Chapter l - Tolerance
“Let it be known that today, the age of the alicorns is over!! We as equals shall rule Equestria and do what our forponies before us were never able to do!” a tall stallion yelled out, slamming his hoof onto the podium, asserting his position. A loud cheer erupted from the crowd in front of him. With a bright smile, he starts again,“no more!!”
A chant started after his words, “No more! No more! No more!”, everypony was cheering, all but one. A tall mare cloaked in dark blue showed nothing more than disgust, her sharp blue eyes narrowed in anger. She said nothing however, her lips remained sealed, for she did not dare speak against a crowd so large. Doing so would be an instant suicide.
As a large knot of anger threatened to burst from her throat, she shakes her head and stalks her way into an alleyway. Running the distance down the path gracefully, letting the wind steal the hood from her head as she ran out of sight. The wind stung her ears, whistling over her thoughts, silencing the voices in her head.
Finally, her run comes to an end, her hooves coming to a soft trot as she pushes a small door open with a spark of her horn. Once inside, she slams the door closed, filling the place with darkness as it was before.
“Sister?” her voice hits the walls, making her shudder, her voice was something she still hadn’t adapted to, the british tone being something she wasn’t. The familiar voice of her sister bounced back. Luna let the disguise of the mare she wasn’t drop and fall back to her midnight blue coat.
“I am here Luna...,” she says softly. Luna trots to her sister, nuzzling her cheek.
“I brought back bread and fruit sister, ensuring we have a good meal tonight,” Luna says gently. Her sister’s magenta eyes were trained on the floor, sorrow and despair making them seem empty. Not only that, but her beautiful white coat no longer sparkled like snow, it was filthy and matted, her mane the same. Luna set her bringings aside.
“Tia… What is the matter…?” Luna asks. Tia raises her head, tears lining her eyes.
“This is my fault Luna, if only I could have given what they wanted… maybe it wouldn’t be like this…,” she replies. Luna spats.
“What they wanted was war and instant suicide sister! And the one they call Alastor shall lead them right to it!” Luna hisses. Tia sighs softly.
“Perhaps… but at least then you would not have to live like this… you would have made such a fantastic ruler Luna…” Tia points out. Luna’s eyes shimmer with tears.
“They are the ones at fault sister!!” she snaps stubbornly, “So greedy for power it has blinded them of who kept them safe for eons!!” Luna turns away, pacing. Tia’s ears fall back.
“I am one of peace and light Luna…” she says, “what my little ponies want is war and darkness… that is the polar opposite of what I can provide.” Luna frowns.
“Nothing comes out of war but death and suffering, you think they would know that after what happened with Som--”
“Don’t say his name here!” Tia snaps quickly, her eyes narrow with fear.
“Come now sister…” Luna says softly, “we are safe here…”
“I do not trust it! I will not have you captured and killed by that cruel stallion!”
“Tia you know he is gone, Alastor killed him ages ago…” Luna points out.
“Do not be so sure sister,” Tia warns, “trust nopony in a world like this…”
Luna sighs softly and settles next to her sister, leaning against her, Tia drapes her wing over her.
“Tia… do you think anything will go back to how it once was…?” Luna asks softly. Tia’s eyes look to her, yet they were somewhere far else.
“No… i’m afraid not,” she answers. Luna closes her eyes with another soft sigh, falling into an uneasy sleep on her sisters shoulder.
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Luna opens her eyes, letting her eyes adjust themselves. Blinking the sleep from them, she stumbles to her hooves, her head swirling with the effort. Looking around, her eyes snap open, to a red puddle staining the floor. Who’s was that…? Her’s…? Luna looked over herself in the shattered mirror that stood tall in the far corner, a small trail of blood on her lip, not enough to match what was on the floor.
Her heart started to race, Celestia, where was her sister?! Whipping around, Luna pants in fear. Soon her eyes fall on her sister’s white coat, soaked and ruined with blood, torn apart by what seemed like an animal. She dropped next to her sister in horror.
“T-Tia?”
She got no response.
“Celestia!?!”
Silence, Luna’s face stained in tears. “No, no, no...Tia..no..n-,” she shrieked as something grabbed her hoof.
“Find him,” it hissed “FIND HIM OR THIS SHALL HAPPEN TO YOU MOON, GO TO THE PALACE, FIND HIM!!”
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“Luna? Luna are you alright?” Celestia’s voice wakes her gently. Luna sat up straight, panting in a cold sweat, hugging her sister firmly causing Celestia to blink in confusion. “Are you alright?”
“I-I had a nightmare, maybe a vision…” Luna explains softly. Celestia tilts her head.
“A vision about what sister?” Celestia asks softly.
“Blood...royal spilt blood, everywhere...and a voice, screeching I find ‘him’” Luna replies. Celestia’s eyes narrow and her voice drops.
“We must leave this place Luna…” she states coldly. Luna blinks in shock.
“What why? What is the matter sister?” Luna asks, her heartbeat starting to pick up.
“It is not safe here,” she hisses back, gripping several fruits with her golden magic, tossing them into a sack quickly.
“Tia, it was only a dream!” Luna tries to reason. Celestia huffs.
“Pull your mask on quickly little sister, the time has come that we leave this place,” she states, long dark hair shifting over her shoulders as her seal of disguise was pushed on. The only thing her and her sister couldn’t change about their appearances was the color of their magic and their eyes. Luna sighs and obeys, doing the same as her sister had.
Celestia pushed the door open, the cold night breeze biting Luna’s ears and she moved to stand beside her sister. Celestia was looking into the night sky, her eyes drowning in sorrow. It had not been her nor Luna who raised the sun nor moon. Something-sompony-had taken the task and did it near to flawlessly. Where somepony would get that kind of power made Luna question just how true Alastor was to his words.
Shaking the thoughts away with a shake of her head, the former princess nudges her big sister. Celestia shakes her head as well, no doubt thinking the same thing.
“Tia...where have we to go?” Luna asks softly. Celestia sighs and steps out into the night.
“I have no idea if I must be honest with you Luna… but I know we cannot stay here,” she answers as Luna meets her at her side. Starting to walk further away from the warmth of the small hiding spot they had used since they fell from power, Luna dares question her one last time.
“Why do you seem to fear my dream so much sister…?” she asks. Celestia sighs softly.
“I had one similar before we fell from the throne… that very night before it all happened, a voice whispered that all I loved would fall if I did not seek ‘him’ out,” Celestia mumbles. Luna blinks.
“Who do you think ‘him’ is sister?” Luna asks.
“That’s the problem little sister… we have faced many foe in our past, but one of our toughest battles was with one who knows fear as well as his own heart…” Celestia replies. Luna thought on her words for a moment, her mind pacing back to each battle her and her sister had won.
“But Tia… we destroyed him…” Luna says softly, knowing her sister only feared one stallion, piecing things together just proved the fear had never died even after Celestia had claimed it to. Sombra had wormed his way into her soul, darkening it with fear that he would return.
“Think on this Luna… what other creature would have such power to raise and lower the moon and sun on each day?” Celestia says.
“Yes, he may be powerful, but Tia even if he is still alive, even he does not have that sort of power!” Luna points out. Celestia shakes her head.
“And what if he has paired up with one just as powerful?” Celestia grits her teeth. Luna clicks her tongue, her sister had a point, alone Sombra did not have that kind of power, but if he paired with any other form of darkness, he could easily gain it. Her sister had right to fear him.
An awkward silence fell over them both as they continue to walk through the alleyways. Luna tensed as she heard the clack of metal hooves marching on the ground, guards. Celestia had her ears perk, she had heard them too, but she remained relaxed.
“Relax sister, they will not know it is us if you do not become fearful,” Celestia whispers softly. Luna nods, knowing she was right, she tries to relax her nerves. Sighing, she makes the mistake of looking back, spotting the guards. She curses herself as her muscles tense again. Celestia had her jaw locked as something dark sparked in her eyes.
“You there!” a rough stallion voice calls out making Luna freeze up as he neared. He and his friends wore smug grins as they looked over her and her sister. “Don’t you think it’s a little late for little mares to be out?” he purrs. Luna’s heart was racing, knowing what the consequence of just standing frozen like this. No doubt these stallions thought Luna and her sister to be nothing more than their midnight prey. As the one stallion reaches out to touch her, Celestia reacts, harshly.
“Touch her,” Celestia growls softly, “I dare you.” Luna blinks, never had she heard such a tone from the sun goddess. The lead stallion just grins more.
“What, like this?” Luna winces as she feels the cold metal of his armored hoof hit her flank. Celestia’s eyes narrow sharply and within a blink, her horn sparked. Seconds seemed to pass like years as Celestia flew the stallion back with a sharp crack, knocking him unconscious. Instead of running, one of the guards of his fleet charges at Celestia. Without moving, another spark from her horn and he landed next to his friend. Unlike his fellow companions, the third shot out of the alley in a sharp trot.
Luna was staring at her sister, Celestia seemed perfectly relaxed. “Come Luna, no doubt he is fleeing back to his leader, more will come in a matter of seconds.” Luna shakes her head before nodding and with a final look at the fallen soldiers, she takes off in a brisk run after her sister.