Chapter 04: A New World…
The sun was shining brightly in the land of Equestria, the Ponies of the land going to school, work, or just taking a walk through the towns and large bustling cities that they live in, enjoying the light that their ruler, Princess Celestia, gives them day-to-day.
In the depths of Canterlot Castle, where the Sisters live and work and sleep, Princess Celestia is sitting in the middle of the Royal Archives, surrounded by piles and stacks of books, arranged from basic cure spells to dark healing.
Her cerulean eyes scrolled from one page to another, bags under her pristine eyes, her rainbow-colored mane lulling with barely any magic, indicating that she has been there, in one spot for the entire night, looking for whatever was ailing her counterpart’s, and possibly HER pseudo-brother.
It’s unusual that she feels the emotions of caring for another ever since Luna got back from her thousand-year vacation on the moon.
But they are there, festering in her heart that is beating with the pace of familial longing that not even Luna couldn’t fix. It felt like there was something missing, or someone missing to complete the picture of a happy family.
Celestia’s silent musings were halted by the sound of the Archive door opening with a creaking groan, making the Solar Diarch lift her head to see who dared to interrupt her search of a cure.
Poking her head in, cyan eyes locked onto Celestia’s, and narrowed with tired worry.
“ Sister? You look like Fluffy used you as a chew toy and spat back out. Pray tell why thou look so?” Said Princess Luna, the Lunar Diarch.
Celestia smiled tiredly, letting out a yawn that ruffled a couple of pages from the book she was levitating, answering as she took off the small specs that were placed on the edge of her muzzle.
“ Good Morning Lulu, just studying.”
Luna’s deadpan expression was the indication that she was not believing her older sister’s B.S., and levitated the nearest book and read it aloud.
“ ‘1001 Ways To Cure Dark Illnesses Before Fatal Consequences’?” She looked up from the title, a raised eyebrow and a quirk of her lips showed that she wanted answers.
Celestia sighed as she began levitating the large piles of books and sent them back to their slots absentmindedly.
Afterward, the two Royal Sisters trotted through the bustling hallways of the castle and entered Luna’s study.
The study was dark, the only source of light is the blue flames flickering from candle wicks that dot out on the walls of the room. There was a large red oak table with a black seat cushion.
Sitting on the desk was a bottle of ink, a large black quill with a peacock feather.
Luna sat down on the cushion, and Celestia teleported her red cushion from her own study and sat down next to her sister.
“ So… What is causing thou to run yourself ragged so much that you shut yourself in the Royal Archives overnight with barely a wink of rest?” She said, a look of concern shining in her cyan orbs, clearly worried that whatever is happening is serious.
Celestia sighed, her once graceful body sagging like a bag of potatoes settling on the ground, and conjured a bottle of fire whiskey.
Luna blinked, pursing her lips in surprise as she watched her sister conjure two large tumblers with ice cubes and poured the whiskey into both glasses.
She then levitated the second glass to her younger sister, who took it into her own magic.
Luna watched as Celestia took a large gulp of the firewhiskey, concerned now showing that something was CLEARLY wrong with her sister.
“ Sister?” She whispered.
Celestia, who was staring into space since she stopped taking the drink, turned to look at her sibling.
“ Did you know that ever since you were banished, I had a hole in my heart?” She sighed then took another sip, “ When you returned, I was overcome with joy, grateful that the Elements gave me back my sister.”
She then laid her head down on the wood desk, closing her eyes as she continued, her tone one of sudden sadness.
“ But it never filled the entire void in my soul, it feels like, that there’s--”
“Something missing.” Luna finished, finally taking a small sip of the whiskey from her tumbler.
Celestia looked at her sister in the eyes and nodded, “ Yes, yes, it feels like something, or perhaps someone is missing from my life… I’m guessing that you feel the same thing?”
The last sentence was aimed at her Luna, who nodded.
Suddenly, the door to the study slammed open and Raven Inkwell, Celestia’s aide for Day Court came galloping in, a look of severe disbelief and slight fear mad Celestia’s fatigue disappear in a moment and sat upright to her regal posture.
“ Raven, whatever is the matter?” She asked, curiously looking at the white-coated, dark brown-maned unicorn who was looking over her shoulder, trotting in place.
“ Your Majesties, I… I think that you need to see this…” The unicorn said.
Celestia and Luna looked at each other with raised eyebrows, not knowing what to say…
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Royal Guard Ponies of all races surrounded the glowing mirror that was set in a large empty room that had no purpose, slightly wobbling with the power it was exuding, holding their spears, crossbows, and magic at the mirror in case that whatever comes through is not friendly.
Raven was in the center of the room, looking at the mirror in awe as three silhouettes were spat out of the magical artifact.
There were a few loud clunks as four metal arms fell to the ground and twitched from the cream-colored stallion’s back, who had black veins that spread from his ears to his short brown messy tail.
Next to the strange stallion was a mare that made all of the Ponies gasp; Princess Celestia, who was holding up the stallion on her back, panting with exertion as she held up the large stallion.
Next to her was a tall dark coated mare with a billowing blue mane filled with stars, and her turquoise dragon slitted eyes giving the Guards a ferocious stare down as she got up from the fall.
“ Nightmare Moon?” Raven gasped, her eyes wide with horror at the myth of so many legends and fear from a thousand years ago.
The Mare In The Moon whirled her head and spotted Raven, only saying,
“ Help him.” Her voice that used to give every colt and filly nightmares with powerful overtones, was normal, weak, and cracking slightly.
The door behind everypony slammed open and in came another Princess Celestia, along with Luna, who spotted Nightmare and froze with her cyan eyes in pinpricks.
The Celestia that came through the portal spotted her double and called out, “ Please… Help us…”
Then she, along with Nightmare, whose limbs were shaking with sudden exhaustion, fell to a pile on the floor, surrounding the large stallion with the four metal sinuous limbs that protruded from his back.
The two mares were curled up around him, as if protecting him from the Guards that began to slowly advance towards the downed trio.
Until Luna stomped a metal cloven hoof, her voice a tone of authority.
“ Halt! We will take care of this!” She said, causing everypony to back away as the two Royal Pony Sisters trotted to the fallen Ponies.
Celestia, who stared at the black veins pulsing under Jon’s pale coat, flinched at the movement of her sister, who grabbed Nightmare Moon in her telekinetic grasp and set her on the Lunar Diarch’s own back, pursing her lips with a thoughtful expression as she did so.
Raven levitated Jon, being careful of his Actuators, slightly awed at the sight of the metal snake-like limbs sticking out of the stallion’s back.
Celestia didn’t think before lifting her double up and onto her back.
“ Follow me, we’re gonna bring these three to the Royal Hospital Wing, and wait for them to wake up. Luna…”
The Night Princess looked at her older sister from staring at the skinnier Nightmare Moon, and the Solar Diarch continued,
“ Make sure Nightmare is comfortable and near Jon and the other me.” At the mares’ questioning looks of the foreign name, she added, “ The stallion that Raven is levitating.”
“ Now, let’s see what in the name of my mother is going through my own skull.” Celestia murmured to herself as the trio trotted at a fast pace, through the hallways, and into the Hospital Wing.