“We’re taking her to the hospital, Princess, calm down, we just-”
“We demand to see her now! What happened!? Tell us what happened this instant!”
“She collapsed, Princess. Collapsed. Please, step aside and I promise you that your sister will be-”
“We want to know what is going on! All that We’ve been receiving in recent days is mystery and unsatisfactory answers! We must know the situation at once! How dire is it!?”
“Her Majesty is having troubles with breathing. We are taking her to-”
“We must go with you. We must stand by her side.”
“No, your Majesty, that is simply against protocol. We cannot allow anypony else-”
“Our sister is dying in the back of an ambulance and you are telling us that We cannot come with!? Do you know who you are talking to!?”
The Nurse bowed her head. A teary-eyed Luna was barking orders that would lead her nowhere. This seemed to be the case more often than not, nowadays. No matter what, she was not allowed on the ride to the hospital.
“Luna,” the Nurse said soothingly, “you are not allowed to come on this trip. You are allowed to see her in the hospital. Do you follow?”
Luna’s lungs were giving out. “No. No, We don’t follow! Please, tell us what has happened to our sister!” Her stern facade was faltering. “What happened to my sister, Nurse?”
The Nurse lifted her head back up. “Well, she’s immortal, Luna. She can’t die. I agree the circumstances are very peculiar, but I guarantee you that she is going to be quite all right.”
Luna brushed away a falling tear drop. “When can We see her?”
“As soon as clearance is given.”
Luna shook her head, dissatisfied once more. “No, no, give us a time! A time! We can’t-”
Luna was interrupted as a gentle hoof fell on her shoulder. It was the only bit of solace she could find in the buzzing atmosphere. The Grounds could now be described as a total chaotic mess, a fear instilled frenzy. The hoof on her shoulder was a bold gesture.
“Luna,” the Nurse said, “You will see her.”
With that, the Nurse spun round and loaded some medical supplies onto the carriage. As soon as the clear was given, flashing lights flickered on, and a loud siren wailed as the ambulance sped off down the street. Thousands of ponies watched as Equestria’s most prestigious leader was being wheeled away down the street. Luna’s sister was in that carriage. The immortal Princess of the Sun was taking a trip to the hospital for reasons unexplained.
o----o
Luna sat in a chilly waiting room for a horrendously long expanse of time. The clock ticked by laboriously slowly, so much so that Tank could appear to have the speed of a cheetah. There was a ticking inside of Luna’s head. A slow metronome played out through Luna’s mind; the already anxious Princess remained in a state of disarray, of misunderstanding. It was impossibly cold for absolutely no reason whatsoever.
Luna began to pace. It was a common practice of hers, but it was none too popular with her. She only did this when something bothered her, especially when it was out of her control. It’s not as if it served any purpose, either. If anything, it only made her think more about the current situation, which she only ever pondered a pessimistic outlook. The others watched the Princess of the Night struggle to come to terms with her sister’s curious condition.
Three hours Luna waited. Three hours Luna paced the floor of the waiting room with her mind ready to burst at any one point in time. A nurse finally emerged from the hallway and approached to address her. It was not the same one as before, but a nurse nonetheless. Luna stood tall and mighty, her mane wavering slightly.
“Your Majesty,” the Nurse said in respect, bowing her head. Her bright pink mane was messy and fell about her face. It was obvious she should have been off duty quite a long time ago, but had been held up after the Princess of the Sun arrived.
Luna raised a hoof. “No need, dear Nurse,” she said. Tentatively, she added, “Is... is she well?”
The Nurse righted herself and looked Luna in the eyes. “All tests were inconclusive,” she said to put it succinctly.
“This is good news?” Luna asked to clarify.
The Nurse averted her eyes. She rubbed at her temple. “It could be good news, that is most definitely an option. Or, it could mean that we just don’t know what’s wrong. It isn’t very often an immortal comes to visit our hospital, Princess.”
“So, perhaps a condition not foreseen?”
“Perhaps a condition outside the knowledge of modern medicine.”
Luna’s heart sank to the very bottom of her hooves. She stared straight through the Nurse. She shivered, expecting only the worse to come of the situation. “We have waited for three hours to hear that you haven’t the slightest idea as to what is wrong with her?”
“No, Princess,” the Nurse corrected, “we’ve waited until she’s woken up for you to speak to her.”
o----o
The door creaked open, revealing a quaint room with a lone figure resting on a hospital bed in the middle of the floor.
“Tia...?”
Celestia rested on a simple hospital bed, the milky white sheets drawn over her body and tucked in with care. She was breathing regularly, and from Luna’s perspective, she did not appear ill. Celestia turned and her eyes fell upon her sister’s. She half-smiled. She tapped the bedside twice, urging Luna to come sit by her side.
Luna swept her mane out from over her eyes. She sauntered over to Celestia’s bedside, the white alicorn smiling a broken smile, her motions weak and trembling. She didn’t look as if she were ill, but her actions definitely suggested it. Luna sat down next to Celestia. She opened and closed her mouth, waiting for words to escape from her lips, but none came forthwith.
“Luna, I’m glad you came,” Celestia whispered dishearteningly, her voice wistfully soft. “I’m... I’m so sorry for the way I acted... I just couldn’t find it in me to tell you.”
Luna took Celestia’s timid hoof up with both of hers. “Tell us what, sister?”
The Princess of the Sun fought it, but in the end could not stop it. A tear spilled from the corner of her eye. It was filled with loss, guilt and regret. She turned and stared at the blank wall of plaster, realizing it was eerily similar to how she felt at the current time. “You must know, Luna.”
“Know what? Please, tell us!”
Celestia took a deep breath. She took her gaze from off of the walls, down to the floor. “I have been keeping a terrible secret, Luna.”
At that moment, Celestia wriggled her hoof away from Luna’s grasp. She pushed it under the sheets, wiggling it around, evidently trying to grab a concealed item from under her. After a few seconds of struggle, Celestia brought the item to the surface: a simple papyrus scroll. The Princess of the Sun mustered the strength to hand it to Luna.
Luna hesitantly took the scroll. She unfurled it. On it, it read-
Princess? What is wrong? Has Nightmare Moon returned? Are you hurt? If this message is disregarded, we will have assumed the worst. We are on our way to Canterlot now.
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle
-Luna frowned. “What is this for?”
Celestia attempted a smile again. It wasn’t working for her. “You have to save them, Luna. Save all of them.”
Now Luna was utterly confused. Save them from what? Her sister was very enigmatic, and it bothered Luna that she could never cut to the chase. “What do you mean save them? Are they in danger?”
“Very much so, sister. As are you.”
Luna blinked. “We are?”
“Yes, Luna. And... and I’m afraid I’m the one that’s caused it.”
Luna felt greatly perplexed. Her sister causing trouble had never once crossed her mind. She’s sick. She’s causing trouble. None of it made sense at all. None of it added up to anything notable.
“I... I don’t understand, sister...”
Celestia sighed. “Luna. You remember when we came here, correct? I brought my Sun and you your Moon?”
“Y-yes...” Luna said hesitantly.
“We were in our younger years, Luna. I understood why we brought them. You, unfortunately, did not. You were never told, Luna. You were never told why we brought them.”
“Well, we have them to light Equestria! We have them to show our presence and our message of peace! That is what I have been told...”
Celestia only shook her head in disagreement. “Oh, Luna. I love you so much.”
Luna could feel her eyes begin to water again. “Sister... what is going on?”
Another sigh. “Luna. What I am about to tell you may shock you. Stay seated.” Luna stay settled in her seat next to Celestia. She stared Luna directly in the eyes. The Princess of the Sun continued. “You see... the reason we towed our respective celestial bodies here so many years ago was not just to light the way. It was not to provide inspiration or instill hope. Luna, we have more connections to our Sun and Moon than you were ever led to believe. These bodies aren’t just something that light the sky. They are life forces, Luna. They aren’t a couple of lanterns that float harmlessly in space. Luna... We are the Sun and the Moon.”
Luna’s mouth hung open. She stared. “W-we don’t understand... how could you not... how could you not...?” Luna went fishing for words and ended up catching a soggy boot.
“I’m sorry, Luna. I’m sorry we could never tell you. You were so young, and you weren’t ready to know yet. We were going to tell you eventually... but then something happened.”
“The attack,” Luna stated.
“Precisely.”
Luna faced the far wall. She thought she could see right through it. She could see through it, but was still trapped inside of a box. “We still don’t quite comprehend. What does all this mean? What do you mean save them? How are you causing trouble? This doesn’t make sense.”
Celestia summed everything up in one melancholic sentence. “I am sick, Luna.”
Luna grunted. “Still little to go off of, Tia! You are not sick! Your immortality prevents you from being-”
“Immortality doesn’t exist, Luna,” Celestia cut in, “it is a popular myth. People are led to believe we are immortal. None of it is true.”
Luna was absolutely rocked by this discovery. She was learning things that have been kept from her for thousands of years. Death was possible. Luna had been so careless all of her life, but death was possible. The sensation Luna was experiencing was incomprehensible.
“But... We... I don’t...”
“Luna. You and many of the residents here are in great danger. You know the spell. You remember how we came here. Please, save them, the elements especially. They will help you.”
A tear drop fell from Luna’s cheek. “What danger, sister? What danger?”
Again, Celestia turned her head. “Luna. I suspect you know more than anypony else on this planet does what happens when a star explodes.”
Luna reeled and clutched at her heart. She felt as if she had just been slugged by a humongous sack of anvils. Her vision grew blurry from all of the condensation forming in them. The world quaked with formidable malice.
“No... no!”
Luna threw her arms around her sister. The truth was unbearable. The truth could not have been the truth. It was some sort of sick, twisted lie. Everything could be reversed. Everything could be turned around. Her sister was going to be with her forever. This couldn’t be true. The one pony she could trust to live on with her where all others died could not just disappear. It was inconceivable. Everything could be reversed.
“Luna,” Celestia said as her sister cried profusely on her shoulder, “you must leave. You cannot stay here. There are so many that can be saved.”
“I will be here with you!” Luna cried into Celestia’s dying body. “I will vanish with you, and we can be together forever!”
“No,” Celestia replied sternly. “You must leave. You have your duties, sister.”
“What duties!?” Luna screamed, lifting her face from Celestia’s body. “My entire life has been a lie!”
“Sister, you are well. Your Moon is strong. I ask- no, I plead that you save these ponies. You know the spell. You remember how we got here.”
Luna sniffled. “Why? Why can’t I be here with you?”
Celestia smiled. It was a true, bright, radiant smile. It was the final smile the Sun would ever bring to this land of Equestria. “Because I love them, Luna. And I love you as well.”
Luna’s tears were producing puddles on Celestia’s bed. The Princess of the Night didn’t know what to call herself anymore. She felt sadly disowned. Her sister loved her though, and Luna loved her sister right back.
“Luna.”
Luna, through immense sobbing and a multitude of hiccups, managed to choke out, “Yes, sister?”
Celestia put a hoof on Luna’s chin. She wiped away the tears. Luna blinked. The Princess of the Sun had one final word to say, one all important word that would allow the survival of the pony race. Drying Luna’s cheek, Celestia said-
“Go.”
o----o
Luna emerged from the hallway, into the waiting room, where two familiar faces were standing and arguing with one of the nurses Luna recognized as a driver of the ambulance. He was calmly trying to explain that Celestia had a visitor currently, and could not be disturbed. They shouted petty insults back at the Nurse. They weren’t getting anywhere fast. Then, one of them looked over and saw Luna. She called for the Princess of the Night... or whatever she was now.
“Luna? Luna!” Princess Cadance stepped away from the Nurse and stumbled over to where Luna was standing. The Captain of the Royal Guard, Shining Armor, was quick to follow. “How is she? How is she doing? We were away when we heard the news, and we couldn’t make it any earlier. Is my Aunt all right?”
Luna’s tears had only just recently dried. Her eyes were still red and puffy. The loving duo of Cadance and Shining could tell, but failed to ask. Luna could only respond with orders.
“Shining.”
“Yes?” replied the handsome white unicorn, dressed in full uniform, ready to command the full force of the Royal Guard at any time... though he fully expected to be at Celestia’s bedside.
“We need you to carry out Order Eight.”
Shining Armor reared back, shell-shocked. “Order Eight?” he replied in astonishment. “This... this is that serious? What’s going on, Luna?”
Cadance tried to butt in. “What’s Order Eight? Can’t we see Celestia first?”
Luna shook her head. “We are afraid not. And yes, this is that serious and much more. This needs to be done as quickly and efficiently as possible, Shining Armor. There is not much time.”
“I don’t understand. Is Celestia hurt? Where will we lead them, your Majesty?” Shining asked.
Luna disregarded the first question. “Ponyville.”
Shining looked even more shocked than before. He took a step back. Cadance nudged her husband in the side, attempting to steal his attention away. The Captain of the Royal Guard didn’t move a muscle.
“Honey... what’s Order Eight?”
Shining Armor shivered before he came to. He turned to Cadance with wide eyes. “An evacuation of Canterlot,” he said.
o----o
“Where is this stupid place!?” Rainbow Dash whinnied, brushing past a crowd of ponies in hysterics after seeing the collapse of the Princess. “We’ve been searching for over an hour. If the friggin’ Royal Guard wasn’t so stupid we coulda been there hours ago!”
“The Guard is only taking precautions, Rainbow,” Twilight Sparkle answered her friend, racing down the pavement to keep up with her. “They immediately set up a lockdown after any situation such as this arises.”
“Yeah, well they should know who the Elements of Harmony are by now. It can’t be that hard to recognize us.”
“Uh, Rainbow?” Applejack chimed in, shouting over the commotion of the crowd. “In case ya didn’t know, we were attacked by a swarm a critters last year that can impersonate anypony. Remember that?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Rainbow snapped. “You aren’t helping, AJ.”
The Elements of Harmony pushed through the crowd, having only just deduced the location of Princess Celestia. The Royal Guard was out and about, barking orders into the crowd, trying to disperse the fiasco. They certainly had their hooves full. Ponies scrambled to and fro, yelling for others to get out of their way before they were trampled. The Royal Guard had little control over the situation.
Then without warning, and even to the shock of the Royal Guards, everypony heard the unfamiliar click of the Palace intercom system. The debacle in the streets stopped for a brief moment for the residents to listen. The Elements halted their search for a spell, wondering just why the Palace needed to use the system. A raspy voice spoke through the speakers, which, even in its distortion, Twilight could easily recognize as her brother’s, Shining Armor.
“Citizens of Canterlot. We have received a distressing message from the Princess. The city has been deemed unsafe. The evacuation of Canterlot is in effect. Please, remain calm and return to your homes. Pack light. There will be a Royal Guard posted at your street corner to assist you with any further questions. You will exit the city with your family and belongings, plus the aid of the Guard at your respective street corner. All Guards, initiate Order Eight.”
The voice ended with a strange crackling noise. Afterward, the lamps in the Palace seemed to grow brighter. Luna’s Night still reigned. Ponies were already beginning to theorize treachery between the sister’s, but little did they realize this was not the case. There was surreal silence. Then, as expected, absolute panic.
Everypony immediately started to rush back to their homes. The Royal Guards had to stay perched on top of the roofs to avoid being overrun by the masses. It was a mess. The citizens of Canterlot far outnumbered the members of the Royal Guard. To say they were prepped for a situation such as this was a far cry.
The Elements of Harmony were stuck on the streets. They needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible, but unfortunately that was against the flow of traffic. Applejack and Rarity ended up leading the way, squeezing through and trying to produce a margin wide enough for the rest to push through. They were followed by Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash carrying Fluttershy on her back. Fluttershy had her eyes shut tight and she held onto Dashie for dear life.
They scurried along, looking for side streets to get them where they needed. The good news was, they found some. The bad news was, they had no idea where they led to. They entered a maze of side streets that circled the Palace Grounds, mostly to indeterminate places, others to places that, as Luna noted about the Palace, served no purpose. The more and more somepony thought about it, the more they realized that the whole of Canterlot was one absurdly complicated puzzle.
Another turn, and they were faced with a dead end. The gang grew frustrated. Rarity turned to Applejack and made a subtle joke about her incompetence with direction. Applejack countered with the fact that Rarity had to look her best for an appearance in Canterlot, and they wasted a good fifteen minutes waiting for her back in Ponyville. Rarity complained that that wasn’t even enough time to prepare, and that they should all feel lucky that she had the uncanny ability to prepare in such time. Pointless bickering ensued. Rainbow Dash entered the fray for the hell of it, commenting on how silly Applejack’s hat looked. Dash only got a terribly cold stare back. She realized that she should never comment on the hat ever again unless it was a compliment. Two minutes passed. They didn’t notice the Princess of the Night materializing right behind them until poor Fluttershy squeaked in surprise.
They all turned round to the sudden burst of magic.
“Nightmare Moooooon!” Pinkie screamed, pointing in horror at a slightly disoriented Luna.
Everpony scattered. That was a ridiculous thing to do, considering there wasn’t anywhere to run to. Fluttershy ended up hiding behind Rainbow Dash. Rarity and Pinkie wound up pressed up against each other, squeezing the life out of each other. Applejack hid under her hat. Twilight Sparkle stood still, waiting for the Princess of the Night to come to.
There was a tense moment of silence. Twilight carefully approached the Princess, her Majesty having trouble adjusting from the teleportation spell. Finding Twilight Sparkle through their connection was much more difficult than locating Celestia. Luna felt woozy.
“L-Luna?” Twilight asked, raising a hoof and wavering it in front of Luna’s face.
Luna shook her head to rid herself of the dizzy spell. “Yes, Twilight Sparkle. We are fine. We are so glad that We have found you.”
“She’s gonna eat us!” Pinkie shouted. Rarity covered her mouth with a hoof.
Luna blinked twice in wonder. She snapped out of it. “Twilight Sparkle,” she continued, simultaneously thinking back to her days of the infamous Nightmare Moon. “You and your friends must come with us at once. It is of utmost importance.”
The gang let out a sigh of relief, realizing that Nightmare Moon was not the cause of the disaster. Well, not Pinkie Pie, but that’s another story entirely. That only led to more questions, however, none of which Luna had the stomach to answer.
“Where is Princess Celestia, Luna?” Twilight asked.
Luna defiantly held back tears. “She is fine, Twilight. She is fine, everyone.”
Nopony ever noticed it, but there was always a gleaming sliver of light that shone in Luna’s eyes whenever she lied.
“Can we see her?”
Luna turned to her sky, now only wishing for it to end, and for her sister’s Sun to shine brightly once more. Those times were now gone. They had abruptly ended. “Now is not the time. But soon...” Luna fell her eyes back to the Elements of Harmony: a.k.a the hope of a new world. “Hold on.”
In a dark side-street of Canterlot, Equestria, a blinding flash of light lit up the night sky.