I looked around in uncomfortable awe at the council hall before me, filled with ponies of greater age and rank then me. They had been expecting Celestia, but not me. Their eyes focused on me, the anomaly non of them had expected. Doing my best to stand calm and tall beside my princess I was saved by her call for attention. She took her place among the other ponies and beckoned for me to stand beside her as she spoke.
"I have been informed, this meeting was called because you are restless and wish to hear the retaliation to my sister's deeds? Let us once more then go over the events that have brought us here."
There was short moment of silence, the ponies of the council still resting their curious eyes on me, but then one of them spoke up.
"Luna has returned to her old capital and called her followers to arms. As you asked we dispatcher messengers, but non has returned to us and some fear the worst."
There was another short silence and a different pony, this one not wearing the pin of a high ranked council member but instead that of a mayor spoke up.
"The ponies of Shimmerglail are terrified by the reports of unrest close to our city. I have come here to ask for protection and can confirm the rumors that our northern kin have begun to arm themselves, gathering forces at Hoofington."
Celestia glanced over the ponies present, including me, and then smiled in that warm and compassionate way she had mastered.
"Your city will come to no harm my little pony. All of this will be settled without the need of bloodshed. If these reports are indeed more then just paranoia driven fabrications and Luna has gathered an army then we have to trust in her judgment and goodwill."
The wave of displeasure which passed through the room was noticeably even to me, as if the majority of the council had already agreed to disagree with Celestia's decision. The first to speak was the same pony which had earlier infromed Celestia of this meeting, his expression disappointed but diplomatic.
"We are here to advice our queen, not make decisions for her. However, your love and faith in Luna should not come at the risk of your subjects. If Luna is allowed to gather an army of subjects loyal to her, and only her, then the authority of Equestria is at risk. Even if her intent is just, the consequences are too great. I advise we send the royal army to subdue the unrest and bring Luna back for her to be judged by your wisdom. Once she is here it will be easy to make clear of this mess and return Equestria to stability."
The majority of ponies present seemed to agree with this judgment more, many of which tried to voice their support and persuade Celestia of the wisdom in their view.
"The ponies of Equestria should not have to fear their own. Luna's actions have reawaken a divide all of us have long worked to subdue."
"If we let Luna do as she pleases other ponies might follow suit, Equestria might crumble back into the pieces that assembled it!"
"The gr---"
The last pony was silenced by Celestia's voice, as she spoke up above all of them, making her words heard in a manner that could not be argued.
"I will not have this talk about your queen, all of you owe Luna as much loyalty as you do me. Equestria will not fall apart from rumors and superstition. This army is an Equestrian army, led by one of you queens. It will not cause harm to its own folk."
A large number of the council ponies seemed outraged by this, but non of them had a chance to voice their disagreement as Celestia continued to talk.
"We will not act against Luna. We will wait and see what her actions bring..."
The mood in the council hall had become cold, many of the ponies present looked with plain disapproval onto their queen's words, glances flowing from one to another.
As a guard I was taught loyalty and faith in my queens above everything else, to see these ponies be so ready and willing to fight their queen's judgment worried me. But this train of thought was cut short by yells from outside the hall, catching everypony's attention. Only a moment later the two golden doors were swung open, and revealed my supervising officer, with an expression marked by confusion. His voice too was shaken by uncertainty and fear.
"M..My Queen! The moon.. it.. has blocked out the sun!"
The whole room fell quiet, all eyes resting on our goddess of the sun. Her always confident and warm stance was now finally showing a crack and I could see her mouth silently word something. The silence held for too long, the unease setting itself in my body and sending a shiver down my spine, till it was broken by one of Celestia's many advisers.
"I.. it pains me to say this.. but my queen, you can not possibly stay passive after this. If we wish to advert public misunderstand and panic we need Luna back here in Canterlot, to explain herself..."
There was a momentary pause in the ponies words, till he seemed to have gathered his courage. "and answer for her actions.."
The expression my goddes held in that one moment was earth shattering, destructive to the core. The pony with the power to raise the sun, looking toward the floor in shame and fear of the only path left to her. The way she slowly nodded, avoiding eye contact with her own advisers.
"I... do not believe I have clarity of mind to rule over this. I wish no one harmed, but you have permission to send the royal guard. To subdue the... rebel forces, and bring back Luna so she can explain herself."
Having said those words she turned herself away from the council of ponies, and walked away from them, leaving the specifics in their power. I still stood there, utterly baffled and shocked by these events, lost in a haze of questions as the ponies around me already started to debate what part of the royal guard forces to send, and what orders to give them. I would probably have been too shocked to follow any of it anyway, but once Celestia had left I too was hushed outside. I returned to the place I had first talked to Celestia today, and look out over the balcony, and the city of Canterlot. A few hours ago it had been beautiful, now, in the utter darkness of an eclipse, I could feel only fear of the future we had to face.