//------------------------------// // Part 6 - The Past // Story: ASMD // by Rokas //------------------------------// “...And momma got special permission and she took my flying over it on her back,” Artemis recounted, practically beaming with energy. “It's so big, aunt Celestia! You could fit half of our city in it!” “'Tis true,” Luna added, with a smile. “It makes Ghastly Gorge look tiny in comparison. And the walls of the Grand Canyon are much prettier to look at than that old, gray ditch.” “Well, it certainly sounds wonderful,” Celestia warmly said. “And you say it was carved naturally?” “Uh-huh,” Artemis replied, with a cheerful nod. “It was carved out over millions and millions of years and— ooh! Do you wanna see?” she suddenly asked. “Momma got me a book about it at the gift shop!” “That would be delightful,” Celestia replied, a pleasant smile on her muzzle. “Eee!” Artemis squealed, and then hopped off the couch she shared with her mother. The alicorn filly's wings buzzed with excitement as she ran out of the living room and headed down the hall for her bedroom. Both of the elder ponies watched her go, and then turned to each other. “She's a very bright filly,” Celestia observed. “I don't think I've seen such an eagerness to learn about the natural world, not even from Twilight; she was always more interested in magic itself than the reality outside of the palace walls.” Luna chuckled briefly. “I think it's a result of living here,” she offered. “Humans have devoted a considerable amount of effort in researching their surroundings. It's really one of their greatest strengths, the ability to analyze and understand the world around them. And, of course, bend it to their will.” “Hmm,” Celestia hummed. “Well, nothing different from most sapient life, then,” she offered. “Except in degree,” Luna replied. “And skill.” Celestia blinked a bit in puzzlement, but had no chance to ask about her sister's comment before Artemis came running back from her room with a book levitating beside her. “Here it is!” she happily proclaimed, as she stopped in front of Celestia's divan and raised the book towards her aunt. “A Student's Guide to the Grand Canyon,” Celestia read aloud, and then took up the book in her magic aura and flipped it open. “Yeah!” Artemis happily chirped. “It's got maps and some historical stuff like how they built the dams at either end.” Just as the filly finished talking, Celestia's eyes did indeed fall upon the chapter discussing the construction of something called “Boulder/Hoover Dam”. (Why something needed two names, she couldn't guess.) She skimmed the remarkably readable text as she flipped through and looked at every picture, and soon felt a growing admiration. “Why, they built this with technology less advanced than we have in Equestria,” Celestia noted, as she looked over a picture of humans pouring one of the immense concrete blocks that made up the dam's structure. “And they did in a big ol' canyon in a desert!” Artemis beamed. “An' they cut holes in the rock to div—uh, make the river go to the side.” “'Divert', Artemis,” Luna corrected, with a warm tone. “Yeah, that one,” the filly replied. Then she looked up at Celestia. “It's really neat, huh?” “It's quite fascinating,” Celestia honestly answered. She flipped through a few more pages, and then stopped when she came to a two-page spread of one, large photograph. 'View from the South Rim', it says, the mare noted the caption, though it only held her attention for a moment as her eyes traced over the profoundly deep and wide canyon. “It's beautiful,” she found herself saying. “I told you,” Luna smugly interjected, a smirk upon her muzzle as Celestia looked up. “And that photo doesn't even do it justice; none of them can, really. Only when you're there, looking out over this profound and amazing gash in the world do you really understand it fully.” She paused to reminisce, and then sighed. “It gives one perspective, to see something so old that it was already ancient when the first civilizations on the planet were building hovels out of mud bricks. Standing there, I think I understood what some of our—” Luna hesitated, and then lightly coughed. “I mean, what regular ponies feel when they look at us back home.” Celestia suppressed a wince at Luna's distancing, and instead focused on the rest of her words. “I believe I understand what you mean,” she said, evenly. “It was a humbling experience, to see something so much greater than yourself, correct?” “Indeed,” Luna replied, with a nod. “And it isn't even the only place to feel that on the humans' homeworld.” “Oh?” “Yes,” Luna said with a nod, and then glanced down at Artemis. For her part the filly was giving both of the elder ponies curious looks as she detected some sort of undercurrent, but lacked the knowledge to decipher it. “Artemis, do you remember visiting the Everglades?” Artemis' eyes lit up at the question. “Oh, do I!” she exclaimed, as her wings fluttered. “It was only one of the best places ever! Everything was just so cool with all the animals and the airboats and it was so hot I could feel the sun right through my coat and then it rained on time and then stopped just like the guide said and it was like magic!” Celestia smiled at the filly's enthusiasm. “So what are these 'Everglades'?” she asked. “An ecosystem unique on Terra, and indeed amongst most of the worlds in the known galaxy,” Luna replied. “It's a big, big, big river that flows reeallllly slow,” Artemis added, slowing her voice down towards the end to emphasize her point. “And it's really flat and pretty and quiet 'cept when it rains there's lots of lightning and sheets of rain. But it's just so neat 'cuz there's nothing else like it and it's so different.” “It sounds impressive,” Celestia observed. “Do you have any books about this place as well?” “Yeah!” Artemis replied, and then quickly raced back for her room. Celestia and Luna shared a mutual look of amusement. “She loves books, doesn't she?” the former asked. “She is her father's daughter,” Luna replied, with a slight blush. This time Celestia did wince. “I'm still having some trouble wrapping my head around that,” she admitted. “And it makes me wonder, if reality is reflected upon itself into infinity, then wouldn't there be another pair of universes out there where a male counterpart of you impregnates Twilight Sparkle?” Luna sighed good-naturedly and rolled her eyes. “Trust me, I've had a lot of time to think about it,” she said, tiredly. “Too much, really. Then I start to get ideas of other 'what-ifs' and eventually I have to have a substantial nightcap. My suggestion, 'Tia?” she added, with a rise to her voice in order to assure her sister's attention. “Try not to think about it; only headaches will come from such musings.” Celestia only had a moment to ponder her sister's words before Artemis came running back in with another book held in her magic grasp. Or is it? The elder alacorn thought, as she observed how thin the item her niece carried actually was. She held any further thought on the issue as Artemis jumped up on the couch next to her and smiled widely. “Here, read this!” the young filly said, as she presented the device to her aunt. The elder alacorn gently plucked the object from her niece's magic field with her own telekinesis and then brought it up to her face. To her mild surprise—she was starting to expect unusual things at this point—the flat panel held a screen on one side that showed what looked to be a book page, filled with text and pictures. “What is this?” Celestia asked. “An e-reader!” Artemis eagerly replied, with a grin on her muzzle. “It can store hundreds a books so you can read 'em later!” “'Of', Artemis,” Luna gently corrected her daughter. “Hundreds of books.” “Right, of,” Artemis replied to her mother, almost absentmindedly. Luna rolled her eyes and smirked a little at her daughter's distracted enthusiasm even as the filly turned her attention right back to her aunt. “And the one I pulled up is the one we bought from the gift shop and downloaded and it's got all sorts of stuff about the Everglades!” “Ah,” Celestia said, as realization dawned on her. She then turned her head to look to the text on the screen and skimmed it to gain a general idea of the material. “So, it's a swamp?” “It is a swamp the same way that the Grand Canyon is a hole in the ground,” Luna answered, irritatedly. Celestia glanced up and gave her sister a smirk. “Oh?” she asked, teasingly. “And what has you so taken with this place that you are defensive?” Luna ruffled her feathers a bit as she sat more upright on the couch. “I am not defensive,” she stated. “It's just that many people are dismissive of the place without even knowing it”, she added, and then sighed. “I admit my ire is a bit irrational, but I think you can see why.” Celestia's smirk died at that, and she could only nod sagely as her sister spoke. Artemis, meanwhile, had stared up at the two adults in confusion as they spoke, her head swinging back and forth to each on their turn. “What're you two talking about?” she asked, curious. “Nothing important, Artemis,” Luna replied, as she graced her daughter with a smile. “Just some old history between us.” “Oh,” Artemis said, drawing out the word. “So it's like, adult things?” Celestia coughed at that, as the question caught her by surprise. Luna, though, simply smiled a bit wider. “Something like that,” she answered. “Now, weren't you telling Celestia about our trip?” “Oh!” the filly repeated, this time in excitement. She then turned back to her aunt and smiled up at her. “Yeah, we went on an airboat ride and everything! It's so cool it's like flying but not but you're over the water and skimming along and—” She was interrupted as the door chimed, and then opened. All three ponies looked over and saw McCall walk into the suite carrying a large, white box in her arms. “I'm back, dears,” the human called out as she paused at the door just long enough for it to close and lock itself. “Heather!” Artemis shouted, and then dashed across the apartments to run circles around McCall's legs as she carefully walked to the kitchen. “What'd you get us what'd you get us?” the filly squeed, even as the elder female set the box on the freestanding counter that delineated the border between kitchen and living room. “Artemis!” Luna raised her voice, even as she and Celestia stood up and walked over to join the others in the kitchen. “What have I told you about running around missus McCall while she's carrying things?” Artemis halted her prancing, and then slowly turned to give her mother a sheepish look. “Not to do it because I might get underfoot and trip her,” she replied, slowly, in the drone of a child who is reciting something they memorized under duress. “And then we both might get hurt.” “Exactly,” Luna said, as her tone lightened. “Now apologize to Heather.” The filly turned and tilted her head back to look up at the human. “I'm sorry, missus McCall,” Artemis said, mournfully. McCall simply smiled down at the young pony. “That's alright Artemis, I forgive you,” she said, warmly. “Just remember better next time; your mother's right in that you could get hurt running around people's legs.” “Yes ma'am,” Artemis said, respectfully. Then her expression flipped like a switch and she beamed up at McCall. “So what'd you get us?” “Such a one track mind!” McCall mock-chided, with a chuckle, and then looked over to Luna and Celestia as they stopped on the other side of the counter. “I figured it's a special occasion and all, so I went ahead and got Franz's special.” A wide grin spread along Luna's muzzle, while Artemis squeed in delight. Celestia, though, felt a bit in the dark, and so spoke up. “Just how special is this?” she asked, good-nauredly and with a smile. “Very,” Luna replied, with a glance at Celestia. She then looked to McCall. “Would you mind if I do the honors?” she asked, still wearing her smile. “I dearly want to see the look on my sister's face.” McCall chuckled again. “Of course, dear, of course!” she said, and then turned to walk over to one of the cupboards. “Just let me get the plates and flatware out.” “The look on my face?” Celestia asked, as she turned her head to give Luna a probing glance. “Should I be worried?” Luna only grinned a bit wider as she walked around the counter and then lit up her horn. “Not at all, dear sister,” she replied, as she used her telekinesis to open the tabs on the side of the box, and then lift off the top half from the bottom to reveal a large cake with a brilliant white frosting coating. “In fact, given your predilection towards cake,” she continued, as McCall brought over the aforementioned dinnerware, “I daresay you might experience an existential epiphany.” Celestia rolled hey eyes as Luna took up a cake serving tool in her magical grip. “Oh please,” the elder alacorn grumbled, while her sister cut a healthy-sized corner slice and placed it on a plate. “I may like my cake, but an epiphany? Really?” she asked, even as Luna levitated the plate and a fork over. Luna, for her part, merely kept grinning at her sister. “Well then, why don't you try some and prove me wrong?” she asked. “Very well, then,” Celestia replied, with an air of faux-haughtiness, as she took the proffered plate and flatware in her magic grip. She then levitated the plate up to her face, and then inspected the food. To her surprise she could feel a distinct chill coming off the piece, and inside the brown, possibly chocolate cake were strands of white that didn't look like the normal marble cake she loved. Well, it's not like Luna would poison me, Celestia mused, as she used the fork to pry off a bit of the cake, and then popped it into her mouth and began to chew. A second later, she stopped and her eyes widened as the flavors washed over her senses. Celestia whimpered a bit, and then resumed chewing at a slower pace, until finally, she mournfully swallowed the bite. She then looked over to her sister, who was grinning even wider than ever. “What... what is this heavenly creation?” Celestia breathlessly asked. “Ice Cream Cake,” Luna replied, still wearing her Cheshire grin. “A human confection, made even more effective with Franz's twist of using carbon nanotubes conduits to embed the ice cream in the cake after it's been cooked without disturbing its fluffy structure,” she explained. “He doesn't leave the nanotubes in, of course, as they're incredibly inedible.” Celestia only half listened to the younger pony as she quickly took another bite, but Luna didn't let her sister's preoccupation bother her. “It creates a perfect mix of cake and ice cream in one bite, don't you think?” The only reply Celestia made was a satisfied moan that, in other circumstances, could have been scandalous. As it was both Luna and McCall had heard worse, and Artemis was too young to notice the difference, and so the three other beings in the apartment simply chuckled at Celestia as she indulged in yet another bite. “Seems she does rather like it,” McCall noted, as she took a plate Luna proffered to her with magic. “As I knew she would,” Luna said, as she cut out another piece of cake and then telekinetically placed it on a plate which she then presented to Artemis. The filly uttered a quick but sincere 'thanks' before he took a fork in her own magic and quickly began to work at the morsel. “Now, let's all sit down in the living room and enjoy some coffee, cake, and company.” * * * * “...And there he was,” McCall said, through the chuckles that occasionally erupted from her throat to join those of her audience. “On one knee, covered in megarhino spit, half his shirt torn off and bite marks from skiren all over his chest, and he says 'please say you'll marry me. But do make up your mind quickly: I think the venom is spreading.” The middle-aged human finally broke down at that and laughed raucously at her own story, even as the alacorns joined in. McCall reached up to wipe the tears of joy from her eyes as the group's amusement wound down. “Of course I said 'yes,'” she continued, after a moment to catch her breath. “And then got him straight to the hospital. Poor Peter was in there for a week while they flushed the skiren venom from his body, but at the end of it we set a date and got married three months later.” She paused at that, and then smiled warmly as she looked off into space. “It was one of the happiest days of my life.” Celestia smiled warmly at the human as she reminisced. “I certainly hope it was less eventful than his proposal?” she asked, gently, as she levitated her plate—recently bereft of the last piece of cake—to the coffee table to join the collection already there. “Mostly,” McCall replied, and then winked at Celestia, and then took a moment to sip from the coffee cup she held. “Nothing worse than the usual wedding hitches, but we got through them alright. Had a lovely honeymoon in NeoTokyo, seeing all the sights, the Old Town ruins that were blasted back in the Seven Day Siege and the museums and theaters and all that.” She sighed as she paused to gather her thoughts. “Peter, bless his heart, just adored it.” “He sounds like a good, er, man,” Celestia observed, only slightly tripping over her own words as she fought to remember the proper pronoun. The smile on McCall's face faded at that and took on a wistful tone. “He was,” she said, quietly, and then swirled her cup around a bit. Celestia felt her heart implode, and her face fell. “Oh, Heather,” she said, as McCall had insisted she use her given name. “I'm so sorry, I didn't mean—” McCall politely wave the mare's words away. “It's alright, Cel,” she said, using the nickname she had coined for Celestia, having decided that Luna's nickname was too personal for her. She then smiled at the alacorn, although it was a bit strained. “It was... some time ago when Peter passed on,” she added, and then sighed again. “Killed by those damn Necris.” Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Necris?” she echoed. “Abominations,” Luna chimed in, and then paused to look down at her side. The four beings had retired to the living room, with Celestia and Luna having taken divans and McCall sitting in a recliner. Artemis, meanwhile, had nestled up to her mother, and over the hour since cake had been served had slowly drifted off to sleep while the adults spoke. Satisfied her daughter wouldn't wake soon, Luna looked back up and at her sister. “They are a group of... things, bodies of sapient creatures brought back to a facsimile of life by an infusion of a mysterious liquid known only as 'nanoblack',” Luna explained, and then involuntarily shuddered in disgust. “They have no souls; I know, I've checked,” she added, and then frowned. “They're just machines wearing the bodies and memories of the dead. Very clever and intelligent machines that think they're the original being, but still just machines.” “They usually keep to themselves,” McCall added in, quietly, as she also noted Artemis' condition and did not want the filly to overhear. “Have their own planets and such. But every now and again a group of them get it in their heads to expand or invade or raid for resources, and, well...” The human bit her lip at that, and then glanced to the side for a moment. “Peter was a militiaman, he went out to fight an incursion and died doing so. Fortunately,” she added, as she turned to regard Celestia with a sad gaze. “We got to his body first and gave him a proper burial.” Celestia felt a shiver run down her back at the unspoken implications. “And if you hadn't?” she asked, her morbid curiosity piqued. “He would have been one of them,” McCall replied, raw emotion leaking into her voice. She took a moment to compose herself, and then resumed. “I mourned him for years, but that silver lining gave me some small comfort in that time, so I am thankful for that, at least.” “I see,” Celestia offered, quietly. She called upon her many years of experience and maintained her outward emotional control, even as inwardly she cringed. To use the bodies of your own enemies like that is nothing more or less than utter barbarism, she thought. A silence fell over the group, though it was soon broken as Artemis murmured in her sleep. McCall's face brightened at this, and she gave Luna a knowing look. “Seems it's time to put the little one to bed,” she half-whispered. Luna smiled back at the human. “Indeed,” she replied, sotto voce. “Would you please take care of the dishes whilst I put her to bed?” “Oh you don't even need to ask, dear,” McCall replied. She then stood and slowly began to collect the various used dishes and cups, doing so far more silently than most anyone could expect. Meanwhile, Luna gently applied her magic to pick up Artemis in its blue aura, and then stood even as she carefully levitated the filly into the air. She then looked over at Celestia and gave her a small smile. “Care to help me tuck her in?” Luna softly asked. Celestia felt a warmth in her heart, and she smiled back as she stood. “I'd like that, thank you,” she replied, equally quiet. Luna nodded to her sister, and then turned and started walking down the short hall leading away from the living room. Celestia followed right after, and only a moment later the trio of ponies came to the first door on their right. Luna moved into the room easily, but Celestia stopped at the threshold and took a look inside first. It was a modest bedroom, nothing spectacular in size but neither especially cramped. A full-sized bed was pressed against the left wall, while a dresser and a desk occupied the right. Atop the desk were various papers and electronic reading devices, while the top of the dresser was covered in old-fashioned bound-paper books. But what really drew Celestia's attention were the multiple posters adorning the walls, all of various beings the alacorn could vaguely recognize as Tournament players, if only due to the distinctive weapons they held in almost every picture. Especially surprising, though, was the fact that the majority of these posters were of Luna, adorned in full kit and in various poses, typically with one weapon in particular, which Celestia recognized as the one Luna had used to shoot her in the face. The elder alacorn grimaced a bit at the memory, but soon enough focused her attention back to the present, where she saw Luna using her magic to lift the covers from the bed, and then slipped Artemis into their embrace on her back. The shifting finally seemed to wake the filly, and she stirred a bit and opened her eyes halfway to look at the mare above her. “Momma?” she quietly spoke. “Shh,” Luna hushed, as she sat down next to the bed and brought a hoof up and laid it against Artemis' shoulder. “It's late, Artemis, so go to sleep,” she whispered to her daughter, with a motherly smile on her muzzle. “But I gotta,” Artemis began, but then had to pause as a yawn briefly overtook her. “Gotta brush my teeth,” she weakly protested, even as her eyes drooped towards closing again. Luna just shook her head and kept her warm smile on, even as she used her magic to start bringing up the covers. “It's a special occasion, so I think we can skip it this once,” she said, while she shifted to set her weight entirely on her haunches and used both forelegs to finish tucking Artemis in, instead of her telekinesis. “Besides, you need your rest so you can grow up big and strong and smart.” “Like you?” Artemis whispered the question, even as her eyes slipped shut. Luna's smile grew wider, and Celestia saw her eyes water a bit. Like mine are, the elder pony thought, as she fought to hold her tears back. “Like me,” Luna replied, so softly that Celestia's ears strained to hear it. Then the dark alacorn bent over to lightly kiss the filly's forehead, just beneath her horn. “Goodnight dear one. Dream of warm meadows and cool streams.” Artemis murmured a meaningless noise at that, and then slowly stopped fidgeting on the sheets. Within moments her breathing became steady and it was clear to both of the mares in the room that she had fallen fully asleep. Luna stood back up and then turned her head to her sister and smiled. Celestia smiled back, and then backed out of the room so Luna could walk out after her. Once in the hall, Luna used her magic to softly close the door to Artemis' room, and then sighed quietly. “It's always nice when she goes to sleep so readily,” she quietly observed. “She has trouble falling asleep sometimes.” Celestia couldn't help but chuckle softly as Luna and herself began to walk back into the living room. “Just like... Twilight,” she said, as her expression fell into a frown. “I'm sorry, Luna, I know you said to set it aside but...” “'Tis alright,” Luna said, with a wan smile, while the two alacorns walked back to the divans they had been using most of the night. “I believe I was the one who first mentioned the similarities, was I not?” she asked, as she lied down pony-style on the backless couch. “True,” Celestia allowed, as she matched her sister and lied down on her own divan. “I just don't wish to bring up painful memories,” she said, and then grimaced. “Not that I have been entirely successful in that regard, bringing up the difficult past of not only you, but Heather as well.” “Oh don't worry, dear,” McCall interjected, as she came back and picked up the now empty coffee cups from the various tables in the living room. “You're just catching up, so it's natural.” Celestia recovered from her mild surprise at McCall's sudden reappearance, and then smiled. “Thank you for your understanding, Heather,” she said, warmly. “Not a problem, Cel,” McCall replied with a chuckle, and then turned to head back to the kitchen. Behind her the two sisters remained in an awkward silence for several moments, until Luna cleared her throat. “So, 'Tia,” she began, nervously. “I believe... that is, now that Artemis is asleep, well...” she spoke, haltingly. Celestia suppressed a grimace as she listened to the false starts. “Yes, I believe you promised a... display of your reason for not wanting to return home,” she cautiously ventured. This seemed to break Luna's unease, and the younger alacorn nodded with a sigh. “Indeed I did,” she replied, and then turned her head to look towards the kitchen. “Heather,” she called out, her voice raised a bit to carry. “It's late and my sister and I would like to have a bit of a private discussion; go ahead and go home for the night.” “Are you sure, Luna?” McCall asked back. She brought her head up from where she had been focusing on her work and gave the pony a questioning look. “The dishes still need to be done and the garbage emptied.” “Both of which I am more than capable of doing,” Luna politely replied, and then smiled at the human. “Besides, you've already done more than your usual amount of work by running out to Franz's. Please, go home and get some rest.” McCall hesitated for a moment, but soon enough wore a smile of her own. “Well, if you really insist,” she merrily said, even as she stepped away from the dishes and began to wash her hands in the sink. “I do,” Luna added, her smile shifting to a smirk. “I'll see you tomorrow afternoon.” “Of course, dear, of course,” McCall replied, as she walked over to the one messy counter corner in the kitchen. There she picked up her handbag and then headed for the front door. “You both have a lovely night!” she called back. “You as well,” Luna replied, and Celestia echoed her. Both sisters waited for the human to depart the suite before they turned to each other. “Well,” Luna said, sociably. “Shall I put on the video?” “I would hope so, since you're the one who knows what she's doing with these machines,” Celestia replied, with a smirk. Luna rolled her eyes, but a tug at the corner of her mouth showed that she appreciated the friendly jab. The hint of a smirk faded quickly, however, as she stood and then walked over to the entertainment center nestled into the corner of the living room. Celestia had given it a few curious glances throughout the night, but hadn't given it much attention due to more pressing matters. Now, though, the elder mare took the time to study the strange adornment. It was more than one object, of course, that much Celestia had noted earlier. The heart of the setup was a low-slung cabinet, upon the top of which rested a very large flat panel screen upon which Artemis had been playing her game. Below this and set into the various portions of the cabinet were several small boxes and other odds and ends, all with various kinds of controls and displays on them. The sheer amount of detail and options on the whole array bewildered Celestia a bit, and she could only watch in rapt fascination as Luna concentrated her magic and deftly manipulated several controls, before she finally grasped a modestly-sized rectangular box covered with numerous buttons and then turned and walked back to her divan. “There, just had to make sure everything was on and updated,” she said, as she pointed the odd box in her magic over her shoulder and back towards the large screen. Luna's aura briefly flared a bit, and then the screen suddenly flared to life. Celestia frowned very slightly as she took in the slowly spinning logo on the screen. “Why does that look familiar?” Luna didn't reply right away, as she was settling on her seat. Soon enough, though, she looked up and then chuckled lightly. “Because that's the Liandri logo,” she explained, and then sighed. “You must have seen it when we were leaving the tournament arcology. Corporations here love to put their names and logos on everything they can, just to remind everyone who's in power,” she added, with a roll of her eyes. “Anyway, we should probably start with the recording of the first match I was dumped into. I already told you most of it, but I think it would help for you to see exactly what I was talking about.” “Alright then,” Celestia replied, and then shifted on her seat a bit to get more comfortable as Luna used her remote control to change the images on the screen. The elder mare could only watch in rapt fascination at the ease with which her sister manipulated the controls and menus, which Celestia could only get the barest gist of. Twilight would love to see this, she mused, as the screen finally blacked out. A moment later, the replay of the match began. * * * * Twilight would not want to see this, Celestia thought, as she watched the fourth replay Luna had set up. In this the dark alacorn was participating in something called “Onslaught”, and the involvement of strange, large, heavily-armed vehicles made the stunning carnage of the first three almost pale in comparison. Almost, the elder mare mused, as she watched a close-up of Luna as she ran over a group of three bipeds in some sort of hovering vehicle the announcer called a 'Manta'. The moment she saw it, Celestia found herself of two minds; one was in mute shock at the casual ease with which her sister had literally bisected the trio of hapless warriors with the leading edge of the hovercraft's side-mounted, ducted fans, while the other part of her wondered how they called it a 'Manta' when the resemblance was superficial, at best? I think my mind is growing numb, Celestia thought, as she suspected the last hour of violence affected her in ways she was not immediately conscious of. I have watched my sister use fantastic weaponry to murder beings individually and wholesale, something that I have not seen since before our rule began so long ago. I am sickened, disgusted, and... frightened. The longer she watched, the more she understood Luna's position about never returning home. Ponies were fearful enough of her when they thought she was going to bring night eternal. If they could see this they'd panic in the streets! ...Which is kind of what they did anyway. Celestia suppressed a wince as she remembered Luna's story about her first Nightmare Night. Our ponies have always been a bit quick on the panic trigger and— Her train of thought stopped abruptly as something especially astounding occurred on the replay. “Did you just blow up that giant, armored box vehicle with the giant weapon?” Celestia asked, without even a glance away from the screen. Luna herself did glance to her sister, and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as Celestia continued to just stare. “It's called a 'Goliath', a kind of armored vehicle called a 'tank'. And yes, they are remarkably similar role to the heavily armored soldiers back home who also have that slang moniker,” Luna explained, as she preempted her sister's sudden shift of focus from the screen at the familiar term. “It's an amazing historical coincidence that leads me to believe that there may be an underlying—“ “You blew it up!” Celestia interrupted, her face a study in shock. “With that, what did you call it again?” “'Rocket launcher'”, Luna replied, with a sigh. “It was attacking the node just outside the base.” Celestia did not have anything to say to that, as she barely understood the odd rules behind this version of the 'game'. She did know that it was a stylized recreation of combat as the humans—and other races in this reality, though Celestia suspected humans were the main driving force here—practiced it, and half-remembered campaigns from a millennium ago helped the alacorn understand the general gist of what was going on. Although I think old general Stone Heart would have torn his mane out than deal with a force like this, she darkly mused, as she returned her attention back to the display screen in time to see one of Luna's teammates blast apart an enemy aircraft with a guided weapon of some kind, while Luna herself lead the charge towards the enemy's base. Her hovercraft—how does she even control that without the bipeds' hands? I must ask her later—dodged and weaved and hopped into the air, dodging fire even as the weapons on its front spat out what Celestia recognized as a kind of energetic plasma. The dark alacorn's evasive movements were for naught, however, as several beams of light impacted the hovercraft and caused it to explode. A grunt and a sound of shifting came from the side, and Celesita managed to pry her eyes from the screen a second time as she glanced to her right. Luna moved a bit on the freestanding divan she lied upon, and a thought entered Celestia's head. “That hurt, didn't it?” she asked, and then waited for her sister to turn her head towards her. “Even though those machines save you, they don't stop the pain?” “Aye,” Luna replied, and then turned her attention back to the screen, which prompted Celestia to do likewise. “I am not exactly sure of the reason, something about the temporal mechanics of it all, but the pain is very much real and felt,” she explained, even as her recorded image respawned at an outlying 'node' and rushed forward to rejoin the fight. Celestia shuddered as she considered the implications of that statement. “But then, you... you feel it all?” she asked, with a glance to Luna. “Every mortal injury? Every painful attack?” The narrowing of her sister's eyes as she stared at the screen was far more telling of the experience than anything the dark alacorn could have said. Luna almost seemed to read her sister's mind, and simply replied: “Yes.” Stunned by the idea, Celestia returned her attention to the screen in time to see her sister 'die' again as one of the enemy Goliaths blasted her with its main weapon as she tried to approach their base. Oh, Luna, she mournfully thought. “How can you stand it?” she quietly asked, as the question came unbidden from her lips. “There is a funny thing about pain,” Luna replied, just as quietly, as the two mares continued to watch the screen. “In time, even it can become addictive.” “Is that why you still do this?” Celestia pressed, as she and Luna locked gazes at the sudden shift in the conversation. “Because you're addicted to the pain?” Luna snorted. “The pain is a trifle compared to the real addiction,” she retorted, moodily. “Nor is it the wealth, as substantial as it is. No, 'Tia, the pull of the Tournament is far greater than that.” Celestia paused as she felt as if a light clicked on in her head, and she couldn't help but let her expression fall a bit. “It's the admiration, isn't it?” she queried, while the replay reached a crescendo of noise as Luna and her allies besieged the enemy base. “Earlier today, in the square, they were cheering your name in a way that our ponies haven't done in ages.” Luna winced, and then glanced off to the side. In moving her head, her eyes caught view of the screen, and she turned her gaze upon it to watch as her doppelganger ran forward towards the enemy power core. Celestia saw the sudden attention shift, and she cast her own gaze to the display in time to see the dark mare leading a group of her allies towards a glowing, cylindrical construct of some kind. 'Cylindrical' would be oversimplifying it, though, as it was very clearly some kind of complicated machine, made to operate in a precise fashion. And Luna was using a weapon to launch flying, explosive projectiles at it. “I won't deny that the admiration is a great part of the reason I remain in this reality,” Luna said, quietly, as her past self and allies ripped the strange machine apart with their weaponry. “It is a salve that makes my rare defeats pale into insignificance. And it is... satisfying in ways I have never quite known back home in our Equestria. “But admiration and adoration, as much as I crave them, are not the reason I continue to fight in the Tournament,” Luna continued, and then sighed. “After Artemis came along, I discovered something amazing; that the love of the faceless masses pales in comparison to the love of a single filly.” She paused at this, and then smiled as her eyes drifted off of the display screen, where the power core finally exploded in a shower of metal fragments and burning plasma. “The crowds can cheer all they want, but coming home to Artemis is more than I could ever need.” Celestia couldn't help but smile a bit at that. “Spoken like a true parent,” she warmly observed. “You would know,” Luna friendlily replied back, as she cast a knowing gaze at her sister. “How long has it been since your last one, anyway?” The smile faded a bit from Celestia's muzzle. “Too long,” she said, and then sighed. “And to think that my eternal spinster of a sister just back from the moon would actually foal before me,” she teased, with a smirk. Luna shared in the moment and chuckled, but soon both sisters quieted as the elephant in the room reared its ugly head. “So why, Luna?” Celestia asked. “Why keep doing these things that you have shown me?” All mirth faded from Luna's face, and she looked back to the screen, which had transitioned to the media device's menu screen after the end of the Onslaught replay. “Have you not been watching, dear sister?” Luna asked, quietly. “More than I would have liked,” Celestia replied, cautiously. Something about Luna's tone confused her, and she frowned. “I know you want to prove your point, that you think yourself corrupted. While all the things you've shown have indeed been quite terrible by Equestrian standards, they are not in and of themselves any sort of evidence that you are somehow unfit to return home.” Luna groaned and rolled her eyes. “You,” she said, and lazily waved a hoof in her sister's direction. “You are the reason Twilight is so anal.” Celestia sputtered a bit. “I– wha– Luna! What on Equis does that have to do with anything?” she demanded, and then blushed. “Not that it's true!” “Please,” Luna added, with another roll of her eyes. “You two are so mutually analytical and logical that I half expected you to introduce her to me as your latest when I returned from my exile.” The blush on Celestia's face deepened to the point where it started to take on a purplish hue. “Don't even joke about that!” she admonished. “I had a hard enough time squashing those rumors when I took her in as my student, the last thing I need is you raising them up from the grave when we go home.” Luna frowned at that. “You really haven't been watching me, have you?” she asked. “If I haven't, then what have we been doing the last hour?” Celestia countered. “No,” Luna replied, with a slap of a hoof on her couch. “You have been watching what I was doing, but you have not been watching me.” Celestia furrowed her brows at that, and a brief moment of silence passed betwixt the two sisters. “Luna, what do you mean?” The dark alacorn sighed again, and then turned her attention back to the screen and lifted the remote in her magic again. “There is one more replay you should see,” she began, sotto voce, as she use the control to maneuver through the saved media. “And please, this time, watch me.” Celestia pursed her lips a bit, but nodded as she turned her attention to the screen. * * * * “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, assorted aliens and A.I.s!” the energetic host spoke, from where he sat behind his desk, smiling. “I'm Freddy Vorhees, and welcome to tonight's grudge match! We've got a real treat for you today, as Greith from team Hellion faces off against Luna from team Thundercrash!” “It's certainly going to be an intense match,” a voice come from off-screen, and the picture widened ten to reveal a second man sitting at the desk. Unlike the host, who was dressed smartly in a sport coat, the new figure was wearing ornate armor of a strange aesthetic. His face and tone bespoke of great discipline, and where Vorhees was energetic this new man was nearly stoic. “The two combatants have a profound dislike of one another stemming from Luna's first appearance in the Grand Tournament.” “That's right, Roc!” Vorhees replied to the man, and then looked back at the active camera. “For those who might have been stuck on Na Pali the last few years, with me is Roc of team Sun Blade, come to help comment on this brutal competition. And as he's noted, the two participants here have a fair amount of bad blood between them. So hopefully that means an exciting, violence-filled match for you all to enjoy!” “Speaking of which,” Roc interjected. “I believe it's about to begin.” “Thanks, Roc!” Vorhees replied, evenly, if excitedly. “Now let's go to the action!” he added, and the screen shifted to show the interior of some kind of small, cramped building. Or so it seemed, until the camera panned and revealed a window that displayed a moving starfield. “Long-time views might recognize the original 'Oblivion' arena ship from a few years ago! Well, the old girl's been brought out of retirement for this up close, in-your-face grudge match, so enjoy this blast from the past!” Even as Vorhees spoke, the screen shifted and split to show two figures suddenly appear in a flash of swirling light, each on opposite ends of the tiny ship. They immediately moved out and began to run through the ship, and encountered each other within seconds. Bullets flew from the lead-spewing assault rifles that were their starting weapons, and both mare and woman let out shouts and grunts of pain as the hot lead tore into their bodies. Luna's constitution won out, though, and Greith collapsed to the deck in pain, even as the dark alacorn dashed forward to empty her magazine into the biped's head. “Oooh, a brutal takedown right off the bat!” Vorhees exclaimed, as Greith's 'body' was disintegrated by the respawner systems. “The nostalgia flows like spice,” Roc added in, with a hint of wistfulness. “Ah, but Luna is going to be hard pressed to keep Greith from balancing the score, as wounded as she is.” “Indeed,” Vorhees agreed. “So let's cut in to the audio feed and see how the fan favorite is faring!” * * * * Luna grunted as she ran into the floating green holograms that denoted a healing station. The cross-shaped devices pumped a measure of energy into the alacorn, spurring her body to heal itself. Technology, magic, machines, spells, it all works the same in the end, Luna briefly mused, as she moved across a second station and felt her wounds close up and her muscles and bones mend themselves. Just as soon as they did, however, Greith ran into the room at the rear of the vessel and spotted the mare. “Time for you to die!” the human screamed, as she let loose with her shock rifle. The shot went wide, and Luna took the opportunity to dodge behind one of the crates in the area for cover. “Thou should get some new material, savage!” Luna taunted back, as she dodged from cover to cover, angling for her target. “I know I've heard that insult before!” “Fuck you!” Greith shouted back, as she sent a shock ball soaring over the crates. Luna spotted it a fraction too late, and the combo that Greith set off a moment later blasted into the alacorn and sent her flying into one of the crates. Luna yelped as she felt her wings take the brunt of the impact, their delicate bones snapping like twigs. Couldn't use them in here anyway, she thought, as she rolled to her hooves and ran for the one crate she had sought. In it was a weapons station, and she grinned as she pushed her assault rifle into its holding space and picked up the flak cannon affectionately named the “Negotiator”. Scarcely had she done so when she heard footsteps running up behind her, and Luna spun around in time to fire a pattern of ionized metal flechettes straight into Grieth's chest when she rounded a crate. The human body went flying in several different directions simultaneously, and Luna could only smirk. “Just like old times, eh Greith?” the alacorn shouted, using her Royal Canterlot Voice to project throughout the ship. An inarticulate scream of rage echoed back, and Luna's smirk grew wider as she set off, heading for the newly recharged healing stations. * * * * Celestia watched with a growing sense of unease as the match went on. This time she did as her sister had bade her, and paid more attention to the Luna of the past as she played a game of high-adrenalin cat-and-mouse with the angry biped. Every hit, every wounding, and every apparent death made the elder mare cringe, but what truly scared her was the look in past-Luna's eyes as she hunted and was hunted by the human, Greith. Those are not the eyes of a pony, she thought, as the light glinted just right off of the dark mare's ocular orbs. Light cast by a massive shock combo as it ripped her prey apart. Her mind seized on the word that had passed through without preamble. Prey, Celestia thought, as she watched the recording intently, and saw how Luna moved with a catlike grace, pursuing Greith when necessary, but using the shadows and her natural affinity for them—both in magic and color scheme—to ambush and assault the human when it suited her. Greith was no pushover, and Luna was 'slain' several times, but each time she respawned the dark alacorn's expression never wavered, never changed from anything but eager anticipation, save for the brief moments of pain. She has become like them; a predator, Celestia realized. A cold chill ran down her spine, and she could only watch in morbid fascination as past-Luna laughed as she gunned down her foe once again, while the two human commentators praised her skill at killing sapient beings. A noise came from Luna's direction then—the real one—and Celestia slowly turned her head to regard the younger mare. What she saw only made the pit in her stomach grow, as she saw her sister's muscles tense and relax in a way that showed she was reliving the match playing on the screen. The same movements, the same twitches, the way her eyes are narrowed... and the grin. The last especially frightened her, as that more than anything else spoke of how much Luna enjoyed the twisted bloodsport. That thought made her pause, and Celestia felt her ears droop as she finally understood what Luna had been trying to explain to her with these replays. She enjoys it, revels in it. She isn't a predator, for predators only hunt when they need food. She hunts for sport, for the sheer thrill of chasing down an opponent who fights back, who thinks and feels and fears, just so she can savor the feeling of utterly crushing them. This is not my sister, she is— * * * * —Not my sister! The thought pained her far worse than the aches that wracked her body. Celestia struggled to stand as she heard the mocking laughter of Luna—no, not Luna; Nightmare Moon—fade as the madmare flew away, having believed the stewardess of the sun defeated. She looked up and through the hole blasted into the ceiling of the throne room, and then glanced back down and closed her eyes. “Oh dear sister, I am sorry,” she began, as tears began to leak from her eyes. She then turned her head and lit her horn up to activate a hidden mechanism in the floor. “But you have given me no choice but to use these!” Once triggered, the hidden doors split apart, and the pillar holding the Elements of Harmony rose from its secret vault. Scarcely had it finished when Celestia cast her magic over them, levitating the five structural Elements to float beside her before she coaxed the keystone Element from its hiding space. I should not even be able to do this, Celestia mournfully thought, as she poured her magic into the Elements and sent them spinning around her. Luna was the one bonded with Magic, Honesty, and Loyalty, yet they respond to me; even they can see she is gone. The thought stabbed deep into her heart, but she nevertheless spread her wings and took to the air again. The Elements almost seemed to understand her plight and they poured restorative magics into her body, revitalizing her and giving her the strength and speed necessary to catch up with the madmare who was even now cackling as she flew over the panicked denizens of the capitol city, taunting them with the lack of sunlight. Her heart ached yet again, as she saw the heinous, black form terrorize the populace that Luna herself had cherished so deeply, putting into their hearts a fear of the night that the younger princess had spent years to erase. She would never be so gleeful over such a mockery of her night, Celestia reasoned, as she flew towards the madmare. Nightmare Moon seemed to sense the approaching mass of magical energy, and she turned to fly up and meet Celestia after she took a moment to spot the regent of the sun. Celestia's heartstrings were nearly sprained as she saw familiar actions in the way Nightmare maneuvered. The twist of her wings, the way she turns through the air—No! That is not Luna, that is not my sister! Her thoughts were broken up as the twisted pony hovered nearby and began to channel magic. She is not my sister, Celestia told herself, as she channeled not only her own magic, but the remarkable power of the Elements themselves. True to their harmonious nature, the Elements formed up by their own accord and did not disrupt Celestia's innate magic, but instead complimented it, amplified it, and channeled it in a way that no corporeal being could ever hope to do unaided. Then the two alacorns unleashed their magics, the beams of raw energy colliding and tearing the very fabric of reality apart at the seams. Celestia briefly felt a moment of pity for her sister as the power of the Elements made itself known, but as soon as she did it distracted her with a pain in her heart, and the point of conflict was pushed back towards her. She is not my sister! the white mare fairly screamed in her head, and then focused her entire being, her entire will into her casting. It was enough, and the combined might of her magic and that of the Elements pushed Nightmare Moon's magic back, and then engulfed the demented pony in a field of pure energy. The scream of 'no!' that followed ripped Celestia's heart out, and she fell from the sky as despair washed over her. Even as the beam of magic carried her transfigured sister to the moon and buried her essence within, Celestia plummeted down until she crashed into the floor of the throne room. The earth pony portion of her alacorn magic reinforced her body and kept her from gaining anything more than severe bruising and contusions, but Celestia cared not for such physical worries as she felt sadness and sorrow overtake her. The connection to the Elements was even then fading, but it lasted long enough to let her know the results of the contest with such clarity that she would remember it for centuries. A thousand years, Celestia thought, as the tears poured down her face. She sobbed, even as she saw the Elements drift to the ground, the five structural ones transforming into stone, while Magic evaporated into the draft that now filtered through the ruined hall. Why a thousand? Why? Why did it have to be this way? She was my sister! She... was... All thought left Celestia then, and the sobbing gave way to unrelenting wails. * * * * “'Tia! 'Tia, please speak to me!” Luna's voice broke the memory, and Celestia blinked hard as she looked around and tried to figure out what had just happened and where she was. I... I'm here with Luna, in her suite, on top of an alien super-tower in an alternate reality, she remembered, and a brief twinge of pride came over her as she didn't feel any sense of rejection over the geographical situation. That twinge died immediately, however, as Celestia realized what had happened: I triggered a total recall, she thought. My emotions and thoughts were so strong, and so much like what happened in the past that my memory played back as if I were experiencing it again... “'Tia?” Luna's voice again intruded on her, and Celestia blinked again as she finally registered her sister. The younger mare was standing in front of her, a fearful look of near panic on her face as she gazed into Celestia's. “What happened? Why are you crying?” “Crying?” Celestia asked, and then immediately regretted it, as she heard and felt her voice croak. Idly, she raised a hoof up and touched it to her face and felt tears under her eyes. Then she remembered the reason why, and she felt the water build in her eyes once again as she looked to her sister. My sister. Luna yelped as Celestia launched from the divan to glomp her, and the two fell to the floor, with Celestia on top, her eyes tightly closed as she held Luna in a death's grip version of a hug. “Celestia?” Luna asked, concerned and frightened for her sister, as well as slightly uncomfortable with both of her forelegs held tight against her barrel by the larger mare. “You're my sister,” Celestia fiercely whispered, and then squeezed Luna a bit tighter for a moment before she nuzzled Luna's chest. “I don't care what this world has done to you. I don't care how much you've changed,” she said, and then opened her eyes and tilted her head up to look at Luna. “I don't care that you've done shocking and terrible things. You are my sister, my family, and I am not going to forsake you again!” At this, she again closed her eyes and nuzzled into Luna's chest fur. “Never again,” she added, and then sobbed. Luna felt her sister break down, and she felt her own eyes tear up. Even after everything, after my betrayal, after showing her what I've become, she still accepts me; she still wants me back. The water began to flow, even as Luna wiggled her forelegs free and then promptly wrapped them around Celestia's sides. “Thank you,” she haltingly whispered, as her throat tightened up. A dam that she hadn't even realized was there broke in her heart, and Luna began to echo her sister's sobs. “Thank you.”