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// Chapter 27 - Cold as Ice 
// Story: Night Reigns 
// by tursi 
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A couple of hours after Sunset and Luna had started studying the book, Luna lit her horn and closed it. The candles had burned very low by this time and Luna stifled a yawn. She then looked across the closed book to Sunset. "I think I understand," she said.

Sunset looked rather excited, her ears forward. "Do you want to go over it again, maybe? I don't mind!"

Luna chuckled softly. "Have you no fatigue, Sunset Shimmer?"

Sunset blushed and folded her ears. "Oh... sorry Princess. I'm used to studying all night and it's been a long time since I've learned so much. Your magic is amazing!"

Luna made a thoughtful sound and nodded, standing up. "I thank you for your assistance. It's very clear that you understand a great deal about magic. If the situation were different, I might have enjoyed teaching you myself."

Sunset blushed further and turned her head. "Thank you, Princess Luna."

Luna nodded towards Ulfrid, who stood as well. He dipped his head and spoke gently. "So all is understood now, my liege?"

Luna nodded again. "I believe so, Ulfrid. Based upon the components of the spell that Sunset Shimmer was able to cast, and the remnants of magic left in the Alicorn Amulet, it would appear that the charge of the amulet along with the curse will have transferred to my sister. She must be very confused."

Sunset stood as well. "That means, if we follow correctly, that she has regained her full power, possibly even more."

Luna frowned, "Most certainly more, I would say. In her greatest tempers I have never seen her flare as she did when she confronted me. And that was before she took away my powers."

"Then there is the additional drain from Equestria that you mentioned, Ulfrid," added Sunset. "Although I have to admit that I still don't understand exactly what that means."

Luna nodded back to Sunset. "It has not been a subject of much research in the past, largely due to the scarcity and responsibilities of landed alicorns. Really, it is mostly known to alicorns by tradition and legend. I was not sure that I believed in it myself before we found Equestria. But it made us both feel... complete."

Sunset hesitated for a moment, and then shook her head. "But then why did you work so hard to overthrow Celestia and take over? I mean, I got from your diary that you were frustrated and that you felt neglected by Equestria, but... I just don't understand why."

Luna's expression fell and she turned her head away, looking first at Ulfrid, and then at the blank stone wall itself. "It was not Equestria I was angry at, so much..." she said, very softly. "I might have tolerated that."

Sunset cast a glance at Ulfrid, who merely nodded once back towards Luna. Sunset remained quiet and looked back at Luna, waiting for her to finish.

After a moment longer, she did. "It was Celestia I was angry with. Whenever I tried to confide in her, she would brush me off. After hundreds of years of being the only pony I could ever talk to, she suddenly didn't have time for me."

Luna's jaw tightened, and her face hardened. "All because of these little ponies who came up and kissed her hooves at every opportunity... who would make opportunities just to kiss her hooves. For whom I was just the sister of the Great Solar Princess, a token symbol that nopony had any interest in, no matter how hard I worked!"

Her head came around rapidly and she fixed Sunset Shimmer with a glare. "How would you feel if your entire world vanished overnight, leaving you just a lonely face in the shadows?"

Sunset frowned right back at her. "Oh, I don't know," she began with a defiant note in her voice. "Except that's exactly what you did to me. You took away my teacher, you took away my future, and you reduced me to a fugitive who was afraid that every hoofstep was the guard coming to take me away."

Luna met Sunset's glare for almost a full minute, and then her face softened. She laughed softly. "If we manage to come through this intact, Sunset Shimmer, you shall be forgiven." She paused, and then spoke more softly. "Perhaps one day you will even forgive me."

Sunset didn't relax quite so quickly, but she did nod slowly. "I guess, maybe..." she responded. "Do you think that you and Celestia will be able to work things out?"

Luna's eyes betrayed an otherwise hidden flinch, but she responded confidently. "We won't know until we break this curse."

"And just how are we supposed to do that?" asked Sunset.

Luna frowned anew, this time in concentration. "I am uncertain. I have already tried talking to her; she would not listen to reason even before she took away my powers."

"There's the feed from the land... if we could break that, would she burn up the rest?"

Luna mused it over for a moment. "I am not even certain that is possible..." She turned her head back to Ulfrid. "Ulfrid, you seem to know something about our connection to the land, is there anything that you can offer?"

Ulfrid dipped his head slowly. "There is nothing I can offer, my liege. The contract with a landed alicorn is for life. The Oath welcomes her."

Sunset tilted her head. "Oath? What oath?"

"So long as they act in the interests of the land, the land welcomes them," replied Ulfrid gently.

"How can you possibly say that Nightmare Moon was in the best interests of Equestria?" Sunset demanded.

Ulfrid dipped his head in deference to Sunset. "That I cannot answer, young pony."

Luna frowned at Sunset's question and spent a moment looking at her hooves, her expression flickering between angry frustration and embarrassment.

Before she could reply, however, there was a sudden clattering of hooves on the staircase, followed by Sterling Honor launching himself into the room. He landed in a bow and spoke quickly. "Your Highness!" he exclaimed. "I apologize for the intrusion, but we have a report from the unicorns stationed near the Crystal Mountains. A fireball was seen streaking north into the Frozen Wastelands, and they have detected powerful magic. It can only be Celestia."

Luna considered for a moment and glanced down at Sunset. She then looked back to Sterling. "Captain, take Sunset Shimmer and provide her with provisions for a travel to the Frozen North. We will leave by air in fifteen minutes. You will collect a mixed squad and follow after us... we will expect you by midnight."

Sterling stood and saluted. "At once, my liege."

"Wait!" called Sunset. "Princess, I can't fly!"

Luna stretched out her wings. "I have recovered enough to carry you. We will evaluate the situation, and assess what we can do. We will discuss your plan on the way."

Sunset blanched. "But I don't have a plan, Princess!"

Luna smiled. "You will develop one," she replied. She turned her head. "Ulfrid?"

"I will accompany you, my Liege," he responded. "But I shall travel by paw. Wolves were never meant to fly." He smiled, showing his fangs.

"Can you keep up?" asked Luna.

Ulfrid bowed, "I serve," he replied.

Luna nodded, "Very well. Sunset Shimmer, go with Captain Sterling Honor now, and meet me back here in fifteen minutes. It is a long flight to the Frozen North. I cannot think of many things that she might be doing up there..."

"Do you think maybe she's just going into hiding?" asked Sunset.

"If her magic is flaring, then she must be preparing some form of spell." Luna paused a moment and then continued. "But we shall have to see what it is. Go now."

Sunset nodded and followed Sterling out of the room. Luna watched them leave and then stood silent for several minutes. Then, slowly and without a word, she began to walk along the walls of the room to where the shattered remnants of Nightmare Moon's armor lay. Her horn lit and the fragments glowed as she approached them, each lifting up and following her. Each shard locked into its proper position as it was acquired, and when the pieces were complete she lifted them over her body. The armor settled upon her body and then adjusted magically to fit snugly. Luna broke her silence by speaking tiredly as she donned the battered armor.

"This could be my last journey, Ulfrid," she confided. "I have no strength for a battle with my sister."

Ulfrid approached and sat down next to her. "Yet you intend to confront her all the same," he observed.

Luna sighed softly as her helmet rose from a small chest. Since she was not wearing it during Celestia's attack, it shone smooth and undamaged. Luna rotated it slowly in the air before herself for a moment before settling it gently over her head, where it was likewise adjusted to fit. "I must," she replied. She was quiet for a moment longer, and then spoke again, more softly. "Sunset Shimmer was correct," she said.

Ulfrid looked to her. "About what, my liege?"

Luna's gaze fell to her hooves. "Equestria has rejected me. I have not felt the welcome of the land's power since I returned from the Moon. Nightmare Moon did not act in the land's best interest... at least at first."

Ulfrid was quiet at that. After a moment, Luna continued.

"Celestia has all the power of the Alicorn Amulet, and the power of the Nightmare magic I absorbed, and on top of that you believe that she still has the welcome of the land. I have only my alicorn magic, and that restores slowly. Perhaps... perhaps she truly was meant to rule all along, without me."

Ulfrid looked at her curiously for a moment, and then he spoke. "Do you truly believe that your sister means you harm?" he asked gently.

Luna replied without looking up. "The intent was there," she replied. "I could feel it."

"But she is not herself."

"No," replied Luna quietly.

"So," prompted Ulfrid. "Do you truly believe that your sister means you harm?"

Luna half raised her head to look at him. "Does it matter what she means?"

"It matters a great deal, my liege."

Luna sighed softly and raised her head again, studying the ceiling. Her eyes saw through it to the grand expanse of the night sky beyond. After a minute's contemplation, she responded. "Celestia would not intentionally hurt me, no."

Ulfrid bowed deeply. "That is all you require to save her, your highness."

Luna looked at him again and this time her expression was wistful. "And if, by some miracle, I do manage to put things right with Celestia again, then what? Another thousand years locked away as punishment for my crimes? Should I just accept my fate and hand Equestria back to Celestia?"

Ulfrid shook his head slowly. "I cannot advise on that, my liege. But you should speak with your sister before you resign yourself to a fate that may not come."

Luna closed her eyes for a moment, her chest tightening. "I know that I made a lot of mistakes," she started. "But I thought that I had made at least some of it right again."

Ulfrid smiled reassuringly. "The story is not yet over, your Highness. Have confidence in yourself and in your sister."

Luna sighed and lowered her head. "Whatever," she responded.

Ulfrid cleared his throat quietly, and then spoke again. "Appearances, my liege. Sunset Shimmer and Sterling Honor return."

Luna looked at him, tilting her head curiously, and then she heard the clattering of hooves on the staircase. She drew herself to her full height and stood facing the doorway.

Sterling Honor entered first, dropping into a low bow. He had changed into a heavier armor, a plate-mail that covered his flanks as well as his forelegs. "We are prepared, Your Highness," he stated. "Sunset Shimmer is prepared and my squad will be ready to follow you within half an hour."

Sunset followed after him a little more slowly and with considerably heavier breathing. She was equipped with thin chain-mail that draped over her head and down her neck, containing her mane. Additional chain covered her body and strapped atop that were two heavy-looking saddlebags bearing the crescent moon symbol. "Don't you ever get tired?" she snapped between breaths. She started to lie down, fussing with the chain.

Princess Luna chuckled. "Was the chain-mail really necessary, Captain?" she teased.

Sterling remained in his bow. "I thought it best to be prepared for any eventuality, your Highness."

"At least you were quick," noted Luna, turning her attention back to Sunset. "On your hooves, Sunset Shimmer," she ordered. "You may think that you are tired now, but I am the pony who must carry you and your provisions for the next several hours."

Sunset looked up guiltily, finally looking at Luna. She gasped as she recognized the armor Luna wore. "Nightmare Moon!" she whispered.

Luna nodded, "Yes, Nightmare Moon," she responded. "Now come, we have a long journey ahead of us."