//------------------------------//
// 21. - Larkspur 
// Story: Pregnant Noses Know 
// by Irrespective 
//------------------------------//

The Castle of The Two Sisters was not a place that any pony went to willingly, and that fact was doubly true for Princess Luna. There were too many foul memories of betrayal there, to say nothing of the life she had lived with her own dear husband and child.

Yet now she stood at the old rostrum that had once been the very center of her Kingdom, looking down upon the ruin with a calm, impassive stare. She was expecting company, and her guests were never late.

Hooffalls began to thunder down a distant hallway, and Luna’s expression turned grim. It was time for justice to be served, and she would ensure that it would be poured out in full measure and without mercy.

A small orb of blue smoke materialized behind her, and she refused to look at the creature. “Greetings, Tantabus. I am ready. Do your worst!”

The tantabus wasted no time. It surged to life, with thick black tendrils that lashed out and surrounded the lunar princess in a sphere of pure pitch. Dark magics flooded the hall as Luna cried out in painful agony, but she deserved neither mercy nor relief.

Luna felt the evil pour into her body, corrupting her mind and corroding her soul back to the monster that she had once been. Despite the exquisite pains, a cackle of wicked delight rose from her chest as her teeth deformed and twisted into fangs. This was a power she had loved and nurtured for over a thousand years, fueled by jealousy and hate and strengthened by sisterly affronts and cold rejection.

The ponies of Equestria were fools to believe that she could ever fully turn away from this dark power. It was her, and the all-consuming hatred would never be sated. Her sister’s precious ponies wanted a princess, but they would have a Queen, dark but beautiful, as terrible as the tempestuous sea, and stronger than the foundations of the earth! Her glorious night would last forever, and all would love her and despair!

“Luna? What are ya doin’, lass?”

Nightmare Moon let out a gasp when the speaker stepped into the moonlight. A dark grey stallion looked over the damage that had been wrought in the great hall, but when his golden eyes met hers, she couldn’t breathe.

“Star?” she whispered.

“Lass?” he asked back. “What… what have you done?”

Nightmare Moon quickly regained control of herself, and she flashed a wide, devious grin. “You know what I am doing, dear husband. I will no longer hide in the shadows! It is time for the ponies of Equestria to bow to me!”

“Bow to ya?” he asked, but then he shook his head in disappointment. “Ah see. It’s never been enough, has it? The ponies will love you, an’ only you. Your jealousy has no bounds, does it?”

“I am taking what I deserve!” she roared. “I am a Princess of Equestria, and I will be treated as such! My sister speaks of equality, but it is mere lip service! She fears me, and the power that I wield! I will no longer be repressed, and I will show her who is meant to rule!”

“An’ then?” he asked. “Once you have secured your place at the head of Equestria, what will you do then?”

Nightmare Moon chuckled darkly. “Then the ponies of Equestria will love me, of course. For too long they have been blinded by my Sister and her infernal sun. I will show them that I am not the lesser light. My night shall reign forth in splendor, and we shall preside over it all!”

“We?”

“Yes!” Emboldened by her husband’s question, Nightmare Moon moved down to his level as she continued. “Think of it! No longer will we be subject to the whims and machinations of my sister! You and I will guide Equestria into a glorious future, an Equestria that will be the envy of the world! Join me, my Star! Together, we can—”

Nightmare Moon’s words were cut off when her hoof made contact with a large, immovable object. Her eyes flicked down, and her horn lit to cast the obstruction aside. 

The thought left her when she saw what had prevented her forward motion. The broken body of Celestia lay in her way, a crumpled heap that was now nothing more than a cold, lifeless shell. Her multihued mane had been violently ripped from her scalp in large patches, and what dull remnants that had remained attached were now tinged and splotched in the crimson of her own blood. Her once majestic horn had been snapped off and cast to some unseen corner of the hall, and in her eyes, though they were now cloudy and unblinking, Nightmare Moon could see the exquisite pain that had racked every last inch of her before the final breath.

But that was not what stopped the nocturnal tyrant. Huddled against the broken body of the former solar princess was a small lavender filly, who was weeping in a fearful tone, as if she was trying to hide and was worried about being found. A nub of a horn peeked out from her purple bangs, and a small speck of magic sparked, then winked away into nothingness when it touched the downed Princess. 

“Twilight?” Nightmare Moon’s voice was no more than a whisper. 

“Ma?” Twilight Starbright’s bright violet eyes locked on to the glowing draconic eyes of her corrupted mother. “What have ya done? Why did ya kill Aunt Celestia?”

“No! I did not… I mean, it was…” Nightmare Moon fumbled furiously over her words. “I did not mean for this to happen. I just wanted her ponies to love me, too.”

“Aye, Lass. They’ll love ya.” Star Struck’s tone cut the Nightmare to her core. “They dunna have a choice now, do they?”

“We can fix this.” Nightmare Moon stumbled back a step, her eyes unable to break away from the soul-crushing disappointment that was in her daughter’s eyes. “There must be a spell I can use to reverse this. I am the Princess of the Night! I command the very heavens!”

“Aye, that you do,” Twilight said. “But that power comes with a cost.”

“No!” Nightmare Moon gasped, then tripped over herself. Before her very eyes, rusty chains and fetters snaked up from the ground, binding her cherished husband and precious child. Blood oozed from rough cuts as their necks were forced into submission by large iron collars, and barbed bits with spiked bridles were added to ensure they would submit to their new queen’s commands. “No, this is not what I wanted! You are to rule with me!”

“Your vanity and your pride make that impossible,” Star said from around the cruel barbed bit in his mouth. “You said it yourself; there can be only one ruler in Equestria. Since you have chosen to force that love by fear, then even Twilight and I must bow in terrified reverence to your glory.”

“No,” Nightmare Moon whispered in dumbstruck shock. “Not this. Anything but this.”

“It was your choice, Ma,” Twilight shot back as the world began to twist and deform into odd angles and patterns. “Your choice. Your choice…”





Luna bolted upright with a screech, and for several long moments, she sat in her bed, trying desperately to get her breathing back under control. That nightmare had been one of the fiercest and most vile that the tantabus had ever created, but Luna clung to the details of it just as tightly as she was clinging to her bedsheets. Large tears poured down the fine hairs on her cheeks, and with a shuddering gasp, she bowed her head in shame. 

“It was my choice,” she murmured. “I alone chose the Nightmare.” 

Her self pity cut off abruptly when an unexpected noise startled her, and without thinking, her magic flung the source across the room and into the far wall of her chambers. The sounds of a collapsing bookcase followed, but the cacophony did not help to lessen her panic. 

“Who goes there?” she called out as her horn lit and illuminated the room. At first, there was no response, but it only took a moment for Luna to find a collapsed bookcase on the other side of her bedroom that had been crushed into splinters and had dumped a pile of smoldering books on the floor with its final breath.

For a moment, the princess thought that maybe, just maybe, she had only imagined hearing something. 

That thought died a vicious death when the pile moved ever-so slightly, and a groan came from underneath.

“Who goes there?!” screeched Luna, her horn lighting up as she prepared her most devastating spell. “Come out at once, or face my wrath!”

The pile of shredded and mangled books shifted again, and a hoof emerged, which strangely enough bore the dented sheen of a Royal Guard armored boot.

Luna’s eyes tracked to the open doorway, noted the missing guard outside her room, and then she looked back at the slow movements underneath what once had been her poetry collection. 

Realization struck, although probably not as hard as she had struck the guard upon waking. 

She used her magic to gently close the door, grateful that the guard was still alive but completely at a loss at what to say when he emerged. To gain some thinking time, she quickly dropped several more books on the pile, then reversed her actions when the groaning grew louder. After all, he was alive, which was far better than dead. For both of them. 

Him particularly, but her too.

She moved cautiously over to the shifting book pile and began the guard extraction process, trying her best to keep her comments to herself. After a few moments, her rescue efforts bore fruit, and a slightly damaged guard was revealed. Flattened, but still breathing, and thankfully appearing that his protective armor had absorbed most of the damage. 

“Who art thou, and why hast thou intruded upon my sanctuary?” Luna demanded. 

“Corporal Larkspur, ma’am.” The grounded guard saluted, then winced in pain. “Second Squad, Seventh Troop, Third Company of the Household Regiment. I was on watch outside when I heard a commotion, and I thought it best to investigate, ma’am.”

“Oh.” Luna hesitated for a moment, but then turned and slipped her hooves into the waiting set of comfortable and fuzzy bunny slippers that were by her bed. It was a comforting gesture for his eyes only, since her hammering heartbeat had only slowed slightly, and the effort of keeping up a false front of confidence was beginning to wear on her patience. “We appreciate your concern, Corporal, but as you can see, there is nothing amiss. You may return to your post.”

Corporal Larkspur didn’t move. Instead, he glanced around the room, as if expecting some unseen assailant to emerge from a hidden vantage point. 

“That is enough!” snapped Luna. “Return to your post!” 

“As you command, Your Highness.” Larkspur began to move to the door, obviously trying and failing to conceal a limp and with the intent look of concentration that indicated he was trying to figure out just how he was going to explain this event to his superiors in the morning.

“I had an unpleasant dream,” Luna quickly said. There was no reason for this guard to get into trouble on her account; he was just doing his duty, after all. “What you heard was a cry of alarm as I awoke.”

“The Nightmare, Your Highness?” asked Larkspur, then cringed slightly beneath his dented armor. 

“A nightmare,” clarified Luna in sharp, precise words. “Even your Princess of the Night struggles with dark images during slumber.”

Corporal Larkspur nodded. “I can’t even begin to fathom what you’ve seen, Your Highness.”

Luna shook her head and forced a chuckle, producing a silver robe with her magic and covering her withers to conceal an involuntary tremor. Unfortunately, she was unable to control her tendency to ramble under pressure, and she kept talking. “Of course, it is no surprise that this day should be especially bad, since it is the anniversary of my Star Struck’s death. It is strange that, even after a thousand years, the ache of his loss has never fully left.”

For some reason, the guard hesitated as if he had been struck again, and it was several moments before he replied in a much lower and slower fashion. “It is understandable, Your Highness. True Love leaves an indelible mark upon the heart, and when a loved one is lost, a part of your heart goes with them.”

“Indeed. Not that he ever had to experience such a loss.” Luna snorted. “Our daughter lived a full thirty years after his demise, and his wife... well, obviously he never had to worry about losing me to old age. He did fret and worry whenever I led my troops into battle, though.” Some of the lingering cloud of gloom lifted with the words, and she could not help but grin a little as the memories came flooding back. “Especially when I led the airborne squadrons. He couldn’t keep me safe when I was in the sky, but he hid his concern with a lot of grumbling and upset remarks. He was always happier when my hooves were on the ground.”

Larkspur nodded but said nothing.

“Dragons were the worst,” Luna went on. “They were nothing more than armored, fire-spewing monsters who cared for naught but their glittering treasures. Occasionally, we could reason with one or two of them, but more often than not, Celestia and I had to beat what little sense we could into those thick skulls of theirs with force. You should have seen how Star fussed over me after our crusade against the self-proclaimed ‘king’ of the dragons, Lord Xedranen. That foul creature could have removed one of my legs, if he had chosen to. Why he did not, I will never know.” Luna glanced at her right rear leg and shook it slightly. “It took a full year for the compound fractures to mend completely, but Star was by my side the entire time. I do not recall using my magic at any point during that time, either, since Star would fetch anything I needed or wanted without hesitation.”

Corporal Larkspur nodded again but said nothing. For some reason, his silent presence encouraged her to continue with secrets that she had not told another living soul since her banishment, excluding Baked Bean. It was catharsis for her own actions and seemed to reassure her guard in the process, after all. 

“Of course, we had several heated arguments during that time. He believed I had been reckless and foolhardy, and that my injuries could have been avoided entirely. He never understood that to throw our guards at that foul beast would have been a suicide mission that would have accomplished nothing.” Luna chuckled and shook her head. “Of course, his pride bristled at the insinuation that his legionnaires were somehow less than capable, and he had to have satisfaction on the matter. Deep down, though, I know he was deeply disturbed by the fact that I was nearly killed, and that he had been powerless to do anything about it. Greater emphasis was given to pegasus training after that, and he even worked on some hairbrained scheme to create some sort of ‘bat pony’ for a time. The concept was both simple and novel: he wanted to give an elite, hoof-picked regiment superior attack capabilities to assist me in my nocturnal quests to defeat the literal, real-life nightmares that existed at that time.”

Corporal Larkspur looked surprised and interested, so Luna continued with her explanation. “If he could have worked his way, this regiment would have been endowed with enhanced nighttime vision and the ability to use echolocation to isolate and hone in on potential targets with enlarged ears. He even drew up some concept art of what they would look like, but was rather put out when I told him they looked more like fluffy, adorable cats than threatening bat-themed warriors, especially with the little tufts of fur on their ears and cute little fangs.” Luna giggled at the memory, then frowned. “But I refused to allow his project to go any further when I found he wanted to somehow completely remove the feathered wings from any pegasus guards and replace them with bat wings, so their flying would be silent and undetectable. To ask any of my little ponies to undergo such a barbaric, obscene disfigurement was beyond the pale, to say nothing of the amount of magical power such a transformation would take. He was displeased with my decision, but he accepted it in the end and never spoke of the matter again.”

Luna took a breath and considered the tight-lipped expression on the guard, indicating he thought one of his legs was being rather impolitely tugged. “It is the truth,” she admitted. “Verily, I did not dare admit even unto him that such a tribe of ponies really existed within the dark recesses of our lands. Where Star Struck had taken rumors and tried to make reality from them, he never considered just where such rumors originated. Sometimes I wonder about the tribe in these modern days, if they still remain in hiding, or if their numbers have dwindled to nothing over the years.”

Looking out the window at the star-strewn night, Luna heaved a deep breath. “I did such a disservice to their kind back then. I suspect our reluctance to search for them is drawn mostly from my fear that they will still remember my transgressions against them when I was inflamed with rage.”

“When...” Larkspur coughed into a hoof and stopped, only to continue at Luna’s encouraging nod. “When we are angry, we say things we don’t mean. It can be painful to apologize for your actions, but it can be an even worse pain if you cannot. I’d... seek them out,” he finished in a rush.

“Advice from the heart is seldom wrong,” mused Luna. “The idea has merit, and I shall accept your advice.”

“Just like that?” asked Larkspur, seemingly startled.

“A wise ruler listens,” said Luna. “Just as I listened to many good ideas put forth by my husband over the years. ‘Twas his idea to build the Castle of the Two Sisters in the strategic location that it is, and the outer walls were never breached by any invading army,” Luna said with pride. “He also worked tirelessly with Princess Platinum, Commander Hurricane, and Chancellor Puddinghead to ensure the united tribes of Equestria stayed united. He was relentless in advocating the cause of equality, and many of the old animosities that had existed were destroyed by his eloquent treatises on the matter. I dread to think of where we would be without his efforts.”





“...we avoided the marshes after that,” Luna said with a satisfied laugh. “He smelled like moss for months.”

Corporal Larkspur chuckled and nodded. “I can see why, Your Highness.”

“I suppose it was all for the best. We did discover the beneficial uses of peat because of what happened. I doubt he would want to be remembered as—”

Luna’s words abruptly cut off, and her head snapped to the vibrant hues of the budding dawn that was framed perfectly in her balcony windows. “Good night in the day! How long have I been prattling along?!”

“Oh, for about the last six hours, roughly,” Larkspur said with a shrug. 

“Why didst thou not stop mine ramblings?” Luna snorted, her magic flaring as it yanked the moon down violently below the horizon. “‘Tis little wonder my throat is so dry.”

“I was enjoying your stories.” Larkspur shrugged again, but then stood with a faint smile. “Usually, I just get to stare at a wall. This was much better.”

“I am convinced thou had better things to do with thine time,” Luna muttered. “Thine superiors will be looking for you.”

“That much is true,” Larkspur said as he stood. “The next watch is about to take their stations, and they’ll go into panic mode if I’m not out there.”

“Wait,” Luna called out as Larkspur began to leave, and he paused to look over his shoulder. “You have endured my ramblings, and… well, it was nice to talk to somepony during this difficult time. I shall grant unto you a boon for your willingness to endure my long-winded tales.”

“A what?” Larkspur asked. 

“I believe the modern term is ‘I owe you one,’” Luna clarified. 

“Ah. Well, since you’re offering, there is something you could do for me.”

“Name it, and I shall grant your request.”


 * *  ✹ * * 


The next time I grant a boon, I shall insist on certain restrictions.

Luna’s head drooped slightly as she followed Corporal Larkspur down one of Canterlot’s many side streets, and she tried not to notice the multitude of eyes watching her path. The corporal’s request was benign enough, but Luna’s stomach had gone straight to internal tornado when he had included the details.

“I’d like for you to come home with me tonight, Princess. We don’t need to take your carriage or anything, you can just follow me. I live close by.”

What was Larkspur playing at? Her mind tumbled and tossed about ideas in rapid succession, and most of them were centered on the possibility that—

Well, that this guard might have romantic intents upon her royal self. 

She wanted to deny the idea, to dismiss it as outlandishly impossible. The Royal Guard was far more professional than that, and none of the loyal members of that detail would dare to debase themselves in such a way. There would be severe consequences for any inappropriate behavior, to say nothing of the social condemnation that would come upon him and his household, should he want to—

No. She refused to finish the thought. There had to be another reason for his request.

“Here we are,” Larkspur called out. “It’s not much, but it’s home. Watch your head, Your Highness. The door wasn’t designed for alicorns.”

Luna ducked as she entered the modest home, and the weight of her anxieties lessened slightly. The corporal’s home was clean and tidy, and the furnishings were in good repair. 

“It’s about time you got home! We’ve been waiting for you.”

Luna’s panic kicked into high gear, and she nearly bolted through the closed door behind her as Larkspur planted a kiss on the cheek of the unicorn mare who had just emerged from a back room. 

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” the corporal said. “I brought company with me.”

“Kids! Come see who’s here!” the unicorn called out as she dipped into a curtsey. “It’s a pleasure to have you here, Princess. Though I’m wondering how Lark managed to get you to come,” she added with a withering glare for him. 

“Holy Celestia, it’s Princess Luna!” a small voice shrieked, and before Luna could figure out what was going on, three small fillies of various sizes emerged from the woodwork and nearly tackled her. “You brought her here! I can’t believe it!”

The overlapping voices and screams of joy made it impossible to hear what the bundles of barely contained energy were saying. Luna had no idea of what to say, so she simply nodded and stammered a bit as two of them ran circles around her.

Luna loved children, but she had never dealt with so many of them at the same time before, and especially this many with this much energy. 

“All right!” the unicorn mare shouted over the din. “How about we let the Princess come in, and then you can bombard her with questions?” 

“Your Highness, this is Mint Julep.” Larkspur pointed to the unicorn, who nodded. “The three miniature monsters are Marigold, Constance, and Tumbleweed.”

“Greetings, young ones,” Luna offered with a small grin that she feared looked more like a grimace. “It is a pleasure to meet all of you.”

“All right!” Mint clapped her hooves together. “I want you all to clear a path and let the Princess in! Tumble, make sure all of your toys are picked up so she doesn’t trip on anything, and Marigold, please do something with your hair things! Hop, hop, hop!”

The rock in Luna’s gut grew into a boulder as the three foals dispersed. She felt guilty for even thinking that Larkspur had any sort of ill intent, and she worried about how his wife felt about this impromptu visit. Her stern demeanor gave off the impression that she was displeased with Larkspur, and her next words only added to that. 

“You know, you could have warned me that the Princess, of all ponies, was coming home. I would have cleaned up and made some refreshments.”

“Kind of a spur of the moment thing,” Larkspur said with a shrug. “Didn’t really have time to tell you. Could you play hostess for a bit while I get my armor off? And bend out a few dents?”

“Shower too. You smell like smoke,” Mint ordered, and she turned to the Princess as he moved into the back of the house. “Your Highness, I apologize if that lughead has inconvenienced you in any way. The kids have been wanting to meet you ever since they found out he could be one of your guards, but I didn’t think he was serious when he said he’d introduce us to you. I know you’re busy with your duties, and if you need to leave, we’d understand.”

Luna shook her head. “I have no plans for this morning, Miss Julep. It would be an honor to be your guest.”

“Well, that’s very kind of you. Can I get you something to drink? I can make some iced tea really quick, if you’d like.”

“That would be wonderful, thank you,” Luna replied before gasping when something tugged on the end of her mane. 

“Princess Luna?” The cream colored filly held up a small rag doll with a grin. “This is Missus Pepperbottom. She says it’s very nice to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Missus Pepperbottom,” Luna offered with a grin. “And it is nice to meet you, Marigold. How old are you?”

“Seven, but I’m gonna be eight in a couple of months. Is that thing around your neck heavy?”

Luna chuckled. “Not at all. In fact, it is so light that I forget I am wearing it sometimes.”

“Why do you wear it?” Tumbleweed asked as she cleared the sofa in a single bound. “I think it looks kinda silly.”

“Perhaps, but it is tradition.”

“Your crown is for the unicorns, your pe… peh… pay tall is for earth ponies and the shoes are for the pegasusus,” Tumbleweed cut in with a roll of her eyes and a roll of her body along the cushions of the couch. “My teacher, Mister Table, told us all about it for, like, a whole hour! We even had to take a test about it!”

“Those history lessons are important, young one. You would do well to listen.”

“Yeah, I know. I really like the stories about how you beat up the barbarians! Bop! Pow!” Tumbleweed flung herself off the couch and crash landed on the floor. “They never knew what hit them! Can you show me how you did it? I wanna be just as tough as you are when I’m all grown up.”

“I suspect your mother would be displeased if I did,” Luna said with a quick wink for Mint, who had just walked into the room with two glasses of iced tea trailing behind in her magic. 

“You get into enough fights in school already,” Mint said with a sigh and a huff. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. These two just can’t control themselves.”

“There is no harm done, Mint Julep.” Luna took the offered iced tea and sipped. “Foals at that age are so full of wonder and excitement, it is hard for them to keep it all contained.”

“So, how did Lark trick you into coming here? It had to have been something rather devious,” Mint said as she sat next to Luna. 

“Corporal Larkspur is blameless. I may have—” Luna cleared her throat “—detained him unnecessarily, and I offered a boon to him to ‘pay him back.’ This was his selection.”

“I see. So I need to thump him twice as hard for being underhoofed about it.” Mint shook her head. 

“I apologize if my presence has caused any sort of undue strain upon your relationship. It was never my intent to be an imposition.”

“Oh, you’re no trouble at all, Princess. Just unexpected, that’s all.”

“Princess, look at this!” Marigold announced, and she shoved a toy train in Luna’s face. “Isn’t it pretty? I got it for my birthday!”

“She could see it better if you didn’t try to put it right in her eye.” Mint pushed the train away, but Marigold was undeterred. 

“I’m gonna ask for some passenger cars for Hearth’s Warming. Then I can get a bunch of tracks, and have them run all over the house! Mom said she’ll even let me run it in the kitchen!”

“My goodness,” Luna said. “Such ambitious plans! I do hope you’ll clean them up when you’re done playing with them.”

“Wanna see the timetables I came up with?” Marigold asked, but she took off in a gallop before Luna could answer. “Be right back!”

“Marigold likes trains, if you couldn’t tell,” Mint said with a chuckle. “Tumbleweed likes anything that gets her dirty or a new bruise. That kid gives me a heart attack anytime she gets near a set of monkey bars.”

Luna smirked, but then her eyes moved to the blue filly in the corner. “And what of your quiet and bashful daughter in the corner?”

“Constance? Oh, she’s not my daughter. At least, not officially.”

Luna’s heart leapt into her neck and began to pound furiously. “She is not?”

“Wait. Do you think that Larkspur and I are…”

“Married?” Luna finished hesitantly.

Mint laughed in a good-natured way. “Lark is my older brother, so no. We’re not.”

“Oh.”

“I can see why you thought that,” Mint went on. “Tumble and Marigold are mine from a rather messy divorce, and Constance is Lark’s. I moved in with him to help raise her when Patience died.”

Luna’s anxious feelings began to waltz with the remorse that had just shown up inside her. “I’m so sorry to hear that. I offer my deepest condolences.”

“That’s very kind, thank you.” 

“May I be impertinent and ask what happened?” 

“Oh, it was an accident.” Mint shrugged. “Happened ten years ago today, in fact. I hope you’ll forgive me, but I’d really rather not talk about it, especially with Constance here.”  

“I understand completely. I have no desire to intrude upon such a sensitive subject.” Luna took another sip of her iced tea. “Tell me, does Larkspur speak to anypony about the matter? Losing a loved one at any age is difficult, but to lose your beloved in the early years of matrimony is an especially sharp and depressing pain.”

Mint shook her head and sighed. “No. He’s bottled it all up inside, since it hurt him so badly. He never talks about it, not even with me.”

“I know how that feels.” Luna watched Constance for a moment, who was sitting in the corner by herself with a box of crayons and a piece of paper. The filly seemed small for her age, and in her eyes, Luna could see a great well of repressed sadness, confusion, and despair. “How has it affected Constance?”

Mint drew in a deep, heavy breath. “I wish I knew, to be honest. She shies away and retreats into herself whenever the subject comes up. It’s especially bad around this time of year, since it’s the anniversary of the death. I think, deep down, she wants to talk about it, but she has no idea how to, since her father doesn’t want to discuss it. It’s almost like… well, like Lark took every memory of Patience and locked them away in his heart.”

Luna’s heart lurched in her chest for the aching filly. There was no nightmare that the tantabus could ever concoct that would match what Constance was living through.

“Tumble!” Mint shouted, and before Luna could recover from the surprise shout, she was on her hooves and charging towards the kitchen. “What have I told you about getting into the pantry?!”

“But I was just gonna make some Bore Derves for Princess Luna!” Tumble whined. 

“Excuse me.” Mint quickly tossed the apology in the Princess’ general direction before she took a flying dive towards her daughter. “Tumble, you put that horseradish back right now, or so help me!” 

“Mom! I wasn’t going to burn it!”

Luna chuckled, and her attention went back to Constance. With a small sigh and a lopsided smile, she stood and cautiously approached the shrinking violet. At first, Constance was visibly alarmed, and she quickly pulled her effects out of the princess’ way. The panic subsided and gave way to a small curiosity when Luna laid down and offered a soft smile. 

“I don’t believe we’ve been introduced,” Luna gently offered. “Do I have the honor of addressing the lady Constance?”

“Um, hello, Princess Luna,” Constance replied, her eyes on something on the far side of the room. 

“I couldn’t help but notice that you were coloring. May I join you?”

This caught the filly’s attention, and her eyes met Luna’s. “You want to color with me?”

“If I may. Though I must confess, I am not much of an artist. Perhaps you can show me how you do it?”

Constance sniffled, and her eyes went to the ground as she pulled out the crayons and paper again. Another paper was produced from an unseen hiding place, and Luna thanked her before looking over the selection of colors.

“My goodness.” Luna tapped her hoof on her chin. “I did not realize you had such a variety! How many crayons do you have?” 

“This is the hundred and twenty count box,” Constance said, the corners of her mouth twitching up. “I got it for Hearth’s Warming last year from Aunt Mint. Everypony in my class is super jealous, since they all only have the sixteen count boxes.”

“I know I am,” Luna said, her magic pulling a grey crayon from the box. “You even have the built-in sharpener! I have never had anything so fancy.”

“You should ask for your own on your birthday,” Constance offered. “I bet Princess Celestia would get you one, if you asked.”

“She might, but then I would have to hide it from her,” Luna whispered. “My sister likes to steal my things, but she claims she is simply borrowing them without permission.”

“I know,” Constance groaned with a heavy eye roll. “Marigold is always taking my stuff without asking. Mint says I need to share, and not to fight with her.”

“It is difficult not to fight. Even now, Princess Celestia and I will have… ‘disagreements’ about things.”

“Isn’t that why you became Nightmare Moon?”   

The quiet words were like a thunderbolt, and it was all Luna could do to keep still and give a slow nod. “It is one reason,” she admitted while ever so slowly turning the crayon in the sharpener, watching the thin peel of wax spiral away. “But the Nightmare also showed me how much I really love my sister, and how much she loves me. If I remember that, then whatever happened between us can be fixed.”

“But what if they’re not really my sisters? Aunt Mint isn’t my mom. She—” Constance stalled, but instead of finishing her thought, she focused on her coloring. 

Luna said nothing for a few moments, and a peaceful silence would have prevailed, if Mint Julep wasn’t actively trying to stop Tumbleweed’s attempts at refreshment creation. The din died out some when the young troublemaker agreed to assistance, and when it did, the Princess spoke up. 

“You miss your mother a great deal, do you not?”

Constance nodded. “I wish she was still here. She died when I was little, so I don’t really remember much about her.”

“And your father does not wish to discuss the topic, does he?”

Constance shook her head. “He blames himself. Anytime anypony talks about her, he’ll get all mopey and mad sometimes.”

Luna nodded and pulled the apricot crayon from the box. “I did the same thing when my husband died.”

“You were married?” 

“A great many years ago, yes. His passing was another reason why I became Nightmare Moon.” Luna replaced the apricot crayon and selected razzmatazz in its stead. “I will always miss him, but I have found that the more I talk about him, the better I feel. Perhaps that would work for your father as well?”

“I dunno. It might help him, if he’d actually talk. But what can you do? If he won’t even talk to me, or to Aunt Mint…”

Luna gave Constance a knowing grin. “I have my ways. I make you this promise, Constance: one way or another, I will get your father to release his feelings.”

Constance leaned back slightly and gave her a wary look. “You’re not going to kiss him, are you? Kissing is icky.”

Luna laughed, and she had to admit to herself that it felt good to do so. “No, most certainly not. But there may be some crying,” she admitted. “He will need some very strong support from his family. It is a heavy responsibility for one so young.”

“Not as heavy as raising the moon, I bet.”

Luna shrugged. “You will find that there are many things that are both more and less difficult than we imagined them to be. We get through them with the help of our friends. It is a lesson I had forgotten until Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends reminded me. You—” she touched the filly on the nose with her own “—have many friends and family to help.”

Constance grinned. “Including you?”

“Yes.” Luna turned her paper to Constance, and the grin grew larger when she saw that Luna was drawing a picture of her. “Including me.”


 * *  ✹ * * 


Corporal Larkspur hesitantly pushed the door to Princess Luna’s bedroom open, and his eyes swept over the scene. After the impromptu flight lesson and demolition derby during yesterday’s demonstration of Luna’s magical power, he was willing to exercise a bit more caution, no matter how loud and destructive things sounded within. 

“Princess Luna?” he called out on a loud voice as he entered. “Are you all right? I heard a noise, and—”

“Good. You’re here.” Luna’s magic pulled back the heavy curtains of her balcony windows, allowing the room to flood with sunlight. 

It took a moment for Larkspur’s eyes to adjust, but once they did, he found the Princess sitting at a low tea table set for two. A silver teapot and a tray of cookies awaited between the settings, and Luna motioned to a cushion as her magic began to pour the tea. 

“Please, have a seat,” Luna said. “I hope you like sencha. The cookies just came out of the oven, so be careful.”

“What is all this, Your Highness?” Larkspur asked as he sat. 

Luna floated a teacup to him. “It is your turn to talk, and mine to listen. Please tell me about your wife.”


 * *  ✹ * *