//------------------------------// // 8. Of Moonlight and Moonstones // Story: A Decade Lost // by Neonz //------------------------------// The castle’s interior was unchanged. The same grand tapestries hung on the walls, elaborate carpets covered the marble floors, and guards were posted at every corner. As Twilight was led up the stairs into the royal chambers where she would usually expect to find Princess Celestia, she noted that the stained glass windows that depicted her and her friends defeating countless foes still stood strong. Twilight had been hoping that these historical windows would tell tales of the decade she had missed, but she was left disappointed; there were no new additions to the collection. Luna was waiting for her at the end of the hallway, her gaze set at an unreadable neutral. The unicorn guards leading Twilight sunk to the floor in a show of respect before taking their leave. Twilight took a hesitant step forward. “Princess Luna…” Twilight wasn’t sure what she had expected, but she was still a bit shaky from the less-than-warm welcome. Finally, Luna gave a heavy sigh. “I was afraid this would happen…” Her tone was bitter. She bowed her head. “What do you...?” Twilight trailed off as Luna looked back up. Her midnight blue eyes were heavy, defeated. Twilight proceeded with a bit more caution. “P-Princess?” “I feared you would return, Twilight,” Luna said, her voice as strong as ever despite her weakened appearance. “Do you not wonder why everyone believes you dead?” It was something Twilight had wondered since she’d first came across Applejack. “Why couldn’t I go back?” Twilight asked, her voice faltering as she realized where this conversation was heading. “We tried to protect the time spells, Twilight,” Luna explained, her expression hard-set. “Believe me, I did everything in my power… but even a monarch’s power has weaknesses. When you vanished, word travelled quickly. Bearer of the element of magic herself, future princess of Equestria, Twilight Sparkle… defeated in an attempt at doing the talent she was put in the world to do.” Twilight winced. “I wasn’t, though!” Luna nodded. “Celestia believed in you, but she didn’t think your powers would ever allow you to travel further than a few weeks. Still, she gave you a year… when you didn’t return, she was forced to destroy all of the time spells in the archives to quell legality issues as well as our citizens’ outrage.” Luna’s furrowed brow kept focused on Twilight. “You cannot return, Twilight. If you could, we would already know it. Nopony knows the time spells anymore… I’m sorry.” Twilight nodded shakily. She would never return home. Twilight already knew that, of course, but hearing it spoken aloud was a hard blow. It was if Luna’s authoritative tone had physically trapped her in this strange, unfriendly new world. Twilight sunk to her haunches, feeling dizzy. “…I… E-excuse me…” “Take your time, Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight nodded gratefully. This was it, then. She knew what she had to do. “I need to help my friends.” “A noble, though near impossible goal.” Twilight frowned. “Where’s Princess Celestia?” Luna looked away, her gaze landing on a clear window. “…Vacationing.” “…Come again?” Luna’s head turned, her expression suddenly enraged. Twilight flinched as if the fire in Luna’s expression had physically burned her. “Do you not understand exactly what you’ve done, Twilight?” Twilight took a step backward. “I-I - ” “You were meant to be her successor!” Luna yelled, her scolding sending shivers down Twilight’s spine. “One thousand years without a retirement… because of me, of course…” Twilight’s ears flattened, intimidated by the larger and much more powerful alicorn. Luna paused and inhaled deeply. “Forgive me. You have been punished enough…” Twilight shook her head and stared at the ground. “I deserved that.” “Twilight…” The apology was in Luna’s tone. Twilight appreciated it, but knew that Luna was right. She had already seen the crumbled remnants of Applejack, the shallow closed-off life of Fluttershy, the broken innocence of Sweetie Belle. Celestia must had been devastated. But Twilight was here now. “This is my fault.” Twilight looked into the eyes of Luna, a fierce resolve in the younger unicorn’s gaze. “I’m going to fix it. If it takes everything I have... then that’s what will happen.” Luna surveyed Twilight with interest. “I see. I will send notice to my sister.” Relief flooded through Twilight. Finally, she would get to speak to Princess Celestia. “Should I wait here? Or at least nearby?” Luna finally cracked a smile. “Give her time, Twilight Sparkle. She will find you, so do not hesitate to do what you must do to help your friends.” Twilight nodded. “Thank you. I have one more question, though…” “Anything, Twilight.” “Where’s Spike?” Luna hesitated. “I… do not know.” Twilight closed her eyes. She had been terrified to hear those words, but had been half-expecting them. Spike… Her number one assistant. Twilight had no idea what she would do without him. Likewise, Twilight served as an older mentor and a caregiver. They relied on each other for so much… “But,” Luna continued. Twilight’s eyes snapped open. “I think there may be somepony nearby better suited to answering that question than me.” Luna gestured to the doorway. “Please, Twilight. Don’t let me keep you any longer. Go find your friends.” Twilight’s eyes widened: Rarity. Possibly the only other pony Spike would trust completely, and Rarity would never turn him away. Twilight nodded. “I will… thank you.” “Good… good luck, Twilight Sparkle.” … Twilight exited the royal chamber and descended down the stairs. At the bottom, flanked by two pegasus guards, was Sweetie Belle. She had heavy bags under her eyes, and her mane was no longer perfectly curled as it had been in the evening, but she still managed a big smile when she caught sight of Twilight. “Finally…” Sweetie approached Twilight cautiously. “How did it go?” Twilight shook her head. “Not well.” She stared at the ground. “Nothing’s really gone well…” She felt a foreleg wrap around her neck, and turned to stare into Sweetie’s green eyes. “I’m sorry Twilight, really, I can’t even imagine…” Twilight sighed. “I’m glad you’re here and everything, Sweetie, but why exactly…?” Sweetie Belle blinked a few times. “Oh, right.” She giggled and backed off. “Sorry. Rarity wanted me to meet you here to take you over. Knowing how her house looked when I left, she’s probably cleaning.” Twilight managed a smile. “Thank you, Sweetie Belle. And thank you for last night too… I’m so sorry about this morning.” Sweetie Belle waved her off. “Don’t worry about it. We don’t work for another, like…” Sweetie paused and scrunched up her face in concentration. “Uh, ten days? …Not until next Wednesday. We only get four nights every two weeks. So it’s whatever. Rarity wakes me up early all the time, so don’t feel bad. Anyways, follow me!” Sweetie led Twilight off of the royal property and back onto the large main street Twilight was on when she had first teleported. “It’s a bit of a walk. Sorry.” “That’s fine.” Twilight thought back to what Luna had told her, and felt determined to use this time to her advantage. “So you and Rarity are still close, right?” “Eh, yeaaah,” Sweetie Belle said, her tone wavering. “I mean, we don’t see eye to eye, but when have we ever seen eye to eye?” She giggled. “We’re sisters, even if she is a rich entrepreneur and I’m a stupid bar singer…” Her ears flattened to her head. “About that – the Carousel Boutique seems to be doing really well.” Sweetie Belle groaned. “You have no idea. Ask Rarity about it and she’ll chew your ear off.” “I have a lot of things to ask Rarity, it seems.” Sweetie Belle was quiet for a few moments, then she turned to look at Twilight with such a serious expression that Twilight stopped walking out of concern. Sweetie Belle moved closer. “Twilight…” she whispered. “Listen to me… you need to be careful with her, okay?” “With Rarity?” Twilight surveyed Sweetie Belle with a mix of curiousity and worry. “Why do you say that?” Sweetie bit her lip. “You really scared her, Twilight. She went crazy. A month after you died, she boarded up her shop and moved to Canterlot. A year and something after that, she was married, and a couple of months later? Pregnant. She was my age now!” Sweetie exclaimed, her eyes wide. “And now she has two kids and marital issues and she’s busier than ever with work…” Sweetie shook her head. “Sometimes I’m glad I’m not her.” Twilight directed a pained look at the ground. “So fast…” she murmured, more to herself that to Sweetie Belle. Rarity was, in Twilight’s opinion, the most mature of the six of them. It shouldn’t have been a surprise that Rarity had taken such huge strides in the years that Twilight had been absent. Twilight still had to adjust. “I just don’t want to see her like that again,” Sweetie Belle continued, “especially now that she has a family to look after.” “I understand.” Sweetie Belle gave Twilight a grateful smile. “…But Sweetie Belle? I have something else to ask you about,” Twilight said, keeping her tone casual. Sweetie Belle nodded. “Uh huh, go ahead?” “It’s about Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.” Sweetie’s smile faltered. “Oh, uh…” Sweetie Belle cleared her throat and then hesitated for a few moments. “Scoots is doing great. She lives in Cloudsdale so I can’t visit, but sometimes she comes over here…” Sweetie Bell frowned. “Sorry, I just didn’t expect you to ask about them, I guess…” “Oh, I’m sorry if I - ” “Anyways, we’re here!” Sweetie Belle smiled widely and gestured in front of her. Twilights train of thought was immediately lost as her vision landed on a jewel-encrusted security gate. The bars looked to be plated in actual gold. Twilight laughed. Only Rarity would take the appearance of her security system into heavy consideration. Beyond the bars was a very modern-looking home. It was built on the edge of the Canterlot cliffs, facing toward what was once Ponyville. Twilight knew for a fact that real estate like this would only sell for an incredible amount of money. The home itself was modestly-sized, though the architecture was truly breathtaking. The house was built on a slight angle, which allowed large water fountains to flow water thinly across a glass roof and over the side of the cliff, which created a huge rainbow effect. There didn’t seem to be any actual windows on the house, rather entire panels of one-way glass replaced large sections of the wall. The remainder of the house was pure-white. Twilight wondered how they were able to keep such a colour looking so clean. “…Wow.” Twilight finally said, her mouth slightly agape. “I know right. Check this out.” Sweetie Belle closed one eye and focused the other into a small dot of glass. A drawn out beep was shortly followed by a click, and the door swung open. Twilight looked back and forth between Sweetie Belle and the gate. “Uh… what just happened?” “Eye-recognition software. It’s state of the art technology…” Sweetie Belle giggled. “Gee, you should see the look on your face, Twilight!” Twilight blinked, a bit stunned. “I… I guess I’m a bit behind on the times…” “I know, I know, I shouldn’t laugh…” Sweetie Belle continued to grin regardless. “Well, come on, follow me!” Sweetie Belle led Twilight right up to the front of the house and didn’t bother knocking before she opened the door. “Rarity! Guess who’s here!” Twilight didn’t have to wait for more than a few seconds before she was engulfed in pair of white forelegs. “Oh, darling, you don’t know how shocked I was this morning – honestly, you should have come straight here! Of course, oh you must have been so lost, you poor thing…” Twilight closed her eyes and hugged Rarity tighter. “I… I’m so sorry…” “No need to apologize!” Rarity separated and held Twilight apart from her, and the two old friends took the moment to look each other over. Rarity’s mane was pulled back into a loose violet updo. She’d gone heavy on the makeup, with multiple shades of blue eyeshadow creating a smoky effect, and her eyeliner going a bit off of her eyes in a traditional Canterlot effect. She’d definitely cleaned herself up since morning. “You look really good,” Twilight said honestly. For having two kids, she’d still managed to maintain her shape, and her coat was as glossy as ever. Rarity smiled at the compliment, but waved a hoof dismissively in the air. “Oh, pish posh, you youthful thing, you!” Rarity gushed. “What I wouldn’t give to be ten years younger!” Rarity turned and started walking out of the room. “Come here, Twilight. I’ve prepared lunch for us!” Twilight followed Rarity into the kitchen, a bright room due to the large sections of glass, adorned with spotless marble countertops and filled with appliances that Twilight could only assume were modern and could definitely guess were expensive. A long kitchen table at the end of the room was absolutely covered in quarter sandwiches. “Oh my gosh…” Twilight stared at the amount of food in disbelief. “You didn’t make all of these, did you?!” Rarity laughed heartily. “Oh Twilight, darling, you flatter me!” She walked over to the table and magically floated a plate over to Twilight, who accepted it carefully as the gold trim along the edges suggested it was very valuable. “As a matter of fact,” Rarity said as she floated a plate over to herself. “I picked these up from the store this morning. I was hoping to save time so that I could clean a bit before I went to fetch you, but I ran into Rosaline on my way there, oh and she’s a very lovely client of mine, and we got talking about the dress I made for her birthday last month. And once I managed to step in to the bakery, wouldn’t you know I ran right into Lemony Gem! Her daughter is in the same class as Jasper, so of course I had to chat a bit with her, oh and then the order was delayed and well… point is I sent Sweetie Belle instead, but it all worked out just the same!” “Jasper…” Twilight mused. Rarity frowned, but Twilight was busy wracking her memory. “He’s… he’s your son, right? Blue Jasper?” The little colt from Fluttershy’s picture flashed through Twilight’s memory. “Y-yes! Of course, Sweetie Belle must have told you…” Rarity forced a laugh and gestured to the sandwiches. “I’ll be sure to introduce you. He must have poor Sweetie Belle occupied at the moment.” “You have a daughter as well, right?” Rarity’s eyes widened and for a moment Twilight feared she had said the wrong thing. Rarity’s mouth bent upward in an attempt at a smile. “Oh, yes, little Moonstone… still a toddler…” She eyed Twilight. “I suppose Sweetie Belle told you that as well.” “O-oh, no, actually - ” “I know she loves my children to death, but that really gives her no right to talk about my personal life,” Rarity huffed, her eyes narrowed. “Especially given the way her own life is shaping out - ” “It was Fluttershy,” Twilight interrupted desperately, confused by Rarity’s distress but intent on stopping it anyway. “I visited Fluttershy and she had a picture of your son on her bureau. Sweetie Belle didn’t say anything to me.” Rarity froze. “Oh… oh, of course, I’m so sorry, Twilight.” She stared off into space for a few moments. “I haven’t seen Fluttershy in ages. We used to write each other, but she can’t receive normal mail and it’s expensive to send, so we’ve drifted apart…” Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but the shrill sound of crying foal ripped through the house. Twilight winced and flattened her ears to her head. Rarity sighed and stood. “Well, speak of the devil… she was up all night, so she’s probably still cranky. I’ll see if I can’t settle her. Help yourself to the sandwiches.” Twilight watched Rarity start to walk out of the kitchen, but a familiar singing voice stopped her in her tracks. “Walk me through fields where rare orchids grow,” It was a slow, hauntingly beautiful melody. Twilight smiled as the foal’s crying died down almost instantly. “Your sister’s really talented,” Twilight commented. “And your wings will lift you in time,” Rarity nodded mechanically. “Yes… yes, she certainly is.” “Experience tells you which way to go,” Rarity walked back over to Twilight, but her gaze was set elsewhere and her mouth turned downward. “Is everything all right?” Twilight asked carefully. “You’ll always be a filly of mine,” Rarity nodded again. “Sweetie Belle hasn’t sung this lullaby in ages. She wrote it herself when Moonstone was born…” “Your beauty will be of such high demand,” Rarity’s eyes filled with tears. “I… I think she wrote it more for me than for my daughter…” “And your wings will lift you in time,” Wait. “Rarity?” Twilight questioned. Rarity did not look up. “Is your daughter a pegasus?” “Though you’ll plant the seeds from faraway lands,” Rarity’s brow furrowed at the table. “Yes… my great-grandfather was a pegasus, actually…” It was unusual, but not impossible for two unicorns to produce a pegasus offspring, given they both carried recessive genes. In Canterlot where the demographics were almost one-hundred percent unicorns, however, it was nearly unheard of. “You’ll always be a filly of mine,” Sweetie Belle’s voice echoed around the home. Tears dropped from Rarity’s eyes and landed on the golden plate beneath her. Twilight took a deep breath. “I thought your husband was a unicorn?” It was a genuine question, but Rarity winced as if she had been attacked. “I’ll guide you through hardships, anguish and pain,” “He is,” Rarity stated. Her gaze turned icy. “I suppose Fluttershy told you that as well.” “And your wings will lift you in time,” “That’s right,” Twilight said. Rarity sighed. “I… I can’t blame her… she…” “You’ll fly me through clouds, above all the rain,” “Oh Sweetie Belle, why this song…” Tears continued to pour down Rarity’s face, and she finally stood. “Give me a moment.” She left the room, leaving a confused and hurt Twilight. “You’ll always be a filly of mine… R-Rarity? Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry, I-I…” “Let me see my daughter, Sweetie Belle.” Rarity’s voice was hollow from tears, but firm at the same time. Twilight stared at the mountain of sandwiches in front of her, willing her mind not to jump to conclusions. Sweetie Belle had mentioned that Rarity was having marital problems. Twilight just hadn’t expected it to be over something like this. “Excuse me?” A young voice piped, abruptly breaking Twilight out of her thoughts and causing her to jump. Twilight turned toward the voice, and found a small, white unicorn colt staring at her with huge, blue eyes. Rarity’s eyes. “Auntie Sweetie Belle said I could have a sandwich…” Twilight stared back at him, entranced. “You must be Blue Jasper,” Twilight noted. His mane was the same light-blue as Fancypants’, but other than that, he had inherited Rarity’s features. He was still without a cutie mark, but Twilight estimated him at an even younger age than she remembered Sweetie Belle, so it was to be expected. Twilight was meeting the son of one of her closest friends. It was a surreal moment, and she wished she could have shared it with Rarity. “Yes, that’s me.” He puffed out his chest and stuck his tiny square muzzle into the air. “But you can just call me Jasper.” His accent was different from Rarity’s, but was typical of those native to Canterlot. A smile slowly spread across Twilight’s face. He looked absolutely adorable, which Twilight was certain wasn’t the effect he was going for, making him even cuter. “Okay, Jasper, then.” The two stared at each other, and Twilight was getting the feeling she was missing something. “Uh, can I help you with something?” “Yes… I’d like a sandwich.” He pointed at the table. “Please. It doesn’t matter what type; Auntie Sweetie said I’d like all of them.” Twilight looked between him and the plate of sandwiches, not quite understanding why he couldn’t get one himself, but also realizing that she shouldn’t expect any less from a child of Rarity’s. She levitated a sandwich into midair, then grinned as an idea came to her. With a flash of magenta, she removed the crusts, levitated it onto a golden plate, and descended it toward a wide-eyed unicorn colt. His composure was momentarily forgotten as he gave Twilight an amazed grin and hopped up to sit at the table. “How did you know I don’t like the crusts?” Twilight chuckled and put the plate in front of him. “I happen to know a certain fashion-designer who doesn’t like them either.” “Thanks Miss Twilight!” Jasper tucked into his meal, and Twilight levitated a sandwich for herself as well. The first bite was enough to tell Twilight it was daisy and daffodil. Rarity still remembered it was her favourite… Twilight’s ears flattened. All was silent in the other room. Twilight ate slowly, silently. Jasper was finished long before she was. “Miss Twilight?” Twilight looked over at Jasper, and struggled to manage a small smile. “You look sad.” Leave it to a child to point out exactly what you hoped they wouldn’t. “I-I… I’m not sad, Jasper, I’m just…” Lost. Confused. Frightened. “Jasper, can I ask you a question?” “Uh huh!” He nodded eagerly. “How do you know my name? I don’t think I introduced myself, did I?” Jasper shook his head. “No, but I know you ‘cause Mummy talks about you a lot. She always points at your picture and says that I need to remember that magic should be used with caution.” He rolled his eyes. “I can’t use magic yet anyways.” He stood and trotted to the left, where the kitchen connected to a sitting area. “Do you want to see?” “Okay.” Twilight stood and followed the colt into a small room filled with plush furniture, a round central table, and mountains of photographs. Some of the pictures on the walls were actually paintings of abstract scenes that Twilight was sure Rarity could appreciate more than she did. Other, smaller photos depicted ponies. Twilight walked over to a small collection. There was an outdoor wedding photograph of Rarity and Fancypants, with Rarity dressed in an absolutely beautiful flowing white dress, and her hair decorated with flowers and a long wedding veil. The two of them laughed for the camera, and Twilight smiled sadly, filled with fresh regret at having missed seeing this moment for real. Above it was a picture of Rarity’s parents, Sweetie Belle, and a few ponies Twilight didn’t know but could guess were from Fancypants’ side of the family. Beneath them were two baby pictures. The one on the left Twilight recognized as an infant Blue Jasper, and the one on the right… Rarity’s daughter: there she was. A baby pegasus stared intently at the camera, showing off bright green eyes. They were much brighter than Sweetie Belle’s paler green eyes, and Twilight likened them more to Applejack’s. Her coat and tiny feathers were a very pale shade of blue, and a small sprig of deep purple hair – Rarity’s hair - was tied with a bow at the top of her head. She didn’t look like the offspring of two white-coated, blue-eyed unicorns… “Miss Twilight!” Jasper called. Twilight broke away from the photograph and walked over to him. He was pointing at a small table tucked into the corner of the room. “Here you are, see?” Twilight’s eyes fell onto a photograph of her and Spike in front of the library. Twilight recognized the picture immediately because she was used to passing it every morning when she went downstairs. This photograph belonged to Spike; he had a small table in the library where he kept a collection of photographs, and this was the one he had in the center. How did it end up here…? Twilight looked away and curiously looked over the other photographs. The picture of the six of them that Fluttershy also had on her bureau was present. In fact, the entire table seemed to be a small dedication to the six of them. There were two photographs that Twilight did not recognize. The first was a picture of Rarity lying in a hospital bed and smiling down at a bundled foal. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were hovering on either side of her, grinning ecstatically at the new arrival. The second photo looked as though it had been taken inside somepony’s home. Applejack and Pinkie Pie sat next to each other on a couch. In Applejack’s forelegs rested a swaddled foal. Twilight could tell more clearly in this picture that his coat was white and his mane was blue. Applejack looked much healthier than Twilight remembered her, though the bags under her eyes gave sign that things were not perfect. Pinkie Pie was holding Jasper’s attention by sticking out her tongue and bulging her eyes. There was somepony missing… Twilight closed her eyes and sighed. She felt as if she had missed Rarity’s entire life. Her marriage, her booming career, the births of her children… What was left? Twilight shook her head. She remembered her conversation with Princess Luna; she was here now. There was still time. “Jasper?” Twilight asked, and the foal turned his head curiously. “Would you like another sandwich?” Jasper perked up. “I can have two?!” Twilight smiled. “I said it was okay if anypony asks.” “Can you do the thing with the crusts again?” He asked, practically bouncing in excitement toward the kitchen. Twilight responded by levitating a sandwich and performing the requested spell. Jasper beamed at her. “Thank you, Miss Twilight!” Twilight turned away. “I… I’ll be right back, okay?” “Okay!” Twilight left the room, this time heading in the same direction that Rarity had gone. She turned down a long hallway that held several doors. One of the doors was slightly ajar. Twilight pushed it open, and two pairs of eyes latched onto her. Rarity was sitting at the end of the room in a rocking chair, cuddling a foal. She looked at Twilight for a moment, then averted her gaze back to her daughter. Sweetie Belle was standing at the other side of the room, her eyes shifting between Rarity and Twilight. Sweetie paused for a moment, gave a small nod at Rarity, then walked past Twilight and out of the room. Twilight stepped forward. Rarity didn’t look up. “Rarity?” Twilight whispered. Rarity sniffed. “Oh Twilight, what must you think of me…” She pulled her baby closer, holding her up to her shoulder so that their faces could touch. Twilight moved closer and smiled. Rarity stared up at her with tearful eyes, lowering baby Moonstone into her lap. Twilight reached to the bundle, her hoof very gently touching Moonstone’s face. She looked down at Rarity, trying to gauge for any sort of resistance. She saw nothing. “Can… can I hold her?” Twilight asked, practically pleaded. They both needed this. Twilight knew they did. Rarity’s face changed from somber to surprised. “You… you want to hold her?” Twilight nodded and reached out. Rarity shifted, carefully maneuvering the little pony into Twilight’s waiting grasp. The toddler squirmed slightly, and though she was far from a newborn, she was a pegasus foal and was built lightly. Twilight had no problem lifting her. Twilight looked into the filly’s eyes, her own starting to tear up. “H-hi, sweetheart. I’m… I’m your Aunt Twilight, and I know I haven’t been around, but…” She stole a look at Rarity, who had tears running down her face. “But I’m here now, and I want to make sure that everything’s going to be okay for you. I want to be here for your mommy. I want to be here for my friends… no matter what the circumstances, I know we’ll figure it out. It’ll be okay, Moonstone, I promise.” Twilight felt Rarity wrap a hug around both of them, and for several precious moments, neither of them moved. Little Moonstone snuggled closer to Twilight, who rubbed her back gently in response and leaned her head to rest against Rarity’s. She could only hope that the words she spoke were the truth.