Day one
Full Moon
The air was cold. That was the first thing Luna noticed, blinking at the unfamiliar darkness. She saw an overcast sky above her, and felt the soft patter of rain on her fur.
It wasn’t your fault, you know.
Luna winced as she heard the voice in her head, bringing the pain of the past few days back into her heart. She was lying on her side, the right half of her vision obscured by dirt.
There wasn’t anything you could do for him, and it’s no small wonder you’re here now after what you did.
Luna blinked again, and saw her sister, standing over her off to her right, slowly walking towards her. The rain was coming down harder now, and was turning the dusty, rocky quagmire into mud, mixing with the pool of blood she found herself in.
It’s not her fault, either. Despite what you know she’s going to do, you really can’t blame her.
Celestia’s face came into view, a mix of haggard sorrow and disgust. “Sister, I-” “No, Luna. Just…no.” Celestia was looking off to the side, where Luna could not move her head to look at. Off in the distance, muffled by the rain, she heard the sobbing of a filly, and winced inside as she began to understand the depth of her sister’s disappointment.
It will all be over soon, don’t be afraid.
CRASH!!!
Luna woke up, startled by the sudden noise. A mortified servant lay across her floor, with broken pieces of china and glass strewn across the floor. Luna shook off the sense of foreboding the old memory that had pervaded her dreams brought her, and looked at the poor unicorn that was now staring up at her. The look of sheer terror across the mare’s face was familiar at best, but her heightened senses detected that she was actually having a heart attack, which more than likely had caused the fall.
Luna didn’t know what to do. She had never been in this situation before, and watched helplessly with a confused expression as the poor pony before her gasped audibly and clutched her chest. Another servant coming across the hall saw the commotion, and came racing to his fallen co-worker’s aid. “DO SOMETHING!” he yelled, as he began to look frantically between the lunar princess and the servant.
Snapping out of her stupor, Luna focused her magic on the mare’s heart, and gently coaxed it back into a normal rhythm. As she walked over to inquire if the poor mare was alright, her male friend hoisted her up, and giving her a look of shocking hatred, turned around and helped her out the door, shutting it with a resounding slam.
She stood there for what seemed like hours, trying to process what had just happened. What did I do wrong? I saved her life, didn’t I? She asked herself. Why did he look at me like that? She felt a stinging in her eyes as tears began to blur her vision, and crumpled onto her bed.
What do I have to do to earn their love and adoration? What could I possibly give to sate such vehement hatred? Why do they keep hurting me like this?
Celestia was enjoying her afternoon tea with Dragolis, the most senior member of her court. Dragolis had, through whatever grasp of alchemy and unicorn magic he possessed, managed to halt his own aging to the point of immortality, and had been one of her few constant companions throughout the centuries following her sister’s banishment. He was very tall, and despite being one of the few ponies in her living memory that could ever look her in the eye, he rarely did so, and still remained somewhat of a delightful mystery to her after all these long years.
She was about to call for more tea, when she noticed a commotion in the far hall adjoining her personal quarters. “I don’t care that she’s that she’s the princess! She’s a damn monster, and she was almost responsible for killing her! That blasted lunar mare can go back to the moon for all I care, and-” “Dad PLEASE! It wasn’t her fault,” The shocking tirade was interrupted by a younger mare that the larger male servant was carrying. “I told you that I had that attack BEFORE waking her up, and it was making that mess that woke her. She saved my life; why can’t you understand that?”
Curious, Celestia walked up to her doorway, and peeked outside for a better look than her window was providing her. “She’s caused nothing but trouble since she’s returned! Several dozen guards in the hospital that first night she came back, that…idiotic griffin barging into her quarters and getting blown to smithereens, and now this! You nearly died! Do you understand how worried I was?”
Celestia blinked in astonishment. Clearly, they were talking about Luna, and although she had been more than aware of the air of unfriendliness that pervaded the castle towards her sister, she was shocked to hear what they thought of her first-hoof.
“I do; of course I do. But she really isn’t that terrible! The moment she understood what was going on, I saw the compassion in her eyes! She wasn’t standing there, just watching me die. She was shocked and didn’t know how to react. She’d just been woken up. Why don’t you go-” She stopped short as she noticed the Princess of the Sun poking half her face out of her room like a school filly, looking for gossip.
The servant mare looked at her agape, and Celestia, not finding any words to explain away her embarrassment, felt her face flush red and slammed the door a little too loudly behind her. Shivering with rage, she barely noticed the quiet shuffling of the two servants as they vacated. “Dear, you’re burning again.” Dragolis’ observation snapped her out of her mounting rage as she noticed her fur was catching fire, along with her mane. Quickly, she suppressed her rage, and felt the fire go out.
“The…the NERVE of that one, speaking about her like that! Did you hear what he said? If this were my father’s castle, it would have been off with his head in an instant! I’m…astounded how little respect they have for her! Can you believe it?” Dragolis, keeping her gaze in a rare display of eye contact, sipped his tea. His bright green eyes had become glazed over the years, but somehow still held the cold, calculating intellect she had come to value in him.
“It should come as no surprise,” He said simply “that a father overreacts in a situation where his daughter’s safety is threatened. He is probably working up an apology now after seeing your reaction, as he adores you like so many of your subjects do.” Celestia collapsed onto her pillow, looking out the window in the direction of Ponyville.
“You must remember; myself and only a handful of others remain from the old days. Luna was little more than a mythic figure before her reappearance naught but a few years ago. They fear her because they do not understand her, and it is only your word, your blood, and your authority that they deem it necessary to show her respect. Love from her subjects is something that she must accomplish on own, and cannot be commanded.” Celestia looked off into the sky in the direction of Cloudsdale, feeling the burning in her stomach pass.
So many generations have passed, and still the years have not dulled your mind, or dimmed the fire in your heart, Celestia thought to herself as she looked at her ancient companion sitting across from her. What is it about the passage of time that’s given that odd mage such detachment to the troubles of others? Celestia sighed, and closed her eyes.
Silence greeted her ears, and she began to feel calm again. The soft sounds of Luna’s crying reached her, and she felt her stomach do a backflip. Every time, it seems. Just when it seems she’s ready to come out of her shell, something happens. Something awful always happens to her again and again, and she never goes back to her old self that I remember. She seems cursed to be miserable; to endlessly atone for what happened all those years ago.
She looked up at her guest. He had his eyes closed, and was swirling his hoof over her tea glass, and had begun turning it into wine. She smiled lightly, and after taking a stout drink, she gave him a curt nod, and left her quarters.
Luna was miserable. She had attempted to take her life many different times during her imprisonment, all without any kind of success. A familiar apathy had begun to set in, and she felt herself slipping back into black recesses the long-sleep that she had spend the majority of her imprisonment. She heard a light knock on the door. “Go away, Celly. I’m not in the mood.” A long pause ensued. “…Mother?” Luna choked as she heard Cadance’s voice. “Mother, it’s me. I heard you crying. Is there anything I can do?” Luna felt the darkness inside her ebb away at her daughter’s voice. “Please…please come in,” She stammered out softly “I need you here.” The doors opened.
Celestia watched from behind her secret spy-hole into her sister’s room with caution. She knew she wouldn’t be able to help Luna with the way she was now. She had gone through being denied, screamed at, even, for trying to comfort her little sister. Nothing, it seemed, was able to brighten her morose spirits after her return as Luna’s joy at her sister’s forgiveness and acceptance faded in the face of her unfamiliarity with the customs of the new world around her. The only times she had been feeling well enough to leave the castle was during Nightmare Night, in an effort by Celestia to help acclimate her sister to the modern world. And Cadance’s wedding.
When Cadance learned of her mother’s return and subsequent exorcism, she was cautious, to say the least. She feared to tread near her mother’s quarters like any of the other common servants or court officials, and it was only through Celestia telling Cadance, who had never known her own mother, about Luna as she was known before her banishment.
Gradually, after talking with the both of them, they became curious enough of each other that after the wedding and prior to the reception, Luna confronted Cadence. Though Celestia was at such a distance as that she could not hear anything of the conversation, she did sense the overwhelming love for her daughter she had been holding back, and was more than a little surprised to see Cadence return her affections. Luna, despite being tighter than a clam about her feelings at the best of times, embraced her daughter, and Celestia had closed her eyes as she felt the love her sister felt wash over her. She hadn’t felt anything so strong from her sister since offering her forgiveness that she had waited so long to convey after her return. Celestia snapped out of her reverie as she saw Cadence enter the room, after Luna invited her in.
“Mother, what happened?” Cadence walked up to Luna’s bed, and embraced the dark blue alicorn. “It was the servants again. One of them had quite a terrible accident that woke me, and almost died from a heart attack that had caused her fall. It was only after her father came in that I realized the severity of the situation, and started her heart again.” Cadence looked at her mother quizzically. “After doing this, instead of the thanks or relief one would expect, he…he gave me the most terrible, hateful look I have ever seen on another colt. He glared at me with…such unveiled malice. It was…awful.” Cadence’s eyes widened.
“Why in Equestria would he do that after you saved his daughter?” Luna choked and began crying again, and buried herself in her daughter’s loving embrace. “I’m so tired, Cadence. The world has changed so much it scares me. My mother…your grandmother, always knew what to say during the hard times, and could always cheer me up.” Luna looked up at her daughter. “I see her in you. The same lovely coat and wings, with such kindness as to bring a dragon to its knees; you are so much like her, it hurts to look at you.”
Celestia felt a tear roll down the side of her face. Mother. She’d always been there for them, even after Father had passed away. Her sudden passing was almost unbearably difficult on her, but she could scarcely imagine how deeply it still affected Luna.
“What happened to her, Mother? Celestia always rudely changed the subject when I asked her about it.” Luna tensed up, and appeared to become almost deathly still. “…I…it wasn’t…” Cadence stood up in obvious distress. Celestia leaned forward in horror as she saw Luna seize up into a ball, hugging herself. Her pupils had dilated to small points, and she was starting to shake violently. That’s enough. I can’t let her lose herself again. Celestia closed her eyes, and teleported herself inside the room.
Cadence was horrified. All she had done was ask about her Grandmother she had always been curious about, and Luna had reacted violently to the question. She seemed to be falling apart on the inside with whatever horrible memory that was tormenting her, and it was without any surprise at all as she heard the loud Snap! Of her aunt teleporting in, looking down at her shaking sister.
“It’s alright, Cadence; you couldn’t have known. I’m just going to…” Celestia trailed off as she looked at her sister in shock. Her right eye had become a green slit, and a blackness had covered the right half of her face. It was not spreading, but had simply appeared in the course of a few seconds. “Luna…it’s alright. It’s not your fault what happened to them. Please compose yourself.”
Luna stopped shaking, and slowly looked up at her sister. “But it is my fault, don’t you understand?” Cadence took a step back. Luna spoke with two separate, distinct voices. One she recognized as her mother, and had a pleading, distressed tone. The other seemed to be mocking her mother, and had an undeniable note of malice in it.
“Even if you forgive me, I’ll never forgive myself. I want it to be dark again. I want oblivion. Why can’t you realize that?”
Celestia was as inscrutable as a marble statue. She stood impassively at Luna’s personal demons rearing their collective heads, and the light level in the room began to drop.
“They’re all dead…they’re all DEAD, and nopony can change that. What did you think I was doing for so long from up there, in the moon? Twiddling my hooves, playing in a crater?”
An edge had taken on to her voice, and the blackness had begun to creep across her head even further. “I really do hate you for leaving me there for so long. Why didn’t you let me out earlier, sister?” The last word was punctuated with venom, and made Cadence want to throw up. Her mother was slowly becoming that…thing again. She looked over at her aunt.
Celestia stood stock still, more that aware of the precariousness of the situation. Cadence felt something stir inside her. “Mother, please; you don’t have feel this way anymore. We love you no matter what happened, and we only want the best for you. Please.” Luna shuddered, and turned to look at her daughter.
A look of horror passed over good eye facing her daughter, and she shut her eyes. The darkness came off her coat as a puff of black smoke, and disappeared into the air. An excruciatingly long pause ensued, until Luna punctuated it with her wavering voice. “I am sorry about that. It was…very painful what happened in the past. But it is gone now. I will tell you about your grandmother…when I am ready. Sister, why are you here? I don’t recall inviting you in.”
Celestia had the good grace to look ashamed, and looked off to the side where her peephole was. “I overheard what had happened earlier this morning, and thought it best to have Cadence help you with it. You…haven’t seemed too particularly interested in talking to me lately, and I assumed after the wedding…” Luna shot a poisonous look at her sister, which morphed into a look of embarrassment. “I’m very sorry I wasn’t present to help, dear sister. As much as I would have wanted to attend, I could not…face all those people…our subjects…”
Cadence gave her mother a look of compassion, without a shred of pity that often characterized her niece’s demeanor. Luna needs that compassion, she thought to herself. I can’t rely on myself any more to console her, despite Cadence being married now. And when the time comes for Shining Armor… Celestia shut her eyes violently, purging that line of thought immediately from her mind. “Well, let’s see what the kitchen has for brunch. Luna, do you feel like eating?” Luna blinked, and smiled. “Always. Food is the only thing I missed more than you up there, Celly.” Cadence laughed, and they all went over to the kitchen.
It’s a terrible thing, Celestia heard herself say in the back of her mind. Look at her. Celestia took a sidelong look at her niece in front of her, chatting happily with her sister as they made their way slowly down towards the kitchen. She’s so happy right now; she’ll have to bear a greater burden than Luna ever did. Cadence smiled happily at her mother’s words, and Celestia felt a nostalgic pain in her heart. To be young and in love…and to be cursed by being branded by that love…is such cruelty.
Cadence smiled. This had been one of the few times that she had been able to do something normal and happy with her mother; simply going out to eat in the kitchen and talking over a meal. The wedding had been…indescribable. While her terror of imprisonment by the evil queen Chrysalis had faded with her subsequent rescue, and blossomed into pure bliss with the culmination of her power with her and her husband’s banishing the foul changelings, she had felt a joy she could not have thought possible.
Though they had been in love since Shining armor was a scrawny foal just joining into the ranks of the royal guard, it was not until he had become of age, and she recognized how innately powerful he (and his sister, by the gods what a mare that one) were, that she truly fell head over hooves in love with him, much to her aunt’s reticence.
And now I have my mother. She thought to herself with a smile. My mother will always be there for me, just as she’s always been, looking down at me from the moon. Even after time passes and all the others fade away, she will remain.
The kitchen was surprisingly busy. An accident had occurred where one of the chefs had carelessly knocked over a pot of boiling oil, leaving one of his coworkers horribly burned. Since the commotion was going on when they arrived, Luna immediately went over to the injured servant, who was screaming wildly in pain as his entire right leg was covered in hot oil, burning the flesh almost to his bones.
Luna had always been more skilled in subtle magicks than her sister, and particularly healing. The servants watched in stunned silence as their fellow cook stopped shrieking in agony as the pain ebbed away, and his flesh and fur grew back before their very eyes, including his cutie mark of a large wooden spoon. “There, all better. Can you move it okay?” The shaken cook stood up, flexed his leg, and smiled at Luna. The rest of the cooks around them clopped their hooves on the ground in appreciation.
Luna, still blushing, walked behind her sister, who smiled at the display. “Pardon for interrupting your accident, but…do you have any stuffed bagels for us this fine morning?” A look of shock passed over one of the baker’s faces as he remembered something important, turning around behind him, and bending down to open the oven.
Out came a tray of cheese, jelly, and custard-filled bagels, covered in roasted herbs and vegetables. They all sat down, and heard one of the servants trot over to their table, and place the tray on the end nearest to Celestia. “Madams.” He said simply, as he bowed and walked back to the kitchen.
Luna smiled. Despite how the day had begun, she was immensely happy right now. She had a rare opportunity to get out of her shell and actually enjoy spending some time with her daughter and sister. Her daughter. Cadance. She paused from stuffing the rest of the jelly-filled bagel in her mouth to contemplate that. In her long years in exile up in the moon, one of the only things that her original self had been able to cling on to keep from being swept away by the rage of Nightmare Moon was her daughter.
In the initial years of her banishment, she had given into her despair and rage, and felt her heart harden with bitterness as she saw her sister being hailed like a hero by the survivors of the catastrophe. Then, a few years later, to her utter astonishment, she saw…Cadence. The little pink alicorn was little more than a baby, and her blood boiled as she saw Celestia taking time to raise and play with her as if she was her own.
Her sister had always been barren as the moon Luna had been banished to, and so had never been able to raise a family of her own. Her wrath towards her sister receded over the years as Cadence grew, and she saw how Celestia acted after her daughter grew out of the crib into an adolescent. Cadence carried much of her mother’s talent for magic, and was fiercely independent and inquisitive. To Luna/Nightmare Moon’s utter surprise, she saw Celestia one night, crying on her balcony and talking to the moon.
“This never should have happened, Luna. She’s yours, I know; I could never be a mother myself. As much as I wanted to raise her as my own, tell her that her mommy loves her always, I couldn’t. I couldn’t keep her in the dark about you any longer. I’m so sorry for keeping you away like this, I’m so sorry for what happened, for not talking to you enough and telling you how much I love you.”
Nightmare Moon growled and shifted in her prison, trying to avoid Celestia’s words. “I told her about you; everything that happened, including her father. She screamed at me for what seemed like hours, and left me alone. She’s gone away and I couldn’t stop her…I don’t know if she’ll come back.”
Nightmare Moon and Luna screamed out into oblivion as one; blinding rage clouding their mind as they cursed Celestia for letting Cadence out from under her protection. Celestia winced as she felt the psychic rage of her sister blast across thousands of miles into her mind. “I will find her, sister. I will make her understand, or abdicate trying to do so.” Immediately, the rage turned into disbelief, and she followed Celestia’s pale form as it flew off the balcony in the direction of the Everfree forest.
Luna shook herself out of her reverie and continued the delightful conversation with her sister and daughter, and finishing off the jelly-filled bagels.
The brunch had been perfect, Celestia thought. It is truly wonderful to have Luna out of her shell again; perhaps next time I can invite Dragolis or possibly Twilight for lunch with us at some point. Shining Armor is too busy most of the time for something like this, and I’m certain he understands the position Cadence is in with Luna.
Luna had gone to sleep after the brunch, and had bidden Cadence and Celestia good day before retiring for her sleep before the sun setting. Since she normally went to bed right before dawn, today had been rare in that they had an entire morning to spend time together, instead of a few hours after sunset, when Celestia was normally much too tired to stay up and play with Luna.
Celestia paused to listen to one of the farmers that had come to her day court to settle a minor dispute that had blown up into a full-on feud. Apparently, the Apples and Carrots’ farms had bordered an untapped oil reserve for some time without either of them knowing of its existence, until the day that Applebloom and her friends had been digging to discover their cutie marks in one of their “crusades” involving mining or geologic surveying of some sort.
After breaking through a hard layer of rock, a cracking and rumbling was all the warning they had to evacuate their tunnel before the ground erupted violently in a plume of oil. Applejack and Carrot Top were now arguing vehemently in front of Celestia over rights to the oil well, as the oil field was apparently larger than both of their land plots combined.
“Well that’s just the biggest load of shod I’ve ever heard! Sweet Apple Acres has always held that land longer than the Carrots, and I’ll bet you bits to berries that we-” “Outrageous! My granpappy’s pappy and ganmama’s mama’ve been farmin’ that land for centuries! You damn Apples have been squattin’ on our land for centuries, even if Our Highness here gave you permission to settle near us. She never gave you permission to-”
“ENOUGH!” Both parties silenced immediately in a rare display of Celestia’s Royal Canterlot Voice, which she used only when truly aggravated or displeased. Applejack gulped audibly.
“I will send down a detachment from the Royal Institute of Geology to set up mining operations immediately. While an EQUAL profit will go to each of you, half of the supply will be used by the government and sold by us. You may do with your own shares as you see fit, and there is enough oil to last several dozen generations. We will all share this wealth, and how you manage your own profits and allocate resources is your own decision.” Both farmers nodded cautiously, and were about to open their mouths before being silenced. “But…if I catch either of you taking more than I have owed you, I will immediately cut you out from this plentiful resource, and requisition it for the purposes of this government along with the rest. Do I make myself perfectly clear?”
Carrot Top and Applejack nodded vigorously, and Celestia leaned in, narrowing her eyes menacingly. “And if I catch…ANY foul play…anyone trying to frame each other in some way…I will personally burn both your farms to the ground. Am I understood on that particular point?” Applejack was visibly shaken, and Carrot Top was dumbstruck at her Princess’ words. “Although I love all my little ponies, I have no tolerance for such…ugliness and underhanded crime. The peace will be upheld as it always has, and I will not permit a feud between two successful families of farmers I have had for many generations. I hope you both can appreciate the blessing this is, and not give into the avarice that sows the seeds of evil. Share what you have, help your neighbor, and be glad that you both have more than you actually need right now, and that I don’t take the entire oil field as a lesson for your…spat.”
Carrot Top was now looking at her princess with visible fear, while Applejack was eying Celestia with a look of confusion and curiosity. “Thank you both. You may leave now if you have no further questions.” Carrot Top nodded, and hurriedly walked outside. Applejack stayed. “What was that about? Haven’t heard you like that in a coon’s age.” Blunt and straight to the point, as always.
“Applejack.” Celestia said as she sighed and smiled, looking at the window depicting her and her friends victorious over her sister. “There is a very good reason there has been virtually no crime or war in the past thousand years. I have very strict rules about these things, as I do not want any kind of…disharmony…to fester in the hearts of my little ponies.” Applejack blinked, and sat down. “Although you personally haven’t lived long enough or close enough with me to see it, occasionally I do have to enforce the law. It is certainly a bit more common here in canterlot than out in the country; mainly due to the bloated egos of many of the ponies here who think they’re allowed to get away with anything,” Applejack muffled a snort of laughter. “I am particularly strict with matters where the root of the problem is hatred. It is a terrible thing that must be stamped out immediately and completely lest it spread.” Applejack looked at her, understanding.
“Petty squabbles by petty nobles seem ridiculous to you, don’t they?” Applejack smiled and nodded, urging her to continue. “You see, as long as they’re kept shallow and spoiled, their minds and hearts are too light to comprehend actually hurting or murdering someone over something. Canterlot keeps itself peaceful through important nobility always fussing over trivial matters, rather than important, dangerous ones. Out in the country, you must work for your livelihood and survival, and the threats you face, especially as close as your family is to the Everfree forest, are very real. This is why what I have said may come across as harsh. Do you understand?”
“Yes’m.” Applejack said. “Ah never stopped to consider why you let those prissy colts and mares run around embarrasin’ themselves all over the place. Makes sense that folks like that don’t worry their fancy little heads ‘bout nothin’ further’n their next pedichair or somethin’.” Celestia smiled. “It’s called a pedicure; I don’t suppose your friend Rarity has tried one on you?” Applejack rolled their eyes and they both laughed. “Well,” Celestia began. “I do hope the arrangement for your farm is satisfactory?” the orange earth pony nodded enthusiastically. “Ab-so-lutely! Jus a quarter of that there oil will help pay for half the expenses on the farm! Best thing that’s happened to us in a long while.”
Celestia smirked. “I take it you won’t be too hard on your younger sister and her friends, then?” “Ahll be throwin’ her a big party later! Pinkie’s idea, o’course. She deserves havin’ a celebration for helpin’ the farm with discoverin’ that oil. Too bad she didn’t get her cutie mark for that, poor thing. You know much how that’ll work?”
Celestia blinked. The orange mare wasn’t being rude, certainly. It was a common belief among country folk that their princess of the sun had the gift of foresight, and could bring life to dead or barren fields. While this certainly wasn’t true of herself, her aunt Chrysalis and late mother did certainly hold this ability, although Chrysalis was driven utterly mad from trying to see the whole of the future; all that could be. Celestia felt a shudder go down her spine thinking about the twisted, dark queen who was once the most beautiful member of the royal court ever to walk its halls. But her thoughts were drifting, and she focused her attention back to the Element of Honesty that stood before her.
“As long as those three keep searching for the same thing together, it’s more than likely that they’ll never find what they’re looking for. Apart, on their own time, they will find their calling in life, but it’s certainly no harm letting them continue in their…crusade.” Applejack laughed, took her hat off and bowed before her princess, and walked out of the castle with a smile on her face.
Cadence looked out the open window at her husband. Down below, Shining Armor was directing the guards to their posts, and making his usual rounds. He always looked so handsome in uniform, and her eyes glossed over a bit as she remembered her honeymoon. Such a wonderful place, the Emerald Isles. While far from Equestrian borders, they were under the governance of the vast Seahorse Kingdom, who had always been Equestria’s closest allies. The islands themselves were not made out of emeralds, obviously, but covered in vibrant green plants whose many seeds shone like jewels themselves in the light. During the summer time of which they stayed, the beaches and grounds were completely carpeted with them, and sparkled in ways that defied explanation, and mesmerized her with their beauty.
Shining Armor had, obviously, been interested in only one thing during the trip. She smiled, blushing at the memories. The act in itself had been wonderful, if a bit short. They lay there for what seemed like days afterwards, and fell asleep in each other’s hooves, listening to the waves crash against the shore, and the strangely beautiful chorus of the seahorse mares calling out across the sea. She would remember that evening for the rest of her long, long life. She smiled wider as he noticed her through up in the tower, and gave her a wave and a hilariously lewd whistle, which the guards cheered along with. She laughed heartily, and closed the window after sticking her tongue out at them. Life was good.