"We have to go, Luna! Now!"
Something incredibly serious had happened. Celestia was acting in a way I had never encountered before and I could fathom no possible reason other than...
"Twilight Sparkle?" I asked.
She nodded stiffly, or perhaps painfully, before trotting to and fro, seemingly unable to decide what the next correct step to take was. The expression on her face was one of intense worry, a look that only came about when all of Equestria was in peril.
"Sister, you must remain calm, you are quite literally going nowhere," my attempt to lighten the mood was met with tense silence. Celestia did not even spare me a glance, her eyes shifting this way and that as if she were combing over invisible words floating before her.
"There's not enough time..." she whispered, more to herself than to me.
"SISTER!" I was inches from utilizing the Royal Canterlot Voice, but a loud shout was more than enough to pull her out of her stupor. Her face snapped to mine, somehow even more distressed once her mind was back with me in reality.
"It is as I feared, Luna," was all she said, the worry on her face becoming even more defined.
"Then we must make haste," I said kindly. I began to focus magic into my horn. If what had happened was as drastic as she believed, then our best option was the swiftest one. In most situations, decisive action was much wiser than hesitation.
"R-right... you're right," Celestia nodded, a look of determination spreading across her own features. She joined me, focusing her own magic into that specific part of her horn. Our home was a long way from Canterlot, our personal land a great distance from any other civilization, a choice Celestia and I had agreed upon when passing our kingdom down to Twilight.
Solitude was a blessing I could share with Tia. A life far from the demands of royal obligations was exactly what we needed after all those years of servitude.
Teleporting a short way was a simple task for alicorns such as us, but distance this great required some precision and a bit of concentration. In mere moments, I could feel my magic peaking. With a loud pop, I was sucked out of existence into nothingness, only to flash back into the world with another equally loud bang seconds later. Teleporting so many miles away always felt... peculiar.
A moment later a loud pop sounded next to me, my sister appearing in a beautiful golden hue of sparks.
"P-P-Princess Luna?!? P-Princess Celestia!?!" The Royal guards standing at attention in front of Canterlot Castle immediately lost their composure at our sudden appearance. One could hardly fault them, Sister and I were still quite the sight to behold, especially amongst newer recruits who had only ever interacted with Twilight. Awkwardly enough, we were still referred to as "princesses" even in the absence of our crowns and royal garb. It was possibly due to Twilight's influence, as she could never seem to shake that poor habit either.
"Forgive us, but we are sorely pressed for time. May we please be let through?" my sister asked softly, already donning an expertly woven mask of diplomatic serenity. However, anypony who spent time with her could see the slight tensing and slacking of the muscles in her legs. It was easy to see she wanted to run, but that was completely unacceptable in a place such as this, even more so for one of her status.
"O-of course, Your Majesty!" The guard on the right sputtered before he and his counterpart pushed the gate open with a hoof. "Please! Enjoy your stay!" his voice was high pitched and quaking, revealing just how nervous he was
"Thank you!" Celestia and I spoke in unison as we entered the castle grounds. I patted the guard on the shoulder with a hoof as we passed them by, hopefully soothing him a touch. Normally, the trek to the great hall was much more deliberate for us. Pleasantries to elites, greeting guards, and answering any official business--even though royal duties were far behind us--were typical requirements for us, but today, something was off with my sister.
We started toward the hall in a somewhat quick trot, but before long Celestia had transitioned into a brisk canter forcing me to hasten my own pace. Her gait was far larger than mine, after all. She was not acknowledging any passersby, her eyes focused only on her destination. If it were not completely taboo, I supposed she would have teleported directly into the great hall, which would have caused all manner of trouble for the two of us.
"Sister, we are violating numerous regulations!" I hissed, my voice an octave above a whisper. She was not listening. I debated trying to break her out of her focus, but at this rate we would be in the great hall in mere seconds. Twilight should be holding day court and we may interrupt, but that did not seem to trouble Celestia at all. At least, not moreso than whatever had happened to cause all of her distress.
Two guards stood next to the large doors of the great hall. This was... highly abnormal. Generally speaking, an extremely long line of subjects should be fidgeting uncomfortably, waiting for their turn at an audience with Twilight, however currently, there were merely a few scattered ponies and griffins speaking quietly amongst themselves. Our approach stunned several of them into silence and awkward glances, possibly due to Celestia's demeanor. As we walked up to the large double doors, I noticed an ornately designed sign hanging from them.
"No court today. Apologies for any inconvenience," I read aloud.
"Where is Twilight?" Celestia harshly questioned one of the guards. The very air about her was unusual, a tinge of desperation in her voice.
"Princess Twilight," I corrected her. The guards seemed satisfied by my clarification.
"Her Highness has sequestered herself in her private chambers. She has declared that she not be disturbed under any circumstances!" the guards boomed in unison. The gap in experience between soldiers posted on the interior of the castle and the exterior was quite apparent.
Celestia sneered at their reply before breaking into a gallop towards Twilight's chambers, barely avoiding the group of griffins that had been in her path a second earlier.
"Sister!? Tch." I followed after her as quickly as I could manage, apologizing to the griffins as I darted past them.
So many breaches of etiquette...
Celestia was done holding back. I was nearly forced to take flight to keep the short span between us from growing too great.
In seconds she slid to a stop at the doors to her old private chambers. Twilight Sparkle had taken up residence in her room after the transfer of power, possibly because it was the room that Twilight had spent most of her time in previously and thus, was where she felt most at ease.
Celestia appeared hesitant all of a sudden, her chest rising and falling rapidly as if she were grasping for any oxygen her lungs could obtain. She could not be so winded from... not from something so effortless as traveling a few yards.
"Tia?" I lightly placed a hoof on her shoulder.
Is she having a panic attack?
My heart began to pound as I turned over the possible causes in my mind. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath in through her nose then released it slowly through her mouth. She looked at me with a smile that would have comforted anypony else, but I perceived it hid something... worrisome.
"I love you, Lulu," she said quietly to me. Sister's masks were countless and impossible to decipher. I could not work out if this was her true visage or if she was trying to conceal her real feelings from me. It was frightening. Cryptic words like those, particularly right now, were most unwelcome. I could not mouth any sort of protest, instead saying the only thing that came to my mind.
"I love you too, Tia." I wanted to hug her, to console her, to assure her everything was going to be alright. Such lofty desires when I did not even know the problem we were facing, were foolish. She looked back at the doors. For some reason they seemed more massive and sinister today, as if they were the foreboding gates to Tartarus itself. A feeling of sickening dread settled in the pit of my stomach.
"Luna..." she said quietly, not turning to face me.
"I shall wait right here, Sister." I wanted to go with her, wanted to stay as close as possible, but this was where we traditionally parted ways. Her relationship with Twilight Sparkle had always been… unique, to say the least. To be honest, I was a little jealous of the young princess... Very well, I was intensely jealous, but Celestia had always shown me love and kindness I did not deserve, so I kept my envious thoughts to myself.
"Thank you, Luna." With a swell of her magic she knocked on the door once, twice, then a short delay followed by a quick succession of three knocks. A semi-secret way that she let Twilight know it was her. The doors were shrouded in a magenta glow before one slowly opened with a loud groan. My sister silently stepped inside before the door was drawn closed with a dull thud.
Normally, I would explore the castle grounds, maybe go find a snack in the kitchens or visit the gardens, but there was an uneasy shadow lurking over me today. Something was compelling me to stay planted to the spot where I stood. I dropped to a sitting position and began to ruminate on the past, trying to theorize what could have occured that could cause Celestia so much distress.
The initial signs of her concern had cropped up around the time that Twilight's parents had died. First her father, then shockingly, a couple days later, her mother. Both seemingly naturally of old age, but each positively devastating for the alicorn, especially since their lives had ended so close together. Fortunately, Celestia and I were there for her student, as were the young alicorn's friends and family.
After a grieving period, Twilight's spirit appeared to improve, even to the point of normalcy, at least from my perspective. However, it was at that time that Celestia began to display her own decline. More letters, more visits, but most concerning to me, more worry.
Many years later, Shining Armor, Twilight's elder brother, took ill. While it was an unnatural occurrence that took him, his journey had been a long and very prosperous one.
Once again, Twilight took it terribly. While she was able to surround herself with her loved ones, losing your nuclear family could be very difficult. At the time, I began to notice a change in the princess. Her shoulders began to slump. Her smile was less luminous. Even her basic movements appeared more labored than before. I wanted to help her, wanted to do something to make her feel better. Twilight Sparkle was my friend, a very dear friend, one that had saved me from the Nightmare.
Alas, there was nothing I could do, save offering her a smile and a shoulder to cry on. Sister had always been much better at compassion than I. Since the beginning, Ponies had always perceived me as a frigid ice queen. I was not, though I did lack the appropriate faculties to properly comfort others. Anything beyond a hug and a smile was alien to me. All I could truly do was rely on Tia for things such as that. Unfortunately, as Twilight's frame of mind cracked, so did my sister's. She began to get distracted during everyday conversations. She would forget simple tasks. She began to lose track of her responsibilities.
I offered my ear and any help I could give, but Tia had never been the type to lean on me. Although honestly, I had never been the most reliable sibling. After countless failures, I would have had reservations trusting myself as well.
Years later, everything tumbled into a downward spiral. One by one our friends began to perish. The first to die was Pinkie Pie. Her husband and children were crushed by the mare's death. Losing our laughter scarred many of us for months. Next we lost Rarity. While her sister, Sweetie Belle took it the hardest, I was also particularly devastated.
Rarity and I had become very close friends after she came into contact with the Nightmare. Losing her was one of the most difficult times in all of my years. She was one whom I could truly relate to, one who understood my travails. I would always love the ivory unicorn.
Then, Rainbow Dash passed away. Young Scootaloo fell into a deep depression for months. It had been as if her own sister and idol had died. Next to lose her life was Applejack. Poor Apple Bloom was hit the worst, what with both her siblings deaths so close together, but Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle kept her strong, knowing ultimately what it was like to go through such horrible loss.
Finally, Fluttershy was last. Celestia, Twilight, and I had always wondered what Discord would do in such an event, whether or not he would make an attempt at prolonging her life. Whether he would accept it and move on. Whether it would simply cause him to revert back to his old chaotic and destructive self. In the end, after her funeral, he merely opened a portal to the chaos realm and listlessly floated through it, sealing it behind himself. He still has not been seen by a soul in Equestria since that day.
What struck me as truly baffling was the response of the girls themselves. With each death the remaining seemed to grow more content, as if a quiet dignity and acceptance had settled on their spirits. There were no tears to be shed amongst them. Peaceful smiles and single hooves placed on coffins were their sincere reactions.
On the other hoof, Twilight Sparkle was sinking further and further into the depths of despair. As her friends died, her own circle of comfort slowly crumbled to pieces. The rest of us all offered her our support. Celestia and I took over her royal duties when things had become too hectic for her. Her remaining friends spent more and more time with her, Rarity going so far as to stay in the castle for extended periods of time. Her sister and niece also made numerous trips from the Crystal Empire. Spike refused to leave her side.
Twilight was able to scrape together what she had left and pressed on... And then Starlight Glimmer departed from this world. Her death may have been heaviest on Twilight. Having been her first true student, their connection flourished into an inseparable one later in Starlight's life. Akin to what Celestia and Twilight shared, but also very different, Starlight became like a second sister to the princess.
Twilight tried to hide the escalating pressure, but so much loss was a lot for any being to endure. She put on a brave face for her kingdom, but to any close to the ruler, it was easy to see she was not the same pony. The trauma seemingly caused her to revert back to a previous time in her life. She threw herself into books, in desperation, possibly because they were what had sustained her prior to her many friendships. Celestia, Cadance, Flurry, Spike and I were not enough to lift her out of the isolation.
Tia was in shambles at that point. I watched her suffer, silently, unable to help the one who had given me undeserved love and companionship. Along with my beloved sister, I gradually started to lose myself to the sorrow as well.
And then a most perplexing miracle occured. Twilight's spirit drastically improved. She slowly reverted back to her former self, coming out of the darkness one step at a time. Sister said it was due to Twilight taking on an interesting new student, one that reminded the young princess of herself when she was but a filly. Daily life improved significantly and things gradually began to return to normal. Years went by peacefully, but then today...
I let out an exhausted sigh, despite not being tired at all. At times like these there was one loyal friend I could go to, one that I always returned to, no matter how bad my life had become. I poked around in the vast sky for my love. Twilight Sparkle currently bore the responsibility of raising and lowering her, but I was certain she would not object if I took back control for just a moment.
Both Celestia and I had scaled back our hold on our celestial bodies to grant a greater degree of authority to the new Princess of Equestria, but I could not give my moon away any moreso than my sister could her sun.
There she is.
I drew her into the grasp of my magic and cradled her gently as if she were my own foal. I immediately felt much better.
I do not know what to do.
Almost instinctively I began to speak to her, just like when I was in exile, and I knew in my heart she listened to every single word.
I have not seen Tia act this way, not in all of my years. I am... I am afraid. I feel as if there is nothing I can-
A muffled crash jerked me back to the present, nearly causing me to fall over. Had it come from within Twilight's quarters? I gently pressed an ear against the door, trying to gather any information I could. What I was doing could be construed as eavesdropping, but I was fairly certain the noise had originated inside and that could mean trouble. It was not as if beings like that filth Chrysalis were unable to infiltrate Canterlot before.
I slowed my breathing and listened intently. The noises that emanated from within were distorted and obscured.
Is this...
"A sound dampening spell?" I whispered. What could the purpose be? Magic of that nature was typically used for privacy and even then, would typically be cast around the party, not so... widely.
Could it be a field?
I cautiously reached out with my magic and nudged the door forward as quietly as I could. It did not budge. Perspiration began to form on my brow.
Should I force it open?
Intruding on a princess was a crime punishable with imprisonment, even for myself.
"But, Tia..." I did not need to contemplate any further. Jumping back a bit from the doors, I charged an explosive blast into my horn. After a second a low hum indicated I could proceed with my spell, to Tartarus with the consequences. The ball of magic collided with the force of a cannonball, exploding in a brilliant flash of navy blue light. The doors were obliterated instantly, sending smoke and debris every which way. I nimbly leapt over the destruction I had wrought, not about to wait until the chaos had fully cleared to make my move.
"Twilight? Sis... ter...?" The sight that met my vision assailed all of my senses. Celestia was trembling, splayed on the ground and enveloped by a pitch black magical aura. Her eyes were shut and her mouth clenched tightly, her brow furrowed as sweat dripped down her face. Her wings were a hectic mess of mangled bent feathers. Twilight Sparkle stood across the room from my sister, her horn glowing a sickly black. Her rage filled eyes narrowed as she acknowledged my presence.
"You!" she nearly spat, her torrent of magic continuing it's assault of Celestia.
"Lu... na?" My sister's labored voice barely registered in my ears. Her eyes flitted open, tears beginning to flow freely from them. I wished they had stayed shut. The terror I found in them made my legs begin to buckle.
"SHUT UP!" Twilight bellowed before refocusing her attention on Celestia. The amplification of Twilight's spell caused Celestia to writhe in agony, her face contorting into one of pure suffering. Her screams of torment spurred me into action. Whatever was happening it had to...
"STOP!" I roared at Twilight, my Royal Canterlot Voice so powerful it propelled her backwards, slamming her into a bookcase. Several books fell to the ground and onto the purple alicorn as the dark magic holding my sister faded. "TIA!" I rushed to her aid, standing firmly between her and the ruler of Equestria.
Twilight had already regained her composure. After a shake of her head she stood to her hooves. Breathing erratically, she glared daggers at me.
"The two of you..." The words were barely above a whisper as she lifted her forelegs up high into the air, "WILL DIE HERE!" Her hooves slammed into the floor cracking the stone and sending dark magic flaring all around her. The only thing left visible of our friend were two sparkling green eyes. The energy swiftly grew outward until it was feet from us. This spell was unknown to me and any magic I could not identify always sent red flags sailing through my mind. Anywhere but here repeated in my mind as the wall of crawling energy pressed down upon us.
I reached out with my magic to Celestia and wildly flashed us out of reality. In a millisecond my sister and I were snapped back into existence a few miles from Canterlot. The spell cast by Twilight had my heart racing, as if my very soul had been at stake during the confrontation. Breathing was troublesome, as was calming my frayed nerves. I whipped around and looked back at Canterlot. The black sphere of magic Twilight had cast had encompassed the entire capital.
Could it still be spreading?
It was then that I noticed a truly concerning problem. Why was Sister's sun so close? I carefully reached out and took control of it.
What is going on?
I lowered the star below the horizon before raising my moon high up into the sky. It might be a tad early, but I was empowered by my night and right now, I needed all the aid I could get.
Looking at Celestia was not something I wished to do. She had lost consciousness at some point. Her lifeless form putting a fear into me I had never felt before, not even when I had realized I was imprisoned within my moon. With all the courage I could muster I pressed an ear to her chest. I recoiled. She was so cold. She was never cold, but I had to check.
Fast. Way too fast.
Her pulse was irregularly swift, her breaths coming quickly, as if her lungs could not get enough air. I had to get her help, Immediately. I was useless when it came to subjects like healing. The one thing I knew was that Celestia was strong. Something like this could not... My tears fell to the grass below.
"Hold on, Tia,"I sniffled.
There was only one pony in all of Equestria that might be able to help us now.