//------------------------------// // Late Night Talk // Story: The Alicorn Wars // by Prince Nightfire Grace //------------------------------// As Twilight made her way to her old room in the castle she received nods of respect from the guards of Luna’s that patrolled the hallways at night. “What was it that made him go to war? What could it have been?” She asks herself aloud as she walks and nearly bumps into Princess Celestia. “Princess! I… I’m sorry! I wasn’t paying attention to were I was going,” Twilight says looking up into her teachers eyes. “It’s alright my faithful student. I was just going to speak with my sister, is there anything you want to ask me?” Celestia asks leaning down to look into her student’s eyes with a motherly smile. Twilight looks at the ground and shakes her head slowly. “Not yet Princess, I may have a question or two tomorrow but not now,” Twilight replies. “I’ll see you tomorrow my faithful student, maybe for some breakfast?” “Of course Princess, I’d love that.” “Then I’ll see to tomorrow morning my faithful student,” Celestia says as she hugs Twilight gently with a forehoof before stepping around her and continues to her little sister’s room leaving Twilight in the hallway. As Celestia walks slowly down the hallway she receives bows and salutes from the night guard to which she nods back politely to them as she approaches Luna’s door. “Sister, may I come in?” “Please do Tia,” Luna says from behind her dark blue bedroom door. Celestia smiles as she hears Luna call her by her nickname since they were little fillies before using her magic to slowly open the door and see her sister sitting alone on the balcony looking up at the moon. “So? How was the first jump into the journal?” Luna sighs and looks down to the gardens beneath her balcony. “Twilight’s going to really question who we really are once this is over.” “I know, I just wonder how she’ll take it. I mean she’s looked up to me as a mother figure since she’s become my student; I can’t claim to know how these events will faze her.” “Do you trust we are doing the right thing?” Luna asks curtly not even turning her head to her sister. “I do-“ “Do you believe that we are doing the right thing? Yes or no?” Luna asks again; steel in her voice. “Yes I do, I think she has the right to know what happened centuries ago,” Celestia says confidently. “Then we’re doing what’s right. I personally don’t like reliving the past but it’s my duty,” Luna says slowly standing up from her seated position and walks into her room. “I just hate reliving why I became Nightmare Moon.” “I know sister, I can only imagine what it was like,” Tia says walking up to Luna and hugs her gently with her forelegs. “I wish it hadn’t come to that.” Luna hugs her sister back tightly and then hears her sister give a soft yawn. “You’re tired sister, rest here for the night. I’ll watch over you like I do our subjects,” Luna says with a smile before slowly pulling out of their hug. “Alright sister, I just need one thing first,” Celestia says before her horn glows gently and a light golden pillow appears on Luna’s bed with a depiction of them both flying back to back with a glow around each of their horns. “That pillow?” Luna asks seeing in appear in her bed in a flash remembering the day that each had received theirs from their parents. “Yes, how do you think I survived while I ruled Equestria on my own?” Celestia asks with a smile as she slowly pulls off her regalia and rests them on the table beside Luna’s bed then slowly crawls into the warm and soft bed. Luna smiles and then lifts a blanket that was lying on the floor up with her magic and lays it gently over her sister’s body. “Rest well Tia.” Tia snuggles into the bed and lets out another yawn before slowly closing her eyes with a smile on her face. Luna smiles and then walks out of her room and to the throne room to take the seat before Night court began for the night. *** Later that night*** While Twilight tossed and turned in her sleep she had horrible nightmares; ponies bleeding to death before her, being cut to ribbons and many other gruesome scene before opening her eyes and sits up quickly panting heavily and feels sweat slide down her forehead making her mane stick to her. “That was just a dream?” Twilight asks gently holding a hoof to her chest feeling her heart racing. “But it felt so real.” “Miss Sparkle? I heard you screaming, is everything alright?” The maid asks pushing open the door and sees Twilight panting heavily. “I’m fine, just a nightmare is all,” Twilight replies quickly not wanting to worry her. “Forgive me Twilight but I don’t think that it was that simple,” Princess Luna says as she steps up behind the maid with a frown on her face. “You may go now.” “Yes Your Highness,” The maid says and then quickly turns to her and bows before walking off. “Princess Luna? I do-“ “Please understand Twilight; the nature of what happened changed what we wanted. With the Gryphon War we also had to focus our efforts into stopping a dark king shortly after.” “A dark king?” Twilight asks looking up at Luna from her bed, cold sweat still wetting her forehead and mane. “His name isn’t important yet… I promise that I’ll tell you his name but for now you’re not ready.” “But-“ Twilight started before Luna raised her hoof to stop her from continuing and then gently sets it back down on the cool floor. “Please understand Twilight that you’re not ready for his name yet. You’ll know when you’re ready, you’ll feel it.” “I... understand Princess,” Twilight says softly and looks down at the sheets she was lying under. “Do you wish to talk about your nightmare?” Luna asks stepping further into Twilight’s room and casts a powerful sealing spell on the door so they wouldn’t be interrupted. “I… I would like that a lot Princess, thank you,” Twilight says with a smile and crawls out of her bed and lies on top of the cool sheets. “Please Twilight; does thou consider me a friend?” Luna asks her sister’s personal protégé gently as she lies beside Twilight on the cool bed sheets. “Yes, of course!” Twilight says looking up into Luna’s light green eyes. “Then may I ask that thou call me ‘Luna?’” The lunar princess asks softly not wanting to wake anypony as late as it was. “Of course Pr-Luna,” Twilight says with a smile. “Now… what was that nightmare about?” Luna asks settling down beside Twilight and lifts a glass of water from the sink and fills it with cool water and holds it for Twilight. “Take a drink… it’ll help.” “Thank you Luna,” Twilight replies and sips at the water while holding the glass with her magic. After a couple long sips she sets the glass down and sighs. “Where do I begin? The first thing I’m aware of is being stuck in place in the middle of a battle. I couldn’t move, like I was literally frozen in place; their faces, th-their weapons, the bl-blood… I don’t kn-know if I can handle this.” “Trust us Twilight Sparkle… war is a horrible thing to go through, be it yourself, somepony you call friend or student, or through the eyes or writing of another, but what I show you is completely necessary.” “I believe you Luna, but what is really so important about that war,” Twilight says glancing between Luna and the sheets of her bed. “That war was a large key point in history. The gryphons wanted to expand their territory and we weren’t willing to just bow down and give them our land. On top of that, we were facing opposition from Saddle Arabia due to trade issues.” “Trade issues with Saddle Arabia? How bad could it have really been? I mean that they have similar needs that we do despite some of the differences of the climates and weather patterns…” “There are still many things that separate their land from ours,” Luna begins and then lifts her crown off of her head and looks at it closely. “Something else to consider is that we were in a delicate situation. With the looming threat of an old prophecy coming true, I’m sure that we were acting rashly.” “You two? Acting rashly? I don’t I’d ever see that day,” Twilight replies quietly, meaning for it to have been said in her head. “Quite, we were young and inexperienced even after our time dealing with the Gryphons and Saddle Arabia all at once. Troublesome duo they were.” “I have a question, then I’d like to try and go back to sleep… if that’s ok?” “By all means,” Luna replies and gives her a smile. Twilight pauses to think of her question and then turns back to Luna. “Did Celestia approve of teaching me this?” “Going for the heart of the matter hmm?” Luna asks as she raises a hoof and taps her chin as if in thought. “Well… she didn’t approve at first. But that night she had a nightmare about the happenings of that war and then changed her mind. I didn’t cause the nightmare if you were going to ask, but I did nothing to ease it. We both made our mistakes and I made quite a few then.” “I see. Thank you Luna,” She replies softly and nods her head. “Thank you for answering my questions. I think I’ve got what I need for now.” “Well if you have any more, do not hesitate to ask either my sister or myself.” “I will… good night Princess.” “Good night to you as well Twilight Sparkle,” Luna says and slowly gets to her hooves and walks to the door of Twilight’s room. “Remember, Celestia and I are only ponies and we did what we thought was the best.” “I understand,” Twilight says as Luna nods and then starts walking away then closes the door once she was out of sight leaving Twilight to fall back into her dreams.