The moon was a crescent shape that beautiful cloudless night. Stars shone particularly brightly that night with not a single one amiss despite the polluting light of the city. A place abuzz with such activity. Music hovered across the capital like a blanket, from the lulling lullabies of mares singing their foals to dreamland in the outskirts, to the reverberating wubs of the party ponies in the city's center. Not a pony on the streets were still. After a hard's day work many ponies simply wanted to go home as they made the lethargic trudge to the suburbs. While young, hip ponies flooded the alleys and walkways like tidal wave of chatter and clopping towards the heart of the party.
Ceres and Luna wandered the streets of Canterlot as Ceres lead the way, seemingly driven by some unknown urge. For the first time that day there was no caution or concern with his actions. Wandering around with the royal pardon on legs he no longer needed to be so worried. The night is young as Luna had said, he had hours before he needed to do his part. But he wanted to lighten the mood a little, to soften the impact. A little fun to get things along. From what he heard of Luna's idea of fun, a little education was in order. At least that's what he thought as Luna shadowed his way. A night time adventure with the princess of the night, Ceres couldn't resist a short stifling laugh to himself as every Night guard out on patrol glared green envying daggers at him.
Every so often he’d turn around a corner and expected a certain something to welcome his vision. But each time he was only disappointed. He talked of great restaurants and shops at night that he frequented in times of old, public houses singing bawdy songs and endless rivers of apple juice flowing within. But nothing was familiar, where there use to be merry making there was the strange wubbing noise inside an alien neon lighted building. Where he expected night time libraries he found a place that told stories in moving pictures. And all the food he could find were these greasy, seedy “take away” places that offered no places for a pony to sit and eat nor give any resemblance of welcoming service. Everything was newer than he expected, literally nothing of the old remained.
Lost in an alien world the pair walked to the only thing they knew was eternal. They continued to look around regardless and even tried a few things but all of it simply felt off. As if they were forcing fun upon each other with awkward smiles and sickeningly shallow banter. With every stop they had found that all roads lead their eyes. They paused quietly on the main road, letting the rush of laughing and giggling ponies wash over them. The castle beckoned. In this alien world the castle was their bastion of familiarity. Mayhaps their only one for a very long time. Reluctantly, with defeat in their quest for fun hanging over their heads, they returned to the castle. The night still young, barely a few hours old.
Stubborn to retire and merely wallow in lonesome melancholy they kept from entering the castle itself. Optimistic to at least find wonders within the castle grounds they took a stroll through the gardens. To both of their surprise, the place had in fact been a lovers' paradise. Every bush they passed, every corner they turned, every flower bed they strolled, courting stallions and mares were to be found somewhere just out of sight. The place was awash with whispers of sweet nothings, swooning and fawning. Luna looked at Ceres nervously, she was blushing so deeply and seemed to quiver all over. Ceres saw a mix of fear, hesitation, uncertainty, terror and want in her features. He could hazard a guess that she likely felt that she needed to do something as per appropriate those that surrounded them. He smiled to himself, still such a filly.
"Come with me princess. I want to show you something." Ponies do not take others by the hand. In the body language of the Equestrian, much is told through their eyes. Ceres looked at Luna with such conviction that she was compelled to follow him. Something about it made her feel safe and reassured, as if he would to hide her away from this awful impure place. However what he intended was what worried her instead.
-
“It’s strange...” Princess Luna began and then trailed off. She had began to speak but there were so many subjects to begin with.
“It is...” Ceres replied, quivering still from his culture shock. They sat in a secluded bench deep in the castle gardens. It was a place he’d known very well and kept close to his heart. Deep in the garden hedge maze parts of the walls are false. They opened the way to places no mere pegasus can see from the sky, and not even your most excellent of average unicorns can merely stumble upon. You merely had to know them or trust the one who did to be permitted entry. Each secret maze room held a shrine to each element of harmony. Ceres and Luna were in none of the six you would think of.
He’d wanted to bring Celestia there, but it was the last place he could think of. To his relief, Celestia had preserved the place well, a secret hideaway where memories gathered to rest. Admittedly, he enjoyed his evening escapade somewhat, but it just didn’t feel the same. In days old everypony had a sense of community, this was still true to an extent but now they held a sort of hidden detachment from each other. No pony was part of everyone's lives anymore, barring only royalty themselves.
“No. I mean, nights hadn’t usually been this rowdy. It almost seemed like every pony was about tonight.” Indeed, his ears still ringing with the sound of wubs and partying. Ponies had been going out late more times as of late this era. Though mayhaps Luna was talking of something else.
“The ponies were out on the town, but not a one took a moment to look at the magic of the night sky. You’ve made beautiful stars tonight princess.” Ceres sat on the bench his forelegs behind him as he lent back to look skyward, unclothed. Something about the situation made the weight of his sword awkward to hold and constricting feel of his clothes made him feel hot and heavy. He needed to breathe and refresh himself and enjoy the night air. Like a true earth pony would. Although feeling no such ailment herself, she also removed her crown and girdle. There was no special reason to it really, it just seemed appropriate to do so. Ceres merely smirked at the action, Luna's eyes furrowed in reaction as if she'd been silently mocked. Her first instinct was become downcast and go within herself, but she resisted the urge. Courage Luna.
Luna having made sure to sit close to him Ceres couldn't help but glance to see her advances. In those eyes she could only see one person. Guilt panged in his heart. This was a bad place to be, it was sacred. It was sacred...the place they called theirs and theirs alone.The place they first met, the secret garden within the secret; Celestia's and his. At this very moment, he wanted to take Luna away, far from this place never to visit it again until such a time Celestia does. But it was ideally private, what was about to transpire was not for mortal ears.
“The ponies of Equestria may never truly change.” Luna sighed. “They will always close their eyes to the night. I will always be just something that comes before the day.” Luna had leant on Ceres’s shoulder. Not knowing how to react, Ceres did nothing at all.
“Is that okay with you? Has a thousand years changed the ire in you? Have the elements of harmony quelled the hate in you? Is eternal night a solution to the problem?” With each new question her mind gave way to doubt and then confusion and then a silent despair. A kind of which that would not show on her features, but her actions. Luna lent on Ceres's shoulder and silently whimpered. Ceres remained uncertain and merely waited for the inevitable relapse.
“Nothing has changed. I still hold the uncertainty of how to find my happiness. The elements of harmony may have hurt me and weakened me but I am still the princess of the night, and the ponies still ignore the night as ever. An eternity of night was the only thing I could think of. There is something to love in the night, I just want everypony to see it as clearly as the light of day.” Still not knowing what to do, Ceres did nothing at all. Nothing but listen.
-
The night rolled by silently. Ceres had lain down on the bench with Luna on beside of him, both watching as the stars shone and the moon glowed. It was a couple of hours before dawn now and they knew that this moment had to end. Ceres had a job to do and Luna would need to leave eventually. Her company was... wonderful for lack of a better word.
“Tell me about yourself, Ceres.” Luna nuzzled against his chest. Lying on his back hurt his scars immensely but with Luna on him, he couldn’t bring himself to move. Pain had been a thing he endured in ages, he could endure this. So long as he didn’t move too suddenly, the pangs of pain didn't feel too bad.
“Where do I begin?” Ceres pawed Luna’s mane absent-mindedly. “There’s a lot to tell.” Luna thought deep and remembered that a certain something had been nagging on her the whole night.
“Why did you call my sister a queen? She’s a princess like me.” Ceres sighed with relief, good, he thought. Now he was making some progress. But he should approach cautiously, he thought. It wouldn’t do to do a repeat of Celestia.
“How old are you Luna? No better yet. How much do you remember about your mother?” Luna looked up at him. She wanted to ask why he was asking these specific questions. But by the tone of his voice, it was important that she just complied.
"I don't know my mother." The breath in Ceres was lost to him. How could she not know? She was her mother, a mare she knew for much of her infancy, long into her childhood.
"That's impossible." The response was involuntary. Luna rolled so that she laid on top of him, pinning him down with her body. She looked him deeply in the eyes, narrowing with suspicion. "Who are you...?" Her voice was confused and angry for some reason. The weight pressing down on his scars made Ceres's eyes water with pain.
Ceres opened his mouth forming his response, "What's wrong?" But different words escaped his lips to what he had planned. Luna's horn had began to glow and she began to groan in pain. "My head... it hurts." Ceres's eyes widened as he witnessed Luna's eyes shift back and forth into a midnight blue to a reptilian azure. Instinctively Ceres pushed her off him and let her fall to the ground. Sprawled on the grassy ground Luna began to scream but no sound came out of her lips and from her horn moons and stars spilled from her horn like black reflections in black ink only to fade after a few instances of existence. Still no sound came even as she scratched and pounded at her skull at the apparent anguish on her face. Tears were flowing from her shifting eyes profusely.
The ordeal now began to form its crescendo. Ceres was in a world of moons and stars, the garden, the ground, Equestria was all gone. He walked in a world painted in a portrayal of the night sky The glow of Luna's horn now covering her body in a darkened sky blue miasma only to explode outwards shattering the midnight world she had created, bringing them both back to reality. Without hesitation he picked her up off the ground to sit her back on the bench. She sobbed a long while in his hoofs. With time they had relapsed in their original lain position. Relaxed and yet ever so slightly bewildered.
“I...” Luna’s eyes were tearing overflowing down her cheek and on his neck, scratches still prominent on her face. “She once said, I had immense magical talent. She use to praise me so much at how I could summon so many stars when it took all of Celestia’s power to summon just one.” Luna smiled at the memory, as if not noticing herself the overflowing tears washed over her wounds and washed away the scarred flesh. Understanding the queen's sentiment Ceres smiled at her words. The queen was not one to speak without sincerity.
“Celestia use to be so jealous then. But she clearly worked hard, since she could now summon moons and stars and done so for a thousand years.”
“Can you remember more?” Ceres spoke simply and on the command Luna concentrated. “I remember the day mother left. Something about Celestia being the ruler and how I was too young to take the throne. How I...” Luna put a hoof to her mouth.
“What’s wrong?” Ceres was beginning to feel Luna’s hot breathe on his neck as she panicked her breathing. “I...”
“Celestia was cruel." Tears began to well once more. "The unicorns ruled everypony, the pegasii raided foreign lands to expand... a sort of... solar empire. The earth ponies worked like slaves to their masters and taxed to near starvation. I...” The well of tears flowed once more. “I was old enough to rule, the ponies helped me found a new country. It was called the Lunar republic, named after me. So many ponies... so many dead ponies Ceres. It was horrible.”
“Keep going.” Ceres beckoned, it was cruel to make her but it had to be done. This was news he had missed out on. He had to know what became of Equestria after he and the queen left. “No... I can’t.” Ceres bit his lip in frustration.
“Luna please!” Ceres sat up and tears welled with the pain of the sudden movement. Looking into Luna’s own teary eyes. After a brief repose she nodded slowly and continued.
“Celestia won and I became a prisoner. No... We... It was a truce. We got sick of all the blood. I... I was sent to the moon and returned as a princess. Today is better now. Everypony helps each other with pegusii helping earth ponies work the land and unicorn research magic to help the people. Equestria is happy!” Luna curled up into a foetal position while Ceres left her there.
Everything made sense. During his travels he'd heard much of the many holidays they now celebrated in Equestria and the history and legends. The whole time none of it made sense, there was nothing in his knowledge of Equestrian history in it all. The people did know of a Queen that Celestia awaited but no one knew of the queen herself and her great conquests and deeds. A mix of shock and joy pumped in his blood rhythmic, the joy of progress was exciting but shock of the truth was daunting.
From this great war Luna mentioned and a bastardisation of other stories, it seemed everything was was retold over and over in past generations, until it eventually became the story of Hearth’s warming eve and the Mare on the moon and Nightmare night. Luna was driven mad on the moon, returning as the crazed Nightmare moon that wanted eternal night because of the vague memories of the war against this solar empire. The elements of harmony sealed Luna’s memories to bring her back to sanity. What she remembers now could only be.
“They were dreams Luna. All dreams. You can calm down. They are all just bad dreams.” Ceres lied as he kissed Luna on the head. For her sanity they had to be dreams, at least for now.
“But in these dreams I sense in you a desire to rule Equestria; to be a ruler to bring happiness to her ponies.” Luna was beginning to calm down as Ceres helped her up her feet.
“I, as the herald of the queen mother find you worthy of the crown.” Ceres spoke this quietly within his embrace of the princess, as he spoke quietly into her ear. Luna’s eyes went wide at the proclamation and began to struggle at his hold.
“But the people reject you.” Due to Celestia’s lies, Ceres noted bitterly. “And so I recommend you step down your claim to the Equestrian crown.” It broke Ceres’s heart to see the beginnings of a smile shatter before his eyes.
“That... that would be best...” Luna’s head slumped down. But Ceres lifted it up so that they could once again meet eyes.
“However, until Celestia has proven herself worthy, I task you princess Luna to prepare to raise your claim when such a time as Celestia’s worthiness fails to show. Your mother has always believed in worthiness tested true than privilege and destiny. Maybe someday you will have your chance. As such I want you to be prepared for it.” With a kiss to her hoof Ceres began to walk away, walking towards his sword.
“I will always be watching!” Ceres turned his head around and spoke. “Should Equestria reach its darkest hour, it will be up to you to be a beacon in the darkness.” Fastening his sword on his shoulders he walked into the shadow of the night.
"Celestia. you have some answering to do."