Those Forty Years

by Spell Writer

Unity 10 - Peace

The battle was over just as fast as it started. However, it was slow and agonizing to Twilight. In the end, she never expected to win the fight. She didn't want anyone to get hurt, and honestly, regardless of her ideals, she knew that the battle was Unity's to lose. She didn't know what was going through that spirit's head. Was it a cry for help? Was it in desperation to be there with her family? In the end, destiny won out, though. Sure, Twilight had sealed Unity away in the Tree of Harmony. It wouldn't be hard to release her even. But the necessity of the crystalline tree meant that the spirit wouldn't be free anytime soon.

Luna and Celestia look up at the tree with curiosity. "Woah," Celestia says as her eyes twinkle gently from the radiating light. "We have Elements of Harmony now! Don't worry, we won't forget about these things." She says as she gathers up the gemstones with her magic. The glistening relics look more like regular gemstones, Celestia curiously looking them over for any scratches or changes. "Weird, these Elements don't look the same way you showed us, Mom." The Sun Alicorn curiously says as she looks over the gemstones in her magic. Celestia looks over to Twilight, who is lost in her thoughts. A little nudge from Luna causes Twilight to jerk up as her mind processes the question.

"Huh? Oh yeah. That's how they looked like for you two. Probably can't change them since my friends won't be born for a while." Twilight mumbles out before a thought hits her. "Moondancer." She says before she glows her horn, vanishing in an instant. The two sisters are left alone in the cave suddenly, causing them to worry neigh instantly. With a pair of flashes, Celestia and Luna teleport out of the cave, but not before Celestia gives the tree a little tap on the trunk with her hoof.

"I don't know what you meant by showing you. Luna and I obviously missed a lot. But don't worry. We'll make sure that we prove you wrong one way or another. Then we can all be ACTUAL friends." She says with a smile before teleporting with a flash of light.

---

The battlefield was full of cheers, creatures and ponies alike already poised to return to Canterlot to complete the day's festivities correctly this time. However, in a small corner off towards the trees of the opposite hill, Twilight reappears. A group of guards was already standing where her friend lay. "Move." Is all Twilight says as she rushes to the side of the only friend she had left in this era. It was far too late, though. 'At least she didn't suffer' is the only rational thought that passes through Twilight's mind. She had lost friends before, but only to old age. Even in the few wars she participated in as a nation, she never allowed her soldiers to take risks that would put them in danger, preferring to do much of the extremely dangerous fighting herself. The ones that did were her elites, who could handle themselves better than any other soldier she had. "Someone tell her brother." She mumbles. "I'll get everything else ready myself. She... Deserved better." She says, the guards nodding and leaving to find Moondancer's brother, who should be in the area.

Once her guards are gone, Twilight holds her friend tight. "I'm sorry, Moondancer. So very sorry. You barely got the job as my bodyguard, and this happened. You did deserve so much more than this. I'm going to miss you." She mumbles quietly.

A few minutes later, Celestia, Luna, and Moondancer's brother, Sunsinger, approached Twilight. The next few moments were full of sobbing, anger, and silence. Celestia and Luna just quietly watched the conversation between their Mom and the grief-stricken brother.

"I'm sorry for yelling, your Majesty," Sunsinger says with a mumble, holding onto his sister. "I just wish there was something we could have done. She was never really built for combat. Did she help?" He quietly asks. The males in his family have always been great guards and soldiers for Equestria. They had been trained since birth to accept losses like this. Even then, though, it doesn't make it any easier.

Twilight tiredly looks over to Sunsinger, letting off a little smile. "She did great, Sunsinger. It was me who failed." She says quietly. "I wish I could have protected her better. I should have guessed she would show up, even though I explicitly told her not to come to the battlefield. She upheld her family's honor." She giggles weakly, Twilight's eyes tearing up and sighing. "She has a place with the rest of the guards of your family. I'll make sure to get all the necessary work done." She mumbles, "I'll personally deliver the flag to your mom and dad later today."

Sunsinger nods as he stays seated next to his sister a little longer, watching as Twilight walks away. "Your Majesty, wait." He says with a mumble. "Don't blame yourself, please. We all know how hard you can be on yourself in these situations."

Twilight mumbles something to herself before saying to Sunsinger. "I know it was her job to keep me safe. That doesn't make being the survivor any easier." She says quietly. "Time will heal the scar eventually, though. Don't worry. This isn't my first time losing a friend." She mumbles as she leans and hugs Celestia and Luna closely. Celestia and Luna keeping pace with their mother.

---

Twilight went directly to her study, prepared the folded flag, and arranged for the funeral of her friend. While many people were cheering and having a wonderful day, for a select few, the day was instead full of quiet solitude. Twilight just dryly giggles to herself. "So this is how the Summer Sun Celebration started." She mumbles to herself as she quietly walks alone through the empty backstreets of Canterlot. Many of the ponies who live in the area were at the festival. The proper opening of Canterlot WAS a day to commend, with the holiday eventually turning into the Summer Sun Celebration. Few ponies will remember the reason for the celebration. The consensus in the future is that it's to celebrate the first day of summer and Celestia's birthday. Twilight lets out a dry giggle at the thought. "Celestia was born in winter! I dunno why everyone thinks she was born in summer." She sighs a little as she talks to herself. "Here we go, talking to myself again. This time, I don't even have a weird, broken version of me to talk to." She mumbles as she heads to the nearby house.

Moondancer's family lived in a reasonably small housing complex. The houses inside the complex were designed for mid-nobles at best. Taking a deep breath, Twilight removed her crown from her head. She then slides it into the pocket of her saddlebag, using her hoof to knock on the door. Twilight's formal military outfit adorns her body. In reality, it's just fancy armor, hardly practical for actual fighting. Celestia and Luna questioned why she was doing this herself, and honestly, Twilight was wondering that, too. She had only known Moondancer for a few years—standard years on top of that. To Celestia and Luna, Moondancer's life was a simple footnote in theirs, a blip on the map that ended too soon.

With the knock on the door complete. Twilight hears rustling and movement behind it, a lovely couple of ponies opening it. Seeing the Queen makes them smile, but silence and sorrow overtake their expressions. Moondancer's father stands frozen while her mother breaks down in tears. Her friend's mother quickly embraces Twilight after she hands off the folded Equestrian flag to the family, mumbles and words exchanged. Neither of them wanted their daughter to become a soldier, but it was her wish to do so. Moondancer understood the risks of joining the guard. She knew that this was a possibility. The three just silently stand outside of the house. Twilight is there for her friend's family. Elsewhere, another family is also having a conversation about their lost member.

---

"Mom lost." Says Hearthfire, remorselessly looking at his family members as they sit together. Hearthfire, Repose, and Gentle Light are together, enjoying the festival, specifically the free food. "Well, not that I didn't tell you all. She played her cards way too early."

"Twilight cheated! I know she did! Mom was way stronger, better, faster, everything! Not to mention she didn't have any help either!" Repose says with a glare as she chomps down a big roasted carrot, glaring at Hearthfire. "I bet you were there with the army that bailed out Twilight! Weren't you?!" She says accusingly to Hearthfire, "Traitor!"

Hearthfire shrugs. "I did say from the start that I thought Mom's idea was stupid. No one would like to have their freedom taken away."

Gentle Light raises her hoof. "I didn't like that either, but she did say we were exempt because we were her precious family!" She says with a smile.

Hearthfire scoffs. "Drop the act, Gentle Light. Dad isn't here for you to pull around by the nose anymore." He says with a roll of his eyes. "Shoulda figured that the dad of the year would up and vanish the moment his precious wife got beaten down."

Repose snickers. "Dad was always a coward, never actually did anything to help or hinder. Twas like he was a zombie or something."

Gentle Light munches down on some food idly. "He was pathetic. Talk about a total failure of a father figure. Hearthfire was more interesting than him, granted Dad did take all the money with him."

Hearthfire shrugs. "I can get a job anywhere."

Repose snickers. "I'll just use my abilities and steal or swindle what I need. Someone in the family needs to keep track of the true history of the world. Maybe our descendants can finish what mom started."

Hearthfire glares at Repose with his horn glowing. "Leave my descendants out of any crazy, maniacal ideas you might have Repose! Just let us live in peace for once. Mom gave us the option to follow our paths."

Gentle Light watches the argument between her brother and sister, idly stealing their food in the process, munching down on whatever she can get her hooves on.

Repose smiles. "No promises, brother. One day in the future, somepony will find out what happened, and I'll make sure my side of the family is ready for that day." She stands up. "I suggest you make sure your families are ready for the same. My descendants will fight till the end for Mother's ideal world, even if we have to destroy Equestria to get there." Repose then stomps off, leaving Hearthfire and Gentle Light behind.

Gentle Light blinks. "Wowwww. I was going to teach my foals and fillies how to manipulate everyone, but Sis really takes the cake on the crazy loopy scale. I don't care if my descendants become villains or heroes, honestly. I just want things to stay interesting." She then hops off the bench. "See you, bro. I'm gonna find a rich family to adopt me or somethin. Don't talk to me ever again." She then waves coldly at him, Hearthfire stopping her before she takes any more steps away from him.

"My wallet first, stranger." He says with a glare, causing Gentle Light to go pale for a moment.

"Tch." Gentle Repose says before she passes the bag to Hearthfire, looking angry that she got caught.

"And the bits inside." He says with a deeper glare, causing Gentle Repose to get even more upset.

"Fine!" She says as she puts the bits in his hoof. "Annoying brother being a jerk," she grumbles as she trots away, raising her wings and flying off into the dark sky.

Hearthfire glares a little as his sisters trot away. "Will Equestria ever meet your high standards, Mother?" He says to the sky, grumbling a little. "I think while our family lives, Equestria is going to always be in danger." He sighs. "All I can do is make sure my descendants don't fall for it, I suppose." He then reaches for his food, finding his plate empty. With a grumble, he gets up and heads off to grab more food.

"I think I'll become an archeologist," Hearthfire says to himself. "Having alicorn blood in me comes with benefits, after all." He chuckles as he takes his plate of food, leaving Canterlot. "I'm going to enjoy this peace you got for us, Twilight Sparkle. Hope you don't mind if I nudge my nose where it doesn't belong, though." He leaves Canterlot, going in no particular direction. Excitement appeared on his face as he thought about all the secrets and rare objects he may find.

---

"I hope this peace lasts forever." Celestia idly says as she leans over the railing of her balcony. She talked to herself as she watched the moon rise into the sky. "Mom's story in the past is almost over. I can feel it." Celestia closes her eyes and tenses up. "I don't want her to go. But we can't just keep her here either." She mumbles, "Maybe just a little longer. Sorry, future me, I don't want to let her go yet. We can keep her for a few more months, right?" Celestia sighed. "Soon, but not now. Soon, but not now." She mumbles quietly.

Luna leans over Celestia's shoulder. "Mom doesn't have to go yet, Sis, relax." She says as Celestia yelps in surprise and stumbles a bit. Luna lets out a tiny giggle as she sees Celestia fall into a potted plant. "Sister, I don't think you're meant to wear potted plants." She laughs a little bit to herself before helping her sister to stand up. Celestia gives Luna a little flat pout because of the comment.

"Lunaaaa!" She grumbles out, glaring at her sister with a deep exhale. "Don't sneak up on me like that!" She then dusts herself off before getting a cheeky idea. Quickly snatching Luna up in a hug. "But if I'm gonna be wearing something weird, you can join in!"

Luna makes a surprised yelp before stepping back to try and back away. "Wait!" She then gets scooped up, the pair getting filthy from all the dirt the two are throwing around. The two sisters roughhouse as Luna tries to escape the hug while Celestia tries to keep Luna stuck in it! By the end of it, dirt lines most of the room, the two sisters having broken all the vases while they were playing, the pair laughing together. "Mom is gonna be so angry," Luna says as she lays on the ground.

Celestia continues to giggle. "You're not wrong. Not wrong at all." She says with a laugh before getting a little serious. "Luna. Do you think we're ready to rule?"

Luna sighs as she looks up to the ceiling. She sighed a little bit in response. "No. Not yet, but. Probably very soon. We should send momma home soon. We'll see her again, though. In the future!" She says with a giggle before winding down. "I'll miss her too, I mean. I am gonna spend Faust knows how long on the moon alone."

Celestia mumbles, "Hey, I'll spend the same time here alone, too. It's going to really suck." She says quietly.

Luna smiles. "That's why we must make the best of everything we can! Let's have plenty of parties, play, enjoy each other's company, and be good sisters! Then we can be even more excited to see each other again after everything ends." Luna smiles brightly.

Celestia's face lightens up as she stares up at the ceiling. "Yeah. Let's do it."

The door then opens to their room. Twilight blinked as she looked around the room, dropping her tea at how filthy it was. Staring down at Celestia and Luna before looking up at the room. "You two are in so much trouble."

The two sisters look at each other, then at their mom, before the pair bolt away! The chase begins anew!

Comments

[Arceaion]

Can't wait for the next chapter.

[Spell Writer]

11742225
I’m glad!