I was alone in our home in the clouds, clearing up after breakfast. Such a beautiful home we’d made here; I was determined to keep it well. Storm and the weather team had scheduled a thunder storm for that afternoon and would be out for the whole day. I had no work that day so I just focused on the house work.
The day started off well, I was on schedule, but all that changed with a single knock at the door.
I was in the kitchen when it happened. The sky had darkened, which was to be expected; this storm was set to be the most spectacular storm we’d had in a long time. I smiled when I thought of my husband. He loved his job so which made me happy.
At times, however, I wondered what my destiny was. It was to be shared with him, of course.
When I heard the knock at the door I saw to it immediately. I wasn’t expecting anyone that day, but things had a way of surprising you when you least expected. I opened it to find two ponies I didn’t recognise. One of them had a thick dark blue mane and the other was short and lanky.
‘Hello? May I help you?’ I inquired politely.
‘Princess, may we come in for a moment?’ the blue maned pony asked.
It was an odd request, but they appeared to be Sky Wardens so I obliged.
I led them into the lounge and sat with them, anxious to hear what they had to say to me.
‘Princess,’ the short pony began.
‘Please, call me Luna.’
‘Well, Luna… I’m afraid there’s some… bad news.’
‘Bad news?’ I questioned.
‘Yes,’ the other pony continued. ‘It’s about the kingdom below… and your husband… Storm.’
‘Oh no!’ I groaned. ‘Has he hurt his wing AGAIN?! This is the third time this month!’
‘I’m… afraid it’s more serious than that,’ the short pony said.
‘What?’
‘Princess, I don’t know how to tell you this, but… the kingdom below has been in a terrible way for a few years now. War has apparently broken out. We were able to live the way we have for as long as we have through sheer luck, but… now we have no choice but to intervene. It is a world war.’
‘War?’ My heart stopped dead. I could not picture it. ‘There must be some mistake.’
‘I’m afraid there is no mistake, Princess,’ the blue maned pony said calmly. ‘Your… husband was killed in an attack. There was no way it could have been prevented.’
My body ceased up and I felt my blood run cold. Killed. Storm? I couldn’t process it… ‘Where is Storm?’ I asked, praying I’d misheard.
‘I…I’m sorry,’ the short pony replied, genuinely saddened by the turn of events.
‘No…’ I responded. ‘No…no, no, no, no! NO! NO!!!’
I opened my eyes and saw a familiar face… She was beautiful just as I’d remembered her. My first instinct was to wrap my arms around her. She froze in my embrace. But I loved her. I had missed her. My wings felt as though they were on fire, but I didn’t care.
‘I never thought you’d be so selfish,’ she said, emotionless.
I pulled away. ‘I…’
‘You abandoned us in our time of need. And worst of all, you abandoned your subjects!’
Words failed me as I stared up at my elder sister. Her eyes were cold and lifeless. She wasn’t the pony I remembered. She had changed somehow…
‘W…what happened?’ I asked.
‘Oh come now! Let us not pretend you know nothing of how exactly our kingdom came to be in such ruin.’
‘How am I supposed to know anything?’
‘You’re supposed to be a princess! You were supposed to protect your subjects! You should know what is happening at all times!’
I was silent.
‘Our kingdom is broken and it’s too late for us now.’
‘Too late?’ I questioned sceptically.
‘You have no idea have you!’ Celestia cried, exasperated. ‘There is nothing left of our once peaceful home.’
‘What?’ I gasped, looking around myself.
Celestia took me silently to the window. My eyes widened. I felt sick to my stomach when my eyes met with the destruction that lay in front of me. It pained me to see the state of this once peaceful land. Tears formed in my eyes threatening to overflow. Trees were blackened and lifeless, homes were destroyed- burnt to the ground, the lifeless bodies of ponies were scattered about the land. Everything I’d ever loved here was gone.
‘This is the only room we were able to protect. Everything and everyone else did not stand a chance.’
‘Where’s mother and father?’ I asked.
‘Attempting to keep the peace,’ Celestia responded, a pained look in her eyes.
‘I… I had no idea…’ I shook my head.
‘That’s just the problem. You never had any idea! Do you think this just happened overnight?’
I didn’t reply.
‘Do you really think it’s possible for things to escalate this quickly?!’
‘I… I don’t know…’
‘Oh think about it, Luna! Things have been deteriorating for a long time now. The destruction that surrounds us has been around us all along. We were blinded by what we wanted to see…’
‘You should have seen our parents’ faces when they realised you’d gone! You hurt them! You hurt me!’
‘I’m sorry,’ I mumbled.
‘Sorry is NOT enough!’ Celestia stormed.
I saw the rage in my sister’s eyes. The scene almost mirrored that of all those years ago. That look in her eyes it still frightened me.
‘You have no idea what we’ve been through here! After you abandoned us we did not want to see your face again… We did not want to be reminded of your betrayal… yet here you are.’
‘I did not exactly choose to come back here,’ I replied thoughtlessly.
‘You haven’t changed… You’re just as selfish as ever… YOU ARE THE REASON THIS WAR BROKE OUT AND FOR THAT I CANNOT FORGIVE YOU!’
I winced as my sister’s hoof hit the floor with such a force I could feel it.
‘You never wanted me in your life even when I was around!’ I retorted. ‘YOU turned your back on ME!’
‘It’s all about YOU isn’t it?! I can’t believe you’re my sister… After what you’ve done… I HATE YOU.’
These words cut deeper than I realised.
Suddenly Celestia’s horn began to glow in her rage. I was afraid. I’d never seen her so angered. What would she do to me?
‘You don’t belong here…’
‘I… I really am sorry…’ I sighed, defeated.
Celestia calmed herself and with a sigh collapsed to the floor. ‘Why? … Why did you leave us?!’
The sincerity of her question rendered me speechless. All rage in her voice dissipated in an instant and was replaced with an overwhelming sadness she could no longer contain.
I watched my elder sister and saw a tear escape and slide silently down her cheek. She was not emotionless. She was hurt. I’d hurt her… so very dearly. I’d hurt everpony… And I was ashamed.
‘I… I’m so sorry,’ I whispered, lying beside her.
Celestia said nothing.
‘I’ve made a terrible mistake…’ I murmured. ‘I do not know if I shall ever make it up to you all. But I shall try from now on.’
Celestia was silent still. I couldn’t blame her.
‘How did I get here? I was in Cloudsdale…’ I asked finally.
‘Father found you and brought you here yesterday,’ she told me. ‘You were wounded quite badly; you’re lucky he found you.’
I agreed. I wasn’t sure I deserved it, though.
‘I assume Cloudsdale is now affected too?’
I nodded weakly. My stomach churned when I thought of Storm and what I’d been told just the day before. He was gone and I would never see him again. My selfishness had killed him. I was responsible for his death.
‘What of your friend, Storm Sweeper?’ Celestia asked awkwardly.
‘He… he’s dead’.
The ice in my sister’s cold glare seemed to melt and her eyes softened again.
‘I’m… sorry,’ she replied.
I no longer wished to be so blinkered, but I could not deny my pain for the loss of my beloved husband; my best friend. It was selfish, I knew it, but I could not help it.
My sister composed herself once more and rose to her hooves. ‘I must go,’ she said. ‘Do not leave this room; you must rest until you are strong.’
With that she left me alone. I could not bring myself to look out the window once more for the longest time. The destruction and pain was too much for me to bear. But I knew that it was my responsibility. I’d promised my parents that I’d be a good princess… I’d lied to them and now they were suffering. Even if my sister had been unkind to me, my parents had showed me nothing but love and I had abandoned them.
As darkness fell upon the land I forced myself to look upon what I had caused. My selfishness had done this…
I looked to the empty sky. I always rose the moon, but not tonight… Everything was dead…
I slept, I ate, I slept some more. I wasn’t sure exactly how much time had passed me by; it felt like an eternity but
according to my sister only a day had passed.
I knew I was supposed to stay put, but there were ponies out there hurting because of me. I reached that point when I knew I had to leave. I had to find a way to stop this madness…
I raced through what was once the village, seeing no sign of life. The weather was changing and growing ever colder. I was unsure of how much trouble Cloudsdale was in at this point. I had friends there who would need my protection, but if they were attacking my home I would have no choice but to defend it.
Tears still stung my eyes as I galloped through dead grass and ash. The smell of destruction was as bitter as the appearance. Things would never be the same again, of this I was certain.
On I galloped; I needed to know, did the watch tower still exist. I knew I was close by, but the land was barely recognisable.
Suddenly I spotted another pony in the distance. My first reaction was to call to the other pony. As I drew nearer I recognised the pony somehow…