Chapter Thirteen
Trotting up to her student's side as they walked, Luna smiled at her. "I am pleased to see you've made some new friends here," she said.
Twilight blushed. "Yeah... it's been great," she said.
"I'm glad you've enjoyed yourself," Luna told her. "I had hoped you would gain from this experience, and you have certainly done so."
Twilight's ears flattened as she blushed again, and Luna smiled at the sight. Really, Twilight looked so adorable when she did that.
Finally, they arrived at the library and settled in, Luna finding a place to lay down and gaze out at the group. "So," she said. "What more would you care to ask about me, and our people?"
Sunset was the first to speak. "A... couple of things, first," she said, before turning to Twilight. "Princess - Head Director Luna's the teacher you two mentioned, the one who was always encouraging you to make friends, right? And the leader of your village?"
"Yes," Twilight said.
Sunset chuckled. "Ironic, I guess." She faced the others. "Twilight and Onyx know this already, but since we're getting the truth out." She took a deep breath. "I'm not just Princess Celestia's representative, helping make sure the Summer Sun Celebration was ready. I'm her personal student. Sunset Shimmer," she added almost as an aside to Luna.
Luna chuckled at that, shaking her head. "How fitting that the students of the Night and Day should find each other so quickly. One would attribute it to fate if they did not know better."
Applejack nodded. "Ah thought there was somethin' special about you two," she said. Then she looked at Cadance. "An' yer Sunset's old foalsitter she mentioned, aren't ya?" she asked.
Cadance nodded. "That's me," she said. "Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, formally. But I go by Cadance outside of official events."
The others nodded, then Rainbow Dash suddenly looked wide-eyed. "Heeeeey..." Turning to Shining Armor, she pointed a hoof at him. "What happened to that pegasus friend of yours, Love Hearts?"
Before he could answer, Cadance blushed. "I am Love Hearts," she said. "It's a name and disguise I use in public sometimes, hiding my horn so as not to draw attention. When Aunt Luna arrived, I dropped the illusion."
"Kinda surprised ya didn't hide yer wings instead, Yer Majesty," Applejack said.
"Please, none of that," Cadance said. "Just call me Cadance; royalty tends to create a gap between ponies that anything could slide into. And I actually feel more comfortable hiding my horn; I was born a pegasus and ascended later. I feel it keeps me true to my roots."
"You can do that?" Rarity asked, looking wide-eyed. "Be born one type of pony and become an alicorn later?"
Cadance nodded. "In special cases. Mine involved pushing my special talent far beyond its limits while in the presence of a special catalyst. I don't know if that same method would work for another pony or not though."
"Magic is a tricky subject and to try to peer into its depth without a guide can lead to madness if not worse," Luna cautioned. "Careful study is needed to truly understand and respect the field you wish to master and that is a lesson my ponies know well."
Rarity nodded. "It must have been rather... complicated, arranging everything up there," she said. "What was it even like, when you first arrived?"
"Complex," Luna said. "It took us quite a long time to make the moon livable without needing to rely heavily on my own magic prowess; for the first period, we did not have nearly as much as we do now. My abilities were required to protect our people from the vacuum of space until we were able to complete the first of our domes, wherein we did our best to reproduce the conditions of the planet below. In a thousand years, we have managed to expand on the original, and to construct five more, each with its own dedicated purpose."
She gazed at each of them in turn. "It was hard work, conquering that frontier, with many more complications than those who expanded Equestria's territory would have faced. It is true we did not have to deal with dangerous wildlife. But in an environment where one mistake could cost you your ability to breathe, and consequently your life..." She shook her head. "My ponies were willing to risk it though, for the freedom to believe as they wished without being violently targeted by those who disagreed."
"Violently?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yes, dear..." she trailed off, pretending she didn't know her name. The longer it went on, the greater the chance of her slipping and revealing she knew more than she was telling them.
"Um, I'm Fluttershy," Fluttershy said softly.
"Fluttershy," Luna repeated. "But yes, a thousand years ago to this night, I had organized a party for ponies that chose to follow myself instead of my sister. During the private occasion, there was an altercation outside the event between our two ponies with Celestia's side starting what quickly devolved into a rather unpleasant and brutal fight. It seemed that everything that been happening up to that point had merely been the prelude before that bloody night occurred. It was only when Celestia showed up that the attackers finally listened to the proper authority and stood down." Luna pawed the ground looking more angered than Twilight had ever seen her before. Looking at Onyx who was similarly looking concerned, she trotted over next to her mentor and laid down beside her. Feeling her student by her side, Luna looked down at her, and her expression eased.
"As I'm sure you can guess, this is an issue that has been weighing on me for a very long time," she said. "I have seen much, and done much, in a very long life. And there are some things that make me very angry. That these ponies were attacked simply for appreciating myself and my night over Celestia and her day is one of those things. That Celestia felt we were at fault and sought to punish them is another. And so, fed up with her attitude, I and my ponies departed Equestria for the moon, so we could live in peace."
"Excuse me Director Luna," Cadance said, her tone and body shifting to a more professional tone. "But I believe the records of that night showed that Princess Celestia wished to have proper trials for all those involved while you wished to have those who attacked you executed as traitors."
"As a fitting punishment for those who attacked their ruler," Luna said with steel in her voice. "But yes, that did occur. Celestia's selective bias rearing its unwanted head was too great for me to accept that time so we left to found a more fair and just nation than the one we were leaving behind."
"Thank you," Cadance said, bowing her head. "I am sorry if this subject is a sensitive topic but as it is, we only have one of the three sides of this story and having all the facts could allow us to move on."
"Three?" Luna asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yours, Celestia's and the third side," the mare replied, smiling politely at her. "There are some who would have seen the conflict from outside, and they have their own view of things too."
Luna took a moment to consider this. You really are different from so many of the Cadances I saw so long ago, she thought. Out loud, she said, "I see that you were raised properly, dear niece." She gave a laugh and shook her head. "I do look forwards to working with you in the future."
"As do I," Cadance said. "Aunt Celestia has her own way of doing things, and so does my semi-cousin. It will be an experience to compare your methods with both of theirs."
"Semi-cousin?" Luna asked, eyebrow raised once again.
"The youngest descendant of Princess Platinum is unofficially a member of the royal family as well, and insists on referring to us as such," Cadance said. "He is... not my favorite pony to deal with, to put it mildly."
"Quite. But I think we should table this talk to later, dearest niece," Luna said, looking at the other ponies here. "I apologize; I do believe we got off topic."
"It's okay," Sunset said. "I have to admit, Cadance and I have the same opinion on some of this. Especially him." She rolled her eyes, prompting a chuckle from both alicorns.
"Still," Luna said. "Was there anything else any of you wished to know about our Republic in particular?"
"There is... one thing," the gray pony by Vinyl's side said. She'd been so quiet, Luna had almost forgotten she was there.
"Yes, miss...?" she asked.
"Octavia Melody," the mare said, before she turned to Vinyl. "Your neck... it's related to where you come from, isn't it?"
Vinyl nodded. "Yeah," she said.
"Then... may I see it?"
Vinyl nodded, took a deep breath, and then removed her scarf, exposing what it had hidden.
"My goodness," Octavia exclaimed as she stared at the metal embedded in Vinyl's neck. "What is that?"
"Artificial voice box," Vinyl said with a sigh. "I was born without vocal cords, so they had it installed when I was young so I could learn to speak."
Octavia looked rather disturbed. "And they just-"
"No," Vinyl cut her off before she could finish speaking. "Nopony forced this on me." She looked rather huffy, and Octavia could only imagine that others had asked that same question of her before, probably with suspicion.
After a moment, Vinyl continued. "I wanted this. There was never anything wrong with my ears, or my brain, but as I got old enough, I got really frustrated over not being able to make any sounds and make myself understood. So as soon as I'd learned how to write properly, I asked if there was something that could be done to let me talk. My folks took me to the doctor, they told me everything I wanted and needed to know, and put in the implant not too long after that. And now here we are. It ain't perfect, but it does what I need it to."
"Does... does it hurt?" Fluttershy asked hesitantly.
"Not really," Vinyl looked at the shy mare and shrugged. "I mean, I do need to make sure I wash that part carefully and from time to time, I get a bit of a rash but it is nothing like having a fork stuck into your leg when you lose a dumb bet and why did I just say that out loud?" Vinyl blushed with both of her hooves in her face.
Octavia smiled. "That's quite all right," she said reassuringly. "At any rate, as long as it was your idea to have this done, and it was the result of a thought-out decision, it doesn't bother me." She leaned in. "Confidentially, among the ones you spoke of earlier, the ones who do rarely speak of the lunar ponies in a negative fashion... I have heard rumors from them of how ponies had to have been physically altered, possibly against their will, to survive on the moon's surface. And quite frankly, while I did not think them to be accurate, the thought of such disturbs me beyond belief."
"Any rumors like that are just malicious slander against us," Luna said disgustedly.
Vinyl blinked at Luna before she nodded her head. "It's true that some of us aren't a hundred percent organic anymore, but that's because they had physical defects that they wanted fixed. Like me. If any doctor was caught altering a patient against their will, no matter that patient's age, they'd have their medical license yanked so fast it'd make your head spin. And if they didn't want some problem fixed, they'd have to have a very good reason for it."
"Why would they... not?" Octavia asked carefully.
Vinyl shrugged, trying to come up with a proper answer to this question.
"There are some ponies that can't utilize prosthetics as well as they should be able to," Twilight said, speaking up for her friend. "Some are allergic to the anti-rejection drugs they'd need to use after a transplant to make sure it took. And then there are some who are flat-out scared of being put under for the surgery and never waking up."
"Oh..." Octavia blinked. "Those are understandable reasons, I suppose."
"Quite." Onyx nodded. "Back when the Lunar Republic was founded, some ponies had to learn the hard way that not working to be the best they could be was detrimental to themselves and to the whole Republic. We've eased up somewhat by now, but everypony still remembers that it took a lot of hard work to survive when resources were tight, and they understand that purposely leaving yourself unable to contribute as much in an environment like that is a recipe for disaster."
"So what's your purpose up there?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I mean, Twi here is Princess- I mean Director Luna's personal student and I think she'd want to somepony able to protect her."
Onyx nodded. "I am the Director of Security, in charge of law enforcement and defense from internal and external threats, should the latter happen," he said. "And Shining Armor happens to be my Deputy Director."
"Simply put, besides me or his husband, there is not a pony in the Republic that stands a match to his prowess, save possibly Twilight Velvet," Luna chirped. "Whom I expect will be quite interested in meeting her children's new friends."
Cadance nickered in amusement, most likely at the sight of the looks that most of the other Equestrians in the room developed at that, Luna thought. Meanwhile, Twilight groaned.
"I love my mother, but her overprotectiveness can be more than a little... much," she said.
"I get ya," Rainbow Dash said. "My mom- er sorry, I haven't introduced myself yet, Director. Rainbow Dash, employee for the Ponyville weather bureau."
"Pleased to meet you, Rainbow Dash," Luna said, extending a hoof to shake hers. Once they'd done so, Rainbow Dash continued.
"I love my folks," she said. "But they're so supportive, so proud of every little thing I do. I mean, I know I'm awesome, and it's nice to have fans. But the way they show it, making a spectacle of themselves when they're cheering me on, especially in public? It gets... embarrassing." She sighed. "I've tried asking them to tone it down in the past, but they just don't seem to get it."
"They might be embarrassing but you should treasure them while you still can," Luna sighed deeply. "Trust me, you do not want to have any bitterness should they leave you unexpectedly."
Applejack bowed her head. "Ah know the feelin', Director," she said. "Mah folks... Ah lost 'em when mah little sister Apple Bloom was just a tiny foal. Not that Ah had any negativity between me an' them, but... well, Ma never talked about her side of the family, an' Ah got the feelin' there was some bad blood between 'em."
Luna nodded. "I see," she said. "You have my sympathies, young one."
Applejack smiled. "Thanks, Director," she said. "Ah'm Applejack, by the way."
"And I am Rarity," Rarity added. "Rarity Belle, in full." She hesitated, then leaned in. "And by the by, I do believe I asked you a question before. Who did make that fantastic design for you?"
Luna smiled. "A miss Sassy Saddles," she said. "I can introduce you to her, when there is the opportunity."
"I would be delighted," Rarity said.
"And I'm Pinkie Pie!" Suddenly, a very pink face was in hers, and Luna blinked.
"Er, hello, miss Pie," she said.
Pinkie Pie grinned. "Nice to meet you, Director!" she chirped. "Cupcake?"
Luna smiled and accepted the treat. "Thank you," she said, before taking a bite and smiling at the flavor. "Mmm, lemony."
"I made it myself!" Pinkie said, beaming. Then, she leaned her head right up beside Luna's. "Confidentially," she said out of the side of her mouth, and in a much lower tone than before. "I wouldn't worry about those three and how they reacted when you arrived." She made a strange gesture that Luna wasn't quite sure how to interpret. "They panic over the silliest little things. They even freak out over a flower having a broken stem like it's the end of the world or something. So don't take it personally if they start acting afraid again later."
Luna nodded. "I will take that into account, miss Pie."
"Okay!" Pinkie chirped at a normal tone now, and grinned again. "And if you want more cupcakes, I'm always ready to bake them! Or any other kinds of treats."
Luna chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind."
"Excuse me, but are there any dragons up there?" Spike asked.
Luna shook her head. "For the most part, we are a nation of ponies," she said. "There were also some griffons with us at first, but there simply were not enough to sustain a population without serious inbreeding within a few generations. The last pureblood griffon of our nation died out around seven hundred years ago, though their hippogriff descendants are still with us. There is the rare griffon that is born from one, as there is a pegasus from an Earth pony family or unicorn to pegasi or so on. But there were no dragons who came with us." She considered her next words before speaking again. "At the time, dragons were exceptionally unfriendly to Equestria, so none of them would have allied with either my sister or myself. Our official policy was to defend ourselves in case of an incursion, but if they didn't attack us, we wouldn't attack them."
"Still is," Sunset said. "Celestia got Spike's egg under... special circumstances. That's all Spike and I know about it, she wasn't willing to give us any details the one time I asked," she added. "But she kept it at her School for Gifted Unicorns as a special entrance exam test until I was able to actually hatch it. As far as I know, they haven't tried to get a replacement since."
"And to be honest, I do have a bit of concern with you visiting," Luna said, looking over the dragon. "There is the dragon greed to think of, which could pose a danger to the safety of my citizens."
Sunset frowned. "I'm actually aware of that," she said. "And I keep a strict eye on how much he gets at a time, so it won't trigger the growth spurt."
"Dragon greed?" Fluttershy asked a little nervously.
"Dragons, if they acquire too many possessions at once, start to go through a growth spurt that makes them greedier and more than a little crazy if they start it when they're younger," Sunset said. "Greed-induced bigness, they call it. Or just 'Greed Growth', if they feel like being more formal. There's a natural growth spurt where they get their wings, but that's age-related, not hoarding-related."
"How did you find that out?" Shining Armor asked.
Sunset ducked her head. "Cadance and I, and Spike, went out on a special trip a few years ago," she said. "We ended up crossing paths with a dragon migration, and one of the bigger dragons there saw Spike with us and got suspicious. After we explained about how I came to hatch him, she was actually polite enough to explain about a few things when we asked." She frowned. "She also had some very negative things to say about Princess Celestia under her breath, but she was polite enough when talking directly to Cadance and I."
She looked at Luna. "The point is, Spike is my little brother in all but blood, and I'd stake my life on it that he won't cause any problems if he comes with us."
"I hope it will not come to that point, Sunset Shimmer," Luna said. "But I will trust you."
And, she silently added to herself, I will trust that this Spike is as kind and well-behaved as the majority of the versions of him I observed in the other dimensions with Celly when we made our last trip to the Valley of the Alicorns.
"Before we depart, I do believe it would be wise to inform your families of where you will be for the next few days," Luna said. "Currently, I am the only pony capable of traveling between the moon and Equuis under my own power and I fear my time will become quite tied up with the dry political matter of our two nations reconnecting."
"Perhaps in the future, you can teach me that spell, Aunt Luna," Cadance said. "Unfortunately, I think I will be staying planetside for the time being." She flashed an apologetic look at Shining Armor. "Somepony needs to keep Aunt Celestia from working herself into a frazzle over certain matters." With the unsaid part that Cadance was clearly working to prevent any new schism from erupting from the two of them.
Luna smiled. "I look forward to it, dear niece," she said. "Now let us get a move on; I doubt my sister will wish to wait for too much longer."
Cadance nodded in agreement, and then all rose, several heading for the door, while Sunset went upstairs to fetch her and Spike's belongings before joining them.
Celestia paced back and forth in the room she'd borrowed in Town Hall for her temporary use, not wanting to leave Ponyville while her sister was still down here. She only wished she had been able to come up with some plausible excuse that would let her deny her sister's request without making things worse.
"Ahem," a familiar and most undesired voice said from behind her, and she took a moment, counting to ten silently to try and calm herself, then turned slowly. "Blueblood."
"Aunt Celestia," Blueblood acknowledged. "If I may have a word."
"Be direct today, I am in no mood for subterfuge or misdirection," she cautioned him with the prince nodding his head as he walked towards her and held out a folder.
"Arrest warrants for Shining Armor and the rest of his group," he said, managing to keep eye contact with her. "They are foreign agents sent here to spy on us and report back to their leader, with one managing to infiltrate your castle and obtain classified information."
"Absolutely not," Celestia shook her head, refusing to take the folders from him. "The situation is far more complex than you currently understand but make no mistake, a conflict right now would only put everypony in danger of a threat we currently do not have the means to contain anymore. Do not issue those arrests, do not show those arrests to anypony. If they do come out in any fashion, I will hold you personally responsible for all the fallout that may, and will come from it. Am I understood?"
Blueblood looked as if he wanted to protest, but Celestia held up a hoof. "Besides, the main information they sought was the mood of the people, and learning that is hardly a crime, no matter where they are from. So unless you have other things to speak to me about, you are dismissed."
Blueblood actually looked concerned and nervous, before he coughed and finally spoke again, holding out another folder to her. "Upon learning about your sister, I began to do some research on several different topics in the possibility that you would reject having them arrested."
"And how did you do this so quickly, Blueblood?" Celestia glared hard at him, eyes narrowed in slow-building anger. "My sister only announced herself less than an hour ago, more time than it takes for one to travel here by the fastest means you have available."
Blueblood squirmed before he lowered his head towards her. "Forgive my intrusion, but I happened to see a book that your student had read. One that spoke of her."
"That book you speak of was of a limited print and I am aware of where all the copies are," Celestia said, stalking towards him with heat pulsing off of her. "The only one you could have found was in my student's private chambers."
"Yes, well-"
"Well nothing." Celestia glared. "You violated my student's privacy; explain why I shouldn't arrest you here and now."
"I was merely doing my duty to best help Equestria in any manner possible, which includes learning of any possible dangers, Princess Celestia," he said, bowing his head. "I will also accept the charge, though as a first offender, I will be issued only a fine. And perhaps I could explain that the door was open and the book was left on the table." He flashed her a confident smug look with Celestia still smouldering in anger.
"Do not play cute, Blueblood," she glared. "Do this again, attempt to do this again and I will bring the full wrath of the sun upon you. You will be without a bit or title to your name and unwelcomed in Equestria or any land that calls my nation a friend. Are we understood?"
Blueblood gulped. "Crystal, Aunt Celestia." He held up the folder. "But. The simple fact is, there are no records acknowledging your sister or the ponies she took with her as a separate nation. Legally, they are still citizens of Equestria, albeit ones who are, by all definition, in a state of rebellion, though I doubt you wish to go that route. At best, they can be viewed as a colony of this nation, administrated by your sister, who - according to the research I have done so far - never officially abdicated her authority as a Princess of Equestria."
"Is that true?" she asked
Blueblood nodded. "The laws are quite clear in this situation," he said. "I had it checked over several times before I brought the information to you."
Celestia stared at him, then shook her head and sighed. "I will read over it myself," she said. "But for now, you are to say nothing of this to anypony, do you understand?"
Blueblood nodded, hoofing the folder over to her. Tucking it away, Celestia turned. "Leave me and Ponyville," she said. "I expect to hear you have turned yourself in by the time I return to Canterlot or you will be punished severely."
"I hear and obey," Blueblood said in a low tone, before leaving the room.
When his hoofsteps had faded into the distance, Celestia sighed to herself yet again. I wish I could publicly admit to Cadance and Sunset that I agree with them about how much trouble he is, she thought. She was already signing several orders to guards she trusted to make sure Blueblood did as he was told; any deviations would give her room to finally remove him from the position he was in and cut that snake's head off. She was still annoyed at herself that she had allowed him to turn out this way, becoming an opponent instead of an ally. It made her wonder what other mistakes she might have made but her thoughts were interrupted when she heard hoofsteps again, ones she recognized and that made her happier at their sound. "Come in, Sunset," she called.
Sunset entered the room, immediately crossing over to her. "Hey," she said.
Celestia smiled at the sight of her student. "How are you doing?" she asked. "We haven't had time to catch up since I arrived."
"It's been an interesting experience," Sunset said. "I met some very friendly ponies, had a good time... met Twilight, which has been great." She had an expression on her face that made Celestia flick an ear. "It's so rare that I meet anypony who loves learning as much as I do."
Celestia felt a pang in her heart. "And?" she asked.
"Well, today, we... got to hear things from Luna's point of view, learned a little about what life is like on the moon," Sunset said.
Celestia nodded slowly. "I see."
Sunset gazed up at her. "Princess, I know you two have your differences. But she's your sister. She may not be expressing it out loud, but I can tell that inside, she still loves you. She's just... frustrated, over a lot of things."
Celestia nodded again. "And I care for her, deeply, more than you can possibly understand," she said, before looking at Sunset. "Are you still going to the moon with her?" she asked.
"Just for a few days," Sunset said. "All of us, except Cadance - she's staying down here. The girls are letting their families know they'll be away for a little while and making sure everything gets taken care of at their homes."
Celestia smiled. "That's understandable, I suppose," she said.
Then she felt Sunset wrap a leg around hers, and looked down into the younger mare's eyes.
"You will always be my teacher," Sunset said softly. "I'll come back to you - all of us will. Promise."
Celestia nodded and hugged her back.
It was a while longer before everypony arrived, and Celestia went outside to watch them depart. She wasn't certain if Luna would have to make multiple trips with as many ponies as she was transporting or not, but either way, she was going to be there when it happened.
As the group gathered around Luna, Cadance giving Shining Armor a final nuzzle before stepping away to stand beside Celestia, the alicorn of the Day traded looks with Luna, whose eyes softened briefly before her horn lit up, forming a field of energy around them.
She caught one last look from Sunset before the field vanished, and then they were gone.
Celestia sighed, and then she felt Cadance's presence against her own. Turning to look at her, she saw the clear concern in her niece's eyes.
"Come on," the pink mare said. "Let's go home."
"In a moment," Celestia cautioned, waiting for it. It was a while that nothing happened before her sister teleported back down onto the surface with a small group of ponies around her, Luna looking slightly winded from the effort. There were also a squad of guards around them, each in slim silver plating that Celestia instantly placed as being made of some strong alloy that would be strong enough to resist any piercing damage her ponies could possibly manage to bring to the forefront. They also had what seemed to be pistols on them, though what kind of ammunition they used she was uncertain of.
"My apologies in my tardiness," Luna said. "There were several ponies I had to bring with me this time around. May I introduce you to Honey Spice-" She gestured to one of the ponies, an Earth pony mare. "Our Director of Agriculture."
The mare nodded politely to Celestia, who returned the gesture.
"Raven Inkwell, our Director of Resources," Luna continued.
"Princess," the mare said, and Celestia greeted her. There was something familiar about her; she wasn't positive, but she was fairly certain she recalled seeing her in passing in more than a few dimensions, all those thousands of years ago.
"Quick Light, our Director of Energy," Luna said, presenting the thestral stallion. "And I believe you know Onyx Plate, our Director of Security."
The other stallion nodded, and Celestia regarded him; that Luna had entrusted him with Twilight's protection, knowing her importance, left her no doubt that he was very capable in his duties.
"They are here to continue the work we began earlier," Luna said. "We wish to reestablish ties with Equestria, so that both our nations may benefit."
"No other unicorns or pegasi among your Directors?" Celestia asked.
Luna clearly recognized her words for the bait they were, and responded calmly. "Director Neighsay is not the most... social of ponies," she said. "Director Steady Notes is working on one of her own special projects in regards to our nations, and Director Well Wishes had his duties to attend at one of the hospitals today. In addition, it was viewed unacceptable to have a majority of our Directors out of the Republic."
"Understandable." Celestia regarded her. "We will do our best to accommodate your followers and their needs," she said.
"And I will personally be overseeing this," Cadance added, giving her a sharp look. "Ladies, gentlecolts. It is good to be working with you. Please, if you will follow me, I will direct you to the train so we can travel to Canterlot, the new capital of Equestria. It might be slow but it will give us much needed time to get to know each other."
The four all smiled at that, and followed her, the guards trailing too. Once all had made their way out of sight, Celestia saw Luna looking after them.
"Our niece is wise beyond her years," the alicorn of the Night said.
"Yes," Celestia agreed. "Yes, she is."
Luna gave a faint smile before looking back to Celestia. "Sister, I know we have had our disputes. But I can promise you one thing."
"Oh?" Celestia asked.
Luna nodded. "Your student, and her new friends, will be safe. Sunset clearly means a great deal to you, and I am not so cruel to hurt you in that fashion. I am also aware that both our students have the potential to become Magic and that one of them will be needed to lead the effort when the time comes to face him. Harmony must be ready and holding them in either nation would diminish them." She sighed bitterly. "We must make peace, lest we risk a greater disaster in our dimension than the others."
Celestia flinched at her sister's choice of words, but nodded. "And for more reasons than one," she said. "None of us want to draw their attention. They and I may follow the same Creator, but the extremes they go to are not something I wish to see inflicted on our ponies."
"Then hopefully, we can come to some sort of accord," Luna said as she walked towards the train. "For the good of all."
Celestia watched her go, then sighed.
For all we observed once, in the hopes of being ready for the future, it seems that life has just taken us down an unexpected turn, she reflected. She then made her way to the train station, following after her sister and wondering what more would come in the days ahead. "For the good of all," she said softly to herself.