//------------------------------// // Revelations VI // Story: Second at Best // by Wages of Sin //------------------------------// The royal hall stood empty of its usual hustle and bustle. Only an occasional guard change marked the passing of hours, or the change of "day" and "night". At this time on a normal day, it would have been the walk-ins portion of the solar court petitioning schedule. ...on a normal day. In the wake of Celestia's self-imposed isolation, Luna had tried her best to fill in, but everything had quickly fallen apart without the millennial ruler. Luna heaved a sigh as she thought back a week. After she had taken Twilight to the hospital, the only thing on her mind was Celestia. As soon as she knew Twilight was in good hooves, she returned from the hospital to find that her sister had locked herself away in her room, door warded with powerful solar magic. Luna had begged and pleaded for her sister to release the wards and let her in, not even knowing if her sister could hear her, but no response was to be heard. After a few hours of pleading, she gave up in hopes her sister only needed time. That is what she thought all throughout the night until she sank the moon... ...but the sun never came. She begged and begged her sister, pleading that if not for her, then for the world at large, to come out and raise the sun. No response could be heard from within. Begging gave way to anger. She yelled, threatening the possibilities if she did not raise the sun. No response. Anger led to force. She tried to break down the door and dispel the magic that sealed the room. Her attempts were valiant but ultimately futile. Powered by the very magic of the sun, Luna couldn't even touch the wards let alone challenge their purpose. Exhaustion forced her to give up. She sought to retreat back to her room, but before she could make good on that intent she was met by a very distraught group of guards, from them she learned that a crowd had built up to see Celestia, she had gone to calm them. It had been initially difficult to speak over top the shouts and accusations of Nightmare Moon's return, but she had won out eventually, calming the ponies into an uneasy, peace. She came up with her contingency plan immediately after court. It was no sun, but her brightest full moon would have to suffice until Celestia saw reason. She fulfilled her sister's other duties too, working through the backlog of work and hosting day court in her sister's stead. The day guard had been concerned when Luna's first day hosting had ended with not even a single visitor. They had been afraid of her potential reaction, but at the conclusion of court, the princess only sighed and trotted back to her chambers. By the end of the fifth day of still no visitors she had exhausted the backlog of work and had taken to painting starscapes on canvas to pass the time. She sighed as she finished yet another beautiful night sky she might implement to add a little variation to the everlasting darkness. She was actually building up a cue of them off to the side of the room. The princess set up another canvas as she checked her blue, black, and white paints, this time bringing green out of the paint set as well. The twisted irony was not lost on the guards who watched the Lunar princess. A thousand years ago this was all she wanted; an everlasting night and sole rule over the nation. Now those that saw her pitied the sighing and moping princess. She had all that Nightmare had ever wanted, but now all Luna wanted was to have things back to normal. Luna continued to work in the still room, adding a green aurora to the newest canvas, bringing new color to the sleeping skyscape. She turned to watch as the guard shift began its ceremonial changing from day to night units. The changing was the only way to tell which form of court was in session at any given time. Only by looking to the guards to see if their armor was the bright gold of the day guard or the blued steel of the night guard could one determine the current phase. As her lunar troops relieved the day guard, another empty session of day court concluded. She got up to retreat to her chambers when a shout drew her attention. "Princess!" Luna saw the speaker was a young mare, severely out of breath and decked in the slightly disheveled uniform of a hospital nurse. Luna recognized garb from the hospital that she had left Twilight in the care of. "Has Twilight awoken? Did my visit today-" The mare's expression at the question filled her heart with dread. "No, she... She's gone..." the mare drew back fearfully, looking everywhere but at the dark princess. Luna's mind raced frantically about the implications of such news. Trying her best to not even think about her own personal attachments to the Element of magic; her first friend... "She's gone your majesty..." the mare repeated fearfully. "When?" The question was all Luna could muster. The mare shied away further "...we don't know..." "Dont know! DON'T KNOW! How could you not know! Are you not meant to watch the patients in your care? How could you not-" Now the mare was crying, "We don't know! This evening when the shift changed, the guards were found unconscious and she was just gone." "Why were the guards- You mean to say she has not passed from this life but rather disappeared from your care?" The mare nodded. "Then we must work with absolute haste to find her! Do you know the cause for her abduction? Do you know what fiends would undertake such a bold-?" "We asked some other ponies in the same hall..." "Yes? And! Speak with haste!" "She walked out! I mean, they didn't see what happened inside her room, but they say they saw her just walk out." Luna pondered the possible meanings of such an action. None were good, especially if Luna's encounter in her dreams was any indication. "Quickly, we must see to this immediately." she turned to the newly shifted-in guards, "Guards! Quickly inform the Captain that Twilight Sparkle is to be found and brought to the castle immediately, be sure to inform him to be delicate she has just awoken from a coma and may be- confused." Two of the guards saluted and briskly trotted away. Luna turned back to the nurse, "We will travel to the hospital. There are some ponies I need to speak to." The nurse nodded and followed Luna as she left the hall.