Well, seems like it hasn't been long since I spent that time writing about the Nutcracker, here we go, another holiday chapter! And, for a once-in-a-lifetime-event, this special is canon! That's right, all pairings, timelines, and such, are all canon to the story.
Today is Saint Valentine's day, a holiday that was used to replace a fertility festival, and to honor a man who gave his life helping soldiers and christians get married (which was illegal at the time in Rome). Before we move onto the story, whether you're christian or not, and whether you celebrate the holiday or not, I'd like you to remember a man who died helping others find love.
Now then, onto the story!
Luna sighed, rubbing her forehead and sliding deeper into the throne. "Is there something the matter my- er, Princess Luna?" One of her attendants asked, genuine concern in his eyes.
"Arbor, are you aware of what day it is?"
"Yes m'lady, it is a friday, is it not?"
"And what event is celebrated, on this particular friday?"
"...oh! I almost completely forgot! It's Heart's and Hooves Day! Thank you m'lady." The attendant said, marking something in his own memory. "I must remember to get something for my Special Somepony." He glanced away slightly, before turning back to Luna. "I take it the years on the Moon and that ancient devil's petrification have done little to soften the blow of the memory."
"...Unfortunately." Luna conceded. "Don't trouble yourself with me though, I'll be fine." Arbor nodded and turned again to his work, before stopping himself, taking a deep breath.
"M'lady?"
"Yes?"
"I... I.. I am going to ask Obsidian Spike to marry me tonight, if everything goes well... or even if it doesn't. And if she accepts, would you... be willing to perform the ceremony yourself?"
Luna raised her eyebrows in mild surprise before feeling her expression soften. "We would be overjoyed. When will the even most likely take place? If it can wait until after Nightmare Night, We may be able to get your new Nightmare to do the ceremony."
"I... I would prefer if you did the ceremony, despite the honor of having the Nightmare join us... and either way, it is a little too early to discuss the ceremonies, I've not even asked her yet."
"Well, I wish you my luck, and you have my blessing and promise, simply tell me when the ceremony will be held. If you wish, you are dismissed." Arbor gave a bow, before flapping off into one of the thousands of labyrinthine tunnels that dotted the ceiling of the throne room.
Luna found herself smiling for nearly an hour afterward. She directed for the remaining work to be sent to her own office. An office that would soon belong to Twilight. It was nearly evening, and she decided, despite it being early for most Longma, that it would be okay to have a night off for her attendants. It would be unfair if only Arbor got the chance to spend the early evening with his Special Somepony.
She fluttered up one of the tunnels, eventually coming up to a balcony on a high tower. Evening comes sooner this high up North, but she had timed it well enough that she and Celestia would rise the Moon and lower the Sun simultaneously as always. As she reached up and gripped the celestial object, she gave a tug, and felt the pull from the Sun.
She had missed this. Living at Canterlot was nostalgic, living with Celestia so close by, surrounded by Pegasus and Unicorns and nobles who would second-guess you. And though they're just as likely as the Longma to outright oppose the Princesses, that is, never, the Canterlot nobles were so snake-like, subtly pushing their own agendas, trying to work around the Princesses as if they were obstacles rather than trying to convince them, and then giving up in honor if they were still opposed, as the Shadhavar and Longma did.
The Canterlot nobles felt like a challenge the first year, as opposed to ruling the devoutly loyal Shadhavar and Longma, and once just as loyal Crystal Ponies. But soon they had become simple annoyances. Luna knew that the nobles had valid concerns, and their points and decrees and subtle demands all could have had as much weight to them as any made by her own Lunar nobility, but the sheer persistence, the inability to take no for an answer, the tense, strange loyalty that demanded respect and recognition from Luna while all they seemed to do was not act directly against her. In comparison, ruling the Night Empire was soothing. The Lunar nobles would bicker just as much, they would ask for just as much, they would complain just as much, but when Luna said to go away, they went away. When she said they needed to rework their plans, they reworked them. When Luna shouted "QUIET!!!" They'd shut up and stay shut until she had made her point, without cowering, without quivering, without the mumbles and grumbles.
She had absolutely loved the social interaction with Celestia after those years of solitude, she loved being with her sister, she loved just being mellow, without that magic-fueled jealousy turned rage. But this is the home she ruled for so long, these were the races, that when they saw Equestria unite under the Princesses, turned away from the divine-looking, bigger, shrouded in daylight Queen in everything but name, and looked to the younger sister, with the short starry mane, who stood shyly away from the masses, and bowed only to her.
They were her people.
And she gave them away.
Why? She asked herself. But she knew why. She had known since the Civil War turned for the worse a thousand years ago. In fact, she had even known a long, long, time ago. Thousands upon thousands of years ago, she knew that she would have to find them another Nightmare.
She stood on the balcony longer than she had intended to. Smiling up at the Moonlight, and of the beautiful patterns of silver-turned green light that reflected off of the magnetism in the air in the distance, and off the icy mountains. If she jumped off, and flew into the icy air for miles, she could turn around and see her Castle of Darkness shimmer with silver-white light reflected from the blue and black spires of crystal and obsidian. It was somewhat ironic, that the Castle of Darkness dazzled with light on cloudless nights. But that would have to be for another time.
The night was young, the Longma and Shadhavar children would be waking up, just as the Earth, Pegasus, Crystal, and Unicorn ponies would be drifting off to sleep. And just as the lovers in the Solar country would ignite their romantic escapades with the fall of the Sun, the lovers of the Castle would now wake, looking forward to a night of preparation that would hopefully ignite their own romance with the rising Sun.
She was glad, she supposed, that the Longma wouldn't ask her to come out to their festivals, though they held the festival all the same. That was something she wouldn't be able to do in Canterlot. It was practically a requirement that the Princesses be present for every minor holiday that occurred in the Mountain city. Hundreds of ponies would be there to celebrate her terrible judgement.
Luna blinked as she realized that at least in Solar Equestria, two of the five biggest holidays of the year celebrated Luna's mistakes. Nightmare Night existed to no longer to celebrate the Moon, but rather relive some fraction of the terror she inflicted on their ancestors. And Hearts and Hooves Day was worse.
Luna sighed, resting her forehead on the railing and letting out her second deep sigh from the depth of her soul that evening. "Why, oh why in the name of the Moon, did I have to drink that @#$%ing love poison?" She said to no one in particular.
Celestia let the sun fall in the West and smiled as Luna's moon began its ascent in the East. She made her way out of the privacy of her balcony to the chaos that was the Hearts and Hooves Day Ball. Pink, red, and velvet heart symbols decorated the walls, the balloons, and even the sprinkles on the cake. She always did enjoy this particular festival, despite the memories associated with the event.
When Celestia thought back on that day, it was with mixed feelings. It was hilarious at first seeing Luna act like a lovestruck filly and making nonsense words, but it was also terrifying thinking about how Luna was practically brainwashed for the better part of a week... and the consequences of the Queen of the Night Empire suddenly dropping everything to run off with a Talica Earth Pony prince. That hadn't been pretty for the Talicons or the Longma. And even less so for the rest of the world when Discord made his appearance among the sudden chaos of two of the most militaristic ancient pony nations suddenly leaderless.
It was a terrible event, with it's ups and downs, giving Discord inspiration to begin his own world order only a century later and putting Ahuizotl in permanent command of the Talica being two of the biggest issues. But it was also remembered for being the most public romantic escapade in the history of the Royal Sisters, that started a new romantic literary age that lasted even longer than the memory of Discord's short reign.
Not to mention eventually becoming one of the best festivals of the year.
Celestia knew that Luna still felt bad about what happened, and if she were an ordinary pony, Celestia would have been completely understanding. It had been embarrassing, possibly dangerous, and it nearly collapsed the Night Empire and did collapse Tenochtitlan. But it wasn't Luna's fault, and there had been hundreds of close calls over their rule. It couldn't be helped, all that mattered was that they keep trying to do their best in the present and in the future, the past being best left in the past.
Celestia grinned as the cooks bowed as she made her way into the kitchen to look at the massive cake. The festival, beside being a celebration of love and discord, was also the date of hundreds of weddings, and the great ballroom would serve as the reception for dozens of noble weddings this year, not to mention hosting the traditional Ball. The cake was magnificent, standing three times as tall as her, and on each ring were well-crafted miniatures of each couple in a step of their own dance. And at the top, the famous romantic symbol of a sapphire Alicorn dancing with a ruby Earth Pony, both with their own canterlot-styled crowns. Most people assumed they were fictional, until Luna returned three years ago. Celestia looked at the statues with a grin.
They always cut Luna's mane so short, and made her so slender, and instead of the griffon-feather and pelt-wearing aztec warrior prince Huitzi was, they portrayed him as the traditional heavy-set prince with a Canterlot crown.
When she erased the connections between Nightmare Moon and Luna, she found herself hiding more and more of Luna's history. She was sad having to hide so much from her people, of alienating Luna from them further. But it was better they remembered Nightmare Moon as only a boogiemare. At least Luna could thank her for distancing Luna from the legend of Hearts and Hooves.
She found herself caught up with the events of the evening, marrying one set of happy young, and occasionally not so young, lovers after another, before the cake was served and the party started in full. Celestia typically stood somewhere elevated and pony-watched, listening for gossip and trying to look for interesting events, memories that would last, like those of the elements of harmony ravaged Grand Galloping Gala two years ago, but she found herself dancing for the first time again in fifty-seven years.
"Princess, they're organizing some sort of party outside." Sanguine announced, standing by the window. Twilight looked up from her current research and got up to look at the town hall. It was lit up with pink heart-shaped lanterns for the evening.
"Oh yeah! Today was Hearts and Hooves Day, I almost forgot." Twilight said to herself. "Well, that's nice." Twilight concluded turning back to her work.
"Today is Heart's and Hooves day?" Sanguine asked slowly.
"Yeah. Can't you tell from the heart balloons?"
Sanguine glanced outside and then back to Twilight. "Honestly, with this town's style of decor, there's not that much of a difference."
Twilight raised an eyebrow and giggled a little. Ponyville had always loved the heart motif. "I suppose that's true."
"...And, the fact that it's Hearts and Hooves day... doesn't bother you?"
"No... why should it?" Twilight frowned slightly. "If you're asking why I don't have a date-"
"No, no, I guess you wouldn't have anything against it really. Nightmare Moon always hated Hearts and Hooves day, but she allowed it to be celebrated anyway."
"Why would Luna hate Hearts and Hooves Day?" Twilight asked.
"Well, apparently something happened a long, long time ago. It was ancient even a thousand years ago. Y'see, Nightmare Moon was seduced by Prince Huitzi of Tenochtitlan, and she drank a love poison he had made using the recipe given by an ancient Talica creature; Tezcatlipoca, 'the enemy of both sides' or as he later called himself-"
"Discord." Twilight finished. "He was the dragon in the story who gave the Prince the love potion?"
"Yep."
"And Luna was-"
"Yeah." Sanguine shrunk back from her Queen as Twilight Sparkle's eyes began to sparkle with knowledge.
"The tale of the Alicorn Princess and the Earth Prince was one of the longest running and most influential legends in the history of known and unknown pony history! It's left it's mark on every generation of literature since the last days of Starswirl the Bearded! It's the tragic romance story!"
"...um..."
"And it was Princess Luna and an Aztec the whole time?!"
"They're called the Telica-"
"I know, I know, but still! This is a huge mystery of literature solved!"
"...you... didn't know?"
Twilight shook her head 'no' excitedly. "What more can you tell me about it?! I need to send an essay to Canterlot university! Can I quote you? What credentials do you- oh! Of course, you served under Luna herself, of course you'd know! Does Celestia know? Oh!! I should talk to Discord about this-"
Sanguine sighed internally, refusing to show what might have been considered disrespect. Instead she found herself smiling as the princess ran around in a hurry of excitement that came with a new source of knowledge. Sanguine wondered why Twilight wouldn't have known. It had only been a thousand years, and most decent history books- but then again, nopony had known what Longma were. The red mare decided to let it go, perhaps she would have a discussion with Oscuridad. She cracked a slight smile. Perhaps it would be a good project for Twilight; creating the first accurate history book of Equestria it's had in a thousand years.
As the Moon rose overhead they left the Tower stealthily, taking off silently, spiralling around each other. She bobbed in the air currents, cool and warm, higher and higher. He cut through the same air, spinning around in one spiral after another like a scythe spinning around one rung to the next. They met high above, meeting in front of the Moon and flapping in place, in the moonlight making for a terrible silhouette. Their dragon wings making a clear demonic image over the white moon, the light sifting through their frills, giving the appearance of glowing spines going down their necks, and three skeletal tails hanging where there should have been one mass of hair.
But closer, to each other, they were beautiful. Her blue eyes, locking into his golden. Her gray-white coat shining in the moonlight next to his lightning-scarred ash-gray coat. His body was striped with the burns of a confrontation with Celestia, one thousand years ago, and covered in the cuts that came with years of practicing warfare. She was covered with the same cuts, but they were better hidden without the scars.
They sat in the air together, utterly silent, staring into each other's eyes. It didn't get any more intimate than that, but at the moment, they didn't see why they'd ever need any more than that.
The moment slowly ended, and the two descended again, a smiling Crow Moon watching from a nearby window, the bruises that covered his body fading in the time since the race and the trial. "Chief! Kalt! Enjoying the moonlight?" Crow asked with a wide smile.
"Yes." Kalt answered simply.
"...Crow Moon, you know better than to spy on your fellow guards."
"I'm off duty til I recover, remember?" He said with a smile. "I can spy all I want if I want. So... Chief, do you remember that rule against romantic involvement between active soldiers? Especially within the most honorable elite bodyguards of the Nightmare?"
"Of course I do. I was simply enjoying the moonlight with Kalt." Jaeger answered, raising an eyebrow.
"I have a fairly strong notion that Princess Twilight Sparkle wouldn't expel you from the guard if you asked her to remove the rule."
Jaeger smiled slightly. "No... it's a good rule. We can't afford to be distracted by romance, and there are an entirely separate set of rules regarding superior officers courting their subordinates that exist for their own necessary sake." He turned to Kalt. "I think we can wait until we've served our time in the guard."
"Yes."
Crow shrugged. "It's not every night that you get a new Queen who might not be afraid to offer some preferential treatment for the sake of true love."
"...No, it isn't." Kalt replied. "Well then, the Moon is beautiful tonight, but I think it's time we headed inside. Den might want to change shifts." She said in a cool voice.
"Yes, let's. I'll take the first watch. Have a good sleep." Jaeger said, turning his eye on Crow. "And you better sleep as well, you need all the rest you can get."
"Jaeger, you know as well as I do that it's next to impossible to sleep during a full Moon like this."
"Hm." Jaeger replied. "Try your best anyway. That's an order."
"I'm off duty." Crow replied with a smirk.
Jaeger rolled his eyes and drifted down to the entrance to the Tower with Kalt.
Sombra sat, smiling, upon his own throne, constructed from the finest of moonstone he could find. He stared upwards at the beautiful blue and green jewel that made up a significant portion of the horizon. He glanced at the calendar and smiled. Hearts and Hooves day. Luna always disappeared on this day, and the Empire always felt grateful that their Queen allowed the display of public courting despite her hatred for the holiday. He wondered what his new Queen thought about the holiday. He calculated that tonight would be a full Moon. His new home would be displayed in full for the lovers of the world to stare up at.
He smiled, it was a long ride yet. But he could wait it out.
He glanced back at the calendar. A giant stone circle it had taken him hours to set and enchant just right. It would be a long ride yet indeed.
But one with a destination.