//------------------------------// // Revisiting the Empire // Story: Fall of an Empire // by My Little Epona //------------------------------// The North was freezing. A blizzard raged around Luna, tearing at her thick cloak with icy fingers, trying to peel it away and expose the warm coat beneath. Through the help of a handy spell, her hooves didn’t sink into the snow below, but she could still the cold shooting up her legs in spite of the warm fur wraps she wore. Occasionally, her horn flared with light, sending out a blast of heat that would melt the ice building up and weighing down her cloak. But it always faded, and the cold sank back in, numbing her limbs. Another body struggled against the howling wind next to her—Celestia, who could barely be seen, thanks to her cream-white cloak. Luna’s was dark blue, matching her fur, and stood out starkly against the snowy landscape. A squadron of other ponies surrounded them—the majority were royal guards, but a few were servants chosen to accompany the royals on this visit. Luna knew that her personal maid, Lily Petals, was somewhere behind her. She couldn’t see Lily, however. It was nearly impossible to see Celestia, and she was barely two feet from Luna. The roaring veil of ice and snow blotted out the entire world around her, other than the occasional flashes as the Unicorns in the guard lit their horns and warmed themselves in the same way Luna did. The Moon Princess didn’t envy the Pegasi who had to pull the chariot. It was hard enough walking against the wind with no burdens, and though the wheels of the chariot were enchanted to balance on top of the snow, it most definitely wasn’t easy. Hopefully, that would all change soon. Luna knew they were heading in the right direction, even if she couldn’t see the Empire’s force field ahead of her. She blinked away snowflakes that were clinging to her eyelashes, casting about her mind for something that would bring her focus off her freezing body and the ice clinging to the edges of her cloak. For some reason, it fell upon the discussion she’d had with Celestia while trying to convince her sister to visit Sombra’s kingdom again. A frown dug into her face, and she nearly stumbled over an uneven drift as she recalled the conversation. Tia hadn’t wanted to go. She tried to talk Luna out of it. But why? Why was she so against it? Luna huffed out a sigh, watching her breath crystallize in the cold air. She didn’t understand her sister at all. A fur-clad hoof suddenly appeared in front of Luna’s face and she bumped against it, blinking in surprise. She glanced to the owner of the hoof, only to discover it was Celestia, and her sister was staring at something right in front of them. Luna turned her head, nearly jolting backwards when she realized they were inches from the curved blue dome of the Crystal Empire’s borders. She took a deep breath, shuddering as the frigid air stung her throat, then entered the force field. There was a blast of heat and light, almost a sensory overload after the dull white of the blizzard. Luna slammed her eyes closed as pain blazed across them, stumbling forwards to allow the other behind her to pass through. She shook off the sudden furs clinging to her legs, crusted with dripping ice. A dull, painful prickle stabbed at the flesh of her numb hooves, like a million needles with rounded tips. The light seared her eyes like it was being directly refracted into her face, even when they were closed. Luna pressed a wing to her face, welcoming the brief relief of darkness it brought. “Sister.” Luna lowered her wing, squinting painfully through the glare at Celestia, who’d cast aside her own cloak already. A glass bottle was suspended before her, shimmering not only from the golden aura of her magic, but also from the iridescent liquid it contained. Luna stared at the bottle in confusion, wondering what Celestia could want. “Drink it.” The Moon Princess raised an eyebrow at her sister’s request. It didn’t necessarily look as if the liquid would taste unpleasant, and she knew Tia would never give her something that would harm her, but…she had long since learned not to stick glowing substances in her mouth. “It’ll help,” Celestia insisted. A raspy sigh slipped from Luna’s lips as she gave in, taking hold of the bottle in her own magical, turquoise aura. The cork popped out easily and, with some hesitation, Luna took a sip of the concoction. Almost immediately she broke into a coughing fit, and would have dropped the bottle had Celestia not taken quick hold of it. The taste was unpleasant, contrary to Luna’s earlier expectations; yet it felt cool and refreshing to her cold-parched throat, and simultaneously sent out a tingling warmth that rid her of the uncomfortable prickles lingering beneath her skin. “What was that?” she asked, rubbing a hoof against her throat. “A potion,” Celestia responded simply. “I had it made before we left. I figured it would be useful after traipsing through that snow storm.” Luna nodded, shrugging off the heavy folds of her own cloak. Lily Petals, who’d been waiting behind her, quickly took it from her and stored it in the chariot. She came back, clutching a hairbrush with one wing, and immediately began to try and sort out the snow-dampened tangles of Luna’s mane. Luna made a noise of protest, dodging a swipe from the brush. Lily gave a sigh, falling back a step. “Your Highness,” she said exasperatedly. “Please.” Luna subsided, albeit reluctantly. No reason for her to make Lily’s job any harder than it already was. After yanking a brush through the tangles—while Luna made some very undignified whimpering noises—the white-furred Pegasus stepped back, storing the brush again. “Can we leave now?” Luna asked, rubbing the small tears of pain from her eyes. Celestia—who’d suffered through the same thing as Luna, although she’d reacted in a much more dignified way—nodded at her sister. The two princesses mounted the chariot and Luna fidgeted in place, trying to fight back the wide smile growing on her face. We’re almost there. Soon I can see him again. There was just as much fanfare as the first time the sisters had visited. The streets were once again choked with cheering ponies, all of whom tossed confetti at the monarchs flying above them. Warmth flooded through Luna’s core at the sight. All these ponies, Earth, Unicorns and Pegasi, they were celebrating them. Not just her sister, but both of them. And they were excited! They didn’t merely bow in solemn awe, they were cheering! They expressed their excitement by gathering in joyous celebration! Luna put a hoof over the rail of the chariot, leaning out as far as she dared. The ponies beneath called out louder at the sight, and she fought hard to counter the delighted blush threatening to creep over her face. From behind her, she heard Celestia give a disapproving sigh and reluctantly slunk back. But there was no stopping the excitement pounding through her veins. They were almost there. This time, when the chariot came in before the palace, Sombra was there waiting for them. Luna’s heart felt like it was beating out of her chest, and the smile that lit up his face when he saw her made her feel like flying. “Sombra!” she cried, practically leaping from the chariot before it had even stopped moving. “Luna!” Sombra caught her in his forelegs, spinning her around. Luna let out a breathless laugh, hugging him tight. Celestia cleared her throat. “Oh, I’m sorry,” Sombra chuckled, an unabashed smile on his face. The bubble of happiness swelling in Luna didn’t fade, even when she caught sight of the indecipherable expression on Celestia’s face. Was it surprise, perhaps? Shock? Disgust? “Greetings, Your Highness,” Sombra let go of Luna to give Celestia a bow, which she stiffly returned. “I hope your journey was pleasant?” “As pleasant as it could be,” Celestia muttered. Luna frowned. Something was decidedly off. Her sister was acting…odd. “Well.” Sombra gave an awkward laugh that sounded wrong in the suddenly chilly mood, “Perhaps you would…like to refresh yourselves in your rooms? The journey here must have…taken it’s toll.” He gave the tiniest of coughs, as if he was trying to clear his throat without anypony noticing. “Yes,” Celestia said, still in an oddly stiff tone of voice. “That would be excellent.” Sombra nodded, looking as if he was unsure of what to say. It seemed that Celestia’s manner had caught him completely off guard. But then, he turned to Luna with a smile. “I have something to show you, my dear,” he said. “Really?” Luna’s eyes sparked with excitement. “Yes!” Sombra said, sounding just as eager as her. “It’s inside, though. Shall we?” He offered his hoof to the Moon Princess. She giggled, taking it, and he lead her inside; Celestia trailed after them with the rest of their entourage. Luna’s room was breathtaking. Perhaps it wasn't so familiar and cozy as her room back in Canterlot, but it more than made up for that in beauty and delicacy. The walls were of light-blue crystal, which caught the light pouring in from the tall windows that lined the three outward-facing walls. The ceiling was painted, depicting a convergence of dusk and dawn. The sun was painted at one corner and the salmon-pink sky that surrounded it gradually faded to a navy blue, punctuated with the silver orb of the moon on the opposite corner. The bed was of light, silvery wood, blanketed with silk sheets of pale blue. The floor was carpeted from wall to wall, and the carpet itself had an ombre design—much like Luna’s rug at home, but violet instead of blue. In all, it felt as if the room had been custom-made for her. Luna flopped backwards onto the bed—she knew it was undignified for a Princess, but she didn’t care. It was soft and more comfortable than anything Luna had slept on for days. Of course, the keepers of the inns they’d stopped at during their journey had been practically bursting with pride to receive such royal customers, and had always offered their very best, but nothing could quite match the comfort of a palace featherbed. “Your Highness.” Luna raised her head, looking at the pony who’d addressed her. Lily Petals stood in the doorway, a pile of suitcases balanced precariously on her back. “Enter,” The Princess said, dropping her head back down. She heard the maid give a barely-imperceptible sigh of exasperation and squirmed around so that she was lying stomach-down on the bed. “Is Your Highness tired from the journey?” Lily asked politely, flitting around the room and unpacking the suitcases. “No, not really,” Luna admitted. “I have plenty of energy,” she gave a small bounce on the bed, as if proving her point. Lily chuckled. “Your Highness always did seem to have more energy than your sister,” she commented. “Well, that’s cause Tia’s working all the time,” Luna pointed out, rolling onto her back again. “And she has to deal with all kinds of stuffy nobles all the time. I know if I had to do that, I’d be dead by the end of the day.” The maid and the Princess shared a giggle. “Sister.” Luna leapt up, darting off the bed as Celestia walked into the room. She felt…guilty for some reason. The Sun Princess frowned and Luna tried not to fidget under her baleful glare. “Y-yes?” she stuttered, kicking a hoof against the carpet before she caught herself and pressed it firmly against the ground. “We need to have a talk,” Celestia said, trotting farther into the room. “Alone,” she added with a glance at Lily. Luna forced herself not to swallow nervously, and a lump built up in her throat. The maid gave a respectful bow, trotting out of the room and closing the door. “W-what do you want to talk about?” she asked, internally kicking herself for stuttering like a frightened foal. What was she so scared of? “I think you know what,” Celestia gestured for Luna to take a seat on the bed, which Luna resented. She wasn’t a foal anymore—she didn’t need her sister looming over her like a disappointed schoolteacher. So she held her ground, refusing to move. Celestia’s frown deepened. “I don’t know what you mean,” Luna insisted. “It’s about the King,” Celestia sighed. “Don’t you think you’re…overdoing it just a bit?” “‘Overdoing it’?” Luna said, confused. “Tia, what are you talking about?” “Oh, sister,” Celestia rubbed a hoof against the bridge of her muzzle with a pained expression. “I think you should…not spend so much time with him as you did the last occasion we visited.” “What?” Luna cried, alarmed. “Why?” “It’s a very delicate matter,” Celestia said, which only added to Luna’s confusion. “And if you can’t figure it out on your own, that just proves even more than you should listen to me.” “That’s completely unreasonable!” Luna argued. Her heart beat slightly faster and a wild thrill filled her at the notion of this rebellion. She couldn’t remember when the last time was that she’d spoken against her sister. “If you could see my point, it wouldn’t be,” Celestia sighed again. “No,” Luna shook her head, stepping around her sister and walking towards the door. “This is ridiculous.” “Don’t walk away from me!” Celestia snapped, whirling around. “I’m talking to you!” “You are not my mother!” Luna shot back, almost surprised by how angry she felt. “Stop pretending you are!” She saw Celestia opening her mouth, no doubt to scold her again and bolted from the room before she could hear another word. “So, what was it you wanted to show me?” Luna asked. She was followed Sombra down a long hallway lined with tall windows, perfectly identical to the last nine hallways they’d passed through. They were now far from the heart of the palace and Luna was completely and totally lost. Once she married Sombra, she’d have to familiarize herself with the layout of the palace. Otherwise she’d have to have a servant direct her everywhere. “It’s right this way,” Sombra said, giving a tiny hop of excitement. Luna couldn’t help but giggle at his foalish behavior—he looked like an excited young colt, not a regal monarch who ruled a beautiful kingdom of shimmering ponies. “Did you like your room?” the King asked. Luna nodded eagerly, a smile spreading over her face. “It’s beautiful!” she said. “It feels almost like it was made for me.” “That’s because it was.” Sombra winked at her, “I had it put together with you in mind, my dear.” Luna blushed, fighting back the cheesy grin threatening to break over her face. “Oh, we’re finally here!” Sombra paused. They’d reached a door at the end of the hallway. “Close your eyes.” The Princess did as he requested, fighting back an amused giggle. Her twitching ears picked up the slow, heavy creak of an opening door, then Sombra took her hoof and led her on. The light shifted from either side to all around her, telling her they’d moved into a room rather than another hallway. Sombra bade her stand still and she shifted restlessly from hoof to hoof, listening to the sound of something being dragged across the floor. “Okay,” Sombra said, “you may look now.” Luna carefully opened her eyes, blinking slightly as her vision adjusted to the greater amounts of light streaming in from the windows. A tall, wooden easel stood before her, covered in a heavy white cloth. “What is it?” she asked. Sombra’s horn lit up with ruby, pulling the covering off dramatically. Luna’s eyes widened in surprise, and her mouth dropped open. Luna supposed she should’ve figured it out from the start, because what else could it be but a painting? It was quite large, much larger than her head at any right, and she felt as if she needed to take a step back in order to see it fully. It was a depiction of the night, but not the same flat black and navy as was common. The sky was of a medium blue, which faded to a slightly greener blue in the lower right corner. A shimmering belt of peach and sky blue streaked across the middle, disappearing in a pink glow behind the silhouette of a hill that crossed the bottom of the canvas. The figure of a pony stood on the left side of the hill—a pony, Luna realized, that was her. The sky was practically encrusted with stars, stars that were arranged into familiar shapes that she recognized. This was not just a picture of the night sky, but her sky. The sky she stared up at each night till there was a crick in her neck, all to make sure it looked perfect for any who might look up. A sky worthy of recognition. A sky she’d always dreamed to see a painting of. “So, um…do you like it?” Sombra looked nervous. Luna’s reply was to throw herself at him, a strangled sound escaping her lips—whether it was a laugh or a sob she couldn’t tell. Sombra let out a muffled “oof”, stumbling backwards a few steps as her forelegs wrapped around his neck. “I take it that means you like it?” he chuckled, returning the hug. “It’s perfect!” Luna wiped the tears from her eyes, letting go of him and turning back to scour over the painting. “Thanks,” Sombra gave an embarrassed laugh. “I…um, I made it. I’ve never really painted before, and I had to have help from the court artist, but…I think it turned out better than I expected.” Luna froze, her eyes widening. The painting seemed to take on a new light. She could see the flaws. The blending between the pink and blue was somewhat stark, and occasionally a star was oddly large, as if there had been too much paint on the brush. The legs on Luna’s figure were shorter than they were in real life, and her outspread wings were a bit lopsided. But he’d made it. For her. Somehow the flaws made it even more perfect. Luna flung herself at him for the second time, again managing to catch him off guard. But instead of wildly laughing, now she was just crying. She didn’t fully understand it. She’d never been happier—why was she crying? She buried her face in Sombra’s shoulder, simultaneously embracing the tears and wishing she could make them stop. “Thank you,” she said in a muffled voice. “It’s…amazing. I…don’t know what to say.” “You don’t have to say anything,” Sombra said gently, returning the hug. Luna sniffed. “How can I ever repay you?” she wondered, more to herself than to him. “You’ve been so kind to me—more than anypony ever has. I…how?” “…marry me.” Well, that was…unexpected, to say the least. Luna pulled back, a confused look on her face. Sombra seemed completely serious. “But…I am,” she said. “Eventually. It just…seems to be taking a long time to arrange, that’s all. But we will be married, eventually.” “It’s…too long for me to wait,” Sombra admitted. “But…my sister would never allow it!” Luna said, her mouth dropping open in shock. “She doesn’t have to know,” Sombra said, sending another jolt of utter surprise through Luna. “I can make arrangements for as early as tonight. The only one who will know is the priest.” “I…” Luna stumbled back, head reeling. She didn’t know what to think or to say, she was struck silent by what he was suggesting. “Please, Luna,” Sombra begged, reaching for her. “Even if we must stay apart, just knowing that we are bonded would make it so much more bearable. The political marriage will still happen, of course, but that would just be fanfare. “We’ll be married, Luna.” The Princess blinked, still unsure. The thought of defying Celestia sent a strange, not altogether unpleasant thrill through her, even as it made her afraid. “Please,” Sombra begged. “Yes,” Luna said, hardly aware that the word had slipped from her mouth. Sombra hugged her, laughing with joy, and she returned the contact, somewhat in shock. Yet still, a smile crept over her face. Her sister didn’t get to control her. She could make her own decisions. And really, what was the worst that could come from true love?