A New Flashlight

by Neroson40

Shalott

Princess Luna

I was doing what my sister told me, managing a few civil problems between citizens. Small matters as theft of food or misplacement of important articles of one nature or another. They still had trouble trusting me as a princess after a thousand years as Nightmare Moon, and after what she had done, after what I had done. I had just finished a case between two brothers who were having trouble splitting their inheritance evenly.

“What’s next?” I asked the attendant, Earl of Well.

“The Apple family is dealing with a disappearance,” he said. “They want someone to look into it.” I asked them in, and saw a pony named Ironsparks, if memory serves.

“Princess Luna,” he greeted.

“Care to explain why you’re here, um, Ironsparks, is it?” I asked. By the way, I was pretending to have trouble with his name so I didn’t appear… arrogantly omipotant, I guess that’s how you’d put it.

“I’m a witness, and all the neares’ family of Applejack don’t believe me.”

“Applejack!?” I yelled. “Applejack’s missing!?”

“I saw ‘er disappear raht infonna mah eyes!” he said. I asked him to tell me the whole story. “I was going to go to lunch with ‘er, as Princess Cadence asked me tuh, I was not five feet from our meetin’ spot when allovasudden somepony passed between us and she was gone!”

“Was there anything odd about her when you talked to her last?”

“No’me! She looked fit as a fiddle when…” He looked embaresed to tell that story. I would’ve aske many other questions regarding this incident… but I felt something dark. Something sinister… Something familiar.

“Ironsparks, I might have just solved this little mystery of yours,” I told him.

“Really!?”

“But you have to go back. Right Now!” I told him. The stern look on my face told him that he should probably do what I said. “Earl, Postpone all meetings until I return!” I told him. Without waiting for an answer, I hurried to Celestia’s room. What I saw looming over her… I knew it.

“Luna… Why!?” Celestia struggled to say. “I thought this was over!”

“It is!” she said. “Starting NOW!” I burst through the window and caught the magic blast on my horn.

“Nightmare Moon!” I yelled. “You will not hurt her!”

“Luna!?”

“Why do you fight me!?” Nightmare Moon stopped her attack and made her mane flow under my chin. “We were once one and the same, why deny me now?”

“Because you were me at my worst,” With that I blasted her through the wall.

Five little light descended from the ceiling. Each one turned into one of the Spirits of Harmony who befriended Twilight Sparkle.

“Where am I?” Rarity asked.

“I suppose I was right,” I said. They all looked at me standing with my back turned away from Celestia who was on the ground. “You were in trouble.”

“Princess Luna?” Applejack said with confusion. “If you’re here then who just-”

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll enlighten you later,” I said. “But for now I have somepony to call back to finish my audience.”

---

Princess Twilight Sparkle

I was able to recreate the amulets that hung around the Dazzlings’ necks and gave them power whenever they sang. I still found it hard to trust them, but seeing… myself… on a cot with very few signs of breath intake and very weak vitals made me change my mind.

“This is temporary, right?” I asked Adagio.

“Don’t worry,” she said. “We’ll have our fill for weeks singing for her alone.”

“And after that?” I pushed.

“I’ll have to see how powerful these amulets are, but under the right conditions we could stop conflicts and retain power without you having to worry.” I still trusted Sonata’s blabbermouth more than I trusted Adagio’s sultry convincing additude. I finished the amulets and Aria tested the song out herself. There seemed to be a commotion coming from the next room, where Flash and… Chief’s voices were coming from.

“Whoops, wrong key,” Aria said.

“We’ll fix it later!” Adagio insisted. “Right now we deal with her!” They sang a strange song. One that touched me in a way. But there were names and places mentioned that I didn’t recognize among the lyrics. It was very out of style for them to sing in a way that sounded like there should be an orchestral accompaniment as well. I listened to the lyrics and heard a story that made me feel like crying.
There was a woman on an island weaving a tapestry while looking into a mirror every now and then to see the life going on outside her window. She was always told that she could only look through the mirror, or she’d die. Then a knight of grandeur and charm passed the window, and she had to see him with her own eyes. She died singing and the knight wished her a peaceful eternal rest.

Lancelot mused a little space
He said she has a lovely face
God in his mercy lend her grace
The Lady of Shalott

As the final note was left to hang in the air, I, er, Twilight was left lying on the cot in the same comatose state. I would’ve asked what was taking so long when the note finally faded… but then she inhaled sharply and shot up.
“CATNIP!?” She shouted. “What was I dreaming about?” she said reverting to a drowsy expression.
“Apparently, catnip,” I joked. She looked at me… and I swear I never felt any more awkward in my life.

Author's Note:

Song in question: Lady of Shalott
Original poem by: Alfred Tennyson
Performance by: Loreena McKennitt (correct me if I spelled that wrong)

Comments

[SageBrony07]

That actually made sense and cleared up a few questions. Great job. Good luck.

[Neroson40]

6255255 Now I have a question. WHAT QUESTIONS DID I ANSWER!?

[SageBrony07]

6255321 Where were the girls, and exactly where was Twilight Sparkle and the Princess Twilight Sparkle.