//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Advent // Story: A Return to Form // by dracolord85 //------------------------------// Disclaimer – I own none of the cannon characters, settings, or locations contained herein. All ownership credit goes to Hasbro/Lauren Faust respectively. Chapter 1: Advent The last tip of the sun barely reached over the western mountains as most of Canterlot began shutting down at the end of its day. In the castle however it was merely a process of downshifting to the slower pace of the night operations. Freshly on shift solar guards marched out to relieve their counterparts in perfectly orchestrated movement patterns. The official business of the day throne had been halted until tomorrow. Most all non-essential castle staff was already on their way home leaving the castle largely quiet compared to the busy day. Celestia had retired to her chambers for the evening, having her sister back meant that she could now enjoy her time after her daily royal duties for the first time since her sister’s incarceration. She smiled and gave a contented sigh as she sat reading a book her student Twilight had excitedly mentioned to her some time back. As happy as she was to enjoy this downtime, the back of her mind was restless with worry over Luna’s lack of progress meeting much less befriending any new ponies. Luna had refused most outside contact, cloistering herself up into the southern wing of the castle that she had requisitioned as her own. It had been a little over a month since Luna had returned, and yet even Celestia had not seen her more than a hoof-full of times, and even less lately. She silently resolved to get to the bottom of the problem proactively this time, she would not let her sister go into another depression and sink into bitterness again. She would not lose her sister again, especially not after she had just been restored to her. KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! The sound of an armored hoof on her door drew her focus from both the book and her introspection as one of her guards sought her attention. “Yes?” She called out, “Is something the matter?” The door opened just enough for the armored head of one of her guards to poke through. “Apologies for the disturbance your majesty, but Princess Luna has arrived seeking an audience with you.” Blinking in momentary confusion at the formality of the request, she then laughed softly at how her sister still adhered to rigid tradition after all this time. She had likely marched straight up to the doors and demanded that she be announced. Counting her blessings that some things never change despite the wear of time, she closed her book and levitated it over to a table. She really would have to try to teach her sister to relax a bit, especially around the castle staff. Looking back at the guard she nodded her head. “Of course, please send her in.” She bade the guard who nodded and disappeared as both doors began to open. In cantered her little sister, her nose in the air, and an aura of regality about her, despite her diminutive blue frame being smaller than the guards who held the doors for her before closing them as she passed the threshold. Once the doors had closed behind her, Luna sat down just out of hoofs reach from Celestia. Sitting close like this the difference in size between the sisters was all the more clear, almost looking more like a mother and her foal rather than sisters. “Is there something you wanted to talk about before you begin the night shift sister?” Celestia began. “Indeed sister, we have come upon a discovery recently for which we wish to employ thy counsel and assistance with.” “Of course, I am never too busy to help my little sister.” At this Celestia moved in to nuzzle her sister, only to have Luna lean back out of her reach, prompting a confused look on Celestia's face. “Yes… we are glad thou hast agreed to aid us.” Luna said looking upward at her sister. "Please follow us to our wing of the castle.” Luna then rose to her hooves and began walking back to the double doors, pausing to look back at Celestia's concerned face. “Lulu, what is this all about?” “Please sister, all shall be explained when we arrive at our atelier.” A long walk in complete silence brought both alicorns to the other side of the castle that held both Luna’s quarters and her commandeered research and study areas. Luna occasionally glanced at the six royal guard stallions that had accompanied them, trailing a respectful distance behind. When they reached their destination before a heavy, iron banded wooden door, Luna turned and addressed Celestia in her formal public tone. “Sister, what lies beyond is for our eyes only. Instruct thy guards to remain outside until we emerge once more.” At hearing this, the guards as one looked to Celestia with immediate concern regarding the mysterious nature of the situation. Their eyes begged her to not comply and let them in with the two to ensure her safety. Celestia looked back to Luna and saw only her typical impassive public face. Sighing she gave her guards a smile and pointed to the hallway with a fore hoof. “Please remain here and await my return.” She told them gently. Ever professional, the guards did not balk or question, they simply moved to take positions surrounding the door. Luna nodded once and led her sister into the chamber beyond the heavy door. Unseen by the guards, as soon as the door latched shut, a previously placed spell seal within the door frame activated that both sealed and soundproofed the door. Celestia noticed but said nothing, assuring herself that Luna merely desired to discuss some sensitive personal matter without the possibility of any unwanted interruptions. Luna's atelier was large, two stories high with an enchanted glass ceiling that opaqued in the daylight but now offered a slowly clearing view of the dusk sky. Save for a desk stacked with books, a wide mirror that nearly spanned half the length of one of the side walls and a scattering of a few sitting cushions the room was mostly empty. Drawings of advanced magical sigils took up a good portion of the remaining walls, each painstakingly crafted and surrounded by notes on their expected behavior and interactions with other sigils. Most noticeable however was the large and very complex looking magical seal that had been drawn onto a good portion of the floor. Circular in nature as most were; it was filled with concentric and at times overlapping smaller circles with various runes in ancient equestrian throughout the whole structure. As Celestia began trying to decipher the seals purpose Luna interrupted her. “Sister, wouldst thou raise the moon?” Her face bore a pained look as if asking this had caused her physical harm. The look was not lost on Celestia as she responded. “Luna, I thought you wanted to do that yourself. The task of raising the moon is your right, and I have no business interloping on it.” “Yes…” Luna hesitated “”But we- I need all of mine strength to show you what I have brought you here for.” Celestia sensed that there was something wrong with the whole setup before her. Luna would never let her raise the moon if she was able to do so herself. The large spell seal on the floor had an unknown but likely powerful effect given the size and complexity of the thing. And yet Luna sat before her with an unyielding poker face. “Sister, can’t we just talk about whatever problems you are having? If you remember I promised on your first day back that I would be more open with you in whatever we faced.” “And that is indeed my intent dear sister. We shall clear the air between us.” Luna looked up into the eyes of her elder sister before walking into the magical seal on the floor. When she reached the center of the array she turned to face her sister once more before looking pointedly out of the glass ceiling to where to moon should be rising. Sighing deeply, Celestia’s horn began to glow with her typical brilliant gold aura while she bowed her head and focused on the moon just beyond the horizon. Once the waning crescent had broken over the skyline and she was sure it was on the correct path she washed the sky in purplish blue darkness and brought out a few of the brighter stars. Her task complete Celestia shut down her magic and lifted her head to see her sister giving her a sad half smile. “Thank you Tia” Luna said as Celestia’s heart warmed with the use of her childhood nickname. “Now sister, I shall tell you what has been ailing me of late. You cannot have failed to notice my obsession with advanced and theoretical magical theory. As well, my recent habit of sequestering myself away here in my atelier. Doubtless you have wanted to share more time with me and for that I am sorry.” Celestia nodded and moved to sit on one of the cushions outside of the magical seal. “I noticed mine affliction shortly after being reunited with you and returning to this castle. You were eager to return to me my heavenly duties and thus reaffirm my royal status as ward of the night. But after naught but a few nights of raising the moon and appointing the stars in the sky I began to feel drained as never before. Initially I rationalized the fatigue away as being a result of imprisonment for a thousand years." At the mention of Luna's imprisonment, Celestia found that she could not look her sister in the eye for a moment. Shame at the result of her actions taking hold of her confidence. The lack of anger and only a passing hint of resentment in Luna's words gave Celestia hope. "But weeks passed with no improvement in my strength. Indeed, it did seem that raising and lowering the moon and stars was getting both more difficult and more harmful a task to perform. It was then that I realized that I was no longer recovering my magical energy as I used to, no matter how much rest I had.” Celestia bore a confused look on her face but was otherwise silent as Luna continued. “Through much soul searching and personal inflection, I have come to understand that the very part of the alicorn soul responsible for large scale mana generation had been separated from me by the Elements of Harmony when they struck out against me. Though my power has not abandoned me entirely, for I can still sense it buried and locked deep within myself. At this point, although I indeed have the magical potential of an alicorn, I can only recover my magic like a normal unicorn. With each energy expenditure on the moon and stars, I am slowly degrading my reserves, permanently it would seem.” The navy alicorn stopped as Celestia looked sick to her stomach with this revelation. And yet she pleads with her sister using the best of her understanding. “Luna, the Elements would cause no such harm! They purged the corruption of Nightmare Moon from you and nothing else, they purified and restored you!” Luna bristled at her sisters lack of understanding concerning the Elements and barked out her terse reply before she had time to think it over. “Oh, the Elements are plenty capable of harm dear sister. I found it QUITE harmful being sealed within our own moon for a thousand years.” Luna retorted spitefully. “I didn’t know that they-” Celestia tried to explain herself only to be cut off. “Using the Elements was unpredictable when it was just the two of us fighting Discord. And clearly you fared no better trying to use them all on your own. Then giving them to six young fillies? Anything could have happened at that point.” Luna noted the devastated silence from her sister. With a sigh, she released all of the anger and resentment she noticed was building within her. She knew that continuing this vein of conversation would only result in more emotionally charged arguments and accusations. That would solve nothing. She looked up at her sister once she was level headed and calm again. “You are partially correct sister. The Elements did indeed try to purge Nightmare Moon from my being. But they could not know the exact structure and nature of what bound us together. Exactly how Nightmare Moon came to be and how we were tied as one is a secret that only I know. Therefore, while the elements succeeded, they also failed.” “Luna, why didn’t you tell me any of this before? Did… did you not trust that I would help you?” Luna smiled sadly as she shook her head. “Do not worry sister, had I thought that I could not find the answer I sought, you would have been the first pony to know.” Visibly steeling herself, Luna continued. “Now, before I proceed to show you my findings, we must exchange an oath.” “Why would we-” “I give you my word that at no time shall you or anypony else be in any danger during this procedure. Nor are the effects permanent in nature. And now I require your word that no matter what you may see you will remain calm and under control. Do you accept?” After a painfully silent period in which Celestia tried to glean any information out of Luna’s impassive face, she relented with a nod of her head. “I trust you Luna, I give you my word that I won’t overreact no matter what.” Nodding back to her sister Luna began to channel her magic into her horn. As she focused her horn glowed brighter while the etchings of the magic seal on the ground seemed to lift up slightly and glow with an ethereal light. As the circles and runes began to rotate within the floating seal like a giant clockwork mechanism, a point of darkness appeared above Luna’s horn. As the small point gathered the shadows of the room to itself, the orb ignited with an otherworldly black fire. After another moment of burning just above Luna, the burning black orb fell upon her brow and engulfed her body quickly. It was a titanic struggle of will, but Celestia remained seated and did not move to intervene. Her mind raced wildly with dreadful thoughts of what Luna was experiencing. She wanted so badly to interrupt whatever it was that her sister was doing to herself with this spell. The more rational part of her mind told her that to interrupt such obviously powerful yet delicately crafted magic would not be a good idea. Though it was plain to see that her body was visibly straining with the effort of not trying to intervene in any way. Black fire spread from Luna’s body in the middle of the magic seal and raced to the edges where it was contained by the lines of the circle. The dark fire seemed to extinguish the light around it rather than give it off. As Celestia sat rooted to her spot in equal parts morbid fascination and abject fear, the dark blaze in the middle solidified somewhat into a vaguely equine shape as the sound of heavy chains being dragged began to echo throughout the room. Six brilliant and uniquely colored heavy linked chains materialized and wound themselves around the dark mass in circle’s center. Celestia’s eyes shrunk to mere pinpricks as the creature bound in the glowing chains became more focused. “Luna, no…” She whispered, rising to her hooves and taking a step backward. Two deep aqua colored eyes opened, revealing draconic pupils. A thin smile appeared on the dark mare’s muzzle, revealing predatory sharpened teeth. Slowly and shakily the dark mare rose to her hooves in a cacophony of rattling chains. Celestia was now frozen mid backpedal in fear, her mind a terrified blank. “Good evening Celestia,” Nightmare Moon crooned, “It would seem we need to talk...”