Progress:
Luna versus Ponyville
Part 9: Magic of Friendship
By Andrew J. Talon
- - - - - - - -
Emerging from the spa, Rarity and Luna trotted down the road, both turning more than a few heads as they passed. Luna, being her usual shy self, kept her head low. All this attention made her feel uncomfortable.
She was no stranger to remarks about her beauty-A thousand years ago she had been the subject of a great deal of artwork, just the same as Celestia. Admired, spoken of, even poetry addressed to her in the years before she became Nightmare Moon. It hadn’t matched the output directed to Celestia though. The daytime was always the time for art, the time for play, the time for work. Dreams were the domain of the night, which had inspired many a pony in all these areas...
But the work done was during the day. The creative process was the domain of the day...
“Miss Selene, we’re almost there,” Rarity said with a gentle smile. Luna glanced over at Rarity, and around at her surroundings. In the distance stood a house made out of a tree, with a sign hanging above the door with a candlestick carved into it.
“There?”
“Yes... I’m sure you would like to see Twilight Sparkle. After all,” and here Rarity’s smile resembled Celestia’s after a successful prank,”it is why you came here, is it not?”
Luna blinked once, before sighing. She had a smile on her face as well though. “How long?”
“Since I met you,” Rarity said. “But as you can see, I have the sense required to not bleat it all over the town. As much as I love dear Pinkie Pie, she is not the most... Subtle of ponies,” the white mare explained.
“You weren’t exactly subtle yourself,” Luna said flatly. Rarity blinked.
“Why whatever do you mean, Miss Selene?” Rarity asked, suddenly the picture of innocence. Luna found herself thinking the shop proprietor missed her calling to be an actress. However, for all her lack of social graces she knew a prankster, and there was a bit of that in Rarity.
“You know very well what I’m talking about,” Luna said flatly. Rarity smiled and shrugged.
“What are we talking about, my dear?” She asked, adding a low sensuous tone to her voice. It seemed at just the right modulation to make Luna’s cheeks burn bright red, and she resolved to study the phenomena when she wasn’t so embarassed.
“Nevermind,” Luna mumbled. Rarity chuckled.
“My apologies, Miss Selene. Please understand I have nothing but the utmost respect for you,” she said. “But I saw how desperately you were trying to blend in, and you were doing a somewhat poor job of it. Loosening you up just a bit was my remedy... After all, it did Twilight Sparkle herself a world of good.”
“Oh...” Luna smiled. “Of course... You know, you would get along perfectly with my sister.”
“Oh really? Have I met her?” Rarity asked with a laugh. Luna laughed a bit herself.
“Oh yes, you have.”
“I think I might remember her,” Rarity mused. Luna stopped laughing.
“... My dear, is something the matter?” Rarity asked. Luna smiled a bit awkwardly.
“No, nothing at all...”
“Come now dear, you’re acting as though I should know your sister! For the life of me, I can’t figure it out,” Rarity said. She laughed. “Unless of course your sister was Princess Celestia.”
“Ahahahahahaha! Hahahahah! H-How ridiculous!” Luna laughed, quite loudly and unnaturally. Rarity stared at Luna. Luna stared back.
“Rarity! Rarity, hello!”
Both ponies looked over and saw a familiar purple unicorn trotting up to them with a smile on her face. Luna looked back at Rarity and nervously adjusted her glasses. Rarity’s hair was curling fantastically as her eyes widened, the light of realization shining out.
“Oh... Oh yes... Um... Hello Twilight, this is Miss Selene. She’s a librarian from Canterlot, visiting,” Rarity got out in a high pitched voice.
“Y-Yes! A perfectly normal librarian who is not in any way, shape or form Princess Luna so nopony needs to feel embarrassed for any behavior they may have committed!” Luna babbled rapidly. Twilight blinked a few times and raised an eyebrow.
“Ooo... Kay...?”
Rarity, her hair curling, managed to maintain her dignity with a deep breath.
“Y-Yes, quite... Ah, I should go work on the preparations for the party, right now, and uh, calm myself you can see I’m a royal-wreck, yes, a royal wreck! And I simply must get you something decent to wear before the party goodbye!” Rarity turned and galloped off hard, leaving a dust cloud in her wake. Twilight blinked a few more times. Luna shook her head and turned a smile to Twilight.
“So... Would you care for some news from Canterlot, Miss Sparkle? In return, you can make me some tea... If that would be all right with you? A fair trade.”
“Ah... Y-Yes! Yes of course Prin... I mean, M-Miss Selene,” Twilight stuttered.
- - - - - - -
Within the treehouse, an oppressive silence reigned over the princess and the librarian. The tea kettle burbled and boiled happily on the stove, while the two sat on furniture and stared at anything other than each other.
“... Very... Very nice weather,” Twilight got out.
“Yes... Yes, it sure is,” Luna replied, just as quietly.
Uncomfortable silence... My old friend, Luna thought angrily. Back with Fluttershy, Applebloom and Angel had broken the awkwardness. It was for this reason her wrath had been painless to the small rabbit. Well, physically.
Besides, she liked rabbits.
Come now... If a rabbit can challenge a goddess, then surely you can break the ice on your own this time... Luna took a deep breath.
The tea kettle whistled.
“Oh! The tea is ready!” Twilight said. She got up and trotted over to lift it off the stove with her telekinesis, at a distance well within range of her abilities. She took a while to add sugar. “Do you want anything?”
Luna took a deep breath, and let it out as a sigh.
“Milk and sugar please,” She asked. Twilight nodded.
“It’s... It’s a bit um... I’ve never heard of anyone putting milk in their tea, Your Majesty.”
“It’s a bit odd, I know, but I enjoy it,” Luna said quietly.
“Oh... Sorry,” Twilight said. She brought the tea cups over and moved a pile of books off to the side. “Sorry, I-I don’t entertain often, you understand. Last time was a slumber party-My first one, you understand?”
“Yes, I do,” Luna said softly. She was finding herself getting angrier with Twilight’s behavior.
Fluttershy was more understandable. She had been meek from the first time Luna had met her. But this mare?
“Princess Luna?
“Hm? Oh... Thank you,” Luna said as she accepted her tea. Twilight sat across from her, trembling a bit as she lifted her tea cup to her lips.
“I mean, I had never done it before... I didn’t do a lot of socializing in Canterlot, you understand,” Twilight babbled on. “I was mainly studying under Princess Celestia. Equestrian Magic and Law, History, all sorts of subjects...” Twilight smiled shyly at Luna. “I-I guess you could say I um...”
“... Lived in the library?” Luna asked.
Twilight nodded. “Yes... yes I did.”
“Why don’t you tell me about your studies? What you have learned?” Luna asked. “You do tell my sister all that you have learned, but I would like to learn it from you, first-hoof.”
She gave her a smile, that was far more genuine than she thought it would be. For Twilight Sparkle returned it.
“Well... I’ve learned twenty five different kinds of magic so far. The hardest to learn was transformative magic, having to maintain the mind link is very taxing...”
“Yes it is. I’m afraid the only means to get better at that is constant practice, though I’ve found meditation helps,” Luna explained. “Finding your center is paramount to maintaining control of your magic, as your emotions can very easily affect it.”
“Yes, though I usually unwind with a good book or a bath,” Twilight said. Luna smiled.
“No no, it’s all right. Anything that calms you down is good for magic. The better you get at it, the less time you will need between intense magical usage.” The moon princess had a very good idea then. “Would you like me to teach you some magic I make use of regularly?”
Twilight lit up, any lingering traces of nervousness vanishing. “I-I would love to, Your Majesty! I mean, Miss Selene!”
“All right, let’s go then,” Luna said with a growing smile of her own.
- - - - - - -
The two trotted out to a nearby field which was within sight of a number of buildings. Luna looked around and nodded in satisfaction.
“... Well, this'll do for now, I suppose. All right.” She turned to Twilight. “You can teleport, which is a good skill to have. Celestia is quite good at it when pressed, however, she reserves it only for emergencies. I believe you’ve already discovered how taxing it can be on your stamina?”
Twilight nodded in acknowledgement. “Yes.”
“The most likely reason for that is that you are quite simply too powerful for your own good,” Luna assessed. Twilight blinked.
“I’m too powerful?”
“Well, that’s not a bad thing at all,” Luna soothed. “It just means you require more training in direct control. It also means you can master a type of technique myself and my sister employ, as do a number of other talented unicorns.”
“Oh? What is that?” Twilight asked.
“It’s a relatively simple technique,” Luna explained, “wherein you boost your speed for short bursts using magical enhancement. The advantages of this are considerable: You don’t need to cast an incantation, you just need to train yourself to use it like you would your telekinesis. With a little willpower, you can increase your speed in a short burst by magically enhancing your entire body.”
“Can you demonstrate it for me?” Twilight asked with a smile. Luna nodded.
“Certainly. Pay careful attention.” Luna focused her magical energies throughout her body, doing it in a deliberately slow manner to allow Twilight to get as much information on the technique as possible. She turned towards the forest, and released the magical energy as she broke into a gallop.
The burst sent her screaming forth at incredible speed, and she came to a carefully controlled stop. She looked over her shoulder and saw Twilight was a distant purple shape, and that she was in the trees. Luna turned back and repeated the manuever, and in a moment she was standing in front of the slack jawed Twilight. Leaves and various other light debris blew past them on a wind kicked up by her movement.
“... Oh wow! That was incredible!” Twilight gasped. She frowned thoughtfully. “I’m gathering that the magical enhancement also enhances your durability? The intense acceleration would require that.”
“Yes, it does,” Luna said, feeling pleased. “The technique is useful for combat that way. However, it has it’s limits. Unless you know how to combine an Invulnerability spell with the Acceleration, you’re better off using it for positioning, escape, or diversions.”
“So it’s a combat spell?” Twilight asked with a thoughtful frown.
“That was it’s original use, yes,” Luna said with a nod. “It can also be used in the air, and if you get very good at it, you can change direction while at that speed. The basic version requires you stop between every change in direction.” The moon princess smiled at Twilight. “Would you like to give it a shot?”
“Yes!” Twilight cried eagerly. She pointed herself towards the forest, took deep breaths, and powered up. Her aura flared and the wind picked up around her. Her eyes glowed and she tensed.
“Twilight, wai-!” Luna tried, but it was far too late.
BOOM!
Luna closed her eyes against the backdraft caused by the incredible force of Twilight’s acceleration. Glass shattered seemingly everywhere around, and some kind of alarm went off in the distance. Luna opened her eyes, just enough for a wince, before she took off after Twilight.
She found the purple mare a mile away in the forest, dazedly getting to her hooves. Her hair had frizzed out into an afro, and she wobbled a bit. Luna landed.
“Are you all right?” Luna asked.
“Y-Yeah... I’m all right...” Twilight looked around the forest, and blinked. “Uh oh... Um...”
“You over did it just a bit,” Luna said with a wince. She smiled. “Though you did break the sound barrier... I didn’t do that until after several attempts.”
“Wow... Thank you!” Twilight said. She frowned. “What is that siren?”
“You... Broke some glass,” Luna said. “Because of the sonic boom.”
“Oh dear! We should go back right now-!”
“Ah, ahahaha, not just yet,” Luna said. “I think we should go learn some more, elsewhere. Until everything dies down?”
“Well, all right Your Maj-Um, Miss Selene,” Twilight said.
- - - - - - - -
They moved to a rocky, relatively barren area on the outside of town. The distant mountain peaks were haloed with clouds and cast into stark relief as the sun approached it’s setting. Luna found herself smiling. It was a beautiful sight, she had to admit. The transition from day to night. There was a certain art to it that Celestia had never gotten quite right, but hopefully Luna would be able to help her more.
Below in the quarry, there was a small homestead with a lone windmill. Luna turned back to Twilight.
“Okay... Let's try something simpler. Strength enhancement,” Luna said. “It will not involve any real movement, just a bit of focus.”
“Another combat spell?” Twilight asked. Luna nodded.
“Yes. Every magic user should have a few spells they can use for battle. Now, it uses a similar principle as the speed enhancement technique, but is more focused.” She held up her front hoof and focused her power. She pulled her hoof back and thrust it forward.
“Ya!”
The boulder shattered under the force of the blow. Twilight watched with wide eyes.
“Oh, w-wow...!”
“Focus your magic through your body... Feel it flow,” Luna advised. “Let it move with you, and move with your movements.”
Twilight once again powered up, and she moved to another boulder. She took a few deep breaths.
“Focus and calm yourself... Don’t use too much power, just as much as you need,” Luna warned. Twilight nodded.
“Right...” She pulled back her hoof, and punched out. “YAH!”
The boulder, rather than shattered... Went flying down the hill into the quarry below with a crash. Luna let out a sigh of relief.
“Good! Very good. Now, let’s try a basic combo,” Luna said.
“A combo?” Twilight asked, tilting her head curiously. Luna nodded.
“Yes. Combined strikes and movements for battle. Here is a very simple one,” She reared up on her back hooves in front of a new boulder, and charged up. She unleashed two hoof strikes, then spun around to kick the boulder. It was smashed into rubble, and Luna spun around with a smile at her student.
“Now you try,” Luna said. Twilight nodded.
“All right...” She trotted up to yet another boulder, and charged up. She reared up and struck the boulder twice, before spinning around and kicking it. Like the first boulder, it flew off. Unlike the first boulder, it flew very, very high... And smashed through the roof of the farmhouse below.
“Oh dear!” Luna and Twilight cried. Together, they charged down the hillside to the house.
On the farmhouse porch, a dark yellow stallion with a beard and black hat, and a grey mare with her mane up in a bun were sitting in rocking chairs. Back and forth they rocked upon their creaky wooden furniture, eyes turned towards the edge of their rock fields.
“.. Ma, ah do believe those damn dragons is throwin’ rocks at us again,” the stallion said. The mare nodded, got off her rocking chair and hit a secret control lever on the side of the door.
“We must enact the Tenant of our simple faith and crush the Xenos that dare threaten our livelihoods!” She said in a spirited but matter of fact way as two saddles with machine guns and chainsaws attached to them emerged from a hidden trapdoor in the porch. The old stallion nodded, girded on his weapon, and helped his wife do the same before tugging on the start cords on his weapons, firing them up. The loud roars brought Luna and Twilight to a stop.
"What is that?" Luna asked.
"Uh... They sound like chainsaws and..." Twilight's eyes widened. "Oh horsefeathers."
“DEATH TO THE UNBELIEVERS!”
“FOR THE GLORY OF GODDESS QUEEN CELESTIA!”
The two older ponies charged, and opened up their guns on Luna and Twilight.
“What the-? NO WAIT! WAIT! HOLD YOUR FIRE!” Luna shouted as she formed a shield.
“DEATH TO THE DRAGON FILTH!” Roared the mare.
“NO! NO! HANG ON! THIS IS PRINCESS LUNA!” Twilight cried, holding her hooves up.
Both ponies ceased fire and stared.
“Princess who?” The stallion asked.
“You know, Princess Luna? The Moon Goddess?” Luna suggested. “It has been a while but-”
“She came back as Nightmare Moon?” Twilight tried. The two ponies started.
“Nightmare Moon?”
“DEVIL IN THE MOON!”
“DEATH TO THE PROFANE USURPER!”
“EEEP!” Luna and Twilight both cried, as they ran for the hills, dodging bullets and the occassional thrown chainsaw.
- - - - - -
It took a while, but they were able to lose the farmers in the woods. They trotted back towards Ponyville, Twilight’s head held low.
“Haa... Your Majesty... I am so, so sorry,” she said. “I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to... To do any of that. I just, I lost control, I’m so sorry...”
Luna closed her eyes tightly, angrily. She’d had to endure Twilight’s apologies the whole trip here, and they had not made her feel any better. In fact, a quiet anger had been brewing in her.
You stood up to Nightmare Moon without so much as a flinch, and here you serve me tea with a stutter, and apologize constantly for your great power! What is wrong with you?! Luna thought furiously.
She seemed so different from the brave pony she’d met on the night of her return...
“You think you can destroy The Elements of Harmony just like that? Well, you're wrong, because the spirits of The Elements of Harmony are right here.” Twilight said, with a growing confidence in her voice.
“You still don't have the sixth Element! The spark didn't work!” Nightmare Moon shouted in defiance, arrogance... But above all else, fear was beginning to take root in her mind.
“But it did!” She cried in her defiance, a reckless powerful hope lighting up her eyes as all of her friends joined with her. “A different kind of spark.” She turned to her friends, her smile growing as did the magic around them all.
“I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you. The spark ignited inside me when I realized that you all -- are my friends. You see, Nightmare Moon, when those Elements are ignited by the... the spark, that resides in the heart of us all, it creates the sixth element: the element of... MAGIC!”
Power, bright and brilliant and powerful emerged from all six of the gems, surrounding the ponies. And as one, their powers combined and came down on her in the form of a rainbow and with the speed of a lightning bolt from heaven.
“NO! NOOOOO!”
“Your-Your Majesty?”
“Stop calling me that!” Luna said angrily, whirling around on the young unicorn.
“Y-Yes, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I just lost control, I’m really not any good at this all-!”
“And stop apologizing!” Luna growled. “You... You...” She stopped and stared at the young Twilight, who was staring back in shock and disbelief so familiar it made Luna’s heart catch in her throat.
“... I’m the one who should be sorry,” Luna said, in a far calmer tone. “I underestimated how powerful and talented you were. It’s my responsibility. You’re still learning...” She smiled. “But your power and talent... You should never apologize for that.”
Twilight stared back, and slowly nodded with a small smile. “I... Thank you, Prin... Miss Selene-”
“Just forget about that too, all right?” Luna said. She looked out at the sun-It was almost totally set. She was going to be late if she didn’t get a move on in raising the moon and...
Luna stared at Twilight for a very, very long time. She then laughed softly to herself, and shook her head.
“Twilight... If you feel up to it, I have one more thing for you to try.”
“Well... I’m a little tired, Princess...” Twilight steeled her resolve. “But if you want me to, I will.”
“All right, come with me.”
Luna led Twilight to a tall hill. It gave them a beautiful view of Ponyville below, and the sun setting behind the mountains. Luna turned to Twilight and smiled.
“I’m going to link my magic with yours,” she said, and her aura flared to life. It joined with Twilight’s own, and both ponies’ eyes and horns began to glow.
“Oh... Okay... What are we going to do?” Twilight asked.
“We’re going to raise the moon together,” Luna said. Twilight’s eyes widened.
“What?! But-But the moon-!”
“Don’t worry, stay calm,” Luna soothed. “I will be linked with you the whole time. I will provide most of the push... But you are going to guide it. You know where it should be thanks to your studies, right?”
“Well, yes, I do but-”
“But nothing. You can do this, Twilight. Trust me... And trust yourself,” Luna said. “Don’t worry... I’m here.”
Twilight closed her eyes, and gritted her teeth. Luna closed her eyes and focused as well, the familiar movements coming to her. She didn’t need her eyes to do this-The moon was hers, and even though it had been a thousand years, the old movements came as naturally as words from an old friend.
Twilight’s magical presence was impossible to miss-She burned like a star herself. Her magical influence reached out, merging with Luna’s, throwing it off a bit but quickly refocusing and adjusting itself to move naturally with hers.
“That’s right... Don’t fight it. She knows the way, you just need to remind her of the steps,” Luna advised.
“Hnnngh...!” Twilight concentrated. Luna spread her wings and focused more deeply. In her mind’s eye, she could see the moon rising-A waning crescent, a tiny sliver of light peeking out like a winking eye. The stars emerged, free of the glare of the sun they sparkled and twinkled like diamonds high in the sky. These too Luna guided along their paths, setting the pace for Twilight to follow.
Like any beginner, she overcompensated severely, but under Luna’s guidance the young unicorn kept the moon on course. At last, the connection broke, and Twilight collapsed to her knees gasping for breath.
“Haa... Haa... Haa...”
She looked up... And saw the moon winking down upon them from a sea of stars. Her exhausted face gained a smile, and she looked over at Luna to see a similar one on the moon goddess.
“Very well done, little sister,” she said softly. Twilight’s eyelids grew heavy.
“Huh...?”
“Nothing Twilight. Nothing at all,” Luna said, stroking the top of her head affectionately. She looked to Ponyville, and saw a great multitude of ponies congregating at Twilight’s library. Among them were Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Big Mac, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy.
“Come on Twilight... We have a party to get to,” she said, lifting Twilight up carefully with her telekinesis and flying towards the town.
- - - - - -
Some time later, Pinkie Pie’s party was in full swing. Seemingly everypony was at the library, including many Luna had never formally met. She even met the strange gray pegasus who returned her abacus. The pegasus had no idea who she was.
She and many other ponies joined Pinkie Pie’s growing conga line, and Luna didn’t worry about it, choosing instead to watch the rest of the partygoers. Rarity was conversing with Applejack about a certain book series in low tones, Fluttershy was shyly eating cake with the proprietors of Sugar Corner, Mr. and Mrs. Cake, and a recovered Twilight Sparkle was attempting to dance with an embarrassed looking Big Macintosh. She flushed a bit at how close they were getting, but turned away to see Spike watching.
“Enjoying the party?” Spike asked with a little grin. Luna smiled and nodded.
“Yes, actually...”
“Ya know, I’m amazed anyone was fooled by those glasses... If you don’t mind me saying so, your Majesty,” Spike said with a little grin and a sotto voice. Luna looked over at Spike, then back at the crowd.
“None of them will say anything, you know that,” Spike said. Luna shook her head and chuckled.
“That’s not it.”
“Then what?” Spike asked, interested.
“Just how much trouble they caused me,” she said with a sigh. She adjusted them.
“Not that much trouble though, huh?” Spike asked.
“... No. No, I suppose not,” Luna said, her smile lighting up her face once more. She looked over at Spike. “I presume my sister wishes me to write her about my experiences?”
Spike started and stared at the goddess. “How-?”
“You smell of a recent blast of flame,” Luna deduced. “And you came right to me.” She raised an eyebrow. “I’m not completely clueless, you know.”
“I-I know! I know!” Spike said quickly. “I didn’t imply it, really...!”
“I know,” Luna giggled. “Relax. Let me find some paper and a quill...”
- - - - - - - -
Dear Sister,
I must thank you for sending me to Ponyville to meet your student. Meeting the ponies she befriended to defeat Nightmare Moon, and Twilight herself made me realize just what you saw in her... And what you see in me. They have their ups and downs, all of them, but so do I. And despite everything that happened, I believe it has been an experience for the best. If these ponies can forgive me for what I did as Nightmare Moon, then I know my friends can forgive me for... Peeking in.
Love, Luna
PS: I will require a few funds to help pay for the damage inflicted. Also, kindly look into the creator of this “Cupcakes” film, I wish to... Speak with him.
PPS: Remind Sundance to clean Abacus off with a dry cloth and read him “Mr. Ed Does Annuities” to help him sleep. And tell them all, I’ll be home soon.
- - - - - - - -
And that concludes the story arc, “Progress: Luna versus Ponyville!” It’s generated a lot of mixed feelings, no doubt, but if bronies found anything in it that they enjoyed, and if it contributed to the fandom in any positive way, I am content.
So, is this it for Progress? No, but I don’t think I’ll try another story arc without plotting it more thoroughly from beginning to end. The adventures of Luna and co are not over by a long shot, but in light of my final year at university the updates will probably not be as frequent. Still, if you wish to play in my sandbox, I’m certainly not going to object.
So, as our favorite Time Pony might say, “Allon-sy~!”