Rainbow steps in front of Twilight protectively. “What can we do for you Princess?”
She sounds so bold, so brave, not that it will do much good against an alicorn. “Princess Luna, I’m not guilty! I’m not!”
“I am aware of that much, both of you may stand down. I come as a friend.”
“I’m sure ya do Princess but I can’t trust that, yknow? Not when we’re runnin from you, sorry.” And Dash does look truly apologetic when she says it. But true to her word does not budge an inch.
“What do you mean justice will be hard to find, Princess?” As she looks around Rainbow to the Princess she can tell Luna looks off, tired, drained perhaps. It’s confusing. Oh, it hits her, where is her crown and vestments? And it’s true, the Princess is as naked as any other pony. No crown, no sign of her royal status.
“Please, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, just Luna. I’m just Luna. There are things you and your friends have not been privy to as of late. Dark things. Things Celestia would rather keep hidden.” She walks closer, her voice never changing in pitch or tone.
“Oy! Stay back! I don’t know if you’re even really Luna!” Rainbow flares her wings and plants her front hooves, ready to attack if necessary.
“I’m sorry Luna but Dash is right, you don’t even have your crown, how do we know it’s really you?” Fear creeps up her spine, the Changelings might be friends now but Chrysalis is still at large, for all they know this is her. Ready to drain them and leave them husks in the forest.
Luna stops walking and sits mere feet away. “Tantibus, you helped me to stop punishing myself with it. Nocreature save for you and your friends know that it was more than a mere dream.”
They both relax and Rainbow stands down. “What the hell happened to you Luna?”
“Dash! Don’t be so rude!” But it’s true, Luna looks like she was hit with a particularly large cart, several times.
“Celestia happened. Rather, her paranoia did. But I can’t explain it all here, we’re vulnerable. We must move! There is an old bunker that has served me well these past few months, come, we will go together.”
Twilight shares a look with Dash, But we can’t afford to say no, can we? We are vulnerable here... They nod to each other and follow Luna into the darkness of the forest.
The bunker is obviously old, the opening made of stone and covered by large bits of dirt and other refuse of the forests to keep it hidden. Luna opens it slowly, and with effort. Inside it well lit by lanterns, what could be called furniture if one was being generous dots the hide away, along with rotting shelves. It all smells and feels musty, old. Dead. The door shuts behind them, making the stale air even more apparent.
Luna offers them water, and mush-like food. Nutrient rations used long ago by the military in active combat. There is no telling just how old it really is, but it’s better than being empty. So, they eat, and drink.
“Spitfire’s death is not the first”, Luna begins, “Just the most noticeable. This began months and months ago, we didn’t think much of it at first. Even in a time of peace evil does exist, as much as we wish it did not. Celestia sent me out into the night to find the culprit, but I could not, I tried, I really did. But no matter what tactics I chose the killer seemed to know how to avoid them. If I was in one part of the city, a death happened in the opposite end. Eventually I did find a pony but, they were just like you Twilight. Missing memories, no idea how they got there, no idea why they would ever harm anypony. But we thought we had gotten them, then we thought perhaps something was just making the crime rate climb.”
Luna pauses for water, and she looks so weary Twilight feels herself wanting to cry, “What happened to the ponies you found?”
“The same thing that would have happened to you, Twilight. Death.”
A thick tense silence hangs in the air.
All of those innocent ponies! Why would Celestia do this?!
Dash stares with horror written on her face, “But, she had to know, right? After it didn’t add up! She had to know those were innocent ponies! That Twilight is innocent!”
“Why didn’t we hear about this? Why didn’t I hear about this, Luna?! How?!” Twilight stands and starts to pace, her thoughts racing, her heart aching.
“Because we didn’t want to alarm our subjects. We thought that, by keeping it close we would prevent a panic from arising. That was a mistake, I know that now.”
Sighing Twilight sits and fidgets with her wings, “So why are you here Luna? What happened?”
“Celestia grew more paranoid about the situation. We knew somecreature must be behind the rise of violence. She began to accuse me of having something to do with it. Using dreams to cause it. And then moved to accusing me of treason. I ran, and I have been hiding ever since, trying to find the real culprit behind it all. I didn’t know she would get this bad. Celestia is not evil, Twilight, she just… She doesn’t handle death very well. She never has.” Luna looks apologetically at Twilight. As though somehow this is her own fault.
“Well there’s three of us now. We must find who’s doing this Luna. For Spitfire, for all those innocent ponies. For Equestria.”
“For Celestia too.”
Twilight isn’t so certain about that part. Her entire life has revolved around Celestia being the ever-unmovable sun. The one who stands strong no matter what is happening. But like a foal who has seen their parent be equine for the first time, she realizes perhaps that was an unfair place to put her mentor. To hold her above other ponies. Above everything. “Yes,” she agrees, “for Celestia too.”
Twilight does not sleep well that night. The floor is cold, hard, unforgiving. As is her mind. In her sleep she hears the cries of the dead, of the innocent. Of Spitfire.
Twilight, what are you doing? No! PLEASE STOP! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!
The copper tinged smell of blood fills her nose, and settles on her tongue, and she smiles.
As she bolts upright she can’t be sure if it was only a dream, or a memory. But either way she doesn’t think it will ever leave her. The rest of her life will be filled with the smell and taste and visual of blood on her fur. In the night Twilight cries. For her friends, the ponies she’ll never know, for herself.
She’s woken by Dash gently prodding her with a hoof.
“C’mon Egghead, Luna says it’s morning. Get uuupp Twi!”
Twilight groans,” I’m up Dash. I just don’t think I can move. Parts I didn’t know existed hurt.”
“Sleeping on stone is not the best for one’s health, no. But there is food, and water. We have much to plan.” Luna’s voice comes from somewhere behind her, though she can’t be sure, and doesn’t really care where.
More collected water, and questionable mush later and Twilight feels slightly better.
“I might have a lead,” says Luna, “Through the night I have been dream walking still, and we know whatever is doing this must be using the victims mind. I have found a pony who’s mind I cannot get near, even in dreams.”
Twilight perks up,” That’s great news! Where are they? Do you know? Are they far?”
“Closer than you think, Ponyville.”
Dash slams a hoof on the ground in anger. “What?! You mean this murdering bastard might be on our terf?! All this time!?”
“No not “all this time” this is just where I have tracked them to currently. It’s almost to convenient though. To be so close to where we are, but it’s all I have gotten in months of trying.”
Pacing the length of the small space, Twilight thinks. It is too convenient, screams of a trap. But what else do we have? But if it is a trap we could be risking our lives. If something happens to us who else will even try to find who’s behind all of this? Is it worth the risk? “Let’s do it. It’s all we have and I don’t like it but if it is a trap we’re not the easiest ponies to keep down at least.”
“So, what’re we gonna do? Just waltz in like “Hi guys could the evil pony please come to the front”?!”
“No Dash, we sneak in at night. Luna? Do you think you could find them if we got closer?”
Uncertain,” Perhaps? I will not know until we try.”
“Okay, so tonight we sneak into Ponyvillie and find who’s behind this!”