Luna wriggled slightly, trying to get comfortable. Clearly she had left something in her bed, because it was sticking into her back awkwardly. In fact, the whole bed was uncomfortable. It felt like rock. Suddenly Luna's eyes snapped open and she found herself staring into pitch black. It was rock. Celestia was lying by her side, a wing spread over her, and they were sleeping on the path that led to the surrounding countryside. Luna let out a whimper. She couldn't see her hoof in front of her face. She didn't like this darkness. It was true that she enjoyed the night, but that was when the gentle glow of the moon and stars bathed everything in it's silvery light. Everything seemed magical at night. Now it was just frightening, like there were monsters that could jump out at you at every turn. She pulled herself closer to Celestia, disturbing the older filly.
"Oh, Luna, you're up. We should get going soon," Celestia murmured. She shifted and stood, stretching. Luna looked up at her sister, although she couldn't see her. Luna concentrated hard and soon her horn began to glow, surrounding her with a bluish light. She wobbled to her hooves, yawning and trotted closer to her sister. Her stomach rumbled loudly and Celestia couldn't help but let out a giggle.
"Come on, we have to get going," Celestia told her sister gently. Her sleep had been fitful and restless, images of her father exploding and her mother shattering haunting her dreams. But she had to keep strong for Luna. For now she would just focus on what they had to do, which was to get to Manehattan and find Cloudchaser, as Gaia had instructed. Celestia focused and then her horn began to glow, widening the circle of light and making it brighter. Still, Luna huddled by Celestia, her eyes wide as she stared around.
"But I'm hungry," Luna whined. Celestia ignored this and started trotting down the path, her horn pointed in front of her to illuminate the path in front of them. Their hooves made a quiet click click as the two fillies made their way down the rocky, mountain path. It was only a few minutes before Luna spoke again.
"Where are we going?" Luna asked, staring up at Celestia. She nearly tripped over a rock, but spread her wings and regained her balance.
"Manehattan, to find a friend of moms," Celestia replied. She was focused on the road in front of them. It was steep, and both ponies already had several scrapes from stumbling down. Luna was close to tears. She had only managed a few hours rest and she was hungry and achey. All she wanted was her parents back, but they were gone. For forever. The thought made Luna's heart twist in pain and she quickly shoved it to the back of her mind. Instead she focused on putting one hoof in front of the other. Celestia glanced down at her sister and saw the sparkle of tears in her eyes. With a sigh the pink maned filly began to sing softly.
"Just put one hoof in front of the other, and soon you'll be walking 'cross the floor. Just put one hoof in front of the other, and soon you'll be walking out the door," Celestia sang softly. Luna blinked up at her sister and giggled before joining in.
"You never will get where you're going, if you don't get up on your hooves. Come on, there's a good tail wind blowing!" Luna paused for a breath, grinning up at her sister.
"A fast walking pony is hard to beat!" the two sisters chorused, not even noticing that their hooves were moving faster and faster as they sang. Soon they were dashing down the rocky path, singing loudly and laughing. It was almost like they were running home for dinner, and their parents were waiting eagerly.
It was an hour more before the path began to level out. The two ponies were scrambling ahead almost blindly, the way lit only by their horns. Luna's hooves were aching and her throat was hoarse from singing. She was thirsty and hungry. Luna was determined not to complain however. Celestia had been running alongside her this entire time and she had kept quiet.
The path began to straighten and level as they heard the base of the mountain. Luna and Celestia slowed, coming to a stop just as the path broke away from the mountain entirely and headed out into the darkness. Luna gulped, nervous. She had never been this far from home before. Luna had always been deemed too young to accompany her parents when they went out and visited the towns surrounding Canterlot. Celestia stared off into the darkness, trying to hide the fear that was knotting her belly. She had been to visit other towns before, but never without her mother and father alongside her.
"Celestia? Are we going to find that pony Mom told us about?" Luna asked, peering up at the white filly. Celestia looked down at her darker sibling, shoulders heavy with the weight of responsibility.
"Yes. We'll get some real answers," Celestia replied, her voice determined. Luna hesitated for half a moment, then smiled and nodded. She turned to face the darkness ahead, eyes narrowed as if challenging it to stop her. Celestia watched and smiled. Her mother had told her to take care of Luna, and that was what she would do. For the rest of her life, if she had to. Celestia looked up at the sky, another wave of pain coarsing through her. Her parents were gone.... Forever. Celestia felt her eyes sting and her water. However, she quickly swallowed back the knot of sadness in her throat. She couldn't break down, not now. She had a little sister to look after. Luna would need her to be the strong big sister.
"Celestia..... How far away is Manehattan?" Luna whispered, not looking at Celestia. The white pony also looked ahead, trying to keep her eyes dry.
"It's not too far. Mo- They took me there a lot because it was so close," Celestia replied, unable to mutter the phrase Mom and Dad. Celestia clenched her teeth and trotted forwards, determined to drive away the sadness that permeated her every thought. Luna hesitated as Celestia walked ahead of her, then followed, her head low. She wanted this to all be a painful dream.....
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The following journey was filled with sad, haunted silence. Darkness pressed around the two ponies, barely held off by the meager light of their two horns. Celestia had long since memorized the path to Manehattan. It was pretty straightforward. No twists or turns she had to navigate. Luna followed her sister in silence, head hanging down. Although neither filly would admit it, both of them were thinking about their parents and the last they had seen of them. The fact that they would never return. With such thoughts dragging at their hooves, the following journey seemed to take longer then the short time it actually did. Neither felt much like flying; such an activity would reacquire more energy then their aching muscles could give them. Luna could hear her stomach grumbling again.
Finally, Celestia looked up and saw lights in the distance. Lamps, hundreds of lamps, had been lit in the wake of the darkness that had choked out the sun, moon, and stars. She nudged Luna, pointing to the sign of civilization that was quickly approaching. Suddenly light-hoofed the two ponies began to run. The prospect of seeing any pony other then themselves had their hearts soaring. The lights steadily grew bigger and bigger as they came nearer and nearer to the town. It wasn't long before they were trotting on a sidewalk as other ponies bustled around them. Panicked voices were crying out, and everyone seemed to be looking for someone else. Celestia and Luna let their horns go out and looked around for someone who might be able to give them directions.
"Excuse me, miss, do you know Cloudchaser?" Celestia asked, stopping the next pony to pass her by. It ended up being a light yellow mare with several orange slices on her flank. The pony stared at her for a moment, before nodding.
"Oh, of course I know Cloudchaser! Every pony knows her," the mare responded. Her voice was haughty and she stared at the two Princesses like they were country bumpkins.
"That's great! Could you tell us where to find her?" Celestia sighed in relief. The mare proceeded to give them very detailed instructions, along with several lengthy tangents whenever she had to say a street name that had an important pony living on it. Apparently, in Manehattan, every street had an important pony living on it. When she had finally finished and hurried off to find her husband, Celestia and Luna began to make their way through the streets. There were so many ponies, and all of them looked like the Nobles that Celestia and Luna were used to seeing everyday at the castle. It all just served to make them even more homesick. Celestia peered closely at the buildings they passed, searching for the right one. Her mother had told her specifically to go see Cloudchaser, and that she would give them answers. Answers to what? All Celestia was wondering was whether or not Cloudchaser could spare some food.
"Here it is. Come on, Luna," Celestia spoke again, trotting up to a door with the number 63 on it. She used her horn to make the knocker slam on the door three times. For a moment, there was silence. Then the door was flung open and a blue pony stood in the square of light shed by the doorway. She looked down at the two fillies and grinned as though she had been expecting them.
"Why, I heard from my old friend Mrs. Orange that two lovely ponies were asking after me. Come inside, come inside. You're Gaia's girls, yes? Oh my, we were friends back in the day! Shut the door now, don't wanna let in all that noise. You must be exhausted. Here, take a rest on these couches while I go make some tea!" As soon as Luna's and Celestia's heads hit the cushions on the couches, they were out. Cloudchaser looked down at the two, noting the combination of horns and wings. She nodded, smiling to herself.
"Well, Gaia, I'll take care of 'em for you. Like I always promised," Cloudchaser murmured. She trotted off to find blankets for the sisters, her mind filling with memories of old times.