Chapter 2- Turning the page...
'So the mares are all having some trouble? Maybe they didn't do such a good job with Discord, after all...'
Luna made it to Ponyville not long after the problems started occurring and immediately went to the Mayor to announce her arrival. Of course, upon entering, she knew the Mayor wasn't so pleased to have her in town...
"Ah, I remember the last time you made your arrival known..." the Mayor said nostalgically, "You crashed our party for your sister."
Luna rolled her eyes. She had become used to such jokes and jibes lately. On her way here, she was harassed by everypony that recognized her. She even threw one into a tree because he just kept bumping her and tripping her no matter how much she scolded him to stop. She used to try saying sorry, with heartfelt intentions, but after having the ponies she would be apologizing to practically shove her words back down her throat with malicious insults, she just decided that it would be better to ignore them...or remove them from her way.
"I mean, it's all in the past now, right?" the Mayor added suddenly, "Just as long as you don't try to force eternal night on us again."
Luna groaned and tried to refrain from stomping and demanding that the Mayor go screw herself. She did that once, and her sister scolded her on it for an hour. As much as she hated being the younger, less powerful, and more hated, sister, Luna always followed her older sis's requests. She owed her that much for all the trouble she had (and will probably continue to) cause.
"If you could please just direct me to Twilight Sparkle's Library, I will be out of your mane." Luna demanded in a calm manner, "Please..."
The Mayor could still tell Luna was upset, but did as she asked and pointed her in the correct direction. Luna said, "Thank you." but would have rather said something much more vulgar that also ended in a "you."
"I remember when we were worshiped and respected...oh wait..." Luna quietly thought out loud as she walked in the direction the Mayor had given her, "They still do, except just my sister, now..."
While Luna brooded and complained about how much life was sucking for her, Rainbow Dash, after receiving a concussion from her repeated failed attempts to fly and getting treated by a medic, wanted to see if Twilight could do a bit of her magic to heal her quicker so she could get back to flying. She was told to stay on the ground until better...
"'Doctor's orders!' Blah blah blah..." Rainbow grumbled angrily, tugging at the white bandage around her head, "Nothing is allowed to keep me grounded!" She sighed in relief upon seeing that she was near Twilight's Library, "Sweet! Hey Twilight!" she shouted, galloping towards the door frantically, "I need your help with something!" Dash slid to a halt in front of the door, then knocked a couple of times with her hoof, "Hey! Twilight! Open up!...Spike? Hello?" after not receiving a response from both normal residents, Dash decided to let herself in, "Anypony home?"
Upon opening the door, Dash found that all of the lights were off and seemingly no pony was there, "Helllooo...?" Dash stepped inside tentatively, "She's probably asleep, I guess...I should go wake her up!" Dash, getting ahead of herself and rushing in the direction she thought the stairs were, galloped head-first into a bookcase instead, "AWWOO! My HEAAAD!" she stumbled back, swaying as her head throbbed and her vision went fuzzy, "Whoa punt hat coolbase, ug, ether?" she mumbled before falling back and saying "Hello!" to the ground, out like the lights.
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Rarity had decided that it would be best for her own health if she were to take a break, as much as she hated the idea. It had to be done, else she might go insane and just sit in a corner, rocking back and forth like a madmare!
"Oh...this new request is a bit of a hassle...plus, I'm falling behind on my other commissions!" she huffed, making her way to her usual spa, "I hope Fluttershy gets the message and can make it. It would do me well to chat with her in my current state." Rarity walked in to find that Fluttershy was indeed there, much to her delight, "Oh, Fluttershy, dear! Glad you could make it!" Rarity cheered happily, clapping her hooves.
"Well, anything for my friend, Rarity." the meek pegasus responded, rubbing her shoulder, "But did you hear? Luna'a in town?" she asked, feeling nervous about even mentioning her name.
"Oh no...I have not heard anything, actually, I've been too busy with my dresses..." Rarity admitted, "Which is why I asked to see you. I just needed a good break. Even for a magnificent artist like me, the workload was just getting too...cumbersome."
Fluttershy nodded sympathetically, "I understand. I've been dealing with every animal in all of Ponyville, you see...they all seem to be getting scared at anything, and I have to chase them down before they get themselves hurt."
"Really? That's odd..." Rarity thought that there might be the slightest chance of a connection between their grievances, but waved it off with a wave of her hoof, "Then a nice evening of pampering and relaxation is just what we need!"
As the two started the walk to the massage tables, Fluttershy, curious about Rarity's recent and apparently very important desire for a certain rainbow-maned pegasus, decided to ask about her relationship with Rainbow Dash, "So, Pinkie told me that you've desperately been trying to get Rainbow Dash to come over your place for a while now." she stated shyly, "And, um, I was just...kinda wondering why, uh, that is..."
Rarity, without missing a beat, answered with extra regality than normal, "Because her lovely rainbow mane would be perfect for a new design I'm trying."
Fluttershy could tell that she was lying, but knew how to take a hint and just nodded, "Okay..."
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"Not even thirty minutes here and I already have an unconscious pegasus and a missing student..." Luna paced back and forth, trying to decide if she should call for help from her sister or the mayor, or just ignore the problems, since it got her out of the clear, "Her eyes must not be as used to the darker light like mine are." she stopped her pacing to stand over her new and surprise patient. Luna was enjoying the dark, yet comforting glow of the lunar light, the peace, and the quiet up on Twilight's vacant bed when sounds of scuffling and talking reached her ears. She was about to dismiss it as Twilight's dragon assistant, Spike, until multiple bangs and crashes rang throughout the house. Deciding that it would be best to not have somepony die while she was alone in a house that wasn't hers would not help her already broken public image, she grudgingly made her way downstairs to find the injured Rainbow Dash on the floor amidst a pile of books.
"Where is that baby dragon, anyway? I haven't seen him...maybe he's out with Twilight..." Luna walked to the window and peered outside to find that, while she was tending to Dash's wounds, the sun had sunk far to the horizon, casting beautiful colors of red, violet, and orange through the sky. Luna couldn't help but smile, "While I still think the night is superior...sis, that's one amazing picture you manage to paint every day." she took a few more moments to soak in the sight before remembering that she had to do her part in the cycle of Day and Night, "Now it's time to present real beauty."
Luna walked outside, then spread her wings wide before making her way to the top of the Tree-Library, standing on the highest, firmest branch. Luna readied herself for the minor challenge ahead. She had done it many times, but it still remained an exhausting experience, and that would never change, "Alright..." Luna started to concentrate, her horn gaining a faint, dark blue glow, "...rise and shine!"
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Twilight jolted suddenly, sensing an overwhelming amount if magical energy nearby, "Who-whaaa...?" after realizing that she was in what appeared to be a basement, Twilight started to stand so as to get a better understanding of her surroundings and situation, but this quickly proved to be a bad idea when her head suddenly throbbed and everything started to go fuzzy. She quickly dropped back down before she passed-out, then, after a few minutes of controlled breathing, she brought a hoof up to examen her head, expecting the worst.
"Whew..." her horn was still there, and there appeared to be no signs of head injury, so then whey did she feel light-headed and dizzy? "Maybe...I've been drugged?" Twilight considered the option, which, if she was right, combined with her surroundings and lack of knowledge on her arrival there, that she had been fillynapped, "I guess I should break out with magic while I can..." she muttered, noticing that it was actually very hard to stay awake and concentrate, 'Oh no...' she conjured a guess that the reason she had been drugged was probably to reduce or impede her ability to use magic. Her suspicions were confirmed when she attempted to lift a small wrench off the floor nearby only to have it wobble slightly before sliding about a centimeter closer. The purple mare was beginning to panic, her half-asleep mind racing with hundreds of thoughts. Who was her captor? What did they want? Is she safe? Are the others looking for her? Did she leave the lights on back in the library...? 'Oh no...I think I DID leave the lights on!' Now imagine if she wasn't drugged...
"Gah, get ahold of yourself, Twilight!" she shouted to herself, taking slow, calming breaths, "The drugs will be worn out of my system eventually, then once that happens, I'll escape...if only I knew who captured me." Deciding to pass some time, she looked around her surroundings. She already concluded she was in a basement, even though the only visible light was from a grimy window on the other side of the room. Although, the light looked more...serene, than normal. Since she couldn't see through the darkness around her and explore the rest of the basement, she decided to see why the sun was different. Slowly crawling her way to the window, she soon realized that it wasn't the sun which was giving her light. It was the moon.
"Wow...a full moon..." Twilight muttered, almost awestruck, "I forgot that it was a full moon scheduled for today..." Twilight just stared at it for the next couple of minutes, almost as if in a trance, "I don't think I've studied the moon like this since realizing Nightmare Moon's imminent return...I should do this more often..." she seemed to have forgotten the situation she was in.
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Luna returned to the inside of Twilight's Library feeling accomplished, even more so that normal, "I can't place my hoof on it, but..." she paused, her mind deep in thought, "I feel as if someone important is actually noticing my handiwork." she thought for a while longer, then shrugged it off, continuing up to Twilight's room to lay down a bit before starting breakfast, "Er, dinner...I forget that they all eat dinner at this time..." the night-blue alicorn was almost back up the stairs when she remembered the unconscious pegasus downstairs, "Gah! Almost forgot about her!" Luna raced back down to find that she was gone, "Um...I guess she left while I was raising the moon..." Luna slowly turned and made her way back to Twilight's room again, but upon entering the dark room, she noticed that she was emanating a soft glow from her horn, "Huh?...why is-? Whoa!"
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'Help me!'
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Rarity reared back in shock, recognizing that voice, "Twilight!?" the mare's composure quickly returned, but she retained a deep sense of fear for her friend, "What was that? How come I heard her voice in my head...? And what did I see?" Rarity pondered the strange event, "I was hoping stressful days would end peacefully..." she mumbled, changing direction from home to Twilight's Library, "The spa, Fluttershy...oh it was soooo delightful! I hope Twilight just messed-up on some spell of hers...or something...oh dear! And that she's okay, as well!" Rarity started to gallop towards the Library ahead, but she suddenly came sliding to a halt with a look of confusion and embarrassment, "Who...was I talking to...?" shaking her head in frustration, she quickly continued onward.
If anything happened to one of her dearest friends, Rarity would...she would, uh...she really wouldn't know what to do, actually. She couldn't bear the thought of something bad happening to any of her friends, it was just too tragic!
"Rarity! Hey Rarity! What are you doing?"
Rarity slid to a halt again, looking up at the sound of Rainbow Dash's voice, "Rainbow Dash!? What are doing up this late?" she shouted while the blue pegasus started her descent towards her, "Um, Rainbow Dash, you're going a little...whoa!" Rarity quickly turned and tried to evade the rainbow bullet, but she wasn't fast enough, so rainbow collided with white as the two rolled across the ground, coming to a stop in a heap of mane and hooves.
"Who-hoa...sorry, Rarity..." Rainbow apologized starting to sit up even though everything was purple and sparkling.
"AUUUG! My COAT!" Rarity screamed, sitting up as well, staring down at her dirtied and scuffed white coat, "My mane...my POOR mane!" she held her violet mane tenderly, stroking it in hopes of straightening it back out and getting the dirt off, "What was that for?" she asked sadly.
"Heh, I...uh, can't seem to fly straight today..." Rainbow answered, rubbing her still bandaged head in pain, "Sorry 'bout that."
Rarity instantly got over herself upon seeing Rainbow's bandages, now becoming more concerned with her friend, "Rainbow Dash!" the uncanny severity in Rarity's voice caused the blue pegasus to flinch, starting to apologize again, only to be cut off by the white mare's silencing hoof to her mouth, "Quiet! Now whatever the heck happened to that thick skull of yours obviously messed-up your head," she started, standing and forcefully lifting rainbow with her, "So you are going to stay right beside me until I deem you healthy enough to leave my side!" ignoring her confused and annoyed friend's complaints and shouts, Rarity pulled Rainbow with her to Twilight's Library, "I think Twilight might be in trouble, so, please, right now, just follow me and stop complaining."
Rainbow calmed down upon hearing about Twilight's possible trouble and followed Rarity obediently, "I was just in there, ya' know...I ran my head into a wall..." she admitted bashfully. She hated admitting her screw-ups. Rarity turned her head to listen while they continued on their way to the library, "I last remember being on the floor, but woke-up on the couch." she explained, "So she probably treated me after I probably woke her up!" she left-out the part about how that's what she trying to do anyway, "And after seeing that I was fine, she went back to sleep."
Rainbow Dash didn't know it, but she was actually close to the truth. She just had the wrong horned pony.
Rarity stopped to give Rainbow Dash a skeptical stare. She knew what she heard and saw, but Rainbow Dash wouldn't lie to her. Rarity bit her lip, her mind racing with conflicting thoughts, "Well, we should check on her at least..." Rarity suggested, raising a hoof and motioning to the door.
"But you don't wanna wake her up, do you? I'm sure she's fine!" Rainbow wrapped a wing around her friend and started to lead her away, "Besides, Spike would tell us if something was wrong, right?"
Rarity sighed, unable to argue against Rainbow's logic, "Alright..." and that was when she noticed Rainbow still had her wing around her, their bodies pressed close together...her warmth...Rarity would never admit it at the time, her pride wouldn't allow her, but she was greatly enjoying the moment, probably a bit too much. She just hoped Rainbow didn't notice...
"So now that all this is done with, I'll be, ah, goin' home now!" Rainbow started to walk away so she could take off into the air, much to Rarity's disappointment.
"Wait! Rainbow Dash, don't leave please!" Rarity shouted out a bit too desperately. She realized her despairing voice and quickly composed herself in time to hide it from Dash.
"Yeah, what is it, Rarity?" she asked, catching herself in mid jump.
Rarity started to panic, in her mind, of course, but was able to hide it from her oblivious friend. She thought quickly and remembered Rainbow's head condition, "You need to stay in my care until your head clears up!" she shouted somewhat excitedly.
"I appreciate the sympathy, Rarity," Rainbow started, beginning her take-off again, "But I'll be fine, really."
Before she could get anywhere, Rarity grabbed Rainbow's tail in her mouth and pulled her down, preventing her from escaping, "Sorry to impede, miss Dash!" she shouted through clenched and rainbow-tail-filled teeth, "But I simply MUST insist upon this 'special treatment'!"
Ignoring her complaints, Rarity dragged her friend all the way back to her boutique. Rarity was going to enjoy herself that night, especially after remembering that, starting in the morning, she'd be working on dresses and designs until she either dropped from exhaustion, or death.
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End Notes- Some may think Luna will be acting OOC, but...well, when I'm writing this, we don't really get any insight on her personality, so...yeah...got complaints? Voice 'em! I'd LOVE to hear them. Honestly, I love complaints...seriously.