//------------------------------// // Chapter Two - Midnight Ponies // Story: A Journey through Memories // by Centauri //------------------------------// A Journey through Memories Chapter Two – Midnight Ponies I've learned that sometimes the solution to your problems can come from where you least expect it. It's a good idea to stop and listen to your friends' opinions and perspective, even when they don't always seem to make sense. I finished reading the friendship report, given by Twilight to Celestia in person. I had to admit, I felt as if Celestia was dangling a string in front of my face, all the while knowing that I didn’t want to take it. It was only emphasised by this very friendship report. The solution to your problems can come from where you least expect it...Celestia knew I would read that! It was probably the most affective of the friendship reports in getting me to visit Twilight Sparkle. But she had won... I was now seriously considering going to Ponyville after spending a week reading these friendship reports. Reading some of Twilight’s own words was helping show me what kind of pony she was: she was willing to accept ponies, even if others rejected them; she was able to sort out differences between two of her friends. The list was endless. At this stage, I wouldn’t complain if I had to go to Ponyville to see Twilight and her friends, but I don’t think I would have gone voluntarily. Still, hearing that she wanted to ‘learn who they are on the inside’ was a good encouragement for me. I sighed. It was late at night and I was exhausted. Reading some more friendship reports could wait until tomorrow. As I staggered over to my bed, I decided what I would tell Celly tomorrow morning. * * * I woke up to a knocking in the door. “Who’s there?” I called, slightly annoyed that I had woken up at this time. “Your Majesty, Princess Celestia wanted to remind you of the official breakfast this morning. She also said...” The steward seemed very hesitant. “Yes?” I prompted through the door. “Her majesty also hoped that you didn’t stay up reading too late, last night.” The steward said this very quickly, but being court-trained, he managed to articulate perfectly. Oh, horseapples, I thought. I completely forgot about that. Dismissing the steward, I moved quickly to my wardrobe. It was the last month of autumn, so it was fairly cold. It’s probably going to be apples for breakfast. Which cloak should I wear? Upon deciding on a rather thick but suitable cloak – navy blue, adorned with stars and a moon – I galloped out the door, putting a small fright in the midnight-coated guard to my left. Ah, well, I thought. I haven’t seen him before, so he’s probably new. I didn’t have time to apologise, though, as I was racing towards the great hall. I finally arrived, profusely glad that I wasn’t late. I may have been socially detached for the past year, but I was not going to let that intrude on my personal form. I walked up to Celestia and nuzzled her affectionately. “Morning, Celly,” I greeted her, a bit out of breath. “Hi, Luna,” Celestia began. “You forgot this breakfast was on this morning, didn’t you?” “Strangely enough, yes,” I chuckled. “Thanks for sending that steward to my room, but try not to make them say something which scares them.” Celly openly laughed at this. “Hey, Celly, I was thinking about what you’ve...” I was cut off as a fanfare erupted around the hall. “Horseapples. It’s started.” Celestia gave a slight grunt in agreement. We both hated such boring events as this. We had to act interested when the noble sitting across from us started talking about his shipping business. I mean, honestly, I thought. Who wants to hear about that? Nevertheless, I had to make a good impression, and so a long morning of conversation after conversation after conversation began. And not one part of it was going to be interesting. Or so I thought. I was getting started on what looked like a very good apple pie when I heard shouting in the halls. The palace guards turned upon hearing the commotion, then drew their swords. “Everypony stay back from the doors,” the guards shouted. Not ten seconds later, the doors splintered, and the midnight-coated guard from outside my door burst into the hall. He quickly dispatched the two guards at the entrance, and Celestia, beside me, gasped at the display. Two guards had just fallen before her and I could count on Celestia that she not only knew their names, but the lives they’d led and the families they’d had. She also knew that they were gone. Nothing else happened for five seconds; after that, there was commotion outside as two squads attacked each other: the palace guards, with their shining armour; and more of the midnight ponies with conversely as dark cloaks. Swords sounded as they clashed against maces, and the armour rang with an ethereal tone as they were battered by the attackers. As I watched the battle, I noticed that the swords were not harming the attackers. Their cloaks must be enchanted, I realised. I held more faith in the enchantments on the guards’ armour, however: Celestia herself had utilized her own magic for each one of them. “What are you doing here, Deforrest?” Celestia looked calmly at the unicorn. I realised that she was trying to intimidate the unicorn into turning away, or grasping for a peaceful solution. “We both know that’s not my real name, Celestia,” he returned. “It’s the name you gave me, and it’s name name I shall call you,” Celestia told him. Deforrest shrugged, unperturbed. “As you will,” he continued. “As for why we’re here, I’ll tell you now. We,” he gestured behind him, “are here to stop this dangerous alicorn ascending to power. When she was last in this throne, do you remember what she did? She destroyed the lives of many ponies, and cared not for their losses. “We are here to stop that from ever happening again.” At these words he looked behind him; the guards had finally advanced to the great hall and the attackers retreated inside. Deforrest, realising his companions were being routed, turned his attention above him and lit up his horn. The mount for the great hall’s chandelier exploded, and chaos ensued. The dust from the ceiling was obscuring my sight, and my ears were ringing. “Luna,” Celestia warned. “Run.” I did not run, however. I lit up my horn and moved the dust from the broken masonry to form an angry cloud. As I saw the attackers converging in a circle, protecting each other, I sent the cloud towards them. I turned to the few remaining nobles. “Get out of here!” I shouted at them. As I helped an elderly mare to her feet, a sizzling bolt of energy flew above my head. I dropped and rolled, only to find another flying straight towards me. I deflected it and pushed the mare on her way. I ducked behind a table until I realised that the cloud was still holding: the magic they were using could only have been fired at random. My luck did not last long, however, the dust cloud started settling and the magic bolts regained a sense of direction. I saw more guards entering the hall, trying to detain the attackers, but they were persistent. As I noticed one guard dispatch a pegasus with the flat of his blade, I saw a midnight earth pony levelling a crossbow in my direction. I saw the bolt fly towards me and tried erecting a crude barrier, but I nearly failed. A crushing impact in my side knocked the wind out of me. I looked up and tried to stand, but my legs wouldn’t obey me. Deforrest, seizing his chance, knocked the guard he was fighting out with a grievous swing of his mace and advanced towards me. I tried to send magic to stop him, but I was having trouble seeing, and he dodged the bolt easily. Realising I couldn’t stop him, I set up a barrier around me to protect me from any harm. I was only halfway through when he reached me, and he swung his mace. The ward protected me, but it was weakened now. My sister screamed my name as Deforrest swung again, and the ward broke. The mace hit my head, and I fell away into unconsciousness. * * * I dreamed of the night on the tower. I dreamed of voices near my bed. I dreamed of a friendship that was broken. I dreamed of the moon above my head. * * * I slowly opened an eyelid. It was really bright where I was. On that note, I wondered, where am I? As my mind moved slowly towards consciousness, I saw Celestia looking down at me. My head was pounding and any movement I made caused my stomach to churn. “Luna?” Celestia called my name. She looked worse for the wear: one eye was bruised, and she had a cut across her mouth, but nothing a bit of alicorn magic couldn’t fix. “Hi, Celly,” I said, really weakly. “You look like...” I couldn’t tell her what she looked like because I felt something coming up my throat. I threw up beside my bed, wherever that bed was, and was lucky enough to find a bucket moved there in just the nick of time, obviously by magical means. Celestia nuzzled the back of my head carefully. “You’re okay, Luna,” she whispered into my ear, soothingly. “You’re in the hospital tower. You took a club to the side of the head but your ward took the worst of it.” “What happened?” I asked, and regretted it. My throat felt as if it was on fire. “How much do you remember?” Again, the answering-questions-with-questions horseapples, but I could see what she was doing this time. “Official breakfast,” I began, trying to use my throat as little as possible while still persevering. “My guard. Oh hay! Celestia, my guard!” I hoarsely whispered, albeit urgently. “I...” Celestia hesitated. “He’s been taken care of.” I gathered from this that Celestia, always trying to be the pacifist, did something which she could not convince herself was right. Myself? After our battle a thousand years ago, I could barely bring myself to violence anymore. “Ah. I’m sorry, Celly,” I whispered. “I’m really sorry.” “It wasn’t your fault, Luna. I know that. Now try to get some sleep.” Knowing I was safe once more, along with my sister, I let sleep take me. I managed a natural sleep, this time; a sleep that would give me energy I was sure to need later on. * * * I woke up two days later, in my own room, this time. I was weary beyond belief, but the pain had deserted me thanks to the alicorn magic my sister and I performed on each other. We both looked like ourselves, but we didn’t act quite ourselves for the plain fact of being too tired. Court in Canterlot Castle had been cancelled for a fortnight so the engineers could rebuild their hard work in the great hall. At least they would be busy; I just had more time to ponder. Then I realised I didn’t have to wander the castle; there was one other option for me. I got up off my own bed and trotted outside into the corridor. Navigating the castle was second nature to me, but sometimes I took a wrong turn when a passage had been changed while I was exiled. However, I managed to find my sister’s chambers without a hitch. I regrettably noted that her door was not being guarded. Celly, I scolded her mentally, I don’t need guards any more than you do, so stop being so overprotective. I understood Celestia, though. She didn’t want to lose me, and I was the radicals’ primary target. I knocked on Celestia’s door. “Come in,” Celestia called, although more quietly than her usual self. “Hi, Luna. Up and about, I see.” “So I noticed,” I said, and then paused. “Celly, I want to go to Ponyville to see Twilight Sparkle and her friends.” “Luna...” She hesitated. “I’m not sure now is a good time to leave the castle.” “On the contrary, Celly,” I objected. “Now would be a brilliant time.” Celestia simply raised an eyebrow. “How many of the radicals would expect me to leave the castle? I’m not completely dim-witted, Celly; I may be out of practice, but I am definitely not dim-witted. I’ll leave disguised as a pegasus trying to find her family in Ponyville whose house was recently burned down, hence the two saddlebags with my only possessions, I’ll then go to the library to ‘view the records’ and see Twilight Sparkle.” Celestia looked as if this might actually work. “What are you planning on doing there?” I thought about this question only briefly. “I could show them around Equestria. Only Applejack and... um... Fluttershy, was it? Anyway, only those two have travelled. It would keep us on the move, safe, and I would be able to tell them about the... side-effects of being the Elements of Harmony.” I waited for Celestia to make a decision; I wanted us both to agree on this point. “Fine. Go and pack your bags,” Celestia conceded. “I’ll not send Twilight a letter, in case the radicals are in the mailroom.” She chuckled, and then turned deadly serious. “I probably shouldn’t joke about that.”