//------------------------------// // Prologue [Re-edited] // Story: High Score! // by DanishDash //------------------------------// Luna sighed. Another night without a single pony showing up for Night Court. It wasn't a surprise – it was absolutely routine, in fact. That was the whole problem. She tried to remind herself that the ponies of Equestria had grown up with one ruler, their entire lives, and now suddenly there were two. Some adjustment was to be expected. Especially after one of them had tried to take over the nation and plunge it into eternal darkness... No! That was Nightmare Moon, not Luna. Although, then again, even she struggled to tell where she ended and the Nightmare began. In some aspects, as alien as possible. In others, like looking into a mirror. No, she couldn't blame her subjects for the confusion, or their fear. She deserved it. It just hurt. It hurt worse every day, and it had been six months. Which meant that, by now, it hurt... pretty badly. Celestia had done whatever she could think of, of course, but she couldn't change the minds of her subjects on a dime. Nor would Luna want her to; she would have to earn their trust back. Nor could her sister change the fact that Luna was far outside of her own time. The technology had changed, the culture had changed, enemies had become friends – the very language had changed. The world had moved on without her, without a second thought. And it continued doing so, even now that she had returned. It had been a thousand years. Change was expected, change she could handle – but the indifference she encountered from her own subjects was not a change she could accept so easily. Not all changes were bad, however! There was one change that had helped her grapple with all the rest of it. Games! Computer games! She'd found them absolutely amazing! So far beyond anything they had imagined in her time! They weren't widespread, and most were rather primitive, but they were all enjoyable to try! And on nights like tonight, when dreams were calm and she had nothing to do but stew in her own thoughts, they provided the solace she needed. She found a belonging there, escaping into virtual realms, that the waking world never held for her. She sighed, tapping the edge of her throne with her hoof, and casting her gaze across a room full of historical stained-glass windows – all lacking her. Again, not a surprise, yet painful nonetheless. Even the guards – her only company, most of the time – didn't know what to make of her. They were courteous and professional, but Luna could still sense their caution, their... hesitation around her. Having them there only made her feel more alone, somehow. And where else could she go? Leave the throne room and try to mingle among ponies too scared to even make an attempt at a friendly relationship? Not for the first time, Luna's patience at this farce run out. There was no sense at sitting here, bored, alone, and miserable for the entire evening, night after night. Nopony was coming, she knew full well – no one wanted her counsel. They took all of that to her sister, along with their respect, adoration, all of it. She didn't resent Tia for that, anymore. Nor her subjects. She deserved it, she knew. Like everything else, it just hurt. "Sergeant," she brought the guard to attention, "We shalt retire this eve. Prithee, disturb us not, unless t'is urgent?" It took the guard a moment to parse what she'd said, but then he nodded. As she stood to leave, she paused, and said, "Forgive us—me, I did not mean to lapse into Old Ponish again." He shook his head hurriedly, saying, "It's okay, princess. I understand." Tia had made sure they would be accommodating. It wasn't that Luna couldn't speak modern Ponish, it was just new to her – like everything. The guard returned to attention, and Luna, having no more business – and absolutely nothing to say – left in the throne room, disappeared with a spell. She didn't like leaving early, but she hated staying there. Leaving felt like giving up, but every time she stayed the entire time and nopony came, she felt worse. If someone really wanted to see her, they could send for her. Sometimes, she was tempted to cancel night court entirely, but that felt a bridge too far – without it, her only remaining responsibility would be safeguarding the dreams of Equestria. On some nights, that kept her very busy. On others, she simply had nothing to contribute. Celestia saw to all of the bureaucracy and general management of the kingdom – a well-oiled system a thousand years in the making that Luna scarcely knew the beginnings of, yet – and had set things up so intricately that even her direct involvement was rarely necessary. Equestria was so peaceful, it barely had room for one princess. It had three! And even Cadance was more experienced than Luna, at this point! After years of studying under Celestia, she'd grown fully capable of governing a nation herself, if the need arose. Redundant. Useless. Luna knew full-well that, at this point, she was simply another burden for her sister, and it made her want to scream into a pillow. Sometimes more than want-to. But now wasn't the time for such thoughts! She was out of that awful, empty throne room and back where she could feel alive! She deposited her regalia on the dresser while opening her wardrobe. She was far from fully-recovered from her exile – still smaller, her mane just barely having started to glow again and far from its full, starry luster. Even her coat was a bit lighter than it should be. In short, she looked rather like her teenage self. And she'd learned a thing or two about what some teenage ponies liked to wear these days! She retrieved her hoodie from the wardrobe, and slipped it on. Warm, comfy, snuggly, simply wonderful! This set the proper mood for a night of gaming. It was like receiving a hug from somepony all the time! She parked at her desk and turned on her computer. She'd already tried all of the games Equestria had to offer – which only numbered in the dozens – but her mastery of dream magic also gave her insight into dimensional magic, and she'd made a few... modifications to the machine. Human games! Her computer could access a whole other world, with their seemingly endless digital imaginations! If Equestria was advanced miles beyond her understanding, humanity – what little she could glean about them from their games – was leagues ahead! They had multiplayer! Oh, Luna had tried to get Tia to play a few Equestrian games with her, but she simply wasn't interested. Those were so basic, it was more enjoyable to simply actually play ping-pong, or somesuch. This was on a different scale! Hundreds, even thousands of people, playing together all at the same time, on the same game, from all across their world! And now, from another world, as well! She giggled at the thought. Luna kept to herself, but simply being among them – treated as an equal – was a treat in itself! In Legends of Aetoria II, she was no outcast – no one to be feared, shunned, or treated delicately like she was made of fine glass. Lelea, the level 2 dark elf, stepped into Aetoria, ready to seek adventure. Luna had only made this character yesterday, but she knew she'd explore much farther this time than with her other characters. Adventures and treasure awaited! "Lock and load, boys!" she quipped, repeating a line she'd heard several times and only vaguely understood, and all her worries seemed to vanish.