Once Upon Another Time

by Undome Tinwe

Dear Old Friend

"Sombra, Hope, how wonderful to see you two again!"

Celestia smiled serenely as the pair entered the throne room. Beside her, Luna kept up her own plastered smile as she regarded the couple, holding her silence for now. Sombra's gaze held no guile as he smiled back at the both of them, but Hope's eyes were fixed on the Sun Princess.

"Thank you, Celestia," Sombra said. His voice held a warmth that felt almost uncharacteristic when compared to his past. "We are indebted to you for lending us your time today."

"Think nothing of it," Luna cut in smoothly. "You two have worked tirelessly this past year to seek out the shards of Princess Amore, and we could do nothing less than lend our aid when you called."

Her voice forced Hope's attention towards her, and when their eyes met, there was a spark that flashed between them. Luna's heart fell at the sensation. She had been better, had almost driven the witty, fair, passionate mare from her mind after that night in the Crystal Empire, and now she had returned, and all those efforts had been for naught.

Ever since they had received the letter requesting an audience, Luna had been plagued with dreams of their time together. Of all the stories they had shared, music they had made, spells they had cast together. Of how they had grown from teacher and student to friends to lovers.

And of how Hope's disappearance had shattered her heart.

And now that she saw her again, after a year of absence, she found that same heart beating faster at the sight of the beautiful mare. As the sight of a one who had chosen the stallion standing beside her over the Princess of the Night.

And Harmony help her, it was all she could do to remain civil.

Celestia cleared her throat. "Yes, we are always happy to help out a dear old friend. I believe that in your letter you mentioned we were in possession of one of the shards?"

"We traced the shard that Sombra hid in Queen Solomare's Mines to a museum here in Canterlot," Hope explained. "We believe that it was then transferred to the Vaults after an incident where it displayed unexplained magical properties."

"Your research skills are as sharp as always," Luna said with an approving nod, playing the role of the mentor and friend. "In fact, I hear tell from my sister that you've nearly three-quarters of Amore's shards."

"Well, it turns out that recovering ancient artifacts is a lot easier when you're with the stallion who hid them in the first place." Hope shrugged and smiled at Sombra, and Luna noted an odd distance to the expression. "It's like trying to work backwards from an answer at that point, sort of like the time we had to decode Star Swirl's grimoire."

"'Twas most fortunate I recalled his casting of the Amniomorphic spell as a filly, else we would never have been able to decode his hornwriting." Despite everything, Luna smiled at the memory. "I have given him plenty of grief for it since his return, and if you should meet him in your travels I trust you will do the same."

"Oh, of course." The grin that Hope shot her was filled with her old mischievousness that Luna remembered all too well. "You know I wouldn't let a chance like that go to waste, Lakeseer."

Luna snorted. "Will a thousand years not suffice to wipe that incident from your mind?"

"Well, maybe next time you get drunk and try to perform Astral Divination you'll point the telescope at the sky instead of the lake and won't end up predicting a plague of toads descending on Castle Everfree." A snicker from the unicorn. "We ended up back at the Castle during our search and I can still see the chisel marks from where you tried to install the roof shields."

"It was a powerful lesson in not challenging a dragon to a drinking competition," Luna admitted. "At the very least, the view from the top of the East Tower was pretty enough."

"The stars really were quite beautiful once we got the telescope pointing in the right direction," Hope agreed.

A gruff clearing of the throat brought the former couple's attention back to the stallion in the room. "Perhaps we could continue this discussion on the way to the Vaults?" Sombra suggested politely.

His words were like ice water crashing over Luna, reminding her that they lived in the present, where Hope was not her beloved. "Ah, yes," she said, chastised. "Unfortunately, only one pony besides myself or my sister may be present past the wards within, as a security precaution. Furthermore, only one of the princesses may be inside as well."

"I know a tracking spell that can detect the shard," Hope quickly said, not looking at Luna. "I can go with Celestia and confirm its location."

"That would be acceptable," Celestia said, and Luna was thankful for the opportunity to deal with her hurt in silence. To have bantered so easily with Hope, and then to be rejected so quickly afterwards, it was all too much for her. Celestia had always been better at managing emotions and remaining stoic.

"I'll be back soon," Hope said, smiling at Sombra. Sombra leaned in to nuzzle her, and Luna noticed the way she tensed, filing the observation away to mull on at a later time.

"I shall wait for you as you've waited for me," the former tyrant said in response.

With that, former student and teacher departed out the back, leaving Luna alone with Sombra and the knowledge that their last meeting had involved him trying to kill her. It was admittedly hard to find a conversation topic for idle chatter with that particular elephant in the room.

Fortunately, Sombra was the first to break the silence. "I take it you knew her well, in the times before?"

Luna eyed him curiously. "I was her teacher, and her friend besides," she said carefully. "She was a wonderful student, and a boon companion."

"I see. You seemed very familiar just now." There was something in Sombra's voice that Luna couldn't pin down. Suspicion, perhaps? "Hope rarely mentions you, so I was surprised that you seemed closer to her than Celestia did."

Luna wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry at that. "Oh? Does she speak much of her time here in Canterlot?"

Sombra shook his head. "Honestly, she is not a very talkative mare these days." A rueful smile graced his expression. "I suppose we all change with time. Though, you wouldn't know it from the way she spoke with you just now."

"We had many a good memories in our time together." A thought crept into Luna's own mind. A hope that she dared not give word to. "We became quite close, though not as close as the two of you are, of course."

"Of course." Again, that same hesitation from Sombra that she had seen in Hope. "Though, I suppose I should have expected it to take some time for us to return to what we once were."

"It has been many years for her," Luna said. "She has had longer to change than either of us, as she was not locked away or trapped in stasis during the intervening years."

"You make a good point. Perhaps soon she will—" Sombra cut himself off. "Forgive me. I shouldn't be talking about my relationship troubles like this. It's not proper, not even in this modern era we find ourselves in."

"Do not fret, I am often the ones ponies come to with matters of the heart." A wry grin played at Luna's lips. "Though, in this age they have my niece to pester as well."

"Yes, it is always better to have somepony else to share a burden." Love danced in Sombra's eyes as he spoke. "I am blessed to have Hope with me in this quest, no matter that she seems more friend than lover to me."

"That you are." Luna's response garnered her a curious stare from Sombra, but he seemed to shrug it off easily enough.

"Enough of such maudlin matters," he said instead. "I have a question I've been meaning to ask you for quite some time now. Hope and I have both been trained under the Umbrum, and I have always wondered about how the sources of our shadow magics differ."

Despite her curiosity, Luna allowed the conversation to shift. "Ah, that is a rather subtle topic," she said, her mind already shifting to a scholar's view. "Are you familiar with the current theories regarding the location of a pony's wellspring?"

"I have a passing knowledge of them," Sombra admitted.

"Ah, then I should begin with a short primer on the topic. You see..."

The next ten minutes passed by in pleasant academic discussion, though Luna's mind was only partially focused on the conversation. The rest of her was busy mulling over Sombra's words, and what they had revealed to her.

The hope that had sparked within her now burned brightly, and when Radiant Hope returned with Celestia, Luna couldn't help but grin widely at the both of them.

"We have returned," Celestia announced rather redundantly.

"So you have," Luna replied. "Did you find that which you seek?"

Hope's horn glowed, and a jagged pink shard of crystal appeared before her. It was shaped like a heart and pulsed with ambient Love Magic that tugged at Luna's mind. "That is most wonderful," Luna said with an approving nod. "And you are sure that this is a shard of Princess Amore?"

"Very sure." Hope seemed oddly tense, her reply short and a frown on her expression. "Now if you'll excuse us, we need to get going."

"You've just arrived, though," Celestia protested, and Luna felt her heart both flutter and ache at the unicorn's desire to be away from her. Which reaction spoke true would depend on her reason for leaving.

"I'd like to get this quest done as soon as possible," Hope replied. "We'll be sure to come visit afterwards."

"We shall hold you to that promise," Luna said, and once again, Hope looked uncomfortable at her presence.

Sombra walked up to Hope and turned to the princesses. "I thank you for the aid you have given us, Your Majesties."

"It was no trouble at all," Celestia replied smoothly. "Take care, both of you, and I pray you find what you desire soon." There was a hidden weight in her words, one that Luna could not divine the meaning of. That was no matter, though; Luna could unravel her sister's machinations at a later time.

"Yes, we wish you both the best, and do not hesitate to reach out to us if need be." There. Something safe and banal, to bring this charade to a close.

"We'll keep that in mind," Hope promised.

"May your reigns last eternal." The slightly archaic farewell from Sombra marked the end of the audience, and the pair took their leave.

"Well, that was interesting," Celestia said afterwards. "How did you chat with Sombra go?"

"Interestingly," Luna replied with as much mystery as she could manage. "I have much to think on."

"I see." Celestia smiled. "Well, I do have a meeting I need to get to. I'll see you later?"

"Of course. Take care, dear sister." They shared a quick nuzzle. "I shall away to bed now. It is far too early for me to be awake, but rest assured I shall be there to raise the moon and fulfill my duties as Warden of Dreams." And there was one dream in particular she was very interested in seeing tonight.

Tonight, Luna would know the truth of Radiant Hope's heart, and know if love truly ever died.