//------------------------------// // Interlude 2 // Story: Colonel Hooves and the Empire of Crystal // by KarmaSentinal //------------------------------// “In conjunction with the ruling of my sister, Princess Luna of the Night Court, I, Princess Celestia, side with the accused in the matter.” The ruling came down hard, and without mercy causing the audience of a single alicorn to eagerly bang her hooves together in a show of support. Princess Celestia turned to her sister, and gave a mocking bow to the standing ovation.  “Almost terrifying sister! One would sooner believe Prince Blueblood is only acting insufferable than that! performance!”  “Quiet! I’ve been practicing that line for weeks, and that was my best deliverance yet.” Celestia sighed as she moved away from the window, and toward the little crystal table in the center of the room that stood two ponies high to better obverse the collected treats with interest.  “Tis true, and you know it with intimacy. Face it, you’ve grown softer than your flanks.” Luna chipped in as she moved to the opposite side of Celestia, and plucked one of the chocolate and marshmallow  ‘moon pies’ she’d come to really enjoy.  Celestia frowned, but said nothing back as she floated a cherry tart the size of a filly’s hoof to her muzzle, and in one bite consumed the whole treat. She repeated the act twice more before turning to address her sister, who carefully took strategic bites of the same pie from before.  “I’m trying Luna, but I can’t get angry enough to say the lines. I’ve tried thinking of the little things that annoy me, or had done so in the past, and I only find myself more annoyed than angry. I’m going to ruin that stallion’s play aren’t I, Lulu?”  “Perhaps you will. Perhaps you will not. But…” Luna trailed off to finish her moon pie, wiping her muzzle with her left wing. “ ...but this theater, is it not grounded in the likeness of your life?” “Hardly. The play heavily centers around the rise and fall of the mare named Glassware, which I vaguely remember the name, and little else.” “Yet, this performance claims I was a part of this mare’s life when the name means nothing to myself. What of this blatant inaccuracy, sister?” Luna asked as she syphoned another two of the chocolate moon pies toward her. She found the treats equally amusing as they were delicious.   “The script isn’t completely accurate as it’s emotionally portrayed to the audience. He ended up taking special liberties…” That was putting it lightly, and the scholar side of her wanted to throw the script away, but a favor was a favor and the sun princess had to bare with the torture.  “...when it came to the order of certain events regarding her life. As you noted, you never sentenced Glassware as the script claims you did, and that was solely to ‘amp up the drama’ as ponies say. What better way to show certainty than both of us siding against her?”  Celestia keenly watched her sister rip a small chunk of the moon pie with her magic before placing the morsel onto her waiting tongue. Luna was being deliberate with her stalling tactic to process the ambiguous thoughts about the mystery stallion and his theater work. She’d never met the stallion in the pony before only to discover his butchery of the historical past to fit his needs, and for a mare of history, this rubbed her fur the wrong way.  “He has indeed, far more than we’re comfortable with.” came Luna’s response, the half eaten moon pies were left unattended as the night princess levitated the script toward her teal color eyes. “Sister, you play yourself. This production will never succeed past the first night.” Her words were harsh, and carried with them a certain weight that seemed to validate their claim, but Celestia wasn’t so easy to persuade. After all, a favor was a favor.   “Ponies will try, and will fail, Luna. We’ve seen this for many centuries, and we ourselves aren’t immune to the effects of failure. Do you remember Starswirl’s father’s day gift?” Celestia smirked. ‘Of course, she’ll use that example.’ Luna thought with a roll of her eyes. She remembered their attempt to find the perfect gift for Starswirl all too well… “A fair point Celestia, but it doesn’t explain your enamored reasoning for joining this doomed production, and I don’t say it’s to help the little pony out! I know you well sister, and this screams conspiracy!” Luna extended an accusing wing at her sister, trying hard not to watch the moon pie crumbs from earlier rolling off the feathers and onto the floor.  As if by the grace of their forgotten mother, the accompanying flash of heat from dragonfire sent letters briefly slapped their faces before discarding three letters onto the dessert table. By the will of Harmony, the three letters glided over the assembled desserts, barely missing the hay pudding to rest right on the saucer plates the princess didn’t even know were present. Celestia turned her attention from the mysterious letters to her equally confused sister, who shifted her pointing wing to the letters to ask ‘what are those’? “You weren’t expecting any mail today Lulu?” Celestia asked with building glee when she shook her head no. “Maybe we should open them and see who they’re from?” It’s rare for the Princesses of Equestria to receive mail by dragonfire that wasn’t a scroll from Twilight let alone carrier mail that wasn’t junk, and this little fact meant the ponies(or creatures) that had the princesses’ magical signature were incredibly slim. Of the incredibly few, which one(s) would take the time to write them a letter? The excitement! “We concur Celestia, perhaps we should start with the one on top?”  “I agree, let us!” Celestia’s magic already reached out and grabbed the waiting letter, and with a foalish eagerness brought it closer to read the writing on the envelope.  The writing was atrocious, and hurt the alicorn’s eyes  to stare at it longer than a few seconds, but it was long enough to loosely put the swiggles together to make out a tiara and a single snake moving down before making a hard right…. “Is this your name?” Celestia asked before chucking the letter toward her sister, who took the offering with zealousness. Her teal eyes squinted as she examined the strange script before opening wide with understanding.  “It is! I recognize the foalish writing very much!” She squealed with delight at the possible fanmail. “They can be so sweet, I would never need sweets again.” “How can you read such..writing?” She wondered.  “See?” Luna pointed to the obvious crown with little circles on what looked like mountain peaks. “The crown represents my title and this snake is an L, followed by the broken circle, it's a U.”  “I see…” Celestia felt embarrassed at not easily recognizing the writing of a foal, but her limited experience has always been around the higher developed prodigies of magic. Which meant their magic writing was very legible. “And the second one… lady Nighthawk, the commander's daughter?” Luna was puzzled by its intended recipient, and how did this foal get their magical signature when Celestia’s irritable scuff caught her ears. “Pray tell, what is your problem?” “It’s nothing…” “It didn’t sound like anything sister, please, for our sake tell us what rubbed your back the wrong way?” “Luna seriously! You can be so crass at times.” Celestia scolded her sister’s implied meaning, but still still shifted her body to hide the red streak staining her pristine fur. “We do so not out of maliciousness, but you posture like them, the geese, we used to despise in our youth. You do remember them don’t you Celestia? Terribly round orbs of honking feathers…” “I do Luna, very much so. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come off so brutish, but it's been depressing seeing every letter addressed to me as junk, and nothing more. Before everypony would send me a letter once a day, and now I don’t even get a hoofwritten letter asking if I want to insure my kitchen in case of disaster.” “You know there’s still a letter left, sister.” Luna noted the lone letter resting on the small saucer plate. “It’s for you Lulu, or one of the maids most likely!” Celetia threw up her forehooes in exasperation, the fluff of fur centered over her barrel was fluffed out to further express her irritation.  Luna hummed a low tune as she levitated the last letter toward her, noting the familiar ‘tiara’ drawing on the front. The design that followed after greatly amused the night alicorn as she failed to hold back her laughter, and the sound of her glee only further annoyed the older alicorn.  “It’s not funny Luna!” “No it isn’t sister, but this letter is most definitely for thee.” Hesitantly, Celestia reached out with her magic and took the offered letter, being careful with the envelope in case it wasn’t a joke. It wasn’t a joke! Her heart began beating faster as she brought the letter into focus trying to read the foalish scribble… “Is that a sun?” “I think it's cake.”  The resemblance was questionable at best, and the large circle with the little circle on top of it looked nothing like a cake, but the triangle and small trident next to it added to Luna’s claim. Without thinking, she brought the letter to her muzzle, sniffing to find traces of a scent found foreign, but familiar. An element missing from life Celestia didn’t know was missing until rediscovering the mysterious scent. “What?” Celestia asked, noting her sister’s alerted ears, and narrowed eyes watching her like one did a griffon.  “Explain to us Celestia, what motivates a grown mare like yourself to ingest the odor of parchment?”  The wording was weird by modern Equestrian standards, but wasn’t lost to Celestia’s olden ears and caught the questioning jeer. Instantly, the alicorn was on the defensive, and brought the letter to her waiting tuff before displaying her wings to make herself appear much bigger to better intimidate. The response had a reaction, but not the one Celestia had hoped for when Luna’s jeering face combed back to reveal a set of smiling fangs unlike Nightmare Moon- Celestia was worried. “Oh my, dear sister! What could the letter be about?” Luna jest as she slowly moved around the right side of the table, trying not to further agitate her bigger sister. “A private letter from a suitor perhaps?”  “I..I can attest it is no such thing!” Celestia nervously squeaked. “You got your own, so read them! Off you go!”  The misdirection failed spectacularly. Luna only showed off that fanged smile even more as she moved around the table, forcing Celestia to do the opposite in order to keep the younger alicorn a table length away. This became the dance of the two sisters with Celestia using her wing to shoo Luna back when she got too close, but with a cleverly devised feign, the moon managed to snatch the letter from the sun.  This lack of respect between sisters would serve as the catalyst for the Eighth Great War.  It happened all too fast and could have been avoided if the two alicorns were more mature, but once the frosted bombs began flying did the peace end. In retaliation, Luna threw the nearest dish, little chocolate candies, causing them to pelt Celestia hard enough to pierce her fluffy fur. Surprised by this unexpected problem, the older alicorn sought safety behind one of now empty serving trays just as another batch made contact, the dull pings of coated chocolate causing Celestia’s ears to twitch with annoyance at the sound.  Pressing the advantage, Luna returned fire with another volley of baked goods before trying to bolt away, making for the exit. Not completely defeated and in an unexpected move, Celestia recovered and threw her untouched pineapple cream cake at her fleeing sister, the mass of fruit and sugar sailed in perfect arc and with a satisfying POP connected with Luna's small flank.  “AAAHHHHH!” Luna cried as the force of the cake spun her around, falling to the floor.  Stunned by this surprise assault she didn’t even notice Celestia’s magic yanking the letter out of her own.    “FINALLY!” Celesita cried as she retreated behind the table. “Let us see who you might be.”  The excited humming ceased only after a few seconds, followed by the crinkling of parchment being flipped around to examine both sides for additional writings only to find nothing but desolate fields. Luna shook the stars out of her eyes, and looked toward her still sister, noting how the humming had stopped, and her pristine fur was darkening red. “Celestia!?” Luna called out with worry, trying to find her legs quickly to aid her sister if it should be needed. This rush of worry propelled the young alicorn toward her older sister who had not yet moved, and was progressively bleeding out faster, the deep, crimson red staining the pristine white fur. “Celestia?”  She called out once more, and to her great reassurance found her sister uninjured as she stood silent. Luna jabbed a hoof into Celestia’s shoulder, and that broke the spell.  The Sun blinked twice and immediately began rereading the parchment while mumbling gibberish only she knew the meaning of, and when Luna tried leaning close to read the parchment, it was yanked away and the process would repeat. The worry was gone, but only to be replaced with the frustration of not knowing what possessed Celestia to the degree it did, and that needed to be corrected! “What is it?”  Luna followed Celestia’s half circle to read the tantalizing letter, and every moment she was about to, Celestia would turn her back yet again. The mumbling continued, only now it was more like ramblings of a loon. When the young alicorn had enough of this tiresome game, did her sister cease the turning and uttered the first string of coherent thought since their brief food war...  “I want you-” Celestia uttered. Luna gave pause, not even allowing the inhaling of air to dampen the sound in case her sister said more. She waited one full minute before seeking out the answers herself. “Well sister? Finish the letter.”  “I did!” Celestia screech, her crimson fur having dulled to a light apple red. “That is the last thing he wrote before..nothing!”  Relieved to show another, Celestia pushed the letter into Luna’s waiting face, almost smothering her with the parchment before it could be accepted. A sharp cry and a smack from the young alicorn’s wings ended this attempted regicide, and backing away for good measure, Luna eagerly began reading the letter to find out what caused all of this.  “I recognize the hornwriting- Idol Hooves. Perhaps the foal’s writing on the envelopes belongs to his young charge?” “Charge?” The word was one of two Celestia heard, but this one’s implications was the fantasy killer. Luna nodded.  “Yes, a young charge. Madam Topaz and Idol Hooves watch over a young filly, who based off this letter for my commander’s daughter is likely the infamous Redshock. A strange turn of events most certainly.”  The rush of excitement left the moment Luna finished her exposition, and with its departure came the loneliness of a long lived life. Scenes of two ponies chasing one another through the forests in the distant past had comforted the older alicorn for a number of years, but eventually lost its magic as everything did with time. To flirt with the idea once more had rejuvenated her old heart with a vigor she hadn’t felt since being chased by that stallion she dearly missed, and with this new blood came the suppressed emotions of a yearling in the mists of their first spring.  Now Celestia wasn’t so sure of the past few years, and if any of it was real or the aches of a lonely heart reaching out for absurd justifications to continue its pursuits, like reincarnation of a pony. She considered that possibly before while having to explain to the (new) colonel he couldn’t donate his vacation time to charity, no matter how funny it might have been.   “I’m sorry. I assumed you knew of his prior living arrangement for some time.” Luna consoled while trying to drape a wing over Celestia’s broad back. Tried.  “You’ve nothing to apologize for Luna. It is my own fault for letting my emotions cloud my judgment…” “Stop that.” Luna whacked her sister with the draped wing to enforce her point. “I’ve known and still gave approval for such a courting to happen..herds may permit, yes?” “The idea has fallen out of favor in the recent centuries, but herds are still permitted.” Celestia answered. “Then it is settled. Sister, we shall go to the Crystal Empire so you claim thy prize on a crystal platter.”  “Luna, we can’t just up and leave our thrones for our selfishness. There’s too much depending on our due diligence.” Celestia tried to justify her lack of action, but Luna who wasn’t as bound to paperwork saw the matter differently.  “A sore subject I shall admit, but what happened to the Celestia that walked out on her duties?” Luna silenced her sister the moment her mouth opened. “The one that left me on the throne for a near decade before returning with that blasted Discord?”  “Lulu…” “Tis in the past, but the point remains you had no troubles chasing after your heart’s desires then, so why not now? Do we not have ponies elected for this sole reason? Let us use them now, and go to the Crystal Empire.”  Hesitation gripped Celestia as the reminder quelled much of desire to travel, let alone leave the operation of the country in the hooves of another pony then herself. Anything more than chaining herself to Canterlot felt neglectful. Unjustly even, when her terrible crimes demanded a penance to be carried out. Even allowing the wonderful fling a couple of centuries ago left Celestia feeling cheated out of her due punishment... Still, Luna’s teal eyes shined with a youthful sparkle that made the act of sorrow difficult, and that robustness was rubbing off onto the older alicorn. Their lives are long as are their horns, and who could tell them no to matters of the heart when the very alicorn that should be mad is given the permission to pursue it? “I think you may be right dear sister.” Celestia nodded, much of her soured mood gone to be replaced with a rising conviction only a filly’s crush could entail.    “Of course I am. If we are quick on our hooves as you are to dinner, we may arrive on the eve of tomorrow.” “I’ll allow this jest one time, sister. One time!” Celestia exclaimed, her smile unapologetic.  “Duly noted.” Luna beamed while possibilities sparkled within her mind like stars at night.  The game was there as she’d learn from her pink niece. Shortfalls were unexpected, but the delight in seeing her older sister beam and prance to the silent tune of a fluttering heart only encouraged Luna’s actions.  Perhaps the stoic changeling she had slowly considered a trusted companion may be the very thing to reignite the fire Celestia had let flicker out.  In their rare moment of stillness, the royal family decided to postpone their return to duty for another day.  Through the grace of the benevolent Harmony of Faust, and some superb scheduling decisions, Cadence, Shining Armor, and their newly born foal found themselves unbothered by the flow of scurrying hooves that carried the burden of a day’s work upon their backs. A sound dampening spell was applied to the doors as a preventive measure from waking the young Flurry Heart.  This unexpected, but welcomed calming of the day before transitioning into the cumulative mess of rulership didn’t go unappreciated, and was heralded as the beginning drafts of at least two Royal Directives to increase the likelihood of further time off in the future. And until the unwritten rules could be written, they would remain comfortably in the library backlog of Cadence’s mind.  “I spy something blue.” “That’s half the room dear…”  Shining Armor noted as his bored wife began looking for the blue object. “Is it the wall?” “Sorry dear.” The moment Flurry Heart went to sleep, did the couple realize their ability to move went with it, creating the current environment of high stakes ‘I spy’. Cadence had become very familiar with her shared room over the past hour of playing, and had narrowed down her answer to the ceiling when a heavy knock came from the door. The pair looked to their sleeping child with trepidation, and felt the tension leaving their muscles as Shining carefully slipped off the bed to answer the door before any more sound could be made. He barely cracked one of the double doors open when peering through the crack was a single, cat eye popularized in numerous works- Nightmare Moon. His heart jumped into his throat as Shining Armor went to slam the door shut, but found his strength inadequate to save his family from the impending disaster. Before he could utter a warning to his wife, a foalish laughter soaked in a deep history of pranks slipped through the crack and into the room. “The look! The look! Tis priceless!” “That wasn’t very funny.. a little bit, but not much.” a second voice barged into the room, one the unicorn recognized very well having to ask his former boss permission to see Cadence all them years ago.  A moment of clarity slapped Shining back to the present, looked down to find a single white hoof poking through the opening in the door preventing it from closing, and then everything made sense. He looked to Cadence who looked equally perplexed as the subtle bouts of fear etched themselves into her wide eyes.  “Oh no!” They both thought as the identity of the two ponies behind the door became known, and the understanding of what they had forgotten became known.  “OH YES…” WIth a force unmatched by any mortal pony, Princess Luna bullied her way into the room casting a quick glance to the former Captain. “...IT WAS.” The noise was too much, and with expected volume came the screaming of a cranky toddler being woken up from its nap. Celestia hurried into the room, eyes locked on the foal flailing its little hooves and flapping its wings in distress, before looking up at her niece for answers to the strange alicorn filly crying in her hooves. Luna for her flaws, obliviousness might be the biggest one holding the young alicorn back from spreading her wings and soaring high above the clouds… “WHAT IS THAT?” Luna shouted, making the foal cry louder.