//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: Princess Luna is Dead // by Horsegirl123 //------------------------------// "Believe it or not Twilight, but this isn't exactly what I had expected when you said you wanted me to come visit." The pony and her dragon assistant were laying on the ground, flipping through every history book in the Canterlot Archives, putting each one that mentioned 'alicorn' in a separate pile. The photo album that Spike had brought on request had been tucked neatly inside of Twilight's saddlebags, in case she wanted to do some snooping around later. "I know, and I'm sorry Spike. But something is really, really wrong here, and Princess Luna is in trouble! She couldn't tell me where she was being kept, but then again, how could she be trapped somewhere if she was talking to me?" worried Twilight. Nothing was coming together in perfect sense like it usually did in these situations. "Um Twilight," Spike said, twisting his tail nervously. "Yeah?" she responded, still scanning her available books. "What if Celestia is hiding something? Like something really big... if we go snooping around, imagine what our punishment could be!" "Don't be silly, Spike. Celestia has been my mentor for years. She's not capable of being evil." "I know, but... never mind." Failing to get his point across, Spike slowly flipped through more pages, somewhat afraid of what he would find. Hours ticked by where the only food to appear in the room was a chocolate sundae ordered by Spike in retaliation to the long hours of work he was forced to endure on what was advertised as a stress free, casual visit. "There's nothing! How is there nothing!?" exclaimed Twilight, tossing aside the last book. "Well, what exactly are you looking for?" questioned Spike, shoveling another scoop of ice cream into his mouth, his stomach already bulging like a pregnant mare's. "I don't exactly know," admitted Twilight. She turned back to the 'alicorn' pile. "I was reading something about a body in the book Celestia took from me, but who's? If it was written down in a book dating back more than a thousand years, it would have to be somepony important, wouldn't it?" "Makes *burp* sense to me," agreed Spike. "But who died?" Twilight began pacing around the room like she frequently did, racking her brain for answers. "I dunno Twilight. Why don't you ask Celestia?" "Spike, of all your ideas, that is probably... the worst." Spike's face fell into a scowl. "I mean, if Celestia didn't want me to read about, why would she want to talk about it?" "Well, what did she say when she took the books?" Spike asked, setting aside the ice cream for a moment. "She said..." Twilight's eyes opened in realization. She trotted over to Spike and grabbed his face in her hooves. "She said I wouldn't be able to learn from past mistakes!" "And that means..." Spike asked dumbfounded. Her enlightened look suddenly fell into one of realization and deep horror. Twilight turned her gaze away, not wanting to frighten Spike. "I think it means Celestia killed someone very important." "Holy guacamole!" shouted Spike before Twilight could slap a hoof over his mouth. "What are we going to do?" he mumbled through her purple hoof. Twilight removed her hoof from his mouth and began pacing around the room once again. "I don't know... Celestia has been my role model ever since I was born, and to think of her as such a... a different pony than who I know? Its a lot to take in." Twilight continued her pacing, not being able to find anything to pin a murder on Celestia, save for the unfinished words on the pages of her stolen books. "We have to get that book." concluded Twilight. Spike started chocking on nothing in particular. "But Twilight! Its Princess Celestia! She probably has her room locked up with a thousand ninja monkeys trained to kill any trespassers! Or worse! Zombies! Do you think she would unleash her zombies on us? We were her friends! She has to take that into consideration!" exclaimed Spike, fretting over the 'oncoming apocalypse' that he could predict with his dragon sense. "Spike!" yelled Twilight, shutting the baby dragon up for a second. "Put this on," she said, tossing a black suit over to him. "Seriously?" he deadpanned. "You're princes of freakin' Equestria. No one is going to suspect anything if you're strolling down the halls at night." Twilight looked over her own torn suit, sticking her hoof through the hole that had appeared after the last time she worried too much. "I guess I am being a bit unrealistic," she admitted. She levitated her saddlebags over to her back, but not before accidentally emptying their contents. "Ah! Spike! Did you not seal them back up?" she asked. "Um... hey look at the time! We should really get sneaking!" he said, jogging towards the door. Twilight rolled her eyes, stuffing everything back into the bags, save for the photo album. "Wait, Spike. Come look at this." Spike rolled his eyes, but obliged and sluggishly walked over. "Who is that?" he said, pointing at a picture. Twilight continued flipping through the book, coming across the same pony that she had no recollection of. She was at all her fillyhood events, her brother's wedding, and even her coronation ceremony. A candy swirled mane and bright magenta eyes smiled back from every photo. "She was at Shining Armor's wedding, and look! She's standing next to Celestia at my coronation ceremony! Who is she?" Twilight pondered, not being able to find any memory or reason why this mare would be present at all her major life events. "Um, Twilight?" said Spike with a gulp. "Yes, what is it?" she answered hastily, not tearing her eyes away from the album. "She's an alicorn."