"So whats Cantersville like now a days?" Auroran asked as they made their way back to Stonebridle.
"Well for one thing its now called Canterlot, but its pretty much the same as Evercity was."
"So there's snooty pony's everywhere."
"Yeah pretty much."
"Ugh that really gets annoying, just cause you live in the city doesn't make you better then every pony
else" Auroran said with a sigh.
"Oh you'll live" Luna teased as she nudged him.
"Yeah, but hey that makes pranking them so much more enjoyable." He said with a chuckle.
"Still a child as ever." Luna said with a frown.
Auroran sighed and flipped over her so he was flying upside down next to her.
"Would you want me any other way?" He said as he stole a kiss.
Luna blushed. "No I wouldn't." She said as she stole a kiss back.
"Good now how about a race." He said playfully as he shot off into the clouds.
"Hey get back here you cheater." Luna yelled as she tried to catch up to him.
o~o~O~O~o~o
Celestia's breathing was heavy, her muscles ached, but no matter how hard she ran she couldn't
escape the darkness.
"THERE'S NOWHERE TO RUN CELESTIA!" The creature bellowed. Its massive leather wings
creating torrents of wind nearly blowing Celestia off her hooves.
"Why won't this nightmare end." Celestia pleaded to herself.
"BECAUSE YOU CAN'T RUN FROM THE DARK." It screamed as a thundering noise rocketed
toward Celestia.
Celestia was thrown into the air. As she landed she saw what had been the cause of the her flight.
Embedded in the earth was a black spire larger then a mountain covered in razer sharp outcroppings.
"Auroran please stop." She screamed as she took off sprinting again.
"AH HA HA HAHA!" His voice resonating evil all around Celestia. "WHY AND LET YOU LIVE!" He
yelled as he threw another spire at her.
She tried to cast a spell to deflect the attack but it was moving far to quickly for her to hit it.
"STOP DELAYING THE INEVITABLE CELESTIA! YOU WILL DIE BY MY HOOVES!" He
screamed as he flapped his might wings hard against the air launching him self toward her.
"AURORAN NO!" Was the last thing she was able to speech as he impacted her body.
"Now Celestia you have nowhere left to run." He said triumphantly as he stood over her. He had her
pinned by her wings, his own crossing over her neck.
"I have waited a thousand years for this." He whispered in her ear as his wing edges turned to blades.
"TIME TO DIE!" He roared as his wings descended down upon here throat.
o~o~O~O~o~o
"Are you sure your guards are still here?" Auroran asked as they touched down in Stonebridle.
"Yes that pegasus knock them out so I could reach Evercity." Luna stated as her horn lite up so they
could see.
"Really? The night guards knocked out by a civilian?" Auroran snickered "What has my great nephew
gotten himself into."
"I was going to ask you that myself." Luna asked as she gazed into the darkness. "I swore they put
them around here some where along this wall."
"I think I found them Luna." Auroran said stifling back a laugh." My how the royal guards uniform
has changed."
"Mmhh." Luna wasn't sure what Auroran was talking about till she saw her guards. Their armor had
been removed and had been replaced with frilly ball gowns. There manes had been dyed pinks and
greens and had been teased up in buns with many sparkling bows.
"What in the name of Celestia?" Luna was dumfounded at what was laying before her.
"Pppppttttt ah ha ha haha, oh I'm sorry Luna but this is too funny." His hoof was pressed to his muzzle
but Auroran couldn't stop laughing.
"I hope they don't wake up." Luna said face hoofing.
"Why? I would love to hear how they would explain this." Auroran said as he looked over one of the
bows. "But we are in a hurry so."
With that his horn flashed a blue light and the guards floated to there hooves. Their armor back in
place and the colors removed from their manes, they stood proudly before them even though they
were still passed out.
"If you will my midnight princess." He said as he stepped back from the guards.
Luna cleared her throat and as she spoke her voice increased in volume.
"GUARDS."
As if on cue both guards shot awake, fear in their eyes.
"YOU HAVE GREATLY DISAPPOINTED US, FALLING ASLEEP WHILE YOUR DUTY IS TO
PROTECT US." Lighting crack behind Luna's head for effect.
"Princess we didn't we."
"SILENCE! WE DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR YOUR PETTY EXCUSES." The guards knees
shook violently as Luna's gaze seemed to burn through them.
"Princess Luna." A voice interrupted her causing her to jump a little.
Luna turned to find a one of her night guard flying out of the moonlight toward her.
"Sorry princess for interrupting but princess Celestia sent me to locate you. She has been
greatly worried about your return from your journey."
"Then will make haste then." She glanced back at the two guards. "I will deal with you two
later." She spoke in a low tone, both guards gulped as sweat slide down their necks.
"Nice performance." The third guard said with a smile as his sapphire eyes reflected the
moon light.
"I learned from the best." Luna said with a wink as she stepped onto her coach and they
took off for Canterlot.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Celestia couldn't stop from pacing as she waited for her sister to return.
"What's taking her so long?" She nervously looked out over the castle wall. She was afraid
that she would have some pony with her. Then she catch a glimmer of motion just as the sun
began to rise.
It was Luna's Carriage. She watched as it broke over the horizon growing ever closer to its
landing point. Celestia was overjoyed when it was just Luna and her three guards.
"Wait Luna left with only two night guards."
The carriage was directly above her and making its decent when this thought entered her mind.
With a light thud the carriage made its landing, the wheels creaking slightly as the full weight of
the carriage rest upon them.
"You my go." Celestia motioned to the guards, she needed to talk to Luna in private.
"Well sister how did the matter in Grimhoof go?" Celestia ask as Luna stepped off her carriage.
"It went well sister." Luna said as she walked toward Celestia.
"No surprises then?"
"Well there was one sister." Luna mumbled, as she shuffled her hooves
"And what was that Luna?" Nervousness creeped into Celestia's voice.
"Well." She paused. Luna was afraid how her sister would react to the 'surprise' that her journey
was really about.
"Are we talking about me?" A voice chimed in. "You know I really don't like to be left out." The
guard said hopping off the carriage.
Celestia was confused. "I thought I dismissed the night guard." she said as her body began to
tense.
"Oh sorry, I'm still wearing this disguise. Black smoke enveloped his body covering every thing
from his hooves to his wing tips. It coiled and swirled growing ever more menacing as it moved
closer to Celestia. Then it began to pulse making it seem that the smoke had a life of its own.
There was the sound of a sharp breath and the smoke drew in on its self and it shot back into
Auroran's body as he flicked his mane out of his eyes.
"You always did put on a good show." Luna said with a smile as she nuzzled against his neck.
"Your not to bad your self." He chuckled causing Luna to blush.
"How did you learn to do that Auroran?" Luna asked trying to change the subject.
"Oh you pick up a few tricks here and there on down the road."
"Oh which means you won't tell." Luna said with a pout.
"Oh I don't know but, yeah pretty much."
"Your no fun Auroran, you never tell how you do any your tricks."
"I will." He said as he kissed her. "One day." She put her head on his chest and sighed.
"Your such a tease." She said as they walked into the castle.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Luna?" Celestia finally said something after they had walk up several flights of stairs. "Why
don't you go and get some rest, its morning and by the looks of it you must have flown all
night."
"But sister I just got back and I think murph." Luna stopped talking when Auroran put his hoof
to her lips.
"She does have a point my midnight star you should get some rest." He whispered as he pulled
his hoof away. "I'll still be here when you wake up."
"I guess your right." Luna said through a yawn, she was a little tired.
Auroran watch as she went up the final set of stairs and listened until he heard her bedroom door
click shut before he turned to face Celestia.
"Its been a thousand years Celestia." He said staring at her unblinking his sapphire eyes seemed
to burn into her body. "A thousand years since you blinded me." He stepped closer to her as he
spoke. "Do you know what that's like, seeing darkness for so long?"
Celestia collapsed to the ground, she couldn't take it any more." PLEASE DON'T KILL ME
AURORAN." She screamed as she held her hooves above her head.
Auroran only sighed. Celestia felt being picked up by his magic and was set on her hooves.
"Why would I kill you Tia?"
Celestia was struck dumfounded. "Your not filled with hate toward me for what I did to you
and Luna?"
"Celestia what happened to me was my own fault not yours." He said as a smile drifted across
his face.
"But what I did was..." She trailed off, it was painful to remember that day.
"Have you been having nightmares Celestia?" He asked recasting the force field around them.
This would remain a private chat.
"Auroran how did you..." She stopped talking, how did he know about her nightmares.
"Tia magic is a lot more then just a force. It in its self is living creature having a will all it own."
He said as he step closer to her.
"What are you going to do?" Celestia said slowly backing away from Auroran.
"This." His horn flashed and Celestia collapsed into darkness.
~o~o~O~O~o~o~
Celestia awoke in her bed and bolted upright. "What happened to me?" She muttered rubbing
her temples. Then she remember Auroran casting a spell that knocked her out.
"Ah your up." A cheery voice called out. "How did you sleep?"
Celestia turn to see Auroran walking toward her with a tray on his back and his charcoal mane
braided back out of his eyes.
"Auroran what are you?" She was cut off by a banana nut muffin being put in front of her muzzle.
"Eat first then talk." He glared as he floated the tray onto her nightstand.
"Auroran what did you do?" Celestia finally ask after taking a couple bites of her muffin.
"The whole putting you to sleep thing?" He said biting into a blueberry muffin.
"Yes that."
"Oh I needed you to go into rem sleep so I could remove my magic energy from you. It was causing
by the looks of it some very dark dreams." He said as the black smoke formed in his hoof.
"How did you?"
"Tia there are somethings that not even you know." He smiled as the smoke dissipated. "Like for
three days I raised the sun while you slept." Auroran thought to himself.
"So I won't have any more of those nightmares?"
"From now on, no more nightmares." With that he made his way out of her room.
"Thank you Auraron." She said as he reach her door.
"Just doing my job Tia. I am two-hundred years older then you after all." He said as he shut the door.
"You should have killed her you foal." A low voice rang in his head. Auroran smiled and glanced at
the door to Celestia's room. The door knob glistened like gold. He reach a hoof toward it and took
hold of the knob.
"It would be so easy, just one spell and you'll have all of Equestria for the taking." The voice sounded
again.