//------------------------------//
// Chapter One - Political Unrest 
// Story: A Journey through Memories 
// by Centauri 
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A Journey through Memories



Chapter One – Political Unrest

I wandered through the castle’s corridors. My behaviour had become a lot more like this, recently. I... returned about a year ago, word had spread and I heard of so many ponies who did not want me as one of the rulers of Equestria. I can’t say I blamed them: how many ponies would willingly accept the night princess as their ruler? The princess who turned against her sister out of sheer jealousy. That was who I was in their eyes. Those very words seemed to define me.
Canterlot Castle was spectacular: it had changed dramatically during my exile to the moon. My sister was right, though: if you admire beauty for too long, it loses its touch. That has held true for many aspects of the castle. The old corridors were the reason I stayed in this castle. The complex was so large that I would have to wander for many years before I could rediscover all its secrets. And then there were the other corridors: some that even the Royal Guard, an establishment known for its bravery, dared not follow down. It was such a corridor I was walking now. I could feel remnants of ancient magic which had been used in these halls. Canterlot had seen its share of battles, in the thousands of years it had stood on the side of the mountain, and even with the millennia passing after the battles, the dark magic was still evident; strong enough to cause even the second most powerful being in Equestria nerves.
I would pray to myself that these walks through these corridors would be enough to let my mind grow calm and let me ponder on how I could fix my standing within the many communities of Equestria and the surrounding countries. However, these walks only served to deepen my depression: I found, that even as I walked, I thought about the endless night I had craved so much; I thought about the devastation my sister and I caused in our battle a thousand years ago. I could not even look at the Everfree Forest without needing to be sick or wanting to buck whatever is nearest to me.
I also found I was becoming angry very easily. Even at my sister, and it pained me to no end whenever that happened; the slightest of words, even with the most insignificant of meanings could turn my temper to fire. I could not bring myself to violence, though: I would simply insult whoever offended me and storm off.
It’s not much of a surprise that Equestria did not seem to welcome me yet.
*      *      *
I entered the court looking rather bedraggled; I just found out exactly why those corridors were still forbidden. Celestia was standing by her throne at the head of the hall. A small amount of construction was happening in the hall, at that point. The Night Throne was being reconstructed and placed just off the centre of the head of the hall. Celestia’s throne was likewise being moved. My dear sister wanted to show that I had just as much power as her, and we again lived in harmony. I chuckled slightly at this thought: we may live in harmony, but many radicals, I had heard, wanted to overthrow Celestia and send me back to the moon... or kill me. It really was rather simple, yet so complicated. Celestia was busy trying to stop both of these things happening, but I could not bring myself to help her, as she had requested so many times.
Celestia aborted her conversation in short order and walked over to me.
“Follow me, please, Luna,” she was stern, but goodness knows I was, too, whenever I was worried, and Celestia was showing all the trademark signs. She led us towards her private rooms.
“What’s wrong, Celly?” I asked, after about three corridors. Anything which got Celestia worked up like this would have some considerable amount of trouble attached.
“Are you okay, Luna?” She answered. I sighed; I didn’t really like it when my questions were answered with nigh identical questions.
“Well... there’s one trap less on the third floor,” I gave Celly an answer which I knew would annoy her. I was right: I quickly got a disdainful look.
“You know what I mean,” Celly said, quite shortly. Celestia had been worried about what she saw as my almost relentless state of depression.
“I do, Celestia, but the honest answer is that I don’t know.” This reply surprised Celestia substantially. It was more than she usually got out of me. She paused outside her door, waiting for me to elaborate. “Celestia, I’m not well. I...” she cut me off.
“Cloudrunner, Starlight; you are now off-duty,” ordered Celestia, though not unkindly. “Head home to your families; I’m sure we’ll be safe here.”
The guards, knowing better to argue with the most powerful being in Equestria, gave each other a look which said ‘Should we be doing this?’ Celestia, noticing this, chuckled, and said, “Don’t worry about it; you both know we can take care of ourselves.”
Finding no obvious argument, the guards saluted and left the corridor to the two princesses. Celestia motioned for Luna to continue.
“Like I said, Celly,” I began. “I really don’t think I’m okay.” I had time to wonder about the question as we walked through the corridors, but I wasn’t able to elaborate further. I just didn’t know what was wrong with me, apart from the fact that it had something to do with my exile. “But I’m sure a thousand years would do that to any...” I came to an abrupt halt; it was a touchy subject, especially for Celestia. My sister, however, overlooked this and continued.
“You walk around the corridors during the day, and don’t think I haven’t heard you can’t sleep at night. If you can’t sleep in your own domain, then there is something wrong, Luna. Do you talk to anyone bar me if it’s not to do with matters of court?” I saw where she was getting at, and I didn’t like it. She had requested this of me many times, and every time I had declined very strongly. “I want you to...”
“I know what you want me to do!” I was very frustrated that she would ask this of me yet another time, and my voice showed this as I nearly screamed at my sister. “I know that you want me to talk to your ‘faithful student’ and her friends, but I’m sure that those six fillies would be the least likely of any pony in Equestria who would want to talk to me, let alone have me on my throne!”
“Luna, you underestimate their intelligence!” Celestia replied, just as loudly.
“Really,” I packed that single word with as much sarcasm as I could.
“Yes, Luna,” Celestia paused. A lot more quietly, she continued. “They, of all ponies, realise that you have changed. They will see you for who you are now. I can assure you that they will not see you as Nightmare Moon.”
“Celly...” I wasn’t sure how to phrase this question, so eventually I decided to put it simply. “How do you know?”
“Come with me,” she answered. She led me down corridors until we reached the library. “Here’s some light reading for you.” She handed me a pile of scrolls marked with the seal of the Ponyville dragonfire line.
“And these are...?” I asked. She had finally piqued my curiosity on the subject: I loved books and reading.
“Twilight Sparkle’s friendship reports.” She paused, and continued, quietly. “Luna, look at me. There are few ponies in Equestria whom you could trust, but Twilight is one of them. Her friends, too.
“I know you don’t want to hear this now, but I want you to read those reports. When you are finished, I want you to tell me what you think I would want you to do in the situation. I would not ask you to go to Ponyville if I believed for a second that they would not trust you.”
Realising I was backed into a metaphorical corner, I answered with a statement I hoped would not burn any bridges. “I’ll read over them, but I won’t make any promises. I’m only doing this for you, Celestia. You could have killed me, a thousand years ago, but you decided that I was worth as second chance. I’ll give the mares in Ponyville a chance, but I can’t tell you if it will pay off or not.”
“That’s all I would ask of you, Luna.” Celestia smiled, turned away, and left the library.