//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: Concerns // Story: My Little Pony - An Equestrian Emergency - // by IceStorm //------------------------------// For the first time since she had been back to Canterlot, Luna didn’t have responsibility for the moon. It wasn’t something that she liked at all. The moon was everything to her, and even after spending a thousand years imprisoned in it, it was still her pride and joy. Tonight however she hated the moon. She hated the night in general right now because she knew that they all needed the rest and that they were losing valuable time that they could be using to find Celestia. The fact that the moon wasn’t as bright as normal tonight also unsettled her. She didn’t know how long Cadence would be able to handle everything being thrown at her at once. Perhaps I should have stayed there I at least have a minute amount of experience in how to run things. She is learning everything on the go, and I forced her into it. If everypony hates her now it would be my fault… she thought to herself. Every other pony had managed to fall asleep at this point, but the sheer amount of worry and stress that had built up in Luna had made it impossible for her to fall asleep. Even as tired as she was, she could not let her mind rest about her sister. The fact that she was gone and that there was something that was in Equestria that was naturally stronger than both her and Celestia was off-putting. If he could beat her sister with ease, and Celestia was more powerful than Luna could hope to be, she only wondered what good they would actually be able to do, or if they would have to give into whatever this thing was. She laid her head on her hooves, it feeling almost as heavy as lead at this point. More of these thoughts ran through her head as she laid there, but somehow, she managed to fall asleep. The group of mares awoke at dawn, Luna still being quite groggy from the lack of sleep that she had received from the night before. A part of what she concluded it to be, along with her stress was the fact that she doesn’t normally sleep at night, so it was something that she had to get used to despite how tired she was. “All you alright Luna? You… kinda don’t look so good…” “Rainbow!” “What? She doesn’t,” Rainbow Dash stated plainly. “She’s still a lady Rainbow, and as much as I’m sure you hate lady-like things, some ladys don’t like it when they are told that they look anything less than spectacular,” Rarity informed her with Rainbow Dash just rolling her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, we don’t have time for a lecture. I was just concerned about her because she looked like she had slept wrong or something.” Rainbow finished. “I’m fine girls, really.” Princess Luna said looking to both Rainbow Dash and Rarity. “We have more pressing things to worry about at the moment than me,” Luna said looking to the east. The sun was rising in the sky. Already inside of her she got the feeling that they were not going to like the paths that they were going to have to take in order to get her sister back. It was a trip that she was very much not looking forward to continuing but wanted to continue all the same. “Come on. The more time we waste here, the less time we have to find Princess Celestia,” Twilight stated, the others nodding in agreement. “Let us go then,” Luna announced and the group began to traverse the fields ahead. “So, Luna, Aside from the recent events, how has everypony been treating you since your return to Canterlot? Surely they all can’t hate you as much as you think they do.” “I could only wish they didn’t, but you heard their outcry at first when I mentioned Celestia’s disappearance as I did. They have always hated me Lady Rarity, and they will forever hate me until I figure out how to clear my name from Nightmare Moon.” “Well if it’s any consolation at all, we never hated you.” “Yeah! That whole thing on Nightmare Night last year, was completely because it was fun. We weren’t actually scared of you or anything,” Pinkie Pie admitted to her. “Though thinking about it now, I didn’t realize how horrible it made you feel at the time. I honestly thought it was all part of the party so I just went along with it!” “Ha! Pinkie Pie, you are something else,” Rainbow Dash commented. Luna fell silent. As much as she wanted to carry on a conversation with these ponies, and as much as it did help to know that she wasn’t hated by every pony in Equestria, the only think she could think about right now was Celestia. Hold on sister. We’ll be there soon, she thought to herself. “Luna you okay?” Twilight asked. “Not really, no. Can you imagine what it’s like?” “Well, I was sort of in the same position not too long ago at the wedding, except I was the one that got kidnapped and Shining Armor never even knew about it.” “Then you know what I’m going through then at the moment. The amount of worry I have for not only my sister, but for Cadence as well is almost unbearable. Of the three of us, no offence meant to her, she is by far the weakest. I honestly don’t know how long she will be able to keep everything sustained, not to mention she’s basically been cast to the fire at this point. She’s used to being loved and everypony looking up to her, and now I fear that I may have done something that will severely hurt her.” “Come on now, I know things look dim, but surely everypony knows that Cadence is going to do everything she can in the absence of you and Princess Celestia. In fact I would be surprised if most of the Royal Guard is helping her at this point. Shining Armor is the Captain of the Guard at this point so IT would be silly to think that she wasn’t getting help from them on how you and your sister do things.” “That may be, but that doesn’t change the fact that she has the eyes of everypony on her now, and in a different perspective that from her wedding.” “She will be fine. Besides, if everything goes well, we won’t be gone too long,” Twilight reminded her. “And what if we don’t make it back at all?” “Hey now, that’s not the proper way to think of any situation.” “Says the pony that almost missed the best fliers competition because she had performance anxiety.” “Umm, Rarity, that was a lot different than this. As much as I thought it would be a life or death thing at the time it doesn’t hold a candle to this. We’re behind you all the way Luna. Once we find Celestia, we’re going to take the Elements of Harmony, and shove them down the throat of whoever took her.” “I wish I could be as optimistic as you are Rainbow, but I just don’t know what could have had the strength to do something like this, and that is what’s worrying me the most. The fact that I have no idea what we’re going to be fighting,” Luna finished as they came up to a large lake. “Ugh, really? As if we didn’t have enough problems already, the terrain itself has decided to slow us down.” “No it hasn’t. In fact, this could have sped as up!” Ice Storm stated as she moved up to the lake. “How could this possibly have sped us up? There’s no way that we can get across this with any sort of speed…” Rainbow Dash commented. “Watch,” Ice replied as her horn lit up and the water in front of them started to freeze over in front of them. “The manipulation of water and Ice is my special talent. Raindow Dash, if you and Princess Luna can get behind us and use your speed to push us, we’ll be able to cross this lake as fast as you would be able to.” “Consider it done. I must say, that’s a pretty nifty talent.” With that Rainbow Dash and Luna both got behind the group of mares and Ice Storm made a wall next to the platform of ice on both sides to keep them from falling off. The others got onto the ice, then purple unicorn struggling for footing. “Don’t bother trying to stand. As soon as they start going we won’t be able to stay on our hooves anyway,” Ice Storm told everypony and nodded back towards Rainbow and Luna. The two took off in tandem and in mere minutes they were across the lake. “I must say, I’d much rather not have to get my coat wet in the future, but that was definitely entertaining to say the least. Something that was not only necessary for us to get across the lake, but took some stress off as well,” Rarity stated “I wouldn’t go quite that far,” Luna corrected her. “Right… sorry,” Rarity finished. “Everything from here should be relatively easy until we get to The Eponnine Mountains. If we absolutely have to stop for anything, Fet Loch is just to our northeast. Otherwise, we continue due east.” “Well, the more time we spent stopped the more time we are wasting. I say we keep moving. I’m sure we can make it to the mountains by sundown. They don’t look to be that far away,” Twilight stated. “I agree,” Applejack replied. “The mor’ time we waste her’, ‘en the more time whomever this pony is that’s done this has for whatever it wants.” “What AJ said, I mean really? What fun would any party be if we don’t have all three of the princesses to invite?” “Pinkie Pie… Princess Celestia is in danger, and the only thing you can think about is a party?” Rarity said with disgust. “Oh no, I’m saying that they wouldn’t’ be fun without her presence watching over us. I mean if Celestia didn’t come back then it would be the end of everything that is happiness, and after being without smiles for so long when I grew up…” Pinkie stated, her mane falling straight out of its curls. “I just don’t want to go around being sad again.” Luna looked to the group of mares and was able to muster a small smile. The larges she’d been able to muster since Celestia’s disappearance yes but that wasn’t saying much. “Alright then let’s keep moving.” The rest of the travel through the savannah went without issue. Aside from a few pauses to regain some strength the group of eight mares made it through the vast emptiness to the base of the mountains just as the sun was starting to set. “So, Princess Celestia, according to Shining Armor, is somewhere in these mountains. If I wasn’t so drained I’d say we run in there now and get her out. As is now though, I’m too beat for anything right now,” Rainbow Dash commented. “I agree with Rainbow, my hooves are absolutely killing me. I don’t think I’ve ever been on them this long before at one time.” “Aw it ain’ that bad.” “Easy for you to say AJ, you work on and apple orchid,” Rainbow replied. “Let’s just get some rest girls. Bickering about hurting, and about one has it better than another isn’t going to change anything,” Twilight started. “Once we get some rest we can set out in the morning and we’ll be completely rested for whatever we have to face tomorrow rather than trying to do anything without proper focus.” “Twilight is right. Let us rest,” Luna said as the group settled down for night and preparing for what the morning brought.