Triptych

by saarni

I. The Wait of Expectation

Princess Luna paced resolutely up and down the castle’s spacious courtyard, the only sound penetrating the oppressive silence that of her silver-clad hooves hitting the polished stone in a cadence that was almost musical, in front of the motley collection of soldiers assembled in front of her. Her perceptive beryl eyes scrutinised each of them in turn as she passed them by; she did her best to keep her expression firmly neutral while appraising them, but if there were any sharp observers amongst this lot, then they would doubtless see just the slightest of twitches pulling at the corner of her upper lip. As signs of anxiety went, Luna knew, it wasn’t the worst, but she still hated to show any signs of weakness all the same. There was nothing to be done about it, of course, except to simply continue putting on a brave face.

No doubt, her sister had drilled each of these specimens rigorously until their ears were ringing with words like duty, obligation and honour; suppressing a wry smile, pausing slightly in a half-turn, Luna imagined that the slightest whiff of what the night had to offer them would soon have them barfing up all over those cute little golden shoes – which shone so prettily in the moonlight they might as well have been a beacon – they wore as part of their regimental outfit. They were the best of the best, supposedly. They stood here awaiting Luna’s appraisal of their suitability, and she hadn’t yet finished mentally cursing Celestia for springing this little surprise on her at what seemed like the last minute, though in reality it had actually been a little over two days ago since she’d first mooted the idea. Right around the time Luna had been griping about having nothing more to do with her day but sulk around the castle.

Private tutors had been bringing her up-to-date with life in the new millennium, and she’d been trying her best to keep herself busy, but Luna knew in her heart that she wanted to be out there being useful and keeping Equestria safe again.

Despite their best efforts to hide it, Luna could easily see the tell-tale signs of the stress that they were feeling; working for Celestia was one thing, but the prospect of being under her command was something else entirely. She had to admit, they were showing an admirable sense of stoicism, however, in controlling their fears in front of her. Whether they were afraid of her – quite a few ponies still hadn’t quite made the separation between Nightmare Moon and Princess Luna in their minds – or the task that they might be selected for, she couldn’t say. The little beads of sweat forming on their brows, the quaking of their legs, the spasms of coiled muscles caught between warring impulses: fight-or-flight. All of these things and more were visible to the Ruler of the Night, the one who’d been tasked with courting demons, shadows and spirits as a matter of course.

They weren’t ready, was Luna’s considered opinion; more than that, she didn’t feel ready to make them ready for the difficult tasks which lay ahead either. Her ethereal ultramarine hair flowed over her eyes for a moment as she closed them in silent contemplation.

Many years ago now – more than a thousand, though she didn’t like to dwell too much on that fact – it had been … well, it had been more than her job, it had been Luna’s calling to defend Equestria and its inhabitants from the myriad dangers which lurked in the Ryadii: that strange realm created solely by the power of dreams. And nightmares. In there, the normal rules of Space, Time and Causality did not apply, and whole universes could be torn apart on the slightest of whims if one was not careful. Luna’s training had taught her that it was a breeding ground for the worst sorts of foes, and it required an unwavering determination and a rigid focus of mind to police its borders.

More than anything, Luna wanted to be the Guardian of Dreams again; the desire to roam free and untamed within the Ryadii as she’d done in the past burned brightly within her, and while she acknowledged that her sister had done a sterling job over the past millennium, quite simply, the burden had never been intended for the Ruler of the Day to wither. It was akin to giving a general practitioner a scalpel, pushing them into an operating theatre and telling them that they had to perform major surgery.

Hefting the slightest of sighs into the chilly evening air, Luna knew, before any of that could happen, she’d first have to gain back her sister’s trust; she betrayed her presence by shifting ever so slightly on the balcony affixed to the tallest spire of Canterlot Castle, and Luna cast one reproving eye in her direction. It would not be an easy task, apparently.

Circling the recruits once more, Luna tried to ignore her sister’s presence, but – again, she smiled – it was like trying to ignore the questing fingers of the sun poking through the curtains when all you wanted to do was sleep for one more hour. That glittering, multi-hued mane caught the last dying embers of light as its shapeless mass undulated and breathed like the wind and was impossible not to notice.

Most ponies probably wouldn’t even have given her a second thought, but Luna was as attuned to her sister as she was once attuned to the greyish-white mass of Selene, her Moon, so high above. Besides, having an acute sense of situational awareness was a distinct advantage for one who spent most of their life lurking in the shadowy, murky void of Eventide.

She knew it wasn’t actually necessary for Celestia to be out here at all; the sun didn’t much care whether she had a direct line of sight with it or not, and would’ve lowered itself even if she’d been located on the other side of the planet from it. Invisible, near-incomprehensible, chains of magic and destiny bound the two of them to the stellar objects that were their birthright. Doubtless, Celestia only had the best of intentions in making herself conspicuous like this, but still Luna visibly chafed at what she felt was a rebuke.

That said, she couldn’t help but be mesmerised by that rapturous look which broke out on Celestia’s muzzle as she performed the nightly ritual; thousands of years of the same routine had done nothing to diminish the pleasure she received from what was otherwise, for her, a fairly modest feat. Her immense sense of satisfaction at watching that seething cauldron of boiling incandescence sizzle its way below the horizon to its nightly resting place – almost as if she were putting a fidgety child to bed – was nearly a tangible thing.

Perhaps there was more to it than that, Luna couldn’t help thinking? Maybe she was ignoring some of the symbolism that the act represented? Each night, Celestia was able to put away her own daily struggles until she was once more energised enough to face them head on. From what little Luna had learned since she’d returned – mostly by listening to castle gossip – she knew that her sister had not had the easiest time of it, ruling Equestria on her own. She was not yet privy to all the details, and it was Celestia’s choice whether to inform her or not of what she’d faced, but it was telling in itself that she’d finally passed the onerous duty of wielding the Elements of Harmony to her faithful student and that plucky little band of friends of hers. Making a noise in her throat, she wondered about the sense of that: giving the greatest weapons in the land to somepony who was barely out of school. Still, her sister was wise in all things, and Luna knew that trust went both ways.

Maybe she was just overthinking it, but when she looked closely, Luna was sure that she could detect a slight droop in Celestia’s withers, the merest of bows in her head; she’d had to make a million decisions to ensure Equestria’s safety over the years, and it was safe to say that not all of them had been good ones. Or at least, they hadn’t been the ones that she’d wanted to make, but had been forced into by circumstance. The pressure had settled on her, like a blanket. A heavy blanket made of pure regret.

Luna wished that she could join her sister up there; the pretty palette of oranges and reds melting away into the cool sapphire was one of the most beautiful sights in Equestria, and she longed to stand by Celestia’s side once more as they simply observed the lovely snow-capped mountains which jutted out like brilliant, multi-faceted diamonds, their peaks sparkling warmly as they caught those last vestiges of Helios’ light like a pair of startled lovers caught in an illicit embrace who would then scurry off into the obscurity of night in order to continue their affair away from prying eyes. It was the sort of thing that one could see a thousand times or more and never become bored by it.

Returning her attention with some reluctance back to her coterie of nervous-looking potentials, Luna said in a clipped, formal tone that served as a stark contrast to the more mellifluous tones preferred by her sister, “We shall meet back here in precisely one hour to begin our training. Until then, you are dismissed.” Just as they were beginning to break up and move off, she added coolly, “I would suggest that you use this respite profitably. Many challenges await you if you are successful, and preparation will be key if you wish to survive what lies ahead. Your first mission-” her smile was one of fine-edged steel “-will be not disappointing the Princess of the Night.”

The very best that the Day Guard had to offer …

Celestia was of the opinion that these were the best candidates to serve in a reformed Shadow Guard; while there had been ad hoc nightly patrols since Luna’s exile, they had only been cursory forays into places like the Everfree Forest which obeyed their own strange laws free of any interference by ponies. It was the job of the Shadow Guard to explore such hazardous locales more fully and ensure that they did not spawn anything which might threaten Equestria’s borders.

Watching them depart, Luna could not help but think that, experienced guards though they might have been, they were still awfully green. Too used to peace. The closest thing to combat they’d ever seen was probably a food-fight in the refectory.

Would any of them really be up to the challenge and claim a place in the Shadow Guard? She remembered her original contingent, made up of ponies trained from a young age: minds and bodies honed to the peak of perfection by Luna herself. They were fast and strong, but they were also smart and wise. This was what was needed to rise to the top in the Shadow Guard. Now, though, with Equestria having had such an unusually long period free from threat, Luna wasn’t sure if her methods would be welcomed. The resurgence of the Elements of Harmony would surely bring with it villains on the order of Tirek and Discord of old.

All that remained was to see.

Opinions were already forming, but she resolved to keep an open mind; a few of the potentials, Luna was pleased to note, had headed off in the direction of the castle’s library. Hopefully they were going there to read up on the many beings which inhabited the dark recesses of the night; if not, well, their first patrol was going to come as a shock to them. Others, she was less happy to discover, were taking it easy, milling about the courtyard and swapping jokes. Doubtless, some of those quips involved her, but for now she chose to ignore them. Celestia’s words about not making any snap judgements rang in her ears, but Luna already had an inkling of which ponies were going to end up washing out.

Celestia, she noted idly, was no longer on the parapet; she’d probably went back inside for a late snack before heading to bed, as was her usual way of doing things.

She heard a sound that wasn’t quite a sound and smiled. With the most imperceptible shake of her head, Luna went back to watching her recruits; they were dotted around the grounds, some of them slumped over the many comfortable marble benches which lined the periphery of the courtyard. They were clustered around an enormous fountain which had once been part of their old castle, back in the Everfree Forest. Maybe one of those gently slumbering ponies would become her first lieutenant? Stranger things, she was sure, had happened. “My dear sister,” Luna said barely above whisper, “you are more than welcome to observe my dealings with the Shadow Guard recruits openly. It is not necessary for you to spy on me.”

With a look that was almost a pout, Celestia said, “You know, I really thought I’d got the hang of silent teleportation over the years.” Luna had to admit, her sister was doing an amazing job at hiding just how startled she was by the fact that she’d detected her carefully-concealed presence so easily.

“I wouldn’t be doing my job if I allowed somepony – or somebeing – to sneak into the castle like that, would I?” said Luna in a tone of mock-offence. She couldn’t help but wonder if it was a test. You had to be exceptionally skilled at spotting the signs of a silent teleport and masking spell in use. They consumed much power, though alicorns had that to spare.

“I wasn’t spying on you.”

“Of course not.”

“I have no reason to, Luna.” Her voice was calm, measured, and radiated just the faintest hint of melodiousness. Anypony who didn’t know her well would probably assume that she was at peace, but Luna could see those same hints of strain that she’d detected earlier. She was too stiff, too formal, and the knot of tension taking root in her lower spine was easily discernible to her. She almost looked like she was waiting for something to happen. The way in which her eyes were darting about in a most distracted fashion only seemed to confirm her suspicions.

Luna opened her mouth to say something, then thought better of it; Nightmare Moon’s influence had left some indelible scars on her psyche, and until they healed she was sure that there’d be many more situations like this where she’d misread somepony’s intentions toward her. Celestia was not the type to skulk about and make veiled threats nor would she openly lie to her own sister’s face. Therefore, her words were meant genuinely and not as some kind of challenge. She let out a soft breath. While some things had changed while she was gone, so many had not, and one of those things was Celestia.

“I think it’s time.”

Her eyes widening in shock, Luna understood instantly to what she was referring. Igniting her horn, she felt that curious sensation course through her being once more just as it had always done a thousand years ago; it was like reacquainting with an old friend, and at once was both familiar and pleasant. Since she’d returned, her magic had been growing daily until now when she’d felt as strong as she had done so long ago. While Luna had been recovering her powers, Celestia had continued to tend to the matters of both sun and moon.

She couldn’t easily describe what she felt with words, but it was as if something inside of her was being pulled in the direction of the moon. Celestia had already raised it earlier in the day, of course – she liked to have them both up at the same time every now and then, as a sign that they were equal partners in all things – but this was simply about renewing their connection. Seeing it from ground level once more caused Luna a second of disquiet.

“Tomorrow night,” Celestia said with quiet anticipation, “we’ll be able to do this together for the first time in a thousand years.” Her face was a picture of rapt awe as she savoured the occasion. “I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed this, Luna.” A small sigh escaped her muzzle and it was quickly claimed by the icy air, condensing into crystal almost immediately. She reached out with the hoof of a foreleg and, hesitating slightly, finally placed it on her sister’s wither. “This is how it always should be.”

“I, too, have missed it, dear sister,” replied Luna, a warm, giddy glow suffusing her at Celestia’s touch. She found that she had to stifle the desire to giggle like a schoolfilly. She shifted her stance slightly, moving closer to Celestia so that she could enjoy more of the gentle heat that radiated from her body. “Nightmare Moon-” it was still difficult to speak the name of her one-time captor without feeling ill “-took so much from me when she was inside my head, but she could never rob me of the joy I felt when we stood together.”

Celestia closed her eyes, the barest of smiles tugging at her muzzle as she felt a leg snaking around her withers.

“You are troubled.”

“Huh?”

Luna studied her sister a bit more closely. “I have always been able to read your moods as if they were words on a page, sister, but what I’m sensing now-” she didn’t want to be seen as being overly forward, but frankly she couldn’t help but be concerned by whatever strange thing it was that Celestia was feeling “-is something altogether new.” It wasn’t quite tension, it was more … expectation. Maybe it was just the weight of those thousand years playing merry havoc with her perceptions? Maybe they could never be as close as they once were and she was simply, not to put too fine a point on it, barking up the wrong tree entirely. “You have the air of somepony expecting trouble, but there’s also … excitement? Enthusiasm, even.”

When she opened her mouth to offer a rebuttal to this, Celestia’s words were drowned out by the sky choosing that exact moment to explode in a dizzying array of noise and colours.

With her eyes narrowed, Luna bared her teeth and scanned the heavens; if this was some kind of attack, then she wanted to be ready for its perpetrators to make themselves known. Already, she was busily directing waves of energy into her horn in preparation to strike down any foe which dared set a hoof inside the castle’s perimeter. She looked over to Celestia to see if she was doing likewise, but she was merely … observing. Her expression was almost unreadable – wistful, maybe – but she was not in the least bit alarmed about the resplendence which had startled the atmosphere above.

“You know what this is?” asked Luna, frowning.

“Sorry, yes, I should’ve said,” Celestia replied a little bit sheepishly, that same distracted air clinging to her. “She comes out this way to practice, probably due to all the complaints she got from Ponyville’s residents.”

Before she could ask for any specifics, Luna caught sight of a shimmering rainbow trail that punctured through the eye-searing glare; for the briefest of moments, it was the brightest object in the sky – so much so that even the moon itself was blotted out temporarily – and it brought a momentary false dawn to this side of Canterlot. She quickly fixed her attention back on her sister whose own focus was firmly on the polychromatic light show taking place high above. Luna saw something, an expression that she’d never expected to see on her sister’s face: not joy, not anger, but an entirely different emotion altogether.

“You have a crush on that prismatic gamine, don’t you?” Luna said, her voice wavering somewhere between sisterly teasing and outright shock.

“A little louder, please, Luna,” Celestia said sarcastically, furrowing her eyebrow in annoyance. “I don’t think the recruits below heard you.”

“Sorry,” said Luna, a little chastened. She opened her mouth to say more, but then closed it again when she realised that she really had nothing of value to offer. “Perhaps it would be best if I left you alone to your … thoughts.”

“I’m sorry for snapping at you,” said Celestia with a slight sigh, interrupting Luna’s half-turn. She offered her sister a smile, the reddening of her cheeks displaying her abashment for all to see. “I don’t mind you knowing this, but I’d really rather it stayed between us.” She cast a brief glance in the direction of the rainbow trail once more; it was beginning to fade now, and the moon and the stars quickly reasserted themselves as the dominant presences in the sky above. “Every night, I come out here hoping to get a chance to see her practice. At first, I was just appreciating the artistry involved – it’s been a while since I’ve seen a pony as audacious as her – but I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t more to it than that.” With a slight shake of her head which allowed her ethereal mane to droop over her eyes, she added, “No doubt about it, she’s going to be captain of the Wonderbolts one day soon.”

“I accept that I am a thousand years out of my time and haven’t come to grips with all the minutiae of interpersonal relationships, but-” she gestured in the direction of the fading trail “-would it not be simpler to tell her of your attraction, dear sister?” Luna knew that love and advice were not her strongest suits, but at the same time, she did not like to see Celestia suffer so. She vaguely felt that she ought to be at least supportive, though, and maybe try to push her sister in a direction that didn’t involve silent moping. “There’s always the possibility that she will reject you, of course, but even that’s got to be better than lamenting what could be from your lofty perch up here, right?”

Snorting into the cool night air, Celestia said, “Even if she were to reject me, which is more than likely, I wouldn’t want the information to be a source of unwelcome preoccupation for her. From what I’ve heard, the only things on her mind are flying and napping. She’s a pony of great potential and I would hate to be responsible for her not fulfilling her destiny.”

“I understand,” Luna said quietly, “but I also hate to see you unhappy.”

“I’ll be fine. It’s enough just to watch her.”

Luna got the impression from her sister’s words that the opposite was, in fact, the case, but she didn’t want to press the point too firmly; there were no specific rules preventing the royal family from fraternising with their pony subjects, but the power dynamics involved and near-godlike levels of worship they received meant that it was impossible to truly know if the relationship was equal or not.

“It’s nice having somepony to talk about these things with again,” Celestia said, pressing the tip of her hoof against Luna’s side.

“What about that student of yours? She seemed bright from what I saw of her.”

“Oh, she is, but she’s still terribly young and inexperienced,” replied Celestia. “That’s part of the reason I sent her to Ponyville in the first place.” Stifling a yawn, her breath causing vapour to form on her golden-shod hoof, she said, “I’m terribly sorry, but I forgot just how tired I was. I’m going to retire for the night now, Luna. I’d wish you success on your first patrol – the first of many, I’m sure – but you won’t need it, I think. Shall we eat together in the morning?”

“I’d like that very much,” said Luna; for a moment, her foreleg wavered in the air, as if by magic she could divine the right words that would make everything better. “Likewise, wishing you luck with your, ah, problem seems inappropriate somehow, but I hope you find a solution all the same.”

Halfway to the threshold, Celestia stopped and turned back. “Luna?”

“Hm?”

“I’m really glad that you’re back.” Celestia’s eyes moistened slightly. “Um, I don’t know if I’ve said it properly, but I’m very happy that you’re finally home after all this time. It just hasn’t been the same without you.”

That was what Luna needed to hear; on sudden impulse, she reached forward and encompassed her sister with her forelegs in a ferocious hug, not even attempting to restrain the tears that were now flowing freely down her muzzle. “Let nothing ever part us again, dear sister.”

It was a long time before they finally broke their embrace; now that they were together again, they didn’t want to lose each other, not even for as much as a second.