Pressures of a Princess

by RarityEQM

Dark Call

They scoured the castle, but found no sign of Princess Twilight. She'd long fled, and now, both Luna and Celestia burst down the hallways of Ponyville's newest castle with ethereal bursts of speed. The guards whom all had signed up for detail in the castle raced behind them, ears perked at every barked order.

"Secure the castle, and watch for Twilight's return! You three, head to Canterlot, and alert the other guards! You, send a message to the Crystal Empire! Warn them of a potential situation! We MUST find Princess Twilight! If you discover her location, report back to us IMMEDIATELY! You two, seek out Twilight's friends! Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Rarit-" Celestia paused, ears perked in alarm at the words that slipped from her lips. It was only then, did she noticed Luna had stopped following her, as she raced towards the castle's exit. The Princess of the Night stared out the window, as if in deep contemplation.

"Luna?" Celestia asked. Luna's gaze slowly drifted towards Celestia, lost in thought.

"Rainbow Dash! The pegasus! She could find Twilight faster than any of us!" She exclaimed. Celestia tilted her head.

"Yes, but first we must find HER!" Celestia quipped. Luna's lips twitched with a hint of a grin.

"She naps about this time..." She explained. Celestia frowned.

"But how does that hel-" She paused. Luna grinned, and her eyes rolled back into her skull, the alicorn immediately collapsing to the ground in a self induced slumber. Celestia sighed. Luna had always been the clever one...

***********************************

It was a sunny day, warm weather and clear skies. The perfect place for a Wonderbolt Race. The seats were sold out in the stadium, and the crowd was screaming. Rainbow Dash wasn't exactly sure HOW she'd managed to get roped into a Wonderbolt's Race but she sure as tartarus wasn't going to lose. Star Dust Stadium was packed- simply PACKED to the brim with screaming ponies and fans, but Rainbow Dash didn't bother to take it in. She knew they were cheering for her, and she wasn't going to disappoint. Round and round they lapped, Fleet Foot, Spit Fire, Soarin- none of them could compare to Rainbow Dash, though. She took the next corner tight, shooting past Lightning Dust who squealed in shock at how much better a flier Rainbow was.

The crowd was cheering, louder and louder and louder. Deafeningly so, as Rainbow Dash soared through the finish line with an exaggerated smile. Spitfire grinned herself, trotting up to the filly, panting heavily, when they landed on the stage to accept their rewards after the race.

"Kid, you can REALLY move. I have NEVER seen ANYpony as fast, or as amazing as you...who WASN'T a Wonderbolt! You're officially on the winning team, now! Welcome to the Bolts kid!" She panted. The crowd went berserk, screaming wildly and cheering her name, diamonds showering through the sky, and A giant shiny golden trophy was being wheeled in from somewhere. Rainbow Dash could hardly believe it!

Princess Luna scowled quietly as she drifted through the crowds- the dreamscape was not unfamiliar to her; adoration, affection, love from perfect strangers as if you were Princess Celestia. Luna knew of it all too well, and even in the wake of a catastrophe, that ponies could still dream of delight...She frowned. More work she'd never be thanked for...Still, now was not the time to suffer past indignities. From within the crowd, Luna stomped a hoof- a simple gesture that sent a echoing -KABOOM- across the dream, and bought everything to a screeching halt. Everypony around her knelt immediately, leaving her standing tall in a sea of multicolored heads and manes. The look on Rainbow Dash's face was priceless, and Luna made sure to etch it into her mind for a chuckle, later. But for now...

"Element of Loyalty! Equestria requires thy gift of speed. " The princess commanded, the royal canterlot voice rippling to the seams of Rainbow's dream and back again. The blue pegasus looked up, sputtering quietly in confusion.

"Wh, what? I don-" She began, but shut her mouth immediately at the princess's outburst.

"SILENCE! Princess Twilight Sparkle has taken leave off her senses, and is now overcome with grief and guilt, at the death of her companion. You art to seek out thy princess...your friend, and make sure no harm comes to her. We've reason to believe she is attempting to cast a spell which very well may sunder the realm. Find her and stop her, Element of Loyalty. Awaken, and go. " The princess commanded, her words concise and clear. Rainbow Dash swallowed as the world began to melt into a steamy haze, and the dreadful existence of reality began to take shape around her. There was no wiggle room- no interpretation. Princess Luna had given her a job, and Princess Luna's words carried a weight Princess Celestia's seemed to lack. Some dark and fatal promise hidden under the syllables, which Rainbow had no intention of finding out. The pegasus sat up in a cold sweat, despite the summer sun around her.

The cloud she'd been laying on was no longer comfy , regardless of how soft and fluffy it was. Everything felt jarred and jumbled in her head, but she could sort out her feelings later. The battle, the group, what Twilight did, Rarity...all of it had to wait. She rocketed herself off the cloud with a furious pump of her wings. First stop; the remains of the library.

Princess Luna drew herself to her hooves with an unsteady wobble. Dream walking always made her a tad unsteady when she returned to the realm of reality, but she had no time for waiting. In the now empty halls of Twilight's own castle, Princess Luna shot a wing into the air and drew in a hiss of a breath.

"I am the author of darkness. With these black words, and mine tongue ebony, my will be done. " She hissed quietly. The candles in the room snuffed themselves out. The warm comfort of the room, turned cold, and foreboding, and shadows crept in from the corners like spiders.

The room turned black.

And with only the luminescent blue glow of Luna's eyes no pony could have hoped to notice the sound of hoofsteps, falling like silk across the ground. The temporary night the princess had bestowed inside the castle had darkened every room, every hall, every nook and every cranny- leaving her to talk in safety knowing no others could hope to hear them.

"Your highness." The voice whispered from the darkness. Luna frowned quietly, and nodded her head. Celestia had her fun little loving group of friends she trusted to the kingdom...and Luna had hers, even if they weren't so widely known. Her children of the night, , if she had to call them anything, came in all shapes and sizes, and their loyalty to the princess of darkness was unwavering. Of the group, there was Firefly, the Squire, Virga, the Champion, Diamond, the Errant, Nettle, the Steward, and Nightshade, the Overseer. And of the five, it was Nightshade, who stood silently, just out of sight of the Princess.

"You are aware of all that has transpired, I trust." Luna asked quietly. The figure in the darkness nodded her head.

"Yes, majesty." The voice hissed from the darkness. Luna nodded.

"You are to oversee Rainbow Dash and monitor the situation. If she is unable to subdue Twilight, you are to do so in her stead. Clear?" The princess asked. There was an unusual pause, before Luna imagined she heard an uncomfortable shuffling behind her.

"Your highness...Princess Celestia may not agree with your plan." The voice whispered. Luna frowned.

"Celestia need not know of my plans. I fear her judgment is clouded by her faithful student. Ergo, thy task, Overseer. Twilight must NOT fall under the influence of a Nightmare creature. It would be Equestria's undoing. Go." Luna hissed quietly. Behind her, the figment of a pony slipped back into the shadows, as the daylight returned to the room- the castle bright and cheery once again, with Princess Luna standing in the middle of it. Luna frowned quietly, and pinned her ears back against her head and gave a tortured sigh of duty. It was a dark call to make, to be sure, but the well being of the kingdom came first after all. Being a princess was not a job she wished upon anypony.

Author's Note:

I'm kind of...honestly enjoying where this is going. Luna has to take every precaution to ensure the safety of the realm of Equestria- even if it means protecting it from another princess. Surely Celestia wouldn't want this done...but that's why it's Luna making the tough calls, now isn't it?