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// Chapter 5: A Peek Behind the Crown 
// Story: Purpose of Harmony 
// by Rapthorn2ndform 
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	Everypony had gone to sleep, except for Twilight Sparkle. She had more important things to do. He had already prepared the mass teleportation circle for the morning, made a small but filling breakfast for her friend, and packed all unused gear away. She was now in full panic mode, worrying about how to tell the princesses. This was not the irrational fear that normally filled her when she disappointed the princess; this was not even fear for herself and friends. This was fear that, the princess would listen to her, and because of Twilight’s advice, would end up making the wrong decision, a decision that meant life or death for tens of thousands of ponies.
The princess would be angry that she lost the Element. The princess would be angry that she had disobeyed orders. Twilight was resigned to do what was necessary, no matter what would happen to her. Slap on the hoof, magic kindergarten, banishment to the sun, none of that mattered. What mattered were the lives of every colt and filly, mare and stallion in Canterlot. She could not fail, she would not fail.
She woke her friends a little before sunrise to pack and eat in silence. The second the sun peaked over the horizon they were gone.
Luna sat in the throne room, utterly bored. Everything was so predictable. She was in the prime of her life, and she was wasting it. Nearly all the guards faces ran together making it impossible for her to keep a conversation with one last more than a few minutes without confusing him for somepony else. Her dignitaries were all insufferable, bit-grubbing profiteers. There were only two in the castle she could enjoy herself with. First being her sister, who was currently in the dragon kingdoms and wouldn’t be back for two more days. The second was the captain of the guard, her nephew-in-law, her good friend Twilight’s older brother, Shining Armor, who was busy with guarding the front door against attackers who never came.
She chuckled to herself about how cushy the royal guard had become. They were serious and well trained, but it was rare for one of them to be called upon for anything more than peaceful crowd control. She remembered the armies who stood against Discord and later herself as Nightmare Moon, thinking that the times have truly changed. Those brave warriors who laid their lives on the line for Equestria every day, they were the true royal guard, not theses royal doorman. She was glad; it meant these were more peaceful times. Until a rather pitiful attack on the capital by the changelings a few short months earlier, Equestria had not been truly engaged in war sense the original coming of Nightmare Moon. It was truly peaceful…and dull…horribly dull. Luna pleaded for something interesting to happen.
As if on cue, a bright arcane circle appeared in the center of the throne room. The guards nearly panicked as the got into formation, weapons at the ready. Luna was surprised; she should have been more careful what she had wished for. Her sister kept a weakened dimension lock spell on the palace the prevented all but the most powerful magic-users from teleporting in or out. It refreshed every morning at sunrise so, in theory, at least somepony could exploit the gap and teleport in, but few knew the gap even existed and even fewer cared. Whoever had done this was either extremely powerful or extremely clever, or both.
Before the haze cleared, Luna called off her guards and approached the edge of the circle. Once she got close enough, she could see that it was four of the Wilders of Harmony. Luna thought as the guards returned to their posts “Perhaps this little surprise will be enjoyable after all” 
“Twilight Sparkle and friends, to what do I owe…” Luna began to say, until se saw the other girls gathered around Twilight who was unconscious. “CAPTAIN, get your sister to the medical office!”
Shining armor rushed Twilight out of the room. As her friends went to follow, Luna put out her hoof. “She is in capable hooves, but now I need to know what happened. This unfortunately does not appear to be the four of you just popping in for tea.”
“Yer highness, somethin’ terrible has happened” said Applejack staring out the door the way Twilight had left “It would be best if we told both you and yer sister, at the same time.”
“Unfortunately, my sister is currently away and cannot be contacted by magic, we could send a delivery pegasus, but she would have returned before receiving the message” said Luna in an almost shy voice “But I will do my utmost to help you all.”
“Well…” Applejack took the burden of telling the princess in Twilight’s absence “ya know that one really lonely mountain, near the Everfree Forest?”
“Y-yes, I am aware that the mountain exists…” Luna attempted to sound nonchalant, but the mention of that mountain dredged up so many wonderful and painful memories. It was difficult. “Why do you ask, friend Applejack?”
“Well, we were just campin’ up there a few days ago.” Applejack’s knees were shaking but she needed to continue “Twilight thought she could learn more about the elements o’ harmony there so she…”
“She WHAT?!?” a look of pure shock shattered through the normally importable princessly façade “How did she figure that out!”
“Was somethin’ yer sister said, but that’s not what’s important. Durring the first night…” Applejack paused “Somepony stole the Element of Magic”
“STOLE WHAT?!” shouted Luna, the royal Canterlot voice bowling the 3 mares back several feet. “I apologize for the outburst but, you can understand how that news would be…distressing”
“Ta be honest, it’s better than what we were imaginin’” Applejack helped pinkie back to he hooves “But we followed the magic of what we though was the element, deep under the mountain, into a hidden ancient city bigger than Canterlot…”
“A-a hidden city, really” Luna could feel herself losing composure, she wondered if she should take the conversation elsewhere, or wait for Celestia to get back. “H-how odd, sounds like a comic, hehehe”
“Really, ‘cause we think ya might no about it already. We saw a statue…” with that last word the night princess broke down. Memories of playing with her sister beneath the statue, the day she got he cutie mark, the day everything changed. A cover draped over the third statue, ropes and chains, ponies pulling, the shattering marble. It was too much for the young princess to handle, despite her age she was barely a young adult by alicorn standards. If scaled back to normal pony ages, she was younger than twilight and her friends. Applejack was calling “Princess, are ya’all right, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up somethin’ wrong.”
“No, it’s my fault,” Luna snapped back to reality, trying to save as much face as was possible “but if you don’t mind, could we continue this in a few hours. Twilight will be up by then, and I can send a chariot for the other two Elements. There is much I will need to explain and as you may have guessed, it is not a happy topic. I would rather not repeat myself three or four times.”
“Ah ‘course princess” Applejack confirmed nervously
“Thank you” a wave of relief rushed over Luna “I will meet you in my personal chambers, the guards will escort Miss Rarity, Miss Fluttershy and, when well enough Twilight Sparkle to you.”
The girls followed 2 armored earth ponies out of the throne room as Luna flew to the center of the castle hedge maze. There she waited for the hours to pass, alone, crying.
Tia, I’m sorry, I’m not as strong as you. Tell me what to do. I can’t lie to them. Would it really be so bad if they knew the truth? The memories hurt, please come home.