//------------------------------// // Interlude: Dreamscapes and Revelations. // Story: The Second Year; Gravidity // by TwilightsmyMare //------------------------------// Once again she soared through the vastness of the dreamscape. She felt free, more alive then ever in her life. Every dream, every nightmare she passed suddenly found itself shaped... Changed to a happy restful dream filled with love and peacefulness. She did this almost subconsciously secure in the knowledge that her love laid with her back in her chambers watching over her, a month of getting to know one another again, falling in love again… Suddenly she stopped; most dreams were an open book to her very few had the ability to block her out. One such lay before her, it had been closed... Guarded nearly all her life, her sister... Yet this night it lay open to her, she was nervous but excited, scared and exhilarated. As close as the two of them were... Well a thousand years of separation cannot be undone in a few short years... She approached with trepidation shaking with excitement and fear as she crossed the threshold... It was dark and dank, it took her a moment to orient herself and realize where she was. The dungeons beneath the castle...? That couldn't be, what could she be dreaming about down here...? An echoed sob derailed her train of thought; she looked around trying to pinpoint it then started walking trusting in the dream to lead her where she needed to go. She passed down row by row of empty cells hardly ever used these days but to store supplies for the castle, each now filled with a deep darkness even her eyes could not pierce. Her hoofclicks echoed down the halls as she found herself descending deeper and deeper past the worked stone of the castle and into the caverns deep beneath Canterlot, after the wedding of Cadence and Shining Armor she her sister and their guards had traveled through them seeking any secret entry points that might lead to the castle sealing them and warding the caverns extensively. The caverns were beautiful last she had seen them, large crystal formations and ancient mining equipment from days long past. In her sisters dream though all was dark, the crystal formations twisted and jagged familiar and troubling to her. Down, down she traveled to the lip of a deep dark pit where it appeared eons of trash had been thrown disgusting and rancid but in the middle of it all she still shone... Even in her darkest despair she couldn't turn off what she was... What our parents made us... A beacon of light in the dark showing the way to the lost... She glided down landing lightly by her sister’s side enveloping her in her wings whispering. "But what about when you’re the one who's lost dear sister?" Celestia jerked upright staring at her sister her eyes damp and face mournful. "Luna...! How did you get here? Did I forget to...?" "Tia... You know as well as I that I could never have come here unless you let me..." She smiled wanly. "I know... I... I just needed... I try to be strong... But... I'm so alone!" She burst into tears burying her head in her sister’s coat. Luna stroked her mane gently holding her tight. "Sister, for so long I envied you even when we were young... So talented, so powerful, the first to receive mother and fathers gift. Perfect..." "Luna I..." "Shh... That was then, a thousand years gives a lot of time to think... For both of us. I can see now since... Him. You've had no one... You couldn't let anyone back in lest you be hurt so badly again..." "It's true... I've just kept going and going, striving and planning for the day I could rescue you... Keeping mother and fathers kingdom safe and prosperous..." "Nothing for you... Well it's time, past time for you sister..." "But the kingdom..." "Sister... I'm not saying you need to abandon everything, just not do everything!" "But..." "No arguments. You deserve this, say it with me." "I deserve this...?" "You deserve this!" "I... I do. I deserve this!" Her confidence and growing enthusiasm echoed throughout the pit, the caverns, the entire dreaming! Everything grew brighter and brighter to the point she had to close her eyes only to feel her sisters wings wrap around her shielding her. "Luna... ever since the day of your birth truly it was I who was jealous of you." She whispered. "Wha...?" "Mother and father adored you, everyone loved you! They groomed me, had such expectations... You seemed so free... And you dragged me along into trouble more then a few times..." She smiled at the memory. The light dimmed and she found herself in her sister’s chambers almost as they normally were, spacious but fairly barren. A small wardrobe for her accessories, a vanity and mirror and a large bed. Much like her own chambers there were several portraits on the walls of her and her sister as well as their parents and along one wall many portraits of Unicorns she didn't recognise except the last Twilight Sparkle... "Who are these sister?" She stood by her and sighed softly. "Former students gifted Unicorns all but of them all but only Twilight has the potential for..." "Ascension..." "Yes... I hope... No, I know she can do it but... Not yet. Anyhow!" She hugged her and stepped back bowing low to her. "Thank you Luna for always being here for me, even when you were gone I could still feel you watching over me..." "S... Sister...!" She bowed back hastily. "You... You've never bowed to me before! It's not right; you’re the eldest, the more powerful..." "My dear sweet sister, we are equals. Never let my... Abilities separate us, please..." "Of course not...! I didn't mean..." "I know." She sighed again leaning against her closing her eyes. "It's a burden Luna, this power... Sometimes I wish mother and father didn't... No matter, tis done. Only you and Discord and to a lesser extent Cadence could understand. How I have to be careful, so careful..." "I heard at the wedding..." Celestia stiffened for a moment then laughed. "Not one of my proudest moments..." "What happened?! Surely she couldn't have been stronger then you...?!" "No, it was my fault. I was shocked, stunned at how easily she had fooled me... Fooled us all!" She laughed again. "Well except Twilight... I attempted to defeat her using what I thought was an appropriate amount of power..." "But it wasn't...?" "No... I truly underestimated how much strength she had gained from Shining Armors love. When her power began to overwhelm me I couldn't compensate... Didn't have the time, it was too dangerous the backlash could have killed everyone present..." "So she 'defeated' you?" Celestia smiled slyly. "Completely... Twilight and her friends rushed off to get the elements while her little minions cocooned me while I was still stunned. I briefly considered breaking free and showing them a small measure of my true power... But Cadence and Armor were there not to mention the innocent ponies in the castle and the town below... It is hard sister... So hard..." The room steadily began to warm up; paint began to peel from the walls the precious portraits bursting into flames. Though she knew it was all in her sisters mind and she trusted her with her life it still worried her. "To keep all this contained... Why sister? I didn't ask for this..." The stone itself began to melt around them; she avoided some dripping from above on general principle though she knew it couldn't harm her. "Tia..." Her head shot up and just like that everything was back as it had been. "I'm sorry dear sister, sorry for everything." "Don't say that Tia! You've always been the strong one! You've kept us safe, secure for so long! Especially while I was..." Celestia hung her head. "Also my fault..." "No... You did what you had to!" "A thousand years? Luna, it was only supposed to be for one..." "What...?" "When I harnessed my strength to wield the Elements without you... I miscalculated! I was rushed; I didn't know what to do! I'm sorry I never told you! I didn't want you to hate me..." She threw herself against Luna sobbing uncontrollably. She was in shock... A year... Her anger rose for a moment but only a moment and she enveloped her sister in her embrace. "There is nothing to forgive sister, we've both made mistakes..." "No Luna! The miasma...!" "The miasma had a part of it to be sure but it was my own jealousy and anger it took hold of..." "But..." "What? You feel cloaking all of Equestria... Half our world in eternal darkness is less serious then a miscalculation on your part?" "If I only could have... A thousand years sister... A thousand!" She smiled down at her sister kissing her forehead gently. "A drop in the bucket for us sister. I won't spend the next thousand in bitterness and regret, nor the next hundred or even one more minute! Mother and father saw to it we would be together through the ages trusting our love to keep us and Equestria together... I don't know if they foresaw what would happen to them... We mustn’t cheapen their memory dwelling on what could have been. Please Tia, just let it be and so shall I..." Tears streamed down both sisters faces mixing and falling to the floor as they held each other. "Thank you Lulu..." Celestia whispered with a grin at her childhood nickname for her sister. "And thank you Tia..." She replied with the same grin. They both burst out laughing for several long wonderful minutes sitting together on the marble floor conjured in a dream. "We’ll find someone for you Tia..." "I'm not sure... I'd like... But I think, for now... I'll be ok." "Love you Tia." "And I love you Lulu..." They embraced again both smiling happily. "Now kiss..." They both looked up in shock. "Discord!!!"