It could be much worse. The guards, both the Cavernus royal guards and Luna's group had hurried us into the throne room. Luna refused to look up, head hung low. She had three guards at her side. One an especially large earth pony, the second an especially small one, both completely covered in armor. The third a dark purple pegasus looking back and forth between Luna and Nocturne.
Queen Nocturne was very impressive, and in retrospect so obviously Nightmare Moon's daughter it hurt. She was jet black with purple hair and teal eyes. Slitted, just like Nightmare Moon and at times the bat ponies. She also had the wings of the bat ponies, currently stretched wide in a vaguely threatening gesture. At least according to that book on wing gestures I read recently. But she also had a long horn her crown rested against. Her regalia was similar to Luna's, but with a different mark on the torc, and a strange metallic teal that almost matched her eyes. Nocturne herself wasn't sure exactly what it was made of, just ordering it for the color. The image matched her Cutie mark, a shield with bat wings. Unlike the pure black outline on the torc Nocturne's mark was teal with the bat wings matching her mane's purple. While her mane appeared to be normal hair, it did move very slightly in an unseen wind much like her mother's.
"Oh and now more of your foolish soldiers. So what…" She looked my way, blinked, then smiled. "Oh, hello Twilight. So nice to see you again."
"Nocturne…" said Luna
"You may go mother. I suppose I certainly could continue listing all the ways you failed me, but no matter how enjoyable, I now I have a guest I want to talk to."
"But the…"
"No mother. We both know it's a ploy by dear auntie. We only need to negotiate because the terms were so ridiculous this time. I will always be a friend to Equestria, and will not blame it for the games of its rulers. Bring me the real terms and I will gladly sign all the documents. If there really is something I will negotiate with Twilight instead."
"Me?"
"Yes Twilight. You are a Dutchess. More than enough for ambassadorial duties, and I doubt mother wouldn't trust you to represent Equestria's interests."
"Of course." For a moment Luna looked up. "I owe her everything and would trust her with nearly anything but…"
"Your little plan has failed mother. Well auntie's plan really. I'm sure you could never think of something so clever."
For a brief moment there was an intense look in Luna's eyes, not quite a glare, and not quite anger, but something else. Then she hung her head, turned and began to walk out. Her three guards followed her. Though only after Dream Volt got a nudge from the small pony that had to be Bumblesweet. He oddly didn't look asleep, but rather was intently focusing on Nocturne. It could have been sexual, but I don't think it was. It looked more like some sort of intellectual curiosity, but what was he looking for exactly? Then Gaia walked forward to the base of the throne, and right into Nocturne's eyes.
"You are a spoiled little brat, aren't you?"
"What?" Nocturne's eyes widened, wings flaring outward as she stood.
"I don't repeat myself, and I know you can hear me. Though I suppose there could be some sort of defect in your ears, or whatever's wrong with your brain affects your hearing too. I don't know you that well after all."
Nocturne's mane moved with a dangerous sort of activity, far longer than it normally was. At about the same time I heard an odd thump. I turned to see Luna getting back to her hooves and quickly turning around. She looked back and forth blinking, then looked down at Gaia. She tilted her head.
"I must be confused." I heard Luna half whisper.
"You dare to say such to me." Nocturne glared down at Gaia
"Why wouldn’t I?"
Luna gasped. "No, impossible."
"I may not be much more than I appear to be right now, and may not be for some time to come. But at the same time I need not fear you. Entities far more powerful than you have tried. I learned recently even Discord himself."
Luna fell to the ground, her hooves giving out again.
"So you're immortal?"
Nocturne laughed. It was a lot like Nightmare Moon's. It retrospect there was some niggling bit of familiarity the first time I heard Nightmare laugh, but I was a bit distracted so I never made the connection. Now of course it's obvious all the negative things said about her mother were about Nightmare. Nocturne then shook her head.
"Just because I can't kill you doesn’t mean you shouldn’t fear me. In fact unlike some ponies I've never killed anyone, but that doesn't mean you shouldn’t fear me."
Gaia nodded. "Ah, so you're not hopeless. But there is something you have to understand. There are all sorts of power in this world, and while as a simple earth pony I may lack most of the more impressive magical ones, that doesn't mean I couldn’t make your immortal life one of constant torture if I chose to."
Luna just stared at Gaia, despite being a mess on the floor. Her crown was crooked, her wings laying about limply, and one of her shoes had skittered across the floor. Nocturne and Gaia were just glaring at each other, but in the end Nocturne is the one who flinched.
"G-guards." She shook her head and focused on me. "Guards. Take her away. This is still my nation and…"
"You think that impresses me? Who in their right mind would want to rule a nation."
"Take her away now." Nocturne still wouldn't look at the mare right in front of her. "Lets see if she still disrespects me after spending a few years in the dungeons."
"NO!"
I blinked. Luna had lost her crown entirely, but with her mane flowing in a tempestuous halo around her I doubt even my old etiquette teacher Proper Place would dare to comment on the lack. I still say my diagnosis of OCD was accurate even if she was partially correct in that I did want her to be more lenient. However not only was it not a truly graded class and of less concern to me, but her standards were impossibly high. Not even she could meet her own standards, that could not be good. Then I remembered to focus on the here and now in time to see Gaia silently step away from Nocturne with a smile on her face. Luna was now right in front of Nocturne, glaring.
"Awww, I liked Nocturne. Best Queen ever." Said Sweetsong.
"I doubt Luna is actually going to kill her." Added Blossom "For that matter I doubt she even can."
I idly nodded, wondering if the two guards beside me would even notice.
"You want me to be some sort of monster? Fine. I have done that before and can do it again. But you will not touch her. Even if I am wrong you still will not touch her because if there is even a chance…"
"You care about her more than me? You'll stand up for her but…"
"Stand up for?" I asked at the same time Luna interrupted Nocturne
"YOU UNGRATEFUL WHELP. Thou know not the matters into which you find yourself. Back off or taste my wrath."
Gaia smiled again.
"You, you…." Nocturne glared at Gaia
"It matters not how unreasonable and obstinate she has been, you will not touch her."
Gaia nodded. "Accurate enough. It's true."
Nocturne let out a scream and then seemed to explode into a cloud of small bats. The bats then flew out of the room. Luna then blinked, her mane calming. She looked to Gaia, then me, then to the door, then back to me.
"Twilight Sparkle. Please tell me I have not made a terrible mistake."
"Of course not. She clearly needed some discipline." Said Gaia
"W-w-what I mean is…" Luna only briefly glanced at Gaia before looking back at me. "Twilight I know sister said you a-a-are one to…"
"Breathe." Added Azalea from the giant armor. I guess it really is her.
Luna took a deep breath. "She said you are an overachiever, but you already had my undying gratitude, you did not need to do another impossible thing."
I smiled, then laughed. "I guess I can't help myself."
"So then…" She turned to Gaia "You really are my mother?"
"Apparently."
Luna blinked. "Apparently?"
"I know who you are of course, but my first memory as the very impressive Miss Sparkle deduced, is Discord bothering me during his reign. What I would later learn was the day you and your sister came to Equestria. And my so called death."
"Yet, you remember…" Luna wiped tears from her eyes. "…nothing more than that. And now you are going berate me for my weakness anyway."
"I stopped that foolishness years ago."
"Are you saying…" Luna looked at Gaia wide eyed
"That no one ever listens anyway. Hugs, tears, and more. All signs of weakness, but I have plenty of others and in the end signs are just that, and nothing more. True strength will shine though. Also that fake weakness can be surprisingly useful."
Luna laughed and hugged her mother. Gaia had a slight smile on her face and hugged back. It was then I noticed that the rest of the guards not just Luna's but all the bat ponies in the room as well were all gone. I half wanted to leave too, but felt it might not be appropriate. It was odd how fast they left though. One minute they were there then the next minute gone. Maybe it's some special technique Luna taught her guard the bat ponies inherited?
"I suppose it only makes sense you would change a little bit. Even if…" She laughed again. "It's still such a you way of looking at things."
"Are you done? I suppose I don't mind but as I said I really don't know you."
Luna let go and blinked. "Yes, that is not an idea I can get my head around. Also Twilight Sparkle if I wasn't so happy right now I would banish you to the moon."
"You mean for a short period of time like those nobles right?" I asked
"No."
I just stared the full magnitude of what I'd done coming to me. I was going to jail. I misused the equestrian military. I withheld information that could be of great strategic use to the crown. I then noticed both of them were laughing at me. Gaia's laughter was bit more restrained, but genuine enough. Luna hugged Gaia again and the seemingly ordinary mare sighed. This hug lasted much less time and I sighed.
"I guess I deserved that, but I thought this was for the best. I mean I needed the bowl to make the test and if I was wrong then I would be getting your hopes up and…"
Luna looked at her mother, then back at me. "Yes, we think that was wise of you. We most certainly would have been very upset if you are wrong. But what do you mean bowl? We don't understand."
"Oh, well the Smooze obviously was caused by the mix of raw chaos and nature, denoting a piece, so after dispelling it and retrieving the bowl that caused the mess then after a stop off in Asgard I went to Reinia, found Gaia, and tested her."
"Wait, thou art saying you not only found mine mother but a piece of her?" Luna then blinked. "That sentence was stranger than I intended."
"You slip into some mismash of old Equish when stressed?" asked Gaia
Luna looked at the ceiling. "Possibly." Then she suddenly turned back to me. "We do not understand Twilight Sparkle how can mother…"
"The same way the CMC have Discord's power. In fact both involving his chaos magic might be why something generally considered impossible, isn't."
"Wait, so the pieces are not truly literally her parts but her memories and magic?"
"Well knowing Discord's magic her horn and wings are, and some will probably directly relate various other features, like I assume she should be taller."
"To say the least. Her majesty should blot out the sun, but mother never had wings."
"She was a unicorn?" I asked
Luna laughed. "To call her a unicorn is to call a narwhal the same simply because it also has a horn." Luna laughed again. "Not that she only truly only had one, but the rest were nothing but decoration, and often changed."
"Interesting." Said Gaia
"Blot out the sun? How big exactly do you mean?"
"We exaggerate little. Though time distorts size, and mother would vary it some, only the great ursas were ever comparable. And I do mean Ursa Majors, yes."
I tired to think of a pony that large but my imagination failed me, or recoiled in terror. Either way I couldn’t picture it. I was in a slight daze until Gaia smashed a hoof against the ground with an echoing clack. I blinked.
"You should go talk to her."
"What?" I asked
"Someone has to clearly, she's mad at both myself and Luna, and seems to like you, so you are the obvious choice."
"I guess but…"
"I believe I have enough of the pertinent details. We have a lot to talk about, and you are not required for any of it. Though you may rejoin us later if you wish."
"I still have questions about exactly what Discord did." Asked Luna
"Well I don't know exactly. But to some degree she's really just another piece. Just a physical body free of her former memory and power. I thought even her personality would be different, but even her voice is the same, isn't it?"
"I was not sure because it was less booming and there was no echo, but yes."
Gaia laughed. "Excellent. But as I said Miss Sparkle, you are needed elsewhere. You can give further details later."
"One more. Do you think there is any way to easily…."
"No. Gaia tested the easiest herself long ago."
"Yes, your sister's student found not two pieces, but by finding me four."
"As in yourself and three others. But how could you possibly…" Luna laughed. "Ah, of course you found some yourself. That's only logical."
"And thus we are done here for the time. Go Miss Sparkle."
I nodded. "Okay."
It was only as I was leaving I realized Spike had been stolen off my back by one of my borrowed guards. At least I assume it was one of them, maybe it had been one of Luna's other guards, or the bat ponies. I was slightly worried, but knew he'd be safe. Cavernus did have excellent, albeit secret, relations with Equestria. Then I began to panic roughly at the same time I got out the doors and saw him perched on Sweetsong's back surrounded by a bunch of female bat ponies making cooing noises, telling him how cute he is, and otherwise giving him way too much attention. I would have simply marched on without a word if I had even the slightest idea where to go.