight felt herself being wrapped in the stallion’s magic. Twilight lit her horn again, but instead of simply dispelling the magical hold, she redirected its energy back at the prince, causing Blueblood to stumble back from both the magical backlash and surprise. “What? How did you do that?” Twilight just shrugged, answering without much interest, “simple, I redirected your magic, it’s not that hard really.” “No, how did you have the magical skill to do that? No low born should be that skilled!” he exclaimed in disbelief. Twilight gave an annoyed snort, getting tired of his ‘holier than thou’ attitude. “You really need to grow up. Just because you're a prince does not inherently make you better than everyone,” Twilight explained, barely managing to keep the mocking tone out of her voice. It’s not really my place to teach him a lesson, but it’s clear he hasn’t learned something most foals learn early on in life. “That’s exactly how it works!” Blueblood argued, a frustrated snarl almost forming on his face. “My bloodline is powerful, and thus it’s only normal that I am more talented than others,” he declared, lifting his muzzle to be as high as possible. Twilight face-hoofed at his statement, pulling her hoof down her face while groaning. It was clear she wasn’t going to be able to get him to leave her alone with just words. “Fine. Then prove you are stronger. Beat me in a duel,” she challenged, thinking, This should be quick. “Challenge accepted, but not here. There is a dueling arena in the guard training field. We can battle there.” “Is it on the castle grounds? You’re not kicking me out that easily.” “Yes, it is within the castle grounds. I shall lead the way,” he said, not waiting for a response before turning around and beginning to walk. Twilight didn’t really want to give him the satisfaction of her walking behind him, but she swallowed her pride and did so anyway. As they walked, Twilight thought on how to approach the duel. Her mother had tried to train her to sense the magic in other things, but she was never able to refine it enough to sense anything less powerful than an alicorn. Instead, she had to just base her opponent’s magical strength off of what she already knew. Blueblood had already tried to grab her with his magic twice, and both times she was able to counter it with little to no effort. However, that wasn’t the best judge of power considering telekinesis was one of the simplest and least demanding spells there was. In other words, she knew next to nothing about her opponent, and if he seemed to think he was so great, then there must be some validity to it. If he is a noble then he was likely trained since birth on how to use magic, so he may not be as much of a pushover as she had originally assumed. My best strategy would be to either act quickly and take him down before he has a chance to do anything, or let him have the first move and plan accordingly. She thought, before making her mind up. I best go with the latter option, I want to learn my opponent first. “We're here,” Blueblood spoke as he pushed open a large door to reveal a large yard full of training equipment, consisting of training dummies, target ranges, and a myriad of raised and tilted platforms for different types of terrain. There was also a large track surrounding a white circle with a dividing line through the middle of it; a dueling circle. “I suggest you back out now.” Twilight rolled her eyes at his statement. “I should offer you the same opportunity, but I know that neither of us is going to back down, so it’s rather pointless,” the mare retorted, starting at the circle. The noble stallion just scoffed before making his way to one side of the dueling circle. Twilight made no response as she made her way to the other side of the circle. As she walked she noticed many of the guards stopping in the middle of their training to give her a concerned look. Many of them looked worried for her. What has gotten into them? She wondered. “Sister, the castle looks amazing…” Luna said as she and Celestia were finishing up their tour of the palace. “I’m surprised you like it, it’s been designed with a sun theme in mind. When it was being built, I felt bad for not making it a sun and moon theme, but many of our subjects were still… fearful of you at the time,” Celestia mumbled the last bit of her sentence, leading Luna to smile and drape a wing over her sister. “Worry not, dear sister, I have long left my jealousy behind. I have my own castle on the Moon now, do not feel shame because you have something that is yours but not mine,” Luna reassured her sister, Celestia gave a thankful smile in return. “So does that mean you’ll be going back to the moon?” “Probably at some point, maybe bring a few ponies with me as subjects, but I think you should talk to Twilight on that. Apparently, she has an idea for making transport between Equestria and the Moon easier.” “Really now? If she can pull something off like that, I might not have anything to teach her.” “We could always let her into the royal archives.” “I’m afraid to see what would happen if she got ahold of that kind of knowledge.” The two royal siblings chuckled at that. They continued walking down the hall for a few more moments. Soon they pushed through a large double door that lead to an archway overlooking what Luna assumed was a training yard. That was when she saw the purple unicorn. “Ah, there is my daughter!” Luna smiled. Celestia turned to see that Twilight was indeed there, but instead of smiling, she gave a quizzical look. “What is she doing in the guard training yard though? I thought she was looking for the library,” Luna looked at her sister and then back at her daughter. “Yes, that is a good question…” she trailed off when she noticed the unicorn was standing on one end of a dueling circle. Her eyes shot over to the other end of the circle to see a white unicorn with a golden mane. “She appears to be dueling that stallion there,” she pointed to the pony in question. Celestia followed her sister's hoof and gasps slightly at who it was her new niece was dueling. “What is the matter, sister?” “I hope Twilight is as trained in combat as you say she is because that pony is no pushover when it comes to magic,” the white alicorn remarked. “Who is he?” “That is Prince Blueblood the 14th,” Celestia explained, “He is of both the Houses Gold and Platinum. The two noble houses merged shortly after your banishment and became the Bluebloods.” “Hmm, so he is of a prestigious line then.” “Yes, and he has been trained since he was two on how to use his magic. He also went to my school for a time. He is exceptionally talented with his magic. Twilight will have to be careful because he has a wide, straight channel and a large wellspring.” “But I have personally trained Twilight,” Luna countered, “She will be fine.” “I’m sure she will, besides Blueblood could use an attitude readjustment, if I’m being honest,” Celestia said with a smirk. Down below, a guard stepped forward to be a referee for the duel. “Do both participants know the rules of dueling?” he asked, getting a nod from both ponies as a response. He gave his own nod of understanding. “Very well, then you may begin,” the guard said before taking a few steps back. Blueblood made the first move, igniting his horn and summoning a dense beam of golden magic that flew towards the purple unicorn. Without so much as a flinch, Twilight summoned a flat shield, angling it at a forty-five-degree angle so the magical beam was deflected upwards. Seeing that his attack was not doing anything, Blueblood immediately stopped his attack and moved onto the next one, not allowing for any rest. Several orbs of magic appeared around him before flying toward his opponent at varying angles and speeds. Acting quickly, Twilight reshaped her magical barrier to the form of a long blade. Using the flats of the telekinetic blade, she batted the orbs of magic to the side where they exploded upon hitting the ground, creating relatively small damages to the area. The last few orbs of magic she cleaved in half in a way that both parts would miss her. Twilight still hadn't moved from her spot. Blueblood looked frustrated and began his next attack. He started firing curving polt so of magic from his horn at the mare. He quickly followed it up by sending out a telekinetic shockwave, then a massive pillar of magical energy. Now you’ll have to move from that spot! He thought as he prepared for his next spell. It would take a moment to charge up, but he would have enough time while she was dealing with his other attacks. Twilight once more batted away his magical bolts with her magical blade. Acting quickly she moved the blade back into a barrier slamming it into the ground in front of her and curved it back to dispel the shockwave’s impact. However, when the raging pillar of magic hit, she was not fully prepared and was thrown back from her position. She tumbled a few paces before righting herself. Yes! Blueblood exclaimed in his mind as he cast his spell. Golden tendrils shot out from the ground around the mare. They wrapped around her barrel and limbs, pulling her to the ground. “Ah!” she exclaimed as she was immobilized. “You think you were clever by charming the spot where you stood, thinking you wouldn’t have to move from it,” he mocked while summoning more orbs of magic and throwing them towards his combatant. They hit true, causing Twilight to grunt in pain, but instead of seeming annoyed, she just smiled. “You are foolish to think it was a guarding enchantment,” she remarked. Blueblood’s look of confusion soon turned to horror as the spot where Twilight had been standing glowed to life with runic patterns. A dark mass shot out of the runes and flew towards the stallion. He attempted to summon a shield but it was useless. The dark magic broke through his protection and engulfed him. He cried out in shock as his magic was sucked out of his body through his horn. The tendrils holding Twilight vanished, and she stood up only mildly scuffed up. She dispelled the dark magic surrounding her opponent and he fell to the ground. Blueblood was sweating and breathing heavily. He felt weak as if all the energy was drained right out of his body, and if he was being honest, that was probably what happened. He laid there for several seconds before finally pushing himself to his hooves, or at least he tried to. It took him several tries, but he eventually got on all four hooves. He glared at Twilight and tried to cast a spell, but all that came from his horn was a few sparks. He lost his footing and fell to his rump. “I- I concede,” he said through heavy breaths, panting. The guard that had been overlooking the duel took a moment to snap out of his shock, using a shake of his head to focus his thoughts back into reality. He turned to Twilight, his expression anything but calm. “You are the winner of this duel,” he said with disbelief clear in his voice. Twilight nodded in understanding, before turning her head back to Blueblood and approaching him with a concerned expression. “Are you okay?” she asked. The noble remained silent for a few seconds. Soon, however, he started to chuckle and soon that chuckle turned into full-blown laughter. Twilight gave him a quizzical look, confused over his amusement. “What’s so funny?” “Th-that was a-amazing!” he exclaimed between breaths, now looking up at Twilight with a big smile. “I have not lost a duel in years!” he exclaimed with excitement in his voice, slowly catching his breath. “Why, thank you. I’ve been training under my mother for almost seven years.” “Well, she must be a great mage because you have been trained well; you looked like you barely even tried,” he complimented. “Yes, it looks like she has taken our lessons to heart,” a regal voice said, filled with pride. When Blueblood turned to address the one who spoke, his jaw dropped. “I must admit I’m impressed as well. I was wondering how well you were trained by my sister. It looks like you hardly used any magic,” Celestia remarked with curiosity. “It was the first lesson mom taught me; efficiency over power. Or as she put it; be an anvil not a hammer, the hammer will always break first,” Twilight recited proudly. Luna smiled and pulled her daughter into a wing hug. “I’m very proud of you, my little star,” she nuzzled her daughter’s head with a motherly expression on her face. “Mom, there are ponies here, don’t embarrass me,” she complained but returned the hug nevertheless. “WAIT, HOLD ON! WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!” Blueblood exclaimed. “Your mother is Nightmare Moon?! And she isn’t trying to plunge Equestria into an eternal night?!” he yelled in confusion, looking between his aunt and the embracing pair. Celestia giggled at Blueblood’s reaction, hiding her mouth with a hoof. “My sister has returned from her banishment after conquering her inner darkness, and now takes the form of her darker self, remaining who she truly is on the inside,” Celestia explained, attempting to reassure the prince. “So you really are the daughter of the Princess of the Moon? No wonder you are so powerful - your mother is an alicorn for Faust’s sake!” he exclaimed, almost in hysterics. “I’m actually adopted - Luna isn’t my biological mother,” Twilight explained, nuzzling her mother’s barrel. Luna looked a little hurt by this statement, but Twilight noticed this and tightened her grip on the hug. “She is still my mother though, despite the fact she didn’t give birth to me,” Twilight reassured, and Luna smiled happily as she hugged her daughter tighter. “So you are not royal blood?” Blueblood asked before looking down at his hooves, mumbling “I was beaten by a commoner…” “I hope you learned a lesson from this Blueblood,” the solar princess remarked. Blueblood looked up and saw Celestia’s smug smile, leading him to sigh in defeat. “Yes, yes I have…” he turned to look at Twilight. “I’m sorry for my earlier assumptions about you, Princess Twilight Sparkle,” he apologized with a bow. “Please, just Twilight is fine.” “Hmm, very well, Twilight. It was an honor to duel you.” “Same.” “Sister, is the Mage Guild still active in this era?” the lunar princess asked, turning to the elder alicorn. “Yes, the Mage Guild is indeed still around. Why do you ask?” she replied, then looked at Twilight as she immediately understood what her sister was implying. “Do you wish to have Twilight join the Mage Guild?” Blueblood laughed, shaking his head in amusement. “Join?” he scoffed, before exclaiming, “They would probably make her the grand mage!” “I think for now we should focus on just crowning her princess,” Celestia said. Again, she got a scoff from Blueblood, this time out of disbelief. “There is no way the rest of the nobility would agree to that,” he remarked, continuing, “you will have to inform them that Twilight is adopted, and because she is not of noble or royal blood, they would outright vote no. I mean, you definitely have my vote, and I’m sure you will have the vote of Fancy Pants and his wife, but that's only three votes out of nine. A majority is needed, at the very least.” “That won’t be a problem. Luna’s banishment was created by me and that means I am the only one who has the power to rescind the banishment and give her back her position as a diarch. With that done, I can just pull out an old clause that states if two princesses wish, they can overrule any vote made by the nobility,” Celestia explained, finishing her statement with a smile. “Still an expert at political maneuvering I see,” Luna dryly noted, Celestia, letting out a short laugh in response. “Well of course, how else would I rule the nation?” “Sister, we are practically goddesses; you could just force them to comply if you wished.” “Then it wouldn’t be as fun watching them think they can outsmart me,” the white alicorn said with a cheeky smile. “You were always the clever one, Celestia,” Luna said with a shake of her head. “Yes, and you were always the warrior, little sister,” she replied with a warm smile. “Speaking of which, there is a council meeting in a few minutes. I think we should head there now,” at this point Twilight groaned, kicking her hoof off the ground. “I never got to go to the library!” she exclaimed with a tone of annoyance. Luna just chuckled at her daughter’s frustration. “Do not worry, you will have time to go to the library in the coming days,” Luna assured her daughter, who sighed but agreed nonetheless with a resigned nod. “Okay, but tomorrow I am going to the library and there is nothing anypony can do to stop me!” she declared with a stomp of her hoof. The two alicorns giggled at the young mare’s antics, while Blueblood simply shook his head, before getting back up onto all four hooves. “I best head to the council room now. It’s important as a high member of the nobility that I am punctual,” Blueblood stated as he made his way off the field, albeit slowly, clearly still tired from his duel. Once he was gone, Twilight spoke to Celestia, asking seriously, “so, how are you going to introduce me to the nobility? And are they really going to try and reject me?” “I’ll tell them, and explain my sister’s return too. It’ll take a little while to convince them that she is not here to create eternal night. Once that is done, we will then tell them there is a new member of the royal family and that’s when I’ll introduce you. As for them rejecting you, it’s almost certain that a majority will say no. The problem with the nobility is that they have a strong belief of a noble bloodline, with a few exceptions. Considering you were not born of a noble family, most will flat out reject you. However, as I already explained, both Luna and I can easily overrule them,” Celestia explained, prompting Twilight to nod in understanding. “If I’m going to be a princess, will I have to do all this political maneuvering?” “Maybe someday, but for now you’ll just be a princess in name. I can train you in the art of diplomacy, if my sister will allow it,” she gave Luna a sideways glance, asking for her opinion nonverbally. “I have no qualms, Sister. I think it is important that Twilight learn the complexities of government and how to survive in the world of politics,” the lunar alicorn replied, smiling slightly. “Very well then, but let us first get all the important parts done first. Let’s head to the council chamber,” Celestia began to walk away in the same direction Blueblood did. “Oh Sister, since you enjoy messing with the nobility so much I may have an idea,” Luna gave a mischievous fanged grin, one that Celestia returned with her own. “I’m listening…” The large doors to the council chamber were pushed open by a golden glow of energy. Inside the room, nine heads turned to the door and the one who had opened it. The room was large and round, with a raised circular platform in the center, and around that, there were rows of seats, though only nine were occupied. On the opposite side of the room, a large throne and dais stood splitting the rows of seats that wrapped the room in half. Heads and eyes followed the individual who entered the room as they made their way to the throne. “I’m sure you are all wondering why I called you in today,” Princess Celestia calmly said as she sat down on the throne. “I’m sure you all have noticed that the moon has changed. No longer is it grey with the visage of a unicorn marked on its surface, but instead a blue and green jewel in the sky.” “Yes, Your Highness, we have indeed noticed,” a white unicorn with a blue mane and mustache wearing a fancy suit and monocle spoke, “I assume you have an explanation for this?” “Yes I do, Fancy Pants. But first I must tell you all a story; less than a thousand years ago, I was not the sole ruler of Equestria, but in fact, ruled with a sister,” she began to explain. Whispers rang out among the members of the council, but no one interrupted, allowing Celestia to continue, “my sister's name was Luna, and we ruled over Equestria together for many years. Unfortunately, ponies did not appreciate my sister’s night as much as they loved my day. Over time she grew jealous and eventually rebelled throwing Equestria into a civil war. The war raged for many years until it was ended in a final confrontation between my sister and I. In that final battle, my sister succumbed to her darkness and transformed into the dreaded Nightmare Moon.” Many members of the council gasped in shock, while a few decided to make a comment. “That’s just an old mare’s tale, Your Highness,” one of the nobles spoke up, a baby blue unicorn stallion with a cobalt blue mane that had a silver stripe running through it, “you expect us to believe that?” he skeptically asked, disbelief clear in her tone. The council member next to him, a deep red mare with a white mane, mumbled something about the princess ‘going senile’. Normally, Celestia wouldn’t reply to such remarks, but this time decided to take some of her sister’s advice and assert her authority. “I’m still youthful enough to hear such remarks, Lady Fire Lily,” Celestia replied neutrally while turning to look directly at the mare in question, who immediately froze and began to stammer. “I-I-I m-m-meant n-no ins-s-sult, Your Highness…” she spoke, her eyes darting back and forth. “I’m sure you didn’t, Fire Lily, just please keep such remarks to yourself from now on,” she said calmly, but with a clear undertone of finality. The mare just nodded and kept her mouth carefully closed. “Now as I was saying, in the final battle my sister became Nightmare Moon. I eventually won the battle and banished my sister to the moon, and as a result, the moon gained its mark of the mare in the moon.” “Zo, if that's true and lé moon no longair 'as eet’s mark zen zat means…” Fleur-de-lis, a light pink mare with a bubblegum pink mane and white stripe running through it, spoke quietly, before trailing off as she fit the pieces together. “Yes, my sister has returned from her banishment on the moon.” The entire council chamber was deathly silent, only being broken after several moments, when another member of the nobility spoke up, this time a stallion with a dark blue coat and a black mane. “If Nightmare Moon has returned, then how come we are not in eternal night? If I remember correctly, the story said that the Nightmare wanted to create eternal night. Did you already defeat her?” he asked nervously. “I said my sister returned - not the Nightmare,” Celestia clarified with a smirk. The nobility gave their princess a confused look, which soon turned into shock when another voice spoke from seemingly nowhere. “Oh Sister, could you not hurry up. I’m getting rather bored hiding in the shadows,” a dark alicorn said while stepping out of the shadows. “This was your idea, Sister,” Celestia countered playfully. “Yes, it was. I just didn’t expect you to take so long,” Luna said with a roll of her draconic, turquoise eyes. “N-N-NIGHTMARE MOON!” the baby blue stallion yelled in shock, jumping to his hooves and lighting his horn. A bolt of dark blue magic flew towards the alicorn, who didn’t even move as she caught the bolt of magic with her own. The council stared in shock as the magic attack was simply caught and held as if it was just an old object as Luna inspected it. “You really thought that would work? I’m an alicorn that has lived for countless centuries, and you thought you could harm me with such a simple spell?” she asked rhetorically, before dispelling the magic bolt, snorting, “I also have done nothing to deserve such an attack. Do you attack everypony you see if they look even the slightest bit threatening?” She got no response, the stallion who had fired the spell remained stock still and silent. “So you have no interest in creating eternal night, or conquering the world?” Fancy Pants asked, caution clear in his tone. “No, I have left that part of me behind. I only look like my twisted self because I have come to terms with it. While I may look like the Nightmare in body, I am not in mind. I only wish to return by my sister’s side as co-ruler of Equestria and resume my duty as the Princess of the Night and Shepherd of Dreams,” she explained. “That is one of the reasons I called for this meeting. I wanted to announce my sister’s return and reinstate her position.” “Absolutely not!” Fire Lily loudly exclaimed, thumping a hoof down on the table. “There is no way this council will allow this to pass!” “But I don’t need the council’s permission. I was the one who banished her, and that means only I can reinstate her.” “Not if the council unanimously votes against it!” Fire Lily hotly countered. “Very well - we’ll hold it to a vote. All those opposed to Luna regaining her title?” Celestia asked. Six hooves shot up, “all those in favor?” three hooves raised up. “What? How can you be okay with this?” “She 'as done notheng to threaten us et I trust Celestia's judgmont. She 'as done notheng to make me question her judgmont eivair,” Fleur calmly explained, Fancy Pants adding his thoughts moments later. “I agree with my wife, Princess Luna has shown no hostility, and Celestia has never wronged us or done anything that would make me not trust her.” “I was also thinking the same,” Blueblood spoke up, “I also met her before this meeting, and she has been nothing but hospitable, I have no reason to say no to her resuming her duties as a princess.” Fire Lily grunted in annoyance, but conceded by sitting down without saying anything else. “Then it’s official: Luna shall resume her duties and be my co-ruler for as long as we may rule,” Celestia said with finality and a stamp of her hoof. Luna smiled and made her way over to her sister's throne, taking her place next to her standing on the dais. “We’ll probably have to add another throne… or two…” Celestia trailed off. “Two, your majesty?” the blue noble asked. “Yes Blue Steel, we may need three thrones; which brings us to our second topic…” “My daughter,” Luna finished. Once again the room was deathly silent, dragging on for far longer than the previous silence. It was finally broken, however, as the sound of magic being cast was heard. All heads and eyes turned to the central podium and several gasps were heard. In the middle of the raised platform, a circle of runic symbols were being rapidly etched into the material. As soon as the pattern was complete, the runes glowed with energy and portal formed in the center of the design. From the portal rose a pony mare; her fur was lavender and she possessed an indigo mane with a deep purple and light-violet stripe left of her long, narrow horn. Once her hooves were level with the platform, the portal dissipated into magical particles that quickly faded. “Did someone call me?” she asked nonchalantly, expertly hiding her mirth at the shocked looks of the nobles. “Yes, Twilight, you are right on time,” Celestia replied with her trademark smile. “Yes, we were just about to tell the nobles our plan to have you crowned princess,” the lunar alicorn relayed, Twilight nodding in understanding. At this statement, the cobalt blue stallion spoke out, shocked. “Wait! Hold on! If she is indeed your daughter, you have been on the moon for almost a thousand years and she is just a unicorn who looks less than twenty! So how is she your daughter?” he argued, confusion displayed upon his face. “She is adopted. She wound up on the moon seven years ago when she made a wish to have a mother who loved her. I fulfilled that wish when she came to me.” “If she is adopted, then she has no claim to the throne of Equestria, unless she is somehow of royal blood.” “No, she is not. But that is irrelevant, Cobalt,” Celestia explained to the noble, who only scoffed in response. “Of course it’s relevant - you’re proposing we make a commoner a princess! We all know that cannot happen. The common pony does not have what it takes to hold such a position of power.” “I would watch your tongue if I was you, Cobalt,” Blueblood interjected, warning his fellow noble. “And why is that, Blueblood?” “Because she is the most powerful unicorn in the room at the moment. In fact, the only ponies who can probably rival her are Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.” “Surely you jest!” “I speak the truth; I’m not proud to admit it, but she has already beaten me in a duel, and she beat me quite soundly as well. She hardly had to try. In fact, I’d like us to finish the meeting up quickly because I need to head to the kitchens and eat a high carb meal, or I may not be able to stay awake for the rest of the day,” Cobalt quickly clamped his mouth shut and sat back down. “Yes, let us finish this up,” Celestia stated. “Both Luna and I decree she is to be crowned princess in three days time,” She finished with a stamp of her hoof. “Wait, what about a vote?” Goldenrod, a mare with a red coat and a golden mane, asked. “It’s unnecessary - two princesses can overrule the entire council if we so desire,” Luna countered, not even bothering to conceal her smirk. “Since when?” asked another pony, this one a stallion with a dark red coat and a fiery orange mane. “It’s a very old law, Flare, one that has been around since Luna and I started ruling Equestria over two thousand years ago,” Celestia easily countered. After a few more moments with no one raising any more questions, she decided to conclude the meeting. “Since there does not appear to be anything else to discuss, this meeting is adjourned,” she finished, adding one final stamp of her hoof. The nobles began to file out of the room, most of them refusing to even acknowledge Twilight’s existence. Twilight didn't really mind and just walked up to her mother and aunt. Once it was just the three of them, Twilight spoke. “So, what happens next?” “Next, we need to prepare to announce Luna’s return this evening, as well as announce your coronation that will take place in three days,” Celestia explained. “A lot is happening in such a short period of time…” the unicorn remarked. “I feel it’s best to get this out of the way sooner rather than later,” the alicorn explained. Also the sooner you meet the five, the better, she thought to herself. “Besides, it won't be very large. The only ponies that will be there will be those who are invited. Most ponies will learn about it through the news,” she explained. “Journalism has really taken off in this era. I remember it was just getting started before I was banished,” the lunar alicorn commented. “A lot has happened since you've been gone sister, but don’t worry, you’ll adapt. After all, you have Twilight and I to help you,” she reassured her sister as she wrapped a wing around the younger alicorn. Twilight also walked up to her mother and wrapped her hooves around the dark mare’s neck in a hug. Luna smiled and returned her daughter’s hug. “Thank you, both of you,” “Anything for you, little sister,” Celestia smiled warmly. “Now we best get to work planning your reveal,” she said with some excitement. It was late in the afternoon, and the sun was scheduled to set in a few minutes. On a low balcony overlooking Canterlot, Celestia stood ready to begin her speech and address her ponies. Behind her out of view of the citizens, Luna and Twilight stood anxiously waiting for their cue. Luna was much more anxious than her daughter, after all, she didn’t know how the ponies would react to her. Would they run and scream in terror? Would they reject her? would they wish to harm her or her daughter? These thoughts really terrified the alicorn, especially the latter scenario. She had no idea what she would do if someone hurt her little star. “As many of you have already noticed, the moon has changed drastically. I have come to tell you why. My sister has returned to me after nearly a thousand years of being apart. She is here today and I would like for you all to meet her!” Celestia announced, before stepping to her left and turning to her sister. Luna swallowed her fear and began her walk forward. She stepped onto the balcony and came into full view. The evening sun reflected in her mane giving it an enigmatic glow. Her turquoise eyes scanned the crowd cautiously. The crowded ponies looked at her silently, many of them with looks of awe on their muzzles. “Go on, Luna, say something,” Celestia whispered to her sister. Luna nodded before opening her mouth to speak. “Greetings, everypony,” she began with a slight hesitation in her voice. “It’s been a very long time since I have seen so many ponies… it’s also been a long time since I have not been looked at with fear…” she trailed off. Luna remained silent for a few more seconds before she shook her head roughly and found some courage. “But that is in the past. It has been nearly a thousand years since then, it is time I move on and look to the future!” she exclaimed with confidence filling her voice. “I promise, as the Princess of the Night, I will do everything in my power to help continue Equestria’s prosperity!” she finished with a warm smile and a confident thrust of her hoof in the air. The crowd of ponies remained silent for only a few more moments before a wave of cheering and applause filled the streets of the city. Celestia gave Luna a wide smile of approval. which Luna returned with her own smile of gratitude. As the crowd began to settle down, Celestia spoke again. “There is also one more pony you should all meet, for my sister did not return alone. She also brought with her, a daughter!” she declared, and the crowd was awash with whispering and gasps. “Please everyone. welcome my new niece and your new princess; Twilight!” that was Twilight’s cue, and she too stepped into the evening sun to be seen by the crowd of ponies. Luna stepped to the right, so Twilight would end up in between herself and her sister. The sun reflected off her coat beautifully and extenuated her features. Many in the crowd oohed and aahed. Many more in the crowd were surprised by the fact that she was not an alicorn, but in fact a unicorn. Twilight smiled awkwardly as she felt nervousness fill her chest. I was so confident with the nobles, but now I feel like crawling under a rock! Twilight yelled to her self. She did her best to hide her nervousness, but her mother saw right through it and gave her a worried look. Once Twilight was to the balcony rail she just stared down at the crowd and froze in place. Acting quickly, Luna leaned over and whispered in her daughter’s ear. “It’s okay my little star, I’m right here for you, there is no need to be afraid.” Twilight turned to look at her mother directly, and was met with a kind and caring expression. The unicorn felt confidence fill her chest as she turned back to the crowd. She opened her mouth to speak. “H-hello everypony…” she started before gulping out of nervousness. Come on, you can do this, it’s not that hard. “I… don’t know much about being a princess or ruling a country…” she paused to gather her thoughts. “But, things like that has never stopped me before,” she developed a lump in her throat at her grammar mistake, but continued on anyway, “I will learn in time, and one day I’ll be able to rule as a princess. I also hope I’ll get to know many of you, because I don’t want you all to simply see me as your princess, or your ruler, I also want to be your friend!” she finished with renewed confidence in her voice. The crowd was silent until one pony started to applaud, then two, then four, then a hundred, then the entire crowd. Ponies were applauding and cheering as they welcomed their new princess. Twilight smiled wide, happy that they were so welcoming of her. While the crowd was still cheering, Celestia lit her horn with her magic and reached out to grab the sun. Luna, seeing this, did the same and grabbed a hold of the moon. With a nod Celestia lowered the sun below the horizon, and Luna followed suit and raised the moon up above the horizon. With that act, the first day of a new era ended.