Sassaflash was jolted awake by a sudden bump in the rails. Their train was racing towards Canterlot as fast as the engineer was willing to push it, causing each bump and dip in the rails to grow into harsh rises and falls. Anypony would be sore and irritable after going even a short distance along the blurring railroad, but they had been traveling for so long without sleep that Sassaflash could barely keep her eyes open anymore. Yet despite the rough conditions, Princess Luna was still pacing furiously up and down the aisle of their near empty, private car.
“Truly, is there no method through which we may be able to grant this infernal machine the ability to fly with greater haste?”
Sassaflash rubbed her eyes as she looked from the pacing princess out into the pitch black night outside. The canvas that so often shined as the pride of the Princess's work, now lay outside, barren and empty except for a few stars dotting the distant sky. Blinking a few times and straightening herself up a bit in her seat, Sassaflash sighed as she watched the impatient alicorn.
Across the aisle from Sassaflash, in stark contrast to the exhausted and frazzled princess who had not stopped fidgeting since the train began moving, sat a single earth pony. He was so calm and collected that Sassaflash almost believed her cousin was asleep, but as Princess Luna looked out the window in the direction of Canterlot again, Rocinante of La Manecha tilted his helmet back slightly and called out to the princess.
“Noble Grace, while your desires are indeed most reasonable, I have been assured by the conductor himself that, alas, there is no possible way to move the locomotive with any greater haste and arrive at Canterlot in due safety. Indeed, he seemed quite adamant that our current speed is far greater than what the railroad would typically allow.”
Luna looked back to the armored earth pony with a disgruntled look.
“We are well aware of the statement rendered by the conductor, Sir Knight!”
Princess Luna's eyes suddenly widened at her own outburst before she bit her lip and shook her head.
“We-I apologize, that was unseemly of me.”
Rocinante shook his head and rose from his seat, his light gray mane brushing the floor as he bowed and spoke.
“You should never feel the need to apologize to me, Royal Grace. I am at your disposal.”
“Nay, no Princess befitting of her title treats her subjects so begrudgingly. Thou art my own knight...”
Luna looked to Sassaflash, who also gave a polite bow.
“..and thy noble squire. Thou hast been my boon companions and hast taught me a great many things about our own kingdom in these past few months. T'will never be said of me that I would treat thee so.”
Another sudden bump in the rails caused the car's floor to strike Rocinante on the head from his bowed position. Even Princess Luna, in her panicked state, held back a chuckle as Rocinante straightened up and rubbed his head.
“There is no pony in all of the world who could fault you for your anxious words, Gracious Highness. After all, the news of an impending assault upon the capital city is truly enough to make any pony cringe in terror. But fear not Noble Grace! For now the initiative lies within our very hooves. Evil is unaware of what we know and the letter from Canterlot has already guaranteed that every last one of the city's stalwart defenders shall be on their guard!”
Princess Luna nodded and looked out the window towards Canterlot again.
“Surely my sister will have taken all due precautions for her own protection and the defense of the city, but if the foe is so audacious as to make a full scale assault, how can we not but consider what foul scheme they must have in mind such that they believe themselves able to confront the capital directly?”
Luna breathed a heavy sigh as she looked from the window to the floor.
“It has been so long since my sister hath seen combat that I fear she may not be as capable of defending her subjects as she believes herself to be. I worry for her Sir Knight. Even though she has proven herself the most powerful of us all, I cannot but fear for her safety.”
Rocinante bowed low again, this time mindful of the bouncing floor.
“That is why we ride for Canterlot, is it not? With all of the forces of justice, virtue, and valor concentrated in one place, what evil could possibly stand against us?”
Luna smiled as she sat down on the bench behind the Knight of the Restored Moon. Though Sir Rocinante had proven himself to always be a little on the overconfident side, she couldn't disagree with him. Between three alicorns and the Royal Guard, the city of Canterlot would be well protected.
Though she had only seen him fight once against an impossible opponent, Luna knew well that both Rocinante's and Sassaflash's indomitable spirits could bolster anypony against anything. Even now, the presence of her knight and his squire, her friends, were providing more comfort than an entire platoon of guards.
“Still, I shall be much relieved upon our arrival at Canterlot.”
Sassaflash got up slowly and took her turn at pacing the aisle to stretch her legs. If she had been more awake, she probably would have been more afraid of the situation before them, but they had been riding the same train at the same speed since Appleloosa. Spending two days trapped inside of a bouncing train car with a panicking princess had drained Sassaflash so much that she honestly couldn't work herself up anymore. Stretching and adjusting her wings, Sassaflash walked closer to her princess.
“You really care for Princess Celestia a lot, don't you?”
Princess Luna nodded with a sad look upon her face.
“Thou art correct, dear Sassa. For though many have seen us as rivals for the throne, she has always been my closest and dearest friend. Most ponies want to get close to us for their own ambitions, but she was truly the first pony who wanted to know me and not my position...”
Princess Luna sighed and then, with a smile, she leaned forward in her seat.
“When I was but a foal, so very long ago,
before I had the title with my name.
I had my horn and wings, but was all alone it seemed,
From other ponies, my young heart would refrain.
But there was one mare that I knew would,
do all that she could, for me.
My big sister, my friend, and mentor,
No matter where she would go I was always right behind her.
She taught me how to raise the moon.
We'd stay up until high noon.
We shared our laughs, we shared our throne,
I never knew how much it hurt us,
To be alone.
My big sister, my friend, and mentor,
No matter where she would go I was always right behind her.
And though I fought against her day,
she's shown that she would stay,
My big sister, best friend,
and mentor...
and mentor...”
As her words trailed off, Princess Luna looked back off towards Canterlot in the distance. As she closed her eyes and breathed a heavy sigh, Rocinante perched his forelegs on the back of his seat like a little foal and faced his princess.
“Truly such kin is rightfully held dear to your heart, Noble Grace. Take heart! We shall secure the capital and the Royal Crown such that the foe will rue the day they ever dared to dream themselves capable of challenging the Royal Heads of Equestria!”
Luna smiled as even the ever cautious Sassaflash nodded in agreement. But despite their eagerness to help their friend and princess, the knight and squire both yawned, causing Princess Luna to reach up to one of the overhead compartments and fetch the complementary blankets.
“I am truly in thy debt. I thank thee, both of thee. Rest now, for tomorrow we shall find ourselves in Canterlot and we shall make the preparations to ensure that the foalish foe regrets their decision to ever face the strength of virtue and valor.”
Although the train rocked and bounced violently along the tracks, the urge to sleep, combined with the blessing of the Princess, had caused Sassaflash to drift back into her dreams before the blanket could even settle down on top of her.
Rocinante however, looked somewhat disappointed, like a colt when told to go to bed.
“Highness, it would be most improper for me to leave the watch to...”
Rocinante's words broke for just a second to give way to a long yawn, giving Luna's magic enough time to tuck in her knight-errant.
“Hush now, Sir Knight. Thou shalt need thy rest for the morrow.”
Swiftly the long days caught up with him, and Rocinante, much like a young colt, soon found himself more tired than he realized. He gave another yawn, followed by another incomplete protest, and soon he was also fast asleep.
Luna couldn't help but smile as the two ponies slept on either side of her. With a quick touch of magic, it was easy to see that both of them were off in pleasant dreams, worlds away. She couldn't deny how much fun it would be to join them in their fantastical dreams, but the dream world was private, almost sacred, in the Princess's eyes. She wouldn't step into their worlds unless she felt she needed to, no matter how much fun they appeared to be having.
Instead, she removed the letter she had received from her sister from her belongings in the next compartment. After quietly unfolding the paper, she reviewed its contents once again. Even though she wasn't ready to go back and end her adventures with her knight-errant and squire, the feel of home that Celestia's words carried gave her a sense of warmth and belonging.
“Dearest Little Sister,
I hope this letter finds you in good health and spirits, though I have little concern
for you or your safety as I know your valiant Knight of the Restored Moon will take good
care of you...”
The small smiley face drawn under Rocinante's title further drove home Celestia's teasing. Yet still Luna smiled. Such joking and humor was a sure sign that her sister was doing well, even if the playful reminders about etiquette while traveling with “colt-friends” did get old after the second or third mentioning.
“...I do not want to alarm you, nor cause you to return prematurely from your travels...”
The one line at the top of the second page made the earlier warmth fade into colder business.
“...but there has been an issue at home. Intelligence reports indicate that an organized force may be plotting against Canterlot itself, with the intent to move in the near future. The size and nature of the scheme is difficult to pin down, but as this has surfaced around the same time as the wedding announcement of Princess Cadance and Captain Shining Armor, I can't help but fear that they may intend to either strike at Cadance or use her wedding as opportunity to hit the occupied guards. Either way, I have already taken a number of precautions and feel that security is tight enough to not worry about calling you back home. However, given your insistence after Discord's return...”
Luna smiled as she remembered giving her sister a piece of her mind for not telling her immediately that the seal on Discord had broken, but she soon returned to her grim expression and continued reading.
“...I wanted to write to you ahead of time so that you could be aware of the business as it occurs. I assure you I can handle whatever this little scheme might be, so I want you to enjoy the last of your vacation before you come back to the boring business of everyday rule.
Of course you are also invited to the wedding, but I realize that you don't know Cadance that well, so I understand if you decline. Either way Little Sister, take care of yourself and try not to have too much fun out there.
Love,
Tia”
Princess Luna carefully refolded the letter and used her magic to quietly place it back amongst her belongings. It wasn't really the idea that somepony would consider attacking Canterlot that made Luna worry. It was that no pony would be so brash as to make such preparations unless they had some sort of plan or had some ace up their sleeve.
The rather loud snore from the sleeping knight-errant next to her shook Luna out of her thoughts and with a smile she reflected again on Sir Rocinante's words. She had her friends and tomorrow they would be at her sister's side. Together they would be more than a match for whatever “ace” their enemy might have.