As she walked through the castle's almost labyrinthine halls and stairs, Sandstorm was wondering why Luna had called her specifically. The guard bringing her to the new monarch's room remained silent despite Sandstorm's attempt to get a reaction out of him. Making jokes, trailing behind, touching things she shouldn't touch, nothing she did was enough to warrant a single sound out of the guard. At most, she received annoyed glares.
Eventually giving up, Sandstorm resigned herself to simply look around as they walked, committing the path to Luna's quarters to memory. If she was going to stay in the castle for a while, she might as well get her bearings, she thought... Though the prospects of annoying guards on the daily by asking for directions did sound lovely to her. After one last turn, the pair of ponies entered a large hallway filled with many more guards. While some were wearing their typical golden armor, most of them were equipped with darker armor, not too dissimilar to those worn by the militia inside Apogée's mansion.
"Here we are. Please, be on your best behavior while interacting with Princess Luna," the guard said as the two of them reached a large set of doors at the end of the hallway. "And do keep in mind that both the solar and lunar guard are nearby. Do not do anything that might force us to come inside."
Sandstorm rolled her eyes. "C'mon, when have I ever committed a crime? I'm a saint."
The guard in front of her opened the door with a deadpan look. "I will not waste my breath replying to this nonsense. Please, step inside. Princess Luna is waiting for you."
Opening her mouth for another snarky comment, Sandstorm quickly decided against it and went inside. Although she was giving the image of somepony that doesn't care about everything, her heart was beating fast as she crossed the threshold to Luna's room. She still had no idea why the princess of the night wanted to see her specifically, and without Misty being at her side, Sandstorm's bravado was much flimsier than usual.
The room was dark, most curtains drawn despite the afternoon soon shining bright. The floor was spotless, and a faint lavender smell permeated everywhere inside. Sandstorm quietly scanned her surroundings, noticing a few bookshelves, a small table and a large bed frame before the door closed behind her, dismissing the only source of light. The yellow mare stood still while her eyes slowly acclimated to the darkness.
"Uh... Hello? Is anypony there?" Sandstorm asked, her tone hesitant.
In response, another door on the opposite end of the room opened, a blue aura surrounding it. Behind it, a small balcony overlooked the outsides of Canterlot, high above the ground. The balcony was filled with plants, making it look like a small garden. Sitting at one end of a round table, Princess Luna calmly drank from a cup of tea, her eyes closed and her horn alight. She was not wearing any of her royal regalia and bags were clearly visible under her eyes. Sandstorm took a few steps forward, though she wasn't sure whether she should even be moving without Luna's authorization... Not that Sandstorm would obey anyway.
"Sup', Princess Luna. You wanted to see me?"
Luna, opening an eye and glancing at Sandstorm, nodded. "Indeed. There is an important matter we must discuss with you. Please, come and take a seat."
A few moments later, Sandstorm was seated, though in a much more relaxed position than Luna. Leaning back in her chair, Sandstorm eyed the table, her gaze stopping on the tea set in front of her. "... I don't suppose there's booze in there?"
"I am afraid not. This is a serious matter we must discuss, and I will require your full attention."
"Whatever you say, moon lady," Sandstorm shrugged. Noticing Luna's eye twitching and her freezing mid-sip, the yellow mare decided it would be best to change her approach. "... Uh, I meant, as you wish, your highness?"
Luna sighed. "It would seem society changed a lot during my exile. I must be honest; I am still quite unfamiliar with how... Uncouth ponies nowadays seem to be."
"Depends, actually. Sure, the regular folks are probably a lot more laid back than during your time, but nobles still got their heads pretty darn far up their..." Sandstorm cut herself, choosing her next word very carefully. "... Their posteriors?"
An awkward silence permeated for a few long moments, before Luna broke the tension by chuckling. "Some things never change, then. Anyway, let us begin. I wish to speak to you about some of the events that took place the night Nightmare Moon came back."
"At the mansion, you mean? Sure. What do you want to know?"
"It has come to my attention that during your... Impromptu raid, a surge of cosmic energy washed through the entire mansion."
"Oh, that? Yeah, there was some sort of big wave of magical energy at some point... It juiced me up pretty dang well. I think it was the same for everypony else inside," Sandstorm began explaining before stopping. "... Actually, you probably should talk to Misty or Aphelion about it. I don't really understand much of that magic thing."
"I do intend to have a word with them about it later, yes, but there is... A reason why I wished to speak to you about it. Could you elaborate on your point of view on this event?"
"My point of view? Uh, sure. I was trying to deal with a pony that got jabbed with that crazy drug the Pact sometimes uses... Some pretty nasty stuff. It's called 'Tears of the Moon', if I remember correctly. Makes ponies real big and scary. Anyway, I was getting my ass kicked... Sorry, my posterior kicked. I got thrown against a wall and couldn't move because of the pain. Then, there was this big-ass... Sorry again, big-posterior?"
"... 'Big-ass' is preferable in this context."
"Right. This big-ass wave of energy, then. I felt kind of tingly all over, and I was able to stand back up. I, uh, was also pretty angry at that time. Poison Dart — the stallion turned into a monstrous freak — was saying some nasty stuff. I kind of blacked out. When I came back to my senses, I had just killed him. Then, there was this whole ordeal about the manor about to explode and... Well, the rest's history, I guess."
Luna remained silent for a moment, staring at Sandstorm with a neutral expression while drinking her tea. The earth pony felt intimidated by the alicorn's gaze, causing her to wonder if she had said something wrong. Eventually, Luna broke the silence. "... I see. Before I tell you anything, you ought to know more about this surge and its true nature."
"Alright, as long as I'm not getting quizzed on it later."
"Hm. I do believe you will find this quite interesting, so do not fret. This surge of energy was... A byproduct of the cosmic locks keeping Nightmare Moon banished on the moon. When she managed to force her way out of her lunar cell, a wave of alicorn magic washed over the night sky, which the Crescent Pact attempted to harvest. Due to Misty's interference with the device they were using, the ponies inside felt the full force of this wall of energy descending onto them," Luna stopped talking upon noticing Sandstorm's blank stare. "... Did you understand what I just said?"
"Uh... Sure, but can you dumb it down a bit more for the ponies in the back? Just in case they didn't understand."
Luna sighed. "Keeping Nightmare Moon banished required a lot of energy. When she escaped, that energy exploded like a bomb. The Crescent Pact tried to put the blast in a bottle, but it was instead unleashed on those inside the manor."
"Okay, I kind of get it... More or less."
"This blast of energy, while stored inside the catalyst, or the 'bottle', so to speak, was finely tuned. It was shaped, like clay, to turn into a sort of... Healing wave of energy. That is what struck everypony inside."
"Oh, so that's why Steady's leg hole plugged itself on its own. Neat."
"Yes. It also healed your spine, which had been completely shattered during your battle against this 'Poison Dart' pony."
"Yeah, that makes... Wait, I'm sorry, what?!" Sandstorm rose up from her chair, wide eyed.
"I can still see the faint traces of this wave of energy in all those it affected... Such as you, Sandstorm. Your inability to move was not due to pain, but due to the complete destruction of your spine. Thankfully, however, this surge of energy which happened to have been tuned for healing, saved you."
Looking down at her hooves, Sandstorm felt a wave of cold sweat. "I... I had no idea I got this messed up."
"Mhm. I assume this must be quite a shocking revelation... But there is something more I must tell you about. When this surge of energy healed everypony inside, did you notice anything else about your companions?"
Sandstorm scratched the back of her head. "I can't... I don't really remember. Glaze was hiding somewhere, so I couldn't see her. Steady's leg hole was healing and Aphelion... I think he was screaming?"
"Indeed. While the surge of alicorn magic healed everypony, it also caused a great deal of pain to all those affected due to the sheer... Mass of energy suddenly entering their bodies. Regular ponies are not fit to wield the full weight of alicorn magic."
"But... All I got were tingles. Were my nerves all bucked up as well?"
"Not quite. There is something different about you, Sandstorm. Something I was able to see the first time we met. For some reason yet unknown, your body was perfectly able to handle Nightmare Moon's magic."
"Right. But what does that mean?"
Luna took a few seconds to think before answering, trying to find the best way to approach this subject. "Sandstorm... Could you please tell me the names of your parents?"
Tensing up, Sandstorm stared at Luna. "... Why? I mean, I can tell you, but I don't see how that's related to anything."
"This information is of the utmost importance."
"... Fine. My father's name is Snowstorm, and my mother's called Sand Hex. They just kind of... Combined their names when naming me."
Luna sighed. "... I see."
"So, how does any of that relate to me being able to not keel over in pain when getting blasted by Nightmare Moon's fancy cosmic fart?"
"Before I tell you anything, you must know that this matter requires an extreme level of secrecy. If you ever repeat what I am about to tell you to anypony who isn't already in the know, you will be charged with treason."
"Eh, just another charge on the list, then," Sandstorm joked. "But fine, I'll keep my mouth shut. So, spill the beans already."
"... A long time ago, when I wasn't quite Nightmare Moon yet, but no longer fully Princess Luna either, I was scheming against my sister. I had many plots, hidden laboratories and plans to overtake Equestria, then the world. One of those schemes was to form a loyal group of servants ready to follow me to the end of the world, if need be."
"The Crescent Pact?" Sandstorm asked.
"No, not really, though I must assume some of my servants ended up joining the precursors to the Pact. To obtain such a loyal following, I employed many methods... One of which being me granting great powers to those most devout to me. Those gifts affected not only the ponies under my hoof, but their whole bloodline as well. The 'Hex' family may have been one of those bloodlines."
"... So, basically, I got some crazy cultist ancestor? That's why I can handle alicorn magic?"
"More or less, yes. These powers I granted are mostly gone now, being diluted even more after each generation... But you, and your family on your mother's side, have remained 'compatible' with my magic, in a way."
"Huh. That's... Pretty neat, I suppose. Does that mean I will be able to get some kind of super alicorn power at some point?"
"No. As I said, these gifts have mostly been diluted into mere drops of what once was an ocean of power... And besides, given your natural strength, I doubt you would need more power anyway."
"Guess I'm that amazing, huh?" Sandstorm shrugged. Although she felt something was missing, like a piece of the puzzle still being lost somewhere, the earth pony decided not to push any further for now. She was still feeling shaken by the discovery of the true extent of her injuries.
"... Yes, perhaps you are right. Anyhow, do you have any questions, Sandstorm?"
"Can I talk to Misty about any of this?"
"As she is your bosom-companion, you may. But for now, please ensure that nopony else learns about this. I shall formally bring this matter to Steady and Aphelion myself."
"Okay, fine by me. That's it, then, that was my only question."
"Good. You may take your leave, then. We shall meet again soon."
"Alright, see ya, Princess Luna," Sandstorm said as she began stepping away from her chair. Halfway through Luna's chamber, Sandstorm stopped for a moment and stared at Luna's face, causing the princess to raise an eyebrow.
"Is there something else, Sandstorm?"
"... You should get some sleep, Princess. No offense, but you look like shit."
Luna opened her mouth to reply but failed to find the words. Instead, she simply nodded and watched as Sandstorm left her room. The princess' heart was pounding in her chest. It took all her focus to prevent herself from saying anything more about the matter of Sandstorm's bloodline, as the truth Luna was suspecting wasn't confirmed yet. But if it was true, she thought...
Placing her head between her hoofs, Luna groaned. Why couldn't she remember the name of the child she had brought to this world so long ago?