//------------------------------// // Variance 5 - Royals' Grace // Story: Glimpses // by Pen Stroke //------------------------------// Glimpses By Pen Stroke Pre-read & Edited by Illustrious Q, El Oso, Recon777, Questionable & Winston Variance 5 Royals' Grace ==================== Celestia needed this, a reason to depart. The castle just was… one letter had caused everything to blow up in her face. She had feared it would, in time. She knew that there would be a bad reaction when the news got out. Still, Celestia had kept it hidden, trying to do the sisterly thing. She just wanted to protect the only family she had in all the world. So now she flew, dusk wind rushing past as she went on her unexpected, but much appreciated, errand. Celestia could have teleported the distance, been there and back in a matter of seconds, but that would have only put her back in the maelstrom of anger trapped within the castle. No, she needed this. They needed this. They both needed time to calm down and let cooler heads prevail. She was above the clouds, flying with a tailwind. Ahead of her, a storm brewed over her destination. Thunder, lightning, and rain prepared to unleash themselves on the ground below. Fleeing from an emotional storm, only to have to go into an actual storm: that seemed to fall in line with how her day was going, but for the moment, she simply focused on herself and her flying. Celestia banked and turned, forming lazy circles as she tried to delay her arrival. Her wing tips gently dipped into the clouds just below her. The dampness sent a small, invigorating chill flowing from the tips of her wings to her spine. The shiver carried away some of the tension latent in her body, casting it out into the world. It felt good, even as parts of her body were starting to numb from flying. The cold felt good. It was a crucial component to the simple serenity of dusk. The sky was a warm cascade of colors as the sun set and moon prepared to rise. The first few stars were starting to shine, the forerunners to the tapestry of the night. This was usually one of the calmest parts of the day for her—a time of peace, when the business of the day was over and the sweet dreams of night were yet to arrive. Celestia took in a deep breath and a smile blossomed onto her lips. The air so high above the clouds smelled clean, and tonight, carried the wispy aroma of rain. Still, her reverie had to come to an end. The clouds beneath her were shifting, rather rapidly, from calm cumulus to a billowing storm. The weather would not delay her, though Celestia did take a moment to prepare a protective spell, just a little half-sphere shield to hold off the rain and the lightning of the storm. With the spell in place and her lungs drawing in one final sweet breath from the world above the clouds, Celestia dove. She dropped through the storm clouds, rain spattering her shield as she descended towards the wild wilderness below. She was heading into the Everfree Forest, to a clearing where, mere hours ago, dark magics had been wrought, and her faithful student had been ponynapped. Supposedly, Twilight’s bag still remained in the forest, containing a precious book she was having a small panic attack about.  At least she hadn’t tried to retrieve the book on her own; given the two options, Twilight writing a letter and begging for forgiveness about losing the book was the better choice. The other concerns in her letter, however, had been what doomed Celestia. She had, on a simple whim, chosen to let Luna read the letter first. In that single moment, all of her work to shield Luna from the cult and their nightmarish intentions had gone out the window. Right now, even flying through a storm was better than trying to explain herself to Luna. Celestia’s hooves touched down in the clearing, sinking into the mud: honest to goodness mud. She couldn’t remember the last time she had walked in mud. It was more likely for her to enjoy a mud bath in a spa than to actually walk on muddy earth. Though mud baths were luxurious, the only kind of bath she’d be looking forward to was a long hot one with lots of bubbles. Before that could happen, she still had to retrieve the book. Then, she’d hopefully, she could sneak back into the castle and avoid talking to Luna until the next morning. With the sound of falling rain surrounding her, Celestia began casting the locator spell Twilight had provided. Her horn began to flash, and after turning slowly in the circle, she was able to find the direction where the flashing was the quickest. That direction led to a bush, and in that bush was the saddlebags. They were soaked through, and the book inside would likely need careful drying, but she could at least make Twilight happy by telling her the retrieval had been successful. Carrying the saddlebags in her magic, Celestia moved out from beneath the canopy trees to prepare to take off. The storm was truly raging. For a moment, she liked to think it was the forest showing its displeasure about what the cult had tried to do, trying to use the rainstorm to wash away the foul magics. On the other hoof, perhaps the forest didn’t care at all. There was no benefit in trying to personify and understand the forest, not when Celestia was growing more eager to return to the castle, sneak into her chambers, and just soak in a hot bath with… perhaps the cherry-scented candles tonight. Yes, the cherry candles sounded wonderful. Her wings spread wide, Celestia prepared to leap when the sky flashed and roared. The bolt of lightning startled her. She slammed her eyes shut, shook her head, and stumbled a few steps back. Even on the inside of her eyelids, Celestia could see the glowing line of the lightning, dancing in a rainbow of colors as her vision recovered from its blinding flash. Her ears rang with the thunder, and a princess-inappropriate curse slipped from her lips as she tried recompose herself. Yet, over the sound of the rain and the rustle of trees, something began to reach Celestia’s ear. It was a sound, one all too familiar. It was the sound she heard come from children at her school, those who were lonely and struggling to cope with being separated from their families for the first time.  It was the sound of crying, and Celestia could hear it coming from a nearby bush. She turned and approached the bush. Had a cultist brought a child to the ritual? It was a terribly irresponsible thing for a parent to do, especially if the child was left behind. Yet, if that was the situation, it was a possibly fortuitous turn of events. A son or daughter of a cult member could perhaps hold a wealth of information. Even knowing the names of the child’s parents could help lead Celestia’s team of investigators to more members of the cult. She reached the bush, gently setting Twilight’s saddlebags across her back so she didn’t have to keep levitating them. The bags were comically small on her, but she needed to focus on the child. “Hello. Are you alright?” she asked as her magic pushed away some of the branches and illuminated the interior of the bush. “You don’t have to worry. I won’t hurt—” Celestia eyes met the eyes of the child, who turned and peered out through the newly formed hole in the bush. Her heart skipped a beat. She flapped her wings, leaping back a few meters. Her half-sphere barrier spell morphed into a full protective bubble, and her horn glimmered as she prepared a magical blast. The crying had stopped. All Celestia heard was the raging of the storm, but she did not drop her guard. She had only caught a brief glimpse, but she knew what she saw. The child bore the eyes of the cult, but that alone wasn’t what scared Celestia. The filly was black as the darkest night and carried both pegasus wings and a unicorn horn. There were other possible explanations, but the logical portion of Celestia’s mind was ruling them out as quickly as her imagination was able to put them together. Only one explanation made sense, and it pushed itself to the forefront of Celestia’s mind until she could not deny or ignore it a moment longer.  The cult’s spell had succeeded. Nightmare Moon had been reborn. The storm roared, lightning flashing once more and briefly illuminating the clearing. The child’s cries, Nightmare Moon’s cries, resumed. Her voice pierced the storm, and clawed at Celestia’s heart. That voice resonated with memories she had long forgotten. In her youth, when Luna cried, Celestia had almost always ran to ensure her sister was safe. Nightmare Moon’s voice sounded so similar, it was dredging those instincts to the surface. They were bellowing in her mind, demanding she go and comfort the filly. To get Nightmare Moon out of the rain and in front of a warm fire where she could rest safely. The logical part of Celestia’s mind fought back, shocked at what she had been previously thinking. She couldn’t comfort Nightmare Moon, the shroud of jealousy and rage that had engulfed Luna, like she was a innocent lost child. For the safety of Equestria, the only sane thing to do was to put an end to the threat before it could manifest further. If Nightmare Moon was truly just a filly, a single stroke of the sword was all it would take. But no… no. Celestia shook her head as her conscience bristled against such dark thoughts. She couldn’t do that. She couldn’t just kill someone so young, but what if Nightmare Moon wasn’t as young as she appeared? What if she had fully regenerated, and was merely taking the form of a filly until she saw an opportunity to strike? The wisest action was just to end it all. Yet, Celestia’s mind and heart continued to rebel against the notion. Celestia stood, limbs growing numb in the mud, which caked to her hooves as the rain continued to patter against her barrier. She did not move forward nor did she move back. She did not form a sword to strike down Nightmare Moon, but at the same time, she did not move to soothe the filly’s cries. She was entirely deadlocked, her mind at war with itself over what to do. Kill or Aid Fear or Trust Harm or Comfort Blood or Smiles The loop of Celestia’s thoughts came to an eventual end, but not because she had made a decision. Her ears twitched, and her mind stepped away from its perpetual debate. She glanced around, trying to understand what she was hearing. The rain still fell on her barrier. The storm rumbled, and the wind whipped through the trees, creating an endless cacophony of creaking branches and shaking leaves. All that was there, yet something was different. She couldn’t hear Nightmare Moon crying anymore. Celestia was sure she hadn’t seen Nightmare Moon leave the bush. Her eyes had been locked onto its thorny branches. Yet, the absence of the crying itched at her ears, refusing to be ignored. Why wasn’t Nightmare Moon crying? Maintaining her barrier, Celestia dared a step closer. Movement let her mind take stock of how cold she had become. How long had she been standing there, frozen like a statue? With the sky lost behind the cloud cover, it was hard to say for sure, but it had least been several minutes. She had truly been lost in thought, and time had slipped by without her noticing. Standing once more next to the bush, Celestia braced herself as her magic pushed aside its branches. Nightmare Moon came into view once more, illuminated by the glow of Celestia’s horn. The filly did not open her eyes this time. Her chest was barely moving, and despite how cold it had to be, the filly wasn’t shivering. “H-hey,” Celestia said, struggling to find her voice. “Are you awake?” The filly shifted. She struggled to lift her head, and her eyes barely cracked open. She opened her mouth, and the lips moved to form words, but her voice was too quiet. Then, her eyes closed, and her head dropped again, her body managing a single shiver before falling still. The only movement came from the weak rising and falling of her chest.  Celestia was still certain the filly before her was Nightmare Moon, but the sight of a child on the brink of death finally tipped the scales of her internal conflict. Nightmare Moon or not, she couldn’t kill a filly nor could she leave her to die in the forest. With no further hesitation, Celestia broke away the branches of the bush. “Hold on,” Celestia said as she levitated Nightmare Moon gingerly. “I’ll take you someplace to get warmed up. Just hold on.” With that, the sun princess took off. She flew swiftly, her barrier spell keeping the storm back as her magic enshrouded Nightmare Moon. The filly was ice cold to the touch, and was covered in scratches. Celestia would cast what spells she could to heal and stabilize the young pony, but a swift return to Canterlot would give the filly the best chance to survive. ~~~ Luna navigated the halls of the castle with spiteful purpose, her hooves clicking against the well polished floor as trotted  towards her destination. First, she finds out that Celestia was hiding things regarding a cult of Nightmare Moon worshipers. Then her dear sister up and vanishes, the staff only able to say that she had to run an urgent errand. Now, Celestia had apparently returned and was summoning, practically ordering, for Luna to come to her chambers.  A dozen possibilities had already run through Luna’s mind, her imagination trying to predict what she would find. She was expecting Celestia to make some grand gesture in an attempt to earn forgiveness. Five of the possibilities involved a please-forgive-me cake in different flavors. In four other situations, Luna predicted Celestia would try and sit her down to explain how she was just trying to be a good sister. Luna did not doubt Celestia had likely meant well, but that didn’t dull her anger regarding the situation. Doing the wrong thing for the right reasons didn’t change the fact that it was still the wrong thing.  The other few situations she imagined had Celestia begging for forgiveness. Those made her smile a little. If Celestia was really repentant enough to get on her belly and beg, Luna doubted she could stay angry. Still, seeing Celestia prostrate herself… it would be a partially-enjoyable first step. But, before Luna’s mind could wander further, she arrived at the doors to Celestia’s chambers. She knocked. “Sister, I am—” The doors didn’t open. Instead, Luna felt magic surround her just before being forcibly teleported inside. She stumbled a little, her body recovering from the sudden shift. She glanced around briefly, verifying that she was in Celestia’s room before focusing her gaze on her sister. Celestia was bending over her bed, magic glowing as she pulled up the blankets. “Is there a reason you didn’t just open the door?” Luna asked, not moving from her spot. “Can’t let any of the staff know what’s going on,” Celestia replied as she turned away from the bed and faced Luna. “No one but you and I can know about this.” A chuckle arose from Luna’s throat. Maybe one of her more unlikely predictions was about to occur. “Sister, if you wish to make a fool of yourself apologizing to me, I certainly can appreciate a desire to keep it just between us. But was it really necessary to teleport me in here?” “Luna, this isn’t about that.” Celestia strode up to her sister. “Something… I’ve found something, and… considering you already know about the cult, I felt this was something we needed to address together.” “Found something?” Luna arched an eyebrow. Was that true concern in Celestia’s eyes? It was rare to see her sister wear such an expression. “Did one of the captured cult members spill some critical information?” “No, and… honestly, you won’t believe me unless you see it for yourself.” She turned and stepped to one side, using her head to motion towards her bed. Luna arched an eyebrow and began walking forward. Now that her view of the bed wasn’t obstructed, she could see what Celestia had been doing when she arrived. Someone was asleep in her sister’s bed. It was small: a young, black unicorn filly—a rare color indeed. There was a warm wash rag draped over her forehead, just below her horn. The filly seemed to have been tucked into the bed with extreme care. “Is this one of the students from your school?” Luna asked once she had reached the edge of the bed. “No,” Celestia said as she walked up beside Luna. The pair towered over the bed, their shadows falling across the resting filly. “I found her out in the forest when I was retrieving Twilight’s book.” Luna rolled her eyes. So that was where Celestia had gone. It was a flimsy excuse to get out of the palace and avoid the mess she had made. She wanted to be angry, but Luna could no longer find the heated emotions she had been carrying with her when she arrived at Celestia’s door. Celestia’s concern regarding a small filly had defused their previous situation, at least for the time being, but why? Why was Celestia so worried? Luna opened her mouth to ask that very question, but as she began to form the first syllable, she saw Celestia tense. Her sister was focused on the filly, and when Luna turned her head to look, she saw the young pony stir. She turned beneath the covers, the idle motions of a body trying to make itself more comfortable without truly slipping out of the sweet embrace of sleep. The filly shivered; she turned to one side, the blankets falling down her body a little. Her eyelids cracked open, giving a small glimpse of the irises.  With that small shift in position, Luna glimpsed what Celestia had feared, and it made her take a tense step away from the bed. Black coat, wings, horn, and eyes… Luna knew those eyes. She had seen them staring back at her from stained glass windows, from statues, and for a brief time, from her reflection in the mirror. They were the eyes of the greatest mistake of her life. “She’s… what I was,” Luna whispered, a quiver in her voice. “It’s not… you said you stopped the spell.” Celestia nodded, using her magic to tuck the filly back beneath the covers, taking special care to ensure her wings were beneath the blanket. “I interrupted it. I cast a massive lightning bolt spell at the center of their ritual, but they were already casting the spell. We both know that when magic is interrupted, it can have unintended consequences.” “Unintended consequences,” Luna snipped, struggling to keep her voice quiet. “I would like to remind you, dear sister, that this could have likely been avoided if you had informed me of the situation when it came to your attention. Now… now... “ She looked back at the filly, and took another step back. “You can be angry with me all you want, but that doesn’t change our situation.” Celestia turned away from the bed, heading for a tea set resting on a low table. She took a seat in one of the cushions neighboring the table. When she poured herself a cup, the tea was still warm, gently steaming from the cup. “Oh, and sipping tea will!?” Luna whispered furiously as she moved over to Celestia. “I am Nightmare Moon. That was my mistake, my anger, and my rage, no one else’s. I promised to never to become that monster again.” She glanced back towards the bed, her wings twitching. “Now you’re telling me I don’t even have control over that?! That it is so easy for ponies to make a copy of me from the lowest point of my life?!”  Celestia poured a second cup and levitated it to Luna. “I wouldn’t say it was easy.”  Luna nudged the offered tea away with a hoof, but she did sit down in the cushion across the table from Celestia. Still, even as she sat, she fidgeted, incapable of being comfortable. “She can’t be Nightmare Moon. I am… was Nightmare Moon. There has to be—” A loud clatter came from outside Celestia’s room, making both princesses wince. In a single breath, Luna leapt and flew to the balcony, looking out over Canterlot. She swiftly spied the source of the sound. Gardeners, trying to pack away their tools for the evening, had a small accident, causing themselves and their tools to fall. The clumsy gardener was being helped by his coworkers, and didn’t himself seem any worse for wear.  “Luna.” The tension in Celestia’s voice was palpable and sent a cold chill running down Luna’s back. It was a warning, as if she was about to be stabbed in the back by some horrible assassin. She turned her head, focusing on the bed and the filly. The clatter from outside had awoken Nightmare Moon. She sat up in bed, her head and eyes swiveling to take in her surroundings. Those eyes eventually fell onto Luna, and for the moment, the pair merely looked at one another. Luna’s heartbeat quickened. Her muscles tensed. Without even thinking, she flared her wings and called upon her magic, as if she was about to face a great evil. Her gesture was not met with equal aggression. The small filly did not suddenly grow to adulthood and launch into combat. She backpedaled, trying to pushing herself against the headboard of Celestia’s bed. Her eyes and head swiveled again, this time falling on Celestia. Luna saw her sister have a similar reaction. She stood from her seat, setting her tea down as her wings flared. Seeing this, the filly scrambled off the bed. Luna watched her stumble as her gaze darted about the room. She was clearly looking for some means of escape. Yet, there was none. Luna saw that she and Celestia, without meaning to, had covered the exits. Celestia was within reach of both the bathroom door and the door that led out to the hallway. Luna herself was standing at the balcony. That left the filly no place to run. The filly’s frightened flight ended at the bed when she dove underneath. The last Luna saw of her was her purple tail disappearing beneath the bed skirt, then, nothing. For a minute, she and Celestia just watched the bed, but the filly made no move to try and come out nor did she make any noise. She was simply hiding, and as Luna’s mind processed this, one undeniable thought bubbled to the surface. In her darkest nightmares, when her imagination forced her to face the demon she had been, she had never seen Nightmare Moon turn and run like a terrified cat. “Is she still under the bed?” Luna asked as she and Celestia dared to creep closer. “Could she have teleported away?” “She hasn’t demonstrated magic of that caliber, but we should still make sure.” The pair of princesses reached the edges of the bed. Celestia was on the left side while Luna was at the hoofboard. “Look and see if she’s still there.” Luna’s brow furrowed. “Why do I have to look? You should look.” “You have better vision in the dark than I do, Luna, and I do believe we can say that it is dark under my bed.” “That is a flimsy reason,” Luna snipped, but she began lowering herself down to the floor nonetheless, tensing as if a wild animal might rush out and bite her nose off. She knelt on her forelegs, pressing her head to the floor and using her magic to gently lift part of the skirt. Her eyes took a moment to adjust, but she could see the filly’s silhouette; she was shaking. The pair locked eyes again, and Luna noticed the filly visibly shrink, as if trying to hide herself better. Luna stood back up and looked to Celestia. “She’s still there.” “At least we’ve confirmed that much.” Celestia looked down towards the top covers of her bed. Though Luna knew her sister lacked the ability, it looked like Celestia was trying to peer through the fabric and wood to see the filly beneath. “We could just pull her out with a levitation spell, but I don’t want to scare her further. I mean, you saw how she reacted to us.” Luna nodded. “I did. It is… uncharacteristic for who I was as Nightmare Moon to act so terrified. Perhaps we are just—what was that turn of phrase I heard the other day—making a timberwolf out of a twig. The simple fact of the matter is we must learn more about this filly’s identity before we can hope to properly proceed.” “Then what should we do now?” Celestia asked. “ I would wager she has not eaten yet.” Luna turned, beginning to stride towards the door. “I will go and fetch something from the kitchens. You shall remain and supervise our unexpected guest.” “Why do I have to do it?” Celestia asked as Luna reached the door. “Because you’re better with fillies than I am, Celestia. You do have your own school, after all.” Luna wore a smug grin on her face as she slipped out the door. Oh, she did enjoy turning the tables on Celestia like that. ~~~ Celestia remained at the side of her bed, her eyes flicking back and forth with the reliability of a clock pendulum. She’d look to the door, then back to the bed, then to the door, then to the bed. Back and forth, waiting for Luna to return. Grabbing something simple from the kitchen should have taken but a few minutes, yet it seemed like her sister was taking another trip to the moon to obtain the meal. Her eyes lingered on the bed, breaking their rhythm. She had not seen the filly sneak out, yet… how could she be certain the filly had not disappeared? Celestia’s eyes looked back to the door, giving her sister one final chance to make a swift return. When the door remained closed, her mind was made up. She lay down next to her bed, brought her head close to the floor, and gently peeked beneath the bed skirt. Seeing nothing, she decided to cast an illuminating spell beneath the bed. The filly was still there, and the sudden increase in light made her crawl away from Celestia, choosing to hide beneath the far right side of the bed. “You don’t have to be scared,” Celestia said. It was something she had said dozens of times before to new students at her school, but this was the first time she was delivering the calm assurance to someone hiding beneath her own bed. “My sister and I aren’t going to hurt you. We are sorry we frightened you earlier. It was unintentional” The filly made no effort to reply. She simply watched Celestia. The pupils of her eyes were wide enough that they almost looked circular. They occasionally flickered and narrowed back into a dagger shape whenever the filly glanced towards the light spell on the tip of Celestia’s horn.  “Do you have a name?” Celestia asked, trying to maintain a semblance of conversation. “I’m Princess Celestia. I’m the one who found you in the forest. You remember that, right?” Celestia’s calm, motherly tones finally managed to elicit an answer. The filly nodded her head, ever so slightly. Celestia smiled and continued. “That’s very good. Do you remember all those nasty cuts you had?” The filly nodded again, though her eyes flicked down to her forelegs. Celestia knew what the filly was looking for. Her injuries weren’t there anymore, or at the very least, they were no longer open wounds. Anything that lingered had properly scabbed over. “I used a spell to help you feel better and make some of those nasty cuts go away,” Celestia said, her words making the filly look up from her hooves. “You were out in that forest a long time, weren’t you? I bet it was scary, but you don’t have to be afraid here. This is a safe place, I promise.” The filly’s body posture relaxed, and Celestia’s smile grew a little. “Would you maybe like to come out? It’s a lot more comfortable on top of the bed than it is beneath it.” “You won’t be scary again?” The young pony’s first words. Celestia could still hear a tremor of doubt in them, but getting her to speak at all was a victory. Celestia nodded her head, scooting her body away from the edge of the bed and holding up the bed skirt to create a larger opening. “I promise, my sister and I won’t be scary again. In fact, she has gone to fetch you something to eat. I bet you’re hungry.” The simple mention of food made the filly’s eyes flash, and the grumble of an empty stomach reached Celestia’s ears. The promise of safety and sustenance was the final item needed to tip the scales. The filly began to slowly crawl out towards Celestia, eventually peeking her head out from beneath the bed skirt. “See, it's much better out here,” Celestia said, smiling warmly. She stood up very slowly before climbing up onto her bed. She lay down on top of the blanket and made herself comfortable before craning her neck over the edge of the bed to look down at the filly. “Would you like to come up here and sit with me?” The filly nodded as she turned around to face the bed. She sank down, legs coiling before she made the leap. Her wings spread, but Celestia could already tell her trajectory was going to fall short. Instead of landing, the filly flopped into the side of the mattress, only her head and forehooves managing to actually touch the top of the bed. She then began to slide back, the subtle forces of gravity dragging her back to the floor. However, a small bit of levitation magic from Celestia ensured the filly did not fall. She gave her a little boost, helping her get on top of the bed. The filly glanced at Celestia, as if she realized she had been helped, but offered no thanks. Instead, she just walked gingerly across the blanket. She gave Celestia a wide berth, walking the perimeter of the bed as she took in the room. Celestia made no further effort to force the filly to talk. She had triumphed in getting the young pony out from under the bed. Now it was just a matter of waiting for Luna to return. Yet, with nothing else to do, she watched the filly. She watched her walk and, on occasion, stumble as the softness of the bed got the better of her.  The moment felt familiar. It tickled her mind with the sensation of deja-vu. This was familiar, and as the memories gently flowed into Celestia’s mind, she couldn’t stop her smile from growing. She could remember a time when she and Luna were just fillies themselves. It had been centuries since she had thought of their childhood, yet she could remember moments like this. Celestia would be sitting and watching Luna, like a responsible big sister, as her sibling amused herself. One such memory stood out, a day when Luna had received a new toy. Toys in the time of their youth were rare and crude compared to modern standards, but Luna loved it all the same. She was letting the doll ride on her back as they went on an imaginary trip through some unknown adventure. To Celestia at the time, it just looked like Luna was walking in circle. Still, it had been enjoyable listening to her babble to the doll about what she imagined. It got particularly exciting when they suddenly had to flee from an unexpected group of bandits. It was hard to believe that she and Luna, then so content with their lives, would eventually face one another in combat. Luna thought of herself as Nightmare Moon, as the monster who had tried to attack Equestria. Celestia didn't think the same way. To her, Nightmare Moon was the monster who stole away her sister, like some monster in the night. A monster that would not have succeeded if she had continued to be a good sister. If she had continued to watch over Luna, like a real big sister should have. If this filly was truly Nightmare Moon—if this was all just some elaborate plan, Celestia vowed to be ready. She would protect Equestria as before, and this time, she would protect Luna too. She would figure out the true nature of the filly. If needed, she would summon Twilight and her friends to use the Elements of Harmony. A knock broke Celestia out of her thoughts, and Luna slipped into the room. She carried with her a covered tray, likely trying to hide the fact she was procuring more food than was suitable for an evening snack. The filly perked up, almost stumbling off the side of the bed as she tried to put herself as close to the food as possible. Her nose twitched, already catching whiffs of the aroma. It was a sight that made Celestia chuckle. Her amused smile quickly withered away. She had to be careful not to fall for what could simply be an innocent act “I am sorry for the delay, Celestia,” Luna said as she set the serving tray down on the bed. “The chef seemed intent on making something too fancy for our needs, given the situation. After seeing some of our younger guests complain about the palace menu, I insisted he come up with something more appropriate.” Luna lifted the lid, revealing a large bowl of tomato soup and and sizable stack of of grilled cheese sandwiches cut into triangles. “He also insisted on making more than I originally asked for when I mentioned I would be sharing this ‘snack’ with you.” “Well, what’s important is there is more than enough for our very hungry guest,” Celestia said, looking over to the filly. “Go ahead, you may have as much as you like.” That little encouragement was all the filly needed. She snatched one of the sandwich triangles with her hooves, and took a hearty bite out of it. The filly was lost to the world after that. The only sound she made was that of content chewing as she polished off her first sandwich and reached for a second. While the filly ate, Celestia noticed Luna step away from the bed. She moved over to the tea set, picking up the cups and taking them to the bathroom. Celestia heard her faucet turn on, and a few seconds later Luna returned, the tea cups freshly rinsed. Luna then proceeded to fill the two cups with some of the tomato soup. She then gave the more reasonable serving of soup to the filly, which also provided the filly with something to catch the crumbs and gobs of cheese that were escaping from the sandwich. Luna passed one of the now soup-filled tea cups to Celestia while keeping the other for herself. She took one of the grilled cheese triangles and proceeded to dunk a corner of it into her cup. The filly saw this, and quickly mimicked Luna’s actions. Her eyes lit up when she took her first taste of soup-dunked grilled cheese. Celestia watched all this, smiling a little as she took a sandwich for herself and dunked it into her teacup of soup. The simple intimacy of the moment didn’t escape her, and it made an old adage cross Celestia’s mind. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. She and Luna would keep a very close watch on this filly. They would figure out the nature of her existence. They would continue to pursue the cult that had likely created her and ensure they could not finish what they had started. Nightmare Moon would not rise again in Equestria, not if Celestia had anything to say about it. ==================== Variance End ==================== What if someone else found Nyx?