Actions and Reactions: Saving Twilight Sparkle

by Lord of Flies

Chapter Twelve: Departure

Canterlot, Imperial Palace

May 27, 4E 2010

Just after 11:00

Princess Luna walked toward the Reliquary. She, and those that would join her in her expedition, would leave today. All she needed to finish getting ready for the expedition was her sword.

The Praetorians guarding the entrance saw her and stepped aside. Luna nodded to the Praetorians as she stepped through the door.

She had one goal in mind. Her sword. Since she was leaving Canterlot, she was going to need it.

The Reliquary held the weapons and armor of heroes from ages past, the possessions of saints from the same ages, and…

The remains of dozens of her own kind. She’d seen them before. In truth, the corpses were one of the only things in this world that she hated. Maybe it was the fact that it proved to all who saw them that alicorns could, in fact, die and she knew why Celestia put the remains in the Reliquary, hidden away from public view. The Empire’s enemies would use the knowledge of the fact that alicorns could die to try to steal a few of them and attempt to develop more ways to kill alicorns.

Luna’s head was bowed, and she held her hands together, as she walked through the section of the Reliquary containing the remains of her kind and toward where the weapons and armor of the Alicorn Princesses were stored. Quiet words in the Alicorn Tongue escaped from her lips, as she sung old hymns from when she was a filly.

And as soon as she stepped through the door out of the Alicorn Crypt, the hymns stopped, and she shook her head to clear it. “By the Ancestors, I will prevent Twilight’s death.”

***

With Noctis Aeternae sheathed at her hip, Luna headed to the airship pad where the rest of her expedition would be. As she walked through the halls of the Imperial Palace, she ran into her older sister. “Ah, Tia, hello.”

Celestia reached out and placed a hand on Luna’s shoulder. “Luna, I have some words of caution for you.”

“Oh?”

“I know you’re taking some of the best in the Solar Legion, and some of your own Night Legion, with you, but you must remain careful. The Dark Valley is not a place to be trifled with, and the Catacombs are far more dangerous than the rest of the Dark Valley.”

Luna smiled, “Tia, I know that. I’m only bringing the Legionnaires because I can’t hold the Citadel by myself. I’ll be heading down into the Catacombs to retrieve the cure for Twilight.”

Celestia sighed. “Of course, you are, sis. Just try not to get killed.”

With that, she smiled, gave Luna a small hug, and walked away. Luna watched as her sister walked away, a bemused expression on her face. She shook her head. “Alright, then.”

She headed toward the airship pad, chuckling to herself.

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

Applejack leaned against the airship, watching as her friends and the Royal Guard officers waited for Princess Luna to appear. Pinkie bounced around, trying to become friendly with all of the officers. The majority of the officers responded warmly to the bubbly mare’s friendliness. General Denarius, who had introduced her and five of the other officers replied coolly to the mare.

Each of them wore the signature golden armor of the Solar Legion, with each plate trimmed in azure, denoting them as something special, Applejack was sure.

The doors to the airship pad opened, and out walked Princess Luna, with three ponies in tow. Two of her Night Legionnaires… and a unicorn wrapped in a dark, hooded cloak.

Applejack stopped leaning on the airship, and she spoke up. “Er… Princess, Ah understand why you’d bring along some of yer own Legionnaires, more loyal and all that, but why him?”

“I, and most of the ponies here, don’t know the layout of Flankfurt. This unicorn here is one of the ponies that lived in Flankfurt before its unfortunate destruction.”

“And he does?”

“Yes, Miss Applejack,” the unicorn said, “I lived in Flankfurt until a days before it was destroyed. I also have several up-to-date maps that are still accurate. Accurate enough, anyway.”

“Accurate enough?”

“It’s been fifteen years, and I’m sure that the more damaged parts of the city have since fallen into ruin.”

“Oh. Ah see.”

“I’m sure you do.”

With that, the unknown unicorn walked past the rest of the ponies on the airship pad and into the airship. “Okie-dokie! That’s a potential friend I see!”

Rarity stared at the pink mare. “Pinkie, do leave the pony alone. I’m sure they’ve got other things on their mind than becoming friends.”

“Everyone’s got time for making friends~!”

Applejack and Rarity glanced at each other, sharing an expression of annoyance. The two shrugged. Pinkie was Pinkie, and nothing would change that.

Princess Luna smirked. “Shall we board? After all, that’s why we’re all here, correct?”

The other ponies nodded.

Author's Note:

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